ALL CHARACTERS, LOCATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INCIDENTS
DEPICTED IN THIS DRAMA ARE ENTIRELY FICTITIOUS
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FINALE
Come on now.
Your Royal Highness.
Forgive me,
but being His Majesty's gidaeryeong is enough for me.
Who gave you the permission to take it off?
Your distasteful habit of not listening while I am being civil
slipped my mind.
Do not just stand about!
Strip her of this unseemly men's attire.
Let me go!
Here comes His Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Mother.
What is going on here?
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Order them to let go of the gidaeryeong
right this instant.
Your Majesty.
Please allow me a moment.
I was about to have her try on the perfect outfit
I bestowed upon her.
If you do not order them to release her, I will have to.
Shall I have all your servants dragged out of your quarters?
Senior Court Lady Han.
Release the gidaeryeong and leave.
You may leave as well, Mong-woo.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Word has it
that the Qing Emperor wants to play baduk with her.
I will relieve you of this distress.
Appoint the gidaeryeong as a concubine.
Not even the Emperor of the Qing
can summon the spouse of Joseon's King at his will.
That idea eluded me.
All the better,
I could make her the new occupant of the queen's quarters.
What do you think, Mother?
How is it that you are responding to my concerns with a jape?
Were you not japing?
In that case, let me be clear.
I will not
send the gidaeryeong to the Emperor of the Qing
or appoint her as my concubine.
If you thought you could control me
by using the gidaeryeong,
I advise you to perish the thought.
Do you think
I want that wicked and deceiving wench as your future spouse
out of my fondness for her?
You must sire a son who will inherit the throne
and preserve your legacy.
I already have a son.
The Crown Prince is the late king's son,
not yours.
Do you not remember how the late king persecuted us?
The apple does not fall far from the tree.
If he ascends to the throne, a bloodbath will be inevitable.
That will happen when I am dead and gone.
There is nothing I can do about that.
If that is what you truly want, then fine.
I will no longer
reside in the palace with you.
If I leave the palace,
the whole nation will learn that you are the most undutiful son.
Do you truly believe
your authority will hold even while going against my will?
It will not do
to have you leave the palace.
I shall ieo myself.
IEO: RELOCATION OF THE KING'S RESIDENCE
Your Majesty!
Promise me one thing.
Do not…
summon the gidaeryeong
under any circumstances.
Gidaeryeong Kang should only answer to my calls.
I shall leave now.
How could you treat your mother so harshly?
How could you be this cruel to your own mother?
Were you hurt
because of my refusal to appoint you as my concubine?
If you had ordered me
to abandon my current post and become your concubine,
I would have resented you
and cut you out of my life.
I almost stepped right into trouble.
To speak the truth,
my mother's words did sway me for a moment.
What made you change your mind?
I selfishly desired
to have you confined to the palace so you would only see and think about me.
It seemed as if my mother had seen through me, which shamed me.
And only then could I think straight.
When were you planning to tell me
that the Emperor had summoned me?
I was never going to tell you.
I have no intention of sending you away anyway.
- Your Majesty. - My mind has been set.
Do not try to argue with me.
Your Majesty.
If you do not send Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo to the Qing,
they may use the execution of the Principal Director as a pretext
and pressure you further.
I cannot sacrifice the gidaeryeong
to evade their unreasonable requests and interference.
Punishing the Principal Director
has improved public sentiment,
but there is another challenge that is yet to be overcome.
It is Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo.
Your Majesty, I implore you.
Send the gidaeryeong to the Qing
and issue a decree for the selection of the queen.
If you select a new queen,
the people will trust and follow you wholly.
Only then
can we abolish the Border Defense Council without the court's resistance
as you have desired and reform the court.
Please reconsider your decision.
Master Choam.
Thank you.
I did not make the request for you.
I only offered His Majesty my advice
as I did not think you should remain by his side.
That was why I asked you to advise him.
Without sincerity,
no advice can bend his will.
