Warriors Narration ep 158

[Chung Kyun]

35 years after the tempestuous Myochang revolt, years of neglect of meritorious service and anti-military discrimination finally took their toll in 1170.
Yi Ui-bang, Yi Ko, Che Won and military leader Chung Jung-bu instigated an uprising at Boje Temple slaughtering countless civil officials and seizing control of the state.

Yi Ui-bang deposed Ui-jong and brought Myong-jong to the throne, then killed the comrades of the coup Yi Ko and Che Won to seize absolute control.
Yi Ui-bang married his daughter to the crown prince abusing his new found power. And in the process of suppressing Kim Bodang's rebellion to restore Ui-jong to the throne, he sent Yi Ui-min to the deposed king and murdered him.
Ui-jong death created resistance in the government and Yi Ui-bang was killed by Chung Kyun, the son of his political rival Chung Jung-bu.

With Political inqenuity, Chung Jung-bu restored ui-jong to the throne posthumously and quickly arose to power suppressing numerous peasant rebellions including Mangi and Mangsoi's revolt.
Rising to the seat of the Imperial Guardian at the age of seventy, Chung displayed obsession for political power by acquiring the imperial cane to be exempted from mandatory resignation.
But corruption and tyranny of Chung rule would soon reach its peak with his son Chung- Kyun's high handed demand to make marital ties with the imperial house and his son-in-law Song Yu-in's amassing of fortune through trafficking of government posts.

[Chung Kyun]

Enraged by Chung Jung-bu and his son's tyranny, 26 year old young general Kyung Dae-seung would infiltrate the palace with an army of thirty men killing Chung Jung-bu, his son and his son-in-law.
Kyung Dae-seung was an incorruptible man of pure heart and clean hands who had returned the family land to local peasants upon his father Kyung Jin's death.
His refusal to rise to position of power after the uprising earned him more respect and admiration of the people
Kyung shwed hostility toward Yi Ui-min out of loyalty to restore the legitimacy of the imperial line, and announced intent to restore the political state of the regime to the pre-1170 rebellion era.
But Emperor Myong-jong who had been brought to the throne by the 1170 rebellion repeatedly turned him away and made an enemy of him.
Having failed to win the Emperor's trust, Kyung would succumb to an illness and die a tragic death atthe age of thirty, and Myong-jong would lose his golden opportunity to restore civilian rule.

Kyung's sudden death provided an opening for Yi Ui-min who had been driven back to sarabul by Kyung to make a return to the imperial city and capture control of the state.
Born between a peasant salt merchant father and a temple servant mother, Yi Ui-min would rise to become the first peasant in Koryo's history to hold the reins of power.
However, Yi could not completely break free of the shackles of his background and erase the stigma of having murdered an emperor.
He grew increasingly cruel and despotic overtime, and it is said Yi was a skilled fighter of violent nature who holds the record for number of kills during the 1170 rebellion.
Taking after their father, two of Yi's sons Ji-yong and Ji-kwang were known as the "Evil Duo" for their violence and cruelty.
His eldest son Yi Ji-soon's involvement in Kim Sami's rebellion suggested Yi Ui-min's secret involvement in the movement to restore Shilla and perhaps his ambition to take the throne for himself.
But Yi Ui-min was brought down by Choi Choong-hon and Choi Choong-su brother's surprise attack, and his three sons and close aids were removed as well.

[Chung Kyun]

Choi Choong-hon, Yi Ui-bang, Chung Jung-bu and Yi Ui-min...
Why were these powerful warriors who possessed power to remove and install an emperor hesitant to rise to the throne themselves?

why did Choi Choong-hon inparticular, who had deposed two emperors and built a personal dictatorship that endured for four generations, refuse to crown himself King and establish a new regime?

The military rulers had the power to ruthlessly eliminate their rivals, but lacked diplomacy and administrative ability to lead an empire.
Each of them seized power in the name of the people, but preservation of power, fame and wealth became their priority once control of the state was theirs.
They tried to enhance their power by intermarriage with the royal house, and maintained friendly relations with the existing aristocracy.
Instead of taking a progressive stance in international affairs, they focused on thei relationship with the imperial house of Jin.

These choices of action of military rulers are incontrast to the decision of Yi Song-gae, the founder of subsequent dynasty Chosun.
Yi Song-gae joined forces with rising avant- garde officials and acquired full public support by almost copletely eliminating the old order which was dominated by the nobility, Yuan supporters and chose the rising power of Ming as his ally.
These decisions made founding of the new empire possible.

The Age of warrior teaches us that absolute power corrupts absolutely when it is not supported by the people.
The military revolt of 1170 had triggered and inspired a chain of uprisings including Mangi, Mangsoi brothers rebellion, and Koryo's first slave liberation movement Manjok's rebellion.
These popular uprisings and upyielding resistance against repressive powers later proved to be valuable force behind Koryo's fifty year resistance against the world power during the Mongolian invasion, in which Koryo displayed unique determination for preservation of independence and free will.

The age of warriors was a bleak time in Korean history, but it was an important period that demonstrated the power of the common people.

Thank you for watching
"The Age of Warriors" ;D

[stopkillinganimals]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write this out - it was like revisiting the whole series!

May Admiral Yi be as entertaining for all of us.

[Eowyn]

Yes, thanks so much Chung Kyun!

[Judge jugi]

i must make a correction though. Kyung Dae-seung was poisoned by his right handy man. So he did not die from illness.

[luvarchfiend]

if i am not mistaken, this is how the writers of aow chose to do the death of kds, not the actual historical facts, which is what chung kyun has posted here, as told by the narrator.

[Andrea FinziContini de Savoy]

Your Grace is immeasurable Imperial Guardian Wang Chung Kyun

[iapdog3000]

I just read the narration today. My question is about that conflict between the Yuan and the Ming. What was the controversy about them anyway? How di Yi Song-gye know about it?

[Chung Kyun]

no problem friends, just wanted to share the stuff that didn't get shown.

oh and to Judge jugi let me correct you.
it was part of the drama to make lt. kim poisen him but in real history he died of an illness out of nowhere.

oh Andrea como va?
long time no see! you were deposed or something?
well it's still nice to see your still here friend.

iapdog the Ming wanted the Mongols out ( Yuan dynasty) to make there own dynasty.
the koryo king send yi to crush the ming to help the mongols, but he was anti-mongol and wanted to form a dynasty. with the Yaun dyansty out it would be easier for him to start his own dynasty and pick ming as a ally. as the yuan wouldn't be to happy to see the koryo dynasty fall, as it was on there control.
Ming as a new dynasty and also chosun founded by a person who took out the dynasty who supported the yuan was just perfect for a friendship.

[ID]

god, chung kyun. this is great how did you get a hold of this? but anyways, this is great. thanks alot.