(Characters, incidents, and period depicted are purely fictional.)
Eun Soo?
Eun Soo.
I promised...
on the day of your wedding...
that I would...
take good care of our parents for you.
But what do I do?
They both passed away.
So wrongfully...
Do not cry, my lord.
I could not even ask for their forgiveness.
Me neither.
I also could not tell my father...
that I was sorry.
No, far from an apology.
I may have even contributed to my father's death.
But I still lived on.
That is why I thought...
perhaps my father...
had already forgiven me.
I am sure that is the case for your mother.
She would have forgiven you already,
then stayed by your side to give her support.
If not,
you could not have grown up into such a fine man.
Then, who was the one...
that took the letter at the time?
Tell me! Who was it?
The Princess.
It was...
the Princess.
- My lord. - I must meet...
the Princess.
Princess?
Pardon me!
My lord! Oh, no.
Please bring him here. Yoon!
Please put him down in there. My goodness.
Good grief.
Goodness, I am so sorry.
Princess.
Good grief. You.
What have you done, you rascal?
He should be all right.
Please leave. Yes.
Wait.
- Darn it, stay quiet. - No, wait.
- Please leave. - No. Oh, gosh.
Your Royal Highness.
Thank you for helping...
with our recent lawsuit and tonight.
However,
when I said we should remain as strangers,
it included these encounters and assistance.
Were you afraid I would notice?
What do you mean?
What you are about to do,
this revenge.
You must know Kang Han Soo is the son of Officer Kang.
His father, Officer Kang,
passed away in wrongful death as he worked with the late King,
and you wish to repay that debt instead.
I would not have known if I had not seen you two...
at Officer Kang's home.
How did you know it was...
Officer Kang's home?
A few years ago,
after the late King passed,
a royal physician who deserved to be exiled got promoted instead,
then came to see my father.
I began to investigate the details of the incident,
which led me to find out everything that happened to Officer Kang.
You must stop.
If you stand up against my father,
it means you also stand up against all of Joseon.
You cannot be this reckless.
There must be a misunderstanding.
I simply think highly of the talent Kang Han Soo has as an attorney...
and wish to help the people with him.
Excuse me.
Your Royal Highness.
If there is...
a conflict of interest between strengthening my authority...
and the welfare of my people,
what must I prioritize?
When there is stability in public welfare,
your royal authority will automatically become more powerful.
There will not be any need to try harder.
The people will consider the King equal to their parents,
trusting, following, and depending on him.
I asked you a foolish question.
In that case,
there are too many laws made...
only to preserve the rights of the officials.
Will you find a solution with this problem?
Your wish is my command, Your Majesty.
They both passed away.
So wrongfully...
and miserably.
I am sorry, Kang Han Soo.
It is all my fault.
Give it to me. I will deliver that today.
(Officer Kang Eon Jik)
How can you say that?
Father!
The King is dead!
Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
Han Soo!
- Big brother. - Han Soo.
- Big brother. - Hey, Han Soo.
I'm right here, Han Soo.
Big brother.
Han Soo.
It's all right.
(Episode 7: The Secret Door)
(Joseon Attorney: A Morality)
Oh, my head.
I somehow arrived at the tavern... No way!
Why did you come back, Eun Soo? You fool.
Hi, Han Soo.
Eun Soo!
Run!
Dong Chi, wake up.
What?
What are all these memories flashing before my eyes?
It must have been a dream, right?
Too many things have happened, and I'm not sure where to begin.
In front of my house, I hugged you...
and did this. Start from there.
Every time you drink,
you can't tell where the sky is...
I mean, you cannot tell who is who.
You just hug anybody and go, "Eun Soo."
"Dong Chi. Mother. Father!"
It was not you? Then...
Who do you think it was?
Who was it?
Eun Soo.
I am sorry, Eun Soo.
What are you doing?
Get dressed. We should go to Hanyang.
The sun is not even up yet.
Well, the cock crowed.
