Original subtitles

- It's what? - Heungwang is burning.

Heungwang in flames? Heungwang Temple...

What about the Head Abbot?

Unclear at this time, sir.

Unclear?

Then make it clear.

We're looking into it now, sir.

How could this...? Who would have guessed they would burn the temple?

How did this happen?

They may have planned it from the start.

How else would they have even thought to do it?

It's more likely they did it to pressure us into surrendering.

First the temple, then the palace, something like that.

Scum. Slime!

We have to stop them from entering the capital.

The formal peace terms, sir.

Terms? Excellent.

We have to get the King's seal and send it before things get worse.

We may call it peace, but they want surrender.

We can't afford to antagonize them.

As hard as it is, we can't just pay them lip service.

It's up to us say what has to be said.

We lost, that has to be explicit.

That's more important than saving face.

Surrender...

Surrender to those desert wolves...

Surrender!

Welcome, Venerable.

I'm Bongeun's resident monk. How terrible.

We just now heard about Heungwang.

You're welcome here. Please.

Thank you, all of you. And you, Field Marshal.

Not at all.

I'm just glad you survived the fire.

You should rest.

Thank you, Field Marshal.

I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't shown up.

Not at all. In the excitement, I forgot to ask you about Abbot Subop.

What little I hear places him all over the country.

I don't know where he is.

I see. We need to report.

Goodbye.

Thank you again.

- Move out. - Yes, sir.

How..? How could this happen during my reign?

Kneeling to the Mongols.

How can I face the founder of Koryo? Or my forefathers?

If we'd done this in the first place, they might not have...

Ahem. Or so some might say.

If we'd moved sooner, we would have spared injuries

And Heungwang Temple, for that matter.

When I heard about the temple, it broke my heart.

Sire, the situation demands we persue peace.

But it does not require that you kneel in surrender.

But doesn't it come to the same thing?

Fighting on in the face of defeat...

shows them that Koryo is not to be taken lightly.

If we roll over and play good doggy from the start...

we may as well never have had a throne at all.

Yes, I know, I understand that.

Fort Kwiju still stands. Choe Chunmyong...

threatens the enemy's rear from Fort Jaju.

It may well be that the Mongols are afraid.

Consider that.

I see. Do as you like.

But what is that exactly?

We'll send our envoys back with Kong Bokwon and Jo Sukchang.

Two of your chancellors have dealt with Tanggu before.

We hope to send Min Hui and Song Kukchom.

Ah, I see. That's fine.

We'll do that.

But hurry. They may attack at any minute.

Hurry, all of you.

Yes, Sire.

Put your best foot forward.

Take them gifts, fine foods and delicacies.

That should help butter them up.

Good, yes.

Koryo is a land of great beauty.

Just look at that lovely view.

Why didn't you just open the gates and grovel in the first place?

Tsk-tsk-tsk.

Burned all night, did it? The temple, I mean.

A big place, 1,000 monks, 2,800 visitors.

A great temple.

These delicacies are for the Mongols. They have to be ready by dinner.

- Wine, too. - Yes'm.

Whew... oh, my...

What are all the officials' wives doing here?

The fate of the nation is at stake. What does status matter now?

We've all got to do our part.

Slave or not, this is Koryo. We won't be enslaved to those Mongol scum.

More rice, more wine, chop-chop.

Your Grace, surely you needn't have bothered.

Nanjang is right. We're all in this together against the Mongols.

We should all do what we can.

- Yonsim, get to work. - Your Grace.

- Quick. - Yes'm.

Small tokens from His Majesty.

Fine wine and delicacies are on the way.

Please enjoy.

Never mind wine and grub. I want to hear your decision.

What's your answer?

The recent military actions are...

all due to the unfortunate border incident with Jaguye.

So?

As we said before, the people of Koryo had nothing to do with his death.

I asked for your answer.

Forget the past. What's your decision?

Will you surrender or not?

His Majesty accepts that Koryo is to blame for this unfortunate business.

Just so. We're a small border country.

We failed to pay the great Mongol Empire the proper respect.

His Majesty begs your forgiveness.

Do you surrender or not?

Sir, the Koryo court admits its fault.

Isn't that tantamount to surrender?

You can afford to be generous in victory.

Accept their message in spirit intended.

Generous in victory...

But what you suggest isn't really up to me.

