Post by ajk on Dec 8, 2009 16:00:43 GMT -5
Just a note to point out up front that this is a whopping long summary. The episode ran 71 minutes and was very eventful, so there's a lot to cover. And as with the other episodes not aired in Chicago, I've provided more detail than I otherwise would have, for the benefit of everyone who didn't see the episode.
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Emperor Shengzong is on horseback, fleeing the Khitan convoy's burning campsite. Yelu Dilu is riding beside him and a large group of Khitan soldiers are running behind him to keep their emperor safe. And he's gonna need them, because hot on his heels is Yang Kyu with a large group of his own soldiers. The campsite is still a raging battlezone as Goryeans continue to charge in and engage the Khitans under Kim Sukheung's direction. Xiao Baiya and Yelu Dilie are surveying the scene and issuing orders. Kim spots the two generals: "It's the enemy leaders!", he shouts. "Kill them!" And heads in their direction--just as word arrives that Yang Kyu was seen going after Shengzong. Baiya leaves Dilie to handle the camp battle and takes some of the troops to try to catch up to Shengzong and Yang. Almost as soon as he's gone, here comes Kim and suddenly he's right in Dilie's face, and now the two are dueling. You'd expect this to be quite a good battle, but Kim proves so agile--vertically agile--that his leaping and ducking quickly gets him the advantage, and in a flash his sword punctures Dilie's throat. Dilie is barely able to pull the sword out before he falls dead. Impressive work by Kim. (And sad to see Dilie die; he was a more restrained voice among the Khitan leadership and they need that.) "Their leader is down!", Kim shouts; "The Emperor is next! Fight!"
Not far from the camp (it can't be too far; it's still nighttime): Shengzong has stopped fleeing. He and his soldiers have turned around and have decided to face their pursuers. Yang Kyu shouts his demand for the Khitan emperor's head; Yelu Dilu says he'll take Yang's head instead, and the two generals charge each other on horseback. Stunningly, on the very first pass Yang strikes a fatal blow and kills Dilu. Yang looks back and gets a glimpse of Dilu dying--and in the next moment an arrow thwacks into his leg, knocking him from his horse. Who fired it? Shengzong himself. "He's killed my guardian warrior," Shengzong says; "I want that bastard killed!" Behind all this it's become an all-out battle between the two sides. Now Shengzong's big goon guard, his female guard, and several regular troops charge towards Yang as he agonizingly pulls the arrow out of his leg. He rights himself and fights them off, killing at least some of them (the goon and the woman both go down; not sure if they died but they both went down hard). Shengzong watches with frustration, and then with distress as Yang charges him. He pulls out his own sword as Yang swings at him; his sword fends off the blow but he's knocked off his horse. As he kneels there on the ground, Yang approaches him menacingly...but dawdles. "Die like an emperor," he growls at Shengzong. "I will take your head and show the world what a fool you are for invading Goryeo." He winds up to strike, but he wasted too much time, and Xiao Baiya is able to run in at the very last moment to fend off the blow. (How many times have we seen this mistake. If you're going to kill somebody, kill them immediately and be done with it.) "Protect the emperor!", Baiya shouts, as soldiers fight Yang off and Shengzong is able to resume his flight. Now the battle widens, because Kim Sukheung and his soldiers have arrived...
Suddenly it's daytime, the scene has shifted to a marsh, and the battle is still going. But now only Yang and Kim are the only Goryeans left, and they've gotten themselves surrounded by at least thirty Khitans, with Xiao Baiya and Shengzong at a safe distance. (An abrupt and unclear transition; where did all of the other Goryeans go?) The two generals fight valiantly and manage to kill some of the Khitans, but it's been a long pursuit and they're visibly tiring. Yang glares at Baiya and shouts, "Stop being a coward and fight us yourself!" Baiya and Shengzong both seem almost captivated by the brave fight that the two Goryeans are putting up...but with only a dozen or so Khitans left, Shengzong gestures to Baiya and Baiya orders to his soldiers, "Step back!" And then orders, "Archers forward!" Uh-oh. At least forty archers run up and aim nearly point-blank. (Why didn't they do this right off the bat? No wonder they couldn't win the war! Idiots.) The Goryeans take a deep breath; they know it's the end. "I guess this it, my friend," Yang says. Kim answers, "It's been an honor serving with you." Together they bravely charge at Shengzong one last time. Baiya gives the order, and the arrows fly.
As we see Yang's and Kim's arrow-riddled bodies lying in the marsh, surrounded by the bodies of Khitans they killed, narration tells us that the war came to an end after Yang Kyu and Kim Sukheung gave their lives to deliver a final blow to the retreating Khitans. The Khitans had managed to capture the Goryean capital, destroy the imperial palace and force the emperor to flee all the way to Naju in the south, "but the conquest ended in failure because they had advanced too far south and their retreat route was cut off by Yang Kyu." The following February, we learn, Hyeonjong returned north to the capital.
"Make way! Make way for His Majesty the Emperor!" We see Hyeonjong entering the capital city. He has a carriage and is making a proper return, with a proper military guard. Cheonchu, Gamchan and Choe Hang are accompanying him on horseback; we see Ji Chaemun and the attendant Myeongil walking alongside the carriage; and we also see a second carriage, with Sunjeong riding inside. So they all stuck with him to Naju and back, apparently. And we even notice our new acquaintance Kim Eunbu and his eldest daughter (she of the boffo bath) walking with the soldiers. As they pass through an outlying village, citizens line the street and bow in submission. But they're not just bowing, we hear them crying. This must be their relief and joy overwhelming them, after what they must have endured during the capital's occupation by the enemy. Hyeonjong stops his procession, gets out of his carriage and humbly bows to his people. "My failures have caused the blameless people to suffer a violent war," he tells a startled Choe Hang; "It's only fitting that I seek their forgiveness." (Awfully hard on himself; he had only just ascended when it happened.) He says to the citizens, "Please forgive me. I will do my all to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. And thank you. Thank you all for getting through this alive." It's a powerfully symbolic moment. Shouts of "Long live the emperor!" from the citizens. Hyeonjong rises and the procession heads for Suchang Palace, which survived the occupation.
