Outside Cham and some of Wang Ko’s men are waiting. Cham’s getting impatient and wants to grab her, but Byung Soo tells him that finding Ta Hwan’s body is the important thing. Cham’s irritated that Byung Soo is giving *him* orders. Byung Soo tells him to shut up and listen. Such a nice relationship, really. Byung Soo explains that Seung Nyang’s gullible and will show him where the body is. They need to be sneaky so she won’t suspect anything. At least until he’s confirmed it’s Ta Hwan. Cham’s still hot about how Byung Soo’s talking to him, but Byung Soo’s drunk with the power he doesn’t have yet.
Seung Nyang takes Byung Soo to see the body. Outside, Cham and a bunch of Wang Ko’s men wait to seize them both. Seung Nyang opens the coffin and Byung Soo is hit by the smell. Poor Ta Hwan is covered with salt all over except for his nose. That would so suck. Byung Soo gags but cleans off the face. He confirms that it *is* Ta Hwan’s body. Seung Nyang plays stupid and lets herself be captured. Byung Soo’s really confident that he’s about to become a general now. She pretends to be shocked and calls him the traitor. He smirks and says that they’re just on different sides. Her, the ill-fated Koryeo. Him, the Yuan empire. She spits that he’s a filthy dog. I bet she’s been wanting to say that since she saw him. He retorts that it’s better an emperor’s dog than a village headman. Then he does the villain laugh. Because Joseon villians have to laugh like this at least once.
<!--more->Kaegyong. Wang Yoo looks completely disheartened. He’s called into the throne room. El Temur announces that it’s already been decided. Wang Ko chimes in that Koryeo will cease to be; it will become part of Yuan. Kyung Hwa says that the court’s decision was unanimous and because of his foul-up, he’s to abdicate. Wang Yoo looks from one side of the room to the other. The courtiers won’t meet his gaze. And they wouldn’t be my courtiers after this was all over with. Cede Koryeo, tell me to abdicate. They don’t deserve to lead Koryeo, if they can hand it over so easily! El Temur repeats about Wang Yoo abdicating and tells him he is to go to Daidu and submit to Yuan justice.
Looking El Temur straight in the eyes, Wang Yoo says that Ta Hwan treated Koryeo with disdain. And because of that… he had him killed. And I can’t believe that he just said that. What is he thinking? This gets the courtiers’ lips flapping. Shin Woo and Moo Song can’t believe what he’s saying. Nor can anyone else. They’re freaking more because they know what he’s doing – sacrificing himself to save his people. El Temur asks him if he’s admitting it. Wang Yoo replies that he acted alone. He declares that there’s no need to abdicate, just kill him now and leave his people be! Stare off between Wang Yoo and El Temur.
Outside, Seung Nyang arrives, bound, with Ta Hwan’s ‘body.’ Byung Soo demands entrance since he has Prince Ta Hwan’s body. Back inside, Wang Yoo repeats his demand that El Temur kill him now. He alone is guilty. Shin Woo’s weeping at his king’s sacrifice. El Temur responds that Wang Yoo’s life isn’t enough. El Temur leaves Ki Se and Wang Ko in charge. But then… Byung Soo arrives. He announces that he’s brought Ta Hwan’s body. Wang Yoo is stunned by these words. I think he was holding out a shred of hope that Seung Nyang and Ta Hwan were still alive. He looks at Byung Soo horrified.
Ki Se, Ja Hae, Baek Ahn and Tal Tal follow Byung Soo outside. Ki Se crinkles his eyes and says that Ta Hwan’s body should be bloated from the river. Byung Soo replies that the body’s in salt but still recognizable. Ja Hae goes over to check the body but stops because of the stench. They make Baek Ahn do it. Baek Ahn cleans the salt off Ta Hwan’s face and is shocked to see it’s him. Sadly he says, “Rest in peace, Your Worship.” He starts to cover Ta Hwan back up but shoves some of the salt up Ta Hwan's nose. This causes Ta Hwan to react, which Baek Ahn sees. A tense moment where they’re almost discovered, but Baek Ahn covers. Tal Tal quickly covers the coffin and Baek Ahn’s holding back a smile and he thinks that Ta Hwan is *alive.*
They bring the coffin into the throne room. Wang Yoo’s eyes bug when he sees Seung Nyang and magically, the stress leaves his shoulders. His mouth twitches when she looks his way, as he restrains the smile he wants to smile. She nods at him. He seems to maybe get what’s going on. El Temur opens the coffin and sees Ta Hwan’s face. Then he pretends to be distraught, crying out, “Your Worship! You left us!” All the Yuan soldiers drop to the ground in ‘grief.’
