What is wrong and what is right?

Episode 44.

 

Yoo and Co. arrived at the Yuan’s capital in the midst of the citizens blaming him for their defeat in the war, and Byung-soo fed more lies to them, saying that Lady Ki was an accomplice and she should be punished accordingly. Ta-hwan heard about the rumours and found it absurd but it’s already known to the public. Seung-nyang also got to know about it and thought that it was spread by people who wanted to see her fall: Empress Dowager and the Chancellor. She got the support for quite a number of officials including the Three Lords, but it’s a fight with risks and she won’t stand still. Ta-hwan was thinking of killing Yoo to save Seung-nyang, while Seung-nyang thought that only by sparing Yoo would mean that both Ayu and her safety would be guaranteed.

 

Seung-nyang headed towards the gate as soon as she heard about Yoo’s arrival and at the same time, Ta-hwan was already there, ready to strike Yoo will the sword in his hand since Yoo had crushed his dream of conquering the land. Seung-nyang saw this but Eunuch Bang and Moo-song told Ta-hwan to kill them first. Even Taltal tried to stop Ta-hwan, but to no avail. Seung-nyang ran towards the scene but it’s not her who managed to stop Ta-hwan: it’s Empress Dowager, who wanted Yoo to be spared for investigation in order to find his accomplice. Seung-nyang told Ta-hwan to lift any suspicion on her and he didn’t any other choice but to give up on his own idea for the time being.

Ta-hwan went back to his quarters fuming with anger but Seung-nyang still followed after him. He was angry that Seung-nyang tried to stop him before and never let him make his own decision, but Seung-nyang thought that Wang Yoo (they’re back to addressing him as a prince ㅠㅠ) was not guilty and so was she, but Ta-hwan didn’t want to see her begging for Yoo to be spared in front of him.

 

Seung-nyang: Then, who will clear my name?

Ta-hwan: That accusation..what do you think caused it to spread?

Seung-nyang: What do you mean?

Ta-hwan: Your long past with Wang Yoo is something I can’t accept.

Seung-nyang: Your Majesty…are you suspecting me?

Seung-nyang let out a sigh and it was visible in her eyes, her exact feelings at that moment: she was disappointed. She decided to take matters into her own hands and left Ta-hwan alone, although he was calling for her, telling her not to leave. He asked for more drinks and insisted for them although Golta tried to persuade him against drinking.

 

Seung-nyang saw Bi-soo coming to the palace to deliver the goods and she told her that Yoo was safe for now, knowing how worried Bi-soo was. She was already planning something on her mind since she told Bi-soo to wait for her letter as she wanted her to do something. Taltal witnessed their encounter from afar. Meanwhile, Ta-hwan had the drinks served in front of him but he suddenly recalled Seung-nyang pleading him to promise her that he won’t touch the drinks again. He told Golta to take the drinks away as he tried to restrain himself while calling out for Seung-nyang.

 

Yoo was in the prison, being investigated by both Baek Ahn and Taltal. He refused to tell them his accomplice since it’s something he didn’t do. Suddenly, Empress Dowager made her appearance at the prison and requested to have a private audience with Yoo. She made an offer that was hard to resist, knowing that Yoo was a King of a nation. The Dowager offered to spare him if he admitted that Lady Ki was the instigator. Although Yoo refused the offer for the time being, she knew that everyone would be terrified when death was in front of his eyes and she would wait if he happened to change his mind. Yoo already had everything planned and it was a relief that the Yuan people had not found any concrete evidence yet.

The officials and ministers were waiting for someone in the temple and it was no other than Seung-nyang, who called them to ask for their help since the Dowager and the Chancellor were using this chance to kick her out of the palace. Unfortunately, they didn’t want to get involved with the Goryeo King since it would mean big trouble for them and they persuaded her to abandon Yoo (after all she had done for you guys?! Yaaaaahhh!!) Seung-nyang told them that abandoning Yoo would be the same as abandoning her, and she was the reason for them to be in the positions they were at the moment! It was a surprise that she decided to tell the officials about a secret she knew: Maha was not the Emperor’s son and the things she had done, including putting her people on the government positions was to ensure that her son Ayu would take over the throne safely. They finally gave in and ready to hear her idea.