Suchang Palace: It's the first state council meeting. Look who's there--the four chivalrous weasels we saw abandoning those three women in the middle of nowhere. So they found their way back safely. Hyeonjong tells his ministers he wants to grant posthumous appointments to honor his dead warriors; he specifically mentions Yang Kyu, Kim Sukheung, Dae Dosu and Gang Jo. What do you think?, he asks. Kim Shimun immediately says that Gang Jo should be excluded, because it was his fault that Tongju fell, which led to the capital's capture and the emperor's flight. A bitter debate ensues, with Gamchan defending Jo's life and his honorable death, and the weasel ministers criticizing his alleged failure at Tongju. Then a moment of staggering audacity as Tak Sajeong and Choe Sawui speak up to criticize Jo's "critical error" in strategy and his "allowing the enemy to take him prisoner. Incredible. Gamchan jumps in and reminds everyone that Jo's capture was because of Yi Hyunoon's and Ahn Pae's betrayal, not because of any failing of his own. "A warrior is responsible for his subordinates' actions," Choe Wonshin smugly responds; he also brings up Mokjong's murder, which opens a whole different can of worms. Gamchan is way outnumbered but is holding tough: "General Gang lived and died fighting for Goryeo...Don't you realize that you are alive right now because of his sacrifice? If you have any decency, think about it!" And then, "How can you criticize him when you abandoned the emperor and ran to save your own lives?" Oooh, that hits a sore spot. Choe Hang jumps right in: "Your Majesty, before awards are bestowed, punishment must be rendered to those who abandoned their posts and ignored their duty during this war." Does that ever shut them up. The weasels can only squirm silently, their eyes looking straight down.
Later, Gamchan goes to visit Cheonchu. She's frustrated to hear about the meeting, about the attempt to discredit Jo and frame him for Mokjong's murder. "How could they be so shameless?" They both are certain that the discredit-ers are the ones responsible for the murder. But they have no evidence to prove it, and with Yi Hyunoon and Ahn Pae now in Liao, the truth may never be told. Cheonchu also wants to see trials and punishment for "the yellow-bellied cowards who abandoned their duty during the war." Gamchan nods in agreement, but nebulously tells her, "I have a feeling his majesty feels differently about that." Really?
Lady Yunheung comes to see the emperor. She looks good, none the worse for wear; obviously the women made it home all right and she recovered from her beaning. But she still hasn't learned. She's come because she's heard that Hyeonjong has decided to take a second consort, and she's not happy about it. It's "unthinkable" while her daughter the empress is alive and well, she tells him. But he fires back, "Weren't you the one who told me that children are rare in this imperial house and that procreation is one of my most important duties?" Yes she did; he's got her there. She continues to protest anyway and tells him to call it off. He scolds her, so she backs off and appeals to him as the woman who raised him. "I'm so hurt that you'd do this without discussing with me first." He looks at her matter-of-factly. "Then let me be frank. You are not exactly my favorite person. You deserted me when we were on the road seeking refuge, afraid for your safety." He also compares her unfavorably to Cheonchu, which is about the most hurtful thing he could say to her, and then orders her away. She loses her temper and Myeongil has to physically pull her by the arm out of the room. (Have to say, I like Hyeonjong a lot but he was too hard on Yunheung here. Especially that "deserted" criticism. She was the one who offered to lead the slower walkers away to Hyeonjong would have a better chance of getting to safety.)
Outside, Yunheung barely catches her breath when who should show up but Cheonchu. Yunheung glares. "You did this, didn't you?" Cheonchu doesn't know what she's talking about. "You coaxed the emperor to marry another consort to get my daughter deposed!" Cheonchu laughs at her, which drives her bonkers. "Are you laughing at me? You dare laugh at me?!" All Cheonchu says is, "Go home and take a good look at yourself. You've become a hideous monster." And she walks away, leaving Yunheung enraged and screaming to the point where she hyperventilates and passes out in Escort Jo's arms.
"Whatever do you mean? Forgive them?" The emperor and Cheonchu are talking. Hyeonjong has made some decisions that Cheonchu isn't going to like, but he's doing her the courtesy of informing her about them ahead of time. For one thing, he's not going to punish the ministers who deserted him, because "I want to end the era of political wars and dissension, and bring unity to the country." She tries to contest the matter, but he goes right on. He's also going to disregard her sharecropper tax adjustment policy. "I fully understand why you want this reform. But it's too radical. The country must first have unity, but this could easily provoke dissension." She argues that it's the only way to maintain the military in order to accomplish the northern conquest. But he's backing off the northern conquest idea too. "It requires the sacrifice of too many lives," he tells her. "Our priority right now is defense and domestic stability. It would be wonderful to expand our territory, but I would choose stability over expansion if countless lives have to be lost for it. I'm sorry, Empress Dowager."
Some time after her disappointing meeting, Cheonchu drops a bomb on Ji Chaemun and Gang Mincheom: she's decided to go and get her son from Jurchen territory. The officers immediately tell her she can't, because if the boy came back to Goryeo he might well be put to death for his father's treason. She knows this, of course, but tells them, "I will protect him with my life. Goryeo needs him." Goryeo needs him? Oh good heavens, what is in her head now. Whatever it is, she's going and they can't talk her out of it.
Suchang Palace, state council meeting: Hyeonjong has quite a list of personnel announcements. He starts with three posthumous honors: Yang Kyu will be named Minister of Works; Kim Sukheung will be awarded title of High General; and Dae Dosu will be restored as Minister of Defense. Gang Jo? "You have expressed split opinion on his merits," he tells his court, "so I will postpone my decision until the truth is revealed about Mokjong's murder." Continuing on:
--Choi Sawui is dismissed from service for being defeated in battle
--Tak Sajeong is held responsible for betraying Dae Dosu and fleeing from battle, and is sentenced to exile. (Not clear why Choi and Tak would be handled differently; they did everything together. Maybe because Tak is Minister of Military.)
