Life is all about choices but we tend to forget that regret is also a part of the choices we make. Last week, we’re given one episode of Empress Ki to dwell in, to analyze, to love, or to hate . Honestly, I am content with it as long as they don’t replace both Monday and Tuesday slots with Winter Olympics coverage. Episode 29 leaves me with a lot of things to ponder and as much as I try, for the rest of the week, to quit thinking about the drama, I can’t seem to escape the constant stream of questions coming out from my brain, especially after watching that short but intriguing preview of Episode 30. What will happen next? Is Ta-hwan going to give in to Yeon-chul’s persistence to make him abdicate? What will Seung-nyang do to help him? How will Wang Yoo deal with the new knowledge about Seung-nyang now being Ta-hwan’s concubine and no longer his? Also, I’m looking forward to the main trio’s reunion, although it’s a reunion that is not without heartaches at the end of the day.

Episode 30.

 

I’m not sure what happened with the end of episode 29, but I’m going to assume that Yoo was just releasing his anger with riding. The next thing we know, he’s off riding the horse, following Taltal who had captured Heuksoo. They stopped somewhere deep in the forest and it does look like a perfect setting for a secret massacre, don’t you think so? Taltal questioned why Yoo brought Bi-soo along with them, but Yoo didn’t say anything. Heuksoo tried to persuade Taltal into sparing his life but the latter was already set on getting rid of the potential trouble maker in the big plan. So…Taltal slit his throat, and I rejoice! I don’t know why it’s so good to see him die…but yeah, Heuksoo is dead! Bi-soo was next, but Yoo stopped Taltal from adding the poor girl into his kill list. He insisted that he would be the one who decided her fate, and Taltal had no choice but to follow his order but Yoo had to be responsible if anything wrong happened later.

 

Empress Dowager with her newly found minion Seung-nyang went to the Empress’ quarters. Tanashiri was changing out of her robe, preparing for her departure to the Cold Palace and also putting the Empress’ seal in its box. She thought that the Dowager came there to send her with glee, but Empress Dowager was actually coming to fetch the seal. It looks like Tanashiri didn’t know it beforehand, but she couldn’t bring Maha with her to the Cold Palace. Dokman took Baby Prince away and Tanashiri cried for him, but Empress Dowager slapped her to knock some sense into her. Tanashiri wailed in sadness while Seung-nyang looked at Maha as he’s carried away and I’m wondering: could she recognize him?

 

Nope, Seung-nyang was too busy watching Tanashiri’s reaction when her own baby was being taken away.

Seung-nyang: Your child might be taken away from you for the time being, but mine was taken away forever. Even if I’m missing him, or wishing to hug him, that kind of pain…do you know? Your pain is not even pain (compared to mine).

 

Dangkise went to see his dearest little sister on her way to the Cold Palace and Tanashiri told him to catch the real culprit that was no other than Lady Ki. She saw it all in her eyes, laughing and jeering at her, although she had nothing to prove it. She vowed to kill Seung-nyang with her own hands. Dangkise saw Seung-nyang from afar and went to meet her. Yeay, an anticipated face-off! He confronted her but she’s not afraid at all, even sending away Eunuch Park and Hong-dan. Dangkise told her the reason why Lady Park was killed: it’s because she dared to receive the Emperor’s grace without knowing her place and it’s the same with Seung-nyang. He mocked her so-called revenge and how she dared to be their side’s rival with her lowly background. Seung-nyang coolly told him off, warning Dangkise that she I didn’t even get started yet with her revenge project and him crying tears of blood would be her final revenge. Ohh Dangkise, you should start guarding yourself and your little sister from now on!

 

Tanashiri was escorted to the Cold Palace, which turned out to be really cold. She’s decided to hang in there, believing that her father would save her soon. The concubines were more relaxed now without Tanashiri around and they didn’t have to drink the tonic anymore. That’s something to be happy for, while Seung-nyang and Seol-hwa exchanged friendly glances. Empress Dowager entered the hall, assuring them that the Inner Court would return to its norm for now on.

 

Seung-nyang and her probably had a conversation beforehand because when Empress Dowager went to Ta-hwan’s quarters, Seung-nyang stopped him from hiding his study materials. She was shown the characters Ta-hwan personally wrote (Seung-nyang looked like a home tutor showing the student’s achievement to his mother) and Ta-hwan gave a bigger surprise: he could talk now! Empress Dowager was impressed that they spent the nights studying and acknowledged that it’s all thanks to Seung-nyang. She’s so happy that Ta-hwan could talk, but Seung-nyang told her that they’re keeping it a secret from Yeon-chul since the old man was planning to make Ta-hwan abdicate, and with Tanashiri now being banished, they would try to make it happen sooner.

