Post by ajk on Apr 4, 2014 23:56:13 GMT -5
Gongmin's hands are literally shaking as he stares at the piles of resignation letters on his desk. Oh, and here's something that won't exactly calm him down; his mother walks in and starts nagging him. When it rains, it pours...
Lee In Bok checks with Choi Young to make sure that the palace is safe and security is adequate--just in case some angry official (or more accurately, ex-official) tries to stir up trouble. But here's a question: Lee hasn't resigned yet; will he? Jung Se Woon asks him about that and the way they start barking at each other, it's possible. Jung remains loyal, of course; we'd expect nothing less of him.
Nag, nag, nag, this is a mess, get rid of Pyeonjo, nag nag nag. Gongmin just sits there, silently fuming. And now, from outside the office doors: "Your Majesty! Your devout servant, Lee In Bok, is here to bid you farewell." Gongmin orders the doors opened, sees Lee kneeling there...and totally loses it. He stands up and delivers a long, angry rant as he fights back tears. The bitterness he felt in Yanjing all those years...his desperate desire to restore Goryeo's dignity...the staggering amount of corruption in the court...bringing in Pyeonjo to help clean up the corruption. "But you imperil Pyeonjo, and hamper your King's resolve! What do you want from me?! Tell me that fame and riches are not all you ask from the heavens!" It shames Lee to the point where he turns into a sobbing mess. Then mom says maybe she'll leave the capital too. She walks out of the building and past Noguk, who arrived in time to hear the whole thing from outside. "Tell him to forsake that Pyeonjo!", she says with frustration. Inside, Gongmin calms himself down, sort of, and walks over to Lee. What is your problem with Pyeonjo?, he asks. "Is it because Pyeonjo is the son of a slave?" The shrieking sob that comes from Lee, that's gotta be a yes. "I wish," Gongmin says, as he starts to cry, "I could share Pyeonjo's humble kinship."
Royal Temple: Won Hyeon shows up and finds a freshly ordained Pyeonjo. He goes bonkers, immediately assuming that Pyeonjo is abandoning the Directorate. Not so, Pyeonjo tells him with an amused smile.
Choseon's head subordinate Park Seobang tells her that posters have been plastered all over the palace walls, posters degrading and insulting Pyeonjo. And there are rumors that the local merchants are in cahoots with Kim Yong now (which would be no surprise because we saw them meet with him).
Pyeonjo is walking through one of the city streets and finds local merchants riling up the public with wild accusations Pyeonjo being corrupt and the Directorate being out of control.
We see many of the just-resigned high officials, in civilian clothes, meeting at Lee Je Hyeon's home. Word comes in that Lee In Bok just resigned, and now they're all certain that the king will buckle very soon. All except Lee Je Hyeon, who says nothing.
Next day: Pyeonjo is walking through an oddly quiet palace complex, on his way to see the king. Jung Se Woon spots him and confronts him. Jung has been the most willing of all the high officials to accept and support the work that Pyeonjo is doing, if not the status of the person doing it...but he's reached the breaking point and his glare and tone show it. "I thought I would gash your heart with my punishing blade," Jung angrily tells him, "the moment you set foot inside these sacred dwellings. But, as His Majesty so deeply cherishes your presence, I shall spare your life." But you're not taking another step inside this complex unless it's to resign. Otherwise "His Majesty will lose his throne," so shouldn't you stop your work? Pyeonjo is totally unruffled and merely stares at Jung with a calm smile. So Jung draws his sword and puts it to Pyeonjo's throat!
"Ordainment?! Isn't he running away in the face of adversity?!" Won Hyeon is in Choseon's yard, raving to the inspectors about how Kim Yong could be set free now and that their own lives might be in danger. He demands that they all go to the Directorate office to protect it. They're all so uncomfortable with his screaming, they just stand there trying to ignore him. Won storms off, and then, surprisingly, Gong Cheol prods the other inspectors into following him. Reluctantly, but they do follow him. Inside, Choseon listens to all this with disappointment...but her mind is still on Pyeonjo. She had made some garments herself for him but fears he'll have no use for them because he won't come back to civilian life.
