The Moon That Embraces The Sun E14

Watching Hwon stare after Wol as she is being led away made me think he was feeling more and more lost with every step she took away from him. It’s like the life in him was sapped – all the happiness and warmth her presence brought to him was slipping out of his grasp. Part of me is thrilled to have an extension, but the other half is a bit wary since we all know what glitches in the story extensions seem to bring about to certain episodes. I am willing to give this drama the benefit of the doubt that it might make the best use of it. As long as we get more plot development in the love story that resembles some parts of the novel, I am all for it.

* wow Semi-fly you are so busy tonight leaving torrents for us for both recaps. thank you so much. you have no idea how many of us are so grateful to you.  🙂

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Omg I just saw the video preview – since when did Woon get so poetic? That amazing line about how “a sword you wield out of anger is dangerous, but wielding it in the name of love is even more dangerous” was so accurate. I knew her mom would recognize her right away. the breakup scene in that jail cell was agonizing to watch. Listening to him say words he doesn’t mean and Wol having to let him say it cuz she knows exactly why he has to say that to her –that scene is going to be heart-wrenching. Man this episode is going to be epic.

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*Sunny was kind enough to explain “Seohwalinseo”:

seo-hwalinseo is something like a charity hospital for the people of the lower classes. in chosen dynasty if the royal doctor and nurse make a mistake, they get kicked out of the palace and was taken to hwalinseo. in seoul there are two hwalinseo. at west and east of seoul seo-hwalinseo is west-hospital. They believed that a shaman can cure disease so Wol will be help sick people

E14

Starts from the courtyard where wol was tortured. Someone reads out her sentence as Wol sews that adulteress character on her clothes. the voice says that shaman wol admitted to her crime of seducing a member of the royal family so they announce her sentence -exile.

Dowager and H are drinking tea. dowager talks about the tea’s fragrance and asks what H thinks. H asks what kind it is. so she explains how the tea helps keep the body warm. H kisses up and says: as the tea gets better with age for you, doesnt that resemble you grandmother.  dowager: even if you keep it long its ability doesnt wane – knowing that is what you are trying to say, it doesnt make me feel bad. H: I didnt just say it for you to like hearing it, just like how you used your power this time, you protected royalty. dowager: do you really think that? H: yes. dowager: then you owe this grandmother a debt. isnt that right. He says he does. She says when there comes a time when she needs to ask him for a favor he has to listen to that request.

Ministers meet with H. they talk about the upcoming eclipse. H orders something to be prepared by the astrology department. other ministers talk about how it’s not a good sign to have the moon cover the sun. they bring up what happened with wol and say she is to be exiled even though M cleared her name. yoon brings up M being a threat to the throne so it makes H angry. yoon thinks it’s right to restrict M from leaving his home. another minister says they already sent guards over there.

Sunny added: In the Orient, they believe if the eclipse occurs it was because the king did something wrong. Ministers Insulted the king. they say H was close to a shaman so the eclipse occurs. The eclipse is a sky’s warning for H and he must reflect on his’s conduct

Guards block M so he asks – who are you blocking right now – do you want to die. they say it was an order from the king that restricts M from leaving

M gets mad and says about H- it wasnt enough you (?) but now you tie my feet.

Ministers are drinking and talks about H “did you see the king’s face? like a kid he couldnt do anything.” one talks about how he cant forget that girl who was so pretty and says that girl was the first who talked back to him and he cant stop thinking about her and wonders if there isnt a way to keep her next to him. (he is talking about wol)

Wol is in her cell and looks up to see H. she looks away. He looks at what she sewed. She asks why he came to such a place. H: I came cuz I wanted to ask one thing and I wanted one answer. Do you want to answer first or listen to the answer. she ask how she could dare to choose first. H: When I said to you “until i put to sleep my confusion -until I know what these feelings are  -dont go far from me– do you remember that order? wol: I remember. H: now I found the answer to that so I am saying this.  what you said was correct. I wasn’t looking at you – through you I was looking at that child. Now you can go far away from me. she says she will do that.  H: now will you answer me. Do you have anything you want to say to me for the last time. she says she doesn’t. H: it’s ok if they are resentful words so say it. She says she doesn’t have any of those.

