Post by ajk on Jun 22, 2012 23:29:33 GMT -5
Just as the woozy Deokman starts to focus on Cheonmyeong's face, who should come into the yard but the king himself. Sees Hwajung lying there dead. Cheonmyeong tells him that Yushin captured the would-be assassin and that Deokman "was with another Hwarang" (a cover story to save her own reputation) and is innocent. And then adds that the dead Gayan's suicide "makes it hard to find the one behind the plot." Wow--correctly sensing that Hwajung didn't act alone, even Mishil's eyebrows jump at that one.
Later, Cheonmyeong explains tells her parents about Deokman's role in her Manno adventure and how he (she) made it possible to bring Seohyeon to the capital. So that's why she got him a Hwarang position. "He and Yushin are like my wings" she says. Or at least they will be if and when I can make them my direct subordinates. The king okays that, with her mother cautioning discretion about being seen too much hanging around with Hwarang and particularly with a trainee. This makes the princess very happy.
An exhausted Deokman has been sleeping at the DFers' home, recovering from the torture. She revives to find Yushin there; he confirms that yes, the monk and the princess are the same person. And who walks in, right on cue. Cheonmyeong is checking on Deokman's condition. Deokman is okay, but not sure how to act now that she knows she's talking to royalty. Doesn't help that Yushin is pressing her to get on her knees and act formally; she doesn't want to. We're old friends, the princess assures Yushin. She tells them how grateful she is to both of them for helping her back in Manno.
"Pardon me, sire? You want the princess to do this herself?" The king has summoned his ally Councilor Eulje. We're tossed into the middle of a conversation about something that could lead to Cheonmyeong becoming as powerful as Mishil. Not sure what....
Cheonmyeong and Deokman are walking and talking. The princess says, "I'm worthy of your trust--of giving up your promise to your mom." And explains that she wants to wrestle Shilla away from Mishil. Deokman fires back, "And what would you do with it?" A nebulous response: "Dream...the impossible." King Jinheung, she explains, was worried about Shilla's future, and "hoped Shilla would realize an impossible dream." I hope to know what that means, she says. And then confesses to a feeling of a lack of accomplishment in her own life, even as others like Deokman have accomplished things for themselves. There's an interesting insight..."But I will surely do something as well," she believes. "With your help."
"You disappoint me." Not the kind of thing a son ever wants to hear from a parent. Especially when it's someone like Mishil saying it--yikes. "You made a bad job of it," she tells Bojong. Only kill useless people, she advises. "If a talented man [like Seohyeon] can be used, it's best to use him." She continues, "You might think we're in control. So it might seem, but it's not true. Not at all." Really? "People are loyal to us precisely because we are NOT royals." We can't try to take the throne ourselves, she says, so we need as many allies as possible to keep our power. Seolwon is there and adds that we need to trust in Mishil and not act on our own. "To me she is always right, and she will always be above me. That is what I believe." Suck-up. But spoken in earnest, clearly. Then Hajong enters with the uncomfortable news that Kim Seohyeon and Princess Manmyeong want to see Mishil; now that their noble status has been reinstated, they want the official paperwork on that taken care of. With a grin of amusement, she leaves and goes into another room...
...where the pair are waiting for her. Without hesitation she sits down at a desk to finalize the paperwork that apparently is already there waiting for her. As she does, she starts up some not-so-small small talk: "I can't help but wonder: what makes you so loyal to the king?" Because the king has no heir, she says, "Only I can give you what you want." Seohyeon has no idea what that means, or what it is that she thinks he wants. "Enough pretense," she says. "We both know your ambitions rival my own." Seohyeon stares. "You're not saying you married the princess for love, are you?" Ouch! Manmyeong lashes out at that, and Mishil patronizingly answers, "Of course it was love, I'm sure!" But, she adds, "can you be sure there were no other motives?" And turns to Seohyeon and simply says, "My compliments." And then with a smile, affixes the royal seal to the paperwork. In the next moment, Manmyeong fires back at her. "Now that my royal status is returned to me, I think it's time you remembered your place. As a consort, nothing more." From what little we know about Mishil, that's gotta be a kick in the gut...but it looks like one she was expecting. Because she simply smiles and says, "Quite right, my lady. This lowly consort offers her humblest respects." Manmyeong literally snatches the stamped scroll out of Mishil's hands and leaves. Seohyeon, who's been oddly silent throughout--Did Mishil hit a little too close to home?--follows a moment later.
Outside, the couple walk away from the building. "Don't let her bother you," Manmyeong advises. Seohyeon acts like he has to say something, but Manmyeong offers the most amazing line of the series so far: "All love has some ambition, doesn't it?" Of course her being a princess mattered, and she's more than sensible enough to face that fact. "But I chose you. Your hopes and dreams are mine." Seohyeon nods, probably grateful for such insightfulness in his wife...and they walk on. Behind them, Mishil watches them leave the front yard, and asks Seolwon, What's Seohyeon's weakness? That would be Yushin, Seolwon answers. "Find someone in his retinue we can coerce to our side." And as for that Deokman, what's between him and the princess? They don't understand it, but Seolwon's going to look into it.
