Post by ajk on Sept 2, 2008 15:05:29 GMT -5
Sejong, carrying his ailing mother on his back, leaves her quarters and heads purposefully outside....
"A healing trip?" Taejong is with Hyobin and Kyoungnyeong, who have told him that the king is taking his mother to Inwang Temple--a Buddhist temple. "A healing trip may be important but how could the king violate his own state policy? Despicable!"
Inside a temple room, Sejong sponges his mother's forehead. Wongyeong regains consciousness. "We're at a temple, mother," he tells her. Then, "I'm sorry mother. I am to blame for all this. Please get well and scold me like before." She listens and then falls asleep.
Back at the palace: Ministers scowl at Yun Hwe and Yi Su for allowing this to happen after issuing a nationwide order to close the temples. "What's next?", Huh Jo asks with frustration.
Gim Moon asks Jo Malseng why he isn't doing anything about the king's actions. "He's only doing his sonly duty," Jo says with nonchalance. "Let's just see how far he goes first."
That evening, at the temple: Hundreds of citizens are gathered; they're holding lanterns. Sejong emerges from the building and they kneel. "They've come to pray for the queen mother," Um Jachi tells him. They want to hang their lanterns and pray. The king goes up to a sick little girl named Keutsun, who's with her father. She insisted on coming, the father tells him, because her mother had died from disease and in the depths of her grief the queen mother consoled her. Then the girl takes Sejong's hand; the eunuchs panic but the king waves them off. "I want to pray so the queen mother gets better. Can I hang my lantern over there and pray?", she asks the king in a tired voice. We learn that the queen mother had comforted many of these citizens when their relatives died. "There's nothing we can do for her," they tell Sejong. "So please let us pray to Buddha for her just this once. We'll never come here again once the queen mother is well. Please, your majesty, just this one time!" Sejong is visibly moved by them. He turns to go back inside and sees his brother Hyoryeong standing there.
Dozens of lanterns are hung; the citizens pray and chant for Wongyeong. Sejong watches them with a look of pained realization. "What did I try to do to my people to protect the national religion?"
Back inside, Wongyeong awakens. The queen is with her, and tells her that Hyoryeong is fine. The physician then tells them that her pulse is better and she's making progress.
"Your prayers have reached Buddha!", Hyoryeong tells Sejong. No response. Then Yi Su arrives, carrying scrolls--"urgent matters that require your approval." As Sejong begins to review the scrolls, Yi asks him to please return home within two days or else the ministers will make trouble. But not only does Sejong not care, he tells Yi to prepare an order for a nationwide Buddhist prayer service for his mother. Yi Su refuses; it's an instruction he cannot obey. Frustrated, Sejong tells him, "I gave you an order and you must obey it. You know just as well what happens to those who defy the king!" And he storms out.
Outside, Yi Su goes to Sejong, who's cooled off. The king says to him, "Can't you, if no one else, give me a little sympathy? There's nothing I can do but hope for a miracle. My mother lost her brothers because of me. She begged me not to destroy my sibling relationship but I defied her, pushed my brother out and took his throne. I gave my wife that same heartbreak by failing to protect her father, and now made my brother Hyoryeong a criminal...I broke my mother's heart so many times that I can't even count. That's why I can't let her go. I want to give her more time--more time to scold me as much as she wants. And if heaven would allow, I want to make her smile if only just once." He tears up. To the side, the queen is watching; it isn't clear if she's close enough to hear, but she probably is.
Yi Su removes the royal seal from its wall safe and takes it into an office. Gim Moon is in a hallway and happens to spot him. Inside the office, Yi affixes the seal to a scroll--just as Jo Malseng barges into the room. "What are you doing?"
"A nationwide Buddhist service? Are you out of your mind?" Ministers are grilling Yi Su. Yi argues that Sejong is actually being a good Confucian by fulfilling his filial responsibilities. But ministers protest loudly nonetheless. Then Jo Malseng says that confusion will follow from the king's failure to separate his kingly and sonly duties. He orders security doubled, surveillance on foreigners increased, and the northern border tightened. "I don't understand," Yun Hwe says. "Internal chaos incites enemy aggression," explains Jo.
