Protecting Prince Gye-seong and the Crown Prince from the rumors, Queen Hwa-ryeong takes matters into her hands in Under The Queen’s Umbrella.
Aware that Queen Dowager knows about Prince Gye-seong’s secret, the Queen sets the secret chamber on fire. Prince Seong-nam moves forward to the second exam tackling the solution to the plague. Despite the risks, Prince Seong-nam meets a doctor in the quarantined village to find the cure for his brother’s disease.
Marcie Line watched Under The Queen’s Umbrella on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 & 04 | 05 & 06 | 07 & 08 | 09 & 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Finale + Review
“Under The Queen’s Umbrella” Is Shot At The Largest Historical Drama Set In Korea
Under The Queen’s Umbrella Episodes 3 and 4 Highlights
“Rumors are covered by rumors. However, we can hide the truth for only so long.”
Consort Ko reports to the Queen Dowager of Prince Gye-seong’s secret, but her assumptions get dismissed since she isn’t certain.
As the first examination for the cohort selection commences, the questions perplex the princes. While other mothers are outside the test venue, the Queen watches over the unconscious Crown Prince. In his journal, the Queen reads how her son faints more often.
Missing his morning class, rumors begin to spread of the Crown Prince being ill. With that, the Queen cancels all of her son’s schedule and convinces him to recover first before showing up in public.
Royal officials siding with Prince Ui-seong watch out for the marker words to indicate it is his paper and give him a high score. Tackling the unexpected questions creatively by drawing one thick line to create two moons and considering the season for workers, Prince Seong-nam fascinates the King while baffling other officials.
As a result, Princes Ui-seong, Bo-geom, Gye-seong, and Seong-nam become eligible to take the second exam.
Talk in front of the royal officials, the Queen requests permission from the King to allow the Crown Prince to stay at a hot spring for his skin disease. Unknown to all, the Crown Prince is secretly being treated in the Queen’s chambers to cover the rumors.
Hearing Bo-geom ranked first place, Consort Tae pledges her loyalty to Queen Dowager, sticking to her promise of obeying all the Dowager’s orders. In exchange, the Dowager readily agrees to provide support to Bo-geom’s exam preparations.
“There will come a day when those who have different wishes from those of others no longer have to hide.”
Finding ways to prevent Prine Gye-seong from going to the secret chamber, the Queen assigns him to study together with Prince Seong-nam.
Court Lady Shin reports to the Dowager about the Crown Prince secretly recovering in the Queen’s chamber. Asked about Prince Gye-seong’s rumors, Court Lady Shin feigns ignorance, which convinces the Dowager since she spilled the truth on the Crown Prince.
Now assuming the Queen and the King are unaware of Prince Gye-seong’s secret, the Dowager decides to show the secret chamber to them. Sensing the Dowager’s move, Court Lady Shin excuses the Queen out.
As they arrive there, the secret chamber is on fire. Confronting each other, the Dowager doesn’t deny her ambition to place a concubine’s son as the successor instead of the Queen’s sons.
Devastated to know his mom set fire to the secret chamber, Prince Gye-seong protests. However, the Queen brings him outside where a portrait of his true identity gets painted.
Saving his accessories and giving him a painting to look at, the Queen clarifies she was not upset at her son. She gives him a hug and the hairpin of her mother.
“When treason succeeds, it can also turn into history.”
Prince Seong-nam discovers Prince Gye-seong’s and the Crown Prince’s secrets. Since no records or involved people in treating hyeolheogwol are left, the Queen tells it was a move to protect her sons.
Confronting his mother, the prince also asks if leaving him to grow up outside the palace was a move to protect him. He leaves the emotional Queen telling her to explain when she’s ready.
Free from taking the second exam, Prince Gye-seong passes on the pressure to Prince Seong-nam on doing well. Talking about how they were separated during childhood, Prince Seong-nam recalls Queen Dowager silencing his curiosity and tears.
Royal physician Cho comes back to the palace, but the Queen doubts him as the only survivor while others were killed or exiled. Checking on the ginseng prescription to the Crown Prince, Physician Kwon clarifies it was for anemia, not blood deficiency and fatigue which are symptoms of hyeolheogwol.
Because of a disagreement in scoring the second examination, several royal officials voice their disapproval of the opinionated King.
