King Taejo太祖大王

King Taejo's name was Gung (宮), and his childhood name was Eosu (於漱). He was the son of Jaesa the gochuga, who was a son of King Yuri. His mother the queen dowager was a woman of Buyeo. When King Mobon died, the crown prince was not worthy and was not enough to be lord of the altars of the state, and so the people of the country welcomed Gung and set him up to follow. The king was born with his eyes open and able to see, and even as a child he was outstanding beyond others. He was seven years of age, and so the queen dowager let down the screen and heard the affairs of state.

In the third year, in spring, the second month, ten fortresses were built in Liaoxi to make ready against the soldiers of Han. In autumn, the eighth month, locusts harmed the grain in the south of the country.

In the fourth year, in autumn, the seventh month, East Okjeo was attacked and its land was taken and made into fortified towns. So the borders were widened, reaching Changhae in the east and the Salsu in the south.

In the seventh year, in summer, the fourth month, the king went to the pool of Goan to watch the fish, and with a hook he took a white fish with red fins. In autumn, the seventh month, there were great waters in the capital, and the houses of the people were washed away and sunk.

In the tenth year, in autumn, the eighth month, he hunted in the east and took a white deer. In the south of the country locusts flew and harmed the grain.

In the sixteenth year, in autumn, the eighth month, Dodu, the grandson of the king of Galsa, came and surrendered with his country, and so Dodu was made utae. In winter, the tenth month, it thundered.

In the twentieth year, in spring, the second month, Dalga, paeja of the Gwanna division, was sent to attack Jona, and he took its king captive. In summer, the fourth month, there was drought in the capital.

In the twenty-second year, in winter, the tenth month, the king sent Seoryu, paeja of the Hwanna division, to attack Juna. He took its prince Eureum captive, and Eureum was made gochuga.

In the twenty-fifth year, in winter, the tenth month, an envoy of Buyeo came and offered a deer with three horns and a hare with a long tail. The king held them to be things of good omen and granted a great pardon. In the eleventh month snow fell three cheok deep in the capital.

In the forty-sixth year, in spring, the third month, the king went east to look over Chaekseong, and coming to Gyesan west of Chaekseong he took a white deer. When he reached Chaekseong he feasted and drank with his many officers, and he gave goods and silk in differing measure to the officials who guarded Chaekseong. At last he cut a record of his deeds into the rock, and then he returned. In winter, the tenth month, the king came back from Chaekseong.

In the fiftieth year, in autumn, the eighth month, an envoy was sent to comfort Chaekseong.

In the fifty-third year, in spring, the first month, an envoy of Buyeo came and offered a tiger. It was one jang two cheok long, and its hair was very bright in colour, and it had no tail.

The king sent a general into Liaodong of Han, and they took six counties and plundered them. Geng Kui the prefect brought out soldiers and held them off, and the king's army was greatly defeated. In autumn, the ninth month, Geng Kui struck and broke the Maek people.

In the fifty-fifth year, in autumn, the ninth month, the king hunted south of Jilsan and took a purple roe deer. In winter, the tenth month, the headman of Donghaegok offered a red leopard whose tail was nine cheok long.

In the fifty-sixth year, in spring, there was a great drought, and by summer the land was red. The people were hungry, and so the king sent envoys to relieve them.

In the fifty-seventh year, in spring, the first month, an envoy was sent to Han to give greeting that Emperor An had put on the cap.

In the fifty-ninth year, an envoy was sent to Han to offer the products of the land and to ask to belong to Hyeondo.

In the sixty-second year, in spring, the third month, the sun was eclipsed. In autumn, the eighth month, the king went about and looked over the southern sea. In winter, the tenth month, he came back from the southern sea.

In the sixty-fourth year, in spring, the third month, the sun was eclipsed. In winter, the twelfth month, snow fell five cheok deep.

In the sixty-sixth year, in spring, the second month, the earth shook. In summer, the sixth month, the king together with the Yemaek fell upon Hyeondo of Han and attacked the fortress of Hwaryeo.

