Byeon Gye-ryang (卞季良, 1369 – 1430) was a scholar-official of the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods. His family seat was Miryang (密陽), his father was Byeon Ok-ran (卞玉蘭), who served as Vice Minister of the Central Secretariat (判中樞院事), and his elder brother was Byeon Jung-ryang (卞仲良), who served as Senior Royal Secretary of the Right (右副承旨). His courtesy name was Geogyeong (巨卿), and his art name was Chunjeong (春亭). He served as Minister of Rites and for twenty years held the post of Grand Academician of the Hall of Worthies (集賢殿 大提學). His posthumous name was Munsuk (文肅). His wife was from the Miseong Park clan, a daughter of Park Eon-chung, and his son-in-law was Jo Seung, Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works.
He is evaluated as a statesman with a pragmatic view of governance who laid the foundations of the Joseon state (https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=2805031&cid=41884&categoryId=55597). Byeon Gye-ryang was a teacher of King Sejong in the early Joseon period. He was a master of writing who prepared about 90% of the state documents of three reigns, those of Taejo, Taejong, and Sejong, including the documents for the state rites of sacrifice to Heaven. He advised Sejong to establish the Hall of Worthies and to launch a punitive expedition against Tsushima, and he administered a fair civil service examination system.
Life
From an early age he was clever; at four he could recite regulated verse couplets, and at six he composed writings. He studied under Yi Saek and Jeong Mong-ju, passed the provincial licentiate examination (進士試) in 1382 (8th year of King U of Goryeo), and passed the lower civil service examination (生員試) the following year. In 1385 he passed the civil service examination and served as Junior Instructor of the Editorial Office (典校注簿), Commander of the Guard Corps (備巡衛精勇郎將) concurrently Doctor of Advancement in Virtue (進德博士).
In 1392, when Joseon was founded, he was appointed Central Commander of the Thousand Cavalry Guard (千牛衛中領中郎將) concurrently Vice Director of the Royal Medical Office (典醫監丞), but he did not take up the post. Afterward, after serving as Professor of Medicine (醫學敎授官), in 1396 (4th year of Taejo) he became Vice Director of the Office of Royal Documents (校書監丞) concurrently Drafter of Royal Edicts (知製敎). In the early reign of Taejong he served as Lecturer of the Royal Confucian Academy (成均館學正), Director of the Royal Literary Office (直藝文館), Vice Director of the Office of Slaughter (司宰少監), Responsive Secretary of the Office of Special Advisers (藝文館應敎), and Director of Academic Affairs (直提學), among other posts.
In 1407 (7th year of Taejong) he was selected first among the second grade in the civil service mid-level examination (文科中試), rose to the rank of senior official, and became Right Vice Minister of Rites (禮曹右參議). The following year he became Left Deputy Tutor of the Crown Prince (世子左輔德), and afterward, after passing through posts such as Director of the Office of Special Advisers (藝文館提學), Concurrent Vice Director of the Office of Royal Chronicles (春秋館同知事) and Vice Director of the Royal Treasury (內贍寺判事), and Co-Assistant of the Royal Lectures (經筵同知事), in 1415 he became Right Deputy Attendant of the Crown Prince (世子右副賓客). At this time a severe drought caused great distress to the Retired King, and he requested prayers at the Circular Altar (圓壇), saying that sacrificing to Heaven was not proper ritual but that the situation was urgent. Taejong had Byeon Gye-ryang compose the prayer text and sent Chief State Councillor Yu Jeong-hyeon (柳廷顯) to conduct the sacrifice, and a great rain indeed fell. Afterward, until the end of Taejong's reign, he served as Director of the Hall of Literary Excellence (修文殿提學), Left Deputy Attendant (左副賓客), Grand Academician of the Office of Special Advisers concurrently Grand Director of the Royal Confucian Academy (成均館大司成), Right Attendant (右賓客), Minister of Rites, Director of Royal Lectures (經筵知事), Director of the Office of Royal Chronicles (春秋館知事), and State Councillor of the Office of the State Council (議政府參贊), among other posts. In particular, in 1419 he strongly advocated the suppression of Japanese pirates, which most officials opposed, and he contributed to the success of the Gihae Eastern Expedition (己亥東征) led by Yi Jong-mu (李從茂).
