|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Sept 13, 2004 18:30:25 GMT -5
Pointing his sword at the investigator from the palace, Yi Soon Shin said in a steady voice, "Very well. I will kill you and then storm the palace."
"Lord Admiral-"
"Throw down your swords!" he ordered.
The imperial investigator's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lord Admiral, is it your intention to become a rebel?"
"Rebel? Did you say rebel?" He threw his sword to the ground in disgust and grabbed a nearby soldier by the collar. "Didn't you know your father died by the sword of the wae nom and your mother was dragged off?"
"Admiral!" the man sobbed.
He grabbed another soldier by the shirt. "Isn't it true that you risked your life to help save the Ming soldiers?"
"Yes, admiral!" he cried.
Turning his eyes to Woo Sung, he grabbed him by his uniform and dragged him in front of the investigator. "This soldier's two small children watched their mother die - the wae nom stabbed their mother in her chest!" he shouted as Woo Sung grieved at the memory. "Know this. This is a cause that we cannot discard. If ending this war with our own hands makes us rebels, then i say we are rebels." The investigator only stared back at the admiral in silence. " "
"Admiral...."
"Take them away!" he ordered, walking away. As the guards took the investigator and his soldiers away, the soldiers raised their spears and cheered.
"Chun Seh!!!! Chun Seh!!! Yi Soon Shin Jang Goon chun seh!!! (long live Admiral Yi)" _________________________________________________________________________
Confining the group to their quarters, Yi Young Nam smiled a smile of deep satisfaction at the investigator and said, "I will be escorting you from now on."
"You son of a bitch!" he shouted. "Do you think you will live after committing such an act against an investigator sent by the king? What do you think you are doing?"
Young Nam's face did not show even the smallest trace of concern at his statement. Without bowing, he simply turned and left the two men in the room. The investigator looked at his aid, stunned and then closed his eyes. ________________________________________________________________________
In preparation for what would be the decisive battle of the war, Yi met with his staff to discuss their strategy. After the meeting, Kwon Jun, Yi Young Nam, Woo Sung and two other men shared a ceremonial last drink together. After setting down their cups, Kwon Jun gave them their instructions.
"The both of you proceed to Gonyang. Once Woo Sung is captured, spread the rumor that Supreme Commander Kwon Yu is coming. Rally the inhabitants and clean up the city. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" they shouted.
"Chun Woo Sung." Handing a letter to Woo Sung, he told him, "Everything depends on this. This is our last chance to destroy the enemy. I promise that we will claim vengeance for your wife and child."
"I will sacrifice my life to complete this mission!" Woo Sung promised.
As the rain poured through the night, Young Nam watched with a heavy heart as Woo Sung and a few other soldiers boarded a small rowboat. Bowing deeply, after a few moments, the soldiers disappeared into the black of the night. Not far behind him, the admiral stood in the pelting rain, seeing Woo Sung off for the last time.
The next morning, admiral Yi paid a visit to Chen Lien at his encampment at Jook-Do.
As they sipped tea together, Chen smiled and remarked, "The tea of Chosun is so pleasing to the spirit." Setting his cup down, Chen then asked more seriously, "Admiral, why did you ask to see me? Please speak without worry."
"I have a request to ask of you Admiral. We will attack waegyo on the 18 of this month."
"Without Yu Jeong and his army?" He received a quiet nod in response to his query. "In that case, do you propose that your navy and my navy strike waegyo?"
"I am asking that you make them believe that the chosun navy will attack waegyo on the 18th." Yi paused and then continued. "Admiral, I know you have met with the wae nom." Chen Lien cleared his throat with embarassment at having been caught. "But," Yi added, "I ask that you continue to meet with them and pretend that you are leaking very important military secrets by telling them that I plan to attack on the 18th."
Chen raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me to divulge classified military information to the enemy?"
Leaning forward, Yi answered, "All you have to do is that when you meet them, speak to them exactly as you have before.
Silent for a moment, Chen Lien looked at him with curiosity. "May I ask your reasons?"
"It is so i can put my faith in you, Admiral," Yi replied.
|
|
|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Sept 13, 2004 22:42:19 GMT -5
Taken prisoner by the Japanese, Woo Sung stood before Shimazu bound and on his knees. One of the nearby soldiers held the letter he had carried. Seated on the ground, Wakizaka asked, "What is it?"
Konishi's son in law summarized the contents of the message. "It is a secret communication from Yi Soon Shin to Kwon Yul."
"What does it say?"
"It says here that the Chosun army plans to attack waegyo once more on the 18th day of this month. He requests assistance of the army"
This caused Shimazy to look up. "Yi Soon Shin is again launching an attack against waegyo?"
"This is our chance! If we strike Yi Soon Shin from behind, we can rescue my father in law."
"Is that so?" Shimazu asked, looking back at Woo Sung
Wakizaka observed, "Don't you think they want to break one of our arms before we can create a pincer attack?"
