Original subtitles

Your Imperial Majesty.

What is all this?

These are goods to be used in Heungdeok Palace.

Let me take a look.

I am curious to know what you bought.

It is nothing much.

Do not be shy.

Your Imperial Majesty.

Is there something I am not supposed to see?

Not at all.

Step aside.

What is the matter, Your Imperial Majesty?

Get them inside, now.

Take the goods inside.

What is all this gold?

Master Yeon here

wanted to thank Your Imperial Majesty for granting them exclusive trade rights.

I told her to bring them.

My apologies.

I could not request an audience with you,

so I asked Her Grace.

Do you expect us to believe that?

What is it

that you suspect?

Your Imperial Majesty.

Give an order to have all of these goods inspected immediately.

If the other chests are filled with gold,

-then it must-- -Open the rest.

That is enough.

You may stop.

Just to be safe,

you must only bring one chest of gold per day.

Yang seems different.

Her eyes, her manners...

It seems like there is a wall between us.

She feels so distant to me.

Imperial Noble Consort Ki has always

kept her distance from Your Imperial Majesty.

It is merely that you are now seeing her true colors,

which you failed to see in the past.

I would not have come this far without her.

Yet you cannot deny that you have been hurt by her.

-Enough. -Your Imperial Majesty.

You will never be able to have her

if you keep letting her have her way with you.

You have to keep her under your thumb

if you truly wish to win her heart completely.

You are not the weak, lonely emperor that you once were.

Do not let a mere concubine hurt you--

Watch what you say!

"A mere concubine"?

I am prepared to die

to say what must be said.

I do not care how much she hurts my feelings.

I will never give up on her.

-Your Imperial Majesty. -I said, enough!

Anyone

who speaks ill of her in front of me

will not be forgiven.

I think it is best to tell His Imperial Majesty everything.

We cannot.

He will use the fund to finance the war.

I will try to convince him.

That will be...

the best for him.

A war of conquest, Your Imperial Majesty?

Why are you all so surprised?

Your Imperial Majesty,

this is no time for a war.

The people are suffering from famine and epidemics.

We cannot afford a war.

Please think of the people.

War is out of the question, Your Imperial Majesty.

-Grand Councillor Baekan. -Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

What is the right way

to deal with disobedient subjects?

This is treason.

Give me your command,

and I will cut off their treasonous heads here and now.

Grand Councillor Baekan, read the edict.

"In order to recover the glories of our past

accomplished by the Great Khans,

I plan to raise my sword and head the military.

Each province shall provide 20,000 men

to make up an army of 200,000 in total."

What...

"Also, Unnam, Yeongbuk, Sacheon, and Seomseo provinces

will provide sulfur, saltpeter, iron, and copper, respectively,

for war supplies.

The other provinces shall provide their provisions.

Goryeo will provide 10,000 men, 2,000 horses,

and the necessary provisions.

All must follow the Emperor's will."

You and the people will be rewarded

with the glory of victory and the spoils of war.

Grand Councillor Baekan will command the war himself.

Follow his orders

as if they are mine.

Grand Councillor Baekan

at your service.

What are you talking about?

It is time to strengthen the government.

We must appoint officials by restoring the state exams

and reduce the number of military officials to reform--

Taltal.

We have never ruled the world with ink.

We have come this far by pouring our blood, sweat and tears.

Nations are founded through wars,

but what holds them together are ideology and knowledge.

You...

are my most trusted vassal

and my kin.

Do not let me down.

-Uncle Baekan-- -Enough!

Grand Councillor, Imperial Noble Consort Ki has come.

I am busy. Tell her I will meet with her another time.

I, too, am busy.

Yeoncheol was also dogmatic

and self-righteous when he was in that position.

You are no different

from Yeoncheol.

Yeoncheol

used his authority to satisfy his own greed.

But I dream of only one thing.

All I want is to restore our Empire

for the greater glory of our Emperor.

You want to be remembered

as the greatest warrior of the Empire's history.

In order to achieve your goal, you must slay as many enemies as possible.

You need to conquer lands drenched with the blood of our enemies.

That is why you encourage His Imperial Majesty

to squeeze the people dry to go on war.

If that is not self-aggrandizement,

then what is?

