Original subtitles

Supreme Councilor,

It has been a while Scolar Ahjitae.

Forgive me for my negligence to discuss

the affairs of the court with you lately.

I am merely an old man with an empty position who knows

not of what goes on in the court.

Nonsense. You are the highest of all royal subjects.

Let us be on our way.

God. Very good.

Hear me.

Yes.

My mind reading reveals only honesty and piety

in this room today. I am quite pleased.

Your grace is immeasurable.

The recent outdoor mass ended in failure after evil spirits

entered and caused havoc at the holy event.

I've convened this meeting to finish what was unable

to communicate that day. Royal Secretariat,

Yes, your Majesty.

Do you have the royal edict?

Yes, Your Majesty. I have it in my possession.

Good. recite it to the subjects.

Yes, Your Majesty.

At the command of His Majesty the Maitreya Buddha, I relate

the contents of royal edict.

His Majesty issues the following orders apropos

the northward conquest. First, there will be

military restructruring and formation of a new army.

This new army will consist of elite cavalry, infantry, naval

force, and engineer corps, and positioned agains the orth.

But that's...

I am well aware of the hardship of my people.

but we will not go far if we rest.

To maintain the new army, levies, as well as labor and

military conscription duties will be doubled for peasants

and nobility alike.

Your Majesty, I'm afraid that would be impossible in this

economic crisis we are in.

The royal edict is being recited!

Do continue, Royal Secretariat.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Training and recruitment as well as military fund management will

be divided among appropriate agencies and carried out with

efficiency. Agency of Foreign Language Studies will produce

intelligence agents, who will bring back important

and accurate information from the enemy territory.

Obey respectfully.

Yes.

Hear me.

Yes.

I intend to maintain the defense against Shilla and

Bekjae, and create a new army to conquer the north.

There is to be no questions and no objections about this.

Officers for this crusade has already been decided.

Minister of Construction,

Yes, Your Majesty.

You will oversee the mobilization and management of the new army.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I am overhelmed with honor to be granted such important duty.

And Advisor,

Yes, Your Majesty.

I appoint you as the general director who will oversee this

entire operation.

Your grace is immeasurable.

Generals Hwan, Lee, Hong, Bae and Kim will render military

training and other physical tasks under command of the

Ministry Military.

Your grace is immeasurable.

The progress will be monitored daily by me personally.

I reiterate. There will be no questions or objections.

And be warned. Failure to carry out your assigned

tasks will result in death.

This is a matter of life and death.

Life and death.

This concludes today's assembly.

I regret I have not been able to visit you more frequently.

I've come along with His Lordship on his way to the assembly.

I'm glad you've come, Mother.

But I'm afraid I have nothing pleasant to tell you.

Darkness looms everywhere in this kingdom including the palace.

Yes, You are right.

People are terrified by what happened at the Grand Mass.

Yes, I'm sure.

It is rumored in the city that...

Go on, Mother.

They say His Majesty has changed since he recovered

from his life threatening injury.

Is this true? What do you think, Mother?

Well, I think it might be possible, but...

They're right, Mother.

His Majesty is very ill. It is an ailment.

Pardon?

He was a gentle natured man who could not even hurt a fly.

Now he does not think twice about taking a man's life.

Yes, I have seen it. And I shivered in fear...

You must be careful. Father has already been warned.

"Be carefull, or you'll die." That was His Majesty's warning.

I am aware, Your Highness. And I am so frightened...

No one knows what the future holds, Mother.

Advise Father to be alert.

His Majesty is not a compassionate man.

The fact that you are my parents won't make any difference to him.

We must remeber that, Mother.

Yes, Your Highness.

Dear wife, please understand this shameless man's helpless

situation. The country holds mastery over a soldiers's life.

I owe my recent victory at the front to Lord Yu who wishes me

to marry his daughter.

He wishes to be one with my family, and His Majesty, along

with your fathers, have ordered this marriage, hence I am unable

to challenge their commands.

