(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 27)
There is something I wish to check.
What is it?
Would you...
show me your shoulders?
How random. Why do you wish to see my shoulders out of the blue...
Privy Councilor.
You...
are under arrest for attempting to assassinate His Majesty,
which is considered high treason.
Take him!
Let go.
Let go of me!
Privy Councilor.
Privy Councilor!
Is that true?
So, he was the man who tried to kill me back then?
Yes. We are sure of it, based on the circumstances.
He is also...
the mastermind behind the rebels.
Privy Councilor Kang has arrested him.
We must quickly prove that he is guilty of high treason and punish him.
For the rebels, losing him is like...
losing their pivotal figure, so it will weaken them.
They will not stand idly by.
He attempted to assassinate Your Majesty, which is high treason.
I understand they are rebels who staged a coup,
but they will not have the audacity to step in.
Your Majesty, we should hurry.
This is our golden opportunity...
to launch a counterattack on the rebels.
Yes.
Come along.
Where is General Kim Hoon?
He has no interest in politics.
You can speak with me from now on.
Very well. Then I will speak.
(Choi Jil, Head of the Central Army)
Word has it that you often speak to His Majesty in an insolent manner.
I understand that you have come to power,
but His Majesty is the Emperor of this country.
Even the great traitor, Kang Jo, knew to behave himself in the main hall.
Do not behave impudently under any circumstances from now on.
I am advising you as someone who has helped you.
Without my help, you would not have been able to come into power.
Did you laugh at me just now?
My apologies.
I laughed in spite of myself.
General Kim!
Do not raise your voice.
Do I still look like a mere subject to Your Majesty?
Both Your Majesty and His Majesty had no power whatsoever...
when Kang Jo took control.
So why are you holding your head up high before me?
Am I not as frightening as Kang Jo?
If so, must I behead the Emperor like Kang Jo did...
for you to become docile?
Be careful.
My patience has a limit.
Your Majesty! Are you all right?
Where is the Capital District Office Governor?
Bring him to me at once.
Well...
He has been taken by the eunuchs.
What?
That man was the assassin who tried to hurt His Majesty...
during the royal flight.
Are you sure?
Yes, Your Majesty.
General Kim. His Majesty has ordered all subjects to gather at Jungjeon.
Your Majesty. Why did you want to see us?
The man who tried to kill me...
on the last royal flight has been arrested.
Hence, I made you come to discuss...
how he should be punished.
He is a great traitor who tried to hurt an emperor.
What do you think we should do with such a man?
Answer me as Goryeo's commander and a subject of the court.
A man like him must be beheaded at once.
With Your Majesty's order, I will behead him myself.
What about you, General Kim?
His head must certainly be cut off.
A man who has dared to try and harm His Majesty should not be left to live.
I see. I understood.
Bring in the criminal.
I will ask again.
Who was the assassin that drew his sword at me back then?
Then got shot by an arrow and fled?
I know nothing of it.
This scar was from when I went hunting...
with the neighboring regional chiefs.
Shut your mouth at once!
Your entire past has been revealed.
And yet, how dare you lie before us?
Give me evidence.
Stop piecing together the story.
Bring clear evidence that I am the one!
Your Majesty. He is right.
There is no clear evidence. Let us be dismissed.
I agree.
How can we conclude the governor is the criminal...
simply because he has a scar from an arrow?
There is clear evidence.
A man heard him confess...
about his grave sin in person.
Who is that man?
Welcome. Coming all the way here must have been tough.
Do not worry about it, Your Majesty.
Why did Your Majesty summon me?
Have you met that man before?
Yes. I have, Your Majesty.
There was a time when several regional lords...
gathered in Chungju.
I met him back then.
What did that man say during that gathering?
This man said he tried to harm His Majesty...
during his royal flight.
Explain to us in more detail.
Yes, Your Majesty.
At that gathering,
this man requested that we support him.
However, many heads of the families were not willing to.
Especially because he was an unknown regional chief.
At that moment, this man showed us the scar...
on his shoulder.
He stated the scar was from...
when he tried to harm His Majesty on his royal flight to Chungju.
And once again, he asked...
the regional lords to support him.
