CAPTIVATING THE KING
TWO MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE QING INVADED JOSEON.
THE PEOPLE FOUGHT BACK BUT TO NO AVAIL.
THE QING DEMANDED THAT JOSEON CUT TIES WITH THE MING
AND DECLARE THE QING AS THEIR ALLY.
EPISODE 1
Your Highness.
Shall I ask if there are more surviving militia?
Someone is coming!
Your Highness.
We have jeongyo from the capital.
JEONGYO: A ROYAL COMMAND
What is His Majesty's order, Your Highness?
We are to stop recruiting militia for war
and return.
What does that mean?
It seems His Majesty has decided to surrender.
Let us go.
Get up.
"King of Joseon."
"As you have shown remorse for your wrongs and requested to pledge your allegiance,
I will forgive all the sins you have committed thus far
and establish rules
for you to faithfully adhere to for generations as my subject."
"Relinquish the royal patent and the seal issued by the Ming,
sever your allegiance to the Ming,
discard their era name,
and use the Qing's almanac in all your official documents."
"Moreover,
as you do not have a firstborn son yet,
your younger brother
shall be held hostage."
"If in any case,
an unexpected event befalls you,
the hostage that I have taken…
will inherit
the throne."
Your Majesty.
Unfortunately,
Her Royal Highness is with the Principal Director of the Privy Council.
I see.
Is Her Royal Highness
distressed by what is to happen to Grand Prince Jinhan?
She did not express it to me, Your Majesty.
I will be back tomorrow.
The King's sins
will now cost my son's life.
Your Royal Highness.
I understand your deep distress,
but how could you say the King sinned?
I am afraid others might hear.
That is the point!
Must I walk on eggshells around the King
when Grand Prince Jinhan is about to be taken away?
Please calm down!
Do you want to get him in trouble
even before he is taken away by the Qing?
Where is the Grand Prince?
My lack of insight
and failure to deny my court's request
that I stay loyal to the former ally and keep the Qing at bay
has brought on the current crisis.
Your Majesty,
please do not blame yourself.
Your decision then
only came from your wish
to do what is best for the people and the nation.
It feels as if the clamor of people condemning and cursing me
can almost reach the palace.
I cannot bear this excruciating agony.
You, too, must resent me.
The only thing I bear
is the sin of failing to support you, Your Majesty.
I do not bear any resentment.
Even though I am handing you over to them without a proper fight?
Being taken by the Qing
is my duty as your kin
to serve
you and the nation.
Grand Prince Jinhan.
Yes, Your Majesty. Please speak.
You may raise your head.
Survive and return at all costs.
I will not forgive you
if you do not abide by this order.
Do you understand?
I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty.
Call me your brother.
Like you used to when you were young.
I want to hear you say it.
Brother.
That is right.
I am your only elder brother,
and you are my only younger brother.
Your injuries are my injuries.
So please return home safely.
Yes, Brother.
This is a relief.
I was concerned that the Queen Dowager would refuse to send the Grand Prince
and be unreasonable.
Not even the Queen Dowager
can possibly go against the Qing Emperor's orders.
Without the Grand Prince,
the proud Queen Dowager and Park Jong-hwan's Faction
will be discouraged.
They say a crisis is an opportunity.
The time has come
for our family to take control of the court.
Your Majesty.
You must produce an heir to His Majesty
as soon as possible.
Your Highness.
Master.
Please take good care of my brother until I return.
That is my life's duty, so do not worry.
How do you feel?
If you are asking whether I am afraid of being taken by the Qing,
then yes, I am afraid.
However,
my anticipation supersedes my fear.
I wish to learn how the Qing, once a small nation,
rose to power to threaten the Ming Empire
and even claim the Chinese mainland.
Once we finally learn about them,
we may be able to find a way to triumph over them.
This reminds me of the time when I first met you, Your Highness.
Even at your tender age,
you were never easily discouraged.
Was I?
Your Highness.
Please…
stay safe.
Do not worry about me.
I will send word as soon as I arrive in Shenyang.
-Your Highness! -Your Highness!
Your Highness!
You wish to return to your hometown?
What do you mean?
Do not tell me you consider surrendering to the outlanders
too great a shame to hold public office.
There is no shame in surrendering.
