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Six Flying Dragons: Episode 11

Our young and aspiring hero bears the unfortunate brunt of political manhandling this hour, and while he fights for his life in the torture chamber, everyone else fights over how best to use him. Well, most everyone—there are a few parties which seem to genuinely care about him, and sometimes it just goes to show that blood flows thicker than water, since Bang-won’s band of brothers waste no time before jumping into the fray. But does it count if your family might be saving you today just so they can kill you tomorrow?

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Park Hyo-shin – “야생화 (Wild Flower)” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 11 RECAP

Just as sure as Jung Do-jeon knows that Bang-won is a dangerous wild card to have in the mix, he knows Lee In-gyeom’s retaliation will be swift. He’s right, since the scheming minister releases an “anonymous” letter claiming that Lee Seong-gye, Minister Hong, and Gil Tae-mi made a secret deal to split tax revenues up between them as long as the two ministers agreed to pass the border plan.

It puts Lee Seong-gye in a potentially bad light, but General Choi is the only one to see reason, knowing that there’s no proof to back up the letter’s claims. Lee In-gyeom knew he’d react that way, and so he sent one of his minister cronies to present the good general with another piece of incriminating (but still made-up) evidence.

The letter doesn’t help Minister Hong or Gil Tae-mi either, since they have to prove that they had legitimate reasons for passing the border plan. Gil Tae-mi gets all riled up and misquotes a proverb by Confucius about righting one’s own wrongs, and it’s kind of funny how he has to be corrected not only on the proverb itself, but even the book it came from.

Their civil discussion soon turns into a shouting matched laced with banmal and profanity, which is broken up by General Choi, the supreme leader of all things buzzkill. He presents Gil Tae-mi with the forgery Lee In-gyeom made sure he’d read, appointing his son to the position of Gamchanggwan, or inspector general.

This means he’d be in charge of inspecting taxes for the northeastern region, which all but screams that the secret deal was real after all. Gil Tae-mi adamantly denies appointing his son to such a position because he actually didn’t, but now that the other ministers have heard it, most of them believe it to be true.

Jung Mong-joo isn’t one of them though, since he refuses to believe Lee Seong-gye would be corrupt enough to make such a deal. He’s in the “it’s just a rumor” camp, but he knows how much damage a rumor can do.

Word from the rumor mill has made it to Jung Do-jeon, who realizes the same thing as his longtime comrade—that despite it being just a rumor, they’ve attacked Lee Seong-gye where it’ll hurt him the most: his integrity. He wants to meet with the general immediately, but Yeon-hee tells him to wait and meet with Shin-jeok instead, who’s coming to the capital on Lee Seong-gye’s orders.

Elder brother Bang-gwa meets with eldest brother Bang-woo in the capital to fill him in on everything that happened regarding the border plan. He’s been sent to withdraw it, though he questions whether that’s the right thing to do.

Bang-woo claims that there is no right or wrong, only what their father’s decided—and since he’s decided to withdraw the plan, that’s what they must do as his sons. He even scolds Bang-gwa for allowing himself to believe little bro Bang-won’s lies.

Jung Do-jeon heads for Bang-woo’s house once Shin-jeok tells him that Bang-gwa (so many Bang’s!) has come to the capital to withdraw the border plan, hoping there’s something he can do to stop him. Bang-won goes running to his eldest brother once Young-kyu tells him the same news.

Bang-woo is not happy to see him, and gives him what-for when it comes to his disobedience to their father. Bang-gwa still seems torn between doing the right thing by the border plan and doing the right thing by their father’s orders, but Bang-won takes the decision out of his hands when he attempts to abscond with the withdrawal notice.

Unfortunately for him, he’s not able to get far before military officials arrive to arrest Bang-won for making an illegal deal with Minister Hong to get the border plan approved. This is all part of Lee In-gyeom’s plan to get to Lee Seong-gye and Minister Hong in order to root out whoever’s secretly controlling them.

Like clockwork, Jung Do-jeon spots Bang-won as he’s being carted off by the authorities, which is exactly what Lee In-gyeom wanted. While Bang-won is stripped down to his torture skivvies, Yeon-hee tells Jung Do-jeon and Shin-jeok that it might actually be good for them if Bang-won were to die while being tortured.

She gives four reasons: One, that his death would bury the as yet unpublicized border plan forgery scandal, two, that it would put Lee Seong-gye in exactly the position Jung Do-jeon wants him in, and three, that they’d rid themselves of the problem of Bang-won without having to do anything. (She said four, but there’s only three.)

Shin-jeok is mortified at her proposition, since no matter how much Bang-won was in the wrong, it shouldn’t mean that he has to die for it. Yeon-hee disagrees with his point that Bang-won should be spared from a horrible death because he’s committed no crime with a dark glint in her eye: Since when has the balance between crime and death been fair?

“Crime and death have nothing in common. One does not die because sin exists. And no one lives just because they have done no wrong,” she adds mercilessly. Shin-jeok’s jaw goes slack as he addresses Jung Do-jeon to put a stop to her. Wasn’t the point of creating a new nation to stop these kinds of things from happening? Is he really going to let Bang-won be sacrificed for his cause?

Jung Do-jeon doesn’t have an answer for him, at least not right away. He takes some time to think it over, acknowledging to himself that Bang-won’s death would make a lot of their problems disappear. He wants to just be able to look the other way and let it happen, but he can’t deny that the same foul bug he claimed was growing in Bang-won’s heart has now embedded itself in his mind, and did so the moment he saw Bang-won being carted off.