--Yu Bang is named Minister of Military
--Choe Jil and Kim Hoon are elevated to the rank of High General, as is Gang Mincheom
--Ji Chaemun is named Supreme Council Undersecretary
--Kim Jonghyun becomes Regional Military Commissioner
--Gang Gamchan is appointed Chief Commissioner Minister of Supreme Council
--Choi Hang is appointed Minister of Personnel
--Kim Shimun will be demoted to his previous position of Minister of Rites (this was NOT his previous position--hello, continuity?)
--Choi Suk, Choi Wonshin, Hwangbo Yui, Chae Choongsun, and Mun Inui will also be demoted to their previous positions (Mun Inui didn't have a previous position, so it's not clear what this means)
--Finally, Kim Eunbu is appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishment.
"Are there any objections to these appointments and dismissals?" Complete silence in the room; even generals Choi and Tak are silent. So it's done. Then Hyeonjong makes a point of singling out Kim Shimun and telling him he's lucky to remain in the court at all and not be removed and punished. Kim falls to his knees, admits to "unforgivable crimes," and swears his unending loyalty to Hyeonjong. Who knows if he means it.
Shengzong is back home and is steaming mad at the invasion's failure. (His big goon guard and his female guard are standing next to his throne, by the way, so obviously they survived that final battle.) His rage eases just enough for him to admit that Prime Minister Han was right, that a little more delay could have made the difference. Xiao Baiya reassures him that this isn't over. "It may take some time, but we will conquer Goryeo." Then we learn that Yi Hyunoon and Ahn Pae have been trying to get Ha Gongjin to switch sides, but Ha still resists. Shengzong wants him turned. "He has more knowledge about the Goryean army than any other prisoner. I don't care what you have to do," he tells Baiya. "Make him kneel before me!"
Sure enough, Cheonchu has gotten on a horse and headed into Jurchen territory. Gang Mincheom has come with her; not that one escort will help much, but he did. The two arrive at the gates of the Jurchen village. Soldiers surround them, and then Mobula and Dokyun emerge. Dokyun's wearing a fancy Jurchen outfit; looks like she's a VIP now. Cheonchu gets right to the point: "I've come for my son Prince Hwangju." No such person is here, Mobula tells her. He addresses her with proper courtesy but asks her to leave. She won't go, so he orders his soldiers to escort her away from the village. At that, Cheonchu appeals to Dokyun: "I've already lost one son. Please help me so I can see the only son I have left. You must know how I feel, having lost a son yourself."
It worked, sort of. Dokyun has brought Cheonchu into her home, and there's Hwangju. He goes to Dokyun: "Mother." The boy is too young to remember Cheonchu, of course. "As you can see," Dokyun tells her, "this is my son, Jin Joon." "What are you talking about? Give me back my son at once!" There's a tense vibe in the room, because they each know what the real story is, and they each know that the other one knows it. Dokyun says Hwangju died with Sa Illa. Cheonchu appeals again, not wanting an imperial prince to grow up in a remote Jurchen village. "He is not your child," Dokyun insists, but "Even if he were, I couldn't let you take him back to Goryeo." Cheonchu tells her, "I will make him the next emperor and we will create a grand empire together." (Oh good heavens, so that's what's in her head.) "I don't think so," Dokyun responds. "If he returned to Goryeo, he would be killed by your political enemies." And then a curveball, thrown with fire in her voice: "Think about it...Would I let him live if he were your son, when you killed my husband?" A terrific bit of read-between-the-lines that stops Cheonchu cold. Dokyun takes the boy outside and Cheonchu knows she won't win this one. Cheonchu goes outside and runs after Hwangju, but soldiers block her path and Mobula tells her tersely to leave now. "Please, we don't want to hurt you and become an enemy of Goryeo. This is the best thing you can do for Jin Joon." Dokyun adds, with some sympathy and all but admitting that the child is Hwangju, "I beg you, please leave now. This child will indeed build a great empire someday. But that empire will not be built in Goryeo. It will be built here on Jurchen soil. That's his destiny."
Yu Chungjeong is still putting on his smiling face for Yi Hyunoon and Ahn Pae. He goes to them to tell them that Ha Gongjin has nearly changed his mind and may soon surrender. He tells them that Ha will be at his house for drinks tonight, and asks the two of them to join him and help persuade Ha. They don't seem to think they'll be much help, but Yu tells them how much the emperor himself wants Ha to surrender, and that gets them interested.
Later: We're inside Yu's house, around a table. Ha Gongjin is sitting next to Yu. Yi and Ahn are also at the table, and so are four women. Several soldiers stand guard around the perimeter; Yi and Han brought them because "We don't completely trust you yet, and this man (Ha) is capable of anything." Yu smiles; "No problem. I completely understand." Yu promptly pours Yi and Ahn cups of wine, and then one for himself. Ha "is still recovering from torture," Yu tells his guests, "so he can't drink." Yi and Ahn put the cups to their lips...and then hesitate. "You drink first," Yi says to Yu. Yu laughs, makes a joke about the wine being poisoned, and drinks without hesitation. Yi and Ahn watch him for only about five seconds after he swallows and then drink up eagerly, apparently satisfied that Yu didn't just drink a hand grenade. Some pleasant conversation and camaraderie follows, with Ha even offering that he's decided to surrender because "A man can't live in confinement forever." (So Ha finally knows what Yu is doing and is playing along.) And then exactly 53 seconds after swallowing, Yi shudders, clutches his throat and coughs up blood. Ahn follows, and then Yu. "This is revenge for Emperor Mokjong and General Gang," Yu tells the two dying turncoats. And then as he fades out, "Your Majesty...Empress Dowager...I have completed my mission." Ha is devastated as Yu dies next to him. It's not clear if the plan was for Yu to drink the wine or not, but either way he had to do it to accomplish his goal.
