Original subtitles

Jun Jae.

Let's bow to your father.

Immediately after that,

our lady broke down too.

Master Jeong Seok and our lady,

both were killed by them.

But we can't do anything about it.

Does this make sense?

- How long do we... - That's enough.

He's before us.

That's why I'm saying this.

On behalf of our master who was killed unjustly.

That's enough, I said.

Sometimes you have to bite your lip to stay quiet.

Even when you're about to go crazy from the injustices,

wait until you have the power to do something about it.

Master.

Master, calm down.

The rite isn't over yet.

(Grade six officer)

Master Mun Su.

Master Mun Su.

I'm sorry.

Jun Jae was there.

I shouldn't have done that.

But you know what?

I try to control myself but I can't stand it.

My heart is about to burst.

The world is so messed up.

Jeong Seok died so unjustly...

and those dogs are living happily.

Also,

Prince Yeoning.

I heard he...

forgot everything and is doing well.

Why do you think Jeong Seok died?

As if nothing had happened...

So what?

What does his life...

have to do with us?

I hear things too.

I know how Prince Yeoning...

is doing.

He's doing whatever he can to survive.

Even if...

he has to rely on someone like Wi Byung Ju.

Are you okay?

Here's what you asked for.

So forget about...

Prince Yeoning, Master.

Yeo Ji.

He's living for...

a different reason than us.

Yi Hwon.

It's been a while already...

since I've been...

living like this.

Buy some yeot!

I'm going to pass first place this time.

It's so crowded.

Are they taking the exam because they have nothing to do?

Half of them are here to get good seats for others.

They get paid to find good seats at exams.

They're so big.

Right, it's important where you sit.

You have to sit in the front...

to see the question and write your answer quickly.

If you hand in your exam late, they don't even look at it.

That's why I failed last time.

You failed 10 times and you have 10 excuses.

Oh, it'll be 11 soon.

You little...

You jerk, I don't cheat.

- I play fair, that's why. - It hurts!

Will you take it back?

This guy...

Excuse me. What are you doing?

You can't cut in front of me like that.

Are you talking to me?

It looked like a free spot.

Is it not?

Go ahead.

You're right. It's a free spot.

The gate will be opened!

- It's opening. - Let's go.

- Let's go. - Hurry up.

I'm going, Ah Bong. See you.

- My goodness. - Move out!

No! I have to get there.

(Civil Service Examination)

- Get out! - Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Get up.

What? You're...

Get up.

Move out.

This way.

This way, Master.

This way. Come this way.

Over here. Come here.

- Come this way. - Just a bit more.

Over here.

- Sit here. - Right here.

Hurry up.

- Here. Sit here. - Over here.

- Me? - You're lucky.

I hired them...

and got two good seats.

- I happened to see you. - What?

- Come on. Hurry and sit down. - Sit down.

No.

I'm grateful, but I must refuse.

This is illegal.

What do you mean? Everyone does this.

It doesn't mean that it's legal just because everyone does it.

I studied...

to make a world where justice prevails.

Good luck.

Hey. Hey!

- Hey! - Hey!

This can't be.

- My lord. - I told you to speak casually.

My apologies.

This is such a mess.

There will be many cheaters.

Make sure you carefully watch them.

Yes.

You captured the person I asked for right away.

The backstreets of Hanyang are in your hands indeed.

You saw that the incident at Jeonokseo was related to the Norons.

You have a good eye, don't you?

I saw such things before too.

I just ignored them because I didn't need to care.

Did you find a reason to care now?

I'm not sure.

I don't want to tell you that even if I did find it.

We may have become comfortable to each other,

but I haven't forgotten that you're Min Jin Heon's dog.

You seem to be getting help from elsewhere too.

Isn't it time...

to reveal yourself in front of them?

The female inspector and that man, Park Mun Su...

They must be deeply mistaken about you.

They're not mistaken. It's true.

I betrayed them.

They both paid a dearly price for trusting someone like me.

Let's end this useless talk here. I should go now.

The situation...

will become messier than ever.

I don't know what you have decided to do,

but I think...

you should hurry before that.

What do you mean?

Why will the situation become messier?

A king must be like this!

He must be careful with his actions!

He must stay noble!

That is only right to do so!

(Chunchudaeui: Being noble by revealing one's reason)

My lord.

What is happening?

What kind of lunatic is causing this mess?

Your Majesty, I desperately beg you.

You must restore your mother's honor...

and make things right to strengthen your honor!

