King Daemusin大武神王

King Daemusin ascended the throne. His name was Muhyul (無恤), and he was the third son of King Yuri. He was clever and wise from birth, and when he grew up he was bold and outstanding and had great plans in him. In the thirty-third year of the reign of King Yuri, the year gapsul, he was set up as crown prince, and his years at that time were eleven. Now he came to the throne. His mother was of the house of Song, the daughter of Songyang, the king of the country of Damul.

In the second year, in spring, the first month, the earth shook in the capital. There was a great pardon. More than a thousand households of the people of Baekje came over and gave themselves up.

In the third year, in spring, the third month, a shrine was set up for King Dongmyeong.

In autumn, the ninth month, the king was hunting at Golgucheon and got a holy horse, and he named it Georu (駏䮫).

In winter, the tenth month, Daeso, the king of Buyeo, sent an envoy with a red crow that had one head and two bodies. At first a man of Buyeo had found this crow and presented it to his king, and someone said. "A crow is a black thing, and now it has changed and become red, and it has one head and two bodies. This is a sign that two countries will be joined in one. Will the king not join Goguryeo to his own?" Daeso was glad and sent it, and with it he made known what that man had said.

The king took counsel with his officers and answered. "Black is the color of the north, and now it has changed and become the color of the south. And a red crow is a thing of good omen, yet you got it and did not keep it but sent it to me. Which of the two countries shall stand and which shall fall cannot yet be known." When Daeso heard this he was startled and full of regret.

In the fourth year, in winter, the twelfth month, the king sent out his army to attack Buyeo, and he halted on the bank of the Biryu river. He looked toward the water's edge, and it seemed that a woman was there carrying a cauldron and playing. He went up and looked, and there was only the cauldron. He had rice cooked in it, and without waiting for fire it grew hot of itself, and so food was made and a whole army was filled.

Suddenly there was a sturdy man, and he said. "This cauldron is a thing of my house. My sister lost it, and now the king has found it. I ask to carry it and follow you." So the king gave him the surname Bujeong (負鼎氏).

They came to Imullim and stayed the night, and in the night a sound of metal was heard. When it grew light the king sent men to search for it, and they found a golden seal and weapons and other things. He said. "Heaven has given them." He bowed and received them.

As he took the road there was a man some nine cheok in height, with a white face and light in his eyes. He bowed to the king and said. "Your servant is Goeyu, a man of Bungmyeong. I have heard in private that the great king is going north to attack Buyeo. Your servant asks to go with you and to take the head of the king of Buyeo." The king was glad and allowed it.

There was another man, and he said. "Your servant is Maro, a man of Jeokgok. I ask to go before you with a long spear." The king allowed this also.

In the fifth year, in spring, the second month, the king pushed his army forward to the south of the country of Buyeo, and that land was full of mire. The king chose level ground for his camp and unsaddled and rested his soldiers, and he showed no sign of fear.

The king of Buyeo came out with his whole country to fight. He whipped his horse and went in front, meaning to fall upon them before they were ready, but he sank in the mud and could go neither forward nor back. Then the king waved Goeyu on, and Goeyu drew his sword and shouted and struck, and ten thousand soldiers went down before him and could not hold. He went straight on and seized the king of Buyeo and cut off his head.

The men of Buyeo had lost their king and their spirit was broken, yet they still would not bend, and they closed around in many rings. The king's food was spent and his soldiers were hungry, and he was anxious and afraid and did not know what to do. So he prayed to heaven for its holy help, and suddenly a great fog came down, and for seven days a man or a thing could not be told apart even close at hand. The king had figures of straw made and weapons set in their hands and stood them inside and outside the camp for false soldiers, and he brought his army out secretly by night along a side road.

The holy horse of Golgucheon and the great cauldron of the source of the Biryu were lost. They came to Imullim, and the soldiers were so hungry that they could not rise, so wild beasts were taken and given them to eat.

When the king had come back to his country he gathered his officers and drank with them and said. "I had no virtue, and I attacked Buyeo lightly. Though I killed their king, I did not destroy their country, and I also lost much of the gear of the army. This is my fault." Then he himself mourned for the dead and asked after the sick and comforted the people. Because of this the people of the country were moved by the virtue and the right dealing of the king, and all vowed to give their lives for the affairs of the country.

In the third month the holy horse Georu came with a hundred horses of Buyeo to Chahoegok below Hakballyeong.

