Post by ajk on Aug 12, 2015 23:11:06 GMT -5
Yi Sunsin gets a visit from some of the refugees he helped. They're so grateful that they've made a special trip here to give him some of the first food prepared with the new harvest. He has to leave for battle now but is touched by the gesture and says he'll eat some when he returns.
Busan: Frustration among the Japanese leadership because Joseon attacks are continuing to harass them, by both land and sea. Particularly Yi Sunsin, he's really getting on their nerves. But they said they would wait for the envoys to return before doing anything more, so for now they just have to defend themselves. However, Kato gets the lucky assignment to try to do something about Yi.
Well guess what, Yi is trying to get on their nerves some more. But the enemy won't come out to sea to engage him, and he doesn't want to send the militia into a land-only engagement because of that big advantage the enemy has with the muskets (and also because of a geographical disadvantage). Yi figures they should just go home for now...but the militia on his ships, they want to see action...
Nighttime: ...and apparently they got their way. The militia landed and is headed towards Kato's camp. A scout brings advance word. Kato is absolutely giddy at the prospect of possibly killing Yi himself. (Which won't happen, of course; he's not going to join a land attack). We see the militia close in on the camp and fire flaming arrows--with no response. Kato ordered silence, to lure them closer, into musket range...and they totally fall for it. It's a massacre, let's just leave it at that.
Still visiting Gwon Yul, Yun Dusu gets word of the defeat. He actually blames Yi Sunsin for it, for not either landing his vessels or going to the edge of the coastline and firing cannons (both idiotic ideas, especially since the enemy stayed in their fortress). But he also wonders if maybe he's wrong and Joseon truly cannot defeat the enemy right now on its own.
Narration tells us that this one-sided battle caused the court to reconsider the idea of an independent attack, and that "Ryu Seongryong's opinion to wait received more weight."
"I almost got Yi Sunsin!" Back in Busan, Kato is laughing and full of bluster. Konishi delights in telling him that according to spies, YSS didn't even land. But whatever, Ukita knows that Joseon won't try any other attacks any time soon, not after this total defeat.
Ryu gets word of the defeat and goes to Seonjo, who feigns ignorance and anger and says Yun Dusu took the action on his own. Ryu suspects otherwise but doesn't push it. Right then and there Seonjo issues an order abolishing the mugunsa agency and ordering everyone home. He says he holds the crown prince responsible for the attack.
"He's just pretending not to know." Yeah, Ryu wasn't fooled at all. He tells Lee Deokhyeong exactly what's going on. What Seonjo ordered, it's what he planned all along, Ryu figures. And he's right, of course.
The order arrives in the south. Long faces all around. Gwanghae says he's had enough and will ask to be deposed.
Ming: Well it's about time! Finally So Yoshitoshi gets to see the idiot emperor. The surrender document that Konishi and Shen Weijing cooked up is read out loud, stating the baloney about Japan only wanting a path to Ming so they could pay tribute, asking for feudal-state status, and promising to return all of Joseon's land. The emperor cuts off the reading before it's finished. He looks at So. "Setting conditions when you are surrendering? Are you trying to deceive me with a false surrender?" He asks, If I don't allow you to pay tribute, will you go to war again? Wow! Not such an idiot after all, apparently...He gives So a major scolding for attacking a feudal state. Eventually he announces that he'll accept the surrender, but he won't allow tribute payments because of problems with enemy pirates who could masquerade as official ships and then cause trouble in Ming ports (apparently there's already a big pirate problem). Hideyoshi can be appointed king, he says...and as we see in flashback, he's thought through the entire issue already. Tells So to get those troops withdrawn as promised "and get along with Joseon."
Japan: Look at this, Hideyoshi has a new son! Named him Hiroimaru. He's thrilled, but the loss of his first son is still hard to forget. Understandably. But he wants to move forward and makes his new son the same promises he made his first son. Yodo uses the opportunity to lobby for the baby to be named his successor....but that discussion quickly stalls when word arrives that his nephew and current successor Hidetsugu is planning a rebellion! Planning it with regional lords who are against the Joseon war. Hideyoshi is furious, of course...Maeda says there isn't clear proof of it yet and it actually could be a conspiracy of some sort against Hidetsugu. But Hideyoshi is sure the news is accurate and sends Ishida to go gather proof. He figures the lords are the ones pushing this because "Hidetsugu doesn't have the courage" to lead any such thing, and he'll kill them for it.
Gwanghae and the rest of the mugunsa return to the capital. Gwanghae confesses to his father that he knew about the attack plan. But then with incredibly boldness he asks "Didn't you know about it too?" Everyone is shocked and Yun is horrified at the brash question. Seonjo is furious and tells Gwanghae to go home and wait for his order. Yikes.
