GWANGJONG
THE MOST ROMANTIC HERO
EPISODE 18
GWANGJONG
THE MOST ROMANTIC HERO  
I Confess (OST) by SG
In Episode 18 of the Korean drama, ‘Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, the audience are told that when the newly minted king, Gwangjong, took on the mantle of power, Goryeo was not at its most robust. Problems that lurked in the palace threatened to destabilise the Goryeo crown and wreak havoc in the romantic life of the loving couple, Gwangjong and Hae Soo. Picture Gwangjong reigning with Hae Soo by his side. Romantic but impossible.
Upon ascension to the throne, Gwangjong, to his consternation, discovered that it was not an easy position to hold onto. His position was hanging by the thread.
To begin with, a crisis had descended on Goryeo. There was a struggle by the powerful clans to bring the king to his knees with attempts to wrest control from him. It highlighted his travails of not having the strong political and military backing of the various clans.
It rapidly emerged that the underlying issue was, ‘Who would be Gwangjong’s queen?’ The clan leaders had taken it upon themselves to choose a queen consort for him. They tried to compel him to marry Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa.
The vulnerable couple, Gwangjong and Hae Soo, were attacked from all sides. They faced the greatest challenge in their romantic relationship.
PRINCESS HWANGBO YEON-HWA
The princess, Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa, was the first to move to action to deal with her rival and mow down her defences and resistance. She was laying the groundwork to prevent Hae Soo from marrying Gwangjong. The rest of the opposition who came after her would steamroller Hae Soo.
Putting the cart before the horse, she unceremoniously announced to Hae Soo that she would be marrying Gwangjong. Although Yeon-Hwa had personally proposed to Gwangjong, she had not obtained a positive response for her proposed union with him.
The triumphant tone of the announcement was a shock to Hae Soo because Gwangjong had not mentioned anything to her. They had promised to tell each other the truth. But strangely, Yeon-Hwa was unusually confidant of marrying him.
The audience, having understood Gwangjong’s character, know that even if she succeeded with her ruse, she would be singed in the process.     
Hae Soo, not wanting to give Yeon-Hwa the satisfaction of her victorious speech, declared that she would only believe it from Gwangjong’s lips.
Yeon-Hwa alleged that there were some sensitive matters that the king could not bring himself to say to her.
Yeon-hwa declared that the various clans were up in arms against Gwangjong and were deliberating on how they could overthrow him. The clans were unhappy that Gwangjong had put a stop to relocating the capital from Songak to Seokyeong. All work had been stopped.
According to the princess, the question of who got to wear and retain the crown depended on whether the contender for the throne could obtain the allegiance of the powerful clans like the Hwangbos of Hwangju and the Yoos of Chungju.
The Yoos of Chungju, Gwangjong’s mother’s clan, were in a state of anxiety because they, previously egged on by Queen Yoo, had mistreated him before he became king.
Other powerful families in Songak also oppose him. Behind his back, all were plotting for his downfall.
   
‘See?’ Yeo-Hwa stressed dramatically.
Yeon-Hwa could not emphasize enough how important she was to Gwangjong.
Would the king discuss such politically sensitive issues with her?
The political situation was made clear to Hae Soo. The mesh of Goryeo’s political alliances was complicated. The different clans were at variance with each other.
But when it came to the future queen consort, the different clans were one, all in agreement with each other. It later emerged that Gwangjong could either choose to marry Yeon-Hwa or choose death. He could not renounce the throne in favour of another prince.
The princess, in her less than cordial attempt to erode Hae Soo’s confidence, continued by casually alluding to the naïve girl’s delusional living arrangements.
But, Yeon-Hwa could not help herself but condescendingly sneered at Hae Soo’s romantic dreams. The mockery was thinly-veiled when Yeon-Hwa pointed out that she, Hae Soo, was only interested in being cocooned in her fantasy world, waiting for Gwangjong every day in the small but prettily decorated room. All her dreams were contained in that room. That was all Hae Soo was satisfied with and what she demanded of her existence.
Yeon-Hwa’s contempt was obvious. Hae Soo was ridiculed for wanting to live in her own little cloistered fantasy world, and to be oblivious of what was actually happening in the outside world. She wanted to distance herself from the vicious politicking, the bitchiness of the females in the palace and the cruelty of the real Goryeo world. All she wanted was a peaceful world without any stress or pressures where she was loved and protected by Gwangjong.
Her world and her whole life was centred on Gwangjong and Gwangjong was her life. But what she seems unaware of was, her man, Gwangjong was meant for the bigger things in life. He was meant to be the emperor of the Goryeo Empire. If he was, she was just a small part of his life.
Was it not a sly dig at Hae Soo’s idea of romantic love?
 
Yeon-Hwa inevitably raised the question of whether Hae Soo was fit to be Gwangjong’s queen. A woman who was easily satisfied with a small room for herself could not be the queen. Having said that, she argued that if Hae Soo were to become the queen, the kingdom would definitely be in huge trouble.
Did Princess Yeon-Hwa not think it was too premature to make such a prophesy?
No. Hae Soo would not be of any political help to him. She was someone without a powerful or wealthy family to back her king up. Would it not be unfortunate if he gave up everything for her? It meant that he had fought his way up the throne for nothing!
Hae Soo, after so many humbling incidents in her life, may seem like a simple-minded flower but she was not stupid. It was made transparent what Gwangjong’s future would be like with her as his queen. Could she risk it? Hae Soo had to let go or both she and Gwangjong would be burnt.
‘Are you saying you can stop it?’ Is Yeon-Hwa able to stop him from giving up the throne?
The question of the viewers is, did Hae Soo want to stop the man she claimed to love from giving up the throne for her? Was she going to politically cripple her beloved when he should be up there in all his glory as the king? Through her grounding in history, Hae Soo knew that one day Gwangjong would be the emperor of an empire, the Goryeo Empire.
 
