Jewel In The Palace

[Aphraeleiss]

Editted for direction - she doesn't put his clothes back on properly. She dresses the wound and binds it tight so it doesn't bleed, but can't dress him because of steric hindrance, I guess.

What I don't understand is why he walked around with a shoulder sling after ... he could've sprained it as well, I suppose. Pretty certain he didn't break anything.

Some of the longer arcs I have to watch again before I can post an accurate summary. Have to include more detail so the background story is clear.

[~*aims*~]

coolies ^^
hehe so she doesnt put his clothes back on properly xD
oh, he walks around with a shoulder sling cuz be4 the jap woman hits his chest, she threw a dart into his shoulder and he looks around and pulls it out, remember?
(so brave)

btw/ im a nut too. how nice. now there are two nuts on this forum.

[Nefertari]

Thanks Aphraeleiss. That's simply amazing!

Here's the dialogue from The Library Scene:
Episode 10, Scene XXX: CG is absorbed in a book of Chinese verses.......

CG: Sikong, what does 'sikong' refers to?
(Meanwhile, Sir Min enters from behind and answers her question)

Sir Min: 'Sikong' refers to those officials who govern over the commoners in that province, while 'situ' refers to officials who guide commoners in different provinces.........moreover, palace maids are not allowed to enter this place.

CG (looking embarassed): Very sorry. I'm a maid from Duo Zai Xuan, on my way to return to the Imperial Kitchen. Sir Zheng Yun Bai from DZX has instructed me to hand this letter over to Sir Pu Ren Hou of the Officials' Learning Library, that's why I'm here.

Sir Min: Sir Pu has been reallocated to guard over Quan Luo Ministery for a very long time.

CG (looking sorry and intimidated): I'm just abiding by Sir Zheng's instructions. This, (She fumbles and hands over her letter to Sir Min) this is the letter I have to hand over. You look like you're working here, hope you can pass this for me.

Sir Min keeps the letter, hesitates for a moment and decides to read it:

It's me. I have not entered the palace for a very long time, therefore do not know whether you have gone to other places. The purpose of this letter is to ask you a favour. The maid who's carrying this letter is the girl who overcome all obstacles to cultivate 'Bai Ben' successfully. I have observed her for some time. She's intelligent and eager to learn. I often heard that officials and palace ladies who are on familiar terms could borrow books for reading, so if you will, lend this child whatever books she wants to read. Compare to most useless officials, this child will bring a lot of good to the people.

Sir Min: I'm an official in the Inner Forbidden Division
CG: Eh ??
Sir Min: Inner Forbidden Division is the training place where they train young palace maids who first enter the palace to become 'nei ren'. You can come over here whenever you're free.
CG: My Lord, what you mean is.....
Sir Min: The contents of this letter is a request from Sir Zheng to Sir Pu to lend you books. Want to borrow a book of verses?
CG: I'm merely a lowly palace maid, could I read verses?
Sir Min: Even a mere palace maid can read verses. Only man will discriminate between status, books do not.

Sir Min's superiors enter and reprimands CG for being there. Sir Min explains she's just dispatching a letter for someone.

Some of the nouns I translated are inaccurate. If anyone knows the right word, pls correct me.

[~*aims*~]

Nefertari, u rock too ^^
i enjoyed reading that, those were really similar translations to the canto verison.
keep up the good work, guys!!!

[Aphraeleiss]

Duck Tonic Incident - what is it about ducks and this show?

The prince is prescribed some kind of nutmeg oil (tribute from China) for his insomnia/weak constitution, and the effects are potentiated by a duck tonic, which contains ginseng. It should only have happened if ingested in large quantities, but the effects were altered by the presence of ginseng in the diet. The young prince goes into a semi-paralytic state and JG's foster father is arrested for causing it since he made the duck tonic.

JG borrows a medical book through Sir Min to find the cause. When Sir Min sees JG, he asks why she hasn't been to the library in so long. She apologizes that she did not keep her promise as there was a delay, and requests a specific medical book for researching the remedy. Sir Min smiles boyishly and is ecstatic to help her find the book. JG discovers that ginseng can potentiate drug effects as it's added for this purpose in poisons used in the execution of royalty.

After trying many combinations of nutmeg an a large quantity of the duck tonic, JG is paralysed. The prince is treated appropriately once the imperial physicians knew about the cause and recovers without after-effect. The foster father is released.

