**Chapter 164: Purge (4)**
While the rebel army was being crushed like that in Cheon-an, clashes between rebel forces and government troops were drawing closer in Gyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do as well.
Jeolla Military Camp.
A map was spread across the desk in the center of the conference room, with large and small wooden pieces placed here and there upon it.
"What is the current movement of the traitors?"
At Jeolla Provincial Military Commander Nam Gang-il's question, a military officer moved three large wooden pieces and answered.
"The traitors are moving divided into three main groups. One group is heading toward our Jeolla Military Camp, while the other two groups are heading to Jeolla Left Naval Headquarters and Right Naval Headquarters respectively."
"What about their scale?"
"The traitors heading to the Naval Headquarters are approximately 6,000 each, and the number of traitors coming toward our Military Camp is estimated at about 25,000."
"The scale has increased quite a bit."
"The number of traitors who joined the rebellion has increased somewhat."
"Bastards who won't have enough even if we execute them six times!"
At the officer's report, Jung-gun Lee Han-jong immediately spat out curses.
At his words, most of the officers attending the meeting nodded their heads. Nam Gang-il, who had been quietly examining the map, threw a question at the officer.
"What is the reason for the increased number of criminals who joined in this treason?"
"It seems rumors about the attack on the palace have gotten in."
"Hmm? You mean they joined in treason knowing that the palace attack ended in failure?"
"They likely judged that the court, also shocked, would come out with a conciliatory approach."
At the officer's report, Nam Gang-il ground his teeth.
"Foolish bastards! Is their judgment of the situation that poor? I truly want to see the face of the idiot who came up with such a thought!"
Nam Gang-il was truly curious about who had made such a prediction full of dreams and hopes—that following the uprising and even the palace attack, the shocked king would offer a conciliatory policy.
"Well, the stupider the opponent, the more advantageous it is for us, so it's a good thing... But that aside, no matter how thoughtless they are, to think of taking on the navy... Now I almost feel pity for them."
"Hahat!"
"Hahahaha!"
At Nam Gang-il's evaluation, the conference room filled with laughter.
If one asked who in current Joseon was well-versed in gunpowder weapons, the Joseon military would count on two fingers.
—One was the Training Directorate connected to District 51, and the other was the Navy.
Since the late Goryeo period when Choe Mu-seon developed cannons, the Joseon Navy and cannons had been inseparable.
That was why, when the opinion to reduce the production of gunpowder—especially Deok-gap style gunpowder—was raised at court, the Navy had most actively opposed it.
It was a moment when the rebel forces, rushing in to face the very place where the most skilled personnel in gunpowder within the Joseon military were gathered, truly seemed pitiful.
In any case, since the royal command to suppress the traitors had already been issued, the Jeolla Military Camp proceeded with preparations methodically.
"The traitors are coming!"
"Where are they coming from?"
"They're coming from the Bolti Pass direction, just as expected!"
At the report from the messenger, Nam Gang-il rose from his seat.
"Good! We will annihilate the traitors!"
"Yes, sir!"
* * *
In the battle that thus unfolded—the battle later named the 'Wolchulsan Battle'—the Jeolla Military Camp completely destroyed the rebel army.
Blocking Bolti Pass and using the natural defensive barrier formed by the foothills of neighboring Wolchulsan and Saenggeumsan mountains, they struck the deeply penetrating rebel army from three sides. When the rebel army, suffering fatal damage, attempted to retreat, a cavalry unit that had circled around Wolchulsan struck the rear of the rebel army, leading to their complete annihilation.
It was a textbook 'three-sided encirclement attack.'
* * *
The same was true for the battle at Mungyeom Pass.
Spear infantry wearing full plate armor like what cavalry wore blocked the pass road, and while artillery and musketeers positioned behind them pinned down the rebel army, it was a 'hammer and anvil' tactic where cavalry hidden in Jigok-ri and Gakseo-ri struck the rear of the rebel forces.
The rebel army, suddenly blocked both front and rear, resisted fiercely, but as the slaves who made up the majority of their forces surrendered early, the tide became irreversible.
However, the most pitiful of all were the rebel forces that went to attack Jeolla Left and Right Naval Headquarters.
Upon receiving the report that 'the traitors are coming,' the Left and Right Naval Commanders unloaded all cannons from their anchored ships and formed firing lines toward the paths where the rebel forces would approach.
Thanks to this, the rebel forces approaching to capture the Naval Headquarters were shattered to pieces by the shells poured out by all the cannons the Navy possessed, from the Bigeokjincheonroe to the Joran-hwan.
In particular, the Jeolla Left Naval Headquarters employed a unique tactic—they swapped the gunpowder used in cannons and firearms.
According to the new doctrine, Deok-gap style gunpowder was to be used as propellant gunpowder for cannons, and Eul-style gunpowder was to be used for the Gap-style long-barreled guns and horseback muskets used by the firearm soldiers.
However, the Jeolla Left Naval Headquarters went through the trouble of disassembling and reassembling the ammunition bundles supplied for Gap-style long-barreled guns and horseback muskets just to swap the gunpowder.
"At sea, the wind blows well so smoke isn't a big problem, but that's not the case on land, is it? Switch them!"
This was done under the order of the Jeolla Left Naval Commander, but it was an excellent move.
Although the amount of smoke was said to have decreased, Eul-style gunpowder was still black powder that produced a lot of smoke. However, the amount of smoke generated when using Deok-gap style gunpowder was greatly reduced, and thanks to this, the Navy's firearm soldiers were able to snipe the rebel forces more efficiently.
* * *
Thus, the 'Giyu Rebellion' that occurred in the Three Southern Provinces ended with the complete annihilation of the rebel forces. While cleaning up the battlefield, the Provincial Military Commanders and Naval Commanders wrote official reports to send to Hanseong, and simultaneously split their units to begin suppressing the regions where the uprising had occurred.