The final decision rests with Marshal Sartai.

It must be discussed with him.

- Thank you, sir. - Thank you.

Thank you.

But such a discussion can't be held by intermediaries.

It must be held by Koryo's king.

In Sartai's camp.

But, sir, he's the Emperor of Koryo.

Please reconsider...

"We can't do this, we won't do that."

What kind of talk is that for a defeated nation?

Wait. If it isn't Kim Jun?

No...Sir.

It is you.

I heard you were coming.

So many years, so many changes.

Yes, sir.

Welcome, welcome, indeed.

I just heard the news. You got the Head Abbot to safety?

Yes, he's safe.

Well done, very well done.

I have to say, you haven't changed a bit.

Not so as you'd notice.

You fought well at the front.

Time to catch up later. You need to make your report.

Yes, sir. Right.

Thank you for sending for me.

It wasn't me, it was the Overlord.

Sir?

He has a lot of questions for you.

It's nice to have you back after all this time.

Will I be posted here?

Yes, I think so.

And I want to remind you of what I said before.

What you said?

Things haven't changed much since you left.

I'm talking about Her Grace, Lady Songi.

I know. It's not easy for people to let go of their most cherished memories.

You take my meaning?

It's in the past. It's forgotten.

Men and women, they never forget.

Not their first love.

Which puts you in danger.

- Sir. - Remember that.

You may well end up serving under Kim Yakson.

Don't let the oil burn, come on, you.

Who's that?

Nanjang, look, look.

Is that..?

Huh? Isn't that Kim Jun?

Oh, dear, it's been ten years, where has he been?

- Gapi and Sanjok are with him. - Yes.

Move, move.

Your Grace, look...

Your Grace, I trust you've been well?

It's been a while.

Yes, indeed.

You look well. I'm glad.

Thank you for coming back to us.

Yes, Your Grace.

Buddha hasn't ignored my pleas.

He brought you back.

Your pardon.

Hurry. We need to keep working.

- Yonsim, hurry. - Your Grace.

You've had quite a shock.

It's nothing compared to the shock you've had.

To think that you alone survived.

I still can't believe it.

Kim Jun arrived just in time. He saved us.

Yes, so I heard.

And for that I'm grateful.

I know they're barbarians, but to burn Buddha's temple?

Beasts don't know any better.

But we moved the Tripitaka to Buin Temple, and for that I'm grateful.

Yes, that was well done.

You have the gift of prophecy.

Not at all. We couldn't have done it without your help.

But now we have another problem.

I know things are going badly in the war.

I worry how things will turn out, if we'll make it out of this war.

And if we do, if we can drive them across our borders.

We will.

We must.

But won't they keep fighting if they don't get what they want?

If they do, the Tripitaka won't be safe in Daegu.

So my point...

Please.

Let the monks fight.

Not all of them are warriors, but take those that are.

Monks, lay-people, we all fight for Koryo.

We have to protect the Tripitaka from those animals.

Thank you. Thank you, Venerable.

He insists our emperor meet with Sartai at Fort Anbuk?

Ridiculous.

They think they can tell our emperor where and when he'll meet with them?

Lord Min, you were there. How do you assess the situation?

Jo Sukchang persuaded him to consider Koryo's position.

Thanks to him, we don't have to submit an immediate formal surrender.

First we must appease Sartai.

It may give us other opportunities.

The question is... should His Majesty go...

You're all forgetting one thing.

Koryo has lost. The only question left is how badly.

In a fight, what matters is how our opponent sees us.

Those who kneel are entirely different from those who hold their heads high.

We sued for peace, but that doesn't necessitate groveling.

And they are still threatened by Fort Kwiju and Fort Jaju.

We can't allow His Majesty to go.

Yi Jangyong is right.

Where His Majesty goes, Koryo goes.

How can the Emperor of Koryo go groveling at the frontier?

It's more humiliating than surrender.

We need another plan.

It seems to me that we can't afford to dismiss their demands.

Perhaps we could send a distant member of the royal house?

Oh, that's feasible.

An excellent idea. Overlord, let's do that.

It may be acceptable if I accompany a member of the royal family.

Yes, we'll send a member of the royal family.

And if we can't reach peaceful terms...

tell them Koryo will fight to the very last man.

What they want right now is for Kwiju and Jaju to surrender.