How did Pyeonjo get past Jung Se Woon? We don't know, but he did, and now he's in front of Gongmin's palace. Eunuch An greets him and tells him what's been happening. "His Majesty was deeply discouraged by all this. I beg you to enter in haste." So he does...and finds Gongmin painting a portrait of his wife as she sits for him. He sure doesn't seem discouraged. He's in a good mood and even joking with her about looking older and showing wrinkles (which aren't there) and obviously she's in a VERY good mood because she's smiling and joking about that too. Gongmin heard about Pyeonjo's ordainment and, as he continues painting, asks Pyeonjo if he's going to leave public service now. Pyeonjo assures him this is only because of Wolseon's impending death. He assures the king that he won't be at Gaetae for long and will hurry back. But Gongmin tells him to take his time; there's nothing to do here anyway. And adds, don't worry about me; "nothing shall weaken my resolve." He continues painting, amazingly calm and unaffected by the chaos in the government. But the awkward silence in the room suggests that all three of them know that it could be quite a while before Pyeonjo can return. And finally the queen says so: "You will not meet for many moons." Pyeonjo again assures them he'll be back no matter how long it takes.
What the heck?!? The ex-officials are walking through the palace gate--INwards--wearing their official robes and laughing about how the king "conceded." And at the royal jail, Kim Yong walks out a free man. And leads troops to the Directorate building, where they rough up the inspectors and proceed to trash the place. And at Choseon's estate, somebody's private troops (Kim's?), dressed in civilian clothes, are shoving everybody out of the place, looting it of everything inside, and setting fire to it!
Pyeonjo leaves the palace gate to find Choseon waiting for him. She's brought a few garments for him (Does she know what just happened to her home?) But he merely bows to her and walks off, without a word. Rude!
Evening, Gaetae Temple. Wolseon doesn't look so bad, does he. He's alone but he's sitting up, and in no clear discomfort, and is smiling, apparently with some happy thought occupying his mind. Deokun peeks in on him and is immensely relieved...until Auntie sets him straight. "Is he the first monk you've seen attain Nirvana while sitting? You must stay by his side, so that he will bestow to you his bowl and kasaya when he leaves us." Seriously? Deokun rushes back to check on the old man. "Go to the shrine," Wolseon asks of him, "and bring me Ban Ya." Soon the girl is by his side. Wolseon sits there with his bowl and kasaya in front of him, and thinks back to the time when he gave them to Pyeonjo (probably not the same ones).
Choseon is accompanying Pyeonjo to Gaetae. Not an easy trip on foot for a lady, and eventually her feet are hurting and swollen, but she stops and washes them and assures him she'll be fine. More of the silent awkwardness between them--amplified now because Pyeonjo is an ordained monk now. As they continue on, he has to apologize to her. "You lost all the assets you so strenuously worked for, all because of me." So she does know about it...but she's not concerned, and assures him that "I can still make a living."
And now what's this--somebody released Yoo In Woo from prison and he's outside Gongmin's palace, loudly demanding to see the king! Ugh! Jung Se Woon hears the shouting from nearby and heads right to the scene, sword drawn...but finds Lee Je Hyeon already there and soldiers dragging him away and throwing him out. This is getting weirder and weirder....
Lee Je Hyeon is in Gongmin's office now and Gongmin is so angry, he's laughing. Which still does not explain the situation!
Now Inspector Kim is congratulating the queen dowager. "You finally have become our palace's most esteemed elder." She asks him if her son has finally relented and abolished the Directorate. "With no Pyeonjo in sight," he answers, "who is he possibly going to entrust that to?" So is this all about the officials being emboldened by Pyeonjo's absence--is that what caused all this?
"We avoided a grave quandary," Princess Deoknyeong tells Noguk. Because the Yuan would have taken advantage of the chaos and invaded Goryeo. Noguk doesn't agree; she thinks that's baloney peddled by the officials. "You shouldn't underestimate Empress Gi," Deoknyeong warns; "you never know when she might turn against us." "Yes," Noguk answers. "It was Empress Gi, indeed." Was SHE behind all this?
Yanjing: Well we won't find out right now, will we. The empress is enjoying the essence of something burning nearby (my tactful way of avoiding saying she's high as a jute). Prince Deokheung and his associate Choi Yu are trying to get her to send an army and oust the "insolent" king and install Deokheung. But she's totally zoned out, and the silent head-shake from Commissioner Park tells them not to expect an answer just now.
Pyeonjo and Choseon arrive at Gaetae to the sounds of crying. They're too late. Wolseon died last night. His body is in the royal shrine, still sitting there in prayer where he obviously died. Pyeonjo goes inside, sits next to it and talks to it for quite a while, asking questions that the old man can't answer now. "Why did you send me out into the secular world?" "Is it the world I should change? Or only myself?!" On and on. "Was your wish to see me help His Majesty change this world for our people?! I came to hear your answer, Master! Speak to me, Master! How should I live the rest of my days?" Grief and shock have overwhelmed his mind. But then he looks up to find Ban Ya standing there, holding Wolseon's bowl and kasaya. Obviously they're meant for him.
