Mandate of Heaven: Episode 7

by javabeans

A strong episode for our good guys, who finally get a leg up in this whole murder-conspiracy-intrigue business after letting the baddies run around them in circles for a while there. Not that I blame them for their ineffectual defenses thus far—their opponents have just been too powerful to manage—but it’s refreshing to see the pendulum swing the other way, and our heroes outsmarting their enemies. It’s doubly satisfying to see the feeble crown prince coming into his own somewhat, standing up for himself and making strides into fighting back.

SONG OF THE DAY

Peterpan Complex – “건축가” (Architect) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 7 RECAP

A dagger flies at Won and Da-in as they chat outside in the bandits’ mountain hideaway, and Won reacts quickly to shove Da-in out of the path of a second one. The assailant raises his arm for another try, only to be jerked aside by So-baek: The culprit is our shifty second-in-command, who was the only one who didn’t seem torn up about the prospect of the boss dying.

He argues that the guests will bring danger to their hideaway, but So-baek argues that they saved her father’s life. She threatens to tell Dad if he doesn’t cut it out, only to have Geo-chil show up right there, having heard everything.

Geo-chil figures that his disgruntled second-in-command wants to take over command of the bandits. He bares his belly and tells him to go ahead—kill him. Number Two gulps nervously, lacking the balls to challenge the boss to his face, and Geo-chil warns him to lay off their doctor guests: Messing with the people who saved his life is like messing with him directly.

Won and Da-in seek shelter in a building and worry that they’re not safe here, either. He asks why she came here, and she answers that it’s because of Rang. Spotting a tear in his sleeve, she starts mending it as she explains how she administered the treatment as he indicated, which had no effect.

She worries that Rang is suffering from the stress of her new position, as well as pretending that she’s fine. Still, she assures Won that she’ll watch after the girl—so he should focus on clearing his name.

Deok-pal is so overcome with gratitude for Won saving his wife and child that he can barely stand to look him in the eye, awash in shame for all the crimes he’s committed against him. He asks why Won bothered to help him, and Won replies that Deok-pal would have done the same, since parents are unable to turn a blind eye to other parents in need. That sure is a generous way of looking at the world.

Deok-pal falls to his knees and bawls that he doesn’t deserve to live. All he has to offer Won in gratitude is his life, he blubbers.

Well, there’s one other thing…

Won asks for the identity of his co-conspirator—who helped kill Do-saeng? Deok-pal gives up the name: Vice Premier Kim.

Both Won and Da-in gape in shock: Involvement of such a high-ranking minister is a pretty big fuckin’ deal, and suggests much more insidious and dangerous plots in play. Also, how can one little peon like him possibly take down someone so lofty?

After a long night, Deok-pal informs Won that he will tell everything he knows to the crown prince. He doesn’t want to be a father his son would be ashamed of. The problem, then, is getting to the prince, since both men are wanted. Da-in offers to contact the prince for them.

Queen Munjeong hears about Deok-pal making contact with Won, which is bad news for her faction. It’s only too obvious that they’ll take this info to the prince, though Vice Premier Kim attempts to calm her down with assurances that they can’t, given their current status as fugitives.

He slides over a piece of a message, which was was found in the prince’s quarters. The writing on it matches the writing on that tree leaf slandering the queen.

Da-in sneaks into the palace hospital wing and finds Jang-geum, which allows her to accompany her in conveying Lee Ho’s daily tonic medicine. She presents the prince with a tray of his favorite rice cakes, which he recognizes as something only Won would know. With that, Da-in presents him with the letter she has hidden, which Lee Ho reads with great interest.

Won writes requesting a secret meeting that night, specifying the location merely as the rock where they ate that rice cake together as children. He will arrive with someone who will help clear his murder charge and shed light on the prince’s poisoning.

Unfortunately, that other secret message lands Lee Ho in hot water with the king. Not only does the writing resemble that on that damning leaf, it was the note slipped to him by Chun-bong, wrapped around the base of a sapling in the greenhouse.

The king accuses Lee Ho of communicating with Jo Gwang-jo’s followers. It’s a touchy subject, given that the king himself put Jo Gwang-jo to death for plotting a coup against him, and anybody who aligns with Jo thus opposes the king.

