Post by ajk on Jun 8, 2012 23:14:55 GMT -5
Wow...so many dead bodies. They're all over the place. And several dead DFers among them. Yushin is running through the battlefield, alone (not a good idea, Einstein), looking for survivors, particularly Deokman. He's searching frantically--too frantically to notice that behind him, one Baekjean isn't dead after all. He has the strength to get up, knock Yushin over from behind, and raise a spear to kill him. But then in the next instant, the Baekjean is killed with an arrow--an arrow shot by Deokman, who somehow rustled up a bow and arrow (?!?) after recovering from whatever it was that felled her earlier. She's upright now, but after firing the arrow, she gets wobbly again. Yushin puts her on his back and carries her away.
Jukbang and Godo are still trying to run away, but now they're lost and not sure where they're headed. They fall down a hillside, and then are spotted by several of their fellow DFers, who are happy to find two more of their unit still alive. So much for running away.
State council meeting: Hajong reports to the king that Sok Ham has been recaptured. Good news, of course. Mishil makes sure to credit the whole thing to Seolwon's strategy. And Seohyeon's forces?, the king asks. Still too soon to be able to send reinforcements from Sok Ham. But Hajong tells him, "we sent a messenger telling Seohyeon to retreat." Behind the king, his attendant blurts out, "One?!" (THANK you. Give that man a prize.) Kim Yongchun is equally stunned: "The road from Sok Ham to Amak is under total Baekje control. How can one messenger get through?" Don't worry, Hajong says in his mocking style, the messenger is Yushin--news to everybody, and not good news to Cheonmyeong, who's in the meeting--and "He'll break through to save daddy, right? Of course." Mishil smiles her scheming smile. She and her flunkies urge the king, No more reinforcements, no more military action on our part--instead we need to seek a peace treaty immediately. And Mishil glares at Cheonmyeong with satisfaction.
Well, it's come to this for Seohyeon's troops: "In order to ensure a safe retreat," he tells them, "we must have a detached force to mislead and lure away Baekje's army." Unspoken is that many, most or even all of that force could well be wiped out. It's a job for Hwarang, Seohyeon says (not sure why). Archeon steps forward and volunteers the Rising Phoenix Guards and Dragon Guards. "Your sacrifice will save every man in the army," Seohyeon's subordinate tells him. And on top of that, another burden: "Leave no dead bodies behind for Baekje to exploit and dishonor." (Not sure what that implies--bury them, or burn them, or haul them along?) The two leaders take off their officer's jackets and hand them to Archeon and Yushin. He tells Archeon, "Shilla will honor your memories."
Archeon and Yushin return to their units, sitting in the grassland in the nighttime. Two soldiers in Archeon's unit are too badly injured to be "mobile." They acknowledge their understanding to Archeon, who takes out his sword and kills them on the spot! He tells the rest that they are to be decoys and cannot haul injured soldiers, or risk them being left behind to be caught and tortured by the enemy for the retreat route (But they wouldn't know it! Ugh). Deokman stands up and challenges Archeon's authority to kill his own soldiers, but Archeon answers, it's not a question of authority, "It's a principle to which all Phoenix guards have sworn." And you DFers, he tells them, while you're under my command you're subject to the same principle. Well isn't that wonderful news. We've just spotted blood dripping from the arm of a quivering Shiyeol--do we put two and two together?
A little later, a squad of Baekje soldiers guarding what looks to be a small supply train is headed through the night. The Hwarang are watching and have set up an ambush. In seconds, the Baekjeans are dead. All except one, who flees. Archeon and Yushin see him go and make no move to stop him. On purpose.
The lone survivor makes it back to camp and tells the Baekje commander where the Shillan army (or so he thinks) ambushed them.
And here comes the Baekje army through the woods, lots of torches blazing. The Hwarang are on the lookout for them. Archeon fires an arrow at them and kills one of them to get their attention. And now the chase is on, with the Hwarang fleeing and the enemy in pursuit. At one point Shiyeol falls--somehow his bad arm has made him fall (?)--and other DFers grab him and drag him along, ignoring his pleas to be left behind.