The Three Lords led the rest of the officials to enter the palace and at the same time, Baek Ahn had resorted to torture in order to make Yoo confess about the identity of his accomplice. Yoo didn’t budge although those stone slabs could crush his legs and Baek Ahn thought that cutting his tongue and poking his eyes out would make his men admit that Lady Ki was the accomplice (Noooooo you wouldn’t want to see Seung-nyang turning into a mad wolf!). Eunuch Bang and Moo-song were on the verge of giving in to Baek Ahn as they couldn’t stand the sight of their King being tortured, but Yoo told them not to say anything. Baek Ahn won’t hesitate to do anything for the Emperor but he was stopped by his man, telling him to go to the throne hall.

 

HA, the officials were kneeling in front of the hall, pleading for the Emperor to investigate the matter thoroughly since the ledger was fake. They got to know that a Goryeo official named Kim Sun-jo had fabricated the evidence,causing Empress Dowager and Baek Ahn to look at each other nervously (those terrified faces~~Muahahahahaha!). Seung-nyang joined the crowd and pleaded for the Emperor to summon that official for an audience and hear from that person himself on why he did that. Ta-hwan agreed but he ordered for Yoo and Co. to be tied in the open without any water or food for the time being.

The Dowager was wondering how did Lady Ki managed to have the officials wrapped around her fingers and obeying her orders as Baek Ahn realized that Lady Ki had been gathering supporters behind their back. Right now, their utmost concern was Kim Sun-jo but Baek Ahn was confident that he won’t say a thing since he was his man. However, it was possible for that official to be persuaded by Lady Ki and he might ended up betraying them, hence Baek Ahn ordered Taltal to send some people in order to get rid of him.

 

Seung-nyang’s ability to control the officials didn’t escape Ta-hwan’s attention and he demanded to know how she managed to do that. She told him that it was because of the gold sent by Wang Yoo and it was for Ayu so that he could ascend the throne safely. Ta-hwan retorted that it was up to him to appoint the Crown Prince but Seung-nyang was afraid that the fact that Ayu was half-Goryeo would hurt him. Just like how Ta-hwan was pushing through the military expedition so that he could become a pride to Ayu, Seung-nyang was only thinking of protecting her son, hence she was hoping that Ta-hwan would understand her intention as a mother. Ta-hwan’s heart was probably broken after hearing the truth and he told her to leave and he realized that Seung-nyang was still unable to trust him all this while. It was beautiful but heartbreaking at the same time when they turned against each other. Ta-hwan’s face translated his shattering heart and he ordered for the drinks to be served. No, just no!

 

It was the first time for Seung-nyang to be refused by Ta-hwan and Hong-dan was worried that Seung-nyang might lose the Emperor’s favour if it continued. She was conflicted but went to the arena where Yoo and Co. were and ordered for them to be provided with water secretly. Seung-nyang wanted to meet Bi-soo and on the next day, the men sent by Taltal to assassinate Kim Sun-jo and Bi-soo’s entourage rode to Goryeo. Bi-soo knew that Kim Sun-jo won’t believe them except with force but Seung-nyang wanted her to tell him something that would make him believe her. The official’s palanquin was moving through the city when Taltal’s henchman shot an arrow right towards his heart. Luckily, the real Kim Sun-jo was watching the whole scene, surprised to learn that the assassins were sent by Baek Ahn. Bi-soo told him that it was all thanks to Lady Ki; if not, he would be dead at that moment.

 

Yoo wasn’t in the best condition but he was still sorry for his loyal men to suffer along with him. They got a surprise visit from a little visitor: Maha. He told the guards to give them water and bravely defied the Emperor’s order. Yoo thanked the young Prince but he’s not there to receive his gratitude; he’s just keeping him alive since it’s not the time for Yoo to die yet, not until he admitted that Lady Ki was his accomplice. Yoo knew it was the Dowager’s doing to use the boy and told him angrily that if he wanted to avenge his mother, he had to kill the Emperor, the Dowager, the Chancellor, and the officials first. Maha was shocked to hear his words and he demanded to hear the truth from Tutor Jang. Yoo wanted to say more but Empress Dowager came over to the arena. She ordered for the prince to be escorted away but Maha had begun to doubt her as well as seeing Yoo in a different light. The Dowager was there to inform them belatedly that the person they expected to come, Kim Sun-jo, won’t be coming at all. She was sorry that Yoo chose to go against her despite her offer earlier. Don’t lose hope, guys!

