Post by ajk on Aug 25, 2015 13:22:25 GMT -5
Military police show up with the royal order to arrest Yi Sunsin. Yi’s officers want to resist them but Yi tells them to back off and then complies peacefully. His uniform is taken off of him, right there on the spot, and he’s led away.
Yun Dusu and Kim Eungnam are pitching Won Kyun to Seonjo as Yi’s replacement. They succeed.
Ryu gets the news of his friend’s arrest.
Yi has been put into a prisoner’s cart and is being paraded through villages on the way to the capital, like a common criminal. The villagers are beside themselves with anguish. The procession stops a moment for Won Gyun; he’s on his way to replace Yi and gives him a few words of self-righteous superiority. But Yi doesn’t take the bait; only asks Won to take good care of his soldiers.
Busan: Konishi is laughing it up with Ukita. And why shouldn’t he; look what he accomplished. His plan worked like a charm! "We eliminated a Joseon tiger,” Ukita says with delight, and now we can control the ocean. Suddenly the laughing stops, and you can guess why...an enraged Kato shows up; he’s just heard that he was the bait in Konishi’s plan. He thinks Konishi set him up, and Konishi enjoys telling him that no, it was all approved by Hideyoshi ahead of time. The news stuns Kato; remember that Hideyoshi had told him he thinks of him as a son. “He does think of you as his son,” Konishi says with a cruel smile. “But you’re a son who was abandoned." It stings Kato so badly, he physically staggers just a bit.
Evening: Security at the prison where Yi is being held is so tight that Ryu can’t get in to see him. The crown prince shows up to help, and even he gets resistance from the guards...but eventually Ryu is allowed in. "I knew this would happen," Yi tells him; he asks Ryu not to try to save him. Says his fate isn’t up to Seonjo anyway; it’s up to Won Gyun. He’ll die if Won succeeds...but he says he’ll be happy if it happens because the country will be safe. But you, he tells Ryu, you must endure and help rebuild the country after the war. He also asks Ryu to take care of his mother if he dies.
Later that evening we see Ryu being tortured as he hangs by his arms from a bar. He won’t admit to any crimes; says the evidence has shown that he was correct in not attacking. Gives a little speech about how different things are on the front lines and how a general’s decisions are so vital and shouldn’t be taken for granted. “I didn’t disobey a royal order,” he insists; “I was merely concerned that our soldiers would die in vain.” Well, the problem with that is, he did disobey a royal order, so it’s not a good argument. The torture resumes and continues until he goes unconscious. Afterwards as he hangs there still unconscious, Seonjo shows up in the prison yard and stares at him.
Back at the naval headquarters: Won is having a banquet with wine and women and has ordered his officers to be there. They aren't in a partying mood, to say the least. Won takes offense at their worry over Yi’s fate. Forget about him, he tells them. "From now on you are my subordinates!"
Ryu goes to Gwanghae and asks for help in sparing Yi’s life. But Gwanghae is powerless here and can’t do anything to change the situation, even though he likes Yi and wants to help save him. Afterwards the prince’s political allies advise him to forget about it and not get involved. He doesn’t seem to like that advice...but he does listen to it without arguing.
Still that evening (or maybe the next evening, not sure; seems like too much happening for just one evening!): State council meeting. Most of the officials ask the king to spare Yi’s life. A few argue against it. But Seonjo has already made up his mind; he sits there annoyed for a while and then orders them all away.
Evening: Ryu is so desperate that he goes to Yun Dusu and offers to resign if Yun will back down and help save Yi. I don't make deals, Yun tells him; for me politics is about principle. Yi exceeded his authority; he was wrong and must pay for it.
Apparently out of options, Ryu goes back to the prison, where he finds Yi a mess from the torture. He tells Yi he doesn’t think he can keep that promise to endure and help rebuild the country. With tears in his eyes he walks away. It totally demoralizes Yi, who’s been trying so hard to be brave and strong.
Ryu goes home and writes a resignation letter. Writes that he's the one who recommended Yi so he shouldn't serve any more.
Seonjo reads the letter and crumples it up in anger. He goes to visit consort Kim and starts drinking. She has a pair of birds in a cage in her home, and she uses them to draw an analogy, trying to convince Seonjo to spare Yi. It’s not her best work, not nearly as effective as other times she’s tried to guide him...and all it does is make Seonjo mad and he leaves.
"He won't even listen to her?" Gwanghae gets the news from Lady Park. Oh, so he asked her to try. He was behind it. So he did do something to try to help after all.
