Post by ajk on Apr 14, 2014 22:20:47 GMT -5
Lee In Im learns that his pardon will be issued on the lunar new year, January 15. So he's going to have to keep up the illness charade for a few more days.
Seonggye visits Im and Yeom in prison. Tells them of Lee In Im's impending pardon and gives them one last chance to confess to anything else Lee orchestrated. But they have no interest and are dripping with so much cynicism that they don't care. "We're just petty thieves." "Grand thieves aren't punished."
Evening: JD pays Seonggye a visit. Don't push so hard on this pardon issue, he advises. At least not by antagonizing Choi Yeong. Instead, go to the scholars! They hate Lee In Im and will certainly speak out.
The scholars are already talking about it, though...and the next morning two of them ask the king not to issue the pardon, and others barge into a council meeting. The king is loyal to his stepfather and won't consider it, and as for the council meeting, that gets very tense very quickly and the scholars decide they're going to stage a protest outside the building.
Hey, Nam Eun! JD finds him at the stables but he's about to go join the protest. He tells JD that the royal gama hasn't moved since that night, which makes JD wonder if he's wrong. Then JD runs into a former colleague, Yun Sojong, who's working as a personnel administrator now. JD is happy to see him but Yun snubs him with only a bow and then heads briskly away somewhere.
Wow, protest no kidding. Dozens of scholars outside the council hall. Choi tells them to leave and argues that In Im did a lot of good for the country. Nam Eun starts arguing right back...and then look who shows up but the new guy Yun Sojong; walks boldly up to Choi and starts rattling off a list of In Im's crimes. He gets Choi so frustrated that Choi waves a sword at him in anger! Calms himself down, though, and walks away. Yun really rattled him. JD is watching all this and nods his head, impressed by Yun. Later we learn that, as Choi describes it, Yun was in government but "he was frank about everything so he was impeached and left government service for a while." And obviously Yun made an impression, because when Choi is later summoned to see the king, he asks the king to reconsider the pardon! Tells him the scholars are right. But the king is angry and tells him to shut the scholars up even if it takes trumped-up charges against them to do it. Ugh.
That night the king gets into his gama and goes to visit Lee In Im. Lee is disturbed that the king came before the pardon was issued. But the king is frantic; doesn't know what to do about all of the division in the government. It exasperates Lee, who tells the king to use all of his powers to suppress Choi and silence the scholars. "Why are you even asking me about this?," he says, his voice rising in frustration. "How can you call yourself a king and rule this country?" The king tells him it's not that simple any more; the situation is too complicated. Lee sighs in exasperation. "If reason isn't working, you need to appeal to sympathy. Ask for compassion."
Next day: the king barges into a councilors meeting and angrily challenges them to back off and accept the pardon. He slams a cloth down on the table. it's stained with blood that he says In Im was just coughing up just this morning. Tries to shame them, basically.
So Choi and Bae and Byeon go look at In Im again. He plays unconscious for them again. Then later, Jeongbi and the Queen summon Choi and put pressure on him. They even bring the king's young son, who sits there pining for his grandfather. Boy talk about pulling out all the stops for sympathy...and Jeongbi points out that if In Im died a criminal, it would disgrace the royal family, since his family married into it.
Lee Seonggye remains resolute: "He must die a criminal." But then his son Banggwa shows up with news: the entire investigation has been halted. Choi Yeong's order! Carry out the approved punishments and no more interrogations. Seonggye heads right over to Choi's home and the two of them trade angry words over this, to the point where Seonggye says he'll resign from the court and go back to his army camp at Dongbukmyeon.
In Im smiles. "Sympathy is the best." And he's pleased to hear of the tension between Seonggye and Choi. He actually is sure that Choi will ask him to rejoin the council for the country's sake, especially if the alternative is to have to turn to the gentry.
Bangwon goes to JD about all this. JD isn't happy about Seonggye potentially blowing his future...but then who should show up but Nam Eun, to tell JD that the royal gama went to Lee In Im's home last night for about an hour. JD is positive the king talked to In Im and In Im isn't dying.
Next day: We see everyone involved in the Jo Ban conspiracy executed. Including Im and Yeom. A poignant moment with Yeom and Jeong Mongju. Im, he's full of bluster right to the end. Asks Choi, "Why are you sparing him and killing all the little fish!?!" But Choi is unmoved by his former associate's plea to spare him, and in moments Im's detached head is lying next to his body. Narration then tells us that all of these officials' assets were seized, and their families and servants were killed. More than 1000 people altogether. WOW.
JD pays a follow-up visit to check on Lee In Im, who plays unconscious for him again. JD leaves...and later that evening the royal gama arrives at Lee's home. It's empty; he's told by the official guiding the gama--Nam Eun--that the king sent it for him, because the king wants to meet with him at a secret place (I guess so as not to arouse more suspicion from him coming here yet again). So Lee gets in and it takes him, of all places, to Sungkyunkwan academy. Lee walks into the main yard and can barely make out a figure in the darkness, standing in the doorway and facing the other way. He assumes it's the king...and is shocked when the figure turns around: it's JD! And now look who emerges from the shadows: a dumbfounded Choi Yeong. Busted.