Queen Munjeong again plays the part of concerned stepmother and calms the king down, saying that there must be an explanation. How could his writing have come to be found on that leaf?

Lee Ho cuts her off and says that he knows nothing about that leaf. He does own up to that note, saying merely that Jo Gwang-jo was his childhood teacher. When reminded of Jo’s ignominious death, Lee Ho dares point out, “And is that not something you currently regret?”

The king goes apoplectic. In his weakened health, he can barely sit up straight and the queen chides Lee Ho. But the prince has found his steely spine and says forcefully that he is advising the king to reevaluate his judgment of Jo’s faction as traitors. Shouldn’t the true traitors be the ones attempting to poison him?

Queen Munjeong snaps to alert as Lee Ho informs his father of the connection between Do-saeng’s murder and the assassination attempt on his life. He vows to get to the bottom of the crime—only to have his father roar at him to shut up. Poor prince. You get the sense that his father wishes he could make things untrue by ignoring them, which helps nobody. Except for the evildoers, I suppose.

Speaking of whom, the Three Evils confer about the latest turn of events, and the prince’s bold declaration has them worried. On one hand, they’re sure that Won and Deok-pal cannot have left Yangju due to all the men they have on the ground. On the other hand, the prince must have faith in somebody or -thing to have made such a move.

Out in the Yangju environs, assassin Do-moon leads his men through the woods. Still no sign of the fugitives, but something tells me he isn’t giving up easily.

It’s better news up in the bandits’ mountain stronghold, with Geo-chil back to good health and in high spirits. He tells Won not to worry about him and to get back to his whole murder-solving mission. The problem is that the ground is crawling with officers, but Geo-chil reminds them that they’ve got a contact to help them with that.

So Won and Deok-pal head out with bandits So-baek and Keok-jung leading the way, and they arrive at the checkpoint where their contact is stationed. They have to guess a bit at his description, but they find the official standing at the gate and sidle up to him and offer the code phrase.

Heh, she gets it wrong on the first try and Keok-jung has to correct her, but the phrase does the trick. They hand him some cash and the party is let through. Phew.

The foursome travels a distance through the woods, and when Won nears the destination he thanks the bandits for their escort. Keok-jung heads away without a second glance, his duty done, while So-baek goes with more reluctance.

Lee Ho shuts himself up in his greenhouse for the night and orders that nobody be allowed inside. It’s a curious request that has his head eunuch furrowing his brow, but they obey. Inside, Lee Ho disguises himself in royal officer’s uniform, and with his right-hand man leading the way, he heads out of a secret back exit.

As Da-in makes her way through the palace, she overhears an outburst that catches her attention. She listens in as Minister Yoon, in a fit of outrage, forgets himself and yells at the news that “they” are at a certain boulder right now. This means the fugitives have smuggled a message out of Yangju after all, and he insists that this time they must be killed for sure.

Da-in runs off in alarm to convey the news, and misses hearing that Vice Premier Kim knows this thanks to a message from the royal police, courtesy of Gon-oh.

Lee Ho and his retainer wait for a long while, growing discouraged as time passes, until finally Won runs up to join him. He introduces their key witness in the plot, and out steps Deok-pal, who grovels at the prince’s feet in shame. (Also: Thank goodness. Who else marked Deok-pal for death the minute he promised to provide testimony?)

Deok-pal confirms that Do-saeng was ordered to poison him, and provides the two names: Vice Premier Kim and Minister Yoon. He also promises to repeat his testimony in front of the king. (Oh no. Now that would be too lucky, wouldn’t it?)

Just then, Da-in arrives, having raced through the forest to warn them that Vice Premier Kim knows of this meeting. They immediately move out, but it’s too late and arrows fly in all around them. One lodges in Deok-pal’s humpback. Ack!

A team of assassins led by Do-moon charges at them. The prince is not entirely without protection and his retainer calls forth their officers, fighting while Won and Da-in try to treat Deok-pal.

Do-moon encroaches upon our core group in order to complete his mission, and raises his sword at Won… and then stops in his tracks. OOH, he recognizes Da-in! And she recognizes him too, mask or no. This is great.

