Original subtitles

However, you are a smart man,

so think long and hard from now on.

What is true loyalty,

and why...

is loyalty necessary?

Please.

Before I die,

I shall nominate you...

to become the inspector general.

Please make sure...

His Majesty's power does not fall into the hands...

of the people overwhelmed with grudges.

People with grudges.

People who could use the King...

in order to act out on their grudge...

People who could even use the people.

Prince Choong Won, it is a pleasure to meet you.

- Who is this? - I told you before...

that I would bring his teacher.

I have told you before...

of the servant, Ah Mo Gae,

who killed my husband.

I never thought that I would bring...

Ah Mo Gae to justice.

However,

Prince Choong Won helped me...

to take revenge on him.

This is true, right? You helped my revenge.

However,

Ah Mo Gae and his son are alive...

Why did you punish them?

You highness,

you must tell the truth.

Then you can get out of here.

Who is this man...

that he can free me from this fate?

- Well... - I am...

an old man who spends long nights...

worrying about our nation.

I spent...

my whole life searching for men who can uphold...

our nation and its values.

I wish to know the reason...

you punished this lady's servants.

Why did you have them punished?

Did you crave the man's riches?

Do you look down upon me just because...

I look like this now?

How dare a nobody like you demand an explanation...

from a man of royal blood?

Get out of here. Get out of my sight!

Your Highness. Your Highness.

Do you belittle me also?

- How dare you bring him here? - Your Highness.

He is not a nobody, so do not treat him as such.

Tell him the truth.

Show him the kind of person you really are,

and I promise you that he will...

rescue you from this terrible fate.

Your Highness.

That man is...

Is anybody in?

- Who are you? - Is this Master Park's residence?

Why do you wish to see my master?

We would like to speak with him.

What nobleman lives in a house like this?

I thought all nobles lived in huge mansions.

My master is not that kind of a man.

All he does is read and study.

He is so frugal.

How do you know my master?

- We should go. - Sure.

We shall leave.

Let us go.

Why did you not leave some silver?

From now on, never give Master Park Ha Sung...

- any silver or money. - Why not?

Young officials like him make better connections.

I do not want to corrupt a decent, young man.

I see.

Hello.

Master, a short while ago,

a large group of men came here.

- Who were they? - I asked who they were,

but they did not answer.

I did not punish Ah Mo Gae...

because of his riches.

Royal blood flows in my veins.

I could not stand watching a man who mocked...

our nation and its values live and flourish.

Is it not like I told you?

This is the kind of man Prince Choong Won is.

If you are released from exile,

what will you do?

Will you find Gil Dong...

and get revenge?

That is not good enough.

I will find every one of them.

"Them"?

Them.

(Hong)

(The Rebel)

Your Majesty granted...

- me and my mother's wish. - Then...

reward me as well.

What do you wish for?

What should I ask for?

Yes.

Give me your heart.

I have no heart to give you.

My heart...

belongs to another.

Is the man you love...

Gil Dong?

I would like to ask you something.

Back then,

why did you say...

Gil Dong could never be the Mighty One?

A royal investigation was held this year.

A laborer stood witness.

He was quite smart and courageous.

But...

I wondered why he is wasting his talents.

I felt sorry for him.

What are you talking about?

The same goes for Gil Dong.

The deities decide who becomes the Mighty One.

So...

one who is unwilling to accept the deities' will...

can never be the Mighty One.

Your Majesty, these are the young officials...

who helped identify and eradicate the rebels.

I would like to reward you.

Tell me what you want.

Scribe Jo, you go first.

I wish to...

rule over a scenic village where the people are kind...

and live in peace with my old mother.

You are very filial.

Scribe Park, you must wish to go somewhere.

Vice-Premier Lord No recommended you...

for the position of Inspector General.

I wish to travel undercover.

Traveling the nation as an undercover inspector...

is a very tiresome task, is it not?

Most officials are reluctant to accept that position.

- Why... - An inspector general...

acts as your eyes and ears, and monitors your subjects.

How could I fulfill my duty within the walls of the palace?

I wish to witness how the people live,

and be your true eyes and ears.

Please give your permission.

You truly are different.

Do you know why I favor you?

You are...

not like those who use scalding words...

to try to gain honor.

What made you want to...

become an undercover investigator?

