Original subtitles

Leave us.

You broke the palanquin because I didn't promote you?

Coming up with that nonsense for your confession...

must have been difficult.

I have finally found the answer.

With that tilting bowl,

you wanted to tell me to dump you like the water in the bowl.

How did you know...

I would one day have to consider abandoning you?

I never thought I would be branded a traitor,

or that a day would come where you would have to discard me.

When I first made the tilting bowl,

I thought I was the bowl, not the water.

Then, when other slaves came to me,

and begged to be made commoners,

I realised I was not capable of helping anyone.

I was water that should be discarded.

I believe you are a tilting bowl capable of saving all of Joseon.

Your Majesty.

Discard me and live for the people. That is my message to you.

You are not water.

(King Sejong)

Even if you are,

I will keep you. I will not let you go.

Your Majesty.

You must discard me first.

As much as you loved me, I must be the first you let go.

I am so relieved.

I am distracting...

your opposition from seeing the alphabet you are creating.

I cannot abandon you whatever you say.

You are destined to give up on me.

You are wise,

and you wish to remain a wise king.

A wise king punishes a traitor for the good of the nation.

If you wish to be called a fool,

then protect me.

Follow your heart and shield me.

I want to live.

Announce to the world that I tried to kill you,

but that you choose to forgive me and keep me close.

I'd like that more than anything.

But you cannot do that, Your Majesty.

You risked your health for your alphabet.

You'd give your life for your people.

You can't give those up for one man.

You cannot protect your alphabet unless you get rid of me.

You are...

breaking my heart.

Let it break.

Think of it that I sacrificed myself for the good of Joseon.

Let your heart break.

I pray that you make it quick, so that...

I don't have false hopes.

Be harsh and cold and treat me the worst you can.

That would make me happy.

I cannot do that.

Treat you harshly?

Why do you ask such a thing of me?

I cannot harm an innocent citizen.

Yeong Sil, you are one of my people.

Do not ask me to do something that you know I cannot do.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Jang Yeong Sil has been questioned and we have the facts.

It is time you decide his punishment.

Prime Minister.

I am trying to think of a way to save him.

How do you expect me to decide his punishment?

(Hwang Hui)

(Lee Chun)

(Ha Yeon)

I would kill all those foolish nobles if I could.

It isn't solely because of them that we're about to lose Yeong Sil.

Everything he accomplished...

since he entered the Palace has been a miracle.

To some people, he means less than a rock,

but to some, he is a source of fear.

That will continue.

The ignorant won't care for knowledge,

and the learned are biased.

Yeong Sil studies and theorises to change the world.

And they will fear the change he will bring.

Joseon isn't able to...

handle a man of his calibre.

He presents us with a problem we must all face.

We aren't as clever,

but we also...

need Joseon to survive.

Calm your fury and be reasonable.

Let us focus on what Yeong Sil and the things you made together...

mean to Joseon and its future.

I have no doubt that...

the King will make the right decision.

Master Chung Bo...

knew the King would falter,

so he left us this message.

Read it aloud.

"We cannot let any record of Jang Yeong Sil"...

"or his studies be left for future generations."

"Any mention of him will bring upon another wave of scientific studies."

"I trust you will work hard and never stop until all records"...

"of Jang Yeong Sil"...

"are scrubbed or altered forever."

We have Jo Mal Saeng...

and Choi Man Ri.

They are loyal scholars...

and will be willing to help.

Your Majesty.

Jang Yeong Sil is a traitor.

Have him hanged,

and delete all mention of him from Palace and public records.

Lord Jo.

How cold you say such a thing?

Why do you want to alter all our records?

He is a traitor.

Your Majesty.

You turned a servant...

into a Grand Master,

and he tried to kill you because you didn't promote him further.

It is not right that our future generation...

be allowed to know of him.

Hang his head in the square...

to deter others from making the same mistake.

Royal Advisor Choi!

