(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.)
(Episode 7)
We failed to take them down, after all.
Your Majesty, please have some mercy.
I am saying this for Your Majesty's own sake.
Care to elaborate?
If you decide to execute the frontline commander because of this,
it will put more weight on the significance of this defeat.
But...
if you brush it off as if it is no big deal at all,
the weight of this defeat will become negligible.
This is the first conquest expedition you are leading yourself.
You came here with 400,000 soldiers.
Please do not obsess over a small fortress like Heunghwajin.
Please consider it our discarded card.
Commander.
I heard 300,000 Goryeo soldiers led by Kang Jo, the traitor,
set up an encampment in front of the Tongju Fortress.
I will wipe them out for Your Majesty.
I will win and return victoriously for Your Majesty...
and the Great Khitan Empire.
You may get up. His Majesty has forgiven you.
Get your soldiers ready.
We are heading south.
- Commander. - Remember this.
Until this war is over,
you must never bring up Heunghwajin again. Do you understand?
Yes, Commander.
(Heunghwajin)
- Hurrah for General Yang Kyu! - Hurrah for General Yang Kyu!
- Hurrah for the Goryeo army! - Hurrah for the Goryeo army!
(Yang Kyu, Northwest Temporary Government Officer)
- Hurrah for the Goryeo army! - Hurrah for the Goryeo army!
- Hurrah for General Yang Kyu! - Hurrah for General Yang Kyu!
- No... - Hurrah for the Goryeo army!
Please, no...
- No... - Hurrah!
We won! We did it.
Officer Yang.
I will get back at them for this.
In a thousand, ten thousandfold.
I will make them pay for this.
My mother always told me...
not to leave a single enemy behind my back under any circumstances.
We left some reserves at Murodae.
They will keep things in order.
Hurry up and destroy Goryeo's main forces.
I wish to redeem myself from this humiliation as soon as possible.
Yes, Your Majesty. I will be sure to remember that.
(Murodae, Khitan's 200,000 reserve soldiers)
(Khitan's main forces with 200,000 soldiers)
(Samsuchae, Tongju, Goryeo's main forces with 300,000 soldiers)
What did you say?
The Khitan army is advancing south.
They are headed toward Samsuchae at the moment.
Then what about Heunghwajin?
We have no way of finding out.
Because the Khitan army is advancing south,
we cannot send scouts to Heunghwajin at the moment.
Yes, Commander.
(Kang Jo, Field Commander)
That means Heunghwajin has fallen, after all.
If Heunghwajin was still standing,
the Khitan army would not be advancing south now.
No army marches forward with their enemy behind their back.
It is remarkable that they lasted this long.
They held out for seven days...
while fighting 400,000 soldiers.
Officer Yang.
Are you sure?
Yes, Your Majesty.
The messenger arrived not too long ago.
The Khitans have started to move southward toward Samsuchae,
and Heunghwajin...
seems to have fallen.
No.
Is it truly not a lie?
Has Heunghwajin really fallen?
Many various circumstances seem to point to it.
That is the message from Samsuchae's Supervising Commander.
- Officer Yang. - Great work.
Sir.
I can not bear it anymore.
Please end my life.
Please just end my life.
- Oh, no. - My dear!
Do not come. No!
Do not come!
Do not come.
Stop.
- My goodness. - No.
How do I live without you?
- Put him to rest. - Father.
Father!
Du Chi's father!
Wake up!
His body is becoming stiff.
Let him walk upright to the world beyond.
No.
He is already stiff.
Let us rest him down.
Is he your only child?
I have a daughter.
Where is she right now?
Since she was with her brother, she must have also been taken.
She must have been shot by arrows somewhere.
Young girls cannot climb up the fortress walls well.
She would not have been used to take on the arrows.
Each and every prisoner is money to the Khitans.
She must still be alive.
What difference does that make?
The Khitans have taken her.
I could have saved him.
Before the Khitans climbed over the fortress walls,
I could have saved my boy.
You could not have done so if he were your child.
You, too,
would have...
done everything to pull him up.
I heard a messenger came last night.
May I ask what message he carried?
(Main Hall)
The message was that the Khitans started to move southward.
Does that mean Heunghwajin has...
I am sorry.
The Khitans have blocked the path.
We cannot obtain news about Heunghwajin.
Do not lose hope.
We have simply lost communication.
Nobody knows exactly what has happened to Heunghwajin.
