The Blade And Petal Episode 2 Summary

Choong stares at Moo Young deeply and asks her a question, “Will you trust me?”. The princess hesitates for a second and nods without a doubt.

She then puts an apple on her head and stays very still while few meters  away in front of her Choong prepares to shoot his arrows blindfolded. Even though Moo Young logically worries for her safety, she puts utmost trust to Choong and bravely lets him shoots his arrows.

The crowd break with cheers when Choong succeeded shooting the apple and his best buddy-manager gives Moo Young half of their earn as they promised, but while Moo Young takes the money she sees Choong leaves. She runs after him, clearly looks for any chance to have a small chat with the guy she has a crush so much. She wants to give the money back saying it’s better for the one who needs it but Choong insists that the money is hers now because that was promised to her.

Seeing that she can talk more with him, Moo  Young tells Choong she thinks his excellent martial art skills should be used for a better advantage, like being a palace guard. Choong looks like he tries his best not to smile and teases her saying, “Yeah, your guard to be exact, right babe?”, luckily he knows to use his head and shuts his mouth. He seems to ignore her offer but then he turns around and looks back at her in deep thought.

The next day a senior palace guard announces the palace is seeking for new palace guards and everybody above 15 years old and have good martial art skills can try over and the good thing is, slaves are allowed to participate in the test too. Choong hears the announcement and seems like he considers to join the test.

In the palace another hot debate takes place. King Yeong Nyu wants to send Crown Prince to Tang as a symbol of peace in order to prevent war. The king believes that sending a peace delegation is an honorable act representing peace and a willingness to compromise though what the King wants is to buy more time to prepare their best for the upcoming war, on the contrary General Yeon’s party thinking it’s just a coward move. Meanwhile in a different place, 49 applicants for the palace guards test gathering to receive a briefing about their test. Choong is one of them, and far back from the participants Moo Young sneaks around to see if Choong takes the test. She smiles when she finally sees him there.

The first test for the palace guard applicants is; they will be divided into 7 teams consist of 7 men and will be put into a prison just so they can fight the prisoners. The prisoners themselves are promised to be freed if they can take down the applicants, so basically it is a life and dead survival game. Back to the palace, the King somehow sees that a most recent Tang attack is a great reason to fasten the wall building and a perfect opportunity to send General Yeon out of the country. The King says General Yeon is the most eligible person to supervise the wall building. Refuses to back down without fighting, General Yeon argues that such a big decision should come from a grand ministers meeting instead of just the King’s solely decision.

Choong passes the test first round then with some other applicants begins the second and the final phase of the test, in form of more extreme survival test. Basically they have to shoot an arrow with the same color of ribbon tied to their arm only after they able to cross a high steep cliff, then they must swim across the sea and pulls the flag tied on a buoy there if they can dive down to get it, the flag has to be the same color with their arm ribbon too because each applicant has different color as their code. The first one success showing their flag above the sea water, is the chosen palace guard who will later assigned to personally guard the royal family member.

Choong’s wounded arm from his fight with Moo Young and Cousin Jang weakened him, not to mention that other fellow applicants try to slow him down by attacking him. Nevertheless Choong’s memory of his beloved mother gives him strength and finally Choong able to shoot his arrow and maintains his leading position in the test.

He dives into the sea but he is so tired he loses his consciousness and unable to pull his flag. However,  Moo Young who secretly watches him from distance jumps in to help him and reach the flag for Choong. Cousin Jang and the senior palace guard sees Choong’s red flag and declare he passes the test, unknowing that it’s Moo Young actually in the water.

Moo Young lays Choong on a beach to let him gain his conscious back and a young man, Shi Woo, from the King secret organization, appears. He wonders why Moo Young is so keen to help such an unknown man like Choong, he asks whether actually Moo Young has feeling for him. Moo Young sincerely answers that yes, she has a feeling for him. A feeling moves her so much, so even if she doesn’t know him very well she can’t help not to help him. Choong silently opens his eyes, he hears everything.

Choong who at first wants to take advantage from Moo Young’s crush thinks that it’s just so dishonest for him to move further as a palace guard, especially since his pass is helped by Moo Young. He believes he cheated, so he gives up the position and decides to leave Pyongyang. Moo Young hears this and immediately chases him, refuses to just simply let him go. She feels defeated after Choong explained how he tried to take advantage of her feeling but then she flares back, “You only care about yourself, your own feelings. You don’t consider feelings of the other person who show him kindness.”

In the evening King meets his prime minister to discuss about the last development. The prime minister somehow gets an impression that King wants to eliminate General Yeon and preserves his prime minister position in the palace. Never occurs to him that King and General Yeon secretly are plotting a move, an assassin is sent to kill him that night so then both King and General Yeon can get what they want. A new prime minister election for the General, and the crown prince instalation for the King, a win win solution for the two parties. Which is ironic because actually the prime minister himself sends some other assassins to kill General Yeon at the same time. Though they’re just all killed by General Yeon’s mighty guard.

The death of the prime minister makes the palace pepares for the prime minister election. Both King and General Yeon’s party frantically try to get support from General Yang Moon, a general who represents the neutral party to balance the power of the two giant forces in the palace. General Yang is a hidden force for each party to gain in order to ensure victory in the election.

General Yang refuses to meet the King because he disappoints after finding out that King is behind the action of killing the prime minister just so the King can maintains status quo with General Yeon. However, Moo Young’s determination takes her to see General Yang and finally convinces him to keep supporting the King. On the other hand, General Yang refuses meeting General Yeon, leaving him in a gloom.

The surprise thing is, when Moo Young leaves General Yang’s house the guard who is waiting for her outside is Choong. In a short flashback we get that Choong finally reconsiders Moo Young’s word and realizes how insolent he is to someone that kind to him. So he comes back to the palace and claims his position, he then is assigned as Moo Young’s personal bodyguard.

Choong begins to understand the princess more and how she is also a statesman, she cares about palace/state matter too and not just a spoiled princess. Unknowing that Choong is actually General Yeon’s son, Moo Young says how she hates the General for always against the King’s decision and maybe it is better for the country if the General is dead. Choong doesn’t know how to respond to her statement and keeps silent. When she asks about his father, Choong says though he is alive but his father isn’t a family for him.

The next day the prime minister selection begins. King busily concentrating with his giant calligraphy to less his stress and Moo Young anxiously waiting in her chamber accompanied by Choong. When  it’s the last batch time to vote after both parties have their turns, General Yang puts his vote for King’s prime minister candidate, hinting a victory for the King’s side because it means the neutral party will vote for King’s side.

Alas, something unpredictable happens. The other ministers from General Yang’s supposed to be neutral party all vote for General Yeon’s candidate. The new appointed prime minister is from General Yeon’s people.  As General Yeon about to leave the hall assuming that he wins, there is this shocking twist. The newly chosen prime minister announces that he commands General Yeon to go to the border to supervise the wall building.

General Yeon’s candidate has backstabbed him. The King wickedly blackmailed General Yeon’s man, pulling him into King’s side. Standing in shock General Yeon has to face another huge hit. Choong, his rejected illegitimate bastard son stands right in front of him, dressed in the official palace guard uniform.

The last scene we see is how surprised Moo Young when she finds out how Choong sits in the court hall with her father greatest enemy, General Yeon. Choong can only looks at her, guilty is seen on his face.

Credits to Daum  and Naver