Yeon Gaesomun淵蓋蘇文

Gaesomun's surname was Yeon. He said of himself that he had been born in the water, and by this he led the crowd astray. His bearing and his looks were bold and grand, and his will and his spirit were free and high.

His father, the daein of the eastern division and the daedaero, died, and Gaesomun should rightly have followed him. But the people of the country held his nature to be cruel and violent, and they hated him, and he could not take the place. Somun bowed his head to the ground and begged pardon of the many, and asked to hold the office in another's stead, and he said that if it should turn out wrong he would not be sorry even to be put down. The many pitied him, and in the end they gave him leave.

When he had taken the place he was fierce and cruel and without right ways, and the many daein took secret counsel with the king and wished to cut him down. The matter leaked out, and Somun gathered all the soldiers of his division as though he were about to hold a review, and he set out wine and food in plenty to the south of the wall, and he called the great officers to come and look on with him. When the guests arrived he killed them all, more than a hundred men in all.

He rode into the palace and killed the king, and he cut him into several pieces and threw him away in a ditch. He set up Jang, the son of the king's younger brother, as king, and he made himself mangniji. That office is like the post of president of the board of war together with director of the secretariat in Tang.

At this he gave his orders far and near and ruled the affairs of the country alone, and his majesty was very great. He wore five swords at his waist, and those about him did not dare to look up at him. Whenever he mounted his horse or came down from it, he always had a noble or a general lie face down on the ground, and he trod upon him. When he went out he always drew up his ranks, and the man who led the way in front gave a long shout, and then the people all fled and scattered and did not shun pit or valley, and the people of the country suffered bitterly from it.

Taizong of Tang heard that Gaesomun had killed his lord and held the country alone, and he wished to strike him.

Zhangsun Wuji said, "Somun knows himself that his guilt is great, and he fears that the great state will punish him, and so he has made his defences ready. If Your Majesty bears with him for a while, he will take himself to be safe and will give his evil freer rein, and to take him after that will not be too late." The emperor followed his words.

Somun spoke to the king, "I hear that in China the three teachings go side by side, but in this country the Daoist teaching is still lacking. I ask that an envoy be sent to Tang to seek it." The king then set out the request in a memorial. Tang sent eight men, the Daoist priest Shuda and the rest, and gave the Daodejing as well. So they took a Buddhist temple and made it their lodging.

It happened that Silla went into Tang and reported, "Baekje has struck and taken more than forty of our fortresses, and it has joined its troops with Goguryeo again and plots to cut off the road by which we come to court. Our small country has had no choice but to send out troops, and we bow down and beg for the soldiers of heaven to come to our rescue."

At this Taizong ordered Xiangli Xuanjiang, aide in the court of agriculture, to carry a letter under the seal and give this command to the king, "Silla has truly given itself over to this state, and its tribute has not fallen short. You and Baekje should each of you put up your arms. If you strike it again, next year troops will be sent out and your country will be struck."

At the first, when Xuanjiang came into the country, Somun had already led troops out to strike Silla, and the king sent someone to call him, and so he returned.

Xuanjiang gave out the command, and Somun said, "In days past, when the men of Sui came raiding us, Silla took the moment and seized five hundred li of our walled towns, and from that time the grudge and the breach have been long. Unless the land taken from us is given back, the arms cannot be stayed."

Xuanjiang said, "How can what is already past be called up and argued? Now Liaodong was at the first all of it counties and commanderies of China, and China still says nothing of it. How can Goguryeo insist on seeking its old land?"

Somun would not follow him, and Xuanjiang went back and told the whole state of things. Taizong said, "Gaesomun killed his lord, he harmed his great ministers, and he was cruel to his people. Now he goes against my edict too, and he cannot be left unpunished."

He sent an envoy again, Jiang Yan, to make his mind known. Somun in the end would not take up the edict, and he threatened him with troops. The envoy would not bend, and so he was shut up in a cave room. At this Taizong raised a great host and went himself to strike him. The matter is set out in full in the Goguryeo Annals.

