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LEE JOON GI
THE GREATEST
SOUTH KOREAN ACTOR
EMPEROR GWANGJONG’S MONOLOGUE
(ON THE DEATHBED OF
EMPRESS DOWAGER YOO)
EPISODE 18
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EMPEROR GWANGJONG
PUNITIVE ACTION
AGAINST
WANG JUNG: THE FOURTEENTH PRINCE
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Emperor Gwangjong was delighted that all the palace officials, keen supporters and the whole paltry lot of powerful clansmen had assembled in the palace to show their allegiance to him. He had also commanded the allegiance of the powerful Hwangbo clan after marrying Princess Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa but he was still uncertain of their eventual loyalty.
In their midst were the two Wang Wooks, the Eighth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince.
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Gwangjong declared that for his coronation, it demanded of him to proclaim an era name that should be grand enough for his reign.
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Choi Ji Mong proclaimed that the emperor had decided on the era name of ‘Gwangdeok’, meaning ‘Brilliant Power’.
Gwangjong couldn’t help himself but laughed gleefully that he himself could come up with such a grand but ‘appropriate’ name to describe his reign.
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The emperor seemed tickled when he complimented himself for coming up with such a brilliant name, ‘It’s a good name, isn’t it?’
The top man in Goryeo finally showed a sense of humour but nobody dared to laugh. It had been a long time since the emperor had found anything remotely amusing. Suddenly, the Goryeo court brightened a little. His wicked sense of humour would have evoked gales of laughter in the twenty-first century but in those tense and solemn times of the tenth century, heads would roll if one were to utter one wrong word or have laughed inappropriately.
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Wang Wook agreed with his choice of era name but Gwangjong was wary of people like him. If truth be told, he was like a snake who might suddenly rear his head and bite him.
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The Eighth Prince let it be known to Emperor Gwangjong and all in the audience that the projects which the emperor ordered to be carried out had been faithfully complied with.
Emperor Gwangjong had started off his reign with his best foot forward. He had commanded his officials to seek ways to distribute rice to those who had been forced into labour, namely, the slaves and those in servitude.
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Then the crunch. Wang Wook spoke his mind and demanded that the management of the finances be left in the hands of the palace officials. Emperor Gwangjong did not bat an eye lid but he fought to still the rage that rose within him.
The Eight Prince was cunning and was trying to wrest power from him, the emperor. The control of the kingdom’s finances meant the control of the Crown. Wang Wook might be scholarly but he was politically still a novice. He failed to understand that he was walking on thin ice. One false step and he would plunge into icy cold waters.
The man at the top had a mind to finish him off. But, he was intelligent enough to let Wang Wook win in this match of political skills.
Wang Wook did not understand what he was letting himself in for. He was not as politically savvy nor as smart as the wolfdog emperor who had a long history of having undergone difficult experiences and having risen to thorny challenges. Though the emperor let the matter slide for the moment, this form of manipulation would be etched in his mind. The Eighth Prince would inevitably fall prey to a beast who was many times fiercer and smarter than him.
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Giving Wang Wook a measured look, he met his half-brother’s gaze coldly; his smile brittle. If eyes could express what was in Gwangjong’s mind, Wang Wook would have already been impaled there and then.
The emperor must have sucked in a deep breath but he kept his cool. In this chess game of politics, he had to restrain himself, retreat and plot his next strategy.
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Then, a feral light gleamed in the emperor’s eyes but the smile of a Cheshire cat was plastered on his face. Nobody knew what he was thinking. There was a dangerous ring in his voice when he finally responded to Wang Wook’s demand, ‘Let’s do that.’
Wang Wook should never have challenged Gwangjong. He had no inkling of the dangers that lay ahead.
The emperor might step backwards to allow him a little control but, before the Eighth Prince knew it, the emperor would have sprung back and gone for the kill. That would put an end to his ambitions and lead him to his conclusion.
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Gwangjong was not surprised at Wang Wook’s machinations. He stared at the palace officials and answered imperturbably with a voice dripping with caustic sarcasm.
He let his contemptuous gaze sweep over the assembled officials, saying, ‘With ministers as trustworthy as you all, I can go and enjoy my hunting.'
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The emperor's whole attitude suggested arrogance, derision and scorn. He was mocking all of the politically crafty officials and manipulative clan leaders.
