Post by ajk on Jan 3, 2014 22:52:09 GMT -5
Ssangseong Commandery: Archery practice, out in the snow. The young Lee Seong Gye and his father are having a match. The kid's good--he even splits his own bullseye arrow with a second arrow. He and his father talk about the Yuan situation and whether or not their empire is in trouble. "The rising sun shall not shine twice on the same people," the younger Lee says, believing that the empire is facing ruin from the many pressures it faces. But if Goryeo should retake Ssangseong--which used to be its territory--would the Goryeans here be seen as traitors for administering the area for the Yuan? The elder Lee is concerned about that.
Gaegyeong: State council meeting, with the king and queen presiding. They're here to receive Commissioner Park, who's here for the Yuan crown prince's friendship feast. Park has brought a scroll from the emperor. Gongmin accepts it and snaps it open, a disgusted look on his face (not sure if that's because of Park or the scroll or both!). Nothing to worry about, it's a routine edict confirming Ayushiridara's selection as crown prince. Okay, but why isn't the crown prince here now? Park says he's reached the western capital (Seogyeong; present-day Pyeongyang) and will be here when the preparations are complete. Then Park looks at the queen and tells her, "Her Majesty was particularly adamant about conveying you her greetings." Which Noguk isn't thrilled about, since she knows her father's situation and who's responsible for it. You can practically see the chill come over the whole room. And now Park produces a long list of requirements for the feast. Lee In Bok looks at it and goes ballistic. Apparently a huge number of people who are supposed to be invited to the feast and fed lavishly, at great expense. Lee is not one to lose is cool over small things, as we've seen. Park calmly tells the king that this is how the feast is to be conducted. "It shall be performed flawlessly," he says calmly, "if our two countries are to further cement their friendly ties." Gongmin's irritated expression shows he can read between the lines and understand the implied threat.
Afterwards, the king and queen are together. Noguk tries to tell him to ignore the expensive feast demand, but Gongmin is still prickly from her criticizing him the other day and doesn't want to hear it.
Now our four main councilors (Lee Je Hyeon, Yeom Je Shin, Lee In Bok and Jung Se Woon) are going over the list in detail. It must be an incredibly expensive set of requirements because they're not sure how the nation will be able to afford it.
"Do you think I know no shame, to accept such a situation?" If I accept it, Gongmin tells Noguk, it's only to protect my people for the time being. Nothing more than that. He's already explained all this to her, how she needs to be patient about these things...
...but after she leaves him she tells Eunuch An that "I'm just indignant to see His Majesty becoming a laughing stock." Patience is not her strongest quality, is it.
Back inside, Gongmin is sneering and fuming, and tells Eunuch Choi, "Do you think I liked giving into their requests? I won't let my people shed blood for a war with no chances of victory!" Which is just what he's told Noguk...but from his anger and fidgeting, he clearly doesn't like it any more than she does.
Princess Deoknyeong is with Noguk; tells her that "If only for your father's sake, you need to endure this." But Noguk is worried that her husband's knuckling under and keeping Gi Cheol alive might be because he found out about her father's situation.
Yanjing: An amused Empress Gi is meeting Prince Deokheung, who we met in the previous episode and who is Gongmin's uncle. Somehow the prince's associate Choi Yu has managed to convince him to come and meet her. Choi is a big advocate--"He's more than suitable to become the next king, Your Majesty"--but the guy is sweating like crazy and can't even look at her, he's so nervous. Says he has a nasty cold, but she knows that's baloney, he's just a big wussy-boy. Choi asks her for troops; says he'll "invade Goryeo, kill Prince Gangneung, and get rid of all your troubles." Says the Ssangseong Commandery soldiers will join them, too. Not just yet, the empress answers. The crown prince is in Goryeo now "so I shall discover the King's true colors" based on how he handles things.
The prince and Choi leave...
...and now guess who's the empress's next guest: the King of Wei, Noguk's father. Standing there steely-eyed and fearless. "Thanks to you," she tells him with a self-satisfied smile, "Botap Shili has become as meek as a lamb." He doubts that. "Even killing me shall have no effect," he says. But she thinks his fate will keep the Goryeans in check, and basically laughs in his face about it.
