(This drama is based on historical events,)
(but some details may be different from historical facts.)
(Production guidelines were strictly followed when filming with animals.)
Stay as close as you can to the fortress walls.
Hide behind the fortress walls!
Lose four!
- Lose four! - Lose four!
Reload!
- Ready to fire. - Ready to fire.
- Fire. - Fire!
- Fire!
- Oh, no! - My goodness.
- What should we do? - Oh, dear.
- What do we do? - What will happen now?
- Get back in here. - What should we do?
- My gosh. - What do we do?
They are coming this way.
They are coming closer and closer.
I am certain that we will be hit with the next one they fire.
- Now? - Oh, no.
Hiding in the fortress was a bad idea.
We will all die now.
Lose four more!
- Lose four more! - Lose four more!
Distance adjustment...
completed!
The distance adjustment has been completed.
We will directly hit the fortress.
Fire as many as you can.
Yes, General.
Ready to fire!
- Ready to fire! - Ready to fire!
- Fire! - Fire!
- Oh, no. - They are coming.
- No! - Run!
- What? - My dear child, are you all right?
- Oh, no. - Fire!
Light your arrows on fire. Fire the fuel together!
(Oil producing fire)
It is finally visible.
Target that light and fire!
(Attacking one target)
Fire!
Run!
Get in formation.
Return to your station at once!
Put out the fire!
- Understood! - Understood!
Fire at one target!
Send in the infantry.
Make sure the enemy does not notice them.
Understood.
(Heunghwajin)
(Tongju, Samsuchae)
There is 1 sword wagon and 1,000 soldiers.
(Episode 6)
We should station a sword wagon in the front line...
to stop the mounted troops.
Behind them should be long spears, soldiers, and mounted troops of 200.
The infantry, armed with spears and shields,
should surround and protect the camp.
Commander!
The Khitan soldiers have crossed the Yalu River.
And the Khitan's advance troop has started to attack Heunghwajin.
Our soldiers will fight well. Leave Heunghwajin...
to the temporary government officer.
Understood.
Let us continue.
You and General Kim Hoon are to teach the soldiers of the battle formation.
- Understood. - Understood.
You are to protect the Tongju Fortress and support the main army.
Understood.
All of our forces' catapults have been destroyed.
It is only the beginning for us.
Have the infantry advance at once.
Climb over the fortress wall.
Those are booby traps.
They have been set up too closely to get around it.
Our soldiers are getting killed by it.
(An arrow that makes a sound as a signal)
Fill up the booby traps.
Fill them up and keep advancing.
Understood.
Hurry!
Secure the booby traps!
Make haste!
Reload your arrows!
Yes, sir!
(Day 2 of the Heunghwajin Battle)
The enemy has gotten rid of all the booby traps.
Even though we kept killing them,
they continued to advance and filled up all the booby traps.
I have never met such imprudent soldiers.
They are reckless to the point...
they scare me.
Come to your senses. This is just the beginning.
Rotate the soldiers of the fortress wall.
Let them get some sleep.
None of them will get any sleep starting tonight.
The fortress wall was not high,
but the dense booby traps made it hard to approach it.
And the soldiers of the fortress wall were trained well.
(Yelu Longxu, 6th Emperor of the Khitan)
Not bad.
We will launch another attack starting tonight.
The fortress wall will fall into our hands soon.
There is no need to be impatient.
We have 400,000 soldiers.
At the most, the enemy has one-hundredth of the soldiers we have.
Whether they last for a day or even two days and then fall,
they will fall in the end. No?
If we take the victory so easily in the first battle,
it will work against us.
Understood, Your Majesty.
I am simply making my rounds.
(Moving to different regions to rule)
Let us spend this season hunting in the land of Goryeo.
Understood?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Just because that is what His Majesty said,
do not delay the attack.
This is the first conquest His Majesty is commanding.
We must present His Majesty with a perfect victory like none other.
Yes. I am well aware of it.
A siege...
is a battle overcoming the height.
Compared to fighting on flatland,
much more energy is needed to bring down the enemy on the fortress wall.
What is more, Heunghwajin...
is a fortress built on a mountain.
Even before getting a glimpse of the fortress wall,
one must crawl up the steep mountain slope for a good while.
The height of that mountain slope is a part of...
Heunghwajin's height.
Then how are we to conquer it?
Mountain troops cannot be deployed as it is a mountain.
With our siege weapons,
we cannot even break down their fortress gates.
However, we have more soldiers than they do.
We can let our soldiers rest and take turns to attack,
but the Goryeo army cannot do so.
All of their soldiers must get on the fortress walls to stop us.
Do not give them a single moment to rest.
Attack them incessantly.
Do not give them time to eat or sleep.
