Post by ajk on Jun 7, 2015 20:46:48 GMT -5
Lee Jangson says the time bombs can be mass-produced in about two months. A bit of narration about them as we see a soldier atop a fortress throw a small version of one, and then we see big one loaded into a cannon.
It's been a month now and Zu Chengxun still hasn't headed for Pyongyang. Says he's given the enemy a chance to evacuate and flee. But finally now he says it's time. "Shall we go and collect their heads?" Yeah it is.
Pyongyang: Konishi gets word that 5,000 Ming soldiers are headed his way. And he's heard about their powerful weapons. And his army is still reeling from that dysentery epidemic. Konishi thinks. Figures they'll be eager to achieve merit...so..."We'll have to provoke their ambition. The empty fortress strategy." The what?
As Zu's army heads south, a scout brings them news that the enemy army has evacuated! Zu laughs. "We should have come sooner!" But wait, here comes Ryu on horseback; he's just heard the same news and thinks it may be a setup, and urges caution. Zu doesn't want to wait but he agrees to have some residents brought here to them to get confirmation. So two Pyongyang residents are brought here and confirm that they saw the Wae army leave that morning in a big hurry. Even left their food! Hmm...leaving their food, that sounds suspicious. Ryu doesn't like it and says they should send a patrol unit ahead of the main army. But Zu doesn't want to hear it. "You don't want me to achieve merit first?"
Zu and his generals and soldiers enter the city gates to loud cheers from residents and zero resistance. Zu is a little disappointed--"I needed some heads to save face." Well, heads are about to roll, but not the heads he wants. Ryu was right. We see musket barrels starting to emerge from hiding places, and suddenly the cheering residents are running away. And now the Chinese are sitting ducks. And those "residents" come running back, bearing swords and spears! They weren't residents, were they.
Zu and a few dozen cavalrymen survived...and that's all. Otherwise a complete annihilation. And those two residents who said the enemy had left? They were "sunwae" (a term for citizens who surrendered to the Japanese) who lied.
Narration tells us that it was only a day on horseback from Pyongyang to Uiju where the king was. And now there was no Ming army to pose a threat. But for reasons that remain unknown to this day, Konishi didn't head north. His inaction gave Joseon "the time and chance to turn the tables."
Uiju: Seonjo is crying to Consort Kim about how his life about to end.
The crown prince shocks Jeong Tae by saying he wishes his father would go to Yodong! "It's not that I have other intentions," he says; he just wants his father to be calmer and free of worry, and wants freedom to conduct his own affairs without oversight. But it's not wise to be talking like that and Jeong advises him so.
South coastline: A whole bunch of Japanese are staggering around, looking thoroughly beaten. Wow, some significant injuries. Hey, it's Wakizaka! They were at Angolpo and guess what ,Yu Sunsin's navy whupped 'em again. Another 20-plus vessels wrecked. And together with Hansando, they've suffered a whopping 9,000 casualties. An incredible number. Wakizaka swears revenge.
Left Jeolla naval headquarters: That night everyone else is ecstatic...but Yi is worried that their camp will be the focus of a land attack now and they're not adequately prepared for one. But there are some horse ranches in the area--horses owned by the king himself. So Yi says he'll ask the king to release the horses to be trained for defense. And now a most unpleasant matter: several soldiers who were caught stealing military rations have to be dealt with. None of them stole very much and supposedly it was for their families. One of them, it's his second time doing it, and Yi's officers recommend a flogging to send a message to the others. But Yi is furious. "Without discipline, there is no victory." Says the stealers are "like the enemy"...and orders them all executed! Everyone is shocked. The condemned are dragged away. Yi says, Tell their families they died in battle and give them the rice that was stolen.
Uiju: A letter arrives from Nurhaci, leader of the Jurchens. Offers to send reinforcements! Totally unexpected.
Jeongju: And another surprise: Joseon managed to ferret out and catch one of those two "sunwae" who lied about the Japanese army. Out of fear for his life the guy starts spilling everything about what's going on in Pyongyang...including the news there are 10,000 soldiers but "less than half of them can move" because of the epidemic. This is news to Ryu and everyone else in the government.
