(Missing Crown Prince)
(SUHO)
(Hong Ye Ji)
(Myung Se Bin)
(Kim Ju Hun)
(Kim Min Kyu)
(Missing Crown Prince)
(All characters, locations, organizations, and incidents...)
(in this drama are historically irrelevant and fictitious.)
(Production guidelines were strictly followed...)
(when filming with children and animals.)
Protect Her Majesty.
Please come to.
Come on.
- Your Majesty. - Please.
You must take cover, Your Majesty.
Where is the physician?
Call a physician right away.
Do not just stand there.
Escort Her Majesty to a safer place!
Yoon Yi Kyum.
Yoon Yi Kyum, how dare you?
Your Majesty,
I am to blame for not fortifying the location properly.
Command my punishment.
Arrest him...
Arrest him this instant...
Have you come to?
Where is the physician?
Check his wound first. Now!
(Episode 10)
Your Majesty!
Do not mind me and continue treating him.
Your Majesty, you cannot be here.
You should head to your quarters.
What is the meaning of this?
I told you to keep treating him.
Your Majesty, please.
Your Majesty,
let us head to your quarters.
You are getting in their way by being here.
Why is he not waking up?
He lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss.
But the wound is not too deep, so please do not worry.
Your Majesty, your shoes.
Yoon Yi Kyum.
Even ripping him into pieces would not be enough.
Your Majesty.
He will pay for what he did.
I will make sure of it.
I have never seen the Queen Dowager explode with so much rage before.
The look in her eyes was absolutely terrifying.
It scared the life out of me...
That is why this is outrageous.
She should want the shooter to be caught...
but she took it out on me who did nothing wrong.
Well...
Clearly, you are the only person here...
who wants her dead.
My goodness! How dare you speak such words?
I already told you I had nothing to do with this.
I was only speculating...
as to what she might think.
Anyway, judging by the fury she displayed,
we might see blood...
before the installation of the new Crown Prince.
Are you sure...
you had nothing to do with it?
Why you...
Then I will comfortably order...
the Police Bureau to quickly find the shooter.
Why that...
He put the plan in motion,
and now he is scared of the repercussions.
Why not do a better job?
- My lord. - Yes?
Prince Dosung summoned you.
Who did this?
My guess is that traitors hired a goon to...
Was it my grandfather?
I asked you a question!
Was it my grandfather?
Is there still no word from the Royal Infirmary?
I am afraid not.
- I must go there myself. - Your Majesty.
Rumors are already spreading.
I advise that you stay here and wait a bit more.
Your Majesty,
Prince Dosung is here to see you.
Dismiss him.
I said you were dismissed.
It was all my fault.
Please forgive him.
Do you honestly think...
that asking for forgiveness could get my fury to subside?
Please leave.
I will make sure nothing like this happens again.
It is too late.
The promise you made...
has already been broken.
And whatever is broken...
will never be whole again even after gluing it back together.
I...
For him...
You know what lengths I went through in order to keep him by my side...
better than anyone.
However,
I almost lost that man right in front of my eyes.
So how do you think I am feeling at the moment?
I would love nothing more than to beat Yoon Yi Kyum to death,
and it is taking every fiber of my being to hold back.
If you hear me, you will dismiss yourself.
What can I do?
Pray that the Inspector General keeps his life.
If anything happens to him,
there is no way of knowing what I will do.
I need your help.
The Queen Dowager's wrath has reached the sky.
There is nothing you say that will appease her...
The last thing she will want is a catastrophe.
Please help me.
There is no one who knows her better than you do.
Please tell me what I can do...
to appease her anger even in the slightest.
Then...
Maybe you can find...
the royal seal that the Queen hid.
Only an offering of that magnitude...
will allow me to even suggest that she gives you another chance.
Curfew has begun.
Shall we?
Your Royal Highness.
This way, please.
I heard that you studied under my grandfather.
