MOON LOVERS: SCARLET HEART RYEO 
No matter how much Queen Yoo scoffed at the notion that Wang So has the right to inherit the Goryeon throne, Taejo’s policy told a different story. Taejo had
probably noticed his own shortcomings compared to his courageous son, the Fourth
Prince. Taejo appointed Wang So as the Ambassador to Later Jin. The king’s overt
intention was that Wang So would spy on Later Jin and assess the strength of
their military forces.
But, was it not a crafty plan designed to test Wang So and prepare him for the throne? Wang So must have been 17 years old then*. The year-long mission would inevitably toughen him further as he learned more about the tumultuous outside world instead of being cloistered in the luxury of the Goryeo palace. 
Although shocked, Wang So did not protest as the king's word was law. But, Wang So put in a special appeal that Hae Soo be allowed to remain
in the Damiwon Palace. To plead his case, he even prostrated before his royal father. Had King Taejo not
given his promise, Wang So would not have gone willingly.
But as soon as Wang So was gone, his father’s first instinct was to
order the very shocked astronomer to drive Hae Soo out of the palace, to a
place where the princes would not be able to find her. Why did he harbour
such hatred towards her? It was because Hae Soo was the cause of the death of Concubine Oh, the love of his life. He reasoned that if Wang So could not
abandon her, then it was his duty as the king to throw her out. The young court lady was not only an
easy target for Wang So’s political enemies but also a serious obstruction to his rise to the throne.
Choi Ji Mong had the unenviable task of telling Hae Soo to
leave the Damiwon without saying goodbye to the princes.
But Hae Soo did not follow the king's instructions to the letter. She
had to see Wang So one last time to extricate herself from the relationship. A clean breakup would ensure that he would
forget about her. Wang So was preparing to leave for Later Jin and packing
the cosmetics that Hae Soo had prepared for him.
      
Wang So ignored Hae Soo's advice to forget her. Instead, he instructed her to
remain in the Damiwon Palace and wait for his return. She returned his gift, the
hair brooch which was decorated with a lotus flower and red ginseng berries. She impressed on him that she would not wait but his cheerful rejoinder was, ‘I won’t let you go.’
  After feathering a playful kiss on her lips, Wang So took the decorative hair piece from her hand. He playfully stated that he would borrow it for good luck and promised to return to her side soon. 
It is hard to believe that Hae Soo still harboured loving feelings for Wang Wook. On her
way back to Damiwon, Wang Wook saw her but hesitated to speak to her. When
she turned, he had already walked away. She looked longingly at him - an indication that she wasn't able to let go yet. But, both were already walking in opposite directions.
 
Before the Goryeo delegation started the journey to Later Jin, Wang So wore his
mask. It was learnt later that he wore the mask to remind himself of Hae Soo.
He did not want to forget her even for a moment.
 
Goryeo had sent a formidable prince who was no weakling but a
sword forged in fire. In his year-long stay in Later Jin, the Fourth Prince must have made discreet enquiries and accumulated information for
his reports to Taejo.
In the 26th year of Taejo’s reign,
Wang Yo brought in a motley mixture of heads of families from the rural
cities. His entourage surprisingly comprised those heads who were
strangers to the palace. Something out of the ordinary was afoot. Wang Wook
and Wang Jung confronted him on the unusual happening.
Wang Yo, who acted as if he owned the palace, explained that
King Taejo wanted to make known his mandate and to proclaim his Ten
Injunctions (Hunyo sipjo) before he
died. It was apparent that it was the final year of Taejo's rule. The Ten Injunctions was a guide for the future rulers of Goryeo to rule
in an enlightened manner.
Wang Wook and Yeon Hwa were in bed with Wang Yo. The Third Prince promised Yeon Hwa that as soon as he ascended the throne he would divorce his consort and marry her. As for now, he needed Park Young Gyu, his father-in-law’s help. He even help her to wear his ring. 
Wang Yo asked Wang Wook whether he would be amenable to the idea of killing the king. Wang Wook would not stoop so low to commit such an immoral act. Patricide was certainly not on his must-do list. But, Wang Yo would kill his father if given a chance. Having been assigned the dangerous task of protecting the kingdom’s grain storehouses by Taejo, he had harboured a grudge against his royal father.
In the interim between Wang So's departure for Later Jin, and his return to Goryeo, Hae Soo had also embarked on a new journey of her own. She had to face her downward social mobility from a senior court lady to a gyobang water maid, a maid who washed clothes. Whilst living in the gyobang, she was bullied by the other maids, who were not on speaking terms with her.
 
