MOON LOVERS: SCARLET HEART RYEO
THE HAIR BROOCH
Wang So had to address a key question: Did Hae Soo love him? There
was not a scintilla of doubt in his mind that she loved him. He equated her
friendship with love. His rainmaker victory had affected his judgement and he
forced his kiss on her. When Hae Soo did not respond to his passionate
kisses, he knew that his love was not reciprocated. His eyes were troubled. Perhaps,
a romantic atmosphere would change her mind.
On the spur of the moment, Wang So whisked her off on his
stallion to a beautiful beach. Their secret departure from the palace that
night had been witnessed by Wang Jung.
Hae Soo warned him that both of them would not be safe once the palace discovered their nocturnal foray outside the palace walls. He asked her
whether they should elope then. If she insisted, he would do it for her sake.
Wang So revealed that should he leave Songak one day, he would bring her there. It was just the kind of romantic moment against a glorious backdrop that Wang So had envisioned for himself and Hae Soo. He hoped that it would spark her love for him. 
The beach was swathed in half-darkness; the moonlight threw it
in relief. The black rocks and the water which swelled around them shimmered
in the light. Silence reigned except for the lapping of the waves. The sea
had a calming effect on them. They stood on the beach silhouetted against the
moonlight, watching the seething blur of waves and feeling the salty tang of
the sea on their lips.
Then, he turned. While glancing at her, he must have felt a
tingle of pleasure. He shared with her his deep-seated feelings which had previously
been shrouded in darkness like the scenery before them. Wang So confided that
he was stumped by the fact that he had always been forced to leave after his
short stint in Songak. He insisted that he had never brought misfortune to
the others and he wasn’t a beast who slaughtered animals for sport and fun.
It was an intimate moment; he had opened his heart and soul to
her. He had explained to her clearly who he was. He looked at her for her
response.
The audience probably had visions of him slaughtering the
wolves in the mountains of Shinju; he had to fight for his life. They also had
visions of him in beast mode, cruelly slaughtering the stallion which had
brought him back from Shinju. He had been cast adrift from his family but
there and then, he was determined not to be a hostage for a minute longer.
Hae Soo’s heart melted. Her earnest wish for him was he should
live his life with ease and happiness, without spilling blood. But, would he
go beserk and run amok in the future? Was it too far-fetched to imagine him to be a ruthless monarch?
The Fourth Prince promised her that he would accompany her throughout his
journey in life. Wang So was in the dark that she had already given her heart
to another man. Perhaps, it wasn't the perfect time to solve the love triangle as the
determined Wang So was undeterred. As long as the man was not Baek Ah, his
best friend and the only male sibling who understood him, it was of no paramount importance to him. He was too confident of himself to question her.
The romantic night fostered a sense of intimacy. Wang So
reminded her that when Yeon Hwa hit her, he had already considered Hae Soo to
be ‘His Person’. He had staked his territory there and then. She belonged to him now.
Then, he took out a hair brooch that was decorated with a white
lotus flower and red ginseng berries and presented it to her saying, ‘I’ve wanted to give you this.’
White signifies purity and
devotion. The sacred lotus, a Buddhist symbol, is imagined to be the seat of
the Buddha. The lotus flower will only grow in the mud. It rises from dirt
and only shows its beauty for a brief amount of time each year. Like the
lotus flower, Wang So grew up in the darkness (mud) in Shinju. He faced many
obstacles, sufferings and a life of loneliness. Through determination and
perseverance, he had risen like the lotus flower towards the sun and bloomed.
The tough and hardened ‘beast’ has transformed into a civilized human being.
And, as a lotus, he was full of love and devotion to Hae Soo who had shown
kindness towards him. As each petal opened one by one, one could see not only
his wisdom, strength, maturity, humanity but also his vulnerability.
The ginseng plant, with the red
ginseng berries, symbolises health and strength.
Smiling, Wang So took her hand and placed the hair brooch in
her hands. He must have wrestled with the temptation to pin it on her hair
but instead, he told her flippantly that she could throw it away if she so
desired. Perhaps, he secretly hoped to find it nestled in her hair one day.
Dawn broke. The spell was broken. They headed for the palace in
silence. On the way back, they met two worried brothers, Wang Wook and Wang
So. The princes wanted to take over the responsibilty of bringing her back. Cocking his head, Wang So held Hae Soo and
the reins of the horse more tightly. He stated emphatically that the king had
already given Hae Soo to him. Fearful that the hostile atmosphere might lead
to a serious altercation between Wang So and Wang Wook, Hae Soo insisted on going
back with Wang So. A slight smugness curved the Fourth Prince’s lips.