When you are too close,

you tend not to see things clearly.

I wish to view things from a distance.

I can never understand what you are thinking.

Did you see the Royal Dresser's office?

Yes. I was able to watch them make the King's clothes...

and accessories from up-close.

The royal dressers do more than make the King's clothes.

They give the King his dignity.

- Do you see what I mean? - No.

Will the King look dignified in cheap clothing?

We must provide only the best and rarest of materials in Joseon.

To do that, we will require a lot of silver.

Oh, yes, I see what you mean.

Bring 300 yang of silver to the palace...

- within 2 months. - Yes, master.

Pardon?

300?

300 yang?

Prince Choong Won ruined our silver mine.

The only rocks left contain very little silver.

The only thing to do is to increase our output.

Search the neighboring villages and hire some...

talented silversmiths.

This is old. The color has faded.

Yes, Your Majesty. I will replace it with...

only the best materials we can find.

Do you still not have the 300 yang of silver?

The two months...

you gave us are not yet up.

He said the preparations will be completed soon.

Please bear with me.

The preparations will be completed soon?

Said whom?

Pardon? I mean...

You work for someone else.

You do not own the mine.

Well... Master, I...

Who is it? I shall meet him in person.

We searched every mining village in Joseon and found these men.

Silversmiths are very hard to find.

Can you all do what you are told?

- Yes, yes. - Of course, we can.

Of course.

Gil Dong.

Gil Dong. I have some bad news.

I think the Second Eunuch caught on.

I made a slip of the tongue.

What does he know?

He knows that I am working for...

someone else, and now,

he wants to speak with you.

It is very quiet.

Yes. You are a very special guest,

so we turned everyone else away.

Please, come inside.

Master.

Hong, Hwalbinjeong's procurer, requests your audience.

Who are you really?

I search for strange things at someone's request.

Things like a white deer, a snake with two heads,

or peacocks.

You know what I mean.

Things the deities created by mistake.

Phoenixes, dragons, or...

the Mighty Child born with wings...

under their armpits.

Why? Is something wrong?

Oh, well...

It must be our fates.

We meet again.

So you were not a mere peddler of bamboo mats.

- It has been a long time. - No, no.

I saw you a short while ago.

As Stepstool the laborer.

Bring in Stepstool the laborer.

Oh dear.

Stepstool, tell them everything I told you.

Yes, master.

I am Stepstool the laborer.

How dare you...

deceive the King?

Yes.

I once acted a stepstool.

Will you kill me for it?

Let me see...

Let me ask you something. Why did you frame Prince Choong Won?

He owed it to me.

He did earn...

the wraths of many people.

Let me ask you something.

Why did you...

not report me when you recognized me that day?

I wonder why.

How did it go?

Ja Won.

I will try to be a sage king.

I hate those who mention the great Chinese emperors,

but that does not mean I will not be like them.

However,

I plan to become a king with...

dignity and authority.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Have the Finance Office purchase multi-colored peacock feathers...

and have them brought in.

I shall host a banquet soon.

I would very much like to see...

the feathers sway in the breeze.

I plan to show others what the banquet...

of a dignified king looks like.

Multi-colored peacock feathers, deer tongues as delicacies,

and 300 conch shells to replace wine glasses.

Our funds are running dangerously low.

Did you ask to see me?

Set up another meeting with Gil Dong.

Of course.

Did you ask...

why the investigators left you alone?

To be honest, I hated Prince Choong Won too.

Prince Choong Won.

I could not stand to have that greedy, dirty man...

around His Majesty.

However, His Majesty was too soft-hearted...

to abandon him completely.

That is why I let you be.

No.

That is why I supported you.

Thanks to you, my concerns were gone.

Let me ask you a question.

Why did you give the silver mine to His Majesty?

What is your plan?

Noblemen stay loyal...

to the King by working in their offices.

However, I am only a thug.

I gave him the silver mine to show my loyalty as a thug.

Even a thug...

can be loyal to his country.

If you can stand against a royal family,

there is nothing you cannot do.

Do you really plan to stay loyal to His Majesty?

Then do you want to join me in building up...

His Majesty's dignity?

If you have any other great plans...

to strengthen His Majesty's finances,

I will forget everything you have done so far.