Back in Seorabeol: Outside the council meeting, a bold statement from Cheonmyeong to Mishil: "I intend to inspect your political activities. Please don't interfere." Mishil knows what this is about, and suggests that Seohyeon and Yushin, and even her dead husband Yongsu (ouch) are "your people"--as in, they're your problem and their losses are yours to deal with, not mine. "You taught me well," the princess answers; "If they return back alive, they're my people. But if they don't, I should just be thankful I had them." We're not sure if we can believe this kind of cold-blooded talk from the princess, and Mishil looks a little skeptical too...but here's a heck of a follow-up: Seohyeon and Yushin are simply "Skin to break my enemy's bone." They were my flesh, the princess says, and "I will now take out my enemy's bone. I would like to see all military documents." Wow--playing some real hardball here.
Later, Cheonmyeong explains all this to councilor Eulje. They agree that Mishil won't be cooperative, but the princess needs to do this before the army arrives home.
We see Princess Manmyeong and Lady Maya (the king's consort; Cheonmyeong's mother) arrive at a royal shrine, where we meet a new face: Empress Manho, the mother of Manmyeong and the king. This is no ordinary meeting: it's the first time that mother and daughter have seen each other in twenty years. This is the woman who banished Manmyeong from the capital because of her marriage to Seohyeon. Very gently, Maya prods the old woman: "It's has been 20 years since the last time you saw her. It's time you forgave her." Manho looks like a stubborn one, and lives up to the appearance. "What kind of daughter never visits, even when I told her not to?" Ugh! So now Manmyeong is crying without even saying anything, and now Manho is crying...and that's all we get.
Cheonmyeong and Yongchun are trying to figure out a way to sneak covert troops into Baekje. Too difficult, Yongchun reports. The princess is trying to keep her cool but confesses her frustration. "Do you know how much I blame myself for not doing anything after Yongsu's death?", she tells him. "I won't ever let that happen again. Never again." But it looks like her hands are tied, at least for now.
The next morning: Another injured Hwarang is executed, as the DFers watch. Shiyeol is still hiding his bad arm. Yushin shows up and asks for volunteers for a reconnaissance mission. Jukbang volunteers Deokman and Shiyeol, to go the extra mile to cover for Shiyeol; "the two of them look to have the most energy." Yushin gives them instructions and they leave. But not before Deokman tries to get Yushin to say whether or not he agrees with Archeon about executing the injured. Yushin won't say.
The two of them head through the woods. Now it's raining. Shiyeol is obviously hurting, and scared out of his mind. Leave me behind, he says again. Deokman is getting frustrated with this and gives him a piece of her mind. Shiyeol whimpers about how weak and pathetic he feels, and Deokman barks back, "If you really want to live...fight!" She starts off without him...but suddenly the dead body nearby flinches! Not dead. It's a Shillan soldier. He has a written message from Seohyeon that he was trying to get through to the Hwarang: Don't take the planned retreat route--it's a death trap. Realizing its importance, Deokman takes the message from the dying soldier and she and Shiyeol head back to their unit. (What's with the single messenger again? Ugh!)
They get back to the Hwarang and Deokman reaches to offer the message to Archeon--just in time for arrows to start flying in. Baekje soldiers. Uh-oh. The Hwarang run....
