Page:Nihongi by Aston volume 2.djvu/26

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Keidai.
19

Kara[1] and Tök-să-than. Pèkché sent the Lord-General Yun-kwi Ma-na, Kap-pè Ma-ro and others to Ara respectfully (XVII. 23.) to hear the Emperor's decree. Silla, fearing lest the Government which he had established in the frontier provinces should be destroyed, did not send a grandee. He only sent Pu-chi-na-ma-nyé and Hyé-na-ma-nyé to Ara respectfully to listen to the Imperial decree. Hereupon Ara built a new High-Hall, into which the Imperial Ambassador was led up, the ruler of the country ascending the staircase behind him. One or two of the local grandees had already ascended the Hall, but the Pèkché envoys, the Lord-General, and the others remained below. The consultations were repeated for many months[2] in the Hall above, until the Lord-General and the others grew angry at having to remain in the Courtyard.

Summer, 4th month, 7th day. Kwi-neung-ma-ta[3] Kanki, King of Imna,[4] came to Court. [Kwi-neung-ma-ta was doubtless the Arasăteung.] He addressed Kanamura, Ohotomo no Ohomuraji, saying:—"The several frontier provinces beyond the sea, ever since the time of the Emperor in the womb, have had Interior Government Houses placed in them. My land has not been abandoned, but the territory has been enfeoffed to me, not without good reason. But now Silla, in defiance of this original definitive enfeoffment, has frequently crossed the borders and invaded us. I pray, therefore, that thou wilt represent this to the Emperor, so that he may come to the assistance of his servant's country." The Ohomuraji, Ohotomo, in accordance with his request, laid the matter before the Emperor.

In this month an envoy was sent to escort Kwi-neung-ma-ta Kanki, and at the same time to convey to Afumi no Kena no Omi, who was resident in Imna, the instructions of the Emperor to investigate thoroughly the matter represented to him, and in a friendly way to dissipate their mutual suspicions. Hereupon Kena no Omi lodged at Kumanare[5] [one book

  1. See above, p. 15.
  2. The "Shukai" corrects this to "days."
  3. The traditional Kana is Konomatta.
  4. The "Shukai" has a note that Imna is Kara. The name given here is not that of the King of Kara at this time. He may have been only a prince.
  5. Or Eung-chön, i.e. Bear-river. See Vol. I. pp. 232, 368.