Empress ki is over so I want to dedicate this post to the only character I liked in this drama: the Yuan Emperor (played by Ji Chang Wook). It will be like a goodbye letter to him because he was such a tormented character, that he deserves one.
Dear Yuan Emperor,
Do you know how exasperating you were at first? My first thought about you was that you are stupidity personified. How could have I known that you were just scared by a new world filled with new people who didn’t care if you were a human being or a sack of potatoes? You were an illiterate prince, with no knowledge of the ways of the world or of the sword. Your only joy were the delicious persimmons.
I found for you a nickname: my silly lost puppy. You were silly because you always expected to receive love and loyalty, even from strangers. You were lost because you never found your way to become independent. Honestly I never thought that you would overcome the terror, sadness and loneliness which accompanied you throughout your life. From the start I knew that you’d only fall more and more as the story went on. You were doomed to fall. Why do I call you a puppy? You always projected the need to be protected, cared for, to be guided and saved from your sad destiny.
But don’t consider yourself a martyr. We know that you lacked will, that you were always passive and in the end you also obsessed over Nyang. This obsession ruined you more than the tyranny of El Temur. If I were a character in the drama I know that you would tell me to shut up and never dare to say something like this about Nyang ever again. Nobody truly loved you, even if I think you could have a chance to make Tanashiri like you if you had given her some attention. But that would require you to have the power of persuasion and overall life experience, things you never had. But I appreciate your steadiness and even your dream to be remembered as a good emperor. Also, I acknowledge Lady Ki’s efforts to teach you, but she didn’t do it selflessly: she had her own ulterior motives. I still don’t get why your own mother never tried to do that, considering that she was so eager to teach Maha behind your back. Why no one in that vast palace didn’t think to teach you something? Why did no one ever think that your wine may make you mad? Why even you couldn’t love yourself a little?
I don’t blame you for having trust issues and for having a low self esteem, because the circumstances and people around you made you this way. Have you ever been a real emperor for those who claimed to care about you? It never occurred to them to share their hidded agenda with you.
I have no intention to judge you, to analyze you or to convince you or someone else that I’m right. But I couldn’t help it but write my final thoughts regarding you, my favorite character in this drama. I liked your playful side, your innocence. I enjoyed watching you as a student and as a man in love, my silly lost puppy. Your days as a haunted, pained soul and as an alcoholic made me sad but even then I was on your side, because I knew that somewhere deep in your soul, you didn’t change. In fact, you succedeed to improve a lot your archery skills. I was so proud of you at that moment. But then I couldn’t stop myself thinking, even if it was just for a moment, that your self-improvement ends there. Once again, others manipulated you into doing their bidding. They convinced you to do what you otherwise wouldn’t have done. You got fooled by cheap tactics. Let’s say that I choose to blame your love for that. This event was meant to happen anyway.
In the end the Heavens gave you the chance to prove to yourself and to those who underestimated you all this time, that you can protect yourself and your loved ones. You used it wisely. You figured out on your own who was poisoning you, who was only pretending to be loyal. The truth had a bitter taste. It brought you pain and loneliness. But it also brought the things you fought for: peace and serenity. Can you feel the joy? After so much time, it’s a strange feeling, isn’t it? But your journey was so tiring, you need to rest. In your beloved’s arms, you fall in a deep sleep. Would you like to born again as you? I’m sure your next life will be an exciting adventure. Let’s look forward to it.
Farewell, my silly lost puppy
Many thanks to Bladey for helping me to edit this post
Aigoo! Dramas! 