Remember my long discourse on arrows for Ep 9? The arrow functioned like bookends for the episode, visible at both the opening and ending scenes to frame the plot narrative? I said that, while for JaeYi, his optional “second arrow” continued to hurt him, our heroine EunJo was able to calm her urge for retaliation in the wake of her father’s murder and stop the self-inflicted pain. She achieved this because Yi Yeol guided her.

Well, in this episode, I think it isn’t a prop, but a theme that’s introduced in the beginning, revisited several times during the episode, then fully exposed in the end. I’ll work you through it.

But first the background story.

Yi Yeol (in Eunjo’s body) is stunned to find himself in the company of yangbans (i.e., ministers, noblemen, scholars) plotting an uprising. These yangbans are arguing on their next move.

Minister 1: Now we must decide on the prince to place on the throne. The new ruler must be established first, only then can we persuade and align with the other officials.
Consort Suk Ui: (announcing) The Grand Prince who will ascend our throne is Yi Yeol, Grand Prince Do Wol.

I can only imagine what’s running through his head. He has stumbled on a plot to install him as king. He doesn’t want this.

Minister 2: We must hasten our plan. We need to gather the exiled ministers. Send manifestos to allied counties. Also the troops. By mobilizing troops, success isn’t impossible.
Consort Suk Ui: We must act on principle, not mere possibility.

Meaning, whether or not their coup moves forward isn’t determined by its success rate but by their moral conviction that this rebellion is the sole righteous path against the tyrannical king. It doesn’t matter if they fail or if a number of them die in the attempt. What matters is they show they oppose the king’s rule.

Minister 3: The longer we delay, the more the people suffer.
Chief State Counselor Han Seung Rok: First, we must rally the other ministers. Just changing the ruler in this unstable council won’t make a difference in these turbulent times.

I get it: it’s the chicken or the egg dilemma. Should they enlist support from the Grand Prince or the other ministers first?

Minister 4: That persuasion can happen after entering the capital.

Meaning, they must “power” through the capital first, and then either persuade – or perhaps, coerce? – either the ministers or the Grand Prince to get on board. Although Minister 4 doesn’t explicitly say it, he means to use force to enter the capital as the capital is fortified, remember?

Minister 5: Force must never be an option.
Minister 6: (contradicting) Power must be suppressed with greater power.
Minister 7: Exactly, we can’t avoid bloodshed.
Minister 8: Bloodshed? We are not military officials of late Goryeo!
Minister 9: Even if we fail, our cause will endure.
Minister 10: Yes, someone will remain to keep fighting.

To me, these last two ministers are idealistic. They speak of the “warrior ethos,” which accepts death as the ultimate noble sacrifice of an individual committed to the cause. This is the theme of this episode, in my opinion.

A note on the cinematography here. The old followers or regulars of this blog know that I abhor viewers extol the “cinematography” when all they really want to say is that they like the pretty picture that the landscape makes. So let me show you one way of discussing cinematography.

First, I like how the salmun (or doors with translucent paper) loudly rolled back, one after the other, to reveal Yi Yeol (in Eunjo’s body) sitting at the very end of the room with Consort Suk Ui’s bodyguard. The visuals plus the sound intensify the moment of truth for Yi Yeol. It tells him that behind closed doors, many ministers of the royal court and aristocrats are boiling with fury at the king’s misgovernance.

Second, I like the tight shot of the men crammed in close quarters. When compared to the grand hall of the king’s palace, this small room, which is no bigger than a hallway in the palace, holds all the opposition party. This image drives home the point that a) their planned coup puts them in a tight spot, b) that they’re all on this perilous journey together, and c) that there’s no room for error.

Third, I like the alternate close-up of both Consort Suk Ui and Yi Yeol (in Eunjo’s body). To me, this is a stark reminder that in this gathering of men, two women hold the key position. One is the designated leader of the council and the other is the designated face (or name, for that matter) of the movement.

And last, I like how dim the lights are in this scene. It’s in keeping with the idea that plotting against the king must be done in the shadows, in secrecy.