More mud-slinging was imminent. Yeon-Hwa drummed the very important point into her. ‘A king cannot marry a woman with a scar on her body.’
Hae Soo remembered that she had slit her wrist to prevent marriage with King Taejo. Now the incident had come back to haunt her.
 
Yeon-Hwa, though not normally magnanimous and friendly, was suddenly given to such virtues when she offered a peace treaty that delineated how they could live peacefully together and how to share Gwangjong. They could co-exist and not infringe on each other’s rights.
Hae Soo was given a clear picture. Yeon-Hwa would be Gwangjong’s consort, and as the queen consort, she would rule the big, wide world together with the king while Hae Soo could be a self-indulgent concubine remaining in her little room to wait for him every day to return to her after he had dealt with the court business.
Thought-provoking. One wonders if the princess’s peace plan stemmed from her insecurities about Gwangjong’s feelings about her.
Hae Soo understood that she would soon be set adrift from her beloved king in her own lovey-dovey world. Did that situation sit well with her?
The audience could understand what it means. In the modern world, Yeon-Hwa was the wife with status and power while Hae Soo would be the mistress, the other woman, who was the comfort woman who waited for her lover to come to her after all his work or family obligations had been met. Even if Hae Soo had his love, she would not have all his attention. Did the idea of sharing a man with another woman appeal to the twenty-first century woman? Was it going to be a mental and emotional torture to her?
It was made clear that Hae Soo’s decision was important. She would be crucial in deciding Gwangjong’s future.
It may well be asked at this stage who would make a better queen for Gwangjong.
  
Yeon-Hwa had the answer. She stood up, and superciliously spelt out and brutally drove home the point that she was a Hwangbo of Hwangju, one of the most powerful clans of Goryeo.
And to push the stake deeper, she proclaimed that she was the daughter of the deceased founder of the Goryeo kingdom, King Taejo. She implied that she possessed the royal lineage and strong political connections to be Gwangjong's consort.
 
Sensing victory, she rhetorically asked, ‘If I cannot do it, who can protect him?’
She was able to boast of power as she had an influential family with a powerful army to support her man. They would swear immediate homage and allegiance to him if Yeon-Hwa was his queen.
So, who was she, Hae Soo, anyway? She was just a mere insignificant woman. Hae Soo got the full brunt of her derision. It was made crystal clear to her where her priorities lay. No happy endings for her.
With an arrogant look, Yeon-Hwa with her head held high, turned regally and confidently strutted off.
Was Hae Soo dumbfounded? She had never thought of such big issues. Her little mind did not focus on issues beyond romantic love. Perhaps she had been trying to sweep the threatening matters under the carpet.
She suddenly realised that she was not a suitable mate for Gwangjong after all.
WANG
WOOK
THE EIGHTH PRINCE
Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, another person was also trying to drive a wedge between Gwangjong and Hae Soo.
Wang Wook, once his stiffest competitor for the throne, was that person. He declared to Gwangjong, ‘That girl cannot become queen.’ But Gwangjong thought otherwise.
While it was hard to say whether he was still furious with Hae Soo for having jumped ship so easily, his jealousy of the king was easy to detect. Gwangjong had grabbed everything – the throne and the girl he loved.
For the once-ambitious Wang Wook, whose primary motivation seemed to be preventing Gwangjong from making Hae Soo his queen, ‘Winners take it all’ should not apply to Gwangjong.
 
Gwangjong insisted that if he was determined to keep his word, and nobody could stop him.
  
Wang Wook reminded him that Hae Soo had slit her wrist to avoid marrying their father, King Taejo. His contention was, a woman with a scar could not become the queen in Goryeo.
Wang Wook was engaged in the evil pursuit to prevent Gwangjong from winning at everything.
Gwangjong glowered at him; his eyes hard and steely. His throat and facial muscles tightened.
        
Wang Wook stated that Gwangjong had to give up something, either the throne or Hae Soo. If he wanted to cement his ironclad hold on the throne, it would mean that Gwangjong had to cast Hae Soo aside.
Gwangjong was unimpressed and studied Wang Wook’s face for some time. Gwangjong was the king; who was the Eighth Prince to dictate to him?
At this juncture, he would brook no dissent nor interference. He would accomplish what he had set out to do. Then, a smile wreathed his face. He had a sense of humour, of which Wang Wook proved to be painfully lacking.
      
His brow furrowed and with a twinkle in his eyes, he brushed aside all arguments. His mocking smile widened and he boasted with easy confidence, ‘I’ll not lose either.’ Neither his throne nor his woman.
 
Wang Wook, staring disdainfully at him, was tempted to puncture Gwangjong’s self-delusion and call his bluff.
‘Others may give up something. But I ascended the throne to acquired everything,’ Gwangjong asserted imperiously, meaning, he wanted not just the throne but also Hae Soo.
   
Gwangjong was ostensibly in charge of the situation. With furrowed brows and narrowed eyes, and in a tone filled with arrogance and incredulity, he questioned, ‘Do you really imagine I would cast Hae Soo aside just because of a scar on her body?’ He was convinced that it was a ridiculous idea.
Gwangjong’s words betrayed that he did not subscribe to the popular notion that a queen must be ‘perfect’ and should not have any scars. He had stated in no uncertain terms that he loved Hae Soo, with or without her scar, and he would certainly not throw her aside.
      