It’s up to Bang-woo to decide what to do about Bang-won, and he makes an executive decision to not submit the withdrawal. Since Lee In-gyeom has declared war on their family by imprisoning their brother, they’ll assemble their private army in the capital and prepare for the worst. Both Bang-gwa and Young-kyu are happy with this plan.

Gil Tae-mi frets that Bang-won might reveal that he met with Minister Hong the night before the dodang meeting, even though Hong denies that they made a secret deal. Gil Tae-mi knows that even without evidence, just Bang-won admitting that they met would be damning for them. His suggestion? They can just kill Bang-won.

Boon-yi tries to do what she can, which involves banging on Minister Hong’s door to demand an audience. She’s met by Hong’s chief servant, whom she instantly recognizes as the man who killed her fellow villagers in cold blood (she doesn’t know he’s Yeon-hee’s rapist). He attempts to apprehend her, but she gets Minister Hong’s attention by claiming she was sent by Bang-won and that she knows what went on the night of their meeting.

Only when she’s alone with him does she admit she wasn’t sent by Bang-won, but that she knows he was seeking a partnership with Lee Seong-gye. In order for that to happen, she claims, Bang-won can’t die under torture. If he does, Minister Hong can kiss any deal he hoped to make with Lee Seong-gye goodbye.

Minister Hong wonders what her relationship with Bang-won is for her to be so desperate she’d risk being killed by coming to his home. He suspects a relationship, but Boon-yi cuts him off before he can say so. “He bought shoes for me,” she all but stammers. “Other noblemen would kill us, but Young Master bought me shoes.”

He finds her amusing, and agrees to help… on one condition. Bang-won once called him out for renouncing his beliefs under torture and said he was different from him. If he is, and doesn’t utter either his name or Lee Seong-gye’s name, then he’ll help. However, if Bang-won can’t hold up to the torture and says their names, “Everything that you’re worried about will come to pass.”

Bang-won is understandably worried about the pain he’s sure to face, but puts on a brave face in front of his torturers. As a searing iron is taken to his flesh, he thinks back to when Minister Hong had told him how he folded under interrogation. And how he chose to burn the teachings of Mencius rather than have his forehead permanently branded.

Determined not to be like Minister Hong or even his past self, Bang-won holds out the first day. Boon-yi is able to visit him in prison that evening thanks to Minister Hong, and sneaks him a boiled egg. She passes along the message from Hong about holding out, along with her belief that Jung Do-jeon will help somehow.

But Bang-won knows better, and in fact, he knows exactly what Jung Do-jeon must be thinking—that his death would make everything else a whole lot easier. Boon-yi denies this with tears in her eyes, leaving Bang-won to hope, even just a little, that maybe she’s right.

Before she leaves she turns back to him, “Do you know why I like you? Because I think you will not die. I don’t think you will leave me.” Bang-won: “You… you like me? I won’t die. I will definitely walk out of here alive. Just wait.”

Outside the prison, Boon-yi looks back and thinks in his general direction, “Don’t die. I don’t want to see someone leaving me again. I don’t even think about them. My brother, my mother… I forgot about them.” And when Shin-jeok finds her, she demands he take her to Jung Do-jeon.

Moo-hyul returns home to his massive family to report that he’s got an in with Lee Seong-gye because he saved his son not once, but twice, and even got promoted to Bukdo Guard, Second Rank. I love the running joke of someone always and inevitably asking, “What?

This time it’s his old Master Hong, who his siblings now claim is their new household servant. That’s how they’re getting him to repay all that he scammed from them, but it still weirds Moo-hyul out that his old Master has taken to calling his Grandma the most formal form of “noona.” And better yet, he gets to move to Gaegyeong with the rest of them, however much Moo-hyul hates that idea.

Bang-ji performs for the people in the town square, though this time, he sings “Cheongsanbyeolgok” (Green Mountain Special Tune), a folk song which laments the loss the Goryeo people faced during various invasions and laments their broken system. The song moves the crowd to tears.

Jung Do-jeon stands among them, and when he meets Bang-ji’s gaze, he remembers what he said in the cave about doing what he did for a country that’s only gotten worse. “I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry,” Jung thinks. Now, Bang-ji’s questions about how many more needed to die for his master plan to work come back to him in a big way.

Unlike before, now Jung Do-jeon is really thinking about those questions and doubting himself: “So are you telling me to halt [my plans]? Or that I should kill everyone without looking at the big picture?” Yeon-hee tells him that now’s not the time, but when he asks about Bang-ji, she doesn’t reveal that she once knew him. In fact, she urges Jung Do-jeon to forget about him, because she hopes that might save Bang-ji from going down an even darker path.

She’s not afraid of going dark though, and wants Jung Do-jeon to look the other way while she does what needs to be done—namely, by sneaking into the prison and killing Bang-won before he can say anything that would ruin Jung Do-jeon’s plans.

Back in the New Joseon Cave, Shin-jeok tells him that Boon-yi wants to see him without mentioning her name. But Yeon-hee makes the mistake of saying that Boon-yi should be thrown out immediately for acting independently by following Bang-won around, only for Jung Do-jeon to turn and look at her: “Have I ever told you that girl’s name?”

