Original subtitles

Why did Baek Man Geum's child come here?

Why do you think? I'm here to break your gambling house.

To break it? You're going to break our gambling house?

Right. I'm going to break all of them.

All the gambling houses in Hanyang. I'll break them all.

Episode 11

Dae Gil, have you now become a tiger?

Why would a person become a beast? I am just a human being.

So then, you're going to beat me?

From this point on, I'm going to cut off your arms and legs, and then your neck.

Do you want to make a bet? On whether I can do it or not?

Kim Che Geon

Where did you get this mask?

Know your enemy and yourself and you will never lose.

Know my enemy and myself.

Do you even know the difference between your enemy and your ally?

How pathetic. I thought you had just broken through your shell and come out into the world.

You've tied yourself up with your thirst for meaningless revenge.

It's time for you to get over your father's death.

You... would have died more than a hundred times at my hands

if I was only thinking about avenging my father.

You need me. That's why you can't kill me.

That big picture that you're drawing... In order to complete that picture, you need me.

Have you just realized this now?

No. You're the very one who should wake up from your dream.

What can you actually do for the ambition I harbor

and for the great cause I dream of?

I know at least one thing for sure.

You can never be an ally.

Neither to me, nor to the king, nor to the citizens of this country.

Ace of Sixes

This little rascal.

Here, there is no one who will run away from an incoming fight.(Gae Jak Du: Dog Blade)

Take your time coming and don't rush.

I'll see you often from now on.

Remember that I'm letting you live today.

What you see is not everything, Baek Dae Gil.

Confucius once said, "Set your heart upon the Way.

Support yourself by its virtue." (Lee Woon Jing: Lee In Jwa's grandfather)

Recite what it means.(Lee Woon Jing: Lee In Jwa's grandfather)

Confucius once said(Lee Hyun Jwa: Lee In Jwa)

Set your heart upon the Way according to Moral Virtue.

All those doctrines of eulogy.

Back then, I thought they were the truth.

Die, Bastard.

However, the bare face of the world I encountered was far from the one in books.

Even after being trampled in the Japanese Invasion and the Manchu War,

this country's king, and this country's ministers

would not even take a young teenager's advice.

Even though they had Confucius and Mencius as their teachers,

it was a world in which the subjects could never become the owners.

This impudent child.

That was the very world I was living in.

And upon the bloody Change of State brandished by the current king, everything changed.

My clan, my family,

Also my life, Lee In Jwa's life.

Stop!

Father.

Father...

Father! Father!

Father.

I hid myself behind that white mask,

I waited for the day when I could grasp the world in my hands.

Just as the young teenager Lee Hyeon Jwa

was born again with the name of Lee In Jwa, Baek Dae Gil, you are also going to take that path.

That difficult road that I walked.

Hey!

Hwang Jin Gi

Do you want to settle things right now?

A mere dog's pup got so fierce.

I'm just asking because I'm curious.

The guy, Kim Chae Geon's disciple.

Are you really thinking of making that guy the king?

Why? You don't believe it?

Why would you make that guy king? What about the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince is a discarded play.

I'm looking past that. I'm talking about after the Crown Prince dies.

No matter how, such an impulsive amateur...

He can ultimately do things the current Crown Prince born and raised in the palace can never do.

The great cause that can never happen or start under the feet of his Majesty.

The day where status and ranks break, when the people become the owners

will only happen through someone who is of the king's blood.

And has experienced the hell of many difficulties.

Baek Dae Gil is the only guy who can do it.

Just wait and see. Before long, Baek Dae Gil's name will be known to the whole world.

You are going to defeat Lee In Jwa.

There have been a lot of inexperienced people like you.

The thing is, do you know what happened to all of them?

They all went to the afterlife.

So, you made a ledger about all the wicked deeds the merchants have done.(Prince Yeoning: later King Yeongjo)

And then you plan to threaten Lee In Jwa with that ledger. Are you confident you can survive after that?

At one point in my life... I united 1,000 nanjeons (illegal businesses without mercantile charters) in Hanyang,

and led them to success.

Then...

why on earth did you abandon the cornered non-chartered people,

and try to sell the ledgers you'd made to Lee In Jwa?

I had my personal reasons. Actually, it was because Lee In Jwa offered me 500 nyangs.

How much will Your Highness offer me?

How much do you want?

A thousand nyangs.

Your joke has gone too far.

If I hand over this ledger to Your Highness,

then do you think Lee In Jwa will let me live?