Somehow they've managed to shake the enemy, and are in a quiet wood for the moment. But they paid a heavy price. Dead numbering 28, and only 35 still able to fight. And a whole bunch of injured--uh-oh--including Archeon, who took an arrow to the chest. Amazingly, Archeon hands his commander's badge to Yushin. "Take command," he says; "I can't allow my injury to slow us down." Then he calls some of his unit to attention, and orders them to kill him! (I just don't get this whole angle. This business about not leaving dead bodies, it seems very extreme and difficult to implement. What are they doing about the 28 who just died? Poor loose end here.) "Pyeonjo, strike me down." Well, he certainly practices what he preaches, gotta give him that. Pyeonjo can barely bring himself to do it, but raises up to kill his leader...and Deokman stops him. She refuses to watch as an injured soldier is killed. She goes so far as to take the message with the safe retreat route written in it, which she's still carrying, and swallows it! (THAT again?) Kill any of our injured, she tells Archeon and Yushin, and I won't tell you the retreat route. She reminds Yushin that he searched for her among the dead and carried her back to camp, and that "You told us to train in order to live and fight." And trained us to be able to carry wounded soldiers. It's a long speech (too long) and annoys Archeon, but to her credit she's sticking up for all of the injured who are scared for their lives. (And most of whom, frankly, look like they can at least keep walking. Since they're only supposed to be decoys anyway, why kill them? This just gets more and more annoying.) "How can you frighten us even more," she asks, "when we're already afraid?" It's enough to prod the injured to stand up, one by one, and ask for the chance to die in battle. Archeon has had it and orders his squad to kill the injured, but Yushin overrules him. Which he can now do! "You placed me in command. No one dies here. Not you, not anyone."
Now it's evening. Archeon tells Yushin he's crazy to think they can make it to safety with so many wounded soldiers. "Your sentiment will kill us all!" Nearby we see Jukbang treating Shiyeol's arm, and making medicine for others. But Godo seems to have made a mistake in following instructions; he tainted some of the medicine by putting oleander leaves in it. They're poisonous--so much so that oleander is used on poison arrows. Jukbang is furious and starts slapping Godo. But Yushin, having heard the whole thing, has an idea: counterattack.
A company of thirty or so Baekje troops is headed down a dirt road and comes upon a roadblock--a big pile of logs and sticks. Apparently too dumb to sense anything potentially suspicious in this, they simply start to clear the thing away. But somehow the Hwarang manage to light it on fire, and it's filled with oleander leaves that give off a toxic smoke. The Hwarang emerge from the woods and fire arrows, which send the enemy fleeing. And Yushin has thought one step ahead of them. They'll head for the water, he's realized, to wash off all traces of the oleander poison. (I don't get this--it was airborne! Certainly their clothing wouldn't have absorbed enough to be imminently dangerous. Very silly.)
They wade into a wide stream to wash off the poison. But other Hwarang are waiting for them, sitting under the surface of the shallow water and breathing through hollow reed-straws. Including Archeon (so these must be the injured ones.) The Baekjeans wade into the water--and suddenly they're surrounded and ambushed. And now it's a battle. Deokman kills one and doesn't pass out, and even Shiyeol with his bad arm manages to strike a fatal blow against a Baekjean who has Deokman pinned. And then as the enemy commander gallops into the battle on horseback, sword flailing, Shiyeol picks up a bow and arrow and kills him! After that, it's over quickly, and it's the kind of overwhelming victory that leaves the Hwarang screaming for joy--a huge shot to their dwindling morale. But not all good news. Shiyeol took a stab wound to the side and falls to the ground. The DFers rush to him and try to help, but he's lost too much blood. "I'm not scared any more," he says, fading out. I think I'll be good enough now. I really think...I'll do better." And with that, he dies. Well, he did redeem himself, and in the process saved Deokman. Who, by the way, is taking this very hard. (Too hard, frankly, whining and screaming like a soldier should NOT do.)
The Hwarang head onward. They don't look happy at all. They look exhausted and shell-shocked. "Biggest coward in Shilla," Deokman says sardonically, "and he killed that Baekje general. He did good. Wish I could have told him." She tells Yushin, We have to survive to make Shiyeol's death mean something.
Misaeng enters Mishil's home and finds her sitting alone quietly. Tells her about some sort of plan Cheonmyeong is cooking up to separate military administration from military operations, "or something like that." He isn't worried--"Don't they know all the generals are in your pocket?"--and she doesn't convey any worry...but she's awfully quiet. And Seohyeon's troops? "No word for quite a while now."
