Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo - Episode 15 Summary

Given the choice between saving Soo (played by IU) or remaining faithful to the late King Hyejong, So (played by Lee Jun Ki) drops his sword and drops to his knees before Yo (played by Hong Jung Hyun). With tears in his eyes, So grits out his allegiance to the new King Jeongjong, third monarch of Goryeo. We get a flashback of a young Crown Prince Mu, an equally young Astronomer Choi, and a tiny So (before he was scarred). Astronomer Choi had reassured Mu that he had the star of a King, but he’d asked Mu what he would do if his lifeline didn’t last very long.

The young prince had claimed that the length of his life wasn’t as important as who he spent his final days with, proving that he had a good temperament even as a child. That’s when So Lite chimed in to say that he wanted to become King too, and Astronomer Choi told him not to worry—he would also become King.

In the present, Astronomer Choi looks down at the pitiful corpse of King Hyejong and calls upon the other princes to respectfully see to his remains. Elsewhere in the room, Soo whispers for So to rise to his feet, claiming that all of this happened because of her.

In answer, So drags her out of the palace, only to be stopped by ninth prince Won. Won delightfully informs him that under the new King’s command, if Soo were to somehow disappear from Damiwon, then he’d spread the news throughout Goryeo that she poisoned the late King Hyejong.

There’s turmoil over at tenth prince Eun’s home as King Jeongjong seeks to solidify his power by ridding himself of his pesky brother. Eun and his wife have already escaped though, so the King returns to the palace to commend Wook (played by Kang Ha Neul) on his evil deeds. Apparently, it was Wook who advised him to use Soo to keep So in check.

The King’s uncle, Minister of the Left Wang Shik Ryeom, bids Wook to kneel before his new king. Wook keeps his poker face on as he does so, repeating the same chants of “Manseh!” as So did earlier. King Jeongjong sits on the throne he coveted for so long, decreeing that Eun must be found in order for their plot (of making Eun’s grandfather seem as though he was planning a revolt, or something) to work. I love how Wook is all, “If only we knew a hunting dog skilled in matters like these…”

Eun’s grandfather Wang Gyu is caught and executed, along with other members of Eun’s family. Queen Sinmyeongsunseong watches the butchery and smiles her biggest smile yet, since she couldn’t be any prouder of her son. However, what King Jeongjong says next takes her by surprise: He wants her out of palace affairs, which he’ll take care of from now on. She can just live comfortably, which is not what the new Queen Mother wants.

She’s especially incensed that King Jeongjong is even entertaining the idea of keeping So around, despite Jeongjong’s claims that So saved his life by holding back when he stabbed him on the edge of the cliff. He gives So the mission Wook not-so-subtly hinted at: Find Eun and kill him. If he doesn’t, then he’ll be putting Baek-ah, Astronomer Choi, and even Soo in danger.

After So’s gone, the King proves that he’s not grateful at all to So for saving his life, and finds the sympathy So showed him upsetting. As to why he’s keeping him around, he tells his mother that it’s more fun to try taming him for now. So tells Grand General Park and Astronomer Choi of the new mission the King’s given him, but leaves out the part about killing both Eun and his wife. Since Soon Deok is General Park’s daughter, he warns So that he won’t stand by and let his daughter get caught up in a fight amongst princes.

Later, So pulls Soo aside to tell her that it’s now common knowledge that the King died from mercury poisoning, but no one knows who the culprit is. He wants her to lay low for the time he’ll be out of the palace, and tells her to go to Astronomer Choi if she’s in danger.

Soo knows enough to guess that she’s been used against So for the mission he has to go on, but he simply pats her on the head and tells her not to worry about it before he pulls her into a farewell embrace. Despite knowing that only she and Chae Ryung attended to the King, and despite Chae Rryung’s immediately suspicious protestations that it most definitely wasn’t her, Soo doesn’t suspect her in the slightest. 

