Post by ajk on Jul 2, 2008 15:04:07 GMT -5
Ministers are angrily debating the king's decision to leave for the hot springs in light of the tense situation. Hwang sits silently, then leaves the room and exhales deeply.
Park Eun and Shim On discuss the matter themselves; they don't think calling the king back would be the best idea, since it could exacerbate the queen's stressed-out condition. Calling the crown prince back, that's the best way to calm the court. (But he'd never come.)
Hwang goes to Gim Hanlo and the Yis and asks where the crown prince is. Silence and fidgeting. Then Gim says, "He's on a hunting trip." Park is skeptical: "To where?" Nobody answers. "Why won't you answer my question?" So Gim says weakly, "Chulwon. He is hunting in Chulwon. If you don't believe me, you can go and bring him back yourself."
We see the army, paused for the moment. Yangnyeong is driving the troops hard, marching them without rest in his hurry to get to Gyeongsung in 15 days.
Park and Shim realize that all of this could be an opportunity for Choongnyeong to make a comeback. "The ministers have lost all confidence in the crown prince," Park says. "It's time for this country to find an alternative." That goes too far for Shim; he says it could be treasonous and wants no part of it. But later, talking with Yi Su and Choongnyeong's other supporters, Shim ponders, "Do I bring my son-in-law back into the field of vicious political battles?"
In the north: Yi Chun and Choi Haesan are criticizing Jang Youngsil's finished product: his choice of materials, size, design...and it turns out it's all about a rolling hoop--a kid's toy! Choongnyeong listens to the silly bickering and walks away. Later, the prince's eunuchs are testing the hoop; it rolls very nicely. The prince speaks with Yun Hwe; he wants Yun to visit his son when he returns home and give him the hoop to play with. But Yun says, "No. You can take it yourself. It doesn't look like an easy toy to play with. You have to teach him how to use it." I thought we were finished with that issue, the prince says, but Yun tells him, "I haven't even begun. The crown prince is hopeless...How many died as a result of his reckless decision?" But the prince fires back at Yun: Don't hold him responsible for that; weren't you drinking and indifferent the whole time? It's a nasty comeback and hits Yun hard. He concludes, "It is my cowardice that made you change like this." It's seems a silly conclusion, but Choongnyeong actually answers, "Now you know." Yun is crestfallen; he hands the prince a fancy writing brush he's carrying (possibly the implement that the prince gave him in Ep15) and tells him, "I'm unworthy of it." Then, "I'm sorry, your highness. I will pay for disappointing you with a life of penance."
Yangnyeong is in his tent, thinking, "Good thing I didn't bring her"...Flashback to an earlier conversation we hadn't seen: Auri asks him to come with on the conquest. "I'm worried. Not for you, for me. You don't know what I might do to you if you leave me here alone." He kisses her, obviously not knowing what she's capable of doing. "Do anything you want," he tells her. "I know what you're going through because of me. Wait for me," he tells her, and gives her a ring off of his hand. "If I don't make it back, give his to the child."...Flashback ends, we see Auri, by herself; she's struggling with her thoughts and emotions, but then throws the ring it into a pond. (What a bizarre thing to do.)
Gim Hanlo and the Yis are talking about Gim's lie. "Do you really think minister Hwang will go (to Chulwon looking for the prince)?" They figure he'll go, and then "it will be a waiting game" to see what happens first. "If we go down, we all go down together."
Hwang tells his assistants that he's leaving for a short trip out of the city tomorrow. Then the Yis come into his office....
Auri is before Shim On. He asks her, "What brings you to my home at this late hour?" She says, "Aren't you curious to know what the crown prince is really up to?" (She did warn Yangnyeong not to leave her alone!)
The Yis have just told Hwang what the crown prince is doing. Hwang goes bonkers. You gave the crown prince control of a massive army? You're the minister of military! How could this have happened? His face is turning red with rage. Sookbun tells him insipidly, "One thing led to another...." Hwang grabs Sookbun by the collar and stands him up: "Are you a brainless moron?!" Sookbun tries to explain further: "Don't you know the crown prince? He doesn't listen to us or you. I know we shouldn't have let this happen; that's why we came to you." But Hwang wants no part of it. "We're done talking. This is not my concern. You made your own bed; now you must lie in it. I don't care what happens to you or the crown prince. This is not my problem any more!" And he storms outside, nearly hyperventilating.
