Post by ajk on Dec 21, 2013 0:54:05 GMT -5
As the royal guard unit guides Gi Cheol's party back to Gaegyeong, Gi is telling tall tales to Jung Se Woon about how his sister the empress wanted to send troops to Goryeo "but I barely convinced her not to!" And how he saved Goryeo "from being turned into a wasteland." Yeom knows it's baloney and can barely keep a straight face. Let's keep moving, he tells Gi; a welcome-back feast is waiting for you, courtesy of the king himself. Once again you can practically see Gi's head ballooning.
Choseon's men return home, with the bad news that they weren't able to kill Gi Cheol.
At the Gi family estate, mother Gi is talking with Gi Ryun and one other family member about their plans to take control of the government. "Plentiful bribes" have been paid and allies are positioned; all that remains is to present their demands to Gongmin. They think they're in prime position.
Council hall: Word arrives that Gi Cheol has reached the outer gates. Gongmin is on his wide throne, waiting. Looking surprisingly confident. "Come on in, Lord Deokseong," he says to himself.
The palace gates are opened and Gi Cheol actually cries a little, he's so happy to be back home. Then his brother tells him that this is a mistake, that he should be going home first. Cheol doesn't intend to disappoint the king, but Ryun manages to change his mind. "You should first taste the mood in Gaegyeong, and then head for the palace." And pay your respects to our mother too. It works; Cheol decides to head for home. But Jung clearly has a reason for wanting to get Cheol to the palace now, and thinking fast, very coolly chuckles that he had suggested to the king to delay the reception but that the king reacted angrily-- because the king was losing sleep over Gi's welfare. And then with another chuckle Jung adds, "Anyhow, I shall convey that to His Majesty." Well, that manages to change Cheol's mind right back, and over Ryun's objection he heads through the gates. VERY impressive piece of work by Jung. And in fact, now Jung picks up the pace and moves Cheol along faster, claiming there are still pockets of unrest in the capital. He cleverly manages to leave the rest of Cheol's party behind.
Pyeonjo is laughing at Choseon, telling her she dodged a big bullet by not being able to kill Gi Cheol. Too many unexpected repercussions, he thinks. She's frustrated, and disgusted with the whole government and everyone in it. But he assures her that Gongmin is different and that she needs to be patient.
Cheol is brought directly to the Council hall. He's totally bought the idea that Gongmin has arranged for an honorable, respectful welcome home, and has even decided, "I shall forgive him" for what's happened. With that he strolls inside. And looks around. Where's the feast? Where's the party? No feast, no party. Just Gongmin sitting there, watching Cheol enter. And that black wok-like kettle pot sitting there in front of him. "On your knees, you fool!" Huh? What? Cheol is so stunned, he drops right down. "Open that chalice, and drink." Cheol takes the lid off. Poison! "If I think of your despicable sins," Gongmin growls, "I'd love to tear your limbs apart and throw them out. I shall instead save Empress Gi's face and allow you to drink that poison." WOW! Cheol can't believe it and, far from trying to assert any sense of authority, grovels for his life! Gongmin won't hear it and calls in his guards. "He refuses to drink the poison, so take him right now, tear his limbs apart, and throw them out." No, no, Gi begs, I'll drink the stuff. But he takes a moment to remind Gongmin about how hard he worked to make him king. Gongmin in turn reminds Cheol of a few other things. "While being a subject of Goryeo, you acted always with the Yuan in mind. You belittled the king, trained private guards, plotted a rebellion, seized control of the Council, created dissension in the court. You collected taxes personally, and emptied our coffers." Quite a list. "Very well!" Gi manages to summon up some courage. I'll drink the poison and die, he says, "but Her Majesty shall send an army and trample on this land." But he's still stalling. Eunuch Choi runs forward and screams at him. "Obey His Majesty's order!" "You impudent fool!!", Cheol fires back; "think of all the money you gained from me." Oops--busted. Choi looks around sheepishly, like he knows it. (And it's true; Gi had plied Choi for information at least the one time that we saw, and probably many other times too.) Then Cheol offers Gongmin his entire fortune, and says he'll go live in the country and make no trouble. No deal. So Cheol drinks the poison...and then spits it out, too scared to swallow it. More begging. And more begging. Gongmin sits impassively, watching Cheol grovel (which is surprising if you think about it, considering how he fell apart when Jo Il Shin faced death in the same situation). Finally he speaks. "And I was afraid of such a man." He decides (or more likely, says what he'd already decided long before this) to "condemn that man for his sins at a later date, and "exile him to Ganghwa Island for the time being." And Cheol is so utterly unraveled by the experience that all he can do is bow again and again and let loose with the "Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty!" again and again.
