Post by ajk on Aug 16, 2015 22:26:44 GMT -5
Wow, requiring military service from the upper classes? Ryu gives an impassioned defense and argues that it used to be that way and it needs to go back to that. But Seonjo knows how unhappy the upper classes are already, with the other changes that he's approved recently. Requiring military service too, the very idea of it brings pain and fear to his face. Lee Deokhyeong and Lee Hangbok also argue for it; Lee Hangbok says that not all of the wealthy will oppose it and makes the very good point that some of the militia leaders are noblemen. But Seonjo is scared. "I'm afraid the high class will attack the palace after the war is over."
"The chief state councilor must not care about his own life any more." Gwanghae gets word of it. Gwanghae is still unhappy with Ryu but agrees with him on this and says he'll try to help him.
Well he did try to help. Seonjo is reviewing a stack of appeals submitted by militia leaders who support the proposal. ("Sogugun" is the name of the proposal.) Gwanghae asked them to submit the proposals. He goes to his father and says the law is necessary and can be scaled back or abolished after the war ends. Seonjo says he'll consider it. Afterwards the prince is confronted by an angry Yu Join, angry because the prince is helping Ryu. Gwanghae doesn't like Yu's political attitude here; tells him "you should become a bit more flexible."
Lee Deokhyeong is having second thoughts, wondering if they leaned on Seonjo one too many times after everything else the king has approved. But now word arrives that the king approved it! Ryu hears about the militia appeals...
...and goes to thank the crown prince, who he figured out was responsible for them. As we see notices going up around the country and then see higher-class younger men reporting for military service, narration tells us that the high class and nobility gave up "their last vested rights" with the sogugun policy. Ryu's reform agenda "reached its peak" with this change, we're told.
Yoshitoshi finally returns to Busan and debriefs Konishi. He knows that what the emperor agreed to, it won't be enough to satisfy Hideyoshi. But now wait, here's a lucky break for him, he learns that Shen Weijing is on his way here as an envoy. He's confident that the two of them can figure something out.
Shen arrives that evening. They've got a problem and they know it. Ming envoys to Japan are headed south, to go to Japan and accept that phony surrender deal without being given any Joseon land. Konishi says he can scare the envoys into returning home...and then Shen can go in their place! But how to get a phony truce document written up and approved...that's the difficulty. Konishi says a Buddhist priest named Jotai handles all foreign documents for Hideyoshi; says he'll have to convince Jotai to go along. "We've been here for five years. We have to go back home."
Hmm, is this another rebellion? Someone named Lee Monghak is passing out food in Chungcheong Province and spreading messages of discontent. Going into villages and delivering anti-government speeches. Yeah it's another rebellion.
Ryu sighs. He learns that Lee Monghak is an army training officer. And apparently he's name-dropping, using the names of important militia leaders like Gwak Jaeu and Kim Deokryeong to deceive people into thinking he has credibility. And this is a larger rebellion than the first one we saw...around 10,000 this time. Ryu wants to stop it, obviously, but he's also worried about losing public sentiment if a force of common people that large is suppressed by force. But Seonjo, he has zero tolerance and orders Lee Il to go kill them all. He's furious that after all of the politically risky reforms he's approved to help the common people, this is how they're acting.
Ryu sends Yeongcheol and Cheonri to infiltrate the rebels. Wants them to scare away as many of the "little fish" as they can so they don't get killed. The two put on a good show in an army camp, a phony argument that spreads the word that those big names Lee Monghak is throwing around, those guys aren't going to join Monghak's army, they're going to capture it and kill everyone. Not only does it work like a charm, but some of the rebels decide the only way they can save their necks now is to kill Monghak themselves!
Kim Deokryeong is leading his men towards the rebel area when he discovers a group of them fleeing. At least some of them, he realizes, used to serve under him. Wow. They tell him that Monghak is dead, killed by his own men. Well this is a tough situation now. Kim is supposed to be rounding up and killing rebels, but no more Monghak means the rebellion is over, right? And these guys have left the rebellion anyway...and some were his own men once...Go home, he tells them; he' s not going to kill his former men. "Live in hiding until the good times come."