As if ruining his reputation wasn't enough,

they want to delete his records.

The King...

needs to make up his mind soon.

The longer he takes, the worse their demands will become.

They are trying to put pressure on him.

They aren't...

trying to scrub his name from the records...

just because he is a traitor.

They want to...

stop people from...

discussing scientific things altogether.

I believe that...

the earth we live on...

moves around the sun.

Why are you...

bringing that up now?

Do you think I am...

the first person to think so? I don't.

Out of all the others who observed the stars before me,

some must have reached the same conclusion.

And yet...

we have no records of them.

Because there are none,

we had nothing to discuss.

That's right.

The next person would have to start from nothing again,

and if he had an idea, he'd have no past records to compare them to,

so he wouldn't be able to develop those ideas.

He would give up...

or lost interest.

Yes. We need records to further our studies,

and discuss such issues.

Records and discussion.

Those are...

the life of any topic of study.

We cannot lose Grand Master Jang when we risk...

losing all his records as well.

Until the very end,

I shall do...

my duty as best I can.

Your Majesty, you cannot give in to those who wish to...

delete all records that mention Grand Master Jang.

We believe that Grand Master Jang made a false confession,

and beg of you to re-open the investigation.

Please accept our petition.

Your Majesty, you must ask why Grand Master Jang lied,

and get to the bottom of whatever plot this is.

Your Majesty, you must find out who framed him,

and hold them responsible for their crimes.

Let go.

Let me go!

Let go!

You will pay for what you have done!

Your Majesty.

Grand Master Jang's issue...

has become an issue of national importance.

Before it causes more strife and worry,

you should bring an end to it, Your Majesty.

I can say that...

I love my people and...

listened carefully to everything each official had to say.

I worked hard to ensure that...

Joseon remained peaceful,

and did not suffer from any one man's tyranny.

Despite all that,

is it still possible for me to end up in a situation...

where I must punish...

an innocent man?

Your Majesty.

If you let Yeong Sil live,

those who oppose you and him will gather strength.

They may bring upon an even greater disaster.

You cannot risk...

your dream of creating a peaceful and flourishing nation...

just for the sake of one man however much you cherish him.

Dear notebook.

You reached the end, just like me.

If only I could think of a way to keep the cogwheels turning...

Wouldn't that be great?

I thought it would be easy.

It's the hardest problem of all.

Is it because I'm out of time?

You're here.

Take this.

What is it?

I wrote down and explained every mechanism behind Okru.

I also wrote...

issues I couldn't solve, or ideas that I'm sure of...

but was not able to prove.

Even if I die,

I would like you to go on studying those issues.

If you will do that for me,

even if I die,

my studies and ideas will remain.

If you have the time,

could you stay for a friendly discussion...

of some of the issues?

I can do that.

As you probably can see from what I wrote,

the most important task is to find a consistent energy source.

I have been thinking about it for a while now,

but I haven't yet found a solution.

I need you...

to find a solution.

I was looking at a wind chime and thought that maybe...

a pendulum that hangs...

Are you looking at the stars?

It's been a while...

since I looked up at the Plough.

The Plough is part of Jamiwon, which represents the Palace.

It's surrounded by 28 constellations,

and Taemiwon that represents your officials.

All those stars...

surround the North Star, which represents you, Your Majesty.

The North Star shines bright tonight.

Your reign and Joseon's future will be just as bright, I believe.

Do you?

Do you really...

believe so?

No, I do not.

Then why did you say that?

It is an old story,

and I repeated it,

hoping that the people would respect us as they once did.

Yes.

The story reminds us that...

whoever is in power lusts for more and wishes to hold onto it.

They want others to believe that they were chosen.

- Son. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Stars only rise and fall.

Giving them meaning and using that to govern...

is politics.

I am a king who needs the stars to give me authority.

Yeong Sil is a scientist and scholar who has no need for such.

Now...

I should let it go.

Yeong Sil is a star.

