Post by ajk on Dec 8, 2012 0:53:49 GMT -5
Mishil is visibly surprised, and of course delighted, at Yushin's quick agreement to marry into her family.
Later, Deokman and Mishil are sitting together. Deokman offers congratulations on the upcoming wedding. Not happily offered, but properly offered. "Thank you," Mishil says, and then to rub it in adds, "It was Yushin's choice." Deokman fires back, "To survive." Mishil says she'll nurture him and he'll make a fine grand marshal...but she doesn't believe he'll really be her ally any time soon. And Deokman adds, "I'll just have to fight harder to keep him." Which Mishil encourages! "Fight harder," she says with a smile; "you know what you're up against." She adds that "I've learned a lot about men over the years. It's always been easy for me to win over good men. A princess may find my methods unsavory, so you WILL really have to fight harder." Deokman thanks her for the advice and they smile at each other. A weird scene; they're so adversarial and yet so frank and open.
Deokman leaves, and as she heads into the night air to go home, notices Yushin standing alone, staring off to the side at nothing in particular (maybe half-worried about what kind of woman Mishil might set him up with!). He starts to talk her through it all, but she cuts him off, abruptly saying "you opened my eyes" and understands that he had to do this to protect the Gayans. She's not happy with him at all, though; her voice is dripping with disgust. Then he starts talking about that "impossible dream" of uniting the three kingdoms and says, "The dream of Shilla's rulers is now MY dream as well." Assumedly because it will mean a better fate for the Gayans (although I don't see the logic there at all). "I will become an expert in the art of war," he tells her, to help her become a great leader. "It's the only way I can see that we can lead this country together." She listens with interest, but inside she wonders, "And my heart? My feelings?" That again. "We've chosen a hard road," he adds. "It will test our faith in each other."
Bidam is still where we left him, listening to the conversation between Munno and that guy in the casino. Eventually it's implied that his name is Yeom Jong (not yet, but I'll bring it in here for convenience). "Find me a place to finish working," Munno tells him--as in, working on the geographical survey book--and Yeom Jong says he will.
Misaeng has brought Chunchu home from the casino. Wonder how much money he brought out with him from that rigged craps game! No, wait, this is Seolwon's home. Chunchu is here to meet this Boryang person we heard referred to in the previous episode.
There she is--we see her being prettied up. A caption tells us she's Bojong's daughter, so that answers that. She's maybe fourteen or fifteen. (Does Bojong seem old enough to have a daughter this age? Didn't sit right with me.) Seolwon is there and wonders if the girl is too young for Chunchu to be attracted to, but Misaeng isn't worried at all. But uh-oh, now Misaeng is criticizing the make-up job that was done on her, and in the next moment he's grabbed the make-up brush and is touching her up...and then coaching her on how to smile. (Hard to believe a guy like that can't ride or fight, huh?) They're telling Boryang how important this is, what an influential man she's about to meet, but frankly she looks like she looks like she'd rather be somewhere else.
Now they're serving dinner to Chunchu. Seolwon and Misaeng and Bojong are there, and Boryang is entertaining them by playing a song on a gayageum, a stringed instrument of the period (see link in info thread). She finishes, and Misaeng force s a compliment out of Chunchu about her musical ability. Misaeng and Seolwon are sucking up to him big time, hoping he'll come back as often as he pleases. And he seems attracted enough to the girl that he will.
Wherever Munno has gone off to finish his work, Bidam has found him. Munno is being guarded but Bidam pushes his way through the guards. And then kneels in front of Munno. "I know I have my share of faults," Bidam says. "I know I've disappointed you. But sir, I'll do whatever it takes..." Munno cuts him off. "See that you do. No--let's both do all that we can." And the book? "Please let me have it." Munno says only, "I already told you we should leave here. Forget politics and people and come with me." Bidam is visibly hurt by this. He stands. "Why Yushin? The man who holds that book holds the future."...Flashback to the child Bidam eagerly asking Munno, "This great work that I'm supposed to do--is it to be king?" No, Munno answers; the work is "greater than any king's" and "holds the future of the three kingdoms"..."Can you imagine the fire you lit inside me that day?" Bidam is frustrated and bitter. "When a child hears that, he'll do anything, even kill all those people, to guard that book." Which gives us insight on why he did what he did...He angrily demands to know why Yushin gets the book rather than "someone who's served you his whole life." "Because of who you are." Munno's loud, immediate reply is startling. You killed those people because you wanted to, Munno says, not because it was necessary. "Just like Mishil." Now THAT is a total non-sequitur; a huge reach on Munno's part to assume that Bidam carries some sort of hereditary ruthlessness like his mother. "You will never have that book," he says flatly. And walks inside to begin his work.