Please understand my helpless situation, and await my return.

I will explain the details then.

Does this mean our husband is taking another wife?

Yes, Madam. he has instructed me to inform you the details

and obtain you consent

It is an order of the country, and our husband has consented.

Our wishes are of o importance.

You are right. We cannot resist or support this...

What are we to do, Doyoung?

He has no choice but to bey the order of the country.

Though he is our husband at home, he is the servant of the kingdom.

Buyong, let us accept this gracefully.

Accept this, you say?

What choice do we have?

Bot of our fathers have conceded that this was

beyond our control.

But... I can't believe this is really happening.

We were prepared for this.

Our husband shows his regards for us by seeking our opinion.

That means something.

I don't know... I don't know anything...

I'm just frustrated...

Why must the world of men be like this?

There is no relief in sight...

No, there is not... He gave us an impossible

task and gave us no chance to express our opinion.

I know my position as the Supreme Councilor has lost its power, but

this is too much.

Ahjitae has become the central figure.

He has done enough damage lingering on the sidelines,

but now he is at the center of all things.

You're right. Even the Advisor's position is being threatened.

I agree, Lord Yu.

How has it come to this?

Everyone is so afraid they can hardly breathe.

His majesty's goals are completely unrealistic.

The disappointing results will greatly anger him.

I dread what is to come...

So do I. Distress must be worse for you than

it is for the rest of us, Minister of Military.

Yes.

How I miss the days gone by...

A battlefield might be a safer place in times like this...

The subjects everywhere are talking about the royal edict.

I can't blame them...

They've been ordered climb a tree that cannot be climbed.

To cross a river that cannot be crossed...

It's a suicide mission.

I am utterly stupefied by His Majesty's command.

All this is Ahjitae's doing.

No. This has been His Majesty's lifelong dream.

Ahjitae has merely ignited the flame of desire.

The mass, the royal edict - everything is the same.

We cannot go on like this. Obedience is not always virtue.

You must figure out a way to stop this.

No, it is too late. His Majesty is already very ill.

It is a severe mental illness.

I am hoping you would help him.

By bringing back the master Healer of Mt. Geumkang?

There is no one else to turn to.

The physicians have no cure, the symptoms are getting worse,

Ahjitae is exploiting this, and killings have begun.

I don't know what to do...

I have transferred Commander Yum to the Ministry of Military.

Yes, I know. You've made a good call.

I sensed his frustration and disappointment as well.

It is injury when you lose your loyal men, but His Majesty does

not seem to know that.

Scholar Park,

Yes, Advisor.

Please go to Mt. Geumand and bring back the Master Healer.

I will try, Advisor.

His Majesty is ill. The killings and the absurd commands are

results of his ailment. When will this end?

I'm counting on you Scholar Park. Please find the Master Healer.

I will try but...

Uncontrollable is the life...

I came out of hermitage to change the world but return in failure.

I have failed to defeat Ahjitae's devil.

How I wish I could grant the Advisor's wish and restore

His Majesty sanity...

Regret overcomes me, as I am unable...

Park Yu... Historical records describes hil as a divine

anchorite who appears to have been greatly respected.

Frustrated with Goongyae's tyranny, he would disappear

from the world about this time and rappear when Wang Guhn is

elevated to the throne.

Like this, Park Yu leaves the palace in search of a master

Healer never to return.

This would be another devastating loss for Jongkahn.

Choi Ung,

Yes, Your Majesty.

Is that the record about past monarchs of China?

Yes.

Ahjitae always spoke in praise of Qin Shi Huang.

Yes. Shi Huang was criticized by his descendents for his

despotism, but no other king has accomplished so much with

such strength and fortitude.

Yes. That is what Ahjitae always emphasized - -

that a king's fortitude has a power to change the world.

Yes, Your majesty.

...Your Majesty,

Yes?

can you really read the minds of other people?

Are you curious?

Yes, Your majesty.