"Who are you?" A suspicious Shim On asks Auri. You can't be Yangnyeong's lover, he says, because love means protecting the person you love. "Why are you coming to me about this? if the world finds out about the crown prince's unauthorized military action, the crown prince's life would be in danger. Who put you up to this?" Completely unfazed, she tells Shim, "Shouldn't you be more concerned about Choongnyeong? Gyeongsung is about to become a bloody battlefield. You should rush to his rescue first."
We see a dramatic split-screen of Hwang and Shim, each sitting alone in the dark, wrestling with his thoughts. Then they each look up and nod, barely so but with assurance. Each has made a decision.
"The crown prince took troops to the north?!" A shocked Taejong has Shim kneeling before him; Shim has obviously traveled to the hot springs and spilled the beans. "What if prime minister Yu and prince Choongnyeong try to defy him? I'm going back to the palace. Prepare the entourage." He leaves the room, and outside in the hall sees the queen; she's heard everything. She looks awful; haggard and aged by her accumulated grief and stress. "I am to blame for all of this," she says, for leaving the palace. The king, in his anger, walks right past her and says nothing.
Jo Malseng, who's with the king, asks Shim, What am I to make of your actions? "Was this to protect prince Choongnyeong or to destroy the crown prince?" Shim says simply, "The latter." And then says that he "can no longer accept the crown prince as our next king." Jo asks, "Because he's cold-blooded and doesn't care about his brother's safety?" Shim answers, "Because he is a tyrant who doesn't care about his people."
Yangnyeong's tent: Hwang walks in. The prince actually laughs. "They just can't keep their mouths shut. Who is it? Who told you about this?" Hwang kneels before the prince, who is unmoved and tells him, "Leave. You can sit there until your knees wear off, but you can't stop me, so save your strength." You're wrong, Hwang answers, and then starts in on him: You ignore wise counsel; you protect your friends, no matter how bad their actions; and "You're wrong on everything. That's why I can't, I just can't, forgive you and acknowledge that you are kingly material." The prince wonders, so why not bring guards and have me arrested?" Hwang tells him, "Despite all of this, I can't give you up." He reminds the prince, You came to me on your knees once yourself. "Help me to keep my hope alive." But the prince tells him, "Please leave. I've come too far. There is no turning back now. I am going to the north to fight. Like you said, I am wrong to begin with and never listen to anyone." So go back and do what you will; I will not interfere. If I die, at least it will be for Joseon's honor. And then, "It was nice, minister Hwang. I knew you came to stop me when you first walked in, but it was really nice to see you. I'll never forget your devotion and trust for me."
Later, we see the army moving forward when Hwang, alone on a horse, approaches from the other direction (how did that happen?) and faces the prince. He tells the prince he's coming with him. And he joins the procession (depriving us of the chance to see his knees wear off).
In the north: Choongnyeong gets on his horse and leaves. Gang Sangin asks the prince's eunuch's where he's going. Um Jachi answers, "Nowhere in particular. He has not been like this in a while. Do you know anything?"
We see the prince sitting by himself on a lakeshore...Flashback to Ep33, when he entered the raided village and found the dead villagers and crying children...Flashback to Yun Hwe believing that he's to blame for the prince's "change."
Choongnyeong has gone to see PM Yu. He gives him Yun Hwe's brush and tells him to give it to Yun himself, and asks him to look after Yun, whom he praises as "a man of deep insight, and exceptional diplomat, and a tactician more brilliant than Suh Hui of Goguryeo." He asks Yu to mentor him and at some point, "Please tell him it is not his fault that I decided to stay. Tell him that I just didn't have the courage to leave." (That makes much more sense.) But Yun is outside the room and hears it all. He's moved and sheds a tear. Back inside, Yu continues the conversation: "I do know a thing or two about the royal court. As the crown prince's misrule continues, more people will look to you...Are you afraid of a battle?" The prince tells him, "I don't know if I can do a better job. Pointing out what's bad and what's wrong might be an easier job. But when it comes to making decisions, being the decision-maker is a completely different thing. I'm not confident in that role. That's why I'm running away."