Cheonmyeong is talking with Yushin and Deokman. She tells Yushin that Deokman complains about him behind his back, and thinks it's funny to tell Yushin this (which it isn't; it's totally uncool). But Eulje, of all people, interrupts them with a visit; he's been instructed to take her somewhere.
He takes her to some sort of basement. It's the royal family's storehouse. (By the way, didn't he ground her, and then she disobeyed him by sneaking out? Whatever happened about that? UGH.) She's never been here before, but the king has granted her access to it. And among the stored scrolls, Eulje shows her one. A scroll written by King Jinheung, to Munno. "Find Mishil's source of power," it instructs. Eulje adds that Jinheung could sense that Mishil was hiding something from him. Something that happened while he was off leading his army in battle. Mishil made use of the Hwarang somehow to gain internal political power. He explains that it all started with a terrible drought, which (as we learned in Great King Sejong!) can be taken as a heavenly sign of disfavor with a king. Many rain rituals were tried without success...until one day Mishil went to the rain altar and lo and behold, it started to rain. "Since then," Eulje says, "the people have believed Mishil to have a divine mandate." And presides to this day over ceremonies that a royal should be presiding over. And this, Eulje explains, forces the king to consult with her on all of his decisions. It seems like an absurdly flimsy story, that a single lucky score on a rain ritual would make her the king's all-but-co-equal, but it must not be the entire story because of this unknown "source" that gave her power and still holds it for her. Munno didn't crack this mystery, we learn, but he did leave a written record of some sort. Which Eulje now shows to Cheonmyeong.
Back in Cheonmyeong's sitting room, where Yushin and Deokman have waited, we learn that Imjong (the elite Hwarang allied with Kim Yongchun), who now holds Munno's position, found this written record just recently during an annual Hwarang ritual at the site of Munno's training facility. (Good thing Yongchun found it, because if any of the Hwarang allied with Mishil had found it, it would never have made it to the storehouse.) It's a detailed record of a search of some sort that Munno made at a chapel called Danchun, on Mount Yeoam. Deokman notices a mention of someone named Sadaham, who Eulje says was "Mishil's first love." This is a well-known story in Shilla; they fell in love at 18, but then Sadaham was called to battle against Gaya, and by the time he returned, Mishil had married Sejong. Yushin knows the story, too; he adds that a friend of Sadaham's named Mugwan committed suicide and then shortly after that, so did Sadaham. His dying gesture was to leave a plum blossom for Mishil--and that gesture is mentioned in Munno's record. Why?
"They're bringing Sadaham's Plum Blossoms?" Mishil gets news from Seori (Haven't seen her in a while) that she's very happy to hear. She's waited a long time for this. "You're going to be very busy," Mishil tells Misaeng with a smile. Misaeng isn't worried; it's all in a protocol officer's job, he says (so now we know he's a protocol officer). They'll be here within ten days. Whatever this plum thing is, it's a very big deal to Mishil.
Eulje tells the princess, The king wants you to finish what Munno started. Solve the mystery.
The king is told that the envoy's party has embarked from Danghan Fortress. Arab, Indian and Siamese merchants will be accompanying him. The king asks, "And is he bringing the item we asked for?" Don't know, Misaeng tells him. The king is sitting with Misaeng, Sejong and Hajong, which is surprising to us. We also get word that some foreign merchants will be arriving too.
Seori's at the Hwarang kitchen. They'll be preparing the meals for the foreign merchants. Seori has brought something that was obtained through a Sui envoy; it's curry, for an Indian merchant's meals. The women are excited at the chance to cook for the foreign guests. Be careful with the curry, Seori warns; it's valuable stuff and was tough to get.
As they serve the Hwarang their lunch, the women share their news. It's good news for the Hwarang too, apparently, because they'll get assigned to security duty and that gives them a break from training.
Cheonmyeong is dispensing assignments to the elite Hwarang. They'll all have responsibilities for the merchants' visit. And she tells them to try to learn about them and to act like diplomats--make Shilla look good. Where's Yushin? Not here. "He has his own assignment," the princess says.
Yes he does. We see him and Deokman scurrying through the countryside.
Mishil is seeing Misaeng and Seori off. "We need the gold," Misaeng says (this just keeps getting weirder). Mishil asks them if they'd mind stopping at Mount Yeoam on the way back. "Our friend there suffers from stress. Good news might be welcome." They'll do it. And they leave--with a squad of troops accompanying them. Really? Misaeng is a councilor, of course, but still...Right now, this is all a mystery to us.