Ah, he caught her. Yeon-hee recovers quickly, and admits that she knows Boon-yi from having grown up in the same village. She only asks that he not tell Boon-yi, and that he not ask her why. (A request he respects.) Jung Do-jeon remembers Boon-yi telling him about the night her brother and a certain Yeon-hee disappeared, and wonders now if she was talking about the Yeon-hee standing in front of him.

Points go to Gil Tae-mi for arguing against having Bang-won tortured, since he knows he didn’t do anything wrong. Lee In-gyeom is doing it now as a publicity stunt to show that he’s “investigating” the purported tax revenue rumors.

Even though Minister Hong admits he agreed to the border plan because he eventually wanted to overtake Lee In-gyeom’s political position, he argues reasonably that there was no secret agreement. Lee In-gyeom must know this, but still insists that a proper investigation must be done. And they have the perfect independent party for the job.

The second Jung Do-jeon enters their rendezvous point, Boon-yi drops to her knees in apology for helping Bang-won without telling anyone. Why would she help someone like Bang-won, with a temper that gives him tunnel vision?

“Because he is like us,” Boon-yi finally answers. Her villagers are exactly the way Jung Do-jeon described Bang-won: quick tempered to a fault, and unable to see what’s in front of them for the goal far ahead. Jung says that’s why they died, and Boon-yi doesn’t disagree.

Boon-yi: “However, we the people… have suffered too much from hope. To gain hope and then lose it, to gain it and lose it again, and gain it and lose it again… after that happens over and over again, one becomes impatient, doesn’t think ahead, and does not know how to hide one’s way. I’m sorry, Ahjusshi, but just as I went looking for you in Hamju, to Bang-won, your plan was likely his only hope to survive.”

Jung Do-jeon tells her she’s different from Bang-won, only for her to deny that she is. She confesses that she met him when she was young, and how he’d done everything in his power to help her back then. And when they met again as adults, he again risked himself to help her.

“Those who have power have been the ones who take things from us, but he… was the first nobleman to help us. And he, more than anyone else… no, even more than myself, longed for your plan to come to fruition.” She thinks briefly back to his impassioned speech while she’d been tied up, and continues, “That’s why he waited, and waited, and waited for you in that room. In the hopes that you would come soon.”

That triggers Jung Do-jeon’s memory of the children in the cave who died waiting for him to return. Boon-yi ends her tearful plea by telling him that she knows she and Bang-won have done wrong, but if he would only give them a chance to repay him for their wrongdoings… “Please save Bang-won, Ahjusshi.”

Eldest son Bang-woo finds his father in the midst of a full scale invasion, and still manages to find the courage to tell him that he disobeyed his order to submit the withdrawal. But he explains why when he tells him that Bang-won got arrested on trumped up charges, meaning that Lee In-gyeom has declared war against their family.

So Bang-woo, as the eldest son, made the call he thought was right. If Bang-won is to die, it has to be at their hands, and not Lee In-geyom’s. Their family never backs down from a fight, and so he asks his father to save Bang-won. Surprisingly, his father agrees without a single qualm.

Jukryong’s attempts to will himself out of confinement fail, but he gets a reprieve in the form of Bang-woo, who’s taking him back to Gaegyeong with him. Why, I do not know.

Remember how Yeon-hee said there were four good reasons to let Bang-won die? Now Jung Do-jeon asks her what the last one was, to which she gives multiple answers that all share a common theme: Jung Do-jeon’s moral quandary is just getting in the way of their cause. “Don’t be afraid,” she urges him.

But Jung Do-jeon answers that he’s always afraid, and that’s what makes him, well, him. He rejects her plan, and instead assigns her to report on Lee In-gyeom’s movements behind the scenes, since he’s sure to try to forge evidence next.

And he does exactly that, with the help of Cho-young. They’ve imitated Minister Hong’s handwriting and will place the forged letter (detailing the secret deal they didn’t make) in Bang-won’s room right before an official search is conducted there. There’ll be no way for them to refute the rumors now, which will force Lee Seong-gye to withdraw his border plan.

Yeon-hee follows Lee In-gyeom’s men, retrieves the letter they planted in Bang-won’s room, and hands it over to Jung Do-jeon. He, in turn, hands her a replacement letter to plant in Bang-won’s room, causing her to gape at its mysterious contents.

That’s the letter the authorities find the next day, but since Lee In-gyeom is so sure of his plan, he allows the investigator to make his first report on the findings in front of every member of the dodang. Thus, it comes as a shock to him and everyone else when the letter the investigator reads is the one Bang-ji left Jung Do-jeon in the cave—the one admitting he killed Baek Yoon, and wanted to know who else to kill.

Yeon-hee doesn’t understand how planting that letter would be of any help to Bang-won, since he could die for a crime he didn’t commit. Jung Do-jeon is unconcerned, and likens the situation to a snake who knows not to try swallowing a boar, lest it kill itself trying. Lee In-gyeom is that snake, and won’t know how to handle this problem.

Gil Tae-mi believes Lee In-gyeom forged the letter, but can’t believe he’d fabricate such an outlandish lie, since it sounds like Bang-won was following his father’s orders in killing Baek Yoon. General Choi also believes it’s fabricated, but the other ministers have doubts and fears that Lee Seong-gye will bring his entire army down on their heads.