Seonjo learns that Ming is having more trouble than expected with that internal insurrection. Meaning, no more soldiers just yet. A desperate Seonjo says he'll accept the Jurchen offer. Yun is shocked: "How can you ask barbarians for help?" and "Their intentions are suspicious." Seonjo seems entirely too willing to trust them and says Why don't we ask for just "a couple of thousand" to protect me? Yun fires right back, "You'll have to kill me first." But now much better news arrives, about the epidemic. Seonjo is excited and says to notify Ming to hurry with more reinforcements because this is a great opportunity.
An awkward meeting between the once-allies Yun Dusu and Jeong Cheol. Yun is still angry with Jeong for supporting the king's refuge requests. But Jeong is already doing post-war plotting, saying Seonjo has lost popular support and "the crown prince will need to rule the country." We need to protect and support Gwanghae, he says, because the king will certainly replace him as crown prince with Prince Sinseong when the war is over. Yun looks at him...what's he thinking?
"I must be crazy. I tried to ask barbarians for help." Seonjo is coming to his senses and is ashamed of himself.
Ming: The idiot emperor is in fine form today. Says Zu's army lost because Joseon surrendered and that Joseon is in collusion with Japan. That again. Oh wait, he's simply reading from a report that Zu sent him. Shi Xing sets him straight: "Zu fell for a trap because he was full of ambition" and is just making excuses. And how about this, Shi says he had some of his own people watching Zu "in case something like this happened." What a smart guy! The phony report angers the emperor, understandably. But at least there's some good news, and it's very good: the internal insurrection has been suppressed. Which frees up a whopping big army...The emperor still grumbles about sending soldiers to save Joseon, and has to be reminded by Shi that Ming's interests are at stake here as well. Then he thinks about possibly demanding some territory as the price for their help, which horrifies Shi.
Hamgyong Province (northeast part of the country): Prince Imhae is awakened in the middle of the night by an angry mob that barges into his bedroom and hauls him away. Then we see him and his younger brother Prince Sunhwa bound and kneeling before Kato. Ugh. Kato wants Imhae to write a letter to his father urging surrender. Imhae refuses so Kato has his flunkie Koichi beat Imhae up while he waits outside. The mob's leader, an exiled Joseon citizen with some sort of grudge against the country, warns Kato that Imhae isn't trustworthy. Kato goes back inside and finds a bloodied Imhae shaking with fear and ready to write the letter.
Konishi gets word of Kato's lucky break and he's not happy. Just one more thing to frustrate him. But look who just showed up now: Ishida! Boy is Konishi glad to see him. Ishida is sympathetic to Konishi's predicament, and when he asks Konishi about possibly negotiating with Ming, Konishi nods and says he'll offer to stop the war in exchange for the Joseon territory already occupied. Hideyoshi won't like that and Konishi knows it, but says they'll have to find a way to sell him on it because "It's the only way for me and my soldiers to survive."
Japan: We see Hideyoshi grieving at a small shrine displaying his mother's ancestral tablet. He's not taking it well; all of the other pressures and disappointments are adding extra burdens. Now he again insists he's going to Joseon, and will take his son's and mother's ashes with him. But Yodo shocks him by telling him he can't go because she's carrying his son! Doink! How does she know it's a boy? She says Hideyoshi's mother appeared to her in a dream and told her so. Says she's frightened of losing the baby like she lost Tsurumatsu. And now Hideyoshi is a mess, screaming and wailing because his mother left him before she should see the new baby. Later, though, he calms down and says he shouldn't go. What to do about Yi Sunsin, though...Maeda advises him that "If the enemy is strong, avoid him" and to attack the naval forces from the land side. Which is exactly what Yi is worried about.
Gyeongju: Gwak Jaeu's militia has gotten word that a local official named Gong Hwigyeom is helping the enemy. Wants a promotion. So that night they find out where he is--we see him having a banquet with several Japanese generals--and in a daring raid they overwhelm the tight security around the building and kill Gong.
