Under the Queen’s Umbrella

Comedy, Historical

Queen Hwaryeon has 5 sons. They are Crown Prince, Grand Prince Seongnam, Grand Prince Muan, Grand Prince Gyeseong and Grand Prince Ilyoung. She is very proud of her Crown Prince as he is the most outstanding among them. Other sons are unable to surpass him.

One day, Crown Prince collapsed. He was diagnosed and his disease may lead him to dead. Queen Hwaryeon was surprised to know about her son condition. As the Physician Kwon told her about Physician Cho who has treated the same disease before, she was looking into. She asked King Lee Ho for permission to get the physician. However, he told her that his mother has assigned the physician to treat his uncle. As the Crown Prince’s condition was still under control, she looked for another way to treat her son. She asked her servant to keep this as a secret.

Grand Prince Seongnam, Grand Prince Muan, Grand Prince Gyeseong and Grand Prince Ilyoung do not like to study. They always skip their classes. Queen Hwaryeon has trouble to discipline her sons. King Lee Ho's mother, Queen Dowager punished her sons for bullying her favorite Prince Uiseong in front of her. Grand Prince Ilyoung wanted to tell the truth but has been stopped by his brothers. 4 of them accepted the punishment from Queen Dowager.

Consort Hwang was the king favorite Consort. Her son, Prince Uiseong was jealous towards the Crown Prince. He believed that this position should belong to him. Consort Hwang punished him for being jealous. She scolded her son to prove that he was capable to become the Crown Prince.

Queen Dowager suggested to held a cohort position to study along with Crown Prince. Other concubines and consorts were pushing their sons to race for the position. They went to see Queen Dowager to ask for her tips on how to make their sons to become a Crown Prince. She secretly sent a book to each of them. Those concubines and consorts used the method stated in the books to train their sons.

Consort Tae told Queen Hwaryeon’s servant about the book that Queen Dowager given to her on how to make their son into a King which makes the Queen Hwaryeon even more insecure about the entire situation. She focused on taking care of Crown Prince. She was shocked when she discovered that Queen Dowager present at the chamber of Crown Prince. Queen Dowager found out that the Crown Prince has been ill and his disease was hardly cure. Both of them have a one-to-one discussion. Queen Dowager expressed that she was more concern about the King and power in the palace rather than the health of Crown Prince. She also told Queen Hwaryeon that she has been easy with her because of Crown Prince. Since the Crown Prince may not be able to survive, she will no longer tolerance with her. Queen Hwaryeon felt that she has been threatened by Queen Dowager. After all, her other sons were unfit to become the Crown Prince.

Queen Hwaryeon was desperate to find out answer about the past the kingdom which was in crisis and how the fate of Queen Yoon, mother of the late Prince Taein. In late night, Queen Hwaryeon personally visited the deposed Queen Yoon who lived in exile. Queen Yoon asked her to leave at once, but Queen Hwaryeong kneel in front of her and told her about her situation. She asked for her advice and wanted to know what was going on in the past between Queen Yoon and Queen Dowager.

Queen Yoon shared her story and the mistakes that she wished she could correct in the past. Prince Taein was supposedly cured before he died. However, the Queen Dowager killed everyone including physician that involved with Prince Taein.  Lee Ho was crowned as king and her father was accused for treason. All her sons were being killed, except for one. Queen Yoon claimed that she made mistake that she only trained the eldest to rule the country and for the rest of the sons, she prepared for marriage outside the palace. As such, they showed no capacity for governance. Instead, the son of a concubine was chosen. In order to save her sons from an identical fate, Queen Hwaryeon pledged to be ruthless.

On the other hand, Dowager Queen met Consort Hwang. Consort Hwang was the favored candidate for queenship, but the king, determined to keep his maternal relatives in check. Therefore, he married the humble Queen Hwaryeon instead. The Dowager Queen regrets the fact that Prince Uiseong has been sidelined as a result. She persuaded Consort Hwang asked her son to join the cohort selection.

Queen Hwaryeon summoned all her sons. She tried to persuade them to join the cohort selection evaluation. However, none of her sons interested to join. She then forced them to apply so that they can received basic education in order to survive in the palace. Grand Prince Gyeseong volunteered to take part in cohort selection evaluation. Queen Hwaryeon has higher hope on him. Later, she met up with their tutor to ask for her sons’ performance in study. The tutor told her that Grand Prince Gyeseong and Grand Prince Seongnam always skip classes and they were going to drop their study if they continued to skip class. Queen Hwaryeon was totally shocked to hear that.

In order to find out the truth, Queen Hwaryeon followed Grand Prince Gyeseong to an abandoned palace. She was shocked when she discovered his secret. She ran away and cried in a secret place. She never expected her son to be like this. She went to see the Crown Prince. He was recovered. Initially, Grand Prince Seongnam decided to give up. After meeting up with the Crown Prince, he has been convinced and decided to give it a try.

Queen Hwaryeon was surprised all her son applied for the cohort selection. She did not hire any personal tutor to teach her sons. She read the books and highlighted the main points for the exam. The next day, she summoned all her sons again and told them to read the books that she had highlighted. Her sons could not understand why she reacted in this way. She told Grand Prince Seongnam that she had a secret but she could not tell, she hoped that by doing this to protect them.

