(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.)
(Episode 24)
There is a lot of tension in the air.
I did not expect such strong resistance from the military officials.
My incompetence is to blame.
Do not think like that.
This time, they are clearly out of line.
Mentally prepare yourself for what lies ahead.
The military officials in the Northeast will not welcome you either.
(Do Yong Soo, Deputy General in the Northeast)
Deputy General, what should we do with them?
Please spare us. We will surrender to Goryeo.
(Goryeo)
Deputy General, the Defense Commander says to return promptly.
What is the matter?
The new Field Commander has arrived.
(Hwaju Regional Office)
Welcome, Commander.
I am the Defense Commander of Hwaju, Lee Ja Rim.
Yes, it is nice to meet you.
Meet the generals keeping the Northeast safe.
Yes, I look forward to working with all of you.
This is Deputy General Do Yong Soo.
He is the warrior whom the Khitan rats fear the most.
He has been doing an excellent job...
filling General Ji Chae Moon's absence.
Yes. I heard a lot about you on my way here.
I have heard a lot about you too.
I heard an officer from Gaegyeong whose job was to scribble...
with his writing brush would be our field commander.
It must be you.
- Deputy General Do. - What did you say?
You are right. I am just an old man who is used to holding his writing brush.
So, please teach and guide me well.
My apologies, Commander.
I will be sure to reprimand him appropriately.
Leave him be.
I will observe him a little longer and decide what to do.
Tell me about the current situation in the Northeast.
It is always the same.
There is not a day that goes by without problems.
On some days, we catch dozens of intruders.
At times, nearly a thousand invaders intrude into our border.
When our soldiers go there to expel them from our territory,
other Jurchen tribes cross the borders,
and the looting starts.
It is like a river bank with holes in it.
Block one hole and another one bursts open.
That is why everyone is on edge.
The northwest soldiers...
only have to fight a big war once every few years.
But the northeast soldiers must fight every day.
Battling every single day without a break all year long...
makes people go crazy.
Either way, coming all the way here must have been tough.
Let us leave.
I will guide you to your chamber.
Before that, I have a place to stop by.
What? Where?
I must visit the Jurchens' land.
"The Jurchens' land?"
That is correct. I need a guide.
Please assign a trustworthy Jurchen...
who has surrendered.
Why is he carelessly going to the Jurchens' land?
Well, I do not know.
He could not tell me the reason right now.
Either way, nothing will happen.
After all, he is visiting Chief Cho Eul Du's land.
That man was not always amicable towards Goryeo.
Not a single Jurchen must be trusted.
Calm down.
We are not here to fight.
I have come to meet your chief.
Are you Kang Gam Chan, my lord?
That is right.
(Cho Eul Du, Chief of the Jurchens)
Follow me.
Then, will the Goryeo army take care of everything from now on?
Is there nothing we need to do?
Yes.
Allow him to stay on your land.
Later, you will be rewarded greatly.
Did that man arrive?
Yes. The Khitan army brought him here...
a few days ago.
My lord!
You had it tough.
No, I did not.
Thank you for rescuing me.
It was not me but His Majesty who rescued you.
His Majesty...
ordered me to rescue you at any cost.
Hang in there a bit more.
You will soon be able to return home.
Until then,
please hold out.
Do not worry.
Having survived the Khitans, I can endure anything.
My lady. We will do it.
She is right. Please leave it to these ladies.
That is all right.
I would like to make it myself.
We were fortunate enough to avoid war this year.
But the Khitans will indeed try to invade Goryeo again.
Get everything ready starting now for that day.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
One!
Two!
Three!
(Seogyeong Fortress Training Ground)
Four!
Five!
- One! - Quickly reinforce...
the central army organization...
- and hasten the training. - Two!
Foster them into elite soldiers as soon as possible.
- Three! - The regional army's system...
- Four! - has been reformed.
Make the first rank...
- among the soldiers... - Five!
- receive regular training... - One!
to strengthen the regional army's combat strength.
Two!
We have earned valuable time.
Make sure not to waste it.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Lady Kim has come.
What is all of this?
Everyone was taking care of the national affair far into the night.
So I brought some refreshments.
Lady Kim made all of them herself.
Is that so?
I am not skilled at all.
Simply appease your hunger.
Then, I shall take my leave now.
Well then. Let us eat.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Why did you tell His Majesty that?
It was only natural for me to do so.
Or else His Majesty would have thought they were made by the court ladies.
I do not care about such things.
I was simply grateful for rescuing my father...
and wanted to express that gratitude.
