Original subtitles

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.

Please...

Please spare me.

Yeoncheol's puppet.

You are just a figurehead.

You are a moron.

How dare you

laugh at me?

Your Imperial Majesty.

You call me Yeoncheol's puppet?

-Your Imperial Majesty. -I will kill you all.

I will kill all of you

and make sure you never talk again.

Your Imperial Majesty.

-Please do not do this. -Stand aside.

Did you not hear them laugh at me?

They just called me Yeoncheol's puppet and laughed at me!

They insulted me.

Your Imperial Majesty!

Pull yourself together.

-Stand aside. -Your Imperial Majesty!

I get it.

You, too, must be looking down on me.

I see that you have no respect for me whatsoever.

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

-Uncle Baekan. -Stand down.

Your Imperial Majesty, I will gladly

offer my life

if it brings you to your senses.

-Move! -Kill me, Your Imperial Majesty.

Move, Baekan!

It is me.

Yang?

Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

It is I, Yang.

Yang...

Yang...

Are you hearing the voices again?

-Your Imperial Majesty! -Your Imperial Majesty.

-Your Imperial Majesty. -Your Imperial Majesty.

Your Imperial Majesty.

Your Imperial Majesty!

I am scared.

I do not know

what has gotten into me.

You should call the soldiers...

back to the Yuan dynasty.

If I stop now,

I will be called

a loser for the rest of my life.

No one...

would think of you that way.

I do not want to be laughed at again.

Not by anyone.

Then...

at least promise me one thing.

You should abstain from drinking alcohol.

All right, I promise.

I will never...

drink again. Not even a sip.

Your Imperial Majesty, have I...

upset you in any way?

You do not look at me

the way you used to.

If you are upset with me for any reason,

please tell me now.

Are you...

I wonder...

if you are hiding something from me...

Please let me know what is bothering you.

Never mind. It is nothing.

Your Imperial Majesty.

You are the only one...

who can stop me.

You are the only one, Yang.

Only you...

Yang...

We have been driving a wedge between them for five years.

The Emperor is supposed to have sent Ki away by now.

But we still have not heard anything.

What is it? Why are you so serious?

It is a report

from our spies in the Ilkhanate.

Goryeo is selling sulfur and saltpeter to the Ilkhanate?

It is something

Wang Yu would do.

When do you see Court Lady Yeon again?

Tomorrow, she will be out of the Palace running errands.

Ask her

to bring Court Lady Seo next time.

Have you finally decided to meet Prince Maha?

The Empress Dowager

has to see this.

Pardon?

The Empress Dowager, and not the Emperor?

She is bringing up Maha.

We need to strengthen her influence.

Do you think that she will step forward?

She is an ambitious woman.

She is not one to stay in the background.

We should tell the leader.

Send word.

Yes, General.

"Where virtue fails,

evil rules."

What does that mean?

It means that a day without virtuous thoughts

gives free rein to evil.

It is a quote by Zhuang Zhou.

Please continue reading.

"A lifetime of virtue is not enough.

A single day full of evil is too much."

It is still not enough even if you do virtuous deeds all your life.

But it stays all your life if you do an evil deed just a single day.

Your progress is impressive.

I teach him one thing, and he infers ten.

Your Highness, I want to learn swordsmanship.

I am afraid you cannot.

If I become the next emperor,

I want to take my mother's revenge.

That is the spirit, Your Imperial Highness.

His Imperial Majesty will get furious if he finds out

that you are learning how to read and write.

Be patient, Your Imperial Highness.

Your day will come.

Repeat after me.

"The sky is black, and the earth is yellow."

"The sky is black, and the earth is yellow."

-"Space and time are vast and limitless." -"Space and time are vast and limitless."

-"The sun and moon rise and fall." -"The sun..."

-Are you sleepy already? -Yes.

How come you get sleepy every time you start reading?

Mother, I like learning how to read and write,

but it makes me sleepy.

You are just like His Imperial Majesty.

It is time for His Imperial Highness to visit His Imperial Majesty.

I will be back, Mother.

I can see why His Imperial Majesty adores His Imperial Highness so much.

He is more excited to see Prince Maha than His Imperial Majesty.

I think he should stop getting close to Prince Maha.

I pay my respects to you, Father.

I pay my respects to you, Father.

It is my little Ayu.

-Come here. -Yes.

I hear you are learning The Thousand Character Classic.

