Post by ajk on Sept 23, 2009 12:12:47 GMT -5
(Forgive the comment up front, but isn't it time for somebody to switch in a new opening sequence? They keep using the same one, and five of the nine characters in it are dead!)
Mokjong and Milhwa stare at each other for a bit more, and then Milhwa and her attendant walk away. Mokjong decides to follow them. From a distance, we see Jo Du watching. Milhwa gets into a palanquin--wow, they're really going all out to sell her for this--and is taken away.
Cheonchu chews out the empress for her husband's inattentiveness to his duties. Then she apologizes for blaming her. (Ugh.) Sunjeong urges Cheonchu to reach out to her son, saying he doesn't really hate her; he's just feeling rage and despair.
Milhwa steps down from her palanquin and Mokjong confronts her. They're in front of a nice house; Milhwa says she lives there. What do you want, Milhwa asks. "There's only one thing a man wants from a woman," Mokjong replies, but after she rebukes him for that he backs off a bit and asks to come in for tea. Not much chance of that. She goes inside without him. He hasn't identified himself and he thinks she doesn't know who he is. Standing there in front of the house, Mokjong suddenly realizes he's got the hots for Milhwa, and says so to attendant Yu. Jo Du is still spying, and smiles with satisfaction on hearing that.
Hangae Temple: We see Hyangbi talking to the monks, doing a very thorough job of investigating. Afterwards, having found nothing, she goes to an inn for a meal, and happens to ask the waitress if she's ever heard of Kim Chiyang or knows anything about a violent attack thirty years ago. Two customers overhear this, and for a bottle of rice wine offer to tell her what they know. What they know turns out to be hearsay and not all accurate; for instance, they had heard that it wasn't an attack that killed all those monks, it was a disease outbreak. But they also had heard things that we know to be true (from a flashback in Ep29): that the head monk was a Shillan; that Shillan crown prince Mahi didn't die after his kingdom's fall, as was believed, but was secretly hiding out in nearby woods building an army; and that the Shillan monk was one of Mahi's men. Weird, mysterious stuff, but Hyangbi takes it all in.
Back at the gisaeng house: Yang Kyu and Kim Sukheung have been plied with food and drink by Chiyang, but it's getting late and they have to leave now. Chiyang pours them one last drink and asks them if he can think of them as his brothers. "I grew up lonely without siblings," he says. Playing along, they say they'd be honored. Then as they leave, Merchant Yi and Sa Gamun arrive with a chest full of coins; another token of Chiyang's appreciation, they say. Kim's a bit annoyed, but Yang says they'll accept it graciously. Later, Sa Gamun tells Chiyang that they accepted it, and that Yang was especially pleased. Keep sending silk and grain to Yang's family, Chiyang instructs, and start working on junior officers now. "One by one, we'll expand our influence over the entire central army."
Yang and Kim have brought Chiyang's latest offering straight to Gang Gamchan, who laughs about it: "I don't even offer you a glass of water when I see you," he tells them. The two generals complain because they don't like eating at the gisaeng house and don't know what to do with all of these coins they're getting. Gamchan laughs again--"Boy, the two of you are helpless country bumpkins!"--but asks them to keep getting closer to Chiyang and watching him.
Back at the royal palace: Mokjong tells attendant Yu to find out whatever he can about Milhwa. Then Sa Illa arrives; Cheonchu is asking to see him.
So he goes. She tries to be pleasant with him, and then gently raises the issue about the Song envoy coming. Protocol dictates that he be there to receive the envoy, so she asks him to be there. "I see," he says. "So you need a dummy again." He won't do it. He complains about his continuing powerlessness, and is still steamed about her blaming him for the poisoning attempt. Eventually she loses patience and insists that he attend. Doesn't look like he's gonna cooperate, though.
Jo Du reports back to Wonsoong and Yunheung about Milhwa's success in getting Mokjong's attention.
Evening: Mokjong is sitting in bed with Sunjeong, but is distracted thinking about Milhwa. Sunjeong tries to talk him into attending the diplomatic reception, and encourages him not to run from his problems. "You are more than capable of leading the state," she tells him, and gives him a bit of a pep talk.
Cheonchu, to our surprise, is suddenly mulling over Gamchan's earlier proposal that she turn domestic affairs over to Mokjong. Might this break the impasse between them?