Your father is one of the top great commanders in Goryeo.
He must surely be...
protecting Heunghwajin right now.
Do you really believe so?
Yes.
Do you not know your father more than I do?
Yes, Your Majesty. You are right.
He must be protecting Heunghwajin even at this very moment.
That is right. Keep that in mind,
and go comfort your mother.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty. I have a report to make.
What is it?
It is to my regret to inform you this,
but several Royal Court officials...
are sending their families away from Gaegyeong.
What?
Go to our hometown.
Until I send word,
do not return to Gaegyeong.
Understood, my lord.
Now then, let us go.
Your Majesty.
What is the meaning of this?
What are you, the so-called head of the Royal Court, doing?
Unpack at once,
have your family go back inside,
and...
bring all the Royal Court officials...
to the palace right away.
Do you understand?
It has only been a few hours since we heard the news...
that the Khitan soldiers were moving southward.
They have not even reached...
the Goryeo soldiers at Samsuchae.
And yet, you are already evacuating your families...
and taking away possessions?
If the Royal Court officials do not have faith in the Goryeo soldiers,
how will the people trust them...
and maintain their calm?
I have...
no knowledge of the military.
Nor do I have experience in war.
Even so,
I can assure you of this.
Those who think of running away...
before fighting against their opponent can never win.
Your Majesty.
We simply prepared for all the possibilities.
What was that?
All we did was evacuate our families.
We, ourselves, did not run away.
Rather than trembling in fear...
and worrying over our wife and children's safety,
we thought it was best...
to stay behind alone with peace of mind...
and protect Your Majesty.
Do you think that makes any sense?
We are prepared for death.
For Your Majesty,
we are determined to risk our lives at any given time.
Even when Kim Chi Yang's soldiers...
sieged the palace not too long ago,
we did not...
leave the late emperor's side.
Your Majesty. We, too, are humans.
We could not help but worry about our children.
However, we will...
give up our lives for Your Majesty at any time.
That is the least I ask Your Majesty to believe in.
Right. Is there something you would like to say?
Go ahead.
You are the type who has to say everything...
that is on your mind, no?
(Kang Gam Chan, Deputy Minister of Rites)
What the Royal Court official has to risk his life to protect...
is not limited to His Majesty's safety.
Serving His Majesty...
and taking care of his subjects is the job...
of the Royal Court official.
Then, do you mean I harmed the people?
Seeing the Royal Court officials' families leave Gaegyeong,
the people would have been shaken up.
The thing that arrives a step before...
the enemy's arrival is fear.
The fact that the Royal Court officials evacuated their families...
opened up the floodgates to the people's fear...
and left them in confusion.
It is a serious crime that has caused chaos in times of war.
Deputy Minister!
My lord.
You should stop now.
Things might get even worse at this rate.
You are so self-righteous, indeed.
So self-righteous.
Lord Kang.
Why do you behave so unsociably?
The Left Senior Executive is undoubtedly the pillar of the court.
He has dedicated himself to the Royal Court...
through many rebellions and wars.
I know that as well.
That is why I kept my mouth shut in front of His Majesty.
However, it is not right...
to try to hide one's wrongdoings with a few eloquent words.
My goodness.
It is a mistake that any man can make.
Is it not a natural instinct to worry about his flesh and blood?
Do not try to speak up for him like so.
I believe that...
you have also evacuated your families as well.
You, Lord Kang,
are a hard man to befriend.
Please do not make everyone your enemy.
How great of you.
Are you now...
acting coldly towards the chancellory scholar as well?
Have you forgotten entirely that it was thanks to him...
that you were able to return to the court?
Why on earth do you behave this way?
Why is it that you are so full of pent-up anger...
as if you are some teenage boy?
"Pent-up anger?" What do you mean by that?
All I did was speak up plainly about their mistakes.
Enough of that. Just tell me.
People who do not know you well...
will say that you are just a man of a frank disposition.
But I am different.
In my eyes,
I can see something boiling inside your heart.
What on earth is it?
What keeps making you so mad?
I have no idea what you mean.
If there is no reason,
why did you kick out all of the servants only to live like this?
Why did you cut off all of your closest friends...
only to live as a loner?
I am tired. I will head to bed first.
If you cannot tell me,
you will never be able to tell anyone.
I am not asking because I do not know.
I am only saying this so that you can let it out and find peace of mind.
Please grow up.
