Notable Actors/Actresses
Namkoong Min: Lee Jang-hyun
Ahn Eun-jin: Yoo Gil-chae
Director:
Scriptwriter:
Recaps: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]
Romcom / Romance Checklist
How much of the plot is angst/romance?
0 / 1.5 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
The ML:
Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Falls in Love First / Noble Idiot / CEO / General /The FL:
Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better Than ML / Noble Idiot / Describe the Relationship (the tropes):
Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / School to Adulthood / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Secretly in Love (F/ML) / Star-Crossed Lovers / Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):
Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 # of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1 / 2 / 3
0 / 1 / 2 / 3
Ending:
Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / BadFanFanX: Series is set during the Qing invasion of Joseon. However, I will not be covering as much of the war/politic details as it's not my forte.
Edit: I'll be taking a break from recapping after Ep10 (end of Part 1), so this series won't be completed until sometime next year. ✌️
Edit 2: First quarter of '24 and finally posting again. [Part 2 is even better the second third umpteenth time! π]
Mini Recaps
Part 1
1659. The government is trying to find out where Lee Jang-hyun is. In prison, we see a man with very long white hair who doesn’t say anything but cries at the mention of that name.
Let's go back to 1636... Yoo Gil-chae is a self-absorbed and beautiful young woman who has a plenty of male admirers in her village, Neunggun-ri. However, she has a crush on a scholar, Nam Yeon-jun, who is actually engaged to her friend, the sweet and gentle Kyung Eun-ae. Gil-chae comes up with a plan to catch Yeon-jun's eye.
Lee Jang-hyun is an outsider in their village, and an established womanizer and misogynist, who is captivated by a woman in a pink hanbok with a red skirt swinging from a tree. He asks his friend, Goo Jam, who that woman is. His friend says fox of Neunggun-ri with 99 tails. Jang-hyun declares he's full and going for a walk. He walks towards the swinging woman, even as he talks about dating so many beauties and never that interested in any particular one.
YGC's voiceover: One day, you asked me... You asked me what I was thinking that day... when I was riding the swing. I said I do not remember it. But the truth is I clearly remember everything. That day, I felt like the man of my dream would approach me. So everything before me turned green and pink. One day, I asked him, Do you remember the day you saw me for the first time?" He answered, I remember it clearly. I heard something very special that day." I asked him what he heard.
LJH: [watching Gil-chae on the swing and asks his friend] Do you hear that? It is the sound... of the flowers.
GJ [confused]: What? Flowers don't make any sound.
And so she slips and falls. From down below, Jang-hyun catches Gil-chae.
LJH's voiceover: Have you heard the sound of the marvel of Peru1 blooming in the spring? Today... I got to hear that special sound.
She's offended that he's holding her and demands to know what he's doing. He sets her down and he replies that he was helping her. They continue arguing. Eventually, she tells him that he's a lucky man. He asks if she isn't the lucky one. She replies that he got to talk to her for a long time on the first day they met. He scoffs at this.
Gil-chae enlists Jang-hyun's help in winning over Yeon-jun, as she thinks Jang-hyun has no functional use down there. He takes her (in disguise) to a brothel and she is treated to his friend, Ryang-eum's beautiful voice. When Jang-hyun finds out that she thinks he's impotent, he boisterously laughs at this misconception. (~26:40) Later, she tries to hatch a plan to kiss Yeon-jun, who almost does but stops as he remembers that he’s engaged. So he says that he cares about Eun-ae. When she pushes him to admit his feelings, he leaves and Jang-hyun saves her from further humiliation by keeping her hidden – not that she’s grateful. Because he's overheard her failed love confession.
During a 60th wedding anniversary celebration party, she tells Jang-hyun that, "With the person I love, I just want to go see flowers in the spring, dip my feet with him in a stream in the summer, and in the winter, I want to drink the wine that we made in the fall. I want to grow old with the person I love…" Then it starts snowing and just as he's about reach over and wipe her tears, a scholar runs in and announces that the Qing intruders arrived and taken hostage of the King. I think he's in love...
The men of their village, including the scholars, who are convinced by Yeon-jun's speech about heroism and glory are now going to fight against these barbarians. Gil-chae fails at trying to talk him out of it, so she begs Eun-ae to talk to him. Eun-ae manages to get him to agree to marry her before his departure. Gil-chae decides that the only way to make Yeon-jun admit his feelings for her is by getting herself engaged to one of her admirers, Soon-yak. But this only results in the suggestion of a double wedding for both couples.
Later when she wails about this, Jang-hyun consoles her and offers his help... even though he knows there's a war going on. She just continues wailing loudly. Unbeknownst to her, he offers them armor and weapons. Then he suggests to these eagerly awaiting-to-get-married scholars that they should reconsider as widowed women have a harder time getting remarried and starting over than men would. So while she is happy that no one is getting married, she's sad to have to watch Yeon-jun kissing Eun-ae.
Jang-hyun plans to leave with them, but isn't going to support their "cause." Gil-chae insults him for being a deserter. So he proposes that if he helps them, then she will have to give him a kiss. She angry slaps him hard, which he praises her for, and says that she should do exactly that if a barbarian tries anything with her.
As all of the abled men are leaving soon, the women give their men something to keep them safe and alive. Gil-chae gives something to her betrothed, and wants to give something Yeon-jun but she can't. Eun-ae suggests that she give something to Jang-hyun but she won't do it. Instead, he gives her his dagger and then tells her that if she sees smoke at the top of the mountains, to flee.
Before Jang-hyun leaves, Eun-ae mentions that he likes Gil-chae, which he denies over and over. She then tells him that when the news of the war broke out, Gil-chae had looked at him first in that dire moment.
On the battlefield, Yeon-jun gets knocked out and stays on the ground while the fighting bloodbath continues.
Jang-hyun asks his friends about who Gil-chae had looked at that day. Ryang-eum curtly that she was looking at Yeon-jun. He's lying as she'd clearly looked directly at Jang-hyun.
Jong Jong (Gil-chae's servant) comments to Gil-chae that when she heard the news of war breaking out, she looked at her, but she was surprised to see her looking at Jang-hyun. Gil-chae asks why would she ever look at a man who doesn’t believe in marriage.
Yeon-jun finally wakes up and finds few survivors. Gil-chae's betrothed dies and his last words to Yeon-jun was that he knew that he fancied Gil-chae as well, and vice versa. Jang-hyun has Ryang-eum leave to make a fire and create smoke signals to warn the other villages. So when Gil-chae sees the smoke from her village, she knows it's time to go but they barely leave in time.
Later when Jang-hyun returns to the empty village, he finds the old couple he'd been staying with them, both dead and covered in snow, he decides that he wants to catch these barbarians.
The women manage to get away but Eun-ae’s very pregnant servant, Bang Du ("Mrs. Bang"), ends up going into labor. Gil-chae manages to deliver the baby and cuts the umbilical cord with Jang-hyun’s knife. It's so cold outside that she turns back and tearfully and apologetically removes the clothes from a dying man's body. She leaves to look around again but she takes so long that Gil-chae decides to go looking for her and calls her name over and over. A barbarian finds Eun-ae and attempts to rape her. Gil-chae manages to stab him with Jang-hyun's dagger and the two women roll his body off the cliff. Afterwards, both women attempt to wash the blood off of their bodies and clothes. Eun-ae tells her that nothing happened to her today but no one would believe her so she asks if she would say nothing. Eun-ae starts sobbing and Gil-chae tells her that they slipped down the mountain and their clothes got ripped and so they bled. So she, Eun-ae never met an intruder, and she, Gil-chae, never killed a man. Eun-ae sobs in her arms as Gil-chae tearfully assures that nothing ever happened to them today.
Gil-chae has a recurring dream of a beach rendezvous with a man. But she has yet to see his face. She asks if he's her husband-to-be and she hugs his back and starts sobbing. Just as he starts to turn around, she suddenly wakes up and sees a man watching them. The intruders have found them and the women try to flee. Luckily, Jang-hyun and his friends appear in time to save them. When he asks if she’s okay, she just stares at him. When someone tries to sneak attack him from behind, she screams at him "Watch out, seobangnim!" O_o My dear husband!
Jang-hyun repeatedly teases her about her endearing term for him, which she vehemently denies. So he asks everyone around them. She walks off in a huff and he continues following her around to ask about being called seobangnim. γ
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His tone here… He then tells her that he doesn't believe in marriage. He then says that his motto is “Courting is essential, marriage is a choice.” She tells him if that’s why he has lovers all over this country and will never stop courting. He asks if he does, and she says it’s an open secret. He says it’s no wonder why the women are so snarky towards him… so why does she want him to be her husband? γ
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She continues says she didn’t do it on purpose as she accidentally – He smirks and says then she remembers as she definitely called him “seobangnim”. She retorts that she said it because she thought he was Yeon-jun. Oof. He’s hurt by this and quietly leaves to return to the camp.
She quietly returns to sit down next to him at the campfire and thanks him for saving her, saving them all... and he's back to teasing her about getting that kiss. She's back to fighting spirit and leaves in a huff but she's dropped something. He sees that it's his dagger on the ground and with the tassel and blade are covered in blood. He then sits outside and stays awake to stand guard through the night. As she's laying there, she peeks through the small opening of the tent to watch him until she falls asleep.
The next morning, Gil-chae wakes up all warm. She then realizes that he’d placed his fur vest over her. He’s made plans to leave them but will leave behind a horse and a wagon for them to use. He also returns the dagger to her which she quickly says that she's never used it, not even once. He tells her that he’s proud of her – and he’s told her before that she’s worth more than a bunch of small-boned scholars. He then says she’s also saved him, while mistaking him for Yeon-jun.
Jang-hyun and his group run into a very bloodied Yeon-jun and what's left of the scholarly warriors. The men arrive at a camp and Jang-hyun ends up trying to keep Yeon-jun from getting killed… as he has bad reflexes and closes his eyes when he’s fighting. Yeon-jun still manages to get stabbed in the leg.
Elsewhere, Gil-chae and Eun-ae are tending to the wounded. When Gil-chae sees Jang-hyun, she smiles at him. But once an injured Yeon-jun appears behind him, the spell is broken. She and Eun-ae rushes over to tend to Yeon-jun. Poor Jang-hyun gets ignored as blood drips down his left arm. (~24:35)
Later, she finds him and two bicker…as he's jealously says she’s lusting after a taken man. When she starts yelling at him, he churlishly yells that he's older than her. γ
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She demands to know what he was doing while Yeon-jun was getting injured as he knows the intruders so well... He walks away and she finally notices his bleeding arm. He could’ve left but he’d stayed to save her precious crush! While she goes to get him supplies, Eun-ae thanks him for saving Yeon-jun as she knows that he’s studied all of his life and is a bad fighter. She knows that Gil-chae looked at him during the anniversary party, and Gil-chae cherishes Yeon-jun but it's not really romantic. After Eun-ae leaves, Gil-chae finally returns and fusses over his wound and wraps it up nicely. He asks her who she looked at when the news of the war broke out. She says he’s so ridiculous as he believes that the person one likes is the one they look for when they are scared. She scoffs that he actually believed this ridiculous thing and laughs awkwardly at it. Eun-ae's sending feelers. lol He says then he was the one she looked at and she looks anywhere but at him and doesn’t say anything. Later, he tells her if she doesn't know what she feels, then they should take some time to mull over their relationship. She asks how long one mulls over it? He says when one of them starts yearning or loses interest. She gets upset that he’s talking about mulling over all these ladies… She leaves in a huff and says not to even think of treating her like that. Ha. She goes to her sleeping quarters and slams the door shut. He says that the mulling isn't something awful. Heh. He stays sitting outside her door.
The moon is out now, but she's still not talking to him. He waits and waits and then he suddenly hears loud snoring. Jong Jong asks him about how the others are, and he assumes that she’s asking about Goo Jam. She says it’s not him but… She then wonders out loud what’s gotten into Gil-chae as she’s been unable to sleep well due to the smell and discomfort, but whenever he's nearby… it was the same when they ran into him in the mountains. Before she goes inside, she tells him that he doesn’t have to send her regards to Goo Jam or anything. He smiles at this and now he thinks that Gil-chae’s snoring is so sweet. lol! Snores = affection.
Another day, when the women harvest medicinal herbs, Jang-hyun offers to carry every woman's basket except Gil-chae's. She jealously throws hers on top of the pile in his arms, and walks ahead of him. Eun-ae giggles at this while Jang-hyun gives a smile at her angrily retreating back. (~40:00) When the group has to cross a stream, he magnanimously carries every single one of the five women across first. Then he finally returns to offer to carry her. She angrily huffs that she's fine. So he asks why she thinks he carried all these women across, as when getting to know someone, one has to help them across a stream like this. She asks if he wants to know all of these women then. He says it’s different. He says his feelings and then he moves to carry her. (~41:48) Ha, in BTS, he really did carry each one of them.
While she's in his arms, she becomes very aware of his physical presence and she stares at him until he looks at her. She quickly looks away. When he turns his head away again, she stares and then notices the sweat on the side of his face, which she gently dabs at with her fingers. !! He turns to look at her and their eyes meet but they're interrupted by a soldier calling for every abled man to return to the battlefield. (~43:40)
Jang-hyun along with the other men are getting a report on the war, and he finds a folded red ribbon alongside his water bag. He looks at it curiously, which does not go unnoticed by Ryang-eum. (~44:05) Back at the medical camp, Jong Jong asks Gil-chae where her ribbon went. She doesn’t give an answer but nervously looks around. She's also still wearing Jang-hyun’s fur vest.
Jang-hyun leads them to victory by having everyone hide under the piles of dead bodies, knowing that the enemy would not leave the corpses in the enemy’s camp. Surprise attack! Ryang-eum loads a gun and takes out the general and the army takes out the rest of the enemies. Unfortunately, they’re not getting any reinforcements as they were taken out by the enemy. One of the soldiers is an eunuch who wants escorts to the Crown Prince. Yeon-jun and Jang-hyun are a part of this group. Jang-hyun has plans to infiltrate the enemy camp and gather any useful information for Joseon.
The night before leaving again, Jang-hyun had told Gil-chae that he was going to serve His Majesty because he didn’t want her to cry. He then told her to make sure to go to Ganghwa Island as the Mongolians are weak on water. She was upset that he was fleeing again. He had grabbed her wrist and told her this, “I swear by the moonlight. Go to Ganghwa Island. This time, wherever you are, I will make sure I find you.”
Ryang-eum sings at the enemy camp and the Khan wants a personal show. However, General Yong Gol-dae takes Ryang-eum and Jang-hyun hostage. And he tortures Jang-hyun by ripping out his toenails… six of them. An exhausted Ryang-eum finally breaks down and tells most of the truth. However, General Yong can’t kill him because the Khan wants to hear him sing. Later, Jang-hyun discovers that there is an outbreak of smallpox at the camp, and has Ryang-eum send a message to the Joseon King.
The intruders arrive on Ganghwa Island while everyone else is trying to climb onto the boats. Gil-chae manages to save the Crown Prince’s baby son and uses it to negotiate her spot and her friends on the boat. As people are grabbing onto her, she has no choice but to use Jang-hyun’s dagger to release their grip on her and she drops it on the beach. An intruder spots the dagger and keeps it for himself as a trophy. Later Jang-hyun sees this knife on the same intruder, and demands to know where he found it. The guy says he killed the woman and kept it as his trophy, and then he coughs up blood in Jang-hyun’s face. He is guilt-ridden as he’s the one who told her to go there, and that it was the safest place.
