Post by ajk on Mar 19, 2009 8:06:53 GMT -5
The emperor (that is, King Gyeongjong) doesn't realize that the young person standing before him in boy's clothes is actually his cousin Su, whom he met earlier in the day. But then she's recognized; Yi Jibaek identifies her. The emperor asks her if her grandmother put her up to this to get him dethroned (an odd question). Su explains that she was only trying to protect innocent women and children. The emperor couldn't care less and wants them all dead, just because he can do it. And he decides to strike the little girl Hyangbi first. But Su steps bravely in front of him, prepared to take the blow. Then suddenly, he freezes. "Mother!" He's hallucinating and seeing his mother's image rather than Su (and we see the hallucination briefly too--a glimpse of Empress Daemok, his mother). He drops the sword, starts talking to Su like she's his mother, and then passes out.
The dowager empress is informed. She's terribly concerned about her granddaughter having caused all this trouble.
Su is put in a jail cell under heavy guard.
Ministers are meeting, arguing about whether or not the princess was part of some sort of plot against the emperor. A wild discussion; all kinds of viewpoints ranging from It was a child's mistake to It's high treason.
Kim Woonsong, the wealthy, shady merchant is speaking with Foreman Jo, who we can now see is his employee. Kim is concerned about the high security status in the city in the riot's aftermath. Forget about the slave-trading business, he tells Jo, even though it's exceptionally profitable. From now on, he says, "we're going to be the merchants that buy and sell countries." Hmmm....
Evening: Princess Hwangbo Seol, who was resting at Prince Gyeongjuwon's home after her ordeal in the street that day, is awakened by the sound of a flute. She watches him, obviously smitten. He sees her and they talk; he doesn't remember her at first; then he does, and laughs about having seen her once in diapers, which she doesn't care for.
Seo Hui warns the dowager empress that the Shilla-born officials in the government, along with Park Yangyu and Han Ungong and Han Ingyeong, are trying to use the Princess Su situation to "go after" her.
We see several of those officials, and that's just what they're talking about. The empress is an old lady who will die soon anyway, they reason. Anyway, they're not really after her; they want to control the throne, and that means getting rid of the one existing male heir--the young Wang Chi.
Gyeongjuwon escorts Seol back home, where her worried brother Wang Chi is waiting. He scolds her a bit.
Still evening: Outside the palace, the empress dowager is on her knees, begging the emperor's forgiveness for her granddaughter's error.
The next morning: The emperor finally awakens after his hallucination and fainting. He orders Su brought to him.
Escorted by guards to the palace, Su sees her grandmother still outside begging out loud. The Empress frantically shouts to Su to "just beg" for mercy.
An irritated emperor wants an explanation from Su. She carefully but directly tells him that she thought he was wrong last night, and that there are things that even emperors should not do. He isn't sure what to make of this boldness.
Later, the emperor calls his ministers in to ask their opinion of last night's events. Seo Hui and one group argue for mercy and compassion towards the princess and the arrested citizens; Choe Sum and the rest argue against it. Park Yangyu even calls her actions "high treason." The emperor listens patiently and then bites Park's head off for suggesting that he should kill a family member: "You wouldn't be satisfied until I kill off my own family like my predecessor did?" He goes on a tirade, and then orders no more discussion about Su.
Afterwards, the scheming ministers wonder about the emperor's mother-hallucination. "Could he possibly remember what happened when he was only six years old?" "His grandmother could have told him about it for revenge...that the officials of Shilla background are responsible for his mother's death." Hmmm....
Su having been freed, her grandmother is whipping her on the back of the legs with a switch to punish her. Her brother is there and scolds her, saying that rioters must be punished. But she talks right back to him about the innocent citizens, and that they are all our brothers and sisters, and that keeping hungry refugees locked up is wrong. Chi just scolds her more, but the empress' face shows that Su touched something inside her.
Prince Gyeongjuwon gets Gang Gamchan released from jail. We learn that they're friends. A sobered Gang wants the prince to introduce her to the empress, because he wants to do something to help the refugees. They had both vowed to stay away from politics and state affairs, but Gang says he has to make an exception here.
