King Micheon美川王

King Micheon's name was Eulbul (乙弗). He was the son of Dolgo the gochuga, who was a son of King Seocheon.

In the beginning King Bongsang suspected that his younger brother Dolgo had another heart, and killed him. The son, Eulbul, feared harm and fled into hiding. At first he went to the house of Eummo, a man of Susilchon, and worked there for hire. Eummo did not know what sort of man he was, and used him very hard. In the grassy pool beside the house frogs cried, so he made Eulbul throw tiles and stones at night to stop the sound, and by day he drove him to gather firewood and did not let him rest even a moment. Eulbul could not bear the hardship, and after a full year he left.

He traded in salt with Jaemo, a man of Dongchon. They took a boat to the Amnok, and brought the salt ashore and lodged at the house of a man of Sasuchon, east of the river. The old woman of that house asked for salt, and he gave her about a mal. She asked again, and he did not give it. The old woman was bitter and angry, and secretly put her shoes into the salt. Eulbul did not know, and carried it on his back and took the road. The old woman came after him and searched it out, and charged him falsely with hiding her shoes. She reported it to the magistrate of the Amnok. The magistrate took salt as the price of the shoes and gave it to the old woman, and had Eulbul beaten with the rod and let him go.

By now his face was withered and his clothes were ragged, and those who saw him did not know that he was a grandson of the king.

At that time Chang Jori, the guksang, was about to depose the king. First he sent Jobul of the northern division and Souu of the eastern division and others to search the hills and the fields for Eulbul by his looks. They came to the bank of the Biryu river and saw a man on a boat. His form and face were worn, yet the way he moved and the way he stood were not ordinary.

Souu and the others suspected that this was Eulbul. They went up and bowed to him and said. "The king now has no way in him, and so the guksang and the many officials have taken secret counsel to depose him. They say that you, the king's grandson, are sparing and simple in your conduct, kindly and loving toward people, and fit to carry on your grandfather's work. Therefore they have sent us, your servants, to receive you and bring you back."

Eulbul doubted them and said. "I am a man of the fields, not a king's grandson. Look again, I ask you."

Souu and the others said. "The one above has lost the hearts of the people, and has long since lost them. Truly he is not enough to be the lord of the country. So the many officials look to you, the king's grandson, with great longing. Do not doubt us."

At last they received him and led him back. Jori was glad, and lodged him in a house south of Omaek, and did not let anyone know.

In autumn, the ninth month, the king hunted north of Husan, and Jori, the guksang, went with him. Jori said to the crowd, "Whoever is of one heart with me, do as I do." Then he stuck a reed leaf in his cap, and all the crowd stuck one in as well. Jori knew that the hearts of the crowd were all the same, and so together they deposed the king, shut him in a separate room, and had soldiers guard it all around. Then they welcomed the king's grandson, offered him the seal and its cord, and set him on the throne.

In winter, the tenth month, a yellow fog closed in on all four sides. In the eleventh month a wind came from the northwest, blowing the sand and rolling the stones, for six days. In the twelfth month a comet appeared in the east.

In the third year, in autumn, the ninth month, the king led thirty thousand soldiers and raided Hyeondo Commandery. He took eight thousand people captive and moved them to Pyeongyang.

In the twelfth year, in autumn, the eighth month, he sent a general to attack Xi'anping in Liaodong and take it.

In the fourteenth year, in winter, the tenth month, he raided Nangnang Commandery and took more than two thousand men and women captive.

In the fifteenth year, in spring, the first month, he set up his son Sayu as crown prince. In autumn, the ninth month, he went south and raided Daebang Commandery.

In the sixteenth year, in spring, the second month, he attacked and broke the fortress of Hyeondo, and those killed and taken were very many. In autumn, the eighth month, a comet appeared in the northeast.

In the twentieth year, in winter, the twelfth month, Cui Bi, the inspector of Pingzhou in Jin, fled here.

In the beginning Cui Bi had secretly talked over Goguryeo and the Duan and the Yuwen, so that they should attack Murong Hui together, and the three countries advanced and attacked Jicheng. Hui shut the gates and held his own, and gave oxen and wine to the Yuwen alone, to feast them. The countries that had joined suspected that the Yuwen had some plan together with Hui, and each led its soldiers home.

Sidugwan, the great man of the Yuwen, said. "Though the two countries have gone home, I shall take him alone." Hui had his son Huang and Pei Yi, the chief clerk, lead the picked troops as the vanguard, and himself led the great army behind them. Sidugwan was greatly beaten, and barely got away with his life.

Cui Bi heard of it and sent Tao, his elder brother's son, to Jicheng to offer false congratulations. Hui faced him with soldiers, and Tao was afraid and confessed. Then Hui sent Tao back to say to Cui Bi, "To surrender is the best plan. To run is the worst plan." He led soldiers and followed after him. Cui Bi, with a few dozen horsemen, left his household and fled here, and all his people surrendered to Hui.

Hui had his son Ren hold Liaodong, and the offices and the markets and the villages were quiet as before. Yeono, a general of Goguryeo, held out at the fortress of Ha. Hui sent the general Zhang Tong, who fell upon him and took him, and carried off more than a thousand households of his people and went back to Jicheng.

The king often sent soldiers to plunder Liaodong, and Murong Hui sent Murong Han and Murong Ren to attack him. The king asked for an oath of peace, and Han and Ren then went back.

In the twenty-first year, in winter, the twelfth month, he sent soldiers to plunder Liaodong, and Murong Ren met them in battle and broke them.

In the thirty-first year, he sent an envoy to Shi Le of the Later Zhao, and sent him arrows of hosi (楛矢).

In the thirty-second year, in spring, the second month, the king died. He was buried on the Micheonwon plain, and was called King Micheon (美川王).

Samguk sagi, book seventeen.