Seung Nyang stands up and announces to Wang Yoo that Ta Hwan is still alive. Byung Soo asks her what she’s talking about. Again she declares that he’s not dead. Ki Se tells her to shut up. The corpse is right here! And then Ta Hwan bursts out of the salt, practically giving El Temur a heart attack. Ta Hwan is hacking and gagging and when he stops, he spots El Temur and immediately gets afraid. Soon Yong is overjoyed and starts the “Hail His Worship, all hail...” but no one joins in so he stops.
El Temur demands to know what’s going on. Ta Hwan’s faltering and he looks to Seung Nyang for some courage. She begs Ta Hwan to tell El Temur that they are the ones that tried to kill him! And quick! Baek Ahn thinks in Ta Hwan’s direction that he dares not. The moment he does, he’s dead. Calmly, El Temur encourages Ta Hwan to talk: Who tried to kill whom? Ta Hwan looks back and forth from Seung Nyang to El Temur to Ki Se. She’s looking at him like she can’t believe what he’s doing. And he does the only thing he knows he can do to get out of this… pretends to faint.
Everyone leaves the throne room. Wang Yoo stops Seung Nyang from following, telling her that it’s enough. She protests that they can’t look after him. Moo Song tells her that it’s enough that they all saw him alive. Wang Yoo can’t hold it back anymore and wraps Seung Nyang in a hug. He tells her that she’s alive and thanks her for living. And Shin Woo and Moo Song are happy that their king is happy once again.
Ta Hwan’s room. He’s ‘unconscious.’ The doctor is giving him acupuncture and doesn’t understand why he’s not waking up, since his internal energy is fine. El Temur tells Soon Yong to escort the doctor out. Once they’re gone El Temur turns to his eldest son and asks who inspected the body. Ki Se doesn’t say anything. Ja Hae sputters that Ki Se told him to do it, and he told Baek Ahn… Unexpectedly, El Temur draws Ki Se’s sword and raises it to strike the man. They all tell him to kill them. He tells them he should, since they made him look like a fool. And because he’s Father of Year.
El Temur’s actually about to do it, strike down Ja Hae, when Wang Ko stops him and reminds him that the problem is now what to do with everything, because when Ta Hwan wakes up, he’s going to finger his assassins. Ki Se proposes they just kill Ta Hwan, but El Temur knows this won’t work because Wang Yoo and his court saw Ta Hwan alive. Not that you couldn’t kill him on the way back to Yuan. It’s not like Koryeo’s going to really press that, as long as you leave them alone. But El Temur doesn’t want to do that either.
El Temur calls his sons “morons” and orders Baek Ahn to keep anyone from coming in until Ta Hwan wakes up. El Temur throws down the sword and stomps out. Ki Se quickly picks up his weapon and follows his father out. Ja Hae follows, leaving just Baek Ahn and Tal Tal in with Ta Hwan. After a moment, they go over to Ta Hwan and tell him that everyone is gone and he can open his eyes. Baek Ahn whispers that the Khan is dead, which gets a reaction out of Ta Hwan. They tell him he’s the Emperor. Ta Hwan moans that he won’t be if El Temur has his way. Baek Ahn thinks there’s a way to change El Temur’s mind.
Back in Wang Yoo’s quarters, Seung Nyang tells the king that Ta Hwan gave her his word about everything. Shin Woo and Moo Song both compliment her on a job well done. She asks about her father and they take her to where he’s locked up. She begins to weep when she sees him. The guard lets her inside the cell. She speaks to him but he doesn’t respond. He reaches out and softly touches his face and he cringes away from her touch. Tears are rolling down her face. She tells him that it’s her, Nyang. He keeps pushing her away, even as she cries Abeoji, until she puts the rings in his hands. That’s when I finally get a little misty. Not believing, he touches her face and they embrace. Seung Nyang bawls. I cry, too.
