Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo - Episode 11 Summary

So (played by Lee Jun Ki) takes that one last, longing look at Soo (played by IU) after ingesting the poison, and excuses himself before any of his symptoms can be revealed. Princess Yeonhwa jumps up as though to say something, but ends up merely smiling instead as she tells the King that she has a request on behalf of her brother, Wook (played by Kang Ha Neul).

As Soo walks away, So stumbles in his attempt to follow her as the vision of her begins to blur. He reaches out his hand toward her, but it’s only when he coughs in a spray of blood that Soo turns around and sees him. 

He falls, and Soo immediately runs to his side to call for help. He attempts to silence her so that she won’t be found with him, but he falls unconscious before he can tell her why. She just resumes her panicked cries for help.

Princess Yeonhwa claims that she also wants to make three toasts (as So did) before giving the king her requests. Queen Sinmyeongsunseong watches as Yeonhwa pours herself a cup from the Crown Prince’s tea. Her first request is for the king to let Wook remarry, prompting Wook to say that there is someone he has in mind. King Taejo permits the request without knowing who the girl is, and Yeonhwa brings the cup to her lips.

But instead of drinking, she stealthily pours the liquid down her sleeve. She acts as though she’s been poisoned, however, and dramatically swoons. Queen Sinmyeongsunseong scoffs at the act before announcing that it’s poison (as if she didn’t already know), while Yeonhwa weakly calls for them to help her half-brother, So.

Blood drips from the corner of Yeonhwa’s mouth as everyone around her panics. Baek Ah (played by Nam Joo Hyuk) finds So and Soo first, but the other princes aren’t far behind. Ninth prince Won immediately blames Soo for serving the tea, though it’s Astronomer Choi who announces that she’s being arrested for attempted assassination of a prince. 

Court Lady Oh watches as Soo’s room is torn apart, though she recognizes that there’s a darker plan at work—Soo wasn’t originally supposed to serve the tea, and the court lady who was has mysteriously gone missing. Minister Park Young Gyu seems delighted when he finds a necklace (the one the Crown Prince gave her) among Soo’s things, while one of the soldiers “finds” the vial of poison.

Queen Sinjeong frets as the royal doctor checks her daughter’s pulse, though he claims she’ll be fine. Only when the queen is gone does Yeonhwa rise from her bed, completely fine. She only pretended to drink the poison, she tells the doctor, and bit the inside of her lip to cause the bleeding. Then she announces freely to the doctor, while warning him to keep silent now that she’s freed herself from any suspicion. No one would believe that she willingly poisoned herself.

The antidote is spoon-fed to an unconscious So by another royal doctor as Astronomer Choi, Baek Ah, and Crown Prince Mu look on. Astronomer Choi notes that So just might make it because Grand General Park trained his body to resist poison, but neither of them can figure out why So would have drank three glasses. Surely he knew it was poison after the first. Crown Prince Mu accurately guesses that the true target of the poison was him and not So, while Baek Ah and Astronomer Choi figure that he tried to leave before his symptoms could be known in order to protect the culprit. But who?

Wook finds said culprit curled up against the wall of a prison cell, and he takes in her bloodied hands when she grasps the wooden bars. He puts his hand over hers, but pulls away when her first question is to ask how So is doing.

Her concern for So seems to make Wook very unhappy, and it’s with a flat voice that he tells her that So will be fine. She needs to worry about herself now that she’s suspected of poisoning the tea, and while he believes in her innocence, there’s no proof. He warns her that they might very well torture her to find out who was behind the poisoning, but he implores her to endure long enough for him to get her out. She puts on a brave face as she says that she won’t let them use her to frame someone else, so she’s prepared.

At the next assembly, Minister Park posits that it was Crown Prince Mu who tried to poison So through Soo. Mu vehemently defends himself, but Astronomer Choi stops him, lest he end up revealing his illness to the court.

Wook’s theory is that the poison was intended for the Crown Prince, but was accidentally given to So. Princess Yeonhwa’s poisoning proves as much, though it doesn’t alleviate any of the suspicion with regards to Soo’s role in all of it. King Taejo announces that Soo will be hanged for her crime, but the Crown Prince isn’t willing to let another person die for him, even if it means keeping his illness under wraps. He asks that the King cast him aside instead, but Taejo refuses. Mu is his firstborn, and he wants to give him everything he can.

