Original subtitles

Secure the audience hall within one hour and take Yi Bangwon's head!

Stay calm!

We learned that there are secret passages in the palace.

The passage we discovered by studying the construction archives is...

a well that leads to the Eunuch's quarters and the Royal bedchambers.

Search the tunnel for other outlets!

Your Highness, it's the rebels. You must evacuate immediately.

The Queen's hall?

You mean there is another outlet?

When greed for power crushes loyalty...

The door is opened for treason.

Eunuch Gim Sahaeng who built an underground

secret escape route in the palace for

the sole purpose of protecting the King...

First Strife of Princes: A revolt incited by the battle the throne

that resulted in the death of Jengg Dojeon and Crown Prince Bangseok.

If your father Yi Bangwon had not struck down his loyalty, his secret passage would

not be used now as an attack route for the revolutionary army.

You must send someone to the palace.

You must find out if His Majesty is all right.

The battle has begun. Hurry!

Forgive me, Your Majesty.

I must borrow your Royal gown.

The rebels are drawing near. You must save yourself.

Your Majesty...

Keep it up. We're almost there.

Thank goodness you're all right, Your Majesty.

It appears you don't appreciate being a live.

Neither do you.

Do you think you can stop me?

You're unarmed?

You want to die for your father?

Get out of here.

It's the last favor I can do for you.

I'm sorry.

My father will never say those words even at the verge of death...

And yet...

And yet I had to come back because he is my father.

Won't you take me instead?

If there's a crime that you want my father and this country Joseon to pay,

can't I pay instead?

Get out of here I said!

Why are you trying to let the enemy get away alive?

Are you going to let your feelings interfere with your duty?

He is unarmed.

Kill him!

Ilji!

Leave them to me and get back to the master.

Didn't you hear me?

Get out of here. Now!

Take him to safety...

Ilji, Ilji!

Ilji...

Ilji, open your eyes!

Would you... get me up?

Darn it... I still have so much to teach you about the Chinese language...

It's not arrogance. It's foolishness.

A fool that considered me as your teacher? No, a friend?

Even though you knew I was your enemy...

It wouldn't be a bad idea to leave a fool like you behind in this world...

No, don't wake him up.

A friend is sleeping.

The light in the audience hall is still lit up.

I guess it's time to end the fight.

Relay my message to Yi Bangwon.

The rebel leader requests a meeting.

I've come to die.

Would you allow me to take my own life among my friends?

No, Your Majesty.

You must rip him from limb to limb, and hang his...

Your Majesty...

At least you know how to be a graceful winner.

You!

I admit defeat.

You are the winner.

But you are not a King yet.

How dare you!

Dynastic revolution...

Changing the surname of the King from Wang to Yi...

That is all that your sword can do.

Remember.

Goryeo fell twenty years ago not because you were strong but

because we were weak and corrupted.

But if you replace that corruption and weakness with tyranny and oppression,

not only will you never be a true king,

but that tyranny and oppression will be the cause of your demise.

I ask you for the people of Joseon who were once children of Goryeo.

Let me be your last enemy.

Would you remember us?

Remember me and my comrades not as merciless killers with seething rage

for the government, but as revolutionaries who died fighting for a better world.

Did you come back to save the King and protect the regime?

If so...

No.

I came back because I couldn't let my father die.

My mind has not changed.

Do you still think you're right?

I wish to abdicate the throne.

Why are you silent?

Do as you desire.

Abdicate the throne.

No, Your Majesty!

Oh dear...

Perhaps abdication is not an option since the Royal Attendant is so dead set against it.

Are you mocking the King?

I was just going along with Your Majesty's humor.

Have I overstepped my bounds?

Naughty old man...

Prolonged physical weakness has made you weak emotionally as well.

I will go personally to the Palace Dispensary

and order medicinal potion...

I am serious about the abdication.

Your Majesty...

Would you be the Prime Minister?

Take the Royal court so the Crown Prince can take over the throne smoothly.

