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(This drama is based on historical events,)

(but some details may be different from historical facts.)

(Production guidelines were strictly followed when filming with animals.)

(Episode 17)

How has your stay at Suchanggung been so far?

Is the palace not too small for you?

No, not at all.

It is better to live among the hustle and bustle...

than to live in a large, quiet palace, feeling forlorn.

I am sorry.

You came here for me, but I know how difficult this is for you.

You said you were afraid to stand...

before the resentful gazes of the people.

I should face them even if I am afraid.

I should face them like this...

and engrave these thoughts in my heart.

"What can I do to wash away my sins?"

"What should I do..."

"to repay them?"

- Stop. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Welcome. Have you just arrived?

Yes. We rushed here as per His Majesty's order.

This man will be appointed as Deputy Minister of Punishments.

He was the very governor who welcomed me warmheartedly in Gongju.

I see.

Thank you for taking great care of His Majesty.

I am much obliged, Your Highness.

Who is the lady beside you?

She is my daughter.

Why did you come alone? What about the rest of the family?

My mother and sisters are packing the remaining belongings in Gongju.

I came with my father first.

Is that so?

You must have wanted to come to Gaegyeong as soon as possible.

Let us go.

Yes, Empress.

Then I shall see you at the court.

We have a lot to take care of together.

Understood, Your Majesty. I will be there.

Let us go, General.

Yes, Your Majesty.

It is a relief that you have met His Majesty again.

You must attract his attention...

so as not to be forgotten.

Do not get your hopes up.

My ties with His Majesty ended back then.

My dear.

I am happy that...

you have gained this opportunity.

(Hwapyeongjeon)

What has brought you outside?

I simply needed some fresh air.

By the way, where is General Ji?

He left for a bit just a while ago.

Where did he go?

I do not know.

General...

General Ji.

General Ji!

(Tak Sa Jung, Right Secretariat-Chancellery)

I thought my life was as good as dead.

But rather, I got a promotion.

General Ji?

What do you think you are doing?

His Majesty may have forgiven you.

But I can never forgive you.

Goodbye.

Stop!

What is going on?

This does not concern you.

Do not do it!

This, too, is treason.

Put down that sword at once.

A Fourth Rank General must protect His Majesty.

He is to protect him...

and his wishes.

Why did you do it?

Your Majesty.

Kill me.

I asked why you did it!

I could not bear it.

That man did more than just abandon the fortress and run away.

To make a path for him to flee,

he drove General Dae Do Soo into danger.

Kill me, Your Majesty.

In return, please kill Tak Sa Jung as well.

Your Majesty. Please take back your order.

Your Majesty.

Forgiving those who ran away...

is insulting those who fought courageously.

Before it is too late,

punish the generals who have committed treason against Goryeo.

Only then...

will you be able to prevent the Goryeo soldiers...

from falling apart.

Academician Kang.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Like you once said,

this war was horrible.

And we were all...

carried along by that war and struggled to survive.

But must I kill another again for not overcoming it properly...

after so long?

What can I undo by doing so?

I will...

forgive them and give them another chance.

With that,

I will have them...

clear their sins themselves.

That is what true punishment is.

Your Majesty. That is an empty ideal.

It is nothing but an illusion your guilt has created.

No.

It is a reality that can easily come true.

- Your Majesty. - I, too,

long for such forgiveness.

I want to receive such forgiveness from my people.

I want them...

to give me another chance.

With that chance, I will make it work at any cost.

I will atone for the sins I cannot even with death...

as a living man without fail.

Please...

help me.

Help me so I can move forward.

Your Majesty.

I will change this very Goryeo.

Change it so that no countries...

can invade us ever again.

What...

do you mean by that?

I will subdue every single...

regional lord on Goryeo's soil.

I will make all those oppressing my people below them...

and disobeying me, the emperor,

surrender.

I will take away their power...

and reclaim the land they are ruling.

By doing so,

I will clear up the sins I have committed against my people.

Your Majesty.

What you must do is...

Follow my wishes.