Seonggye visits Im and Yeom in prison. Tells them of Lee In Im's impending pardon and gives them one last chance to confess to anything else Lee orchestrated. But they have no interest and are dripping with so much cynicism that they don't care. "We're just petty thieves." "Grand thieves aren't punished."
Evening: JD pays Seonggye a visit. Don't push so hard on this pardon issue, he advises. At least not by antagonizing Choi Yeong. Instead, go to the scholars! They hate Lee In Im and will certainly speak out.
The scholars are already talking about it, though...and the next morning two of them ask the king not to issue the pardon, and others barge into a council meeting. The king is loyal to his stepfather and won't consider it, and as for the council meeting, that gets very tense very quickly and the scholars decide they're going to stage a protest outside the building.
Hey, Nam Eun! JD finds him at the stables but he's about to go join the protest. He tells JD that the royal gama hasn't moved since that night, which makes JD wonder if he's wrong. Then JD runs into a former colleague, Yun Sojong, who's working as a personnel administrator now. JD is happy to see him but Yun snubs him with only a bow and then heads briskly away somewhere.
Wow, protest no kidding. Dozens of scholars outside the council hall. Choi tells them to leave and argues that In Im did a lot of good for the country. Nam Eun starts arguing right back...and then look who shows up but the new guy Yun Sojong; walks boldly up to Choi and starts rattling off a list of In Im's crimes. He gets Choi so frustrated that Choi waves a sword at him in anger! Calms himself down, though, and walks away. Yun really rattled him. JD is watching all this and nods his head, impressed by Yun. Later we learn that, as Choi describes it, Yun was in government but "he was frank about everything so he was impeached and left government service for a while." And obviously Yun made an impression, because when Choi is later summoned to see the king, he asks the king to reconsider the pardon! Tells him the scholars are right. But the king is angry and tells him to shut the scholars up even if it takes trumped-up charges against them to do it. Ugh.
That night the king gets into his gama and goes to visit Lee In Im. Lee is disturbed that the king came before the pardon was issued. But the king is frantic; doesn't know what to do about all of the division in the government. It exasperates Lee, who tells the king to use all of his powers to suppress Choi and silence the scholars. "Why are you even asking me about this?," he says, his voice rising in frustration. "How can you call yourself a king and rule this country?" The king tells him it's not that simple any more; the situation is too complicated. Lee sighs in exasperation. "If reason isn't working, you need to appeal to sympathy. Ask for compassion."
Next day: the king barges into a councilors meeting and angrily challenges them to back off and accept the pardon. He slams a cloth down on the table. it's stained with blood that he says In Im was just coughing up just this morning. Tries to shame them, basically.
So Choi and Bae and Byeon go look at In Im again. He plays unconscious for them again. Then later, Jeongbi and the Queen summon Choi and put pressure on him. They even bring the king's young son, who sits there pining for his grandfather. Boy talk about pulling out all the stops for sympathy...and Jeongbi points out that if In Im died a criminal, it would disgrace the royal family, since his family married into it.
Lee Seonggye remains resolute: "He must die a criminal." But then his son Banggwa shows up with news: the entire investigation has been halted. Choi Yeong's order! Carry out the approved punishments and no more interrogations. Seonggye heads right over to Choi's home and the two of them trade angry words over this, to the point where Seonggye says he'll resign from the court and go back to his army camp at Dongbukmyeon.
In Im smiles. "Sympathy is the best." And he's pleased to hear of the tension between Seonggye and Choi. He actually is sure that Choi will ask him to rejoin the council for the country's sake, especially if the alternative is to have to turn to the gentry.
Bangwon goes to JD about all this. JD isn't happy about Seonggye potentially blowing his future...but then who should show up but Nam Eun, to tell JD that the royal gama went to Lee In Im's home last night for about an hour. JD is positive the king talked to In Im and In Im isn't dying.
Next day: We see everyone involved in the Jo Ban conspiracy executed. Including Im and Yeom. A poignant moment with Yeom and Jeong Mongju. Im, he's full of bluster right to the end. Asks Choi, "Why are you sparing him and killing all the little fish!?!" But Choi is unmoved by his former associate's plea to spare him, and in moments Im's detached head is lying next to his body. Narration then tells us that all of these officials' assets were seized, and their families and servants were killed. More than 1000 people altogether. WOW.
JD pays a follow-up visit to check on Lee In Im, who plays unconscious for him again. JD leaves...and later that evening the royal gama arrives at Lee's home. It's empty; he's told by the official guiding the gama--Nam Eun--that the king sent it for him, because the king wants to meet with him at a secret place (I guess so as not to arouse more suspicion from him coming here yet again). So Lee gets in and it takes him, of all places, to Sungkyunkwan academy. Lee walks into the main yard and can barely make out a figure in the darkness, standing in the doorway and facing the other way. He assumes it's the king...and is shocked when the figure turns around: it's JD! And now look who emerges from the shadows: a dumbfounded Choi Yeong. Busted.