Post by ajk on Oct 18, 2013 21:06:18 GMT -5
Noguk and her party manage to get out of the palace without incident.
An angry King Gongmin wants to hear what his three allies think he needs to do to get control over his government. Immediately Jung Se Woon proposes something dramatic: abolishing the state council. Because it's loaded with Gi Cheol's cronies. Jo Il Shin argues against that, saying it's too drastic and they simply need to purge Gi and his cronies. Kim Yong offers something even more uncomfortable: "We first need to kill the former king who's exiled on Ganghwa Island." Thinks too many people won't be loyal to Gongmin if the former king is still out there. "You think there aren't people looking for the former king's restoration?" Well, Gongmin won't accept that, we already know it, and now he's gotten so tired of the three of them arguing that he sends them away. And shouts angrily at them as they leave.
Now the queen's party is going through one of the main market streets. The guards aren't being very nice about it; they're pushing people out of the way and knocking merchandise aside. Eventually they approach an outdoor cafe where Pyeonjo and Won are sharing a bowl of noodles. The two monks hear someone shout "Her Majesty the Queen is passing by!" Pyeonjo suddenly realizes that this may be his chance. He sprints for the street and gets to the front of the crowd just in time to get a glimpse of An Dochi walking in front of Noguk's gama. He calls out to An...but no luck, and a guard quickly pushes him backwards. He gets a glimpse of Noguk, but she's pretty much sequestered in her gama and never sees him. He's devastated at losing this golden opportunity. Won catches up to him and tells him he shouldn't have expected differently. "Even Prince Gangneung's confidants don't treat you like a person."
The royal party reaches the empress dowager's home...and Noguk is startled to find a beaming, excited empress dowager already standing outside the house, eager to greet her. Couldn't be nicer; tells her how grateful she is for helping her son. Oh dear, there's Lee Hyebi over to the side, understandably not smiling. (Remember she was supposed to marry Prince Gangneung.) They go inside, and Noguk even gives her mother-in-law a deep bow of respect--I guess as is proper for a daughter-in-law. The empress dowager is glad to hear news of Princess Deoknyeong, and laughs about Noguk whacking Gi Cheol's hat with the sword.
Gongmin gets the news that his wife went to see his mother. Doesn't seem too happy about it...but he's not about to try again himself, not after what happened the first time. He'll wait and see what happens.
The visit is over. "I noticed on our way here," Noguk tells An Dochi as she steps back into her gama, "the guards treated people with disrespect. Tell them to be more considerate from now on." Well good for her. You just knew she wouldn't let that go. And not only that, "I don't want to see people bow their heads to the ground just because I'm passing by."
"How could someone like her become my daughter-in-law?" Oh, it was all a facade. The empress dowager doesn't like her. Thinks she's tarnishing Gongmin's prestige by her orders to the guards.
Hey, Pyeonjo's going to get a second chance, because here comes the royal party back on the same street. But uh-oh, things suddenly start to take an ugly turn, because the citizens have had time to remember that their new queen is a Mongol, and now some of them are shouting angrily at her and even throwing stones at her gama. The guards were trying to be more restrained but now they have to charge into the crowd and get things under control. The gama is hustled away before Pyeonjo can do anything at all.
Safely inside the palace gates, Noguk tells the angry soldiers to "Just forget what happened." They don't like that, but she insists. "I have no interest in becoming a queen that the people fear. I want to become someone they learn to love." That may not be easy.
Hey, there's Ban Ya's new mom--the tea lady. They give us her name: Choseon. She's talking to a subordinate about rumors of new taxes. It's that Gi Cheol, he's the culprit.
As Pyeonjo and Won go through the marketplace, uh-oh, somebody wielding a sword recognizes them. Who was that? You don't think...not after all this time? Fortunately nothing comes of it, at least not for the moment. Then they see that monk who roughed up Won for begging for alms in "his territory." We learn his name: Gong Cheol. They see him stealing a vase from the market! Reaches out and puts it right under his robe. Now he's stealing some wicker sandals! A petty thief disguised as a monk. Pyeonjo and Won follow him to a worn-out-looking building. Pyeonjo grabs a stick and walks right in, intending to teach the thief a lesson. But what's this--the place is full of people. At least a dozen of them. Older men, older women, young children, all looking terrified and pitiful. What's going on here? Gong Cheol doesn't like the intrusion and charges Pyeonjo, and of course Pyeonjo just tosses him aside. But not before realizing he's misjudged the man.