Queen Hwaryeon tried to find the medical record of Prince Taein. However, none of the record left due to fire accident. In fact, those physicians who in-charged of him also left the palace. Queen Hwaryeon was determined that something fishy has happened. She wanted to find Physician Yoo that went missing urgently.

On the other hand, Consort Go discovered the secret of Grand Prince Gyeseong. She saw him dolling himself with makeup. She told Queen Dowager about it. Queen Dowager told her not to spread the rumours. She then personally went to the abandoned palace to see by herself. She asked for Queen Hwaryeon’s servant and asked her about Grand Prince Gyeseong and Crown Prince. She did not reveal anything. After that, the servant quickly informed Queen Hwaryeon about it.

Queen Hwaryeon discovered that all the people that involved in Prince Taein’s treatment has been dead and left no record. As the Crown Prince’s condition has been deteriorating, Queen Hwaryeon persuaded him to focus on his recovery rather than his duty. She also asked the King to allow the Crown Prince to go for hot spring for skin disease treatment. In fact, she actually hid the Crown Prince in her quarters so that Physician Kwon can treat him. Queen Dowager was suspicious about Queen Hwaryeon and she asked Consort Hwang  to monitor her quarter.

During the exam, the King prepared an additional question to test his sons. He told them to think out of the box. Apparently, Grand Prince Seongnam and Grand Prince Gyeseong performed outstanding and they were qualified for second round. Some of the tutors, who were bribed by Consort Hwang, gave higher marks for Prince Uiseong.

On the other hand, Queen Dowager asked the King to follow her to a secret place. Queen Hwaryeon was unable to find her third son and she believed that he went to that place again. Suddenly, Queen Dowager asked her servant to pass her a message. She wanted her to meet the King to discuss about Grand Prince Gyeseong. Queen Hwaryeon has no choice but to follow the order. She made an eye contact with her servant to look for Grand Prince Gyeseong. As the servant checked Grand Prince Gyeseong’s quarter and he wasn’t there, she quickly informed Queen Hwaryeon about it. Queen Hwaryeon made an excuse to leave so that she can settle the issue. She ran as fast as possible to destroy all the evidence. When Grand Prince Gyeseong arrived there, he was surprised that the building was on fire. He asked the investigating team to find out who reported the fire. They told him that she was the servant that served Queen Hwaryeon. Grand Prince Gyeseong was totally angry and confronted with her. She told him to wait for her outside the palace. She brought him to another place. She asked a painter to paint her son’s portrait (wearing hanbok). She also returned the jewel to that Grand Prince Gyeseong cherished. He asked her wasn’t that she felt ashamed of him. She explained that she accepted him as he was her son.

Grand Prince Seongnam knew that his mother burnt down the abandoned palace. He came to visit his mother late at night. He barged in when she was not around. He saw his sick Crown Prince on the floor receiving treatment from Physician Kwon. Queen Hwaryeon explained to him about his brother’s condition and also tell him to focus on his study. He asked her was this how she protected them, she admitted it.

Prince Uiseong’s grandfather (Chief State Councilor Hwang Won-Hyeong) approached to Queen Dowager and asked for her support. He gave the questions and answers to Prince Uiseong right before the exam began. Grand Prince Gyeseong decided not to take the exam. He asked Grand Prince Seongnam to respect his decision. Grand Prince Seongnam went outside of the palace and looked for doctors who can treat his brother. He found Physician Yoo who was in hut village. He gave him his prescription and treatment. Grand Prince Seongnam told Queen Hwaryeon about it. Initially, Queen Hwaryeon was unwilling to try the remedies from outside the palace. As the Crown Prince begged her, she decided to give it a try.

Grand Prince Seongnam, Prince Uiseong and Prince Bogeom entered the second exam. In the end, Prince Bogeom has been chosen as cohort of Crown Prince. Prince Uiseong’s grandfather was unhappy about the result. He confronted with Queen Dowager. She asked him to wait for the right timing to replace the Crown Prince rather than just a cohort of Crown Prince.

Queen Hwaryeon visited Queen Dowager at her quarter. Queen Dowager asked about the Crown Prince’s condition. She also told Queen Hwaryeon that she hoped the Crown Prince can recovered after the Crown Princess delivered. On the delivery day, Crown Prince was fully recovered and appeared as healthy man in front of the King and Queen Dowager. At night, Queen Hwaryeon gathered all her sons to have a meal together.

During the morning lesson, while the Crown Prince and Prince Bogeom studied together, the Crown Prince suddenly spilled out blood and collapsed. Everyone was shocked. King Lee Ho was extremely furious as Queen Hwaryeon hide the truth from him. He banned her from leaving her quarter. At the same time, he asked Physician Cho to treat the Crown Prince.

Queen Hwaryeon was worried about the Crown Prince’s condition. She wanted to know what was happening in the palace. She mobilized her people secretly to understand what was going on before she took any measure.

As the news of Crown Prince collapsed being spread throughout the palace, all the officers were trying to pressure the King to depose the Crown Prince. Chief State Councilor Hwang Won-Hyeong was scheming to replace the Crown Prince to his grandson. He joined hand with Minister of War in order to make the plan successful.

After hearing the news, Grand Prince Seongnam, Grand Prince Muan, Grand Prince Gyeseong and Grand Prince Ilyoung worried about their elder brother’s condition. However, they were banned from visiting their brother and mother. Grand Prince Seongnam secretly sneaked into Queen Hwaryeon’s quarter and asked her about his brother’s condition. He then sneaked into the prison to ask the Physician Kwon about the cause and effect of the remedies that he brought. He also went into the hut village to confront with the Physician Yoo. The Physician Yoo explained to him that there was nothing wrong with his prescription. Queen Hwaryeon was happy that the Crown Prince was recovering after taking the medicine. She suspected someone was trying to kill to Crown Prince.