A star I cannot handle.

I am a politician.

A politician must punish traitors.

Even though he is innocent.

Your Majesty.

Hyang.

You must be a better king than I have been.

For Joseon's sake.

I am so sorry.

You are so gentle,

and yet I am forcing you into this mayhem.

Prince Jinpyeong, promise me that you will help your brother.

I will, Your Majesty.

(Prince Jinpyeong, future King Sejo)

The King will announce what he will do with Jang Yeong Sil.

Don't you think he will reduce the sentence and destroy...

all records of him just to keep him alive?

Most likely.

I can't wait to find out what the King will say.

It took me a great length of time to reach this decision.

But I have no regrets with what I am about to say,

so I expect you to accept it.

Jang Yeong Sil will be flogged 100 times.

To deter anyone from following in his footsteps,

on the day of the flogging, have him walk through...

the town square so he'd be humiliated.

All existing records of him or those that mention him...

will be preserved.

Your Majesty, those records...

The records that he is a part of are also records of my past studies.

Destroying all mention of him means destroying my personal records.

Is what I did for the people...

such an embarrassment that they must be deleted from history?

If you cannot answer that,

then you cannot demand I destroy all records of Jang Yeong Sil.

Do you understand?

Do not bring this up ever again.

You are dismissed.

Your Majesty.

How dare you.

I dismissed you.

For your insolence, I reduce the number of floggings to 80.

I dare you to speak up.

Walk faster.

Walk faster!

Hands off!

Leave him alone.

Get up.

Get back up.

Don't go, Grand Master Jang!

- Look after yourself. - Don't go.

Don't go!

Come back.

Don't go, Grand Master Jang!

Don't go, Grand Master!

You know what to do.

50 floggings is enough to kill any man, let alone this.

If we hit with all our might, his organs will explode after 30.

His intestines will shred.

- Grand Master Jang, you can't go. - Please stay.

Don't go, Grand Master.

Do you have to keep hitting him?

- Grand Master. - Grand Master.

Grand Master Jang.

Now I see why the King made Jang Yeong Sil walk through...

the town square. It's so that people from all over would see him.

Yes. This is his way of asking the people to remember him...

and his legacy for years to come.

That's not all.

He's releasing Yeong Sil from the clutches of politics,

which is full of scheming and back-stabbing,

and into history for the rest of eternity.

He believed that it was best...

for him to let go instead of keeping Yeong Sil to himself.

Yes.

I can do nothing but let him down,

but one day, our descendants, years or centuries from now,

will study his legacy and breathe life into what he left.

Is this the last time I see you?

What a pity.

If I die,

take me up with you.

Carry out the execution!

- Yes, Sir. - Yes, Sir.

You've been victoriously marching forward so far.

It's time...

you should step back.

Who knows?

You might become even more famous after you die.

Here comes the first one!

The second one!

The third one.

- The fourth one! - The fifth one!

The sixth one!

The seventh one!

The eighth one!

The ninth one!

The 10th one!

The 11th one!

The 12th one!

The 13th one!

- The 14th one! - Yeong Sil.

- The 15th one. - You must survive this.

- The 16th one. - Yeong Sil, you have to live.

The 17th one.

The 18th one!

The 19th one!

The 20th one!

The 21st one.

The 39th one.

- The 40th one! - The 41st one.

The 42nd one.

The 43rd one.

The 44th one.

The 45th one.

Going forward...

and taking a step back.

Yes.

If I apply this concept to the weight,

the weight will swing forward and backward.

But the weight will keep moving.

The power that never stops.

A permanent supply of motive power will be created.

I know the answer now. I finally figured it out!

This was the answer.

Yeong Sil! Yeong Sil!

Goodness!

Those jerks almost beat up my friend to death!

I don't think he will last over 30 minutes.

He has been unconscious for two days.

The doctor is saying that...

it will be difficult for him to survive.

I'm going to...

take Yeong Sil to our hometown.