That was more of a reason to tell His Majesty the truth.
His Majesty is also a man.
Ever since the olden days, men have known nothing...
unless they were told.
That is enough.
I am informing my lady out of frustration.
You do not even make eyes at His Majesty.
Why are you like a stone, my lady?
Only when you are favored by His Majesty...
do I feel the strength to work.
How were the military officers doing?
They were all full of anger.
Is that so?
Great.
That was what I was after.
(Park Young, Park Jin's adopted son)
Even so, they are unlikely to draw their swords...
at His Majesty, no?
No matter how dissatisfied they are, they would not dare to think about...
killing His Majesty.
There is no need to kill him right away.
(Park Jin, Seventh Rank Officer of Civil Engineering)
The military officers should take power first.
Killing the emperor can be done slowly after that.
Send alcohol and meat to the generals...
who participated in the recent task.
Treat them so that they can express...
their dissatisfaction to their hearts' content.
Understood, Father.
- Here. Drink up. - All right.
- Is there more meat? - That is enough.
- Over here. - Come quickly.
- Bring them over. - Yes.
Welcome.
- That was quick. - Give me a glass.
- Drink. - Try the meat.
- That is not enough. - Let us drink.
- It sure tastes good. - I agree.
- Pour me a glass. - Let me see.
- We need more drinks! - Bring more drinks.
I am always thankful.
Pass on my gratitude to him.
Yes, General Kim. I shall take my leave now.
- I am sure there is meat. - Do not do that.
Where is the alcohol? Come now.
Men!
Everyone must be frustrated. Let us all drink a glass together.
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
By the way...
I cannot believe this.
How can His Majesty do this to us?
He is right!
Even though the generals here pleaded on their knees,
His Majesty refused the request.
How can the army's fighting spirit rise?
From the beginning,
His Majesty thought nothing of us.
His Majesty believes...
we will simply fight and die under his order.
And His Majesty...
proved that.
General Ji.
What are you doing?
How can you drink despite committing a disrespectful act...
to His Majesty?
How dare you raise your voices?
You dared to threaten the sovereign, which is an act of high treason.
How dare you complain?
Be grateful that His Majesty has a generous temperament.
If not, you will already have lost your heads.
That is enough. You should leave now.
This is the camp of the Geumo Army.
You listen up, General Kim.
If you lead something like this ever again,
even without His Majesty's command,
I will go ahead and behead you.
Watch what you say.
General Ji!
Whose side are you on?
Are you not a warrior?
Before I am a warrior,
I am the Fourth Rank General.
Whether they are civil officials or military officers,
it is my duty to behead anyone...
who disobeys His Majesty's command.
What did you say?
The Gammun Army, Cheonu Army, and the Geumo Army!
You fellows should listen carefully as well.
If you pull something like this again,
you will die by my hand.
Do you understand?
Why, you little...
It is because of men like you that we get treated with disrespect.
Because of men like you who only cater to the whims of His Majesty!
All right. If you are confident, come out and attack me.
Go on!
Put away your swords.
I will be going for today.
Teach your men well.
Are you coming back from somewhere?
Yes, I just went out for some fresh air.
But what happened to your face?
Oh, it is nothing.
I scraped my face on a branch.
What about His Majesty?
He went to the Hallim Academy.
Were there perhaps men from the Yongho and Eungyang Guards...
that participated in the recent incident?
Not a single one.
We have a general like you, sir. Who would do such a thing?
Yes, right.
Take this back. And you should go home for the night.
I am on night duty tonight.
I will do it.
If they had something to say to His Majesty,
they could have quietly submitted a letter of request.
However, the military officers took to the palace as a group...
and made a display of their power.
This is unacceptable behavior.
No.
You should take the lead and punish them.
What? Me?
You are the Head of the Inspector General.
The Office of Inspector General should take the lead...
and investigate this incident seriously.
Yes.
Yes, but His Majesty has let this matter go...
Even if His Majesty has let it go,
we should not do the same.
No matter what happens, we must put things right.
Yes, My lord.
No one from the Eungyang and Yongho Guards...
under the Fourth Rank General's command participated in the incident.
And the warriors of the Sinho, Jwau, and Heungwi Armies...
of the central army organization...
have all gone to war with the Field Legislator.
The men who participated in this incident...
were all warriors from the Gammun, Geumo, and Cheonu Armies.
Then, let us call each man starting tomorrow and interrogate them.
Find out clearly if they participated of their own free will...
or if they were following the orders...
of the Head of the Central Army.