Now the three of them are by a brook; Gong is washing clothes and explaining the situation. He's not really a monk; he's just begging in order to support those people he's trying to help.
Evening: King Gongmin is still at work--sort of. He's just sitting there in his darkened office. Weird.
Simultaneously, Queen Noguk is sitting expectantly in front of a lavish spread; I guess it's her dinner. Looks like she's waiting for her husband, and has been waiting for a long time.
Still evening: Yoon Shi Woo sneaks up to a building window and calls out. His sister is in there; she must be under some sort of confinement order. They talk; she assures him that she's okay. And she's absolutely determined to survive and stay strong for the sake of her son.
Her son, who we now see sitting alone in a building somewhere, presumably Ganghwa Island. He's scared, lonely and crying. The poor kid.
Back in Gaegyeong: Still evening but now it's pouring. Our two monks are under an awning again. Pyeonjo must have amazing hearing, because he can hear a conversation taking place inside what look to be very thick walls. A young couple, sharing their home with an old man (maybe one of their fathers or grandfathers) who face losing everything because the old man's medical care came with such high interest rates and they couldn't keep up. A lot of ugly things the two monks have seen today. Pyeonjo doesn't like it at all. "The rich spend their time thinking of new ways to steal more money from other people. This entire world is anguishing in jealousy, enmity and conspiracy." Hard not to be cynical, from what he's seen today.
Gongmin's still sitting there in his unlit office (while his wife still waits). He's troubled by Lady Yoon pleading for her son's life; by Kim Yong warning him about Gi Cheol's possible treachery and suggestion that the former king be executed; and, of all things, by his memory of Pyeonjo's question: "Will the people accept you?" Outside the rainstorm is producing thunder now and it only agitates Gongmin all the more. Finally his brain overloads and he screams out to no one in particular, "I will make them accept me! I will see people lie face down in respectful awe, and wish me prosperity in every place I go!!" Easy there, king--nobody said this job would be a cakewalk. Oh wait, maybe somebody heard him, because now here's Noguk at the office door.
She has some candles lit, and sits down to talk to him. Can sense his fear and anxiety--so she reminds him that he was prepared to take his own life for her, back when they had that poison-goblet showdown in Yanjing. "What are you afraid of? You're the man who gave his life to me, and the ruler of this land." Turns out, he's upset about that rock-throwing earlier today. Thinks it's a message to him, not her. "That's why," she tells him without hesitation, "you need to prove to them your authority." He fires back that he doesn't even have the authority to save his nephew's life. Let it go, she tells him; you can't save him. There's nothing you can do about it. And adds that this kind of thing has always been happening. "Fathers killing their sons, and sons killing their fathers. That's what the throne you're sitting on means...Kings killing their fathers, and still winning the people's praise, have always existed." Concentrate on being a strong leader, she urges him. That's what the people want and need, family bloodshed or not. Getting more and more emotional, she adds, "I thought that when Gi Cheol stopped you from exiting the palace in the middle of the night, Your Majesty would behead him." Now because you didn't, he'll continue to obstruct you. "If Gi Cheol stops you again, don't hesitate, and quell his insolence." Not for your own sake, but "For the sake of our people, I'm asking you to slay Gi Cheol." By now she's in tears, and can only look down at the floor. Her wisdom and the intensity in her plea leave him silent and almost dumbfounded. Eventually he finds his voice again, and promises her: "From now on, Gi Cheol or whoever crosses paths with me shall meet the resolute hand that holds my sword." Eventually she bows to him and leaves, undoubtedly encouraged by his taking her counsel. One heck of a wife you've got there, king. (A great scene.)
Noguk goes outside; the rain has stopped now. "Comfort His Majesty," she asks of An Dochi. "He's a lonely and pitiful man." Back inside, we see him crying like a baby. I guess he is.
Pyeonjo and Won are spending the night sleeping under a building's awning. Pyeonjo is restless; teachings of Wolseon are ringing in his ears. About the importance of knowing the challenges and suffering faced by real people in the secular world. Obviously those teachings have had a major impact on his life.
