Responding to your points one by one (SPOILERS EP. 14):

- Yeah, I dunno. She didn't look at it carefully enough because she was too shocked? In a way it's good, because if she had noticed it wasn't Hwi she might have betrayed the whole plan XD I was there with minister's son, who looked a bit anxious like he was thinking: "Will she notice? If so, will she be smart and stay quiet?"
- Na Gyeom vs other Queens is delicious.
- Ja Hyeon's brother is immature *sigh* I think he looked down on Roo Si Gae and didn't think it necessary to explain clearly to her. Of course Hwi didn't try to corroborate the info by asking someone else, y'know, like Kkeut Dan.
- Ja Hyeon's mom keeps it real. First she banishes that ungrateful daughter, then stands up to the evil henchmen, and finally determines to march into the palace to rescue said ungrateful daughter. Healer Ahjumma for the win.
- Is Gi Taek a eunuch though? I keep wondering this... His hurt face when Roo Si Gae didn't take his hand made me wonder if we should be shipping them.
- YEAH, like 5 episodes: "Wait a minute, if we are innocent, who organised that bloodbath?" High time!

Thanks for your comments, @hotcocoagirl.

Aside from Ja-hyun's being in shock at the news of Hwi's demise, I don't think she could bring herself to look that closely at the corpse's hand. -- Considering how dark it was, I don't think she could have gotten that good a look at his hand in the palanquin, either. On the other hand (har!), she could recognize his ch'i or his touch.

Yeah, I enjoyed seeing Kang chewing Na-gyeom out for overreaching. I really do hope that he dumps her -- with Queen Dowager's blessing because of her attempted murder of Ja-hyun. She thinks she's hot stuff, but she wouldn't have lasted 5 seconds in the Goryeo shark frenzy in MOON LOVERS. Queen NeverShouldaHadKids would have eaten her alive. Before breakfast.

Orabeoni is still probably quaking in his boots at how close they all came to being executed for treason because of his sister's association with Hwi. He's known precisely how evil Kang is ever since he was beaten after the polo match. What he doesn't understand is how Ja-hyun can have so little regard for the rest of her family and their faithful servants.

I can understand why Madam Ahn disowned her daughter, who focuses on Hwi to the heedless exclusion of everyone else. But when the chips were down, Mom came through. I love how she reminded Ja-hyun that taking care of her own man (Dad) trumped her daughter's unreasonable wishful thinking that endangered all of them. Putting it that way got through to Jy-hyun.

Yep, Gi-teuk deserves a happy ending. Ru Shi-gae seemed to snub him when getting off the boat. But when she said that she figured the prince was alive when she didn't see his corpse along with Hwi's, I took it as a back-handed Jurchen compliment about his loyalty and willingness to fight to the death. Also, when Gi-teuk surprised her in the kitchen, I though he would have recognized her. The ensuing fight might actually rate as Jurchen foreplay (not unlike the Klingon variety). Har!

I could see Gi-teuk possibly paired off with Kkeut-dan as they are both servants. On the other hand, that would break up the band. I think he'd be happier with the wild woman.

Here's a radical idea: After Kang's impending fall from grace, get rid of his inexorably ambitious wife and hitch him to a Jurchen princess who won't put up with his crap. She'd be a great sparring partner, and would make him comply with the terms of house arrest or whatever. If she didn't kill him first.

And yes, I agree that it's high time that Hwi's luck changed and he started getting loyal supporters.

Episode 14 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

- continued - Part 2 of 3

The scene of Kang on the bridge dropping a white chrysanthemum flower into the pond where Hwi had earlier dropped one for his court lady (LOL at the splashes!) indicated that he was conflicted over his brother's death even as he stated otherwise to his henchman. Later, as he was dancing with the gisaeng at Yo-kyung's gibang, her observation that he doesn't know what he feels was very telling. In some respects, Kang is as much a victim as Hwi -- and maybe even more so. His aggressive bullying as a child concealed his emotional deprivation.

The show's real villain is Traitorous Uncle. He sits like a fat spider pulling the strings in a web of spies, minions, and collaborators. What a tangled web he has woven. He corrupted one young nephew and isolated and intimidated the other. Now that he's succeeded in enthroning Kang and getting himself appointed Prime Minister, his sycophants have suddenly realized that they are now at his mercy just as their dead opponents had been. They're quietly having kittens, and it serves them right. They all signed that pledge of allegiance when Kang framed Hwi, and know he will throw them under the Ox Cart Of Doom without a second thought.

Commander Do, Hwi's would-be assassin, turned out to be his salvation. Thank goodness his late father had told him how Hwi was tasked by the royal family with running interference against Kang. Witnessing the former Jurchen captives' loyalty and devotion to Hwi helped convince him that the latter had been set up. The arrival of Kang's assassins confirmed Hwi's prediction that his brother would try to kill him. It's about time he caught a break.

Later, Do also revealed that he was aware of gisaeng Yo-kyung's role as Kang's minion. She and her henchwoman were disquieted by his line of questioning, and could not ascertain his allegiance. I hope that he's got plenty of loyal colleagues and subordinates embedded throughout the palace and at large. I'm feeling more optimistic that Hwi will succeed in revealing the treachery of Kang and Traitorous Uncle. But where is his deposed nephew?

Ru Shi-gae was pretty good this episode. Her frantic attempts to believe her eyes that Hwi was alive turned the hard-boiled warrior into a blubbering mess. Her statement to Gi-teuk that she didn't think Hwi was dead because she didn't see his corpse anywhere was kind of cute. But I was disappointed when she badmouthed Ja-hyun upon learning from Orabeoni that she had gone to the palace of her own volition when she returned from the place of exile. The swordswoman still has a thing for Hwi. And what's this about her being a Jurchen princess?!

Part 2 of 3 - continued -

Episode 14 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

- continued - Part 3 of 3

The one thing that bothered me this episode was Hwi's looking like Billy the Kid when liberating Ja-hyun from Kang's palanquin. It was supposed to be a dramatic revelation when he dropped his mask, but it was clunky. After having been kidnapped, it would have been far kinder to Ja-hyun if her first glimpse of Hwi had been his bare face. She still could have thought she'd died and gone to heaven.

I hope the first thing Hwi and Ja-hyun do is get married at the temple. They have plenty of witnesses and a bona fide Buddhist Friar Laurence. ;-) Or will they hedge their bets (to avoid endangering her family yet again if their efforts fail?) and wait until Kang & Uncle are well and truly vanquished so they can have a bash befitting a daegun and his bride?

-30-

@wishfultoki, @hotcocoagirl,

LOL! It must have been HCG who noted the makjangness of Na-gyeom's and Kang's relationship. That was a great catch re: the waltz music cue for her scenes. Hmmm. I'll have to pay more attention.

Actually, I find that lilting female vocal number to be ridiculously intrusive. They crank it up full blast When Something Is About To Happen. Another makjang music cue.

@marcusnyc20 April 17, 2018 at 11:36 AM

- continued -
Part 2 of 5

Elsewhere I read that Orangkae literally means “reindeer herder.” The Tungusic (Merriam-Webster: “family of Altaic languages spoken in Manchuria and northward”) peoples of eastern Siberia and Northeast Asia were classified as either reindeer Tungus or horse Tungus; see Wikipedia article “Jurchen people” (far below). Alas, I do not have access to the text of the article itself, but the abstract does mention reindeer:

Yeon, Ho-tak: ‘Orangkae’ as an Ethnonym and ‘Orangkae’ as a Jacques Bonhomme
The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea Vol.25 No.4 pp.61-85
DOI : http://doi.org/10.14353/sjk.2017.25.4.03

http://socioling-journal.com/journal/article.php?code=59208
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

오랑캐 – Wiktionary [Orangkae]
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%EC%98%A4%EB%9E%91%EC%BA%90

Etymology
From the same origin as Uriankhai (Mongolian Урианхай (Urianhaj)), used as self-appellation by many tribes of the north.

Noun
오랑캐 • (orangkae)
1. barbarian; uncivilised people
그는 왕명을 받들고 오랑캐를 토벌하러 북으로 갔다.
Geuneun wangmyeong-eul batdeulgo orangkaereul tobeolhareo bugeuro gatda.
He followed the emperor's orders and marched north to subdue the barbarians.

2. 19세기 말에는 서양 오랑캐가 물밀듯이 쳐들어왔다.
19segi mareneun seoyang orangkaega mulmildeusi chyeodeureowatda.
In the end of the 19th century, the Western barbarians invaded [the country] like a flood.

- continued -

@marcusnyc20 April 17, 2018 at 11:36 AM

- continued -
Part 3 of 5

Who Are You Calling Orangkae?!

Jurchen people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurchen_people

A rose by any other name...

The initial Khitan form of the name was said to be Lüzhen. The variant Nrjo-tsyin (now Nüzhen, whence English Nurchen) appeared in the 10th century under the Liao dynasty.[4] The Jurchens were also interchangeably known as the Nrjo-drik (now Nüzhi)... <i <Jurchen is an anglicization of Jurčen,[3][6] an attempted reconstruction of this unattested original form of the native name,[7] which has been transcribed into … Khitan small script as Julisen.[5] The ethnonyms Sushen (Old Chinese: */siwk-[d]i[n]-s/) and Jizhen (稷真, Old Chinese: */tsək-ti[n]/)[8] recorded in geographical works like the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Book of Wei are possibly cognates.[9] It was the source of Fra Mauro's Zorça[6] and Marco Polo's Ciorcia,[10] reflecting the Persian form of their name.[6] Vajda considers that the Jurchens' name probably derives from the Tungusic words for "reindeer people"... ("Horse Tungus" and "Reindeer Tungus" are still the primary divisions among the Tungusic cultures.)[12] … The modern Mongolian form is Jürčid[3] whose medial -r- does not appear in the later Jurchen Jucen[10] or Jušen ... or Manchu Jushen.[10] In Manchu, this word was more often used to describe the serfs[13]—though not slaves[14]—of the free Manchu people,[13] who were themselves mostly the former Jurchens...

At the time of their notice by Chinese historians, the Jurchen inhabited the forests and river valleys of the land which is now divided between China's Heilongjiang Province and Russia's Maritime Province. In earlier records, this area was known as the home of the Sushen (c. 1100 BC), the Yilou (around AD 200), the Wuji (c. 500), and the Mohe or Malgal (c. 700).[15] Under the Qing and within modern scholarship,[c] some sources stress the continuity between these earlier peoples with the Jurchen[17] but this remains conjectural.[18]
The Tungusic Mohe tribes were subjects of the multi-ethnic kingdom of Balhae. The Mohe enjoyed eating pork, practiced pig farming extensively, and were mainly sedentary...
Chinese chroniclers of the Ming dynasty distinguished three different groups of Jurchens: the Wild Jurchens ... of northernmost Manchuria, the Haixi Jurchens ... of modern Heilongjiang Province and the Jianzhou Jurchens of modern Jilin Province. They led a pastoral-agrarian lifestyle, hunting, fishing, and engaging in limited agriculture. In 1388, the Hongwu Emperor dispatched a mission to establish contact with the Odoli, Huligai and T'owen tribes.
The issue of controlling the Jurchens was a point of contention between Joseon Korea and the early Ming.[22]

- continued -

@marcusnyc20 April 17, 2018 at 11:36 AM

- continued -
Part 4 of 5

The Yongle Emperor (r. 1402–1424) found allies among the various Jurchen tribes against the Mongols. He bestowed titles and surnames to various Jurchen chiefs and expected them to send periodic tribute. One of the Yongle Emperor's consorts was a Jurchen princess...
The Koreans dealt with the Jurchen military through appeals to material benefits and launching punitive expeditions. To appease them the Joseon court handed out titles and degrees, trading with them, and sought to acculturate them by having Korean women marry Jurchens and integrating them into Korean culture. These measures were unsuccessful and fighting continued between the Jurchen and the Koreans.[24][25] This relationship between the Jurchens and Koreans was ended by the Ming which envisioned the Jurchens as a form of protective border to the north.[26] In 1403, Ahacu, chieftain of Huligai, paid tribute to the Yongle Emperor. Soon after that, Mentemu, chieftain of Odoli clan of the Jianzhou Jurchens, defected from paying tribute to Korea, becoming a tributary to China instead. Yi Seong-gye, the first ruler of Joseon, asked the Ming dynasty to send Mentemu back but was refused.[27]...

Jianzhou Jurchens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianzhou_Jurchens

... After the fall of the Yuan dynasty in 1368, pockets of Yuan loyalists retreated to the northeast.... in 1387, the Ming began reorganizing the Jurchens in Liaodong to protect the Ming border region from further incursions. Various Jurchen groups had migrated south and three tribes settled themselves around the Tumen River near the modern border of China, Russia, and North Korea. [3]

In 1388, the Hongwu Emperor established contact with three tribes of Ilan Tumen in modern Yilan County near the confluence of the Mudanjiang River and the Songhua River. The Odori, Huligai (Hūrha or Hurka) and Tuowen Jurchens were enlisted
as allies against the Mongols. Jurchens began accepting Ming titles. Ahacu, chief of the Huligai, became commander of the Jianzhou Guard in 1403, named after a Yuan Dynasty political unit in the area. ... They undertook several short-term moves west, battling the Wild Jurchens of the north and the Koreans to their south. Jurchen raids into Korean territory brought about joint Korean-Ming counterattacks in 1467 and 1478 which severely weakened the Jianzhou Jurchens. [My emphasis added.]