So attempts to leave his sickbed early to go to Su, who he knows must be alone and suffering. Wook updates him on the allegations against Soo, and despite all of them knowing that it makes no sense, he can’t see a way to get her out of it. “I should have never let Hae Soo get mixed up with you,” Wook adds, under his breath.

After sending Baek Ah away, So reveals to Wook that it was his mother who was behind the poisoning. At first, Wook accuses So of drinking the poison to protect his mother, but So claims that he did it to save Soo and the Crown Prince. So adds that he was trying to prevent anyone from finding out about it, but that all changed when Princess Yeonhwa drank the poison. He admits that he wasn’t able to say anything about it before it happened, but now he has to depend on Wook to expose Queen Sinmyeongsunseong’s machinations and save Soo.

That night, So goes to the prison to see Soo trembling on the floor of her cell, covered in blood from the day’s torture. She rises with great difficulty, yet her only happiness is in seeing that So isn’t dead. “You knew it was poisoned,” she says. Did he drink it in order to save her from suspicion? So calls the theory nonsense, claiming that he’s not the kind of man to drink poison for a girl. Aw, you big softie. She sees through the lie and tearfully asks why he would do such a thing—did he think her feelings would change? But in her mind, she thinks, “Who am I that you would put your life on the line for me? If you do this, it makes it harder for me to turn away from you.”

He gives her a small smile, admonishing her for always causing him problems. There’s so much left unsaid between them as they manage to make light of the situation despite the severity of it all, as he tells her that she’ll be freed soon. She just sighs, “I don’t know what to do with you.” So replies in kind. 

Meanwhile, Wook tracks down the court lady who first conspired with Princess Yeonhwa, now receiving another package from her. The princess is in disguise, so Wook uses his metal hairpin to threaten the court lady into revealing the truth—if she does, he’ll let her live.

He asks the cloaked figure to reveal himself, only to be taken aback when it’s his sister. The court lady uses the opportunity to make an escape, with Wook too shell-shocked to stop her. The princess, ever the arrogant one, knows that Wook can’t reveal her crime without damning his entire family as traitors. When he demands to know why she did it, she fires back that he was about to throw away his chance to be king for that girl, and she had to stop him.

When he retorts that he has no desire to be King, she challenges him to search his innermost thoughts. Didn’t he feel wronged when So performed the rain ritual? She knows he wants to be King, and if he still denies it, he can throw both her and their mother away. Wook suddenly throws the hairpin he’d been holding, and it lands straight in the scheming court lady’s neck. 

She knows as well as he does that he can’t just cast his own family aside. “From this point on, Yeonhwa, you are no longer my sweet sister. You are a debtor. You to me, and I to you.” He seems resigned to his fate as he says this, and Yeonhwa accepts his offer, though she claims she’ll repay that debt by giving him the throne. Defeated, Wook says that she can now do with him as she wishes. He has no choice but to submit to her control in order to save his family, even if it means giving up on Soo.

He still goes to the prison that night, clutching the bloody hairpin he removed from the court lady’s neck. He drops it outside and turns to leave after one tortured look.

Now fourteenth prince Jung feels like he has to take it upon himself to try and save Soo if no one else will, but Wook only acknowledges the presence hiding in the room: Chae Ryung. She falls to her knees as she tearfully begs Wook to save Soo. He remains silent, though her pleading makes him visibly uncomfortable.

So goes to the king to ask for Soo’s life, even daring to ask if the king is so willing to sacrifice her for the crown prince’s sake. King Taejo doesn’t see the big deal in sacrificing a lowly life in order to save an important one, which So takes particular offense to.

Taejo clocks him for his impudence, and warns his son that he’ll kill him if he asks about Soo again. The same will happen to anyone else who thinks to plead for her life.

Court Lady Oh visits the prison that night wearing a veil, and tears up at the sight of a bloodied and broken Soo lying on the ground. Resolved, she returns to the palace to find Wook waiting for her. He has one request for her: “Stand up for Hae Soo. You are the only one who can change the King’s mind.” When she says that she can’t make such a request, Wook asks if she’ll just let Soo die. “I know you feel like a mother to her,” he says, adding that he realized that was the reason Court Lady Oh never liked seeing Soo with him. Court Lady Oh turns that back on him, asking why he can’t save Soo—doesn’t he love her?