With his brows knitted together, he raised his forefinger, pointed to his face where his scar was supposed to be and tapped on it dramatically for effect. ‘I became a king with a face like this.’
      
Was Wang Wook so naïve and foolish as to believe that he, a king with a scar on his face, would be so shallow as to shun a woman with a scar on her wrist? If he did that, he would be just slapping himself in the face. It was pretty clear that Gwangjong was not so easily intimidated. His eyes pierced Wang Wook’s with such superciliousness that the viewers are forced to believe that he would have the tenacity and strength to bring the promise of his words to fruition.
  
Then, Gwangjong’s laughter suddenly rang out. The mirthful way that Gwangjong laughed at Wang Wook indicated that there was no hollow ring to it.
But Wang Wook stood his ground and looked contemptuously at his half-brother.
To maintain the throne was no easy task. The way to settle a succession dispute was often by going to war. But using brute force at this early stage of his rule was not Gwangjong’s first choice. If things came to a head, the kingdom might move quickly to civil war. And, that was also not on Gwangjong’s agenda.
All throughout his audience with Gwangjong, Wang Wook wore an expression of contemptuous superiority. It further strained his ties with his half-brother. He would one day lose his political clout and regret ever trying to threaten the king.
  
That evening, when Hae Soo was having a late meal with Gwangjong, it was apparent that the king was troubled. Gwangjong’s head was bent in thought. His worries made him so hard-pressed that their meal was carried out in total silence. No explanation was forthcoming. Although Hae Soo perfectly understood the reason for his unusual quietness, she was discreet, and cautious not to intrude on his reflections.
Gwangjong knew that the clan leaders who did not see eye to eye with him had to be appeased but he was too stubborn and egoistical to back down. He was not going to rule under their thumb.
 
When Gwangjong looked up, his smile was a wee bit thin. Hae Soo knew that he was holding on and putting up a brave face. He did not realise that she had already understood his precarious situation. His heart was heavy, so was hers.
THE
CLANSMAN
The next day, the pressure exerted on him increased with the arrival of the arrogant and insolent bearer of bad news – a representative of his former adoptive family, the Kang clan, who secretly reported on the Chungju Yoos and the Hwangju Hwangbos.
The clansman claimed that the Yoo clan demanded for independence. The ministers were also trying to wrest power from him by demanding for control over taxes and the military. It was not a delightful bit of news as it seems their clan support would melt away if he did not comply with their demands.
  
Since halting the relocation of the capital to Seokyeong, the powerful clans had been protesting.
It must have sprung to Gwangjong’s mind that there was some conspiracy and close connection between Wang Wook of the Hwangbo Hwangju clan and other clans.
Gwangjong was shrewd and analytical enough to notice it. The similarity in their arguments fired Gwangjong’s suspicion. They were trying to lay their hands on his power. He noticed that even his mother’s clan, the Yoos of Chungju were turning against him.
Wang Wook’s objection to Hae Soo being queen had fallen on deaf ears. But the issue was, by no means, closed.
    
Adrenalin must have grasped him in the throat. Gwangjong knew that that plot against him had continued unabated. The clans were going to distance themselves from him, and then perhaps, get rid of him. Fury flooded his whole being but he knew that if the clans did not give him their support, it would cripple his kingdom.
All this while, Gwangjong had been silent. Gwangjong was irritated by the man talking in a circular fashion and beating around the bush.
 
‘I think you’re trying to say something.’ When the man began to work his jaws, Gwangjong told the loquacious man, who was speaking in a wordy, circumlocutory style, to get to the point.
    
The clansman was quick on the uptake and had no qualms about speaking his mind, and arrogantly demanded that Gwangjong marry Princess Yeon-Hwa. That was the backbone of his mission – to convince Gwangjong to marry the princess of the Hwangbo clan of Hwangju. If Gwangjong agreed, all his problems would magically disappear.
Was the attempt to bring the king to his knees useless? The king was not that surprised. He did not care to fall in with what he considered to be a ridiculous plan that would impinge on his rights and rob him of his independence to make decisions.
   
He retorted fiercely that he would marry whoever he pleased. Who were they to order him around?
Shocked by the king’s irreverent answer, the clansman’s response was critical of the king. His steely and disrespectful reproach was that the king had not placed any importance on his position. It was preposterous that the king was dismissive of his very important opinion.
   
The clansman insinuated that there were disparaging rumours concerning Gwangjong’s inseparable relationship with Hae Soo, whom he referred disrespectfully to as ‘the Damiwon girl’. He questioned the wisdom of his close relationship with her. His objection invited debate and comparison between Yeon-Hwa and Hae Soo but Gwangjong gave him no chance to proceed. Gwangjong refused to budge an inch.
 
Baek-ah rebuked the clansman for his insolence. He was told to guard his mouth.
Yet, the case refused to die away, which in itself, indicated that the opinions of the clans were worthy of immediate attention. The anger and outrage of the clans put pressure on him to make the right decision.
QUEEN
HWANGBO
 
Gwangjong had another surprise visitor. It was Empress Hwangbo, the mother of Wang Wook and Yeon-Hwa. His earlier suspicion that all his visitors were inextricably linked was now proven correct. First, Wang Wook. Then, the clansman and now, Empress Hwangbo.
The Empress, the fourth consort of the late King Taejo, had also jumped on the bandwagon as she had a vested interest in making Gwangjong her son-in-law.
The mounting pressure heaped on Gwangjong was beginning to hit a raw nerve.
She warned him that all the powerful clans, whether the Chungjus or Hwangbos were planning to rip the kingdom apart.
  
