Post by ajk on Aug 26, 2009 12:03:30 GMT -5
Mokjong is rather standoffish to Yunheung and tries to walk away from her, but she talks him into coming to her home for a cup of tea. They go to her villa and sit down and talk. She tells him she was hurt by not being invited to his wedding. He explains it: "It would've ruined a good day for both you and my mother to see each other." (He still should have invited her, but you can understand how he feels, at least.) Escort Jo comes in and pours the tea for them; Mokjong isn't a tea drinker and just wants to leave. But Yunheung talks to him sympathetically about his problems, just long enough to get him to drink the tea. She wants him to drink that tea--it has Zanli's opium drug in it--and eventually he downs it.
The palace is being turned upside down in a frantic search for the emperor. Cheonchu orders the outside city searched.
Yunheung is still talking, but Mokjong is getting irritated with her and leaves rather abruptly. "What have I done?", she wonders to herself. "I just poisoned the child I raised."
Back out in the public square with Yi Hyunoon, an entertainment troupe is performing and Mokjong (still dressed as a soldier) wants to watch it. He's enjoying it immensely...but then everything starts to go blurry for a moment and he staggers. Hyunoon braces him and they agree to head back to he palace. But before they can leave, Mokjong catches sight of one of the female dancers in the troupe and watches her, transfixed. She can throw knives too, and hits a couple of targets; then she dances up to Mokjong and drapes a scarf around him flirtatiously. (The dancer is identified as Yu Hangan; apparently we'll need to remember that name.) As he and Hyunoon leave the square, Mokjong is almost giddy with delight over the dancer. But now he's seriously tripping from the drug; seeing naked people and dancing trees, staggering around, the whole deal. Hyunoon is propping him up and trying to get him back to the palace...and on top of it, now soldiers are in the square searching and Hyunoon is trying to avoid them, fearing for his life. They make it back to the palace wall; Hyunoon barely manages to get the stumbling Mokjong over it, but he does, and then cleverly sneaks him back into his quarters.
Now back outside, Hyunoon is spotted by Cheonchu and Gang Jo, who demand to know what he's doing there. Jo suspects that Hyunoon took Mokjong out of the palace drinking, and Hyunoon is having a hard time explaining himself. But then Mokjong comes outside, dressed in his regular clothes again, and makes his presence known...just long enough to pass out and fall to the ground. It gets Hyunoon off the hook, at least.
Mokjong has been brought inside and put to bed. His worried wife and the royal physician are with him. What happened to him? The physician doesn't think it was a seizure, but he isn't sure what it is. Maybe just excessive drinking. Just let him rest, he says, and he leaves.
Yunheung and Escort Jo are not only worried about what they just did, but how they'll be able to keep doing it. Because it will take more than one dose to get him addicted.
Mokjong revives, but in a fog and he doesn't recognize his wife. "Who are you?" He's thinking about the dancer he saw out in the square...and then suddenly he grabs Sunjeong and pulls her onto the bed with him, and this time it looks like he's going to finish the job.
The trade caravan has returned from Liao. Chiyang is there to greet them. Later, he tells Sa Gamun that the China/Liao war is at a stalemate and that empress dowager Xiao will be returning to the capital soon. And he thinks Dokyun has secret orders from the emperor to deliver to Xiao Zanli. Sa Gamun isn't worried about that-—"She's now under my control," he says (hmmm)--but Chiyang distrusts Zanli greatly. "She's not going to sit around doing nothing."
"So you finally consummated your marriage last night?" Empress Sunjeong is before her very nosy mother-in-law, but she seems fine talking about this. Cheonchu is delighted to hear it. Bring us an imperial prince soon, she says. (No pressure.) Then Hyangbi enters with news that Seo Hui is seriously ill.