State council meeting: A report to the king that "the exchange of decapitated heads between us and Baekje has concluded." Well isn't that nice. Seolwon's army is returning. No word yet from Amak. Mishil tells the king that the silence "breaks my heart." Sure it does. Presuming their demise, she proposes a grant of land to Seohyeon's family, and the building of a shrine. And a three-day memorial service..."At the Hwarang shrine." This was Cheonmyeong interrupting. The idea sets off Mishil's allies with objections, because of the status that Seohyeon lost when he was banished. Even as a fallen warrior, they don't want him honored in the Hwarang shine because he "lost his Hwarang status" (?) and "Although the Queen and Princess stubbornly brought him in to Seorabeol, Empress Manho has not yet given her permission." As though on cue, Queen Maya (that's the first time I've heard her called queen) and Manmyeong walk into the meeting. "We are back from visiting with the Queen Mother at Kwansu temple," Maya says. Manmyeong reports, "She graciously forgave the past. And generously accepted my marriage to Kim Seohyeon." "Did she indeed?", the king answers, with so much relief that we wonder how heavily it must have weighed on him over the years. "Her heart has softened at last." She's sent a letter, which the king reads. "She restores Kim Seohyeon's noble status and appoints him Hwarang." This is a big blow to Mishil's cabal--we can see them all deflate--but Mishil quickly shakes it off and smiles, and revs up the baloney. "It's good news, Your Majesty. Now that he's a noble, please bequeath upon him 3000 grain sacks" and make the memorial service for seven days. In the Hwarang shrine. Why shouldn't she be magnanimous to him; she assumes he's dead anyway. Cheonmyeong sees an opening: "What if he's still alive?" Mishil thinks, and says that since he's now of noble status again, he'd need to be promoted to an appropriate position...and before she can even finish the sentence, Cheonmyeong has the position: Vice Marshal of Military Affairs! And, she tells her father, Seohyeon should have his land returned to him, all of the land that had been taken from him. Mishil chimes in, only because she thinks he's dead, "Yes, Your Majesty. Of course. If he is still alive."
The Hwarang have gotten closer to safe territory...but Yushin doesn't know the status of his father's main forces. Which has become a problem now, because they don't know what their next move has to be.
Mishil's cabal is together; they complain about the princess but are sure that Seohyeon is dead anyway. But Mishil doesn't join in; her with the quiet again, like she sees another possible outcome.
Hwarang scouts report back to Yushin, Archeon and now Seokpum, who was with Seohyeon's army and rejoined the Hwarang. Not good news from the scouts: 1,000 Baekje troops on a nearby mountain. So now, "We're surrounded." Still don't know the status of Seohyeon's army. They conclude (insufficiently, I think) that they've fulfilled their mission as decoys and now can try to return home. Now that Seokpum is here, he outranks Yushin and so assumes command. He tells the remaining Hwarang that their last mission is to break through and cross back into Shilla. We cannot disintegrate, he tells them; follow orders and work as one. Good, sound advice. But then, what's this: "I'm concerned about certain stories I heard from the Rising Phoenix Guards." He calls Deokman forward. And then puts his sword to her throat! "Worthless trainee? You think you can disobey orders?" And asks Archeon why this troublemaker is still alive. "I'm going to make an example of him," Seokpum tells him. But guess what--Archeon stops him and says, "Then you'll also have to make an example of me for listening to him." Now is not the time for this, he says, and besides, some of the surviving Hwarang "are indebted to him for saving their lives." Yushin acknowledges that "the charges are serious, but I think it's only right to return alive and then punish according to military law." Seokpum is surprised. "What's happened to the both of you?" (WAR happened, you moron.) And now most of the others step forward and demand death if Deokman is killed. "You think I won't do it?", says Seokpum with frustration, and waves his sword. Yushin is ready to fight him over this, but then thinks the better of it and kneels. If Deokman's guilty, then as her commander I am too, he says. And so are the other Dragon Guards. "Allow us to die fighting, sir." Yushin offers, We'll hold this ground for four hours so that the rest of you can escape. Then he hands Archeon his torn battle flag, (torn, remember, out of disrespect at that earlier confrontation). "Raise this in the Hwarang compound," he tells Archeon. And glaring at Seokpum, he tells him, "Don't waste our sacrifice. Make sure you get out alive." Seokpum answers, "Come back alive and I won't press charges." (Gee, thanks, you miserable little twit, how big of you.)