The Joseon guards take the baby prince from the women, and then leave them to walk alone. Jang-hyun goes with the enemy camp on this outing to find any Joseon survivors, but he’s unwell and coughing up blood. When he manages to get a brief glimpse of Gil-chae from her hiding spot, he then starts cutting down everyone else. (17 to 1.) The women leave their hiding spot to flee. (~1:02:35)
However, eventually Gil-chae wonders if she saw him. So she runs back?!
She turns back but she still doesn’t see him. Instead, she sees the soldier who had left them earlier and she thinks he returned to save them. He lets her believe this… and so Jang-hyun stays hidden on the mountainside. Once he sees that she left, he takes deep breaths and waits. He mutters that he told her that he will definitely find her…and then he passes out.
The war is over. The women return home and discover that Gil-chae’s sister and brother and father are alive but her father is mentally unstable. Eun-ae is devastated by her father’s death. Goo Won-moo, the soldier who “saved” Gil-chae is credited for single-handedly annihilating a dozen enemy soldiers and for saving the Crown Prince’s first son. Yeon-jun has become a senior ranking officer for his services. [Both are benefitting from Jang-hyun’s efforts.]
Meanwhile, a very ill Jang-hyun finds Goo Jam and Ryang-eum and then promptly passes out again. His friends tend to him as he has nightmares of his childhood. He finally has a beautiful dream of Gil-chae telling him to come back to her, and this prompts him to wake up. (~35:00)
Yeon-jun sends a letter to Eun-ae, telling her to join him in Hanyang. Eun-ae insists that Gil-chae go with her. Gil-chae has bittersweet memories of her home. It’s a tearful reunion for Eun-ae, Yeon-jun…and Gil-chae who keeps her distance.
Jang-hyun is asked by the eunuch to go with him to serve the Crown Prince who is now the Khan’s hostage. He says that he’s not interested. He returns to Hanyang and Eun-ae sees him. But when he hears about Gwangha Island, he leaves immediately.
Gil-chae finally sees him and says that he’s alive. She seems concerned about him. They’re killing me with this song! When he walks toward her, she angrily rants about Gwangha Island and tries to hit him. He doesn’t tell her the truth. Instead he asks if she waited for him. She denies it and says a military officer saved them as he fought 17 soldiers. But she says that the officer did say something strange – that he didn’t do that. She then asks if they ever met on the island. He plays dumb and continues fanning himself. She walks very close to him and asks if it isn’t cold to fan himself in the winter… which makes Goo Jam snicker. γ
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(~45:20) Jang-hyun yells that he feels hotter than others and then fans himself even harder. Ha! Because of her. When she leaves, he looks longingly at her departing back when she leaves. Goo Jam asks why he lied. He says because it’s embarrassing.
Yeon-jun, accompanied by Eun-ae and Gil-chae, see Jang-hyun outside the brothel. He invites them in for a meal. Yeon-jun can’t believe that this is his home. Jang-hyun says this is his friend’s home so it’s his as well. During this meal, Gil-chae has only eyes for Yeon-jun…while Jang-hyun's remain on Gil-chae.
Later, Yeon-jun tells Gil-chae about what Soon-yak said, which he couldn’t deny it. But it’s too late. Omo. I don’t like him. (~52:00) So he did like her at some point?! She asks what that means and he says that he knows that her feelings for him are like one who wants a toy, and once she gets the toy… her feelings will die. He continues saying that he and Eun-ae both know this. Jang-hyun overhears their conversation. He later tells Yeon-jun that he’s still hiding behind a woman’s skirt, ergo a coward.
The next day, Jang-hyun decides to accept the position and will leave soon. He then goes to see Gil-chae and tells her that he’s leaving. He says if he returns and makes it back, then they’ll need to have a serious conversation about marriage - and if he’s changed his mind, and if it’s the only way to make a certain woman his, he’s willing to marry. She asks if he considers that a marriage proposal. He says there’s no rush and he can wait a very long time. (~59:00) As she’s angrily huffing, he says she needs to mature before turning and walking away.
Gil-chae becomes depressed but then she decides to go see him again. Ryang-eum gives her a look of disdain but leaves to give them privacy. Now in a large green field, she says she’ll never meet him… but then Jang-hyun asks if a certain person didn’t give him an accessory. She says that ribbon isn’t hers… and he says that he never said it was a ribbon! (~1:02:05)
When he pulls it out, she tries to grab it from him. She claims she lost it. He keeps it out of her reach and she tries to leap for it, and then they fall onto the grass. (~1:03:35) She lands on top of him. He tells her: “I plan to hold onto this ribbon until I die.” Then he tucks back safely inside his clothes. He then tells her, “If you really want to take it, here… put your hand here and try to take it.” She calls him names and sits up but he grabs her hand and places it over his heart. She asks him what he’s doing and he asks if she feels it. He admits that he doesn’t understand himself either. He asks, “Why is it that when I look at you, my sillly heart makes such a big fuss.” He moves to caress her face and then slowly leans towards her. She scrunches her eyes shut and he stares a moment before letting out a laugh. He teases her about wanting to kiss him. She angrily tells him, see if she cares if he dies… (~1:06:10) He puts her hand back onto his heart and then pulls her in for a real kiss! Gaaaah.
When the kiss ends, he pulls back and says, “I know you do not love me yet. I also know that… your heart still belongs to Yeon-jun. However, even if you do not love me, please do not forget me. On this day, this very moment you spent with me. Do not ever forget it.” She wordlessly stares at him. And then he walks away. Be still my heart!
She watches him walking away and thinks, “I know it… The man I meet in my dreams every night… is my future husband.” She’s frightened that it’s him and not Yeon-jun. So she insists on seeing him again, and gets there on horseback with Goo Won-moo.
While she’s standing around trying to find Jang-hyun in the large traveling group, she almost gets taken away. But Jang-hyun saves her yet again. (~6:00) When they’re alone, she asks why he’s going now. He asks if she’s angry about the kiss, or that he’s leaving. He’s curious to know why she’s interested in him now. He taunts her that it’s because of his kiss. She turns to leave and he asks why she’s here.
She thinks about their kiss and asks if he believes in dreams. She talks about a spool and floral shoes… and he asks if she’s asking for a pair of floral shoes. She says no… but when he leaves, she asks when she can expect these new shoes as she needs them. He asks what she’ll give him for the shoes. She asks what she can give him… and he says she knows. “There is… only one thing I desire. That is your heart. Your heart that only cares for me and no one else.” She tells him to dream on… if he thinks he can win her heart with a pair of shoes. When he taunts her about Yeon-jun and says she’s neither noble or pure. As she fancies an engaged man. She’s better suited for someone like him. She slaps him and turns to leave. (~11:30) She tells him to leave and go and die and tries to walk away..
He grabs onto her hand and asks if she can tell him now that she will never think of Yeon-jun again, he will not go to Simyang. He says it’s fine even if she doesn’t mean it…so long as she tells him that she will never think of him again, then… She tearfully tells him that she cannot as he’s not someone she can forget easily. (~12:55) His eyes.
He lets go of her arm. He then cups her face and says… “You are so cruel…What is it that Young Master Yeon-jun has that I do not have…” His face here. γ
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He lets go of her and says that he’ll take the floral shoes as an excuse as she actually wanted to see him off. And he’ll return with the most beautiful pair. She watches him ride off… tearfully yet confused.
Jang-hyun and his friends continue walking with the royal group. Gil-chae continues watching him go. (~16:30) When she returns, she tells Jong Jong that she can’t just forget about Yeon-jun and those beautiful memories. And then she sees him proposing to Eun-ae. When he reaches over to hug Eun-ae, she takes a step back, makes an excuse and quickly leaves.
Later, Eun-ae can’t sleep as she remembers what happens that night and what it means when a woman is violated - becoming useless to her husband. She walks outside and Gil-chae finds her… Eun-ae thinks she’s failed to keep her chastity as that intruder saw and touched her skin. She continues talking, and Gil-chae finally puts her hand over her mouth and reminds her about them ripping their clothes and they started bleeding. So nothing happened to them. Gil-chae thinks about the way Yeon-jun looks at Eun-ae and finally says that the one Yeon-jun loves, wants to make happy, and wants to marry is her and only her. (~20:00) And so the two are married.
Gil-chae says that she believed with all her heart that the man in her dream was Yeon-jun but it’s good that he loves Eun-ae so much. And even realizing that Yeon-jun loves Eun-ae instead of her, she actually didn’t feel sad… and wonders if she has a new feeling in her heart.
Jang-hyun has his friends help him keep this lodging place, and then has Ryang-eum look into how the Crown Prince deals with the intruders. Crown Prince has been forced to become the Qing’s puppet.
In Gil-chae's recurring dream… the man’s back starts bleeding when she demands to see his face. She wakes up horrified by this ominous image. (~38:00)
Yeon-jun gets promoted by the King and rejects the offer as he refuses to meet the Qing. He gets arrested. So Eun-ae and everyone are forced to move again. Everyone returns for the memorial service, but to Gil-chae’s disappointment, Jang-hyun never shows up as he’s also been arrested for taking bribes and for being a spy.
Later, Gil-chae finds out that Jang-hyun might be one of the dead ones… and if she finds a box with his belongings then it’s true. So she looks and finds one with his fan and her ribbon. She remembers his words about keeping it until he died… (~57:48). She later hugs his vest to sleep. In her dream, he finally turns around and she sees his face - it’s Jang-hyun. This makes her sob.
She sobs and hugs him in her dream. He consoles her by patting her back. Awww. She sobs in her sleep and wakes up… to sob some more.
With Jong Jong, Eun-ae and Mrs. Bang, she takes the vest to the mountain top… “If the wife holds the clothing he used to wear… and calls his name three times he might come back to life and return.” She caresses the vest lovingly. She finally holds it out over the mountain edge and screams his name and begs him to come back. She says if he comes back, she won’t be harsh to him again. She sobs as she repeats his name. There is something that she didn’t say so come back… She hugs the vest very tightly and sobs out that there’s something she did not get to say yet so come back. She sobs his name over and over.
In her dream, she’s back at that exact moment when he asks her to tell him to stay in Simyang. She tells him that he can have her heart, for him to stay, and then she hugs him. Awww. He turns around and smiles at her as he cups her face between his hands. And then she wakes up with the most heart-wrenching sobs. γ
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The Khan asks Jang-hyun if he’s the one who spread the rumors about the King going mad. Jang-hyun replies that he told the General about it. So the General is forced to admit that he’s not a spy, or else it’s his own life on the line, too. Khan wants him as a double agent though.
Outside, Jang-hyun bows his head but when he sees General Yong, he gives the most evil and smug smile. (~5:35) Bwahaha. Now he can’t kill him… as he’s been forced to say that he holds value. However, Jang-hyun now needs to hunt down the Joseon captives to prove that he’s not a rat.
It’s also clear that Ryang-eum is quite infatuated with Jang-hyun, as he lays down to sleep on his arm, right next to him. This explains his animosity towards Gil-chae.
Gil-chae’s family and Eun-ae are all starving. They’re trying to sell whatever they have left that’s of value for grains. Gil-chae runs into Won-moo, who takes her (and Jong Jong) for a meal and she devours everything on the table. Won-moo has a forge here, so Gil-chae comes up with the idea of selling cotton for tongbo coins as the coins hold no value right now. She then intends to use the coins to make bronze bowls at his forge.
Elsewhere, Jang-hyun and his friends have to hunt down Joseon captives who are on the run. However, he comes across a female hunter with a facemask who is impressed with his skills. Later, he gets quite drunk and sees a mirage of Gil-chae. He talks to her even though he knows she’s not really here. (~27:10)
Later, Jang-hyun tells the Crown Prince that the people he is up against will abandon everything just to live, and they have no regard for life. Right now, the people think they can only die honorably or grovel. He tells the Crown Prince that he needs to do something with immense courage – stand up to the intruders. So that he can live, live on, so that he can be great in the coming days.
Gil-chae’s bowls are being made but some of the workers are being mouthy. Eun-ae sees what’s going on and decides to help. Mrs. Bang's dimwitted husband gets robbed of their bowls. Gil-chae returns to confront the thieves and almost gets tackled by one of the guys, but Won-moo suddenly appears and actually saves her. Gil-chae pitifully sobs as there’s only one bronze bowl left now.
Gil-chae insists on going on her own to sell this one bowl, and so Eun-ae gives her the bowl that she had given her before for her father’s rites. They sell the bowls to a noblewoman who gives them silver hairpins and jade rings as payment. Resourceful Gil-chae then goes to the courtesans’ house to sell them. She befriends one of the courtesans and in exchange for a ring, she asks for information on what the Qing are interested in buying as they frequent this place. She later also finds a lone ginger farmer who has no workers, and has her workers harvest all of his ginger, and then sells the ginger at whatever price she wants as they’re the only ones with access now. They finally have rice at home, which she gives to all of the workers even though this is less than what she originally promised on the sale of all of the bowls. Her workers stay on and they start making knives and other things which are sold to the courtesans (and Qing).
Yeon-jun is eventually released with Eun-ae and Gil-chae’s help. Gil-chae continues seeing Jang-hyun in her daydreams, where he tells her that she was more reliable than a few weak scholars. She tells him that he can watch her provide for her people now. (~58:38)
As the Crown Prince is allowed to visit Joseon soon, Jang-hyun tells Ryang-eum to tell Gil-chae that he’s returning to Hanyang for a visit. Afterwards, Ryang-eum opens Jang-hyun’s closet doors and finds many pairs of women's shoes. Heol. (~1:02:50, over 20 pairs!)
Back in Hanyang, Goo Won-moo proposes to Gil-chae… And she can’t help but laugh. She apologizes for laughing, and then says that hearing this brought back memories. She says in the past, men pestered her to marry them, those who died in the war, and those who left. She then says that she’ll pretend she never heard that and to not be embarrassed. She gets up and he asks if that man isn’t already dead.
Jang-hyun returns for Gil-chae with all of those shoes in tow. Gil-chae is haunted by Jang-hyun’s ghost and tells him to stop appearing before her. She plans to live to 100, and next time, in the far, far away future, they can meet again. (~1:11:04) Gah, I cannot handle this…
Meanwhile, Goo Jam asks Jang-hyun if she’s gotten married already. Jang-hyun says perhaps it could be true if it were Yeon-jun, but she could not have fallen in love with another man in such a short time. Goo Jam says he was asking about Jong Jong.
Jang-hyun finally sees that the bride-to-be… is Gil-chae Omo. (~1:13:50) Gil-chae looks over and sees Jang-hyun. The two continue staring at each other for very different reasons.
Previously. Goo Won-moo tells her to give him a chance. She asks since when has he fancied her. He says since he first met her and her will to live. She tells him that their paths keep crossing but they’re not meant to be together. Gil-chae returns home when it’s dark and her father is missing. Her father has wandered off looking for her. He tells strangers that the intruders took her, and gets into a fight with a stranger. Won-moo intercepts and brings him home to her.
