Post by ajk on Sept 27, 2013 21:19:27 GMT -5
"I fulfilled my wishes?" Wow, Pyeonjo touched a nerve with the prince. "The man who abandoned me when I most needed him, now that I'm a few steps away from becoming the king, comes here running, telling me that?" Okay, now we get it--Gangneung was hurt by Pyeonjo's abruptly walking away on him. Pyeonjo gets on his knees and tries to explain himself, sort of. But then asks a troubling question: You've married a Yuan princess and that may well get you the throne..."But will the people accept you?" A long speech about all of the difficulties the Goryean people have gone through over the years, and how loyal they've been to their country. And how he treated Pyeonjo, a commoner, like a brother. Not sure where he's going with all this, and neither is Gangneung: "What are you asking from me?! I swore to become King, to help commoners like you! Isn't that enough for you?!" Pyeonjo nods a little, and with that gets up and walks away, leaving a very angry prince standing there fuming. Botap Shili had come around a corner and heard nearly all of this from a distance; who knows what she must be thinking of it.
Pyeonjo and Won are out of money after their trip, so they're going back to Daguan Temple and will ask to stay there.
"Did you say his name was Pyeonjo?" Botap is interested enough to ask An Dochi about that odd monk. An likes Pyeonjo and talks him up real nice, but mentions his eating meat and drinking, and even having killed somebody in Goryeo. Probably said too much. It puzzles Botap...but she wants to meet the monk and tells An to fetch him. But now look who's come for a visit: Princess Deoknyeong. Botap is very happy to see her.
Outside, the three officials from Goryeo walk by. Kim Yong, Jo Il Shin and Jung Se Woon. They seem to be in a better mood; they're convinced that news of Gangneung's elevation is imminent. Not sure why.
Botap is eager to hear about Deoknyeong's experiences; after all, she may soon follow the path that Deoknyeong followed, headed to the same unfamiliar land. Deoknyeong tells her not to worry, because "to my surprise, I discovered it was no different from where we live." Her words brighten Botap's spirit, we can see.
The three officials are with Gangneung now, wondering why he's not busily preparing for his return home. The prince is painting, unconcerned; he doesn't think anything much needs to be done.
Botap tells her guest that the emperor promised to give her husband Goryeo. Really? Deoknyeong wonders about that...but then starts talking about her own marriage to King Chunghye, and about how "the moment he passed away, Goryeo to me suddenly became an unfamiliar place. You need to live a happy and long life together," she advises. "Until death do you part."
"Isn't Princess Deoknyeong strange?" Yes, Honghwa, there's some odd tinge of regret that seems to burden her. Still, it's a bold question for an attendant to ask Botap.
Jung Se Woon has stayed behind and is talking to the prince alone. Gangneung suddenly looks troubled. It's about what Pyeonjo suggested: that the people might not accept him and "In the end, I'll be just a puppet ruler." Not a pleasant thought for him, after all this time.
What's going on? Emperor Shundi has a room full of officials bowing to him. He has something to tell them: the crown prince, "according to many a subject, hasn't shown a single sign of regret." So he deserves execution..."But, no matter how grave his crime is, no father would ever kill his own son." So he's making his exile permanent. And the boy Ayushiridara, who's there in the room, well guess what, he's the new crown prince. We see Empress Gi off to the side, positively beaming. Then the emperor asks the King of Wei to step forward and pledge his loyalty to the boy. Which he does. Undoubtedly not happy about it, but he's careful not to show that.
Now the empress is back home, and attendant Park congratulates her. "The Yuan Empire is now firmly in your hands." But why doesn't she look happier? "Will this expunge my grief?" Huh?? "I was merely fourteen. I had seen nothing of life when my parents sold me. That sight is still imprinted on my mind. Hundreds of young girls my age, crying and screaming, all brought to Yanjing along with me. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a lady in waiting, and to rise to these heights." But she still bears the pain of that experience, understandably. And she's also worried about the added difficulties that are sure to arise now that her power is growing. Park offers a piece of good news: "I made sure most of the palace's eunuchs would be of Goryeo descent. Nobody will be able to seek audience with His Majesty, without your permission." She does like that news--and says to Park, "Tell the Lama monks to restart their treatment from today." Meaning, the emperor's about to get busy again.
