Original subtitles

(This is based on the Tale of On Dal in Chronicles of the Three States.)

(Characters, incidents, and dates do not match historical facts.)

(Episode 10)

What is it?

Where are you going after sundown?

It is none of your business. Step aside.

Are you leaving to strike where the Princess is?

I will strike you first if you do not step aside.

Go inside.

Your father is waiting to see you.

I will pay for my sins in death.

However, you and your family will also be...

in a pool of blood.

You asked to see me?

If you cut down On Hyeop's son...

and burn their village,

do you think the Princess will become yours?

She will when she runs out of people to lean on.

She lied about being married to run away.

This is not something you can control by brute force.

I am only doing as you taught me.

You killed the late Queen...

and beheaded On Hyeop.

It is a powerful scheme that does not backfire.

I commend your courage, but you have a long way to go.

Power is powerless when that is all it has.

Justification is what you need before you wield your sword.

Without that,

how different is a general at war from a butcher in a slaughterhouse?

Justification?

I shall make something up.

It will come upon us without us having to do anything.

Do you think the Princess can live as a herb gatherer's wife?

Until we have our cause,

- wait. - How much more time must I waste?

You are so slow.

To catch the chief, you must first fell his horse.

Did you sleep well?

Yes. Did you?

I did.

We should clean up.

General Go will be banished to the border?

Yes. He helped the Princess many times,

Gochuga seems to be angry with him.

He is Gyeru Tribe's next chief,

but he is very different from his father.

I am aware of his loyalty to the royal family.

The first person to notify me the Princess was alive...

was General Go.

He is too great a talent to lose like this.

Gochuga is so ruthless.

He is sending his heir to such a faraway place.

I got on his bad side.

But this exile is to a truly far place.

I am to inhale sand way up in the north.

Are you upset that I am going far away?

It is not great news.

Then shall I stay?

Pardon?

On a day like this, I wish I could sit in a boat on a river...

and drink for hours.

General Go Geon is to come and see the King immediately.

Please do not be angry, Mother.

I know I am lacking, but I will do my best.

Mother. Ga Jin's father,

my father-in-law gave his blessing.

I do not believe what I am hearing.

You have no father-in-law.

Mother.

I will light the fire.

I am good at that.

Get out of the way.

Do not do this, Princess.

You are the noblest of nobles on this earth.

You cannot do such rough work.

I am your daughter-in-law.

Do not tease an old woman.

Rest for as long as you are here.

My father commanded that...

I stay on a faraway border...

and do not show myself.

That is a punishment, not a command.

Is it because you helped the Princess?

I was never...

a satisfactory elder son.

My bodyguards have not been as orderly as before,

and security inside and outside the palace has been lax.

I am considering...

appointing you the new Head of Bodyguards.

I do not deserve that title.

But...

I have already packed to leave for the border.

Packed luggage can always be unpacked,

and commands taken back.

Before that,

to keep you close,

I must be able to trust you completely.

To make me trust you,

gain the Crown Prince's trust first.

With that, I will gauge your loyalty to the royal household.

Yes, sire.

He does not feel well,

and bids you come another day.

Did you tell him I am his new martial arts teacher?

Yes.

The truth is,

since the day the Princess left the palace,

he has not left his chambers.

(To not have contact with others.)

He said he cannot be bothered to do anything.

Pyeonggang, where on earth are you?

You are well, right?

I told you to get close to the King...

and you became the Crown Prince's trainer?

I am doing as you taught me.

To catch a chief, you fell his horse, you said.

Yes.

The Crown Prince is the King's horse.

I will get the Crown Prince's trust, and then the King's.

I will get everyone at the palace on my side.

The subjects are as doubtful as they are powerless.

Do you have a secret plan?

It would no longer be a secret if I were to speak of it.

Leave the royals to me...

and keep the council in line.

They have more greed than they deserve.

No one knows what they will do in secret.

Some good came from the Princess leaving the palace.

You have changed enough to care for our family.

Love it or hate it,

I am the next Gyeru chief.

I must do my duty as the son.

Are you still up?

Why are you taking more bedding?

There is enough in the other room.

There is only one set.

You said you are married.

Will you sleep apart from her?

Ga Jin feels uncomfortable. It is for her sake.

How am I to teach her?

Will there be any books?

She almost caught me.

