Post by ajk on May 6, 2008 14:38:29 GMT -5
Jeongjong confronts the crown prince. "I had hoped the man who told me about this was mistaken." Yangnyeong wants to know who the "rotten louse" was who squealed on him. But Jeongjong fires back, "You're in no position to ask questions...Wretched bastard!" And he storms off. Yangnyeong walks away too, leaving Chogungjang alone; she falls to her knees, almost paralyzed from fright.
Choongnyeong chases after his brother. He catches up and tells him, "You can't leave like this. You must find a way to assuage the former king's rage." But Yangnyeong says that it's a lost cause; with the grudges that Jeongjong holds against the king, he won't lose this chance to get even with him.
Jeongjong is inside; he's written a letter to the king and orders it delivered immediately.
Yangnyeong returns home and finds the king waiting for him. Uh-oh...Taejong asks about his brother's health. His son can't answer, which prompts sarcasm from the king about his son's self-centeredness. All the while, Yangnyeong is expecting the bomb to go off. But it doesn’t, and Taejong tells his son to come with him.
The king and crown prince are at the weapons testing ground. All of the ministers are there, too; they're watching a cannon demonstration. It goes very well; everyone is very pleased. Choi Haesan is called before the king and accepts the king's compliments. Choi credits the crown prince for increasing the number of cannons available, thanks to his financial generosity. The king was unaware of this. Later, inside, the king leads a toast to celebrate the successful weapons test. He effusively praises his son for cutting his budget to support the defense effort.
Choongnyeong is before the ex-king. Jeongjong is furious because the prince ordered Jeongjong's eunuch not to deliver the letter to the king after all. He accuses the prince of disrespecting his "attempt to abolish treachery and restore order and discipline in the royal house." If I did not do this, he tells Choongnyeong, "I wouldn't be able to face the royal ancestors when I'm dead." The prince pleads for his brother; "No man is infallible," so won't you forgive him this once? Jeongjong goes in another direction, pointing out that this all may be good for Choongnyeong. People have called you king material, he says, and we know what he's hinting at. Choongnyeong rejects the comment outright, but Jeongjong presses the issue. Why is that a problem, he wonders, "because you are not the eldest?" Taejong is my younger brother, he points out. Choongnyeong wants no part of this. "Is power, is authority, that amazingly wonderful?", he says with disillusionment, that I'd use my brother's calamity to snatch it for myself. "You're really doing all this to protect your brother?", asks Jeongjong with near-disbelief. "If you can prove that is true, I might reconsider going forward.” Then, “Can you take the fall for him? Can I tell the king that you are the one who had an illicit affair with Chogungjang?" The prince is stunned by the request.
The king and ministers are meeting, discussing budgetary constraints. Minister Park suggests, "Perhaps the merit subjects should surrender their status land." This provokes an immediate response from prime minister Ha (who undoubtedly has a whole lot of status land) that merit subjects contribute "not with material things but with devoted service."
Outside in the hallway, Park encounters Ha and tells him, "I think you and I have a very different idea of what loyalty is. Material and moral devotion. I thought loyalty was both put together." But Ha threatens him. "You chose the wrong man to fight. Don't waste your strength. You are no match for me no matter how hard you try." He tells Park he'll teach him a lesson, and Park says, "I'll look forward to it." Just then we see the new head of the Office of Endowment (the office in charge of gifts to foreign nations); it's Han Younglo, whom Ha has apparently appointed. Ha tells Park as he leaves, maybe we'll select "a fair maiden from your clan" to offer to the Ming emperor. (Game on.)
The queen is evaluating young women to be sent to the Ming emperor as promised during the recent negotiation. Minister Park comes to see her; he wants to get Han Younglo replaced. Han can't be trusted, he tells the queen, because he's betrayed once and may do it again. But Wongyeong sees through this: "Is this a pathetic attempt to challenge prime minister Ha Ryun's authority?" She explains that Han should be rewarded for his actions, because turning in rebels should be encouraged. Park is silent.