Gaegyeong: A messenger arrives with news that a Yuan envoy is approaching the capital. Bringing a message from the emperor. Oh boy are the ministers buzzing. All kinds of wild speculation about what this might mean for the king. A lot of unhappiness from most of them at the thought that there might be another change of king. To them it's simply further humiliation at Goryeo's inability to control its destiny.
Eunuch Choi Man Saeng is urging the boy-king Chungjeong to prepare to meet the Yuan envoy. But the queen mother practically screeches at Choi that the envoy should be coming to the king and not the other way around. She knows this could be trouble for her son and she is REALLY agitated. Even her brother (Yoon Shi Woo the minister) is looking uncomfortable listening to her. Then she starts screeching at him too. Finally she storms out of the room and says she'll go meet the envoy herself.
State council meeting: The queen mother is presiding on her son's behalf. The envoy has arrived (his name is Oljei Bukha) and he's holding a message from the emperor for the king to receive. He won't give it to the queen mother. Uh-oh, trouble. Yeom Je Shin angrily jumps in, shouting about how no king should have to bow to accept a message. The angry murmuring from the entire room supports him. Then look who steps forward: attendant Park, who's accompanied the envoy. He tells the queen mother he agrees: "No matter how small a country you are, saying a ruler cannot get on his knees in front of his subjects, is something I wholeheartedly agree with." He takes the scroll and offers instead to open and read the message himself. Not exactly the usual protocol, but nobody objects--and besides, everybody just wants to know what the message is. Nice going, Park. He opens the scroll and reads:
Out there in the crowd we saw Jihyo, so he made it back home safely. Good to see. He goes to see Master Bou and tells him what happened. Bou isn't surprised. And he sees a bleak future for the boy: "He won't make it to Yanjing." Yikes!
Considerably less downbeat about all of this is the empress dowager. In fact, she's laughing about it! Not for the fate of the boy--Let's hope not--but for her joy at her son's elevation to the throne. Finally, she thinks, I'll be allowed into the palace as I deserve.
Inside the palace, the queen mother is going bonkers--nearly hyperventilating. She gets her hands on the royal seal, and clings it tightly to her chest, shouting to no one in particular, "You'll have to kill me first if you want this!" Careful, lady, that may not be any problem.
Outside, Gi Cheol is waiting for the seal. Choi Man Saeng has to tell Gi that the (now ex) queen mother won't let go of it. From inside she shouts out, Come and get it! Disgusted grunt. Well they can't exactly go in and maul her to get the thing, can they? Actually, Gi says he has no problem doing just that and starts to head inside. Fortunately Lee Je Hyeon shows up just in time. "As the substitute regent, I'm entitled to the Royal Seal." Don't make trouble about this, he admonishes Gi; this doesn't have to be solved this minute. And orders Gi to leave. Which he does, with another disgusted grunt. Inside, the ex-QM is just reduced to sobbing.
Gaetae Temple: Wolseon is thrilled with the news that Jihyo has brought him--confirmation that Pyeonjo and Won are alive and well. Then as Wolseon and Deokun bicker about some incoherent thing and skitter away arguing, we get a look at a beautiful little girl of maybe four years old. Must be Ban Ya, no longer a baby. Auntie is still taking care of her.
Looks like Pyeonjo and Won are going to head home to Goryeo. Won is worried--remember, they left as fugitives. Pyeonjo thinks they'll have no problems now that they have clout with the king, but Won doubts that Gangneung will care about the two of them at all any more now that he has bigger things to deal with. Pyeonjo's expecting a position in the court, though--Gangneung promised him one, after all--so he figures he'll go pay his respects to the prince before they leave for home.
So he heads to Gangneung's residence, and look at this, it's crawling with people. A big celebration is going on in the main yard; Kim Yong, Jo Il Shin and Jung Se Woon are leading it. Everybody there is beyond happy. Pyeonjo notices that Gangneung's chair is empty.
