Original subtitles

Thank you for accepting my invitation, Your Highness.

No, Your majesty. Surabul is the heart of a 1000 year-old regime.

I am honored that you acknowledge my humble

kingdom and welcome me to Shilla.

Shilla has exhausted its strength long ago.

I am ashamed to admit but we cannot survive without Koryo.

It is cruel fate that I have been placed on this throne.

Not only has Shilla been reduced to the bounds of Surabul, we are

without strength to defend what little territory that remains.

I resent my forefathers for calling upon me to bring this

regime to a close...

Your Majesty, we can endure this adversity.

We must face the reality.

How can you call a man a ruler who is without land and people

to rule? I am just grateful for the king of Koryo.

Shilla would have already perished without him.

Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty.

Your words make me feel uncomfortable. Please stop.

This is a joyous day. Let us enjoy ourselves.

Yes, Your Majesty.

That must be the celebrated general Yu Geumpil.

Yes, Your Majesty. I am Yu Geumpil.

And to his left?

I am the captain of the Royal Guard Bok Jikyum.

Oh, yes. Both of you rendered important service in deposing

King Goongyae and bringing His Majesty to the throne.

Yes. They have been with me for many years now.

King Goongyae was Shilla's royal descent.

It is a shame how he ended his life.

Yes. He was a man of great vision and ambition in his beginning.

His illness was to be blamed for his failures.

But you succeeded him and made Koryo the strongest of Three

Kingdoms, and you became a king respected by all.

Your praise is too kind.

It is true.While our people compared King Kyun-hwon to a

beast, they liken you with their own fathers.

You are the king of the people.

I am merely doing my job.

I know what is duty and decency, and practice what I was taught.

Your praise is undeserved. Now, let us drink.

Bring us more wine.

Dancers, entertain the king of Koryo with a lively dance.

We are here to discuss the offense of General Yu Geumpil

who is currently in Shilla's capital with His Majesty.

This is truly a shame. Let us hear your thoughts.

According to the testimony of Governor Wang, I believe there

are sufficient grounds bring up charges against General Yu.

Yes. Accepting the royal salute in place of His Majesty could be

seen as a serious offense.

- But Your Highness, - Do speak.

General Yu is in a foreign country with an important

diplomatic mission. To make this man a criminal in his absence

regardless of his offense would be a national embarrassment.

That's right. Besides, his guilt has not been proven.

It was was an act done by ignorant and uncivilized nomads of the

north purely out of delight at meeting General Yu.

No, General Park! He accepted the royal salute in lieu of

His Majesty. That itself is high treason.

Why do you condemn my brother for the misconduct of the nomads?

Why are you doing this?

Why, you ask? Forget that he is your brother for a minute.

This is not an isolated incident. He's been clouding His Majesty's

judgement and dampening the spirit of the others by

boasting his small merits everywhere we went.

True. It may not have been his intent, but that was the result.

All we hear is about General Yu before and after every battle.

Your childish jalousy makes me worry about the future of

this kingdom.

This is not jealousy! We are talking about

stopping abuse of power out of patriotism!

We were not at the scene, but regrettably it is a punishable

crime. Subjects cannot accept royal salutes in

any circumtances.

I agree.

But they were ignorant nomads. And consider General Yu's past

merits. We mustn't condemn in haste.

That's right. We must be fair. It is the ancient law to weigh

one's history when considering punishment for a crime.

I agree. Let us weigh his crime against his merits.

I don't believe it is right to judge him now when he is on an

important mission. Let us defer this matter until he returns.

What are your thoughts, Minister of Military?

This matter has been on the table for a while now.

Rising above one's king is high treason regardless of past merits.

Sir Choi!

Moreover, General Yu has created confusion and discord among the

subjects with this issue. He must be charged.

But he is on a foreign land on a diplomatic mission.

Charges will be brought forth upon his return.

You are all in on this together, aren't you?

You're setting up my brother to eliminate him!

What has he done? His only crime was risking his life

to fight for the country!

General Park!

Minister of Military, General Park has a point.

After all, the nomads are the ones who commited the offense.

For heaven sakes, our problem is General Yu, not the nomads!

Your Majesty...

Yes.

