Post by ajk on Apr 26, 2015 13:37:53 GMT -5
The king is dumbfounded. He immediately summons the war minister Hong Yeosun, and when Hong arrives the king literally throws the turtle ship plans at him and demands to know what's going on. Hong, of course, has no knowledge of any of this. So Ryu fesses up and explains that he managed to get the ship construction funded privately. Seonjo doesn't like this at all. We've seen that he's very touchy about high officials trying to boss him around, so naturally he distrusts Ryu for doing this and accuses him of trying to undermine the king's authority.
Afterwards Seonjo goes out for some fresh air. He complains to his head eunuch about how the turtle ship should have been funded under his authority, not Ryu's, and he again second-guesses himself for removing the Westerners. His eunuch tries (gently) to stand up for Ryu and Yi, saying that they were only trying to do what's best for both the king and the people. But especially with the turmoil in the country right now, Seonjo fears the perception that his court is concerned with the people while the king is concerned only with himself. And if he punishes Ryu and Yi Sunsin for publicly undermining him, it will only reinforce that perception.
The Japanese have almost completed their war preparations. Hideyoshi is angry with So Yoshitoshi because So hasn't produced the 5,000 soldiers he was required to produce for the war. So protests that the entire Tsushima population is only 10,000 and there's no way he can get 5,000 soldiers from that. Bring women and children if you have to, Hideyoshi barks. "They can cook for the soldiers." Afterwards So and Konishi talk; they're going to make one last effort to reach out to Joseon to try to avoid war.
Now we see Tshushiman people being forcibly rounded up to meet the war requirement. It's an ugly scene and So has to stand there and oversee it, as much as we can see it bothering him.
Seonjo is reading a letter. It's from Yi Sunsin, thanking him for the turtle ship funds and for a large allotment of rice that apparently accompanied the funds. "Fortunately the turtle ship was built in secret without any problems," Yi tells him. It will make you very happy and will be very effective. Seonjo realizes that Ryu didn't try to undermine his authority; he told Yi that it all came from the king! Took no personal credit for it at all. So Seonjo summons Ryu and apologizes to him. "You are a truly loyal servant."
Japan: A long scene involving a soldier who went AWOL and his pregnant wife. Ultimately the soldier is executed as a warning to anyone else thinking of going AWOL. Narration tells us that after the long civil war in Japan, people were still impoverished and desperate.
Ming: The idiot emperor has a guest. It's the Ryukyu prince we saw groveling before Hideyoshi in episode 6. He's telling the emperor exactly what happened there, about the Japanese demands for military rations and about Hideyoshi saying he'll conquer Ming within a year. The emperor goes bonkers; tells Shi Xing to summon soldiers from all of their tributary nations because he wants to conquer Japan right now! Shi calms him down by claiming that Japan's finances are still too drained from their civil war for them to be attacking anybody right now, and advises him to focus on the Mongolian rebellion on the north and not worry about Japan. The emperor likes that...but also says the solders suppressing the rebellion can head straight for Japan when they're finished. Ugh.
Back in Joseon: Outside the capital, Seonjo is doing a little farm work, taking a symbolic turn behind a plow as all of the high officials look on. It's a nice scene; the weather is good, no one is arguing politics, and Seonjo is smiling and saying everything looks like a good harvest is coming this year. He's feeling so good that he even overlooks a palanquin mishap on the way home, when one of his bearers loses his grip and the whole thing pitches to the one side. It's no big deal, but it rattles everyone who's with him...
...and it brings out the entire royal family when he gets home. He admonishes them all, including his sons Imhae and Gwanghae, for making a commotion over it...but then when his son Sinseong expresses concern, Seonjo turns to him and smiles. "I won't be injured or sick until you grow up to be an adult." So there's a pretty clear tipoff about who he wants to be the crown prince, isn't it.
Afterwards he treats his high officials to an outdoor lunch in one of the palace plazas, and expresses his happiness that public sentiments have calmed. And with a good harvest hopefully on the way, Seonjo says with a smile that he'll have "a peaceful reign." Everyone is smiling...except Ryu, who tells him that "You can't expect a peaceful reign without strong border areas" and that he should take advantage of the warmer weather to resume fortress construction. "This isn't the time," Seonjo answers; says We can consider it in the fall after what hopefully will be a good harvest. He gently admonishes Ryu: "Excessive concern isn't good." Then, as we see scenes from around the countryside, narration tells us that Joseon had not seen war for two centuries and that, consequently, defenses were neglected; the signs of danger were disregarded, and people "were comfortable with daily life."
Japan: Well, there it is. A massive military force, all ready to set off. Hideyoshi arrives, on horseback and in full military armor. Addresses them all, telling them that he made the decision "to conquer vaster and richer lands" to alleviate the suffering and financial hardship caused by the civil war. It's a lie, of course, but it sets off wild cheers. "Everything we conquer there will become yours. Let's go to Ming! Let's go to Joseon!" The soldiers are in high spirits.
Tsushima: Konishi's forces have already arrived in Tsushima, as planned. So Yoshitoshi is going to head to Joseon now and will secretly try to stop the war one last time.
Left Gyeongsang naval headquarters: So promptly arrives in Joseon and goes to Park Hong, commander of the Left Gyeongsang naval forces. Warns him that an army of 300,000 has been assembled and is ready to attack Joseon. Park doesn't believe him, and adds that "There was a royal order that there wouldn't be a war." So is frantic. "Would I cross the ocean to lie?" He asks that a message be sent to the capital, urging Joseon to open up a path so that Japan can go "pay tribute" to Ming. But Park only scolds him for being threatening and not asking politely. He does at least send a report to the court.
The report arrives, and a state council meeting is hastily called. As usual, Ryu and his side urge that the report be taken seriously, while Lee Sanhae and his side accuse So Yoshitoshi of being arrogant and a spy. Teach him a lesson, Lee urges...and the king agrees, ordering So's immediate arrest!
But that won't happen, because a disgusted So leaves for home.
Ryu writes to Yi Sunsin, encouraging him to be ready. Says he hopes there won't be trouble but is very worried.
"What can we do? If they don't believe us, then we'll have to show them." Konishi gets the bad news from So, and now he's angry. His frustration has finally boiled over and now he's ready to roll.
Now it's Ryu who's having nightmares
Here comes Konishi's fleet...
...while back in Japan, Hideyoshi steps on a map of Joseon. "It's under my feet!", he shouts, with an evil laugh.
