Post by ajk on Jul 18, 2008 11:18:05 GMT -5
The new crown prince and his supporters are playing gyeokbang (like croquet but with golf-like holes in the ground instead of wickets; we saw them playing it in Ep16). Choongnyeong takes a shot and misses, and the razzing begins. "Is he ever going to improve?" "He's so uncoordinated." "You must take his lack of practice time into consideration." Yun Hwe, Yi Su, even prince Kyoungnyeong are getting their jabs in. Everyone is smiling, including the prince, who laughs and says, "I better cut my sleep time and get some practice." Then from the side, a real zinger: "It'll be easier once we level out the ground." It's Choi Yundeok, now a general. Shim Oh is there, too; he tells Choongnyeong that he hopes the prince will never lose his desire to enjoy his "journey." Shim says, "A happy king makes a happy kingdom." Yun tells the prince metaphorically that they'll all work to smooth the ground for him. Choongnyeong aims his mallet and hits the ball into the hole.
The king and several ministers discuss the crown prince's investiture; when would be the best time to send an emissary to Ming about it?
"Why can't the royal lessons include learning to speak Chinese?", Choongnyeong asks. Park Eun, who's serving as Choongnyeong's mentor, says, "The answer is no." The prince wants to speak Chinese to the emperor when he goes to Ming for investiture, but Park says that speaking broken Chinese will "be unbecoming of a crown prince." But what about talking to the people in the city or countryside? You'll be confined to the palace while you're there, Park tells him. "Please just follow the official schedule. An heir apparent cannot behave like a common tourist." Park is being very strict and stubborn, and the prince doesn't like it.
The queen goes to the royal kitchen and finds princess Shim (now the crown princess) there. Why are you here?, she wants to know. Told that she's just preparing some snacks for her husband and kids, the queen admonishes her because this isn't something that the crown princess should be doing. Later, visiting the princess in her quarters (the crown princess' quarters), the queen realizes that the furniture hasn't been changed since Shim moved in. So she tells Yi Sun to arrange for the furniture to be replaced. Yi Sun, she decides, will be living in the palace from now on and working more closely for the new crown princess. And she throws in some advice to the princess: "You must watch every action so as not to damage the prestige and reputation of the royal house." And she leaves.
Evening: The princess' kids are thrilled that Yi Sun will be around them more, and the princess is pleased too...Flashback to a scene from earlier that day, a scene we hadn't seen: Yi Sun before the queen, who tells her, "I want you to report every trivial detail of the crown princess' life to me. It's unavoidable if I'm going to mold her into the queen."...Flashback ending, Yi Sun takes the kids to play but we can see some discomfort in her face as she thinks about her situation.
Nighttime: Choongnyeong is in the library, struggling to pronounce Chinese phrases. His two eunuchs are there, watching and listening to him. "Stop struggling and call an interpreter to help you," Jachi tells him. But he can't, because then Park Eun would find out and he doesn't want to defy the royal mentor on this. "If only Ilji were here right now," says Ogeun, which draws an immediate rebuke from Jachi for bringing up the painful subject. The prince plods on. "How much is this worth?" He asks in halting Chinese. Then we hear, "One hundred yangs." It came from Yi Sun, who walked in. Apparently she can speak Chinese. She smiles at the prince but wants to know why he hasn't recognized her since his return, for all the times he's seen her. Looking for a graceful way out, the prince tells her that he recognized her but is upset with her because she never repaid him for the loan for her mother's medicine. She promptly produces a pouch and tosses it in front of him. This is all of the money plus interest?, Choongnyeong asks (but we can see he's not all that concerned about it). It's half of the interest, she tells him; I spent the other half learning Chinese from eunuch Gim (whoever that is). She did it because she thought it might help Choongnyeong someday. "You don't have anyone around you who can give lessons. I'm not as smart as Ilji, but I think I can help you." The prince doesn't quite know what to think, but he's flattered and smiles. Then Jachi asks her what she's doing in the library at this time of night? Oops--she forgot; she's there to tell the prince to go to the princess' quarters because the astrologers have determined that tonight is "an auspicious time for conception." (Please somebody execute the astrologers.)