She did not hide her intentions but slyly raised the question whether he was going to let Goryeo fall apart during his reign and, of course, be judged by history.
 
He suggested that she was overly concerned.
    
Besides reminding Gwangjong that King Taejo, his deceased father, had waged wars to found the Goryeo kingdom, she also praised her deceased consort’s personal sacrifice to protect and keep the kingdom intact and afloat. Her mounting worry was the shaky state of affairs of the kingdom in Gwangjong’s hands.
  
To his enormous surprise, she made her intentions transparent when she said she was discarding her son, Wang Wook, a potential king in the making. Wang Wook had shown early brilliance and promise and had also been groomed in every possible way to excel.
But, she now supported Yeon-Hwa to be queen rather than fight for Wang Wook to be the king, which of course, was for her own gain.
Gwangjong was not deluded that she had offered her daughter to him in marriage for nothing. Was it both a business and a political proposition? She was selling her daughter in exchange for even more power for the Hwangbo clan.
With his future strong connections with the Hwangbo clan, he would gain access to their power. He would be able keep his throne. It was fair exchange. He would benefit from the match. And, there was no gulf between Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa and him as they both shared many things in common, being the children of King Taejo. What was most important was the powerful Hwangbos would show their allegiance to him.
  
Queen Hwangbo pursued the matter tenaciously. To make her case more convincing, she presented a book purportedly written by Hae Soo in a language unknown to anyone. At that time, only the aristocracy, scholars and people of higher standing studied and understood the complicated Chinese characters, having been influenced by Chinese culture.
    
But how were they to know, living in the tenth century, that those characters written by Hae Soo were the unique characters of Hangeul, the Korean language of modern Korea, which would be created under King Sejong the Great (a Joseon king, 1418 – 1450) in the future. Hae Soo’s life had been put under a microscope and Gwangjong feared that she would soon be put under greater public scrutiny.
It was a piece of evidence, according to the empress, that would point to her ‘strangeness’, a implication that would be stacked heavily against her. If he married her, his position of king would surely be compromised. It was an ominous threat that he could not ignore as worse was to come if he did not agree. She practically urged caution so that it would not fuel more gossip and scandals. Would it seem like Empress Hwangbo was out to discredit Hae Soo or on a ‘witch hunt’?
Did Gwangjong still labour under the delusion that Hae Soo should be his queen? Now, he, being intelligent, clearly understood that if Hae Soo, instead of Yeon-Hwa, became his queen, it would eventually lead to the former being maligned and hauled over the coals for her ‘strangeness’. Gwangjong did not require quicksilver intelligence to understand that if the intimidation was sustained, the issue could be exploited and it was possible that further evidence could be fabricated against her and the claims could not be rubbished. The sour note that came at the end was that the smidgen piece of evidence was enough to ruin his beloved Hae Soo, and destroy them both.
The Queen also threw in an interesting fact for good measure – that Hae Soo had no background. Wasn’t Hae Soo her daughter-in-law, Lady Hae’s cousin?
  
To rub salt into the wound, Queen Hwangbo also impressed upon him about Hae Soo's ‘weaknesses’, implying mostly that she could bring nothing to the throne – no military strength nor influential political alliances.
  
Gwangjong was seething and livid with rage when he declared that such things were of no importance to him.
Angered by her wiles and shenanigans, he glared menacingly at the empress. How dare she dictate to him? His eyes narrowed into slits.
 
He burst out, ‘What’s so great about this throne anyway?’ The words seemed to have glided from his tongue so easily.
What he meant was, the Goryeo throne, without Hae Soo, meant nothing to him. He could easily give up the throne any time for her.
  
Shocked, the empress urged caution and explained seriously that he could not escape from his position as it was tied to him unto death. It was a life and death matter. It was impossible for him to abdicate in favour of another person. Only death could release him from the throne.
The arguments of those who were opposed to Hae Soo being installed as the queen consort could not be so easily dismissed. The thought hat he should relegate Hae Soo to the back and marry his half-sister sickened him, but if he did not comply, it would do irreparable damage to the kingdom.
However much the situation galled and denigraded him, the king was forced to accept the reality of the situation. The empress had driven home the point that everything would go wrong for him and Hae Soo if he did not marry her daughter, Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa. This reflected the current political disarray in Goreyo, and he had to make a decision soon, a decision that should be tempered by concern for the kingdom, not his personal needs.
Gwangjong must have been badly shaken by her sharp reminder. Far too many negative things had been hurled at Hae Soo. Suddenly, he felt trapped like a bird in a gilded cage. He stalled over giving the queen an answer straightaway but he knew he was neatly cornered and trapped.
But, neither of them have the slightest doubt he would in the end bend to the will of the conspirators. History would soon repeat itself.
CHOI
JI MONG
THE ASTRONOMER
 
Meanwhile, even Choi Ji Mong, the peculiar and unfathomable astronomer, had also began applying pressure on Hae Soo. Normally staid and non-interfering, it was strange that the right-hand man of the 4 different Goryeo kings, a self-professed bystander and observer, had decided to put in a word or two to help Hae Soo to come to her senses.
The astronomer had on only a few occasions shown his real deep-seated emotions. The most memorable one was when he burst out into raucous laughter when the rain fell during the rain ceremony. It was obvious that he felt that the heavens had sided with Prince Wang So who had helmed the rain rites. And as a result, Wang So was able to win the favour of some of the court officials and the people.
But perhaps, the matter he was pursuing now was of upmost importance to the survival of the Goryeo kingdom. With the rise of so many rebellious factions around the king, if Choi Ji Mong did not step in, Gwangjong would not emerge as a winner in the test of the survival of the fittest. The opposition could soon mount an intensified or coordinated attack against him which would predictably be difficult to contain.
The problem of Hae Soo was a major issue, not a slight hiccup, in Gwangjong’s shaky reign. It had to be dealt with quickly before the political situation exploded into something bigger.
Hae Soo lived in her own fantasy world and is oblivious of what was going on around her, and Gwangjong was stubborn and inflexible in his ways. That was a recipe for disaster.
Choi Ji Mong invited Hae Soo to his work place to exact pressure on her.
He recalled the times when the princes visited his place. They used to bring life to the place.
The tenth prince, Wang Eun, loved the ‘flying wing’ which looked like the futuristic hang-glider.
 