Queen Hwaryeon secretly went out of the palace. She summoned Deposed Queen Yoon and asked about the Crown Prince Taein. Deposed Queen Yoon told her that Queen Dowager was the one who murdered her son. Queen Hwaryeon afraid that the same incident might happened once again. She went to see the King. Chief State Councilor and Minister of War continue to pressure the King. They gathered other officers to ask the King to depose the Crown Prince. Queen Dowager also came to see the King and threatened him to agree with those officers. Queen Hwaryeon showed up and scolded those officers for blaming the Crown Prince without reason. The King agreed with Queen Hwaryeon and told all officers to leave and stop them from discussing about the removal of Crown Prince.

Suddenly, Eunuch came in rush to inform the Queen Hwaryeon that the Crown Prince was looking for her. However, by the time she arrived, it was too late. The Crown Prince has passed away. The King and Queen Hwaryeon carried out an investigation to find out the cause of his death. Chief State Councilor spread the rumors that the Crown Prince died due to poison. However, Queen Hwaryeon could not believe it.

Chief State Councilor continued to torture Physician Kwon. Physician Kwon refused to tell him even though he has been interrogated him for a couple of days. Consort Hwang worried that she might be in trouble if her father kept interrogated him. She came to see her father and tell him the truth. She told him that she was the one who instructed Physician Kwon to add other medicine to make the Crown Prince’s condition became worse. She never thought that this could lead to his death. Then, Chief State Councilor stopped interrogated Physician Kwon. Queen Hwaryeon was wondered why did he stop the interrogation process.

In order to visit Physician Kwon, Queen Hwaryeon made him come to see her instead. She asked him as if he changed the remedies provided. Physician Kwon denied and insisted that he did not change anything. She also asked him to keep quiet regarding the remedies.

Even since the Crown Prince passed away, Queen Hwaryeon decided to train other four sons to be the Crown Prince. She made them study hard and also trained them physically and mentally. She hoped that one of her sons can be chosen.

Prince Uiseong always challenged Grand Prince Seongnam and Prince Bogeom that he will be chosen to become the Crown Prince. He beat up Prince Bogeom and looked down at him due to his mother was once a maid of the Queen Hwaryeon. Grand Prince Seongnam stopped him from killing his stepbrother. While they were fighting, a tutor stopped them. The tutor had a talk with Grand Prince Seongnam. Grand Prince Seongnam wished to learn more from the tutor and asked him to study by his side. The tutor agreed with it.

Consort Tae overheard that the remedies that used to treat Crown Prince was brought from outside. She pretended she knew nothing about it and came to see Queen Hwaryeon. Queen Hwaryeon asked as if she wanted her son to be the Crown Prince. She also gave her a piece of advice that the selection of Crown Prince through concubine might hurt her as well as her son.

Prince Bogeom was a bright person. However, many people told him that he cannot become the Crown Prince as he wished due to his background. He asked his mother not to do anything. Consort Tae was upset about it. She believed that her son should receive an equal chance to be selected. With the advice from her friend, she approached to Minister of War to ask for his support. She also used the evidence that Queen Hwaryeon used the remedies from outside of the palace to treat the Crown Prince. Minister of War quickly informed Chief State Councilor about it.

The next day, Chief State Councilor called Queen Hwaryeon, Queen Dowager and King Lee Ho to attend the interrogation. Physician Kwon did not say anything. However, Chief State Councilor presented the evidence that the medicine used was not from palace. He questioned Queen Hwaryeon for the origin of the medicine. However, the King decided to postpone the interrogation. Queen Dowager approached to Queen Hwaryeon and warned her to tell the truth. She threatened her that she will tell the King that she met Deposed Queen Yoon.

The Crown Princess was scare because she thought they were someone who was trying to kill her son. She came to the King and Queen Hwaryeon and tell them her concern. Queen Hwaryeon decided to investigate the matter. While she was feeding her grandson, she saw his drawing. She was shocked when she looked at it. She checked his body and found the needles pokes on his body. The spoon suddenly turned into black. She quickly performed first aid so that her grandson spilled out the food.

Queen Hwaryeon looked for the nanny who takes care of her grandson. That nanny did not tell any name and she decided to take her own life. She then checked the kitchen to find the poison, but they found nothing. Suddenly, her quarter was on fire. She quickly rushed to her quarter to have a look. The Crown Princess approached her and asked for her permission to leave the palace. Queen Hwaryeon refused to grant her wish as it was not safe outside the palace as well. Crown Princess threatened to kill herself in front of her. Queen Hwaryeon scolded her for not being brave enough to protect her son.

Grand Prince Seongnam went to see the King and admit that he was the one who brought the medicine from outside. The King asked him to bring the witness to support his claim. He went to the village to look for the Physician Yoo. Unfortunately, Physician Yoo has left. Grand Prince Seongnam went to another village to look for him, but failed. During the interrogation, Queen Hwaryeon told the King that Crown Princess was the one who gave her the medicine. Grand Prince Seongnam told the King that he failed to find the Physician Yoo. He told the King that he shouldn’t put the blame on Crown Princess. The King scolded him for missing the chance to defend her.