How were you able to study under him...
when you belong to different factions?
I was able to learn from him during my days in Sungkyunkwan.
We may belong to different factions,
but I was mesmerized by his noble character and learning...
that I looked up to him as my teacher.
They may not be open about it,
but many others apart from us think of him as their mentor.
He is called Master Moonhyung for a reason.
Excuse me,
but what does Moonhyung mean?
It refers to a scale...
that unbiasedly assesses all academic discipline.
It is a nickname given out of respect...
for someone who was in the highest position...
at the offices and institute in charge of studies...
which are the Office of Special Advisors,
the Office of Royal Decrees, and Sungkyunkwan.
In other words, he is this.
Your Royal Highness.
Are you aware...
that they set a date for the Crown Prince's investiture?
The royal seal may be in your possession,
but you will not be able to stop them...
unless you clear your name.
Have you found a way to clear your name?
I have an idea in mind.
I apologize for having you stay in this shabby room.
Do not apologize.
I could not ask for more since we had to move discreetly.
It is the best place to stay hidden.
But more importantly,
how are you feeling?
I have gotten better thanks to your concern.
All right.
- Let us drink. - This is omija tea,
a precious drink from Mungyeong.
I poured in a generous amount of syrup just for you,
so drink...
every drop of it.
Goodness.
Although, it could be useless to you.
You are being cheeky again.
The tea is good for you, so drink up.
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
Have you been hearing about what goes on in the Palace?
I have been looking into the royal taster,
but I did not find anything out of the ordinary.
I apologize.
That is all right. I appreciate the hard work.
We believed you would have news for us.
So what now?
What else? We will have to find another way.
Actually,
the physician who treated me...
also treated His Majesty.
Maybe you can meet with him...
and ask about His Majesty's condition?
It seems as though you are leaving the capital.
He found out what should be a secret,
so running away is how he prolongs his life.
You are smarter than I thought.
Do not be too afraid of us.
Once you answer a few questions, you will be sent on your way.
Are you feeling a lot of discomfort?
The Queen Dowager must have been shocked.
Did you tell her...
that I am doing better?
Yes.
You are dismissed.
Of course.
Are you here to check if I was alive or not?
I came to see you because it seems like...
you are the only one who can stop the Queen Dowager.
And why should I stop her?
You almost lost your life,
so I understand your anger.
- However... - That is not the case.
Scars and wounds on the body will eventually heal.
Since I am alive,
I may be able to forgive him.
However...
I will never forgive him...
for targeting the Queen Dowager.
If you wish to save your grandfather's life,
have him step down from his position...
and retire to the countryside tomorrow if possible.
How could I possibly get my grandfather to retire?
He is not one to do as I say without putting up a fight.
Relay what I am about to tell you,
and he will comply with your request.
Tell him...
that I found the slave document...
that states his grandmother...
as a slave.
Her slave document?
What are you talking about?
Brother,
what would you do if you were in my place?
No physician administers poison without having an antidote.
If he was poisoned by a physician, that physician will have one.
As per the Queen Dowager's adamant orders,
Choi Sang Rok is still at the Palace...
being treated at the Royal Infirmary.
Your Royal Highness.
Actually...
I am...
Myung Yoon, the daughter of Royal Physician Choi,
who was behind your kidnapping.
Sang Rok.
Why are you here? I told you not to come.
This must have been quite a scare.
I thought I was going to lose you.
I was terrified.
Think of it as a nightmare.
Where could I possibly go without you?
Are you in great pain?
I simply acted like a crybaby.
I will...
make sure...
no one hurts you ever again.
You have protected me until now.
But from now on,
I will protect you.
As the Inspector General got hurt,
I will chair the meeting myself today.
Firstly,
a cabinet will be formed.
(Jogak: Organizing a cabinet)
As the Right State Councilor has resigned due to old age,
Minister of War Lee Seung Jo is promoted to his place.