But when Chae Ryung tells her that Eun’s entire family was killed, Su has a dramatic flashback to what So just told her about having to leave the palace to hunt down a traitor. She knows now that he was talking about Eun and panics. She shuffles around listlessly afterward, only seeming to come back to reality when Soon Deok approaches her, disguised as a court lady. Since Eun trusts Soo, they tell her that they only need to hide in her room until they can prepare safe passage out. Soo promises to do what she can to help them.

Poor Eun still thinks that he can get help from his brothers, but it’s Soo who puts a stop to that line of thinking when she reveals that So’s been sent to find him. She carefully sidesteps around telling him what’s happened to his family, and thankfully, he’s blissful in his ignorance. Soon Deok seems to know much more, but of course, she’d be mad to tell him now.

Evil minister Park Young Gyu is in attendance as Woo Hee (played by SNSD Seohyun) tries to broker a deal with the new King for the benefit of the starving people of the Later Baekje region. King Jeongjong seems wary of her claims that she no longer has revenge on her mind, and proposes a different deal, one that would be more beneficial to him.

While at a tavern with So, Baek Ah (played by Nam Joo Hyuk) makes it clear that he doesn’t trust or respect their new king, and worries whether So actually plans to capture Eun and take him back. “You don’t trust me either,” So says ruefully, causing Baek Ah to backpedal quickly. He’s managed to track down four boats that Eun and his wife could take, but he doesn’t know which of them they will take yet.

Woo Hee finds the two half-brothers and exchanges pleasant greetings with So, who knows that Soo will be happy to see her. But it’s when Woo Hee says that she’ll return to the gyobang that Baek Ah sputters, and he doesn’t seem soothed when she tells him that she won’t be a gisaeng, but just a dance instructor. As they talk, the sinister Minister Park watches.

So confronts Wook over the very suspicious events surrounding their late brother’s death, explaining that the plot to poison him with mercury for two years was much too detailed for someone like Won to come up with. It could’ve only been Wook, and the fact that the king hasn’t killed him means that he’s working with Jeongjong.

Wook forces a smile as he claims that So has always been suspicious of him, and throws back So’s accusation that he killed their brother with one of his own: “How about you? Are you going to become the king’s dog and kill Eun?” He claims that they’re both just struggling to survive, causing So to ask what changed him. “I did not poison the late king,” Wook finally says. It doesn’t seem like So believes him.

Since Soo’s been called to tend to him, Jeongjong asks her what she would do if she were tortured for a confession about the mercury in the bathwater, which she denies having any part of. Su manages to win some points when she says that she would blame it on him, even if she died doing so.

Impressed, King Jeongjong interestingly notes that she’s the same as she used to be when she was younger (interesting because no one seems to mention that the actual Soo had a past), and assures her that he won’t get rid of the only leverage he has over his brothers. With that in mind, Soo asks him to divulge who the real culprit was just to sate her curiosity—she won’t be able to tell anyone anyway, since all Jeongjong would have to do is accuse her of killing the King to make her disappear.

Before he can answer, Wook’s entrance is announced, and Jeongjong smiles wickedly as he says that Wook arrived right on time. Soo just got her answer, and she can’t control her expression as she turns to look at Wook. Jeongjong just fans the flames by telling Wook that Soo is simply dying to know who poisoned the king, and gets a kick out of Wook falsely claiming that the king died of an illness.

Once they’re outside, Soo seems to already know the answer when she asks Wook whether he had any hand in the poisoning. It seems like she’s testing to see whether he’d lie to her directly, but the scene abruptly cuts to Queen Sinjeong tearing into Wook for his latest string of traitorous decisions.

“Is it because of Hae Soo?” the queen asks. Much to her dismay, Wook answers, “Yes. I did think of her. It is because of her. Su said I tried to have everything for myself, and that that was wrong. But what of it? I tried to protect my family and my heart. What’s so wrong about that? Mother, you told me to live a proper life, and I lived my life that way. So… why am I still lonely?”

