Six Flying Dragons: Episode 18

by HeadsNo2

This is only the beginning of the political purge set to take place, and it turns out to be a rather violent affair for the two baddies we’ve come to know thus far. But getting rid of them can only mean that we’re paving the way for something much worse, and we’ll probably find ourselves missing the kind of evil we could spot just by how opaque someone’s eyeshadow was. Now comes the hard part; let’s just hope Jung Do-jeon and his team are up to the task.

SONG OF THE DAY

Byun Yo-han – “무이이야 (Muyiyiya)” from the OST [ Download ]

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EPISODE 18 RECAP

Everyone stands fixated as Bang-ji and Gil Tae-mi dance a very delicate and deadly dance, the two relying on every skill they’ve ever learned as they parry blows. Though Gil Tae-mi draws first blood, Bang-ji thinks he’s got him pegged when he knocks his sword out of his hands.

But he’s underestimated his foe, who pulls out his twin swords from beneath his robes. Gil Tae-mi whirls like a cyclone toward Bang-ji, who has to put all his focus into blocking those blades from finding any purchase in his squishy human body.

Those blades get close enough for Bang-ji to practically kiss them at some points, which is way too close for comfort, but he finally performs a kick that sends Gil Tae-mi flying off the platform they’ve reached.

And at that distance, he’s able to perform the move that killed Baek Yoon by closing the space between them at superhuman speed. His sword slices through Gil Tae-mi’s abdomen before the other warrior has time to react, which brings him to his knees.

The nearby villagers throw stones at him, but when he genuinely asks what he did wrong for people to be so angry, Bang-gwa shouts that it’s because he’s spent his life stepping on and stealing from the weak. Gil Tae-mi laughs wryly: “Of course I’d step on the weak. Would I step on the strong? Of course I would take from the weak—would I take from the strong?”

“In this world, the weak are always trampled by the strong,” he continues as he gathers all his effort to stand. “Both in the past millennium and the millennium to come, the strong will take from the weak. The only truth in this world is that the strong will take possession of the weak! The strong… will stomp all over and take from the weak! This is the truth that shall never change!”

But even though he proclaims this constant truth of all mankind so emphatically, there’s no mistaking the tears that fill his eyes as he says it. Could it be that even he wishes the world could be different?

Even so, he challenges Bang-ji to finish the fight, and he does. He slashes at Gil Tae-mi as blood flies, but it’s only when he slashes his throat that the warrior goes down. Bang-ji tells him that this is how the powerful conquer the weak, not through the cowardice he displayed.

With his last gurgling breaths, Gil Tae-mi asks for his name. “I am the best swordsman of the Three Kingdoms, Lee Bang-ji!” Bang-ji loudly proclaims. Gil Tae-mi says that name once before he falls over, dead. The people cheer, though Bang-ji has to fight the tears threatening to escape.

Gil Sun-mi, Gil Tae-mi’s twin brother, watches from amongst the crowd. He notes that at least in his brother’s final moments, he was a warrior, and not a corrupt official. Neither Boon-yi or Moo-hyul share in the crowd’s excitement as Gil Tae-mi’s corpse is carted away, though for very different reasons.

By royal command, all those who sided with Minister Hong and Gil Tae-mi are arrested, and all the land illegally confiscated by them gets returned to the original owners. Jukryong also gets arrested for being Hong’s informant.

Jung Do-jeon visits Minister Hong in prison on the morning of his execution, having been promoted into the dodang again after his long exile. He asks his once-comrade to tell him, really tell him, how a student of Confucius and Mencius like him could turn out this way.

Because, Minister Hong calmly explains, Mencius was wrong. Mencius’ teachings claim that there’s a morality that governs all mankind, such that if a man were to see a child about to fall into a well, he would feel the urge to help—and for no other reason other than that it would be his natural inclination.

But Minister Hong believes it’s also a part of human nature to throw said metaphorical child into the well if it would be for one’s own benefit, because he sees men as weak and selfish. He knows firsthand because of the way he changed after he was tortured—all those years spent studying Confucian righteousness suddenly disappeared. That’s also human nature, or so he claims.

Jung Do-jeon doesn’t agree, and sees all this talk as Minister Hong’s attempt to rationalize his own behavior. Minister Hong doesn’t deny it, just like he doesn’t deny that Goryeo was a hopeless cause even without him. “You’ll probably try to re-establish this country now. But… will it work?”