What a gorgeous landscape. This is Mount Yeoam; Yushin and Deokman have arrived. And they're searching....
Bojong tells his father that Misaeng and Seori have left. Seolwon isn't surprised: "Just like they do every time the merchants come." Now THAT is weird (What are they, anti-capitalists?) He doesn't know why. But he does know what a Sadaham's Plum Blossom is--and he won't tell Bojong, who's asked him.
...still walking around, and now Deokman accuses Yushin of having no sense of direction. But Yushin knows of a hermitage nearby where they can get some water. So they head there, and as they enter, who do they see there but Misaeng and Seori. They duck out of sight...
A monk tells Misaeng and Seori, "I'm sorry but he's not seeing anyone." Unfazed, Seori tells him, "Sadaham's Plum Blossom is on the way." Doink! The monk's eyes widen. Well that's different; come in, he says, and I'll ask again. Yushin and Deokman have managed to overhear it all; realizing that some big secret is bubbling here, they decide to race back to inform the princess.
And they do; we see them in her sitting room again. But she doesn't know what this means either.
Nighttime: Mishil is alone, staring at a tree. Lost in thought. Seori walks up to her. "Do you still blame yourself?" This tree, it turns out, was where Mishil and Sadaham made their plans to marry. (Not likely, because it would have been no more than a sapling sixty years ago! Unless this is a rare ageless tree.) "But I couldn't keep that promise," she says, with surprising remorse. "No, I DIDN'T keep that promise." And then, "All the other men wanted something from me. But not Sadaham. He gave everything and asked for nothing." And suddenly we've flashbacked to a young Sadaham standing beneath the tree (I'll be darned--it IS an ageless tree!) waiting for Mishil...and then a young Mishil running to the tree but not finding Sadaham, but finding a small wooden box he's left for her, on top of which is a plum blossom. [Added new link in info thread on plum blossoms.] ...flashback over, Mishil tells Seori, "Without Sadaham's gift, I wouldn't be where I am today." Yow-wee--what the heck was in that box? "He only wanted to help me. How could I ever forget a man like that?" Then she manages to shake off her thoughts enough to ask Seori how things went. It won't be easy, Seori tells her, because of the quantity. Whatever...Oh, and "Our friend at Yeoam wants to see you." Now Misaeng shows up, with a Hwarang accompanying him...and with Bojong sneaking alongside to keep a surreptitious eye on him, as Seolwon had asked him to do. The new face is Daenambo, leader of the White Fox corps and another of the ten elite Hwarang. Misaeng tells his sister, "He is the best martial artist among my many sons." So this makes him Mishil's nephew, whether or not that turns out to mean anything. Mishil looks at him: "Are you sure of your skills?" Daenambo answers, Yes, but I'm not Bojong's equal yet. "Surpass him," Mishil instructs. Another bizarre exchange--and considering that Bojong is Mishil's own son, a disturbing one. Misaeng adds, "From now on you'll be Mishil's shadow." Bojong is as baffled as we are.
Cheonmyeong, Yushin and Deokman agree that they have to find out which merchant is bringing this Sadaham's Plum Blossom thing so they can learn about it. It won't be easy to get near the merchants' quarters. Yes, the Hwarang provide security, but the Heaven Stars corps won that honor (apparently it's an honor) in a competition recently. Same with cultural events; Hwarang access by award only. "Be patient," the princess tells them; "I'll see what I can do."
Hajong has brought Misaeng to a gisaeng house. He wants to know what Misaeng does when the merchants come to town. He hopes the liquor will loosen his tongue...but it doesn't.
Cheonmyeong tells her father, Eulje, and Kim Yongchun what Yushin and Deokman saw and heard. The king listens, thinks, and then says to Yongchun, "Go there." Go with Kim Seohyeon to that chapel and search the place from top to bottom.
Now we see Yongchun, Seohyeon, Yushin and Deokman leading a group of two dozen or so torch-bearing soldiers through the countryside at night, until they reach the chapel. Seems like a very crude and maybe even rash tactic, but the die is cast. Seohyeon tells the head monk, "You may have a Baekje spy hiding here." As a pretext to search the place. Seohyeon orders everyone to separate and search the place...and in the next moment, the front door to one of the buildings opens and who comes walking out but Mishil! (Really, she just slipped out of the capital like that without everybody knowing? Ugh.) "I come here for peace of mind," she tells Seohyeon with a smile, and then a long, uncomfortable silence as everybody just stands there knowing that everybody is full of baloney. But the search goes forward. A weird kind of search, with everybody running back and forth and Mishil just standing there with a blank smile on her face knowing they won't find what they're looking for (and we know it too, so there's no suspense here). The running around stops, search over, nothing. "He must have escaped," Mishil tells Seohyeon, "or your men made a mistake in the dark." As they leave, Seohyeon is unhappy with the whole episode because "We've startled the snake and given away our position." Another one of those 36 Strategems that have been quoted before; it advises not startling the snake by beating the grass and causing unnecessary repercussions. So yeah, it was a rash move. [Added new link in info thread on the Thirty-Six Strategems.]
