Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 159

Gwanghwamun Gate.

At Gwanghwamun Gate, with its main and side gates firmly shut, the gatekeepers stood watch, their eyes fixed on the avenue leading to the gate.

“Gatekeeper Captain!”

“What is it?”

The gatekeeper captain, who had been in the guardhouse beside Gwanghwamun reviewing documents, rose from his seat as a soldier from the inner palace rushed in to find him.

“Urgent news from the Royal Guard!”

“Urgent news?”

“There are reports of audacious individuals attempting to breach the palace today!”

“What!”

Alarmed by the urgent report, the gatekeeper captain hurried out of the guardhouse and rushed up to the gate tower.

The soldiers guarding the gate tower looked bewildered as the gatekeeper captain hastily ascended.

“Captain, what’s happening?”

“Emergency! Scan the road immediately!”

“Sir?”

At the gatekeeper captain’s command, the soldiers leaned over the ramparts of the gate tower to survey the outside.

The gatekeeper captain, also watching the road to Gwanghwamun, turned his head to look inside.

He saw a considerable number of soldiers gathering in front of Heungnyemun Gate.

If training protocols were followed, a significant number of soldiers would also be gathering at Geunjeongmun Gate.

The gatekeeper captain, assessing the situation, bit his lip.

“We’re short on manpower. It’s a pity the Royal Guards have been dispatched.”

Currently, only 200 Royal Guards were defending Geunjeongjeon Hall. [The main hall where the King conducted official business.]

Normally, additional Royal Guards would be stationed there, but most of the troops had been sent out two days ago to suppress the revolt, following the King’s order.

Now, only 250 men were guarding the palace.

“Captain!”

The gatekeeper captain, who had been assessing the situation while looking towards Heungnyemun Gate, turned his head at the sound of someone calling him.

“What is it?”

“Suspicious individuals, sir!”

At the soldier’s report, the gatekeeper captain stood tall above the ramparts and scanned the outside.

At the intersection where Yukjo Street [The main administrative street of Joseon] met Unjong Street to the south, a group of people was rushing towards Gwanghwamun Gate.

“Beat the drum!”

“Yes, sir!”

Doo-doom-doom!

At the gatekeeper captain’s command, a soldier began to beat the large drum behind him.

While the soldier beat the drum, the gatekeeper captain counted the number of approaching people and gritted his teeth.

“At least 500… Today next year will be the anniversary of my death.”

The sound of the large drum signaling the emergency caused not only the palace but also the nearby houses to light up.

* * *

As the sound of the large drum signaling the emergency rang out, people working in the palace, as well as residents in the nearby residential areas, turned on their lights and rushed outside.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. What’s suddenly happening?”

The people who had rushed out into the alleys were buzzing with questions when suddenly, loud explosions began to erupt from the direction of Gwanghwamun Gate.

Bang! Pow-pow!

Ta-tang!

Bang! Bang! Boom!

“Oh my!”

“Ugh! What’s this commotion!”

“There’s chaos! Chaos!”

The people, startled by the sudden drumbeat, began to panic and mill around.

* * *

“Stop! Who are you!”

Yangnyeong, who was behind the soldiers, looked back at Seo-sun at the gatekeeper captain’s shout from the gate tower.

“Begin.”

“Understood. Commence!”

“Yes, advance!”

At Seo-sun’s command, Nam Jun-seok began to move the soldiers forward.

Thump, thump, thump. Clang!

As the large shields at the very front began to advance, the soldiers behind the shields lowered their bodies and began to move forward.

“Last warning! Stop where you are and identify yourselves!”

At the gatekeeper captain’s warning, the soldiers waiting behind the shields simultaneously raised their small cannons.

“Cannons! Take cover!”

Chiii-chiii-chik! Pow-pow-pow!

At the shout of a soldier who was surveying the situation, the gatekeeper captain and soldiers who had been standing on the ramparts quickly ducked down.

At that moment, the cannons unleashed a barrage of lead pellets towards the gate tower with deafening explosions.

“Continue firing! Keep the enemies from raising their heads!”

At Nam Jun-seok’s command, the soldiers carrying the small cannons continued to fire.

While the soldiers were suppressing the gate tower, Nam Jun-seok commanded the soldiers carrying large sacks.

“Now! Blow up Gwanghwamun Gate!”

“Yes!”