However, we failed to surrender before their slaughter began.
What shames me to no end is that I have failed to prevent a war
that need not have happened.
The court needs
someone like you more than ever.
Please reconsider your decision
for the King and this nation.
I am also torn.
However,
I cannot stand the power struggle among the Queens' families
when the nation is still in dire straits.
It is unbearable for me.
-Faster! -Faster!
Faster!
Hurry up!
Come on.
Go faster!
Come on!
Faster!
Get up!
On your feet!
Stand up!
Stop this moment!
You bastards!
Let him do what he wants.
We need him in one piece.
Hey.
Are you okay?
-Wake up. -He is already gone.
Get rid of the body.
Yes, sir.
Interpreter Jung!
I must see General Ma immediately.
General Ma is busy.
You can speak to me.
We may be captives and hostages,
but walking tens of li without any rest is too much.
If this continues,
no one will survive this.
Your Highness,
it seems you are deeply mistaken about the situation.
This war
was not caused by the loutish foreign intruders.
Your foolish and incompetent King and his court brought it on themselves.
The horrific deaths met by Joseon's people
and the cruel treatment suffered by the captives
are solely on Joseon's King and its court.
However, you make it sound like
the Great Qing is to blame.
I cannot tell if you are shameless
or thoughtless.
I have been the Great Qing's loyal subject for many years now,
but I cannot hold my head high
from the shame of being formerly of Joseon.
You are not a guest but a hostage of the Great Qing.
So act like one.
Do you understand?
-Move it! -Hurry!
-Go faster! -Go!
SHENYANG, THE GREAT QING
Master,
I am sending you word as I have safely reached Shenyang.
Recently, I have been playing baduk almost daily with Prince Rui,
the Qing Emperor's favorite brother.
I have come to see the value of being a good baduk player
here in the Qing.
While playing a match with Prince Rui yesterday,
I spoke to him about the ransom for our people in captivity.
Your letter reached me safely, Your Highness.
Next time, do not send it along with official reports.
I will send a messenger from my end.
Master, I send this letter with good news.
Prince Rui pleaded with the Emperor
and earned his promise not to raise the ransom anymore.
To wish for your and the captives' safe return,
His Majesty handpicked a peach tree
and had it planted in the Royal Garden.
He even gave a royal command to the Sixth Royal Secretary
to take care of the tree as if it were you, Your Highness.
Master,
I cannot fully express my joy
at the news of the birth of the Prince Royal.
Just as the court had predicted,
the Emperor demanded the Prince Royal be sent to the Qing as a hostage,
but Prince Rui mediated and prevented it from happening.
In return, I am to travel far to fight in a battle with Prince Rui.
Thus, I will not be able to send word for a while.
Sang-hwa!
-Sang-hwa! -Yes, Your Highness.
There you are.
-Come here. -Master.
Prince Rui has finally approved my return.
My heart's desire
to play baduk with my brother under the peach tree within the year
-is finally coming true. -You brat!
Why are you so heavy?
Goodness.
His Highness has returned!
Your Highness.
I am afraid His Majesty has yet to approve your entrance to the palace.
I must ask you to wait here.
All right.
Your Majesty.
We cannot keep Grand Prince Jinhan standing outside.
Please let him enter the palace, so he can greet you.
No, Your Majesty.
He is said to have brought the Emperor's gifts
he earned with Prince Rui's help.
If you let him enter,
you will have to kneel before him,
bow, and accept the Emperor's gift.
"If in any case, an unexpected event befalls you,
the hostage that I have taken
will inherit the throne."
Your Majesty,
it is true that he has received gifts from Prince Rui.
-However-- -However what?
The gifts are not objects.
They are our people who were taken away during the war.
Grand Prince Jinhan
declined the gifts the Emperor bestowed on him
and pleaded that his people be let go instead.
Proving himself a benevolent prince, I see.
Your Highness.
Shall I bring some water?
No. I will have some after I see His Majesty.
Yes, Your Highness.
Chief State Councilor.
Grand Prince Jinhan is not a criminal.
How can you just stand there
and watch the King treat him so poorly?
I apologize, Your Royal Highness.
Stop repeating your apology,
and answer me with a solution!
Your Royal Highness.
Please calm down.