Gamchan is tending to the ailing Seo. As he does so, he tells Seo of his belief that Chiyang was somehow involved in Gyeongjuwon's death. He lays out his reasoning; it's an absolutely knockout piece of deduction (seriously--I had to stop typing and just admire it). He's even gone as far as to suspect that the mystery woman with the bamboo hat was Sa Illa. He has no tangible proof of any of this yet, though, and so hasn't discussed it with anyone else. "Then let it go," Seo tells him. You need to assist Cheonchu and strengthen the state's defenses, he advises, because sooner or later the Khitans are going to invade again--he's convinced of it. Gamchan doesn't want the truth to be buried, for Gyeongjuwon's sake, but Seo says the matter will only stir up unrest and Chiyang's guilt will be difficult to prove. And if Chiyang is really up to no good, then you'll get your chance at him again someday. At that moment Cheonchu arrives. Seo presents her with some papers; he's written down some ideas and observations of his regarding state affairs. And he asks her to discuss state affairs with Gamchan from now on. Seo is an old man and looks particularly weak and frail now; clearly he's not long for this world.
"What happened last night?" A hung-over Mokjong asks Hyunoon to fill him in, and Hyunoon does. Mokjong does remember the dancer and asks Hyunoon about her. But Hyunoon has to awkwardly explain that the dancer was a man dressed up as a woman! Apparently that's how the act works; Hyunoon obviously knew it but Mokjong didn't. Then Go Hyun enters, just as Mokjong starts to get a weird look on his face (probably it's dawning on him that he got turned on by a dude). It's time for a state council meeting, Go reminds him, and Cheonchu is away visiting Seo Hui, so you have to run the show yourself. Mokjong has a headache and doesn't want to do it...
...but he sucks it up and goes anyway. "What's on the agenda? Let's get this over with." On the agenda is a question for the new finance commissioner. Ministers have heard that an envoy has been dispatched to Song China, and they grill Chiyang about it. Reluctantly, Chiyang acknowledges that it's true. This sets the ministers buzzing angrily about their not being informed or consulted. He tries to explain that it was done in secret for fear of the Khitans finding out, which only angers the ministers more since it implies their lack of trustworthiness. And they point out that the last time this idea was raised, Cheonchu was totally opposed to it. What changed her mind? Chiyang tries to explain it all, but they finally get around to the point (the one I'm waiting for) that this isn't his business anyway; it's a matter for the Ministry of Rites or Military. They bicker until Mokjong says he's heard enough and orders the whole thing be called off. We can't do that, Chiyang says, to which Mokjong reams him out in front of everyone for his lack of obedience.
Escort Jo goes to Xiao Zanli's villa and is admitted. From a distance, merchant Yi sees this. Inside we find Zanli, her aide Su No, Hyeolmae, Dokyun and Jo. They discuss their addict-the-emperor plot. This is the first Dokyun has heard of it, and she makes a great point: "If they find out he is addicted, they'll immediately know that it's us since they know about the late King." But the other Khitans aren't worried about it; they're only too willing to die, they agree, if they can disrupt Goryeo in the process. (Seems unnecessarily reckless of them.)
"The emperor nullified the plan?" Chiyang has told Cheonchu about the meeting. An angry Cheonchu orders the officials summoned back to the council hall, and the emperor too. Oh not this again.
Meeting #2: Cheonchu explains herself and says the plan will go forward. The officials are silent. Eventually, Choe Hang ventures that it's not the plan that's the problem, it's that the finance commissioner is executing it. It was his idea, she fires back, and he has a Liao trade caravan that brings back information. A pretty weak defense, but it's enough to start the ministers waffling and groveling, and no one will speak in opposition. Mokjong can only sit there in silent disgust as his mother squashes him once again.
"They're social parasites, every single one of them! I want to take all of them and throw them into the river!" Mokjong is back home and venting to his wife about his frustration with the ministers. He's recalling something that Yunheung told him when she was serving him tea: You need to acquire your own men. Men who will be loyal to you, not your mother. Her advice is resonating in his head.