"What is the ulterior motive?" Jo Malseng is before Taejong, who's put the question to him. "How can I not question your ulterior motive? Answer my question." Without hesitation Jo answers, "What else but to choose a king?" Taejong is stunned. Jo continues, "As you always say, we the high ministers are the ones who brought the current king to the throne. But if he continues to push his limits and make mistakes, isn't it natural that we would consider replacing him?" You're flirting with treason, Taejong reminds him, but Jo is unbowed: "The test is over, your eminence. Now you must take all of the government power back from the young king. A man who thinks he is above the laws...and who abandons his duties to deal with his personal issues is not deserving of the throne. You must take back the state, your eminence."
Outside, Gim Moon asks Jo, "The former king is difficult opponent. Is that what you want? Do you really want Taejong to rule the state again?" What makes you think I don't, Jo answers. "I thought your objective is to control the king." It was, Jo says. Gim observes that Sejong is easier to tame than Taejong. "My ultimate goal," Jo tells him, is in "quickly creating stability in this country and making this a small but imposing kingdom that rivals Ming. And I will submit any time to a worthy king to achieve that. Remember--country does not belong to a king alone." He speaks with an ominous tone, unlike anything we've heard from him before.
The physician is with Taejong. "Give me a frank answer. How much longer do I have?" The physician tells him he's in greater danger than his wife is, and that "If you should be overcome by the stress of running the state...." The sentence isn't finished. "Are you saying I could die before the queen does?" All the physician can do is kneel and cry, "Forgive me, your majesty!" Outside the door, Hyobin has heard the exchange. The physician leaves and she enters. Don't tell anyone, he tells her; don't let the queen find out. "Her whole life has been fueled by spite for me. If she learns about my pitiable fate, she won't be able to hate me any more. It will only hasten her death." Tears welling in his eyes, he says, "I can't do that to the woman I caused so much grief to already." He puts his hand on Hyobin's shoulder, and leaves. Hyobin is overwhelmed by the news.
Back at the temple, we see Sejong still by his mother's side.
Byun Gaeryang is released from prison and taken somewhere. (Remember, he's a declared Buddhist and was imprisoned for Buddhist activities.)
Wongyeong awakens to find her husband sitting next to her. "I am shocked, to say the least," she says. "You hate the temples more than anything, and here you are." He tells her, "I guess it's true that the king's prayer has reached Buddha and you're starting to come around." "I detect a tone of sarcasm," she says with cynical humor. But Taejong isn't there to squabble. "I'm sorry, my queen," he says reflectively. You always wanted to be my political partner more than to be my wife, but all I ever did was to pull you down." "Don't change on me," she answers; "Sudden change in old age means you're near death." Taejong doesn't flinch at the insight (but is this woman sharp or what). "My queen...I'm finally thinking about doing some politics with you as my partner. How do you feel about it?" She looks at him; what does this mean?
Byun has been brought to Sejong. "I need your wisdom," the king tells him. "I want to order national Buddhist services and pray for the queen mother's recovery. I need to find a way to overcome the high ministers' position." It's not possible, Byun tells him. Not the answer the king wants. "You were ready to give up your post to keep your Buddhist faith...If I can save my mother through prayers, I can abolish the anti-Buddhist policy." Then he says he was wrong to order action taken against the temples. "There was no way I could give up the Hall of Worthies, and ordering my brother Hyoryeong's arrest was not easy. Ordering the temples closed was the easiest thing to do...But that was my biggest mistake. What I did was more than just shut down the temples. I shut down hearts." Byun reminds Sejong that there was a reason that Joseon's founders suppressed Buddhism, and then advises him, "It is best that you follow your good judgment." (Not much help he was.)
Wongyeong tells Sejong that they must leave the temple and go back to the palace. "The mother of the state can't very well die in a temple house," she says weakly. Sejong says, "I know you don't want to go back," and wonders if someone tipped her off about the trouble this is all causing him. "It's arrogance to assume what your parents are thinking," she says. "Forget about the Buddhist service. I am not saying this to protect you. I am saying this because it's useless. Did you forget? I was once a political enemy of yours. Do you think Buddha or heaven will forgive a mother like me? For me to ruin my son's political life so I can extend my own life--if that happens, my king, I will not forgive myself." Then she offers him some difficult advice: "You chose to take the throne despite my earnest plea not to. So don't be shaken by trivial emotions, and accept the horrid, caged life of kings. You don't have the freedom to be rough to your body and take ill. You don't have the freedom to waste time taking care of your sick mother. So go back to the royal court at once and attend to state affairs. This is not the nagging of a mother but a final advice of the former king's life-long political partner." She speaks slowly and weakly but with assurance and insight.
