Post by ajk on May 27, 2008 14:50:41 GMT -5
Choongnyeong takes the girl Yi Sun to the eunuchs' quarters and is introduced to Granny Cowsears. "Say hello. She is your mentor who will train you and send you into the palace." He tells the girl that he's going to loan her the money for her mother's medical treatment--"what else can I do when you won't accept a handout?"--and she can work it off (with 25% interest!)
Evening: Yun Hwe is waiting for Choongnyeong outside the eunuchs' quarters. They go inside somewhere, and Yun starts complaining to the prince about the sham public inquiry that bailed out the crown prince. As we see, his anger is based on his low opinion of Yangnyeong's future as a king. "You didn't protect the crown prince, you protected your brother." Yangnyeong, he says, "does not have what it takes to lead this country...How can he take responsibility for this state when he can't even take responsibility for his own actions?" You made a huge mistake, he audaciously tells the prince, "by denying Joseon the opportunity to chose a wiser king." Choongnyeong will have none of this, but Yun tells him that he has newfound resolve: "I intend to make this country a better place to live, not with the current crown prince but with you." Choongnyeong gets angry and tells Yun, "You know it's not an attainable dream" and that if he continues with such "blasphemous rubbish" he will be accused of treason.
That night, walking home, he tells his eunuchs with irritation, "It's better not to dream an unattainable dream. That's the painful lesson I've learned over the years." (Interesting, though; we definitely get the feeling from this that he's allowed the idea into his head once or twice.)
The next day: All of the ministers are gathered as the king announces personnel changes under the new direct report system. We hear that Shim On is now minister of personnel; and that Hwang Hee and Yi Sookbun are to remain as minister of rites (the subtitle said minister of personnel, but I'm sure this was an error) and minister of defense, respectively.
At the ministry of personnel, Park Eun is cleaning out his office. Shim On walks in and, discovering Park there, becomes visibly uncomfortable, almost apologetic. As Park leaves, carrying his belongings in a box, he advises Shim, "Don't ever let your guard down and be very careful." Shim says he's learned not to mess with the king, but Park says, "I'm not talking about his majesty. I'm telling you to be wary of yourself." He smiles weakly and leaves the office. In the hallway, Jo Malseng approaches him and humbly offers to carry Park's box and escort him to his new office. We can see a just a touch of sadness in Jo's eyes for what has befallen Park. Jo suggests that Park take a leave for a while, but Park isn't interested. Politicians just keep hanging around until they're forced out, he says. Yes, the king has clipped his wings, but "I have to hope I can fly again someday."
The Mins are before their sister the queen; they tell her they've been reassigned to the Office of Royal Relatives and that Gim Hanlo has replaced them in the defense ministry. The queen asks them if they have any skeletons in their own closets; she fears that the king might be after them just like he went after prime minister Ha. They assure her that they're as clean as a politician can be, and tell her that "It's the crown prince the king is after, not the Min clan." They warn her that he will not stop "weighing the two princes against each other."
The next day: The king informs the ministers that the other princes will need to participate in the great hunting ceremony since Yangnyeong can't. The ministers clearly aren't comfortable with the implications of this, and outside they begin discussing it in earnest. Then they see Yangnyeong approaching, along with minister Hwang; the discussion abruptly stops and the ministers awkwardly leave. Yangnyeong knows that the talk is about him, and it bothers him to see it happening. And we can see that he feels the throne slipping away from him. He asks Hwang, "shouldn't you be getting ready to change boats as well?" because his own ship is sinking. "I'm sure that is what the king wants as well, minister Hwang." But Hwang won't even discuss it. The prince is touched by Hwang's loyalty.
"There are more idlers in the royal court that I thought." Taejong is talking to Shim On, assuring him that his appointment has nothing whatsoever to do with succession matters. "To reform and stabilize the government, you and I will have to work together day and night."
"I will not participate in the royal hunting ceremony." Choongnyeong is with Shim, Yun Hwe and Yi Su, and tells them he won't be a part of it. Yun reminds him that it's an order from the king, and that he won't be put against his brother Yangnyeong, who won't be there.