- Your Majesty. - Like I have followed your wishes,

I ask you...

to follow mine now.

I...

need you.

Please.

I learned a grave lesson during the last war.

And it is that...

Goryeo has to become powerful quickly.

Not only must we be able to repel...

the foreign enemy crossing the border right away,

but we must also become...

powerful enough so other countries cannot desire our country.

To do so,

Goryeo's power must be united first.

The emperor and the people must become one.

Gaegyeong's court and the counties in the provinces...

must become likeminded.

A system is needed in which everything from Heunghwajin in the north...

to the county in the far south can move in perfect order.

To build that system,

I will dispatch...

a government official to every county in Goryeo from now on.

Those officials are to collect taxes...

and draft soldiers themselves.

Also, I will look after the people myself.

From now on, even regional lords...

will not be able to meddle in that matter.

From now on, all of the regional lords...

will have to let go...

of all the authority they hold in their hands.

The vassals in this court...

are all members of small and large regional lords' families.

You should also...

be prepared to let go of everything now.

Your Majesty.

This is a matter of great consequence...

that will change the foundation of the nation.

Such a serious matter...

cannot be decided at once like this.

You ought to...

discuss it with your vassals over the course of time.

That is right.

Breaking an old framework so suddenly...

will undoubtedly bring about confusion.

Now is the time to bring stability to the nation more than anything.

Your Majesty.

You ought to bring order to the military first.

That is the urgent matter at hand.

Deputy Minister of Punishments.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You should draft up a plan to see this matter through.

Your Majesty!

I do not need the permission of the Minister of Punishments.

I do not need to go through the Internal State Chancellery.

Draft up the plans and bring them to me yourself.

Yes, Your Majesty.

(Choi Gu, Director of Defense)

Third Rank Hallim Academician.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Take charge of the state exam and administer the test.

Make haste and hire new officials to send to the regional offices.

(Kang Min Cheom, Officer of Rites)

Third Rank Academician.

Your Majesty.

That is not possible.

Third Rank Academician.

I apologize.

But I can never follow your command.

Third Rank Academician!

This is an imperial command.

Do as I say.

Go on.

Third Rank Academician!

Your Majesty.

Let us stop here for today.

You have made your opinion known for the first time today.

Your vassals must need time to think as well.

Your Majesty.

Third Rank Hallim Academician, stay behind.

Everyone else, get out.

- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

What on earth is this sudden chaos?

I know.

We were here to keep the court safe during the war...

and stayed until the war ended.

He ought to be rewarding us,

but instead, he's giving us a warning.

- My thoughts exactly. - My goodness.

Tell me.

Why do you say you cannot follow my command?

This is to make Goryeo stronger.

It is to make this nation one that nobody can dare attack again.

So,

why is it that you of all people cannot follow my command?

I agree with your intention, Your Majesty.

I also agree with you that we must make Goryeo a strong nation...

as soon as possible.

And I agree with your method...

of repealing the regional lords' authority in order to do so.

However, now is not the time.

All reformations are followed by resistance.

Overcoming that division and confusion...

requires lots of time.

Do not forget that.

Your Majesty.

Goryeo is still at war.

Before long,

Khitan will attack Goryeo once again.

Forcing the nation into a state of confusion in these times...

is beneficial to the enemy.

Please focus on preparing...

for the Khitan army's reinvasion for now.

How long will we only defend ourselves?

- Your Majesty. - Khitan has...

close to 200,000 elite soldiers.

However, we barely have 50,000.

If we do not make up for the fundamental difference in strength...

and only defend ourselves in a hurry with spears and swords,

what would be any different?

Once again, more than half of the nation would get trampled upon...

and countless people would get killed...

before we could barely fight them off.

And yet, you still suggest we fight this way?

Please, we must break free from this tragic cycle!

Your Majesty.

When there is a flood, you must first plug up the water.

The river is overflowing, threatening to swallow up the village.

You cannot look ahead 100 years...

and repair the waterways.

That kind of work...

must begin after the rain stops.

Then, this war will never end.

We can never win just by defending ourselves.

That is not true.