- continued -

marcusnyc20 April 17, 2018 at 11:36 AM

- continued -
Part 5 of 5

List of Jurchen chieftains
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jurchen_chieftains

Huligai Clan (胡里改) (1403–? )
Ahacu (阿哈出) (Li Sicheng) (李思誠) (†1409–1410)
Šigiyanu 釋加奴 (Li-Hsien-chung/Li Xianzhong) (李顯忠)
Li-Man-chu (Li Manzhu (李滿住) (b. 1407 – †1467)

The Huligai clan was mentioned in the drama as the one with whom Traitorous Uncle was in contact. These are the names to listen for to establish the time line when Hwi was held captive in Manchuria. If the time line follows history, Hwi would likely have been taken captive when Li-Man-chu was chieftain.

Is “Jurchen” Itself a Perjorative Term?

Maybe it depends on whom you ask. Per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurchen_people:

Over a period of 30 years from 1586, Nurhaci, a chieftain of the Jianzhou Jurchens, united the Jurchen tribes, which was later renamed Manchu in 1635 by his son and successor, Hong Taiji...

Our gurun (tribe, state) originally had the names Manju, Hada, Ula, Yehe, and Hoifa. Formerly ignorant persons have frequently called [us] jušen. The term jušen refers to the Sibo and Chaomergen barbarians and has nothing to do with our gurun. Our gurun establishes the name Manju. Its rule will be long and transmitted over many generations. Henceforth persons should call our gurun its original name, Manju, and not use the previous demeaning name.
— Hong Taiji

There you have it, straight from the horse's (reindeer's?) mouth.

Trivia: The Khitans dubbed China “Cathay.”

-30-

Yeah, looking forward to that! I love it when the bad guys start turning against each other. Now there is a vengeful one-eyed gisaeng too! Na Gyum is crazy and deluded, but Kang knows exactly what her game is so she hasn't got a chance. Did you notice the little waltzy tune around minute 33-34? LOL

Let the shark frenzy begin. ;-)

One thing we haven't heard a peep about is Traitorous Uncle's offspring. I'd be very surprised if he didn't have any at all. Maybe his long-range game plan has been to take out his brother's descendants so his own son can take over, assuming he has one.

@wishfultoki,

Thank you so much for forging ahead with GRAND PRINCE recaps! My peepers are getting better after lots of shut-eye. ;-)

Great job! Manseh!

Hi @wishfultoki. Great recaps. Like you say below, that must have been a lot of work. Thanks for pinch hitting.

😊 Thanks for the recap @wishfultoki !!! I haven’t watched ep 16 yet either dua to Real Life, but I was missing having uri wonderful chingu (or should I call you sunbae due to your extensive? 😘) @pakalanapikake !! Get better soon! Hwaiting!

(And no pressure on your pseudo recaps, you may be our ringleader (president? CEO? Boss?) of The Grand Prince, but you have a faithful band of followers!! (I vote WishfulToki as second in command hehe)

...is not married then. (Where is orabeoni by the way?)

@wishfultoki,

I was just as nervous as you when Commander Do slipped Ja-hyun's letter to her father within the palace grounds. The walls have ears -- and eyes. I totally agree that Scholar Sung and Madam Ahn make a great team. Mom is on the same page as Dad, and trusts him.

That catfight at the temple was so ridiculous. The only reason why snotty Kkeut-dan wasn't pounded to a pulp is because Hwi has successfully declawed Ru Shi-gae, which will probably get her killed. She came off second-best against the Queen Dowager's chief court lady, too. She can beat the stuffings out of armed male opponents, but wimps out against hair-pulling hussies? Sheesh. I'm glad RSG at least got a good verbal jab in re: the maid's BS about her legions of admirers. Har.

Well done!
Looks like they are following a bit of the history here.

Episode 14: Additional Opinionated Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS

- continued - Part 2 of 2

Aside: I find myself wishing that Hwi could end up with Ru Shi-gae, who has already protected him for three years. I know, I know, she's one of those illiterate, uncivilized folks. (As if what Kang and Traitorous Uncle are doing is civilized?!) At the very least Hwi would have a Jurchen Early Warning System. (So sue me!)

As further evidence of Ja-hyun's single-minded disregard for others: Consider how many times Kkeut-dan has been raked over the coals by Madam Ahn because Ja-hyun insisted on sneaking out of the house to:

1) shop for pigment – or was that an approved outing?

2) watch the polo ponies. [A triple header!] Besides nearly getting Kkeut-dan sent off to the hiring fair, she landed Orabeoni in deep kimchi with Kang, and not only got him kicked off the first string, but soundly thrashed, too. Plus her presence in the tack room with Hwi was scandalous, particularly in front of Kang and his team mates. Dressed as a servant, she publicly mortified her parents and Orbeoni. So much for filial piety.

3) run around in drag drawing and riding horses and traipsing into a gibang with Hwi (despite his best efforts to stop her).

4) meet with Hwi, only to find out she'd walked smack into being shanghaied onto Kang's Love Boat -- and then jumping into the water before Hwi could bring his craft alongside so she could board it. She's such a drama queen. Hwi had to dive in after her, risking both their lives. And then sitting around in her wet clothes until Kkeut-dan could bring dry ones was another scandalous interlude. (And he's in wet clothes, too.) Great way for everyone to catch pneumonia, dollface.

5) sneak into the army camp to deliver clothing to Hwi, which risked: ruining army morale, causing a scandal for her family, and getting Hwi court martialed or worse. She undermined his reputation, gave Traitorous Uncle and Kang more ammunition to use against Hwi, demonstrated that he cannot control her, revealed to all that the daughter of the Chief Scholar is heedless of both Confucian norms and the consequences of her actions on other people. She caused her parents, her father in particular, to be beholden to Kang for his escorting her home from the expeditionary force. Her blithe ignorance of the dangers of traveling on the road alone at night revealed her to be an idiot. Her utter disregard for Kang and his exhausted men and horses after they journeyed all night was a rude oversight. I was ready to smack her when she tried to eat dinner alone and Kang had to point out to her that they needed to get their stories straight in order for him to prevent a public scandal when they arrived back in the capital.

Yep, the loose cannon is single-mindedly oblivious.

-30-

Episodes 15 & 16 Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

- continued - Part 2 of 5

I can't wait to see the rest of that meeting between Commander Do, Yo-kyung, and Hwi. Oh, to be a fly on the wall. By now, I hope that Hwi fully understands how thoroughly helpless the gisaeng was to resist Kang's orders. That includes hyung's heavy-handed attempt to have her seduce him, the losing captain, at the victory dinner following the polo match.

As I have suspected all along, Kang has wisely refrained from having children with Na-gyeom. Without issue, she doesn't have a leg to stand on. If anything happens to Kang, she'll be out on her ear. As a royal consort, she will not be allowed to remarry. Har! Assuming she isn't executed for her role in framing Hwi and brainstorming the massacre at his wedding.

Did anyone else look at that big bowl of mercury (talk about overkill) and wonder where they'd seen a seja's bathwater poisoned with the stuff? I'm looking at you, MOON LOVERS: SCARRED HEART.

This may not be a popular opinion, but here goes: Ja-hyun, in her own way, is as much of an egomaniac as Kang is. She always puts her own wants first, heedless of their implications or impact on others, and has harmed Hwi repeatedly in the process. Impulse control is not one of her virtues, although when it suits her, she is capable of forethought (as in malice aforethought when planning to murder Kang). For the daughter of a high-ranking minister, she is also quite clueless. Her Orabeoni comes across as a jerk, but that's only because he knows which way the political winds blow, which is something she has studiously ignored most of her life. (In this regard, she is like Hwi, but their motivations are different.)

I've been getting increasingly fed up with Ja-hyun. From the beginning, she has placed unrealistic demands and expectations on Hwi. (Remember her insistence on going to the gibang?) She attempted to make him promise not to go to war when, as a prince of the realm, it was his duty to do so. He practically had to draw her a diagram to explain that she has to take a number. The nation's demands trump hers. And then, because of her egocentric, foolhardy behavior, he got called on the carpet in disgrace for having a woman in the expedition camp and could have been court-martialed. She has the nerve to be angry that she didn't hear from him for 3 years when he was held captive. Um, where was he going to find a carrier pigeon, or a messenger in Jurchenland?!

- continued -

Episodes 15 & 16 Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

- continued - Part 3 of 5

Ja-hyun is the one who dragged Hwi off to the temple for the promise ceremony in front of the Buddha. She never gave him the opportunity to release her from the relationship owing to the uncertainties of war. It was all very romantic. Under the guise of love, she's run roughshod over him. (I'm beginning to think that she's read too many trashy novels.) Hwi has let her get away with it because he loves her – and because she's too headstrong to control. It makes him look even more weak and ineffectual. Sad to say, Hwi is not cut out to be a king. How could he lead a nation when one person – who professes to love him – doesn't even listen to him?

While jumping to conclusions and accusing Hwi of not trusting her, from the beginning Ja-hyun failed to trust Hwi enough to even once tell him that his brother had been relentlessly pursuing her. She also kept silent that her former friend, now his sister-in-law, has been making her life miserable. (It's a direct parallel to what gisaeng Cho Yo-kyung has endured.) If she had said something earlier, Hwi might have realized that Kang and Traitorous Uncle were really out to get him. She withheld that information from her parents as well. Her father might not have been caught flat-footed had she tipped him off. He could have read the writing on the wall. Her self-righteous anger at her father for denouncing Hwi to save his own family, including her own ungrateful neck, really got my goat. If she had spoken up earlier, they might have been able to sidestep the trap by having a very small private wedding without any outside guests. (Then there's the whole intelligence failure on the part of Queen Dowager and her brother. But that's another issue.)

I just about lost it when Ja-hyun complained that Hwi should have sent her a message from exile when he was planning to fake his death. Hellooo?! What part of assassins does she not understand? Aside from the suddenness of developments, with all of Kang's minions lurking around to intercept it, Hwi wouldn't dare. That would have constituted proof of treason, and gotten him hauled back to the capital to be executed with pomp and circumstance. He actually did send her a letter as soon as he arrived on the island that was delivered after his “death.” Doesn't that count for anything? It's not his fault that it took so long to reach her.

- continued -

Episodes 15 & 16 Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

- continued - Part 4 of 5

As I recall, Hwi had said that maybe Ja-hyun had a good reason for going to the palace. He was willing to keep an open mind, while being horrified at the implication that his fiancee was now his brother's concubine. He had no way of knowing that Kang had attempted to subvert royal protocol by summoning her under cover of darkness the very day he ascended the throne. Nor had he any idea that Ja-hyun's preemptive strike with poison and hairpin had succeeded in fending off Kang's attempt to bed her. As far as Hwi knew, the love of his life was now forever out of bounds. In this whole sad fiasco, Gi-teuk is the only (equally helpless) witness who truly knows what Kang is capable of doing to Hwi and his people.

One other item caught my eye. Both Hwi and Ja-hyun have withheld the true nature and extent of their incarceration and wounds from each other. In an effort to spare his fiancee's delicate sensibilities, Hwi downplayed his war wounds. If she ever gets a load of his scars, she'll be shocked. She tried to hide her own torture marks. Because of their nobly-idiotic denial of the true nature of what their opponents have put them through, they have unrealistic expectations of each other. I realize that Joseon and Confucian decorum probably prohibited such a discussion. In the mean time, Ru Shi-gae just does her own first aid and carries on stoically. I'm sure Gi-teuk would have helped her if she asked, but she can take care of herself. Gotta love a low-maintenance Jurchen princess.

It's not clear to me whether Scholar Sung has already set off for Ming with his petition to acknowledge Kang as the new king. I presume that he will be part of the delegation since he is Joseon's leading scholar and the author of the petition. Here's hoping that he wrote a subtly-worded document that raises a red flag and prompts the Ming officials to summon him for a private audience sans the spies Kang will undoubtedly send along.

I'm also banking on Scholar Sung's having friends and acquaintances at court, just as Hwi undoubtedly has. When news of Traitorous Uncle's and Kang's treachery reaches them, it may even be old news. I'll bet that Ming already knows how Hwi was betrayed and imprisoned for three years, and might even have the letter itself to prove it. Some of the Jurchen chieftains may have already defected from collaboration with the Koreans – or are about to in the wake of Kang's coldblooded murder of the Jurchen ambassador to the Korean court.

- continued -

Episodes 15 & 16 Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

- continued - Part 5 of 5

When the Jurchen contingent arrived, they weren't referred to as orangkae so I thought they were Chinese, based on their dress. Their hair maybe should have been the giveaway. Plus Kang wouldn't have killed a Ming ambassador if he knew what was good for him. The Jurchen's gloves are now off. I can't wait to see if Hwi ends up having to safely escort the Jurchen diplomats across the border.

