Original subtitles

THIS DRAMA IS A WORK OF FICTION BASED ON REAL FACTS OF HWARANG

IN THE ERA OF KING JINHEUNG OF SILLA

There is no need. I am the one they are after.

Nonsense. They came in here, so they are attacking us!

Dog-Bird!

Protect Seon-u.

Make a sound and this will pierce your throat.

-Who are you? -Me?

The true owner of the bracelet.

The man you sought so dearly.

The King in hiding.

I thought

Master Ahnji's son was the King.

No.

It is I.

I am your

King Jinheung.

Next time

I will come to kill you for real.

No.

No!

I will not avoid it any longer.

What do you mean?

From now on,

I must become the true king of Silla.

Do you even know what a king is?

I have been protecting Silla.

I hung onto the wavering authority of the throne.

I persisted through the cruel times

and Silla still belongs to Sacred Bone.

You have never spilled blood.

You do not know what it takes to protect the throne.

The King of Silla?

I know.

You have protected Silla.

However, your name will not remain anywhere.

Because I, Jinheung,

am the King of Silla.

I am the reason you still live.

You're still alive because I killed those

who tried to kill you.

You used me as an excuse to strengthen your power.

If you want to blame me and resent me, go ahead.

All you will have at the end

are those regrets and resentment.

It is my Silla.

The country which I should be ruling.

This is my Silla.

Mo-young.

Mo-young!

Yes, Your Highness.

Master Ahnji.

Call Master Ahnji.

Your Highness, Master Ahnji is out of the capital

to treat patients suffering from the plague.

Shall I bring you some tea?

Yes.

Bring me some tea.

I will bring it to you right away.

The man you sought so dearly.

The King in hiding.

I am your...

King Jinheung.

Are you all right?

It does not look like he was hurt,

but why is he still unconscious?

I looked all over him,

and there is not an inch where he is well.

However, there were no critical injuries.

Then why is he not waking up?

I have been thinking it was strange...

that he faints sometimes.

He faints?

Did you not know about his fainting suddenly?

Help me!

Gosh. What am I going to do?

Help!

Is there any news from Wolseong Palace?

Darn it.

Doctor.

Please save my child.

-Please help. -Calm down.

Hold on. You should lie down first.

I am fine.

Please help my child.

Please save him.

Hang in there. You'll be okay.

That plant is poisonous.

I have no choice.

No!

I have to.

I cannot just sit and watch.

Here.

Chew on this.

If you withstand the poison, you will live.

Chew.

Mom.

-No! -Mom.

Do you have ginseng or white woodland peony?

Those medicinal ingredients are hard to find nowadays.

I do not have any.

If you cannot get the medicine,

what will happen to those people?

We must save them somehow.

What was that?

Star anise is nearly impossible to find in the capital.

What is that cart?

Why is it going so slowly?

Master Ahnji...

is trying to save people in Makmang Village.

The plague is not spreading as fast.

That annoying man does only annoying deeds.

Should we put them out on the market now?

Do you know how we can change this into gold?

If 70% of these medicinal ingredients rot in here,

it will become this.

The fear of catching the plague

and the desperate need for the lacking medicine

will turn them into gold.

People like Master Ahnji

are making my gold rot.

Why are you

trying to make Wonhwa again?

Do you not know what happened to Wonhwa Nam-mo and Joon-jung?

Joon-jung was jealous of Nam-mo and killed her.

Then Nam-mo's disciples killed Joon-jung.

You must have been told a different story.

What are you talking about?

Please stop here.

Then, I will stop as well.

Stop?

Step down from the throne

and transfer the crown.

Also, do not touch Hwarang.

Then, nothing will happen.

Why do you sound like a conspiring rebel?

How dare you speak of transferring the crown?

It's my Hwarang!

You are nothing more than a ghost.

This is not something you can meddle with.

Had you left it the way it was,

I would not have wanted anything.

I would have left him to live

as if he was never born at all.

-Who are you... -Everything

started because of you.

You started it, Jiso!

Master.

What? What is it now?

There is something I must tell you.

All right. Tell me later.

This is very important. Many lives depend on it.

My life is on the line right now as well.

Let us talk later.

Then, I will wait for you inside.

All right.

One, two.

This is the best for diarrhea.

Yes.

A-ro.

What did you want to talk about? Lives depend on what?

An epidemic is spreading in Makmang Village.

People die from the disease every day.

However, there is no medicine. They cannot be treated.

Gosh.

Whenever there is an epidemic, the peasants die first.

And?

Is this not a star anise which is good

for endemics and colds?

It is impossible to find these days.

Where did you find it?

There is none in the capital,

so you cannot get it even at a premium.

However,

they are rotting in one place.

Where is that?

Master Young-shil's storage.

