Post by ajk on Jul 7, 2014 15:47:32 GMT -5
The queen's illness has gotten much worse. We find her hyperventilating and in terrible distress. Jiran and Bangseok (the crown prince) are at her bedside. The physician has to tell Seonggye that her kidney failure has worsened and it's only a matter of time now.
"She won't be able to recover?" Is that a smile on Min's face? We learn that the queen is now struggling with paralysis. "She asked for it. She is being punished by the heavens." Wow that is mean, even for her. Still, Bangwon remembers her giving her a good-luck cloth emblem that she spent hours embroidering herself when he was headed to Ming to represent his father (in episode 32). He saved the emblem and is holding it now. Min offers to burn it for him, but he ignores her and heads off into the night...
...and goes straight to the queen’s bedside. He offers to stay with her and let Bangseok, who's been staying with her, get some rest. "I think this happened because of me. I would like to ask for forgiveness." Ok, Jiran says, and he and Bangwon leave her. Bangwon also tells the attendants they can leave too...so now it's just the two of them. She had been unresponsive but opens her eyes as he starts to talk to her. He recalls the first time he met her, as a little boy, and how nice she was to him and what a wonderful impression she made on him. And how it led to conflict within himself about her and his biological mother. And now he starts getting ugly. After showing me all that kindness, he says to her, "Why Bangseok? Why? Why?" Of course she can't answer him or do anything more than moan, in her paralyzed state. "But I'm not disappointed in you. I thought about it and it's not your fault. It's all because of power. Who is going to blame you for wanting your own son to be crown prince. You did well to choose him. I have a light heart thanks to that." And he adds, “I'm going to take the throne without any guilt or regret." He shows her the embroidered emblem. This is how we used to feel towards each other, he says. Then he puts the charm in her hand, giving it back to her, and makes a threat about how Bangseok will feel the same sense of betrayal soon enough. She finds the ability to scream just a little bit--enough to bring an attendant running in--but the effort exhausts her. "Did you hear everything?", Bangwon asks the attendant as he turns to leave. "If you want to live longer than her, I'm sure you know what to do." The now-terrified attendant readily agrees, takes the emblem from the queen's hand, and runs away, leaving the queen alone without summoning the physician's help that she clearly needs at the moment. The queen's eyes close...
Evening: JD and his servant Deuk-Bo return home from their walking trip. "All I did was suffer," Deuk-Bo moans as JD smiles. His wife tells him he should head right to the palace.
He does, and finds the high officials standing outside in the inner plaza, waiting for word on the queen. JD brings Jo Jun and heads inside, where they find the queen at death's door. The princes are all there watching over her, and Seonggye is next to her. She has one last burst of semi-lucidity and actually finds the strength to start to point at Bangwon and try to tell everyone what he told her...but she doesn't have the strength. Then she fades out, and dies. Narration tells us a little about her life, all of which we've seen in the series. We're also told that she died in August 1396 and that she was given the name Queen Sindeok posthumously. And that when Bangwon took the throne he demoted her to concubine and had her grave moved from its place of honor. It wasn't until King Hyeonjong's reign in the 17th century that her status was restored.
JD is before the king now and tells him he'll return to the government soon, and that he has "new plans." Then Seonggye surprises him by saying he wants to go on a "national inspection" soon, to look for a suitable gravesite for the queen.
Council meeting: Lots of discussion about JD returning to the government. Jo Jun surprises everyone by saying "It doesn't seem to be the right time yet." I do want him back, he clarifies, but he thinks they should at least wait until finding out what happens when and if Gwon Geum and Ha Ryun return from Ming.
Later, at home, JD is drawing up plans for training soldiers. (We can see his drawings; he's a good artist.) Nam Eun visits and expresses his concern about Ha Ryun returning alive and Bangwon plotting something. But JD just keeps working on his plans. His lack of concern frustrates Nam.
And now Gwon Geum and Ha Ryun return home, apparently none the worse for wear. Gwon tells everyone that they explained the misunderstanding, "But the emperor didn't seem completely satisfied." Ha, of course, doesn't say anything about the secret order...
...but he goes straight to Bangwon about it. Bangwon realizes that the emperor "is treating me like his hunting dog." Lee Sukbeon is there and urges him to dethrone the crown prince and get rid of JD right now while the king is on his inspection tour. But Ha completely disagrees; he knows JD is going to be watching every move they try to make. "We have to wait until they let down their guard." And we need a justification to do so, he says (and Bangwon agrees), or there will be no popular support. But what they can do for now is start trying to eliminate JD's people. Beginning with Jo Jun!