Bidam has left, and is walking alone through the countryside. A pheasant flies by and lands; he kicks a stone at it....
"We're both sick over it, sire." Seohyeon and Manmyeong have delivered the nauseating news about their son's marriage to the king. They assure him that it won't affect their loyalty to him.
The DFers are training and talking, wondering why Yushin would seemingly turn away from Deokman. A lot of grumbling, but Jukbang defends him for "giving up love to serve a noble cause." And then we see Wolya and Seolji. Seolji is grumbling too. Wolya defends it as "a good political move" but it visibly disgusts Seolji. "Either way," Wolya reminds him, "you've committed to serve Yushin."
Maya has gone to visit her daughter, obviously concerned about her state of mind. But Deokman doesn't want to discuss it; instead she asks about Chunchu, who hasn't been cooperating. Apparently he's supposed to be doing some sort of studying but has shown no commitment to it. Deokman says she'll talk to him.
Chunchu is in a royal archives office, lazily paging through old books. An irritated Alcheon is watching over him. The kid even tore a couple of pages out of one of the books to make paper dice (and they're quite good). Now Deokman enters, and sees the kid playing with his paper dice. She tries to deliver a lecture about his behavior, especially in light of how dismissively he treated her when they first met, but he tells her she's not his mother, and says he has other things to do, so he gets up and leaves.
Jukbang has spotted Sohwa outside of the palace. Sends Godo over to ask her if she'd talk with him. A task that Godo clumsily botches, so Jukbang runs over himself and awkwardly strikes up a conversation about Deokman. He has a little statue of a man wearing a turban--actually it's Godo's; Jukbang helped himself to it, which ticks Godo off--and he hands it to Sohwa to give to the princess, because she wore a turban when he first met her and it's sort of nostalgic. Kind of a reach...but Sohwa smiles broadly at the gift and says she'll pass it along. And then adds, "When we were being held prisoner, you were so kind. I couldn't even say anything." She looks at him and smiles. "You're a very warm person, I think." Now he's practically blushing.
Sohwa goes inside and hands Deokman the statue. Now that we get a better look at it, the thing looks like Cartan! The two smile at the memory of their trader friend from back in the desert. But it's not enough to make Deokman forget the pain she's feeling now...and in the next moment she's crying again over Yushin. "It's tomorrow," she tells Sohwa. Tomorrow, meaning...what?
Oh--the wedding. And here it is...out in a courtyard in someone's home--presumably Seolwon's? And we get a look at the bride--heyyy, she's a looker. A little young for him, but real pretty. But Yushin doesn't care; he doesn't want to be there and couldn't look less happy if he tried.
Simultaneously, Deokman is out in the farmland with Wolya and Seolji. This must be Kim Seohyeon's land in Amnyang Province that he and Yushin opened up to the Gayans. She reminds them of everything Yushin has done for them at his own expense, but they don't need to be reminded of it. And neither do any of the other refugees, who were without hope but now "they'll do anything Yushin asks." We see refugees working the farmland--and it's looks like great farmland, very lush and fertile.
Now Yushin's bride is dressing him, putting a robe and a belt on him. (I get the impression there's some significance to this that I don't know. Anyone?)
That pheasant Bidam kicked the stone at, well, now he's roasting it over a fire. Probably wishing it was a chicken, but it's close enough. He's sitting there thinking; he can't get past Munno's comment that "I very much doubt you'd have beaten Yushin" if he hadn't thrown their final match.
Munno is hard at work on the final volume of the geographical survey...but he too is thinking...about their last conversation. Now he stops working. Is the book finished?
Bidam is so lost in thought that it looks like he overcooked the pheasant. And now does he ever look pissed. Uh-oh!
