Post by ajk on Sept 3, 2015 23:06:01 GMT -5
Yi's officers are baffled that he even wants to try to fight, since they only have twelve ships. And they're even more skeptical later on when they sit down to plan. He's chosen a place called Uldolmok Strait for the engagement. It has the fastest currents in the entire country, and dangerous rocks as well. But Yi figures the enemy will struggle more than his ships will, and the strait is so narrow that that the enemy will struggle to pass through and form a strong fighting formation. He convinces his officers to at least try it. They'll also get locals and refugees to bring their fishing boats to the site, to at least make the Joseon fleet look a little beefier. Still, only twelve warships?
Japanese military camp, Jeolla province: Ukita is frustrated about the defeat in Jiksan, but to Konishi it's just a temporary setback. And when their naval forces arrive at the west coast to link up with the army, well then they'll be in business big-time. But wait, not so fast...word arrives that the navy won't be arriving. They lost 30 ships and 2000 men and retreated back to Busan! The news seems so absurd to them, they can't even comprehend it at first. They don't know what Yi Sunsin's fate is just yet, but they do know that Joseon's navy is down to just a handful of ships. How is this even possible? Well whatever the explanation is, they realize they have to retreat, at least for now. Narration tells us that this was in September of 1597 and that the Jiksan and Uldolmok (a/k/a Myeongryang) battles "turned the tables of the war."
Japan: Hideyoshi gets the news of the retreat from Jeolla. And now the Japanese also know that Yi got his job back. The two problems they needed to solve, and neither has been solved. He's so frustrated that he orders his armor brought to him immediately so he can go to Joseon himself. But then he suddenly falls to his knees and starts coughing up blood! He says he's okay--in fact, he grabs a sword and kills the two attendants who rush to help him back to his feet--but clearly he is not okay, and he slumps back to the floor. Maeda, Ishida and the female attendant Mitsuki are the only ones there with him; he orders them to keep his illness secret.
Hanyang: Yang Hao tells Seonjo he wants to attack Dosan Fortress. A victory there would "completely collapse" the enemy's presence after the defeats at Jiksan and Uldolmok. Most of the officials favor trying it. But Seonjo worries that it could put the capital at risk. (Typical.) Ryu cautions everyone that the enemy will resist strongly and that "if we attack we must not retreat no matter what." Yang says he's offended at the suggestion that he would retreat in the face of resistance. Ryu is unapologetic and wants to accompany Yang to the fortress if they try the attack. Yang okays that.
Yu Join and Lee Icheom go to see Lee Sanhae, to plan political strategy. They're concerned that if the Dosan battle succeeds and ends the war, Ryu "will become a hero who saves this country" and it will be difficult to get rid of him. Icheom even goes so far as to say that politically it would be better for them if the Dosan attack failed...which was not the right thing to say. Sanhae is infuriated-- "how can you think about personal benefits in a situation like this where our country's fate is on the line!?"--and orders him out of the room. Then he tells Yu essentially that Icheom is wrong anyway, that it's actually to their advantage if Dosan succeeds. Because if Ryu becomes some sort of war hero, well, look what Seonjo has done to the other war heroes like Kim Deoknyeong (died) and Yi Sunsin (nearly died). It's a very good point, no question.
We see the start of the attack on Dosan Fortress. Withering cannon fire against Kato's army inside. Looks like they're going to take a real beating...
...and now it's thirteen days later and the Japanese have run out of rations. No word on any reinforcements, either. Looks bleak, but Kato insists "there is no retreat." We then see him slaughter one of their horses, and then drink a container full of its blood. Wow. "Kill the horses for food and water," he orders.
Uh-oh. Is Yang Hao just like the other Ming generals after all? The Joseon and Ming leaders know that the enemy is out of rations; this is the time to move in and finish them off, but Yang isn't attacking. "They are like fish in a net," he tells Ryu offhandedly. We can finish them off any time; for now our soldiers need rest.. But then news arrives that enemy reinforcements are headed this way. A huge number of them, like 70-80 thousand. It scares Yang so much he orders a retreat! "We won this battle" he says, and killed many enemies. "There's no need to fight any more." Ryu and the Joseon generals are dumbfounded. Narration informs us that the thirteen-day battle began on December 23, 1597 and that the Joseon army did attack on its own after Yao's retreat but failed to take the fortress. It was "a lost opportunity to end the war."
Hanyang: Ugh! In one of the palace yards, Yang Hao is at the head of a celebratory banquet at which he's bragging about the battle's success and about all of the enemies he killed. And how he trash-talked Kato into running away and hiding from him. Ryu and some other Joseon high officials are there. They can only groan quietly and shake their heads. They decide to walk out on Yang...but suddenly Ming soldiers come rushing into the yard. What's this? An envoy with an order from the emperor. Yang is ordered home for punishment for retreating and "causing great damage" and for submitting a report that claimed false merit. He's unceremoniously dragged away by soldiers. Ryu sums it up in three words: "He deserved that."
