Mini-recap: The Great Seer Episode 7

It's a round of Yeong-ji vs Ryun-gae. Who'd come out tops?

Episode 7

 We picked off from last week where Ji-sang interrupted the quarrel and examines the gisaeng closely. He's suddenly in fortune-telling mode, wowing everyone with his accurate predictions. Jong-dae immediately smells a money-making venture, wraps his arm around Ji-sang and claims that he's the father. It's "show-me-the-money" and I'm your daddy. Heh.

Outside, Jong-dae is curious about his "clairvoyant" power. But apparently he didn't develop supernatural powers after his near-death experience (or was it death-then undeath experience?) but it's more because of his keen observation and deduction skills. A ring mark on her finger indicates she wore the ring for a long time. For her to remove the ring suddenly must mean she's in need of money urgently...and the reason is most likely someone close to her is in trouble. Likewise she has pomegranate juice stain on her clothes, so one of her client must be a fruit trader from Yuan because pomegranate is an expensive fruit imported from Yuan. Ji-sang is still very weak and he faints mid-sentence.

Jong-dae brought him back home and even had a doctor come look at him. The doctor prescribes some medicinal herbs to neutralize the poison in his body. The stingy scrooge pays him reluctantly, grumbling about the easy cure. He even deducts the doctor's consultation fee because he didn't provide the medicine. Hah.

No-suk's investigations reveal nothing about the almighty Purple Land (it's too tedious to type it's entire name) so Seong-gye thinks it's better to ask someone - a higher ranking official in SeoWoonGuan. They ride off to find this someone, with No-suk permitted to ride a horse again. Yay promotion. LOL. I love how Seong-gye  teases the poor guy.

That someone is none other than No Young-suk, whom they entertain at the Gibang. After plying him with women and expensive wine, Seong-gye asks about the Purple land. Young-suk is immediately sober and excuses himself in haste. But that only raises Seong-gye's curiosity that much more.

Young-suk relates the matter to Ryun-gae, wondering how Seong-gye knew about the Purple land. Because the  fact that the King is in possession of that land is supposed to be top secret (Yuan is supposedly in the dark), Ryun-gae reminds him that their greater concern should be to shut him up. And for that, the King must be informed.

The King summons Seong-gye and ask an unsuspecting Seong-gye if he desires the throne. Why else would he be searching for the Purple Land? Seong-gye asks innocently if it's something he can't look for. Crap. Doesn't he know that just the mention of the Purple Land is mutiny? Seong-gye is alarmed by the accusation and explains that he thought that it was related to the assassination. Proof? Suddenly all the cards are stacked against him : He was the first to report the assassination attempt. How did he know? From a kid in the Gibang. Where's the kid? Missing. Now the suspicious King levels all accusation towards him - he'd conspired with Coldfeet and when thing's gone wrong, had sold him out. Seong-gye swears his innocence but the King orders his residence searched.

The King questions Yeong-hi next. Was she the leak? Did she tell Seong-gye about it? She pleads for his trust. She was the one who gave him the Purple Land (her hands were trembling as she says this). The King is determined to find the leak. He orders Seong-gye's quarters and working place searched thoroughly to determine if he is planning a revolt. Yeong-ji links the name to the Seong-gye who saved her and Dong-ryun in the past. She looks worried.

Seong-gye is pissed that his loyalty is being questioned. (Caption indicates Somberface is Lee Ji-ran of YeoJin tribe, sworn brother of Seong-gye, plays an important role in the formation of the Joseon Dynasty). Everyone is scratching their heads over the significance of Purple Land. The fact that Seong-gye's being vilified over something he  has no inkling of actually scares him. He can't decide his next move if he doesn't know what he's fighting.