And now they've encountered each other in the middle of the woods. Munno is carrying the small wooden chest with the book in it. "Did you finish the book?", Bidam asks snarkily. Not your concern, Munno replies. But Bidam is making it his concern, and tells Munno that if he plans to give the book to Yushin, well, "you'll have to kill me first." Doink! "That book is mine. MINE! If I can't have it, no one will." Which, Munno answers, only shows that you're not worthy of having the book at all. "Shouldn't you have MADE me worthy? Weren't you my teacher?" Good point. I shouldn't have had to teach you not to kill, Munno says, and then tells Bidam to step aside. Bidam won't. And now a tense, ugly standoff. More words from Munno, about Bidam being a sword without a haft, and then something about having to "break" him. Bidam is shaking mad: "break me." And pulls out his sword. "Isn't that what you want? I'll never forget what you taught me," he adds, as though Munno is about to die! Munno puts down the chest...and Bidam charges him! Munno draws his sword, and it's on. And it goes on for quite a while...a couple of fades in and out so we're not entirely sure how long. But now Munno breaks into some sort of slow-motion martial arts routine, just like what we saw from Bidam in the competition. It confuses Bidam momentarily, and gives Munno the advantage. But now what's this...from behind a nearby tree, something is sticking out. It looks like a blowgun! They're not alone. As they fight, a dart flies through the air and hits Munno in the neck. Munno drops to the ground, and a black-clad man runs away into the woods. Bidam runs to his master's side, but whatever was in that dart, it was strong stuff because Munno is unconscious in moments.
"It's done." Whoever the blowgun guy is, he's reported back to someone else.
Bidam has put Munno on his back and is frantically carrying him to get help...
...but he's left the chest there in the woods. Now look who we see coming to get it: Yeom Jong! Obviously he arranged the hit! Why?
Now it's evening; Bidam has been carrying Munno for a long time, apparently. Bidam stumbles and they both go down. Bidam tries to hoist Munno up again, but Munno tells him "It's over." And is more concerned that Bidam didn't pick up the wooden chest instead. "I wasn't much of a master, was I?", he says, only barely conscious, looking and sounding like he needs to bare his soul. "I don't know, maybe you scared me a little. I didn't try to help shape your thinking. I just held you down." He's fading out now, but he touches Bidam's face. "I'm sorry," he says. "At the end I finally understand you. But too late." He looks into his eyes. "But thank you." Then he weakly reaches into his shirt and hands Bidam a piece of paper. "Go to the capital. Become a Hwarang for me. Follow Yushin. Help princess Deokman." Again touches his face. "Whatever anyone says, you will always be...my disciple." He has no more energy for any more words, and with that he leans into Bidam and dies.
Yushin is training Chunchu in using a blade. Just a wooden stick for starters. Obviously this is another part of the education he's been told to get. But eight blows and the kid is pooped. Yushin asks, "How can you protect yourself if you can't ride or hold a sword?" Chunchu laughs, and dismisses the idea that he should learn to protect himself. Then he starts into Yushin. "You were there when my mother died, right? Rumor has it you were going to marry her." And then it was Deokman, and now it's Mishil's family? "That's your idea of a man, is it? I suppose marriage is the only way a man like you can gain power. A smarmy showboat like you is WAY over your head." Challenges him about the candor that he's renowned for...Yushin thinks back to the young Cheonmyeong confronting him way back in Episode 7, and his snottiness now sounds very much like hers did then. He actually smiles at the memory, which confuses the kid.
It's Yushin's first elite Hwarang meeting as grand marshal. Its purpose? To choose a new class of Hwarang for service, at the various harvest festivals in the provinces. Yushin makes a surprise announcement: he's doubling the number of available slots. An uncomfortable murmur from the other Hwarang, because doing so would mean that the provincial Hwarang would outnumber the capital Hwarang. Yushin also says he'll double the number of Hwarang trainees in the capital. And where will the money come from for all this? The royal house. Deokman is there and says so. Wow, doubling the whole organization. Chilsuk is also there...but Munno isn't, and Chilsuk asks where he is. In the next moment, somebody walks in. It's Bidam. Wearing a Hwarang uniform! Not neatly, but he's wearing it. Awfully pretentious of him to come barging into the elites' meeting like this, but he's in no mood to argue about anything with anybody. "Bidam the unknown reporting for duty," he tells Deokman. Adds that Munno returned to Mt. Taebaek. And hands Deokman the paper that Munno handed him. "My master has named me his disciple and heir. I have returned to the capital to fulfill his obligations." The paper must be almost like Munno's will. VERY interesting that he wrote it and carried it with him.
