Chapter 159: Violating the Palace (5)
Gwanghwamun.
On the gate tower of Gwanghwamun, where both the main and side gates were firmly shut, the guards assigned to security were watching the main road approaching Gwanghwamun.
"Commander!"
"What is it?"
Inside the guard station built beside Gwanghwamun. The gate commander, who had been examining documents, rose from his seat when a soldier who had run from the inner palace called for him.
"Urgent report from the Naegeumwi!"
"Urgent report?"
"They say there are traitors attempting to violate the palace today!"
"What!"
Shocked by the urgent report, the gate commander rushed out of the guard station and hurriedly climbed up to the gate tower.
The soldiers standing guard on the gate tower wore bewildered expressions as the commander rushed up in a panic.
"My lord. What is happening?"
"It's an emergency! Check the road immediately!"
"Excuse me?"
At the gate commander's words, the soldiers began to stick their bodies out beyond the battlements to examine outside.
Similarly, the gate commander who had been watching the road coming to Gwanghwamun turned his head back to examine the interior.
He could see a considerable number of soldiers gathering in front of Heungnyemun.
According to training, a significant number of soldiers would also be gathering at Geunjeongmun.
The gate commander assessing the situation bit his lip.
"Not enough troops. It's a shame the Royal Guards have left the palace."
Right now, only 200 Naegeumwi soldiers were protecting that Geunjeongjeon.
Normally, in addition to the Naegeumwi, the Royal Guards would be stationed as well, but according to orders from two days ago, most of the forces had departed to suppress an uprising.
At most, those protecting the palace now totaled 250.
"My lord!"
The gate commander, who had been organizing the situation while looking at Heungnyemun, turned his head at the sound calling him.
"What is it?"
"There are suspicious fellows!"
At the soldier's report, the gate commander leaned his body over the battlements to examine outside.
From the intersection where Yukjo Street met Unjong Street to the south, a group was surging toward Gwanghwamun.
"Beat the drums!"
"Yes!"
Dung-dung-dung!
At the gate commander's order, a soldier began striking the large drum behind him.
While the soldier beat the drum, the gate commander counted the number of the approaching group and grit his teeth.
"At least 500…. This time next year will be my death anniversary."
At the sound of the large drum announcing the emergency, not only the palace but also nearby residences began lighting their lamps.
* * *
When the sound of the large drum announcing the emergency rang out, not only the people working in the palace but also the common people in nearby residential areas lit their lamps and poured outside.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know either. What's happening all of a sudden?"
While the people who had rushed into the alleyways were buzzing with noise, loud explosions began to sound from where Gwanghwamun was located.
Boom! Boom-boom!
Rat-a-tat!
Boom! Boom! Bang!
"Oh my goodness!"
"Ugh! What kind of chaos is this!"
"It's a riot! A riot!"
The common people who had come out startled by the sudden drum sounds were terrified and began running about in confusion.
* * *
"Stop! Who goes there!"
At the gate commander's shout from the gate tower, Yangnyeong, positioned behind the private soldiers, looked at Seoseon.
"Begin."
"Understood. Begin the assault!"
"Yes, forward!"
At Seoseon's command, Nam Junseok began moving the private soldiers forward.
Rumble. Rumble!
As the large shields positioned at the very front began to advance, the private soldiers behind them started to move while crouching.
"This is your final warning! Stop where you are and reveal your identities!"
At the gate commander's warning, the soldiers waiting behind the shields raised their ichongtongs in unison.
"It's a chongtong! Get down!"
Chichichik! Boom-boom-boom!
At the soldier's shout who was assessing the situation, the gate commander and soldiers who had been standing above the battlements hurriedly ducked down.
Right at that moment, the chongtongs poured joranhwon toward the gate tower with loud explosions.
"Continue firing! Don't let the enemies raise their heads!"
At Nam Junseok's command, the private soldiers armed with ichongtongs continued to fire their weapons.
While the private soldiers conducted suppression fire on the gate tower, Nam Junseok issued orders to the soldiers holding large sacks.
"Now! Blow up Gwanghwamun!"
"Yes!"
At Nam Junseok's command, the soldiers carrying sacks ran toward Gwanghwamun's closed main gate.
