Chapter 9 Summary: Daehyun
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary (Chronological)
Daehyun is leaving the palace after an audience with the king when he witnesses King Yeonsangun beating and then beheading a royal physician. The king rages because the physician let Lady Seungpyeong die, despite her being in good health days earlier. The king believes she was poisoned, noting a suspicious substance in her tea bowl. He orders Eunuch Mun to summon Investigator Gu and begins a murder investigation.
After the king departs, the maid Jiyu approaches Daehyun. She reveals that Royal Guard Min Hyukjin’s sister requested he procure medicine for her, threatening punishment if he refused. Jiyu had warned Hyukjin that bringing outside medicine into the palace was forbidden, yet he did so anyway. She then connects this to Lady Seungpyeong’s death: Court Lady Sonhui had tasked Hyukjin with procuring kyungpo-buja for the deceased lady. The herb can be a cure or a deadly poison. Daehyun realizes Hyukjin is entangled in a dangerous situation.
Key Events
- King Yeonsangun murders a royal physician for failing to save Lady Seungpyeong.
- The king reveals Lady Seungpyeong’s death and suspects poisoning; he orders an investigation.
- Daehyun is frozen in fear during and after the killing.
- Jiyu informs Daehyun about Hyukjin’s illicit procurement of medicine.
- Jiyu reveals that Court Lady Sonhui commissioned the kyungpo-buja for Lady Seungpyeong.
- Daehyun recognizes the herb’s dual nature as both remedy and poison.
Character Development
- Daehyun – His horror at the king’s violence shows his moral sensitivity, but also his helplessness. His initial dismissal of Jiyu’s news gives way to dread as he pieces together the danger to Hyukjin.
- King Yeonsangun – Displays volatile grief and paranoia, lashing out violently and immediately assuming foul play. His treatment of the physician reinforces his cruelty.
- Jiyu – Her loyalty to Daehyun and her courage in delivering the news, despite her trembling, highlight her resourcefulness as a low-ranking informant.
- Min Hyukjin – Though not present, the accusation against him deepens his role as a pawn caught between the king’s court and his sister’s demands.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
- Violence as routine – The murder takes place in plain sight; attendants vanish without intervening. The palace is a space where violence is normalized.
- Poison and trust – Kyungpo-buja symbolizes the paradox of healing and killing. The herb’s ambiguity mirrors the dangerous web of loyalties where even well-intentioned acts can be deadly.
- The king’s madness – His emotional instability (weeping, then killing) underscores the thematic tension between power and sanity.
- Information as weapon – Jiyu’s secret delivery of news demonstrates that knowledge—even from a lowly source—can shift the balance of power.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter sets the plot’s central mystery: the poisoning of Lady Seungpyeong. It directly implicates Court Lady Sonhui and Min Hyukjin, raising stakes for both the investigation and Daehyun’s personal involvement. It also deepens the portrait of King Yeonsangun’s tyranny, making any attempt to uncover the truth more perilous.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does King Yeonsangun kill the royal physician?
The king blames the physician for failing to save Lady Seungpyeong. In his grief and rage, he beheads the man, believing the physician allowed her to die despite the king’s order to save her.
2. What does Jiyu reveal about Min Hyukjin and the poisoning?
Jiyu tells Daehyun that Hyukjin’s sister coerced him into bringing medicine into the palace. Later, Jiyu reveals that Court Lady Sonhui had tasked Hyukjin with procuring kyungpo-buja for Lady Seungpyeong, the same herb now suspected as the poison that killed her.
3. How does Daehyun react to the news of the poisoning?
Daehyun is initially frozen from witnessing the murder; he snaps at Jiyu, dismissing her news. But as she explains the connection to kyungpo-buja, dread constricts his heart, and he realizes Hyukjin is entangled in a dangerous situation.