Original subtitles

Empress's nephew Jin Ho has died in Koryo.

They claim that an ilness took his life!

What are your opinions?

In a few short months, he has developed and

illness and suddenly died!

Your Majesty, Sir Jin Ho was quite healthful when he was

exchaged as a pawn. I suspect foul play.

Koryo has been quiet in the recent months and there has

been no friction. And our pawn has suddenly turned up dead.

It is too strange to be a coincidence.

What is your opinion, Vice Prime Minister?

I remember Jin Ho when he left. As Advisor Jong Hoon said,

he was a healthy man. Even if indeed the cause of

death was an illness, something does not feel right.

That's exactly how I feel! Human life is resilient!

Besides, Koryo was obligated to protect and take care of him!

Cause of death will be confirmed upon the arrival od the body.

You must hold off taking action until then.

Nonsense! This is a homicide, Your Majesty!

They do this out of spite because they are helpless

while we continue to advance to Shilla!

Yes. If Wang Guhn is not directly involved,

it is likely to have been plotted by his aides.

I agree, Your Majesty. Chances are this is not an accident.

Koryo needs a reason to contend with us again.

What do you mean?

By killing Jin Ho and causing us to act in retaliation,

they create a reason for counerattack.

So they kill a foreign diplomat?

What about the Wang Shin who is in our custody?

They must be prepared to give him up.

Your Majesty, the actions of Koryo are truly insolent.

Regardless of the cause, we cannot let them get away with

causing death to your family.

Prince Shin-Geum speaks the truth.

They forget their place and dare to fight.

Make them pay, Your Majesty.

I agree. Koryo cannot be a friendly nation.

Seize this opportunity to crush them completely.

If Jin Ho's death is indeed a homicide, they will pay.

How could they turn against us when it has only been a

few months since we vowed peace?

They will never be forgiven if this was indeed a cime.

The body is being transported.

We should decide our action after the examination.

Yes, we will wait. But the chances are this was murder.

How else can you explain this sudden death?

We cannot let the pawn from Koryo run free!

Bring him in and keep him in confinement until further order!

Yes, Your Majesty.

And Koryo could have already begun taking military action,

so declare a state of emergency!

Yes, Your Majesty.

A scheme is in the works. This was no accident!

Arrest that man!

What is the meaning of this?

His Majesty has ordered your arrest.

Your government has killed the guest of Bekjae.

Take him in!

Let's go!

What? Jin Ho is dead?

Yes, Your Highness. The entire court is in a state of alarm.

When did we receive this report? How did Jin Ho die?

His Majesty received the report on his retreat from Daeya Fort.

And Koryo reports the cause of death as an illness.

That is absurd! Jin Ho was in perfect health!

And why were we not made aware if he had been ill?

How could he die so suddenly?

What is His Majesty doing about this?

It remains to be seen as the meeting is still in session.

This is the result of His Majesty's negligence for

my family. Of all the people why did he send my nephew as

a pawn and cause him to die?

He would never have done this to Madam Kobe's family.

He could not care less about me. I resent him!

What happens to our plan if this is indeed homicide?

We came back to the court to plan our advance to Surabul.

You need not give up or alter your plans.

I had already factored in such action from Koryo.

Is that so?

Koryo is the biggest of all Three Kingdoms

I knew that they would not remain dormant for long.

Let us not hesitate.

We must kill Wang Shin and punish Koryo by military attack.

Yes, Your Majesty. they have raised their sword against us.

But many officials of Shilla are waiting for me to come and take

hold of their troubled regime. This is a golden opportunity.

Engaging war with Koryo would make this more difficult.

Koryo has become weak0 We can easily keep them in

check and advance to Surabul at once.

This would have all been over if we had killed Wang Guhn

when we had the chance.

Do not dwell on the past. Let us deal with the present.

Koryo will launch an attack. The question is where.

I advise you to keep Wang Shin alive for a while and

stop them from taking unfettered action.

They killed our hostage! Keep theirs alive, you say?

What are you trying to do?

King Wang Guhn's weakness is his heart. Jin Ho is already dead.

Consider what is in our best interest.

We can use Wang Shin against him if we keep him alive.

No. We cannot let their hostage live when they have killed ours.

I will not hesitate. That is not my character.

So where do you think they will attack?

They are likely to attack Sangju or Yongju to open up their path

to Shilla.