Chilsuk has gone back to Mishil and Seolwon to tell them about all this. Mishil believes the part about Mt. Taebaek--even wonders why he sent Bidam here alone--so she obviously had no part in the killing.
Nighttime in some office somewhere. There's Yeom Jong. He puts a wet cloth over his face and goes to sleep in his chair, satisfied at a day's work well done. Someone enters, stealthily. Yeom Jong hears him and assumes it's someone he knows: "Well? What now?" But it's Bidam! Yeom Jong takes the cloth off his face and is stunned to see Bidam standing there. And so are we--how did he know where to find the guy? Bidam's sword has blood on it, and so do his face and hands. He obviously had to fight his way in here. Bidam glares and mutters a few veiled threats, and Yeom Jong stands up and runs out of the room. Bidam lets him go...and then takes off after him, stalking-like. Corners him in another room. "No one knew the location of the temple, and the book, but you and me. I didn't kill Munno, so that leaves you. Doesn't it." Now Yeom Jong laughs at him--what do you want, revenge? You want the book?--Bidam anticipates his threat of You'll-never- find-the-book-if-you-kill-me, saying, "I can live without the book. But I can't live without killing you." Puts his sword to the guy's throat. Again Yeom Jong laughs at him--he's a cool customer, give him that much--and says, "But wait...you tried to kill him too. How are we different? Forget the book. How about we have a little chat?"
Well, if nothing else it bought him a little time. Now they're outside walking somewhere, headed somewhere. Bidam has a dagger at Yeom Jong's throat. Now they're inside a nearby building. In a quiet, dark hallway. Suddenly two paper cubes are tossed into the hallway. Paper cubes? That's odd...Bidam unfolds one--it's a page from the geographical survey! He goes into the doorway where the cubes came from. What a sight--lots more paper cubes all over the place...Flashback to Yeom Jong being handed an earring--yes, an earring--and being told by his assistant that someone wants to see him...The same earring we see on a person sitting in the room now. Chunchu! In the next moment Bidam's sword is at Chunchu's throat. Chunchu looks up at him nervously, and smiles, holding a page from the book that he's systematically wrecking. "So..um...Is this yours?"
Later, Deokman and Mishil are sitting together. Deokman offers congratulations on the upcoming wedding. Not happily offered, but properly offered. "Thank you," Mishil says, and then to rub it in adds, "It was Yushin's choice." Deokman fires back, "To survive." Mishil says she'll nurture him and he'll make a fine grand marshal...but she doesn't believe he'll really be her ally any time soon. And Deokman adds, "I'll just have to fight harder to keep him." Which Mishil encourages! "Fight harder," she says with a smile; "you know what you're up against." She adds that "I've learned a lot about men over the years. It's always been easy for me to win over good men. A princess may find my methods unsavory, so you WILL really have to fight harder." Deokman thanks her for the advice and they smile at each other. A weird scene; they're so adversarial and yet so frank and open.
Deokman leaves, and as she heads into the night air to go home, notices Yushin standing alone, staring off to the side at nothing in particular (maybe half-worried about what kind of woman Mishil might set him up with!). He starts to talk her through it all, but she cuts him off, abruptly saying "you opened my eyes" and understands that he had to do this to protect the Gayans. She's not happy with him at all, though; her voice is dripping with disgust. Then he starts talking about that "impossible dream" of uniting the three kingdoms and says, "The dream of Shilla's rulers is now MY dream as well." Assumedly because it will mean a better fate for the Gayans (although I don't see the logic there at all). "I will become an expert in the art of war," he tells her, to help her become a great leader. "It's the only way I can see that we can lead this country together." She listens with interest, but inside she wonders, "And my heart? My feelings?" That again. "We've chosen a hard road," he adds. "It will test our faith in each other."
Bidam is still where we left him, listening to the conversation between Munno and that guy in the casino. Eventually it's implied that his name is Yeom Jong (not yet, but I'll bring it in here for convenience). "Find me a place to finish working," Munno tells him--as in, working on the geographical survey book--and Yeom Jong says he will.
Misaeng has brought Chunchu home from the casino. Wonder how much money he brought out with him from that rigged craps game! No, wait, this is Seolwon's home. Chunchu is here to meet this Boryang person we heard referred to in the previous episode.