Yanjing: A sunny morning. Princess Deoknyeong is visiting Empress Gi, to tell her she'll go back to Yanjing. "I promised Botap Shili," she explains, "that whenever I was done here in Yanjing, I'd go back." She tells Commissioner Park to escort the princess to Gaegyeong personally, and make sure she's well taken care of. And she adds to the princess, "Don't forget about what I asked." As in, keep tabs on Botap.
Deoknyeong and Park leave the empress. Park explains, "Don't misinterpret what Her Majesty told you. Didn't that just mean she wants to hear news of Gaegyeong more frequently?" Looking skeptical, the princess asks him if she really understands how much the Goryeans dislike her and the Yuan. She gives Park her first message for the empress: "What she needs to worry about is not Botap Shili; it's Goryeo's public sentiment." And of course she's right.
So he goes back to the empress, who wonders out loud, "Did I send another sly fox all the way to Goryeo?" Better send a second spy there just in case, she says. "If anything happens there, it will mean trouble for us."
The empress dowager enters an eight-man gama. Master Bou is watching her leave.
State council meeting: Everybody has gathered in the throne room...but no king. We learn he went to welcome his mother to Yeongsu Palace! How is that possible after what we saw earlier? Yeom Je Shin is tickled pink at the news and says "Lord Ikjae really made us proud this time." Is that what happened--Lee Je Hyeon arranged it somehow? Lee simply says, "There weren't any objections, so things just ended in our favor." But you have to think there was more to it than that. Then Gi Cheol enters, fashionably late. Yeom cracks, "You've finally accomplished something good, it seems." As in? "His Majesty was finally allowed to atone for his impietous past." I guess that means he could pay his respects to his mother. "That's so good to hear," Gi says, obviously blowing smoke. "Very good news, indeed."
King and queen impatiently wait, and finally his mother's gama arrives inside the palace grounds. Needless to say, it's extremely emotional for him and brings him to tears. "Do you recognize me?", he asks her. He kneels and asks forgiveness--"May you pardon my undutiful conduct." It's emotional for her too.
Now the three of them go inside, and the mood is much happier. She thanks Noguk profusely for making this possible (but when Noguk bows and looks down, she scowls at her. Still a big problem there). Then asks her son if his wife is pregnant yet! "I should already be seeing my nephew." Then, maybe thinking the better of it, tells Noguk she didn't mean to upset her. "If the Queen isn't able to bear children, the palace will be ripe with women fighting for the King's graces." That hardly will make Noguk feel better. And just to emphasize the point, she asks Lee Hyebi to come to her and massage her neck. Message sent?
Outside, An Dochi is horrified to be hearing the empress dowager intruding into Noguk's pregnancy status. "She's hard to handle," her attendant tells him with an amused smile.
Gongmin's made it to the state council meeting, and has his mother sitting with him on the wide throne. He announces he's bringing her into the palace permanently. "Does anyone have anything else to say?" Without missing a beat Gi Cheol steps forward and calls out to Gongmin. Uh-oh, stand back--here it comes. Remember, Gi doesn't approve of the woman because she's a commoner. "Your Majesty...My deepest congratulations!" Huh?! Gongmin looks at him like he has three heads. Then Gi gets on his knees and bows respectfully to the two of them. Then everybody else present does the same. Well what else can they do? Gongmin smiles, maybe partly from being so surprised. And so does his very happy mother.
After the meeting Lee In Bok meats with an important-looking soldier. Okay, that's Choi Young, who we saw with Lee in Episode 9 but out of uniform. Choi tells Lee that Gi Cheol's family is training twice as many private guards as usual. Wonder why? Lee doesn't know, but see's no good in it. "We should cut Gi Cheol's income to start with."
Wow, look at Ban Ya in her beautiful new robe! Cute as can be...but she clings closely to the servant who's taking care of her, and seems reluctant to go to her new mother Choseon. But Choseon understands; it's been a difficult few days for the girl. Choseon gets on a horse...
...and heads to Gi Cheol's home, accompanied by the subordinate we've seen her with before. They're expecting her. Well here's an interesting connection we didn't know about. She goes inside and meets with Lady Lee, Gi's mother, who we met in Episode 7. She's brought a fancy chest with her, filled with "enough to last for quite a while." Presumably it's tea. Then Lady Lee complains about how "these days, all my three sons do when they see me is beg for money." Doesn't know what they're spending it on.