Back at home, her father remains confused and panicked until Won-moo assures him that he’s taken down so many men with his sword. Outside, Gil-chae thanks him for his help. He offers to continue helping her, and she tells him if he continues asking for them to be together, she says she has nothing to say. He then asks what it is that he has, that he doesn’t have? She’s then reminded of her last conversation with Jang-hyun.
The next day, when she helps him after a fire accident, she notices the scars on his back, and asks if he’s the one who saved them on the island that day. Won-moo lies as he credit for what Jang-hyun did that day. Ugh. When she turns to leave, he asks her to marry him, and she says that she won’t change, and she won’t leave parts of herself behind. Won-moo quickly says that she should come to him with her feelings for that other man.
Later, Won-moo sees Ryang-eum and says that he’s getting married and asks him to sing at his wedding, as the bride has heard him sing long ago. Later, Ryang-eum sees Gil-chae with Won-moo. Gil-chae spots him and follows him. She asks Ryang-eum how he ended up like that. She then says that she hopes that he didn’t suffer much.
Jang-hyun returns to Hanyang with all of her shoes in tow. The Crown Prince returns to see his father and the two sob openly in court. Jang-hyun had advised Pyo Eon-gyum ("Eunuch Pyo") to have the Crown Prince wear one of his older outfits so he could see that his son had in fact suffered.
Jang-hyun is unpacking all of these shoes and lovingly pauses to look at this red pair. He then daydreams of presenting all of them to Gil-chae. She excitedly looks at all of them and then puts on the red ones, but she nearly trips. He helps put them on and then tells her to come to him. She scoffs and asks what he takes her for as she may like floral shoes… He tells her that it’s time for her to stop playing hard to get and she must know who she should be with to be happy. He reminds her that Yeon-jun would admonish her for this extravagance and for not thinking of the people. He’ll give her what she wants. He demands that she say it – Jang-hyun continues talking to himself until Goo Jam interrupts. (~17:38, a vivid daydream.)
At night, Jang-hyun and Goo Jam walk around town and they’re interrupted by the sound of a loud request to buy bridal presents. Mrs. Bang suddenly appears with a tray of wine and glasses and the two wonder what’s going on. The crowd asks to see the bride and then Gil-chae’s voice calls out that the bride is here. Goo Jam calls Jong Jong’s name and Gil-chae, who is wearing a beautiful green and red hanbok looks over and sees Jang-hyun. (~23:00)
The two stare at each other in shock until Jang-hyun finally turns his back on her and walks away. Her eyes remain glued to his back. The two men return home and neither says anything to Ryang-eum.
Inside her room, she’s sitting down in shock that he’s very much alive. When Jong Jong enters the room, she asks her if she also saw him. She confirms that she did, which spurs Gil-chae into motion. Jong Jong reminds her that they’re receiving the bridal gifts but Gil-chae still leaves.
Gil-chae finds Jang-hyun as he’s burning the many shoes that he'd bought for her. :( She reaches out and lightly touches his back. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she says that he’s alive. He coldly asks if she cannot live a day without a man before finally turning around. With pained and angry eyes, he repeats his question and asks if that’s why she’s getting married. She says yes, she cannot live a day without a man as she was too lonely to go on. She asks what’s wrong with that. He asks why she didn’t give him a chance if she simply needed a man. He asks why she never went to him not once. She replies that she can go to any man except him, as she has nothing to share with a man who does not mean anything he says. She turns and leaves. (~25:00)
She returns home and looks up at the moon. Won-moo appears and asks why she’s looking so grim. She says that she must be tired. He says that he loves her smile as when she smiles, it feels like the whole world is smiling, too. He leaves her for the night and insists that she go inside. She stays and watches him go but then she sees Jang-hyun waiting nearby.
Jang-hyun asks if he’s the one she’s marrying. She replies that he saved her life. Jang-hyun realizes that he’s the soldier who took credit for what he did on the island. He asks if that’s why she’s marrying him. He then tells her that it was he who saved her that day, and not that man. She reminds him that she’d asked him about it in the past, but he’d said that he had never been there. But now he says that he was the one who saved her that day. Jang-hyun says he denied it back then because she’d gone to Ganghwa Island because she trusted him. And knowing that she’d almost died made him feel horrible and guilty, which is why he denied it then. She laughs and asks if he uses such shallow tricks with other women. She says that she foolishly trusted him. He’d told her to not forget him and she believed it when he told her to remember him. She asks why he forgot her, and if fooling around with women in Simyang was better than Joseon women. She asks if that’s why he forgot her as he was too busy fooling around. He slowly shakes his head and says that he has never forgotten about her, not even once. She says that he should have told her, “I forgot all about you long ago, so do not wait for me. Do not miss me, and do not let your heart ache for me.” She spits out that she had no idea and thought that he was dead. He’s taken back by this. She finally walks away. (~29:00)
He talks to Jong Jong who tells him what happened – when Gil-chae heard about his death, she’d held out the fur vest and said his name over and over asking for him to come back. She’d never seen her cry like that before. She then says that Ryang-eum was the one who had told her that he was dead so she didn’t doubt him. Jang-hyun doesn’t look pleased. He finally knows.
When Gil-chae had asked Ryang-eum if he had suffered, he’d told her no, thankfully. She’d smiled and then asked if he had a message to relay to her. He’d said no, and he did not know as someone else assisted Jang-hyun in Simyang. (~33:14)
Back in the present, the door slides open loudly and Ryang-eum quickly stands up as Jang-hyun walks in. Ryang-eum quickly tells him that when he’d run into Gil-chae, she was already engaged to another man. He admits that he still should have told her that he was not dead but he did not want to do that. He then says that woman…brings him bad luck, so date another woman. Jang-hyun isn’t sure what to make of this. Ryang-eum continues saying that because of that woman, he nearly died. She will hurt him and make him miserable. He then says look what happened as she’s engaged to another man. Jang-hyun grabs him by the collar and pins him to the wall and asks why on earth he – Ryang-eum says he does not regret it and he’d do it again. Jang-hyun angrily starts punching at the wall next to his head, but then Ryang-eum hugs him and tells him to stop. He gets down on his knees and says to forgive him as he just thought that woman would make him miserable. Jang-hyun repeats his words “she would make him miserable” and then very quietly says that he does not know what she means to him before leaving.
Jang-hyun meets with Gil-chae again. He tells her that something happened in Simyang which is why he couldn’t return as quickly as he wanted to. She tells him that she’s never his priority, even though he had asked for her heart. They argue about their last conversation before he’d left. He holds onto her arm and says that he needs her to be his now. She turns to leave and he hugs her. He asks for her to give him the chance, and he will never again leave her side or make her wait. He again asks for another chance before letting go of her. He asks her to leave with him. (~38:40)
Later, when she tells Eun-ae about what Jang-hyun had said, Yeon-jun overhears. The next day, he meets with Jang-hyun and tells him that Gil-chae is a responsible person now. Jang-hyun tells him that he couldn’t handle a woman like Gil-chae which is why he abandoned her and married Eun-ae. He also accuses him of being a coward as he still keeps Gil-chae around, which makes Yeon-jun punch him in the face. Jang-hyun shakes it off and scoffs at him. Yeon-jun demands to know where he’s been all of this time. Jang-hyun replies that he’s paying dearly for his absence. He must now claim Gil-chae as his, even if she’s only willing to give a fraction of her heart to him.
Later, Gil-chae disappears during the wedding gathering. Jang-hyun suddenly appears and asks her to leave with him and offers his hand. If she doesn’t accept his hand, then he’ll leave and never appear before her again. (~44:50) Won-moo starts looking for his missing bride-to be, with Eun-ae following him from a safe distance.
Gil-chae and Jang-hyun argue about the past. But she eventually admits that she missed him and yearned for him. He asks if she waited for him. She tearfully shakes her head and says not anymore. She will no longer wait or miss him anymore. She will hate him forever until the day she dies. She wants him to miss her and long for her like she did him. (~48:00) γ
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She sobs and now he hugs her. She tells him to leave as she won’t get fooled again. With a tear-streaked face, he says he’ll receive his punishment by her hands but please leave with him. She shakes her head. They’re almost seen by Won-moo but Eun-ae distracts him. However, it’s too late as he notices the lone shoe on the road and then assumes the worst – that she’s been kidnapped.
Jang-hyun and Gil-chae run away together while Won-moo has a search party looking for her. They end up at an inn and when the inn lady notices her clothes, she asks if she’s a runaway bride. Gil-chae quickly says that he’s her husband. When the woman leaves, he grins at her. Later, when she falls asleep, he unwraps the pair of floral shoes and very quietly measures one against her foot. (~56:35) But she wakes up and looks at him. He quietly puts away the shoes and she asks if he’s going to be her husband. He says that he doesn’t know about that, but it’ll be up to him to decide. She angrily sits up and he pulls her towards him and he says no, not her husband. He’ll be her servant as his body is hers, as is his soul. He then says that his heart is hers, too. She starts smiling at him but then a voice says her name. It’s Eun-ae and Jong Jong with some of Gil-chae’s belongings.
Won-moo is worried about not finding her, and one of his men tells him that she recently saw a man that she seemed to recognize. Mrs. Bang's husband tries to leave but he’s forced to say that the man came back from the dead. Yeon-jun interrupts by yelling at him for spouting such nonsense.
Eun-ae tells Gil-chae to not worry as she’ll handle the rest. Meanwhile, Won-moo asks Yeon-jun about the dead man who has returned from the dead. Yeon-jun says that it’s impossible that Gil-chae followed him. And Won-moo replies it’s not a crime for a husband to kill his wife and the man who she committed adultery with. He considers Gil-chae his wife as the wedding chest was received. He then turns to go kill that man and Yeon-jun grabs onto his leg. Won-moo shakes him off and leaves.
Back at the inn, Jong Jong tells Gil-chae that she can’t go with her as the rumors will only worsen if she does. She then says that she won’t get married without her. She sobs as Gil-chae hugs her. Eun-ae returns home and Yeon-jun knows that Gil-chae is indeed with Jang-hyun. As Gil-chae remains missing, her father becomes more agitated and insistent on trying to look for her everywhere. He starts talking about how they [the intruders] just have taken her.
The next morning, Gil-chae tells Jang-hyun that she’s worried about going with him as she’s already accepted the wedding chest. While people may point at her and call her names, she can ignore that. She’s more worried about him thinking she’s too brazen and then leaving her later. He assures her that she has no idea how he likes how brazen she is and then leaves. She then sees the pretty floral shoes he’s left her. She cradles them in her hands and caresses them. She tries them on but then she wonders about her father and what Jong Jong had told her.
When Jang-hyun returns later, he finds her belongings with a handwritten letter that she’s returned to say goodbye to her father. She also tells him to wait for her at the quay.
Gil-chae returns home in the floral shoes and sees her father calling her name and follows him into the woods. She tells him that the intruders won’t take her but she needs to go somewhere and he shouldn’t worry about her. She gives him instructions to eat or else she won’t show up. She finally tells him to wait for her at home, and then someone starts calling for him. She tries to leave but Won-moo sees her and starts walking towards her. She shakes her head and starts walking away. He lets her go.
At the quay, Goo Jam and Jang-hyun are still waiting for her even though it’s starting to get dark. Gil-chae is making her way back to Jang-hyun but then she thinks about her father, who had told her to not worry about him and then hugged her in a rare moment of lucidity.
The next day, Won-moo shows up at her home and Gil-chae greets him. Both Jong Jong and Eun-ae are shocked to see her. The wedding continues as Jang-hyun watches Gil-chae smiling as she nods at Won-moo. After a moment, after a tear slides down his cheek, he finally turns and walks away without looking back. Gil-chae looks in his direction but he’s already gone out of sight. Jong Jong calls after him and hands him a wrapped box saying it’s from Gil-chae.
From the boat, Jang-hyun reads her letter.
YGC’s letter: It is true that I briefly wavered. But I do not trust or love you enough… to leave everything and be with you. If you have any affection left for me, forget all about me.
He then folds up her letter and tosses it into the water, and the floral shoes follow soon thereafter. (~1:16:20) γ
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Gil-chae’s face is wet with tears as she secretly watches him leave, and from the shoreline, a resentful Ryang-eum sees her watching Jang-hyun.
YGC’s voiceover: I asked if you ever resented me and you said the day I left you for good. You resented me so much, you stared to no end. But however hard you looked, you could not hate me at all. You hated yourself for it and then you asked me “You are so cruel. Did you ever guess my feelings?” Now that I am speaking, I must admit I could not even guess…My heart was breaking… into a thousand pieces and all I could do was wish fervently … that you would not be like me.
Two Years Later.
Jang-hyun comes face-to-face with the female hunter.
Part 2
Jang-hyun fights and fights, even as his mind returns to his last moments with Gil-chae. As he almost gets taken out by this big beast of a man – Goo Jam fights off the man. Jang-hyun kills the man and Goo Jam asks why they’re going this way where it’s full of bandits. Goo Jam then tells him to forget about Gil-chae or japchae woman. γ
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He then says he’s fine as there’s more Jong Jong in this world.
In his mind, Jang-hyun is with Gil-chae and tells her that his mind and body belong to her. And asks what of hers belongs to him. She goes to reply… and he kisses her forehead, then her left cheek and right cheek. And lastly… her lips. (~2:37)
In reality, it’s Gil-chae's wedding night with Goo Won-moo. She promises to be a good wife. Later, she sits outside and stares up at the moon.
Crown Prince isn’t looking well. Jang-hyun returns to hunting and the female hunter and her crew show up, too. Amongst the captives is Yang Chun, who is holding three children, and Jang-hyun and Goo Jam stop when they see him, injured and protecting himself with a sharpened piece of wood. Jang-hyun asks the female hunter to look the other way today. When she leaves, they let Yang Chun go and the two men tearfully hug.
Jang-hyun saves some of the “weak” prisoners by telling General Yong that he can sell them for 30 yang each, and he wants 3 yang in return. And he says children are worth 15 yang each. And soon, they’ve got all these captives and are low on funds.
Jang-hyun, Goo Jam and Yang Chun get drunk and then the courtesans arrive. Jang-hyun asks the woman accompanying him to call him an ugly piece of rock. She doesn’t so he just laughs and then sighs.
Ryang-eum is with a woman, who knows that he loves another. She thinks woman but… He tries to kiss her but when she touches his body (scars). He shuts down and leaves. Later, Ryang-eum watches Gil-chae and her husband, as this is the closest he’ll get to Jang-hyun.
Jang-hyun is at the palace and watches the Qing Empress pour boiling hot water on a servant’s head. He recognizes one of the women as Yeong Rang. When he tells Goo Jam, who protests that they can’t take someone from the royal court.
Yang Chun is having issues with the baby, and when a woman offers to help, he tells her how dare she as she was with a barbarian. Jang-hyun ends up sneaking in and talks to Ryang-eum, who later tells the others that he’ll take all of them. Yang Chun ends up helping when he finds out who it is. They’ll have to cross the river to get to Joseon.
New notice: They’re coming for the escapees and awarding those who reporting person saving the escapees. One of Gil-chae’s men is taken in as an escapee, and she may face consequences if she knew about this. He begs her to save his grandson in return.
Gil-chae ends up getting kidnapped to appease the Khan from losing the female captives. Later, her husband returns and discovers both she and Jong Jong are missing. By the time she finally wakes up, it’s too late.
Later, Gil-chae arrives in Shenyang with the other captives.
