Post by mikey on Aug 16, 2004 11:39:21 GMT -5
Summary of AOW, Episode #141
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Note: I think this is a big fat spoiler for Chicago, so Windy City fans should continue at their own risk!
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Choi Choong-hon confronts Lotus, and demands to know why she advised the Crown Prince to have him killed. She says that he knows the answer better than she does, but CCH genuinely seems to have no idea.
She shakes her head, as if to indicate “you’re wrong,” and then tells him that he’ll never surrender power on his own accord, and that he’ll never strengthen Imperial authority and save the people from distress with his cause. The Emperor and the people may praise him now, she tells him, but soon everyone will see that his ”cause” is nothing but empty words. He’ll eventually resort to intimidation and violence to maintain the power he’s acquired, she says, and he’ll then have to be killed for the very same reason he was once forced to kill the Archfiend. Death by Imperial command is better than death by an overthrow, she tells him, and that’s why she advised the Crown Prince to destroy him.
CCH asks Lotus how she can say that all this will happen with such certainty, and she tells him that if he can’t renounce his ambitions, it will be unavoidable.
Some of CCH’s associates meet with Manjok. They feel bad for the beating that CCH had given Manjok, and they ask if he’d like to participate in a game of kyuk-ku, which will be held before the Emperor in a few days. He doesn’t say anything, but it appears that it sparks an idea in his mind.
CCH meets with his cousin In-woo (who was known for giving blunt advice). He asks his cousin if he, too, will someday become a villainous subject. In-woo assures him that his cause is just. CCH breathes a sigh of relief, saying that the world may mistrust him right now, but that he’s not ashamed of anything he’s done.
But, In-woo adds, power is something that can never be shared. Someday, he says, his cause will turn rotten, no matter how righteous it may be right now. He has seized power in the name of the people and the state, but if he wishes to preserve that power, the state will ultimately suffer.
CCH asks what he needs to do to avoid following the footsteps of villainous subjects like Yi Ui-bang, Chung Jung-bu, and Yi Ui-min. In-woo advises him to let go of the power he’s acquired. That’s the only way, he tells him. CCH sighs.
Manjok is addressing his slave troops. Their objective, he says, is not to get revenge upon their masters. It is to rise up and be treated like human beings. Since the 1170 rebellion, he reminds them, men of modest origins were leading the empire. Illiterate men like themselves had once led the regime: Chung Jung-bu was born a peasant, and Ui-min was the lowly son of a salt merchant. “Kings and Lords do not come from a different breed,” he tells them (the narrator comments here that this was a slogan dating back to the Qin dynasty, and had been repeated in many peasant rebellions).
Manjok meets later with his immediate subordinates. He shows them a yellow paper sheet with a “T” shaped character drawn upon it. It is the identification they will all use to ensure that they know who the other rebellious slaves are during the uprising (I’m not sure exactly what the T-character was – I couldn’t find it in my Kanji dictionary – and I’m wondering if it was nothing more than a T-shaped marking. Manjok, after all, was probably illiterate). Manjok informs them that the rebellion will take place on the day of the kyuk-ku match, since the Emperor, Crown Prince, CCH, and high court officials will all be present. They will assemble at the Heunguk temple that morning, he tells them, and then march to the kyuk-ku field, where they will then kill everyone there. Then, he tells them, they’ll kill their masters, and then destroy their slave ownership papers. He cautions them to keep this information absolutely secret!
Jaunson’s chubby little slave was among those hearing Manjok’s rousing address (though he was not present for the later staff meeting). He reports everything he knows to Jaunson (and presents him with one of the yellow “T” identification papers) and she rewards him with an ornate box obviously containing something of great value (silver?). She promises him that he’ll get his freedom once the slave rebellion is crushed.
Elsewhere, the court officials have gathered, and they all were in agreement that a tax increase is necessary to pay their salaries. CCH is present during the proceedings, and he’s quietly fuming during the discussion. When CCH is finally asked his opinion, he explodes that the current court is no different than the old one was, and he storms out of the assembly room. Outside, he mumbles that he expected more from them, but that they’re proving to be just as bad as the old Central Committee used to be.
Just then, CCH receives an urgent message: a slave rebellion is planned. And, who else but Jaunson would be the one with all the information. She tells CCH that he ignored her advice last time (because of his personal feelings towards Manjok and Lotus) but that this time she comes as a loyal subject, to present important evidence to the proper authorities.
CCH dispatches troops to arrest Soon-jung, one of Manjok’s top Lieutenants. Under torture, he says nothing, but the slave’s will begins to break when CCH shows him the “T” identification paper, and tells him that they already know everything. CCH tells him that the slaves who blindly followed will be spared if he talks, but that all of them will be killed if he doesn’t. After a few hours of thought, Soon-jung talks.
That evening, CCH has one final conversation with Manjok – as if to give him a chance to confess. Manjok admits to nothing, though, and CCH allows him to leave.
Next morning is the kyuk-ku match, and Manjok is massing his troops at the temple. One of CCH’s informants arrives at the match, and tells CCH that the rebellious slaves are gathering for the rebellion – and that Manjok is leading them. CCH orders the army to go and wipe them out. The slaves fight well, but are outnumbered, and only Manjok and a handful of surviving slaves manage to escape the Imperial troops.
Jaunson’s fat little slave, by the way, covers his face with somebody else’s blood during the battle, and then fakes death to save his own skin.
The kyuk-ku match ends without incident, and CCH learns that Manjok and a few of his followers escaped the troops, so he heads off with some of his generals to finish the job. But, on the way, CCH is stopped by Lotus. She begs him to spare Manjok’s life, telling him that if he does so, she’ll return to him and serve him. Her offer only seems, however, to infuriate him!