Out on a military training ground: The cavalry and infantry are demonstrating to Cheonchu what they've been learning under Yang Kyu and Kim Sukheung. Good maneuvering, good shooting, good riding. Not perfect, but a very realistic simulation and very impressive. As part of the demonstration we see a new weapon called a spear cart, designed by Yang Kyu to suppress charging horesemen and thereby negate the Khitans' superior cavalry numbers. They don't fire anything; they're just bristling with long, pointy spears and do a good job of obstructing horses. Very clever. Build plenty of them, she says. Then Kim Sukheung makes a weird request of her, or more accurately, of Sa Illa and Hyangbi standing behind her: "May we see a demonstration of martial arts skills from your personal guards?" Huh? "It would inspire our soldiers to train harder to see their breathtaking mastery." Highly doubtful that it's "breathtaking mastery" that the troops want to look at, but the women oblige and do some practice-fighting together. The soldiers cheer. Then another request: they want to see Gang Jo's spearsmanship and ask for a match between him and Yang Kyu. So the two oblige and do some practice-fighting. Yang Kyu credibly holds his own. Lots more cheering. (This last part was all very odd; what was the point?)
Mokjong tells Yi Hyunoon he wants to go out into the city again. And you're going to help me do it, he says. Hyunoon begs off, fearing he'll be killed if anyone finds out what he's doing, but Mokjong replies, "You're forgetting that I can kill you as well." So there.
Merchant Yi tells Chiyang and Sa Gamun about Escort Jo going into Zanli's villa. Chiyang wonders what Yunheung and Zanli would possibly want with each other. He asks Sa Gamun if he can find out what's going on from Dokyun.
Jo Du has brought someone to the front door of a high-class gisaeng house. It's Han Ingyeong, the minister. This is odd. Jo Sun is waiting there and invites him in. Inside, we find Han talking to Kim Wonsoong. Wonsoong has asked a favor of Han, but whatever it is, Han doesn't want to do it. So Wonsoong airs a piece of dirt that he uncovered: "Wasn't it you who snitched on Yi Jibaek, Park Yangyu and Yi Gyeomui?" And from Han's reaction, it sure was. (Which explains how he survived the purge that snagged so many of his colleagues, including his own clansman.) But it's not all blackmail; Han is shown a chest full of what looks like a monstrous amount of money. It must be a hundred times what they gave Yi Hyunoon.
Nighttime: Mokjong sneaks out of bed, puts on his soldier clothes and meets Yi Hyunoon. They scale the palace walls and head outside. He goes to see Yunheung! That advice she gave him about getting his own men really hit home. He asks her about it: Were you suggesting your father? No, he's unfit for it, she says (with the remarkable sense of principle we used to see in her all the time); but she does suggest someone: Kim Shimun. Yes, he was one of the Myeongbok attack plotters who was exiled for life, but he was Mokjong's mentor, which she argues is reason enough to bring him back and restore him to service. And he'll be your man, she tells him, not your mother's. As they talk, he's drinking more of that tea.
Liao royal palace: Empress Dowager Xiao is back and is being filled in on Goryeo's declaration of empire and on Cheonchu now being the all-but-official ruler. Shengzong wants to raise an army immediately and attack Goryeo, but it's just not possible because they've just been fighting Song and don't have the resources or fresh troops for it. Plus, as she says, they're still vulnerable to attack from Song: "I am just as angry as you are. But the war with Song isn't over. Raise an army with the enemy behind us? Please think!" Ouch.
State council meeting: Mokjong is ill, Cheonchu announces, and can't be here. So she makes an announcement without him (like it matters to her): The northern capital is being renamed from Seogyeong to Hogyeong. She says it's because the city "will become the advance base in actively governing the northern frontier" and in moving northward to reclaim the former Goguryeo territory.
Narration explains that this name change actually happened early in Mokjong's reign. Hogyeong was the name of an imperial city in the Chinese Zhou dynasty, which was the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history. This may well have been why the name was chosen.
Dokyun and Sa Gamun are in bed together. But she looks deeply disturbed. "Are you asking me to spy for you?" Obviously he's just asked her what's going on between Zanli and Yunheung. She thinks he's asking her to betray her country, but he says No, I'm just trying to protect you and Zanli. Because Zanli and Yunheung are being watched right now and whatever they're up to, it's going to be exposed eventually and then you'll be thrown out of the country. "I don't want to lose you like that. I want you to stay with me forever." He keeps laying it on until finally she asks, "Can you promise me that the Princess and my people won't get hurt?" (Oh don't tell me she's gonna squeal.)