Choongnyeong goes to his wife. "At least there's one good thing about living in the palace," he tells her with an embarrassed smile. "They set up a schedule for me" so I will see you more and not neglect you." She smiles, seemingly unconcerned about that, but then she gently asks him, "Would you see the children more often?" He sheepishly answers, "I'm sorry, as always...." They smile at each other, and then from outside we see the light go out in the room.
Daytime: Three boats are on the open sea. They're carrying Japanese pirates!
The king is told that the south coast is seeing an increase in pirate attacks. But why?
"Tsushima will no longer submit to Joseon. We will not stop the aggression until they acknowledge Tsushima as their equal. Is that clear?" The speaker is So Sadamori, a new face to us. He's at the head of a council table, with other men around it. Two of the men are identified as So Shun and Kumotashi. (Tsushima is the large island south of the Korean peninsula.)
Prime minister Yu presents a scroll to the king as a group of officials stands before them. The scroll lists new defense and war ministry appointments--a shake-up made necessary by an inadequate response to the pirate attacks. We see the new defense minister, Park Seup. Then the king spots Gang Sangin's name on the scroll; Gang is to be a second (deputy) minister. And we spot Gang standing there, wearing a blue robe. (Aw geez, that is just so wrong! He should be holding a sword and kicking butt.) The king sees Gang and tells him, "Yes, it's about time you got out of my shadow." Then to all present: "You have my confidence. Wipe out those Japanese pirates."
Park Eun and other ministers are ready for Choongnyeong's daily lesson, but the prince isn't there. Park is angry and wants to know where he is, especially with the investiture trip only a few days away.
Choongnyeong, dressed incognito, is in the countryside, viewing the effects of a terrible drought. The village he's in looks terrible and the inhabitants are suffering from famine. He hears some villagers complaining that the drought is an omen from heaven because the king bypassed the eldest son.
In a workroom with other ministers, Huh Jo is moaning about the pirates, drought and famine, and in particular the public thinking that it's heaven's will. Meng Sasung reminds him that he was the one calling loudest for Yangnyeong's deposal, and he should stop spreading anxiety and get to work on the prince's investiture. Clearly the ministers are tense about the situation.
Yi Sun is being whipped on the calves again, as the queen watches. It turns out that she had never replaced the crown princess' furniture. Just then the crown princess comes running into the courtyard. "I beg you to stop the whipping, mother." Don't intervene, the queen tells her, but the princess says, "I am the one who refused to have the furniture replaced. I didn't mean to upset you; I simply didn't want to waste funds of the royal treasury when the whole country is suffering from drought." It's a noble sentiment but the queen doesn't like her order being disregarded, and after thinking for a moment, she puts the princess on the defensive: "So I issued such an order because I am wasteful and indifferent to the suffering of the people?" The princess is taken aback and can't even respond. "You are to follow my orders, crown princess. There will be no ifs, ands or buts." (Ohh, she can be an evil woman. Remember the scene in Ep17 when she and the princesses gathered to weave cloth? She and Yangnyeong's wife showed up in plain dress, deliberately so that they could embarrass the other princesses for their fancy dress during a time of budget difficulties. And now this. You just can't win with this woman!)
"I'm moved by your love, your highness." It's Hyobin, of all people, who's come to talk to the queen. I thought you would be cold to the new crown princess, she says, but you love her so dearly. "Didn't you order the furniture replaced out of fear of bad luck?" (Bad luck for what happened to Yangnyeong.) The queen tells her, "I just didn't want to be called a cold mother-in-law, that's all." Hyobin tells her, The public panic suggests you have reason to be concerned. She seems sincere, and specifically tells the queen she means no disrespect. (Still, you can't help but wonder about her.)