At either the astronomy bureau or the Hall of Worthies (not sure which room it is): It's late in the evening, but Jang Youngsil is poring over star charts, trying to find a difference between Ming and Joseon charts that would explain the eclipse prediction error. Choi Haesan is with them and tries to talk Jang into getting some sleep, but Jang wants to keep working. Then Sejong walks in. "Could this be because I provoked heaven?," he asks with sorrow. "Heaven didn't strike my mother instead of me because of my arrogance and challenge. Did it?" And he walks out, visibly weighted down. (This guy sure does liven up a room.)
The palanquin carrying a frail, worn-down queen mother returns to the palace. She can barely walk and needs assistance. "It's good to be home," she says. Taejong is there also; he nods to her and she actually shows the tiniest hint of a smile back at him.
She's put to bed by Hyobin. Wongyeong tells her, "You have your work cut out for you. He must be getting old as well. Each day he grows softer." Hyobin can't even look at her. She goes on: "But he has you, so I don't have to worry. Do I?" Hyobin asks her, "Are you sure you're all right with that, your highness? Why, it would be like a tiger leaving a fox behind to run her palace. How could you accept that and rest in peace?" "You're getting good," Wongyeong says sardonically. "Who knew you'd ever jest with me?" Hyobin tells her, "Perhaps that's what kept me gong all these years--enduring your scolding and fighting you. Please get well," Hyobin continues. "You can yell at me all you want from now on, so please just get better." Wongyeong smiles a bit, and then takes Hyobin's hand, with a tear in her eyes. Hyobin starts to cry. Considering their history, it's a remarkable scene.
Sejong tells Jo Malseng that he won't proceed with the Buddhist service. "You made a wise decision," Jo answers. The king asks, "Are you satisfied?" "I don't know what you mean." "I know," Sejong reveals, "that you urged my father to take back the sovereign right to rule." Jo doesn't flinch (but Um Jachi shoots him quite a glare). "Now that I've given up on the Buddhist service and returned to my duties, I guess you've won. I've heard people call you a born winner," so are you happy now?" Winning isn't my goal, Jo tells him. "I believe politics is enlightening the unenlightened citizens. It is also creating balance and harmony," he explains. Sejong tells him, "I think you taught me a great lesson today. I guess your job now will be in creating harmony. Right?" He turns to Um Jachi: "Send him in." Byun Gaeryang comes in, wearing his minister robe and obviously reinstated. Taejong has something up his sleeve--but what?
In the throne room: Jo and Byun are before the king, who addresses them: "Do stop those who take arbitrary action, but do not destroy tradition. This is the answer I've come up with in pondering the reality of Joseon, where Confucianism is the national faith but many still rely on Buddhism." To Byun he says, "Buddhist temples will continue to be monitored. If there are corrupt forces that exploit worshippers of Buddha to gain power and influence, it will be your job to prosecute them to the fullest." Then to Jo: "It is your job to make sure there is not persecution against Buddhist followers...So work with the Supreme Council and the Six Ministries to promote support for Confucianism among the people." Then he asks Jo with a smile, "Is this good enough? I trust this is the kind of balance and harmony you're talking about?" It's a cleverly crafted compromise.
Ministers are meeting. Huh Jo is aghast: "Stop arbitrary action but don't destroy tradition? And it's up to us to keep this a Confucian country?" Jo Malseng observes, "If the propagation of Buddhism is not stopped, it will be the failure of the Supreme Council and the Six Ministries." And we have to take this on?, Huh says, but Jo tells him in so many words, You're in government so step up to the plate. Jo smiles broadly, almost happy about Sejong's cleverness. "The king is making this very interesting," he says, as though he's relishing the prospect of future political maneuvering with the young king.
Sejong, with Yun Hwe, is looking up at the night sky. "That was an excellent move," Yun tells him. "You made a wise decision." Sejong's answer surprises him, and us: "I still believe a miracle could have happened if we had prayed to Buddha."