"Then why did they send this boy to Gonyang? Why of all ways would they send him so close to our camp?" The Japanese general looked at Woo Sung, who had yet to speak a word. Shimazu, determined to have his questions answered, ordered, "Drag him off and find out! Beat the truth out of him and send a scout to Gonyang." __________________________________________________________________________
Woo Sung attempted to stifle his cries as the Japanese brutally flogged him but the pain was searing. He gripped the ropes that bound his wrists so tightly that the skin began to bleed.
Gesturing for the soldier to stop, Wakizka asked, "Are the contents of that communique true?"
"I don't know?" Woo Sung replied, but this only earned him another lash.
"What is your reason for landing near our headquarters?" Wakizaka pressed on.
"I was run off course by a storm" the prisoner said through gritted teeth.
"Why were you headed to gonyang?"
"Commander Kwon Yul is coming to Gonyang."
"But you're not even a soldier - you're a sailor. Why would they entrust such a task to you?" wakizaka asked suspiciously.
"It is because I know the area so well" Woo Sung hissed.
"Do you want to live?"
"Kill me!" Woo Sung spat defiantly. "Since I have failed my mission, even if i return, I am already dead."
Wakizaka ceased questioning Woo Sung and was lost in thought. ____________________________________________________________________
In his office, Konishi was discussing battle strategies with Yoshida in front of a map covered with miniature ships. Pushing one forward, he said, "Shimaze will be quicker to capture Yi Soon Shin than to save us."
"In any case," Yoshida reminded him, "all we have to do is to ensure an escape route."
Konishi shot him an irate look. "So Shimazu can bring back Yi Soon Shin's head while i return empty-handed? Ridiculous!!" He turned back to his map. "We will capture Yi Soon Shin. No matter what I will capture Yi Soon Shin." He looked pointedly at Yoshida, "Got it?" Yoshida assumed it wiser to remain silent. "When Shimazu attacks, we will attack Yi Soon Shin from the rear - but from where? Once he moves from SaChun, Yi Soon Shin will most likely-"
"-wait in ambush," Yoshida finished.
Konishi peered at his lieutenant. "Where?"
|
|
|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Sept 17, 2004 22:50:08 GMT -5
"What?" Woo Chi Juk shouted. "Noryang did you say?"
Kim Wan, another leader of the Sado Unit hunched forward and hissed, "Geez! Why don't you tell the whole world?" Woo gave an embarrassed grunt and cleared his throat loudly.
"The enemy thinks that our target is Waegyo," Kwon Jun explained. "Unaware, Shimazu will pass through the Noryang channel."
"Then," Young Nam broke in, "we will pounce on him at Noryang!"
Yi Sun Shin, the admiral's staff officer said with satisfaction, "It is an excellect idea!" Young Nam nodded heartily in agreement.
"Kwon Soo-sa," the admiral said to Kwon Jun.
"We've spoken with the local fishermen and inhabitants as you ordered."
Yi nodded. Turning to Lt. Yi, he told him, "Yi Soo-sa. From now on, you are me. We must fool Konishi completely.
Secretly amused that in addition to sharing the admiral's name that he would now share in his identity, Yi Sun Shin simply saluted his acceptance of the orders.
Admiral Yi addressed his men. "The ships that escape Noryang will be trapped here at Kwanumpo. The Cholla Left Guards will break up the enemy while the Cholla Right Guards will ambush them at Noryang. The Kyungsang left guards will finish them off at Kwanumpo."
"This is almost too laughably easy for the navy!" Kim Wan noted.
"If Konishi should slip away, he will go to Mijo. At Namhae, construct a signal tower. The enemy may thwart us and take the long way through Mijo. I have complete faith in all of you." __________________________________________________________________________
(Narration) The last battle of the seven year war - the sea battle of Noryang. At Waegyo, Soon Chun, Konishi Yukinaga had bribed the Ming army and succeeded in receiving aid from the nearby Japanese forces in the south sea. Shimazu's fleet gathered at Jukryang for the final engagement. Yi Soon Shin and Chen Lien's Cho-Myung naval forces needed an effective means of holding them at bay. Shimazu's forces had two ways of gaining access to Waegyo - the direct path via the Noryang strait and the roundabout route by way of Mijo. Yi Soon Shin's choice was Noryang. To destroy an enemy three times there size, there was only one way - to lure them into the narrow channel of Noryang, trap them at kwanumpo and cut off any retreat. ________________________________________________________________________
The three spies sent from the palace, still dressed in their reconnaissance garb, quietly leaped over the palace wall to meet with the head eunuch, their employer. As they whispered their news in his ear, the eunuch's eyes widened in disbelief.
"WHAT!!!!"
The king's voice could be heard reverberating through the palace. "Yi Soon Shin has taken the imperial investigator hostage?! He may as well have bound the King!!! Is it not the same as drawing his sword at me?!"
"Yes, Majesty!" Yoon Doo Soo bowed sycophantically. "This is without a doubt an act of high treason!"