The next morning's state council meeting: Yep, she's just announced it. Chiyang jumps all over it, calling Mokjong unfit to lead the state, but Gamchan sticks up for the plan and everyone else speaks in favor of it too. After all, it's only an audition of sorts, and if Mokjong fails at it, Cheonchu can take the domestic affairs right back. Chiyang keeps arguing, but he's the only one, and eventually Cheonchu has heard enough and cuts him off. So it's done.
Later, in private, Chiyang urges Cheonchu to reconsider. But she offers him a long overdue piece of advice: "Don't say nay every time when everyone else says aye. It doesn't help anyone." You're in a sensitive position as the father of my child and I can't be seen as playing favorites, even if I agree with you. And stop bad-mouthing the emperor; you're only going to isolate yourself. Chiyang nods and understands; he's been pushy and argumentative in council meetings since day one and he needed to hear this. Then Sa Illa enters with news that Mokjong has left the palace again, but this time is secretly being followed by his guards.
Mokjong, with attendant Yu, is in front of Milhwa's house. Rather than knock on the door, he climbs up over the front wall and into the front courtyard. Yu is obliged to follow. In the yard, they spot Milhwa on a patio trying to play a stringed musical instrument (and she's just awful at it; totally clueless). Suddenly a group of men comes running and surrounds the two, thinking they're intruders. Hangan briefly fends them off with a bit of his old knife-throwing skill and a bit of martial arts. But that doesn't work for very long and soon the head man, identified as Kim Yungdae, has his hands on Mokjong's throat. Fortunately the soldiers who were following Mokjong barge in at that very moment, and it all gets sorted out. Then Milhwa walks up to them.
Inside, Milhwa admits to the emperor that she and her staff made a mistake in not recognizing him but suggests that his own behavior was beneath him. Blunt talk to an emperor and he calls her on it, but she holds firm: "If honesty is a crime punishable by death, do as you wish." He seems impressed by her strength. She also says during the conversation that Yungdae is her brother.
Hyangbi arrives home and tells Gang Jo she learned nothing new. But she's still bugged that none of the monks knew anything. And she mentions the strange stories she heard at the inn, about the Shillan head monk and the secret army in the woods. "But that has no connection to KC," Gang Jo says, and tells her to forget it; it's a dead end. She doesn't look like she's ready to let it go, though.
Sa Gamun tells Chiyang not to worry about the transfer of domestic affairs, arguing that Mokjong won't have the skill to handle them competently. Then Mun Inui arrives; Chiyang had sent him to the government's mint to check on this situation about the apparent overabundance of coins. "They said there is no way there could be so many coins in circulation."
At Yunheung's villa: Yunheung, Wonsoong and Jo Sun are laughing about the fracas at Milhwa's house, which we learn is called Yoseoktek. They realize they need to have a trusted "front man" to monitor things there for them and send back reports. But who?
Yu Bang reports to Cheonchu about her son's adventure and the beautiful woman. Cheonchu wonders who this woman is. Yu tells her he tried to find out who owned the estate but was unsuccessful.
Mokjong is back home. He comments to attendant Yu that Milhwa's brother doesn't look like her. (True, and probably he's not her real brother; just another part of the deception.) Then Cheonchu arrives to talk to him. "Are you attracted to the woman?" Just call her into the palace, she suggests with a smile; you're the emperor and you don't need to go out jumping walls. But that's not why she's here; she came to tell him about the domestic affairs transfer. He fires back with the usual bitter cynicism, but she tells him it's for real and she's trusting him now "so you try your best to govern the empire in a manner that will earn you respect." He realizes she means it this time. And she asks, Can I count on you to be there to receive the Song envoy? Well, what can he say now.
We see the Song minister of military arrive at a nearby port. Narration tells us that according to historical record this was a difficult, month-long journey for Song envoys to undertake.