Do-moon’s hesitation loses him the advantage and gives our party time to retreat to a safe distance, where the doctors continue trying to save Deok-pal. Lee Ho wants to take him to the palace immediately so he can tell the king what he knows, overriding Won’s protests that the palace is crawling with enemies. Won asks to go with them, but given his status as a fugitive traitor, that would be tantamount to suicide.

Won continues to protest, and Da-in takes over the arguing in insisting that Won do as the prince orders. That’s the only way to keep everybody safe: himself, Deok-pal, the prince, Rang.

So-baek and Keok-jung continue their trip back home, but she can’t stop feeling uneasy and stops. Her heart is pounding, and to prove it she grabs Keok-jung’s hand and puts it right on her chest, totally oblivious to the way he has a mini-freakout to be copping a feel. Aha, so he does like her! If not previously, then at least henceforth.

So-baek doesn’t link her heart condition to Won, but just decides that he’s a doctor and should know what’s wrong. Back she heads, while Keok-jung keeps staring at the hand that touched boob. Ha.

Won remains behind in the woods, where he takes out the pouch Rang dropped during their flight when they got separated. He pulls out that flower drawing (ooh), and although he doesn’t recognize it for what it is, I can’t wait for the day when somebody does.

Da-in rejoins him, opting to come back out of worry for Won. He’s fraught with worry over Deok-pal and clenches his fist, which she touches consolingly. She assures him that all will be well, and that he will be able to be with Rang again. She raises a hand to his blood-spattered cheek…

…and from a few feet away, totally clueless So-baek comments, “But that won’t wipe it clean very well.” Lol. She licks her thumb and starts wiping his cheek like he’s a child, until Keok-jung pulls her away telling her not to interrupt. They retreat to a distance, where So-baek wonders, “Then when can I interrupt?”

Won wants to accompany Da-in on her next treatment of Rang, which she denies—he can’t get that close to police headquarters. In compromise, she offers to bring Rang here tomorrow afternoon.

Two of our three Evils (the ministers) hear of the failed mission and fume. Despite the conflicting stories that say the prince is spending the night in his greenhouse, Vice Premier Kim’s suspicions are triggered and he storms inside—and finds Lee Ho there, calm as you please.

Now Vice Premier Kim has to backtrack and bow humbly, pretending he came out of concern. Lee Ho informs him that there’s no need for worry, and that even if he were poisoned he is strong enough to bounce back healthy. Good point. Suck on that, evil!

Lee Ho then makes the midnight visit to his father, and informs him that he has found a witness who will speak of the plot to poison him and kill Do-saeng. However, as he is injured, he needs treatment and safety until he can recover.

Lee Ho gets his father’s permission, then puts his quarters under strict rules not to admit anybody without express permission. His head eunuch looks awfully shifty at that.

Jang-geum treats Deok-pal, and Lee Ho entreats her to ensure his survival. Da-in is brought in to be her assistant—a fact that goes noticed by Eunuch Hwang, who takes that right to his evil bosses.

Out in the clearing in the woods, Won stays planted in place, determined to stay here until tomorrow to see Rang, ignoring the fact that it is now raining buckets on him. So-baek tries to reason with him and takes up a position waiting too, until Keok-jung tells her to give it up and go.

So-baek gets right up and starts walking, but it’s not home—she declares that she’ll go and fetch that daughter from police headquarters. It’s a far-fetched plan but she’s rock-solid in her determination, crying that she she understands how Won feels—she was desperate to see her father when he was locked up in prison.

So So-baek sneaks toward headquarters by creeping along rooftops, and Keok-jung silently follows her to offer backup on the ground. Together they’re able to get her inside unseen, and So-baek makes her way to the slaves’ quarters. Spotting Rang, she confirms that she’s Won’s daughter and carries her away.

Woo-young wakes up in time to see them heading out, and So-baek shushes her and helps her out as well. She gives the two ladies instructions on how to get to Won, then remains behind to clean up the mess she made. At least she would, but Keok-jung takes out the officers first, surprising her because he’d huffed that he wasn’t going to participate. Aw, I love him. He’s the best (lovelorn?) sidekick ever.