Ki’s smiling as he holds his daughter. Which makes me cry more. He can tell she’s crying and shakes his head. Then he spells into her hand not to cry, calling her sweetheart. He says that to see his little girl again before he dies is all he could ask. She begs him to be patient, that once Ta Hwan wakes up, he’ll be free, that she’ll get whoever did this to him, but all Ki does is smile at her. They hug again and then weep together. And that was actually really moving.
Baek Ahn has told Ta Hwan what he needs to do to live and Ta Hwan’s not having it, especially *because he gave Seung Nyang his word.* Baek Ahn doesn’t see what that got to do with...! Tal Tal stops his uncle. Baek Ahn tries a different track: this is his life, the fate of the empire. What’s a promise to some Koryeo scum compared to *that*? But this is his first friend. Ta Hwan is indignant because Seung Nyang risked ‘his’ life to protect him. Baek Ahn rants her name like it’s a curse. He tells the boy to pull himself together. Tal Tal reminds Ta Hwan about who killed his father and only as Emperor can Ta Hwan have his revenge. This gets Ta Hwan. Abababa.
Over at Wang Ko’s, he's beating the crap out of Byung Soo. He’s only stopped from killing Byung Soo by Cham announcing that Ta Hwan is awake. Wang Ko smashes the vase he was holding in frustration and storms out. Cham squats next to the beaten Byung Soo and tells him that if Byung Soo talks down to him again, Byung Soo will be dead. After all Cham did just save his life. He could have waited 5 minutes for Wang Ko to finish the job. Cham leaves and Byung Soo curses Seung Nyang’s name.
Ta Hwan is all cleaned up and dreading what he’s about to do. Outside his quarters, everyone’s assembled. Ta Hwan catches sight of Seung Nyang and it’s a knife in his heart. He walks toward everyone as to his own execution. Wang Yoo asks who tried to kill him. And then he does it. He says that it was Koryeo soldiers. His eyes are glistening as he says that the soldiers acted on Wang Yoo’s orders. He names Commander Ki and Seung Nyang can’t stand it. She tries to go throttle him but Ki Se draws his sword on her. Tears are running down her cheeks and he’s forced to look her in the eye.
El Temur orders Seung Nyang taken away, but Wang Yoo steps in and declares that she did nothing. He demands El Temur kill him instead. El Temur growls that Wang Yoo’s life is already in his hands and Wang Yoo doesn’t die until he says so. Then Ta Hwan walks back inside, knowing he just betrayed his only friend. She can do nothing but cry.
They throw Seung Nyang in with her father, who is dying. She begs for help. With his dying energy, he writes into her hand that he’s sorry. His little girl. He failed her mother... failed her... And then he dies. And Seung Nyang begs him not to die, crying Abeoji over and over.
A meeting between El Temur and Ta Hwan. El Temur wants to know what now. Crying, Ta Hwan drops to the floor and begs for El Temur to spare him. He spouts that if El Temur needs a fool, he’ll act the fool. A coward, he’ll act the coward. Callous, he’ll be callous. He’ll be El Temur’s puppet. Looking down at Ta Hwan, El Temur wonders who the real Ta Hwan is: A simpering fool? Or a viper waiting to strike? Ta Hwan is bawling pathetically. El Temur tells Ta Hwan to get up and that the Emperor is dead. Ta Hwan acts like this is news. El Temur tells him never to blubber or kneel to anyone again. He’s Emperor now.
Flashback to that meeting with Baek Ahn. Baek Ahn declares that there is only one ruler and El Temur will have no other. Ta Hwan needs to assure El Temur who the the real ruler is. Present Ta Hwan is protesting that he could never rule! It’s not his place! El Temur thinks, “What a fool.” Baek Ahn’s advice again: Give him everything. So Ta Hwan tells El Temur that he should take the throne and he should rule them all. El Temur thinks, “Maybe he’s the emperor I’ve been looking for. Right in front of me all along.” And per Baek Ahn’s advice, then Ta Hwan begs to be spared, for the easy life.