"This is the chance you waited for." Consort Kim tells Seonjo to depose Gwanghae now. "You have the justification." But won't Ming have a huge problem with that?
Gwanghae tells Yu Join he'll be only too happy to be deposed. No, Yu insists, you must take the throne. And he even asks for revenge against his political enemies. Sheesh.
Seonjo and Ryu are playing baduk. It's just an excuse to talk, of course..."I want to hold the crown prince responsible. What should I do?" Ryu looks at him. "You are a truly scary person." You already know what you're going to do; why ask me? Ryu figures he's going to depose Gwanghae and gently, very gently, tells him that the credit for anything Gwanghae or anyone else achieves goes to him. "Don't look at just one stone," he says, making a baduk analogy; "focus on the entire board and don't abandon stones that help you." Seonjo likes the advice for baduk but says "People aren't stones. A stone stays in place, but people want to break away." Then he orders the crown prince's official seal be brought to him. He smiles and tells Ryu he's not going to depose Gwanghae after all.
Gwanghae dutifully gives his official seal to Seonjo's head eunuch.
Seonjo looks at the returned seal and smiles. But the smile immediately vanishes with news that many officials are threatening to resign if Gwanghae is deposed.
We see the group kneeing and protesting outside Seonjo's palace. Yu Join is leading it; hardly seems like an influential group...but many of them are from offices that write and process royal orders, which might make it difficult for government to function. It sends Seonjo into a fit of anger. His eunuch goes outside and tells them all to leave or Seonjo will fire them. At that they promptly all step forward and hand the eunuch resignation letters! And they do leave.
So Seonjo summons Ryu and vents at him. "I didn't give an order to depose the crown prince! Why are they doing this!?" You took his seal, Ryu answers; deposing him is the next step that everybody assumes. News of more officials resigning; now it's spread to the censorate and inspector general offices. Seonjo tells Ryu to tell the officials to return to work and he'll "consider" returning the seal.
Ryu goes to Yu Join, who says the officials won't return to work even if Seonjo returns the seal. They simply don't trust him any more. You and the king are dividing the court with your policies, he says, and the court has become rotten. And he'll discuss it no more.
Ryu tells Seonjo he thinks they have another demand in mind but he doesn't know what it is yet. Then Gwanghae barges in on them (rude!) and offers to convince everyone to return to work. Ryu says that sounds like a good idea, and Seonjo okays it. But Gwanghae has a condition. "Send an envoy to Ming and have them appoint me as crown prince." Wow.
Busan: Frustration among the Japanese leadership because Joseon attacks are continuing to harass them, by both land and sea. Particularly Yi Sunsin, he's really getting on their nerves. But they said they would wait for the envoys to return before doing anything more, so for now they just have to defend themselves. However, Kato gets the lucky assignment to try to do something about Yi.
Well guess what, Yi is trying to get on their nerves some more. But the enemy won't come out to sea to engage him, and he doesn't want to send the militia into a land-only engagement because of that big advantage the enemy has with the muskets (and also because of a geographical disadvantage). Yi figures they should just go home for now...but the militia on his ships, they want to see action...
Nighttime: ...and apparently they got their way. The militia landed and is headed towards Kato's camp. A scout brings advance word. Kato is absolutely giddy at the prospect of possibly killing Yi himself. (Which won't happen, of course; he's not going to join a land attack). We see the militia close in on the camp and fire flaming arrows--with no response. Kato ordered silence, to lure them closer, into musket range...and they totally fall for it. It's a massacre, let's just leave it at that.
Still visiting Gwon Yul, Yun Dusu gets word of the defeat. He actually blames Yi Sunsin for it, for not either landing his vessels or going to the edge of the coastline and firing cannons (both idiotic ideas, especially since the enemy stayed in their fortress). But he also wonders if maybe he's wrong and Joseon truly cannot defeat the enemy right now on its own.
Narration tells us that this one-sided battle caused the court to reconsider the idea of an independent attack, and that "Ryu Seongryong's opinion to wait received more weight."
"I almost got Yi Sunsin!" Back in Busan, Kato is laughing and full of bluster. Konishi delights in telling him that according to spies, YSS didn't even land. But whatever, Ukita knows that Joseon won't try any other attacks any time soon, not after this total defeat.
Ryu gets word of the defeat and goes to Seonjo, who feigns ignorance and anger and says Yun Dusu took the action on his own. Ryu suspects otherwise but doesn't push it. Right then and there Seonjo issues an order abolishing the mugunsa agency and ordering everyone home. He says he holds the crown prince responsible for the attack.
"He's just pretending not to know." Yeah, Ryu wasn't fooled at all. He tells Lee Deokhyeong exactly what's going on. What Seonjo ordered, it's what he planned all along, Ryu figures. And he's right, of course.