Gang Jo is brought before the empress and questioned; she's interested in him because the emperor had ordered Gang to be taken to Su. Gang tells her the story of the fall of Balhae to the Khitans in 926; his grandfather was a great Balhae general who committed suicide upon Balhae's fall. He and his family worked to help build a new state (Later Balhae, which turned into Jeong-an when the last of the Dae clan died), but that state was overthrown violently, and in the process Gang’s father was killed. He and his family fled, but in fleeing, rebels killed his fiancee. We see much of this in flashback, and we see refugees wandering. It's a terribly tragic story. Flashbacks ending, the empress asks him if he'd be a faithful servant to Goryeo and to her clan. He kneels and says that his gratitude to Su for stepping in and saving him and his people is a debt too great to repay. So apparently that's a yes.
Su and Gang go to visit the refugees, who are thrilled to see him and tell him that food rations have increased. Gang retrieves his baby sister and encourages the refugees, as a touched (and possibly smitten) Su watches.
Seo Hui tells the empress that he thinks the emperor released Su because her spirit reminded him of his mother's. She wonders if he could possibly remembers the circumstances of his mother's death, but says "It will not do either the Shillans or us any good to divulge the details." In any event, the important thing is that the emperor has shown compassion, like he used to show.
Gang Jo and his sister are brought by Su to the empress; she's agreed to take them into her household. Then an attendant tells her that the emperor is leaving the city already, after only two days.
An angry Wang Chi questions his master Choe Ryand for being seen meeting surreptitiously with another prince and discussing the throne. Wang tries to calm him, saying that "We are considering all possibilities in the group that I belong to" (That's going to calm him?) and that Gyeongjuwon has no desire for the throne. His group will be his strongest supporters one day, he tells Wang, and that Wang can trust him in supporting his eventual rise to the throne.
The emperor is leaving Seogyeong. Citizens line the streets to bid him farewell as he sits in his palanquin, bored and indifferent. He sees the empress with her daughters, stops the procession and thanks her for showing up. She thanks him for his mercy towards her granddaughter, but he tells her that she had nothing to do with it (and the sour look on her face is priceless). Then he speaks a bit to the girls, telling them, "It can't be easy living under such an exalted grandmother. Just don't get caught up in wars and futile desire as you go through life." And he glares at the empress as he says it (obviously there's a lot of read-between-the-lines there, which we don’t entirely understand yet).
Prince Gyeongjuwon and Gang Gamchan have come to see the empress. The prince introduces Gang and asks the empress to introduce Gang to men of influence. The empress wants to know about Gang's background before she does. Gang explains that his father was Gang Goongjin, one of Wang Guhn's merit subjects. She realizes that this was Lord Gang of Geumju, who died along with Prince Wonnang--her own son. Gang has drifted without a real home and never married. The empress tells the two men that she'll give them a place under her roof: "We are the last of the royal clan, and we can't drift forever."
Choe Ryand's group is meeting, discussing succession. Choe Ryang (this Ryang/Ryand thing could get confusing) seems to be the leader; the others are Yi Yang, Kim Shimun, Seol Shinyu, and Ryand. They're all former Shilla officials. Ryand tells them that Prince Gyeongjuwon (of the Gyeongju line) is the best candidate for the throne, but he's not interested. Choe Ryang suggests forcing him to the throne, even against his will, if he's the best candidate. But Ryand suggests a different course: supporting his pupil Hwangjuwon (Wang Chi, of the Hwangju line), who would certainly be a benevolent ruler. Clearly this group favors the Gyeongju line. There are clan issues in all this that seem to be very complicated. Ryand asks them to set clan issues aside and look at what's best for the country, but Ryang says that the royal clan is too big of a problem because of what happened to Hwangjuwon's father (apparently killed by Shillans). Ryang thinks this makes Hwangjuwon a "tiger cub" and too dangerous for them to support, and that they'll end up dead if he ascends to the throne. But Ryand says no, he's not a danger to us; he'll be a good emperor and make a strong country. Complete difference of opinion.
In the wilderness, we see a secret private army training under the watchful eye of the merchant Kim Woonsong. Choe Ryang is there and tells him that they may have to "hit the Imperial Palace" because the emperor is favoring Hwangju line. Kim doesn't like the idea; he's counting on one of his daughters (remember he told the emperor that they're of marrying age) winning the emperor's heart. That's a tough task, but Kim says, "I don't engage in a fight I can't win." This isn't even close to the time to resort to arms, he tells Ryang.