I do not know
what decision he will come to.
His Majesty
knows the truth in your words better than anyone.
Though it may take some time,
he will make the right decision.
Your Majesty, it is me, Sang-hwa.
You may enter.
How did it go?
I conveyed your order to Senior Court Lady Han.
I told her that should a rumor that the gidaeryeong is a woman spread,
she would be expelled and punished severely
as the Queen Dowager's quarters would be assumed the rumor's origin.
She said she would take it to her grave.
Is there any news about Jung Je-pyo?
After voyaging across the nation,
he has been staying in Iksan Magistracy for the last few days.
Observe the people he meets and their topics of discussion
and report back to me.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
I have a question.
What is it?
Punishing the Principal Director
equates to declaring war against the Qing.
But they offered peace
by requesting you to send me instead of invading with their troops.
It is strange.
It means they cannot mobilize their troops at their will.
They would have to engage with the remaining forces of the Ming,
and the young Emperor and Prince Rui
may have begun their struggle for power.
Your Majesty.
I will go to the Emperor.
I will look into the situation they are in.
Did I not tell you already that I would not be sending you away?
Do you think they would accept that without a challenge?
Finding a way to take advantage of the situation would be preferable,
would it not?
Do you think they will not see through your intent?
They will consider you a spy,
keep their eyes on you at all times,
and find any means to persecute you.
Why do you insist on taking the risk?
Because I would be leaving to play baduk
and it would be the Qing Emperor I would converse with there.
Should I earn his goodwill,
I would gain means to aid you and this nation.
There is no reason for me to hesitate or dread it.
- No. - Your Majesty.
There is another reason I must go.
I wish to see
my long-yearned father in Beijing.
I failed to protect you three years ago.
But even after three years,
I am no different in that I still cannot protect you.
Why must I, even as the king,
face continued failures in protecting you?
Your Majesty.
You have my approval.
You may leave to the Qing.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I shall…
live up to your expectations.
Do not make those faces.
I am not going there as a criminal
but as the Emperor's guest.
They may call you their guest,
but who knows how they will treat you?
My lady.
Does that mean you are going as the gidaeryeong?
I must step down from the post when I go.
And yet His Majesty gave you his approval for you to go to the Qing?
I asked for his approval myself.
I would like to see my father as well.
I might as well take this opportunity and join Lady Hee-soo
to see how Bun-yeong is doing and go sightseeing in Beijing.
I will be traveling with the envoy's group,
so I can only take two other people.
Then Jageunnyeon should stay.
Yes, it would be better for us to go.
There will be loads to pack.
When are we leaving?
We will be leaving in a month's time.
A month's time…
I cannot send Mong-woo to the Qing alone.
How about you select a few men from my unit to watch over her?
There is someone more suited for that role.
Do you mean Chu Dal-ha?
I shall order the Chief Royal Secretary
to prepare a royal decree granting him amnesty.
Go and deliver it as soon as the document is prepared.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I hear my days in exile came to a close.
The gidaeryeong
will be leaving for Beijing.
His Majesty granted you amnesty so you could watch over her.
What is it?
I apologize,
but could I ask for a few days' time?
I must tie up a loose end.
It is Yoo Hyun-bo, is it not?
Do you plan to kill him?
Killing an exiled criminal for personal reasons
is against this nation's law.
You would be committing another crime against His Majesty despite his kindness.
You have three days.
That is it.
I was wondering where you went.
I see you went to get some wood.
It was so cold at night
that I almost froze to death.
Start the fire to heat the floor.
There will be no heating until winter frost sets in.
Do remember this is not some luxurious residence, will you?
Good grief.
That little brat…
What is it?
Over there.
What?
What was it?
Someone I know
was standing there just now.
Over there.
Goodness.
Someone you know?
Unbelievable.
This is not some market in the capital where people can bump into each other!
Wait.
He was there just a moment ago.
Step away.
Stop playing games
and go back inside.
