(This drama is based on historical events,)
(but some details may be different from historical facts.)
(Production guidelines were strictly followed when filming with animals.)
Academician Kang.
Yes, Your Majesty.
You are...
dismissed from office.
(Episode 18)
You are to leave the palace right this instant.
Your Majesty.
Leave.
You are no longer my subject.
Understood, Your Majesty.
I shall...
take my leave.
So, you did not accept His Majesty's request until the end.
The king of this country bowed his head to his subject for help.
But you heartlessly...
(Kim Eun Boo, Deputy Minister of Punishments)
refused to help.
I thought you would change your mind in the end.
As His Majesty had faith in you,
I had my hopes up.
But it was pointless.
You eventually chose your family.
I...
have nothing more to say.
Because of you,
His Majesty will be in greater pain.
(Empress Wonjeong)
Your Majesty?
Were you still awake?
Yes.
What brings you here all of a sudden?
I...
I came because I missed you, Empress.
Your Majesty...
Empress.
Be on my side, Empress.
Even if everyone leaves,
please...
Please stay by my side, Empress.
Does that mean the court has stopped completely?
That is correct.
The majority of the officials have resigned.
All Six Ministries cannot operate.
(Lady Kim, the future Empress Wonseong)
What do you plan to do from now on?
Honestly, I do not know.
I thought only chancellors could put pressure...
on His Majesty by requesting to resign.
Who knew even...
the junior officials would request to resign?
I have miscalculated the matter.
I must...
have you marry His Majesty no matter what.
Yes, no matter what.
Does that mean you could not tell him the regional lords...
had gathered in Chungju?
Yes.
He cannot afford to pay attention to such a matter right now.
Even so...
(The future Empress Wonpyeong)
Did you not say it was important?
That it should be looked into for Father's sake?
Have you really been dismissed from office?
I cannot believe this.
How could this happen out of the blue?
You and His Majesty strived with one accord, no?
Forget it. This is for the better.
Let us visit our children's houses...
and spend time with our grandchildren.
We are at that age.
Do you feel better now?
I am sorry.
Too drunk,
I had come to your chamber.
That is nothing to apologize for.
I am your empress.
Your wife, Your Majesty.
Does it trouble you a lot?
I heard that dispatching officials to the provinces...
was distressing you greatly.
There are not many subjects following my wishes.
Even the man I trusted the most...
turned his back on me.
Why are you turning everyone into your enemy?
What do you mean by that?
Those Your Majesty must overthrow...
are the rebellious regional lords in the provinces.
The very men who ridiculed and threatened you.
So why are you making the regional lords...
loyal to the imperial family and court...
into your enemies?
Must you truly ask that question?
They are the very roots of the regional lords.
Only when I subdue them first...
can I subdue the rest of the regional lords.
Your Majesty.
Do not think of it so one-sidedly.
No matter what others say, they are the imperial family's allies.
The Hwangbo family of Hwangju,
the Yoo family of Jungju, the Yoo family of Chungju,
the Oh family of Naju, and the Kim family of Gyeongju.
Many more families besides them are on Your Majesty's side.
Even King Taejo worked hand in hand with those families...
and built this Goryeo.
Your Majesty.
Please rule like King Taejo.
Join hands with the powerful regional lords...
and suppress the regional lords in the provinces who have offended you.
That is how you take the reins of the government.
Enough.
How could you say that is ruling the government?
That is nothing but punishing petty thieves...
by working with bandits.
In short, that is cutting off the branches and leaving the roots alone.
Then, are you going to send...
a government official to the county my family is in?
Are you going to send an official to the county...
of your mother, Grand Queen Mother Hyosuk?
By doing so, are you going to overpower your mother's family...
and even crush their pride?
If that is what I must do for the people,
I will do so.
Those people do not have any power.
They are busy with living their lives...
and barely surviving.
That is why you must always take care of them.
Your Majesty. The thing that is supporting the authority of the imperial family...
is the loyalty of powerful families.
Do not make them your enemies.
If you do, you cannot guarantee the safety of the imperial family.