Just as much as we defended ourselves against them,

Khitan's national power has been used up as well.

If we fight back against them with all our might,

there will come a day when Khitan will grow weak too.

That is the time...

when you should reform the nation and build the nation's power.

Please put this matter on hold until then.

Then, I will stand before everyone else...

and follow Your Majesty's command.

Then what will you do about the people who will have to die before that day?

I cannot delay this matter by a single day.

If, as you say, the enemy strikes again,

we must see this through even while fighting against them.

Then, Goryeo will lose.

I will push forward even if I must take the risk.

I cannot give up on the nation's future by only thinking of today's crisis!

If today does not exist, neither does tomorrow.

What is the reason His Majesty is suddenly acting this way?

You were in His Majesty's attendance the whole time,

so you must know why.

I heard that the regional lords acted disrespectfully toward His Majesty.

Is that why?

They did not just act disrespectfully.

They tried to harm His Majesty.

- What? - What?

There was a man who wore a mask and attacked out of nowhere,

and there were those who riled up the people...

and tried to hand His Majesty over to the Khitan army as well.

They even ridiculed...

and laughed at His Majesty right before his face.

Goodness. Which regional lords...

acted in such an atrocious way?

Then, those men must be punished first.

Yes, that is exactly what I want to say.

We must arrest those men immediately and flog them.

But he said he would disregard that.

And now, he is suddenly saying he will punish...

the regional lords as a whole.

Goodness. I have no idea what is going on.

It is not just their problem.

He must have thought that was the basis for all regional lords.

And that is why he is trying to put things right.

Look here, Lord Chae. What do you mean by "the basis?"

I am really not like that. Okay?

And the same goes for my family.

Lord Jang is right.

We are also members of small and large regional lords' families,

but we have all pledged our allegiance to His Majesty,

and we are holding Goryeo up.

But if he lumps all of us together and makes us out to be the enemy,

what are we to do?

The regional lords who committed an atrocious act...

and those who are loyal to the court...

are all the same.

- What? - Goryeo is a nation of regional lords.

From the prominent regional lords who have settled in Gaegyeong...

to the small lords in the south, they are all one.

They are all connected through various marriages,

and they are all connected through various rights and interests.

His Majesty knows that well now too.

Lord Chae.

I am sorry I cannot be on your side.

However, in the eyes of someone like me, whose family has come from the Song,

it seems that way.

So, I am telling you in plain words.

I see. In your opinion, Lord Chae,

how much further do you think...

His Majesty will push this matter?

I am not sure.

I am sure he will not give up easily.

He has come to a painful realization.

So, is that why he has appointed the Deputy Minister of Punishments?

Yes.

When His Majesty was staying in Gongju,

the Deputy Minister of Punishments sent him a letter.

I believe that letter contained...

the answer that His Majesty wanted.

There is no need to be dejected.

You already expected...

the vassals to resist this.

Yes, I was prepared for this too.

However, I did not expect that the Third Rank Hallim Academician...

would be against it as well.

I will meet with him.

It will not be easy to persuade him.

Once he makes up his mind,

no one can dissuade him from moving forward with his decision.

If you fail to persuade him,

you will have to oust him.

He explicitly disobeyed Your Majesty in front of all the ministers.

You must punish him to set a deterrent,

or you will not be able to quell the ministers' resistance.

I cannot punish him.

He cares for Goryeo more than anybody else does.

That may have been the case so far,

but not anymore.

What do you mean?

I regret to inform you...

that Academician Kang is one of the regional lords.

One of the ten most powerful regional lords...

at that.

Please never forget that.

No.

He is not the type to be against it for such a reason.

Your Majesty, the hardest thing for anyone to do in life...

is to give up what they have.

That is enough.

I assure you that he would never do such a thing.

Let us discuss how we should move forward.

What should we do?

I suggest you meet with the vassals who would follow you...

and persuade them one by one.

Gain more allies...

and dominate the court.

It is an urgent message.

- It must be delivered promptly. - Yes, sir.