That’s how cinematography creates and captures the narrative tension. And look! There are no wide expanse of the night skies, or twinkling stars overhead to make “pretty pictures.” Lol.

Moving on….

After the ministers depart, Yi Yeol (in Eunjo’s body) has a serious talk with Consort Suk Ui.

YY: Why Prince Do Wol? Idler, wastrel, libertine, rogue. These are the labels people gave him.
SU: He must have lived hiding behind those disreputable names.

Nice. Remember the ring of her bodyguard and the block on her tabletop? The word “name” is carved on both. And remember that she asked for the names of EunJo’s family written on paper? She must believe in the importance of names in constructing the perceptions – whether they be true or false – of individuals.

SU: Until his final breath, the late king tried to depose the Crown Prince and establish Prince Do Wol as heir. Now I understand why. He saw the potential of a king in the young prince.
YY: (unconvinced) Potential of a king?
SU: A heart that sympathizes with the people. He possesses what our current king lacks.

Yi Yeol (as Eunjo) doesn’t respond. I’m sure he’s restraining himself from contradicting the Consort. To dare to compare himself to the king and to deem the king inferior to him go against every fiber of his being. This kind of thinking is sacrilegious to him.

SU: You’ve witnessed it yourself. When stealing for the sick, when exposing corrupt officials, when saving patients at Gujilmak, the Grand Prince was always on your side.

Now, he realizes how his actions for EunJo… or to be more precise, his COURTSHIP of Eunjo has been misconstrued by outside observers. He did them all for EunJo, to help her because she’s so dedicated to the people. He didn’t start out helping the poor folks out of compassion. Gaining Consort Suk Ui’s hero-worshipping isn’t on his bingo card.

SU: (continuing) Even when he stepped before His Majesty to save your brother, it was remarkable. The power of love.

Well, at least she got that part right. The Grand Prince did those things out of love, respect and admiration for EunJo’s compassion for others. However, rebellion is another thing entirely. As he told EunJo (as Gildong) on their first encounter, he drew the line at anything that would result in “shaking the foundations of Joseon.”

He chases Consort Suk Ui to make this clear.

YY: As you say, I know Prince Do Wol well. He would never join a rebellion.
SU: We will keep our existence completely hidden from the prince. If the coup succeeds, then we will offer him the throne.
YY: Why is that?
SU: If we involve the prince and fail, he will be executed immediately. That cannot happen. For our future endeavors.

He finally grasps the implication of the Consort’s pronouncement earlier. Should their first attempt at rebelling fail, there’ll be a second wave, a third wave, and a never-ending uprising against the king. The rebels won’t back down because it’s their moral CONVICTION that the king must go. And through all this turmoil, the Grand Prince alone remains protected because he’s the designated replacement. While people are sacrificing their lives for the cause, he alone is to be spared from harm.

Ergo, even EunJo will be sacrificed for him.

YY: The prince destined to rule must survive for the next uprising.
SU: (nodding)
YY: (terrified) With few aristocrats and scholars gathered today, you’ll face annihilation. Only death awaits.
SU: Even so, we will fight. Even if our end is death. Haven’t you prepared for this as GilDong?

She’s saying that all those men gathered earlier at the meeting have already put their lives on the line. As Gil Dong, surely, she has accepted the risk of death every time she ventures at night and steals from the corrupt officials. In other words, in Consort Suk Ui’s mind, GilDong must be more than ready to die to end the king’s rule.

Moreover, Consort Suk Ui assumes that, after her father’s murder, Gil Dong has a score to settle with the king and is no longer opposed to joining the rebellion. She doesn’t know that the Yi Yeol has already reasoned with EunJo to look past her need for vengeance and eschew bloodshed.

Watching the Consort’s palanquin leave, Yi Yeol vows never to put EunJo’s life in danger. He’s unwilling to view EunJo as mere fodder for the fire. It’s unthinkable to him that her life is considered expendable to fuel the uprising.

YY: (to himself) You’re mistaken, Consort Suk Ui. I can’t let her die like this.

