The Blade And Petal Episode 20 (Finale) Summary
After stunned Mo Seol with his super crazy ambitious plans in becoming king, Nam Saeng goes to Jang to report that the plans are now progressing appropriately. Jang who still suspicious about Nam Saeng’s grand scheme asks him what would happen if Jang decides to report Dad everything. Nam Saeng though feels very confident and even goes further by warning Jang that if Jang betrays him, he won’t let it slip like what Dad did.
Nam Saeng then visits Moo Young in her hostage to find out whether she still in the same wavelength with him, eliminating prime minister. Happy that Moo Young keeps her vengeance at heart, Nam Saeng tells her that she just needs to prepare her sword and let him does the rest. With a grin, he reminds her to hit with one proper blow if she really wants to kill General Yeon this time, since her last attempt was an epic fail no matter how so close that was for her.
When Moo Young asks why he won’t kill Dad himself, Nam Saeng giggles, “How could I kill my father with my own hands? Who will follow a man who has killed his own father?” He reasons that things will be seen differently if Moo Young is the one who kills Daemangniji, for people will just simply thinks that she kills for her revenge.
The plan benefits for them both, because then Moo Young will become queen and Nam Saeng will become prime minister. As he’s not ambitious enough, he then drops his bomb: “And as Dae Mangniji, I will marry you.” It’s clear that he’s eyeing the king position and thanks to God that Moo Young still has her common sense, since she just plays him to get what she wants and certainly it isn’t including marrying Nam Saeng. She persuades him to let her go by saying that she needs to meet Geumhwadan before they search for her and ruin “their” plan, he believes her and releases her.
She convinces her protector gang that she’s leaving to start a new life with Choong and that Choong never talks about it to them because he’s embarrassed. They believe her, and with that lie Moo Young leaves Geumhwadan.
In the meantime, Choong and Instructor Jang find the shed where Nam Saeng hid the princess during her abduction. Choong sees the necklace his mother gave Moo Young and a list of the intelligence agents, but before they have chance to learn the things they found, Nam Saeng pops out so suddenly right in the doorway. He seems so gladly accuse Choong that he hid the princess in that shed.
It reveals later that Nam Saeng planted evidence in the shed to frame Choong. He wants to make Choong seemed as he works together with the princess to eliminate Daemangniji. His trap works only for a while, but he miscalculates one thing, Instructor Jang’s faithfulness to Choong and General Yeon.
The instructor twists the accusation, by claiming that he releases Moo Young with his own will for the gold Geumhwadan promises to him. He defends Choong with a total make up story based on the proofs Nam Saeng has planted, makes Nam Saeng rolls his eyes because he of course knows the truth.
During the interrogation Instructor Jang exchanging brief meaningful gazes with General Yeon, they both know that Nam Saeng is clearly trying to frame Choong. The General knows that his friend is lying to protect Choong, and the best he can do is to order the instructor imprisoned. Then Daemangniji leaves the room, lets Choong untouched and shortly stares at Nam Saeng accusingly. Nam Saeng infuriates that big bro won’t be getting any punishment, but his plan is already flopped. Nothing can touch his nemesis brother.
Choong visits his loyal comrade in prison, asking him why he took such an act for him, and his buddy-father-brother-teacher replies that he did it for General Yeon whom he’s served for many years. He tells Choong that his father needs his protection, and for that Choong has to be totally not imprisoned. Especially since they don’t know Nam Saeng’s plans yet.
“Your eyes are not those of a warrior,” the instructor tells Choong. “How difficult it must have been for you to kill people with such tender eyes. However, there is something you must finish. Please protect your father, General Yeon Gaesomun.”
Nam Saeng proceeds with his next move by telling Dad that he asks to be sent to another post outside the capital so he can do some retrospect of his own. He first whines how Dad always trusts Hyung-nim no matter what while he never trusts his own legitimate son the same way. Even if Choong has once betrayed him, but Dad’s trust is unshaken. Then Nam Saeng goes on that he has no more confidence to serve his father and he needs to leave somewhere to clear his mind and plan his own future.