 

Ta-hwan was getting drunk for the umpteenth time and Baek Ahn went to him to ask for the permission to sentence Yoo to death since Kim Sun-jo was dead. Ta-hwan gave him the green light but he wanted it to be a public execution to let the people knew about Yoo’s death. Empress Dowager wanted to grab this chance to drag Lady Ki into the matter in front of the citizens by spreading rumours about her involvement with Wang Yoo. Yoo and Co. were dragged away and Seung-nyang couldn’t do anything since they had not heard anything from Bi-soo. She went to the execution site (just outside the palace gate) and the citizens were screaming for her to be executed along with Yoo and not to forget, the rest of Goryeo people. Uhhh..that was bad but the Dowager was smirking to hear it. Ta-hwan was still drunk and he tried to cover his ears from hearing the citizens’ plea but suddenly, a man claimed that Lady Ki was the one who saved their lives by donating her gold to them. Seung-nyang wondered who let them knew about her donations and it turned out to be Taltal, who bribed a few men to spread the news. Awwwww yeah!

 

Hong-dan told Seung-nyang something, causing her to walk away from the scene as Yoo and Co. were brought to the site. They were worried that Lady Ki was nowhere to be seen and Ta-hwan ordered for the execution to be carried out. Eunuch Bang offered for him to be executed first and Moo-song was willing to to be second since they had to drag the time longer for Yoo, no matter what happened. Eunuch Bang was hung (0h god!!!) and he was on the verge of his death, but Seung-nyang appeared and shot the rope, causing him to tumble down on the ground with his life intact. She informed them that Kim Sun-jo had arrived! Yeay! She also showed them the secret letter sent by Baek Ahn to him to produce the fake evidence. Before they could reach any decision, Ta-hwan had another hallucination and he heard Yoo mocking him. The imaginary Yoo also challenged Ta-hwan to kill him and Ta-hwan started to scream at Yoo. Seung-nyang knew that he started drinking again.

 

Ta-hwan woke up in his chamber later with Baek Ahn on his bedside and he demanded to know why the Chancellor did something like that. Baek Ahn intended to make his Emperor’s wish came true since he knew how much Ta-hwan hated Yoo. He failed to protect his benefactor, Ta-hwan’s father, and this time, he vowed to do everything for the Emperor. After confirming that Baek Ahn would indeed follow his every wish, Ta-hwan seemed to have something in his mind…and I pray that it was different from what I am thinking right now! He then had an official audience with Yoo and the deposed Goryeo King would be exiled to Liaoyang province because of his failure to abide by the Yuan’s order regarding the tribute issue. Ta-hwan also had another announcement to make: he would grant another seal to be used along with his Imperial seal and it was for the Chancellor’s use.In otherwords, he’s giving Baek Ahn the authority to order any punishment except treason punishment. Bad bad bad…even Empress Dowager was shaken but both Seung-nyang and Yoo knew that it could be the end for both of them.

 

Yoo was the only one exiled and he told his loyal subjects to go back to Goryeo once they were released. Seung-nyang paid him an unexpected visit and Yo didn’t wait for too long to express his concern regarding her safety since Ta-hwan had granted Baek Ahn the authority to do anything. She apologized for dragging him into her fight against the Dowager and Baek Ahn. It’s okay, lady…you have done everything you can! Wang Yoo said that he was more apologetic towards Seung-nyang and she demanded to know whether it was true that he had been dealing with Yuan’s enemy. Yoo didn’t say anything, but he only stated that Yuan could never win the fight. She was angry at him and told him that she won’t help him anymore.

Once they were outside, Seung-nyang asked Eunuch Park the million dollar question:

Seung-nyang: Which country are we part of? Are we people of Goryeo..or people of Yuan?

Eunuch Park: Dok-man said like this – there are people who are not on either side. Hence, the only thing they can do is to protect themselves.

Seung-nyang: So pitiful. There’s no country that can protect them, thus they have to protect themselves..

Don’t cry, Seung-nyang ah (ㅠㅠ)

Baek Ahn was looking intently at a map when Taltal went to meet him. He ordered for Taltal to escort Yoo to his exile but he himself would meet them on their way. He intended to kill Yoo with his own hands although Ta-hwan had never ordered him to do so (Phew!) because he knew that it was Ta-hwan’s wish (Oh, no!).