Remember what I said earlier about the warrior ethos? In Yi Yeol’s mind, he’ll do anything to save EunJo from being sacrificed in this futile rebellion. Unconsciously (or consciously), he’s assumed the warrior/hero ethos. That said, I don’t think he’s aware that, in assuming this heroic “I’ll save her” mode, he’s essentially blocking EunJo from taking on this warrior/heroine ethos for herself.

Hence, the conflict between Yi Yeol and EunJo.

When Yi Yeol thinks of protecting EunJo (who’s currently living in his body), he sees that he has his work cut out for him. He must stop her from being embroiled in a coup as the Grand Prince. At the same time, he must prevent her from accepting the plotters’ invitation to join in the coup as GilDong. Whether she’s the Grand Prince or GilDong, he wants her as far away as possible from the rebellion.

He’s unaware that Eunjo (in Yi Yeol’s body) is weighing on righteous rebellion for his sake. In Episode 9, when DaeChu worriedly asked her why she was reading up on treason, she replied, “I can’t answer now. But I promise, whatever choice is made, it will be to protect the Grand Prince.”

In short, they don’t realize that a) the other person is in “warrior/hero/heroine” mode to protect her/him and b) their first and foremost allegiance is to the individual person, and not the mission to overthrow the king.

Yi Yeol (in EunJo’s body) then rushes to the palace and talks Eunjo (in the Grand Prince’s body) into running away. His move is predictable; his default fight-or-flight response is to flee. He thinks running away is the solution to all this talk of death and dying for the rebellion that he heard at the council meeting.

YY: (in Eunjo’s body) Let’s go far away from the palace. Far from Joseon.

He grabs her by the wrist to drag her out of there but EunJo (in Yi Yeol’s body) stands her ground. He slowly turns around and looks at her.

EJ: I…I can’t go.
YY: Aigoo. So you already know. You’ve made up your mind. You are already on their side.

Then, he lets go of her wrist. Disappointment is visible on his face.

EJ: I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. I needed time to understand why they sought change, why Lord Hong faced death while approaching His Majesty. I needed time to understand that.
YY: And?
EJ: They fought to survive, and His Excellency did that to save people like them.
YY: And?
EJ: Once we return to our bodies, I’ll stand with them as GilDong.
YY: (reasoning with her) They’re using you under the pretense of the “the people.”

Didn’t I mention this already in my Ep 7 & 8 post? I specifically said that the Buddhist nun/Consort Suk Ui would harness the rumors about GilDong and use it as a propaganda to rally the yangbans and common folks against the king. It’s one thing if the rebellion is organic. But it’s another if it’s manipulated by ministers and aristocrats who have grievances against the king and want to wrest power for vengeance and/or their personal gain.
At this point in time, Yi Yeol distrusts the rebels and their movement, especially after he realized that Consort Suk Ui was willing to throw EunJo/GilDong under the bus. For the Consort Suk Ui, EunJo is just cannon fodder – or a pawn – for the uprising. And this is unacceptable to Yi Yeol.

To Yi Yeol’s utter dismay, however EunJo readily accepts her sacrifice, i.e., her death, as her “fate.” Remember the warrior/heroine ethos. She accepts death as her noble sacrifice for installing Yi Yeol as the new king of the land. She believes Yi Yeol to be a much better ruler than the current one. He’ll be a benevolent leader, a just king. In her eye, he’s totally worth dying for.

But Yi Yeol doesn’t get this. All he sees is his EunJo is sacrificing herself for a doomed mission, so he tries to dissuade her.

EJ: I know.
YY: If you’re caught as a rebel, you’ll be torn limb from limb while still alive.
EJ: I’m prepared for that.
YY: (speechless) How can you speak of dying so casually before me?

And there you go. That’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it?

The reason he’s upset with her warrior/heroine ethos is because he believes she’s throwing away her life as if it’s worthless and insignificant when to him, she’s the most precious one. I guess this thought is as sacrilegious to him as the idea of usurping the throne from his half-brother the king is treasonous.

