Post by ajk on May 17, 2015 12:37:46 GMT -5
The refuge procession heads northward to Pyongyang. As they walk together at the back of the procession, Lee and Ryu discuss their doubts about Seonjo's ability to lead the country through this crisis. The people need you more than they need Seonjo, Lee tells Ryu, and he urges Ryu not to despair. Lee feels his own time has passed.
But for now, Ryu is no longer a high official, and the next day we see him wearing a commoner's white robe. The sight surprises Seonjo, who isn't sure what to make of it.
Shin Yeongcheol and Cheonri are trying to get that message through to Lee Gwang. But there's a checkpoint in their way, crawling with Japanese soldiers. They decide not to go around it. Cheonri mounts his horse and makes a mad dash straight at the checkpoint and leads the soldiers away on a chase that they're not prepared for and will lose. Shin quickly makes his way through the now-vacated checkpoint.
Japanese army headquarters: Ukita has arrived and is relaying Hideyoshi's orders. More bitching and whining from Kato about who reached the capital first. And now bickering about whose army will occupy which part of the country, and who might get the chance to go after the king.
Shin made it home safely (or wherever they're calling home at the moment). And here comes Cheonri, apparently safe too. But wait, he passes clean out on his horse. He's been seriously wounded.
Next day: The procession continues and by now they're all looking very tired and some are even limping or laboring as they walk. Everyone stops to rest at a government building along the route. Yun Dusu receives the report of Sayaka's surrender. Immediately a council meeting is called. Except for the crown prince, everyone agrees that the surrendering soldiers can't be trusted and need to be executed immediately. The king instructs that an execution order be delivered...but just then a protest from outside; Ryu is there, been listening in. The door is opened and Ryu tells the king that it would be a mistake to execute Sayaka because he can teach Joseon all about those muskets that have been the difference-makers in the war. It's a great point...and as far as trusting them, now the crown prince has an idea: he suggests putting them out front when fighting the Japanese to make them show their sincerity. Well why didn't any of the geniuses in there think of either of those things? Even Yun Dusu admits that those are good ideas...so Seonjo reluctantly says okay, do them.
Left Jeolla naval headquarters: Battle plans are being drawn up. Then some target practice for the new naval cannon design. Very impressive and a huge boost to everyone's morale. Then some sobering news from the commander of the neighboring district: their ships will not be leaving their designated defense area to fight anywhere else. But Yi wants to fight wherever a fight needs fighting...and is ready to do just that.
Japanese army headquarters: Some time has passed and obviously YSS has been busy because word has arrived that supply ships from Japan have been sunk and supply lines disrupted. They're surprised to hear that Joseon has any sort of navy left, and they know nothing about this Yi Sunsin person...but they know they're short enough on supplies that they'll have to stop the food distribution to the citizens. And now more trouble: Konishi has news of a 40,000-man army in Jeolla that's headed north (Lee Gwang's; apparently the message got through and the order was obeyed). And it's growing--they're picking up soldiers along the way; they could grow to 60,000 by the time they near the capital. And there are also those 10,000 Joseon soldiers scattered in the north. Kato says they need to attack in both directions to defeat both forces before they get hemmed in. Of course, Kato is angling privately to get to the king and makes secret reconnaissance plans.
The refuge party looks to have settled into Pyongyang. Still no movement north from the enemy forces in the capital. The king and some high officials review the numbers of troops and rations. Some better news there than we've heard in a long time. They think they can fight and stop the enemy here.
Now a full council meeting. Seonjo admits his mistakes and says this will be the last line of defense. "I will bury my bones here." His newfound confidence is contagious and you can feel the morale going up in the room. He orders an amnesty for petty offenses and a crop tax suspension. "We have to comfort the people." Then tells them to erase his posthumous title because of his mistakes. "I will not return to the capital until I defeat the enemy and get revenge for our people."
Looks like Lee Sanhae is preparing to leave to go into exile. Lee Deokhyeong tells him he'll be needed again, that experienced people will be needed post-war for restoration efforts. But Lee says the problems will be exceedingly difficult and that there will be competing interests and priorities, and it's time for a new generation to step up and handle the restoration. And do it without excessively playing politics. Then Lee apologizes for taking Ryu's side of things sometimes, but Lee says That's why I respected you and wanted you as a son-in-law. Very emotional for both of them.
Seonjo is trying to assign commanders. He shouldn't be doing that. Kim Myeongwon is going to lead the defense to Pyongyang's south, by the Imjin River. But he was in charge of the army that supposedly fled when the Japanese reached the capital...or did they simply retreat in the face of an impossible fight? Seonjo is sure it's the former and orders that command of the operation be given to Han Eungin, who's younger and less experienced. The officials don't like it; they think it's going to create problems...
...and yeah, we meet Kim at his headquarters and he doesn't like it at all. Kim is especially angry at a deputy commander named Shin Gak, who he blames for his problems...
