I enjoyed this episode a lot more plot-wise!

As Hong Shim makes her way to Won Deuk, through a flashback, we hear her berating her father for lying to a clueless man about his background. However, Hong Shim’s father is desperate for Won Deuk to continue living as Won Deuk, so that his daughter can be saved.

Hong Shim is, for the first time, disappointed with her father – Won Deuk is probably a nobleman and his family could also be looking for him.

Back to the present, Moo Yeon fires an arrow and the swooshing sound of it cutting through the air immediately alerts Won Deuk.

He turns around with speed, (and that was when Moo Yeon notices Hong Shim) before turning back to push Hong Shim down with him. Won Deuk wants to lure the shooters out but Hong Shim tells him to stay by her side.

At court, the Vice Premier continues to push the Majesty to depose of the Queen in order to safeguard his position with the people. The Majesty struggles to make a decision and asks for more time to decide. In her chambers, the Queen astutely wonders if the Crown Princess’s son is that of the Crown Prince’s, since it is known that the two were not on good terms. Exactly!! That was why I thought the Princess wouldn’t even have gone ahead to lie about the paternity of the baby.

The Queen scolds Official Jung for not getting his family in control, since it was Je Yoon who found the talisman.

As it turns out, Je Yoon is kidnapped by his brother who warns him against ruining plans just based on his mere ambition. It is not the Queen who ordered the killing; Official Jung is in charge of planning such schemes and he did not call for one. Je Yoon is merely being used by the Vice Premier and his brother mutters, “People like you should not dig your nose in such matters.”

After waiting for a while, Won Deuk decides to send ‘someone else’ as a bait for the shooters.

He plucks off Hong Shim’s shoes and throws them far away, which confuses Hong Shim, “You can just throw your shoes, why did you throw mine?”

She is irritated becauses she now has no shoes to walk in, but tadah, Won Deuk presents his gift to her. Hahaha, you are quite smooth, Won Deuk.

Looking at Won Deuk’s beaming face, Hong Shim feels unsettled and says that she has something to confess. Won Deuk stands up and says he knows. “What?” “That you are from a noble family.” Hong Shim knows what the ledger he hid was, which shows that she understands numbers and words. Yet, she did not make money that way. She knew that the scholar dude was the inspector, and that’s not easy to pick out. Also, she sometimes speaks with a Hanyang accent.

Hong Shim tries to make up excuses for all of the above, but Won Deuk quietly assures her that it’s okay if she doesn’t want to share.

He takes in the smell of the barley fields and comments that while he has forgotten the past between them, “I will never forget this moment.”

Moo Yeon emerges from his hiding position and looks at the pair with worry.

Meanwhile, Je Yoon returns to the palace and digs through the records of the secretariat, where he reads the exchange between the Prince and the Majesty the day before the rain ritual. Wait, does the secretariat really record every exchange? I thought that was a private session, so nothing would be penned down. Anyhow, Je Yoon knows it was the Vice Premier’s suggestion for Yul to take the Majesty’s place, and guesses that it is the Vice Premier who assassinated Yul. He hands the real letter to the Vice Premier and claims that he wishes to switch sides now.

At night, Hong Shim’s father delightedly orders soup for Won Deuk and praises Hong Shim privately for not telling Won Deuk the truth. But Hong Shim is unhappy about lying to Won Deuk and wants to help him recovery his memory.

KKeut Nyeo and Goo Dol call for the couple to come out and are surprised to see them emerge from different rooms. Turns out, Kkeut Nyeo brought ricecakes from the celebratory party. Won Deuk blinks and asks if she’s feeding him something made from dogs, since it sounds similar to dog cakes.

Goo Dol brings Won Deuk aside and presents him with the wine he filched from the party, so that he can have “more action tonight”. Won Deuk is clueless as to why he would need to do any action, which agonises Goo Dol even more. “Don’t tell me you are a monk?”

Won Deuk cleverly retorts, “Have you ever seen a monk with a top knot?” and ends off with a, “Tsk tsk tsk.” You are HILARIOUS.

On the way home, KKeut Nyeo points out that Won Deuk isn’t dumb and is envious that he bought shoes for Hong Shim.

They run into Moo Yeon who through some gentle probing, hears that Hong Shim married Won Deuk due to the the Prince’s decree, and that Won Deuk has lost his memory. Goo Dol, you would not make a good spy.

Back at the pub, Hong Shim notes that Won Deuk must not have had ricecakes before, given how he reacted to the name. She pushes him to think about food he had before, and he could only answer meat pancakes. Hong Shim wants to eat with her father, and Won Deuk allows it, “Since tonight shall be the last night you will sleep in his room.”

Moo Yeon watches from aside and the two sidekicks approach him, asking why he is leaving the Crown Prince alone when it is clearly Yul. Moo Yeon has no choice but to confess that the girl next to him is his sister. Are we supposed to know what’s the back story to these sidekicks? Why does Moo Yeon trust them so much?