What is the point? You will see her again in Hanyang.
It will be less shameful then.
They say, "Time heals all wounds." Do you not know?
But Magistrate Yoo will be in Hanyang.
What about Magistrate Yoo?
You do not remember?
"Run!"
Go!
Toward the Princess!
It must have dawned on you.
This is a natural disaster.
I, Kang Han Soo, would never do such a thing.
No. Never.
It is okay.
What was that?
What?
No one will know.
What?
Father.
Mother.
Eun Soo.
Dong Chi.
My lord. It is me.
Do not cry.
I am sure that is the case for your mother.
She would have forgiven you already,
then stayed by your side to give her support.
If not,
you could not have grown up into such a fine man.
Yes, I can do this.
I have got this.
I can do it.
I did it. Great.
Good.
That looks like someone...
who glows.
So Won.
Thank you.
Come.
Why are you leaving so early in the morning?
We urgently need to meet someone in Hanyang.
Who would that be?
Who do you think it is?
Our source of income.
- Come. - Let us go.
If you hear the truth,
will you be able to forgive me?
Hey.
It may be out of embarrassment for me,
but why is she avoiding me?
Because she would laugh when she sees you?
Let me think. Or maybe...
she got scolded by Magistrate Yoo.
- I see. - Or...
Hey.
I appreciate what you did for me yesterday.
I do not remember much, but I feel like I owe you big.
Thanks.
No, not really.
By any chance,
did Magistrate Yoo scold you?
No, not really.
That is a relief.
But then,
why were you with him at that time?
Pardon?
Do not tell me...
You have not been won over, have you?
They say women are fickle.
That is nonsense.
It was just a coincidence.
Right, it had to be.
I mean, he is not a catch at all.
His family...
is reputable.
His fortune...
is probably more than a lot.
Still, his personality...
does not seem so bad either.
Seriously.
Right.
His looks.
At least, I look more handsome.
I guarantee he must be arranged to marry a noble young lady.
Noble people and commoners are strictly separated in this society.
He is way out of your league, so give up.
Why did she even give me butterflies then?
- What was that? - No, nothing.
It is nothing.
I guess today is the day for something.
It seems so.
It is my birthday.
Yes, right.
It is the Ghost Day.
The birthday of every labourer.
(The day of rest after weeding, 1 of the 24 seasonal divisions)
The day when servants dress up with new clothes...
- and enjoy partying all day long? - Right.
No, really. It is also my birthday.
Well, then. Would you like a birthday gift or something?
- Let us enjoy the festival too. - That is...
No.
Just for this day. I am not prepared, so please.
- What... - Prepared for what?
Well, the thing is...
Once we go to Hanyang, we have to work hard again.
So please. I want it as my birthday gift.
It is free anyway.
I doubt the Princess will run away overnight.
Time means money to me now.
But I will spend that money...
for you.
Sweet!
Han Soo.
Have you lost your senses?
Let us not bother.
It is Ghost Day and So Won's birthday.
We will have fun just for today.
I would love to.
Do not change your mind later.
- I will not. - All right?
It will not take long.
Give me just one more day to think.
Let me be So Won just for another day.
I am sorry.
I am sorry, Han Soo.
- What are you doing? - Let us go.
- Stop! - Move!
(Subak Championships in Jongyuhyun Village, Ansung)
Gosh, they have crazy prizes.
(First place: Cow)
(Second place: A seom of rice)
Who else want to challenge him?
Me!
Goodness. Never mind!
You cannot be a match. Hey.
- Are you good at subak? - You cannot do it.
- I am pretty good. - Are you doing it for real?
Just wait.
Goodness.
Ready, go.
Gosh, he got lucky.
He is good.
All right.
He will not be able to win unless he plays dirty.
I bet one nyang on his defeat.
Deal. I bet five pun more.
Deal.
I bet two nyang.
Ready, go.
Go, Han Soo!
You can do it!
- Go for it. - You can do it!