He’s taken to the execution platform, and the crowd that’s waiting for his blood to spill pelts him with stones. Jung Do-jeon approaches him from the platform not to ask him for further explanation, but to tell him that he even agrees with some of the points he made.

He agrees most with one in particular, which he kneels down next to Minister Hong to repeat: “There is no hope for Goryeo.” It’s not his plan to re-establish Goryeo at all, and the slow light of realization dawns on Hong’s face as he realizes that Jung means to incite a revolution.

But he takes that bit of knowledge with him to the grave as he’s executed along with the others. Boon-yi spots his former servant/Yeon-hee’s rapist among the audience and follows him to General Jo’s house. Looks like he already has a new master.

Bang-won has found himself an eternal fan with Moo-hyul, who’s gained a newfound respect for him ever since he threatened the Haedong Gapjok into signing the petition that brought an end to Gil Tae-mi and Minister Hong’s reign of terror.

Now, he explains why he was so moved by the crowd’s cheers earlier—it was because they were all smiling. He thought the people of Goryeo had forgotten how to smile, and knows that they wouldn’t have had a reason to without Bang-won.

Why is he saying all this? “I… sincerely want to protect you,” he says. As long as he can protect someone who can make the people smile in the world he plans to create, it’ll all have been worth it. When Bang-won lightly counters that he’s always been his bodyguard, Moo-hyul pouts that it was a joke before—he knows his rank and title were just made-up.

Since Moo-hyul wants so desperately for his position to be made official, Bang-won obliges by officially calling him his bodyguard. He wouldn’t have given him his sword if he didn’t trust him, and just the fact that he points that out clearly moves Moo-hyul. Aww, they’re officially official!

All the kiddos head to the New Joseon Cave, where they find Jung Do-jeon scribbling something furiously, almost obsessively. He talks just as fast about how Minister Hong was right about the sadaebu constantly doubt and try to win over each other out of their fear of having their power taken away.

Jung Do-jeon acknowledges that he also felt anxiety during his exile about being forgotten, so if that is the nature of the sadaebu, how could a country be left to them? That’s why he’s so focused on what he’s writing—he’s thought of a system to use the sadaebu’s penchant for doubt, envy, and greed for good.

For the country he plans to create, he’s developed a checks and balances system in the Samsa, or Three Offices: Office of Inspector General (in charge of investigating governmental corruption), Office of Censors (in charge of monitoring the king’s decrees), and Office of Special Advisors (in charge of advising the king). These were the actual three offices used by the Joseon dynasty, and they did function to check the power of each of the other offices.

Everyone has their own thoughts about the viability of this plan, but Boon-yi’s and Bang-won’s seem to stand out most. While she would like the people to be included in the checks and balances system so their opinions can be heard, Bang-won just looks at the written plan and thinks, “I want it. All of it.”

But when he and Moo-hyul leave the cave and sigh at the same time, Moo-hyul automatically assumes that Bang-won, like him, didn’t understand a single thing that was said inside. Bang-won doesn’t have the heart to correct him.

He then pays a visit to his wife, whom he thanks for making it so that he could oust the evil dodang ministers. She admits that she was both shocked and amazed when she heard how he got the signatures he needed, and also that she hasn’t shared his family secret.

That fact doesn’t surprise him, but what does is her vested interest in his future plans. He doesn’t divulge them to her, and she realizes quickly enough to save her curiosity for another day.

Grandma may be happy that the evil Gil Tae-mi is gone, but Master Hong remembers him when he was a child and into girly things like flower rings and playing house. His father made a warrior out of him in order to make him a man, he sighs, though the results of that endeavor are dubious at best.

Bang-won hasn’t forgotten about the trees he planted for every evil official he vowed to take down, though Minister Hong’s tree has grown substantially since he first planted it. He think of Minister Hong’s last warnings to him as he chops it down, which is what prompts his uncertainty as he tells Boon-yi about the bug that lives in every person’s heart.

Specifically, he tells her about his concern that the bug inside him will eventually swallow him and change him. If that happens, Boon-yi says that she’ll just kill it, but not before telling the bug to spit him back out. Bang-won takes great comfort in her promise to save him from himself, at least.

They both get so engrossed in their discussion over why the citizens should and shouldn’t have the power to keep the government in check (you can guess who advocates for what), that they fail to notice Da-kyung approaching. She hides before she can be seen, but she’s not happy to see her husband with another woman.

