The East Palace (동궁)

Gu-cheon.

Gu-cheon!

You need to wake up. Come back!

Gu-cheon!

Are you all right?

Gu-cheon! Gu-cheon!

THE EAST PALACE

So you managed to deal with the 13 court ladies' spirits

in the salt storehouse.

You did very well. You may leave now.

There is something I must ask.

Did you have anything to do with the salt storehouse seal getting broken?

You have changed,

seeing that you now have the bravery to ask such questions.

However, you must've seen by now

the bloodshed that words other people have said

can unleash within the palace.

Or have you forgotten about your mother?

"I'll dry out the seed of the East Palace."

Those were the words of the Most Favored Lady of the Court,

who drowned in the pond 30 years ago.

She is the pond spirit, is she not?

Who was that woman, actually?

And what was the reason for her death?

Are you the only one who knows of this,

or does Gu-cheon know as well?

I am the only one who knows.

Do not say anything about it to him.

Who was the pond spirit when she was alive?

I can catch her if you can answer me that.

I am only telling you this one more time.

Stop digging into the pond spirit,

and find a way to catch it without uncovering its identity.

Cease this incessant prying immediately.

Anyone who tries to uncover the palace disgrace dies.

Even if they are

a child of the royal lineage.

I assume you are not better?

You're recovering much slower than before.

Well, sending 13 spirits back to the afterlife

took most of my yang energy out of me.

I will never do such an amount again.

All right.

Can you explain what happened?

Why did you strangle me back there?

-I strangled you? -Yes.

It was

like you were almost possessed.

Down in that world…

I lose a large amount of my yang energy when I fight.

And when I lose too much yang energy, I end up in a spirit-like state,

even after coming out of the water.

At times, I lose consciousness briefly, and I'm unaware of anything at all.

That is why I must leave here as soon as I'm able to.

And that is the reason I hate hunting spirits.

Right.

Now that I've revealed to you my secret,

you should tell me… what's really on your mind right now.

Who is it that you want to kill while you're here?

The person who killed my mother.

A cursed object filled with human remains was found in the salt storehouse.

You gave His Majesty only one princess,

and then, because of that, you were never seen again.

Out of jealousy, you cursed the Queen and the rest of the concubines,

did you not?

I am innocent.

That was not my cursed object.

I swear it's not mine.

Enough.

This is your doing.

- Your Majesty. - Keep going.

Your Majesty!

it was Her Majesty the Queen Dowager who framed my mother

and forced her out of the palace.

It is Mother. Please help her.

Mother and the court maids are innocent.

Oh, please, Father. The Queen is hurting Mother.

I know that it is all my fault because I heard a strange voice, but I promise--

Enough.

She will be stripped of her station for burying a cursed object

and then banished.

That is the only way she will live.

But that cursed object was not Mother's. It was not, Father.

The spirit in the salt storehouse said, "The serpent's shed skin--"

It's best you hold your tongue.

You must not tell me that you hear such things.

Not any child that bears my blood.

Unless you wish to bring disgrace to our name.

Do not tell a single soul any of it.

Do you understand?

How foolish you are.

How utterly foolish.

You need to learn your place.

Now, mind your tongue in the palace.

You and your mother shall be cast out at once!

But, Father, please…

How could you?

After we were cast out of the palace,

Mother was poisoned to death.

All because she uncovered the cursed object in the salt storehouse

and drew close to the secret of the pond spirit.

The one who sought to protect the pond spirit's secret

is the one who killed my innocent mother.

Are you sure you should be saying this?

I need you to be able to unravel my mother's secret.

That's why I place my trust in you.

Good heavens.

What a life this is.

You can leave now.

We need to find the true identity of the Most Favored Lady of the Court.

Get ready and come out.

I went to pay my respects at the Queen Dowager's quarters

and saw Saeng-gang walking by.

She was dressed as a court lady and accompanied by a man.

Have you made her do something dangerous?

You need not concern yourself with it.

Mother,

do you not remember?

You need only attend to my son.

That aside…

the Queen Dowager is harboring some ulterior motives.

It seems she intends…

to have Prince Iksang's eldest son named Crown Prince.

Well, even so,

we must act for the sake of the Jongmyo Shrine and good fortune altar.

Are you saying that even though you know what I had to endure for this seat,

you still choose to come and tell me to act for the sake of the shrine?

Things will not unfold as the Queen Dowager intends them to be.

My son will take the throne, and I will make sure that it does happen.

It will be his.

Yes.

Even if I do have to conjure spirits.

There.

Why did we sneak into Lady Jang's quarters?

It's not as if we are thieves.

Are you the sage of morality? Huh?

Lady Jang has spent her entire life by the Queen Dowager's side.

She must know all of her secrets.

So I'm trying to scare her into spilling everything about the pond spirit.

Then do it correctly, all right?

And what is that?

Madam.

You're back earlier than usual.

I was not feeling myself. I came back to rest.

Wait! Uh…

Who… Who are you?

Who gave you permission to come in here?

The pond spirit is…

is right here, with you.

Wait, are you not that feng shui man who recently got here?

-What are you doing in my quarters? -Sh. Sh.

Look at these footprints on the floor.

What…

This is not pond mud.

Get out of here immediately, or I'll call someone.

- Hold on! - I will!

I can feel the pond spirit. It's close to us.

What?

The pond spirit is over there.

What… What is…

Hey you! You should earn your keep.

- This bastard… - Do what you do best. Now!

- What do you think you are doing? - Hey! Come on.

What are you doing? Explain yourself.

- Hey. - How dare you pull such an absurd stunt!

Somebody come in here now!

Where is that crying coming from?

I will dry out the seed of the East Palace.

It's the pond spirit. The pond spirit has come.

Did I not tell you when I went to the Queen Dowager's quarters?

A won-gwi seeks out the one responsible for its death.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha. Homage to Amitabha Buddha.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha.

You said you were a feng shui master?

Do you also know how to deal with spirits?

Speaking of which…

The thing is, Lady Jang,

this spirit will come looking for you again any moment.

It will?

What should I do if it does?

In order to keep the pond spirit from coming in here,

I have to know exactly how it lived when it was alive.

Do not worry, Lady Jang. You can tell him everything you know.

He will keep it a secret from the Queen Dowager.

He's capable of doing that.

What?

Of course.

So, then,

who might that ghost be?

The spirit is…

the late King's

last Most Favored Court Lady.

nothing more than a menial labor maid,

caught the late King's eye

and received his favor

and even conceived his child.

that the woman

was in a relationship with a royal guard.

When Her Majesty found out about that fact…

…she ordered the royal guard to be tortured.