Post by ajk on Feb 8, 2013 23:33:42 GMT -5
Yushin is fighting like crazy, trying to give Deokman time to make her escape before anybody can get outside of the gate. Swords and spears are swinging everywhere (what's with the sappy music?). Yushin is holding off so many soldiers that Bojong and Daenambo are pretty much just standing there watching him, impressed by the show. Finally Seolwon shows up and starts barking at everyone, and by now there must be at least fifty soldiers surrounding Yushin with pointed spears. But wait--Seolwon has brought Imjong, Piltan, Wang Yun, Seon Yul and Bakui with him, and Yushin, seeing so many of the elite Hwarang there, screams at all of them that Deokman is innocent and the whole thing is a plot against her. But Seolwon sends them forward, and now Yushin is fighting several of the elites. Just for a moment, though; now he's quickly disarmed and neutralized. The gate is opened and some of the soldiers chase after Deokman (on foot! No chance).
What has Jukbang stumbled into as he falls through the secret door? He looks around, and sees...Sohwa! Doink! So it's the back entrance to Mishil's secret quarters, how about that. They're both understandably surprised to see each other. Jukbang tells her about the secret passage to the Hwarang shrine and she's glad to hear of a possible way out. But on the way, she stops to grab that red envelope that Seolwon brought her. What the heck is in that thing?
Seolwon has to deliver the bad news about Deokman getting away. Misaeng is there too, and things quickly turn to Yeom Jong having betrayed her. Seolwon says that obviously Yeom Jong didn't take Bidam on that trip he was supposed to. "Trip? What trip?" Misaeng is incredulous. "Shouldn't Bidam be dead by now?" Well this is a strange twist...and hey, Mishil still hasn't said a word yet. Plenty angry, but silent. Did Mishil give her son a break? We don't find out because now here come Hajong, Bojong and Chilsuk to join the three. But of course they don't help matters one bit. Finally Mishil calms herself enough to say something. "It's my fault." Really? "But I still remain in the palace, and all authority belongs to me." Which is true. "We shall move on to our second phase." Which apparently means going ahead with that court hearing for the arrested "conspirators."
Looks like the four escapees made it back to Yeom Jong's--or is this the Bokya camp? Deokman says she's not surprised at any of this; it's typical Mishil. "An armed insurrection was her only option" if she wanted to take the throne. Which may or may not be true...but "I still have legitimacy over her" and "from here on in, time is on my side." As in, the country will reject Mishil? Hmmm....
"The issue is that time is not on my side." Okay, maybe she's right--Mishil agrees with her! Mishil sees Shillan authority splitting into two factions if Deokman isn't caught soon. She tells Seolwon and Chilsuk, "whatever it takes, you must find her" before she starts to establish any influence. Find her--and kill her. Yikes.
Yeom Jong and Chunchu want Deokman to lay low and hide for a while, but Bidam disagrees and so does Deokman. She thinks it's important to stay visible and keep her cause alive. "I need no refuge," she says. "Mishil and I will take this to the end."
"You must get a confession out of them," Mishil tells Seolwon and Chilsuk. And if things get ugly, "just deal with them." As in, what? She also thinks Yushin and Alcheon might know where Deokman is hiding. "Use everything at your disposal to get an answer." Yikes. And also work on the fighters who came with Bidam (and obviously got captured) for information. And, she wants Deokman killed during the trial proceedings. Killed for resisting arrest, she says...read-between-the-lines even if she doesn't resist.
"We imprisoned them all." Santak the Annoying Hwarang reports to Chilsuk. Well, if they keep him busy maybe he won't be as annoying. "Proceed," Chilsuk orders. Proceed with what?
Then Chilsuk goes to check on Sohwa. Who isn't there, surprise surprise. He has a little hissy fit--very unlike him--but does he know about the secret door? Doesn't look like it.
Wow, the torture yard is doing brisk business. We can see Godo, for one, and he's been pretty badly bloodied. Daepung doesn't look too good either. They're both tied to chairs and Seokpum is roughing them up, real brave. All of the other arrested Hwarang are in the same boat. And now the hot irons come out. This is awful, let's leave it at that.
And inside a room, Yushin and Alcheon are getting the same treatment under Seolwon's supervision. Alcheon challenges Seolwon point-blank: You were a Hwarang; how can you be involved in something so vile? Seolwon smiles and readily acknowledges it's a vile act. "But aren't we all trying to help someone to the throne?" Not much of an argument, but at the moment he doesn't need one, does he. Yushin fumes at him about principles and ethics, but Seolwon doesn't see the relevance. And now the torture starts, or more likely resumes, to try to find out where Deokman is hiding.
Ugh, and now Seohyeon and Yongchun are tied to chairs and being badgered by Hajong. (Personally I'd rather have the hot iron.) Actually he seems to have enough genuine concern at least for his daughter that he wants them, or somebody, to talk so that her husband doesn't wind up dead. He's trying to get them to confess falsely...but Seohyeon's barking "loathsome swine" back at him sets him off and now he says he doesn't care anymore. Flighty little turd, isn't he.
