Post by ajk on Apr 26, 2013 23:52:33 GMT -5
"The movement has been disbanded." Doink! Yushin turns and looks at a smiling Chunchu, seemingly unable to even grasp the news. Bidam is shocked as well. Standing there holding the ceremonial sword that QSD has just given him, Yushin just acknowledged that he's still considered a "criminal" for his Gayan loyalty, but now if there's no more Gayan separatist movement...problem solved? Not sure...but whatever, give the queen credit for handing the job to the man she wants for it, even in the face of all of the whining and criticism. And now Alcheon runs in with news that Wolya is waiting outside.
Yeah, he's out there, along with his elite Gayan officers. The council meeting seems to have reconvened outside the hall--or else everybody from the meeting just wants to see what's going on, can you blame them. Wolya steps forward and presents QSD with a book--a book that lists all of the separatist movement members! Wow, what a piece of dynamite. Then he kneels before her, and all of his men do the same. Acknowledges "misdeeds" and promises "unyielding fealty" to her. Then, before anybody in the council can get the objections going, she announces that the Gayan citizen roster has been destroyed (we saw her do that) and that no further official record of Gayan ancestry exists. So it's no longer a governmental distinction. She also announces the release of all imprisoned separatists. Then she takes the book Wolya gave her and tosses it into a nearby cauldron. Everyone watches it burn, with a full range of emotions on display depending on who you look at. "There is no Gaya now," she announces; we're all "fellow compatriots." She exhorts the Gayans to "Stake your life to fight and bring your own salvation, and rescue this nation, the one which will harbor your descendants for generations to come." Wolya says they'll do it. Awesome work by Chunchu to secure this kind of cooperation from recent separatists.
"If that is truly what you think, you're not as clever as I envisioned." Hey, that's not very nice...Yushin is answering Bidam's suggestion that QSD put her life at risk just for Yushin's sake. Not true, but still, don't say mean things...Anyway, now they're trying to understand the seemingly impossible speed that the Baekje troops have been showing in their battlefield movements. Yushin wonders why Bidam is trying to help him with this: "I'm sure you wouldn't wish me to achieve any meritorious service." Ouch...but Bidam is surprisingly honest. "Of course, it's certainly not what I would wish to see." BUT, he adds, "Should I say that I despise the thought of you failing even more?" To his credit, he admits that for the country's sake, "you must triumph, Yushin."
Godo, Daepoong, Geoksaheun and Yanggil are in a room studying war plans and maps. Jukbang comes in and silently passes out what look like little wood blocks. Good luck charms, he tells them. To keep them safe from arrows and swords. "You must return alive," he tells them somberly. Looking out for his pals however he can.
Yushin addresses the gathered troops, exhorting them to rescue the nation. They're full of excitement and screaming with enthusiasm--much more than when we saw Seolwon leading them. Their commander is back and it's given them lots of extra confidence.
On their way to battle, the Yushin army encounters other Shillan troops returning from the front. Not a pretty sight--they took a real thrashing and you can see it in the casualties.
Another state council meeting: There's one last defense line left in Amnyang, we learn...and if that falls, the Baekjeans are within a day of Seorabeol. The frightened commissioners want a backup plan. Now Bidam walks in carrying a scroll. His advice? Evacuate the palace. Get the queen out of there, at least. She unwraps the scroll and studies a plan that the inspectorate drew up for a secret emergency palace in Yulpo Prefecture (modern-day Ulsan). "Let us move all the offices," he tells everyone present, "and escort you there." At the same time, the inspectorate would try to protect Seorabeol. Well...it's the kind of contingency plan a government should have, so give Bidam credit for drawing it up...but evacuating the queen from the capital is such a powerful gesture, it would have huge repercussions. Yongchun and Seohyeon oppose the idea, while Misaeng and Hajong support it. Now everybody's speaking up at the same time...and hey, there's the queen's headache again.
The Shillans have set up camp in Amnyang. Jujin is briefing Yushin on the Shillans' latest defeat and the seemingly impossible speeds of their mobile units. It's their leader, Jujin is convinced--the guy wearing the red. He's making this all happen somehow.
And now Seolji is hearing wild stories from wounded Shillans. Baekjeans vanishing from in front of them and then reappearing behind them. Ghosts, they must be! "Ghosts with crimson helmets." And these don't look like rookie soldiers either. They're really spooked.
No more calling anybody "ghosts," Yushin tells Jujin; it's just scaring people needlessly. "Warfare is made by people alone," he insists. Good for him for trying to be the voice of reason. But as Wolya says (he's here too), these mobile units, something explains their speed; what is it? Guess what, now they'll get their chance to find out, because here comes Imjong with news that a Baekje mobile unit has shown up in the area. Godo has set up a defense line, Imjong reports.