I say this for your sake.
It is for the peace of the imperial family.
Please.
Face the reality.
(Chungju provincial governor's office)
Governor, please tell me.
I heard that the chiefs from each region gathered in Chungju.
In which house did they gather?
Is it indeed the Yoo family's house?
I am not sure.
This is the first time I have heard of it.
- Governor. - That is the truth.
I am still busy trying to clear up the aftermath of the war.
I have not had the time to keep an eye on the regional lords' actions.
I am the daughter of the chief of Gongju, who recently attended the meeting here.
My father told me to send you his thanks for your family's hospitality.
That is why I came.
Please give this to the elders in your family.
I have no idea what you are talking about.
There was no such meeting in this house.
Do not worry.
I know very well that the meeting is to be kept a secret.
I am sure you are mistaken.
My grandmother is ill,
so we are refraining from any gatherings that may cause a ruckus.
I wish to know which house had a large gathering recently.
My father said...
he left an important seal at that house.
I cannot seem to find which house it is.
Well, I do not know.
Do not be like that and please tell me.
In which house did they gather?
I will pay you for your information.
I told you. I do not know.
Is that the truth?
Yes, someone has been asking around about that day's meeting.
(Park Jin, Chief of Chungju)
There is something I want to ask you before that.
What is it?
There were a bunch of men on horseback who arrived recently, right?
- Yes. - Which house did they go to?
Well...
Why are you curious about that?
So, why have you come to see me?
We came here because we wanted to discuss the future with you.
His Majesty says he wants to punish all of the regional lords.
So, we have quit our government positions,
but we thought this was not enough to dissuade His Majesty.
We wanted to hear your opinion on what we should do in the future.
That is why we have gathered here today.
Return home.
What do you mean by that?
All of you must be mistaken.
Just like His Majesty,
I am someone who thinks the regional lords must be stripped of their authority.
What on earth can you mean?
But you were certainly against this matter.
Is that not why you were dismissed from office?
The reason I was against it...
was because now is not the time to take on such a task.
However, if this war comes to an end,
I will take the lead in proceeding with this matter.
Lord Kang.
If there is one nation, there must also be one sovereign.
If tens of hundreds of regional lords...
each rule their land as if they were kings,
we cannot unite this nation's power.
If you understand, return home now.
(Hwapyeongjeon)
Is that the truth?
Yes, there is a way to get the court back to normal.
You have already planted the seeds to be able to do so.
"Planted the seeds?" What do you mean by that?
It is to use the men you have shown generosity to.
- What? - The vassals whom you have forgiven...
are not just high-ranking officials like Tak Sa Jung and Park Seom.
From the Ministry of Defense officials who ran away from the battlefield...
to the Ministry of Revenue officials who could not procure rations properly,
dozens of lower-ranking officials have been pardoned by Your Majesty.
If only they return to their posts and follow Your Majesty's command,
it will definitely be possible for the court to return to normal.
Then, are you telling me to threaten them right now?
Since I forgave them,
are you saying I should tell them to pay for it now?
Yes. That is right.
Deputy Minister of Punishments!
Your Majesty, that is the only way right now.
That is enough.
We are trying to do the right thing now.
How can you suggest using the wrong method when trying to do the right thing?
How is getting people to join a matter that will benefit the nation...
such a wrong thing?
And even if that is the wrong method,
there is no reason not to do it.
Rather than fail while only walking the right path,
succeeding even if it is by unjust means...
is more valuable, is it not?
That is not true.
That is an excuse men use when all they want to do is...
arrive at the goal by any means necessary.
Right and wrong are always clear.
The end can only be right when the beginning is also right.
The means must be right for the result to be right as well.
Then, Your Majesty,
why did you deceive the emperor of Khitan?
Why did you abandon the right path...
and have their troops withdraw by making a false promise?
This is also a war.
No matter what happens,
we must succeed.
Your Majesty, the emperor that the people want now...
is not a sovereign who gets stuck while walking only on the right path.
It is a sovereign who is willing to jump into the mud...
and take down the enemy...
if it is for his people.