 

 

Although Seung-nyang left angrily the night before, she went out to see Yoo being escorted away. This shouldn’t be their final meeting, right? But then…why am I crying to watch them bowing to each other?? *sobs* To make it worse, the Goryeo Team, including Bi-soo, were waiting in front of the gate to bid him goodbye and Yoo smiled encouragingly at the crying Bi-soo to console her. Sheeesh (ㅠㅠ)

 

The indestructible and nearly immortal Dangkise’s team (he must have inherited that stubborn genes from his father) found out about Yoo’s route to his exile place and they’re planning to assassinate him but to their surprise, Baek Ahn was also present there; in fact, the Chancellor had been waiting for Yoo pass through the place. Dangkise thought that this would be his opportunity to get rid of both of them but he won’t be satisfied until he killed Lady Ki. Baek Ahn approached the group and gave Yoo a sword to fight him to death. He’s confident since Yoo would have less energy after being jailed but Yoo wasn’t going to give him an easy fight. They fought as Dangkise and Co. watched them closely with arrows aimed at them. Yoo got the chance to strike Baek Ahn, but an arrow was shot onto his back.

Darn.

And Baek Ahn seized the chance to stab him on his front.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

Another arrow was shot and it hit Baek Ahn on the front, near his heart. Only then they realized that there were other people in the vicinity. Yoo rolled down the hill and Taltal fought with Dangkise’s team as Baek AHn was escorted to safety. Dangkise’s team defeated the guards and he wanted to find Yoo’s corpse although he had witnessed how he was shot and stabbed. Urgh just go away!!! Goryeo Team was actually following after the exile group and they were surprised to see Baek Ahn injured. Bi-soo was about to check the situation herself but knowing that it would be dangerous, they had to move in a group. They found the unconscious Yoo and he was still alive but soon afterwards, Dangkise’s team found them.

Bi-soo and Jeombakyi brought Yoo away but poor Yoo tumbled down the hill again. Jeombakyi decided to distract their enemies as Bi-soo stayed with Yoo. She pleaded for him to open his eyes but got no reaction from him. Oh, please don’t die!!!!!

 

In the palace, the concubines and Bayan spent time together with Ta-hwan. That’s something new but it’s his order to summon them and told them to drink. Seung-nyang arrived shortly after and she tried to talk some sense into Ta-hwan in order to make him stop drinking, but he ordered her to go back to her quarters. Bayan thought that it was a gathering for all his consorts but Ta-hwan told Seung-nyang not to show her face in front of him unless he allowed her to. Seung-nyang followed his order obediently and Bayan smiled, probably thinking that the Emperor had grown tired of Lady Ki (Not yet, girl!). He wanted to be alone and all his consorts left the room.

 

Seung-nyang was on her way to her quarters when Taltal approached her, limping and injured from the fight. She wondered if anything had happened on his way to escort Yoo and he told her that Yoo was dead. Seung-nyang took some time to let the realization sank in.

“Who was it? I’m asking you, WHO KILLED WANG YOO?!”

*

Episode 45.

 

Ta-hwan was pacing back and forth in his quarters, clearly disturbed by something on his mind. He recalled the moment earlier in which another secret letter from Wang Yoo to Seung-nyang had been sent. Instead of burning it, he decided to read it and the content, which was made as if Yoo was professing his undying love for Seung-nyang, made him even angrier. He refused to receive Seung-nyang when she came to meet him. After she left, he wanted to have a drink with the Chancellor and got to know that Baek Ahn was injured, about the same time Seung-nyang heard about Yoo’s death from Taltal.

 

Seung-nyang guessed that it was Baek Ahn who killed Yoo but Taltal didn’t tell her the truth.

Taltal: I am well aware that Wang Yoo was someone Your Ladyship cherished. Both of you were master and underling who helped each other. But who knows, your connection with him might be deeper than that. Do you know why I am silently staying on your side? The Emperor and the Chancellor..for the sake of their dreams, they initiated the useless military expedition. I thought that the only person who would be able to stop them was Your Ladyship. That’s why I turned a blind eye on your mistake. You once said to me that I shouldn’t put my clan first. I’ll return those words to you right now. You should get over your feelings you had for Wang Yoo and please think only about the Emperor and this country.

Seung-nyang: There’s no guarantee that the same sword which killed Wang Yoo won’t be aimed at me too. You said that I should stop the overflowing emotions, right? I will put a stop to it. However, no matter what method or way the Chancellor is going to use, I’ll fight him with my own method. There won’t be such thing as smile or mercy this time.

As she walked away further from Taltal, Seung-nyang couldn’t hold her emotions anymore and broke down.