"How could you let this happen? How could two families united by marriage do this?" Manmyeong has gone to appeal to Sejong, who looks to be recovering nicely from his "mortal wound." She's brought his granddaughter with her, or maybe she came on her own. Either way she begs Sejong to spare Yushin and tearfully insists "that he would never do something like this." Good for her; more spine that I would have expected. Nobody has to die, he tells them to their great relief; "Getting rid of the princess is all we need." And maybe the two of you can convince your husbands of that, he says. As in, talk them into false confessions.
Well, Seolwon went to work on Alcheon pretty severely but left Yushin alone, trying to guilt Yushin into a confession. Didn't work, but now Alcheon's unconscious. Hopefully just unconscious.
Chilsuk tells Seolwon what we knew all along and what they should have known as well: "We will never win them over or get a confession by questioning." Duh. But now here comes Santak the Annoying Hwarang again, telling Chilsuk that he did as Chilsuk told him. "Continue observing them," Chilsuk says, "and report back to me." Did what?
"You can't do it!" Bidam is upset because Deokman just said she wants to go somewhere, someplace that obviously is very risky. "Stake your life and protect me," she answers, awfully cavalier about somebody else's life. We have to do this, she tells Chunchu, for the sake of the royal family. Chunchu isn't happy but says he'll go along with it. With what? We'll mobilize everyone we can, Deokman says, and by evening "we'll be ready to execute our mission."
Evening: Wang Yun is outside guarding a building somewhere. Suddenly an arrow flies in and thwacks into a post. It has a message attached. Oh, this is his house. His father emerges--must have heard the noise--and Wang Yun shows him the paper. It's a letter from Deokman.
Elsewhere, we see men sneaking around in the darkness and posting the same letter publicly. What does it say?
So does Seon Yul, at his house.
And so does Dukchung.
Well! Dangerous place, Deokman wasn't kidding. Look at this--Bidam's sword is at Jujin's throat. Somehow he and Deokman snuck into the office of the head of a 5,000-man military unit (Seriously? Would like to have seen that). Deokman doesn't waste time: "What did Mishil promise you?" He doesn't flinch; shows respect for the princess but tells her that all he has to do is call out and she's dead. She doesn't flinch either, and tells him he'd die before she did, and repeats the question. And with a little extra sword pressure, he answers: A big fat land grant in Sangju, "and a seat on the Council of Nobles." (Well sure, you dispatch Seohyeon and Yongchun, you have two places to fill. Might as well use them wisely.) So that's "the price for helping Mishil to the throne," she says contemptibly. But wait a minute--the statement surprises Jujin, who had no idea that this whole thing is Mishil's power-grab. "Mishil will do anything to get the throne," she advises a visibly surprised Jujin, so "you should ask for a lot more than that." And adds, I certainly would have offered you more. With that, Bidam reaches back and raps Jujin hard on the back of his head, hard enough to knock him out so they can get away.
We see Deokman and Bidam returning to what looks like the Bokya camp (which would explain the whole where-is-she secrecy thing). Bidam still isn't happy with the risky move...but Deokman likens it to the story she heard about King Jinheung getting his arm bitten by a tiger, and instead of pulling back, forcing it down the tiger's throat to kill it. "That's the situation I face now," she says. Jujin may not be the answer, but she wants to figure out just what it will take to break up Mishil's plot. Then she tells Bidam that Wolya is at the Bokya hideout--whoops, obviously this ain't it--and tells him to contact Wolya to plan a rescue mission for Yushin and Alcheon. Yeah, like that has a chance...And take Chunchu with you, she says. Really? "One of us must survive," she says...and that does make good sense.
Next morning: Here come all of the nobles for the hearing.
Mishil has just affixed the royal seal to a scroll and puts it in front of the king and queen. "Kill us instead," Maya says. Mishil smiles and answers, "It is not the time. Yet." She tells Jinpyeong that she wants the throne. He laughs a little. "Only now?" He glares at her, unfazed. "Had you become ruler much earlier, I would never have abandoned Deokman, and I would not have lost Cheonmyeong either. And you would not have been forced to abandon your son. But only now you do? Aren't you too late?" Bitter cynicism. And she has to say Yes, probably so. "You've never dreamed of this before," he says, "but now you come here and steal someone else's dreams?" With that he falls into a convulsive coughing spell. And uh-oh, now he's coughed up some blood. We all know what that means (But it's his heart! That's the problem; why is he coughing up blood? Ugh.) Completely unconcerned, Mishil simply stands and says, What else can I do if that's my dream? And walks away carrying the scroll.