I might be able to take your loyalty to His Majesty...

which you have shown.

So does His Majesty really want to join forces...

with thugs like us to make some money?

That is not from His Majesty. These are words from his eunuch.

Hey, it is all the same.

See? I am right.

Do you remember the time when alcohol was banned?

Yes, I do.

Because of the sudden ban,

we could not sell any drinks at Hwalbinjeong.

It was hard for us.

- Kkeut Swe. - Yes?

How expensive was alcohol back then?

It was unbelievable. 5 times, and later, it was 10 times as expensive.

Why are you suddenly bringing up the alcohol ban?

The one who throws these bans is the King.

And we sell alcohol.

What if we can know the date of the alcohol ban in advance...

and make it before the date?

You are right. Yes.

With the King's help,

there is no other scheme that will make more money than this.

- Come in. - Welcome.

Look, this is not going well.

- What? Where? - Over here, look.

- I see. - Look at this one.

Try this one.

If His Majesty decides to start an alcohol ban,

tell us in advance.

Yes.

We will make a lot of alcohol before that.

And once the ban goes into effect,

we will start selling them.

We will just take out the price of the yeast...

and give the rest of them to the King.

Even if things do turn badly,

His Majesty will not be hurt.

He will be a great king who banned alcohol...

for the sake of his people.

Those rich noblemen are...

dirty people...

who break the King's orders.

What do you think?

Now that the instigators are gone,

freely tell me how I can benefit my people.

Please do teach me.

There are signs of a drought.

Barley and wheat do not seem to be ripening.

However, there are many who make alcohol with these precious food.

What do you think about instating an alcohol ban?

An alcohol ban?

Yes.

We should show how we care about the people...

by banning alcohol when we see a disaster coming.

Tell the people this.

I instate an alcohol ban.

Make sure no one makes or drinks...

even a drop of alcohol.

However, those who take alcohol as medicine for their old age...

and the poor who make a living by selling alcohol...

are all exempt from this ban.

- Thank you for... - Thank you for...

- your boundless generosity. - Your boundless generosity.

Gil Dong! Gil Dong!

The alcohol ban is instated.

- That means... - Let us...

scoop up those alcohol.

Guys, hurry up and carry them out. Take the big ones over there.

Hurry up. You are paid to do this.

Over here. Take the big ones over there.

Take the big ones over to that side.

- Okay. - Okay.

That is correct. Good job.

Where are you, my darling?

- Come here, my baby. - This is great.

Oh, my.

You probably have not heard. An alcohol ban was instated.

We cannot sell more drinks. I am sorry.

- What? - What did you say?

But it is not like we are completely forbidden.

We do have some drinks we can sell to those who are sick.

But this is rather expensive.

- What? - What do you want to do?

- Bring them. - Okay.

- Bring it, okay? - Hurry up.

Hey, hurry up. Hurry.

Be careful.

Bring it out.

My master is taking this alcohol as medicine...

because he is very ill.

The King will not punish those who drink...

because of their sickness.

Of course. This is not alcohol. This is medicine.

That is my case too. I am selling this...

because I am too poor to do anything else.

The King will let poor people off...

for selling alcohol.

You little...

You are here.

Do not get caught. And enjoy.

These are selling out so quickly.

They crave it even more because of the ban.

It looks like those in high offices all have gotten sick recently.

They all need some alcohol for medicine.

Whatever those...

high officers drink are considered medicine,

so these are called medicinal liquor.

This is all thanks to my great marketing skills.

No, it is because I take good care of Hwalbinjeong.

Of course.

This alcohol ban is benefiting us.

- Did you bring it? - Where? Let me see.

- Look. - What is that?

This is liquor that will heal your sickness.

- Of course. - Give me some.

- Give me some too. - Be careful.

- Give him some. - Be careful, someone is here.

Let us live a long life!

Hey, it looks like...

we will become extremely rich.

This is great for the King and us because we make a lot of money.

This is great!

This is great for the noblemen because they drink medicinal liquor.

- This is great! - This is great!

This world sure is a paradise with this alcohol ban.

- Let us drink to the ban! - Cheers!

Give me a glass.

Hurry up and fill it up.

- This is great. - Right?

- All right! - Cheers!

His Majesty has instated an alcohol ban.

But they are here partying their lives away.

