Shin Yool and Princess Yeo Won continue their mind games over tea. Yool asks the princess to pass on word to Prince Wang So that he needs to come and pick up his tournament outfit. This gives Yeo Won the knowledge that her rival doesn't know that So and Wang So are the same person. As a friendly warning Yeo Won advises the merchant to stop hanging around that rascally So as he is no good.
As she is leaving Chunghae Yeo Won spots Bidam Wannabe #2. They come together pretending to be looking over merchandise for sale. (This is a shoplifter's dream as there doesn't appear to be anyone nearby keeping an eye over these trinkets. But I digress...) Yeo Won lets BW know she knows he's the red ninja who wounded Wang So. The fact her bodyguard was unable to dispatch her husband tells Yeo Won that So is just as strong and skilled as BW. This doesn't sit well with BW who is all sorts of thwarted. As she leaves him, Yeo Won slips a gewgaw into BW's hand.
Mommy Dearest is easily bamboozled by Wang Shik Ryum into supporting the Tournament of Princes. After hearing the latest gossip about the black ninjas killing Sinestro and stealing his silver (which they didn't), the king - who continues to lose his grip on straight thinking - appears to give up hope that the black ninjas will be able to help him. King Crazy, knowing Wang Uk is the prince most eager to seize the throne, orders that Shin Yool be made to attend the tournament. The moment Uk wins, King Crazy will have Yool killed right before the prince's eyes. A rather extreme way of saying, "Nyeh nyeh."
It just so happens Wang Uk himself asks Yool to attend the tournament. She turns him down, though, as she doesn't feel like watching any sports since she is still unable to locate the wounded So.
Finally! As Shik Ryum goes over his evil plans he addresses BW as Se Won.
The next day King Crazy sends a fancy palanquin to Chunghae to pick Shin Yool up and bring her to the tournament. Yool reluctantly dons her beekeeper hat as she has a bad feeling about this but knows you can't turn down an invitation from the king. She's brought in for a face-to-veiled-face meeting with the monarch. When King Crazy orders her to remove her veil, advisor Ji Mong recognizes Yool from her earlier palace adventure with Wang So.
It's Tournament Time!
Yool, her veil back in place, is shown to her prime arena seat. The princes are marched out to great fanfare. The king wonders where So could possibly be. Shik Ryum chuckles that the prince must be too afraid for the competition. Before King Crazy can get a chance to formally start the proceedings, Shik Ryum supersedes and gets to do all the speechifying. Mommy Dearest maybe, just maybe, starts to get a clue. To everyone's surprise, King Crazy does get a word in edgewise, making all sorts of allusions to dragons and blue seas. While no one is quite sure what he's talking about, Yool is smart enough to figure out he's referring to Uk and herself and that her life is in mortal danger.
Meanwhile Wang So, who hasn't been doing much of anything this entire episode, finally gets up out of his sickbed and gets dressed in the outfit Yool made for him. Fangirls squee.
First up to compete against each other is Wang Uk and Wang Not Important. Then it's Wang Uk vs Wang Fuzzy Hat. Now it's Wang Uk and Wang Never Saw You Before.
Just as Wang Uk is about to be awarded for winning and Yool is about to be executed, So shows up. Now at least one truth is revealed as Yool understands So's true identity. During the first round which is archery, So struggles with his wounded arm and ends up losing to Uk. Next they mount up on horses and hit each other with sticks. So wins this one.
The last competition is swordsmanship, although So has a big ass halberd, not a sword. During the fight So notices a similarity between Uk's swordsmanship and the sword work of the red ninja (Se Won) who attacked So at the temple. So knocks Uk out of the ring and thus wins the tournament.
Afterwards there is a depressing victory feast for the king and his brothers. King Crazy thanks his uncle and all the nobles for throwing this competition (i.e. "I won't forget this.") Oh, but there's one other person the king wants to thank. He has Yool (still wearing her beekeeper hat) brought into the room. Uk looks alarmed while So, who can't see clearly past the veil, looks like he's about to pass out from all his exertion.
King Crazy tries to trip Yool up by asking her who she reasons will be the next king of Goryeo. She cleverly answers it will be a prince with the name of Wang (which is about half the population of Goryeo at this point.) The king won't let up and demands to know why Chunghae was outfitting all the princes. Yool explains honestly that as a merchant she can use the tournament as free advertising and make a profit selling replicas of the stuff the combatants were wearing. King Crazy refuses to believe this simple answer and accuses Yool of working with Wang Uk to seize the throne. To give him credit, Uk immediately comes to Yool's defense. King Crazy unsheathes his sword and holds it at Yool's throat.
Honestly, this episode was a let-down. They've been building up and building up this whole Tournament of Princes. I was expecting action scenes out the wazoo but instead got little to nothing. Remember in Queen Seondeok when the Hwarang were fighting each other to become the next grand marshal? That's how you do it!
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