She avoids his eyes for a moment then looks at him steadily.

EJ: Because they intend to place you on the throne, Grand Prince. Therefore, you must also—

She reaches for his hand, but he steps back. He doesn’t let her finish. I’m sure she’s about to exhort him to be brave or something noble like that.

YY: No. You are mistaken as well.
EJ: Mistaken?
YY: If you’ll become a rebel as GilDong, then I will stand with the royal house as the Grand Prince. To defy the shrine and altar preserved by our former kings to destroy the system, and rebel against the current king! I can’t tolerate that. That’s what I’ve been taught.
EJ: But…

Quick, EunJo! Enlighten him that a rebellion can be a legitimate course of action to redress the injustices of the king. Tell him about what you learned from the “History of Liao,” “History of Goryeo,” “Mencius,” “Deployment of Troops,” and “History of Song.” Back in Episode 11, she was musing that “That the desire to change the world has existed in every age. Restoration. Rebellion. Treason. Reform. Whatever name it bears, what it needs is…” Lol. She never finished her train of thought. But my guesses are a) an inspirational leader, b) the right timing, and c) the heart or courage of a warrior/hero to see it through.

But Yi Yeol refuses to take up the mantle of leadership or to sacrifice EunJo.

YY: I will never become the king of rebels. That’s why the rebellion must fail without question. Because I’ve decided it would fail.

He leaves her.

Later that night, he sits to write her a letter. EunJo’s mother asks him why he’s still writing so late at night. He answers her obliquely.

Mom: What are you writing all that for?
YY: To wish your daughter a long, healthy life.
Mom: How long do you wish to live, my daughter?
YY: “She lived happily for a very, very long time.” Just like that, till the very end.

Originally, I thought he was explaining to EunJo in a letter why he opposed the rebellion. I could imagine him listing his arguments, like this:

One, There’s little chance of the coup succeeding given how limited the opposition number is and how unprepared the organizers are. Two, the rebellion violates everything he believes in. And last not least, he fears what will happen to Eunjo if and when the coup fails. He says no to the rebellion so EunJo can live happily ever after.

But as it turned out, he was up late at night to write the names of the plotters. Lol. He’s writing their names down because he wants EunJo to have a “long and healthy life.”

Meaning, he’s blackmailing EunJo with the list to keep her out of trouble. He’s offering the lives of these ministers, noblemen and scholars in exchange for ONE single life. Hers.

He gives her the list the following day.

EJ: (in Yi Yeol’s body) I was worried when you left like that yesterday. Your heart must be in turmoil.
YY: No. It’s simple. I’m consumed with finding a way to stop the rebels.

He hands her a list.

YY: These are the names of rebels I saw last night.
EJ: What will you do with this list?
YY: What would happen if I report it to His Majesty? They’d all be executed.

See that? For him, it’s a good exchange. One life for tens and tens of lives. He values her life more than theirs. But she thinks he’s bluffing.

EJ: I know you’re not that kind of person.
YY: Then stop me from becoming one. If you change your mind and refuse to stand with them, no one has to die. I’ll give you one day. The decision is yours.

Fortuitously, EunJo (in Yi Yeol’s body) is bumped by the hired assassin of Im SeungJae as soon as she exits the bookstore. (I hope, however, that the assassin didn’t bump her on purpose to pickpocket that the list of plotters.) She recognizes the assassin and follows him to Secretary Im’s Residence. That night she pays the residence a visit.

Question: What is she looking for at the Im’s residence?

Answer: The metaphorical smoking gun or the incense stick(s). She hasn’t pieced together the mystery yet but that’s the reason Secretary Im killed the Chief Inspector. The Chief Inspector discovered what the incense was being used for. As luck would have it, EunJo also recognized the hallucinogenic effect of the incense stick when she saw them in the king’s bedchamber. However, she hasn’t found its source of the incense sticks, Secretary Im.

At their next meeting in the bookshop, Eunjo reports to Yi Yeol the result of her midnight exploit with DaeChu.