Your Majesty.
Bring all of the people on this list to the palace.
What is this list for?
It is a hit list.
(Hwangbo Yu Eui, Officer of the Inspector General)
What are you doing? Get moving.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
Let us go.
Let go of me!
Lord Cho, what on earth is going on?
His Majesty commands you to enter the palace urgently.
I have already resigned from my position. So for what reason...
You will know when you get there.
My elderly mother is in critical condition.
I must stay by her side.
Does your elderly mother know...
that you stole military rations during wartime?
What?
What are you talking about?
This is unfair.
- I said I did not want to go! - Just follow along quietly.
- If not, you will be arrested. - What?
We know that you abandoned orphans at Samsuchae and ran away.
So, do not say anything more and just follow along.
I said I did not do that!
Quiet down and follow along!
What on earth are you carrying out now?
It is not something you need to know.
Deputy Minister of Punishments!
I am doing this to return the court to normal.
Then why have you picked out those who committed crimes during the war...
and brought them to the palace?
Even if I have to drag them along,
I intend to get the Six Ministries working again.
What?
Your Majesty, why have you called us here like this?
There is something I must ask of you.
(Park Seom, Third Rank of the Marine)
(Tak Sa Jung, Right Secretariat-Chancellery)
What is that, Your Majesty?
There is something I want to ask you first.
There was one thing I requested...
as I forgave your crimes.
In order to wash away the sins you have committed,
I told you to work hard for the rest of your lives.
Do you have any intention of accepting that request?
Third Rank of the Marine, tell me first.
Yes, of course.
How could I forget that request?
The reason I resigned...
was because I was so ashamed of myself.
How could a man like me...
have the right to look after the affairs of the state?
If that is how you feel, then it is fine.
As long as you are repenting of your sins, it is fine.
Your Majesty.
How about the rest of you?
Do you also want to rid yourselves of your sins?
- Yes, we do, Your Majesty. - Yes, we do, Your Majesty.
Right.
Then, starting today,
return to your positions on the Six Ministries again.
Wash away your sins with your loyalty to the court.
And...
in addition to your original duties, you are to dedicate yourselves...
to the task of dispatching officers to the local offices.
You did not wrong your families.
You wronged Goryeo and the people of Goryeo.
Hence, stop devoting yourselves to serving your families.
Atone for your sins by devoting yourselves...
to Goryeo.
Will you do that?
Yes, Your Majesty. We are yours to command.
Your Majesty.
With all due respect,
may I ask what would happen if we were to disobey you?
Then I will take back what I said about forgiving you.
Then we will discuss your wrong deeds once again...
so that you can all receive the punishment you deserve.
Now, what do you say?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
- We are yours to command. - We are yours to command.
I am yours to command, Your Majesty.
Very well.
Thank you.
Do you mean you are planning to reform this country...
by joining hands with criminals?
You will use the traitors who deserve to die...
to help His Majesty fulfill his wishes?
Yes.
That is correct.
Why does it matter...
whom I use?
"Why does it matter?"
Are you truly not aware of how much the people resent them?
Do you not know how much our soldiers hate them?
I am simply using them for the time being. That is all.
Like you said, they deserve to die,
so I will throw them into the river...
to use them as stepping stones to fight our way out of the strong current.
Deputy Minister Kim!
You did the same thing!
Did you not use...
all means possible to win, my lord?
I am also simply trying to win this fight. That is all.
What did you say?
He said he would forgive us.
Now,
he wishes to use it to keep us on a tight leash?
Atone for our sins?
I put up with all the finger-pointing. Was that not enough?
What else do I have to atone for?
Darn it.
Oh, boy.
Then has everyone...
returned to the court?
Yes, that is correct.
The news that they have returned...
is making the other officials...
return to the Six Ministries as well.
Then I suppose they will resume the task...
of dispatching officers to the local offices.
Yes, that is correct.
Your Majesty.
Do you not agree...
with what His Majesty wishes to do?
How can I agree to a matter that could put the imperial court...
in danger?
Secretariat Yoo.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Please stop him.