Of course I can. Everything is visible once your spirit

transcends a certain level.

I was told Buddha could see into the world beyond.

Can you, Your Majesty?

Yes, I can. I am Maitreya Buddha. I see all things.

Then what is General Wang doing right now,

Huh? What do you mean?

General Wang is the most respected man in the country

next to you. I read that he has captured both Choryung

and Jukryung and now taking on a third wife.

That's right. I have given him my consent.

The wedding preparation should be in progress by now.

I'm also told that he is your sworn brother.

Yes. Wang Guh, is my brother.

He is one of the greatest heros of our time.

You shall soon meet him. He will return after his wedding.

Is that right?

Brother, Lord Yu has invited you to his private spa.

Thake this chance to relax a few days.

Tepyoung brought it up to you a while back, but you

never gave an answer.

He will relax. Lord Yu has already arranged everything.

By the way, where is Sulhee?

He had a few things to attend to at the frot.

Is that so?

It's a shame he is not with us to enjoy the relaxation.

Welcome, General Wang. We have been waiting for you.

Thank you for this invitation. And forgive us for our delay.

I know you were busy, General.

Welcome, General.

Hello, my lady.

General, lady Suin is to be your new bride.

Allow me to congratulate you.

Please come in.

Let us go inside.

I was tld of your concerns for the wounded and tired soldiers,

so we have prepared a hot springs facility for them.

Thank you, my lord.

I took the liberty of informing the general in advance, sire.

I see. It is about time you and your warriors rested.

I do not know how to thank you for your courtesy.

Lord Yu has long desired to be one with you, General Wang.

Now that desire is to be fulfilled.

Yes. His Majesty has granted his approval.

Congratulations!

Take a few days to relax while the wedding is being prepared.

These are the letters from His majesty and your two

fathers-in-law. They give their consent and congratulate you.

I've been told, my lord.

It is a vow for one hundred years of unity.

I couldn't be more pleased.

We are also very please as well.

So are we.

Thank you. And completely relax for a few days.

There will be many important guests at the wedding -

and one you will be quite surprised to see.

Who would that be?

You shall find out at the wedding.

Now let us go to the reception room for a drink.

Sulhee, what brings you her without notice?

I have come to invite you to my master's wedding ceremony.

Huh? Invite me to what?

A wedding ceremony? Who is getting married?

General Wang is to wed the daughter of Yu Geungdal,

the lord of Choongju.

Lord Yu's daughter?

Yes. It is imaginable since they collaborated in the recent war.

But he already has two wives! He is getting married again?

Yes, sire.

Some people can't get married once, and he's getting married

three times.

A great man is also a great lover, sire.

Yes, you're right. Heroes do not refuse women and wine.

It is a shame that you are still unwed, my good man.

That is my greatest frustration.

I can only implore you for help, sire.

Did you hear that, Daeju?

I'm sure Daeju is quite aware of Sulhee's feelings, sire.

General park,

Yes, my lady.

Whose idea was it to invite my father to this wedding?

To be honest, it was my idea.

I wanted His Lordship to grace my master's wedding with his

presence, so I panned this in secrecy with Lord Yu.

Silence! How much longer do you intend to toy with us?

My lady! You are mistaken!

This is all because I desire to be closer to you...

I will make this clear.

Under no circumstances will I ever be yours.

My lady...!

You are not the kind of man I seek. Do you understand?

My sword will not be still if you ever speak of this again!

My lady, why are you doing this?

What is the meaning of this, Daeju? Sulhee is our guest!

My lady!

Daeju behaves just like her brother Kyun-hwon sometimes!

When will she grow up?

General park,

Yes, sire.

Don't be discouraged.

Women sometimes display their affection in a strange way.

Yes, I know, sire.

I'll go. Of course I will.

General Wang has treated me with respect and generosity.

My entire family, including Daeju, will attend General

Wang's wedding. That is the only proper thing to do.

Thank you, sire.