Friendly Wager #1: Ru Shi-gae will be called upon to act as translator since Kim Kwan and his father are deceased. This may raise her status. I hope so.

Friendly Wager #2: One of the Jurchen diplomats will recognize her, or even be related to her.

Methinks Kang could be coming unglued because he's being poisoned with mercury by his dear wife. (Or maybe she's being set up to take the fall for it. Har.)

I have to admit that Kkeut-dan used her head in and inspired fashion when she delivered Ja-hyun's letter to Hwi. It enabled him to instantly ascertain her state of mind in the time following his purported death. Her present pissy knee-jerk petulance cannot hide the fact that she's cutting off her nose to spite her face by treating him badly. He already feels bad that he cannot protect her. What the heck does she expect? He hasn't been able to protect himself or his little nephew against Kang and his gang.

-30-

Ethnographic Musings

Sorry to take so long with this speculative ethnographic post. It's been marinating in the back of my mind, and was triggered by the scene (in ep. 17?) of Hwi telling Ja-hyun, while washing laundry in the stream, that not only had he learned to do all his own domestic chores, but he and Gi-teuk had even built a house while in captivity. The house-building comment got my attention because it sounded like the kind of skill that in bygone days would have signalled marriageability, along with becoming a competent hunter, warrior, farmer, rider, archer, and doer of “men's work.”

I got thinking back to the first time Ru Shi-gae saw Hwi when he went to the Jurchen settlement to negotiate. She fell for him at first sight, just like the young ladies back home. LOL. When she later brought food to the negotiators' lodgings, he clearly connected with her Joseon parentage, but probably confused her with his interest. He was just looking for common ground, and also wanted to show her the correct way to tie her mother's coat strings. I don't blame her for misinterpreting his interest.

I don't recall when it was stated that RSG was a Jurchen princess. (Was her father the paramount chief of the Huligai, or one of his lieges?) That would have put her on equal footing with Hwi socially, aside from the fact that she was half “barbarian.” Her rescue of the Korean party when hostilities broke out showed quick thinking and maybe even forethought. Had she overheard that treachery was afoot? How is it that she “just happened” to have clothing available for all of them?

Later, after rescuing Hwi from the mass grave he'd been dumped into after collapsing while on burial detail with Gi-teuk, RSG brought him to a clean, if spartan, building where she cared for him until he regained consciousness. I chuckled at the Pocahontas and John Smith parallel. Perhaps as a princess she had freedom of unquestioned movement that Joseon women could only dream of. As he recovered, she moved him away from habitations, and it seems she sparred with him, too. That may have been when he was learning to become self-sufficient. I bet she taught him (and later Gi-teuk) all her Jurchen survival skills.

I got wondering whether Jurchen women were the ones who called the shots in relationships. Perhaps as the ancient Manchurian equivalent of Sadie Hawkins?! Alas, I was able to find only one article on Manchu culture in English (posted on my fan wall), and it only stated that as of 1976, Manchu are monogamous and patrilocal (brides move in with their husband's family). I was kind of hoping that RSG was bagging a Joseon spouse (or two!) and bringing him/them up to speed on survival skills, but such was apparently not the case. However, it could have been different in the past. ;-)

All the while they were captive, it seems that Hwi and Gi-teuk did not bother to learn to speak Manchu, unlike their late colleague, Lieutenant Kim. That leaves the door...

@wishfultoki,

I watched ep. 17 & 18 raw, but haven't seen the subtitles yet.

Right -- I recall that both Ja-hyun and Ru Shi-gae commented on the whistling sound of Hwi's name. Somehow I don't think his royal parents named him "Flutist" -- ROFLMAO!

Maybe he's supposed to charm snakes in the grass?

Wait a second. You might have a point there. V's recap mentioned that the #2 emissary told Hwi that when his people fight, they play a flute. In lieu of a clarion call? Hmmm. Sounds like the Scots putting the fear of God into their opponents with bagpipes. (There's a reason why the Germans in WWI called the kilted pipers "ladies from Hell.")

I really liked how the Manchu emissaries brought Traitorous Uncle's letter with them concealed in the flute. It's almost as good as a file baked into a cake. LOL!

I rephrased the question and asked what the hanja for Hwi's name means.

Bingo! I googled "sino-korean hwi" and look what popped up... This rings a bell from early in the show.

From Sino-Korean 輝 (hwi) meaning "brightness, luster, brilliance"

https://www.behindthename.com/name/hwi01in/submitted

Brightness. Hwi's personality is bright and shining. He always wore lighter clothes than Kang, who dressed in darker tones.

I think I found my answer. ;-)

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 2 of 11

Dressed as guards and court ladies, Hwi, Gi-teuk, Ja-hyun, and Shi-gae depart the mountain temple, with the three former prisoners setting out to booby trap the road to the place of exile. Hwi sends the others ahead, and begs Ja-hyun to stay behind. She refuses, and asks how this is any different from the nunnery where she was to be imprisoned. He tells her it's dangerous, and she retorts that it applies to him, too. “If I tell you not to go, will you listen to me?” Dang. Wag the dog. “You said we'd do it together, but now that it's time, you want me to stay away because it's dangerous. When you said you respected me, was it just words?” [I want to hogtie and gag her. Grrr.] “I am not insisting for no reason. I have a role to play in our efforts to rescue the King.” She completely bulldozes Hwi, who can only shake his head in frustration at being unable to get a word in edgewise. Later, Hwi with Ja-hyun in front of him, and Gi-teuk smiling to himself with Shi-gae holding on from behind, gallop off.

Kang sits down to eat and notices red blotches on his hands. This triggers a major freakout as he fears he's being poisoned. The royal physician opines that it is a food allergy to crab and prescribes a tonic and acupuncture to rebuild his strength. Na-gyeom calms him. The doctor tells him such reactions to foods can be intermittent, and can arise without warning. He says that his sleep has been disturbed and he hasn't been eating well, either. The reaction can occur when one's health is weakened. Kang tells the doc, “If you're lyin', you're dying.” Na-gyeom orders the court lady to instruct the kitchen to never serve crab again.

Breathing heavily, Kang looks down at his red robe, and starts taking it off. His wife asks why. He says he feels itchy. “They poisoned my arrow. Why not my clothes?” He throws the robe at the doctor and tells him to inspect the lining for contaminants. Doc does so, and Kang huffs like a hunted animal.

Kang is turning into a paranoid basket case as he continues to experience rashes (hives). (Did medical knowledge back then really encompass allergies and other derangements of immune response?) At any rate, I can sympathize with him. Out of the blue, I developed an allergy to shrimp after eating it for much of my life. I didn't realize that the itchiness of my mouth was a prelude to anaphylaxis. The royal physician has my sympathy because his patient is one who tends to slash first and ask questions later. The good news is that Kang wasn't poisoned. On the other hand, Kang's skin rashes are driving him bonkers, and have him convinced that someone has been messing with his royal robes. He's turning into a hypochondriac. He may be manifesting psychosomatic illness, too.

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 3 of 11

Later, Na-gyeom confers with her Orabeoni and tells him of Kang's frantic gyrations. She says she can understand why he's like this because of the arrow incident, but the severity of his unease is worrisome. He asks if it will get better with time. She replies that the problem is that every day has become hell for the King. He thought that ascending the throne would solve everything, but now he has new worries every day.

Orabeoni tells her she should bear a wonja pronto, which will make him feel better. Na-gyeom flashes back to Ja-hyun's prediction that usurpers will feel their whole lives become uneasy. “There will never be a relaxing day. You won't be able to sleep at night. You will be suspicious about every morsel of food. Silk clothing will cut into you, and the royal bedding will feel like a bed of nails.” Nice curse, Ja-hyun. Gotta love your power of suggestion. Orabeoni asks if she has been having a hard time as well. She asks in turn if he misses the bad old days when he had no title. He shakes his head “no.” She says she doesn't like it, either. But it's better to cry in luxury in the palace than to smile in a thatched hovel.

At an oxbow bend in a river, in the lee of a ridge, an isolated house is guarded by two soldiers. Inside, Kinglet lies on the bare floor of a sparsely-furnished room. A single tear falls from his eye as he traces figures on the floor and calls for his mother.

The trio camouflage the pit trap in the roadway, then hide behind a tree at the sound of approaching horses. Traitorous Uncle's henchman is in the lead. His horse stumbles into the concealed pit and pitches him off, then draws up with blood on its left rear lower leg. The rider rolls safely onto his feet, sees the injury, and brutally throws one of the other horsemen off his mount and climbs up. He tells him to find another horse and meet them at the place of exile. The stalling tactic was a bust.

Hwi & Co. arrive at the place of exile. When the two sentries challenge them, Ja-hyun says that Debi Mama is concerned for her son, and has sent food and drink (the good stuff the King sips) from the palace for the guards to keep their strength up. Everyone smiles sheepishly while encouraging them to have a good meal. As they eat, Hwi and Ja-hyun enter Kinglet's room, where he's asleep on the floor. Hwi hunkers down and softly calls “Jeonha” until the boy opens his big brown eyes. He looks a lot like his uncle, which makes for cuteness overload. When he asks if Uncle will take him to his mother, a teary Hwi nods “yes,” and the lad leaps into his arms and hangs onto his neck.

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 4 of 11

When they exit, the two sentries are out cold. Must have had a couple of Mickey Finns. Just as the party hustles past the fence, the assassins ride up. The two groups eye each other. Gi-teuk looks at Hwi and tells him to leave. He and Ru Shi-gae will take on the assassins, and he informs them that they'll be taking the King. Henchman says, “Absolutely not,” and demands to know which group they belong to. Commander Do demands that they release the King. Henchman recognizes Hwi, who runs off with the boy and Ja-hyun. Shi-gae and Gi-teuk go on the offensive. Just then the trio joins the fray. Do tells henchman that he'll go after Hwi and Kinglet. Shortly thereafter henchman takes off after Do. Gi-teuk grabs a horse and rides off.

Hwi and Ja-hyun hot-foot it with Kinglet until Do catches up with them. He tells Hwi he will divert the pursuers in another direction, and once they vanquish the assassins, they'll follow right behind them. Just then henchman calls out to them to halt. He puts two and two together that Do tried to delay them, and also had a hand in Hwi's escape from the island. The two swordsmen engage while Hwi and Ja-hyun run off with Kinglet.

Gi-teuk shows up on horseback, and entreats Hwi to take Kinglet and escape. He will watch out for the lady. Hwi wants to take her with them, but an argument between the three adults ensues that it will be too much weight for the horse to outrun single riders. Hwi is torn. Ja-hyun blathers on and on and says that she's had a role to play up until now, but now she'll only be a hindrance. His task is to get the king to safety. Commander Do will be with them, and they'll meet them in the capital. This is precisely why Hwi wanted you to stay back at the ranch, madam. You're driving him crazy with worry. Kinglet calls to Uncle, and Hwi manages to tear himself away after entrusting her safety to Gi-teuk.

Everyone else is still fighting. Commander Do slugs it out with henchman, and finally slashes his left arm. Just then Ja-hyun runs up, and henchman takes her prisoner, his blade at her throat. Gi-teuk races up and draws his sword as henchman tells them not to follow. Ja-hyun notices he's bleeding, and recalls RSG's move to break the kind of hold he's using on her. She's shocked when it works, and escapes his grasp. Henchman makes his own escape, but Do chases after him. Gi-teuk escorts her back to the melee, where RSG has finished beating the snot out of the opposition. It would have been over a long time ago if she'd been free to kill the bums. Ho-chi has gotten his arm sliced. They tie up the assassins and lock them in the house of exile. But with that flimsy front door, do you really expect me to believe that that many assassins couldn't get together and bust it down? Jinjja?!

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 5 of 11

Next day at the palace, Kang thanks Chief Scholar Sung for deciding deliver the petition to Ming. The minister tells him he has a request: that he would like his daughter released from the nunnery. Kang says that if he does the nation this honor, he can name his reward. “You could have even greater fortune visited upon your household.” Kang just never gives up.

When Orabeoni reports to Na-gyeom that Chief Scholar Sung is the King's Envoy to Ming, she is alarmed. She calls him a traitor who caused turmoil in the King's life. Man, is she ever delusional. Bro tells her that Minister Sung is the best qualified scholar in the land for the job. And no one else is willing to do the hard work. “If his power increases, would he leave his daughter at the Jeongubwon Temple? He should have had her commit suicide for the family honor.” Ya know, Na-gyeom, you are so darned cute when you say stuff like that. I can't help but wonder if this is foreshadowing. Methinks you'll have a date with a bowl of poison. She dispatches bro to check up on Ja-hyun at the temple.