Next day, at the archery grounds: "Archery is one of the six rites of Joseon. I just think you should learn." Yi Su has brought Choongnyeong here. It's not about participating in the ceremony, Yi assures. (Bull hockey.) So the prince agrees to shoot fifty arrows. The first one is far off the bullseye; the second one is farther off; the third isn't so good either;...the 30th whizzes by the target entirely. The prince gets frustrated and says he won't waste his strength on something he's not good at. So Yi starts messing with Choongnyeong's head. "You're not concerned about the crown prince. You're afraid you might not be able to defeat the crown prince!" You like the praise you hear about you're being "kingly material," but "you know you can't beat the crown prince when it comes to military affairs." The prince strongly denies all of it, but his teacher advises him, "Regardless of your intent, the world sees you and your brother as rivals for the next throne. So work hard and get better. And when the crown prince has defeated your best effort, only then will he be recognized as a man truly worthy of the throne." And with that, Yi walks away. Choongnyeong picks up the bow again and stares at it....(Yi Su gives correct advice, but you have to think that it's a psyche job mainly motivated by wanting to see his pupil replace Yangnyeong as crown prince. Also, Choongnyeong was at least an adequate archer, and reasonably comfortable shooting, which we saw at the archery match in Ep6. Seems to be a bit of a continuity error here.)
Yi Sookbun is with prince Kyoungnyeong. "Why are you telling me to comfort the crown prince?" he asks. The prince explains, "You want to keep your options open" since Yangnyeong remains the crown prince. Send a few of your most devoted men to serve him, the prince advises, the type of men who jump when told to jump. "That should restore his confidence a little." Ultimately, he tells Yi, Yangnyeong will remember the gesture if and when he becomes king. (Seems odd that Kyoungnyeong would get involved in this manner.)
Yi is before Yangnyeong and introduces him to Gu Jongsu, one of his men who obviously has been sent to serve the crown prince. Yi also gives him a pep talk of sorts. " You'll look back and laugh at this someday, so tough it out like a man...What doesn't destroy us makes us stronger." Yangnyeong is quite appreciative.
Kyoungnyeong is explaining his actions to a puzzled consort Hyobin, his mother. Yi Sookbun, he says, is "the worst judge of character" so who do you think he'll send over to the crown prince? (Certainly nobody who's going to improve his situation; that's the implication.) This is all to help bring down the crown prince. Hyobin smiles. (Now we get it.)
That evening: Gu Jongsu eagerly asks the crown prince if he wants to go shoot arrows. The prince isn't interested in that, but he asks, "Do you know a good gisaeng house?" The prince’s eunuch reacts with horror, and Gu fidgets. Finally he says, "It's just that there aren't any decent girls in the city lately." Yangnyeong laughs. "How about taking me to something exciting instead?" This is more what Gu can handle; he ponders it....
The next day: We see a chuksukhee match in progress as Yangnyeong and Go Jongsu arrive. Chuksukhee is a game played on a ground somewhat smaller than a football field, between two teams of what appear to be twenty or so men. The men throw fist-sized rocks at each other at close range (that’s right, you heard me) and if they get close enough to an opponent, fight hand-to-hand. The men have small wooden shields, but they don't cover much, and geez louise does this look painful. Off to the side, we can see officials who are actually keeping score on abacus-like setup (although what they're scoring is utterly beyond me. Maybe knockdowns.). A crowd is all around the perimeter, going crazy. A bugle blast signals the end of a period; the rocks cease. "Excuse me...Um, excuse me. I was wondering if I could squeeze in." It's Auri, the woman we first saw with Foreman Jeon in the previous episode, scheming to try to win the crown prince's heart. She's standing between Yangnyeong and Go Jongsu, but is talking to Go and not the prince. "Bring him over here." A platform is brought in and placed directly in between the prince and minister. An old man named Gwok Sun is brought forward and seated on the platform; she's says she wants him to get a good view because his eyesight is bad. She tries to cover him with a blanket; he pushes it away, smiles and makes comments about being better off dead than in discomfort; she answers that then she'll be inheriting his money; and he replies with a smile, "I'm going to have to add another ten years to my life because of you." It seems to be a loving exchange between the two, but from what we know of Auri, this is all staged. To the side, Yangnyeong listens to this, slightly. Then the match resumes. Auri continues to tend to the man; the prince watches her a bit more. Suddenly a rock comes flying out of bounds, through the air and right at Auri. Reflexively, Yangnyeong steps forward and grabs it right out of the air! And without even looking in her direction, he drops the rock, walks away and leaves the match. (His demeanor throughout this suggests that he's trying hard to behave himself and not get interested in another woman.) Auri watches the prince leave. She seems surprised by him; the confidence has left her face and she looks a bit bewildered. Off to the side and back in the crowd, Foreman Jeon and Muby watch the whole episode.
