Original subtitles

What is the meaning of this?

This is the rebel leader.

Arrest him!

Remnant forces of Goryeo attacked the Hall of Great Peace?

They were swiftly suppressed, but...

You men should be ashamed of yourselves!

Incompetent fools...

It's not enough that you allow rebels to roam free in the city,

that you allow the envoy to be kidnapped?

Forgive me, Your Majesty...

Place the city under martial law at once.

And interrogate the rebels and and apprehend their conspirators.

I want every last surviving member of

the Wang clan and their associates brought in and questioned!

Close down the safe house and quickly leave the city.

Where did you take the envoy? Where is the rebel headquarters?

I don't know.

Search the Gwangtong-bang area.

I couldn't locate the sneaky rats' den headquarters,

but I know it's around there somewhere.

You bastard, how could you!

They kept their hideout right here in the capital city?

Who is their leader?

Their leader is at the interrogation...

Hog wash. Would you put your leader at the front line of a violent raid?

Find their leader. He is holding the envoy.

We must send Muby into the palace and eliminate Wang Ahn.

If he opens his mouth, the entire organization will fall.

You must protect the organization, master.

Who is the rebel leader?

Name your leader at once!

Now!

Fine.

I'll tell you who the rebel leader is.

Would you spare my life in return?

Very well.

Minister!

Confess, and your life will be spared.

The ringleader is none other than...

The King of Joseon, the butcher Yi Bangwon, you bastards!

How dare you!

The rebel leader is the butcher that massacred the Royal house of Goryo

and stole the glorious kingdom of five hundred years!

Don't you fear death?

We have risen to deliver the people of this land from oppression.

I do not fear death.

My only regret is having failed to kill Yi Bangwon myself

to offer his head on the altar of my Royal ancestors!

Seal his lip together shut! I will not allow this blasphemy to be uttered!

You can cut off my tongue and cut off my head,

but you can't hide the evil you have done.

The people's lament has reached the Heavens!

What are you waiting for? Shut him up at once!

He is one savage, spiteful bastard...

He killed himself?

It's truly regretful, Your Majesty...

So what is your plan now? How are you going to find the envoy?

Bring him back safely even if you have to search the entire country.

If we send him back dead, it's war!

Untie him.

Who are you and what do you want?

Mind your manners.

This is Great Prince Choongnyeong.

A prince?

Forgive me for this boorishness.

I was so very eager to reunite the long lost loved ones...

Isn't this a handsome tree?

It might look familiar to you.

There once was a very attentive young boy who lived here in this village.

He had a little sister who walked with a bad limp.

She was mocked and called a cripple by other children, and even when the

Dano festival came around, she never got her turn on a swing.

So the boy made a swing for his poor little sister on this tree

and pushed her without complaint until his sister told him to stop.

But it was no more than a year before the swing stopped swinging...

The boy who couldn't confine himself to this tiny village had left for China.

The little girl's name was Sohwa...

It was a name given to her by her smart and sensitive brother.

Don't you miss her?

Your kind and loving little sister who cared more about you not going hungry

than about her not being able to ride the swing again

and silently handed you her homemade buckwheat crepes as you said goodbye...

You've been sitting there like that stinking up the place for days.

Would you stop complaining?

You sold off all of our rice for buckwheat. What are you doing this for?

He might swing open that door and walk in any moment now.

Who's going to walk in? It's going to be morning soon.

He's coming...

My brother will be here.

You're as thoughtful as always...

Did you send this drawing of you when

you were a child because you're afraid I can't recognize you?

Can I help you?

Oh my!

You haven't changed a bit.

You're just as fair as you were as a child...

You've aged so much...

You look rather displeased.

I'm just a little tired.

It's the Kings order to apprehend the rebel leader.

Those who come forward with information or turn themselves in are to be exonerated.

Are we doing the right thing?

That rebel...

His eyes were full of conviction.

I was taken aback a little.

Sir...

We are doing the right thing, aren't we?

It's easy to oppose.

Making it work is difficult.

What happened to the soldiers of Choongchung and Jeolla?

I don't have the follow up report yet, but they were given counterfeit IDs,

so we are assuming they got out of the city safely.

- Sir. - I want to be left alone.

Aren't you angry?

We didn't trust you, and we tried to have you killed...

Aren't you angry?

Gods of Heaven...

Gods of Earth...

How much more cold and callous must I become?

With what authority... With what prerogative...

Do I have to right to continue demanding death from my peers?

What do I have to do? How can I change this cruel world?

A message from the Hall of Great Peace, Your Majesty.

The Hall of Great Peace?

They want to reopen the negotiation.

Let us be grateful that it wasn't a kidnapping.

Where did they envoy say he had been last night?

He says he went sightseeing.

