Episode 2
Your Majesty!
I'm unharmed.
- No! - Stop!
He dared to try to kill you, Your Majesty.
Stop, I said!
This man is an assassin here to kill me
He succeeded half way since he strickle his sword-in-me.
On the other hand,
you have failed as a guard assigned to protect me.
You are the one who deserve to die!
- Give me death, Your Majesty. - Give us death!
- Hand him a sword. - Your Majesty!
Get up.
Fight him.
You must kill him if you wish to be forgiven.
He will be killed, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
Your Majesty. a message from General Li Jing!
He has breached the walls of Liaodong!
Is this true?
The city is in flames.
It will be ours before daybreak.
All belongs to your imperial grace, Your Majesty!
Long Live Tang! Long Live the Emperor!
Ansi Castle
Liaodong Fortress
State your name and title.
Who are you?
I am Dae Jungsang, Lord of Ansi Yang Manchun's commander
Yang Manchun?
He is the chief commander of the Liaodong Army.
Will you now loyalty to me with the same courage and spirit you
showed in your attempt to kill me?
Your Majesty, the crime this man has committed cannot be forgiven!
All under this sky belongs to me now.
Aren't people of Goguryeo also mu people?
- Yes, but... - I have seen this man's courage.
He risked his life for his country, so his loyalty is also proven.
Speak. Will you serve me?
If you let me live,
I will not fail again in my attempt to take your head!
- How dare you! - Stop!
You cannot distinguish between courage and reckless valor.
Tie him up high on the bastion of Liaodong
and keep him barely alive.
He will watch the destruction of Goguryeo with his on eyes.
They have taken Liaodong.
Now they will advance directly to Pyongyang.
We must stop the enemy before they cross the Liao River.
Bekam Castle is still strong.
They won't be able to advance south
if Ansi and Bekam attack from both side
Have you sent a messenger?
- Yes, of course. - General!
General, the messenger had returned from Bekam.
So soon?
He learned on the way that Bekam has fallen.
What?
What do you mean? But they just captured Liaodong!
Lord of Bekam, Son Daeum has surrended the fort.
Surrendered the fort?
Son Daeum... Son Daeum!
The surrender of Bekam...
It delivered a terrible blow to Goguryeo following the fall the Liaodong wall.
As a result, supremacy over Liaodong now firmly belonged to Li Shimin.
With Bekam in his possession, he was now poised to advance to Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, the Tang Navy was in Bisa keeping hold on the western coast.
If there should be an army - navy joint attack on Pyongyang.
Goguryo would be in serious peril.
Bastards!
The thief is made a general,
and the victim is made to guard a living corpse!
This is messed up!
They never could've breached Liaodong if it weren't to me!
Darn thieves!
They flog a man who deserve a reward!
Bastards!
Sul ingui
Those who went to Bekan should be having the time of their lives.
Women, goods, whatever they can get their hands on...
Hey Chum, you've been up there for days.
You need some water if you don't want to die.
Here, wet your lips.
Here, here.
Hey chum, wet your lips!
Hey! Are you dead?
Hey, you can't die on me! His majesty wants you alive!
If you die, I'm dead too!
Hey! Hey!
Hey, wake up!
Wake up, or you're going to get me killed!
Are you really dead? Breathe!
Repeat what you said. Has Bekam Castle been captured?
Yes...
Did you Tang soldiers violate our women?
Look chum, what do you expect?
- They don't fight for nothing. - You!
You invaded our land, plundered our villages and violet our women!
You deserve to die!
Don't! Please don't kill me!
Please don't kill me!
I'll help you get out of here if you let me live.
And I'm a Khitan. I bear no animosity towards Goguryeo!
- This is not personal. - Wait!
I'll get you a horse.
You need me to get out of here.
I'm letting you live for the water you let me have.
But if you try to trick me, I'll kill you.
Please don't hold that dagger so close!
There. Jump off the wall from there and get on the horse
No, no, no! Do you expect me to believe that?
Besides, it'll hurt to much. Take me with you.
They will never let me live after letting you get away.
- Be quiet! - Who's there?
Come out of there and show yourself!
Please move that knife!
What? What now?
You're the prisoner that was hanging at the bastion!
Step back or this man is dead!
Go ahead and kill him! Do you think I care?
What? Hey! I'm fellow Tang soldier!
We're on the same side! You can't do this, you bastard!
- Prisoner o the loose! - Prisoner o the loose!