And the Minister of Punishments...
is to take Minister Lee's place.
Your Majesty?
I am not done talking yet.
Training General Cho Chang Eui is now...
the Governor of Hamgyong Province.
Head of the Guards Park Han Yong is now...
the Governor of Jeolla Province.
Head of Defense Kim Seok Chul is now...
the Governor of Gyeongsang Province.
You are to discuss and find the suitable successors...
of these men as soon as possible. Understood?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Go ahead.
The positions mentioned today...
are all important ones related to this country's military defense.
I think it is best to decide with time...
after appointing the successors.
Keep going.
If there is any upheaval in the country...
and their positions are vacant,
it will be hard to defend it.
Please take it into consideration.
- Please take it into consideration. - Please take it into consideration.
But there has already been an upheaval, no?
I was attacked out of nowhere due to their incompetence.
And the Inspector General was shot by a gun.
Did you already forget that?
You are to thoroughly investigate whether they were secretly...
in contact with traitors.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
If there are any personal relationships...
or party interests played...
while selecting the successors,
it will not be overlooked. Am I clear?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
After going through the recent incident,
the royal family's future has become a concern.
I have lost sleep over it.
Thus,
on the day of Prince Dosung's Crown Prince proclamation ceremony,
the Inspector General's daughter...
will be welcomed as the Crown Princess.
With that in mind, make the preparation.
Your Majesty.
Never in history have we proclaimed the Crown Prince...
and welcomed the Crown Princess at the same time.
Though it may not be in history,
it is still something we can carry out. No?
Welcoming the future queen of this country...
should be approached with great caution.
I, too, have the same opinion as Censor Kim Dae Seung.
We have yet to get the list of Crown Princess candidates.
The royal marriage should be postponed.
Please take it into consideration.
- Please take it into consideration. - Please take it into consideration.
She is the daughter of Inspector General,
the one who saved His Majesty as well as me.
Nobody can be a better Crown Princess candidate than her.
This is the royal family's marriage.
It will be done as I see fit.
- Your Majesty... - Enough.
I will...
not take any objections.
Are you not able to speak?
I asked why you did not take my side!
I told him to do so!
Prince Dosung?
I must talk to the Left State Councilor.
Why did you tell him to do that?
Should we not save one more person, at the least?
Take your side,
and he would have been demoted to a trivial post.
I am afraid...
you should retire to the countryside.
What do you mean by that?
Is Choi Sang Rok behind this?
So why did you have to do that?
Come to your senses.
Once you kick me out,
you will be alone.
Do you think...
there will still be people protecting you after I leave?
No.
No one will be on your side.
Are you on my side, Grandfather?
Do not ask such absurdity!
If I am not on your side,
am I on the Queen Dowager's or the Inspector General's side?
If so,
resign for my sake.
Did they...
threaten you?
Yes.
Then...
I will take it that you will do it.
What do you think you can do alone?
When His Majesty lost consciousness,
I stopped the Queen's dethronement...
and helped you become the Crown Prince.
How can you not realize you are nothing...
without me?
Yes.
All your words may be right.
However...
Even so...
It is better to keep our family history...
of a son born from a nobleman and a servant a secret, no?
(Eolja: A son conceived between a nobleman and a lowborn woman)
When I am crowned the King,
I will reassign you.
Wait until then.
The proof of our family history.
We can simply find and destroy that proof.
After all we have been through,
are you still looking down on Choi Sang Rok?
Your Highness.
You must know that once I resign,
Prince Dosung's...
Crown Prince proclamation ceremony can be canceled.
Keep in mind that I, your father,
am the only one who can help your son...
become the Crown Prince, besides the King.
I have...
never wished Prince Dosung to become...
the Crown Prince or the King.
Your Highness!
Only when he becomes the Crown Prince and the King...
can you avoid death.
I know what you mean.
However, what must I do...
when I have no power to convince Prince Dosung?