Investigator Park Ha Sung sent in an official report.

He said feasts are still held despite the alcohol ban,

saying they are holding the feast...

to send away their former city magistrate...

and drinking alcohol in these feasts.

How can these noblemen be so two-faced?

Whenever there is a lightning or a hail,

they tell the kings so easily to stop drinking and eating meat.

However, they held feasts and drank...

despite the alcohol ban which I instated?

Dismiss those who broke the ban from their offices,

take in all of their assets,

and bring them into the Finance Office.

- It will be done as you said. - It will be done as you said.

- Take them! - Yes, master.

- Let go of me! - Come this way.

- You cannot take him. - I did not even drink much.

Gosh, they will not take in noblemen who drink expensive cheongju,

but they only take in poor people who drink cheap takju.

Does this make any sense?

Exactly, that is what I mean.

- Exactly. - That is so unfair.

- What are they saying? - Exactly.

- Hello. - Come and sit.

Gil Dong, have you heard?

You are not guilty for cheongju, but you are if you drink takju.

People have been saying, "Innocent cheongju, guilty takju".

Do you not want to sell alcohol anymore?

I am not saying this is my opinion.

Make sure you do not run out of alcohol.

You should say something.

Where are you going?

Stop.

- What is going on? - What?

What happened here?

- Look at this. - Calm down.

What can you do now?

We thought a world with an alcohol ban was a paradise.

Darn these guys.

Do you know why I gave the silver mine to His Majesty?

Because it is annoying to take care of...

every little governor and city magistrate.

It is practically useless.

I will stay loyal...

to no one but the King.

I will be up against a clan of thugs who hold power in Hanyang.

Even if a huge fight breaks out in the middle of the city,

please see after us...

so nothing happens to us.

This way.

- Are you finished? - Yes.

- Let us go. - Yes.

You surprised me.

Who told you people you can sell alcohol here?

Who do you think?

It is our master, Master Hong.

My goodness, it is a pleasure to meet you.

Are you all here?

- Yes. - Let us go!

Stop!

Stop it!

What are you all doing?

Kneel down!

Do not be worried.

- They are here. - They are back.

- They are here. - Come, guys.

Did you eat a lot again?

- Great job. - Great job, everyone.

Why is he so angry?

They broke all of our jars.

- Great job. - You did well too.

I am fine.

- I will call a doctor. - He said he is okay.

Look at her go.

Gil Dong!

Take her away.

No, please send me to a rich family as a servant.

Please? You said you would let me eat beef.

I want to eat beef too!

You were...

his woman.

Do not get hurt anymore.

If you continue to get hurt,

I will die.

This is much more than I expected.

This is all thanks to you.

However,

I do think it is a waste...

to see you only as a thug.

I once thought...

you may be a Mighty Child...

who had survived.

Come on, try this one.

- Yes, try this. - It'll help you heal.

- Okay, then. - This is good.

Those noblemen do love cheongju.

They drink so much even with the King's ban.

Exactly.

We have fought and won against all of the thugs in Hanyang.

Also, all of the alcohol we made are sold out.

- Cheers. - Let us drink.

- I am feeling spectacular. - Cheers!

This is great.

- This is great. - What a great night.

- I love it. - Eat your vegetables.

- Eat up, everyone. - You need to stop eating.

You eat like a pig.

My goodness. Just eat up.

Right? He deserved it.

Come on.

Hey, someone is here.

- Who? - Do you know her?

No.

Who are you?

What brings you...

You must be Ah Mo Gae's son.

Did you know...

my father?

I did.

I am the shaman that blessed the tree...

in Ikhwa-ri.

You know what this tree is, right?

Mount Jiri's shaman blessed this tree.

When someone powerful is born in Joseon,

this tree will help that person stand strong and tall.

I asked that shaman...

what I should do...

to ensure that Gil Dong does not die before his time.

I meant...

to come before your father died,

but I was late.

Did my father...

say anything else?

He did.

He had only one question.

"What must I do for my son to live?"

However,

I see today...

that your body will break.

Are you done?

Recently,

when Joseon turned into a bloodbath,

you probably satisfied your grudge.

That is not how the Mighty One should live.

That is not why you were born.

I warned that the Mighty One...

will die if he misuses his power.

What is wrong with that crazy woman?