The third prince, Wang Yo and the eighth prince, Wang Wook, enjoyed reading the various books kept on the shelves.
 
The fourteenth prince liked the picture of the stars. He, like Choi Ji Mong, probably liked astronomy and the mysteries of the celestial objects.
   
The ninth prince was inquisitive and was curious about alchemy. That was probably how he learnt how to poison the Crown Prince with mercury.
The thirteenth prince, Baek-Ah was artistic and always busy drawing. He drew inspiration from his surroundings, people and nature.
 
But, everything went by in the blink of an eye. Life, fragile and unpredictable, passed by so quickly.
Looking dejected, the astronomer must have remembered the sad end of some of the princes. Wang Mu, Wang Eun and Wang Yo, had already made their journey over to the other side.
Hae Soo immediately understood his pain as he loved the princes very much and cared about them.
And because he loved the princes, he pleaded with her to give up the desire of marrying the king. It was a challenge for him to try to convince her. She was headstrong and strong-willed; perhaps, might we not say, pigheaded? And, the future of the kingdom lay in her hands.
 
Similarly, Gwangjong was obstinate and intransigent, and was uncompromising when it came to Hae Soo. He was singled-minded about making Hae Soo his queen.
 
Choi Ji Mong urged her to let go first but she was adamant about marrying him. She explained that she had gone through thick and thin with him and had waited for an inordinate stretch of time for him. There was no reason for her to give up her dream ‘of getting married and living happily ever after with Gwangjong’.
If she had to give up now, she might as well have given up ages ago.
      
If the king remained true to his promise and was loyal to her - indicators of the depth of his love, why should she even give up?
Tenacity was Choi Ji Mong’s most significant trait. He persisted and stunned Hae Soo with one question.
‘What happened to the princes who had once been in this work place?’
It was an eye opener and gave her valuable insight into what might happen in the future.
   
King Hyejong (Crown Prince Wang Mu), in his very brief reign, had been slowly poisoned by mercury inserted stealthily into his bath. Then, he was ruthlessly slaughtered by his ambitious half-brother, the Third Prince, Wang Yo.
 
Due to Wang Yo’s callous policy, the mild and harmless Tenth Prince, Wang Eun, was shot by his lethal arrows. Wang So, the Fourth Prince, was compelled to carry out mercy killing or else Wang Eun would have suffered unbearable pain and worse still, suffer a fate worse than death – to die shamefully at the hands of a traitor and enemy, Wang Yo.
 
Then, finally, poetic justice. Wang Yo ended his miserable, crazy life not many years after ascending the throne. Did he not hear unbearable voices in his head? Anyway, he was certainly mad – angry and insane at the point of death.
The normally sedate and dignified Choi Ji Mong warned her that no one knew when and where something might happen to Gwangjong. If something terrible were to happen to Gwangjong, who was to be blamed? Would she be able to absolve herself of any blame if she persisted in being so stubborn and indulging in self-deception?
The astronomer had seen many people fall due to the internecine conflicts of the clans. In order to stop another tragedy, the fragile throne must become stronger. He was convinced that the downfall of many kings was mostly due to their political and military weakness.
King Hyejong (Wang Mu), a mentally weak and physically sick king, could not hold onto the throne as he had no political backing, lacking a powerful or influential family background. Although he had fought many wars alongside his father Taejo, his military strength was inadequate to combat palace conspiracies.
Wang Yo, although having powerful allies and military backing from his mother’s Chungju Yoos, was considered a traitor because he killed his half-brother, King Hyejong.
The astronomer was strongly persuaded that the throne had to be strengthened to stop another tragedy from happening.
 
Hae Soo was told the brutal truth was, ‘You may be a source of comfort but will not be a source of strength to the king.’ How could she not understand when he spelt it out so clearly that she was not a good or perfect match for Gwangjong?
Choi Ji Mong drove home the point that she was at a disadvantage because she could not bring strong political allies to her marriage with Gwangjong.
On the other hand, Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa had the competitive edge as her mother’s Hwangbo clan from Hwangju had strong military support and political influence. This would enable Gwangjong to stablilise his reign over the Goryeo kingdom.
Any fool would be able to see that there was no level playing field and Hae Soo was not on a par with Yeon-Hwa. If she loved Gwangjong, she must focus on what matters most; she would have to give up being the queen.
 
