Original subtitles

My Queen...

You must send...

Choongnyeong away.

Whether the children want it or not,

bloody fight for succession rights to the throne is inevitable in this situation.

Please don't put me through the torture

of watching my children take their swords to each other.

Your Majesty...

Please help us, Your Highness.

I cannot go to the Officer of Slavery Reparations, Princess.

If Prince Choongnyeong stays at the center of attention alone,

he will become a target again.

If I get involved,

they will accuse us of uniting in opposition against the Crown Prince.

Should we be more afraid of the public sentiment than of false accusations?

I hope I'm not too late.

Your Highness...

Did you call Prince Sungnyeong as well?

Forgive me...

This won't change my mind.

I cannot let you put my younger brother in danger either.

I will go alone if you won't go.

You're not going anywhere but back to your palace!

I may be young, but I do know that it is the precious tax payer's money

that pays for our lavish living.

It's our obligation to pay them back.

I think fighting for their rights is the best way to pay them back.

I didn't know you'd come to help, older brother.

"Older brother"?

You're much too respectful to a son born of a concubine, Your Highness.

How else am I to be to an older brother?

I've always known that you're smart,

but I see now that there is no way I will ever outsmart you.

Aren't you trying to butter me up so you can order me around?

It sounds like you've come prepared to get down and dirty.

I'm afraid you'll get mad at me give you something easy to do.

Let's get inside.

Brother!

If I banish Choongnyeong for getting involved in politics,

I will have to banish the other princes as well.

Will you be all right sending young Sungnyeong away as well?

How can you laugh at a time like this?

Then do you want me to cry instead?

Prime Minister...

From Royal prince to prince born of concubine, everyone is coming

forward on their own to protect Prince Choongnyeong when Choongnyeong

himself is focused on work without any concern for his own safety.

He's a man with innate talent for attracting support...

Albeit an enemy, I want to applaud him.

The whole country singing praises about Prince Choongnyeong.

I know.

Even the scholars and officials are dancing to the tune...

The princes have joined him as well now.

Are you going to admit defeat?

What would you have me do? Aim my sword at my own brother?

It's this kind of weak talk that makes the world turn to Choongnyeong.

Would it make me a kingly material if I killed my brother?

He who believes that only violence can solve his problem is not a kingly material.

You think I am a kingly material?

Is this what you called me here for?

If you were not a kingly material, the King and the Queen would

not need to consider having you banished.

Why are you telling me this?

To protect you, of course.

Are you sure it isn't to protect yourself?

Welfare of an old man approaching seventy is not very important.

Then would you be my sword?

Is it aimed at the Crown Prince?

Isn't that obvious?

You're finally sounding like an earthly human.

But of course. Who doesn't want power and authority?

Then now I guess we're ready to make a deal.

What do I have to give you in return for you giving me the throne?

Your Highness...

Should I squeeze the public to their last drop of blood to give you fortune and glory?

Or...

Should I sweep crimes like this one under the rug for you?

What are you trying to say about this?

You shouldn't take this lightly.

Do you think something as trivial as this should force me to retirement?

Trivial or not, a crime is a crime.

And as the Prime Minister,

you should at least own up to what you've done and show some remorse.

I envy your youthful vigor.

I, too, had days like that once.

I was naive and confident, and distinguished black and white so clearly.

A part of me wants to let you win this once.

Where were you?

Don't just stand there. Come and sit down.

I couldn't fall asleep, so I thought I'd have a drink with you.

But I guess you already had a drink.

Forgive me, Father.

Then how about a game of chess?

Check.

You're still checked, kid.

You can't win because you take pawns lightly...

When pawns are dangerous beings that can destroy a king.

Father...

I wonder if life isn't the same.

He that recognize the value of his pawns

and win their hearts is the true kingly material.

What are you trying to say?

I still firmly believe that the seat of the Heir Apparent

should be reserved for the eldest son.

But...

It could become difficult for me to insist if the public sentiment favors another prince.

You could have been a little kinder to him tonight...

I would have been if I were just a father.

Your Majesty...

But even a tiger needs to feel fear sometimes.

Your Highness, this is utterly inappropriate.

I want to start over.

I want to start by acquiring a good man like you.

Is this to defeat your younger brother?

It's to become a worthy master of this country Joseon.

Your Highness...

Would you show me the way?

A wise leader will observe the reality before discussing policies.

Construction site for the Great Hunting Ceremony

A wise leader will seeks ways to relieve public pain on the

fundamental level instead of sharing their pain immediately.

A recommendation regarding the Great Hunting Ceremony?

We must quickly adjust the event's schedule.

The schedule is tight as it is.

It would be a strain to move it up any further, Your Highness.

I am requesting that we move the schedule back.

The underlying purpose of this event is to suppress foreign invasion.

Therefore, it is the consensus of the court that sooner is better.

We cannot lose are most important weapon to hold back the enemy.

That would defeat the whole purpose.

Our most important weapon?