What the heck is going on here? We're in the marketplace street in Gaegyeong and it looks like government troops are looting the stores! And as Choseon explains to Pyeonjo, that is what's happening, sort of. "For the last few days, the court has been confiscating cloth, oil, fruits and honey from well-off clans." It's to pay for the feast. That's the government's solution. Pretty lousy solution, but maybe it was the only one available.
"Does that suffice now? We adorned your haughty ceremony down to the smallest criteria." Gongmin is alone with Park, and looks to be about thisclose to snapping Park's neck. Park compliments him on the preparations and adds, "Her Majesty shall be most pleased as well. But," he says--there's always a "but" with this guy--"tell me. When are you going to release Lord Deokseong?" Gongmin says he's already ordered Gi's pardon. Just a pardon? Park clearly doesn't like the sound of that. Gongmin reminds him, "Think of how grave his misdeeds were! Could I just free him for no apparent reason? I granted him grandiose clemency on the occasion of celebrating His Highness's investiture. So even his pardon shall follow procedure." Well now suddenly the tables are turned and Gongmin is smiling and Park is looking disgusted. Obviously simple clemency is NOT what the Yuan wanted. As Park leaves, Gongmin shouts some kind of a pun about calling Gi Cheol a word ("hwangsuk") that means both "imperial uncle" and "ripened yellow." The humor doesn't work in English but there's no misunderstanding Gongmin's mocking laughter.
Uh-oh, battleaxe alert: Mother Gi is paying the queen dowager a visit. They trade phony chuckles and offer up loaded statements about whose family was at fault for what. And Mother Gi has brought a small chest: her small contribution to help pay for the feast. Which the QD accepts, but apparently which Mother Gi assumed she would refuse...
...because Mother Gi leaves, grumbling to her son, "That sly old fart and her damned greed!"...
...and inside, the QD has the chest opened and looks with contempt at the modest gems inside. "Think of how much that hoary wench owes me, and you call those gems?!" Sheesh, what a pair.
Okay, we know this guy; it's Lee In Bok's military associate, Choi Young. He has soldiers with him, including Kim Cheom Su (who threw the dagger that killed Jo Il Shin). He leaves them and goes inside to Lee's office; tells him that the Yuan crown prince is on his way to Gaegyeong now and "If we ambush them on their way here..." Absolutely not, Lee barks, and apparently he's refused this once already. Choi is passionate about not wanting to see his king have to kneel before a Yuan boy, and complains about Gongmin's "hesitation" to confront the Yuan, and also wonders if the rumors he's hearing about Empress Gi imprisoning the queen's father are affecting Gongmin. Wow, there are public rumors about it? "Isn't that the reason he couldn't kill Lord Deokseong?!" Lee insists, "His Majesty doesn't know a thing!" because the queen wants it kept secret. And he scolds Choi: "Will mere youthful vigor grant us victory against the Yuan? You should understand His Majesty's struggle for revenge and help him!" Choi accepts that and leaves, and now Lee is left alone and thinks back...to his most recent conversation with the queen, which we now see in flashback. Noguk wants his reassurance that he didn't tell the king about her father's situation, because, well, why else would the king have pardoned Gi Cheol? (Geez, lady, not everything is about you!) No, Lee says, I didn't tell him...but then he ventures to ask her why she's turning away from her father's peril, even for this important reason. She starts to explain, but in doing so drifts into other things, as though she feels like she trusts Lee and can confide in him. "His Majesty is misunderstanding me," she tells him. Yes, I almost married the former crown prince Qunluan, but I have no regrets about marrying Gongmin and becoming queen of Goryeo instead. I didn't marry him just because I was forced to; if that were the case I'd have taken my own life instead(!). Says she found herself falling in love with him. "Perhaps, our cries of sorrow met and embraced each other. Or, maybe, sorrow met with other sorrows, creating solace. Let's just say it was fate." And it hurts me terribly to see him endure these Yuan humiliations--"like a clutch of poisonous daggers piercing my soul to pieces." Her father? "My father is not walking into the flames of demise for my sake. My father, to protect his ideals, is accepting death instead." (Which is true; we saw him stand up to his emperor for his ideals.) "Goryeo needs to find its independence," she adds. "Only that can bring joy to His Majesty's face."...flashback ending, the recollection of it actually brings a tear to Lee's eye, so touched he was by her sincerity.
