American Perspectives: Ready to Fly Pt. 1 ("기황후" Ep. 19)
***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"
As Tanqishi is engaged in his creepy soliloquy with an unconscious Seung Nyang, the loud sound of footsteps are heard in the stairwell. The metal door creaks as Wang Yoo furiously pulls it open. Eunuch Bang and Moo Song faithfully follow behind him.
Tanqishi's blood boils. He was planning on taking his creepy soliloquy further, and he's cock blocked once again.
Wang Yoo feels sick to his stomach when he sees Seung Nyang cut up and passed out in the torture chair. There is no doubt in his mind about what Tanqishi would do while Seung Nyang is tied up and unconscious. The very thought infuriates him. But, he must stay reasonably composed. Reasonable being a very flexible term.
"You're not supposed to be in here," Tanqishi grumbles. "Can't you hear me? Leave!"
Wang Yoo draws his sword, and points at Tanqishi's throat. I am this close to kicking your ass..."I just got permission from your father to take Seung Nyang," says Wang Yoo.
Tanqishi's heart drops. Even when it comes to women, his father favors Wang Yoo..."What?"
"Tell your father if you have a problem."
Eunuch Bang and Moo Song rush to Seung Nyang's chair. Wang Yoo sheathes his sword, while his two men untie her.
"And if you have the courage," Wang Yoo continues, "tell him this, too." This is for the sexual harrassment, the attempted rape, and unwanted propositions. All the anger balled up inside his fist on Seung Nyang's behalf lands squarely on Tanqishi's face, sending him to the ground, knocking him out cold.
Wang Yoo kneels in front of his beloved, attempting to wake her, but she's so far gone, that no amount of yelling will suffice. Moo Song and Eunuch Bang put her on his back.
Emperor Toghon rushes into the torture chamber, Eunuch Baek close on his heels. He internally rages when he sees that Wang Yoo has once again beat him to the punch. He is so furious that he wants to set the dungeon on fire. But...Auntie will shit bricks if he does that. She already shit a brick about him sneaking out last night.
"Put her down," Emperor Toghon commands.
Not on your life...
"It's a command!" Emperor Toghon yells. "Put her down!"
Wang Yoo tries to step past him, but Eunuch Baek and his men draw their swords.
"As soon as you leave here," says Emperor Toghon, "all of you will die."
"Seung Nyang is no longer a Court Lady," says Wang Yoo.
"What?" Emperor Toghon sputters.
"It's an order from Prime Minister Yeon Cheol (El Temur) that she become my subordinate." Wang Yoo replies.
Over my dead body...Emperor Toghon thinks.
"Did you say a command?" Wang Yoo asks disdainfully. "You can go against the Prime Minister and try blocking me." He looks left and right. "Move!"
Wang Yoo and his men push past the Emperor and his entourage, and they make their way up the stairs.
Emperor Toghon's lip twitches in anger, and he clenches his fist.
**********
Emperor Toghon bursts through the red palace gates.
"Where are you going, your Majesty?" Eunuch Baek asks.
"I'm going to meet with the Prime Minister."
"Your Majesty. Your Majesty. Your Majesty!"
"Prime Minister let Yang..." Emperor Toghon cries. "...leave the palace."
"What about it?" El Temur approaches them. "Do you have feelings for that lowly girl? Don't forget that the Empress is my daughter. Please stop doing useless things."
"Damn it," Emperor Toghon sobs as El Temur and his men walk away.
**********
Eunuch Bang is checking Seung Nyang's pulse while Wang Yoo and his entourage surround her bed.
"How is she?" Wang Yoo asks nervously. He really wants to kick Tanqishi and Emperor Toghon's teeth in. "Is she alright?"
"She had to endure severe pain," says Eunuch Bang, "so she's very weak."
"Tanqishi, I'll kill you," Wang Yoo whispers.
"From suffering such great pains, she will have a high fever for the time being," says Eunuch Bang.
"I will look after her," says Wang Yoo. "You can all leave."
"Yes," Eunuch Bang nods tearfully.
The men leave Wang Yoo by Seung Nyang's bedside.
"Don't fear, Seung Nyang. From now on, I'll protect you. There's no one who will be able to torment you."
******
Emperor Toghon is mournfully standing on the grey arched bridge in the middle of the night. "I ruined everything. Looking for the bloodletter and putting Yang in that state, too. They're all due to my foolish and lacking self."
