Original subtitles

Empress Ki

What's the idea?

I was right.

A girl's scent.

Not likely.

Sir!

Sir...

How dare you...?

Not bad. For a girl.

A girl?

Dress her up pretty and bring her to my tent.

Sir.

Let go. Let go of me!

Sungnyang...

is a girl?

[Episode 07]

Give this guy...

Give this girl some clothes.

Sir. I brought Sungnyang.

Enter.

Sir.

Sir.

Huh?

On her knees.

You may leave.

Eyes, nose, lips, figure.

Very nice.

What's on your mind?

I often go fox hunting.

When they're caged, some eat what I feed them.

Others hold out, growling, snapping.

I kill and skin the ones that eat.

But not the fighters.

They make me want to tame them.

You'll be my concubine in Daidu.

But don't let yourself be tamed.

The moment you do, I'll skin you alive.

What's this?

Scared already?

What fun is that? Put up a fight.

Scared?

Of an annoying little nothing like you?

Not likely.

A nothing?

A nothing.

Now we're talking.

Your dad is El Temur.

Don't bring him up.

No one would fear you. If not for Daddy.

Shut up.

You're a disgrace to his name.

I said shut up.

Pretty or not, I'll kill you if you keep this up.

Good. Kill me.

Better death than a nothing's hands all over me.

Tangqishi's concubine?

If he falls for her, he'll have my head.

And that I won't allow.

Oh, no.

Sungnyang... Sungnyang...

Sungnyang.

Where's my attendant?

I need Sungnyang.

I'll take over. Get some rest.

Sir.

Did you know Sungnyang is a girl?

A what?

He's a girl?

I guess not.

Tangqishi is having his way with her as we speak.

I can put up with a lot, but not trash talk about my father.

Say that again, I dare you!

Order your men to saddle two horses.

Two?

For you and your king?

You have till the count of three.

Or you'll get an arrow just like you gave the King.

One...

Two...

If I die... your king dies.

Mom!

What?

Scared for your king's life?

Stay back.

Fire.

And kill your own king.

I said stay back.

He isn't your lord, I am.

Tangqishi!

You'll never have your way.

Stay still!

No, Sire.

Let go. He's dead.

I've wished him dead a hundred times.

To pay him back for my mother.

But not here, Sire.

Please don't.

Come with me.

I'm taking you out of here.

Sire, Sungnyang is a girl.

You're just full of surprises.

I took an arrow off Daechong Island.

Some locals fished me out of the water and saved my life.

You were lucky.

So why are you here?

To save Sungnyang and kill Yom.

How about you?

The same.

The King told us not to.

But we're worried about him.

Bad news.

Those scum are going to kill the King and Sungnyang.

We have to help.

There's only four of us.

I've been thinking.

Suppose we fire the tribute tents?

We can save them in the confusion.

Perfect.

Anything is better than nothing.

That was hard enough for a man.

Much less for a girl.

I've been lying to you.

Disappointed?

Disappointed?

Not hardly.

I'm still the same me.

I'm still your servant.

Hey. No sleeping on duty.

Works every time.

How does he do it?

Eunuchs are always full of hot air.

Hurry and change.

Girls are no better.

Hurry.

We'll see to the stores.

You get the King and Sungnyang.

See you at the rendezvous.

What.

General Tangqishi wants some wine.

Wine?

I've never seen you before.

Listen...

You know who I am?

Who?

Nothing yet?

Who...?

Hey...

Feel like answering to Tangqishi for this?

Don't...

Follow me.

Very nice.

Hurry it up then.

What's that?

Dump it. Like this.

Fire!

Fire! Fire in the tents!

Fire! Fire!

Fire!

Fire! Fire!

Fire? Where's the fire?

Where do you think...?

You...

Fire! Fire...

You rotten...

...Fire...

- ...Fire... - Fire...

Get them!

Put it out!

- Sir! - Move! Move!

Where's the fire?

The tribute tents.

Morons.

You two.

It's time.

For blood.

Who have we here?

Pak Pulhwa?

So you're alive?

I've come... for you.

Halt.

If you don't want them dead...

lower your weapons.

Pak.

[Daidu, Capital of Yuan - Modern Beijing]

What's this?

