Mini-recap: The Great Seer Episode 2

Feisty princess Yeong-ji (post partum). :p

Episode 2

At the rival tribe's campsite, JJH's idea of attack consists of screaming at the enemy to come at him. Heh. With the attention on him, he proceeds to shoot down the men at the gates while advancing boldly. He's quick and accurate and probably fearless (he doesn't even dodge the enemy's arrows). His men charge into the enemy base and all hell break loose. Men from both party engage in a fierce battle, Seong-gye included, but he's mostly an archer. He tries to take down the enemy's leader but the guy is pretty well protected by these really tall shields. Undeterred, he shouts for "wings" and some of his men immediately crouch down and form human stairs. He elevates himself high into the air by stepping on them. From his vantage point, he aims again and this time manages to hit the leader square in the forehead. With the leader gone, they conquer the demoralized rival tribe in no time.

JJH orders Dong-ryun and Yeong-ji released when they have achieved victory. One of the enemy remnants tries to shoot at JJH but Dong-ryun quickly takes him out with his flying dagger. JJH repays the favor by leading him to where they keep their prisoners. Oh so they're not really eaten? Hah. All the villagers are released but there's no sign of Dong-ryun's little brother. Hmm...

Dong-ryun and Yeong-ji joins the victory celebration, but in a much more subdued mood. Yeong-ji questions JJH's decision to reduce the village to ruins. JJH is not the least apologetic that they wipe out the villagers because they were helping their rivals. And that makes them enemy. Dong-ryun notes that JJH speaks the Goryeo language, is he from Goryeo? It's something JJH would rather forget but Yeong-ji challenges that blood runs deep. JJH argues that he now serves the Yuan emperor but that gets to Yeong-ji as well who immediately retorts if he is happier forsaking his king for the emperor. That proud and defiant nature is gonna get them into trouble because immediately the atmosphere is filled with tension. Fortunately, JJH diffuses the situation by laughing it off, lauding her bravery in mocking a man of the emperor. However, he reminds them that they're only alive because Dong-ryun saved him earlier. Meaning don't push your luck, lady. They are to leave in the morning.

They don't quite get to leave the next morning because Lee In-nim and his men show up. In-nim asks for Dong-ryun and Yeong-ji. The fact that one's a prisoner and the other a princess is news to Seong-gye but he does not seemed fazed one bit. In fact, he offers to buy them some time while they leave. Dong-ryun asks for Seong-gye's name before he leaves- DUN DUN DUN- It's Lee Seung-gye. In-nim is frustrated but he can't act rashly because Seong-gye is appointed by Yuan.

Dong-ryun and Yeong-ji ride all day before resting at a small village (which is btw PRETTY). He admits he could offer "chamiheonguk" to anybody as long as that person can save the people from suffering. It could be the King himself but the time is not right. So even if she's the princess, he will not tell her the location of the sacred ground. So she should just leave. But she's not here for that. She's here because of him. She has never once forgotten him in the past ten years. She raises a hand to his blind eye tenderly and he wraps her in a hug. He apologizes for not being able to reciprocate her feelings because he needs to leave. But she isn't asking him to stay. He can leave but after tonight, he must promise to give her "chamiheonguk". Then they kiss like crazy and presumably spend the night together.

The next morning, Lee In-nim reaches the village but finds only Yeong-ji. She declares that Dong-ryun is gone and she's got the "chaminheonguk". She will follow him back to Gaesung. Dong-ryun watches as the group leaves. However, In-nim is doubtful and sends men back to track him down and kill him.

So Dong-ryun gets cornered soon after at this waterfall. He jumps in but gets shot when he resurfaces from the water.

It isn't fatal and he crawls downstream even as the pursuers get down to check later. He's later saved by a healer who used to work in the palace. Hmmm, small world? Well the healer was in the meeting where it was decided that Dong-ryun would be sent to look for the sacred ground. And the healer's companion, Moo-hak astutely points out that he must have found the place, or else he wouldn't be hunted as he is.

That night, Lee In-nim slips into the room of the sleeping Yeong-ji. He wears a mask and sprinkles some powder into the candle which produces some sort of smoke I'm gonna assume puts her in deeper sleep. Anyway, he removes a piece of paper from her clothes, most likely the map to chaminheonguk. Right before he leaves, he remembers Ryun-gae's instruction to kill her and reaches for her neck. At the last moment, he stops himself and leaves. Phew.