General Yeon coldly tells him to just leave then, and Nam Saeng finally weeps, “You’re not even going to ask me to stay? Just once, can’t you say, ‘You’re also my son, I have faith in you too. Don’t even think about other things and stay by me.’ Can’t you tell me that just once?”
Dad doesn’t speak any word which is not a surprise, but then maybe it’s for the better, since the time Nam Saeng walks away from him the tears just dries and his sadness turns into grins. This pretty boy is totally crazy.
While his subordinate recruits intelligence agents to his side, Nam Saeng visits Mo Seol’s dad to make sure that he pledged allegiance to Nam Saeng along with some other generals. Mo Seol is against the idea of her dad chooses side with Nam Saeng, since it means her father will take part in a dangerous coup and if he sides with the wrong party it only ends in a disaster. Her dad pleads Mo Seol to keep it secret, and assures her how Nam Saeng has half the intelligence agents on his side while the king has the generals, so they will win this.
Mo Seol finds Moo Young in her hiding place and asks her if she really wants to kill the father of the man she loves. When she hears that for Moo Young General Yeon is is just a man who murdered her father, Mo Seol thinks that it’s just a good thing for her. If Moo Young kills Choong’s father and becomes his enemy, Mo Seol will benefit from this. Moo Young then tells her to not tell Choong about the plan if she really wants him, except that Mo Seol instead draws her sword and declares that she’s come to kill Moo Young.
Without a weapon in her arms to defend herself, Moo Young is unable to fight Mo Seol and she gets knocked to the ground. Preparing for the last one blow Mo Seol raises her sword for the killing blow, she asks if Moo Young will only stop once she ends up getting Choong killed.
Moo Young stunned when she sees how Mo Seol is stabbed from behind, right in front of her eyes. It’s Nam-saeng who kills her, because he couldn’t let her live to tell everyone their plan. With her last breath, Mo Seol puts her pleas to Moo Young: “Stop. You have to stop. You cannot kill Yeon Gaesomun. Don’t make Choong suffer any longer.”
Mo Seol collapses to the ground as Nam Saeng tells Moo Young that they’ll have to move, since Choong is searching the city to look for her. Nam Saeng once again confirms her that killing anyone whether it’s brothers, friends, or parents, really don’t matters to him.
Choong finds Mo Seol dying with blood all over her body, and Tae Pyung reports that it’s done by Nam Saeng. Mo Seol desperately blames him and Moo Young as she struggles to breathe—if Moo Young had truly died three years ago, for sure she and Choong would have been happily married, she knows she won’t survive and now she pours her heart out.
She tells Choong that Nam Saeng plans to kill the General on the day of the military parade, and Choong’s first question to her is to ask where the princess is. Mo Seol calls him cruel because all he worries is just the princess while she is the one who’s dying. Choong apologizes and says sorry but he doesn’t change his question, or his heart. The princess is the one who has it, and he isn’t going to lie about it. Then Mo Seol dies.
Moo Young appears in front of Choong after making sure he is alone and leads him to a quiet place. Choong tells her he was worried about her, and she replies that he has no reason to be—she’s given up on her revenge. Choong doesn’t even hesitate: “Then… can you leave with me?”
“Why should I?” she says. “I no longer have feelings for you.” Choong knows she’s lying, even when she argues Nam Saeng didn’t threaten her and that she made this decision on her own.
“Then it’s my decision to protect you,” Choong states wryly. He explains her about their situation—Even if he will always protect her, it doesn’t mean she can kill his father as she wants. Choong will stop her any way he can. He warns her not to let Nam Saeng uses her to kill General Yeon, because that will benefit her nothing but a great lose.
Until Nam Saeng’s voice is heard from behind: “You’re wrong, Hyung-nim.” He appears with his armed minions, makes Choong outnumbered. Moo Young unsuspectedly helps Nam Saeng lures Choong into the trap. Nam Saeng mercilessly taunts him how Choong doesn’t need to protect the princess anymore, since as the husband Nam Saeng won’t kill his princess-wifey.
Nam Saeng sneers at Choong and explains that he is going to marry Choong’s precious princess and make her his queen. Choong is predictably so furious with that insane wedding plan but he soon dragged off by the agents while Moo Young brushes Nam Saeng’s arm off. “You must keep your promise. You cannot kill him.” Moo Young won’t endangered Choong’s live either, she will carry on her plans but his live won’t be included in the game.