The date for the wedding.

That is for me to decide.

There is much to do in the days ahead.

It can't be left to some fortune teller.

Regent.

You know as well as I that the court must be appeased.

In that case.

Until the day itself,

Tanasiri must be trained as an empress.

Naturally.

She has many flaws.

I entrust her to your instruction.

This is a bad beginning.

You must push back.

There's no need for all that.

I have an empress to train first.

If you please.

Time for your lessons.

What? At dawn?

It's late.

Late?

The empress runs things here.

I get up when I want.

The Inner Court is run by the Empress Dowager.

Huh?

The Empress Dowager rises at 6 o'clock.

All the other court ladies rise an hour before her.

An empress is as graceful as a crane.

No frivolity whatsoever.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

I can't. I won't.

Dignity, please.

Dignity-shmignity, I'm hungry.

More rice.

Dignity, please.

I can't eat what I want?

Gluttony is expressly forbidden by the Empress Dowager.

'Dowager, Dowager.' I'm sick of it.

Take it away.

Wha...?

Can't you see I'm eating here?

Take it away.

What? You want me to starve?

It is time to study decorum.

Repeat.

First, fidelity. Second, integrity.

First and foremost, a woman is chaste.

Second, she is pure and honest.

She knows her place.

A woman's place is in the home, not outside it.

Speak no evil, hear no evil.

She does not spread gossip, nor does she listen to it.

Candles... um...

Candles at dusk.

She lights candles at twilight.

From the beginning.

Again?

Yes. Again.

I won't, I won't, I won't.

If you do not finish, you cannot be empress.

Then forget it.

Forget it, forget it, forget it.

Then she said to forget it?

Does that please you?

Her leaving on her own is a good thing, so of course.

The Regent won't allow it.

Want to bet?

Tanasiri gives up. One persimmon.

I think you are meant for each other.

That's enough of THAT.

Just you wait.

She'll never finish the training with that temper of hers.

Bossy.

He thinks he can order me around?

The Empress Dowager.

It's awfully late.

Yet not time for bed.

No. Not quite.

I understand the training is difficult?

I won't say it's easy.

Court life is one of rules and regulations.

More so for the Empress.

Of course it's difficult.

Then we should change the rules.

You set the Inner Court rules, didn't you?

When I'm empress,

things will change.

Don't take it personally.

You started it.

Get some rest.

Goodnight, Your Majesty.

You think I'll give up?

We'll just see about that.

Insolent.

Have what we discussed prepared.

What we...?

Yes, Your Majesty.

It's time she learned how we do things in the Inner Court.

Your face is beaming today.

That would be swelling from lack of sleep.

Oh?

To my eyes, you're lovelier than these flowers.

Hook, line and sinker.

But I don't care for these flowers.

The landscaping is not pleasing to the eye.

My late mother planted them herself.

Your pardon. I spoke out of turn.

It's fine.

I'm not fond of the landscape myself.

May I ask you a question?

Of course.

Tell me the truth.

I never lie.

Do you...

really want me as your empress?

I never wanted anyone else.

Promise me something.

Anything.

I want my old staff with me.

Impossible.

Of course. Anything else?

If you want to see me, ask if I am so disposed first.

I will. Anything else?

Please make a formal proposal.

A proposal? How do I do that?

I love flowers.

Make me a garland of the rarest blossoms.

Fine. I'll do it.

If you'll excuse me.

Strip her quarters of any flowers.

My Liege?

She likes flowers.

Get rid of them.

No soldiers. Just orders to defend the frontier.

We might as well be in exile.

At least we're alive.

That's what I get.

If I had known, I'd have killed Togon on Daechong.

We have a long road ahead.

The tribute is burned.

What do we do now?

This is that king's fault.

Let him answer for it.

That's risky.

Father may give him back his throne.

We're not without options.

You have a plan?

I recently got word that Bayan has been dispatched to deal with the Turks.

Yes. So?

It's a dangerous region.

You want us to send him there?

I'm told it's a dangerous, disgusting place.

If the King has the good grace to die there, it's not our doing.

We can say we sent him there by way of punishment.

Send him to his death?

Release the king.

Sir.

Where are you taking him?

To a place worse than hell, a place of death.

