Episode 2

Park Ki-woong

Lee Ji-hoon

Park Ji-hyun

Choi Deok-moon

Kim Min-sang

Gong Jung-hwan

Kim Yeo-jin

Sung Ji-ru

Episode 2 of *Rookie Historian* overall, but aired in South Korea as Episodes 3 and 4. It guest stars Seo Young-joo as Lee Seung-hoon, Goo Hae-ryung's groom. It also introduces the Queen Dowager, and officially introduces Song Sa-hui.

## Episode Synopsis

Goo Hae-ryung gets distressing news from Goo Jae-gyeong about her betrothal. The King finds out about Yi Rim's activities. Yi Jin makes a controversial ruling.

## Plot Summary

Goo Hae-ryung (Shin Se-kyung) and Prince Dowon (Cha Eun-woo) are shocked to recognise each other after he reveals himself to be the real Maewha. He asks her to apologise. She apologises to the crowd, admitting that she is not Maewha – but she adds that the real Maewha is Prince Dowon standing next to her.

Soldiers suddenly arrive and accost the meet-and-greet attendees, seizing copies of *Moonlight Love Affair* and capturing Maewha. Feeling guilty, Goo Hae-ryung returns to save Prince Dowon from the guards, only for the two of them to be cornered again. She throws Maewha into the guards and flees.

The next day, soldiers from the palace aggressively seize banned book copies and writers. Goo Hae-ryung and Seol-geum run home to find that they have not been spared – Goo Hae-ryung’s room has been ransacked and several books taken – upsetting her.

Prince Dowon is being interrogated at the *Royal Investigation Bureau* but he does not own up to being Maewha. His relaxed and bored attitude confuses and angers his interrogator, especially when he admits that he doesn’t even own an identification tag. The investigator surmises that he must be a son of a high-ranking officer, but before Prince Dowon can answer, his eunuch Heo Sam-bo appears to confess being the real Maewha. Prince Dowon is set free.

Most historians are weary from taking inventory of the banned books, while a head guard tries to give Officer Min Woo-won special treatment – and it is revealed that Officer Min Woo-won is the son of Second State Councillor Min Ik-pyeong.

The banned books are burnt in public. Extremely saddened, Goo Hae-ryung confronts Officer Min Woo-won and the head guard, trying to determine the reason for the sudden ban and asking to see the historian’s daily records. She argues against the King’s decision, before being hurried away by Goo Jae-gyeong and Seol-geum for her biting words.

Goo Jae-gyeong scolds Hae-ryung about the confrontation, and informs her that he has found someone to marry her.

Heo Sam-bo returns to *Nokseodang*, appearing injured much to Prince Dowon’s worry. However, Heo Sam-bo admits that he only had to pay a fine and write a letter of apology to escape flogging – he’d only been pretending to get a few days off, earning Ye Rim’s chagrin instead.

That night in his quarters, Officer Min Woo-won rewrites a meeting with Crown Prince Yi Jin and official, Seol Seung-gwang about the aftermath of the banned book order. Moved, Officer Min Woo-won adds his own personal opinion.

> **Officer Min Woo-won:** The corruption in the royal court is worsening by the day, and the political tension is rising. Meanwhile, the people are accused of committing offences even when they just reach out their hands and step forward. Since the ancient times, it has always been said that the skies identify with the heart of the people, since it does not have its own. Hence, what saddens the people saddens the skies as well, and what delights the people delights the skies too. Nevertheless, the ministers are not afraid of either the skies or the people. From my observation, this crisis should be blamed solely on them.
>
>

Prince Dowon is summoned to King Hamyeong Yi Tae. He is angrily rebuked and insulted for his writing as Maewha, and is therefore banned from reading and writing at *Nokseodang*. Dropping to his knees, he begs the King to retract the punishment, as he is nothing without it. His protests are ignored. He cries alone as the King leaves.

As he sleeps later, Prince Dowon dreams of the King stabbing him through the chest. He wakes up, deeply disturbed. Despite losing writing and reading, he chooses to obey his father, as he wishes to have a close relationship with him.

In a one-on-one meeting with Goo Jae-gyeong, Second State Councilor Min Ik-pyeong suspects that the person responsible for *The Story of Ho Dam* resides in the Inner Palace. He hands Goo Jae-gyeong a piece of paper involving a new petition for the Crown Prince.

Queen Dowager recalls a moment twenty years earlier in which she questions Min Ik-pyeong and Hamyeong Yi Tae about the current King’s whereabouts. She is pressured into announcing Yi Tae as the new king.

The next royal meeting reveals that the new petition calls for the employment of female historians, a first in Joseon history. Unable to argue against the ministers, the Crown Prince is forced to accept after a meeting with the Queen Dowager.

Prince Dowon plays the pipa terribly. He is interrupted by Crown Prince Jin, who invites him out for a picnic and comforts him about Maewha, admitting that he liked the novels. GooHae-ryung acts distantly to Seol-geum’s praises of Hae-ryung’s husband-to-be, before attempting to sell her clock to the apothecary. The boy from last episode, now named Jang-su, is under the apothecary’s care and appears far healthier and happier.

The Crown Prince publicly announces his acceptance for female historians – but adds his own terms, using the ministers’ dissent against them. The decision causes annoyance among the historians, with the exception of Officer Min. Banners asking for women to take the civil servant exam are put up around Hanyang – Song Sa Hui, daughter of Song Jae-cheon (a minister allied with Min Ik-pyeong) – asks to take the exam.

The Goo family prepare for Goo Hae-ryung’s wedding. She gifts Goo Jae-gyeong a green robe that she favours him in, and he tells her that he will always be there for her. The next day, Goo Hae-ryung is dressed in traditional bridal garb. Her groom, Lee Seung-hoon, arrives but suddenly cries out before the ceremony that he will not go ahead with the marriage, to everyone’s shock. With Seol-geum’s help, Goo Hae-ryung escapes.

Prince Dowon helps Crown Prince Jin decide the topic for the civil servant’s exam the morning of. He suggests hiring someone stubborn, impertinent, and unafraid of authority.

Hae-ryung arrives just in time for the exam.

## Starring

### Main cast:

* Shin Se-kyung as Goo Hae-ryung
* Cha Eun-woo as Prince Dowon
* Park Ki-woong as Crown Prince Yi Jin
* Lee Ji-hoon as Min Woo-won
* Gong Jung-hwan as Goo Jae-gyeong
* Kim Min-sang as King Hamyeong Yi Tae
* Choi Deok-moon as Min Ik-pyeong

### Recurring:

* Kim Yeo-jin as Queen Dowager Yim
* Heo Jeong-do as Officer Yang Si-haeng
* Kang Hoon as Officer Hyeon Kyeong-mook
* Nam Tae-woo as Officer Son Gil-seung
* Yoon Jung-sub as Officer Hwang Jang-goon
* Ji Gun-woo as Officer Seong Seo-kwon
* Oh Hee-joon as Officer Ahn Hong-ik
* Lee Jung-ha as Officer Kim Chi-gook
* Park Ji-hyun as Apprentice Song Sa-hee
* Lee Ye-rim as Apprentice Oh Eun-im
* Jang Yoo-bin as Apprentica Heo Ah-ran
* Jeon Ik-ryung as Mo-hwa
* Sung Ji-ru as Heo Sam-bo
* Yang Jo-a as Seol-geum
* Lee Kwan-hoon as Gak-soi
* Ryoo Tae-ho as Song Jae-cheon
* Kim Yong-woon as Gwi Jae

### Guest:

* Seo Young-joo as Lee Seung-hoon, Goo Hae-ryung's groom-to-be