H walks out and cries as woon come over. H leans on him and cries. H: she said comforting words to me but I didn’t get to say one word to her….woon: didn’t you protect her in your own way. H:  i gave her such great pain so do you think think this is protecting her. Woon holds H’s arm.

Wol says to herself how she has to go through all this

Yoon keeps saying he saw her somewhere before for sure. He remembers how wol spoke back to him. Then he remembers Ari saying – you must think I was the only one who saw- you must think it will end by getting rid of me but you are wrong. the moon in the sky was watching you. that’s person’s blood is not the only thing that is on your blade  -just wait and see -one day that moonlight will cut your lifeline.

B is preparing for bed. she hears crying from the hidden moon building and gets startled. aide asks why B is like that. B asks the aide if she doesn’t hear the sound of the girl crying. Aide asks why B keeps acting like this. B looks in the mirror and sees young YW’s face and it scares her

Dowager hears the crying sound. She asks her aide if she just heard someone crying. Aide says she didn’t hear any. Dowager says to herself- she is sure she heard the crying sound coming from that hidden moon building

N is walking and feels something. she thinks-the fate that a person tried to cut the heavens put together….everything will go back to its place soon there will be blood rain -not one person will be able to avoid it.

MW is scared and remembers how the doctor told Y’s mom how someone came and asked about the miss. MW remembers when she was a kid and was there during that ritual and how the dowager said what MW wanted will happen.

MW is being woken up.  Aide asks her to wake up but MW ignores her. but when the aide mentions Y’s name MW suddenly sits up and asks “what about my husband. did he get sick? aid: no that’s not it. she says how Y came back suddenly from his trip when he heard the king wasnt well. MW asks where he is now. Aide says he went to say hello to his mother and is now….MW gets up so the aide says why are you doing this – you cant. she says how Y is refined so Mw should act that way too but Mw doesn’t listen and goes.

Y was changing when MW goes into Y’s room. she runs over and back hugs him. MW: if you came back- if you came back this quickly -why didn’t you show your face to me.  He says he was going to wash first and then go see her. she says how she missed him a lot. I wanted to see you so much. He turns and hugs her.

Dowager tells the professor about the crying sounds. she says the crying sound coming from the hidden moon building that is locked up. He takes a guess why but the dowager says it happened a long time ago so it has nothing to do with ghost rumor. he explains how it makes people nervous.  he asks if she heard those crying sounds too so she denies it. she says she just wants to stop people from talking about stuff they shouldnt and there is no other reason. He brings up N to handle it, but she doesn’t want that. she wants the professor to take care of this silver moon business himself only. He suggests something driving out the dead spirit and she asks if the crying sounds from a girl’s soul will disappear. he says it will comfort the dead soul. depending on whether the dead soul accepts it or not, the end result will change.  She points out that is something for seungsucheong to do and asks for another way and he says there is one. She asks what that is. He doesn’t say and stalls.

Jansil and S are trying to go in to see Wol with N but guards block them. S says the guards are being too strict – all they need to do is close their eyes once.  Jansil asks more sweetly and begs him. just let us see our unni once.  guard says they cant control this (meaning they cant do whatever they want). S: where in this world is there something that cant happen. N gives S money to hand over to the guard as a bribe. guy says he shouldnt do this. the other one says one can hurry and go in. N tells S to take jansil and go back to seungsucheong. but S wants to go in so N tells her to obey.