Who's there?
Ouch! I knew this would happen!
Stop! Stop!
Take me with you! Take me with you!
Let go of me!
I'm not going to die alone!
We're going to die together or leave together!
How dare you!
No, I'm not letting go! I'm going to die anyway!
I'm not letting go!
Prisoner on the loose! After them!
- Prisoner on the loose! After them! - After them!
Hey!
Who taught you how to ride?
Shoot them!
You're alive! Jungsang, you're alive!
Jigwang!
Don't kill me! Please!
Don't kill me!
I have elderly parents and a family back home!
Please don't kill me!
If I die, I'm not dying alone!
- You! - Stop.
I'm a Khitan who enlisted in the Tang Army because I couldn't make a living.
I promise you I will go back home and live a quiet life.
Please let me go.
Am I supposed to believe you?
I believed you when you said you'd let me live if I helped you escape!
Keep your word if you are a man!
- Shut your mouth! - Let him go.
Let him go? He's an enemy soldier!
I came back alive.
He saved my life.
That was close... But where should I go now?
Ansi Castle
I have failed to accomplish my mission
But you came back to us alive.
You men have a lot of work to do.
General... .
I heard Tang Emperor distributed grain to people of Bekam?
Is it true?
Yes, General.
I heard also that Son Daeum and his men
were rewarded for their capitulation.
He's trying to buy public favor and break the win to resist.
Li Shimin is trying to win the heart of the country.
Li Shimin!
The people of Bekam are grateful for the grain you bestowed upon them.
I give credit to your good work.
Now, let us drink.
To His Majesty! May you enjoy longevity!
What happened to the assassin that tried to kill me?
It is with regret that I inform you he has escaped the fortress.
He got away alive?
Yes, Your Majesty.
That is a shame. He was a rare find.
Your Majesty, the entire Liaodong is in your hands now.
One lowly prisoner is no loss to grieve.
The road to Pyongyang Fortress is wide open.
May you enter their Royal Anhak Palace soon, Your Majesty
Anhak Palace... Anhak Palace...
Yes, Your Majesty.
Cut off the Royal line of Goguryeo and start a new area.
But first there is a man that must be eliminated.
Yeon Gaesomun... .
He threw my envoys into a cave!
First he attacked our ally Shilla,
then he initiated aggression on Tang.
Never before has anyone dared to challenge me great Tang.
Yeon Gaesomun, he is the only man that's ever shown contempt towards me!
He has provoked you, hence he will bring out the demise of Goguryeo.
Show no mercy. Redress the indignation, Your Majesty!
That I will.
He hastens his death,
and I shall deliver his death with my own hands!
It is not I but Li Shimin that hastens his death!!
Do you know how many fortresses we have in Goguryeo?
One hundred seventy six!
And only five of them have fallen.
Do you understand?
171 fortresses are still standing strong.
What are you so afraid of?
This is concern for the future of the country.
Liaodong has crumbled and we've lost control the western sea.
The Tang Navy is going in and of Sasu like their own backyard
threatening our existence.
I will go after the myself!
I will bury the Tang Navy at the bottom of the sea!
The Tang Emperor will soon strike.
Who will protect Pyongyang if you go?
Yang Manchun is in Liaodong. They will not strike haste.
The Tang Army is one million strong.
General Yang may be good, but no one can stop an army of one million.
Are Yang Manchun and I the only two in this country?
Please calm down. I'm simply stating fact.
Fact? Did you say fact?
Here, take a look!
This is a letter from General Yang Manchun.
Every man, woman and child in Liaodong is fighting the Tang army.
Every last beacon is lit,
and every last living being is prepared to die.
How about you lords of the royal court?
You tremble in fear of the enemy
and protect the country with your mouth!
You are helpless to draw your swords!
This is our reality! Do you understand?
So are they telling us to stop their southward advance?
Yes.
At least until the Tang Navy is routed.
We only have a few thousand men if we call every last soldier in the region.
Take a good look at our situation.
How do you expect us to stop an army of one million with what we have?
That's enough.
Liaodong and Pyongyang are not separate.
But will alone is not enough to pull this off, sir.
But if will is all we have, that's what we will have work with.
- But General, - This is Liaodong.
Have we ever faced an enemy with an advantage?
We have to win regardless. We don't have a choice.
This is the destiny of the defenders of Liaodong.
Yang Manchun of Ansi Castle.
Is calling the scattered soldier of Liaodong together.