Your body is old,
so why is it that your heart is still 15 years old?
I suddenly realized that I felt lonely.
I felt as though I had been betrayed by my trusted vassals.
This must be what war is about.
It is hard enough to hate the enemy,
but it keeps making me...
hate those around me too.
That is why it is hard to overcome a national disturbance.
There is only one enemy,
but we are always divided into tens of thousands of factions.
We can become one when we are sharing bountiful food,
but when we are all starving,
quarrels are bound to happen.
Do not trust your vassals too much.
An Emperor is someone who must walk a tightrope by himself.
The moment you try to trust someone and rely on them,
you will lose your balance and fall.
Last time, you told me not to trust the people.
Now, you tell me not to trust my vassals either.
Then,
who must I trust as I go forth?
You should trust yourself, Your Majesty.
Only rely on yourself.
Well, I am not sure.
Must I really do that in order to become a good emperor?
Yes, Your Majesty.
You must do so.
I am really not sure.
I feel as though I have suddenly lost my way.
I am sorry to cause you agony.
However, you will soon come to understand what I mean.
Aim.
Shoot.
Retreat.
Shoot.
- Shoot! - Shoot!
Here they come!
Close it!
Is this side blocked too?
- Is it the same on the other side? - Yes, sir.
We opened the gates and walked forward about 1,000 paces,
and the Khitan soldiers were hiding and waiting.
They had only stopped attacking. They had not ended the siege.
We must send word that we are still standing in any way.
But there is no way to do so right now.
Even a single messenger cannot make it out!
(The Goryeo army camp at Samsuchae)
Where are you going?
Well, that is...
Oh, have you lost your way?
- Yes. - Well, that can happen.
The camp is so big.
I have lost my way several times while going to the Field Commander's tent.
Go to that place where you see lots of torches.
Then, you will be able to find your way.
Yes, sir.
Be careful from now on.
You might be accused of being a deserter.
Then, you will have to be on the run for life,
unable to see your wife and kids.
How can you call that living? It is as good as death.
Do you understand what I am saying?
Yes, sir.
- Thank you, sir. - Get going.
Will you just send him off like that?
Should you not uphold the rules strictly?
Forget it. We need all the men we can get.
We cannot punish the soldiers so strictly.
- But still... - Gosh.
Who is brave from the beginning?
You just become brave as you keep fighting.
If Heunghwajin had only held out a little longer,
the men's spirits would not be so low.
They would think the Khitans were nothing to fear.
They would have found the courage.
Do you really believe Heunghwajin has fallen?
They might still be holding on.
I hope so too.
But we cannot boost morale with only guesses.
Goodness, man.
Look here.
Oh, have you lost your way as well?
The line of signal fires on the inland leading to Tongju...
is probably in the hands of Khitan already.
However, the peaks on the coast leading to Cheolju...
must still be standing.
(Signal fire)
We will reclaim this peak on the top of Mount Ssoksae...
and light a signal fire.
Then, we must exit through the North Gate.
But the Khitan army is already hiding out in the forest outside.
I see.
Exit through the East Gate with your army...
and lure the enemy into that area.
While you are doing that, I will reclaim the peak at Mount Ssoksae...
and light the signal fires.
General, must we do this?
More than half of the Goryeo soldiers...
at Samsuchae are farmers with no combat experience whatsoever.
Confidence is what those soldiers need the most.
If they hear that we at Heunghwajin...
successfully fought off the 400,000 Khitan soldiers,
their blood will boil with enthusiasm and a can-do spirit.
We should light the signal fires.
That will be our way of handing over our victory torch...
to the main forces at Samsuchae...
while trapped here.
- Yes, General! - Yes, General!
Yes, General.
Good.
Giddyap!
Move it!
- Get started. - Yes, General!
The Khitans are here!
Light the signal fires. Now!
- Yes, General! - Yes, General!
Please look here.
Hurry up and look at us.
I see smoke.
They saw us!
Look.
That is Mount Ssoksae.
It is Heunghwajin.
This means Heunghwajin is still standing.
Officer Yang.
(Kim Sook Heung, Seventh Rank Officer of Kwiju)
Move it!
Giddyap!
- Go! - Pick up the pace!
- We are almost there. - Move it!
Scurry along so you can cook for us!
You must cook for us! Hurry!
Hey, kneel down. On your knees!
- Kneel down. - On your knees, all of you!
You are to launch the attack at sunrise.
