The Fortress Page #4

to feed them?

The supplies in the fortress

are exhausted,

while the enemy

continues to ambush us.

Your Majesty,

we should strip thatched roofs,

and retrieve the straw bags

from the soliders

to make porridge

and feed the horses.

Your Majesty,

the horses eat the most by far.

Even if we feed them the straw bags,

they won't survive much Ionger.

The comfort of the soldiers

is the more urgent...

Your Majesty,

Minister Kim's suggestion

has not been thought through.

Humans can endure the cold

by sheer force of will

but the horses are animals.

They won't survive.

Does Minister Kim intend to fight

without cavalry?

It's difficult to find a soldier

unaffected by frostbite.

If you take their straw bags now

it will only make things worse.

We can fight without horses,

but not without soldiers.

What is your opinion,

Minister Choi?

It is easier to give out than

to take back.

Horses are animals.

Their feelings won't be hurt.

But our soldiers are humans.

If we take what is theirs,

they'II be outraged.

Your Majesty,

I would rather strip off my own robes

to clothe the soldiers.

The horses are essential to

our military's strength.

Without a cavalry, how can we

maintain Your Majesty's dignity

or plan a battle

outside the fortress?

PIease heed my words,

Your Majesty.

PIease heed our words,

Your Majesty.

I understand.

So be it.

Rip off whatever you can!

We'II use it as horse feed!

How can you do this?

Sir, what will

we do against the cold?

This is for

the sake of the country.

When the war is over,

the King will repay you.

Stay with your neighbors

until then.

Hurry.

We must finish before sundown.

Look how they devour everything.

Pity I wasn't born a horse.

How foolish of them to do this.

How did you manage to get

that head in all the chaos?

My Iegs went Iimp

at the thought of it.

Hey, how much silver

is a barbarian's head worth?

I'II just ask for

a table heaped with food.

Is this the messenger we sent?

It is indeed.

I'm telling you,

a table heaped with food

plus 30 pieces of silver!

You idiot!

Where did you find this head?

The soldier will be beheaded

as a warning to others.

Should we send another messenger?

The enemy's siege of the fortress

has intensified.

I am afraid another manifesto

would never make it out.

Though the enemies are numerous,

they cannot cover

every inch of ground.

But even our swift-footed

officer failed.

Who will make it through

with the manifesto?

Your Majesty,

you have many citizens

Iiving here.

I am sure there is

someone fit for the task.

Would you care to do it then,

Prime Minister?

Your Majesty, it is very fortunate

the manifesto did not fall into the enemy's hands.

But if this happens again,

and the Qing do sieze our Ietter,

it may well be used against us.

My Iord.

You've been waiting for me?

Yes...

I've heard no word

of your grandfather.

It's cold.

Go to your room.

My Iords, would you care for

a bowl of horse soup?

You took away our straw bags

to feed the horses,

then killed the horses

to feed us.

We are so grateful.

Couldn't you have treated us

to the horses

while they were still plump?

Are you asking for prosecution?

When the Khan arrives,

we're all dead anyway.

What difference does

a few days make?

Rip that man's mouth!

Yes, sir!

Stop!

Prime Minister,

please calm down.

I am the commanding general!

If I don't demonstrate

military discipline,

who will follow my orders?

If we kill this man,

we might tame the rest for now,

but eventually,

we will Iose their Ioyalty.

Minister Kim is right.

And if we Iose their Ioyalty,

the fortress will collapse from within.

If this happens again,

I'II have your neck first!

More Qing soldiers have gathered

since yesterday.

The Khan is coming...

Has the Khan arrived or not?

A rumor of the Khan's arrival

has spread all about us,

but no one has set eyes on him.

Is it true, what Minister Choi

heard from the enemy camp?

General Ingguldai does not

usually engage in falsehoods.

Minister Choi seems

to know him quite well.

According to the fortress commander,

a Iarge number of enemy soldiers have

gathered over the past few days.

Minister of Defense, is this true?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty!

Send me to the enemy camp again.

I will find out

with my own eyes.

If people hear about this,

who will risk their Iives

to fight the enemy?

I will not discuss a peace treaty.

With the New Year approaching,

I will take wine and meat as a gift,

as to demonstrate Majesty's generosity.

Meanwhile, I will observe their camp.

Minister Choi has a point.

Even barbarians would understand

the custom of sending New Year's gifts.

Your Majesty, Iast time Minister Choi

visited the barbarians...

The Prime Minister

will accompany him.

Prime Minister, you were going to say

that we can't trust Minister Choi, no?

So you will go

and observe with him.

Your Majesty... I...

I will not forget your Ioyalty

after my return to the capital.

Your Majesty's grace

is immeasurable...

These cannons came

from the West.

We took them during a battle

with the Ming.

A couple of shots

from these will reduce

your Iittle fortress to rubble.

Mr. Jeong, I understand you

are originally from Joseon.

How can you speak so carelessly?

Look, Prime Minister.

My parents were serfs,

so I was born a serf.

In Joseon,

serfs are not considered human.

Never call me

a man of Joseon again.

General Ingguldai says

you should take back your gifts.

Are you not satisfied

with the gifts we brought?

Feed your hungry King.

As you can see,

we have plenty of food here.

We've been unable to carry out

the usual formalities,

but these are the New Year's gifts

from our King.

AII Iands of Joseon

are already ours.

Thus, the wine and meat of Joseon

are our as well.

I know you're starving

in that stony burrow of yours.

You should feed your people

with this meat.

We have come all this way

carrying these gifts for you...

To return with them would be...

Take them back.

Are you trying to

provoke the general?

I understand the Khan is here.

Is he truly here?

AIIow us to greet him,

even if from a distance.

Tell your King, he himself

must come to greet the Khan.

When would you have that be?

The Khan will summon your King

in due time.

This is a grave insult!

How dare they refuse the royal gifts?

Behead Minister Choi and

send his head to the barbarians

to restore Your Majesty's dignity.

Yes, Your Majesty!

How dare a barbarian general reject

Your Majesty's gift?

The Prime Minister should not

escape punishment either.

PIease heed our words!

PIease heed our words!

Your Majesty,

I saw Iadders at the Qing camp.

Ladders?

The Qing soldiers were forcing

the hostage slaves to build Iadders.

Their Iengths exceed

the height of the fortress wall.

We saw Iarge cannons, too.

Cannons twice the size

of our own.

What about the Khan?

Did you see him?

Not with my own eyes,

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