What is this?

Your Majesty, your mother, Jang Hui Bin, was killed unfairly.

You should restore her honor!

Jang Hui Bin?

(Jang Hui Bin: Gyeongjong's mother who was killed over a politic war)

Is Soron...

bringing up Hui Bin here?

This will end up...

as a political war between Noron and Soron.

His letter of appeal is atrocious.

You must burn his letter of appeal...

and severely punish him right away!

Please hear our words!

- Please hear our words! - Please hear our words!

Please hear our words!

- Please hear our words! - Please hear our words!

Then...

What's next?

And what's after that?

What is His Majesty thinking about?

Why isn't he saying he'll be careful like any other day?

Noron may have power over this entire land,

but the throne belongs to His Majesty.

He won't easily give up on the throne.

Do you mean he will fight against us?

How will he even do that?

What wouldn't he do?

He must know that he'll die if he comes down from the throne.

An heir.

It is time for us to decide an heir to become the next king.

What? An heir?

I'm saying...

that we, the Norons, must decide the king's heir.

It's not only Noron now.

Soron will also try to support a crown prince of their own.

A crown prince? Already?

It's for the next king.

His Majesty will be in danger if Noron gets things their way.

But the throne will be protected if Soron gets things their way.

The palace has already begun to look for a son to adopt.

This is Prince An Chung's second son, Prince Hyun Ryeong.

This is Prince Kwang Min's third son...

Let's open the doors of the palace...

and greet Li Zicheng.

(Li Zicheng: A Chinese rebel leader who overthrew the Ming dynasty)

When Li Zicheng enters the palace,

we won't have to give up anything anymore.

This is the song that was sung among the people...

during Li Zicheng's coup.

This song was intended to make the people have hopes in his coup.

However, Li Zicheng couldn't achieve what he meant to do,

and that song ended up becoming meaningless.

Li Zicheng lacked the people and personal skills...

to do that.

He was...

in the same situation I am in now.

To achieve one's goal,

having the right skills and people comes first.

Both Soron and I...

don't have those things.

Your Majesty.

If you're not powerful enough,

you must use your opponent's power...

or look for someone to help you.

Right.

I need someone...

who can help me with their power.

Is there anything that requires me to enter the palace today?

I'd like to enter the palace right now.

Right now?

Several members of the royal family need to go to the queen's chambers,

so we need someone to guide them.

Right.

The Queen is looking for a son to adopt, right?

But you should go to Mohwagwan right now.

Mohwagwan? Why there?

You must greet the envoy from the Qing Dynasty.

Why must I do that? Any other royal can do that.

Unfortunately,

they want you.

Me?

Who specifically asked for me?

(Mohwagwan)

(Mohwagwan)

(Prince Mil Poong, Yi Tan)

Gosh, Yeoning. It's been so long since I've last seen you.

You.

Yi Tan.

I heard that you became a decent man...

while I was in the Qing Dynasty.

The stories were true.

I was really surprised.

By any chance,

was it you who called me to greet the envoy?

I became close with some higher-ups at the Qing Dynasty.

There's nothing money can't get in this world.

I wanted to see you first more than anyone else.

I really mean it. During the past year,

I never forgot about you for even a single day.

Get your filthy hands off me.

It disgusts me.

Do you remember?

My fights end...

only when I win.

I'll become a king, Prince Yeoning.

That's why I returned.

No.

You'll probably die by my hands before that.

Calm down. You might regret this later.

What kind of a trick...

are you trying to pull this time?

I told you.

I'll become king.

I finished preparing myself...

to become the next king.

The woman who ate this silkworm alive...

always gave birth to children.

And those children were sons.

You should get a son.

It's for you and His Majesty.

But when I saw you earlier,

you were meeting young members of the royal family.

If I still cannot give birth even after trying so hard,

I will have to adopt a son whom I can trust.

That is the only way to protect the safety of His Majesty.

Welcome, Prince Mil Poong.

The Queen kept whining...

after eating a silkworm.

So I had to swallow one myself in order to show her...

that it's not that big of a deal.

Your malevolence proves that you are fit to be my partner.

It was very hard to convince that wench.

Do you think you can do a good job?

When I finally become the king,

you should be sitting by my side...

as this country's...

new queen.

I told you.

I'll become king.

I finished preparing myself to become the next king.

The next king?

The next...

No way.