Have you seen the mirage of the North?

Do you have any idea what it is like

to live off rats

and to ride until the reins dig into your frozen flesh?

We were dead

the moment our horses stopped.

We continued riding just to survive,

and trampled upon those

who tried to stop our horses.

That is the fate

we, the warriors of Mongol, must face.

Looting and murdering innocent people

cannot be justified in any way.

A wolf

cannot be tamed.

A predator needs prey in order to survive.

That is the only way we, the heirs of the Blue Wolves,

have survived to this day.

A woman from a nice place like Goryeo

can never understand the hearts of warriors.

That is why

I opposed your enthronement.

And would I have been worthy of becoming the Empress

had I been a warmonger?

I...

care for Your Grace a lot.

But for the sake of the Empire,

I will disregard

my personal emotions.

Your Grace must give up your greed

so that I can protect you.

Baekan.

He is a more frightening figure than Yeoncheol was.

General.

-Food is here. -Food.

How long has it been since we last had food?

General. If you please.

I am fine. You eat it.

All right.

But General, why did you want to come to this temple all of a sudden?

I got a message

from the leader of the Eagle House.

Our leader wants you to wait at Yeongak Temple.

Have you heard anything about the leader of the Eagle House?

When I asked the master of the Yeongyeong branch in secret,

he told me that

the leader is inside the Palace.

He is in the Palace?

Then he must know who you are.

Do you have any idea who it might be?

I am trying to figure it out.

The leader of the Eagle House must hold a high position in the court.

There was a reason why the leader showed you kindness.

Anyway, that is excellent news for us.

-You filthy beggar. -Sorry.

You were talking, so I thought you were done eating.

Damn you.

That greedy good-for-nothing.

I am starving.

There is...

no way to stop the war.

Then we will have to

turn it into an opportunity.

If my plan works,

the Yuan military and finances

will be in your hands.

And

I, too, will get what I want.

Tell me more.

I will return to Goryeo

first thing in the morning.

Eunuch Bang and Jeom-bak will stay here.

They will form a new group of merchants with Yeon Bisu and Mak-saeng.

That is Seung-nyang.

That wench is here?

She is conspiring something with Wang Yu in the main temple.

-Hold on. -Are you crazy?

-We will all be killed if we get caught. -Please, General.

I cannot believe that I cannot kill

my worst enemy when she is right before my eyes!

I have a brilliant idea.

An idea?

There is this old saying.

"Use any means possible

to find out your foe's weakness."

What does that even mean?

You will find out when the time comes.

That wench

will fall into my clutches.

Where did you go at this hour?

I went to pray at Yeongak Temple.

What did you pray for?

I prayed that the blood of your people

will never be shed on the battlefield.

You wasted your breath.

Your Imperial Majesty.

You can still withdraw your command for the war.

Why are you opposing everything I do these days?

Years of famine have left the people in misery.

If you start a conquest now,

their resentment will fall on you.

I told you not to interfere in this matter.

Each drop of our enemy's blood

will cost ten of our own.

Do you really not know

what your people want?

Yeokrin is mentioned in Han Feizi.

Have you heard of it?

It refers to a scale

on a dragon's neck that is pointing the opposite direction of others.

Exactly.

A dragon is born docile.

You can even ride on its back if you tame it well.

But the moment you touch that scale, it will fly into a rage

and kill you.

I once told you

that you could use me to take your revenge.

You may ride on my back

and use my influence for your own ends.

But there is one thing you must not touch.

This is the last desperate decision I made

to restore the failing Empire and become a true Emperor.

So I urge you not to touch the scale on my neck.

Do not turn me into a raging dragon.

If I do,

will you kill me with your rage?

Are you telling me

that you will kill me if I go against your will?

You have always been on my side.

You are my iron-willed partner.

You are the only person I can trust and depend on.

Whatever I do, I do it for you and Ayu.

So I am asking you to trust me.

Please support me, Yang,

so I can become a true emperor.

Someday, you will understand.

Everything I do

is for Your Imperial Majesty.

I heard that each province was told

to provide a certain amount of provisions.

Unnam Province

is to provide sulfur.

Yeongbuk Province is to provide saltpeter.