Later a worried Misaeng arrives at the chapel, and is relieved to learn that nothing was discovered. Surprisingly, she's angry with him for the close call; we don't know why. But no harm done in the end, because, we learn, "they were looking for a something...and not a somebody." And then Mishil approaches one of the monks--there were a couple of brief glimpses of this monk during the commotion, as though he might mean something--and obviously he does, because Mishil addresses this person with respect like he's uniquely valuable to her. "You must have been very frightened," Mishil says to the man, and tells him they'll have to relocate him now. (And now that we've gotten a good look at him, I swear the guy could be Munno's grandfather. Uncanny.)
The king gets the bad news about the mission's failure. "Then all we can do is watch the merchants," he realizes, and see who brings Sadaham's Plum Blossom.
It's Bojong's Hwarang who will be guarding the merchants' quarters, we learn. The princess and Yushin and Deokman are still trying to figure out how to get into the merchants....
In the Hwarang kitchen: Uh-oh, somebody broke the curry jar and the stuff is spilled all over the floor, and apparently ruined (although I don't understand why they can't just scoop up what isn't touching the floor and use it anyway). Misaeng is there (apparently he had something to do with getting the stuff, since he's a protocol officer) and he's very angry. Wants to know who did it. None of the serving-women admits to it...
...but outside, Samwol is whining to Jukbang that she's gonna be in big trouble, so we can guess she's the one. And she starts crying and fesses up. And then wonders if Jukbang can help her out of this, since he has knowledge of herbs.
Back inside, Misaeng is still demanding to know who broke the jar...and then one of the women points out that Samwol is missing. (A dirty snitch, that one is.)
Yushin and Deokman happen upon the crying Samwol just as Jukbang tells her he's never heard of an herb called curry. But Deokman has! Remember, she grew up far away and was exposed to people from all over. She starts to tell them about curry rice...but uh-oh, look who's here: Misaeng.
Now Samwol is on her knees while Misaeng yells at her. She's crying and terrified; Misaeng yells about how grateful the Indian merchant would have been to have had some native food all the way out here. If this causes any problem, Misaeng says, "you're as good as..." And in a panic, Samwol points to Deokman and says "The trainee knows about it!" And yes, she does, because she had been telling Samwol that if you could find some turmeric, you could make curry. Which is sort of true; turmeric is one ingredient in some curries. But can you even find turmeric in Shilla?
Now Deokman is standing next to Misaeng, in front of a whole bunch of Hwarang and serving-women, and trying to describe what she knows to be turmeric--but she doesn't know the Shillan word for it! Gradually she describes it as a yellow root, ground into powder, that smells funny. Misaeng tells the group, "Find what this kid is talking about." Find it, "or you'll all suffer the consequences." So they all head out to dig for roots.
Seori tells Mishil that the merchants will be arriving tomorrow. And adds, "I doubt we'll raise the gold we need by then." I'll find a way, Mishil replies, and then says, "Wolchun insists he needs Sadaham's Plum Blossom, whatever it takes." Wonder if Wolchun is the name of the old monk we saw earlier; it would make sense.
Evening: The rooters are back. They've brought back a bunch of plants, but none of it is what Deokman is familiar with. Then Jukbang steps forward, holding a plant behind his back. So worried about getting punished if it's not the right plant that Misaeng has to shout, "Do I have to smack you to see the thing!?" So he shows it, and Misaeng recognizes it as ulgeum, used for dying clothes. That can't be it; how can you eat a dye plant. But Deokman reacts excitedly; grabs it and starts chopping up the root, studying it, smelling it...Score! That's the stuff. Misaeng grabs Deokman's arm and hauls her to the kitchen...
...and announces, "This kid knows how to make curry rice." Do what he tells you, he orders the serving-women. Misaeng tells Deokman, You'll be overseeing the merchants' meals. And suddenly Deokman realizes this is the break they needed to get on the inside. She tells Misaeng she'll need Jukbang and Godo assigned to help gather ingredients. Done.
Deokman tells it all to Cheonmyeong and Yushin. They can hardly believe this stroke of luck. Now they can monitor all of the merchants and hopefully get the answers they seek. Jukbang and Godo will ferry information.
The next morning: A welcoming party is gathered outside one of the city gates, and here come the visitors. The DFers and many other Hwarang are there, lined up alongside the path. First the Chinese envoy; was riding in a small palanquin (From what I can figure out, in China it may be called a jiao). Steps out and we meet him. He's been here before so he's not a stranger. Misaeng greets him in Chinese; Sejong is there too. All very cordial; the envoy hopes the merchants will be treated well. Seems like a pretty nice guy, actually. He's escorted away to meet with the king. And then the merchants start coming forward. Wow, lots of them! There must be thirty or forty, dressed in all manner of clothes. Quite a procession. And as Deokman stands there watching them go by, she gets a quick look at one of the last to pass. And her eyes widen with horror. Unbelievably, it's Chilsuk!
