Moon River- Episodes 3-4
Love as a Weakness, Love as a Lifeline
Episode 3 opens on a painful note as Dal-i is dragged to the traveling merchants’ headquarters to receive her punishment. Watching helplessly, her parents beg Yi Kang to intervene, and he does, freeing Dal-i just in time. Je-woon soon arrives with Kim Ji-pyeong’s wife, who confesses that she framed Dal-i. Even though justice is served, Yi Kang harshly scolds Dal-i, saying her recklessness disturbs him because she has his wife’s face. Hurt and angry, Dal-i pushes back, and the argument ends with Yi Kang coldly telling her to leave Hanyang.
Je-woon steps in next, forcing Dal-i to sign a contract stating she must do whatever he asks to repay the broken clock. He also insists she stay in Hanyang. Meanwhile, Yi Kang confesses to Shin-won that his harsh words were deliberate, he wants Dal-i to stay far away from him for her own safety.
Je-woon’s own world begins to unravel when he learns that Woo-hee, the woman he loves, is none other than the Left Minister’s daughter and Yi Kang’s intended bride. When he confronts her and asks her to run away with him, Woo-hee shocks him by proposing something far more dangerous: a coup that would place Je-woon on the throne with her at his side. Unable to agree, Je-woon apologizes and walks away. That night, Woo-hee ominously summons her palanquin and takes out her gun.
At the palace, Han-chul orders Yi Kang to escort Woo-hee from her temple residence. He also warns Yi Kang that he knows about the female merchant he helped and reminds him of his chilling rule: anyone Yi Kang comes to love will die.
Je-woon reflects on his past with Woo-hee, recalling how she comforted him after his mother’s execution when he was sent to Sinjusa Temple. In the present, he writes her a farewell letter and includes the key to their shared greenhouse. He then releases Dal-i from her contract, asking only one favor before she leaves, deliver the letter.
On the road to Sinjusa, Yi Kang unexpectedly runs into Dal-i at a rest stop. Traveling together, Dal-i slowly realizes the devastating truth: Yi Kang’s betrothed and Je-woon’s lover are the same woman. At the temple, Dal-i delivers Je-woon’s letter to Woo-hee, who is visibly shaken and orders Dal-i to leave immediately.
Later, Woo-hee confronts Yi Kang directly, revealing she knows his marriage proposal is part of his revenge against her father. She refuses to be used as a pawn and rejects the marriage outright.
Suddenly, chaos erupts. Assassins ambush Yi Kang’s guards, slaughtering them. Shin-won and Yi Kang fight desperately to protect Woo-hee, hiding her before returning to battle. They manage to defeat the attackers, but Shin-won is gravely injured. Then comes the devastating twist: Woo-hee herself appears and shoots both men. Yi Kang is struck and falls from a cliff into the river below.
By morning, Shin-won is found alive, but Yi Kang is presumed dead. The news reaches King Lee Hui, who is told that Woo-hee witnessed the prince’s fall.
Meanwhile, fate intervenes once again. Dal-i, descending the mountain, discovers Yi Kang alive but barely breathing near a stream. She hides him from searching guards, assumes he is being hunted, and nurses him with fierce determination. She removes the bullet and seals the wound herself, staying by his side as days pass.
Back in Hanyang, Han-chul plots to eliminate Je-woon to secure his power. Woo-hee shocks him by claiming she killed Yi Kang and declares her intention to make Je-woon king instead, ensuring Han-chul remains the royal father-in-law. For the first time, it feels like she is the one holding the reins.
Fifteen days later, Yi Kang finally wakes up, stunned to learn Dal-i has cared for him all this time. With her help, he secretly sends word to Eun-woo, and the two begin their dangerous journey back to Hanyang. Yi Kang’s condition worsens along the way, but he stubbornly pushes on alone, until he collapses. Before losing consciousness, he asks Dal-i to protect him.
When Fate Refuses to Let Go
Episode 4 opens right where the tension left off, with Yi Kang collapsing after asking Dal-i to protect him. Back at the palace, Courier Cha Eun-woo delivers Yi Kang’s secret message to Eunuch Se-dol, but the plan quickly unravels when Woo-hee’s people intercept it. Woo-hee wastes no time making her move, telling Chief Secretary Do Seung-ji that Je-woon must be placed on the throne so she can rule beside him. Alarmed, Do takes this information straight to Queen Dowager Han.
Far from the palace, Dal-i drags the unconscious Yi Kang to a small shelter. When he briefly wakes, he notices the burn on her hand from sealing his wound with a heated spoon. It’s a quiet, tender moment that shows just how much she has sacrificed for him. When Dal-i wakes, Yi Kang insists they see a local doctor, who treats both of their injuries.
