Scribbled Notes & Wandering Thoughts

SSC=Second State Councilor (Min Ik-pyeong) - QD=Queen Dowager

💙💙💙 1st lunar month 💙💙💙

Ch1 - The Night Where Everything Changes (Ep1.1)

The SSC finds out about The Story of Ho Dam and decides that leaving Goo Jae-gyeong alone is too risky. On the night he exposes the dangers of the book to his allies, Jae-gyeong is “offered” the chance for his sister to marry Min U-won. Fearing a refusal would make the SSC suspicious, he’s forced to accept.

Ch2 - Veritable Rumors (Ep1.2)

On the day the SSC talks alone with the King, Min U-won finds out that his father is arranging his marriage and is unable to make him change his mind. A few days later, even SSC’s allies try to make him see how unsuitable Goo Hae-ryung is, but to no avail. On the night the requisition of banned books is going to start, Min U-hui goes to her brother to verify the rumors and realizes how powerless she is to help him.

Ch3 - Of Banned Books and Unusual Betrothed (Ep2.1)

Instead of working on the banned books, Officer Yang complains about his misfortune but ends up somehow defending U-won once his colleagues start to complain about him. When U-won goes to check the burned books, he meets a stubborn woman who accuses the King of being wrong and then finds out she is his bride-to-be. Later, Hae-ryung is told by her brother that he found her a husband.

Ch4 - Musing About Marriage and Historical Petition (Ep2.2)

Yi Jin visits Yi Rim in Nokseodang, feels guilty that he can’t protect him from SSC, and decides to consider the possibility of female historians. In the same days, Hae-ryung starts to prepare with little enthusiasm for the wedding and thanks to Seol-geum finds out that the officer of the burned books is her groom-to-be. After the declaration of the exam, U-won meets Yi Jin and they talk about his colleagues’ reactions.

💙💙💙 2nd lunar month 💙💙💙

Ch5 - Matters of Leverage (Ep2.3)

The SSC meets with the King to discuss Yi Jin’s decision and on the best way to deal with the matter of women inside a government office. Before leaving, he asks for his daughter and Yi Jin to assist to U-won’s wedding. One day later, Song Sa-hui tries to convince her father to let her take the exam. Faced with his refusal, she takes advantage of his relationship with SSC to get her chance and her shot at freedom.

Ch6 - A step Into the Unknown (Ep2.4)

On the eve of the wedding, Hae-ryung meets by chance U-won who was out with his colleagues. She tries to make him call off the wedding but, faced with the consequences that the people she cares about may have to endure and his promise to care for her, she gives up on that and accepts it. The morning later, Hae-ryung gives herself a pep talk just before the ceremony, which ends with U-won and her as husband and wife.

Ch7 - Behind the Mask

After the ceremony, U-hui meets Hae-ryung and is caught off guard by how easy it’s to like her, making her realize that she’s another SSC’s victim. Shortly after, Sa-hui offers her family congratulations (and Jang-su’s flowers) to Hae-ryung, hopeful that their friendship might be more than a charade. In the evening, Yi Jin meets U-hui and, while they don’t reach common ground, he starts questioning his prejudice against her.

Ch8 - Getting the Wedding Night Out of the Way

An annoyed Hae-ryung waits in her room for U-won to join her for dinner. When he finally shows up, they’re interrupted by the arrival of the drunk historians who tries to peek inside and are chased away by Seol-geum. After eating and exchanging a few words, they take off the wedding clothes and go to sleep on the opposite sides of the bed. While Hae-ryung falls asleep, U-won is overwhelmed by Dan-yeong’s memories.

Ch9 - Well Began is Half Done

Hae-ryung shares a heartfelt goodbye with her brother and leaves for the Min household. There, she meets the SSC, who gives her an awful first impression. The next day, she offers him the first greeting (of an indefinite number) where he starts asking about her past. In the evening, after having dealt with his colleagues’ awkwardness, U-won finds out that his father is trying to use Hae-ryung to make him quit his job.

Ch10 - Caught Between a Marriage and an Exam

Hae-ryung gets the chance to leave the house and hopes to find a way to change her situation. In the bookstore, she finds out about the exam for female historians and blackmails the owner to learn more. Upon returning from work, U-won finds Hae-ryung waiting for him. Once in his room, she asks him to let her take the exam. Realizing she would do it either way and that he doesn’t want to order her around, he gives his consent.