"This calls for a drastic measure, your majesty." Ministers are concerned about the public's unease in light of Choongnyeong's imminent departure for Ming for his investiture. Ming will already question Yangnyeong's sudden deposal; if they hear about a discontented public on top of it, there could be problems getting Choongnyeong approved. So what to do to boost the public's spirits? Shim on suggests an amnesty of prisoners. That's a possibility, but Park Eun is angry and wants something else instead: he wants Choongnyeong to go to the temple and pray for rain until it rains. Impossible, it's pointed out; the prince is about to leave for Ming. But Park says, "He must hold a rain ritual even if it means he must cancel his trip." "What are you after?", Shim asks Park; are you trying to bring down the crown prince? Park's response: "I don't have to do anything. He will bring himself down." Then Park tells the king that Choongnyeong hasn't been to his lesson in days. Shim is puzzled: "If he has been absent, there has to be a good reason." Park is doubtful, and believes Choongnyeong is being arrogant.
Choongnyeong's supporters are angry about the situation. The public sentiment will support the rain ritual, but what if he performs it and it doesn't rain? The public will be furious. No, they realize, we need the amnesty idea and we have to sell the king on it.
Choongnyeong returns home, walks in and finds his father waiting for him. "Where were you?" Seeing the prince wearing commoner dress, he says "You must have been traveling incognito judging by your clothes. What is your purpose" in neglecting your lessons? "Are you feeling for the wretched plight of the people? Or do you want to hear them condemning you with your own ears?" No answer. "Fool," the king says, and he leaves.
"How would you handle this situation?", the king asks Jo Malseng. Jo says that an amnesty decree would quiet the public. But Taejong is reluctant because he doesn't want to spoil Choongnyeong and just get him off the hook. Plus it will be seen as increasing Shim On's power. Of course, ordering the rain ritual will be seen as increasing Park Eun's power. "Which of the two retainers is the more dangerous?", he ponders.
Evening: Park Eun has brought Yun Hwe to a fancy gisaeng house for a drink. Yun playfully asks the gisaeng women to leave for a moment. They leave, he pours Park a drink, and gets down to business: "You're pushing the crown prince too hard when he's just starting out. Why are you being so harsh?" if you were doing your duty, Yun says, you would have gone to the prince himself first instead of the king....
Jo Malseng has come to speak to PM Yu. Yu "His majesty wants the prince to become a strong leader. It might be wise to control those who instinctively jump to defend him." Yu knows that he's referring to Shim On. But Jo also points out that Yu himself was one of the merit subjects who favored Choongnyeong over Yangnyeong. He suggests, "You might want to start looking out for number one. Setting yourself apart from Shim On might be a good place to start." (The logic apparently being, if the king starts cracking down on Shim On to keep people from sheltering Choongnyeong, then don't get yourself caught in the wake. I think.)
Yun asks Park: "What's the point of the prayer ritual--to show the crown prince that you're a powerful man? Do you think you can defeat the crown prince?" Park says calmly, "It doesn't look like he has a way out." "The truth is you're the one who doesn't have a way out...You should consider yourself lucky that he is a forgiving man. Now, I can open up an escape route for you. Would you take it?"
Yun tells the prince and his supporters that Park will back the amnesty proposal and work to kill the rain-ritual idea if he's promised a post in the Supreme Council when Choongnyeong becomes king. This sets off a heated discussion: Yi Su says government posts are not negotiating tools; Shim On says that the situation is too risky, so we need to go along with it; Yi replies that he doesn't a new crown prince to immediately have to resort to bribery. Then an irritated Yun Hwe tells the prince that "I'll do the dirty work all by myself, so just play it cool and be the gentleman of virtue." The argument frustrates Choongnyeong and he storms out. He goes to the library, begins searching through books and then in a fit of rage scatters them onto the floor. Yi Su enters and sees the mess. The prince tells him that "I can't find anything in the books" to solve the problem. He sheds tears of frustration.