(Saheonbu)

Prince Yeoning, you shouldn't be at the Saheonbu...

regardless of how urgent something may be.

I didn't come here for no reason.

I request an investigation on a corruption from the royal family.

Let's say we met today to talk about this.

No way. That's impossible.

Lord Min Jin Heon and the Norons will not allow that.

What if Prince Mil Poong...

has something up his sleeve that will give them no choice?

It doesn't matter whether you believe this or not.

But I want you to tell Min Jin Heon...

that he should look for me...

before he finds himself in trouble.

I will get back to you as soon as possible.

I shall be waiting.

Whoever you are, you are very daring.

How dare you secretly enter the Saheonbu?

Yeo Ji, what are you doing here?

(Han Jeong Seok)

Are you still trying to find out what happened to Inspector Han?

It's none of your business, Prince Yeoning.

Who are you? Who is inside?

(Reference Room)

What's wrong?

I heard something strange in the reference room.

What?

Get out of my way.

Be quiet. Hurry up and hide.

Who is inside? Who are you?

Goodness, you startled me. What is going on?

- Prince Yeoning. - You startled me.

I am sorry.

But why are you here, sir?

What's wrong? Am I not allowed in here?

Well...

No one is allowed in here without permission.

Really? Then I will get permission from Jipyeong Wi and come back.

I wasn't aware of that.

Yeo Ji.

Hurry up and hide.

Why did Prince Yeoning...

help me?

He was actually bribed by someone?

Remember the weird guy at the exam...

who tried to get you a seat...

and even tried to show you the answer sheets of the past exams?

Yes. What about him?

Remember? We used to work...

at the Saheonbu.

So we caught him.

Apparently, someone paid him to help you.

Why?

Who would want to pay someone to help me?

- Well... - I'm not sure.

What are you talking about?

Who got paid to help Master Mun Su?

Prince Mil Poong? He's back?

Yes, he's back. And according to Prince Yeoning,

he has something that the Norons will not be able to turn down.

I can see that you are quite sociable.

I didn't know...

you spent time with Prince Yeoning.

I've been keeping an eye on him.

He's very good at analyzing the current state of affairs.

You should be busy with something else right now.

I'm talking about the prisoner that escaped from the Jeonokseo.

The task I entrusted you with.

My lord, it's being taken care of...

You better do a good job of taking care of it...

if you don't want you, me, and the Norons to get in trouble.

I will keep that in mind.

I need to go to a banquet to greet the envoys from Qing Dynasty.

Oh, right. Okay, sir.

Prince Mil Poong?

Goodness, what a hassle.

I can't believe we even need to greet envoys in this situation.

Wait. She's...

Why is she with the Queen?

Are you talking about Yoon Young? I'll tell you why.

She asked me to let her become acquainted with the Queen...

saying it might help with my career if the two of them become close.

- What did you just say? - Minister of Personnel.

She's more competent than she looks.

She makes people like her in an instant.

Prime Minister!

What in the world have you done?

Do you not know whom she is?

What is wrong with you?

No way.

No way.

His Majesty is here.

(Eunuch of Qing Dynasty)

Your Majesty.

I am very honored to meet you.

Welcome.

You've traveled a long journey.

It didn't feel very long.

I was accompanied by a very good friend.

A friend?

Your Majesty.

I, Prince Mil Poong, am here to greet you.

Prince Mil Poong?

What is going on?

What's he doing here?

Your Majesty, have you been healthy and well?

It took me...

a very long time to finally greet you as the King, Your Majesty.

Is this...

Is this what he had been planning?

Prince Mil Poong.

Are you trying to use the Queen to take the lead...

along with Qing Dynasty behind your back...

to become the King's adopted son?

What a pity.

I didn't know you could make that kind of face.

Prince Yeoning.

You must be frustrated.

You gave the throne to Prince Mil Poong and took it back.

That's why I told you come to me.

I already warned you.

What are you trying to say?

You're not here simply to boast about yourself.

Don't you need a prince?

Someone who can play king for you like a chess piece.

That kind of a prince.

(Haechi)

- What is this? - Why are you interfering?

I know their weaknesses.

You said you're investigating a corruption case.

Your Majesty!

Can you reveal the truth?

Do you think Noron will fall because of such a thing?

My lord, what are you doing?

- That was it. - This idiot is...

I couldn't say anything.

What's your plan, my lord?

I've waited so long for this day.

A cracked vase will break all the more easily.

Prince Mil Poong will shake up...

Noron for me.