"What the hell are you all sitting around waiting for?!" Sunjo thundered. "Dispatch a constable and arrest him this minute!"
"Yes, Majesty!" the ministers assented in unison.
"Insolent bastard...How DARE he!!!!" the king shouted as he trembled with rage.
As the royal guards hurried through the streets, they barely noticed Yu Song Ryong seated in his litter on the way to the palace. Yu ordered his litter bearers to halt and watched the retreating soldiers with a look of great concern.
Bowing deeply before the king, Yu Song Ryong asked in a pained voice, "Punish mw with death, Majesty! How could you make Yi Soon Shin suffer again like this?"
"You defend a traitor?" the king asked coolly.
Looking up, Minister Yu answered, "Majesty, how can you not see the true traitors who brought ruin upon our country?"
At this, Yoon Doo Soo looked up. "Who are you referring to?
Casting the old man a sidelong look, Yu asked in a quiet voice, "Can you say that is not true? The one who turned this nation into a political battlefield is who?" His voice began to rise as his anger grew. "The one who stood powerless to aid the people when the war broke out is who? The one who designs to seize power by destroying the only warrio who can save this nation is who?!"
"Watch your tongue!" Minister Yoon chided him. "You are in the presence of the king - the KING!"
Minister Yu gave him a look of disgust and turned his attention back to the king. "Majesty, I Yu Song Ryong, for the last thirty years have been at your side. However, I did not do so to serve you. It was to help the people of this nation! But even today, Your Majesty fails to see the heavens while surrounded by power hungry officials. How could i not lament?! When the war is over, how will we rebuild our country? How can we create the world that the people desire?" The king remained silent. "Majesty," Minister Yu continued, "I beg of you, see far and high. Cleanse the world and let it shine brighter than the heavens!" After bowing again, Yu Song Ryong reached into his sleeve and removed his letter of resignation. After placing it reverently in front of the king, he bowed one last time and with his eyes cast to the ground, walked out of the king's audience chamber.
The king looked at the letter and said to himself, "Such a loss...Minister Yu Song Ryong and Admiral Yi Soon Shin were the most faithful retainers of all time." Both Minister Yoon Doo Soo and Yoon Geun Soo looked up at his words. "But I too have things to take care of..." Looking up, he said in a cold voice, "Remove Minister Yu Song Ryong from his post and arrest Admiral Yi Soon Shin at once!"
"Yes, Majesty!"
|
|
|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Sept 24, 2004 11:19:04 GMT -5
Yu Song Ryong, now dressed in the robes of a simple scholar, sat at his desk writing calligraphy. A very worried Yi Duk Hyung sat before him. Watching Yu write so calmly, Yi could bear it no longer and said urgently, "My Lord, how can we sit here like this and do nothing? A constable has been dispatched. Is it not so that it will not end with an dishonourable discharge this time? Admiral Yi Soon Shin has no other savior but you, Taegam (my lord)!" Don't you think we should find a way to save him?"
Yu set down his brush, unperturbed. "What can I do? His majesty will not change his resolve. Besides, I am a person who has left the court." Yi leaned forward. "You could at least send him written warning!"
"Is there a horse faster than that of the king's constable?"
"Then," Yi looked down in despair, "the admiral - what will he do?"
Yu finished his scroll and again set down his brush. "Whether a person lives or dies - that is beyond our control." He gave a sigh. "But, that history knows the truth of his loyalties - that is my task." __________________________________________________________________________
Alone in his study, the admiral thought about the battle to come. Looking again at the death pardon left by the assassins from court, he reflected on how he had suffered at the hands of those who had sought to bring about his downfall - his ignominious arrest, how he had been paraded in an ox cart bound with the red rope of a common criminal. "My king, did you say you would spare me from death?" he asked aloud. Closing the book, he threw it onto the charcoal brazier next to him and watched as the flames consumed the pages.
At the palace, the king paced his bedchamber nervously, unable to sleep.
Taking his commanders sword off its rack on the wall, the admiral unsheathed a few inches of the blade it from the scabbard. The reflected light shone over his eyes.
As the king slept, the sliding doors to his bedchamber opened and a dark figure entered. The king awoke to see Admiral Yi in full battle armor standing over him. He cried out as he saw Yi raise his sword in preparation to stike.
"NO!" he shouted! Sitting up from his bed, he looked around and realized he had been dreaming. He called out for the eunuchs. "Is there any word Is there no word, I say?!"
The head eunuch walked through the sliding doors. "Majesty..."
"Is there no word from the south sea? Is there any word at all?!"
"Majesty," he replied in calming tones, "the south sea is a faraway place. Please rest comfortably." The king did not look reassured ______________________________
At Yoo Do, Yi met with the royal investigator. "My Lord, I have prepared a boat. I ask you to take it back to the the capital," he informed him. "I have been unable to think of anything save one thing - how to win a battle against an enemy ten times my size. how can any victory be expected and my men protected? This has been my one thought. What i fear is not losing my life for refusing the royal decree or being called a traitor. What i do fear is that our fighting spirit will be shaken. Because if this were to happen, there is no way we could defeat the enemy. That is why I have made things difficult for you. I know well what the king wants - I have always known. I will fulfill that which he truly wants."