Take me.

Take me, too.

Relax.

You've got your own hell coming up.

Sungnyang.

Where it is...

don't die.

Survive... whatever you do.

I will live and come back for you.

Stay alive for me.

That's an order. Understood?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Untie him.

Sire.

Sire.

Sire.

Sungnyang!

You have a long road ahead.

Perhaps a road to your death.

What about Sungnyang?

Why?

Worried now that you know she's a girl?

She'll be a slave. To many men.

If anything happens to her...

I'll kill you.

Talahai, get him out of here.

Yes, sir.

What is it?

Nothing.

Pick up the pace.

Sir.

This isn't the way to Daidu.

We've been going West for 3 days.

They going to kill us?

They wouldn't go to all this trouble.

[The Yuan Western Border]

They look more like beggars than soldiers.

We have to fight a war with this lot?

Why not just kill us and be done.

Something is odd.

Odd?

The men are skin and bones.

There's no discipline.

This hardly even looks like a military camp.

You're right about that.

It's not because they're losing, it's because they can't help but lose.

It won't be easy getting them back on a war footing.

General.

Welcome, General Bayan.

Welcome, sir.

You're in charge here?

Yes, sir. You've had a long journey.

We heard you were coming and prepared small banquet.

Banquet?

If you please, sir.

At your service, sir.

At your service.

I appreciate that.

Good wine, good food.

All that's missing are the ladies.

You want women?

They're good men, but women, well, that's asking too much.

Not at all.

Where there's a camp, there are taverns.

We'll have women brought over.

I had no idea there were men like you on the border.

Anything you want, just say the word.

Your sword.

I've been fighting since I was a child.

I made my bed on the corpses of my enemies.

So I've heard, General.

A warrior's sword has a life of its own.

Yet yours doesn't reek of blood.

But sir...

Who did you sell your weapons to?

Sir.

I'm not a patient man.

Answer me or I'll cut you down and feed you to your starving men.

Report.

Sir. It's a misunderstanding.

I warned you.

I would never sell...

Who's next in the chain of command?

Kill me!

Kill us!

Display his head outside the tent.

Sir.

No weapons is bad enough.

But it's impossible to win with no morale.

The enemy within is worse than any other.

I will take up my sword, cut away the rotten flesh...

and raise a new army.

Tell them.

First we must strengthen our forces.

The Yuan will be divided from the other tribes.

We will separate the elite and use the rest as laborers and fodder in battle.

Lesser provisions will be given to lesser men.

Desertion will be met with summary execution.

Nothing for her.

I lost the throne thanks to you.

Thanks to you.

We'll keep you barely alive.

So you will know pain.

Eat.

You can keep your charity.

Don't make me angry.

You can still die.

We'll be in Daidu soon.

I'm offering you a chance.

Slavery in the palace.

Or my concubine.

Choose. Well?

I choose slavery.

They'll work you like a dog till you die.

I know that.

Just wait, Tangqishi.

Your day will come.

But first I'll kill your emperor.

I swear.

It's strange, I did better on Daechong.

'Great Mountain.' The front hand as firm as a mountain.

'Tiger's Tail.' Pull as easy as if it's a tiger's tail.

Feel that?

Right, I can feel it.

All right. Fine.

Firm as a mountain, fluffy tiger tail.

Ugh.

No more. No, no, no!

My Liege.

She hasn't come to pay her respects even once?

That's too much, even for Tanasiri.

We should ask who she...

Your Majesty, if you please.

Enter.

Is that it?

Your Majesty.

It smells nice.

Give it to Tanasiri.

Exactly as I instructed you.

What is in that box?

You know how it is here.

Even an Empress must bear an heir.

Then you...?

A favorite of the Queen Dowager.

Keep it with you at all times for clear skin and a clearer head.

Tell her thank you.

The Dowager has everyone's respect?

It is her nature to welcome you with a gift.

This is no gift.

It's a bribe.

A bribe?

As Empress, I will run the Inner Court.

She's buttering me up.

As the eldest, the Empress Dowager will run the Inner Court.

Eldest, pssh.

She had her day.

Time for her to move on.

What is it?

Be about your business.

Of course.

[Daidu - Capital of Yuan]

You had a long trip.