Wang Chi tells his grandmother that he opposes the "dangerous characters" Gyeongjuwon and Gang Gamchan coming into their household. Gamchan was a riot instigator and "the son of a traitor" (which the empress takes exception to), and Gyeongjuwon is a Shillan and so is too dangerous. She explains, That's just why I'm keeping him so close--to keep an eye on him. Suddenly Wang jumps up, runs to the door at catches his sisters eavesdropping outside.
Later, the empress takes Su aside and asks her if she heard them talking about her father. No, she says, and apologizes for trying to listen in. Then the empress asks Su how she feels about getting married. To the emperor!
The dowager empress is informed. She's terribly concerned about her granddaughter having caused all this trouble.
Su is put in a jail cell under heavy guard.
Ministers are meeting, arguing about whether or not the princess was part of some sort of plot against the emperor. A wild discussion; all kinds of viewpoints ranging from It was a child's mistake to It's high treason.
Kim Woonsong, the wealthy, shady merchant is speaking with Foreman Jo, who we can now see is his employee. Kim is concerned about the high security status in the city in the riot's aftermath. Forget about the slave-trading business, he tells Jo, even though it's exceptionally profitable. From now on, he says, "we're going to be the merchants that buy and sell countries." Hmmm....
Evening: Princess Hwangbo Seol, who was resting at Prince Gyeongjuwon's home after her ordeal in the street that day, is awakened by the sound of a flute. She watches him, obviously smitten. He sees her and they talk; he doesn't remember her at first; then he does, and laughs about having seen her once in diapers, which she doesn't care for.
Seo Hui warns the dowager empress that the Shilla-born officials in the government, along with Park Yangyu and Han Ungong and Han Ingyeong, are trying to use the Princess Su situation to "go after" her.
We see several of those officials, and that's just what they're talking about. The empress is an old lady who will die soon anyway, they reason. Anyway, they're not really after her; they want to control the throne, and that means getting rid of the one existing male heir--the young Wang Chi.
Gyeongjuwon escorts Seol back home, where her worried brother Wang Chi is waiting. He scolds her a bit.
Still evening: Outside the palace, the empress dowager is on her knees, begging the emperor's forgiveness for her granddaughter's error.
The next morning: The emperor finally awakens after his hallucination and fainting. He orders Su brought to him.
Escorted by guards to the palace, Su sees her grandmother still outside begging out loud. The Empress frantically shouts to Su to "just beg" for mercy.
An irritated emperor wants an explanation from Su. She carefully but directly tells him that she thought he was wrong last night, and that there are things that even emperors should not do. He isn't sure what to make of this boldness.
Later, the emperor calls his ministers in to ask their opinion of last night's events. Seo Hui and one group argue for mercy and compassion towards the princess and the arrested citizens; Choe Sum and the rest argue against it. Park Yangyu even calls her actions "high treason." The emperor listens patiently and then bites Park's head off for suggesting that he should kill a family member: "You wouldn't be satisfied until I kill off my own family like my predecessor did?" He goes on a tirade, and then orders no more discussion about Su.
Afterwards, the scheming ministers wonder about the emperor's mother-hallucination. "Could he possibly remember what happened when he was only six years old?" "His grandmother could have told him about it for revenge...that the officials of Shilla background are responsible for his mother's death." Hmmm....
Su having been freed, her grandmother is whipping her on the back of the legs with a switch to punish her. Her brother is there and scolds her, saying that rioters must be punished. But she talks right back to him about the innocent citizens, and that they are all our brothers and sisters, and that keeping hungry refugees locked up is wrong. Chi just scolds her more, but the empress' face shows that Su touched something inside her.
Prince Gyeongjuwon gets Gang Gamchan released from jail. We learn that they're friends. A sobered Gang wants the prince to introduce her to the empress, because he wants to do something to help the refugees. They had both vowed to stay away from politics and state affairs, but Gang says he has to make an exception here.
Gang Jo is brought before the empress and questioned; she's interested in him because the emperor had ordered Gang to be taken to Su. Gang tells her the story of the fall of Balhae to the Khitans in 926; his grandfather was a great Balhae general who committed suicide upon Balhae's fall. He and his family worked to help build a new state (Later Balhae, which turned into Jeong-an when the last of the Dae clan died), but that state was overthrown violently, and in the process Gang’s father was killed. He and his family fled, but in fleeing, rebels killed his fiancee. We see much of this in flashback, and we see refugees wandering. It's a terribly tragic story. Flashbacks ending, the empress asks him if he'd be a faithful servant to Goryeo and to her clan. He kneels and says that his gratitude to Su for stepping in and saving him and his people is a debt too great to repay. So apparently that's a yes.