Doing what?

Nothing.

I thought she would kick me out. I am glad she did not.

That is not good.

She treats you like you are invisible.

She is putting you first.

She may be your nanny,

but she cared for you more than any mother would.

That is how a mom thinks.

These are books on military strategy that I brought from the palace.

Military strategy?

"Simseo", "Yukdo", "Samryak",

"The Art of War", "The Five Arts".

Hang on.

Wait.

I do not have to read all these, do I?

Reading once is not enough.

10 times, 20 times.

You must be able to quote from it with your eyes closed.

I will study with you.

That is not fair. You said you would teach me to fight.

What is the point in just brandishing a sword?

You must be able to use your head.

Shall I have a look, then?

My gosh.

I think reading this will make me even more stupid.

You are complaining even before you begin.

I am tired. Can we just go to sleep?

Yes? Please?

My gosh.

Oh, well.

Do you feel uncomfortable?

I can sleep in the bigger room.

Do you want to sleep separately just after we got married?

Men can get divorced too.

Can they?

Even if it is a lie,

lying next to you feels like we are married.

It feels strange.

I agree.

- Ga Jin. - Yes?

Let us not tell Mother that I am learning to fight.

She will fall ill the moment she hears.

Okay.

And you too. Do not get in between Mother and me.

There is not much you can do to help.

Hey. Who else will look after the wife than the husband?

That is so reassuring.

Still, leave it to me.

I am leaving to chop firewood.

I need to bring 3 or 4 stacks within the day.

Oh, and Ga Jin left already. She went to get water.

Come here.

What is she up to?

- What do you mean? - Why would a Princess...

come back to live in the mountains?

I do not believe she would marry a herb gatherer.

Come closer.

You can tell your mom.

She is up to something else, is she not?

I seduced her.

It is true.

Instead of being cooped up, she should be with me and fly...

and be free. That is what I said.

You can deceive a ghost but not me.

You made it.

Well? It is nice and spacious, right?

Yes. Wow.

What about Mother?

I made up some kind of story.

What do I do first? Tell me quickly.

Here.

That is not how you hold a sword.

Did you not learn as a kid? It is the basic of basics.

I asked my father to teach me, but he never listened.

General On? Why not?

I do not know.

Here. Support the weight with your left hand.

With your right hand, you control its movements.

Like this?

Hold the sword higher.

Shoulders straight, knees bent, back straight.

Why is it so complicated?

Learning the basics is the hardest part.

Lift your chin.

Keep your sight at the tip of the sword.

And pretend your enemy is over there.

Okay?

Come on.

Good.

Stay like this until I come back.

What? Where are you going?

Hey. This is a penalty, not training.

Stay like that!

Ga Jin!

What did you just say?

Revive the Sunno Tribe?

The King also wants the Sunno Tribe to return.

Go Won Pyo brought up my marriage...

so he could not show his intent.

You cannot live in Ghost Valley forever.

You must gather your men, gain strength,

and regain power.

You must...

recover your position on the Five Tribe council.

Is this why you returned?

To help revive the Sunno Tribe?

It is not just for your tribe.

While I was in the palace, I realized how things really are.

Go Won Pyo and his allies...

damage the King's authority and control everything political.

If we do not stop those few men,

Goguryeo will crumble from the inside out.

Please offer the King your support.

I may be the chief,

but this is not a decision for me to make alone.

I will speak to the villagers.

To gather and train people, we will need that much money.

It might not be enough,

but I will obtain some silver that will get us started.

You are selling all these?

There is a woman who needs money urgently.

She needs silver and soon.

I think I saw these somewhere.

Who is it? Do I know this woman?

This is the jewellery I kept in Magnolia Hall.

I will leave it with you. Find me a buyer.

What do you need this much silver for?

You do not need to know. But the sooner the better.

Do forgive me.

I was requested to keep her identity a secret.

Forget about that.

The medicine you gave me.

You said it would get me pregnant.

I do not think it works.

Even if you take medicines,

the balance of yin and yang is hard to control.

Since we are talking...

The fortune-teller you mentioned.

If he is as good as rumours say, he will do services as well, right?

Why are you at the Crown Prince's chambers?

I heard you were appointed as his trainer.

There truly is nothing you do not know.

I also know the Crown Prince...

never leaves his room, let alone train.