If at least one part of the fortress walls breaks down,
then it will be over.
Yes, Commander.
Send scouts...
and find out where the king resides in the palace. Also,
begin plundering.
Plundering?
What does that mean?
It means they will take everything from a town...
including every single weed and every grain of crops.
It basically means pillaging.
The Khitan army starts a war with the bare minimum of supplies.
The rest of the things they need,
they get through pillaging on the battlefield.
They feed their soldiers and horses with what they get from pillaging,
and when they find something worth a lot of money,
they take it as spoils of war.
Simply put,
the reason why Khitan wages war...
is to pillage.
And the most valuable thing they get from pillaging...
is people.
People?
Yes, Your Majesty.
That is what makes me afraid the most in the war against Khitan.
What they value the most as spoils of war...
are people.
(Kim Sook Heung, Seventh Rank Officer of Gwiju)
Get going!
Hit them!
Go!
Keep walking!
- Go! - Why is this happening?
Goryeo soldiers!
- Stop them! - Yes, sir!
Go!
Leave the stuff.
Leave the packs. Just take the captives.
Get up!
Keep going!
After them!
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
What is all that?
They are the Khitan men.
It must be Heunghwajin.
Heunghwajin is in danger. We must go and help them.
How are we to help them with less than 3,000 men?
If we try to sneak up on them from behind,
we will only get surrounded by the enemy and get wiped out.
As of now, we must get the people inside the fortress walls.
That is why I told you we must hurry and bring the people and supplies in.
Ten or so villages have already been swept away.
Hundreds of Goryeo people have been taken as captives!
I did not think they would get here so fast.
It has only been a day since we got word...
that the Khitan men crossed the Yalu River.
Besides, this is...
over 300 ri from the place where they crossed the river.
Did you not even think about the fact that the Khitan men travel fast?
And you call yourself the Camp Commanding Officer and Senior Colonel?
How dare you?
If you want to die while fighting the Khitan soldiers,
you had better watch your tongue.
If not, you will die by my sword first.
Right now, protecting our own fortresses is the best way...
to help each other.
Holding out against the enemy is the best we can do as allies.
Do you understand?
It will be hard for us to see each other from now on.
All the booby traps are gone,
so, starting tonight, the enemy will start scaling the walls.
Be sure to keep your assigned area safe from intrusion.
Yes, sir.
Sir.
You should stay here at camp.
If you stay on the wall and get injured,
who would command Heunghwajin?
I have you to rely on, Commander. Why should I worry?
Sir?
We are all dead if at least one part of the wall gets broken into anyway.
It does not matter where I am.
Shoot!
The 400,000 soldiers of Khitan...
have crossed the Yalu River...
and have set up camp at Murodae.
And they are currently attacking Heunghwajin.
Will Heunghwajin be able to hold out?
Officer Yang will put his life on the line and fight fiercely.
However,
(Yoo Jin, Left Senior Executive of State Affairs)
it will fall in the end.
How would this small fortress...
keep out a huge army of 400,000 men?
I just hope they hold out even just a day longer...
so that the main army in Samsuchae...
can have more time to line up for battle.
Then,
what will happen to the people...
at Heunghwajin?
Your Majesty, you must be strong.
The main army of Goryeo led by Commander Kang...
will be sure to bring home victory.
The night is deep.
Leave us to keep up with the progress of the war.
You should return to the palace and head to your chambers.
Please do so, Your Majesty.
You must preserve your health.
I do not think I will be able to sleep.
No.
I am afraid I will fall asleep.
If I fall asleep for a single moment,
I feel as though a letter will come in my dreams...
and deliver news that the Goryeo army has lost.
If you feel so disturbed,
you should go visit a temple for a while.
All of the temples in Gaegyeong are brightly lit.
Your people, who cannot sleep just like Your Majesty,
are praying to Buddha all night long.
I am afraid to step out before the people.
I do not know what to do myself.
What would I say to comfort them...
and console them?
Just by sharing their fear,
you will be a big support for them.
When the nation faces a crisis, the people become small children.
Just as small children burrow into their parents' arms,
the people rely on no one else but their sovereign.
Try going to a temple.
Go and be with your people.
(Main Hall)
There are many ancestral tablets at this temple...
of warriors who have made contributions to war.
So, many families of warriors residing in Gaegyeong...
come here to pray.
I see.
Protect us, merciful Buddha
Your Majesty.
I apologize for interrupting you.
I am here to pray with you.
Would that be okay?
Of course, Your Majesty.
Please come on in.
This way, please.
Thank you.
I heard you were the family members of the generals on the battlefield.
All of you must be truly concerned.
Which general is your family member?
I am the wife of Yang Kyu,
the Northwest Temporary Government Officer.