Yeong-ji and In-nim's men continue on their journey back the next day. They are received midway by the King who's anxious about the mission. A calm Yeong-ji declares that she has entrusted the map to Lee because it was too precious. Haha. Smart. In-nim has no choice but to hand over the map without betraying himself

The King rides to the sacred ground (It's not the REAL one!). Believing that he's got the blessed land, he declares independence from Yuan. And thereafter, the King symbolically dons the Goryeo King's robes and implements a series of law punishing the corrupted. From now on, Goryeo refuses political interference from Yuan.

In another round of divination, the royal shaman realizes that the King's "chamiheonguk" is a fake. Unfortunately, only Ryun-gae is there. The royal shaman wants to keep things under wrap as the truth would affect the King's determination to continue his revolutionary changes. The sneaky Ryun-gae poisons her drink. Then she declares to the dying shaman that she would make sure the world knows that the chaminheonguk is a fake. For added measure, she even stabs her. But a palace guard chances upon this and raises her sword to Ryun-gae. Someone else cuts her throat though. It's In-nim, here to the rescue. The slightly crazed Ryun-gae lifts In-nim's hand to her stomach and announces to the dying shaman that he is the father of her child and that she shall be the next royal shaman. Yup, this one is meant for the madhouse.

Ryun-gae visits the out-of-favor Yuan envoy secretly and lets him on the secret. He crackles in glee at the ignorant King declaring independence with a fake chamiheonguk.

In-nim also confronts Yeong-ji about the fake chamiheonguk. She offers him a deal - her hand in marriage in exchange for saving three lives. Hers, Dong-ryun and her unborn baby. Gulp. Is it wise to tell him that? He's been carrying a torch for her no doubt but the promise of being part of royal family might not be enough.

Well, it seems he's agreed to her deal because Ryun-gae receives news of the impending wedding soon after. She tries to convince herself he's only after Yeong-ji's bloodline even as her brows knot in jealousy.

Elsewhere, the other shaman disciple, Bong-chun and her trusted aide also makes their way to the official reading of the late royal shaman's will. Bong-chun is the late shaman's favourite disciple and widely regarded as the next in line for royal shaman. The aide accidentally backs into the path of Ryun-gae earning her a cold censure and deathly glare (she's conscious of the impact to her pregnancy). Well, at least we know these two are not on friendly terms.

The adulterers meet in secret. She not so happily congratulates him on his impending marriage. He admits he hasn't told the King about the fake chamiheonguk. But there's no way he will accept the child as his own. He wants the child dead. Ryun-gae assures him there are plenty of ways for that. Once Yeong-ji's child is dead, her lonely heart would direct her attention to Ryun-gae's child. Oh, they're gonna pass off her child as Yeong-ji's? As for the chamiheonguk, their only option now is to wait for the one entrusted with the fate of chamiheonguk to be born.

The wedding day arrives. As Yeong-ji gets dolled up, In-nim arrives with his contingent. It's a pretty lively and festive affair considering the true nature of this wedding. Ack, the evil Ryun-gae is here as well. Bad feeling about this. Flashback, she'd followed In-nim who's visited the apothecary for an abortive medicine. He ended up killing the poor man as well.

In-nim drops in on the unsuspecting Yeong-ji and prepares tea, with the poison of course. He distracts her by asking her opinion on his dreamless sleep. She explains thatno dreams means there's nothing he wants and nothing he worries about. He agrees about the worry bit but there's definitely something he wants. He wants a bride who's waiting for him. He means it figuratively and she intentionally regards it literally. And just when she's about to take a sip of that poisoned tea, surprise surprise, Ryun-gae shows up. Even more surprisingly is how she outed him for poisoning the tea. Yeong-ji thanks her. Ryun-gae explains that she's also expecting which is why she saved her baby. He orders her out but she's not done. She tells Yeong-ji that In-nim is the father of her child. And then, she tells him defiantly that she's only feeling a little upset because the father of her child is marrying another. He storms out angrily.

Not that it changes anything. Yeong-ji is still determined to go through with the wedding. She thanks Ryun-gae for her help and says that she will not forget her favor. It's something anyone would say out of gratitude but I have a bad feeling when Yeong-ji reiterates that she is not to forget the favor before leaving.

In-nim drags Ryun-gae aside, furious with her. She asks if he's mad about not able to kill the baby or about her outing their relationship. As predicted, he's more concerned about the latter. She reassures him in return though. His wife does not seem to mind the news much. Is she really that magnanimous or she just don't care for him? The answer is obvious and it leaves him speechless.