We see the procession as Wolseon's body is taken to its funeral pyre. Uh-oh, Won Hyeon has shown up and is watching from a distance, staying in hiding. As Pyeonjo thinks back to one particular conversation with the old man, which we see in flashback, Wolseon's body is placed on top of the pyre. Pyeonjo is nearly overcome with grief but finds the strength to light the pyre and watch it slowly consume the casket holding the old man's body. As it burns, we hear Wolseon's voice: "Pyeonjo. Even Buddha had his dreams. Would he have believed his dreams would come true right away? So beautiful they were, we still believe and lean onto them. He waited for over a thousand years. Why wouldn't he wait another thousand?"
Later, we see Pyeonjo alone, carrying a bundle behind his back as he climbs a mountainside. It's the same mountainside Pyeonjo climbed in Episode 3, carrying Wolseon on his back. We see that scene again as Pyeonjo recalls the journey. It was warm and lush with green then; now winter snow covers much of the ground. Oh, and the bundle, inside it is a jar containing Wolseon's ashes. Pyeonjo places it on top of a rock at the mountain's peak, with the intention of leaving it there...but then changes his mind and decides to scatter the ashes. Which he does, and watches them the winds disperse them all through the countryside below. A beautiful image.
Evening: A deranged-looking Won Hyeon scampers into the temple shrine and finds Pyeonjo alone in prayer. "When are you going to head back to Gaegyeong? You can't change the world sitting inside this shrine!" Won is frantic and furious. Pyeonjo calmly answers, "Only after all the burning wrath engulfing my soul vanishes, I shall head back to the secular world." This was one of the topics of the conversations we saw in flashback: the anger and frustration Pyeonjo felt towards the wrongs and injustices of the secular world. Won keeps ranting at him--even accuses him of coveting Wolseon's bowl and kasaya and that being the only reason for his public service--but Pyeonjo is far too immersed in his prayer and concentration to be rattled by it. Won ends up laughing maniacally and runs outside screaming. "Are you going to save the world with Buddha's teachings?! Power must be fought with power! I shall give up my life to fight! Until blood covers my entire body, I shall fight to the end!"
Gongmin not only finished his wife's portrait, he did a second one. For an amateur they're quite good. The king and queen are admiring them and enjoying dinner together. It's a difficult time for them and they're leaning on each other for strength.
As he prays, Pyeonjo seems to see Wolseon's face in the various characters in the mural on the wall he faces. Eventually Wolseon smiles and waves farewell.
Lee In Bok checks with Choi Young to make sure that the palace is safe and security is adequate--just in case some angry official (or more accurately, ex-official) tries to stir up trouble. But here's a question: Lee hasn't resigned yet; will he? Jung Se Woon asks him about that and the way they start barking at each other, it's possible. Jung remains loyal, of course; we'd expect nothing less of him.
Nag, nag, nag, this is a mess, get rid of Pyeonjo, nag nag nag. Gongmin just sits there, silently fuming. And now, from outside the office doors: "Your Majesty! Your devout servant, Lee In Bok, is here to bid you farewell." Gongmin orders the doors opened, sees Lee kneeling there...and totally loses it. He stands up and delivers a long, angry rant as he fights back tears. The bitterness he felt in Yanjing all those years...his desperate desire to restore Goryeo's dignity...the staggering amount of corruption in the court...bringing in Pyeonjo to help clean up the corruption. "But you imperil Pyeonjo, and hamper your King's resolve! What do you want from me?! Tell me that fame and riches are not all you ask from the heavens!" It shames Lee to the point where he turns into a sobbing mess. Then mom says maybe she'll leave the capital too. She walks out of the building and past Noguk, who arrived in time to hear the whole thing from outside. "Tell him to forsake that Pyeonjo!", she says with frustration. Inside, Gongmin calms himself down, sort of, and walks over to Lee. What is your problem with Pyeonjo?, he asks. "Is it because Pyeonjo is the son of a slave?" The shrieking sob that comes from Lee, that's gotta be a yes. "I wish," Gongmin says, as he starts to cry, "I could share Pyeonjo's humble kinship."
Royal Temple: Won Hyeon shows up and finds a freshly ordained Pyeonjo. He goes bonkers, immediately assuming that Pyeonjo is abandoning the Directorate. Not so, Pyeonjo tells him with an amused smile.
Choseon's head subordinate Park Seobang tells her that posters have been plastered all over the palace walls, posters degrading and insulting Pyeonjo. And there are rumors that the local merchants are in cahoots with Kim Yong now (which would be no surprise because we saw them meet with him).
Pyeonjo is walking through one of the city streets and finds local merchants riling up the public with wild accusations Pyeonjo being corrupt and the Directorate being out of control.
