Post by ajk on Jun 16, 2009 13:16:04 GMT -5
The Goryeans are still searching for Hunae. They find her bow, lying on the riverbank. So they're on the right track. No idea what happened to her, but on the right track at least. And as they ride ahead through the tall grass, they pass right by her. The Khitans, still holding Hunae and Chiyang captive, are hiding in the grass.
The Anyoongjin Fort commander Yi Hyunoon tells his men and Hunae's people that he has big news. No, not about Hunae, but that the king has summoned them all to an audience in order to reward them for their victory. Gang Jo is furious that Yi isn't more concerned about Hunae. But Dae Dosu points out that they just don't have the manpower in this one fort to conduct such an extensive search. The thing to do is go to the king and ask for help.
A Khitan soldier reports to Yelu Dilie (not sure if this is a messenger of some sort or if he's one of Dilie's own men, back from scouting). He tells him of the Khitan defeat and cessation of territory. Hunae gloats out loud at this. A very foolish thing to do; she gets smacked to the ground for it.
The Anyoongjin group arrives at the palace gate. But the guards won't let them in because Sa Gamun an Sa Illa are with them and they're Jurchens. Gang Jo, to his credit, vouches for them. But no luck. This is too important to Hunae's welfare for them all to walk away from, so the two Jurchens head back to Sungdeok Palace and the Goryeans enter without them.
Inside, the Goryeans are before the king and tell him of Hunae's disappearance. They ask for more manpower to expand the search, and the king agrees without hesitation. The king says he's going to reward all of the military officers present with promotions and land grants. Then Hyangbi asks permission to speak; she has something to say. Go ahead, the king says....
Hunae and Chiyang have their hands tied and roped to a horse, to make them move faster on their own as the Khitans flee northward. Very cruel; the two stumble and stagger forward.
Commander Yi is suddenly on the hot seat. "Is it true that you tried to surrender to the enemy without fighting?!" says Seo Hui. (Aw, geez, you mean Hyangbi snitched on him? Tattletale. I don't know if she can be my wife now.) No, no, Yi says in a panic; I was just trying to minimize casualties. But the king asks Gang Jo and Gang Jo confirms it. It was only Hunae's resolve that prevented the surrender, the king learns. Yi Jibaek is outraged and calls for Yi's head. Yi falls to his knees and grovels for mercy. I'll spare your life, the king says, but you're demoted to captain. And then he asks Gang Jo, What reward do you seek?, Just find Hunae, is the answer. And give my reward to her when she's found. Choe Ryang has listend to all this; he speaks up and emphasizes to the king that Hunae's conduct was apparently pivotal in the outcome, and urges that she be found at all costs. The king agrees completely.
Gang Gamchan is accepting congratulations from ministers for his perceptiveness in sleuthing out the Khitan deception. Gamchan is modest but he's proud of what everyone accomplished. Yi Gyeomui even offers him a position in the Ministry of Military right there on the spot. But Gamchan says with a smile that planning wars and battles is not for him--"just the though of it makes me shudder"--and they all laugh.
Leaving the palace, ex-commander Yi gets some long-overdue backtalk from his former subordinates. Dae Dosu, who looks to be in charge now, tells them to cut it out; We have a search to conduct. Hyunoon seethes to himself and vows revenge.
Sa Gamun and Sa Illa return to Myeongbok Palace alone. They're trying to keep faith for Chiyang's safety. The Jurchen tribe has sent out a search party of its own, we learn. Then Yi Sulhwa shows up, clumsily suppressing her happiness at Sa Gamun's return. It's so obvious that even Sa Illa gets off a funny line, remarking that she's become invisible.
Day into night, the Goryeans keep searching....
Bonghwang Fort, Liaodong: The Khitans have managed to make it back home. Xiao Sunning can barely restrain himself from killing Yelu Dilie; This all your fault, he says. It turns out, the Khitan empress dowager is coming to Liaodong, and Xiao fears they'll all be executed. But Dilie has an idea....
Outside, an exhausted Hunae and Chiyang are standing, asleep on their feet. Xiao goes outside to see her, and the officers put the pieces together and realize who she is. What a great bargaining chip!
Gamchan goes to visit the young prince Gaeryeong, who immediately asks about his mother. Still no luck, and we learn the search has now been going on for a month. This is hard on the kid, understandably.