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Blinking away his wrath, he chose the moment to talk about catching up on his reading, announcing, to all and sundry, that the astronomer, Choi Ji Mong, had counselled him on reading ‘Essentials of Government in the Zhenguan reign’ (Zhenguan Zhenyao), a book of virtues or a compendium of statecraft on the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang emperor’s reign was considered 'The Golden Age of Chinese History'.
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Then, with his cold, black eyes and a sardonic smile on his hard lips, he decreed that the Fourteenth Prince, Wang Jung, his younger blood brother should be punished on the pain of treason and would be exiled to his hometown, Chungju. Chungju was actually their mother, Queen Sinmyeongsunseong’s hometown, the place of the Yoo clan who wielded considerable political influence.
Prince Wang Jung had probably thought, by rights, the throne should have passed to him instead of his second brother. It was a grievance deeply felt by Gwangjong.
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Although Baek-Ah, the Thirteenth Prince was Emperor Gwangjong’s trusted aide, he could not hold his tongue. Despite his unease, he requested for a valid reason for exiling their younger brother.
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Gwangjong replied in a tone that brooked no argument. The reason given was Wang Jung had created suspicion about his enthronement by questioning the late king, King Jeongjong’s mandate. This injustice could not be tolerated.
King Jeongjong, the Third Prince Wang Yo, was the blood brother of Wang So and Wang Jung.
Wang Jung had been persuaded by their mother to question Wang So’s ascension to the throne as she had wanted her youngest son to succeed his oldest brother.
Gwangjong’s smile did not alter but the intensity of his expression was unmistakable when he declared that since they were blood brothers, he was not executing Wang Jung. But he could not resist adding that he was just sending him back to Chungju, his hometown. When Gwangjong had set his mind, he would not change it.
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With devilish lights dancing in his eyes, he declared that if Wang Jung ever stepped into Songak after that day, he would be executed. His voice rang out loud and clear throughout the assembly hall and his gaze raked those who were assembled, some perhaps were already choking on the threat in his tone.
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It was a clear warning with the promise of revenge to those who intended to question his legitimacy to the throne or who wanted to oppose him.
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Gwangjong certainly had the demeanour and bearing of royalty, that of an emperor who meant business. He had been groomed for the throne, having been tempered by experience, and rendered strong and aggressive by adversity.
When the decree of Emperor Gwangjong was reported to the Empress Dowager, she was shocked and distraught. There was a tense moment before she fell unconscious to the ground.
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It was clear that the days of Empress Dowager Yoo were numbered.
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The Dowager Empress was physically weak and had lost her power of speech, and with great difficulty, she asked Queen Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa to bring Prince Wang Jung, the Fourteenth Prince, back to her.
Emperor Gwangjong strode in tensely at that moment.
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He imperiously instructed all present, including his consort, that he himself and no one else, would take care of his mother. And no one would be allowed to enter the room without his permission.
The dismissal was clear and curt.
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With the Queen Mother being rendered helpless, he was able to lord it over her.
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His mother’s eyes were full of resentment as he wiped her brow with a piece of damp cloth.
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Knowing that she would meet her end soon, he still persisted in encouraging her to recover. But the Queen Mother was unconvinced of his sincerity.
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Sentiment had played no part in her world if it concerned her second son, the Fourth Prince. Now, the Empress Dowager, being immobilised, was at his mercy. Calmly and sweetly, he spit out the word, ‘Mother’. His lips curved into a smile, the laughter in his eyes burned into hers.
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Meanwhile, Prince Wang Jung had just returned from exile, that is, from his mother’s hometown, Chungju, to see his dying mother for the last time.
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He stopped short of a group of palace militia who forbade him to enter. He stood there squarely with his sword in hand.
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It was unfortunate that he was compelled to stand there until after his mother, Empress Dowager Yoo, had passed away.
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Dying matters. Hae Soo tried to persuade the emperor to allow Wang Jung to see his mother.
Gwangjong looked down to contain his anger.
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She continued, ‘If something happens to the Queen Mother, it’ll haunt you forever.’
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Looking up, he scowled at her. The contemptuous answer in his eyes was fixed on her. If anyone, especially Hae Soo, had to take sides, they could only take his side.
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He knew that she was the one who had notified Wang Jung of his mother’s impending death. Her eyes met his questioning gaze and she confessed to it.
She had taken matters into her own hands and undermined his power. She would suffer for it.
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Gwangjong had forbidden everyone from contacting Wang Jung and he had expected her to obey him unquestioningly.
But she had failed him and he would not forgive her. She did not understand him. She thought it was only humane to allow the Fourteenth Prince to see his mother before she passed on.