Can we really do that?
Did the chancellors order us to do so?
Why would we need an order from the chancellors?
This was a serious matter that disrupted the order of the nation.
How could the Office of Inspector General do nothing about this?
Yes, My lord. Then, I will do as you say.
Who does he think he is dealing with?
(The northeast camp)
Why are the blankets so light?
They were thick in the beginning,
but they have gotten lighter with long-term use.
Then you should change them for new ones.
How many men sleep in here?
Fifty, sir.
You mean fifty men sleep in this small space?
Yes, sir.
About half of the men are always off at battle anyway.
Is that something you should be saying as the Defense Commander?
Build more sleeping quarters this instant!
They should at least get to sleep comfortably!
Yes, Field Commander.
Why are there so few battle records?
You must record the past battles in detail...
in order to properly prepare for the next battles.
What have the military clerks been doing?
The battles are so frequent that it is difficult to record the details...
Defense Commander!
Is it perhaps because...
the military officers find it tedious to write in their military logbooks?
Is that why you are turning a blind eye?
Then, is that how you have been...
carrying out your duties as the Defense Commander until now?
You have not been able to take command of your men or provide for them.
Have you been nothing more than a scarecrow standing still in place?
I could not help it either.
What could I do as a sixth rank civil official,
a rank lower than that of a deputy general,
against those warriors with wild tempers?
I could only do as the warriors wanted...
That is enough!
Where is Deputy General Do Yong Soo right now?
- Twenty! - Strike!
Strike hard!
Even harder!
Even stronger!
Do you think you will be able to pierce the Jurchens' guts if you stab so weakly?
Strike even harder!
One!
Two!
What brings you here?
Let us speak for a moment.
I am training the new recruits.
Let us speak after I am done.
Right.
Since you are here, how about you teach the men a lesson?
Halt!
The Field Commander will teach you a lesson himself.
Deputy General.
You. Come and learn from him.
Yes, Deputy General.
All right. Begin!
Yes, sir!
Gosh, look at that!
- Oh, my goodness. - Nice one.
That was impressive.
- Hang on. - Look at him move.
Gosh, that was great.
- Goodness. - What was that?
Are you okay?
Deputy General Do, what are you doing?
Deputy General Do, it is your turn to come at me.
- Commander. - Now!
All right. You may begin.
Why are you hesitant?
Do you fear this old man who only knows how to hold a writing brush?
Is it okay for you to use your men to insult me,
while the thought of doing it yourself makes you uneasy?
Are you such a coward when you are fighting on the battlefield too?
Darn you...
Yes, do what you would normally do.
Whenever you had a new superior you did not approve of,
you did this to tame them and bring them under your control.
Treat me the same way.
Go on. Come at me!
Starting with the next battle,
you are to record your daily activities in your military logbook.
Only then can someone like me learn how you generals are fighting.
And if your soldiers need something,
reach out to the Defense Commander immediately.
Even if it sickens you that you must reach out to a civil official for help,
do it for your soldiers' sake.
Do you understand?
Yes, Commander.
Deputy General Do, must you be like this again?
Get your act together.
Not all civil officials...
are fainthearted like I am!
- Like I said... - I already told you everything.
Nonsense.
- I beg your pardon? - The Deputy General...
So, who started it?
How many times do I have to tell you?
Did General Kim put you up to it?
- I have nothing else to tell you. - Truly...
Why is the Office of Inspector General investigating it?
What do you think you are doing?
Well, I was just...
Anyway, what are you doing?
How dare you barge in here?
Why did you summon the generals who have a lot to do?
Who do you think you are?
Why, you...
We summoned them for we had to question them.
Leave at once.
We will summon you when your turn comes.
We must find the instigator behind what happened.
It was me. What will you do?
- What? - What will you do about it?
Even His Majesty let it go unpunished.
What will you do about it now?
How dare you!
The Head of the Central Army, Kim Hoon, and General Choi Jil...
instigated their soldiers to invade the palace.
They tried to use their military power and their men to threaten Your Majesty,
which should not be forgiven under any circumstances.
Kim Hoon and Choi Jil tried to create chaos in the court.
Please dismiss them at once...
and severely punish them.
I agree with Chief Jang.
If we let this go unpunished,
we cannot discipline the army.
I agree with them too.
Please punish them severely so that we can restore discipline in the army.
As for that incident,
I have already decided to let it go.
General Kim...
also admitted overstepping his bounds.
Hence, do not bring it up again.
