Original subtitles

Subtitle by KOCOWA Ripped & Resynced == ANANG KASWANDI ==

Follow My IG @Anang2196_sub_indo

(This program is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT...)

(under the Broadcasting Communications Development Funding Program.)

(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.)

At the beginning of the tenth century in East Asia,

the Khitan people rose like wildfire...

and began to conquer the surrounding areas one by one.

With their extremely mobile mounted troops,

the Khitans destroyed Balhae,

built an empire that covered all regions from Liaodong to Mongolia,

and became the dominant military power...

in East Asia, with an army stronger than Song's.

And the Khitans were now...

eyeing Goryeo as their next target.

(Guizhou in 1019, Goryeo Army's 1st line of defense)

- Throw! - Throw!

Throw it!

Keep pushing!

- We cannot. - We are stuck!

What should we do?

Wipe them out!

Charge!

- Push! - Push!

Push!

Charge!

Push!

Charge!

- Push! - We will wipe them out!

Push!

- Go! - Whack them all!

The war wagon has stopped!

The war wagon has stopped!

The war wagon has stopped.

The enemies mobilized their cavalry unit.

War brings opportunities!

Let us shout together as we push!

- To our success! - To our success!

No, go away.

Darn it.

My stomach...

Kill them.

Come on. Hurry! Get moving!

Get started. We must get started now.

Hey, go!

We cannot do it. They are already here.

Hew them with your tools!

You too. Pick up your ax!

- Hewing attack! - Hewing attack!

- Pick up your tools! - Hewing attack!

Charge!

- Turn the wagon around. - Charge!

- Charge! - Charge!

- We broke through the frontline. - The square formation.

The square formation.

Square!

- Square! - Square!

Square!

Square!

Square!

- Square! - Square!

Square!

We have got...

nothing to lose!

We must do this to survive!

- Here. - Go!

They look like a scared turtle with its head tucked in.

They are finished now.

Mobilize the entire second infantry.

We will use the hole in the frontline...

to attack Goryeo's main forces.

Kill Goryeo!

- Kill them! - Kill them!

They broke through the first line of defense.

(Goryeo Army's 2nd line of defense)

We will die soon.

No!

They will break through soon!

Run!

- Recover position! - Run!

Recover position!

Recover position at once!

They broke through the first line of defense.

Darn it.

Maybe we should run away too.

They broke through the first line of defense!

Recover position!

We should track down everyone who has run away...

and behead them.

If not, the battle line will collapse completely.

Please issue an order to behead them right away.

Please issue the order at once...

Commander, where are you going?

Commander!

Move! You little...

Darn you!

- Move! - Where are you going?

- Follow me. - What should we do?

Goryeo will not die.

Goryeo will win.

Goryeo will not die.

Goryeo will win.

Goryeo will not die.

Goryeo will win.

Goryeo will not die.

Goryeo will win.

Goryeo will not die.

Commander.

The cataphract is here!

The cataphract!

Goryeo's cataphract, charge!

All wagons.

Charge!

(Korea-Khitan War)

(10 years ago)

(1009 A.D.,12th year of Mokjong's reign, Gaegyeong)

(Episode 1)

- We are on sale. - Excuse me.

Come now. Have a look.

- Everything is on sale. - Come inside.

You cannot find this anywhere else.

Gosh, come on.

- Have a look. - Sir.

What is this?

Please come inside.

You are welcome to look around.

Hey. What took you so long?

- Hurry up. - What is it?

It is gukbap.

Goodness, it looks nice.

(Mokjong, 7th Emperor of Goryeo)

(Yoo Haeng Gan)

Your Majesty. Over there.

The chancellors have come to spoil our banquet again.

Your Majesty. We have come to inform you...

of an urgent matter.

In the northwest...

(Yoo Jin, Junior 2nd Rank)

Pardon?

Right. Understood.

What is the hurry?

If you come to a banquet, you must have a drink first.

