Original subtitles

You are in pain, Your Majesty.

Please tell me what is wrong.

I've asked you to leave.

Leave.

It is merely fatigue.

The physician has confirmed my good health.

Your Majesty...

It is only fatigue. You may go.

I will do as you ask, Your Majesty.

Please take care of yourself.

Thank you. I will be fine.

I am ill.

And both Ahjitae and the Advisor have caught on.

The physician knows what it is.

What could my ailment be?

I am Maitreya Buddha. Why am I so afraid?

Imperial Attendant,

Yes, Advisor.

Where is th physician?

I believe he has gone to the empress's chamber.

The empress's chamber?

Yes. Her Majesty has asked to see him.

Commander Geumdae,

Yes, Advisor.

Go to the empress's chamber.

Bring the physician to me upon his exit.

Yes, Advisor.

You lmust tell me everything completely and honestly.

His Majesty has been suffering nightly from pain.

What is his ailment?

What is the cause of his pain and disconfort?

I do not know, but...

You are the royal physician!

Is it your job to preserve His Majesty's health!

How can you not know?

I believe his old injury has not yet completely healed.

He is unable to sleep!

This is not a matter to be slighted!

His injury was severe, and he has been under

emotional distress...

Then you must prescribe a remedy accordingly!

I regret deeply, but it is not a condition to be

remedied by medication.

What ever do you mean? How frustrating you are!

Tell me what it is!

He has been under continuous stress after his injury, and

And?

I believe it is a result of exhaustion and stress.

Is this an ailment or is it not?

Forgive me.That is all I can say at this point.

This is most frustrating!

What are you hiding from me??

No, Your Highness. That is all I know.

How incompetent you are.

You must not keep anything from me.

Of course not.

You're excused.

Yes, Your Highness.

The physician is holding something back...

His Majesty is suffering sever discomfort.

What could his ailment be?

Physician,

Yes, Commander.

The Advisor summons you.

What does the want with me?

Silence. Commander Chang,

Yes, General.

Take him to the Advisor.

Take him!

Why? What does he want with me?

I do not wish to make this long. What is His Majesty's ailment?

As I've reported, it is stress and exhaustion...

Fool! Do you wish to die?

I have no time to argue with you.

Do you know who I am?

Of course, Advisor.

How did you report His Majesty's illness to the Empress?

That it is merely stress and exhaustion...

Tell me the truth.

What is His Majesty's ailment?

What is it?

Advisor...

His Majesty does not wish for anyone to know,

but you'll agree that I must know.

What is his ailment?

Advisor, will you spare my life if I spore the truth?

Will you spare my life?

Speak.

It is mental angst.

Mental angst? Explain.

There are two major symptoms: sudden heart

palpitation and fright.

One becomes beset with fear and dread,

wish leads to irrationality,

What?

Impairment of concentration,

instability and infirmity of the mind.

His Majesty is Maitreya! This is not possible.

How could Maitreya Buddha feel fear?

That is why I asked for my life to be spared.

Who would believe that His Majesty, the Maitreya,

could be suffering from a disorder of the weak?

Silence, you fool!

Yes, Advisor...

You have misdiagnosed him His Majesty is Maitreya.

He cannot suffer ailments of the weak mortals!

But it is true. This ailment often comes

without warning to those who are unuasually bold and strong.

Is this treatable?

What if the disease persists?

It leads to deterioration of physical health and

possibly provoke seizures.

And?

He will experience severe chest pain,

lack of judgement and irrationality.

You may go.

Yes, Advisor.

I am forever grateful to you for sparing my life.

Yes... You will never set foot into his palace again.

Yes, yes. I will stay away. Thank you. Thank you.

Commander Geum,

Yes, Advisor.

Let the physician go.

Escort him outside the palace.

Yes, Advisor.

Mental angst...

His Majesty is suffering from mental angst...

What peculiar ailment!

What peculiar ailment!

A strong drink has soothed the symptoms.

How pathetic...

I, Goongyae, relying on alcohol?

What disturbs you, Your majesty?

Clean this up.

Yes

Clean it up now!

Yes, Your Majesty.

This is fine. I will go alone from here.

Yes, this will be fine.

I will ask you one more time.

Have you told anyone else about His Majesty's ailment?

Of course not!

I wouldn't dare divulge this anyone else!

Good. You are smart.

Goodbye.

No...! The advisor has promised to let le live!

Farewell.

His Majesty is Maitreya. That is why you had to die.

Clean it up.

Master Sukchong, what do you so carefully wrap?

Something.

What is it?

What do you think it is?