Only Minister Hong and Jung Mong-joo are clever enough to realize that something went wrong with Lee In-gyeom’s plan, and that this letter wasn’t his idea. It had to be Jung Do-jeon’s.

So what should come as good news to them—that Lee Seong-gye won in his fight against the invaders—instead sounds like a terrible omen for them. We cut to Lee Seong-gye returning victorious in Hamju, taking no time to celebrate before moving into the next stage of his plan: saving his son.

As Jung Do-jeon carves a figurine in Lee Seong-gye’s likeness, Lee In-gyeom wonders who switched out the letters. As if he were at a chess table, Jung Do-jeon addresses his adversary from afar and asks Lee In-gyeom, “Will you accept my move this time?”

And in a blatant reminder as to who’s in this playing field, we cut to Lee Seong-gye, who stops what he’s doing to level a stare at the camera.

 
COMMENTS

That shot is such an odd choice to make for a show like this, isn’t it? There’s something so unnerving about a character staring directly into the camera as though he’s acknowledging it, and while I’m sure that breaking the fourth wall was absolutely not the intention, it was unsettling in the way that breaking the fourth wall can be. Granted, a shot like that isn’t the end of the world, but in this case, it was like an unwanted jolt of reality into what had so far been another thoroughly engrossing episode. It reminded me that I was watching a show, but at least it was over quickly. We definitely got the point being made.

I did find myself surprised that I almost/sorta/kinda cared about Minister Hong this episode, and if I had to chalk it up to a tangible reason, I’d probably blame the fact that Lee In-gyeom has emerged as the bigger baddie for the time being, making Hong an underdog by default. Up until now, he had all the makings of a classic remorseless villain, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little bit attracted to his smarts. We only got a blatant peek into his thoughts while he was practicing telepathy with Jung Mong-joo, but even without the help of words, all the camera had to do was cut to him at various points throughout his scenes for us to see that he knew exactly what was going on.

If they’re setting him up to be a rival of Jung Do-jeon’s in the future, this episode actually convinced me that he might have what it takes to at least try to go head-to-head with him. If I seem unreasonably excited at that prospect, it’s because I really love good villains and the kind of verbal sparring that comes out of adversarial relationships where neither side is necessarily more right than the other. Maybe that’s not what we’ll get from Minister Hong and Jung Do-jeon since Hong has long since abandoned his moral center, but if we consider him like a mini-boss Bang-won has to defeat on his way to greatness some day, there’s a lot of potential. Or he’ll just die really soon because that’s the fortune Bang-ji read from his face, which will make everything said up until now pretty moot.

But watching Jung Do-jeon’s inner struggle over what to do with himself and Bang-won was a great set of sequences, not only because they helped to highlight more of his personality, but because it really felt like we took that mental journey with him every step of the way. It’s hard with someone like Jung, since he’s so revered and authoritative that his mind can seem impenetrable, especially since that’s the persona he has to have in order to carry out his master plan. And he knows that he can’t afford to show hesitation or weakness, as evidenced by Yeon-hee freaking out over him taking his time to (gasp!) decide whether an innocent man should live or die.

It’d be interesting to find out how exactly Yeon-hee came into Jung Do-jeon’s orbit, since she doesn’t seem to fit in with the usual crowd he attracts. She’s the one who seems to give him the most feedback and advice, but after this episode, it’s hard to fathom why Jung Do-jeon sees keeping her around as such a necessity. If he’s so against Bang-won’s way of thinking, then what on earth does he think of Yeon-hee’s ends-based and ceaselessly cynical worldview? And with nothing but young’uns like Yeon-hee, Bang-won, and Boon-yi running about, does Jung Do-jeon realize he’s practically running a daycare for ideological misfits?

 
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This episode went by so fast, I didn't notice until it was over. I was so indulged into watching that I didn't notice the time...until Lee Seong Gye stared straight at me! That freaking scared me!

I became an Lee Bang Woo fan just with this episode. Such an amazing guy! Is he the one who will succeed his father as king? I forgot what history said. I love the three brothers so far. Even the actor playing Bang Gwa acts it so well. With such a huge number of actors in this drama, I'm happy that everyone's good at acting and fits their characters well.

Regarding Yoo Ah In, I've never been as hooked to him as this. Never did I think "Oh, that's Yoo Ah In" while I watch him in this drama. I completely believe that he is Lee Bang Won, a 16 year old son of Lee Seong Gye.

The romance in this drama is picking up and I find it more natural than cheesy. It breaks my heart because they probably won't end up together or worse (omg!) Boon Yi dies. This team loves killing their characters after all.

AND! What can Byun Yo Han not do?! He appears in every episode with a few minutes but he makes sure to steal my heart away before he goes. The song was already sad but the way he sang it was just heartbreaking.

I'm so hyped for this drama. I don't even know what to do with my life anymore. Help!

Thanks for the recaps, Heads! It helps me collect my thoughts and have a general idea of what's really going on. HAHA

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"What can Byun Yo Han not do?! He appears in every episode with a few minutes but he makes sure to steal my heart away before he goes. The song was already sad but the way he sang it was just heartbreaking."

When i first watched the ep raw, I didn't know the lyrics, but he sang it soooo well, with the right amount of sadness, it just broke my heart.

Boon Yi's plea to JGJ to save BW because they are alike was also good, especially the part when she said that he waited and waited for JDJ and the scene flashed back to the children waiting for him on the fateful occasion.