Yes, Your Majesty.

(Chae Chung Soon, Minister of Defense)

(Choi Sa We, Senior Fourth Rank of Finance)

Right. What is it?

Your Majesty.

The temporary government officer of the northwest...

has raised another report.

It stated that we must quickly get ready for war.

Then get ready for it.

Your Majesty.

Please appoint a geographer for our military base camp.

And the military's command...

Look here.

Do we not have soldiers in Goryeo?

No, we do.

What about generals?

We do.

Then what is all this commotion about?

If the Khitan invades us,

we can simply go and defeat them.

Appointing who to which position...

is your job, chancellors.

Am I wrong?

Your Majesty. Before that, we should send an envoy to the palace...

and find a way to stop the war.

That, too, is your job, chancellors.

I may be bad at everything,

but I am best at trusting you. No?

Go and take care of it...

yourselves.

At once.

Understood, Your Majesty.

You will once again not get a reply.

There cannot be one. The royal palace has become a prostitution house.

At this rate, I doubt we will be able to fight properly.

Rather than worrying about the enemies,

the border commanders are worried about the royal family in Gaegyeong.

(Kang Jo, Northwest Temporary Government Officer)

Sir.

I have an urgent message from Heunghwajin.

What urgent message?

The Khitan's scouts invaded...

the border during the day.

What?

(Heunghwajin)

(Yalu River)

The Heunghwajin officer discovered the Khitans spying on Goryeo...

and engaged in a battle.

Stop. Arrest him!

Stop! That is the Khitan's land!

Come back! This is an order!

And so? What happened to the one who crossed the Yalu River?

He has become Khitan's prisoner.

The Heunghwajin officer has asked to permit him...

to negotiate with the Khitans.

Darn it.

Here they come.

Send them back.

I am the Khitan ghost!

- Run away! - No!

- It is the Khitan ghost! - Wait for me!

Hey!

(Heunghwajin)

(Goryeo's northernmost fortress in the Yalu River's border)

Was I supposed to let the Khitan live?

Shut your mouth!

Stay silent. Do not say a word...

before I behead you under the military command.

Understood?

My apologies.

We will discipline him so he obeys the military command.

Go easy on him.

One must harbor such hostility...

in order to fight against the Khitan.

Right. So how are the Khitan's movements?

They have already set up an outpost beyond the Yalu River.

It seems we are on the verge of war.

I am sure that in a few months,

the Khitan will invade Goryeo's land.

You cannot make such a conclusion.

Patrolling along the borders...

is common in any country.

What is important is the two countries' relationship.

Either way, Goryeo has served and has been loyal...

to the Khitan.

So, with what excuse will they invade Goryeo again?

Do you mean they do not have justification?

That is right.

Khitan claims to be a nation of divine heritage.

They cannot invade a loyal tributary nation...

for no good reason.

Then, what will the other nations...

who pay tribute to Khitan think of them?

As for a justification, they can look for one.

- What? - During King Seongjong's reign,

that was also the case when Khitan first invaded Goryeo.

Khitan said...

they had become the new owners of the old land of Goguryeo.

So, they demanded...

that Goryeo give up all of the old land of Goguryeo.

Justification...

comes from power.

If one has power, one can use any excuse...

and turn it into a justification.

If one does not have power,

even if you have a great cause,

it is but a mere counter-argument.

Well, if we must fight, we will do so.

What reason is there for us to fear them?

Yes. If they invade us again,

we will take the chance to pay them back...

for the grudge we have been holding since the last invasion ten years ago.

Think of the people!

There are more than tens of thousands who were taken captive back then.

Do you know how many of them came back alive?

It was merely a few thousand.

This is why we only put soldiers in the care of warriors like yourselves...

and not the people!

Look here!

What did you just say?

Stop. That is enough.

You seem to have so much energy.

Save that energy...

and use it when you slice off the Khitan soldiers' necks.

Sir.