You'd think that it was the right thing to do...but word of it got to Lee Il and he has Kim arrested for withdrawing his troops and releasing rebels. Ugh. And then word gets to Seonjo, who's already just about paranoid about those militia groups. Then we see Kim and other rebels being tortured in the torture yard, as Seonjo sits there and supervises it all personally. Wow.
Gwanghae wants to intervene on Kim's behalf. But he's advised not to by a person we're meeting for the first time now. Someone named Lee Icheom, a low-ranking official brought by Yu Join. Yu recommends him highly; tells Gwanghae he'll do good work for him. Seems like a bright guy, politically very savvy.
Seonjo gets word from Ryu of the phony name-dropping and learns that those militia people weren't involved with Lee Monghak at all. He's still feeling very betrayed, though, and isn't exactly in a forgiving mood, particularly not for Kim Deokryeong. Ryu boldly accuses him of being scared! Scared of the militia. Yikes, a scary thing to say to the king. But he figured he had to say it, if only to get the king to face his fears.
Later we hear Seonjo muttering to himself that he's not scared. But he intends to kill the captured militia leaders to set an example. Hmm.
Well, well, all of those names that Lee Monghak was throwing around, it turns out that not only were militia leaders named, but so were Ryu and Lee Deokhyeong. Yu Join and Lee Icheom go to Yun Dusu's house and tell Yun personally. They give him a book of some sort that apparently proves it and could be used as evidence against them both. Phony evidence, but evidence. Obviously this could be great political revenge for him. But later, when he's alone, he throws the book into a fire.
"You too?" Seonjo is visited by Yun Dusu, late night hour notwithstanding. Ryu asks for Kim Deokryeong's release. "I know you are nervous," Yun says sympathetically, but you can't be so suspicious of all of the militia. The war is what needs your attention, Ryu says, not this stuff.
Ryu learns that he and Lee Deokhyeong were named. He figures he'd better go right to the king and clear the air immediately. But Yun shows up at his office and tells him he managed to convince the king to let the whole thing go. Wow. "But there wasn't anything I could do for Kim Deokryeong," he adds unhappily. Ryu is furious that Kim can't be saved and wants to go straight to Seonjo about it...but Yun literally grabs him by the arm and stops him. "I have ill feelings towards you," Yun says, "but the war isn't over yet. I won't see this country fall on its own with another internal incident!"
"The chief state councilor must not care about his own life any more." Gwanghae gets word of it. Gwanghae is still unhappy with Ryu but agrees with him on this and says he'll try to help him.
Well he did try to help. Seonjo is reviewing a stack of appeals submitted by militia leaders who support the proposal. ("Sogugun" is the name of the proposal.) Gwanghae asked them to submit the proposals. He goes to his father and says the law is necessary and can be scaled back or abolished after the war ends. Seonjo says he'll consider it. Afterwards the prince is confronted by an angry Yu Join, angry because the prince is helping Ryu. Gwanghae doesn't like Yu's political attitude here; tells him "you should become a bit more flexible."
Lee Deokhyeong is having second thoughts, wondering if they leaned on Seonjo one too many times after everything else the king has approved. But now word arrives that the king approved it! Ryu hears about the militia appeals...
...and goes to thank the crown prince, who he figured out was responsible for them. As we see notices going up around the country and then see higher-class younger men reporting for military service, narration tells us that the high class and nobility gave up "their last vested rights" with the sogugun policy. Ryu's reform agenda "reached its peak" with this change, we're told.
Yoshitoshi finally returns to Busan and debriefs Konishi. He knows that what the emperor agreed to, it won't be enough to satisfy Hideyoshi. But now wait, here's a lucky break for him, he learns that Shen Weijing is on his way here as an envoy. He's confident that the two of them can figure something out.
Shen arrives that evening. They've got a problem and they know it. Ming envoys to Japan are headed south, to go to Japan and accept that phony surrender deal without being given any Joseon land. Konishi says he can scare the envoys into returning home...and then Shen can go in their place! But how to get a phony truce document written up and approved...that's the difficulty. Konishi says a Buddhist priest named Jotai handles all foreign documents for Hideyoshi; says he'll have to convince Jotai to go along. "We've been here for five years. We have to go back home."