 

Taltal reported what had happened to Baek Ahn but the fact that they couldn’t find Yoo’s corpse made him uneasy. Ta-hwan’s sudden arrival at the Chancellor’s house cut their conversation and Baek Ahn tried to hide his injuries, but Ta-hwan was faster and saw the wounds. Baek Ahn admitted that he tried to kill Yoo and believed that the injury he inflicted on the deposed king was enough to kill him. Seung-nyang, on the other hand, chose to be drunk to deal with the sadness and she expressed that she had never thought that things would take an ugly turn like this, be it with Ta-hwan or Yoo. Eunuch Park found the news unbelievable and apologized when he cried in front of Seung-nyang but she told him to cry for Yoo in her place since she thought that she had no right to do so.

 

Dangkise’s team combed through the hills to find the corpses of Baek Ahn and Yoo but they were nowhere to be found. They suspected that both of them might had escaped alive. Yoo’s underlings saw the group and they believed that Yoo might still be alive. Bi-soo managed to bring him somewhere and they were hiding in a shed. Yoo was still unconscious and started calling out Seung-nyang’s name. Bi-soo took his hand in hers and pleaded him to stay alive she had so many things to tell him.

 

Maha kept thinking about the words Yoo said to him about the real people behind his mother’s death and he didn’t realize that Seung-nyang was staring intently at him; however, she feigned ignorance when he looked at her and tried to walked away but Maha stopped her. He wanted to know how Tanashiri died since no one had told him about the details regarding the matter. Seung-nyang was about to tell him but Empress Dowager’s arrival stopped her from doing so.  The Dowager called him and escorted him to his quarters but not without giving Seung-nyang her evil glare. Seung-nyang thought that they had to push for the Crown Prince selection to happen as soon as possible but as her relationship with the Emperor was not on a good state, Eunuch Park suggested to use the petitions from the Dowager’s side to make it less suspicious. As she saw Bayan, she got an idea to make it happen.

Bayan went to meet the Dowager and expressed her concern regarding the Crown Prince selection. She thought that Maha would be the most suitable candidate but the Dowager realized that the child was hated by the Emperor. Bayan suggested that they should send petitions to persuade the Emperor. It happened just like what Seung-nyang planned since she had asked for Bayan’s help beforehand.

 

Bayan: I did as what you told me to do. You’ve said that I can offer my help when the time calls for it. Do you have the confidence for the Crown Prince selection? Consort’s influence is growing weaker compared to before.

Seung-nyang: Maha being Tanashiri’s child could be the Dowager’s weakness.

Bayan: That’s true but we can’t simply ignore her influence.

Seung-nyang: Why Your Majesty had decided to support my son?

Bayan: I’m scared of Prince Maha’s burning vengeance. As the top person in the Inner Court, its safety is my priority/utmost concern.

Both of them actually had their own agenda this time, with Bayan thinking that Seung-nyang would be eliminated by Empress Dowager and Seung-nyang planning to deal with Bayan after she was done with Empress Dowager.

Ta-hwan’s reaction to the petitions was predictable: he was furious and thought that everyone was trying to use him. What made him angrier was each of the petition suggested that Maha was to be made the heir to the throne and Ta-hwan won’t let someone from Yeon-chul’s clan to sit on the throne. The Dowager argued that Ayu was half-Goryeo, as if suggesting that it made him not suitable for the position. Baek Ahn suggested to have an official selection to decide the heir and Ta-hwan had to give it a thought, although Ayu was still young. Bayan smirked as she studied Seung-nyang’s expression.

 

It turned out that the suggestion originally came from Bayan, who told it to her uncle since she was confident that Maha would be able to outshine Ayu in the selection. They ran into Seung-nyang and the Dowager asked whether she was confident to support her son in the selection. Seung-nyang promised to do her best as Bayan smiled victoriously and Yeon-hwa grew nervous when Seung-nyang looked at her.

 

Ta-hwan got drunk again as he rambled on: he thought it would be different when he became a true Emperor but it was still them same as ever. He felt lonely and he grew more anxious even after Yeon-chul was dead. Golta tried to console Ta-hwan  by saying that he only had the Chancellor and him as the people he should trust. Both Empress Dowager and Lady Ki shouldn’t be trusted as they had their own greed. Ta-hwan warned him to be careful of his words. He stumbled out of his quarters and struggled to find his way to somewhere…

…and he barged into Seung-nyang’s quarters.