Fly the white flag and open the gates.

What can we do?

As things are, we have to obey.

There's no choice.

Think of Pak So and Kim Kyongson in Kwiju, Choe Chunmyong in Jaju.

I wonder if they can fly the flag or open the gates?

Attack!

Attack!

Well? Keep firing!

Fire!

Catapults!

Keep firing!

Attack!

More dead.

Koryo scum!

Choe Chunmyong, just you wait.

What? The war is over?

And we surrendered?

Surrendered!

I'm not certain.

All I know is we've been ordered to cease fire and fly the white flag.

Here's the order.

Wait, fly the white flag and stand down?

If that's not surrender, what is?

Why else fly the white flag?

Stand down? Cease fire? Surrender!

To have it end this way!

What does it say exactly?

It says, "Our officials are on the way to see Sartai in Fort Anbok."

"In what is in effect surrender, we are going to sue for terms."

Then it's true, we're surrendering?

So it seems.

Fly the flag, turn tail and run without a single fight.

I'm just one field marshal in the slave brigade.

But I refuse to surrender.

I'll fight to the death.

As will I.

I swear...

We came here to fight and now this?

We haven't even used my strategy yet.

Right. What are your orders, sir?

Disband the troops and send the men home.

I'll got to Fort Jaju and oversee the terms of the surrender.

Choe Yangbaek, you come with me.

Sir? I hoped to return to Kaegyeong.

What's that? I need you with me.

We're comrades, we've face life and death together.

He needs an escort. You have your orders.

Yes, sir.

Good, good, great. Well, we have the Overlord's orders.

We have troops to organize and a trip to Jaju to plan.

We're headed for Fort Jaju, but what about Kwiju?

Isn't the fiercest fighting there?

Wait. Is that a white flag?

Pak So. Kim Kyongson.

I am Min Hui of the Regional Censorate.

What brings you here, Lord Min?

The war is over. The Overlord has ordered a cease fire.

We have no such order.

You wouldn't. Which is why I brought it with me.

Open the gate.

We're at war with the Mongols. We can't open the gates.

What does the order say?

We're currently in peace negotiations with Marshal Sartai.

And what are we to do?

Your orders are for all combatant forts to open their gates.

Then negotiations may proceed.

You are to stand down by order of the King and the Overlord.

I know the Overlord. He would never give such an order.

We've fought countless battles defending this fort.

We won't open the gates!

Be on your way. Fort Kwiju will not surrender.

Please listen to me. The Mongols are at the gates of the capital.

If you refuse, the palace will burn.

We all have our duty.

Ours is to defend Fort Kwiju.

See how we have defended it.

Look at the faces of her defenders.

We have fought dozens of battles in these past four months.

And we have never thrown open our gates. Understand?

Now you know, so go.

The men, the civilians, we all choose death before dishonor.

Turn around.

Leave or place yourself in harm's way.

What are you waiting for? Battle stations.

- Battle stations. - Battle stations!

No, listen, listen!

We haven't had a good fight in a while.

Well?

- Catapults! - Fire!

- Catapults! - Catapults!

- Attack! - Catapults!

Fire!

Keep firing!

Again? That Kim Kyongson, what is it with him?

They fire on their own chancellor?

You're emissaries from the king of Koryo?

Yes, sir.

The king is ill and sent a member of the royal house?

Who?

I'm a relative of the king, Hoe Angong.

You act in his name?

Yes, sir. I have full authority.

I understand your terms.

Surrender is surrender, but you want to save face, is that it?

But look here.

Certain things about Mongol-Koryo relations need to be made clear.

Please continue.

Obviously, we are the victors, the occupiers.

You are the defeated, the occupied.

In the future we do not interact as equals...

but as ruler and ruled.

- Is that clear? - Yes, sir.

Your king will present himself to our emperor.

An admission of guilt and an act of contrition will suffice.

But I've spent half a year beating my head up against Fort Kwiju.

Fort Kwiju...

If you intend to submit, shouldn't you have made sure...

Kwiju would go along with it first?

We're in negotiations.

How can they continue if Kwiju and Jaju don't open their gates?

Please be patient.

All right, get Kwiju to open its gates and we'll talk concessions.

And Fort Jaju. What is the commandant's name?

Choe Chunmyong, sir.