A surprise visitor - Yeong-ji arrives. She asks how he knew of Purple Land. Gosh it's so tiring repeating this phrase. More importantly, she wants to know if Dong-ryun (from whom he heard of Purple Land) really died. It's kind of sweet how the gruff general is actually apologetic that he couldn't save Dong-ryun or capture the lady with the hat. And he could only tell her that the child who had witnessed his dad's death escaped in the confusion. Yeong-ji touches the ring on her finger in worry and despair.

Jong-dae coaches Ji-sang on the psyche of ladies (their potential customers) for their money-making scheme. The ones in their twenties are usually in a hurry to get married. The ones in their thirties usually have problems with cheating spouses. So Ji-sang must tell them he'd catch their cheating husbands and they'd willingly part with their money. How? He shows Ji-sang a white packet of something.

On to their first victim, Ji-sang tells the crying lady that her sweetheart will return to her side if she uses that - it was used by Concubine Yang (a legendary beauty in China - the King's Concubine). Ji-sang is uncertain about the ploy but it works like a charm, with Jong-dae chipping in with his exemplary lying skills.

They passes by Ryun-gae's residence but Jong-dae warns him not to mess with them. Ryun-gae alights from her carriage and Ji-sang stares at her (does he recognize her?). Jong-dae thinks he's checking her out and hits him on the head. They turn to leave just as Ryun-gae glances back so she doesn't see him. Ji-sang brings up the mysterious person with the hat and the sketch  but doesn't elaborate.(Omo he doesn't have amnesia? happy to be proven wrong here...) Jong-dae is only concerned about the bounty and warns him against keeping it to himself.

Yeong-ji receives a surprise visitor herself. It's the Queen who noticed that she's getting unusually tired these days and it's umh...getting in the way of her baby-making plans. She suspects someone is trying to prevent her from conceiving and asks that Yeong-ji investigates. As she sends the Queen away, she has an eureka moment. Seong-gye had told her how he was listless and bedridden for several days after being poisoned by a sedative when he was going after the lady with the hat. And the symptoms are eerily similar to the ones the Queen described.

Yeong-ji plans to stay in the Queen's chamber for the night to find the source of the poison. The Queen will secretly sleep in another room. Thus Ryun-gae still believes she has everything under control. Eun-bei reports that the Queen are taking more naps than usual but they're out of stock. She will get more.

The next morning, Yeong-ji wakes up tired but more importantly the poor little bird she brought for this experiment died. The Queen orders her to capture the culprit. The King is already much troubled by recent events so they will not informed him for the time being. Yeong-ji promises to do her best. She instructs people to follow the movements of Ryun-gae's servants and the people in SeongSukCheong (aka the Shaman headquarters).

Meanwhile, Jong-dae gets ready for the drug delivery. He's overcome by a sense of foreboding, worried about the delivery. But he can't afford to mess with these people so he's got no choice but to stick his neck out. Ji-sang frowns in worry.

He tags along secretly and sees Jong-dae about to deliver the goods to Eun-bei, whom he recognizes from before. Aiks, ok so he doesn't have amnesia. Grrreeeat I spend half the episode trying to decide if he has amnesia or not. Anyway, he also spots the people keeping an eye on her. He intercepts the exchange by grabbing the package but she stops him. He whispers that she's being followed and she tries to make her escape. But the men have her cornered and confiscates the package. He whispers that he will deny knowledge of everything but in exchange, he wants to work for her boss. Oh...that's what he's planning.

Ji-sang is thrown into prison where we hear his thoughts through a voiceover. He tells dad that he's found a way to work with those people and he believes they are the key to finding mum.

The Royal doctor confirms that the drugs they confiscated are the same as the one which poisoned the bird. However, the plants to make this sedative is only available in Yunnam, Yuan. Yeong-ji joins the General in the interrogation. Eun-bei maintains her innocence by explaining she was only buying cloths. She calmly rebuts all of Yeong-ji's queries and denies knowledge of the drug.

