Original subtitles

Submission to beastly Ming is unthinkable.

We should not be afraid to go to war.

The country will fall into greater confusion if we help the Crown Prince.

Authority of the Royal house will

be lost with the Crown Prince in disciplinary confinement.

I will protect him even if it costs my own life.

Instead of releasing the Crown Prince, send him to Ming as a hostage.

Return, good government!

Return, good government!

Return, good government!

Return, good government!

Return, good government!

Return, good government!

What is the meaning of this?

Get down from there at once!

Government must first be revived.

What?

The Prince who sought to protect the nation's pride has been incarcerated and

the scholars have been suppressed by force.

How can you say that this is good government?

How dare you!

This country's government is dead!

Get him down at once!

Yes, sir.

- Get him down! - Yes. sir.

The Joseonese government is dead?

Even the government officials are openly supporting the Crown Prince?

The King must be feeling quite threatened.

Sir, we are the ones in greatest danger here.

Hall of Great Peace

What is it this time?

The Confucian scholars have once again rallied at the Hall of Great Peace.

Another demonstration?

More than five hundred civilians have joined them.

The Bureau of Weaponry is also...

Bureau of Weaponry

Put the cannons back at once!

No, sir.

How dare you!

We're going to blow the Hall of Great Peace away.

They want to take the Crown Prince as a hostage?

We'll see about that.

Don't do this to us.

We don't like the envoys anymore than you do.

Then what's stopping you from joining us?

If we take any hostile action without the King's authorization,

we're all criminals of treason!

You'll be dead before you get to the Hall of Great Peace!

Minister Yi!

Be patient.

I'll let you fire as many cannons as you wish on Ming mainland!

They're ready to take hostile action?

We must return to Ming, sir.

It looks like we'll have to conquer Joseon first before we conquer Japan.

Inform the court at once! We're leaving,

so have them remove those protesters immediately!

- Stop! - You can't do this!

Get them out!

The Crown Prince is locked up at the Royal Shrine,

and the officials are locked up in jail... Don't you just love this government?

Please just do your work.

But something must be done.

The government will be paralyzed

without the administration officials...

His Majesty hadn't had them arrested, I would have.

They're so busy fighting us that they can't see who the real enemy is.

Writing a realistic proposal to persuade the Ming envoy?

That's what we have to focus on.

Minister Hwan, we have big problem.

What is it?

It's a message from the Hall of Great Peace. The envoys are leaving.

What?

What happened to the spies?

If information leaks out again, the situation will get even worse.

It's being taken care of.

- Thanks. - Your welcome.

- Out of the way! - You're coming with us!

What's going on?

Stop!

What is the meaning of this?

Stay out of it Grannie.

I asked you a question!

Just stay out of it.

You're arresting my precious children and you won't tell me why?

I am the one who made you a eunuch guard. How dare you disrespect me!

What's the reason?

Spies.

Spies?

There are spies among these guys working for Ming.

Let's go!

Grannie, why are you backing down like this?

You heard about information leaking to Ming.

Who would they suspect first but the eunuchs that have been to Ming?

Has he been arrested?

It appears so.

Are you all right?

He's a smart boy, so he'll take care of himself.

I trust public outrage is continuing?

There is a constant stream of protesters outside the Royal Shrine

and the Hall of Great Peace.

Send Muby to the Hall of Great Peace.

When the heat erupts tell him to crash the Hall of Great Peace.

Envoy Huang Yan will have to die for us in the hands of the Joseonese

to surely ignite the Ming Emperor's rage...

There is no time, Your Majesty.

If we fail to stop the envoy from leaving, there will surely be a war.

Leave me alone.

Your Majesty...

Leave, I said.

It's a shame things aren't going your way...

What brings you here to Gyeongbok Palace, Your Eminence?

Release the Crown Prince.

Then the public will give you their support.

Without the state the people do not exist and public support is unimportant.

King must fear his people more than a superior state.

Is are as sweet as dreams but reality is bitter, Your Eminence.

You have one day.

