# Chapter 161: Purge (1)
The private soldiers brought by Yangnyeong and Seo Seon were annihilated in the concentrated attack by the Inner Royal Guards and the Royal Guards.
The final charge to open an escape route for Yangnyeong and Seo Seon proved to be a fatal miscalculation for the private soldiers.
This was because as soon as the private soldiers' charge began, the firepower from the Inner Royal Guards and Royal Guards intensified.
The situation just before the private soldiers' charge was that the Inner Royal Guards and Royal Guards who had gathered from the Eastern Palace and Central Palace were gradually reducing the intensity of their fire to prevent accidental friendly fire while surrounding the area from all sides.
However, as the private soldiers' charge began, their formation stretched horizontally, and the Inner Royal Guards and Royal Guards did not miss this opportunity.
After the fierce gunfire that ensued ended, the front courtyard of Geunjeongjeon Hall had been transformed into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
"Clean up the battlefield!"
At the Training Commander's command, the Royal Guards began clearing the corpses that filled the front courtyard of Geunjeongjeon Hall.
The royal physicians and female physicians who had rushed over upon receiving orders moved frantically to treat the wounded Royal Guards and Inner Royal Guards who were groaning in pain.
Similarly, the wounded private soldiers, after receiving simple emergency treatment, were kneeling on one side under the surveillance of the Royal Guards.
Meanwhile, King Sejong and his family were under heavy guard by the Inner Royal Guards. Sejong, positioned at the very center, was commanding the situation with a calm expression.
"Where are the ringleaders of the rebels?"
At Sejong's question, the Training Commander answered cautiously. Though they were rebels, one was the Crown Prince and the elder brother of the current King.
Ultimately, the Training Commander chose a neutral expression.
'Omit the subject and answer as briefly and concisely as possible.'
"We have detained them separately on one side."
"Are they unharmed?"
"Yes."
At the Training Commander's answer, Sejong rose from his seat.
"Your Majesty?"
"I need to see the ringleaders of the rebels."
"Understood. Guard His Majesty!"
"Yes!"
Escorted by the Inner Royal Guards, Sejong made his way to where Yangnyeong and Seo Seon were bound.
* * *
"Lord Seo. Why did you commit such a reckless foolish act?"
Upon arriving where Seo Seon and Yangnyeong were bound, Sejong asked Seo Seon his first question.
At Sejong's question, Seo Seon asked back with a fierce expression.
"I ask you. Why did you do such a thing to my son?"
"I only acted according to the law."
"Was it truly a crime serious enough to warrant such a beating?"
"I say again, I only acted according to the law. It is the law that anyone who arbitrarily commits violence against an official wearing government attire shall receive one hundred strokes of the heavy rod."
At Sejong's firm answer, Seo Seon shouted as if vomiting blood.
"He was my only son! Could you not have shown mercy! Do you know how much time I have worked for this country!"
"If you show mercy to that one, you must show mercy to a hundred, to a thousand! Then why is the law needed! Does one who served as Minister of Justice not know the weight of the law!"
"Kugh!"
At Sejong's words, Seo Seon gritted his teeth. Seeing this, Sejong continued.
"Not only did you attempt to harm me, but you even sought to harm the Crown Prince. This I can never forgive. I will search through every law and make you pay for your crimes."
At Sejong's words, Seo Seon answered with a resigned expression.
"I regret only one thing. That I could not make you experience the same sorrow as mine."
At Seo Seon's words mentioning Hyang, Sejong's expression turned fierce.
"Throw him in prison! Put a sword around his neck and place a gag in his mouth so he can never take his own life!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
At Sejong's command, the Inner Royal Guards gagged Seo Seon's mouth with cloth from nearby and dragged him away to prison.
* * *
Having finished dealing with Seo Seon, Sejong turned to look at Yangnyeong.
"What were you thinking?"
"I only sought to find my rightful place. The place that was stolen from me by your cunning schemes."
At Yangnyeong's words, Sejong sighed.
"Huu~. It was Father's decision that you stepped down from your position, Elder Brother."
At Sejong's words, Yangnyeong shouted.
"Was that not all your scheme! Did you not use my small faults, blowing them out of proportion, to blind Father's eyes!"