In summer, the fourth month, a younger brother of Daeso, the king of Buyeo, came to the bank of the Galsa river and founded a country and called himself king. He was the youngest son of Geumwa, the king of Buyeo, and history has lost his name. At first, when Daeso was killed, he knew that the country would soon fall, and with more than a hundred of his followers he came to Amnokgok. There he saw King Haedu come out to hunt, and he killed him and took his people, and coming here he first made his capital. This was King Galsa.

In autumn, the seventh month, a cousin of the king of Buyeo said to the people of the country. "Our former king is dead and his country is destroyed, and the people have nothing to lean upon. The king's brother has fled and made his capital at Galsa, and I too am not worthy and cannot raise the country again." So he came over with more than ten thousand people and gave himself up. The king raised him to be a king and settled him at ease in the Yeonna division. Because there was a net-like pattern on his back, he was given the surname Nak (絡氏).

In winter, the tenth month, Goeyu died. When his illness first grew grave the king came himself to ask after him, and Goeyu said. "Your servant is a low and humble man of Bungmyeong, and again and again I have received deep favor. Though I die I shall be as one alive, and I shall not dare to forget to repay it." The king thought his words noble, and because his merits were great he buried him on the south side of Mount Bungmyeong and ordered the officers in charge to sacrifice to him in each season.

In the eighth year, in spring, the second month, Eulduji was made ubo, and the affairs of the army and the state were given into his hands.

In the ninth year, in winter, the tenth month, the king himself went against the country of Gaema and killed its king, and he comforted the people and set them at ease and forbade the taking of captives and the plundering, and he only made that land into commanderies and counties.

In the twelfth month the king of the country of Guda heard that Gaema had been destroyed, and fearing that the harm would reach himself he came with his whole country and surrendered. By this the widening of the land grew greater little by little.

In the tenth year, in spring, the first month, Eulduji was made jwabo and Songokgu was made ubo.

In the eleventh year, in autumn, the seventh month, the prefect of Liaodong in Han came with an army to attack. The king gathered his officers and asked them for plans to fight and plans to hold.

Songokgu the ubo said. "Your servant has heard that he who trusts in virtue flourishes and he who trusts in force perishes. Now China is worn with bad harvests and want, and robbers rise up like swarms of bees, and yet an army is sent out with no name for it. This is no plan settled by ruler and officers. It must be that a general on the border seeks his own profit and invades our country as he pleases. He goes against heaven and against men, and his army will surely have no success. If we lean upon our steep land and use a plan of surprise, we shall break him without fail."

Eulduji the jwabo said. "When a small enemy is stubborn, he is taken by the great enemy. Your servant reckons how the soldiers of the great king stand against the multitude of the soldiers of Han. They can be beaten by a plan, but they cannot be overcome by force."

The king said. "What is this beating by a plan?"

He answered. "Now the soldiers of Han have come far to fight, and the edge of their sword cannot be met. If the great king shuts the fortress and holds it fast and waits until their army is worn out, then he may go out and strike them."

The king thought this right, and he went into the fortress of Winaam and held it fast for many tens of days, but the soldiers of Han did not loosen their ring. The king's strength was spent and his soldiers were worn out, and he said to Duji. "As things stand we cannot hold. What shall we do?"

Duji said. "The men of Han take us for a land of rock and stone with no water and no springs, and for this they lay a long siege and wait until our people are in want. It is fitting to take carp from the pond and wrap them in water weed, and with them some good wine, and send them to feast the army of Han and comfort it."

The king followed his words and sent a letter which said. "I am foolish and dark, and I have brought guilt upon myself before the superior country, and I have made the general lead a host of a million and lie out in the open in my poor land.

I have nothing with which to repay your deep kindness, so I make bold to offer these poor things to those about you."

At this the general of Han thought that there was water within the fortress and that it could not be taken quickly, and so he answered. "Our emperor did not hold his servant dull, but gave the order and sent out the army to ask the great king for his crime. We have been in your land more than ten days and have got nothing to the purpose, and now we hear the word you send, and it is mild and it is respectful. How should we not dare to take this for our word and report it to the emperor?" Then he drew off his soldiers and withdrew.

In the thirteenth year, in autumn, the seventh month, Sangsu, a man of Maegugok, came over and gave himself up, together with his younger brother Wisu and his cousin Udo and others.

In the fourteenth year, in winter, the eleventh month, there was thunder. There was no snow.