It's the formal diplomatic reception. Cheonchu and Mokjong receive the envoy; many ministers are present. The envoy seems like a decent sort, nice enough, respectful, and happy to be visiting Goryeo. But he quickly gets down to business and asks Cheonchu for Goryeo's help in winning the final battle with the Khitans that Song is about to launch. He's aware that Goryeo established sibling ties with Liao "But I ask that you honor your prior agreement with us first." (Okay, so they DO still have that agreement. This has been unclear in the storyline for quite a while.) He reminds Cheonchu that it was a Song military advance during Goryeo's recent staredown with the Khitans that forced the Khitans to turn their advancing army around. That's true, Cheonchu acknowledges, but "we are not a powerful state like Song China. It is not easy for us to go up against the powerful Khitan." Huh? What's she playing at? The envoy is 100 percent right and she shouldn't be rebuffing him. "Does this mean you are refusing to help?" Ministers are practically holding their breath watching this. "My answer depends on what Song is willing to offer in return." The envoy smiles. He gets it; she wants to negotiate something. "What do you seek?" Well done, lady; big-time credit.
"She asked for the old Balhae territory?" Gamchan wasn't at the reception but is being briefed by ministers. Cheonchu asked for a whopping big hunk of Liao territory, and the ministers were thoroughly impressed with her cool and resolve in doing it. And Song isn't really in any position to turn her down. (Plus it isn't something they should have too much of a problem with anyway.) Gang Jo and Dae Dosu, former Balhaeans, are thrilled at the prospect of getting their old territory back.
Gang Jo and Hyangbi are at home, talking about Balhae. Then Hyangbi changes the subject, pressing once again about that Hangae Temple matter. She wants him to talk to Gamchan about it, and also thinks that Mun Inui might know a thing or two since he was Choe Sum's steward. But Jo doesn't want to bother Gamchan and certainly doesn't want to alert someone who's allied with Chiyang that he's asking questions about Chiyang again. So he asks her once more to just let it go.
A dark corner outside of some building: Attendant Yu reports to Mun Inui.
Inui goes back to Chiyang to pass along the report, about Mokjong and that woman. This isn't just another of Mokjong's frolics, Inui realizes; it's odd because "he's really fallen for this woman." Then Sa Gamun comes in with word that a woman was at Hangae temple asking about him (Chiyang). They wonder if Gang Jo sent Hyangbi; he sent someone else there once before. "But why again after all these years?"
State council meeting: Choe Hang informs Cheonchu that the Khitans are sending an envoy of their own; it's Yelu Dilie and he'll be here in two weeks. The Song envoy will still be here in two weeks, they realize; what if they find out about each other? An interesting debate breaks out. Cheonchu not only is okay with them knowing about each other, but says Let them compete for our help. Some ministers disagree, calling it inappropriate and undignified behavior for a government, and saying it could end up offending both countries. But Cheonchu sees an opportunity and wants to maximize it: "The ball is in our court. It's time to make the most of it." Gamchan agrees.
Liao: Battle preparations are underway. Chengtian is tense; war is approaching and the odds aren't good for them. She tells her son she regrets letting Cheonchu live and sending her back, and she warns him not to provoke Cheonchu even after she (Chengtian) is dead and gone and he has full power. Shengzong tells her he understands (but you know he wouldn't be able to control himself even if he wanted to).
Dokyun is nauseous from her pregnancy. She tells Sa Gamun, "This is all your fault." (Insert your own joke here.) Merchant Yi tells Sa Gamun that a Liao envoy is coming, and that undoubtedly a trade caravan will be accompanying him. He suggests preparing some stuff to send back.
Two weeks later: Dilie arrives at the palace and runs right into the Song envoy. A good old-fashioned staredown before Dilie heads on. The Goryean ministers accompanying each envoy smile amongst themselves. That was pre-planned!
Now it's Dilie's turn to be formally received. Dilie pays his respects to Mokjong and Cheonchu. Mokjong actually gives Dilie some flak in return: "It seems like just yesterday you stood there threatening me and refusing to acknowledge Goryeo as an empire." Which isn't the most gracious response, but you just know Cheonchu is gonna love that kind of feistiness and sure enough, she turns and smiles at him, half stunned and half proud. Dilie apologizes for his "mistake" that day--he's in no position to do anything else--and it's quickly forgotten. Then Dilie asks to speak to Cheonchu in private. She agrees.
Dilie is sitting with Cheonchu in her chambers. He calls out for someone to be admitted in. It's a guard, and guards aren't to be allowed in, but Dilie says it's not a guard. What's the deal? The guard enters. It's PRIME MINISTER HAN! Dressed as a soldier. Cheonchu stands up, wide-eyed and speechless.
