The Fortress Page #5

but it appeared the enemy is preparing

for an attack to coincide with his arrival.

These two men are exaggerating

to escape punishment.

Your Majesty!

What we say is true!

They have disgraced Your Majesty,

and our country in front of

those brutal barbarians!

You should punish them!

You should punish them!

AIthough the enemy rejected

our gifts,

Your Majesty has taught proper manners

to those ignorant barbarians.

Now is not the time

for divisions among us.

It is the time to unite our forces

into defending the fortress.

If the enemy fires its cannons and

climbs up the fortress walls...

do we stand a chance?

What if we were to strike first?

Strike first?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Do you think we can win?

On my way to the camp,

their defences seemed weaker

outside the North Gate.

If we deploy our best soldiers,

we will defeat our enemies

and demonstrate

Your Majesty's dignity.

What does Minister Kim think?

Our reinforcements must be

near the fortress.

I entreat you, make a show

of our determination to fight.

What does the

Minister of Defense think?

The Prime Minister saw

the enemy camp himself.

He must be able to come up

with a victorious plan.

Minister Choi,

give us your thoughts.

If we are going to fight,

it must not Iose this battle.

Why does Minister Choi think of Iosing

the fight even before it has begun?

Your Majesty,

if we opt for a surprise attack,

we certainly have a chance of winning!

As this is the consensus,

Prime Minister,

execute an attack

when you see fit.

I'II wager my Iife on this,

Your Majesty!

The fate of this country

is in your hands,

but do not fear!

The enemy seems to

have Iet down their guard.

You will set fire to their barricades

and open an avenue for attack.

If you encounter the enemy,

return fire using the higher ground

to your advantage.

I will beat the drum to signal

an advance or a retreat.

Prime Minister!

The fortress is surrounded

by an ominous calm.

Send a scout ahead

of the main forces.

Do you challenge a direct order?

I am the commanding general

executing the King's command.

The wind is also a concern.

It's been picking up in the afternoons.

Are you trying to avoid a battle

because of a Iittle wind?

Even the best rifleman cannot Ioad

gunpowder if the wind is too strong.

Today is a fortuitous day

I selected with the aid of a shaman.

Raise no further objections.

Sound the drum to advance!

What are you doing?

Advance!

Take my sword to drive

the soldiers forward.

Yes, sir!

Advance!

Those who refuse will be killed!

It's a deer!

What a Iuck!

We'II have meat for dinner tonight.

Mark the Iocation.

We'II retrieve it when we return.

Yes, sir.

Advance!

Advance!

Advance!

There's no sign of the enemy, sir.

Station soldiers in the north,

east, and west.

Send the scouts ahead.

Yes, sir!

Retreat behind the barricades!

Hurry!

Regroup behind the barricades.

It's a cavalry unit.

Stay calm until they're closer.

Hold your fire until my command!

Hold your fire!

Do not shoot!

Reload! Hurry!

Reload!

We must call them back.

Send in more soldiers.

It's too Iate.

Send the remaining soldiers!

This battle must be won!

If we send in reinforcements now,

they'II all die, too.

Are you defying a direct order?

We can't kill

all of our soldiers!

What are you waiting for?

Beat the retreat drum!

It's the retreat signal!

Raise the flag!

Retreat to the mountain.

Retreat! Retreat!

Chase them!

Don't Iet them get away!

Can you see their bodies

from the ramparts?

By now they would be

covered in snow...

Shouldn't we at Ieast attempt

to bury them?

Your Majesty, Ieave that to me.

Ease your sacred mind.

Ease my mind?

Three hundred soldiers are dead.

Someone must be held responsible.

If you hold me accountable

for this Ioss,

I will accept the responsibility

with my Iife.

But if such responsibility

calls for death,

then the men who refused to

send reinforcements

and were unable to execute

a timely retreat

should also be punished.

Who are they?

Fortress Commander Lee

and his Iieutenant.

I ordered him to send reinforcements,

but he ignored my command.

Is this true?

It was already too Iate,

Your Majesty.

How can it ever be too Iate

to save our dying soldiers?

I saw the situation was dire

and ordered the retreat.

But his Iieutenant did not pull

the soldiers out quickly enough.

PIease put Commander Lee

and his Iieutenant to death,

and demonstrate

our military discipline.

Is this what truly happened?

Ask the staff officers who were with me.

They saw everything.

The Prime Minister speaks the truth,

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

the fortress commander

would never do something Iike this.

I understand Minister Choi and

Commander Lee are childhood friends.

Now Minister Choi mixes public matters

with his personal feelings.

Commander Lee is a distinguished officer

who has fought in many battles.

If you execute him,

the morale of the soldiers

will suffer greatly.

You must maintain military discipline,

Your Majesty!

An officer who Ioses

all of his soldiers

cannot avoid responsibility.

Administer thirty Iashes

to the fortress commander

and execute the Iieutenant.

Your Majesty! My Iieutenant

was only following orders!

Spare his Iife and take my own!

Furthermore, the Prime Minister

will be relieved of his position

as commanding general.

Minister Kim will henceforth assume

the role of commanding general.

- Your Majesty...

- This is a royal order.

There will be

no further discussion!

Is this even possible?

If we time it precisely with

the arrival of the reinforcements,

and attack from both inside

and outside,

then yes, it's possible.

When can it be done?

The fifteenth of January.

How can you be sure

the southern armies

received our Ietter?

I told them to Iight a signal fire

when ready.

A monk entered the fortress

a couple of days ago

and reported seeing a camp of soldiers

Ied by the field marshal.

The field marshal has come?

Yes, Your Majesty.

The monk said the Joseon soldiers

numbered in the tens of thousands.

If we Iaunch a

surprise attack at night,

we have a chance of winning.

Can you get this Ietter out

of the fortress?

If there's a way in,

there's a way out.

I will select the right messenger

and send him out.

Your Majesty,

there's not much food Ieft.

If a messenger can't breach

the enemy's Iine,

we won't Iast much Ionger.

Only Fortress Commander Lee

and I know about this.

I am worried that if word gets out

the mission would be jeopardized.

I understand.

How can you assign such an important task

to a Iowly blacksmith?

When the country is in danger,

all should do their duty, high and Iow alike.

But nothing was never alike

when it came to Iiving day to day.

There must be someone more suitable

for this mission than me.

The officers here aren't familiar with

the terrain surrounding the fortress.

You're the only man I can trust.

You ask too much of him,

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