An uneasy silence in the Council Hall as everyone waits. Mishil enters and announces that Seohyeon, Yongchun, Yushin and Alcheon have confessed that Deokman led the attempt to assassinate Sejong. (Lie, of course.) So she'll be hunted down and arrested, and any of her "sympathizers in the court shall be eradicated from power." The nobles look at each other uncomfortably, but no one speaks. And on top of that, she proclaims "the establishment of a national crisis committee to protect our nation." Now they start murmuring nervously, because this part sounds very disturbing. Sejong, Seolwon and herself will be "an apparatus under His Majesty's direct control" and it "will supplant the Council of Nobles in terms of authority." The committee will investigate "all treacherous sympathizers and deal with any threat to our national security firsthand." And as its leader, she says, I've been entrusted by the king to act directly on his authority. As everyone starts to absorb this, we hear a couple of the nobles' thoughts as they digest it: "So it was indeed Mishil. She schemed this all." "Mishil will do anything to ascend to the throne." They do get it--in part thanks to those written warnings that were circulated. But they're just thoughts... "If I may..." Wait a minute, one of them speaks up! We've seen this guy; it's Wang Yun's father. Gently and respectfully, he asks for confirmation the king actually did approve this. Says he'd like for the nobles to be able to verify it, royal seal on the scroll or not. And also gets in a mention of Deokman and her hereditary legitimacy, which really was not necessary (or immediately relevant, or all that wise a thing to mention at all right now). Mishil smiles at him, then looks at Bojong and raises an eyebrow. Oh that can't be good, can it? Bojong nods at her...and then draws his sword and kills the guy! Right there in the Council Hall. Good heavens. (Hey, wait a minute--isn't that the same thing they just arrested all those people for? Brandishing swords in the Council Hall?) Without another word, Mishil smiles a bit, and then turns and ascends the steps to the king's throne...and parks her butt right on it. Gasps and wide eyes from all of the nobles. "You will pardon my lack of decorum," she says, apologizing--not really--for the dead man in front of them all. Says he made her a little angry. (Yeah, I guess!) Then, suddenly, it's that shrill, angry voice of hers that's never good. "What have you knaves done all this time? Occupied by your wealth and status, I served King Jinheung, King Jinji, and His Majesty, carrying all the weight of this country on my shoulders!" Talking like it was a terrible burden. "His majesty's lone descendant and her sacred-bone lineage--did she protect the country? No, I did! I sacrificed body and soul to protect this heavenly kingdom of ours! If anyone thinks otherwise, speak right here and now." Even Misaeng and Hajong are fidgeting a little uncomfortably at this point and look like they think she's a little flipped-out right now. Mishil warns everyone that it "would be in your best interests" to say nothing more about lineage or ancestry. And then: "I hereby declare martial law." Big surprise. "No party larger than five people shall gather within capital walls, and with the exception of certain military officials, carrying weapons will not be allowed. Is that clear?" Perfectly.
That was fast--out in the village, posters go up announcing the martial law. On one street we see some tense whispering because one villager saw one of Deokman's posters last night (it must have been taken down earlier) and now there's buzzing about Deokman and Mishil each wanting the other arrested. But now here come some soldiers, and oh crap, the villagers whispering, there are six of them. They're promptly hauled away.
Seolwon tells Seokpum and Bakui that he's naming them both "officers of the Board of Military Affairs," whatever that entails. Commanding troops and watching the nobles, mainly. Bakui doesn't look entirely comfortable with this (interesting) but they both accept by their silence. Seolwon also tells them to keep watching the Hwarang and report anybody who "shows any sign of discontent." Wow. He leaves...and Bakui wonders out loud whether or not the king really approved all this. That's up to Mishil, Seokpum says; and besides, "Did she ever act against principle even once?" Bakui is silent.
"What happened to my father!?" Wang Yun has just found out from Imjong; Piltan, Seon Yul and Dukchung are there as well. They don't know any specifics so he runs out to get them for himself. Then the other four start talking about all of those Sangju troops led into the capital by Jujin. "Are you sure," Dukchung asks the others, "they deployed only after the fact?" Piltan takes offense at the insinuation...but then backs down; maybe it makes a little bit of sense to him? Dukchung's father, we learn, is one of the council members, but Dukchung tells the others that his father knows nothing about all this. And then Imjong, very gingerly, asks the others if they happened to get the same arrow delivery that he did last night. They all fess up; yes they did. "I have never witnessed Lady Mishil acting against principle before," Dukchung says. And he believes that it was Deokman who tried to have Sejong killed because the Council attempted to limit her powers (sucker). But all of these strange things going on lately, and now Wang Yun's father being killed during a meeting...and now Dukchung is realizing that the attempt on Sejong and the alleged armed takeover of the Council, well, "they all were based on circumstantial evidence [and] none of this was proven directly." And now all four of them are puzzled, and hoping at least for some open discussion of everything that's happened. Ho Jae could help them, they think, but he's out of the capital right now, visiting his father in Yangju.
Yangju: Here's Ho Jae, with his father, who shows him first the order to arrest Deokman and then the Deokman letter. "I received two conflicting orders," his father (commander of Yangju Battalion) says. "What do I do?"