The king and queen arrive back at the palace. Princes Hyoryeong and Seongnyeong greet their mother and offer to take her inside, but she just sits in her palanquin and stares blankly.
Gim Hanlo is arrested and hauled out of his house.
Yi Sookbun is sitting alone at home; outside, we hear the arrest order given.
Sookbun is before the king. "Give me death, your majesty." Ignoring the statement, the king pours him a drink. (Remember, as we learned in Ep4, Sookbun is the king's oldest friend.) "Do you recall?", Taejong asks him. "You were always the one who offered me drinks first. When I raised a camp at Gwanghwamun in protest of my father the king and trembled in secret not knowing whether I would live or die, you were the one who came to me with a bottle of wine in your hand. 'You've got me,' you said. 'I'll contend with anyone who challenges you.'" But Sookbun dismisses it: "That was a long time ago. It should be forgotten." Then the king asks him, "Would you go for me? I want you to go. Take the troops and bring the crown prince back." Suddenly Sookbun turns aggressive and treasonous: "I'm afraid I can't, your majesty. I am not the naive county magistrate any more. I am minister of military, a veteran politician who knows how to wield his power, with command of the country's military in his hands. You are a setting sun and the crown prince is a rising sun. What if I should take the troops and back the crown prince in his conquest and then aimed my sword at you when I returned? I will leave if you banish me, and I will surrender my head if that's what you wish. But send Jongmu to the north instead. Jongmu would not defy you." All Taejong can do is grumble, "Bastard!" Then Sookbun tells the king with regret, We said we'd fish together when you left the throne "but I'm afraid I can't keep that promise. Forgive me, your majesty." He kneels, bows to the ground, and leaves. Outside, he demands that his guards tie him up like a criminal, and once done he leads the way as they leave, his eyes filling with tears.
Back inside, the king looks at the wine he poured for his friend: "Sookbun, that bastard, he didn't even touch his glass." And he starts to sob.
The army reaches Gyeongsung. PM Yu and Yun Hwe see it coming from a distance. We see Jurchens watching it from a distance, too. Yu and Yun are certain that these troops weren't deployed by the king. They quickly agree that Yu should head back to the capital immediately. Yun, though, says he "won't desert prince Choongnyeong again."
We see Jurchen troops moving en masse to the border. This sets off panic on the Joseon side. Choi Yundeok sees them and asks, "Why are thousands of barbarians coming at us?" Yun tells him, "It's not an attack; it's a defensive move." And tells him about the army.
Gang Sangin tells Choongnyeong that he'll be taken to a place of safety. But Yun shows up and says there's no such place.
Yi Chun, in his commoner's clothes, and Choi Yundeok, who surprisingly is back in military uniform, are discussing what they should do about the impending military action. Yi reminds Choi that a soldier's role is that of obedience. But Choi says, "Obedience? Why are you defending this ridiculous order?" Yi cautions him: "You must make your decision carefully, commander." Yundeok says, "I have no choice but to defy him. There is something more important than obedience for soldiers. And that's the duty to protect the people. Those who threaten the safety of the people are the enemy." Yi later tells him, "I will go with you, commander. Let me help."
Yun Hwe gives Choongnyeong the military uniform that Yi Chun surrendered. He tells the prince, You are the one who recognized his talent, "But Yi Chun will never get the chance to put (the uniform) on again, because the master he serves is the most dangerous character." And Choi Yundeok, "he will willingly become a rebel to protect the people." And Choi Haesan and Jang Youngsil will be forced to make weapons to kill our people. You've seen all kinds of tragedy and misfortune happen, but can you endure watching this? "Can you endure it?" Saying nothing, Choongnyeong gets up and walks outside...
...and finds all of the orphans waiting for him. They want him to read more stories to them. He looks around at them, and as he does we can almost hear wheels turning inside his head. Thinking, thinking, thinking...Then he asks Yun to summon Yi Chun.
Yangnyeong's army comes up the road to the border village...and is stopped in its tracks. All of the soldiers and officials from the north are standing in their path, with Choongnyeong in front. Yangnyeong dismounts and walks up to him. "What do you think you're doing?" Choongnyeong says, "Turn the troops around now." Yangnyeong impatiently answers, "Clear the path." Then, incredibly, Choongnyeong tells his brother, "If you don't turn back, I just might take the future throne from you."
