Post by ajk on Apr 16, 2015 23:21:37 GMT -5
Jeong Cheol's house is searched by soldiers as Jeong looks on helplessly. Of course this isn't really about the appeal over his drinking; this is just the king being petty and vengeful for the Westerners pushing the crown prince issue a second time (which they were pretty darned foolish to do, but still...). And the other Westerners learn that the king is refusing to see anyone who signed the appeal--which includes all of them, of course.
Lee Sanhae troubles Ryu by implying that maybe Jeong's punishment should be more severe than removal or exile. As in, death? Lee doesn't say, but you can see his gears turning....
Consort Kim summons the two princes Imhae and Gwanghae. She has a feeling that the king will name a crown prince shortly (Seriously? Based on what?) and asks them to be kind to her son Prince Sinseong if either of them is chosen. Gwanghae doesn't even answer; says he doesn't even qualify to be crown prince. Imhae says tells her he'll treat Sinseong well. Imhae's answer pleases and relieves her, but he acts like kind of a jerk, both to her and in general, so who knows if he would honor his word. Then on their way home he mutters to his brother, "Our mother died early because of her. We'll see about that." Uh-oh....
Afterwards Kim tells Lady Park that she's more concerned about Gwanghae than Imhae because he "hides his feelings" and may not be as passive as he acts. Also afterwards, the queen rejects Gwanghae's protest that he doesn't want to be the crown prince. Tells him many of the ministers are already favoring him, which he probably knows, and that he does have the heavenly quality of sympathy for people (she may mean empathy, not sure if the subtitle was right) and implies that it would make him a good ruler.
Ryu learns that Jeong was discovered to have made some improper personnel appointments. It doesn't sound like much of an offense...but when he learns that Lee Sanhae has gone to see the king about it, he's very concerned.
And Sanhae is with the king now, arguing that Jeong Cheol should be executed with poison! Not for the appointments, but for creating a political faction against the king's express order. If you don't execute him, "I'm worried that all your servants will take your orders lightly." But then Ryu shows up and starts arguing against Lee! Tells the king that the appeal doesn't constitute a faction and says he'll sign the thing himself now that he's home from his scouting trip, which will prove there is no faction. Lee is dumbfounded that his close ally is trying to bail out their political enemies. Afterwards, Lee gives Ryu a scolding--but Ryu gives it right back to him. Reminds Lee that they're on the same side for their political beliefs, "not for seeking power and killing people on the other side." Ryu is disgusted. "Is our position the absolute truth and our politics perfect?" Lee is shocked and angry, and orders Ryu out of the room...for good! Well certainly they'll patch things up later...won't they?
Seonjo is so uncertain about what to do that he actually asks his head eunuch for advice. And the guy delivers. If you poison Jeong, the eunuch says, you'll have to poison everybody else who signed the appeal. "There is always a use," he says. "You should leave the roots for your sake."
Nighttime: Jeong Cheol is alone at home, drinking. The silver cup he's drinking from, we see a flashback of Seonjo giving it to him and telling him that if he can't stop drinking entirely, to just limit it to one drink from that cup. It's a nice gesture, if rather naive about alcoholism...And as Jeong recalls the event, he looks up and is shocked to see the king standing there in his own sitting room. Seonjo joins him, and chuckles when he notices that Jeong actually had the silver cup hammered to make it bigger so it could hold more wine. Jeong is embarrassed...But Seonjo soon turns to business and is very frank with Jeong. Tells him that he wouldn't comfortable with Gwanghae as crown prince. Tells Jeong, He's a lot like I am and I want the country led by a better king than I am. Then Jeong confesses to creating a faction and being upset with the king over his stubbornness. Then Jeong goes off on a tangent about Seonjo having to take the throne at age 16 without any preparation, and how hard that must have been on him, and how he's just trying to spare the next king the same struggle. He looks and sounds sincere about that, enough that Seonjo responds favorably. Tells him to "Take good care of yourself while you are away for a while." Meaning, I will exile you rather than execute you.
We see Jeong headed off to exile...and talk about timing, just at that moment Song Ikpil is being led out of prison...presumably to be executed. Narration tells us that this was June 1591 and that the Westerners faction ceased to exist--and with that the drive to prepare for an attack by Japan disappeared. Also, it turns out that Lee and Ryu never did reconcile; in fact, the Easterners ended up separating into Southerners who supported Ryu and Northerners who supported Lee Sanhae.
