Post by ajk on Jan 11, 2014 0:59:43 GMT -5
Gongmin executes the ceremonial bow with restraint and even a friendly smile, keeping cool despite the humiliation we know he feels doing it (and despite the snickers and chuckles from the Gi crowd). Then the crown prince pours a drink for Gongmin, offered in respect for "Goryeo as our brother nation." But Gongmin has to accept it while still kneeling--hardly brotherly. Enough of this; the Gis want to start the big party...but wait, Commissioner Park says there's more protocol to be followed. Specifically, since Mother Gi is the crown prince's grandmother, now she has to be served a ceremonial drink by the emperor (who's her son-in-law, remember). And Queen Noguk is sitting there as his representative...so she's supposed to pour it, and then Gongmin is supposed to offer it to Mother Gi. "Enough of this impudence," Noguk mutters, but Park assures her that it's imperial protocol and nothing more. So it's done, even as the wisecracks and laughter from the Gis grow in number and volume, and unfortunately Mother Gi joins in and eggs it on even more as she takes the drink. They're really not behaving well at all.
Outside the palace, Pyeonjo is kneeling and praying for his friend Gongmin and what he's having to deal with in there. He's out there in the main street, all by himself. But wait, now here's Jihyo...and to our surprise, Jihyo kneels and joins Pyeonjo. "His Majesty is going through ghastly humiliation," Jihyo explains; how could I sit comfortably at home ignoring his grief?" And now there's Gong Cheol kneeling next to them. Gradually lots of people walking by see the praying monks and, reminded by the Yuan flags flying atop the palace gates of what must be happening inside, gather around the kneeling men and join them in kneeling and offering prayers of support. A moving scene.
The Gis and their Yuan guests are getting worse. They're reveling in the generous servings of horse meat they've been served--apparently the emperor sent it for the feast (Goryeans don't eat the stuff). And then Gi Ryun starts eating some dog meat (same deal) and gushing about how good it is, and good heavens enough already...But then Gi Cheol crosses the aisle with a big hunk of horse meat and starts waving it in the Goryeans' faces, mockingly asking them to try it. Particularly with Yeom Je Shin and Jung Se Woon there, you half expect one of them to grab him and snap his neck. But to their credit, they all keep calm.
Now look who shows up next to Pyeonjo: Won Hyeon, fresh out of Gaetae Temple and wearing a blue garment decidedly different from his monk robe. Go back home, Pyeonjo calmly tells him, but Won's not going anywhere. "We shall beat those collaborators to death!" Easy, dude....
By now the Gis are pretty liquored up and that's not going to help matters any. A half-hammered Gi Cheol gets up and happily announces he's going to offer the king a conciliatory drink. "Here! As a symbol of our newfound amity! I shall serve you..." He's not insincere about it--it's purely a happy-drunk offer--so Gongmin doesn't really mind it. And even when Cheol spills a little on Gongmin's sleeve, a major faux-pas that draws some gasps from the crowd, Gongmin ignores it and accepts the drink with a polite smile. But now the other rowdy Gis shout to Cheol that he should serve one to Queen Noguk too! Uh-oh, now we're in for it. Noguk stands and glares the whole lot of them into silence...but then smiles and says, His majesty accepted your drink so shouldn't I accept also? Well that does make sense...but the next words out of her mouth do NOT make sense: "Bring me my sword!" What?!? Remember that Noguk had threatened to kill Cheol..."I am the Queen of Goryeo after all," she says; "I can't return the favor with a drink, so I shall make amends by dancing for you." Ummm....I guess a queen doesn't pour, at least not in an event like this one...but still, dancing with a sword? Cheol is visibly rattled by the idea, and Commissioner Park has a puzzled, sour look on his face. But Mother Gi, of all people, starts cackling like crazy about "How marvelous a sight" this will be which sells the rest of them on it and now they're all for it.