Good grief, what is that guy wearing? Here comes a squad of Baekjeans on horseback, obviously the mobile unit. The guy leading the charge, he's wearing a crimson helmet with a huge facemask designed like a bird of prey in flight. As they head into a ravine, Godo and a Shillan unit are watching from higher ground. This is the "red helm" guy, we learn. Suddenly a hidden fence is pulled up with ropes, blocking the unit's progress. Godo stands up and throws a giant boulder that knocks a Baekjean off his horse and narrowly misses the red guy. Dozens more boulders rain down on the unit, knocking one Baekjean after another off his horse (but not hurting any of the horses, improbably enough). Then logs tied to ropes are swing down on them, and more boulders tied to overhanging trees are dropped with ropes and start bonking Baekjeans squarely on their heads. Gotta love gravity! Other ropes spring up and entangle the unit, keeping their horses from moving away easily. Unfortunately they do manage to regroup, and flee from the ravine before the now-charging Shillans can reach them. Didn't seal the exit, unfortunately...but that wasn't their order, as Godo tells the men. We're not going to follow them, we're supposed to maintain this defense line and that's what we'll do. (Not one single arrow? Really? The red guy was a sitting duck. Ugh.)
And yes, that is what Yushin wants, as he tells Wolya. No sense in trying to chase them; we have to figure out what's making them so fast.
But wait a minute...the Shillan troops now standing in the ravine after their encounter are stunned to see Baekje troops galloping towards them on horseback--from the opposite direction! Led by the guy with the red face mask...or at least, ONE guy with a red face mask. It couldn't be that obvious, could it? Hmmm...Either way, before they know it the Baekjeans are in the middle of the Shillans, carving them up with their swords (as we wonder why the Shillans don't simply scramble back up the ravine to the higher ground! UGH). But now some of the Baekjeans have dismounted and are fighting hand-to-hand combat--where the Shillans are better (Geez, none of these guys are exactly geniuses, are they now) and the Shillans are taking advantage. Now the red guy dismounts and starts fighting--and he is better than his countrymen. Much, much better. Killing Shillans left and right. So Godo grabs a big log and charges him, swings it at him repeatedly, and they locks him up with opposite ends of the log. They wrestle for control of it...and then, incredibly, the red guy gets control and knocks Godo down! Geez, he's not as big as Godo either. Quite the feat of strength. An amazed, stunned Godo looks on as the guy drops the low, grabs his sword again and starts killing more Shillans. And now we hear the defense line is crumbling and a retreat is necessary.
Back in Seorabeol, Seohyeon and Yongchun are lobbying the queen to stay home and not evacuate. Manmyeong is there too, and suggests that maybe this is all a ploy by Bidam and his allies. Which, as the queen acknowledges, it could be...but that's beside the point. Still, she says she won't abandon her people in the capital.
Misaeng, Hajong, Bojong and Yeom Jong are discussing it and still favoring flight. Hajong sees this as an opportunity, if Yushin fails, for Bidam to return to Seorabeol and get complete military authority. He's positively giddy about that...but kind of a weasely thing to be scheming about with the country in danger. Even Misaeng and Bojong think he's going too far and scold him for it. Bidam has come into the room and the conversation stops, but he heard some of it on the way in and sternly tells Hajong he has no intention of taking advantage of the present situation. But why does the guy look so downcast? Guess things just aren't going his way.
Go hide, Chunchu tells the queen; I'll stay here. But she tells him just the opposite--you go and I'll stay; I can't let the people feel like I let them down by abandoning them. If you're safe, she tells him, that's enough for the nation. She's not leaving.
Oh no, it's Santak the Annoying chief guard! Tells Bidam the queen wants to see him.
"I shall not leave." Take Chunchu to the secret palace, the queen tells Bidam; I'm staying. But he says he won't separate them. Like he's just going to defy a royal order? Not likely. He wonders if she doesn't trust him--she denies it--and then he starts going on about him causing his mother's death (What?!). "For your sake." (What?!) And she asks him, "Do you resent me for that?" (What?!) Now he's thinking back to his early encounters with her, and particularly in Episode 22 when he turned her over as a prisoner to Seolwon for some medicines, and how she forgave him for doing so when no one else would (read: Munno). Now he's going on and on about how she's always supported him in the past...so why not now? I'm being sincere! he says, raising his voice to the point of screaming at the queen (WAY out of line! And for that matter why does he continue to report to her? That's not his assignment any more). "You no longer consider me sincere?" She says nothing and only stares straight ahead. Her silence says it all. A tear falls from his eye, and he stands up and leaves without a word.
By herself, the queen thinks back to her history with Bidam...lots of little flashbacks of the two of them from throughout the series....They encourage her to at least take another look at the plan document he left behind.
Back at the Shillan camp: Godo took a bloody gash to the shoulder and is treating it. Yushin arrives to check on him. He'll be okay; looks like his pride is wounded more than anything. "I was no match for him," he says with shame, about the red guy. Relates what happened about the impossibly sudden attack from the opposite direction.