"What? An addictive herbal concoction?" Chiyang has just told Cheonchu. "The Liao Princess and Lady Yunheung are in it together to destroy him."
The palace is being turned upside down in a frantic search for the emperor. Cheonchu orders the outside city searched.
Yunheung is still talking, but Mokjong is getting irritated with her and leaves rather abruptly. "What have I done?", she wonders to herself. "I just poisoned the child I raised."
Back out in the public square with Yi Hyunoon, an entertainment troupe is performing and Mokjong (still dressed as a soldier) wants to watch it. He's enjoying it immensely...but then everything starts to go blurry for a moment and he staggers. Hyunoon braces him and they agree to head back to he palace. But before they can leave, Mokjong catches sight of one of the female dancers in the troupe and watches her, transfixed. She can throw knives too, and hits a couple of targets; then she dances up to Mokjong and drapes a scarf around him flirtatiously. (The dancer is identified as Yu Hangan; apparently we'll need to remember that name.) As he and Hyunoon leave the square, Mokjong is almost giddy with delight over the dancer. But now he's seriously tripping from the drug; seeing naked people and dancing trees, staggering around, the whole deal. Hyunoon is propping him up and trying to get him back to the palace...and on top of it, now soldiers are in the square searching and Hyunoon is trying to avoid them, fearing for his life. They make it back to the palace wall; Hyunoon barely manages to get the stumbling Mokjong over it, but he does, and then cleverly sneaks him back into his quarters.
Now back outside, Hyunoon is spotted by Cheonchu and Gang Jo, who demand to know what he's doing there. Jo suspects that Hyunoon took Mokjong out of the palace drinking, and Hyunoon is having a hard time explaining himself. But then Mokjong comes outside, dressed in his regular clothes again, and makes his presence known...just long enough to pass out and fall to the ground. It gets Hyunoon off the hook, at least.
Mokjong has been brought inside and put to bed. His worried wife and the royal physician are with him. What happened to him? The physician doesn't think it was a seizure, but he isn't sure what it is. Maybe just excessive drinking. Just let him rest, he says, and he leaves.
Yunheung and Escort Jo are not only worried about what they just did, but how they'll be able to keep doing it. Because it will take more than one dose to get him addicted.
Mokjong revives, but in a fog and he doesn't recognize his wife. "Who are you?" He's thinking about the dancer he saw out in the square...and then suddenly he grabs Sunjeong and pulls her onto the bed with him, and this time it looks like he's going to finish the job.
The trade caravan has returned from Liao. Chiyang is there to greet them. Later, he tells Sa Gamun that the China/Liao war is at a stalemate and that empress dowager Xiao will be returning to the capital soon. And he thinks Dokyun has secret orders from the emperor to deliver to Xiao Zanli. Sa Gamun isn't worried about that-—"She's now under my control," he says (hmmm)--but Chiyang distrusts Zanli greatly. "She's not going to sit around doing nothing."
"So you finally consummated your marriage last night?" Empress Sunjeong is before her very nosy mother-in-law, but she seems fine talking about this. Cheonchu is delighted to hear it. Bring us an imperial prince soon, she says. (No pressure.) Then Hyangbi enters with news that Seo Hui is seriously ill.
Gamchan is tending to the ailing Seo. As he does so, he tells Seo of his belief that Chiyang was somehow involved in Gyeongjuwon's death. He lays out his reasoning; it's an absolutely knockout piece of deduction (seriously--I had to stop typing and just admire it). He's even gone as far as to suspect that the mystery woman with the bamboo hat was Sa Illa. He has no tangible proof of any of this yet, though, and so hasn't discussed it with anyone else. "Then let it go," Seo tells him. You need to assist Cheonchu and strengthen the state's defenses, he advises, because sooner or later the Khitans are going to invade again--he's convinced of it. Gamchan doesn't want the truth to be buried, for Gyeongjuwon's sake, but Seo says the matter will only stir up unrest and Chiyang's guilt will be difficult to prove. And if Chiyang is really up to no good, then you'll get your chance at him again someday. At that moment Cheonchu arrives. Seo presents her with some papers; he's written down some ideas and observations of his regarding state affairs. And he asks her to discuss state affairs with Gamchan from now on. Seo is an old man and looks particularly weak and frail now; clearly he's not long for this world.