Queen Dowager met Queen Hwaryeon’s servant in private. She scolded her for not reporting to her regarding the meeting between Queen Hwaryeon and deposed Queen Yoon. She questioned her loyalty and who did she serve. After the meeting, her servant quickly informed Queen Hwaryeon about it.

Grand Prince Seongnam confronted with Queen Hwaryeon and asked her the reason why she framed Crown Princess. She explained that she has to protect her position in order to protect them. She promised that she will bring them back one day. She asked him whether he was prepared to become Crown Prince. She also asked him to join hand with her.

Queen Hwaryeon met Queen Dowager and Chief State Councilor late at night. She made a deal with them. She approved to select the Crown Prince wisely rather than choosing from Grand Princes. She proposed that she will persuade the King to demote Crown Princess and her son to commissioner. She also agreed to step down as Queen if none of her sons became the Crown Prince. Queen Dowager and Chief State Councilor were happy to hear that.

The next day, Crown Princess and her son were sent out of the palace. Chief State Councilor schemed to kill both of them. However, he was shocked when his men informed him that they were gone. Queen Hwaryeon prepared a safer home for them to stay. Queen Hwaryeon told the King to choose the Crown Prince wisely and not through the favor of the official.

Prince Bogeom approached Queen Dowager and asked for her support and make him into a wisest Crown Prince. Queen Dowager agreed to help him. The King announced that he will choose the wisest Crown Prince among his sons. He also tested them through exam. Queen Hwaryeon informed others concubines about this. Everyone was surprised when she said the exam has already begun.

Other concubines were trying to help their sons in secret although they knew that it was against the rules. In order to keep them in check, Queen Hwaryeon confined them in a room to do embroidery. During the exam, Grand Prince Seongnam has been attacked by the bandits. Fortunately, the royal guards were there to protect him. The royal guards reported the case to the King and Queen Hwaryeon. The King confronted with Chief State Councilor. However, he denied it right away. Chief State Councilor threatened the King about the death of late Crown Prince Taein. Therefore, King postponed the investigation.

Queen Hwaryeon was unhappy that the king was not be able to protect her son. She personally investigated the case. She discovered that the bandit was after Grand Prince Seongnam. She found the composite of Grand Prince Seongnam inside his mouth. She purposely mentioned that to all the concubines in order to find out who was behind it. She saw Consort Hwang reacted strangely. She asked the royal guard to follow them. The royal guards reported to Queen Hwaryeon that Chief State Councilor Hwang was also looking for the subleader. The royal guards continued to follow them until they found the subleader. They caught him and interrogated him. The subleader mentioned that someone came to meet his leader and asked him to rob Grand Prince Seongnam. After that, another woman came to see his leader. He recognized the hairpin of the woman. Queen Hwaryeon straight away knew that she was the servant who served Queen Dowager.

Queen Hwaryeon came to see Queen Dowager and warned her not to harm her son. She also threatened her that she will not stay still if she persisted to harm her son. Queen Hwaryeon told the King that Queen Dowager tried to harm her son. The King came to visit Queen Dowager. She pretended to be sick. She defended herself that she was innocent. In fact, she framed Queen Hwaryeon for giving her poison flower. The King scolded the Queen for giving the poison flower to his mother.

Grand Prince Seongnam and Prince Bogeom were given the same assignment. They have to convince Park Gyeong-U to return the palace with them. Park Gyeong-U was once a close friend of King Lee Ho. He was offered a position as Minister of Tax. Park Gyeong-U did not want to return to palace. He pretended to be blind living in an outskirt. Grand Prince Seongnam proved that Park Gyeong-U was not blind by jumping off the cliff right in front of him. Park Gyeong-U was shocked when he risked his life like this. Grand Prince Seongnam asked Prince Bogeom for help to get him up. However, Prince Bogeom just walked away. Since Park Gyeong-U granted them three days to make him change his mind, Grand Prince Seongnam decided to find a way to convince him. He walked around the shore and talked to the villagers. Coincidently, he met Minister of War’s daughter. She liked him very much and looking for him everywhere. She hugged him right after she saw him. Grand Prince Seongnam and Prince Bogeom discovered that Park Gyeong-U embezzled the fund to help the poor. They found the evidence and convinced him to come with them to the palace. Park Gyeong-U has been persuaded and decided to return to palace with them.

Queen Hwaryeon wanted to find who was the one that received Queen Dowager’s support. She approached Consort Tae to make her visit Queen Dowager. She also visited Chief State Councilor and told him that Consort Tae frequently visited Queen Dowager. She also revealed that Queen Dowager was trying to frame him for attempting to kill Grand Prince Seongnam. Chief State Councilor was totally angry. He came to Queen Dowager’s quarter with Consort Hwang                . They saw Consort Tae came out from her quarter. They were angry as Queen Dowager turned her back on them. Queen Dowager told them that she will decide who will become the Crown Prince.

Queen Dowager told Consort Tae about the Grand Prince Seongnam’s background. Then, Consort Tae spread the rumors outside the palace. She claimed that Grand Prince Seongnam was not the son of the King. Queen Hwaryeon and the King decided to investigate the person who spread the rumors.