El Temur tells Ta Hwan that he is under his protection. Under one condition: that Ta Hwan make his daughter Empress. Ta Hwan blubbers that he counts himself blessed, having El Temur as his father-in-law. Ta Hwan strokes El Temur’s ego a little more by taking his hand and telling him that the heavens need his mandate. Ta Hwan makes himself cry some more as he falls to the floor again and over and over thanks El Temur for his favor. As he simpers there, he thinks, “Sungnyang, I can’t die here. I must live. Live and exact my revenge. I’ll keep my word in some other way, any other way.”
As Seung Nyang sits, drained from grief and cradling her dead father, she promises to kill Ta Hwan. He’ll pay for her father and Koryeo somehow, some way.
The next day, on Wang Yoo’s throne, Ta Hwan announces that their King tried to assassinate him, and tried to conceal that fact. For this crime he is stripped of his crown and will be taken to Daidu. Those involved in the rebellion will be enslaved. And the kicker: In honor of Ta Hwan’s coronation, Koryeo will provide 200 women as concubines and 100 boys as eunuchs. And 120 pounds of gold, 7500 pounds of silver and 100 stallions each year. Plus… At this point he falters and has to be coached. And 3,000 bolts of silk, 100,000 sheets of parchment, 1,000 inkstones and 10,000 otter skins. At this one, he gets completely off track and makes himself look like a really big idiot.
Out in the crowd, Wang Ko mutters to Baek Ahn that it’s no wonder Ta Hwan needs the parchment. Baek Ahn responds that Ta Hwan is illiterate. Which really makes sense, doesn’t it? That they would neglect that?
El Temur leaves the throne room with his sons and Wang Ko rushes after him to ask about who the next king of Koryeo is. El Temur puts him off. Ta Hwan exits with Soon Yong, Baek Ahn and Tal Tal. Wang Ko sucks up to him. Ta Hwan beckons Wang Ko closer and just loud enough for Ta Hwan to hear, he tells the man that he’ll remember how Wang Ko tried to kill him. It’s burned into his bones; he’s not likely to forget. Then he walks on, leaving Wang Ko to stew on that. Wang Ko tells Cham that he’ll be taking the concubines to Yuan and whatever Ta Hwan’s decree, he’ll see that he’s named king of Koryeo.
A rounding up of women under the oversight of Byung Soo, who tells them that they can thank their king. Later Wang Ko has Seung Nyang dragged out and declares that she’ll be one of the eunuchs, because betraying him makes her less than a dog, a pig.
Wang Yoo’s in with Shin Woo, Moo Song and Jeom Bak. They’re begging to go with him, but he refuses. He won’t have them suffer because of him. Sadly, he thanks them for their service.
Soulful music plays as everyone gathers to leave for Yuan. Wang Yoo goes over to Ki Se, who is leading the tribute march, and tells him to let Seung Nyang go, since she’s responsible for saving their king. Ki Se goes to strike him, but is stopped by Ja Hae, who reminds Ki Se what their father said: They’re to show him every courtesy as king. Ja Hae asks why El Temur was protecting Wang Yoo and El Temur replies that he’s never seen a warrior with such heart . It’s earned his respect. He sighs that it’s a shame that Wang Yoo has to die. Back in the present, Seung Nyang assures Wang Yoo that she’ll be fine.
Out at sea, Ta Hwan can’t sleep. Baek Ahn asks him what’s bothering him and he replies that he’s ashamed of himself. He’s only Emperor because Seung Nyang kept him alive and this is how he repays that debt. Tal Tal tries telling Ta Hwan that Seung Nyang’s probably relaxing at home even as they speak – because that’s what she’d do after her king was stripped of his throne and exiled off to Yuan. Ta Hwan doesn’t really believe this either, but he lays back down again and pretends it’s true.
The Koryo Border. The women are moaning and suffering and being whipped by Cham and Byung Soo. Flashbacks for Seung Nyang. Wang Yoo asks for them to stop, since the women are hurt. Ki Se humors him. Wang Yoo takes water and food into the women’s tent. They’re very disrespectful to him, which makes him depressed. As he exits the tent with Seung Nyang, Ja Hae has arrived with some soldiers. He orders all the women rounded up, per order of Ki Se, and then killed, because they’re slowing everything down. This pisses Wang Yoo off. He grabs one of the soldier’s swords and declares that no one touches my people. Ki Se arrives and tells Wang Yoo that this is Yuan territory and those who disobey him die. No more special treatment.