There she is--we see her being prettied up. A caption tells us she's Bojong's daughter, so that answers that. She's maybe fourteen or fifteen. (Does Bojong seem old enough to have a daughter this age? Didn't sit right with me.) Seolwon is there and wonders if the girl is too young for Chunchu to be attracted to, but Misaeng isn't worried at all. But uh-oh, now Misaeng is criticizing the make-up job that was done on her, and in the next moment he's grabbed the make-up brush and is touching her up...and then coaching her on how to smile. (Hard to believe a guy like that can't ride or fight, huh?) They're telling Boryang how important this is, what an influential man she's about to meet, but frankly she looks like she looks like she'd rather be somewhere else.
Now they're serving dinner to Chunchu. Seolwon and Misaeng and Bojong are there, and Boryang is entertaining them by playing a song on a gayageum, a stringed instrument of the period (see link in info thread). She finishes, and Misaeng force s a compliment out of Chunchu about her musical ability. Misaeng and Seolwon are sucking up to him big time, hoping he'll come back as often as he pleases. And he seems attracted enough to the girl that he will.
Wherever Munno has gone off to finish his work, Bidam has found him. Munno is being guarded but Bidam pushes his way through the guards. And then kneels in front of Munno. "I know I have my share of faults," Bidam says. "I know I've disappointed you. But sir, I'll do whatever it takes..." Munno cuts him off. "See that you do. No--let's both do all that we can." And the book? "Please let me have it." Munno says only, "I already told you we should leave here. Forget politics and people and come with me." Bidam is visibly hurt by this. He stands. "Why Yushin? The man who holds that book holds the future."...Flashback to the child Bidam eagerly asking Munno, "This great work that I'm supposed to do--is it to be king?" No, Munno answers; the work is "greater than any king's" and "holds the future of the three kingdoms"..."Can you imagine the fire you lit inside me that day?" Bidam is frustrated and bitter. "When a child hears that, he'll do anything, even kill all those people, to guard that book." Which gives us insight on why he did what he did...He angrily demands to know why Yushin gets the book rather than "someone who's served you his whole life." "Because of who you are." Munno's loud, immediate reply is startling. You killed those people because you wanted to, Munno says, not because it was necessary. "Just like Mishil." Now THAT is a total non-sequitur; a huge reach on Munno's part to assume that Bidam carries some sort of hereditary ruthlessness like his mother. "You will never have that book," he says flatly. And walks inside to begin his work.
Bidam has left, and is walking alone through the countryside. A pheasant flies by and lands; he kicks a stone at it....
"We're both sick over it, sire." Seohyeon and Manmyeong have delivered the nauseating news about their son's marriage to the king. They assure him that it won't affect their loyalty to him.
The DFers are training and talking, wondering why Yushin would seemingly turn away from Deokman. A lot of grumbling, but Jukbang defends him for "giving up love to serve a noble cause." And then we see Wolya and Seolji. Seolji is grumbling too. Wolya defends it as "a good political move" but it visibly disgusts Seolji. "Either way," Wolya reminds him, "you've committed to serve Yushin."
Maya has gone to visit her daughter, obviously concerned about her state of mind. But Deokman doesn't want to discuss it; instead she asks about Chunchu, who hasn't been cooperating. Apparently he's supposed to be doing some sort of studying but has shown no commitment to it. Deokman says she'll talk to him.
Chunchu is in a royal archives office, lazily paging through old books. An irritated Alcheon is watching over him. The kid even tore a couple of pages out of one of the books to make paper dice (and they're quite good). Now Deokman enters, and sees the kid playing with his paper dice. She tries to deliver a lecture about his behavior, especially in light of how dismissively he treated her when they first met, but he tells her she's not his mother, and says he has other things to do, so he gets up and leaves.
Jukbang has spotted Sohwa outside of the palace. Sends Godo over to ask her if she'd talk with him. A task that Godo clumsily botches, so Jukbang runs over himself and awkwardly strikes up a conversation about Deokman. He has a little statue of a man wearing a turban--actually it's Godo's; Jukbang helped himself to it, which ticks Godo off--and he hands it to Sohwa to give to the princess, because she wore a turban when he first met her and it's sort of nostalgic. Kind of a reach...but Sohwa smiles broadly at the gift and says she'll pass it along. And then adds, "When we were being held prisoner, you were so kind. I couldn't even say anything." She looks at him and smiles. "You're a very warm person, I think." Now he's practically blushing.