A little boy tells Ryang-eum that they took Madam [Gil-chae]. Her husband thinks that she might’ve left with Jang-hyun. Ryang-eum wants to ignore everything that’s going on, but remembers that she’s very important to Jang-hyun. He and the boy tell her husband the truth and her husband thinks it’s all a trick as Ryang-eumis Jang-hyun’s friend. Her husband wants him beaten until he tells him where Gil-chae went. Ryang-eum says he’s sure the Qing took her, and Yeon-jun says he’ll go with him to look for her.
Jang-hyun drinks and imagines conversations/arguments with Gil-chae . He’s interrupted when a woman [face hidden] knocks over his bottle of alchohol. She tries to stay but he makes her leave. [It's that female hunter.] He then looks at the moon. He says “You must be under this moonlight, darling. I wish you an enjoyable evening.” Elsewhere, Gil-chae is walking with her hands tied…with all the others.
Jang-hyun takes Crown Prince to see what’s going on with the captives. He sees women being auctioned off and asks why they’re willing to stay alive and bring shame to Joseon.
Gil-chae bites her finger to write a note in blood, and Jong Jong helps her. She throws it to the woman and child on the side of the road. It has her name, title, her husband's name and residence. She along with everyone else is forced to kneel in front of the officials and await their punishment. Three are given their punishment: cut their heels. So they can’t run away. Gil-chae and Jong Jong are taken away for the Khan… so Jang-hyun misses her again.
Gil-chae is dragged to the huge boiling pot of water. The Queen wants to cut her fingers first but she's saved from this horry, by the concubine’s maid. The note and ring reaches Ryang-eum and Yeon-jun, who take it back to her husband. Now he cries for his wife. [Only now... blegh.]
Gil-chae is taken by the maid and her underlings – they strip her down, and then they get her ready. She purposely trips and scars her head to get out of bedding the Khan. The two are drag out of the palace and taken to the auction. Her servants help her escape…
Jang-hyun and the female hunter meet again… and she aims at two women – Gil-chae and Jong Jong?!
Jang-hyun shoots his arrow near the woman’s horse which makes her fall. He catches her and finally sees her face.
The women reach the edge of the cliff…and many throw themselves off to die, rather than be defiled. Gil-chae has to convince Jong Jong to not do it, as she’d save her just like before. When Gil-chae returns, the man in charge slaps her. Jong Jong is then ripped away from her.
Jang-hyun finally sees the female hunter without any disguise… She’s Gak Hwa, a Qing Princess. She wants to know his identity. She wants him and he says he can give her his body but not his heart.
Gil-chae is taken to serve this beast of a man. Her husband finds out that she’s already been sold. Gil-chae manages to bite off the ear of the man, who is now demanding a refund. She begs to know where Jong Jong is. He tells her that her husband was here. And he gave up after hearing she was sold.
Gil-chae is once again in the line to be sold off, and then she sees a smiling Jang-hyun fanning himself. She stares but when he turns, she ducks so he can’t see her face. He sees the bright green dress and thinks about her. Later, Gil-chae dreams that her husband came to get her – and it’s Jang-hyun.
Ryang-eum returns and Jang-hyun is not happy to see him. Ryang-eum sees Yang Chun walking by with a limp and runs over to hug him. He tells him that Gil-chae is in Shenyang.
Gil-chae is being auctioned off again, as she's touted as a real noblewoman from Joseon. They show her one flaw – the scar on her head. She sees Jang-hyun and thinks that she’s seeing things again. She closes her eyes and when she opens them again, he’s looking right at her. He starts pushing through the crowd to get to her. Anyone who touches him, he beats them up. He finally reaches her and his eyes are filled with so much pain. He climbs up the platform and looks at her. He walks closer and closer. She stares up at him with eyes filled with shame. He kneels down and his tears fall as he looks over her, noting her bound hands. He asks what, why? She breaks eye contact with him. His tears continue falling. When he moves his hand to touch her, she flinches away and closes her eyes as tears slide down her cheeks. He asks why? No response. So he roars why?!?
Jang-hyun had looked for her, and couldn’t believe that she could be in a place like this... But then he saw her on the auction block…
He screams why, and then he gets knocked out. Gil-chae finally says my lord over and over. Jang-hyun manages to reach over to grab onto her skirts but she’s quickly taken away. She continues screaming "my lord" over and over. He succumbs to his wound. Later, when he wakes up, he only has one question – what happened with Gil-chae. Ryang-eum tells him that he’s taken measures to ensure she isn’t sold off.
Goo Jam is ordered to stay by Gil-chae’s cell. She tells him to tell Jang-hyun to ignore her. Later, Goo Jam tells Jang-hyun about what’s happened with her, and that Jong Jong has been sold off somewhere far away. So, he’s going to leave to look for Jong Jong.
Gil-chae is given a meal and clothes to change into… When the door opens, she turns away. From behind her, Jang-hyun says that he had no idea he would run into her in a place like this. He asks what happened in Joseon. She should have lived a good life. She should be well off as if to show it off to him. But more importantly, why did she not look for him. She knew he was in Shenyang. Why did she come to him and go through such hell?
She finally turns around and asks why would she look for him? She has no reason to ask him for help. They are of no relation. She asks if he paid that barbarian and paid her for the night. She says she guesses he can’t help himself…so what can she do for him? Pour him a drink? Sing and dance? She looks over at the bed and asks, or something else? :(
He walks over and grabs her arm, and she sighs. He notices the deep cut on her forehead. With tears on her face, she tells him even if he shows her mercy, she cannot repay him. So do not do anything for her. It is burdensome for her. She removes his hand from her arm. He says he refuses. He cannot do what she wants this time. As he wishes… he must do as he wishes. He then leaves the room.
Jang-hyun finds the odious man who says he won’t sell her. He wants 200 nyang for her, but at least 300 nyang. But then he says no, he won’t sell her as he’ll keep her around instead. Jang-hyun tells him to think again as he removes his hat… The man says he cannot sell her. We will not sell her. He then whistles to cue the group of men…and Jang-hyun says is that all as he jabs a single chopstick into the man’s hand, pinning it onto the table. He then takes care of his goons. Jang-hyun stabs the sword into the ground and tells him that he’s also a merchant. And he’s sure he’s worked hard for his money so he won’t touch his money. However – and then he pulls out the chopstick – and he should hand over the captives. The man cries in pain. With frightening eyes, Jang-hyun quietly says if he can’t do that, then he will stuff money in his eye sockets and take her. The man whimpers and says he’ll let him have whoever he wants, take all of them…
Jang-hyun finally stands up and walks away. One of the royal servants is secretly following him. All the captives are free to leave and Jang-hyun offers his hand to Gil-chae for them to leave. Later, through the door, Jang-hyun tells her: “When the moon is so bright like this, I am always with you.” He sits down on the floor, as does she. “I am not sure where things went wrong. Perhaps… I should not have left you behind and not gone to Mt. Namhan Fortress. Perhaps… I should not have left you behind and come to Shenyang. Or…perhaps, when you left me…” They’re both silently crying. He then says when the document is issued from Qing government office, her return procedure will be wrapped up. So she has nothing to worry about. And then he falls asleep. She finally cracks open the door and falls asleep right next to him. (~19:15)
The next morning, she thanks him. When he leaves, she has a slight smile on her face. Jang-hyun returns home to look for a dress. Ryang-eum tells him that he bought a dress thinking she might need it. Jang-hyun returns and is told that she was sold to someone a while ago. It was the Imperial Family.
Gak Hwa now has Gil-chae and intends to keep her as her maidservant. She won’t let another woman take the man she wants. Jang-hyun ends up going to the Crown Prince to save her as he reminds them that she was the one who saved the Grand Heir before.
The servant who can translate is the little boy’s mother (the grandson that Gil-chae saved before), and she tells her that she thinks the Princess likes Jang-hyun. Later, Gil-chae tells Jang-hyun that the Princess is merciful and begs him to not do anything for her sake. He sees the welts across her neck from the whipping. He says yes, he won’t so she needn’t worry.
Gil-chae speaks Manchurian to the Kahn, and suddenly abusing the female captives is no longer allowed. But whoever pays for them becomes the new owner can do whatever they see fit. So the Princess took Gil-chae. Jang-hyun barges into Princess’ quarters to beg for her to release Gil-chae, and he’ll do whatever she wants.
Gil-chae is allowed to leave the palace, but the Princess tricks Jang-hyun into hunting down Gil-chae. To provoke him into action, Princess stabs his horse, so he has to run on foot to save Gil-chae.
Gil-chae doesn’t know what’s going on until she hears “My Lady” over and over. She sees that it’s Jang-hyun running towards her. But she turns away as she remembers that something bad would happen to him if she met with him again. When the Princess rides past him, he starts screaming Gil-chae's name and the word "no" over and over. She finally stops and turns around to look at him. He continues running towards her, and now the Princess aims her arrow at her and shoots at her skirt to pin her there. He continues yelling no and her name. She stands up and he runs even harder, until he reaches her and passes the Princess. He falls into her arms as the arrow goes into his back, and then together they fall onto the ground. He lifts his head and says he won, so everything is okay now. He then passes out right on top of her. She tries to wake him up and then sees his blood on her hands. She sobs as she tries to wake him. (~1:13:45)
Now, an unconscious Jang-hyun is recovering in bed and the Princess wonders why he risked his life for a mere woman. Later, Gil-chae asks the Princess if he’s alive or not. Princess says for the first time, she realized that there’s something she cannot have even though she wants it. Gil-chae screams at her to tell her what happened to Jang-hyun. Princess slaps her instead. Gil-chae stands up and tells her if Jang-hyun died, then she won’t be safe either. While she lives, she will follow her wherever she goes and curse her, and she will appear in her dreams and curse. So Jang-hyun better be alive. She roars for her to tell her where Jang-hyun is. Princess says since she lost the wager, she will set her free. The reason she is keeping her promise is to gain Jang-hyun. Wait and see. Some day he will be hers.
Gil-chae leaves the palace, and Yang Chun approaches her. She isn’t sure until he mentions Jang-hyun’s name and tells her to follow him. She walks into the room and sees Ryang-eum tending to a sleeping Jang-hyun. Ryang-eum gets up and then pauses at the door before finally leaving. Gil-chae sits next to the bed and slowly reaches over to touch him but stops. She instead grabs at her skirt and then grabs a cloth to wipe his head. Eventually, he opens his eyes and sees Gil-chae. She stares back in silence, and shock. He smiles and says Madam. She tears up and says, Sir, she’s been set free. All this is thanks to him. She cries and he reaches over and strokes her head and then cups her face.
She asks if he’s awake and his eyes close as his arm drops.
Ryang-eum had been tortured and raped by the man/lord of the house. Jang-hyun had killed the man and told him that they needed to run and go to Yang Chun who will protect them. And that was why Ryang-eum is so loyal and totally obsessed with Jang-hyun.
The Crown Princess is grateful to Gil-chae for saving her son before. She offers to fulfill anything she wants. Gil-chae says she wants to stay in Simyang for now. She goes to Jang-hyun’s room and sees Ryang-eum crying at his bedside.
Jong Jong is alive and just finished doing an old woman’s hair. That night, the lord of the household attempts to rape Jong Jong. Goo Jam knocks him out and takes her away. When the man tries to go after them, his mother bites his arm. As they’re running away, Jong Jong asks how he got here. He says how else – he flew here. And the two run with big smiles on their face.
Gil-chae returns to Jang-hyun’s bedside and he remains asleep. She tells him that since he’s injured, it feels like he’s really hers now. She looks at his hand and says she’s always wanted to hold this hand. She looks at his hand longingly and slowly reaches over to put her hand inside his and then wraps both of her hands around him. With teary eyes, she watches him sleep until she, too, falls asleep.
In the early morning, Jang-hyun wakes up and tries to move. He then sees Gil-chae is holding his hand in her sleep. He smiles and then returns to sleep.
Goo Jam and Jong Jong encounter rain on their journey and they find shelter. She’s cold and he pulls her closer to keep her warm. He asks why she didn’t come that day, and she replies that she couldn’t leave her lady… and he suddenly kisses her. He pulls back and says that he waited a long time. Then he gently kisses her again. She shoves him away and slaps him on the face but she stares in shock at her hand. He clutches at his face and turns away with a smile.
Gil-chae finally wakes up and quickly pulls her hand out of his. She then grabs a cloth and gently wipes his face with it. She smiles at him. And then she hears the sound of children saying that Goo Jam has returned. She runs outside and sees Jong Jong. She runs to hug her, and she apologizes for not protecting and keeping her safe. Jong Jong says it’s okay, as she knew she’d meet her again. Gil-chae looks at Goo Jam and thanks him, and that she owes him her life.
Goo Jam goes inside and tells Jang-hyun to wake up. No response. So he says that they’ve received a letter from Joseon. Soon, Lady Yoo’s husband will… And Jang-hyun suddenly bolts up! (~16:00) LOL His expression and tone are perfect. I’m crying laughing. Goo Jam laughs and says look at him, faking an illness now. Jang-hyun finally says don’t say anything. Goo Jam says he’s pathetic right now. Jang-hyun tells him to use his brain right now – if Lady Yoo leaves, she won’t be leaving alone, as Jong Jong will follow her. And then there’s a sound by the door, and Jang-hyun quickly lays back down and Goo Jam tucks him in.
Gil-chae enters the room and Goo Jam tells her that his wound seems to be really deep. It’ll take maybe six months – no, he’ll be bedridden for the rest of his life. She tells him to stop speaking nonsense as he’ll regain consciousness no matter what. She then goes to Jang-hyun and says that she cannot go anywhere, and tends to him. Jang-hyun gives him a thumbs up. γ
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Eventually, Jang-hyun wakes up to sit up and says that he’s aching. Suddenly the door opens and Jang-hyun quickly gets back under the covers. Yang Chun slowly walks over to sit down by the bed. He tells him to open his eyes and Jang-hyun slowly opens his eyes. Yang Chun asks how does it feel to make the crippled do all the work while he lays in bed? Jang-hyun says the people like him more. Yang Chun says the captives want to know when they can return to Joseon.
The plan: The ones who have owners who will release them, they will use promissory notes. And those who have no hope, they must be secretly sent to Joseon. They’re interrupted by a noise… and Gil-chae enters the room. She finds Yang Chun is crying at Jang-hyun’s bedside, and asking him to wake up. She tells him that he will gain consciousness no matter what. Yang Chun leaves with a sob. She goes to the bed and tucks in Jang-hyunand then fans him.
Ryang-eum opens the doors and enters the room. She reaches over to get a cloth and Ryang-eum grabs at it and then the two fight over it. Ryang-eum wins and wipes Jang-hyun’s head as he asks why he has cold sweat. Jang-hyun scowls at the not-so-gentle touch. Gil-chae says he needs medicine and gets the bowl and then Ryang-eum tries to take it from her. While the two are fighting, Jang-hyun peeks over with one eye and then closes it when they get closer. They continue fighting until the medicine ends up dumping over Jang-hyun. He gives a sigh. (~23:53) γ
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[This scene is even funnier in BTS.]