Geumhwadan at first confuse when they hear Moo Young wedding plan. They are wondering if she left them so she could become queen. However So Sa Bun thinks that Moo Young is the one using Nam Saeng to attack General Yeon, not the opposite. Yet they are sure she won’t marry Nam Saeng afterward, which Leader So immediately guesses that she plans on committing suicide after she kills the General.
Jang receives a mysterious message while Moo Young cleans her sword, and remembering how her father and brother were killed. The sword cuts her hand accidentally and it makes her thinks about her father’s words about how sword protects flower.
The message Jang accepted brings him the market to meet Moo Young, who mysteriously looked distant and sad. She actually comes to see her cousin to say her farewell, and seriously warns him that Nam Saeng in any way has to be stopped to inherit his father’s seat as the Daemangniji after his father’s death. Goguryeo will be in Jang’s hands then. She has given up the chance to be the queen of the country. Moo Young encourages him: “You’re the king of Goguryeo. You have to make the right decision.” Both cousins are teary eyed, they know things won’t end with rainbow at the end of the road.
Jang visits General Yeon and blatantly asks him to cancel the military parade, since Nam Saeng is plotting a rebellion against him. The General assures the king that nothing will happen, and when Jang says what if he works with Nam Saeng to bring him down, the General says he believes that the king will think the best for Goguryeo.
After bid her farewell to her cousin now it’s turn for Moo Young to say her goodbye to Choong. She visits him in the shed he’s being captured, “I came to say goodbye. This isn’t about my revenge… I’m going to end this fight once and for all.”
Choong still tries to convince her not to let herself to be used as Nam Saeng’s tools for power. But then she tells him not to worry because, “If there isn’t anyone left to be killed, then no one will be killed.”
Her words immediately shock Choong since they reveal Moo Young’s actual plan. She is really going to kill his father and then plans to commit suicide right after that. He begs her desperately to rethink her decision, and this time ever for Choong who is never selfish and thinks about himself now tries to make her thinks about him.
“Can’t you leave with me now?” he asks. “Why don’t you ever think about me? Why don’t you think about leaving me behind? Do you know what my life has been like without you? Why would you give me that pain again?”
He knows things are always so hard for them to bear when they thought one of them died leaving the other alone, so he wants to recall it to move Moo Young’s heart.
Moo Young cries as she also remembers how happy the time they ever spent together at the temple when Choong’s mama was still around. How she did the mundane house chores and shared meal with the man she loved, and had a taste how it felt living together with her future mother in-law, a quiet and simple yet happy life.
“All I ever wanted … was for us to stay together,” Choong says through his tears brings her back to present. Moo Young turns around to Choong with tears on her cheeks, and she forces herself to leave. Panic now, Choong struggles to free himself and kills all the guards outside who want to stop him following her.
King and Daemangniji are in their position in the court hall as the military parade is finished and Nam Saeng with his recruited loyal agents enter the hall as well. They are checked for possibility of carrying weapons into the palace, but Nam Saeng and his men have anticipated this by carrying wooden swords which made them all are allowed inside. Their real swords are actually carried by the agents who stand at the back row at the line-up.
Geumhwadan are there too, and they look so anxious since they don’t know what the princess actually is planning. Jang suspicious something is up when he doesn’t see Choong the Joye Director among the agents, and he whispers that to the General who now realizes it too. They have no idea that Choong is somewhere outside fighting his way through gangs of other agents loyal to Nam Saeng.
In the court hall General Yeon announces that Nam Saeng is going to be sent away and read Nam Saeng’s accomplishments during his time serving the country as the high officer in Joye Intelligence Agency. There are intercuts showing how Choong receives injuries after injuries as he fights alone through massive number of agents as Nam Saeng climbs the steps toward his father.
Nam Saeng totally copies the way his father dethroning the previous king, he flips the table in front of his father and grabs the sword he hides below that poor furniture. Nam Saeng sarcastically orders his father to step down from his spot as Choong slowly approaches the palace gates with him covered in blood. He drops his sword because weapon isn’t allowed to enter the court hall, and looks like he’s about to faint anytime from exhaust.
