GWANGJONG
AND
YEON-HWA
IF EYES COULD SPEAK
EPISODE 18
GWANGJONG AND YEON-HWA
THE KING AND THE QUEEN
THE ROYAL WEDDING
In Episode 18 of the drama, Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, it
seemed that King Gwangjong had learnt that the powerful Goryeo clans,
including the Yoos of Chungju and the Hwangbos of Hwangju were planning to
rebel against him.
Gwangjong was issued an ultimatum by the clans demanding his marriage with Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa in order for him to maintain his kingly
power. They would not let him forget that he was just a helpless king whose
power rested on the generous support and friendly alliance of the influential clans
who had powerful armies at their disposal. Without their unswerving support,
he was nothing. And, he could not marry for love
nor simply make anyone his queen. Neither could he abdicate. Forced not to overlook the big picture, he subsequently
bowed to court pressure.
Reality bit. Being forced to marry his half-sister, Princess
Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa, who had powerful connections, made him burn with anger and
humiliation. Although he had cause for celebration since she would bring with
her powerful allies, Gwangjong felt that he was being manipulated like a
puppet on a string. There was no escape from the inevitable. He could not
afford to make dangerous enemies when he was so powerless.
Gwangjong could finally comprehend what his deceased father
must have felt when he was compelled to marry the multitude of women whom he did
not love. History was repeating itself. The common denominator was ‘like
father like son’. He was his father’s son, after all.
However, Gwangjong promised himself that before long, he would
not pretend to submit to them and instead, the clans, would be compelled to dance
to his tune.
The royal wedding day, celebrated without pomp and ceremony,
soon arrived. The ceremony, though low-keyed, was performed, in the presence
of some important palace officials, to the satisfaction of Empress Hwangbo,
the mother of the Eighth Prince, Wang Wook and Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa.
  
King Gwangjong, magnificent and majestic in his navy blue and red royal
robes and splendid headdress, and Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa, resplendent in
her elegant wedding robes, elaborate headdress and finery, made a regal
entrance.
Needless to say, Gwangjong appeared gloomy and utterly
miserable. The strands of jade beads that dangled from his kingly headdress veiled his unhappiness and his dark,
brooding eyes. The king of Goryeo could not beat fate so he had to endure and
play along with the wedding game, a charade he did not enjoy.
The wedding couple glided up the carpeted floor to the wedding
dais.
 
The dreaded moment arrived. If Gangjong’s head was pounding
like a sledgehammer, he did not show it. To him, a freeze had wept across
the ceremonial hall. The atmosphere was as cold as the coldest winter in
Goryeo.
 
The royal groom and his bride took their places and faced the
audience. At that moment, standing in the presence of the powerful clansmen, Gwangjong
must have felt like a naïve, defenceless young Goryeo prince who had been
thrown into a den of ferocious wolves yet again.
 
A complacent smile rested on Empress Hwangbo’s face.
As soon as they were seated, Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa of
Hwangju was declared the new queen by Choi Ji Mong, the king’s right-hand man
and astronomer.
  
With unseeing eyes and a heavy heart, the queen’s once overly ambitious
blood brother, Wang Wook, led the others in a grand gesture of congratulating
and blessing the new queen. ‘Long live the queen! May she have many
blessings!’
  
The wedding, to
Gwangjong, was a farce and it had frozen his heart. No matter what happened, Hae Soo
would always be his only queen. There was no room for the triumphant Yeon-Hwa in his
heart.
Yeon-Hwa had been smiling from ear to ear. Who wouldn’t, if one
had got the man one wanted? Although Gwangjong looked poised and composed, he
could not contain the fury in his eyes.
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GWANGJONG AND YEON-HWA
IF EYES COULD SPEAK
Episode 18
 
‘A Lot Like Love’ (OST) by Baek A Yeon
That night, the newly wedded king and queen ended up in the
bridal chamber. They stood facing each other as king and queen consort.
Although he was attired in his voluminous navy blue and red silk wedding robes, Gwangjong projected the image of a king who was tall and lean, and
his physique, masculine. Yeon-Hwa, his new consort, appeared to be slender
and beautiful despite her equally billowy wedding gown.
Gwangjong followed the required customary practice for the wedding
night. He flicked a glance at his consort’s red wedding veil. What he was
required to do was to unveil his bride, which he did deliberately.
If eyes could speak, what would they say? In that bedroom scene,
Gwangjong’s eyes would say everything that he wanted to say to his beautiful,
new bride.
The viewers watch with excitement as Gwangjong carefully lifted
the veil from the face of his unusually demure and normally coquettish
queen.
   
