Original subtitles

The world says you are the wise one.

If I depose the eldest and bring the

wise one forward as the future King...

Would you accept it?

Would you accept it?

Choose the wise one?

You ditch me, flock to the King and conspire

to put Choongnyeong on this chair?

I hope you succeed, Prime Minister.

Because you won't live if you fail.

What do you think Prince Choongnyeong will do?

You said you wanted to help, so just do the work.

I know that you're even more anxious than I am.

What if I am?

You should send me to the conference hall.

My man!

I'm not anxious at all.

I'm going because of you.

What happened?

We don't know yet.

Sire, is there any word from the audience hall?

Straighten up your headdress!

It's a shame I don't have a mirror.

What could be happening in there?

What is everyone doing here instead of their offices?

Minister Hwang!

The flood victims are crying for relief outside the four gates,

Ming is demanding an answer about Gyeongsung,

Japanese pirates are rampant in the southern provinces...

You don't think we know all that?

If you do, you can't do this.

His Highness is waiting. Let us go to the conference hall and...

What if we refuse?

Do you want to shut this government down? We have a country to run!

I think what they mean is that

they don't want to run this country with the Crown Prince.

It's not that simple.

Do you really believe the King would abandon

he concept of primogeniture and choose the wise one?

Two hours.

That's all, Minister Hwang.

Please be patient for two hours at the most.

In that time, the world may change.

What will happen if Prince Choongnyeong accepts?

Then he will make an enemy of his own mother.

Father, I am not the wise one.

Is that a refusal?

But if you give me a chance,

I am prepared to give my best effort to become the wise one.

Don't give your effort!

Do not do anything.

My Queen.

Yes, this will be a lot quicker if you called this off.

Which of the ministers told you to choose the wise one?

Punish them.

Kill them all and stop them from talking about deposing the eldest heir.

Leave us.

Are you going to give him a chance?

Don't you know what kind of chance this child is talking about?

You're asking the King for a chance to make an enemy of your own brother.

Do you realize that?

If you start this fight for the throne, it won't end until one of you is dead.

Do you know that?

Are you prepared?

Are you prepared to fight your own brother for the throne?

Say no.

You must say no.

I am asking Choongnyeong.

I am prepared.

I am prepared to become the Crown Prince's political enemy as well.

Prince Choongnyeong is more decisive than I thought.

Now we shall see if the world really changes.

Prince Choongnyeong is more decisive than he appears,

and you are formidable than you appear.

You did not want to make him a rebel but you did want to make him a king?

Since when did you start molding him for the throne?

This humble man has not done much.

But your support will give him great strength.

Let us give it a try.

Prince Choongnyeong will be very pleased.

How could you?

I begged you.

Mother...

Don't call me Mother.

You lost your mother today.

You will not be my son unless you renounce your ambition for power!

Father-in-law.

You've been through so much...

The road is rougher ahead.

But we won't let anything happen to you.

We've been waiting for you, Your Highness.

You have us behind you. Don't ever be discouraged, Your Highness.

You have us, Your Highness! Keep your spirit high!

- We've all been waiting for you! - We're behind you all the way!

Would you like to review the public works first or

shall we take a look at he royal decrees that have been issued?

I'm back, Master.

Why did you come back to this treacherous place?

Did the selfish and unashamed public push you back here again?

They said not to fear since my unfailing mentor is in the royal court to guide me.

I want you to silence this debate about choosing the wise one.

I don't think so.

Don't press the King.

You're going too far taking this to Crown Prince's deposal.

His Majesty chose you as Prime Minister in preparation of abdication.

You mean you chose me in preparation of his abdication.

Did I look that naive to you?

What made you think I would protect a man that doesn't have what it takes?

Prime Minister.

Go to the Royal Inspector's Office.

The Royal Inspector's Office?

What? You don't know where it is?

Come out.

Your Highness!

It's an order.

You mustn't do this, Your Highness. You'll make your problem worse.

Failing to protect my men is the worst problem I can have.

Your Highness...

You can either release them or put me in there as well.

He can't do either of those things.

The royal order is for you to execute them personally.