Hwi and Kinglet make a pit stop in the woods. Uncle brings a few ripe ultra-early raspberries to Nephew, who pronounces them tasty. “How did you know about this fruit, Uncle?” Hwi replies, “There was a time when I had to live off these berries.” “Why did you eat these? You should eat rice and meat, too.” Uncle smiles at him. “When you get older, Jeonha, you must remember. In this world, there are people who must eat fruits in the mountains because they have no rice or meat. A king must take care of those people first.” Kinglet nods sagely, then breaks into the sweetest smile. I'm melting. The tyke is already a noona killer.

Wounded henchman staggers to Traitorous Uncle's house. He stops in front of it, only to hear waiting Commander Do unsheath his sword. They tussle, and Do slashes him. Henchman croaks right in from of his boss's front gate. When Traitorous Uncle comes out to hear Do report, he sees his dead henchman and learns that the King was gone from the place of exile when Do's party arrived, and that the security that he'd sent was actually a spy for the enemy, which blows Unc's mind. How I love it when lying liars who lie reap what they sowed. Gosh, Commander Do, you lie through your teeth so beautifully. You are a true master of psy ops. And Traitorous Uncle has no idea what hit him.

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 6 of 11

Back at their hideout, Hwi tucks the pooped-out Kinglet into bed. Hwi steps outside to await his troops' return just as they arrive. He sees blood all over Ja-hyun's blouse and freaks out. She tells him it's not her blood, which isn't a comforting thought because she still got close enough for someone to bleed on her. She nonchalantly tells him not to worry, and I want to smack her. As he's about to hug her, Ru Shi-gae puts up her hand to stop him and tells him, “We're the one's who fought, and we're the ones who got hurt,” indicating herself, Gi-teuk, and the trio. Ho-chi shows his slashed upper right arm. Gi-teuk pitifully reports that his arm hurts. Another reports he cannot see, but changes his tune right before their captain dispenses a classic Three Stooges “pick two, any two” poke in the eye, which cracks everyone up, although RSG is quite subdued. She saved everyone's bacon single-handedly while Gi-teuk was engaged elsewhere.

Ja-hyun pats Kinglet as he snoozes. Hwi enters and hands her a bowl of something, perhaps water. Ja-hyun pontificates. “I think I can understand how Ru Shi-gae feels.” [Um, I doubt it. You revel in abstractions, whereas the Jurchen Warrior Princess is attuned to the world of the senses and feelings, and what can be directly perceived.] Hwi asks, “Ru Shi-gae?” as if hearing her name for the first time. “It can't be compared to being together for three years, but now that I've gone through life and death, joy and sorrow with you, I feel close to you. And it feels as if we are inside each other's hearts.” Hwi gives her a look. “No thanks. I don't want to go through this suffering again. Next time, stay behind like a good girl. If you follow me one more time, my heart will be as good as gone.” She smiles serenely. [I want to deck her.] She wonders if they'll be able to protect his nephew, and Hwi flashes back to his late hyung's request that he protect their family and its blood line. “He asked me not to let anyone die. In order to carry out my Hyung-nim's will, I have made myself a dead man, gone from this world. Everyone thinks I'm dead, don't they?” She says,”The day you return to the world will become a day of victory that shows that Truth and Justice always win.” Hwi replies, “But even if that day comes, I'll be in pain. Because the one who has to be punished is none other than Hyung-nim. Because we are now destined to fight within the family and point swords at our own blood kin. That has now become our destiny.” She wordlessly reaches out and takes his hand. Damn, what a scene.

[Aside: I just realized that Hwi has died three times so far: twice in Jurchenland, once in Joseon. No wonder he tells Ja-hyun he feels like a dead man.]

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 7 of 11

In another room, Captain bandages Ho-chi's arm while Gi-teuk and the third member of the trio look on. #3 opines that they're in the wrong hiding place because they are not allowed to eat meat on the premises, even though it would help them recover from their exertions as it is more filling than vegetable matter. Gi-teuk listens wordlessly as the others perk up at the thought of a good meal. Ho-chi seems to have made a miraculous recovery at the prospect of hunting for dinner and eating outside the temple precincts. Gi-teuk asks if they were aware that Kang did that very thing and got blasted by the chief priest. He looks worried about something.

Alone in the women's dorm, Ru Shi-gae attends to her own wounds, then wets her hand and draws the character for Hwi's name on the floor. It seems to make her happy, even as she tries to suppress a painful grimace.

Hwi and Ja-hyun are arrayed on either side of slumbering Kinglet. Hwi rests his hand on the boy's head, and Ja-hyun puts her hand atop his. They silently look at each other across his sleeping form, then reach their hands across his chest and intertwine their fingers. Next morning, they are still holding hands as the sunlight streams in.

In the throne room, Kang asks Chief Royal Secretary Shim Jung if the deposed king could not be caught. He confirms that rebels spirited the boy away from his place of exile. Kang is convinced the rebels are stirring up a fuss. He orders Commander Do of the Dongisa (Royal Investigation Bureau?) to investigate everyone at court without exception to discover who is leading the rebels, and to find Kinglet. If he fails, he'll lose his post. Aha! This is the order Do needed so he can dig up the dirt on Traitorous Uncle, who looks slightly askance, as does Kang's brother-in-law.

Chief Royal Secretary presents Kang with a scroll from the governor of Hamgyeong Province. It informs the king that the Jurchens want to send a delegation to congratulate him on ascending the throne. Uncle looks spooked, and Kang looks pensive.

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 8 of 11

At the mountain temple, Hwi deliberates with Do and Ja-hyun as to who tried to kill Kang. Gi-teuk says that every servant who could have gone against the king has already been killed, and everyone thinks Hwi is dead, too. Do says they didn't make a move, but there is another group trying to kill the king, which can only mean that opposition is building at court. Ja-hyun says to look at it another way. In order to frame Hwi, Kang turned their wedding into a blood bath and even got himself hurt. Someone was close enough to get to Kang's bow and arrow, but did not poison his food. His skin was affected, but his life was not endangered. Who would stand to benefit? Hwi replies that Kinglet was dethroned and exiled. Commander Do says that Grand Prince Yang-an then ordered the assassination as if he expected it. Gi-teuk concurs that it was Grand Prince Yang-an, who dragged Hwi to the north and got him captured. Hwi asks, “Did Hyung-nim order it, or was uncle acting on his own?” Do replies that he doesn't think Kang ordered it. The horror that Kang senses is real. None of the people around Kang are safe. They are all paranoid thinking that someone is out to get them.

Hwi concludes they should attack Traitorous Uncle. He relates how his mother had told him how his brother's wife and concubines could not bring a pregnancy to term. The queen was sent to her family home when she was pregnant. Gi-teuk asks, “How should we attack Grand Prince Yang-an?” Hwi answers that they have to let Kang know that uncle is the culprit. Court Lady Hong, the royal physician and nurses, and every officer and minister who is close to Uncle. Investigate all of them. Do answers, “If Grand Prince Yang-an is the culprit, how will the King react?” Hwi answers, “He won't take it lying down. This time Uncle went too far.”

Kkeut-dan leaves the Sung residence. A “street vendor” alias Kang's henchman tails her to the mountain temple. She doesn't see him hiding behind a tree. Pfft. Her sneak-fu is no good.

Commander Do of the Royal Investigation Agency stops Court Lady Hong on the palace grounds and asks that she come with him for questioning. The royal physician is likewise escorted away. Three more maids (nurses?) are hauled in.

As Kang is being dressed in his red robes he suddenly feels his arms itching. He pulls up his sleeves, and sees red blotches. Throwing the robe on the floor, he shudders. His clothing issues are becoming reminiscent of Prince Sado's wardrobe hangups.

Traitorous Uncle and Chief Royal Secretary enter the palace courtyard. The secretary complains that there won't be anyone left to work in the palace at the rate things are going. The royal kitchen staff feels as if they're taking their lives in their hands every time they serve a meal. Now the infirmary is under suspicion.

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 9 of 11

In his quarters, Kang brandishes a sword at the throat of a royal tailor and asks him why his clothes make him itch. The poor man says that he's using exactly the same fabric for Kang's robes as for the previous kings'. Next Kang threatens the four maids who brought the clothing over and asks if they put something on it. They all cringe in denial. The royal physician speaks up and again tells Kang the reason for his hives: malnourishment from stress. It sounds as if he hasn't been taking his tonic.

Kang picks up his red robe with the tip of his sword, and orders the royal tailor to put it on (a criminal offense) and prove that it is safe. The tailor protests, and just then a eunuch announces Uncle and the Chief Royal Secretary. Kang greets his uncle and reports that there's been another attempt on his life today. His clothes were poisoned. Uncle dismisses everyone, and he and the secretary hustle them out. Kang protests that they have to get the confessions. Uncle looks chastened. Outside, Commander Do approaches as the Chief Royal Secretary heads away from the verandah and asks what is going on. Do replies that they found the culprit who caused His Majesty's illness.

Uncle kneels down and tells Kang that he is suspicious of a traitor who does not exist. “A traitor who does not exist? You saw those attempts on my life.” Uncle replies, “You are suffering from a mental illness. I caused it.” Commander Do enters and informs Kang that Uncle is the traitor. The Captain of the Palace Guard corroborates it, and says the royal physician and a guard have confessed. “The guard contaminated the arrow and the doctor falsely claimed that it was poisonous.”

“Then it wasn't poison?” Kang asks. Do answers, “Your face was affected because of poison, but it was not put on to harm you.” Uncle states, “I needed an excuse to dethrone the king.” Chief Royal Secretary is furious. “To depose the innocent former king, you risked harming the King's body?!” Do says, “Misguided loyalty can be treason, Jeonha. I will take him to the investigation agency.

Sighing, Kang asks why Uncle did it. Uncle finally looks at him and says it was for him. “The reason I got rid of the former king is to cement your position on the throne, and to secure your position among the royal line.” Kang shouts that he is capable of having been a good king. He could have brought good fortune to the land. But Uncle doubted him, just as his mother always has. When Uncle says he wanted to make Kang's path easier, the King accuses him of turning him into a puppet. He spins around and slashes at his neck, stopping just in the nick of time. He throws the sword on the floor. “What happened today did not happen.”

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 10 of 11

Commander Do protests that even though it was not poison, it was still an act of treason.

Kang hollers that if news of this leaks out, he will behead everyone present. He relieves Uncle as Prime Minister, and places him under house arrest. Uncle prostrates himself. After he staggers to his feet, Do grabs his arm to escort him, but Kang orders the Captain of the Royal Guard to take him home. Outside his residence, Uncle tells the Captain of the Royal Guard to watch out for Do Jung-kook. He says he has no proof, but he knows that Do is up to something.

Outside the palace's main gate, the Captain of the Royal Guard meets Kang's spy who has been watching Scholar Sung's residence. He reports that Ja-hyun's maid often goes to a temple by herself, and transports bags back and forth. The guard captain asks for the location.

The Jurchen delegation of six emissaries, escorted by Chief Royal Secretary, enter the palace grounds bearing gifts. Kang receives them in the throne room and thanks them for coming such a long distance. The leader addresses him in Korean, and Kang compliments him on his fluency. He states that their chieftain sent them with gifts to congratulate him on ascending the throne. “There is something our leader is waiting for. We would like you to fulfill the promise you made before you ascended the throne. And fulfill the protocol as a sister state to our tribe.” Chief Royal Secretary and Captain of the Palace Guard look confused. “Doing so will ensure a long-lasting friendship between us. We look forward to it.”

Kang does not look amused. “Keep our promise? Did you come to threaten the king of Joseon?”

“What do you mean 'threaten'? We are merely asking you to keep your promise. When was it that you rose to the throne with our help? Are you pretending to not remember now?”

Kang grabs the Captain of the Palace Guard's sword, walks over to the delegation, and slashes their leader in cold blood. He threatens the second-in-command with a sword to the throat. “Deliver this message to your tribal leader. Since he dared keep one of our princes hostage for three years, it makes sense to punish them, but we've not taken revenge because a child king was at the helm. Now that I'm on the throne, I am prepared to show our strength. So if he doesn't observe etiquette, I'll visit him along with a large army.”

- continued -

Episode 16 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 11 of 11

At the Sung residence, Kkeut-dan futilely attempts to stop Madam Ahn from going to the mountain temple to see Ja-hyun. Mom has been fooled into complacency. She insists on going to pretend to pray so she can see her daughter. Orabeoni says he'll escort them. Elsewhere, a detachment of swordsmen led by the Captain of the Palace Guard heads for the mountain temple, but the Sung trio arrive first. Mom forges ahead. Now we know from whom Ja-hyun gets her stubborn determination. Soon the guard contingent arrives. The chief tells them to wait at the gate while he follows the Sungs.

Hwi and Gi-teuk watch as Ru Shi-gae gives Ja-hyun a lesson in self-defense. Hwi rushes over when the pupil complains that it hurts, and tells RSG to not be so rough. The hapa-Jurchen asks him when he's seen real attackers acting as if it were a rehearsal. As Hwi brushes the dirt off her, Mom's party arrives and sees Ja-hyun. She calls to her. Hwi freezes when he hears her voice, and keeps his back turned. He starts to walk away, and Gi-teuk accompanies him. The Captain of the Royal Guard sees the reunion, and pops back around the corner of a building down the hillside. Then he spots Hwi? Orabeoni seems to recognize someone, too. Shi-gae?

