Post by ajk on Apr 23, 2014 22:36:52 GMT -5
So the army heads south. As they do, Banggwa and Bangui manage to join them and find their father. They were in Seogyeong and literally had to escape because Choi ordered Seonggye’s whole family arrested. And on a road farther south, we see the king and Choi heading back to the capital.
JD tells Bangwon to get his mother away from out of the family farm she went to and into Seonggye's army camp at Dongbukmyeon. Bangwon wonders if a revolution is about to happen JD won't answer him (which I'm sure he figures means yes).
The king gets home and immediately demands alcohol. His wife and son and Jeongbi have come back too (Why? That seems foolish).
Choi assembles an army, including capital troops, his troops from Seogyeong, and most of the force fighting the Japanese pirates. And he gets some news he likes: Local officials in Pocheon captured Seonggye's wife and two young children. He orders them brought to the capital.
Yep, they were caught. We see Lady Kang and the kids being escorted on foot by troops, heading to Gaegyeong. Bangwon and his aide and some other men who apparently work for him have shown up nearby—too late to prevent the capture—but they decide to attack the soldiers from an ambush position in the woods. They’re severely outnumbered but their skills are superior and they defeat the soldiers. But not without Lady Kang shoving Bangwon out of the way at one point to avoid a sword-blow from behind him.
"We lost the hostages." Choi gives the king the bad news. Says they'll be recaptured soon, because he thinks he knows where they’re headed. But now some REALLY bad news: Seonggye’s army is approaching the city.
And there they are, staring at one of the city gates. And Choi is there, staring out from atop the gate and shouting at Seonggye...the expected stuff: you’re a traitor, you'll die, we'll display your head as an example. Seonggye calmly inches his horse forward, and respectfully asks Choi to open the gate. I don’t want to fight you, he says, and "I will guarantee your safety." No deal. But Seonggye refuses to attack. "It would make us traitors," he tells his subordinates. So the army backs away and sets up camp around 25 miles outside the capital. Okay...so now what?
Once they settle in, the generals talk. The agree that they don’t want rebellion; they just want Choi removed for putting the country in danger. Seonggye is oddly silent; says Let’s talk about it in the morning, and then walks out of the meeting. Weird. But wait, as he’s walking around his camp by himself, Nam Eun approaches him with a guest he’s brought: JD! Seonggye wants to know, “Is there another way?” Something that would let him save Choi? No, JD answers, and adds that Choi is only one person and if sacrificing one person settles all this, then it should be done. Then Seonggye asks JD “Why aren’t you telling me to attack?” You know, the great cause. But JD says that bloodshed will not achieve the cause. It will take politics. “I believe in the power of politics." Seonggye doesn't buy that at all.
Choi is arming (and pre-paying) citizens to fight and defend the capital. Word arrives that Seonggye released Kim Wan and sent him to the palace with an appeal.
Kim reads the order to the king and Choi. We withdrew to save the country, it argues. "Please dismiss Choi Yeong and open the gate for your loyal soldiers." The king sees it as a threat and gets very angry. But Choi says he’s partially responsible for this mess, and offers his life to the king, if executing him will settle it all.
The scholars meet and discuss whether or not to support the request to remove Choi. An intense, heated discussion. Mongju is so troubled and frustrated, he can't even talk. Walks away...and JD follows him. Argues in favor, saying it's the only way to step a civil war. And mentions that children in the villages have started signing a strange new song called "Son of Wood Will Gain the Country"...
...which Lee In Im, up in his rural village, hears the village kids singing. They ask him about the strange title and meaning. "It means General Lee will become the king,” he tells them. He wonders to himself whether or not public sentiment is actually leaning in Seonggye’s favor.
Somebody wrote down the song lyrics and the king is reading them! He doesn’t like them, go figure. Tells Choi that Seonggye went after Lee In Im first, and now Choi, so "I will be next." Says he’s rejecting Seonggye’s appeal. Picks up a dagger and hands it to Choi. "Stick this in his heart." Choi is overwhelmed.