You will be flogged if the magistrate sees you.
Do you understand?
Get back inside.
What is this?
It is your meal.
That was not the point of my question.
Did I not give you money for food yesterday?
Do not put on such airs for some petty change.
You bastard!
Do you know who I am?
You can have this lousy food.
I will head straight to the magistracy and inform the magistrate of this!
Acting like a nobleman
when you are but a traitor, are you?
I knew it. It really was you.
I was worried that I might not get to kill you before leaving,
but the heavens are on my side.
Your knife is rather small.
You should have brought a longer sword.
This will be more than enough
to kill a mangy hyena.
If you kill me,
you will die as well for murdering an exiled criminal.
Killing a murderous runaway is an exception.
When I go to the Underworld and meet that wench, Hongjang,
I shall have to ask her this.
"How did you end up taking a lover as lowly as Chu Dal-ha?"
You will not be meeting Hongjang in the Underworld
since you will fall straight into the burning pits of hell.
Lord Kim.
What brings you here?
Did you come knowing that today is my last day in the palace
serving as the gidaeryeong?
Yoo Hyun-bo died.
He seems to have run away after murdering his exile overseer
and met his end at the hand of a bandit.
Are you all right?
Yoo Hyun-bo
persecuted and harmed Hongjang,
but he was her only kin.
I thought I would be in agony for the rest of my life,
unable to decide whether to forgive him or not.
I did not expect it to end like this.
When are you leaving?
I shall bid my farewell to His Majesty tomorrow
and leave the day after.
I wish you
a safe journey.
Thank you.
Please do not worry.
Your Royal Highness.
I wanted to see you for the last time before I left the palace.
Master.
I shall remember all your teachings until we meet again.
I shall also look forward to
our reunion.
Please give my regards
to my sister in Beijing.
Yes, Your Royal Highness. I shall.
Please stay strong and healthy
until the day we meet again.
I will, Master.
I am back.
Look who we have here, my lady.
My lady.
How did you manage to return?
His Majesty granted me a pardon
so that I could escort you to Beijing.
But something feels so off about you.
You do not have the look
of a haggard criminal who suffered a punishment.
Am I wrong?
I must agree.
You look as bright as the moon.
Dal-ha, shining like the moonlight.
Yoo Hyun-bo died.
He seems to have run away after murdering his exile overseer
and met his end at the hand of a bandit.
How are you feeling?
Are you all right?
Do not worry about me, my lady.
I feel fine and at ease.
That is good enough for me.
My lady, you should come out for a moment.
Why are you acting so fussy?
Captain Joo.
What brings you here?
His Majesty summons you.
I was getting ready to go to the palace.
Please allow me a moment.
I shall prepare myself and come back.
Wait.
What is this?
His Majesty has bestowed upon you a set of attire.
Get changed and come outside.
I will be waiting.
Look at this, my lady.
What is the matter?
Do you not like it?
That is not it.
I like it.
I wish
His Majesty would not send you away.
Jageunnyeon.
I know it cannot happen.
I am only saying how I feel.
Your Majesty.
You did not summon me to Yeongchwijeong,
so I was afraid I would have to leave without seeing you.
I did not summon you
as I was afraid my resolve would waver upon seeing you.
How come you summoned me today?
I summoned you…
because I wished to spend the day wholly with you.
A whole day for us to be an ordinary man and woman.
Will you join me?
Do you know how to skip stones?
The best stone for this game
is a flat stone like this one.
Here I go.
Give it a try.
You sure have a talent for all games with stones.
Your Majesty.
I am fine.
Here.
Are you all right?
I am.
Let me.
What thought has you smiling thusly?
I was reminded of a past event.
Years ago,
when you ascended to the throne
and I was jailed in the State Tribunal,
I had a dream.
I dreamt that you came by
to see me while I was sleeping.
It was not a dream.
I did visit you then without anyone knowing.
No wonder it felt so real.
There are requests I must make to you.