Ha is brought before Shengzong. The emperor offers him "a life of fame and fortune" if he'll swear loyalty to Liao. Ha refuses. Shengzong gives him one last chance; "You will be put to death if you refuse again." Ha laughs at him and calmly tells him, "So be it. Then I will die an honorable death, as a proud Goryean." Shengzong angrily orders him removed and executed.
Ha is executed, in the same matter that Xiao Zanli was executed in Ep50--arms tied to posts, with dozens of archers firing simultaneously. (It's sad that no Goryeans are here to see his loyalty so it could be known for posterity. He certainly deserved some kind of posthumous honor from the Goryeo government.) He faces death smiling and at peace, wishing only to see Goryeo one last time. (Also have to point out that of the arrows shown in flight, just over half of them MISSED their target completely. And the archers shot from within twenty yards. Yet another reason these guys couldn't win the war.)
Somehow word has gotten back to Cheonchu that Yi and Ahn are dead. "I guess that means we will never find the emperor's true killer," she tells Gamchan bitterly. Gamchan asks her about Hwangju. "Minister Gang, if I bring him back and seek to put him on the throne...would you support me?" Gamchan is horrified but stays calm. "Your Highness, I beg you not to speak such blasphemy." He's always been on her side but is clearly disappointed with her now. "We're trying to restore peace and stability but you speak of chaos and confusion." She whines a bit; "I've worked too hard to give up on our northern conquest...it's unfair to have my righteous intentions and hard work be buried and forgotten." Gamchan sets her straight, compassionately but firmly. "I'm sure every nameless soldier who died in this war has a tragic story of his own," he reminds her. "I know you can't erase your sorrow, but you must keep it buried deeply in your heart for Goryeo. It is your final duty." And he comforts her a bit by offering to talk to the emperor and make sure that there are no more attempts to harm Hwangju from within Goryeo. (Not that Hyeonjong would be sure to know about them, but it's a nice gesture.)
By the Yalu River: We see Cheonchu scattering Gang Jo's ashes. She laments that she probably won't be able to protect his good name. "History might remember you as a traitor, but don't feel alone," she tearfully says to him in spirit. "If disgrace is brought upon you, that disgrace will be mine a well."
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Flash-forward eight years to 1018. Narration and a battle scene address the third and final Khitan invasion. Xiao Baiya had led 100,000 Khitan troops south all the way to Gaegyeong. Their invasion had great initial success, but later they were forced to fall back. They retreated to Guiju, where Gang Gamchan and 200,000 Goryean troops were waiting for them in February 1019. We see the Khitans charge and the massive battle begins. Strange we don't see any of those spear carts on the Goryean side. But we see an elaborately choreographed defense led by an older-looking Gamchan, involving trenches covered over with straw mats, into which the charging Khitans fall, and strategically placed mounds of straw that are set on fire by Goryean flaming arrows after the Khitans charge past them, creating danger behind their own front. And then more Goryeans charge in from behind to seal off any Khitan retreat. Narration tells us that the Goryeans utterly demolished the Khitan army and only a few thousand Khitans survived. This, we're told, is regarded as one of the three great military victories of Korean history, along with Ulchi Mundeok's Battle of Salsu and Yi Soon-Shin's Battle of Hansando. We then see a later formal ceremony at which Hyeonjong honors the 71-year-old Gamchan. We're told that Gamchan was later named prime minister and honored with the title of "Merit Subject."
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Several more years have passed. We're at Myeongbok Palace in the north. We see a much older-looking Cheonchu. Sunjeong (who hasn't aged as much; more of that whole problem) tells her she has a visitor.
Cheonchu goes out into an isolated spot in the countryside to see this visitor, a man whose back is turned. "Who might you be?" He turns, and from his features, his dress, his mannerisms we know who it is as quickly as she does. It's her son, now a grown-up young man. "My mother told me about my background," he says to her, "and I wanted to meet you before it's too late." Cheonchu beams like the typical proud mother. "What a fine young man you've become! You are my son no matter what." He smiles and nods. "Yes, you are the woman who brought me into this world, Empress Dowager. But it is the wind of the grassland and the courage of the tribesmen that raised me." He knows about her great dream for Goryeo, and tells her, "I will realize your great dream on the grassland. If I can't in my lifetime, my children will in the next generation. This is what I've come to tell you." He's sorry to have to tell her that he won't be back here again (remember he's still the son of a Goryean traitor--undoubtedly why they're meeting in such an isolated spot). She understands: "If you can't live on this land, follow your heart." She has just one request: "Do not become an enemy of Goryeo. This is all I ask of you." He nods very slightly; she sheds a tear and smiles at him, deeply moved. As we watch him gallop away, narration tells us:
The emperor is working in a rice field, tying up rice plants that were windblown in a storm. (Recall that we've seen kings and emperors working on special symbolic gardens before; this is an extension of that, I guess.) Gamchan is keeping him company. Cheonchu arrives; she's come from Hwangju to visit Hyeonjong. Time has passed and they seem much more at ease around each other. They work on the rice plants together, enjoying each other's company. Eventually she rests and looks around at the setting. "Back in my day, there was a lot of wind and rain. Flood disasters always threatened us, and sometimes drought had us hauling water to the fields. But now that we've weathered the storm," she says metaphorically, "grains are flourishing. I guess the time of peace is really here. Now the country needs more farmers than soldiers. It's an era when people like me are of no use." Certain people seem to be made for certain times, and Cheonchu sees her time as in the past now. "Nonsense," Hyeonjong answers. "If you had not gotten us through the era of war, we would not have this peace today." But she's content with her place in the past, and is smiling as she reflects. "No, I am but muddy water soaked up by this land. My time has passed, so continue your good work and reap abundance. That's all I want now."
