Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 161

161. The Purge (1)

The soldiers led by Yangnyeong and Seoseon were wiped out by the concentrated attack of the Royal Guards and the Capital Guards.

The final charge, intended to break through and create an escape route for Yangnyeong and Seoseon, proved to be a fatal misjudgment for the soldiers.

This was because the Royal Guards and Capital Guards intensified their firing as soon as the soldiers began their charge.

Previously, the firing intensity had been gradually decreasing to prevent accidental friendly fire, especially with Royal Guards and Capital Guards from both Donggung Palace [the Crown Prince’s residence] and Junggung Palace [the Queen’s residence] joining the defense, effectively surrounding the rebels on all sides.

However, the soldiers’ charge elongated their formation sideways, and the Royal Guards and Capital Guards seized this opportunity.

After the fierce gunfire ceased, the front yard of Geunjeongjeon Palace was a horrifying scene – a mountain of corpses amidst a sea of blood.

“Clean up the battlefield!” the training commander ordered.

The Capital Guards immediately began clearing the corpses that littered the front yard of Geunjeongjeon Palace.

Royal physicians and female doctors, having rushed to the scene upon receiving the order, frantically moved around, treating the Capital Guards and Royal Guards who were groaning from their injuries.

Similarly, the wounded soldiers were given basic first aid and made to kneel on one side, under the watchful eyes of the Capital Guards.

Meanwhile, King Sejong and his family remained under the strict protection of the Royal Guards. Sejong, seated in the very center, calmly directed the situation.

“Where are the leaders of the rebels?”

At Sejong’s question, the training commander answered cautiously. After all, one of the rebels was the former Crown Prince and the current King’s brother.

In the end, the training commander chose a moderate tone.

‘Omit the subject and answer as briefly and concisely as possible,’ he reminded himself.

“They have been detained separately on one side, Your Majesty.”

“Are they unharmed?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At the training commander’s answer, Sejong stood up.

“Your Majesty?”

“I must see the leaders of the rebels.”

“Understood. Escort His Majesty!”

“Yes!”

Escorted by the Royal Guards, Sejong moved towards the location where Yangnyeong and Seoseon were bound.

* * *

“Minister Seo, why did you commit such a reckless act of folly?”

Arriving at the place where Seoseon and Yangnyeong were tied up, Sejong directed his first question to Seoseon.

At Sejong’s question, Seoseon retorted fiercely.

“I should be asking you that! Why did you do that to my son?”

“I only acted according to the law.”

“Was his crime so serious that he deserved to be beaten like that?”

“I repeat, I only acted according to the law. According to the law, anyone who uses violence against an official wearing his official robes is to be punished with 100 strokes of the cane.”

At Sejong’s firm answer, Seoseon shouted, his voice filled with bitterness.

“He was my only son! Couldn’t you have overlooked it! How much time have I spent working for this country!”

“If I overlook that one instance, I would have to overlook a hundred, a thousand! Then what purpose does the law serve! Does the former Minister of Justice not understand the weight of the law!”

“Keuk!”

Seoseon gritted his teeth at Sejong’s words. Seeing Seoseon’s reaction, Sejong continued.

“I can never forgive you for trying to harm me, and for trying to harm the Crown Prince. I will scour every law and make you pay the full price for your crimes.”

At Sejong’s words, Seoseon replied with a resigned expression.

“It’s a pity. I wanted to make you experience the same sorrow that I did.”

Sejong’s expression turned fierce at Seoseon’s mention of Hyang.

“Imprison him! Put a sword to his neck and gag him so he can’t commit suicide!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

At Sejong’s command, the Royal Guards gagged Seoseon’s mouth with a nearby cloth and dragged him to prison.

* * *

After dealing with Seoseon, Sejong turned to Yangnyeong.

“What were you thinking?”

“I was just trying to reclaim my place. My place that was stolen from me by your cunning schemes.”

At Yangnyeong’s words, Sejong sighed.

“Hoo~. It was our father’s decision for you to step down from your position, brother.”

At Sejong’s words, Yangnyeong shouted.

“Wasn’t that all your scheme! Wasn’t it you who exaggerated my minor faults and blinded our father!”

“Even if it wasn’t me, our father’s officials had already informed him! And exaggeration? Do you not know what kind of person our father is!”