Jujin is with Mishil and Seolwon, who are thanking him for his valuable assistance. He doesn't look all that comfortable; he was there in the Council meeting and saw and heard it all go down. But he's there to be named a Council member himself--that was the deal, remember. He has one reservation, though: he wants to want to stay in charge of his military unit. That's where his roots are, he says. But Mishil cuts him off, reminding him that most of the nobles in the capital also have ties elsewhere and they're all here in spite of it. "Arrange it immediately," she tells Seolwon. And now Jujin has a look of stunned disbelief on his face, realizing that he's about to be separated permanently from his unit.
Jujin leaves the meeting, walking around almost in a daze, and finds Wang Yun, who asks him if he'll accept the appointment. He replies that leaving his troops "is like cutting off my limbs." Deokman's words are ringing in his head: "Mishil will do anything to ascend to the throne." He sees it more clearly all the time.
Mishil tells Seolwon that they have to bring in "anyone with a strong armed contingent near the capital." Get them away from their men, like they're doing with Jujin. And pretty soon, Mishil says, we'll be strong enough to force Jinpyeong's abdication. That just leaves Deokman to deal with. "Chilsuk seems to have found a way," Seolwon ways. Really?
Nighttime: What's this? Some soldiers are pulling a couple of carts through the countryside. In the carts, it looks like some of the Hwarang who were arrested and tortured. The soldiers are wearing aprons and look to be medics. They unload the cards--simply dump the unconscious Hwarang by the roadside. Wait--they're not unconscious, they're dead! What an awful sight. And this looks to be some sort of mass grave being prepared. As the medics leave, one of the newly dumped corpses--wait, he's no corpse--wakes up and manages to stagger away. But he doesn't leave unnoticed; Chilsuk and Santak the Annoying Hwarang are watching. "Is he the one?", Chilsuk asks. Yeah, he's one of Yeom Jong's men. He collapsed during questioning, Santak says, as they watch him stagger away. "We acted like he was dead, and got rid of him like the others." And as the man heads for home, the two follow him. Hey, this is pretty darned clever.
"Gicheon! What happened to you?" The man has just staggered into Yeom Jong's house and collapsed. Immediately Yeom Jong orders his subordinates to see if Gicheon was followed. Three of them go outside but see no one.
Morning: It's too risky, Seolji tells Wolya. But Wolya wants Yushin and Alcheon rescued "at all cost." But now what's that out there in the woods. A lone solider sneaking around? No, it's Jukbang! And Sohwa is with him. They made it to safety.
Inside, Jukbang is eating like crazy. Sohwa is only concerned about Deokman, and about that red envelope she's still clutching tightly. Chunchu is there and assures her that Bidam can take her to Deokman. Reassured, she starts to eat a little. Bidam notices that envelope and undoubtedly wonders what's in it.
That was fast...now Sohwa is with Deokman, who immediately asks about her father. Sohwa doesn't know, and that isn't at all reassuring, is it.
"Worth giving it a try." Now Wolya and Seolji are at Yeom Jong's and looking over what appears to be a written plan of action. Looks like those are several other Bokya in the room. "Fine," Wolya says, "we'll do it tonight."
Nighttime: The Gayans leave and head into the darkness. Chilsuk and Santak watch them go.
Now the Gayans are at the mass grave. They take their places among the bodies, to make it look like they're dead too. And now here come soldiers to dump some more bodies...and suddenly the Gayans ambush and kill them! And in moments the Gayans are pulling the carts back into the capital. Unfortunately for them, Chilsuk and Santak know exactly what they're up to.
Chilsuk goes right to Mishil and tells her. Six of them, he says. She orders, "Release Yushin only." Hmmmm....
So they do. He's taken from the building he was being held in along with Alcheon, and tossed into a cell in the main prisoner area. He's still unconscious from the torture. Now the medics arrive to collect more dead bodies. Seolji and Wolya enter Yushin's cell, which happens to also contain Godo and other DFers and Rising Phoenix, who recognize the pair. They all loudly declare Yushin dead (to convince the soldiers guarding every inch of the place).
Yeom Jong brings Deokman the good news about the initial success of the mission. How does information travel so fast around there?
Now pulling the body carts, the disguised Gayans are cleared to depart, with four dead bodies. Really three, and Yushin. Chilsuk watches them leave. And uh-oh, suddenly dozens of Hwarang emerge on a nearby rooftop. And as the Gayans slowly make their way to the dumping site, the Hwarang tail them all the way. But still they don't pounce. Now the Gayans head off into the woods...and next we see them on horseback, heading to the Bokya compound, with Yushin also on a horse.
Now we see Chilsuk and Santak and all those Hwarang, preparing to surround the place. "What matters," Chilsuk cautions them all, "is the princess." Santak turns to give the surround order...and wow, not only are there those dozens of Hwarang, but also a huge number of soldiers.
So Deokman IS at the Bokya camp after all. They bring Yushin in to see her. Huge sigh of relief from Yushin at seeing the princess is safe...but now there's noise of a huge commotion outside.