Let me hear them.

Heaven, earth,

-black, -That is right.

yellow, space, time, vast...

Vast and...

Vast and...

Look at you.

Is that all you know?

Prince Maha knows more.

Has Prince Maha been studying?

Well, Your Imperial Majesty...

Your Imperial Majesty.

I taught him.

I have taught him how to read and write.

I forbade you from learning either reading or fighting.

-Did you forget? -Your Imperial Majesty.

Why are you not answering?

Why can I not?

I told you not to ask for a reason.

I want to know.

Why can I not do what Ayu can?

How insolent!

I will not accept greetings from Prince Maha for a while.

Escort him out.

Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

Your Imperial Highness.

We should go.

Maha.

Escort Ayu out.

Yes, Your Highness.

Your Imperial Majesty, how can you be so heartless?

Do you really not know

why I treat him like this?

Yeoncheol did the same to you.

You were forbidden from learning to read or fight.

You are behaving just like him.

I would say

you are doing what he did far more than I am.

How so?

Do you think I do not know

why you keep Maha close to you?

Is it not to make him ascend to the throne

so that you can make him your puppet

just as Yeoncheol made me his?

That is absurd.

You cannot say you did not play a part in Tanashilli's death.

Why would you be so protective of Prince Maha now

after all you have done to his mother?

He is your son and the eldest prince of the Imperial House.

Are those reasons not enough?

I have heard enough. Leave me.

Your Imperial Majesty!

Did I not say I have heard enough?

I do not want to hear another word from you.

Tell Maha

to live like the world's biggest idiot.

I leave that to you.

That is the only way

for Maha to live a long and quiet life.

Your Imperial Highness.

Your Imperial Highness,

did you cry?

Now I know what it would have been like

for my mother.

Did something happen?

How despicable and disgusting!

You are out of line.

You are old enough to know better.

I do not know what the Empress Dowager told you,

but watch what you say.

He is still young,

but I can see that he has rage in his eyes.

You should reveal his true origins now.

Look.

I told you I would drive them apart.

The battle will only get more intense...

until one of them...

is dead.

Here.

Where is General Dang Gise?

He is expecting you. You should go in.

Yeon-hwa.

What is wrong with you?

What if Court Lady Seo sees us?

Did you like the gold ornament I gave you?

What kind of women would hate gold?

You coy woman.

How cute.

Come here.

General Dang.

I never thought I would see you again.

How is Prince Maha?

He is full of sorrow.

I pity him greatly. It is painful to watch.

It is time.

Tell Prince Maha

-his uncle is alive. -Yes.

Yes, General. I will.

Give this

to the Empress Dowager.

If she asks where it came from,

say you got it from a trader from the West.

Yes, as you say, General.

What led to our defeat?

There are many reasons.

But the main one is explosives.

The Ilkhanate seems to have an endless supply.

Someone has made a huge profit by supplying our enemy

with sulfur and saltpeter for making explosives.

Is this true?

Who is that person?

Show him.

Look at this.

-Wang Yu? -We have enforced

an embargo on Goryeo.

But he has managed to sell sulfur and saltpeter used to make explosives.

Our people are distraught

over the latest defeat.

We need someone to take the blame.

Dethrone Wang Yu.

We need more conclusive evidence.

I hear there is someone in Goryeo who can help us.

We can trust Deputy Minister of State Kim Sun-jo.

Tell him to forge a ledger

of Wang Yu's dealings with the Ilkhanate.

You want him to do a forgery?

We know it is Wang Yu.

If we do not have proof, we need to fabricate one.

All we need to do is have Kim Sun-jo send the Emperor a letter

demanding Wang Yu's dethronement along with the ledger.

It would be better if His Imperial Majesty

hears about this later on through the appeal letter.

Yes, Grand Councillor.

Okay.

Why did not you mention the collusion between Her Grace and Wang Yu?

They must be caught in the act.

Words are not enough.

Do you have a plan?

GAEGYEONG, GORYEO

To Your Imperial Majesty

from Goryeo Deputy Minister of State Kim Sun-jo.

King Wang Yu of Goryeo supplied

sulfur, saltpeter, iron, tin, and so on to the enemy of the Yuan dynasty

and made huge profits from it.

Also, he is using the said profits to build his military,

to march up north and take back the old Goryeo territory

currently under the Yuan dynasty's rule.

He is clearly a traitor

to Your Imperial Majesty.