N goes in to see Wol. N sees the blood covering wol and looks down at the sign sewn on wol’s clothes. N calls Wol “agi” (agassi =miss) how is your body? Is it something you can endure. Wol says sorry for troubling her. you, S, and jansil are worried a lot about me arent you. N asks why she is worrying about others. N says a long time ago I had a close friend (Ari). this place was the last time I saw her. Also the last request she asked of me was you.  to protect you in her place. no matter what happened to protect you. she begged me as a favor. Wol: was that person my mother by any chance? N shakes her head no. but I was short sighted- by trying to protect you in the end I put you in danger. Wol: you always protected me. when my parents threw me away, you rescued me as your spiritual daughter and raised me till now and took care of me. Do you remember when I said I didn’t want to be a shaman and said I would end my life – back then you said you said to me, if my psychic abilites chose me that there was a reason why –even if there was torment and anguish,  that it was to give me skills I needed. ever since then I started to think, there is no torment without any meaning. even this pain now there must be a reason why god gave it to me. N takes off her cover and stands. She bow to Wol formally.

S and jansil go back seungsucheong. Other shaman girls are talking about wol. how they knew she would get in big trouble. how could she be involved with the king like that. how she was able to avoid death cuz of H’s backing. They say how it’s better for her to die since she has to live with the word adulteress written on her chest and got kicked out. S yells and kicks one girl down. S draws her sword out and threatens to hurt them if they say one more word.

N calls wol agassi“miss.” N says Wol has to go through something again. Wol asks why N is calling her agassi=miss. N: what you have to protect what you have to throw away – the only person who knows that answer is you. dont get your answers from outside. you have to find the answer within yourself. Wol asks what that means and to explain it. N:whatever truth you find – please remember one thing.  more than anyone you are a strong person. inside of you is the right choice.  your intelligence will make you win. Just trust yourself and follow it. N says in her head: one more thing – in the end, don’t forgive me.

N goes back and S asks if N is going to leave wol alone like that. S: I just asked if you are not going to do anything about it. (actual words: are you just going to put both your hands down and just look on) N tells her to lower her voice. S: why should I do that. until now I trusted your words and did what you told me to do. i did it to protect agassi’s life. whenever my poor agassi asked about her past, I lied and said I didnt know. but what is this. exile? it want enough that she became an amulet that absorbed illness now she is at the bottom and is being exiled. now I cant even stand by her side to protect her. N: this is agassi’s fate. S: what? S asks if N can talk so easily cuz it’s someone else’s business. N says even if there is complete darkness, nothing can hinder the bright moon, until you can see a way through there is no choice but to wait. S: what does that mean. say it so I understand. N: Soon the truth will be revealed so we have to wait- everything is in the agassi’s hands.

HS is talking to H about H’s schedule and what he has to do next. H looks weak and defeated. HS: your majesty. H: why are you calling me. HS quietly offers to go make a snowman. H looks up at him. HS: But this time will be the last time. when spring comes the snow will melt and be gone. I will just gather clean pure snow that no one has stepped on and go and make a snowman for the last time. H smiles at him and looks grateful

* I almost cried in this scene. made me love HS even more.

Wol is being led away. H and woon are dressed as noblemen and watch her. wol turns around to look back so they hide. H stares at wol’s back and woon worries about H.

B yells at her aide for turning away the spy girl without B’s permission. Aide says she thought it wasnt something B should hear. B threatens to call the girl herself to confirm. aide tells her how H left late last night saying he is going for a walk and left his bed chamber empty. H told others to stay back and just told guard woon to follow. B:what do you mean he told only guard woon to follow. aide says how H went to where wol was being kept. B laughs. aide tries to explain that H was just confirming that wol was there. but B wont hear the rest and thinks “I shouldnt have let that child live-I shouldnt have let her live.” B suddenly sees young YW’s face in the reflection of the mirror and B throws things. B cuts her hand. Aide yells for a doctor.

Doctor comes running so H asks why he is here. doctor says the queen.

