Post by ajk on Aug 29, 2015 23:26:09 GMT -5
Won Gyun gets word of the massive army approaching Joseon. "Winning or losing is up to Heaven," he says, and insists he's going into battle if the king orders it, no matter what. And he orders one of his subordinates flogged for suggesting it's a bad idea.
Busan: Ukita and Konishi are thrilled to hear that Won is leading all 200 of Joseon's navy ships towards them.
Well it didn't go well, surprise surprise. Seonjo gets the word that Won was defeated and had to retreat back home. "He was so confident!", he exclaims frantically...and then orders Won right back into battle. Ugh!
Won reads the royal order and angrily says he can't go to battle without a simultaneous land attack. Sends his subordinate Song Huirip to inform Gwon Yul of the situation. Gwon understands the difficulty but says Won is making excuses and is a coward for sending a subordinate instead of coming himself. "Tell him to come here right away!" Song leaves him, and runs into Yi Sunsin outside. Has to tell Yi that around 100 soldiers were lost in battle. A painful, emotional scene.
Won Gyun is getting flogged as Gwon Yul supervises. Won is realizing that Yi Sunsin was right, but he's the one who said he'd go right into battle if the king ordered it, so now he has to do what he said he'd do, even if it is reckless and foolish.
That evening, Yi goes to Gwon and says a naval attack is a bad idea. Send a report and convince the court to back off, he urges. Gwon knows it's a bad idea too--he doesn't come right out and say it, but we can tell--but it's a royal order and he's under royal orders too so he's in no position to argue against it.
Won tells his subordinates that they're going to battle again. They are NOT happy but Won is waving his sword around so they meekly bow and leave to get ready.
Hey it's Wakizaka! He has a smart battle plan. They'll keep attacking and retreating to wear out the smaller enemy force and then squash them.
Narration tells us that the battle, at Chilcheonryang, took place on July 15 and 16 of 1597. "It ended with a tragic defeat for Joseon," we're told with more than a bit of understatement. Except for twelve ships that happened to be away from the battle, the entire Joseon fleet was sunk. Won Gyun and other senior commanders were killed. The narration blames not Won but the king and court "for not understanding the situation properly."
Gwon breaks the news to Yi that the fleet was destroyed.
And now Seonjo learns. He starts whining and clutching his chest, of course. Ryu and the two Lees are there and the Lees try to encourage and uplift him...and it does help, at least to the point that the king orders a Border Defense Council meeting to discuss how best to regroup. Then he decides that Yi Sunsin should get his job back. UGH! With what...twelve ships? But now here's some better news: a Ming commander named Yang Hao is approaching the capital.
Here he is now. Seems all business, and his attitude thrills Gongmin. Obviously the Ming emperor meant what he said in the previous episode. Yang wants to establish a setup called "Gyeongriamun" which gives him complete control over Joseon's military affairs. It disturbs Ryu and the Lees, but Yang assures them he'll limit his authority to military affairs and stay out of anything else. That's good enough for Seonjo. And Yang assures him in no uncertain terms that there isn't going to be any truce, or even any talk of one. "As long as I'm here, not a single Wae soldier will leave alive." Music to Seonjo's ears...and the guy does seem like he won't goof around or have his head turned by merit-seeking like other Ming generals we've seen.
Ryu and the Lees got a good first impression, too. Ryu is just a little worried that Yang may be taking the enemy a little too lightly. Then Ryu sighs and says "I'm worried about our naval forces." What naval forces?
Southern naval headquarters: Okay, at least they still have manpower. Plenty of men still in the camp...but it's like a tomb, everyone is so quiet. And so obviously demoralized. But then they call get the shock of their lives. Yi Sunsin shows up, reinstated and in full uniform! "I'm here and you're here," he tells them all. "We can build new vessels," he says...and immediately starts snapping things back into shape.
Oh, but wait, here's a new royal order from Seonjo. Since there's no semblance of a naval fleet left, he wants Yi and everyone else there to join the army instead. Another ugh.
That evening, Yi carefully composes a letter to Seonjo. We still have twelve ships and "we can stop the enemy if we fight with everything we have." And other well-chosen words about the enemy still respecting Joseon's naval capabilities.
Busan: A celebration, and why not? With good reason! Of course Kato is still sore about being used as bait, and he wants to go fight right now and advance to the capital, heck with the party. And he actually convinces Ukita, who orders the first wave of land attacks to begin immediately. Party's over!
And they do attack. And as promised, it's horrific. And the part about taking noses...yeah we see some of that. Good heavens. Even Konishi is acting like a bloodthirsty lunatic. Narration tells us that this was August of 1597, and that because the Japanese landed without facing any naval resistance, they "trampled all over" the three southern provinces. And that as ordered, they did capture rather than kill potters and scholars and other such people with skills or talents. But we don't see any of that, just massive indiscriminate slaughter.