Now we're at Choseon's estate: Lady Kim, who's the QD's lead attendant, has arrived (remember, she's a sympathizer and maybe even a member of the separatist movement). The lead subordinate lets her in, and then goes to check on his men, who are eating lunch in a yard. They're not any happier than Choi Young was about this feast, and they want to go to Ganghwa Island themselves and kill Gi Cheol (which they tried to do during his return from Yanjing before government troops got in their way). Be patient, he tells them; you never know when you might get your chance.
Inside, Lady Kim brings Choseon and Pyeonjo news of Gi Cheol's pardon and release "along with all the other prisoners" (ah, so it was a GENERAL clemency--that sort of makes it more understandable why Park reacted negatively to it). She even knows that Noguk tried to convince her husband otherwise but he wouldn't listen. Wow, how does she know all this? Needless to say, Choseon isn't happy. She tells Pyeonjo he's misjudged Gongmin after all...but Pyeonjo, even after the hurtful things he heard Gongmin say the other night, still holds out hope. "His Majesty still has other plans for him," referring to Gi Cheol, "so he released him just now." She still doubts that Gongmin has the fortitude to stand up to the Yuan at all, ever, but tells Pyeonjo "I'll trust your word this once, for the last time."
Gaetae Temple: Won Hyeon has had enough of Master Wolseon's punishment and is concerned about Pyeonjo. Tells Auntie he's leaving for good. Gathers his stuff and leaves, he says forever. We saw him sneak out of Wolseon's room with Wolseon apparently asleep...but Wolseon wasn't sleeping and knew he left.
Time for another Pyeonjo visit to the king. He enters the inner palace courtyard, deserted except for that weird inspector Kim Won Myeong standing there. Pyeonjo bows to him and heads inside..."One shall know his place," Kim mutters to him as he passes. And then adds, "You lowly scum." What a sweetie.
An evening meal, just the two old friends. Gongmin pours Pyeonjo a drink and asks why he walked away last time. Pyeonjo makes up an excuse about getting wet in the rain, rather than tell the truth (Why?). He does want to know, "Are you really going to host a ceremonial feast for Lord Deokseong?" Gongmin doesn't want to talk about that; just wants to have a nice meal together and forget his troubles for a while. Or go to a gisaeng house for drinks.
So they go out together. Gongmin has no one with him! Snuck out of the palace; no eunuchs and more importantly, no protection. "Don't I have you at my side?", he asks (and from what we've seen, he makes a good point). And then adds something about "a friend's sword"--at which Pyeonjo stops in his tracks, surprised at hearing Gongmin call him a friend. Gongmin smiles at him. "You got wet in the rain? So monks lie, just like everyone else. You heard what I said to Kim Won Myeong, and ran away upset. Think I didn't know that?" Yes, Pyeonjo thought you didn't know that. So Gongmin was b.s.-ing the inspector after all. "If a king and a slave become friends, would someone like Kim Won Myeong stay put? He'd start spreading wild rumors." A little surprising that Pyeonjo didn't figure this out himself, but whatever...Pyeonjo looks like the weight of the world has been lifted off him, and the two friends smile and go into the gisaeng house together. Oh, and apparently Choseon's head man has been following them because he watches them enter the gisaeng house and then heads home to report to her.
Inside, it's a lively evening, and there's some sort of a comedy troupe performing. Three people doing a weird skit about a guy who's afraid of his wife. Seems harmless enough--not exactly boffo comedy, but harmless enough--and even when it makes an unflattering reference to the king, Gongmin accepts it with seeming good nature and keeps smiling at the humor...but then, suddenly, "Catch all those fools!" and a whole group of men run into the room and start beating the actors with short little wooden clubs. Even stranger than having no idea who these guys are--they're all wearing the same outfit but it's not a military uniform--is seeing Gongmin just calmly get up and walk out, the same smile still on his face, like he expected it to happen. Did he?
Nope, but he tells Pyeonjo afterward, "I'll order everyone freed." So maybe this was some sort of censorate that was reacting to the joke about the royal family. "Don't worry," Gongmin tells Pyeonjo; "Thanks to me, the people are laughing. Could I be any happier?" Well yeah, he could be a LOT happier...but Pyeonjo is glad to see the king handling it all with restraint. They reach the palace gate; Pyeonjo bows and the two friends part, all smiles.