On their way home, Choseon's subordinate wants to know something from her. "So," he says, "have you asked her?" Too soon, she answers; we just met. "We need to get acquainted a little better. We'll just have to get back whatever we gave them." A very odd exchange; presumably we'll understand it eventually.
Uh-oh--those guys who recognized Won have spotted him again. Three of them.
Hey, look, Pyeonjo's cashed in that meal invitation. He's kneeling before Kim Yong inside Kim's house. Kim doesn't look too happy to see him. But Pyeonjo's flattery--"You're His Majesty's right-hand man, after all!"--quickly wins him over. Turns out, Pyeonjo isn't here for a meal; he came to ask Kim to help the sad-looking group of people he encountered with Gong Cheol. Unfortunately Pyeonjo must need a bath pretty badly because by now Kim is hopelessly distracted by how Pyeonjo smells. Not in a good way.
But Pyeonjo obviously got the job done, because he leaves Kim's house--Won is waiting for him outside--and shows Won a piece of silver that Kim obviously gave him. The two argue a bit about whether or not this is really the thing to be doing, going begging from nobles. But the argument ends in a big hurry. "It's those fools! Catch them! Don't lose them this time!" At least a dozen of Gi Cheol's goons are standing there, and in an instant the chase is on. The monks scramble away. Turning a corner, Pyeonjo pushes Won into a doorway and tells him to hide there, and runs on. The goons chase Pyeonjo, eventually corner and surround him, and start attacking him with swords drawn. Fortunately they attack one by one (gotta love TV) and he quickly knocks them all out and gets a sword at the head goon's throat. But now he's hearing Wolseon's voice again. "Didn't I tell you not to kill anymore?! You fool. Aren't you listening to me, Pyeonjo?!" Ashamed of himself, Pyeonjo lowers the sword and throws it to the ground. He's quickly tied up and taken prisoner...just in time to see Won running towards him and calling his name. Real smooth, Einstein. Now it's two prisoners.
They're taken to a jail, with Pyeonjo chewing out Won something fierce, and thrown into a cell.
An angry King Gongmin wants to hear what his three allies think he needs to do to get control over his government. Immediately Jung Se Woon proposes something dramatic: abolishing the state council. Because it's loaded with Gi Cheol's cronies. Jo Il Shin argues against that, saying it's too drastic and they simply need to purge Gi and his cronies. Kim Yong offers something even more uncomfortable: "We first need to kill the former king who's exiled on Ganghwa Island." Thinks too many people won't be loyal to Gongmin if the former king is still out there. "You think there aren't people looking for the former king's restoration?" Well, Gongmin won't accept that, we already know it, and now he's gotten so tired of the three of them arguing that he sends them away. And shouts angrily at them as they leave.
Now the queen's party is going through one of the main market streets. The guards aren't being very nice about it; they're pushing people out of the way and knocking merchandise aside. Eventually they approach an outdoor cafe where Pyeonjo and Won are sharing a bowl of noodles. The two monks hear someone shout "Her Majesty the Queen is passing by!" Pyeonjo suddenly realizes that this may be his chance. He sprints for the street and gets to the front of the crowd just in time to get a glimpse of An Dochi walking in front of Noguk's gama. He calls out to An...but no luck, and a guard quickly pushes him backwards. He gets a glimpse of Noguk, but she's pretty much sequestered in her gama and never sees him. He's devastated at losing this golden opportunity. Won catches up to him and tells him he shouldn't have expected differently. "Even Prince Gangneung's confidants don't treat you like a person."
The royal party reaches the empress dowager's home...and Noguk is startled to find a beaming, excited empress dowager already standing outside the house, eager to greet her. Couldn't be nicer; tells her how grateful she is for helping her son. Oh dear, there's Lee Hyebi over to the side, understandably not smiling. (Remember she was supposed to marry Prince Gangneung.) They go inside, and Noguk even gives her mother-in-law a deep bow of respect--I guess as is proper for a daughter-in-law. The empress dowager is glad to hear news of Princess Deoknyeong, and laughs about Noguk whacking Gi Cheol's hat with the sword.