We see the queen tending to her mother-in-law. Wongyeong awakens, sees the queen and tells her, "I don't want you here any more." Then, talking out loud to herself (maybe from a bit of delirium): "I'll tell her to leave today when I can muster up enough strength to give her a word of comfort. Too may days went by trying to figure out my fickle mind." A bit more lucid, Wongyeong takes the queen's hand: "My child...My poor child...Just follow your heart. Do what your heart tells you. Don't hold back your anger. If you want to hate your husband, the husband who was so cruel to your parents, let your heart be free to hate him. And when you should get tired, would you consider this one thing? That you are not the wife of an ordinary man, that although you don't want to and you're sick of it, it is your inescapable fate to live as a mother of the state." And, "It's quite possible that the citizen the queen must take the most pity on is the king." The queen is overcome by her wisdom and cries into her shoulder.
Sejong has been outside in the hall, hearing this. It hits him hard too.
The next day: Taejong and Wongyeong are sitting together on a broad gazebo. The queen mother is enjoying the fresh air, but her husband tells her they're going back inside soon because the breeze isn't good for her. Severely weakened, she says, "I guess life treats you well when you're at the end of it." She looks at him: "Are you...genuinely worried about me?" Not answering, Taejong nods to Yi Su, who's standing nearby holding a scroll. Yi places the scroll before Wongyeong. "Your highness the queen mother is the inspiration behind this new policy, so the king wanted your approval before it is decreed." Taejong nods again; Yi leaves and the two of them are left alone. With effort Wongyeong opens the scroll and reads it. (At this point I have to wonder if Taejong played a role in developing the policy. Remember his earlier comments to her.) She puts the scroll down and says, "I guess this means he will preserve the national faith but without breaking the people's hearts." She's deeply touched; almost overcome with unfamiliar happiness. "It may not please you completely," Taejong tells her, "but show your son your support and give him your approval." Very weakly, but happily, she tells Taejong, "Our son...We raised him well. He will be a great king, even greater than you." He smiles and nods. As she looks at him, we hear her thoughts as she seems to know that her husband is dying too: "Don't try so hard now. It was a rough road for you as well." Her eyes close and she slumps softly into his shoulder. Taejong's eyes widen and well up with tears and we hear his thoughts: "Neither I nor this country ever deserved you, wife. You were my wise wife, the king's gentle mother, and my lifelong partner." Sobbing, he holds onto her shoulder. She dies.
"A healing trip?" Taejong is with Hyobin and Kyoungnyeong, who have told him that the king is taking his mother to Inwang Temple--a Buddhist temple. "A healing trip may be important but how could the king violate his own state policy? Despicable!"
Inside a temple room, Sejong sponges his mother's forehead. Wongyeong regains consciousness. "We're at a temple, mother," he tells her. Then, "I'm sorry mother. I am to blame for all this. Please get well and scold me like before." She listens and then falls asleep.
Back at the palace: Ministers scowl at Yun Hwe and Yi Su for allowing this to happen after issuing a nationwide order to close the temples. "What's next?", Huh Jo asks with frustration.
Gim Moon asks Jo Malseng why he isn't doing anything about the king's actions. "He's only doing his sonly duty," Jo says with nonchalance. "Let's just see how far he goes first."
That evening, at the temple: Hundreds of citizens are gathered; they're holding lanterns. Sejong emerges from the building and they kneel. "They've come to pray for the queen mother," Um Jachi tells him. They want to hang their lanterns and pray. The king goes up to a sick little girl named Keutsun, who's with her father. She insisted on coming, the father tells him, because her mother had died from disease and in the depths of her grief the queen mother consoled her. Then the girl takes Sejong's hand; the eunuchs panic but the king waves them off. "I want to pray so the queen mother gets better. Can I hang my lantern over there and pray?", she asks the king in a tired voice. We learn that the queen mother had comforted many of these citizens when their relatives died. "There's nothing we can do for her," they tell Sejong. "So please let us pray to Buddha for her just this once. We'll never come here again once the queen mother is well. Please, your majesty, just this one time!" Sejong is visibly moved by them. He turns to go back inside and sees his brother Hyoryeong standing there.
Dozens of lanterns are hung; the citizens pray and chant for Wongyeong. Sejong watches them with a look of pained realization. "What did I try to do to my people to protect the national religion?"
Back inside, Wongyeong awakens. The queen is with her, and tells her that Hyoryeong is fine. The physician then tells them that her pulse is better and she's making progress.