- Kang Han Soo! - Go!
Did you see that?
Did you see it?
Give a hand to today's winner!
(Cow, A seom of rice, Floral shoes)
He nailed it.
- What will he choose? - A cow.
- Choose a cow. - A cow.
- A cow. - A cow.
A pair of floral shoes, really?
Attorney Kang.
Are you out of your mind? How could you...
You can farm a year with a cow.
And you can feed four people with a seom of rice.
So those are for people who actually need them.
Pardon?
Here.
My birthday gift for you.
These shoes...
will take you anywhere you want...
and help you go over any kinds of humps.
They will take you...
to a better and a more precious place.
Come on.
Did you go out of your way to win for those?
You could have just come in third place.
Losing does not suit me.
"Losing does not suit me."
Is that really all you know?
- Yes. - Yes.
It is best to answer me when I am the one asking.
When my master comes,
who knows how you will end up?
Did you find something out?
Those wenches are stubborn.
What is it that you want to know?
Tell us, and we will tell you.
Where are the ledgers?
These are the ledgers Kang Han Soo stole and kept in the gisaeng house.
A total of six. Yes, they are the ones.
What about what I asked you?
Those girls did not know much about Kang Han Soo, either.
He only threw jokes and barely spoke of himself.
All they heard was that after his parents died, he made a living...
roaming around markets in the country with a guy named Dong Chi.
Oh, right. His hometown is Cheongsan.
"Cheongsan?"
Yes. That must be why he had recently gone to Cheongsan.
- Are you sure it is Cheongsan? - Yes.
Were you not the former governor in Cheongsan, my lord?
(7 years ago in Cheongsan)
My lord.
What brings you all the way to this countryside?
There is one thing you must do for me.
Do it for me, and there will not be a dismissal...
but a promotion in your next month's personnel transfer document.
Good grief. Luck is not on my side at all.
I heard you were close...
with Commissioner Park and Master Jang since back then.
Close, my foot. We were simply after our own benefits.
I had to get help from whomever I could...
to get out of that boonies.
Do not tell me...
Officer Kang?
It is him!
I have never seen a tavern owner leave to enjoy the festival day.
To offer a room but have the guest make dinner themself?
The owner should also get some rest and perform ancestral rites.
Oh, no.
I will do it.
You must be tired, Lady Hong, no?
How dare you?
The flour cake depends on you, Han Soo.
I will just starve tonight.
- I will do it. - No, I will.
- I will do it. Give it to me. - No, I will.
Goodness.
Oh, gosh. What happened?
They messed it up.
The flour cake turned into nothing.
Lady Hong.
Train So Won again.
It tickles.
What is so funny?
Myself.
I am not the type to procrastinate and goof around.
Likewise.
But I have changed after meeting you.
Actually,
I almost drowned to death when I was a kid.
Since then, water has frightened me. So I kept away from it.
But yesterday, I even bathed in the stream water.
I got better since the moment...
you jumped into the Han River to save me.
Take the newlywed bride's case as an example.
My usual self would not have made such a decision.
And today as well.
But it felt better than I thought.
No, it was great.
To the point I want the rest of my life to be like today.
Was there a time...
you did not want to live?
At least, living was not my purpose in life.
Do not look so sad.
I did not say that to bring the mood down.
I simply wanted to give an honest response to your comfort.
"Comfort?"
Remember? You comforted me yesterday.
In Eun Soo's stead.
Let me bring some water.
I will...
do it.
My purpose in life.
I will set it to make you live a happy life.
So that you can be happy...
and that your life purpose could be to simply live on,
I will work hard and help. Whatever it takes,
I will do it.
If, by any chance, there comes a day...
I disappoint you,
please remember what I told you today.
Regardless of how I was before,
all my actions and decisions after today...
will be for you.
What has gotten into her? She is making my heart flutter.
- Is that true? - Yes.
At first, I kept calling him Big Brother as a joke.