With that support, he would travel to Gaegyeong...
and make His Majesty yield...
one way or another.
Your Majesty. That was a clear testimony.
Sentence that man to death immediately.
I agree.
He is a great traitor who has dared to harm the Emperor.
Behead that man at once...
and rectify the national discipline.
Yes.
I will now deliver my judgment.
Your Majesty.
Please wait a moment.
Geumodae will investigate it again.
"Again?"
The sins he has committed have been revealed.
Either way, I will take him to Geumodae.
Did Your Majesty not establish Geumodae for such tasks?
He is a great traitor who has tried to kill His Majesty!
His Majesty must make a ruling himself...
for a sin like this!
Your Majesty. Please pronounce your judgment.
I will take him to Geumodae!
Is there anyone outside?
Take him outside.
- Yes, General Choi. - Yes, General Choi.
General Choi! What do you think you are doing?
That man is a great traitor!
General Choi. What are you doing?
Your Majesty. I shall take my leave.
Was that all true?
Yes, it was.
Does that matter?
Then how do we settle this problem?
Acquit me.
Argue that everything turned out to be a lie...
once you investigated it.
Simply state that I had come up with the story...
to gain the support of the influential families.
What did Her Majesty say?
Her Majesty warned you...
to stop disrespecting His Majesty.
She added that had it not been for her, the revolt would not have been successful.
Her Majesty certainly adores His Majesty.
Do not let her bother you.
A hound dog done with hunting can be disposed of.
- Can we really do that? - Of course.
She is useless now.
We were too square.
I agree.
The eunuchs should have been ordered to behead him right then and there.
That is the method of the traitors.
How can we act like them?
Those men are behaving more superciliously and running wilder.
At this rate, Goryeo will go down.
Let me ask something.
Have you met a young noblewoman on your way here?
That is a very vague question.
There is more than one noblewoman.
She would have been dragged away by an army...
or run away desperately.
I did not witness such a noblewoman.
Oh, but I have met people looking for one just like you.
Who were they? Where did they go?
They ran down that road.
(Tavern)
A stranger?
Yes. She is a young noblewoman who looks beautiful.
She is on the run after committing a crime.
That woman committed a crime?
- That is right. Have you seen her? - Yes.
She just asked me for directions.
She was looking for the county office.
Follow me.
I am running away from the traitors.
But I could not think of anyone...
to ask for help in this county besides you, pacification commissioner.
Yes, you have come to the right place, My lady.
How can I help you?
Please let me take a horse.
I must leave this place soon.
Yes, My lady.
Look here.
Where is the county office?
It is that way.
Follow me.
Halt!
Fourth Rank General.
Geumo Army. What are you guys doing here?
Where is Lady Kim now?
Attack!
- Giddyap. - My lady.
Go back and say that you have killed me.
Then, you and I can all live.
Did you understand what I just said?
Are you injured at all?
No.
What about His Majesty?
He is all right.
However, he is under the control of the traitors.
Then, what about my family members?
They are being held in a remote house...
outside of Gaegyeong.
You must look after yourself for now.
Now, you are all His Majesty has left.
Her Majesty has...
cooperated with the rebellion.
That cannot be true.
Unfortunately, that is the truth.
What do you think...
to Sister?
(Kim Eun Boo, Deputy Minister of Punishments)
She must be alive, right?
Lord Jang.
Two prisoners cannot be kept in one place.
You should come with me at once.
But he will die if left alone.
Pacification commissioner.
Please turn a blind eye this once.
All right.
I doubt the traitors will care about what goes on out here.
- Go ahead. - Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Criminals who have been exiled must make a living on their own.
You could either go down to the village and beg for food...
or cut down and sell firewood. Do whatever you can.
- Yes, sir. - I will come once every ten days...
and check to see if you two have run away or not.
- Yes, Pacification Commissioner. - Then, I will leave you to it.
Thank you.
Thank you so much, sir.
Thank you.
Lord Jang.
- Lord Jang. - Gosh.
Where...
are we?
It is our place of exile.
What do you mean by our place of exile?
Then,
do you mean...
we are actually criminals now?
Yes.
I have committed no crime.
We have committed no crimes.
I am a loyal vassal.
Mother...
Lord Jang.
