Page:The history of Korea, v2 (1905).djvu/132

120, Yi Sang-gyu, Hau O-sang, Kwōn Sun-jang, Yi Ton-o, Hong Myūng-il and the mother of Kim Kyūng-jeung. These people died, some by the sword, some by strangling and some, by drowning. There were darker crimes than murder too, for the Manchus did not hesitate to seize and insult many honorable women, and even to this day a slight taint clings to one family of the nobility because the wife and daughter-in-law were subjected to indignities than which death were preferable. From among the women taken there, the daughter of Whe Wūn, a relative of the king, became sixth wife to the Manchu Emperor, but shortly afterward he gave her to one of his favorites as a present. And so we leave this long line of captives winding their way eastward and find ourselves again within the grim walls of Nun-han.

The ravages of hunger were beginning to make the Manchu proposition seem more feasible. The council came to the conclusion that the men whom the Manchus demanded must be bound and sent to their fate. When the Crown Prince heard of this he said, "I have a son and several brothers and there is no reason why I should not go myself." Then Chong On said "I am the one who have most strenuously opposed the Manchu claims. Let me go." Kim Sang-hōn exclaimed, "Who opposed them more than I? I am surely the one to send." Yun Whaug, Yun Chip and O Tal-ch'e all offered to go and immolate themselves on the altar of Manchu vengeance. While the council was going on many of the soldiers came down from the wall and looked in at the doors and shouted, "As the Manchus have demanded these men why do you not send them rather than let us come thus to skin and bone?" It was with difficulty that they were sent back to their places. It was remarked that the soldiers under Gen. Yi Si-bāk did not participate in this unruly demonstration. That night at nine o'clock a party of Manchus approached the West Gate and one of them actually scaled the wall before the guard was aware of it. He was speedily driven back with a battle-club, and stones and other missiles were rained down upon the assaulting party. Gen. Yi Si-bāk was twice wounded but did not make it known until the skirmish was over. At the same time an assault was successfully warded off on the eastern side by Gen. Sin Kyūng-jin who, not content with