...and now we see Shin Gak in his camp with his troops. Shin says that Kim is "a cowardly general" and that he won't obey Kim's orders. Oh dear. They trade snotty messages...who's really at fault here? It's confusing.
And now Han Eungin shows up at Kim's camp, dressed in battle gear and full of bluster and attitude. Kim looks like he's getting a nasty headache.
Shin's camp gets word of a Japanese patrol in the area. An ambush is set up...and executed flawlessly! Around 60 Japanese, many with muskets, but they never had a chance to use them. Well done Shin Gak, a very impressive little piece of fighting. Shin orders the enemy heads cut off and sent to Seonjo.
But while Shin has been busy fighting the enemy, Kim has written the king a report ripping Shin for insubordination and urging punishment. Seonjo receives it and we see him reading it. He's cautioned that other reports about Shin are totally contradictory...but Seonjo doesn't listen. "I will cut off Shin Gak's head and use him as an example so nobody ever disobeys an order again." Which is a sore spot of Seonjo's, as we've seen. He orders an officer sent to execute Shin immediately.
Well, word of that gets to Ryu and Ryu doesn't like it. Ryu knows of Shin as a loyal and competent general and says that if Shin disobeyed an order, there must have been a good reason. And to order an execution without even a cursory investigation? And talk about timing, just then news of Shin's victory arrives, along with a wagon full of heads. Seonjo comes outside and sees the wagon, and panics. Orders another officer sent south at top speed...
...but it's too late. Despite a near-revolt by his troops, Shin accepts his fate and is executed. Good heavens.
Japan: Hideyoshi and Maeda are playing baduk (go). Hideyoshi wants to take back a move and Maeda won't let him, so Hideyoshi has a tantrum and scatters the game pieces. But now some actual, real bad news: word arrives of the naval defeats. He orders Ishida to "go to Joseon right away and bring me Yi Sunsin's head." He knows how important the supply lines are.
Seonjo knows he screwed up bad. Yun Dusu tells him not to dwell on it, and Seonjo's trying not to...but it's not easy.
Now Seonjo goes outside and he and some other royals and officials start passing out bowls of food to refugees. "I'm sorry," he tells them. "I won't let you suffer again." Promises them a victory at the Imjin River and says they'll all return home soon. Shin Gak's death seems to have given him some resolve and determination to put an end to the crisis. But then, quietly: "Your majesty, you can't give the people false hope." It's Ryu, telling him he shouldn't be promising a victory like that. Seonjo glares angrily. "Are you trying to lecture me again?"
But for now, Ryu is no longer a high official, and the next day we see him wearing a commoner's white robe. The sight surprises Seonjo, who isn't sure what to make of it.
Shin Yeongcheol and Cheonri are trying to get that message through to Lee Gwang. But there's a checkpoint in their way, crawling with Japanese soldiers. They decide not to go around it. Cheonri mounts his horse and makes a mad dash straight at the checkpoint and leads the soldiers away on a chase that they're not prepared for and will lose. Shin quickly makes his way through the now-vacated checkpoint.
Japanese army headquarters: Ukita has arrived and is relaying Hideyoshi's orders. More bitching and whining from Kato about who reached the capital first. And now bickering about whose army will occupy which part of the country, and who might get the chance to go after the king.
Shin made it home safely (or wherever they're calling home at the moment). And here comes Cheonri, apparently safe too. But wait, he passes clean out on his horse. He's been seriously wounded.
Next day: The procession continues and by now they're all looking very tired and some are even limping or laboring as they walk. Everyone stops to rest at a government building along the route. Yun Dusu receives the report of Sayaka's surrender. Immediately a council meeting is called. Except for the crown prince, everyone agrees that the surrendering soldiers can't be trusted and need to be executed immediately. The king instructs that an execution order be delivered...but just then a protest from outside; Ryu is there, been listening in. The door is opened and Ryu tells the king that it would be a mistake to execute Sayaka because he can teach Joseon all about those muskets that have been the difference-makers in the war. It's a great point...and as far as trusting them, now the crown prince has an idea: he suggests putting them out front when fighting the Japanese to make them show their sincerity. Well why didn't any of the geniuses in there think of either of those things? Even Yun Dusu admits that those are good ideas...so Seonjo reluctantly says okay, do them.
Left Jeolla naval headquarters: Battle plans are being drawn up. Then some target practice for the new naval cannon design. Very impressive and a huge boost to everyone's morale. Then some sobering news from the commander of the neighboring district: their ships will not be leaving their designated defense area to fight anywhere else. But Yi wants to fight wherever a fight needs fighting...and is ready to do just that.