The spirit of the soldiers.

Majority of the laborers that have been put to work in preparation

for the Great Hunting Ceremony are family members of the soldiers.

What soldier would fight to the death for the King who persecutes his family?

What is your opinion, Prime Minister?

You're going to concede to the Crown Prince on this.

My political career is at stake here.

If the Crown Prince falls, this government is done for.

Oh dear, perhaps I shouldn't have asked.

This is a policy you said you'd risk your life to see through.

There is no chance you'd agree to this.

No, Your Majesty.

I agree with the Crown Prince.

You can't find anything on Prime Minister Ha Ryun?

Nothing on the Min clan and the other merit subjects either?

We've even conducted physical search

of their homes but we could not find one unlawfully obtained slave.

Over 80.000 individuals were seized as slaves.

And more than half of them are still unaccounted for.

It doesn't take a scientist to figure out whose hands they...

Could this be the reason?!

Minister Park...?

The tracks have all been covered, so there is no longer a reason to

so there is no longer a reason to push the Great Hunting Ceremony.

Is that it?

But tracks can never be covered completely.

Thank you for the wise decision, Prime Minister.

Consider it your welcome gift.

I'm sure I will have my chance to return the favor someday.

That day might come sooner than you think, Minister Hwang.

Ha Ryun's bastard son Ha Jang has an adoptive father named Byun Kyeum.

And this man has taken over a dozen former government servant

into his personal servitude.

The adoptive father of a bastard son?

Here's my point.

If he's pulling strings for people as distantly connected as an adoptive

father of a bastard son, exposing his own crime is a matter of interrogation.

Perhaps we should alert the Censor- general and request an impeachment.

That won't be necessary.

Resignation?

I was deeply moved by Prince Choongnyeong's bitter counsel.

He said moral training and home management is

essential fundament of success in all things, and advised that I confess my crime and

seek punishment since a man who can't control

is own family is unfit for the role of the Prime Minister.

Do not reject the Prince's noble intent.

Remove me from service and rectify the court.

Prime Minister turned in his resignation?

Yes.

But why?

You came down on him with irrefutable evidence and he naturally caved in.

This makes it all worth it.

We finally got rid of a corrupted politician with our own hands.

Prime Minister Ha Ryun must remain in office!

He must remain in office!

We implore you not to forsake

the Prime Minister over a trivial matter!

We implore you!

If this justifies grounds for a removal, more than half of the court officials

will have to be removed.

That will paralyze the government.

He must remain in office, Your Majesty!

He must remain in office, Your Majesty!

He's not satisfied with covering up the tracks, so he's going in for the kill?

Minister of Rites Hwang Hee has joined in on the dirty fight...

Doom is just a matter of time for this country...

Reject the resignation.

Your Majesty...

I can't burn the house down to catch a mice.

Prime Minister Ha Ryun...

He is a powerful man...

Did you drink again?

Why would I need to drink when I'm drunk as it is with your sick games?

Why, sir?

Not only did you join hands with those scheming men,

but you got your whole staff helping them as well.

I don't believe in destroying a man as important as a prime minister

over a trivial violation of the law.

You're creating bigger violations by allowing trivial violations to go unpunished.

We have to remove the Prime Minister for this,

we have to remove half of the entire administrative staff!

We can clean house and start over. What are you afraid of?

What about the confusion we will have to deal with in the process?

Minister Hwang!

Can you assume responsibility if some malicious force tries to swallow this

government whole while we're dealing with the confusion?

There is no end in sight!

Are you angry?

Are you sure governing the land is taking care of its people?

It's filthy, disgusting, difficult and confusing.

It's like being trapped in a maze that doesn't have an exit.

Your Highness...

But it's still too soon to despair.

Since you still have strength left in you to take some more beating.

You're calling back the princes from the Office of Slavery Reparations?

Let me take care of that.

How much longer do you intend to be out there at the Office of Slavery Reparations?

Do you want me to stop?

Do you think I want you to stop? Because I'm bothered by your actions?

Your Highness...

The fact is I am bothered.

I don't like all the attention you're

getting and I don't like people calling you kingly material.

That's why I need you to work even harder.

Whether it is the slavery reparations or something else,

do any work you want to do and do it well.

I need to show the world that I am capable of embracing you as well

to earn their trust and recognition as the true kingly material.

It's nice to see you again, Your Grace.

I came by to thank you again for your work.

You've thanked me more than enough, Your Grace.

If you do another important favor for me...

I'll pay you ten times what I paid you.

I need to locate the nursemaid

that disappeared from my house nineteen years ago.

You should give up now.

Could you give up?

I don't care what anyone says.

It's the Queen that tried to kill me and Kyoungnyeong that night.

How could I give up?

Even if we do find the woman, she will not expose the event

that will incriminate her as well.

I will take care of that, so just find her and bring her to me.

I can destroy the Min clan and depose the Queen if I can just expose the truth.

I will never give up.

Not until I am dead and buried.

