Original subtitles

Episode 14

They are truly beautiful.

Look at those stars.

I know.

Those stars are beautiful, indeed.

However, I think that our job of expressing the movements of...

the stars and the celestial sphere in numbers is even more beautiful.

I agree with you.

Celestial phenomena are recorded as numbers in our almanac.

The stars and the almanac...

are both marvellous, indeed.

What I'm most fascinated about is...

the fact that those astronomical phenomena are what cause...

time, seasons and climates.

I will be sure to invent a device that encompasses...

how the entire celestial sphere operates.

Then I will be sure to develop a new calculation method,

which can be used to determine how the astronomical sphere works.

Actually, Sir Park's new formula...

is almost complete.

- Is that true? - Yes.

I knew that you'd succeed.

Thank you.

Before I check my calculation for the last time,

I wanted to...

thank the stars for revealing their secrets to me.

I'm here to pray to the stars.

(Lim Myung Deok)

Please. Please let our new formula to succeed.

Stars!

Please help us so that our new formula works.

Let us get to know you better...

and show us a way to get closer to you.

The formula that will brighten up the skies of Joseon.

We are probably...

the first ones trying to come up with such formula.

You made all of this happen.

Thank you.

Thanks to you,

I can live while cherishing these moments of joy.

I am truly grateful.

I feel the same way.

Thank you, Sir Jang.

I will never forget everything you have done for us.

Please don't say that.

I didn't do much at all.

And the two of you have to live long lives...

to make further contributions to Joseon's future.

Then shall we pray together?

The prayer could be more effective if we do it together.

Dear Stars, Moon and Sun.

Please help us so that we can find out the secrets of the sky.

We sincerely, truly and earnestly...

want to find out the secrets.

Me too!

- Dear Universe! - Dear Universe!

- Please let our formula succeed! - Please let our formula succeed!

Please help us!

- Please show us a way! - Please guide us!

When will this end?

When will I be able to...

get out of this abyss where I'm always required to...

pry into what you're up to?

For me, it's difficult to even take one stop forward.

But you're running, Yeong Sil.

The sky must hate me.

Otherwise, it won't allow you to keep running forward in front of me.

What do I lack compared to you?

All right! Let's do this!

Let's calculate the variations in the speed first.

Well,

how about we try this?

The calculation was wrong when you checked it, right?

Let's try using a new method this time.

Let's change the positions a little bit.

- Right! - It might solve the issue.

Was Jang Yeong Sil inside?

Did you finish the calculation?

It's very close to the actual time...

of the most recent lunar eclipse!

Please neatly write out this new calculation method.

We should make a record of it and store it.

Yes, of course.

All right. Let's write it out neatly here.

Here.

Yeong Sil.

Right, I should call you Sir Jang.

You've worked hard.

But...

you won't be able to observe the sky any more.

Sir Jang!

Sir Jang.

Sir Lim!

No! No!

No!

What are you doing now?

Please stop!

No!

No, no... Please stop...

Don't even try!

After all of these burn to ashes,

all of you will die as well.

I'm not killing you first...

because I think you all should see these burn to nothing...

and realise the weight of your sin for putting the kingdom in danger.

Is that why?

I'm doing this because I want to tease them a little...

before I slash them all up.

You're getting me excited.

Are you okay?

Stop fooling around.

Just get the job done.

Yeong Sil.

Let me ask you a question.

I heard that you made copies of all records.

Did you bury them underground,

or did you hang them up in the sky?

What?

They made copies of all records?

Why are you telling me this just now?

Don't worry.

I'll look for them.

He must know where we stored them.

We will deal with these men here.

You should go.

- Now! - Go immediately!

Hurry up!

Jang Yeong Sil, you jerk!

You idiots.

I have no time to waste with you.

I must see Yeong Sil dying with my own two eyes!

Burn everything.

- Yes, Sir. - Now!

- No! - You jerk!

Lord Lee, the King had sent a list of dishes to the royal kitchen...

and told them to make the dishes for you.

Hence, we brought them here today.

Our job is done, so we will head back to the palace now.

I'm sure the King wants us to take these to Yeong Sil.

But the observatory is far, so I'm not sure...

if delivering these to him now would be a good idea.

I was going to head there now anyway.

You should go in and rest.

Thank you, my lord.

Gosh, I should be the one who is going.

Right.

You don't know about them building archives...

for storing the copies they made for all records, do you?

You'll find it if you keep walking west from the observatory.

Yeong Sil goes there often these days to study.

Yeong Sil.

Are you waiting for me?

You hid this very well.

My lord!

No! No!

Yeong Sil.

Do not forget my face you're seeing for the last time.

Why...

Why are you doing this?

My lord.

You cherish Joseon!

You treasure astronomy!

Joseon and astronomy are both important to me.

However,

I put myself first before anything else.

My lord, please...

Please don't do this.

You know how important and valuable these records are!

Goodness...

Please... Please take my life instead.

Please don't burn these records. Please spare them.

Please...

Those records won't mean anything after you die.

How could you...