What on earth were you doing to show up so late, Principal Director?
I came here after seeing
the Grand Prince enter the hall of governance.
That is more like it.
I have heard that you were Prince Rui's favorite.
Perhaps that is why you look so fine.
I hope things have been good for you too, Brother.
Shut your mouth.
Do not call me your brother.
I am the King of the nation before I am your brother.
The strict hierarchy between the king and his subjects
shall not be flouted by the likes of you.
Do you understand?
Yes, Your Majesty.
I will keep that in mind.
Your Highness.
It has been a while.
My brother…
No.
His Majesty
does not seem well.
It has not been long since I received your last letter.
Would you care to explain?
-Your Highness. -Chief State Councilor.
I must speak to you urgently.
What is it?
I was conversing with His Highness.
It is a confidential matter regarding His Majesty and the government.
My apologies, Your Highness.
I will send you word soon.
We shall meet then and catch up on everything.
Understood. Let us do that.
Let us go, my lord.
Chief State Councilor.
What do you think of my nephew, Myung-ha,
as your prospective son-in-law?
His standards were too high, so he missed his window to get married.
I hear your daughter is at the prime age of marriage.
What do you think?
If our families become one through their marriage,
the Prince Royal would feel reassured as if he gained the world.
Do you not agree?
Your Majesty.
Marriage is the event of a lifetime.
How come you demand his decision on the spot?
Please do not press the Chief State Councilor.
That was not my intent…
Then please consider my offer and do let me know.
I will do that, Your Majesty.
Did I act too rashly and botch the matter?
Lord Kang's attitude would not have changed
even if you had acted differently.
This is all because
Grand Prince Jinhan did not die and returned alive.
On the bright side,
His Majesty has realized the true nature of the Grand Prince
and has thus become wary of him.
His Majesty's symptoms are worsening by the day,
but he will not let us speak of the appointment of the Crown Prince.
That is what concerns me the most.
If he passes away all of a sudden,
what do we do then?
Before that happens,
I shall secure the appointment of the Prince Royal as the Crown Prince.
Please do not be concerned.
How dare the King treat him like a traitor
when he should be showered with rewards?
I cannot hold this anger!
Uncle, please tell me what happened.
Kim Jong-bae filed a petition not so long ago
to urge His Majesty to appoint the Prince Royal as the Crown Prince.
But that only angered His Majesty and turned the court upside down.
Ever since then, Kim Jong-bae has been defaming you
to make up for his blunder.
What kind of defamation?
There have been rumors in and out of the capital
that you have been serving Prince Rui as his spy
in desire of the throne.
I hope you have measures to protect him.
Right.
The northwestern region is brimming with furious tigers.
How about we evacuate him to safety
under the pretense of a tiger hunting trip?
He must not leave the capital.
The King and Kim Jong-bae
will view such a move as an attempt to plot a treason.
And they will use it as a pretext
to eliminate the Grand Prince as well as anyone who follows him.
Then what do you propose?
For now,
it is best to lie low to avoid drawing their attention.
Your Majesty.
Her Royal Highness has sent herbal medicine.
Do not come by to greet me.
Seeing you disgusts me,
worsening my illness.
Do not greet the Queen Dowager either.
You are to stay out of the palace until I order you to.
Do you understand?
Yes, Your Majesty.
The Grand Prince must be treated with warm hospitality.
Have you made all the preparations?
Of course.
I have prepared thoroughly,
so do not worry.
You must be on your toes at all times.
Yes, my lord.
Bring me more alcohol.
Why are you empty-handed when I asked for more alcohol?
I brought something better.
Do you know who I am?
No, I do not.
But I can get to know you starting now.
You could die should you get to know me better.
Please kill me then.
It is my greatest wish.
My lord.
You should not treat a lady in such a crude manner.
You must go slower, especially when you are feeling impatient
to get my heart racing
and tease me with a thrill of anticipation.
I do not know of such ways.
Try reciting a line from a poem you favor.
My lord.
What do those lines mean?
To wish for life when you love them…
and death when you hate them.
Wishing them to live while wishing them to die.
Such paradox of fickleness.
That is what it means to be captivated.
My lord.
Where are you going?
Did I do something wrong?
It is not your fault.
I just had a change of heart.
