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Chapter 164
Chapter 164
Chapter 164
As the rebel forces were getting decimated like this in Cheonan, clashes between rebel and government forces were also drawing near in Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces.
***
Jeolla Provincial Military Headquarters
Spread out on the table in the middle of the meeting room was a map, with large and small wooden chips scattered about on top.
Whats the current movement of the rebels?
At Jeolla Provincial Commander Nam Kang-ils question, a military officer moved three large wooden chips as he answered.
The rebels have split largely into three groups and are moving accordingly. One group is heading towards our Jeolla garrison, while the other two groups are moving towards the Jeolla Left and Right Naval Stations each.
What are their sizes?
The groups heading towards the naval stations number around 6,000 each. The number of the group coming towards our garrison is estimated to be around 25,000.
Their numbers have grown quite a bit.
The number of slaves joining the rebels has increased a little.
Still not enough to execute six times over!
At the military officers report, Colonel Lee Han-jong immediately spat out profanities.
Most military officers participating in the meeting nodded their heads at his words. Quietly looking over the map, Nam Kang-il threw a question at the officer.
For what reason has the number of criminals joining the rebels increased?
They probably heard the rumors about the palace invasion and still joined despite knowing it had failed.
Huh? They joined the rebels thinking the court, also in shock, would come out conciliatory?
They seem to have judged the possibility was high.
Clenching his teeth at the officers report, Nam Kang-il said,
Fools! Are they that bad at judging the situation? I want to see the face of the imbecile who came up with such a thought!
Nam Kang-il, very curious about just who came up with a dream or hope-filled expectation that the shocked king would adopt a conciliatory policy after the rebellion and then the palace invasion, couldnt help wondering.
Well, the dumber the opponent, the more advantageous for us, so its a good thing in its way, but Anyway, no matter how dim they are, for them to think of attacking the Navy Im starting to feel bad for them now.
Hahat!
Hahaha!
At Nam Kang-ils assessment, the meeting room was filled with laughter.
If asked right now who in Joseon was knowledgeable about firearms, the military would point out two.
One was the Training Center associated with Area 51. And the other was the Navy.
Since the late Goryeo period when Choe Museon[1] developed firearms, the Joseon Navy and cannons have been inseparable.
As such, when the opinion was raised at court to decrease the production of gunpowder especially the gunpowder the one most actively opposed was the Navy.
It was a moment you had to feel bad for the rebel forces swarming an entity with the most skilled personnel on firearms within the Joseon military.
In any case, with the royal order already given to suppress the rebels, the Jeolla garrison steadily prepared step-by-step.
The rebels are coming!
Which direction?
As expected, they are coming from the direction of the fire!
At the scouts report, Nam Kang-il rose from his seat.
Good! We will annihilate the rebels!
Yes, sir!
***
In the ensuing battle, later named the Wolchulsan Battle, the Jeolla garrison annihilated the rebel forces.
Blocking off the embers and utilizing the natural barrier of the neighboring Wolchulsan and Saenggeumsan mountain ridges, they struck the deeply advanced rebels from three sides. As the fatally damaged rebels attempted to retreat, the cavalry unit detouring around Wolchulsan struck the rear of the rebels, leading to complete annihilation.
It was a textbook Three-front Siege.
***
The battle at Mungyeongsaejae[2] was the same.
Infantry wearing full body iron armor like the cavalry blocked the pass. While artillery and musketeers in the rear pinned down the rebel forces, cavalry concealed at Jigok-ri and Gakseo-ri[3] struck the rear of the rebels a hammer and anvil tactic.
Though the rebels surrounded front and back struggled fiercely, with slaves making up most of their forces quickly surrendering, the tide was irreversible.
But the most pitiful were the rebel forces who went to attack the Jeolla Left and Right Naval Stations.
Having received word the rebels are coming, the Jeolla Left and Right Naval Commanders took all cannons off their docked ships and placed them facing the path the rebel forces would come from.
As such, the rebel forces approaching to occupy the naval stations were blown apart by all the naval artillery, from Divine Thunder Strike cannons (Bigyeokjincheonrae) to joranhwan (Joseons version of Grapeshot).
[TL/N: Watch this video on Bigyeokjincheonrae: /watch?v=OWafbD79Ix4&t=1s ]
Especially the Jeolla Left Naval Station used a unique tactic switching around the gunpowder used for the cannons and firearms.
According to the new doctrine, enhanced gunpowder was to be used as propellant for artillery while double-strength gunpowder was distributed for the equipped arquebuses and horse muskets.
But the Jeolla Left Naval Station went through the cumbersome process of taking apart and reassembling the cartridges distributed for the arquebuses and muskets just to switch out the gunpowder.
Out on the sea, the wind blows nicely to disperse the smoke so its not a big issue, but not on land! Switch them!
It was done according to the Jeolla Left Naval Commanders order, but it was a brilliant move.
Though they said the amount of smoke decreased, double-strength gunpowder was also a black powder that generated a lot of smoke. However, by using the enhanced gunpowder, the amount of smoke generated greatly decreased, allowing the naval musketeers to snipe the rebel forces much more efficiently.
***
And so with the complete annihilation of the rebel forces, the Gi-Yu Rebellion that broke out in Hasamdo came to an end. While cleaning up the battlefields, the provincial military commanders and naval commanders wrote up reports to send to Hanseong and split up their forces to suppress the regions where the rebellion first broke out.
Through succeeding in suppressing this Gi-Yu Rebellion, the court obtained an unintended extra result as well.
