The grand plan of revenge sketched by the idle crown prince Kang Tae-oh has been unveiled.
The heart‑throbbing romance and nerve‑shredding court intrigue that captivate viewers every week on the MBC Friday‑Saturday drama "Moon River" (writer Jo Seung‑hee/ director Lee Dong‑hyun/ planning Kwon Seong‑chang/ produced by HiJeum Studio) have intensified as the crown prince Yi Gang (played by Kang Tae‑oh) begins full‑scale moves to topple Left State Councilor Kim Han‑cheol (played by Jin Goo).
Up to now, Yi Gang has prepared thoroughly to take revenge on Kim Han‑cheol, who not only manipulated the royal family to his will but also took away his mother and the woman he loves. He pretended to be a reckless wastrel who frequents brothels and indulges in luxury without thought, but behind the scenes he lived determined to exact vengeance more fiercely and meticulously than anyone else.
Yi Gang's plan is to prove that the Gyesa year incident, in which the late king's family all died suspiciously, was poisoning by jimdok and to reveal the owner of that jimdok—namely, Kim Han‑cheol—as the real perpetrator and traitor. Even after Yi Gang's body was swapped with Park Dal‑yi's (played by Kim Se‑jeong), he did not let go of the thread of revenge; instead, using Park Dal‑yi's body to conceal his identity, he set out to directly track down traces of jimjo.
In particular, Yi Un (played by Lee Shin‑young), who secretly traveled to and from Qing, was hunting for jimjo, and the addition of the son of a jimjo merchant who appeared because of this led them to a decisive clue. Furthermore, Kim Han‑cheol's daughter and concubine, Kim Woo‑hee (played by Hong Soo‑joo), informed Yi Gang of the jimjo's location to break off the state marriage, making it seem the long, bitter fate was finally coming to an end.
However, when Park Dal‑yi, who had been striving to help, was chased by jimjo and faced death, Yi Gang without hesitation shot a fire arrow and killed the jimjo, shocking everyone. Kim Han‑cheol intended to pin all evidence related to jimjo on the dead manufacturer court lady; because Yi Gang needed to capture the jimjo alive to prove that Kim Han‑cheol was the true owner of the jimjo, he had to take it alive. As a result, one powerful piece of evidence that would have revealed Kim Han‑cheol as the mastermind behind the Gyesa year incident disappeared and everything returned to square one.
Faced with the choice between a chance to catch his long‑time enemy Kim Han‑cheol and saving the woman he loves, Park Dal‑yi, Yi Gang decided to save Park Dal‑yi, a romantic decision that moved viewers, and now all eyes are on his next plan. It remains to be seen what other bold move Yi Gang will take against Kim Han‑cheol after his long quest for revenge was disrupted.
Kang Tae‑oh's lone struggle to topple the towering absolute power represented by Jin Goo continues on the MBC Friday‑Saturday drama "Moon River," broadcast every Friday and Saturday at 9:40 p.m.<
[photo] "Moon River"
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