Your loyal Goryeo servants beg to dethrone him.

Please consider our appeal.

THE YUAN IMPERIAL PALACE IN YEONGYEONG

Imperial Noble Consort Ki, have you heard

that the King of Goryeo committed treason against the Empire?

An appeal from the Goryeo officials will arrive tonight.

How do you know about that,

Your Imperial Highness?

He is responsible for my mother's death.

Naturally, I am interested.

Your Imperial Highness, shall we go?

Well done.

Will she really try to intercept the appeal?

She will if she really is working with Wang Yu.

She will try to stop it before it is too late.

Then...

Could Imperial Noble Consort Ki be tried for treason too?

We will make sure she will be.

Yes, surely.

-Are you sure? -Yes, Grand Councillor.

I saw a gatekeeper handing the documents over to Park Bul-hwa.

She has half the Kheshig on her side.

Sneaking documents is not a problem for her.

She will surely try to report the contents of the appeal to Wang Yu.

Keep watch.

She will make a move tonight.

Take care of it.

If she meets with Wang Yu's people,

arrest them on site.

Yes, Uncle Baekan.

Jadan and Mujin.

-Follow me. -Yes.

As I suspected,

Imperial Noble Consort Ki has been working with Wang Yu.

If she really has been,

even she cannot escape an execution.

Not just that.

This is our chance

to root out all the Goryeo moles Imperial Noble Consort Ki

has planted in the Imperial House.

Let us not waste another second.

We must inform His Imperial Majesty.

As you say, Your Highness.

What does it say?

They are supposed to sell sulfur and saltpeter to Yuan military.

Yet it says they sold it to the enemy.

What was Wang Yu thinking?

This does not match the number of materials I provided Eunuch Bang.

Do you mean the ledger has been forged?

They must be up to something.

If Wang Yu is caught, you will be put in danger as well.

Have you contacted Eunuch Bang?

Yes, Your Grace. He must be waiting for you.

-I will go out in disguise. -Yes, Your Grace.

Your Grace.

It seems like she is leaving the Palace as we expected.

Follow her. Do not let yourselves be seen.

What do you mean she betrayed us?

It cannot be.

You must be mistaken.

She took the ledger and the appeal sent from Goryeo.

She will get rid of the evidence

and contact Wang Yu.

If that is not proof of treason, what is?

Another secret letter has arrived

from Wang Yu to Her Grace.

You cannot ignore these.

Call Her Grace in and demand an explanation.

Burn it.

Are you not going to read it?

I told you to burn it.

Your Imperial Majesty.

Someone is trying to come between me and Imperial Noble Consort Ki.

Come to your senses now.

How long will you let her blind you like this?

Your Imperial Majesty, if she is, in fact, conspiring with Wang Yu,

you will have to behead her,

even if it causes you great pain.

Enough, both of you.

This is for the Empire. You must pull yourself together.

I said, enough!

Your Imperial Majesty.

Her Grace is here.

Imperial Noble Consort Ki,

-what brings you here? -These documents

arrived from Goryeo.

As the matter has to be dealt with immediately,

I have brought them to Your Imperial Majesty myself.

Sir.

We made a narrow escape, thanks to you.

Do not be mistaken.

I did not do it for Her Grace.

It was to save Goryeo people in the Palace.

Why is that?

You know the answer to that.

If you knew she was endangering us all,

you should have stopped her.

What Her Grace is doing

is for the Goryeo people here.

Do you really think she can beat the Yuan Imperial House?

That is impossible. You are deluded.

I believe Her Grace is doing the right thing.

Silence!

I helped Her Grace this time.

But next time,

I will report her myself.

You are from Goryeo, too.

You are wrong.

I abandoned Goryeo

when it abandoned me.

Then, do you belong to the Yuan dynasty?

If you are not one or the other,

what exactly are you?

I am nobody.

Some people do not belong anywhere.

They just carry on on their own.

That is why I value my life more than anything.

I am living a lonely and pathetic life

as there is no country to protect me.

Stay here long enough,

and you will understand what I mean.

I want Wang Yu apprehended and brought to me.

If he does not relinquish his throne,

it can complicate things.

Send an envoy to bring him here first.

I put my seal on this imperial message demanding his dethronement.

How dare Wang Yu

ignore my orders?

I know him well.

I would like to burn and raze Goryeo to the ground today,

but the timing is not right.

