In the finale of episode 20, the Left councillor assembles palace officials to take part in Lord Choi’s uprising. During their plot against the king, a flashback reveals Do Sung and Lee Gun arguing in the latter’s chamber. The brothers seemingly faked a fight in order to demonstrate to the Left councillor and others that Do Sung genuinely intended to harm his brother.
On the night of the attack, Lord Choi discovers that the Left councillor has turned against him and ordered men to assassinate Soo-Ryun (queen Dowager). Meanwhile, the Left councillor makes a toast before heading to the palace. Immediately after consuming the alcohol, the group becomes ill. The left councillor notices that King Lee Gun has arrived with his army, leading him to understand that his grandson has deceived him. Following the apprehension of the perpetrators, Lee Gun hurries to the palace to seize Lord Choi and Soo-Ryun.
The men under the left councillor orders assaulted Soo-Ryun, but Lord Choi arrived just in time to rescue her. Upon Lee Gun’s arrival with his men, Lord Choi, despite being seriously injured, makes an effort to protect his beloved. He pleads with the king to be merciful towards Soo-Ryun before taking his final breath. Upon witnessing the love between Lord Choi and Soo-Ryun, Lee Gon instructs his troupe to deceive the world by claiming that Soo-Ryun passed away that evening.
Left councillor, magistrate and the commander are beheaded and their heads hung on the city wall.
After the difficult times pass, the king is expected to find a queen to bring to the palace. Lee Gon manipulates the process of selecting a spouse to gain some additional time. His next move is to cleverly persuade the authorities to eliminate the rule of “guilty by association.” In this manner, the relatives of Left councillor, the Queen and Do Sung, as well as Lord Choi’s daughter, Myung-Yoon, will not be regarded as offenders.
Moreover, he calls for Do Sung to come to the palace. Upon his arrival, Lee Gun is not visible anywhere. He left a letter and his throne to his younger sibling. The letter states, “You are now the ruler of Joseon.” Do Sung expresses his frustration by calling out his brother upon reading it. His response brings a humorous element to the situation.
The viewers witness Lee Gon’s new journey after passing on the throne to his brother. In the city, the gate of Myung-Yoon’s clinic is opened by a royal guard who declares, “The Secret Royal Inspector has come!”
The clinic is being accused of extorting money by the inspector. Myung-Yoon appears puzzled and attempts to clarify the confusion. The inspector then commands, “If you wish to live, be with me in bed tonight.” As Myung Yoon tries to explain she is a doctor, the inspector mentions a name, “Baek-Goo.” This was the name Lee Gon had bestowed upon her as they began to develop feelings for each other without revealing their true identities.
Upon glancing upward, Myung-Yoon spots Lee Gon, who requests to be addressed as “Dear husband.” Everyone averts their eyes as the two embrace each other. Afterwards, they encounter a pregnant Soo-Ryun, who passes away following the delivery of a daughter. Prior to passing away, she asks for their forgiveness and they promise to look after her daughter.
Meanwhile, court Lady Kim decides to live with the seer, dedicating her time in prayer in other to make up for her sins.
At the conclusion of The Missing Crown Prince, the pair leads a routine life caring for their child and Lord Choi and Soo-Ryun’s daughter. All the characters experience a happy ending in the final scene.
I had mixed reactions to this series. There were times it was so good, there were times it annoyed me. Nevertheless, they did well with the ending which was a rather unexpected one. The bad guys got what they deserved. Although the love between the queen dowager and Lord Choi was a mad one, it’s hard to deny they were genuine in their feelings. Towards the ending, the romance between the main leads got a bit better. Will I watch it again? No for it doesn’t leave a lasting impression. Still, it was okay.