Sanggong Competition - one drawn out saga with minor incidents in between:

JG never quite recovers her sense of taste even though she undergoes the same treatment, as she ingested far larger quantities of both ingredients. She mis-seasons (is there such a word?) Lady Chong's (most senior kitchen Sanggong) tribute to the Lady Pak (evil lady who's in charge of all the palace maids) and Lady Chong is berated, thinking that the Lady Pak was out to make things difficult for her due to political differences. Lady Pak schemes with Lady Choi to harm Lady Chong's health so that Lady Choi can take her place. Lady Chong knows that her health is failing and suggests directly to the King that a competition be held between Lady Han and Lady Choi to determine who has the skill to take her place so as not to allow the thirst for power to corrupt the palace kitchens.

Meanwhile, JG belatedly realizes that her sense of taste was not like before and is severely depressed, even though she keeps it to herself. She borrows medical books through Sir Min to find a treatment. Sir Min is very happy to see her. He is extremely impressed that she found the cause of the prince's paralysis, saying that she was very brave to try out the drugs herself. She replies that she knew of no other way, and he asks what books she wants to borrow this time round. He's surprised that JG wants to borrow yet more medical books, and asks her not to try the drugs herself again. He smiles and she smiles/blushes bashfully.

The Miso Incident:

The palace miso changes texture/taste and there's a huge uproar everywhere as it bodes ill for the entire kingdom. Lady Han and JG as well as Lady Choi and KY are sent out to investigate the cause.

Sir Min catches JG's foster father praying to the miso urns in the palace and finds out that he's JG's foster parent. He is released, however, as he's deemed to be harmless (and more importantly, because he knows JG). Sir Min apologizes for his rudeness during the interrogation. Good strategy to get into the in-laws good books. Don't tell me he's not interested at this point.

All the raw materials check out fine. JG notices that in a certain village miso fermented at certain locations have a better taste. She suspects it's due to the pollen in these localities and proves her suspicions by checking the miso in locations where trees have not been felled due to complaints from the palace miso-brewers that leaves had been falling into the miso urns. Pollen acts as a catalyst, like yeast, which helps in the full fermentation. JG saves the day once again. Lady Choi and KY are once again bitter as they merely found an alternate source of miso with a refreshing taste, but which the king did not prefer even though he praised it.

JG's loss of taste:

JG requests permission to visit DZX in a bid to find a cure. Ex-Imperial Physician guy is experimenting with using bee stingers for acupuncture after someone's chronic inflammation subsided when stung by a bee. JG requests that he try it on her. Sir Min barges in, annoyed that his soldiers have been stung by bees looking for hives for injuries, because of the physician's advice. He shows Sir Min and JG the effects of the acupuncture and treats the soldier's stings. Sir Min is understanding, but the physician said to keep it under wraps until he can verify the therapeutic effects on a more concrete basis, and apologizes for giving out information that had not been verified. Sir Min overhears JG asking the physician to experiment on her and knows that she has lost her sense of taste, only to be met with stern refusal, but is told that he will find a cure. So much for patient-doctor confidentiality. JG is somewhat encouraged while Sir Min looks concerned. Sir Min walks her back to the palace. He is empathic about it as he understands that losing the sense of taste for a kitchen maid would be akin to a soldier losing his limbs. He tells her a story about a court musician/composer who went deaf due to some accident, and went on to find all kinds of cures for his deafness, instead ending up as the greatest physician of his time. He then went on to compose one last song, which turned out to be the grandest melody that the kingdom had ever heard. She smiles at the encouragement. He says that he does not want to sound callous or patronising. Back at the palace, he passes her yet more books and encourages her to lift her spirits. KY sees them talking and is insanely jealous.

Sir Min slips JG a poem in the books to encourage her aftering finding out that she's lost her sense of taste. Something about a gingko seedling yet to grow, a lone bamboo standing strong and tall, a tree's shadow is merely transient, and that the setting sun only serves to exemplify the beauty of the fading light. Probably implying that her troubles are also transient, her potential yet unfulfilled, to stand strong and bask in the beauty of the other things she has in life. (Well, that's my limited understanding - I'm not very good with poems.)

JG is upset about her loss of taste, and loses confidence in her ability to help Lady Han with the first phase of the competition. Lady Han convinces JG to be confident in herself as her childhood training has equiped her with the gift of imagining and concocting tastes which complement each other, even without the need to taste it herself. JG performs very well in the tasks Lady Han sets for her, all without tasting the food she prepared. Lady Han is very impressed by her ability but JG is still diffident and searches for remedies to her problem. Lady Choi finds out that JG has lost her taste and schemes to get rid of her rival. A test is set for JG - she is to prepare whale meat without knowing what it tastes like. If she fails the task, she will be banished from the palace as she has lost her qualification to be a kitchen maid.