Goo Jam is going over plans with Jang-hyun, who is sitting up and using a back scratcher. They hear footsteps and Jang-hyun throws the back scratcher at him as he gets back under the covers. Gil-chae comes in and scolds Goo Jam for behaving like this while Jang-hyun is unwell. She tells him to go and wait outside. He agrees and leaves. Gil-chae wipes Jang-hyun’s hands but she stops when she notices a cute mole on one of his fingers and then caresses it. She returns to wiping his hands and talks about helping with the farming as she needs to earn her keep. [Can’t see the mole but NKM posted a story with extreme close-up of it. γ
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She works on having the farming tools mended and tells him about how she made knives back in Hanyang. Another time, Ryang-eum goes to change his dressing, but he hears Gil-chae’s humming. Inside, Jang-hyun smiles when she continues wiping him. But she pauses when she notices the large scar on his right shoulder.
When Gil-chae doesn’t return to him, he gets up and walks outside looking for her. He sees her scolding the men for not handling the metal properly. He chides her for that temper of hers… He then follows her to the fields and sees her handing out the tools to the farmers. He smiles. She looks over and sees a woman struggling to till and joins her. Jang-hyun says that she doesn’t need to do that as she could hurt her hand. Jong Jong brings refreshments for everyone, and Goo Jam annoys her as he’s playing she-loves-love-me-not with a flower. Yang Chun notices that the lady (that he likes but tries to be tough about) is picking the beans from the cakes, and tells Jong Jong to leave them out next time. She says that Goo Jam likes them. Gil-chae smiles at this, and Jang-hyun says that he has missed her smiling face.
Later, Gil-chae shows Jang-hyun a basket of grains. She says the grains are ready for harvest, so how is he still unconscious? She’s afraid that he’ll never wake up again. She should have died instead. If something happens to him, she doesn’t have the right to live. She then puts her head on the covers and cries that she will die too. If only she could die to save him. She would kill herself right away. Jang-hyun starts making sounds and moves his head. She tells him that she’ll go get someone and gets up but he grabs onto her arm and tells her to let them stay together.
Jang-hyun is now limping down the stairs…and telling Gil-chae that his leg really hurts. And Goo Jam even helps him… She asks how his leg hurts if he was hit in the back. γ
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He hilariously says that everything is connected in the human body…and looks over at Goo Jam and Yang Chun for help. They agree with him as even Yang Chun says he had a head injury and now has this limp. Jang-hyun suddenly yelps in pain. They encourage her to hold onto him or he’ll die. So she helps him walk… Yang Chun says he really threw everything for her. Goo Jam says he told him this. γ
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While they’re resting, Gil-chae asks what he does for a living. And how he seduced a princess. He asks if she’s jealous. She says she isn’t as how could she be about someone so ugly. She finds out that he was a government slave and paid with rice for his title. So he works hard to earn money. He asks if she was put off by the fact that he was a commoner. She laughs and then says it would have been better if he never became an aristocrat. He asks why and she says because she would have made him her servant and taken him everywhere with her and done whatever she wanted. He says then he’ll reject his appointment so will she buy him. She says of course.
LJH: Why didn’t you come that day?
YGC: [No answer.]
LJH: Why did you abandon me?
YGC: [Pause.] I didn’t abandon you. I just could not dare to have you. You can live without me but –
LJH: Why do you think that? Why… did you think I could live… without you??
Nearby, Princess is watching them and Ryang-eum aims his arrow at her. Then he stops and walks away. But the Princess’ men come for him. She asks who he is to try to kill her. She gets a closer look and remembers who he is. She says to tell Jang-hyun that she’s going to call him soon.
Ryang-eum tells Jang-hyun that he should send Gil-chae back to Joseon. He then says the Princess is trying to kill him. Jang-hyun says he needs to rest and slowly walks and groans to his bed. Ryang-eum realizes he really is in pain. He says that one time he almost died trying to save her on Ganghwa Island, and this time, he hurt his leg trying to release her. What will it be next time? What will he give up for that woman next time? Jang-hyun repeats the words “that woman” and then tells him to shut his mouth.
In the past, Jang-hyun had told him that there was no point in getting married, as listening to him sing was enough for him. Ryang-eum had been branded on his chest by his owner before, and he’d branded then rebranded himself to cover up those words. (That scar.) Later, Ryang-eum reminds Gil-chae that she’s been released and should return to Joseon. She says that Jang-hyun’s leg isn’t well and once he recovers – He says he’ll tend to his recovery. She asks him why that time before, he told her that Jang-hyun was dead. She says she does know why he lied but she knows that Jang-hyun would want her to nurse him, and not him. Ryang-eum pulls out something from his sleeve – it’s the knife Jang-hyun had given her before. He asks since she’s seen the wound on his back, does she know how he got it? Gil-chae is shocked to realize that the person who saved her on that island was really Jang-hyun. He’d also been suffering from smallpox at the time and was at the brink of death. Here in Simyang, he has developed a limp because of her. Ryang-eum tells her that to Lee Jang-hyun, she is a curse. Omo.
Later, Gil-chae touches his bloodstained clothes, and remembers her many past harsh words to Jang-hyun. Yet he'd saved her so many times. She remembers him denying that he was the one who had saved her on the island. Yet she'd seen the huge scar on his back. She remembers him promising to bring her the prettiest floral shoes and how he’d later dropped them into the water. And lastly, when he’d screamed her name as he ran to her, and then taken the arrow meant for her. She heartbrokenly sobs as she hugs his clothes.
The Princess says that she let the woman live, but not that he’d stay by her side. She then talks about bad things happening to Joseon captives living in Simyang, especially if their release papers are lost, and threatens to harm them. He grabs her by the throat and shoves her against a tree. He tells her if she lays a finger on her, he will kill her. She says even the thought of him dying torments her. If he wants to save her [Gil-chae], then send her to Joseon.
Gil-chae writes a letter to send to Joseon. Ryang-eum asks if she’s decided to return to Joseon. She says no, she’s writing to say that she can’t return for a while. She tells him that she will not leave. If she’s a curse to Jang-hyun, then she will also be the only one who can break the curse. If he needs her, she’ll stay as long as he needs her. ππ Hwaiting!
Princess asks the Khan to make her in charge of the Joseon captives. He says if she treats them cruelly, then they’ll lose public support. He then starts coughing violently, and news of the Khan’s illness reaches the Joseon King. The Khan later dies with the Princess by his bedside.
Gil-chae recalls their time on the boat and then asks him if she was very foolish in the past. Jang-hyun replies that she was... very beautiful. He repeats her words to her about being alone with him, and not flushing or stammering. She laughs and then he pulls her into his arms. He asks if they can stay together. If she doesn’t like it here, he will go wherever she wants. He then says that her husband abandoned her, despite knowing she was in Simyang. So she no longer needs to stay loyal to him. So please… She pulls away and says that she needs to speak to her husband and hear his reason. He says of course, as she has a husband, and a father and siblings, too…
Later, she goes to his room as he’s changing clothes and tells him that he’s right, she does have a husband, father and siblings. But there is someone who saved her life. For him, she can gladly sacrifice her life, however… He walks over to her and asks if she cannot love him. She breaks eye contact. He says that he never wished for her to die in his place. What he wants is… he reaches over to stroke her face and then cups her head. He walks closer and moves closer to kiss her…ever so gently on her cheek. When he moves to kiss her on the lips, she says that she… yet she’s holding onto his clothes. He tries to kiss her again…and someone says “Interpreter Lee” over and over. (~15:10) He finally moves away from her and leaves the room.
Eunuch Pyo who tells him that the Khan is dead. The former King [Dorgon] is now King Regent as the Khan’s son is only 6 years old. The Qing no longer care whether the captives live now, and so Jang-hyun coldly tells her to return to Joseon. He tells her that he doesn’t need her to nurse him. When she doesn’t seem to want to go… he reminds her that they’re nothing to one another. So do not feel indebted to him in any way. He has clung onto her, and he has gotten over a near-death experience thanks to her. He has done all he has wished for. So, now, in his heart, there is nothing left. So go back. Also, he’s grown tired of her, who always pushes him away. He is sick and tired now. So please go back. She asks what if she doesn’t want to go back. He replies that she’s a married woman, does she have no shame? She finally turns and leaves. Jang-hyun blinks back the tears in his eyes. Noble idiocy.
Jang-hyun tells Jong Jong that they’re going back to Joseon as that’s what he wants and she’ll do as he wants…and tears fall. Goo Jam has the gall to ask Jong Jong to choose between him or Gil-chae. She says it’s Gil-chae. Gil-chae says goodbye to the Crown Princess, who says once he ascends the throne, she’ll repay her. Through the doors, Gil-chae tells Jang-hyun that she’s leaving and they're both hiding their tears. When she walks away, Jang-hyun almost opens the doors to go after her… but he doesn’t.
When she leaves, Gil-chae turns back to look for Jang-hyun but she doesn’t see him. So she turns around and walks forward. And then Jang-hyun appears and watches her departing back. He says goodbye, and return home and live like a flower. That is all he wants.
When the Princess attempts to throw herself off the balcony, Jang-hyun pulls her to safety. She’s testing him. She asks why he saved her as it’s better for him if she dies.
The Crown Prince returns and his feather refuses to see him as he’s ill. Gil-chae returns home to Eun-ae’s and everyone is happy to see her. At night, Yeon-jun returns home and is happy to see that Gil-chae is back.
The next day, Gil-chae returns to her husband’s and sees that he already has a new wife who is pregnant. When he asks if nothing happened to her, she ends up leaving. The rumors about her being with the barbarians are running rampant. Gil-chae didn’t give him an answer, and won’t divorce her until he knows the answer. Her father walks around outside and overhears that his daughter is shameless to return home after being taken by the barbarians.
At night, while Gil-chae is sleeping, her father enters her room. He doesn’t want her to live in a nightmare for the rest of her life. So he tries to kill her as a way of helping her. She wakes up to her father strangling her and she finally says “father” twice before he lets get of her and is confused by what he just tried to do.
Gil-chae returns to her husband’s home and asks if she can take some of these daggers. He asks what she means by this. She says yes, she was sold to an intruder and had to suffer humiliation. She also met Jang-hyun there who helped release her. What the intruders did to her is not her fault. Had he wanted to divorce her over that, she would not have backed down. However, in Simyang, she gave her heart to Jang-hyun. For that, she’s sorry. That’s why she’s divorcing him.
Jang-hyun continues missing Gil-chae.
Gil-chae leaves with Jong Jong and Da Jim (the little boy she saved before). Eun-ae begs her to not leave. Gil-chae tells her that if she stays, she’ll be a blemish to Young-chae when she gets married, when Je-nam takes his state exams and to her husband as well. She will leave her father in Eun-ae’s care. And she’ll take care of the little boy herself. Eun-ae begs her not to leave. Gil-chae says she will live well and repay the kindness of the person who saved her by risking his own life. She’ll get in touch when she’s settled.
With her wedding presents, Gil-chae has bought a house for them (including Da Jim) to live in. Later she finds Seung Ah, the woman she saved from jumping off the cliff. This time, she's trying to kill herself again, trying to jump into the well. Gil-chae manages to convince her to have a meal before dying anywhere else. She soon also houses many starving orphans.
Jang-hyun now loathes the Princess. He says he stayed by her side, not out of fear. When she kisses him, he doesn’t move at all. But when she returns to kiss him, he moves her away and tells her to stop. She says she won’t hear it. She says he hesitated today, and one day, he will hold her. She says the Crown Prince will be sent back soon to Joseon and he needs to remain. He later tells Yang Chun about the return to Joseon for all.
However, Crown Prince finds out that not all of those captives will be returning to Joseon. The King won’t allow it because he’s afraid of the captives’ loyalty to the Crown Prince. Jang-hyun has no choice but to accept this decision. Yang Chun says they’ve been abandoned.
Yang Chun is forced to tell the captives who become loudly angry and upset. He tells them to trust Jang-hyun, and he himself is also staying behind with them. He promises to take them and their families back to Joseon.
Gil-chae returns to selling the rest of her knives to make ends meet. She hears that the Crown Prince is returning to Joseon and assumes that Jang-hyunand Goo Jam will return. The day arrives and she doesn’t see them at first. But when she does, she hides her face from the procession. She then gazes longingly at Jang-hyun’s back as he walks by.
Goo Jam finds Jong Jong and she cries as he hugs her. Goo Jam later tells Jang-hyun that Jong Jong said that Gil-chae no longer works at the forge. Jang-hyun needs to return to the Qing, and wants to meet her before doing so. He insists that Goo Jam look for her but Goo Jam is worried about getting caught.
Ryang-eum finds Gil-chae at her home. He asks if she would like to meet Jang-hyun. She asks if he wants her to meet him. He replies no but Jang-hyun would like to see her. He suggests that she go see him first. She says she will not do that. He says she doesn’t want him to see that she’s living in a place like this. It’s only a matter of time before he finds out where she lives, so go and see him and show him that she’s doing well. Only then will Jang-hyun finally give up.
Gil-chae shows up behind Jang-hyun and asks what he’s doing here. She’s wearing elegant clothes over a very pregnant belly. She tells him that she’s been stuck in her room all this time, treated like a queen, and her husband has been overprotective. He won’t let her walk or stand up without permission. She then starts talking to her belly by apologizing for lying today. She then asks how he’s doing and she’s surprised he’s back as the Princess is obsessed with him. He says he has to return to Qing soon and he wanted to visit his hometown for a while. When she trips and almost falls – and clutches her midsection – as he helps her up. He offers to get palaquin bearers, she says there’s no need. She also has a bad craving for red bean rice cakes, and wonders where Jong Jong is with them. Jang-hyun says he will find Goo Jam and Jong Jong, and he walks around calling Jong Jong’s name. He returns and says that he can’t find them anywhere and gives her the rice cakes. She takes a bite of one and smiles. She says this is the taste she missed. He then tells her to drink some sikhye. She takes a sip and sighs happily. He smiles, and she offers him some. He insists that it’s all for her, so she continues eating joyfully. Afterwards, she tells him that she rarely goes outside. And then she says her husband said he’d send a palanquin, and notices that they’re already here. He tells her she should go home. She says that her husband can’t eat without her, so… He asks her for a favor. In the near future, Ryang-eum will invite some friends and will entertain them with his songs. He asks if he could see her then. Please come. It is his last request.
Gil-chae returns home and two angry women appear and one dumps something (urine?) on Seung Ah. The angry woman says that she tried to seduce her husband. Seung Ah says that she only gave the man directions. Gil-chae attacks the two wome. She later gives all of the kids a bath outside. From a distance, Jang-hyun and Goo Jam watch her happily splashing with the kids. He asks Goo Jam if she was forced to divorce. Goo Jam nods and Jang-hyun starts moving towards her. But Goo Jam tells him to stop and look as she’s smiling. If he shows up now, she will want to cry. Jang-hyun stays where he is as he continues watching her laugh with the giggling kids. He then gives a very deep sigh.
Outside the brothel, Gil-chae meets Jang-hyun, and says that she came because it’s his last request. He grabs her hand and pulls her inside to listen to Ryang-eum sing. Her eyes fill with tears as she remembers the first time she saw Ryang-eum perform, when Jang-hyuncarried her across the water, played keep-away with her red ribbon, and their first kiss in the field. She smiles through the tears. He says that she used to love Ryang-eum’s singing. She suddenly says that she needs to go and runs away and he follows her out. Ryang-eum notices them which makes him abruptly stop singing.