Ch11 - Stubborn as an Ox, Courageous as a General (Ep3.1)

On the day of the exam, Hae-ryung manages to leave the house undetected and runs to its site. There, she meets another married woman, Park Yeong-suk, and together they take the exam. During the evaluation, U-won involuntary recognizes Hae-ryung’s answer as the one that outraged everyone. In the meantime, just before the results are out, Hae-ryung finds out that her new friend is a historian’s wife too.

Ch12 - How to Become a Female Historian (Ep3.2)

Sa-hui finds out that Hae-ryung passed the exam and decides it’ll be impossible for her to pursue a true friendship with her. Later, at the interview, the Crown Prince’s sincere interest in her opinion catches her by surprise. U-won has a similar reaction when Hae-ryung is really among the selected candidates. In the end, Yi Jin selects four candidates and, at the proclamation, confirms that one of them is U-won’s wife.

Ch13 - Aftermath (Ep3.3 - Part1)

Officer Yang waits eagerly for the results but is appalled when he reads that one of the female historians is U-won’s wife, even more, when he doesn’t manage to explain how absurd it is to his friend. After dealing with resentful seamstresses, Hae-ryung finds out that her lunch was her brother’s idea and that the book with her fabricated memories of the past was misplaced. Out of the gate, U-won is waiting for her.

Ch14 - Aftermath (Ep3.3 - Part 2)

Hae-ryung and U-won walk together to their house. He tries to warn her about the difficulties she’ll encounter working in the palace. After a bit of teasing, she says that she’s glad that they’re becoming friends. At the house, they’re welcomed by Gwi-jae threatening Seol-geum and by the SSC (secretly pleased by how the exam went) who makes a scene and scolds them harshly for acting behind his back.

Ch15 - Royal Questions (Ep3.4)

A few days after the exam, Yi Jin meets with Yi Rim to gift him a chance to leave the palace and ends up asking his opinion on how to deal with U-hui. The next morning, Yi Rim tries to convince bookseller Kim to reveal the fake Mae-hwa’s identity, but he only learns that she has married into a powerful family. Days later, U-hui receives Yi Jin’s unexpected visit and equally unexpected offer of an alliance against her father.

💙💙💙 3rd lunar month 💙💙💙

Ch16 - Apprentice Goo Hae-ryung (Ep3.5)

Hae-ryung savors her newfound freedom, meets her fellow colleagues at the palace, and is teased by them about her relationship with U-won. Still opposed to the employment of female historians, Officer Yang misdirects the apprentices to show them how unwelcome they are. When they arrive at the office, he keeps being hostile to them and is pleased that U-won doesn’t try to protect them.

Ch17 - One Step Forward, Three Steps Back… and a Reckless Jump (Ep3.6)

Seol-geum is disappointed when Hae-ryung’s first day at work doesn’t end with a romantic dinner with U-won and is appalled when she tells her she’ll keep working. A few days later, Hae-ryung and U-won manage to have a brief exchange in the library but that’s cut short by the apprentices’ request for a hazing ritual. When the apprentices leave, U-won ends up being the one bearing the brunt of his colleagues’ indignation.

Ch18 - How to Survive a Hazing Ritual (Ep3.7)

The hazing ritual starts smoothly, so much that U-won ends up in a secret drinking competition with Hae-ryung. When drunkenness and competitiveness turn it into a ruthless and lawless showdown, Hae-ryung wins after drinking Officer Yang under the table. Sent home his colleagues, U-won deals with a very drunk Hae-ryung (who falls asleep on his shoulder) and wonders if it would be better for her to stay at arm's length from him.

Ch19 - Working Women (Ep4.1)

Dealing with the hangover, Hae-ryung sleeps in late and realizes it only when Seol-geum brings her breakfast, which forces her to run to the office. That evening, Sa-hui reaches her colleagues but leaves before they can see her, even if she still defends them when some girls mock them. The QD plans her next moves in light of the new developments (the unknown SSC’s spy; Yi Jin and U-hui’s encounters) and shows interest in meeting the female historians.

Ch20 - The Ones who Enter the Palace (Ep4.2)

The Queen Dowager invites the female historians for tea, reflects on their presence in the palace and, to test them, leaves Lady Choe free rein. After the apprentices go missing, U-won and his colleagues are forced to take action when they find out about the court ladies’ interference. Hae-ryung and her friends are lured into a trap and, while the latter deal with the court ladies’ harassment, the former barely manages to keep her tag and not be kicked out of the palace. Saved by the historians’ arrival, the apprentices have finally the chance to bring up their own grievances.