Su and Gang go to visit the refugees, who are thrilled to see him and tell him that food rations have increased. Gang retrieves his baby sister and encourages the refugees, as a touched (and possibly smitten) Su watches.
Seo Hui tells the empress that he thinks the emperor released Su because her spirit reminded him of his mother's. She wonders if he could possibly remembers the circumstances of his mother's death, but says "It will not do either the Shillans or us any good to divulge the details." In any event, the important thing is that the emperor has shown compassion, like he used to show.
Gang Jo and his sister are brought by Su to the empress; she's agreed to take them into her household. Then an attendant tells her that the emperor is leaving the city already, after only two days.
An angry Wang Chi questions his master Choe Ryand for being seen meeting surreptitiously with another prince and discussing the throne. Wang tries to calm him, saying that "We are considering all possibilities in the group that I belong to" (That's going to calm him?) and that Gyeongjuwon has no desire for the throne. His group will be his strongest supporters one day, he tells Wang, and that Wang can trust him in supporting his eventual rise to the throne.
The emperor is leaving Seogyeong. Citizens line the streets to bid him farewell as he sits in his palanquin, bored and indifferent. He sees the empress with her daughters, stops the procession and thanks her for showing up. She thanks him for his mercy towards her granddaughter, but he tells her that she had nothing to do with it (and the sour look on her face is priceless). Then he speaks a bit to the girls, telling them, "It can't be easy living under such an exalted grandmother. Just don't get caught up in wars and futile desire as you go through life." And he glares at the empress as he says it (obviously there's a lot of read-between-the-lines there, which we don’t entirely understand yet).
Prince Gyeongjuwon and Gang Gamchan have come to see the empress. The prince introduces Gang and asks the empress to introduce Gang to men of influence. The empress wants to know about Gang's background before she does. Gang explains that his father was Gang Goongjin, one of Wang Guhn's merit subjects. She realizes that this was Lord Gang of Geumju, who died along with Prince Wonnang--her own son. Gang has drifted without a real home and never married. The empress tells the two men that she'll give them a place under her roof: "We are the last of the royal clan, and we can't drift forever."
Choe Ryand's group is meeting, discussing succession. Choe Ryang (this Ryang/Ryand thing could get confusing) seems to be the leader; the others are Yi Yang, Kim Shimun, Seol Shinyu, and Ryand. They're all former Shilla officials. Ryand tells them that Prince Gyeongjuwon (of the Gyeongju line) is the best candidate for the throne, but he's not interested. Choe Ryang suggests forcing him to the throne, even against his will, if he's the best candidate. But Ryand suggests a different course: supporting his pupil Hwangjuwon (Wang Chi, of the Hwangju line), who would certainly be a benevolent ruler. Clearly this group favors the Gyeongju line. There are clan issues in all this that seem to be very complicated. Ryand asks them to set clan issues aside and look at what's best for the country, but Ryang says that the royal clan is too big of a problem because of what happened to Hwangjuwon's father (apparently killed by Shillans). Ryang thinks this makes Hwangjuwon a "tiger cub" and too dangerous for them to support, and that they'll end up dead if he ascends to the throne. But Ryand says no, he's not a danger to us; he'll be a good emperor and make a strong country. Complete difference of opinion.
In the wilderness, we see a secret private army training under the watchful eye of the merchant Kim Woonsong. Choe Ryang is there and tells him that they may have to "hit the Imperial Palace" because the emperor is favoring Hwangju line. Kim doesn't like the idea; he's counting on one of his daughters (remember he told the emperor that they're of marrying age) winning the emperor's heart. That's a tough task, but Kim says, "I don't engage in a fight I can't win." This isn't even close to the time to resort to arms, he tells Ryang.
Wang Chi tells his grandmother that he opposes the "dangerous characters" Gyeongjuwon and Gang Gamchan coming into their household. Gamchan was a riot instigator and "the son of a traitor" (which the empress takes exception to), and Gyeongjuwon is a Shillan and so is too dangerous. She explains, That's just why I'm keeping him so close--to keep an eye on him. Suddenly Wang jumps up, runs to the door at catches his sisters eavesdropping outside.
Later, the empress takes Su aside and asks her if she heard them talking about her father. No, she says, and apologizes for trying to listen in. Then the empress asks Su how she feels about getting married. To the emperor!