There was no question in her mind that he was speaking anything but the truth. It was only a matter of time before Gwangjong was forced to marry Yeon-Hwa. Hae Soo perhaps knew that marriages were made in Heaven and she was not fated to marry Gwangjong. They were not evenly matched and she should have known better. It should have sunk in earlier that she had no place in Goryeo History and she was not in a position to change History.
Hae Soo had to confront reality. She had to let go first, before Gwangjong agreed to let go. Delaying was not the solution. Disaster was staring Gwangjong in the face and he would suffer. Hae Soo would be doing him and the Goryeo kingdom a grave injustice if she clung to the idea of being his queen.
Choi Ji Mong’s message left Hae Soo with a sense of urgency to stop Gwangjong from destroying himself. Hae Soo’s defences were totally worn down. Her heart hurt.
Although Hae Soo had to concede defeat, there should be a win-win solution. Everyone should win.
Yeon-Hwa should be married to Gwangjong, the prince she had been besotted with all this while, and become the politically powerful Goryeon queen that she wished to be. It was power that she truly wanted and had envisaged.
Gwangjong’s position as the king of Goryeo, upon his union with Yeon-Hwa, would stabilise and strengthen with the enthusiastic support of the Hwangbos and the Yoos but he would still enjoy having Hae Soo by his side to comfort and encourage him.
Hae Soo would remain by Gwangjong’s side and be the only woman loved by him. She would monopolise his heart and be his only queen.
Was that not the best solution?
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GWANGJONG AND HAE SOO
THE KING AND I
My Love (OST) by Lee Hi
One evening, Gwangjong was alone; he was troubled and deep in thought. Earthly miseries, which included the possibility of Hae Soo being torn apart from him, preyed on his mind. He pondered on the problems of maintaining his control over the throne but his priority was Hae Soo.
 
The future of the Goryeo kingdom hung in the balance. The powerful clans were using arm-twisting techniques to control him and he lacked the political clout to oppose them. He was his father’s son after all. It proved to the hilt that ruling over Goryeo was not a one-man show. Powerful and influential relatives decided the king’s fate.
Gwangjong's marriage to Yeon-Hwa was a foregone conclusion. He was not in a terrible dilemma as marrying Yeon-Hwa was his only option. And, the matter could not be trivialised as she was a formidable woman; ambitious, provocative, and a frightening schemer. That she might use her connections to control, tame and subjugate him after marriage was the least of his worries.
In fact, deluged by a wave of conscience, he could not face Hae Soo, knowing he would hurt the woman whom he claimed to love. It was, indeed, a defining moment for him and the turning point of his life.
  
But, the wonderful Hae Soo unexpectedly appeared like a ray of sunshine in his dark moments to alleviate his anxieties. She was a breath of fresh air as she playfully peered from behind the tall pillars to tease him.
 
Intent on brightening Gwangjong’s life, she showered on him her megawatt sweet smiles which immediately lit up his eyes. His mood seemed to lighten.
Though he had been weighted down by his burdens moments ago, a smile of delight lit up his face. His spirits seemed to be lifted as well.
The king could not help flirting with her as she was acting cute and giving him saccharine-sweet smiles. ‘Who said you could come in here without permission?’
 
‘It’s just that everyone already knows how much you favour me, Your Majesty,’ she toyed with her words.
 
‘Because of you, people will say that I only look scary on the outside,’ Gwangjong complained in a teasing tone. He implied that people would be misled to assume that he was a nice and amiable king, and not an intimidating nor dangerous one. They would perceive him to be a wolfdog who could only howl, but not bite.
It seemed that the serious and aggressive king had an unpredictable and contradictory personality. He was a different person when he was with Hae Soo. His happy manner and demeanour made those around them suspect he had dual personalities.
‘Then do you want to go outside and have fun with me?’ she cajoled.
 
Hae Soo wondered whether he had forgotten that it was the Narye, the night of the exorcism rite, a night to ward off evil spirits. She happily waved two colourful Narye masks at him.
   
He playfully admonished her for using the exorcism rite as an excuse to have fun.
She coaxed him to go to the market. He was surprised for it was not the norm to leave the palace without the proper and necessary preparations.
      
Placing a mask over her face, she confidently urged him to have fun in the market as no one would recognise them. If he wore common robes, he would not be mistaken for anyone other than a common man.
   
Hae Soo then offered him a mask to go with his ordinary robes.
  
To Hae Soo’s delight, Gwangjong seemed highly amused and entertained by the idea of playing hooky from his kingly duties. Swayed by her persuasive powers, he tried on the mask and it immediately made him feel like a kid again.
Like two free birds flying from one lantern to another, they wandered about admiring everything in sight. Joy was in the air.
She pointed out various interesting objects to him.
 
She reminisced about the incident in the forest on that fateful Narye night when the Third Prince, Wang Yo and Queen Yoo had plotted but failed to kill the Crown Prince, Wang Mu.
  
Wearing their masks, they teased each other, generating playful banter. It was a comedic and fun experience for them. They were smiling and making each other laugh.
 
Then, they stood next to each other; he, towering over her. They closed their eyes and raised their hands in prayer. Probably, their prayers were for each other.
The couple were a picture of bliss as they stood side by side with the beautiful lanterns lighting up the area.
  
Upon opening his eyes, Gwangjong drew her close and gave her a back hug. He also feathered her a loving kiss as she prayed for their happiness.
    
With his face close to hers, he whispered sweet nothings into her ears and soon, she was smiling sweetly. Gazing at her with love in his eyes, he drank in her loveliness. His smile never left his face as he held her in his arms. Both were deliriously happy in each other’s presence.
  
They looked picture-perfect as a couple who were madly in love with each other. They were exact opposites and they completed each other. He, the masculine, strong, aggressive, courageous and determined king was her exact opposite. She, formerly aggressive and assertive, now embodied every desirable feminine quality that he wanted in his queen – loving, empathetic, tender, patient and warm. However, they shared one thing in common, a stubborn trait.
Holding her close, they looked at each other lovingly, oblivious of the world around them.
Then, Hae Soo purposefully guided Gwangjong to her favourite place. Darkness had flooded the place except where the moon shone brightly unobstructed by the trees.
 
