고정 헤더 영역
상세 컨텐츠
본문
***The intent of The Flower Realm by 사극 Paradise is to support women and men in rejecting the culture of pornography, and to live a life of integrity without manipulative intent.***
"기황후" can be viewed on Viki or Youtube, as well as many other channels. It is an amazing classic 사극, and this author is aware that it's not historically accurate. The real life Empress Ki had a very contentious relationship with the Goryeo Dynasty. And many liberties were most certainly taken with the fictionalized version of historical characters. Dialogue adapted from English Subtitle translations by the "Imperial Team at Viki.com."
Two Imperial Guards in the torture chamber are getting their knees burned by hot branding irons.
Byeong Soo grabs one of them by the shoulders. "You two Geopsols killed the head of your unit!"
"We didn't!"
"Please believe us!"
Byeong Soo snarls. He knows they're right. He has his suspicions, but for political reasons, he must provide two people. "You have two choices. If you admit to killing him, you won't die in pain. If you don't admit to it, you will die after experiencing worse pain than death."
"We don't know anything!"
Byeong Soo snarls in frustration, and drops the iron in the fire.
"I don't think they did it," says Jo Cham.
Byeong Soo approaches him threateningly. "Then we'll have to come up with a culprit. If we don't find the culprit, General Tanqishi said he'll kill us."
Bayan and Toqto'a descend the stairs leading into the torture chamber. Byeong Soo and Jo Cham bow.
"Did you get their confession?" Bayan asks.
"They're refusing to talk," says Jo Cham.
"Don't worry," says Byeong Soo. He starts to feel chills. "I'll torture them, and soon--"
"Why are you breaking out in such a cold sweat?" Toqto'a asks.
"I'm not sure," says Byeong Soo. "I'm getting chills, so I think I'm coming down with a cold."
"Let me see your hand," says Toqto'a.
Byeong Soo extends his hand, and Toqto'a puts a finger on his pulse.
"Do you have any other symptoms?" Toqto'a asks.
"I think I ate something wrong. I've been having diarrhea since morning."
"Let me see your tongue."
Byeong Soo sticks out his tongue.
Toqto'a checks his lower eyelids. His eyes widen. "Uncle, I think he has caught the plague."
"What? The plague?" Bayan asks.
Jo Cham backs away.
"This dirty bastard!" Bayan exclaims.
"What do you mean, the plague?" Byeong Soo asks anxiously. "There's no way!"
"Lock him up!" Bayan demands.
"Aish, you should have been cleaner," says Jo Cham, relishing the opportunity to drag Byeong Soo through the mud. "Hurry and lock him up!" He says to the two prison guards.
"I've never even set foot outside the palace!" Byeong Soo insists. "How can I have the plague? That doesn't make sense. General!"
His protests are ignored as the guards lock him up.
"It's strange," says Bayan. "How did he get the plague when he has never even set foot outside the palace?"
"It's the dead body," Toqto'a whispers.
"Dead body?" Bayan asks. He looks over at Toqto'a. "Captain of the Geopsol unit?"
"I'm certain," Toqto'a whispers. "The one I threw down into the well in Goryeo village...He got infected with the plague from the body of the Captain of the Geopsols."
"General! General! There's no way, General! General. General!" Byeong Soo shrieks.
*********
Yet another dead body is added to the death count from the plague in Goryeo Village. "In the next life," says Mak Saeng, "even if you're born as a dog or a pig, don't ever be born as a subject of Goryeo." He sadly covers the corpse with a straw mat.
"Chief, the people from before have returned."
"Who?" Mak Saeng asks. "The King or whatever?"
*********
Several villagers block Wang Yoo and his men from entering.
"Why are you here again?" Mak Saeng inquires impatiently. "Did you come to slap us while wanting to cry?"
"I want to help you," says Wang Yoo.
"With what? Give us a feast? If not, since we don't have anything for the ancestral rite table, will you give us some meat off your bones?"
"You're being too rude!" Eunuch Bang exclaims.
"His Majesty is here to give you money!" Bul Hwa says.
"Money?" Mak Saeng asks skeptically.
Jeom Bak shows Mak Saeng and the villagers the wooden box strapped to his back.