Gongmin gets the news that his wife went to see his mother. Doesn't seem too happy about it...but he's not about to try again himself, not after what happened the first time. He'll wait and see what happens.
The visit is over. "I noticed on our way here," Noguk tells An Dochi as she steps back into her gama, "the guards treated people with disrespect. Tell them to be more considerate from now on." Well good for her. You just knew she wouldn't let that go. And not only that, "I don't want to see people bow their heads to the ground just because I'm passing by."
"How could someone like her become my daughter-in-law?" Oh, it was all a facade. The empress dowager doesn't like her. Thinks she's tarnishing Gongmin's prestige by her orders to the guards.
Hey, Pyeonjo's going to get a second chance, because here comes the royal party back on the same street. But uh-oh, things suddenly start to take an ugly turn, because the citizens have had time to remember that their new queen is a Mongol, and now some of them are shouting angrily at her and even throwing stones at her gama. The guards were trying to be more restrained but now they have to charge into the crowd and get things under control. The gama is hustled away before Pyeonjo can do anything at all.
Safely inside the palace gates, Noguk tells the angry soldiers to "Just forget what happened." They don't like that, but she insists. "I have no interest in becoming a queen that the people fear. I want to become someone they learn to love." That may not be easy.
Hey, there's Ban Ya's new mom--the tea lady. They give us her name: Choseon. She's talking to a subordinate about rumors of new taxes. It's that Gi Cheol, he's the culprit.
As Pyeonjo and Won go through the marketplace, uh-oh, somebody wielding a sword recognizes them. Who was that? You don't think...not after all this time? Fortunately nothing comes of it, at least not for the moment. Then they see that monk who roughed up Won for begging for alms in "his territory." We learn his name: Gong Cheol. They see him stealing a vase from the market! Reaches out and puts it right under his robe. Now he's stealing some wicker sandals! A petty thief disguised as a monk. Pyeonjo and Won follow him to a worn-out-looking building. Pyeonjo grabs a stick and walks right in, intending to teach the thief a lesson. But what's this--the place is full of people. At least a dozen of them. Older men, older women, young children, all looking terrified and pitiful. What's going on here? Gong Cheol doesn't like the intrusion and charges Pyeonjo, and of course Pyeonjo just tosses him aside. But not before realizing he's misjudged the man.
Now the three of them are by a brook; Gong is washing clothes and explaining the situation. He's not really a monk; he's just begging in order to support those people he's trying to help.
Evening: King Gongmin is still at work--sort of. He's just sitting there in his darkened office. Weird.
Simultaneously, Queen Noguk is sitting expectantly in front of a lavish spread; I guess it's her dinner. Looks like she's waiting for her husband, and has been waiting for a long time.
Still evening: Yoon Shi Woo sneaks up to a building window and calls out. His sister is in there; she must be under some sort of confinement order. They talk; she assures him that she's okay. And she's absolutely determined to survive and stay strong for the sake of her son.
Her son, who we now see sitting alone in a building somewhere, presumably Ganghwa Island. He's scared, lonely and crying. The poor kid.
Back in Gaegyeong: Still evening but now it's pouring. Our two monks are under an awning again. Pyeonjo must have amazing hearing, because he can hear a conversation taking place inside what look to be very thick walls. A young couple, sharing their home with an old man (maybe one of their fathers or grandfathers) who face losing everything because the old man's medical care came with such high interest rates and they couldn't keep up. A lot of ugly things the two monks have seen today. Pyeonjo doesn't like it at all. "The rich spend their time thinking of new ways to steal more money from other people. This entire world is anguishing in jealousy, enmity and conspiracy." Hard not to be cynical, from what he's seen today.
Gongmin's still sitting there in his unlit office (while his wife still waits). He's troubled by Lady Yoon pleading for her son's life; by Kim Yong warning him about Gi Cheol's possible treachery and suggestion that the former king be executed; and, of all things, by his memory of Pyeonjo's question: "Will the people accept you?" Outside the rainstorm is producing thunder now and it only agitates Gongmin all the more. Finally his brain overloads and he screams out to no one in particular, "I will make them accept me! I will see people lie face down in respectful awe, and wish me prosperity in every place I go!!" Easy there, king--nobody said this job would be a cakewalk. Oh wait, maybe somebody heard him, because now here's Noguk at the office door.