"What happened last night?" A hung-over Mokjong asks Hyunoon to fill him in, and Hyunoon does. Mokjong does remember the dancer and asks Hyunoon about her. But Hyunoon has to awkwardly explain that the dancer was a man dressed up as a woman! Apparently that's how the act works; Hyunoon obviously knew it but Mokjong didn't. Then Go Hyun enters, just as Mokjong starts to get a weird look on his face (probably it's dawning on him that he got turned on by a dude). It's time for a state council meeting, Go reminds him, and Cheonchu is away visiting Seo Hui, so you have to run the show yourself. Mokjong has a headache and doesn't want to do it...
...but he sucks it up and goes anyway. "What's on the agenda? Let's get this over with." On the agenda is a question for the new finance commissioner. Ministers have heard that an envoy has been dispatched to Song China, and they grill Chiyang about it. Reluctantly, Chiyang acknowledges that it's true. This sets the ministers buzzing angrily about their not being informed or consulted. He tries to explain that it was done in secret for fear of the Khitans finding out, which only angers the ministers more since it implies their lack of trustworthiness. And they point out that the last time this idea was raised, Cheonchu was totally opposed to it. What changed her mind? Chiyang tries to explain it all, but they finally get around to the point (the one I'm waiting for) that this isn't his business anyway; it's a matter for the Ministry of Rites or Military. They bicker until Mokjong says he's heard enough and orders the whole thing be called off. We can't do that, Chiyang says, to which Mokjong reams him out in front of everyone for his lack of obedience.
Escort Jo goes to Xiao Zanli's villa and is admitted. From a distance, merchant Yi sees this. Inside we find Zanli, her aide Su No, Hyeolmae, Dokyun and Jo. They discuss their addict-the-emperor plot. This is the first Dokyun has heard of it, and she makes a great point: "If they find out he is addicted, they'll immediately know that it's us since they know about the late King." But the other Khitans aren't worried about it; they're only too willing to die, they agree, if they can disrupt Goryeo in the process. (Seems unnecessarily reckless of them.)
"The emperor nullified the plan?" Chiyang has told Cheonchu about the meeting. An angry Cheonchu orders the officials summoned back to the council hall, and the emperor too. Oh not this again.
Meeting #2: Cheonchu explains herself and says the plan will go forward. The officials are silent. Eventually, Choe Hang ventures that it's not the plan that's the problem, it's that the finance commissioner is executing it. It was his idea, she fires back, and he has a Liao trade caravan that brings back information. A pretty weak defense, but it's enough to start the ministers waffling and groveling, and no one will speak in opposition. Mokjong can only sit there in silent disgust as his mother squashes him once again.
"They're social parasites, every single one of them! I want to take all of them and throw them into the river!" Mokjong is back home and venting to his wife about his frustration with the ministers. He's recalling something that Yunheung told him when she was serving him tea: You need to acquire your own men. Men who will be loyal to you, not your mother. Her advice is resonating in his head.
Out on a military training ground: The cavalry and infantry are demonstrating to Cheonchu what they've been learning under Yang Kyu and Kim Sukheung. Good maneuvering, good shooting, good riding. Not perfect, but a very realistic simulation and very impressive. As part of the demonstration we see a new weapon called a spear cart, designed by Yang Kyu to suppress charging horesemen and thereby negate the Khitans' superior cavalry numbers. They don't fire anything; they're just bristling with long, pointy spears and do a good job of obstructing horses. Very clever. Build plenty of them, she says. Then Kim Sukheung makes a weird request of her, or more accurately, of Sa Illa and Hyangbi standing behind her: "May we see a demonstration of martial arts skills from your personal guards?" Huh? "It would inspire our soldiers to train harder to see their breathtaking mastery." Highly doubtful that it's "breathtaking mastery" that the troops want to look at, but the women oblige and do some practice-fighting together. The soldiers cheer. Then another request: they want to see Gang Jo's spearsmanship and ask for a match between him and Yang Kyu. So the two oblige and do some practice-fighting. Yang Kyu credibly holds his own. Lots more cheering. (This last part was all very odd; what was the point?)