“Are you really going to kill me?” General Yeon indifferently asks Nam Saeng, who just smirks and keeps his eyes to the closed door. The doors suddenly swing open to reveal Moo Young, now dressed in her princess attire. As she moves toward General Yeon, Choong walks toward the court hall. The members of Geumhwadan surprise to see Moo Young when she draws her sword and just passes them.
By the time the princess reaches General Yeon within her sword distance, Choong appears at the door. Seeing him with all the wounds and the blood fighting his way to the palace AND to her, seems makes Moo Young to hesitate.
General Yeon uses that time to explain Moo Young why he did what he did to her father at that time. To fight Tang they need to be aggressive while her father was more passive and that was a sign for weakness in the General’s eyes.
Nam Saeng nags Moo Young to get it over which urges his men to lift their swords, but an order Choong barks just instantly makes them low their swords again. General Yeon tells Moo Young that he thinks Moo Young just fights for her personal revenge instead for Goguryeo. He adds that she can kill him if she really believes she is right and if she thinks she can protect Goguryeo from Tang.
Moo Young turns around, and Choong slowly shakes his head when their eyes meet. She then announces that she isn’t coming to kill General Yeon, or that she seeks for redemption. She asks the people who gather to shed no more blood for the sake of Goguryeo so that they can protect their country. “These are my last words as princess of Goguryeo.”
She quickly raises her sword to kill herself, but Choong rushes forward and grab the blade with his bare hands on time. Choong tells her, “You cannot die before I do.”
Nam Saeng laughs, he knew Moo Young won’t finish her plan. He then says now it’s Jang’s turn, and basically invites anyone willing to kill his father. He victoriously screams his winning as he unfolds the scroll of secret letter the king promised to him. A letter appoints him as the daemangniji. He reads it aloud, absolutely basks in his glorious thought but only to read: “The Dae Mangniji of Goguryeo is now… Yeon Gaesomun?”
At the end Jang betrayed Nam Saeng, and stays to his belief that only Yeon Gae Somun is able to protect Goguryeo. Jang sneers at Nam Saeng now, sarcastically tell Daemangniji how messed-up the military parade this year. Daemangniji apologizes to the king and basically hushes Nam Saeng to immediately leave the palace, and goes to his remote post out of town.
Nam Saeng trembles with rage and frustration, full with hatred he blames everyone and says he won’t let anybody alive. With Moo Young stands the closest to him, Nam Saeng wields his sword to stab her. Choong sees the move and quickly spins her around, which makes Choong is the one stands right in front of Nam Saeng’s sword. The sword pierces into Choong’s body and Nam Saeng happily twists the blade, now he has all the chance to kill his perfect Hyung-nim.
Choong drops to the ground, “I kept my word,” he says with a faint smile, till his last breath all he wants is to protect her. “Princess… You must live. I beg this of you.”
Numb with shock and surprise, yet Moo Young knows exactly what to do next, “Don’t you say you wish for us to live and die together?” she says instead. She draws her own sword and leaves Choong to collapse on the floor alone while she approaches Nam Saeng, her sword is in ‘ready to attack’ position.
Moo Young and Nam Saeng face each other off but while Nam Saeng attacks with all his might, Moo Young just lets her sword off her hand. She purposely uses Nam Saeng to kill her, as his sword freely stabs through her body. With Choong’s unavoidable death, she has no will to live anymore. She can die alone, but she can’t live alone.
Moo Young drags herself to lie next to Choong, and the two share their last gazes at each other as they are dying.
Moo Young: “The moment I met you, I thought that I would spend the rest of my life with you.”
Choong: “…Thank you.”
Moo Young: “I thought that you would always be by my side.”
Choong: “Thank you.”
Moo Young: “On the day my father died, I hated you so much I wanted to kill you.”
Choong: “I’m sorry.”
Moo Young: “Finally our wish to stay together for the rest of our lives came true.”
The two lovers smile to each other as their last breaths leave them. They both die side by side, together at last.
Cr: Naver
September 18, 2013 - 7:33 am
Thanks for the finale summary !