Please go on, Your Majesty.

As I mentioned before, the end is near for Shilla.

Please stop. Such words make me feel uncomfortable.

No. One solace in this time of despair is that I have met you.

I'd like to make an official request.

Please do.

This regime is at its last breath. surrender it to you.

What ever do you mean?

It is a kingdom only in name. Please accept it.

Don't give up. Shilla has endured a thousand years.

I will disregard your request.

This is not an offhand request. We are besieged on all sides.

Please see Shilla through its end.

I will not. I cannot. I will disregard this.

Your Majesty, I implore you. Please accept Shilla.

I will not. But I will help Shilla any way I can.

This kingdom is now without an army. King Kyun-hwo is

out to devour us and we are helpless to defend ourselves.

The nomads of the north have begun to harass us as well.

We are at the end of our ropes.

Your Majesty, perhaps we Koryo could intervene and tend to all

defense concerns of Shilla.

That is not a bad idea.

We could not ask for more if Koryo army would protect our

borders. Don't you agre, Your Majesty?

Yes, but I would be shameless to make such a request.

No. We will do so if you so desire.

Koryo army will protect you from Bekjae and the nomads.

I will deploy our troops at once.

Thank you. Thank you, Your Majesty.

We are allies and brothers. Why should there be any

hesitation to help each other? Shilla's problem is our problem.

Thank you, Your Majesty. Inscrutable are your favors.

Let us drink.

What did you say? turned over the military control to Koryo?

Yes, Your Highness.

As well, Lord Kim Yurum is to go to Koryo as a pawn.

A pawn, you say?

Yes, a pawn ensuring loyalty to Koryo.

Oh, how could this be?

This means we've lost our sovereignty and become a

subject state of Koryo!

And if that weren't enough, we are sending a pawn?

How did it come to this?

Must I live to see this?

Prince Ma-eui was right. Shilla would lose its

autonomy with Wang Guhn's first visit to Surabul.

But they had become allies long before, and Wang Guhn

had helped Shilla with all his power enduring themost crushing

defeat in Mt. Gong to establish his interest in Shilla.

And now, by invitation of exhausted King Kyung-soon,

Wang Guhn had secured stronger control of Shilla and inched

closer to the ultimate goal of unifying the Three Kingdoms.

These were most meaningful few days.

Return safely. The people of Shilla will never forget you.

Thank you. We shall see each other again soon.

I pledge Shilla's eternal loyalty to Koryo by sending

my cousin Kim Yurum to Koryo. Please look upon him kindly.

I appreciate your good intent. His presence will strengthen

our alliance. Let us go, Lord Kim.

Fare well, Your Majesty. I shall be in the capital of Koryo.

Be well. You must be on your way now.

Well then...

Make way! Escort the emperor!

That man is a thief! The king of Koryo is a thief!

He came to steal our kingdom! Do not be fooled, Your Majesty!

Do not be fooled, subjects of Shilla!

The king of Koryo is a thief! He came to steal our kingdom!

That man is a thief!

Stop this at once, Prince Ma-eui!

Restrain the prince! What are you waiting for?

Take him inside at once!

A thief! The king of Koryo is a thief!

Let us move on, Your Majesty.

Yes...

Prince Ma-eui's words ring in my ears...

A thousand years... No other kingdom has endured that long...

How could he be without resentment?

We must learn from Shilla's mistakes.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Shilla was offered to you by the king. Why did you refuse?

Everything has right time and process.

I felt now was not the time. All must be done by reason.

I wonder how the king of Bekjae would react when he finds out.

Well, I'm sure the news has reached him already.

What?

The king of Shilla surrendered military control to Wang Guhn?

Yes. Koryo has already begun to deploy their troops to the

outposts to Shilla.

Surrendered military control?

Doesn't this mean Shilla has surrendered the kingdom to Koryo?

I'm afraid it does.

We jump through hoops and they reap the reward!

I am the one who put him on that throne, and he turns

over the military control to Wang Guhn!

What does this mean for us?

I'm afraid Shilla has fallen into Koryo's hands.

What are we to do now?

Our defeat in Gochang must've been the final straw in their

decision to turn against us.

You're right. Then now what do we do?