Meanwhile, Courier Cha informs Je-woon of Yi Kang’s message. Je-woon is staying with Shin-won, who is still recovering. Since Je-woon’s movements would attract too much attention, Shin-won volunteers to search for Yi Kang himself. But before anything can be done, Je-woon is arrested. The message meant for Se-dol is discovered hidden in his residence, and Han-chul accuses him of attempting to assassinate Yi Kang. Woo-hee tries to force her father’s hand by threatening her own life, but Han-chul coldly confines her instead. He then tells King Lee Hui that Yi Kang is alive and falsely claims that Je-woon was behind the assassination attempt.
On the road back to Hanyang, Yi Kang and Dal-i are ambushed by bandits and forced to fight for their lives. Just as things turn dire, Shin-won arrives and saves them. He fills Yi Kang in on the chaos at the palace, and Yi Kang quickly realizes the danger Je-woon is in, not only from Han-chul but also from the Dowager Queen, who would gain absolute power if the king and both princes were eliminated.
Learning that the roads are filled with traps, Dal-i calls in a favor with a ship owner and secures safe passage to Hanyang by sea. Once there, Yi Kang is faced with an impossible choice: his father is about to be poisoned at the palace, while Je-woon is being sent onto a ship Han-chul intends to sink. Trusting Shin-won with the king’s life, Yi Kang races to save Je-woon at the shore. Thanks to this split-second decision, both princes survive, and the palace temporarily returns to uneasy order.
King Lee Hui refrains from acting against Queen Dowager Han, knowing her influence may still be needed against Han-chul. Later, Yi Kang tells Je-woon the truth—that Woo-hee was the one who shot him. He also asks Je-woon to keep Dal-i close so her face does not reach the palace and stir dangerous rumors.
Back in Hanyang, Yi Kang sends Dal-i a cart full of gifts in gratitude, but she returns most of them. He then sends a single red silk dress and insists she wear it. Elsewhere, Je-woon confronts Woo-hee, telling her he never wanted things to turn out this way.
Yi Kang goes to see Dal-i, determined that this will be their final meeting. But when the moment comes, he can’t bring himself to say goodbye. Over a simple meal of rice soup, he asks her to stay and watch the fireworks with him. When Dal-i develops painful blisters, Yi Kang leaves with Shin-won to buy her new shoes, leaving Se-dol behind. While Se-dol steps away briefly, Minister Lee and his men approach Dal-i. Recognizing her from the earlier incident, he shames her for wearing red silk and makes lewd threats about punishment. Refusing to let him touch her, Dal-i removes the silk dress in public and boldly calls him out. When he attempts to strike her, Yi Kang rushes in and stops him.
This is when Dal-i finally realizes Yi Kang’s true identity as the crown prince. Hurt and furious, she accuses him of protecting her only because she resembles his late wife and of using her as a substitute. Angered, Yi Kang hands her the gifts and turns to leave, but she throws them to the ground. As she storms off, Woo-hee suddenly appears and presses a sword to Dal-i’s neck. Je-woon tries to intervene, and Yi Kang ultimately grabs the blade with his bare hand and throws it aside.
Later, Yi Kang visits Chief Secretary Do, now imprisoned for attempting to poison the king. At the palace, Han-chul informs Woo-hee that her marriage proposal has been officially submitted. In three months, she will become Crown Princess.
Yi Kang begins to notice the unspoken feelings between Je-woon and Woo-hee and then sees Je-woon gently helping Dal-i put on her old shoes by a stream. Approaching them, Yi Kang tells Dal-i he never used her as a replacement for his wife. She demands an apology and reminds him that the royal family must love its people and rule through reason, not fear.
Once again, her words echo something the crown princess once said. As Dal-i turns to leave, Yi Kang grabs her wrist and suddenly, it burns with light, sending red and gold embers into the sky. Startled, they tumble into the river. Dal-i desperately tries to save him, even giving him air when he sinks beneath the water. As blood from their wounds mixes, a blazing red line appears between them, the red thread of fate finally revealed.
The episode ends in shock as Yi Kang and Dal-i awaken…having switched bodies.
DramaZen's Opinion
Episodes 3 and 4 of Moon River take the story to a whole new level, blending emotional depth with high-stakes tension. Dal-i and Yi Kang’s bond truly shines here, not through grand romance, but through quiet acts of care, sacrifice, and trust. Watching Dal-i protect Yi Kang when he is at his most vulnerable makes their connection feel deeply human and earned.
At the same time, the political intrigue intensifies, with betrayals, power plays, and heartbreaking choices coming to the surface. Woo-hee’s actions add a chilling layer to the story, while Je-woon’s pain and loyalty make him one of the most emotionally compelling characters so far. The supernatural elements reemerge in a subtle yet powerful way, reminding us that fate has been watching all along.
By the end of Episode 4, Moon River feels both intimate and epic. The story asks thoughtful questions about power, love, and identity, and the final twist leaves you stunned and eager to see how these two souls will navigate a world that has literally turned upside down.