- But one day, you know... - But one day what?
Why are you so serious?
Han Soo...
ran an errand to the upper village on my behalf,
then caught a fever.
He was in a critical situation for ten days.
Even physicians had given up on him.
Please do not die!
I am sorry!
I will never ask you to run an errand for me.
Please do not die, Han Soo.
How dare you come here?
Dong Chi.
Han Soo.
I will be the younger one from now.
I will always think of you as my big brother.
So please do not die, Han Soo.
Do you mean it?
Yes.
Han Soo, I am sorry. I am so sorry.
Then call me big brother.
Big Brother...
You were alive, Han Soo?
What do you mean, Han Soo? I am your big brother.
Han Soo.
- You are bleeding. - What?
You are bleeding.
What? Blood?
I knew it.
I thought it was because you took the wrong medicine...
or fell from a high place as a child.
What do you mean, you thought so?
Are you saying...
I look older than him?
What is that face you are making?
Do not lose your heart.
You have better looks.
I knew it.
What?
- Yoon, we need your opinion. - Yes.
If so, do you mean Kang Han Soo will come after you this time?
I believe so.
He probably did not find anything while he was in Cheongsan.
In that case, you must be prepared.
If you also go down just as Commissioner Park did...
Do you think I am stupid like those men?
I apologize.
All I must do is refrain from providing a cause.
No.
I will get rid of him first...
before he uses his trickery.
My lord.
What is it?
A man urgently came from your house.
There is an emergency with your son.
He should be in a Confucian school studying.
Why is he in trouble?
Let go of me!
Are you crazy? Move away!
Do you know who I am? Let go of me!
You will all be dismissed.
I registered your faces.
Hey!
Those worthless vermin.
It is his fault for dying after a few punches.
How dare they arrest my son?
This way.
Father.
Darn it.
You vermin.
If you get in trouble, patch it up well.
If you cannot do that,
simply do not get in trouble!
Why do you always do things wrong?
I told you time and time again...
not to do anything at all if you cannot do something right!
You finally ended up shaming me, and of all time, right now!
Please calm down, my lord.
(A few days ago)
Darn it.
Hey.
You scum.
How dare you not answer to a nobleman's call?
Do you wish to die so badly?
You must...
You must answer me!
How dare you ignore me?
(In mourning)
(Lee's Guild)
You are here.
It must have been a long journey.
Was everything all right at the merchant house?
Of course.
("Book of the Law")
(Officer Kang Eon Jik)
Goodness, who did this to you?
What is going on?
Yes, hurry.
- Goodness. - Goodness.
Lady Hong,
- please bring cloth and warm water. - Okay.
I am sorry, my lord.
Lord Chu knows everything.
We had no choice.
Otherwise, we would have lost our lives.
I will call a physician for you. Get some rest.
Han Soo.
They must be warning us...
by sending those girls to our office.
- Let us go out for now. - What?
This is not something you should think over.
First things first, you must flee to find your safety.
We lost the ledgers too.
To be frank,
we do not have any weaponry or shields in this war.
That is why we must find another weapon.
Let us go meet the Princess first.
That is not going to help us find a brilliant idea.
Good grief.
Did he find out already?
Her Royal Highness is in recuperation down south.
Where in the south?
Please tell me where I can send her a letter...
I do not know.
Wait! When will the Princess...
Gosh, darn it.
Han Soo!
What?
I have this amazing news.
What is it?
- Come here. - What?
That is quite amazing.
This is driving me crazy.
How can fate...
do this?
Are you all right?
So please do not worry.
Even if I do not bother to forget my feelings for him,
I cannot be that shameless.
It is Yoon. Please allow me to enter.
Your Royal Highness, it is just as anticipated.
Will I end up telling him first?
Or will I get busted first?
You do not need to worry.
How is any of this your fault?
If Attorney Kang does blame you for that incident,
then I will not just stand idle.
I would rather be blamed...
than have Han Soo get hurt.