Minister Gim reports to PM Ha with a smile that "There should be a mob of people trying to fill trivial positions right now" outside of the ministry of slavery reparations. (This is a setup.)
Outside of the ministry of slavery reparations, a mob of people is indeed in front of the building, waving petitions and seeking attention.
The king and ministers are meeting; minister Park reports that the slavery ministry is overwhelmed and that even thirty caseworkers cannot sort out all of the petitions. Then PM Ha presents a proposal for a massive martial arts event, to which Ming, Japan and the Jurchens would be invited. This would go far, he argues, to building good relations and meeting their promise to Ming of pursuing their goal of reducing Japanese invasions. The king agrees, and because of the event's scale, he orders that no more staff be given to the slavery office. (Another scheme by Ha.)
Afterwards, an angry Park is with minister Shim and Yun Hwe. He orders them to "Set aside all other matters and dig up dirt on prime minister Ha Ryun."
Jo Malseng is before king, reading a scroll that Jo has apparently presented to him. The king reads. "Prime minister Ha Ryun knows how to play the game well," he muses.
Yun Hwe brings tea to minister Hwang and they begin to talk about the proposed event. Hwang says, "The only way we can hold an event of that scale in one year is by milking the public." Hwang is frustrated with the political scuffling.
PM Ha goes to see Jo Malseng; he invites Jo to visit his home for some chrysanthemum wine. Jo is a bit taken aback, but then says he will make time for a visit. Ha smiles and leaves.
The king is with the crown prince. He counsels, "Kings are to rule with wisdom, not brute force." Do you find that amusing, he asks, his son, "coming from a man who has been so violent?" I had no choice, he says; I didn't have the luxury of doing things any other way. "But I hope you can be a different kind of king. Find a way to embrace the world with magnanimity [and] become a king of wisdom and benevolence. Would you do that for me?"
Yangnyeong goes home and sulks. "Why today of all days? Why does he have to act old and sappy in front of me today?" He seems to still be waiting for the bomb to drop.
Choongnyeong is before Jeongjong. "Leave," the ex-king tells the prince. "You might be young, but you are a learned man. And to a learned man, honor is more important than life. You can't give up your honor for someone else." But Choongnyeong answers, "No, your eminence. I'll do it." Are you sure?, Jeongjong asks. "You could get hurt. You will be banished at least. Are you sure you won't regret it?" Silence. "Very well. Go back to your villa."
On his way back, in the darkness, Choongnyeong finds Hyoryeong waiting for him. "Why would you go to this length to protect the crown prince?" Hyoryeong asks. Don't you understand, Choongnyeong says, and leaves him...Flashback to the scene in Ep5, with Choongnyeong asking Yangnyeong, Shouldn’t brothers look after each other; isn’t that what family is about?
Choongnyeong is with Yi Su; they're having a lesson but the prince can't concentrate. Why haven't you ever taken the civil service exam, the prince wants to know. "Your literary talent is too good to be wasted here." He hints to Yi that he won't be around much longer and advises Yi to take the exam. Yi goes outside and asks the prince's eunuchs, "Did something happen today?" Silence. "Something did happen," Yi concludes. Ogeun starts to talk, but Um Jachi silences him, and as Yi leaves they bicker about what they should or shouldn’t tell anyone.
Choongnyeong is alone outside. Princess Shim comes out and walks up to him. "How much do you trust me?", asks the prince. "Even if I do something that's completely beyond your comprehension, would you trust me...before you condemn me with resentment and disappointment?" That's a tall order, she answers; "That's not an easy thing to do." Then she tells him, We've been together for six years and I know a thing or two about you. I can tell that something's up, but if it were your doing, "you would be asking for punishment and not my trust." (She's a sharp one.)
