Post by ajk on Jun 18, 2023 1:33:51 GMT -5
EPISODE 1
My name is Yi-geum. I am King Youngjo, one of the most prominent kings of the Chosun dynasty. The path to becoming king wasn’t easy for me. Among many secret feuds over political power, I’ve undergone many assassination attempts. Kim Il-gyum also tried to kill me but failed. And after I have taken the throne after overcoming co many trials, I’m still accused of having poisoned my brother, Gyeongjong. The guilt from that event makes me into a father [who] kills his own son.
Queen In-won is the third wife of King Sukjong, Young-jo’s father. She is Queen Mother, the eldest of the palace. After Jang Hee-bin, the adored lady of King Sukjong and the rival with Queen In-hyun, is executed for cursing In-hyun, In-won takes over the throne of the queen at the age of 16.
Queen Jung-sung. She is the Queen of the Palace. She got married at the age of 13. She became the wife of the crown prince at 30, and appointed as the Queen at 33. She was rejected by Youngjo on the first night of their marriage and had to endure the fate of not being able to bear a child.
Lady Young-bin. She is the crown prince’s mother. Of the two boys and twelve girls of Youngjo, as one boy and six girls were born by her. Youngjo enjoyed her very much. She lost three daughters, and she now has Hwa-pyung, Hwa-yup, and Hwa-wan left.
280 years [ago], the Noron Party strongly pushed for the selection of a crown prince, insisting that Gyeongjong suffered from many ailments. Despite the opposition of the Soron Party, Prince Yeon-ing, to be King Youngjo, was appointed crown prince. The Soron Party deemed it premature. But their views were not accepted, and the assassination attempt by Kim Il-gyum led to the execution of 4 Noron members. But Gyeongjong died early and Prince Yeon-ing took over the throne. The Soron Party was massacred, which is known as the Shinim Massacre. Youngjo’s fair appointment policy is actually from his first-hand experience of the atrocity in the massacre between the two parties. The controversies over the legitimacy of Youngjo’s rule become a lifelong burden and arouse conflicts between father and son.
After the ceremony, you will become a proper court lady of the palace. The ceremony goes with a wedding. A court lady must serve one person for the rest of her life. The ceremony is carried out one-sidedly with four bows.
A court lady. Her fate is to bloom and wither in the absence of a butterfly. Another flower of the fate blooms today. She is a court lady in the mansion of the widow of Youngjo’s first son, Prince Hyojang, with the family name Moon.
King Youngjo was the 21st king of Chosun. His name was Geum, the son of Sukjong, who poisoned Jang Hee-bin. Gyeongjong is the son of Jang Hee-bin and the half-brother of Youngjo. Youngjo is recorded in history as a wise and generous king but also a heartless father [who] locked up his own son and killed him. The inferiority that he feels from being the son of a low-ranked mother, and accusations of poisoning his brother burdens him for life. Discrimination against social ranks was rigid. Having officials from the finest families, the king was always conscious of his birth. Let’s take a look at how feelings of inferiority and guilt take over one’s life and what tragedies follow, and how they affected Jung-jo, Youngjo’s grandson who succeeded [to] the throne and showed great will for reform.
EPISODE 2
On their first night of marriage, it was said that Prince Yeoning had asked how were the hands of the princess so pretty. The princess responded by saying that she never did any labor to get them dirty. This comment had unsettled the Prince because it reminded him of his mother, Royal Noble Consort Suk.
Hwa-pyung is the third daughter of Young-jo. Born by the same mother as Prince Sado, she’s 10 years older and is Youngjo’s favorite. Princess Hwa-yup is 3 years older than Prince Sado and is disfavored by Youngjo. She was the prettiest of the princesses but was brushed aside by King Youngjo as she disappointed King Youngjo’s hopes for a son.
Lady Hyun-bin is the widow of Youngjo’s eldest son, Prince Hyojang. She married at 13 but became a widow the year after that without even being able to bear a child. She’s lived in misfortune for 20 years. Regardless of her intentions, she influences the future of Lady Hyegyeong and Prince Sado.