Did you make another wasted trip?

If I had known he would be so much trouble,

I would have left to the border.

When the Princess left,

she showed grave concern for the Crown Prince's safety.

For her sake, I hope you do not give up too easily.

I cannot tell what you are thinking.

Because of the Princess, you had to face flogging.

Yet, you are worried about her.

I have a lot of pity...

for you who cannot move on from a woman who has left...

and for the Princess who has been disowned by the King.

My heart feels much compassion.

Hey.

Gosh.

Have you not moved since I left you?

You told me to stay like this.

You said mastering the basics is the most important.

Gosh. That is enough. You can stop that.

Goodness.

Are you laughing?

How can you laugh when you made me do it?

Do not move.

That feels nice.

Well, my wife can wash away the fatigue just with her hands.

You little... Do not get cheeky with me.

Ga Jin.

I know that this is just a wooden sword,

but it feels awful to train behind my mother's back.

We have no choice.

I know that.

I even made you promise to never wield your sword before.

Now, I am learning it from you.

If you do not want to, you can stop.

I do not want you to be in agony.

I was just saying.

What is the next pose?

My gosh. It is cold outside. Where have you been?

Oh, my. You are a princess. Why are you carrying a jug of water?

- Give me that. - It is okay. I can do it.

My gosh. That is absurd. Put it down now.

- Give me that. - No, it is okay.

- Gosh. - Goodness.

Gosh.

Darn it.

What? "Darn it"?

Oh, no.

I am sorry. I should have been careful.

Gosh, do not say that.

This kind of menial job is for people of low birth like me.

I cannot let a princess like you do such a thing.

If I do, I will be gravely punished for it.

Mother.

I am here to live as Dal's wife.

I am not here to fool around as a princess.

Please treat me how you would treat your family.

Are you sure you will not regret...

what you just told me?

Pardon?

Will you not criticize me...

even if I give you a lot of hard jobs?

Please just tell me what you want me to do.

In that case,

you need to get the water again.

And chop the firewood too.

Okay.

Where is Ga Jin?

I told her to tend the vegetable garden in the valley.

The vegetable garden is a mess...

because you decided to go traipsing around the city.

She cannot tend the garden all by herself.

Stay out of this.

She said she would be my daughter-in-law.

Mother.

She said I did not have to treat her like a princess.

She will get her wish.

- Gosh. - Oh, my.

Goodness.

Gosh.

You are so strong.

She really is.

Do not work yourself too hard.

You are eating so well.

Ga Jin has made up her mind now.

What do you mean?

She visited the chief.

And the chief told you to get a book on battle formations.

I do not know what is going on,

but I am definitely certain she has a big plan in mind.

So that must be why she came here...

pretending to have married a guy like Dal.

Nothing is wrong with Dal.

He is the son of a great general.

He does not have to feel small because of a disowned princess.

I mean, look at his face and his skills at martial arts.

Ga Jin is way too good for him.

Without Dal, you and your brother...

would not have been able to live here.

Did we ask for that?

My gosh. You ungrateful girl.

"Girl"? Do you have a death wish?

What are you doing?

Is that a lovers' quarrel?

It is sunny today. Fight in the sun at least.

Do you also have a death wish?

I found it.

Hey, Ga Jin. Your hand...

I am all right. Just read your book.

No, that does not look okay.

We should put some herbs on it.

Let me see.

Read your book.

Your hand.

What is my daughter-in-law doing?

Come over here already.

What are you doing?

Yes, I am coming.

You must read the entire first chapter of "Yukdo".

I will quiz you later.

It does not sound like you are sewing now.

I cannot get the thread through the needle.

Do you not know how to sew?

Well, I have watched people sew a few times before.

Give me that.

You told me yourself that you are neither a princess nor an assassin.

From now on, learn how to maintain a home properly.

If you want to support Dal,

you must work twice or thrice harder...

than a blind woman did.

You raised him until now...

when you cannot see.

I cannot even imagine how it must have been for you.

Just sew. Stop chitchatting.

Okay.

Do not worry about the Princess.

She is as brave as a man.

She is not the only one I worry about.

I worry about the Crown Prince who refuses to leave his chambers.

I strictly told him to start training tomorrow.

But raising children is more difficult...

than ruling over an empire.

I am sorry that I do not know...

the trouble of a parent.