Next morning: The Return of the Grunting One! Gi Cheol is sitting in a throne carried by a dozen men, being triumphantly escorted back home. Inside, his mother is only complaining that it didn't happen sooner! At the front yard, Gi, surrounded by admirers, immediately asks for a knife and scissors. Huh? "From this day on," he announces, "I am a Yuan subject!" Okay, so most likely he's going to cut his hair like the Yuan wear it....
A glimpse inside the royal banquet hall. Holy cow, if the whole place is done up like what we're seeing in this room, no wonder it's costing a fortune. All kinds of lavish decorations, and lots of fancy food being prepared and inspected. Serious money went into this.
Somebody approaches Jung Se Woon. A humbly dressed man in a plain garment and a straw hat. Hey, it's Kim Yong! Boy how far he's fallen--but at least Gongmin didn't execute him, thanks to Jung. Kim thanks him for that; it must be the reason he's here. Oh, and he has a favor to ask--can I see the king just once? Jung scoffs, considering all the trouble that Kim got himself into...but then reconsiders and says he'll see what he can do, but after some time has gone by and the whole thing is further in the past.
Time to pay the daily respects again: King and queen are with the QD. Princess Deoknyeong happens to be there too. The QD is basically holding court and dispensing advice about this Gi Cheol business. To her son: "Wash away the dregs of our past, and have a fresh start." Yes, mother. To her daughter-in-law: "It would be improper to keep enraging the imperial family." No response. "Answer me! I am asking you a favor as the palace's elder." Finally, "As you wish, Your Highness." She goes on, "If anyone is burning with rage because of the Yuan, it would be yours truly. But I decided to wash it all away." (Well yeah, you got what you wanted from them, that makes it a whole lot easier, doesn't it.) Just then, word arrives of Ayushiridara's arrival in Gaegyeong. Time for the king and queen to head home...but one more thing from the QD: "I shall ask another favor. No matter what happens, just keep quiet. Will you, Queen?" No response.
Wow, knife and scissors no kidding. Gi Cheol just about scalped himself and now looks like the Yuan do, with the one tuft of hair front and center. (Remember that Gongmin had banned this Yuan look, so this is a direct shot at him.) He and his mother are being taken to the banquet hall. They and their loyalists are in high spirits, laughing and full of smartass remarks about the royals and their future. They tell Mother Gi, "A future as the Yuan imperial family's elder is waiting for you!" Laughter erupts and they all head inside. Lee In Bok looks a little nauseous (very funny).
On their way home, Gongmin has told Noguk about the insulting reference at the comedy performance last night. She's concerned about it, and for some reason he doesn't seem as okay with it now as he was yesterday. He's doing that same sort of phony chuckle his mother does. Weird....
"There is one chance left for us." Choseon is glaring at Pyeonjo. "When the ceremonial feast is over...." She hesitates. "Do you still trust His Majesty?" He simply stares back at her, the hint of a knowing grin on his face.
Not sure if this is Gongmin's council hall or another room that's been set up with a wide throne for the crown prince. It's impossible to recognize the place, it's so totally loaded with expensive decoration and ornamentation. It's a stunning sight. The boy is sitting on the throne, and the Goryeo king and queen are standing there before him. Yuan and Goryean officials line the sides of the room. Immediately there's protocol bickering about who sits where; it ends up with Gongmin sitting on a lower seat to the boy's left, where he was expected to sit, but the queen sitting not directly opposite him but up on the wide throne with the boy! As a representative of the Yuan royal family, says Commissioner Park; that's how it's supposed to be done. Some tension about that but Gongmin waves it off and they both take their seats. The seat that was for the queen, opposite Gongmin, that's given to Mother Gi. (OUCH! Now of all the perceived slights and disrespect, geez that one's gotta hurt.) And now it gets even worse. Park tells Gongmin that he's to serve a ceremonial drink to the emperor...but since his wife is the emperor's representative today, he's to serve her! You can hear some scattered chuckles from the Gi crowd as Gongmin stands up. Then Park tells him he's supposed to kneel down while doing it. Oh this just gets worse and worse. Noguk can't even look, and the Goryean ministers can barely contain their rage. But Gongmin does it; kneels and pours, and the cup is taken from Gongmin and given to Noguk, who drinks it. It's his wife so he doesn't seem to mind it. Now one for the crown prince. Same deal. Finished? No, now Park says Gongmin has to bow down in respect to the emperor and the crown prince. More comments and satisfied laughs from the Gi section. Mustering up his resolve, Gongmin politely announces he'll do so...and then begins doing so. The painful sight of this moves several of the Goryeans to tears. The queen as well.