General Kim.
His Majesty is asking for you.
Were you aware that the Governor of the Capital District was such a man?
No, Your Majesty.
Had I known he was a treacherous man,
I would never have kept him close.
I would have cut off his head at once.
Then,
what do you think of what happened today in the Jungjeon?
It was an unthinkable incident.
They cannot sneak a traitor away like that.
That is right.
However, General Choi Jil...
does something like that as if it is no big deal.
That cannot happen.
That is an act...
of dirtying the honor of the warriors.
General Kim.
You should put things right.
I do not have any power.
So, you should put things right.
If you step up,
I am sure other warriors will follow.
They will also have realized...
that General Choi Jil is heading...
in the wrong direction.
I implore you.
I do not think of you as a traitor.
No matter what anyone says,
you are a warrior of Goryeo.
Your Majesty.
I was a fool.
I was.
Sister.
The Empress of Goryeo...
has been manipulated by a great traitor.
Sister.
What must I do now?
How can I meet His Majesty now?
(Empress Wonhwa)
All right.
Let us go.
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
General. No one is here.
What do you mean?
Why is there no one here?
All of you, put down your weapons.
Now!
You too, General Kim. Drop your sword...
before all your soldiers die with arrows in their backs looking like hedgehogs.
General Kim.
Did you think I was a pushover?
How dare you!
Take him!
Your Majesty.
What happened?
They failed.
I owe it all to you.
Anyway,
how did you know that Kim Hoon would attack me?
He tried to get me killed but failed.
Naturally, you had to be his next target.
It was His Majesty who devised such a scheme.
What should we do about him?
He will keep trying to take us down every chance he gets.
Do not be so angry.
Even a worm will turn when trodden upon.
I suggest you try to calm down and keep a magnanimous attitude.
I cannot quell my anger.
Please be patient and hang in there just a little longer.
A good opportunity will present itself soon.
What kind of opportunity?
You will find out soon.
For now, please wait.
(Gwanghwamun)
Have you been keeping well?
Yes, I have been well.
I hope all is well with your emperor too.
Yes. All is well with His Majesty, thanks to you.
His Majesty has kindly granted you, the King of Goryeo,
another opportunity to pay homage in person.
I will not pay homage in person to promise friendly ties.
I already made it clear to the other envoy who visited before you.
So why is this issue brought up again?
We simply wished to give you one last chance to state your intentions.
Now, I shall return...
and relay your words to His Majesty.
Wait.
Why are you backing down so easily this time?
Who might you be?
I am the man leading Goryeo at the moment.
I heard there was another coup in Goryeo.
- I suppose it was you who started it. - What did you say?
You asked me a question, so I shall answer it.
The Khitan army is on standby along the Yalu River at the moment.
Since your king refused to pay homage in the end,
the great army of Khitan will cross the Yalu River.
Do not dare lie to us!
It has not even been three months since the war ended.
How did the Khitan army manage to mobilize their troops so quickly?
If you do not believe me, check it out for yourself.
It shows how determined His Majesty is.
His Majesty is determined...
to punish Goryeo no matter what.
I shall be leaving, then.
Were they telling us the truth?
Is it true that they have mobilized their army again?
Yes, Your Majesty. It is true.
The scouts in Heunghwajin...
crossed the Yalu River and verified it.
Khitan's vanguard troops were already there,
and other troops were arriving one by one too.
By next month,
they will cross the Yalu River.
You need not worry.
I will defeat them.
I, Choi Jil, will save Goryeo!
I will lead the entire army as the commander-in-chief.
Consider yourselves informed.
Come along.
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
Your Majesty.
We are bound to lose if we go to war now.
The soldiers in Gaegyeong are traitors.
The soldiers in the Northwest will refuse to fight alongside them.
I agree.
If General Choi Jil were to lead our army,
many generals would refuse to obey his orders.
Even so, we must fight no matter what.
Declare a full mobilization.
And all of you...
are to prepare for another war as well.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
We are going to war.
We will now leave Gaegyeong and head to the border.
We will wipe out every single Khitan rat on our soil...
and return triumphantly to Gaegyeong while receiving an enthusiastic welcome.
Do you all understand?
- Yes, General Choi! - Yes, General Choi!