Send Deputy Minister Chang.

Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.

Are you watching Imperial Noble Consort Ki properly?

No one is allowed to enter Heungdeok Palace. Not even the traders

bringing items to the Imperial Palace.

She has more support than I thought she does.

We have to cut off her contact from the outside.

I understand.

I read the appeal and the ledger.

It is possible that the King's enemies

had forged the documents.

We will find out

once he gets here under arrest.

That is not right.

You should be more discreet

about his dethronement.

He may have more ties here

than I thought.

I do not care how many.

Even if I have to kill every official in the court,

I will wipe out those who betrayed me and the Great Yuan.

I do not want you to be under any suspicion.

I ask you to do nothing.

Find ways to send word to Eunuch Bang and Yeon Bisu.

It is too risky.

If Wang Yu is brought here,

it will not end with dethronement.

We have to prevent things from getting worse.

You are in danger too.

You need to stay low.

Prince Maha.

Did you say you would go to Goryeo?

Wang Yu killed my mother. I will bring him here myself.

Goryeo is very far.

How could you--

Give him permission, Your Highness.

We need Wang Yu here.

He will not suspect anything

if His Imperial Highness goes there with me.

Please, Your Highness.

I am not a child anymore.

If that is what you want, you should go.

I will speak with His Imperial Majesty.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Once you get Wang Yu across the border,

your uncle

will meet you.

My uncle?

Yes.

General Dang Gise is alive.

Is he Seung-nyang's child?

Is that Maha?

He looks very dignified.

He is all grown up now.

He looks just like his father even from afar.

I have got to visit Goryeo.

Why? You are busy here.

It makes me uneasy to think of the father and son meeting.

You look after things here.

If anything happens, send word immediately.

Right. Be safe.

I have something to report.

The King of Goryeo--

He knows.

The leader of the Eagle House

definitely is a high-ranking official.

It was a woman's hand.

Pardon?

A woman who holds a high rank in the Palace...

That would mean it is either the Empress Dowager or the Empress.

I must find out why they are helping us.

That way,

I can use them for my revenge.

If things go right,

we are able to get rid of Wang Yu and Ki all at once.

Where are you going?

I was on my way to see you.

You said

that you would keep an eye on how the secret fund would be used.

For the past two years,

you have used the fund to provide relief to the people suffering famine.

You also used it to win some of the key officials

and military officials over to your side.

So you knew.

My life is in your hands.

Did you assist our enemy without me knowing?

Never.

The famine is severe this year too.

Provide more food to the people.

I would like you to start taking actions.

I need your help so that I can work

for the good of the Empire.

If the first thing you ask

is to save Wang Yu, I must decline.

The funds that help Yuan people come from Goryeo.

Yeoncheol's secret fund

is already gone.

Please help me, Master Taltal.

GAEGYEONG, GORYEO

So, did you enjoy the sights of Goryeo?

It is the land of my enemy.

I never want to come again.

Prince Maha?

Why has he come all the way here

when he is only a child?

Yes, Your Majesty.

He is accompanied by envoys.

There is no reason for him

to have come here.

I am...

confused myself.

I, Deputy Minister of State Kim Sun-jo,

at your service, Your Imperial Highness.

-At your service, Your Imperial Highness. -At your service, Your Imperial Highness.

Why is the King of Goryeo not here to greet His Imperial Highness?

He is waiting inside.

You should go and see him.

Bring me a chair.

Your Imperial Highness. What do you need a chair for?

If the King does not come outside,

I, too, shall not move from here.

What?

He wants me to come and greet him?

He refuses to budge.

I should test

his stubbornness.

Is he disrespecting His Imperial Highness right now?

How dare he?

Your Majesty,

he has got quite a stubborn streak.

It will be dark soon.

Please go see him out now.

He has grown up to be an audacious young boy.

You must be exhausted from your long journey.

Will you come in?

"The King of Goryeo shall hear and obey.

After you were graciously given back your throne,

you ousted the loyal officials

who are favorable to the Yuan dynasty.

You also stopped sending all tribute

of goods and people.

You insisted on staying unfavorable to the Empire.

I would have sent an army to punish you,

but in light of your past services,

I grant you a chance to explain.

You are commanded to come to the Empire, apologize for your disloyalty,

and bow before your Emperor."

Are you telling me

to go to Yeongyeong?

That is...

the Emperor's command.

Your Majesty,

you should visit them before our relations with the Empire worsens.