In successfully suppressing this 'Giyu Rebellion,' the court gained one unintended result.
That was the 'extinction of private soldiers.'
From the early days of the founding, 'abolition of private soldiers' had been carried out endlessly, but private soldiers had stubbornly survived. In particular, in the southern regions of Joseon, citing the reason of defending against Japanese pirates, the scale of private soldiers was actually being increased little by little.
However, through the failure of the 'Giyu Rebellion,' the private soldiers were thoroughly ruined. Not only the private soldiers who belonged to the rebel camp but also those who stood on the anti-rebel side were largely consumed during the battles.
Afterward, private soldiers were never again organized on a large scale.
This was because after the Giyu Rebellion, the formula 'raising private soldiers = rebellion' was established at court.
Later, romanticist historians added the subtitle 'Twilight of the Private Soldiers' to the 'Giyu Rebellion.'
* * *
The rebellion had ended, but blood had not yet stopped flowing.
"Arrest the families of the traitors!"
Under the royal command received in advance, the Provincial Military Commanders dispatched troops to the regions where the rebellion had occurred.
In the process of capturing the traitors, the military had to deal with unexpected people—families of those who lost their lives for opposing the uprising.
"My goodness... This is..."
Sergeant Kang Chun-bae, who had entered a town near Naju, sighed over the solution to the case he had to handle.
The large tile-roofed house of Scholar Oh, who had raised the rebellion, had its gate wide open, and a group of men holding bloodied clubs welcomed them.
"Welcome!"
"Who are you!"
At Chun-bae's tense question, a nobleman stepped forward from among the men.
"I am Jo Il-gu, the second son of Scholar Jo from the neighboring village."
As the man who revealed his identity answered politely, Chun-bae asked again in a somewhat relaxed voice.
"I see. What brings Scholar Jo here?"
"My late father and older brother died at the hands of the traitors. How could I leave the family of my sworn enemies alone?"
At the thick scent of blood emanating from Jo Il-gu's answer, Chun-bae hurriedly went inside the house.
"My goodness..."
The inside of Scholar Oh's house was a sea of blood. Bloodstains were everywhere on the walls and fences, and corpses were scattered throughout the house.
Seeing that sight, Chun-bae glared at Jo Il-gu.
"Do you not know that even if it is a traitor's family, you must not kill them arbitrarily!"
"Are you saying I should just let the enemies who killed my father and brother go!"
"My..."
Whether he knew of Chun-bae's frustration or not, Jo Il-gu answered calmly.
"Apart from taking the lives of the enemy's family, we did not touch so much as a hair, so you will be able to find physical evidence, sir."
"Hmph~. You do know this isn't something that can just be passed over, right?"
At Chun-bae's voice, unable to hide his frustration, Jo Il-gu answered with a serene expression.
"How could I not know? However, having taken revenge on my sworn enemies, I have no regrets."
"Hmph~."
Sighing deeply, Chun-bae answered briefly.
"For now, go to prison. Men! Imprison these men!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers under Chun-bae's command took the clubs from the hands of the men who came with Jo Il-gu and led them away. Knowing the circumstances, the soldiers did not treat the men roughly.
Watching that sight, Chun-bae sighed deeply.
"Hah~. My goodness! Will I have to write a petition in addition to the official report?"
* * *
Such incidents occurred frequently in the regions where the rebellion had taken place. Soldiers broke out in cold sweat blocking those who rushed to take revenge, or they had to clean up houses that had already become seas of blood and investigate who had done it.
In the worst cases, situations even arose where revenge was overlooked on the condition that the family property would not be touched.
As the situation became this dangerous, there were even cases where families who had joined the uprising chose mass suicide.
Blood-washing revenge dramas unfolded and various tragedies occurred, but the chaos in the southern provinces began to subside little by little. This was because the court, receiving urgent reports, dispatched additional troops and officials.
* * *
Only after the official reports stating that 'the rebellion has been suppressed' arrived from Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do did Sejong remove his armor.
Only after Sejong removed his armor could the ministers at court breathe sighs of relief.
As Sejong removed his armor, the court's atmosphere, which had been like walking on thin ice, regained a little composure.
"Well... How much progress has been made on dealing with the traitors' families?"
At Sejong's question, the Minister of Justice answered.
"The families of the main instigators who raised the uprising have already been imprisoned, and all their properties have been sealed."
"You have worked hard."
When Sejong's words ended, Heo Jo stepped forward and pointed out a problem.
"The problem is their relatives. According to the law, the three clans should be executed, but the scope is too large."
"Hmm..."
"If we arrest them all according to legal precedent and make them all slaves, their number would reach thousands. Also, we need to disperse them so they cannot conspire with each other, but due to the newly changed laws, there are few who wish to receive slaves."
"So such a problem existed."
"Also, there are those who, though of the same clan as the traitors, were imprisoned or lost their lives for opposing the treason."
At Heo Jo's words, Sejong, who had been looking for various solutions, asked the Minister of Justice.
"What does the law say to do in such cases?"
"According to the Great Ming Code, those guilty of treason and rebellion are to be executed by slow slicing, their fathers and sons over 16 years of age are to be beheaded, and sons under 16 years of age along with mothers, wives and concubines, grandparents, siblings, and sons' wives and concubines are all to be made slaves of meritorious subjects, with all property confiscated, and uncles and nephews are to be exiled to 3,000 li regardless of whether they lived together."
"Hmm... Let us contemplate this a bit more. The punishment for traitors must be certain, but in this case, the scope is the problem."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Having crossed one hill, another hill appeared.