Later, Cheonmyeong explains tells her parents about Deokman's role in her Manno adventure and how he (she) made it possible to bring Seohyeon to the capital. So that's why she got him a Hwarang position. "He and Yushin are like my wings" she says. Or at least they will be if and when I can make them my direct subordinates. The king okays that, with her mother cautioning discretion about being seen too much hanging around with Hwarang and particularly with a trainee. This makes the princess very happy.
An exhausted Deokman has been sleeping at the DFers' home, recovering from the torture. She revives to find Yushin there; he confirms that yes, the monk and the princess are the same person. And who walks in, right on cue. Cheonmyeong is checking on Deokman's condition. Deokman is okay, but not sure how to act now that she knows she's talking to royalty. Doesn't help that Yushin is pressing her to get on her knees and act formally; she doesn't want to. We're old friends, the princess assures Yushin. She tells them how grateful she is to both of them for helping her back in Manno.
"Pardon me, sire? You want the princess to do this herself?" The king has summoned his ally Councilor Eulje. We're tossed into the middle of a conversation about something that could lead to Cheonmyeong becoming as powerful as Mishil. Not sure what....
Cheonmyeong and Deokman are walking and talking. The princess says, "I'm worthy of your trust--of giving up your promise to your mom." And explains that she wants to wrestle Shilla away from Mishil. Deokman fires back, "And what would you do with it?" A nebulous response: "Dream...the impossible." King Jinheung, she explains, was worried about Shilla's future, and "hoped Shilla would realize an impossible dream." I hope to know what that means, she says. And then confesses to a feeling of a lack of accomplishment in her own life, even as others like Deokman have accomplished things for themselves. There's an interesting insight..."But I will surely do something as well," she believes. "With your help."
"You disappoint me." Not the kind of thing a son ever wants to hear from a parent. Especially when it's someone like Mishil saying it--yikes. "You made a bad job of it," she tells Bojong. Only kill useless people, she advises. "If a talented man [like Seohyeon] can be used, it's best to use him." She continues, "You might think we're in control. So it might seem, but it's not true. Not at all." Really? "People are loyal to us precisely because we are NOT royals." We can't try to take the throne ourselves, she says, so we need as many allies as possible to keep our power. Seolwon is there and adds that we need to trust in Mishil and not act on our own. "To me she is always right, and she will always be above me. That is what I believe." Suck-up. But spoken in earnest, clearly. Then Hajong enters with the uncomfortable news that Kim Seohyeon and Princess Manmyeong want to see Mishil; now that their noble status has been reinstated, they want the official paperwork on that taken care of. With a grin of amusement, she leaves and goes into another room...
...where the pair are waiting for her. Without hesitation she sits down at a desk to finalize the paperwork that apparently is already there waiting for her. As she does, she starts up some not-so-small small talk: "I can't help but wonder: what makes you so loyal to the king?" Because the king has no heir, she says, "Only I can give you what you want." Seohyeon has no idea what that means, or what it is that she thinks he wants. "Enough pretense," she says. "We both know your ambitions rival my own." Seohyeon stares. "You're not saying you married the princess for love, are you?" Ouch! Manmyeong lashes out at that, and Mishil patronizingly answers, "Of course it was love, I'm sure!" But, she adds, "can you be sure there were no other motives?" And turns to Seohyeon and simply says, "My compliments." And then with a smile, affixes the royal seal to the paperwork. In the next moment, Manmyeong fires back at her. "Now that my royal status is returned to me, I think it's time you remembered your place. As a consort, nothing more." From what little we know about Mishil, that's gotta be a kick in the gut...but it looks like one she was expecting. Because she simply smiles and says, "Quite right, my lady. This lowly consort offers her humblest respects." Manmyeong literally snatches the stamped scroll out of Mishil's hands and leaves. Seohyeon, who's been oddly silent throughout--Did Mishil hit a little too close to home?--follows a moment later.
Outside, the couple walk away from the building. "Don't let her bother you," Manmyeong advises. Seohyeon acts like he has to say something, but Manmyeong offers the most amazing line of the series so far: "All love has some ambition, doesn't it?" Of course her being a princess mattered, and she's more than sensible enough to face that fact. "But I chose you. Your hopes and dreams are mine." Seohyeon nods, probably grateful for such insightfulness in his wife...and they walk on. Behind them, Mishil watches them leave the front yard, and asks Seolwon, What's Seohyeon's weakness? That would be Yushin, Seolwon answers. "Find someone in his retinue we can coerce to our side." And as for that Deokman, what's between him and the princess? They don't understand it, but Seolwon's going to look into it.