The private soldiers who ran to the firmly closed main gate of Gwanghwamun stacked the sacks neatly against the wooden door.
When all the brought sacks were stacked, the person who appeared to be the squad leader pierced a hole in a sack in the middle with a dagger, then unwound the fuse wrapped around his wrist and inserted it.
When all the work was finished, the squad leader opened a small wooden container strapped to his waist.
Inside the container was an ember. The squad leader blew on it with his mouth to revive the ember, then lit the fuse and quickly retreated.
"Everyone fall back!"
"Fall back!"
Bang! Rat-a-tat!
"Ugh!"
"Ack!"
As they retreated, the private soldiers screamed and fell to the ground, hit by bullets fired through gunports by the gate guards on the gate tower.
Boom!
Before long, Gwanghwamun's main gate opened with an explosion.
"Ugh!"
From the shock of the explosion, the gate guards on the gate tower rolled on the floor.
As the flames and smoke settled, the wooden main gate of Gwanghwamun, broken and collapsed, was revealed.
Seeing the main gate breached, Nam Junseok swung his sword forward and shouted.
"Charge! The gate is breached!"
"Waaaaah!"
At Nam Junseok's command, the private soldiers shouted battle cries and ran toward Gwanghwamun.
Bang! Rat-a-tat!
Among the soldiers on the gate tower, those who regained their senses fired shots, but the positions of those who fell were soon filled by other private soldiers.
"Waaaa….huh?"
The private soldiers who had vigorously crossed the broken wooden door slowed down when they discovered about 20 soldiers positioned in two rows in front of Heungnyemun.
"Fire!"
The soldiers, with the front row in kneeling position and the rear row standing straight while aiming their gapsikjangchongtongs, pulled their triggers as soon as the firing order was given.
Ta-ta-tang!
"Kek!"
"Keuk!"
At the Naegeumwi soldiers' volley, the private soldiers' formation collapsed.
"Shields!"
Rumble-rumble-rumble.
At Nam Junseok's command, the large shields that had passed through Gwanghwamun came forward again and began to advance.
When the shields came forward, the Naegeumwi soldiers took out their masangchongtongs and began firing at the shields.
Bang-bang-bang-ta-ta-tang!
They kept pulling triggers, but the thick iron-plate shields withstood the gunfire.
The daejeong watching the situation commanded.
"Retreat! We retreat!"
At the daejeong's command, the Naegeumwi quickly retreated past Heungnyemun toward Geunjeongmun.
"Follow them! Push the shields!"
"Waaaaah!"
At Nam Junseok's command, the private soldiers pushed the shields and advanced.
As several men grabbed onto each shield and pushed at once, the heavy shields began to move forward quickly.
As they advanced, when the shields got caught on Heungnyemun's threshold, they combined their strength to lift the shields over.
Once all the shields had crossed Heungnyemun, the private soldiers began forming formations behind the shields and moving.
They didn't want to become fodder for the Naegeumwi chongtongs before the decisive moment.
As the private soldiers who breached Heungnyemun approached Geunjeongmun, the Naegeumwi soldiers continued firing their chongtongs.
Most of the shots were blocked by the shields, but they were still gradually reducing the number of private soldiers.
The private soldiers weren't just taking hits either.
The private soldiers with bows shot arrows diligently, but the armor the Naegeumwi wore was blocking the arrows.
In the end, what brought down the defending Naegeumwi were the joranhwon from the ichongtongs fired by the private soldiers.
"We retreat!"
Eventually, outnumbered, the Naegeumwi retreated past Geunjeongmun to the front courtyard of Geunjeongjeon.
"Those damn fools! Are they planning to hand over Geunjeongjeon!"
Grand Prince Yangnyeong, moving behind the private soldiers, became angry at the sight.
"Is this the best those men Chungnyeong raised can do! Was I cowering all that time because I was afraid of these weaklings! Hyah!"
Furious, Yangnyeong seized the reins of his horse. Soon, the horse carrying Yangnyeong crossed the threshold of Geunjeongmun and entered Geunjeongjeon.
Seoseon, beside Yangnyeong, immediately gave orders to the private soldiers upon crossing Geunjeongmun.
"Attack Donggungjeon!"
"Yes!"