The investigator pondered his words. Finally he said, "Lord Admiral-"
"I have a request," Yi broke in before he could continue. "I ask that you look after my men" With that, he rose and left the room. "After all, is it not myself alone that the king wants?"
"Lord Admiral!" Before the investigator could say another word, the admiral had left the room. ________________________________________________________________________
In his study, the admiral ran a hand over a familiar stack of bound journals As he carefully wrapped them in purple silk, he heard a voice outside the door.
"Uncle, it is Yi Wan."
"Come in," he answered.
His nephew, Yi Wan, entered and saluted his uncle. "You sent for me, sir?". Yi took one more look at the purple bundle and slid it across the table to Wan and told him, "Take this to Gogeumdo."
Wan took it and then looked at his uncle slowly. "These are..."
Yi nodded. "My war diaries. An account of the atrocities of the seven year war." After a pause he added, "Hopefully after this, I will never have to make another entry again."
Wan touched the journals reverently but sadly as he thought of what his uncle's request truly meant. Trying to act as if nothing were out of the ordinary, the admiral simply rose from his chair and walked to the mannequin that held his armor. As he reached for it, Wan hurried over to his side and helped the admiral into his chain mail armor. Lost in thought, Yi grasped one of the ties to his armor and was startled when the red cord snapped in his hand. Both stared at the remnant of red fabric in his palm. Wan looked at his uncle with worry. "Uncle..."
Knowing what his nephew thought of the omen, the admiral attempted to reassure him by saying, "Perhaps I have worn this too long." _________________________________________________________________________
At the Japanese encampment, Konishi's son in law hastily dismounted his horse and ran into Shimazu's tent. "It is true!" he reported breathlessly. "The entire region of gyongul is preparing to receive Kyun Gol!" Wakizaka responded, "That means the contents of the letters were true, does it not?"
"Our spies in Chen Lien's camp confirm what was said in the dispatches. That Yi Soon Shin will strike Waegyo tomorrow there is no doubt."
Shimazu said gruffly, "Then we must ambush him from behind."
"We must take the shortest route through Noryang then, "Wakizaka suggested.
"Make the necessary preparations." __________________________________________________________________________
Woo Sung sat in his wooden jail cell, Japanese guards above him. Alone, his thoughts drifted back to the awful day when he returned to his burned village and discovered his son crying by his wife's dead body. He had hugged his child tightly and cried to the heavens. He shook his head , trying to blot out the memory.
|
|
|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 1, 2004 22:19:35 GMT -5
Outside, Wakizaka paced in front of the captured Chosun sailors and announced. "We will spare you all. Row our boats! Row the ships that will take the head of Yi Soon Shin!" Woo Sung turned murderous eyes on Wakizaka. "If we win, all of your lives will be spared."
As they marched the prisoners out, beating them as they went, Woo sung fought back at the soldier nearest him. Grabbing the whip out of his hands, he shouted, "No I can't do that! I am a sailor in Chosun's navy! There is no way I will row one of your ships. There is absolutely no way!" Though ragged and disheveled, his voice was strong and proud.
Wakizaka shoved the samurai in front of Woo Sung aside and faced him. "Oh, is that so?"
"Do you believe me? Well, I believe you - I believe that you will kill me right here and right now. Kill me!" Woo Sung screamed defiantly.
After a pause, Wakizaka answered, "Do you think I will let you go comfortably?" Woo sung took a few deep breaths and then spit on the general's face. Wiping the bloody flecks from his face, Wakizaka muttered, "You son of a b*tch..."
"Do you know who I am?" Woo Sung asked. "I am neither a general or a noble. I am the one who shoots the arrows that pierce your necks! Take a good look at me - you think you bastards will win? I took this mission in the hopes of living, but my compatriots are different. You will never defeat us. You understand that you piece of sh*t wae nom?!"
"You bastard!" wakizaka shouted, drawing his sword.
Woo Sung raised his arms above his head. "Chun Seh!" he shouted, as the other Chosun prisoners looked on. "Chosun's army Chun Seh! Chosun's Navy Chun Seh! Yi Soon Shin Jang Goon Chun Seh!-"
With one stroke, Wakizaka cut Woo Sung to the ground. As his bleeding body struck the ground, Woo Sung's eyes took on a faraway look as he was transported back to the days when he and his family were together. His last thoughts as his life left him were of his wife and holding his baby in his arms. _______________________________________________________________________
The sound of trumpets echoed across the docks where the Chosun battleships were anchored in preparation for the final battle.