In the fifteenth year, in spring, the third month, the great officers Gudo, Ilgu and Bungu, three men, were cast out and made commoners. These three men were heads of the Biryu division, and they were greedy and mean by nature, and they took other men's wives and concubines and their oxen and horses and their goods as they pleased, and if a man would not give they whipped him, so that all the people held anger and resentment in their hearts.

The king heard of it and would have killed them, but they were old servants of King Dongmyeong, and he could not bring himself to give them over to the utmost law, so he only cast them out and put them away. Then he had Chuso, the saja of the southern division, take their place as head of the division.

When Chuso had taken up the office he built a great house apart to live in, and he did not let Gudo and the others, who were guilty men, come up into the hall. Gudo and the others came before him and said. "We are small men, and we broke the law of the king, and we cannot bear our shame and our regret. We ask that you forgive our faults and let us make ourselves new, and then we shall die without bitterness."

Chuso drew them up and sat together with them and said. "A man cannot be without fault, and if he has a fault and can mend it, there is no goodness greater than that." So he became their friend. Gudo and the others were moved and ashamed, and they did no more evil.

When the king heard of it he said. "Chuso did not use severity, but was able to check evil by wisdom. It may be said that he did well." He gave him the surname Daesil (大室氏).

In summer, the fourth month, the king's son Hodong went to Okjeo for his pleasure. Choe Ri, the king of Nangnang, was out on a journey and saw him there. He asked. "I look at your face, and you are no common man. Are you not the son of the holy king of the country in the north?" So he went home with him and gave him his daughter to wife.

Afterward Hodong went back to his own country and secretly sent a man to say to the daughter of the house of Choe. "If you can go into the armory of your country and cut and break the drum and the horn, then I will receive you with the rites. If not, I will not."

Before this, Nangnang had a drum and a horn which sounded of themselves if an enemy army came, and this was why he had them broken.

So the daughter of the house of Choe took a sharp knife and went secretly into the armory and cut the face of the drum and the mouth of the horn, and she made it known to Hodong. Hodong urged the king to fall upon Nangnang. Choe Ri did not make ready, because the drum and the horn did not sound, and only after the Goguryeo army had come secretly to the foot of his walls did he learn that the drum and the horn were both broken. In the end he killed his daughter and came out and surrendered.

In winter, the eleventh month, the king's son Hodong killed himself. Hodong was born of the king's second queen, who was a granddaughter of King Galsa. His face and his form were beautiful, and the king loved him greatly, and for this he was named Hodong (好童).

The first queen feared that her own son would lose his place as the rightful heir and would not be made crown prince, and so she slandered him to the king. "Hodong does not treat me with the rites. It may be that he wishes to do me wrong."

The king said. "Do you hate him and envy him because he is another woman's child?"

The queen knew that the king did not believe her, and fearing that harm would come upon herself she wept and said. "I beg the great king to watch in secret. If there is no such thing, I will take the guilt upon myself."

At this the great king could not but doubt, and he was about to punish him.

Someone said to Hodong. "Why do you not clear yourself?"

He answered. "If I clear myself, this is to show forth my mother's evil and to lay sorrow upon the king. Can that be called dutiful?" With that he fell upon his sword and died.

Kim Busik comments.

Now the king believed slandering words and killed a beloved son who had done no wrong, and there is no need to speak of how unkind that was. Yet Hodong too cannot be called without guilt. Why so? When a son is blamed by his father, he ought to do as Shun did with Gusou, and take the small rod but run from the great rod, and so make sure that he does not sink his father into what is not right. Hodong did not know to come out by this way, and he died where he should not have died. It may be said that he was held fast by a small carefulness and was blind to the great right. Shall we liken him to the noble son Shensheng?

In the twelfth month the king's son Haeu was set up as crown prince. An envoy was sent into Han to bring tribute, and Emperor Guangwu gave back to him the title of king. This was the eighth year of Jianwu.

In the twentieth year, the king fell upon Nangnang and destroyed it.

In the twenty-fourth year, in spring, the third month, hail fell on the capital. In autumn, the seventh month, frost fell and killed the grain. In the eighth month plum blossoms opened.

In the twenty-seventh year, in autumn, the ninth month, Emperor Guangwu of Han sent soldiers across the sea to attack Nangnang, and he took that land and made it into commanderies and counties, and the land south of the Salsu belonged to Han.

In winter, the tenth month, the king died. He was buried in the Daesurimwon plain and was called King Daemusin (大武神王).