Seonjo summons Ryu and really chews him out. "The war isn't over yet! You made me carry out all sorts of reforms and now you want to leave in such an irresponsible manner? I won't allow it. Take full responsibility until the war is over." Ryu complains that Seonjo no longer trusts him, despite Seonjo telling him he does. “You only keep or abandon people according to your needs. I will be a traitor for recommending a traitor. That is why I want to leave.”
Late that night, Seonjo receives a written appeal. It’s from Jeong Tak; the old man is putting his life on the line to ask for mercy for Yi. “Please be generous like a father scolding a child,” he writes. Yi "will repay you with his life someday."
Yi has a visitor. It’s Seonjo. “I’ll spare you.” The words jar Yi out of his barely-conscious stupor. Go serve as a soldier under Gwon Yul, Seonjo tells him. "You will have to die fighting against Wae" I will do that, Yi says gratefully, and sobs with relief as Seonjo leaves.
Ryu gets the word that Yi is being released. He heads right to the prison and helps his beaten-down friend to his home for the night.
The next morning he sees his friend off, knowing they're not to meet again until the war ends.
We see Yi sobbing over a makeshift shrine. On top of everything else, his mother died. Wow. Narration tells us that he was released on April 1, 1597 and went to serve as a common soldier under Gwon. And that he wasn’t even able to give his mother a proper funeral. Meanwhile the naval headquarters under Won Gyun’s leadership fell into disarray.
Japan: Hideyoshi is half thrilled and half in disbelief that Joseon’s king actually dumped Yi. Leave it to Maeda to explain it correctly: "He is a very suspicious person. He can't stand to see heroes revered by people, or people who seem to be better off than him." Hideyoshi jokes that he should reward Seonjo somehow after he conquers his country. Then Ishida shows up to tell him the main army is ready: 600 ships. And they're not worried about Won Gyun; in fact Konishi even has a plan to kill him. Hideyoshi is so confident that he worries Maeda with some new talk about intending to go to joseon himself.
Here comes the fleet. As big as advertised.
Seonjo receives information from Konishi of a giant fleet approaching. After what happened last time, he certainly will trust this information. He sends an order to Won Gyun to attack.
Yi is settled in a small cottage and Gwon brings him some medicine to help heal from his torture. Yi is supposed to be an ordinary common soldier, but obviously for now Gwon is giving him some special treatment. Gwon tells YI about Konishi's tipoff. Is it another trap, or is it legitimate? Yi knows the answer but doesn’t want to even speak it. I hope I'm wrong, he says...and Gwon agrees.
Yun Dusu and Kim Eungnam are pitching Won Kyun to Seonjo as Yi’s replacement. They succeed.
Ryu gets the news of his friend’s arrest.
Yi has been put into a prisoner’s cart and is being paraded through villages on the way to the capital, like a common criminal. The villagers are beside themselves with anguish. The procession stops a moment for Won Gyun; he’s on his way to replace Yi and gives him a few words of self-righteous superiority. But Yi doesn’t take the bait; only asks Won to take good care of his soldiers.
Busan: Konishi is laughing it up with Ukita. And why shouldn’t he; look what he accomplished. His plan worked like a charm! "We eliminated a Joseon tiger,” Ukita says with delight, and now we can control the ocean. Suddenly the laughing stops, and you can guess why...an enraged Kato shows up; he’s just heard that he was the bait in Konishi’s plan. He thinks Konishi set him up, and Konishi enjoys telling him that no, it was all approved by Hideyoshi ahead of time. The news stuns Kato; remember that Hideyoshi had told him he thinks of him as a son. “He does think of you as his son,” Konishi says with a cruel smile. “But you’re a son who was abandoned." It stings Kato so badly, he physically staggers just a bit.
Evening: Security at the prison where Yi is being held is so tight that Ryu can’t get in to see him. The crown prince shows up to help, and even he gets resistance from the guards...but eventually Ryu is allowed in. "I knew this would happen," Yi tells him; he asks Ryu not to try to save him. Says his fate isn’t up to Seonjo anyway; it’s up to Won Gyun. He’ll die if Won succeeds...but he says he’ll be happy if it happens because the country will be safe. But you, he tells Ryu, you must endure and help rebuild the country after the war. He also asks Ryu to take care of his mother if he dies.
Later that evening we see Ryu being tortured as he hangs by his arms from a bar. He won’t admit to any crimes; says the evidence has shown that he was correct in not attacking. Gives a little speech about how different things are on the front lines and how a general’s decisions are so vital and shouldn’t be taken for granted. “I didn’t disobey a royal order,” he insists; “I was merely concerned that our soldiers would die in vain.” Well, the problem with that is, he did disobey a royal order, so it’s not a good argument. The torture resumes and continues until he goes unconscious. Afterwards as he hangs there still unconscious, Seonjo shows up in the prison yard and stares at him.