EJ: (as Yi Yeol) Secretary Im couldn’t kill Lady Suk Young as she’s His Majesty’s woman. So, it seems he secretly imprisoned her using fear to tame her.
YY: (in Eunjo’s body) Has the treacherous minister fallen out with the royal concubine?
EJ: Why would that be?
YY: Right. I’m curious why you did it too.

Lol. He suddenly switches topic, catching her off-guard. This tells me that he isn’t interested in palace politics. All he cares about is rescuing EunJo from her “suicidal mission” and putting an end to her “warrior/heroine” complex.

YY: So last night, instead of deliberating on the decision I told you to make, you scaled the wall of the Chief Secretary’s residence, huh? You didn’t care about a word I said, did you?
EJ: That’s not true.
YY: I warned you. If there’s no answer by today, I’ll hand over the traitors’ names tomorrow. (pounding on the bookcase) You think I won’t?

Sidenote: the pounding on the wall is a trope. It’s typically done when the man is visibly taller than the woman and it’s supposedly intimating. But in this scene, Yi Yeol (in EunJo’s body) is so much smaller than EunJo (who’s in Yi Yeol’s body) that even with his hand raised, he can barely reach the top of her head.

EJ: One day is too short!
YY: What?
EJ: I agonized and agonized over this decision, but how could I reverse it in a single day? I won’t do it! I can’t!
YY: Fine, since you can’t, I will make you stop.

He turns away but EunJo (in Yi Yeol’s body) grasps his wrist. We all recognize this action. It mirrors what Yi Yeol (in EunJo’s body) did on that night when he wanted them to flee together. Back then, it was Yi Yeol (in EunJo’s body) who grabbed her by the wrist to leave the place. But this time around, Yi Yeol isn’t offering to run away together. Since she’s chosen to stay, he has no choice but to ensure that she doesn’t jeopardize her life.

See that? He’s in his “warrior/hero” mode again. His mission is to keep her alive, and he’s 100% committed to the mission.

YY: Let go.
EJ: (gripping his wrist) I can’t let you go.

Yi Yeol (as EunJo) turns to look at her and then at her hands. He makes her release his hand.

YY: I can’t let you go either.

My three comments:

1. I don’t think Yi Yeol realizes that his action doesn’t match his words. EunJo (in Yi Yeol’s body) is holding his arm, but he makes her release him.

Then after they’re physical detached, he tells her that he can’t let go of her.

Huh? Didn’t he just release himself from her grasp?  

That’s why this scene has produced much mental stress in viewers. We the audience are simultaneously processing the body swap, the double context of the dialogue and the conflicting beliefs. We have cognitive dissonance.

2. Yi Yeol and EunJo are on totally different wavelengths here.

When EunJo (in Yi Yeol’s body) tells him that she can’t let him go, she means that she’s clinging to him because she doesn’t want him to ABANDON her. She’s asking him to reconsider and join her.

Personally, I find this moment interesting because it’s the first time that EunJo (in Yi Yeol’s body) physically CLINGS to him.

I guess she must have learned her lesson from the Concubine Suk Young from the previous night. She and Daecu were escorting the Concubine back to the palace when she asked Lady Young whether she regretted not running away with the man she professed to love. Lady Young said no.

EJ (in Yi Yeol’s body): Have you never regretted choosing not to flee with the man you love?
SY: Not once.

Wow! Heartless, isn’t she?

That said, it seems to me that EunJo shares the same sentiment. She too doesn’t regret not running away with Yi Yeol. However, the difference between Lady Young and EunJo is that Lady Young had only herself in mind when she ditched her lover. She had an ambition to be the most powerful lady in court.

In contrast, EunJo is committed to helping Yi Yeol become king for the good of the kingdom. That’s why EunJo tells Yi Yeol that she can’t let him go. EunJo wants him to stop running and face the crisis together.

So, yes, EunJo doesn’t regret not fleeing with Yi Yeol but only because she wants them standing together to make the world a better place.

