'The Red Sleeve' Episode 5: Sung Deok Im promises allegiance to Crown Prince Yi San

The Red Sleeve captured audiences' attention with its intriguing plot. In Episode 5, after years of serving Yi San's (Lee Joon Ho) mother, Sung Deok Im (Lee Se Young) decided that it was time for her to promise allegiance to Yi San. It seemed she was as taken with the Crown Prince as he was with her. While he confessed his feelings to her, she didn't. Instead, she promised to protect him.

The Crown Prince came forward and saved Deok Im just before she was to be slain on the orders of Deok Ro in episode 5. She had followed him from the palace on the orders of Crown Prince Yi San's mother in The Red Sleeve. She was under the patronage of Princess Hyebin after her father was slain by the state for treason, leaving her mother stranded.

However, Yi San did not expect her, of all people, to spy on him. He had assumed that she would be by his side. He had also assumed that she would not betray him. Initially, he was extremely mad at her. He even told her to leave the palace grounds after firing her as a court maid. However, Deok Im convinced him to let her stay in The Red Sleeve.

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Yi San's aim to succeed his grandfather almost thwarted by royal aunt in 'The Red Sleeve'

Yi San was not only convinced to let Deok Im stay with him, he also took her along with him to an important meeting. Yi San had a set of followers in The Red Sleeve, who wanted to help him succeed his grandfather, the King. The meetings that took place were secretive and the place that they chose to meet at in the K-Drama was at the courtesan house.

Many in court in The Red Sleeve believed that Yi San enjoyed the company of a courtesan. When the King brought up the subject of assigning Yi San as the King's regent; his daughter decided to use this against the Crown Prince. The princess, who is Yi San's royal aunt, adopted a son solely to help her ensure that Yi San did not become a king, and this son fulfilled her expectations. He gathered evidence against the crown prince.

They assumed that he stepped out of the palace with his guards to the courtesan house in the tv show. But that was not revealed to the King. Instead, he got into trouble as the crown prince visiting a courtesan house. That in itself was a punishable offense. One that would result in the prince being deposed as well in The Red Sleeve.

When the King learned that there was proof against the Crown Prince in The Red Sleeve, he was in a fit of rage. He attacked Yi San, who was forced to stay in isolation in the MBC Korean drama. The only person to witness this was Yi San's personal maid, Deok Im. She realized that this was not the first time that the King had physically abused his grandson, in an attempt to ensure that he did not turn up like his dead father.

After she saw Yi San go through something traumatic in The Red Sleeve, she decided that he was it. She decided to promise allegiance to him until he became the King, and said that she would protect him. How she would, is something that audiences will see in the upcoming episodes of the drama.