"He's giving you the money that the Emperor awarded him with," says Moo Song.
"I know very well that you resent me," says Wang Yoo, "but those who are alive need to stay alive."
"If you have eyes, take a good look at these people," Mak Saeng retorts. "They were abandoned by their own country and living on a foreign land because they can't die. Do you think we'd welcome you over with a little bit of money? We don't need it. So, unless you want to get hurt, leave right now!"
"These people are too rude!" Eunuch Bang exclaims. "Do you know what this money represents? After fighting in battle, he came back alive. It's the reward of his own life!"
"Your Majesty," says Jeom Bak, "there's no need to help these fools."
"Stop it," says Wang Yoo. "If you feel that strongly, I'll leave for today. But it's too far to go back, so let us walk through the village."
"Your Majesty," says Bul Hwa.
"The plague is going around! Unless we want to die, why would we walk through the village?" Jeom Bak protests.
"In return for going through the village," says Wang Yoo, "we'll pay the access fee. Every ten steps, ten nyang in gold. How about it?"
The villagers murmur among themselves. Mak Saeng gives him a steely stare.
"Why? It's too little?" Wang Yoo asks. "Then...twenty nyang."
"Twenty?" Wang Yoo's men gasp.
"Impossible!"
"I can't pay you any more than that," says Wang Yoo.
Wang Yoo and his men step over the rope at the Village entry way. As they walk through the village, they drop coins on the ground.
Mak Saeng rolls his eyes at this performative act of kindness. The villagers scramble for the money.
More steps are made, more coins are tossed, more villagers scramble.
"Your Majesty," says Eunuch Bang, "the money is..."
Wang Yoo faces the crowd. "We're all out of money, and we haven't made it out of Goryeo Village. What should we do? We're thirsty, so let us have some water at your place and talk a little."
"Get the water from the well," says Mak Saeng. "Men."
"Yes, Sir!"
"Going out is on their talley sheet," says Mak Saeng. "So calculate well how many steps they take."
"Yes, Sir."
"That horrible man!" Moo Song says.
"That man would squeeze the blood out of fleas!" Eunuch Bang says.
"What's the matter with him?" Jeom Bak asks.
*********
Emperor Toghon is laying on his stomach, while Seung Nyang is pouring his tea.
"My ear is itchy all of a sudden," says Emperor Toghon. "Come here and clean it for me."
"Pardon?" Seung Nyang asks.
Emperor Toghon sits up. "Didn't you hear me? You want me to clean your ears instead? Come here, and clean my ears."
Seung Nyang takes a deep breath. "I...have never clearned anyone's ears."
"I see. I have also never cleaned my own ears. Come here and do it. Come on now! Hurry! Come here!"
She looks at him sideways. What next? Is he going to ask me to wipe his butt?
He grabs her hand, and pulls her down on the bed next to him. He lays his head in her lap. Seung Nyang recoils.
He hands her an applicator. "With this, do it carefully and well. Hurry up!"
She stretches his ear, and inserts the applicator.
"That's it. That's good. Not bad for your first time."
Seung Nyang rolls her eyes. She shudders to think about what Lady Park has to experience with him in bed.
"That's right. Right there. That feels nice," says Emperor Toghon.
Seung Nyang wants to barf.
"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Baek announces. "Wang Yoo is here."
Seung Nyang abruptly withdraws the applicator.
"Don't stop," says Emperor Toghon. "Show him in!"
Seung Nyang is mortified at the idea of her beloved watching her clean the Emperor's ears. She pokes the applicator back in as Wang Yoo enters the room.
Wang Yoo's skin crawls at the sight of Emperor Toghon's head in Seung Nyang's lap.
"Welcome, Wang Yoo," says Emperor Toghon. "It'll be over soon, so just wait for a little. Come on, do it properly. Ouch!" He sits straight up. "Seriously! It hurts!"
"I apologize," Seung Nyang says sweetly.
"You may leave," says Emperor Toghon.
Seung Nyang and Wang Yoo's eyes briefly meet before she walks out the door.
"What's the reason you wanted to see me?" Wang Yoo asks.
"How about a kickball match?" Emperor Toghon asks.
"Kickball?"