Outside, she tells him that she’s sorry as she is still plagued with nausea. He says, "Could such a world exist? Under the moonlight, the air filled with Ryang-eum’s singing and the sound of the marvel of Peru blooming. That kind of world." She asks if the marvel of Peru blooming makes a sound. He says if she hasn’t heard it, as it’s a rare sound. She tells him that she needs to go. She would no longer be a burden to him, so she’s able to keep that promise. So he should also be at peace as much as he can. She then bows before walking away. He then asks how long she plans to trick him? How long does she think she can trick him? (~54:45)
She walks/runs away from him, and drops the padding underneath her clothes. She tells him that’s how foolish she is, to think that she could trick him. He follows her and then holds onto her arm. She turns back and says she is living fine on her own. So don’t feel sorry for her or pity her. That is what she wants. He says no. He cannot do that. She says please do so. In Simyang, she left as he wanted. Now, it’s his turn. She removes his hand and tells him to please pretend that he didn’t see her. He pulls her into his arms and stays silent. She finally moves out of his arms and walks away again. He looks longingly after her.
Gil-chae returns the dress to Ryang-eum and says that things didn’t go well. But she explained it to Jang-hyun so he would understand. Ryang-eum us upset that she’s most concerned about her feelings and her pride. Does she not even see Jang-hyun’s pain, and it drives him crazy that he likes a woman like her this much. He then says if he were her, if he had at least a corner of Jang-hyun’s heart like she does...If that were true. She asks why he’s...? He replies that she has no right. No right to be loved by Lee Jang-hyun, and no right to be ignored by him. She has no right to anything of Lee Jang-hyun! He then leaves.
Ryang-eum tries to tell Jang-hyun how he feels about “that woman.” Jang-hyun tells him to watch his mouth, and he’s leaving for Uiju and will return with Yang Chun. And then he’s going back to Qing to finish up his affairs with the Princess. Ryang-eum wonders why she let him go so easily. Jang-hyun says that he said he’d be at the Princess’ side. However… the situation has changed. Back then, he did not know that Lady Yoo was divorced. Ryang-eum asks so?
Jang-hyun doesn’t reply but gives him a serious glance before walking away. Ryang-eum asks if they can go back to before they met that woman? The four of them [Jang-hyun, Ryang-eum, Goo Jam and Yang Chun] were happy. Do they mean nothing to him? Jang-hyun turns back and says as if. He could even die for him. But now, he wants to live for that woman. And… anyone who gets in his way of doing so, whoever they may be, he will never see them again. Jang-hyun turns to leave. Ryang-eum says then he will come with him. He can live for that woman, and his little brother will follow him wherever he goes. Jang-hyun finally leaves.
He arrives at Gil-chae’s home and she’s sitting outside. She says that she’s been waiting for him. Inside, she tells him what she wanted the most if she were to meet him again was to serve him a hot meal she prepared. The table is set and covered with her dishes. He starts with a spoonful of soup and gives his approval. And then he continues eating more bites of food. He says that sitting together like this, he feels as though they’re husband and wife. Now, let them live like this for a thousand years to come. She says, my lord. He says her name, and locks eyes with her. Then he says, now, there are no obstacles between them. So no one can stop him now. π₯ He returns to eating.
Afterwards, he says that he enjoyed the meal, the hearty meal. She says her wish has come true. This is enough for her. She wants nothing more from him.
YGC: So please –
LJH: Why did you divorce him?
YGC: [Silence and then sighs] You’ve never asked me about it. I’ve never told you. But in Simyang, I…
LJH: What happened in Simyang? If you wish to tell me, go ahead and say it. I do not care. He walks towards her and stops. He looks at her. Do you still not know how I am? She stares. And how I feel? Do you truly not know? You are… all I need. Poor Gil-chae, rich Gil-chae, cheeky Gil-chae, gentle Gil-chae, Gil-chae who does not love me, and Gil-chae who loves me. Whatever you are, you are all I need, Gil-chae. She looks down as her eyes fill with more tears. She finally takes a deep breath.
YGC: Fine. Then what if I said an intruder took advantage of me? His eyes change with intense emotion, and then walks closer to her.
LJH: Then I should embrace you, for it must have been painful. He then hugs her. Her eyes fill again and then they slowly fall down her cheeks. He pulls back to look at her as he strokes her head. It must have been truly painful. You must have suffered a lot. She holds back her sobs. It is all over now. Do not worry about anything from now on. From now on, I will stay by your side. Even if you push me away, I will stay right here. Even if you get sick of me, I will stay right by your side. The moment… I first saw you. I just knew… that I had never once… wanted someone else... other than you. He then gently strokes her face again and stares into her eyes. May I… He looks down at her lips and then back up to her eyes. Hold you? And then he slowly kisses her… (~1:06:10, 6 mins.) Finally together!!
Gil-chae and Jang-hyun's kissing eventually leads to them removing each other’s clothes.
YGC's voiceover: Did you ever hate me?
LYH's voiceover: The day you left me for good, I resented you so much that I stared at you for a while. However, no matter how long I looked, I did not feel hatred toward you. Instead, I hated myself. How cold of you. Did you even imagine how I must have felt?
YGC: I could not bear to imagine it. I just… knew that my heart was being torn into thousands of pieces…and could only hope that you would not feel the way I did.
The next morning, Gil-chae wakes up first and peeks at him before closing her eyes again. Jang-hyun wakes up and turns over to look at her, and gently caresses her face which makes her open her eyes. She asks him if he will not put a floral shoe on her foot today. He says he threw away all of the floral shoes because he was cross with her. She laughs and then closes her eyes. He tells her that there’s something he needs to finish up. He promised Yang Chun. It’ll take a month but he will be back. She sits up and reaches over into a box and pulls out something. She opens the small box and reveals a pair of rings. She says that she had these made at the forge back then. Even though she thought he was dead, she had them made… and kept them with her. She places a ring on his palm and then closes his fingers over it. She says she’s placed a spell on this ring. If he betrays the lady who gave him the ring, then he’ll have a stroke. He smiles and then laughs before asking what? She laughs and tells him to not worry about her. She’s survived all those hardships in Simyang. If it is just a month, she can wait for him with a smile. He hugs her. When he leaves, he keeps turning back to look at her. He eventually stops and fans himself as he waves goodbye to her. She laughs and watches him disappear.
Jang-hyun is informed by Eunuch Pyo to not discuss the captives with Crown Prince. When he says he wants to see him, he's then told that the Crown Prince doesn’t want to see him. (The King had ordered him to let go of the captives.) Jang-hyun kneels outside and reminds him of his promise, and how the captives have made it this far. When there is no response, a lone tear falls down on his cheek.
The promise that he has forgotten, he still remembers it. Now, he shall set out to uphold that promise. When he stands up to leave, the Crown Prince comes outside. He tells him if he goes against him, he will never see him again. Jang-hyun looks at him and then says that he was about to tell him the same. From now on, he will leave him for good. He then bows and turns to walk away. The Crown Prince calls after him to stop.
Now, Yang Chun and the captives are crossing through the water at night. Jang-hyun had promised to stay by the Princess’ side if she could guarantee that the captives can cross the river safely. After he finished with the captives, he’d return to her side. She’d told him if he broke his promise, she’d really kill him.
Everyone safely crosses but then they’re attacked by men, who tell them to go back. The captives are now upset with Jang-hyun’s trucks. The captives start leaving to go back. In Ok ends up with an arrow in her body and her baby’s. Yang Chun returns to help her up but then he, too, is also shot with an arrow and falls. Jang-hyun screams for them to get Yang Chun to safety. Goo Jam and the others help move him. Ryang-eum falls and Jang-hyun offers him a hand but then he’s struck from behind and falls down onto Ryang-eum, which knocks him out as well.
In the morning, the Princess waits and is greeted by Yang Chun and the remaining captives. The Princess points a sword at Goo Jam and demands to know where Jang-hyun is. Goo Jam tells the Princess that he’s not sure if Jang-hyun is alive or not. And if he was alive, he’d be here with them. On the other side, Ryang-eum wakes up and says Jang-hyun’s name. A man puts his hand over his mouth and Ryang-eum calls him “Ningguchin”, who tells him to go in a certain direction and he’ll prepare a horse for him.
Jang-hyun is in prison (controlled by the eunuchs) and they’ve all been charged with treason. They’re asked if they were following the Crown Prince’s order. They’re looking for Yang Chun, and Jang-hyun says he’s him. One of the other captives says that it's him as he’s the one who helped them cross the river.
Yang Chun is still alive but severely injured. Many are dead including In Ok’s baby. She says he betrayed them, and sold them off as she glares at him with her dead baby in her arms. She demands that her daughter be returned to her. She walks over to him and screams at him to bring her back to life.
Ryang-eum finds the Crown Prince and explains what’s happened and he has no idea where Jang-hyun is. He begs for him to save Jang-hyun. The Crown Prince starts yelling for his father. His wife begs him to not anger his father, and to think of his son.
Jang-hyun is being interrogated by the head eunuch. He explains that they’re captives. Eunuch wants to know who put him up to it. Jang-hyun says the plan was to bring them back. And then he’s beaten over and over.
Goo Jam misses Jong Jong and wonders where Jang-hyun is. In OK finally buries her baby in the forest. She then attempts to kill herself but Yang Chun stops her. She sobs as she struggles in his arms.
Gil-chae shows her ring to Eun-ae and the others. They all realize that they’re finally together. She tells them that he’s away on business in Simyang. And when he returns, he wants to stay with her.
Jang-hyun is quite wounded but continues to be beaten. At some point, he falls and his ring slides off and rolls onto the ground. He sees it but he passes out. Ryang-eum now knows that Jang-hyun has been arrested. The King is being manipulated by Concubine Jo. Crown Prince arrives and demands that she leave so they can speak in private. He asks his father about the captives. His father says they had weapons, etc. The King asks if they’re the one who are helping him rise to power. He believes that his son has betrayed him. His son tells him that these captives sang Joseon songs while on Simyang lands, as they’re captive who missed Joseon. They risked their lives to escape, so they’re his father’s people. His father refuses to listen to him. Crown Prince leaves his father’s room and collapses. Nearby, Concubine Jo wants to know where the girl who makes knives is, and it can be no one but her. Omo.
The King orders for the death of the criminals in jail. A very bloodied Jang-hyun is still alive and the head eunuch orders Ningguchin to smash his head and kill him. Ningguchin does as he's told, and then Jang-hyun slowly moves his hand towards the ring, and when he reaches it, he wraps his fist around it.
Gil-chae hears from Concubine Jo’s maid that all of those loyal to the Crown Prince have been caught. She later brings her knives to Concubine Jo, who chooses one and tells her to bury it outside. She notices a lot of activity at the palace and sees the men moving bodies. Jang-hyun’s ring falls onto the ground and makes a noise. She then secretly follows them and when they leave, she looks at the pile of bodies. She removes the bag over the man’s head and reveals a very bloody Jang-hyun. He doesn’t respond. She hears a noise and rubs blood all over her clothes and lays down next to Jang-hyun with an arm over his chest and then closes her eyes. When it's quiet again, she opens her eyes and knocks out the one guard trying to warm his hands by the fire. She returns to Jang-hyun and says "my lord." His fingers move slightly and his eyes open a tiny bit. She wonders if he’s awake.
Gil-chae tries to walk with Jang-hyun but he is barely standing and collapses outside the palace. A eunuch walks by and she says that he’s drunk and she's just trying to get him home. The eunuch offers to help her. Before he leaves, he says he’s not sure why they are constantly beating people to a pulp at the palace. Jong Jong comes outside and helps her with Jang Hun. The head eunuch finds out that Jang-hyun’s body has gone missing.
The Crown Prince has lost consciousness and a physician comes. Meanwhile at Gil-chae’s, the doctor shakes his head after checking on Jang-hyun. Jang Gyun starts coughing blood in his sleep. Jong Jong wonders what happened to him and where Goo Jam is. Gil-chae says she needs to take him to another place as the eunuch who helped her knows this place.
Ryang-eum is sneaking around the palace and finds out that Jang-hyun’s body was moved. The eunuch has been beaten and told them where Jang-hyun is. Jong Jong tells Gil-chae that there are men searching the village right now. Ryang-eum suddenly arrives and says he’ll take him as they’ll arrive here soon.
The men arrive and search her place. Ningguchin is among them, and when they find blood on the bedding, he signals at the other man to not say anything, except that they found nothing. The poor eunuch is brought before her and he’s asked if it was this house. He sees Gil-chae and shakes his head. They’re told that a man on a horse was seen leaving the area.
They’ve followed Ryang-eum to a house, but it belongs to a nobleman. So they don’t search the place. Ryang-eum returns to Gil-chae’s and she immediately asks how he is. He replies he wondered whom Jang-hyun would want to see the most… in his final moments. Go and see him.
She goes to him and stays by his bedside. Jang-hyun continues dreaming about his childhood. When he was young, he hung out with a servant he named Ryang-eum. This Ryang-eum was very kind towards him and seemed to like his sister. One day, his father [is it this Jang Cheol, the Head of Confucian scholars?!?] had beaten Ryang-eum to death. Jang-hyun starts tossing and moving around in his sleep. Suddenly, he opens his eyes and Gil-chae calls for Ryang-eum.
Jang-hyun asks where he is, she says he is well. He notices her hand touching his and moves his away. He then asks who she is. Both Gil-chae and Ryang-eum look at him in shock. A doctor comes by and they’re told that he’s fine and he’s made it. She asks why he doesn’t remember them. He says that the hit missed and did not harm his skull so give it time. Ningguchin's doing. He may remember them or he may never again.
As Ryang-eum tends to his head wound, Jang-hyun asks him who that woman over there is. Ryang-eum looks over and sees that it’s Gil-chae. He then says of all the people, he thought he would at least remember her. Jang-hyun looks at her and says he doesn’t remember. But he enjoys watching her as he smiles. Ryang-eum leaves and then Gil-chae sits down next to Jang-hyun. She gives him his medicine and he obediently drinks it. It’s bitter, so she gives him something sweet to follow. He asks her why she’s so nice to him. She replies compared to what he did for her, this is nothing. He asks if he was good to her. She replies not just good. He thinks about it and then asks about Ryang-eum as he knows someone with that name. He had a servant named Sam Do but he could whistle very well so he nicknamed him Ryang-eum. He wonders how his name is also Ryang-eum. But then his head starts bothering him.
The very ill Crown Prince suddenly wakes up. He asks his wife if he was in bed for a long time. She replies that it’s fine now that he’s up. He says he’s hungry. She orders porridge to be made but then decides she’ll make it herself. She leaves and he wants to talk to Eunuch Pyo in private. He asks about what happened to Lee Jang-hyun. Eunuch Pyo says he believes he’s safe and sound. Crown Prince writes a letter with Eunuch Pyo watching. When he's done, he says that he wants to rest. He gets back under the covers. Then he’s told that the Crown Princess will be bringing him his porridge. Crown Prince smiles and says then he must eat it. Suddenly, the Crown Prince stops talking and is very still. His eyes remain open but he’s no longer breathing. His wife returns and drops the tray, and both Eunuch Pyo and his wife scream Your Highness over and over. Later, the Crown Princess grieves and hugs his pillow. She then discovers his letter...to Jang-hyun.