Back at the naval headquarters: Won is having a banquet with wine and women and has ordered his officers to be there. They aren't in a partying mood, to say the least. Won takes offense at their worry over Yi’s fate. Forget about him, he tells them. "From now on you are my subordinates!"
Ryu goes to Gwanghae and asks for help in sparing Yi’s life. But Gwanghae is powerless here and can’t do anything to change the situation, even though he likes Yi and wants to help save him. Afterwards the prince’s political allies advise him to forget about it and not get involved. He doesn’t seem to like that advice...but he does listen to it without arguing.
Still that evening (or maybe the next evening, not sure; seems like too much happening for just one evening!): State council meeting. Most of the officials ask the king to spare Yi’s life. A few argue against it. But Seonjo has already made up his mind; he sits there annoyed for a while and then orders them all away.
Evening: Ryu is so desperate that he goes to Yun Dusu and offers to resign if Yun will back down and help save Yi. I don't make deals, Yun tells him; for me politics is about principle. Yi exceeded his authority; he was wrong and must pay for it.
Apparently out of options, Ryu goes back to the prison, where he finds Yi a mess from the torture. He tells Yi he doesn’t think he can keep that promise to endure and help rebuild the country. With tears in his eyes he walks away. It totally demoralizes Yi, who’s been trying so hard to be brave and strong.
Ryu goes home and writes a resignation letter. Writes that he's the one who recommended Yi so he shouldn't serve any more.
Seonjo reads the letter and crumples it up in anger. He goes to visit consort Kim and starts drinking. She has a pair of birds in a cage in her home, and she uses them to draw an analogy, trying to convince Seonjo to spare Yi. It’s not her best work, not nearly as effective as other times she’s tried to guide him...and all it does is make Seonjo mad and he leaves.
"He won't even listen to her?" Gwanghae gets the news from Lady Park. Oh, so he asked her to try. He was behind it. So he did do something to try to help after all.
Seonjo summons Ryu and really chews him out. "The war isn't over yet! You made me carry out all sorts of reforms and now you want to leave in such an irresponsible manner? I won't allow it. Take full responsibility until the war is over." Ryu complains that Seonjo no longer trusts him, despite Seonjo telling him he does. “You only keep or abandon people according to your needs. I will be a traitor for recommending a traitor. That is why I want to leave.”
Late that night, Seonjo receives a written appeal. It’s from Jeong Tak; the old man is putting his life on the line to ask for mercy for Yi. “Please be generous like a father scolding a child,” he writes. Yi "will repay you with his life someday."
Yi has a visitor. It’s Seonjo. “I’ll spare you.” The words jar Yi out of his barely-conscious stupor. Go serve as a soldier under Gwon Yul, Seonjo tells him. "You will have to die fighting against Wae" I will do that, Yi says gratefully, and sobs with relief as Seonjo leaves.
Ryu gets the word that Yi is being released. He heads right to the prison and helps his beaten-down friend to his home for the night.
The next morning he sees his friend off, knowing they're not to meet again until the war ends.
We see Yi sobbing over a makeshift shrine. On top of everything else, his mother died. Wow. Narration tells us that he was released on April 1, 1597 and went to serve as a common soldier under Gwon. And that he wasn’t even able to give his mother a proper funeral. Meanwhile the naval headquarters under Won Gyun’s leadership fell into disarray.
Japan: Hideyoshi is half thrilled and half in disbelief that Joseon’s king actually dumped Yi. Leave it to Maeda to explain it correctly: "He is a very suspicious person. He can't stand to see heroes revered by people, or people who seem to be better off than him." Hideyoshi jokes that he should reward Seonjo somehow after he conquers his country. Then Ishida shows up to tell him the main army is ready: 600 ships. And they're not worried about Won Gyun; in fact Konishi even has a plan to kill him. Hideyoshi is so confident that he worries Maeda with some new talk about intending to go to joseon himself.
Here comes the fleet. As big as advertised.
Seonjo receives information from Konishi of a giant fleet approaching. After what happened last time, he certainly will trust this information. He sends an order to Won Gyun to attack.
Yi is settled in a small cottage and Gwon brings him some medicine to help heal from his torture. Yi is supposed to be an ordinary common soldier, but obviously for now Gwon is giving him some special treatment. Gwon tells YI about Konishi's tipoff. Is it another trap, or is it legitimate? Yi knows the answer but doesn’t want to even speak it. I hope I'm wrong, he says...and Gwon agrees.