Original subtitles

- When Confucius was at his town... - When Confucius was at his town...

- he was very obedient. - He was very obedient.

- He seemed unable to speak well. - He seemed unable to speak well.

- However, in the temple or court, - However, in the temple or court,

- he spoke fluently... - he spoke fluently...

- and was prudent. - And was prudent.

- When Confucius was at his town... - When Confucius was at his town...

- he was very obedient. - He was very obedient.

I told you to help the master's studies.

Why were you late?

- He seemed unable to speak well. - He seemed unable to speak well.

- However, in the temple or court, - However, in the temple or court,

- he spoke fluently... - he spoke fluently...

They are all preparing for the Augmented Examination this year.

(Augmented Examination: Interim exam in Joseon Dynasty.)

Which family are you from?

The 31st descendant of the Paringong lineage of Hamju Park family...

is near his death and leaves this message.

If you are a passerby and find this message,

please grant my request.

I am the 31st descendant of...

the Paringong lineage of the Hamju Park family.

You are from the Hamju Park family.

And your father?

Master.

Say hello.

This is Ha Sang of the Park family.

Did you meet the master in front of the pencil store?

You must have.

Most of the students here do not have parents,

or are in economic difficulties and cannot afford to study.

However, the master has taken us in.

You must be as lucky as me seeing that...

the master has brought you here himself.

People like us who do not have parents,

power, or personal connections...

need to stay together.

You should study here with us.

I do not wish to take the exam.

I was just curious about what an academy looked like.

I want you to study here with us.

Somehow,

I feel like I have known you for a long time.

I think I should get going.

You could stay a bit longer.

Was my help not enough for you?

My son...

has to take the Augmented Examination very soon.

I should go and help him.

In that case, you should go.

After all your efforts, I just know he will do well.

Thank you, Your Highness.

However,

I have heard that...

recently,

some of Ah Mo Gae's followers...

escaped alive.

And that you lost some of your men.

That is why I wish to mention...

Ah Mo Gae's second son.

He is an ominous being.

Ominous?

- He is... - He is...

- very strong. - Very strong.

He is a monster, Mother.

He is...

a monster.

Ah Mo Gae has been...

the leader of Ikhwa-ri for 10 years.

It is impossible for me to get rid of him at once.

However, Ah Mo Gae is dead,

and we need not worry about the others.

And the second son is dead.

Not even the wildest beast can survive that cliff.

- I see. - You are...

more timid than you look.

I asked the brush maker...

and brought the best brush...

for your son to use.

Oh my. It must be priceless.

How can I ever repay you?

If your son passes the examination, we can celebrate together.

You are...

my savior...

and the pillar...

of this country.

You think too highly of me. I am nothing but...

a man who cannot bare to see this country undisciplined.

Look at him.

After Heo Tae Hak did that to my father,

the first thing he took was my father's rosary.

I heard that he boasts about what he did...

to Ah Mo Gae with the bracelet.

He preserves it in a box when he sleeps...

because it is very precious to him.

Do you remember...

how my father said no one can lay a hand on...

his family, friends,

or even his dog.

From now on, we are not alone.

From now on, no one can lay a hand on my men.

No one can ever lay hands on...

my family, friends, and even my dog.

- That is right! - That is right!

We should pay back those...

who picked a fight with us.

That is what trust means to us, thugs.

Yong Gae.

I shall go with you.

Attacking Prince Choong Won is insanity.

Gil Dong has lost his mind.

Shut your trap.

Then why are you running away?

You have no right to judge.

Master.

This...

This...

is all I amount to.

Let us go.

Yong Gae.

Are you really leaving?

Will you really leave us?

Gil Dong.

I...

cannot do it.

I am afraid of the Royal Family.

- But Yong Gae... - You were right.

I am...

a lowlife scum.

- Yong Gae. - I am sorry.

I really am.

(Hong)

(The Rebel)

I am here.

Master Gong was yapping away so much.

I could not stand it.

I showed my face at the meeting and came right here.

Do not worry. No one saw me come here.

Where are Yong Gae and Se Gul?

Traitors.