Now Yushin and his war council are trying to figure it out: the mobile unit would have had to go around an entire mountain pass at impossible speed to pull it off. Yushin doesn't believe that's what's going on; thinks they simply hide somewhere nearby...We'll lure them back out and get them in the nearby valley, he says. Entrusts the luring part to Bakui, who apparently is a good rider, and sets up an ambush plan. There are mud fields nearby--is he going to lure them there to slow them down? "No." The abrupt answer surprises everyone else--and not in a good way. Seems like an obvious good thing to try. Maybe Yushin smells a trap or something. Everyone is dispatched...
...but Wolya follows after Yushin and complains about his Gayans not getting an assignment. Patience, Yushin answers; there will be a moment when we'll need you desperately to seize control. That will be your moment. He's got a big idea cooking, clearly.
Okay, well, Bakui has led a unit into the woods. And right on cue, here comes the red guy and the mobile unit. The Shillans turn and flee, with the Baekjeans in hot pursuit...yuk it's a muddy track today and the Baekjeans have to slop through it. The Shillans head right to Yushin and company at the ambush point...but with no Baekjeans! They must have turned around, Bakui tells Yushin, because there's no sign of them anymore. But now here comes the red guy and the mobile unit form the opposite direction...or at least, ONE red guy and ONE mobile unit. And just like last time, the Shillans just stand there confused as the unit charges right into their ranks and starts swinging swords and killing them. Duh...Fortunately Yushin has the sense to quickly order a withdrawal, and his men scramble back into the trees.
Later, looking at maps, the Shillans realize that the mobile unit is moving even faster than previously estimated. There doesn't seem to be any way at all to defend against it. Big problem, to put it mildly. Oh, and by the way, what happened to Bakui? He's not back yet.
Nighttime, Baekje army camp: Hey, the red guy--it's Gyebaek! He takes off his helmet and that's him. Not only that, he got a look at Yushin commanding the Shillans and recognized him as the infiltrator from before. Gyebaek knows that catching the enemy's chief general would be a big prize. The Baekjeans also have intelligence reports that the queen hasn't left Seorabeol yet. "Quite valorous for a slattern," Gyebaek comments...translation issues aside, not very nice. Anyway, he's asked about when he plans to engage the Yushin army, and he gives a very sensible answer: "Unless they find the truth about our secret [speed], the Shilla army will continue to be afflicted by confusion." Meaning, no need to face them head on--not yet anyways. And the next time they see us, he says, they'll see even more speed than before. "And I will get rid of Yushin once and for all."
Bakui finally made it back to camp. Remember the muddy track from before, when we saw the mobile unit going through it? That was the mud-field area we heard about earlier. Bakui went to check it out and verified that, yeah, it's a muddy mess and the Baekjeans went right through it. So what? Hmmm...Yushin thinks back and realizes that the mobile unit that attacked him and his men, no mud on those guys! Good for you, Yushin...How could we let them dupe us?, he wonders. "With such preposterous subterfuges?" He actually laughs a little.
Back at the Baekje camp: Gyebaek has a twin. Until the red mask comes off. A guy named Commander Gabaek. He looks at Gyebaek and they share a laugh. That's it--the big secret weapon. Matching suits and masks.
"We were dealing with a dual unit." Yushin has called a war council and explained what none of the other rocket scientists had figured out. That's how they made it look like the unit could move so quickly, he tells them. They all bang their fists on the table and groan out loud (arguably the funniest moment of the series). All a scam to rattle the Shillan troops and wreck their morale. Now we know, he says, so we can defeat it. He orders Jujin to take troops and go mess up the Baekje supply line along a specific path, and then attack the enemy camp. But that's just where one of the mobile units is likely to be hiding right now, isn't it? "That unit will not move." Yushin is certain. "While one unit is on the move, the other must be still, if they want to create the illusion. Until their secret is revealed, they will not move." Then he tells Imjong, "From here on in, you will become me." Turnabout is fair play, huh? Then he tells Wolya, Now we're ready for you.
Seorabeol: Evening, and the queen is looking into a reflecting pool. She doesn't look good. Tired, red-eyed, listless. A somber, bitter-looking Bidam approaches and asks her if she's made a decision. But her mind is elsewhere. "One day," she tells him out of nowhere, "suddenly everything changed." She talks about all of the drama and difficulty about becoming a princess and rising to the throne, and all of the people who fought for or against her and even died doing so. And who saw her as royalty and treated her as royalty...But you showed up--"You plainly addressed me. And I told you to continue doing so. You were the last one who treated me like my old self. And that is why our relationship never really changed." I always appreciated that, she tells him. But that can't continue, she says; "For I have no name" beyond "Her Majesty", as in, being too friendly with the ruler can be considered disrespectful to the point of treason. And so now, she tells him, you're "nothing more than an influential subject of mine." And on top of that, "I must always suspect and speculate on whether you will become..." wait for it..."another Mishil." The very thought of it brings a tear to her eye. As he reaches out and touches her shoulder, she turns and tells him, "Do you even realize how much I wish to trust you, and rely upon you? Do you?" Nothing more is said between them, and eventually Bidam leaves her to her loneliness.