Help me, Master Wehwa.

We have to save them.

Please.

I do not have any power.

I do not have a house, land, or even a silver.

So,

are you just going to sit and watch?

You startled me.

You should find a way.

Why are you doing this to me?

Master Wehwa. No!

By the way,

have you visited your brother?

What about my brother?

Last night, assassins came in Hwarang House,

and he got a little...

Assassins?

Assassins?

There is not a single peaceful day for him.

He better not be hurt.

Who...

did you think I was?

I do not think that is important.

I have a suitor.

I do not plan on becoming a half-breed's bride.

However...

I must know what this is.

Why am I so confused when I see you?

What is this...

feeling that I have?

It sounds like I am confusing you.

There is no need.

I have already forgotten what you just did.

I do not care about what you think.

I am curious about my feelings.

This is an order from Silla's Princess.

Until my curiosity is satisfied...

do not run away.

Until I am no longer curious...

you must stay still.

I plan to use her to get the best out of you.

I know that she has the power to move you.

If you pretended to be the King,

keep on acting like one

if you do not want to lose your sister.

I heard assassins snuck into Hwarang House.

Did you get hurt?

I am fine.

-Let me take a look. -Well...

I am fine.

If you are done, I will go.

Wait.

The weather is really nice today.

It is.

He is at it again.

Why is he playing hard to get like that?

I already went through it before...

but it still hurts.

What brings you here, Your Highness?

You were right.

My brother is in this Hwarang House.

Master Ji-dwi.

-How did you know? -I told you.

It is not right for only you to know.

Did other people find out as well?

You are far too greedy.

-Greedy? -Your brother was mistaken for the King

and was attacked by assassins.

Yet, you still want to look after my brother as well.

-That is-- -Is Master Seon-u...

even your brother?

I know you do not see him as your brother.

I can tell from your eyes.

What is it that you want to say?

I am asking if you are playing

with both my brother and Master Seon-u.

You are the one who is greedy, Your Highness.

Wanting to have someone

who is not interested is being greedy.

That is not the case for me.

Our situations are different.

Now, I can see why...

the Queen chose you.

You...

irritate me.

What do you mean she chose me?

What are you talking about?

Ban-ryu is sitting over there.

Does it metaphorically mean it went back to old times?

Metaphorically? He is just being straightforward.

Where were you last night?

Mind your own business.

There were assassins. Seon-u almost got killed.

And we could not find you all night.

Could that be a coincidence?

I do not care what you are imagining.

However, move aside.

I am losing my appetite with the Queen's dog around.

Are you running away again?

To be the bad guy?

I am warning you.

Do not act like you are my friend.

You better not be involved in last night's incident.

If you are involved by any chance,

you are a complete bastard.

Thus...

I will kill you.

Here.

Eat this.

All right. Thank you.

What is it?

Since the assassins came last night,

everyone believes that you are the King now.

Forget about it.

Are you okay, Your...

Are you okay?

You know it is weird too, right?

I do.

Eat this.

It tastes good.

Since we are on the topic,

are you really His Majesty?

You can tell just us, can you not?

What?

I have no appetite.

What brings you here?

What brings you here, Your Majesty?

Sit down.

Your distant nephew should be the one standing.

Furthermore, you are my teacher.

If you say it is your order,

it will make me more at ease.

It is my order.

In that case.

You said if I want to be the real king...

I must endure it.

Yes, that is what I said.

If I endure it?

What more must I do?

You should gain people.

If I were a king in hiding,

I would gain a person who is strong.

A person who is strong.

Like Park Young-shil?

Yes.

If you can get him, you should.

Then, all of the power that he possesses

will be yours.

Get him if I can?

And if I cannot?

Must I kill him?

Now are you

on my side?

I have chosen you for a reason.

A Reason...

If it hadn't been for the reason,

would you have chosen someone else?

At times, your choice

can't be something that is better,

but something that is less bad.

How long will you avoid me?

Don't you have something to tell me?

How does it feel to pretend to be the King?

You must know how it feels.

I never pretended to be a king.

You have never been the real one either.

Do not think you know everything.

I am trying my best too.

I am

fighting too.

Fighting?

Is that what you call a fight?

Fleeing, hiding, and avoiding it?

It is a fight

to make things better in Silla.

A fight to stop the people from dying

because of its unjust laws and rules.

A fight

to protect the subjects, so that they

will never become thieves again.

There is an epidemic spreading outside of the capital.

We must quickly provide medicine,

but even the capital has run out of the medicine.

We have many important matters to discuss.

Are you telling us to waste time on mere peasants?

I agree.

Baekje and Goguryeo are too strong.

Will you sit back and watch?

We never know when the epidemic will spread into the capital.

Are you not afraid?