Evening: Bangwon goes to Jo, points out that the pansamsasa position is vacant, and recommends Ha Ryun to fill it. Jo says the position is being held open for JD's return. Which Bangwon expected him to say...so now he starts working on Jo's ego. "Why are you merely acting as his right arm?" You contributed as much to the cause as JD did. Jo wants no part of this--"I gave up on parties and factions long ago"--but Bangwon says that's all the more reason to consider Ha. Jo distrusts Bangwon's motives, and amazingly, Bangwon admits that he still wants to be the crown prince. But he says that's all in the past now (lie!) and "I just want to control Sambong because he is disturbing the national order." We can see that Bangwon's words strike home with Jo...but how much?
Bangwon's visit didn't go unnoticed. JD is having Bangwon watched, and they guy doing the watching (whose name I could not read on the screen...possibly "Sun Hyesang") goes right to JD and reports it. JD doesn't appear surprised; in fact, he hands Nam Eun a scroll that he's prepared, a scroll with instructions that leave Nam shocked.
Ha doesn't even make it back home from Bangwon's before soldiers intercept him and tell him he's been impeached! He's hauled away almost before he can even react.
Jo Jun gets word of this; heads right over to JD's house to chew him out about it. This is all about a bribery charge that might or might not be trumped-up--hard to tell from JD's poker face--but even if it's legitimate, it seems awfully minor. JD doesn’t budge, though; he’s going to see it through. Then he tells Jo he's returning to the court. "Make the necessary preparations." Don't order me around, Jo fires back. JD says he's only asking a colleague, not giving an order--but it sure sounded like an order. I don't have to be pansamsasa, JD says; I only want to work on military reform. They trade angry words and Jo leaves in a snit.
"I'm sure he was suspicious when Ha Ryun returned safely from Ming." Now Bangwon only has Lee Sukbeon to talk to; they're both rattled by the sudden development. Then guess who shows up at Bangwon's house: JD. Tells the prince that Ha will be exiled. Says he sent Ha to Ming "to confirm something." He had wondered why Bangwon was allowed to return home unharmed two years ago. "So this time I sent Ha Ryun. The emperor should have cut off his head or exiled him, but Ha Ryun also returned safely. That's when I became sure. There is something between you and the emperor." Bangwon doesn't deny it, surprisingly. What do you think it is?", he asks JD smugly. JD already knows: "I'm sure he told you to kill me." And now another round of trash-talking each other.
Jiran has returned from scouting the Ming territories beyond Dongbukmyeon at JD's request. It's a mess, he tells JD; lack of government, infighting among the people there. He had scouts check out Ming's Yodong headquarters. "There aren't many soldiers and the ones there all looked weak and useless." Jiran wasn’t told why JD wanted it scouted in the first place, and is still wondering...but that will have to wait, because now Nam Eun runs in with good news: "We won!" A huge victory against the Japanese pirates on Daemado (Tsushima Island) and Ilgido (wherever that is; I'm not sure).
The king looks unhappy at the news, though. Why? Apparently Joseon spies in Ming are reporting that Ming is very unhappy about the victory. Specifically, because Joseon attacked first and showed its power. Turns out JD ordered the action to intimidate the Ming emperor and force his hand. "He has to install you and seek friendly relations or come out even stronger." He asks Seonggye, "Please be strong. The cause hasn't been fully achieved yet."
Bangwon's camp is very nervous about the victory because while it was achieved by private soldiers, it was commanded by the government's Three Armies Headquarters. "It's one more excuse to eliminate the private armies," Lee Sukbeon fears. And now Min's brother Mujil (I think he's her brother) tells them something troubling that he discovered: JD has been gradually accumulating military rations and now has enough to supply an army of 100,000 for three years! Wow, what's he going to do with all that?
JD tells his allies that there are adequate military rations but not enough money for more weapons. Weapons for what? Never mind, because word arrives of another letter from the Ming emperor. It demands that JD be sent to Ming.
The council is before the king, who tells them once again that he isn't sending JD to Ming. "Think of another way." But they don't all just meekly accept that this time; there's some vocal pushback. Then JD speaks up. I would gladly go to Ming and sacrifice myself if it would resolve everything, he says. "But the emperor just wants to kill me so that the country can't have independent national defense." But there is a way to force Ming to seek friendly relations with us, he says. "We have to attack Yodong." Doink! Even Seonggye is shocked. "I will raise an army and take Yodong," JD says. "Please give me your approval."