-30-

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 2 of 10

Orabeoni calls out to the retreating figures and asks if they had helped his sister escape from the other temple. Hwi turns to him, triggering understandable shock in the visitors. Indoors, Mom meets with the couple and tells them that they should just go somewhere safe and live together. He tells her that he definitely wants to marry her daughter, and doesn't want Ja-hyun to spend the rest of her life on the run. Because they love each other, being apart is not an issue. From her, he learned that not even death can separate them.

Because of the difficulties she's endured because of knowing him, Hwi has thought that they maybe should not have met. He thought he should let her go, and has already regretted it once. But saying goodbye was even more difficult. Because of his hardships, he now knows what is truly precious. Anger has helped him think more deeply. A single difficult situation can put everything in perspective. Had he lived the uneventful life of a grand prince, he wouldn't have learned these lessons. That life is precious. How much he loves her. Mom says she just wants them to happily live a life full of laughter together. Ja-hyun tells her she's already happy now. Hwi gazes at her and sighs. It is a beautiful scene.

Orabeoni and Kkeut-dan sit nearby out on the stoop. He grouses that his sister the PITA is still being endangered by hanging around with Hwi, and should have just become Kang's concubine already. The maid shushes him as she asks how he cannot know his sister, who will die without Hwi. She ranks out on him as being oblivious in matters of the heart. He says he's been hurt more than she realizes. If he told her how he feels, could she accept it? The look he gives her... that she returns... as he moves in for a smooch. Rawr. (I'm beginning to wonder if Kkeut-dan will be ennobled for services to Ja-hyun so Orabeoni can marry her.)

Ru Shi-gae comes to her rescue and utterly kills the moment with a snack of scorched rice. Kkeut-dan raves about the delicacy, which the three share, with RSG sitting between them. He looks preciously irked. Amazingly, bro Deuk-sik compliments her improved Korean, but says she still has no sense. Shockingly, neither of them calls RSG, nor the Jurchen envoys, orangkae (!) when he tells her Kang killed them. They both agree that it's bad to kill envoys, even Jurchen ones. I had to pick myself up off the floor. RSG looks concerned but says nothing.

At the Jurchen envoys' residence in Northern Pyunggwan, Kang's brother-in-law, War Minister Yoon, arrives with a detachment of guards, who proceed to fruitlessly ransack the premises. The deputy envoy is outraged, and Na-gyeom's orabeoni threatens to kill him just like his late boss. He orders the soldiers to collect everything that looks like a document.

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 3 of 10

Meanwhile, the Queen Dowager chews out Kang for treating officially recognized envoys so badly, even if they are orangkae. Even when a Ming envoy to Goryeo was assassinated, an underling ordered it and the king had plausible deniability. Kang says he was only giving her the revenge she sought when Hwi was missing. He has warned the Jurchens of Joseon's anger. She blows her stack and asks why he's taking revenge now, since Hwi is dead. He replies that the Jurchen think Joseon is merely a brother state, not a superior, and they don't respect him as king. Mom asks if that's why he demoted his uncle. Kang retorts that Uncle Yang-an was impatient and tried to control him. Plus, as a royal relative, he really should not have been Prime Minister, but was only appointed on an emergency basis. Mom yells at him to hold his horses and to not act unilaterally, but rather in collaboration with the rest of the court. Kang tells her that the subjects (i.e., yangban and ministers) want to run the country, but he wants to strengthen the monarchy. She asks if he understands how one person's tyranny can ruin the people and overturn history. She reams him out royally.

As he departs her palace with his tail between his legs, Kang meets his brother-in-law and Captain Eo of the Royal Guard, back from his spy mission at the mountain temple. The former reports that the Huligai envoys appear to have not brought the document. Kang replies that there was never a deal with them anyway. Rumors have to be stopped. When bro-in-law begins to worry about the Jurchens revealing that their envoy was killed, Kang says that's exactly what he wants revealed. If they provoke him, he will have grounds for crushing them. Captain of the Royal Guard gives him a significant look. Kang orders that troops in the north be mobilized and deployed to the Pajeo River. War Minister Yoon leaves.

Captain Eo reports privately that they found Ja-hyun at the mountain temple she used to frequent. Her family was visiting her. Should he move her to another location? It's not a good time to bring her to the palace. Kang asks who took her there, but they don't know yet. Eo has spies there on stakeout. He withdrew without alerting her to his presence lest she escape. Kang says he'll go there to meet with her.

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 4 of 10

Commander Do of the Royal Investigation Bureau, accompanied by translator Ru Shi-gae and soldier Lee Hwi, arrive at the Jurchen envoys' residence. Kang's guard at the gate says the Minister of War has already gathered information and left. Do says he has further investigations to make as the guard peers at Hwi and RSG, but admits them. The deputy envoy emphatically tells Hwi the Jurchens will no longer be fooled by Joseon duplicity. War is inevitable. Leave! RSG renders it as a pithy “Get lost!” LOL! I love her terseness. No speaking with prettified diplomatic forked tongue for this girl, no sirree bob!

Hwi asks the envoy what the Jurchens gain by waging war. If you run out of food, you'll swap the soldiers' lives for grain, right? Hwi says in reply to his protest at being mocked that he is giving them a chance, despite the fact that he nearly died in their hands. They sided with Prince Jin-yang, started a war, and almost killed him, yet he's willing to forgive them, and offering to become allies. But he won't make any false promises of territory such as Kang failed to make good on. Joseon will send experts to teach them improved farming techniques for their barren land, and will lift the trade embargo. Through marriage, he will find a way for both nations to live. Commander Do chimes in, and tells the envoy to decide right now whether he wants to return home and be investigated (i.e., tortured?) for a failed mission, or does he want to continue to negotiate here with an opportunity to save his homeland?

RSG puts in her two cents, and tells the envoy that he can trust Hwi. She testifies that he guarded her with his life, even though she's from an enemy clan. (High praise from a Jurchen Warrior Princess(TM)!) She says that if she is allowed to follow the envoy, she will meet her father, presumably Huligai chieftain Li Man-zhu (Li-Man-chu 李滿住), and obtain the documents. Whereupon the envoy silently takes a flute out of a box, and hands it to Hwi, telling him it is a gift he wishes to give before he departs. When Jurchens fight, they play the flute. Father told him to play the flute if Prince Jin-yang breaks his promise.

As soon as the party gets outside, Hwi pulls the flute from his tunic, and slips a document out of it. It is the letter Traitorous Uncle sent to the Huligai that promised to return four counties to them after the Joseon forces withdrew. He shows it to Do, who says that it's proof of Kang's crime, which causes RSG to imperceptibly smile, and Hwi to catch his breath at the implications for his hyung.

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 5 of 10

Ja-hyun asks Kang why he hasn't killed her, as from his point of view she has committed treason. He tells her that she's suffering enough now that Hwi is dead. He wants to keep her in this world so she cannot be reunited with Hwi in death and leave him all alone. Even if she hates him. He asks how she escaped from the other temple, and she says that some of Hwi's supporters dropped her off here. Kang calls them the real traitors, but she calls them the saviors of her life. She'd rather be dead than spend one second with you. Kang. (Cue up “Bat out of Hell” by Meatloaf.) Meanwhile, Hwi & Co. race through the woods until he stops and hands Kinglet to Gi-teuk, and tells his band to continue on to Yo-kyung's gibang without him. He'll meet them there later. But now he's heading back to the temple. He enters the grounds, and nearly runs into two guardsmen.

Ja-hyun tells Kang that whether it's this temple or the nunnery, they're all prisons to her. She asks to be allowed to return to her family. He says his mother sent her to the nunnery. She asks if he's still not in control at court. Ooo, burn. He asks if she's forgotten Hwi, and she says it would be a lie if she said she had. But she is very much alive, while he is dead. He asks what she wants. She says it's not to be his concubine, but his queen, which gets his attention. She tells him to dethrone Na-gyeom and give her the position. He says all women want the same thing, and that she's beginning to sound like his wife. Ja-hyun corrects him, and says that she refuses to be trampled again by Na-gyeom. If he can't do that for her, forget it. Otherwise, Na-gyeom will kill her. It's all or nothing.

Kang says he's the king, why isn't she grovelling to him? She says that Hwi staked everything for her. If he doesn't do likewise, he'll never move her heart. He asks if her hatred for his wife has exceeded her hatred for him. She retorts that he's the one who came calling in the middle of the night. He could have sent soldiers to put down the remnant of the rebellion against him, but he came in person because he wanted to see her. His heart might just move her after all. Whether it's love or obsession, it hurts his heart. He should show her his heart, which might even melt her own. Then she might call him “my King” instead of “Grand Prince,” which he points out is a criminal way of addressing the king. She asks him if she's ever been afraid of death. Touché!

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 6 of 10

Hwi pops out of the bushes to signal his return to Ru Shi-gae, who's waiting outside with the guard captain. Meanwhile, his men arrive at the gibang with Kinglet, and gisaeng Yo-kyung shows them to a room. She has had no customers since she was blinded, and has dismissed all the servants. Only her hench-gisaeng remains. The trio decide to act like servants, and Ho-chi puts in a request for meat, which exasperates Gi-teuk and the others. Har. That boy has a one-track mind.

Kang escorts Ja-hyun to her home, but she refuses his proffered hand going down a hill, and takes RSG's arm instead. Hwi watches from cover, and looks quietly jealous. Arriving at Chez Sung, he says that the cover story for her having left the nunnery is ill health. He will post a guard as he doesn't want her running off a second time. He sends her inside, and she says she'll wait to hear from him. Once inside the gate, she staggers from the strain, and asks RSG if Hwi is okay. Kang asks his hench-captain if he thinks Ja-hyun is sincere, but the man cannot read her heart. Kang says she used to resemble Hwi, but now she seems to be more like himself, and he's of two minds about it.

Inside, Madam Ahn lays out the bedding for Ja-hyun, and is deeply moved to have her back home. (Dad is still on his mission to Ming.) Ja-hyun tells her mother that she's become stronger and is no longer the shrinking violet she used to be. She is no longer afraid. As Hwi said, as long as there's life, there's hope.

Na-gyeom loiters outside her palace waiting for Kang to show up. He says he went out for some air. She has news for him: she's pregnant after 3 years of marriage. He looks less than thrilled. (I wonder if he's been slipping her the frankincense?) He looks even less thrilled when she says she's carrying a wonja. Later, her lady-in-waiting asks how she could lie to the King like that. How will she deal with it in the future. She says she'll make it come true. Hmm. I wonder how she plans to do that – and with whom?!

Meanwhile, Hwi has been watching the guards at the front gate since Kang's departure, and finally jumps the back wall. Unable to sleep, Ja-hyun has gotten up and is getting dressed when he bursts into her room. He is embarrassed when he realizes she's not yet fully decent, and apologizes and turns away. She scolds him when he admits he didn't take Kinglet to safety himself, and he tells her she's just as precious as his nephew. She replies that if she hadn't been confident, she wouldn't have stayed behind. He asks how she could be sure of Kang's intentions, and then she tweaks him that he was jealous as he trailed them to her house. “I realized I'm only one man among many, and that I'm not as good a person as I used to think.”

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 7 of 10

Ja-hyun surprises him when she says she was jealous of Ru Shi-gae, but he protests that he doesn't see her as a woman, but more as a little sister. She was also envious of Eunuch Park, who has known him since they were kids, and the prisoners who went through tough times with him. And his first love, the palace maid. He incredulously asks where she heard that. No she wasn't! Kang completely misinterpreted it. Har! She says that since she met him, she's learned that just as carrying someone in one's heart can be a heavy burden, it can temporarily feel like a blessing as well. The happiness it brings helps make the hellish times bearable.

Ja-hyun admits that she lies, says things she doesn't mean, and acts rashly. (No kidding!) She doubts she is the person she was in the past. Everything has changed, except for her feelings for him. He says he feels likewise. They hug, and he asks if it's okay for her to be home. She says she agreed to be a sick person. He's relieved she's there, but she says she liked it better being with him. She rues that they didn't get to draw or have fun then. His eyes twinkle when he says that they'll be husband and wife when they get together next time. Ja-hyun says she'll fetch some of Orabeoni's duds so he can leave the house looking like a member of the family. Nice threads! To arouse less suspicion, she asks him to send messages via her brother instead of Kkeut-dan, and he says they also have RSG. The guards out front don't bat an eye as he purposefully strides past them.

At the palace, Na-gyeom calls on her mother-in-law, who has heard through the grapevine that she is pregnant. What a BS artist. When the deposed Queen Mother sincerely offers her congratulations, the faker baldly asks the Queen Dowager how much longer she'll have to put up with the presence of the former queen. The old queen reprimands her as she continues to lie through her teeth about not knowing the palace protocol she is to uphold. (Her comeuppance cannot come soon enough. GRRR.)