In between, JG visits DZX again and finally convinces the physician to use acupuncture on her. He also gives her a bottle of anti-venom so that she may take it in case of an anaphylactic reaction, but is told that if she takes it the effects of the acupuncture will be void (this was not followed up in the show). She doesn't take it even though she gets some swelling on her hands. Just before the competition, she consults her foster father on the taste/texture of whale meat, only to get a vague answer like beef or something. Before she leaves, she is made to eat a pig's gallbladder (something extremely bitter - really wouldn't want to eat that raw). After the whale is cooked, JG actually regains her sense of taste as a result of the bee acupuncture and the bitterness from the gallbladder. Even before she regains or realizes it, her dish was picked to be presented to the king as it was the most delicious among the four dishes prepared. JG tastes the whale out of curiousity and is ecstatic that she can taste it! Lady Choi is sorely disappointed and KY grows yet more bitter, as she realizes JG is more talented than her yet again. Lady Choi is embarrassed as JG's tastebuds are tested in public, before she realizes JG has already regained her full senses.

JG wants to thank Sir Min for his encouragement and makes him a box of goodies, saying that it pleases her immensely when the person eating the food she prepares does it with a smile. KY sees her in the kitchen, only to ask what she's doing. When JG says she's preparing food for someone who encouraged her when she was in the depths of despair, KY comments that she's lucky to have someone comfort her in the desolation of the palace. Sir Min is pleased that JG has come to look for him, and excitedly tells of a famous physician that he would like her to see, when she tells him of her recovery. She wants to express her thanks through the goodies, and he says he has done nothing much. JG insists that he has lent her tons of books, comforted her in time of need, helped her as and when he could, and mentioned that the poem he wrote was the best encouragement she needed at the time. He is extremely happy and I suspect very smitten by this point.

KY looks for Sir Min. Sir Min comes out smiling and almost leaping in his step thinking it's JG and is disappointed to see KY. I could've sworn he wanted to swallow his own head then. KY brings Sir Min an ancient inkstone that he has coveted since young, but he almost rejects her offer. She mentions the first time they meet in her uncle's store, he smiles politely and comments that she doesn't look well. She says that she has lost confidence many times in the palace (since the amulet incident actually, which she doesn't mention). He then tells her of JG's words, that to think of the person enjoying the food having a smile on his face and to take joy in the little things, to soldier on and have confidence in herself. KY is heartened.

The Nanny Incident:

Sir Min is sent to outlying regions on the pretext of protecting the Queen's old nanny who's sick, along with an imperial physician and JG's foster father. His real task is to investigate the discrepancy between the reported harvest and actual harvest. Sir Min ignores JG's foster parents' request for the army to buy wine from their brewery. Not the smartest thing for in-law strategy, but later on he relents and asks them to send wine to his place for his own use.

JG loses the first phase of the competition after using good quality ingredients for what's supposed to emulate a peasant's diet. She is sent to some Temple, where the Nanny is living out her last days. JG arrives at the temple depressed over how Lady Han disapproves of her. Sir Min first sees her throwing stone by the pondside and smiles, wanting to walk over to her, but holds back as she seems upset. He's genuinely concerned and asks her foster father what the problem is. She doesn't know he's there yet. The same night, JG walks across the entrance of a certain praying hall, and sees Sir Min praying to the gods from the back. She recognizes him almost immediately and smiles with pleasure to see him, but doesn't acknowledge him that night. The next day, JG's foster father drags her off to the beach to cheer her up. It's the first time JG has seen the sea. She gazes at the sea off a cliff for a few moments, before proceeding down to the shore, removing her shoes and prancing around in the water with her skirt hiked up, along with the foster father. She runs around happily for a few moments and goes off a bit further. Sir Min appears on a piece of rock jutting above the water surface, out of nowhere. JG is shocked, drops her shoes in the water and stares at him with huge bewildered eyes, not daring to smile. He smiles warmly (I think that smile sizzles, BTW), and they both start prancing around in the water, splashing at each other.

By the fireside, JG's foster father is absent as he's drunk, leaving the couple alone. JG says it's the first time she's seen the sea, and Sir Min replies he hasn't been to the beach in a long time. It's like returning to his childhood days. JG says that when she was young, her mother often hit her for catching rabbits but she still did it anyways. Sir Min comments gently that her mother must have been very strict. JG shakes her head sadly and tearfully recalls the incidents leading to her parents' deaths and her part to play in it, revealing that her father was an official involved in the execution of the then-deposed Queen and was thus condemned to be a fugitive. If she hadn't called out that her father was a soldier in public, he wouldn't have died, and neither would have her mother. Sir Min almost regrets asking why she ended up all alone. JG apologizes for her lack of etiquette, saying that when the time is right, one day, she will tell him the whole truth. Interesting how she assumes that he will always be in her life from this moment.

