King Gyeongae景哀王

King Gyeongae ascended the throne. His name was Wiung (魏膺), and he was the younger brother of King Gyeongmyeong by the same mother.

In the first year, in the ninth month, an envoy was sent to greet Taejo. In winter, the tenth month, the king sacrificed in person at the Singung, and there was a great amnesty.

In the second year, in winter, the tenth month, Neungmun, general of Goul prefecture, went over to Taejo. Taejo comforted him, admonished him and sent him back, because that fortress lay hard by the royal capital of Silla.

In the eleventh month Gyeon Hwon, lord of Later Baekje, sent his nephew Jinho to Goryeo as a hostage. When the king heard of it he had a man say to Taejo. "Gyeon Hwon turns this way and that and is full of deceit. There can be no peace and friendship with him." Taejo held his words to be right.

In the third year, in summer, the fourth month, Jinho died suddenly. Hwon said that the men of Goryeo had killed him on purpose, and in anger he raised troops and pushed his army on to Ungjin. Taejo ordered his many fortresses to hold their walls fast and not to come out.

The king sent an envoy, saying. "Gyeon Hwon has broken the oath and raised troops. Heaven will surely not help him. If Your Majesty should rouse the might of a single beating of the drum, Gyeon Hwon will surely break of himself." Taejo said to the messenger. "It is not that I fear Hwon. I am only waiting for his evil to fill up and for him to fall of himself."

In the fourth year, in spring, the first month, Taejo went in person against Baekje, and the king sent out troops to help him.

In the second month Jang Bun, sirang of the Byeongbu, and others were sent to enter the Later Tang and bring tribute. Tang gave Jang Bun the office of acting minister of works; the deputy envoy Bak Sulhong, nangjung of the Byeongbu, was made also vice censor in chief; and the judge Yi Chungsik, wonoerang of the Changbu, was made also attending censor.

In the third month the pagoda of Hwangnyongsa shook and leaned to the north. Taejo in person broke Geunpum fortress. Mingzong of Tang made Wang Bonggyu, acting administrator of Gangju, Great General Hoehwa.

In summer, the fourth month, Wang Bonggyu, administrator of Gangju, sent his envoy Im Eon to enter the Later Tang and bring tribute, and Mingzong called him to an audience in the Zhongxing Hall and gave him gifts. The four districts of Dolsan and the rest, which Gangju had under it, went over to Taejo.

In autumn, the ninth month, Gyeon Hwon fell upon the Silla army at Goul prefecture. The king asked Taejo for help, and he ordered his generals to send out ten thousand strong soldiers and go to the rescue.

Because the relieving troops had not yet come, Gyeon Hwon, in winter, the eleventh month, came stealing into the royal capital. The king, together with his queen and his consorts and his kinsmen, was out at Poseokjeong, feasting and taking his pleasure, and did not know that the brigand soldiers had come, and in the suddenness of it he did not know what to do. The king fled with his queen into the rear palace, while the kinsmen and the high ministers and the great officers, men and women, scattered on all sides and ran and hid. Those who were taken by the brigands, high and low alike, were all struck with terror, and sweated and crawled, and begged to be made slaves, but they did not escape.

Hwon also let his soldiers loose and plundered the goods of the state and of private men until nearly all were gone, and he went into the palace and lodged there, and then ordered those about him to look for the king. The king was in the rear palace with his queen and a few concubines, and they were seized and brought into the camp. They pressed the king until he took his own life, and they forced the queen and outraged her, and they let their underlings loose to do violence to his consorts and concubines. Then they set up a cousin of the king to hold the affairs of the state for the time, and this was King Gyeongsun.