"We are all behind you, your majesty! Don't lose your vigor!" Won Hyeon is leading the shouting, but Pyeonjo looks okay with it and they're all still on their knees, behaving with civility. Then suddenly the gates open and some Yuan soldiers emerge, along with what appears to be a head steward of some sort. They've brought some carts filled with fresh fruit and meat to give to the kneeling crowd. The stewards says it's a gift from the Yuan emperor himself. "Eat and drink to your satisfaction!" Won Hyeon shouts that nobody should touch the stuff...but within moments the only ones left kneeling are the monks, as all of the civilians run forward to help themselves. Won goes ballistic.
Noguk draws her sword--yeah, it's a real one and that elicits some serious concern from the Gi side. But Cheol laughs it off. Now she starts dancing...and it really isn't much of a dance, just some twirls back and forth, waving the sword dangerously close to the front table of Gis. And in the next moment she's hovering over a now-terrified Gi Cheol, glaring at him like she means business and with her sword frozen perilously over his head. No one in the place dares breathe...."That shall be enough. Your grace is supernal indeed." It's Gongmin, with a laughing tone and kind words trying to defuse the situation and call off his wife. Yeom Je Shin backs him up, gushing over her "performance." So she does step back and lower the sword. "I couldn't fully prepare for today," she tells Cheol, still glaring, "so you'll pardon me if I leave the dance incomplete. But I shall one day show you all the moves I have learned here in Goryeo." Clang! She drops the sword and walks out, the door banging shut behind her.
"The Queen danced with a sword?!" Of course it got back to the Queen Dowager. "The Yuan envoys were too impudent," Lady Kim explains to her, a huge understatement. Still, the QD doesn't seem to care for it, surprise surprise.
"Were you trying to kill Lord Deokseong?" Princess Deoknyeong is visiting her friend and looks like she's ready to bust out laughing. "I heard everyone was astounded." Noguk denies having any intent to kill him; says the king was putting up with it all so "Why would I drown the Royal Palace in dirty blood?"
"Your Majesty! It is still not too late!" Oh geez, here we go again. Gongmin's back in his office, and Jung Se Woon is kneeling outside the closed door, bellowing and whining, just like we was doing before. Gongmin's had a tough day and he certainly doesn't need to hear this.
Battleaxe alert: Mother Gi is visiting the QD again. And picking up right where she left off, making catty remarks at every opportunity. Now it's about Noguk's "untamed" behavior and how the QD must be afraid of her for this reason and that reason...and then issues a clear warning: "Ruffle Her Majesty's feathers once more," she says, referring to Empress Gi, and this place shall be filled with new rulers!" With that she stands up and walks out, stopping only to enjoy the sound of the QD's huffing and moaning and generally horrified reaction.
Then she heads home, where Gi Cheol is eagerly awaiting her return. He greets her happily, and is met with a scolding! "You useless scoundrel--what were you so scared about, to run away like that?! It's because you're such a weakling that you cause Her Majesty sleepless nights!"
Evening, at Choseon's estate: Choseon and Pyeonjo are patiently listening to Won Hyeon angrily denouncing the citizens who took the Yuan's food this afternoon. Then Pyeonjo leaves, and Won starts telling Choseon about how Pyeonjo has "all sorts of black magic" at his disposal and even "has the power to bring the dead back to life." Which, he says, can mobilize all of the people behind him if he'll just show his stuff. Pyeonjo is still just outside the room and can hear this; from his head-shaking he doesn't seem to happy with Won telling her this stuff. Won leaves her and finds Pyeonjo waiting for him and irritated with him. But Won is angry too, that Pyeonjo hasn't taken advantage of his abilities and talents to gain power for himself. There's a wide-eyed intensity in Won lately that feels a little disturbing....