Sightseeing? There's a man that's got a good life.

What could he be up to reopening this negotiation?

I think it's encouraging that he wants to talk again.

Find a way to minimize the losses somehow.

Joseon may not have a future if we give Ming everything they

want in these times of instability.

What is the sum and substance of our offer to Ming?

Your Highness, I'm afraid I cannot disclose that right now.

- Minister Hwang. - Yes, Your Highness.

Would you protect the Crown Prince?

Would you find a way to protect him?

I will do my very best, Your Highness.

I will be counting on you.

Your Highness...

What is this behavior?

I heard you did not attend your Royal lessons this morning.

What good are Royal lessons when I'm going to be sent to Ming?

Deputy Director Byun!

Yes, Your Highness.

Call the lecturers immediately.

It's a waste of time, Mother.

Must I take a whip to you to bring you back to your senses?

Mother...

You are the Crown Prince of Joseon regardless of what is happening.

You must do your, duty

and conduct yourself properly for as long as you are here.

What are you waiting for? Prepare the Royal lessons!

How was your sightseeing trip?

Let us see the offer you brought.

Five hundred warhorses?

They are the fastest steed we have. The Emperor will be very pleased.

Are you aware that's less than one tenth of our request?

You must be overestimating the price of the Crown Prince.

I'm afraid we cannot send our Crown Prince to Ming as a hostage either.

Then there is no reason to continue this negotiation!

Hostages are acquired from enemies. Joseon and Ming are sister states.

- By no means are enemies. - That's right.

We have a common enemy and that is Japan.

From what I can gather,

Joseon has no intention to fight off Japan.

Please sit back down.

You can end the meeting after you hear us out.

Joseon has extensive plans to build a strong navy in the next three years.

Not only that, we are on the verge of forming an artillery army.

Are you preparing to invade Japan?

Joseon believes in peace. We do not invade unprovoked.

But if a hostile force should attempt to bring us harm,

we will gather all of our resources and deliver just punishment.

How long?

Pardon?

How much time do you need until

my Emperor can see that you're really using all of your resources to stop the Japanese?

Three years.

In three years, we will reduce Japanese raids on Ming soil by one half.

Very well. I will give Joseon a chance.

Sir...!

Under one condition.

Select a few of your fairest women

and offer them to the Emperor of Ming.

But that's...

His Majesty will not be willing to trust

Joseon unless there is a way to tie

the two countries by blood.

What are you doing here in a chef's uniform?

What do you think I am doing?

Prince Choongnyeong...

Isn't it peaceful?

But if you insist on levying 10.000 horses and 100.000 men from Joseon,

this peace and tranquility will not be ours for a while...

... since the people will have to bear the burden of forced labor and conscription.

Your sister, too, will be a victim.

Are you trying to threaten me?

I'm telling you our reality...

... painful reality we will have to face in order to meet your requests.

I take it the King knows about me as well?

No.

If he knew, the entire country would know,

and it would be a matter of time before Ming court found out as well.

And that would not be a good thing.

I heard you were a brilliant man that aspires to be

the Emperor's right hand man.

But if it came out that you are not of the same race,

it's more than likely that the Emperor will not accept you.

It sounds like you genuinely care about me.

I am a Prince of Joseon.

You may have left this soil many years ago,

but you are still Joseonese if you were born and raised here.

The Royal house has the duty to protect you.

Don't you think you went a little too far?

I have no excuse for worrying you the other night.

But I thought if I tried to investigate the envoy's past openly,

the others would question my motive and impede the investigation.

I've already ordered Yun Hwe to be reinstated.

Thank you, Father.

Is there anything else you want?

Every service deserves a reward. Tell me what you want.

You didn't reject my request and turn me away.

I think that's enough reward.

But I wouldn't feel comfortable if you didn't let me do something for you.

Then there is one small request.

Lantern Lighter Eunuch Jeon Ilji.

Yes...

By the order of the King, you are hereby elevated to Junior grade

of the sixth rank position in charge of the Lantern Department.

In addition, all of the eunuchs that participated in this commendable feat

will be elevated by one rank, and your stipends will increase as well.

You are expected in return to serve the King with greater devotion.

Yes, sir.

You're released, sir.

You've gotten thinner.

Thanks to you, sir.

Take a step back and look at the big picture of this political arena.

Then you'll understand why I handled you the way I did.

It looks like you have to relearn your manners to your seniors as well.

I don't know if it will work being a bungling man that I am,

but I will give it a try.

The more I see you, the more I don't like you.

I don't understand why anyone would practically beg to have you released.

Who?

Who requested to have me released?

Prince Choongnyeong.

And of course the request was made to the King, not me.

Prince Choongnyeong is minding

something as minor as the release of a low ranking official?