Please do as Prince Dosung wishes.
Then just until the Crown Prince proclamation ceremony...
That, too, is not something I can decide.
Please leave now.
Yoon Yi Kyum turned in his letter of resignation...
and left the palace.
Prince Dosung was able to convince him.
Did you send word to Myung Yoon?
Yes.
She will have entered the palace by now.
Mother, it is time you took shelter from this rain.
Once the rain stops,
I will...
make sure Grandfather can return,
so do not worry.
Do not worry about me, Prince Dosung.
I am actually relieved.
As his child, I do feel bad.
But once my father moves back to his hometown,
I would no longer need to worry about His Majesty...
even if you were to become Crown Prince.
I am truly relieved.
What do you mean by that?
It is nothing.
My father decided to join hands with them...
and has been making our lives difficult,
so I simply thought...
things would be easier for us with him gone.
That is why I said it.
Your Highness. It is I, Court Lady Cho.
You may enter.
The Inspector General's daughter has arrived.
- You mean, Lady Myung Yoon? - Yes, Your Highness.
I saw her at the Royal Infirmary.
I wonder if she knows everything.
That the wedding has been expedited.
It will now take place on the same day as the investiture ceremony.
Is Oh Wol here too?
Yes, she is waiting outside.
But why did you call Oh Wol here too?
I figured having Oh Wol by your side...
would comfort you.
On the day of the investiture ceremony,
you and the Crown Prince will get married.
Just know that. Starting today,
you are to stay in the Royal Infirmary to get ready.
Father.
The order came from the Queen Dowager.
It must be this room here.
Then please excuse me.
My goodness. I wonder who used this room before.
The room smells musty.
Oh, dear.
Let me see.
I understand it will be tiring,
but you should have said you would commute from home.
This room is a little too...
It is better than a prison cell.
Pardon me? A prison cell?
So, you are not here as a caregiver?
Did Lord Choi call you here to confine you?
Why?
So I will not run away.
My lady.
What did you do wrong this time?
The Left State Councilor has resigned?
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
Rumor has it that he will move back to his hometown soon.
On top of that,
his key aides in important military positions...
have all been dismissed.
They have either been demoted to trivial posts...
or been kicked out to the countryside.
And now,
Prince Dosung's investiture ceremony and wedding...
will take place on the same day.
My goodness. What is the rush?
Who is the bride?
Inspector General Choi Sang Rok's daughter.
After what he did,
he is trying to entrap Prince Dosung through marriage?
Darn it! Those scoundrels.
I wonder why Prince Dosung decided to proceed with the wedding.
I am certain Dosung does not want to do it.
Oh, boy.
Gosh.
At this rate, we might even see Baek Gu in the palace later on.
It must be stopped at all costs.
What is Sang Soo up to?
Your Royal Highness. It is I, Sang Soo.
- Hey, you scared me! - You may enter.
You should properly greet His Royal Highness first.
You may sit down.
Your Royal Highness, this is...
Sun Ok, the court maid from the Queen Dowager's quarters.
You were the one who told me about Buyong Pavilion.
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
Buyong Pavilion, second watch of the night.
That was very brave of you.
I did it...
because I was saddened by Jong Geum's death.
Anyway, what brings you here?
While eavesdropping on the Queen Dowager's conversations,
I overheard...
that the royal taster was still alive.
Are you sure?
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
I do not know where she is now, but I am certain that she is alive.
- Let us go. - Go where?
I must meet the royal taster.
(Court Lady Yoon)
Start digging.
You want me to dig the frozen ground in the middle of the night?
Then would you rather dig up a grave in broad daylight?
Then what will you do?
I will hold this so you can see while digging.
Be the Crown Prince if you think it is unfair.
Dig deeper.
Goodness. We will soon see the sunrise here at this rate.
Shut your mouth. Be quiet.
My goodness.
Now, we know for certain that the royal taster is alive.