(Park Jin's residence in Chungju)

When your cousins were leaving for the battlefield,

I tied these talismans around their ankles.

Uncle.

These failed to protect them, which breaks my heart.

My elder son...

returned with an arrow in his eye,

and the younger one...

came home headless.

Even so, I did not throw these out.

I have kept these to remember my sons...

and to remind myself of this deep resentment.

There will come a day when I can...

shove these in the Emperor's mouth.

Uncle.

From now on,

do not call me your uncle.

Pardon me?

From this moment, you are to call me your father.

I wish to adopt you as my son.

Would you let me?

Yes, Uncle.

No. Father.

Very well.

Thank you.

Young Master.

What is it?

A letter has arrived from Gaegyeong.

Is it from the man you told me about?

Yes, it is.

Go ahead and read it now.

What did he write?

The Emperor has declared war...

on all the regional lords in the country.

I am truly glad that you have managed to pull yourself together.

It is all thanks to His Majesty.

From the way he was looking at me, I could tell he did not resent me at all,

which gave me the courage to pull myself together.

He is such a wonderful man,

with a benevolent heart.

It is getting late.

You should return to your chambers and go to bed.

Yes, however...

Never mind. Good night, sister.

Why hold your tongue?

Say it.

- No. - Sister.

The truth is, there is a rumor going around, and it concerns me.

- A rumor? - Yes.

They say a woman His Majesty embraced during his escape...

is now in Gaegyeong.

"A woman His Majesty embraced?"

That is right.

I heard the governor of Gongju sent his daughter...

to His Majesty's bedchamber when His Majesty was staying there.

Why would that concern you?

His Majesty went to Gongju alone, without his empress.

Of course, the governor of Gongju had to do so to serve His Majesty.

It is to be expected when His Majesty is visiting...

provinces and towns outside Gaegyeong.

I am aware of that.

However,

you lost your child around the same time.

If that woman happens to conceive His Majesty's child,

she might capture His Majesty's attention.

I am bringing this to your attention out of concern.

You need not concern yourself with it.

Even if she conceives his child,

it will be an illegitimate child born out of wedlock.

The child will never be considered an heir to the throne,

so there is no reason for us to take any precautions.

That may not be the case anymore.

What?

As the elders in the Imperial Family have always said,

there are hardly any rightful descendants left.

They said an illegitimate child...

might ascend the throne at this rate.

But you have lost your child,

and I have yet to conceive His Majesty's child.

So? What is your point?

Before the governor's daughter wins His Majesty's heart,

we must make her leave Gaegyeong.

Even if we have to turn her into a Buddhist nun,

we must kick her out.

- Listen, sister. - Yes, sister.

Never lose your dignity.

We are members of the Imperial Family.

We are different from the lowborn women who live outside the palace walls.

You cannot think like that.

His Majesty has already developed feelings for the governor's daughter.

Otherwise, why do you think His Majesty...

suddenly called the governor to Gaegyeong?

His Majesty is naive.

Since ascending the throne,

His Majesty has not lain with a single court maid.

That is why this truly concerns me.

So, how did it go?

It caused quite a stir, as we had expected.

In any case, the first step has been taken.

Yes, taking the first step is half the journey.

Now, all you have to do is keep marching forward.

Yes, I shall keep marching on.

I will go to Gongju tomorrow.

Gongju? Why?

I will come back with Mother.

You need not go all the way there.

She will get here safely on her own.

Please allow me to go.

Are you having a hard time in Gaegyeong?

Is it hard for you,

knowing that His Majesty is close by?

No, it is not that.

I simply wish to visit Gongju.

All right, then. You may go.

(Tongdeokmun)

Darn it.

- Scouts? - Yes.

We spotted Khitan's scouts and chased them,

but we unfortunately lost them.

Does that mean...

they are sending scouts already?

Yes.

I believe...

they left some scouts behind when they were retreating their soldiers.

I will inform the Ministry of Defense.

Tighten security around the Yalu River.

Yes, understood.

(Khitan's Imperial Palace in Shangjing)

We have issued a ban on horse sales...

and are stocking up on hay at the moment.