Ch21 - Things Left Unsaid (Ep4.3)

Jae-gyeong struggles with guilt and the necessity to keep his distance from Hae-ryung. An impromptu visit from the SSC and the realization that her fate is linked to that of her father-in-law force him to accept a new position. Holed up in the library, the apprentices cope with what happened. At the end of the day, Hae-ryung leaves the office with U-won and tries to clear the misunderstanding between them, only to be faced with the fact that their friendship may not be feasible.

Ch22 - Officer Min’s Troubles (Ep4.4)

Hae-ryung is escorted to the palace by Seol-geum, where she and the apprentices receive their first sacheak. Then, thanks to U-won (who thus manages to intrigue Hae-ryung), they attend the Royal Audience. In the meantime, Yi Rim’s last attempt to find out if the fake Maehwa became a female historian is thwarted by Sam-bo. In the ensuing quarrel, her identity as Officer Min’s wife is revealed, leaving him with oddly mixed feelings.

Ch23 - Roads Paved with Good Intentions (Ep4.5)

Yi Jin clashes with the Royal Council when a letter arrives from a province and is sent away by the King. In Nokseodang, he tries to weasel out from answering Rim about the audience and the Crown Princess before Vice-Chancellor Jo brings news about The Story of Ho Dam. That night, Yi Rim finds himself face to face with an assassin, to whom he reveals his identity, and is saved by an unknown archer. He passes out and when he wakes up from a nightmare, he finds out Hae-ryung brought him to an apothecary and runs away.

Ch24 - Of Stitches, Duty and Lies (Ep5.1)

At the autopsy, Hae-ryung and Yang argue on her wish to see the stitches of a prisoner. When her attempts fail, she pretends to have forgotten a meeting with U-won to leave the other apprentices and go back there. Along the way, she finds Maehwa being threatened by Gwi-jae and has to help him. Meanwhile, left the office, U-won heads to the Bureau too but, before that, meets A-ran and Eun-im who, guilty-tripping him despite her lie, reveals that Hae-ryung left them to go back to the Bureau.

Ch25 - Under His Father’s Shadow (Ep5.2)

With curfew just around the corner, Hae-ryung rushes back to the alley where she assisted Maehwa to find more clues on what happened between him and Gwi-jae and recovers both the sword and an arrow. In the meantime, SSC finds out about Prince Dowon’s presence and prepares a letter to Chancellor Hong, informing him of the news and his intention to visit U-hui. Not finding Hae-ryung at the Bureau, U-won heads to Hae-ryung’s brother’s house but finds her in an alley. With Hae-ryung adamant in finding answers, tension between the two grow until, just outside their house, U-won offers to investigate in her stead.

Ch26 - Out of Thoughtful Consideration (Ep5.3)

After a night spent tossing around in guilt, Yi Jin survives the morning Royal Lecture only to receive the request of Chancellor Hong for an unscheduled private meeting. Due to the outrage of women entering Injeongjeon, he requests to send them in the Inner Palace. Against it at first, Yi Jin accepts hoping it would help Yi Rim’s standing and demands for U-hui to be included. In the meantime, U-hui has an uncomfortable breakfast with the Queen, ecstatic by the prospect of an heir. The salving excuse comes in the form of SSC who has requested to see her. In a tense confusing meeting, she manages to convince him he might have the chance to use him against Yi Jin. Even if it leaves her with many doubts too.

Ch27 - Consequences and Coincidences (Ep5.4)

After Hae-ryung manages to convince Seol-geum that “nothing” happened the previous day and ignoring the uneasiness of all the people watching around the house, she is humiliated by SSC for the lateness of the night before. Then, she leaves for the palace with U-won, who urges her to hide better her emotions and ask her to wait for him to investigate about the sword. Arrived late at the office, U-won leaves for the Royal Lecture and Hae-ryung goes back to her usual chores. In the first free moment, though, she goes to check Grand Prince Dowon’s identity in the Record of Appearances. Finding nothing, she has soon the chance to go to Nokseodang thanks to the royal order sending the apprentices in the Inner Palace. There, she comes face to face with the fact that Maehwa is in fact Yi Rim.

Ch28 - Secrets and Records (Ep5.5)

Already aware of the upcoming changes for the Office of Royal Decrees, Sa-hui volunteers to be sent to the QD, to start spying for SSC as payment for her debt to him, and suspects Hae-ryung of similar reasons when she asks to go to Nokseodang. At the Daebijeon, she’s barred entrance until her threats to record this event grant her the permission. Inside, she witnesses the meeting between the QD and an unknown court lady about the latter’s “deceased relative”, who she later identifies as the eunuch Heo Sam-bo’s wife. In the meantime, Hae-ryung struggles with the impossibility to ask Yi Rim explanations for the previous evening. Resigned to leave empty handed, she’s stopped by him who ends up thanking her for the previous night (while hiding the truth). Back in the office, she and the other apprentices are berated by Officer Yang for their ineptitude. Then, she’s helped by U-won to put away books, something that makes her regret not being able to be wooed by his kindness.

