Post Coup
However, after the coup d'état in 1170, the leaders of the revolution began to feud each other; Generals Yi Go and Chae Won were killed by General Yi Ui-bang for treason. Then Yi visited Jeong, who adopted him as a son, only for a while. In 1173, a survived civilian official Kim Bodang rebelled in northeastern border, trying to restore the civilian order under deposed King Uijong. Yi Ui-bang decided to assassinate Uijong; and after he killed the ex-king, Yi put down the rebellion, which put Yi on the peak of the power. Then Yi began to oppress Buddhism and Confucianism, executed many civilian administrators and scholars, raped royal family members and forced the Crown Prince to marry his daughter. His despotic reign caused the grief of many people, and finally in 1174, a chain of rebellion that lasted for 50 years began in Pyongyang by Jo Wi-chong. Yi Ui-bang sent massive troops to put down the rebellion.
General Jeong, who promoted himself as Prime Minister, decided to put an end on Yi's reign of terrorl; he ordered his son, Jeong Gyun and his son-in-law, General Song Yuin, to kill Yi Ui-bang. Yi was finally murdered by Jeong Gyun, and the power passed to Jeong Jung-bu. Jeong continued to fight against rebels in Pyongyang; however, slaves and people of lowest class of present-day Gongju rebelled against the government. Jeong managed to crush the uprising of Jo, and entered negotiation with outcast rebellion leaders Mangyi and Mangsoyi, but as the official army continued its campaign against the uprising, Mang brothers revolted again. They were executed in 1177, ending the rebellion; but many other impoverished people continued to revolt against the government.
With the law and order crumbling over the whole nation, Jeong decided not to retire from politics even though he was at his late 70's. His son Jeong Gyun, backed by his powerful father, committed bribery from many officials who tried to gain more power and support from the reigning family; even Jeong's servants and slaves took bribes from politicians and brawled with some of them on the street. Politics drifted toward iniquity, and many people thought another coup d'état was necessary to put an end on Jeong's unjust rule; and in the end, General Gyeong Dae-seung, the youngest general of Goryeo army, revolted against Jeong in 1179, murdering Jeong Gyun and Song Yuin. Jeong Jung-bu was arrested for corruption and treason, and executed in public few days later.
Read more about this topic: Jeong Jung-bu
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