Post by ajk on May 14, 2014 22:33:49 GMT -5
A big argument breaks out between the opposing factions. Seonggye says he'll consider going to Ming but wants time to think about it. Afterwards, opposing scholars challenge Seonggye and make very good point: during a previous low point of relations with Ming, Seonggye recommended that Lee In Im should go to Ming, arguing that his being a high official would be a good gesture. (We saw this in episodes 12 and 13.) So he should do the same now, right? Hmm....
Mongju goes to Lee Saek and scolds him for playing dirty politics. But Saek says it's justified because "the country's power is in the hands of one general" and he's going to ruin the country. Just at that moment JD walks in on them. "I probably came to say the opposite of what he said." Very funny. But JD tells them that Seonggye isn't going to Ming, so forget about it. Mongju has gotten so frustrated by now, mainly because JD won't back off from the land reform proposal, and this is the last straw. "Don't expect me to help any more," he angrily tells JD before storming out.
Evening: Scholars and generals who want Seonggye sent to Ming are protesting in the palace plaza. Seonggye walks into the plaza and past them, climbs the stairs, and goes to meet with Jeongbi and the queen mother. Jeongbi says she doesn't get involved with this stuff, but advises, "Go to Ming with the chancellor. I know it's dangerous but it's the only way right now." A snarky comment from the queen mother about why a brave man is acting afraid. Seonggye is respectful and says he'll consider their views.
JD proposes to Bangwon that he (Bangwon) should go to Ming in Seonggye's place. Bangwon likes the idea and will do it. His father won't even consider it at first, but Bangwon and JD talk him into it. Ming will kill you to try to prevent future trouble, they argue, but they have no reason to kill a son. And JD adds that if Seonggye dies in Ming, everybody else here who's on his side will eventually be wiped out by dirty politics. Seonggye reluctantly agrees.
So JD goes and tells Lee Saek. And offers to give Saek's faction 30% of the military power and court positions if he'll agree to this. And even offers to suspend the land surveys in Gyeonggi province, and to assure no political retaliation. Saek is fuming--he doesn't want to compromise, at least not without the land reform scrapped entirely--but he says nothing....
Next day: It's all set; Bangwon is going. As the delegation departs, Saek tells Seonggye that he wasn't thinking totally clearly. With you staying here, he says, I don't have to worry about what's going on back home. Maybe he's just blowing smoke, but either way he is right about that. So the delegation leaves.
Now the scholars in Seonggye's faction go to Seonggye and tell him that one thing has to be done to ensure the delegation's safe return: execute Choi Yeong. Seonggye flat-out refuses, but the others are in total agreement. Even Mongju. "It is for the safety of the envoys and a stable relationship with Ming. I'm sure Choi will understand."
Hey it's Choi! We see him in his remote place of exile. Looking older and obviously living very humbly, but hanging in there. He's approached by soldiers and a government official who brings an order to return him to the capital.
Evening: Choi has been brought to the royal jail; Seonggye reluctantly goes to visit him there. "I won't make any excuses," he tells Choi sorrowfully, and "won't ask for your forgiveness." But Choi obviously knows what's going to happen and seems remarkably at peace with it. "This is all the will of Heaven. I have a favor to ask. I'm going to die and become a spirit who protects Goryeo. Guard Goryeo here in this world. Will you do that? It's my last wish to someone who I considered as a son." Seonggye can't even look at him. "I will promise you one thing," he answers. "I will create a nice world. A world I won't be ashamed about when I see you in the next world." He bows deeply and formally to his once-superior. Now Choi can't look at Seonggye either. Tears fall from their eyes.
The next morning, Choi is bound and led to the execution yard, where a crowd of officials and citizens has gathered...and while LS sits alone inside his meeting room, agonizing over what's happening nearby...the order of execution is read aloud. "I will make this clear," Choi says, in answer to the order's allegation that he coveted power. "If I ever had any personal greed, grass will grow from my grave. If I have nothing to be ashamed of, grass will not grow. Remember that." The sword flashes, and Choi dies. Narration summarizes Choi's life, recapping the events seen in this series and in Shin Don. "He was respected by the people. He accomplished much as a general, but made mistakes as a politician." But he lived an upright life and "is still a good example today."
Days later: Seonggye has been drinking heavily since the execution. JD brings him some ginseng as a gift; supposedly it neutralizes alcohol. Seonggye thanks him. "I can eat this with a drink," he says, without even cracking a smile. But wait, some good news arrives; the delegation is back from Ming. They're safe an unharmed. Unfortunately, Ming is still wary; Saek wasn't able to convince them. So the mission wasn't successful.