Yeah, the whole nine yards. Flaming arrows rain in from all directions and it's pretty much a slaughter as Chilsuk's Hwarang and soldiers catch the Bokya unaware. No contest.
A wounded Bokya staggers in to tell Deokman what's happening, before falling down dead.
Mishil is sitting alone, thinking to herself. "Your Highness--let us end this once and for all."
What has Jukbang stumbled into as he falls through the secret door? He looks around, and sees...Sohwa! Doink! So it's the back entrance to Mishil's secret quarters, how about that. They're both understandably surprised to see each other. Jukbang tells her about the secret passage to the Hwarang shrine and she's glad to hear of a possible way out. But on the way, she stops to grab that red envelope that Seolwon brought her. What the heck is in that thing?
Seolwon has to deliver the bad news about Deokman getting away. Misaeng is there too, and things quickly turn to Yeom Jong having betrayed her. Seolwon says that obviously Yeom Jong didn't take Bidam on that trip he was supposed to. "Trip? What trip?" Misaeng is incredulous. "Shouldn't Bidam be dead by now?" Well this is a strange twist...and hey, Mishil still hasn't said a word yet. Plenty angry, but silent. Did Mishil give her son a break? We don't find out because now here come Hajong, Bojong and Chilsuk to join the three. But of course they don't help matters one bit. Finally Mishil calms herself enough to say something. "It's my fault." Really? "But I still remain in the palace, and all authority belongs to me." Which is true. "We shall move on to our second phase." Which apparently means going ahead with that court hearing for the arrested "conspirators."
Looks like the four escapees made it back to Yeom Jong's--or is this the Bokya camp? Deokman says she's not surprised at any of this; it's typical Mishil. "An armed insurrection was her only option" if she wanted to take the throne. Which may or may not be true...but "I still have legitimacy over her" and "from here on in, time is on my side." As in, the country will reject Mishil? Hmmm....
"The issue is that time is not on my side." Okay, maybe she's right--Mishil agrees with her! Mishil sees Shillan authority splitting into two factions if Deokman isn't caught soon. She tells Seolwon and Chilsuk, "whatever it takes, you must find her" before she starts to establish any influence. Find her--and kill her. Yikes.
Yeom Jong and Chunchu want Deokman to lay low and hide for a while, but Bidam disagrees and so does Deokman. She thinks it's important to stay visible and keep her cause alive. "I need no refuge," she says. "Mishil and I will take this to the end."
"You must get a confession out of them," Mishil tells Seolwon and Chilsuk. And if things get ugly, "just deal with them." As in, what? She also thinks Yushin and Alcheon might know where Deokman is hiding. "Use everything at your disposal to get an answer." Yikes. And also work on the fighters who came with Bidam (and obviously got captured) for information. And, she wants Deokman killed during the trial proceedings. Killed for resisting arrest, she says...read-between-the-lines even if she doesn't resist.
"We imprisoned them all." Santak the Annoying Hwarang reports to Chilsuk. Well, if they keep him busy maybe he won't be as annoying. "Proceed," Chilsuk orders. Proceed with what?
Then Chilsuk goes to check on Sohwa. Who isn't there, surprise surprise. He has a little hissy fit--very unlike him--but does he know about the secret door? Doesn't look like it.
Wow, the torture yard is doing brisk business. We can see Godo, for one, and he's been pretty badly bloodied. Daepung doesn't look too good either. They're both tied to chairs and Seokpum is roughing them up, real brave. All of the other arrested Hwarang are in the same boat. And now the hot irons come out. This is awful, let's leave it at that.
And inside a room, Yushin and Alcheon are getting the same treatment under Seolwon's supervision. Alcheon challenges Seolwon point-blank: You were a Hwarang; how can you be involved in something so vile? Seolwon smiles and readily acknowledges it's a vile act. "But aren't we all trying to help someone to the throne?" Not much of an argument, but at the moment he doesn't need one, does he. Yushin fumes at him about principles and ethics, but Seolwon doesn't see the relevance. And now the torture starts, or more likely resumes, to try to find out where Deokman is hiding.
Ugh, and now Seohyeon and Yongchun are tied to chairs and being badgered by Hajong. (Personally I'd rather have the hot iron.) Actually he seems to have enough genuine concern at least for his daughter that he wants them, or somebody, to talk so that her husband doesn't wind up dead. He's trying to get them to confess falsely...but Seohyeon's barking "loathsome swine" back at him sets him off and now he says he doesn't care anymore. Flighty little turd, isn't he.
"How could you let this happen? How could two families united by marriage do this?" Manmyeong has gone to appeal to Sejong, who looks to be recovering nicely from his "mortal wound." She's brought his granddaughter with her, or maybe she came on her own. Either way she begs Sejong to spare Yushin and tearfully insists "that he would never do something like this." Good for her; more spine that I would have expected. Nobody has to die, he tells them to their great relief; "Getting rid of the princess is all we need." And maybe the two of you can convince your husbands of that, he says. As in, talk them into false confessions.