The Crown Prince will not obey that order.

Then he will lose his crown.

Their only crime is obeying my order.

Yes, I know.

Then how could he tell me to punish them?

His Majesty is not trying to punish them. He is trying to punish you.

Tell him to endure the pain of cutting out his own flesh by killing his own men,

and forgiveness of the Royal court.

He must humbly reflect and admit his errors and vow never to repeat them.

He will surely refuse.

Then he will leave me no choice but to depose him.

I will see the King.

You'll be putting yourself in worse situation.

Yes, I know.

Then why?

That's the difference between me and the King.

I do not kill my own to protect my crown.

If the Crown Prince loses his crown,

will this country belong to Prince Choongnyeong?

If that is the will of Heaven...

Then you must kill the Crown Prince with your own hands.

Minister Hwang.

If the Crown Prince loses his crown, he will know exactly what he has to

do to get it back because he learned by watching you.

Stop!

If the tragedy that occurred in your generation is repeated,

this country is over.

Public will not tolerate a Royal house that turns into

a slaughter house every time there is a new King.

Stop, or I might kill you first.

Please do.

Kill me with Your Majesty's sword.

And give mercy to the Crown Prince.

Look upon him kindly for his care and loyalty to his men,

and tell him to start over.

Do not defend a boy who can t even distinguish between flattery and loyalty.

That, too, is my fault.

I taught him to be wary of his subjects,

but I failed to teach him how to choose them.

I am the cause of his errors, so punish me and give the Crown Prince another chance.

Death is what you wish?

You must not give up on the Crown Prince no matter what.

Royal attendant! Enter, Royal attendant!

Remove Minister Hwang Hee from his post and banish him out of the city!

Your Majesty...!

Now!

You're... wrong about everything.

Please be well, Your Highness.

Prince Choongnyeong is diligently preparing himself for the throne...

And the Crown Prince is...

The Crown Prince is no longer a royal proxy...

Gu Jongsu and his brother have been execute...

What are you doing here?

He doesn't even have...

the decency to see you off after all you've done for him...

Do I have to lecture you about your wifely duties?

Father...

You are all he's got right now.

You must protect him with all your strength.

And his father-in-law Gim Hanlo has been sentenced to exile.

But His Majesty is yet to go forward with this.

He has to depose the Crown Prince so the wise one can take his place.

The censorate officials are continuing to submit their appeals.

Censorate officials aren't the only ones.

Your Majesty, you must renounce the eldest heir and choose the wise one!

Choose the wise one!

Protect this country and its government!

Protect this country!

Your Majesty, you must renounce the eldest heir and choose the wise one!

The King can't make up his mind?

What could be the problem?

You should know that better than I do.

You are his shadow, not me.

My duty is to assist him, not to guess his thoughts.

Sounds like you're asking me to find out what's on his mind.

I am saying Prince Choongnyeong needs to be re-evaluated.

An evaluation...

I will not be a Royal Prince.

If we can't reflect on our past mistakes and continue to rule with violence,

if that is the very fabric of Joseon that will not change,

I refuse to continue living as its Royal prince.

Prince Choongnyeong once denied legitimacy of this regime.

And if he still feels that way, he cannot be our wise one.

And your guess is that is the cause of King's hesitation?

I do not guess, Your Eminence.

I just want to help the King see clearly who the wise one is.

I suppose legitimacy of the regime is an uncomfortable subject for him to bring up.

It would look best brought up by the Council of the Royal House.

Why are you coming to me with this?

Is this you way of saying you want to help Prince Hyoryeong?

If he is a benevolent prince who hasn't defied the King or denied the legitimacy

of the regime, the world will see him as the wise one without my having to help.

What do you think?

Do you think your younger brother needs to be evaluated?

The longer we wait, more people will begin to doubt the prince.

We must expedite the decision!

The quickest way to expedite the decision is

for Prince Choongnyeong to prove that he is the wise one.

But he has been buried in books since his return...

We must provide him with knowledge and information about actual state affairs.

There are plenty of mentors who

can help him with law, economics and foreign relations...

But not with military affairs.