We have nothing to turn the tide of this war around.

Things wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have internal problems

to worry about. If only all my sons would do their part...

We're just sitting on our thumbs while Koryo is

taking over Shilla!

Take it if you can, General Yaesul.

Stop the ball!

General Yaesul is panicking! Drive the ball through!

Kyuk-gu: It is an ancient game and training exercice enjoyed

by military officials. Derivative of Polo, a game of Persian origin,

it was introduced to Shilla by Tang China and gained popularity

during Koryo era.

Often called Ta-gu or Po-gu, it is a game much like modern day hockey.

We find record of this game in The Book of 24 Martial Arts

which was written in Chosun Era, and songs about Kyuk-gu are also

found in the 44th chapter of The Sonnets of the Flying Dragon.

Shin-guhm was drowning out his sorrows by immersing in this

physical game.

How could he endure his mounting sorrows without an outlet?

It pains me greatly to know my son's sorrows...

How have a father and son become like enemies?

He has nothing but this game to turn to for comfort...

All has been in vain...

Time has passed by in a blink of an eye...

Shilla was once the most powerful state, but now it is falling into

the hands of Koryo...Koryo...

What am I doing here while Wang Guhn is devouring Shilla?

The kingdom must be stable before I can strike Koryo again,

but everything is a mess.

I can't give up now. I cannot give up...

Welcome back, Your Majesty.

Welcome back. I hope your journey was not unpleasant.

No, it was a pleasant trip. Is all well at the palace?

Yes, Your majesty.

But of course, Your Majesty. Prince Mu, Imperial Guardian

and the valiant warriors are protecting the palace.

Yes, of course.

Please come inside, Your Majesty.

Yes. The day is almost done, so let us meet tomorrow morning at

the assembly. I shall see you tomorrow, Brother Geumpil.

Rest confortably, Your Majesty.

Royal Guards will escort the emperor!

Let us go, Brother.

Yes. What is wrong with everyone?

They all had stern look on their faces.

I will tell you when we get home.

It's what happened in Pyongyang. The fact that you received the

royal salute in Pyongyang has the entire court in uproar.

But it was beyond my control.

I know. They are ganging up on you and making false

accusations against you because you are too good!

What do you mean?

You refuted Governor Wang when he proposed relocating

the capital to Pyongyang.

But I had to. It was a terrible idea.

There's more.

More?

You've rendered higher service than any other warrior has in

recent battles and HisMajesty has underscored your merits.

The others fought just as hard, but your merits always outshine

theirs. I can't blame them for getting upset because it dampens

my spirit as well.

We all fight with our lives, but you take all the credit.

I see what you mean. I should've bad better control.

But that is not a crime, is it?

In any case, it's a product if build up resentment.

I tried to defend you, but the matter has been blown out of

proportion. It's more serious than you think.

Oh, boy. I see.

Good grief! This is about you! How can you be so nonchalant?

But what can I do about it? It's already out of my hands.

Let's just enjoy the wine.

Loyalty to my king is the only thing I can ask for myself.

A subject must not harbor ambition for power or honor.

But if I came off as a power hungry subject, I desserve to

their criticism.

But I assure you. I live to die for this kingdom and my king.

I want nothing more and nothing less, and that is the truth.

That's why I am so frustrated!

No one knows what kind of man you really are!

What? Punish Brother Geumpil? Is this my subjects' request?

Yes, Your Majesty.

But I clearly told them that what happened in Pyongyang

was meaningless.

But it has become a major problem.

What is the problem? Brother Geumpil has done nothing!

How am I to trust these men with this government when

they want to punish an innocent man?

These are requests of your merit subjects and brothers.

Merit subjects? My brothers? This is a huge disappointment.

Since when did they start forming factions and attacking each other

in jealousy? This is slander and jalousy!

No, Your Majesty. It is clearly a crime.

The crime itself is punishable by extermination of entire clan.

What? I can't believe you of all people would say this!

Geumpil is my sworn brother. We've vowed to live and die together!

That is the problem.

What do you mean?

The cause of this problem lies within you, Your Majesty.

What ever do you mean by this?

Somewhere along the way, you began to show favoritism for General Yu.