I want to make sure while I am alive that this county Joseon is

strong enough to last a thousand years.

I will never rest in peace otherwise.

An important announcement.

I wonder what it could be.

We'll find out soon enough.

Where is Counselor Yun anyway?

I hope he's not drinking again.

Your body can't take this drinking every day.

Who cares what happens to my body when my heart is gone?

Counselor Yun...

You're really something. I just can't figure you out.

How could you think to enter this filthy political arena after sending

Prince Choongnyeong off the way we did?

Everybody has their own way of punishing themselves.

I am deeply troubled by my inability to administer state affairs effectively

due to my poor physical condition.

For this reason,

I am placing newly appointed Yu Jeonghyun in charge of

personnel affairs of six ministries and other important posts,

and the Crown Prince will attend to all other state affairs with exception

to military and foreign relations.

Let there be no objections.

Administer state affairs excluding personnel and military affairs?

An acting king!

The world belongs to the Crown Prince now!

And it belongs to you, sirs, as well.

The rumor has it

this is a preface to abdication.

Then we should be contrite before the King.

It is gravely disloyal to take delight in the King's abdication.

We're making small talk about a rumor.

I think you're overreacting.

Are you the one that recommended me for the Prime Minister position?

His Majesty made the decision.

Do you think it was wise?

I'm used to working in the regional government.

I can't get used to the colorful central politics.

Like the political mud wrestling, for example?

If you were used to dirty political mud wresting,

His Majesty would not have chosen you.

By the way, what's to happen to the court now that His Majesty is handing

over the right to implement personnel management over to Prime Minister Yu?

What is to happen?

Power is shifting over from

the head of the six ministries to the head of the Supreme Council.

Right, Minister Shim?

Why, I wonder.

How did Minister of Personnel lose His Majesty's trust overnight?

I doubt you were slacking on your job...

Have you been preoccupied with something else?

Where are you getting at?

For example, plot your banished son-in-law's glorious return, or...

That's absolutely ridiculous!

Be careful, Minister Shim.

Strong denial can be misread as admission in this situation.

What are you doing in the capital city when you should be in Gyeongsung?

I returned for my mother's 70th birthday.

You're going through much trouble for my son...

No, Your Highness.

Choongnyeong...

Is Choongnyeong all right?

He suffered a cold over the winter, but otherwise he is well.

Such pitiable fellow...

He is a young man.

He should be unfazed by the winter cold.

Perhaps the Royal Physician can concoct some herbal potion.

He will send it back.

He didn't even accept the cotton quilt.

Then I will instruct the Royal Kitchen to see what we can send instead of herbal potion.

Prince will not refuse if it is a simple item that Chief Gang can take.

What is this unseemly behavior?

Look at your sloppy attire.

Which section do you serve?

The Royal Kitchen...

Answer her properly!

How dare you give the queen a one word answer!

That's no way to discipline a child who makes a playground out of the palace.

Get my palanquin ready. I'm going to the Royal Kitchen.

I will take care of it, Your Highness.

It is for my son.

If I can't send fruit I have grown myself, at least I can add my love by packing them.

You're...

You must need more whipping. What are you doing here?

I... I heard this is going to Prince Choongnyeong...

And I thought they would rot on the way if they weren't packed right, so...

There you go again cutting off your sentence.

Leave us at once!

No.

Your Highness...

Is that why you needed pine needles this afternoon?

I'm asking you if you were collecting pine needles to use as preservative.

I heard pine needles keep fruit from turning bad, so...

Very well.

I will take care of this, so you may go.

Are you upset?

Sure.

You were misunderstood and whipped, so upset you must be.

No, it's not that. I miss him.

I wish I could see him if only just once.

Goodness!

You speak of longing for the Prince before the Queen?

Even the Queen, the most feared person in the palace, misses her son...

And when I think of how I wasn't there for my poor, ailing mother

and how she must've wanted so much to see me before she passed...