She has some candles lit, and sits down to talk to him. Can sense his fear and anxiety--so she reminds him that he was prepared to take his own life for her, back when they had that poison-goblet showdown in Yanjing. "What are you afraid of? You're the man who gave his life to me, and the ruler of this land." Turns out, he's upset about that rock-throwing earlier today. Thinks it's a message to him, not her. "That's why," she tells him without hesitation, "you need to prove to them your authority." He fires back that he doesn't even have the authority to save his nephew's life. Let it go, she tells him; you can't save him. There's nothing you can do about it. And adds that this kind of thing has always been happening. "Fathers killing their sons, and sons killing their fathers. That's what the throne you're sitting on means...Kings killing their fathers, and still winning the people's praise, have always existed." Concentrate on being a strong leader, she urges him. That's what the people want and need, family bloodshed or not. Getting more and more emotional, she adds, "I thought that when Gi Cheol stopped you from exiting the palace in the middle of the night, Your Majesty would behead him." Now because you didn't, he'll continue to obstruct you. "If Gi Cheol stops you again, don't hesitate, and quell his insolence." Not for your own sake, but "For the sake of our people, I'm asking you to slay Gi Cheol." By now she's in tears, and can only look down at the floor. Her wisdom and the intensity in her plea leave him silent and almost dumbfounded. Eventually he finds his voice again, and promises her: "From now on, Gi Cheol or whoever crosses paths with me shall meet the resolute hand that holds my sword." Eventually she bows to him and leaves, undoubtedly encouraged by his taking her counsel. One heck of a wife you've got there, king. (A great scene.)
Noguk goes outside; the rain has stopped now. "Comfort His Majesty," she asks of An Dochi. "He's a lonely and pitiful man." Back inside, we see him crying like a baby. I guess he is.
Pyeonjo and Won are spending the night sleeping under a building's awning. Pyeonjo is restless; teachings of Wolseon are ringing in his ears. About the importance of knowing the challenges and suffering faced by real people in the secular world. Obviously those teachings have had a major impact on his life.
Yanjing: A sunny morning. Princess Deoknyeong is visiting Empress Gi, to tell her she'll go back to Yanjing. "I promised Botap Shili," she explains, "that whenever I was done here in Yanjing, I'd go back." She tells Commissioner Park to escort the princess to Gaegyeong personally, and make sure she's well taken care of. And she adds to the princess, "Don't forget about what I asked." As in, keep tabs on Botap.
Deoknyeong and Park leave the empress. Park explains, "Don't misinterpret what Her Majesty told you. Didn't that just mean she wants to hear news of Gaegyeong more frequently?" Looking skeptical, the princess asks him if she really understands how much the Goryeans dislike her and the Yuan. She gives Park her first message for the empress: "What she needs to worry about is not Botap Shili; it's Goryeo's public sentiment." And of course she's right.
So he goes back to the empress, who wonders out loud, "Did I send another sly fox all the way to Goryeo?" Better send a second spy there just in case, she says. "If anything happens there, it will mean trouble for us."
The empress dowager enters an eight-man gama. Master Bou is watching her leave.
State council meeting: Everybody has gathered in the throne room...but no king. We learn he went to welcome his mother to Yeongsu Palace! How is that possible after what we saw earlier? Yeom Je Shin is tickled pink at the news and says "Lord Ikjae really made us proud this time." Is that what happened--Lee Je Hyeon arranged it somehow? Lee simply says, "There weren't any objections, so things just ended in our favor." But you have to think there was more to it than that. Then Gi Cheol enters, fashionably late. Yeom cracks, "You've finally accomplished something good, it seems." As in? "His Majesty was finally allowed to atone for his impietous past." I guess that means he could pay his respects to his mother. "That's so good to hear," Gi says, obviously blowing smoke. "Very good news, indeed."
King and queen impatiently wait, and finally his mother's gama arrives inside the palace grounds. Needless to say, it's extremely emotional for him and brings him to tears. "Do you recognize me?", he asks her. He kneels and asks forgiveness--"May you pardon my undutiful conduct." It's emotional for her too.