Gwangjong meticulously removed the veil from the top of her
head.
He pushed her veil backwards to gain an unobstructed view of
her whole face.
Although Gwangjong wore a pained expression, what he did next
was sensual.
Being much taller than her, he dipped his chin and shot a look
at her eyes which were cast downwards.
For a moment, he gazed mesmerised at her beautiful face. The
demure bride, on the other hand, remained still. Even if excited by his close
proximity and the warmth of his being, she did not meet the groom’s eyes
immediately but allow his gaze to roam all over her face. At this stage, it
would be immodest and inappropriate to look him in the eye. Her
heart must have pounded like the beating of drums.
 
For what seemed like an eternity, he studied her face as her
eyes remained shyly lowered. It was an intimate gaze, but was he having
intimate thoughts about her? Was his adrenalin pumping more than usual?
Something in her stirred his curiosity. His searching stare was
just as intense as a wolfdog’s as he explored her every feature. He gazed
fixedly at her, now that he had seen her up close and personal. His eyes were
glued to her.
He brought his gaze to rest on her face as if his eyes were
caressing her. He seemed to be studying her thoughts. She must be breathless
for having her every facial muscle being watched intimately.
Was he anxiously mulling over whether he should bed her since
it was their wedding night?
By this stage, the audience have become wildly excited, they
are mesmerised by the play of Gwangjong’s mysterious and gorgeous eyes.
What Gwangjong was doing showcased the sheer sensuality of him just
drinking Yeon-Hwa in visually. Was he bewitched by her? They do not need a
bed scene. They audience could feel them heating up the screen or at least
Gwangjong was heating it up.
Yeon-Hwa waited patiently for him to speak but he said nothing.
The conflicted man was good at being silent. It made the atmosphere even more
intense and filled with tension.
Gwangjong seemed to be hesitating and then he cast his glance
downwards as if to steel himself not express his emotions, whatever they may be. It took a great man to hold his emotions in place.
Was he teasing her with his silence?
 
That downward glance probably had the effect of removing the
spell she had cast on him.
Was he confused about his feelings for her? Did his heart throb
with resentment? Did he feel degraded as she had used her formidable
connections to twist his arm into marrying her?
But since they were wedded, was he still insistent that he
would have nothing to do with her? Could he resist her charms?
  
After some moments, he looked at her again. His expression was
unreadable. Inscrutable. He did not talk to her although they were in close
proximity.
What is conjured up in the audience’s imagination is the scene
begins to give the impression that a sensual animal mating ritual is taking
place. The teasing image of Gwangjong as a wild beast, a tiger, in the courting
process of sniffing and smelling the scent of the tigress, rattles the
audience. The whole visual process of Gwangjong trying to hold the queen in
his hypnotic power and fascination stirs the imagination of the viewers.
Although there was just an infinitesimal distance between their
faces, Gwangjong did not make further advances. He let his magnetic eyes
talk.
The king seemed to be studying her like he was studying a
potential mate. He, the tiger, seemed to be trying to figure her out and deciding
whether he wanted to mate with her, the tigress, who was in heat. Yeon-Hwa waited
docilely and submissively as he mentally traced every part of her face.
He had stood there for a long, drawn out moment. He watched her
every expression. Silence prevailed as he held her glance for several long
moments but to her, it seemed like an eternity. There was a long, tensed
silence. Her face glowed. He seemed to move closer to her face. He bent his
head as if he wanted to kiss her. He was so close that she could taste his
breath on her face.
     
She was in a state of expectancy and shuddered beneath his calm
but infuriating gaze, trying to sort out whether he wanted her. Yet, he said nothing. She waited but he did
not move except for his eyes.
Then, he put his face nearer to her face as if to sniff her –
to drink in her natural fragrance.
Courage compelled Yeon-Hwa to raise her eyes to return his
gaze. She was trying to discern his feelings.
When Gwangjong looked into Yeon-Hwa’s eyes, the audience
thought that he was ready to eat Yeon-Hwa up. He seemed to have perfected the
art of power gazing and eye play. His eyes burned and bored into hers.
With his hair swept back into a topnot, Gwangjong looked
extremely handsome and regal although his demeanour was serious. His eyes
were hauntingly calm.
  