Gyoha, Gyeonggi province: A man is fishing by himself. It's Hwang Hee! Yi Su has come to see him. "I thought banishment meant you were sent far away," Yi said (Gyoha is not far from the capital). Then Yi asks, "What's your reason for this less-than-dignified political subterfuge? Why did you bring dismissal upon yourself? Did you feel sorry for the crown prince? You couldn't watch the crown prince sink into a swamp alone?" So you left before his deposal out of loyalty to him? No answer to any of this from Hwang; he just keeps fishing. Then Yi asks, "Would you sink into a swamp with my pupil this time?" Hwang turns and looks at him. "He is in trouble, but I don't know how to help him...Be the crown prince's political mentor. I don't have what it takes to guide a future king. Share your knowledge and wisdom with him, and he will give you back hope." All Hwang says is, "Leave." Yun presses: "You got out of Dumundong, leaving your peers behind, because you had hope for a better country." Hwang tells him, "I think it was avarice, not hope." With that cryptic answer, he walks away.
At the cannon grounds: Choongnyeong has come to visit. "Is there any weapon that will make the sky rain?", he asks rhetorically. Choi Haesan, Jang Youngsil and Yi Chun are all there. Yi Chun advises the prince to hold the prayer ritual. Jang disagrees: "This is wrong...The whole country thinks that [the drought] is his fault." But Yi Chun has a strong opinion and shares it: Even if you feel victimized, he says, you must take responsibility. "If soldiers are in danger, their commander is responsible for their lives whether he erred or not. You are the man who will soon lead this country and rule our people. So whether you are afraid or angry, you must hold a prayer service if that is the only way to assume responsibility." The prince listens to all of this and leaves without comment.
He goes to the library and spends all night there, searching through books looking for a solution to his problem.
Morning: The crown princess goes to see her husband; she's told he never came back. We learn that this isn't the first time, either.
The king is meeting with his ministers, and once again Shim and Park are arguing about an amnesty vs. a prayer ritual. Tired of the whole thing the king just stares straight ahead with a blank face and glazed eyes.
At the library: Choongnyeong hasn't eaten in days. Yun and Yi are there and resume their argument. But the prince tells them that "There has to be another solution. And I'm going to find it." Suddenly he loses consciousness and collapses.
"Fool." The king has just been told. Noh Huibong suggests a visit to the east palace.
Evening, in the crown prince's quarters: Choongnyeong awakens, just as his father shows up to see him. "I hear you've give up eating and you're spending all of your time buried in books. I guess you really are the wise one," he says sarcastically. Choongnyeong doesn't get it, and in fact looks dazed and drained. "Are you feeling the public's pain? Were you searching for a way to ease their distress?" "No, father. I was simply...simply...hiding behind the books. Praying for rain is about the only thing I can do, but I was afraid. I was afraid to stand before the public that claim in one voice that I am not the one meant for the throne. And I don't think I can win heaven's favor either. I was afraid the world would mock me even more if I don't act like I am doing something. I'm sorry, father. I'm unworthy of the throne." Unconcerned, Taejong tells him, "Then you will work and make yourself worthy." A table with bowls of food on it is brought in. "Pick up that spoon and finish your bowl to the last grain of rice." "I can't, father." "Fool--When are you going to stop running from your problems?" Why accept the throne if you're going to act like this? "Don't say that you're sorry. Apologies can't take anything back. A king is not someone who always gets to do what he wants. Even when he knows that his own people are starving, even when he killed his own brother, expelled his most faithful servant, and crushed his queen's heart, he still has to come back to his room, put his guilt and shame aside and put food in his mouth and get his rest. That is a king," he continues. "And whether it is undrying tears or unceasing rage, you must rise above it. You must not lose your strength or sacrifice your health under any circumstances, because the king is the kingdom himself."
Taejong leaves. Choongnyeong sits alone...he lifts the cover off of a bowl and slowly begins to eat. It's not easy, but the second spoonful is more comfortable than the first.
