My Dearest (2023) Episode 5

Episode 5 of My Dearest starts with Jang-hyun saving Gil-chae, Eun-ae, Jong-jong, and Madam Bang-doo from the intruders, and she calls him “my dear.” Jang-hyun is excited about Gil-chae calling her this and constantly teases her, telling everyone that she called him her husband. They help the ladies rest by building them a tent and starting a fire to keep them warm.

Since Jang-hyun does not stop teasing her about the “my dear” comment, she tells Jang-hyun that she said so because she mistakenly thought he was Yeon-joon. Jang-hyun is discouraged by her words and walks back to the campsite.

When Gil-chae comes back and joins him around the campfire, he wonders loudly if Master Yeon-jun is worried about the two women waiting for his return or if he is only fixated on saving the King. Gil-chae thanks him for telling her to flee. 

The next morning, Jang-hyun, Ryang-eum, and Goo-jam leave to continue chasing their enemies. He leaves a horse and a wagon for Madam Bang-doo. They meet with Hyeon-joon and other survivors of the ambush. They are tired and starving, so they offer them food.

Hyeon-joon is still eager to save His Majesty and is headed towards General Kim Jun-ryong’s army camped at Mount Gwanggyo. Jang-hyun is still not interested in saving the King. When Jang-hyun tells Yeon-joon about the ladies fleeing the village, he still does not choose to protect Eun-ae but vows to die while protecting the King. He only trusts that protecting the King means protecting the people. Jang-hyun decides to go with Yeon-joon to the general’s camp. 

The ladies arrive at Bul Kang’s residence but there is no one around. They help each other make a meal with great difficulty since none of them are used to working in the kitchen. 

General Kim Jun-ryong’s army at Mount Gwanggyo is ambushed as soon as Jang-hyun and the rest arrive. Elsewhere, some people heading to Mount Gwanggyo try to steal Gil-chae’s horse. They tell them they are heading closer to the army to feel safe and volunteer to help the injured soldiers. Eun-ae wants to join them, which forces the ladies to stop fleeing and head up the mountain as well. 

Gil-chae does not like helping the injured. Jang-hyun arrives at the camp and Gil-chae seems full of emotions as they look into each other’s eyes until an injured Yeon-joon is brought to the camp. Gil-chae and Eun-ae rush to his side and even though Jang-hyun is also bleeding, Gil-chae does not go to his aid.

Jong-jong brings Gil-chae back to her senses and she no longer stays at Yeon-joon’s side. However, she goes to confront Jang-hyun, blaming him for not caring for Yeon-joon and letting him get injured. They get into an argument over Gil-chae liking a taken man and when Gil-chae blames him for Yeon-joon’s injury, he walks away. 

Gil-chae notices that he is bleeding and forces him to sit and wait for her to get some supplies and take care of his wound. Eun-ae goes to thank Jang-hyun for saving Yeon-joon’s life. She also tells him about who Gil-chae looked at when they received news about the intruders. She looked at him. Eun-ae knows that Gil-chae thinks she has romantic feelings for Yeon-joon, but Eun-ae does not. She might cherish Yeon-joon but the one she loves is Jang-hyun. When asked. Gil-chae denies looking at Jang-hyun. 

Jang-hyun suggests that instead of neither accepting their feelings nor agreeing to be lovers, they should mull over their relationship and decide whether they want to be lovers or nobodies. The mulling should stop when one of them loses interest or feels strong feelings of desire. Gil-chae gets agitated by the suggestion and bangs the door in Jang-hyun’s face. Jang-hyun sits outside her room and listens to her sleep. The moon is bright and Jang-hyun thinks to herself that since when the moon is bright, Gil-chae is always by his side, he will now be thinking of her anytime the moon is bright. Jong-jong arrives to find Jang-hyun outside their room. She tells him it is curious how smell and discomfort made it hard for Gil-chae to sleep but she always sleeps soundly when Jang-hyun is around. When they met on the mountain, she also slept well. Jong-jong asks Jang-hyun to send Goo-jam her regards. 