Your Majesty.
Admitting his insolence is simply not enough.
If you think that their dismissal is too harsh a penalty,
demote both of them to the deputy general level...
to set a deterrent example for others.
That is enough.
During the previous war, General Kim...
saved the lives of countless soldiers by guarding Wanhwangryeong.
General Choi Jil also managed...
to guard Tongju Fortress from the enemy,
which is an impressive achievement.
They have made significant contributions,
so how could we punish them for such an insignificant matter?
Your Majesty, however...
That is enough.
We are still at war with Khitan.
In the Northeast,
our soldiers are fighting the Jurchens every day.
At a time like this,
we must value and appreciate every military official even more.
Please keep this in mind, and do not bring up the incident again.
I beseech you.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Generals, please do not let today's incident dishearten you.
Keep up the great work and do a good job of guarding Gaegyeong.
Yes, Your Majesty.
We are much obliged, Your Majesty.
(Choi Gu, Director of Defense)
The chancellors are one thing,
but I did not expect you to step in like this.
Well, it is my job since I work for the Office of Inspector General.
I simply did my job. That is all.
Fine. We shall wait and see if that is true.
Yes, we shall wait and see.
Did you think I would be scared?
Why did you want to see me?
I heard you were put on the spot in the Jungjeon,
so I figured you could use a drink.
But why did you ask to meet me in private?
I was curious as to what you might be thinking...
at the moment.
I am not sure about General Kim,
but you...
must have found a way by now.
A way?
What do you mean?
Seeing how you had to ask me what I meant by it...
tells me that you still do not fully trust me.
I am speaking of the idea...
that is already fully occupying your mind.
The way the late Commander Kang Jo...
showed us.
Turning the young Emperor into a puppet...
and ruling over the whole of Goryeo.
Do you wish to follow in his footsteps?
What on earth are you talking about?
Who dares to dream of doing such a thing?
Stop spewing utter nonsense.
I have no interest in becoming a traitor.
Why would you call it treason?
All he did was lead Goryeo...
into the young Emperor's stead.
He did it for the sake of his loyalty...
toward the whole of Goryeo, not just toward a single ruler.
You should do the same.
Bring down the foolish Emperor who tramples all over...
the military officials and their pride any chance he gets.
You ought to motivate the generals who are feeling dejected now...
so that our military officials...
will go on to protect Goryeo!
They will protect our country, Goryeo, not the Emperor!
That is enough!
If you do not step in,
all the military officials...
will continue to suffer...
under the civil officials!
I said, that was enough. Stop!
General Choi.
Do not deceive yourself.
This is your path.
This is your destined path.
It is your fate!
Here. Look at the sleeve.
Are you telling me to wear such a garment?
(Empress Wonhwa)
The sewing room must have no discipline...
for such a garment to be presented to me.
My apologies. I will have it remade.
You are to make it.
It is your fault.
Bring me a new one, even if you must sit up through the night.
- Understood? - Yes, Your Highness.
Take back your order.
There was no need to go that far.
No. I will have her do it.
Such means must be used to kick her out of the palace.
- Listen, Sister. - Sister.
Do you know what she has been doing these days?
She makes food every night...
takes it to meetings attended by His Majesty and his subjects.
In short, she is acting like His Majesty's wife.
Do not make light of her.
She is a very shrewd girl.
Those are flowers brought by Lady Kim.
Is that so?
Pass on my gratitude to her.
How about Your Majesty tell Lady Kim in person?
Lady Kim will be much more delighted.
Lady Kim is not in her chamber right now.
Then where is she?
What is it?
Tell me now.
The truth is...
Lady Kim is making garments in the sewing room.
Does that mean...
Lady Kim is sewing herself?
Yes.
Your Majesty.
What is this?
That is enough.
I will let Empress Wonhwa know.
No. That is not necessary.
I should take responsibility for this matter.
It is a reasonable punishment from Her Highness.
Please return.
Your Majesty should not enter such a place.
Your Majesty...
Do not be bothered by me. Get on with your sewing.
I cannot go to bed soon with so many reports to read.
Your Majesty. This will only make me...
I need to focus on the report. Continue with your work.
One!
Two!
One!
Two!
- One! - Are you not going to watch...
- Two! - the soldiers train?
You can watch them.
Two!
(Goryeo)
Deputy General Do!
The Jurchens have been spotted.
- One! - Where?
Near Mount Guryong.
After killing all the sentries guarding the area,
they are plundering the neighboring town.
- There are over 1,000 of them. - Two!