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Emperor Shengzong is on horseback, fleeing the Khitan convoy's burning campsite. Yelu Dilu is riding beside him and a large group of Khitan soldiers are running behind him to keep their emperor safe. And he's gonna need them, because hot on his heels is Yang Kyu with a large group of his own soldiers. The campsite is still a raging battlezone as Goryeans continue to charge in and engage the Khitans under Kim Sukheung's direction. Xiao Baiya and Yelu Dilie are surveying the scene and issuing orders. Kim spots the two generals: "It's the enemy leaders!", he shouts. "Kill them!" And heads in their direction--just as word arrives that Yang Kyu was seen going after Shengzong. Baiya leaves Dilie to handle the camp battle and takes some of the troops to try to catch up to Shengzong and Yang. Almost as soon as he's gone, here comes Kim and suddenly he's right in Dilie's face, and now the two are dueling. You'd expect this to be quite a good battle, but Kim proves so agile--vertically agile--that his leaping and ducking quickly gets him the advantage, and in a flash his sword punctures Dilie's throat. Dilie is barely able to pull the sword out before he falls dead. Impressive work by Kim. (And sad to see Dilie die; he was a more restrained voice among the Khitan leadership and they need that.) "Their leader is down!", Kim shouts; "The Emperor is next! Fight!"
Not far from the camp (it can't be too far; it's still nighttime): Shengzong has stopped fleeing. He and his soldiers have turned around and have decided to face their pursuers. Yang Kyu shouts his demand for the Khitan emperor's head; Yelu Dilu says he'll take Yang's head instead, and the two generals charge each other on horseback. Stunningly, on the very first pass Yang strikes a fatal blow and kills Dilu. Yang looks back and gets a glimpse of Dilu dying--and in the next moment an arrow thwacks into his leg, knocking him from his horse. Who fired it? Shengzong himself. "He's killed my guardian warrior," Shengzong says; "I want that bastard killed!" Behind all this it's become an all-out battle between the two sides. Now Shengzong's big goon guard, his female guard, and several regular troops charge towards Yang as he agonizingly pulls the arrow out of his leg. He rights himself and fights them off, killing at least some of them (the goon and the woman both go down; not sure if they died but they both went down hard). Shengzong watches with frustration, and then with distress as Yang charges him. He pulls out his own sword as Yang swings at him; his sword fends off the blow but he's knocked off his horse. As he kneels there on the ground, Yang approaches him menacingly...but dawdles. "Die like an emperor," he growls at Shengzong. "I will take your head and show the world what a fool you are for invading Goryeo." He winds up to strike, but he wasted too much time, and Xiao Baiya is able to run in at the very last moment to fend off the blow. (How many times have we seen this mistake. If you're going to kill somebody, kill them immediately and be done with it.) "Protect the emperor!", Baiya shouts, as soldiers fight Yang off and Shengzong is able to resume his flight. Now the battle widens, because Kim Sukheung and his soldiers have arrived...
Suddenly it's daytime, the scene has shifted to a marsh, and the battle is still going. But now only Yang and Kim are the only Goryeans left, and they've gotten themselves surrounded by at least thirty Khitans, with Xiao Baiya and Shengzong at a safe distance. (An abrupt and unclear transition; where did all of the other Goryeans go?) The two generals fight valiantly and manage to kill some of the Khitans, but it's been a long pursuit and they're visibly tiring. Yang glares at Baiya and shouts, "Stop being a coward and fight us yourself!" Baiya and Shengzong both seem almost captivated by the brave fight that the two Goryeans are putting up...but with only a dozen or so Khitans left, Shengzong gestures to Baiya and Baiya orders to his soldiers, "Step back!" And then orders, "Archers forward!" Uh-oh. At least forty archers run up and aim nearly point-blank. (Why didn't they do this right off the bat? No wonder they couldn't win the war! Idiots.) The Goryeans take a deep breath; they know it's the end. "I guess this it, my friend," Yang says. Kim answers, "It's been an honor serving with you." Together they bravely charge at Shengzong one last time. Baiya gives the order, and the arrows fly.
As we see Yang's and Kim's arrow-riddled bodies lying in the marsh, surrounded by the bodies of Khitans they killed, narration tells us that the war came to an end after Yang Kyu and Kim Sukheung gave their lives to deliver a final blow to the retreating Khitans. The Khitans had managed to capture the Goryean capital, destroy the imperial palace and force the emperor to flee all the way to Naju in the south, "but the conquest ended in failure because they had advanced too far south and their retreat route was cut off by Yang Kyu." The following February, we learn, Hyeonjong returned north to the capital.
"Make way! Make way for His Majesty the Emperor!" We see Hyeonjong entering the capital city. He has a carriage and is making a proper return, with a proper military guard. Cheonchu, Gamchan and Choe Hang are accompanying him on horseback; we see Ji Chaemun and the attendant Myeongil walking alongside the carriage; and we also see a second carriage, with Sunjeong riding inside. So they all stuck with him to Naju and back, apparently. And we even notice our new acquaintance Kim Eunbu and his eldest daughter (she of the boffo bath) walking with the soldiers. As they pass through an outlying village, citizens line the street and bow in submission. But they're not just bowing, we hear them crying. This must be their relief and joy overwhelming them, after what they must have endured during the capital's occupation by the enemy. Hyeonjong stops his procession, gets out of his carriage and humbly bows to his people. "My failures have caused the blameless people to suffer a violent war," he tells a startled Choe Hang; "It's only fitting that I seek their forgiveness." (Awfully hard on himself; he had only just ascended when it happened.) He says to the citizens, "Please forgive me. I will do my all to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. And thank you. Thank you all for getting through this alive." It's a powerfully symbolic moment. Shouts of "Long live the emperor!" from the citizens. Hyeonjong rises and the procession heads for Suchang Palace, which survived the occupation.