With tears in his eyes and on his cheeks, Wook claims that he’s already chosen the path he has to follow. He will get what he wants even if it means taking a different path than what he once intended: “I will no longer lose what I desire like a fool.” Cut back to him and Soo (oh, it was a flashback) as he flatly tells her, “I have done nothing wrong.”

So finds Soo after hearing about her meeting with the King, though she assuages his fears by telling him that the King has no plans to kill her or kick her out of the palace. So knows it’s because the King plans to use her to manipulate him, but he’s just happy she’s safe for now.

In stark contrast to Wook, So comes clean to Soo about being sent to hunt Eun down when she broaches the topic. Even though the King wants Eun dead, So says he’ll do whatever he can to help Eun escape, though that doesn’t jive with the premonition Su had about So cutting Eun down in cold blood. So wonders whether he can keep trusting Astronomer Choi, since he didn’t even know that Yo would become King. Choi admits as much, but claims that Yo was born with the star of a traitor, so there must have been some deviation along the way that caused him to change course and become King. They’re not going to try and blame this on Su, are they?

Wook keeps repeating the words of warning Soo once gave him about So, since he now feels like her prophecy is coming true—everything is becoming So’s, and Wook can’t stop him. “What should I do?” he wonders.

Despite Soon Deok’s best efforts to blend in as a court lady, Jung is able to recognize her by her quick reflexes. Luckily, he’s Team Eun, and joins in on their plans to get Eun and his wife safely out of the palace. Since all the ways out are closed, Soo remembers the secret tunnel beneath the palace. Soon Deok wants to see her father before she leaves, but Soo doesn’t think that’s a good idea—it’d put her too close to So. Soon Deok asks why Soo doesn’t trust So considering the relationship they have, seeming to trust So more than Soo does.

Her words, along with King Taejo’s “Do not get so hung up on the future that you lose what you have now” advice causes Su to admit that Soon-deok is right about trusting So. She volunteers to fetch Astronomer Choi herself, which she was reluctant to do before because of his ties to So, and ends up leaving him a note when he isn’t in his tower. That’s safe.

Jung and Soon Deok work together to clear the rocks blocking the secret tunnel, and he seems mildly discomfited by her constantly brushing her sweat-soaked hair away. He gives her a hairpin of Soo’s to hold her hair back, causing her to wonder if the pin belongs to the woman he loves. He smiles as he admits that the hairpin’s owner risked her life for him, specifically remembering the time Su saved him from those thugs in the forest by waving a stick around. Admitting that he fell in love with her when he saw her sing, he now admits that he hopes that she’ll only sing for him one day. Aww.

Soon Deok can relate to him, having felt the same feelings once herself. She describes her childhood (as we see it in flashback), claiming that she was always different from the other girls because she didn’t like the same girly things. That’s when Eun Lite offered her a ring made of flowers, which she happily accepted.

In the present, Soon Deok tells Jung to have courage when it comes to the woman he loves. She’ll be cheering him on, but Jung gives himself his own cheer: “Fighting!” Cute.

Princess Yeonhwa pays a formal visit to the new King Jeongjong, deliberately showing off the ring he once gave her. Jeongjong laughs at the sight of it, and tells her that he’ll be sending her off to the Khitan to be married. “Congratulations on your marriage, Yeonhwa-ya.” Yeonhwa can’t help but wonder why it is that everyone who sits on that throne tries to control her through marriage: “You must believe there is no better way to control a woman other than marriage. I’m disappointed in you.” But Jeongjong reminds her that her brother betrayed him, so he can’t very well accept her as his Queen.

Now that the Jeongjong avenue is closed, Yeonhwa thinks about So, and how he already proclaimed to love someone else. Left with no other options, all she can do is cry.