From a nearby window, Botap Shili can see and hear the celebration; Princess Deoknyeong has come to visit her and Botap tells her how happy and eager she is to head for Goryeo. Deoknyeong seems reticent about that...
...and tells An Dochi later that she's worried Botap "might be disappointed." That this all may be a lot tougher than Botap realizes. But An is confident that she'll adapt easily.
Now Botap walks by the periphery of the celebration. She doesn't seem to have much regard for the celebrants. As she tells An Dochi, "Can you find even a single person willing to risk his life for His Majesty's sake?" Her husband will be facing "countless enemies" at home, she believes, because of the ugly transition. "People will find it hard to accept him." She wants to help him any way she can--but that's difficult because she feels it's not really supposed to be her role.
"It won't be easy." Gangneung is before Empress Gi, who cautions him. They talk about their shared experience of being taken away from Goryeo as young people. "I'm a lucky person," the empress says, and turns to attendant Park. "If this man here hadn't brought me to the palace, I would have become some rich landlord's concubine, or a prostitute selling her body in a brothel." And now because I have a son, she says, I became second empress and am secure here in the palace. Then, stunningly, she starts to open up to him. "I hated Goryeo. Whenever my hometown came to mind, or my family's memories brought me to tears, I hated the Goryeo that abandoned me." But its blood runs through me, she says, so "How could I possibly wish for Goryeo's fall?" You'll have a hard time, she tells him, dealing with all of those entrenched powerful clans. "My brother will be the hardest to handle." She laughs to herself about how giddy he must be right now, thinking about how much power he'll have again. But "I'll take care of him." She adds, "Make Goryeo into a strong and powerful country. So that the fools looking down on my son...for being the son of a wench brought here as tribute from a frontier vassal, who happened to win the emperor's graces...They will disappear from the Yuan's sphere of power." And with that she turns away from him. Conversation over. Wow.
Gangneung walks outside into the evening air, gasping and nearly breathless at the empress's unexpected candor.
Back inside, Park has a lingering question for the empress: why exile the deposed king and not simply bring him to Yanjing? That will be Gangneung's problem, she replies. "For the rest of his life, he will have to live with the guilt of causing his nephew's death. That way I will be able to control him as I wish." (Really? I don't follow that at all. He never wanted his nephew dethroned. Well, whatever...) Always the schemer, isn't she.
Still evening: An Dochi steps outside the front door, wondering why the prince isn't back yet--and finds Pyeonjo sitting there. Pyeonjo says he's heading home, and wants to pay his respects. An invites him in but Pyeonjo would rather wait there on the steps. So An goes back inside. Then Kim Yong and Jo Il Shin happen to walk by and Pyeonjo recognizes them. "Oh! Gentlemen. How have you been?" At that, the pair take thick sticks that they happen to be carrying, and proceed to beat Pyeonjo down to the ground with them! "A scummy monk who knows nothing about values, just because His Highness treated him well, puts on airs? How dare you speak to him like that? 'The people won't accept you...' You fool!" Beating administered, they walk away. From a nearby porch, Botap Shili looks out; she must have heard this and sees Pyeonjo there struggling to shake it off.
Still overwhelmed, Gangneung is aimlessly wondering the palace grounds.
Pyeonjo heads back towards his room; Won finds him outside and can see Pyeonjo's bruises. Don't worry about it, Pyeonjo tells him; "A little fox growing up in a tiger's den, thought of itself as a tiger as well, so it made some noise." He laughs out loud at the image. Then from off to the side, a woman's voice: "To me, you looked just like a tiger." It's Botap Shili; she's followed the monk here. Why?
She and Pyeonjo sit down nearby. "After I went to Daguan Temple to meet you, I saw you get beaten like that. How could someone as skilled as you just stand there and not react?" I may be skilled, he answers, but they're too powerful...as in, it wouldn't have been wise to make them any angrier by retaliating. She doesn't like that answer and turns to him with fire in her eyes. "When you talked of people not accepting the King, did that include people like you?"
Pyeonjo and Won are out of money after their trip, so they're going back to Daguan Temple and will ask to stay there.