Some soldiers try to get into the tent to kill the women and Wang Yoo shows why he’s a warrior and kills them. He declares that he will kill anyone that enters this tent. Ki Se steps forward, holding a crossbow. He tells Wang Yoo that just the sight of Wang Yoo makes him sick. But Wang Yoo won’t stand down, so Ki Se shoots him in the leg. Seung Nyang jumps in front of him to shield him from another bolt, but Wang Yoo shoves her aside. Ki Se about to shoot again, when Wang Ko stops him, reminding him that El Temur will be furious. It looks like Ki Se’s going to back down, but then he fires again, but not before Seung Nyang can push Wang Yoo mostly out of the way. Wang Yoo still falls, unconscious.
Ki Se angrily orders the men to step up the pace and to kill anyone that slows them down. Seung Nyang begs to be able to help Wang Yoo not fall behind. Ki Se reluctantly agrees. So Seung Nyang ends up dragging Wang Yoo with on a stretcher. From a distance, a rider is following them. It’s Bool Hwa, who pledges to save Seung Nyang.
Daidu. Ta Hwan’s made it home. Empress Dowager greets him. He’s emotional, glad to see her. She tells him that the court is waiting. He leaves after glancing back at El Temur. He acts like a fool as he walks into the throne room and up to the throne. It’s quite a performance of timidity. Ta Hwan gingerly sits on the side of the throne until El Temur tells him to sit in it. El Temur orders them to pay their respects and finally Soon Yong gets to do his ‘Hail the new Emperor!’ cheer.
Afterward, they are walking outside. Empress Dowager tells Soon Yong that they need to have a coronation. El Temur interjects that before that, there is the wedding. El Temur announces that His Majesty has chosen his daughter as the empress. When she questions Ta Hwan, he sputters that Danashiri is supposed to be quite lovely and with El Temur as his father-in-law, he can have his cake and eat it too. She snaps back that choosing an empress is Inner Court business. How can he choose one without consulting her? El Temur asks her if she’s trying to insult him. She responds that the imperial house has rules. El Temur replies that they’ll be followed. In time. Then he ‘suggests’ he and Ta Hwan walk on.
As they walk away, Soon Yong remarks that now El Temur shows his claws. Empress Dowager replies that she won’t have it, not if it kills her. When Soon Yong points out how powerful El Temur is, she snaps that she was the late Emperor’s favorite and will not be bullied.
In his room, Ta Hwan is sleepy. Baek Ahn demands to know why he didn’t say anything about marrying El Temur’s daughter. Ta Hwan replies because Baek Ahn never asked. Baek Ahn sputters that they should have discussed it. Ta Hwan’s totally humoring him. He asks about the niece Baek Ahn mentioned, because he’ll need imperial concubines and Baek Ahn replies that he’s not going to have Danashiri kill his niece, thanks. Then they tell Ta Hwan the rumors: Danashiri is a real hellcat. Haughty. And jealous. She’s an unbridled hellcat colt. Baek Ahn tells him he’s ‘lucky.’ But, at least, Baek Ahn adds, he’s the Emperor. Ta Hwan replies that he liked Daechong better, with Seung Nyang.
As Baek Ahn and Tal Tal leave Ta Hwan’s chambers, Baek Ahn’s grumbling and then they come across El Temur, who tells them to follow. El Temur gives Baek Ahn his new orders: The Turks are making trouble on the Northwestern border. He needs to take care of it. Baek Ahn tries to talk his way out of this basic death sentence, but El Temur’s unmoved.
Back to the death march. Ki Se remarks to his brother that it’s very odd. Seung Nyang smells like a girl. Ja Hae looks at his brother like he’s crazy and suggests that it’s because he’s gone too long without. Ki Se replies that Seung Nyang is prettier than most women they know.
Ki Se calls for a halt. Seung Nyang checks on Wang Yoo and he’s barely conscious. She tries to get him some water for his fever but Byung Soo grabs it and basically pours it out. Watching, Bool Hwa promises to tear Byung Soo’s heart out and eat it. Bool Hwa’s not paying attention and gets a rope around the neck. But it’s not Ki Se’s men. It’s Wang Yoo’s. Yes! I knew they wouldn't abandon him! They recognize him and let him go.