There's no time to concern ourselves with such trivialities
your Majesty, a swift and intense offensive is the best policy.
General Li Jing!
This is campaign His Majesty has taken on himself!
You must choose your battles carefully, Your Majesty.
Victory cannot be earned without taking risks!
We must cross the Yalu River at once
and merge with the navy, Your Majesty
Stop. That's enough.
You are both right.
What is your opinion, Chancellor?
When Sui attacked Pyongyang,
the first thing Ulchi Mundok did was to cut off
their supply line. If Yang Manchun tries to repeat Ulchi Mundok... .
Ulchi Mundok... .
Yes, he is the man that caused my brothers death... .
Ulchi Mundok!
We must stop them from advancing to Pyongyang.
Li Shimin is a man of both courage and ingenuity.
And he has brilliant men under him.
We, too, have defeated the great Sui Army of three million on three times.
- Back then we had General Ulchi Mundok. - And we have General Yang Manchun now.
I am not to be compared with the great General.
It is war that produces heroes.
What this country needs now is a hero
And general, you are that man.
Going after them will not work.
We need a plan. A plan...
We must lure them here to Ansi.
The situation is not all that different.
What would General Ulchi Mundok do in this situation?
What is this, general?
The key to Goguryeo's salvation is in this box
This box must be delivered to Tang Emperor Li Shimin
Who will take this job?
I will, sir.
Bekam is my home. Allow me general.
Anyone but you.
I don't understand, sir. Why not?
Your elderly parents live in Bekam.
If you should falter... .
I won't, sir.
The fate of the country is at stake.
I can't leave anything to chance.
Dae Jungsang, you will go.
You must confirm that the box is in Li Shimin's possession.
It is crucial that you don't make a mistake.
I won't let you down, sir.
Bekam Castle
State your identity!
I asked you a question!
I am here at the order of General Yang Manchun.
Order? What's the order?
I've been ordered to deliver this box to the emperor of Tang.
What's in the box?
A gift. That is an we know.
Enter through the gate.
No, you will have to come out and get in yourself.
What are you up to?
We do not trust you.
I will not accept the box if you don't bring it in yourself!
Let's just leave it on the ground and go.
Very well. Open the gate. I will take it in.
Are you out of your mind?
Open the gate!
Take the men and go back to Ansi.
Jungsang!
All preparation are complete, Your Majesty
Deliver my command to the soldiers.
We will advance to Pyongyang tomorrow morning before teh cock crows.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Your Majesty!
The Lord of Ansi Yang Manchun sends a gift.
A gift?
It must be a gift of capitulation.
Open teh box.
Stop!
This is very suspicious, Your Majesty.
Suspicious? What do you mean?
Yang Manchun would not send a gift.
- I bid you to discard it. - Yes, Your Majesty.
I have a bad feeling about that box.
Are you afraid a tiger is going to jump out of the box?
I'll open it.
It is a gift of acquiescence.
It would not be noble to reject it.
Yes, Prince Jiangxia is right.
Open the box.
It is the Imperial flag of Sui!
This is an excerpt from a letter that Ulchi Mundok
had sent to General Wu Jungmun of Sui.
Yang Manchun!
That bastard!
Your brilliant strategies have ascended over the heavens,
and your tactics have shaken teh earth.
You have won battles and proved yourself mighty,
so why not be satisfied and go home.
A communique to General Wu Jungmun of Sui.
It is an except of caution and ridicule in a letter to Sui general
Wu Jungmun from Ulchi Mundok.
This letter provoked Wu Jungmun to order an attack
and he ended up suffering a huge defeat against General Ulchi Mundok.
This was the famous Battle of Salsu.
And now, thirty years later,
the same letter has been sent to Li Shimin by Yang Manchun.
Your Majesty,
it will soon be morning.
You have ordered the army to advance to Pyongyang.
Bring the messenger from Ansi Castle.
- Get him out! - Yes!
Hurry up! What are you waiting for?
Come!
- What are those men being punished for? - That's none of your business.
You can't do this to civilians!
I guess the rumor is false that the Emperor is benevolent.
What?
They refused to surrender. They will soon be executed.
By chance are they from the Bu clan?
That's enough chitchat. Let's go!
Your Majesty, the messenger from Ansi.
Send him in.
That man!
He is the assassin that made an attempt on your life!
It's you.
You are quite brave coming back here.
Last time I was here as an assassin, but this time I am an envoy.