Consort Ko told Consort Hwang about the secret of Grand Prince Gyeseong. She showed her the portrait that she found in his room. Consort Ko wanted Grand Prince Gyeseong to drop off from Crown Prince selection and dragged Queen Hwaryeon down as well. Prince Simso came to palace to look for his mother. He asked for food and told her that he had been robbed. Consort Ko did not care about how her son. All she wanted was he has to complete his assignment. She gave him her stuff to exchange for money. She also asked the guard to chase him out. Prince Simso lying on the floor outside the palace. Queen Hwaryeon noticed him and brought him back to palace. She gave him some food instead. Consort Ko heard about it and came to the Queen’s quarter. She scolded her son for being disgrace to the family. Prince Simso felt embarrassed to face his mother. He hung himself in his room. Luckily, Queen Hwaryeon discovered it. She quickly brought him to the doctor. Consort Ko came to see her son. Queen Hwaryeon talked to her and hoped that both Consort Ko and her son can get along with one another.

Queen Hwaryeon waited Prince Simso to awake. She told him that everyone was not perfect. She hoped that he won’t blame himself for not being able to become Crown Prince. She encouraged him to do what he likes and enjoyed his life. Prince Simso decided to withdraw his plaque as he has no intention to become the Crown Prince.

Queen Hwaryeon noticed that Grand Prince Muan did not finish his contest. He went to see his lover in courtesan house. Queen Hwaryeon scolded her son and asked him what will he do about her. He wanted her to be his concubine. Queen Hwaryeon talked to the woman. She hoped that she can give up her love on her son. She believed that her son was not deserved for her. The woman knew about the consequence and she hoped that Queen Hwaryeon did not stop her love for him.

Consort Ko came to see Queen Hwaryeon and told her about Consort Hwang who tried to reveal the secret of Grand Prince Gyeseong. Queen Hwaryeon asked her to exchange the portrait before the arrival of Consort Hwang. Consort Hwang told the King about Grand Prince Gyeseong’s secret. She brought the King to Consort Ko’s chamber. She has been betrayed by Consort Ko who showed the King another portrait. As Consort Hwang defamed Grand Prince Gyeseong for being a woman, she was demoted to 4^th rank concubine. Consort Hwang felt being humiliated and harassed by Queen Hwaryeon.

Grand Prince Gyeseong found out Seo Ham-Seok’s intention who tried to rebel towards the King. He also found the weapon as well as maps. He tried to stop Prince Uiseong from taking him to the palace. However, Prince Uiseong refused to listen to him. Prince Uiseong framed Seo Ham-Seok for murder and offered him a position in palace as stated in King’s verdict. Seo Ham-Seok decided to follow him in order to escape the murder charges. Grand Prince Gyeseong tried his best to return to the palace as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Consort Hwang ordered his men to delay his arrival. They also attempted to make Grand Prince Gyeseong commit suicide. Queen Hwaryeon managed to find her son in the forest. She brought him to a safe place to treat his wound. She took down his plaque as this round his failed his test.

The 3^rd round, the King decided to let the scholars to evaluate the most suitable person to be the Crown Prince. The King believed that the scholars were those who were free from politic and personal interest. He believed that they will make a wise judgement. All the scholars have been locked in a room in order to choose the best person to be the Crown Prince.

As the King submitted a new material to test his sons, Consort Hwang and Consort Tae worried that their sons might lost in the evaluation. They joined hand with other ministers and offered them assets and guarantee positions if their sons were chosen to be the Crown Prince.

Consort Hwang and Chief State Councilor begged Queen Dowager so that she can support Prince Uiseong. They offered a great deal for Queen Dowager. Then, Queen Dowager told Consort Tae to withdraw the plague of Prince Bogeom. She expressed that she did support Prince Bogeom. However, he was not the person who can become the Crown Prince. Prince Bogeom felt unfair and upset when Queen Dowager did not support him due to Consort Tae was born from a poor family. Consort Tae blamed herself for causing her son to drop off from Crown Prince selection.

Queen Hwaryeon asked for Prince Bogeom and told him that she was going to punish his mother due to her wrongdoings. Prince Bogeom begged her not to punish his mother as he worried about her. Queen Hwaryeon explained to Prince Bogeom that he has the right to be selected as Crown Prince but not all the princes can become the Crown Prince. She expressed that she wanted him to stay by the Crown Prince side and help him. Queen Hwaryeon temporary punished Consort Tae for spreading rumors about her and also blackmailed her. She demoted her as her court maid to clean her bedchamber. Consort Tae accepted her punishment without complaint. Queen Hwaryeon also talked to Consort Tae that she hoped that she can reflect on her wrongdoings. She advised her to choose the right path and not to put her son in troubles. She also allowed her to talk out with Prince Bogeom. Prince Bogeom cried and hugged Consort Tae as he missed her. He did not blame her for what she did.

Consort Ko informed Queen Hwaryeon about what was going on among the scholars. Although she knew that Chief State Councilor and Minister of War Yoon have did something to influence the decision of the scholars, she just monitored them from far. However, she could not stand still when they delivered messages from outside to the scholar to fully support Prince Uiseong. She felt that it was really unfair. She went to the scholar room and saw the food was being served. She spot-checked those food and found the hidden papers. As the King agreed to allow her to enter the scholar room, Queen Hwaryeon took this opportunity to talk to them. She found a few and warned them that she will not punish them for secretly communicate with outsider. However, she hoped that they can make a wise judgement on Crown Prince selection. All the scholars was convinced and decided to uphold their dignity and make their own judgement to choose the right candidate to become the Crown Prince.