The next morning, Jang-hyun follows the ladies when they go in search of herbs. He watches Gil-chae from a distance and smiles at her efforts. He helps the women cross the river by carrying them across, which makes Gil-chae jealous. When it is her turn, she wonders whether he helped all the women across since he wants to get to know all of them better. Jang-hyun answers that carrying her across is different because his feelings are different. 

The men are called back to go on an all-out war with the enemy. Jang-hyun finds a ribbon in his bag; Gil-chae secretly slipped it in. Jang-hyun asks Yeon-joon to leave since the general is asking them to die. Noticing that he will not persuade the men from going to their deaths, he chooses to help them win a victory. 

Jang-hyun knows that the intruders never leave the corpses of their comrades on the ground after a battle. They never want their bodies to fall into the hands of their enemies. Jang-hyun helps the Joseon army to disguise themselves as corpses and ambush them. They get their first victory when Ryang-eum kills the general. 

The King receives news of General Kim Jun-ryong’s victory. The army is happy and motivated but the joy does not last long when they receive news that the Qing army attacked the reinforcements bringing provisions and weapons to the army. They try to be optimistic but they are dejected, wondering about the way forward. 

Jang-hyun and his team want to leave. Pyo Eon Kyum, the senior eunuch serving the Crown Prince, mandates that Jang-hyun accompany him to the palace. Jang-hyun has no choice since failure to do so will brand them as foreigners disloyal to the king. 

Jang-hyun and the team make it to His Majesty. Although General Kim Jun-ryong’s army won a single battle against the Qing army, it’s not enough. The officials and the King debate whether to mediate or continue an all-out war. The king sends the Qing army a truce offer of wine and meat.

The General tells the forces sent that he will no longer be discussing issues relating to the countries with the majesty since the Qing emperor Khan was coming to Joseon. 

The arrival of the self-proclaimed emperor is received with panic. The Joseon people are not sure whether it is true or just a rumor. Pyo Eon Kyum brings Jang-hyun to the Crown prince when he asks for someone who knows the mind of the Jins’.

However, the discussion does not go well since Jang-hyun holds the principle that he is not interested in saving the King. The prince gets angry and hits him, making Jang-hyun bleed. The crown prince orders Pyo Eon Kyum to kick Jang-hyun out of the fortress. 

Pyo Eon Kyum understands that Jang-hyun is serious about saving people. He tells him about the arrival of Khan, which means the people of Joseon, the ones Jang-hyun is compassionate about, are not safe. 

Jang-hyun comes with a  plan to go undercover at Jin’s military camp. He intends to find out why Khan is willing to risk his life and come to Ming when they are still at war. He holds that he wasn’t doing it for his majesty but to help Pyo Eon Kyum end the war as soon as possible. 

Jang-hyun and Ryang-eum disguise themselves as porters and enter the enemy camp. The bright moon connects Jang-hyun, who enters the enemy camp, to Gil-chae, who is crossing the lake and heading towards Ganghwa Island. She remembers Jang-hyun’s vow, “I swear by the moonlight, this time, wherever you are, I will make sure I find you.”

The Episode Review

Although the episode helps us understand Jang-hyun’s personality better, he is still a mystery to be unravelled. He is compassionate about the people but could care less about the government. His feelings for Gil-chae are growing stronger, and Gil-chae somehow realises his feelings too.

She is still clouded by her infatuation for Yeon-joon though, whose character at this point is somehow annoying. He is like a fanatic, only caring about the King, but it is understandable since those are the values that have been engraved in him all his life.

He provides a different perspective to the war, one that only cares about saving the King, while Jang-hyun is the perspective that cares about the people. The problem is all Yeon-joon has is fanatism and no skills in times of war, while Jang-hyun has compassion and skills.