Five hundred nyangs for the ledger, and the other 500 nyangs as the price of my life.

Fine, I will give you 1,000 nyangs.

However... You must personally stand in front of the other ministers,

and testify about this matter.

So what will you do now?

I don't need the money, just ensure my safety.

Thank you.

I will definitely ensure your safety.

Until that man stands in the royal court and testifies, protect him.

He must not die.

Yes, Your Highness.

But Your Highness... It seems Baek Dae Gil has arrived in Hanyang.

All right, take a guess! Take a guess! Where could it have gone?

Where did it go?

It was you, Your Highness?

Sit.

A noble like you is drinking in the middle of the day without any serving girls.

Did you get dumped?

Aren't you curious about what happened to Dam Seo?

I don't care about her anymore, because I have more important things to care about.

Lee In Jwa. Am I right?

Have a drink from me.

Why, this bastard...

Do you really not know any manners?(he should receive the drink with two hands)

So what is the reason you wanted to see me?

Even if we can't be friends, I'm sure we can be allies for the same cause.

- Allies? - Aren't you thinking of taking revenge for your father's death?

Right now, Lee In Jwa would've been on the road to the afterlife

if I desired only revenge.

There is an even greater cause than your desire for revenge.

Then, how about you? What's your reason for attacking Lee In Jwa?

Just like you, I have harbored a grudge against him for quite some time.

Why? Do you not want to become allies?

I have things I must do on my own.

You do whatever you need to. I don't want you to get in my way.

Are you rejecting my generous offer?

It's because Your Highness' generous offer just doesn't feel like a generous offer.

I'll take my leave now.

That sword.

Do you not know the meaning of His Majesty entrusting that sword to you?

Meaning?

There are different types of swords.

There are swords that kill people and swords that save people.

Which will it be? Which type of sword will you hold in your hands?

Instead of thinking about it a hundred times, take one decisive action. That's the meaning behind this sword.

"Instead of thinking about it a hundred times, take one decisive action." That's what you think it means?

Then, are we done discussing matters for today?(Crown Prince Yoon: later King Gyeongjong)

Forgive me for being late, Your Majesty.

I, Prince Yeoning, have another matter to address.

This matter is about people who have received severe punishment and have died as a result.

Is it wrong for a servant to leave the sight of their master's eyes?

Is it right to kill someone for stealing one rice cake because of hunger?

Then do you Ministers, who drove these people to starvation, have no fault?

Your Highness! Punishing someone who commits a crime is an obvious matter.

Your Highness. How can you question His Majesty's administration of the...

So...

What is your point?

The first things that I want to address are execution,

branding criminals as a punishment, beatings, and tattooing the face. I want to get rid of these severe punishments.

The second thing I would like to address is, in order to listen to the complaints of the people who have been wronged,

please revive the sinmungo. ("petition drum" that citizens can strike to voice their complaints)

Also, the cloth tax imposed only on the commoners, for exemption from the military service,

needs to be adjusted to be imposed upon every household, including every rank in society, whether it be Confucian scholars

or nobles who hold government positions.

I urge you to make these changes.

If I do that, will it become a more peaceful reign?

This ledger contains the records of taxes the chartered monopoly merchants have evaded,

and sure enough, the military supplies they have hidden away during loading or unloading at the Port of Mapo.

It even contains the records of the names and the amount of money they were given for bribes. All of it is written here.

So... What are you trying to say?

The last thing that I want to address is the abolition of Geumnanjeongwon (the system under which a merchant was given a monopoly to buy and sell a product).

Abolition of Geumnanjeongwon? Is he out of his mind?

Your Majesty, the current Geumnanjeongwon serves only the rich and satisfies only the greed of a few high officials.

Tax evasion and omission. Abolish the Geumnanjeongwon that's stained by fraud.

And please be a strength to those non-chartered merchants whose existence is ephemeral.

Where did you come from?

Anseong?

- Did it rain there yet? - It hasn't rained yet.

Aigo, damn it.

Prepare some for your parents beforehand.

How much is this silk?

Ah, this...

This is just ordinary stuff,

but if you go inside, we have silks from Qing China.

These ones here...

Dae Gil! Aigo, Dae Gil..

Aigo, Dae Gil.

You've come back alive.

Don't you know it has long been prohibited for non-chartered merchants to sell silk here?

You seem like a common man.

Why are you all worked up?

But...

Its the national Law.(Geumnan Authority Privilege which created a ban on non-chartered merchants)

within 10 li (5 km) outside the capital, any non-permitted merchant.