No matter how upset you get,
do not go against the Emperor rashly.
Seeing your eyes go ablaze
might make the Emperor fall for you.
If you do get to play baduk with the Emperor,
remember to lose one out of three games.
Having the Emperor insist on keeping you until he wins…
will not do at all.
Yes, Your Majesty. I will remember.
Do you have any other requests for me?
No matter where you are,
do not forget that you are my gidaeryeong.
I have a request to make as well.
Even if days go by without mongwoo,
do not be upset or harass Captain Joo.
Do not shed tears at the sight of mongwoo
or stay all alone in Yeongchwijeong.
One more thing.
Do not leave the queen's quarters vacant for too long.
The court will be concerned…
What else?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?
Your Majesty.
Why do you not ask
for my name?
You said it is the rule of your baduk bet.
You only tell your name to the opponent who beats you.
I have not beaten you yet,
so how could I ask for your name?
I promise
to return safely
and give you a chance to win against me.
Here is my promise.
I will beat you when that day comes
and have you say your name.
I will not come to Yeongchwijeong until Mong-woo returns.
Shut the gate to the place until I command otherwise.
Are you doing well, Mong-woo?
It has already been nine months since you left for the Qing.
There have been many events, small and big,
in and out of the palace while you were gone.
His Majesty has ordered us to find a way to right the wrongs
that are harming our people.
What do you think that means?
He is referring to the wrongs
regarding the tribute offering and the military service.
Do you assume
the noblemen will also have to pay taxes to be exempt from military service?
His Majesty said it was unfair
for the commoners to suffer alone while the noblemen made no sacrifices.
The court and the scholars will be against this.
Even the scholars' resistance will not work on His Majesty.
After the Chief State Councilor and Right State Councilor
requested to be dismissed and left the capital,
His Majesty appointed the Left State Councilor
as the Chief State Councilor,
the Inspector General as the Minister of Personnel,
and the Chief Royal Secretary as the Minister of Rites.
The palace and the court must right their wrongs
for the people to follow.
Therefore, I will right the wrongs of the royal family as well.
Expose all the crimes
of members of the royal family and their relatives
who went against the national law and monopolized the salt manufacture
or stole lands that were cultivated through people's hard work and sacrifice.
And see to it that they are severely punished.
My brother requested to be dismissed, but His Majesty disapproved.
He was offered the position of the governor of Gyeonggi Province
which he surprisingly accepted.
The days he used to be called one of the Three Hwans
are long behind him.
His Majesty is reforming the court with a strong initiative.
But what questions me the most
is that he lets Jung Je-pyo, the Supreme General of the Privy Council,
abuse his powers and seek more
with the Qing as his trusted patron.
The Third Minister of War is here, my lord.
Welcome, Myung-ha.
Were you writing a letter to send to Beijing again?
Why do you continue to send one when you have not received any replies?
Must there be a reason for a friend to send a letter to another?
After I heard the news of the Princess's return
after the sudden death of Prince Rui,
I have been hoping Mong-woo would accompany her.
But you heard the rumor too, did you not?
They say Kang Mong-woo may become the Emperor's gidaejo.
GIDAEJO: A GOVERNMENT POST FOR THE EMPEROR'S BADUK COMPANION
I cannot sit back and watch that happen.
What could you possibly do
when even His Majesty has his hands tied?
That also upsets me.
He locked up Yeongchwijeong and forbade us from mentioning Mong-woo.
He does not seem like the man who favored him more than anyone else.
Have you been well, Your Royal Highness?
How did you know I was here?
I went to the temporary palace to uphold a royal command to greet you,
and your maids directed me here.
Did the King order you to find out
whether I am dead or alive?
Of course not, Your Royal Highness.
His Majesty is constantly concerned about your well-being--
Tell him that I am well.
Your Royal Highness.
Forgive me,
but His Majesty charged me to ask you a question.
It has been months since you went away for a retreat,
so when might you be returning to the--
Why are you asking me that?
