Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/289

 QX7ESTI0NABLE FRIENDSHIP. 265 rapidly and widely was extended the kingdom and power of the Nujon by Agooda^ whose reign was began soon after the changes referred to by the Corean traveller were introduced. It is, we believe, impossible for any people who have been remarkably saccessful in war, to prevent the growth of a national vanity from such Bacce8& The Niijun were undoubtedly elated to an extreme degree at their unheard of military successes ; and they would certainly not r^ard the Coreans as their equals. In 1117, a 'party of Niijun or Kin soldiers approached the ciiy of Baochow on the Corean frontier. As the two countries were on the best of terms, the commandant readily opened his gates ; but once inside, the Niijun took possession, and the Corean messengers got no redress at the court of Ein, nor did Corea dare to quarrel or call in question the high handed acts of its friendly neighbour. Yii, the king of united Corea^ had, a short time before, in acknowledging his suzerain lord, the Sung emperor, petitioned for medical instruction, and had two doctors sent, who were retained two years, and then sent back again. King Yii, having heard of Sung preparations to march against the south of Liao, while the Niijun were to pour in from the north, sent his advice to Sung, to regard and treat the Liao as his younger brother ; for the Liao were his best protection against the Niijun, who were wolves and tigers. The physicians were too late, for the treaty had been ahready completed, and the Chinese army had already marched. The Liao were ultimately crushed between the two ; and the Sung dynasty had ample reason to regret that they had not carried out the policy recommended by king Yii. Corea itself had to acknowledge the supremacy of the powerful Kin: and thus, for 400 years, it passed a comparatively quiet life, as far as China was concerned; for it never was able to raise its hand against its powerful western neighbour& And it had especial reason to treat the Niijun with respect ; for before the appearance of Agooda^ it had suffered two defeats, in two attacks upon Niijun, — ^the latter being an attempt to capture nine cities which the Niijun had planted on