I ate already.

You know, Gil Dong said something strange.

He said I do not need to cook and clean just because I am a woman.

A woman should do those things. Who else will?

I have never heard such nonsense.

Anyway, he hates me going into the kitchen,

so I got up early, cooked, and did the laundry.

If I do not do this,

he would kick me out, saying I am useless.

I know what he is up to.

I never saw you smile before.

Gil Dong must get his good looks...

from you...

They ran away.

How do you plan to catch Prince Choong Won?

Ah Mo Gae and all of you...

need to start fearing the Royal Family.

Ah Mo Gae ended up like that because...

Why do you keep coming here?

What is wrong with you?

I told you I saved his life.

The master's body is broken.

We do not know whether Gil Hyeon,

Uh Ri Ni, and Eop San are dead or alive.

Whose fault is all of this?

Fine. I shall leave.

I shall never come back.

Darn it.

But for me,

the times I spent with you...

were the most exciting...

and happiest.

When I lived with you in Ikhwa-ri,

it was the peak of my life.

I am sorry to you all.

I deserve to die.

I know.

I do.

Stop right there!

How dare you let him go...

without consulting me first?

Do you still think you rule this town?

With Ah Mo Gae gone, you are no longer in charge.

I have no reason to listen.

How dare you? You wicked...

What...

I told you not to mess with Ah Mo Gae!

- What is this? - It is my underwear.

No one who received bloody underwear from Ah Mo Gae...

has ever survived.

Ah Mo Gae has died.

But his men are still alive.

They will kill me now.

They will...

kill both you and me for certain!

They will...

kill you and me!

They say...

a thug hangs bloody underwear...

as a warning to traitors.

Is that true?

My underwear went missing too.

Do you think I will die alone?

Do you think you will be safe?

Forget this.

I must see Prince Choong Won myself.

Would you like to feel my blade...

before Ah Mo Gae's men kill you?

You must not say a word to Prince Choong Won.

Do you understand?

Boss. The district magistrate...

What is it?

It is a tongue.

The district magistrate killed Ah Mo Gae with his tongue.

I have cut his tongue to set an example.

Where is he?

He has gone missing.

Take care of yourself.

I am sure you will do just fine.

Your father's grudge...

runs very deep.

Please do not go.

Does Heo Tae Hak trust you?

Not at all.

He says I betrayed Ah Mo Gae just to save myself...

and looks down on me so much.

Then...

does he believe that you betrayed my father?

That is enough.

Then all I must do is live here in hiding...

as if I am dead. Is that it?

But...

whose tongue was that?

Do not ask.

There are three of us,

but Heo Tae Hak has...

dozens of men.

What do you mean, 3? It's 4 including me.

Hey. What can you do?

You cannot even beat me in arm wrestling.

What do you mean? Did you forget that I beat you?

Do you think you really won? I let you win.

Then if I beat you in arm wrestling,

will you count me in?

1, 2, 3.

Do not tease Gil Dong. Be serious.

My feet...

I do not think he is acting.

Gil Dong.

Was Gil Dong always strong...

and stuff?

Hey. Gil Dong.

Do you want to try the left hand?

I beat him in arm wrestling,

so will you include me?

We can, but what can the four of us do?

Let us toy with...

Heo Tae Hak.

How will we toy with him?

I do not know. Let us see.

- Oh my gosh! - Hey!

A snake. Snake.

- Catch it. - Okay.

- Catch it! - Okay.

How deep must I dig?

Keep digging.

1, 2, 3.

Boss.

Let us see how you like this.

What do you think?

What is it?

What is wrong with him?

Fine! Kill me!

Kill me, you jerks!

I heard Ah Mo Gae's men have been causing trouble.

That cannot be.

We have killed all of them.

Even if they are alive, they cannot do anything.

Did you forget what happened to Ah Mo Gae for lying to me?

Heo Tae Hak.

You boring, stupid, and pathetic fool.

His Majesty will be calling me to Hanyang soon.

I promised to take you with me when the time comes, right?

Yes, you did.

I do not wish to hear such nonsense in these times.