Make sure to feed them meat soup once every ten days.

There are often contagious diseases during this season,

so pay special attention to the hygiene throughout the camp.

Yes, sir.

Heunghwajin is important.

When the Khitan army crosses the Yalu River,

this place, Heunghwajin, is the first to meet them.

No matter what happens, we must keep this place safe.

Do not worry. We are preparing ourselves to the fullest.

I will trust you to it.

What? Is that true?

Yes, Your Majesty.

In the Cheonchu Hall,

they are already calling Kim Chi Yang's son the Crown Prince.

Your Highness,

His Majesty has come to Cheonchu Hall.

(Queen Dowager Cheonchu)

His Majesty...

must be missing his mother again.

Have him come here.

Here, Your Highness?

Yes. Quickly.

Yes, Your Highness.

Mother.

Welcome, Your Majesty.

The scent is amazing.

I can smell flowers and grass too.

I wish all the men of Goryeo...

could be as sensitive as you.

If only there were...

one more woman who was as beautiful as you in Goryeo,

I would not have been attracted to men.

Your Majesty.

Your words make me feel happy...

and sad at the same time.

I will wait inside.

You can take your time.

So, what brings you here?

You look as though you have something to say.

Yes.

Actually, disrespectful rumors have been going around.

I came to ask you about it.

What rumors are so disrespectful?

Has my moaning made...

Buddha angry or something?

It is not anything like that.

I hear that in Cheonchu Hall,

there are some people...

who call the Right Senior Executive's son the Crown Prince.

Your Majesty.

Yes, Mother.

How is it you address your brother...

as the Right Senior Executive's son?

He, like you, was born from my womb.

Is he nothing but the Right Senior Executive's son to you?

Please forgive me.

I have misspoken.

Since we are on the topic, let me ask you this.

Since your younger days, you have been more interested...

in men than in women.

Thanks to that, you have yet to sire a single heir until now.

So who do you intend to pass down your throne to?

It would not have to be my direct heir,

as long as it is of King Taejo's bloodline.

And who is left from that bloodline?

According to royal customs, the emperor of Goryeo...

must have a mother and father who are both of King Taejo's bloodline.

However, you would be...

- the last of such emperors. - Mother.

The next emperor of Goryeo will be your brother.

I will raise him to be the emperor, just like I did for you.

Mother!

Keep that in mind and return to your chambers now.

Go on.

As you said,

it is true that it has become difficult to find a proper heir.

However, it is not true that no one else is left.

Who are you referring to right now?

The one you kicked out of the palace.

I mean Prince Daeryangwon.

I mean the son that your sister gave birth to.

Your Majesty.

I am still young.

So, the matter of deciding the heir to the throne...

should not be rushed.

If you are in such a rush,

I will also make haste...

and call Prince Daeryangwon to the palace.

Your Majesty!

Monk, you should stop drinking now.

People are staring.

- Beob Gong. - Yes?

Why are you calling me Monk again?

I am not a monk.

I have never even dreamed of becoming one.

Still, do you not think that others would see you as a monk?

Please stop drinking.

Monk!

- There you go again. - Then...

what on earth am I supposed to call you?

Call me Your Highness, the Crown Prince.

- What? - I am royalty.

One day, I will become the emperor of this nation.

So, you should call me that.

Some punk is dressed like a monk and drinking liquor.

That monk must have a lot of concerns.

I doubt he is a real monk.

He must be a runaway...

who found some monk's robes and put them on.

Hey, there. Watch your mouths.

That man is Prince Daeryangwon.

He is royalty.

Royalty, my foot.

Goodness, you gullible bunch.

Do you believe that?

If he is royalty, he should reside in the palace in Gaegyeong.

What is he doing in Mount Samgak?

Clearly, that shameless fool...

told you a blatant lie.

If that idiot is royalty, I am King Taejo.

- King Taejo! - My goodness.

What did you just say?

Monk.