Choe, huh? My marshal Putau talks to him, attacks him...

and he might as well be spitting in the wind.

Both forts have to open their gates.

Then we'll meet Koryo's terms.

If they keep fighting, the negotiations are finished.

Then I give the order to march on Kaegyeong. Understood?

Yes, sir. Understood.

Koryo's emperor is hanging in the wind.

Why bother negotiating at all?

Be patient, sir.

They'll all be bowing to you before you know it.

I'm tired of this.

I've fought a lot of enemies in my time, but none like this.

No provisions, no arms, yet attrition doesn't stop them.

They use stones, logs, refurbished arrows...

boiling water, fireballs of dung.

I'm sick of it. They're not human.

Halt. Identify yourselves.

General Choe. It's Dae Jipsong.

General Dae Jipsong.

We're at war. I don't know that name.

What are you doing with the Mongols?

Whose side are you on?

Now, now, I'm General Dae Jipsong.

What's a Koryo general doing with Mongols?

The war is over.

Min Hui of the Regional Censorate went to Fort Kwiju.

And I came in person to see you.

Open the gate. The war is over.

Koryo is in ashes, trampled and razed by these animals.

The war is over? Not here, it's not.

You know Choe Yangbaek. He's with me.

Raise the white flag and open the gates.

The orders come from above.

Open the gates. That's an order!

Dae Jipsong!

You say you're a general?

And, what, orders from above?

Who are you? Have you ever seen battle?

You... you... How dare you draw on me?

Brave men have died here.

And you come whimpering to me about generals and orders?

Turn around. Or this arrow will end you now.

Go!

Are you trying to kill me?

You dare fire at me? I come under orders.

You! Wait and see. I'll deal with you later.

What are you waiting for? Fire!

A formidable opponent. He's set on dying here.

Choe Chunmyong.

Anyone who surrenders is a traitor!

Battle stations! Battle stations! Battle stations!

Battle stations!

Hoe Angong has finished the negotiations with Sartai.

They demand that we no longer be brothers, but rather ruler and ruled.

The King is to present himself to the Mongol emperor.

But first Kwiju and Jaju have to surrender.

What are they doing now?

Kwiju's Pak So and Kim Kyongson refuse to surrender.

And Choe Chunmyong in Jaju?

The same, if not more so.

Send someone as soon as possible and get them to surrender.

If they don't open their gates, the Mongols will start pillaging again.

And Kaegyeong will be threatened.

Kim Kyongson, Pak So, Choe Chunmyong...

A few more like them and they never would have made it this far.

But the longer they hold out, the worse it is everywhere else.

Send more men. Again.

Yes, Overlord.

Overlord, Kim Jun has returned and awaits your orders.

Oh? Send him in.

You're dismissed.

Yes, Overlord.

It's been too long, Kim Jun.

You've been in the northwest? On the border?

Yes, Overlord.

The years have flown by. You're quite a man now.

I understand you've been all over the border, even into Jin lands?

Yes, Overlord.

You submitted many reports to the Directorate General. I've read them.

You're quite observant.

You've worked hard.

In retrospect, I realize you did nothing wrong.

But there is such a thing as the wrong place at the wrong time.

We can hurt ourselves on a jagged rock without meaning to.

But that won't happen to you again.

What's past is past.

Overlord, what is past?

I don't understand. I don't recall being hurt.

Oh?

It's been a while. The Overlord must have a lot to say to Kim Jun.

Why shouldn't he?

He may not say it, but the Overlord knows his value more than anyone.

The way I see it, the Overlord didn't suddenly...

remember Kim Jun and recall him.

The Overlord is fond of him. Always has been.

It's been years, but I'm still perplexed.

By Kim Yokson's wife, my daughter, Songi. She wanted you.

I admit I thought about it.

But a slave can't run the Guard Corps.

Much less steer Koryo's future.

So I thought about getting rid of you.

But Pak Songbi sent you to the border.

I'm over sixty now.

My health isn't what it used to be.

Pak Songbi and Kim Yakson are fine men.

But I need someone to help this old man.

Sir?

Songi has her children, a boy and a girl.

She doesn't have much to do with me anymore.

Yes, sir.

I need a man to help arrange my affairs, run some errands.

Overlord, you are my lord.

My life is yours to command.

I'll never give you cause for concern again.

Yes, time has gone by.

The girl as lovely as a flower is now a mother of two.