Once the grass starts drying up,

we will draft more conscripts.

How many can we draft?

As it has been a year since the last draft,

gathering a great army like last time will not be easy.

One hundred thousand soldiers is what I predict.

"One hundred thousand?"

Are you telling the great Khitan's emperor to go to war with only 100,000 soldiers?

Your Majesty will not go to war this time.

A resourceful general will be selected.

He will lead the army.

What was that?

Your Majesty must not leave the country again.

The generals will take the lead this time.

Are you worried I might fail again?

Are you worried I will become...

a laughing stock in all countries after failing twice?

Goryeo is a small country.

Your Majesty cannot lead another war against them.

Leave it to the army now.

They will surely...

bring the King of Goryeo to you.

Fine.

What will be your justification this time?

Goryeo has already given us a just reason.

As the Goryeo King requested to pay homage in person,

he must fulfill it now.

If he breaks the promise and does not visit Khitan,

that reason alone is more than enough.

(Classic of Filial Piety, Gongyang Zhuan)

Did you ask for me?

Yes, I have. Welcome.

What were you doing here?

I was looking through the bookshelves.

Because the palace burned down,

many books were destroyed.

By the way, why did you want to see me?

"Envoys?"

That is right. We must send envoys to the Khitan...

to learn about their movements.

Make a request to the Minister of Rites and have it carried out first.

Understood. I will.

However, with how anxious everyone is...

That is why I have asked for you.

You are to come to your senses...

and make sure the Board of Rites does not neglect...

their diplomatic duties with the Khitan.

Understood. I will try my best.

By the way...

Will you continue to defy His Majesty's order?

I am worried you might be harmed.

That is not the problem right now.

If we do not devote ourselves to preparing for war,

the whole of Goryeo will suffer irrevocable damage.

Even so, His Majesty is extremely determined.

He must yield.

For Goryeo's sake,

we must make His Majesty yield.

I asked you to come to ask you a favor.

Please take my side.

I do know very well that taking the lead to destroy...

a family's power is not an easy duty.

However, for this Goryeo,

please take my side.

Do this for me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I will take your side.

Thank you. I am very grateful.

What about you, my lord?

I...

will be of no help as I am not a regional lord.

If a man with no base meddles in,

it will only look as if he is jealous of the regional lords.

That is not true.

No matter what others say, you are a chancellor of Goryeo.

And that chancellor of Goryeo...

will be joining hands with me.

If that is what you think,

I will also take your side.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, my lords.

Why are you still here? His Majesty called for you.

You see...

I can assume what he will ask me to do.

(Hwangbo Yu Eui, Officer of the Inspector General)

His Majesty will certainly ask me to take his side.

Then do it.

That will make me the enemy of all the regional lords.

Did you not see how ignorant and wild those men were?

They even dared to kill His Majesty!

That means they can do much worse.

They will surely send an assassin...

to harm me.

If I died by their sword,

imagine how heartbroken my old mother would be.

My dear mother.

I understand.

But go to His Majesty for now.

He is right. Making His Majesty wait despite his order...

is enough reason to be reprimanded.

Yes. This is the Office of Inspector General.

Death...

or life.

- Are you not going? - Goodness gracious.

Good grief.

Your Majesty.

- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.

I came as you were running late.

I have a favor to ask you.

"A favor?" Please do not put it that way.

I will follow you.

I, Jang Yeon Woo,

am devoted to this Goryeo and Your Majesty.

I will even risk my life...

to support Your Majesty's intention.

Entrust me with anything, and I will do it.

Thank you.

I am grateful.

You may get up now.

Yes, Your Majesty.

What about you three?

Yes, Your Majesty. I, too, will follow you.

I went through everything with Your Majesty.

Your Majesty has my fullest support.

I, too, am with him.

We are all Your Majesty's subjects.

Gaegyeong must be rebuilt at once.

However, due to low finances, it is facing difficulties.

Send word to each provincial governor...

and have them recommend figures...

who can help with Gaegyeong's reconstruction.

