Captivating the King episode 16 brought a sort of closure to the scheme of things, and finally, the King’s prayer paid off, and he was able to see Hee-soo once again. Yi-in’s entire life had been like a roller coaster ride. He stayed in Qing for a lot of years and the worst part was when he returned from there, he realized that his brother had changed, and he didn’t trust him one bit. After the death of his brother, he became the King, but he had to face so many issues that he couldn’t spend a single day in peace. Now, when everything seemed to be getting back on track, Prince Rui asked him to send Hee-soo to Qing. Will King Yi-in be able to resolve all the conflicts that troubled his mind? Let’s recap the events of the Captivating the King finale and find our answers.
Spoiler Alert
What did Queen Dowager propose to Yi-in?
Queen Dowager was actually happy about the fact that finally, Yi-in had somebody in his life whom he loved. She wanted him to marry her and then give the kingdom an heir to his throne. Queen Dowager didn’t like her at all, but the fact that she would bear the child who would sit on the throne changed everything for her. Hee-soo didn’t know how to feel, and she stood there quietly without uttering a word. Yi-in came and told her that neither he was going to send Hee-soo to Beijing, nor was he going to keep her as his concubine. He said that he loved Hee-soo with all his heart, but that was why he didn’t want to force her to do something that she didn’t want at that moment. The queen lost her mind, and she didn’t understand what she had done to deserve such behavior from her own son. According to Queen Dowager, she had sacrificed everything for her son, and now he wasn’t even grateful to her. Queen Dowager told Yi-In that she would leave the palace, but the King told her that instead of doing that, he would relocate to a different place. Queen Dowager didn’t understand why it was so hard for Yi-in to put his faith in his own mother. All she had tried was to fend for him, and now he hated her, and he didn’t agree to anything she said.
So later, in Captivating the King episode 16, Hee-soo told Yi-in that had he accepted his mother’s advice and kept her as a concubine. Yi-in very innocently accepted the fact that the prospect of being with Hee-soo did make him think twice, but he controlled his impulses and made the right decision. Hee-soo told Yi-in that even though she didn’t want to go, in this case, she would have to take risks and go to Beijing, as otherwise, the relationship between Qing and Joseon would get spoiled. She said that she wanted to go because her father was also in Beijing, and she would get to meet him. The King was not happy about the fact that he couldn’t save the love of his life once again, but he realized that he had no other option. For the next few days, the King told Hee-soo what she should do in order to survive in the Qing territory. He said that she should lose one out of three games against Prince Rui and that she should be very cautious about what she said and how she acted. Hee-soo knew the risks of going to a foreign territory, but she was well aware of the fact that there was no other route that she could have taken.
What happened to Jong Je-pyo?
Jong Je-pyo was in Joseon, and he was given the position of supreme general. When the Qing contingent was about to arrive at Mohwa guesthouse, he asked the king if he could go and personally welcome them. It was a known fact that he was acting as a double agent, and he had conspired with Prince Rui. Jong Je-pyo was the kind of man who could not be trusted, and Yi-in knew about that fact. He told his council of ministers not to worry about anything, as he had a plan in mind. Yi-in told the emperor of Qing that Jong Je-pyo had conspired with Prince Rui and committed treason. Prince Rui had passed away recently, and Jong Je-pyo realized that he needed another powerful ally who would support him. So, he did all sorts of things to win the favor of the emperor, but Yi-in was a step ahead of him. The emperor of Qing asked for Jong Je-pyo’s custody, and Yi-in was more than happy to hand him over. Jong Je-pyo cried and pleaded, but Yi-in knew that he was not worthy of being forgiven. He was the kind of man who could backstab even his closest ally, and that was why he needed to be banished.
Was Hee-soo able to come back to Joseon?
In Captivating the King episode 16, Hee-soo did go to Beijing, where we got to know that she was given the position of Gidaejo, which was a government post (though, a very coveted one). Chu Dul-ha accompanied her, but before going to Beijing, he did something that he had wanted to do for a very long time. Chu Dal-ha killed Yoo Hyun-bo, and he did it in such a manner that he didn’t get incriminated for it. Yoo Hyun-bo killed the caretaker of the place where he was staying, and Cha-dul Ha, taking advantage of the situation, slit his throat when he was trying to escape. Chu Dul-ha knew that, though killing a criminal who was exiled was a crime, now that he had murdered somebody, nobody would raise a finger at him. Chu Dal-ha’s name did not come up, and people believed that it was a bandit who had done the deed. Hee-soo was able to survive in Qing for 9 months, and after that, she was reunited with Bun-jeong. She played her cards well, and now that she was back, she wanted to live her life on her own terms.
During Captivating the King‘s ending, Hee-soo finally reunited with Yi-in and expressed to her how much he loved her. Hee-soo told her real name to Yi-in in the end, and she also told him that the Qing empire wouldn’t dare do anything against Joseon because of the precedent that Yi-in had set. Hee-soo said that Ewya Yi-in had punished his own uncle, won the hearts of the citizens, and sent a very strong message to the Qing empire. It all ended well for Yi-in and Hee-soo at the end. I hope they find a way to enter into a matrimonial alliance soon because, looking at them, anybody could tell that they were meant for each other.