I must say that so far, this drama is very well-written.

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There were a lot of really great dialogue in this episode! I also think the scene with the random guy going into the Do Dang announcing Lee Seong Gye's victory is well played. Remember when Lee In Gyeom said at the beginning that "to take down the commander, you have to strike down his horse first?" Well, that's exactly what Lee Seong Gye did. Plus the whole scene was hilarious!

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Loved Byun Yo Han's singing as well. He was able to infuse the song with so much emotion. I had no idea he could sing so well. He's multi talented.

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Ahh I'm in love with Byun Yo Han's voice! Makes me cry and want to give him a hug.

Also, seeing Bang-won/Yoo Ah In tortured got me strangely excited.

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Lee Bang-woo was the oldest but he died 2 yrs after his father (King Taejo) became the ruler of the new Joseon so Lee Bang-gwa (King Jeongjong) the 2nd son succeeded his father.

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Thanks for the info! Ah, too bad. My heart is breaking now. He's such an awesome guy. I don't want to seem him die here. ㅠㅠ

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I'm glad he got some screen time in this episode. They could've easily make him invisible like the current King U.

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So sad. He would've made a great king. I became a huge fan of his after this episode.

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Lee Bang-woo objected his father destroying Goryeo and build a new country (so he could have died due to stress) per drama Jung Do-jeon. That show's portrayed mainly conflict between Jung Do-jeon and Jung Mong-ju. I still miss Lee Sung-gye in that show. Yoo Dong-geun was so wonderful.

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I wouldn't be surprised if he was eliminated too (such a bold accusation-shoot me lol). Everyone that stood in the way of the new government was eliminated even great leaders like General Choi Young, revered scholar, friend and diplomat Jung Mong-ju etc.
Remember the 72 scholars that refused to serve the new government and how they all magically disappeared? Rumor was, Lee Seong-gye burnt them all.

It was a bloody transition but I guess the body counts would have been higher if it took a civil war to end Goryeo.

Since the history was written by the winners. We are probably just getting half of the truth.

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Every character is well-written that's why we are invested to each of them. I absolutely agree that Yoo Ah In nails Lee Bang Won character. I watched Veteran and then Sado, followed by SFD respectively since they are showing at the same time. Each of the character that he played/is playing don't make me think that it was played by the same actor. I too shall give big applause to actor Cheon Ho Jin who plays Lee Seong Gye. He's such a marvelous actor!

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HeadsNo2: How do you know/find out great tidbits like the name of the song that Byun Yo Han sings in this episode? It's beautiful! Will it be part of OST?

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Awesome! Found the song Byun Yo Han sings on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxEl0P-l7NY

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Another wonderfully gripping episode.
I really love the way the writers have written the various characters. This episode looks at Yeon Hee's and JDJ's.
I was shocked at her ruthlessness to just let Bang won die. All these young uns have that scary ruthlessness and recklessness about them. I supposed it came about from all their suffering as children.

And I love how JDJ had to struggle with the bug/worm that was planted in his heart in this episode. I hope that he realises that Bang won, Bang ji, Boon yi, Yeonhee and even Moo Hyul share the same desire for a better place to live but they are young and need to be guided by someone of moral character.

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"And with nothing but young’uns like Yeon-hee, Bang-won, and Boon-yi running about, does Jung Do-jeon realize he’s practically running a daycare for ideological misfits?"

We cannot forget Bangji.

I hope that JDJ sees these young'uns as a second chance to the ones who died in the cave. Like those children, they believed in him, waited for him and trusted him. They look at him for guidance, and I hope he realises that more than taking down a corrupt Goryeo and building a new Joseon, he also has the responsibility to guide these young'uns to the right path (some of them are down right scary). Cos what is the purpose of building a new nation, but the potential leaders have a warped sense of justice and purpose?

In my "ideal" Joseon kingdom, Bangwon is king, with Boonyi as his queen. JDJ will be their trusted advisor. Bangji will be the chief General in charge of the army, with Yeon hee running the Intelligence Dept and LSG as the military advisor. Moo hyul with the Head of the Royal Guards.

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Your ideal Joseon kingdom sounds perfect. Especially Moo-hyul finally gets his official title lol.

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Seeing Bang-woo and Bang-gwa together and realizing that's Alcheon Rang and the drunkard guy from Modern Farmer... >_< :D (Also, I've missed you, Lee Seung-hyo. I hope you get more sageuk roles.)

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I was so happy when I saw "Alcheon"! It was one my fav character of QSD! Badass Bang Woo!

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Haha mine too! He was my second favorite next to Bidam!

I guess Lee Seung-hyo does do better in sageuk, or at least his sageuk roles get more noticed.

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This episode was very good and it showed a couple things. The similarity between Boon Yi/Bang Won as to their beliefs, the start of their romance, the Yi family dynamics, the testing of Bang Won, the cunning of Lee In-gyeom for starters. But to me what this episode showed was what was incentive that woke the 1st dragon from his slumber and that is his son. It is a known fact that what happened in the show regarding the Border Stabilization Plan was fiction, the powers that be had to twist the story in order to include Bang Won's start of active involvement in the master plan which as viewers we have accepted. However most of us has been somewhat disappointed in the 1st dragon who appears to be strong but seems to be a wimp in certain matters. That in itself was not the case, so what had to be done was a wake up call for the Yi family and him- you do not attack them or else they will retaliate and that is what Bang Won has been proud of in his family. The counter attack by JDJ was brilliant especially coming at the same time of Seong Ge's victory making them a larger threat to the whole dobang.