"Even without me, Father's ministers had already informed him! And, blowing things out of proportion? Do you not know what kind of person Father is!"
Countering Yangnyeong's words, Sejong let out the words he had kept in his heart all this time.
"Honestly, who was the most painful finger to Father and Mother? It was you, Elder Brother! If it had been Hyoryeong or myself, we would have been severely scolded, but when you did the same things, they just let it pass! That Father pushed you from your position! Small faults? Speak some sense!"
"I was to be the King of Joseon! Faults of that degree could have been overlooked! But because of you! If only you hadn't meddled! I mean, why did you have to question and nitpick everything!"
Yangnyeong was referring to the time when Sejong was still Prince Chungnyeong. It was Sejong who had constantly pointed out and criticized Yangnyeong's lifestyle, which was so free as to be disorderly.
* * *
A representative example was what happened in September of the 16th year of King Taejong (September 1416).
September 19th. At that time, Yangnyeong, who was Crown Prince, and the Grand Princes went to Heungdeok Temple to offer incense for the memorial day of Queen Sindeok. Queen Sindeok was Taejo's first wife, and thus was Yangnyeong's biological grandmother.
The problem was that immediately after the ritual ended, Yangnyeong called three baduk players and played baduk at Heungdeok Temple.
It was only natural that Prince Chungnyeong, who witnessed this scene, said something.
"As the Crown Prince of exalted status, it is improper to engage in games with lowly petty people, but to do so at your grandmother's memorial?"
At Chungnyeong's criticism, Yangnyeong threw a fit and shouted.
"Go to Gwiam Hall and just sleep!"
Such conflicts continued to occur, and as Yangnyeong's misconduct increasingly crossed the line, the situation gradually turned against him.
And so, Chungnyeong pushed Yangnyeong aside and became Crown Prince.
* * *
At Yangnyeong's words shifting all responsibility onto him, Sejong also raised his voice to counter.
"What is a small fault? Is attempting to lie with your brother-in-law's concubine a small fault? Is secretly bringing in and lying with a meritorious subject's concubine just because you heard she was beautiful a small fault?"
"It is natural for a powerful man to have women follow him!"
"Don't make me laugh! There is a proper way to enjoy women's company! Because of that incident, how much did Father and Mother worry! You were driven out because you lived like that! What good are grand dreams! When your daily conduct is a mess!"
"For a king, faults of that degree..."
"Silence!"
Sejong violently cut off Yangnyeong's words.
"If a king acts in such a manner, the nation falls! Training Commander!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Imprison this man! This man is no longer of royal blood! According to the law, gag his mouth and place a sword around his neck, then imprison him!"
"Yes! Drag away the ringleader of the rebels!"
At the Training Commander's command, the Inner Royal Guards gagged Yangnyeong's mouth and dragged him away.
Thus, the battle came to an end, and the front courtyard of Geunjeong Hall gradually returned to peace. Thanks to the Royal Guards clearing the corpses, only bloodstains remained in the front courtyard of Geunjeong Hall.
"Huu~."
Sejong let out a long sigh and looked around. Through the wide-open gates of Geunjeong, ministers were running toward them. On the stairs leading up to Geunjeong Hall, Queen Soheon, the Crown Princess, Yangwon, and Yangje were receiving care from female physicians, having fainted.
And on one side, the Crown Prince, carrying a peculiar long-barreled firearm on his shoulder, was giving instructions to the Inner Royal Guards.
"That fellow..."
With a pleased expression, Sejong's gaze turned to Hyang. Jinpyeong was following behind Hyang like a chick following its mother hen.
* * *
When Jinpyeong arrived at Geunjeong Hall leading the Royal Guards who were guarding Myeongnye Palace, the advantage had already shifted to Sejong's side.
Therefore, the Royal Guards that Jinpyeong brought were deployed to support the battle from the rear.
Once the battle ended, Jinpyeong immediately sought out Sejong.
"Father! Is your precious body unharmed?"
"I am fine."
Having confirmed Sejong's safety, Jinpyeong let out a sigh of relief.
"Huu~."
His sigh of relief was brief as Jinpyeong turned his attention to his most important concern.
Jinpyeong grabbed a nearby Inner Royal Guard and asked.