 
Court Lady Oh was none too pleased with their tryst but
Wang So was defiant. She warned Hae Soo to be extra cautious and tread
carefully in the palace to protect herself. Foolhardiness would land her in
real trouble.
When Wang Wook and Wang Yo were honing their archery skills,
the latter boasted that if he had a picture of his enemy in his head, he
wouldn’t miss his target. He would hit bullseye.
But, before long, the reckless young lady was in hot soup
again. Wang Wook and Hae Soo had a
secret rendezvous in a cave, far away from prying eyes of the palace
residents. He was clearly rattled by her relationship with Wang So. Compared
to the passionate Wang So, the Eighth Prince, seemed pretty tame in their
romantic relationship. While proposing marriage to her, he was shocked by the unexpected appearance of Court Lady Oh.
When applying makeup on Wang So’s
face on another ocassion, Hae Soo gently raised the issue of their relationship since she felt that he couldn't differentiate between love and friendship. Wang So had mistaken her friendship with him to be romantic love.
To Wang So, there was no difference between the two. Love was synonymous with
friendship; they were inter-wined. Hae Soo was the centre of his universe and he was determined to win her heart. The passionate young prince did not, for even a moment, entertain any rejection by her.
Baek Ah and Woo Hee met again when he arrived at the gyobang to play music for
the dancers. He surprised to discover that the beautiful but high and mighty
young lady was a gisaeng, a courtesan at his royal father's court.
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THE SECRET PLOT
Queen Yoo, Park Young Gyu, Wang Yo’s father-in-law, and Wang
Won were in a sinister conspiracy to turn King Taejo and the Crown Prince against
Wang So. What was their strategy? Make the king believe that Wang So was a
rival and real threat to the heir apparent. Park Young Gyu suggested that Queen Yoo pretend
to support Wang So as the successor of King Taejo.
Their ‘Kill two birds with one stone’ plot was aimed at simultaneously destroying Wang So and Wang Mu.
Wang Won’s task was to furnish Wang So with the IOU’s of the Crown Prince’s
maternal uncle. Having been overly greedy
and corrupt, Wang Mu’s uncle had accumulated a lot of bad debts. Malicious rumours to highlight Wang Mu’s unsuitability to be the next king would be circulated. The Fourth Prince would be implicated in the muckraking scandal.
When Wang Won met the Crown Prince in a secret meeting, the sneaky Ninth Prince alluded to Wang So’s knowledge of his maternal
family’s financial difficulties. Wang Mu was in such a precarious position because Wang So might have exposed the family's dirty secrets.
The next morning, Wang So was commanded by King Taejo to meet at the parapets of the palace wall. Wang So
was perplexed by the serious and moody expression of the king,
Wang Mu and Choi Ji Mong.
The king delivered the shocking news that it was time for him
to leave Shinju, but not before the 9th day of the 9th
lunar month celebrations.
By reversing his earlier sentiment of wanting to retain Wang So
by his side, King Taejo had pretty much contradicted himself. It was apparent that he was a king
who was easily swayed by the changing political scene. Taejo explained that Wang So had become Wang Mu’s serious rival for the throne as certain
quarters in the palace wished to make him the Heir Apparent. A rift had appeared in the palace.
Appealing to his father to rescind his order, he lamented, ‘To you, my real feelings do not matter,’ The quaver in his voice betrayed his frustration and helplessness. Although the King had softened his tone and conceded that Queen Yoo was behind the devious plot, he refused to back down on his demand. The war of attrition within the palace walls had left the king with no option but to send Wang So back to Songak. The Fourth Prince was left to wonder if he was being robbed off his birth right again, the right of staying in the palace where he belonged. 
Queen Yoo’s accusatory words about King Taejo returned to haunt
him. Was he, Wang So, the shield for the arrows that were aimed at the Crown
Prince? The memory of his mother’s accusation brought a cynical smile to his
lips.
Taejo’s unexpected response startled him. The king wanted to
keep Wang So by his side but he also wanted to protect Wang So from the
machinations of his wicked mother. Knowing better than to protest, Wang So
resigned himself to his fate.
His father reeked of weakness; he was very easily manipulated. That
was precisely the result that Queen Yoo wanted. Kick Wang So out of the picture
leaving Wang Mu helpless and without any form of support. Then, the queen
could continue to plot and scheme to replace Wang Mu with her eldest son,
Wang Yo.
The plot thickened. Wang So barged into Queen Yoo’s living
quarters. He was furious and refused to follow protocol since he had lost all
respect for his mother. He gritted his teeth as he bellowed at her to leave
him alone. His mother had twisted his words.
‘Didn’t you say you wanted
to be king? I’m a queen so I should make my son’s wish come true. The throne
will be yours if everything goes according to plan.’