"We are all sinners!" Yi shouted to his men. "In the last seven years, we have lost countless lives to the sea. "If we fail to win this war, if we fail to deliver vengeance to the people for their pain and suffering, then we will never erase the stain of our sins. Today, we 16,000 sailors of Chosun go to war with the countenance of sinners, but tomorrow! Tomorrow we will return with the faces of the victorious! Whether it be an enemy ship or a man, do not spare even one!" He lowered his voice and added solemnly, "Fortune be with you all."
Woo Hi Juk raised his arm and shouted, "Chun Seh!" At his shouts, all the soldiers raised their weapons and flags and joined him. The admiral's staff watched silently, moved at their loyalty and resolve. Even the investigator from the imperial city seemed moved. _______________________________________________________________________
As he looked across the ocean, Yi thought to himself, "Gods of heaven and earth, even if it means my death, if I can wipe out the enemy, I will die with no regrets." Closing his eyes, he collected his thoughts. Upon opening them, he ordered, "Strike the drum." Below, the sailors began rowing.
The sun was setting on the horizon as the Chosun fleet set out on their final battle. Watching the sun dip slowly over the ocean, Yi was struck by the calm and beauty of the moment. "Do you see? The spirits of the dead gathering to take in the scent of bloody vengeance?" he asked Kown Jun. "I can see them. I feel each one pass me by like a double edged sword."
"What they want is that your victory and the land's victory. That the songs of the fishermen of Chosun once again cover the sea is what they want," Kwon Jun answered.
"Of course, because the seas have been covered with their blood." Kwon Jun nodded. "It wants my blood as well," the admiral added. At this statement, Kwon looked at his commander sadly. Yi only looked ahead, tears brimming in his eyes.
At a lookout post on the shore, two japanese sentries were surprised to hear the sound of gongs banging. Looking out to sea, they saw a large orange haze on the otherwise black expanse of the water. Thinking it was a great host ready to attack, the sentries ran to sound the alarm.
"What?!" Konishi shouted, jumping to his feet.
"The guards saw a great fleet heading this way!" Yoshida explained. "It is Yi Soon Shin!!!"
"And the reinforcements? What happened to the reinforcements?" Konishi demanded.
Yoshida could only stammer, They - they have yet to...".
"Send a signal fire. No! Set the highest peak of the mountain on fire!" he ordered.
"Understood!" Yoshida hastened to obey his command.
"Yi Soon Shin!" Konishi said in a scathing tone of contempt.
From their ships, the admiral's officers could see the flames sweeping across the mountains behind the japanese garrison. Yi Sun Shin, the admiral's staff officer looked behind him at scores of tiny boats filled with local peasants banging gongs and waving torches.
Fooled by the admiral's ruse, the Japanese commanders discussed their plan of action. Konishi's son in law suggested, "We must move our soldiers now! That Yi Soon Shin himself has gone to Waegyo there is no doubt!"
"Yi Soon Shin went to Waegyo himself unknown to us?" Wakizaka said skeptically. "That does not seem like him."
"Are you saying that you do not believe my father in law's words? He set an entire mountain on fire out of desperation!"
"What is the quickest channel?" Shimazu interrupted.
"Noryang"
"Good, Noryang it is then." Standing suddenly, Shimizu shouted, "Wakizaka!" His officer kneeled. Taking a sword from one of his aides, he handed it to the kneeling soldier and said, "This is the sword of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Use it to take Yi Soon Shin's head and ease the troubled spirit of our great leader!"
Grasping the sword with reverence, Wakizaka swore, "If I cannot take Yi's head, I will take my own."
Advancing their fleet into the black night, the Japanese navy was met by an eerie silence. As the Chosun navy watched under the cover of darkness, the admiral ordered the soldiers to put special gags on their mouths to prevent them from making the smallest sound. Far on the horizon, Song Hui Rip could make out the huge number of ships advancing on their position. "J-Jang Goon!" he whispered. Yi held up his hand for him to be quiet.
Looking out, the Japanese saw nothing. Puzzled, Wakizaka ordered a barrage of fire into the darkness. "Fire towards the island!" Startled, one Chosun sailor dropped his spear, causing the sailors around him to start.
On the Chosun flagship, Song Hui Rip whispered, "Perhaps..."
"They are trying to make certain that there is no ambush," the admiral explained.
When they heard no response, one japanese soldier replied, "It is quiet, there is no one out there. But there is no doubt that Yi Soon Shin is at Waegyo!"
"Good" Wakizaka said. "Full speed ahead!"
"FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!" his officers shouted.
Song HUi Rip turned to the admiral. "Sir, they are speeding up!"
"Not yet," he replied. "They will slow down once the first ship passes the island."
The Japanese navy continued to send its ships in a line into the narrow strait. Finally, the admiral ordered, "Fire the cannons!"
"Fire cannons!" Song Hui Rip shouted. As the first cannon ball left its barrel, it snapped the mast of one of the Japanese vessels, the force of the impact throwing several samurai into the water. The cannons on the Chosun ships continued their stream of cannon fire. Some gunmen loaded the cannon barrels with missiles that upon entering the sides of the ship exploded, tearing the Japanese vessels to shreds.
