Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/177

 TAKG COREAN EXPEDITIOK. 153 nine barbarians * had renounced him, and that war was about to overtake him : how then receive his tribute ? The emperor agreed to send it back, saying to the messenger, that he was astonished the Qaoli permitted the murderer of their king to live, and to rule over them in so high-handed a fashion. To a remark by an old Swi minister, as to the difficulty of taking a Corean city, he replied that times were changed now, for the throne was not occupied by the SwL An army of 40,000 men was placed under Jang liang, President of the Board of Punishment^ and 500 vessels were to sail from Laichow for Pingyang. Another army of 60,000 infantry and cavalry, besides " Hoo " barbarians from Lanchow «.d Zk^. ,CL lately gi,» in their *gU«ce, B»rched towards Yowchow, and at Anloshan were joined by volunteers fix)m " the far and the near/' Of these, the emperor received some and rejected others. At this point a proclamation was posted up to the effect that these preparations of war were not against the people, but against a regicide; the army on the march, or in their tents, would not injure the inhabitants or compel the country people to toil for them ; the Emperor Tang had trampled upon his subjects, while the late Qaoli king loved his ; the hearts of his soldiers were not with Yang, and victoiy for him was impossible; but success was in the present instance assured for five reasons : — 1, The greater was marching against the lesser ; 2, Obedience against rebellion ; 3, Well-trained men and an orderly people against a rabble ; 4, fresht roops against weazy ones ; and 5, troops in high spirits against troops who hated their commander. An author's note sagely remarks, that the emperor believed it an easy matter to overrun Gaoli, but he never broke it To set a good example the emperor cut down his personal expenditure to the lowest possible. When starting he put his waterproofs on his saddle with his own hands, took a bow in his hand and slung a quiver over his shoulder. In marching, he ate plain meat and rice, refusing all dainties. He had the sick
 * See note p. 10.