Sympathising with Hae Soo, Wang Jung brought Wang Wook to observe her. It had been a lonely year for her without any visits from Wang Wook. Fearing Taejo’s wrath and jeopardizing his position, he kept his distance from her. But, he did pay her a visit that night. It seemed that they still missed each other.
Wang So and his squad of soldiers returned home after a
one-year stint in Later Jin. Wang So, having successfully accomplished his mission, galloped at full speed in his anxiety to return to his
father’s kingdom to report on Later Jin. He had obtained the crucial information requested by his father.
But, the love of his life, Hae Soo, must have dominated his
thoughts as he raced ahead of the soldiers during the long journey home.
Upon his arrival, he was questioned relentlessly by King Taejo
on the Later Jin dynasty. Gaozu had died and his nephew, Chudi had usurped the
throne. Later Jin would soon embark on a war with their powerful neighbour,
the Khitans over territorial and tributary payment disputes. There were many
conflicts over the succession issue.
The Khitans, an offshoot of the Mongols who had established the
Liao Dynasty, would soon emerge as a dominant threat. Their territory
expanded to where it eventually bordered Goryeo. There was a spike in
aggression along the borders.
Upon hearing about their conflicts, the king directed Wang So
to visit the Khitans but Wang So refused to toe the line this time around. Taejo
was dead wrong about Wang So. It had come to light that King Taejo had
reneged on his promise to keep Hae Soo in the Damiwon. Had Wang So taken
leave of his senses when he talked back to his royal father?
Taejo lectured him that even if he had feelings for Hae Soo, he
should know his priorities towards the kingdom. It was alarming to Taejo that
his son was drastically different from him.
Wang So retorted that he was not the king nor was he power mad. Wang So’s tone brooked no argument about abandoning Hae Soo for the sake of Goryeo or the Wang royal family. He was combative and even threatened the king not to tie a noose around his
neck if Taejo wanted him to remain the Crown Prince’s ally. This was all
hard-hitting words. It was clear that he wanted the king to lay his hands off
the girl he loved. Starting from that moment, he declared that he would live
like a man, not like a beast.
The rebellious response, though it made many squirm, actually
opened Taejo’s eyes to the man Wang So had become. He was not a dog; he could
not be expected to be deferential, quiescent and polite any more. Did Taejo
bristle at the outburst? Taejo chuckled in his heart over his response. There
was genuine admiration for Wang So. The authority in his voice and the
fighting spirit that the Fourth Prince had shown convinced the king that Wang
So would not lose any fight no matter who he fought. A determined prince with
powerful emotions.
The king claimed that he could die in peace now that Wang So had
stood up for himself. Taejo seemed to know of his impending death and
instructed Grand General Park and Choi Ji Mong to be prepared.
Wang So had lost his hostage mentality; he was highly
intelligent and articulate about making his voice heard. He had become a man
bold enough to stand up to his royal father and fight for the girl he loved.
Later, Taejo in his Ten Injunctions, would refer to the Khitans
as being akin to savage beasts. It showed the extent to which Goryeo despised
the Khitans.
 
Hae Soo, the Gyobang water maid, was hanging out white sheets
to dry when Wang So decided to surprise her. The vibration of excitement
throbbing in Wang So’s countenance was unmistakable. At first, she thought
she was seeing things but his voice sounded strange as it had been ages since
she last saw him.
The Fourth Prince teased her that physical labour suited her
more than the easy life of that of a court lady. And, when Wang So pulled her
tightly to his chest and wrapped his strong arms around her in a back hug, he
whispered to her that he missed her. Smiling lovingly at her, he whispered
romantically that she was beautiful and she should not be a Gyobang water
maid.
Hae Soo was surprised that he had worn a mask again. He took
off his mask and revealed a face without his scar. He divulged that he had worn the mask to remind
himself of her as he was determined to return to see her.
 
She stated that her status has changed; she was a Gyobang water
maid and not a senior court lady. It meant that she was below his station in life. Reminded of the discrimination that she had suffered, tears rushed into her eyes. She told
him that he had returned safe and sound and he knew that she was fine too, so
that should be enough for the both of them. With that, she limped unsteadily
away.
 
Wang So was stumped for a moment. It was as if she had hit his
head with a sledgehammer. He could not really understand her coldness but he
was not so easily put off or dissuaded. He had come so far and waited for so
long for that moment.
 