"Did you say his name was Pyeonjo?" Botap is interested enough to ask An Dochi about that odd monk. An likes Pyeonjo and talks him up real nice, but mentions his eating meat and drinking, and even having killed somebody in Goryeo. Probably said too much. It puzzles Botap...but she wants to meet the monk and tells An to fetch him. But now look who's come for a visit: Princess Deoknyeong. Botap is very happy to see her.
Outside, the three officials from Goryeo walk by. Kim Yong, Jo Il Shin and Jung Se Woon. They seem to be in a better mood; they're convinced that news of Gangneung's elevation is imminent. Not sure why.
Botap is eager to hear about Deoknyeong's experiences; after all, she may soon follow the path that Deoknyeong followed, headed to the same unfamiliar land. Deoknyeong tells her not to worry, because "to my surprise, I discovered it was no different from where we live." Her words brighten Botap's spirit, we can see.
The three officials are with Gangneung now, wondering why he's not busily preparing for his return home. The prince is painting, unconcerned; he doesn't think anything much needs to be done.
Botap tells her guest that the emperor promised to give her husband Goryeo. Really? Deoknyeong wonders about that...but then starts talking about her own marriage to King Chunghye, and about how "the moment he passed away, Goryeo to me suddenly became an unfamiliar place. You need to live a happy and long life together," she advises. "Until death do you part."
"Isn't Princess Deoknyeong strange?" Yes, Honghwa, there's some odd tinge of regret that seems to burden her. Still, it's a bold question for an attendant to ask Botap.
Jung Se Woon has stayed behind and is talking to the prince alone. Gangneung suddenly looks troubled. It's about what Pyeonjo suggested: that the people might not accept him and "In the end, I'll be just a puppet ruler." Not a pleasant thought for him, after all this time.
What's going on? Emperor Shundi has a room full of officials bowing to him. He has something to tell them: the crown prince, "according to many a subject, hasn't shown a single sign of regret." So he deserves execution..."But, no matter how grave his crime is, no father would ever kill his own son." So he's making his exile permanent. And the boy Ayushiridara, who's there in the room, well guess what, he's the new crown prince. We see Empress Gi off to the side, positively beaming. Then the emperor asks the King of Wei to step forward and pledge his loyalty to the boy. Which he does. Undoubtedly not happy about it, but he's careful not to show that.
Now the empress is back home, and attendant Park congratulates her. "The Yuan Empire is now firmly in your hands." But why doesn't she look happier? "Will this expunge my grief?" Huh?? "I was merely fourteen. I had seen nothing of life when my parents sold me. That sight is still imprinted on my mind. Hundreds of young girls my age, crying and screaming, all brought to Yanjing along with me. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a lady in waiting, and to rise to these heights." But she still bears the pain of that experience, understandably. And she's also worried about the added difficulties that are sure to arise now that her power is growing. Park offers a piece of good news: "I made sure most of the palace's eunuchs would be of Goryeo descent. Nobody will be able to seek audience with His Majesty, without your permission." She does like that news--and says to Park, "Tell the Lama monks to restart their treatment from today." Meaning, the emperor's about to get busy again.
Gaegyeong: A messenger arrives with news that a Yuan envoy is approaching the capital. Bringing a message from the emperor. Oh boy are the ministers buzzing. All kinds of wild speculation about what this might mean for the king. A lot of unhappiness from most of them at the thought that there might be another change of king. To them it's simply further humiliation at Goryeo's inability to control its destiny.
Eunuch Choi Man Saeng is urging the boy-king Chungjeong to prepare to meet the Yuan envoy. But the queen mother practically screeches at Choi that the envoy should be coming to the king and not the other way around. She knows this could be trouble for her son and she is REALLY agitated. Even her brother (Yoon Shi Woo the minister) is looking uncomfortable listening to her. Then she starts screeching at him too. Finally she storms out of the room and says she'll go meet the envoy herself.