It's been too long.

We will take over from here.

I'd like a world.

That girl there.

She's not for the palace.

For a courtesan house, then?

No. I'll take her in.

You just reject her.

This is it? This is where you live?

You'll have an estate as big as Koryo.

Better yet, you'll have the highest office in Yuan.

His Imperial Majesty.

On your knees.

You are not to raise your heads till Our Liege has passed.

Who are they?

The new concubines from Koryo.

Concubines?

Are you displeased?

A man in Koryo saved my life.

They made me think of him.

Move on.

[Pavilion of Women]

Concubines can receive a stipend?

Or be made a servant.

That would be fine.

I hear if you're kicked out you go to a courtesan house.

- Really? - Oh no.

All cleaned up?

Yes, sir.

Now we begin the screening process.

Red for concubines.

Blue for servants.

Yellow if you are to leave.

Front row first.

Disrobe.

Face, figure, teeth. All fine.

Big boned, flushed and round face.

Servant.

A concubine.

Lovely face and figure.

A scar.

Expelled.

Wait.

How did it happen?

Let's see your hands.

You've held a sword.

What did you do in Koryo?

My father... was a hunter.

You have a good face.

Now hold on. She is to be expelled...

Servant.

Sir.

The daughter of a hunter.

Surely she'll be a good worker.

Next.

Ma'am.

The new servant.

On the end.

This way.

Watch out for her.

She was nearly an imperial concubine.

Now she's full of spite.

Hey. You.

Come here.

You deaf? Chop-chop.

The rest of you go. You massage me.

Well? You heard her.

Washing clothes all day. It's exhausting.

That hurt!

What?

You staring at me?

Guess you don't know where you're at.

Well then. Grab her.

What is all this?

Welcome, my lady.

The head eunuch is conducting an inspection.

Keep quiet.

To the border? On whose orders?

Well, sir...

The king insisted.

He wanted to go to war?

No doubt to regain his throne.

The tribute was burned.

He has to make up for it.

A few victories and he'll get his throne back?

Just so, Regent.

After all, the Western border is along the Silk Road.

The Turk incursions in the area have been a problem lately.

He sees dealing with the Turks...

as his surest path to the throne.

Snatching victory from death.

Amusing.

We'll see.

Will we hear of victory?

Or death?

Sir.

General Talahai has arrived.

What? What's that piece of work want?

I just heard. There are lots of men from Koryo here.

These corpses...

are our brothers?

Who knew?

Something isn't right here.

What brings you here?

He does.

Who needs a king?

Why else?

To fight, of course.

We need soldiers, not court dandies.

I'm told you have men of Koryo here?

Put me with them.

You just volunteered to be arrow fodder.

They kill deserters.

It's bad here.

Where is here exactly?

We came West. On the border somewhere.

Near the Silk Road.

The Silk Road?

I didn't see any silk on the way here.

Moron.

It's a trade route with the West.

The Turks still hold the area.

And we're supposed to conquer them?

Now I see why they brought me here.

Put those on.

These? We're not beggars.

Shut up and change, eunuch.

What? Yom the Scum!

We don't matter.

But the King can't wear this.

Do as you're told.

There's no rank or position here.

All that matters here...

is survival.

It's just clothes, what's it matter?

Let's change.

Sire.

Hold still.

You're Sungnyang?

Let's hear you say you're sorry.

But I'm not.

What?

Rude...!

This won't do.

- Get the whip. - Huh?

Get me the whip.

Yes'm.

My Liege, please, you'll catch cold.

I'm not sleeping well lately.

We'll keep walking.

My Liege.

A light. Where is that?

The storeroom.

A candle lit at this hour?

Baby hurt?

This is nothing.

The real pain is just starting.

Hold her.

Who's in there?

The Emperor.

Who's there? Open up.

Translated by D. Bannon Subtitles provided by MBC

Don't bother me again.

Demons fear me.

Give them to me and I'll make a force to reckon with.

Bring them forward.

And now?

They even teach her about the bridal chamber.

The dragon must rule that night.

She will never conceive.

Our people are dying.

Stop.

I am here for you.

You are my lord now.

We must find a suitable candidate.

We're looking now.

Tonight you will take her place.

Be ready.