The king and queen are dining together. Sungjong is burdened and unhappy about his sister's fate. And he regrets his being so unkind to her in recent years. And fears he'll never get the chance to make up for it. Munhwa talks him through it, with great insight, and urges him to be patient. For now, she says, you must stay strong because you're the father of the country.
Hunae is being held captive by herself in some residential quarters somewhere. Chiyang is in a jail cell with a bunch of Goryeans. And look who's in there too: Yoon Seoan! (The leader of the Goryean advance guards whose overconfidence caused the Goryean defeat in the first battle.) He learns from Chiyang that Hunae is here. They agree that they have to do something to free her before she's taken to the Khitan capital.
Still searching. Dae Dosu tells Gang Jo he should return to Hwangju. Troops are being called back, and it sounds like the search is being called off. There's not much chance of finding her after all this time, but Gang Jo still won't stop. "And even if she is dead, I must find her remains," he tells Dae, before turning around and charging onwards angrily. You almost start to admire the guy's perseverance, if nothing else, but this time he doesn't go very far before we see him slump to his knees and start to moan, "It's my fault. If only I had kept my eyes on her...." So we realize that some of his drive is coming from guilt feelings.
Back in the cell, a fake fight has broken out. Chiyang calls the guards, who unlock the cell door to go in and break up the fight. But it was an ambush, of course, and the guards are overpowered. The Goryeans grab swords, run outside and start battling with Khitan soldiers. Outside the building where Hunae is being held, Yelu Wuji comes running up to the troops stationed there. "The Goryeans have escaped! Leave the building lightly guarded and come with me." So most of the troops run away, and of course then the Goryeans show up there. The remaining guards are killed and then the Goryeans try to lure the Khitans as far away as possible, while Chiyang runs inside and finds Hunae. Back outside, Xiao arrives at the battle scene and is stunned to see Wuji there. "You idiot! Your job is to guard Lady Sungdeok!" They notice Chiyang's absence from the battle, and they rush back just in time to see Hunae and Chiyang running up the steps of the fort walls to try to escape. Wuji fires an arrow that strikes Chiyang in the back; he topples from the wall and lands outside. Hunae jumps after him. There just happen to be two horses there. (Gotta love TV.) Sunning orders everyone outside the fort immediately, to recapture Hunae. "If we lose her, we're all dead!"
Hunae and Chiyang flee into the night. They're together on one horse. (!?)
Sasu County: Another brief glimpse of Prince Gyeongjuwon and his son. The boy didn't do much nursing this morning, and seems to have a bit of a temperature, but otherwise nothing has changed.
The king is meeting with Seo Hui. The question: Do we send an envoy to Khitan? Seo Hui feels it's too soon. The king is antsy, though; fearing a negative reaction from Khitan, he wants to send Park Yangyu to demonstrate the high level of Goryeo's commitment. No, Seo says, not yet; they need to live up to their part of the bargain first. Very well, the king says; I trust you.
Narration tells us that this very exchange is recorded in the historical record.
Another meeting of grumpy Shillans worried about a power shift. Choe Sum realizes the completeness of Seo Hui's success and says, "There is nothing we can do at this point. Nothing." But his son-in-law Kim Shimun has a suggestion: The king is still a Confucian, and won't be thrilled about the idea of severing ties with Song and allying with Khitan. Let's suggest to him that he send an emissary to Song and propose a joint attack on the Khitans. Wow, some idea. And they discuss possibly mending fences with Wonsoong, repulsive as it may be.
Wonsoong gets the bad news from Jo Sun: All of the grains they had stockpiled were given away at the queen's order. And Jo Du is worried about what happens if the other ministers find out that he was profiteering. Wonsoong moans and groans. "We won the war, but I'm a loser." He could be in some serious trouble and he knows it. We're going to have to go to the palace, Wonsoong says.
Munhwa sarcastically asks her father why he isn't in Song. He tries to weasel out of it, but when she asks him about the profiteering, he owns up. I screwed up, he says, and he begs her forgiveness. My forgiveness alone isn't going to be enough on this one, she says, especially if what you've done becomes public knowledge. So Wonsoong offers to donate half of his assets to help the citizens who were impoverished by the war. He's grimacing in anguish as he says it but he tells his daughter it's a sincere gesture.