Cheonmyeong is talking with Yushin and Deokman. She tells Yushin that Deokman complains about him behind his back, and thinks it's funny to tell Yushin this (which it isn't; it's totally uncool). But Eulje, of all people, interrupts them with a visit; he's been instructed to take her somewhere.
He takes her to some sort of basement. It's the royal family's storehouse. (By the way, didn't he ground her, and then she disobeyed him by sneaking out? Whatever happened about that? UGH.) She's never been here before, but the king has granted her access to it. And among the stored scrolls, Eulje shows her one. A scroll written by King Jinheung, to Munno. "Find Mishil's source of power," it instructs. Eulje adds that Jinheung could sense that Mishil was hiding something from him. Something that happened while he was off leading his army in battle. Mishil made use of the Hwarang somehow to gain internal political power. He explains that it all started with a terrible drought, which (as we learned in Great King Sejong!) can be taken as a heavenly sign of disfavor with a king. Many rain rituals were tried without success...until one day Mishil went to the rain altar and lo and behold, it started to rain. "Since then," Eulje says, "the people have believed Mishil to have a divine mandate." And presides to this day over ceremonies that a royal should be presiding over. And this, Eulje explains, forces the king to consult with her on all of his decisions. It seems like an absurdly flimsy story, that a single lucky score on a rain ritual would make her the king's all-but-co-equal, but it must not be the entire story because of this unknown "source" that gave her power and still holds it for her. Munno didn't crack this mystery, we learn, but he did leave a written record of some sort. Which Eulje now shows to Cheonmyeong.
Back in Cheonmyeong's sitting room, where Yushin and Deokman have waited, we learn that Imjong (the elite Hwarang allied with Kim Yongchun), who now holds Munno's position, found this written record just recently during an annual Hwarang ritual at the site of Munno's training facility. (Good thing Yongchun found it, because if any of the Hwarang allied with Mishil had found it, it would never have made it to the storehouse.) It's a detailed record of a search of some sort that Munno made at a chapel called Danchun, on Mount Yeoam. Deokman notices a mention of someone named Sadaham, who Eulje says was "Mishil's first love." This is a well-known story in Shilla; they fell in love at 18, but then Sadaham was called to battle against Gaya, and by the time he returned, Mishil had married Sejong. Yushin knows the story, too; he adds that a friend of Sadaham's named Mugwan committed suicide and then shortly after that, so did Sadaham. His dying gesture was to leave a plum blossom for Mishil--and that gesture is mentioned in Munno's record. Why?
"They're bringing Sadaham's Plum Blossoms?" Mishil gets news from Seori (Haven't seen her in a while) that she's very happy to hear. She's waited a long time for this. "You're going to be very busy," Mishil tells Misaeng with a smile. Misaeng isn't worried; it's all in a protocol officer's job, he says (so now we know he's a protocol officer). They'll be here within ten days. Whatever this plum thing is, it's a very big deal to Mishil.
Eulje tells the princess, The king wants you to finish what Munno started. Solve the mystery.
The king is told that the envoy's party has embarked from Danghan Fortress. Arab, Indian and Siamese merchants will be accompanying him. The king asks, "And is he bringing the item we asked for?" Don't know, Misaeng tells him. The king is sitting with Misaeng, Sejong and Hajong, which is surprising to us. We also get word that some foreign merchants will be arriving too.
Seori's at the Hwarang kitchen. They'll be preparing the meals for the foreign merchants. Seori has brought something that was obtained through a Sui envoy; it's curry, for an Indian merchant's meals. The women are excited at the chance to cook for the foreign guests. Be careful with the curry, Seori warns; it's valuable stuff and was tough to get.
As they serve the Hwarang their lunch, the women share their news. It's good news for the Hwarang too, apparently, because they'll get assigned to security duty and that gives them a break from training.
Cheonmyeong is dispensing assignments to the elite Hwarang. They'll all have responsibilities for the merchants' visit. And she tells them to try to learn about them and to act like diplomats--make Shilla look good. Where's Yushin? Not here. "He has his own assignment," the princess says.
Yes he does. We see him and Deokman scurrying through the countryside.
Mishil is seeing Misaeng and Seori off. "We need the gold," Misaeng says (this just keeps getting weirder). Mishil asks them if they'd mind stopping at Mount Yeoam on the way back. "Our friend there suffers from stress. Good news might be welcome." They'll do it. And they leave--with a squad of troops accompanying them. Really? Misaeng is a councilor, of course, but still...Right now, this is all a mystery to us.
What a gorgeous landscape. This is Mount Yeoam; Yushin and Deokman have arrived. And they're searching....
Bojong tells his father that Misaeng and Seori have left. Seolwon isn't surprised: "Just like they do every time the merchants come." Now THAT is weird (What are they, anti-capitalists?) He doesn't know why. But he does know what a Sadaham's Plum Blossom is--and he won't tell Bojong, who's asked him.