In autumn, the seventh month, locusts and hail harmed the grain. In the eighth month he commanded the offices in charge to put forward men who were good and worthy, filial and obedient. He had the widowers and widows, the orphans and those who lived alone, and the old who could not keep themselves alive, asked after, and he gave them clothing and food.

In the sixty-ninth year, in spring, Feng Huan the inspector of Youzhou in Han, Yao Guang the prefect of Hyeondo, and Cai Feng the prefect of Liaodong led soldiers and came to invade. They struck and killed the chief of the Yemaek and took all their soldiers and horses and goods.

The king then sent his younger brother Suseong to lead more than two thousand men and meet Feng Huan and Yao Guang. Suseong sent an envoy and surrendered falsely, and Feng Huan and the others believed it. Suseong therefore held the steep places and blocked the great army, and he secretly sent three thousand men to attack the two commanderies of Hyeondo and Liaodong. They burned their walls, and they killed or took captive more than two thousand men.

In summer, the fourth month, the king went with eight thousand of the Xianbei to attack Liaosui county. Cai Feng the prefect of Liaodong led soldiers out to Xinchang, and he fought there and fell. Long Duan, clerk of the army office, and Gongsun, clerk of the horse office, shielded Cai Feng with their own bodies and died with him on the field, and those who died were more than a hundred.

In winter, the tenth month, the king went to Buyeo and made sacrifice at the shrine of the queen dowager. He asked after the people who were in want and gave them goods in differing measure. An envoy of Suksin came and offered a coat of purple fox fur, a white hawk and a white horse, and the king feasted him to comfort him and sent him away. In the eleventh month the king came back from Buyeo. The king had Suseong take charge of the affairs of the army and the state.

In the twelfth month the king led more than ten thousand horsemen of Mahan and the Yemaek and went forward and surrounded the fortress of Hyeondo. The king of Buyeo sent his son Wigutae to lead twenty thousand soldiers and join strength with the soldiers of Han to stand and fight, and the Goguryeo army was greatly defeated.

In the seventieth year, the king together with Mahan and the Yemaek invaded Liaodong, and the king of Buyeo sent soldiers to rescue it and broke them.

In the seventy-first year, in winter, the tenth month, Mok Doru the paeja was made jwabo and Go Bokjang was made ubo, and they were made to take part in the affairs of state together with Suseong.

In the seventy-second year, in autumn, the ninth month, on the last day gyeongsin, the sun was eclipsed. In winter, the tenth month, an envoy was sent into Han to offer tribute. In the eleventh month the earth shook in the capital.

In the eightieth year, in autumn, the seventh month, Suseong hunted at Wasan and feasted with those about him. Then Miyu, utae of Gwanna, Eojiryu, utae of Hwanna, and Yangsin, joui of Biryuna, and others said to Suseong in secret.

"At first, when King Mobon died, the crown prince was not worthy, and the many officers wished to set up the king's son Jaesa. Jaesa said that he was old and gave way to his son, and his wish was that when the elder brother grew old the younger brother should follow him. Now the king is already old, and yet he has no mind to give way. You alone must plan for it."

Suseong said. "To follow and inherit must be by the eldest son. That is the constant way of all under heaven. Though the king is now old, his eldest son is here. How should I dare to look to it?"

Miyu said. "That a younger brother of worth should follow after his elder brother was so in the old days too. Do not doubt it."

At this Mok Doru, the paeja and jwabo, knew that Suseong had another mind in him, and he named an illness and did not serve.

In the eighty-sixth year, in spring, the third month, Suseong hunted at Jiryang and did not return for seven days, and he played and took his pleasure without measure. In autumn, the seventh month, he hunted again at Gigu, and only after five days did he come back.