At Nam Jun-seok’s command, the soldiers carrying the sacks ran towards the closed main gate of Gwanghwamun Gate.

The soldiers who ran to the firmly closed main gate of Gwanghwamun Gate stacked the sacks against the wooden door.

After stacking all the sacks they had brought, the one who appeared to be the squad leader of the soldiers pierced a hole in the middle sack with a dagger and inserted the fuse that had been wrapped around his wrist.

Once all the work was done, the squad leader opened a small wooden container that he was carrying on his waist.

Inside the container was an ember. The squad leader blew air into the ember to revive it, lit the fuse, and quickly retreated.

“Everyone, retreat!”

“Retreat!”

Tang! Ta-tang!

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

The soldiers who were retreating were shot by the gatekeepers in the gate tower through the loopholes, and they screamed and fell to the ground.

Boom!

Not long after, the main gate of Gwanghwamun Gate exploded with a loud noise.

“Ugh!”

The gatekeepers in the gate tower tumbled to the ground from the shock of the explosion.

As the flames and smoke subsided, the shattered and collapsed wooden main gate of Gwanghwamun Gate was visible.

Seeing that the main gate had been breached, Nam Jun-seok waved his sword forward and shouted.

“Charge! The gate is breached!”

“Waaaaah!”

At Nam Jun-seok’s command, the soldiers shouted and ran towards Gwanghwamun Gate.

Tang! Ta-tang!

Some of the soldiers on the gate tower who had regained their senses fired, but the places of those who fell from the firing were soon filled by other soldiers.

“Waaaaah… Huh?”

The soldiers who had confidently crossed the broken wooden gate slowed down when they discovered about 20 soldiers lined up in two horizontal rows in front of Heungnyemun Gate.

“Fire!”

The soldiers, with the front row kneeling and the back row standing straight, aiming their muskets, fired as soon as the command was given.

Ta-ta-tang!

“Cough!”

“Ugh!”

The Royal Guards’ volley of fire shattered the soldiers’ front line.

“Shields!”

Thump, thump, thump.

At Nam Jun-seok’s command, the large shields that had passed through Gwanghwamun Gate once again came to the front and began to advance.

As the shields came to the front, the Royal Guards took out their horse-mounted cannons and began to fire at the shields.

Tang, tang, tang, ta-ta-tang!

They continued to pull the triggers, but the shields made of thick iron plates withstood the gunfire.

The platoon leader, observing the scene, commanded.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

At the platoon leader’s command, the Royal Guards quickly retreated past Heungnyemun Gate towards Geunjeongmun Gate.

“Chase them! Push the shields!”

“Waaaaah!”

At Nam Jun-seok’s command, the soldiers pushed the shields and advanced.

As several people stuck together and pushed at once, the heavy shields began to move forward quickly.

As the soldiers advanced in that manner, the shields got caught on the threshold of Heungnyemun Gate, and soon several people joined forces to lift the shields over.

Once all the shields had crossed Heungnyemun Gate, the soldiers formed a line behind the shields and began to move.

They did not want to become fodder for the Royal Guards’ cannons before the decisive moment.

As the soldiers who had broken through Heungnyemun Gate approached Geunjeongmun Gate, the Royal Guards continued to fire their cannons.

Most of the shots were blocked by the shields, but they steadily reduced the number of soldiers.

The soldiers were not just passively taking it.

The soldiers with bows diligently shot arrows, but the armor worn by the Royal Guards blocked the arrows.

In the end, it was the lead pellets from the small cannons fired by the soldiers that brought down the defending Royal Guards.

“Retreat!”

Eventually, outnumbered, the Royal Guards retreated past Geunjeongmun Gate to the courtyard in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall.

“Those pathetic bastards! Are you planning to give up Geunjeongjeon Hall!”

Grand Prince Yangnyeong, who was moving behind the soldiers, was rather angry at the sight.

“The men Chungnyeong raised are only this weak! Was I so afraid of these guys that I cowered for all those years! Giddy-up!”

Yangnyeong, bursting with frustration, grabbed the reins of the horse he was riding. Soon, the horse carrying Yangnyeong crossed the threshold of Geunjeongmun Gate and entered Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Seo-sun, who was next to Yangnyeong, commanded the soldiers as soon as he crossed Geunjeongmun Gate.

“Attack Donggung Palace! [The Crown Prince’s residence.]”

