The bottom document lists various lands King Yeongjo (reigned 1724–1776) bestowed upon Lee Sam (Yi Sam, 1677–1735). The lands are mostly located near Daejeon and Nonsan, cities in Chungcheong province, where Lee Sam built his house complex with royal funds.
(The complex is extant in Nonsan.) The top document contains
all the names and ages of sixteen male slaves and eighteen female
slaves given to Lee Sam in 1729. In the previous year, fifteen officials,
including Lee Sam, received land and slaves along with other special
rewards when they were appointed as Bunmu meritorious officials.
Comparing these edicts and other texts documenting the rewards
Bunmu officials received shows that Lee Sam’s rewards were even
greater in 1729 than in 1728—an indication that the king’s appreciation
for Bunmu officials was ongoing.
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