Jang-hyun dreams of the Ryang-eum of his childhood and becomes agitated when he sees his father. Gil-chae places Jang-hyun’s ring next to hers in the box. A lady from the palace visits and asks if she’s still in contact with Jang-hyun. Gil-chae says no, she’s never seen him since her return to Joseon. The woman says that the Crown Princess sends jewelry as she knows she’s been struggling financially. She still wants to repay her and prepared the jewelry herself, and she needs to keep them forever.
The head eunuch is still on the hunt for the cursed object that the Crown Princess buried. The King plans to expel the Crown Princess from the palace. He wants the captives to be watched more carefully. He’s worried about a coup, so he wants Jang-hyun to be found and if he’s alive, kill him on sight.
Jang-hyun is in the courtyard and suddenly hears a whistling song and follows it. He walks outside and watches a man looking at a tree. It’s Jang Cheol… and Gil-chae quickly turns him around and walks them the other way before he’s spotted. Nearby, there are guards looking for him. They return home and he asks if he did something wrong again and quickly apologizes. He walks away and she runs over to hug him from behind. He’s surprised. She then thanks him for staying alive. He tries to remove her arms from his waist but she refuses to let go and says they’re allowed to do this. She says he remembers nothing so take her word for it and she resumes holding him. He continues struggling. (~43:15)
Another day, she gives him her red ribbon and tells him to never to lose it. He asks what this is as he looks at it. She tells him to put it where it’s meant to be. He doesn’t know what that means so she takes the ribbon and puts it inside his robe. He yelps at her intimate touch. γ
γ
She leaves and he clutches his chest. (~44:15)
Later, they’re playing a game of Ssi-teu-ki (cat’s cradle), and he asks if they really did such childish things. She says yes and then messes up the strings. She pushes his hands together with hers and he looks down at their hands. He pulls away from her and says that she keeps touching him. It is said that since the age of seven men and women must sit apart… She says she’s already told, they’re allowed to do this. Then she offers the strings for his turn. (~44:50)
The next day, in front of Ryang-eum, she tries to feed him a bite of food. He doesn’t accept it and says this is shameful. She says that she’s told him already. They are allowed to – and he says fine, fine and opens his mouth to accept it. She tells him to have some soup and watches him take a spoonful. Ryang-eum finally shoves a spoonful of rice into his own mouth and then loudly sets down the bowl. (~45:55)
While they’re hanging up the laundry, she gives him a peck on the cheek. His eyes get huge and he asks her if she’s crazy. He walks around the clothes and says even if they’re allowed to do some things, does she not think that was too much in broad daylight? She walks over and gives him peck on the other cheek and his eyes bug out. LOL (~46:35) This is my fav one - him being offended. *snorting laugh* She says they used to do this and then she returns to hanging up the laundry. He walks away in shock and she giggles.
Later, she shows him the box with their rings inside and tells him that until the last moment, he held this ring in his hand. He asks did he? He can’t remember and tells her that he has no memory now and is a memory. She asks if she can be honest. For a long time, she wished for them to exchange jokes and wonder what to eat for dinner. She wished so ardently for that kind of simple life. It is possible this moment is her happiest one with him. He asks, then if his memory never returns, will she not abandon him? She says her, abandon him? Wait and see. Even if she dies, she will never leave his side again. Outside, Ryang-eum is looking at their shoes. He organizes the shoes, and then quietly leaves.
Princess arrives in Joseon for Jang-hyun. The King orders the Crown Princess be thrown out and left to die in her home. And seek out all of her supporters and get rid of them. She dies after taking the poison and in death, she finally hugs her husband again. The King wants information on the interpreters as they’ve all had contact with the Qing.
Gil-chae puts ointment on the wounds on Jang-hyun’s back. She angrily says she’ll rip out the hair of those who did this to him. She then tells him to turn around and puts ointment on the ones on his arms but when she tries to touch his abdomen, he tells her that it’s fine. When she tries again, he yells at her that he said it was fine and puts on his clothes. Next time, he’ll do it himself. She says she can help – and he yells that he can do it himself. Also, she says things have always been like this between them? He doesn’t want to hear about it and she keeps touching him. He yells for her to not ever – and she quickly gets up and leaves. (~58:15) To the empty room, he says that’s not what he meant.
He then sits outside with the ring box and removes his ring to look at it. When he tries to put it on, he drops it and then it rolls down the stairs and onto the ground. He walks over to pick it up but he holds his head as it hurts. He now remembers getting knocked out, later picking up the ring at the prison and finally Gil-chae finding him.
Gil-chae quickly runs over to him. He stands up and looks over at her.
LJH: I hope I did not do anything too silly. She stares with shock.
YGC: My lord… He walks over to her and smiles and then tears up before hugging her.
LJH: I am sorry. It took too long, did it not? I am truly sorry. Her eyes fill up with tears. She stays in his embrace and finally hugs him back.
On a beautiful day, the two are sitting together outside and Jang-hyun rubs his head…and then asks who she is. She stares at him but he can’t repress his laughter. She sighs and hits him on the arm and tells him to not joke around like that. He chuckles and says why, is she worried that he’ll lose his memory again? He tells her to not worry as something like that won’t happen again. She replies that the doctor scared her into thinking he’d lose his memory forever. She’ll stick by his side wherever he goes. He asks her what happened with the Crown Prince.
Ryang-eum tells him that someone told everything about the Crown Prince to the King. Eunuch Pyo wants to see him. The head eunuch tells Eunuch Pyo that thanks to him, they were able to get rid of their greatest enemies beforehand. And then he gives an evil smile. Eunuch Pyo realizes that he unknowingly betrayed the Crown Prince.
Jang-hyun visits Eunuch Pyo and finds him dying as he drank the same poison that the Crown Prince died of. He says it was so mild that the Crown Princess suffered for two days. Jang-hyun asks if he thinks this will wash away his sins. Pyo asks if he remembers the first day they met. When Pyo had clung to him and said to protect him was like protecting the Crown Prince. He cries that he had thought it was the only way to save the Crown Prince, who did such a great job entertaining the Khan and always worried about the captives. Pyo had wanted to tell everyone about this but he’d been fooled. With his dying breath, he tells Jang-hyun about the Crown Prince dying with black ooze coming out of every orifice and that he’d written a letter to him. Soon, the King finds out about this letter from Concubine Jo. He thinks the letter is for the Qing to get involved and the great search begins.
Eventually, they have a portrait of Jang-hyun, who they think is Yang Chun, the traitor. But one of the officials says it’s Lee Jang-hyun. Gil-chae suddenly notices the letter with the Crown Princess's jewelry. As she’s reading it, she hears a strange noise outside. She walks outside and the Princess is here to take Jang-hyun. She asks where he is, and Gil-chae pauses before asking if she can help him. Now the Princess wants the King of Joseon to know that the Qing are coming.
Jang-hyun has learned that Gil-chae has the letter. And then he’s approached by the bounty hunters. Eunuch tells the King that he’s ordered for Jang-hyun to be killed on sight. But then another official goes in and begs for him to not kill Lee Jang-hyun. He asks the eunuch if he’s been killed. Suddenly, the eunuch runs outside and tells the men to stop trying to kill Jang-hyun. They’ve received a message from the Qing and they’ve asked for Lee Jang-hyun to be their interpreter.
Before the King, he's told to reveal his true identity. Jang-hyun says he’s an interpreter…and the Crown Prince’s favorite interpreter. General Yong arrives and asks about the Crown Prince’s three children. He’s asked why he’s interested in a traitor’s children. General Yong asks for the evidence supporting the Crown Prince’s guilt.
Yeon-jun is now out to get Jang-hyun for bringing in intruders. [He continues to be a moron and jerk.] He believes that he’s betrayed Joseon. Jang-hyun tells him that he thinks that his love of Joseon is so sincere that it’s pitiful.
Jang-hyun finally returns home to Gil-chae, and he asks if she has the Crown Prince’s letter.
Jang-hyun, read this. I want to keep my promise to those who trusted me before it’s too late. Bring the captives back to Joseon. If I am unable to keep this promise, I am unable to call myself the Crown Prince, a man, or a human being. If something happens to me and I cannot be the Crown Prince or the King, please help me stay a human being, at least. You are the only person I can ask to do this.
Jang-hyun offers the Qing all of his wealth, for what was promised before, that all of the captives must be in possession of release papers recognized by the financial office of Qing. Also, the captices will not cross the river. They will confidently enter Joseon via land route .If she can guarantee this, he will hand over this silver. Princess says that no one can pose questions regarding the Joseon captives being released today. She guarantees it.
The Qing set down their weapons before the captives (Yang Chun and In Ok are still alive!), meaning they’re allowed to return to Joseon. With tears in his eyes, Jang-hyun watches them go. Later, Princess tells him that she’ll take him from Joseon while she still has the power. He says that he has to return to his home. She asks if he’s a fickle fool who can’t cannot keep his promises. He says yes, he’s a fickle fool who would like to return this home alive. She scoffs and says if he returns to Joseon, he will die. She asks if it’s because of her. He stands up and then gets on his knees. She is his home. He wants to return home and take a rest. She tells him his options are he leaves with her or he dies here. Either way, he’ll die if he goes to Joseon.
Gil-chae writes to Jang-hyun:
My lord. I know now. I know how you feel about me. I also know exactly how I feel about you. My lord. I am happy with these earnest feelings of love…even if we are apart. As long as you can be safe, even if you are far away, my heart will be filled with joy. Two Joseon interpreters have already been flogged to death. So please, my lord, stay in the Qing.
She tears up and has to stop writing. She says no, she misses him. She repeats that she misses him.
Jang-hyun gives his response to Princess: “In that case, I shall die on the way back.” He stands and starts walking but she stops him with a knife at his neck. He tells her to please forgive him and then he closes his eyes and waits. She moves the knife away, and tells him to go. Leave before she changes her mind. He walks a few steps and turns back to tell her to safe and healthy. He bows and then walks away.
Jang-hyun walks back to Joseon and overhears about the captives being gathered somewhere and covered in dirt. He returns and Ryang-eum asks how he’s back. He replies that he said he would be back. Ryang-eum lets everyone else know. The captives are loyal to the Crown Prince and want to avenge him. Jang-hyun advises them to not look into this or try to avenge him. He’s asking this of them, as this is what the Crown Prince would have wanted.
Goo Jam returns and Jong Jong is so happy to see him. Gil-chae says that Jang-hyun must have gone to the Qing and that’s why he’s here alone. Goo Jam says no, he’ll be here soon and told him to go first. Then he gives her Jang-hyun's letter. Finally, he tells everyone else, the captives to come in.
Alone, she reads the letter.
I am writing this letter because I cannot return right away. The captives who are staying at Usimjeong right now do not have anywhere to go or any family members to take them in. If I neglect them as well, they will not have much of a future, so I am trying to help them. Please understand. Whenever I manage to sleep after tossing and turning, I think I dreamt of you. It would be nice if I could remember my dreams. But whenever I wake up from a light sleep, all I remember is…your name, Yoo Gil-chae. I am always lost in thought over you, so it feels like… I have never fallen asleep or woken up. Do you know that feeling?
She cries as she reads his words. Then she folds up the letter and lovingly holds it against her heart.
More people arrive at Gil-chae’s home as she wants to take care of them well so Jang-hyun will return. Da Jim’s mother is here as she sought Jang-hyun’s help as Gil-chae had told her to. She then asks about Da Jim and she cries when she sees how much he's grown. When she tries to hug him, he runs away and hides behind Gil-chae. Gil-chae pulls him around and tells him that this is his mother, as she’d told that his mother has not forgotten about him. He finally goes into his mother’s arms and the two sob together.
Yeon-jun continues being cold towards Eun-ae after she had told him she was almost raped by an intruder. So she now tells him that Gil-chae stabbed him to death and rescued her from disaster. Does he still think she lost her chastity after being grabbed by an intruder? He finally turns to look at her and when she puts his hand up to her face, he pulls away. He says that she’s never once tricked him. But that she kept it a secret for so long, is a gruesome stain that the intruders have left on Joseon. He asks if she’ll deny it. [Hate this coward. So much.]
Gil-chae continues waiting for Jang-hyun and one day, he finally returns. When she sees him, she runs into his arms and hugs him. She calls him seobangnim! He pulls back and asks her if she called him seobang. She says yes, she did, seobangnim. He grins and then says let's call each other husband and wife from now on. They return to hugging. (~55:55)
Jong Jong and Goo Jam get married! And Jang-hyun tells Gil-chae that maybe they… She says she’s not sure as she’s been married once. She says he said so before, why would they have to be bound to the formalities of marriage? They can just live a life of passion with each other, can they not? They’re already living passionately, so she doesn’t see why… And so he agrees, and says that he did. She says that she was flabbergasted at the time, but he sure is right. She doesn’t like things... that are too obvious. Ha. She tells him to let her see his ring. He asks why, why would she take back what she gave. But he hands it over. She then puts hers next to his. She wants to inscribe something on these. So without being too obvious, she’ll do it. The proposal. She asks him to marry her and promises that she’ll make him the happiest man in the world. He smiles and pulls her into his arms. He leans back and tells her let’s go to Neunggun-ri. Let’s go and live like – he beams – rocks and grass there. Her eyes fill with tears. Like trivial things. Like boring things. Just the two of them. He gently caresses her face and she nods in agreement.
1659. The white-haired man in prison is Ryang-eum. A eunuch asks him to talk about Lee Jang-hyun. He replies if he does, will they tell him about what happened to him?
Back to the Past.
Laying together in bed, Jang-hyun tells Gil-chae that his life is full of regretful things. She asks him why he thinks so. He replies that he’s not sure if what he did for the Crown Prince was helpful to him. The Crown Prince suffered at the hands of the invaders, then he would not have lost the favor of the King, who has lost it. She says he's protected the Crown Prince. She tells him that they should only think of enjoying their life together. He asks her then how she wishes to live her life from now on? She tells him that she wishes to…
The King hears that the Crown Prince was killed by poisoning. Concubine Jo starts yelling about it being such wild rumors. The King wants Jang Cheol to arrest the rebels (captives) and to find out where the Crown Princess’ wealth went as he’s sure it went to the captives. If he doesn’t do it, the King can accuse his late father of making a false report. So Jang Cheol asks Yeon-jun about Jang-hyun, and wants him to look into him.
Yeon-jun reports back that Jang-hyun was a government slave and has no information about his son. Jang Cheol lost his son to a fire, and his body had been unrecognizable. Yeon-jun later hears him call his son Hyun as he strokes the sketch in the book. Yeon-jun asks Jang-hyun why he chose the surname Lee. Jang-hyun says that Joseon was founded by a man with that surname and so he wanted to live under that name.
Yang Chun, In Ok and the other captives are before the King. Jang Cheol suggests that the traitors be punished with death by dismemberment and find all others involved. Jang-hyun is going to meet him, the person he did not want to meet again in his life.