Nighttime: Jeongjong is outside; Hyoryeong goes to him. Jeongjong asks, "Do you want to save your brother as well?" "No, your eminence," the prince responds. "Go to the king now, your eminence. You must reveal the crown prince's crime in every detail. My father has already left a lasting scar on your heart. Don't let my brother do the same." Go to the king, he reiterates. "It may injure your pride, but at least you can vent your rage." "Very well," says Jeongjong. "I will take your advice."
The king and queen, crown prince and princess, and Hyobin and prince Kyoungnyeong are together (an odd group). The crown princess is pregnant! Congratulations are exchanged. Then the queen announces that she'd like to find a wife for Kyoungnyeong. "I fell I've been neglecting you when you are the king's son and therefore my son as well. You're a good man. You will make a good husband and father once you have a family." So who do you suggest, the king asks. She proposes the daughter of Han Younglo (!--does this open up a can of worms.)
Hyobin and her son return home. She’s furious. "How dare she try to match my son up with a traitor who could turn back into a rebel at any time." She seethes. "She tried to hurt me, so I'll hurt her right back."
A marketplace is shutting down for the night. Daion is pestering a merchant, insisting on knowing who made some of the metal items he's selling. The merchant says they're from Ming, but Daion knows better; she recognizes the work as Jang Youngsil's. Jang is watching her from a distance. Daion leaves the stall, and as she walks away, he finally shows himself to her.
Nighttime at the archery grounds: Yangnyeong is shooting. His fathers words about being a king of benevolence and not violence are echoing in his head. Boldly, his attendant speaks up and urges him, "It's not too late, your highness. I beg you to offer an apology to the former king. You will be a father soon. Most importantly, you cannot disappoint the king."
The next morning: Jeongjong walks purposefully into the palace. Seated with the king, he says, "I've come to air my grievances." "Air your grievances?", says Taejong with surprise. "Is there something I've done to upset you?" Not you, his brother says; your sons. "Have they done something wrong?" The three princes are also there, and are tensing up. Jeongjong continues: "No, they haven't. Their selflessness is so extreme that it’s discomfiting. Heaven is so very unfair, why has it only allowed you to have such smart and wonderful sons?" Please send them to visit me more often, he asks, to which the king agrees with a proud smile. The princes are puzzled.
Outside, Jeongjong is with Yangnyeong. "Frankly," he tells the prince, "I don't think you have what it takes to be the crown prince or the first son. I can't find one redeeming quality about you." But he says he's going to follow the old proverb that "there is no younger brother better than the older brother, so I'm trying to believe that there is a redeeming quality about you that I haven't found." But if you don't start showing the virtue that your brothers show, "I will be the one who personally rips that royal gown off of you."
Back home, Jeongjong sees Hyoryeong. "You're the smartest and most cunning of the three of you," he tells the prince. "You saw right through me. You knew that I was angrier with myself than I was at the crown prince" for creating such problems over a "worthless wench."
Yangnyeong is out riding by a shoreline (we've seen this before; it must be a protected riding ground for the royals). Choongnyeong is waiting for him as he finishes, holding a bottle of wine. They sit down and drink together. Choongnyeong asks his brother, "You didn't need that woman. What you needed was an escape. Am I wrong? The king is breathing down your neck; you want to do well, but things never go your way....so you wanted to forget about everything and escape. Isn't that right?" All of this is getting under Yangnyeong's skin; he gets up to leave and calls his brother an "arrogant bastard." But as he walks away he stops, and softly says, "Thanks."
Chogungjang is outside Jeongjong's room, calling out and begging to see him before she leaves (apparently she's been kicked out). He sits alone in the dim room and ignores her.
Baron Ok Hwan is reading a letter; it's from Jeongjong. He wants Chogungjang killed tonight!
Nighttime, outside in the woods: Several men dressed in white are carrying a carriage along a path. Foreman Jeon and a squad of black-clad men intercept them, order them to drop the carriage, and chase them off. Muby goes to open the carriage; to his surprise, it's empty. Suddenly we hear, "Is this the person you're looking for?" It's Choongnyeong, out there at night in the woods (?!?) with his eunuchs. And Chogungjang is with him. The prince then realizes who he's talking to: "Aren't you Baron Ok Hwan's men? Why are you trying to hurt this woman?" They look down, offering no answer. Then Muby begins to unsheathe his sword. Choongnyeong's eyes widen....