According to the records of Lady Hye-kyung, after experiencing the Shinim Massacre, the king had nearly become paranoid. He carefully used words and avoided using the word “death.” He always changed clothes after working on government affairs. Whenever he saw or heard something ominous he would wash his mouth and ears and throw out the water towards those he disfavored. Mixed emotions of hatred tormented him.
EPISODE 3
The 21st King of Chosun, King Youngjo, agonizes over the low status of his mother and accusations that he poisoned his own brother, King Gyeongjong, all throughout his life. As Prince Sado asks Youngjo about the alleged poisoning of his uncle, the conflict between father and son grown more tense and Youngjo bans him [from visiting] Princess Hwapyung, which deepens the rift between them. Meanwhile, a court lady with the family name Moon aspires to give birth to a prince, and asks her scoundrel brother Moon Sung-gook to associate with palace officials.
The name, Han Soo-kyu, that Lady Hyegyeong hears from the prince makes her nervous. But it was understandable that the prince accepted the opposition view of Han Soo-kyu of the Shimin Massacre out of revolt against his father who never showed him love. But the consequences were terrible.
EPISODE 4
King Gyeongjong is King Youngjo’s half brother and Prince Sado’s uncle. He succeeded the throne from King Sukjong but was only able to rule for four years. He’s the son of Jang Hee-bin.
EPISODE 5 - none
EPISODE 6
The most natural succession to the throne would be when the incumbent king dies or if something should happen to the king. Even if it was between father and son, there was always the risk of being accused of treason for disloyalty or injustice. If it wasn’t a natural succession to the throne, the place of King always brought massive bloodshed on his family members.
It is recorded in history that Youngjo finally met the prince at five [a.m.]. Winter rain was pouring. The prince pleaded, crying, and former and incumbent members of the court along with officials of all government posts implored for a retrieval of the king’s order. Thus the king retrieved his order and placed the prince as substitute instead.
EPISODE 7
Lady Hyun-bin is the daughter of Minister Cho Moon-myung from the Punyang Cho family. She was crowned the crown princess as she married Youngjo’s first son, Prince Hyojang. But Prince Hyojang died at age 10 and she has lived as a childless widow ever since. She died in the 27th year of Youngjo’s rule, on November 14th at the age of 37. Lady Hyun-bin played a critical role in the fate of Lady Hyegyeong in the future. Although left with no child, the name Queen Hyo-soon leads to her tragedy.
EPISODE 8
Receiving grace is when a court lady has the honor of serving the king in bed. But receiving grace does not always mean they become the king’s mistress. Whether they give birth to a prince or princess and the level of the king’s love decides their new titles, which ranges from rank one to four. A court lady that has received grace for the first time is given rank five and placed as Head Court Lady but does not have duties to fulfill.
It is recorded in history that King Youngjo mourned over the death of Lady Hyun-bin, a faithful and good daughter-in-law. He visited her shrine to pay tribute and there was a court lady with the family name Moon whom he came to adore. Her brother had the name Moon Sung-gook.
EPISODE 9
(Spoken by Lady Hyegyeong) I had my first son at the age of 16. I was pregnant with my second child San, to be the future King Jeongjo of Chosun, when I met the sad death of Jeon. Meanwhile my husband, Prince Sado, did not cease to question the poisoning of King Gyeongjong, which started to provoke more conflicts with King Yeongjo.
(Spoken by Hong Bonghan) It was when King Gyeongjong was crown prince. King Sukjong scolded the prince and called in Councilor Lee Ik-myung to talk secretly. What was discussed then was revealed after King Youngjo took the throne. King Sukjong suggested that the crown prince be replaced, but Councilor Lee dissuaded him saying that there were no grounds to do so. But King Sukjong asked for the protection of the two remaining princes, and Kim Yong-taek and Lee Cheon-ki were assigned to the job. The crown prince was 30 at the time and the two [other] princes were Prince Yeoning and Prince Yeonryung. Prince Yeoning is now King Youngjo. It was then that the Soron Party sided up with the crown prince and the Noron with Prince Yeoning. The sharp confrontation between the two parties led to the Shinim Massacre.