She accurately guesses that it’s his own household holding him back, and his own ambition for the throne. “The reason why men in the royal family become cowards is always the same,” she notes with disdain. “Someday, you will come to regret your cowardly actions today. This one time you turned your back on her will haunt you for the rest of your days.”

With this said, she assents to go to the King herself, since she does care for Soo and knows that Wook can’t save her. After serving the King’s tea, Court Lady Oh waits until she is called upon to speak in order to say: “It was I who tried to poison the Crown Prince.” She goes on to give adequate reasons, like the loss of her child (which previous episodes hinted at being Queen Sinmyeongsunseong’s doing), though King Taejo would rather pretend she said nothing.

She lays out the bloody clothes of an infant as she tells him that someone in the royal family sent her tea to drink while she was pregnant ten years ago. Seven days later, their baby died, and she’s not about to let the same person who poisoned her get away with killing a girl who’s like a daughter to her. King Taejo tells her that Soo isn’t a replacement for her dead child, and that there’s no evidence against Queen Sinmyeongsunseong. “Will you look the other way this time as well?” Court Lady Oh asks him tearfully. “I will die soon,” she adds, putting a name to the illness that’s been plaguing her: cancer of the stomach.

She knows that King Taejo is acting to save the Crown Prince, but requests that he help her save Soo, so that she won’t lose another child to the evil queen. His eyes wet with unshed tears, Taejo asks if this means she’s finally casting him aside, and a tear snakes down Court Lady Oh’s cheek in answer.

The next morning, So runs to the execution platform, where a bloody and bedraggled Soo is being taken to the noose. Her eyes widen in fear as she wonders if this is the end for her, but she only begins to panic when she doesn’t see Wook. As she looks around for him, it’s not Wook who arrives, but So. He fights his way through the guards, announcing to them that he’ll be taking her with him. He’s willing to spill blood their blood if he must.

But then, Astronomer Choi runs to the execution grounds with a royal command in his hand: There won’t be a hanging, as the real culprit has been discovered. Soo promptly faints. Court Lady Oh walks with dignity to the soldiers ready to take her away, taking one last look around the palace. Soo witnesses her assenting to her own punishment and limps over to her, demanding to know what’s going on. “I put the poison in the Crown Prince’s tea,” the court lady replies.

Soo knows she’s lying, but Court Lady Oh has to keep up the pretense in order to save her. So holds off the guards long enough for Soo to drag Court Lady Oh into the secret tunnel beneath the baths, only to come up against the newly blocked exit.

Despair washes over Soo as she takes this in, and she takes it upon herself to pull at the rocks blocking their exit. “You said we should go to your hometown,” she says, her voice distant. “Let’s go now.” Court Lady Oh sheds a tear as Soo tries in vain to clear the way.

Court Lady Oh pulls her away, but Soo cries—she knows that this is only a cover-up, and Oh will die in her place. She turns back to the exit, but Oh pulls the crying girl into an embrace. “It’s not your fault. I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for the King.” She strokes the girl’s back as she says that she would die soon anyway, so there’s no need for Soo to feel burdened. “I’m fine,” Court Lady Oh says through her tears. As she looks down at the scar on Soo’s wrist, she mirrors what Soo once said about having no regrets for protecting what she needed to protect.

Soo sobs piteously as Court Lady Oh again takes her into her arms. She doesn’t say this aloud, but she repeats the advice she’s been giving to Soo all this time, because she doesn’t want Soo to end up like her.

We find Soo in a fresh set of clothes as she limps her way to the king’s quarters. She kneels in front of the steps to make a formal protest for him to allow Court Lady Oh to live, despite her voice being too weak to carry far.

Wook tries to run to her aid only to be stopped by his mother, who refuses to let her son risk his life. Princess Yeonhwa reminds him that he turned his back on Soo once, so why can’t he do it again? Wook sends his sister a look: “How much more indebted to me do you want to become?”

Queen Sinmyeongsunseong comes over to gloat and challenge Wook—if he doesn’t believe Court Lady Oh is the culprit, does he believe her to be guilty? His mother immediately prostrates herself at the evil queen’s feet, begging for her to leave her children alone.

Wook tries to pull his mother to her feet, but she brushes him off to continue her heartfelt plea. Queen Sinmyeongsunseong remains arrogant, admonishing Queen Sinjeong for raising her son poorly as said son remains powerless to defend his own mother.

