The night was deepening, and dark clouds hung low in the night sky. From time to time, a faint sound of muffled thunder rolled across the sky.

The rainy season in North Korea is coming as scheduled.

On the streets of Seoul, the wind before the rainstorm whined, and ghosts cried wolves. The streets were dark, and only the garbage was rolled up. The people who fought more fire prevention were hiding on the street corners, and the whole city seemed empty and quiet. Not far away, the water of the Han River also rolled up its waves, repeatedly lapping the river bank in the dark, making a gurgling sound.

Not very far from Gyeongbokgung Palace, there is a desolate mansion. It was originally an industry that belonged to a minister of the Korean Enlightenment Party. The Jiashen Incident and the Enlightenment Party were defeated miserably, and in the retaliation of Dayuanjun, the Minister of the Enlightenment Party died in the chaos. The house was also empty, and because of rumors of haunting, no one came to occupy it. It's always quietly deserted here, as if no one ever existed. Because of this eerie atmosphere, in the broad daylight, occasionally pedestrians pass by, all of them go far away, and speed up and walk through there quickly.

On this night of heavy rain, there is a faint sound coming from this house. It seems that the ghost of the original owner has returned home with the help of the gale.

Inside the house, the lights were bright, but the windows and broken places were covered with black cloth, and no light could be seen. The room was full of people, squatting or sitting, everyone looking nervous and wearing short clothes. Hardly anyone was talking, just there was silence.

There was no wind in the house, and the heat before the rainstorm was sweltering, and there were fireworks on the incense table on the main hall. The air inside seemed unusually cloudy, and almost everyone gasped with their mouths wide open. I don't know if it's because the air is bad or nervous, some people are flushed, and they look like they can't hold it at any time and want to faint.

Hundreds of people, all waiting quietly.

The footsteps in the passage behind the hall suddenly sounded, and dozens of men stood up with a brush. Many of these people seem to have always been pampered, all of them have tall faces, small eyes, and short clothes are obviously awkward. Some people have bulging pockets in their waists, and they must be equipped with weapons such as foreign guns and short guns, and some people still hold long blades wrapped in white cloth in their hands, which may be family heirloom swords. North Korea has been peaceful for a long time, its armaments have been slackened, and the regular army has become a virtual entity, but in the heart of Seoul, there is such an armed group of several hundred people who secretly assemble!

The people who came out of the house were Kim Ok-kyun and Park Yong-hyo. Jin Yujun was also wearing a short suit, and two white cloth bands were crossed and wrapped around his back, firmly tying his sleeves. The whole person is murderous, and his eyes are so sharp that people dare not force them to look. Wearing a pair of Western-style pants and a belt top, two pistols on the left and one on the right were pinned there. There's also a bullet belt wrapped around the outside! Wearing a long katana behind his back, this former Korean minister, who has been in exile for eight years, the backbone of the Enlightenment Party, and has considerable attainments in Sinology, is already armed to the teeth!

Park Yong-hyo is much more obscene next to him, although he is also wearing short clothes, but he still drags his sleeves. He wore a hat and pressed it against the center of his eyebrows, as if he was afraid that others would see his face. When I walked out, my legs trembled slightly.

Jin Yujun's gaze swept towards the room full of people, and he snapped and straightened his legs. Everyone was tickling, even the most nervous stood up, and the people from the other wings poured through the passage to the hall, and the room became more and more crowded. There was a buzzing sound, and some people crowded in front, looking at Jin Yujun's appearance, tears were about to burst out of their eyes.

These are the remnants of the Enlightenment Party that remained in North Korea after the Kashin Incident!

Over the past eight years, a large number of them have been left idle, and they have even been persecuted. If it weren't for Concubine Min's best efforts to maintain it, it is estimated that there would not even be half of the people present left! Eight years ago, their ideals were shattered, their careers were no longer in place, and some of them were still destitute. I've been waiting for eight years, just waiting for such a chance to take revenge now!

Jin Yujun opened his mouth in a deep voice, his voice was low and short, shaking everyone's eardrums: "It's been eight years! We've finally made it this day! The Qing army was far away in Pyongyang and had been mired in civil strife by the Donghak uprising. The center of Seoul has been completely opened. Five hundred of us are dead, and this is our last chance to take revenge and change our home country! ”

He waved his hand violently: "The king of the courtyard has held His Royal Highness hostage, and the state affairs are wrong." Now the world is thousands of miles away, and there are civilized races everywhere who oppress the uncivilized races. Our close neighbor, the Empire, has resolutely been reformed and civilized, and is on the right path. They are our examples! Under the rule of Dayuanjun, we are still being oppressed by the weak Qing! The weak Qing Dynasty is now full of smoke and is far behind in the tide of civilization. We still have to look at the weak face and act, Gao Li man, don't you think it's a great shame! ”

The faster he spoke, the more his voice was still low, but every voice seemed to burst out of his chest!