Ch29 - Shadows of the Past (Ep5.6)

While dealing with the changes brought by the promotion “offered” by SSC, including the misguided congratulations for his bright career, and the necessity of staying away for Hae-ryung, Goo Jae-gyeong crosses path with someone who he thought dead: Mo-hwa. For his part, SSC has found a more discreet way to meet the King, who calls for him to criticize him for meeting U-hui without following the proper etiquette. After a perfunctory ask for forgiveness, SSC reveal to the King that his investigations are bearing fruits: Mo-hwa is alive, and they just need to wait for her to reveal herself. In the meantime, Mo-hwa, worried that Goo Jae-gyeong might snitch her presence to SSC, prepare herself to the worst outcome. When someone knocks at her door, though, it’s a grief-stricken Goo Jae-gyeong who asks her to continue his work. Hold back by their happier memories, Mo-hwa threatens and sends him away when he reveals he has something more important to protect. Only to confirm that he’s indeed the author of The Story of Ho Dam.

Ch30 - The Subtleties of Grin and Bear (Ep5.7)

U-hui waits anxiously for the chance of Hae-ryung finally being the female historians sent to her rooms. Their meeting, though, is made awkward by the sachaek and soon cut short by the arrival of Yi Jin who invites U-hui to assist at his shooting practice. While thinking at first it was just a perfunctory invite to gave credibility to their plan, she discovers that he invited U-won too. And, while feeling pity for Rim’s bad archery, she awkwardly endures Yi Jin’s cheerful attempts to make them look even closer. In the meantime, roped inadvertently in his brother’s plan, Yi Rim has to deal with Yi Jin’s using his book to “flirt”, seeing Hae-ryung and “cold-hearted” U-won exchange stolen glances, becoming the laughing stock due to his poor archery skills and being defeated by Hae-ryung herself. At the end of the archery practice, while U-hui, U-won and Hae-ryung are walking, he stays with Yi Jin and the two teases each other. In the end, though, he decides that the happy memories out-weight the embarrassment even if it’s written in the sachaek.

Ch31 - The Role of a Woman

Hae-ryung finds out that she needs to organize a dinner for the historians’ wives, task she accepts even after Officer Min offered a way out (since Officer Yang forgot to tell her earlier). On the evening of the dinner, she endures Seol-geum’s beauty treatment and greets her guests. Things go without much of a hitch, until Officer Hyeon’s wife decides to insult Hae-ryung, Officer Kim’s wife and the other apprentices. Hae-ryung sends her away and gets Officer Yang’s wife’s respects. On the day of the Sericultural Rites, U-hui secretly enjoys the noblewomen’s awkwardness due to Hae-ryung’s presence, but still has to endure the request, masked as worry, of concubines for Yi Jin. At the end, thanked Hae-ryung, she crosses path with Yi Jin, a meeting that leaves even more confused. On the day of gyeongsin, after the apprentices (on Officer Yang’s petty order), Officer Min and Officer Kim stay at the office to work, Sa-hui has to endure her colleagues’ theatrics and the impromptu reading of Maehwa’s romance novels. After A-ran and Eun-im fall asleep, and the two historians go back to work, Hae-ryung asks her why she chose to become an historian. The question is an echo of the one Yi Jin asked her on the day of the Sericultural Rites, and she replies coldly to Hae-ryung.

Ch32 - Just How Things Work

During the still imposed morning greetings, Hae-ryung finds out that her highly anticipated stipend is going to be collect by someone sent by SSC. And get called naïve for thinking it would’ve been anything different. Her mood soured, she doesn’t manage to get excited with A-ran and Eun-im and turns down their invite to go pick their stipends and go celebrate together. Soon after they have left, though, she regrets her decision and decides to join them. In front of the Gwangheungchang, though, she catches up with a dejected A-ran who not only reveals they didn’t get paid, but also that Eun-im has gone home to deal with loan-sharks. Together, they rush to her house and, thanks to A-ran’s quick wit and Hae-ryung’s position, they manage to send them away. Invited to stay for dinner by the grateful Oh family, Hae-ryung finds out corruption is widespread in how pays are supplied and collected and realizes she has to do something to stop such injustice.