Soo’s pleas grow quieter as she grows weaker, even though she continues into the night. By now it’s just a whisper, and she has to struggle to keep from falling over. Baek Ah tries to tell her that her pleas are futile, and that despite everyone knowing that Court Lady Oh is innocent, no one would dare stand up to the King. He reminds her that Court Lady Oh just barely managed to save her, and if she keeps being stubborn, Oh’s efforts will be for naught. “It is better than doing nothing,” Soo replies, causing Baek Ah to give up on trying to stop her. But before he leaves, she asks where Wook is.

The next morning, Queen Sinjeong asks the King to cancel the order for Court Lady Oh’s execution. He refuses, and when Astronomer Choi says that Soo has been outside protesting for two days, King Taejo announces that if anyone takes her side, they’ll have to answer to him.

It begins to rain, and poor Jung has to be held back by his other brothers from going out to Soo with an umbrella. Jung, finally having enough, leaves the safety of the eave to kneel in solidarity with Soo. Baek Ah joins him, as does the Crown Prince (though he stands). Ninth prince Won refuses to have any part of it.

Wook finally approaches Soo in the pouring rain, and this look of hope spreads across her features that’s just heartbreaking. But when he stops and begins to back away, realization seems to set in. As he turns away from her, Soo can only ask, “Why?”

Just when it seems all hope is lost, a figure emerges next to her and spreads his cloak to cover her. It’s So, who says nothing as Soo straightens just enough to remain under the meager protection.

Queen Sinmyeongsunseong takes a moment to taunt Court Lady Oh, who’s on her way to the gallows. She says that Oh dying first means she’s lost, but Oh says the queen has never once beaten her. The evil queen makes sure to have the last word, as she says that Oh is nothing but a lowly court lady who no one will remember after her death.

“If one person remembers me,” Court Lady Oh thinks to herself, “that is enough for me.” In the King’s courtyard, the princes and Soo hear the gong signifying the execution. What they don’t see is the support drop out from under Court Lady Oh’s feet as she strangles on the end of the noose before going still.

The King suddenly loses his footing, which is likely all the emotion we’ll see from him regarding her death. In the courtyard, So tries to comfort Soo as she screams for Court Lady Oh.

“If I had known someone would die because of me, I would not have been so greedy to live again. If only this was a dream… if only I could wake up without remembering any of this,” we hear Soo say in voiceover as she faints in So’s arms.

Personal Thought:

Finally I really thought this episode is the best episode so far for Moon Lovers. They did a good job for this episode as a whole because it includes motherly charm and touching moments. 

At first I do wonder as why they depicts Kang Ha Neul to portray a gentle 8th Prince without ambtion in this version, yet it's not his true face since he is pressured to take the throne now. I like the fact that 4th Prince's love towards Hae Soo is a pure love. He's not married yet and he falls for Soo. In the original version, 4th Prince is married already but he keeps falling for another woman. I don't like that fact and it seems as if Ruo Xi is only looking for someone who's able to keep her alive. Yet in this version, although she looks for someone who would protect her, but she's looking for someone who is willing to throw everything for her and that's our 4th Prince!

I like it even more when the production team doesn't delete the iconic raining scene. And it's even better when the production team didn't have anymore scene between 10th Prince again since he should have stop disappearing since his marriage already. 

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo - Episode 10 Summary

After his “You are mine” speech, So (played by Lee Jun Ki) goes in for the kiss, and Soo (played by IU)  struggles weakly against him. Then, she goes still as a tear runs down her cheek. Only then does So pull away, his eyes intent on her face, her shaking hands. 

He stumbles backward, regret over his actions seeping in. Soo continues to cry silently until So grabs her by the wrist and pulls her after him. Next thing we see is fourteenth prince Jung (played by Ji Soo) spotting the two leaving the palace on horseback.

I like the fact that we get a better idea as how Soo opened up 4th Prince's heart than Ruo Xi and 4th Prince in the original version. They put a really nice plot, because we are able to understand aboit 4th Prince more. Besides, the kiss attempt is not only once but twice!  