The Prince needs mentors who will share their knowledge about military affairs.

We must find a way to bring Choi Yundeok and Yi Chun back to the capital.

But what we need right now is a cause.

Something to push the King to make up his mind once and for all.

There is a perfect cause for that.

To Lady Auri's again?

You must practice restraint, Your Highness.

I just can't get naggers out of my life.

Your Highness...

Leaving the palace in plain clothes at this late hour?

When will you stop behaving like this?

Won't you retrain yourself for me?

The world is urging me to renounce you and choose the wise one.

My retainers and even trifling scholars are on my back pressuring me.

Won't you consider my position for one moment?

This would all be over if you just go ahead and choose the wise one.

I am hoping you would be that wise one.

Prove to the world for me that you are both the eldest and the wisest.

I... I've tried very hard,

but I can't give you up no matter what anyone says.

It's too hard to give you up.

I can't start over, can I?

It's too late for that.

The whole world knows that,

but the King...

that stubborn old fool...

is still refusing to see it.

It's never too late, Your Highness.

Does that mean you still believe in me?

The King still believes in you.

It's not too late to start over, Your Highness.

Your Highness! My Queen!

Your Highness! Your Highness!

- Your Highness. - What is it?

It's Prince Sungnyeong.

Get the Crown Prince.

He is finally getting some sleep...

You think I came here not knowing it's time for slumber?

How dare you try to lecture me!

Sungnyeong... Sweetie, it's me.

Mother is here.

What is wrong with him?

Why is he delirious all of a sudden?

I'm afraid it is smallpox.

Smallpox?

If this is smallpox... If he's infected with smallpox...

Will he recover?

I'm afraid it is a disease that we do not have a cure for.

What are you saying? What will happen to my child?

Give me death, Your Highness...

Sungnyeong, open your eyes.

Mother is here!

Tell them to cure him.

No, you cure him yourself!

You're the one who did this to him, so restore him to health right now!

This is our fault, yours and mine.

You put too much blood on your hands to get that miserable throne

and this worthless country, and now the Heaven is punishing us!

Heaven has struck this poor child in rage to punish us!

Your Highness...

Your Highness, the Royal Princes have arrived.

Tell them to leave.

They don't deserve to see him!

They're at each other's throats fighting for the throne, and they

think they can come in here?

Tell them to leave at once!

I wouldn't have to put up with this if you had a firm hold on the crown.

Pretending to be the mother of the country already?

Never miss an opportunity to score points with the King and Queen. Is that it?

No.

I know you are angry.

I did not have a chance to visit knowing

what difficult time Lord Gim was going through.

Did I ask for your pity?

Your Highness...

Don't even dream about making Prince Choongnyeong a Crown Prince.

The eldest son inherits the throne.

Even if the Crown Prince loses his position, my eldest son will take his place,

not your husband.

Remember that.

Jong.

Can you hear me?

I'm sorry, Mother.

You're a bad son...

I'd like to see the brothers.

Why those horrible characters?

I must say goodbye...

Jong...

I heard what the physician said.

No, he's wrong.

You're going to be just fine. I won't let anything happen to you.

I want to say goodbye, Mother.

The Crown Prince?

He stepped away for a moment...

Go on in.

My wish is that you would get along.

Brother Jae and all of you...

I wish you'd all get along so that Mother won't be so sad...

Take care of her.

Sungnyeong...

Wake up.

Jong?

My baby...

My poor child...

My poor baby...

My poor baby...

I beg your pardon?

I am asking you not to reveal the Crown Prince's relationship with me.

You are the one that came to me and told me to expose it.

I will give you my life.

So please...

Please don't let anything happen to the Crown Prince on account of me.

I am begging you.

Leave.

- My lord... - You chose the wrong man.

I'm not the kind of man that changes his actions

based on one woman's frivolous words.

Your Highness...

Let me just hold you for a moment...

I am the one who did this to you...

Would you wait for me?

Would you be the home that I can always come back to?

The Crown Prince has committed adultery again?

Auri! Auri!

Auri!

Your Highness, you mustn't! Your Highness!

What is the meaning of this?

My woman is ill, Father.