They meet in secret and Jang Cheol asks if he’s the one who leads the traitors. When Jang-hyun asks about his father, Jang Cheol asks who he is. Jang-hyun asks if he wants to know his real name, Hyun and his surname was Jang. And then he says, "Father, it is me." Jang Cheol says it’s not possible as his son died many years ago. Jang-hyun asks if he thought he died in that fire. He then removes his hat and tells him to look closely. Jang Cheol says he sees it, and then hugs him as he asks what happened and how he stayed alive. And more importantly, why is he with the traitors. Jang-hyun says they’re not traitors. Please save the prisoners, and they will live as if they’re dead. His father says they honored the Crown Princess (considered a traitor now) in a rite, so how can they believe they will live as if they are dead. He asks his father if that’s why he killed Sam Do, who had also said he would live as if he were dead. His sister loved Sam Do, and he knew that, did he not? However, he beat Sam Do to death as for being a servant who raped his mistress. And his sister, he sent across the icy river in the dead of winter, to run an errand. His sister knew what he meant. His father says no, his sister did what she did for his [Jang-hyun’s] sake as to not become an obstacle in his bright future. Jang-hyun roars no! His sister was unable to stand against him. His sister did not have the courage to defy him and live. He could not stand it. He hated and resented him, so he decided to take from him what he considered precious. Yes, Father, he did not go missing. He took himself from him.
The King had told Jang Cheol to annihilate the traitors. Kill them all so no one is left living, and no records of them survive. Sitting down at a table, Jang Cheol tells Jang-hyun when they come to him, he should hand over the traitors. This is his only way out. He cannot lose him again, can he? Jang-hyun asks his father to let them go, as they will live as if they were dead. They will live as specks of dust. Jang Cheol says that he insists on going against his own father. Jang-hyun doesn’t saying anything but gives a sigh. And then he stands up and then he says he liked his father very much. When he realized that his sister truly loved Sam Do, he considered raising his status so they could get married. He thought his father was very admirable. So he could not understand why he suddenly killed Sam Do. He then says that he knows who Sam Do is. His father stands up from the table. Jang-hyun says that Sam Do was the last living male of the family that was killed off by his grandfather’s false report. Sam Do put his love for his sister over his revenge, but Jang Cheol did not believe him when he said he would live as if he were dead. That’s why he killed him. Jang Cheol breaks eye contact. With tears on his face, Jang-hyun says to please let the prisoners live. If he attacks those who are dear to him, this time, he will truly shatter what his father considers dear to him. And now he knows what he considers most precious isn’t him.
Yang Chun manages to break out of the prison with everyone else. Outside, he tells everyone to go and to In Ok, to make sure to live for the child. The guards come and arrows land into Yang Chun’s back. He drops to his knees as he dies. γ
γ
The prisoners arrive and Jang-hyun is shocked to hear about the loss of Yang Chun. They will also have to leave immediately as the soldiers are coming. Gil-chae will go with them to Neunggun-ri and he’ll go later. She says these are the people he saved risking his life, and she’ll make sure to keep them safe. She then says that he needs to keep his promise. He says of course he will. His mistress is here. How would her servant die without her permission? She nods and finally walks to join the others. He waves goodbye and then reaches inside his clothes and pulls out the red ribbon to wave at her. (~34:00)
Jang-cheol writes a letter defining who the traitors to this country are. These dirty people have banded together, so what are they, the scholars to do? Yeon-jun tries to tell him more about Lee Jang-hyun. Jang-cheol says that long ago he lost his daughter and his son. He’d heard rumors that his daughter, Lee Dan, had an affair with a slave and then took her own life. He knew of his daughter’s decision beforehand but did not stop her. She protected their family and maintained that beautiful sense of loyalty. True sacrifice is to rip out someone who is as precious as his own life for a greater loyalty. Ick. He’s a monster.
When Eun-ae begs her husband to help Gil-chae and Jang-hyun, he says they have reports of the captives’ treason. So they’ll arrest them first, and then decide who is right and wrong. She says they’ll die if he arrests them. He says this is about the discipline of the nation. Blind patriotism, just like Jang-cheol. She holds onto him and says that he has to be somehow mistaken as Jang-hyun is not that kind of man. He asks her if she trusts Jang-hyun more than him.
Ryang-eum changes into Jang-hyun’s clothes and is caught by Jang-hyun. Ryang-eum tells him to go, as he doesn’t want him to get caught and they’d kill him. He cannot watch him die, so just go. When he turns his back, Jang-hyun knocks him out. Jang-hyun says he must be very mistaken. He can die but Ryang-eum cannot. He then tells the unconscious Ryang-eum to wait as he’ll come back for him.
Yeon-jun and his men find Jang-hyun and the captives. Yeon-jun tells him to surrender without resistance, and they will investigate and make sure none of them is unfairly punished. Jang-hyun mutters that he’s as gullible as ever. Jang-hyun replies that instead of royal guards, slaves were sent. Is he unable to gauge the situation or simply feigning ignorance? The slaves raise their swords at them and Jang-hyun and the captives do so as well.
Gil-chae and her group arrive in Neunggun-ri. An older woman says her name, and several others come out to greet her. A bloodied and panting Jang-hyun is at the beach, propping himself up with his sword. He watches the sunset even though behind him there are a large number of men waiting to attack. He says, “Can you hear it? This sound. The sound of the flowers.” With his blood-splattered face, he smiles and then stands up and then lifts his sword out of the sand. And he starts slaughtering each man who runs at him. He says he doesn’t wish to hurt them. They must have people who are waiting for them. He, too, has someone waiting for him. So, let him go. He pants and pants. Let him return to his hometown.
When Yeon-jun had asked Jang Cheol what to do with Jang-hyun, as he was his son, Jang Cheol had told him to kill him. Before, Jang Cheol had told him that when a man is afraid, his cruelty reveals itself. Indeed. At the beach, Yeon-jun watches as the leader of the slave kneels even as he spits out blood. Soon the others follow him, and Jang-hyun slowly walks away. To Yeon-jun's horror, the archers suddenly let go of a round of arrows. Jang-hyun looks up at the sound and closes his eyes and waits…
Then Yeon-jun tells the King that they’ve wiped out the traitors including Lee Jang-hyun and dumped their bodies into the water to leave no trace. The King says that Jang-hyun must’ve had the Crown Prince’s letter, and tells him to hand it over. Yeon-jun finds Jang Cheol as he hangs from the ceiling. The King finally remembers his son with his dying breath. Secretly, Concubine Jo is very happy, unlike her outward show of grief.
Gil-chae sits alone in the dark with the rings in her hand as tears fall down her cheeks.
In 1659, the eunuch doesn’t believe what Ryang-eum just told him. Ryang-eum says it’s true. Then he asks about what happened to Jang-hyun.
Time Jump.
Gil-chae sleeps and dreams of meeting Jang-hyun at the beach. When she sees him, she hugs him and sobs. He hugs her back. And then she wakes up, alone and her heart aches for him.
Eun-ae finds her husband having hung himself but she’s able to reach him in time. When he wakes up later, he sees both Eun-ae and Gil-chae by his bedside. He tells Gil-chae that he did not see that person die with his own eyes. He waited to tell her. Once a coward, always a coward.
At that last stand, Yeon-jun orders the archers to stop. Jang-hyun continues walking and the round of arrows hit the sand. Yeon-jun tells Gil-chae that he probably died as he was already losing a lot of blood. She says she heard that all the corpses were thrown into the sea. He says they never found his corpse. He searched for years trying to find his corpse. And not long ago, in a village that was an old man who was the last to see Jang-hyun. If she asks him, she’ll learn where his corpse is buried. If she finds where that is, let him know as he [Yeon-jun] would like to at least offer him some alcohol.
Gil-chae leaves to find Jang-hyun. She tells Eun-ae that she’ll look everywhere, and return with his bones at the very least. Eun-ae says goodbye to her, and when her husband appears, she says she’s thinking of returning to Neunggun-ri. He quietly asks if he can return there. He says he’s still her husband. She nods and then he sobs in her arms.
Gil-chae waits at the beach for the old man. When he arrives, she says she heard he’s the last person to see Jang-hyun, so where is he buried? He doesn’t say anything, so she offers him money. He pushes it away, and then says he owes him his life. He was going to take it to his grave. If word got out that he was alive, they might come back to kill him. So he kept it a secret. He says he’s not dead but…
That night on the beach, a bleeding Jang-hyun walks around and then drops his sword. He looks around before eventually collapsing right onto the sand. The old man saves him. And then the old man tells her that he remembers nothing. More amnesia...
Jang-hyun looks up at the bright moon and cries. The old man asks if he’s crying. Jang-hyun replies that he doesn’t know why but seeing the moon makes his heart ache and he feels sad. Whenever he looks at the moon, he cries and then laughs. At night, Jang-hyun tries to leave, and the old man tells him that he cannot go. Jang-hyun says he hears something and then thanks him before walking away. The old man tells her that he says that he would follow the sound of flowers. The old man cries and says he just walked off. Gil-chae tears up and then asks where he went.
Gil-chae is now outside the brothel, and the courtesan tells her that he said he did not give an answer, just that he had to tell her soon. Gil-chae remembers when he’d told her that from the first moment he saw her… And then he’d said never mind. She had asked what he was going to say. To him, she is… never mind. She’d asked him to finish his sentence and then angrily yelled at him to answer. The courtesan tells her that he said she desperately wanted to know but he still refused to tell her. He meant… In a moment, she stole his heart away. So now, his heart cannot turn back... so he should have told her.
At the next familiar place, the older woman says he kept coming by for days. She’d told him that the person he was looking for was not here. He’d still looked around and said that cannot be. He had told the woman: "She told him to not worry. She said she could wait a month with a smile."
YGC: That is when I knew. My husband… was tracing his memory from the day we met so he could come back to me. She tears up. So…where are you now? Where must I go to… She takes a deep breath and then remembers another past conversation.
Her answer on how she wished to live: I wish to … Before, I wished to live in a bustling place with many people. But with you, I wish to live quietly, just the two of us. On a mountain close to Neunggun-ri, there is a place with a stream…and a path lined with trees that flower. I would like to build a small house with two rooms. Build a fence with forsythia branches. I would keep three hens and collect eggs each morning. I will enjoy the flowers in the spring. In the summer, wet my feet in the stream. In the fall, I will make wild grape wine and drink that in the winter months.
She now walks on a path amongst flowering trees. Then she crosses a stream, and sees this house with hens in an enclosure in the yard, and a shelf with wine jugs on it. She then hears someone nearby – it’s Jang-hyun carrying some branches. She stares at him and her eyes fill with tears. He doesn’t say anything.
Now, Jang-hyun is busy trimming the forsythia branches for the fence. He notices her watching him and he asks if she’s lost her way. She says she was looking for someone. He says a person? Who? She says her husband. He asks what her husband looks like. She says he’s handsome. He gives a short laugh and then says he cannot help her if she says that. She then asks why he’s fixing the fence. He replies that he was asked to build a fence as tall as a young child. He then returns to the fence and continues trimming it. She tears up as she watches him.
At night, he sets down his dinner, and then asks her if she isn’t leaving. He then says he’s told her, he has not seen a handsome in these parts. She watches him eating, which makes her stomach rumble. He asks if she would like some food and she nods. Then as she eats, he comments that she eats a lot. She says the food is delicious and asks how it is that he cooks so well. She waits and beams at him. He asks why she’s smiling like that? Then he says she smiles strangely. It is a bit odd.
Afterwards, he tells her that it’s late so she can use the room tonight. But when day breaks, she should leave to find her husband. He leaves and closes the door behind him. She looks around and sees something on the wall. She walks over and pulls on her red ribbon. She holds it against her heart as she cries.
In the morning, she goes outside and finds him sitting up asleep nearby. She fixes his blanket and then rests her head on his shoulder. He shifts and rests his head against hers. Later, when she wakes up, she's alone. She sees that there’s food on the table but she wonders where he went.
Gil-chae finds him at the beach. She asks him what he’s doing here. He looks at her for a moment before returning to look at the ocean.
YGL: Why do you live alone in a place like this?
LJH: I am waiting.
YGL: For what?
LJH: She said she wanted to live in a place like this. However… [Pause] Should you not leave to look for your husband?
YGL: Yes, I should find him. So please help me.
LJH: How could I help you?
YGL: I will tell you all about my husband. Please try to remember if you have seen someone like him. First and foremost, my husband is… very handsome.
LJH: Here we go again...
YGL: My husband… always kept his promises. Once, my husband asked me how I wanted to live. I said I wanted to live in a place with a stream. In a thatched roof house at the end of a path line with trees that flower. He looks at her now. In the fall, I would make wild grape wine…and drink that in the winter months. He turns towards her. I told him I wanted to live like that. There is something I truly wish to tell my husband. If I meet him again, I really want…to tell him. And I must hear his answer. He waits.
Flashback. Jang-hyun tells her, that day… The day they first met. When she was on the swing, what was she thinking about? She stares at him. She looks away and says she does not remember. He laughs and says, is that so? She asks what about him? What was he thinking about that day? He says that day…he heard a truly rare sound. She asks what sound? He just smiles as he hugs her.
Back at the beach, Gil-chae pulls out their rings but one falls onto the sand. He reaches down to pick it up and then looks at it.
YGL: That day… I felt like the man of my dream would approach me. So everything before me… turned green and pink. He thinks about this and then looks into her eyes. He takes a few steps and then stops directly in front of her. His eyes change from passive listening to a more intense emotions.. He slowly strokes her face. Her eyes are full of tears. Seobangnim... It is I, Gil-chae. He thinks about this and then his hand falls away. She gasps. He turns back to look at the ocean. Please answer my question. What was the sound you heard that day?
LJH: The sound of flowers. The sound of the marvel of Peru blooming. He turns around to stare at her as he finally recognizes her. She stares back and waits. He looks at her and then looks down as his tears fall. He looks up again and lets out a sob. Gil-chae a. She nods and smiles. He walks over and hugs her and continues sobbing. Gil-chae a. He steps back and looks at her. I was waiting… He caresses her face. For you. Right here. For a very long time. She smiles and nods with tears on her face. He finally smiles. Then he returns to hugging her as he cries with joy.
The End. A true beginning for them.
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Remarks
by FanFanX
Trigger Warning: Assault, Sexual Assault, Violence
[First Impression (Ep1-)] A romance separated by war and filled with heartbreak.
[Actors/Actresses] All of my attention is truly on Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun-Jin! However, our newbie Kim Yoon-woo might be one to keep an eye on as well. Took forever but realized Park Kang-sub (as Goo Jam) was the guy who ran away from Young-woo and Joon-ho in Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Cameos.
Ep1. Lee Jun-ho's voice [Man in Gil-Chae's dream]
Eps12-13, 15. Yoo Jae-suk, Park Jin-joo and Lee Yi-kyung [Peasants]
[Behind the Scenes] Chose a select few as there are so many, and with limited subs.
→ Ep1. The swing scene and the boat scene. XD!
→ Eps5-6. Namkoong Min really carried the women across the stream. Rocky, wet, and not an easy task!
→ Ep7. The awkward meal, and the kiss between Gil-chae and Jang-hyun.
→ Ep15. When Gil-chae and Ryang-eum fight over nursing Jang-hyun. Namkoong Min laughs as he's hit with the coffee!
→ Ep17. The cast is so cute together and Kim Yoon-woo winks at the camera.
→ Ep19. Jang-hyun's reactions to Gil-chae's unwanted affection, and then the actors have the giggles.
[Ending] Happy.
[Footnotes]
1. Marvel of Peru is a flower. Mirabilis jalapa, the marvel of Peru or four o'clock flower, its flowers usually open from late afternoon or at dusk (namely between 4 and 8 o'clock).
[Review & Rating]
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