Release the Crown Prince before the end of the day

or you will find this old man kneeled outside the Royal Shrine asking for our

ancestor King's forgiveness for your actions.

Your Eminence...

Make the wise decision.

I don't want the public to think that you

are a disrespectful ruler who ignores the beseeching of the former King.

Thank you for going through such trouble for the Crown Prince.

This is not for the Crown Prince alone.

It's in the best interest of the Royal house and the state.

What could've prompted the ex-King to make this move?

I don't know. He has always held a negative view of the Crown Prince.

Don't you think you're taking a risk?

You must look out for yourself.

You know His Majesty better than anyone...

Are you afraid he might hurt me like he hurt Bangseok and Hoean?

Bangseok Eighth son of Taejo Hoean: Fourth son of Taejo

I've lived a full life.

Birds sing the most beautiful song

and men utter the most useful words before they die.

Your Eminence...

Keep your eyes open and prepare for your future.

That's your job right now.

I thought the Royal family was ordered to stay away from her.

Royal family?

I'm honored, Your Highness.

I didn't think you regarded me as a member of the Royal family.

What do you want?

I received permission to conduct memorial rites to the Royal ancestors.

Memorial rites?

I may be born of a concubine, but as a prince who shares the King's blood,

I feel cannot be idle when our country is in peril.

Get out of here.

I cannot defy the King's order.

Your Highness!

You must not conduct yourself in this manner at the Royal Shrine.

If His Majesty finds out...

It's better than allowing a bastard prince to anger the Royal ancestors.

I will have the Palace Guards hold back the former King, and Minister of Rites

and I will go to the Hall of Great Peace and appease the protesters somehow.

No, never mind.

If we fail to calm the people,

we will not be able to stop the envoy from going back to Ming.

I will do it.

Your Majesty...

I will go to the Hall of Great Peace myself

and appease the Confucian scholars and the protesters.

I beg your pardon?

You want me to infiltrate the Hall of Great Peace and collect information?

You said we need to be on the same side to resolve this crisis.

And we need information in order to do that.

I don't disagree with you, but...

You look scared to death.

You're a big man. You should do your part.

That's the problem. I'm too big.

How am I going get in through the tight security?

Jump the wall?

I don't think so.

And there isn't a dog hole big enough for me to fit through.

I've taken care of all that.

Get that envoy out here!

I want to see what this bloodsucker looks like!

Get him out here!

Get him out here!

If he won't come out and face us, let's go in and get him out!

Yeah!

His Majesty the King!

Are you the student body president of the Royal Confucian Academy?

Yes, Your Majesty.

You're enduring great frustrations and grief because of this incompetent King.

Your Majesty...

Is there any chance I can persuade you to disband the protest?

Not us but the Ming envoys hold the key, Your Majesty.

Mental grief is more than enough.

Don't let your body suffer.

Your Majesty...!

Yield just this once, Father.

You just told me not to release the Crown Prince.

I am begging you to yield to the public, not to the Crown Prince.

What would you have me do? Kneel before the people?

Why not?

Choongnyeong?

Why do you think the people are so resentful?

Why do you think they relate to the Crown Prince more deeply than they relate to you?

They feel forsaken.

No one cares about us. The King has forsaken us.

Stop this.

If that's not true, you must tell them.

I do care about you. I never stopped caring about you.

You must show them what's really in your heart.

If a father gives his children love, they return that love with trust.

And since there is no weapon more powerful than public support,

there is no enemy you can't defeat.

Do you worry about the country at such young age?

No... sir.

"No, Your Majesty." That's how you answer.

I just followed my father.

You have an admirable father.

Hand out warm clothes to everyone shivering in the cold.

If we run short, give them my fur coat as well.

Yes, Your Majesty...

Children forsaken by their father...

Allow me some time.

I must first calm my people and persuade the officials in order to fulfill your requests.

You are willing to accept the requests?

Ten thousand warhorses and one hundred thousand soldiers.

I will try my best.

And we want the Crown Prince.

If it is necessary, I will consider.

You have fifteen days.

No, it will take at least two months.

I'm a busy man.