 

Dangkise finally told Yeon-chul about Seung-nyang and Baek Ahn, but suddenly, Taltal arrived to give his report about the task. They started to eye Taltal with suspicion as he told them that Heuksoo had killed himself on their way to the capital, but Yeon-chul didn’t say anything and sent him out. The old man would like to use the abdication to see who’s really on their side. Taltal was bright enough to see that they had changed and they might had started to suspect them. Baek Ahn saw it coming and he’s ready to face it.

 

Wang Yoo had reached the capital too (since he’s together with Taltal) and his underlings were persuading him into meeting Seung-nyang. He’s more afraid that his presence would hurt Seung-nyang more. They told him the truth that Eunuch Bang had entered the palace to arrange for a meeting between Seung-nyang and him, even without his permission. She was visibly shaken when it was announced that Eunuch Bang had arrived to see her (Gahhhh she’s teary eyed!) but by the time Eunuch Bang appeared in front of her, Seung-nyang had put on her Iron Lady mask. He directly asked about Yoo meeting with her, but Seung-nyang put him in his place sternly, saying that she couldn’t secretly meet with a foreign man with her status as the Emperor’s concubine and if Yoo wanted to see her, he should go to the throne hall and meet Ta-hwan to ask for his permission. Eunuch Bang really thought that Seung-nyang had changed although Eunuch Park apologized for her cold response afterwards. Seung-nyang couldn’t stop her tears once she’s alone. Ack!

 

Yoo decided to see it for himself after hearing about Seung-nyang from Eunuch Bang since he believed that he knew what Seung-nyang was thinking, and Ta-hwan was surprised to hear Yoo back in the capital. He eyed Seung-nyang with doubt but she put her best poker face, asking whether he’s afraid to meet Yoo. Ta-hwan agreed to do so, and Golta took a second to steal a glance towards Seung-nyang, who displayed no emotion on her face. After Golta left, Ta-hwan said that he had no reason to be scared since she’s a concubine now and he had no other choice than letting Seung-nyang to join him at the meeting since he couldn’t talk in front of others yet.

 

Yoo made his appearance at the throne hall and it must’ve felt like a dream for him, seeing Seung-nyang on the throne beside Ta-hwan. She tried her best to contain her emotions while Ta-hwan shot an unfathomable glance towards her. Why this feels like a lite version of the Prologue? My heart hurts so much! Yoo greeted Ta-hwan and Seung-nyang told him about Ta-hwan’s condition. Then, she proceeded to ask for Ta-hwan’s permission to meet Yoo. He didn’t have to give the permission if he didn’t want to, but if he believed her, she asked for him to allow her to do so. These three are really killing me: Seung-nyang’s hopeful glance towards Ta-hwan, Ta-hwan’s gaze with mixed emotions of doubt and slight fear, and Yoo’s hopeful and longing stare. Ta-hwan looked at Yoo and nodded, giving her his permission.

 

Wang Yoo: You looked good.

Seung-nyang: Thank you, Wang Yoo. (It hurts to hear her addressing him like that *sobs*)

Seung-nyang: Do you resent me?

Wang Yoo:I won’t have any resentment or lingering feelings (towards you). Deep in my heart, Seung-nyang is already dead.

Seung-nyang: Don’t remember me. I won’t hate you for chasing me out of your memory.

Wang Yoo: There’s no reason for me to remember Your Highness. There’s no reason, except for getting rid of the past. I won’t have any meeting like today anymore.

 

Wang Yoo got up from his seat and he was about to leave, but Seung-nyang’s brave mask finally cracked a bit as tears welled in her eyes.

Seung-nyang: I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Wang Yoo: There’s no need for you to apologize. I’ve already abandoned you. Your Highness must have been thinking that I resent you, but there’s no person (like that) whom I hate. Don’t feel sorry or shed any tears. Please continue on your path with dignity, I’ll do the same. I’ll never turn back, get hurt, or regret it, and I’ll go on with my own path.