Daidu. Ta Hwan is worried about Danashiri. His eunuch Gol Ta (aka Bong Chool from Gu Family Book!) tells him that the whole royal staff is worried about her coming. Switch to Danashiri riding to meet him. She’s not happy either. She’s heard he's deformed. Heh. Ta Hwan declares that he hates temperamental women! She mutters that a man should be manly; who wants a coward and a fool? The two groups meet and disembark to greet each other. Ta Hwan’s jaw drops a little when he see her and she’s pleasantly surprised. Although I can’t tell if that’s his act or if he does find her good looking. She tries to be charming but it doesn’t work.
Nighttime by a stream. Seung Nyang’s with some others getting a drink. Ki Se sends the rest away so that he’s alone with her. He stops her from leaving. She looks at him and he grabs her and smells her. She tries to play of her panic but he laughs and declares that he was right. She’s got girl’s scent. She’s a girl. She tries to play it off and get out of there, but he grabs her shirt and rips it open, revealing that she is, in fact, a girl. And it’s an oh, crap, moment to end the episode.
Thoughts
I can't help but compare Ta Hwan and Wang Yoo and one thing that I find fits for both of them: they acted a fool before they became king. Of course, Ta Hwan is still acting a fool, but that's only until he can shore up his power base to fight El Temur. I find it interesting that the stronger of the two has the stronger enemy / tyrant lusting after the throne. So what do I think about the events of the episode...
- How do the villains keep weaseling out of getting punished for their misdeeds? What's it going to take?
- Poor Ki Ja Oh. He was noble and loyal and brave and to die such an undignified death. I anticipate one day his honor being restored, but still... That was horrible.
- Byung Soo really needs to get his before this series is over. His diatribe where he justifies his actions... Ridiculous.
- I like how they are showing Ta Hwan getting character little by little. Such as: facing his fear and jumping off a cliff. OR laying in a coffin covered in salt and rotten fish oil. Both of those are horrific in different ways and he did them. OR how he didn't think twice about risking his life for his friend. I actually think that, with the way they're developing his character, by the time the coronation comes around, the viewer will be happy that he's ending up with Seung Nyang, even though they might feel bad for Wang Yoo.
- I still do love Wang Yoo, though, especially how his heart is for his people, period. Throwing himself on the sword and confessing to something he *didn't* do just to protect his people, grabbing a sword and physically protecting the women so they wouldn't be slaughtered, even after they were so disparaging, I love that he sees them as *his* responsibility.
- I also love Jeum Bak, Shin Woo, and Moo Song, that they're so loyal to him. I love that they are following him at a distance, even though Wang Yoo ordered them not to.
- Seung Nyang's secret's going to be out! Not the way I wanted her to be exposed at all, because Ki Se is vile. It will be interesting to see how Wang Yoo and Ta Hwan react to seeing the real her, particularly because they've been fighting their attraction to her, the man. It would have come out when she got to Yuan anyway, because she would have been exposed when they went to castrate her so she could become a eunuch, but still, I don't like that he knows.
- I wonder what's going to go down with Danashiri, especially because Ta Hwan is pretending to be into her.
- I did actually get a little emotional during the scene with Seung Nyang's dying father. I still am not sure what it is. I think maybe it's because Ha Ji Won always seems in total control, even when she's being emotional, like she never just sinks into the utter despair that can come sometimes with those tears. It doesn't make me love her less, because I love her, but it does make me feel more manipulated by those emotional moments where the music swells and I know I'm supposed to be feeling something, rather than me actually feeling something.
- I love buffoon Ta Hwan, because he's very clever in the type of buffoon he is. His tangent about the otter skins was perfect for convincing El Temur and the rest of the court that he's not a threat at all.
- I do wonder how Ta Hwan is going to make it up to Seung Nyang for betraying her father like that, so that he died so pathetically.
- Now that the secret's out, are they going to start calling her by her real given name, Nyang? Since Seung Nyang was her male name?
- Interested in the character of the Empress Dowager. Just the little we've seen of her, I think she's going to be an interesting one, especially in maneuvering El Temur's mechanations.
- Excited that the guy who played Bong Chool in Gu Family Book is in this. I just really liked how he played that character and hope he gets a good part here too.
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