Episode 6 of Kingdom starts with a relatively tranquil scene of the Queen and Cho Hak-ju talking. They talk of power, politics and the closing off Gyeongsang and all the gates leading to and from the region.
Cho Hak-ju cautioned the Queen not to do anything without his instructions, and that he will kill the Crown Prince by his own hands.
The magistrate of Sangju went over to Lord Ahn Hyeon’s residence and demanded Prince Chang’s custody, in hopes of ending the blockade of Mungyeong Saejae and the region.
Ahn Hyeon agreed.
While Prince Chang was seen polishing his sword in his room, Moo-young reminded Prince Chang not to trust anyone.
He then heard the guard outside calling for his name, demanding for his arrest. It seems his pursuers from the clinic Jiyulheon has caught up with the Prince.
Just then, Lord Ahn Hyeon walked into the scene, with the magistrate.
When the guards called for the Prince to be arrested as a traitor, Lord Ahn Hyeon interjected.
He reprimanded the guard by saying that instead of serving the King, he became subservient to the wishes of Cho Hak-ju instead.
Lord Ahn Hyeon then called for their execution and his men, hiding in ambush, came up with bow and arrows and swiftly dispatched all the palace guards.
A scene the night before reveals further details, that Lord Ahn Hyeon has received news from the chief palace guard and intend to use Prince Chang to lure the guards in under false pretense that he will give up the Prince.
It was also revealed that there is no way the chief palace guard would know the Prince would be headed here, unless one of Prince Chang’s companion is a mole to Cho Hak-ju.
The chief palace guard, while fatally injured by the arrows, still stood standing.
In poetic justice, Prince Chang walked up to the guard, took Moo-young’s sword and promptly lobbed his head off.
Fearing a reprise from Cho Hak-ju, the magistrate spoke out.
Prince Chang then rebutted that Cho Hak-ju has already abandoned Sangju and that the 5 armies are not there just for capturing Prince Chang, but also to isolate the entire region. Just then, a soldier came running informing of terrible news.
Over at the gates to Sangju, people the southern regions came, all trying to escape the zombie epidemic.
Prince Chang estimates that it might take just a day or two for the zombies to actually reach them.
They’d have a dilemma whether to open the gates to save the villagers, or to open up and risk running out of food and resources for everyone within the gates.
If they were to refuse to open the gates, the people outside would eventually be caught up in the epidemic and turn into zombies, while those in the gates would be trapped within.
Prince Chang wanted to open the gates but the magistrate refused. Prince Chang that admonished the magistrate and relieved him of his command, and took charge of the situation in Sangju.
In order to keep everyone safe, they had to defend Sangju in it’s entirety and not just the fortress itself – since it’s not possible to fit everyone in.
Since the zombies are approaching from the south, Prince Chang strategized that it might be possible to defend the whole of Sangju as it is surrounded by water by guarding the two locations the zombies can possibly enter from.
The gates were opened and the people rushed in to safety.
As the sun was still up and the zombies asleep, everyone were busy preparing defenses for the town.
From the soldiers in Sangju, to the noblemen, all able-bodied man had to help out.
The noblemen did protest, but a soldier said it was the Crown Prince’s command. They had no choice but to obey.
After all, the zombies do not discriminate.
Weapons were hastily forged. Wooden doors broken down for barricades. Bow and arrows mended and constructed.
These were all brought to the two inroads that leads into Sangju to defend against the incoming horde, forming a blockade of wood and iron.
By the Byeongseong stream, set up floating bamboo platforms, traps, and spiked barricades.
Yeong-shin was helping the soldiers to carry and set up the bamboo structures.
Some men on horseback were seen riding into the distance, presumably scouts.
The story shifts back to Hanyang where the pregnant ladies were housed, one of them entered labor and everyone were excited at the prospect of a new child.
All of a sudden, the cries of a newly birth baby stopped and a midwife appeared to reassure everyone that the mother and child are okay.
The midwife seemed suspicious when she had a look of disapproval that the baby was a girl.
In a bloodied scene of a midwife cleaning up, lots of blood was found everywhere. A little too much for a child labor.
The story then flashed to the Queen’s chambers where two servants were cleaning up, and were caught gossiping about the Queen.