Bang Ji's song was very moving & beautiful - kudos to the actor for putting the right emotions to a song that touches one's heart.

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Is it just me or are they really going all out with the guy makeup..? I swear Gil Tae Mi wasn't wearing that much blush when we started off lol. They're sometimes a little hard to take seriously with those smokey eyes, but otherwise another stellar episode. I love how JDJ's speech about the greater good insect eating at your heart comes back to bite him in this episode. And Boon Yi's speech about her and Bangwon becoming the way they are because of gaining and losing hope over and over again was so touching. This drama is so good, sigh.

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I read it takes 2 hours for the actor to do the make up to become Gil Tae Mi.

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Gil Tae Mi has become Koreans fave they even have various tutorials on his makeup, especially for the Halloween edition!

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Ahh maybe i missed it or forgot, but how did Yeon Hee know Boon Yi is Jung Do Jeon's followers? Did they cross path before or did Yeon Hee saw Boon Yi in the company of Jung Do Jeon?

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I think it's because JDJ told her about her. He says in this episode "I told you her story, but I didn't tell you her name," so I'm guessing Yeonhee guessed it was Boon Yi when she heard her story. I don't think they have met as grown ups but I might be missing something..

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Yes, Yeon-hee has got to know it's Bong Yi. She is a double agent working for Cho Young (who is serving In-gyeon) and Jung Do-jeon. It's her job to know everyone and everything connected to them.

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I see, that could be it, the subtitles i was watching was not comprehensive or the sentence could be lost in translation. Thanks twentyonebuds.

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I dont know why but i'm loving Gil Tae Mi's character more and more LOL

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He's an interesting character, but my brain can't compute that he's one of the greatest swordsmen because of the eye-liner and his mannerism! Hee!

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Or that he's now the Prime Minister and that he has fathered a son.

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When did Gil Tae Mi become the Prime Minister? I don't remember Lee In-gyeom being demoted from the Prime Minister's position or being replaced.

It'll make more sense if Tae Mi is the Minister of Finance or something like that.

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In an earlier ep and I think this ep also, he was referred to as the PM. Lee In Gyeom has been promoted to some senior PM status.

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His title is 수시중 (Soo Shi Joong) which then gets translated to prime minister

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I guess it's hard to translate all of the high officer positions in the court of Goryeo because there were so many with different ranks. I think for Goryeo's court it would be easier to understand if we go by Chancellors instead of Prime Ministers because it's usually a one man position below the king.

Joseon system is much simpler. The prime minister (Chief State Councillor) is at the top and then below him are the two ministers to the left and right.

King Munjong's administrative structure of Goryeo was built around "Three Chancelleries" (samseong) or " Threefold Chancellery System."
Lee In-gyeom would be the current Supreme Chancellor (munha sijung, junior first rank).

(Professor Ki-baik goes into details in his book with every office in Goryeo's court. The part I love to skip lol.)
Big thanks to darksmurf for compiling this a few years ago.
http://www.darksmurfsub.com/forum/index.php?/blog/279/entry-589-glossary-appointmentsranks/

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I was like that at first. I couldn't take him seriously too. But in that scene where he fought Baek Yoon's body guard, he proved himself to me. I was also impressed with what he said. If I remember right, it was along these lines: "You probably think like other people too right? Warriors are supposed to be solitary and rough so you look down on me because I'm like this." It's not exactly that but yeah, you get the point.

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@earthna

Yes exactly that scene and he kicked that bodyguard ass good. That was really awesome of him :)

I'm also kinda loving his relationship with Lee In Gyeom. When General Choi wanted to destroy both Minister Hong and Gil Tae Mi for the tax thing, Lee In Gyeom still protected Gil Tae Mi. GTM instead chose to be loyal and helped Minister Hong. LIG must care about GTM somewhat. I'm really curious how these three fates will turn out and their alliances dynamics. I honestly cant see why GTM would be loyal to Minister Hong, are they in laws already? Minister Hong didnt really do anything for GTM other than helped making him richer, hahaha that must be it.

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@JanuaryBlues
Yes Hong In Bang and Gil taemi are in- laws. HIB approached GTM in one of the earlier eps. This was the one where young Bang Won saw them together outside the gilbang and realised that HIB had turned bad.

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I wish the fight between Tae-mi and Hong Ryoon was longer. Hong was the one to beat but the fight only last a few secs / one slash.That's how you beat the best of Goryeo? (sigh)

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Obviously he wasn´t the best of Goryeo. I LOVE Gil Tae-mi! He´s stupid and vain, loves money and power and all the bad things, but he´s so charmingly repulsive! And he´s good with the sword even drunk. Especially liked the episode when he hold his ground when Bang-ji paid a visit to Hong In-bang.

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Actually, he was and Hong Ryoon existed in history unlike Tae-mi. He was the head of King Gongmin's guard for a reason.
I think the order with the best swordsman title in this drama would look like this: Hong->Tae-mi->Bang-ji->Moo-hyul->Bang-woo.

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Oh wait, Bang-woo would be the better fighter than Moo-hyul. Maybe he will train him properly.