That is my feeling as well.

Leave the princes to defend those regions and take an

elite troops to Surabul in stealth. Your path is mostly

occupied by regional lords who support you.

That's right. I must go to Surabul.

I cannot let this golden opportunity slip.

And assigning the princes to the northern borders is also

an excellent idea.

Well, for once you are all in agreement.

Then we will set up main headquarters at Daeya Fort

with Shin-guhm in charge and send Geum-kang to the Yongju.

But your advance to Surabul must be a clandetine operation.

You must let them believe you are in Daeya Fort and move by night.

Yes. Koryo will move their troops to Daeya Fort if they

think that I am there. But I will be in Surabul

while they are moving their troops. Brilliant!

And Your Majesty,

Speak up.

Speaking of the princes...

the years have passed swiftly and Your Majesty is now 60 years old.

Yes, I am. And?

But the kingdom is still without an heir apparent.

King Wang Guhn of Koryo, who is ten years your junior,

has long ago prepred the next throne.

Perhaps it is time we do the same.

Prince Shin-guhm is in this mid thirties. I urge you to increase

his authority and share your difficult labors.

To Shin-guhm?

He is the eldest of the princes.

The eldest? Age does not make a king.

A king must be a responsible and capable leader.

Increase his authority and share my work?

Are you saying that I am too old to be a king, Prime Minister?

No, Your Majesty. Koryo has already done this...

Why must I follow what Koryo has done? This is not Koryo!

And I am still perfectly capable!

I may be sixty, but I am still strong ad burning with ambition!

Must you bring this up at an important time like this?

The next throne is my decision! Is that clear?

I will do what I must when the time comes!

Be warned, Prime Minister.

Do not side with Shin-guhm and make noise in this court.

That would lead to internal division. Do you understand?

Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was only trying to...

This meeting is adjourned! How could you discuss state

affairs with an old man like me? You may leave.

I beg you to quell you anger.

Prime Minister speaks out of concern for the kingdom.

For the kingdom? Is this all he can say if he is trumy concerned?

Leave at once!

Yes, Your Majesty...

The Vice Prime Minister will remain.

Yes...

Prime Minister was harshly chastised for bringing up the

subject of the next throne.

He voiced a valid concern, but Father lashed out at

him for recommending you as the heir apparent.

And what about this upcomming battle? Why is he leaving you

in Daeya Fort and sending Geum-kang to lead the battle?

It does not surprise me. This is no old news.

I am troubled. All of us might get pushed out by Geum-kang at

this rate.

Pushed out? Not in your life.

Just do your jobs. Your oldest brother is not weak.

But we never know what could happen at this rate.

Prime Minister is not enough.

You need additional support in the court.

It's unnecessary. Who dare defy the law of god?

Only tragedy awaits those who dare.

I am keeping it in...Keeping it all in and observing...

And if I am deprived of my god give right,

I'd have no choice but to go after it myself.

There were talks of the next throne at the Imperial Chambers.

Yes, I heard.

Why did Prime Minister bring this up now and subject himself

to criticism?

But it is time this issue was addressed.

The royal family is quite concerned about his.

But His Majesty has a reason for delaying this matter.

He has soleone else in mind for the throne.

Who?

Nephew-in-law, you know very well whom I speak of.

Is there any other worthy candidate besides Geum-kang?

No, but...

That would be wrong. Geum-kang may be more

qualified, but birth order mustn't be ignored.

But it is inheritance of a kingdom. His Majesty will

take extreme caution. Shin-guhm is temperamental and

commited many errors while Geum-kang has demonstrated

courage and intelligence with extraordinary service.

I see you favor Geum-kang as well. But confusion will

ensue if normal line of successions is bypassed

A king does not rule a kingdom alone.

An average man may be a good king with capable aides.

Of course, but...

Besides, His Majesty is still very strong.

It is no time to discuss the next throne with the tension building

between Koryo and us.

We should be focusing on our reaction to Jin Ho's death.

The nation's cherished ambition is the unification after all.

That means deciding what to do with Shilla is most crucial

task on our plate. I am keeping my fingers crossed...

The pawn of Bekjae has died in Koryo, you say?

Yes, Your Majesty. We do not know the cause,

but his remains are being transported back to Bekjae.

Bekjae harbors Koryo's pawn as well, does it not?

Yes.

Death of a goodwill hostage means beginning of a new war.