B is shaking with a bloody hand. She yells – I told you don’t let anyone in. but H shows up. He sees her bloody hand and broken glass. He asks for the cloth. He walks over as B looks away in anger. He tries to bandage her hand but she pulls away so he grabs her hand and wraps it up. B: you think you’re the only one in pain over your love, what about my love. you were my first love. You know how much it hurts more than anyone to lose your love so how could you be this cruel. She cries. He hugs her. H: too many people are sad and in anguish- me, you queen, brother, and that child.

Wol walks down the street and they throw rocks at her. her mom walks by and sees wol for a second. Her mom tries to reach for wol calling out her name. her servant stops her. wol turns around and her mom falls to the ground and cant see wol anymore. Her mom cries uncontrollably

Guard tells wol to follow the other guards (in blue) from here on. She asks if she wasn’t supposed to go to Seohwalinseo. the blue guard pays a lot of money to the red guard. red guard says to take wol. she says wait a minute.  where are you taking me. guy: you will know when you get there. wol: are you going against the law/order. guy: I am going to follow a more scary law than that. follow me.

M finds out about wol from his servant. M: did you say the criminal disappeared? servant says he did as M wanted and went there but there was news of that. M: where? which direction did they go? Servant things she met with robbers on that path. M goes out.

Woon is waiting there. M: what are you doing here. woon:where are you going? M: I asked why you are here. woon says M isnt allowed to leave yet and asks M to go back inside. M asks if woon came as friend or as an order.

M holds up a sword. M: these days I keep hearing this sword calling. since I am not allowed to step outside so I am worried that I will weild this sword for the wrong reasons. M says: I was going to have a sword fight with you and practice the sword skills I forgot so will you accept? M realizes that as a royal guard who protects the king, woon is not allowed to use his sword without the king’s order. woon says it’s dangerous. M swings the blade and asks: what are you going to do – wait till the royal order comes down. They fight. during the fight woon says: it’s dangerous to hold a sword out of anger. It’s more dangerous to hold the sword for love. They keep fighting and woon knocks the sword out of M’s hand. woon asks who M is upset about. M: if I knew that I wouldnt have acted like a crazy guy like this.Woon asks him why he can’t understand how H feels. So M asks:why cant you understand your friend’s heart. M points out how about woon swinging his sword without an order.  Woon says: today – here – I didnt forget that I was the guard woon or your friend….there is only friendship.

Wol is taken to some place by blue guards. She says this is the palace. The professor walks over. Flashback to the dowager and how the professor says he is going to use a vessel to take in the soul. dowager repeats the name.  he explains just like the words say, how the soul will be taken in with the whole body but it’s only possible with a shaman who is a bowl that is filled with the spirit of the god.  dowager: a person takes in the soul. he explains how she will be placed together with the dead soul and the shaman will take in the soul with her body.  Dowager asks if it’s possible. He says it is. and explains how the body that took it in will be the ship for the soul.  She asks if that means the crying sounds in hidden moon will disappear. He says yes but, there is big danger to the shaman who takes in the wandering soul. She asks if that means the shaman could die. he says he heard they could lose their lives go insane depending on how strong the dead spirit is. dowager says: by conincidence I just thought of a kid who could do this.

Wol is pushed into the hidden moon room (where young YW resided) by the professor. He says-you probably know but this place is deserted so even if you scream no one can hear so dont make the effort and obediently do your job. I will be back tm. He locks her in there. they put furniture in front of her door and then padlock the outside door. Professor puts a yellow talisman on the door.

dowager asks if he put wol inside. Professor says he did. dowager: did you explain so she understood? he says he told wol that she had get to comfort the dead soul. dowager orders for him not to let others know and the king especially cant know. she says something about wol and how the dowager didnt know she would be using wol like this and says how there will be another use for her later if wol survives.