At the gibang, Hwi shows Traitorous Uncle's letter to the Jurchens to the trio and Gi-teuk. When RSG suggests it be posted where the people can read it, the eunuch pooh-poohs her idea (about using the original), only to have Commander Do agree that the truth of Kang's duplicity should be spread among the people and the ministers. RSG gives her old comrade a little smack. Cute. (Was that a Jurchen love tap?!) Hwi says that even though Uncle has been removed from office, many ministers support him. [Remember the ones who signed that loyalty pledge?? It's about to come back and bite them.] When Kang cools off, his supporters will expect Uncle to be back in action.

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 8 of 10

With Chief Scholar Sung still out of the country, they don't have him to combat Traitorous Uncle's influence at court. Hwi says they won't wait for his return. They will take the initiative and neutralize Uncle by driving a wedge between him and Kang. Just as Kang and Uncle overthrew Kinglet by first getting rid of his protectors, Uncle Hwi and Grandpa Minister of the Left, they will use the letter to cut off Kang's legs, Grand Prince Yang-an.

Later two of the trio marvel that they were part of the strategy meeting, and felt like they were being treated seriously for the first time in their lives. Carnivore Ho-chi laments that it went right over his head. Deputy-gisaeng shows up with snacks for His Highness (who could be Hwi or Kinglet), and asks if Eunuch Park is inside, which surprises the other guys. When they ask why, she says he's handsome, and that many gisaengs marry eunuchs. It blows their minds.

Commander Do meets with Captain Eo of the Royal Guard at the palace, and says that they are searching for Prince Seungpyung (Kinglet, aka Myeong), but maybe Traitorous Uncle has him. If he has Prince Seungpyung, he could lead a restoration at any time, and he's not on great terms with the King at the moment. “Doesn't everyone know Grand Prince Yang-an's true intentions?” The guard captain gets riled up, and says he's under house arrest. He's also a father figure to the King. Do asks whether he's truly acting for Kang's welfare, or if he has his own agenda. He calls the guard captain Kang's truly loyal liege, and proceeds to plant the seed of doubt against Uncle in his mind.

Minister of War Yoon calls on gisaeng Yo-kyung at the gibang, and asks if she has considered relocating as he had told her earlier. She says she's closed the premises, and is winding up business in preparation to leave. But she wanted to have a final drink with him before departing. She casually asks if Traitorous Uncle had a child late in life. Even if he cannot do anything in government because he's a grand prince, his little son is raising a ruckus. This is news to Kang's bro-in-law.

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 9 of 10

Commander Do later tells War Minister Yoon that the guards at Grand Prince Yang-an's house have seen a small boy about the same age as Prince Seungpyung. He says that Captain Eo of the Palace Guards was so defensive, he has no way of informing the King, so he's telling Yoon. Then he asks Yoon if he would do the honors, implying that it could land him the Prime Minister spot. War Minister asks if Chief Scholar Sung will be demoted [or does he really mean PROmoted??] when he returns from Ming, but Do says that it's really His Excellency who put Kang on the throne. Rather than have the almost-in-law of rebel Hwi as the Prime Minister, one of the Queen's relatives should get the job. In the current state of affairs, if Yoon finds Prince Seungpyung, he'll relieve Kang's worry and do a great deed. Do says he doesn't know what the prince in question looks like, so could Yoon go and take a look? Damn, what a silver-tongued devil. Manseh, Commander Do!

Gisaeng Yo-kyung reports to Hwi, Commander Do, and Gi-teuk that the Minister of War has taken the bait. The latter reports that he was able to find a few children about as old as Prince Seungpyung. Hwi says they have to be protected from harm. Do assures him they will be protected as if they were their own kids. Hwi says they'll get rid of his brother's dogs one by one.

As Traitorous Uncle reads in his study, War Minister Yoon arrives with Commander Do and the trio. Do orders the “soldiers” to search for a young boy and to capture him. Yoon calls out Uncle, who indignantly wants to know what gives. Yoon and Do inform him there have been reports of a young boy on the premises. The trio holler as if they've spotted the child. War Minister follows the voices, and sees Kinglet perched atop a low wall (with Uncle Hwi hiding on the other side). The trio block him until Kinglet jumps into Hwi's arms and unc takes off running. He's out of sight by the time Yoon jumps the wall. Hwi races up to RSG, who has three little boys with her, nods, and takes off with Kinglet. One she holds by the hand while she tells the other two to go, and they scatter. Yoon stops RSG and the boy, but sees he's not Kinglet. The trio chase after the other two, and bring the kids to him. No dice. It's a circus.

Back at Yang-an's home, he accuses Do of driving a wedge between him and Kang. It's delicious when he angrily accuses the investigator of conspiring against him. He replies that he's just doing his job for Joseon. Do goes into the study while the grand prince stays outside. He pulls out the damning letter the Jurchen envoy gave Hwi. War Minister Yoon arrives and demands to know what he was doing with Prince Seungpyung. Do comes out with the letter, and the writer himself nearly has a fit when he sees it.

- continued -

Episode 17 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 10 of 10

War Minister Yoon reports to Kang that Traitorous Uncle had kidnapped Prince Seungpyung, and had gotten the secret letter from the Jurchens that they had been looking for. Kang goes ape when he learns the former king slipped out of their grasp. When Yoon asks what he's going to do about his uncle, Kang says he'll give him the “last farewell,” aka Ye Olde Bowl Of Royal Joseon Poison.

Yang-An is brought before the King. He prostrates himself and argues that he has been framed. He says he's never even seen Prince Seungpyung. He says he's never seen the letter to the Jurchens, either. It is a trap by “them.” Kang demands to know exactly who “they” are, and whether his dead brother is acting from beyond the grave and protecting his nephew. “The monster nephew you raised was no longer heeding your commands, so you needed a new puppet.” Uncle pisses him off by saying he's the one who put Kang on the throne, and does so while speaking informally. Kang agrees that he is King, and he no longer needs Uncle, who suddenly realizes that the jig is up. He calls for guard captain Eo Eul-woon to take him away. Given his transgressions, he cannot let him die in prison [orders capital punishment instead of life imprisonment]. Commander Do and the trio deliver the poison to his house.

As Uncle rages at them, a calm voice speaks up and says that his putting the king on the throne is what led to this day. He looks like he sees a ghost as Hwi speaks: “You planted misdirected ambition in the grand prince who should not have been king. You misled loyal servants, killed a brother and nephew, and made him infamous in history as an evil king. The time has come for you to pay the price, Uncle.” “Eun-sung, are you my grim reaper?” Hwi tells him that Hyung-nim ordered poison.

“Remember this clearly until your last breath. You are dying at the hands of a nephew you raised... I had to die twice. All because of you. But I did not die. I live, and return to punish a criminal. I had to die without knowing why, but I am informing you of your crimes.”

Hwi turns away with tears in his eyes as the commander tells Uncle he can drink the poison bestowed by his nephew. Or he can die by the blade of the son of Do Yeon-soo. Traitorous Uncle opts for the latter.

-30-

Hi @hotcocoagirl. Interesting that you wrote:

Speaking of the Kang couple, this was the first time in a while that I enjoyed Na Gyeom ~ her tragic reaction to Kang's death was her best acting to date.

It seems you were not alone. Na-gyeom's scene where she is grieving before the grave of her husband was the highest watched minute of the series. Credit to actress Ryu Hyo-young who had a tough role. You can read about it here from Soompi:
https://www.soompi.com/2018/05/06/grand-prince-concludes-highest-viewership-ratings-yet/

I enjoyed reading those articles yesterday and watching the hug session video. At the end of the video I got a kick out the ajuhmma going up for her hugs. Lovely. YSY looks totally different out of costume.
This reminded me of a promise kept during the run of STRONG WOMAN DO BONG SOON. Park Hyung-sik and Ji Soo
had a hug session and later escorted three high school girls home. It was a nice gesture. Here is the story (Apologies for wandering so far off topic.):
https://www.dramafever.com/news/park-hyung-sik-and-ji-soo-protect-students-on-white-day/

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 2 of 10

Hwi tells her she's changed a great deal. When she asks if he dislikes that, he replies that she became stronger and more beautiful. She's no longer someone he has to protect, but someone he can rely on. She is a strong companion who can support him. The look he gives her...

Ja-hyun asks if he'll inform his mother that he's alive. He replies that the king's restoration cannot succeed without the help of the big dogs. He'll let the Queen Dowager know that he and the abdicated king are both alive. She asks him to give him a letter to take to the palace, and he begs her not to go, seeing as how she was mistreated the last time. She insists that she's confident she'll return safely. It's not that she trusts Kang, but that she trusts themselves, and that he'll save her. She plans to bring silk, and he can write a letter on it. (As with his first “letter” in blood when he returned from Jurchen captivity.)

He tells her it's hard to part for even a day, although they had been apart for 3 years. She tells him to think of their good times in the past when he's having a hard time bearing the separation. After Ja-hyun leaves with Kkeut-dan and the guards, Hwi and Yo-kyung come out. The gisaeng tells him she envies how they treasure and long for each other. Hwi says there was a time when Ja-hyun envied her for her beauty and how she played the flute so well. She replies that she'd never seen such a beautiful woman.

Hwi advises her to set her own standards for living, and that way she won't be shaken by others. He knows she's helping him out of revenge at the moment, but she'll be rewarded in the future. Even better, if she lives by her own standards for the sake of the nation, even as a lowly person, and a woman with an injured eye, she'll become a precious person. He corrects himself. All people are precious. Yo-kyung looks thoughtful, and touched by his sentiments.

Back at Usurpation Central, er, court, Kang is convinced that rebel elements are impersonating the abdicated king. He tells the assembled ministers that they are stirring up the people and deceiving the royal family. War Minister Yoon tells him that the rebels' power will fade now that Traitorous Uncle has died. Kang bellows and demands to know why he does not know where Kinglet is. One of the original traitorous ministers wonders if the prince would be alive, having lost his guardian. He blames all the difficulties on the fact that government affairs are unstable [translation: not in the good hands of the ministers and yangban?]. A well qualified public servant should be appointed to focus power and attention on suppressing the rebels, which will put His Majesty at ease. Various ministers nod in agreement.

- continued -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 3 of 10

Kang says that since he ascended the throne, it's been an endless string of great and small crises. He singles out Commander Do Jungkook as a local official who committed himself as a loyal subject and did many great things for the country. The older ministers look less than thrilled when Kang announces his promotion to Commander of Five Guards. He charges him with finding Kinglet and the rebels. Minister of War Yoon and Chief Royal Secretary Shim look uneasy.

Another early traitor says the post of Prime Minister has to be filled. Kang replies that he hasn't found a suitable candidate yet. For the nonce, we will make decisions without the state council. He announces his intention to have a Six Ministries administration, and that he will personally take care of affairs of state. The first traitor minister protests that there are many able subject among the ministers at court. Kang retorts that he has no intention of listening to their each and every opinion or practicing politics like a student.

Outside in the courtyard, Commander Do overhears three of the original traitors kvetching about his promotion, and the unfairness of the king's ignoring them when they had supported him in the very beginning. Suddenly one of them notices Do nearby, and suggests they go to the meeting room. One of them mentions the loyalty pledge, and you can see Do's wheels turning. You guys are so dead.

Royal Guard Captain Eo brings Kang a handbill that had been posted in public. He recognizes Hwi's calligraphy, and thinks someone forged it. He orders Captain Eo to round up all kinds of people in addition to the rebels and Kinglet. Haul in everyone who can write, even Confucian scholars and ministers at court, and find out who is forging documents in Hwi's writing.

Kang's henchman says he has reason to believe that Hwi is alive after all. Kang asks if he hadn't identified the body, and he says the face was unrecognizable from being battered on the rocks. But when he went to the mountain temple where Ja-hyun was staying, he though he caught a glimpse of someone he recognized. He had discounted it, until just now when Kang identified the writing as Hwi's.

Commander Do enlists an aide-de-camp who lost his hyung in the fake uprising at Hwi's wedding, just as Do had lost his father.

Ru Shi-gae meets with Queen Dowager's court lady and informs her that Ja-hyun has some of Hwi's possessions that she would like to give his mother. When the lady-in-waiting calls her out on speaking improperly even though she knows perfectly well how to do it formally, Jurchen Warrior Princess(TM) asks her if she has any sweets. Har. [Was that banmal?]

- continued -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 4 of 10

From a distance, Hwi, Do, and the trio observe the crowd of bribe donors gathered at War Minister Yoon's gate. They line up to pay up. Just like in New Jersey, it's “pay to play.” Commander Do says he's taken over Grand Prince Yang-an's shakedown racket. He adds that the King welcomes corruption as long as no one rebels against him. The traitorous Minister of Revenue Jeong Yeon (Yum Dong-hun) and Right State Minister (Jo Young-jin) have their fingers in the pie, too. Kang's own shortcomings are well-known to those bribing him. One hand washes the other, and they conceal each other's crimes. But word is getting out to the citizens.