Tell the King to come by himself…
to have me consider the matter of my return.
Your Majesty, I come bearing an urgent matter.
I was on my way to the Directorate of Training
and the Royal Commandery Division.
What is the matter?
Your Majesty.
The Qing's envoy has reached the Mohwa Guesthouse.
I was wondering if I could go welcome the envoy and his party.
Your Majesty.
Two officials dispatched to Uiju have received
and accompanied the envoy ever since his arrival there.
There is no need for the Supreme General to join them.
Your Majesty.
I have known
the Qing's current envoy for a long time, and I am on good terms with him.
I only seek to prevent any discomfort to you
before your departure from the palace tomorrow,
so please give me your approval.
You have my approval.
As Princess Jangryeong will need to be escorted,
take Third Minister of War Kim Myung-ha with you.
I shall, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
It is clear that Jung Je-pyo volunteered to go to the Mohwa Guesthouse
to satisfy his selfish needs by colluding with the Qing's envoy
and to inform the matters of the Joseon court to the Qing.
As his reliable patron, Prince Rui, is now long gone,
he seeks to contribute to their court
and prove to the Emperor his competence as a spy.
Your concerns are duly noted.
I have a plan in mind,
so do not worry.
Make way!
Even a snail is faster than you lot.
Go faster!
Hey, what do you think you are doing?
I will leave you behind if you do not come to your senses!
Let us go. Hurry.
Is Se-dong here?
Goodness.
Welcome, my lord.
Oh my.
I hope you have been well.
I am here to see the gidaeryeong. Where is she?
Sorry? What do you mean?
I know she is back.
Do not play dumb.
We are not playing dumb--
Must I search the place for you to tell me the truth?
Lord Kim.
It has been a while.
How come you returned without a word?
Has your father not returned with you?
He is still in Beijing.
Master Chu said he would stay by his side,
so only I accompanied Bun-yeong back to Joseon.
So you do not plan on informing His Majesty of your return.
Nothing good will come of letting him know.
What will you do now?
After I see Her Highness and Bun-yeong
safely return to their respective posts,
I will leave again.
Until then,
please do not tell anyone.
My greetings to you, Your Majesty.
My name is Bun-yeong.
It must have been very difficult for you.
Your detailed reports on the Qing royal family
benefited me greatly.
I did not consider my task to be a difficult one.
Ever since you executed your kin, the Principal Director,
Prince Rui began to fear you.
"There is nothing stronger than a monarch who has won the people's hearts."
He spoke thusly
and recognized Joseon as a nation the Qing could no longer meddle with.
Indeed.
I shall reward you.
You may request anything you would like.
Though I have committed a grave crime of taking Her Highness's place,
you have forgiven my crime
and spared no effort
to have me return safely after Prince Rui's sudden demise.
You have already shown me great generosity, Your Majesty.
I do not wish for more.
I am proud of you.
I will never forget your contribution.
Please give my thanks to the Emperor
for the safe repatriation of Princess Jangryeong.
He asks you to convey his gratitude to the Emperor.
Now that you have your princess back,
it is your turn to return the favor.
When will you send back the criminal who committed a crime against the Emperor?
Wait.
Who is the envoy referring to?
The criminal?
He did not mention this yesterday.
He is asking when you will relinquish the criminal to his care.
I will do so now.
Take him.
Arrest the criminal.
Your Majesty.
No!
A criminal?
I, a criminal?
Your Majesty.
There must be a misunderstanding.
No.
This is a command from the Emperor of the Great Qing.
Heed well, Criminal Jung Je-pyo.
"Evidence surfaced that proves that Prince Rui
had plotted treason before his sudden death.
Prince Rui's loyal subject, Jung Je-pyo, shall return immediately,
confess his crime before the Emperor, and receive his punishment."
Take him.
Your Majesty.
Let me go!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty.
I am a man of Joseon
and your loyal subject.
The Emperor of the Qing has no right to punish me.