But my heart is the same, but time goes by.

Isn't that so?

You're as lovely as ever.

- Will others think so? - Yes, Your Grace.

The country in danger, envoys surrendering to our enemies...

and I sit in front of a mirror putting on make-up.

Even I have to admit it's a little silly.

What was that again?

Fort Kwiju is still fighting?

You told them to surrender and they fired catapults?

Your pardon, sir.

It's that Kim Kyongson.

Well, I knew he wouldn't give up easily.

That's the way of it.

All of Koryo has surrendered, and he stands alone protecting his fort.

And Fort Jaju?

Choe Chunmyong is the same.

When General Dae told him to surrender, he fired on him.

Obstinate!

A puppy doesn't know to fear a tiger.

They'll know better once you've lost your temper.

Attack Kaegyeong.

Breach the capital gates, then those forts will open wide.

Marshal Sartai, I carry His Majesty's seal.

I'll convince them to stop.

Sir, send your men and attack the capital.

I know I can persuade them. Give me a chance.

How many chances have they had already?

Hong Bokwon is right.

They need a wake-up call.

- Altan. - Yes, sir.

Dispatch a messenger to Tanggu.

Tell him to march on Kaegyeong.

Yes, sir.

Sir, please don't.

After months of battle, it's not easy for them to surrender overnight.

Give them a chance, please.

He's right, sir.

If you march on the capital, chances are...

Kwiju and Jaju will hold out that much longer.

That will just cause a deeper rift between our countries.

Give us a chance.

I'll go to both forts and talk to them.

They can't help but obey His Majesty's seal.

Do it.

I'll say it again. If they refuse again, I have no other choice. None.

Now go.

Go and get those gates open.

No, no...I spent a lot of time at Kwiju.

I'll go myself. Personally.

My name is Min Hui of the Regional Censorate.

His Majesty has sent Hoe Angong with full authority to act in his name.

General Pak So. I am Hoe Angong, sent to act for His Royal Majesty.

Things have changed. Open the gates.

Do it to save the capital and your king.

How can you say that?

Kaegyeong is Kaegyeong and Kwiju is Kwiju.

We are prepared to fight and die for Koryo.

This is the king's command.

And the Overlord's orders.

If you refuse to obey, all your battles will have been in vain.

Koryo commands you.

It riles, I know, but you must open the gates.

I cannot.

We are committed to death.

How can I ask them to turn back now?

Turn back? Turn back!

I'll say it again.

Kaegyeong is under siege.

What good is your protest if the capital burns?

Save your king. Save the capital.

We have the royal seal. Please, please!

No, General.

You can't surrender.

The men, the civilians, we are all ready to die.

Don't, sir.

No, General. Don't.

Koryo has surrendered. What good is resisting now?

As they say, it will only hurt our king and set the capital in flames.

Don't, General.

- General. - No, General.

Officers, hold your heads high.

Bring the flag.

Impregnable Fort Kwiju.

In retrospect, a defeat for the Mongols, a decisive victory for Koryo.

As Joseon author and statesmen So Kojong...

wrote in "Mirror for the Eastern Kingdom"...

Alas, the lonely fortress.

Standing weak and alone, a single mountain...

before the might of the barbarians of the East.

Since the battle of Fort Ansi in the days of Koguryo...

there have been no greater heroes than Pak So and Kim Kyongson.

And so by order of the king, the gates of Fort Kwiju were opened.

Officers of Fort Kwiju.

This is Marshal Sartai of the Mongols.

Kneel.

What are you waiting for?

Kneel before him!

Kneel, kneel! Just get it over with.

- Sir, sir... - Sir...

Forgive us. Forgive your royal house.

Kim Kyongson.

Other forts aside, here at Kwiju, we were beaten.

Rise.

Rise. You have not been defeated.

Of course I haven't.

We were not beaten.

I kneel, yes...

but not before you.

I kneel before the brave soldiers and people of Kwiju.

And to... the weak and pathetic leaders...

that forced us to open the gates...

I spit on them all.

I spit on them all!

You can't do this.

I'd much rather die than become a servant of Mongolia.

It's not over yet.

I heard you are the replacement for the king. I heard you command all.

How could there be two suns under the sky?

-Is he playing with us? -He deserves to die.

-What do you think? -I agree!

Drag him out.