Seung-nyang: Please forget me and be happy. This is my bad self’s wish to make me at ease. This is my shameless last wish. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Your Majesty…

Yoo walked away as Seung-nyang was sobbing by herself, addressing him the way she used to do back then…

 

Ta-hwan paced back and forth in his chamber, anticipating Seung-nyang’s arrival. His underlings were looking at him from outside and suddenly…Yeon-chul made his sudden appearance. Drat. Golta greeted him with extra loud voice to warn Ta-hwan and Ta-hwan scrambled around to hide his study materials. Quick, quick, quick! Yeon-chul was getting impatient when Golta tried to delay announcing his arrival and barged into the room, but luckily, Ta-hwan hid everything and sat on his chair, putting his best drunk face. Baby Emperor is so good at acting, but it’s something which he had done probably since he was a little boy. Yeon-chul had some business to take care of and Ta-hwan needed to come with him, so Dangkise and Tapjahae ‘escorted’ him. Well, he looked more like he’s abducted rather than properly escorted away and Golta couldn’t do anything to stop the old man.

 

Ta-hwan was brought to Yeon-chul’s office and the old man wrote the abdication edict for him in front of Ta-hwan, thinking that he had no idea of the content. Ta-hwan acted like he couldn’t read but he realized that it’s the edict announcing his own abdication, giving the throne to Maha but with Tanashiri acting as the Regent until the kid reached the age to rule by himself. Yeon-chul forced him to put his seal on the edict. Please, I’m hoping that he won’t do so! But then, the soldiers were around, probably ready to kill him off if he refused to do so…and he stamped it. Ah, I’m still hoping that Ta-hwan would ruin the edict with the ink or simply tore it with the excuse that he’s too drunk, but Yeon-chul got his dream edict with the perfectly stamped seal. Not impressed at all. The old man mocked his inability to speak and read and also warned him not to meet with the governors for the time being. Baby Emperor, I’m angry just like you, but I hope you would throw your seal at the old man’s head when the time comes.

 

Empress Dowager and Seung-nyang were anxiously waiting for Ta-hwan back at the Emperor’s quarters and he told them that he put his seal on the abdication edict. The Dowager was so upset with the matter and the governors were their only hope to stop it, but it’s too dangerous for Ta-hwan to meet them. Seung-nyang suggested using Baek Ahn to persuade the governors and Baek Ahn agreed since it’s the only choice they had, although Taltal thought that it could endanger their lives, not to mention the Emperor.

 

Yeon-chul was showing off the edict to Yoo and boasted that his grandson would be the Emperor soon (Blergh, he’s not even your real grandson! Booooooooo!). He didn’t see the governors as his opponents and deemed that it’s easy to persuade them since he already had their weaknesses in his hands. Dangkise sent Yoo out and asked him about Seung-nyang. He’s quite taken aback to hear that Yoo already met Seung-nyang but asked what he thought of the new Lady Ki. Yoo remarked that everything about her had changed: her stare, her way of speaking, and also her thoughts. Dangkise suddenly turned into a concerned brother, encouraging him to forget Seung-nyang. LOL Dangkise, are you thinking that both of you are kindred spirits who were denied Seung-nyang’s affection? Yoo was sure thankful for that consoling pat on the back.

 

Bi-soo was still held hostage while Jeokho, who was supposed to guard her, kept eating the food in front of her. She demanded to meet Yoo but Jeokho advised her against it since Yoo had so many things going on in his head. Jeokho didn’t tell her exactly about the reason, but she got to meet him since she finally offered to decode the ledger that Yoo took from Heuksoo. She wanted him to fulfill her two conditions in return: he would kill her afterwards since she won’t be able to escape the higher-ups in Heuksoo’s group and would end up as a slave anyway, and her bones were to be buried on the Turk’s graveyard. Yoo didn’t think of killing her off but only ordered her to be given some food. Later, she introduced the codes as Roman numbers and told them to copy the thousand characters from Thousand Character Classics into columns with ten characters on each column. Eunuch Bang made the copy through the night and she showed them that the code would give one character, but it would take a few days to decipher the whole ledger. Yoo told Bi-soo to do it.

 

Tanashiri still had her loyal Court Lady Seo beside her but she refused to eat the poorly made dumplings. Later that night, Court Lady Seo heard her crying and Tanashiri was missing her baby. Court Lady Seo tried to tell her that Maha wasn’t even her real child in the first place, but Tanashiri wasn’t in the mood to hear it. She could withstand cold and hunger, but she couldn’t stand being apart from her son. She continued to ask when would her father save her, but right now, he’s too busy with the abdication issue.