I don't have two months to waste in this country of barbarians.

I'm sure it is very wearisome.

And with public hostility, it can't be easy for you to go outside.

I see you know about that.

I will send over the best of my palace staff and call the Royal musicians to

provide entertainment for you from time to time as well.

Would that help relieve some boredom?

In a palace staff's disguise?

I commend you for the effort, but there is no way I can do this alone.

The Hall of Great Peace is not a tiny little place.

How am I going to cover that entire place alone?

Perhaps we can employ the eunuchs that had been to Ming.

That's not going to happen.

What do you mean?

Office of Eunuchs had them all arrested.

I hope to heaven this does not happen,

but if you're arrested and worse comes to worse...

... use this.

Be very careful not to expose your identity.

If you die before I do, I will not forgive you.

What's this?

I know it's not perfume.

The Royal Physician will tell me soon enough.

I guess we bought ourselves two month...

Don't you feel kind of bad for the King?

He looks so sad and troubled.

I bet it wasn't his idea to beat up the scholars.

And it doesn't look like he doesn't care about us either.

You saw him putting coats on the people.

I sure did.

Public sentiment is turning around?

More than half of them walked away, and more importantly...

Trust the Royal court and go back to the academy.

No tribute, no deployment of troops and Crown Prince's release.

We don't have a firm answer on anything. How we can we disband the protest?

We will release the arrested scholars for now.

What makes you think the Royal retainers are not on the same side?

If we thought that we could resolve this with rage and brute force,

we would all be sitting out here with you right now.

There's nothing you can say that will change our minds.

Perhaps we should think about this.

Manli.

Let us go back to the academy and reevaluate our approach.

This demonstration is the decision of the entire student body.

Have you forgotten?

Then why don't we ask again?

Everyone is here right now.

We didn't even get the Crown Prince released.

Don't you think we need to wrap up the negotiation to get him released?

The scholars agreed to a conditional disbandment of the demonstration?

But the officials appear to be hanging in there.

If the scholars broke down,

it's a matter of time before the officials break down as well!

Don't you know that?

Come out, men.

Are you Gim Jongsuh, of the Office of Royal Seal?

Yes, sir.

You don't need to come along.

Minister, what are you going to do?

Minister!

Do not give in! Don't fall for anything they throw at you!

Do you hear me?

I will let you make the decision.

Would all of you like to be removed from your posts and sent home

or can we wrap this up with dismissal of Gim Jongsuh alone?

What's the possibility that the arrested eunuchs really are spies?

About five to seven out of ten of them are likely to have done work for Ming.

There were plenty of reports in the previous dynasty as well.

Then how come we haven't been able to stop them?

Why do you think we call Ming a superior state?

Being big and strong alone doesn't make them superior.

You can't rule an entire continent without an effective system

to recruit and train foreigners to serve your own purpose.

Stop.

This is very strong poison. What's the purpose?

Is it from the Ming envoys?

Did they tell you to kill the King?

Talk.

Talk!

I was going to kill myself.

That's why I had it on me.

Kill yourself if your identity is revealed.

Was that the order from Ming?

It's you that told me to kill myself, not the Ming bastards.

What?

None of us wanted to go to Ming.

We went because the government made us go.

But we were treated like dogs there because we were Joseonese.

That was okay.

I'm a foreigner and they're not my own people, so I can put up with their crap.

But things were not any different at home.

You looked at us with suspicion the moment we came back.

And every time things like this happen, you call us spies and torture us!

Give me that poison. I'll die for you right now.

Wouldn't that make it easier for all of us?

Wait!

It's an order to stop the investigation, Director Sim.

Pardon?

You heard me.

Stop the investigation now.

You will not protest the stop on the investigation?

They are sending all of them to the Hall of Great Peace.

That's why we don't need to.

Minister.

His Majesty has made a superior move this time.

I had the eunuchs arrested not to find the spies but to isolate them.

I didn't want our plans getting out again.

This way we isolate the spies and win the envoy's good grace as well.

Kill two birds with one stone.

I doubt this was Administer of Memorial Jo Malseng's idea.