Ta-hwan: Are you reading books because you’re at ease? You didn’t even look at me in the throne hall earlier. Do you think you’ve won this time too?

He tried to kiss her and she resisted him.

 

Ta-hwan: Don’t think that you can rule over me. Love me. I’m telling you to beg for my grace! Consort..Stop thinking that I’ll abandon you if you’re acting so conceited like this. You should be thankful to me, the one who made you rise to this noble position of yours.

Seung-nyang: Will you be satisfied if I’m flirting with you just like those girls at the courtesan’s house? If you want to abandon me, then do it quickly.

Ta-hwan: I can never abandon you..no, I won’t.

He continued to force himself onto her, no matter how hard she tried to resist him..

 

Later, Seung-nyang stared into the face of sleeping Ta-hwan

Seung-nyang: Your Majesty don’t know about my worries…’Will you abandon me’..my heart that is full of fear..

Ta-hwan woke up and recalled what he did. Seung-nyang was sleeping while leaning on the bedpost. He leaned in closer but stopped midway as he seemed to feel apologetic towards her after what he did. Seung-nyang opened her eyes and sent him away with her sad stare.

 

Taltal was still searching for Yoo and Dangkise didn’t find him either. Byung-soo thought that Yoo might be heading towards Goryeo to seek protection since Yuan wasn’t safe anymore for him. They decided to wait at a place on a road to Goryeo to catch him. He was actually hidden in a big barrel and still unconscious. Bi-soo had his henchman Suri helping tthem to escape the inspection at the town gate, but Taltal was suspicious of the barrels and shot an arrow to hit one of them. The arrow went through the barrel and pierced right into Bi-soo’s back but she chose to withstand the pain in order not to get caught. Suri managed to avoid being inspected but Taltal saw the blood from Bi-soo’s wound.

 

As they traveled further from the town, Bi-soo told Suri to go back to the town and inform about their whereabouts; however, Taltal was fast to catch up with them and Bi-soo tried to fight with him but her injury made her weak. He saw Yoo in the barrel and he was ready to kill Bi-soo, but she begged for Taltal to spare Yoo’s life. Taltal recalled Seung-nyang’s plea for him to help her and with Yoo’s deed had actually helped Yuan, he decided to spare Yoo but warned Bi-soo that no one should know that Yoo was still alive. He told her to bring him to the mountains and reminded her that Yoo was a dead man in everyone’s eyes.

 

Yeon-hwa was secretly brought to meet Seung-nyang but an eunuch saw her. Seung-nyang told her to reveal Maha’s identity to the Emperor and the officials when the selection took place. She hesitated at first, but Seung-nyang promised to send her away from the palace once Ayu was declared the Crown Prince. Seung-nyang understood her feelings, being people from Goryeo and said that she would protect her. Yeon-hwa was happy but her happiness didn’t last long; she ran into Bayan and the Empress knew that she had just met Lady Ki. The Empress threatened her life in order to know what she talked about with Lady Ki and she had no other choice but to tell her the truth: Maha wasn’t Tanashiri’s real son. Bayan even found out about her frequent meetings with Byung-soo and Yeon-hwa begged for her life to be spared. The Empress then told her that she would send away before the selection begun.

 

Maha went to the temple to pay respects to his maternal family and the Dowager told him that he should never forget how they were killed. Maha nodded obediently but his eyes were full of doubt. Yeon-hwa sneaked out to meet Byung-soo and she told him about the good news: she’s leaving the palace for good, soon. He was so happy to hear the news and she proceeded to tell him her dreams to live comfortably for the rest of her life. He was thinking of throwing away his greed and living with her while raising their children. She gave her the Empress’ ring to be sold in order for him to prepare a house for her. Byung-soo joked that he could afford a house even without the ring.

 

Yeon-hwa went back to the palace and told the Empress that she had made her preparations to live outside the palace. Bayan wanted her to write a letter before she left to be used against Lady Ki. Yeon-hwa followed her order without any suspicion and the Empress bid her goodbye after she finished the letter, but she’s not leaving the palace; Bayan had decided to get rid of her completely, which meant that Yeon-hwa would leave the world for good. She was found in the storeroom and was thought to hang herself because she was being harassed by Lady Ki.