Mokjong tells Yi Hyunoon he wants to go out into the city again. And you're going to help me do it, he says. Hyunoon begs off, fearing he'll be killed if anyone finds out what he's doing, but Mokjong replies, "You're forgetting that I can kill you as well." So there.
Merchant Yi tells Chiyang and Sa Gamun about Escort Jo going into Zanli's villa. Chiyang wonders what Yunheung and Zanli would possibly want with each other. He asks Sa Gamun if he can find out what's going on from Dokyun.
Jo Du has brought someone to the front door of a high-class gisaeng house. It's Han Ingyeong, the minister. This is odd. Jo Sun is waiting there and invites him in. Inside, we find Han talking to Kim Wonsoong. Wonsoong has asked a favor of Han, but whatever it is, Han doesn't want to do it. So Wonsoong airs a piece of dirt that he uncovered: "Wasn't it you who snitched on Yi Jibaek, Park Yangyu and Yi Gyeomui?" And from Han's reaction, it sure was. (Which explains how he survived the purge that snagged so many of his colleagues, including his own clansman.) But it's not all blackmail; Han is shown a chest full of what looks like a monstrous amount of money. It must be a hundred times what they gave Yi Hyunoon.
Nighttime: Mokjong sneaks out of bed, puts on his soldier clothes and meets Yi Hyunoon. They scale the palace walls and head outside. He goes to see Yunheung! That advice she gave him about getting his own men really hit home. He asks her about it: Were you suggesting your father? No, he's unfit for it, she says (with the remarkable sense of principle we used to see in her all the time); but she does suggest someone: Kim Shimun. Yes, he was one of the Myeongbok attack plotters who was exiled for life, but he was Mokjong's mentor, which she argues is reason enough to bring him back and restore him to service. And he'll be your man, she tells him, not your mother's. As they talk, he's drinking more of that tea.
Liao royal palace: Empress Dowager Xiao is back and is being filled in on Goryeo's declaration of empire and on Cheonchu now being the all-but-official ruler. Shengzong wants to raise an army immediately and attack Goryeo, but it's just not possible because they've just been fighting Song and don't have the resources or fresh troops for it. Plus, as she says, they're still vulnerable to attack from Song: "I am just as angry as you are. But the war with Song isn't over. Raise an army with the enemy behind us? Please think!" Ouch.
State council meeting: Mokjong is ill, Cheonchu announces, and can't be here. So she makes an announcement without him (like it matters to her): The northern capital is being renamed from Seogyeong to Hogyeong. She says it's because the city "will become the advance base in actively governing the northern frontier" and in moving northward to reclaim the former Goguryeo territory.
Narration explains that this name change actually happened early in Mokjong's reign. Hogyeong was the name of an imperial city in the Chinese Zhou dynasty, which was the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history. This may well have been why the name was chosen.
Dokyun and Sa Gamun are in bed together. But she looks deeply disturbed. "Are you asking me to spy for you?" Obviously he's just asked her what's going on between Zanli and Yunheung. She thinks he's asking her to betray her country, but he says No, I'm just trying to protect you and Zanli. Because Zanli and Yunheung are being watched right now and whatever they're up to, it's going to be exposed eventually and then you'll be thrown out of the country. "I don't want to lose you like that. I want you to stay with me forever." He keeps laying it on until finally she asks, "Can you promise me that the Princess and my people won't get hurt?" (Oh don't tell me she's gonna squeal.)
"What? An addictive herbal concoction?" Chiyang has just told Cheonchu. "The Liao Princess and Lady Yunheung are in it together to destroy him."