Well THAT was fast. There goes the oxcart, with Cheol in a prisoner's cage, being hauled off to exile. Through the streets, with angry citizens shouting and throwing things at him. Cheol has his moxie back and is muttering threats against Gongmin.
Gi Ryun is shaking with rage as he tells his mother the bad news. Calm down and go to Yanjing, she tells him, and let Empress Gi know. She's actually very calm about it all. "No matter what it takes," she says confidently, "I'll save your brother." And then mutters to herself, "Let's see who wins, king or Gi."
Gongmin has prepared a celebratory meal for Lee Je Hyeon, Lee In Bok, Yeom Je Shin and Jung Se Woon. Leave it to Yeom to sum it up: "My deepest congratulations, Your Majesty! You finally got rid of a painful cavity." And he acknowledges what a smart move it was to send him Jung and a royal guard party to "escort" Gi right into his own captivity. So why is Yeom sitting there with a look on his face like he's troubled by something? He says it's nothing, but clearly it isn't. Whatever...The king asks Lee In Bok to head to Yanjing to see the empress. And advises him to not look her in the eye. "Like being bewitched by a sly fox, you won't be able to resist her gaze." He says it with a laugh, but maybe there's some truth to it. (If only because of the headdresses!)
"Isn't our king a most wise ruler? And I was worried he was looking too weak." Okay, Gongmin's mother is certainly happy enough by what happened. But the queen is with her; she's the one person you'd think would be happiest of all about it--so why isn't she? She just sits there with a blank look while her mother-in-law giggles.
Later, Noguk is with Princess Deoknyeong, who reminds us of the issue: Noguk's father. Don't worry about him, she tells Noguk; Empress Gi's son is about to be installed as crown prince so she's accomplished what she wants to accomplish. But Noguk doesn't believe the empress is finished scheming. "She will try to kill Prince Qunluan, and eliminate any future trouble. When that happens, my father will be in peril as well." But then Noguk says she's more worried about her husband then her father.
Evening, and the king's celebration with his four advisers is still going. "Let's drink all night and get drunk!", he says. Well, he's the king, isn't he....
Later, the queen dowager is complaining about Noguk's lack of enthusiasm earlier. And it gets her rolling: "She doesn't concern herself about giving me a grandson, and keeps involving herself in state affairs. From now on, I shall take care of palace matters!" Which is the queen's job.
Finally the party breaks up. Lee Je Hyeon and Yeom Je Shin leave together; Lee is troubled about what the future holds but Jung says the king will just scold Gi Cheol a bit and then set him free. Yeom isn't worried.
And now the happily drunk king is escorted into his wife's chambers. "I came here to hear some compliments from you," he tells her. Says he'll spend the night here and drink until dawn. But there's that blank look again on Noguk's face. And then, finally, she explains herself--a little. "What you did today," she says sternly, "was unbecoming of your status." Huh? Gongmin is shocked. What does that mean? "You're this country's ruler. What scared you so much, that you had to engage in deception?" If you were going to punish Gi Cheol, she says, "you should have condemned him in front of all the officials." She thinks it will cost him the trust of his subjects. Now the smile is gone and Gongmin is frustrated with her. " Imagine if Lord Deokseong found out what was going to happen to him. He'd be hiding outside the palace, plotting treason all the time." And it's not something I can present to the Council, he argues; all of those spineless officials, "they'd be too busy probing Gi Cheol's reaction." He's surprisingly on point with this despite his intoxication, but his anger is brimming and he's literally red-faced. He staggers to his feet, too furious with her to stay. And now the alcohol opens up a whole new can of worms. "I know all too well," he shouts at her, "who is dominating your heart and soul! Would someone like me appeal to a woman like you?! What on earth do I have to do to deserve hearing words of praise from you? Go on and tell me! If I could only hear you flatter me, I'd take off my robe and start dancing in jubilation!" And with that he storms out of the room, leaving the queen alone and in tears.
He makes it home and orders more alcohol brought to him. One way or another he's going to drink through the night.
