Letter of Instruction Appointing Yi Tammyŏng as Provincial Governor of Kyŏngsang Province, Concurrently Army and Navy Commander, Border Inspector and Magistrate of T’aegu 문서 원본 보기

{{Primary Source Document
|Image = 
|English = Order Appointing Yi Tammyŏng as Provincial Governor of Kyŏngsang Province, Concurrently Army and Navy Commander, Border Inspector and Magistrate of T’aegu
|Chinese = 敎慶尙道觀察使 兼兵馬水軍節度使 巡察使 大丘府使 李聃命 書
|Korean = 
|Genre = [[Royal Documents]]
|Type = [[Decree]]
|Author =  
|Year = 1690
|Key Concepts= 
|Translator = [[2016 Hanmun Workshop | Participants of 2016 Jangseogak Hanmun Workshop Program]]
|Editor = Nathan Woolley, Jaeyoon Song
|Translation Year = 2016

}}

=='''Introduction'''==


=='''Primary Source Text'''==
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top"
! style="width:650px;" | English || style="width:250px;" | Classical Chinese
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| The King says: To control the roots and branches,<ref>The fundamental and the incidental, the beginning and the end, a concept common to Chinese philosophical discourse.</ref> I use the theory of animal sacrifice. To balance the inner and the outer, I use the discourse of holding the balance.<ref>A metaphor for evaluating the ability of officials.</ref> I may be ten thousand li away, but I am as near as the clay atop the potter’s wheel. I may be as far as the ninth layer of heaven,<ref><em>Kuchung</em> 九重 is also a reference to the court and, by extension, the ruler.</ref> but I am as close as the candle that illuminates the room. By following the legacy of the Zhou and Han dynasties, I address heavy responsibilities through delegation. By adopting the legislation of the Tang and Song dynasties, I plan carefully with repeated supplementation.

I thus take up the primal responsibility of Jingmen,<ref>A strategic site in Chinese history.</ref> temporarily putting aside books of the royal library. I gaze on the realm of seventy prefectures, a land of riches providing for a thousand years.<ref>The king is here refering to Kyŏngsang Province, where Yi Tammyŏng is to be posted.</ref> On the Yangzi River’s path to the sea, nothing is greater than Dongting Lake; among the steep mountains that pierce the void, the cliff-face paths can be rivaled. Its topography is like Wu and Chu,<ref>Two states of the south during China's Warring States period (475-225 BC).</ref> providing sufficient resources; its natural endowment is like Zou and Lu,<ref>The native places of Mencius and Confucius respectively, in modern-day Shandong province.</ref> raising tax income. Since its rivers and mountains foster daring men, it has long gathered luminaries of repute. Since the recitation of classics has become local custom, it has long produced talent for the needs of the day.

Its abundant materials and vast territory are of great service to the state. For this reason its numerous duties and vexing administration are the worst among the eight circuits. Due to widespread decline, its affairs must be salvaged from imminent ruination. With indulgence in pleasure taken to extremes, rectification will be truly difficult. With no harvest ripening in the fields, corpses will soon be filling the ditches. As parent of the people, how can I not pursue all possible means to bring aid? Rescuing our people truly lies in the responsibility of selecting officials.

Your father has this son, whom I desire to appoint as minister. Upholding family precepts, you receive the mantle of instruction in the school of Confucius.<ref>Part of this and the following phrase are taken from in a directive penned by Xu Jingzong 許敬宗 (592-672). See "Ju xian lang zhao" 舉賢良詔 in <em>Wenyuan yinghua</em> 文苑英華 j.462.</ref> Obeying bureaucratic principles, you follow the golden rules of the Chancellor of Zheng.<ref>During the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC), the Chancellor of Zheng reputedly refused gifts of fish to protect the integrity of his position. See Liu Xiang 劉向 (79-8 BC) (comp.), <em>Xin xu</em> 信序. </ref> Your father, your brother and yourself are held in esteem in the Ministry of Personnel. Four generations in one hundred years have illuminated your family repute in the royal academy.