Well, Seolwon went to work on Alcheon pretty severely but left Yushin alone, trying to guilt Yushin into a confession. Didn't work, but now Alcheon's unconscious. Hopefully just unconscious.
Chilsuk tells Seolwon what we knew all along and what they should have known as well: "We will never win them over or get a confession by questioning." Duh. But now here comes Santak the Annoying Hwarang again, telling Chilsuk that he did as Chilsuk told him. "Continue observing them," Chilsuk says, "and report back to me." Did what?
"You can't do it!" Bidam is upset because Deokman just said she wants to go somewhere, someplace that obviously is very risky. "Stake your life and protect me," she answers, awfully cavalier about somebody else's life. We have to do this, she tells Chunchu, for the sake of the royal family. Chunchu isn't happy but says he'll go along with it. With what? We'll mobilize everyone we can, Deokman says, and by evening "we'll be ready to execute our mission."
Evening: Wang Yun is outside guarding a building somewhere. Suddenly an arrow flies in and thwacks into a post. It has a message attached. Oh, this is his house. His father emerges--must have heard the noise--and Wang Yun shows him the paper. It's a letter from Deokman.
Elsewhere, we see men sneaking around in the darkness and posting the same letter publicly. What does it say?
As His Majesty's one and only direct descendant Princess Deokman, may every noble and subject of our great nation heed my words. For staging an armed insurrection, forcibly confining His Majesty, and unlawfully appropriating the royal seal, imprison Her Highness Lady Mishil.Imjong gets one by arrow too--he must be at Seohyeon's home, or else Yongchun's.
So does Seon Yul, at his house.
And so does Dukchung.
Well! Dangerous place, Deokman wasn't kidding. Look at this--Bidam's sword is at Jujin's throat. Somehow he and Deokman snuck into the office of the head of a 5,000-man military unit (Seriously? Would like to have seen that). Deokman doesn't waste time: "What did Mishil promise you?" He doesn't flinch; shows respect for the princess but tells her that all he has to do is call out and she's dead. She doesn't flinch either, and tells him he'd die before she did, and repeats the question. And with a little extra sword pressure, he answers: A big fat land grant in Sangju, "and a seat on the Council of Nobles." (Well sure, you dispatch Seohyeon and Yongchun, you have two places to fill. Might as well use them wisely.) So that's "the price for helping Mishil to the throne," she says contemptibly. But wait a minute--the statement surprises Jujin, who had no idea that this whole thing is Mishil's power-grab. "Mishil will do anything to get the throne," she advises a visibly surprised Jujin, so "you should ask for a lot more than that." And adds, I certainly would have offered you more. With that, Bidam reaches back and raps Jujin hard on the back of his head, hard enough to knock him out so they can get away.
We see Deokman and Bidam returning to what looks like the Bokya camp (which would explain the whole where-is-she secrecy thing). Bidam still isn't happy with the risky move...but Deokman likens it to the story she heard about King Jinheung getting his arm bitten by a tiger, and instead of pulling back, forcing it down the tiger's throat to kill it. "That's the situation I face now," she says. Jujin may not be the answer, but she wants to figure out just what it will take to break up Mishil's plot. Then she tells Bidam that Wolya is at the Bokya hideout--whoops, obviously this ain't it--and tells him to contact Wolya to plan a rescue mission for Yushin and Alcheon. Yeah, like that has a chance...And take Chunchu with you, she says. Really? "One of us must survive," she says...and that does make good sense.
Next morning: Here come all of the nobles for the hearing.
Mishil has just affixed the royal seal to a scroll and puts it in front of the king and queen. "Kill us instead," Maya says. Mishil smiles and answers, "It is not the time. Yet." She tells Jinpyeong that she wants the throne. He laughs a little. "Only now?" He glares at her, unfazed. "Had you become ruler much earlier, I would never have abandoned Deokman, and I would not have lost Cheonmyeong either. And you would not have been forced to abandon your son. But only now you do? Aren't you too late?" Bitter cynicism. And she has to say Yes, probably so. "You've never dreamed of this before," he says, "but now you come here and steal someone else's dreams?" With that he falls into a convulsive coughing spell. And uh-oh, now he's coughed up some blood. We all know what that means (But it's his heart! That's the problem; why is he coughing up blood? Ugh.) Completely unconcerned, Mishil simply stands and says, What else can I do if that's my dream? And walks away carrying the scroll.