Darn it.
Let us go!
They ran away already.
We were one step behind.
- Deputy General Do. - Yes.
Do you recognize the tribe?
Yes. It is the tribe led by Chief A Ri Ta.
We must ambush them while they are drunk with victory.
We will attack once the day breaks.
Come up with a thorough plan until then.
- Yes, Commander. - Yes, Commander.
Make sure we do not attack any other tribes.
We must give them the idea that tribes that attack Goryeo...
will be severely punished...
while tribes that cooperate with Goryeo will be protected.
- Yes, Commander. - Yes, Commander.
Does that mean we, the Goryeo army, will cross the border?
The land they occupied...
will become Goryeo's new border.
Make the preparations at once.
- Yes, Commander. - Yes, Commander.
March forward!
- March forward! - March forward!
Giddyap.
Let us go.
A Ri Ta!
- What about the escape route? - It has been blocked.
The enemies are coming.
You should practice your swordsmanship.
Got it.
Congratulations.
This is your first victory as the Field Commander.
Were the flowers you brought before...
ones that you like?
I do like them,
but they are also helpful for getting deep sleep.
Did those flowers have such effects?
Is that a proven fact?
It is just based on my childhood experiences.
Other flowers did not have such an effect, but when I kept those flowers in my room,
I would fall deeply asleep at night.
I think the scent of the flowers has something to do with it.
Why are you smiling?
It is not because of the scent.
That flower only blooms in places of high altitude.
I know very well because I have lived in the mountains.
It is not the scent of the flower that is special.
Since you have been to a high altitude to get it,
your body is tired and is able to sleep well.
I am sorry.
I did not mean to embarrass you.
- Are you mad? - No, Your Majesty.
Thank you for teaching me a lesson.
You are mad.
I am sorry.
I think His Majesty is with her.
I cannot stand it any longer.
Sister.
I tried hard not to feel such things as jealousy.
I did not want to be a mere woman.
Even if I had to grit my teeth,
I wanted to...
stand against her as the Empress until the end.
But now, I cannot do it anymore.
Even if I have to kill her,
I will split them apart.
Even if I have to kill her.
Sister.
Now, I will return the Goryeo envoy.
(Yelu Longxu, 6th Emperor of the Khitan)
King of the Lanling Commandery.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Is there...
something you are hiding from me?
Was this...
also for my own sake?
That is right, Your Majesty.
Right.
Send him back.
Father.
Then, when can we attack Goryeo?
Not only on the northwest border but in many other places,
there have been signs of rebellion.
A man who bears treason in his heart once...
undoubtedly rises up in rebellion.
In the end, it will only be possible once all of those rebellions...
have been quashed.
And when would that be?
In October of 1014 AD,
Khitan invaded Goryeo once again.
However,
thanks to the fierce fight of General Jung Sin Yong of Heunghwajin,
Goryeo was able to drive out Khitan once again.
But by increasing the number of soldiers...
and repairing the damages of war,
the nation grew financially poorer.
After three years, I have returned to this place.
The palace had burned to ashes,
but it has been restored with much difficulty.
In the meantime, Goryeo has gone through another war.
However, we have grown a bit stronger,
and the enemy has grown a bit weaker.
If we continue to strengthen ourselves,
I am sure we will wipe out the enemy entirely one day.
Until that day, please do your very best.
The only way for Goryeo to gain peace...
is to win in this war.
Be sure to keep that in mind.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Why? Is there something you would like to say?
If it is not too late,
I want to go down that path.
Why are you acting like this now?
Can you not stand it anymore?
Is it hard for you to control...
your burning ambition?
Then,
ask me to help you.
Go on.
Help me.
I beg of you.
Please help me.
Of course.
I will help you.
(Geondeokjeon)
Thank you. Then what should I do first?
I suggest you gather up some people first.
Choose those who you know will follow you no matter what.
Should I not find a justification first?
You will find one very soon.
The war has just ended.
The justifications that you military officials want...
will continue to pile up, naturally.
(Geondeokjeon)
Will you follow me?
- Yes, General! - Yes, General!
(Korea-Khitan War)
Confiscate the land owned by the military officials...
and offer it to the civil officials as stipends?
Then how are we supposed to support ourselves?
How could His Majesty do this to us?
Charge!
Your Majesty, it is a coup.
Under General Choi Jil's leadership,
they are trying to launch an attack on the palace.
Please hand over Councilor Jang and Officer Hwangbo.
Also, order them to be sent into exile.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)