I see.
This is his son.
- I am Yang Dae Chun. - I see.
You look like a bright child.
I am much obliged.
Commander Kang's wife is here too.
Thank you very much for coming here.
No, you need not thank me.
I am grateful to be here.
Officer Kang left for the battlefield...
with Your Majesty's words deeply engraved in his heart.
I trust that he will be sure to win to repay you for your kindness.
Yes. I, too, trust that he will win.
You need not concern yourself with anything.
Our warriors will all fight bravely.
Your Majesty will soon hear...
that they have defeated our enemies.
Yes, absolutely.
I was not sure as to how I could give you solace,
but you are...
comforting me instead.
- We are much obliged. - We are much obliged.
So, His Majesty went to the temple at this late hour?
Yes, he did.
My goodness.
This is why your higher-ups do not like you.
Just keep to yourself and do your job.
How dare you try to lecture the Emperor as a mere deputy minister?
There are ministers His Majesty looks up to as his mentors.
Who are you to step in?
I was simply offering advice as a loyal vassal.
What does my position have to do with it?
Advice does not put food on the table!
Your ancestors contributed to the unification of the three kingdoms,
which makes your family...
one of the five most influential families in Goryeo.
If you knew how to watch your mouth, you would already be a minister.
Anyway, why are you here?
You are trying to change the topic.
I heard a war had broken out, so I thought I should come and see you.
Like it or not,
we should die together.
What? Why would we die?
We have experienced what the Khitan scoundrels are like.
We struggled to fight them off when only 100,000 soldiers invaded us...
during King Seongjong's reign.
How will we fight off 400,000 soldiers?
Goryeo also has a large army with 300,000 soldiers.
Come on. That includes even farmers who were drafted into the army,
so that number does not mean anything.
The Khitan army consists of 400,000 soldiers...
who have been fighting in wars all their lives.
The two of us have lived long enough,
but my heart breaks when I think of the young people of Goryeo.
Finish your food.
- I have eaten enough. - As if. Hurry up and finish your food,
or you will get hungry at night and go through the cupboards in secret.
Eat up.
You truly are a big eater.
If others saw you now, they would say you eat like a general.
So? Any news from Heunghwajin?
No, they have not sent any additional messengers.
They must be completely surrounded now.
How could they send a messenger?
Until they wipe out every single one of the 400,000 soldiers,
no one will be able to get out.
What are you all doing here?
No more chitchat.
Make rounds and check in on the soldiers.
- Yes, Commander. - Yes, Commander.
You.
You are to stay here.
Yes, Commander.
Stay right next to me at all times.
Do not leave me even for a moment.
- I beg your pardon? - We should always stay together...
just like we did in the Ministry of Defense.
We will live and die together.
Do you understand?
Are you afraid?
Oh, please forget what I just said.
I apologize. I was worried, just in case.
This is my first time fighting in a war like this,
but this is your second war, Commander.
When it is your second time,
you become twice as scared. That is what war does to you.
Well, I am not saying I am scared.
Hurry. Move it!
(Day 4 of the Heunghwajin Battle)
Move it!
- You cannot die like this. - What do I do now?
My dear child, how can I live without you?
Make your way down at once.
Water! I need water.
- Move it! - Run!
Hey, pick up the pace!
Come on. Let us get moving!
I just spotted some kids. Get them!
Stop! Stop right there.
Darn you, little rats!
Stop! Get them!
I caught you.
I hear that prices have gone up significantly.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Especially the price of rice. Everyone is struggling.
I will find out if any of my ministers have granaries full of grain.
I will also find out if the palace...
and the temples have any rice to spare.
Thank you!
- Thank you, Your Majesty! - Thank you.
Is there anything else I can do to make your situation better?
Well...
My apologies for speaking up, but we people living on farmland...
must pay tax as well as obtain anything needed for the imperial family...
and in the royal palace.
Please exempt them,
even if it is just during the war.
All right.
It is unfair for the imperial family to live in wealth in such a situation.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
- We are much obliged. - We are much obliged.
Is there anything else you would like to inform me?
Your Majesty.
What will happen with the war?
There are some who say we must leave Gaegyeong at once.
Should we really do so?
No. That will not happen.
Our Goryeo soldiers will fight hard and stop the Khitan.
The enemy has yet to bring down even one of our fortresses.
Goryeo...
will win this war.
- We are much obliged. - We are much obliged.
Why did you say such a thing?
What if the tide of the war turns against us?
The people will resent Your Majesty.
I had to if that could ease the people's fear.
I, too,
was comforted by such words by the soldiers' families.
And...
that gave me great strength.
I do understand Your Majesty's intention.
But Your Majesty should distance yourself from the people.