Park Eun and Shim On discuss the matter themselves; they don't think calling the king back would be the best idea, since it could exacerbate the queen's stressed-out condition. Calling the crown prince back, that's the best way to calm the court. (But he'd never come.)
Hwang goes to Gim Hanlo and the Yis and asks where the crown prince is. Silence and fidgeting. Then Gim says, "He's on a hunting trip." Park is skeptical: "To where?" Nobody answers. "Why won't you answer my question?" So Gim says weakly, "Chulwon. He is hunting in Chulwon. If you don't believe me, you can go and bring him back yourself."
We see the army, paused for the moment. Yangnyeong is driving the troops hard, marching them without rest in his hurry to get to Gyeongsung in 15 days.
Park and Shim realize that all of this could be an opportunity for Choongnyeong to make a comeback. "The ministers have lost all confidence in the crown prince," Park says. "It's time for this country to find an alternative." That goes too far for Shim; he says it could be treasonous and wants no part of it. But later, talking with Yi Su and Choongnyeong's other supporters, Shim ponders, "Do I bring my son-in-law back into the field of vicious political battles?"
In the north: Yi Chun and Choi Haesan are criticizing Jang Youngsil's finished product: his choice of materials, size, design...and it turns out it's all about a rolling hoop--a kid's toy! Choongnyeong listens to the silly bickering and walks away. Later, the prince's eunuchs are testing the hoop; it rolls very nicely. The prince speaks with Yun Hwe; he wants Yun to visit his son when he returns home and give him the hoop to play with. But Yun says, "No. You can take it yourself. It doesn't look like an easy toy to play with. You have to teach him how to use it." I thought we were finished with that issue, the prince says, but Yun tells him, "I haven't even begun. The crown prince is hopeless...How many died as a result of his reckless decision?" But the prince fires back at Yun: Don't hold him responsible for that; weren't you drinking and indifferent the whole time? It's a nasty comeback and hits Yun hard. He concludes, "It is my cowardice that made you change like this." It's seems a silly conclusion, but Choongnyeong actually answers, "Now you know." Yun is crestfallen; he hands the prince a fancy writing brush he's carrying (possibly the implement that the prince gave him in Ep15) and tells him, "I'm unworthy of it." Then, "I'm sorry, your highness. I will pay for disappointing you with a life of penance."
Yangnyeong is in his tent, thinking, "Good thing I didn't bring her"...Flashback to an earlier conversation we hadn't seen: Auri asks him to come with on the conquest. "I'm worried. Not for you, for me. You don't know what I might do to you if you leave me here alone." He kisses her, obviously not knowing what she's capable of doing. "Do anything you want," he tells her. "I know what you're going through because of me. Wait for me," he tells her, and gives her a ring off of his hand. "If I don't make it back, give his to the child."...Flashback ends, we see Auri, by herself; she's struggling with her thoughts and emotions, but then throws the ring it into a pond. (What a bizarre thing to do.)
Gim Hanlo and the Yis are talking about Gim's lie. "Do you really think minister Hwang will go (to Chulwon looking for the prince)?" They figure he'll go, and then "it will be a waiting game" to see what happens first. "If we go down, we all go down together."
Hwang tells his assistants that he's leaving for a short trip out of the city tomorrow. Then the Yis come into his office....
Auri is before Shim On. He asks her, "What brings you to my home at this late hour?" She says, "Aren't you curious to know what the crown prince is really up to?" (She did warn Yangnyeong not to leave her alone!)
The Yis have just told Hwang what the crown prince is doing. Hwang goes bonkers. You gave the crown prince control of a massive army? You're the minister of military! How could this have happened? His face is turning red with rage. Sookbun tells him insipidly, "One thing led to another...." Hwang grabs Sookbun by the collar and stands him up: "Are you a brainless moron?!" Sookbun tries to explain further: "Don't you know the crown prince? He doesn't listen to us or you. I know we shouldn't have let this happen; that's why we came to you." But Hwang wants no part of it. "We're done talking. This is not my concern. You made your own bed; now you must lie in it. I don't care what happens to you or the crown prince. This is not my problem any more!" And he storms outside, nearly hyperventilating.