State council meeting: We get some backstory on what just happened. It's more factionalism in the Ming government. A guy named Ding Yingtai, who's a high official in the war ministry, submitted a report to the Ming emperor about Yang submitting a false report that claimed victory. Seonjo isn't at all happy to have lost Yang, because "he understood our position and didn't hesitate to attack." And there's some discussion about how Yang reported the result, because while Dosan wasn't a victory, it wasn't a defeat either, or at least it could be argued that way. Seonjo also worries about the next administrator who will be assigned to replace Yang. What if they get another sneaky one who tries to arrange a truce like Song Yingchang did? Yun Dusu suggests sending an envoy to Ming to ask for Yang Hao back. Seonjo likes the idea, and wants to send Ryu as the envoy since he was at the battle. But Ryu refuses! Yes I didn't like Yang, Ryu admits, but the bigger issue is that Joseon can't afford to get dragged into Ming's internal conflict and be seen as taking sides. "It's too late to save Yang Hao anyway," he argues, so all we can do is convince his replacement to fight. Seonjo disagrees and orders Ryu to form an envoy delegation. Send someone else, Ryu tells him, refusing a direct royal order!
Afterwards the two Lees try to change Ryu's mind, but Ryu isn't budging. Even Yun Dusu is baffled surprised at Ryu's stubbornness.
Yu and Lee Icheom are back with Lee Sanhae, the latter begging forgiveness. We learn that Seonjo sent Lee Wonik to Ming instead of Ryu. Sanhae says that Ryu "wasn't wrong" about the situation...but all they care about is how to get him removed from office so they can take power. Icheom suggests, "How about making him pro-truce?"
Around fifty officials are kneeling in front of the palace, shouting for the king to dump Ryu because he's pro-truce. Ugh. Yu and Lee Icheom are in the front, and it doesn't look like a very influential group...but of course their goal is simply to start spreading the untruth about Ryu as though it's the truth.
Appeals are submitted to the king, presumably from the same officials we just saw. Seonjo ponders the idea of Ryu "ruining the country." True or not, is it useful to him? That's obviously what's running through his head.
Ryu is in a tough spot and he knows it. The Lees urge him to fight back...but he seems unsure how.
So he goes to see Lee Sanhae. They play baduk, and as in previous scenes with baduk the game is used as a political analogy. Finally Ryu makes a surrender move. "I lost this game," he says...and then tells Lee he came here to ask him to back off. Says he's going to leave the court when the war ends no matter what, so please stop the political scheming until then. Lee laughs. "It's not up to me," he says; I'll do what the king wants me to do. If I don't, someone else will. So I can't help you.
Lee Deokhyeong brings the king bad news. Ding Yingtai took offense at Joseon trying to get Yang Hao back; he submitted a report to the emperor saying that Joseon conspired with Hideyoshi to attack Ming! Ryu was right. Seonjo moans; now he has to send another envoy to try to straighten it all out. Lee takes the opportunity to urge Seonjo not to abandon Ryu. Seonjo answers, "I'm worried he will abandon me." Wow, what an odd answer.
Japan: it's now August 1598. Hideyoshi looks awful. Sitting on the ground leaning on his sword for support. Clearly he's dying. Kind of a sad scene; a bleak room. Maeda and Ishida are with him; so are Nene and Yodo, and of course Mitsuki. Hideyoshi is breathing heavily. "I should withdraw the army, right?", he asks weakly. Maeda agrees. Bring them home so they can protect your son, Maeda tells him. "Okay. Do that." Then Hideyoshi asks, "Was I too greedy?" No, Maeda answers; "you are a hero who tried to achieve a grand dream." Not sure if Maeda really agrees with that, but it's exactly the right answer for this moment. Take good care of my son, Hideyoshi asks of him. Then he says to everyone, "I wanted to step on Joseon land. Too bad. In my next life I will definitely do that." He looks off into the distance, and calls out to his mother and his dead son Tsurumatsu. "Let's go to see the cherry blossoms." And with that he slumps over and dies, his sword falling to the ground and punctuating the silence with a piercing clatter.
"No way. All this in vain?" Konishi gets the news and is staggered and furious. "After starting such a tragic war? How could he!?" And now they're in a potentially dangerous situation, because the Joseon government must know the withdrawal was ordered. Will Yi Sunsin let them leave without a fight?
Seonjo can barely comprehend the news that the war is going to end. His officials congratulate him...but he tells them there's one more job left. "We can't just let them go." He wants them all killed. Most of the officials agree with him; Ryu reminds him that the first priority is rebuilding the country. Seonjo turns to Ryu. "That's right. I have so much to do. There might be more to do than during the war. Right, chief councilor?" And he gives Ryu a sly stare that can't be mistaken for anything benign.