We, Shilla, must be prepared for what may come.

Yes. This will re-ignite the war between Koryo and Bekjae.

We must decide which side to stand with.

I urge you to stand with Bekjae, Your Majesty.

They won the war in Jomul Fort. Koryo was badly defeated and

faiked to futfill the allegiance they had established with us.

We cannot do that. We must support Koryo.

They had suffered a setback, but things have changed.

They are still our faithful ally.

I agree. Bekjae is a brutish kingdom that consider us

their foe. We cannot join hands with them.

So is Koryo! They will eventually unveil their masks

and try to devour Shilla.

Hence we must guard against them and take advantage of them both.

All of you have valid points.

But we mustn't waver. We must keep our promise with Koryo.

In fact, we must help Koryo defeat Bekjae.

Koryo will preserve is, but Bekjae never will.

You are mistaken, Your Majesty. Koryo is not to be trusted!

No. Please do not fight me. This court must stand united.

Bekjae is our eternal foe. They are never to be trusted.

Koryo is our only friend.

Now I know why we were summoned back.

I feel re-energized. At last we can fight Bekjae again!

So do I. I was quite frustrated with this long stagnation.

Let your frustrations be gone.

His Majesty has made a decision to reengage war with Bekjae.

We will bring King Kyun-hwon to beg mercy before our king.

Yes. All of us are determined, and by God we will do just that.

The condition of the troops is satisfactory.

I hope we get our orders soon. I am quite anxious to begin.

So am I. I can hardly wait.

But we still do not have any word about our pawn in Bekjae.

We will not move out until hi fate is known.

No, His Majesty will not issue any orders until them.

Meanwhile, we will sharpen our swords s that we could

execute the enemy in one smooth stroke.

Do you bring my kinsman Jin Ho?

Yes, Your Majesty. I am Eui-hwon of Koryo.

I bring you the deceased at Emperor Wang Guhn's command.

What caused Jin Ho's death?

Please forgive me, but I do not know.

Has the report not been received, Your Majesty?

I ask against because I question the truthfulness of the report.

Examine the body.

Yes, Your Majesty.

His body is badly decomposed due to the lapse of time...

It appears he has ingested potent poison.

Hence the accelerated decomposition.

Poison, you say?

Yes, it is clearly poison.

There are traces around his mouth and eyes.

It is homicide.

Homicide...!

Wang Shin, was it?

Did you hear the physician? The empress's nephew who was

staying as a guest in your country has been murdered!

Do you know what this means for yo?

Jin Ho represented me! And Koryo's beasts have killed him!

And you represent your king Wang Guhn.

Now tell me what I should do with you. Speak up!

Why waste time talking? Kill me now if you must.

Do not resent me. Resent your king and your country.

Take this man and behead him! We must comfort Jin Ho's soul!

Your Majesty, I urge you to think again.

He can be of valuable service if we keep him alive.

Show no mercy, Your Majesty. He must be killed.

Yes, Your Majesty. He must be killed.

He must be killed, Your Mahesty!

I have no choice, Vice Prime Minister.

It's eye for an eye.

He might be of use later, but we must display our will to Koryo.

Take him and behead him!

Wait!

Grant this dying man a chance to bid farewell to my king.

Give me a few moments.

Very well. You may do what you wish.

Your Majesty, I bid you farewell.

It is a greatest honor to die for my country.

Please fulfill your grand enterprise, Your Majesty.

Fulfill your grand enterprise...

Stop that man!

He is indeed worthy of his rank.

He died like a man without hesitance.

It is a tragedy that could not be avoided.

Envoy of Koryo,

Yes, Your Majesty.

You will take back Wang Shin's body to your kingdom.

Our armistice has been broken!

Your king is to return the stallion of Julyoung Province.

I had presented as a gift. Do you understand?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Return! And let your king be aware that there will

be no more mercy! All that remains is war between us!

Do you understand?

Yes, Your Majesty. I will relay your words.

Send back the body.

And prepare the army for war!

Yes, Your Majesty.

Wang Guhn's cousin Wang shin had been sent to Bekjae as a pawn

when Wang Guhn negotiated peace to escape devastation at

the battle of Jomul Fort. Kyun-hwon had sent the

empress's nephew Jin Ho to Koryo, but when Jin Ho died in the April

of 926, Kyun-hwon suspected foul play and killed Wang Shin in

retaliation in January of 927.