If, by chance, Ah Mo Gae's men block the path to Hanyang,

you will become my enemy.

Do you want me as your enemy?

You may leave.

You.

Stay.

What is your name?

- It is Mo Ri. - Do you not have a last name?

No, I do not.

Okay, Mo Ri.

How did you meet Heo Tae Hak?

I was a vagabond, and he took me in.

I heard that he sold noblemen as slaves...

and forged their sales papers.

You almost met the same fate.

That was not it.

I said I wished to become a slave so that I could at least eat.

He said not to and to learn from him.

Is that what happened?

If Ah Mo Gae's men are alive,

we will catch them for sure, so do not worry.

Things are a mess, right?

I pretended to receive donations and heard people talking.

I hear Master Gong is terrified and went half mad...

after the district magistrate went missing.

Prince Choong Won heard the news.

He called in Heo Tae Hak and gave him a scolding.

Good, good. That is great.

I was able to win over one of Heo Tae Hak's men,

but he cannot get anywhere close to him...

and watches the gate.

How can we get him with a peon like that?

First, we must get Father's rosary back.

Why?

We can get him a better one.

You said Heo Tae Hak cherishes it...

and even sleeps with it under his pillow, right?

Yes.

That is why we must get it.

If he knows we were there as he slept,

he will be unable to trust his own men.

If he cannot trust his own men,

we will find a way in.

There is a way.

Heo Tae Hak is always looking...

for decent women traveling through town and sends them...

to Prince Choong Won to win his favor.

If we can plant one of ours, we may get close to him.

I will do it.

I will...

do it.

You cannot.

I am good at lying.

I cannot sing or dance,

but I am the best liar.

Sure. Rather than looking...

among the girls roaming around,

it would be most trustworthy...

if she would do it.

She does look intelligent, but...

But what if something goes wrong?

No. Go home. Go home like the others and...

I...

have no home to return to.

Can you really do it?

I can do it. I can do a good job.

Even if things go wrong, and you die,

I will not care.

Bring my father's rosary and steal Heo Tae Hak's clothing.

There will be someone to help you,

but you must not acknowledge each other.

Okay.

Mother!

Soo Hak.

To pass, you need more than literacy.

You must know the King's likes and dislikes.

That is key.

The Palace is in uproar right now.

Over what?

The King insists on a ceremony to comfort the spirits.

Oh dear.

You all know that ceremony means praying to Buddha.

Does that make sense?

Joseon is based on Neo-Confucianism.

Your Majesty, do not host the Buddhist ceremony.

When the monks start to sing to the spirits,

the spirit of your late father...

will be greatly angered.

Confucius said...

a filial son is one who upholds his father's teachings...

for three years after his father's death.

Hosting the ceremony...

would make you an unfilial son.

(3 years is a must.)

Unfilial?

Do not break my heart with such cruel words.

I just inherited the nation from my late father,

and I am greatly afraid.

You object to the ceremony every day without fail.

It is such a pity.

However, the Queen Dowager wishes the ceremony be held.

Consider the pain of a mother...

mourning her son.

But Your Majesty,

a Buddhist ceremony will hasten the end of our nation.

Buddhism is an evil cult.

- Buddhism is an evil cult. - Buddhism is an evil cult.

(Buddhism was regarded as corrupt.)

His Majesty is still mourning...

and grieving the loss of his father.

What makes a Buddhist ceremony so important...

that you come here every day...

and trouble the King?

Does it really have anything to do with our nation's rise and fall?

Are you trying to flatter the King?

I am not!

You are flattering him to better your future.

It is evident that you are petty.

Your Majesty.

Follow the path of a noble and distance yourself from petty men.

First Vice-Premier No Sa Shin...

is a petty man.

- The First Vice-Premier is petty. - The First Vice-Premier is petty.

- The First Vice-Premier is petty. - The First Vice-Premier is petty.

These men...

fear Confucius and Mencius.

Look.

Even now,

they cling to a phrase Confucius said 2,000 years ago.

They insist they are great...

and that their opponents are petty...

They fight endlessly.

Crown Prince.

Memorize only what...