*
*
Note: I think this is a big fat spoiler for Chicago, so Windy City fans should continue at their own risk!
*
*
*
*
Choi Choong-hon confronts Lotus, and demands to know why she advised the Crown Prince to have him killed. She says that he knows the answer better than she does, but CCH genuinely seems to have no idea.
She shakes her head, as if to indicate “you’re wrong,” and then tells him that he’ll never surrender power on his own accord, and that he’ll never strengthen Imperial authority and save the people from distress with his cause. The Emperor and the people may praise him now, she tells him, but soon everyone will see that his ”cause” is nothing but empty words. He’ll eventually resort to intimidation and violence to maintain the power he’s acquired, she says, and he’ll then have to be killed for the very same reason he was once forced to kill the Archfiend. Death by Imperial command is better than death by an overthrow, she tells him, and that’s why she advised the Crown Prince to destroy him.
CCH asks Lotus how she can say that all this will happen with such certainty, and she tells him that if he can’t renounce his ambitions, it will be unavoidable.
Some of CCH’s associates meet with Manjok. They feel bad for the beating that CCH had given Manjok, and they ask if he’d like to participate in a game of kyuk-ku, which will be held before the Emperor in a few days. He doesn’t say anything, but it appears that it sparks an idea in his mind.
CCH meets with his cousin In-woo (who was known for giving blunt advice). He asks his cousin if he, too, will someday become a villainous subject. In-woo assures him that his cause is just. CCH breathes a sigh of relief, saying that the world may mistrust him right now, but that he’s not ashamed of anything he’s done.
But, In-woo adds, power is something that can never be shared. Someday, he says, his cause will turn rotten, no matter how righteous it may be right now. He has seized power in the name of the people and the state, but if he wishes to preserve that power, the state will ultimately suffer.
CCH asks what he needs to do to avoid following the footsteps of villainous subjects like Yi Ui-bang, Chung Jung-bu, and Yi Ui-min. In-woo advises him to let go of the power he’s acquired. That’s the only way, he tells him. CCH sighs.
Manjok is addressing his slave troops. Their objective, he says, is not to get revenge upon their masters. It is to rise up and be treated like human beings. Since the 1170 rebellion, he reminds them, men of modest origins were leading the empire. Illiterate men like themselves had once led the regime: Chung Jung-bu was born a peasant, and Ui-min was the lowly son of a salt merchant. “Kings and Lords do not come from a different breed,” he tells them (the narrator comments here that this was a slogan dating back to the Qin dynasty, and had been repeated in many peasant rebellions).
Manjok meets later with his immediate subordinates. He shows them a yellow paper sheet with a “T” shaped character drawn upon it. It is the identification they will all use to ensure that they know who the other rebellious slaves are during the uprising (I’m not sure exactly what the T-character was – I couldn’t find it in my Kanji dictionary – and I’m wondering if it was nothing more than a T-shaped marking. Manjok, after all, was probably illiterate). Manjok informs them that the rebellion will take place on the day of the kyuk-ku match, since the Emperor, Crown Prince, CCH, and high court officials will all be present. They will assemble at the Heunguk temple that morning, he tells them, and then march to the kyuk-ku field, where they will then kill everyone there. Then, he tells them, they’ll kill their masters, and then destroy their slave ownership papers. He cautions them to keep this information absolutely secret!
Jaunson’s chubby little slave was among those hearing Manjok’s rousing address (though he was not present for the later staff meeting). He reports everything he knows to Jaunson (and presents him with one of the yellow “T” identification papers) and she rewards him with an ornate box obviously containing something of great value (silver?). She promises him that he’ll get his freedom once the slave rebellion is crushed.
Elsewhere, the court officials have gathered, and they all were in agreement that a tax increase is necessary to pay their salaries. CCH is present during the proceedings, and he’s quietly fuming during the discussion. When CCH is finally asked his opinion, he explodes that the current court is no different than the old one was, and he storms out of the assembly room. Outside, he mumbles that he expected more from them, but that they’re proving to be just as bad as the old Central Committee used to be.
Just then, CCH receives an urgent message: a slave rebellion is planned. And, who else but Jaunson would be the one with all the information. She tells CCH that he ignored her advice last time (because of his personal feelings towards Manjok and Lotus) but that this time she comes as a loyal subject, to present important evidence to the proper authorities.
CCH dispatches troops to arrest Soon-jung, one of Manjok’s top Lieutenants. Under torture, he says nothing, but the slave’s will begins to break when CCH shows him the “T” identification paper, and tells him that they already know everything. CCH tells him that the slaves who blindly followed will be spared if he talks, but that all of them will be killed if he doesn’t. After a few hours of thought, Soon-jung talks.
That evening, CCH has one final conversation with Manjok – as if to give him a chance to confess. Manjok admits to nothing, though, and CCH allows him to leave.
Next morning is the kyuk-ku match, and Manjok is massing his troops at the temple. One of CCH’s informants arrives at the match, and tells CCH that the rebellious slaves are gathering for the rebellion – and that Manjok is leading them. CCH orders the army to go and wipe them out. The slaves fight well, but are outnumbered, and only Manjok and a handful of surviving slaves manage to escape the Imperial troops.
Jaunson’s fat little slave, by the way, covers his face with somebody else’s blood during the battle, and then fakes death to save his own skin.
The kyuk-ku match ends without incident, and CCH learns that Manjok and a few of his followers escaped the troops, so he heads off with some of his generals to finish the job. But, on the way, CCH is stopped by Lotus. She begs him to spare Manjok’s life, telling him that if he does so, she’ll return to him and serve him. Her offer only seems, however, to infuriate him!