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 9 Summary

The moment Soo (played by IU) looks at So (played by Lee Jun Ki) and wonders if he will become King Gwangjong, Astronomer Choi turns as if he’s heard her. Queen Sinmyeongsunseong leaves the ceremonial grounds in a rage, while the people in the capital dance in the streets, celebrating the downpour.

“A hero is born,” ninth prince Won says of So, who seems to have brought on the drought-ending rain by his mere presence at the ritual. While he wonders how So managed to cover his scar, fourteenth prince Jung (played by Ji Soo) guesses he must have used someone skilled in cosmetics… and 8th prince, Wook (played by Kang Ha Neul), hearing this, turns to look at Soo. 

As So completes his ritualistic bowing, Soo realizes with certainty now that So will become King Gwangjong, who was known for killing his brothers and other family members in his quest for the throne. She sends a worried look toward Wook’s back.

The townspeople rejoice as So is carried through the capital in a palanquin, but Soo looks more frightened than anything. She worries that she’s helped make it possible for So to become King Gwangjong by covering his scar, before swiftly denying this to herself—according to history, So would’ve become King Gwangjong with or without her help… right?

She can’t stop from worrying that So is going to kill his brothers, and doesn’t snap out of it when Wook grabs her in celebration. “Will they all die because of me?” she wonders, her eyes distant. “That person… will he become like that because of me?” Looking up at Wook, she urges him to stay safe as her eyes return to So’s retreating form. Wook follows her gaze, but whatever she’s saying must sound like nonsense to him.

Third prince Yo (played by Hong Jung Hyun) rails against his bad luck in not being chosen for the ceremony, since all the glory is now So’s. His mother is even harder on him as she slaps him across the cheek for letting So take his place. He apologizes, saying it was a mistake, but the evil queen ruthlessly responds that there is no room for mistakes. If she is to become a king’s mother, she spits, then Yo must be ruthless. While the queen vows to set Damiwon on fire because of Soo, Yo looks like he’s seeing his real mother for the first time.

So pays a visit to his father and Crown Prince Mu, who returned later than planned due to his being waylaid by thieves. His father is proud of So, and is even happy to see his son’s full face for the first time in many, many years. “Show your face to the world now and be confident,” King Taejo says. 

He also tells So to devote himself to helping the crown prince build a strong nation, and that he’s put his trust in him. So seems overwhelmed by his father’s acceptance, and even the Crown Prince seems happy for his little brother.

Soo is still out of it when Wook finds shelter for them underneath an eave, and can only nod when he asks her if she covered So’s scar. He thinks she’s worried she’ll be punished for touching the face of a prince, but tells her not to be—she did a good thing. That’s not what eases her worries as much as him telling her that nothing changes just because So stood in for the crown prince at the ceremony. Wook is on a different frequency as he says that the king is sure to grant her freedom now, but Suoosays she can’t just do nothing, and runs off to find Astronomer Choi.

“Do you know who the next king will be?” she asks. Astronomer Choi smiles that it’ll be the Crown Prince as long as nothing changes. Soo asks about who’ll take the throne after him, and Choi says that it will be Gwangjong. That’s what she said, wasn’t it? Then, Astronomer Choi tells her that when he was a child, he drowned and came back to life. This sounds familiar to Soo for many reasons, and it seems like Choi knows why as he explains how different he was once he came back. Now, he sees things—though whether they’re from a dream or not, he can’t be sure.

Once, he tells her, he saw a big bird carrying people in the sky (airplane), and even a building as high as the sky with countless people (skyscraper). Soo doesn’t voice her theory that he may very well be from the future like she is, but that he maybe can’t remember because he was so young at the time.

“I also heard that you died and came back,” Astronomer Choi notes, “so I wondered if you had the gift of foresight like I do.” He tells her she can ask what she truly wishes of him, but Soo has too many questions to voice all at once: Will So become King Gwangjong? Will he kill his brothers? What will happen to Wook? Instead, all she can ask is, “What should I do?” Astronomer Choi’s answer is a firm, “Nothing.” Regardless, Soo is convinced that she can change the terrible course fate is about to take.

Princess Yeonhwa tries to goad her brother, Wook, into being jealous of So for leading the rain ritual. He doesn’t bite, or at least he doesn’t outwardly seem to, as Yeonhwa says that now So might be getting other ideas. Wook notes that Soo said So might change as well. But then again, Wook thinks it’s a good thing for So to receive the king’s favor after so many years of harsh, unfriendly treatment. Yeonhwa presses him for more information about Soo, who he says was the one to cover So’s scar, and who now fears something will happen because of what she did. Wook, however, may not be as without ambition as we thought. He muses, more to himself than anything, that there must be a place he’s designated to fill. “What could it be? I am very curious.”