State council meeting: The queen mother is presiding on her son's behalf. The envoy has arrived (his name is Oljei Bukha) and he's holding a message from the emperor for the king to receive. He won't give it to the queen mother. Uh-oh, trouble. Yeom Je Shin angrily jumps in, shouting about how no king should have to bow to accept a message. The angry murmuring from the entire room supports him. Then look who steps forward: attendant Park, who's accompanied the envoy. He tells the queen mother he agrees: "No matter how small a country you are, saying a ruler cannot get on his knees in front of his subjects, is something I wholeheartedly agree with." He takes the scroll and offers instead to open and read the message himself. Not exactly the usual protocol, but nobody objects--and besides, everybody just wants to know what the message is. Nice going, Park. He opens the scroll and reads:
I have always treated Goryeo with the utmost regard. I hoped that it could become a strong and peaceful country. But, as I am hearing, on the pretext the king was too young, a palace female dared to act as regent in his place. I am therefore forced to condemn this vile misdeed. First, I hereby dethrone the King of Goryeo. He will be exiled to Ganghwa Island until further notice, when he will be called back to Yanjing and undergo trial for his misdeeds. I invest Wang Gi, Prince Gangneung, as the new King. He is King Chungsuk's oldest son.It seems like a flimsy excuse to be dethroning a king--why punish him for her alleged wrongs--but there's no arguing with it. The queen mother goes bonkers, of course. But suddenly she hears her son calling her from outside. What's going on? She runs outside and finds the boy being physically taken away by Yuan soldiers. Now the entire meeting has spilled out into the courtyard and it's a terrible scene, with mother and son helplessly crying out to each other. The soldiers put the boy into an enclosed box in a horse-drawn wagon and leave the yard. As word gets out, horrified citizens run into the street and block the way of the Yuan soldiers. This could get very ugly very quickly. But the boy bravely steps out of his box and tells his citizens, "Don't block the way. I will never forget what you did for me here today. You can leave now." They comply, but crying and moaning as they do so. Brave boy. A heartbreaking scene.
Out there in the crowd we saw Jihyo, so he made it back home safely. Good to see. He goes to see Master Bou and tells him what happened. Bou isn't surprised. And he sees a bleak future for the boy: "He won't make it to Yanjing." Yikes!
Considerably less downbeat about all of this is the empress dowager. In fact, she's laughing about it! Not for the fate of the boy--Let's hope not--but for her joy at her son's elevation to the throne. Finally, she thinks, I'll be allowed into the palace as I deserve.
Inside the palace, the queen mother is going bonkers--nearly hyperventilating. She gets her hands on the royal seal, and clings it tightly to her chest, shouting to no one in particular, "You'll have to kill me first if you want this!" Careful, lady, that may not be any problem.
Outside, Gi Cheol is waiting for the seal. Choi Man Saeng has to tell Gi that the (now ex) queen mother won't let go of it. From inside she shouts out, Come and get it! Disgusted grunt. Well they can't exactly go in and maul her to get the thing, can they? Actually, Gi says he has no problem doing just that and starts to head inside. Fortunately Lee Je Hyeon shows up just in time. "As the substitute regent, I'm entitled to the Royal Seal." Don't make trouble about this, he admonishes Gi; this doesn't have to be solved this minute. And orders Gi to leave. Which he does, with another disgusted grunt. Inside, the ex-QM is just reduced to sobbing.
Gaetae Temple: Wolseon is thrilled with the news that Jihyo has brought him--confirmation that Pyeonjo and Won are alive and well. Then as Wolseon and Deokun bicker about some incoherent thing and skitter away arguing, we get a look at a beautiful little girl of maybe four years old. Must be Ban Ya, no longer a baby. Auntie is still taking care of her.
Looks like Pyeonjo and Won are going to head home to Goryeo. Won is worried--remember, they left as fugitives. Pyeonjo thinks they'll have no problems now that they have clout with the king, but Won doubts that Gangneung will care about the two of them at all any more now that he has bigger things to deal with. Pyeonjo's expecting a position in the court, though--Gangneung promised him one, after all--so he figures he'll go pay his respects to the prince before they leave for home.
So he heads to Gangneung's residence, and look at this, it's crawling with people. A big celebration is going on in the main yard; Kim Yong, Jo Il Shin and Jung Se Woon are leading it. Everybody there is beyond happy. Pyeonjo notices that Gangneung's chair is empty.