Posters are going up all over the capital. Seonggye, Jo Minsu and the rest of the officers are stripped of their positions, and anybody who arrests them will be rewarded. General Bae brings news of this to the officers, along with the formal rejection of Seonggye’s appeal. Anger all around...and it tips the scales for Seonggye. "We will attack the capital in the morning." Doink!!
Bangwon and Lady Kang, along with the others, have made it someplace safe; some small village out in the country. Not Dongbukmyeon because Bangwon knows that's too obvious a destination. A sort of awkward thank-you moment between the two for helping each other out of danger.
Nighttime: Mongju has gone to Seonggye to look him in the eye and challenge him. Is this for the good of the country, or do you have a traitorous mind? Seonggye is angry at even the suggestion of the latter: "Do I look like a wretch who will kill his own people to be called 'His majesty'?" He convinces Mongju, who says he'll support him. Calls the attack necessary and "a labor pain for the rebirth of Goryeo."
Morning: Here we go. Sun is shining; it's a beautiful day for an insurrection. Seonggye's army makes it through that same gate--they were repulsed at first but the second try was overwhelming--and now it's urban warfare. A terrible street-by-street, block-by-block battle. It gets very ugly very quickly. And it goes on. And on. And on. Into the night. But eventually all of Seonggye's forces unite and their manpower is simply too much for the opposition. Choi's forces have to drop back to defend the palace.
At the palace it's eerily silent. Choi walks up the steps and goes inside, where the king is downing one drink after another. Choi falls to his knees, crying. But king knows the numbers were stacked against him. "You did a good job." Stop crying, he adds with a dark laugh; "we're not holding a funeral." Then from outside, a call: "The traitor Choi Yeong will come out and be bound." Outside, the whole army has arrived, with Choi's subordinates An So and Jeong Seunggi already captured and bound. Back inside, Choi tells the king to "Be strong and think of the future." But the reality of Choi leaving him, it scares him. Not to worry, Choi says calmingly; "the former kings and Buddha will look over you. Live long and healthy." And with that, Choi bows deeply...
...and leaves the palace. Angrily and full of fire. "How dare you try to invade the palace without his majesty's approval!" Draws his sword on Seonggye, even as Seonggye addresses him respectfully. And in moments they're dueling.
JD tells Bangwon to get his mother away from out of the family farm she went to and into Seonggye's army camp at Dongbukmyeon. Bangwon wonders if a revolution is about to happen JD won't answer him (which I'm sure he figures means yes).
The king gets home and immediately demands alcohol. His wife and son and Jeongbi have come back too (Why? That seems foolish).
Choi assembles an army, including capital troops, his troops from Seogyeong, and most of the force fighting the Japanese pirates. And he gets some news he likes: Local officials in Pocheon captured Seonggye's wife and two young children. He orders them brought to the capital.
Yep, they were caught. We see Lady Kang and the kids being escorted on foot by troops, heading to Gaegyeong. Bangwon and his aide and some other men who apparently work for him have shown up nearby—too late to prevent the capture—but they decide to attack the soldiers from an ambush position in the woods. They’re severely outnumbered but their skills are superior and they defeat the soldiers. But not without Lady Kang shoving Bangwon out of the way at one point to avoid a sword-blow from behind him.
"We lost the hostages." Choi gives the king the bad news. Says they'll be recaptured soon, because he thinks he knows where they’re headed. But now some REALLY bad news: Seonggye’s army is approaching the city.
And there they are, staring at one of the city gates. And Choi is there, staring out from atop the gate and shouting at Seonggye...the expected stuff: you’re a traitor, you'll die, we'll display your head as an example. Seonggye calmly inches his horse forward, and respectfully asks Choi to open the gate. I don’t want to fight you, he says, and "I will guarantee your safety." No deal. But Seonggye refuses to attack. "It would make us traitors," he tells his subordinates. So the army backs away and sets up camp around 25 miles outside the capital. Okay...so now what?