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Gil Tae Mi's character is based on a real historical figure Yim Gyeon-Mi, the warrior who existed in the late Goryeo period.

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He's still a fictional character here just like In-Gyeom and Minister Hong. It gives the writers more freedom to do whatever they want with their characters.

I don't even think of Gyeong-mi when I see Tae-mi. He may have make-up on and he is great swordsman but he's got a heart.

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I wonder if he even pass the Civil Service Exam lol.

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LOL i wondered that too

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The quote and book mixed up was pretty funny lol.

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@JanuaryBlues

Gil Mi Tae is so endearing. I agree his eyeliner doesn't allow one to take him seriously as a dad, deadly fighter or a Prime Minister, lol. They are giving the bad guys many, many layers. And for that I'm thankful. This drama is indeed scripted so well. Thank you writers. I hope you keep it up the momentum.

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Gil Tae Mi...you can't help but like this character. He's bumbling, scheming, weak, crafty, campy and deadly...he brings the comic aspect that relieves the tension of a show that has a good deal of cruelty. I loved/hated him in "Punch" but am totally enjoying him in SFD! I am so glad this show will go on for a good long time as I'm enjoying it immensely. What a great cast and story!

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This is such a whoppingly good episode and hilarious to boot! The scene between Moo Hyul, his grandma and his erstwhile teacher was comedic gold! And the scene at the assembly when one of the politicians came in to tell of Lee Seong gye's prowress in battle had me in stitches!

I want Lee In Gyeom to go down. Personally it's because I'm disgusted with the fact that he locked up nursing mothers to nurse pigs just so he could have his gastronomical delight while leaving their poor babies to starve to death. I haven't forgotten the shocking first episode, and I do hope he meets with an appropriate end.

Byun Yo Han is a scene stealer. He does so much with so little screen time. I hope they can give him more screen time and more material to work with in later episodes.

I had no idea I would enjoy a 50 episode drama this much. I just thought to check it out, but now I'm hooked! The plot is so interesting and the actors are doing a bang up job!

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What i like about this drama is that there is a balance of intensity and humour. Just when we are sitting on the edge of our seats or biting our nails, we are thrown a more light-hearted comedic scene like Moo Hyul and his grandma/family or a cute one of bang won buying shoes for Boon yi.

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Such a good drama.

Ddangsae's song was so beautiful. I had to learn "Cheongsanbyeolgok" in literature class in the olden days and I remember it being so so boring (and the 얄리얄리얄랑셩 얄라리 얄라 bit in particular really weird). But hearing it actually sung was a totally different experience. I suppose it’s like what they say about Shakespeare - you have to experience, rather than read, his plays. Sigh. If only we had such beautiful performing boys/men in those days.

On another note, I know this is wrong but tortured Bangwon is really hot. And so is Lee Seonggye's bestie Lee Jiran.

Thanks as always for the recaps, Heads.

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Byun Yo han could sing the phone book and be hot doing it but I'm glad they inserted that song. That was a great scene.

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Totally agree i downloaded the drama just to watch him sing. The way he sung it twist my heart into knots as if i'm experiencing the same suffering they have to gone through.

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Bangji is such a sad character (When is he going to reunite with his sister?). His song CheongSanByeolGok was praised as Les Misérables, Goryeo Version. Now he is Yoohanserable (Byun Yo-han + Les Misérables: How Ingenious Knetz-could be DC guys- coming up with all these nick)

CheongSanByeolGok (Green/Blue mountain Song) Bangji sang is a Goryeo folk song which portrayed Goryeo people's misery-suffering, sadness and despair (and dream) as Heads stated.
It has various interpretations, but Gist of it is-
Goryeo people has long been suffered due to war, political corruption, and economic difficulties. In this song, They dream 'Green mountain' where they can live in peace eating fruits and herbs, or Sea where they live eating oysters and clam. They dream of living normal and peaceful life without greed, but it was impossible in reality "I who has more worry than you/bird am crying too when I get up in the morning" "Somehow I survived the day, but how can I spend the night when there is no one coming or going" "Someone is throwing rocks, and I am crying getting hit because I don't have anyone to love or hate") . So they endure their hard life by finding a little enjoyment in drinking a home-made liquor. At the end of song though, they express their hope. Refrain at the end of the song "Yalyi Yalyi Yala Sung" is said to mean 'Let's win, win, We will win, win'.

Awesome acting all around (Am I repeating myself every episode?). Love the court scene ending with all doubting minds. Mu-hyul is forever cute. More please.
Thanks for the recaps always!

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SMART DRAMA!!!!!!

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This was a really good episode. I almost hate to see them have to save our handsome little sociopath but without him the story ends here I guess. I'd also like to point out once again that Byun Yo han is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread. We need more of him in kdrama. I wonder if he's done his military service yet.

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"Daycare for ideaological misfits": best phrase ever!

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ohhh yeon hee is ruthless and i love her.
This drama is just awesome the game of brains is well played, the fighting scenes are well choreograph, the comedy is cute and hilarious, the actors are super duper amazing and Byun yo han's character is the best lol :)

@headsNo2 - amazing comment i love the way you write :)

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Love the egg scene ! it's nice of her that think of him and bring the food to him,never seen before in any drama ! normally they are just go and talk and hug and cry... would love to see more of them together !