Outside, Pyeonjo looks at the palace buildings, with the Yuan emperor's flag now flying outside of them...and can only imagine the difficult time his friend the king is going through inside.
Gaegyeong: State council meeting, with the king and queen presiding. They're here to receive Commissioner Park, who's here for the Yuan crown prince's friendship feast. Park has brought a scroll from the emperor. Gongmin accepts it and snaps it open, a disgusted look on his face (not sure if that's because of Park or the scroll or both!). Nothing to worry about, it's a routine edict confirming Ayushiridara's selection as crown prince. Okay, but why isn't the crown prince here now? Park says he's reached the western capital (Seogyeong; present-day Pyeongyang) and will be here when the preparations are complete. Then Park looks at the queen and tells her, "Her Majesty was particularly adamant about conveying you her greetings." Which Noguk isn't thrilled about, since she knows her father's situation and who's responsible for it. You can practically see the chill come over the whole room. And now Park produces a long list of requirements for the feast. Lee In Bok looks at it and goes ballistic. Apparently a huge number of people who are supposed to be invited to the feast and fed lavishly, at great expense. Lee is not one to lose is cool over small things, as we've seen. Park calmly tells the king that this is how the feast is to be conducted. "It shall be performed flawlessly," he says calmly, "if our two countries are to further cement their friendly ties." Gongmin's irritated expression shows he can read between the lines and understand the implied threat.
Afterwards, the king and queen are together. Noguk tries to tell him to ignore the expensive feast demand, but Gongmin is still prickly from her criticizing him the other day and doesn't want to hear it.
Now our four main councilors (Lee Je Hyeon, Yeom Je Shin, Lee In Bok and Jung Se Woon) are going over the list in detail. It must be an incredibly expensive set of requirements because they're not sure how the nation will be able to afford it.
"Do you think I know no shame, to accept such a situation?" If I accept it, Gongmin tells Noguk, it's only to protect my people for the time being. Nothing more than that. He's already explained all this to her, how she needs to be patient about these things...
...but after she leaves him she tells Eunuch An that "I'm just indignant to see His Majesty becoming a laughing stock." Patience is not her strongest quality, is it.
Back inside, Gongmin is sneering and fuming, and tells Eunuch Choi, "Do you think I liked giving into their requests? I won't let my people shed blood for a war with no chances of victory!" Which is just what he's told Noguk...but from his anger and fidgeting, he clearly doesn't like it any more than she does.
Princess Deoknyeong is with Noguk; tells her that "If only for your father's sake, you need to endure this." But Noguk is worried that her husband's knuckling under and keeping Gi Cheol alive might be because he found out about her father's situation.
Yanjing: An amused Empress Gi is meeting Prince Deokheung, who we met in the previous episode and who is Gongmin's uncle. Somehow the prince's associate Choi Yu has managed to convince him to come and meet her. Choi is a big advocate--"He's more than suitable to become the next king, Your Majesty"--but the guy is sweating like crazy and can't even look at her, he's so nervous. Says he has a nasty cold, but she knows that's baloney, he's just a big wussy-boy. Choi asks her for troops; says he'll "invade Goryeo, kill Prince Gangneung, and get rid of all your troubles." Says the Ssangseong Commandery soldiers will join them, too. Not just yet, the empress answers. The crown prince is in Goryeo now "so I shall discover the King's true colors" based on how he handles things.
The prince and Choi leave...
...and now guess who's the empress's next guest: the King of Wei, Noguk's father. Standing there steely-eyed and fearless. "Thanks to you," she tells him with a self-satisfied smile, "Botap Shili has become as meek as a lamb." He doubts that. "Even killing me shall have no effect," he says. But she thinks his fate will keep the Goryeans in check, and basically laughs in his face about it.
What the heck is going on here? We're in the marketplace street in Gaegyeong and it looks like government troops are looting the stores! And as Choseon explains to Pyeonjo, that is what's happening, sort of. "For the last few days, the court has been confiscating cloth, oil, fruits and honey from well-off clans." It's to pay for the feast. That's the government's solution. Pretty lousy solution, but maybe it was the only one available.