Back at Ok Hwan's compound, Ok is talking to Foreman Jeon and Muby. "Auri, that girl, is quite impressive. She will take care of the useless libertine for us, so isn't it time to get rid of the real king in the making?"
That evening: Choongnyeong is back at the archery grounds, standing there with Yi Su's words running through his head.
"Give you archery lessons?" Choongnyeong has gone to visit Kyoungyeong, who's very surprised by the request. Yes, Choongnyeong says, and also teach me the art of war. Why me?, Kyoungnyeong wants to know; "Capable men will line up to be your teacher if you ask." Choongnyeong tells him, We’re a lot alike because we’ve both worked hard training ourselves for no apparent purpose. And you’ve worked so hard on your training, this will give you an opportunity to use it. The observation makes Kyoungnyeong smile, and they even share a laugh about it. It appears that Kyoungnyeong is touched by the sincere request for help.
Back at the archery grounds, the two princes shoot. Kyoungnyeong shoots like the dickens (which we already saw at the contest in Ep6). Choongnyeong isn't as accurate, so his half-brother gives him tips: "Don't try so hard to hit the center...Aim a bit higher...Relax and aim a little higher."
"Choongnyeong is trying to win over Kyoungnyeong as well?" The Mins and Gim Hanlo are discussing the development and are deeply concerned. Muhyul says, "We have to find a way to stop this somehow."
Nighttime: Han Younglo is leaving a gisaeng house. He gets onto his palanquin to be taken home, but eventually he notices that the bearers are taking him the wrong way. Well into the woods, they put down the palanquin and recede. Foreman Jeon and Muby are standing there. "I'm afraid you can't go home tonight, my lord," says Jeon. Muby takes out his sword and strikes.
Jang Youngsil is accompanied by Foreman Jeon, Muby and a squad of men, all of whom are masked. He's shown a building with a lighted lantern hanging in front; the lantern has writing on it that somehow indicates Han's death. (Cultural thing; I don't know it.) They wanted him to see the sight; it's a kind of gift for him. But Jang is unmoved. "You've picked the wrong man. I'm not interested in your revolution or becoming a hero." Jeon hands him a paper; "This is what we want." Jang takes the paper and then grabs for Jeon's face, pulling off the mask. He demands a hefty payment from Jeon to keep from reporting Jeon's part in the assassination, and says "I have a debt to collect from this revolting country too."
The next morning: Choongnyeong heads off for the day, but princess Shim stops him as he leaves their home and asks, "Won't you stay home just for today?" What's the matter, he wants to know. She fidgets uncomfortably and can't bring herself to say anything. Her attendant Uimyoung finally breaks the silence: "My goodness, does she have to spell everything out?" (Pretty funny, actually.) The baby is due and today just may be the day. "But I have something to take care of today," he protests mildly. He'll be home before dark, he promises. "So tell our baby to wait until I get back." They both smile and he leaves. (Note: Okay, I'm a guy but I won't even try to defend THAT behavior.)
Jang Chilsang from the weapons bureau has come to see the Mins. He's showing them a small weapon, which he calls a "mini-musket." It's a new weapon that, despite its smaller size, has triple the projectile range of their existing weapons. Why did you bring this to us?, they ask Jang. Jang explains that the crown prince has many friends at the weapons bureau and that "We hope [the weapon] will be used to restore the crown prince's lost honor."
Night has just fallen: Choongnyeong is with his eunuchs, who remind him that "It's dark now. You promised the princess you'd be home early." The prince is trying to whittle a toy for the baby. (Why can’t he do this at home? Sheesh.) The girl Yi Sun comes by; she grabs the wood and knife from him and immediately starts doing a better job of whittling. He flatters her a bit; she smiles and give them back. Eunuch Jeon Ilji leaves to go get an update on the princess.
Leaving the eunuchs' quarters, Ilji is met by his uncle Foreman Jeon. "Do whatever you have to do to get him to go through Indal-Bank," says the uncle. Ilji tells him that the prince will be leaving in two hours.
We see princess Shim in labor.
Choongnyeong finishes whittling; it's a little boat. Just then Ilji comes rushing in; the baby's coming! As the prince starts for home, Ilji tells him to take the shortcut through Indal-Bank.