3. Meanwhile, when Yi Yeol (in EunJo’s body) admits that that he can’t let her go, he means that he can’t allow her to risk her life on a pointless movement to install him as king. He’s terrified that she’ll be captured and summarily executed. He loves her too much to sit idly by as she puts herself in death’s way.

EunJoo (in Yi Yeol’s body) chases after him and she holds his arm to restrain him. Hmmm. What’s up with all this clinging? 

EJ: There’s no need to rush yet. Since our bodies were switched, we can’t do anything anyway. Because right now, I’m the Grand Prince.
YY: (tugging his hand away) I know. Right now, I’m Gil Dong.
EJ: Exactly. Once we return to our own bodies, it won’t be too late to discuss it then.

She’s referring to the rebellion. She wants to defer making a decision until they’ve returned to their own bodies. For me, it’s noteworthy that EunJo (in Yi Yeol’s body) is coaxing him with gentleness. She knows that Yi Yeol is adamant about her non-involvement in the coup, but she’s willing to bide her time, hoping he’ll change his mind. Yi Yeol doesn’t fall for her tactic, though.

YY: Then, perhaps you should hope we never return. With that famous name of yours, I’ll never step forward for the rest of my life. So be it. I’ll just live as you for the rest of my life.

In short, he’d rather live the rest of his life as a woman than risk his woman’s life. That sounds impressive to me but then, as we’ll see in the end, he’s capable of doing so much more to protect her.

Later, after they successfully stole the courtesans from right under the king’s nose, they meet again at the bookshop. EunJo is eager to meet him because she senses that he’s changed his mind about overthrowing his half-brother. The timing is just right for his volte-face.

EJ: (in Yi Yeol’s body) Do you still feel the same way now?
YY: About what?
EJ: About joining them.
YY: No. My answer is the same. I’m leaving.
EJ: Why can’t you be honest? You’re running away right now. From the world. Because you’re afraid.

Annnnnd just like that, Yi Yeol is reminded of their conversation when he proposed. He told her exactly the same thing, that she was running away from him because she was scared.

Personally, I thought this smacks of emotional manipulation by EunJo to win him over to join the rebellion, and I don’t think it’s entirely fair. You see, she had just confirmed from her new bestie, Haerim, that the Grand Prince was totally besotted with her. Haerim recounted to her, “The Grand Prince once said this here. That there’s a woman he could never forget in his lifetime. I wondered how one could be etched so deeply into a man’s heart. But now I think I understand. Because that woman is you, EunJo.”

After hearing this, it finally dawned on EunJo the real reason Yi Yeol’s been opposed to the rebellion. It’s because of her. He’s worried about her. And he wants to protect her.

He insists on her disavowing the uprising and distancing herself from the plotters because he’s afraid for well-being. Remember: she was in the same situation. When he proposed to her, she was running away too, that is, she rejected him because she didn’t want him hurt by Im SeungJae.

Just like rejecting him was her way of protecting him, shielding her from the upcoming coup is his way of protecting her. She gets him now.

Literally.

YY: Yes, I’m afraid. I’m afraid of losing you.

Then, EunJo begins to explain why she can’t distance herself from the movement. She has no choice.

EJ: (explaining) Even now, festive music plays daily in the palace.

Meaning, despite saving the last group of courtesans, there are more women needing to be rescued from the king. It’s never-ending.

EJ: (continuing) But me, when people blame the indifferent heavens for these troubled times, I believe those high in the palace must be doing something for the world. I was a citizen clinging to vague hope. But after living as the Grand Prince, I know now. It’s not the heavens that are indifferent, but it’s the one sitting on the throne.
YY: While living as me, you ended up learning only what I wished you’d never know.
EJ: But you lived as me, too, so you’d understand. In a world like this, I can only live as a thief.
YY: No. You’re wrong again, Hong EunJo. (hugging her) I… I… will not let you live as a thief.

My comments:

1. Yi Yeol sure does like to give her the wrong impression.

A few days ago, EunJo was certain he would join the rebellion. After all, he demonstrated on numerous occasions that he was moved by the plight of the poor and he would step in to resolve their problems. To her, it seemed like a natural progression to go from solving their problem to actually REMOVING the source of the problem aka the king.