And now we see the remaining DFers--looks like around fifteen of them--charging into a shallow stream bed to confront a platoon of Baekje troops. They look to be outnumbered by about three to one.
Jukbang and Godo are still trying to run away, but now they're lost and not sure where they're headed. They fall down a hillside, and then are spotted by several of their fellow DFers, who are happy to find two more of their unit still alive. So much for running away.
State council meeting: Hajong reports to the king that Sok Ham has been recaptured. Good news, of course. Mishil makes sure to credit the whole thing to Seolwon's strategy. And Seohyeon's forces?, the king asks. Still too soon to be able to send reinforcements from Sok Ham. But Hajong tells him, "we sent a messenger telling Seohyeon to retreat." Behind the king, his attendant blurts out, "One?!" (THANK you. Give that man a prize.) Kim Yongchun is equally stunned: "The road from Sok Ham to Amak is under total Baekje control. How can one messenger get through?" Don't worry, Hajong says in his mocking style, the messenger is Yushin--news to everybody, and not good news to Cheonmyeong, who's in the meeting--and "He'll break through to save daddy, right? Of course." Mishil smiles her scheming smile. She and her flunkies urge the king, No more reinforcements, no more military action on our part--instead we need to seek a peace treaty immediately. And Mishil glares at Cheonmyeong with satisfaction.
Well, it's come to this for Seohyeon's troops: "In order to ensure a safe retreat," he tells them, "we must have a detached force to mislead and lure away Baekje's army." Unspoken is that many, most or even all of that force could well be wiped out. It's a job for Hwarang, Seohyeon says (not sure why). Archeon steps forward and volunteers the Rising Phoenix Guards and Dragon Guards. "Your sacrifice will save every man in the army," Seohyeon's subordinate tells him. And on top of that, another burden: "Leave no dead bodies behind for Baekje to exploit and dishonor." (Not sure what that implies--bury them, or burn them, or haul them along?) The two leaders take off their officer's jackets and hand them to Archeon and Yushin. He tells Archeon, "Shilla will honor your memories."
Archeon and Yushin return to their units, sitting in the grassland in the nighttime. Two soldiers in Archeon's unit are too badly injured to be "mobile." They acknowledge their understanding to Archeon, who takes out his sword and kills them on the spot! He tells the rest that they are to be decoys and cannot haul injured soldiers, or risk them being left behind to be caught and tortured by the enemy for the retreat route (But they wouldn't know it! Ugh). Deokman stands up and challenges Archeon's authority to kill his own soldiers, but Archeon answers, it's not a question of authority, "It's a principle to which all Phoenix guards have sworn." And you DFers, he tells them, while you're under my command you're subject to the same principle. Well isn't that wonderful news. We've just spotted blood dripping from the arm of a quivering Shiyeol--do we put two and two together?
A little later, a squad of Baekje soldiers guarding what looks to be a small supply train is headed through the night. The Hwarang are watching and have set up an ambush. In seconds, the Baekjeans are dead. All except one, who flees. Archeon and Yushin see him go and make no move to stop him. On purpose.
The lone survivor makes it back to camp and tells the Baekje commander where the Shillan army (or so he thinks) ambushed them.
And here comes the Baekje army through the woods, lots of torches blazing. The Hwarang are on the lookout for them. Archeon fires an arrow at them and kills one of them to get their attention. And now the chase is on, with the Hwarang fleeing and the enemy in pursuit. At one point Shiyeol falls--somehow his bad arm has made him fall (?)--and other DFers grab him and drag him along, ignoring his pleas to be left behind.