 

Seung-nyang found out about Yeon-hwa’s suicide but she knew that it had to be the Empress’ doing after finding out about the secret. Dok-man went to find her after reading Yeon-hwa’s supposed suicide letter, thinking that Lady Ki had been using her power to harass Yeon-hwa because of their bad relationship in the past. He kind of threatening Seung-nyang that he was still hiding the fact that Seung-nyang was pregnant before she became a concubine and if he happened to be on the Dowager’s side, the secret woul be revealed to the Dowager. Seung-nyang knew that he won’t tell her about it if he was indeed planning to do so and told him that Yeon-hwa’s death wasn’t suicide. She promised to reveal the truth.

 

Byung-soo was waiting for Yeon-hwa with the ring she gave him and upon seeing Court Lady Seo, he approached her to ask about Yeon-hwa. Court Lady Seo was escorting a cart and she started crying for Yeon-hwa as she looked at the cart. Byung-soo saw that it was Yeon-hwa’s dead body on the cart and he couldn’t believe that she was dead. He had never thought that she would go out of the palace lifeless and cried while holding his dead lover’s body in his arms.

 

Seung-nyang was teaching Ayu when Ta-hwan went to her quarters. They seemed awkward with each other after what happened between them and Ta-hwan apologized for his drunk behaviour but Seung-nyang chose to ignore the matter. He wanted to discuss something with her regarding the Crown Prince selection and said that with Ayu becoming the Emperor in the future, it could bring something for both Yuan and Goryeo (something like unification? Not really sure about it). He’s willing to give Ayu the chance for it to happen.

 

Eunuch Bang was happy that Yoo was safe and Jeokho could see that Bi-soo had fallen in love with Yoo. They happened to see Byung-soo meeting with a woman, whom Eunuch Bang recognized as the Empress. Bayan decided to meet Byung-soo to help him avenge Yeon-hwa’s death and he was willing to do anything to get rid of Lady Ki, whom he thought caused Yeon-hwa’s death. Bayan ordered to do something beforehand: they had to make the Yuan people’s hate towards Goryeo origins grew and vice versa in order to cause conflicts between them. Plus, they were also planning to kill Maha and put the blame on Goryeo people. If that happened, the people of Goryeo living inside and outside the palace would be killed, including Lady Ki. Eunuch Bang found out about it from one of Byung-soo’s underlings and thought that bad things could happen to Maha.

 

Ta-hwan saw Maha when he was taking a stroll around the palace and the boy hid his book upon seeing his father. Maha greeted Ta-hwan and the Emperor took away the book from his son since he had forbidden him from learning. Ta-hwan reminded the boy that the Crown Prince selection was not meant to give him a chance because Ayu had already been decided to be his successor. Maha wanted to know why his father hated him so much and Ta-hwan said that he shouldn’t have been born. The Emperor threw the book on the floor and walked away, leaving Maha behind in disappointment.

 

Seung-nyang’s confidence to let Ayu win in the selection waned since there’s no one left to testify Maha’s real identity and she knew Court Lady Seo won’t cooperate with her. She was at the temple to meet another nun who might have heard about Maha but Maha was also there. The Dowager was together with Maha when Seung-nyang entered the temple and they were nervous since traitors’ tablets like Yeon-chul’s clan shouldn’t be  placed in the temple. Seung-nyang proceeded to burn an incense but it wasn’t for Yeon-chul’s clan; it was for her late mother, who died in Dangkise’s hands. She told Maha that Yeon-chul also caused her father’s death, thus causing her to exterminate his whole clan. However, Seung-nyang didn’t hate Maha since he wasn’t a part of the family. The Dowager was surprised to hear it and Seung-nyang told them that soon, every single secret would be revealed: from Maha’s real identity to Bayan’s real face. Maha wanted to know if the Dowager was hiding something from him and for the first time, she shouted at him, telling him to stop talking.

 

Eunuch Bang was waiting for Seung-nyang when she went back to her quarters as he had something to tell her. He begged for her to save Maha since the prince would be killed on that night. Eunuch Bang thought that Maha was pitiful and Seung-nyang was the only person who could save the boy. Seung-nyang asked why and he gathered his courage to tell her the truth, that Maha was her son, Byul. She thought that it was impossible since Byul was dead. Eunuch Bang then told her about the evidence that only Seung-nyang would know: the star birth mark.

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Translations for episode 46 preview can be found HERE.

EDIT: Guys and girls, I hope we can calm down and keep the conversation/discussion healthy and friendly. Sorry for not dealing with some of the inappropriate comments earlier. Let’s just enjoy this drama together…we only have less that three weeks left until the final episode! ~muchadoboutlove