Woo-young and Rang make their way to the clearing where Won waits, and the reunion is tearful. Father and daughter ask simultaneously whether the other is okay, admitting that they missed each other to death.

Won checks on Rang’s health, which is unsurprisingly not great. He asks if all her symptoms persist, and she’s too scared to tell him yes but Woo-young confirms that it’s all very bad. She asks Won to take them away here and now, but he asks her to hang in there for just a short while longer, now that he has found his ticket to freedom.

Hearing of the witness buoys their spirits, and when Won starts to ask his daughter to be strong she’s already one step ahead of him, telling him that she’ll wait of him to come back for her. She’s a brave little trooper, talking like a wise old soul as she says that she knows that they have to wait for his name to be cleared. Because if they all go on the run, that means her father will get stuck by that great big needle again (the arrow Jung-hwan shot into him), and she doesn’t want to see him bleeding.

They trade their special pinky-kiss promises, putting on a brave front for each other through all the tears. Then it’s time for the two slaves to go back to captivity, before their absence turns them into criminals.

It’s not like they can escape notice entirely, since Jung-hwan arrives to find his officers strewn around the courtyard. He beelines for the women’s quarters and sees the two empty spaces, confirming his suspicions, and is in the middle of barking out orders to start a search party when he comes face to face with Woo-young and Rang.

Jung-hwan isn’t fooled by their excuses, particularly since they give different answers about where they’ve been. He isn’t a total beast, since he sees that he’s scaring Rang and has her taken back inside, though he reserves no such gentleness for Woo-young.

Holding his sword to her throat, he orders her to tell him where she met her brother, and she spits out a sardonic offer: Sure, she’ll betray her brother and tell him where she met him… if Jung-hwan can “drive her crazy” and make her fall so head over heels for him that she cares nothing about her brother. Go ahead, she goads, make it happen!

He bellows and swings his sword at her head, though it’s only the wall scroll that gets cut down. Then he looms over her, slowly, menacingly, and takes her face in his hand. She looks away, but he forces her to look at him and stares intensely.

With his finger resting on her scratched cheek, Jung-hwan advises her to put something on it, then walks away. Hm, is he taking up her challenge and playing the gentleman? Or is he giving up out of frustration? It’s intriguing, and I can’t wait to figure it out.

Vice Premier Kim and Minister Yoon aren’t very happy about the failure of their cohort, Merchant Jang, in the mission to kill off their loose ends. It was his assassin party that was sent into the woods, and they came back empty-handed. Merchant Jang understands that he’s dug himself into a hole and offers up a chest of riches to compensate for the misstep.

Vice Premier Kim scoffs at the gesture, as though he could make up for his own neck with cash, but offers a deal. He wants Da-in to work for him.

Da-in returns home and speaks plainly with Merchant Jang, having put enough of the pieces together to figure that he has something to do with the murder case. She asks for the truth, but he cuts her off to say that she was released from interrogation that last time by Vice Premier’s intervention, but that it won’t have been for free. Basically, he’ll want her to repay the favor.

Rang tucks away the pouch her father returned to her, and starts walking with difficulty, intent on a mission. She’s weak and struggling, but presses on to meet Da-in at their appointed spot, not noticing that Jung-hwan follows her and sees them together.

Ah, and he also sees the pouch as Rang starts to make the hand-off to Da-in… and swoops in to intercept it.

He’s expecting a message from Won, but finds only that drawing of a flower while Da-in says the pouch was merely to hold medicine. He doesn’t believe they’re not up to something, of course, and carries Rang off. She loses a shoe in the process, and Rang shoots Da-in a look—and Da-in finds the real message rolled up and tucked inside that shoe. Ah, clever.

The note requests an update on Deok-pal’s condition, and ends with his gratitude and apology, calling her his savior now.

So-baek returns to the bandits’ hideaway, where her father has made a full recovery. So full, in fact, that their regular medic, Chun-bong, is miffed that they got a better doctor to treat him and huffs that they shouldn’t call him anymore. Ha.

Number Two Bandit, however, looks displeased at the report that not only did Won make it, he’s back here at camp. In flashback, now we see that he was the one who eavesdropped and sent the police the tip, which is how they know about Won’s plan to make contact with the prince. He grumbles that they let this prime opportunity slip between their fingers, and gets overheard by Granny. She doesn’t seem to have caught the gravity of the situation, but she does berate him for being up to tricks.