More whining from Seonjo. Now he blames Ryu's reforms, or at least wonders why they seemingly did no good. Lee Deokhyeong reminds him about the defeat at Chilcheonryang being the main reason for the invasion (brave of him to do that), and Lee Hangbok reminds him that the main army under Gwon Yul is still intact. But Seonjo isn't reassured, and when he mutters something about sending the queen northwards, the three officials immediately protest that it will demoralize the people and soldiers with thoughts of another royal refuge. They convince him not to do it. But he wants some answers--ideas about how to stop the enemy from advancing north again.
Yang Hao gets word that the Ming troops who remained in Joseon's southern regions all fled from battle, while Joseon's generals all fought and died. He's furious and embarrassed. But Ryu and Gwon Yul show up and calm him; as Ryu puts it, "There are many reasons for a victory or defeat" and he shouldn't feel responsible for what happened. Then they make plans. They'll concentrate their forces at a place called Jiksan where some of the enemy force is likely to locate. There are multiple enemy units moving through the south, but rather than scatter their own forces to match them, for now the Ming and Joseon forces will concentrate on Jiksan.
Now Ryu is planning with the other Joseon high officials. Everything can be handled for now, but rations could be a problem in the near future. It's going to be a problem because the grain producing area of Jeolla has fallen to the enemy. But before they can discuss that, we hear a voice from outside the room. "You should take responsibility." And who should walk in but Lee Sanhae! Wow. Seonjo recalled him to service, and right away he's blaming Ryu for everything that's gone wrong lately. "I had high expectations for you," he says condescendingly, "but I'm disappointed." Ryu doesn't flinch; says even if he steps down it will be after the war is over. But Lee continues to pound away some more, before leaving without listening to another word. Ryu looks oddly deflated.
Then Lee goes to report to Seonjo, who's very happy to see him again. "Support me with your experience and knowledge," he says. Then Lee says what Seonjo is already thinking: "Preparations will have to be made" for the court after the war ends. As in, someone will have to take the fall. Seonjo smiles and nods.
Yun Dusu gets the news. "There is going to be a huge wave." Yun knows the king is doing this to target Ryu and the Southerners, for after the war ends. "He's a scary man," Yun says of Seonjo.
Lots of hard, intense work at the southern naval camp and the result is 200 new guns and a 3,000kg supply of gunpowder, a huge amount for such a short time. Yi's return has reinvigorated everyone, clearly. The one problem right now is finding enough wood to build new ships. Then news arrives of a complete victory at Jiksan. That's the good news. The bad news? Japan is sending a large portion of its naval fleet to land on Joseon's west coast. They'll be passing right by the Joseon naval camp to do it. And if they can link up with the army units moving west, it could doom the country. "We still have twelve vessels," Yi tells his officers, clearly intending to use them to fight.
Busan: Ukita and Konishi are thrilled to hear that Won is leading all 200 of Joseon's navy ships towards them.
Well it didn't go well, surprise surprise. Seonjo gets the word that Won was defeated and had to retreat back home. "He was so confident!", he exclaims frantically...and then orders Won right back into battle. Ugh!
Won reads the royal order and angrily says he can't go to battle without a simultaneous land attack. Sends his subordinate Song Huirip to inform Gwon Yul of the situation. Gwon understands the difficulty but says Won is making excuses and is a coward for sending a subordinate instead of coming himself. "Tell him to come here right away!" Song leaves him, and runs into Yi Sunsin outside. Has to tell Yi that around 100 soldiers were lost in battle. A painful, emotional scene.
Won Gyun is getting flogged as Gwon Yul supervises. Won is realizing that Yi Sunsin was right, but he's the one who said he'd go right into battle if the king ordered it, so now he has to do what he said he'd do, even if it is reckless and foolish.
That evening, Yi goes to Gwon and says a naval attack is a bad idea. Send a report and convince the court to back off, he urges. Gwon knows it's a bad idea too--he doesn't come right out and say it, but we can tell--but it's a royal order and he's under royal orders too so he's in no position to argue against it.
Won tells his subordinates that they're going to battle again. They are NOT happy but Won is waving his sword around so they meekly bow and leave to get ready.
Hey it's Wakizaka! He has a smart battle plan. They'll keep attacking and retreating to wear out the smaller enemy force and then squash them.
Narration tells us that the battle, at Chilcheonryang, took place on July 15 and 16 of 1597. "It ended with a tragic defeat for Joseon," we're told with more than a bit of understatement. Except for twelve ships that happened to be away from the battle, the entire Joseon fleet was sunk. Won Gyun and other senior commanders were killed. The narration blames not Won but the king and court "for not understanding the situation properly."
Gwon breaks the news to Yi that the fleet was destroyed.
And now Seonjo learns. He starts whining and clutching his chest, of course. Ryu and the two Lees are there and the Lees try to encourage and uplift him...and it does help, at least to the point that the king orders a Border Defense Council meeting to discuss how best to regroup. Then he decides that Yi Sunsin should get his job back. UGH! With what...twelve ships? But now here's some better news: a Ming commander named Yang Hao is approaching the capital.