With sudden cruelty, flames on blazing ridges burned intensely, yet luckily the egg remained whole in the overturned nest. The calamities of petty men fill the sky, yet they they dare to speak of the grievances of loyalty. A gentleman’s errors are like the moon: he deeply contemplates the statues of the eminent of old. Ji Shao had the manner of his father, in appearance displaying the bearing of a dragon.<ref>Ji Shao 稽紹 (253-304) was an official of the Jin dynasty. He died attempting to protect Emperor Hui (r.301-307). His father was Ji Kang 嵇康 (223-262), one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove and famously executed by Sima Zhao 司馬昭 (211–265), regent of the Wei dynasty. See <em>Jin shu</em> 晉書, j.89.</ref> When Dou Yi had an audience with the sovereign, he did not advance beyond the entrance pillars.<ref>Dou Yi 竇儀 (914-66) entered the service of the Song after having served the Later Jin (936–47)， the Later Han (947–51) and the Later Zhou (951–60). Once when proceeding to an audience with Emperor Taizu (r.960-72) and seeing the emperor was not properly attired in shoes and hat, he stopped outside the hall. He only entered after the emperor quickly attended to his attire and called Dou in. Dou then explained to the emperor the importance of proper deportment in court affairs. See <em>Zizhi tongjian houbian</em> 資治通鑑後編, j.1.</ref> This is indeed the loyalty of one who does not contravene his father; this is entirely the righteous conduct of withholding nothing from one’s sovereign.

Moved by memorials containing endless words of appeal, why should I to wait to hear petitions presented with beaten drums? I have been sympathetic to your three requests to attend your parents, and now intend to fulfill my wish for your service. That you had to bide your time as governor of Cholla must have been the consequence of ministers’ chatter. That you now face challenges in the position of governor of Kyŏngsang was a result originating from the explanations of the grand councilor. Even though one with the elevated behavior of Li Xuzhong should not serve in the provinces,<ref>Li Xuzhong 李虛中 (761-813) was a scholar-official and renowned astrologer of the Tang dynasty. His tomb inscription was written by Han Yu 韓愈 (768-824), perhaps adding to Li's fame. See <em>Chang li xiangsheng wenji</em> 昌黎先生文集, j.28.</ref> one without the fine reputation of Zhao Bian cannot be entrusted with distant regions.<ref>Zhao Bian 趙抃, an official of the Song dynasty (960-1279), excelled as a regional administrator. He is celebrated in a poem by Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037-1101). See <em>Song shi</em> 宋史 j.316; <em>Dongpo quanji</em> 東坡全集, j.11.</ref> Circumstances of the times differ in urgency; the talented value suitability in appointment. Thus opinions at court on the selection of officials accord with my initial intention.

Now I appoint you to the position of Provincial Governor of Kyŏngsang province, concurrently the army and navy commander, border inspector and magistrate of T’aegu. You should carefully consider the gravity of this appointment and remain constantly mindful of the present predicament. If you were fighting a fire, how could you spare time to consult elders? You should rather face it immediately. Without flour, there can be no skilful cook. How can you scrape hairs from a turtle to make felt? There is no inch of skin that you should not cherish. It is better to be delighted in a group than alone. A bucket of water can save a multitude. The hunger of the people is like one’s own.

The content of memorials presented to the throne already provide an overview of the situation. After you arrive and survey conditions, do as should be done. If you want to achieve the gradual protection of the people, nothing is better than the removal of corrupt clerks. Just as there is concern for depletion of the region’s funds in receiving Japanese envoys, all of the people are repeatedly burdened by military taxes. With anxiety and suffering pervading their minds, some fear the trading of swords for plowshares. With difficulties and concerns filling their eyes, the wandering geese of the wilds should be gathered together.