It seems that Lord Chu harassed the people close to Attorney Kang...
to do a little digging.
Tighten the security around Sowongak and the shipping office.
Yes, my lady.
I will also keep an eye on Dong Chi.
I thought that we were done.
I hear the Cheongsan case is being solved smoothly,
thanks to your superb petitioning abilities.
Or are you, by any chance, here to apologize...
for the drunken frenzy?
I heard that you were engaged to Princess Yeon Joo.
Is that true?
What if it is?
I thought you would know how to get in touch with her,
so I made bold to come here.
I must speak to Princess Yeon Joo.
- So you mean... - Yes.
Do you know where she is?
So, you do not know...
where Princess Yeon Joo is, nor who she is?
No.
How would an attorney like me know who or where she is?
What you are about to do,
this revenge.
"Revenge?"
Is that not why you are working with Han Soo?
I need you to take a case.
Yes. What?
I must ask the Princess if I may tell you...
where she is, so it will take some time.
So...
Well,
do you have a troublesome case?
The governor of Gyeonggi Province at the first trial...
requested a joint interrogation to Hanseongbu.
Okay.
The Ministry of Law Enforcement...
will investigate it at the second trial,
but I must do my part as the joint investigator.
I need you to look into the investigation, trial, and ruling...
of the Gyeonggi governor to see if they were fair.
Yes. But...
if you are only trying to distract me...
by putting me on this case...
The suspect will not speak at all, which is giving us a hard time.
If an attorney like yourself talks to him,
I am sure he will open up.
To an attorney like myself, yes.
Well, then.
It sounds like a fair price to pay to meet the princess.
May I...
No, you may not. Just go.
What was that?
Who do you think you are staring at?
Young master, we must go.
Gosh.
- That is him. - Thank you.
Lee Bong Sam.
You have been arrested for beating Kang Chil Gu, your neighbour,
to death. Is that correct?
I am Attorney Kang Han Soo.
I will devote myself to helping you if you need help.
Yes.
You are looking at the best attorney in Joseon,
Kang Han Soo...
Are you refusing my help?
Listen. I am Kang Han Soo.
The plum wine case, the scholar-official divorce case,
and the first-degree murder...
I cannot believe I am listing my achievements.
Lee Bong Sam.
You may want to keep your mouth shut before the judge...
as you will be confessing to your crimes,
but that is unnecessary in front of an attorney.
Hello?
Hey!
Get well rested.
Oh, boy.
Goodness, you scared me!
How long have you been standing there?
This is my house. I will stand wherever I like.
You have a client.
Could she be...
jealous?
There he comes.
That is Attorney Kang.
How frustrating.
What is everyone doing here?
Please save my father.
My father is not a murderer.
Someone else attacked the victim.
Yet, the young master claims that he died...
because your father shoved him?
Yes. And my mom told me to keep my mouth shut.
Otherwise, we'd all be dead.
And that no farmhand can report his owner.
I think she meant the law that forbids them...
from reporting the elderly.
The servants can never report their owners.
And the people can never report the authorities...
even though they are mistreated! That is the law!
Darn it.
He is about to be framed for his owner's sin.
What is the use of such laws...
when you are about to be executed?
Calm yourselves.
Let us hear from the boy.
So, the true murderer of the next-door neighbour...
is your father's owner?
Yes.
And your father is a servant.
Yes. When I was little,
there was famine and the plague,
so my father went to the current owner's house...
and borrowed rice by promising to work...
for ten years for them.
He has seven years left.
Goodness. So he sold his labour to feed his son.
A lot of people come here and complain...
with the servant documents.
(Documents of promising to sell themselves)
If they cannot borrow money from us,
they have no choice but to become servants.
But they were not originally servants,
so such law does not apply to them, does it?
It is obvious.
They think that we are stupid and do not know the laws.
So the owner must have scared his family,
saying that it is the national law.
Who on earth is this brazen, wicked owner?
Your owner.
