Gwak Ji Ryeon

**Gwak Ji Ryeon** is a general of Seo Seo and the personal bodyguard of Jang Rei during her stay in Ga Guk as King Jin Won's royal consort.

## Plot

### Chase Arc

One night, Ji Ryeon visits Hyun Bin and informs her about his daily report regarding King Jin Won's usual excursions, including visiting gambling and gisaeng houses. However, he notices that he has been frequently seen with a young maiden recently, who turns out to be Yoo Ja Gyeom's daughter, Yoo Dan Ah. He adds that they seemingly do not know each other's identities. Implicitly, she asks to have her assassinated. The next day, he accompanies Hyun Bin to the palace to meet the king before going with the queen mother to the Valley of the Kings. She thanks the king for asking Bi Yeong Pal Mu as an escort and decides to lend her bodyguard as a substitute for the royal guard.

On the road from Hwa Gwi Cheon, Ji Ryeon arrives in the midst of the planned assassination attempt of some men from Nam Hyeon on Dan Ah. He protects Won and advises him to run away, though he also subtly gives a signal to the men to assassinate Dan Ah. Later, he witnesses the Crimson Moon arrive, much to his curiosity and disappointment on the failure of Rei's order.

### Plague Arc

Ji Ryeon is summoned secretly by Bi Yeong Pal Mu captain Heuk Rang to the palace training grounds for an interrogation. The captain does not believe his claims that he was the one who single-handedly killed the assassins on the night the king was attacked. However, Ji Ryeon insists he really did kill the ones behind the attack, making Heuk Rang more suspicious.

For the last time, the captain asks what really happened that night; Ji Ryeon continues to divulge no truth, as it was Rei who was behind the incident. However, he tells Heuk Rang that he was helped by the Crimson Moon that night. Yoo Shin asks him why the Crimson Moon would help him in this endeavor, which also perplexes Ji Ryeon himself. To redeem himself, Ji Ryeon gives Heuk Rang a lead on the vigilante, informing him that the Crimson Moon received a deep wound on his back during that midnight.

As the king returns to the palace from Moon's End Village after his "accident", Ji Ryeon accompanies Hyun Bin to see the king. On their way, Hyun Bin encounters some palace servants carrying the king's bloodied garb during the incident. She smells the garb and senses the scent of dream flower infused in it. She immediately turns back to return to her chambers.

In her room, she asks Ji Ryeon whether he knows of the dream flower, which he acquiesces by telling some details about the endemic Seo Seo plant. She tells him that she sensed dream flower infused in the king's garb, believing the incident was orchestrated by Seo Seo. She then requests Ji Ryeon to find Rok Ha, who she believes is staying in Ga Guk.

### Rebel Army Suppression: Setting in Motion

Ji Ryeon rushes to Hyun Bin and informs her that he has found where Rok Ha is staying. They then head to an inn with utmost caution, where Rok Ha warmly welcomes his aunt. Later, as Rei's water breaks, Rok Ha calls for Meng Gyeom to fetch a midwife. Ji Ryeon comes to Rei's side, who instructs him for them to return back to the palace amidst his and Rok Ha being against her idea. In the end, they head to the palace, and Rei finally gives birth.

### Persecution Arc

On the day of the supposed announcement of the bridal statement, Ji Ryeon and a servant rush towards Rei and inform her of a grave news. As they return to her quarters, she comes across her dead baby prince. She trembles in fear and distress, causing her to faint and collapse, with Rok Ha cushioning her fall. For several nights, Rei would be found wandering in and out of her chambers unaccompanied. She would later be found by servants by the palace lake, her hands curled as if cradling a baby.

One night, Ji Ryeon goes to Hyun Bin's quarters, only to find out from the servants that she had wandered off once again. He reprimands the carelessness of her servants especially in the midst of her recent poor condition, though they merely reason out that when they were going to check on her, she had already disappeared. Ji Ryeon becomes suspicious of Rei's untidy workspace quite unlike her typical demeanor.

As he instructs the servants to search the outside chambers and the palace lake, he notices her tea and takes a sip. He spits it out, sensing dream flower infused in the beverage. He wonders if she drank the tea, though it is quite unlike her to do so, as she would have sensed it by its scent alone. As he asks the servant who prepared the tea, a servant informs them that Hyun Bin has been found.

Later, following Dan Ah's indictment for allegedly murdering the baby prince, Ji Ryeon asks Rei's condition as she recuperates from the aftereffects of the dream flower tea she has ingested, save for a slight headache. She asks Ji Ryeon if the traitor caught turns out to be Dan Ah, which Ji Ryeon confirms. Though in disbelief that a gentle person such as Dan Ah could do such thing, he informs her that there are many proofs that point to her possible involvement. Nevertheless, Rei grows suspicious that there are too many pieces of evidence against Dan Ah, though she does not entirely deem her yet as innocent.

Rei asks Ji Ryeon if they have found the mastermind behind the dream flower, whom they have not found yet. However, he has found the whereabouts of the maid named En Shim, who has prepared the dream flower tea. Unfortunately, as he arrived at her chambers, he and the servants found her hanged, believing that the maid had committed suicide. As she grows weakened from thinking too much, after which Ji Ryeon asks her not to overexert herself. At that point, Ji Ryeon hears a rustle nearby the chambers and asks who the visitor is. It turns out to be Nabi, carrying someone with her.

Later, after Hwang Se Ryeon and Hwang Se Hyung are convicted and executed for orchestrating the murder of the baby prince, Rei asks the maid who confessed Se Ryeon's crimes to prepare, as Ji Ryeon shall escort her to her new residence. As ordered by Rei, Ji Ryeon brings the maid to the place where the plague victims are quarantined as her new residence, keeping Rei's promise of letting the maid live. Ji Ryeon relays Rei's message of leaving it to the maid whether she shall survive or not.

## References

1. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 20
2. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 22
3. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 31
4. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 38
5. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 41
6. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 42
7. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 43
8. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 61
9. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 62
10. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 67
11. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 75