Horse Doctor Episode 43

So the day finally arrives where Myunghwan is questioned by the Office of Inspector General about the past. Lord Jung tries to get rid of Myunghwan with the help of Doctor Choi. But it isn’t as simple as that. A mysterious fire leaves Choi in a critical condition. Myunghwan and Lord Jung are questioned and a witness is brought forward. Enter Kwanghyun!

Sungha listens in horror to the accusations Kwanghyun makes against Sungha’s father – he’s a serial murderer! And now Kwanghyun wants revenge. Sungha isn’t totally surprised – he knows a lot about his father, but he wants to stay loyal of course. So why should he help Kwanghyun bring down his own father? Kwanghyun points out that Myunghwan will be executed for his crimes unless he confesses. And that would hurt Jinyung. Sungha wants to protect Jinyung so he agrees to do what Kwanghyun asks.

Sungha has no choice but to help Kwanghyun

The princess tries to persuade the queen mother to change her mind about Kwanghyun so that he can be reinstated, but the queen mother admits that she didn’t like him from the start – she’s prejudiced against him and doesn’t like the idea of a low class peasant working his way up to become a doctor! (she’s such a snob!) Myunghwan arrives to take a look at the queen mother who is not well. And he seems pleased that she is still on his side and anti-Kwanghyun! (But not for much longer I imagine 🙂 )

Thinking about Kwanghyun seems to make the queen mother even sicker!

Kwanghyun FINALLY manages to give Jinyung the new shoes. (He bought them for her years ago and tried to give them to her just before he had to leave Joseon.) And he takes her hand and asks her if she is still willing to go away with him. They could go to a small village and have lots of children – they’d teach the kids acupuncture and set up their own clinic together. She’s surprised at his suggestion, but she still agrees to go.

Kwanghyun finally gives Jinyung the shoes

Sungha asks Kwanghyun what he wants him to do. Kwanghyun produces his witness statement and wants Sungha to take it to the Office of Inspector General. Sungha is shocked to learn that Lord Jung was involved in Myunghwan’s crimes too. Kwanghyun will try to make Myunghwan confess. Sungha still wants to protect his father as much as he can and at least avoid execution so begs Kwanghyun not to tell anyone about Myunghwan’s involvement in the crown prince’s death or tampering with the princess’ health. (I don’t know how this can be avoided and I think this is asking a lot since he is a serial murderer!)

A level 5 official from the Sahonbu arrives and show his ID badge to Myunghwan. (The Sahonbu – the Office of the Inspector General  – maintained law and order and investigated corrupt officials) Myunghwan is questioned and shown the letter that accuses him of murdering a doctor. But he is still cocky and later assures a worried Lord Jung who is also under investigation, that NOBODY ELSE knows about what happened. Then he remembers Kwanghyun’s threat – that he would reveal all Myunghwan’s past crimes!

Myunghwan assures Lord Jung that there is no proof of their crimes

And now we have the return of Guard Kang. The others may doubt Myunghwan and want to save their own skins but Kang is incredibly loyal to Myunghwan. (Perhaps it’s a comment on the military class – they were undervalued. Even though he is so loyal he doesn’t get the same back from Myunghwan who didn’t even help him until now when he needs him. And we can imagine that if anything happens Myunghwan will have no problem throwing Kang under the bus again 🙁  I almost feel bad for Kang and his misplaced loyalty.)

Kwanghyun comes to see Myunghwan but first faces Kang again who clearly hates him and is irritated that he’s still alive. But Kwanghyun is so confident now. He gives Myunghwan another chance to confess. Myunghwan still doesn’t believe he has any proof. Meanwhile Lord Jung is getting very worried about the situation. He decides to call for Doctor Choi to do his dirty work for him – get rid of Myunghwan! 😮 But Myunghwan’s head nurse overhears his order and tells Myunghwan what’s going on …

Kwanghyun and Guard Kang meet again

Choi is packing up his stuff. He thinks back to Dr Saam pleading with him to change his life for the better. But he turns his nose up at the idea. But suddenly his doors are bolted from the outside and he is locked in. A fire starts but he can’t get out. Dr Saam is on his way to see Choi – to try to talk to him again – when he sees the fire and rushes to help. He knocks the door down and manages to get Choi to hospital. But Choi is in a bad way. He has terrible burns and Kwanghyun and the others rush to help him. (Perhaps this will make him change his ways, if he survives ) Kwanghyun guesses that the fire was Myunghwan’s idea and decides that he absolutely can’t forgive him now.

Myunghwan has realised that Doctor Cho is now siding with Lord Jung against him. So he goes to Lord Jung and blackmails him into helping him by showing him that he has records of all the naughty things they did together. So he had better support him or else!

In a place called Yangjumok the princess is recovering from her illness. But she’s fed up taking medicine so Jinyung promises to take her into town if she drinks it. In town they see a 사당패 (sa-dang-pe) group of travelling actors. Jinyung spent her youth around here and later she nostalgically stops by the local government office. She remembers how she escaped from there as a child – when she was a slave. But suddenly she’s shocked when Guard Kang shows up. She listens in as he demands that the clerk find some information in the record books about HER. He’s come on Myunghwan’s behalf and Jinyung is worried.

Jinyung listens in as Guard Kang demands to look at her records

Myunghwan and Lord Jung face each other glaring before they go in to the Office of Inspector General! They don’t trust each other but they are in the same boat now! But Myunghwan’s jaw drops when the official announces that they have a WITNESS to the crime – the son of the murdered man. Enter Kwanghyun. Myunghwan can’t believe it. He thought they had killed Baek’s son.

Kwanghyun and Lord Jung deny doing anything wrong

Kwanghyun sits calmly across from Myunghwan in the interrogation room. But even as he faces the man whose father (s) he killed, Myunghwan is only bothered about himself. He doesn’t even apologise for what he did – still pretends he did nothing wrong. How could I possibly kill anyone with acupuncture needles Myunghwan blurts out. I never mentioned murdering someone with acupuncture needles Kwanghyun replies. Oops! Myunghwan desperately turns to plan B -Jinyung – she will be outed as a peasant and not a yangban if Kwanghyun reveals his crimes. But Kwanghyun anticipated this reaction and merely informs Myunghwan that Jinyung is in a safe place where he can’t get to her. He can’t hurt her. Myunghwan looks really worried now. He doesn’t have a plan C.

***

Myunghwan really is putting up a fight until the end. In the early years it was Lord Jung who was the confident one of the pair but now Myunghwan has taken over. But he is in such denial after years of lying, that he doesn’t seem to be able to grasp that the only thing left to do is confess!

 I have lost some respect for Sungha. Even now when he knows all the terrible things that his father has done, he still wants to protect him. Filial piety was very important in Confucianism but i think there comes a point when enough is enough. It’s unfair of him to ask Kwanghyun to help him protect Myunghwan after he killed so many of the people Kwanghyun loved. The only reason Kwanghyun wants to save Myunghwan from execution is for Jinyung’s sake, but the sad part is that Myunghwan seems to feel nothing for Jinyung as he is perfectly happy to use her to get what he wants. He doesn’t seem to care about her at all.

I’m also surprised that they haven’t mentioned anything about family honour. Because surely, when Myunghwan is outed as a murderer, Sungha will not be able to stay in his position either. But his only thoughts seem to be with Jinyung who will be OK if Kwanghyun runs away with her. 😉  Sungha will be the one left with nothing. 🙁