The council is trying to come up with a compromise on land reform, but it gets very ugly very quickly. Eventually Lee Saek's side offers an alternative: "One owner for one field." A consequence of the gradual consolidation of land ownership has been competing claims over many parcels of land, with inadequate administrative oversight. If the government commits to sorting out these claims, some land will revert back to smaller landowners. We're not given more details than that, but apparently this proposal would actually be a significant reform and would get some land away from the powerful clans without taking the radical step of abolishing private land ownership.
After the meeting, Mongju goes to Seonggye and urges him to accept the idea. Seonggye grumbles that Neo-Confucianism is supposed to be about protecting the people and yet Lee Saek is so concerned about private land. Then JD enters and challenges Mongju for asking Seonggye to back down. "Be the wise man you used to be." Mongju leaves in a huff. "Everyone is so smart," Seonggye says, rolling his eyes; "They're as good as fortunetellers." Very funny. But there's a bigger problem: their opponents are starting to wonder if the land reform issue masks a deeper intent to overthrow the government. Those suspicions have to be quieted for now, at all costs. So he tells Seonggye to agree to the vote on one-owner-for-one-field.
Next day: full council meeting. Long story short: The council votes in favor of one-owner-for-one-field and not Seonggye's plan. Looks like 13 to 5. Annoyingly, Mongju walked out of the meeting before the vote was taken; he wanted discussion and then consensus and opposed the idea of a formal vote. Sheesh.
JD decides it's time to start clearing out Lee Saek's factions. Tells Jo Jun to start investigating them. (Well why not, it certainly did the job on Jo Minsu!)
That evening, at home: LS is pounding down way too much alcohol; his wife is worried and is trying to get him to stop. Let's go visit a temple, she suggests. But he says "I can't face Buddha" because I've committed to many sins. Oh dear.
Word of the vote reaches the former King Wu, who laughs at the happy news that Seonggye lost. Then he gets a visit from two men we've never met before: Kim Jeo and Jeong Deukhu. Clearly they're allies of his; they bow and beg forgiveness for what happened to him. "My uncle died an unjust death because of LS," Kim Jeo tells the ex-king. "How can I get revenge?" Some discussion about getting public opinion back on the ex-king's side...and then the ex-king gives the pair a dagger. "Take this and do something for me. Kill Lee Seonggye." He laughs crazily as his eyes go glassy.
Mongju goes to Lee Saek and scolds him for playing dirty politics. But Saek says it's justified because "the country's power is in the hands of one general" and he's going to ruin the country. Just at that moment JD walks in on them. "I probably came to say the opposite of what he said." Very funny. But JD tells them that Seonggye isn't going to Ming, so forget about it. Mongju has gotten so frustrated by now, mainly because JD won't back off from the land reform proposal, and this is the last straw. "Don't expect me to help any more," he angrily tells JD before storming out.
Evening: Scholars and generals who want Seonggye sent to Ming are protesting in the palace plaza. Seonggye walks into the plaza and past them, climbs the stairs, and goes to meet with Jeongbi and the queen mother. Jeongbi says she doesn't get involved with this stuff, but advises, "Go to Ming with the chancellor. I know it's dangerous but it's the only way right now." A snarky comment from the queen mother about why a brave man is acting afraid. Seonggye is respectful and says he'll consider their views.
JD proposes to Bangwon that he (Bangwon) should go to Ming in Seonggye's place. Bangwon likes the idea and will do it. His father won't even consider it at first, but Bangwon and JD talk him into it. Ming will kill you to try to prevent future trouble, they argue, but they have no reason to kill a son. And JD adds that if Seonggye dies in Ming, everybody else here who's on his side will eventually be wiped out by dirty politics. Seonggye reluctantly agrees.
So JD goes and tells Lee Saek. And offers to give Saek's faction 30% of the military power and court positions if he'll agree to this. And even offers to suspend the land surveys in Gyeonggi province, and to assure no political retaliation. Saek is fuming--he doesn't want to compromise, at least not without the land reform scrapped entirely--but he says nothing....
Next day: It's all set; Bangwon is going. As the delegation departs, Saek tells Seonggye that he wasn't thinking totally clearly. With you staying here, he says, I don't have to worry about what's going on back home. Maybe he's just blowing smoke, but either way he is right about that. So the delegation leaves.