A government post...

will be granted to those who bring slaves and supplies to rebuild Gaegyeong.

- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

And as mentioned before,

a government system will be established in provinces...

in order to strengthen Goryeo.

Your Majesty.

Please give that matter more time...

Thankfully, many subjects have agreed to my wish.

- Your Majesty! - Privy Councilor.

Yes, Your Majesty.

- Junior Second Rank. - Yes, Your Majesty.

- Head of the Inspector General. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Starting today, work with the Deputy Minister of Punishments...

and create a government system reform plan.

- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Officer of the Inspector General.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Keep a close eye on any officials...

who disturb this matter on purpose.

Understood, Your Majesty.

- And Secretariat-Chancellery. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Come forth.

I heard you had profound knowledge.

I am much obliged, but I am not that competent.

Prepare for the civil service exam with the Board of Rites.

You are granted full authority. Take the lead and proceed with it.

Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost.

Now then, we will end it here today.

Your Majesty.

The war has yet to end.

Please fully concentrate on preparing for the war.

Now is not the time to reform the nation.

It is time to conserve it.

The pillars are rotting, and the house is falling.

And yet, do you expect me to only fix the front gates...

just to prepare against thieves?

- Your Majesty. - Do not use foreign intruders...

as an excuse to stop my intentions.

The more you are absorbed in the war you see before you,

the more I must suspect your true intentions.

In the past, many emperors have tried...

to break down the authority of the regional lords.

But every time, the vassals used every excuse...

to stand against it.

However,

their true intentions always lie elsewhere.

It means they did not want to put down what they had in their hands.

If you are not such a vassal,

do not stand in my way anymore.

- Your Majesty. - Then, all of you may now leave.

You are being too harsh.

The Third Rank Hallim Academician is...

the vassal who tends to the emperor from the closest position.

That is why every emperor names...

his favorite vassal for that position.

That is also why His Majesty has appointed you for this position.

But you have already...

defied His Majesty twice.

And you did so in front of all the vassals at that.

My lord.

Why do you trample on His Majesty's trust like so?

Did I not already tell you?

Now is not the time to wage war against the regional lords.

If the Khitan army invades us...

while they are rebelling against His Majesty,

we will not even be able to conscript soldiers and just lose.

That is why I ask you for your support.

If you add your support,

this matter could be wrapped up...

before Khitan's reinvasion.

This is a matter of changing the foundation of the nation.

Even with any vassal's support besides mine,

that cannot be achieved so easily.

This matter will require at least 7 to 8 years...

even if you rush it.

If that is truly how you feel,

please resign from your position.

His Majesty is suffering because of you.

If you cannot obey his command, then please step aside instead.

That is a vassal's duty, is it not?

Scouts, you say?

Yes, Your Majesty.

The Khitan scouts are showing movement once again.

I think they are preparing for a reinvasion.

When is that?

I cannot be sure,

but they will reinvade our borders within a year or two at most.

Then, hurry up and prepare for it.

Repair the fallen fortress walls...

and reorganize the soldiers of the central army organization.

Do whatever is necessary.

Yes, Your Majesty. I will do so immediately.

We cannot take this like sitting ducks.

No matter what happens, we must beat the emperor.

The emperor is...

really planning to take everything we have away from us.

Is that what you mean?

Yes, that is right.

I heard this news from a man who works in court.

In every county in Goryeo,

the emperor's men will arrive soon.

They will take over our regional offices,

and they will rule our people directly.

Everything from imposing taxes...

to conscripting soldiers...

will be up to them.

What? Does that mean...

he intends to make us mere scarecrows?

We will not become scarecrows. We will become slaves.

No.

So,

what is it that you want to say?

Please...

gather support for me.

I will take the lead.

Father.

Yes, have you returned?

Yes. The provincial governor will...

recommend you as the person to contribute to the rebuilding of Gaegyeong.

Did he agree easily?

I gave him enough to make him agree easily.

The chiefs?

Yes, a few of the chiefs from the south came up...

and took all of the chiefs from this county and left.

All except one.

Who is that?