The order arrives in the south. Long faces all around. Gwanghae says he's had enough and will ask to be deposed.
Ming: Well it's about time! Finally So Yoshitoshi gets to see the idiot emperor. The surrender document that Konishi and Shen Weijing cooked up is read out loud, stating the baloney about Japan only wanting a path to Ming so they could pay tribute, asking for feudal-state status, and promising to return all of Joseon's land. The emperor cuts off the reading before it's finished. He looks at So. "Setting conditions when you are surrendering? Are you trying to deceive me with a false surrender?" He asks, If I don't allow you to pay tribute, will you go to war again? Wow! Not such an idiot after all, apparently...He gives So a major scolding for attacking a feudal state. Eventually he announces that he'll accept the surrender, but he won't allow tribute payments because of problems with enemy pirates who could masquerade as official ships and then cause trouble in Ming ports (apparently there's already a big pirate problem). Hideyoshi can be appointed king, he says...and as we see in flashback, he's thought through the entire issue already. Tells So to get those troops withdrawn as promised "and get along with Joseon."
Japan: Look at this, Hideyoshi has a new son! Named him Hiroimaru. He's thrilled, but the loss of his first son is still hard to forget. Understandably. But he wants to move forward and makes his new son the same promises he made his first son. Yodo uses the opportunity to lobby for the baby to be named his successor....but that discussion quickly stalls when word arrives that his nephew and current successor Hidetsugu is planning a rebellion! Planning it with regional lords who are against the Joseon war. Hideyoshi is furious, of course...Maeda says there isn't clear proof of it yet and it actually could be a conspiracy of some sort against Hidetsugu. But Hideyoshi is sure the news is accurate and sends Ishida to go gather proof. He figures the lords are the ones pushing this because "Hidetsugu doesn't have the courage" to lead any such thing, and he'll kill them for it.
Gwanghae and the rest of the mugunsa return to the capital. Gwanghae confesses to his father that he knew about the attack plan. But then with incredibly boldness he asks "Didn't you know about it too?" Everyone is shocked and Yun is horrified at the brash question. Seonjo is furious and tells Gwanghae to go home and wait for his order. Yikes.
"This is the chance you waited for." Consort Kim tells Seonjo to depose Gwanghae now. "You have the justification." But won't Ming have a huge problem with that?
Gwanghae tells Yu Join he'll be only too happy to be deposed. No, Yu insists, you must take the throne. And he even asks for revenge against his political enemies. Sheesh.
Seonjo and Ryu are playing baduk. It's just an excuse to talk, of course..."I want to hold the crown prince responsible. What should I do?" Ryu looks at him. "You are a truly scary person." You already know what you're going to do; why ask me? Ryu figures he's going to depose Gwanghae and gently, very gently, tells him that the credit for anything Gwanghae or anyone else achieves goes to him. "Don't look at just one stone," he says, making a baduk analogy; "focus on the entire board and don't abandon stones that help you." Seonjo likes the advice for baduk but says "People aren't stones. A stone stays in place, but people want to break away." Then he orders the crown prince's official seal be brought to him. He smiles and tells Ryu he's not going to depose Gwanghae after all.
Gwanghae dutifully gives his official seal to Seonjo's head eunuch.
Seonjo looks at the returned seal and smiles. But the smile immediately vanishes with news that many officials are threatening to resign if Gwanghae is deposed.
We see the group kneeing and protesting outside Seonjo's palace. Yu Join is leading it; hardly seems like an influential group...but many of them are from offices that write and process royal orders, which might make it difficult for government to function. It sends Seonjo into a fit of anger. His eunuch goes outside and tells them all to leave or Seonjo will fire them. At that they promptly all step forward and hand the eunuch resignation letters! And they do leave.
So Seonjo summons Ryu and vents at him. "I didn't give an order to depose the crown prince! Why are they doing this!?" You took his seal, Ryu answers; deposing him is the next step that everybody assumes. News of more officials resigning; now it's spread to the censorate and inspector general offices. Seonjo tells Ryu to tell the officials to return to work and he'll "consider" returning the seal.
Ryu goes to Yu Join, who says the officials won't return to work even if Seonjo returns the seal. They simply don't trust him any more. You and the king are dividing the court with your policies, he says, and the court has become rotten. And he'll discuss it no more.
Ryu tells Seonjo he thinks they have another demand in mind but he doesn't know what it is yet. Then Gwanghae barges in on them (rude!) and offers to convince everyone to return to work. Ryu says that sounds like a good idea, and Seonjo okays it. But Gwanghae has a condition. "Send an envoy to Ming and have them appoint me as crown prince." Wow.