Now the scholars in Seonggye's faction go to Seonggye and tell him that one thing has to be done to ensure the delegation's safe return: execute Choi Yeong. Seonggye flat-out refuses, but the others are in total agreement. Even Mongju. "It is for the safety of the envoys and a stable relationship with Ming. I'm sure Choi will understand."
Hey it's Choi! We see him in his remote place of exile. Looking older and obviously living very humbly, but hanging in there. He's approached by soldiers and a government official who brings an order to return him to the capital.
Evening: Choi has been brought to the royal jail; Seonggye reluctantly goes to visit him there. "I won't make any excuses," he tells Choi sorrowfully, and "won't ask for your forgiveness." But Choi obviously knows what's going to happen and seems remarkably at peace with it. "This is all the will of Heaven. I have a favor to ask. I'm going to die and become a spirit who protects Goryeo. Guard Goryeo here in this world. Will you do that? It's my last wish to someone who I considered as a son." Seonggye can't even look at him. "I will promise you one thing," he answers. "I will create a nice world. A world I won't be ashamed about when I see you in the next world." He bows deeply and formally to his once-superior. Now Choi can't look at Seonggye either. Tears fall from their eyes.
The next morning, Choi is bound and led to the execution yard, where a crowd of officials and citizens has gathered...and while LS sits alone inside his meeting room, agonizing over what's happening nearby...the order of execution is read aloud. "I will make this clear," Choi says, in answer to the order's allegation that he coveted power. "If I ever had any personal greed, grass will grow from my grave. If I have nothing to be ashamed of, grass will not grow. Remember that." The sword flashes, and Choi dies. Narration summarizes Choi's life, recapping the events seen in this series and in Shin Don. "He was respected by the people. He accomplished much as a general, but made mistakes as a politician." But he lived an upright life and "is still a good example today."
Days later: Seonggye has been drinking heavily since the execution. JD brings him some ginseng as a gift; supposedly it neutralizes alcohol. Seonggye thanks him. "I can eat this with a drink," he says, without even cracking a smile. But wait, some good news arrives; the delegation is back from Ming. They're safe an unharmed. Unfortunately, Ming is still wary; Saek wasn't able to convince them. So the mission wasn't successful.
The council is trying to come up with a compromise on land reform, but it gets very ugly very quickly. Eventually Lee Saek's side offers an alternative: "One owner for one field." A consequence of the gradual consolidation of land ownership has been competing claims over many parcels of land, with inadequate administrative oversight. If the government commits to sorting out these claims, some land will revert back to smaller landowners. We're not given more details than that, but apparently this proposal would actually be a significant reform and would get some land away from the powerful clans without taking the radical step of abolishing private land ownership.
After the meeting, Mongju goes to Seonggye and urges him to accept the idea. Seonggye grumbles that Neo-Confucianism is supposed to be about protecting the people and yet Lee Saek is so concerned about private land. Then JD enters and challenges Mongju for asking Seonggye to back down. "Be the wise man you used to be." Mongju leaves in a huff. "Everyone is so smart," Seonggye says, rolling his eyes; "They're as good as fortunetellers." Very funny. But there's a bigger problem: their opponents are starting to wonder if the land reform issue masks a deeper intent to overthrow the government. Those suspicions have to be quieted for now, at all costs. So he tells Seonggye to agree to the vote on one-owner-for-one-field.
Next day: full council meeting. Long story short: The council votes in favor of one-owner-for-one-field and not Seonggye's plan. Looks like 13 to 5. Annoyingly, Mongju walked out of the meeting before the vote was taken; he wanted discussion and then consensus and opposed the idea of a formal vote. Sheesh.
JD decides it's time to start clearing out Lee Saek's factions. Tells Jo Jun to start investigating them. (Well why not, it certainly did the job on Jo Minsu!)
That evening, at home: LS is pounding down way too much alcohol; his wife is worried and is trying to get him to stop. Let's go visit a temple, she suggests. But he says "I can't face Buddha" because I've committed to many sins. Oh dear.
Word of the vote reaches the former King Wu, who laughs at the happy news that Seonggye lost. Then he gets a visit from two men we've never met before: Kim Jeo and Jeong Deukhu. Clearly they're allies of his; they bow and beg forgiveness for what happened to him. "My uncle died an unjust death because of LS," Kim Jeo tells the ex-king. "How can I get revenge?" Some discussion about getting public opinion back on the ex-king's side...and then the ex-king gives the pair a dagger. "Take this and do something for me. Kill Lee Seonggye." He laughs crazily as his eyes go glassy.