Noguk is trying to pull herself together. Eunuch An is with her and gently tells her that Gongmin didn't really mean what he said, that it was the booze talking. But Noguk knows better. My fault, she says. "How could I stab that open wound with such imprudence?" Decides she'll go to him right now and apologize. Starts to stand up...but then slumps back down. "He will never forgive me," she says tearfully. "He's been suspicious of me all this time." That isn't so, An tells her (but it may be so--or at the very least, he's certainly been insecure about her all this time). She's devastated. "I love that man more than my own life. He can't possibly ignore what I feel." And then, all of a sudden, she turns on a dime and here comes HER new can of worms. "Father," she cries. "I have no way of saving you, Father. If His Majesty kills Lord Deokseong, Empress Gi shall slay you. Even knowing that, I can't protect you, Father." All of this has been too much for her and she's starting to come apart. Outside the room, Princess Deoknyeong has shown up for a visit, but hearing all that, thinks the better of it.
Gongmin got his alcohol. But now he's an angry drunk, not a happy drunk.
Meanwhile, out in the capital streets, it's a big spontaneous party! Boy those people do NOT like Gi Cheol. Pyeonjo and Choseon are walking through the midst of it all. "I've heard tonight all the taverns won't not take any money," he tells her. But uh-oh, look who's taking way too much advantage of that: Won Hyeon. The pair suddenly comes upon Won, who's had too much to drink and is making a fool of himself, screaming and crying and ranting about his father's death. It's a pathetic sight. But now he's jumping around and dancing happily with the rest of the people. Doesn't hold his liquor too well, does he.
Pyeonjo and Choseon retreat back to her estate and drink some tea together. "Won Hyeon should have renounced the cloth a long time ago," she says, with all of that anger he's carrying around. And then adds, oddly, "If I had been born a man, I would have cut my hair and become a monk myself." Pyeonjo smiles at her. "You're a warm and kind person." Hey, wait a minute...is there a vibe between them? All of a sudden it sort of feels like it. She senses it too, and broaches the subject. "You're not saying that to someone you see as a woman, right?" He assures her it wasn't his intention...but it doesn't seem all that convincing. They try to talk about Won a little more, but then Pyeonjo asks, "Have you ever liked anyone?" Once, she admits, briefly...but offers nothing more. "And how about you?" "I did myself. Although it quickly vanished, like a flashing light." Not earthly love, or a more eternal love, but something in between. He tries to explain it better, but then he abruptly stands up and leaves, telling her he'd better go find Won Hyeon and keep him out of trouble. The look on her face as she watches him leave...it sure seems like there's a spark between them. An odd pairing, but who knows.
Pyeonjo steps outside the front door of her estate...and look who's waiting for him: Choi Man Saeng, Gongmin's eunuch/guard, and a squad of his subordinates. "His Majesty is waiting for you." Some timing, them being right there. (Ugh.)
Now Noguk is studying books. Awfully late at night for this; what's the subject matter? "Goryeo's tribute missions to the Yuan," she tells Eunuch An. Maybe I don't understand my husband well enough, she says, because I came from "my half of the world" (meaning, the Goryeo/Yuan situation). So she's going to try to understand the situation and its history better. And she's starting right now.
Pyeonjo is sent in and finds a woozy drunk king, sitting with a man identified by subtitles as Chief Inspector Kim Won Myeong. Kim leaves as Pyeonjo sits, and goes outside where Choi Man Saeng is waiting. "Are you telling me that's His Majesty's so-called friend?" Kim's not impressed. Whatever...Back inside: "Do you intend to jeer at me as well?" Gongmin's still smarting from his wife's rebuke, so Pyeonjo brings him the news about the people dancing in the streets. That perks him up...but then he asks Pyeonjo, What if I had beheaded him instead of exiling him? How would the people have reacted? Pyeonjo ducks the question. "Could the lump of sorrow inside people's hearts disappear in a mere day? But seeing Your Majesty exile Lord Deokseong, they must have started opening the doors to their hearts." Then Gongmin gets annoyed by Pyeonjo claiming to know and speak for the people. "And how would you know?! Do they know even this much of what's going on in the world?" And if they're all so busy with just trying to feed themselves and stay alive, why do they care about anything as remote as Gi Cheol? Pyeonjo smiles at him. "Your Majesty. Ever since Goryeo was founded, how many rulers ever cared about their people's situation? They've been abandoned for too long." But Gongmin goes right back to his earlier question: wants to know "if just sending Lord Deokseong into exile and not beheading him was a sign of cowardice!" And now suddenly he shows some of the same agonizing ambivalence and second-guessing that tortured him when Jo Il Shin was executed. "Today, I pierced that man's heart with a dagger. I was afraid of Lord Deokseong more than anyone. Afraid of Empress Gi. If Jo Il Shin could have killed him for me, how wonderful would that have been? Looking at Gi Cheol pleading for his life in front of that chalice, I could sense dread piercing my thoughts. Despite the fact his life was in my hands, I was damning the thought I was the one killing him, and not Jo Il Shin. These hands killed Jo Il Shin, who was like my flesh and blood to me. So why can't the same hands slay Gi Cheol? No, I'm afraid of that man. Of his penetrating my soul and eavesdropping on my thoughts." Some of this seems almost paranoid. Not sure how much of this is the alcohol, or his anger at Noguk spilling over, or actual paranoia. Can't tell. Then he adds, "I have said something despicable to the Queen." And with that, he slumps forward and passes out. Pyeonjo leaves the unconscious king, goes outside and looks at the sky. Twilight; it's almost dawn.