Chief Choi, who used to look after the military under Father.

And where were they headed?

I am not sure about that.

They must have kept their destination a secret.

Let us stop talking about this.

Please tell us the news from Gaegyeong instead.

Have you found a place to stay?

I heard that Gaegyeong has been burned down.

Were there any good houses left?

How is it that you are only curious about such things?

Sister.

Do you not even know what Father is working on?

He is at court fighting against the regional lords.

All of the regional lords of Goryeo are targeting Father.

Such people are plotting together somewhere.

Do you not even worry about Father?

Then, will they...

I will step outside for a while.

What brings you here?

I wanted to say goodbye to the chief before leaving.

I was not able to do so last time since I was too flustered.

- He has gone out. - Where to?

If it is close by, I will pay him a visit there.

He has gone somewhere far away.

And where might that be?

You need not know.

By the way,

why are you suddenly speaking formally to me?

The rumor that...

you have become His Majesty's woman...

is spreading all throughout Gongju.

I see.

That is why I say this.

Since His Majesty does not seem to be taking you in,

I hope to take you in myself.

- What? - Well,

I am a fine man to marry.

What do you think?

I did not know that you were harboring such feelings for me.

Or do you just need something to boast about?

What?

"I possess the woman that the emperor once bedded."

Do you want to be able to say that?

Sure.

If not for such boasting rights,

what kind of man would take you in?

What did you say?

Forget it if you do not want to.

Go ahead and spend your whole life looking toward the palace walls.

It has been a while.

Yes.

Where are you coming from?

I am on my way back from doing laundry at the stream.

Have you perhaps heard the rumors about me as well?

Oh, yes.

I heard that you have become a precious person.

Yes.

Then, please answer one thing for me.

Where has your master gone out to?

Oh, I was told never to tell anyone about that.

It is okay. Go ahead and tell me.

Go on.

You must not make me angry.

Then, His Majesty will be angry as well.

Is that what you want?

Oh, no.

Then, tell me. Where did he go?

He went to Chungju.

Whose house in Chungju?

I do not know that much.

I truly do not know.

All right.

You can go. Thank you.

No problem, my lady.

I called you here for I am curious about something.

What is the reason His Majesty appointed the Deputy Minister of Punishments?

I believe it is because he and His Majesty see eye to eye.

On what?

On bringing down...

all the regional lords in the country.

- All of them? - Yes.

Every single one of them. His Majesty wishes...

to strip them of their power.

My goodness.

How could he think to do such a thing?

Fine.

Is that it?

Could there be another reason?

"Another reason?"

What exactly are you thinking of?

Never mind. All right.

You are dismissed.

Yes, Your Majesty.

If you were talking about Deputy Minister Kim's daughter,

you need not be concerned.

I was also curious about the reasons behind the sudden appointment,

so I looked into it.

I do not think she is pregnant with His Majesty's child,

and His Majesty does not seem to have any feelings for her at all.

I never asked.

My apologies.

Please forget what I said.

I will be off, then.

The boundless mercy and compassion

Of Guanyin Bodhisattva

Grant us your mercy, Guanyin Bodhisattva

Grant us your mercy, Guanyin Bodhisattva

Grant us your mercy, Guanyin Bodhisattva

Grant us your mercy, Guanyin Bodhisattva

Grant us your mercy, Guanyin Bodhisattva

For the next two weeks, we will hold a memorial ceremony...

at every temple in Goryeo for those who died in the war.

Everyone in Goryeo will honor their sacrifice...

and pray to wish them a peaceful afterlife.

- We are much obliged, Your Majesty. - We are much obliged, Your Majesty.

I urge you to please...

gather your courage to live on.

Thanks to your husbands and sons,

we were able to protect Goryeo.

For that, I truly thank you.

(Dae Do Soo's wife)

Your Majesty.

If you truly meant what you just said,

I have a favor to ask of you.

What is it?

The traitors who abandoned the fortress and fled.

I ask you to please punish them.

Mother.

Right there,

you see General Dae Do Soo's wife.

He lost his life because Tak Sa Jung betrayed him,

but he left behind his family.