Queen Yo was far worse than he thought. She revealed that the
Crown Prince was going to die on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. There
was a deceptive air about her when she disclosed that a poisoned teacup was
awaiting Wang Mu. It seemed the Crown Prince enjoyed drinking tea so Wang So
would not be able to stop it.
Queen Yoo’s indiscretion and nonchalance about the palace plot seemed
out of the ordinary. It also seemed odd that the Yoo royal family had already made a covenant
to request that he, Prince Wang So, be installed as the next Crown Prince. Warning him against trying to forestall the murder plan, she declared that it would only serve to tighten the noose around his neck.
As Wang So’s outrage mounted, a provocative piece of information was deliberately revealed. An unfortunate
court lady would die together with the Crown Prince. Wang So would assume
power as the next Crown Prince. Wang So strode off in a huff. Apparently, though Wang So was the only
outsider who was privy to the plan, the full enormity of the wicked
plan has not yet been revealed.
Woo Hee was secretly plotting with Park Young Gyu, formerly from Hubaekje, to kill Taejo. Infuriated with his delaying tactics, she threatened to reveal his dark and dirty secrets to the people of Hubaekje.
Wang Wook visited Lady Hae’s grave and prayed to her spirit to protect him and Hae Soo. Ordinary families on this day performed ancestor memorial services and visited ancestor tombs to pay their respects.
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THE
NINTH DAY
OF
THE
NINTH LUNAR MONTH
CELEBRATIONS
Jungyangjeol, the Korean equivalent of the Chinese Double Nine festival (Ninth Day of the Ninth Lunar Month), had arrived. The Goryeo royal court had kick-started the celebrations and festivities with much fun.
But, it was going to be a life-defining day for Wang So, the
Fourth Prince. After the celebrations were over, he would be returning to
Shinju according to his royal father’s mandate.
The king, Queen Yoo and Queen Hwangbo and their off-springs
were present to celebrate the auspicious day. Two princes were conspicuously absent. Wang Yo had been sent
out by King Taejo to inspect the grain storehouses in every region of the Goryeo kingdom. It was learnt later that Wang Eun, the Tenth Prince had
woken up late.
The royal family played a collaborative game with a juryyeonggu,
a 14-sided dice with Chinese characters. The game involved food,
drink, song and dance. The dice would be thrown and a member of the royal family
would be chosen to ‘recite a poem’, ‘sing a song’,
or ‘guzzle down some liquor’.
Infectious laughter dominated the gathering.
A dice rolled. It stopped at the
Chinese characters ‘Link arms and take a drink’. It was Baek Ah who
had rolled the dice. He had the privilege to choose any of his family members to
play the game with him.
Choi Ji Mong teased King Taejo
as it seemed, for obvious reasons, no one had dared to choose him to play the
game. His queens dissolved into fits
of laughter.
Baek Ah moved dramatically up
and down the aisle trying to pick a prince to play the game with him. One prince
was particularly tense and that was the one he picked. Wang Jung.
They had to link arms and take wine
together. Wang Jung protested that he was a man. Why would he want to link arms
and drink with Baek Ah? Choi Ji Mong pronounced it was bad luck to reject it.
There was no escape. Wang Jung’s royal mother, Queen Yoo was amused by her
son’s embarrassment. So was everyone.
As Wang Mu reached out for his
cup of wine, Wang So observed him closely. Nothing unusual seemed to have happened
to the Crown Prince.
Then, King Taejo introduced a collaborative
game of poetry recitation. The king started the game by reciting verses plucked from a Chinese poem. The
next player was expected to continue reciting the poem.
‘First.
A round flower blooming high in the tree. It is as if you’ve seen the
celestial poles.’
He then turned to Queen Hwangbo.
‘Second. Pure yellow, as yet untainted,
is the colour of the earth.’
Wang Wook was next. ‘Third. To take root early and bloom late
is a great virtue.’
Then, it was Baek Ah’s turn. ‘Fourth. A flower that blooms in the snow
symbolises integrity.’
Baek Ah playfully pointed to
Wang Jung. If Wang Eun had been there, the simple-minded and unscholarly
prince would have been the victim. Having interest only in martial arts, Wang Jung fumbled for ideas; he appeared at a loss for words.
Wang Won, the Ninth Prince, came
to his rescue. ‘Fifth. A petal in a cup of
wine is worthy of the gods.’ With a patronizing smile, Wang Won explained to Wang Jung that it was
the poem written about the chrysanthemum
flower by the Chinese poet, Zhong Hui.
King Taejo and Queen Hwangbo burst
out laughing. King Taejo praised Wang Won but quietly admonished his fourteenth
son for failing to be studious. Queen Yoo was far from
being amused. It reflected on her bad parenting; she had not given her physically
active youngest son a thorough grounding on Chinese literature.