Choongnyeong chases after his brother. He catches up and tells him, "You can't leave like this. You must find a way to assuage the former king's rage." But Yangnyeong says that it's a lost cause; with the grudges that Jeongjong holds against the king, he won't lose this chance to get even with him.
Jeongjong is inside; he's written a letter to the king and orders it delivered immediately.
Yangnyeong returns home and finds the king waiting for him. Uh-oh...Taejong asks about his brother's health. His son can't answer, which prompts sarcasm from the king about his son's self-centeredness. All the while, Yangnyeong is expecting the bomb to go off. But it doesn’t, and Taejong tells his son to come with him.
The king and crown prince are at the weapons testing ground. All of the ministers are there, too; they're watching a cannon demonstration. It goes very well; everyone is very pleased. Choi Haesan is called before the king and accepts the king's compliments. Choi credits the crown prince for increasing the number of cannons available, thanks to his financial generosity. The king was unaware of this. Later, inside, the king leads a toast to celebrate the successful weapons test. He effusively praises his son for cutting his budget to support the defense effort.
Choongnyeong is before the ex-king. Jeongjong is furious because the prince ordered Jeongjong's eunuch not to deliver the letter to the king after all. He accuses the prince of disrespecting his "attempt to abolish treachery and restore order and discipline in the royal house." If I did not do this, he tells Choongnyeong, "I wouldn't be able to face the royal ancestors when I'm dead." The prince pleads for his brother; "No man is infallible," so won't you forgive him this once? Jeongjong goes in another direction, pointing out that this all may be good for Choongnyeong. People have called you king material, he says, and we know what he's hinting at. Choongnyeong rejects the comment outright, but Jeongjong presses the issue. Why is that a problem, he wonders, "because you are not the eldest?" Taejong is my younger brother, he points out. Choongnyeong wants no part of this. "Is power, is authority, that amazingly wonderful?", he says with disillusionment, that I'd use my brother's calamity to snatch it for myself. "You're really doing all this to protect your brother?", asks Jeongjong with near-disbelief. "If you can prove that is true, I might reconsider going forward.” Then, “Can you take the fall for him? Can I tell the king that you are the one who had an illicit affair with Chogungjang?" The prince is stunned by the request.
The king and ministers are meeting, discussing budgetary constraints. Minister Park suggests, "Perhaps the merit subjects should surrender their status land." This provokes an immediate response from prime minister Ha (who undoubtedly has a whole lot of status land) that merit subjects contribute "not with material things but with devoted service."
Outside in the hallway, Park encounters Ha and tells him, "I think you and I have a very different idea of what loyalty is. Material and moral devotion. I thought loyalty was both put together." But Ha threatens him. "You chose the wrong man to fight. Don't waste your strength. You are no match for me no matter how hard you try." He tells Park he'll teach him a lesson, and Park says, "I'll look forward to it." Just then we see the new head of the Office of Endowment (the office in charge of gifts to foreign nations); it's Han Younglo, whom Ha has apparently appointed. Ha tells Park as he leaves, maybe we'll select "a fair maiden from your clan" to offer to the Ming emperor. (Game on.)
The queen is evaluating young women to be sent to the Ming emperor as promised during the recent negotiation. Minister Park comes to see her; he wants to get Han Younglo replaced. Han can't be trusted, he tells the queen, because he's betrayed once and may do it again. But Wongyeong sees through this: "Is this a pathetic attempt to challenge prime minister Ha Ryun's authority?" She explains that Han should be rewarded for his actions, because turning in rebels should be encouraged. Park is silent.
Minister Gim reports to PM Ha with a smile that "There should be a mob of people trying to fill trivial positions right now" outside of the ministry of slavery reparations. (This is a setup.)