The prince and two eunuchs rush home; as they approach the shortcut, Muby is waiting for them...Muby raises the mini-musket and fires. Choongnyeong is hit! He falls to the ground, a short arrow sticking out of his chest.
Evening: Yun Hwe is waiting for Choongnyeong outside the eunuchs' quarters. They go inside somewhere, and Yun starts complaining to the prince about the sham public inquiry that bailed out the crown prince. As we see, his anger is based on his low opinion of Yangnyeong's future as a king. "You didn't protect the crown prince, you protected your brother." Yangnyeong, he says, "does not have what it takes to lead this country...How can he take responsibility for this state when he can't even take responsibility for his own actions?" You made a huge mistake, he audaciously tells the prince, "by denying Joseon the opportunity to chose a wiser king." Choongnyeong will have none of this, but Yun tells him that he has newfound resolve: "I intend to make this country a better place to live, not with the current crown prince but with you." Choongnyeong gets angry and tells Yun, "You know it's not an attainable dream" and that if he continues with such "blasphemous rubbish" he will be accused of treason.
That night, walking home, he tells his eunuchs with irritation, "It's better not to dream an unattainable dream. That's the painful lesson I've learned over the years." (Interesting, though; we definitely get the feeling from this that he's allowed the idea into his head once or twice.)
The next day: All of the ministers are gathered as the king announces personnel changes under the new direct report system. We hear that Shim On is now minister of personnel; and that Hwang Hee and Yi Sookbun are to remain as minister of rites (the subtitle said minister of personnel, but I'm sure this was an error) and minister of defense, respectively.
At the ministry of personnel, Park Eun is cleaning out his office. Shim On walks in and, discovering Park there, becomes visibly uncomfortable, almost apologetic. As Park leaves, carrying his belongings in a box, he advises Shim, "Don't ever let your guard down and be very careful." Shim says he's learned not to mess with the king, but Park says, "I'm not talking about his majesty. I'm telling you to be wary of yourself." He smiles weakly and leaves the office. In the hallway, Jo Malseng approaches him and humbly offers to carry Park's box and escort him to his new office. We can see a just a touch of sadness in Jo's eyes for what has befallen Park. Jo suggests that Park take a leave for a while, but Park isn't interested. Politicians just keep hanging around until they're forced out, he says. Yes, the king has clipped his wings, but "I have to hope I can fly again someday."
The Mins are before their sister the queen; they tell her they've been reassigned to the Office of Royal Relatives and that Gim Hanlo has replaced them in the defense ministry. The queen asks them if they have any skeletons in their own closets; she fears that the king might be after them just like he went after prime minister Ha. They assure her that they're as clean as a politician can be, and tell her that "It's the crown prince the king is after, not the Min clan." They warn her that he will not stop "weighing the two princes against each other."
The next day: The king informs the ministers that the other princes will need to participate in the great hunting ceremony since Yangnyeong can't. The ministers clearly aren't comfortable with the implications of this, and outside they begin discussing it in earnest. Then they see Yangnyeong approaching, along with minister Hwang; the discussion abruptly stops and the ministers awkwardly leave. Yangnyeong knows that the talk is about him, and it bothers him to see it happening. And we can see that he feels the throne slipping away from him. He asks Hwang, "shouldn't you be getting ready to change boats as well?" because his own ship is sinking. "I'm sure that is what the king wants as well, minister Hwang." But Hwang won't even discuss it. The prince is touched by Hwang's loyalty.
"There are more idlers in the royal court that I thought." Taejong is talking to Shim On, assuring him that his appointment has nothing whatsoever to do with succession matters. "To reform and stabilize the government, you and I will have to work together day and night."
"I will not participate in the royal hunting ceremony." Choongnyeong is with Shim, Yun Hwe and Yi Su, and tells them he won't be a part of it. Yun reminds him that it's an order from the king, and that he won't be put against his brother Yangnyeong, who won't be there.