Commissioner Park has come to pay Noguk a visit before heading home. "I appreciate your efforts to endure today's ceremonial feast," he tells her, and also says he's glad she didn't decapitate Gi Cheol. She tells him to "think of it as the reward for letting my father go." (We saw him before Empress Gi in the previous episode, but we didn't know he had been freed from imprisonment. Now we know.) But if you imprison him again, she says, and I'll behead Gi "with no hesitation." Park says she'll let Empress Gi know that. I'm not going to kill him, she says as he gets up to leave, "so stop interfering with Goryeo's internal affairs." "Her Majesty is a Goryeo woman," Park replies; "she wishes for this country's prosperity more than anyone." Yeah right....Park leaves her, rolling his eyes a little...And back inside, now Noguk confesses to Eunuch An that she feels she's misleading her husband. "I'm telling him to kill Lord Deokseong and regain his authority, while at the same time hoping, deep down, that he won't do it." And now she's in tears that she didn't kill Gi Cheol today. (Sorry, queenie, that's the king's decision to make, not yours.)
"Be careful what you say tonight. His Majesty is feeling dejected. Understood?" Pyeonjo has arrived at the palace for another evening visit. Chief Inspector Kim receives him with his usual sunshine and cheerfulness (yes, that's sarcasm). Pyeonjo respectfully acknowledges him and then goes on inside to find a liquored-up Gongmin sitting there with his head drooping. "Do I look like a king to you? I'm nothing but worthless scum." He's recalling Empress Gi's words to him in Yanjing, way back in Episode 4, about how he'd handle it if his hands were "dirtied with my brethren's blood." And about the death of his nephew the deposed boy-king Chungjeong, and Jo Il Shin's death--"they died because of me"--while Gi Cheol still lives. And how the people won't stand behind him if he kills Cheol because the Yuan would turn the tide against him. And how he can't kill Cheol because of the queen! "Empress Gi is holding her father hostage, so how can I even try to kill Lord Deokseong?" Whoa, how does he know about that?! This is a big surprise. And he's not happy with Noguk--"Every time she utters a word, it begins with Lord Deokseong, and she rebukes me for not killing him." The liquor has him in full self-pity mode. "There's no hope for someone like me. I am alone in the world." Ugh. Pyeonjo has been sitting there silently the whole time but eventually he starts to tear up. "How could Your Majesty's anguish be any different from Buddha's? If all I saw in you was austerity, I would never have followed you. A strong and strict ruler might have fed the people. But would he have cherished them as much as Your Majesty?" Gongmin is shocked by his friend's heartfelt praise. He confesses that it would be so much easier to ally himself with Gi Cheol and end all of this difficulty. Have patience, Pyeonjo urges; it's been a thousand years but "the world Buddha dreamed of hasn't come yet. Would the world Your Majesty dreams of come in just one day?" The advice is a breath of fresh air to the beleaguered king, who tells Pyeonjo that someday "I shall have you by my side" as in, as an official advisor. "I shall be waiting for your call!", Pyeonjo answers, and then buries his face in the ground, more overcome with emotion than we've ever seen him. He pulls himself back together and smiles at his friend, who's been visibly uplifted by their time together.
Yanjing: Commissioner Park returns home and gets a well-done from the empress, who believes that Goryeo won't be a problem for them any more, based on their compliance with the crown prince's feast. "We have enough trouble to deal with," she mutters with relief. And no, surprisingly, she's not talking about the Red Turban rebels that the empire is under threat from. She's worried about seditious rumors going around, from people unhappy that the new crown prince is partially of Goryean descent. She blames the King of Wei for starting the rumors. But killing him isn't an option right now. "Be careful," she cautions Park. "Even if I lose all my brothers, I cannot lose Goryeo." Interesting scene.