If you get born again into a new world,

stay far away from the study of nature and things.

I sincerely hope that...

our paths will never cross in that world.

Gosh, no! No!

No!

No! No!

No! No!

How could this be...

Did Jang Yeong Sil...

die?

He is in there.

Go in there if you want to make sure.

Tell me!

Why did you not tell me about this archive?

I really wanted to see it.

I wanted to watch him die in front of my two eyes.

Yeong Sil!

Sir Park!

Sir Lim!

Yeong Sil!

Where are you?

Yeong Sil!

Gosh, Sir Lim!

Wake up. We should hurry. Get up now!

Sir Park!

Right, you don't know about them building archives...

for storing the copies they made for all records, do you?

Yeong Sil. Please stay alive!

What's going on? Where did the observatory go?

This is where it should be.

(Park Hyo Won)

(Lim Myung Deok)

Goodness. What happened?

What is going on?

Lord Lee.

This isn't actually happening now, right?

What are these? What are these stones?

Gosh, you're not even 60 yet. Have you already become senile?

Tell me. So...

where did Yeong Sil,

Sir Park and Sir Lim go?

Yeong Sil didn't even come to Office of Construction and Architecture.

Tell me where Yeong Sil is!

Tell me!

What is going on now?

What are you doing here now?

Don't do that, Suk Gu.

Wild animals will...

destroy their bodies, so you can't do that.

We have to protect their bodies with these stones...

until we come back...

to hold a proper funeral for them.

No!

No! Yeong Sil!

Yeong Sil!

Your Majesty.

Lord Lee wishes to have an audience with you.

Sure. Let him in.

(King Sejong: The fourth king of Joseon)

My sister happens to be here, so this is perfect.

She hasn't been able to step out of her room,

so I told her to visit me so that she could get some fresh air.

What is the matter?

Your Majesty.

I'm going to tell you something,

and you have to stay strong.

How bad is the news?

Why are you telling me to stay strong?

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Last night,

the observatory was burned down to ashes.

When I arrived there, Jang Yeong Sil,

Park Hyo Won and Lim Myung Deok were already dead.

Who...

Who is dead?

Park Hyo Won,

Lim Myung Deok...

and...

Yeong Sil.

Who did this?

It must be the members of...

nobility who are against your plan for encouraging science.

So who did it, exactly?

I am sure these people have names.

Name the ones whom you think did this!

Your Majesty.

It is my fault.

They died...

because of me.

No, Your Majesty.

Yeong Sil,

Hyo Won and Myung Deok died...

because of me.

You gave me the duty and responsibility of protecting them,

and I failed them.

My lack of loyalty let you down.

I wish to take...

my own life...

to make up for the guilt and the loss that I incurred.

Your Majesty.

Do not mourn for them for too long.

You must...

forget about them...

and carry on with your work.

Are you in pain?

Something even worse...

awaits you and the King.

Joseon...

is about to be crushed.

What are you talking about?

Your Majesty.

Ming's envoy Do Won Pyung...

found out about your secret observatory.

Please write a letter in your hand, begging the Emperor for forgiveness.

I will risk my own life...

to take it to the Emperor and beg for mercy.

Your Majesty.

Even if you receive notice that I lost my life...

while begging the Emperor for his mercy and grace,

do not worry.

There are...

many others...

of noble blood...

who will step up...

and face the Emperor and beg out of loyalty for Joseon.

Your Majesty.

My request is that...

even if I lose my life,

please do not...

do anything that will endanger the future of our nation.

Tell him this.

That I will...

kneel in the direction of Imperial Palace...

and beg for forgiveness.

Your Majesty.

It is for Joseon.

And for my people.

There is no reason...

I cannot kneel and beg for Joseon and my people.

Your Majesty.

I also ask...

for your forgiveness.

Your Majesty.

There is something...

I did not do.

I failed to...

gain your trust.

Had I done that,

we could have avoided...

such heartbreak.

You are willing to...

risk your life to travel to Ming for Joseon.

I also...

am willing to risk my life for Joseon and its people.

You and I...

are a monarch and subject with the same mind.

As I am...

able to understand you,

I hope that...

from now on,

you will be able to understand me.

That is my wish.

(Sung Sa Guk)

We never met...

or spoke.

Do you understand?

(Choi Bok)

The copies...

are buried underground, beneath the dormitory.

It has been dug deep enough...

in case there is a fire.

This is where they discard bodies of the unknown.

No.

No.

How could this...

No! No!

Set the fire.

(Jang Yeong Sil)

(Park Hyo Won)

(Lim Myung Deok)

Yeong Sil.

I let you live...

to repay you for saving my life in Ming.

You died with those who followed you.

They died because you are too good at what you do.

The Emperor knows Joseon is trying to create an almanac.

You must never return.

If you do,

you will put Joseon in even more danger.

(Ninth year of King Sejong's reign, 1427)

Your Majesty.

You must read less...

and go to bed at fixed time.

Telling me to read less...

is even worse than the most horrific torture.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

I can no longer keep your condition a secret.

I shall go straight to the Prime Minister and...