An uneasy silence in the Council Hall as everyone waits. Mishil enters and announces that Seohyeon, Yongchun, Yushin and Alcheon have confessed that Deokman led the attempt to assassinate Sejong. (Lie, of course.) So she'll be hunted down and arrested, and any of her "sympathizers in the court shall be eradicated from power." The nobles look at each other uncomfortably, but no one speaks. And on top of that, she proclaims "the establishment of a national crisis committee to protect our nation." Now they start murmuring nervously, because this part sounds very disturbing. Sejong, Seolwon and herself will be "an apparatus under His Majesty's direct control" and it "will supplant the Council of Nobles in terms of authority." The committee will investigate "all treacherous sympathizers and deal with any threat to our national security firsthand." And as its leader, she says, I've been entrusted by the king to act directly on his authority. As everyone starts to absorb this, we hear a couple of the nobles' thoughts as they digest it: "So it was indeed Mishil. She schemed this all." "Mishil will do anything to ascend to the throne." They do get it--in part thanks to those written warnings that were circulated. But they're just thoughts... "If I may..." Wait a minute, one of them speaks up! We've seen this guy; it's Wang Yun's father. Gently and respectfully, he asks for confirmation the king actually did approve this. Says he'd like for the nobles to be able to verify it, royal seal on the scroll or not. And also gets in a mention of Deokman and her hereditary legitimacy, which really was not necessary (or immediately relevant, or all that wise a thing to mention at all right now). Mishil smiles at him, then looks at Bojong and raises an eyebrow. Oh that can't be good, can it? Bojong nods at her...and then draws his sword and kills the guy! Right there in the Council Hall. Good heavens. (Hey, wait a minute--isn't that the same thing they just arrested all those people for? Brandishing swords in the Council Hall?) Without another word, Mishil smiles a bit, and then turns and ascends the steps to the king's throne...and parks her butt right on it. Gasps and wide eyes from all of the nobles. "You will pardon my lack of decorum," she says, apologizing--not really--for the dead man in front of them all. Says he made her a little angry. (Yeah, I guess!) Then, suddenly, it's that shrill, angry voice of hers that's never good. "What have you knaves done all this time? Occupied by your wealth and status, I served King Jinheung, King Jinji, and His Majesty, carrying all the weight of this country on my shoulders!" Talking like it was a terrible burden. "His majesty's lone descendant and her sacred-bone lineage--did she protect the country? No, I did! I sacrificed body and soul to protect this heavenly kingdom of ours! If anyone thinks otherwise, speak right here and now." Even Misaeng and Hajong are fidgeting a little uncomfortably at this point and look like they think she's a little flipped-out right now. Mishil warns everyone that it "would be in your best interests" to say nothing more about lineage or ancestry. And then: "I hereby declare martial law." Big surprise. "No party larger than five people shall gather within capital walls, and with the exception of certain military officials, carrying weapons will not be allowed. Is that clear?" Perfectly.
That was fast--out in the village, posters go up announcing the martial law. On one street we see some tense whispering because one villager saw one of Deokman's posters last night (it must have been taken down earlier) and now there's buzzing about Deokman and Mishil each wanting the other arrested. But now here come some soldiers, and oh crap, the villagers whispering, there are six of them. They're promptly hauled away.
Seolwon tells Seokpum and Bakui that he's naming them both "officers of the Board of Military Affairs," whatever that entails. Commanding troops and watching the nobles, mainly. Bakui doesn't look entirely comfortable with this (interesting) but they both accept by their silence. Seolwon also tells them to keep watching the Hwarang and report anybody who "shows any sign of discontent." Wow. He leaves...and Bakui wonders out loud whether or not the king really approved all this. That's up to Mishil, Seokpum says; and besides, "Did she ever act against principle even once?" Bakui is silent.
"What happened to my father!?" Wang Yun has just found out from Imjong; Piltan, Seon Yul and Dukchung are there as well. They don't know any specifics so he runs out to get them for himself. Then the other four start talking about all of those Sangju troops led into the capital by Jujin. "Are you sure," Dukchung asks the others, "they deployed only after the fact?" Piltan takes offense at the insinuation...but then backs down; maybe it makes a little bit of sense to him? Dukchung's father, we learn, is one of the council members, but Dukchung tells the others that his father knows nothing about all this. And then Imjong, very gingerly, asks the others if they happened to get the same arrow delivery that he did last night. They all fess up; yes they did. "I have never witnessed Lady Mishil acting against principle before," Dukchung says. And he believes that it was Deokman who tried to have Sejong killed because the Council attempted to limit her powers (sucker). But all of these strange things going on lately, and now Wang Yun's father being killed during a meeting...and now Dukchung is realizing that the attempt on Sejong and the alleged armed takeover of the Council, well, "they all were based on circumstantial evidence [and] none of this was proven directly." And now all four of them are puzzled, and hoping at least for some open discussion of everything that's happened. Ho Jae could help them, they think, but he's out of the capital right now, visiting his father in Yangju.
Yangju: Here's Ho Jae, with his father, who shows him first the order to arrest Deokman and then the Deokman letter. "I received two conflicting orders," his father (commander of Yangju Battalion) says. "What do I do?"
Jujin is with Mishil and Seolwon, who are thanking him for his valuable assistance. He doesn't look all that comfortable; he was there in the Council meeting and saw and heard it all go down. But he's there to be named a Council member himself--that was the deal, remember. He has one reservation, though: he wants to want to stay in charge of his military unit. That's where his roots are, he says. But Mishil cuts him off, reminding him that most of the nobles in the capital also have ties elsewhere and they're all here in spite of it. "Arrange it immediately," she tells Seolwon. And now Jujin has a look of stunned disbelief on his face, realizing that he's about to be separated permanently from his unit.