If we cannot collect any more taxes,

we must all donate to help those people.

We can just open the storage shed of Wolseong Palace.

If you had given out the food and medicine in that shed,

you could have saved those peasants.

What if the epidemic strikes the capital?

The palace is final protection.

How can we prepare for the epidemic without medicine?

Everyone is in the same position.

If you care so much about the peasants,

just give out what you have.

What?

Even if that peasant town disappears completely,

it will not affect us one bit.

They know peasants who enter the capital are killed,

so they will not enter the capital anyway.

When will you step down?

Did you not tell me

that the Hwarang is the King?

Step down!

Come down.

Get down now!

Step down!

Step down!

Step down!

It is time for you to transfer the crown!

Step down! It is time.

Step down!

Step down!

Your Highness, do you feel all right?

We asked if we should send an envoy to Goguryeo.

As I had told you before,

unless they apologize for their mistakes

and swear never to provoke us again,

no trades will be possible.

It is a fight...

that hopes Silla will improve.

A fight that hopes the people of Silla

will not die anymore because of Silla's rules.

A fight...

to protect the subjects, so that they will never...

become thieves again.

Seon-u.

Master Wehwa wants you.

Ji-dwi, you too.

Do not ask why.

I do not know either.

I asked the two of you to come to ask you a question.

Come in.

Come to me now.

I will live as your man

and not anyone's king.

Are you trying to use me

as an excuse to run away?

You can tell in their eyes

if someone has given up.

You have...

never given up.

She is my hired help.

She is the physician in Hwarang House

but she does all sorts of jobs on the outside.

I am sure you do not need an introduction.

Anyway, my hired help says

she discovered something interesting.

Brief them.

The thing is...

we are out of medicine to treat

an epidemic that struck the capital and all of Silla.

The epidemic has swept Makmang Village

and people are dying, but we cannot do anything.

I found out where the medicinal ingredients are by chance.

And they are in Master Young-shil's storage shed.

He has enough to make medicine for everyone in Silla

to be cured in that shed.

But he will not share or sell them even if they rot.

Rather,

if he hears that there is any available,

he buys them all and stores them in his shed.

Thus, no one can buy the medicine

no matter how much they pay.

Master Young-shil must be waiting for the epidemic

to worsen so that he can sell the medicine

for more than its weight in gold.

But people in peasant towns like Makmang Village

will all die before then.

This is the problem.

How must this problem be solved?

Solve the problem?

As you heard,

the more we delay, the more the lives of the people

of Makmang Village will be in danger.

What will you do?

This problem...

must be solved by the two of you together.

Why?

Because I assume that the two of you...

have been contemplating the most

about the role of a king.

If not, then whatever.

Regardless, I gave you a problem.

So, you must solve it.

This problem is not about passing or failing.

You may solve it or not.

You may walk out of here and pretend

you did not hear anything.

The decision...

is for you to make yourselves.

What do you want to do?

Why did you do that?

Do you not know their tempers?

They will cause trouble.

That is why I called them in.

If you do not cause trouble, the world will not change.

What happens...

depends on their decision.

Their awakening...

may be able to change Silla at least a little.

You cannot solve it.

Why do you think I cannot?

Because you do not know.

You do not know how they live, what they are like,

how beautiful that place is,

and why it is valuable and must be protected.

I do know that storing medicine and making money

at the expense of peoples' lives deserves death.

It is not just you.

I get angry when I see injustice too.

But I cannot know how strong that determination is.

As long as the result is the same.

I can solve it too.

-I have one answer. -So do I.

Dog-Bird!

Protect Seon-u.

You better not be involved in last night's incident.

If you are involved by any chance,

you are a complete bastard.

Thus...

I will kill you.

How have you been?

I missed you.

I tried not to...

but I missed you too much.

That is why I came.

It's fine even if you had a change of heart.

It's fine...

if you do not think I am pretty anymore.

Regardless, I am very grateful

to you.

I thought all men were like my brother,

but you taught me that there are men

as good as you.

So...

I am grateful to you.

I wanted to see you just one more time.

I did not think...

I could let you go like this.

But...

seeing you like this...

I miss you even more.

I want

to hurt you.

When you think of me,

you will remember that pain first

and get over me.

I want to hurt you.

I should.

But I can't think of anything when I look at you.

So, run away.

I am a bad man.

So,

run as far away as possible from me

before you get hurt.

You are not a bad man.

I know it.

You are a good man, Ban-ryu.

Do what?

No way.

Really?

Will you join us or not?

I don't know.

I must do it, but you have no reason to.

I cannot be responsible for anything,

so think hard.

I will do it.

I am doing it for me because I feel like I should.

I will not be able to sleep otherwise.

Fine. Sure.

Although Master Young-shil might be my father.