Sa Gamun and Sa Illa wonder what might have happened to Chiyang. Could he possibly have been taken hostage by the Khitans? It's a remote chance, but worth looking into.
Back at Myeongbok Palace: Gang Jo is drunk. He wants to keep searching, but Hyangbi is trying to talk some sense into him. "She's not coming back," Hyangbi thinks; "She's dead!" Don't say that, Gang says menacingly; he refuses to accept it. "I won't let her die as long as I'm alive." Then Gamchan arrives. He sees Gang Jo's miserable state. "Get a grip on yourself, my man. You're coming with me to Gaegyeong." This is at the king's order; Gamchan thinks the king is going to offer him a government post. But Gang doesn't want any part of it, no matter how impious it would be to snub the king. It was Hunae who took me in, he says, not the king. The king only gave her trouble, and now I'm supposed to take a job from him? Right now I'd like to kill him.
The next day: Hunae and Chiyang are still on the run. They're very close to the Goryeo border, but Chiyang is so weak--and still has the arrow sticking out of his back--that he passes out and falls of the horse. Hunae happens to spot a hut in a nearby field; she manages to help him to it, and inside he staggers and falls to the ground, coughing up blood. Hunae takes the arrow out of his back and is trying to stop his bleeding, but Chiyang is a mess and he doesn't think he's going to survive. Speaking with great difficulty through his pain, he tells Hunae he has a confession. "My name is...." and at that Hunae covers his mouth. She hears something outside. (Maybe it's a bunch of frustrated viewers wanting an explanation.)
Yelu Dilie and a squad of Khitan soldiers are outside of the hut and they know who's inside. Come out, Dilie shouts at the hut, or I'll torch the place. So Hunae comes out alone, holding an arrow to her throat. She tells Dilie, I'll cooperate if you save the dying man inside; if not, I'll slit my throat.
Nighttime: The Khitans are returning home. Hunae is walking, and Chiyang is being dragged on a stretcher.
The next day: Huane is brought along as the Khitans head into an important-looking complex of buildings for what looks to be some kind of ceremony. We see the Khitan empress dowager emerge from an impressive-looking building, surrounded by attendants and dressed regally. She descends the steps and faces the Khitans soldiers, as Hunae glares at her.
The Anyoongjin Fort commander Yi Hyunoon tells his men and Hunae's people that he has big news. No, not about Hunae, but that the king has summoned them all to an audience in order to reward them for their victory. Gang Jo is furious that Yi isn't more concerned about Hunae. But Dae Dosu points out that they just don't have the manpower in this one fort to conduct such an extensive search. The thing to do is go to the king and ask for help.
A Khitan soldier reports to Yelu Dilie (not sure if this is a messenger of some sort or if he's one of Dilie's own men, back from scouting). He tells him of the Khitan defeat and cessation of territory. Hunae gloats out loud at this. A very foolish thing to do; she gets smacked to the ground for it.
The Anyoongjin group arrives at the palace gate. But the guards won't let them in because Sa Gamun an Sa Illa are with them and they're Jurchens. Gang Jo, to his credit, vouches for them. But no luck. This is too important to Hunae's welfare for them all to walk away from, so the two Jurchens head back to Sungdeok Palace and the Goryeans enter without them.
Inside, the Goryeans are before the king and tell him of Hunae's disappearance. They ask for more manpower to expand the search, and the king agrees without hesitation. The king says he's going to reward all of the military officers present with promotions and land grants. Then Hyangbi asks permission to speak; she has something to say. Go ahead, the king says....
Hunae and Chiyang have their hands tied and roped to a horse, to make them move faster on their own as the Khitans flee northward. Very cruel; the two stumble and stagger forward.
Commander Yi is suddenly on the hot seat. "Is it true that you tried to surrender to the enemy without fighting?!" says Seo Hui. (Aw, geez, you mean Hyangbi snitched on him? Tattletale. I don't know if she can be my wife now.) No, no, Yi says in a panic; I was just trying to minimize casualties. But the king asks Gang Jo and Gang Jo confirms it. It was only Hunae's resolve that prevented the surrender, the king learns. Yi Jibaek is outraged and calls for Yi's head. Yi falls to his knees and grovels for mercy. I'll spare your life, the king says, but you're demoted to captain. And then he asks Gang Jo, What reward do you seek?, Just find Hunae, is the answer. And give my reward to her when she's found. Choe Ryang has listend to all this; he speaks up and emphasizes to the king that Hunae's conduct was apparently pivotal in the outcome, and urges that she be found at all costs. The king agrees completely.