Jung reports what he saw to Wook (played by Kang Ha Neul) , who’s in disbelief that Soo would have left the palace in the first place—and with So, for that matter. He loses his temper at the fact that she, a court lady, left the palace, though Jung says that So wouldn’t have been concerned about breaking that most sacred of rules. If anyone’s going to pay, it’ll be Soo. That’s what Jung is worried about the most, and he won’t accept Wook’s order for him to just stay in the palace. He wants to help Wook looking for Soo, since he knows what would happen to her if she gets caught. Wook apologizes for still thinking of Jung as a child, and accepts his offer to help.

We find the two escapees looking out at the sunrise on horseback, and their conversation can only be heard in voiceover as Soo notes that neither of them will be safe now. “Then should we run away?” So’s voice replies. “If you want to, I will.”

On their feet now, So explains that he had been wanting to bring her here. She looks up at him as he offers a small smile in return, but her gaze returns to the rolling waves. He asks her if she still wants him to leave the palace, claiming that he’s never brought misfortune or used his sword without caring for the costs. Only now does Soo try to convince herself that the visions she saw of So as King Gwangjong must have been a hallucination, and even if they weren’t, she should still try to stop him. When she speaks, she gives him platitudes about living life with a smile (and without spilling blood) no matter where he ends up living. 

So says she needs to just say the word and he’ll run away with her, but Soo insists that as a court lady, she can’t leave the palace. But the real reason is much more complicated: “I have feelings for another.” So: “Baek Ah?” When she says it isn’t, So says it’s fine as long as it’s not Baek Ah. Because he’d have to kill whoever it is she does have feelings for, and he likes Baek Ah (played by Nam Joo Hyuk) . “You already belonged to me the day Yeonhwa was beating you and I called you mine,” he adds. “You saw me for who I was. There was no need for explanations or excuses.” 

As far as her being afraid of him, he says he doesn’t believe it. “You are the only one on my side. Therefore, I am not sorry for anything. Not for kissing you, or for bringing you out here.” He adds that he won’t be sorry even if he makes threats against her for having feelings for another man, and hands her a hairpin. Soo shakes her head as she looks down at the gift, insisting that she’d only meant to help him, and that she never intended for him to have feelings for her. “Try running away from me then,” he says with a smile. Putting the hairpin in her hands, he tells her she can throw it away if she so chooses.

OMG this 4th Prince in K-version is way more and more cool. I like his every word and I like the idea of him wantting to run away with Soo and leave the palace. In the original version, it seems like a fact that 4th Prince indeed wants the throne and Ruo Xi falls for him because she knows that 4th Prince will be the next King and of course she wants to live. When 4th Prince said silently that he wants the throne, Ruo Xi said that he already holds the key to her heart. Honestly when they stated that fact, I think Ruo Xi is a typical girl who is not consistent with her heart and feelings. She can easily change her direction. However, Soo is somewhat different. She knows that she likes someone else and she confidently tells 4th Prince about it. I do wonder how they will broke up later on as Soo has already told 4th Prince she likes someone else. Will the story be the same like the original one?

Wook and Jung see them on the road and promptly dismount, with Soo worrying that her absence from the palace has already been noted. Wook looks positively livid as So makes it so that Jung can’t escort Soo off the horse. He’ll be the one to return her to the palace. 

At least Wook has enough sense to tell him that people will start to talk if they return to the palace together, but So counters that the King already gave Soo to him. “Gave her to you?” Wook repeats the words, clearly not liking the taste of them in his mouth. But then Soo inexplicably says that she’ll go back to the palace with So, leaving Wook and Jung with no other options. 

Wook makes So promise that nothing will happen to Soo on his watch before he lets them set off. “This is the last time I’ll send her away like this,” Wook tells Jung witha dangerous look in his eyes.

So brings Soo back to a waiting Court Lady Oh, and immediately takes the blame for removing Soo from the palace. Once he leaves, Court Lady Oh blames Soo’s small act of kindness as the reason why So’s feelings have gotten out of control, and the only advice she has is for Soo to wait for So’s feelings to subside.

Third prince Yo imparts some tips on archery to Wook, who keeps missing the mark. Yo claims that he always imagines a person as the target, and in this case, he’s clearly imagining So as he hits the target time and again. While Wook claims to take the higher road, he keeps missing, and Yo take at what he perceives as weakness. Yo knows that the King is sending him away from the palace to die, but he’s resolved that he’ll come back safe and sound. He plants the seed of doubt in Wook’s mind as to who he should be targeting in the meantime—and Wook, seemingly filled with new resolve, draws his bow and fires. It’s a bullseye.