But later, she manages to find him praying in his mother's shrine. Apparently she did have more to say. "You must stay by my side," she tells him. The old Bidam, who would smile and be friendly with her and treat her like a friend, you're the only one who thinks of me as a person--as a woman. I love that." But can I really allow myself that, he tells her. He reaches out and touches her shoulder and turns her toward him, and hugs her. A full hug, with both hands. And she hugs him back. And it seems to perk her up a little.
Next day: State council meeting. The queen comes in and things start off with an order. What's this about? She opens a scroll and starts reading aloud: "I hereby deprive Lord Yongchun of his title of Senior Advisor..." What!? Yongchun is stunned, as we all are; what did he do to deserve a demotion? "...and proclaim Commissioner Bidam in his stead." What??!! Now Bidam is stunned. Chunchu is visibly shaken. "As long as hostilities continue," she goes on, "all troops led by Lord Jujin, Lord Sueulbu, Lord Ho Jae, Lord Wang Yun and Lord Seon Yul shall all be transferred under his command." Why, because he's some expert military strategist? What the bleep has gotten into her? She puts down the scroll and adds that she and Bidam will stay in Seorabeol--"to encourage the troops, resist the enemy and rescue our nation."
"My apologies, Lord Yongchun." Later, in private, actually Chunchu is there too, she apologizes to Yongchun. He's gracious about it, citing wartime needs (Same question! Bidam has no training in this stuff) but he doesn't seem happy. And Chunchu, well, definitely not happy. He asks her point-blank: "Does Your Majesty really trust Bidam?" Yes, she answers, I do. "Neither Bidam nor Yushin shall be abandoned, and I will go on without giving up on them." And adds, believing she knows what Chunchu will say next, "Before you consider any 'state of things,' (which is what he very well might have said--he's said it before), you must be prepared to embrace someone." Yeah, you loser, get somebody to hug you or you just won't understand life. Good grief.
The cabal is discussing this bombshell...and isn't as giddy about it as we expect. Misaeng sees it as a very crafty move by the queen, actually. It will help "to quell Bidam's anxiety," he thinks, and by consolidating the nobles' troops it allows for better oversight over the nobles.
But those nobles, are they happy about it? We see them in a group talking about it. No, they're not happy...but they're not all that unhappy either. Considering the war situation, they're willing to go along with it--but they'll keep an eye on how things are going.
Bidam is back in his mother's shrine. Wearing a purple councilor's robe now. Thinking about advice his mother had given him, "about my gaining a country to possess someone" and "that love means taking without reserve." He's decided "I will try not to do that, now. I will not take away, but give. I will not gain, but give up, and achieve something together." Is he rejecting her advice? Sounds like it.
Baekje camp: Gyebaek and his council are planning strategy. An attack, specifically, though a valley that presents an ambush risk. But Gyebaek says the Shillans would never ambush there; it's too difficult a location for them to reach securely. So the attack is on. "We shall penetrate through the Amnyang defense line, and capture Yushin."
Suddenly we're thrown into the middle of a battle between the opposing armies, or at least parts of them, right out there in the middle of a grassy field. It's hand-to-hand and the Shillans are doing well with their swords...but wait, the red guy is there and he's the one exception. Not Gyebaek, the other red guy. Maybe not as good a fighter as Gyebaek, but very good. The guy spots who he thinks is Yushin in the middle of the chaos, and orders a withdrawal, thinking he's going to lure Yushin into a trap. But it's Imjong wearing Yushin's uniform, or else a duplicate of it. Playing along, Imjong orders his troops to pursue. Shouts of "The Chief Marshal shall trail them!" help sell the ruse.
A messenger reaches Gyebaek and his mobile unit and reports, "Chief Marshal Kim Yushin is trailing Commander Gabaek, and they're headed for Chilmijae." Exactly as planned, Gyebaek says; "We shall now hit the Shilla encampment." Gyebaek puts on the red mask, and his army heads out.
Shillan army camp at Amnyang: Nighttime, and we see the Baekjeans silently sneaking around and through the camp. Undetected and unimpeded. Really? Sensing nothing out of the ordinary at his army walking right into an unguarded enemy camp (Which is beyond idiotic, have to say), Gyebaek and his men stroll right in on horseback as his soldiers surround all of the officers' tents. Ropes are quietly attached, then the tents are suddenly pulled down in one sudden collective motion...and the tents are empty. Nobody home! Before they can even realize they've been tricked, flaming arrows suddenly start falling from the sky. The Shillans were waiting at a safe distance, and now the Baekjeans are easy pickins. As the arrows continue, Yushin leads his men forward. "Annihilate the Baekje army!!"