"Kickball. You and I...no Yuan and Goryeo will compete against each other. How about it? Do you want to play a round? Why? You're not confident?"
"You can't compete without a bet," says Wang Yoo.
"A bet? As expected, you know how to play. All right. What kind of bet would be good?"
********
The palace always looks amazing at night with the red lanterns lit up, and the clear lake reflecting its splendor.
Seung Nyang is in her room, pasting the fabricated blood letter to a yellow scroll. She is very lucky Tanqishi hadn't seen it while he was harrassing her in the library.
All the petitions are gathered in the Ministry of the Secretariat. The petitions will be checked individually, and then put on the tray. It'll pass through Daemyeong Palace and then down the hallway to the front of the Imperial Court. It's then taken to the Imperial Office. In order to switch the petitions, it has to happen during that process...
Seung Nyang feels a breeze pass through her window. The air is cold...
********
Seung Nyang strolls through the walkway as the palace maids in blue are sweeping and scrubbing. She looks at the stone floor, and an idea dawns on her.
************
"You want me to wash the floor with wet rags?" Hong Dan asks.
"Yes. Clean it by wetting the rags with water," says Seung Nyang.
"In this weather, it'll freeze quickly. What if someone falls and gets hurt?"
Seung Nyang forces a smile. "Please do as I ask, Hong Dan."
"All right. It's not hard to do," Hong Dan acquiesces.
Yeon Hwa watches Seung Nyang with a mix of envy and suspicion. That should be me in the purple Court Lady outfit, she thinks.
************
Lord Jang ambles through the wet walkway with his tray full of colorful scrolls.
Seung Nyang is watching from the top of a nearby, arched wooden bridge.
Unknowingly, Lord Jang steps on a patch of ice, goes sliding several feet, and loses his grip on the tray full of scrolls. The scrolls go flying all over the walkway as Lord Jang falls flat on his back.
Seung Nyang smiles at her good fortune. She slowly walks down the bridge and feigns concern. While the other maids are fussing over Lord Jang, Seung Nyang assists in putting the scrolls back on the tray. She sees a yellow scroll, slides it away, and replaces it with her yellow scroll. Check mate.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Lord Jang cries.
Seung Nyang stealthily hides the other yellow scroll in her sleeve.
The palace maids help Lord Jang stand, and he meticulously counts the scrolls.
"Why is it so slippery?" Lord Jang asks.
Seung Nyang hides her excitement.
************
Lord Jang places the tray of scrolls on Emperor Toghon's desk.
"I have a kickball game today," says Emperor Toghon, "so I'd like to finish this quickly."
"You're worried about a game while we're dealing with this country's future?" El Temur asks incredulously.
"P-please check the petitions," says Emperor Toghon.
"Go on and play your game, then," says El Temur.
"M-May I do that? T-thank you, Prime Minister El Temur."
El Temur chuckles as Emperor Toghon darts out the door. He takes a seat at the Emperor's desk. He eyes the magnificent Imperial Seal. Finally, a taste of Emperor Power.
He reads over the scrolls, scrapping some, and applying the seal to others.
"Wang Yoo is coming to play," the palace maids giggle.
Empress Danashiri and Court Lady Seo take notice of the commotion.
"Why are they making such a fuss?" Empress Danashiri asks. "And why all that makeup?"
"His Majesty is having a kickball game with Wang Yoo," says Court Lady Seo.
Empress Danashiri's heart flutters. Since my husband ignores me anyway..."Kickball?"
"Would you like to go and watch, too?"
Empress Danashiri clears her throat. I must not be too obvious. "Who cares about a ball game? I'd rather read than go see that."
***********
Empress Danashiri darts to her makeup table. "I'll be late at this rate. Those awful people, not telling me about the game." She rummages through the cosmetics, and puts on some blush.
"Your Majesty..." Court Lady Seo says cautiously.
Empress Danashiri freezes.
"Why are you getting made up?"
"I think I need to go and cheer on His Majesty."
"Well, that is true, Your Majesty," Court Lady Seo grins.
********
The two kickball teams are warming up on the snowy field.
"Squeeze my shoulders more," says Emperor Toghon.