Yeong-ji asks for the boy to prove she's lying. He exchanges a look with Eun-bei who gives him a slight shake of the head. Ji-sang claims he's never seen Eun-bei before. He only took the package because he thought it was something expensive. He didn't know who's it for. Even with Yeong-ji offering him reward and warning that the drug was used to poison the Queen, Ji-sang steadfastly pretends to know nothing of it. Oh dear, thwarted unknowingly by her own son. A guard whispers something to Yeong-ji and she leaves with a dark expression. My guess would be : Ryun-gae?

Ryun-gae wants her servant released. Ryun-gae says Yeong-ji cannot prove that the drugs are meant for something else if she claims that she needed the drug to cure her insomnia. Yeong-ji would go as far as testing the drugs on herself to prove her wrong. Ryun-gae chides her for mixing personal feelings into her official responsibilities. Yeong-ji is unapologetic about that - she'd do anything to destroy the person who killed her husband and son. Ryun-gae actually smirks and advises her to stop the investigation. She threatens to expose the fake Purple Land and the consequences will be dire. Yeong-ji in turn threatens to expose her adultery. Ryun-gae is unfazed, since exposing that would implicate Jung-geun as well. She'd once abandoned him in the heavy rain, so she'd be equally unaffected if the moment comes to that. Yeong-ji is shaken but makes one last comeback: "Do you think I'd save Jung-geun like that day?" For once, Ryun-gae falters and boy is it satisfying to watch.

Yeong-ji is back to interrogating Ji-sang. He insists he knows nothing even after taking a heavy beating. When asked about his father, he claims he's abandoned by his parents from birth.  The guards flag him somemore and he calls out to mummy. His cries resonate with the mother in her and she softens, and orders that he is given treatment.

Elsewhere, Moo-hak gatecrashes a dubious monk's fortune-telling session, sending all his visitors (all ladies by the way) fleeing. He calls him out as a fraud. He is unabashed about the sham, since he's only interested in finding a woman who could breed a King. And then they fight it out. This fraud believes that he can contribute to the prosperity of Goryeo by producing an heir. If that doesn't work, they could shift the capital. He's an idealist who wants to create a country where all the citizens are treated equally (he's Sin-don, the son of a slave). Moo-hak wins the fight - he thinks Goryeo is rotten beyond help but Sin-don is free to try, but he'd better hurry, because people are already dying of hunger before his ideal is achieved.

Ban-ya manages to free herself from her ropes and kicks her way out of the makeshift prison after struggling away from the man standing guard. She runs and hides from her pursuers, bumping into Sin-don. He directs the baddies elsewhere, and she thanks him. He seems to see something in her features (he must have some ability after all) and tells her to follow him down the hills.

The General reports that Ji-sang is still tight-lipped and wonders if he really doesn't know anything. But Yeong-ji thinks that makes him even more suspicious. He'd withstood so much beating that even an adult would have given a false testimony. His unusual resolve could mean that he's on Eun-bei's side, or he's being threatened, or something else more complicated. A palace maid curious appearance from the interrogation room raises her suspicions. She rushes into the room to find Ji-sang with some food. She immediately checks for poison with her silver hairpin and it turns black. She berates the guards for their slack. The maid claimed she was here on Yeong-ji's orders. Yeong-ji wants her found. Then she turns to Ji-sang and tears into him for keeping mum . He still opts to maintain his lie. Sigh. All I can think of is : So near!! Look at her ring!!

The maids' quarters are searched. The guilty maid quietly slips away but she is not unnoticed. Yeong-ji instructs her to be followed. She's bound to find the ones who gave her orders for help. As expected, the maid goes into Ryun-gae's residence!

Ryun-gae is furious that the maid is here. She assures Ryun-gae that she wasn't followed (heh) but she didn't manage to kill the kid because she was discovered. Just then, the servant announces that Yeong-ji and the General Geol-ryun is here. Ryun-gae is pissed and glares at the maid for leading them here.