"Your Majesty," says Eunuch Baek.
"Any news on Yang?"
"She's still not awake yet," says Eunuch Baek.
**********
Wang Yoo wrings out a white wash cloth, and uses it to wash Seung Nyang's face. She remains unconscious. He tenderly grasps her hand and touches it to his face.
******
"Your Majesty, what's the matter?" Bayan asks.
Emperor Toghon is perched on his throne. "Wang Yoo is working with the Prime Minister. Were you aware?"
"What do you mean?" Bayan asks.
"The two of them are colluding together," Emperor Toghon insists.
"What are they colluding about, exactly?" Toqto'a asks.
"Find out what that is," Emperor Toghon orders. "Why Wang Yoo met with El Temur in secret, and what they are scheming."
"I understand, Your Majesty," says Bayan, "but has something been going on?"
"I would like the two of them to disappear forever," say Emperor Toghon. "Prime Minister for sure, but I also want to kill Wang Yoo."
"His eyes have even changed," Bayan says to Toqto'a as they exit the palace.
"It's probably because of that girl named Yang," Toqto'a observes.
"Yang?" Bayan asks incredulously. "He changed over a mere court lady?"
"Prime Minister El Temur released the girl who was a court lady to Wang Yoo. Doesn't that also seem strange?"
"True," Bayan agrees. "Prime Minister El Temur isn't someone who would get involved in such matters."
"I'm sure the two of them made some type of deal."
"Keep an eye out on not only Wang Yoo, but his subordinate's whereabouts from tomorrow on."
"Yes, Uncle," Toqto'a agrees.
**********
Empress Danashiri happily applies her blush. As she's putting on her lip rouge, Court Lady Seo announces, "Empress Dowager is here."
Empress Danashiri rolls her eyes. The bitch is back...She picks up her incense and inhales the wonderful scent in order to relax.
"What brings you to my room?" Empress Danashiri smiles.
Empress Dowager takes a seat behind her. "Your brother put the Emperor in danger last night."
Sweet...Empress Danashiri smiles. "He was looking for the bloodletter and left the palace in secret. Why do you blame my brother when His Majesty acted rashly?"
"Rashly, you say?" Empress Dowager asks angrily.
She seriously cannot expect me to side with my intimacy avoidant husband. What the hell has she been drinking? Empress Danashiri inhales her incense in an effort to prevent herself from throwing the burner at Empress Dowager's head. "I heard my father was also shocked to find His Majesty there. He's the one who created the misunderstanding with his actions."
"It's natural that he should look for his father's will. Why on earth did General Tanqishi set a trap?"
Empress Danashiri applies more rouge. She stands up and faces the Dowager. "Your Highness, speaking negatively about the relationship between my father and His Majesty, I will no longer withstand."
"If there are too many leaves, the branch will bend. How can His Majesty survive his subordinates' high authorities?"
Empress Danashiri smirks. "Even so, you can't cut the tree down. Since His Majesty can't act his part, of course, my father has to step in."
"I really hope you have a son," Empress Dowager says pointedly.
Empress Danashiri smirks. Maybe if I fuck Wang Yoo...Oh, fuck that! Maybe if you stop micromanaging the Emperor's penis, maybe I could! "Yes, I will soon enough."
"When your son becomes the Emperor, and gets threatened by General Tanqishi, will you accept it as normal?"
"My brothers aren't like that."
"You don't know. The thirst for power can end a father and son relationship, and call for the blood of siblings. How could a nephew survive that?"
"Stop," says Empress Danashiri.
"General Tanqishi will become an even scarier person than Prime Minister El Temur. At that time, you will come to understand how I feel. But it will be too late by then!"
"Empress Dowager!"
"But then again, you don't even know when you'll become pregnant. Surely my words are falling on deaf ears. I guess I got ahead of myself. Get pregnant first. It won't be too late to listen to my earnest appeal then." She gracefully rises from her seat and exits Empress Danashiri's room.
********
"Take the medicine first," Bul Hwa is seated next to an awakened Seung Nyang.
She grasps the bowl and consumes the medicine.
"His Majesty cares about you a lot," says Bul Hwa. "Had your father seen this, he would have been happy." He puts the empty bowl back on the tray.
"Please find some clothes for me to wear," says Seung Nyang.
"We only have men here," says Bul Hwa.
"It doesn't matter. Please find me some short arrows, too."
"Short arrows?"
"I will go back to being the old Seung Nyang, and help His Majesty."