But Yi Yeol quickly burst her bubble and pledged full support to the king no matter what.

Now the situation is reversed. Just when EunJo is resigned that he’ll opposed the rebellion no matter what, he surprises her again by throwing his lot with the rebels.

2. So, what changed him? I think he changed because:

a) EunJo gave a name to his opposition to the rebellion. It’s fear. His fear of losing her is the main reason he’s opposed to the rebellion. He already realized that the abuses of his half-brother, the king, must be ended.

b) EunJo made a wish again. She wished to be freed from a life of thievery. Just like the courtesans who had no choice but to dance even when their bones were broken and skins bloodied, Yi Yeol understood that EunJo had no choice but to save the poor, even when her life was endangered.

c) EunJo hyped him up again. Remember what he said in Episode 9? She kept treating him like “some hero from a legend” so he kept acting brave to live up to her expectation. Here, EunJo hyped him to be the one person in the palace she could trust not to be indifferent to the struggles of the people.

3. I like the authority and confidence he expressed earlier, “The rebellion must fail without question because I’ve decided it would fail.” He believes that he only has to say the word and it shall be done according to his will. Hopefully, this willpower also extends to creating a new social order where people like EunJo can thrive.

After resolving to achieve EunJo’s wish,  Yi Yeol (as EunJo) seeks out the Buddhist nun/Consort Suk Ui at the monastery to inform her of his decision.

SU: Are you resolved?
YY: (in EunJo’s body) I’ll make a world where I no longer have to live as a thief.

Three things:

1. Since he’s identified himself by the kind of work he does, e.g., Prince Do Wol: idler, wastrel, libertine, rogue, he can add founder, creator, and ex-thief.

2. He fulfils the wish his mother the Dowager Queen once made for him. He’s found that one woman to live for. He’ll devote his entire life to making a better world patterned after her vision.

3. “The power of love”? Absolutely.

While joining the rebellion is very personal for Yi Yeol (i.e., he’s doing it at EunJo’s behest), it’s also very selfless (i.e., he isn’t usurping power for himself).

To me, this is warrior/hero ethos again. He’s fully committed to the mission and he’s willing to sacrifice even his life for her. But note this: he still didn’t mention overthrowing the king. He pledged however to make a better world so EunJo didn’t need to resort to thievery from corrupt officials to provide for the hungry folks and care for the sick and the orphans.

For this reason, I wasn’t surprised when their body swap occurred again, and he confessed that he was prepared to die for her. Death for a cause, sacrificial death, substitution, and giving up one’s life for another, have been the undercurrent throughout the episode.

YY: (in a voiceover) It was a certain night. A night when I sought why our souls were bound to be swapped.

There’s a flashback to Episode 11.

And he wonders if that’s when he had inkling that he and EunJo were entangled in this body swap because he was meant to ensure that she continued living.

YY: Did I already know back then? That our souls would be swapped? Perhaps I…I would fight for the humiliation you suffered. Protect your people. And perhaps even steal the world with you. And that one day, the time might come when I would die in your place. My answer is I would gladly do it.

My four comments:

1. The flashback is from a scene in Episode 11.

They were walking home. They just body-swapped after Yi Yeol dared to speak out against the king at the trial of EunJo’s half-brother.

YY: (in EunJo’s body) No matter how much I think about it, I don’t get it. Why did we switch again?
EJ: (in Yi Yeol’s body) Even if the first time was Heaven’s mistake, switching twice like this? Now, I wonder if it truly is Heaven’s will.
YY: Will? (scoffing) Then, answer me. Why now of all times?
EJ: When our bodies first switched, I thought about that. “Why now? Causing Gil Dong to be caught?” But this time, it’s fortunate. If we hadn’t switched, you wouldn’t have stopped. You would’ve charged forward again without hesitation.

And get himself killed in the process, is what she meant to say.