Meanwhile, Yeong-ji is attracted to this pretty white butterfly and follows it to backyard, where Dong-ryun is waiting for her. Wait, did he conjure the butterfly?

 DR: In the ten years I was locked up, I thought and thought - why has it got to be me? Why must I suffer all this? I was angry. Angry at the world. However, if all that is the price to pay for having you, I am willing to spend the rest of my life in jail. Leave with me!

She interjected his hasty speech by urging him to leave. The place is crawling with guards. She spies In-nim and his sidekick heading towards her and urges him to leave quickly. She can't leave with him. She pushes him aside just as In-nim finds her. He's been searching for her, wanting to explain about Ryun-gae. But she calmly tells him that it's in the past and she doesn't mind. He wonders at her lack of jealousy but she explains that she's not exactly in the position to begrudge him. You know since she's pregnant with another man's child. She just wants to be his wife. She marches off but he's suspicious of her behaviour. Wow, has he got a Dong-ryun radar or something? He instructs his sidekick to hunt and kill Dong-ryun. On her way back, Yeong-ji finds a pair of pretty shoes on a rock, laid there as though for her, and frowns in worry.

The guards scour the premises for Dong-ryun as the ceremony begins. In-nim notices Yeong-ji's strange reaction mid-ceremony to a suspicious masked man. The man runs off in the crowd as the sidekick gives chase. They apprehended the man but turns out it's the healer acting as decoy while Dong-ryun escapes.

That night, a semi-drunk In-nim comes to his wife. He tries to force himself on her but she remains cold and unresponsive which seems to dampens his ardor. He pulls back in anger. She promises to follow his lead after the child is born. For now, he must wait. He reluctantly agrees to wait, because she wants her heart and body in whole.

After he's left, Yeong-ji tells Dong-ryun to come out. He's been hiding there?? The most dangerous place is the safest place I guess. He's heard the conversation and ask about the baby. It's his. And she tells him to banish all other thoughts and focus on figuring out a way to save their baby.That means she knows In-nim won't let the baby live.

And he sure as hell wants the baby dead. And the father too. Ryun-gae tells him that the father will definitely show himself on the day the baby is born. They can get to him then.

 7 months later, Yeong-ji's maid discretely places a pair of ladies shoes on the rock by the pond. Their secret signal? The contractions have begun. In-nim receives words and rushes home. Yeong-ji instructs her maid to lock the door. She wants to give birth in secret? Elsewhere, Ryun-gae is also in labour.

In-nim returns home but finds the front door locked. His sidekick easily climbs over the walls and unlock the door. Both ladies are deep in labour now. Ryun-gae's baby is out first. In-nim continues to march determinedly to Yeong-ji's room.

Yeong-ji's baby is also out now. Meanwhile In-nim has made it to the front of her room. Yeong-ji tries to imprint every detail of her baby in her memory. In between tears, she promises to remember how he looks and find him no matter how long it takes. As the knocks get more persistent, her maid urges her to hurry but Yeong-ji is reluctant to part with her baby.

In-nim's gotten impatient with the knocking and finally decides to let himself it. It's ... not locked? There are plenty of people in the room but no Yeong-ji. Pfft, and all these people didn't bother to answer his knocks? LOL. He heads to another room but this time she's ready for him - looking nonchalant and calm. No baby.

Thoughts:

Lee Jin is pretty amazing here and I will be sorry to see her gone for future episodes as I understand she'll be replaced by another actress. Yeong-ji is proud and feisty as a princess, resourceful and smart to her adversaries, brave and passionate as a Dong-ryun's lover and a strong, heartbroken mother for her child. She never crumbles and I love that she can go from vulnerable to defiant. In fact, she kept me riveted for the past two episodes.

In-nim is weak, cruel and ambitious while Ryun-gae is insecure, cruel and ambitious. IMO, they totally deserve each other. It's the first time I see Jo Min-ki as a villain (before he was mostly benevolent fathers) so it took some some getting used to. And it's really weird but I find Ryun-gae brow-raising habit a reminiscent of Mishil in QSD. Hahaha. She's not as interesting at the moment but definitely just as promiscuous. Hee. The wedding is a pretty drawn out affair with quite a few details thrown in with regards to the customs and all, which is pretty surprising becauseI was not really expecting such lavish details for this pair.

Anyway, I'd be tuning in for more and more mini-recaps will be in order.