In 1420 (2nd year of Sejong), after the Hall of Worthies was established, he became its Grand Academician. In 1426 (8th year of Sejong) he became Vice Commander of the Right Army Commission (右軍都摠制府判事). He was especially excellent in literature and for nearly twenty years held the post of Grand Academician, preparing diplomatic documents. As an examiner for the civil service examinations, he was extremely fair and reformed the abuses of the late Goryeo period. By the king's command, he was assigned to compile the Gukjo Bogam (國朝寶鑑) while staying at Heungdeok Temple (興德寺), and during his stay Sejong bestowed rare delicacies of the court upon him, and senior officials as well as his colleagues frequently sent him wine and food to console him.
Works
As a representative figure of the bureaucratic literati lineage running from Jeong Do-jeon (鄭道傳) and Gwon Geun to the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods, he wrote the "Hwasan Byeolgok" (華山別曲) and the "Taehaeng Taesang-wang Sichaekmun" (太行太上王諡冊文), praising the founding of Joseon. His extant work is the Chunjeong-jip (春亭集), in 3 volumes and 5 books.
He took part in the compilation of the Veritable Records of Taejo (太祖實錄) and the Gukjo Bogam (國朝寶鑑), and in the revision of the History of Goryeo (高麗史). He wrote the inscription for the tomb of Gija (箕子墓), the "Nakcheonjeong Gi" (樂天亭記), and the "Heonneung Jimun" (獻陵誌文).
In addition, he compiled the Jeongbu Sanggyuseol (政府相規說), a collection of words and deeds of past officials that serve as warnings and models. Two sijo poems by him are preserved in the Cheonggu Yeongeon (靑丘永言).
Posthumous honors
He is enshrined at Byeongam Seowon (屛巖書院) in Changnyeong...
Evaluation
Byeon Gye-ryang was, in particular, the foremost scholarly authority of his era, having served as Grand Academician of Joseon for twenty years. The post of Grand Academician, the highest office dealing with scholarship unconnected to power or privilege, was an object of envy for scholar-officials who valued honor, and gave rise to the saying, "Ten chief state councillors are not worth one Grand Academician." It was said that the Grand Academician "weighs scholarship and evaluates it correctly," and only those who had passed through every office related to learning and had passed the major civil service examination could be appointed. Its rank was Senior Second Rank, equal to that of a minister, yet it was treated as higher than that of state councillors or ministers. In modern official terms the post corresponds to the Minister of Education, but because only those who had been thoroughly verified by the public examination, who possessed political experience, and who were recognized as the foremost Neo-Confucian scholars of their time could be appointed, it was the most honorable office. Although the post was one of "below one person and above ten thousand" (一人之下萬人之上), the fact that few people who served as Chief State Councillor, Left State Councillor, or Right State Councillor also held the post of Grand Academician shows that scholarship in Neo-Confucianism was prioritized over political or bureaucratic character. Accordingly, the families of those who had served as Grand Academician and as Right State Councillor, Left State Councillor, or Chief State Councillor were respected as the most distinguished of distinguished lineages.
Byeon Gye-ryang's scholarship was used in diplomacy with the Ming dynasty, in building a Confucian society, and in spreading the ideology of Joseon. Sejong ordered the scholars of the Hall of Worthies: "From now on, do not report to your main office (the working office), but read books solely at home." One condition was that the three men who read under this rule must receive guidance from Byeon Gye-ryang.
Dramas
Footnotes
This article contains content based on the Global World Encyclopedia distributed under GFDL or CC-SA license by Daum Communications (now Kakao).