Here he is now. Seems all business, and his attitude thrills Gongmin. Obviously the Ming emperor meant what he said in the previous episode. Yang wants to establish a setup called "Gyeongriamun" which gives him complete control over Joseon's military affairs. It disturbs Ryu and the Lees, but Yang assures them he'll limit his authority to military affairs and stay out of anything else. That's good enough for Seonjo. And Yang assures him in no uncertain terms that there isn't going to be any truce, or even any talk of one. "As long as I'm here, not a single Wae soldier will leave alive." Music to Seonjo's ears...and the guy does seem like he won't goof around or have his head turned by merit-seeking like other Ming generals we've seen.
Ryu and the Lees got a good first impression, too. Ryu is just a little worried that Yang may be taking the enemy a little too lightly. Then Ryu sighs and says "I'm worried about our naval forces." What naval forces?
Southern naval headquarters: Okay, at least they still have manpower. Plenty of men still in the camp...but it's like a tomb, everyone is so quiet. And so obviously demoralized. But then they call get the shock of their lives. Yi Sunsin shows up, reinstated and in full uniform! "I'm here and you're here," he tells them all. "We can build new vessels," he says...and immediately starts snapping things back into shape.
Oh, but wait, here's a new royal order from Seonjo. Since there's no semblance of a naval fleet left, he wants Yi and everyone else there to join the army instead. Another ugh.
That evening, Yi carefully composes a letter to Seonjo. We still have twelve ships and "we can stop the enemy if we fight with everything we have." And other well-chosen words about the enemy still respecting Joseon's naval capabilities.
Busan: A celebration, and why not? With good reason! Of course Kato is still sore about being used as bait, and he wants to go fight right now and advance to the capital, heck with the party. And he actually convinces Ukita, who orders the first wave of land attacks to begin immediately. Party's over!
And they do attack. And as promised, it's horrific. And the part about taking noses...yeah we see some of that. Good heavens. Even Konishi is acting like a bloodthirsty lunatic. Narration tells us that this was August of 1597, and that because the Japanese landed without facing any naval resistance, they "trampled all over" the three southern provinces. And that as ordered, they did capture rather than kill potters and scholars and other such people with skills or talents. But we don't see any of that, just massive indiscriminate slaughter.
More whining from Seonjo. Now he blames Ryu's reforms, or at least wonders why they seemingly did no good. Lee Deokhyeong reminds him about the defeat at Chilcheonryang being the main reason for the invasion (brave of him to do that), and Lee Hangbok reminds him that the main army under Gwon Yul is still intact. But Seonjo isn't reassured, and when he mutters something about sending the queen northwards, the three officials immediately protest that it will demoralize the people and soldiers with thoughts of another royal refuge. They convince him not to do it. But he wants some answers--ideas about how to stop the enemy from advancing north again.
Yang Hao gets word that the Ming troops who remained in Joseon's southern regions all fled from battle, while Joseon's generals all fought and died. He's furious and embarrassed. But Ryu and Gwon Yul show up and calm him; as Ryu puts it, "There are many reasons for a victory or defeat" and he shouldn't feel responsible for what happened. Then they make plans. They'll concentrate their forces at a place called Jiksan where some of the enemy force is likely to locate. There are multiple enemy units moving through the south, but rather than scatter their own forces to match them, for now the Ming and Joseon forces will concentrate on Jiksan.
Now Ryu is planning with the other Joseon high officials. Everything can be handled for now, but rations could be a problem in the near future. It's going to be a problem because the grain producing area of Jeolla has fallen to the enemy. But before they can discuss that, we hear a voice from outside the room. "You should take responsibility." And who should walk in but Lee Sanhae! Wow. Seonjo recalled him to service, and right away he's blaming Ryu for everything that's gone wrong lately. "I had high expectations for you," he says condescendingly, "but I'm disappointed." Ryu doesn't flinch; says even if he steps down it will be after the war is over. But Lee continues to pound away some more, before leaving without listening to another word. Ryu looks oddly deflated.
Then Lee goes to report to Seonjo, who's very happy to see him again. "Support me with your experience and knowledge," he says. Then Lee says what Seonjo is already thinking: "Preparations will have to be made" for the court after the war ends. As in, someone will have to take the fall. Seonjo smiles and nods.
Yun Dusu gets the news. "There is going to be a huge wave." Yun knows the king is doing this to target Ryu and the Southerners, for after the war ends. "He's a scary man," Yun says of Seonjo.
Lots of hard, intense work at the southern naval camp and the result is 200 new guns and a 3,000kg supply of gunpowder, a huge amount for such a short time. Yi's return has reinvigorated everyone, clearly. The one problem right now is finding enough wood to build new ships. Then news arrives of a complete victory at Jiksan. That's the good news. The bad news? Japan is sending a large portion of its naval fleet to land on Joseon's west coast. They'll be passing right by the Joseon naval camp to do it. And if they can link up with the army units moving west, it could doom the country. "We still have twelve vessels," Yi tells his officers, clearly intending to use them to fight.