Mokjong and Milhwa stare at each other for a bit more, and then Milhwa and her attendant walk away. Mokjong decides to follow them. From a distance, we see Jo Du watching. Milhwa gets into a palanquin--wow, they're really going all out to sell her for this--and is taken away.
Cheonchu chews out the empress for her husband's inattentiveness to his duties. Then she apologizes for blaming her. (Ugh.) Sunjeong urges Cheonchu to reach out to her son, saying he doesn't really hate her; he's just feeling rage and despair.
Milhwa steps down from her palanquin and Mokjong confronts her. They're in front of a nice house; Milhwa says she lives there. What do you want, Milhwa asks. "There's only one thing a man wants from a woman," Mokjong replies, but after she rebukes him for that he backs off a bit and asks to come in for tea. Not much chance of that. She goes inside without him. He hasn't identified himself and he thinks she doesn't know who he is. Standing there in front of the house, Mokjong suddenly realizes he's got the hots for Milhwa, and says so to attendant Yu. Jo Du is still spying, and smiles with satisfaction on hearing that.
Hangae Temple: We see Hyangbi talking to the monks, doing a very thorough job of investigating. Afterwards, having found nothing, she goes to an inn for a meal, and happens to ask the waitress if she's ever heard of Kim Chiyang or knows anything about a violent attack thirty years ago. Two customers overhear this, and for a bottle of rice wine offer to tell her what they know. What they know turns out to be hearsay and not all accurate; for instance, they had heard that it wasn't an attack that killed all those monks, it was a disease outbreak. But they also had heard things that we know to be true (from a flashback in Ep29): that the head monk was a Shillan; that Shillan crown prince Mahi didn't die after his kingdom's fall, as was believed, but was secretly hiding out in nearby woods building an army; and that the Shillan monk was one of Mahi's men. Weird, mysterious stuff, but Hyangbi takes it all in.
Back at the gisaeng house: Yang Kyu and Kim Sukheung have been plied with food and drink by Chiyang, but it's getting late and they have to leave now. Chiyang pours them one last drink and asks them if he can think of them as his brothers. "I grew up lonely without siblings," he says. Playing along, they say they'd be honored. Then as they leave, Merchant Yi and Sa Gamun arrive with a chest full of coins; another token of Chiyang's appreciation, they say. Kim's a bit annoyed, but Yang says they'll accept it graciously. Later, Sa Gamun tells Chiyang that they accepted it, and that Yang was especially pleased. Keep sending silk and grain to Yang's family, Chiyang instructs, and start working on junior officers now. "One by one, we'll expand our influence over the entire central army."
Yang and Kim have brought Chiyang's latest offering straight to Gang Gamchan, who laughs about it: "I don't even offer you a glass of water when I see you," he tells them. The two generals complain because they don't like eating at the gisaeng house and don't know what to do with all of these coins they're getting. Gamchan laughs again--"Boy, the two of you are helpless country bumpkins!"--but asks them to keep getting closer to Chiyang and watching him.
Back at the royal palace: Mokjong tells attendant Yu to find out whatever he can about Milhwa. Then Sa Illa arrives; Cheonchu is asking to see him.
So he goes. She tries to be pleasant with him, and then gently raises the issue about the Song envoy coming. Protocol dictates that he be there to receive the envoy, so she asks him to be there. "I see," he says. "So you need a dummy again." He won't do it. He complains about his continuing powerlessness, and is still steamed about her blaming him for the poisoning attempt. Eventually she loses patience and insists that he attend. Doesn't look like he's gonna cooperate, though.
Jo Du reports back to Wonsoong and Yunheung about Milhwa's success in getting Mokjong's attention.
Evening: Mokjong is sitting in bed with Sunjeong, but is distracted thinking about Milhwa. Sunjeong tries to talk him into attending the diplomatic reception, and encourages him not to run from his problems. "You are more than capable of leading the state," she tells him, and gives him a bit of a pep talk.
Cheonchu, to our surprise, is suddenly mulling over Gamchan's earlier proposal that she turn domestic affairs over to Mokjong. Might this break the impasse between them?