Do you not agree?
It has been countless years since you have not been a man of Joseon
but a man of Qing.
You told me those very words years ago.
Have you forgotten already?
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.
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.
Your Majesty…
Your Majesty.
I have committed an unforgivable crime against you.
Please.
I plead with you to punish me instead.
Please do not hand me over to these outlanders.
Please, Your Majesty.
I sincerely wish that I could punish you myself.
It is unfortunate that I cannot…
as you were never my subject.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty!
Take him away.
Your Majesty!
Save me!
Save me, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, please!
Your Majesty!
You did so well.
I am so proud of you.
You did great.
I will not go anywhere and live with you and Father.
Stop crying.
Why are you crying on such a happy occasion?
My goodness.
Let us all head inside.
I am going to prepare a feast tonight.
Gladly.
His Majesty charged me
to grant Bun-yeong and the two of you a large residence and great fortune.
If you so wish, he will award you a government post.
My goodness.
Such a suggestion alone fills me with gratitude.
Unfortunately,
I have lived my entire life as a shoemaker
and I intend to live as one for the rest of my life.
The residence, fortune, and the government post
are of no use to me.
On top of that, if Lord Kang returns from Beijing,
he will require my services.
I wish to stay here in case that happens.
Right. What about Bun-yeong?
If you have a wish, ask His Majesty for it.
He will probably grant it.
No, Father. I will follow your will as well.
I understand. I will convey your message to His Majesty.
Let us go in.
What will you do now?
I will leave the capital upon daybreak.
May I ask where you will be heading to?
I am considering Master Choam's house, a place where I have stayed before.
I have no set plans
for where I will go or what I will do
after that.
Wherever it may be, please send word from time to time.
Sang-hyo is gravely worried about you.
Do not look forward to it all that much.
Hey.
What has you so deep in thought?
Let us head inside for the morning assembly.
There will not be one, so there is no need to.
What do you mean by that?
I was wondering where you two were.
I am going home,
so if anyone looks for me, tell them I left.
Are you not attending the assembly, Great Lord?
Have you not heard the news?
His Majesty has suddenly postponed it.
Myung-ha.
How did you know His Majesty would postpone it?
Here he goes again.
Give that to me. I will carry it.
No, it is fine. This is nothing.
Then let us rest there.
There is not a single speck of cloud.
That is fortunate.
This journey would be harder if it rained.
It is fortunate indeed.
Stay here, my lady.
I am going to look for a spring and get some water.
Be safe.
All right.
Your Majesty.
What took you so long?
I have been waiting for you for hours.
Did you know
I would come by this place?
There is nothing I do not know about you.
Myung-ha told me
that you would pass by this place.
Were you truly planning to leave without seeing me?
Do not tell me…
you have found another lover.
I have no room for another.
How is it
that you are still alone, Your Majesty?
What do you mean? I was never alone.
I always had you…
in my heart, Mong-woo.
To tell the truth,
I thought a mongwoo
just might grant me a chance to see you.
So you were planning to wait until there was rain?
And here I was, dying to see you.
I guess you did not miss me as much.
Whether mongwoo,
snow,
sprinkle, or leaves fall from the sky, it does not matter anymore.
I will no longer wait for you…
while aimlessly looking up at the sky.
Bollocks.
What took you so long?
Lady Hee-soo
has waited dearly for His Majesty.
I am sorry.
Please do not cry.
Why are you crying?
Because I could not be any happier!
Prepare yourself.
I will beat you this time
and have you say your name.
It is Kang Hee-soo.
Kang Hee-soo.
So that is the name that I longed for and sought after even in my dreams.
Hee-soo.
I will no longer
be separated from you
and spend the rest of my life with you.
THANKS FOR WATCHING CAPTIVATING THE KING
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK SON HYUN-JOO, JO SEONG-HA AND KIM HYO-JIN
Subtitle translation by: Jea-heon Chung
Ripped and synced by TTEOKBOKKIsubs