I have used all kinds of effective herbs.

But she never became pregnant.

From what I have heard, you can also perform a ritual.

A mighty owner of an herb store was not able to do it.

Are you asking a fortune-teller to do it?

She said she is willing to pay whatever it takes...

as long as she is blessed with a child.

Bring her here.

I will feel her chi first.

And I will see if a ritual will work.

She is not someone who can freely come and go.

Here.

I brought her date of birth, so use this to read her fortune.

Unless I see her face to face,

a ritual cannot be done.

He does not seem ordinary.

He refused to take this much silver.

Not a lot of fortune-tellers would burn anesthetic incense sticks.

He is very good at deception.

Do you think he can be trusted?

She has nice facial features.

And her nose shows a good sign of wealth in her fortune.

However,

I can see her true face behind her wealth.

Look into her.

I must know how many faces she is hiding.

Darn it. My water jug.

You fool.

My water jug!

Mother, I will go and get some water.

Okay. Well, fill all the empty water jugs.

Once you are done with those,

weed out the vegetable garden over there on the hill.

After that, wash the laundry and hang it up.

Oh, right. Before the sun comes down,

get some bush stems, so you can make a broom.

Water, vegetable garden, laundry, and bush stems. I got it.

And today, I am wearing the clothes you made me before.

So my clothes will not get in the way of my work.

I will be back.

What about your hands?

My gosh. How much more do you want to torture her?

Are you sure she is a princess?

- She is not a princess. - What?

She is my wife.

I am sleepy. What are you doing? This is a hassle.

The order came from the King.

You can rest all you want after the training.

Once this is over, I will bring in sweets.

You may go.

Grab the wooden sword.

Do you not wish to train?

I will not. This is a hassle.

Then, let us have a bet.

If you can touch so much as my collar,

you do not have to train.

- Are you serious? - Of course.

I will report to the King myself.

However, if you fail, you must train with me.

I will not do it.

Then, as you promise, you must train with me.

A king does not need to know swordsmanship.

I can order my generals.

No generals or soldiers will not follow...

a king who will not fight with them on the front lines.

A long time ago, your sister...

had the same bet.

She was young. And she is a woman.

So I told her that I could not teach her.

But she insisted that she learned how to fight.

The Princess had a bet with me,

so she could train.

So what happened?

I...

became her master.

Well, we did have a bet.

Practice the basic strikes.

Lower your sword. Again.

That is too far. Do it again.

It is too short this time. Again!

Why is this so complicated?

Strike it at the same angle. Do it again.

Go over it again, so you do not forget it.

Mother, I need to go back one more time to fill the jug.

I will go to the vegetable garden in the valley today.

Hey. Focus.

Yes, master.

Stand up again.

How will you protect our empire if you are this weak?

Where is my daughter-in-law?

I am coming.

Gochuga is a tiger without his claws.

He failed to stop the royal marriage from getting annulled.

And he just watched the Princess leaving the palace.

How about Daedaero? He used to try to be on our good side.

I heard that lately, he has only been visiting the King.

I am sure Gochuga has a plan he has not told us yet.

A plan?

Even his eldest son is on the King's side.

He is teaching the Crown Prince martial arts now.

What plan could he have?

You are here.

Were you discussing things I am not supposed to hear?

Of course, not.

We were discussing envoys to Northern Zhou.

I have already thought about which envoys and how many will go.

I am sure the Gyeru Tribe will take the lead again.

And our people will be no more than just fillers.

Well, let us do that then.

I heard General Go Geon has been busy lately.

I hear the Crown Prince has a lot of faith in him.

You brought me sweets.

I came here to thank you.

This is too much for just me.

Would you like to have some too?

Master.

Yes?

Master Go, do you have feelings for Pyeonggang?

Why do you ask me that?

I just want for you to be on her side, that is all.

Do not hate her too much, even if she is married.

No master hates his pupils.

On top of that,

the Princess was my first pupil.

I will always protect you both.

I need to find out what is going on.

You have brought useful information.

Good work.

I will call for you again when I have decided on an area to spy on.

I saw some suspicious people in front of the herb store.

And?

He was disguised as a merchant, but he was a Cheonjubang killer.

From Cheonjubang?

Are you sure?

Yes, we corresponded directly.

After looking around the herb store for a while,

he left.

Did you tail him?