Those are the ingredients

for explosives.

The other provinces are to provide iron and tin.

Tell the governors of each province

to provide manpower and provisions,

but to provide only the minimum amount

of sulfur, saltpeter, iron, and tin.

What is your plan?

The rest

will be provided by a trader I know.

You may enter.

I am Master Yeon.

At your service, I am Bang Sin-u.

They will

buy the minerals from each province

and sell them to the military at a profit.

Then we will share some of the profit

with the governors of each province.

Are you saying

you are going to use the war to do business?

It is the only way to feed our starving people.

But if it goes wrong,

the lives of everyone involved in this plan will be at risk.

War or no war,

our lives are always at risk.

This is not to fill the stomachs of the governors of the provinces.

The profit must be used to provide relief to the people.

Do not forget that.

Yes, Your Grace.

I will remember that.

Your Grace.

How is it that you are holding Prince Maha?

We were told that the Prince often gets lonely.

Empress Dowager has ordered us concubines to spend more time with him.

His Imperial Highness must want to be held by Your Grace.

Would you like to hold him?

Your Imperial Highness, would you not like to stay in my arms?

Why are you reaching out to Her Grace?

Let us go.

Did you see how she was disgusted by the little Prince?

I was so anxious that she might drop him on purpose while pretending to hold him.

Drop him on purpose?

Your Imperial Majesty.

What did you rat on me to the Empress Dowager today?

What do you mean, Your Imperial Majesty?

I am well aware that you report my every move

to the Empress Dowager.

Your Imperial Majesty,

you are mistaken.

Court Lady Yeon.

Did you bring this tea?

As you commanded, Your Imperial Majesty.

Poison...

You must have a death wish.

It was not me.

Please, believe me.

I saw you poison the tea.

I am innocent.

I never...

Silence!

Are you calling me a liar?

Please, forgive me.

Spare me, Your Imperial Majesty.

When do you attend to Prince Maha?

When his nurse takes her meal,

I attend to him for a while.

Then do as I tell you.

Come closer.

Do not be frightened.

Prove your loyalty to me,

and I will reward you accordingly.

-No, no. -"No, no"?

No.

Empress.

What has you so distracted?

Pardon?

Well...

The Princes are so adorable.

Imperial Noble Consort Ki,

speak to the Emperor on her behalf

so that she can have a baby as well.

It is only natural for an empress to give birth to an heir.

Your Highness, may I look after Prince Maha and Prince Ayu

at least once every few days?

Do you wish to have a child that badly?

That is one thing.

Another is that brothers need to be affectionate toward each other,

but they rarely spend time together.

I fear it will lead to acrimony when they are older.

I will tend to Ayu.

Empress is not wrong.

They have the same father, after all.

If you insist,

I will attend to Prince Maha from time to time.

All right.

Goodness. He must be jealous of Prince Ayu.

Leave him be.

Here.

Eunuch Bang is here.

Have you been...

Welcome.

This is the list of officials

that you must win over.

Eunuch Bang.

Yes, Your Grace.

By the way,

how are you

tending to Prince Maha?

It somehow turned out this way.

Your Grace, I have come to escort Prince Maha.

-Take him with you. -Yes, Your Grace.

No.

Your Imperial Highness.

Why is he crying all of a sudden?

Do not cry, Your Imperial Highness.

If you will excuse me.

When will you reveal

that Maha is not His Imperial Majesty's son?

If I act rashly,

it will cause harm to Ayu.

But you should reveal the truth before he is appointed a crown prince.

Something about him...

makes me pity him.

What is it? Are you crying?

Her Grace was holding Prince Maha.

She will not recognize him, will she?

Prince Maha hated

to leave her arms, and it broke my heart.

Quiet. There is nothing we can do.

Just the thought of him

breaks my heart.

I will come right back after I finish my meal.

Take your time.

There, there.

It is okay.

Why does he not stop crying?

-What happened? -I do not know.

I just got back from my meal.

He does not have a fever.

Is he hurt?

What...

Oh, my goodness.

-What is this? -They are bruises, Your Highness.

It looks like someone has pinched him, Your Highness.

How did this happen?

I have no idea, Your Highness.

Please, believe me.

"No idea"?