Confucius and Mencius said.

Follow their teachings and walk in their footsteps.

That is safe.

No, only that road is safe.

They have branded...

Lord No a petty man.

What have you done?

If they brand you a petty fool,

your political career will be threatened.

- The First Vice-Premier is petty. - The First Vice-Premier is petty.

- The First Vice-Premier is petty. - That is enough.

I heard you went to the Palace a few days ago...

and danced for the King.

Is he really as bad a flirt as they say he is?

Not at all.

He did not even touch my hand.

Maybe he did not want to touch it.

Do you know how lovely his voice is?

I heard that...

the dethroned queen appears in his dreams...

and wakes him up every night.

You girls talk like birds that chirp endlessly.

I cannot concentrate at all.

Come on, now.

Let us all sing together.

There we go.

Stop.

Someone from the Palace is here.

The girls I name are to get ready.

The King called us again.

So Seol. Yang Hee.

Dan Yang.

Find these for me quickly.

You may go.

Master.

(Kim Ja Won)

From the start,

I knew you were not a mere...

seller of bamboo mats.

I also knew that...

you would not end your life as a mere kisaeng.

However,

have you gotten over...

Gil Dong so soon?

It is all...

in the past.

None of the girls here...

are without a past lover.

Some even left behind a child or two.

It is not...

a serious flaw for me to have once...

been in love.

Of course, it is not.

However,

you must not dare dream of serving the King.

Is that...

something within my control?

What?

It is up to the King.

My wishes...

and your will...

are all up to the King.

You.

You.

You.

You.

Thank you.

Wait.

You have a scar.

Send her away.

No, take me with you.

Send me to the rich man's house. Please?

You said you would let me feast on beef soup.

I want to eat beef soup!

Let go of me. Wait. Let me go.

Where am I?

Who are you?

Wait until nightfall.

The girls will pass by on their way to Heo Tae Hak's home.

After that, it is up to you. Do not blame me for anything.

She went that way.

Come with me.

Hey, what are you doing?

Who are you?

Who am I? Did you not get the boss' instructions?

What did he say?

You're in so much trouble.

Go on inside before he sees you.

I will take this to him.

He cherishes is so much that...

he keeps it in a box by his head when he sleeps.

No!

Die!

Where are you? Come back!

Joo Yeon. Joo Yeon.

Will you be my brother now?

Mo Ri! Mo Ri!

My clothes are gone.

Heo Tae Hak does not trust his men and is replacing them.

Good. When he recruits a new gang,

we will send in a few of ours.

Let us ensure that he never breathes at ease again.

That is why I think we should offer some bait.

Can you do that?

There are people in this world who cannot bear...

seeing people like us live decent lives.

It is not because they are evil.

It is because to them, we are less than human.

Is that really their fault?

It is ours.

It is all my fault.

It is all.

They tell us that we are less than human,

and we bow and accept that treatment.

That only serves to reinforce their beliefs.

Why did I not think of killing those who are less than human...

and starting all over again with a new life?

Not as a human but as an animal.

Will you live like that?

Gil Dong. Gil Dong!

Master.

You want to take down Prince Choong Won?

Yes.

You lunatic.

Can you do it?

I will prepare everything.

- Look after our master. - I will.

Are you sure the four of you can manage?

Not to mention,

you are old and weak.

Watch the house for us.

Do you think I am your guard dog?

- We are off, then. - Bye.

Return before breakfast.

I will prepare seven bowls of rice.

Mo Ri.

Mo Ri!

Yes, Boss.

I thought you were gone.

No one can come in. Do not worry.

Guard this place.

Darn it. Let us go.

Come!

- Go. - Get them!

Stop!

We will stay with the boss.

Why are there so many of them?

People used to tremble...

when they just heard my name, So Bu Ri.

Tell me about it.

Even the Buddha used to open his eyes at my punch.

Why are you all complaining? Let us do this.

Yes, let us.

Eop San is here!

Darn it.

- Get him. - Go.

- Get them! - Get them!

Get them!

- What happened? - We will talk later.

Let us do this.

- Go! - Go!

Boss.