In submitting admonition, earth must be tamped before the rain. In official service, orchids must be watered in a timely fashion. Beyond this, I will not give you further instruction for you are knowledgeable. Your position is comparable to the premier lord: shining on the constellation of retainers, they bow northwards. Your rank is as high as junior guardian: as they gaze up to you as to the moon, you take position facing south. The top of your jade adornments already brush against your embroidered robe. By the office in your hometown, you will build a hall for your honors.

Extra diligence in loyalty drawn from filial piety is sure to coalesce in the merit of administrative reports. Since I have not seen you betray emotions in moments of delight, anger, anxiety or joy, I have no doubt in your ability to manage affairs. Since I have seen you maintain your composure amid worry, anguish, haste and pressure, I imagine you can bring order with great ease. It is my deep wish that you take up this position. I make the appointment for this reason. Remain mindful of it.

On the second day of the eighth month in the 29th year of the Kangxi reign period.

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王若曰: 制本末則有體牲之說，均內外則有持衡之言。萬里之遠而如泥在匀，九重之邃而如燭照室。遵周漢之遺意，責重分釐。取唐宋之成規，計深迭補。

爰畁荊門之鎖鑰，暫輟璧府之圖書。睠彼七十州之封疆，乃是一千年之緜壤。長江通海，洞庭之大難侔。峻嶺撐空，棧道之險堪倂。吳楚之地形足恃，鄒魯之天性可徵。江山養豪，自古萃名世之輩。絃誦成習，至今多需時之才。

惟其爲一國之仰資，物衆而地大。是以比八路而最劇，務殷而政煩。凋瘵已多，若爲敗局之收拾。恬嬉轉甚，誠難改絃而更張。况當遍野之無秋，擧將塡壑之在夕。爲民父母，可不盡施濟之方。救我烝黎，亶在揀承宣之任。

惟卿父有是子，君願爲臣。佩家訓則稟木鐸於孔門，服官箴而受金科於鄭相。一翁二季，雋時望於天曹。四世百年，赫家聲於翰苑 。

忽慘炎岡之火烈，尙幸覆巢之卵完。小人之禍滔天，忍言忠貞之冤恨。君子之過如月，篤念老成之典刑。嵇紹有父之風，姿宛覩於龍質。竇儀見君之日，身不離於螭頭。唯推不違親之忠，以盡無隱君之義。

感萬言呼籲之疏，何待撾鼔而聞。憐三上便養之章，擬許奉檄之願。始見寢於湖臬，蓋出儒臣之言。逮持難於嶺藩，繼有冢宰之啓。雖緣李虛中之高行，不宜外居。第非趙閱道之雅名，莫可西委。且時勢有緩急之異，而才力貴甘適之宜。故廟議之僉諧，亦予意之先定。 

玆授卿慶尙道觀察使，兼兵馬水軍節度使，廵察使，大邱府使。卿其深惟委任之重，永懷時事之艱。捄火暇問丈人，只應焦頭而爛額。無麵難爲巧婦，何以刮龜而成氈。無尺寸之膚不愛焉。獨樂孰如於衆樂。得升斗之水庶活矣。民飢實同於己飢。 

疏中條陳，已得其梗槩。去後區畫，可行以便宜。如欲徐保竆氓，莫若先去貪吏。念一路殆盡於接倭，而萬姓重困於簽丁。危厲熏心，或恐渤海之佩犢。艱虞溢目，宜集澤畔之飛鴻。 

至於詰戎之方，誠合未雨而掇土。若其作士之道，亦須及時而滋蘭。其餘卿必周知，此外予不多誥。於戲。爵比元侯，耀使星而北拱。班猶亞保，瞰卿月而南臨。玉節前頭，已拂斑爛之服。棠舍側畔，佇開晝錦之堂。 

益勉移孝之忠，庶凝報政之績。當喜怒憂樂之際而未見客氣，固知辦事之無疑。處煩擾悤迫之中而自有主形，可想理劇而有裕。予則深望，卿其往欽。故玆敎示，想宜知悉。 

康熙二十九年八月初二日
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=='''Discussion Questions'''==


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