If you do not know, then who does?

He was with Her Grace earlier.

What?

Imperial Noble Consort Ki?

Come to think of it, His Imperial Highness was crying

when I went to escort him.

Why, that...

How could she do such a thing?

She would not have done such a thing to him.

Where is Imperial Noble Consort Ki?

She left to join His Imperial Majesty.

Your Highness.

I cannot believe her.

What kind of devil would do something like this?

Your Imperial Highness.

Allow me. Let me take the Prince.

No, I will hold him.

Look how my little man laps it up.

How fascinating.

People will say you are doing something beneath your dignity.

What is so wrong with a father feeding his son?

What brings you here?

Imperial Noble Consort Ki.

Your Highness.

Even if he may be Tanashilli's son,

how could you do such a thing to the little prince?

Your Highness!

Prince Maha is covered in bruises.

Imperial Noble Consort Ki abused Prince Maha!

I knew that you were of a nasty nature.

But how could you do that to a child?

What if it was not her doing?

How will you take responsibility for this?

Your Imperial Majesty,

did you just raise your voice at me?

You rushed into my chamber and slapped Imperial Noble Consort Ki.

Do you call that proper behavior?

I am the Empress Dowager.

I was like a mother to you--

Even so,

no one is more precious to me than Imperial Noble Consort Ki is.

Do you understand?

She abused Prince Maha.

Please come to your senses!

She would never do such a thing.

You are bewitched.

This is pathetic to see.

-Chief Eunuch Dok-man. -Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

Arrest all female attendants who looked after...

No, arrest all that even went near Prince Maha.

Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

Bring Prince Maha, too.

Since you are so sure it was me,

I shall do what I can to put your suspicion of me to rest.

How dare she touch Prince Maha?

I will not let this slide.

Prince Maha is here.

What now?

We will find out who hurt him.

Prince Maha, come to me.

Would he come to me if I had hurt him?

He may not speak yet.

But he will know the face

of the person who tried to hurt him.

Each of you will hold Prince Maha.

Your Imperial Highness.

It was you.

No, Your Grace.

Why would I...

I am innocent, Your Highness.

Court Lady Yeon would never--

What are you doing?

Take her away.

-Halt. -Take her away.

Do you dare to contradict me?

It was His Imperial Majesty's orders.

Take her away immediately!

I did not do it.

I am innocent, Your Highness.

I am innocent!

It was you

who ordered her to carry out the evil deed.

This is not something Court Lady Yeon could have done on her own.

Imperial Noble Consort Ki.

Are you trying to say I am involved--

I know Your Highness has nothing to do with it.

Give me some time,

and I will find out

who is behind it.

I swear...

I know...

nothing.

Your Grace,

I know nothing.

Please believe me.

Everyone, wait outside.

You are in a very difficult place.

If you confess that the Empress was behind it,

she will kill you without anyone knowing.

If you remain silent,

I will kill you.

Yeon-hwa, I know you well.

Did we not work together as maids?

Spare me, Your Grace.

I am sorry.

Do not be afraid.

I will not kill you.

Your Grace.

When Prince Maha was born,

you and Court Lady Seo...

were the ones who delivered him.

I know that he is not the Emperor's son.

When the time comes,

you will reveal the truth yourself.

This is the reason

I am sparing your life.

Do you understand?

Yes,

I understand, Your Grace.

Her Imperial Majesty has arrived.

Your Imperial Majesty.

I am to blame for all of this.

Has she...

said anything?

Yes,

she has.

Leave us.

Who put her up to it?

Tell me.

It was the Empress Dowager.

Will you tell His Imperial Majesty?

That will bring so much trouble in the Imperial House.

We should cover it up.

Imperial Noble Consort Ki, this is not something to cover up.

Have you forgotten the attempted poisoning of Prince Ayu?

So that was...

also your doing.

To think that all this was the Empress Dowager's doing,

it is quite terrifying.

Please let me know if I can be of any help.

I will ask for your help...

when the time comes.

I understand.

What do you plan on doing with Court Lady Yeon?

She is an important witness

who will testify against the Empress Dowager.

I leave her

in your keeping.

Of course.

Your Majesty, congratulations on your reinstatement.