He was surprised to see a doltap or stack of stones set up by the wayside in the palace grounds.
Every time a visit was made to the doltap, a stone or two would be added on top by Hae Soo. Each one represented a prayer.
The doltap is part of Buddhist culture. People build doltaps to pray for their loved ones or things in general.
Hae Soo compared the small doltap with the original one that Gwangjong had previously destroyed in his rage. It must have reminded him of the night after his disastrous conversation with his mother in her bedroom. He had expected his cold and unemotional mother, Queen Yoo, to be grateful to him after he had killed all the mute monks and burnt their temple to remove all evidence of her plot to assassinate the Crown Prince, Wang Mu.
Instead, she had disparaged and demeaned him. He let out his anger by destroying one of the doltaps, and Hae Soo was there and had tried to salve his pain.
Hae Soo, then, persuaded him to make a wish as the doltap was the place where his wishes might come true.
Gwangjong teased her about her intention of building the new doltap as a ruse to invite a marriage proposal from him.
She was blatant about it and confessed immediately. She even playfully reminded him that he had promised to propose to her at the prayer tower.
‘When I first met you, you should have run away’, he flirted mischievously. She responded cheekily that she tried to run away but he caught her.
  
Flirting easily with Gwangjong, Hae Soo deftly led him to the topic of marriage. It was a clever way to lead him to speak about what he could not open up to talk about. Gwangjong finally raised the marriage issue.
  
He confessed that he could not remember what first drew her to him. ‘There are so many reasons now. I’ve to live with you. Let’s live together. Marry me.’
 
The words almost took her breath away. Nothing made Hae Soo’s heart flutter quite like Qwangjong. His sweet-nothings were sufficient to make her feel moony and smitten with love.
  
She, effortlessly sweet and beautiful, gazed at him lovingly but she did not give him a nod. She knew he was willing to fight for her. Proposing to her, despite his precarious circumstances, was proof that he really love her. She was humbled.
 
Gwangjong smiled at her, conscious that she was happy with the fact that he has fulfilled his promise of proposing to her.
She, on the other hand, understood that it took a lot of courage and determination on his part to propose to her.
His throne was a herculean task to shoulder but he was going to fight the whole lot of bigots for her. Hae Soo understood the enormity of the challenges that lay before him if he married her. He was sacrificing everything for her. How could she allow him to do that?
She did not want to weigh him down. She did not want him to risk the wrath of the various clans. Tears flooded her eyes as she smiled happily at him, comforted and satisfied by the fact that he had the courage of his own convictions.
Hae Soo knew as much that according to history, he, Gwangjong, would consolidate the power of the throne and would become a powerful Emperor who would rule over the Goryeo Empire for 26 years.
She had previously witnessed the instability of the reigns of his brothers and predecessors, King Hyejong (Wang Mu) and King Jeongjong (Wang Yo) due to the power struggles among the numerous in-laws.
Gwangjong now had the opportunity to pacify the various factions, stabilise his royal power and consolidate the throne. Would she, out of her selfish interests, deprive him of that opportunity that would have far reaching consequences on the Goryeo Empire?
Hae Soo now had a clear head on her shoulders after having been enlightened and advised by Choi Ji Mong, the astronomer. Hae Soo was forced to reject his marriage proposal. ‘I can’t.’
 
She had borne the brunt of all criticisms against her. She would not be able to meet all his needs. She explained that she could not do anything for him except to provide comfort for him.
   
Gwangjong was appalled, shaken and puzzled. He suspected that some people had already launched a war of attrition against Hae Soo to prevent her from marrying him.
Gwangjong was still in a state of denial. His stubborn ego prevented him from facing the reality of his situation. He wanted to reassure Hae Soo that he could fulfil his promise to marry her.
   
He insisted that he would not give her up over her scar but that was beyond the point. It was not just the scar issue, it was way more than that and he knew it.
She resolutely pressed on and reassured him she would not give him up. It was impossible for them to imagine life without each other.
      
Struggling to placate him, she whispered soothingly that she would continue to stay by his side. She rationalised in a tone as nonchalantly as she could muster, ‘If I become a queen or your consort, I’ll be tied down by palace rules. I won’t be able to see you when I want and I’ll have to follow palace etiquette.’ Noting the doubt in his troubled eyes, she gave him a warm, reassuring smile.
Gwangjong, though grief-stricken, was acutely conscious of her independence and determination. He understood immediately that the restricted life of the palace was inherently obnoxious to her.
 
But, Hae Soo did not fool him for a moment. Gwangjong looked at her in utter misery, tears welling in his eyes. He knew that people had insinuated to her about her ‘shortcomings’ and explained to her the minutest details of the consequences if he, the king, had difficulty in carrying the crown.
Knowing that the clansmen had brought pressure to bear on him, she had understood what she had to do – to give up being Gwangjong’s queen. Hae Soo had to wise up to the fact that if she did not let go, he would definitely not be able to let go.
It was a poignant moment. He knew she was hurting inside. Her mind was made up. Although his crown was at stake, the iron nerve of the emperor did not break. But it was exceedingly clear that if he had fought vigorously to dissuade her, he knew that he would just be facing an insurmountable wall.
Hae Soo would just be as stubborn as him. She did not want him to give up everything for her. Neither of them would be happy. If she gave up being queen, he could still have her by his side. He would still be happy despite Yeon-Hwa being crowned his queen.
Rationality ruled. Still, Gwangjong had to address the marriage issue with Yeon-Hwa. Faced with the fractious struggle of balancing what was best for Goryeo and his own personal needs, he had to reach a dispassionate but intelligent decision. It could no longer be delayed. But, Hae Soo, in letting go, has made the decision for him. Gwangjong understood the meaning of her letting go – that she truly loved him.
  