It's been a month now and Zu Chengxun still hasn't headed for Pyongyang. Says he's given the enemy a chance to evacuate and flee. But finally now he says it's time. "Shall we go and collect their heads?" Yeah it is.
Pyongyang: Konishi gets word that 5,000 Ming soldiers are headed his way. And he's heard about their powerful weapons. And his army is still reeling from that dysentery epidemic. Konishi thinks. Figures they'll be eager to achieve merit...so..."We'll have to provoke their ambition. The empty fortress strategy." The what?
As Zu's army heads south, a scout brings them news that the enemy army has evacuated! Zu laughs. "We should have come sooner!" But wait, here comes Ryu on horseback; he's just heard the same news and thinks it may be a setup, and urges caution. Zu doesn't want to wait but he agrees to have some residents brought here to them to get confirmation. So two Pyongyang residents are brought here and confirm that they saw the Wae army leave that morning in a big hurry. Even left their food! Hmm...leaving their food, that sounds suspicious. Ryu doesn't like it and says they should send a patrol unit ahead of the main army. But Zu doesn't want to hear it. "You don't want me to achieve merit first?"
Zu and his generals and soldiers enter the city gates to loud cheers from residents and zero resistance. Zu is a little disappointed--"I needed some heads to save face." Well, heads are about to roll, but not the heads he wants. Ryu was right. We see musket barrels starting to emerge from hiding places, and suddenly the cheering residents are running away. And now the Chinese are sitting ducks. And those "residents" come running back, bearing swords and spears! They weren't residents, were they.
Zu and a few dozen cavalrymen survived...and that's all. Otherwise a complete annihilation. And those two residents who said the enemy had left? They were "sunwae" (a term for citizens who surrendered to the Japanese) who lied.
Narration tells us that it was only a day on horseback from Pyongyang to Uiju where the king was. And now there was no Ming army to pose a threat. But for reasons that remain unknown to this day, Konishi didn't head north. His inaction gave Joseon "the time and chance to turn the tables."
Uiju: Seonjo is crying to Consort Kim about how his life about to end.
The crown prince shocks Jeong Tae by saying he wishes his father would go to Yodong! "It's not that I have other intentions," he says; he just wants his father to be calmer and free of worry, and wants freedom to conduct his own affairs without oversight. But it's not wise to be talking like that and Jeong advises him so.
South coastline: A whole bunch of Japanese are staggering around, looking thoroughly beaten. Wow, some significant injuries. Hey, it's Wakizaka! They were at Angolpo and guess what ,Yu Sunsin's navy whupped 'em again. Another 20-plus vessels wrecked. And together with Hansando, they've suffered a whopping 9,000 casualties. An incredible number. Wakizaka swears revenge.
Left Jeolla naval headquarters: That night everyone else is ecstatic...but Yi is worried that their camp will be the focus of a land attack now and they're not adequately prepared for one. But there are some horse ranches in the area--horses owned by the king himself. So Yi says he'll ask the king to release the horses to be trained for defense. And now a most unpleasant matter: several soldiers who were caught stealing military rations have to be dealt with. None of them stole very much and supposedly it was for their families. One of them, it's his second time doing it, and Yi's officers recommend a flogging to send a message to the others. But Yi is furious. "Without discipline, there is no victory." Says the stealers are "like the enemy"...and orders them all executed! Everyone is shocked. The condemned are dragged away. Yi says, Tell their families they died in battle and give them the rice that was stolen.
Uiju: A letter arrives from Nurhaci, leader of the Jurchens. Offers to send reinforcements! Totally unexpected.
Jeongju: And another surprise: Joseon managed to ferret out and catch one of those two "sunwae" who lied about the Japanese army. Out of fear for his life the guy starts spilling everything about what's going on in Pyongyang...including the news there are 10,000 soldiers but "less than half of them can move" because of the epidemic. This is news to Ryu and everyone else in the government.