This land of Joseon took Yeong Sil's life.

I'll make sure to hold a proper funeral for him.

All of you noblemen of high standing,

please forget Yeong Sil now.

What?

Goodness!

Yeong Sil!

Yeong Sil! Yeong Sil!

Yeong Sil! Yeong Sil is alive!

Yeong Sil is alive!

Look! Yeong Sil is alive!

Yeong... Yeong Sil.

Yeong Sil.

Yeong... Yeong Sil. Yeong Sil!

It's... It's me.

It's me, Suk Gu.

Suk Gu.

Yeong Sil.

Yeong Sil, what's the matter?

What's wrong, Yeong Sil?

Grand Master.

(I'm deeply concerned with the Crown Prince's illness.)

(I'd like to grant an amnesty for all prisoners charged with theft.)

Yeong Sil.

Now,

I know why you wanted to...

include the people as well as...

those cute figurines in your Okru.

You wanted there to be a sense of affection.

Science and affection.

It is a union of the humanities and sciences.

Thanks to your wisdom, I was able to...

feel the extensiveness of this world through your Okru.

I still trust that...

your clock and my alphabet are holding hands,

overcoming and conquering all the obstacles together.

But that doesn't take...

my sadness away.

I am deeply saddened.

Have I achieved everything I wanted to accomplish...

before my last day in this world?

King Sejong died in 1450.

Through effectively governing all aspects of the kingdom,

King Sejong allowed Joseon to enjoy a reign of peace for 30 years.

By creating Joseon's own alphabet and almanacs,

he made the people's live become more prosperous.

The people of his time called this era...

the Yao and Shun Era of the East.

Lee Chun...

directed the development of tools and equipment such as...

cannons, metal types and various astronomical devices...

and helped King Sejong's golden age of science flourish.

Also, he became the military commander of Pyongan Province...

and strengthened military defence of the northern border.

Lee Chun was an outstanding scholar...

as well as a distinguished military official.

This multitalented man died in 1451.

The former King passed away,

and even Lee Chun died, but I am still here in the court.

I once told Lee Chun that...

my wish is to live two more years than the former King.

I guess the skies are really going to grant my wish.

Well, why are you blaming the skies?

Living a long life is a blessing.

I'm worried.

The King isn't very healthy at the moment,

and the Crown Prince is so young.

I am concerned that Prince Suyang might do something.

If something like that happens, I will not let it slide.

The times when we used to discuss political matters...

with Meng Sa Sung and Heo Jo were good days.

What will happen to the court and to this kingdom from now on?

I am truly concerned.

Stop worrying about things that you have no answers to.

Let's go home now.

The year 1452.

Hwang Hui, the longest-serving prime minister of Joseon,

who served as the First Vice Prime Minister for 24 years, died.

He served and assisted four kings of Joseon,

King Taejo, King Taejong, King Sejong and King Munjong.

Ha Yeon died in 1452, the second year of King Danjong's reign.

Because he strictly followed the law and code of conduct until he died,

Ha Yeon was known as the prime minister who brought peace.

(The year 1456: The second year of King Sejo's reign)

Many members of the nobility...

have no idea how little they know.

Acting as if they know everything.

(King Sejo: The seventh king of Joseon)

They constantly fight over insubstantial matters...

insisting that only what they think is right.

Tell me. What are your thoughts on this?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Studying is one path to finding the truth.

I do not think that it is the absolute path.

Those with short-sighted minds who pursue such studies...

have a tight grip on power and are doing whatever they can to keep it.

What's more? They are even trying to make me become their puppet.

How could I let them get away with what they are doing?

For a brighter future of Joseon,

we must kill them all.

Understood, Your Majesty.

I will proceed as per your order.

Keep going.

- Yes, Your Majesty! - Yes, Your Majesty!

Prince Suyang, the younger brother of King Munjong,

usurped the throne from King Danjong...

and became the seventh King of Joseon, King Sejo.

