King Gogugwon故國原王

King Gogugwon's name was Sayu (斯由). In the fifteenth year of King Micheon he was set up as crown prince. In the thirty-second year, in spring, the king died, and he ascended the throne.

In the second year, in spring, the second month, the king went to Jolbon and sacrificed at the shrine of the founder. He went about and asked after the people, and gave relief to the old and the sick. In the third month he came back from Jolbon.

In the fourth year, in autumn, the eighth month, he built up the fortress of Pyeongyang higher. In winter, the twelfth month, no snow fell.

In the fifth year, in spring, the first month, he built the fortress of Sinseong in the north of the country. In autumn, the seventh month, frost fell and killed the grain.

In the sixth year, in spring, the third month, a great star flowed to the northwest. He sent an envoy to Jin and offered the products of the land.

In the ninth year, Murong Huang, the king of Yan, came to raid, and his soldiers reached Sinseong. The king begged for an oath of peace, and he then went back.

In the tenth year, the king sent the heir to attend the court of Murong Huang, the king of Yan.

In the twelfth year, in spring, the second month, he repaired the fortress of Hwando, and also built the fortress of Gungnae. In autumn, the eighth month, he moved and lived in the fortress of Hwando.

In winter, the tenth month, Murong Huang, the king of Yan, moved his capital to Longcheng. Murong Han, the general who establishes might, asked this of him: "Take Goguryeo first, wipe out the Yuwen after, and only then can you plan for the Central Plain. Goguryeo has two roads. The northern road is level and wide, the southern road is steep and narrow." The crowd wanted to follow the northern road.

Han said. "The barbarians will reckon by ordinary feeling. They will surely think the great army follows the northern road, and so they will weight the north heavily and hold the south lightly. You should lead picked soldiers yourself and strike along the southern road, coming out where they do not look for you, and then Hwando is not hard to take. Send another force apart to come out by the northern road, and even if it stumbles, their heart has already been broken, and their arms and legs can do nothing."

Murong Huang followed his words.

In the eleventh month Murong Huang himself led forty thousand strong soldiers out by the southern road, with Murong Han and Murong Ba as the vanguard, and sent Wang Yu, the chief clerk, and others apart with fifteen thousand soldiers to come out by the northern road and raid.

The king sent his younger brother Mu with fifty thousand picked soldiers to block the northern road, and himself led the weaker soldiers to guard the southern road. Murong Han and the others came first and fought, and Murong Huang followed with the great host, and so the Goguryeo army was greatly beaten. Han Shou, the left chief clerk, cut down the Goguryeo general Abulhwadoga, and the many armies rode on their victory and at last came into Hwando.

The king fled alone on horseback into the valley of Danung. The general Muyu Ni came after him and seized the king's mother, Lady Ju, and the queen, and went back with them.

As it happened, Wang Yu and the others fought on the northern road and were all beaten and died. Because of this Murong Huang did not chase to the end again, and he sent an envoy to call the king out, but the king did not come out.

Murong Huang was about to go back, and Han Shou said. "The land of Goguryeo cannot be garrisoned and held. Now their lord has fled and their people are scattered, hiding in the mountain valleys. Once the great army has gone, they will surely gather again like doves, and take up what is left of the ashes, and that will still be enough to be a trouble. I ask you to carry off the corpse of his father and shut up his living mother, and go back. Wait for him to bind himself and come back of his own will, and then give them back, and soothe him with kindness and good faith. That is the best plan."

Murong Huang followed his words. He dug open the tomb of King Micheon and carried off the corpse. He took the treasures of many reigns from the storehouses, took more than fifty thousand men and women captive, burned the palace buildings, tore down the fortress of Hwando, and went back.

In the thirteenth year, in spring, the second month, the king sent his younger brother to call himself a subject and enter the court of Yan, and offered rare and precious things by the thousand. Murong Huang, the king of Yan, then gave back the corpse of his father, but still kept his mother as a hostage.

In autumn, the seventh month, he moved and lived in Donghwangseong at Pyeongyang. The fortress is in Mongmyeoksan, east of Seogyeong today. He sent an envoy to Jin and offered tribute. In winter, the eleventh month, snow fell five cheok deep.

In the fifteenth year, in winter, the tenth month, Murong Huang, the king of Yan, had Murong Ke come and attack. He took Namso, set a garrison there, and went back.

In the nineteenth year, the king sent Song Huang, who had been the protector of the Eastern Yi, to Yan. Murong Jun, the king of Yan, pardoned him, changed his name to Hwal (活), and made him a commandant.

In the twenty-fifth year, in spring, the first month, he set up his son Gubu as royal crown prince.

In winter, the twelfth month, the king sent an envoy to Yan, gave a hostage and made up the tribute, and asked for his mother. Murong Jun, the king of Yan, allowed it, and sent Diao Kan, a general of the palace guard, to send the king's mother, Lady Ju, home to the country. He made the king grand general who subdues the east and inspector of Yingzhou, and enfeoffed him as Duke of Nangnang, and the king's place was as before.

In the thirty-ninth year, in autumn, the ninth month, the king went south with twenty thousand soldiers and attacked Baekje. They fought at Chiyang, and he was beaten.

In the fortieth year, Wang Meng of Qin attacked Yan and broke it. Murong Ping, the grand tutor of Yan, fled here, and the king seized him and sent him to Qin.

In the forty-first year, in winter, the tenth month, the king of Baekje led thirty thousand soldiers and came to attack the fortress of Pyeongyang. The king sent out his army to block them, and was struck by a flying arrow. On the twenty-third day of that month he died. He was buried on the Gogugwon plain.