I wonder who is giving His Majesty advice.

I'm sure at least half of you are in secret contact with Ming.

There's evidence that Royal Attendant has collected...

And I can easily get a confession out of you by torture if I wanted to.

Don't you agree?

Send us back to the Department of Punishment instead.

It's better to die than to be mocked and falsely accused.

Don't.

Don't say things like that.

It's usually the guilty ones that talk about death and act overly righteous.

Don't you know that?

What do we have to do to prove our innocence?

I'm not interested in your innocence.

I don't care if you are all spies.

In fact, if you are spies, your spy

training in Ming will probably help us in getting back at them.

You know what?

This is an apology.

I'm apologizing to you right now for the King and the Royal House.

it's us that sent you to Ming, and it's us that made you citizens

of a powerless state who have no choice but to succumb to being spies.

How about it?

If it's all right with you, I'd like us to bury the hatchet and start over.

The job I have for you is not an easy one.

But I hope you'll approach it with enthusiasm.

My guess is you want to live proudly as citizens of Joseon, not as Ming spies.

Am I wrong?

I promise that the Royal House will do its best to make sure

what happened to you doesn't happen to anyone else.

Don't I look pathetic?

Your Majesty...

I'm weak, powerless King who plays by a young prince's ideas.

Am I not?

Your Majesty, in the five years I have been serving you,

you have never seemed as big and strong as you do today.

You're holding on to principles despite tremendous pressures from all sides.

This is about finding a way to suppress Ming.

It doesn't matter where the idea comes from.

Hall of Great Peace

Oh, that looks good!

How do you do?

A few of these...

These look tasty, too!

Oh, what's that?

Who are you?

I guess you haven't been informed yet.

I am the new chef.

Oh, green onions. You have to peal off...

Those have already been cleaned.

Best of the palace servants have been sent to the Hall of Great Peace.

I have unintentionally inconvenienced you.

It is not an inconvenience.

It wouldn't hurt to be hospitable to soften up the envoys.

I'm glad you feel that way.

May I take this as an attempt to protect the Crown Prince?

I don't know...

Your Majesty?

If we give them all of the tribute and military aid they seek,

the country's economy will be shaken at the root.

Then would you trade the Crown Prince for reduction on their demands?

If it comes down to that, I will consider.

This country does not have a future without the Crown Prince.

What makes you think that?

There're several princes that can succeed to the throne other than the Crown Prince.

You cannot do this. You know better than anyone.

Unfortunately, Kings are often forced to make decisions against his own wish.

There are other princes who can succeed to the throne?

Please don't try to put me on the throne.

Are you going to take a back seat again?

I'm asking you to stay out of it.

What do you mean by that?

His Majesty is prepared to send the Crown Prince as a hostage?

Perhaps Hyobin is manipulating him.

Of all Royal Princes, Kyoungnyeong is

the one His Majesty is closest to right now.

I'm going to have to find a way to protect the Crown Prince myself.

See if you can contact the envoy in secrecy.

We need to find a way to arouse the public again...

Before the regional lords reach the capital with their armies...

public rage must be reignited.

If Crown Prince is killed... who would the people accuse?

Thank you. You made a difficult decision.

It's the only decision I can make as a servant of the Royal house of Goguryeo.

We leave tonight.

This is your work as well?

Pack your bag. We could be in for a long haul.

I'll need someone to maintain the weapons.

Yes, sir...

Why?

My father is doing this because he is power hungry...

But why are you going?

You have nothing to gain from this.

You can lose me forever. Don't you understand?

That won't happen.

I won't lose you no matter what happens.

Run away instead. That's...

No. I want your father's recognition.

Then I can make you my woman in a dignified way.

It's not possible.

If your father can change the world...

I think I can persuade one man to change his mind.

I have to get back.

I have a lot of work to do.

Wait.

Come back to me.

If you don't come back to me safely...

I'll hate you forever.

It will take as little as one month for the revolutionary army of

Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Choongchung provinces to reach the capital.

We cannot let the city lose the heat until they get here.