 

Seung-nyang explained to Empress Dowager and Ta-hwan about the governors: the Imperial concubines’ fathers would surely be on their side against the idea of abdication, while the rest of the governors, according to Baek Ahn and Taltal, would be easy to persuade since each of them were close to the concubines’ fathers. Instead of meeting them directly as suggested by Empress Dowager, Ta-hwan thought that it’d be less suspicious if Empress Dowager invited them over for dinner that night with the concubines. Yeon-chul was planning on inviting the governors too and Dangkise was worried that they would pick the Dowager over his father, but the old man was confident with his own influence. Baek Ahn conveyed the message to the governors and they looked like they’re siding with the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

 

The palace and Yeon-chul’s house were both preparing for the dinner. Yeon-chul was getting furious that no one had arrived yet, but Dangkise thought that they should wait for a little longer. Seung-nyang helped Ta-hwan to get dressed up for the occasion as she told him to prove his worth as an Emperor in front of the governors. He looked ready for the action, but his confidence was shattered when Ta-hwan entered the hall: it was empty except for the maids, Empress Dowager, Baek Ahn, and Taltal. Ta-hwan asked furiously about the other governors and Taltal gave him the answer: they all went to Yeon-chul’s house. The governors all decided to be on Yeon-chul’s side and he even made them satisfied with the conditions personally tailored for each of them. Yeon-chul was gloating in happiness, but Yoo was secretly glaring at him. Yesss~

Ta-hwan let out a deep sigh inside the empty hall, thinking that the only thing left for him was to be deposed. Seung-nyang was the only person there, trying to lift up his spirit.

Seung-nyang: Our opponent is strong and influential. But then, do you know the reason why I decided to fight against them? It’s because I believe you. You can’t shed your tears over this small defeat. For the sake of the one person who believe in you, that is me, never get discouraged.

 

Sweet. Ta-hwan nodded and approached her, resting his head on her shoulder. She put her arms around him, hugging him tight. Ta-hwan hugged her back and broke into a smile as Seung-nyang’s smile slowly disappeared and her eyes grew darker. Ahhh…

 

Yoo was worried about Yeon-chul but lucky for him, Bi-soo had finished decoding the ledger. However, it turned out to be a notebook rather than a ledger. A familiar name, Kim Ja-chi crept up and assuming that it could be related to the governors, Yoo intended to use it to stop the abdication and help Ta-hwan, for Seung-nyang’s sake. The governors were summoned to meet Ta-hwan secretly later that night and Taltal assured Seung-nyang that it would end up well. Seung-nyang wondered about the source of the information, but Yoo had told Taltal beforehand to keep it a secret from her. Meanwhile, Ta-hwan started to speak in front of the governors.

Ta-hwan: The Chancellor had changed the Emperors three times before. Now, he’s about to do it for the fourth time. BUT, this time, he has picked up the wrong opponent.

Nice introduction line, Baby Emperor.

**

Episode 31.

 

A few hours prior to Ta-hwan’s meeting with the governors. Taltal went to meet Seungnyang in their secret place (aka the library) and asked about Ta-hwan’s condition after the failure. Seung-nyang told him that the Emperor was affected, and Taltal gave her the ledger/record. He explained it to her, saying that the record would be useful to stop the abdication. Seung-nyang showed it to Ta-hwan afterwards while telling him that the record contained the transaction between Heuksoo’s Eagle Group and the governors, which would be useful to pull them to his side. However, it’s all down to his own in the end, since the governors could only be persuaded if they had enough confidence in Ta-hwan, so he had to show them his worth.

 

He summoned the governors and finally spoke in front of them, to their surprise. He went straight to the point, asking for their help to stop Yeon-chul’s attempt to make him abdicate the throne. The governors were wary and Ta-hwan thought that they might had done the same thing when his late father was sitting on the throne. They still thought that the only way to protect the Imperial Family and his own life was for Ta-hwan to abdicate, and Ta-hwan used the next card in his hand, which was the money issue. The governors were totally clueless about it, plus with Yeon-chul scheming with the Eagle Group without their knowledge and the relations with the counterfeit issues. I enjoyed it so much when Ta-hwan went ‘Tsk-tsk-tsk!” at them, mocking them for being fooled by Yeon-chul. They wanted to know more about it, but Ta-hwan ordered them to first think about things they could do for him.