My lord!
-My lord. -Come to me.
Tail him.
He could not have gone far. Spread out and find him!
-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.
Shall I scare them off so they will not dare to tail you again?
There is no need.
Let us not cause a ruckus.
Please get up.
You should not sleep here.
Are you afraid someone might see?
If I may be so bold,
I do not understand why you are feigning to be a carefree rake
which you are not.
You must be disgusted by me.
Just let it slide.
I am only trying to survive.
Please wait here.
I shall bring a horse.
Goodness.
Gosh. Who would have thought of that?
How did he see that?
That was some move.
Look at that play.
How come I did not see it?
I knew that stone would be placed there.
I wonder what he will do next given he has lost all his major chains.
He must find a way out of this.
That was plain useless.
Even I could say as much.
As if you know much about baduk!
-What? -How silly of you.
Be quiet.
Wait!
Darn it!
I cannot focus with all this noise around me.
My lord.
Were you placing the stone on the board or throwing it?
The latter. I lose.
-You should keep playing. -No need.
What is the point when I have no more plays?
Then as you have promised,
I shall take the table and the stones.
Unbelievable.
Goodness.
Wait.
Let us play another game tomorrow.
Say the word, and I will grant you anything you want.
Respectfully, I must decline.
But why?
I love to win,
but I cannot put up with boredom.
Not against me, but a gigaek who can beat you.
GIGAEK: A PROFESSIONAL BADUK PLAYER
My lord.
There is no player who can beat me within a ten-li radius of the capital.
Except for one, that is.
And who is that?
Grand Prince Jinhan, who returned from Shenyang recently.
If I could get the chance,
I would like to play against him.
Forget it.
He was indeed once praised as a master of baduk,
but that was a long time ago.
He is right.
Do not forget the awful rumor going around in the capital lately.
The rumor that he is a spy of Prince Rui?
Yes. No matter how much he may crave the throne,
how could he possibly do that?
An official of the court told me that--
Bollocks.
Do you poop with your mouth and eat with your behind?
I cannot stand your repulsive stories anymore.
How dare you! I went easy on you as you were a good baduk player,
but what is this insolence?
Apologize to him immediately if you do not wish to be flogged!
Bollocks.
Apologize?
You are the ones who should be flogged.
Did the Grand Prince ask to be taken to the Qing?
He was taken hostage against his will and returned after all sorts of hardships.
Yet you dare to call him a spy?
Where there is smoke, there is fire.
He groveled before the foreigners and was loved by them!
I would have done the same.
Anyone would listen to the emperor in a new land of foreigners.
Am I wrong?
What kind of idiot would do otherwise?
Assume that the Grand Prince was too prideful
and went against the Emperor.
Then who would have suffered the most?
It would have been the captives who were taken
and the people of Joseon.
And the whole nation would have then been ravaged
and irreparably damaged for good.
What is with you?
Something to say?
Go on.
You lot are all so slow.
No wonder I won all your baduk tables, for none of you can think ahead.
You little brat.
-Let us leave, my lord. -Yes, let us go.
Today does not seem to be your day.
I am the one who should be saying that.
-You… -That little…
Darn it.
Quit your obsession with Qing baduk tables, you hypocrites.
That table is a valuable item that is extremely hard to come by.
I did advise you not to play, my lord.
I told you you were no match for him.
My goodness.
It feels as if I have been bewitched.
Let me ask you something.
What is his name?
Who is he and where does he live?
I do not know.
He earned his fame by his promise to tell his name to one who defeats him.
But he has yet to lose a single game,
so no one knows his name.
Not even his last name?
No.
By the way, who are…
-Wait. -Hey.
-Your Highness, I apologize for-- -Did you see
a young man carrying a baduk table on his back on your way here?
Sorry?
Well, yes. Just a moment ago…
Good.
Your Highness.
Wait…
Who is he and why are you chasing him?
He is a total stranger.
Sorry?
Then why are you going after him?
Hurry. We might lose him.
Yes, Your Highness.
Come take a look.
Just how…
How did he climb down so fast like a squirrel?
My goodness.
Maybe I missed him on the way.
We seem to have lost him.
Over there!
I got you!
-What are you doing? -Forgive me.
I had to resort to discourtesy as I do not know your name.