Japan: Hideyoshi shocks his inner circle by telling them he wants to go to Joseon to see the war for himself. A tense discussion begins...but then an old friend named Maeda Toshiie shows up. Maeda is remarkably wise and talks Hideyoshi out of it, reminding him that he has an old mother and a baby here to take care of. Also advises against sending Tokugawa to Joseon. "You want to leave elite soldiers to him? What if he attacks you after he conquers Joseon?" Stay here and direct everything from home, he advises. Hideyoshi is so thrilled with Maeda's arrival and advice, he implores him to stay and become one of his advisors. Maeda accepts, to H's great delight...but then the delight evaporates. Horrible news: Tsurumatsu is dead. How sad; we see the little baby laying there breathless and lifeless. Hideyoshi doesn't take it well, to say the least; he takes Kato's sword and kills five royal physicians, and only leaves the sixth because Maeda grabs him and tells him to stop shedding blood "or Tsurumatsu won't be able to leave in peace." It stops Hideyoshi's freakout...but then he orders that the attack on Joseon will begin immediately!
Seonjo has read Ryu's report about his scouting trip to the coastal provinces. He's annoyed and frustrated. If war preparations aren't made, people complain about the danger of attack. if they're made, the people complain about the mandatory service. "How are we supposed to build fortresses?" But there are more substantive problems than just people complaining. Not only have a lot of citizens fled their villages, but many of the nobles who are supposed to support the citizens' families during military service have also fled. And the military, well, who knows, there are so many falsified ledgers. Seonjo sighs. "What will we do about this?" Ryu proposes an answer: pay the soldiers while they're serving. And get the money by imposing and enforcing an agricultural tax on landowners. Seonjo isn't very receptive. "You're not wrong. But if we upset the landowners there could be chaos and resistance." He says "I want to be a king of the people, not the landowners. But this is too fast and extreme." And won't even listen to Ryu trying to argue for it. "I'll look for another way." And adds, "there won't be an attack."
Later: Word reaches Joseon that the MIng court knows Hideyoshi may attack. A council meeting is held to debate whether or not to send envoys to tell Ming everything about the whole situation. It's a difficult question. Ryu and his side want to send envoys; Lee and his side argue against it. Is it a bigger risk to send them or not...would we report some or all of it...and what do they know or not know already. Ultimately Ryu's side wins out, arguing that undoubtedly Ming already knows the whole story and are silent simply because "they are waiting for us to tell them. If we don't report it, they will suspect a relationship with Japan." The king orders Ryu to choose an envoy and prepare a delegation. Then some disturbing news arrives: posters criticizing the king and court are showing up in multiple cities. Not only that, we see soldiers trashing weapons at a military base fleeing. And now at a local noble's house somewhere, citizens are rioting and looting the place.
Lee Sanhae troubles Ryu by implying that maybe Jeong's punishment should be more severe than removal or exile. As in, death? Lee doesn't say, but you can see his gears turning....
Consort Kim summons the two princes Imhae and Gwanghae. She has a feeling that the king will name a crown prince shortly (Seriously? Based on what?) and asks them to be kind to her son Prince Sinseong if either of them is chosen. Gwanghae doesn't even answer; says he doesn't even qualify to be crown prince. Imhae says tells her he'll treat Sinseong well. Imhae's answer pleases and relieves her, but he acts like kind of a jerk, both to her and in general, so who knows if he would honor his word. Then on their way home he mutters to his brother, "Our mother died early because of her. We'll see about that." Uh-oh....
Afterwards Kim tells Lady Park that she's more concerned about Gwanghae than Imhae because he "hides his feelings" and may not be as passive as he acts. Also afterwards, the queen rejects Gwanghae's protest that he doesn't want to be the crown prince. Tells him many of the ministers are already favoring him, which he probably knows, and that he does have the heavenly quality of sympathy for people (she may mean empathy, not sure if the subtitle was right) and implies that it would make him a good ruler.
Ryu learns that Jeong was discovered to have made some improper personnel appointments. It doesn't sound like much of an offense...but when he learns that Lee Sanhae has gone to see the king about it, he's very concerned.
And Sanhae is with the king now, arguing that Jeong Cheol should be executed with poison! Not for the appointments, but for creating a political faction against the king's express order. If you don't execute him, "I'm worried that all your servants will take your orders lightly." But then Ryu shows up and starts arguing against Lee! Tells the king that the appeal doesn't constitute a faction and says he'll sign the thing himself now that he's home from his scouting trip, which will prove there is no faction. Lee is dumbfounded that his close ally is trying to bail out their political enemies. Afterwards, Lee gives Ryu a scolding--but Ryu gives it right back to him. Reminds Lee that they're on the same side for their political beliefs, "not for seeking power and killing people on the other side." Ryu is disgusted. "Is our position the absolute truth and our politics perfect?" Lee is shocked and angry, and orders Ryu out of the room...for good! Well certainly they'll patch things up later...won't they?