Soo and Wook meet again in the not-so-secret cave beneath the baths, where she tries to explain that she only chose to return with So to be sure that Wook wouldn’t get in trouble. “I am not angry,” Wook assures her. “I am just disappointed.” Wook claims that he was always too busy worrying about the consequences of taking her out of Damiwon, yet while he was agonizing, So took the action that he couldn’t. Now, he says that he’ll request the King’s permission to marry her.

Her eyes widen at this, and Wook explains that he almost lost her to the king—he won’t make the mistake of losing her again. Soo was the one who brought joy and laughter back into his life, and because of that, he’s willing to leave the palace to live the rest of his days with her, and give her all the love he never gave Lady Hae.

“Therefore, Soo… will you be my wife?” Soo’s instantly flooded with conflicting thoughts, as she tells herself that he won’t ever change, nor will he ever hurt her. (Is she using So as a point of comparison?) She would be happy with him. But if Gwangjong were to kill him…Wook doesn’t get to hear any of this inner monologue, so he’s left to wonder if she no longer wants to be with him. Soo says that isn’t so, prompting Wook to ask for an answer: “Will you marry me?”

Before she can answer, Court Lady Oh intervenes to take the two to task for their secret meeting. If word were to get out, Soo would be killed, and Wook would be stripped of his rank and punished. Once they’re alone, Court Lady Oh asks Soo to leave the palace with her while she recuperates from her illness. In reality, she’s known about Soo and Wook, and wants to remove Soo from what she sees as a dangerous situation.

Soo disagrees, saying that Wook asked her to marry him, and she wants to say yes. Court Lady Oh’s disapproval couldn’t be any more clear as she mentions that it simply wouldn’t work with So in play—the two brothers would be at each other’s throats, and she’d be in danger.

Again, Soo disagrees. She trusts Wook, and knows he’s not the type to change. At this, Court Lady Oh loses her cool as she says that the palace has a way of changing people, and it’s a place where promises mean nothing. Only now does she tell her that the man she once gave her heart to is now the king of Goryeo, and though they were once lovers, the throne was more important to him. And she, wanting to stay by his side, resolved to live as his court lady. But tears form in her eyes as she tells Soo that while she once addressed the King as her lover, now she’s in charge of bathing the women who will actually be his lovers. Regardless, Soo says that she knows she can trust Wook—as long as he has no ambition for the throne, they can be happy. Court Lady Oh can only sigh, having failed to convince her.

I like it when Court Lady Oh finally has a role to tell this girl that the throne is more important than anything else. She also sets an example for Soo, though I guess Soo is still in her rejection state. 

After a night spent brooding over the hairpin So gave her, Soo finds So waiting outside her quarters. He’s done a less than admirable job covering his scar, so Soo invites him inside in order to help. In voiceover, she says that she’s not afraid of him, nor does she hate him. She just worries about him.

As she applies the makeup over his scar, Soo tries explaining that there are different types of affection. Naturally, someone feels affection for another who helps them through a difficult time, but they’d be more inclined to call that person a friend. What she worries about, she claims, is that So might be confusing friendly affection for love.

So takes her hand as he tells her that he doesn’t differentiate between friendship and love—it’s all the same to him. He knows that she’s trying to push him away, but her tactics won’t work on him. As he says this, he grabs her around the waist, pulls her close, and begins to lean in for a kiss…But Soo quickly covers her mouth with her hand. Amused, he tells her not to worry, since he won’t try kissing her without her permission again. 

Jung finds Soo on the palace grounds and explains that he was worried about Soo when she went off with So, but she says they only went to see the sunrise. She tells him to try thinking of things from his brother’s perspective, since he was never able to receive their mother’s love. Jung just says that his mother and Yo have changed since So came into the palace, and sighs wistfully for the uncomplicated nature of the past. The days that Soo spent her days smiling at Wook were their happiest, he claims, and Soo agrees.

Wook meets with his mother and Princess Yeonhwa to announce his plans to request the King’s permission to marry Soo. He doesn’t want the throne and wishes to live with Soo in the Northern city of Hwangju. He may as well have slapped Yeonhwa in the face with the way she reacts, with her spitting that he’d just be leaving her and their mother without protection.