Did you just insult me?

How dare you insult the royal house of Goryeo?

Gosh, I am so scared.

We are dead meat now.

Okay, we heard you. So go back and finish your drink.

A precious member of the royal house wishes to disgrace the Buddha.

No one will stop you.

What did you say?

You are asking to get killed, are you not?

Then I shall grant your wish and kill you.

Monk, hurry up and run!

That rat. Get him!

Hey!

Come and have a look!

Get him! That little...

Darn you!

You rat. Stop right there!

- Stop right there! - That rat.

- Hey! - Catch him!

Hey, darn you!

- Get him! - Darn it!

- That little... - Hey, go that way.

Darn it.

Step back!

I am royal.

I am telling you the truth!

- We know. - What?

That is why we went through the hassle of staging all this.

Everyone will think you got stabbed...

by some scoundrels while on a drunken rampage and died.

Well, then. Rest in peace.

Drop your daggers, all of you.

Now!

Your Highness, are you all right?

Yes.

Your Highness, please tell me.

Where were you?

I looked everywhere for you but could not find you,

so I came to the village as fast as I could.

Thank you.

You saved my life.

Why did you sneak out of the temple?

I told you that some suspicious-looking men were seen...

in the area recently.

Please do not leave the temple from now on.

Your Highness.

Even the cat in the garden at the main hall...

goes out whenever it wants.

What did I do wrong...

that I am not allowed to leave the temple?

Your Highness Prince Daeryangwon.

I am certain that you can also guess...

who sent those assassins.

They will never give up.

All you can do is be extremely careful at all times.

- Your Highness. - That is enough.

I will take care of myself. Giddyap!

(Temple Sinhyeol)

(Main Hall)

Aunt.

Will you have me killed?

Was kicking me out to this faraway place not enough for you?

You used to care for me.

Every time you saw me, your eyes welled up with tears,

and you always felt sad for me.

So, why are you doing this?

Why are you doing this to me?

Why?

Why?

Mother, then will I be Wang Hyun from now on?

Should I not be Kim Hyun?

You are from royal blood.

You are King Taejo's descendant.

Hence, your surname should be Wang. Do you understand?

Yes, Mother.

Very well. What did you study today?

In the morning, I studied "The Classic of Filial Piety."

Then I read some Buddhist texts in the afternoon.

Is that so? I am truly proud of you.

You will grow up to be a wonderful emperor.

Yes, Mother. I will become a wise king...

and make you happy.

My gosh. My adorable Crown Prince.

My adorable son.

I told you to make sure he would never leave the temple.

Why did you disobey me?

I told him that he should not do it.

However, he did not listen to me.

Then you should have come to me right away and told me.

Please forgive me.

I will not let him leave again.

I am royal.

Forget the chief monk. Even the King's teacher...

cannot lay a finger on royalty.

Only the members of the royal family...

can scold and punish me.

That is why you were whipped in my stead.

So, do not be sad.

Do you understand?

Why are you all quiet?

Do you understand?

If you are sorry,

just say so.

Is it that hard?

Fine. I am sorry.

Do you think just saying sorry...

would cut it?

What?

Please be gentle.

I am being gentle.

You do not know how much it hurts, do you?

You have never been caned, have you?

You have?

Yes. I have, just once.

- It was when I was around your age. - Really?

Who dared to hit you?

The Queen Dowager did.

What?

She ordered me to shave my head and join the priesthood.

But I disobeyed her.

Even as my calves got covered in blood,

I refused to leave.

Listen to her words.

Your Majesty.

I will have you come back.

I will never forget about you.

It is a promise.

Good grief.

How pitiful.

- It breaks my heart. - Let us go.

But he must have forgotten about me.

Your Majesty. The Right Senior Executive is making his way here.

Your Majesty.

It is deep in the night.

What brings you here to Cheonchujeon?

The Queen Dowager wanted to see me.