YY: Is that the reason why we… (stopping himself)
EJ: What’s wrong?
YY: You’re right. I would have crashed. You saved me.

So…he stretched the truth here so she wouldn’t pry on his thoughts. Maybe he was afraid or embarrassed to tell her that he was willing to die for her. Or maybe he didn’t want to burden her with that kind of confession because it sounded overly-sentimental.

EJ: That’s why we have to live. We have to stay alive, so we can learn why it had to be us.
YY: Perhaps so.

2. Two things struck me.

a) I find it ironic (or sexist, perhaps?) that he was offended when EunJo said she was prepared to die if caught as a rebel (“How could you speak of dying so casually before me?”) when he himself was prepared to die in her place when the time came.

If EunJo had known of his mindset, of his sacrificial mindset, then I wonder if she would have been as incensed with him as he was with her.

b) I don’t think EunJo loves him as much as he loves her. (There! I said it and opened a can of worms.)

Here’s the thing about the body swap —

Yi Yeol is aware that while he’s temporarily residing in EunJo’s body that he MUST preserve and protect two lives at the same time. He must remain alive because two people are dependent on his continued existence: himself (obviously) and EunJo.

But EunJo has no such concept of self-preservation. She even told Yi Yeol, “Once we return to our bodies, I’ll stand with them as GilDong.” It hasn’t registered on her to think of herself as a dual entity. It hasn’t hit home that when she endangers herself, she also endangers Yi Yeol.

Because of this major difference between the two, I say that Yi Yeol loves her more. He already sees themselves as a joint unit, a couple, a marriage if you will.

Remember his joke in the previous episode after they squabbled about how to raise the orphans properly? He grumbled under his breath, “So that’s what they mean by ‘you only know a person when you live with them.'” In his mind, they’re pretending to be husband and wife with kids to raise.

3. This is also why I found the scene with the gisaengs amusing. To me, he isn’t flustered to see the women, not because he’s a man, but because he’s a “taken” man.

Look here: in Episode 1, he watched EunJo remove her shoes and socks in front of him and he wasn’t overcome by prudishness. He wasn’t at all fazed by the sight of her feet. He only asked her out of curiosity, “What are you doing?” then lectured her on proper decorum, “A young lady shouldn’t reveal her bare feet so easily.” When she ignored him and continued to wiggle her toes in front of him, he just asked again, “What are you doing?”

Moreover, after their body swap, he should be quite familiar with the female body. In fact, in Episode 5, he (in EunJo’s body) teases her about seeing body parts.

EJ: (in Yi Yeol’s body) I couldn’t bring myself to say it before.
YY: (in EJ’s body) What?
EJ: About our bodies. Let’s act like we never saw anything.
YY: Oh. You suddenly want to play coy? We’ve already seen everything.
EJ: No! I saw nothing. It’s not that I saw it. Because it’s what you saw, Your Highness. Not me.

She means that since she saw his body parts with HIS eyes, then technically, SHE didn’t see them. HE did.

YY: It sounds like you saw everything in detail.

He’s teasing her because she’s flustered. He knows that she’s seen even his private parts.

EJ: And my body, too. You aren’t the one touching it. It’s my hand that touches it. Understood?
YY: Well. It’s my own memory, after all.
EJ: Hey!
YY: I’m confident, though. You know, don’t you?

(insert rolling eyes emoji here) He’s bragging about the measurement of his body parts.

EJ: I didn’t see it! I’m telling you, my eyes didn’t see it!

Given his sangfroid on these two previous occasions, plus the fact that, as a physician, he would have seen women’s bodies in various state of undress in the clinic, I’m given to think that:

a. the screenwriter must have had a lobotomy and forgotten about the previous scenes when writing about the gisaeng scene, or

b. Yi Yeol (in EunJo’s body) is flustered to see the gisaengs because as a “taken” man — or a man in a committed relationship with EunJo — gisaengs are considered off-limits. It’s not so much the body parts but the OWNERS of those body parts that disconcert him.

4. This moment is peak warrior/hero ethos.