I do not know, but it appears to be something valuable.

It is valuable indee. it is the Body of Biddha.

Pardon? Did you say the Body of Buddha?

It is Ganja that maitreya Buddha bequeathed to

my master Jinpyo.

Ganja? Is this the legendary

maitreya's Ganja that was bestowed upon Master Jinpyo?

Yes

The time has come for me to pass it on to its rightful heir.

The rightful heir? Who would that be?

The chosen one who has long waited.

The time has come.

Ganja...It is the symbol and evidence of Maitreya Buddha.

The legend has it that renowned high monk Jinpyo was visited by

Maitreya Buddha after ardent prayers, and was given

Maitreya's scriptures and a bone from his finger.

Thereafter, Jinpyo spent his life traveling the turbulent

world and bringing relief to the people.

Some two hundred years and several generations later,

evidence of Maitreya was in possession of Jinpyo's

disciple Sukchong. This account is recorded in

volume 2 of Genealogical Record of Royalty.

Many Maitreyas have come and gone.

Goongyae was indeed a Maitreya as well at once time.

But he has failed his duty and fallen hell.

Then who is the rightful heir? Who does this belong to if it

doesn't belong to you, the highest monk of Maitreya sect?

My time is near end, and te right man is not among us.

Where will you go?

You will soon hear about me.

Clear the way! Clear the way!

Scholar Ahjitae,

It must be quite cold outside.

Yes, Sire. There's quite a chill in the air.

That's the beauty of winter.

What were you reading?

I was looking over the affairs of the court.

Us men of Choongju are quite sufficiently positioned

throughout different branches of the government.

It is all your doing, Sire.

Yes, but it is the result of His Majesty's approbation.

Yes, of course.

Scholar Ahjitae,

Yes

We still haven't had a council meeting or a Buddhist mass.

The mass is the priority, but there are difficulties.

It requires presence of the country's high monks,

but gathering them is not easy.

But how could they defy His Majesty's command?

That's the problem.

Religious community is unresponsive to His Majesty.

How dare they!

His Majesty is attempting an absolute monarchy with

both politics and religion under his rule.

Law itself has vanished because His Majesty has

become God himself.

Indeed you are right.

His Majesty has made his ultimate decision.

And the monks are silently rebelling against it.

Then this is a serious problem.

It certainly is. Eruption is inevitable.

It won't be long. This has brewing for a while now...

I'm sorry that you must go to the front again, General Hwan.

I am glad to be of service to the kingdom.

Yes. We warriors belong on the battlefield.

I wish I had the power to grant you rest, General Bae and Hong.

No, no. We belong at the frot like General Lee has said.

Yes, indeed. I was afraid we might be ordered to stay.

So was I.

I see some new faces among us today.

Yes. They are distinguished warriors who have served our

country with dedication and valor in many battles.

This is General Yoon Shindal.

I am Yoon Shindal.

These are brothers Chunh Yigap and Uigap.

I am Chun Yigap. I am Chun Uigap.

They will each be assigned under General Hwan and

General Wang's command. Give them your guidance.

Welcome. Let us join hands and render great service.

Yoon Shindal is the progenitor of Yoons of papyung.

He is a man of exceptional civil and military arts skills,

Who would later be honored as the second meritorious

retainer to Wang Guhn.

Brothers Chun Yigap and Uigap of Jungsun would als render

great service for Wang Guhn, and die a heroic death at the

battle of Daegu after saving Wang Guhn's life.

This kingdom is in a state of distress right now.

The harvest had failed, and disease is prevalent.

We have heard. It is truly a shame.

Transfer of the capital has brought ill fortune...

Yes...

Please restore our hope by bring us good news

from the front.

We will to do our best.

Husband has not sent us a world from the from.

How cold he his...

That is Cousin Guhn.

He thinks not of home when he is at war.

As he shouldn't.

He is the commander in charge of thousands of soldiers after all.

Yes, but...

He must be undergoing great difficulty.

He has the daunting task of undoing the damage that

General Hwan has allowed. Please understand.

But Lady Buyong is worried sick about him.

The recent conspiracy we survived has scared her terribly.

I do understand your concerns, but Guhn will be successful.

The entire kingdom has every confidence in him.

Let us wait with patience.

You've proposed an excellent strategy.

The enemy force is larger than ours, and they have

the positional advantage. Frontal attack would be unwise.

Thank you for your confidence in my judgement, General.

Certainly. Another problem is our morale.

Last defeat has our troops demoralized.

Yes. Morale is a crucial element.

And it is very difficult to revive once broken.