Wol tries to get out and then looks around and all the yellow stickers in the room. She sees a red robe laid out. She remembers how other shaman girl said how you can hear a ghost crying sound coming from the hidden moon building at night. other girl asks if that is the crying sound from the dead girl. why? what is tormenting her? so there was talk going around about how a healthy crown princess who suddenly died so she haunts the palace. Wol looks at the red clothes and asks: was the soul I have to comfort – that king’s person?

There is some elaborate set up in the courtyard. Head Guard tells the other guards to be vigilant and then asks where hong went.

Guard goes in and finds hong leaning on a dead body –sort of hugging the corpse. Guard ask what are you doing – have you gone crazy. is that it? Hong asks if there has been a case where even in death body temp didnt drop. guard: what? hong: if you hold onto someone who is dead for a long time– will they seem like they are alive and be warm. Guard says how can the body temp of someone who is dead and someone who is alive be the same. hong: that’s why – if there was a case like that. Guard says if that happened it means they aren’t dead. hong: isnt dead yet

Hong reports to H what he learned. Hong says the doctor he met with said there was no specific cause for her death. and how she stopped breathing.  H remembers how he heard that too. that there was no specific cause of death. H asks if anything else stood out. Hong says even after she stopped breathing her body stayed warm. that was really unusual -the doctor said she did stop breathing though for sure. H repeats that her body warmth remained after death. hong says he will look into that more and then report. HS comes in. he says H needs to hurry cuz the prayers about to start.

Wol is sleeping next to the red outfit. She wakes up. Young YW is sitting there with her back to wol. wol: you came.

H is getting dressed in rice sack fabric. HS comes in wearing white. H asks if everything is ready. Professor says yes.

there is a rite or prayers for the eclipse. H is kneeling in the courtyard and looks up.

Wol is talking to the back of the girl: what happened for you to be so forlorn. Was it cuz you missed the king? did you have something you wanted to tell the king? Tell me – I will listen to you. I will cry with you together. Please just tell me what happened.

Young YW slowly turns around and looks at Wol and smiles.

Wol wakes up. She is in pain and weak.

H is still kneeling and they are banging on the drum thing. There is an eclipse

Wol cant breathe and crawls across the floor. Just like that night when that black smoke choked her. N’s voice says : the banging sound inside …when the moon and sun meet. a fate that a person severed the heavens will reunite….everything will go back to its place. H thinks back to those times when he grabbed his chest and thinks to himself – a mysterious illness no one knows about….that doesnt leave …

Wol is sweating and remembers N’s voice saying “miss you have an illness of the shaman” and how YW was buried. Wol: godmother. Wol sits up and remembers how her dad told her to sit up to take the medicine. And how he called out her name and how her mom came in and cried and held her. wol sits and cries remembering it all. wol: father- mom. Then she remembers H asking: have you ever met me a long time ago? young YW meets young H for the first time. H: Do you really not know me? pull out all your past memories. she remembers those times when they met as kids. How young H asked – do you recognize me. H: in your past memories am I not in there? Wol cries. young H: it doesn’t matter as long as I know you. H: will you please relay to that kid – that I liked her very very much. Wol cries and beats her chest. She yells out and hits the floor.

The eclipse is still going on and H suddenly thinks what happened to wol could have been done by dark magic- “with black arts everything is possible.”

N is clearing ari’s grave. N: I freed her and told her. Now another pain will start. Please protect them.

H goes in and asks HS to call for the head shaman  of seungsucheong to be brought. HS: why the head shaman of seungsucheong. H:what are you doing – I told you to call her right now. HS says he will and leaves. H wonders if it’s possible to kill someone with black arts. he thinks since N has the best skills in the country, she will be able to give that answer for sure.

before they go inside, professor tells the guard to confirm if she is alive.  if she is dead, take out her corpse without anyone knowing. do you understand?  guard says he will.

Professor goes in to the room and sees wol sitting there with her head down. he tells the guard to confirm whether she is alive or dead. Guard is scared and touches her shoulder and wol moves and looks up slowly. Professor asks if she comforted the dead soul. Wol: yes that girl will not cry again

End.