Southern naval headquarters: The refugees Yi Sunsin helped have shown up for a visit. They've brought food and want to celebrate the end of the war. Send them away, Yi orders sternly. "The war isn't over yet. It's not over until I end it!"
Japanese military camp, Jeolla province: Ukita is frustrated about the defeat in Jiksan, but to Konishi it's just a temporary setback. And when their naval forces arrive at the west coast to link up with the army, well then they'll be in business big-time. But wait, not so fast...word arrives that the navy won't be arriving. They lost 30 ships and 2000 men and retreated back to Busan! The news seems so absurd to them, they can't even comprehend it at first. They don't know what Yi Sunsin's fate is just yet, but they do know that Joseon's navy is down to just a handful of ships. How is this even possible? Well whatever the explanation is, they realize they have to retreat, at least for now. Narration tells us that this was in September of 1597 and that the Jiksan and Uldolmok (a/k/a Myeongryang) battles "turned the tables of the war."
Japan: Hideyoshi gets the news of the retreat from Jeolla. And now the Japanese also know that Yi got his job back. The two problems they needed to solve, and neither has been solved. He's so frustrated that he orders his armor brought to him immediately so he can go to Joseon himself. But then he suddenly falls to his knees and starts coughing up blood! He says he's okay--in fact, he grabs a sword and kills the two attendants who rush to help him back to his feet--but clearly he is not okay, and he slumps back to the floor. Maeda, Ishida and the female attendant Mitsuki are the only ones there with him; he orders them to keep his illness secret.
Hanyang: Yang Hao tells Seonjo he wants to attack Dosan Fortress. A victory there would "completely collapse" the enemy's presence after the defeats at Jiksan and Uldolmok. Most of the officials favor trying it. But Seonjo worries that it could put the capital at risk. (Typical.) Ryu cautions everyone that the enemy will resist strongly and that "if we attack we must not retreat no matter what." Yang says he's offended at the suggestion that he would retreat in the face of resistance. Ryu is unapologetic and wants to accompany Yang to the fortress if they try the attack. Yang okays that.
Yu Join and Lee Icheom go to see Lee Sanhae, to plan political strategy. They're concerned that if the Dosan battle succeeds and ends the war, Ryu "will become a hero who saves this country" and it will be difficult to get rid of him. Icheom even goes so far as to say that politically it would be better for them if the Dosan attack failed...which was not the right thing to say. Sanhae is infuriated-- "how can you think about personal benefits in a situation like this where our country's fate is on the line!?"--and orders him out of the room. Then he tells Yu essentially that Icheom is wrong anyway, that it's actually to their advantage if Dosan succeeds. Because if Ryu becomes some sort of war hero, well, look what Seonjo has done to the other war heroes like Kim Deoknyeong (died) and Yi Sunsin (nearly died). It's a very good point, no question.
We see the start of the attack on Dosan Fortress. Withering cannon fire against Kato's army inside. Looks like they're going to take a real beating...
...and now it's thirteen days later and the Japanese have run out of rations. No word on any reinforcements, either. Looks bleak, but Kato insists "there is no retreat." We then see him slaughter one of their horses, and then drink a container full of its blood. Wow. "Kill the horses for food and water," he orders.
Uh-oh. Is Yang Hao just like the other Ming generals after all? The Joseon and Ming leaders know that the enemy is out of rations; this is the time to move in and finish them off, but Yang isn't attacking. "They are like fish in a net," he tells Ryu offhandedly. We can finish them off any time; for now our soldiers need rest.. But then news arrives that enemy reinforcements are headed this way. A huge number of them, like 70-80 thousand. It scares Yang so much he orders a retreat! "We won this battle" he says, and killed many enemies. "There's no need to fight any more." Ryu and the Joseon generals are dumbfounded. Narration informs us that the thirteen-day battle began on December 23, 1597 and that the Joseon army did attack on its own after Yao's retreat but failed to take the fortress. It was "a lost opportunity to end the war."
Hanyang: Ugh! In one of the palace yards, Yang Hao is at the head of a celebratory banquet at which he's bragging about the battle's success and about all of the enemies he killed. And how he trash-talked Kato into running away and hiding from him. Ryu and some other Joseon high officials are there. They can only groan quietly and shake their heads. They decide to walk out on Yang...but suddenly Ming soldiers come rushing into the yard. What's this? An envoy with an order from the emperor. Yang is ordered home for punishment for retreating and "causing great damage" and for submitting a report that claimed false merit. He's unceremoniously dragged away by soldiers. Ryu sums it up in three words: "He deserved that."