What is the harassment tactic you have in mind?

It is simple.

Enemy commanders are unfamiliar with the lay of

the land in this region. We can easily turn the

tide of the war if we take advantage of this weakness.

It makes sense. I agree with General Geum.

But we mustn't underestimate the enemy.

Enemy commander Gong-jik is a very cautious leader.

Yes. So I've heard.

But he will be helpless when we attack them out of nowhere.

Your confidence is very reassuring.

But will be that simple?

We will take intricate planning.

The outcome will depend on how many troops we can

place in position before being detected by the enemy.

This is Lord Yu Geungdal's territory. And my men were

born and raised here in Choongju.

That is our advantage.

Yes

Frankly, I wouldn't have come here without Lord Yu's request.

Please bear that in mind.

Of course.

Now, would you like to meet my men?

Yes, I would, General Geum.

Let us go. Lord Yu will join us there.

Every man has his own way of living his life.

The three kingdoms are in a state of obscurity in a

strife over domination. We have been at the border

of Bekjae and Majin looking over our shoulders.

I know, Father.

We must choose our side now.

Is General Wang your choice?

Yes. I intend to send you to him.

But he already has two wives.

Yes. And he will have many more if my guess is correct.

Pardon?

We do not have the luxury to be concerned about love.

It is a matter of survival.

Marriage can be a vehicle of mutual protection.

Do you understand my intent?

Yes, Father. But will General Wang accede?

The odds are yes.

I will procure valuable territory for him in return

for protection of our future.

His current wives were acquired much the same way, I'm told.

I want you to be prepared.

It is four our clan and for General Wang.

I will abide by your wish.

I'm glad you understand. You are indeed my daughter.

What do you mean, Father?

I sense you do not dislike General Wang.

My personal feelings are insignificant.

I will leave everything to fate, Father.

He is a good man above all else.

i must be on my way to meet him.

Oh, why don't you join me?

Me, Father?

Yes. The closer you are the better it will be.

I apologize for the soldiers' poor attire.

Outer appearance is unimportant; spirit is.

I am entirely impressed.

Thank you. Henceforth, they will

serve you with loyalty as your auxiliary force.

Thank you. You give me great confidence.

It is Lord Yu's generous support of food and supplies

that heightens their morale.

I am continuously amazed.

I have tremendous respect for both you and Lord Yu, General.

Thank you.

I see Lord Yu is approaching us.

General Wang.

Welcome, Lord Yu.

We were just spearing about you.

Hello, my lady.

Hello, General. How hard your labors must be...

Not at all.

What about me was your subject of conversation?

General Geum was full of compliments that provoke respect.

Oh, my! What have you told the good general to

embarrass leike this, General Geum?

Only the facts, my lord.

Oh, dear fellow...

Let us go inside and talk over some tea.

General Geum intends to send specially trained troops to

the enemy's rear through byways

There're several alternate routs to Jukryung and Choryung.

General Geum, would you like to elaborate?

Yes, my lord.

General Gong-jik is currently in command of the enemy force

in Choryung, and General Bang is here in Jukryung.

The enemy is relying on the heavy snow in Choryung to

keep us off, but this is actually the best time for infiltration.

Yes, you're right.

There's a path between Mt. Juhol, Mt. Hihyang,

and we can also transport plain-clother troops

through Geumchun and Soyachun.

Infiltration appears possible, but how do we buy time?

That is the dilemma.

Distracting the enemy while we penetrate their territory.

Time is short, troops are many.

and this must be done in stealth...

How frustrating this is... There must be a way.

Time...Time is the problem... How do we buy time...

We will contemplate this further and figure out a way.

General, if I may be so bold as to say a few words...

How contemptuous you are!

This is a discussion among the superiors!

Who is this soldiers?

He is an infantryman under my command.

How dare you interrupt us! Leave at once!

No. Do speak your thoughts.

Thank you, my lord.

You are distressed over a simple problem.

Simple?

You are talking about invading the enemy line.

Attacking the enemy from the rear is a raid.

And?

Why waste time?

Refer to the military strategy of Sun Tzu.

Strategy of Sun Tzu?

Yes! That's it!

What does this mean?

Diffuse the enemy's strength.

Conceal our movements and carry out a blitz!

We will send a special force to the enemy's rear,

and attack other cities simultaneously.

Overwhelm them with confusion and knock them off balance.

It's a lightning war.

While the enemy is scrambling to defend the rear, our main

troops will strike the exposed position. It's that simple!

What is your name, soldier?

My name is Tae-pyoung.

Tae-pyoung?