Didn't you know they cannot even sell a single pair of shoes?

Geumnam Authority?

What are you guys doing? Go search.

Hey look. Hey, look here.

No, these people...

Move aside.

Aigo, aigo.

But this valuable...

Do you know how hard I tried to get these?

You thieves!

Oh, no.

Didn't you even know about the ban on non-chartered merchants?

Of all items, you opened up a cloth shop.

Who do you think I did this for?

I did this just to meet you.

If you talk like that, I'm disappointed.

You are alive and well.

I have to be alive to see you.

I was waiting for you.

So how goes it?

How was it going around mimicking teacher Baek Myeong?

Oh.

Huh?

What?

Give it to me. You probably earned a lot of money going around.

I don't have any.

Don't have any?

Look at this ingratitude.

Do you know how much I've put into you since you were a baby?

Even only by an approximate estimate, it is about...

About?

It's about... If I added it all together, it would be so heavy I wouldn't even be able to pick it up.

Use as much as you need.

Our Dae Gil has grown up over time.

It's not free money.

If you've received money, you have to work.

I have to.

This is the map I prepared. Do you like it?

This is our location,

and this is Hongmae Gambling House.

The Seoso Gate.

Jongro.

Mapo.

From this point on, I am going to break these three gambling houses.

Out of all the gambling houses in the market,

why these three?

Grandpa, what have you been doing while I was working so hard?

The financial supporter of Lee In Jwa, who even controls the ministers.

The first one is Lee In Jwa's right hand, Hong Mae, her gambling house on Yookjo Street.

Second, Lee In Jwa's left hand, Hwang Gwa Moon's Wolhyanggak.

And then Ace of Sixes from the Seoso Gate, Dog Blade from Jongro, and Swindler Golsa from Mapo.

These three are Lee In Jwa's legs.

First of all, we have to cut off his legs.

Yeah. Which one of the three are you going to beat first?

Ace of Sixes from the Seoso Gate.

This is all because of that Ace of Sixes.

The reason why I am trying so hard to endure is for my father and mother's enemy.

Before I break that Ace of Sixes's neck,

I cannot die.

Ace of Sixes, I am going to catch you first.

What in the world are you doing?

Your Highness, can you really say the thing that prohibits the daily survival of the non-chartered merchants

and greatly benefits the big merchants, the ban on non-chartered merchants,

is for the people?

That is the law our father personally established.

However, it has many weakness.

However, the tax revenue it produces is stabilizing the government.

But the people are starting to starve.

This ledger is only a half.

It has only the names of the merchants who gave bribes

but not the amounts or names of the people who took them.

I have the person who wrote the ledger and the witness.

And soon, the other half of the ledger will come into my hands as well.

Didn't you promise you would become my eyes and ears?

I am going to do that.

But before that, you must get rid of Lee In Jwa.

The collusion between the chartered merchants and ministers of the court is part of Lee In Jwa's scheme.

Haven't I said this before? That man, Lee In Jwa, is my...

You said he was your friend.

But staying away from a friend with faults is also the duty of a king.

Your Majesty.

If you really don't intend to do it, I will.

I am going to catch that man, Lee In Jwa.

My Liege, how come you are so calm?

Abolish the law of Market Monopoly Privileges! Prince Yeoning only knows the one but not the other.

Through the law of Market Monopoly Privileges, the merchants who took control of the market...

Do you think perhaps that they only filled the Sorons' bellies?

Your Highness, why did you not mention anything to us either?

If I informed you beforehand,

would you have agreed upon it?

Why?

Your common secret you've kept hidden.

Are you afraid that you will all be shamefully exposed?

Your Highness, you cannot lose ten things just to gain one.Lee Yee Myeong (Central Council)

Minister, give up.

I am saying it's time for you to let it leave your hands.

Haven't you all eaten enough already?

Kim Chang Jip (Prime Minister)

Jo Il Soo (Deputy Right Minister)

Even if he convinces the Noron ministers,

this matter won't be resolved.

In order to abolish the ban on non-chartered merchants, the petty merchants would have to bear the tax revenue at once.

However, they can't budge an inch under the wiles of theAce of Sixes.

May you grant allowance.

And more than anything, the current king also

could not abandon the huge sum of tax revenue the chartered merchants offer him.

Royal Noble Consort Sook Bin of Haeju Choe Clan

Royal Mother, are you ill?

Prince Yeoning.

Yes, Royal Mother.

Just why are you promoting a law that none of the ministers of any affiliation supports?