We will win, no matter what.
Yes, fight with all your might.
I will, Your Majesty.
Hold on. What are those lights sparkling from afar?
They must be the Goryeo army's signal fires.
The Goryeo army's signal fires?
How come they are burning behind us?
It looks like...
Goryeo's soldiers at Heunghwajin have lit their signal fires.
Heunghwajin, again?
That small fortress...
keeps making me angry.
That tiny fortress.
Many of our soldiers are reserves with no combat experience whatsoever.
Once the battle begins,
they might get scared and lose their fighting spirit.
Generals, you are to stay near the sword wagons and support them...
so that the formation remains intact.
- Yes, Commander. - Yes, Commander.
General No Jeon and General No Eui.
You two are in charge of the front line.
- Yes, Commander. - Yes, Commander.
General, you are in charge of the left flank.
Yes, Commander.
Commander, would you be in charge of the right flank?
Well, the commander should be at the command post,
should he not?
No.
I will fight alongside the soldiers.
I will do that.
Thank you.
And...
you, Deputy Commander.
You are to guard the command unit...
in the rear.
Yes, Commander.
All of us must fight with all our might.
Goryeo's fate...
depends on this battle.
We must win, no matter what.
- Yes, Commander! - Yes, Commander!
The Khitans are here.
They have set up camp about ten ri away from here.
They will launch their attack as soon as the sun comes up.
A formation is like a moving fortress.
Like a fortress wall that collapses right away...
as soon as a stone falls out,
the formation would fall apart...
if even just one of you were to take a step back.
So keep your position at all costs.
Do you understand?
- Yes, Commander! - Yes, Commander!
Must you answer in such feeble voices?
Are you afraid of the enemy?
Trust our sword wagons.
These sword wagons...
are our hidden weapons, proudly made by the Goryeo army.
They will instantly wipe out the enemy's mounted troops.
Do you understand?
- Yes, Commander! - Yes, Commander!
Commander Kang!
What is going on?
They have lit the signal fires in the north.
- In the north? - Yes. They have lit all four of them,
which means that they are battling the enemy.
Then is it Heunghwajin?
Yes, it is Heunghwajin.
Aside from us, Heunghwajin is the only fortress...
that is battling the enemy now.
Thank you.
Heunghwajin has lit the signal fires!
Heunghwajin did not fall!
Four thousand soldiers of Heunghwajin...
have defeated...
the 400,000 Khitan soldiers!
We, too, will win!
It is now our time...
to wipe out every single Khitan soldier!
Hurrah to the Goryeo soldiers!
- Hurrah! - Hurrah!
Hurrah!
Why are you not in bed?
(Choi Chung, Military Camp Administrator)
I do not think I can fall asleep.
(Kang Min Cheom, Commander of Aesoojin)
Are all of your soldiers sleeping?
I begged them to sleep. But they are wide awake.
You should have yelled at them to sleep.
What if they ruin tomorrow's battle?
How can they sleep when their spirit is overflowing?
Their eyes are eagerly waiting for me to order them...
to fight at once.
The news of Heunghwajin's victory...
has washed away most of the soldiers' fears.
You should get some rest, even just for a bit.
I do not want to sleep.
I want to stand here, watch the sunrise,
and witness those sword wagons...
knock down the Khitans' mounted troops.
I want to confirm the victory...
of our Goryeo soldiers as soon as possible.
The lookouts have returned from observation.
(Lookouts: The Khitan soldiers with good vision)
The Goryeo soldiers are protecting all four sides...
with long shields.
And?
They are hiding something behind the long shields.
It seems to look like wagons.
"Wagons?"
Are they putting their faith in some wagon...
to fight against our mounted troops in this vast field?
The Goryeo soldiers are not used to pitched battles.
So...
all they could come up with was wagons.
There must be something more.
Like what?
Who knows?
We should find out.
Armored soldiers.
(Soldiers that are heavily armored)
Sally forth.
Armored soldiers! Sally forth!
- Giddyap! - Giddyap!
Stand by. Wait until they get much closer.
When they are close enough, I will blow the whistle.
- Giddyap! - Giddyap!
While waiting for the whistle, align left and right.
Align left and right!
- Align left and right! - Align left and right!
- Giddyap! - Giddyap!
- Now! - Now!
- Giddyap! - Giddyap!
Cover the horses' eyes!
Do not stop!
Hurry up!
The slingshot!