Gaegyeong: Choseon goes to see Gi Cheol, who's surprised to see her. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with us," he says with a sneer. Well she doesn't, but she doesn't say that, and besides, she's here purely on business, to ask a favor. "The market's tea reserves have been exhausted," she explains, and she wants his help getting access to the huge supply of tea grown in the Yuan territories. As we learned in the previous episode, Cheol is the one person in a position to make that happen. His mood brightens. "Nothing is impossible, eh?", he says with interest. Taking that as a yes, she gets up to leave, only to have him ask her to stay for a while--and it's pretty clear what's on his mind. She looks at him almost comically and says "Why? Do you want to see me struggle to death?" OUCH! Shot down. She wisely leaves without another word, leaving Gi Cheol to treat us to a sour look and a disgusted grunt.
Choseon's head subordinate has escorted her here and is waiting to escort her home. He's very unhappy about this whole thing, going to Gi Cheol for help, but she tells him "Whoever sits on top, all we need is to do business."
Now the honchos in the Gi clan have gathered at their estate and are laughing it up about their triumph and the status and power they've regained. And of course they're making cracks about how the king and even the people must feel so humiliated. But now's not the time to sit on their laurels; Gi Cheol wants to get to work on tightening credit markets and squeezing tax revenues coming in from the provinces. Put more financial pressure on the already underfunded government, that's the idea. No money, no authority. "Cut the salaries of military and court officials," Cheol says, "and even the king won't have any control over them!" And if the powerful clans start experiencing money troubles, they certainly won't make any noise about engaging in a war with the Yuan. As for the common people, well, "Trying to win over public sentiment in these cases is much better. Put your hands in those pockets," he tells his associates, "and feed the people. After a few months of this, high praise shall be bestowed upon yours truly!" Wow, this is a seriously comprehensive scheme to cripple the government. Cheol regards it as critical to getting Gongmin off the throne and replacing him with someone more suitable. But who? Discussion quickly turns to one person: Gi Cheol himself. Uproarious laughs all around--but are they kidding about this or are they excited about the idea? Yikes....
Choseon returns home to tell Pyeonjo about having to go to Gi Cheol for tea. He's disappointed in her and disgusted by the idea, but she explains to him that it had to be done because there was no plausible way of getting the tea without his help. Even if the king had okayed it. "His Majesty rules the palace," she tells him, "but Goryeo is ruled by collaborators and court officials." And as for the king, she asks him, "You still trust His Majesty?" He hasn't killed Gi Cheol; he complied with everything the Yuan wanted for the crown prince's visit; and now he's "spending his days drinking." But Pyeonjo gives her a knowing smile again; he still has faith that Gongmin will act eventually. And then, talk about changing the subject, Choseon asks, "How about finding yourself a bride?" Where did that come from? "You should have a woman under your care, to truly learn the ways of the world." Then she backtracks a bit, and leaves him before he can say anything. How weird was that? Eventually he gets up and heads off somewhere; not sure where.
Lee Je Hyeon is at Gongmin's office door and wants to see him. But Gongmin shouts to his attendants from inside, "Didn't I tell you not to let anyone enter the palace?! Until my further notice, don't let anyone in!" He's having his lunch; doesn't seem particularly drunk; so why the anger?
Well if he's not particularly drunk now, it must be a rare exception because his drinking has become enough of a problem for his mother to call in Master Bou and ask for help with it. She doesn't understand what's bothering her son--He's the king, after all, isn't he?--so he has to explain it. "All the past kings comfortably lived off the Yuan, but His Majesty is different." And he's trying to solve some very difficult problems. She scoffs. "If he can't handle all this," she says, "he could just leave everything to his mother." Oh sure, that's a real gem of an idea. Fortunately she doesn't pursue it; she merely asks Bou to go talk to Gongmin about his drinking.
Pyeonjo was headed to Gaetae Temple. We see him there; he's brought Master Wolseon what looks like beef jerky to sample. Wolseon has little or no experience eating meat so the treat fascinates him. But he's a little disappointed to hear that the king hasn't given Pyeonjo a position yet.
An Dochi has brought something for Noguk. It's a letter from her father! He got it through some sort of connection he has in Yanjing. Needless to say, she's eager to read it....