"The holy land of my Korea, three thousand miles of picturesque rivers and mountains, in history, the eastern half of the Qing country's land was once the land of my Goryeo nation! Mt. Paektu is our sacred mountain, and the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea are our inland seas. But after a thousand years, the barbarians with pigtails have occupied our territory, stolen our culture, and are still entrenched in our nation, sucking blood, killing people, and plundering! We can't bear this kind of thing for a day, and we can't bear it anymore! We must stand up, rebuild and civilize the party and government, and join hands with Yuben to regain the glory that belongs to our nation! Let the entire East Asian continent tremble at the feet of our two maritime nations!

North Korea must be self-reliant and self-reliant! ”

His tone trembled, he couldn't speak anymore, and tears were dripping from his eyes almost at any moment. Forcibly turned around and rushed towards the incense case of the offering. In front of the incense case, there is a statue of King Sejong, the greatest king in Korean history. He picked up the incense candle and bowed three times solemnly. Park Yong-hyo, as his deputy, followed his movements in a panic.

Hundreds of people and horses in the hall all saluted solemnly. The house was silent, except for the occasional choked voice.

The lightning flashed violently, and through the black cloth that blocked the window, everyone in the hall turned pale. Jin Yujun slowly turned around, gritted his teeth and gave the final order: "Tomorrow at noon, the banner of the rebel army will be displayed to punish the national thieves!" ”

The thunder exploded, from far to near, endlessly.

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The torrential rain spread through the streets of Seoul. Old cities without modern drainage systems are full of sewage crossflows. The weather is completely free of the heat of a sunny day, but a little wet and cold. Lightning and thunder continued to light up and explode over the city, and large clouds pressed on the city layer by layer.

In such weather, there are few pedestrians on the streets, and only occasionally a few people wearing hats and drenching like chickens in soup wade through the water with difficulty.

A carriage bearing the emblem of the Legation passed through a pool of sewage. The coachman wore an oilcloth raincoat and vigorously controlled the irritable horse. Behind the car, there was also a team of well-dressed legation guards. Carrying a rifle, he stepped on the stagnant water on the ground, and wore a raincoat of oilcloth, following behind the carriage.

On top of the carriage, there were also official envoy flags. It is said that Minister Sugimura, under such a bad banner, has to go to the Joseon royal palace to present his credentials.

The rain became more and more intense, and all those who were exposed could not open their eyes. The procession came all the way to the front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, where there were already royal courtiers at the entrance of the palace, waiting there. The oil-paper umbrella in his hand had long been blown out of shape by the strong wind. The welcoming team that followed around him was waiting in the heavy rain in embarrassment, all of them were wet and cold to the bones. These etiquette personnel, it is estimated that Minister Sugimura Rui has already scolded a bloody dog. If you don't drink a little wine at home in this weather, what kind of credentials do you come to present?

The carriage almost arrived at the door, only to be discovered by the protocol officer, who hurriedly tread water to meet it. In the midst of the storm, he opened his throat and shouted, "Your Excellency! The weather is too bad, His Royal Highness King Li and His Royal Highness Concubine Min are waiting in Jiaotai Palace! The two highnesses asked the envoy to convey his greetings to the minister! You've worked so hard! ”

The official shouted hoarsely, and the wind poured cold rain into his mouth, which was really embarrassing to the extreme. The carriage stopped at the gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the coachman jumped out of the car to open the side door. I saw Rui Sugimura jumping down wrapped in a Western-style raincoat, and there was a big splash. He also wore a top hat, which was lowered to the center of his eyebrows, and the upright collar of his raincoat made it impossible to see the expression on his face at all. The rainstorm was so heavy that he was drenched almost immediately as soon as he got out of the car. He ignored it, turned back to the guards who had followed, and shouted an order to something. The guards immediately ran to the palace wall and stood under the dripping eaves. Intentionally or unintentionally, he clamped the gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The guards of the Korean palace at the door, who were still standing in the open air at this time, said that the actions of the envoy guards, they didn't bother to look at it.