Because Eun is suffering from cabin fever so badly, Soon Deok allows him one excursion to the baths, since those aren’t occupied at night. Eun tries to get some while he’s at it, but Soon Deok avoids his grasps for her clothes. She’s wowed when Eun makes her a rabbit out of a towel, so he decides to make all sorts of things for them to play with, which includes two toy boats that they use to race against each other. When Eun wins (because she let him), he prepares to give her a smack on the inside of her wrist, only to notice that her wrist is already reddened from him doing that too much. Yikes. At least he refrains this time.

Soon Deok then gifts him with his favorite slingshot, which she managed to take with them despite all the chaos. Eun admits that he never wanted to be a prince, and Soon Deok says that they’ll be able to live out their dreams freely once they move to the island of Tamra. Eun returns the favor by giving his wife an ornament to wear, though at first, she thinks he’s gotten it for Su. Embarrassed, he says that it was for her, and repeats the same words he’d said when he gave her the flower ring as children about “all pretty girls” liking such things.

Of course, Eun is quick to say that she’s just okay and not necessarily pretty, but Soon Deok is so overcome with happiness that she kisses him. Then, she suddenly grows paranoid that kissing could make her pregnant, causing Eun to maturely note that they should’ve lived happily like this from the very beginning. But now, it’s business time.

Yeonhwa comes to the baths looking for Su the next day, and like Chae-ryung, she takes notice of all the homemade toys suddenly lying about. She orders Su to leave So immediately, and claims that she can get Soo married out to a decent family. Soo says that the reason she wants to marry So (and not just into any good family) is because he makes her feel like she’s worth something, adding that she has no reason to leave him as long as he stays true to her.

“Now I know why I’ve always hated you,” Yeonhwa grits out. “Feelings and marriage are just silly games to you. It isn’t life and death for you like it is for me.” After promising to make Soo pay for her refusal to bend to her wishes, Yeonhwa storms off.

Wook advises King Jeongjong to get rid of So as soon as possible, but even the king has enough sense to know that it’s too soon for him to act without arousing suspicion. In that case, Wook claims his only chance is to drive a wedge between So’s two biggest allies: General Park and Astronomer Choi.

Yeonhwa barges in unannounced and intent on making a deal: If they like what she has to say, then she doesn’t have to be married off. It’s only revealed in a scene with her and So that Yeonhwa revealed Eun’s hiding place, having recognized the towel-animals in the Damiwon bath as his doing.

Soo sees Eun and Soon Deok to the secret entrance of the cave and tells them that Jung will be waiting for them on the other side. Soon Deok thanks her, and Eun says he’ll see her when he returns, which seem like some famous last words if there ever were any.

Before they can enter the tunnel, Jung comes rushing out to tell them to run—there are guards everywhere. He’ll hold them off for as long as he can.

Soo tries to find another escape route, but they’re surrounded by the sounds of swords and screams. Soon Deok tells Soo to take Eun, assuring him that they won’t dare to kill her, a general’s daughter. I don’t think she honestly believes it, but she wants Eun to so that he can escape.

Despite Soo’s best efforts to drag him away, Eun refuses to leave his wife. “What can I do?” he sighs. “I am all she has.”

And then, he pulls himself from Soo’s grasp. She can only look after him with tears in her eyes.

Personal Thought:

Things have gone back to the original story line and now it seems true that 14th Prince, Jung (played by Ji Soo) will have  an important mission later on. Although Soo doesn't even know his feelings, but that's so true that 14th Prince does love her unconditionally, even knowing that 8th Prince, Wook, his half-brother had such relationship with the girl he loves.

I thini the misunderstanding later on between 4th Prince, So and Soo is because of the past relationship and this is gonna be a really weird thing since right from the start here, 4th Prince knew that Soo has someone else in her mind. I am really curious as how things would change here. Although the ending I am pretty sure it's gonna be the same like the original one. 