Seonjo learns that Ming is having more trouble than expected with that internal insurrection. Meaning, no more soldiers just yet. A desperate Seonjo says he'll accept the Jurchen offer. Yun is shocked: "How can you ask barbarians for help?" and "Their intentions are suspicious." Seonjo seems entirely too willing to trust them and says Why don't we ask for just "a couple of thousand" to protect me? Yun fires right back, "You'll have to kill me first." But now much better news arrives, about the epidemic. Seonjo is excited and says to notify Ming to hurry with more reinforcements because this is a great opportunity.
An awkward meeting between the once-allies Yun Dusu and Jeong Cheol. Yun is still angry with Jeong for supporting the king's refuge requests. But Jeong is already doing post-war plotting, saying Seonjo has lost popular support and "the crown prince will need to rule the country." We need to protect and support Gwanghae, he says, because the king will certainly replace him as crown prince with Prince Sinseong when the war is over. Yun looks at him...what's he thinking?
"I must be crazy. I tried to ask barbarians for help." Seonjo is coming to his senses and is ashamed of himself.
Ming: The idiot emperor is in fine form today. Says Zu's army lost because Joseon surrendered and that Joseon is in collusion with Japan. That again. Oh wait, he's simply reading from a report that Zu sent him. Shi Xing sets him straight: "Zu fell for a trap because he was full of ambition" and is just making excuses. And how about this, Shi says he had some of his own people watching Zu "in case something like this happened." What a smart guy! The phony report angers the emperor, understandably. But at least there's some good news, and it's very good: the internal insurrection has been suppressed. Which frees up a whopping big army...The emperor still grumbles about sending soldiers to save Joseon, and has to be reminded by Shi that Ming's interests are at stake here as well. Then he thinks about possibly demanding some territory as the price for their help, which horrifies Shi.
Hamgyong Province (northeast part of the country): Prince Imhae is awakened in the middle of the night by an angry mob that barges into his bedroom and hauls him away. Then we see him and his younger brother Prince Sunhwa bound and kneeling before Kato. Ugh. Kato wants Imhae to write a letter to his father urging surrender. Imhae refuses so Kato has his flunkie Koichi beat Imhae up while he waits outside. The mob's leader, an exiled Joseon citizen with some sort of grudge against the country, warns Kato that Imhae isn't trustworthy. Kato goes back inside and finds a bloodied Imhae shaking with fear and ready to write the letter.
Konishi gets word of Kato's lucky break and he's not happy. Just one more thing to frustrate him. But look who just showed up now: Ishida! Boy is Konishi glad to see him. Ishida is sympathetic to Konishi's predicament, and when he asks Konishi about possibly negotiating with Ming, Konishi nods and says he'll offer to stop the war in exchange for the Joseon territory already occupied. Hideyoshi won't like that and Konishi knows it, but says they'll have to find a way to sell him on it because "It's the only way for me and my soldiers to survive."
Japan: We see Hideyoshi grieving at a small shrine displaying his mother's ancestral tablet. He's not taking it well; all of the other pressures and disappointments are adding extra burdens. Now he again insists he's going to Joseon, and will take his son's and mother's ashes with him. But Yodo shocks him by telling him he can't go because she's carrying his son! Doink! How does she know it's a boy? She says Hideyoshi's mother appeared to her in a dream and told her so. Says she's frightened of losing the baby like she lost Tsurumatsu. And now Hideyoshi is a mess, screaming and wailing because his mother left him before she should see the new baby. Later, though, he calms down and says he shouldn't go. What to do about Yi Sunsin, though...Maeda advises him that "If the enemy is strong, avoid him" and to attack the naval forces from the land side. Which is exactly what Yi is worried about.
Gyeongju: Gwak Jaeu's militia has gotten word that a local official named Gong Hwigyeom is helping the enemy. Wants a promotion. So that night they find out where he is--we see him having a banquet with several Japanese generals--and in a daring raid they overwhelm the tight security around the building and kill Gong.