-Congratulations, Your Majesty. -Congratulations, Your Majesty.

Thank you

for your warm welcome.

Your Majesty, 10,000 men, 2,000 horses,

provisions, and tributes are ready to be sent to the Yuan dynasty.

With your permission--

We will not support the Yuan military.

As long as I remain on the throne,

I will not allow any of my people to be sent to the Yuan dynasty.

Moreover, I will not send any valuables to the Yuan dynasty as tribute.

Your Majesty, we cannot strain our relations with the Yuan dynasty.

You only just got reinstated--

I am not finished.

Those whose names are called should step forward.

"Chief State Councillor Kang Do-han."

Yes, Your Majesty.

"Assistant Chancellor Choi Hwan.

Assistant Chancellor Kim I-jung.

Deputy Minister of State Yun Ji-gyeom.

Minister of Personnel Hong Seung-hak.

Minister of Revenue Lee Cheol.

Minister of Rites Yun Seung.

Minister of War Kwon Kyeom.

Chancellor of Security Council Park Ui."

You have,

in collusion with the Yuan dynasty,

committed the vilest atrocities.

For your crimes

against your nation

and for troubling the public sentiment,

I will strip you of your noble titles

and confiscate all your assets.

Your Majesty, this is unheard of.

We ask you to rescind your decree immediately.

Silence!

I will find out all the crimes you have committed

and even behead some of you

depending on the seriousness of your crimes.

-Take them away. -Take them away!

-Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!

-Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!

-Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!

-Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!

He refused to provide military support?

Not only that.

He also refused to send concubines, eunuchs, and any other forms of tribute.

He ousted all the pro-Mongol aristocrats who were against his decision.

My goodness.

Your Imperial Majesty,

he has betrayed you.

You have to dethrone Wang Yu

and give your command to annex Goryeo right away.

This is not the right time to do so

as we are about to go on a war of conquest.

Are you saying

that I should overlook his flagrant impudence?

I have

a suggestion.

-Go on. -We should cut

all the sea routes to Goryeo.

Goryeo's economy heavily relies on

trade with its neighbors.

If we cut their trade routes,

we can put them under pressure to comply with our order.

Your Imperial Majesty, do as he suggests.

After we conquer the West,

I will march to Goryeo

and bring you Wang Yu's head.

Forbid all trade with Goryeo immediately.

Cut all sea lanes to Goryeo so that they cannot trade anything by sea.

As you command, Your Imperial Majesty.

As soon as he gets reinstated,

he has become unstoppable.

He ousted pro-Mongol aristocrats

and even reformed their currency.

He has turned on us as if he was waiting for this moment.

Why are you

telling me this?

I am sure

that Wang Yu discussed it with you beforehand.

Goryeo people here

were abandoned by their own country.

I am not interested in what happens to Goryeo, either.

I suggest

you keep it that way.

I am telling you this

for your own good.

An embargo

will do great damage to Goryeo.

Not necessarily.

Your Majesty, Yeon Bisu is here to see you.

I appreciate you coming.

Come closer.

You are acting like

we have never met.

Seeing you

on that throne

makes me feel a bit intimidated.

Please do not be.

You and I are friends,

and we have been through a lot together.

The Yuan dynasty has put in place an embargo.

So I heard.

Do you remember

when you lived as Batoreu?

Since we have no future,

why not build one together?

The Yuan dynasty has already seized control of the seas for trade.

The only thing they have not seized control of is the Silk Road.

I am definitely sure

that seizing control of the Silk Road will give hope

to both the Dolgwol and Goryeo.

Now the time has come

for you to keep your promise to me.

Open the Silk Road.

If the Yuan dynasty blocks the sea,

we will trade by land.

Not with the Yuan merchants,

but with the Semu.

SEMU: PEOPLE OF CENTRAL AND WEST ASIA

I grant you

the exclusive trading rights.

I ask you to prepare Goryeo ginseng and ramie cloth.

I will arrange trade with the West through the Silk Road.

Your Imperial Majesty, we are ready to set out.

At your command.

We do not know when this campaign will end.

Must you go with them?

A warrior must not dress in robes

and rest on his laurels.

You are a pillar of this country.

How can a house stand without its pillars?