You have too many fathers in the capital.

What about Ban-ryu?

Not Ban-ryu.

Of course not. We are robbing Master Young-shil's shed.

He would tattle on us.

It's not that.

It might hurt him.

We cannot let that happen.

Anyway, we cannot let him find out.

Open the gate!

Open the gate!

What the hell...

-Who are you? -My apologies.

Tell him that the Chief Instructor of Hwarang

came to drink the 30-year-old wine.

-Please tell him. -Sorry?

Master Young-shil! Wehwa has come!

Wehwa is here!

Please draw out Master Young-shil and distract him.

Why are you asking me to do that?

Because I do not want to fail.

Because

I must save those people.

I see.

You are finally being respectful to me.

Dog-Bird, how dare you ask me to do this?

Goodness. Where is the toilet?

Where is the toilet?

-You cannot go back there. -Goodness.

Please let me go. I am bursting.

-This is not a toilet. -Let go of me.

Do you want me to pee here?

Let go of me!

I am the Chief Instructor!

-Get him! -Gosh!

Wait. Let go of me.

I'm the Chief Instructor!

Look who this is. Hello.

Master Young-shil is waiting for you. Take him.

I see.

But this is urgent.

-Bring him in. -Yes, Master.

Hey! Do not...

Hey, you people.

Hey. Do not touch me.

Are you inside?

Who are you?

We came from the palace.

Why would you...

Escort her out.

What are you doing?

At least tell me the reason!

What are you doing?

What brings you here in this late hour?

Well, I was having a drink,

and I was reminded of that wine...

that you mentioned before.

You were suddenly reminded of my wine?

Yes.

I also heard

you have many men who are good with the sword

working for you here.

Send just a few of them to Hwarang House, please.

You see,

assassins broke into Hwarang House

and attacked the Hwarangs recently.

What is it?

Did you send them already?

Father!

Father!

Where is my father?

Father.

Hey. I need to talk to my father.

Hey. Escort him before he starts a fire.

Tell my father to come out!

Hey. Let go. Let go of me.

Escort him quietly.

Let go.

Father, it is I, Ban-ryu.

Ban-ryu?

What are you doing?

Please kill me.

Were you drinking?

Yes, I was.

It was painful.

So painful that I had a drink.

You adopted me at an early age,

and had great plans for me.

But all I ever do is disappoint you.

It is unbearable.

Even the assassins who came to Hwarang House...

Shut your mouth.

I have seen many crazy deeds,

but this tops them all.

To think, he has several sheds like this...

He has more gold and medicine than the Royal Family.

And he is the highest official of Silla.

Is this the rule of this land?

No.

This is not.

We do not have time. Hurry.

I will...

die right here.

Imagine how terrible he must have felt.

Drag him out of here.

Do not come closer or I will kill you.

I am Park Ban-ryu.

I am the future king of Silla!

Move. Get away from me.

-That great plan must have been -Don't touch me.

becoming the King of Silla.

Let go of me.

-I am Park Ban-ryu. -Hold him.

Let go.

Do not come any closer.

I am Park Ban-ryu. Park Ban-ryu!

Look who this is.

I am so happy to see you,

-Dog-Bird. -Do-go.

They are the guys from the butcher shop.

Thanks to you, the arrow wound

hurts a lot when the weather gets bad.

Me first.

I have a bigger gripe to take up with them.

I was hung for no reason, although I did not know them.

Stop it.

Let go.

Do not come closer.

Let's go.

Master Ahnji.

What is this?

"Drink and laugh out loud."

It could not be.

The dice.

It is that kid.

I have never seen so much gold before.

Why did Ban-ryu cause that scene earlier?

It was too big

of a coincidence.

Thank you.

At times,

I wonder how it would have been

if you had taken the throne.

If you had taken the throne,

I wouldn't have had to give up so much.

I wouldn't have had to endure

such cruel times.

Everything

started because of you.

You started it, Jiso!

TWENTY YEARS AGO WOLSEONG PALACE

I...

I must kill you.

Your Highness.

You will continue to cause trouble.

Please spare me.

We were each other's sole comrades.

Wonhwa that hinders strengthening the Royal Family's power

must be eliminated.

Just like how Nam-mo died, you must not live either.

You must take all the blame.

I must kill you

for my son's sake.

-What is it? -A-ro.

A-ro was taken to the palace.

-When? -Did you know?

I asked when it happened!

Sam-maek-jong said he will take the throne.

He was not like that in the past.

He was a good king who was waiting for me

to hand him Silla.

Did you make him that way?

Did you

confuse Sam-maek-jong?

Just as your mom did to your dad!

No, Your Highness.

I never did that.

It does not matter.

I will make you a Wonhwa.

And I will make you meet the fate of a Wonhwa.