Jujin leaves the meeting, walking around almost in a daze, and finds Wang Yun, who asks him if he'll accept the appointment. He replies that leaving his troops "is like cutting off my limbs." Deokman's words are ringing in his head: "Mishil will do anything to ascend to the throne." He sees it more clearly all the time.
Mishil tells Seolwon that they have to bring in "anyone with a strong armed contingent near the capital." Get them away from their men, like they're doing with Jujin. And pretty soon, Mishil says, we'll be strong enough to force Jinpyeong's abdication. That just leaves Deokman to deal with. "Chilsuk seems to have found a way," Seolwon ways. Really?
Nighttime: What's this? Some soldiers are pulling a couple of carts through the countryside. In the carts, it looks like some of the Hwarang who were arrested and tortured. The soldiers are wearing aprons and look to be medics. They unload the cards--simply dump the unconscious Hwarang by the roadside. Wait--they're not unconscious, they're dead! What an awful sight. And this looks to be some sort of mass grave being prepared. As the medics leave, one of the newly dumped corpses--wait, he's no corpse--wakes up and manages to stagger away. But he doesn't leave unnoticed; Chilsuk and Santak the Annoying Hwarang are watching. "Is he the one?", Chilsuk asks. Yeah, he's one of Yeom Jong's men. He collapsed during questioning, Santak says, as they watch him stagger away. "We acted like he was dead, and got rid of him like the others." And as the man heads for home, the two follow him. Hey, this is pretty darned clever.
"Gicheon! What happened to you?" The man has just staggered into Yeom Jong's house and collapsed. Immediately Yeom Jong orders his subordinates to see if Gicheon was followed. Three of them go outside but see no one.
Morning: It's too risky, Seolji tells Wolya. But Wolya wants Yushin and Alcheon rescued "at all cost." But now what's that out there in the woods. A lone solider sneaking around? No, it's Jukbang! And Sohwa is with him. They made it to safety.
Inside, Jukbang is eating like crazy. Sohwa is only concerned about Deokman, and about that red envelope she's still clutching tightly. Chunchu is there and assures her that Bidam can take her to Deokman. Reassured, she starts to eat a little. Bidam notices that envelope and undoubtedly wonders what's in it.
That was fast...now Sohwa is with Deokman, who immediately asks about her father. Sohwa doesn't know, and that isn't at all reassuring, is it.
"Worth giving it a try." Now Wolya and Seolji are at Yeom Jong's and looking over what appears to be a written plan of action. Looks like those are several other Bokya in the room. "Fine," Wolya says, "we'll do it tonight."
Nighttime: The Gayans leave and head into the darkness. Chilsuk and Santak watch them go.
Now the Gayans are at the mass grave. They take their places among the bodies, to make it look like they're dead too. And now here come soldiers to dump some more bodies...and suddenly the Gayans ambush and kill them! And in moments the Gayans are pulling the carts back into the capital. Unfortunately for them, Chilsuk and Santak know exactly what they're up to.
Chilsuk goes right to Mishil and tells her. Six of them, he says. She orders, "Release Yushin only." Hmmmm....
So they do. He's taken from the building he was being held in along with Alcheon, and tossed into a cell in the main prisoner area. He's still unconscious from the torture. Now the medics arrive to collect more dead bodies. Seolji and Wolya enter Yushin's cell, which happens to also contain Godo and other DFers and Rising Phoenix, who recognize the pair. They all loudly declare Yushin dead (to convince the soldiers guarding every inch of the place).
Yeom Jong brings Deokman the good news about the initial success of the mission. How does information travel so fast around there?
Now pulling the body carts, the disguised Gayans are cleared to depart, with four dead bodies. Really three, and Yushin. Chilsuk watches them leave. And uh-oh, suddenly dozens of Hwarang emerge on a nearby rooftop. And as the Gayans slowly make their way to the dumping site, the Hwarang tail them all the way. But still they don't pounce. Now the Gayans head off into the woods...and next we see them on horseback, heading to the Bokya compound, with Yushin also on a horse.
Now we see Chilsuk and Santak and all those Hwarang, preparing to surround the place. "What matters," Chilsuk cautions them all, "is the princess." Santak turns to give the surround order...and wow, not only are there those dozens of Hwarang, but also a huge number of soldiers.
So Deokman IS at the Bokya camp after all. They bring Yushin in to see her. Huge sigh of relief from Yushin at seeing the princess is safe...but now there's noise of a huge commotion outside.
Yeah, the whole nine yards. Flaming arrows rain in from all directions and it's pretty much a slaughter as Chilsuk's Hwarang and soldiers catch the Bokya unaware. No contest.
A wounded Bokya staggers in to tell Deokman what's happening, before falling down dead.
Mishil is sitting alone, thinking to herself. "Your Highness--let us end this once and for all."