Boss!

Heo Tae Hak,

look at how pathetic you are.

Why on earth...

did he pick a fight with him?

I do not feel bad about him.

We should not have left him after we cut off his ear.

We should have buried him under the ground.

Since the skies are watching,

let us be gracious when we bury him.

How can we bury him graciously?

Why do you not know?

We will wring his arms and legs. Then whatever falls off,

- we will bury first. - My goodness.

Will you really do that?

Poor him.

Goodness.

It has been long.

They have no sense of melody.

We can never find good singers nowadays.

Do not scold them.

You cannot achieve...

a perfect melody so easily.

Your Majesty.

Did the inspectors and scholars annoy you again?

(Inspectors used to watch over officers and the King.)

They are making an excuse...

to tame me.

Do not give in.

The former king was also enthroned at the age of 13.

Yes.

My father was...

enthroned at the young age of 13...

and became a flag.

What do you mean by a flag?

Ja Won.

How can a man stand as a flag?

How can a man...

become a flag?

Crown Prince.

This land of Joseon is...

a land of...

Confucius and Mencius.

So Crown Prince,

memorize only what Confucius and Mencius said.

Follow their teachings and walk in their footsteps.

That is safe.

No,

only that road is safe.

If you see anyone going against the will of Confucius and Mencius,

you should be the first...

to point and laugh at them.

Raise your voice up high and call them a petty man.

Fight against them.

And become...

the highest flag for anyone who follows...

the will of Confucius and Mencius.

Gong Hwa.

You were here.

You know...

I thought...

someone with your talent would be noticed by His Majesty...

the moment you walked into this place.

I never thought his eunuch would always be...

around him.

Someday,

I will find a chance.

No.

We are finished with this.

Who would have thought...

that old man was...

His Majesty's eunuch?

(The highest ranking eunuch takes care of the king.)

That old man, I mean, the eunuch...

already saw...

you and Gil Dong being all lovey-dovey...

with his own two eyes.

You two laughed together and were stuck...

My goodness. Forget about it.

Gil Dong is the bad guy here.

Why did he have to walk in to our Danyejeong of all places?

Spare my life! Please!

Please, spare me.

You have killed my father.

And now, you dare to beg his son for your life?

I will let you go today.

It is not because I pity you.

It is because...

I can bring you back in here whenever I wish to.

Do you not believe me?

Then try to run and hide.

My brothers will...

keep their eyes...

on everything you do, day and night.

If this continues,

you will never be able to sleep or eat comfortably.

Pray that you will be lucky...

so that you will not die of a snake's bite.

So that you will not die by falling into a pit.

So that you will not die...

after eating poisoned food.

Above all,

that you will be lucky enough to never be seen...

by any of our people.

But if you fulfill my request, I will give you a chance...

to live a different life.

Yes, what do you want from me?

Prince Choong Won.

Help me catch him.

Are you insane? He is of Royal blood.

I know you are treated worse than a dog by him.

Was that all you wanted to be by killing my father?

Become Prince Choong Won's dog?

Will you live the rest of your life like that?

But our leader is different.

People who followed him...

never think of anyone as a dog.

People who followed him never betray their brothers.

Also, people who follow him...

always pay back whenever you do them wrong.

If you become one of his people,

his people will find those...

who despised you and pay them back.

Now, make your choice.

Will you live as Prince Choong Won's dog...

or as our leader's brother?

Boss.

Boss!

- Boss! - Boss.

Where is Mo Ri?

He has caught a cold, so he cannot come with you.

- This is so inconvenient. - I apologize.

Your Highness.

You can use me as a step.

You have taught them well.

Yes. They are wandering servants.

We paid a fortune for them. You may use them for your convenience.

(The Rebel)

Boss, something is weird.

They have fought against dozens of people before.

Prince Choong Won will soon go to Hanyang to meet His Majesty.

Do you think someone like me can pass the exam?

I know a desperate person when I see them.

Do you know why they despise me?

It is because my mother was a dethroned queen.

I am worried because I think you are involved in something dangerous.

Wait and see how I will find Prince Choong Won.