His younger brother Baekgo remonstrated with him. "Disaster and good fortune have no gate of their own. It is only men who call them. Now you, by the closeness of being the king's younger brother, have become the head of all the officers. Your place is already at its highest, and your deeds too are great. You should keep loyalty and right in your heart and master yourself with courtesy and yielding, so that above you are one with the king's virtue and below you win the hearts of the people. Only then will riches and honour not leave your body, and disaster and disorder will not arise. Now you do not come out of this, but covet pleasure and forget care, and quietly I hold you to be in danger."

He answered. "In the feelings of all men, who does not wish to be rich and honoured and to be glad? But of those who get it there is not one in ten thousand. Now I am in a place where I may take my pleasure. If I cannot do as my mind wills, what use will it be?" In the end he did not follow him.

In the ninetieth year, in autumn, the ninth month, the earth shook at Hwando.

At night the king dreamed, and a leopard bit through the tail of a tiger. He woke and asked whether it was a good sign or a bad one. Someone said. "The tiger is the elder of all the beasts. The leopard is of the same kind but smaller. It may be that among the king's own kin there is one who plans to cut off the line that comes after the great king."

The king was not pleased, and he said to Go Bokjang the ubo. "Last night I saw something in a dream, and the words of the diviner are like this. What is to be done?"

He answered. "If a man does what is not good, then the good turns and becomes ill. If he does good, then calamity turns instead into good fortune. Now the great king is troubled for the country as for his own house, and he loves the people as his own children. Though there be some small strange thing, what harm can it do?"

In the ninety-fourth year, in autumn, the seventh month, Suseong hunted below Wasan and said to those about him. "The great king is old and does not die, and my own years too are drawing toward evening. I cannot wait. I wish only that you about me would plan for me." All those about him said. "We will humbly follow your command."

Then one man came forward alone and said. "A while ago the prince spoke words of ill omen, and those about him could not remonstrate with him straight, but all said that they would humbly follow his command. They may be called crooked and flattering as well. I wish to speak straight, but I do not know how your honour will take it."

Suseong said. "If you can speak straight, it is medicine and the healing needle. What doubt is there in it?"

The man answered. "Now the great king is a man of worth, and within and without there is no other mind. Though you have deeds to your name, you lead the crooked and flattering men among those below and plan to put down a bright lord. How does this differ from tying a weight of ten thousand gyun (鈞) to a single thread and dragging it backward? Even a foolish man would still know that it cannot be done. If the prince will mend his plan and change his thoughts and serve his elders with filial obedience, then the great king will know the prince's goodness deeply and will surely have a mind to yield his place to him. If not, disaster will come upon you."

Suseong was not pleased. Those about him envied his straightness and spoke against him to Suseong. "The prince fears that, the great king being old, the fortune of the country stands in peril, and so he would plan for what comes after. This man speaks so rashly. We fear only that it will leak out and bring trouble. It is right to kill him and shut his mouth."

Suseong followed his words.

In autumn, the eighth month, the king sent a general to fall upon Xi'anping county in Liaodong of Han. He killed the magistrate of Daebang and took captive the wife and children of the prefect of Nangnang.

In winter, the tenth month, Go Bokjang the ubo said to the king. "Suseong is about to rebel. I ask that he be put to death first."

The king said. "I am already old, and Suseong has deeds to his name in the country. I mean to hand the throne over to him. Do not trouble yourself with care."

Bokjang said. "Suseong in his nature is harsh and not kind. On the day he receives the great king's handing over, on the next day he will harm the great king's sons and grandsons. Does the great king know only how to show kindness to an unkind younger brother, and not how he leaves trouble to guiltless sons and grandsons? I beg the great king to weigh it well."

The king did not listen.

In the twelfth month the king said to Suseong. "I am already old and grown weary of the ten thousand affairs. The reckoning of heaven rests upon your body, and what is more, within you have taken part in the affairs of state and without you have had charge of the affairs of the army. You have long had deeds to your name for the altars of the state, and you truly meet the hope of the officers and the people. What I hand over may be said to have found its man. Do you ascend the throne, and long enjoy what is good."

Then he handed over the throne and withdrew to grow old in a separate palace, and he was called King Taejo (大祖大王).