Surprisingly, Queen Sinjeong intervenes to give Wook her permission to follow his heart, though she warns him to be prepared. Once he leaves, Yeonhwa tears into her mother for not stopping him, even though the Queen reasons that she’s tired of eying for the throne, and knows that Wook must be too. Without Wook’s protection as King, Yeonhwa says, they’ll just be pushed out of the palace, or worse. That’s when Yeonhwa declares that she no longer intends to just live as the sister of a King—she’ll become the wife of one, and rule over him.

Queen Sinjeong is powerless to stop her as she goes straight to Queen Sinmyeongsunseong with a “story” to share. We don’t get to hear what it is, but this alliance is probably the last thing anyone needed.

Baek Ah’s heard a new dancer has arrived at the gibang, and goes to see the new girl for himself… only to recognize Woo Hee, the sword dancer from the forest. She grows suspicious when she recognizes him, though he claims he just comes to the gibang to play accompaniment for the gisaeng there.

She’s content to just shoo him away, but Baek Ah says that they should share names now that they’ve met three times. She claims her name is Bok Soon, but her attempt at secrecy is foiled when one of the other gisaeng immediately calls out, “Woo Hee-ya!” Hah.

Queen Sinmyeongsunseong and ninth prince Won meet with minister Park Young Gyu in order to ask his advice on how to separate the king from So. Minister Park says that they’ll have to make the king believe that So is Crown Prince Mu’s enemy, so all the Queen needs to do is act like she supports So—he’ll handle the rest.

Won then claims he stole one of the Crown Prince’s secret documents and gave it to So, that way the crown prince will think So stole it. The Queen believes all their preparations are going swimmingly.

Baek Ah pays a visit to So to ask him if it’s true that he took Soo out of the palace—and if so, he wants to know what his half-brother is thinking. Since Soo is a court lady, there could be severe ramifications for her if she’s caught, and Baek Ah doesn’t want So making things any harder on her.

So says that wasn’t his intention, and confesses that he’s not all that good at relating with others. But he has no intention of making things difficult for her, and when he says that, Baek Ah realizes that his feelings for Soo are real. So claps a hand on Baek Ah’s shoulder as he says that he and Soo are the only people he truly cares about.

They’re interrupted by Astronomer Choi bearing bad news for Crown Prince Mu—his mother’s family has been accused of embezzling tax money, so the ministers are calling for him to be deposed. The ministers instead want So to be installed as the new crown prince, since he’s been the nation’s hero after the rain ritual.

Ninth prince Won plays his part in the plot by claiming that all of this happened because he told So about the dealings of Mu’s unscrupulous uncle, making it seem as though So was the one who made that letter public. He acts completely innocent, leaving Crown Prince Mu to suspect So.

Seeking to nip this problem in the bud, King Taejo informs So that he’ll be sent back to Shinju. Despite the king knowing that Queen Sinmyeongsunseong’s machinations are the reason that So’s name has been put in for the crown prince position, the only viable solution the king can think of is to send So away.

Princess Yeonhwa, in disguise, orders a court lady to deliver a vial of what’s probably poison to a very specific court lady. Though Yeonhwa warns the woman not to speak a word of this to Queen Sinmyeongsunseong, it seems the court lady does just that.

So bursts into his mother’s room then to demand answers, though his mother only demurs, claiming that she was just trying to help him get the throne. Isn’t that what he said he wanted?

He tells her to stop pretending like she does anything for his sake, but his mother just smiles at him as she tells him that the crown prince will die from drinking poisoned tea on the ninth day of the ninth month—she’s already delivered the poison, so he can’t stop it now.

So begs to differ, but his mother practically laughs. Even if he tells someone that she delivered the poison, she’ll just claim she did it to make her son king.

“Try to stop it if you can,” she challenges. “But you’ll only be tightening the noose around your own neck.” She manages to stop him when she mentions how the King is trying to drive him out, but if the Crown Prince dies from poison, So will take his place. One measly court lady will die, and he’ll have everything he wants.

Understandably, So is wary of trusting her, though not wary enough. She bats her eyes at him and claims that she fully supports him and trusts him not to kill his brothers. 

Minister Park Young Gyu is called to the gibang to meet with Woo Hee, who pressures him about a rebellion. As the last princess of Baekje (one of the Three Kingdoms, which King Taejo unified into Goryeo), she wants to kill the King, and she threatens to tell the people of Baekje of his treachery should he fail to help her.