While walking through the palace, Soo suddenly finds herself in So’s arms. She screams and pulls away, absolutely terrified. So thinks she was just surprised by his sudden grab, having no idea that what she’s afraid of is actually him. He’s happy to tell her that he was able to call the King “Father” for the first time in his life. It had been fifteen years since he looked at his face properly, he adds, and yet the king told him to be confident. With a smile, So adds that all the pain he suffered seemed to disappear when the king told him that. 

“Everyone keeps thanking me,” he goes on. No one thinks him frightening, or calls him a monster. “I’m starting to like myself this way. The one who made me this way is you, Hae oou.” Now, Soo has a hard time believing that the So she’s seeing right now could become as cruel as the Gwangjong history knows.

Even though she remembers what Astronomer Choi said about not getting involved, Soo thinks it’s her duty to help change So’s future. Out of the blue, she gives him advice to hold in his anger no matter how bad it gets, and to definitely not kill anyone. That’s when Soo resolves that she can and will change the future and his fate, in order to save everyone from misery.

Now that it’s time to find Grand General Park’s daughter a husband, King Taejo looks through his roster of sons for a good match. It’s hilarious how General Park cites reasons why each prince suggested won’t work, because he knows how much his daughter loves the tenth prince, Eun (Baekhyun). When he finally leads both King Taejo and Astronomer Choi to that conclusion, they seem very surprised by his preference. 

The King pays a visit to the princes, commending each of them on their hard work–especially So. In return, he says So may ask a favor from him, and So looks over at Soo as he asks the king… to give her to him. King Taejo acquiesces to this, and promotes Soo up a rank so that she can serve So directly (still as a court lady, though). Wook contains his unease as the King announces that there will also be a royal wedding: Eun is to be married to Soon Deok, General Park’s daughter.

Of course, Eun doesn’t understand how being a Prince works, and says that he refuses the marriage. He even drops to his knees to beg the king to withdraw his command: “If you insist on this marriage, I would rather die.” It’s only when Crown Prince Mu urges him to thank the king for his grace does Eun reluctantly do so.

But as he rises, a bag of marbles drops from his sleeve, seeming to emphasize just how young and unprepared Eun really is. Ninth prince Won takes it upon himself to give Eun terrible advice about women, like how they’re all the same after the first night. As for him, he can’t even get his first and second wives straight sometimes. 

Won attempts to brighten Eun’s spirits by taking him to watch a fight, but he wasn’t aware that Soon Deok was in it. Eun won’t be deterred, and sees Soon Deok wrestle fourteenth prince Jung and win. 

On the day Soo’s set to leave Damiwon, she hands Wook a gift, which she says is for the bracelet he gave her. Inside is a silk pillow she made, since Lady Hae had wanted her to become a pillow for him. Soo took the meaning literally rather than figuratively, which is why Wook looks a bit disappointed. In return though, Wook gifts her a book, which Soo isn’t too pleased about because of all the work it involves. Wook laughs, then shows her that it isn’t any normal book—it’s a flip book, making the drawings inside look as though they’re moving.

And, adorably, the drawings are of Soo and Wook’s walk in the snow. He drew it himself, much to Soo’s joy, and she happily flips through the pages. Wook’s expression grows grave as he tells her that because there will be a royal marriage, it means that a court lady won’t be released from service this round.

Soo takes this in for a moment before replying that they’ll be sure to get another chance. Wook’s not so sure, but Soo tells him that as long as he’s willing to wait for her, she’ll wait for him. What she doesn’t say is, “I asked you to wait for me because I did not wish to tell you that I was worried. Because I felt like something would go wrong.” Wook tells her that when it snows again, they’ll walk the same path featured in the flip book. “I will wait,” Soo says, with tears brimming in her eyes. Wook pulls her into an embrace and tells her, “I love you.” She wraps her arms around him and smiles into his shoulder. 

While helping brew the king’s tea, Soo suddenly receives a warning from Court Lady Oh to be careful of So. Now that she’s shown him affection, she has to be straight with him if she’s not going to give him her whole heart. “What if I can change that person’s life?” Soo ventures. Court Lady Oh says she once loved a common man who she thought would give up everything to be with her. But in the end, he rose to a position far out of her reach, and that’s why she believes that there’s no sense in trying to change a person. (I wonder if the man she’s talking about is King Taejo.)