EPISODE 10 - none
My name is Yi-geum. I am King Youngjo, one of the most prominent kings of the Chosun dynasty. The path to becoming king wasn’t easy for me. Among many secret feuds over political power, I’ve undergone many assassination attempts. Kim Il-gyum also tried to kill me but failed. And after I have taken the throne after overcoming co many trials, I’m still accused of having poisoned my brother, Gyeongjong. The guilt from that event makes me into a father [who] kills his own son.
Queen In-won is the third wife of King Sukjong, Young-jo’s father. She is Queen Mother, the eldest of the palace. After Jang Hee-bin, the adored lady of King Sukjong and the rival with Queen In-hyun, is executed for cursing In-hyun, In-won takes over the throne of the queen at the age of 16.
Queen Jung-sung. She is the Queen of the Palace. She got married at the age of 13. She became the wife of the crown prince at 30, and appointed as the Queen at 33. She was rejected by Youngjo on the first night of their marriage and had to endure the fate of not being able to bear a child.
Lady Young-bin. She is the crown prince’s mother. Of the two boys and twelve girls of Youngjo, as one boy and six girls were born by her. Youngjo enjoyed her very much. She lost three daughters, and she now has Hwa-pyung, Hwa-yup, and Hwa-wan left.
280 years [ago], the Noron Party strongly pushed for the selection of a crown prince, insisting that Gyeongjong suffered from many ailments. Despite the opposition of the Soron Party, Prince Yeon-ing, to be King Youngjo, was appointed crown prince. The Soron Party deemed it premature. But their views were not accepted, and the assassination attempt by Kim Il-gyum led to the execution of 4 Noron members. But Gyeongjong died early and Prince Yeon-ing took over the throne. The Soron Party was massacred, which is known as the Shinim Massacre. Youngjo’s fair appointment policy is actually from his first-hand experience of the atrocity in the massacre between the two parties. The controversies over the legitimacy of Youngjo’s rule become a lifelong burden and arouse conflicts between father and son.
After the ceremony, you will become a proper court lady of the palace. The ceremony goes with a wedding. A court lady must serve one person for the rest of her life. The ceremony is carried out one-sidedly with four bows.
A court lady. Her fate is to bloom and wither in the absence of a butterfly. Another flower of the fate blooms today. She is a court lady in the mansion of the widow of Youngjo’s first son, Prince Hyojang, with the family name Moon.
King Youngjo was the 21st king of Chosun. His name was Geum, the son of Sukjong, who poisoned Jang Hee-bin. Gyeongjong is the son of Jang Hee-bin and the half-brother of Youngjo. Youngjo is recorded in history as a wise and generous king but also a heartless father [who] locked up his own son and killed him. The inferiority that he feels from being the son of a low-ranked mother, and accusations of poisoning his brother burdens him for life. Discrimination against social ranks was rigid. Having officials from the finest families, the king was always conscious of his birth. Let’s take a look at how feelings of inferiority and guilt take over one’s life and what tragedies follow, and how they affected Jung-jo, Youngjo’s grandson who succeeded [to] the throne and showed great will for reform.
EPISODE 2
On their first night of marriage, it was said that Prince Yeoning had asked how were the hands of the princess so pretty. The princess responded by saying that she never did any labor to get them dirty. This comment had unsettled the Prince because it reminded him of his mother, Royal Noble Consort Suk.
Hwa-pyung is the third daughter of Young-jo. Born by the same mother as Prince Sado, she’s 10 years older and is Youngjo’s favorite. Princess Hwa-yup is 3 years older than Prince Sado and is disfavored by Youngjo. She was the prettiest of the princesses but was brushed aside by King Youngjo as she disappointed King Youngjo’s hopes for a son.
Lady Hyun-bin is the widow of Youngjo’s eldest son, Prince Hyojang. She married at 13 but became a widow the year after that without even being able to bear a child. She’s lived in misfortune for 20 years. Regardless of her intentions, she influences the future of Lady Hyegyeong and Prince Sado.