"I missed you, Master." Nighttime, and Pyeonjo's going to sleep next to Wolseon in his room. "I need to see you to feel empowered." Be patient, Wolseon counsels. "Where would you find another king like that? Treating a slave's son like a friend." The advice visibly comforts Pyeonjo, who then goes to sleep spooning Wolseon like a big teddy bear. Seriously.
Uh-oh, Noguk's hands are shaking as she reads the letter. This can't be good. And now she's in tears.
Outside the palace, Pyeonjo is kneeling and praying for his friend Gongmin and what he's having to deal with in there. He's out there in the main street, all by himself. But wait, now here's Jihyo...and to our surprise, Jihyo kneels and joins Pyeonjo. "His Majesty is going through ghastly humiliation," Jihyo explains; how could I sit comfortably at home ignoring his grief?" And now there's Gong Cheol kneeling next to them. Gradually lots of people walking by see the praying monks and, reminded by the Yuan flags flying atop the palace gates of what must be happening inside, gather around the kneeling men and join them in kneeling and offering prayers of support. A moving scene.
The Gis and their Yuan guests are getting worse. They're reveling in the generous servings of horse meat they've been served--apparently the emperor sent it for the feast (Goryeans don't eat the stuff). And then Gi Ryun starts eating some dog meat (same deal) and gushing about how good it is, and good heavens enough already...But then Gi Cheol crosses the aisle with a big hunk of horse meat and starts waving it in the Goryeans' faces, mockingly asking them to try it. Particularly with Yeom Je Shin and Jung Se Woon there, you half expect one of them to grab him and snap his neck. But to their credit, they all keep calm.
Now look who shows up next to Pyeonjo: Won Hyeon, fresh out of Gaetae Temple and wearing a blue garment decidedly different from his monk robe. Go back home, Pyeonjo calmly tells him, but Won's not going anywhere. "We shall beat those collaborators to death!" Easy, dude....
By now the Gis are pretty liquored up and that's not going to help matters any. A half-hammered Gi Cheol gets up and happily announces he's going to offer the king a conciliatory drink. "Here! As a symbol of our newfound amity! I shall serve you..." He's not insincere about it--it's purely a happy-drunk offer--so Gongmin doesn't really mind it. And even when Cheol spills a little on Gongmin's sleeve, a major faux-pas that draws some gasps from the crowd, Gongmin ignores it and accepts the drink with a polite smile. But now the other rowdy Gis shout to Cheol that he should serve one to Queen Noguk too! Uh-oh, now we're in for it. Noguk stands and glares the whole lot of them into silence...but then smiles and says, His majesty accepted your drink so shouldn't I accept also? Well that does make sense...but the next words out of her mouth do NOT make sense: "Bring me my sword!" What?!? Remember that Noguk had threatened to kill Cheol..."I am the Queen of Goryeo after all," she says; "I can't return the favor with a drink, so I shall make amends by dancing for you." Ummm....I guess a queen doesn't pour, at least not in an event like this one...but still, dancing with a sword? Cheol is visibly rattled by the idea, and Commissioner Park has a puzzled, sour look on his face. But Mother Gi, of all people, starts cackling like crazy about "How marvelous a sight" this will be which sells the rest of them on it and now they're all for it.
"We are all behind you, your majesty! Don't lose your vigor!" Won Hyeon is leading the shouting, but Pyeonjo looks okay with it and they're all still on their knees, behaving with civility. Then suddenly the gates open and some Yuan soldiers emerge, along with what appears to be a head steward of some sort. They've brought some carts filled with fresh fruit and meat to give to the kneeling crowd. The stewards says it's a gift from the Yuan emperor himself. "Eat and drink to your satisfaction!" Won Hyeon shouts that nobody should touch the stuff...but within moments the only ones left kneeling are the monks, as all of the civilians run forward to help themselves. Won goes ballistic.