"Forward!" YI shouted.
"Advance the ships!" Song Hui Rip shouted. As the vessels neared each other, he shouted to the soldiers, "Throw the straw!" and at his order, the soldiers threw bundles of straw over the sides of the ship. As archers readied themselves, Song ordered them to let loose a stream of flaming arrows at the enemy. Some struck the straw that littered the decks, setting the ships on fire. Others pierced the bodies of the wae nom directly. Soldiers on both sides were taking heavy losses. Yi continued to spur his soldiers on. As the chosun soldiers fell, Nahl Bahl picked up a fallen bow and aided in their assault.
Out of sight in the water below, small rafts floated toward the japanese ships. Underneath a straw tent that hid the light of its glowing fuse sat a bomb with a delayed fuse. The boats lightly bumped the larger japanese ships and after a pause detonated, sinking the vessels. As the ship next to him burst into flames, Konishi Yukinaga clapped one hand on his helmet and attempted to maintain his balance.
"We're under attack!" Yoshida cried. "It's an ambush!"
"Where are our reinforcements?!" Konishi shouted angrily.
"I don't know!" Yoshida answered.
Drawing his sword, he ordered, "Fine! We will cut through the enemy lines!"
"No, Jang Goon!" Yoshida protested. "A frontal attack is foolhardy. We are dealing with Yi Soon Shin. Next spring we can always come back to fight again - next spring! Our goal is a safe retreat! We must secure an escape route!"
Konishi weighed Yoshida's advice and reluctantly returned his katana to its scabbard. "Turn the ship around...Secure the escape route."
|
|
|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 2, 2004 19:10:21 GMT -5
Not far off, the Ming navy waited silently. Chen Lien anxiously paced the deck of his ship.
"Do-Dok! (general)" Deung Ja Leung ran to the admiral. "A sea battle is raging. What should we do?"
Closing his eyes, Chen thought back the last conversation he had with Yi Soon Shin.
"Admiral, your navy has sustained heavy losses and in any case this is Chosun's fight," the admiral had said. "So rather than engaging in front, please stay behind and simply prevent any enemy from escaping Juk-do."
Chen opened his eyes and said resolutely, " We will also advance to Kwanumpo!"
Deung's face registered surprise. "But, Do-Dok... "
"Yi Soon Shin! That man is Chosun's greatest warrior. And I also am the greatest warrior of the Ming Empire! Tonight, I will share the risk of my life with you." A determined look on his face, Chen ordere, "To Kwanumpo!" ________________________________________________________________________
As the battle raged on, Admiral Yi shouted, "Lure the enemy to Kwanumpo!"
Aboard Shimada Yoshihiro's boat, a soldier hastily ran to his quarters to report. Two Chosun girls cowered in the corner, holding each other.
"What?!" Shimada thundered. "Our path to the front has been blocked? ?"
"Yes sir!" the samurai confirmed.
"Continue the attack!" Shimada ordered. "Break through the enemy lines!"
"We cannot do that sir!" the soldier replied. "There is nothing ahead but land!"
"Unbelievable!" Shimazu seethed. "Unload all unnecessart cargo and turn the boat around! No matter what, we must take the bases with us!"
Running to obey his order, the Japanese soldier went below deck where many prisoners of war were being held. Dragging them onto the decks, they began jumping over the sides of the ship into the water. One man pulled a ceramic vase out of his shirt and slammed it onto the conical helmet of the soldier nearest him. His scalp bleeding, the man grabbed his sword and was about to strike when another officer stopped him, saying, "This man is a skilled artisan. Let him live." The Chosun prisoner made a mad dash for the side of the ship and the officer tried to follow him but toppled over the side as a stray shot pierced his armor.
On the Chosun flagship, Suh Goon Gan was encouraging the archers to continue their assault when one of them received a shot in the chest. "Kang Won-ah!" Running to the wounded sailor, he tried to help him up, but the shot man gave a cry and died on the floor. Anger welling within him, Suh Goon Gan grabbed his fallen comrade's bow and shouted for the archers to continue. "What the hell are you all waiting for?! Wipe them all out!" and he began shooting arrows as well. Admiral Yi turned his gaze at the commotion in time to see Goon Gan hit by a bullet.
Rushing over to his side, the admiral tried to sit him up. "Lieutenant Luh! Hang on!"
Bleeding, Goon Gan could only sputter, "J-Jang...Goon....Ah-Ah-Ah buh ji...(f-f-father)" Yi nodded to the nearest soldier next to him who ran below deck.
Stopping by Goon Gan's father he told him, "Your son has been hurt!"
Upon hearing it, the old man dropped his oar and ran to his son's side, cradling him in his arms. "Son!"
"Father..." Goon Gan said weakly.
"Yes, yes it is me!" his father acknowledged.