State council meeting: We get some backstory on what just happened. It's more factionalism in the Ming government. A guy named Ding Yingtai, who's a high official in the war ministry, submitted a report to the Ming emperor about Yang submitting a false report that claimed victory. Seonjo isn't at all happy to have lost Yang, because "he understood our position and didn't hesitate to attack." And there's some discussion about how Yang reported the result, because while Dosan wasn't a victory, it wasn't a defeat either, or at least it could be argued that way. Seonjo also worries about the next administrator who will be assigned to replace Yang. What if they get another sneaky one who tries to arrange a truce like Song Yingchang did? Yun Dusu suggests sending an envoy to Ming to ask for Yang Hao back. Seonjo likes the idea, and wants to send Ryu as the envoy since he was at the battle. But Ryu refuses! Yes I didn't like Yang, Ryu admits, but the bigger issue is that Joseon can't afford to get dragged into Ming's internal conflict and be seen as taking sides. "It's too late to save Yang Hao anyway," he argues, so all we can do is convince his replacement to fight. Seonjo disagrees and orders Ryu to form an envoy delegation. Send someone else, Ryu tells him, refusing a direct royal order!
Afterwards the two Lees try to change Ryu's mind, but Ryu isn't budging. Even Yun Dusu is baffled surprised at Ryu's stubbornness.
Yu and Lee Icheom are back with Lee Sanhae, the latter begging forgiveness. We learn that Seonjo sent Lee Wonik to Ming instead of Ryu. Sanhae says that Ryu "wasn't wrong" about the situation...but all they care about is how to get him removed from office so they can take power. Icheom suggests, "How about making him pro-truce?"
Around fifty officials are kneeling in front of the palace, shouting for the king to dump Ryu because he's pro-truce. Ugh. Yu and Lee Icheom are in the front, and it doesn't look like a very influential group...but of course their goal is simply to start spreading the untruth about Ryu as though it's the truth.
Appeals are submitted to the king, presumably from the same officials we just saw. Seonjo ponders the idea of Ryu "ruining the country." True or not, is it useful to him? That's obviously what's running through his head.
Ryu is in a tough spot and he knows it. The Lees urge him to fight back...but he seems unsure how.
So he goes to see Lee Sanhae. They play baduk, and as in previous scenes with baduk the game is used as a political analogy. Finally Ryu makes a surrender move. "I lost this game," he says...and then tells Lee he came here to ask him to back off. Says he's going to leave the court when the war ends no matter what, so please stop the political scheming until then. Lee laughs. "It's not up to me," he says; I'll do what the king wants me to do. If I don't, someone else will. So I can't help you.
Lee Deokhyeong brings the king bad news. Ding Yingtai took offense at Joseon trying to get Yang Hao back; he submitted a report to the emperor saying that Joseon conspired with Hideyoshi to attack Ming! Ryu was right. Seonjo moans; now he has to send another envoy to try to straighten it all out. Lee takes the opportunity to urge Seonjo not to abandon Ryu. Seonjo answers, "I'm worried he will abandon me." Wow, what an odd answer.
Japan: it's now August 1598. Hideyoshi looks awful. Sitting on the ground leaning on his sword for support. Clearly he's dying. Kind of a sad scene; a bleak room. Maeda and Ishida are with him; so are Nene and Yodo, and of course Mitsuki. Hideyoshi is breathing heavily. "I should withdraw the army, right?", he asks weakly. Maeda agrees. Bring them home so they can protect your son, Maeda tells him. "Okay. Do that." Then Hideyoshi asks, "Was I too greedy?" No, Maeda answers; "you are a hero who tried to achieve a grand dream." Not sure if Maeda really agrees with that, but it's exactly the right answer for this moment. Take good care of my son, Hideyoshi asks of him. Then he says to everyone, "I wanted to step on Joseon land. Too bad. In my next life I will definitely do that." He looks off into the distance, and calls out to his mother and his dead son Tsurumatsu. "Let's go to see the cherry blossoms." And with that he slumps over and dies, his sword falling to the ground and punctuating the silence with a piercing clatter.
"No way. All this in vain?" Konishi gets the news and is staggered and furious. "After starting such a tragic war? How could he!?" And now they're in a potentially dangerous situation, because the Joseon government must know the withdrawal was ordered. Will Yi Sunsin let them leave without a fight?
Seonjo can barely comprehend the news that the war is going to end. His officials congratulate him...but he tells them there's one more job left. "We can't just let them go." He wants them all killed. Most of the officials agree with him; Ryu reminds him that the first priority is rebuilding the country. Seonjo turns to Ryu. "That's right. I have so much to do. There might be more to do than during the war. Right, chief councilor?" And he gives Ryu a sly stare that can't be mistaken for anything benign.
Southern naval headquarters: The refugees Yi Sunsin helped have shown up for a visit. They've brought food and want to celebrate the end of the war. Send them away, Yi orders sternly. "The war isn't over yet. It's not over until I end it!"