- Slingshot! - Slingshot!
(A hand-powered projectile weapon that increases damage)
- Slingshot! - Slingshot!
The bludgeon!
- Bludgeon! - Bludgeon!
(An ironed arm with a striking head)
The long spears!
(A long shaft with a blade attached to the end)
Duck down!
The mounted troops are down. They must retreat.
I knew it.
They were hiding something.
- Commander. - Retreat.
Retreat!
We did it!
We have defeated the Khitan's mounted troops in one go.
We still have a long way to go.
This is just the beginning.
In this field,
we will annihilate all of the Khitan soldiers.
- I have a message! - It is a messenger!
Does he bring news? Let us follow him!
- Come on. - Let us go.
- All right. - Hurry.
Wait for me.
Is that true?
Did the Goryeo soldiers win?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
The people have gathered in front of the palace gates.
Everyone is wondering what message he has brought.
Someone is coming out of the gates!
Sir. What message did he bring?
Tell us. What is happening?
Please step back, everyone.
His Majesty the Emperor will come forth.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
I have great news.
The Goryeo soldiers in Samsuchae...
have greatly defeated the Khitan soldiers!
They have killed the Khitan's boastful mounted troops...
in one breath.
And...
Heunghwajin is still standing.
They defeated the Khitan soldiers...
and defended the fortress!
- Hurrah! - Hurrah!
- Hurrah for the Goryeo soldiers! - Hurrah!
- Hurrah for the Goryeo soldiers! - Hurrah for the Goryeo soldiers!
- Hurrah! - Hurrah!
Prepare to attack again.
Keep attacking.
Find their weakness.
Understood, Commander.
Right. Have the scouts returned?
Yes.
Did they find a path?
They seem to have found one.
It is this side.
There is a large mountain on the right side of the Goryeo soldiers.
Climb over that mountain,
and we will arrive at the Goryeo soldiers' rear.
However,
can we do this behind the commander's back?
I will take responsibility, so you should carry out my order.
I cannot just sit and let the commander take all the military merit.
Understood.
It was surely shocking news of victory.
Your husbands and sons achieved this meritorious deed.
I am very grateful.
- We are much obliged. - We are much obliged.
I know I am a fool to say so, but I hope the war will end like this.
I do not want more innocent people to die.
Your wish will come true soon.
Having seized the chance to victory, they will drive out all enemies.
Yes. That is what I believe as well.
Commander Kang will easily do it.
Well then, what do you think their next move is?
They attacked our front today.
Tomorrow, they will hit us from the side.
They will attack from all sides like a pack of wild dogs,
trying to find a weakness in the sword wagons.
That is the tactic that they use.
We will not be able to finish them off if all we do is block them.
We must switch to the offensive and deliver a counterblow as well.
Now is not the time yet.
We must take the enemy's attack a few more times.
Once the enemy becomes anxious and attempts an impractical attack,
that is when we counterattack and end them off.
Commander Kang!
It is a sudden attack.
What do you mean, a sudden attack? From which direction?
They are charging in and shooting fire arrows...
in the direction where our military provisions are stored.
- I will go. - There is no need.
The enemy is small in numbers.
We have blocked off all roads that could let a large army through.
Deputy Commander,
you should take the men here and subdue the attack.
Pardon? Do you mean me?
Go on.
Yes, sir.
Right! Follow my lead!
Follow the Deputy Commander!
This is a trick to scatter the sword wagon formation.
You should make your rounds to the wagons and spread the word.
Even if there is a ruckus from behind,
tell them to stay in formation.
The enemy's large forces...
will start their attack again soon.
Yes, sir.
Commander, find safety. The Khitan army is here.
It is a trap.
They were not after the provisions. They were after you, Commander.
Run away!
The Field Commander has been captured!
What? The Field Commander?
What are they saying?
Stop! You will not be able to come back!
- The Field Commander has been captured! - The Field Commander has been captured!
Run away!
What are they saying?
- Back to your positions! Now! - Where do you think you are going?
The Field Commander has been captured!
Commander Kang!
Untie me!
Let me go!
(Korea-Khitan War)
Field Commander Kang Jo has been captured by the enemy...
and the battle line has fallen at once.
Open the gates!
We must save at least one more of our scattered troops!
Your Majesty, you must put an end to the war now.
Is there no one who thinks we should go on fighting?
Deputy Minister of Rites.
Establish your creed, Your Majesty.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)