Hwi mentions the funerary rite Kang will attend at King Taejo's tomb, and proposes that they carry out their plan when the king is en route to the site.

Na-gyeom calls on Debi Mama and complains that Ja-hyun left the nunnery without permission. Deposed Queen says she hear the lady was ill, but the Queen Consort retorts that a nun has no reason to leave. When Deposed Queen reminds her that she needs to take care of her pregnancy, Queen Dowager finally speaks and orders that she be examined so they can prepare for her pregnancy, which shuts her up. Ja-hyun's arrival is announced. Queen Dowager says she wants to hear the nun's side of the story, and dismisses Na-gyeom, who cannot even splutter in indignation. [I gloated at how Kinglet's long-suffering mother got to needle her horrid sister-in-law for a change.] When the former friends meet outside the chamber, Ja-hyun is excruciatingly polite to the Queen Consort, which only infuriates her more. She rubs it in by saying she may inform the Queen Dowager that she will accede to the King's desires. And muses, while eyeing the other's middle, that bearing a daughter will be useless then it comes to the throne. If a concubine bears a son, he becomes king. [Way to put the whammy on her!] Court Lady Jang announces Ja-hyun before she gets hit.

Queen Dowagers enquires in a surprisingly concerned manner as to Ja-hyun's health. I nearly keeled over in shock. Mom reads Hwi's letter written inside the folded silk that informs her of his and Kinglet's survival and his plan to restore his nephew to the throne. Alas, Kinglet's Mom asks aloud if Hwi is alive, and Ja-hyun looks over her shoulder before moving closer to tell her that he's serving her son even as they speak. [Yo, the walls have ears!] Dowager Mom tearfully admits that she'd held out hope in her heart for Hwi and Myeong. Ja-hyun confirms that she and Hwi rescued the boy. Because of Kang's guards outside her home, her movement is constrained. Dowager Mom grants her an entry pass to visit the palace. Ja-hyun entreats her to support Hwi's work to restore her grandson.

- continued -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 5 of 10

Kang learns from Spy Court Lady that Ja-hyun is meeting with his mother. As Chief Scholar Sung returns from Ming, Spy Court Lady summons his daughter to meet with Kang. In an outdoor pavilion, he asks her why she's there, and she says it's to butter up his mother so she can smoothly enter the palace. He questions her reasons, and she says her foolishness nearly landed her in the nunnery after Hwi died. Kang muses about the timing of how she changed so much, and reveals he knows that she's concealing Hwi's survival. Accusing her of living with Hwi at the temple, he says that for a brief time he had been happy that she had agree to be his consort. Now his tiny heart is crushed. Boo hoo. She's only used the kind of tactics he does.

Ja-hyun's game face falters, but she persists in her attempt at deception. She's heard his queen is pregnant. If she bears a son, Kang won't be able to avoid being stuck with Na-gyeom, and she accuses him of trying to back out of their deal. He retorts that if he makes her his consort, Hwi who still lives will be in agony. She tells him to keep his promise. Spy Court Lady informs him that Chief Scholar Sung has returned from China. Kang informs Ja-hyun that when he is approved as king, he will carry through as if Hwi were dead.

Oh, damn! Queen Dowager shows Hwi's silken letter to her good-for-nothing Orabeoni, Chief Royal Secretary Shim. He was already co-opted by Traitorous Uncle. He proposes covering up all the royal misbehavior lest the subjects get bent out of shape. Spoken like a true politician. His sister pins back his ears over his support for Kang's treasonous behavior. I can only assume he'll go tattle to Kang or War Minister Yoon.

In the throne room, Kang informs the court that Ming is sending envoys to meet with abdicated Prince Seung-pyun. Traitorous Right State Minister (Jo Young-jin) tells Chief Scholar Sung that a lot has happened since he left on his journey. You can say that again. Kang orders the child be found. Sung and newly-promoted Five Guards Commander Do give the high sign and later meet outdoors. Sung admits that he purposely queered the deal by mentioning the young king's abdication to Ming, and hopes it works as a stalling tactic. Do has someone for him to meet.

Kang and his Palace Guard Commander Eo meet and discuss Hwi's probable intentions. Eo opines restoration of his nephew. Instead of tracking Hwi and driving him deeper into hiding, Kang proposes to let him come to them, noting that another blood bath is in the offing.

- continued -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 6 of 10

At Hwi's HQ at the gibang, he meets with Chief Scholar Sung as a crowd of commoner men arrive and are greeted by the trio of Jurchen prisoners. Sung is surprisingly un-shocked. LOL. Hwi asks him to escort the ministers back to the palace from the ambush while Hwi keeps Kang pinned down outside the palace. He'll arrange for his nephew to be sent to the palace where Queen Dowager will issue a proclamation (nae-ji) restoring him to the throne. Sung begins to express skepticism that the ministers will go along with them as Five Guards Commander Do says they'll arrest Kang as soon as little Myeong is restored. Hwi says that ministerial opposition collapsed after Traitorous Uncle's death, they just have to take out War Minister Yoon and Palace Guard Captain Eo. Sung is concerned that their plans could be leaked. Do tells him the three in the room are the only ones who know the whole plan [Yeah, along with Kang and his loyal henchman, who are at least three steps ahead. You guys must be lousy baduk players.] Hwi says that Do's subordinates will follow the chain of command, and will be unaware that it is a coup d'état.

The Trio and Gi-teuk hustle Hwi through the gibang grounds to a gate, which opens to reveal the crowd who arrived earlier. More former prisoners of the Jurchens, who come to pledge fealty to the grand prince and his mission to restore his nephew to the throne. As Sung and Do look on from a distance, Hwi is moved to tears that they would endanger their lives by throwing in their lot with him. Their spokesman replies that they were already dead as prisoners of the Jurchens, and that they are now ready to return the favor. Gi-teuk looks like he's about to cry when he sees their old comrades. When Do asks Sung if he feels reassured by this outpouring of loyalty, he replies that everyone in his household has already made the choice to support Hwi.

Five Guards Commander Do calls on his aide-de-camp to ascertain that he had worked for Kinglet before he became a member of the Palace Guard, which he affirms. He notes that many other of Kinglet's guards had later been made Palace Guard Captain Eo's subordinates. Do takes him to meet Hwi, and the man is boggled to see him alive. Hwi asks him to protect Kinglet again, and tasks him with examining the bribery records turned over by gisaeng Yo-kyung. They convince him of the breadth and depth of the conspiracy to overthrow the young king, as well as Kang's illegitimacy as a ruler.

- continued -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 7 of 10

At Na-gyeom's palace, the royal physician and his assistant wait to examine the Queen consort per Queen Dowager's orders. She argues with Kinglet's mom, who was dispatched to oversee the operation, and who challenges her that she is not really pregnant. The physician testifies that it's still too early to tell whether she really is pregnant. In a month it will be definite. Her lady-in-waiting asks if she ordered him to lie. She says it may well be true in a month. She has a feeling. Oh, great.

At Ja-hyun's abode, she and Kkeut-dan busily sew while Ru Shi-gae throws down her work in frustration. The maid tells her she's the one who wanted to try sewing, while Ja-hyun tells her to do what she is good at (i.e., fighting). They make an arrow-proof vest. RSG asks if it's for Hwi, and Ja-hyun tells her it for her. They'll make another for Hwi. Snotty Kkeut-dan is pissed off to be sewing for an orangkae. I hate her pettiness.

Hwi, Commander Do, and the trio do a site inspection near the river where they plan to ambush Kang's retinue en route to the funerary rite. At Ho-chi's whistle, RSG shoots an arrow at Do's feet, causing the trio to jump in surprise, and Gi-teuk, who is with her, to give her an admiring look. The plan is for the archers to pick off the guards. They will use their own loyal guards to abscond with the palanquin with Kang trapped inside, and Chief Scholar Sung will lead the ministers back to the palace. They have to get rid of Palace Guard Captain Eo. Hwi says that if they fail, they are goners. Do says that if they prevail, his father's grudge will be relieved. They'll be able to show the citizens that virtue prevails, and that is the path Joseon must take.

Ja-hyun makes a return trip to the dressmaker's shop with Kkeut-dan and Kang's guards. (This looks like it was shot the same rainy day as the earlier trip to the shop.) Inside, Yo-kyung's hench-gisaeng helps her out of her outer layers of clothes. She's wearing gisaeng garb underneath. Ha ha! Add a wig and a big hat, and presto change-o, she's ready to give the guards the slip. (Um, how is Kkeut-dan going to explain away her boss's disappearance? Is she going to hole up in the shop for the rest of the show?!) The two gisaeng return to the gibang, where Hwi and RSG await with Yo-kyung, who cuts short the lovers' reunion and hustles them indoors lest they be seen by prying eyes. RSG looks torn.

- continued -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 8 of 10

Kang tries to make Ja-hyun's Orabeoni one of his officials. He wisely protests that he is only a student of Confucianism who has yet to pass the civil service exam, and graciously declines even as the King tells him he should be supporting his sister. Kang remarks to Palace Guard Captain Eo that it's weird that his father went to Ming as an envoy, and his sister is gunning to be Queen Consort, while he is trying to distance himself from the court. Kang sees him as a simple person who is terrible at faking, and it sends up a red flag. Captain Eo says that he's suspicious of Five Guards Commander Do, who allegedly shot Hwi out of revenge for his father's death. Eo replies that Traitorous Uncle had warned him about Do, and thinks that Kang may have promoted him too quickly. Kang says to keep an eye on him. Eo asks about rescheduling the funerary rite.

At the gibang, Hwi's archers prepare their bows and arrows. Gi-teuk gives RSG arrows, and exhorts her to run like hell when she's done. She says one should do one's best. He looks worried for her.

Holding the gisaeng wig, Ja-hyun says fancy things don't suit her, while Hwi says they're still better than dressing in drag. Har! His eyes twinkle as he says that tomorrow everything will be back there it should be. They can finally hold their wedding and will be together forever. Then he reminds her that she and her father have plausible deniability in the event anything goes wrong. [Thud! Back down to earth.] She replies that Kang suspects that Hwi is alive. He responds that they cannot stop now. It may be a long time before they get another chance to overthrow Kang. He tries to send her home. She refuses. She regretted that they did not consummate their promise ceremony before he left for the front. She's not about to let that happen again. He objects that he is a dead person, and that the best thing he's done is to spare her three years of being married to him in the eyes of the world. Ja-hyun calls him a liar, and says that he has bitterly missed her and regretted not marrying her all along. She tells him she's not afraid, and they're going to do it now, which triggers tears and a passionate smooch.

Outside, Su Shi-gae loiters at a respectful distance, seemingly wanting to speak with Hwi on the eve of battle. Gi-teuk emerges out of the shadows to pull her away when she says she's waiting to talk with Hwi. He calls her a fool and tells her that it ain't going to happen tonight as the boss has many things to discuss with Ja-hyun. “This might be their last night, so they must feel uneasy.” Aw, Gi-teuk, they aren't the only ones feeling uneasy. She retorts, “What about us? It might be the last, so we should be with him.” Spoken like a true Jurchen Warrior Princess(TM).

- continue -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 9 of 10

“You can just be with me.” Gi-teuk finally comes out and says it. She pounds her chest and says her heart hurts. He embraces her, and says that it's because her feelings are hurt. She pushes the eunuch away, and calls him a fool in Manchu. He tells her that it will only hurt her more when Hwi and the lady marry. After tomorrow, there will be no need for her to guard anyone. She should live with him. She refuses. It's Hwi or bust. When Gi-teuk says he'll protect her, she tells him he fights worse than she does, and stomps on his foot to emphasize the point. Dang, I feel bad for both of them. In their own ways, they are neither fish nor fowl, but that common ground is not enough for them to see each other. Hwi's radiance blinds RSG to the quiet admiration of the very proper eunuch who teases only her. Sniff.

At Chez Sung, Orabeoni waits outside his sister's dark room. Kkeut-dan says she gave Kang's security the slip, and should be coming back from seeing Hwi. The two discuss their fears over the plot to dethrone Kang, and the renewed danger to their household.

Back at Restoration HQ, Ja-hyun gives the gentle and diffident Hwi a nudge to get on with the whoopee-making after he helps her out of her jacket. He couldn't be more unlike his bodice-ripping brother. If this sageuk runs true to form, that may well be the last steamy kiss we see as the camera pans away to reveal her arms embracing his neck and shoulders. Next morning, Ja-hyun helps Hwi dress. He laments that he has involved her in the plan to overthrow Kang, and cannot stand endangering her any longer. He tells her to protect herself, that she could die if the coup fails. She replies that she won't regret it even if she does die. She asks him to return. He says he will. One tear falls as they embrace.

At the palace, Chief Royal Secretary surprises Court Lady Jang, who is carrying a message to Queen Dowager. When he wants to know what is happening, she merely states that it is on a need-to-know basis. Way to wave a red flag at a bull, toots. Later, the Queen tells her that Hwi is sending her grandson to court today. [How much do you bet that Spy Court Lady's bionic hearing has picked up every syllable?!] Court Lady Jang tells her that her brother was suspicious, but the Queen says that's only because she no longer discusses business with him nowadays. Grrr. There she goes minimizing his duplicity, and blowing off her faithful servant's attempt to warn her that something is fishy. Do you really need to have a neon light flashing over the palace to realize what's going on with your brother?!