Soo gives So her makeup tips as she helps to cover his scar again, so that eventually, he’ll be able to do it himself. She even writes out a guide so that he can make the mixture himself should he need to. It makes So curious as to why she’s distancing herself—she, the girl who loves to talk, is now being demure. Once Court Lady Oh gives her an out, Soo tells him that she’s been immature, and is making an effort to change that.

The not-so-common girl we first saw reprimanding thirteenth prince Baek Ah (played by Nam Joo Hyuk) for mocking commoners, Woo Hee (played by Seohyun), is now dressed in her finest silks as she does a sword dance in the middle of the forest. She’s not as good as she’d like to be, and becomes distracted when she hears a nearby bamboo flute. It’s Baek Ah, playing for a group of children. They see the swords in her hands and panic, but she reassures them that she was only practicing a sword dance. Baek Ah recognizes her from before, and demands that she pay for the drawings she ripped from his notebook.

If she can’t, he claims, she can pay him by showing him her sword dance. She’s less than thrilled at the idea, claiming she doesn’t dance for strange men, and she certainly doesn’t believe him when he introduces himself. He’s just about to tell her that he really is the thirteenth prince, but she disappears when she spots her two attendants lurking nearby. But where she stood, Baek Ah finds a gold norigae pendant she left behind.

It’s Eun’s wedding day, and Soo finds herself accosted by the soon-to-be bride as Soon Deok asks for her help in getting through to the tenth prince. Soo is reluctant to interfere, which Soon Deok thinks must be due to her feelings for him. She promises that Soo can become Eun’s second wife if she helps her now, which is really not the time for Soo to be silent.

Eun has apparently locked himself in his room, and just as fourteenth prince Jung is about to break down the door, Soon Deok arrives with Soo. Soo’s able to get him to open the door for her, and she slips inside to have a chat with him.

Of course, Eun is drunk as a skunk, and Soo has to grab the bottle away from him. “You don’t know how I feel,” he whines. Soo does know, and replies that he likes her, but is having to marry another woman he doesn’t like. It becomes clear where Soon Deok got the whole “second wife” idea from when Eun asks Soo if she’ll take the job. Despite him promising to be good to her, Su says she doesn’t want to share her husband. “Liar,” he calls her. “Even if I had asked you to be my first wife, you would have said no.”

Sinking to the floor, Eun admits that he’s always known himself to be a fool, which must be why she doesn’t like him. “I was happiest whenever I was with you,” Soo says, as she extols his virtues. “You laugh when you’re happy, and you know to cry when you’re sad.” That, she claims, is why she was always at ease when she was around him. But Eun doesn’t want that kind of consolation, and calls her cruel for giving it. “If I said I was sorry, that would truly be cruel, wouldn’t it?” she asks. That’s when Eun asks if she ever truly liked him, and with a small smile, Soo says she still likes him very much. And with that, she wishes him happiness and leaves. Eun follows her out of the room, ready to go through with the marriage, much to Soon Deok’s joy.

At the ceremony, Eun and his wife are showered with gifts from his brothers, which Soon Deok is more than grateful for. Her father, Grand General Park, watches from afar and grudgingly notes that if she were to grin any wider, her face would simply split. 

Soo also watches the festivities, but the scene of So’s bright, laughing face suddenly changes before her again. In her vision, she sees So laughing with blood splattered on his face as he cuts down Eun and his new bride.

She staggers backward when she comes back to reality, though Wook and So notice the terror on her face. Wook follows her as she runs off. “Be careful of Wang So.” She tells him in a trembling voice. “Stay away from him. Don’t ever try to stop him. If you try… you will all die.”

Wook grabs her by the shoulders to seek some clarity, but Soo is too overcome. She wants to leave the palace, she says, and in answer, he pulls her into an embrace. He promises her that he’ll help her to leave, and tells her that everything will be okay.

Once the newlyweds are alone, Eun attempts to lay down the law with his wife: “We may be married, but I can’t acknowledge you as my wife.” He plans to keep living exactly the way he did before, but she reminds him that they’re formally married. She also tells him of an old principle that a true union lasts a thousand years, which means a married couple’s conjugal harmony lasts a hundred years. 

This language is beyond Eun, who wonders how he’ll ever grow fond of her. On that note, he says he’ll be needing all the bed, and presumes to fake sleep. Soon-deok, kind soul that she is, watches him for a time while smiling, then makes her bed on the floor. After she’s out, Eun sighs, “You said to just wait until the first snowfall. Hae Soo, you’re a cruel liar.”

Elsewhere, Wook muses over what Soo said to him, repeating it multiple times: “Be careful of Wang So. Don’t ever try to stop him.”