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo - Episode 14 Summary

It’s the year 945, the second year of King Hyejong’s (formerly Crown Prince Mu’s) reign, and two years after the events of the last episode. Soo (played by IU) is now sanggung, the highest attainable rank for a court lady, and rules over Damiwon like Court Lady Oh once did. She’s also turned much more serious according to her rank, and writes down notes about the King’s somewhat ailing health in Hangul, which wasn’t an invention of that time. 

Chae Ryung, now a court lady as well, cheerily gives Soo a pouch she can use on her injured knee. It’s Soo’s birthday after all, though Soo says the best gift is having Chae Ryung in Damiwon with her. Chae Ryung said she was only freed from her servitude to Wook’s household on Soo’s behalf, which causes Soo to lose the small smile she had. 

Thirteenth prince Baek Ah (played by Nam Joo Hyuk) gives Soo scented oil from Bulgaria, much to So’s ire. He apparently brought nothing back for Soo from whatever journey they were on, which he claims is how it should be—the gift of his return should be enough for a court lady. 

Later that night, Soo hears the sound of a very ill dog howling, but it turns out to be So (played by Lee Jun Ki). He claims he made sure to not make the sound too realistic so she wouldn’t be fooled. Sure. He tries again in front of her, causing Soo to fight the smile threatening to break out from his antics. 

He takes her to an outdoor spot where they can best see the stars, and the two bicker over how much they each know about astronomy. After Soo tells him the sad story of the Cassiopeia constellation, he tells her about how long ago, he’d seen his younger brother Jung (played by Ji Soo) in his mother’s lap and wished desperately for him to just disappear. His mother had seen the look on his face and hid Jung, causing So to muse, “Perhaps she already knew that I would become a person who would kill my own brother.” Soo tells him that it’s normal to think that of one’s younger siblings, and describes how she used to wish for her own sibling to disappear. 

So smiles, “Are you trying to make me give up on you, or do you want me to only have eyes for you?” He describes how all his problems seem to go away whenever he sees her, so he can’t very well live without her now. “If you’re not going to come to me, don’t leave me with hope. It’s torture.” 

He leans in for a kiss, but Soo quickly puts a hand to his lips to stop him. Didn’t he say he would get her permission first? So chances a smile as he asks for her permission now, but he’s denied. He’s also denied from stealing a kiss, which Soo preempts before he even has a chance. So says that the King will marry her off to an old man at this rate, but Soo’s not worried, since the King holds her in high regard. So lies back to look at the stars before asking her to spend her upcoming day off with him. He has something he’ll tell her then. 

Wook (played by Kang Ha Neul) claims to speak for the ailing King Hyejong as he calls for a restructuring of the military at the next assembly, but So calls him out for using the King’s illness in order to become regent. Despite Wook being a high-ranking official now, So warns him against making up orders from the King, since he’ll start to make people angry. 

His half-brother laughs, claiming to be impressed by how So’s handling politics now. So says he only got into politics to be able to go against Wook, since he still suspects him. Wook says he’ll heed the warning, but adds that he went a little further than he would have because it was something he couldn’t get done as “just” a high-ranking official. 

King Hyejong’s health is failing him, and Chae Ryung acts suspiciously as she’s left in charge of adding herbs to the King’s bath. Ninth prince Won waits for her outside the bath, and makes a not-so-cryptic comment about having more mercury delivered for the palace’s mirrors. Whatever the scheme is, Chae Ryung seems to be in on it with him. The King complains of his unease and inability to sleep to Wook, who looks on dispassionately as the King wraps himself in a blanket. Wook coldly advises the King to abdicate the throne to him, promising to help the King live in comfort if he does so. 

Hyejong stars behaving even more erratically the next day as he sends his very young daughter off to be married. She can’t even have reached puberty at the age she’s at, and cries for her father not to send her away—and to the Khitan, no less. In the King’s warped mind, he believes the marriage will provide a useful alliance for him in the future, so he won’t hear his daughter’s pleas. So does, however, since her cries remind him of himself when he was that age, and how he’d cried for his mother when she’d tied him to the top of the palace gates. So tries to step in on the little girl’s behalf, but the King has gone stark raving mad. That’s when he turns to So and asks if he’ll marry the princess and protect him. 