He entered a fortune-teller's house.

It is called Songhwadang.

There is not much known about her.

She appears to be an orphan, with no known relatives.

Even with a status like that,

she became the adopted daughter of the Sono tribe?

What a formidable woman.

There is a rumour that she has been gathering precious and rare herbs.

There was also talk that she also secretly sold a palace maid...

off to Silla, causing havoc.

Silla?

But the person who revealed that incident...

was the Princess.

I am so busy.

Why did you ask us to gather?

The Chief said he had something to tell us.

Do you know what it is?

I have no clue.

Hey, mister.

Hey.

You should spend some time taking care of your daughter.

What is wrong with Ga Jin?

She is doing so much labour as a newly married woman.

Chopping firewood...

and washing all the blankets in icy water.

- Is that not right? - That is right.

She is running all over the village all by herself doing chores.

My goodness. She must seem like a real fox to her mother-in-law.

She had to let go of her one and only son.

I am sure she does not look favourably on her.

My goodness.

Oh, my.

I have something to tell you all, so have asked you to gather.

Let us discuss our village...

and the future of the Sunno tribe.

You must be a monk.

Are you lost? There is no village or temple around here.

Who are you?

Dancing an outrageous dance in the middle of nowhere?

Can you not tell?

I am practicing my swordsmanship.

Swordsmanship?

I thought you were having an affair with those sticks.

Sir, those are some harsh words for a stranger.

This would be perfect to use as a walking stick.

Hey, you. Give that back before I lose my temper.

All right, you fool.

How long will you hang ropes as a talisman,

wave your goblin lights,

and live in hiding here in Ghost Valley?

Abandon the past,

so full of unjust and wretched days.

Let us prepare to re-enter the world.

We have a plan as well as funds.

We just need your backing.

I do not know about the Sunno tribe,

but I feel hesitant about it.

Do you call yourself a man?

Who cares if we are Sunno or not?

She is just saying we have a shot at living like human beings.

It is true that we have never gotten any respect as a person.

We have just lived as worms, shovelling dirt and being stepped on.

What will you do afterwards?

The people of Ghost Valley are few.

It is not enough to form troops...

and forge weapons.

You are right.

We need a lot more people.

Homeless nomads roaming the towns,

people trampled underfoot by the nobles.

Once the preparations are complete,

I am going to win them over to our side, one by one,

starting with the nearest town.

I will do it personally.

I am in favour.

It is a promise made by the Princess, after all.

Me too.

Fine, me too.

Fine, I am in favour too.

- Me too. - Me too.

We will give it a shot.

Let us try it.

- It will be a new opportunity. - Let us go for it.

We have to do it now.

- We have to try. - We can have a new life.

I was going to tell you.

But for you, training was the priority.

I am not angry with you.

It was something you were planning when you were in the palace, right?

Me becoming a general...

is also in that plan, is it not?

Dal, this is for you and me,

and for the benefit of the whole Sunno tribe.

I am all right.

I need to carry on my father's wishes.

And...

That is what you want.

But those people are different.

Those people have escaped to this place...

because they have grown tired and exhausted from the world.

They have barely survived until now.

How can we endanger that?

We need to change the world,

so that the people can live life to the fullest, without fear.

That is the country we must build, the new Goguryeo.

Although our lives seem peaceful, apart from the world like this,

even Ghost Valley will turn into a bloodbath,

with a single word from Go Won Pyo.

When you first came to Ghost Valley,

you loved it because you said it was like a dream.

I, the humble Go Geon,

will be so bold as to accept the role of Head of Bodyguards.

With the unchanging power of the sword,

protect the King and his castle with loyalty and zeal.

I accept your command.

- Salute! - Salute!

"He lost his son to the King."

That is what the people outside the castle are saying.

They say the failed marriage soured his relationship with his father,

and that he has turned his back on the family.

A parent cannot block the path his child has chosen.

I fear for your safety, Gochuga.

If you let this happen, how will you deal with the aftermath?

Why, are you planning to turn your back on me too?

It appears your father has a different goal in mind.

The Princess gave us a gift by getting out of the way...

and forged a path for me towards the throne.

Once the assassin squad has been completed, a bloodbath will ensue.

I have only one desire.

For our son, Geon Mu, to ascend to the throne,

with the aid of your strength.

"Our son".