After the King gives third prince Yo his “new appointment” to leave the palace, thus giving So his old responsibilities, Yo asks Astronomer Choi if the king is casting him aside. Choi denies it, but he’s no fan of Yo’s greed and ambition, and makes that much known. Yo just warns him to wait and see what he’ll come up with.

That seems to involve a tense family dinner with Queen Sinmyeongsunseong and her three full sons, Yo, So, and Jung. The strange thing is, the evil queen acts cordial to So, even going so far as to compliment him. You guys better not do something awful to him, I swear.

Yo and the queen turn the conversation toward So taking Yo’s responsibilities in the palace while he’s away, which will involve him being in close proximity with the crown prince. Only then does So figure out the game they’re playing, and his mother clarifies: “Kill the crown prince. It isn’t the first time you’ve killed someone for me. Will you do it?” So asks his mother if that’s what she truly wants, before responding that… he’ll do it? But then he adds that after he does, he’ll sit on the throne. All she wants is a son of hers as king, right? Why can’t he be that son, and not Yo?

As evidence, So claims that he has heaven’s will behind him (as evidenced by the rain ritual), and Yo only has his in-laws. Queen Sinmyeongsunseong claims that Yo is destinedto become king, and So laughs. But he does ask what would happen if he were to sit on the throne, causing his mother to quip that he must think he can do anything just because of “a few brush strokes.”

This seems to get to So, but of course, she doesn’t stop there. She claims that the only reason he was chosen for the rain ritual rather than the Crown Prince was so that he’d be the one who would pay with blood if it didn’t rain. His father, she adds, used him.

So refutes this, saying that he didn’t just let himself be used—he knew what he was getting himself into. After he leaves, Yo comments to his mother that they may as well sever their ties with So. Jung finally speaks up to ask his mother why she gave birth to them if she was going to raise them as enemies. Good question.

Outside, So chides himself for daring to expect more from that family meal than what he was given.. He approaches Soo’s quarters, and we can see her huddled in a terrified ball inside.

Getting too stuffy inside, she rushes out for some fresh air. So finds her, and grabs her into a backhug when she attempts to run from him. “Let go of me,” she says, but he asks her to just stay like this for a moment. She wrests herself from his grasp and says, “I’m afraid of you!”

Poor So looks like he’s just been punched in the gut as he all but whispers that she said she wasn’t afraid of him. “I thought I could change things,” she stammers. “I was wrong. You will ruin everything in the end! Go! You’re better off running far away from here!”

“Not you as well!” So shouts as he advances toward her. “Don’t try to push me away. Don’t tell me to leave. Don’t tell me that I bring misfortune, and that I am a beast. You, at the very least, cannot do that to me. Because you… are mine.”

He grabs her as he says this, but Soo only replies that she isn’t his. “You are mine,” he stresses. “You belong to me. You are mine! Without my permission, you cannot leave me, nor can you die. You are completely mine.”

And then, he swoops in to kiss her. Soo tenses against him.

Personal Thought:

This episode is quite intense. Now, we see how the writer let Soo know who Gwangjong is, though I don't know how could she had the future vision. I knew right from the beginning that 4th Prince is Gwangjong, but how Soo will know about it is a little bit difficult to guess. I like how it comes up this way, though I still wish they did a better job of letting Soo knows about Gwangjong with different approach rather than having this kind of vision. I thought it's only her imagination, but it seems now as if she's certain about it. 

If the writer made Soo's character as a normal girl from 21st century without having details about the history, it makes some sense that Soo knows Gwangjong but she doesn't know who exactly he is. It's quite impossible in original version that Ruo Xi know that Yongzhen is the 4th Prince. But given the fact that Ruo Xi is a contemporary artists, then I guess she knows the history quite well since that's what she's been doing in the future. I think I have no complaint regarding this matter since each of the background is not comparable enough and I guess they address this issue quite well. 

I like this K-version better when it comes to 4th Prince because they told us more about 4th Prince. He is not that mysterious 4th Prince from the original version anymore. We get to know his hardship, his feeling and even his past. I guess this work is a huge step in Lee Jun Ki's career since he has to portray a lot of different emotions, from an innocent craving for love till later on when he has to bear the weight of the crown he wears. 

It's too bad for So that his Mother doesn't even love him. But I like it much when So pays back her words, that he is not her family, so there is of course no reasons for him to be invited again. I also like it when Jung speaks up to his Mom for what reasons she's giving birth to them when she only raises them as enemies. Don't forget our 14th Prince, because he's going to have a really important role towards the end.

Cheers!