"Your prayers have reached Buddha!", Hyoryeong tells Sejong. No response. Then Yi Su arrives, carrying scrolls--"urgent matters that require your approval." As Sejong begins to review the scrolls, Yi asks him to please return home within two days or else the ministers will make trouble. But not only does Sejong not care, he tells Yi to prepare an order for a nationwide Buddhist prayer service for his mother. Yi Su refuses; it's an instruction he cannot obey. Frustrated, Sejong tells him, "I gave you an order and you must obey it. You know just as well what happens to those who defy the king!" And he storms out.
Outside, Yi Su goes to Sejong, who's cooled off. The king says to him, "Can't you, if no one else, give me a little sympathy? There's nothing I can do but hope for a miracle. My mother lost her brothers because of me. She begged me not to destroy my sibling relationship but I defied her, pushed my brother out and took his throne. I gave my wife that same heartbreak by failing to protect her father, and now made my brother Hyoryeong a criminal...I broke my mother's heart so many times that I can't even count. That's why I can't let her go. I want to give her more time--more time to scold me as much as she wants. And if heaven would allow, I want to make her smile if only just once." He tears up. To the side, the queen is watching; it isn't clear if she's close enough to hear, but she probably is.
Yi Su removes the royal seal from its wall safe and takes it into an office. Gim Moon is in a hallway and happens to spot him. Inside the office, Yi affixes the seal to a scroll--just as Jo Malseng barges into the room. "What are you doing?"
"A nationwide Buddhist service? Are you out of your mind?" Ministers are grilling Yi Su. Yi argues that Sejong is actually being a good Confucian by fulfilling his filial responsibilities. But ministers protest loudly nonetheless. Then Jo Malseng says that confusion will follow from the king's failure to separate his kingly and sonly duties. He orders security doubled, surveillance on foreigners increased, and the northern border tightened. "I don't understand," Yun Hwe says. "Internal chaos incites enemy aggression," explains Jo.
"What is the ulterior motive?" Jo Malseng is before Taejong, who's put the question to him. "How can I not question your ulterior motive? Answer my question." Without hesitation Jo answers, "What else but to choose a king?" Taejong is stunned. Jo continues, "As you always say, we the high ministers are the ones who brought the current king to the throne. But if he continues to push his limits and make mistakes, isn't it natural that we would consider replacing him?" You're flirting with treason, Taejong reminds him, but Jo is unbowed: "The test is over, your eminence. Now you must take all of the government power back from the young king. A man who thinks he is above the laws...and who abandons his duties to deal with his personal issues is not deserving of the throne. You must take back the state, your eminence."
Outside, Gim Moon asks Jo, "The former king is difficult opponent. Is that what you want? Do you really want Taejong to rule the state again?" What makes you think I don't, Jo answers. "I thought your objective is to control the king." It was, Jo says. Gim observes that Sejong is easier to tame than Taejong. "My ultimate goal," Jo tells him, is in "quickly creating stability in this country and making this a small but imposing kingdom that rivals Ming. And I will submit any time to a worthy king to achieve that. Remember--country does not belong to a king alone." He speaks with an ominous tone, unlike anything we've heard from him before.
The physician is with Taejong. "Give me a frank answer. How much longer do I have?" The physician tells him he's in greater danger than his wife is, and that "If you should be overcome by the stress of running the state...." The sentence isn't finished. "Are you saying I could die before the queen does?" All the physician can do is kneel and cry, "Forgive me, your majesty!" Outside the door, Hyobin has heard the exchange. The physician leaves and she enters. Don't tell anyone, he tells her; don't let the queen find out. "Her whole life has been fueled by spite for me. If she learns about my pitiable fate, she won't be able to hate me any more. It will only hasten her death." Tears welling in his eyes, he says, "I can't do that to the woman I caused so much grief to already." He puts his hand on Hyobin's shoulder, and leaves. Hyobin is overwhelmed by the news.
Back at the temple, we see Sejong still by his mother's side.
Byun Gaeryang is released from prison and taken somewhere. (Remember, he's a declared Buddhist and was imprisoned for Buddhist activities.)