Outside of the ministry of slavery reparations, a mob of people is indeed in front of the building, waving petitions and seeking attention.
The king and ministers are meeting; minister Park reports that the slavery ministry is overwhelmed and that even thirty caseworkers cannot sort out all of the petitions. Then PM Ha presents a proposal for a massive martial arts event, to which Ming, Japan and the Jurchens would be invited. This would go far, he argues, to building good relations and meeting their promise to Ming of pursuing their goal of reducing Japanese invasions. The king agrees, and because of the event's scale, he orders that no more staff be given to the slavery office. (Another scheme by Ha.)
Afterwards, an angry Park is with minister Shim and Yun Hwe. He orders them to "Set aside all other matters and dig up dirt on prime minister Ha Ryun."
Jo Malseng is before king, reading a scroll that Jo has apparently presented to him. The king reads. "Prime minister Ha Ryun knows how to play the game well," he muses.
Yun Hwe brings tea to minister Hwang and they begin to talk about the proposed event. Hwang says, "The only way we can hold an event of that scale in one year is by milking the public." Hwang is frustrated with the political scuffling.
PM Ha goes to see Jo Malseng; he invites Jo to visit his home for some chrysanthemum wine. Jo is a bit taken aback, but then says he will make time for a visit. Ha smiles and leaves.
The king is with the crown prince. He counsels, "Kings are to rule with wisdom, not brute force." Do you find that amusing, he asks, his son, "coming from a man who has been so violent?" I had no choice, he says; I didn't have the luxury of doing things any other way. "But I hope you can be a different kind of king. Find a way to embrace the world with magnanimity [and] become a king of wisdom and benevolence. Would you do that for me?"
Yangnyeong goes home and sulks. "Why today of all days? Why does he have to act old and sappy in front of me today?" He seems to still be waiting for the bomb to drop.
Choongnyeong is before Jeongjong. "Leave," the ex-king tells the prince. "You might be young, but you are a learned man. And to a learned man, honor is more important than life. You can't give up your honor for someone else." But Choongnyeong answers, "No, your eminence. I'll do it." Are you sure?, Jeongjong asks. "You could get hurt. You will be banished at least. Are you sure you won't regret it?" Silence. "Very well. Go back to your villa."
On his way back, in the darkness, Choongnyeong finds Hyoryeong waiting for him. "Why would you go to this length to protect the crown prince?" Hyoryeong asks. Don't you understand, Choongnyeong says, and leaves him...Flashback to the scene in Ep5, with Choongnyeong asking Yangnyeong, Shouldn’t brothers look after each other; isn’t that what family is about?
Choongnyeong is with Yi Su; they're having a lesson but the prince can't concentrate. Why haven't you ever taken the civil service exam, the prince wants to know. "Your literary talent is too good to be wasted here." He hints to Yi that he won't be around much longer and advises Yi to take the exam. Yi goes outside and asks the prince's eunuchs, "Did something happen today?" Silence. "Something did happen," Yi concludes. Ogeun starts to talk, but Um Jachi silences him, and as Yi leaves they bicker about what they should or shouldn’t tell anyone.
Choongnyeong is alone outside. Princess Shim comes out and walks up to him. "How much do you trust me?", asks the prince. "Even if I do something that's completely beyond your comprehension, would you trust me...before you condemn me with resentment and disappointment?" That's a tall order, she answers; "That's not an easy thing to do." Then she tells him, We've been together for six years and I know a thing or two about you. I can tell that something's up, but if it were your doing, "you would be asking for punishment and not my trust." (She's a sharp one.)
Nighttime: Jeongjong is outside; Hyoryeong goes to him. Jeongjong asks, "Do you want to save your brother as well?" "No, your eminence," the prince responds. "Go to the king now, your eminence. You must reveal the crown prince's crime in every detail. My father has already left a lasting scar on your heart. Don't let my brother do the same." Go to the king, he reiterates. "It may injure your pride, but at least you can vent your rage." "Very well," says Jeongjong. "I will take your advice."