Similarly, Yeon-hee makes her displeasure with Bang-ji outing himself in front of everyone known, since she sees his new title as best swordsman as more of a safety hazard for Jung Do-jeon than a bonus. He’s just put a target on his own back, and she’s sure that’ll spill over to Jung.

Bang-ji doesn’t see how it’s a bad thing for Jung Do-jeon to be protected by the best swordsman in the Three Kingdoms, but she systematically explains why that popularity will just be a distraction. Even when Jung Do-jeon intervenes on Bang-ji’s behalf, she shuts him down—now that he’s part of something much bigger than himself, even he can’t be counted on for his own safety. That’s something she and the organization will handle.

Jung Do-jeon acquiesces immediately, and urges Bang-ji to do the same. He remains stoically silent, and Yeon-hee leaves the matter to rest when she sees the open wound on his arm left by Gil Tae-mi. She considers buying some fabric to cover it up, then chastises herself for even thinking it.

Moo-hyul finds Bang-ji moping about, and grudgingly congratulates him on becoming the best swordsman by offering a jug of wine. It’s cute how he starts by talking in banmal only for Bang-ji to check him for it, and his attempts to call him “hyung” are also rebuffed. Aww.

When Moo-hyul says that he also wants to become the best swordsman, Bang-ji turns to ask him what he thinks that term really means. Moo-hyul doesn’t understand why he’s suddenly making it so complicated, and it’s that quality about him that Bang-ji envies.

Bang-ji also says that Moo-hyul’s inherently too kind for the job, since he’d need the type of personality that would rejoice in his opponent’s death. Moo-hyul sulks that he was just trying to make friends, and besides, does Bang-ji have that ruthless streak in him?

“I didn’t,” Bang-ji replies, “But I’ve become that way.” It’s unclear whether he says this more to convince Moo-hyul or himself, leaving Moo-hyul to wonder whether what he said is true. Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t bring himself to face Gil Tae-mi, or why he can’t ever be the best swordsman.

When a motion to punish Lee In-gyeom for his long list of crimes fails in the dodang, Lee Seong-gye goes to General Choi with his grievances—but Choi has bigger things to worry about, namely their relations with Ming. Jung Mong-joo and his sons agree that Lee In-gyeom must be dealt with swiftly, but Jung Do-jeon disagrees on the method.

He wants Lee Seong-gye to ease up on pressuring General Choi, and to just allow Lee In-gyeom to be exiled. That’s not an option for Lee Seong-gye, since Lee In-gyeom has too much support in the dodang to stay away for long, and Jung Do-jeon’s suggestion that he just absorb those party members deeply offends him.

They’re no better than Minister Hong and Gil Tae-mi, Lee Seong-gye says, so what benefit would accepting them give him? “General Choi Young,” Jung Do-jeon replies. “Join forces with those people and aim for General Choi Young.” And just as he says that, Lee In-gyeom warns General Choi that Lee Seong-gye and Jung Do-jeon will do exactly that.

Lee Seong-gye demands to know why they’d aim for General Choi instead of Lee In-gyeom, to which Jung Do-jeon replies that the country they plan to create isn’t one where General Choi can exist. The core of Joseon will be its land reform, because nothing will change if the citizens can’t own their own land.

And General Choi, despite being a stand-up fellow, happens to own a lot of land, along with many others in the noble class. He would never agree to having that land taken from him or anyone else, and doing away with him would also give them his substantial military power.

But Lee Seong-gye won’t hear any more of this wild talk, and barks at Jung Do-jeon to leave. He, as future king of the country they’re going to create, has ideas of his own. Likewise, General Choi is equally outraged that Lee In-gyeom would even go so far as to claim Lee Seong-gye would turn against him.

While Jukryong receives an order from whoever’s behind that red seal we last saw at the beginning of the show, Boon-yi gets filled in on Jung Do-jeon’s grand plan to absorb Lee In-gyeom’s officials in the dodang, use them to sap General Choi’s power, and then turn on them to seize the dodang and purge it of corrupt officials.

If only Lee Seong-gye would agree, they could have an easier revolution rather than one where they’d have to take on General Choi directly and lose both lives and the people’s trust. Boon-yi’s advice is that Jung Do-jeon explain exactly what kind of country they’re trying to create to Lee Seong-gye, so that he can make his own judgment (and hopefully choose their plan).

General Choi pays a visit to Jukryong on the latter’s request, since he falsely claimed he’d confess to everything after talking to him. Instead, Jukryong offers to sell information only to him in exchange for getting out, since he must be curious about all the changes that have taken place recently.