Going around marketplaces to listen to the people's difficulties...
is the job of government officials.
And if there is anything Your Majesty would like to pass on to the people,
you are to issue a royal message.
Why must I do that?
I am telling you so because Your Majesty could lose your dignity.
One's heart is very artful.
If the other person behaves too friendly,
they will look down on that person.
An easily approachable person is considered a fool.
Keep your prestige as the emperor.
A strict emperor will be praised as a good and wise emperor...
with one kindness,
but a tender-hearted emperor will be labeled a tyrant...
with one harsh action. That is how the people are.
The people are not so ignorant.
Everyone can judge one's sincerity.
Being able to read Your Majesty's sincerity easily...
will only bring down Your Majesty's authority.
An emperor is a gift from the deity.
One must not be able to read or assume the emperor's mind.
An emperor must be unreachable.
If not, why must the people obey the emperor?
If the emperor is no different from the people,
why must they submit to him?
Please think highly of yourself.
Your Majesty is the emperor of Goryeo.
The people's envy and fear is Your Majesty's power.
If that disappears,
this imperial family cannot exist.
(Left Army, Center Army, Right Army)
Heunghwajin has been under attack for seven days.
Yes.
They are fighting desperately.
Do you think Heunghwajin can withstand it?
I trust Officer Yang.
What will happen...
if the fortress falls into the enemy's hand?
Then the Khitans will become more violent.
The Khitan's mounted troops, high in spirits,
will come riding through the northwest...
while ruining all of its land.
Will we be able to stop them with our sword wagons?
To be honest, I am in doubt.
Is it not best...
to go to the fortress now and prepare to defend it?
Then we cannot annihilate our enemy.
If we keep hiding in the fortress,
the Khitans will turn all of Goryeo's territory...
into ruin.
I believe in the sword wagons.
These sword wagons...
are Goryeo's almighty weapon we have been preparing for years.
Then...
I will put my trust in you, Commander.
Put your trust in the sword wagons.
These sword wagons will kill all of the Khitan's...
armored mounted troops.
(Day 7 of the Heunghwajin Battle)
Why is it so calm today?
I cannot even guess what they are scheming.
How is Officer Yang doing?
He is awake after leaving the soldiers to sleep.
Good grief.
You should get some sleep, too.
You were awake for seven days straight.
But you, too, could not get any sleep.
I am all right. Now, get some sleep.
Who knows when they will attack again?
Understood.
Sir.
Are you all right?
Yes. Thank you.
You should get some sleep.
I can hold out longer.
You should sleep.
I am fine.
Did you come into the fortress with someone?
I did with my wife.
But she was shot to death yesterday.
Then be with your children.
Do not come up the fortress wall.
Do you have no children?
They are outside.
What?
It was to keep them alive, at the least.
Little did I know...
we would hold out this long.
Where are they right now?
I told them to hide in the mountain at the back of the village.
How will they dodge the enemy...
by hiding in the mountains?
They must be hiding well.
My children are bright.
How are you unable to destroy...
that small fortress after attacking it for seven days?
Your Majesty. It is not the Spearhead Commander's fault.
The Goryeo soldiers fought well for some mysterious reason.
Do not defend him!
We have 400,000 soldiers.
That means we can reach higher than that fortress wall...
even if we step on the dead bodies.
Spearhead Commander.
Destroy Heunghwajin within today.
Fail,
and I will cut off your head and throw it at the Heunghwajin gates.
Understood, Your Majesty.
There are enemies outside of the north gate wall!
Enemies!
Wake up!
Enemies! Giddyap!
Wake up! Enemies!
Faster!
Come on! Hurry!
Move it!
Hurry!
Move faster!
- Go! - Keep going!
Aim!
Duck!
Do not shoot!
- Do not shoot. - Do not shoot.
Do not shoot!
- Do not shoot. - Do not shoot.
We are Goryeo people!
Do not shoot!
Do not shoot.
Please help us!
Yong!
Yong! My goodness.
- Do not shoot. - Do not shoot.
We are Goryeo people!
Do not shoot!
Officer Yang.
Do not shoot.
That is my child.
That is my son.
Dad.
Do not shoot.
Go!
- Come on! - Go!
Go!
Hurry up!
- Go! - Help us!
Officer Yang, please give us your command.
Let me go and get him.
Just let me bring my son up here.
Aim.
Officer Yang!
Yong.
Officer Yang!
Yong!
Dad.
Shoot.
Shoot!
Dad.
Yong!
Shoot!
(Korea-Khitan War)
Has Heunghwajin really fallen?
The Khitan army is here.
They will attack right away.
We must send word that we are still standing.
Light the signal fires. Now!
We will win, no matter what.
We will now wipe out the Khitan army!
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)