Wongyeong awakens to find her husband sitting next to her. "I am shocked, to say the least," she says. "You hate the temples more than anything, and here you are." He tells her, "I guess it's true that the king's prayer has reached Buddha and you're starting to come around." "I detect a tone of sarcasm," she says with cynical humor. But Taejong isn't there to squabble. "I'm sorry, my queen," he says reflectively. You always wanted to be my political partner more than to be my wife, but all I ever did was to pull you down." "Don't change on me," she answers; "Sudden change in old age means you're near death." Taejong doesn't flinch at the insight (but is this woman sharp or what). "My queen...I'm finally thinking about doing some politics with you as my partner. How do you feel about it?" She looks at him; what does this mean?
Byun has been brought to Sejong. "I need your wisdom," the king tells him. "I want to order national Buddhist services and pray for the queen mother's recovery. I need to find a way to overcome the high ministers' position." It's not possible, Byun tells him. Not the answer the king wants. "You were ready to give up your post to keep your Buddhist faith...If I can save my mother through prayers, I can abolish the anti-Buddhist policy." Then he says he was wrong to order action taken against the temples. "There was no way I could give up the Hall of Worthies, and ordering my brother Hyoryeong's arrest was not easy. Ordering the temples closed was the easiest thing to do...But that was my biggest mistake. What I did was more than just shut down the temples. I shut down hearts." Byun reminds Sejong that there was a reason that Joseon's founders suppressed Buddhism, and then advises him, "It is best that you follow your good judgment." (Not much help he was.)
Wongyeong tells Sejong that they must leave the temple and go back to the palace. "The mother of the state can't very well die in a temple house," she says weakly. Sejong says, "I know you don't want to go back," and wonders if someone tipped her off about the trouble this is all causing him. "It's arrogance to assume what your parents are thinking," she says. "Forget about the Buddhist service. I am not saying this to protect you. I am saying this because it's useless. Did you forget? I was once a political enemy of yours. Do you think Buddha or heaven will forgive a mother like me? For me to ruin my son's political life so I can extend my own life--if that happens, my king, I will not forgive myself." Then she offers him some difficult advice: "You chose to take the throne despite my earnest plea not to. So don't be shaken by trivial emotions, and accept the horrid, caged life of kings. You don't have the freedom to be rough to your body and take ill. You don't have the freedom to waste time taking care of your sick mother. So go back to the royal court at once and attend to state affairs. This is not the nagging of a mother but a final advice of the former king's life-long political partner." She speaks slowly and weakly but with assurance and insight.
At either the astronomy bureau or the Hall of Worthies (not sure which room it is): It's late in the evening, but Jang Youngsil is poring over star charts, trying to find a difference between Ming and Joseon charts that would explain the eclipse prediction error. Choi Haesan is with them and tries to talk Jang into getting some sleep, but Jang wants to keep working. Then Sejong walks in. "Could this be because I provoked heaven?," he asks with sorrow. "Heaven didn't strike my mother instead of me because of my arrogance and challenge. Did it?" And he walks out, visibly weighted down. (This guy sure does liven up a room.)
The palanquin carrying a frail, worn-down queen mother returns to the palace. She can barely walk and needs assistance. "It's good to be home," she says. Taejong is there also; he nods to her and she actually shows the tiniest hint of a smile back at him.
She's put to bed by Hyobin. Wongyeong tells her, "You have your work cut out for you. He must be getting old as well. Each day he grows softer." Hyobin can't even look at her. She goes on: "But he has you, so I don't have to worry. Do I?" Hyobin asks her, "Are you sure you're all right with that, your highness? Why, it would be like a tiger leaving a fox behind to run her palace. How could you accept that and rest in peace?" "You're getting good," Wongyeong says sardonically. "Who knew you'd ever jest with me?" Hyobin tells her, "Perhaps that's what kept me gong all these years--enduring your scolding and fighting you. Please get well," Hyobin continues. "You can yell at me all you want from now on, so please just get better." Wongyeong smiles a bit, and then takes Hyobin's hand, with a tear in her eyes. Hyobin starts to cry. Considering their history, it's a remarkable scene.
Sejong tells Jo Malseng that he won't proceed with the Buddhist service. "You made a wise decision," Jo answers. The king asks, "Are you satisfied?" "I don't know what you mean." "I know," Sejong reveals, "that you urged my father to take back the sovereign right to rule." Jo doesn't flinch (but Um Jachi shoots him quite a glare). "Now that I've given up on the Buddhist service and returned to my duties, I guess you've won. I've heard people call you a born winner," so are you happy now?" Winning isn't my goal, Jo tells him. "I believe politics is enlightening the unenlightened citizens. It is also creating balance and harmony," he explains. Sejong tells him, "I think you taught me a great lesson today. I guess your job now will be in creating harmony. Right?" He turns to Um Jachi: "Send him in." Byun Gaeryang comes in, wearing his minister robe and obviously reinstated. Taejong has something up his sleeve--but what?