As General Choi finds Jukryong’s ledgers filled with damning personal information on everyone he dealt with based on his instructions, Lee Seong-gye finally appears to hear Jung Do-jeon out, having been convinced by Bang-won to do so.

Jung Do-jeon explains everything to Lee Seong-gye as General Choi begins to wonder if Lee In-gyeom wasn’t wrong after all. He calls Lee Seong-gye to a late meeting in the empty dodang assembly hall and throws the ledger at his feet—he now has proof of Lee Seong-gye conspired with people like Lee In-gyeom and Minister Hong to get into the dodang/get his border plan passed.

And all because he’s working with Jung Do-jeon, which Lee Seong-gye doesn’t deny. He offers to explain, but General Choi only wants Jung Do-jeon gone. Jung Do-jeon is more than willing to give up his government post if it means avoiding conflict with General Choi, though he worries it may not be that easy.

So General Choi makes Lee Seong-gye a hard deal: he’ll abandon Lee In-gyeom if he abandons Jung Do-jeon. Lee Seong-gye balks that the two could even be compared in the same sentence when one is clearly a criminal, though General Choi sees Jung Do-jeon as a manipulator and someone not to be trusted.

When Lee Seong-gye reminds him that Jung Do-jeon’s scheming brought down people like Minister Hong and Gil Tae-mi, General Choi disagrees—because if looked at from another angle, Lee Seong-gye got a post in the dodang and an independent region (with the border plan) out of it.

In the end, General Choi wants to support him, only without Jung Do-jeon. So he offers him a choice to either join hands with him and abandon Jung, or face the consequences—but when Lee Seong-gye asks him to study Jung Do-jeon and formulate a better opinion on him by keeping him close, Choi takes it as a slap in the face.

And that’s because Lee In-gyeom told him to see where Lee Seong-gye’s loyalties lied by making him choose between Jung Do-jeon or himself. And since he’s chosen Jung Do-jeon, General Choi proclaims that he’ll just have to stay with Lee In-gyeom then.

This means war, but not if Jung Do-jeon has anything to say about it.

 
COMMENTS

We just don’t get to hear what that something is for a week. It feels like we’ve been overdue for having our minds blown by Jung Do-jeon lately, since he ended up taking more of a backseat when it came to ousting Minister Hong and Gil Tae-mi. Without him, none of it would have been possible, but the same could be said for Bang-won—because without his stunt and the signatures he gained from it, Minister Hong and Gil Tae-mi would still be running amok.

Strangely enough, though Minister Hong and Gil Tae-mi’s rationalizations for their behavior sounded alike, the effects were quite different. Minister Hong always sounded as though he was using excuses to detract from what was essentially his own weaknesses and flaws even until the very end. And while he was essentially commenting on the flaws of human nature since he himself was a flawed byproduct of the system, there’s a reason why his last words didn’t pack the same punch as Gil Tae-mi’s.

Maybe it all comes down to something intangible like feeling, or that Gil Tae-mi had such a wide audience to listen and react to what he had to say about the world. But really, it was all about the way that scene was acted and shot, since what could’ve sounded like a big middle finger to everyone from Gil Tae-mi ended up sounding more like veiled commiseration. He didn’t ask “What did I do?” because he didn’t already know, but because he knew no other way. Like he said, why would he steal from the powerful when there’ll always be weaker targets?

And unfortunately, that’s proven to be one of the more insightful social commentaries this show has put forward, even if it’s also one of the most depressing. Because try as everyone might to create a new and fairer country, there will always be the strong and the weak, and the weak will always get taken advantage of. It’s as true as it is sad, and I’d like to think that’s why Gil Tae-mi was so filled with emotion when he said it. He used the broken system of human nature to his advantage, but maybe in his heart of hearts, he was just a little bit sorry for it.

His death scene was a treat to watch for his monologue and for everyone’s reactions, because you’d think his violent passing would have been celebrated by our dragons the way it was by the citizens. Instead, Bang-ji and Boon-yi cried at his death, and I wonder if it’s because they felt pity for Gil Tae-mi, or if they were just sad that he pointed out a universal truth. It’s telling that the one person who shed no tears was the one person who saw the glass half full—I had no idea what Moo-hyul was noticing until he told Bang-won that the people were finally smiling, and that’s why he wanted to protect him. If Bang-ji’s right about what it takes to be the best swordsman, then maybe it won’t be so bad for Moo-hyul to content himself with just being the best bodyguard/overall human being.

 
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