From a nearby window, Botap Shili can see and hear the celebration; Princess Deoknyeong has come to visit her and Botap tells her how happy and eager she is to head for Goryeo. Deoknyeong seems reticent about that...
...and tells An Dochi later that she's worried Botap "might be disappointed." That this all may be a lot tougher than Botap realizes. But An is confident that she'll adapt easily.
Now Botap walks by the periphery of the celebration. She doesn't seem to have much regard for the celebrants. As she tells An Dochi, "Can you find even a single person willing to risk his life for His Majesty's sake?" Her husband will be facing "countless enemies" at home, she believes, because of the ugly transition. "People will find it hard to accept him." She wants to help him any way she can--but that's difficult because she feels it's not really supposed to be her role.
"It won't be easy." Gangneung is before Empress Gi, who cautions him. They talk about their shared experience of being taken away from Goryeo as young people. "I'm a lucky person," the empress says, and turns to attendant Park. "If this man here hadn't brought me to the palace, I would have become some rich landlord's concubine, or a prostitute selling her body in a brothel." And now because I have a son, she says, I became second empress and am secure here in the palace. Then, stunningly, she starts to open up to him. "I hated Goryeo. Whenever my hometown came to mind, or my family's memories brought me to tears, I hated the Goryeo that abandoned me." But its blood runs through me, she says, so "How could I possibly wish for Goryeo's fall?" You'll have a hard time, she tells him, dealing with all of those entrenched powerful clans. "My brother will be the hardest to handle." She laughs to herself about how giddy he must be right now, thinking about how much power he'll have again. But "I'll take care of him." She adds, "Make Goryeo into a strong and powerful country. So that the fools looking down on my son...for being the son of a wench brought here as tribute from a frontier vassal, who happened to win the emperor's graces...They will disappear from the Yuan's sphere of power." And with that she turns away from him. Conversation over. Wow.
Gangneung walks outside into the evening air, gasping and nearly breathless at the empress's unexpected candor.
Back inside, Park has a lingering question for the empress: why exile the deposed king and not simply bring him to Yanjing? That will be Gangneung's problem, she replies. "For the rest of his life, he will have to live with the guilt of causing his nephew's death. That way I will be able to control him as I wish." (Really? I don't follow that at all. He never wanted his nephew dethroned. Well, whatever...) Always the schemer, isn't she.
Still evening: An Dochi steps outside the front door, wondering why the prince isn't back yet--and finds Pyeonjo sitting there. Pyeonjo says he's heading home, and wants to pay his respects. An invites him in but Pyeonjo would rather wait there on the steps. So An goes back inside. Then Kim Yong and Jo Il Shin happen to walk by and Pyeonjo recognizes them. "Oh! Gentlemen. How have you been?" At that, the pair take thick sticks that they happen to be carrying, and proceed to beat Pyeonjo down to the ground with them! "A scummy monk who knows nothing about values, just because His Highness treated him well, puts on airs? How dare you speak to him like that? 'The people won't accept you...' You fool!" Beating administered, they walk away. From a nearby porch, Botap Shili looks out; she must have heard this and sees Pyeonjo there struggling to shake it off.
Still overwhelmed, Gangneung is aimlessly wondering the palace grounds.
Pyeonjo heads back towards his room; Won finds him outside and can see Pyeonjo's bruises. Don't worry about it, Pyeonjo tells him; "A little fox growing up in a tiger's den, thought of itself as a tiger as well, so it made some noise." He laughs out loud at the image. Then from off to the side, a woman's voice: "To me, you looked just like a tiger." It's Botap Shili; she's followed the monk here. Why?
She and Pyeonjo sit down nearby. "After I went to Daguan Temple to meet you, I saw you get beaten like that. How could someone as skilled as you just stand there and not react?" I may be skilled, he answers, but they're too powerful...as in, it wouldn't have been wise to make them any angrier by retaliating. She doesn't like that answer and turns to him with fire in her eyes. "When you talked of people not accepting the King, did that include people like you?"