I will read less.

Don't tell anyone.

I will do as you say.

I promise.

With Jang Yeong Sil gone,

the King has calmed down,

and Lee Chun is almost invisible.

The atmosphere has greatly improved.

There are rumours that the King is gravely ill.

Yes.

It's best that he is slightly ill and weak.

If he were well,

he would get back into the science nonsense.

We must hurry.

We have a meeting to attend.

- We do. - Let's go.

So he isn't ill at all.

He looks very healthy.

Look up.

Park.

His Majesty gave a command.

Look at him.

(Meng Sa Sung)

And explain what made you...

cause a disruption.

Your Majesty.

Punish me for what I have done.

I shall decide once I hear your explanation.

So let me hear it.

We found rocks in Namyang that we deemed...

were suitable for the instrument.

But we lack the skills...

to carve the rocks to create the correct notes.

At yesterday morning's party...

You have perfect pitch and you could not stand...

the music coming from the untuned instrument.

So you drunk yourself to drown the noise,

but it wasn't enough, so you had to stop the music?

I apologise, Your Majesty.

Punish me.

I felt the same.

Temperature or humidity...

do not affect the stones,

which is why the stone harp is used to tune other instruments.

Because the stone harp was out of tune,

it is no wonder that the music was unbearable.

Your Majesty.

We must find someone with the skill to tune a stone harp.

Your Majesty.

It will not be easy to find someone...

at such short notice.

I suggest you replace the stone harp...

with brick harp that is easier to handle.

Why should we use an inferior instrument...

when we have...

a stone harp?

It might be a huge feat, but we must find someone...

who can tune the stone harp.

That will restore harmony to the orchestra...

and complete the musical theory that Confucianists believe in.

Your Majesty.

I'm not sure if it is my old age,

or the fact that I never was good at listening,

I could not really tell which part of the stone harp...

was out of tune.

Whether we should replace it with brick harp...

or find someone to tune it,

how about we listen to the instrument now...

and then decide?

Let's do that.

Your Majesty.

Even my old ears can tell the difference.

When a stone hits the correct note,

my confused and befuddled mind...

seems to straighten out.

When a stone hits an incorrect note,

my previously clear mind...

becomes confused once again.

I believe we should do as Ha Yeon suggested...

and find someone to tune the stone harp.

That way, we can continue to learn from our ancestors...

through music as well.

Yes, Your Majesty.

If I...

must be honest,

I know nothing of music.

But I must say I would find...

a stone harp more reliable than one made of brick.

Your ears...

might as well be accessories.

What?

They are where they should be and they help me hear.

Don't they?

I have too smart a brain and I don't look too bad.

I can't know all about music, too.

Too perfect a man is less endearing.

The King told me to help you,

and so I will.

But I am lost.

I found myself wishing that Yeong Sil were here with us.

Jang Yeong Sil...

I heard a lot about him.

Was he that smart?

He was good enough to become the star of science.

But now he actually is one, looking down on us.

He knew so much about the skies...

that he deserved to become a star after his death?

He was the best.

I doubt we'll see anyone with similar skills for a while.

I'm not sure if he is better than Jang Yeong Sil,

but I heard that someone called Lee Sun Ji...

mathematically calculated...

Hanyang's latitude.

That's good enough to deserve being called a genius.

Calculating the latitude with maths?

What did he say Hanyang's latitude is?

37.39º north.

What?

37.39º north.

Why? Is he wrong?

He sounded so confident that I didn't have reason to doubt him.

Did you say his name is Lee Sun Ji?

(Administrative Town Centre)

Who is Lee Sun Ji?

He's over there.

(Lee Sun Ji)

I heard you calculated Hanyang's latitude with maths.

Ming frowns upon such actions.

I shouldn't have mentioned it.

Did I get anyone in trouble?

Your office is not to blame.

Name me.

I shall take the blame.

I'm not here to blame anyone.

Then why...

You seem to know about these things,

so I came to ask if you would consider...

working at Office of Astrology.

I see.

I was wrong, then.

I thought you were here to accuse me.

How did you calculate Hanyang's latitude?

It's important to know the nature of things,

but I can only confirm my findings if I know where due north is.

I obtained a fascinating item that indicates due north.

That is how I confirmed...

Hanyang's latitude is 37.39º north.

What is this fascinating item?

Would you like to see it?

This is for you.

I found something to help you look north in the night sky.

Tell me.

Where did you get this?

I was in Onyang in Chungcheong Province...

and the children there were playing with this.

I was told a peddler hands them out.

Whoever made such a thing...

must be very smart.

Do you know...

who made it?

No, I can't say I do.

Where...

did you get this?

Where did you get this?

(Jang Yeong Sil)

Suk Gu, Yeong Sil might be alive.

Ask the peddlers who enter the capital.

"A strong energy will overcome hardships."

Why are you reading a dead man's fortune?

I will allow the King of Joseon to observe the stars...

in a manner that befits a vassal state.

Congratulations, Your Majesty.

It is such a pity that Yeong Sill...

is not here to celebrate.