Rushing after her, he tried to reason with her but she refused
to budge. She screamed at him to leave her alone. She lamented that she was
there because she could neither live nor die. She could neither forget everything
that had happened nor the terror that lurked in every corner of the palace.
He interjected that he would watch over her like the way she
had protected him in the past. He assured her that he would help her forget everything.
The question that she posed stumped him. Did his so-called help
extend to assisting her to forget him as he was the very person she wanted to avoid?
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears and her voice shook. ‘When I meet you, I recall everything I
want to forget.’ Her heart pounded with anxiety because she was worried
about the dangers ahead. She was scared and nervous when she was with him. ‘And yet, you want me to come with you?’
His eyes registered shock and consternation. For the first time
in their relationship, he was shocked by the sharpness of her words. He was
speechless for a brief moment.
Did she hate him that much? Was he such a monster that she was
fearful of him? After having driven a knife into his heart and twisted it, she
drove a stake into his heart, which had splintered into many shards. ‘Are you trying to kill me?’
With as much strength as she could muster, she told him quietly, ‘Go back. I’m living just fine. I can
survive. Please live in peace. Do not hate or hold grudges. Then, no one will
get hurt.’ She turned away, limping off again in tears.
It was undeniable that Hae Soo was too emotionally involved
with her preconceived notion of the kind of emperor Gwangjong would turn out
to be. Perhaps, with Wang So and Wang Wook, she only saw black and white. Could
she be wrong about him? Black for him. White for Wang Wook. She was in a grip
of paranoia about him.
First. The history she had studied in school could have been
coloured. History could be written from a biased viewpoint. Historical facts or
historical figures could be skewered, depending on who the writer or scribe
was at the time of his reign.
Second. Even if the facts are true, the interpretation of the historical
events could also be prejudiced. All this makes one wonder about the truth of historical
events.
It was certainly not the welcome that he had envisaged. He did
not expect that he would receive such an icy reception from her. Wang So was
confused and disheartened. His romantic notion of her bears little
relationship to reality.
In time, Hae Soo was brought back to the Damiwon Palace to
serve King Taejo whose health had steadily deteriorated. There were signs that death was near. Taejo revealed to her that he knew that she and the
astronomer, Choi Ji Mong were special beings. It made sense because their
behaviour and attitude stood out like a sore thumb. He also deemed that Wang
Mu and Wang So were destined to be kings.
Shockingly, he declared that he considered Hae Soo as his
daughter. It was his stamp of acceptance and approval of her. He further counselled
her not to be so uptight about the future and lose what she had now. Was it the green-light given to Hae Soo to
allow Wang So into her heart?
It was food for thought for Hae Soo. Taejo’s sage advice would
prove to be the crucial turning point in her relationship with Wang So.
If Hae Soo didn't want him, someone was ready to grab him. Wang So must have been surprised when Yeon Hwa suddenly proposed marriage
to him. It was a preposterous idea to propose to a man in those times and
more so, to the independent-minded Alpha male who knew who he wanted for his
consort. But, he must have been very flattered by her desperate attempt to
trap him.
 
She had been trying to seduce the Third Prince and persuading
him to divorce his consort, so that when and if he became the king, she would
be his first queen. She had thought better of the idea and now, she was ready
to ensnare the Fourth Prince who was still a bachelor boy. One couldn’t blame
Yeon Hwa because females in Goryeon times often got the short end of the
stick when it came to marriage.
 Incest? Nobody understood what it meant in Goryeo. She certainly didn’t want to be married off to a far-away place. Wang So’s answer was he was the opposite of what she wanted. 
Wang So had an ingenious idea
about how the unhappy Hae Soo could get out of the palace. A marriage of
convenience would be a pragmatic solution to her problems. Once they leave the
palace, they could divorce if he wasn’t her cup of tea. She posed the question,
‘If you become king, would you leave the
palace?’ Wang So left Hae Soo in no doubt that in his heart, she took precedence over the
Goryeon throne.
Wang Wook, unhappy with Wang
So, blamed him for Hae Soo’s deplorable situation. Driven by rage, Wang So made
a counter claim that Wang Wook was worse than useless. The Fourth Prince had provided him with
evidence to prove Hae Soo’s innocence but he didn’t take advantage of it.
Woo Hee was in a conspiracy with Park Young Gyu, a former Hubaekje official and the father-in-law of Wang Yo. Their plot to assassinate
Taejo had been ruined when the king fainted at his peace meeting with the Goryeo
officials. The king was already dying so it was unnecessary for her to help
him on his way.
Baek Ah finally caught on her vengeful plan but, being obsessed
with her, he was determined to look the other way.
*Historical dates can be confusing and unreliable. |