The queen is STILL reading those history books. It must be grim, awful stuff (and we know it is) because she looks completely consumed by what she's reading--and not in a good way.
An abrupt jump to Ssangseong Commandery, which we first visited in the previous episode. Gi Ryun has been paying commander Jo So Saeng a visit, to shore up their alliance. The young Lee Seong Gye is still there, and Jo orders him to escort Ryun to Yanjing. They leave, and Jo and Lee Ja Chun (Seong Gye's father) watch them depart. "This time," Jo says, "the King of Goryeo's end might come. If Her Majesty's order reaches us, we shall be prepared to send troops to Gaegyeong immediately, so get ready." Lee enthusiastically acknowledges him (but from the previous episode we doubt he's loyal to Jo.)
Won Hyeon is in trouble. Master Wolseon is reading somebody's report of the trouble Won's gotten into--"you drink, fall for the illusions of lust, steal from other people, Throw rocks at the palace!"--and he starts whacking him with a switch. "You little fool, from now on don't even think about setting foot out of here."
And now Won is sweeping up the place....and now he's stocking the furnaces. Wolseon has put him to manual labor as punishment for his un-monk-worthy behavior. Auntie is there and notices he's looking very unhappy, and asks him what's wrong. "I don't think I'm fit to become a proper monk," he candidly tells her. "The burning rage inside me keeps getting worse. It's blinding my thoughts."
Remember, Lee In Bok--don't look her in the eyes! Lee has made it to Yanjing and is before the empress. Commissioner Park introduces him. She's not impressed. "If Goryeo captured my innocent brother, you should have at least sent a high official!" Not taking the bait of the insult, Lee keeps his poise. "Should I explain all he did in detail right here, Your Majesty?" Which gets him a rebuke from Park: "Don't you know a word from Her Majesty, and we would be examining what remains of your head?" Lee calmly responds "I came here prepared for that." That one stuns Park, who's usually unflappable. But the empress likes it. "Fine," she says; "let's listen to this list of misdeeds." So he starts in. When he gets to the part about Gi disrespecting the king, Park jumps in and reminds him that Gi was assigned the official title of Vice Grand Councilor of the Eastern Expedition (preparing the Yuan campaign against the Wa pirates of Japan). A title, he says that outranks Gongmin's. "Our ruler is the King of Goryeo," Lee fires back. "How dare you compare him to a trifling subject of the Yuan?" Yikes!! Wow, this guy has some serious cojones, gotta give him that. Park is dumbfounded. The empress sort of smiles, and then politely says "you can leave us." He does--but not before he even looks her in the eye a little. What a performance. The doors close behind him, and immediately Park is pressing the empress to order the impudent Goryean beheaded. She doesn't. "Can you kill someone who came ready to die?"
Lee steps outside...and runs right into Gi Ryun. Who couldn't look more shocked to see him there. Lee just laughs at him. "What's with the surprised look? Have you met the Grim Reaper?" And confidently strides off.
Now she's thinking. What to do about all this. Park urges her, "Dethrone the king, and if he doesn't obey your orders, send an army to Goryeo." But she knows something he doesn't and we sure don't (or at least didn't, until now) and almost certainly nobody in Goryeo knows either: "You think he didn't know we have no troops to send to Goryeo?" Doubtful Gongmin knows that. But she doesn't see any way out. "No matter how much I think about it, I can't find a way to save my brother." But then...suddenly something occurs to her. "That's right! That will work. Then they shall instantly free him." And now she's laughing. Uh-oh, what's she cooking up? Whatever it is, she's nodding happily like she thinks it's in the bag.
