Protecting The Secret
Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong orders Prince Gyeosong to focus on his studies and exams, but he doesn’t seem to be too interested in doing so. She tells him that she knows about his relationship with the queen and that she wants him to end it. He doesn’t seem too interested in this either, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. She orders him to go into the bedroom and kiss her.
Grand Prince Hwa-Ryeong is the one with the most promise and he confirms this to Grand Prince Hwa-Ryeong. Hwa-Ryeong is willing to do as Grand Prince Hwa-Ryeong asks and shrugs off his pleas for being allowed to wander the palace as it gives him a chance “to breathe.”
The Selection exam begins, the “Chosi” - the first selection examination of cohort. The princes all show up and predictably, Hwa-Ryeong is late, rushing around the palace (which seems to be a consistent theme in this show, doesn’t it!) Unfortunately, the Queen Dowager is not about to let Hwa-Ryeong have her way, and she continues to build up her lapdog, Consort Hwang, to thwart her. ..
The Crown Prince is visited by a doctor who hands over a book with information about his treatment leading up to his current collapse. It turns out that he’s been recording everything he’s doing with his treatment leading up to this point. He’s been falling unconscious over longer periods of time over the past few weeks.
The Crown Prince is absent and not waking up, raising suspicions throughout the palace. Hwa-Ryeong makes the bold decision of cancelling all of the Crown Prince’s engagements, courtesy of Eunuch Hong. This only exacerbates matters.
The Chosi is underway and several questions need to be answered. Some mothers are praying or biding their time, hoping their sons will come out on top.
The Crown Prince and his wife Hwa-Ryeong stay with the prince as he recovers from his illness. The couple encourage the prince to rest and focus on his recovery, but he is not able to do so and the palace falls into disarray. The couple asks the prince if he can manage his symptoms, but he is not able to and it gets worse.
After the exam has concluded, the government officials begin to mark the papers but quickly figure out which is Prince Uiseong’s, given his language, and give him an unfair advantage. The two names that show up the next day are, obviously, Prince Uiseong but also Prince Bogeom. Surprisingly, Prince Seongnam and Prince Gyeseong also make the list too!
The King orders that those who have passed will be in attendance to take this. Hwa-Ryeong suddenly shows up with big news regarding the Crown prince. Of course, the rumours about his sickness have spread and some of the government officials are scheming against him.
The recent news is that it’s a skin condition and some of the more cunning among them are wondering how this will affect the palace going forward.
Suddenly, the door burst open and in walks Prince Uiseong. He’s not looking happy to see anyone. He strides into the room and orders everyone to leave. Lady Shin is quickly escorted out, but not before she sees the painting on the ground and realizes who it is.
The Queen Dowager continues to operate in the shadows, demanding answers from Court Lady Shin. She refused to give much away but did confirm that the Crown Prince is recovering and on the mend. ..
She tells Dowager that she knows about the rumours and that the Crown Prince is recovering, but does not mention Gyeseong’s antics late at night.
Queen Dowager intends to oust her secret and wants to get rid of all the evidence. Hwa-Ryeong decides to try and get rid of all the evidence but on her way out, she’s stopped by the Queen Dowager who happens to be walking with the King. She’s offered to walk with them, and doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter.
Queen Dowager’s plan to burn down the building in order to get rid of any evidence was thwarted by Hwa-Ryeong, who arrived first. In fact, she set the building on fire in order to cover her tracks. It seems to work and as the flames lick hungrily up the side of the building, Dowager arrives too late and realizes her plan has been foiled. She turns and walks away in anger, while Gyeseong hides and can barely hold back his tears.
Queen Dowager tells Hwa-Ryeong that she’ll make sure to oust Gyeseong’s “disgusting” secret the next time she sees him. Hwa-Ryeong remains confident and stead-fast, determined to do everything she can to protect her sons.
That night, Hwa-Ryeong explains her actions but Gyeseong is having none of it, believing she should have turned the other cheek and ignored what was happening. Gyeseong is not content with Hwa-Ryeong’s explanation and decides to speak his mind.
Hwa-Ryeong takes her son out to town and stands guard while he dresses up in beautiful gear and has his portrait painted. She sits outside with Court Lady Shin, saddened that she’s lost a son.
She knows that Gyeseong must have been scared and decides to stand by her son no matter what. ..
It’s a really beautiful moment and one that shows just how far Hwa-Ryeong’s loyalty to her children goes. After the painting is done, Hwa-Ryeong encourages her son to always look at that when he wants to see his true self.
Hwa-Ryeong says, “No matter how you look, you will always be my son.” She hands over her favorite hairpin to Gyeseong. It seems right to give it to him because it is a symbol of their relationship. ..
The moment the two walk together, under the queen’s umbrella, it is clear that this is a momentous occasion. ..
The Episode Review
This episode was really coming into its own, with a beautiful end that left us feeling really connected to the characters. We see how deeply Hwa-Ryeong’s loyalty to her sons goes and her chat with Gyeseong right at the end is a definite highlight of the whole show.
Queen Dowager is a powerful and influential woman who is always trying to outdo her rival. Hwa-Ryeong is a young and talented actress who has impressed many with her work on this show. She brings the character to life perfectly and is one of my personal favourites.
Tomorrow’s episode of “The Crown” is sure to be intriguing due to the number of intriguing characters involved. Corruption is likely to occur among government officials, adding to the drama. The ending leaves the door open for future episodes to explore this further. ..
