"Scarlet Heart Ryeo" finally begins to escalate its political plot in the palace. The 4th prince Wang So will begin to engage in a bloody plot against other princes to ascend the throne, similar to Hae Soo's premonition. Meanwhile the drama still struggles to win viewers' attention in Korea, as its rating remains in a slump.
In "Scarlet Heart Ryeo" Episode 12, prince Wang So was assigned by his father King Taejo to become an ambassador to China's ruler the Jin dynasty. Wang So conducted the assignment on condition the king would allow Hae Soo to be back in the palace. King Taejo agreed, but silently told the astronomer Choi Ji Mong to put Hae Soo in the places where prince Wang So could not visit.
Before he went off for an official duty to China, prince Wang So visited Hae Soo and consoled her. But Hae Soo told Wang So to forget her, which he rejected and asked her instead to wait for him in the palace. Prince Wang So, who had no idea of his father's plan to expel her, gave Hae Soo a quick smooch.
Time passed by one year after and the celebration for the king's 26th year in power draws near. Crown prince Wang Mu began to suspect his father would select another prince to replace him. Other princes also put their focus on the throne.
Meanwhile prince Wang So came back from mission to kingdom of Jin and reporting to the king about the political condition and conflict between Jin and Khitan. When the king ordered him to return to China, Wang So refused because he knew his father has not kept the promise.
In the palace, as the king's health was deteriorating and the king ordered astronomor Choi to summon Hae Soo to the palace. After the meeting with the king, Hae Soo heard the battle sound in the palace which may be another premonition of the power struggle between the princes.
Although the story began to be more appealing, the Moon Lover drama remains unable to regain the heart of viewers in Korea. Its rating on Oct.3 is still at a slump, with 7.9 percent in Nielsen Korea and stuck at the bottom of the list.
While in the TnMS rating, the Moon Lover drama was toppled from the Top 20 position with only 6.8 percent. The 20th position in the TnMs rating on Monday, Oct. 3 is taken by SBS educational program Master of Living with 7.9 percent.