"He won't allow it," says Bul Hwa.
"Do you want me to cook and wash clothes here?"
Bul Hwa chuckles. "Fine. I'll find you some."
"But...Has His Majesty gone somewhere?"
***********
Jeom Bak picks up a dried frog from the herbalist's booth. "Oh, it's been completely dried with the skin intact." He lifts up another piece. "This one is one with the skin peeled off."
"Let's take those," Wang Yoo whispers.
The herbalist hands Jeom Bak a black package.
As the men move on, Toqto'a and his two guards step out from behind a fabric display.
"Jeo Dang Bae and Moo Jin," says Toqto'a, "you two keep following them."
"Yes, Sir," the two men bow and move forward.
Toqto'a is feeling extremely comfortable out of his armor and in his grey deel, but his mind remains sharp as he approaches the herbalist.
"Welcome," the herbalist bows.
"What medicine did they just buy from you?" Toqto'a asks.
"They bought dried toad skins."
"What do you use that for?" Toqto'a asks.
"If you boil it for a long time, and make an extract, it becomes a very potent anesthetic. But...why do you ask?"
********
"Anasthetic?" Bayan asks. "Where are they using it?"
Toqto'a hands over a gourd that has been repurposed into a wine jug. "Wang Yoo also bought this."
Bayan picks it up and examines it. "Isn't this wine?"
"It's a red wine from the west."
"Red wine?" Bayan asks. "He's scheming to make someone drink the anasthetic."
"That's right," Toqto'a agrees. "We just need to find out why, and whom he's trying to make drink it."
Bayan looks down at the vial and frowns.
One of their guards rushes in and bows. "Wang Yoo just went to the Prime Minister's house."
**********
The Prime Minister's house is heavily guarded on the outside from every possible angle.
Wang Yoo and El Temur are inside, having some tea.
Tanqishi and Talahai are standing beside their tables, out of their armor, and in their deel, watching Wang Yoo closely.
"You seem to...always drink the same tea," Wang Yoo observes.
"I'm waiting for that secret plan of yours right now," says El Temur.
The two men lower their cups.
"What do you think is the most earnest thing the enemy seeks?" Wang Yoo asks.
El Temur chuckles. "Probably my death."
"Then..." Wang Yoo says, "will you die?"
El Temur's face drops. Tanqishi looks at Wang Yoo incredulously. If he had said it, El Temur would have pulverized him. How can this Goryeo throw away get away with it?
"How dare you!" Tanqishi explodes resentfully.
"'Hon Su Mo Eo' is a saying which means after you muddy the waters, fish will get caught in the net on their own," Wang Yoo replies.
"You're telling me to feign death?" El Temur whispers.
"If you fall, the parties will split into two groups. Those who will try to protect you with their loyalty, and those who will betray you to attain power."
El Temur leans forward. "Then I'll be able to sort out the jade from the rocks."
"But Father," says Tanqishi, "it won't be easy to fool them."
"That's right," Talahai agrees. "If they sense something is going on, we could be put in a predicament instead."
Wang Yoo grabs the shiny, repurposed gourd wine jug. "This is a red wine from the west." He uncorks it, and Tanqishi and Talahai watch him closely. "It's a precious wine made from grapes." He pours some into his cup. "Why don't you try drinking this?" He extends the cup to Tanqishi. "Once you do, you'll see how we can completely fool them."
Tanqishi grabs the jade colored cup and downs the wine. "It's just some sweet, fruit wine!"
"Nothing happened," says El Temur.
"Father," Tanqishi says triumphantly, "don't get fooled by this man's--" His throat begins to close, and he gasps for air. Talahai grabs him before he falls to the floor.
"What's going on?" Talahai yells. "Please come to your senses!" Tanqishi passes out in his arms.
"What did you do?" El Temur barks.
"He'll wake up in half a day," Wang Yoo replies. "There's no reason to worry." He calmly rises. "It's just an anasthetic. His pulse and breathing will slow, resulting in an unconscious like state. If you drink this alcohol, who wouldn't be fooled?"
Wang Yoo's men are waiting for him at the outer gates as he exits El Temur's home.
Toqto'a and Bayan are observing from a corner.
"El Temur will drink the wine containing the anasthetic?" Bayan asks.
"It's a plan to find the writer of the slanderous document by faking his death," says Toqto'a.
"We nearly got put in danger ourselves," says Bayan.
....To be continued...