We see Taejong praying at the ancestral shrine, before a photo of (I believe) his father King Taejo. Then we see him nod very slightly, as though something has been resolved in his mind.
The next morning: Choongnyeong has his strength back and is much livelier as he steps outside into his courtyard. To his (and our) surprise, the king is standing there, waiting for him and holding an ornate box. With no explanation, Taejong calmly drops the mother of all bombs on his stunned son: "I'm giving you the royal seal. Doe, now you are the fourth king of Joseon."
The king and several ministers discuss the crown prince's investiture; when would be the best time to send an emissary to Ming about it?
"Why can't the royal lessons include learning to speak Chinese?", Choongnyeong asks. Park Eun, who's serving as Choongnyeong's mentor, says, "The answer is no." The prince wants to speak Chinese to the emperor when he goes to Ming for investiture, but Park says that speaking broken Chinese will "be unbecoming of a crown prince." But what about talking to the people in the city or countryside? You'll be confined to the palace while you're there, Park tells him. "Please just follow the official schedule. An heir apparent cannot behave like a common tourist." Park is being very strict and stubborn, and the prince doesn't like it.
The queen goes to the royal kitchen and finds princess Shim (now the crown princess) there. Why are you here?, she wants to know. Told that she's just preparing some snacks for her husband and kids, the queen admonishes her because this isn't something that the crown princess should be doing. Later, visiting the princess in her quarters (the crown princess' quarters), the queen realizes that the furniture hasn't been changed since Shim moved in. So she tells Yi Sun to arrange for the furniture to be replaced. Yi Sun, she decides, will be living in the palace from now on and working more closely for the new crown princess. And she throws in some advice to the princess: "You must watch every action so as not to damage the prestige and reputation of the royal house." And she leaves.
Evening: The princess' kids are thrilled that Yi Sun will be around them more, and the princess is pleased too...Flashback to a scene from earlier that day, a scene we hadn't seen: Yi Sun before the queen, who tells her, "I want you to report every trivial detail of the crown princess' life to me. It's unavoidable if I'm going to mold her into the queen."...Flashback ending, Yi Sun takes the kids to play but we can see some discomfort in her face as she thinks about her situation.
Nighttime: Choongnyeong is in the library, struggling to pronounce Chinese phrases. His two eunuchs are there, watching and listening to him. "Stop struggling and call an interpreter to help you," Jachi tells him. But he can't, because then Park Eun would find out and he doesn't want to defy the royal mentor on this. "If only Ilji were here right now," says Ogeun, which draws an immediate rebuke from Jachi for bringing up the painful subject. The prince plods on. "How much is this worth?" He asks in halting Chinese. Then we hear, "One hundred yangs." It came from Yi Sun, who walked in. Apparently she can speak Chinese. She smiles at the prince but wants to know why he hasn't recognized her since his return, for all the times he's seen her. Looking for a graceful way out, the prince tells her that he recognized her but is upset with her because she never repaid him for the loan for her mother's medicine. She promptly produces a pouch and tosses it in front of him. This is all of the money plus interest?, Choongnyeong asks (but we can see he's not all that concerned about it). It's half of the interest, she tells him; I spent the other half learning Chinese from eunuch Gim (whoever that is). She did it because she thought it might help Choongnyeong someday. "You don't have anyone around you who can give lessons. I'm not as smart as Ilji, but I think I can help you." The prince doesn't quite know what to think, but he's flattered and smiles. Then Jachi asks her what she's doing in the library at this time of night? Oops--she forgot; she's there to tell the prince to go to the princess' quarters because the astrologers have determined that tonight is "an auspicious time for conception." (Please somebody execute the astrologers.)
Choongnyeong goes to his wife. "At least there's one good thing about living in the palace," he tells her with an embarrassed smile. "They set up a schedule for me" so I will see you more and not neglect you." She smiles, seemingly unconcerned about that, but then she gently asks him, "Would you see the children more often?" He sheepishly answers, "I'm sorry, as always...." They smile at each other, and then from outside we see the light go out in the room.