Noguk draws her sword--yeah, it's a real one and that elicits some serious concern from the Gi side. But Cheol laughs it off. Now she starts dancing...and it really isn't much of a dance, just some twirls back and forth, waving the sword dangerously close to the front table of Gis. And in the next moment she's hovering over a now-terrified Gi Cheol, glaring at him like she means business and with her sword frozen perilously over his head. No one in the place dares breathe...."That shall be enough. Your grace is supernal indeed." It's Gongmin, with a laughing tone and kind words trying to defuse the situation and call off his wife. Yeom Je Shin backs him up, gushing over her "performance." So she does step back and lower the sword. "I couldn't fully prepare for today," she tells Cheol, still glaring, "so you'll pardon me if I leave the dance incomplete. But I shall one day show you all the moves I have learned here in Goryeo." Clang! She drops the sword and walks out, the door banging shut behind her.
"The Queen danced with a sword?!" Of course it got back to the Queen Dowager. "The Yuan envoys were too impudent," Lady Kim explains to her, a huge understatement. Still, the QD doesn't seem to care for it, surprise surprise.
"Were you trying to kill Lord Deokseong?" Princess Deoknyeong is visiting her friend and looks like she's ready to bust out laughing. "I heard everyone was astounded." Noguk denies having any intent to kill him; says the king was putting up with it all so "Why would I drown the Royal Palace in dirty blood?"
"Your Majesty! It is still not too late!" Oh geez, here we go again. Gongmin's back in his office, and Jung Se Woon is kneeling outside the closed door, bellowing and whining, just like we was doing before. Gongmin's had a tough day and he certainly doesn't need to hear this.
Battleaxe alert: Mother Gi is visiting the QD again. And picking up right where she left off, making catty remarks at every opportunity. Now it's about Noguk's "untamed" behavior and how the QD must be afraid of her for this reason and that reason...and then issues a clear warning: "Ruffle Her Majesty's feathers once more," she says, referring to Empress Gi, and this place shall be filled with new rulers!" With that she stands up and walks out, stopping only to enjoy the sound of the QD's huffing and moaning and generally horrified reaction.
Then she heads home, where Gi Cheol is eagerly awaiting her return. He greets her happily, and is met with a scolding! "You useless scoundrel--what were you so scared about, to run away like that?! It's because you're such a weakling that you cause Her Majesty sleepless nights!"
Evening, at Choseon's estate: Choseon and Pyeonjo are patiently listening to Won Hyeon angrily denouncing the citizens who took the Yuan's food this afternoon. Then Pyeonjo leaves, and Won starts telling Choseon about how Pyeonjo has "all sorts of black magic" at his disposal and even "has the power to bring the dead back to life." Which, he says, can mobilize all of the people behind him if he'll just show his stuff. Pyeonjo is still just outside the room and can hear this; from his head-shaking he doesn't seem to happy with Won telling her this stuff. Won leaves her and finds Pyeonjo waiting for him and irritated with him. But Won is angry too, that Pyeonjo hasn't taken advantage of his abilities and talents to gain power for himself. There's a wide-eyed intensity in Won lately that feels a little disturbing....
Commissioner Park has come to pay Noguk a visit before heading home. "I appreciate your efforts to endure today's ceremonial feast," he tells her, and also says he's glad she didn't decapitate Gi Cheol. She tells him to "think of it as the reward for letting my father go." (We saw him before Empress Gi in the previous episode, but we didn't know he had been freed from imprisonment. Now we know.) But if you imprison him again, she says, and I'll behead Gi "with no hesitation." Park says she'll let Empress Gi know that. I'm not going to kill him, she says as he gets up to leave, "so stop interfering with Goryeo's internal affairs." "Her Majesty is a Goryeo woman," Park replies; "she wishes for this country's prosperity more than anyone." Yeah right....Park leaves her, rolling his eyes a little...And back inside, now Noguk confesses to Eunuch An that she feels she's misleading her husband. "I'm telling him to kill Lord Deokseong and regain his authority, while at the same time hoping, deep down, that he won't do it." And now she's in tears that she didn't kill Gi Cheol today. (Sorry, queenie, that's the king's decision to make, not yours.)