We see many of the just-resigned high officials, in civilian clothes, meeting at Lee Je Hyeon's home. Word comes in that Lee In Bok just resigned, and now they're all certain that the king will buckle very soon. All except Lee Je Hyeon, who says nothing.
Next day: Pyeonjo is walking through an oddly quiet palace complex, on his way to see the king. Jung Se Woon spots him and confronts him. Jung has been the most willing of all the high officials to accept and support the work that Pyeonjo is doing, if not the status of the person doing it...but he's reached the breaking point and his glare and tone show it. "I thought I would gash your heart with my punishing blade," Jung angrily tells him, "the moment you set foot inside these sacred dwellings. But, as His Majesty so deeply cherishes your presence, I shall spare your life." But you're not taking another step inside this complex unless it's to resign. Otherwise "His Majesty will lose his throne," so shouldn't you stop your work? Pyeonjo is totally unruffled and merely stares at Jung with a calm smile. So Jung draws his sword and puts it to Pyeonjo's throat!
"Ordainment?! Isn't he running away in the face of adversity?!" Won Hyeon is in Choseon's yard, raving to the inspectors about how Kim Yong could be set free now and that their own lives might be in danger. He demands that they all go to the Directorate office to protect it. They're all so uncomfortable with his screaming, they just stand there trying to ignore him. Won storms off, and then, surprisingly, Gong Cheol prods the other inspectors into following him. Reluctantly, but they do follow him. Inside, Choseon listens to all this with disappointment...but her mind is still on Pyeonjo. She had made some garments herself for him but fears he'll have no use for them because he won't come back to civilian life.
How did Pyeonjo get past Jung Se Woon? We don't know, but he did, and now he's in front of Gongmin's palace. Eunuch An greets him and tells him what's been happening. "His Majesty was deeply discouraged by all this. I beg you to enter in haste." So he does...and finds Gongmin painting a portrait of his wife as she sits for him. He sure doesn't seem discouraged. He's in a good mood and even joking with her about looking older and showing wrinkles (which aren't there) and obviously she's in a VERY good mood because she's smiling and joking about that too. Gongmin heard about Pyeonjo's ordainment and, as he continues painting, asks Pyeonjo if he's going to leave public service now. Pyeonjo assures him this is only because of Wolseon's impending death. He assures the king that he won't be at Gaetae for long and will hurry back. But Gongmin tells him to take his time; there's nothing to do here anyway. And adds, don't worry about me; "nothing shall weaken my resolve." He continues painting, amazingly calm and unaffected by the chaos in the government. But the awkward silence in the room suggests that all three of them know that it could be quite a while before Pyeonjo can return. And finally the queen says so: "You will not meet for many moons." Pyeonjo again assures them he'll be back no matter how long it takes.
What the heck?!? The ex-officials are walking through the palace gate--INwards--wearing their official robes and laughing about how the king "conceded." And at the royal jail, Kim Yong walks out a free man. And leads troops to the Directorate building, where they rough up the inspectors and proceed to trash the place. And at Choseon's estate, somebody's private troops (Kim's?), dressed in civilian clothes, are shoving everybody out of the place, looting it of everything inside, and setting fire to it!
Pyeonjo leaves the palace gate to find Choseon waiting for him. She's brought a few garments for him (Does she know what just happened to her home?) But he merely bows to her and walks off, without a word. Rude!
Evening, Gaetae Temple. Wolseon doesn't look so bad, does he. He's alone but he's sitting up, and in no clear discomfort, and is smiling, apparently with some happy thought occupying his mind. Deokun peeks in on him and is immensely relieved...until Auntie sets him straight. "Is he the first monk you've seen attain Nirvana while sitting? You must stay by his side, so that he will bestow to you his bowl and kasaya when he leaves us." Seriously? Deokun rushes back to check on the old man. "Go to the shrine," Wolseon asks of him, "and bring me Ban Ya." Soon the girl is by his side. Wolseon sits there with his bowl and kasaya in front of him, and thinks back to the time when he gave them to Pyeonjo (probably not the same ones).
Choseon is accompanying Pyeonjo to Gaetae. Not an easy trip on foot for a lady, and eventually her feet are hurting and swollen, but she stops and washes them and assures him she'll be fine. More of the silent awkwardness between them--amplified now because Pyeonjo is an ordained monk now. As they continue on, he has to apologize to her. "You lost all the assets you so strenuously worked for, all because of me." So she does know about it...but she's not concerned, and assures him that "I can still make a living."