...still walking around, and now Deokman accuses Yushin of having no sense of direction. But Yushin knows of a hermitage nearby where they can get some water. So they head there, and as they enter, who do they see there but Misaeng and Seori. They duck out of sight...
A monk tells Misaeng and Seori, "I'm sorry but he's not seeing anyone." Unfazed, Seori tells him, "Sadaham's Plum Blossom is on the way." Doink! The monk's eyes widen. Well that's different; come in, he says, and I'll ask again. Yushin and Deokman have managed to overhear it all; realizing that some big secret is bubbling here, they decide to race back to inform the princess.
And they do; we see them in her sitting room again. But she doesn't know what this means either.
Nighttime: Mishil is alone, staring at a tree. Lost in thought. Seori walks up to her. "Do you still blame yourself?" This tree, it turns out, was where Mishil and Sadaham made their plans to marry. (Not likely, because it would have been no more than a sapling sixty years ago! Unless this is a rare ageless tree.) "But I couldn't keep that promise," she says, with surprising remorse. "No, I DIDN'T keep that promise." And then, "All the other men wanted something from me. But not Sadaham. He gave everything and asked for nothing." And suddenly we've flashbacked to a young Sadaham standing beneath the tree (I'll be darned--it IS an ageless tree!) waiting for Mishil...and then a young Mishil running to the tree but not finding Sadaham, but finding a small wooden box he's left for her, on top of which is a plum blossom. [Added new link in info thread on plum blossoms.] ...flashback over, Mishil tells Seori, "Without Sadaham's gift, I wouldn't be where I am today." Yow-wee--what the heck was in that box? "He only wanted to help me. How could I ever forget a man like that?" Then she manages to shake off her thoughts enough to ask Seori how things went. It won't be easy, Seori tells her, because of the quantity. Whatever...Oh, and "Our friend at Yeoam wants to see you." Now Misaeng shows up, with a Hwarang accompanying him...and with Bojong sneaking alongside to keep a surreptitious eye on him, as Seolwon had asked him to do. The new face is Daenambo, leader of the White Fox corps and another of the ten elite Hwarang. Misaeng tells his sister, "He is the best martial artist among my many sons." So this makes him Mishil's nephew, whether or not that turns out to mean anything. Mishil looks at him: "Are you sure of your skills?" Daenambo answers, Yes, but I'm not Bojong's equal yet. "Surpass him," Mishil instructs. Another bizarre exchange--and considering that Bojong is Mishil's own son, a disturbing one. Misaeng adds, "From now on you'll be Mishil's shadow." Bojong is as baffled as we are.
Cheonmyeong, Yushin and Deokman agree that they have to find out which merchant is bringing this Sadaham's Plum Blossom thing so they can learn about it. It won't be easy to get near the merchants' quarters. Yes, the Hwarang provide security, but the Heaven Stars corps won that honor (apparently it's an honor) in a competition recently. Same with cultural events; Hwarang access by award only. "Be patient," the princess tells them; "I'll see what I can do."
Hajong has brought Misaeng to a gisaeng house. He wants to know what Misaeng does when the merchants come to town. He hopes the liquor will loosen his tongue...but it doesn't.
Cheonmyeong tells her father, Eulje, and Kim Yongchun what Yushin and Deokman saw and heard. The king listens, thinks, and then says to Yongchun, "Go there." Go with Kim Seohyeon to that chapel and search the place from top to bottom.
Now we see Yongchun, Seohyeon, Yushin and Deokman leading a group of two dozen or so torch-bearing soldiers through the countryside at night, until they reach the chapel. Seems like a very crude and maybe even rash tactic, but the die is cast. Seohyeon tells the head monk, "You may have a Baekje spy hiding here." As a pretext to search the place. Seohyeon orders everyone to separate and search the place...and in the next moment, the front door to one of the buildings opens and who comes walking out but Mishil! (Really, she just slipped out of the capital like that without everybody knowing? Ugh.) "I come here for peace of mind," she tells Seohyeon with a smile, and then a long, uncomfortable silence as everybody just stands there knowing that everybody is full of baloney. But the search goes forward. A weird kind of search, with everybody running back and forth and Mishil just standing there with a blank smile on her face knowing they won't find what they're looking for (and we know it too, so there's no suspense here). The running around stops, search over, nothing. "He must have escaped," Mishil tells Seohyeon, "or your men made a mistake in the dark." As they leave, Seohyeon is unhappy with the whole episode because "We've startled the snake and given away our position." Another one of those 36 Strategems that have been quoted before; it advises not startling the snake by beating the grass and causing unnecessary repercussions. So yeah, it was a rash move. [Added new link in info thread on the Thirty-Six Strategems.]