Gang Gamchan is accepting congratulations from ministers for his perceptiveness in sleuthing out the Khitan deception. Gamchan is modest but he's proud of what everyone accomplished. Yi Gyeomui even offers him a position in the Ministry of Military right there on the spot. But Gamchan says with a smile that planning wars and battles is not for him--"just the though of it makes me shudder"--and they all laugh.
Leaving the palace, ex-commander Yi gets some long-overdue backtalk from his former subordinates. Dae Dosu, who looks to be in charge now, tells them to cut it out; We have a search to conduct. Hyunoon seethes to himself and vows revenge.
Sa Gamun and Sa Illa return to Myeongbok Palace alone. They're trying to keep faith for Chiyang's safety. The Jurchen tribe has sent out a search party of its own, we learn. Then Yi Sulhwa shows up, clumsily suppressing her happiness at Sa Gamun's return. It's so obvious that even Sa Illa gets off a funny line, remarking that she's become invisible.
Day into night, the Goryeans keep searching....
Bonghwang Fort, Liaodong: The Khitans have managed to make it back home. Xiao Sunning can barely restrain himself from killing Yelu Dilie; This all your fault, he says. It turns out, the Khitan empress dowager is coming to Liaodong, and Xiao fears they'll all be executed. But Dilie has an idea....
Outside, an exhausted Hunae and Chiyang are standing, asleep on their feet. Xiao goes outside to see her, and the officers put the pieces together and realize who she is. What a great bargaining chip!
Gamchan goes to visit the young prince Gaeryeong, who immediately asks about his mother. Still no luck, and we learn the search has now been going on for a month. This is hard on the kid, understandably.
The king and queen are dining together. Sungjong is burdened and unhappy about his sister's fate. And he regrets his being so unkind to her in recent years. And fears he'll never get the chance to make up for it. Munhwa talks him through it, with great insight, and urges him to be patient. For now, she says, you must stay strong because you're the father of the country.
Hunae is being held captive by herself in some residential quarters somewhere. Chiyang is in a jail cell with a bunch of Goryeans. And look who's in there too: Yoon Seoan! (The leader of the Goryean advance guards whose overconfidence caused the Goryean defeat in the first battle.) He learns from Chiyang that Hunae is here. They agree that they have to do something to free her before she's taken to the Khitan capital.
Still searching. Dae Dosu tells Gang Jo he should return to Hwangju. Troops are being called back, and it sounds like the search is being called off. There's not much chance of finding her after all this time, but Gang Jo still won't stop. "And even if she is dead, I must find her remains," he tells Dae, before turning around and charging onwards angrily. You almost start to admire the guy's perseverance, if nothing else, but this time he doesn't go very far before we see him slump to his knees and start to moan, "It's my fault. If only I had kept my eyes on her...." So we realize that some of his drive is coming from guilt feelings.
Back in the cell, a fake fight has broken out. Chiyang calls the guards, who unlock the cell door to go in and break up the fight. But it was an ambush, of course, and the guards are overpowered. The Goryeans grab swords, run outside and start battling with Khitan soldiers. Outside the building where Hunae is being held, Yelu Wuji comes running up to the troops stationed there. "The Goryeans have escaped! Leave the building lightly guarded and come with me." So most of the troops run away, and of course then the Goryeans show up there. The remaining guards are killed and then the Goryeans try to lure the Khitans as far away as possible, while Chiyang runs inside and finds Hunae. Back outside, Xiao arrives at the battle scene and is stunned to see Wuji there. "You idiot! Your job is to guard Lady Sungdeok!" They notice Chiyang's absence from the battle, and they rush back just in time to see Hunae and Chiyang running up the steps of the fort walls to try to escape. Wuji fires an arrow that strikes Chiyang in the back; he topples from the wall and lands outside. Hunae jumps after him. There just happen to be two horses there. (Gotta love TV.) Sunning orders everyone outside the fort immediately, to recapture Hunae. "If we lose her, we're all dead!"