"Who are you?" A suspicious Shim On asks Auri. You can't be Yangnyeong's lover, he says, because love means protecting the person you love. "Why are you coming to me about this? if the world finds out about the crown prince's unauthorized military action, the crown prince's life would be in danger. Who put you up to this?" Completely unfazed, she tells Shim, "Shouldn't you be more concerned about Choongnyeong? Gyeongsung is about to become a bloody battlefield. You should rush to his rescue first."
We see a dramatic split-screen of Hwang and Shim, each sitting alone in the dark, wrestling with his thoughts. Then they each look up and nod, barely so but with assurance. Each has made a decision.
"The crown prince took troops to the north?!" A shocked Taejong has Shim kneeling before him; Shim has obviously traveled to the hot springs and spilled the beans. "What if prime minister Yu and prince Choongnyeong try to defy him? I'm going back to the palace. Prepare the entourage." He leaves the room, and outside in the hall sees the queen; she's heard everything. She looks awful; haggard and aged by her accumulated grief and stress. "I am to blame for all of this," she says, for leaving the palace. The king, in his anger, walks right past her and says nothing.
Jo Malseng, who's with the king, asks Shim, What am I to make of your actions? "Was this to protect prince Choongnyeong or to destroy the crown prince?" Shim says simply, "The latter." And then says that he "can no longer accept the crown prince as our next king." Jo asks, "Because he's cold-blooded and doesn't care about his brother's safety?" Shim answers, "Because he is a tyrant who doesn't care about his people."
Yangnyeong's tent: Hwang walks in. The prince actually laughs. "They just can't keep their mouths shut. Who is it? Who told you about this?" Hwang kneels before the prince, who is unmoved and tells him, "Leave. You can sit there until your knees wear off, but you can't stop me, so save your strength." You're wrong, Hwang answers, and then starts in on him: You ignore wise counsel; you protect your friends, no matter how bad their actions; and "You're wrong on everything. That's why I can't, I just can't, forgive you and acknowledge that you are kingly material." The prince wonders, so why not bring guards and have me arrested?" Hwang tells him, "Despite all of this, I can't give you up." He reminds the prince, You came to me on your knees once yourself. "Help me to keep my hope alive." But the prince tells him, "Please leave. I've come too far. There is no turning back now. I am going to the north to fight. Like you said, I am wrong to begin with and never listen to anyone." So go back and do what you will; I will not interfere. If I die, at least it will be for Joseon's honor. And then, "It was nice, minister Hwang. I knew you came to stop me when you first walked in, but it was really nice to see you. I'll never forget your devotion and trust for me."
Later, we see the army moving forward when Hwang, alone on a horse, approaches from the other direction (how did that happen?) and faces the prince. He tells the prince he's coming with him. And he joins the procession (depriving us of the chance to see his knees wear off).
In the north: Choongnyeong gets on his horse and leaves. Gang Sangin asks the prince's eunuch's where he's going. Um Jachi answers, "Nowhere in particular. He has not been like this in a while. Do you know anything?"
We see the prince sitting by himself on a lakeshore...Flashback to Ep33, when he entered the raided village and found the dead villagers and crying children...Flashback to Yun Hwe believing that he's to blame for the prince's "change."
Choongnyeong has gone to see PM Yu. He gives him Yun Hwe's brush and tells him to give it to Yun himself, and asks him to look after Yun, whom he praises as "a man of deep insight, and exceptional diplomat, and a tactician more brilliant than Suh Hui of Goguryeo." He asks Yu to mentor him and at some point, "Please tell him it is not his fault that I decided to stay. Tell him that I just didn't have the courage to leave." (That makes much more sense.) But Yun is outside the room and hears it all. He's moved and sheds a tear. Back inside, Yu continues the conversation: "I do know a thing or two about the royal court. As the crown prince's misrule continues, more people will look to you...Are you afraid of a battle?" The prince tells him, "I don't know if I can do a better job. Pointing out what's bad and what's wrong might be an easier job. But when it comes to making decisions, being the decision-maker is a completely different thing. I'm not confident in that role. That's why I'm running away."
The king and queen arrive back at the palace. Princes Hyoryeong and Seongnyeong greet their mother and offer to take her inside, but she just sits in her palanquin and stares blankly.