Back in Seorabeol: Outside the council meeting, a bold statement from Cheonmyeong to Mishil: "I intend to inspect your political activities. Please don't interfere." Mishil knows what this is about, and suggests that Seohyeon and Yushin, and even her dead husband Yongsu (ouch) are "your people"--as in, they're your problem and their losses are yours to deal with, not mine. "You taught me well," the princess answers; "If they return back alive, they're my people. But if they don't, I should just be thankful I had them." We're not sure if we can believe this kind of cold-blooded talk from the princess, and Mishil looks a little skeptical too...but here's a heck of a follow-up: Seohyeon and Yushin are simply "Skin to break my enemy's bone." They were my flesh, the princess says, and "I will now take out my enemy's bone. I would like to see all military documents." Wow--playing some real hardball here.
Later, Cheonmyeong explains all this to councilor Eulje. They agree that Mishil won't be cooperative, but the princess needs to do this before the army arrives home.
We see Princess Manmyeong and Lady Maya (the king's consort; Cheonmyeong's mother) arrive at a royal shrine, where we meet a new face: Empress Manho, the mother of Manmyeong and the king. This is no ordinary meeting: it's the first time that mother and daughter have seen each other in twenty years. This is the woman who banished Manmyeong from the capital because of her marriage to Seohyeon. Very gently, Maya prods the old woman: "It's has been 20 years since the last time you saw her. It's time you forgave her." Manho looks like a stubborn one, and lives up to the appearance. "What kind of daughter never visits, even when I told her not to?" Ugh! So now Manmyeong is crying without even saying anything, and now Manho is crying...and that's all we get.
Cheonmyeong and Yongchun are trying to figure out a way to sneak covert troops into Baekje. Too difficult, Yongchun reports. The princess is trying to keep her cool but confesses her frustration. "Do you know how much I blame myself for not doing anything after Yongsu's death?", she tells him. "I won't ever let that happen again. Never again." But it looks like her hands are tied, at least for now.
The next morning: Another injured Hwarang is executed, as the DFers watch. Shiyeol is still hiding his bad arm. Yushin shows up and asks for volunteers for a reconnaissance mission. Jukbang volunteers Deokman and Shiyeol, to go the extra mile to cover for Shiyeol; "the two of them look to have the most energy." Yushin gives them instructions and they leave. But not before Deokman tries to get Yushin to say whether or not he agrees with Archeon about executing the injured. Yushin won't say.
The two of them head through the woods. Now it's raining. Shiyeol is obviously hurting, and scared out of his mind. Leave me behind, he says again. Deokman is getting frustrated with this and gives him a piece of her mind. Shiyeol whimpers about how weak and pathetic he feels, and Deokman barks back, "If you really want to live...fight!" She starts off without him...but suddenly the dead body nearby flinches! Not dead. It's a Shillan soldier. He has a written message from Seohyeon that he was trying to get through to the Hwarang: Don't take the planned retreat route--it's a death trap. Realizing its importance, Deokman takes the message from the dying soldier and she and Shiyeol head back to their unit. (What's with the single messenger again? Ugh!)
They get back to the Hwarang and Deokman reaches to offer the message to Archeon--just in time for arrows to start flying in. Baekje soldiers. Uh-oh. The Hwarang run....
Somehow they've managed to shake the enemy, and are in a quiet wood for the moment. But they paid a heavy price. Dead numbering 28, and only 35 still able to fight. And a whole bunch of injured--uh-oh--including Archeon, who took an arrow to the chest. Amazingly, Archeon hands his commander's badge to Yushin. "Take command," he says; "I can't allow my injury to slow us down." Then he calls some of his unit to attention, and orders them to kill him! (I just don't get this whole angle. This business about not leaving dead bodies, it seems very extreme and difficult to implement. What are they doing about the 28 who just died? Poor loose end here.) "Pyeonjo, strike me down." Well, he certainly practices what he preaches, gotta give him that. Pyeonjo can barely bring himself to do it, but raises up to kill his leader...and Deokman stops him. She refuses to watch as an injured soldier is killed. She goes so far as to take the message with the safe retreat route written in it, which she's still carrying, and swallows it! (THAT again?) Kill any of our injured, she tells Archeon and Yushin, and I won't tell you the retreat route. She reminds Yushin that he searched for her among the dead and carried her back to camp, and that "You told us to train in order to live and fight." And trained us to be able to carry wounded soldiers. It's a long speech (too long) and annoys Archeon, but to her credit she's sticking up for all of the injured who are scared for their lives. (And most of whom, frankly, look like they can at least keep walking. Since they're only supposed to be decoys anyway, why kill them? This just gets more and more annoying.) "How can you frighten us even more," she asks, "when we're already afraid?" It's enough to prod the injured to stand up, one by one, and ask for the chance to die in battle. Archeon has had it and orders his squad to kill the injured, but Yushin overrules him. Which he can now do! "You placed me in command. No one dies here. Not you, not anyone."