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He glared at her, irritated by her lack of respect for his orders and his authority.
His cold, steely eyes burned like those of a wolfdog’s, his lips hard and cruel.
He asked ‘Do you want him to die too? But you should be relieved that I’ve not executed him.’
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Wang Jung had transgressed the laws. He had been exiled and was not allowed to step foot in Songak again. Gwangjong's tone set her nerves on edge.
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With that, he hastily rose from the floor where he had been seated and turned to leave.
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He paused, ‘If you allow Jung into the palace, I will not let it go even if it were you.' Without another word, he stalked out of the room.
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Wang Jung stayed outside the palace without food and water. Baek-Ah brought some water for him. But he did not drink it but poured it over his head to cool himself.
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EMPEROR GWANGJONG’S MONOLOGUE (ON THE DEATHBED OF
EMPRESS DOWAGER YOO)
CLOSURE FOR
EMPEROR GWANGJONG
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The Empress Dowager Yoo was dying. Gwangjong sat vigil at her deathbed. He spoke to her but she had lost the power of speech.
Gwangjong’s monologue was delivered with a venom that sent chills down one’s back. A litany of vengeful words was heaped on his mother. His intention was clear – to make his mother regret the mental, emotional and physical torture he had gone through because of her. His royal father, King Taejo had redeemed himself but she had not.
The queen had been mentally and emotionally disturbed all her married life. She had not been able to think properly, having been sucked into the maelstrom of scheming and manipulation to fight off her rivals from the king’s harem of concubines.
When Wang So returned to Songak from Shinju, the queen had refused to accept him back into her life and instead continued to make his life a misery. He craved her love.
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His mother remained recalcitrant till the end. He wanted time alone with her which she had denied him all this while.
Now was the only time that he could have some private moments with her - when she lay helpless on her deathbed.
He tended to his royal mother alone. They were alone and there was none to witness his interaction with his mother who had been rendered speechless from her shock. The fact that Wang Jung, the apple of her eye, had been banished to her hometown was sheer humiliation to him, a terrible fate second only to death.
Gwangjong spooned his mother some water but she defiantly refused to open her mouth. It had been five days already and Gwangjong was getting impatient.
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In a voice quivering with anger, he asked her whether she was planning on dying in that way. There was not even an iota of affection in his tone.
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His mother ignored him and asked for her youngest son, Wang Jung, and Gwangjong was exasperated.
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‘Look, which son is by your side now?’ he tormented her.
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He did not mince his words. ‘The perfect Wang Yo is now in the afterlife.’
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‘And Wang Jung who is the apple of your eye can’t be with you now. All you have is me. I’ve become the king and I’m protecting you.’
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Time seemed to have stood still. Both remembered the night when he returned bloodied all over from the temple where he had taken the lives of all the mute monks to save her from being associated with the plot to kill the Crown Prince, Wang Mu.
He craved for her maternal love. He did it all for her but she had rejected him. But, what was most shocking was that she was not, in the least, thankful to him.
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In his fury, he had unleashed a venomous oath at her that she would remember that very day as he would haunt her from that day onwards. And his face, not his brothers', would be the only one that she would see. That oath was still vividly alive. Did that incident prick her conscience on her deathbed?
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Egged on by her resentful look, he smiled maliciously at her. It afforded him great pleasure to look at her lying helplessly, staring at his face.
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With brutal clarity, he declared that his wish was to build a temple in her honour.
Shockingly, his voice was not a vibrant whisper but one that was loud and clear, even though his mother was the only one within hearing range. His voice was harsh with venom which was thunderously spat out.
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‘It would be largest and grandest temple in all of Goryeo that perfectly honours you.
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Ranting and raving, Gwangjong hissed that he would weave an elaborate web of lies about how they loved each other, implying that it would change how history viewed mother and son.
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Having descended into paranoia, he added, 'Also, I’ll create stories about our relationship and spread them everywhere. I’ll tell them how much you cared for me. And how much I loved you, Mother. We’ll be a mother and a son pair who had loved each other dearly. Everyone will know about it.’
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Gwangjong's voice rang with exultation as his deranged eyes bored into hers. The cruelty in his eyes and the harshness of his words must have knifed her heart.
One cannot overestimate the significance of the impact of Queen Yoo and Wang Yo’s mental, emotional and psychological cruelty towards Wang So. It had been a horrendous stroke of intimidation and devastating blow to Wang So.