Gaegyeong: Gongmin arrives outside of his mother's home to pay his daily respects. Noguk is already there waiting--apparently she does the same. She turns to him and tries to speak--but it's too awkward between them. He turns away and goes on ahead without her...but then turns back. "Why are you standing there? Should I take your hand and walk you in?" She smiles a little, or at least perks up a little, like maybe he's calmed down and forgiven her.
Choseon's men return home, with the bad news that they weren't able to kill Gi Cheol.
At the Gi family estate, mother Gi is talking with Gi Ryun and one other family member about their plans to take control of the government. "Plentiful bribes" have been paid and allies are positioned; all that remains is to present their demands to Gongmin. They think they're in prime position.
Council hall: Word arrives that Gi Cheol has reached the outer gates. Gongmin is on his wide throne, waiting. Looking surprisingly confident. "Come on in, Lord Deokseong," he says to himself.
The palace gates are opened and Gi Cheol actually cries a little, he's so happy to be back home. Then his brother tells him that this is a mistake, that he should be going home first. Cheol doesn't intend to disappoint the king, but Ryun manages to change his mind. "You should first taste the mood in Gaegyeong, and then head for the palace." And pay your respects to our mother too. It works; Cheol decides to head for home. But Jung clearly has a reason for wanting to get Cheol to the palace now, and thinking fast, very coolly chuckles that he had suggested to the king to delay the reception but that the king reacted angrily-- because the king was losing sleep over Gi's welfare. And then with another chuckle Jung adds, "Anyhow, I shall convey that to His Majesty." Well, that manages to change Cheol's mind right back, and over Ryun's objection he heads through the gates. VERY impressive piece of work by Jung. And in fact, now Jung picks up the pace and moves Cheol along faster, claiming there are still pockets of unrest in the capital. He cleverly manages to leave the rest of Cheol's party behind.
Pyeonjo is laughing at Choseon, telling her she dodged a big bullet by not being able to kill Gi Cheol. Too many unexpected repercussions, he thinks. She's frustrated, and disgusted with the whole government and everyone in it. But he assures her that Gongmin is different and that she needs to be patient.
Cheol is brought directly to the Council hall. He's totally bought the idea that Gongmin has arranged for an honorable, respectful welcome home, and has even decided, "I shall forgive him" for what's happened. With that he strolls inside. And looks around. Where's the feast? Where's the party? No feast, no party. Just Gongmin sitting there, watching Cheol enter. And that black wok-like kettle pot sitting there in front of him. "On your knees, you fool!" Huh? What? Cheol is so stunned, he drops right down. "Open that chalice, and drink." Cheol takes the lid off. Poison! "If I think of your despicable sins," Gongmin growls, "I'd love to tear your limbs apart and throw them out. I shall instead save Empress Gi's face and allow you to drink that poison." WOW! Cheol can't believe it and, far from trying to assert any sense of authority, grovels for his life! Gongmin won't hear it and calls in his guards. "He refuses to drink the poison, so take him right now, tear his limbs apart, and throw them out." No, no, Gi begs, I'll drink the stuff. But he takes a moment to remind Gongmin about how hard he worked to make him king. Gongmin in turn reminds Cheol of a few other things. "While being a subject of Goryeo, you acted always with the Yuan in mind. You belittled the king, trained private guards, plotted a rebellion, seized control of the Council, created dissension in the court. You collected taxes personally, and emptied our coffers." Quite a list. "Very well!" Gi manages to summon up some courage. I'll drink the poison and die, he says, "but Her Majesty shall send an army and trample on this land." But he's still stalling. Eunuch Choi runs forward and screams at him. "Obey His Majesty's order!" "You impudent fool!!", Cheol fires back; "think of all the money you gained from me." Oops--busted. Choi looks around sheepishly, like he knows it. (And it's true; Gi had plied Choi for information at least the one time that we saw, and probably many other times too.) Then Cheol offers Gongmin his entire fortune, and says he'll go live in the country and make no trouble. No deal. So Cheol drinks the poison...and then spits it out, too scared to swallow it. More begging. And more begging. Gongmin sits impassively, watching Cheol grovel (which is surprising if you think about it, considering how he fell apart when Jo Il Shin faced death in the same situation). Finally he speaks. "And I was afraid of such a man." He decides (or more likely, says what he'd already decided long before this) to "condemn that man for his sins at a later date, and "exile him to Ganghwa Island for the time being." And Cheol is so utterly unraveled by the experience that all he can do is bow again and again and let loose with the "Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty!" again and again.
Well THAT was fast. There goes the oxcart, with Cheol in a prisoner's cage, being hauled off to exile. Through the streets, with angry citizens shouting and throwing things at him. Cheol has his moxie back and is muttering threats against Gongmin.
Gi Ryun is shaking with rage as he tells his mother the bad news. Calm down and go to Yanjing, she tells him, and let Empress Gi know. She's actually very calm about it all. "No matter what it takes," she says confidently, "I'll save your brother." And then mutters to herself, "Let's see who wins, king or Gi."
Gongmin has prepared a celebratory meal for Lee Je Hyeon, Lee In Bok, Yeom Je Shin and Jung Se Woon. Leave it to Yeom to sum it up: "My deepest congratulations, Your Majesty! You finally got rid of a painful cavity." And he acknowledges what a smart move it was to send him Jung and a royal guard party to "escort" Gi right into his own captivity. So why is Yeom sitting there with a look on his face like he's troubled by something? He says it's nothing, but clearly it isn't. Whatever...The king asks Lee In Bok to head to Yanjing to see the empress. And advises him to not look her in the eye. "Like being bewitched by a sly fox, you won't be able to resist her gaze." He says it with a laugh, but maybe there's some truth to it. (If only because of the headdresses!)
"Isn't our king a most wise ruler? And I was worried he was looking too weak." Okay, Gongmin's mother is certainly happy enough by what happened. But the queen is with her; she's the one person you'd think would be happiest of all about it--so why isn't she? She just sits there with a blank look while her mother-in-law giggles.
Later, Noguk is with Princess Deoknyeong, who reminds us of the issue: Noguk's father. Don't worry about him, she tells Noguk; Empress Gi's son is about to be installed as crown prince so she's accomplished what she wants to accomplish. But Noguk doesn't believe the empress is finished scheming. "She will try to kill Prince Qunluan, and eliminate any future trouble. When that happens, my father will be in peril as well." But then Noguk says she's more worried about her husband then her father.
Evening, and the king's celebration with his four advisers is still going. "Let's drink all night and get drunk!", he says. Well, he's the king, isn't he....
Later, the queen dowager is complaining about Noguk's lack of enthusiasm earlier. And it gets her rolling: "She doesn't concern herself about giving me a grandson, and keeps involving herself in state affairs. From now on, I shall take care of palace matters!" Which is the queen's job.
Finally the party breaks up. Lee Je Hyeon and Yeom Je Shin leave together; Lee is troubled about what the future holds but Jung says the king will just scold Gi Cheol a bit and then set him free. Yeom isn't worried.
And now the happily drunk king is escorted into his wife's chambers. "I came here to hear some compliments from you," he tells her. Says he'll spend the night here and drink until dawn. But there's that blank look again on Noguk's face. And then, finally, she explains herself--a little. "What you did today," she says sternly, "was unbecoming of your status." Huh? Gongmin is shocked. What does that mean? "You're this country's ruler. What scared you so much, that you had to engage in deception?" If you were going to punish Gi Cheol, she says, "you should have condemned him in front of all the officials." She thinks it will cost him the trust of his subjects. Now the smile is gone and Gongmin is frustrated with her. " Imagine if Lord Deokseong found out what was going to happen to him. He'd be hiding outside the palace, plotting treason all the time." And it's not something I can present to the Council, he argues; all of those spineless officials, "they'd be too busy probing Gi Cheol's reaction." He's surprisingly on point with this despite his intoxication, but his anger is brimming and he's literally red-faced. He staggers to his feet, too furious with her to stay. And now the alcohol opens up a whole new can of worms. "I know all too well," he shouts at her, "who is dominating your heart and soul! Would someone like me appeal to a woman like you?! What on earth do I have to do to deserve hearing words of praise from you? Go on and tell me! If I could only hear you flatter me, I'd take off my robe and start dancing in jubilation!" And with that he storms out of the room, leaving the queen alone and in tears.
He makes it home and orders more alcohol brought to him. One way or another he's going to drink through the night.
Noguk is trying to pull herself together. Eunuch An is with her and gently tells her that Gongmin didn't really mean what he said, that it was the booze talking. But Noguk knows better. My fault, she says. "How could I stab that open wound with such imprudence?" Decides she'll go to him right now and apologize. Starts to stand up...but then slumps back down. "He will never forgive me," she says tearfully. "He's been suspicious of me all this time." That isn't so, An tells her (but it may be so--or at the very least, he's certainly been insecure about her all this time). She's devastated. "I love that man more than my own life. He can't possibly ignore what I feel." And then, all of a sudden, she turns on a dime and here comes HER new can of worms. "Father," she cries. "I have no way of saving you, Father. If His Majesty kills Lord Deokseong, Empress Gi shall slay you. Even knowing that, I can't protect you, Father." All of this has been too much for her and she's starting to come apart. Outside the room, Princess Deoknyeong has shown up for a visit, but hearing all that, thinks the better of it.