He reveals that he’s her uncle by marriage, and all but dares her to make him bend to her will. What power does she have? Woo Hee threatens him with her silver dagger, but when they spot Baek Ah nearby, she acts like a gisaeng fighting off a suitor trying to have his way with her. Her uncle plays along and stalks off.

Baek Ah seems to recognize the minister, but before he can connect the dots, he rushes over to ask Woo Hee if she’s okay. Bitterly, she says that if he was going to see what was happening and not rush in to save her, then he should’ve stuck with that choice. He says it didn’t look like she needed his help and dangles the norigae ornament she dropped in front of her, teasing that it doesn’t seem like she wants it back.

Okay, this part is not aired on the international version, instead they changed it to Eun, 10th Prince (played by Baekhyun) married with Seon Dok which was aired on the last episode. Do you really need to show EXO Baekhyun to attract the viewers? Never expect that!

After Wook pays a visit to his late wife’s grave to ask her to watch over him and Su, he joins the royal family in an afternoon of games and general merriment (which so happens to take place on the ninth day of the ninth month). So focuses intently on the Crown Prince every time he seems about to drink.

The family plays a drinking game based around who can recite stanzas from a famous poem by Zhong Hui, and they motion to the next person who must drink and recite the next part of the poem. But when it’s Jung’s turn, he can’t remember it. 

Queen Sinmyeongsunseong notices that Crown Prince Mu is reluctant to take a drink, which opens an opportunity for the poisoned tea to be delivered instead. The one part of the plan So wasn’t let in on, though, was that Soo was to be the doomed court lady delivering the poisoned tea.

Tenth prince Eun and his new wife Soon Deok are late to the party, and end up running into Soo as she’s on her way to deliver the tea. Eun’s a bit icy to Soo, claiming that he doesn’t want to see her face if he can avoid it. After he storms off, Soon Deok asks Soo why she didn’t just take her offer to become Eun’s second wife. Soo admires Soon Deok’s consideration for her husband, and bids her to take care of her husband. Soon Deok gets a little offended at Soo’s specific advice, claiming that Eun is her responsibility now.

The tea Soo brings to the Crown Prince is first tested for poison by a silver spoon, but before it arrives, So loses his nerve and prepares to tell the Crown Prince everything. But once he sees Soo and realizes the predicament she’s in, he goes silent.

When he speaks again, he covers smoothly by saying that he’d like for his brother to pour three drinks for him. Princess Yeonhwa looks nervous as the clueless Soo takes the tea to So, who then drops the cup. He claims he was just being clumsy, so Soo is asked to pour him another, this time in a fresh cup.

So drinks the first cup without incident, though he begins to falter before he can drink the second. He covers again, continuing his toast to the prince as he downs the second cup. As Soo pours him a third, So sends a look to his decidedly unapologetic mother as he thinks, “It wasn’t the cup, but the tea you poisoned.”

She practically shrugs, leaving So to bear his pain in silence as he takes the third cup from Soo and realizes that he’s drinking poison she poured for him. His hand shakes as he takes it, but his toast doesn’t falter. He looks at Soo as he brings the cup to his lips, while Princess Yeonhwa looks ready to jump out of her seat.

Because of So’s toasts, the Crown Prince requests that the king not send him away to Shinju as planned. Soo, still clueless, goes to prepare more tea, while So looks after her longingly and tries to control his shaking.

So excuses himself gracefully, but the world around him begins to blur as he starts walking away. All he can do is try to control the symptoms long enough to get out of sight, even as blood trickles from his clenched lips.

Personal Thought:

I really don't like the fact as how the international airing cut the scene between Nam Joo Hyuk and Seo Hyun, instead they put the Baekhyun's scene which was aired on the last episode. What the hell? U cut a nice storyline yet u put something not as important as that! Moreover it's a scene which was aired on the last episode. You expect that people will be attracted by EXO Baekhyun? Oh please, 10th Prince is a supporting character. He should be gone since episode 9 already! You guys are forcing it too much. He's suck in acting yet you put him on a long scene. What a crap. 

I am glad as how Seo Hyun come out with her acting. I can still enjoy the drama comfortably, but when it comes to Baekhyun, I always skip the scene! In whatever case, I hope we will be able to see a more side of our main lead rather than a unnecessary and unimportant scene for just a mere supporting cast!