Your Imperial Majesty,

it is important to win the first battle.

As soon as I turn the tide in our favor,

I will return to your side.

Please do.

Your advancing hoofbeats

will go down in history.

Survive,

and share the glory of victory with us!

Our lives are at your command.

-I pledge my loyalty to you! -I pledge my loyalty to you!

-I pledge my loyalty to you! -I pledge my loyalty to you!

-I pledge my loyalty to you! -I pledge my loyalty to you!

-I pledge my loyalty to you! -I pledge my loyalty to you!

-I pledge my loyalty to you! -I pledge my loyalty to you!

Your Imperial Majesty.

Your Imperial Majesty.

Baekan has already conquered the six cities of the Ilkhanate.

Is that true?

He is sweeping across the land

as if he is a reincarnation of Genghis Khan.

Inform our people

and share the glory of our victory with them.

Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

The victories in the early phase of the war do not mean much.

The longer the war lasts,

the greater the strain on the expeditionary forces.

Baekan has returned to Daedo, excited to relay the news of victory.

He has made a wrong move.

How is Yeon Bisu doing?

She is selling the sulfur and saltpeter the governors provided to the Ilkhanate.

Here is your share of the profit.

Thank you, Your Grace.

Use this to ease the famine for your people.

Need you ask?

Do not worry, Your Grace.

Your Imperial Majesty.

You must take a look at this.

It is a secret letter Wang Yu sent to Imperial Noble Consort Ki.

The deputy commander of the Kheshig intercepted it

before it got to Heungdeok Palace.

What does it say?

No one

is to know about this.

Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

Your Imperial Majesty,

why are you still up?

What was that letter about?

Your Imperial Majesty.

I just feel

grateful and happy

that you...

are here...

next to me.

What...

is wrong?

Do not...

Do not say a word.

Let us just stay like this, Yang.

"Find out your foe's weakness."

What an excellent idea.

With a fake letter,

you have planted a seed of doubt in the Emperor's mind about Ki.

It is not a total lie.

Wang Yu and Ki do indeed help each other.

Once a vase has a crack,

it will never be able to become whole again.

Once they are driven apart,

we will...

have our chance.

The leader of the Eagle House is here.

I ask...

for your help.

FIVE YEARS LATER

Be careful.

Thank you, Prince Maha.

Court Lady Seo.

Is it acceptable for an imperial noble consort

to treat the eldest prince of the Imperial House with disrespect?

Well...

Your Imperial Highness.

I am sorry.

I was proud to see you

looking after your little brother.

Your Grace.

The expeditionary force was once again routed.

Welcome, Prince Maha.

You look upset.

It is because of Imperial Noble Consort Ki.

Never forget.

She is the one who ruthlessly killed your birth mother.

She is a terrible person.

Your Imperial Majesty.

They were routed?

Another defeat?

Please compose yourself, Your Imperial Majesty.

And where is this defeated general?

He is waiting in the Emperor's palace.

Let me have a look at him.

-Arise. -Grand Councillor.

Please...

kill me.

-Kill us. -Kill us.

It could not be helped.

Grand Councillor.

-Grand Councillor. -Grand Councillor.

Your Imperial Majesty,

did you drink again?

Please, Yang.

Do not be a nag.

Your Imperial Majesty.

Still,

it is nice...

to see you.

It lifts my mind.

Your Imperial Majesty.

-Is it him? -It was a defeat,

but he still slaughtered 20,000 enemy soldiers with 3,000 men.

He still lost our territory, did he not?

He is a brave warrior.

He only lost because he had no reinforcements.

But...

this man...

-made a huge mistake. -A mistake?

He...

He...

ruined my mood.

How dare he ruin my mood?

Is he not worthy of death?

Do you not think so?

Your Imperial Majesty.

I will kill all of you and make sure you never talk again.

Your Imperial Majesty!

Do you think that I will not be able to kill you?

Your Imperial Highness, did you cry?

How despicable and disgusting!

Watch what you say.

How dare Wang Yu ignore my orders?

Bring him to me now.

If the King does not come outside,

I, too, shall not move from here.

He wants me to come and greet him?

He has grown up to be an audacious young boy.

Subtitle translation by Eun-jin Kim