Japanese army headquarters: Some time has passed and obviously YSS has been busy because word has arrived that supply ships from Japan have been sunk and supply lines disrupted. They're surprised to hear that Joseon has any sort of navy left, and they know nothing about this Yi Sunsin person...but they know they're short enough on supplies that they'll have to stop the food distribution to the citizens. And now more trouble: Konishi has news of a 40,000-man army in Jeolla that's headed north (Lee Gwang's; apparently the message got through and the order was obeyed). And it's growing--they're picking up soldiers along the way; they could grow to 60,000 by the time they near the capital. And there are also those 10,000 Joseon soldiers scattered in the north. Kato says they need to attack in both directions to defeat both forces before they get hemmed in. Of course, Kato is angling privately to get to the king and makes secret reconnaissance plans.
The refuge party looks to have settled into Pyongyang. Still no movement north from the enemy forces in the capital. The king and some high officials review the numbers of troops and rations. Some better news there than we've heard in a long time. They think they can fight and stop the enemy here.
Now a full council meeting. Seonjo admits his mistakes and says this will be the last line of defense. "I will bury my bones here." His newfound confidence is contagious and you can feel the morale going up in the room. He orders an amnesty for petty offenses and a crop tax suspension. "We have to comfort the people." Then tells them to erase his posthumous title because of his mistakes. "I will not return to the capital until I defeat the enemy and get revenge for our people."
Looks like Lee Sanhae is preparing to leave to go into exile. Lee Deokhyeong tells him he'll be needed again, that experienced people will be needed post-war for restoration efforts. But Lee says the problems will be exceedingly difficult and that there will be competing interests and priorities, and it's time for a new generation to step up and handle the restoration. And do it without excessively playing politics. Then Lee apologizes for taking Ryu's side of things sometimes, but Lee says That's why I respected you and wanted you as a son-in-law. Very emotional for both of them.
Seonjo is trying to assign commanders. He shouldn't be doing that. Kim Myeongwon is going to lead the defense to Pyongyang's south, by the Imjin River. But he was in charge of the army that supposedly fled when the Japanese reached the capital...or did they simply retreat in the face of an impossible fight? Seonjo is sure it's the former and orders that command of the operation be given to Han Eungin, who's younger and less experienced. The officials don't like it; they think it's going to create problems...
...and yeah, we meet Kim at his headquarters and he doesn't like it at all. Kim is especially angry at a deputy commander named Shin Gak, who he blames for his problems...
...and now we see Shin Gak in his camp with his troops. Shin says that Kim is "a cowardly general" and that he won't obey Kim's orders. Oh dear. They trade snotty messages...who's really at fault here? It's confusing.
And now Han Eungin shows up at Kim's camp, dressed in battle gear and full of bluster and attitude. Kim looks like he's getting a nasty headache.
Shin's camp gets word of a Japanese patrol in the area. An ambush is set up...and executed flawlessly! Around 60 Japanese, many with muskets, but they never had a chance to use them. Well done Shin Gak, a very impressive little piece of fighting. Shin orders the enemy heads cut off and sent to Seonjo.
But while Shin has been busy fighting the enemy, Kim has written the king a report ripping Shin for insubordination and urging punishment. Seonjo receives it and we see him reading it. He's cautioned that other reports about Shin are totally contradictory...but Seonjo doesn't listen. "I will cut off Shin Gak's head and use him as an example so nobody ever disobeys an order again." Which is a sore spot of Seonjo's, as we've seen. He orders an officer sent to execute Shin immediately.
Well, word of that gets to Ryu and Ryu doesn't like it. Ryu knows of Shin as a loyal and competent general and says that if Shin disobeyed an order, there must have been a good reason. And to order an execution without even a cursory investigation? And talk about timing, just then news of Shin's victory arrives, along with a wagon full of heads. Seonjo comes outside and sees the wagon, and panics. Orders another officer sent south at top speed...
...but it's too late. Despite a near-revolt by his troops, Shin accepts his fate and is executed. Good heavens.
Japan: Hideyoshi and Maeda are playing baduk (go). Hideyoshi wants to take back a move and Maeda won't let him, so Hideyoshi has a tantrum and scatters the game pieces. But now some actual, real bad news: word arrives of the naval defeats. He orders Ishida to "go to Joseon right away and bring me Yi Sunsin's head." He knows how important the supply lines are.
Seonjo knows he screwed up bad. Yun Dusu tells him not to dwell on it, and Seonjo's trying not to...but it's not easy.
Now Seonjo goes outside and he and some other royals and officials start passing out bowls of food to refugees. "I'm sorry," he tells them. "I won't let you suffer again." Promises them a victory at the Imjin River and says they'll all return home soon. Shin Gak's death seems to have given him some resolve and determination to put an end to the crisis. But then, quietly: "Your majesty, you can't give the people false hope." It's Ryu, telling him he shouldn't be promising a victory like that. Seonjo glares angrily. "Are you trying to lecture me again?"