The consequence was it had given rise to a twisted, warped mind and an unforgiving nature in Wang So which have now crawled out of the woodwork. Gwangjong did not mince his words to make her understand that he would never forgive her because she had rejected him and had never loved him. To him, her maternal love which he had been deprived off, was of utmost importance to him. He would not let her forget that even on her deathbed. That meant, she would leave this world with no peace of mind.
The Empress Dowager had wanted her youngest son, Wang Jung, to be with her. Probably, his warm presence and love for her would give her peace and ease her transition to the next world. She was now being deprived of that.
What could she do? She could only listen helplessly, having lost her power of speech.
Gwangjong’s true character, having long been buried, had now surfaced.
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His mother could only stare at his vengeful countenance and his burning black eyes. With a heart which was full of hurt and anger, he gazed unflinchingly at her, tears welling up in his eyes. The tears threatened to roll down his cheeks.
The humanity that was in him seemed to have vanished and a devilish look was left in its wake.
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She gazed wide-eyed at him, her face devoid of deadly human emotions, anger or bitterness. Perhaps, enlightenment had settled in her being.
What were her thoughts? Perhaps, she was a failure as a parent as she had succeeded in growing a vengeful beast.
He raged on and on. ‘I’ll become your one and only precious son.’
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All her anger and resentment towards her second son has left her. There was no trace of ill-feelings but she must have flinched from seeing him so hurt. She had raised her head and opened her mouth but her words caught in her throat.
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Gwangjong was not aware that she was trying to tell him something because he was stark raving mad, wallowing in and being swallowed up by his bitterness.
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‘This, the web of lies,’ he pronounced with deadly venom, ‘is my revenge for being thrown out by you!’
There were no illusions about the poison in his words. His toxic rage was a chilling and fearsome thing to watch. Tentacles of horror creep down one’s spine.
His mother was gasping for her last breath but it seems nothing could unseat the vengefulness in his heart. It was as if he was beheading her with his cruel words. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
She had been cruel to him and now in her final moments, he gave her as good as she had given him. Revenge for the terrible things she did to him. This was his ultimate revenge – a revenge that she had no power to stop, and those words sliced through the air like the swing of Gwangjong’s sword.
The emperor's vengeful nature would not let his mother have peace. He had harboured and nurtured his hatred and resentment for so long that it seemed that the time when she was in her dying throes was the only time that he could give vent to his feelings. This was the materialisation of the horrendous beast in him. For a moment, Gwangjong had lost his head, his humanity. Being human means to be able to mete out forgiveness, at least a little, but he had none for his dying mother.
He stormed at her for discarding him like rubbish. It was as if he was giving her savage blows with each word. His lacerated feelings were now exposed. Those parts of his sensibilities that had lain embedded deep in him were now surfacing.
His voice, bestial-like, was trembling with naked fury. His voice bobbed up and down as he shook with the memory of his mother’s coldness, mental and emotional cruelty. His eyes held his mother’s gaze with a maniacal intensity. She gazed at him in helpless fascination.
Perhaps, at that very moment, she was able to understand his feelings, feelings that her cold-heartedness had refused to allow her to see. She saw the light and writhed in agony at his hurt but she could not voice her feelings.
She arched her head towards him. Perhaps, she had wanted to ask for forgiveness but he was giving her no chance, being tightly enveloped in bitterness and revenge.
His bitter tears flowed down his cheeks.
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All her queenly life, she was too self-centred and absorbed in maintaining power, prestige and was also too busy stepping all over the concubines of King Taejo. She was trapped in her mind-set of favouring only her eldest and youngest sons and was irrationally determined to keep her middle son out of her sight and out of her life.
She wielded enormous power while alive and could do as she wished but what she did not know was, in her death throes, she would be helpless and powerless. That was what she had feared – to be alone with the son she had ignored, Gwangjong.
Since he was in power, Gwangjong took the opportunity to do what he wanted and to say what he wanted to her. It was a chilling scene that makes one cringe.
The person who had been wronged all his life had not thought of refraining from making the most of his power. It is here that we watch in horror as his hate and bitterness poured out.
He was oblivious of his mother who had, with great difficulty and effort, been opening her mouth to talk to him. Not that it mattered anyway. He owned the show and he flaunted his power over her.
The Empress Dowager’s breath came in panting gasps as she lay there unable to speak.
Perhaps, in her final hours, it had finally dawned on her that the hurt she had inflicted on him had swallowed him whole. That insight, when she finally saw light, was given too late.
As if in response to his words, she reached her hand out to touch his scar that was the cause of the severing of the mother-son relationship.