Before the King announced the evaluation of the scholar, Chief State Councilor stopped him. He raised the issue of Grand Prince Seongnam’s identity. He demanded the King to conduct a blood test. Before that, Chief State Councilor and Consort Hwang contaminated the water so that Grand Prince Seongnam’s blood and the King’s blood cannot collide with one another. Queen Hwaryeon knew that it was the trick of Chief State Councilor. Therefore, she also asked him and Consort Hwang to conduct the same test with the same water as well. It turned out that their blood was not collide with one another too. Queen Hwaryeon requested Queen Dowager to check all her grandsons’ ear which has similar genetic characteristic as the King. Even though Queen Dowager knew Prince Uiseong wasn’t the son of the King, she covered it up and confirmed that all her grandsons belonged to the King.

The King then officially announced that Grand Prince Seongnam will become the new Crown Prince. Queen Hwaryeon cleanup her eldest son’s room. She decided to let go of her dead son and moved forward.

Chief State Councilor and Consort Hwang planned to take down Crown Prince. Prince Uiseong expressed his worry that his murder case might affect his enthronement. He asked his uncle to kill him before he spoke. Chief State Councilor promised that he will handle him. As Prince Uiseong lose the contest, he has to leave the palace.

Park Gyeong-U asked the King to allow him to hold another position. He wished to become a tutor for Crown Prince. The King approved it and happy that he was willing to serve the people as well as the government.

Queen Hwaryeon was looking into Physician Kwon’s background. She was suspicious about him. She discovered that he has connection with Consort Hwang. After he left the palace, Queen Hwaryeon sent her guard to look for Physician Kwon. Physician Kwon met Consort Hwang in secret. He told her that he wanted to return to the palace. Consort Hwang also told him that she needed him as well. Physician Kwon worked together with Seo Ham-Seok and Physician Yoo for rebellion. Physician Kwon sneaked into the prison to meet Seo Ham-Seok. He gave him poison in order to stop him from revealing their plan to the government.

Queen Hwaryeon and Queen Dowager were looking for a wife for Crown Prince Seongnam. Queen Dowager chose her people for Crown Prince Seongnam. In fact, Queen Hwaryeon decided to look for other woman who has no connection with Queen Dowager. She personally selected the woman by herself at the garment store. She was amazed by Minister of War’s eldest daughter, Yoon Cheong-Ha. Yoon Cheong-Ha was arguing with a merchant to give a fair amount for the divorced woman who wished to sell her hairpin. Queen Hwaryeon witnessed the whole process and discovered that this woman was great for her son. She invited her for a drink and persuaded her to join the selection of Crown Princess. Yoon Cheong-Ha told her that she already had a man she in loved with. She showed her the portrait of Crown Prince Seongnam. Queen Hwaryeon told her that this man was the crown prince. Yoon Cheong-Ha was totally surprise because she thought he was an inspector. Queen Hwaryeon warned her not to tell anybody that she met the Crown Prince Seongnam before.

Yoon Cheong-Ha was so excited and told her father that she wanted to become the Crown Princess and asked for his permission to allow her to join. At that time, Queen Dowager was there to visit Minister of War and interviewing his 2^nd and 3^rd daughter. Queen Dowager spoke with Yoon Cheong-Ha in private. She made a deal with her that she wanted her to tell her every move of Crown Prince Seongnam. Yoon Cheong-Ha agreed with the deal. Minister of War was hesitated to send off his eldest daughter. He worried that Queen Dowager might use her in the palace.

Before the selection of Crown Princess began, Queen Hwaryeon asked Crown Prince Seongnam whether did he have an ideal woman in his mind. He expressed that he just wanted to perform his duty as a Crown Prince and he did not mind marrying any woman.

Crown Prince Seongnam missed Yoon Cheong-Ha. He kept thinking about her during his inspection. Yoon Cheong-Ha gave him a half piece of shell. She kept another half piece. She told him that if they happened to meet again, they were meant to be together.

Throughout the process, Yoon Cheong-Ha managed to pass all the test. She was glad that she met Queen Hwaryeon who helped her to finish up her lesson as a Crown Princess in such a short period of time. She can’t wait the moment she met Crown Prince Seongnam again during their marriage. Crown Prince Seongnam heard the news about Minister of War’s daughter has been chosen to be his wife. Even though he disliked it, he still stayed clam.

Queen Hwaryeon visited Minister of War and told him that she was fond of his daughter. She will support her and provide shield to her. She hoped that he will do the same for Crown Prince Seongnam as well.

During the wedding ceremony, Crown Prince Seongnam finally saw the face of his wife. He wasn’t expecting that. He thought that she was sent by Queen Dowager to approach him in purpose. At night, he was angry and left the room right away. Yoon Cheong-Ha was totally speechless and did not know what to do. This news was spread throughout the palace. Yoon Cheong-Ha thought that he was shy and don’t know how to make love. She asked Queen Hwaryeon whether Crown Prince Seongnam received proper education on sex intercourse. She also asked her to take the responsibility to teach him.

Cho Wol gave birth to Grand Prince Muan’s child. She came to the palace to see Queen Hwaryeon. She asked her to take the child in rather than living a low life like her. Queen Hwaryeon took her in as a court lady to take care of the baby. In the meantime, she talked to Grand Prince Muan about the baby. He promised that he will take care of baby. However, it was hard for him for the first time. He asked Queen Hwaryeon for help. He also wanted to look for Cho Wol. He was surprised when Cho Wol came in as a court lady. Queen Hwaryeon told them to hide the baby well so that nobody noticed her. She also tried to come out with a plan so that Grand Prince Muan and Cho Wol no longer need to hide their relationship.