Yeah, he's out there, along with his elite Gayan officers. The council meeting seems to have reconvened outside the hall--or else everybody from the meeting just wants to see what's going on, can you blame them. Wolya steps forward and presents QSD with a book--a book that lists all of the separatist movement members! Wow, what a piece of dynamite. Then he kneels before her, and all of his men do the same. Acknowledges "misdeeds" and promises "unyielding fealty" to her. Then, before anybody in the council can get the objections going, she announces that the Gayan citizen roster has been destroyed (we saw her do that) and that no further official record of Gayan ancestry exists. So it's no longer a governmental distinction. She also announces the release of all imprisoned separatists. Then she takes the book Wolya gave her and tosses it into a nearby cauldron. Everyone watches it burn, with a full range of emotions on display depending on who you look at. "There is no Gaya now," she announces; we're all "fellow compatriots." She exhorts the Gayans to "Stake your life to fight and bring your own salvation, and rescue this nation, the one which will harbor your descendants for generations to come." Wolya says they'll do it. Awesome work by Chunchu to secure this kind of cooperation from recent separatists.
"If that is truly what you think, you're not as clever as I envisioned." Hey, that's not very nice...Yushin is answering Bidam's suggestion that QSD put her life at risk just for Yushin's sake. Not true, but still, don't say mean things...Anyway, now they're trying to understand the seemingly impossible speed that the Baekje troops have been showing in their battlefield movements. Yushin wonders why Bidam is trying to help him with this: "I'm sure you wouldn't wish me to achieve any meritorious service." Ouch...but Bidam is surprisingly honest. "Of course, it's certainly not what I would wish to see." BUT, he adds, "Should I say that I despise the thought of you failing even more?" To his credit, he admits that for the country's sake, "you must triumph, Yushin."
Godo, Daepoong, Geoksaheun and Yanggil are in a room studying war plans and maps. Jukbang comes in and silently passes out what look like little wood blocks. Good luck charms, he tells them. To keep them safe from arrows and swords. "You must return alive," he tells them somberly. Looking out for his pals however he can.
Yushin addresses the gathered troops, exhorting them to rescue the nation. They're full of excitement and screaming with enthusiasm--much more than when we saw Seolwon leading them. Their commander is back and it's given them lots of extra confidence.
On their way to battle, the Yushin army encounters other Shillan troops returning from the front. Not a pretty sight--they took a real thrashing and you can see it in the casualties.
Another state council meeting: There's one last defense line left in Amnyang, we learn...and if that falls, the Baekjeans are within a day of Seorabeol. The frightened commissioners want a backup plan. Now Bidam walks in carrying a scroll. His advice? Evacuate the palace. Get the queen out of there, at least. She unwraps the scroll and studies a plan that the inspectorate drew up for a secret emergency palace in Yulpo Prefecture (modern-day Ulsan). "Let us move all the offices," he tells everyone present, "and escort you there." At the same time, the inspectorate would try to protect Seorabeol. Well...it's the kind of contingency plan a government should have, so give Bidam credit for drawing it up...but evacuating the queen from the capital is such a powerful gesture, it would have huge repercussions. Yongchun and Seohyeon oppose the idea, while Misaeng and Hajong support it. Now everybody's speaking up at the same time...and hey, there's the queen's headache again.
The Shillans have set up camp in Amnyang. Jujin is briefing Yushin on the Shillans' latest defeat and the seemingly impossible speeds of their mobile units. It's their leader, Jujin is convinced--the guy wearing the red. He's making this all happen somehow.
And now Seolji is hearing wild stories from wounded Shillans. Baekjeans vanishing from in front of them and then reappearing behind them. Ghosts, they must be! "Ghosts with crimson helmets." And these don't look like rookie soldiers either. They're really spooked.
No more calling anybody "ghosts," Yushin tells Jujin; it's just scaring people needlessly. "Warfare is made by people alone," he insists. Good for him for trying to be the voice of reason. But as Wolya says (he's here too), these mobile units, something explains their speed; what is it? Guess what, now they'll get their chance to find out, because here comes Imjong with news that a Baekje mobile unit has shown up in the area. Godo has set up a defense line, Imjong reports.
