Park Hyung-sik and Jeon So-ni began an investigation to find out the full story of the Byeokcheon incident.
In the 10th episode of tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'A Tale of Youth' that aired on the 7th, Lee Hwan (played by Park Hyeong-sik) and Min Jae-i (played by Jeon So-ni) used records written in the Seungjeongwon Diary and Byeokcheon to find out the true identity of the Byeokcheon band of thieves who were pointed out as the mastermind behind the mystery. The investigation was accelerated by collecting testimony from palace officials.
Lee Hwan, who safely returned to the palace after regaining the friendship that fear had torn apart, talked about the future with Min Jae-i. In particular, Min Jae-yi made Lee Hwan's heart pound by saying that he would not get married and would stay by his side as an eunuch even after being cleared of the murder charge. The trust they built while working together to save people and prevent the extinction of a family made their relationship even stronger.
As soon as the sun rises, Lee Hwan goes to the king (played by Lee Jong-hyuk) and tells him in detail the plan of Jo Won-bo (played by Jeong Woong-in), the head of the maternal faction, who was trying to eliminate Left Councilor Han Jung-eon (played by Jo Seong-ha) by abusing the evidence he obtained, and begs for punishment. did. However, Jo Won-bo responded by saying that Lee Hwan had interfered with official duties due to his personal feelings, and shamelessly claimed that it was out of loyalty to protect the king, arousing anger.
Lee Hwan, who felt helpless due to Jo Won-bo's proud attitude even after making a mistake, decided to find out the truth about the Byeokcheon Incident, which was subjugated by Jo Won-bo and other members of the Seongju Jomun 10 years ago, to lift the curse on the royal family and increase his power. He then asked an official of Seungjeongwon, who, like himself, had a grudge against Jomun Seongju, obtained the Seungjeongwon Diary, which recorded the Byeokcheon Incident, and dug into the secret story of that day.
According to the Seungjeongwon Diary, Jo Won-oh (played by Jo Jae-ryong), the governor of Byeokcheon County at the time, attacked Jo Won-oh (played by Jo Jae-ryong), occupied the government office, increased his power, and then subdued the blacksmith Song Ga and a band of bandits who rebelled, under the order of Jo Won-bo, the military magistrate. As a result, it was bittersweet to hear that Jo Won-bo was listed in the public record and even received a meritorious award, but Byeokcheon, which was devastated by the uprising, was severely punished.
Among them, it was surprising as it was revealed that even the official of Sogyeokseo who defaced the congratulatory letter of General Kang and the state secretary of Seongsu Office (Lee Chae-kyung) were all from Byeokcheon. As a result, it became clear that all incidents, including the Book of Ghosts, the murders that occurred in Gaeseong and the capital, and the fire in the plum tree, were related to Byeokcheon.
Accordingly, Lee Hwan ordered Min Jae-i to gather all the local courtiers to Donggungjeon to learn more about Byeokcheon. Lee Hwan was left wondering whether he would be able to get the answer he wanted about Byeokcheon from the courtiers and what the truth about the Byeokcheon incident that was not contained in the Seungjeongwon Diary would be.
Meanwhile, Jo Won-bo's niece, Lady Jo (played by Hong Soo-hyun), left strange remarks about Byeokcheon's ode, raising doubts. Prince Myeongan (played by Im Han-bin), who has been suffering from nightmares ever since witnessing the scene of the Korean Gate, is comforted by saying, “He is not the leader of a group of thieves. This mother knows,” and guesses that there is some connection between the second wife, Cho, and the Song family. I made it happen.
Previously, behind the friendly smile towards his uncle Jo Won-bo, who showed his ambition by holding Grand Prince Myeong-an hostage, he revealed his cruel intentions by saying, "I would have already heard the sound of my uncle's death back then," and various speculations are continuing about his second wife, Jo.
Lee Hwan and Min Jae-i are slowly approaching the truth by searching for the full story of the Byeokcheon Incident, which is the starting point of the mystery. In addition, the relationship between the palace characters surrounding the Byeokcheon Incident is gradually being revealed, making us even more curious about the true nature of the huge mystery that is as tangled as a spider's web.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr