Scarlet Heart Ryeo Episode 12 & 13 Recap – Uprising

Scarlet Heart Ryeo Episode 12 & 13 Recap – Uprising

A new chapter begins in Scarlet Heart Ryeo Episode 12 & 13 as the princes start the literal fight for the throne with Hae-Soo caught in the middle of it. Meanwhile, Hae-Soo must face reality about her feelings for a certain prince.

Absence

For questioning his judgment over Court Lady Oh’s execution, the king sends 4^th Prince away from the palace as an ambassador to China. He also demotes Hae-Soo to the lowest palace maid, serving outside the palace gates. A year passes. Power-hungry 3rd Prince tells Princess Yeon-Hwa to marry him and 8^th Prince surprises his sister, Yeon-Hwa, by approving. She could aid 8^th Prince in getting the throne, he reasons. Yeon-Hwa sees it as merely a hostage position.

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8^th Prince finally visits Hae-Soo. He’s regretful over his failure to help her in prison, but Hae-Soo still cares for him. 4th Prince returns. He wants to take Hae-Soo away from her demoted palace position of drudgery. But she tells him that he only reminds her of painful things and to stay away. Yeon-Hwa takes her marriage future into her own hands and proposes to 4^th Prince. He rejects her by telling her he doesn’t desire the throne like she wants him to.

Deadly Dance

3^rd and 8^th Prince decide to assassinate the king with the help of a female sword-dancing entertainer and take the throne while the Crown Prince is away. At the banquet, the king suddenly falls ill and collapses. Just then the 13^th Prince, who has been in love with the dancing girl for a while now, realizes what she’s going to do and stops her from assassinating the king.

4th Prince once again offers to help Hae-Soo escape the palace – this time by marrying her. He even promises to divorce immediately if that’s what she wants. Hae-Soo refuses to marry him just to help herself. 8th Prince overhears and isn’t happy over their romance.

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Hae-Soo is summoned to make tea for the ailing king. The princes gather at the king’s residence to check on him but soldiers refuse to let them enter. It could be dangerous for the heir, the Crown Prince, if another prince went in there just as the king died and then he declared he had received the king’s will to be his heir.

Letting Go

The king, on his deathbed, entreats Hae-Soo to bring the Crown Prince before he passes. He warns her that if anyone asks if he died, that person cannot be trusted. Hae-Soo tries to escape the palace unnoticed but stumbles into 8th Prince. He asks if the king is dead. Hae-Soo blatantly asks if he if wants the throne. 8th Prince admits that he wants to be king and that the next day 3^rd Prince and he will start a coup. He warns her not to tell anyone; that this is their chance to be together.

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The king dies. Hae-Soo tells 4^th Prince about 8^th Prince’s plan. They secretly send out 13^th Prince and his dancing-girl lover to find the Crown Prince, but it’ll take two days before they’ll return. 8^th and 3^rd Prince approach the king’s quarters with an army. 4^th Prince guards the residence with a small garrison. 8^th and 4^th Prince duel each other.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince shows up. 8^th Prince had already sent for him days ago, tricking 3^rd Prince into committing treason alone. Meanwhile, Hae-Soo realizes 8^th Prince’s true colors. She accuses him of testing her loyalties and trying to get the 4^th Prince killed. 8^th Prince admits he wanted 4^th Prince to be killed in the chaos so that another contender for the throne was removed. Hae-Soo tells 8^th Prince their relationship is over.

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3^rd Prince, soon to be executed for treason, escapes the palace but 8^th Prince and 4^th Prince hunt him down. 4^th Prince fights him at a cliff and 3^rd Prince falls to his death. Later, 4^th Prince visits Hae-Soo and tells her he killed his brother. She cradles him as he weeps.

Thoughts and Feels About Scarlet Heart Ryeo Episode 12 & 13

4^th Prince gets even more heroic while 8^th Prince goes further to the dark side!! Honestly, I love both of their trajectories and how each actor is fleshing out his respective role. I so adore seeing 4^th Prince being all selfless, not only for Hae-Soo but in protecting the king and the Crown Prince without any thought to his own position. He is really a relationship driven person; he’s only interested in gaining someone’s heart not an empty seat, not even power.

RELATED | Scarlet Heart Ryeo Episode 2 & 3 Recap – Deadly Palace

In contrast, 8^th Prince’s heart is now consumed with lust for the throne. He’s always been extremely quiet and outwardly selfless, never contending with the king or any of his brothers. I think he wanted to be invisible early on, afraid or reluctant to go after the throne. But after his sister, Yeon-Hwa, forced him into a situation to choose between family/throne or a peace-filled life with Hae-Soo, the beast within was awoken. 8th Prince was almost frightening when he told Yeon-Hwa to marry their evil, controlling half-brother, 3^rd Prince. He coldly told her she owed him that much since she compelled him to go after the throne. He’s really not playing nice anymore!

Hae-Soo’s emotional journey was a bit frustrating when compared to the princes since she’s been slower to change. I wasn’t surprised that she chose to overlook and forgive 8^th Prince again and again, but it did grow somewhat tiresome. I just wanted her to realize he wasn’t her sweet, kind boyfriend anymore. He’s after the throne, girl!

However, Hae-Soo’s love for him was unchanged. She was ready to quietly love him from a distance – possibly forever. Which to be fair, is really consistent with Hae-Soo’s personality so far. She’s far from self-seeking. Hae-Soo has never asked for anyone to do, be or risk anything for her. She’s waited for 8^th Prince for a looong time. And she’s trusted in him no matter what. But 8^th Prince didn’t reciprocate that same trust. He tested her loyalty to him (to see if she’d tell anyone of his and 3^rd Prince’s coup) when she had never done that to him. Not only that, but he’d used her to get at 4^th Prince – even after knowing how guilty she felt about causing Court Lady Oh’s death. That was just cruel.

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I’m definitely excited now for what’s in-store for Hae-Soo and 4^th Prince. So far, most of the romantic feelings have been on 4^th Prince’s side. I’d love to see Hae-Soo’s heart finally opening up to him. I’d also love to see her come out of the constant depression. She used to smile a lot but now she’s mostly exhausted and sad. Of course, she lost her best friend, was tortured, and has terrible visions of the future – that would make most people depressed. But she’s also got a couple hot princes vying for her love. Don’t forget to count your blessings, Hae-Soo!

Scarlet Heart Ryeo is available to watch on Dramafever! New episodes are available on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Photos: Dramafever and SBS

Let me know your thoughts and feelings on Scarlet Heart Ryeo Episode 12 & 13! What do you think about the latest episodes of this K-Drama?

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