"Does that suffice now? We adorned your haughty ceremony down to the smallest criteria." Gongmin is alone with Park, and looks to be about thisclose to snapping Park's neck. Park compliments him on the preparations and adds, "Her Majesty shall be most pleased as well. But," he says--there's always a "but" with this guy--"tell me. When are you going to release Lord Deokseong?" Gongmin says he's already ordered Gi's pardon. Just a pardon? Park clearly doesn't like the sound of that. Gongmin reminds him, "Think of how grave his misdeeds were! Could I just free him for no apparent reason? I granted him grandiose clemency on the occasion of celebrating His Highness's investiture. So even his pardon shall follow procedure." Well now suddenly the tables are turned and Gongmin is smiling and Park is looking disgusted. Obviously simple clemency is NOT what the Yuan wanted. As Park leaves, Gongmin shouts some kind of a pun about calling Gi Cheol a word ("hwangsuk") that means both "imperial uncle" and "ripened yellow." The humor doesn't work in English but there's no misunderstanding Gongmin's mocking laughter.
Uh-oh, battleaxe alert: Mother Gi is paying the queen dowager a visit. They trade phony chuckles and offer up loaded statements about whose family was at fault for what. And Mother Gi has brought a small chest: her small contribution to help pay for the feast. Which the QD accepts, but apparently which Mother Gi assumed she would refuse...
...because Mother Gi leaves, grumbling to her son, "That sly old fart and her damned greed!"...
...and inside, the QD has the chest opened and looks with contempt at the modest gems inside. "Think of how much that hoary wench owes me, and you call those gems?!" Sheesh, what a pair.
Okay, we know this guy; it's Lee In Bok's military associate, Choi Young. He has soldiers with him, including Kim Cheom Su (who threw the dagger that killed Jo Il Shin). He leaves them and goes inside to Lee's office; tells him that the Yuan crown prince is on his way to Gaegyeong now and "If we ambush them on their way here..." Absolutely not, Lee barks, and apparently he's refused this once already. Choi is passionate about not wanting to see his king have to kneel before a Yuan boy, and complains about Gongmin's "hesitation" to confront the Yuan, and also wonders if the rumors he's hearing about Empress Gi imprisoning the queen's father are affecting Gongmin. Wow, there are public rumors about it? "Isn't that the reason he couldn't kill Lord Deokseong?!" Lee insists, "His Majesty doesn't know a thing!" because the queen wants it kept secret. And he scolds Choi: "Will mere youthful vigor grant us victory against the Yuan? You should understand His Majesty's struggle for revenge and help him!" Choi accepts that and leaves, and now Lee is left alone and thinks back...to his most recent conversation with the queen, which we now see in flashback. Noguk wants his reassurance that he didn't tell the king about her father's situation, because, well, why else would the king have pardoned Gi Cheol? (Geez, lady, not everything is about you!) No, Lee says, I didn't tell him...but then he ventures to ask her why she's turning away from her father's peril, even for this important reason. She starts to explain, but in doing so drifts into other things, as though she feels like she trusts Lee and can confide in him. "His Majesty is misunderstanding me," she tells him. Yes, I almost married the former crown prince Qunluan, but I have no regrets about marrying Gongmin and becoming queen of Goryeo instead. I didn't marry him just because I was forced to; if that were the case I'd have taken my own life instead(!). Says she found herself falling in love with him. "Perhaps, our cries of sorrow met and embraced each other. Or, maybe, sorrow met with other sorrows, creating solace. Let's just say it was fate." And it hurts me terribly to see him endure these Yuan humiliations--"like a clutch of poisonous daggers piercing my soul to pieces." Her father? "My father is not walking into the flames of demise for my sake. My father, to protect his ideals, is accepting death instead." (Which is true; we saw him stand up to his emperor for his ideals.) "Goryeo needs to find its independence," she adds. "Only that can bring joy to His Majesty's face."...flashback ending, the recollection of it actually brings a tear to Lee's eye, so touched he was by her sincerity.
Now we're at Choseon's estate: Lady Kim, who's the QD's lead attendant, has arrived (remember, she's a sympathizer and maybe even a member of the separatist movement). The lead subordinate lets her in, and then goes to check on his men, who are eating lunch in a yard. They're not any happier than Choi Young was about this feast, and they want to go to Ganghwa Island themselves and kill Gi Cheol (which they tried to do during his return from Yanjing before government troops got in their way). Be patient, he tells them; you never know when you might get your chance.