But what if the generals in the Northeast...
target Gaegyeong in our absence?
- What? - They may all swarm here...
and surround His Majesty to seize power.
Good point.
I bet the generals in the Northeast all want to be like us.
Then let us not head to battle!
Let the troops in the Northwest take care of it.
But if we lose the war,
we will be held accountable.
And once the battle is over, the soldiers from the Northwest...
may advance toward Gaegyeong.
If they bring along all the soldiers from the countryside too,
they will outnumber us.
General Choi, what should we do?
Because of the war,
we may lose the power we fought so hard to obtain.
Lady Kim is safe.
She is at a temple...
and General Ji Chae Moon is protecting her.
I am relieved to hear this.
We will win.
Khitan mobilized its army in just three months.
It is highly likely that they have less than 70,000 soldiers.
However,
we must fight when the internal division is at its peak.
Kang Jo launched a coup too,
but...
every soldier in the army trusted him,
whereas...
Choi Jil is not like that.
He is not capable of leading our army.
I am afraid.
More than the time when the 400,000 Khitan soldiers crossed our borders.
I am more afraid now.
Who might you be?
I am the governor of the Capital District.
I wish to have a brief meeting with Khitan's envoy.
You cannot dare to request a meeting with him.
I have General Choi's permission to meet with him.
Step aside.
How dare you!
Would you spare me a moment?
Can we truly do that?
Yes.
It must be done.
Only then can you survive.
You have no reason to hesitate.
Goryeo is yours anyway.
The emperor is no longer needed.
What will you do?
What brings you here this late in the night?
I want an audience with His Majesty.
Why have you come at this hour?
I must inform His Majesty of something.
You may leave.
My responsibility is to stay by His Majesty.
Head inside and talk with His Majesty.
You are all to leave.
Follow me without a word.
Let go of me! What...
Your Majesty!
What is the commotion?
Who is it that has come?
What is this?
For what reason...
have you dared to come inside my chamber?
There is only one reason for a great traitor...
who tried to harm the Emperor to enter his chamber, no?
It must be to settle...
what could not be done before.
Are you scared?
Do not worry. I will not kill you.
A momentary pain...
is not enough to get my revenge.
I will make you go through greater pain than death.
You will witness horrible scenes,
making you want to dig your eyes out!
You will hear appalling news...
that will make you want to rip your ears off!
You will curse yourself...
and lament as you get covered with blood,
trying to rip your heart out!
What do you mean by that?
Answer me at once.
What were you going on about?
I will have you go to the Khitan's land.
You will have to cross the Yalu River and pay homage to the Khitan emperor.
And for the rest of your life,
you will live as a hostage in Khitan.
- What was that? - It has already been settled...
with the Khitan envoy.
How dare you!
Do not go against it.
If you do, the court subjects will be killed one at a time.
If that is not enough, Her Majesty will be killed.
And if you still hold out,
I will kill the Gaegyeong people one at a time!
Farewell, Your Majesty.
There is always political upheaval in Goryeo.
What kind of man is in control this time?
I heard he was not as competent as Kang Jo in many ways.
We will win the upcoming war.
A king who failed to subdue the revolt before him...
has never won a war.
An army with loyal soldiers and traitors...
always loses.
When the army brings in the Goryeo king,
I will make him live here forever.
Using the Goryeo king as a hostage,
I will make Goryeo...
the subject country of this great Khitan.
Yes. If that happens,
we can use...
the Goryeo soldiers as Khitan soldiers.
Great. I will make that happen.
It is the end...
of Goryeo now.
(Lee Ja Rim, Defense Commander of Hwaju)
General!
We are to assemble at once.
Why must we all of a sudden?
I do not know. Every soldier is to assemble.
All right. Let us go.
Come now.
Giddyap!
Your Majesty. I heard you summoned us.
Yes, I did. Come inside.
Take a seat.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes.
To prepare for war well,
all government posts must be occupied.
Assign officials to the empty posts from resignations with haste.
Yes, Your Majesty.
There is no Officer of Seogyeong.
Who should we appoint to that post?
If possible, I would like him to be a loyalist.
Actually, the Defense Commander of Hwaju has returned after fulfilling his term.