As the Queen readied to take a bath, a new servant was called in to attend to the Queen. As she unwrapped her torset and undressed the Queen, the servant got a shock and fell backwards.
Here, it was revealed that the Queen’s pregnancy was faked and she was merely putting up an act.
This puts two and two together. The Queen’s pregnancy, and a house of pregnant ladies.
She wants to take a son and pretend it’s her own.
That also means that the little baby earlier girl, and the mother, was disposed off. Hence the blood.
In an attempt to please Seo-Bi, Beom-pal helped to gather some of the herbs that Seo-Bi requested.
As it turns out though, there were all useless weed and Seo-Bi had to go out to gather the herbs by herself.
While she was out gathering with Beom-pal, she accidentally stumbles on a mysterious area.
Beom-pal said that the area is closed off and is declared dangerous and off-limits by the magistrate’s office, but Seo-Bi decided to investigate anyway.
Beom-pal casually mentions that the place is called “Frozen Valley” and on hearing this, Seo-Bi had to do a double take.
It’s the place where Physician Lee found the resurrection plant. She had to investigate further.
They came across a pond cordoned off and Seo-Bi decided to venture cross the line.
She exclaimed that this place is very cold, and foggy all year round, probably repeating the description given to her by Physician Lee.
Then, she found it. The resurrection plant that started it all.
Just around them, they found curious contraptions, much like prison binds to keep someone locked up. Could this be…?
The ribbon barricade dropped and fell to the ground.
The suspense builds up when the music intensifies and a loud thud was heard.
In the front lines, Yeong-shin is helping to train the other soldiers in using the rifle. Lord Ahn Hyeon looks on.
One of his assistant came by and told Ahn Hyeon that he is the one from Sumang. Could they have had a past?
Prince Chang asks Lord Ahn Hyeon if he knows Yeong-Shin, but he declined.
As darkness sets, the soldiers take positions by the stream and readies the traps that they set. The other soldiers closed the gates and stood ready.
The men on horseback, the scouts, have not yet returned, reported a soldier.
Everyone looked on in earnest into the dark, weapon in hand, getting ready for the zombies to rush them.
Still night, Cho Hak-ju arrives at one of the gates. A soldier updates the status of Sangju – still safe from the epidemic.
In two mysterios boxes which (obviously) housed two zombies, Cho Hak-ju decides to release these through the gates. Gates that the people are not defending against, since everyone is looking on to the south. Bastard.
So far, the night is uneventful and no zombies attacked yet.
As the soldiers in Sangju persevered in waiting, Moo-young reminds the Prince that there’s only a few more hours to daybreak.
Just then, a horse is seen riding, but without a rider, back to the gates. It probably belonged to one of the scouts. The soldiers rushed to push the barricades aside to let the horse through, but the scout is nowhere to be seen.
Only a mangled hand was left attached.
Lord Ahn Hyeon took an arrow, lit it, and fired upon the structures and they caught fire.
It was a signal to the other encampment to get ready.
Moo-young then exclaimed, hoping that the sun would rise as quick as possible.
Day broke, and everyone was happy that the zombies did not attack that night. The soldiers exclaimed and looked on at each other with a sense of relief.
Lord Ahn Hyeon then says that they need to prepare for tonight and that everyone should get some rest.
The gates opened and the soldiers were asked to return and take a break. Those on the platform were pulled back to shore and they all wanted to get some sleep now that the sun is out.
As they were about to head back in, a disturbance in the distance caused the birds to flock away from the forest. Something did, anyway.
Back in the Frozen Valley, Seo-Bi and Beom-pal were surrounded. The zombies were out.
In the day.
She exclaimed:
It wasn’t the sun that the zombies were afraid of. It was the temperature.
The great plot twist reveals itself here. The zombies feared the heat, not the sun. When it is cold, they are free to move.
And it was cold today in Sangju.
Back at the gate by the stream, the people sensed something is wrong and they readied their weapons once again.
As everyone looked on towards the forest in anticipation of the oncoming zombies, you could literally see fear in their eyes.
They are coming.
Editor: And that is the end of the season 1 on Netflix. Read more about Kingdom and when Netflix is going to release Kingdom Season 2.