She killed the mood.

Go throw some salt to ward off bad luck.

Where is the salt? Bring it.

Goodness.

Stay away.

- What a strange woman. - What is this?

- Darn it. - Stay away.

Stay away.

How do you think...

that shaman knew about what happened?

Why do you concern yourself...

about the ramblings of a lunatic?

Gil Dong,

do you think you will live out your life?

Seriously. What a joke.

How dare you say his body will break?

You do not even look like a real shaman.

I am so flabbergasted.

I am speechless.

Oh, my.

All of our precious salt must be here.

No, well...

That is not it.

Do not worry.

A crazy girl lived near us when I was little.

She used to go around saying...

someone would die and someone would live,

but none of it came true.

You never talked about your childhood before.

Go on. Tell me more.

There is not much to tell.

I was a nuisance in a family with many children.

I raised my siblings ever since I was seven...

and washed my grandmother's diapers.

Later on, my father sold me to pay off his gambling debt,

which is how I ended up becoming a servant at Cheongeumnu.

But I did not dislike it.

It was better than being yelled at all the time at home.

See? There is not much to tell.

Still, I like you for who you are.

I like how strong you are,

and it breaks my heart...

because you smile so much.

It is late. Go to sleep.

I heard that mess occurred because...

Nok Su manipulated the King.

Oh my goodness.

You are a disgrace to Jangakwon.

As long as we are in Jangakwon,

we are Joseon's sound and dance.

How dare you manipulate the King...

just to win his favor?

A wretch like you does not belong in Jangakwon.

Who are you...

to tell me where I belong and do not belong,

and dare lecture me?

Do you know me?

Do you know...

what I am?

I am going...

to crush anyone who lectures me...

and tells me what to do.

So...

if you wish to lecture me,

be prepared to fight.

However,

you can never defeat me.

Do you know why?

I am this much insane,

but you are still sane.

Thus you, the sane wench,

cannot defeat the insane wench.

We should continue to practice the dance...

for His Majesty.

Go on.

Let us go.

What?

Okay.

This is all the money...

the noblemen who do not obey the King paid for the alcohol.

Do you not think about Gong Hwa anymore?

I did hear the rumors that she entered...

Jangakwon.

Is Gong Hwa among the female musicians...

at Jangakwon?

There is nobody...

by the name of "Gong Hwa" at Jangakwon.

I plan to just wait.

At least I get to see you every day, so I am happy.

You were exiled...

for speaking against King Sejo,

so there is no hope of leaving this place.

However,

there may be a way.

There are some who will do anything that I ask.

Who? Is it the Second Vice-Premier or the Chief Royal Secretary?

Or Prince Jin Sung, whom the King adores?

Rather than who they are,

what matters is how you can be of use to them.

Your Highness,

I recognize people who are desperate.

Desperate people have a virtue others lack.

They have a strong passion.

I have a pupil who is extraordinarily stellar.

I recognized the desperation within him instantly.

Yes.

He is my creation.

Just as I honed that worthless child and raised him up,

I can raise you up as well.

In order to do that,

you must...

shed your identity as Prince Choong Won...

as a snake sheds its skin.

Prince Choong Won.

Can you be reborn anew?

We are no longer operating a small business in Ikhwa-ri.

The King is behind us,

and before us are noblemen who drink tonight even if they die tomorrow.

That is right.

We must open a Hwalbinjeong in every province.

I want you...

- to oversee it, Kkeut Swe. - Okay.

Okay. Yong Gae, please manage the alcohol.

Okay.

Se Gul. Manage the silver mine.

Eop San. Continue to manage the music troupe.

And I...

I will do what I want.

He said I could.

I want...

to read storybooks.

Read a book?

- Go ahead, read. - Okay.

Ga Ryung, you read storybooks.

Okay, everyone.

You must do your roles well.

Did you all hear that?

- Yes! - Yes!

- We are the Noisy Hongs! - Hongs!

Wow, look at that.

(The Rebel)

There is someone that I like.

Are you saying it is one-sided?

Please select smart girls to be my water maids.

Then will you give me your heart?

You have no fear.

She is living well because she earned the King's favor.

Thus, I will earn her favor and live well.

He wishes to meet you. What do you say?

Who is it? Let us go.

Your Majesty. I have come.