Your Majesty. Knowing that,

how could you make them sit in the same room?

How could Your Majesty hold Tak Sa Jung's hand...

while praying for General Dae Do Soo to rest in peace?

Because of that man, Tak Sa Jung,

General Dae Do Soo lost his life.

Because of that sly scoundrel,

you lost a loyal general.

Your Majesty.

Behead him at once.

The Buddha will understand why...

you had to behead someone like him.

Everyone else here has the same wish as mine.

Please...

behead him.

Go ahead and cut off his head...

to help us let go of our resentment.

Please cut off his head!

Please help us release our resentment, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty...

Halt!

Where are you coming from?

I went to Gongju to get my mother.

Then how come you are alone now?

I kept lagging behind, so they have gotten far ahead.

Why were you lagging behind?

Is something troubling you?

No, Your Majesty.

How come you seem so dejected, Your Majesty?

You aim to fundamentally transform Goryeo.

You should not let yourself be so dejected.

You are right.

Are things not going well?

Is the Deputy Minister of Punishments not of much help to you?

It is not that. He is doing a good job.

It is just that...

I am feeling a sudden pang of fear...

as I am embarking on a path everyone told me not to take.

Did I make the right decision?

Or...

are they in the right? I keep questioning my decision.

That is why you must push forward to the end.

Everyone is afraid when embarking on an unfamiliar path alone.

But if you do not reach the end of the path,

you will never know whether or not you were right.

You will only find your answer once you reach the end of the path.

Where have you been wandering around that you have obtained such a revelation?

It is simply because I was such a tomboy growing up.

I used to wander around on my horse all day long.

Please cheer up.

You are bound to encounter obstacles when doing the right thing.

Seeing how you are struggling now,

I am convinced that you are on the right path.

Your Majesty!

Yes, what is the matter?

Everyone in the Ministry of Rites wishes to resign.

What did you say?

As per Your Majesty's orders, I was going to prepare...

for the state exam with the officials in the Ministry of Rites,

but they resigned one by one, saying they were not feeling well.

The entire ministry is almost empty now.

Forget about the preparation for the exam.

We do not even have anyone to prepare the envoys to be sent to Khitan.

- What? - The same for the Ministry of Defense.

It is empty there too.

What on earth is happening?

There is no contagious disease going around.

How could everyone fall ill at the same time?

I am not sure what is going on either.

Your Majesty.

(Ministry of Rites)

(Ministry of Revenue)

(Ministry of Works)

(Ministry of Human Resources)

This is disobedience and treason.

The Office of Inspector General must take action.

How do I arrest them when they are stepping down due to illnesses?

Everyone is crying out in pain.

Their eyes, stomach,

and back hurt.

Chief Jang!

Goodness gracious.

Please stop, Your Majesty.

I cannot do that.

The court is falling apart.

At this rate, settling this matter will become impossible.

If that happens, the diplomacy between the Khitans will stop,

and so will the preparation for war.

I will find a way to overcome this.

Your Majesty.

I cannot turn back now.

If I do, they will become stronger.

Academician Kang.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Do me a favor. Help me.

I will find a solution if you do.

I ask of you.

Please help me.

Academician Kang.

I cannot help you.

Even if...

I ask you again?

Yes.

This is not the right time for that.

Is it truly...

for that reason?

Or...

are you also a regional lord?

Your Majesty.

The powerful regional family of Geumju...

that had numerous slaves and possessed vast lands.

Were you also...

nothing but a family of that regional family?

Then leave.

- Your Majesty? - Leave.

I...

no longer need you.

Academician Kang.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You are...

dismissed from office.

(Korea-Khitan War)

Atone for your sins by being loyal to the court.

Are you reforming this country...

by joining hands with criminals?

Did you not use...

all means possible to win, my lord?

Be on my side, Empress.

How can I agree to a matter that could put...

the imperial court in danger?

Both Deputy Minister Kim and his daughter...

will surely cause trouble for the imperial court.

Have Deputy Minister Kim leave the court.

(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)