Of course not.

Minister...?

Good men are what Prince Choongnyeong need most for his future.

It wouldn't hurt to have men like Gim Jongsuh supporting him.

Or at the very least have him not be against him.

Make way!

Make way for His Highness the Prince!

Make way!

Make way for His Highness the Prince!

Your Highness, you should do something about that grin.

Are you that happy?

Of course I am.

Everything worked out great.

I don't understand you.

You could live a posh comfortable life doing nothing,

but you run around everywhere making work for yourself.

I know.

By the way, Your Highness.

I'm going to turn the carriage around to the marketplace.

The market place? Why?

They told me that expected mothers often crave sour things, so...

So you bought these personally and brought them home for me?

Actually, it wasn't my idea.

Jachi bought them and gave them to me saying that I've been neglecting you, so...

You're so cruel...

Why? Are you craving something else?

I wish you weren't so honest at times like this.

Wife...

It would have been so much nicer if you told me that you thought of me and picked

these out yourself even if it isn't the truth...

Open the gate!

Where is he? Where is Youngsil?

Let's go inside.

What have you done to him this time?

Let's go inside!

Did you... kill him?

Or did you have him put in jail?

Answer me right now!

Where is he? Tell me!

Stop this.

I knew you were capable of this. I knew you I couldn't trust you, but...

- Daion! - But he said we should trust you.

He said he wanted to trust you and that you could change.

So I wanted to trust you, too, because despite everything, you are my father.

But how could you do this? How could a human being do this?

I did it to keep my promise to your mother. Are you happy now?

I didn't do this for me alone.

Father...!

Your mother was worried about you until the moment she died.

Worried that you might live a hard life.

Worried that our clan would crumble and you'd live a life of scorn

because you married a wrong man. Do you know that?

That's why I'm trying to become powerful.

So that my only child could have a decent life.

That's why I'm doing all this!

We have to go after Han Younglo now, sir.

Cut the nonsense and find out if our trade group is intact.

Don't you care about the comrades that died?

So you want to kill the rest of the comrades exacting revenge?

If I know Yi Bangwon, he's already placed traps around Han Younglo.

We have to regroup right now and that's our priority.

We cannot risk losing any more of our men.

What are you doing?

How dare a junior official lay a hand on a document that's going to Ming!

What do you think I'm doing?

What are you doing in this office?

Take a guess.

There were a couple of mistakes.

I thought of correcting them, but I decided to rewrite the whole thing.

You're here.

What is that drunkard doing here?

He's the star of this negotiation, so he deserves to get his job back.

What kind of quick-fix method did he use this time? What sneak trick?

I cannot accept his reinstatement.

He's a drunkard who never shows up to work on time.

I'm angrier about this than you are, my man.

Minister Hwang.

Has it been about a month?

How long have we been working day

and night to try and come up with a feasible negotiation plan?

A month and ten days, sir.

How can we not be angry at the man who has made all of that hard work

and effort a waste of time and resolved this national dilemma from behind

the scenes sneaking around taking chances and using tricks?

Minister...

But what can we do?

This is the way the cookie crumbles in diplomatic relations now a days...

I'm ho...

Your Highness!

I guess this is really is a special day.

This is an even that will shock the world!

Someone else is dying to shape the government,

but I am the one in government official's gown.

Right?

But it's a crying shame though.

You're going to be too busy with state affairs to keep company

of your beloved wine.

Perhaps we can make an exception tonight.

If you live long enough, you see everything.

Wine and appetizers personally prepared by my wife!

I didn't prepare them for you.

I didn't know how else to thank the Prince.

Then you should've bought a few more bottles.

There're three of us and you only bought one bottles?

What?

Never mind. I'm content, I'm content...

Here, let me pour.

I think we should've brought a few bottles of wine instead of this kind, Master.

Perhaps we should have.

What is that?

Wow, this is a very expensive pen!

Councilor Yun...

How many bottles of wine do you suppose I can get for this?

Wait here.

I can run over to the marketplace right now and trade this for some wine...

Councilor Yun!

I would never do that.

Not with a gift from my pals.

For the first time in a very long time,

I dreamed a wonderful dream with Prince Choongnyeong.

Our job from now will be to turn that dream into reality bit by bit.

Your Highness...

You are my invaluable teacher as well, Councilor Yun.

Would you let me see you putting your pen to important service

of the state for a long, long time?

I don't know how to thank you for your wise decision.

There is someone else you should thank for that.

By the way, Your Highness...

Even if I had taken your Heir Apparent to Ming as a hostage,

I don't believe you would have had to worry about the future of Joseon.

Oh?

You have a competent Prince who can replace the Heir Apparent.

A prince who can replace the Heir Apparent?