Inside, Lady Kim brings Choseon and Pyeonjo news of Gi Cheol's pardon and release "along with all the other prisoners" (ah, so it was a GENERAL clemency--that sort of makes it more understandable why Park reacted negatively to it). She even knows that Noguk tried to convince her husband otherwise but he wouldn't listen. Wow, how does she know all this? Needless to say, Choseon isn't happy. She tells Pyeonjo he's misjudged Gongmin after all...but Pyeonjo, even after the hurtful things he heard Gongmin say the other night, still holds out hope. "His Majesty still has other plans for him," referring to Gi Cheol, "so he released him just now." She still doubts that Gongmin has the fortitude to stand up to the Yuan at all, ever, but tells Pyeonjo "I'll trust your word this once, for the last time."
Gaetae Temple: Won Hyeon has had enough of Master Wolseon's punishment and is concerned about Pyeonjo. Tells Auntie he's leaving for good. Gathers his stuff and leaves, he says forever. We saw him sneak out of Wolseon's room with Wolseon apparently asleep...but Wolseon wasn't sleeping and knew he left.
Time for another Pyeonjo visit to the king. He enters the inner palace courtyard, deserted except for that weird inspector Kim Won Myeong standing there. Pyeonjo bows to him and heads inside..."One shall know his place," Kim mutters to him as he passes. And then adds, "You lowly scum." What a sweetie.
An evening meal, just the two old friends. Gongmin pours Pyeonjo a drink and asks why he walked away last time. Pyeonjo makes up an excuse about getting wet in the rain, rather than tell the truth (Why?). He does want to know, "Are you really going to host a ceremonial feast for Lord Deokseong?" Gongmin doesn't want to talk about that; just wants to have a nice meal together and forget his troubles for a while. Or go to a gisaeng house for drinks.
So they go out together. Gongmin has no one with him! Snuck out of the palace; no eunuchs and more importantly, no protection. "Don't I have you at my side?", he asks (and from what we've seen, he makes a good point). And then adds something about "a friend's sword"--at which Pyeonjo stops in his tracks, surprised at hearing Gongmin call him a friend. Gongmin smiles at him. "You got wet in the rain? So monks lie, just like everyone else. You heard what I said to Kim Won Myeong, and ran away upset. Think I didn't know that?" Yes, Pyeonjo thought you didn't know that. So Gongmin was b.s.-ing the inspector after all. "If a king and a slave become friends, would someone like Kim Won Myeong stay put? He'd start spreading wild rumors." A little surprising that Pyeonjo didn't figure this out himself, but whatever...Pyeonjo looks like the weight of the world has been lifted off him, and the two friends smile and go into the gisaeng house together. Oh, and apparently Choseon's head man has been following them because he watches them enter the gisaeng house and then heads home to report to her.
Inside, it's a lively evening, and there's some sort of a comedy troupe performing. Three people doing a weird skit about a guy who's afraid of his wife. Seems harmless enough--not exactly boffo comedy, but harmless enough--and even when it makes an unflattering reference to the king, Gongmin accepts it with seeming good nature and keeps smiling at the humor...but then, suddenly, "Catch all those fools!" and a whole group of men run into the room and start beating the actors with short little wooden clubs. Even stranger than having no idea who these guys are--they're all wearing the same outfit but it's not a military uniform--is seeing Gongmin just calmly get up and walk out, the same smile still on his face, like he expected it to happen. Did he?
Nope, but he tells Pyeonjo afterward, "I'll order everyone freed." So maybe this was some sort of censorate that was reacting to the joke about the royal family. "Don't worry," Gongmin tells Pyeonjo; "Thanks to me, the people are laughing. Could I be any happier?" Well yeah, he could be a LOT happier...but Pyeonjo is glad to see the king handling it all with restraint. They reach the palace gate; Pyeonjo bows and the two friends part, all smiles.
Next morning: The Return of the Grunting One! Gi Cheol is sitting in a throne carried by a dozen men, being triumphantly escorted back home. Inside, his mother is only complaining that it didn't happen sooner! At the front yard, Gi, surrounded by admirers, immediately asks for a knife and scissors. Huh? "From this day on," he announces, "I am a Yuan subject!" Okay, so most likely he's going to cut his hair like the Yuan wear it....