"Father, I do not have to be ashamed anymore do I?"
"Of course not."
"father..."
"Yes, son?"
"I'm going to sleep now...I'm so tired..."
"Yes, rest comfortably now, son." Goon Gan's head drooped but his father held his son's head to him. "Dream good dreams, go to the other warriors who fell in battle. Be with your wife and child." He felt a rush of sadness and pride as his son breathed his last. Yi could only watch helplessly.
A few miles off, Konishi Yukinaga watched as the fire from the burning Japanese warships lit up the night sky. "I will return next spring, most assuredly. Yi Soon Shin, you had better live until then!" he swore.
Shimada Yoshihiro slammed a clenched fist onto the table. "Konishi!" he hissed. "That bastard snuck out like a little rat all by hinmself?"
"General! It is unwise to continue fighting against Yi Sooon Shin. We must retreat!" the soldier advised. _________________________________
"The enemy flagship is retreating!" a Chosun soldier shouted.
Song Hui Rip ran to the admiral and said in a voice choked with emotion, "Jang Goon! We - We have won!"
His jubliation was interrupted by another shout. "It is the Ming Navy!" Off in the distance, he and the admiral could make out the faint silhouette of the Ming ships emerging from the night fog.
Yi was silent. Finally he ordered, "Raise the flag to lead the attack."
Song Hui Rip was not sure he had heard the order correctly. "J-Jang Goon...we are the flagship. How can we-"
"Did you not hear my order? " Yi asked.
Aboard their vessels, Kwon Jun and Woo Chi Juk were doing their utmost to maintain their men's fighting spirit when they noticed the red flag that had been rasied on the admiral's flasgship. There was a shout of "The flagship is taking the spearhead position!" and all the soldiers began waving their torches and weapons, cheering loudly.
Seeing Yi shouting order from his pagada, Wakizaka ordered his ships forward. Yi turned to see Wakizaka's ship speeding towards his own. As their vessels neared one another, the two admirals' eyes met briefly. "Attack!" Yi shouted. "Fire the cannons!"
The gunmen aboard his ship began loading sharp pieces of metal into the cannons. While packing it into the barrel, many were shot. Gunmen wielding shields ran to take their fallen comrade's positions. "Fire!" Yi shouted.
The blast sent razor sharp shrapnel flying into the Japanese samurai who were standing in front of Wakizaka. As they fell, others moved in to take their place, but Wakizaka pushed them aside. "Continue advancing! Throw out the grappling hooks!" he shouted.
When they were near enough admiral yi's ship, the Japanese soldiers hurled the hooks onto Yi's vessel. "Do not let them board! Cut the lines!" Some of the Chosun sailors attempted to cut the lines, many receiving gunshots. Now at such close quarters, both sides could see the faces of the enemy they shot at, the Japanese with guns, the Chosun with flaming arrows.
|
|
|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 6, 2004 23:53:47 GMT -5
Aboard his own vessel, Yi Young Nam was spurring on his soldiers. As he happened to glance over at the flagship, he felt a wave of horror pass through him when he saw that the admiral was in plain view of the enemy. "Jang Goon!" he shouted. Grabbing a nearby sailor by the shirt, he ordered, "Wedge our ship between theirs! Turn the ship to the left!"
"Huh? But we will strike the flagship!" the dumbstruck sailor stuttered.
"I said hook our ship onto the Japanese vessel!" Young Nam roared at him.
Occupied with keeping the wae nom at bay, Yi was taken completely by surprise when Young Nam's ship positioned itself between his own and Wakizaka's.
Raising his sword, Young Nam ordered grappling hooks to be thrown on the Japanese vessel. "Board the enemy vessel!" he shouted. Not even bothering to throw out the grappling hooks, some of the Chosun soldiers simply jumped aboard the enemy's ship, clotheslining several Japanese soldiers while in midair. Now fighting hand to hand, Chosun and Japanese wrestled with one another, some slashing with swords, others stabbing with spears. Cutting his way through the Japanese soldiers, Young Nam sighted Wakizaka and fought his way through scores of men, thinking only of the moment when he would drive his sword into his heart. When he neared the general, a group of soldiers encircled him, their spears ready to impale him. Wakizaka held up his hands, signalling for the other soldiers to back down. This one was a true warrior. It would bring him that much more honor to take his head. He slowly stepped down to Young Nam who assumed a defensive posture. Holding his scabbard, Wakizaka drew his sword and pointed it at Young Nam. Though Young Nam had always been a man of great strength, fighting so many soldiers had taken its toll on him and Wakizaka further wore him down. With a brutal slash, Wakizaka broke his sword in two.
From his ship the admiral could see Young Nam, armed now only with the broken remnant of his sword. Yi Soon Shin's heart stopped when he saw Wakizaka's sword cut into Young Nam's flesh. The young warrior fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his mouth and wounds. Looking up, he saw Wakizaka slowly raise his sword in preparation of the final blow. His eyes burning with rage, Young Nam summoned every last ounce of strength he possessed and charged Wakizaka.