Chun-bong recognizes Won from his palace doctor days and joins him, chuckling on in his cryptic way. He says merely that he owes Won payment for saving his life that last time, and hands over a pouch. With a mocking smile he’s off, leaving Won gaping at the shiny palace entry pass he’s left for him.

So-baek comes up to ask Won about her heart problem, but he cuts her off to ask if a reply has come in yet (from Da-in). Unfortunately, nothing.

Won has nightmares about Rang dying and stews in indecision over his palace pass. Thankfully he has happy-go-lucky Geo-chil to smack some sense into his head (figuratively)—Geo-chil boils down the problem to essentially, So, you gonna do it or not?

Geo-chil explains how he had reached the gates to the afterlife, but was brought back by the thought of leaving behind So-baek all alone. So why would Won hesitate now that he’s got his chance?

That seems to make up his mind, and Won asks if they have any palace-appropriate clothing. Alas, they don’t, so Won will have to find another way in.

That day in the city, Da-in spots a familiar silhouette in the crowd and and bolts up… to not-Won. It’s a face she recognizes from the palace, only he’s dressed in tattered clothing that bears the same mended sleeve as Won’s.

Ah, so Won had paid him for his clothing, and now Da-in scours the crowd for sign of him.

Unfortunately, Jung-hwan is also in the crowd today, having dragged Woo-young along to take him to the apothecary that her brother frequented. He spots Da-in and chases, while she spots Won at a distance and likewise pursues.

She’s the first to see both men, looking back and forth in frantic indecision.

 
COMMENTS

It’s definitely too early to celebrate our good guys getting a break in the case, since I fully expect Team Won to be dealt strong blows in the days to come. They’ve got the witness on their side, but now that Deok-pal has served his purpose I’m bracing myself for him to die. It’s gotta happen, right? Frankly I’m surprised he made it this far. Whenever our hero’s life hangs in the balance by one thread, drama law dictates that that thread must be cut.

I did love to see the teams forming in this episode, whether by design or by happenstance. The bandits are clearly on Won’s side and that’s a dynamic I can enjoy for the lighthearted comic potential; I don’t expect a full-fledged love triangle to develop, but So-baek is a winning character with a lovable denseness about her, much like her father, and it makes for a nice contrast. (Especially when Keok-jung is so clearly ten steps ahead of her and often to be thanked for—silently, unassumingly—bailing her out of trouble. That’s a duo I could really learn to love.)

The Won—Lee Ho alliance is the bigger deal, given all the scratchy history between the two, and I’m happy to have them on the same side again. You could even point to Lee Ho’s growth of a backbone to the fact that he finally has Won’s support; even the Evils wonder at what influx of confidence is driving the prince to be bolder and more aggressive. In fact, I do sort of wish that their forest reunion had been played up a bit, because it wasn’t till after the fact that I realized that this is the first time they’re coming together on the same page, with Won right there with Lee Ho. They’ve sort of been allies by default, in that they’re both being made into targets by the opportunistic queen’s faction, but now they’re working toward the same purpose.

I continue to be unsettled by the relationship (if you can call it that) between Woo-young and Jung-hwan, and I mean unsettled in a good way. There’s something so crackling and bristling about their chemistry—it’s alive and bursting with energy. It’s not all the same energy, but lots of different kinds crashing into and over each other, which makes it all the more entertaining to watch. Plus the actors have some damn fine chemistry, which makes all of their scenes deliciously uncomfortable. Somebody give these two their own drama.

Above all it was nice to see father and daughter back again, if only because it’s nice to break up some of that tortured longing with actual gratification as they get to see each other and show their love, even if only for brief moments. Rang bucking up and being a brave little soldier was such a lovely moment, echoing the beat in the chase where she turns her back on her father to allow him to escape, and in those moments it’s striking how adult she seems. Even with those chubby cheeks and wide eyes and childlike fears. I love the little touches, like that finger-kiss promise, which acts as a lovely shorthand for their emotions (which even So-baek takes and copies with her own dad). Teary thumbs-up.

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