You are the only one who can stop him.
So? What did you say?
I said I would stop him...
and that I would step in.
Lord Yoo.
I am not doing it for the sake of my family.
As you know, both you and I have enjoyed enough privileges.
I simply wish...
to make sure we chancellors have a place to stand.
What do you mean?
As you are aware,
I have served a number of emperors.
Some of them were wise rulers,
while a few of them brought chaos to the country.
As for His Majesty,
he could be remembered as a sage emperor...
or as a tyrant. It could go either way.
- Lord Yoo! - An emperor is human too, after all.
No human being is perfect.
We, chancellors, are the ones...
who have been filling in to cover up such imperfections.
In other words, influential regional lords have been keeping him in check.
However, His Majesty...
now plans to bring down all the regional lords...
in order to bring Goryeo under his complete control.
That is why I must step in.
To make sure His Majesty can only have half of the power he wishes to obtain.
We must protect the other half...
for the sake of Goryeo.
Thank you for making such a difficult decision.
Thanks to Your Majesty's brave decision,
the court is now back in operation.
No, you were right.
If we try to only step on spots where there is no dirt,
we will never reach our destination.
I will deal with the embarrassment,
so please finish the work as soon as you can.
Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my very best.
She is your daughter, is she not?
- Let her in. - Yes, Your Majesty.
She may enter.
What brings you here?
I need to talk to you about my elder sister. It is urgent.
You cannot come here.
Go home at once.
- Yes, Father. - Wait.
What is the matter?
It is nothing, Your Majesty.
What is it? It is okay. You can tell me.
What is so urgent? You seem concerned.
You may tell His Majesty.
Yes, Father. The thing is,
my elder sister went to Chungju.
It is well past the day she said she would be back.
Chungju?
Why did she go to Chungju?
Tell me.
Yes, Your Majesty.
A little while ago, my sister heard that all the regional chiefs...
had gone to Chungju.
She wanted to look into it.
She went there to dig into what they might be up to?
Yes, Your Majesty.
That is very dangerous.
When did she say she would be back?
Two days ago, Your Majesty.
Officer of the Inspector General.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Take your soldiers...
and go to Chungju now.
- Leave at once. - Yes, Your Majesty.
This is bad.
I hope she is okay.
Halt!
You are Deputy Minister Kim's daughter, are you not?
Yes, I am. Who might you be?
I am Hwangbo Yu Eui, the Officer of the Inspector General.
Are you all right?
Yes, I am fine.
Why were you looking for me?
His Majesty sent me.
- His Majesty? - Yes, please come with me.
His Majesty is waiting for you.
He even sent the royal forces to get her.
It must be true that the Emperor has taken her in.
Yes. The rumor that the governor of Gongju...
used his daughter to get a position in the court must all be true.
Interesting.
All he did in Gongju was bend over backwards for the regional lords.
Now, he has rolled up his sleeves to bring down all the regional lords?
I truly apologize.
Your Majesty should not have been concerned.
Why did you do something so dangerous?
Knowing that my father is waging war against the regional lords,
I thought the fact that they all gathered together...
was a pressing matter.
I was concerned...
that they met to discuss how they could harm my father.
I see.
Did you find out anything?
It was a fruitless attempt.
Before I could even find out anything,
I got caught by one of the chiefs.
You got caught?
Are you saying you were captured by one of them?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Have some tea.
Sure.
Thank you.
So, tell me. What is it that you wish to know?
I want to know why you had a meeting.
It is not unusual for regional chiefs to gather once in a while.
We talk about various topics and cultivate our friendship.
I heard regional chiefs from far away counties came.
You must have a wide circle of acquaintances.
That is inevitable as the chief regional chiefs.
It is my turn to ask you a question now.
Who are you?
Do not think about making up a ridiculous story.
After losing two of my children,
I have become an impatient man.
Be honest with me. Who are you?
Who are you...
to be so concerned about the regional chiefs' meeting?
What did you tell him?
As I could not think of a lie, I told him the truth.
That I was the daughter of the court's Deputy Minister of Punishments.