Kyun-hwon also demanded return of his gift stallion of

Julyoung Provinve based on a prophecy that this stallion's

departure from Bekjae would bring doom.

Now the armistice between Bekjae and Koryo's was broken.

Oh, my cousin returns cold and lifeless... What have I done?

This wretched cousin has allowed your death...

Forgive me, Cousin. Forgive me...

Your Majesty, your subjects are watching you.

They mustn't see your tears at a death of a subject.

Display your strength, Your Majesty.

A man has died because of my incompetence.

Strength? The entire kingdom knows my shame.

Why display false strength?

I will display my remorse and vow to make this right.

Cousin Shikryum,

Yes, Your Majesty.

Our Shin has returned lifeless and cold...

We both knew this would happen.

It is you, and I and the subjects of this kingdom who killed him.

Hear me, subjects!

Yes, Your Majesty.

We will mourn Wang Shin's death for three days.

Suspend all public performances of music and dancing, and hang

a banner of mourning outside the palace.

Yes, Your Makjesty.

The armistice has been broken. The war will resume.

If we must fight, we must fight to win!

Display the glory of Koryo.

Yes, we will fight! And we will win!

Do not let this death be in vain.

We will not, Your Majesty.

Jomul Fort still belongs to us, but the outer perimeter is in

Bekjae's possession. Gosagali and Baesan Fort,

and Yongju and Gaerim area will be our primary target.

Then will Sangju be our main field of operations?

A part of Sangju and the entire Yongju region will be

our battleground.

Fort Yongju is still occupied by Bekjae.

By seizing this fort, we can open a channel to Jomul Fort and

secure a safe route to Shilla while blocking Bekjae's passage.

Much of Sangju is under our influence, so Yongju will be

a bigger battlefield.

Bekjae will try to keep us in check and continue to advance to Shilla.

Hence cutting off their passageway is very important.

I urge you to attack Yongju Fort first.

Fine. But the enemy also has possession of Daeya Fort,

the most valuable strategic point in that region.

Let us reclaim it as well.

Yes, Bekjae's presence in Daeya Fort continues to be a threat to us.

It would be a good idea to hit Daeya in a surprise attack.

But we must not neglect our Western Capital Pyongyang

while we pursue this war against Bekjae.

Good point. Khitan forces have crushed Parhae and continue to

advance southward. Me must securely defend that region.

I am ordering Shikryum to go back to the Western Capital

with Brothers Geumpil and Suhlee.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Our primary target is Yongju. Brother Seungkyum,

Yes, Your Majesty.

I want you to lead the attack with Generals Bae and Hong.

Your grace is immeasurable.

And Generals Kim Uhn, Kim Lak, and the Chun brothers will

take on Daeya Fort.

Yes, Your Majesty. We thank you for allowing us the honor.

But Daeya Fort invasion must be a clandestine operation.

It is too strong and large for an open attack.

We will let the enemy think that Yongju is our only target

and send an invasion force to Daeya in secrecy.

Fine. General Bok and I will remain at the Imperial Capital

and oversee this war.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Generals Yum, Wang, and Yoon will assist General Shin, and

the Park brothers will assist General Kim.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, wonderful news has arrived.

Wonderful news?

An envoy from Shilla is outside. Upon hearing of your intent to

strike Bekjae, Shilla has offered to send us aid.

military aid from Shilla?

Yes. Support troops are standing by ready to move

upon your instruction.

I am overwhelmed. Shilla is sending us aid!

Shilla's weak and disorderly army will do us no benefit.

Not so. Regardless of their number or strength, the fact

that Shilla and Koryo are fighting together as allies

will have tremendous impact on the of the public sentiment.

Yes, indeed. The value lies in our unity.

They give us strength at the most appropriate time.

This is wonderful news.

Let them know that we most thankfully accept their aid.

They can fight with us as our allies for as long as they wish!

Hear me, subjects!

Yes, Your Majesty.

Heaven has begun to help us.

The fact that Shilla is coming to aid us despite their own

troubles is extraordinary.

It illustrates the depth of their trust for Koryo.

It is also eveidence of rising public confidence.

We will risk our very existence on this battle.

Let us reach our goals and defeat Bekjae without fail.

Yes, Your Majesty.

And let us pay them back for the humiliation we suffered

in Jomul Fort!