Hmm, is this another rebellion? Someone named Lee Monghak is passing out food in Chungcheong Province and spreading messages of discontent. Going into villages and delivering anti-government speeches. Yeah it's another rebellion.
Ryu sighs. He learns that Lee Monghak is an army training officer. And apparently he's name-dropping, using the names of important militia leaders like Gwak Jaeu and Kim Deokryeong to deceive people into thinking he has credibility. And this is a larger rebellion than the first one we saw...around 10,000 this time. Ryu wants to stop it, obviously, but he's also worried about losing public sentiment if a force of common people that large is suppressed by force. But Seonjo, he has zero tolerance and orders Lee Il to go kill them all. He's furious that after all of the politically risky reforms he's approved to help the common people, this is how they're acting.
Ryu sends Yeongcheol and Cheonri to infiltrate the rebels. Wants them to scare away as many of the "little fish" as they can so they don't get killed. The two put on a good show in an army camp, a phony argument that spreads the word that those big names Lee Monghak is throwing around, those guys aren't going to join Monghak's army, they're going to capture it and kill everyone. Not only does it work like a charm, but some of the rebels decide the only way they can save their necks now is to kill Monghak themselves!
Kim Deokryeong is leading his men towards the rebel area when he discovers a group of them fleeing. At least some of them, he realizes, used to serve under him. Wow. They tell him that Monghak is dead, killed by his own men. Well this is a tough situation now. Kim is supposed to be rounding up and killing rebels, but no more Monghak means the rebellion is over, right? And these guys have left the rebellion anyway...and some were his own men once...Go home, he tells them; he' s not going to kill his former men. "Live in hiding until the good times come."
You'd think that it was the right thing to do...but word of it got to Lee Il and he has Kim arrested for withdrawing his troops and releasing rebels. Ugh. And then word gets to Seonjo, who's already just about paranoid about those militia groups. Then we see Kim and other rebels being tortured in the torture yard, as Seonjo sits there and supervises it all personally. Wow.
Gwanghae wants to intervene on Kim's behalf. But he's advised not to by a person we're meeting for the first time now. Someone named Lee Icheom, a low-ranking official brought by Yu Join. Yu recommends him highly; tells Gwanghae he'll do good work for him. Seems like a bright guy, politically very savvy.
Seonjo gets word from Ryu of the phony name-dropping and learns that those militia people weren't involved with Lee Monghak at all. He's still feeling very betrayed, though, and isn't exactly in a forgiving mood, particularly not for Kim Deokryeong. Ryu boldly accuses him of being scared! Scared of the militia. Yikes, a scary thing to say to the king. But he figured he had to say it, if only to get the king to face his fears.
Later we hear Seonjo muttering to himself that he's not scared. But he intends to kill the captured militia leaders to set an example. Hmm.
Well, well, all of those names that Lee Monghak was throwing around, it turns out that not only were militia leaders named, but so were Ryu and Lee Deokhyeong. Yu Join and Lee Icheom go to Yun Dusu's house and tell Yun personally. They give him a book of some sort that apparently proves it and could be used as evidence against them both. Phony evidence, but evidence. Obviously this could be great political revenge for him. But later, when he's alone, he throws the book into a fire.
"You too?" Seonjo is visited by Yun Dusu, late night hour notwithstanding. Ryu asks for Kim Deokryeong's release. "I know you are nervous," Yun says sympathetically, but you can't be so suspicious of all of the militia. The war is what needs your attention, Ryu says, not this stuff.
Ryu learns that he and Lee Deokhyeong were named. He figures he'd better go right to the king and clear the air immediately. But Yun shows up at his office and tells him he managed to convince the king to let the whole thing go. Wow. "But there wasn't anything I could do for Kim Deokryeong," he adds unhappily. Ryu is furious that Kim can't be saved and wants to go straight to Seonjo about it...but Yun literally grabs him by the arm and stops him. "I have ill feelings towards you," Yun says, "but the war isn't over yet. I won't see this country fall on its own with another internal incident!"