And yet, you did not get into trouble?
The Deputy Minister of Punishments...
has become the enemy of all regional lords, no?
Yes.
But nothing happened.
He must have heard the news through the regional chiefs in Gongju.
That I had...
become Your Majesty's woman.
There are no other intentions in my report.
I am in no way related to Your Majesty.
I always bear that in mind.
Well then, please rest.
(Hwapyeongjeon)
I am Park Jin.
Like you, I am from Chungju.
Is that so?
I am not well aware of you.
I see.
I am not a man the Yoo family needs to know.
You do not have to be so humble.
I was unaware simply because I settled in Gaegyeong when I was young.
Thank you for putting it that way.
Right then. Why have you come to see me?
For the time being,
I will stay in Gaegyeong.
If there is anything I can help you with,
please do not hesitate to ask me.
I appreciate the gesture.
But what could you possibly help me with?
Though I am of low status compared to your family,
I am still a regional lord.
There must be a matter...
to help each other in the current situation.
What do you mean by that?
Your way of speaking...
implies that I should be asking you...
to join hands with me.
If you wish...
to get rid of the Deputy Minister of Punishments,
then yes.
You should.
Are you sure?
Yes. The Court Lady who serves me saw it clearly.
The Deputy Minister of Punishments' daughter...
went into His Majesty's chamber last night.
And when entering the palace,
she was escorted by the Officer of the Inspector General.
Sister. You must not overlook it.
Both Deputy Minister Kim and his daughter...
will surely cause trouble for the imperial court.
As we will have to meet quite often,
I made up an excuse.
I see.
You play calmly.
I simply follow the flow.
You will not be able to stop His Majesty like that.
Have Deputy Minister Kim leave the court.
Only then will this chaos come to an end.
Can you do it?
Yes. Just in time,
an idea has come to me.
- Really? - Yes.
I plan to carry it out to His Majesty myself.
No. Do not set it out yourself.
Have someone else do it.
"Someone else?"
Have the former Third Rank Academician Kang Gam Chan do it.
If His Majesty's most valued subject...
betrays him,
His Majesty will eventually waver.
His will...
to push ahead with the matter might die down.
Your Highness.
Proceed with it.
I will ease His Majesty's pain.
Compare the names on this paper...
with the Ministry of Defense's military register.
Then, you will have all the pieces of evidence.
(Choi Gu, Director of Defense)
And after that? What must I do?
Make the rumor go around.
With that, my father will reward you greatly.
That is not necessary.
Giving a hand in distinguishing enemies from allies is not reward-worthy.
Even so, accept it.
It is from my father.
Good grief.
All right, then.
I will accept it.
It has been a while.
We came to greet you after some business in the Ministry of Defense.
I see. It is good to see you.
How is Seogyeong these days?
We are busy rebuilding the houses that were destroyed...
in the last war.
On our way here,
we came across Tak Sa Jung.
He made my blood boil.
Did His Majesty even forgive that man?
His Majesty did not forgive him right then and there.
He ordered Tak Sa Jung to atone through another practice.
That is absurd.
He must atone with death for his grave crime.
There is no other practice.
All the generals are infuriated.
No. All the soldiers of the northwest are gritting their teeth.
They do not loathe the Khitans.
They resent His Majesty.
We cannot fight against our enemy in this state.
My lord. It is I, the Officer of Rites.
Come in.
I see. So this was where you were.
Yes. We stopped by to give our greetings.
(Kang Min Cheom, Officer of Rites)
Right. What brings you here, Officer Kang?
"Corruption?"
- Are you sure? - Yes.
While Deputy Minister Kim was the Provincial Governor of Gongju,
he committed the wrong several times.
It is already a widespread rumor,
but His Majesty seems to be ignoring it.
I cannot believe it.
He is not someone who would do that.
There is clear evidence.
When Director of Defense Choi Gu compared the military register,
the rumor proved to be true.
The Deputy Minister of Punishments exempted the sons of Gongju's chiefs...
from military conscription.
What? From military conscription?
Yes.
A man who was the provincial governor diverted soldiers...
during a time of war.
