Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/51

SWUNYUEN. 27 best men, with costly presents, to confer on Swunynen the title of Yen Wang. He was in this step opposed by ahnost all his ministers, from Ooong Toong down, who persisted that Swunyuen should not be trusted ; for though he was aggrieved with Wei now, Wei was near and Woo far ; he would therefore in time turn round again, and Woo would become the laughing- stock of the world ; it was therefore impolitic to create him a vassal king, though it was quite proper to regard him as a firiend. Woo was angiy ; but he hesitated and vacillated as the remonstrances continued to be pressed, but not sufficiently so, however, to recall the embassy which had abready gone. When Woo's mother was on her death-bed, she called old Jao to her bedside, and said to her son, who was standing near her, that for external afiGurs he must listen to the advice of Jang Ur, and for internal to that of Jang Jao. In the present emergency old Jao wept because his advice was not listened to ; and Woo, remembering the death-bed scene, wept also, and dropt to the ground the sword which he had taken up. When Jao retired, he was so offended at the rejection of his advice, that he, feigning illness, ceased attendance at court The Emperor was angry at Jao's disappearance, and as commands to appear were of no avail, he sent men who broke in the old man's door ; but they found it barricaded inside with a heap of earth. The messengers of Woo started in the spring of 233. Yuen reasoned that as Woo was far, and troops difficult to move thence, he was absolute master of the persons of the embassy, and could act towards them as was most conducive to his own advantage. Therefore, in the January of the following year, he had the chief members of the embassy beheaded, and their heads sent to Wei as a peace ofifering. This offering Wei gladly received, conferring upon the donor the title of Duke (Goong) of Liaotung. The Emperor of Woo was sixty years old when he received the news of the treachery of Tuen. He was terribly enraged, and would have an army sent on at once to revenge the death of his messengers, and the insult to himself. Again was he