A glimpse inside the royal banquet hall. Holy cow, if the whole place is done up like what we're seeing in this room, no wonder it's costing a fortune. All kinds of lavish decorations, and lots of fancy food being prepared and inspected. Serious money went into this.
Somebody approaches Jung Se Woon. A humbly dressed man in a plain garment and a straw hat. Hey, it's Kim Yong! Boy how far he's fallen--but at least Gongmin didn't execute him, thanks to Jung. Kim thanks him for that; it must be the reason he's here. Oh, and he has a favor to ask--can I see the king just once? Jung scoffs, considering all the trouble that Kim got himself into...but then reconsiders and says he'll see what he can do, but after some time has gone by and the whole thing is further in the past.
Time to pay the daily respects again: King and queen are with the QD. Princess Deoknyeong happens to be there too. The QD is basically holding court and dispensing advice about this Gi Cheol business. To her son: "Wash away the dregs of our past, and have a fresh start." Yes, mother. To her daughter-in-law: "It would be improper to keep enraging the imperial family." No response. "Answer me! I am asking you a favor as the palace's elder." Finally, "As you wish, Your Highness." She goes on, "If anyone is burning with rage because of the Yuan, it would be yours truly. But I decided to wash it all away." (Well yeah, you got what you wanted from them, that makes it a whole lot easier, doesn't it.) Just then, word arrives of Ayushiridara's arrival in Gaegyeong. Time for the king and queen to head home...but one more thing from the QD: "I shall ask another favor. No matter what happens, just keep quiet. Will you, Queen?" No response.
Wow, knife and scissors no kidding. Gi Cheol just about scalped himself and now looks like the Yuan do, with the one tuft of hair front and center. (Remember that Gongmin had banned this Yuan look, so this is a direct shot at him.) He and his mother are being taken to the banquet hall. They and their loyalists are in high spirits, laughing and full of smartass remarks about the royals and their future. They tell Mother Gi, "A future as the Yuan imperial family's elder is waiting for you!" Laughter erupts and they all head inside. Lee In Bok looks a little nauseous (very funny).
On their way home, Gongmin has told Noguk about the insulting reference at the comedy performance last night. She's concerned about it, and for some reason he doesn't seem as okay with it now as he was yesterday. He's doing that same sort of phony chuckle his mother does. Weird....
"There is one chance left for us." Choseon is glaring at Pyeonjo. "When the ceremonial feast is over...." She hesitates. "Do you still trust His Majesty?" He simply stares back at her, the hint of a knowing grin on his face.
Not sure if this is Gongmin's council hall or another room that's been set up with a wide throne for the crown prince. It's impossible to recognize the place, it's so totally loaded with expensive decoration and ornamentation. It's a stunning sight. The boy is sitting on the throne, and the Goryeo king and queen are standing there before him. Yuan and Goryean officials line the sides of the room. Immediately there's protocol bickering about who sits where; it ends up with Gongmin sitting on a lower seat to the boy's left, where he was expected to sit, but the queen sitting not directly opposite him but up on the wide throne with the boy! As a representative of the Yuan royal family, says Commissioner Park; that's how it's supposed to be done. Some tension about that but Gongmin waves it off and they both take their seats. The seat that was for the queen, opposite Gongmin, that's given to Mother Gi. (OUCH! Now of all the perceived slights and disrespect, geez that one's gotta hurt.) And now it gets even worse. Park tells Gongmin that he's to serve a ceremonial drink to the emperor...but since his wife is the emperor's representative today, he's to serve her! You can hear some scattered chuckles from the Gi crowd as Gongmin stands up. Then Park tells him he's supposed to kneel down while doing it. Oh this just gets worse and worse. Noguk can't even look, and the Goryean ministers can barely contain their rage. But Gongmin does it; kneels and pours, and the cup is taken from Gongmin and given to Noguk, who drinks it. It's his wife so he doesn't seem to mind it. Now one for the crown prince. Same deal. Finished? No, now Park says Gongmin has to bow down in respect to the emperor and the crown prince. More comments and satisfied laughs from the Gi section. Mustering up his resolve, Gongmin politely announces he'll do so...and then begins doing so. The painful sight of this moves several of the Goryeans to tears. The queen as well.
Outside, Pyeonjo looks at the palace buildings, with the Yuan emperor's flag now flying outside of them...and can only imagine the difficult time his friend the king is going through inside.