Good grief, what is that guy wearing? Here comes a squad of Baekjeans on horseback, obviously the mobile unit. The guy leading the charge, he's wearing a crimson helmet with a huge facemask designed like a bird of prey in flight. As they head into a ravine, Godo and a Shillan unit are watching from higher ground. This is the "red helm" guy, we learn. Suddenly a hidden fence is pulled up with ropes, blocking the unit's progress. Godo stands up and throws a giant boulder that knocks a Baekjean off his horse and narrowly misses the red guy. Dozens more boulders rain down on the unit, knocking one Baekjean after another off his horse (but not hurting any of the horses, improbably enough). Then logs tied to ropes are swing down on them, and more boulders tied to overhanging trees are dropped with ropes and start bonking Baekjeans squarely on their heads. Gotta love gravity! Other ropes spring up and entangle the unit, keeping their horses from moving away easily. Unfortunately they do manage to regroup, and flee from the ravine before the now-charging Shillans can reach them. Didn't seal the exit, unfortunately...but that wasn't their order, as Godo tells the men. We're not going to follow them, we're supposed to maintain this defense line and that's what we'll do. (Not one single arrow? Really? The red guy was a sitting duck. Ugh.)
And yes, that is what Yushin wants, as he tells Wolya. No sense in trying to chase them; we have to figure out what's making them so fast.
But wait a minute...the Shillan troops now standing in the ravine after their encounter are stunned to see Baekje troops galloping towards them on horseback--from the opposite direction! Led by the guy with the red face mask...or at least, ONE guy with a red face mask. It couldn't be that obvious, could it? Hmmm...Either way, before they know it the Baekjeans are in the middle of the Shillans, carving them up with their swords (as we wonder why the Shillans don't simply scramble back up the ravine to the higher ground! UGH). But now some of the Baekjeans have dismounted and are fighting hand-to-hand combat--where the Shillans are better (Geez, none of these guys are exactly geniuses, are they now) and the Shillans are taking advantage. Now the red guy dismounts and starts fighting--and he is better than his countrymen. Much, much better. Killing Shillans left and right. So Godo grabs a big log and charges him, swings it at him repeatedly, and they locks him up with opposite ends of the log. They wrestle for control of it...and then, incredibly, the red guy gets control and knocks Godo down! Geez, he's not as big as Godo either. Quite the feat of strength. An amazed, stunned Godo looks on as the guy drops the low, grabs his sword again and starts killing more Shillans. And now we hear the defense line is crumbling and a retreat is necessary.
Back in Seorabeol, Seohyeon and Yongchun are lobbying the queen to stay home and not evacuate. Manmyeong is there too, and suggests that maybe this is all a ploy by Bidam and his allies. Which, as the queen acknowledges, it could be...but that's beside the point. Still, she says she won't abandon her people in the capital.
Misaeng, Hajong, Bojong and Yeom Jong are discussing it and still favoring flight. Hajong sees this as an opportunity, if Yushin fails, for Bidam to return to Seorabeol and get complete military authority. He's positively giddy about that...but kind of a weasely thing to be scheming about with the country in danger. Even Misaeng and Bojong think he's going too far and scold him for it. Bidam has come into the room and the conversation stops, but he heard some of it on the way in and sternly tells Hajong he has no intention of taking advantage of the present situation. But why does the guy look so downcast? Guess things just aren't going his way.
Go hide, Chunchu tells the queen; I'll stay here. But she tells him just the opposite--you go and I'll stay; I can't let the people feel like I let them down by abandoning them. If you're safe, she tells him, that's enough for the nation. She's not leaving.
Oh no, it's Santak the Annoying chief guard! Tells Bidam the queen wants to see him.
"I shall not leave." Take Chunchu to the secret palace, the queen tells Bidam; I'm staying. But he says he won't separate them. Like he's just going to defy a royal order? Not likely. He wonders if she doesn't trust him--she denies it--and then he starts going on about him causing his mother's death (What?!). "For your sake." (What?!) And she asks him, "Do you resent me for that?" (What?!) Now he's thinking back to his early encounters with her, and particularly in Episode 22 when he turned her over as a prisoner to Seolwon for some medicines, and how she forgave him for doing so when no one else would (read: Munno). Now he's going on and on about how she's always supported him in the past...so why not now? I'm being sincere! he says, raising his voice to the point of screaming at the queen (WAY out of line! And for that matter why does he continue to report to her? That's not his assignment any more). "You no longer consider me sincere?" She says nothing and only stares straight ahead. Her silence says it all. A tear falls from his eye, and he stands up and leaves without a word.
By herself, the queen thinks back to her history with Bidam...lots of little flashbacks of the two of them from throughout the series....They encourage her to at least take another look at the plan document he left behind.
Back at the Shillan camp: Godo took a bloody gash to the shoulder and is treating it. Yushin arrives to check on him. He'll be okay; looks like his pride is wounded more than anything. "I was no match for him," he says with shame, about the red guy. Relates what happened about the impossibly sudden attack from the opposite direction.