According to the records of Lady Hye-kyung, after experiencing the Shinim Massacre, the king had nearly become paranoid. He carefully used words and avoided using the word “death.” He always changed clothes after working on government affairs. Whenever he saw or heard something ominous he would wash his mouth and ears and throw out the water towards those he disfavored. Mixed emotions of hatred tormented him.
EPISODE 3
The 21st King of Chosun, King Youngjo, agonizes over the low status of his mother and accusations that he poisoned his own brother, King Gyeongjong, all throughout his life. As Prince Sado asks Youngjo about the alleged poisoning of his uncle, the conflict between father and son grown more tense and Youngjo bans him [from visiting] Princess Hwapyung, which deepens the rift between them. Meanwhile, a court lady with the family name Moon aspires to give birth to a prince, and asks her scoundrel brother Moon Sung-gook to associate with palace officials.
The name, Han Soo-kyu, that Lady Hyegyeong hears from the prince makes her nervous. But it was understandable that the prince accepted the opposition view of Han Soo-kyu of the Shimin Massacre out of revolt against his father who never showed him love. But the consequences were terrible.
EPISODE 4
King Gyeongjong is King Youngjo’s half brother and Prince Sado’s uncle. He succeeded the throne from King Sukjong but was only able to rule for four years. He’s the son of Jang Hee-bin.
EPISODE 5 - none
EPISODE 6
The most natural succession to the throne would be when the incumbent king dies or if something should happen to the king. Even if it was between father and son, there was always the risk of being accused of treason for disloyalty or injustice. If it wasn’t a natural succession to the throne, the place of King always brought massive bloodshed on his family members.
It is recorded in history that Youngjo finally met the prince at five [a.m.]. Winter rain was pouring. The prince pleaded, crying, and former and incumbent members of the court along with officials of all government posts implored for a retrieval of the king’s order. Thus the king retrieved his order and placed the prince as substitute instead.
EPISODE 7
Lady Hyun-bin is the daughter of Minister Cho Moon-myung from the Punyang Cho family. She was crowned the crown princess as she married Youngjo’s first son, Prince Hyojang. But Prince Hyojang died at age 10 and she has lived as a childless widow ever since. She died in the 27th year of Youngjo’s rule, on November 14th at the age of 37. Lady Hyun-bin played a critical role in the fate of Lady Hyegyeong in the future. Although left with no child, the name Queen Hyo-soon leads to her tragedy.
EPISODE 8
Receiving grace is when a court lady has the honor of serving the king in bed. But receiving grace does not always mean they become the king’s mistress. Whether they give birth to a prince or princess and the level of the king’s love decides their new titles, which ranges from rank one to four. A court lady that has received grace for the first time is given rank five and placed as Head Court Lady but does not have duties to fulfill.
It is recorded in history that King Youngjo mourned over the death of Lady Hyun-bin, a faithful and good daughter-in-law. He visited her shrine to pay tribute and there was a court lady with the family name Moon whom he came to adore. Her brother had the name Moon Sung-gook.
EPISODE 9
(Spoken by Lady Hyegyeong) I had my first son at the age of 16. I was pregnant with my second child San, to be the future King Jeongjo of Chosun, when I met the sad death of Jeon. Meanwhile my husband, Prince Sado, did not cease to question the poisoning of King Gyeongjong, which started to provoke more conflicts with King Yeongjo.
(Spoken by Hong Bonghan) It was when King Gyeongjong was crown prince. King Sukjong scolded the prince and called in Councilor Lee Ik-myung to talk secretly. What was discussed then was revealed after King Youngjo took the throne. King Sukjong suggested that the crown prince be replaced, but Councilor Lee dissuaded him saying that there were no grounds to do so. But King Sukjong asked for the protection of the two remaining princes, and Kim Yong-taek and Lee Cheon-ki were assigned to the job. The crown prince was 30 at the time and the two [other] princes were Prince Yeoning and Prince Yeonryung. Prince Yeoning is now King Youngjo. It was then that the Soron Party sided up with the crown prince and the Noron with Prince Yeoning. The sharp confrontation between the two parties led to the Shinim Massacre.
EPISODE 10 - none