Seung Nyang catches Eunuch Bang's eye, and she nods. Eunuch Bang is relieved. The scroll has made it to the next round.
Eunuch Bang stands next to Wang Yoo and whispers, "I got word from Eunuch Dokman that the petition was delivered to Prime Minister El Temur."
"Good," Wang Yoo whispers. "Tell him thank you."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Eunuch Bang bows.
Eunuch Bang flashes a hand signal at Seung Nyang.
Seung Nyang smiles.
**********
El Temur feels relaxed as he's looking over the scrolls alone. That teenage Emperor is a royal pain in the butt anyway.
*************
"If we lose," Emperor Toghon says to the eunuchs, "I will round up your wives and children."
"Your Majesty," says Eunuch Baek, "Eunuchs don't have wives and children."
"Ah, that's right! I know..." He slaps Eunuch Baek in the chest. "Anyway, my honor and dignity is riding on this match. Don't hold back."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Goryeo's honor is on the line," says Wang Yoo. "Don't ever lose."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Wang Yoo looks up at the balcony and sees Seung Nyang. She smiles at him. His face remains neutral.
Empress Danashiri glides onto the balcony with her entourage, and it's hard not to notice her. Empress Danashiri smiles at Wang Yoo, and he turns away.
Empress Danashiri takes a seat at the table, right next to her pesky mother-in-law. Empress Dowager isn't too thrilled to see her, either.
"What brings you here to watch kickball?" Empress Dowager inquires icily.
"It's a match between Goryeo and Yuan. Of course, I need to be present and cheer our team on."
Empress Dowager rolls her eyes. She better not move in on my prospective boy toy...
"But..." Empress Danashiri asks, "What are they wagering?"
Empress Dowager gives her an icy stare..."I'm not sure. It's probably...money."
Eunuch Dokman blows the horn to start the game.
The two teams line up across from each other.
"There are no special rules," says Eunuch Dokman, "as long as you don't use your hands. Whichever team scores three times in the other's net wins. Let's start."
Wang Yoo and Emperor Toghon stare each other down. The ball flies in the air, and one of Emperor Toghon's eunuchs lobs it with his head. Game on.
Empress Dowager eyes Empress Danashiri judgmentally as she sees the Empress eyeing her prospective boy toy. Hands off, girlie! That Goryeo hunk is mine!
Emperor Toghon gets the ball.
"Stop them!" Wang Yoo yells.
Jeom Bak blocks Emperor Toghon, but he makes his way past, only to be blocked by Bul Hwa. Emperor Toghon smoothly glides by, only to see Moo Song in front of the goal net. Moo Song pushes him down, but the eunuchs get after him. Emperor Toghon steals the ball, grabs it with his legs, and jumps. The ball gets on the ground, and as he's about to kick, Wang Yoo trips him.
Empress Dowager's jaw drops. The Goryeo palace maids cheer. Wang Yoo did something that many have been dying to do for a really long damn time. It's nice to see one of their own winning at something.
Empress Danashiri rises, and then looks around self consciously. She quickly sits down. Her crush on Wang Yoo must remain a secret.
Seung Nyang grins.
"Your Majesty, are you hurt?" Eunuch Baek asks.
"I'm fine," says Emperor Toghon, eyes filled with fire.
Wang Yoo grins and sprints forward.
El Temur is down to one more scroll. He's feeling pleased with what he has accomplished so far. He grabs the yellow scroll, and unfurls it. His heart stops, as he's horrified with what he sees.
Emperor Mingzong's lament was buried in the ground as El Temur's laughter pierced the sky.
El Temur's hands violently shake.
The day the Emperor's letter written in blood is revealed, Heaven and Earth shall fill with rage and the winds will fill with blood.
"Who is it? Who did this?" El Temur panics. "Who dares to challenge me?" He furiously crumples the scroll. "Who is it, exactly?"
*********
"Get them!" Eunuch Bang yells.
Jeom Bak grabs Emperor Toghon by the waist.
Eunuch Bang pushes Eunuch Dokman away.
Empress Dowager is smiling, but she's also keeping a close watch on Empress Danashiri's reactions.
El Temur speculates from the Emperor's desk. Who could it be? Who dares to insult me like this? Who is it exactly?
댓글 영역