Your son plans to capture Lee In Jwa.

I have my thoughts on it.

Don't worry too much, Mother.

More importantly, are you feeling better?

Don't worry about your mother.

Yes.

Abolish the ban on non-chartered merchants? Does this even make sense?

If we get rid of Market Monopoly Privileges, how will we raise enough taxes?

That's not all. What about the rent we collect from the merchants?

Now that you bastards' purse strings are loose, you all must be worried sick.

There's nothing I won't do for the dissolution of the Market Monopoly Privileges monopoly.

As all your excellencies are aware, I am a fearless son of a concubine who came up from a water maid.

I have nothing to fear.

If you don't want to be like a dog who has had its bone taken away,

give up Lee In Jwa.

I'm telling you all to sever your ties with him.

Then... I may be inclined to be considerate.

As for that fellow Lee In Jwa...

I'm a bit late.

Excellency, why don't you do so?

Please kick me out, Sir.

Kick me out according to Prince Yeoning's wishes.

In addition, open the grain storehouses that we've been accumulating with great effort

to share with the people.

Your Excellency, you just need to act according to what I say.

You don't think, perhaps, that I wouldn't be able to go after Yeoning?

Drink up.

Give me some too.

Kill the fellow who gave our ledger to Prince Yeoning

Here, here, here.

Ten guards total, and even an Inspector General.

It's coming.

Drinking is good. Here, here, here.

Have some, My Lord.

Here.

Drink, drink, drink.

Look here. What're you doing there? You should come here and have a drink.

Here, here, here.

Bring me the ledger.

Y-Y-Y-yes.

Keep in mind that excessive greed will lead to a fall.

What. There's plenty of liquor left. You should have some.

I'm good.

Elder!

Elder! Look here! Elder!

Elder! Elder!

Sir, do I have to do such lowly things?

Have you already forgotten the promise we made?

From now, your gambling house is mine

But don't be disappointed.

As promised if you work for me three times,

I will return this gambling house to you.

Then there are just two times left now.

Why don't we play some music?

Would a betrayed Yeoning stay put?

- Aigoo, Father! - What the heck happened?

He was poisoned.

I told you to be on your guard.

You're the one who killed my father. You seduced him and made him die!

Save him. Bring him back to life!

I am sorry. I am truly sorry.

Piss off. Get out of my sight!

Your Highness!

You.

What's your name?

It's Ga Yeon.

I see.

How can you down alcohol at a time like this?

You set fire to someone else's house, yet you are drinking.

Your Highness was the one who first placed your hands on what was mine.

And so, is killing someone to avoid the consequences one of your methods?

If that's so, these people here will one day die by your sword,

since you don't know how to value people. Am I wrong?

So what are you attempting to gain by coming here?

I didn't come here to gain, but to give something in return.

So are you planning on putting me to your sword?

No. I have something even better.

Stop.

How's that? Does it hurt?

It's disappointing.

I was expecting a more plausible reaction from you.

The real deal will slowly be revealed.

You can count on looking forward to it.

Your Highness,

I'm wondering if you've just instigated an unnecessary fight.

To you, do I look like an incompetent fool who can't tell one thing from another?

Follow me.

You seduced my father and made him die. Save him.

Bring him back to life!

Without a proper funeral...

- Right now, find that man who claims to be that elder's son. - Pardon?

That person holds the key.

Be careful about what you say. (Baek Joong Gi: Head Merchant of the Mercantile Monopoly League)

Mercantile Monopoly League

Why did you pretend to be that man's son?

You must have set your sights on the dead elder's ledgers.

Without a doubt you must have them. The missing half of the ledgers.

Both must be obtained to pressure, negotiate an agreement,

- or fight against the marketplace merchants. - What do you want?

This is all to save your small-scale merchants. Please give up the ledgers.

How can I believe you? The government officials have no reason to stand by our side.

Furthermore, you are the King's...

I, the son of this nation's king,

and called Prince by government officials high and low,

am fighting against all of them,

staking everything I have.

What do I need to do for you to trust me?

Ace

Our lives are no longer ours.Ace

In order to stay alive, we borrowed some money from the Ace of Sixes.

We weren't able to pay back the money, so we became his slaves.

Dying, or living, our lives belong to that bastard, Ace of Sixes.

Save us from the Ace of Sixes.

Then we will put our trust in you.

I will hand over the ledger afterward.

Where is the man called "Ace of Sixes"?

Seoso Gate

This is where all the capital's thugs and beggars can be found.