As promised, Soo waits for So on her day off, adorned in silk clothes and the hairpin he once gifted her. So notices the hairpin immediately, and carefully masks his inner turmoil as he puts on a smile for her. But when Soo reminds him that he said he had something to say to her, So plays dumb and says he can’t remember what it was. He pokes fun at her for having high expectations for what he was going to say, and Soo does her best to hide her disappointment. Since So feels bad, he promises to make it up to her, which includes a boat ride out on the water. Noticing her tight grip on the boat’s edges, he tips the boat to and fro as a joke, unaware of just how much Soo fears falling into the water. 

She asks him if this is his boat, and he claims he brought it to the palace when he was younger. She scoffs a bit at him saying the boat is his favorite thing in the palace since she never sees him in it, to which he replies, “Because I like it too much.” Afraid that he’d come to like it too much and not want to leave the palace because of it, he didn’t use the boat on purpose. 

Soo looks thoughtful for a moment before she says, “I was thinking about what it must be like to turn away from something you like. I also thought that it’s a relief you don’t have to do that anymore.” The meaning behind her words has So feeling guilty, and he apologizes for “forgetting” what he wanted to say to her. We find out later that So has made the decision to marry the King’s young daughter in order to help protect his older brother. That way, he’ll make his evil mother and the Shinju clan believe he’s next in line for the throne, which will enable him to deflect some of the attacks aimed at the King. 

Astronomer Choi praises him for his political calculations on this one, even though So’s not happy about the decision. “Am I back to being a dog on a leash to protect my brother?” he asks. “Is this my destiny? I am sick and tired of having to turn my back on the things I like.” When he asks how he can free himself from such a situation, Astronomer Choi seems to jokingly imply that he could revolt. But in the end, he can only thank So for helping to protect the King in his hour of need. 

The King, back to being sane for the moment, knows that Wook is only reading him appeals for the fourth prince to leave the palace because Wook wants to clear his own path to the throne. Wook claims that he only said what he said out of loyalty, but the king knows better than to buy it—he does plan on sharing his burden with one of his brothers, but it’s clear it won’t be Wook. 

It’s So who comes to visit, which is when the King declares that So will be marrying his daughter. But since she’s too young to have children, he’s agreed that So can make her his second wife only. The King tells Wook that he plans on giving the throne to So, who is not only his brother, but also his son-in-law. Wook pretends to accept this information with a congenial smile, but he can’t resist the pointed barb at So: “I hope there aren’t any girls crying over losing such a good man for a husband.” Oooh. 

Soo fashions modern face masks for both fourteenth prince Jung and tenth prince Eun’s wife, but afterward, Eun takes issue with how much Jung compliments his wife on her skin. She leaves in a huff after he compares her to Soo (again), and Soo chastises him for acting that way toward a wife who everyone knows he likes. It’s been three years and he still treats her like she has cooties? 

Thanks to Eun’s big mouth, Soo finds out about So’s impending marriage and spends the evening brooding. So knows she’s heard the second he sees her face, but he doesn’t attempt to shift the blame. She can hate him all she wants. 

He reminds her that he promised to take her out of the palace and set her free, but now, he won’t be able to keep to his word. “Are you not even going to give me an excuse?” Soo asks dejectedly. So knows that he can’t give her a reason for breaking her trust, so he’s not going to try. All Soo can do is half-heartedly congratulate him, even as tears fall from her eyes. 

