In 1404, King Taejong (r. 1400-1418) held a special ceremony for the loyalists who had helped to found the Joseon Dynasty or who had supported him in the First Strife of Princes (1398) and the Second Strife of Princes (1400). At this symbolic ritual called “Hoemaengje” (會盟祭), the subjects pledged their loyalty to the throne before the heavens. By promoting a strong bond between ruler and subject, the loyalty pledge was intended to bring stability to the king’s rule.