Sensing that he had resigned himself to her decision and his fate, Hae Soo reached out lovingly to touch his face to reassure him that it was all right. Her eyes were bright with tears.
Like a soft, gentle breeze that blew, she seemed to have feathered his gloomy thoughts and blown his worries and anxieties away.
Gwangjong gazed at her, his eyes full of suffering. Humbled by her sacrificial love, his eyes teared up even more. He felt fortunate to have her love and her understanding.
 
Gwangjong caught her hand and in an impassioned voice, he declared that even if he could not marry her, she could not leave him. He definitely would not let her go. ‘You can’t leave me. You’ve to be mine.’ ‘You can’t go anywhere.’ ‘I’ll never allow it.’
     
Quelling his rising sadness and anxiety, he wrapped his arms around her protectively, afraid of letting her go.
 
Tears in Gwangjong’s eyes threatened to stream down.
  
Then, with fierce determination in his eyes, he declared with conviction, ‘You are my only queen’.
She was not just the queen of his heart but also his only queen. That was such a romantic moment. With that, tears rolled down Gwangjong’s cheeks. He had been moved by her love and her great sacrifice. Hae Soo did not doubt his words for a moment. She was certain of her monopoly of his heart. No one else, not even Yeon Hwa, could compete with her.
The wolfdog king, long synonymous with aggression and violence, had been brought to his knees by his love for Hae Soo. It was inevitable that he would bow to court pressure this time. He wept.
One should know that the course of true love never did run smooth.
        
Sacrifice. Isn’t that what true love is all about?
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LEE JOON GI
AS
GWANGJONG
THE MOST ROMANTIC HERO
Lee Joon Gi lives up to his reputation as South Korea’s top
actor. His absolutely stunning and impressive portrayal of Wang So /
Gwangjong in the historical-fantasy-romance drama, Moon Lovers – Scarlet
Heart: Ryeo has made the Goryeo king the most romantic hero in the South
Korean drama world.
Lee Joon Gi had handled the role of Wang So / Gwangjong with
consummate skill, having expressed the entire gamut of emotions, especially
through his eyes in this episode of the drama. In many internet sites, he has
been declared not just the best actor and but also the most romantic
character of 2016. There has been an outpouring of praise from South Koreans
and the global audience for his performance.
In his portrayal of Gwangjong in Episode 18 of the drama, it is
clear that Lee had successfully conveyed the different facets of the arrogant
and conflicted newly-crowned young king as he aggressively confronted the
members of the opposition, while he tenderly and charmingly romanced his lady
love, Hae Soo. (Gwangjong succeeded the throne as the fourth king of the
Goryeo kingdom at the age of 25.)
Gwangjong’s love for Hae Soo had outraged the Goryeo court, who
were dead set against their union. Gwangjong, being blinded by his obsessive
love for her, refused to accept the fact that he, the king, was powerless to
choose his own queen.
As the scene unfolds, the viewers could feel that the palace atmosphere was like that of a
pressure cooker as Gwangjong was
forced to make a decision that would decide the fate of Goryeo and inevitably,
their romance.
When Hae Soo prayed in front of the doltap, Gwangjong wrapped Hae
Soo in his arms. His heart-melting hug makes the viewers’ hearts flutter. Spine-tingling.
Lee Joon Gi’s charm is inexplicable and his smile irresistible in this scene.
When Hae Soo rejected his marriage proposal, viewers empathise
with Gwangjong and are moved to tears by his heartwrenching grief for not
being able to fulfil his promise of giving her the status that she was
entitled to.
What is truly moving and unforgettable is when Lee Joon Gi
whispered into Hae Soo’s ears, ‘You’re my only queen’. It is heart-stopping.
Romantic. He has a tight grip on the hearts of the audience and the females
fall hopelessly in love with Gwangjong (and Lee Joon Gi).
When Gwangjong cried, the viewers – teenagers, grown women and
people of all ages, cry with him. Lee Joon Gi has put all the viewers in a
lovey-dovey but teary mood, and persuaded everyone that Gwangjong is the most
romantic hero.
Those who are hard-hearted should not be so quick as to condemn
the teary-eyed viewers for being absurd. Shouldn’t everyone, including more
experienced adults, be allowed to be tearful once in a while, when they
realise that their cherished fantasy is false? Prince Charming, in this
drama, could not marry his Cinderella, Hae Soo, a Gyobang water maid - a palace
servant of the lowest class. We should blame our nursery stories for feeding
us lies. But, thank goodness, they were still together after he married
Yeon-Hwa.
Lee, in his MLSHR interviews, had indicated that he enjoyed
playing the iconic role of Wang So in the very successful drama. The South
Korean ratings may not be as good as expected but they gradually rose to be
the highest at the end. MLSHR was still the top favourite South Korean drama
in America after it had ended airing in the East. In Malaysia and Singapore,
it garnered 73% of the viewers’ attention and in China, it had over 2 billion
views.
   
Lee Joon Gi and Lee Ji-Eun (IU) have showcased their excellent
acting skills as the star-crossed lovers, King Gwangjong and Hae Soo and they
have played the loving, romantic young couple to the hilt.
Lee Joon Gi’s portrayal of the romantic king and IU’s portrayal
of the naïve and loving young lady have made the viewers fall in love with
them as a couple, and have them eating out of their hands.
The more one thinks of the romantic iconic couple
Gwangjong and Hae Soo, the more one sees them as ‘The Perfect Couple’ or ‘The
Best Couple’ of Moon
Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo and also of 2016.
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