We will have a wonderful time.

And seeing a wedding will inspire Daeju. Right, Sulhee?

You are the only one who understands me, sire.

How wrong you are! Don't you know how much I care about you?

Thank you, Madam. Thank you.

You need not thank us. We would be glad to go.

Wang Guhn is getting married to the daughter of Choongju's

lord Yu Geungdal, you say?

Yes, Your Majesty.

This appears to be a politically motivated marriage considering he

already has two wives.

This is a smart move in this war-torn time.

By establishing blood ties, they increase their size and strength.

That's right. General Chu has made a good point.

Wang Guhn is our enemy, but he is a brilliant man indeed.

He does work of a thousand troops simply by forming

marital union with the local lord.

The same was done in Geumsung.

That's right.

It is an ingenious strategy. By marriage, he secures the

territory and acquires their military support as well.

Are we praising the enemy? What were our forces doing

when this was happening? We've lost both Choryung and Jukryung.

This is no time to be praising the enemy.

That's right.

I get sick to the stomach when I think about that.

Your Majesty, what is done cannot be undone.

Care not about what is lost. Let us move forward.

Yes. You must put the past behind and forge ahead with

a new strategy.

Your Majesty, the defense in Choryung and Jukryung is

impenetrable right now. I urge you to strike Geumsung instead.

That is my intent. Vice Prime Minister,

Yes, Your Majesty.

expedite the preparations for attack on Geumsung.

Yes, Your Majesty. Groundwork is in process.

And General Sual in Mujinju is eagerly waiting his chance.

It won't be long, Your Majesty.

Good. We must reclaim Geumsung.

Very good. But do not be quick to be content.

In order to take Geumsung, we must strike by the sea

and the land.

Correct, General.

The problem is the enemy's superior mobility.

We must improve the speed in which we move.

Yes. That was the main cause of our last defeat.

It was due to the loss of public support.

That's right. We had ignored the frustration of our people.

But this time it's different.

We are gathering ships and training a naval force.

And with His Majesty's Iron Warriors at the lead, we can

finally reclaim Geumsung.

Yes, we can. There's nothing we can't do.

Indeed. Reclaiming Geumsung will restore the loss dignity

at the wake of devastating defeat in Choryung and Jukryung.

Dignity is not the issue.

The issue is my pride.

That is what I must get back!

My pride is pride of Bekjae. That is what I must restore!

I heard rumors of unusual activities in enemy grounds.

Yes. Enemy commander Sudal is gathering ships, mobilizing a

naval force, and I've even received reports that Bekjae's

Imperial army is to be dispatched against us.

One never knows which way the public will sway in times of

prolonged war.

It was due to Kyun-hwon's despotic ways that we were

able to win over Geumsung. You must never forget that.

That is, you must never lose the support of the public.

Yes. I am mindful of that at all times.

But I'm told the public is very frustrated at the capital city.

His Majesty is showing no mercy to the public in this

haste to prepare for the northward conquest.

That's right. I've witnessed the distress of the public in

my recent visit to the capital.

Both the royal subjects and the populace are suffering gravely.

We are fortunate to be out from the mainland

in time like this.

By the way, I was told that General Wang is to wed again.

Yes, that's correct.

He is too good a man to be my son-in-law only.

For that reason, the Supreme Councilor and I have agreed

to accept this as the unavoidable.

The water here is wonderful.

Lord Yu must be quite a wealthy man to have a spa such as this

for his own private use.

You are a lucky man, Brother Guhn.

All of your wives are from the wealthiest families of

their region.

They do indeed, but their wealth does not belong to me.

Brother, have you heard the news?

News about what?

I'm told there was a tragic death at the Grand Mass in Chulwon.

A tragic death?

Master Sukchong was killed after voicing words of truth.

Killed?

He was struck down by His Majesty's iron ball flail.

What? Master Sukchong is dead?

What's more, dozens of his followers were buried alive.

How could this be true?