Now the three of them go inside, and the mood is much happier. She thanks Noguk profusely for making this possible (but when Noguk bows and looks down, she scowls at her. Still a big problem there). Then asks her son if his wife is pregnant yet! "I should already be seeing my nephew." Then, maybe thinking the better of it, tells Noguk she didn't mean to upset her. "If the Queen isn't able to bear children, the palace will be ripe with women fighting for the King's graces." That hardly will make Noguk feel better. And just to emphasize the point, she asks Lee Hyebi to come to her and massage her neck. Message sent?
Outside, An Dochi is horrified to be hearing the empress dowager intruding into Noguk's pregnancy status. "She's hard to handle," her attendant tells him with an amused smile.
Gongmin's made it to the state council meeting, and has his mother sitting with him on the wide throne. He announces he's bringing her into the palace permanently. "Does anyone have anything else to say?" Without missing a beat Gi Cheol steps forward and calls out to Gongmin. Uh-oh, stand back--here it comes. Remember, Gi doesn't approve of the woman because she's a commoner. "Your Majesty...My deepest congratulations!" Huh?! Gongmin looks at him like he has three heads. Then Gi gets on his knees and bows respectfully to the two of them. Then everybody else present does the same. Well what else can they do? Gongmin smiles, maybe partly from being so surprised. And so does his very happy mother.
After the meeting Lee In Bok meats with an important-looking soldier. Okay, that's Choi Young, who we saw with Lee in Episode 9 but out of uniform. Choi tells Lee that Gi Cheol's family is training twice as many private guards as usual. Wonder why? Lee doesn't know, but see's no good in it. "We should cut Gi Cheol's income to start with."
Wow, look at Ban Ya in her beautiful new robe! Cute as can be...but she clings closely to the servant who's taking care of her, and seems reluctant to go to her new mother Choseon. But Choseon understands; it's been a difficult few days for the girl. Choseon gets on a horse...
...and heads to Gi Cheol's home, accompanied by the subordinate we've seen her with before. They're expecting her. Well here's an interesting connection we didn't know about. She goes inside and meets with Lady Lee, Gi's mother, who we met in Episode 7. She's brought a fancy chest with her, filled with "enough to last for quite a while." Presumably it's tea. Then Lady Lee complains about how "these days, all my three sons do when they see me is beg for money." Doesn't know what they're spending it on.
On their way home, Choseon's subordinate wants to know something from her. "So," he says, "have you asked her?" Too soon, she answers; we just met. "We need to get acquainted a little better. We'll just have to get back whatever we gave them." A very odd exchange; presumably we'll understand it eventually.
Uh-oh--those guys who recognized Won have spotted him again. Three of them.
Hey, look, Pyeonjo's cashed in that meal invitation. He's kneeling before Kim Yong inside Kim's house. Kim doesn't look too happy to see him. But Pyeonjo's flattery--"You're His Majesty's right-hand man, after all!"--quickly wins him over. Turns out, Pyeonjo isn't here for a meal; he came to ask Kim to help the sad-looking group of people he encountered with Gong Cheol. Unfortunately Pyeonjo must need a bath pretty badly because by now Kim is hopelessly distracted by how Pyeonjo smells. Not in a good way.
But Pyeonjo obviously got the job done, because he leaves Kim's house--Won is waiting for him outside--and shows Won a piece of silver that Kim obviously gave him. The two argue a bit about whether or not this is really the thing to be doing, going begging from nobles. But the argument ends in a big hurry. "It's those fools! Catch them! Don't lose them this time!" At least a dozen of Gi Cheol's goons are standing there, and in an instant the chase is on. The monks scramble away. Turning a corner, Pyeonjo pushes Won into a doorway and tells him to hide there, and runs on. The goons chase Pyeonjo, eventually corner and surround him, and start attacking him with swords drawn. Fortunately they attack one by one (gotta love TV) and he quickly knocks them all out and gets a sword at the head goon's throat. But now he's hearing Wolseon's voice again. "Didn't I tell you not to kill anymore?! You fool. Aren't you listening to me, Pyeonjo?!" Ashamed of himself, Pyeonjo lowers the sword and throws it to the ground. He's quickly tied up and taken prisoner...just in time to see Won running towards him and calling his name. Real smooth, Einstein. Now it's two prisoners.
They're taken to a jail, with Pyeonjo chewing out Won something fierce, and thrown into a cell.