Yeon-Hwa’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Gwangjong. A tiny smile
curved her mouth but her smile felt tremulous on her lips. Her entire
attention was focussed on her mate. The queen’s heart must have made a few
flips – she must have been breathless and a lump must have lodged tightly in
her throat. A frisson of fresh hope shimmied through her veins. Exhilarating
anticipation rose in her chest. Her feelings were written all over her face
as she waited submissively for him to make the first move. She would have
been only one step removed from reaching out and hugging him had she not
restrained herself with great difficulty. For once, Yeon-Hwa looked sweet and
submissive.
Was she was breathing raggedly? Yeon-Hwa was unable to contain
her multihued emotions. The blood in her heart must have pounded furiously.
She had fancied him from the very beginning but, at that very moment, he
looked even more achingly desirable to her. Swallowing in expectancy, she
stood ready for him to hold her and kiss her.
 
But he continued to stare strangely at her and the silence was
defeaning.
 
Gwangjong’s hand was still holding her, gripping her. He had
brought his face close to hers. His eyes gleamed in the candle light. He was
excitingly good at being silent, in giving her the silent treatment. Was she shaken
when he eyed her so intensely? If she was, then, the tremors should have
started in her toes and risen up, turning her legs to jelly.
    
She could not figure out what his feelings were. His gaze
seemed sensual and yet, there was this unease that she felt when he stared
unblinkingly at her. She blushed.
But, the longer he stared at her, the more she realised that it
seemed like an intimidating stare, rife with resentment. Earlier, she had
thought that he relished the pleasure of looking at her beauty but my, was
she wrong!
The audience wait, dizzy with anticipation. Did Gwangjong fight
the urge to mate with her? Did it seem
like he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her? Yes or no? The viewers
nearly fall off their seats and perhaps, their legs have also turned to jelly.
Suddenly, he must have felt the hair on his neck stand up. Then,
his posture straightened. His poised hand on her arm fell to his side. He did
not and would not succumb to her charms.
  
Gwangjong’s taut facial muscles twitched with tension. Easing
himself away from her, Gwangjong did not so much as blink nor smile at her.
The queen was suddenly aware of the dangerous gleam in the
king’s eyes. If Yeon-Hwa had interpreted his furious gaze and his sudden movement
correctly, it was crystal clear that he was not even a teeny bit interested
in her. He was, in actual fact, trying to contain his fury. She was stunned.
Dumbfounded. Her face crumbled and she swallowed hard.
Gwangjong knew that she wanted him but he was an unwilling
partner. He was determined to drive home the point that although he was
trapped, he would not succumb to her and was immune to her wiles and her
charms.
Being the master strategist, he had just tested her on their
wedding night, and he knew that she would be forever in his grip. He would
have phenomenal power over her. He would make sure that she would suffer for
forcing his hand. He would never be under her control but she, instead, would
have to submit to him. Gwangjong was not called ‘The Wolfdog’ for nothing. He
was a beast who had effectively sniffed her out and staked his territory! The
smart thing that he did was that he avoided sleeping with her on their wedding
night.
  
The longer Yeon-Hwa looked at Gwangjong, the angrier he seemed
to look. His gaze turned decidely odd. It was as if he was reading her
thoughts. Strangely, she felt as if he was dissecting her and analysing her. She
was mystified. She was now trembling nervously under his intimate gaze. His
gaze raked her and his eyes bored into her.
   
His steely eyes hardened, and although his mouth was grim, it
did not twist into a cruel smile. Instead, the glint in his eyes and the
lifted corners of his mouth sent a message that he pitied her.
    
Perhaps, on deciding enough was enough, he cast his glance
away.
 
Gwangjong’s sideway glance implied that he was very suspicious and
also critical of Yeon-Hwa. Whatever he had wanted to say to her had already
been conveyed through his expressive eyes and his body language. He had already
lost interest in her.
 
By then, she had already realised that something was amiss. Gwangjong’s
attitude and behaviour addled her brain. She floundered a little. She was
confused and very much befuddled. She suddenly realised that he, like the
wolfdog, had been drinking in her scent. The wolfdog did not like her
fragrance after all.
He was an Alpha Male – ambitious, persistent and ruthless; she,
an Alpha Female – ambitious, determined and scheming. They both had the
brains and the gumption to reach the top. Despite the similarities, they were
incompatible as they did not complete each other. There was, to repeat, no room for her in
his heart.
Yeon-Hwa appeared uneasy. It was as if Gwangjong had just given
her a stinging slap. She was shaken. Miffed. Tears were dammed up in her eyes
and threatened to stream down her face.
  