Brother, I heard that he recently paid you a visit.

Yes, he did.

I'm sure there must've been a purpose for his visit.

Yes, there was. Now that I look back, I think he

knew of his imminent dath when he was here.

What did he say?

He left Ganja, the symbol of Maitrey, in my keeping.

Ganja?

Yes. He declared that the true Maitreya of our time

is not His Majesty t our Master Wang Guhn. Ganja is

the symbol of Buddha that was bequeathed to Master Jinpyo.

Was tremendous event!

The magnitude of the event made it difficult to bring up sooner.

This is a top secret.

We will all be executed for treason if His Majesty should

ever find out.

All of us must be very careful of our words.

Brother, this is an evidence of the prophecy coming true - -

the prophecy of your future as the ruler of three kingdoms.

Enough!

I am His Majesty's loyal servant, and I always will be.

But Brother, His Majesty is not the same man he was.

Countless innocent people are dead, and suffering continues

with endless wars and forced labors.

His Majesty is ruling with unmitigated tyranny.

Mind reading? How absurd is that?

That's enough.

You are to go to Chulwon after your wedding.

You must act with extreme caution.

A slightest mistake could put you in terrible danger.

His Majesty was once a wonderful ruler...

Choi Ung,

Yes, Your Majesty.

I am reading Sima Qian's Shiji.

In it there is a story of Han Fei Tzu.

Shi Huang, the emperor of Qin, read Han Fei's book and eagerly

sought to meet him.

Yes. Shi Huang conquered the kingdom of Han in order

to meet Han Fei.

That's right. And he finally met him. But he fell into the

plot of evil subjects and ended up killing Han Fei.

Yes. It teaches us how difficult it is to gain a worthy man.

Shi Huang invaded a kingdom just to gain Han Fei, but

ends up killing him before he could employ him to service.

This also tells us how gullible men can be.

Exactly.

It is not easy to be true to your original thought or intent.

Your Majesty, Minister of Construction.

Ahjitae?

Enter.

I see you are reading, Your Majesty.

Yes, I am reading about Han Fei in Shiji.

I see. He has written fifty- five categorical ideas about

political theory and relationship between the ruler and the ruled.

That's correct. It is truly a fascinating book.

What brings you here?

I've come to discuss with you about the northward conquest.

Do speak.

This enterprise requires enormous levies of manpower and resources.

Of course.

But reality is unlike the ideal, and raising

of resources is extremely difficult.

What are you saying? Have I not made myself clear?

There are only two choices. Disobedience means death.

Yes, Your Majesty. But the reality is...

What is the reality?

Your Majesty has granted me tremendous authority.

However, the subjects are still ignoring my orders

and delaying compliance with flimsy excuses.

Is that so? What would help the situation?

I am your alter ego and my words are your words being relayed.

Yes, you may say that.

Allow me the authority to forcefully enforce your orders.

What is it that you want?

Grant me a Royal sword.

Royal sword?

Yes. It is customary to bestow a Royal sword to the superior

commander of an army going to war as a symbol of authority.

It is because execution of a given mission takes precedence

over rank.

All right.

Lack of authority cannot be a reason for failure.

Choi Ung,

Yes, Your Majesty.

Bring me a sword.

Yes.

I am infinitely grateful that you grant my wish.

Nonsense. But Scholar Ahjitae,

Yes, Your Majesty.

I must say a few words before I give you this sword.

Yes, Your Majesty.

A knife is an interesting object.

In the hands of a child, it is danger to himself.

And in the hands of a carpenter, it is a useful tool.

What would it do in the hands of a thief?

It would hurt other people. Am I right?

What you seek is not this sword but more power.

Your Majesty...

I have already given you arbitrary power.

But you seek more.

I may have only one eye, but I see many things.

Do you understand?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Political power should be distributed among many.

That is why I still have the Advisor Jongkahn near me.

Now, do you still need this sword?

Your Majesty...

I asked you if you still need this sword!