That was the annihilation of private armies.
Though they endlessly pushed policies to stamp out private armies since the founding of the nation, private armies had tenaciously survived. Especially in the southern regions of Joseon, they were even expanding the private armies little by little using the rationale of defending against Japanese pirates.
However, through the failure of the Gi-Yu Rebellion, private armies thoroughly collapsed. Not only the private armies who sided with the rebels, but also the private armies who sided against them were largely depleted during the battles.
After this, private armies were no longer able to form in large scales.
Because after the Gi-Yu Rebellion, the principle cultivating private armies = rebellion was established at court.
Later, romanticist historians appended the subtitle Twilight of Private Armies to the Gi-Yu Rebellion.
***
Though the rebellion had ended, the blood had yet to cease flowing.
Capture the families of the rebel scums!
Following the orders they had received beforehand, provincial military commanders dispatched troops towards the regions where rebellions occurred.
In the process of capturing the rebels, the troops had to confront unexpected individuals. They were families who had lost their lives for opposing the rebellion.
Sigh. Dear me.
Entering a village near Naju, military officer Gang Choon-bae sighed as he agonized over the solution for the incident he had to handle.
The grand tile-roofed gate of scholar Oh who started the uprising was wide open, and a group of men holding blood-stained clubs came out to greet them.
Welcome!
Who are you people!
Tense, Choon-bae questioned the men. From among them, one scholar stepped forward.
I am Jo Il-gu, second son of scholar Jo from the neighboring village.
As the man politely answered, revealing his identity, Choon-bae asked again in a slightly relieved tone.
I see. What business does scholar Jo have here?
My father and older brother lost their lives at the hands of the rebels. How can I leave this hostile household that committed unforgivable acts alone!
Feeling the deep blood ties exuded from Jo Il-gus answer, Choon-bae hurried into the house.
Dear me.
Scholar Ohs house was a bloodbath inside. Bloodstains were all over the walls and fence, and corpses were lying everywhere inside the house.
Seeing the sight, Choon-bae glared at Jo Il-gu.
No matter how a rebels household, you cannot just kill them indiscriminately! Do you not know that?
So are you telling me to just forgive those who killed my father and brothers!
Sigh.
Whether he knew of Choon-baes frustration or not, Jo Il-gu calmly replied.
Other than taking the lives of the culprits family members, we didnt touch a single hair or possession. My lord will be able to find evidence of that.
Sigh You know this wont just blow over, right?
At Choon-baes voice unable to hide his frustration, Jo spoke in a desolate tone.
Of course I do. But having exacted revenge on mortal enemies, I have no regrets.
Sigh.
Heaving a long sigh, Choon-bae briefly replied.
For now, put them in prison. Hey you lot! Imprison them!
Yes, sir!
Following Choon-baes order, the soldiers took away the clubs from the hands of the men who came with Jo Il-gu and dragged them to the side. Knowing the circumstances, the soldiers did not treat the men harshly.
Watching the scene, Choon-bae let out another long sigh.
Sheesh So do I have to write up a petition too on top of the report?
***
These kinds of incidents occurred frequently in regions where rebellions took place. Soldiers broke into sweats trying to stop people rushing in for revenge, or had to figure out the culprit through questioning after cleaning up houses already turned into bloodbaths.
In the worst cases, overlooking the revenge on the condition that assets would not be touched also occurred.
As the situation grew severe, there were also cases of entire rebel households committing mass suicide.
Though tragedies occurred here and there as a cycle of violence erupted with blood repaid with more blood, the turmoil in the southern provinces gradually began settling down. Reinforcements of troops and officials quickly dispatched by the court receiving these urgent reports was the reason why.
***
Only after reports of the rebellion has been suppressed came in from Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces did Sejong take off his armor.
Only after Sejong removed his armor were the ministers of court able to breathe a sigh of relief.
As Sejong took off his armor, the tension at court that had been like walking a tightrope eased a little.
So how far has the organizing of the rebels clans progressed?
At Sejongs question, the Minister of Law and Punishment answered.
The ringleaders families have already been imprisoned and their assets have all been sealed up.
Good work.
As Sejongs words ended, Heo Jo stepped up to point out a problem.
The issue is with their relatives. By law, their clans should be exterminated, but the scope is too large.
Hmm.
If we follow regulations and arrest them all to turn into slaves, it would number in the thousands. Also, they need to be dispersed to prevent collusion but few want to take in slaves due to the newly changed laws.
So there were such problems.
Also. Though they may be from the same clans as the rebels, there are those who opposed the revolt but were imprisoned or lost their lives.
At Heo Jos words, Sejong who was trying to find solutions asked the Minister of Law and Punishments.
What does the law prescribe in cases like these?
According to the Great Ming Code, the criminal of rebellion should be executed by slow slicing and his father and sons above 16 years old should receive strokes of the bamboo. Sons under 16 years old and his mother, wives, and daughters, as well as siblings, their spouses and grandchildren should all be made into slaves of meritorious retainers. All their assets will be confiscated. Even if they lived apart, paternal uncles and nephews will be exiled 3000 li. This is what is written.
Hmmm Let us think a little more. While the rebels must be punished severely, in this case the scope is the problem.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Just as they got over one peak, another emerged.
- A medieval Korean scientist, inventor, and military commander during the late Goryeo Dynasty and early Joseon. Famous for introducing gunpowder locally[]
- Mountain in central South Korea[]
- Villages in South Chungcheong[]