Was Your Majesty also on your way to Cheonchujeon?

I was on my way to give her an evening greeting. But...

I shall just return for the day.

Well then.

Go ahead.

Understood.

Right Senior Executive.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Thank you.

Through you,

the Queen Dowager has received great comfort.

I am much obliged.

However,

do not get too greedy...

with that favor you have gained.

Even in your dreams,

if you hope to make Goryeo the country of the Kim Family...

and not the Wang Family,

I will not forgive you.

Always...

keep that in mind.

When will I hear that the child is nowhere to be seen?

Did you not promise to bring good news today?

My apologies.

Finding a way to avoid the people's eyes...

and not fall under the suspicion of the King...

has been quite difficult.

Does that mean you have failed?

Do not worry.

You will soon hear good news.

Please act as if...

you know nothing, Your Majesty.

I, alone, will incur Buddha's wrath.

And I, alone,

will enter the fiery pit.

Your Majesty...

should stay as a beautiful lady.

That is how you can make me happy.

If you fall into the fiery pit,

I will follow you.

Even if I must destroy Buddha's power,

I will save you from the fiery pit.

Your Majesty.

If needed, you may use my power.

I want our dear Hyun to become the Crown Prince quickly.

And with that,

I want to make you happy as soon as possible.

Your Majesty.

What do you mean by that?

That you will bring Prince Daeryangwon back to the palace.

I think it is for the best.

Your Majesty.

I may be a foolish emperor,

but there are two things I am determined to do.

One is to protect my faithful chancellors...

so the Royal Court does not collapse.

And the other is to succeed the throne...

to King Taejo's descendant properly.

And that very descendant is Prince Daeryangwon.

I hope you will honor my wish.

Your Majesty. I would rather have you kill me.

- What? - Appoint Prince Daeryangwon...

as the Crown Prince...

and the vassals will take his side from that day on.

Then Your Majesty will become a powerless king.

I would rather die now than to watch that happen.

Please kill me.

Stop at once.

Why will you not understand me?

Your Majesty. I am being sincere.

Please kill me.

All right.

I will wait.

Until you decide to follow my wish,

I will wait.

So,

please stop crying. Come now.

Stop.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Welcome back.

- Did anything happen? - No, nothing happened.

Has there not been news from Gaegyeong yet?

No, we have not received any reply.

There is no way we will get one.

His Majesty is frantically fooling around with Yoo Haeng Gan,

and the Queen Dowager is busy in bed with Kim Chi Yang.

Lord Cho.

You said too much.

Too much, my foot. It is the truth.

You should still watch your mouth.

Many men of the Right Senior Executive are especially here in Seogyeong.

Fine.

From now on, I will live like an idiot like you lords.

Good grief. He will get in big trouble at that rate.

In case something might happen again,

I had this made.

If you must hide in haste,

use this room.

Are you telling me to go down there and hide?

Why not just tell me to hide in a crock?

Your Highness.

You are truly trying to insult me, are you not?

Your Highness!

Goodness.

You must not fail.

See the end of it no matter what. Understood?

Yes. I will mark your words.

Let us go.

Let us go.

Come on. Be more thorough.

If you do such a haphazard job, I will be the one to get scolded later.

There is still dust in the corner over there.

Gosh, my back.

Yes. You can stop now.

It is my job.

I will do it.

Gosh.

Oh, my back.

This is all about practicing good deeds.

From now on, Buddha will take good care of you.

I have abandoned such hope a long time ago.

- What? - It is all in vain.

If praying to Buddha was really enough to make your wishes come true,

he would not have left me in this state until now.

Your Highness.

It is all a delusion.

It is just a delusion...

that powerless people cling to.

Let us go.

Welcome.

Where have you come from?

I am a court lady from Cheonchu Hall.

I have come on orders from Her Highness, the Queen Dowager.

What reason might bring you here?

She is concerned about the health of Prince Daeryangwon.

She has sent him some food.