The next morning's state council meeting: Yep, she's just announced it. Chiyang jumps all over it, calling Mokjong unfit to lead the state, but Gamchan sticks up for the plan and everyone else speaks in favor of it too. After all, it's only an audition of sorts, and if Mokjong fails at it, Cheonchu can take the domestic affairs right back. Chiyang keeps arguing, but he's the only one, and eventually Cheonchu has heard enough and cuts him off. So it's done.
Later, in private, Chiyang urges Cheonchu to reconsider. But she offers him a long overdue piece of advice: "Don't say nay every time when everyone else says aye. It doesn't help anyone." You're in a sensitive position as the father of my child and I can't be seen as playing favorites, even if I agree with you. And stop bad-mouthing the emperor; you're only going to isolate yourself. Chiyang nods and understands; he's been pushy and argumentative in council meetings since day one and he needed to hear this. Then Sa Illa enters with news that Mokjong has left the palace again, but this time is secretly being followed by his guards.
Mokjong, with attendant Yu, is in front of Milhwa's house. Rather than knock on the door, he climbs up over the front wall and into the front courtyard. Yu is obliged to follow. In the yard, they spot Milhwa on a patio trying to play a stringed musical instrument (and she's just awful at it; totally clueless). Suddenly a group of men comes running and surrounds the two, thinking they're intruders. Hangan briefly fends them off with a bit of his old knife-throwing skill and a bit of martial arts. But that doesn't work for very long and soon the head man, identified as Kim Yungdae, has his hands on Mokjong's throat. Fortunately the soldiers who were following Mokjong barge in at that very moment, and it all gets sorted out. Then Milhwa walks up to them.
Inside, Milhwa admits to the emperor that she and her staff made a mistake in not recognizing him but suggests that his own behavior was beneath him. Blunt talk to an emperor and he calls her on it, but she holds firm: "If honesty is a crime punishable by death, do as you wish." He seems impressed by her strength. She also says during the conversation that Yungdae is her brother.
Hyangbi arrives home and tells Gang Jo she learned nothing new. But she's still bugged that none of the monks knew anything. And she mentions the strange stories she heard at the inn, about the Shillan head monk and the secret army in the woods. "But that has no connection to KC," Gang Jo says, and tells her to forget it; it's a dead end. She doesn't look like she's ready to let it go, though.
Sa Gamun tells Chiyang not to worry about the transfer of domestic affairs, arguing that Mokjong won't have the skill to handle them competently. Then Mun Inui arrives; Chiyang had sent him to the government's mint to check on this situation about the apparent overabundance of coins. "They said there is no way there could be so many coins in circulation."
At Yunheung's villa: Yunheung, Wonsoong and Jo Sun are laughing about the fracas at Milhwa's house, which we learn is called Yoseoktek. They realize they need to have a trusted "front man" to monitor things there for them and send back reports. But who?
Yu Bang reports to Cheonchu about her son's adventure and the beautiful woman. Cheonchu wonders who this woman is. Yu tells her he tried to find out who owned the estate but was unsuccessful.
Mokjong is back home. He comments to attendant Yu that Milhwa's brother doesn't look like her. (True, and probably he's not her real brother; just another part of the deception.) Then Cheonchu arrives to talk to him. "Are you attracted to the woman?" Just call her into the palace, she suggests with a smile; you're the emperor and you don't need to go out jumping walls. But that's not why she's here; she came to tell him about the domestic affairs transfer. He fires back with the usual bitter cynicism, but she tells him it's for real and she's trusting him now "so you try your best to govern the empire in a manner that will earn you respect." He realizes she means it this time. And she asks, Can I count on you to be there to receive the Song envoy? Well, what can he say now.
We see the Song minister of military arrive at a nearby port. Narration tells us that according to historical record this was a difficult, month-long journey for Song envoys to undertake.