Suchang Palace: It's the first state council meeting. Look who's there--the four chivalrous weasels we saw abandoning those three women in the middle of nowhere. So they found their way back safely. Hyeonjong tells his ministers he wants to grant posthumous appointments to honor his dead warriors; he specifically mentions Yang Kyu, Kim Sukheung, Dae Dosu and Gang Jo. What do you think?, he asks. Kim Shimun immediately says that Gang Jo should be excluded, because it was his fault that Tongju fell, which led to the capital's capture and the emperor's flight. A bitter debate ensues, with Gamchan defending Jo's life and his honorable death, and the weasel ministers criticizing his alleged failure at Tongju. Then a moment of staggering audacity as Tak Sajeong and Choe Sawui speak up to criticize Jo's "critical error" in strategy and his "allowing the enemy to take him prisoner. Incredible. Gamchan jumps in and reminds everyone that Jo's capture was because of Yi Hyunoon's and Ahn Pae's betrayal, not because of any failing of his own. "A warrior is responsible for his subordinates' actions," Choe Wonshin smugly responds; he also brings up Mokjong's murder, which opens a whole different can of worms. Gamchan is way outnumbered but is holding tough: "General Gang lived and died fighting for Goryeo...Don't you realize that you are alive right now because of his sacrifice? If you have any decency, think about it!" And then, "How can you criticize him when you abandoned the emperor and ran to save your own lives?" Oooh, that hits a sore spot. Choe Hang jumps right in: "Your Majesty, before awards are bestowed, punishment must be rendered to those who abandoned their posts and ignored their duty during this war." Does that ever shut them up. The weasels can only squirm silently, their eyes looking straight down.
Later, Gamchan goes to visit Cheonchu. She's frustrated to hear about the meeting, about the attempt to discredit Jo and frame him for Mokjong's murder. "How could they be so shameless?" They both are certain that the discredit-ers are the ones responsible for the murder. But they have no evidence to prove it, and with Yi Hyunoon and Ahn Pae now in Liao, the truth may never be told. Cheonchu also wants to see trials and punishment for "the yellow-bellied cowards who abandoned their duty during the war." Gamchan nods in agreement, but nebulously tells her, "I have a feeling his majesty feels differently about that." Really?
Lady Yunheung comes to see the emperor. She looks good, none the worse for wear; obviously the women made it home all right and she recovered from her beaning. But she still hasn't learned. She's come because she's heard that Hyeonjong has decided to take a second consort, and she's not happy about it. It's "unthinkable" while her daughter the empress is alive and well, she tells him. But he fires back, "Weren't you the one who told me that children are rare in this imperial house and that procreation is one of my most important duties?" Yes she did; he's got her there. She continues to protest anyway and tells him to call it off. He scolds her, so she backs off and appeals to him as the woman who raised him. "I'm so hurt that you'd do this without discussing with me first." He looks at her matter-of-factly. "Then let me be frank. You are not exactly my favorite person. You deserted me when we were on the road seeking refuge, afraid for your safety." He also compares her unfavorably to Cheonchu, which is about the most hurtful thing he could say to her, and then orders her away. She loses her temper and Myeongil has to physically pull her by the arm out of the room. (Have to say, I like Hyeonjong a lot but he was too hard on Yunheung here. Especially that "deserted" criticism. She was the one who offered to lead the slower walkers away to Hyeonjong would have a better chance of getting to safety.)
Outside, Yunheung barely catches her breath when who should show up but Cheonchu. Yunheung glares. "You did this, didn't you?" Cheonchu doesn't know what she's talking about. "You coaxed the emperor to marry another consort to get my daughter deposed!" Cheonchu laughs at her, which drives her bonkers. "Are you laughing at me? You dare laugh at me?!" All Cheonchu says is, "Go home and take a good look at yourself. You've become a hideous monster." And she walks away, leaving Yunheung enraged and screaming to the point where she hyperventilates and passes out in Escort Jo's arms.
"Whatever do you mean? Forgive them?" The emperor and Cheonchu are talking. Hyeonjong has made some decisions that Cheonchu isn't going to like, but he's doing her the courtesy of informing her about them ahead of time. For one thing, he's not going to punish the ministers who deserted him, because "I want to end the era of political wars and dissension, and bring unity to the country." She tries to contest the matter, but he goes right on. He's also going to disregard her sharecropper tax adjustment policy. "I fully understand why you want this reform. But it's too radical. The country must first have unity, but this could easily provoke dissension." She argues that it's the only way to maintain the military in order to accomplish the northern conquest. But he's backing off the northern conquest idea too. "It requires the sacrifice of too many lives," he tells her. "Our priority right now is defense and domestic stability. It would be wonderful to expand our territory, but I would choose stability over expansion if countless lives have to be lost for it. I'm sorry, Empress Dowager."
Some time after her disappointing meeting, Cheonchu drops a bomb on Ji Chaemun and Gang Mincheom: she's decided to go and get her son from Jurchen territory. The officers immediately tell her she can't, because if the boy came back to Goryeo he might well be put to death for his father's treason. She knows this, of course, but tells them, "I will protect him with my life. Goryeo needs him." Goryeo needs him? Oh good heavens, what is in her head now. Whatever it is, she's going and they can't talk her out of it.
Suchang Palace, state council meeting: Hyeonjong has quite a list of personnel announcements. He starts with three posthumous honors: Yang Kyu will be named Minister of Works; Kim Sukheung will be awarded title of High General; and Dae Dosu will be restored as Minister of Defense. Gang Jo? "You have expressed split opinion on his merits," he tells his court, "so I will postpone my decision until the truth is revealed about Mokjong's murder." Continuing on:
--Choi Sawui is dismissed from service for being defeated in battle
--Tak Sajeong is held responsible for betraying Dae Dosu and fleeing from battle, and is sentenced to exile. (Not clear why Choi and Tak would be handled differently; they did everything together. Maybe because Tak is Minister of Military.)
--Yu Bang is named Minister of Military
--Choe Jil and Kim Hoon are elevated to the rank of High General, as is Gang Mincheom
--Ji Chaemun is named Supreme Council Undersecretary
--Kim Jonghyun becomes Regional Military Commissioner
--Gang Gamchan is appointed Chief Commissioner Minister of Supreme Council
--Choi Hang is appointed Minister of Personnel
--Kim Shimun will be demoted to his previous position of Minister of Rites (this was NOT his previous position--hello, continuity?)