I am a prince of the Great Yuan.

How dare you stare at me?

I used to cradle you in my arms

when you were still a baby.

Do you remember?

Why did His Imperial Highness

accompany you here?

His Imperial Highness--

I came to see the enemy of my mother.

I am sincerely sorry for your loss,

but you should not judge the result

without judging the cause.

That is not right.

Do not lecture me.

Tomorrow, we will leave for the Yuan dynasty.

Let him get some rest.

You should dread the day I ascend to the throne.

That is the day I bring down Goryeo, the land of the enemy.

Those who cannot control themselves

have no right to take revenge.

You have a lot to learn.

What did he mean

by those words just now?

Did he just tell me to look around myself first?

Do not let it bother you.

He is too young to see reasons.

Do not let it bother you, Your Majesty.

I somewhat feel bad to know

that his mind is so twisted.

Wang Yu...

Wang Yu...

Wang Yu!

Are you asleep, Master Yeon?

Yeon Bisu.

Come in.

I just heard.

The Emperor has dethroned His Majesty.

What are you saying?

They are tricking him to come back here

when they have already decided to dethrone him.

We have to let His Majesty know.

They must have already crossed the border by now.

Goodness.

Now we are in the Yuan territory.

We will camp here tonight.

Fair enough.

Seeing how you are summoned to the capital,

the questioning must be quite serious.

I have already made preparations.

Do not worry.

It is late. Get some sleep.

Is Maha asleep?

He is young. He will be worn out.

He is so full of spite.

Yet, you are still concerned for him.

The more I see him,

the more I pity him.

He bears you a grudge.

Do not be too affectionate.

Long time, no see.

His Imperial Highness wants to see you.

But it is just this once.

I will accompany you only to the capital outskirts, so do not worry.

Go in.

Your Imperial Highness.

Uncle.

Yes,

I am your uncle.

Your mother

was my sister.

Where have you been

all this time?

I am sorry.

I failed

to protect your mother.

It is all my fault.

Forgive me.

Uncle.

Maha.

-Uncle. -Maha.

Wang Yu is asleep.

Your Imperial Highness.

Now you will see

how your uncle

takes his revenge.

Identify yourself.

Dang Gise.

Drop your sword.

Your Majesty.

Your Imperial Highness,

what is all this?

Read the imperial message on his dethronement.

Dethronement?

On what grounds is he to be dethroned?

"The King of Goryeo sold military supplies to the Ilkhanate,

an enemy of the Great Yuan.

It was an act of treason for it caused the defeat of the Empire.

What is worse,

he dared to plot rebellion

using the profit he has accumulated illegally.

I announce that he is now dethroned

for the crimes of collusion and high treason."

-Your Majesty. -Your Majesty.

-It is not true. -Silence.

Wang Yu, from now on, for your act of treachery,

you will receive no courtesy.

-Your Majesty. -Your Majesty.

Move it.

-Move it. -Your Majesty.

-Move it. -Your Majesty.

-Move! -Your Majesty.

Now!

Your Majesty.

Wang Yu. Your journey to Yeongyeong

will be tougher than the journey to hell.

-Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!

Dang Gise, you bastard!

Stop!

Your Majesty!

Dang Gise!

Your Majesty!

You killed my father, my brother, and my sister.

I will kill you all.

You and Ki, all of you!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, please open your eyes.

No...

Your Majesty!

Wake up, Your Majesty.

Die, Wang Yu!

Your Imperial Highness,

please stop this.

You cannot do this to him.

His death will be

a curse on your head.

Your Imperial Highness...

Your Imperial Highness!

Your Majesty! Your Imperial Highness!

Your Imperial Highness!

-Traitors! -Traitors!

-Kill them. -Damn the traitors!

He is the one who conspired with the enemy!

We lost because of him! Kill him!

-Kill him! -Kill them!

Kill Imperial Noble Consort Ki who worked for him!

Imperial Noble Consort Ki was in on it! Kill her!

Kill Imperial Noble Consort Ki!

-Kill Imperial Noble Consort Ki! -Kill Imperial Noble Consort Ki!

Kill them!

-Kill them! -Kill them!

Your Majesty, stay with us.

Hang in there just a little longer.

Bastards!

Look at the state of him. What did they do to him?

Your Majesty...

What do we do?

We have to find a way to help him!

Subtitle translation by Eun-jin Kim