Sohwa goes inside and hands Deokman the statue. Now that we get a better look at it, the thing looks like Cartan! The two smile at the memory of their trader friend from back in the desert. But it's not enough to make Deokman forget the pain she's feeling now...and in the next moment she's crying again over Yushin. "It's tomorrow," she tells Sohwa. Tomorrow, meaning...what?
Oh--the wedding. And here it is...out in a courtyard in someone's home--presumably Seolwon's? And we get a look at the bride--heyyy, she's a looker. A little young for him, but real pretty. But Yushin doesn't care; he doesn't want to be there and couldn't look less happy if he tried.
Simultaneously, Deokman is out in the farmland with Wolya and Seolji. This must be Kim Seohyeon's land in Amnyang Province that he and Yushin opened up to the Gayans. She reminds them of everything Yushin has done for them at his own expense, but they don't need to be reminded of it. And neither do any of the other refugees, who were without hope but now "they'll do anything Yushin asks." We see refugees working the farmland--and it's looks like great farmland, very lush and fertile.
Now Yushin's bride is dressing him, putting a robe and a belt on him. (I get the impression there's some significance to this that I don't know. Anyone?)
That pheasant Bidam kicked the stone at, well, now he's roasting it over a fire. Probably wishing it was a chicken, but it's close enough. He's sitting there thinking; he can't get past Munno's comment that "I very much doubt you'd have beaten Yushin" if he hadn't thrown their final match.
Munno is hard at work on the final volume of the geographical survey...but he too is thinking...about their last conversation. Now he stops working. Is the book finished?
Bidam is so lost in thought that it looks like he overcooked the pheasant. And now does he ever look pissed. Uh-oh!
And now they've encountered each other in the middle of the woods. Munno is carrying the small wooden chest with the book in it. "Did you finish the book?", Bidam asks snarkily. Not your concern, Munno replies. But Bidam is making it his concern, and tells Munno that if he plans to give the book to Yushin, well, "you'll have to kill me first." Doink! "That book is mine. MINE! If I can't have it, no one will." Which, Munno answers, only shows that you're not worthy of having the book at all. "Shouldn't you have MADE me worthy? Weren't you my teacher?" Good point. I shouldn't have had to teach you not to kill, Munno says, and then tells Bidam to step aside. Bidam won't. And now a tense, ugly standoff. More words from Munno, about Bidam being a sword without a haft, and then something about having to "break" him. Bidam is shaking mad: "break me." And pulls out his sword. "Isn't that what you want? I'll never forget what you taught me," he adds, as though Munno is about to die! Munno puts down the chest...and Bidam charges him! Munno draws his sword, and it's on. And it goes on for quite a while...a couple of fades in and out so we're not entirely sure how long. But now Munno breaks into some sort of slow-motion martial arts routine, just like what we saw from Bidam in the competition. It confuses Bidam momentarily, and gives Munno the advantage. But now what's this...from behind a nearby tree, something is sticking out. It looks like a blowgun! They're not alone. As they fight, a dart flies through the air and hits Munno in the neck. Munno drops to the ground, and a black-clad man runs away into the woods. Bidam runs to his master's side, but whatever was in that dart, it was strong stuff because Munno is unconscious in moments.
"It's done." Whoever the blowgun guy is, he's reported back to someone else.
Bidam has put Munno on his back and is frantically carrying him to get help...
...but he's left the chest there in the woods. Now look who we see coming to get it: Yeom Jong! Obviously he arranged the hit! Why?
Now it's evening; Bidam has been carrying Munno for a long time, apparently. Bidam stumbles and they both go down. Bidam tries to hoist Munno up again, but Munno tells him "It's over." And is more concerned that Bidam didn't pick up the wooden chest instead. "I wasn't much of a master, was I?", he says, only barely conscious, looking and sounding like he needs to bare his soul. "I don't know, maybe you scared me a little. I didn't try to help shape your thinking. I just held you down." He's fading out now, but he touches Bidam's face. "I'm sorry," he says. "At the end I finally understand you. But too late." He looks into his eyes. "But thank you." Then he weakly reaches into his shirt and hands Bidam a piece of paper. "Go to the capital. Become a Hwarang for me. Follow Yushin. Help princess Deokman." Again touches his face. "Whatever anyone says, you will always be...my disciple." He has no more energy for any more words, and with that he leans into Bidam and dies.