Gim Hanlo is arrested and hauled out of his house.
Yi Sookbun is sitting alone at home; outside, we hear the arrest order given.
Sookbun is before the king. "Give me death, your majesty." Ignoring the statement, the king pours him a drink. (Remember, as we learned in Ep4, Sookbun is the king's oldest friend.) "Do you recall?", Taejong asks him. "You were always the one who offered me drinks first. When I raised a camp at Gwanghwamun in protest of my father the king and trembled in secret not knowing whether I would live or die, you were the one who came to me with a bottle of wine in your hand. 'You've got me,' you said. 'I'll contend with anyone who challenges you.'" But Sookbun dismisses it: "That was a long time ago. It should be forgotten." Then the king asks him, "Would you go for me? I want you to go. Take the troops and bring the crown prince back." Suddenly Sookbun turns aggressive and treasonous: "I'm afraid I can't, your majesty. I am not the naive county magistrate any more. I am minister of military, a veteran politician who knows how to wield his power, with command of the country's military in his hands. You are a setting sun and the crown prince is a rising sun. What if I should take the troops and back the crown prince in his conquest and then aimed my sword at you when I returned? I will leave if you banish me, and I will surrender my head if that's what you wish. But send Jongmu to the north instead. Jongmu would not defy you." All Taejong can do is grumble, "Bastard!" Then Sookbun tells the king with regret, We said we'd fish together when you left the throne "but I'm afraid I can't keep that promise. Forgive me, your majesty." He kneels, bows to the ground, and leaves. Outside, he demands that his guards tie him up like a criminal, and once done he leads the way as they leave, his eyes filling with tears.
Back inside, the king looks at the wine he poured for his friend: "Sookbun, that bastard, he didn't even touch his glass." And he starts to sob.
The army reaches Gyeongsung. PM Yu and Yun Hwe see it coming from a distance. We see Jurchens watching it from a distance, too. Yu and Yun are certain that these troops weren't deployed by the king. They quickly agree that Yu should head back to the capital immediately. Yun, though, says he "won't desert prince Choongnyeong again."
We see Jurchen troops moving en masse to the border. This sets off panic on the Joseon side. Choi Yundeok sees them and asks, "Why are thousands of barbarians coming at us?" Yun tells him, "It's not an attack; it's a defensive move." And tells him about the army.
Gang Sangin tells Choongnyeong that he'll be taken to a place of safety. But Yun shows up and says there's no such place.
Yi Chun, in his commoner's clothes, and Choi Yundeok, who surprisingly is back in military uniform, are discussing what they should do about the impending military action. Yi reminds Choi that a soldier's role is that of obedience. But Choi says, "Obedience? Why are you defending this ridiculous order?" Yi cautions him: "You must make your decision carefully, commander." Yundeok says, "I have no choice but to defy him. There is something more important than obedience for soldiers. And that's the duty to protect the people. Those who threaten the safety of the people are the enemy." Yi later tells him, "I will go with you, commander. Let me help."
Yun Hwe gives Choongnyeong the military uniform that Yi Chun surrendered. He tells the prince, You are the one who recognized his talent, "But Yi Chun will never get the chance to put (the uniform) on again, because the master he serves is the most dangerous character." And Choi Yundeok, "he will willingly become a rebel to protect the people." And Choi Haesan and Jang Youngsil will be forced to make weapons to kill our people. You've seen all kinds of tragedy and misfortune happen, but can you endure watching this? "Can you endure it?" Saying nothing, Choongnyeong gets up and walks outside...
...and finds all of the orphans waiting for him. They want him to read more stories to them. He looks around at them, and as he does we can almost hear wheels turning inside his head. Thinking, thinking, thinking...Then he asks Yun to summon Yi Chun.
Yangnyeong's army comes up the road to the border village...and is stopped in its tracks. All of the soldiers and officials from the north are standing in their path, with Choongnyeong in front. Yangnyeong dismounts and walks up to him. "What do you think you're doing?" Choongnyeong says, "Turn the troops around now." Yangnyeong impatiently answers, "Clear the path." Then, incredibly, Choongnyeong tells his brother, "If you don't turn back, I just might take the future throne from you."