Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 175

1850.

Notice of Japan in the Húi-kwok Tá Chí.

149

accordingly desired Ping Siú-kih to put himself at the head of a force, and call him to account, shortly after which he was himself killed by Ming-chí, another of his subordinates. Ping Siúkih, who had just attacked and destroyed Ah-kí-chí, as soon as he heard of these re- bellious doings, joined with him his lieutenant and the officers of his battalions, seized the moment of his advantage [over Ahkíchí] to march back his troops, and by the death of Mingchi whom he slew, greatly extended the terror of his name. He now soon set aside the three sons of Kü Sin-cháng, and usurped the title of Kwúnpik, holding in his hands the control of all the troops under the command of that of ficer.

In the 4th year of Wán-lih (1585), he increased his army and subju- gated sixty-six departments, and so awed the states of Lewchew, Luzon, Siam, and the Franks, that he made them all send tribute to him. He changed the sovereign's place of residence from Shán ching, (the Hill- city) to Tá-koh (the Great Pavilion), inclosing within walls a con- siderable space outside the city; and he built a palace there, of which the apartments rose in nine stories one above another, and two he filled with women, and with pearls and precious stones. The discipline of his army was very severe; once advanced it never retired [before a foe]; the disobedient were sure to be beheaded, were they [even as] sons or sons-in-law; the consequence of which was that none whom they marched against could stand before them.

He changed the name of the period to Wán-luh, and in the same year, the first [of the new reckoning] resolved to invade China, and at the same time annihilate the power of Corea and possess him- self of it. To this end he called in and interrogated the remnant of the band of Wáng Chih of former times, and on learning from these that the Chinese feared those of Japan as they did the tiger, his self-confidence increased, and he augmented his land forces yet more, and prepared a fleet. By the advice of his officers, it was resolved that if he moved on the northern capital of China he should employ Coreans as guides, and that for the invasion of the districts of Chehkiáng and Fuhkien, he should make use of Chinese. In his an- xiety to prevent the disclosure of this matter by the Lewchewans, he put a stop to their bringing tribute, but Chin Kiá, a native of Tung- ngán (near Amoy), who traded to Lewchew, [heard of it] and apprehen- sive lest calamity should come upon China, he arranged with Ching- hwui, a high officer of Lewchew that an envoy should be sent to the Emperor with tribute, and a memorial praying that he would invest [the sovereign of Lewchew with royalty]; that he (the envoy) might