The next day, JG is told to go to the marketplace for some herbs. Sir Min escorts her there as he has some errand to run. On the way back, they are almost waylaid by some "robbers" who are actually Choi's henchmen (they may or may not be Japanese). They make it back to the temple and hide in the storage area for a while, with the help of the temple keeper. JG realizes that the food in the temple has a unique taste and keeps pestering the temple keeper for his secrets.

In the meantime, JG goes on the hunt for the special type of rice that the Nanny tasted when she was a child, just before her brother died. She wants to bring him the rice that he died for in the nether world, and would leave with regrets if she doesn't do so. JG tries to dry the rice from the temple keeper for the Nanny as she doesn't have much time left. It doesn't taste right even though it's the same type of rice. The temple keeper then comes later with rice that has been properly sundried, and the Nanny dies without regrets. She later realizes that it takes patience and sincerity - there is no shortcut. This is what Lady Han wanted her to realize all along.

Sometime in between, JG confides in Sir Min regarding why Lady Han banished her, how she was upset that Lady Han denied her talents, but realizes that it was meant for her own sake that she not let her talents get to her head and lose all that she's worked hard for in order to win. A congenial moment passes between the two in the courtyard, and this is seen by KY who leaves in tears. KY later sees Sir Min buying a very thin calligraphy brush for JG, specifically saying he wanted a brush for writing in a booklet to the storeowner, and is livid, remembering how Sir Min commented that JG's brush was too thick. She leaves without talking to him even though she had come specially just to see him with her days off. She is determined to win the competition for more senior Sanggong, bearing a grudge towards JG for stealing her childhood "sweetheart".

Sir Min hands JG the brush, claiming that it's one of his. JG is grateful to be able to borrow it. I will hit anyone who tells me he's not interested at this point. Why else would he lie about the origins about the brush? It's a new brush, dammit!

They leave for the palace after all the matters have been taken care of after the Nanny dies.

[Nefertari]

That was a beautiful interpretation of Sir Min's poem. It's sooooo romantic. Somehow, I empathize with KY. She could have made her move much earlier, after watching Sir Min for so many years. Can't really blame CG when she can't keep her guy. After all, she has given her last goodbye to Sir Min many years ago.

I like the way Sir Min looks whenever she sees or hears CG's name.

[~*aims*~]

''Sir Min hands JG the brush, claiming that it's one of his. JG is grateful to be able to borrow it. I will hit anyone who tells me he's not interested at this point. Why else would he lie about the origins about the brush? It's a new brush, dammit!''

nono, you're confused. he's not interested at this point xD
kidding lah, no need to hit me ^^

keep going!!! yay! *prance* i luv reading ur summeries. keep up the great work

[arachidonic]

''Sir Min hands JG the brush, claiming that it's one of his. JG is grateful to be able to borrow it. I will hit anyone who tells me he's not interested at this point. Why else would he lie about the origins about the brush? It's a new brush, dammit!''

nono, you're confused. he's not interested at this point xD
kidding lah, no need to hit me ^^

keep going!!! yay! *prance* i luv reading ur summeries. keep up the great work

Lol.. whats with the extra comments?? Anyways, I like your expression on hitting someone.. I would do that too.. that person had to be senseless if s/he says that..

Anyways, great work, Aphraeleiss! I would do an episode guide too.. but I'm having exams at the moment >_< plus, don't have the series..

[Aphraeleiss]

I can't help it! I usually write more creatively than this but when you're fastforwarding and doing it as you watch it's a bit difficult. It reads like a typical Chinese-English translation with no feeling in it. Argh!!!

Makes me want to learn Korean so I can watch it without subtitles.

[~*aims*~]

i wish i could listen to it in korean! that would b so cool! xD yay no more translations...

[Aphraeleiss]

I really should be doing some honest work. It's not healthy when you feel a sense of accomplishment doing a romance moment guide on somewhat fictional characters in a periodic drama, that isn't even of your own culture.

It really irritates me to hear dubbed shows - that's why I didn't get into the show in the beginning - I judged it pretty harshly on page 8 of this thread or something. My parents liked it so we ended up getting the DVD set and I was hooked from the first episode even though I was supposed to be just checking the discs. I think I'm going to have to burn backup copies so the original doesn't melt from overuse.