Now it's evening. Archeon tells Yushin he's crazy to think they can make it to safety with so many wounded soldiers. "Your sentiment will kill us all!" Nearby we see Jukbang treating Shiyeol's arm, and making medicine for others. But Godo seems to have made a mistake in following instructions; he tainted some of the medicine by putting oleander leaves in it. They're poisonous--so much so that oleander is used on poison arrows. Jukbang is furious and starts slapping Godo. But Yushin, having heard the whole thing, has an idea: counterattack.
A company of thirty or so Baekje troops is headed down a dirt road and comes upon a roadblock--a big pile of logs and sticks. Apparently too dumb to sense anything potentially suspicious in this, they simply start to clear the thing away. But somehow the Hwarang manage to light it on fire, and it's filled with oleander leaves that give off a toxic smoke. The Hwarang emerge from the woods and fire arrows, which send the enemy fleeing. And Yushin has thought one step ahead of them. They'll head for the water, he's realized, to wash off all traces of the oleander poison. (I don't get this--it was airborne! Certainly their clothing wouldn't have absorbed enough to be imminently dangerous. Very silly.)
They wade into a wide stream to wash off the poison. But other Hwarang are waiting for them, sitting under the surface of the shallow water and breathing through hollow reed-straws. Including Archeon (so these must be the injured ones.) The Baekjeans wade into the water--and suddenly they're surrounded and ambushed. And now it's a battle. Deokman kills one and doesn't pass out, and even Shiyeol with his bad arm manages to strike a fatal blow against a Baekjean who has Deokman pinned. And then as the enemy commander gallops into the battle on horseback, sword flailing, Shiyeol picks up a bow and arrow and kills him! After that, it's over quickly, and it's the kind of overwhelming victory that leaves the Hwarang screaming for joy--a huge shot to their dwindling morale. But not all good news. Shiyeol took a stab wound to the side and falls to the ground. The DFers rush to him and try to help, but he's lost too much blood. "I'm not scared any more," he says, fading out. I think I'll be good enough now. I really think...I'll do better." And with that, he dies. Well, he did redeem himself, and in the process saved Deokman. Who, by the way, is taking this very hard. (Too hard, frankly, whining and screaming like a soldier should NOT do.)
The Hwarang head onward. They don't look happy at all. They look exhausted and shell-shocked. "Biggest coward in Shilla," Deokman says sardonically, "and he killed that Baekje general. He did good. Wish I could have told him." She tells Yushin, We have to survive to make Shiyeol's death mean something.
Misaeng enters Mishil's home and finds her sitting alone quietly. Tells her about some sort of plan Cheonmyeong is cooking up to separate military administration from military operations, "or something like that." He isn't worried--"Don't they know all the generals are in your pocket?"--and she doesn't convey any worry...but she's awfully quiet. And Seohyeon's troops? "No word for quite a while now."