Now Yushin and his war council are trying to figure it out: the mobile unit would have had to go around an entire mountain pass at impossible speed to pull it off. Yushin doesn't believe that's what's going on; thinks they simply hide somewhere nearby...We'll lure them back out and get them in the nearby valley, he says. Entrusts the luring part to Bakui, who apparently is a good rider, and sets up an ambush plan. There are mud fields nearby--is he going to lure them there to slow them down? "No." The abrupt answer surprises everyone else--and not in a good way. Seems like an obvious good thing to try. Maybe Yushin smells a trap or something. Everyone is dispatched...
...but Wolya follows after Yushin and complains about his Gayans not getting an assignment. Patience, Yushin answers; there will be a moment when we'll need you desperately to seize control. That will be your moment. He's got a big idea cooking, clearly.
Okay, well, Bakui has led a unit into the woods. And right on cue, here comes the red guy and the mobile unit. The Shillans turn and flee, with the Baekjeans in hot pursuit...yuk it's a muddy track today and the Baekjeans have to slop through it. The Shillans head right to Yushin and company at the ambush point...but with no Baekjeans! They must have turned around, Bakui tells Yushin, because there's no sign of them anymore. But now here comes the red guy and the mobile unit form the opposite direction...or at least, ONE red guy and ONE mobile unit. And just like last time, the Shillans just stand there confused as the unit charges right into their ranks and starts swinging swords and killing them. Duh...Fortunately Yushin has the sense to quickly order a withdrawal, and his men scramble back into the trees.
Later, looking at maps, the Shillans realize that the mobile unit is moving even faster than previously estimated. There doesn't seem to be any way at all to defend against it. Big problem, to put it mildly. Oh, and by the way, what happened to Bakui? He's not back yet.
Nighttime, Baekje army camp: Hey, the red guy--it's Gyebaek! He takes off his helmet and that's him. Not only that, he got a look at Yushin commanding the Shillans and recognized him as the infiltrator from before. Gyebaek knows that catching the enemy's chief general would be a big prize. The Baekjeans also have intelligence reports that the queen hasn't left Seorabeol yet. "Quite valorous for a slattern," Gyebaek comments...translation issues aside, not very nice. Anyway, he's asked about when he plans to engage the Yushin army, and he gives a very sensible answer: "Unless they find the truth about our secret [speed], the Shilla army will continue to be afflicted by confusion." Meaning, no need to face them head on--not yet anyways. And the next time they see us, he says, they'll see even more speed than before. "And I will get rid of Yushin once and for all."
Bakui finally made it back to camp. Remember the muddy track from before, when we saw the mobile unit going through it? That was the mud-field area we heard about earlier. Bakui went to check it out and verified that, yeah, it's a muddy mess and the Baekjeans went right through it. So what? Hmmm...Yushin thinks back and realizes that the mobile unit that attacked him and his men, no mud on those guys! Good for you, Yushin...How could we let them dupe us?, he wonders. "With such preposterous subterfuges?" He actually laughs a little.
Back at the Baekje camp: Gyebaek has a twin. Until the red mask comes off. A guy named Commander Gabaek. He looks at Gyebaek and they share a laugh. That's it--the big secret weapon. Matching suits and masks.
"We were dealing with a dual unit." Yushin has called a war council and explained what none of the other rocket scientists had figured out. That's how they made it look like the unit could move so quickly, he tells them. They all bang their fists on the table and groan out loud (arguably the funniest moment of the series). All a scam to rattle the Shillan troops and wreck their morale. Now we know, he says, so we can defeat it. He orders Jujin to take troops and go mess up the Baekje supply line along a specific path, and then attack the enemy camp. But that's just where one of the mobile units is likely to be hiding right now, isn't it? "That unit will not move." Yushin is certain. "While one unit is on the move, the other must be still, if they want to create the illusion. Until their secret is revealed, they will not move." Then he tells Imjong, "From here on in, you will become me." Turnabout is fair play, huh? Then he tells Wolya, Now we're ready for you.
Seorabeol: Evening, and the queen is looking into a reflecting pool. She doesn't look good. Tired, red-eyed, listless. A somber, bitter-looking Bidam approaches and asks her if she's made a decision. But her mind is elsewhere. "One day," she tells him out of nowhere, "suddenly everything changed." She talks about all of the drama and difficulty about becoming a princess and rising to the throne, and all of the people who fought for or against her and even died doing so. And who saw her as royalty and treated her as royalty...But you showed up--"You plainly addressed me. And I told you to continue doing so. You were the last one who treated me like my old self. And that is why our relationship never really changed." I always appreciated that, she tells him. But that can't continue, she says; "For I have no name" beyond "Her Majesty", as in, being too friendly with the ruler can be considered disrespectful to the point of treason. And so now, she tells him, you're "nothing more than an influential subject of mine." And on top of that, "I must always suspect and speculate on whether you will become..." wait for it..."another Mishil." The very thought of it brings a tear to her eye. As he reaches out and touches her shoulder, she turns and tells him, "Do you even realize how much I wish to trust you, and rely upon you? Do you?" Nothing more is said between them, and eventually Bidam leaves her to her loneliness.