Did you tail me up from the valley?
If you are trying to pick a fight--
It is not that.
I am here
to grant your wish.
My wish?
What are you talking about?
Playing a game of baduk.
What?
Right. I do love expensive baduk tables.
However, it is late today.
So we shall play next time.
This is unacceptable.
Then what is acceptable?
My lord.
You must be quite confident.
I know all the skilled baduk players in the capital.
Which one are you?
Which patron is providing you with room and board?
Well, that is…
I have thoroughly searched every courtesan house in the capital,
and this is the final one.
Answer my question.
Has Grand Prince Jinhan been here yesterday or today?
I have already told you that I have not even seen his shadow.
My lady!
You lie through your teeth.
It is indeed very difficult to correct bad habits.
I guess lying runs in the family.
Perhaps I have been going too easy on you lately.
I will make sure to teach you a lesson today.
Prepare yourself.
Do as you please.
I sure will.
Who is it?
Who is the lunatic that dared to attack me?
You must have been looking for me all day.
You seem familiar.
Greetings, Your Highness.
I am Yoo Hyun-bo, Assistant Section Chief of the Ministry of Rites.
An official of the Ministry of Rites causing a scene at a courtesan house?
It is certainly a behavior that is unheard of.
Did Lord Kim Jong-bae order you to dig up dirt on me?
Please do not misunderstand.
It is not what you think, Your Highness.
-Misunderstand? -"Your Highness"?
Then what am I to make of you tailing me last night
and causing a ruckus here even before I got here?
Your Highness.
-That-- -What is the point of excuses
when the stench of lies is obvious?
Be gone!
Excuse me.
He called you, "Your Highness."
Are you perhaps Grand Prince Jinhan?
That baduk gambler
needs to be taught a lesson.
Go take care of him.
Yes, my lord.
How interesting.
Your Highness. It is me, Sang-hwa.
Yes, you may enter.
Its original owner would weep to see its state.
I am glad Yoo Hyun-bo managed to dodge it.
Or else it would have been trouble.
He seemed to have a history with Hongjang, the courtesan.
He does.
According to the head courtesan, they are family.
Family?
Does that mean she is from a noble family?
Yes. She is one of the repatriates who was once held captive by the Qing.
What an awful man.
How could he persecute his own sister when he failed to protect her?
Your Highness.
You may enter.
My name is Hongjang.
Please allow me to serve you a drink tonight.
Sure.
Have the baduk gambler from earlier come in.
He deserves more credit than I do for today.
Your Highness.
I am sorry to tell you this,
but he is already gone.
What did you say?
Already gone?
Yes, Your Highness.
He said he had somewhere to go before sunset.
Tell me his name.
Please forgive me.
Though I do know his name,
I shall not disclose it without his permission.
Is he your lover?
He is my savior
who paid for my ransom.
He always complained
that the money earned from baduk tables was not enough to help many people.
When he heard the news of your deal with Prince Rui
to release the captives who were taken during the war,
he was filled with joy.
What else? Go on.
He also said this nation will change
now that you have returned.
Gosh, you startled me.
Do let me know before coming in.
Oh.
Gosh, my heart.
I am coming in, my lady.
I have given some thought
as to why you are startled senseless even at the smallest peep.
It must be your guilty conscience speaking
because you sneak out every day to play baduk dressed as a man.
Did we not reach a conclusion on this topic?
Bollocks.
You always reach a conclusion all by yourself.
Stop saying that.
Your habitual cursing has stuck to my way of talking.
Do you know how many times I cursed in front of him today?
"Him"?
Who do you mean?
That is none of your business.
-Could it be-- -No. It is not Lord Kim, the drafter.
Then who?
You are frustrating me to death.
It is about time you get married, but you only wander around outside.
Marriage, my foot.
Who says I am getting married?
Lord Kim says so.
Ridiculous.
I shall forbid him from entering my house.
It is already too late for that.
What do you mean by that?
Your father came home just now,
and he brought Lord Kim with him.
What?
Why are you telling me this now?
You are the one who stopped me from talking.
Goodness.
My lady.
Your hair.
I am sorry, Father.
I did not know you came home.
Not to worry. Come sit down.
How have you been lately, my lady?