"Yi Chum Sa!" the admiral shouted.
There was a sickening sound as the young officer impaled himself on the Japanese general's sword. The blade protruding from his back, Young Nam grabbed Wakizaka and attempted to lift him off the ground. This only drove his sword deeper into his chest. Caught completely off guard, Wakizaka tried again and again to drive his sword further into Young nam's body. Sputtering blood, Young Nam summoned the last ounce of strength left in him and with a final cry that was part anger and part triumph, he jumped over the side of the ship with Wakizaka in his arms.
Rushing over the the side of his boat, admiral Yi ordered his soldiers to find and retrieve Young Nam, who was floating face down in the sea, his blood clouding the water around him. "Throw out a line! Retrieve the general!" Pulling him back onto the keobukson, Yi held his officer in his arms.
"Admiral..." Young name sputtered weakly, "Why did you take the lead? It is too dangerous, you must turn the boats around...What are you all doing?!" Young Nam cried. "Lower the attack flag!"
In a heartbroken tone, Song Hui Rip got to his feet and cried, "Continue fighting! Wipe them all out! Attack!"
Young Nam's breath came in gasps as he struggled to shout his orders. Turning to the admiral, he struggled to speak. "Admiral, why...why did you take the lead position?"
Yi shook his head. "No. This is a fight that I must finish with my hands."
It was becoming difficult for Young Nam to breath. "Jang Goon..." he said weakly.
Yi gripped his officers head tightly in his hands and shouted, "Show strength, Yi Chumsa! Do not die on me!"
Young Nam fought to remain conscious. Looking at the admiral's face, his eyes filled with regret, as he whispered, "Admiral, do you know who I respected on this earth more than anyone else? It was you, Jang Goon. The person that I was the most proud of? It was you" His voice faltered for a moment. "I wanted more than anything to be like you.
Admiral Yi was barely able to contain his emotions. Shaking Young Nam he shouted at him, "Yi Chumsa, you jerk!"
Young Nam's voice cracked as he tried to keep back his tears. "Forgive me, Jang goon...forgive me for not being able to fight to the end with you!" The last part of his sentence trailed off as he began to lose consciousness.
"No, you are wrong!" Yi told him firmly. "Garipo commander Yi Young Nam, you were an outstanding soldier!" When Young Nam did not respond to his words, Yi began to take off his chain mail armor. Opening his eyes, Young nam saw what the admiral was doing and grabbed his shirt to stop him. Though dying, his grip was strong. "Jang Goon-" But before he could finish, what remained of his life slipped away.
The world around Yi Soon Shin went silent. The sounds of cannonfire and arrows hissing through the air faded away and all that was left was himself and Young Nam. Looking at his friend's face, his eyes staring sightlessly before him, Yi tried to fight back the tide of emotions that tore through him. In a futile gesture, the admiral threw his chain mail coat over his body as if there were still a life inside to protect. Gripping Young Nam's shoulders, he struggled against his tears. There was so much that he had left unsaid - how much he respected him, respected his unfailing loyalty and courage - but it was too late. He put a trembling hand out and closed Young Nam's eyes.
|
|
|
Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 7, 2004 0:30:40 GMT -5
Rage replacing his sadness, he stood up, the tears nearly spilling over his eyes. As he turned back to the battle, Nahl Bahl attempted to block his way but the admiral stepped aside and strode past him. "Look after Yi Chum sa," he told him. Drawing his sword, his composure now gone, Yi shouted in a broken voice, "SOUND THE DRUMS!! ATTACK!!!! KILL THE ENEMY DO NOT SPARE EVEN ONE!!!"
"The admiral is not wearing his armor! His armor!" one sailor shouted.
On his ship Woo chi juk was horrified to see the admiral shouting orders without his armor. "This is suicide!" he thought to himself. "Jang Goon!" he pleaded. "Put your armor on! Your armor!"
Kwon Joon felt his heart stop when he saw the admiral at the prow of his ship. "Must you take this path?" he asked the admiral silently.
The sky was growing light - a new day was dawning. "This sea wants my life as well," Yi thought. The sun began its golden ascent across the sky. Watching it, the admiral suddenly felt strangely at peace. "Such a radiant sun...absolutely brilliant." Looking by his feet, the admiral saw the war drumstick. Picking it up, he began to strike the war drum.
At the capital people Minister Yoon was still doing his utmost to convince the king that Yi Soon Shin harbored ambitions of usurping the throne. "Yi Soon Shin has committed a crime of utmost impiety against the king!"
Seeing the faces of all who had died under his command flash before him, Yi Soon Shin beat the drum harder, unable to see the Japanese soldier who was taking careful aim at his back...
|
|
|
Post by kevin sato on Mar 13, 2006 22:11:29 GMT -5
: ;D i have seen your show, i loved it please make another yi soon shin and the admiral im a please 2 see yi soon shin on tv
|
|