Crown Prince Seongnam met Queen Hwaryeon. Queen Hwaryeon asked him why did he left Yoon Cheong-Ha during their marriage. She also told him the reason why she selected Yoon Cheong-Ha. Crown Prince Seongnam finally smiled and cleared his misunderstanding towards his wife. He discovered the piece from the journal of his brother who recorded down his illness. He presented the paper to his mother. Queen Hwaryeon checked the handwriting and also journal of his brother. It indeed was belonged to his brother. Queen Hwaryeon suspected that Physician Kwon was the one who poisoned her son. In order to prove that Physician Kwon was the murderer, she reinstated him as Royal Physician.

Queen Hwaryeon told Physician Kwon to help her to investigate the death of the late Crown Prince. At the same time, Crown Prince Seongnam also found Physician Yoo outside the palace. He showed him the autopsy report of his brother. Physician Yoo admitted that the symptom was similar to the late Crown Prince Taein. Crown Prince Seongnam continued to follow Physician Yoo’s whereabout and discovered that he was in connection with Physician Kwon. He told Queen Hwaryeon that they should not believe what Physician Yoo said totally.

Queen Hwaryeon wanted to find the reason why they killed her son. She approached to the King and asked him for permission to reinvestigate the death of Crown Prince Taein. The King refused because that’s might affect his enthronement. Crown Prince Seongnam checked the record of historian. He was surprised that only the record of Crown Prince Taein was missing. In order to find the first draft of historian, Queen Hwaryeon talked to Park Gyeong-U. Park Gyeong-U’s father was a historian. After Queen Hwaryeon convinced him, Park Gyeong-U decided to look for his father’s item. He was shocked to find out that the King was involved in succession of the throne. Park Gyeong-U presented the evidence to Queen Hwaryeon. However, he wanted her to keep this as a secret.

As the palace spread rumors about Crown Prince Seongnam being infertile, Queen Dowager scolded Yoon Cheong-Ha for not doing her duty. Yoon Cheong-Ha came to see Queen Hwaryeon and told her about this matter. In order to get to know Crown Prince Seongnam better, Queen Hwaryeon referred her to his brothers. Queen Dowager knew about the matter and spread the rumors that Yoon Cheong-Ha can’t stand being loneliness and approached to other Grand Princes. Queen Hwaryeon was angry after hearing those rumors and decided to fix a date for them to consummate. She hired a nursemaid to help Crown Prince Seongnam and Yoon Cheong-Ha. After going through those training, Crown Prince Seongnam and Yoon Cheong-Ha finally slept together.

Queen Dowager also heard that other grand princes also visited Grand Prince Muan’s quarter. She sent her servant to have a look. Queen Hwaryeon prepared in advance. She asked Cho Wol to carry the baby away in order to avoid suspicious.

Queen Hwaryeon asked Physician Kwon to bring the possible poisons that caused the death of late Crown Prince to her. He knew that it was a trap for him. However, he still brought those poisons for her. Queen Hwaryeon knew that he was a smart person. She believed that Physician Kwon somehow in connection with Chief State Councilor. Suddenly, she received a news from her servant about a woman who passed away after drinking gansu. Queen Hwaryeon monitored her symptoms and realized that gansu was used as a poison. She quickly went to visit deposed Queen Yoon. She saw a man who was claimed as deposed Queen Yoon’s son. She saw the way he walked and compared it with Physician Kwon. She was confirmed that Physician Kwon was Crown Prince Taein’s younger brother. She asked deposed Queen Yoon did she know that her son has killed the late Crown Prince. Deposed Queen Yoon claimed that she did not know about it. However, even if she knew, she will not stop him.

Since Physician Kwon was young, he exchanged his identity with Physician Yoo’s child. He learnt medicine from Physician Yoo so that he can entered the palace and treated the royal family. Physician Kwon met up with Prince Uiseong and told him their plan. They convinced him to held a meeting with Chief State Councilor. Prince Uiseong was told that he would enthrone if Chief State Councilor support their rebellion. Initially, Chief State Councilor against the idea. However, Consort Hwang told him that Queen Dowager already knew that Prince Uiseong was not the son of the King. Chief State Councilor was totally shocked and changed his mind to support Physician Kwon and Physician Yoo in order to protect their lives.

Chief State Councilor stated his condition that he will join hand with them provided that they will protect their lives if anything went wrong. When Physician Kwon asked about the autopsy report of Crown Prince Taein, he told them that he did not have it. The report has been kept by Physician Cho. Physician Kwon met with Physician Cho and gave him gansu. He threatened him to give him the autopsy report of Crown Prince Taein. At night, he couldn’t find the report at a secret place. Queen Hwaryeon suddenly showed up.  Physician Kwon knew that his identity has been exposed. She asked him why did he do that to her son. He wanted to take revenge for his brothers. He knew that the late Crown Prince was innocent and he was sorry for her. He then quickly ran away from the palace and hid at Prince Uiseong’s residence. On the other hand, Physician Yoo and his fellow men have been caught by the royal guards.