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THE POISONED TEA 
The king deemed that it was time for refreshments after everyone had their share of fun. He
suggested that the court ladies bring out the chrysanthemum tea, which was
known for good health.
Yeon Hwa, who harboured a grudge against Hae Soo, was smiling like a Cheshire cat. She had already put her plans into action. But, she had not expected the strange turn of events. ‘Man proposes, God
disposes’. Yeon Hwa urged Court Lady Oh to fetch the tea. Wang So, who had
been quite observant, was troubled. Was Court Lady Oh the one who would be
implicated in the murder of Wang Mu?
Hae Soo was in the palace kitchen preparing the chrysanthemum
tea for the royal family. The court lady who was supposed to serve Prince
Wang Mu tea requested that Hae Soo replaces her. Having been instructed by
Court Lady Oh not to serve the princes for the moment, Hae Soo objected to
the suggestion. But, the other Court Lady, pretending to feel faint from her
terrible cold, conveniently dropped the teapot.
The Twist In The Tale. Wang So stood up and requested for permission to make a short toast to the
Crown Prince.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hae Soo approaching
with a pot of tea. When Hae Soo placed the pot of Chrysanthemum tea on Wang
Mu’s table, he was confused; he couldn’t make sense of the murder plot at
first.
Wang So’s heart thumped like a sledgehammer and his stomach
churned with dread. From the looks of things, the court lady who would be
implicated in Wang Mu’s murder would be Hae Soo. What was unexpected
in the chess game of politics was Hae Soo, the love of Wang So’s life, was
the pawn who had been unknowingly manipulated to deliver the deadly poisoned
tea to the Crown Prince.
It dawned on Wang So the full significance of
poisoned tea - Hae Soo would be sacrificed if Prince Wang Mu died. The
conspirators would be killing two birds with one stone.
It was a critical moment, and Wang So did not
want Hae Soo to be caught up in the conflict of the princes. Queen Yoo was brimming
with confidence and venom.
The moment of truth had arrived. There was no denying that, in
that defining moment, the Fourth Prince would show Hae Soo the stuff he was
made of. His kind of love came only once in a lifetime.
Thinking quickly on his feet, the intelligent and quick-witted
Wang So apologised to his older brother for the trouble he had caused in the
recent past.
Wang So offered to drink three
cups of the tea to wish Prince Wang Mu well and to cement the idea
that nothing would rent their brotherly ties asunder. The act was to deflect
Wang Mu’s attention and prevent him from drinking the tea.
The Crown Prince instructed Hae Soo to hand the Chrysanthemum
tea to him. Wrongly assuming that the teacup had been laced with poison, Wang So purposely let the teacup slip from his hands. He swiftly explained that
the cup slipped because his hands had been stained by oil from the
Chrysanthemum biscuits. Yeon Hwa was worried. A new cup was brought.
Wang So toasted the first cup of tea to the Crown Prince’s
longevity.
The second cup of tea was to wish Wang Mu success in war as he
continued to fight for Goryeo.
Looking quizzically at his mother, he realised that there was
no poisoned cup. She confirmed it with the tilt of her head that she had
lied. Failing to understand complicated palace politics, Wang So had been
gullible enough to have believed all her lies.
He was oblivious to the fact that the chrysanthemum tea, not
the tea cup, was poisoned until that very last moment. It was already too
late. He had already drunk two cups but he couldn’t stop. The third cup of
poisoned tea was waiting for him.
Staring at Hae Soo, he silently thought to himself, ‘I’m drinking poison that you’ve poured
me.’ She was ignorant of the fact that she was killing him.
With the third cup, he stated that his wish was their
friendship would never change even if conspirators sowed discord between them.
Wang Won felt uncomfortable because he was the one of those who
tried to destroy their friendship. The king felt guilty because he had been
swayed by palace politics.
Wang So eyed Hae Soo as he drank the poisoned drink. He glanced at Queen Yoo but she seemed unmoved. One wouldn’t wish one’s rival to
be poisoned but the cold and heartless queen was unperturbed that her
biological son had drunk 3 cups of poisoned tea!
Wang Mu was touched by Wang So’s toasts. Having a soft spot for
the Fourth Prince, he pleaded with their royal father to rescind his order of
sending him back to Shinju.
The poison had already taken effect. Wang So excused himself and tried to
act normally.
As he staggered off, he tried hard to control his pain with his
martial arts skills. Blood dribbled down his tremulous mouth. His neck
veins convulsed and popped out. Even though he was in great distress, he hung
on with grim determination until he was out of sight.
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