Seonjo is so uncertain about what to do that he actually asks his head eunuch for advice. And the guy delivers. If you poison Jeong, the eunuch says, you'll have to poison everybody else who signed the appeal. "There is always a use," he says. "You should leave the roots for your sake."
Nighttime: Jeong Cheol is alone at home, drinking. The silver cup he's drinking from, we see a flashback of Seonjo giving it to him and telling him that if he can't stop drinking entirely, to just limit it to one drink from that cup. It's a nice gesture, if rather naive about alcoholism...And as Jeong recalls the event, he looks up and is shocked to see the king standing there in his own sitting room. Seonjo joins him, and chuckles when he notices that Jeong actually had the silver cup hammered to make it bigger so it could hold more wine. Jeong is embarrassed...But Seonjo soon turns to business and is very frank with Jeong. Tells him that he wouldn't comfortable with Gwanghae as crown prince. Tells Jeong, He's a lot like I am and I want the country led by a better king than I am. Then Jeong confesses to creating a faction and being upset with the king over his stubbornness. Then Jeong goes off on a tangent about Seonjo having to take the throne at age 16 without any preparation, and how hard that must have been on him, and how he's just trying to spare the next king the same struggle. He looks and sounds sincere about that, enough that Seonjo responds favorably. Tells him to "Take good care of yourself while you are away for a while." Meaning, I will exile you rather than execute you.
We see Jeong headed off to exile...and talk about timing, just at that moment Song Ikpil is being led out of prison...presumably to be executed. Narration tells us that this was June 1591 and that the Westerners faction ceased to exist--and with that the drive to prepare for an attack by Japan disappeared. Also, it turns out that Lee and Ryu never did reconcile; in fact, the Easterners ended up separating into Southerners who supported Ryu and Northerners who supported Lee Sanhae.
Japan: Hideyoshi shocks his inner circle by telling them he wants to go to Joseon to see the war for himself. A tense discussion begins...but then an old friend named Maeda Toshiie shows up. Maeda is remarkably wise and talks Hideyoshi out of it, reminding him that he has an old mother and a baby here to take care of. Also advises against sending Tokugawa to Joseon. "You want to leave elite soldiers to him? What if he attacks you after he conquers Joseon?" Stay here and direct everything from home, he advises. Hideyoshi is so thrilled with Maeda's arrival and advice, he implores him to stay and become one of his advisors. Maeda accepts, to H's great delight...but then the delight evaporates. Horrible news: Tsurumatsu is dead. How sad; we see the little baby laying there breathless and lifeless. Hideyoshi doesn't take it well, to say the least; he takes Kato's sword and kills five royal physicians, and only leaves the sixth because Maeda grabs him and tells him to stop shedding blood "or Tsurumatsu won't be able to leave in peace." It stops Hideyoshi's freakout...but then he orders that the attack on Joseon will begin immediately!
Seonjo has read Ryu's report about his scouting trip to the coastal provinces. He's annoyed and frustrated. If war preparations aren't made, people complain about the danger of attack. if they're made, the people complain about the mandatory service. "How are we supposed to build fortresses?" But there are more substantive problems than just people complaining. Not only have a lot of citizens fled their villages, but many of the nobles who are supposed to support the citizens' families during military service have also fled. And the military, well, who knows, there are so many falsified ledgers. Seonjo sighs. "What will we do about this?" Ryu proposes an answer: pay the soldiers while they're serving. And get the money by imposing and enforcing an agricultural tax on landowners. Seonjo isn't very receptive. "You're not wrong. But if we upset the landowners there could be chaos and resistance." He says "I want to be a king of the people, not the landowners. But this is too fast and extreme." And won't even listen to Ryu trying to argue for it. "I'll look for another way." And adds, "there won't be an attack."
Later: Word reaches Joseon that the MIng court knows Hideyoshi may attack. A council meeting is held to debate whether or not to send envoys to tell Ming everything about the whole situation. It's a difficult question. Ryu and his side want to send envoys; Lee and his side argue against it. Is it a bigger risk to send them or not...would we report some or all of it...and what do they know or not know already. Ultimately Ryu's side wins out, arguing that undoubtedly Ming already knows the whole story and are silent simply because "they are waiting for us to tell them. If we don't report it, they will suspect a relationship with Japan." The king orders Ryu to choose an envoy and prepare a delegation. Then some disturbing news arrives: posters criticizing the king and court are showing up in multiple cities. Not only that, we see soldiers trashing weapons at a military base fleeing. And now at a local noble's house somewhere, citizens are rioting and looting the place.