The Vice Premier burns up the Crown Prince’s letter without caring for its contents and is angered by a sudden visitor, who turns out to be the Majesty. The Majesty wishes to protect the Queen and Seowon, as he had already failed to protect Yul’s mother before.

He knows it is the Vice Premier fanning the fire of the people. If the Vice Premier wants the position of the king, why didn’t he get it before? If the Princess has a son, the Majesty promises to appoint him as his legal grandson. But Vice Premier shocks the Majesty with a, “Why do you think that’s all I want?” The Majesty looks at him in horror.

While cleaning up the office, the village leader picks up family registers that are thrown on the floor and notices one with Won Deuk’s name. He frowns in suspicion. Deng deng deng.

Won Deuk is confident that he will be able to shoot an arrow into Park’s residences, and murmurs that he might be quite good at archery.

True enough, he effortlessly fires a warning letter, which states that he is Man Shik and will have his eyes on them. Do Kyung Soo/Won Deuk/Yul looks so darn good with a bow??

Here’s one more for your viewing pleasure.

Park and gang are worried about being hauled up by the royal inspector and cower in fear.

The villagers volunteer to clean up Hong Shim’s house so that they can move back that night. Ma Chil suddenly appears to demand for the debt since the magistrate, his backing, has collapsed. He pulls Hong Shim away in a bid to sell her as a slave, and in the chaos, Won Deuk rushes forward to hit him. Ma Chil falls to the ground and the surrounding villagers realise that he’s dead.

Meanwhile, the Vice Premier demands for the Majesty to stamp the royal seal on an empty piece of paper.

He will think about what he wants and when he wants it, but don’t worry, “I do not covet the throne.” In any case, can he even covet the throne without being related to the royal family? Also, this smells like a Ma Chil scheme. Quite an interesting parallel, and to see how the stakes are increased in a palace setting.

Won Deuk gets hauled to the magistrate for killing Ma Chil, with a rope tied around his hands no less. Hong Shim and her father frantically offer themselves instead, but the village leader refuses to take them. While on route to the office, the pub owner comes by with noodles for those repairing the house. The village leader decides to turn around as he is craving noodles too, much to Won Deuk’s confusion.

And it all makes sense, when Ma Chil suddenly rises from the ground, Won Deuk is brought back into the house, and everyone starts singing a happy birthday song. Oh, today is Won Deuk’s birthday! SO, that was what the village leader was being ‘suspicious’ about. (Also, I have no clue what his title in the village is.)

Hong Shim is furious that the villagers pulled such a prank, which worried her to death. She breaks down in tears and runs back ino the house. The villagers untie Won Deuk, who finds Hong Shim in the kitchen, and jokes that she must be upset about being a widow.

He then murmurs gently, “I will be with you forever. Don’t worry. I will not leave you alone. I am your husband.”

He offers her his hand and she holds it.

I suppose in return for the Majesty acceding to the Vice Premier’s request, the Vice Premier cleans up everything nicely – the scholars have stopped protesting, the flyers provoking the people’s unrest have been destroyed and the Queen is to go back to her chambers and to stop talking about deposition.

The village leader finds it strange that Won Deuk is supposedly born in the same year as Ma Chil, especially since Ma Chil’s face is half sunk-in while Won Deuk’s… The village people also find it weird that even Hong Shim and her father didn’t know when Won Deuk’s birthday is.

The moment to press the point is lost however, as the village women clamour over Won Deuk, curious to know how he has such smooth skin, and he stares back with his big eyes and a, “ORH HAW, how dare you. I feel uncomfortable.” I used to find his catchphrase quite annoying, especially in the first few episodes, but when used sparingly, it’s so adorable and funny.

Goo Dol teaches Won Deuk how to speak properly, lest they get picked on by the noblemen again. Following after Goo Dol, Won Deuk stutters, but delivers a rather decent, “You are so pretty, Hong Shim.” Goo Dol turns it up a notch with a, “Come here, let me give you a hug. Eh? Eh?” and

Won Deuk funnily follows suit, right down to the slimy eh. I burst out laughing every time I watch this, because I just cannot deal with how constipated Won Deuk sounds, squeezing out that eh.

Everyone bursts out laughing at how cute and earnest he is, including Hong Shim, and for the first time, everyone is happy. After the birthday feast, Kkeut Nyeo quietly slips a perfume pouch into Hong Shim’s hands, “It smells so good that it intoxicates men.”

After Kkeut Neyo leaves, Moo Yeon reveals himself. Hong Shim asks about his life and his task, but he replies that those don’t matter anymore because he plans to leave with her that night. However, Hong Shim doesn’t want to leave immediately.

Moo Yeon wonders if it’s because of the man she married and says worriedly, “He’s not suitable for you.” Hong Shim asks for a few days to settle loose ends, especially since she has good memories with the villagers.

Moo Yeon tells her to take no more than 10 days, and the two exchange a hug, before Hong Shim leaves.

Sidekick emergers and tells Moo Yeon that the Vice Premier is waiting for him.