Well...
It is Lord Chu.
Did you...
just say, "Lord Chu?"
Lord Chu Young Woo from State Council?
Yes. Lord Chu's son, the young master,
assaulted Chil Gu.
Oh, I see.
Here. Eat it.
- Just say it here. - Be quiet.
How could this happen?
What is going on?
What do you mean?
We just acquired a secret weapon.
Thanks to that, we can stop running away.
Do not tell me you are taking this case.
It seems that Lord Chu...
was trying to be smart and put the blame on Bong Sam...
using this law against accusing the elderly.
This time,
I will teach him...
whose side the law should take.
We will have Bong Sam's son file a complaint...
against Young Master Chu for framing his father.
Then the court hearing for Bong Sam will be postponed.
In the meantime,
we must find proof that Young Master Chu is the culprit.
What is the point?
They managed to change the suspect overnight.
They must have destroyed all the evidence.
And they must have bought off all the witnesses.
They must have, right?
You bet!
Besides,
rumours are rampant that he is marrying the daughter...
of Minister Won Dae Han of Law Enforcement.
Given connections and all,
we are hardly their match.
- Is that right? - Yes.
I see.
Why are you grinning?
It excites me. I am getting competitive.
Hey, I am getting goosebumps.
Strain the tips of your fingers.
Straighten your back.
Write each character with all your heart.
I am boundlessly afraid...
to inform the great local magistrate,
but for my resentment is so big,
I am mustering my courage to write to you.
My father is innocent.
I will...
make you pay for sure.
I will visit the Chungcheong government office...
and even His Majesty in Hanyang.
I will report every detail of what you did.
The law is not as sloppy as you think.
Give it a try.
You will learn what happens if a mere commoner...
accuses a local magistrate.
How foolish of you.
No wonder you still do not know whose side the law is on.
It is me.
- Do not go. - Hey, why...
You have neither evidence nor witnesses.
Must you go against Lord Chu?
Magistrate Yoo left this case to me.
It is a difficult case. That must be why...
he designated me, Kang Han Soo.
I do not want to disappoint him.
That is just an excuse.
You are trying to take revenge on Lord Chu.
How...
did you know?
Of course, I know.
From the beginning, I have only seen you,
thought of you, and studied you.
Everything about you was suspicious.
Yes, you are right.
It was to take revenge at first.
But now, that is not everything.
I have become wanting to live a decent life...
and to be a real attorney.
So how could I run away?
Someone is wronged, there is a way to resolve it,
and now is the only chance to save him.
You have to be alive to seize that chance.
I will not die.
Not when you are here.
You said you would live for me.
That you would do anything for my happiness.
I am not foolish enough to leave behind someone...
who adores and loves me.
My parents taught me...
that I must never do so,
or I would regret it even after death.
I did not care when or how I died.
I did not dream of happiness at all.
But for the first time, I wanted to stay alive.
And I even...
made up my mind to live a decent life.
That determination itself is a miracle to me.
So,
do not worry.
If you experience a miracle,
you do not die easily.
Hey, So Won.
Just for a moment.
Let me be in your arms for just a moment.
Attorney Kang!
Go without me. Now.
How dare you!
Do you really want to die?
But you failed to kill me.
Do you not get it?
I am here to reply to your warning.
Kang Han Soo!
Yes, I am Kang Han Soo.
Kang Han Soo, the best attorney in Joseon...
who has never lost a case.
And...
the son of Officer Kang...
whom you killed seven years ago.
So look forward to it.
Consider this a hat...
I am throwing into the ring.
War has begun.
(The animal scenes were filmed under protection and safety.)
(Joseon Attorney: A Morality)
Kang Han Soo, that jerk.
Lord Chu will not stay still.
Do you have a plan?
Are you not curious, Your Highness?
If it is a coincidence...
or if everything is part of his revenge.
I would like to live an ordinary life too.
I am proposing...
to you.
I also have...
a confession to make.