Later a worried Misaeng arrives at the chapel, and is relieved to learn that nothing was discovered. Surprisingly, she's angry with him for the close call; we don't know why. But no harm done in the end, because, we learn, "they were looking for a something...and not a somebody." And then Mishil approaches one of the monks--there were a couple of brief glimpses of this monk during the commotion, as though he might mean something--and obviously he does, because Mishil addresses this person with respect like he's uniquely valuable to her. "You must have been very frightened," Mishil says to the man, and tells him they'll have to relocate him now. (And now that we've gotten a good look at him, I swear the guy could be Munno's grandfather. Uncanny.)
The king gets the bad news about the mission's failure. "Then all we can do is watch the merchants," he realizes, and see who brings Sadaham's Plum Blossom.
It's Bojong's Hwarang who will be guarding the merchants' quarters, we learn. The princess and Yushin and Deokman are still trying to figure out how to get into the merchants....
In the Hwarang kitchen: Uh-oh, somebody broke the curry jar and the stuff is spilled all over the floor, and apparently ruined (although I don't understand why they can't just scoop up what isn't touching the floor and use it anyway). Misaeng is there (apparently he had something to do with getting the stuff, since he's a protocol officer) and he's very angry. Wants to know who did it. None of the serving-women admits to it...
...but outside, Samwol is whining to Jukbang that she's gonna be in big trouble, so we can guess she's the one. And she starts crying and fesses up. And then wonders if Jukbang can help her out of this, since he has knowledge of herbs.
Back inside, Misaeng is still demanding to know who broke the jar...and then one of the women points out that Samwol is missing. (A dirty snitch, that one is.)
Yushin and Deokman happen upon the crying Samwol just as Jukbang tells her he's never heard of an herb called curry. But Deokman has! Remember, she grew up far away and was exposed to people from all over. She starts to tell them about curry rice...but uh-oh, look who's here: Misaeng.
Now Samwol is on her knees while Misaeng yells at her. She's crying and terrified; Misaeng yells about how grateful the Indian merchant would have been to have had some native food all the way out here. If this causes any problem, Misaeng says, "you're as good as..." And in a panic, Samwol points to Deokman and says "The trainee knows about it!" And yes, she does, because she had been telling Samwol that if you could find some turmeric, you could make curry. Which is sort of true; turmeric is one ingredient in some curries. But can you even find turmeric in Shilla?
Now Deokman is standing next to Misaeng, in front of a whole bunch of Hwarang and serving-women, and trying to describe what she knows to be turmeric--but she doesn't know the Shillan word for it! Gradually she describes it as a yellow root, ground into powder, that smells funny. Misaeng tells the group, "Find what this kid is talking about." Find it, "or you'll all suffer the consequences." So they all head out to dig for roots.
Seori tells Mishil that the merchants will be arriving tomorrow. And adds, "I doubt we'll raise the gold we need by then." I'll find a way, Mishil replies, and then says, "Wolchun insists he needs Sadaham's Plum Blossom, whatever it takes." Wonder if Wolchun is the name of the old monk we saw earlier; it would make sense.
Evening: The rooters are back. They've brought back a bunch of plants, but none of it is what Deokman is familiar with. Then Jukbang steps forward, holding a plant behind his back. So worried about getting punished if it's not the right plant that Misaeng has to shout, "Do I have to smack you to see the thing!?" So he shows it, and Misaeng recognizes it as ulgeum, used for dying clothes. That can't be it; how can you eat a dye plant. But Deokman reacts excitedly; grabs it and starts chopping up the root, studying it, smelling it...Score! That's the stuff. Misaeng grabs Deokman's arm and hauls her to the kitchen...
...and announces, "This kid knows how to make curry rice." Do what he tells you, he orders the serving-women. Misaeng tells Deokman, You'll be overseeing the merchants' meals. And suddenly Deokman realizes this is the break they needed to get on the inside. She tells Misaeng she'll need Jukbang and Godo assigned to help gather ingredients. Done.
Deokman tells it all to Cheonmyeong and Yushin. They can hardly believe this stroke of luck. Now they can monitor all of the merchants and hopefully get the answers they seek. Jukbang and Godo will ferry information.
The next morning: A welcoming party is gathered outside one of the city gates, and here come the visitors. The DFers and many other Hwarang are there, lined up alongside the path. First the Chinese envoy; was riding in a small palanquin (From what I can figure out, in China it may be called a jiao). Steps out and we meet him. He's been here before so he's not a stranger. Misaeng greets him in Chinese; Sejong is there too. All very cordial; the envoy hopes the merchants will be treated well. Seems like a pretty nice guy, actually. He's escorted away to meet with the king. And then the merchants start coming forward. Wow, lots of them! There must be thirty or forty, dressed in all manner of clothes. Quite a procession. And as Deokman stands there watching them go by, she gets a quick look at one of the last to pass. And her eyes widen with horror. Unbelievably, it's Chilsuk!