Back at home, Won Deuk insists that Hong Shim calls him, “My dear husband,” as a punishment for not having gotten a present, and also because he must be older. This must be the ancient way of calling Oppa. It’s also cute because Nanggunnim is in the literal title of the show.

Hong Shim rattles off a series of my dear husbands and tries to run out of the room, but Won Deuk closes the door and tells her that they will spend the night together.

He leans in to kiss her and she moves away, reminding him that it was HIM who forbade her to touch him until he recovers his memories.

Won Deuk lies that he doesn’t remember, and Hong Shim points out he must be lying because of his red ears.

Outside the room, Hong Shim wonders how life would have been if she was really Hong Shim and him, Won Deuk. The next morning, Won Deuk gazes at a pair of lovebirds and Goo Dol is disappointed to hear that there was no action last night. Won Deuk points out that he smashed his foot with his own rock, “I told her not to touch me until I got my memories back.” I must say Hong Shim is very smart for thinking of such a thing.

Ironically, at court, the Majesty awards ‘Na Won Deuk’ silk to recognise his contribution in taking down the corrupted magistrate. Oh my majesty. The Vice Premier casually brings up the Queen’s talisman scandal again in order to get his way – to appoint Je Yoon in place of the magistrate of the Songjoo village. Oooh are all our leads going to gather in one ground?

Je Yoon is upset that he got sent to Songjoo village instead of being promoted in Hanyang, but the Vice Premier wants him to go there and first prove his worth. Otherwise, “do you want to be my palanquin man?” Je Yoon is rendered speechless.

Moo Yeon brings a severed hand and lies to the Premier that it’s the Prince’s. He asks if he can leave now, and Premier gives him a look.

In a bid to recover Won Deuk’s memories, Goo Dol brings Won Deuk around the village’s dating hot spots. Won Deuk then brings Hong Shim around and cooks up stories – like how they rode the swing on holidays and it was beautiful, and how they spent the night at the watermill.

Hong Shim entertains him for a while, but her face turns sober as she sends Won Deuk to the village across the river to run an ‘errand’.

As Moo Yeon leaves the household, he hears people lining up to meet the Princess and finds out about her pregnancy. He runs into the Princess’s palanquin and the Princess’s maid arranges for them to talk privately, which shows that they already knew each other intimately before, and therefore, everyone’s theory is probably right.

The Princess is envious that Moo Yeon gets to leave and live a life with just a house, on a broad plain, and being happy.

She rewards his services with money but he bows, “Congratulations…on your pregnancy,” before turning away. With one last sad expression, he walks away

but is suddenly hit in the heart by an arrow. Oh god, here’s blown up images of Moo Yeon then lest this be the last we see of him. Something bad always seems to be happen when the siblings are supposed to meet.

The Princess’s expression…is that shock? Or guilt?

Won Deuk eagerly visits the village, and Hong Shim’s father leaves Hong Shim alone thinking that the couple is going to have some snuggly time tonight. However, Hong Shim’s aim of sending Won Deuk to the village is for him to find out that he’s not Won Deuk. And it has succeeded.

At night, Won Deuk returns with a heavy expression, “Why did you send me there?…Is it to find out that I am not Won Deuk?” Hong Shim replies, “Yes, that’s correct. You are not Won Deuk.”

-the end-

The couple finally kisses in the preview for Episode 9!!! I am very excited to see this relationship turn up a notch and for Won Deuk to get more answers as to his identity.

I enjoyed this episode because there is a lot more action with regard to the plot and developments for Won Deuk. At the start, I didn’t quite like how Hong Shim just takes her father’s words that her make-believe boyfriend – a man from another village who has just returned from the military – exists in real life. It makes it slightly confusing for the viewers, or at least for me, as to the origin of Hong Shim’s belief. But I guess, the scriptwriters probably didn’t want to use too many make-up names as well. In any case, once that is set aside, I like the fact that in this episode, Won Deuk finally realises he is not who everyone believes him to be.

I also like it that Moo Yeon makes the backstory a little more exciting. Even though his role is not big, he does excude a presence every time he steps into frame (or am I just biased?) Now that he’s shot in the heart, I am so curious as to whether he’s alive. Did the Princess do it because he’s the baby’s father, or did the Vice Premier do it because he has expended his usefulness? If the Princess didn’t do it, I feel like she will save him. Not quite sure though, if Moo Yeon will survive till the finale…his role seems like a perfect set up for tragedy.

As for Moo Yeon finding out that Hong Shim is associated with Yul, I like that the moment was tied into the point of assassination. We get to see how Moo Yeon’s choices change drastically the moment he realises Hong Shim’s in the picture. I always imagined the revelation to be super dramatic, but I think this is okay too.

I’m not sure what the Vice Premier is planning, but at the moment, I would say that the politics of the show aren’t its dominant or strong suit. The only strong force pushing this story forward is Yul’s return and for him to reveal that the baby isn’t his. But I think I am content with just that, so long as the execution is done well.

<3thoughtsramble