When Sugimura saw that his guards were in place, he waved his hand violently and followed the protocol officer to wade through the water and go straight towards the palace. A few turns have already come to the front of the corridor in front of the Jiaotai Palace. Several dressed Korean court ladies were already waiting there. One of them held a light and soft cloak in his hand, and the other squatted on the ground, holding a pair of soft-soled palace shoes. Sugimura swaggered off his raincoat, put on his dry cloak, and changed into shoes. The protocol officer who was waiting on the side was busy again with a waist and led the way.

And Sugimura is just as heavy as water. Along the way, he looked at this centuries-old royal palace, as if it was his first time.

The rain curtain covered the buildings in the palace and was blurry. The rain pounded on the bronze cornice's kiss, making a dense and crisp sound. This small country, far from the center of the world for so many years, has also been quiet for so many years...... But with the rise of Yuben on the sea, the owner of this royal palace must serve the interests of the Yuben Empire!

Sugimura has been in business in Seoul for ten years, and it seems that it is waiting for this moment.

Jiaotai Hall is in front of you.

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If Gyeongbokgung Palace is a symbol of the rule of the Joseon royal family, then it is the one who really bears the task of ruling the Joseon. But it is the official residence of the Korean parliamentary minister.

Li Yuying, the king of Xingxuan Courtyard, was only ready to take a nap at this time. A heavy rain extinguished the heat. Even made the old man who was afraid of the cold feel a little chilly, and the concubine next to him was a little blind, and quickly asked the lower daughter to add a mattress to Li Yuying's couch. He served him and drank a little conditioned ginseng soup before helping him prepare to sleep.

The area occupied by the Mansion of the Emperor of the Great Courtyard is not much smaller than that of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Until now, His Royal Highness King Li of the DPRK is still the second son of His Royal Highness the Emperor of the Great Courtyard! His Royal Highness King Li ascended the throne at the age of twelve, and he has always been an old man helping him take care of the affairs of the court. Unexpectedly, the daughter-in-law married by his son was very uneasy. It's a woman and has so much power**! I have to compete with the old man for the actual ruling power of North Korea!

In the past ten years, His Royal Highness the Courtyard Jun and Concubine Min have been fighting openly and secretly. There have been quite a few fights between the two forces that have torn their faces. In the Renwu Incident, taking advantage of the turmoil of the old army, Li Yuying, with the support of Qingjun and Yuan Shikai at that time, overwhelmed Concubine Min's power in one fell swoop and seized the position of Minister of Parliament. He's a bit of a dead person. No matter how strong other countries are, they are still a little far away from North Korea, and the Qing country is no longer a climate, and it is also a behemoth for North Korea, and it is close by. In order to keep his position, he didn't hold the thigh of Qingguo, but he was willing to go far?

Jiashen coup, Concubine Min exerted her strength in one fell swoop, not only killed many backbones of the old party, but also imprisoned the old man! Thanks to the old man's sharp legs, he actually escaped and crashed into the Qingjun barracks. It was only a few days after the establishment of the party and government axe of enlightenment, and it disappeared under the foreign guns of the Qing [***] team. That coup d'état strengthened the confidence of Dayuanjun. Holding the thick legs of the Qing Dynasty can keep you safe for a lifetime! Otherwise, those foreign guns will not be fun!

After turning over from the Jiashen coup, the frightened old man also used to make a big fuss, arresting and killing many people in the Kaihua Party. The spearhead was also directed at Concubine Min, but she was saved by her confused and weak second son. At that time, the old man also wondered, his son, who had never had an idea, was really confused? Or is it a fake fool? How can you even do this as a balance of power?

Although Concubine Min has not fallen, her power has declined. Concubine Min is also a lot more honest, and in the next few years after Jiashen, the old man is living comfortably. There was also a lot less sharpness back then. I just want to be rich and honorable in my lifetime. After he died, he still looked like North Korea. The outside world is changing too fast, and it is no longer something that an old man like him can understand, and he can deal with.

In this leisurely afternoon, after the concubine arranged everything for his nap. The old man didn't know why, but he didn't feel sleepy at all, and stood in front of the courtyard of the bedroom, wearing a cloak with pajamas inside. Touching his long white beard, he didn't know what he was thinking.

The rain fell on the dripping eaves in front of him, weaving a wall of rain. The view in the courtyard has become blurry.

The future of North Korea, like the rainy world, cannot be seen clearly from afar......

How much better would the world still be as good as it was before? Those white ghosts in the West are just ghost stories that scare children, far away in the sky. And it is said that it is a small Japanese country, guarding their island and closing the country. There is only one suzerain, which is not very concerned with the internal affairs of North Korea, and it is fooled by paying tribute twice a year...... Other times, it's just the same time.