"Be careful what you say tonight. His Majesty is feeling dejected. Understood?" Pyeonjo has arrived at the palace for another evening visit. Chief Inspector Kim receives him with his usual sunshine and cheerfulness (yes, that's sarcasm). Pyeonjo respectfully acknowledges him and then goes on inside to find a liquored-up Gongmin sitting there with his head drooping. "Do I look like a king to you? I'm nothing but worthless scum." He's recalling Empress Gi's words to him in Yanjing, way back in Episode 4, about how he'd handle it if his hands were "dirtied with my brethren's blood." And about the death of his nephew the deposed boy-king Chungjeong, and Jo Il Shin's death--"they died because of me"--while Gi Cheol still lives. And how the people won't stand behind him if he kills Cheol because the Yuan would turn the tide against him. And how he can't kill Cheol because of the queen! "Empress Gi is holding her father hostage, so how can I even try to kill Lord Deokseong?" Whoa, how does he know about that?! This is a big surprise. And he's not happy with Noguk--"Every time she utters a word, it begins with Lord Deokseong, and she rebukes me for not killing him." The liquor has him in full self-pity mode. "There's no hope for someone like me. I am alone in the world." Ugh. Pyeonjo has been sitting there silently the whole time but eventually he starts to tear up. "How could Your Majesty's anguish be any different from Buddha's? If all I saw in you was austerity, I would never have followed you. A strong and strict ruler might have fed the people. But would he have cherished them as much as Your Majesty?" Gongmin is shocked by his friend's heartfelt praise. He confesses that it would be so much easier to ally himself with Gi Cheol and end all of this difficulty. Have patience, Pyeonjo urges; it's been a thousand years but "the world Buddha dreamed of hasn't come yet. Would the world Your Majesty dreams of come in just one day?" The advice is a breath of fresh air to the beleaguered king, who tells Pyeonjo that someday "I shall have you by my side" as in, as an official advisor. "I shall be waiting for your call!", Pyeonjo answers, and then buries his face in the ground, more overcome with emotion than we've ever seen him. He pulls himself back together and smiles at his friend, who's been visibly uplifted by their time together.
Yanjing: Commissioner Park returns home and gets a well-done from the empress, who believes that Goryeo won't be a problem for them any more, based on their compliance with the crown prince's feast. "We have enough trouble to deal with," she mutters with relief. And no, surprisingly, she's not talking about the Red Turban rebels that the empire is under threat from. She's worried about seditious rumors going around, from people unhappy that the new crown prince is partially of Goryean descent. She blames the King of Wei for starting the rumors. But killing him isn't an option right now. "Be careful," she cautions Park. "Even if I lose all my brothers, I cannot lose Goryeo." Interesting scene.
Gaegyeong: Choseon goes to see Gi Cheol, who's surprised to see her. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with us," he says with a sneer. Well she doesn't, but she doesn't say that, and besides, she's here purely on business, to ask a favor. "The market's tea reserves have been exhausted," she explains, and she wants his help getting access to the huge supply of tea grown in the Yuan territories. As we learned in the previous episode, Cheol is the one person in a position to make that happen. His mood brightens. "Nothing is impossible, eh?", he says with interest. Taking that as a yes, she gets up to leave, only to have him ask her to stay for a while--and it's pretty clear what's on his mind. She looks at him almost comically and says "Why? Do you want to see me struggle to death?" OUCH! Shot down. She wisely leaves without another word, leaving Gi Cheol to treat us to a sour look and a disgusted grunt.
Choseon's head subordinate has escorted her here and is waiting to escort her home. He's very unhappy about this whole thing, going to Gi Cheol for help, but she tells him "Whoever sits on top, all we need is to do business."