“Yes!”

At Seo-sun’s command, a group of soldiers, with two large shields in front, ran towards the palace gate leading to Donggung Palace.

“Is it revenge?”

At Yangnyeong’s question, Seo-sun replied in a cold voice.

“He too must know the sorrow of losing a child.”

“I see….”

* * *

“It’s finally broken out! Eunuch!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Hyang, who jumped up from his seat as if propelled by the sound of the emergency drum, hurriedly grabbed his breastplate and put it on.

“The lower levels are unnecessary!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Hyang, who had put on his breastplate and helmet, opened one of the cabinets and took out rifles, handing them to the eunuch.

Finally, Hyang took out a large bag filled with ammunition and looked at the eunuch.

“You know what to do, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will hand you the loaded cannon, and Eunuch Jang will load the bullets into the cannon.”

“Which way does the bullet go?”

“The pointed end is pushed in forward.”

“How many rounds do you load?”

“Eight rounds.”

“Good.”

After confirming that the eunuchs knew their roles properly, Hyang took the rifle and went outside.

“Your Highness!”

As Hyang opened the door and came out, the Crown Princess, Yangje, and Yangwon also came out from another room with the court ladies.

Hyang asked with a worried voice at the sight of the Crown Princess holding a modified horse-mounted cannon.

“Are you determined to join me?”

“I have told you before. If something happens to Your Highness, we will not be truly alive even if we live.”

Hyang had no choice but to accept the Crown Princess’s firm answer.

“I understand. Then be careful.”

“Yes, then. The second and third of us will do as I told you. Understood?”

“Yes, Sister.”

“Yes, Sister.”

“Huh? Sister?”

Hyang, who was listening to the conversation between the Crown Princess, Yangje, and Yangwon, expressed his doubts, and the Crown Princess simply replied.

“We have become sworn sisters as we lived together.”

“Huh….”

‘What? The Gwanghwamun Three Princesses gang? No, the Three Royal Consorts gang? No, the Three Crown Princes….’

“What are you doing? Time is of the essence!”

Hyang, who had been sidetracked by the suddenly popping out word ‘sworn sisters,’ immediately came to his senses at the Crown Princess’s rebuke.

“That’s right. Let’s go!”

Hyang and the Crown Princess’s party, who had left Donggung Palace in that way, joined the Royal Guards who were waiting in front.

“Your Highness, you should avoid this even now. If His Majesty finds out……”

The Royal Guard commander, who saw Hyang and the consorts coming out wearing armor, tried to dissuade them with a worried face. However, a command fell from Hyang’s lips.

“Shieldbearers to the very front.”

“Your Highness!”

“Now that Father is in danger, am I, his son, supposed to only care for my own safety! Shieldbearers to the front!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Hyang’s firm shout, the Royal Guard commander replied with a dark face.

Thump.

The iron shield, slightly larger and thicker than the one Seo-sun had made, soon rolled forward with a heavy sound.

“His Majesty will be greatly displeased.”

At the eunuch’s words, Hyang frowned and replied.

“But I cannot let Father be in danger.”

There were several options, but this was the best one now.

If he were to flee immediately, he might be in danger by someone in league with the rebels that he had not anticipated.

It was best to hold out with proper firepower.

There was another reason.

It was to let everyone know that there was a danger so great that the Crown Prince himself had to step forward.

With this as a justification, he would be able to give more strength to the purge of the traitors and the subsequent reforms.

“By the way, I hope Father has escaped safely?”

* * *

“Your Majesty, please!”

“Enough!”

Sejong rebuked the eunuchs and Royal Guard commanders who were wearing armor and blocking his path.

“There is no need to make a fuss! Now is the time for me to step forward!”

In Sejong’s judgment, now was the right time for him to step forward.

It was to let everyone know that there was a crisis situation so great that the King himself had to step forward.

With this as a justification, he would be able to give more strength to the purge of the traitors and the subsequent reforms.

The head eunuch said with a tearful face.

“The Crown Prince will be greatly surprised!”

However, Sejong glared at the head eunuch and spat out the words.

“That is why I told you not to inform the Crown Prince!”

Saying that, Sejong, who had grabbed his horse-mounted cannon, stopped for a moment as he moved towards the direction the rebels were coming from, and then carefully opened his mouth.

“By the way, I hope the Crown Prince has escaped safely?”