"The locomotive! No, the research... no, is the Eastern Palace safe!"
At Jinpyeong's question, the Inner Royal Guard soldier answered with a bewildered expression.
"Yes? Yes! His Highness the Crown Prince has already suppressed them."
"My brother?"
Jinpyeong muttered quietly and looked around to find Hyang.
"Ah! Over there!"
Having found Hyang, Jinpyeong rushed over to him.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
"Hm? It's Jinpyeong. Why did you come when it's dangerous?"
At Hyang's question, Jinpyeong answered immediately.
"Father, Your Highness, and the railroad were in danger, so how could I just stay still?"
"Hm? Ahahahaha!"
At Jinpyeong's answer, Hyang burst into loud laughter.
"That's right! That's just like you!"
Laughing, Hyang patted Jinpyeong's shoulder.
"In any case, thank you for coming!"
"Your words are too kind, Your Highness. But..."
Jinpyeong, who had been modest at Hyang's praise, frowned slightly at the smell that tickled his nose.
"The smell..."
"Hm? Sniff, sniff. Ah, it seems the smell of gunpowder has soaked in."
Seeing Hyang smelling his sleeve, Jinpyeong examined Hyang's appearance once more.
Hyang's face was covered with gunpowder soot, and from his entire body, the smell of gunpowder wafted intensely, while an indescribable sense of intimidation emanated from him.
Seeing this, Jinpyeong grabbed an Inner Royal Guard soldier passing by and asked.
"Did His Highness also participate in the battle?"
"He fought most bravely."
"Is that so? I understand. Go attend to your duties."
Having sent the Inner Royal Guard soldier away, Jinpyeong looked at Hyang with a new expression.
The impression Jinpyeong had always received from Hyang was that of a 'typical, stern scholar.'
This was because of the way Hyang taught him when Jinpyeong was young, and his usual appearance at the research institute.
However, Hyang's current appearance, conversing with the Inner Royal Guard soldiers and lightly patting their shoulders, was the ideal masculine figure that Jinpyeong had dreamed of.
Jinpyeong's eyes grew hazy as he watched Hyang.
"He's so cool..."
* * *
"Father!"
"Your Majesty!"
Once the situation was resolved, the royal consorts and princes who had fled returned to the palace. The first to rush to Sejong was Yong—Grand Prince Anpyeong.
Since he had not yet received a princely title or peerage, Yong, who had been staying in the palace, had fled together with Sejong's royal consorts when the disturbance broke out at Geunjeong Hall.
"Father! Is your precious body unharmed?"
"I am fine. Thank you for your concern."
Sejong, with a pleased expression at Yong's concern for his well-being, asked upon seeing the face of the eunuch following behind Yong.
"What happened to your face?"
The eunuch with his disheveled face looked at Yong and hesitated in answer to Sejong's question.
"The young prince..."
"Yong did?"
When Sejong looked at Yong with stern eyes, Yong answered hesitantly.
"I tried to come to Father, but they forcibly stopped me..."
At Yong's answer, Sejong smiled faintly.
"They say blood cannot be denied..."
* * *
The battle within Gyeongbok Palace had ended, but the battle outside Gyeongbok Palace had not yet concluded.
"Hahk! Hahk!"
A group of warriors were running desperately through the back alleys of Unjong Street.
Running with their breath ragged, these warriors were private soldiers who had escaped from Gyeongbok Palace.
They had broken through Gwanghwamun Gate, but they had not captured the gate tower above it.
The private soldiers who had separated to capture the gate tower had engaged in combat with the defenders stationed there.
However, subduing the defenders who were resisting using the narrow stairs leading up to the gate tower was no easy task.
While the fierce battle was underway, the private soldiers' faces turned pale when the Royal Guards came swarming in.
"Run! Run!"
At the squad leader's command, the private soldiers who had been attacking the gate tower fled the area, and they were now running through the back alleys of Unjong Street.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"Hm?"
The private soldiers who had been fleeing desperately stopped in their tracks when men in black clothing blocked their path.
Those who blocked the private soldiers were the Geomgye. The leaders of the Geomgye standing at the forefront smiled with murderous intent and spoke.
"We have quite a few debts to settle between us, don't we?"