Baek Ah delivers a letter from So to Su, claiming that this is So’s excuse. The poem reads, “Walking until the water’s edge, I sit and watch as clouds rise up and appear.” It’s from “Villa on Zhongnan Mountain” by Chinese poet Wang Wei, and Soo sighs that she didn’t know he could write so well, adding that there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him. Soo tries to parse out the poem excerpt as she remembers what So said about wanting her to experience the same freedom he did when he was an ambassador, and how being king would mean nothing to him if he didn’t have her. The latter part of the voiceover continues as So keeps vigil at his sick brother’s bedside. She attempts to trace over his characters with her own, mimicking his handwriting as best she can. She repeats the poem over and over with tears in her eyes as So gets married in another part of the palace. 

Jung pays a visit to his mother in a nearby temple, only to find her with a bearded and somewhat bedraggled third prince Yo. Of course he’s alive. No one’s ever died from falling off a cliff in sageuk. The white-haired Queen Sinmyeongsunseong is overjoyed at her son’s re-emergence, though he’s had to stay in hiding because of his current status as a traitor. Jung tells his older brother that he’ll ask the king to pardon and reinstate Yo, but even Yo knows how foolish an idea that is when he’s known for trying to steal the throne.

Yo already knows about the wedding to take place between So and the king’s daughter, which has raised suspicions that the King plans to abdicate to So. Jung admits that he’s against So taking the throne, but he won’t become a traitor to stop him. That’s when Yo claims that it isn’t treason if you win. Still, Jung says that he’ll stand by the King, despite Yo telling him that the king has gone mad. Does he want to leave Goryeo in the hands of a mad King, or any person a mad King leaves in power?

That night, Jung sneaks into the palace despite the King closing it off to any and all outsiders. So sees this and gives chase with a contingent of guards, eventually ending up at Soo’s quarters. They’ve somehow deduced that this is the only room Jung could be in, but Soo firmly forbids them from entering, using her high rank as the reason they cannot enter. When So decides to ignore her order and search the room himself, Su threatens to use her hairpin to pierce her own throat with if he takes one step further. Claiming that she can’t suffer the disgrace of having him enter her room (as she’s unmarried), she’d rather die. 

She further adds that if So wants to gain entry, he’ll have to bring an order from the king to do so. So asks if she’s sure that no one’s in her room, and she flatly answers that she’s sure, and scratches her neck with the hairpin for added effect. So and his men are forced to leave, and Soo collapses once she gets back into her room. Jung is hiding there after all, and worries over her scratch—was she really going to stab herself with her hairpin? Soo says that she didn’t have much of a choice, since she wants to avoid any conflict between the princes.

Jung asks her which side she’d take if the princes were ever to fight each other, prompting Soo to answer that she’d have no reason to take anyone’s side. He reminds her that they can’t go back to the days where they were all friends, and that she’ll have to choose a side soon. “Even so,” Soo replies, “I don’t think I will be able to take anyone’s side, because I do not wish for anyone to get hurt. I’m going to make sure that happens.” Jung can’t help but smile at her when she eventually falls asleep, and even tucks her in just to be adorable. 

So confronts Soo the next day, and forcefully drags her out of Damiwon to ask her if Jung was in her room. Despite her claiming that didn’t happen, So knows better, and demands an explanation. Soo asks him to do some explaining to her then, and he can start with his marriage. He tells her that he had to save the King’s daughter from becoming a hostage to the Khitan, and marrying her was the only option he had. Soo gets teary-eyed as she tells him that he should’ve just said that from the beginning, but says he couldn’t because he didn’t know what he could say to her.

He knows she hates the idea of multiple wives, and all his attempts to avoid that happening have now amounted to nothing. What could he have said to her? At least Soo is honest in response, as she admits that Jung was in her room last night, though for reasons she claims are innocuous. So wants her to make a promise not to lie again, but Soo asks what she should do if there’s something neither of them want to admit. In that case, So says, she should just admit she doesn’t want to say whatever it is, because he hates liars the most. In return, he promises not to lie to her either.