--Choi Suk, Choi Wonshin, Hwangbo Yui, Chae Choongsun, and Mun Inui will also be demoted to their previous positions (Mun Inui didn't have a previous position, so it's not clear what this means)
--Finally, Kim Eunbu is appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishment.
"Are there any objections to these appointments and dismissals?" Complete silence in the room; even generals Choi and Tak are silent. So it's done. Then Hyeonjong makes a point of singling out Kim Shimun and telling him he's lucky to remain in the court at all and not be removed and punished. Kim falls to his knees, admits to "unforgivable crimes," and swears his unending loyalty to Hyeonjong. Who knows if he means it.
Shengzong is back home and is steaming mad at the invasion's failure. (His big goon guard and his female guard are standing next to his throne, by the way, so obviously they survived that final battle.) His rage eases just enough for him to admit that Prime Minister Han was right, that a little more delay could have made the difference. Xiao Baiya reassures him that this isn't over. "It may take some time, but we will conquer Goryeo." Then we learn that Yi Hyunoon and Ahn Pae have been trying to get Ha Gongjin to switch sides, but Ha still resists. Shengzong wants him turned. "He has more knowledge about the Goryean army than any other prisoner. I don't care what you have to do," he tells Baiya. "Make him kneel before me!"
Sure enough, Cheonchu has gotten on a horse and headed into Jurchen territory. Gang Mincheom has come with her; not that one escort will help much, but he did. The two arrive at the gates of the Jurchen village. Soldiers surround them, and then Mobula and Dokyun emerge. Dokyun's wearing a fancy Jurchen outfit; looks like she's a VIP now. Cheonchu gets right to the point: "I've come for my son Prince Hwangju." No such person is here, Mobula tells her. He addresses her with proper courtesy but asks her to leave. She won't go, so he orders his soldiers to escort her away from the village. At that, Cheonchu appeals to Dokyun: "I've already lost one son. Please help me so I can see the only son I have left. You must know how I feel, having lost a son yourself."
It worked, sort of. Dokyun has brought Cheonchu into her home, and there's Hwangju. He goes to Dokyun: "Mother." The boy is too young to remember Cheonchu, of course. "As you can see," Dokyun tells her, "this is my son, Jin Joon." "What are you talking about? Give me back my son at once!" There's a tense vibe in the room, because they each know what the real story is, and they each know that the other one knows it. Dokyun says Hwangju died with Sa Illa. Cheonchu appeals again, not wanting an imperial prince to grow up in a remote Jurchen village. "He is not your child," Dokyun insists, but "Even if he were, I couldn't let you take him back to Goryeo." Cheonchu tells her, "I will make him the next emperor and we will create a grand empire together." (Oh good heavens, so that's what's in her head.) "I don't think so," Dokyun responds. "If he returned to Goryeo, he would be killed by your political enemies." And then a curveball, thrown with fire in her voice: "Think about it...Would I let him live if he were your son, when you killed my husband?" A terrific bit of read-between-the-lines that stops Cheonchu cold. Dokyun takes the boy outside and Cheonchu knows she won't win this one. Cheonchu goes outside and runs after Hwangju, but soldiers block her path and Mobula tells her tersely to leave now. "Please, we don't want to hurt you and become an enemy of Goryeo. This is the best thing you can do for Jin Joon." Dokyun adds, with some sympathy and all but admitting that the child is Hwangju, "I beg you, please leave now. This child will indeed build a great empire someday. But that empire will not be built in Goryeo. It will be built here on Jurchen soil. That's his destiny."
Yu Chungjeong is still putting on his smiling face for Yi Hyunoon and Ahn Pae. He goes to them to tell them that Ha Gongjin has nearly changed his mind and may soon surrender. He tells them that Ha will be at his house for drinks tonight, and asks the two of them to join him and help persuade Ha. They don't seem to think they'll be much help, but Yu tells them how much the emperor himself wants Ha to surrender, and that gets them interested.
Later: We're inside Yu's house, around a table. Ha Gongjin is sitting next to Yu. Yi and Ahn are also at the table, and so are four women. Several soldiers stand guard around the perimeter; Yi and Han brought them because "We don't completely trust you yet, and this man (Ha) is capable of anything." Yu smiles; "No problem. I completely understand." Yu promptly pours Yi and Ahn cups of wine, and then one for himself. Ha "is still recovering from torture," Yu tells his guests, "so he can't drink." Yi and Ahn put the cups to their lips...and then hesitate. "You drink first," Yi says to Yu. Yu laughs, makes a joke about the wine being poisoned, and drinks without hesitation. Yi and Ahn watch him for only about five seconds after he swallows and then drink up eagerly, apparently satisfied that Yu didn't just drink a hand grenade. Some pleasant conversation and camaraderie follows, with Ha even offering that he's decided to surrender because "A man can't live in confinement forever." (So Ha finally knows what Yu is doing and is playing along.) And then exactly 53 seconds after swallowing, Yi shudders, clutches his throat and coughs up blood. Ahn follows, and then Yu. "This is revenge for Emperor Mokjong and General Gang," Yu tells the two dying turncoats. And then as he fades out, "Your Majesty...Empress Dowager...I have completed my mission." Ha is devastated as Yu dies next to him. It's not clear if the plan was for Yu to drink the wine or not, but either way he had to do it to accomplish his goal.
Ha is brought before Shengzong. The emperor offers him "a life of fame and fortune" if he'll swear loyalty to Liao. Ha refuses. Shengzong gives him one last chance; "You will be put to death if you refuse again." Ha laughs at him and calmly tells him, "So be it. Then I will die an honorable death, as a proud Goryean." Shengzong angrily orders him removed and executed.
Ha is executed, in the same matter that Xiao Zanli was executed in Ep50--arms tied to posts, with dozens of archers firing simultaneously. (It's sad that no Goryeans are here to see his loyalty so it could be known for posterity. He certainly deserved some kind of posthumous honor from the Goryeo government.) He faces death smiling and at peace, wishing only to see Goryeo one last time. (Also have to point out that of the arrows shown in flight, just over half of them MISSED their target completely. And the archers shot from within twenty yards. Yet another reason these guys couldn't win the war.)