I hope I can finish the moment guides soon. Won't be able to get to a real ep guide for quite some time after. Really have to do some honest work. Good thing I no longer have to take any exams, well, not for another year or two at least.

[~*aims*~]

haha...by the sound of it, i think they might melt soon xD
i would b devastated if my dvds got scratched or started dying ><

[Aphraeleiss]

Need more mushy emoticons. Am I flooding this thread? I might get stoned soon for posting spoilers.

[Nefertari]

I really should be doing some honest work. It's not healthy when you feel a sense of accomplishment doing a romance moment guide on somewhat fictional characters in a periodic drama, that isn't even of your own culture.

Actually I feel ancient Korean culture is pretty much similar to ours - the values, thinking and social norms were adapted from our Confucian system. Moreover, the show really has a very deja vu feeling as if you're watching a Chinese show, rather the modern Korean dramas, so it's in fact very healthy to feel such a sense of accomplishment. I'm quite surprised that the Koreans had a more beautiful culture than us Chinese. They appreciate beauty well.

It really irritates me to hear dubbed shows - that's why I didn't get into the show in the beginning - I judged it pretty harshly on page 8 of this thread or something.

Same here. It sounds much much better in Korean, the sentiments and feelings tend to flow. I encourage everyone to hear it in Korean if they have the chance. How can anyone make such a perfect show? I don't understand why I feel sad even though the show had a happyending. Perhaps, good times were too short and the show ended too early.

Anyone know anything about the story of the sequel?

[Nefertari]

Nefertari, u rock too ^^
i enjoyed reading that, those were really similar translations to the canto verison.
keep up the good work, guys!!!

Thanks aims, that's very encouraging. It's a pleasure reading your posts.

[Aphraeleiss]

What sequel?

[Nefertari]

Here's the article:

http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/m/2005-09-29/1105854260.html

It says LYA won't be the leading actress as her schedule wouldn't permit it.

How did LYA get her nickname - The Oxygen Woman from her commercials?

[TommyH]

To tell the truth I didn't like this series. It was long... 70 episodes or something. And it included a lot of things that didn't need to be included. I'm sure it would have been better if it was only 30 episodes or something. Having 70 episodes is stunning and obviously long. Very little people would have the time to watch something so long and complex to understand.
I just finished the last episodes today...and I actually regretted watching it. It was really bad. And I admit the truth that it couldn't have lived up to it's rating of 42 (really high in Hong Kong standards) and recieve the highest rating for 6 weeks.
I really wish someone could explain the unsatisfaction of this series.

[~*aims*~]

Nefertari, i luv reading your posts too xD *hi 5* aha...
TommyH...DJG is a long series...ie 54 x 1 hr episodes or 71 x 45min episodes, but i think alot of ppl would agree that its not LONG ENOUGH!!! i guess if u really get into it, you never want it to end *sob*.
you really didnt like it that much? i can totally understand why it had such high ratings all around the world...and for such a long time too!
its such a perfect combination of politics, conspiracy, LOVE!!!, gourmet and medicine...and the drama develops really well too.
xD
too bad u didnt like it >< ... you can learn alot from this drama.

[Aphraeleiss]

If you're used to TVB pacing, you won't like how "slow" it is. In actual fact, I didn't like War and Beauty that also had high ratings, exactly because of the opposite reason. Not enough detail, plotholes in court etiquette, poor acting. Some things should just never happen in an imperial palace. This is not the case with DJG - alot of research was done and while I don't agree with the medicinal bits of it seeing I'm from a medical background, it is a periodic drama and based on a time where medical advances had not progressed to the current stage. I can live with that. I didn't like it at first either. You have to have time to appreciate it. If you expect a quick resolution to everything, you aren't going to like it. To each his/her own, no need to feel bad about it, or worry about why people like it so much. We just do. Love is unconditional.

To be honest, if you don't understand Korean or can't read at least Chinese subtitles, alot of the plot is lost in the translation to English. I wouldn't attempt to watch a periodic drama with English subtitles. Dubbing is the absolute worst thing you can do to a show like that.

I can't help but wonder what the storyline for the sequel would be. It'd be hard for the new girl to fill LYA's shoes, and I suspect it's going to ride on the success of the original. But if LYA were to do it, it'd have more of a copycat feel because it's supposed to be an entirely different character altogether. I think she's smart to have declined it. It's just not the same. But my heart still aches. I so want to see more of JG and Sir Min together!