Where is he now?

- Get out here! - Hurry up!

- What is going on? - Get out here!

Why are you doing this?

What do you mean?

You do not know where he is?

Once he steps outside to get some air,

he sometimes returns in the middle of the night...

or even days later at other times.

Then, you should at least find out where he is headed.

How have you been treating such an important person...

that you do not even know his destination?

What can I do when he will not tell me?

He is not someone who is required to tell me...

where he is headed every time.

If he returns tonight, I will have him eat this food.

Since you have to return all the way to Gaegyeong,

you should get going before it gets too late.

I have been ordered by the Queen Dowager to check how Prince Daeryangwon is doing,

no matter what.

Even if it takes days, I will see him before I leave.

Your Majesty. There is big trouble.

What is going on?

Her Highness, the Queen Dowager, has called all the court officials...

to gather in the great hall.

I think she is up to something.

You should head over there now. Hurry.

My days as the regent are in the past,

but there was an urgent matter I had to discuss with all of you.

That is why I have taken this seat instead of His Majesty.

I am not sure what this is about,

but this is against the court's customs.

That is right.

This act is damaging to His Majesty's authority.

Please end this immediately.

I have done this because this matter is more urgent...

than protecting His Majesty's authority.

I have stepped up...

because leaving it to His Majesty does not seem to be getting anywhere.

What is this urgent matter?

It is the matter of deciding the heir to the throne.

As you all know, His Majesty does not have an heir.

It has been over 12 years since he took the throne,

but he has yet to produce even a princess.

If His Majesty were to suddenly face a tragic accident,

what would happen then?

The future of Goryeo is so precarious,

and yet, what are all of you doing?

I could not just sit back and watch any longer, so I had to step up.

Today, I will make sure that we choose the heir to the throne...

and save Goryeo's future...

from the depths of darkness that it is stuck in.

Then...

who do you mean we should name as the Crown Prince?

My son...

and His Majesty's brother, Wang Hyun,

will be the Crown Prince.

(Yoo Bang, Fourth Rank General)

Mother. Please stop this.

I cannot stop.

You should follow my word now too.

For Goryeo,

you should accept your mother's wishes.

Your Majesty.

If you wish it so much,

I will follow your word.

Your Majesty.

If deciding the heir to the throne...

is such an urgent matter,

I will do so. However,

it shall not be my brother.

The person who will become the next emperor...

is Prince Daeryangwon.

Your Majesty.

Prince Daeryangwon has already left the secular world and become a monk.

He left for a faraway place long ago,

and we have not even heard...

whether he is alive or dead.

He is alive.

We have not heard any news because he is still alive.

What if he is dead?

Tell me.

Speak clearly in front of everyone here.

If Prince Daeryangwon is dead,

then who is the rightful heir to the throne?

Hurry up and tell us, Your Majesty.

If it is not Prince Daeryangwon,

who can ascend the throne?

Who else is there, except for my son, Wang Hyun?

Tell us, Your Majesty.

Who will be the next emperor of Goryeo?

- What should we do? - I do not know.

(Seolseondang)

The food is getting cold.

- Bring the brazier. - Yes, madam.

- Look, Court Lady. - What is it?

Why are you so obsessed with the food?

What is in the food?

The Queen Dowager's affection, of course.

His Highness Prince Daeryangwon must have this meal.

Bring it to me.

I will heat up the food myself.

Yes, madam.

Why does the floor echo so much?

Come in at once.

Look under the floorboards.

- Yes, madam. - Yes, madam.

What are you doing now?

Why are you being like this?

Stop this at once!

Leave the room.

- Court Lady. - Now!

What are you doing? Court Lady.

- Put this away at once. - Yes, madam.

(Korea-Khitan War)

Why do we assume that he is dead when he is alive?

Prince Daeryangwon is alive.

We must conquer Goryeo.

Khitan will invade Goryeo again. I am sure of it.

(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)