Is that prince...

really my son?

What?

How can you say that?

You are the type of woman who would argue...

that the sky is the earth to seat your son on the throne.

I love...

your greed.

Geon Mu...

is your son.

The metal is all rotten.

I could melt it down and reforge it,

but then I would need a bigger forge.

Still, please get started.

I will get you the materials you need.

All right.

Hey.

Ga Jin, is this really all right?

I told you I would get some silver. Do you not trust me, Father?

Not that. I meant your mother-in-law.

I heard she is making you suffer, giving you a ton of chores.

That is not true. She is very good to me.

Dal will be waiting. I will be going now.

- I will leave it to you. - All right.

The Princess is so in love with On Dal.

Ga Jin.

Good luck.

Let us go.

I am just as worried as you are.

Ga Jin is not used to being in a relationship.

Do you think they spent their first night together?

You know what I mean. The steamy, inexplicable... Gosh!

I told you to keep their secret.

That was a good kick.

Seeing that it is her,

I feel like she could really change the world with Dal.

I want to try my best to help them too.

(Songhwadang)

Since you told me to come alone,

you must be ready to perform the ritual.

I called you here to discuss matters your adoptive father cannot hear.

What?

Or perhaps he already knows?

The fact that you are a Silla spy.

What nonsense do you speak of?

I was not quite sure, but your expression has said it all.

The adopted daughter of the Sono tribe is a spy after all.

What an entertaining turn.

I have heard enough foolishness for now.

If you leave like this,

I will not be able to keep my mouth shut.

I too am quite tempted to speak plainly.

The Cheonjubang leader, disguised as a fortune-teller.

And his assassins.

What are you trying to do now,

after aiming for the throne by using the Princess?

Are you planning more treachery?

I knew you were a formidable woman.

Rather than throw the tribes into chaos and mutual destruction,

we should try to help one another, discreetly.

I will refrain from any further foolish games.

What should we do?

It is quite a waste,

but I have no choice.

You despicable spy.

I will kill you right here so that you can never go back to Silla.

My lady, stay with me.

My lady.

What are you doing here?

By any chance,

did you hear...

what the man said?

What did he say?

Let me take you to the herb store. You may be in danger.

My lady.

I will not go easy on you.

I need to check on your progress.

Do not cry after you lose.

Here we go.

Where did I put my sewing basket?

Let me see.

Oh, there it is.

What is a book doing here?

That is strange.

Hello?

Who is it?

Hello?

Oh, my.

I am Ga Jin's dad.

I do recognize your unpleasant voice.

I was looking for wood to turn into a hoe...

but ended up making a stick.

I am thinking of giving it to my in-law.

Your in-law? Who do you mean?

Why not just accept it, seeing how things turned out this way?

That would make the kids feel better.

Also, please stop being mean to Ga Jin...

That is enough. You are out of line.

I am actually glad you are here. Here, take it.

Tell me what book that is.

I cannot read.

Let me see.

Wait, there are pictures.

Is it a picture book?

Yes, there are pictures of soldiers holding swords.

Is this a book about military tactics?

In addition to learning martial arts,

is he studying military tactics too?

Who?

- Are you talking about Dal? - Did you not know?

That little brat.

Where are you going? That way, you will end up in the mountains.

Be careful. My goodness.

Do not worry.

I know every rock on this mountain.

Oh, my. She is walking so fast.

Lady Sa.

He just fell asleep.

He stopped Silla spies...

from sneaking in through the mountain fortress.

He says he fought bravely.

He threw stones and swung his wooden sword.

In today's battle,

sixteen of our soldiers died.

We won the battle, but the battlefield reeked of blood.

- Lady Sa. - Yes, General.

Do you know why I am not teaching Dal swordsmanship?

Once he wields the sword,

he is bound to see blood. That is the fate of a swordsman.

I do not want Dal...

to follow in my bloody footsteps.

Great job, Dal.

Mother.

What are you doing now?

(River Where the Moon Rises)

All this happened because you married that wicked girl.

You turned me into an ignorant country bumpkin.

I have been working together with the people...

to rebuild the Sunno Tribe.

I believe we can cooperate.

You are special to me.

My skills are not good enough.

You should learn from a teacher who is more experienced than me.

First, become completely blank. Skill comes after that.

Please do not go, Mother.

Run now.