Yushin is training Chunchu in using a blade. Just a wooden stick for starters. Obviously this is another part of the education he's been told to get. But eight blows and the kid is pooped. Yushin asks, "How can you protect yourself if you can't ride or hold a sword?" Chunchu laughs, and dismisses the idea that he should learn to protect himself. Then he starts into Yushin. "You were there when my mother died, right? Rumor has it you were going to marry her." And then it was Deokman, and now it's Mishil's family? "That's your idea of a man, is it? I suppose marriage is the only way a man like you can gain power. A smarmy showboat like you is WAY over your head." Challenges him about the candor that he's renowned for...Yushin thinks back to the young Cheonmyeong confronting him way back in Episode 7, and his snottiness now sounds very much like hers did then. He actually smiles at the memory, which confuses the kid.
It's Yushin's first elite Hwarang meeting as grand marshal. Its purpose? To choose a new class of Hwarang for service, at the various harvest festivals in the provinces. Yushin makes a surprise announcement: he's doubling the number of available slots. An uncomfortable murmur from the other Hwarang, because doing so would mean that the provincial Hwarang would outnumber the capital Hwarang. Yushin also says he'll double the number of Hwarang trainees in the capital. And where will the money come from for all this? The royal house. Deokman is there and says so. Wow, doubling the whole organization. Chilsuk is also there...but Munno isn't, and Chilsuk asks where he is. In the next moment, somebody walks in. It's Bidam. Wearing a Hwarang uniform! Not neatly, but he's wearing it. Awfully pretentious of him to come barging into the elites' meeting like this, but he's in no mood to argue about anything with anybody. "Bidam the unknown reporting for duty," he tells Deokman. Adds that Munno returned to Mt. Taebaek. And hands Deokman the paper that Munno handed him. "My master has named me his disciple and heir. I have returned to the capital to fulfill his obligations." The paper must be almost like Munno's will. VERY interesting that he wrote it and carried it with him.
Chilsuk has gone back to Mishil and Seolwon to tell them about all this. Mishil believes the part about Mt. Taebaek--even wonders why he sent Bidam here alone--so she obviously had no part in the killing.
Nighttime in some office somewhere. There's Yeom Jong. He puts a wet cloth over his face and goes to sleep in his chair, satisfied at a day's work well done. Someone enters, stealthily. Yeom Jong hears him and assumes it's someone he knows: "Well? What now?" But it's Bidam! Yeom Jong takes the cloth off his face and is stunned to see Bidam standing there. And so are we--how did he know where to find the guy? Bidam's sword has blood on it, and so do his face and hands. He obviously had to fight his way in here. Bidam glares and mutters a few veiled threats, and Yeom Jong stands up and runs out of the room. Bidam lets him go...and then takes off after him, stalking-like. Corners him in another room. "No one knew the location of the temple, and the book, but you and me. I didn't kill Munno, so that leaves you. Doesn't it." Now Yeom Jong laughs at him--what do you want, revenge? You want the book?--Bidam anticipates his threat of You'll-never- find-the-book-if-you-kill-me, saying, "I can live without the book. But I can't live without killing you." Puts his sword to the guy's throat. Again Yeom Jong laughs at him--he's a cool customer, give him that much--and says, "But wait...you tried to kill him too. How are we different? Forget the book. How about we have a little chat?"
Well, if nothing else it bought him a little time. Now they're outside walking somewhere, headed somewhere. Bidam has a dagger at Yeom Jong's throat. Now they're inside a nearby building. In a quiet, dark hallway. Suddenly two paper cubes are tossed into the hallway. Paper cubes? That's odd...Bidam unfolds one--it's a page from the geographical survey! He goes into the doorway where the cubes came from. What a sight--lots more paper cubes all over the place...Flashback to Yeom Jong being handed an earring--yes, an earring--and being told by his assistant that someone wants to see him...The same earring we see on a person sitting in the room now. Chunchu! In the next moment Bidam's sword is at Chunchu's throat. Chunchu looks up at him nervously, and smiles, holding a page from the book that he's systematically wrecking. "So..um...Is this yours?"
I thought Park Eun Bin (Boryang) looked familiar. She's the girl from Taeyang's "I'll Be There" music video.