The Chief State Councilor approaches the Dowager inquiring about the Crown Prince’s health, which reminds him of her dangerous offer 20 years ago. Getting to his point, the councilor wants the full support of the Dowager for Prince Ui-seong. Meanwhile, Prince Bo-geom rejects the corrupt way of having a tutor.
“If ending the plague is the way to protect the capital, we must kill the plague, not the people.”
Proceeding with the second examination, a debate about the plague in their kingdom begins. Prince Bo-geom suggests separating patients based on severity while Prince Ui-seong compares the situation to cutting off rotten branches. Rebutting the idea of burning plagued villages, Prince Seong-nam states the need for medical support, and he gets called emotional rather than rational.
Explaining how misinformation causes fear and anxiety, Prince Seong-nam and Bo-geom agree on knowing what the plague is to form proper solutions.
Wanting to meet Prince Seong-nam after his second exam, the Queen discovers her sons went out. Fascinated outside the palace, Prince Mu-an leaves Prince Il-yeong and Sim-so to pursue Cho-wol who ignores him after the Queen’s warning.
After paying men to look for a person who can cure hyeolheogwol, Prince Seong-nam is brought to the quarantined village in Seochon to meet Master Toji. Helping around, Master Toji speaks and recommends stopping acupuncture treatment. He also gives a prescription and Prince Seong-nam loses all his money.
The master reminds him to disinfect with rice wine going out, but he rushes to leave the place. Contrary to what the master said, Prince Seong-nam still had to pay for the herbs listed. Unknown to him, his payment was for the whole village’s medicine.
Unaware of each other’s status, the daughter of the minister of war leaves collateral for Prince Seong-nam who lost all his money since she is attracted to him. He promises to pay after ten days at the same hour.
“One does not wait for the right opportunity, but creates it, just as you did.”
Catching her sons jump from the palace wall, the Queen scolds Princes Mu-an, Il-yeong, and Sim-so. Letting go of Prince Sim-so allowing him to blame it all on Prince Mu-an, Prince Sim-so tells he enjoyed deciding for himself the first time. Understanding what the prince meant, the Queen promises not to tell Consort Ko what happened.
Prince Seong-nam brings the information he got from Master Toji. The Queen and Physician Kwon object to using the unverified prescription and herbs. However, following the Crown Prince, the Queen allows the acupuncture treatment to be stopped.
Results of the second examination come out having Prince Bo-geom as the cohort of the Crown Prince.
Pressured to make the Crown Prince appear on the Crown Princess’ Day of delivery, the Queen takes responsibility for permitting the use of unverified prescriptions and herbs. The Crown Prince silences the concubines and the Queen Dowager as he appears healthy on her wife’s delivery date.
Gathering all her sons, the Queen and the princes eat happily. The Crown Prince asks Prince Seong-nam of his uncurious self when he lived outside the palace. Prince Seong-nam recalls how he saw a woman always crying assuming she was just a lady with a sad story.
Regaining strength and going back to his classes with his cohort, the Crown Prince suddenly throws up blood in front of everyone.
Under The Queen’s Umbrella Episodes 3 and 4 Musings
Acting she sides with both Consort Hwang and Consort Tae, the Queen Dowager surely made her son the priority despite being blood-related to her grandsons.
Rumors can sometimes be poison, but using them to one’s advantage can hide bigger truths. This has been attested by Queen Hwa-ryeong’s move to cover the real disease of the Crown Prince.
Being a mother of five sons, it’s heartwarming to see her accept Prince Gye-seong’s real identity wholeheartedly. She even goes beyond giving a hairpin gift and a painting to him. Her genuine parental warmth is highlighted even extending to Prince Sim-so.
Having lived outside the palace, Prince Seong-nam has familiarity in Seochon despite the risks of getting infected. The reason he lived separately from his family is still unclear, and it seems the Queen Dowager is connected to it.
Exposing himself of being ill, the Crown Prince is at risk of being deposed since the Queen Dowager and Consort Hwang are eager to replace him. His cohort is Prince Bo-geom, who appears to have both the heart and the brains of a leader. Out of the princes who took the second examination, he and Prince Seong-nam are worthy of support.
Watch new episodes of Under The Queen’s Umbrella every Saturday and Sunday on Netflix.
Photos: tvN Drama
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