Why not leave it to him?
Why did he return?
The traitors will not let him live.
Yes. That is why I also believe...
we should make him leave Gaegyeong as soon as possible.
Have the Defense Commander of Hwaju come to see me.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I appoint you as the Executive Assistant of Seogyeong.
Head out now before the traitors harm you.
I will remain by your side, Your Majesty.
Go on.
- This is a command. - Your Majesty.
Will you be able to get out of Gaegyeong?
Yes.
The traitors have stopped their inspections...
and have gathered in one place.
Then you should get going now.
And on your way, please deliver a letter for me.
Deliver it to Lady Kim who is at Heungryunsa Temple.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Also,
I have something else to ask you.
What is that, Your Majesty?
Move! Quickly!
This is the only way for us to survive.
Do you understand me?
- Yes, General! - Yes, General!
Right. Let us go!
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
If we wage war now, there is little chance of winning.
This war must be stopped by diplomacy in any way.
What do you mean by that?
The envoys of Khitan have already left.
The envoys have left,
but their demands still remain.
Until now, we, the warriors,
have shed so much blood to protect Goryeo.
Now, other people must step up for Goryeo as well.
General Choi.
What are you trying to say now?
Your Majesty.
Go and pay homage in person.
General Choi!
Pay homage? Are you out of your mind?
Do you mean you want to give His Majesty up to Khitan?
It is simply paying homage.
All he has to do is pay homage and return.
Shut your mouth!
You may be a traitor,
but you are still a man of Goryeo.
How dare you try to sell off your own emperor?
Can you still call yourself a warrior of Goryeo after that?
You darned traitors.
Are you not even afraid of the skies?
- Darn you! - General!
Oh, goodness.
You coward!
You jerk!
How could you?
Enough!
That is enough!
Fine.
I will go.
I will go...
and pay homage.
Your Majesty! You cannot do so!
Please take back your words!
- Please take back your words. - Please take back your words.
- Your Majesty! - No, Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty! - Please take back your words.
- Please take back your words! - Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Instead,
promise me one thing.
The vassals are the core members of the court.
No matter what happens, you must stay alive.
So, even if I leave,
be sure to keep them safe.
Do you understand?
Yes, we will do so.
Fine.
Let us go.
Your Majesty, you cannot do that.
Do not do anything foolish.
You can never do that.
Your Majesty.
Please kill us before you go if you must.
- Your Majesty! - Please kill us before you go!
- Your Majesty! - You cannot do so!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
- Get rid of these men at once! - Get rid of them!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
Darn you! Get your hands off of me!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
- You cannot go. - Your Majesty!
- You cannot!
- Your Majesty! - Please do not go!
Your Majesty!
You cannot go, Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
You cannot go, Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
Then, I shall head to Seogyeong.
All right. Get going.
Your Majesty.
What do you mean?
He will go and pay homage?
I think the traitors forced him to do so.
He is leaving the palace at this moment.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
- No, Your Majesty.
- Your Majesty. - You cannot, Your Majesty.
Do not bow down to those traitors.
- Do not bow down to those traitors. - Do not bow down to those traitors.
Your Majesty.
- Get rid of them! - No, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty. You cannot do so.
No, Your Majesty!
You cannot do so!
- Your Majesty! - No!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
No, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, you cannot do so.
Your Majesty, hurry up and get off of your horse.
Your Majesty.
I was wrong.
I was a fool!
Please get off of your horse now!
Please get off of your horse!
Your Majesty, please...
Let us go.
Set off!
Your Majesty. No.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty...
Open the gates! Hurry up!
This is a secret order from His Majesty.
(Hear me, Field Legislator of the Northwest.)
Hear me, Field Legislator of the Northwest.
I am heading to Seogyeong now...
with the traitors.
The moment I arrive in Seogyeong,
wipe out all of the traitors.
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
Do not leave a single man alive.
Kill them all.
(Korea-Khitan War)
His Majesty will arrive in Seogyeong in two days.
That night, we will rescue His Majesty.
The Emperor must be up to something.
I must go to Seogyeong.
I ought to be there to punish the traitors with my own hands.
We must make sure they do not find out about this.
Move as discreetly as possible.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)