- continue -

Episode 18 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 10 of 10

Kang gets dressed in his military uniform for the outing to the funerary rite. Chief Royal Secretary helpfully informs him and Palace Guard Captain Eo that it might be a good day to postpone the event as hostile elements may try to do something. He reports the widespread rumors that Kinglet and Hwi are still alive. Eo chimes in that he's uneasy that Five Guards Commander Do is escorting him. Kang asks if he should wear his armor.

At Restoration HQ, Hwi and his men (and woman) prostrate themselves before Kinglet before setting off. He entrusts his nephew to the custody of Ja-hyun and Gi-teuk who will take him to the palace when they receive word, while the two gisaengs look on. Ja-hyun asks RSG if she's wearing the protective gear she stitched for her, and she shows her she's got it on. With promises of a feast awaiting their return, the archers set out for their date with destiny in all their slo-mo badass glory.

Kang strides over to his royal palanquin in the palace grounds, while Kinglet plays with azalea blossoms at the gibang under the watchful eyes of Ja-hyun and Gi-teuk. The wait is on, and the suspense is killing me.

-30-

Episode 19 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 2 of 13

With the archers hidden among the weeds, Hwi and Ru Shi-gae are on the lookout for Kang's procession. She tells him that they should go hunting if everything goes well today. He replies that the only reason they hunted before was because they had no food. It wasn't for fun. She persists, and he agrees to go hunting with her and Gi-teuk. Then he apologizes for taking her from her homeland. He realizes he'd never asked her why she came with them. She replies that she's the one who followed him, and it was because she had no reason to remain there. As a half-breed, she did not fit in anywhere. She didn't want to be alone. Her putative father, the chief, didn't pay any attention to her. “Among all the people I've met in my life, Hwi, you have been the warmest. I was afraid of being alone again.” To her, Hwi is the sun in the sky. He tells her she'll never be alone again, that she'll be his younger sister for the remainder of life. And after this is all over, he'll take responsibility and find her a husband. Whereupon she smacks him hard, causing the Trio concealed nearby to pop up like stunned meerkats. Finally they had The Talk.

Back in his eunuch robes, Gi-teuk has Kinglet board a palanquin, and sets out with him and Ja-hyun for the palace. Before they leave, she asks Yo-kyung to hide their people who return. She will come back when Kinglet arrives safely at the palace. Gi-teuk thanks the gisaeng and her smitten associate for all their help. The latter takes his hands and protests that it sounds like a final farewell. He gently extricates himself, and off they go. Back inside, Yo-kyung packs her valuables and advises her hench-gisaeng to do so as well. She tells her to get a swift, strong horse and obtain a boat. To flee? If the revolt fails, they are as good as dead. She's hedging her bets outside the capital.

Kang's procession heaves into view of the archers. It seems that Palace Guard Captain Eo calls a halt, and opens the palanquin's railing. Kang begins to step out, and Hwi and RSG let fly their arrows. Eo shoves him back in and closes the screen. The rest of the archers follow suit. Mounted guards drop like flies, as do those on foot. Right State Minister Park Boo-kyung takes an arrow to the chest and croaks. But there's more traitors where he came from. Five Guards Commander Do rallies the bearers, and hustles the palanquin out of range.

- continued -

Episode 19 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 3 of 13

Hwi races away to head off the procession, while RSG leads the archers in continuing to fire on the retreating guards. Just as they're about to disband, another force approaches. War Minister Yoon is in the lead. This wasn't in the plan. He confers with Captain Eo, who sends them after the procession. RSG orders the archers to scatter. She intends to go after Hwi, and tells the Trio they'll get killed if they follow, so disperse. The Trio hesitates, then follows after her, knowing full well that it's suicidal.

The procession halts when Hwi appears ahead of it. In front of the palanquin, Hwi calls to his brother to come out. The screen flies open as an armed warrior dressed like Kang lunges at him, but Hwi dodges the sword, and kills him quickly. He and Commander Do realize that it's a trap, and that they must return to the palace. Just then, there's the sound of hoofbeats as War Minister Yoon's detachment arrives. Captain Eo orders his foot soldiers to attack. As the other ministers look on, some in shock, Chief Scholar Sung asks Chief Royal Secretary Shim if he already knew a counterattack was planned. Shim tells him that Kang will be safe, and had probably ordered this action. Sung rapidly figures he has to return the ministers back to the palace, and sets off to get them underway.

Ru Shi-gae and the Trio race up as Hwi and Do continue to fight. She tells him to protect Kinglet and practically throws him on a horse, slapping it to make it run. He and Do ride off, while Eo and Yoon look on as their troops are slaughtered by the good guys, who are tiring. Eo dismounts and incapacitates RSG, who watches in horror as her three distracted comrades are killed one by one as they come to her rescue. She is taken hostage, and marched away on foot. Meanwhile, Hwi and Do race for the palace.

Na-gyeom asks Kang why he has not gone to the royal tomb after all, and he replies that he learned of a conspiracy to assassinate him. He explains that he did not cancel the outing because he wanted to lure his nephew into the palace, and he would be Kang's most likely successor. He needs to have Kinglet to show to the Ming envoy. His wife fangirls over his craftiness. He assigns her custody of his nephew, and she gleefully accepts.

Court Lady Jang awaits Kinglet's arrival as his party makes its way through the streets outside the palace. Kang and his entourage are on the move in the palace grounds. A guard conspirator confers with Commander Do's aide-de-camp and tells him he just saw the King on the grounds. They conclude that the first stage is a bust, so it's time for Plan B. Meanwhile, War Minister Yoon's force heads back to the palace, with the wounded RSG on foot.

- continued -

Episode 19 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 4 of 13

Kang barges into his mother's quarters, freaking out both queens. Kinglet's mother should never play poker. She would lose her shirt. Queen Dowager is better at keeping her cool as Kang asks if she knew about the plot to overthrow him. He basically orders house arrest to protect them from the rebels who are at large.

The guard at the main gate asks who is in the palanquin, and Court Lady Jang comes to Ja-hyun's rescue, stating that it's a child the Queen Dowager asked to be sent from her private house [family home?]. Ja-hyun freezes when, just after entering the grounds, Kang and his party spot them. He says he didn't expect to see her today, and she apparently did not expect to see him. From the guilty and panicked looks on their faces, none of the good guys should ever play poker. Poor Kinglet freaks out when Kang opens the door after knocking Ja-hyun aside, and uncle says he's been waiting for him. He sounds like the Big Bad Wolf. He thanks Ja-hyun for delivering his nephew to him, and orders her and Gi-teuk be taken to the Secret Pavilion. Kinglet is carried kicking and screaming to Na-gyeom.

In the Secret Pavilion, Kang grills his prisoners. Gi-teuk only says that Hwi has been dead for a long time, and that the rebels were only trying to get back at the late grand prince's enemies. Ja-hyun adds that they were only following Hwi's last will to return the abdicated king to his throne. Kang is pissed that she demanded he dethrone his wife and deceived him. [Newsflash, Kang: Payback is a bitch.] He grabs a sword and holds it to Gi-teuk's proffered neck. He demands to know from Ja-hyun whether Hwi is alive. The eunuch assures her that he is okay even as he trembles with faltering breath. Kang presses the blade and draws blood, but does not slash him. Enraged by the eunuch's statements not to worry about him, but to hold her peace and that he will gladly die, Kang is about to strike him when she falls on her knees in front of him, and asks if he wants to hear the truth.

He retorts that he'll tell her the truth: whether Hwi is alive or not, the rebels who attacked his entourage today are now assuredly dead. She replies that even if they are dead, the people will rise up again in opposition to a king who sells out to the Jurchens and kills his own nephew. Kang rhapsodizes over how everyone will bow down and beg his forgiveness, that he owns the country, and that she's just being stubborn, when the arrival of a messenger from the site of the attack is announced. A tear falls from Gi-teuk's eye as the man reports how the ambush was foiled, and the rebels are being pursued. Ja-hyun tells Kang that he will become fearful because there are survivors.

- continued -

Episode 19 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 5 of 13

Cut to the main gate of the palace, where guards move barricades into position before it is closed and barred. Commander Do's aide-de-camp calls upon the guard in charge to open the gate for the head of the Royal Investigation Agency when he arrives as there is a rebellion in progress. He replies that his job is to secure the gates, and that Do should handle security outside the palace. Do's aide says he's coming to augment the defenders within, but is rebuffed again.

Court Lady Jang informs the two queens that Ja-hyun is in the Secret Pavilion and Kinglet is in Na-gyeom's clutches. Queen Dowager cannot allow Ja-hyun to be harmed, and formidably sets off on a rescue mission of her own.

Hwi and Commander Do race into the grounds of (the mountain?) temple, where they join up with loyal guardsmen. Hwi informs the leader that their plan was discovered, and they will have to fight at the palace, despite his desire to minimize military casualties. They set out posthaste.

Kang asks what their choices are, now that the revolt has failed. She replies that they already made their choices yesterday. They did not expect to succeed when they entered the palace, but it was an inevitable path even if the rebellion were going to fail. Kang says that she could have survived if only she'd not gotten involved. Ja-hyun retorts that there are those who wish to die with others rather than dying alone. (Is she referring to Ru Shi-gae?)

When Kang replies that he has won, she says that the winners in history are not determined in our lifetime, but far in the future, when those who sought to right the wrongs become known. When he asks the exact nature of her relationship with Hwi, she tells him that it is “walking together on the right path.” He tells her that when Hwi died, he thought that leaving her alone was his punishment, but now he sees that killing her first will cause Hwi the greatest pain.

Holding his sword to her neck, he says that he wanted to kill Hwi and keep her alive. Killing her and leaving Hwi alive will be the greatest punishment for everyone. Just as he's getting ready to slice, Queen Dowager enters and tells Kang that she ordered Ja-hyun to bring her grandson to her. He turns to his mother and asks if she knew about the plot. Mom says he didn't plan an assassination, and Kang asks if she knew he was alive. She answers that while he was out of the palace, Hwi planned to restore his nephew to the throne. Shaken, Kang asks whether that is not the same as killing him.

Mom hollers at him, asking if death is all there if for him if he has no throne. Blame me! Don't blame the innocent! He replies that he killed his uncle. Is she pushing him to kill his own mother, too? She looks him in the eye defiantly while he trembles.

- continued -

Episode 19 Pseudo-Recap & Comments - BEWARE OF SPOILERS & RAMPANT CONJECTURE

Page 6 of 13

Hwi's troop arrives in front of the palace's main gate. Five Guards Commander Do orders that the gate opened. When the gatekeeper refuses without the King's command, Do's aide-de-camp draws his sword, declares that Heaven's order is the royal order, and attacks and kills him. The gates swing wide, and Hwi and Do enter with their troops. They split the force between Do and his aide-de-camp, who will secure the gate to repel the forces of War Minister Yoon and Palace Guard Captain Eo. Do will take Kang and Kinglet into custody. Hwi seems to be searching for Ja-hyun and Gi-teuk, along with the Queen Dowager.

Kang continues to lock horns with the Queen Dowager. Even if she's his mother, he is still the king and she can't just do whatever she wants. He cannot forgive her for attempting to dethrone him. When he orders the guards to take her away, she shouts him down and says that she will take Ja-hyun with her. With his sword at the latter's throat, he declares that she held him in contempt and conspired with the rebels to oust him. Queen Mom says, “Slay me first! He even did it to his own brother, so what couldn't he do to his mother as well? Kill your mother first!”

Kang looks gobsmacked. “Apologize! Admit your wrongdoing! Why aren't you giving me a chance to become a good king?” She levels her steely gaze at him. “Because it is not your spot to take! Your life became a shambles ever since you began to covet the throne! You have totally compromised the royal family!” Ja-hyun, Gi-teuk, and Court Lady Jang look ill at ease to be privy to the airing of the royal dirty laundry. Mom does not hold back. “I know you have talents that could have made you a king. If you had been born wonja, everyone would have looked up to you, and you would have become a strong, healthy king. But you weren't born wonja, and the lieges and people do not treat you like a king. Because you came to the throne in an irregular manner.” A tear drops from his eye as a shout is raised outside. He leaves them, as Hwi and his troops enter an inner gate.

Kang and his men enter a courtyard. He faces Hwi and his troops. “So you really were alive after all.” He brother replies that he cannot die because he has people to protect. “So it has come down to this: I have to kill you myself if I want to put an end to this fight.” Hwi draws his sword, and the go at it hammer and tongs. Their mother is agog when she enters and sees them fighting, and Ja-hyun catches her breath. Gi-teuk holds them back as the brothers grunt and snort like rutting stags. Hwi dodges one swipe, but Kang lands another. Is he wearing Ja-hyun's armor?! Methinks he is, and it worked!

- continued -