Tell me.
Is this all true?
- Deputy Minister of Punishments. - Yes.
It is true.
But I had no other choice.
Without compromising, I could not gather soldiers.
Enough of your excuses.
Even without compromising like that,
plenty of provincial governors conscripted soldiers.
Then, they must have compromised in other matters.
Did you know of this too, Your Majesty?
That is right.
Then, dismiss the Deputy Minister of Punishments right away.
I will take care of it myself. Leave me now.
You are no longer a vassal of this court.
Your Majesty. You have already...
disregarded the sins of those...
who abandoned their fortress and ran away.
Because of that, all of the warriors are outraged.
And yet, if you disregard a man who disrupted military order...
once again,
the whole of the Goryeo army will become out of control.
I told you to leave!
Your Majesty.
I will stand by the Deputy Minister of Punishments.
I trust his true intentions.
I trust that he could not have endured without compromising.
No, I experienced it myself.
Just how hard it is...
to endure among the regional lords.
The Deputy Minister of Punishments only did his best.
And I am trying to change...
that horrific reality now.
You cannot convince the soldiers with that.
The soldiers do not care about politics.
They simply fight when told to fight and protect when told to protect.
They do not even ask for anything in return.
All except one.
All they hope for is that you maintain their honor.
But if you turn your back on that one thing,
the Goryeo army will now fall.
Please leave now.
- Your Majesty. - Now!
It is too hard for me to face you.
It is hard that I cannot persuade you,
and it is even harder that I cannot hate you.
Go now.
I will turn a blind eye to this matter.
That is that. So, do not...
mention it to anyone else again.
You may not be willing to help,
but please do not get in the way.
Are you not going to bed?
He has brought 30 wagons of wood.
Park Jin of Chungju has brought 20 carpenters, 80 laborers,
and 50 wagons of wood.
(Choi Sa We, Junior Second Rank)
Right. Thank you so much for your contributions...
to rebuilding Gaegyeong.
If the court's finances become plentiful in the future,
I promise to repay you for this.
All of you will be appointed as officials in the Office of Civil Engineering.
Please do your duties.
- Your generosity is boundless. - Your generosity is boundless.
You may now leave.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Then we will finish for today.
Well, Your Majesty...
There is a statement that has been submitted to the Privy Council.
Who is it from?
It is from the former Third Rank Hallim Academician, Kang Gam Chan.
- Academician Kang? - Yes.
It is a statement requesting the impeachment...
of Deputy Minister of Punishments, Kim Eun Boo.
You may enter.
I, Kang Gam Chan, wish to tell Your Majesty.
Deputy Minister of Punishments, Kim Eun Boo,
during his reign as the provincial governor of Gongju,
exempted the sons of the regional chiefs from military conscription,
which is a serious crime.
This is a heavy crime that goes against the national law...
and disrupts military order.
So, dismiss him from his government position right away...
and punish him harshly.
I, Kang Gam Chan, tell you this out of my loyalty to Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, if this matter is true,
you may never overlook his crime.
Your Majesty.
Diverting soldiers during wartime...
is a clear act of treason.
You must punish the Deputy Minister of Punishments at once.
Your Majesty.
The Deputy Minister of Punishments has not been proven guilty yet.
That is right, Your Majesty.
You must look into the whole story first.
That is not true.
I have checked all of the military registers.
The sons of the Gongju chiefs and their relatives...
were all exempted from military conscription.
That number is way more than 30 men.
Your Majesty.
Leave Gaegyeong this instant.
Never...
show yourself in front of me again.
Your Majesty!
It is dangerous if you ride that fast!
Your Majesty!
- Oh, no. - It is His Majesty.
Your Majesty!
(Korea-Khitan War)
He is in critical condition.
I think the next 3 to 4 hours will be crucial.
Father, soldiers have arrived outside.
I must sort everything out before His Majesty wakes up.
Her Majesty will keep driving the Deputy Minister of Punishments...
into a corner.
It is His Majesty's right to hand down a ruling.
Then I will do the questioning myself.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)