She must have winced when he turned and pulled away to
extricate himself from the tense situation. He made a beeline for the door.
 
Being quick-witted, scheming and resilient, Yeon-Hwa quickly
sobered up. If she couldn’t have him, no one else could. With a voice that
reeked of jealousy, she instigated Gwangjong to discard Hae Soo, a political
risk. She rationalised that in the future, others might take advantage of her
to inflict harm on him.
 
It was an insult to his intelligence, and a mistake of
gargantuan proportions on her part. He took exception to it, his objection instant. His
murderous fury was clear not just in his eyes but on his face. His voice
shook. He not only admonished her but also put her squarely in her place. He
brutally hammered home the point that she was never to cross the line ever again, nor to
act with impropriety. He steered her to concentrate on her role – that of
being the queen. He, Gwangjong was in the driver’s seat, not her! Properly
chastised, the new bride was mortified and struck speechless. Yeon-Hwa realised that she had just put her foot in her mouth!
To her great disappointment, Yeon-Hwa was finally made aware that
Gwangjong found her, not in the least desirable. She could not compete with
Hae Soo for his affections. Disheartened, she must have felt rats gnawing at
her heart. All her smiles were wiped off from her face.
 
No one could buy Gwangjong’s affections. Having raised Yeon-Hwa
to the status of a queen, he now considered his duty to her to be over. With
that, he purposefully strode off without a backward glance.
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GWANGJONG AND YEON-HWA GWANGJONG’S EYES
SPEAK
Although the ‘bedroom’ scene of Episode 18 of the drama, ‘Moon
Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo lasts less than 2 minutes, it is long enough to
show the audience why Lee Joon Gi is the hottest actor of South Korea's Dramaland.
The scene, which is without any dialogue, is one of the scenes
with the most riveting twists and turns of the drama. This scene has driven
the audience to distraction and leave them speechless.
In the scene, that involves Lee Joon Gi and Kang Han-Na, where
no one speaks except at the end, the actor and the actress’s expressive eyes
as well interesting facial expressions speak louder than words.
Lee Joon Gi’s expressive eyes can express and communicate a
vast range of positive and negative emotions including romantic interest, pity,
sensuality, curiosity, confusion, nervous tension, hostility, loss of
interest, anger and aggression. His subtle eye expressions and body language send
different signals not only to his queen and also to his amazed audience.
At first, Lee Joon Gi invites the audience to watch how he
seduces his queen and puts her in a lovey-dovey mood. The audience is misled into
thinking that there would be a bed scene and they wait in excited,
nervous anticipation. Lee, with his magnificent eye skills, leads the
audience to think that he, like a tiger, is checking his potential mate out
and sniffing her natural fragrance.
King Gwangjong uses his eyes to speak and to turn his new
queen into a vulnerable and tongue-tied mate. She was pure putty in his
hands.
Lee Joon Gi’s subtle eye expressions, which could be
mysterious and deceptive, send a wave of confusion, disappointment and
frustration to the audience when Gwangjong did not so much as kiss his new
queen. The viewers had expected him to fall for the charms of his bride
Yet, the audience are not entirely disappointed as the bedroom
scene is the acid test of Gwangjong’s loyalty to his beloved, Hae Soo.
Gwangjong has emerged as a real hero in the eyes of the
audience as he did not fall prey to Yeon-Hwa’s charms but stayed true to Hae
Soo. In fact, the viewers are gleeful that Gwangjong’s romantic image emerges
unscathed after the scene.
Lee Joon Gi, without a shadow of a doubt, has made this scene the
hottest, the most sensual and earth-shattering scene in the drama (after his half-naked bathing scene in Episode 2). Lee’s sensitive and
dazzling portrayal of a conflicted king has to be applauded.
And Kang Han-Na has been a wicked party to Lee’s scheme to tease,
delude and rouse the viewers’ intense emotions and make their hearts beat
like gongs, and then, shatter their romantic fantasies into a thousand
pieces.
Congratulations to the both of them, but the sterling actor, Lee
Joon Gi, has to be particularly lauded for his remarkable mastery and
effective use of eye and body language.
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LEE JOON GI AND KANG HAN-NA
It has been reported that in an interview, Kang Han-Na had described
Lee Joon Gi’s eyes as ‘mysterious and beautiful’.
‘At first, I can’t look at his eyes directly because they look
so mysterious. He looks beautiful on screen but in real life, his eyes look even
more mysterious.’
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