Gongmin got his alcohol. But now he's an angry drunk, not a happy drunk.
Meanwhile, out in the capital streets, it's a big spontaneous party! Boy those people do NOT like Gi Cheol. Pyeonjo and Choseon are walking through the midst of it all. "I've heard tonight all the taverns won't not take any money," he tells her. But uh-oh, look who's taking way too much advantage of that: Won Hyeon. The pair suddenly comes upon Won, who's had too much to drink and is making a fool of himself, screaming and crying and ranting about his father's death. It's a pathetic sight. But now he's jumping around and dancing happily with the rest of the people. Doesn't hold his liquor too well, does he.
Pyeonjo and Choseon retreat back to her estate and drink some tea together. "Won Hyeon should have renounced the cloth a long time ago," she says, with all of that anger he's carrying around. And then adds, oddly, "If I had been born a man, I would have cut my hair and become a monk myself." Pyeonjo smiles at her. "You're a warm and kind person." Hey, wait a minute...is there a vibe between them? All of a sudden it sort of feels like it. She senses it too, and broaches the subject. "You're not saying that to someone you see as a woman, right?" He assures her it wasn't his intention...but it doesn't seem all that convincing. They try to talk about Won a little more, but then Pyeonjo asks, "Have you ever liked anyone?" Once, she admits, briefly...but offers nothing more. "And how about you?" "I did myself. Although it quickly vanished, like a flashing light." Not earthly love, or a more eternal love, but something in between. He tries to explain it better, but then he abruptly stands up and leaves, telling her he'd better go find Won Hyeon and keep him out of trouble. The look on her face as she watches him leave...it sure seems like there's a spark between them. An odd pairing, but who knows.
Pyeonjo steps outside the front door of her estate...and look who's waiting for him: Choi Man Saeng, Gongmin's eunuch/guard, and a squad of his subordinates. "His Majesty is waiting for you." Some timing, them being right there. (Ugh.)
Now Noguk is studying books. Awfully late at night for this; what's the subject matter? "Goryeo's tribute missions to the Yuan," she tells Eunuch An. Maybe I don't understand my husband well enough, she says, because I came from "my half of the world" (meaning, the Goryeo/Yuan situation). So she's going to try to understand the situation and its history better. And she's starting right now.
Pyeonjo is sent in and finds a woozy drunk king, sitting with a man identified by subtitles as Chief Inspector Kim Won Myeong. Kim leaves as Pyeonjo sits, and goes outside where Choi Man Saeng is waiting. "Are you telling me that's His Majesty's so-called friend?" Kim's not impressed. Whatever...Back inside: "Do you intend to jeer at me as well?" Gongmin's still smarting from his wife's rebuke, so Pyeonjo brings him the news about the people dancing in the streets. That perks him up...but then he asks Pyeonjo, What if I had beheaded him instead of exiling him? How would the people have reacted? Pyeonjo ducks the question. "Could the lump of sorrow inside people's hearts disappear in a mere day? But seeing Your Majesty exile Lord Deokseong, they must have started opening the doors to their hearts." Then Gongmin gets annoyed by Pyeonjo claiming to know and speak for the people. "And how would you know?! Do they know even this much of what's going on in the world?" And if they're all so busy with just trying to feed themselves and stay alive, why do they care about anything as remote as Gi Cheol? Pyeonjo smiles at him. "Your Majesty. Ever since Goryeo was founded, how many rulers ever cared about their people's situation? They've been abandoned for too long." But Gongmin goes right back to his earlier question: wants to know "if just sending Lord Deokseong into exile and not beheading him was a sign of cowardice!" And now suddenly he shows some of the same agonizing ambivalence and second-guessing that tortured him when Jo Il Shin was executed. "Today, I pierced that man's heart with a dagger. I was afraid of Lord Deokseong more than anyone. Afraid of Empress Gi. If Jo Il Shin could have killed him for me, how wonderful would that have been? Looking at Gi Cheol pleading for his life in front of that chalice, I could sense dread piercing my thoughts. Despite the fact his life was in my hands, I was damning the thought I was the one killing him, and not Jo Il Shin. These hands killed Jo Il Shin, who was like my flesh and blood to me. So why can't the same hands slay Gi Cheol? No, I'm afraid of that man. Of his penetrating my soul and eavesdropping on my thoughts." Some of this seems almost paranoid. Not sure how much of this is the alcohol, or his anger at Noguk spilling over, or actual paranoia. Can't tell. Then he adds, "I have said something despicable to the Queen." And with that, he slumps forward and passes out. Pyeonjo leaves the unconscious king, goes outside and looks at the sky. Twilight; it's almost dawn.