It's the formal diplomatic reception. Cheonchu and Mokjong receive the envoy; many ministers are present. The envoy seems like a decent sort, nice enough, respectful, and happy to be visiting Goryeo. But he quickly gets down to business and asks Cheonchu for Goryeo's help in winning the final battle with the Khitans that Song is about to launch. He's aware that Goryeo established sibling ties with Liao "But I ask that you honor your prior agreement with us first." (Okay, so they DO still have that agreement. This has been unclear in the storyline for quite a while.) He reminds Cheonchu that it was a Song military advance during Goryeo's recent staredown with the Khitans that forced the Khitans to turn their advancing army around. That's true, Cheonchu acknowledges, but "we are not a powerful state like Song China. It is not easy for us to go up against the powerful Khitan." Huh? What's she playing at? The envoy is 100 percent right and she shouldn't be rebuffing him. "Does this mean you are refusing to help?" Ministers are practically holding their breath watching this. "My answer depends on what Song is willing to offer in return." The envoy smiles. He gets it; she wants to negotiate something. "What do you seek?" Well done, lady; big-time credit.
"She asked for the old Balhae territory?" Gamchan wasn't at the reception but is being briefed by ministers. Cheonchu asked for a whopping big hunk of Liao territory, and the ministers were thoroughly impressed with her cool and resolve in doing it. And Song isn't really in any position to turn her down. (Plus it isn't something they should have too much of a problem with anyway.) Gang Jo and Dae Dosu, former Balhaeans, are thrilled at the prospect of getting their old territory back.
Gang Jo and Hyangbi are at home, talking about Balhae. Then Hyangbi changes the subject, pressing once again about that Hangae Temple matter. She wants him to talk to Gamchan about it, and also thinks that Mun Inui might know a thing or two since he was Choe Sum's steward. But Jo doesn't want to bother Gamchan and certainly doesn't want to alert someone who's allied with Chiyang that he's asking questions about Chiyang again. So he asks her once more to just let it go.
A dark corner outside of some building: Attendant Yu reports to Mun Inui.
Inui goes back to Chiyang to pass along the report, about Mokjong and that woman. This isn't just another of Mokjong's frolics, Inui realizes; it's odd because "he's really fallen for this woman." Then Sa Gamun comes in with word that a woman was at Hangae temple asking about him (Chiyang). They wonder if Gang Jo sent Hyangbi; he sent someone else there once before. "But why again after all these years?"
State council meeting: Choe Hang informs Cheonchu that the Khitans are sending an envoy of their own; it's Yelu Dilie and he'll be here in two weeks. The Song envoy will still be here in two weeks, they realize; what if they find out about each other? An interesting debate breaks out. Cheonchu not only is okay with them knowing about each other, but says Let them compete for our help. Some ministers disagree, calling it inappropriate and undignified behavior for a government, and saying it could end up offending both countries. But Cheonchu sees an opportunity and wants to maximize it: "The ball is in our court. It's time to make the most of it." Gamchan agrees.
Liao: Battle preparations are underway. Chengtian is tense; war is approaching and the odds aren't good for them. She tells her son she regrets letting Cheonchu live and sending her back, and she warns him not to provoke Cheonchu even after she (Chengtian) is dead and gone and he has full power. Shengzong tells her he understands (but you know he wouldn't be able to control himself even if he wanted to).
Dokyun is nauseous from her pregnancy. She tells Sa Gamun, "This is all your fault." (Insert your own joke here.) Merchant Yi tells Sa Gamun that a Liao envoy is coming, and that undoubtedly a trade caravan will be accompanying him. He suggests preparing some stuff to send back.
Two weeks later: Dilie arrives at the palace and runs right into the Song envoy. A good old-fashioned staredown before Dilie heads on. The Goryean ministers accompanying each envoy smile amongst themselves. That was pre-planned!
Now it's Dilie's turn to be formally received. Dilie pays his respects to Mokjong and Cheonchu. Mokjong actually gives Dilie some flak in return: "It seems like just yesterday you stood there threatening me and refusing to acknowledge Goryeo as an empire." Which isn't the most gracious response, but you just know Cheonchu is gonna love that kind of feistiness and sure enough, she turns and smiles at him, half stunned and half proud. Dilie apologizes for his "mistake" that day--he's in no position to do anything else--and it's quickly forgotten. Then Dilie asks to speak to Cheonchu in private. She agrees.
Dilie is sitting with Cheonchu in her chambers. He calls out for someone to be admitted in. It's a guard, and guards aren't to be allowed in, but Dilie says it's not a guard. What's the deal? The guard enters. It's PRIME MINISTER HAN! Dressed as a soldier. Cheonchu stands up, wide-eyed and speechless.