He is my brother. Not only did he save my life in Samnyun Fort

but he led the Gochang battle to victory.

Most importantly, he is unselfish. How could I not favor him?

Everyone one of your warriors is loyal. What would happen to this

country if you turn them against each other by showing favoritism?

General Yu is clearly innocent. But Your Majesty has provided

the cause. Am I wrong? Am I wrong, Your Majesty?

You are out to chide me tonight.

Yes, you do have a point. But this is still unreasonable.

They are asking you to remove General Yu from office.

What? Remove him from office?

Yes, but that is not enough.

I recommended you to send him away in exile as well.

Exile? That is absurd! Send him away in exile?

The fact is the subjects know that General Yu is innocent.

Then why?

Give them ten when they ask for one. The effect will be profound.

Caution the subjects against rivalry and give them a silent

warning so this never happens again.

Give them more than they ask for?

Yes.

What happens when you give them ten when only one is due?

The rest becomes their debt.

They will owe you instead, Your Majesty.

His Majesty should be informed about General Yu by now.

Faults must be corrected.

But frankly, this is not a major crime.

It stemmed from His Majesty's favoritism for General Yu.

That is what needs to be changed. I do not urge division or severe

punishment. I urge using this as a lesson for all of us.

His Majesty must be torn. They are sworn brothers after all.

Nevertheless, we cannot allow one subject to have more power

than another. Let this serve as a warning to all of us.

But we don't know if His Majesty will grant our request.

We've requested removal from office, but cesure will serve

our purpose. Let us wait for his decision.

What brings the two ladies here at this time of the night?

Is it true the subjects want to punish General Yu?

Yes.

But General Yu is your sworn brother.

That does not protect him from the law.

He is a man of few words who has devoted his life to you.

Why must you punish him?

It is the request of my subjects.

You have already lost one sworn brother.

I am afraid you will lose General Yu as well if you punish him.

I will take care of the situation so please do not worry.

The country cannot have peace without peace in the royal house.

He is your brother. Please give him another chance.

The king's brother must abide by the law as well.

I do understand and appreciate your concern.

A fair judgement will be made tomorrow at the assembly.

Please reconsider, Your Majesty.

You mustn't punish your most loyal subject.

Enough. Don't you understant that I must abide by the law?

Brother Geumpil cannot avoid punishment if he has violated

the law. He will be charged and sentenced tomorrow.

Your Majesty...

That is enough. Please retire and rest.

Tomorrow ...I will render my verdict tomorrow.

Hear me, subjects.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I returned from Surabul to find a serious debate in the court.

I first though little of this, but now I must address the

issue since all of you assert its importance.

- Imperial Guardian, - Yes, Your Majesty.

please summarize the matter in question for us.

Yes, Your Majesty.

It has come to our attention that General Yu Geumpil had

accepted the royal salute of the nomads in your place at the

west capital, and your subjects have appealed for punishment.

No man shoul accept the royal salute in his King's place.

Punishment is due indeed.

That is the nature of law. It is whatever you make of it.

And what is law? It is simply a ser ot rules based on decency.

What is important is how you use it. How you use it!

I have decided to punish General Yu because my subjects wish to

use the law to serve themselves. Am I wrong?

Captain Chu, what do the subjects require?

The subjects contend that General Yu'scrime warrants

his removal from office.

Governor Wang of the west capital,

Yes, Your Majesty.

do you wish him removed from office as well?

Yes. I believe it is a fair punishment for his crime.

Is that your opinion as well, General Hong Yu?

Yes, Your Majesty. A subject has deprecated his master.

I urge his removal.

Are you listening, Brother Geumpil?

Yes, Your Majesty.

How do you feel about this?

They say that I have deprecated you.

I have no excuse. I will accept any punishment.

- Hear me. - Yes, Your Majesty.

General Yu is my sworn brother. But every man is equal under the

law, so I have decided to respect your wishes.

- Justice guards, - Yes, Your Majesty.

I here by remove General Yu Geumpil from office.

In addition, I banish him to Gok Island where he

will serve time in exile for his crime.

Your Majesty. Did you say exile?

Remove the criminal and send him away at once.

Remove the criminal at once!