You came by but five days ago,
so your salutation seems unsuitable.
I came to play baduk with you.
I have already told you
that I do not play against someone that I have beaten
and that I will not marry someone who cannot beat me.
That is why I am here.
I must win to marry you,
and in order to win,
I must keep visiting to play a game with you.
I will not marry you, my lord.
But I will marry you at all costs.
Do not look at me like that.
I am falling for you even more.
Father, I shall return to my room.
Go ahead.
My lord.
Please allow me to marry your daughter.
I understand
your deep filial devotion to Her Majesty and your father.
Do you think my motive is a sense of filial duty?
Even if my aunt and father were against the match,
I would have asked for her hand.
I have no intention
of marrying Hee-soo off against her will.
I know how much you adore your daughter.
However,
she will have to grow out of being your daughter one day.
Do you not agree?
Hee-soo.
Do you really hate it that much?
Yes.
Then what do you like?
I like sitting down with you for a game of baduk.
During the war,
I left you alone and took off when you were motherless.
Do you not resent me?
I did when I was young.
However, Jageunnyeon took me in when I was a crying child
to feed, clothe, and hold my hand.
She was also only a little girl back then.
Getting by alone would have been difficult enough.
There were many times when she would cry as well.
There was someone to take care of us whenever such times came.
Everyone knew you were fighting a tough battle
alongside the Grand Prince while supporting him.
Is it that you dislike marriage
or Kim Myung-ha?
I will get married.
When I find the right man, that is.
You mean someone who can beat you at baduk?
What if he is a white-haired sage?
If that is my fate,
I must accept it.
Well, that is troublesome.
I shall be back.
Yes, Father.
My lady!
Here we go again after a few days of good behavior.
You can go over my dead body!
Jageunnyeon.
Do you want to get on my bad side?
How could you say that?
I worry about you every minute I am awake,
even in the privy!
Jageunnyeon.
Do not even call me!
Must you get in the way when you know why I am doing this?
How could I not know that your kind heart is guiding you
to help the people just as they helped us during the war?
-But-- -The ransom was increased,
making repatriation even more difficult.
If I can help them with my talent,
it would be my greatest honor to do so.
To me,
you are much more important than the captives, my lady.
Fine.
Once I earn enough money for ransom to send with the winter envoy,
I shall retire.
Do you promise?
I promise.
Unbelievable.
Principal Director.
Chief State Councilor.
I heard you had no time
to catch up with the Grand Prince after his return.
I would like to host a feast to celebrate his return.
When would suit you best?
I cannot burden you unnecessarily.
I shall catch up with the Grand Prince in private.
Chief State Councilor.
I did not want to speak so bluntly,
but you leave me no choice.
Now that the Grand Prince is back,
it is about time you show where you stand.
Are you asking me to choose
between the north, south, east, and west?
That is correct.
So which is it?
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
The seasonal changes begin in the north and finish in the south.
What hidden meaning could there be to them?
However,
I do not intend to be involved in a political fight
between the Queen's family.
The Grand Prince has been visiting every day.
Will you keep avoiding him?
I said bollocks.
Twice, at that.
I also said, "Do you poop with your mouth and eat with your behind?"
I cannot bear to see him.
He did not seem like the type to mind such words.
But I am.
Stay safe.
What do I do?
If only I had not said bollocks,
I would seek an audience with him.
How bold of you to humiliate my lord?
What are you waiting for?
Get him.
Stop!
Your Highness.
I am glad I got here in time.
How did you know I was here?
I went to the courtesan house today, hoping to see you.
Hongjang told me…
Your Highness.
You are bleeding.
This is nothing.
The wound is not as deep as you might…
Your Highness.
Are you all right?
You are more skittish than you seem.
It is a relief
that I took the knife instead of you.
CAPTIVATING THE KING
Your Highness.
-Goodness. -Why are you running away
when you are here to see me?
I only play baduk when there is a bet.
I did not bring my baduk table,
so I will bet what you want.
What is it?
He was fated to ascend to the throne
despite not being able to do so.
So do not think that I covet the title of the Crown Prince.
That makes him
a target and a threat.
It is raining!
-Mongwoo. -When mongwoo falls,
let us meet here again.
Subtitle translation by: Jea-heon Chung