Sejong, no longer holding back, spat out the words he had been keeping in his heart.

“Honestly, who was the most precious person to Father and Mother? It was you, brother! Things that Hyoryeong or I would have been struck by lightning for, you would just get away with! That’s why Father pushed you out of the position! Minor faults? Don’t talk nonsense!”

“I was the one who was going to be the King of Joseon! Those kinds of faults could have been overlooked! But because of you! If you hadn’t interfered! Why did you have to nitpick everything!”

Yangnyeong was referring to the time when Sejong was Grand Prince Chungnyeong. It was Sejong who had constantly pointed out and criticized Yangnyeong’s free and even dissolute lifestyle.

* * *

A prime example was what happened in September of Taejong 16 (September 1416).

September 19th. Yangnyeong, then the Crown Prince, and the Grand Princes went to Heungdeoksa Temple to burn incense for Queen Shinui’s memorial ceremony. Queen Shinui was Taejo’s first wife and Yangnyeong’s paternal grandmother.

The problem was that as soon as the ceremony was over, Yangnyeong summoned three people to play Go [a strategy board game] at Heungdeoksa Temple.

It was only natural that Grand Prince Chungnyeong at the time would say something after witnessing this.

“As the most honorable Crown Prince, how can you play games with cunning commoners, let alone come to your grandmother’s memorial ceremony and act like this?”

At Chungnyeong’s criticism, Yangnyeong became annoyed and shouted.

“Go to the Guanyin Hall and sleep!” (Note 1)

These kinds of conflicts continued to occur, and as Yangnyeong’s deviations gradually crossed the line, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for him.

And, ultimately, Chungnyeong pushed Yangnyeong aside and became the Crown Prince.

* * *

Sejong also raised his voice and retorted at Yangnyeong’s words, which placed all the blame on him.

“What is a minor fault? Is trying to sleep with your brother-in-law’s concubine a minor fault? Is secretly bringing in and sleeping with a meritorious subject’s concubine just because you heard she was pretty a minor fault?”

“It is only natural for women to follow a man with power!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! There is a proper way to treat women! You have no idea how much Father and Mother worried because of that! You were removed from your position because you lived like that! What’s the point of having grand ambitions when your behavior is so disgraceful!”

“That level of fault is acceptable for a king….”

“Shut up!”

Sejong vehemently cut off Yangnyeong’s words.

“If a king acts like that, the country will be ruined! Training Commander!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Imprison him! He is no longer a member of the royal family! Gag his mouth and put a sword to his neck according to the law and imprison him!”

“Yes! Take away the leader of the rebels!”

At the training commander’s order, the Royal Guards gagged Yangnyeong’s mouth and dragged him away.

With that, one battle ended, and the front yard of Geunjeongjeon Palace gradually regained its peace. Thanks to the Capital Guards clearing the corpses, only bloodstains remained in the front yard of Geunjeongjeon Palace.

“Hoo~.”

Sejong, letting out a long sigh, looked around. Through the wide-open Geunjeongmun Gate, the ministers were rushing in. On the stairs leading up to Geunjeongjeon Palace, the exhausted Queen Soheon, the Crown Princess, Yangwon, and Yangje were receiving care from the female doctors.

And, on one side, the Crown Prince, carrying a unique long gun on his shoulder, was giving instructions to the Royal Guards.

“That fellow….”

Sejong’s eyes, looking at Hyang with a pleased expression, caught sight of Jinpyeong.

Like a chick following its mother hen, Jinpyeong was trailing closely behind Hyang.

* * *

When Jinpyeong arrived at Geunjeongjeon Palace, leading the Capital Guards who guarded Myeongryegung Palace, the victory had already shifted to Sejong.

Therefore, the Capital Guards led by Jinpyeong were deployed to support the battle from behind.

After the battle ended, Jinpyeong immediately looked for Sejong.

“Father! Are you alright?”

“I am fine.”

Jinpyeong let out a sigh of relief after confirming Sejong’s safety.

“Hoo~.”

After letting out a sigh of relief, Jinpyeong turned his attention to his most pressing concern.

Jinpyeong grabbed a nearby Royal Guard and asked.

“Locomotive! No, research… no, is Donggung Palace safe!”