The governors were angry to know about the truth and they were going to stop Yeon-chul at any cost this time. Baek Ahn were satisfied to hear it and Taltal went to catch the people who were responsible for the counterfeit business, especially those who were close to the governors. However, Baek Ahn was thinking that stopping the abdication wasn’t enough to reduce Yeon-chul’s influence and suggested that Ta-hwan took full control of the seal this time at the assembly, meaning that Yeon-chul’s power in the court would be decreased.

 

Byung-soo was monitoring the guards’ training session and it was Yeon-chul’s order to prepare for any incident. Seung-nyang suspected that it might be related to Taltal’s trip to catch the culprits. Yeon-chul was still thinking that his plan was working smoothly, but a message from the group proved that Heuksoo was indeed killed by Taltal. He wrote a reply to the group leader and conveyed it through the messenger, who was also Bi-soo’s assistant. Meanwhile, Bi-soo showed Yoo the middleman whom she used to communicate with the group leader, but she herself never saw the leader before.

 

The assistant saw Bi-soo and he was surprised since he thought that she was dead. Yoo got hold of Yeon-chul’s reply and the old man intended to kill Taltal this time. They started to monitor the fort (with Eunuch Bang and Jeokho being the undercover spies! Hehehe) regarding the manpower there. Bi-soo wanted to know why Yoo was so keen in helping Taltal but Moo-song stopped Jeombakyi from telling her more about Seung-nyang. Yoo only told her that it’s because of his fight with  Yeon-chul, that’s all. She suggested that they use oil and fire against the guards to defeat them.

 

Yeon-hwa approached Byung-soo first this time and he was so happy to see her. LOL, even Jo-cham suspected that these two were dating! She wanted to ask for his help to sneak Prince Maha out to the Cold Palace. Byung-soo was more than willing to help her, although he knew that it’s dangerous. Empress Dowager was with Maha and she still thought that the child didn’t have any resemblance to the Emperor. The Prince was sent away when Tutor Jang arrived and the court lady handed him over to Yeon-hwa, who brought him to the Cold Palace while being escorted by Byung-soo. Jo-cham warned him that being a relationship with a court lady meant death, but Byung-soo said that they’re just helping the Empress. Yeah, right.

 

The next day was the assembly day and the governors were greeted with a ‘demonstration’ by the imperial guards, showcasing their skills and ended with the guards aiming their bows at the governors. HA, they were scared but they knew that it was Yeon-chul’s not-so-subtle way to threaten them. It’s his way of saying that he could kill them if he wanted to. The old man welcomed them with open arms (and cackling laugh). Taltal reached the fort (I’m thinking that it’s located outside the capital) and found it suspicious that the guards were nowhere to be seen. Once he entered the fort, the main doors were shut and they were surrounded since it’s Yeon-chul’s order to kill them. Suddenly, a group of masked men appeared and threw oil at the guards. Then, Yoo and Co. shot fire arrows at them, scaring the guards with fire. The plan worked and Taltal was saved from any harm!

 

 

Although Baek Ahn was waiting outside his chamber, Ta-hwan took his time to dress up with Seung-nyang’s help and she asked whether he was nervous. I love it when she took her time to analyze his expression, because she looked like the old Seung-nyang even for a short moment. She told him that he looked like a trustworthy person. He pulled her into a bear hug (Awwwwwww~!) and assured her that he’s going to bring back the good news soon. Meanwhile, Yeon-chul refused to hear any complaint regarding the abdication since he already got the Imperial seal on the edict, but Ta-hwan’s arrival took him by surprise. It seems like Baby Emperor was not invited to the assembly since the reason for them to gather was to plan about the future with the Prince as the new Emperor. Yeon-chul thought that it’s useless to have the Emperor who couldn’t talk with them in the assembly, but Ta-hwan finally spoke in front of them. Muahaha! Look at their faces!

 

Ta-hwan took his seat and told the others to do the same before asking for the edict. Yeon-chul asked furiously the reason why he’s doing it but Ta-hwan didn’t say anything. The old man questioned loudly why the illiterate Emperor would want to see the edict, but Ta-hwan read the contents with perfection. That’s double surprise for you, Yeon-chul! He could read now!!! Ta-hwan told the assembly that it wasn’t his edict and threw it on the floor (for once, he did a correct thing instead of flipping the tables and throwing things. Hehehe!), refusing to abdicate the throne for the Prince. Dangkise looked at Baek Ahn, who finally showed his true colours in front of them.