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Perhaps, she had wanted to beg him to forgive her but could not give voice to her feelings. It was just too late.
She cried out, incoherent cries, to him but all he heard were guttural noises that were undiscernible.
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Her fingers seemed to grind into Emperor Gwangjong’s flesh.
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Then, her face turned gradually to the colour of ashes.
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When he realised that the life had gone out of her and her spirit had left her body, he was speechless. But, he still held on to her hand. She must have been broken in mind and spirit, suffering at the hands of her second son in her last moments.
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Great wrongs had been done to him. He had been deprived of a loving childhood just because of a scar. His teenage years were no different. When he was back at the palace, the queen did not try to redeem herself or make any amends. His pent-up fury had been unleashed. He was, indeed, the savage wolfdog after all.
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His face was contorted in silent pain. He was smote like a thunderbolt by her sudden passing away.
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With a laugh, he swayed where he sat. He sobbed. His heart was broken; he clenched her hand and cried in agony and desperation.
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Clinging tightly to her hand, he mourned over her. He whimpered like a little kitten. His eyes were glassy with pain and agony. He was lost in a daze. It was as if his heart had been ripped apart.
Pain raked through him and saliva dribbled from his mouth. His brain reeled and he cried in despair.
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Revenge seemed meaningless as the true meaning of her death sank into him. In his head was the battle between love and hatred. His act had been incited by hatred.
He realised, to his great chagrin, that the past is ash and dust. He seemed to be blinded by his mission to avenge himself of all his hurts and emotional injuries because of his love-hate relationship with his mother. He loved his mother, yet, hated her. Love and hate are not mutually exclusive. It was a poignant moment.
Had his heart really been unburdened? Had his pain been eased by the pouring forth of the brutal words, even if they were the truth?
It was the anti-climax. He brooded in silence as he studied his dead mother. Every moment he had spent looking backwards had kept him from moving forwards. He had not forgiven his mother on her deathbed. He had not risen above his circumstances.
But, perhaps, everything now was over. His words were gone like the wind. His pain and mental torture seemed a memory from another age. It was the final closure for him.
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It is questionable that Gwangjong’s emotional wounds were healed. All came to pass. Fate had afforded him the opportunity to revenge on his mother. It would have taken a better man to rise above his circumstances and not let his baser instincts control him. Gwangjong soon realised that he did not have real happiness at revenge. It was just an illusion. His mother slumbered on. But he was left to face his own demons. It was not a victory for him after all. It is a chilling lesson that in such situations, forgiveness is in order.
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LEE JOON GI’S ACTING PROWESS
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How would one describe Lee Joon Gi’s performance in this scene?
One is speechless. Awesome. One’s heart aches while watching Gwangjong in so much pain. When the emperor cries, one cries with him.
Emperor Gwangjong, in the public imagination, is a ruthless ruler. In Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, it seems that Gwangjong’s descent into paranoia is related to his cold and self-absorbed mother, Empress Dowager Yoo who discriminates against him from the beginning till the end. Gwangjong’s obsession with his mother and his desire for his mother’s love drive his character. Her mental and psychological cruelty, her continual rejection of him, and his horrendous formative years make him hate her and want to take revenge on her. Lee Joon Gi effectively conveys the message of Gwangjong's destructive obsession with his mother. He impressively plays out the haunting and tragic story of turbulent passion, hurt and revenge. He highlights Gwangjong’s thinking that is skewed because of his lack of maternal love and a tormented paranoiac mind. The emperor's sense of vengeance and hatred has festered into something uncontrollable: dark and sinister. And Lee shows Gwangjong’s darkness and difficulty of expressing forgiveness to perfection. The despicable and chilling way Lee delivers his retaliatory words to the dying queen mother seems so real that one feels the sweep of icy coldness rushing through one’s veins. In the end, one realises that Gwangjong is not an inhuman monster but someone who hates as deeply as he loves. No words can truly describe Lee Joon Gi’s acting skills! His charismatic screen presence and performance has previously elevated him to drama royalty but now he is raised to the status of 'The God of South Korean Dramas', not just 'The King or God of Fusion Historical Dramas'. One is not just referring to his international popularity, but also his actual acting prowess.
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One has to watch Lee Joon Gi go through the whole emotional scale in his memorable scenes in Moon Lovers – Scarlet Heart: Ryeo in order to understand and appreciate Lee Joon Gi's superior acting skills. Lee Joon Gi is South Korea's greatest actor.
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