"She won't be able to recover?" Is that a smile on Min's face? We learn that the queen is now struggling with paralysis. "She asked for it. She is being punished by the heavens." Wow that is mean, even for her. Still, Bangwon remembers her giving her a good-luck cloth emblem that she spent hours embroidering herself when he was headed to Ming to represent his father (in episode 32). He saved the emblem and is holding it now. Min offers to burn it for him, but he ignores her and heads off into the night...
...and goes straight to the queen’s bedside. He offers to stay with her and let Bangseok, who's been staying with her, get some rest. "I think this happened because of me. I would like to ask for forgiveness." Ok, Jiran says, and he and Bangwon leave her. Bangwon also tells the attendants they can leave too...so now it's just the two of them. She had been unresponsive but opens her eyes as he starts to talk to her. He recalls the first time he met her, as a little boy, and how nice she was to him and what a wonderful impression she made on him. And how it led to conflict within himself about her and his biological mother. And now he starts getting ugly. After showing me all that kindness, he says to her, "Why Bangseok? Why? Why?" Of course she can't answer him or do anything more than moan, in her paralyzed state. "But I'm not disappointed in you. I thought about it and it's not your fault. It's all because of power. Who is going to blame you for wanting your own son to be crown prince. You did well to choose him. I have a light heart thanks to that." And he adds, “I'm going to take the throne without any guilt or regret." He shows her the embroidered emblem. This is how we used to feel towards each other, he says. Then he puts the charm in her hand, giving it back to her, and makes a threat about how Bangseok will feel the same sense of betrayal soon enough. She finds the ability to scream just a little bit--enough to bring an attendant running in--but the effort exhausts her. "Did you hear everything?", Bangwon asks the attendant as he turns to leave. "If you want to live longer than her, I'm sure you know what to do." The now-terrified attendant readily agrees, takes the emblem from the queen's hand, and runs away, leaving the queen alone without summoning the physician's help that she clearly needs at the moment. The queen's eyes close...
Evening: JD and his servant Deuk-Bo return home from their walking trip. "All I did was suffer," Deuk-Bo moans as JD smiles. His wife tells him he should head right to the palace.
He does, and finds the high officials standing outside in the inner plaza, waiting for word on the queen. JD brings Jo Jun and heads inside, where they find the queen at death's door. The princes are all there watching over her, and Seonggye is next to her. She has one last burst of semi-lucidity and actually finds the strength to start to point at Bangwon and try to tell everyone what he told her...but she doesn't have the strength. Then she fades out, and dies. Narration tells us a little about her life, all of which we've seen in the series. We're also told that she died in August 1396 and that she was given the name Queen Sindeok posthumously. And that when Bangwon took the throne he demoted her to concubine and had her grave moved from its place of honor. It wasn't until King Hyeonjong's reign in the 17th century that her status was restored.
JD is before the king now and tells him he'll return to the government soon, and that he has "new plans." Then Seonggye surprises him by saying he wants to go on a "national inspection" soon, to look for a suitable gravesite for the queen.
Council meeting: Lots of discussion about JD returning to the government. Jo Jun surprises everyone by saying "It doesn't seem to be the right time yet." I do want him back, he clarifies, but he thinks they should at least wait until finding out what happens when and if Gwon Geum and Ha Ryun return from Ming.
Later, at home, JD is drawing up plans for training soldiers. (We can see his drawings; he's a good artist.) Nam Eun visits and expresses his concern about Ha Ryun returning alive and Bangwon plotting something. But JD just keeps working on his plans. His lack of concern frustrates Nam.
And now Gwon Geum and Ha Ryun return home, apparently none the worse for wear. Gwon tells everyone that they explained the misunderstanding, "But the emperor didn't seem completely satisfied." Ha, of course, doesn't say anything about the secret order...
...but he goes straight to Bangwon about it. Bangwon realizes that the emperor "is treating me like his hunting dog." Lee Sukbeon is there and urges him to dethrone the crown prince and get rid of JD right now while the king is on his inspection tour. But Ha completely disagrees; he knows JD is going to be watching every move they try to make. "We have to wait until they let down their guard." And we need a justification to do so, he says (and Bangwon agrees), or there will be no popular support. But what they can do for now is start trying to eliminate JD's people. Beginning with Jo Jun!