 

Taltal had reached the palace, but Byung-soo refused to open the gate for him and they’re ready to fight each other. Empress Dowager came over and ordered for them to be allowed to enter the palace and join the assembly. Yeon-chul suggested that they went for a majority vote to decide on the abdication issue and Ta-hwan agreed, although he was clearly nervous since it depended on the governors’ decision right now. Some of them refused to budge and Yeon-chul thought that the victory was on his side, but Empress Dowager made her entrance together with Taltal and the people he caught who was responsible for the counterfeit issue. Realizing that Yeon-chul was behind the issue, the governors all stood up behind Ta-hwan, supporting his decision to stay as an Emperor.

 

But that’s not all! Ta-hwan also wanted Yeon-chul to give up on his status as a Regent alongside him, returning the power to use the Imperial seal solely to the Emperor. The Dowager suggested that the assembly cast their votes for the matter too, and they all agreed to do so. Dangkise ran out of the hall and ordered for Byung-soo to kill all the governors for humiliating his daddy dearest, but Byung-soo told him that it’s impossible to kill everyone in the throne hall: did he wish to get rid of the Emperor and Empress Dowager too? Byung-soo suddenly remembered that the Prince was still in the Cold Palace. Now, what were you thinking?!

 

The governors were in the middle of casting their votes for Yeon-chul to give up his regency, but they were interrupted when Byung-soo announced that the Prince was missing. Urgh, so the matter couldn’t be concluded! Taltal found the it suspicious but the governors told Ta-hwan not to worry about it. I think they’re now on his side. Yeay! Empress Dowager got to know that the Prince was actually in the Cold Palace with the Empress, and Seung-nyang acted on her order to retrieve Maha from there. Tanashiri refused to hand over her son and threatened to kill herself, but Seung-nyang knew that she won’t dare to do so since she could never imagine the pain she had to undergo to kill herself. Tanashiri eventually got Maha taken away from her hands (Eunuch Park probably had enough of her chattering and just grabbed the baby away from her) and vowed to make Seung-nyang’s life miserable once she made her comeback.

Seung-nyang: I wish the day would come faster. If you leave your house empty for too long, a new owner might come over to live in it.

HA. Is she implying that she would take the place as the next Empress?

 

Yeon-chul met Baek Ahn and the latter informed him that since the Prince had been found, they would continue the assembly on the next day. Yeon-chul wanted to know the reason why Baek Ahn betrayed him when he was the one who made him the governor. Baek Ahn thought that he was only following the late Emperor’s wish to protect Ta-hwan. The truth was Yeon-chul used to be someone he admired: a leader who would shed his tears when his soldiers died in the war, but right now, the person standing in front of him wasn’t the same old Yeon-chul. He stated that Yeon-chul had made the country suffer, but the old man refused to admit it; instead, he kept insisting that he’s just following the Heaven’s Mandate. After he left, Baek Ahn told Taltal something.

Baek Ahn: If one day I happen to change like Yeon-chul, please kill me when that time comes.

Gaaahhh, he was willing to die rather than living like the old man..but he didn’t know what’s coming for him…

 

Yeon-chul realized that he was underestimating Ta-hwan and the young Emperor was slowly gaining power right under his nose. Dangkise told his father that it was because of Lady Ki and the old man never thought that he would find his opponent in a lowly concubine. They had to do something before the assembly took place and Yeon-chul went to see the criminals who were waiting for death sentence. He chose two men who still had families left behind and ordered them to help him. He promised to help their families in return. Yeon-chul was planning to harm the Prince and he would be putting the blame on one of the governors to distract them. Huh.

 

The two men were dressed as eunuchs and given daggers to make them seemed like they were ordered to harm the Prince. The Prince was in his quarters and Dok-man warned the nanny not to bring the Prince to the Cold Palace again. Eunuch Park and him were on their way out when they ran into the two fake eunuchs and Dok-man didn’t find them familiar. They were shaking nervously and drew out their daggers, but Eunuch Park easily defeated one of them and Byung-soo came in time to kill the other one. Eunuch Park eyed Byung-soo suspiciously. The man who was still alive was dragged away.