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and she brought water too! She's smart

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Yes, She's so thoughtful. :)

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or the writers are lol.

They like to give little details for each character, which make me really like all of them.

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I must confess that Bang Won looks utterly hawt with capital H in the torture scene or any scenes in the prison. And am I the only one who thinks he looks cute when he eats the egg? :D

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the man who call lee seong gye 'brother'.. what is his name (and the actor playing the role)??? i think among the warriors and swordsmen, he looks the cool-est (ddang sae and moo hyul is cute anw) but despite of his often appearance his name seems nowhere to be found.

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His name is Lee Ji Ran played by Park Hae Soo

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i think it is Lee Ji Ran he is a sworn brother of LSG and he is Jurchen if im not mistaken

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Jurchen name: Turan Timur
Given name by Lee Seong-gye: Lee Ji-ran

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According to historical record, Yi Ji Ran (Yi Seong Gye's sworn brother) had a beautiful appearance like a woman. The drama transformed him to a masculine man :D

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but very attractive - the first thought i had when he first appeared was
i know why LSG chose him - i would choose him too

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Waaaaaah I love this episode!!! I'm hyperventilating right now watching it!

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This was one of the best episodes so far. There was so much going on - plot, ideologies, characters, etc. but the balance was really good. I do love that they aren't making anyone 100% good. It's very truthful about politics and ideologies in that when you get really involved you'll end up with done impossible choices - no one comes out completely 'innocent'. I really love so many of the characters in this. Totally hooked.

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also as ideals go
good and bad are very subjective
i think that since LIG was a member of an ideological group with CY (if im not mistaken) he was once led by ideals
and to him in some way he does keep them
i dont think he thinks of himself as evil so he in his way also have belief he holds to
as much as HIB said he gave up on himself as in loosing his ideals
he know the difference between good and bad and have such values

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"...we cut to Lee Seong-gye, who stops what he’s doing to level a stare at the camera."

Lol, watch out Do-dang.

I think Lee In-gyeom's rival will be Lee Seong-gye. Jung Do-jeon works better in the shadow.
I can see Seong-gye breaking up whatever alliance he has with Choi Young. Then they'll team up to oust him from politics.

Looks like Madame Kang, Seong-gye's 2nd wife (the future Queen Sindeok) is going to make an appearance at some point. It would be interesting to see what kind of relationship she'll have with Bang-won and his brothers.

Thanks for the recap Heads <3.

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are the Lee brothers come from different mothers?
they show great relationship and brotherly love
was it acceptable to have more than one wife at the time?
(except for the king)

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The Lee boys (6 of them but we currently have 3 in the drama - Bang-woo (1), Bang-gwa (2) and Bang-won (5) ) are all from the same mother, Lady Han. She died a year before Goryeo was overthrown but she was still given the title queen (Queen Shinui) when Seong-gye ascended the throne.

Lee Bang-beon and Bang-seok, are from Seong-gye's 2nd wife Lady Kang. So basically Seong-gye has 2 wives right now and 8 boys.

I don't think they will show his 1st wife. His 2nd wife Lady Kang will be played by Kim Hee-Jung.

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thanx @kiara was the rivalry between BW and his brother from the same mother or he was in conflict with the sons of the second wife?

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The first strife (rivalry) happened between Bangwon's and his 2 half brothers #7 and #8 from their father's 2nd wife.

The 2nd strife was between Bang-won and his older brother Bang-gan #4 from the same mother.

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For the very first time, I saw a close up to a room with all of the bloody torturing stuffs which is ohmygod! just looking at them gave me shivers! Good job writer-nim. Even you don't show us how to use all of them, we already feel the pain, especially when our favorite character is in there. Double painful effect.

This show makes me really think of so many questions, which sometimes the answers are explained in the next episodes or we have to figure it out by ourselves.

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its a good exercise for our brain to see if our speculation were right :)

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Boon Yi's speech to Sambong is so on point. Sambong should realize that Bang Won might be unwise but he is the one who puts so much hope on Sambong and looks up to him like a savior. I hope Sambong will take him as his pupil.

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i love the female character here, i know in general women are stronger in sageuk but here i also like all of them
i love BY she can influence a rock to sprout water she even
convince\amused into conviction HIB (although you could say JDJ paved her way) and she also can influence LSG (accepting a criminal) BW (grownups have to take responsibility) JDJ who to him i think more than anyone she is the voice of the ppl
i really love her
but also YH i think she isnt as cold hearted, i think her childhood trauma left her weary of humans and also she fear that any addition to the original plan can sabotage it
and what she wants most is a different country that will save other little girls from the trauma she received
and of course CY whom from the start was very influential
important to LIG

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I'm glad that they are going TWDR route with the women's characters here. They don't exist only for the cheesy romance . They actually contribute to something more like So-Yi, Do-Dam and King Sejong's wife Queen Sohun in Tree.

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Anyone know where I can find the song that Bang Ji sing so sadly in this episode? I tried youtube but they said that its not available in my country.

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This is a link to download ddang see -cheongsanbyeolgok.
wapwon.com/video/BEST-Six-Flying-Dragons-----EP11-201501109/GxEl0P-l7NY

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How does Minister Jung Mong-joo realize that this letter wasn’t Lee In-gyeom idea but Jung Do-jeon’s? they didn't even meet!! he didn't see him for years.. he is not suppose to know that he is even involved in all this..

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