Daytime: Three boats are on the open sea. They're carrying Japanese pirates!
The king is told that the south coast is seeing an increase in pirate attacks. But why?
"Tsushima will no longer submit to Joseon. We will not stop the aggression until they acknowledge Tsushima as their equal. Is that clear?" The speaker is So Sadamori, a new face to us. He's at the head of a council table, with other men around it. Two of the men are identified as So Shun and Kumotashi. (Tsushima is the large island south of the Korean peninsula.)
Prime minister Yu presents a scroll to the king as a group of officials stands before them. The scroll lists new defense and war ministry appointments--a shake-up made necessary by an inadequate response to the pirate attacks. We see the new defense minister, Park Seup. Then the king spots Gang Sangin's name on the scroll; Gang is to be a second (deputy) minister. And we spot Gang standing there, wearing a blue robe. (Aw geez, that is just so wrong! He should be holding a sword and kicking butt.) The king sees Gang and tells him, "Yes, it's about time you got out of my shadow." Then to all present: "You have my confidence. Wipe out those Japanese pirates."
Park Eun and other ministers are ready for Choongnyeong's daily lesson, but the prince isn't there. Park is angry and wants to know where he is, especially with the investiture trip only a few days away.
Choongnyeong, dressed incognito, is in the countryside, viewing the effects of a terrible drought. The village he's in looks terrible and the inhabitants are suffering from famine. He hears some villagers complaining that the drought is an omen from heaven because the king bypassed the eldest son.
In a workroom with other ministers, Huh Jo is moaning about the pirates, drought and famine, and in particular the public thinking that it's heaven's will. Meng Sasung reminds him that he was the one calling loudest for Yangnyeong's deposal, and he should stop spreading anxiety and get to work on the prince's investiture. Clearly the ministers are tense about the situation.
Yi Sun is being whipped on the calves again, as the queen watches. It turns out that she had never replaced the crown princess' furniture. Just then the crown princess comes running into the courtyard. "I beg you to stop the whipping, mother." Don't intervene, the queen tells her, but the princess says, "I am the one who refused to have the furniture replaced. I didn't mean to upset you; I simply didn't want to waste funds of the royal treasury when the whole country is suffering from drought." It's a noble sentiment but the queen doesn't like her order being disregarded, and after thinking for a moment, she puts the princess on the defensive: "So I issued such an order because I am wasteful and indifferent to the suffering of the people?" The princess is taken aback and can't even respond. "You are to follow my orders, crown princess. There will be no ifs, ands or buts." (Ohh, she can be an evil woman. Remember the scene in Ep17 when she and the princesses gathered to weave cloth? She and Yangnyeong's wife showed up in plain dress, deliberately so that they could embarrass the other princesses for their fancy dress during a time of budget difficulties. And now this. You just can't win with this woman!)
"I'm moved by your love, your highness." It's Hyobin, of all people, who's come to talk to the queen. I thought you would be cold to the new crown princess, she says, but you love her so dearly. "Didn't you order the furniture replaced out of fear of bad luck?" (Bad luck for what happened to Yangnyeong.) The queen tells her, "I just didn't want to be called a cold mother-in-law, that's all." Hyobin tells her, The public panic suggests you have reason to be concerned. She seems sincere, and specifically tells the queen she means no disrespect. (Still, you can't help but wonder about her.)
"This calls for a drastic measure, your majesty." Ministers are concerned about the public's unease in light of Choongnyeong's imminent departure for Ming for his investiture. Ming will already question Yangnyeong's sudden deposal; if they hear about a discontented public on top of it, there could be problems getting Choongnyeong approved. So what to do to boost the public's spirits? Shim on suggests an amnesty of prisoners. That's a possibility, but Park Eun is angry and wants something else instead: he wants Choongnyeong to go to the temple and pray for rain until it rains. Impossible, it's pointed out; the prince is about to leave for Ming. But Park says, "He must hold a rain ritual even if it means he must cancel his trip." "What are you after?", Shim asks Park; are you trying to bring down the crown prince? Park's response: "I don't have to do anything. He will bring himself down." Then Park tells the king that Choongnyeong hasn't been to his lesson in days. Shim is puzzled: "If he has been absent, there has to be a good reason." Park is doubtful, and believes Choongnyeong is being arrogant.