At Jinpyeong’s question, the Royal Guard soldier answered with a bewildered expression.

“Yes? Yes! The Crown Prince has already secured it.”

“Hyungnim [older brother]?”

Jinpyeong muttered softly and looked around in all directions for Hyang.

“Ah! There!”

Finding Hyang, Jinpyeong ran to him.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

“Huh? It’s Jinpyeong. It’s dangerous, why did you come?”

Jinpyeong answered immediately at Hyang’s question.

“How could I stay still when Father, Your Highness, and the railroad are in danger?”

“Huh? Ahahaha!”

Hyang burst into laughter at Jinpyeong’s answer.

“That’s right! That’s just like you!”

With that, Hyang patted Jinpyeong’s shoulder.

“Anyway, thank you for coming!”

“You flatter me, Your Highness. But….”

Jinpyeong, showing humility at Hyang’s praise, frowned slightly at the smell that was bothering his nose.

“The smell….”

“Huh? Sniff sniff! Ah, I guess the smell of gunpowder has permeated me.”

Seeing Hyang putting his sleeve to his nose and smelling it, Jinpyeong once again examined Hyang’s appearance.

Hyang’s face was covered with gunpowder soot, and an unfamiliar sense of intimidation emanated from him, his whole body reeking of gunpowder.

Seeing that, Jinpyeong grabbed a Royal Guard soldier who was passing by and asked.

“Did His Highness also participate in the battle?”

“He fought the most bravely.”

“Is that so? I see. Go do your work.”

Jinpyeong, sending the Royal Guard soldier away, looked at Hyang with a new expression.

The impression that Jinpyeong usually had of Hyang was ‘a typical, fussy scholar.’

This was because of the way he taught academics when Jinpyeong was young and the way he usually oversaw the research institute.

However, the sight of Hyang talking to the Royal Guard soldiers and lightly patting their shoulders was the most ideal image of a man that Jinpyeong had dreamed of.

As Jinpyeong looked at Hyang’s appearance, his eyes became dazed.

“Cool….”

* * *

“Father!”

“Your Majesty!”

As the situation was resolved, the concubines and princes who had taken refuge returned to the palace. The first to run to Sejong was Yong – Grand Prince Anpyeong.

Yong, who had not yet received a military title or rank, had been staying in the palace and had taken refuge with Sejong’s concubines when the commotion broke out in Geunjeongjeon Palace.

“Father! Are you alright?”

Sejong, pleased by Yong’s concern for his safety, asked a question after seeing the face of the eunuch who followed Yong.

“Why is your face like that?”

The eunuch, with a disheveled face, looked at Yong and hesitated to answer Sejong’s question.

“The young prince….”

“Yong?”

As Sejong turned around with stern eyes, Yong hesitated to answer.

“I wanted to come to Father, but he forcibly stopped me….”

Sejong smiled slightly at Yong’s answer.

“Blood doesn’t lie….”

* * *

The battle inside Gyeongbokgung Palace was over, but the battle outside Gyeongbokgung Palace was not yet over.

“Huk! Huk!”

A group of warriors were desperately running through the back alleys of Unjongga.

The warriors running with shortness of breath were soldiers who had escaped from Gyeongbokgung Palace.

They had broken through Gwanghwamun Gate, but they had not yet occupied the gate tower of Gwanghwamun Gate.

The soldiers who had separated to occupy the gate tower were fighting with the defending soldiers on the gate tower.

However, it was not easy to subdue the defending soldiers who were resisting from the narrow stairs leading up to the gate tower.

The soldiers who had been fighting fiercely turned pale when the Capital Guards rushed in.

“It’s over! Run!”

At the command of the squad leader leading the soldiers, the soldiers who were attacking the gate tower abandoned their position, and they were now running through the back alleys of Unjongga.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“Huh?”

The soldiers who were desperately fleeing stopped when men wearing black clothes blocked their way.

The ones who blocked the soldiers were the Geomgye [a secret sword society]. The leaders of the Geomgye, standing at the very front, said with a murderous smile.

“We have a lot to settle between us, right?”

* * *

Note 1) Reading Sejong the Great Annals in One Volume. Written by Park Young-gyu. Woongjin Knowledge House.