However, now on the ocean, what is wafting is the smoke of those white-ghost ironclad warships, and it is said that Ben has also begun to reform, becoming more and more aggressive, drooling and staring at North Korea, a springboard to the mainland. And the suzerain, which has always been relied on, is getting weaker and weaker......

The old man was silent. I was crazy for a while. The footsteps behind him sounded softly, and the concubine's voice sounded timidly: "Master......"

Dayuanjun's mind drifted far away, and he casually ordered: "These days, what's going on in Pyongyang?" When exactly did the Qing army there plan to withdraw? They're there, always unstable. It's so bad, I have something to say...... Don't look at the fact that they are quiet now, maybe they are thinking something...... Send someone to contact and pay attention to see if there is any unusual behavior on the part of the legation. It's so quiet, it's a bit like the ones of the Elephant Armor Shen Year......"

The concubine's voice was a little puzzled: "Master, what did you say?" ”

When Dayuanjun looked back, he saw the concubine, who was more than forty years younger than him, looking at him with blinking eyes. He smiled to himself and gently touched the young and smooth face of the concubine: "Go, go to sleep!" I'll talk about it tomorrow. Such a heavy rain, lying in bed and listening to the sound of the rain, is it not stronger than anything else? ”

The concubine smiled, stretched out her hand to help the old man. The two of them turned around when they heard a sudden faint sound outside. Listen to it, and there is nothing left.

The old man scolded himself in his heart: "Suspicious! He was about to step again, when suddenly there was a crackling sound from a distance, and it was no longer clear. Immediately afterwards, there was a series of crackling sounds like firecrackers, and in addition to these, the sound of shouting and killing also sounded at the same time!

The sound rang out at the front door, at the side door, and in the direction of the back door. The whole mansion seems to be surrounded by clusters! The guards of the mansion cried wolf-like terrified screams, and the cries of the female dependents rang out at the same time. The whole rain curtain seemed to be stirred. In addition to all this, there is a mixed sound that is getting louder and louder, enveloping the entire mansion!

"Punish the thieves! Punish the thieves! Civilize North Korea! ”

He had heard this voice eight years ago, and that time, it also swept Gyeongbokgung Palace!

The three words flashed through Dayuanjun's mind, and his body shook and he stood firm again. The concubines around her had already been frightened and sat on the ground.

Enlighten the Party!

Why did the Enlightenment Party appear, and how did they appear? What's going on? Extreme fear made the old man clench his fists and shout: "Guard! Guardsman! What the hell is going on! ”

The sound of shouting and killing became louder and louder, and in the end, it was already a violent tide, and the sound of banging on the door was also heard frequently. Guarding all over the courtyard, the guards wearing hats rushed to the door like bees that had been stabbed in their nests. Some were disheveled, others were unarmed. But more people fled into the inner court, all of them slaves. Everyone was devastated, and some of them were still dripping with blood and scurrying around like headless flies. Dayuanjun had already run out of the courtyard of his bedroom, and there were already more than a dozen guards around him, and I don't know who stuffed a single-shot handcuff into him. Dayuanjun held his handcuff in a panic, and first ran towards the gate, Seoul still has a little garrison, and there is also a minister of the Qing State, as long as the Qing people can be found, maybe it will be safe!

At this time, there was only one thought in his mind. But before he left the inner courtyard, he was confronted by a burst of foreign guns, and a cloud of white smoke rose from the foreign guns on the opposite side. The guards who were running backwards, guarding the side of the courtyard king, fell several times. In the panic, the courtyard monarch just glanced at the opposite side, only to see that the gate of the outer courtyard had been knocked open, and a group of strong men with white cloth strips on their heads were rushing in his direction. In the rain on the ground, there were corpses everywhere, and some people were injured and still crawling desperately in the rain. Blood was flowing, scarlet was everywhere, and the situation was already noisy and chaotic to the extreme.

The bullets were still whizzing past him, but Dayuanjun was already stupid, holding his handcuff and froze there. It was still a small officer of the guard who reacted faster, and took a few people to set up the courtyard and left: "Your Highness, go out over the wall, let's go to the Qingguo Qincha!" ”

Dayuanjun was already unresponsive, the rain had already drenched him, his beard and hair were messy, and he couldn't stop trembling.

In the end, where did this Enlightenment Party thug come from? How did such a quiet afternoon suddenly become like this?

Gyeongbokgung Palace, what's going on?

(To be continued)