Before that, Queen Hwaryeon asked Physician Cho about the autopsy report of Crown Prince Taein. However, he did not give it to her. She asked her guard to follow Physician Cho to find out that secret place where he hid the report. The guard then brought the report to her. Queen Hwaryeon went to see the King and told him about Physician Kwon’s true identity. However, the King insisted that he was just Physician Kwon. The King wanted to find him and killed him. Queen Hwaryeon worried that the King might kill Physician Kwon and she needed to find him before the King did. She came to see Queen Dowager and made a deal with her. She asked her to find the whereabout of Physician Kwon, in return she will handover the report to her. Queen Dowager felt that she had been threatened by Queen Hwaryeon.

Yoon Cheong-Ha suddenly collapsed and the doctor examined her. The doctor confirmed that she was pregnant. Even though she has a heart disease, that’s did not affect the mother and fetus. Queen Hwaryeon and Crown Prince Seongnam was glad about the news. Crown Prince Seongnam accompanied his wife. He saw her diary beside her bed. The diary wrote about her wish list and also things about him. He intended to fulfill her wish one by one. When Queen Dowager heard about the pregnancy, she wasn’t happy about it. She bribed the doctor and asked him to lie. The next day, Queen Dowager approached Queen Hwaryeon and demanded the doctor to examine Yoon Cheong-Ha’s body again. The doctor told Queen Hwaryeon that Yoon Cheong-Ha was not pregnant. Grand Prince Seongnam and Yoon Cheong-Ha were a bit disappointed. At night Grand Prince Seongnam told Yoon Cheong-Ha that it does not matter if she was pregnant or not. His only hope is that he wanted her to be healthy. As Queen Dowager made a scene at Queen Hwaryeon’s quarter, Queen Hwaryeon decided to handover the report to her so that she can kept a secret of Yoon Cheong-Ha’s heart disease.

Queen Hwaryeon called Park Gyeong-U and asked him to give her the first draft. Park Gyeong-U apologized that he could not be able as he handed over the draft to the King. Queen Hwaryeon was disappointed as she no longer has any evidence regarding the death of Crown Prince Taein.

Queen Dowager met up with Chief State Councilor. She threatened him with Prince Uiseong’s true identity. She asked him to lure Physician Kwon to the palace. At the same time, she also persuaded Prince Uiseong to kill him as well. Physician Kwon followed Chief State Councilor into the palace. However, he has been tricked by him. He dragged him to a secret place and killed him. He then went straight to Queen Dowager’s quarter. Unfortunately, he has been tricked again. Queen Dowager already knew that he was coming for her. Consort Hwang showed up at Queen Dowager’s quarter. She was shocked and disappointed when Physician Kwon said that he used her to produce his heir. Prince Uiseong suddenly came in and killed Physician Kwon. Before Physician Kwon passed away, he told Prince Uiseong that he was his biological father. Queen Hwaryeon tried to stop Physician Kwon, but she failed. Queen Dowager also destroyed the autopsy report in front of her.

Queen Dowager did not want the King to reveal what was happening on that day. She also wanted to stop Queen Hwaryeon from persuading the King. She then caught Grand Prince Muan who has a child out of wedlock. Grand Prince Muan convinced the King that he will marry Cho Wol because he did not want to leave them. Queen Hwaryeon suggested the King to allow Grand Prince Muan to take Cho Wol as his concubine. The King agreed with it. Queen Dowager then used Crown Princess’s heart disease as another excuse. Queen Hwaryeon asked for the doctor. He told the King that what he gave the Crown Princess was the medicine that was good for her heart. He confirmed that there was no issue for her to give birth in such condition.

As everyone knew that Prince Uiseong was the son of Physician Kwon, the ministries pressured the King to execute Prince Uiseong and Consort Hwang. The King was hesitated as Prince Uiseong was the first child that he held on his arm. Queen Hwaryeon persuaded the King to reveal the truth of the death of Crown Prince Taein as well as the late Crown Prince. She wished to bring back her grandchild and late Crown Princess to the palace. She also persuaded Physician Yoo to stand as witness to reveal what was happening on that day. After a long thought, the King decided to tell the truth. At the same time, he also prohibited Queen Dowager and deposed Queen Yoon from leaving their quarters. He also reinstated those who was falsely accused back to their original status.

Queen Hwaryeon met up with deposed Queen Yoon. She gave her Physician Kwon leftover items. She also told her to stay strong because Physician Kwon’s son was still alive. Deposed Queen Yoon requested her to protect them to stay alive. Queen Hwaryeon also visited Prince Uiseong and Consort Hwang who have been expelled from the palace. Consort Hwang wasn’t in her right mind and Prince Uiseong was taking care of her. Queen Dowager decided to commit suicide in her chamber.

Grand Prince Gyeseong felt that it is time for him to leave the palace and do what he wants. He told Queen Hwaryeon about his wishes and hoped that she can let go of him. Queen Hwaryeon was surprised to hear that. She also expressed that she wanted him to be by her side. In the end, Queen Hwaryeon decided to respect his decision and let him leave the palace. Grand Prince Gyeseong travelled in other places and sent drawings to Queen Hwaryeon about his travel adventures.

Crown Prince Seongnam spent some time to accompany Yoon Cheong-Ha. They also watched the shooting star together. He showed great care and love for her. Crown Prince Seongnam’s nephew and late Crown Princess also came back to palace.

https://asianwiki.com/images/a/ac/The_Queens_Umbrella-p3.jpg