 

Ta-hwan was with Baek Ahn, Taltal, and Seung-nyang as Baek Ahn marveled that Ta-hwan’s image on that day was amazing. Taltal assured him that the governors were all on his side right now. Ta-hwan looked at Seung-nyang briefly and smiled, before saying that it’s all thanks to all of them. Ah, I know you’re so thankful towards her! Hehehe! Taltal wanted to know when he intended to use the Blood Letter and Ta-hwan was planning to use it to take away Yeon-chul’s life. It would be the first thing for him to do once he took absolute control of the court and Seung-nyang assured him that they day would come soon. But then, they discussion was cut short when Golta reported about the attempt to harm the Prince. Tanashiri also heard about the attempt and fainted after knowing that the target was Maha.

 

The man was pleading for Byung-soo to kill him but he’s not getting his wish anytime soon. Empress Dowager made her appearance at the prison, demanding to know who’s the person who ordered the man to harm the Prince, but Yeon-chul told her that he would take charge to reveal the one who dared to harm his grandson. However, he informed the Dowager that the assembly won’t take place until the culprit had been found. Luckily, Eunuch Park shared his suspicion with Ta-hwan and the gang, stating that the men didn’t even know how to fight, which was weird considering that they were sent to harm the Prince.

 

Taltal predicted that Yeon-chul was trying to make a culprit out of this incident and at the same time, the old man was telling his plan to Yoo and Dangkise: he intended to use the incident to point Seung-nyang as the instigator and with Baek Ahn/Taltal behind her, they all would be inflicted. Taltal knew that Yeon-chul would use the opportunity to protect his right and the first person he would attack was them. Ta-hwan wanted them to find a way to counter the attack, but there’s nothing they could do at that moment. Seung-nyang offered to meet Yeon-chul herself and pleaded to Ta-hwan to leave the matter to her.

 

Yoo was about to leave when Seung-nyang arrived to meet Yeon-chul, and the old man agreed to see her. Seung-nyang took a brief glance at Yoo before greeting Yeon-chul. Yeon-chul asked why a lowly concubine like her wanted to meet a tiger like her and Seung-nyang went straight to the point.

Seung-nyang: For a person who is like a tiger, why is he acting like a cat?

Buuuuurn~ See it for yourself what she got for a lowly concubine. ‘That bitch Lady Ki’? Yeah, RIGHT.

**

HA, Yeon-chul’s family calls every woman they hate as bitch or wench. Oh, I’m going to let it pass since their demise is just around the corner. You see..this woman whom you thought is not worth it to be your opponent…she’s going to bite you in the back and she won’t let you go easily. Muahahaha!

Although the much awaited meeting between Seung-nyang and Yoo meant more heartbreak for them and their fans, I’m still glad that they could meet each other, despite the countless things that have changed between them. Seung-nyang didn’t show her true self but through her tears and her gaze, I hope Yoo will try to understand her. He’s already set onto helping Seung-nyang in ousting Yeon-chul but still, here’s wishing that no more misunderstanding will come in between  them. Somehow I feel so proud of them for willing to support each other in their own, special way, although it would be a dream that is far-fetched to see them reunited. Is this the end for them? 😦

But then…Ta-hwan made progress with his battle with Yeon-chul! Hooray for Baby Manly Emperor! All those weeks (or has it already been months?) he spent plotting and acting in front of the old man while burning his midnight oil studying instead of sleeping had shown some results. Yeaaahhh!! I have to admit that I’ll miss the bratty, crybaby, whiny Baby Emperor but this new confident version of him? I like it! What’s not to love when the Emperor everyone thought was feeble is now making snarky remarks in front of them? Priceless, I tell you! It’s a shame that his plan got interrupted in the middle but at least, we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel: Yeon-chul’s reign will come to an end soon! Be patient, Ta-hwan! Everything will be yours!

…Or not really. Let’s not forget that we still have Baek Ahn (and the possibility of him being the next evil man) for the next plot arc, and I’m really looking forward to it! So many things to explore: his change, his inner conflicts, not to mention Taltal’s conflict in between supporting or blocking his dearest uncle’s evil path. I want to see it, even if it’s short.

I have this weird feeling that the person behind the counterfeit issue is Wang Go. He’s coming back, right? Considering that he will still be there during Seung-nyang’s coronation ceremony, he has to make his comeback soon! He better be quick since he needs to be there by the time Yeon-chul faces his downfall. Everyone has to witness that moment, stat.

Hmmm…running out of ideas since this is the nth time I’m trying to put my comments and the connection keeps interrupting me. I’ve already forgotten what I’m going to say but one thing I know is…I’m anticipating the next episodes!