Episode 17

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 Synopsis

Woo-won receives a royal visitor at home. Yi Jin strikes back at growing rumours. Queen Dowager Im confronts Jae-gyeong. Yi Rim's entourage is ambushed.

## Plot Summary

Goo Hae-ryung roams the bookstore, and remembers her first meeting with Prince Dowon. She is approached by Heo Ah-ran and Oh Eun-im who intend to comfort her over drinks at the Goo residence. Seol-geum overhears that the ‘handsome man’ who has stayed over with Goo Hae-ryung was actually a prince.

Crown Princess Min U-hui meets her brother, Min Woo-won, outside of the palace, revealing that she knows Crown Prince Jin and Song Sa-hui had not actually slept together, but is still hurt. She blames their father, Min Ik-pyeong, for forcing Song Sa-hui’s hand and for selling his only daughter off to the Crown Prince. She asks Min Woo-won to ensure that Sa-hui isn’t punished by their father.

Crown Prince Jin deals with numerous petitions concerning the rumours involving Sa-hui, angrily dismissing them to try and concentrate on more pressing matters. He tries to defend Sa-hui, saying that he had courted her first.

> **Crown Prince Jin:** You were the ones who wanted to put a black mark on her because of unverified rumours. So, tell me. Do not just put the blame on her. You should criticize me equally for my conduct.
>
>

The King, ashamed and outraged, cancels Prince Dowon’s upcoming marriage and scolds Min Ik-pyeong for his recommendation of Sa-hui.

Meanwhile, Sa-hui suffers from a fever and her father tends to her. Min Ik-pyeong visits her, offering medicine, but warns her that he will not spare her life next time. Her father overhears, eyeing her worriedly.

A flashback from Crown Prince Jin shows that after a heart-to-heart with Song Sa-hui, they had begun to orchestrate the previous events.

Heo Sam-bo and the court ladies surprise Prince Dowon on his 20th birthday. He visits The Queen Dowager who congratulates him, and takes him to visit the grave of the former dethroned king – Huiyeong Yi Geum - her son. Upon being informed, the King asks not to reveal this to Min Ik-pyeong.

The Queen Dowager offers Prince Dowon a meal, but invites Goo Hae-ryung to join them. Later, Prince Dowon and Goo Hae-ryung agree that they should pretend that nothing has happened between them.

Mo-wha brings Goo Jae-gyeong to the Queen Dowager, who emotionally and angrily blames him for the deaths of those at Seoraewon, and of the late king. However, she lets him assist with their plans.

Prince Dowon dreams of a young king, who affectionately calls him ‘Rim’. The prince wakes up and asks Goo Hae-ryung if she thinks that it was strange for Dowon to hold a memorial ritual to the dethroned king. Neither of them are sure of why the last king was dethroned. Hae-ryung sees Goo Jae-gyeong at the Onyang palace with Mo-wha, but does not approach.

On the way back to Hanyang, the assembly is attacked by bowmen. Soldiers and Prince Dowon are injured. Crown Prince Jin races to Onyang with panic for Dowon’s welfare. Goo Hae-ryung notices that all the arrows were purposefully blunt, leading the princes to realise that they were not aiming to kill Prince Dowon.

The King blames Second State Councillor Min Ik-pyeong for the attack, who reveals that he knows Prince Dowon is the only son of the dethroned King Huiyeong.

Goo Hae-ryung and Prince Dowon are puzzled about the attack. Goo Hae-ryung realises that the tombstone Prince Dowon found in Episode [] names Ho Dam and Yeongan, the physician who wrote the method for Cowpox variolation given to her by Mo-wha. They realise they are all connected.

Prince Dowon recognises a place from his previous dream at the Onyang Palace. They enter a building and find a picture of Kin Huiyeong – the man from his dream, who Goo Hae-ryung realises is Ho Dam from a distant memory.

## 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