Even stooping to selling people and corpses, they are the evilest of the evil.

If he were ever to die and go to the afterworld, the bastard whom even the king of Hades would refuse to take is

the Ace of Sixes.

The reason that Seoso Gate is called the root of corpses is because of the Ace of Sixes.

Even if you are fine when you enter, you go out as a corpse.

How dare you, bastard. What treacherous actions!

You wench, you really...

Look. Living or dead, now you're mine. Understood?

Your name is Ban Poon and now you're mine.

Look. Until you pay this back, you can't leave here alive. Got it?

Oh ho.

As always, you still act before you think.

It's better than being only full of talk.

- Step aside. - Do you have a plan?

As I told you already, I have my own business to take care of.

What does he put his trust in that he's so self-confident?

Which bastard did that?

Ace of Sixes Gambling House

- You have money? - Let me check.

I seem to have forgotten it.

There.

Please appraise me well.

What are you doing?

It's because I have to test your abilities

if we are to have a good partnership.

Then you should've given me a heads-up or something.

Not letting you know, that was my plan.

So what are you going to do anyway?

Are you saying that you'll take part in it as well?

Do I have to spell it out for you?

Look me straight in the eye,

I'm still young and very strong as you can see,

so shouldn't I get at least 100 nyangs?

I understand.

No way. This guy got 100 nyangs. Why am I getting only 20 nyangs?

I'll make you 30 nyangs then.

I'm worth 100 nyangs too.

Skip!

Then stamp me even for 30 nyangs.

Wow. A prince in the gambling world is only worth 30 nyangs.

What did you say?

Strangely even those kinds of people have good insight, you know.

You punk...

What? Am I wrong?

Of course. If you're worth 100 nyangs,

does it make sense that I'm worth 30 nyangs?

Your asking price was evaluated by that person, not me.

Oh, you punk, really. You've been continuously speaking informally to me for a while now.

Hasn't enough time passed for you to be used to it by now?

- What did you say? - Hey!

Do you guys want to die right now?

Hey, throw them out.

I see that your fists can be quite useful.

Know that you're alive today because of me.

Hey. Tell the Ace of Sixes to show himself.

Hey guys...

Look! This high-born son has lost his sense of fear.

Why are you creating an even bigger ruckus?

This is all part of my plan.

From this point on, let's each do our individual parts.

So you came.

I heard you're here to break the gambling house.

So why have you come empty-handed?

One Hundred

I am worth 100 nyangs.

Hey guys. An honored guest has graced us with his presence.

Though those guys are worth 10 nyangs, no one cares about them anymore.

So they're putting their lives at stake to earn some money...

How can I turn them away empty-handed?

They have to be used at least as baduk (go) stones.

What? Doesn't suit your taste?

Now then... Try besting this place.

If this place becomes yours,

then you can do as you please, right?

In exchange,

if I win, you're dead.

If you go around to the back of the gambling house, there's a door where outsiders are not permitted.

It's there. Our lives.

Save us from the Ace of Sixes.

Then we will put our trust in you

I will hand over the ledger afterward.

What's going on?

Don't lose too much in one turn.

It's best to savor the screams of terror one by one.

You're not playing?

Then should I go first?

It won't be fun if you do that.

My neck's gonna fall out from waiting.

Prince, Sir.

Hey, Ace of Sixes. Stop playing around and let's have a real go at it.

What did you say?

Seeing all the deeds you've done. I no longer want to be a person.

I would like to quarter you to death, but I'm holding back right now with great difficulty.

So... Stop with your coy tricks and deal with me straight.

Do you want to die?!

There we go.

You need to act in that manner

in order for me to kill you.

Stop.

It's been awhile,

Baek Dae Gil.

Seol Im

♪ As I see your back drift further away from me. ♪

♪ I won't wave goodbye. ♪

♪ Because as long as we're under the same sky. ♪

♪ We're bound to meet again. ♪

Jackpot ♪ Though we're far apart momentarily. ♪

Who are you to apologize in my place?

Without being grounded,

you're being dragged around.

- Do you know where Baek Dae Gil is staying? - Call me Hyungnim.

What's so important about it? We're friends.

It seems we're not late.

I would like to wager on the winning side as well.

It's 5000 nyangs.

Don't touch the girl.

Remove your hand. I am now one of Dog Blade's people.

Hurry and open that door before I smash it to pieces.

- Who are you? - I'll save you, so how about we leave together?

To take out that badge of shame on your body is to kill the person you love.