Making the government agencies...

directly seek and receive his approval,

King Sejo carried out polices to centralise the government...

and strengthened the royal authority.

You can do it, everyone. Yes, keep going.

They're valuable objects. You have to be gentle with them.

Of course, we'll be careful.

Yes, carry it like that.

You can do it. Keep going, okay?

Be careful. Yes, you're doing a good job.

- Father. - Yes.

- They're all organised now. - Great, thanks.

You've done a great job.

The Palace has become such a corrupt place,

and Yeong Sil turned out like that.

In my opinion, you're the most successful one out of all of us.

That is exactly why I tell my kids this.

"The most important thing is to yield profit."

"Make as much profit as possible and use it towards good deeds."

What good does becoming a king or a science do anyway?

You're the most enlightened one, indeed.

But how would having one enlightened person help this land of Joseon?

I recently visited the Middle East.

Those countries have become so advanced that I was utterly shocked.

Then I visited Ming on my way back home,

and they're just as pathetic as us.

Things in Joseon are so pitiful and pathetic now.

All talented men are just obsessed with the civil service examination.

All they want to do is to become civil officials.

No one has even an ounce of interest in science.

Will this kingdom be okay?

This kingdom of Joseon.

You fool. Why are you saying that Joseon is pathetic?

Joseon, the land of scholars, will last for a very long time.

This nation where bookworms gain all the power will last for long?

That's right. That's why this world is an unpredictable place.

As hundreds of years pass by slowly,

this world will transform into a totally difference place.

I agree with Sir Choi.

Hello.

Your... Your Majesty!

Grand Master.

I held my first solar eclipse ceremony...

for the solar eclipse that took place last month.

I can take it as a sign that...

the skies have forgiven and accepted me, right?

Now that I have become a king, I have to bestow...

meaning of danger upon the stars and use them to rule this kingdom.

However, shouldn't someone...

remove that distorted cloud of danger...

and reveal the truth about the stars?

Grand Master.

All those members of the nobility who made your life painful.

I taught them all a serious lesson.

Hence, you must wake up now.

I will make sure that my Joseon flourishes...

even more than King Sejong's era.

Grand Master, I heard that you said this to King Taejong.

The wind that was blowing in this land of Joseon...

made you stay here when you were about to leave for Ming.

Can't you feel the strong wind of change blowing on this land now?

Wake up now and help me, please!

Please!

Grand Master.

I see that you're dreaming.

I know well because I've seen many people just before their deaths.

I know when they feel worried or agonised.

But Grand Master Jang is content at the moment.

The skies have given him a blessing...

so that he could leave this crazy world for a while...

and be locked up in his dreams.

You said that...

you'd like to stay here when you leave Hanyang if possible.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Grand Master.

Please wake up for Princess So Hyun.

You can stop dreaming now.

And...

I just want him to wake up.

He doesn't need to come to me when he wakes up.

Stay well.

I will visit you again soon.

Please...

call my name then.

It's all done!

Grand Master, the simplified armilla you made.

Now, Suk Gu's son can make it, too.

Your Highness.

Where does my son get his talents from?

I guess I take after Yeong Sil?

- Son. - Yes.

You know that studying the stars has to remain as a hobby, right?

Good. Let's leave now.

We need to arrive in Yangju before the sunrise.

Okay.

Well, Your Highness.

I made sure that your room is warm.

You shouldn't catch a cold,

so please go inside now.

Today, Venus is at...

the exact same location as the time we observed it at the observatory.

Grand Master, I thought that...

Venus would keep the two of us connected.

Unfortunately, it couldn't.

Sometimes,

I regretted and thought that...

I should have just abandoned all I had and run to you.

Grand Master.

I do not know when it will be,

but I will wait for the day that you will...

welcome me with open arms.

Grand Master Jang.

Your Highness.

Grand Master.

When did you...

When did you wake up?