Now the honchos in the Gi clan have gathered at their estate and are laughing it up about their triumph and the status and power they've regained. And of course they're making cracks about how the king and even the people must feel so humiliated. But now's not the time to sit on their laurels; Gi Cheol wants to get to work on tightening credit markets and squeezing tax revenues coming in from the provinces. Put more financial pressure on the already underfunded government, that's the idea. No money, no authority. "Cut the salaries of military and court officials," Cheol says, "and even the king won't have any control over them!" And if the powerful clans start experiencing money troubles, they certainly won't make any noise about engaging in a war with the Yuan. As for the common people, well, "Trying to win over public sentiment in these cases is much better. Put your hands in those pockets," he tells his associates, "and feed the people. After a few months of this, high praise shall be bestowed upon yours truly!" Wow, this is a seriously comprehensive scheme to cripple the government. Cheol regards it as critical to getting Gongmin off the throne and replacing him with someone more suitable. But who? Discussion quickly turns to one person: Gi Cheol himself. Uproarious laughs all around--but are they kidding about this or are they excited about the idea? Yikes....
Choseon returns home to tell Pyeonjo about having to go to Gi Cheol for tea. He's disappointed in her and disgusted by the idea, but she explains to him that it had to be done because there was no plausible way of getting the tea without his help. Even if the king had okayed it. "His Majesty rules the palace," she tells him, "but Goryeo is ruled by collaborators and court officials." And as for the king, she asks him, "You still trust His Majesty?" He hasn't killed Gi Cheol; he complied with everything the Yuan wanted for the crown prince's visit; and now he's "spending his days drinking." But Pyeonjo gives her a knowing smile again; he still has faith that Gongmin will act eventually. And then, talk about changing the subject, Choseon asks, "How about finding yourself a bride?" Where did that come from? "You should have a woman under your care, to truly learn the ways of the world." Then she backtracks a bit, and leaves him before he can say anything. How weird was that? Eventually he gets up and heads off somewhere; not sure where.
Lee Je Hyeon is at Gongmin's office door and wants to see him. But Gongmin shouts to his attendants from inside, "Didn't I tell you not to let anyone enter the palace?! Until my further notice, don't let anyone in!" He's having his lunch; doesn't seem particularly drunk; so why the anger?
Well if he's not particularly drunk now, it must be a rare exception because his drinking has become enough of a problem for his mother to call in Master Bou and ask for help with it. She doesn't understand what's bothering her son--He's the king, after all, isn't he?--so he has to explain it. "All the past kings comfortably lived off the Yuan, but His Majesty is different." And he's trying to solve some very difficult problems. She scoffs. "If he can't handle all this," she says, "he could just leave everything to his mother." Oh sure, that's a real gem of an idea. Fortunately she doesn't pursue it; she merely asks Bou to go talk to Gongmin about his drinking.
Pyeonjo was headed to Gaetae Temple. We see him there; he's brought Master Wolseon what looks like beef jerky to sample. Wolseon has little or no experience eating meat so the treat fascinates him. But he's a little disappointed to hear that the king hasn't given Pyeonjo a position yet.
An Dochi has brought something for Noguk. It's a letter from her father! He got it through some sort of connection he has in Yanjing. Needless to say, she's eager to read it....
"I missed you, Master." Nighttime, and Pyeonjo's going to sleep next to Wolseon in his room. "I need to see you to feel empowered." Be patient, Wolseon counsels. "Where would you find another king like that? Treating a slave's son like a friend." The advice visibly comforts Pyeonjo, who then goes to sleep spooning Wolseon like a big teddy bear. Seriously.
Uh-oh, Noguk's hands are shaking as she reads the letter. This can't be good. And now she's in tears.
Botap Shili: When you receive this letter, your father will not be of this world any longer. Do not cry, my dear. Your father is no longer Empress Gi's hostage, so you shall rejoice in your father's death.And to that narration we see the King of Wei, alone at home, drink a vial of poison and die.