Next day, at the archery grounds: "Archery is one of the six rites of Joseon. I just think you should learn." Yi Su has brought Choongnyeong here. It's not about participating in the ceremony, Yi assures. (Bull hockey.) So the prince agrees to shoot fifty arrows. The first one is far off the bullseye; the second one is farther off; the third isn't so good either;...the 30th whizzes by the target entirely. The prince gets frustrated and says he won't waste his strength on something he's not good at. So Yi starts messing with Choongnyeong's head. "You're not concerned about the crown prince. You're afraid you might not be able to defeat the crown prince!" You like the praise you hear about you're being "kingly material," but "you know you can't beat the crown prince when it comes to military affairs." The prince strongly denies all of it, but his teacher advises him, "Regardless of your intent, the world sees you and your brother as rivals for the next throne. So work hard and get better. And when the crown prince has defeated your best effort, only then will he be recognized as a man truly worthy of the throne." And with that, Yi walks away. Choongnyeong picks up the bow again and stares at it....(Yi Su gives correct advice, but you have to think that it's a psyche job mainly motivated by wanting to see his pupil replace Yangnyeong as crown prince. Also, Choongnyeong was at least an adequate archer, and reasonably comfortable shooting, which we saw at the archery match in Ep6. Seems to be a bit of a continuity error here.)
Yi Sookbun is with prince Kyoungnyeong. "Why are you telling me to comfort the crown prince?" he asks. The prince explains, "You want to keep your options open" since Yangnyeong remains the crown prince. Send a few of your most devoted men to serve him, the prince advises, the type of men who jump when told to jump. "That should restore his confidence a little." Ultimately, he tells Yi, Yangnyeong will remember the gesture if and when he becomes king. (Seems odd that Kyoungnyeong would get involved in this manner.)
Yi is before Yangnyeong and introduces him to Gu Jongsu, one of his men who obviously has been sent to serve the crown prince. Yi also gives him a pep talk of sorts. " You'll look back and laugh at this someday, so tough it out like a man...What doesn't destroy us makes us stronger." Yangnyeong is quite appreciative.
Kyoungnyeong is explaining his actions to a puzzled consort Hyobin, his mother. Yi Sookbun, he says, is "the worst judge of character" so who do you think he'll send over to the crown prince? (Certainly nobody who's going to improve his situation; that's the implication.) This is all to help bring down the crown prince. Hyobin smiles. (Now we get it.)
That evening: Gu Jongsu eagerly asks the crown prince if he wants to go shoot arrows. The prince isn't interested in that, but he asks, "Do you know a good gisaeng house?" The prince’s eunuch reacts with horror, and Gu fidgets. Finally he says, "It's just that there aren't any decent girls in the city lately." Yangnyeong laughs. "How about taking me to something exciting instead?" This is more what Gu can handle; he ponders it....
The next day: We see a chuksukhee match in progress as Yangnyeong and Go Jongsu arrive. Chuksukhee is a game played on a ground somewhat smaller than a football field, between two teams of what appear to be twenty or so men. The men throw fist-sized rocks at each other at close range (that’s right, you heard me) and if they get close enough to an opponent, fight hand-to-hand. The men have small wooden shields, but they don't cover much, and geez louise does this look painful. Off to the side, we can see officials who are actually keeping score on abacus-like setup (although what they're scoring is utterly beyond me. Maybe knockdowns.). A crowd is all around the perimeter, going crazy. A bugle blast signals the end of a period; the rocks cease. "Excuse me...Um, excuse me. I was wondering if I could squeeze in." It's Auri, the woman we first saw with Foreman Jeon in the previous episode, scheming to try to win the crown prince's heart. She's standing between Yangnyeong and Go Jongsu, but is talking to Go and not the prince. "Bring him over here." A platform is brought in and placed directly in between the prince and minister. An old man named Gwok Sun is brought forward and seated on the platform; she's says she wants him to get a good view because his eyesight is bad. She tries to cover him with a blanket; he pushes it away, smiles and makes comments about being better off dead than in discomfort; she answers that then she'll be inheriting his money; and he replies with a smile, "I'm going to have to add another ten years to my life because of you." It seems to be a loving exchange between the two, but from what we know of Auri, this is all staged. To the side, Yangnyeong listens to this, slightly. Then the match resumes. Auri continues to tend to the man; the prince watches her a bit more. Suddenly a rock comes flying out of bounds, through the air and right at Auri. Reflexively, Yangnyeong steps forward and grabs it right out of the air! And without even looking in her direction, he drops the rock, walks away and leaves the match. (His demeanor throughout this suggests that he's trying hard to behave himself and not get interested in another woman.) Auri watches the prince leave. She seems surprised by him; the confidence has left her face and she looks a bit bewildered. Off to the side and back in the crowd, Foreman Jeon and Muby watch the whole episode.