Choongnyeong's supporters are angry about the situation. The public sentiment will support the rain ritual, but what if he performs it and it doesn't rain? The public will be furious. No, they realize, we need the amnesty idea and we have to sell the king on it.
Choongnyeong returns home, walks in and finds his father waiting for him. "Where were you?" Seeing the prince wearing commoner dress, he says "You must have been traveling incognito judging by your clothes. What is your purpose" in neglecting your lessons? "Are you feeling for the wretched plight of the people? Or do you want to hear them condemning you with your own ears?" No answer. "Fool," the king says, and he leaves.
"How would you handle this situation?", the king asks Jo Malseng. Jo says that an amnesty decree would quiet the public. But Taejong is reluctant because he doesn't want to spoil Choongnyeong and just get him off the hook. Plus it will be seen as increasing Shim On's power. Of course, ordering the rain ritual will be seen as increasing Park Eun's power. "Which of the two retainers is the more dangerous?", he ponders.
Evening: Park Eun has brought Yun Hwe to a fancy gisaeng house for a drink. Yun playfully asks the gisaeng women to leave for a moment. They leave, he pours Park a drink, and gets down to business: "You're pushing the crown prince too hard when he's just starting out. Why are you being so harsh?" if you were doing your duty, Yun says, you would have gone to the prince himself first instead of the king....
Jo Malseng has come to speak to PM Yu. Yu "His majesty wants the prince to become a strong leader. It might be wise to control those who instinctively jump to defend him." Yu knows that he's referring to Shim On. But Jo also points out that Yu himself was one of the merit subjects who favored Choongnyeong over Yangnyeong. He suggests, "You might want to start looking out for number one. Setting yourself apart from Shim On might be a good place to start." (The logic apparently being, if the king starts cracking down on Shim On to keep people from sheltering Choongnyeong, then don't get yourself caught in the wake. I think.)
Yun asks Park: "What's the point of the prayer ritual--to show the crown prince that you're a powerful man? Do you think you can defeat the crown prince?" Park says calmly, "It doesn't look like he has a way out." "The truth is you're the one who doesn't have a way out...You should consider yourself lucky that he is a forgiving man. Now, I can open up an escape route for you. Would you take it?"
Yun tells the prince and his supporters that Park will back the amnesty proposal and work to kill the rain-ritual idea if he's promised a post in the Supreme Council when Choongnyeong becomes king. This sets off a heated discussion: Yi Su says government posts are not negotiating tools; Shim On says that the situation is too risky, so we need to go along with it; Yi replies that he doesn't a new crown prince to immediately have to resort to bribery. Then an irritated Yun Hwe tells the prince that "I'll do the dirty work all by myself, so just play it cool and be the gentleman of virtue." The argument frustrates Choongnyeong and he storms out. He goes to the library, begins searching through books and then in a fit of rage scatters them onto the floor. Yi Su enters and sees the mess. The prince tells him that "I can't find anything in the books" to solve the problem. He sheds tears of frustration.
Gyoha, Gyeonggi province: A man is fishing by himself. It's Hwang Hee! Yi Su has come to see him. "I thought banishment meant you were sent far away," Yi said (Gyoha is not far from the capital). Then Yi asks, "What's your reason for this less-than-dignified political subterfuge? Why did you bring dismissal upon yourself? Did you feel sorry for the crown prince? You couldn't watch the crown prince sink into a swamp alone?" So you left before his deposal out of loyalty to him? No answer to any of this from Hwang; he just keeps fishing. Then Yi asks, "Would you sink into a swamp with my pupil this time?" Hwang turns and looks at him. "He is in trouble, but I don't know how to help him...Be the crown prince's political mentor. I don't have what it takes to guide a future king. Share your knowledge and wisdom with him, and he will give you back hope." All Hwang says is, "Leave." Yun presses: "You got out of Dumundong, leaving your peers behind, because you had hope for a better country." Hwang tells him, "I think it was avarice, not hope." With that cryptic answer, he walks away.