And now what's this--somebody released Yoo In Woo from prison and he's outside Gongmin's palace, loudly demanding to see the king! Ugh! Jung Se Woon hears the shouting from nearby and heads right to the scene, sword drawn...but finds Lee Je Hyeon already there and soldiers dragging him away and throwing him out. This is getting weirder and weirder....
Lee Je Hyeon is in Gongmin's office now and Gongmin is so angry, he's laughing. Which still does not explain the situation!
Now Inspector Kim is congratulating the queen dowager. "You finally have become our palace's most esteemed elder." She asks him if her son has finally relented and abolished the Directorate. "With no Pyeonjo in sight," he answers, "who is he possibly going to entrust that to?" So is this all about the officials being emboldened by Pyeonjo's absence--is that what caused all this?
"We avoided a grave quandary," Princess Deoknyeong tells Noguk. Because the Yuan would have taken advantage of the chaos and invaded Goryeo. Noguk doesn't agree; she thinks that's baloney peddled by the officials. "You shouldn't underestimate Empress Gi," Deoknyeong warns; "you never know when she might turn against us." "Yes," Noguk answers. "It was Empress Gi, indeed." Was SHE behind all this?
Yanjing: Well we won't find out right now, will we. The empress is enjoying the essence of something burning nearby (my tactful way of avoiding saying she's high as a jute). Prince Deokheung and his associate Choi Yu are trying to get her to send an army and oust the "insolent" king and install Deokheung. But she's totally zoned out, and the silent head-shake from Commissioner Park tells them not to expect an answer just now.
Pyeonjo and Choseon arrive at Gaetae to the sounds of crying. They're too late. Wolseon died last night. His body is in the royal shrine, still sitting there in prayer where he obviously died. Pyeonjo goes inside, sits next to it and talks to it for quite a while, asking questions that the old man can't answer now. "Why did you send me out into the secular world?" "Is it the world I should change? Or only myself?!" On and on. "Was your wish to see me help His Majesty change this world for our people?! I came to hear your answer, Master! Speak to me, Master! How should I live the rest of my days?" Grief and shock have overwhelmed his mind. But then he looks up to find Ban Ya standing there, holding Wolseon's bowl and kasaya. Obviously they're meant for him.
We see the procession as Wolseon's body is taken to its funeral pyre. Uh-oh, Won Hyeon has shown up and is watching from a distance, staying in hiding. As Pyeonjo thinks back to one particular conversation with the old man, which we see in flashback, Wolseon's body is placed on top of the pyre. Pyeonjo is nearly overcome with grief but finds the strength to light the pyre and watch it slowly consume the casket holding the old man's body. As it burns, we hear Wolseon's voice: "Pyeonjo. Even Buddha had his dreams. Would he have believed his dreams would come true right away? So beautiful they were, we still believe and lean onto them. He waited for over a thousand years. Why wouldn't he wait another thousand?"
Later, we see Pyeonjo alone, carrying a bundle behind his back as he climbs a mountainside. It's the same mountainside Pyeonjo climbed in Episode 3, carrying Wolseon on his back. We see that scene again as Pyeonjo recalls the journey. It was warm and lush with green then; now winter snow covers much of the ground. Oh, and the bundle, inside it is a jar containing Wolseon's ashes. Pyeonjo places it on top of a rock at the mountain's peak, with the intention of leaving it there...but then changes his mind and decides to scatter the ashes. Which he does, and watches them the winds disperse them all through the countryside below. A beautiful image.
Evening: A deranged-looking Won Hyeon scampers into the temple shrine and finds Pyeonjo alone in prayer. "When are you going to head back to Gaegyeong? You can't change the world sitting inside this shrine!" Won is frantic and furious. Pyeonjo calmly answers, "Only after all the burning wrath engulfing my soul vanishes, I shall head back to the secular world." This was one of the topics of the conversations we saw in flashback: the anger and frustration Pyeonjo felt towards the wrongs and injustices of the secular world. Won keeps ranting at him--even accuses him of coveting Wolseon's bowl and kasaya and that being the only reason for his public service--but Pyeonjo is far too immersed in his prayer and concentration to be rattled by it. Won ends up laughing maniacally and runs outside screaming. "Are you going to save the world with Buddha's teachings?! Power must be fought with power! I shall give up my life to fight! Until blood covers my entire body, I shall fight to the end!"
Gongmin not only finished his wife's portrait, he did a second one. For an amateur they're quite good. The king and queen are admiring them and enjoying dinner together. It's a difficult time for them and they're leaning on each other for strength.
As he prays, Pyeonjo seems to see Wolseon's face in the various characters in the mural on the wall he faces. Eventually Wolseon smiles and waves farewell.