Back at Ok Hwan's compound, Ok is talking to Foreman Jeon and Muby. "Auri, that girl, is quite impressive. She will take care of the useless libertine for us, so isn't it time to get rid of the real king in the making?"
That evening: Choongnyeong is back at the archery grounds, standing there with Yi Su's words running through his head.
"Give you archery lessons?" Choongnyeong has gone to visit Kyoungyeong, who's very surprised by the request. Yes, Choongnyeong says, and also teach me the art of war. Why me?, Kyoungnyeong wants to know; "Capable men will line up to be your teacher if you ask." Choongnyeong tells him, We’re a lot alike because we’ve both worked hard training ourselves for no apparent purpose. And you’ve worked so hard on your training, this will give you an opportunity to use it. The observation makes Kyoungnyeong smile, and they even share a laugh about it. It appears that Kyoungnyeong is touched by the sincere request for help.
Back at the archery grounds, the two princes shoot. Kyoungnyeong shoots like the dickens (which we already saw at the contest in Ep6). Choongnyeong isn't as accurate, so his half-brother gives him tips: "Don't try so hard to hit the center...Aim a bit higher...Relax and aim a little higher."
"Choongnyeong is trying to win over Kyoungnyeong as well?" The Mins and Gim Hanlo are discussing the development and are deeply concerned. Muhyul says, "We have to find a way to stop this somehow."
Nighttime: Han Younglo is leaving a gisaeng house. He gets onto his palanquin to be taken home, but eventually he notices that the bearers are taking him the wrong way. Well into the woods, they put down the palanquin and recede. Foreman Jeon and Muby are standing there. "I'm afraid you can't go home tonight, my lord," says Jeon. Muby takes out his sword and strikes.
Jang Youngsil is accompanied by Foreman Jeon, Muby and a squad of men, all of whom are masked. He's shown a building with a lighted lantern hanging in front; the lantern has writing on it that somehow indicates Han's death. (Cultural thing; I don't know it.) They wanted him to see the sight; it's a kind of gift for him. But Jang is unmoved. "You've picked the wrong man. I'm not interested in your revolution or becoming a hero." Jeon hands him a paper; "This is what we want." Jang takes the paper and then grabs for Jeon's face, pulling off the mask. He demands a hefty payment from Jeon to keep from reporting Jeon's part in the assassination, and says "I have a debt to collect from this revolting country too."
The next morning: Choongnyeong heads off for the day, but princess Shim stops him as he leaves their home and asks, "Won't you stay home just for today?" What's the matter, he wants to know. She fidgets uncomfortably and can't bring herself to say anything. Her attendant Uimyoung finally breaks the silence: "My goodness, does she have to spell everything out?" (Pretty funny, actually.) The baby is due and today just may be the day. "But I have something to take care of today," he protests mildly. He'll be home before dark, he promises. "So tell our baby to wait until I get back." They both smile and he leaves. (Note: Okay, I'm a guy but I won't even try to defend THAT behavior.)
Jang Chilsang from the weapons bureau has come to see the Mins. He's showing them a small weapon, which he calls a "mini-musket." It's a new weapon that, despite its smaller size, has triple the projectile range of their existing weapons. Why did you bring this to us?, they ask Jang. Jang explains that the crown prince has many friends at the weapons bureau and that "We hope [the weapon] will be used to restore the crown prince's lost honor."
Night has just fallen: Choongnyeong is with his eunuchs, who remind him that "It's dark now. You promised the princess you'd be home early." The prince is trying to whittle a toy for the baby. (Why can’t he do this at home? Sheesh.) The girl Yi Sun comes by; she grabs the wood and knife from him and immediately starts doing a better job of whittling. He flatters her a bit; she smiles and give them back. Eunuch Jeon Ilji leaves to go get an update on the princess.
Leaving the eunuchs' quarters, Ilji is met by his uncle Foreman Jeon. "Do whatever you have to do to get him to go through Indal-Bank," says the uncle. Ilji tells him that the prince will be leaving in two hours.
We see princess Shim in labor.
Choongnyeong finishes whittling; it's a little boat. Just then Ilji comes rushing in; the baby's coming! As the prince starts for home, Ilji tells him to take the shortcut through Indal-Bank.
The prince and two eunuchs rush home; as they approach the shortcut, Muby is waiting for them...Muby raises the mini-musket and fires. Choongnyeong is hit! He falls to the ground, a short arrow sticking out of his chest.