State council meeting: A report to the king that "the exchange of decapitated heads between us and Baekje has concluded." Well isn't that nice. Seolwon's army is returning. No word yet from Amak. Mishil tells the king that the silence "breaks my heart." Sure it does. Presuming their demise, she proposes a grant of land to Seohyeon's family, and the building of a shrine. And a three-day memorial service..."At the Hwarang shrine." This was Cheonmyeong interrupting. The idea sets off Mishil's allies with objections, because of the status that Seohyeon lost when he was banished. Even as a fallen warrior, they don't want him honored in the Hwarang shine because he "lost his Hwarang status" (?) and "Although the Queen and Princess stubbornly brought him in to Seorabeol, Empress Manho has not yet given her permission." As though on cue, Queen Maya (that's the first time I've heard her called queen) and Manmyeong walk into the meeting. "We are back from visiting with the Queen Mother at Kwansu temple," Maya says. Manmyeong reports, "She graciously forgave the past. And generously accepted my marriage to Kim Seohyeon." "Did she indeed?", the king answers, with so much relief that we wonder how heavily it must have weighed on him over the years. "Her heart has softened at last." She's sent a letter, which the king reads. "She restores Kim Seohyeon's noble status and appoints him Hwarang." This is a big blow to Mishil's cabal--we can see them all deflate--but Mishil quickly shakes it off and smiles, and revs up the baloney. "It's good news, Your Majesty. Now that he's a noble, please bequeath upon him 3000 grain sacks" and make the memorial service for seven days. In the Hwarang shrine. Why shouldn't she be magnanimous to him; she assumes he's dead anyway. Cheonmyeong sees an opening: "What if he's still alive?" Mishil thinks, and says that since he's now of noble status again, he'd need to be promoted to an appropriate position...and before she can even finish the sentence, Cheonmyeong has the position: Vice Marshal of Military Affairs! And, she tells her father, Seohyeon should have his land returned to him, all of the land that had been taken from him. Mishil chimes in, only because she thinks he's dead, "Yes, Your Majesty. Of course. If he is still alive."
The Hwarang have gotten closer to safe territory...but Yushin doesn't know the status of his father's main forces. Which has become a problem now, because they don't know what their next move has to be.
Mishil's cabal is together; they complain about the princess but are sure that Seohyeon is dead anyway. But Mishil doesn't join in; her with the quiet again, like she sees another possible outcome.
Hwarang scouts report back to Yushin, Archeon and now Seokpum, who was with Seohyeon's army and rejoined the Hwarang. Not good news from the scouts: 1,000 Baekje troops on a nearby mountain. So now, "We're surrounded." Still don't know the status of Seohyeon's army. They conclude (insufficiently, I think) that they've fulfilled their mission as decoys and now can try to return home. Now that Seokpum is here, he outranks Yushin and so assumes command. He tells the remaining Hwarang that their last mission is to break through and cross back into Shilla. We cannot disintegrate, he tells them; follow orders and work as one. Good, sound advice. But then, what's this: "I'm concerned about certain stories I heard from the Rising Phoenix Guards." He calls Deokman forward. And then puts his sword to her throat! "Worthless trainee? You think you can disobey orders?" And asks Archeon why this troublemaker is still alive. "I'm going to make an example of him," Seokpum tells him. But guess what--Archeon stops him and says, "Then you'll also have to make an example of me for listening to him." Now is not the time for this, he says, and besides, some of the surviving Hwarang "are indebted to him for saving their lives." Yushin acknowledges that "the charges are serious, but I think it's only right to return alive and then punish according to military law." Seokpum is surprised. "What's happened to the both of you?" (WAR happened, you moron.) And now most of the others step forward and demand death if Deokman is killed. "You think I won't do it?", says Seokpum with frustration, and waves his sword. Yushin is ready to fight him over this, but then thinks the better of it and kneels. If Deokman's guilty, then as her commander I am too, he says. And so are the other Dragon Guards. "Allow us to die fighting, sir." Yushin offers, We'll hold this ground for four hours so that the rest of you can escape. Then he hands Archeon his torn battle flag, (torn, remember, out of disrespect at that earlier confrontation). "Raise this in the Hwarang compound," he tells Archeon. And glaring at Seokpum, he tells him, "Don't waste our sacrifice. Make sure you get out alive." Seokpum answers, "Come back alive and I won't press charges." (Gee, thanks, you miserable little twit, how big of you.)
And now we see the remaining DFers--looks like around fifteen of them--charging into a shallow stream bed to confront a platoon of Baekje troops. They look to be outnumbered by about three to one.