Once they settle in, the generals talk. The agree that they don’t want rebellion; they just want Choi removed for putting the country in danger. Seonggye is oddly silent; says Let’s talk about it in the morning, and then walks out of the meeting. Weird. But wait, as he’s walking around his camp by himself, Nam Eun approaches him with a guest he’s brought: JD! Seonggye wants to know, “Is there another way?” Something that would let him save Choi? No, JD answers, and adds that Choi is only one person and if sacrificing one person settles all this, then it should be done. Then Seonggye asks JD “Why aren’t you telling me to attack?” You know, the great cause. But JD says that bloodshed will not achieve the cause. It will take politics. “I believe in the power of politics." Seonggye doesn't buy that at all.
Choi is arming (and pre-paying) citizens to fight and defend the capital. Word arrives that Seonggye released Kim Wan and sent him to the palace with an appeal.
Kim reads the order to the king and Choi. We withdrew to save the country, it argues. "Please dismiss Choi Yeong and open the gate for your loyal soldiers." The king sees it as a threat and gets very angry. But Choi says he’s partially responsible for this mess, and offers his life to the king, if executing him will settle it all.
The scholars meet and discuss whether or not to support the request to remove Choi. An intense, heated discussion. Mongju is so troubled and frustrated, he can't even talk. Walks away...and JD follows him. Argues in favor, saying it's the only way to step a civil war. And mentions that children in the villages have started signing a strange new song called "Son of Wood Will Gain the Country"...
...which Lee In Im, up in his rural village, hears the village kids singing. They ask him about the strange title and meaning. "It means General Lee will become the king,” he tells them. He wonders to himself whether or not public sentiment is actually leaning in Seonggye’s favor.
Somebody wrote down the song lyrics and the king is reading them! He doesn’t like them, go figure. Tells Choi that Seonggye went after Lee In Im first, and now Choi, so "I will be next." Says he’s rejecting Seonggye’s appeal. Picks up a dagger and hands it to Choi. "Stick this in his heart." Choi is overwhelmed.
Posters are going up all over the capital. Seonggye, Jo Minsu and the rest of the officers are stripped of their positions, and anybody who arrests them will be rewarded. General Bae brings news of this to the officers, along with the formal rejection of Seonggye’s appeal. Anger all around...and it tips the scales for Seonggye. "We will attack the capital in the morning." Doink!!
Bangwon and Lady Kang, along with the others, have made it someplace safe; some small village out in the country. Not Dongbukmyeon because Bangwon knows that's too obvious a destination. A sort of awkward thank-you moment between the two for helping each other out of danger.
Nighttime: Mongju has gone to Seonggye to look him in the eye and challenge him. Is this for the good of the country, or do you have a traitorous mind? Seonggye is angry at even the suggestion of the latter: "Do I look like a wretch who will kill his own people to be called 'His majesty'?" He convinces Mongju, who says he'll support him. Calls the attack necessary and "a labor pain for the rebirth of Goryeo."
Morning: Here we go. Sun is shining; it's a beautiful day for an insurrection. Seonggye's army makes it through that same gate--they were repulsed at first but the second try was overwhelming--and now it's urban warfare. A terrible street-by-street, block-by-block battle. It gets very ugly very quickly. And it goes on. And on. And on. Into the night. But eventually all of Seonggye's forces unite and their manpower is simply too much for the opposition. Choi's forces have to drop back to defend the palace.
At the palace it's eerily silent. Choi walks up the steps and goes inside, where the king is downing one drink after another. Choi falls to his knees, crying. But king knows the numbers were stacked against him. "You did a good job." Stop crying, he adds with a dark laugh; "we're not holding a funeral." Then from outside, a call: "The traitor Choi Yeong will come out and be bound." Outside, the whole army has arrived, with Choi's subordinates An So and Jeong Seunggi already captured and bound. Back inside, Choi tells the king to "Be strong and think of the future." But the reality of Choi leaving him, it scares him. Not to worry, Choi says calmingly; "the former kings and Buddha will look over you. Live long and healthy." And with that, Choi bows deeply...
...and leaves the palace. Angrily and full of fire. "How dare you try to invade the palace without his majesty's approval!" Draws his sword on Seonggye, even as Seonggye addresses him respectfully. And in moments they're dueling.