Somehow word has gotten back to Cheonchu that Yi and Ahn are dead. "I guess that means we will never find the emperor's true killer," she tells Gamchan bitterly. Gamchan asks her about Hwangju. "Minister Gang, if I bring him back and seek to put him on the throne...would you support me?" Gamchan is horrified but stays calm. "Your Highness, I beg you not to speak such blasphemy." He's always been on her side but is clearly disappointed with her now. "We're trying to restore peace and stability but you speak of chaos and confusion." She whines a bit; "I've worked too hard to give up on our northern conquest...it's unfair to have my righteous intentions and hard work be buried and forgotten." Gamchan sets her straight, compassionately but firmly. "I'm sure every nameless soldier who died in this war has a tragic story of his own," he reminds her. "I know you can't erase your sorrow, but you must keep it buried deeply in your heart for Goryeo. It is your final duty." And he comforts her a bit by offering to talk to the emperor and make sure that there are no more attempts to harm Hwangju from within Goryeo. (Not that Hyeonjong would be sure to know about them, but it's a nice gesture.)
By the Yalu River: We see Cheonchu scattering Gang Jo's ashes. She laments that she probably won't be able to protect his good name. "History might remember you as a traitor, but don't feel alone," she tearfully says to him in spirit. "If disgrace is brought upon you, that disgrace will be mine a well."
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Flash-forward eight years to 1018. Narration and a battle scene address the third and final Khitan invasion. Xiao Baiya had led 100,000 Khitan troops south all the way to Gaegyeong. Their invasion had great initial success, but later they were forced to fall back. They retreated to Guiju, where Gang Gamchan and 200,000 Goryean troops were waiting for them in February 1019. We see the Khitans charge and the massive battle begins. Strange we don't see any of those spear carts on the Goryean side. But we see an elaborately choreographed defense led by an older-looking Gamchan, involving trenches covered over with straw mats, into which the charging Khitans fall, and strategically placed mounds of straw that are set on fire by Goryean flaming arrows after the Khitans charge past them, creating danger behind their own front. And then more Goryeans charge in from behind to seal off any Khitan retreat. Narration tells us that the Goryeans utterly demolished the Khitan army and only a few thousand Khitans survived. This, we're told, is regarded as one of the three great military victories of Korean history, along with Ulchi Mundeok's Battle of Salsu and Yi Soon-Shin's Battle of Hansando. We then see a later formal ceremony at which Hyeonjong honors the 71-year-old Gamchan. We're told that Gamchan was later named prime minister and honored with the title of "Merit Subject."
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Several more years have passed. We're at Myeongbok Palace in the north. We see a much older-looking Cheonchu. Sunjeong (who hasn't aged as much; more of that whole problem) tells her she has a visitor.
Cheonchu goes out into an isolated spot in the countryside to see this visitor, a man whose back is turned. "Who might you be?" He turns, and from his features, his dress, his mannerisms we know who it is as quickly as she does. It's her son, now a grown-up young man. "My mother told me about my background," he says to her, "and I wanted to meet you before it's too late." Cheonchu beams like the typical proud mother. "What a fine young man you've become! You are my son no matter what." He smiles and nods. "Yes, you are the woman who brought me into this world, Empress Dowager. But it is the wind of the grassland and the courage of the tribesmen that raised me." He knows about her great dream for Goryeo, and tells her, "I will realize your great dream on the grassland. If I can't in my lifetime, my children will in the next generation. This is what I've come to tell you." He's sorry to have to tell her that he won't be back here again (remember he's still the son of a Goryean traitor--undoubtedly why they're meeting in such an isolated spot). She understands: "If you can't live on this land, follow your heart." She has just one request: "Do not become an enemy of Goryeo. This is all I ask of you." He nods very slightly; she sheds a tear and smiles at him, deeply moved. As we watch him gallop away, narration tells us:
An excerpt can be found in "The Condensed History of Goryeo" that a man named Jin Joon fled Pyeongju of Goryeo to the Jurchen village of Ajige and that he is the founder of the Jin Dynasty. It is also recorded in "The History of Jin" and in "Songmojiewn", a historical memo on missions to Jin, that the founder of Jin is a man of Goryean or Shillan origin.In other words, it could have happened this way. Probably not, but it could have. In any event, it was a well-deserved bit of joy for Cheonchu after having both of her sons ripped out of her life.
The emperor is working in a rice field, tying up rice plants that were windblown in a storm. (Recall that we've seen kings and emperors working on special symbolic gardens before; this is an extension of that, I guess.) Gamchan is keeping him company. Cheonchu arrives; she's come from Hwangju to visit Hyeonjong. Time has passed and they seem much more at ease around each other. They work on the rice plants together, enjoying each other's company. Eventually she rests and looks around at the setting. "Back in my day, there was a lot of wind and rain. Flood disasters always threatened us, and sometimes drought had us hauling water to the fields. But now that we've weathered the storm," she says metaphorically, "grains are flourishing. I guess the time of peace is really here. Now the country needs more farmers than soldiers. It's an era when people like me are of no use." Certain people seem to be made for certain times, and Cheonchu sees her time as in the past now. "Nonsense," Hyeonjong answers. "If you had not gotten us through the era of war, we would not have this peace today." But she's content with her place in the past, and is smiling as she reflects. "No, I am but muddy water soaked up by this land. My time has passed, so continue your good work and reap abundance. That's all I want now."
In 1029, Empress Dowager Cheonchu died a peaceful death in Myeongbok Palace of Hwangju. Hyeonjong passed away two years later, Shengzong of Liao died two months thereafter, and Gang Gamchan also passed away only a month after that. As Empress Dowager Cheonchu had wished, Goryeo enjoyed 150 years of peace and prosperity after her death.And with that narration we get one last flyover view of the golden yellow of the rice field and the lush green of the surrounding hills. Finally, a land at peace.
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