The king and queen, crown prince and princess, and Hyobin and prince Kyoungnyeong are together (an odd group). The crown princess is pregnant! Congratulations are exchanged. Then the queen announces that she'd like to find a wife for Kyoungnyeong. "I fell I've been neglecting you when you are the king's son and therefore my son as well. You're a good man. You will make a good husband and father once you have a family." So who do you suggest, the king asks. She proposes the daughter of Han Younglo (!--does this open up a can of worms.)
Hyobin and her son return home. She’s furious. "How dare she try to match my son up with a traitor who could turn back into a rebel at any time." She seethes. "She tried to hurt me, so I'll hurt her right back."
A marketplace is shutting down for the night. Daion is pestering a merchant, insisting on knowing who made some of the metal items he's selling. The merchant says they're from Ming, but Daion knows better; she recognizes the work as Jang Youngsil's. Jang is watching her from a distance. Daion leaves the stall, and as she walks away, he finally shows himself to her.
Nighttime at the archery grounds: Yangnyeong is shooting. His fathers words about being a king of benevolence and not violence are echoing in his head. Boldly, his attendant speaks up and urges him, "It's not too late, your highness. I beg you to offer an apology to the former king. You will be a father soon. Most importantly, you cannot disappoint the king."
The next morning: Jeongjong walks purposefully into the palace. Seated with the king, he says, "I've come to air my grievances." "Air your grievances?", says Taejong with surprise. "Is there something I've done to upset you?" Not you, his brother says; your sons. "Have they done something wrong?" The three princes are also there, and are tensing up. Jeongjong continues: "No, they haven't. Their selflessness is so extreme that it’s discomfiting. Heaven is so very unfair, why has it only allowed you to have such smart and wonderful sons?" Please send them to visit me more often, he asks, to which the king agrees with a proud smile. The princes are puzzled.
Outside, Jeongjong is with Yangnyeong. "Frankly," he tells the prince, "I don't think you have what it takes to be the crown prince or the first son. I can't find one redeeming quality about you." But he says he's going to follow the old proverb that "there is no younger brother better than the older brother, so I'm trying to believe that there is a redeeming quality about you that I haven't found." But if you don't start showing the virtue that your brothers show, "I will be the one who personally rips that royal gown off of you."
Back home, Jeongjong sees Hyoryeong. "You're the smartest and most cunning of the three of you," he tells the prince. "You saw right through me. You knew that I was angrier with myself than I was at the crown prince" for creating such problems over a "worthless wench."
Yangnyeong is out riding by a shoreline (we've seen this before; it must be a protected riding ground for the royals). Choongnyeong is waiting for him as he finishes, holding a bottle of wine. They sit down and drink together. Choongnyeong asks his brother, "You didn't need that woman. What you needed was an escape. Am I wrong? The king is breathing down your neck; you want to do well, but things never go your way....so you wanted to forget about everything and escape. Isn't that right?" All of this is getting under Yangnyeong's skin; he gets up to leave and calls his brother an "arrogant bastard." But as he walks away he stops, and softly says, "Thanks."
Chogungjang is outside Jeongjong's room, calling out and begging to see him before she leaves (apparently she's been kicked out). He sits alone in the dim room and ignores her.
Baron Ok Hwan is reading a letter; it's from Jeongjong. He wants Chogungjang killed tonight!
Nighttime, outside in the woods: Several men dressed in white are carrying a carriage along a path. Foreman Jeon and a squad of black-clad men intercept them, order them to drop the carriage, and chase them off. Muby goes to open the carriage; to his surprise, it's empty. Suddenly we hear, "Is this the person you're looking for?" It's Choongnyeong, out there at night in the woods (?!?) with his eunuchs. And Chogungjang is with him. The prince then realizes who he's talking to: "Aren't you Baron Ok Hwan's men? Why are you trying to hurt this woman?" They look down, offering no answer. Then Muby begins to unsheathe his sword. Choongnyeong's eyes widen....