Well...

I heard you saying, "I should have run to you."

I heard those words.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for coming back like this.

It is so good to see you again, Your Highness.

Where is Lord Lee Chun?

He didn't come with you?

What about His Majesty?

I...

I guess I have been dreaming for too long.

His Majesty...

visited you here...

before he passed away.

I came with him then.

To be honest,

I came here secretly.

I want to leave the throne,

but the members of the nobility wouldn't let me.

I'm so exhausted, but they won't let me go.

Coming here with the Royal Secretary to see you...

is making me reminisce the old days.

I am truly happy to see you.

Yeong Sil.

Thank you.

If I were a commoner, I would have said this.

Yeong Sil.

Thanks so much.

Thanks for all of your help.

What has the Palace done...

to be given the honour to serve such a special guest like you?

I would have carried you on my back...

and be so excited about our friendship.

This is all I can do to let you know how thankful I am for all you did.

I am sorry.

I know that Yeong Sil...

feels everything you're feeling now.

I know him very well.

I have a feeling that...

today might be...

the last day I could see you.

Please...

only have good dreams.

What will you do from now on?

You're an old man now.

Right.

Well, I should make a clock first.

That's right, a clock.

It's coming back to me now.

What is?

A self-operating clock.

Motive power.

What was it...

Darn it, I forgot.

Gosh, I'm such an idiot.

You can try again.

You can start again from the beginning.

I'll help you.

We should use this simplified armilla...

to observe the movements of...

the sun, the moon and the five planets every day...

and forecast astronomical events.

You're right.

Your Highness, with your help,

I can start over from the beginning.

That's great.

You're doing very well.

Yes.

Don't leave room for any regret.

Swallow it. Engulf it all.

The advancement of science, which enabled Korea to prosper,

did not happen overnight.

According to "The Encyclopaedia of History of Science and Technology",

which examines the world's history of science and technology,

there were 80 achievements made in the realm of science and...

technology all over the world in the 15th century.

Among them, 34 achievements were made in Joseon.

China had five achievements,

and so did Japan.

All other countries in the world, except for these three,

together made 36 achievements in total.

In 15th century,

the country with the most advanced scientific technologies was Joseon.

We'd like to dedicate this drama, Jang Yeong Sil, to...

Jang Yeong Sil as well as countless unknown scientists of Joseon.

(Jang Yeong Sil)

(Thank you for watching Jang Yeong Sil.)

(Jang Yeong Sil: Joseon's scientist and inventor...)

(who invented various scientific devices.)

The greatest scientist of Joseon, Jang Yeong Sil.

There is a meaningful place for him inside the Gyeongbokgung Palace.

(Gangnyeongjeon: The king's main residing quarters)

It is near Gangnyeongjeon, which has the king's main residing chamber.

King Sejong never stopped working even when he was resting here.

He used to frequent this pavilion which is just outside the fence.

It is called Heumgyeonggak.

(Heumgyeonggak: A pavilion built as an observatory in 1438)

Built for astronomical research and observations by King Sejong,

it's said to have housed Jang Yeong Sil's automatic water clock, Okru.

(Various astronomical devices were installed in Heumgyeonggak.)

(The current building was restored from the one that was rebuilt...)

(during Heungseon Daewongun's time.)

King Sejong discussed matters about astronomical research...

and exchanged opinions with Jang Yeong Sil and other scientists here.

(Armillary sphere: A celestial observation device)

The centre of the world King Sejong and Jang Yeong Sil wanted to...

create through science was the people.

To achieve that goal, they deciphered the messages...

from the sun and the stars and established the standards of time.

(Jagyeokru: A self-striking water clock)

Among all of their achievements, the completion of Jagyeokru,

which is a highly-advanced and accurate self-striking clock,

is recognised as the most important incident in the history of clocks.

Jang Yeong Sil.

His achievements have stood the test of time,

and he dedicated his whole life for the people of Joseon.