Did you lose your mother?

In spite of all Prince Choongnyeong did to help...

But I'm sure she went in peace.

I'm sure she went in peace believing you will do well no matter where you

are because she raised you to be kind and smart.

Your Highness...

We mothers, we worry, but we want to believe everything will be all right.

Because if we don't, it feels like our whole world is crumbling down on us...

The right to implement personnel management?

I need a few loyal men to serve me closely to manage state affairs smoothly.

Leave personnel affairs alone.

The Prime Minister and I will do the appointing and removing.

And don't forget to be humble to those who assist you.

They are your teachers in the world of politics more than

they are your servants for now.

Then do they keep a scorecard of my performance as well?

What happens to me if I get bad scores?

That will not happen if you respectfully adhere to their teachings.

That is not what I saw growing up, but I will try my best.

What is this?

I jotted down some ideas for the personnel reshuffling.

Does it reflect His Majesty's desire? Or is it...

It will help you either way.

What is the purpose with such drastic measures?

You're an interesting fellow.

Where are you going?

Can't you tell?

If you're going to the palace, you should leave that flute behind.

Then this guy here will be bored to death.

He has a long way to walk.

The least I can do is to give him some music.

He's like a son to me. Take good care of him.

You're still an eccentric soul.

I know you've been away from the city for many years, but you should know

that animals belong in the barn.

You should thank me for not taking him into the conference hall.

Sir.

What's the difference between this place and an animal pen?

It's loud, it's filthy...

I do not like these derogatory remarks about the court!

Then you can start changing that by lowering your voice.

I may not be much, but I don t like having disrespectful subordinates.

Subordinates?

Then are you the newly...

I did hesitate a little when I heard you were appointed as the vice-minister.

Meng Sasung as Minister of Rites?

That's not all.

Shim On is remaining in office as Minister of Personnel,

and Hwang Hee got pushed out to Ministry of Public Works.

What?

Hwang Hee as Minister of Public Works?

That's ridiculous!

How can you work at a time like this?

I can't believe you're being cut down from Minister of Rites,

the most important position in the court, to Minister of Public Works.

You should watch your words around junior officials.

The six ministries are divided by the work we do.

There is no pecking order.

Don't be naive.

You denying that pecking order does not exist will not make

the pecking order disappear.

What is His Majesty's intent?

If it weren't for you, His Majesty wouldn't be here today.

And we, too, have done everything for him.

How could he treat his most loyal subjects this way?

Let us be patient.

I'm sure His Majesty and the Prime Minister has good reasons.

Good reasons? What good reasons?

He's conspiring to clean up the court of the merit subjects

and in-laws so he can call all the shots.

That tyranny...

I can stop that.

Didn't you say you had one other man to recommend?

I am Yi Chun of the Bureau of Weaponry.

Why did you draw this map?

Conquest of Liaodong and recapture of old territory is not your dream alone.

I'd like to share that dream with you.

Leave us.

But Your Highness, you expressed interest in meeting him.

This good man came forward to serve you.

This is your last chance to back out.

I will drive you to the edge to use you as an advance guard

in the conquest of Liaodong.

You cannot back out once you're in.

I see I frightened you already.

A warrior does not fight his enemy with his tongue, Your Highness.

I like you.

You won't be disappointed.

Then I guess all we have left to do now is to take an oath.

Blood oath of alliance!

With this blood,

we vow to serve you to the end.

Enemy that threatens you will be our enemy,

and we will offer our blood at the altar of sacrifice for your peaceful reign.

Offer your blood?

I do not want anyone to shed blood for me.

But if you wish to give your life for Joseon,

I will accept your loyalty with gratitude.

And now my life is yours and we are one, we will protect each other with our lives.

Gyeongsung, Hamgil Province

Is anyone in?

May I help you?

I am Yi Chun of the Bureau of Weaponry.

Where is Prince Choongnyeong?

Which one of those men is Prince Choongnyeong?

There he is. Right over there.