Why did Yang Manchun send me teh Sui Emperor flag?
To lure you and your men to Ansi Castle.
He will sacrifice himself to save Pyongyang.
He said h couldn't lose the pleasure of taking the Tang emperor's head
to General Yeon Gaesomun.
You, you will die for this!
Does Yang Manchun think that he can defeat me?
He is the successor to General Ulchi Mundok who wiped put the Sui Army.
Is this true?
General Ulchi Mundok's shrine is in Ansi Castle.
I see.
So that is why he sent Wu Jungmun's letter to me!
How dare you!
- Take that man's head at once! - No!
Superior Commander,
how many days will it take you to bring down Ansi Castle?
This is a ploy, Your Majesty.
I beg you not to be provoked.
Now is the time for us to advance to Pyongyang, Your Majesty.
If this man, Yang Manchun, is smart enough to cloud my judgment,
I will not take the risk of advancing to Pyongyang with him behind me.
- I am sending you back alive. - Your Majesty!
Go back to Yang Manchun and delivered my words.
He is clever in his method, but foolish in the decision.
Everything in Ansi will be destroyed.
Yang Manchun will die
and Ulchi's shrine will be reduced to ashes.
From young to old, all lives with the cut short
and I will quell my rage with their blood!
General! General!
It's a sea of fire outside the fort!
It is indeed a sea of fire... .
That's around Mt. Jupil.
The enemy is setting up camp around Mt. Jupil.
Put out all light in the city.
I don't want to see one speck of light anywhere.
Yes, general!
What happened?
I was certain Ansi was most visible from here...
Did the castle disappear into thin air?
Forgive me. I made a mistake.
No one has made a mistake.
Ansi Castle is before us.
I see nothing...
Do you see noting as well, commander?
What we do not see in Ansi Castle, Your Majesty.
That's right.
It's as bright as a day around us and pitch black where they are,
so we cannot see them.
They're hiding because they are afraid us, Your Majesty.
They are not hiding.
Yang Manchun is watching me right now in the darkness.
Yang Manchun... He is watching me!
For invading our land,
for ravaging Liaodong and killing our people...
You will pay!
I assure you, you will pay!
Who is this man?
We suspect he's a spy.
A spy?
He says he's from Bekam, but he's talking rubbish.
What are you doing here from Bekam?
How many times do I have to answer?
I've come to see my master!
- You punk! - Stop!
Hong, is that you?
Master!
What are you doing here?
Do you know this man?
He is a family servant. Untie him.
How are my parents?
Answer my question!
They are fine, sir.
- Are you sure? - The ancestors were watching over them.
Lord Bu, Madam and all of the elders are well.
I will take this man. Would that be all right?
Of course.
You must listen ti me carefully, master.
Your family is not well.
Explain everything. Everything.
Are you asking me to betray my country?
You can't betray the country, but you will betray your parents?
No, I can't do this!
Your mother and father's lives are at stake
The lives of your family members are in your hands!
Stop. That's enough.
The Tang Emperor is bringing an army of one million men.
Ansi is going to fall regardless of what you do!
Silence!
Your father took me and my brothers in when we were on the run
and protected us at the risk of his own life.
They are your parent by birth, but they are my parents by time.
I will not let them get killed.
The soldiers are starving for victory.
Give us you command, Your Majesty.
Be patient.
Is there something I should know?
Our men will breach the castle wall
and place the Emperor's flag on the bastion
How are you going to breach the castle wall?
I have a man working on the inside.
He will open the gates of Ansi on the scheduled day.
Your Majesty, if this is true, capturing teh city is just a matter of time.
A single strike...
Ansi must be reduced to rubble in a single strike.
We must finish them off in one single strike!
- Where is General Bu Jigwang? - I believe he is out on patrol.
There isn't much time.
You must give me an answer, master.
All you have to do is to unbolt the castle gate.
The Tang Army will do the rest.
Why do you hesitate when you know how this is going to end.
If I betray my country,
I would be betraying my family and my parent as well.
They would not want that.
Master!
I'll be right behind my parents.
I will seek their forgiveness then.
No, I can't accept this!
I can't let them die for a useless cause!
A traitor like you does not belong in Goguryeo!
You must die!
Jigwang!
What do you mean by this?
- Put the sword down. - You first.
He is trying to betray the country.
You would let him live?
Only thing he tried to do is to save my parents!
Strike if you wish, but this man must die!