Evening: Bangwon goes to Jo, points out that the pansamsasa position is vacant, and recommends Ha Ryun to fill it. Jo says the position is being held open for JD's return. Which Bangwon expected him to say...so now he starts working on Jo's ego. "Why are you merely acting as his right arm?" You contributed as much to the cause as JD did. Jo wants no part of this--"I gave up on parties and factions long ago"--but Bangwon says that's all the more reason to consider Ha. Jo distrusts Bangwon's motives, and amazingly, Bangwon admits that he still wants to be the crown prince. But he says that's all in the past now (lie!) and "I just want to control Sambong because he is disturbing the national order." We can see that Bangwon's words strike home with Jo...but how much?
Bangwon's visit didn't go unnoticed. JD is having Bangwon watched, and they guy doing the watching (whose name I could not read on the screen...possibly "Sun Hyesang") goes right to JD and reports it. JD doesn't appear surprised; in fact, he hands Nam Eun a scroll that he's prepared, a scroll with instructions that leave Nam shocked.
Ha doesn't even make it back home from Bangwon's before soldiers intercept him and tell him he's been impeached! He's hauled away almost before he can even react.
Jo Jun gets word of this; heads right over to JD's house to chew him out about it. This is all about a bribery charge that might or might not be trumped-up--hard to tell from JD's poker face--but even if it's legitimate, it seems awfully minor. JD doesn’t budge, though; he’s going to see it through. Then he tells Jo he's returning to the court. "Make the necessary preparations." Don't order me around, Jo fires back. JD says he's only asking a colleague, not giving an order--but it sure sounded like an order. I don't have to be pansamsasa, JD says; I only want to work on military reform. They trade angry words and Jo leaves in a snit.
"I'm sure he was suspicious when Ha Ryun returned safely from Ming." Now Bangwon only has Lee Sukbeon to talk to; they're both rattled by the sudden development. Then guess who shows up at Bangwon's house: JD. Tells the prince that Ha will be exiled. Says he sent Ha to Ming "to confirm something." He had wondered why Bangwon was allowed to return home unharmed two years ago. "So this time I sent Ha Ryun. The emperor should have cut off his head or exiled him, but Ha Ryun also returned safely. That's when I became sure. There is something between you and the emperor." Bangwon doesn't deny it, surprisingly. What do you think it is?", he asks JD smugly. JD already knows: "I'm sure he told you to kill me." And now another round of trash-talking each other.
Jiran has returned from scouting the Ming territories beyond Dongbukmyeon at JD's request. It's a mess, he tells JD; lack of government, infighting among the people there. He had scouts check out Ming's Yodong headquarters. "There aren't many soldiers and the ones there all looked weak and useless." Jiran wasn’t told why JD wanted it scouted in the first place, and is still wondering...but that will have to wait, because now Nam Eun runs in with good news: "We won!" A huge victory against the Japanese pirates on Daemado (Tsushima Island) and Ilgido (wherever that is; I'm not sure).
The king looks unhappy at the news, though. Why? Apparently Joseon spies in Ming are reporting that Ming is very unhappy about the victory. Specifically, because Joseon attacked first and showed its power. Turns out JD ordered the action to intimidate the Ming emperor and force his hand. "He has to install you and seek friendly relations or come out even stronger." He asks Seonggye, "Please be strong. The cause hasn't been fully achieved yet."
Bangwon's camp is very nervous about the victory because while it was achieved by private soldiers, it was commanded by the government's Three Armies Headquarters. "It's one more excuse to eliminate the private armies," Lee Sukbeon fears. And now Min's brother Mujil (I think he's her brother) tells them something troubling that he discovered: JD has been gradually accumulating military rations and now has enough to supply an army of 100,000 for three years! Wow, what's he going to do with all that?
JD tells his allies that there are adequate military rations but not enough money for more weapons. Weapons for what? Never mind, because word arrives of another letter from the Ming emperor. It demands that JD be sent to Ming.
The council is before the king, who tells them once again that he isn't sending JD to Ming. "Think of another way." But they don't all just meekly accept that this time; there's some vocal pushback. Then JD speaks up. I would gladly go to Ming and sacrifice myself if it would resolve everything, he says. "But the emperor just wants to kill me so that the country can't have independent national defense." But there is a way to force Ming to seek friendly relations with us, he says. "We have to attack Yodong." Doink! Even Seonggye is shocked. "I will raise an army and take Yodong," JD says. "Please give me your approval."