Office of Endowment

I had no idea the Queen of Joseon had such low standards.

There is more to beauty than outer appearance.

I'm sure the Emperor will appreciate their inner beauty.

There's a limit to how much inner beauty can cover unsightliness.

If angering the Emperor is not your intent,

I suggest you start over.

I ordered you to stay away from here!

Please give me a moment of your time, Your Highness.

Must I call the guards?

I will offer my daughter to the Ming Emperor.

The envoy is furious.

My daughters beauty should be more than enough to quell his anger.

Youngsil's life is in your hands.

Death by flagellation is the punishment

for a servant who violated a high minister's daughter.

They will soon carry out the sentence.

Let's go home.

Did you wish to see me?

I'm sure you can guess as to why I wanted to see you.

Another approach?

I think he is trying to find Chogungjang himself.

Then I guess I have nothing to worry about...

Since you will turn the girl over to me as soon as Park Eun locates her.

Of course.

I've known this all along, but you are a smart man.

I just know how to read the King's heart since I serve him very closely.

Then it won't be long before you know how to read the world.

What I really want to learn is your know-how.

What's your secret that keeps you dodging every political pitfalls with grace?

Perhaps you can share a pointer of two with me.

There is no secret. I just know the blueprint.

The blueprint?

All of the blueprints of Joseon came from me.

You speak in riddles. It's not easy for me to understand.

You wouldn't call it a secret if it were easy now, would you?

A blueprint...

What would be the weakest link in the blueprint of Joseon?

Could that be it?

Go to Ha Ryun's hometown of Goryeong in Gyeongsang Province.

What will happen to Ha Ryun if your hunch is right?

We just have to hope that my hunch is wrong...

Um Jachi was it?

He is Choongnyeong's most faithful servant,

so he has to know Chogungjang's whereabouts.

Talk to him and find out where she is.

It's layered with potent poison, with will be instant

if you aim for the blood vessel.

Must we kill Chogungjang?

Your target is Choongnyeong.

Kill him once you have Chogungjang's location.

Ilji... He can't be...!

You know what?

This is an apology.

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

It' 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.

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

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

What's this for?

Bastard!

I thought you and I were best friends.

How could you deceive me like this?

Jachi...

Take him!

Jachi! Jachi!

Did you bring the criminal?

Yes, Your Highness.

Then I shall interrogate him.

This will be the most memorable birthday since you almost died.

Right?

You should've seen the look on his face.

Hey, when I first saw this, I thought you were hiding a girlfriend from us.

But stay away from those merchants. They're suspicious characters.

Who did you buy that for anyway?

I know you don't have a girlfriend.

Tell us. Who is it for?

Is it for your mother or your sister?

Did you want to buy a nice gift for your mother since today is

the day she gave birth to you?

Tell us about your mother.

Father!

Mother!

I have no memory of her.

I lost both of my parents when I was young.

Oh dear! How?

They were killed by the enemy.

What kind of awful people would commit a murder?

Your parents had to have been good people if they had you.

Right Ogen?

Yes, of course.

If you're going to make him your mentor, perhaps we should find

and punish his parents' killer first, Your Highness.

Mentor?

I heard you speak fluent Chinese. I want you to teach me.

Why do you wish to learn Chinese?

We can't rise above Ming without first knowing Ming.

Why don't we find a way to rise above those who gave you pain first

fore we set out to find the people that harmed your parents?

Learning their language will be the first step in that direction.

I thought you were busy with the slavery reparations policy.

Speaking in foreign language

That means "disrespectful rascal" in Chinese, right?

Don't underestimate our prince, kid.

He can handle three or four things at once no problem.

You're the one that's being disrespectful, Jachi.

Your Highness...

That's no way to talk to my mentor.

Your Highness, this lowly servant doesn't deserve this...

Lowly? You're going to be my teacher.

Your Highness...

Here, please let this humble pupil pour you a drink.

Don't sneak up like that. You scared me half to death.

You scared me more, Granny.

Is there someone in the back room? I think the light is on.

I'm surprised Jachi didn't tell you.

I thought you two were closer than a married couple.

I guess you know now.

Who is that?

It's the former King's concubine Chogungjang, isn't it?

Why is she here?

This is getting too complicated. I had hoped you wouldn't find out...

What are you talking about?

If it gets out that we've been hiding her here, we're dead.

Granny will flat out deny knowing about it, but you're a softy and you'll crack.

Jachi...

If anything happens,

Ogen and I will take the fall alone, so don't get involved for nothing.

And if something really does happen, take care of Prince Choongnyeong for us.

Did you find out where Chogungjang is hiding?

Should I send Hwang Hee a gift?

"Can you protect the King in the making?"

Why are you so startled?

Startled? Who?

What's that in your hand?

It's nothing.

Did you... Before you came to work...

Before I came to work what?

No, never mind.

Announce me.

The Crown Prince is not here, sir.

What do you mean?

He went to see the hunting ceremony site with His Majesty the King.