Hunae and Chiyang flee into the night. They're together on one horse. (!?)
Sasu County: Another brief glimpse of Prince Gyeongjuwon and his son. The boy didn't do much nursing this morning, and seems to have a bit of a temperature, but otherwise nothing has changed.
The king is meeting with Seo Hui. The question: Do we send an envoy to Khitan? Seo Hui feels it's too soon. The king is antsy, though; fearing a negative reaction from Khitan, he wants to send Park Yangyu to demonstrate the high level of Goryeo's commitment. No, Seo says, not yet; they need to live up to their part of the bargain first. Very well, the king says; I trust you.
Narration tells us that this very exchange is recorded in the historical record.
Another meeting of grumpy Shillans worried about a power shift. Choe Sum realizes the completeness of Seo Hui's success and says, "There is nothing we can do at this point. Nothing." But his son-in-law Kim Shimun has a suggestion: The king is still a Confucian, and won't be thrilled about the idea of severing ties with Song and allying with Khitan. Let's suggest to him that he send an emissary to Song and propose a joint attack on the Khitans. Wow, some idea. And they discuss possibly mending fences with Wonsoong, repulsive as it may be.
Wonsoong gets the bad news from Jo Sun: All of the grains they had stockpiled were given away at the queen's order. And Jo Du is worried about what happens if the other ministers find out that he was profiteering. Wonsoong moans and groans. "We won the war, but I'm a loser." He could be in some serious trouble and he knows it. We're going to have to go to the palace, Wonsoong says.
Munhwa sarcastically asks her father why he isn't in Song. He tries to weasel out of it, but when she asks him about the profiteering, he owns up. I screwed up, he says, and he begs her forgiveness. My forgiveness alone isn't going to be enough on this one, she says, especially if what you've done becomes public knowledge. So Wonsoong offers to donate half of his assets to help the citizens who were impoverished by the war. He's grimacing in anguish as he says it but he tells his daughter it's a sincere gesture.
Sa Gamun and Sa Illa wonder what might have happened to Chiyang. Could he possibly have been taken hostage by the Khitans? It's a remote chance, but worth looking into.
Back at Myeongbok Palace: Gang Jo is drunk. He wants to keep searching, but Hyangbi is trying to talk some sense into him. "She's not coming back," Hyangbi thinks; "She's dead!" Don't say that, Gang says menacingly; he refuses to accept it. "I won't let her die as long as I'm alive." Then Gamchan arrives. He sees Gang Jo's miserable state. "Get a grip on yourself, my man. You're coming with me to Gaegyeong." This is at the king's order; Gamchan thinks the king is going to offer him a government post. But Gang doesn't want any part of it, no matter how impious it would be to snub the king. It was Hunae who took me in, he says, not the king. The king only gave her trouble, and now I'm supposed to take a job from him? Right now I'd like to kill him.
The next day: Hunae and Chiyang are still on the run. They're very close to the Goryeo border, but Chiyang is so weak--and still has the arrow sticking out of his back--that he passes out and falls of the horse. Hunae happens to spot a hut in a nearby field; she manages to help him to it, and inside he staggers and falls to the ground, coughing up blood. Hunae takes the arrow out of his back and is trying to stop his bleeding, but Chiyang is a mess and he doesn't think he's going to survive. Speaking with great difficulty through his pain, he tells Hunae he has a confession. "My name is...." and at that Hunae covers his mouth. She hears something outside. (Maybe it's a bunch of frustrated viewers wanting an explanation.)
Yelu Dilie and a squad of Khitan soldiers are outside of the hut and they know who's inside. Come out, Dilie shouts at the hut, or I'll torch the place. So Hunae comes out alone, holding an arrow to her throat. She tells Dilie, I'll cooperate if you save the dying man inside; if not, I'll slit my throat.
Nighttime: The Khitans are returning home. Hunae is walking, and Chiyang is being dragged on a stretcher.
The next day: Huane is brought along as the Khitans head into an important-looking complex of buildings for what looks to be some kind of ceremony. We see the Khitan empress dowager emerge from an impressive-looking building, surrounded by attendants and dressed regally. She descends the steps and faces the Khitans soldiers, as Hunae glares at her.