Fanderay’s comments

When I did yesterday’s write-up I had no idea that lots of people disliked the episode, and now I wonder if some people feel the same way today. Personally I’ve loved these episodes and found them to be a breath of fresh air. I still adored all the episodes leading up to this week, but I felt like they were setting up for the chaos that is now beginning to surface. I also like that we get to watch everyone act on their emotions with much higher stakes, because it’s much easier to prove your love when there’s little risk. Even though I enjoyed it, I didn’t really want H to stay a step ahead of the ministers and the dowager forever, and find it interesting to see how he behaves when he is at a disadvantage.

And speaking of disadvantages, it sent chills up my spine when the dowager confirmed that H owed her a favor. It felt like I was watching Rumpelstiltskin set someone up to pay a terrible cost (or maybe I’ve been watching too much Once Upon a Time).

When H visited Wol in her cell it was heart-wrenching enough, but I thought the scene would end there. When he collapsed against Woon I could practically feel myself collapsing with him. How hard must it have been for him to control his emotions for him to not make it any further than the courtyard with his guard before breaking down?

I actually think that N’s jail visit almost upstaged H’s. Wol was trying to make her feel better, but probably couldn’t have hurt her much more with her words. All this time Wol has coped with her pain because she thought it was ordained by a higher power, but N knows that she herself is responsible for Wol’s life, and probably assumes that Wol will hate her when she finds out. I wonder if N would have been able to do what she did all those years ago if she knew that she would end up loving YW like a daughter. I’m sure she feels like she’s betrayed her, even though that betrayal occurred before they became like a family.

I felt like a big baby this episode because even HS (who is usually comic relief) almost made me cry by talking about snowmen. He may be a silly character in a lot of ways, but he has moments where he feels like a father giving his son advice because he doesn’t want to see him hurt anymore.

I can never find it in myself to hate B because she’s just so pathetic and desperate, so I was actually pleased when H hugged her and found it incredibly sweet. No matter how much he dislikes her, H still can’t help but empathize with her, and the poor boy really needed a hug himself. Even if he doesn’t come to love her, maybe his sympathy will cause B to lighten up and stop fighting so hard for him.

Oddly enough, I think my favorite scene this episode was the one between M and Woon. I was completely riveted to the screen and think that in the current situation Woon has a much better chance of getting through to M than H does, since M is just overcome with resentment when he sees H. Woon was surprisingly insightful, and I loved that he went to stop M of his own accord, as a friend. He probably worried that M would rush headlong after Wol and get himself killed, and it’s rather sweet that Woon is doing his best to protect both brothers both emotionally and physically.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the moment that Wol remembered her past, and the poor girl couldn’t remember in a much worse situation. How frustrating must it be to not be able to confront N or rush to H and tell him his instincts were right? The end is worrying though. What exactly did they do to her, and did it work, or is she faking? Weren’t they trying to give her YW’s soul, which is hers to begin with? Did N “remove” it? All this hocus pocus has me a bit confused. Now that she knows the truth though, I really want to know what she does with that information, and I’ll be hitting refresh on the MBC website until they give us a preview.

Softy’s comments

Anyone who doubted her acting ability should watch this scene again. She managed to channel exactly what young YW went through and felt. In those moments of recognition, we saw her raw vulnerability as a grownup who suddenly remembers flashes of her past childhood and the way she called out “father, mom” was just like a child who finally found her lost parents. So far this character seems to have had two lives – the one as the crown princess and then as a shaman. Now that Wol finally has her memories back, starting from next week, we are about to embark on her third “life.” If only this one led quickly back to Hwon and her family and doesn’t make any stops along the way, but given that she is to be exiled, I guess there are some hurdles left for her to jump over. I don’t know how this drama manages to do the impossible by linking us to the characters in such a way that we are woven and enmeshed in their tribulations as well as their joys, but I can’t wait to see what else it has up its sleeves.