At Seoseon's command, a group of private soldiers with two large shields at the front ran toward the palace gate leading to Donggungjeon.
"Is this revenge?"
At Yangnyeong's question watching the sight, Seoseon answered in a cold voice.
"He too must know the sorrow of losing a child."
"Is that so…."
* * *
"Finally it's begun! Eunuch!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Hyang, who had sprung from his seat at the sound of the drum announcing the emergency, hurriedly put on his chest armor.
"No need for the lower parts!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Having put on his chest armor and helmet, Hyang opened a chest on one side and took out rifles to hand to the eunuch.
Finally taking out a large bag containing ammunition, Hyang looked at the eunuch.
"You know what to do, right?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I hand Your Highness a loaded chongtong, and Eunuch Jang loads bullets into the chongtongs."
"The direction of the bullets?"
"The pointed end goes in first."
"How many rounds?"
"8 rounds."
"Good."
Confirming that the eunuchs properly understood their tasks, Hyang picked up a rifle and went outside.
"Your Highness!"
As Hyang opened the door and came out, the Crown Princess, along with Yangje and Yangwon, also came out from other rooms together with the court ladies.
At the sight of the Crown Princess holding a modified masangchongtong, Hyang asked with a voice full of worry.
"Must you really join?"
"I have said before. If something happens to Your Highness, we who are your concubines would not be living lives even if we survive."
At the Crown Princess's firm answer, Hyang had no choice but to accept.
"I understand. Then please be careful."
"Yes, then. Second and Third, just do as I said. Understood?"
"Yes, sister."
"Yes, sister."
"Hm? Sister?"
When Hyang questioned after hearing the conversation between the Crown Princess, Yangje, and Yangwon, the Crown Princess answered simply.
"Living together, we became sworn sisters."
"Huh…."
'What is this? The Gwanghwamun Three Princesses faction? No, Three Consorts faction? No, Three Crown….'
"What are you doing? Every moment counts right now!"
Hyang, who had drifted off track at the suddenly appeared word 'sworn sisters,' came to his senses immediately at the Crown Princess's rebuke.
"That's right. Let us go!"
Thus Hyang and the Crown Princess's party, having left Donggungjeon, joined the Naegeumwi waiting in front.
"Your Highness, please flee even now. When His Majesty arrives……."
The Naegeumwi commander, seeing Hyang and the consort dressed in armor, tried to dissuade him with a face full of worry. But a command fell from Hyang's lips.
"Shield soldiers to the very front."
"Your Highness!"
"His Majesty is in danger right now, yet you would have his child only think of self-preservation! Shield soldiers to the front!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
At Hyang's firm shout, the Naegeumwi commander answered with a face dark as death.
Rumble.
The iron shields, slightly larger and thicker than those Seoseon had made, soon rolled forward with a heavy sound.
"His Majesty will be greatly angered."
At the eunuch's words, Hyang answered with a scrunched face.
"But I cannot let His Majesty be in danger, can I?"
There were various methods, but this was the best option right now.
If they fled immediately, they could fall into danger from rebels they hadn't anticipated or from those colluding with them.
In that case, it was best to hold out with proper firepower.
There was another reason.
To make known that there was danger enough for the Crown Prince to personally come out.
This would serve as justification and give more strength to the purge of the traitors and the ongoing Gyeongjang reforms.
"By the way, Father has escaped safely, right?"
* * *
"Your Majesty, please!"
"Nonsense!"
Sejong shouted at the eunuch and Royal Guard commanders blocking his way while wearing armor.
"There's no need to make a scene! This is a situation where I must come forward!"
In Sejong's judgment, now was the right time for him to come forward.
It was to make known that this was a crisis serious enough for the King to personally step forward.
This would serve as justification and give more strength to the purge of the traitors and the ongoing Gyeongjang reforms.
Sangseon said with a troubled face.
"The Crown Prince will be greatly shocked!"
However, Sejong looked at Sangseon with a glare and spoke.
"That is why I said not to inform the Crown Prince!"
Speaking thus, Sejong, carrying a masangchongtong, was walking in the direction the rebels were coming when he paused for a moment and opened his mouth carefully.
"By the way, the Crown Prince has escaped safely, right?"