At the cannon grounds: Choongnyeong has come to visit. "Is there any weapon that will make the sky rain?", he asks rhetorically. Choi Haesan, Jang Youngsil and Yi Chun are all there. Yi Chun advises the prince to hold the prayer ritual. Jang disagrees: "This is wrong...The whole country thinks that [the drought] is his fault." But Yi Chun has a strong opinion and shares it: Even if you feel victimized, he says, you must take responsibility. "If soldiers are in danger, their commander is responsible for their lives whether he erred or not. You are the man who will soon lead this country and rule our people. So whether you are afraid or angry, you must hold a prayer service if that is the only way to assume responsibility." The prince listens to all of this and leaves without comment.
He goes to the library and spends all night there, searching through books looking for a solution to his problem.
Morning: The crown princess goes to see her husband; she's told he never came back. We learn that this isn't the first time, either.
The king is meeting with his ministers, and once again Shim and Park are arguing about an amnesty vs. a prayer ritual. Tired of the whole thing the king just stares straight ahead with a blank face and glazed eyes.
At the library: Choongnyeong hasn't eaten in days. Yun and Yi are there and resume their argument. But the prince tells them that "There has to be another solution. And I'm going to find it." Suddenly he loses consciousness and collapses.
"Fool." The king has just been told. Noh Huibong suggests a visit to the east palace.
Evening, in the crown prince's quarters: Choongnyeong awakens, just as his father shows up to see him. "I hear you've give up eating and you're spending all of your time buried in books. I guess you really are the wise one," he says sarcastically. Choongnyeong doesn't get it, and in fact looks dazed and drained. "Are you feeling the public's pain? Were you searching for a way to ease their distress?" "No, father. I was simply...simply...hiding behind the books. Praying for rain is about the only thing I can do, but I was afraid. I was afraid to stand before the public that claim in one voice that I am not the one meant for the throne. And I don't think I can win heaven's favor either. I was afraid the world would mock me even more if I don't act like I am doing something. I'm sorry, father. I'm unworthy of the throne." Unconcerned, Taejong tells him, "Then you will work and make yourself worthy." A table with bowls of food on it is brought in. "Pick up that spoon and finish your bowl to the last grain of rice." "I can't, father." "Fool--When are you going to stop running from your problems?" Why accept the throne if you're going to act like this? "Don't say that you're sorry. Apologies can't take anything back. A king is not someone who always gets to do what he wants. Even when he knows that his own people are starving, even when he killed his own brother, expelled his most faithful servant, and crushed his queen's heart, he still has to come back to his room, put his guilt and shame aside and put food in his mouth and get his rest. That is a king," he continues. "And whether it is undrying tears or unceasing rage, you must rise above it. You must not lose your strength or sacrifice your health under any circumstances, because the king is the kingdom himself."
Taejong leaves. Choongnyeong sits alone...he lifts the cover off of a bowl and slowly begins to eat. It's not easy, but the second spoonful is more comfortable than the first.
We see Taejong praying at the ancestral shrine, before a photo of (I believe) his father King Taejo. Then we see him nod very slightly, as though something has been resolved in his mind.
The next morning: Choongnyeong has his strength back and is much livelier as he steps outside into his courtyard. To his (and our) surprise, the king is standing there, waiting for him and holding an ornate box. With no explanation, Taejong calmly drops the mother of all bombs on his stunned son: "I'm giving you the royal seal. Doe, now you are the fourth king of Joseon."