“Are you not angry anymore?” he ventures carefully, and Su shakes her head. She asks if he regrets getting married (we only saw a glimpse of the ceremony earlier), and he shakes his head as he replies that he doesn’t. He did what he had to do to protect the king, and the princess was sent away to a temple, just as the King promised. So still proves that he’s still clueless when it comes to Su’s feelings when he asks if the man she claimed to love before was actually Jung. She dispels that thought but fails to tell him who it was, and he doesn’t press the issue either. 

She confronts him over what he “forgot” to tell her in the boat, knowing that he didn’t actually forget. In answer, he closes the distance between them as he says, “I love you.” Soo smiles and closes the distance even further by leaning up to kiss him. “Next time, don’t forget it.” 

So smiles, grabs her around the waist, and pulls her in. Holding her face, he leans in for a real kiss, which she finally accepts and reciprocates. 

While Baek Ah just so happens to be thinking about Woo Hee, she magically appears before him. “Is this a dream?” he wonders, as Woo Hee admits that she’s thought of him during the time they’ve been apart. He pulls her into an embrace, happy to have her back. 

Won arranges a meeting between Wook and Yo, who comes into the palace in disguise. Yo reveals that Wook was the one who ordered Won to use mercury in Damiwon, which is presumably why the king is currently ill, and commends his half-brother for being so coldhearted.

Cut to: Yo bringing an army to the gates of the palace to begin his revolt. (I know.) Jung prepares to go out to face his brother in order to protect the King, but his mother tells him to kill her first—she can’t bear to see her sons fighting against each other. Unless Jung wants to kill his own mother, he can’t leave. 

From within the palace, Soo and Chae Ryung have a non-reaction to hearing the sound of screaming outside. The king steps out of his bath coughing blood, and Chae Ryung hightails it out of there before Yo’s soldiers can arrive to drag Soo away from the ailing King. 

King Hyejong recognizes Yo when he struts into the room and begs for his life, but Yo coldly pries his hand away. Yo almost seems to pity his brother, but then he pushes him into the bath. 

The King flounders as he drowns in what can only be three feet of water, but Yo just watches dispassionately. Soo loses her ability to stand once the King goes still, floating face down in the water. He’s dead. So and Astronomer Choi arrive too late to save him, but the sight of the king floating in the water fills So with murderous rage. He cuts through the remaining soldiers to reach the bath as Astronomer Choi goes into the water to retrieve the king. He cries for him to open his eyes again as the realization of his death hits him, causing everyone else to stop fighting. 

Yo is quick to claim that he didn’t come here in full battle regalia to kill the king—he was already dying from the poison Soo was putting in his bath. Soo’s eyes widen at this, but Won throws her to the ground as he claims that mercury was discovered in the bathwater, and only she was allowed to administer to the king’s baths. Yo gives So a choice: He can stay loyal to the dead king and die with Su, or join him and save her life. But he’ll keep Soo’s crime of regicide in his back pocket should he ever need it, which seems to be his way of keeping So in check. 

So strikes at Yo, and the two lock blades as So demands that he let Soo go. Yo has Won hold a sword against Soo’s neck as he tells So, “Wolves tend to devote themselves to one female until death. And you are the same as a beast. Choose. Is it Hae Soo, or the dead King?” 

Personal Thought:

Things have gone back to the original storyline. I like it so much when they still incorporated the written poem by 4th Prince which leave a deep impression for Soo. She will then start to practice her handwritten and finally be able to write like 4th Prince. This is going to be an important scene for this drama.

Meanwhile, I do wonder why our 4th Prince here is so dumb for not recognizing the one Soo has loved before. It was really obvious that it is Wook, yet he still doesn't know. Alright, I think they make it back to the original story, whereby So and Soo will get seperated because of misunderstanding. What a game.

I have nothing to say much since I know Jeongjong the 3rd monarch (Wang Yo) will be sitting on the throne for 4 years before Gwangjong rise to the throne. It goes exactly like how the story goes. I wish Baek Ah and Woo Hee at least have different story line because I like this couple sooooo much. How come Nam Joo Hyuk is so handsome and charming at the same time?!