Yes, General.

Tae-pyoung of Yumju was a foot soldier serving under

Yu Geumpil when Wang Guhn came across him.

Though he was a man of high education, he was drafted

into service at the time Yumju was subjected by Goongyae.

With his aid,Wang Guhn's power finally begins to take flight.

Historical records note that Tae-pyoung was a learned man

with exceptional knowledge in history.

You say your name is Tae-pyong?

Yes, General.

How could it be that a man of your brilliance is hidden

among the foot soldiers?

Commander Yu, how could this be?

I was unaware of his aptitude.

He is a quiet inconspicuous man.

I am over! We have discoverd a pearl in the mud!

I think you're right. This is truly a blessing.

Allow me to invite you all to a drink at my estate tonight!

Thank you.

Tae-pyoung, let us go together.

I am truly delighted to make your acquaintance.

I am honored, General.

Your undue praises have me flustered.

I am truly deighted. You have opened my eyes.

Look at this, Wife.

This is what they call glass!

It is more valuable than gold!

Yes, it is absolutely beautiful!

Even wine tastes better in this glass goblet.

Have another drink, wife.

Yes, my lord.

General Wang was truly a man of dignity and generosity.

It is no wonder Sulhee serves him as his master.

Yes

Let us drink.

Father, we've received reports of their suspicious movements.

They are not to be trusted.

Don't start that again!

Didn't you hear what your brother said?

We have no reason to help Kyun-hwon, and we have no

reason to doubt Wang Guhn. We're happy where we are.

Why do you dislike the warriors of Majin?

Look how well they treat us.

We must be wary of them. Please do not trust them.

They will ultimately break their word and attack us as well.

No, they will not!

They would've already done so if that's the case.

Suhlee and Wang Guhn will not let that happen as long as

you are here, Daeju.

This grape wine is excellent, Wife.

I shall ask Sulhee to bring us some more.

Please, my lord.

So sweet!

Your concerns are uncalledd-for, General.

We are unbreakable.

Not so. Wang Guhn is back.

Why are you so afraid of him?

Both Choryung and Jukryung are in our control.

Do not underestimate Wang Guhn.

Let go of your worries and let us have a drink.

The enemy won't come near this place again.

We are free to drink and relax until the snow melts

away next April.

They wouldn't dare come near here.

No, Haughtiness comes before a fall.

You must remember that.

It is wonderful to enjoy a family dinner.

How long has it been since the last time?

It's been too long, Your Majesty.

I wish Prince Yang Guhm could have been with us.

Yes.

I've sent him away on military training.

He still has a lot to learn.

You must train harder on military arts as well,

Yes, Father.

Such relaxation and family closeness is necessary,

but we have neglected to make the time.

Please grant us your time more often. I am overjoyed

to be able to dine with Her Majesty and the Crown Prince.

I am glad you arranged this diner, Kobe.

I'm told His Majesty is dining with Her Majesty tonight.

How wonderful!

The country cannot have peace without peace in the royal family.

His Majesty recently spoke of reclaimeng Geusung.

We should begin the preparations.

Yes. The time has come to recover Geumsung.

We've expanded our territory by a sizable sum

in the recent months.

Now we must shift our priority to Geumsung.

This operation will take tremendous preparation.

Let us do the groundwork.

Please allow me to take the vanguard.

No, I will take the van.

Silence!

Geumsung is mine!

I, Sudal, will get back geumsung!

How dare you ask for the van!

You will have to cut my throat first to have the van!

Do you understand me?

Calm down, General Sudal.

The young warriors spoke out of zeal.

Nothing please me. Nothing...

This is the land of Maitreya. I founded this kingdom, and

I am teaching my people the ways of Buddha.

But nothing is going right since we came to Chulwon.

Your Majesty, an event of such size takes time to organize

I beg you for you patience.

How long must I wait?

This kind of delay has never happened before!

And my second sight tells me that it is due to

your lack of unity.

You are the second highest power in this kingdom

next to me, Advisor. Why is this so hard?

Forgive me, Your Majesty...

You two must work in concert. Why is that so difficult?

Ahjitae is only the minister of construction.

He doesn't have the power that you do.

You will have to over the preparation for the grand mass.

I will do as you wish, Your Majesty.

The monks and the subjects have become disobedient.

Push them. Give them no slack.

Yes, Your Majesty.

They don't listen when I go easy on them.

What are they waiting for when I've given my command?

The biggest problem lies with the subjects.

I didn't want to do this, but they leave me no choice.

Summon all the subjects.

I must look into their minds with my second sight.