Ch33 - The Weight of Personal Relationships

SSC receives the first report from Sa-hui, making him consider the possibility of her being a contingency plan if U-hui doesn’t birth an heir. Reading her notes, he starts suspecting both Eunuch Sam-bo’s wife being Mo-hwa and the QD’s disinterest for a concubine for Yi Jin. And, finding out Goo Jae-gyeong let Hae-ryung have a western-influenced education, he decides to remember him his place. In the meantime, Hae-ryung cannot sleep and decides to write a petition against the corruption of the clerks, but she doesn’t manage to show it to U-won, who she sees talking with Sa-hui.

🧡🧡🧡 4th lunar month 🧡🧡🧡

U-won is invited at Hae-ryung’s morning greeting to SSC, during which they are informed they’ll be spending a few days in the Goo household as tradition demanded. Leaving alone, U-won starts to feel guilty of having to yet talk with Hae-ryung about the sword. After the Royal Lecture, he meets Hae-ryung in front of the office who asks his opinion about the petition. Before he could say anything, Officer Jegal barges in and humiliate her, in front of all their colleagues. Asking to talk with her alone, he doesn’t manage to explain himself and is overwhelmed by guilt by the realization of how Hae-ryung is being hurt by their wedding.

Ch34 - What’s Wrong with Apprentice Goo?

Yi Rim waits with thinning patience the arrival of the running late apprentice, wandering around Nokseodang and hoping it isn’t Hae-ryung. When it’s indeed Hae-ryung who arrives, he tries to act nonchalant only to notice her tears and leave her alone to cry. Outside, he finds out what happened and his anger goes to Officer Min and his inability to not let her cry. To cheer her up, he comes up with the excuses he wanted to walk around the city. His attempts, though, aren’t well-received by Hae-ryung called to nurse her feelings while baby-sitting the energetic Yi Rim. Between swindling merchants and expensive snacks, they see Gwi-jae searching for a woman who, according to a blacksmith’s words, Hae-ryung suspects being the same one who healed the prisoner with stitches. On their way back, they cross paths with two kisaengs who disclose new details about the hazing ritual, much to Hae-ryung’s embarrassment and Yi Rim’s annoyance. Back at Nokseodang, Yi Rim asks Hae-ryung to be friends and she accepts.

Ch35 - The Most Untimely Only One Bed

Cheered up by the impromptu stroll through the city with Yi Rim and motivated by new clues about what Gwi-jae is searching for, Hae-ryung comes back to the office dead set to face the consequence of her poorly received draft of petition. Both on the route there and inside the office, she realizes that all the clerks are now furious with her. More than their petty attitude and Officer Hyeon’s childish digs, though, what irks her more is noticing that U-won seems completely unfazed by their previous argument. At the ring of the bell, they leave to stop at the Min household to receive the last advices of SSC and then leave for the Goo household. During journey, Hae-ryung keeps getting angry with U-won and with herself. At home, she is finally able to hug her brother again, but their meeting is cut short when a mysterious call (that she surmises must be from SSC) makes him leave. Left with U-won, they decide to go to sleep only to have to deal with Seol-geum’s attempts to facilitate a steamier night. Left with their awkwardness, Hae-ryung struggles to sleep, even more after U-won reveals nothing came from his investigations on the swords. Later, U-won still awake take a walk outside to get enough tired to ignore his sense of guilt and of inadequacy.

Ch36 - Of Marital Quarrels and In-law Bonds

After escaping the previous night a visit from SSC’s men, thanks to a note from Goo Jae-gyeon, Mo-hwa goes to secretly meet the QD. After showing to her what she received days before from Goo Jae-geyong (included the first draft of The Story of Ho Dam), they discuss about the possibility of trusting him or not. When Mo-hwa declares that, at least on that, they can believe him, the QD mentions why he might have chosen to forego his mission and his research: after marrying his sister to SSC’s son he probably felt overwhelmed by his own ambition. Mo-hwa is surprised by the existence of such a sister, and even if the QD concludes that he doesn’t matter, she still feels wary about it. In the meantime, Yang is debating with himself if going to work or not, only to leave for the palace scolded by his wife for how he handled the matter of Apprentice Goo’s petition. In front of the palace, and starting to consider his wife’s point of view, he sides with U-won, involuntary getting the clerks angry with the historians too. In the office, he ignores his work to observe U-won and Hae-ryung’s strained relationship only to reach a conclusion he finds absurd: are they starting to catch feelings for each other?