The queen is STILL reading those history books. It must be grim, awful stuff (and we know it is) because she looks completely consumed by what she's reading--and not in a good way.
An abrupt jump to Ssangseong Commandery, which we first visited in the previous episode. Gi Ryun has been paying commander Jo So Saeng a visit, to shore up their alliance. The young Lee Seong Gye is still there, and Jo orders him to escort Ryun to Yanjing. They leave, and Jo and Lee Ja Chun (Seong Gye's father) watch them depart. "This time," Jo says, "the King of Goryeo's end might come. If Her Majesty's order reaches us, we shall be prepared to send troops to Gaegyeong immediately, so get ready." Lee enthusiastically acknowledges him (but from the previous episode we doubt he's loyal to Jo.)
Won Hyeon is in trouble. Master Wolseon is reading somebody's report of the trouble Won's gotten into--"you drink, fall for the illusions of lust, steal from other people, Throw rocks at the palace!"--and he starts whacking him with a switch. "You little fool, from now on don't even think about setting foot out of here."
And now Won is sweeping up the place....and now he's stocking the furnaces. Wolseon has put him to manual labor as punishment for his un-monk-worthy behavior. Auntie is there and notices he's looking very unhappy, and asks him what's wrong. "I don't think I'm fit to become a proper monk," he candidly tells her. "The burning rage inside me keeps getting worse. It's blinding my thoughts."
Remember, Lee In Bok--don't look her in the eyes! Lee has made it to Yanjing and is before the empress. Commissioner Park introduces him. She's not impressed. "If Goryeo captured my innocent brother, you should have at least sent a high official!" Not taking the bait of the insult, Lee keeps his poise. "Should I explain all he did in detail right here, Your Majesty?" Which gets him a rebuke from Park: "Don't you know a word from Her Majesty, and we would be examining what remains of your head?" Lee calmly responds "I came here prepared for that." That one stuns Park, who's usually unflappable. But the empress likes it. "Fine," she says; "let's listen to this list of misdeeds." So he starts in. When he gets to the part about Gi disrespecting the king, Park jumps in and reminds him that Gi was assigned the official title of Vice Grand Councilor of the Eastern Expedition (preparing the Yuan campaign against the Wa pirates of Japan). A title, he says that outranks Gongmin's. "Our ruler is the King of Goryeo," Lee fires back. "How dare you compare him to a trifling subject of the Yuan?" Yikes!! Wow, this guy has some serious cojones, gotta give him that. Park is dumbfounded. The empress sort of smiles, and then politely says "you can leave us." He does--but not before he even looks her in the eye a little. What a performance. The doors close behind him, and immediately Park is pressing the empress to order the impudent Goryean beheaded. She doesn't. "Can you kill someone who came ready to die?"
Lee steps outside...and runs right into Gi Ryun. Who couldn't look more shocked to see him there. Lee just laughs at him. "What's with the surprised look? Have you met the Grim Reaper?" And confidently strides off.
Now she's thinking. What to do about all this. Park urges her, "Dethrone the king, and if he doesn't obey your orders, send an army to Goryeo." But she knows something he doesn't and we sure don't (or at least didn't, until now) and almost certainly nobody in Goryeo knows either: "You think he didn't know we have no troops to send to Goryeo?" Doubtful Gongmin knows that. But she doesn't see any way out. "No matter how much I think about it, I can't find a way to save my brother." But then...suddenly something occurs to her. "That's right! That will work. Then they shall instantly free him." And now she's laughing. Uh-oh, what's she cooking up? Whatever it is, she's nodding happily like she thinks it's in the bag.
Gaegyeong: Gongmin arrives outside of his mother's home to pay his daily respects. Noguk is already there waiting--apparently she does the same. She turns to him and tries to speak--but it's too awkward between them. He turns away and goes on ahead without her...but then turns back. "Why are you standing there? Should I take your hand and walk you in?" She smiles a little, or at least perks up a little, like maybe he's calmed down and forgiven her.