Somun died in the first year of Qianfeng.

His son Namsaeng had the courtesy name Wondeok. At nine years old he was made seonin by his father's appointment, and he was moved to jungnisohyeong, which is like the usher of Tang. He became jungnidaehyeong as well and took charge of the government of the country, and every word and order was in Namsaeng's hands. He rose to jungniwidudaehyeong.

After a long while he became mangniji and great general of the three armies, and daemangniji was added to him, and he went out to look into the several divisions. Then his younger brothers Namgeon and Namsan took charge of the affairs of the country.

Someone said, "Namsaeng hates the way you press upon him, and he means to do away with you." Geon and San did not believe it. And there were those who said to Namsaeng, "They mean not to let you in."

Namsaeng sent a spy to go there, and Namgeon caught him, and at once he forged the king's command and called Namsaeng back.

Namsaeng was afraid and did not dare to go in. Namgeon killed his son Heonchung, and Namsaeng fled and held Gungnaeseong, and he led his host together with the troops of the Khitan and the Malgal and gave himself over to Tang, and he sent his son Heonseong to plead his case.

Gaozong gave Heonseong the post of General of the Right Militant Guard, and he gave him a carriage and horses and auspicious brocade and a precious sword, and sent him back to report. By edict he ordered Qibi Heli to lead troops and support him, and so Namsaeng was delivered.

He was made Grand Commander of the Army of the Pyeongyang Road, and Commissioner for Pacification with the Tally as well, and he brought over Gamul and Namso and Changam and other fortresses and surrendered them. The emperor further ordered Li Qianyi, secretary of the western terrace, to go to the army and comfort them, and he gave a belt with seven gold-studded pieces.

The next year he was called in to court and moved to Grand Governor of Liaodong and Duke of the Commandery of Xuantu, and a house in the capital was given him. Then by edict he went back to the army, and with Li Ji he struck Pyeongyang and went in and took the king. The emperor by edict sent his son, and at the Liao River he comforted him and gave him gifts. When he came back he rose to Grand General of the Right Guard and Duke of the State of Bian. He died at the age of forty-six.

Namsaeng was pure and generous and had good manners, and he was quick and ready in speech when he reported and answered, and he was good at the art of the bow. When he first arrived he lay down at the axe and the block and waited for punishment, and the world spoke well of him for this.

Heonseong, in the Tianshou years, was Grand General of the Right Guard and held the Feathered Forest Guard as well. Empress Wu once brought out gold and silk and chose five men who shot well from among the civil and military officers, meaning to give it to the one who hit the mark. Zhang Guangfu the inner secretary gave way to Heonseong first, and so Heonseong was first. Afterward Heonseong gave way to Xue Tumozhi, Grand General of the Right Wangqian Guard, and Mozhi gave way to Heonseong again.

Then Heonseong reported, "Your Majesty chooses those who shoot well, but many of them are not men of China. Your servant fears that the officers of Tang will hold shooting to be a shame, and it would be better to stop it." The empress thought well of it and took it in.

Lai Junchen once asked him for goods, and Heonseong did not answer him, and so he laid it falsely against him that he plotted rebellion, and had him hanged. The empress learned afterward how he had been wronged, and she gave him the posthumous rank of Grand General of the Right Feathered Forest Guard and buried him again with due rites.

Kim Busik comments.

Emperor Shenzong of Song was discussing affairs with Wang Jiefu (Wang Anshi) and said, "Why was it that Taizong struck Goguryeo and did not overcome it?"

Jiefu said, "Gaesomun was no common man."

If that is so, then Somun too was a man of gifts. Yet he could not serve his country by the straight way, and he gave free rein to his cruelty and violence, and so came to great treason.

The Chunqiu says, "When a lord has been killed and the robber is not punished, it is said that the country has no men in it." Yet Somun kept his waist and his neck whole and died in his own house, and it may be said that he got off by luck.

Namsaeng and Heonseong were heard of in the royal house of Tang, but if one speaks from their own country, they cannot escape being men who turned traitor.