| The Path To Great General | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 episode 6 | |
 | |
| 大将軍への道 Daishōgun e no Michi | |
| Air date | July 9, 2012 |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous Episode 5 Unbreakable Heart |
next Episode 7 The Terrifying Mountain People |
| Themes | |
| Opening Theme | Pride |
| Ending Theme | Voice of Soul |
| Credits | |
| Episode Director | Kiichi Takaoka |
| Script Writer | Masahiko Shiraishi |
The Path To Great General is the 6th episode of the first season and the anime Kingdom.
Synopsis[]
After Shin's outburst, Shou Bun Kun calmly replies that many people have died in the war. Angry at the indifference he sees, Shin moves to attack the minister, but he gets knocked out by Shou Bun Kun's retainer, Heki. As Shou Bun Kun, Heki, and Ei Sei hold a meeting in the resort, Ka Ryo Ten goes around feeding the wounded and tired soldiers outside while Shin lies unconscious by the pond. The young slave finally opens his eyes when one of the soldiers mentions the minister's name. The soldiers are all very loyal to Shou Bun Kun and the king, and they are all extremely glad to see the king safe.
Inside the building, Shou Bun Kun tells Ei Sei that they had not anticipated General Ou Ki to show up during their escape since he had appeared so uninterested in the court struggles before. While fighting with the general, Shou Bun Kun had been driven up a hill and knocked over into the river below. Ou Ki could have easily killed him so it seems that his goal the entire time had been to drive Shou Bun Kun away from his troops and the battle. After Shou Bun Kun's story, Heki says that they should tell Shin the story behind Hyou's death.
After Shin enters the building, Ka Ryo Ten sees Muta's dart gun on the ground. Deciding to keep the gun, he goes off to find the body and hopefully some poison darts. Upon finding Muta's body in the woods, Ka Ryo Ten starts searching for the darts but gets the shock of his life when the body starts talking! Muta says that he will die soon anyway but he does not want the soldiers to know he is still alive, which is why he agrees to give Ka Ryo Ten some darts in return for his silence. He also tells Ka Ryo Ten that it would be better for him in the long run if he left Ei Sei because he would die if he stayed in his party.
Meanwhile, Heki has started to tell Shin about the last night he saw "Lord" Hyou. Apparently, after Shou Bun Kun was driven away, Heki had tried to keep the troops rallied because he was the only other person to know that the person inside the carriage they were guarding was Hyou and not Ei Sei. He was sure that they were about to lose when Ou Ki's troops caught up to the carriage, but, to his surprise, Hyou leaped out of the carriage and began to fight with the rest of them. Heki says that, although he knew Hyou was just a young slave, the latter had the bearing of a king. With Hyou leading them, they were sure to breakthrough, but the boy decided to send half the force to help Shou Bun Kun. When another formation of soldiers came after them, Hyou had apparently charged at them, and Heki had seen with his own eyes that the boy broke through them. Sure that he would see Hyou at the rendezvous point, he kept going with the soldiers, but he had no idea that an assassin would be Hyou's killer.
With his fists clenched and his head down, Shin seems devastated by the story of his friend's heroism. When he finally lifts his head, it is to ask that Ei Sei make him a general if he helps him get the throne back. Heki tells him that it is not possible for him to be a general if he cannot even join the army at the lowest level. To enlist as a soldier, one needs at least a household registration, but, as a slave, Shin has no home or money. Everyone in the room is shocked when Shin bluntly states that he understands and demands that Ei Sei give him land, money, and wealth after returning to the throne, but, to their surprise, Ei Sei stoically agrees.
At this point, Ka Ryo Ten throws the doors to the room open and demands to know if it is true that Ryo Fui would not return to help until Ei Sei was dead. (This is something that Muta had told him). Ei Sei admits that it is true. Ryo Fui wants Sei Kyou to take the throne so that he can cry tyranny and storm the capital with his troops. After killing all of the royal family, the people of Qin would believe that Ryo Fui was a hero and would make him the new king.
Ei Sei continues by saying that he plans on returning to the capital as soon as possible. However, Shou Bun Kun protests this idea because their forces are too small and weak for a return so soon. Suddenly, after seeing Shin fight with Ka Ryo Ten for Muta's dart gun, the minister is struck by an idea (one that Ei Sei was also considering ever since arriving at the resort): allying with the mountain people who had respected their king so long ago!
In the next episode, will Ei Sei be able to reach the mountain tribe's keep and strike an agreement with the mountain king?
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Ka Ryo Ten
- Shin
- Shou Bun Kun
- Ei Sei
- Hyou mentioned
- Ou Ki mentioned
- Hyou flashback
- Ryo Fui
- Sei Kyou mentioned
- Ketsu Shi mentioned
Characters Introduced[]
Trivia[]
- This episode covers pages 1-5 & 16-18 of Chapter 13, and Chapters 14 to 15 of the Manga.
Media[]