In the throne room: Jo and Byun are before the king, who addresses them: "Do stop those who take arbitrary action, but do not destroy tradition. This is the answer I've come up with in pondering the reality of Joseon, where Confucianism is the national faith but many still rely on Buddhism." To Byun he says, "Buddhist temples will continue to be monitored. If there are corrupt forces that exploit worshippers of Buddha to gain power and influence, it will be your job to prosecute them to the fullest." Then to Jo: "It is your job to make sure there is not persecution against Buddhist followers...So work with the Supreme Council and the Six Ministries to promote support for Confucianism among the people." Then he asks Jo with a smile, "Is this good enough? I trust this is the kind of balance and harmony you're talking about?" It's a cleverly crafted compromise.
Ministers are meeting. Huh Jo is aghast: "Stop arbitrary action but don't destroy tradition? And it's up to us to keep this a Confucian country?" Jo Malseng observes, "If the propagation of Buddhism is not stopped, it will be the failure of the Supreme Council and the Six Ministries." And we have to take this on?, Huh says, but Jo tells him in so many words, You're in government so step up to the plate. Jo smiles broadly, almost happy about Sejong's cleverness. "The king is making this very interesting," he says, as though he's relishing the prospect of future political maneuvering with the young king.
Sejong, with Yun Hwe, is looking up at the night sky. "That was an excellent move," Yun tells him. "You made a wise decision." Sejong's answer surprises him, and us: "I still believe a miracle could have happened if we had prayed to Buddha."
We see the queen tending to her mother-in-law. Wongyeong awakens, sees the queen and tells her, "I don't want you here any more." Then, talking out loud to herself (maybe from a bit of delirium): "I'll tell her to leave today when I can muster up enough strength to give her a word of comfort. Too may days went by trying to figure out my fickle mind." A bit more lucid, Wongyeong takes the queen's hand: "My child...My poor child...Just follow your heart. Do what your heart tells you. Don't hold back your anger. If you want to hate your husband, the husband who was so cruel to your parents, let your heart be free to hate him. And when you should get tired, would you consider this one thing? That you are not the wife of an ordinary man, that although you don't want to and you're sick of it, it is your inescapable fate to live as a mother of the state." And, "It's quite possible that the citizen the queen must take the most pity on is the king." The queen is overcome by her wisdom and cries into her shoulder.
Sejong has been outside in the hall, hearing this. It hits him hard too.
The next day: Taejong and Wongyeong are sitting together on a broad gazebo. The queen mother is enjoying the fresh air, but her husband tells her they're going back inside soon because the breeze isn't good for her. Severely weakened, she says, "I guess life treats you well when you're at the end of it." She looks at him: "Are you...genuinely worried about me?" Not answering, Taejong nods to Yi Su, who's standing nearby holding a scroll. Yi places the scroll before Wongyeong. "Your highness the queen mother is the inspiration behind this new policy, so the king wanted your approval before it is decreed." Taejong nods again; Yi leaves and the two of them are left alone. With effort Wongyeong opens the scroll and reads it. (At this point I have to wonder if Taejong played a role in developing the policy. Remember his earlier comments to her.) She puts the scroll down and says, "I guess this means he will preserve the national faith but without breaking the people's hearts." She's deeply touched; almost overcome with unfamiliar happiness. "It may not please you completely," Taejong tells her, "but show your son your support and give him your approval." Very weakly, but happily, she tells Taejong, "Our son...We raised him well. He will be a great king, even greater than you." He smiles and nods. As she looks at him, we hear her thoughts as she seems to know that her husband is dying too: "Don't try so hard now. It was a rough road for you as well." Her eyes close and she slumps softly into his shoulder. Taejong's eyes widen and well up with tears and we hear his thoughts: "Neither I nor this country ever deserved you, wife. You were my wise wife, the king's gentle mother, and my lifelong partner." Sobbing, he holds onto her shoulder. She dies.