But later, she manages to find him praying in his mother's shrine. Apparently she did have more to say. "You must stay by my side," she tells him. The old Bidam, who would smile and be friendly with her and treat her like a friend, you're the only one who thinks of me as a person--as a woman. I love that." But can I really allow myself that, he tells her. He reaches out and touches her shoulder and turns her toward him, and hugs her. A full hug, with both hands. And she hugs him back. And it seems to perk her up a little.
Next day: State council meeting. The queen comes in and things start off with an order. What's this about? She opens a scroll and starts reading aloud: "I hereby deprive Lord Yongchun of his title of Senior Advisor..." What!? Yongchun is stunned, as we all are; what did he do to deserve a demotion? "...and proclaim Commissioner Bidam in his stead." What??!! Now Bidam is stunned. Chunchu is visibly shaken. "As long as hostilities continue," she goes on, "all troops led by Lord Jujin, Lord Sueulbu, Lord Ho Jae, Lord Wang Yun and Lord Seon Yul shall all be transferred under his command." Why, because he's some expert military strategist? What the bleep has gotten into her? She puts down the scroll and adds that she and Bidam will stay in Seorabeol--"to encourage the troops, resist the enemy and rescue our nation."
"My apologies, Lord Yongchun." Later, in private, actually Chunchu is there too, she apologizes to Yongchun. He's gracious about it, citing wartime needs (Same question! Bidam has no training in this stuff) but he doesn't seem happy. And Chunchu, well, definitely not happy. He asks her point-blank: "Does Your Majesty really trust Bidam?" Yes, she answers, I do. "Neither Bidam nor Yushin shall be abandoned, and I will go on without giving up on them." And adds, believing she knows what Chunchu will say next, "Before you consider any 'state of things,' (which is what he very well might have said--he's said it before), you must be prepared to embrace someone." Yeah, you loser, get somebody to hug you or you just won't understand life. Good grief.
The cabal is discussing this bombshell...and isn't as giddy about it as we expect. Misaeng sees it as a very crafty move by the queen, actually. It will help "to quell Bidam's anxiety," he thinks, and by consolidating the nobles' troops it allows for better oversight over the nobles.
But those nobles, are they happy about it? We see them in a group talking about it. No, they're not happy...but they're not all that unhappy either. Considering the war situation, they're willing to go along with it--but they'll keep an eye on how things are going.
Bidam is back in his mother's shrine. Wearing a purple councilor's robe now. Thinking about advice his mother had given him, "about my gaining a country to possess someone" and "that love means taking without reserve." He's decided "I will try not to do that, now. I will not take away, but give. I will not gain, but give up, and achieve something together." Is he rejecting her advice? Sounds like it.
Baekje camp: Gyebaek and his council are planning strategy. An attack, specifically, though a valley that presents an ambush risk. But Gyebaek says the Shillans would never ambush there; it's too difficult a location for them to reach securely. So the attack is on. "We shall penetrate through the Amnyang defense line, and capture Yushin."
Suddenly we're thrown into the middle of a battle between the opposing armies, or at least parts of them, right out there in the middle of a grassy field. It's hand-to-hand and the Shillans are doing well with their swords...but wait, the red guy is there and he's the one exception. Not Gyebaek, the other red guy. Maybe not as good a fighter as Gyebaek, but very good. The guy spots who he thinks is Yushin in the middle of the chaos, and orders a withdrawal, thinking he's going to lure Yushin into a trap. But it's Imjong wearing Yushin's uniform, or else a duplicate of it. Playing along, Imjong orders his troops to pursue. Shouts of "The Chief Marshal shall trail them!" help sell the ruse.
A messenger reaches Gyebaek and his mobile unit and reports, "Chief Marshal Kim Yushin is trailing Commander Gabaek, and they're headed for Chilmijae." Exactly as planned, Gyebaek says; "We shall now hit the Shilla encampment." Gyebaek puts on the red mask, and his army heads out.
Shillan army camp at Amnyang: Nighttime, and we see the Baekjeans silently sneaking around and through the camp. Undetected and unimpeded. Really? Sensing nothing out of the ordinary at his army walking right into an unguarded enemy camp (Which is beyond idiotic, have to say), Gyebaek and his men stroll right in on horseback as his soldiers surround all of the officers' tents. Ropes are quietly attached, then the tents are suddenly pulled down in one sudden collective motion...and the tents are empty. Nobody home! Before they can even realize they've been tricked, flaming arrows suddenly start falling from the sky. The Shillans were waiting at a safe distance, and now the Baekjeans are easy pickins. As the arrows continue, Yushin leads his men forward. "Annihilate the Baekje army!!"