She's much more composed when she greets Yeong-ji at the door. She denies that the maid is here (of course) and dares her to sully the residence of the King's shaman (damnit). If they can't find any evidence, she would not let the matter rest. The general opines that they will need the King's permission. Satisfied, Ryun-gae asks them to leave and she will overlook their insolence. Yeong-ji tells the general that she will request for permission from the King but he should guard the premise before that. Hah, my thoughts exactly.

Yeong-ji reports her finding to the Queen who promises to get the permission she needs from the King. But Ryun-gae is working fast as well. She begs for forgiveness for not recognizing that the Purple Land he owns is  a fake. Crap. As expected, instead of blaming her, he's more fixated with Yeong-ji's part in this. And just as Yeong-ji is accompanying the Queen to see him. Oh terrible timing, I can't watch this. Yeong-ji is arrested and thrown behind bars. Dang.

With Yeong-ji imprisoned, General Geol-ryun has no choice but to retreat. Ryun-gae tells the maid to leave Goryeo. The maid promises to hide in Yuan where her brother is and will never breathe a word. Hmm...she'd let her off that easily? That's quite unlike Ryun-gae.

Seong-bok and gang are packing Yeong-ji's books in SeoWoonGuan on the teacher's orders. Jung-geun and Hae-in confronts him and hears that mum is imprisoned. He quickly runs to find General Geol-ryun who refuses to let him meet mum.

The maid is killed on the run...by Sourface. Eh, In-nim knows?

Meanwhile, Eun-bei is finally freed. Ryun-gae slaps her for her mistake and orders her to kill the boy's entire family. Wait, his family is dead, except Yeong-ji. Does that mean poor Jong-dae and wife? In-nim barges in. Okay I don't care with your unhealthy obssesion to possess Yeong-ji but please tell me you're gonna save her. He's furious with her for exposing the fake purple thing. What if Yeong-ji decides to out their relationship? Ryun-gae is confident she wouldn't endanger Jung-geun. Omo, she's banking on Yeong-ji's kind nature. She just knows Yeong-ji is not cruel-hearted, unlike her. Nice to know you have some insight. Bah.

But In-nim is not as confident. He knows her. Yeong-ji is someone who'd swallowed her pride and married him for the sake of her lover and son. Now that she's lost both, there's no telling what she'd do. She could be as cruel as her. In-nim is convinced she'd seek revenge on them. That gives Ryun-gae pause. She remembers how Yeong-ji declared she's no longer Jung-geun's mum the moment she learn of her son's death and how she might not save Jung-geun and worries for the first time. But she still believes Yeong-ji is not that kind of person. Duh, it's ironic how much faith she has in Yeong-ji's character. There's only so much a woman can take.

Jung-geun is still unsuccessful in his attempts to visit mum in prison. Ryun-gae offers to help but he must keep it a secret. He's ecstatic and holds her hand in gratitude. And she's affected by perhaps the first real contact after she'd abandoned him.

Ryun-gae manages to get them in by bribing the guards. Jung-geun is nervous about the dark and stinky prison. Ryun-gae offers him a chance to change his mind but he insists on meeting mum.

 Yeong-ji is surprised to see Jung-geun and asks how he got in. Behind him, Ryun-gae reveals herself by lifting her hood. Jeez, she's really pushing her buttons. But how would Yeong-ji decide?

Thoughts:

Haha. Glad to know the amnesia is no amnesia. This makes things that much more interesting. I can totally see where Ji-sang gets his stubbornness. Dad spent ten years in captivity and would rather die than surrender the Purple thing. Mum spends years as wife to someone she clearly dislikes. His single-minded to find mum is what's driving him. Although I'm not sure how long that would take. And to what price.

I've mentioned that I really like Yeong-ji's character and I still do. She's self-sacrificial without being a tragic figure. I love how she counters Ryun-gae openly now that she believes she's lost all the ones she care for. I love how they traded comebacks and love it even more that she had rattled Ryun-gae. And even though I'd like to see Ryun-gae get her comeuppance, I also dread seeing her lose her humanity and become as cruel as Ryun-gae.