How did they pass through the palace gates with this empty coffin?
How much does a coffin like this cost?
Well, it depends on the type of coffin you want.
If you need to get one made...
For you, Officer...
He is an assistant police chief.
Have you been working here for a long time?
Yes, I have worked in the Funeral Planning Office all my life.
Then you must know everything about coffins.
Yes. That is correct, but...
If you were told...
to sneak someone out of the palace,
pretending that they were dead,
what would you do?
Why are you asking me such a question all of a sudden?
Such insolence!
He is asking you the question for he needs your answer,
so go ahead and answer.
Yes, sir.
It will not be that hard.
Your Majesty!
Is anyone outside?
Your Majesty!
My gosh.
Hurry.
- My lady! - My lady!
First, make it look like the person is dead and move the body.
Then,
make them lie down in an empty coffin.
After that, place a wooden panel above the person.
Then you can place a dead body on top.
Stop.
No one would care to check the coffin's size or weight,
so even if there are two bodies lying inside,
it will not get caught.
(The royal taster's residence)
Father.
Please wake up.
We need you to regain consciousness to get everything sorted out.
How could you still be lying here unconscious?
Father.
Are you listening?
Gun, whom you always dearly cherished, has been arrested again,
and I...
I must become Crown Prince in his place,
but I...
There is nothing more I can do.
Please help me.
Father, please wake up.
Open your eyes, Father!
Please...
Father.
Father, please...
Please open your eyes,
I need you to visit the Royal Infirmary.
Yes, Your Highness.
If you see Choi Sang Rok's daughter,
discreetly relay my message to her.
I heard the royal taster was an orphan from Hanyang.
So, even if she has moved out of her house,
she must still be hiding somewhere in the capital.
Yes, I think so too.
But it is not like we can go around the village looking for her.
The investiture ceremony is tomorrow. What should we do?
The royal taster is clearly hiding,
so it will not be easy to find her even if we launch an open search.
If we keep it on the down low like this...
Forget tomorrow. We will not find her until next year.
We have no choice...
but to reach out to someone who can openly look for her.
"Someone who can openly look for her?"
Who might that be?
It was rude of me to ask you to meet with me at such a late hour.
Thank you for coming.
No problem.
I came here for I must tell you something as well.
Go ahead and tell me.
Your Highness.
I cannot marry you.
I assume you already know everything that happened between me...
and the Crown Prince after he was kidnapped.
Correct.
Then why did you agree to marry me?
Do you truly not know...
why I decided to accept this marriage?
I know.
However, I am a sinner.
I put His Royal Highness in such a predicament,
so how could I become Crown Princess?
Thankfully, she does not know about her father and the Queen Dowager.
It is shameless of me to ask you this,
but I have no choice. I ask you to please...
understand my situation...
and call off the wedding.
I, too, do not wish to marry you.
Of course, it is not because I dislike you.
I fell for you way before you were chosen...
as a Crown Princess candidate,
and I still feel the same way about you.
However, I absolutely do not wish to force you...
to become mine.
If we do get married, it will only happen after I win your heart...
for I wish to feel confident when I walk down the aisle.
Then,
why did you want to see me?
I do not know when my father's condition could get worse,
so I called you here to ask you for help.
Is His Majesty ill?
You did not know?
Did Royal Physician Choi not say anything about it?
At home,
he never speaks about what is going on at the palace.
Please tell me.
If there is something I can do to help, I will do my best.
The truth is,
my father was poisoned,
and my brother was framed for it.
Lady Myung Yoon.
- Yes. - I wish to find out...
what kind of poison was used on my father.
For that, you can consult the Royal Infirmary...
or reach out to my father. Why ask me?
No one...
wants my father to regain his consciousness.
Your father too. Because of the incident involving my brother,
he wants me to become Crown Prince,
so he is not stepping in.
The other physicians are trying not to get involved...
because of what has been happening in the palace.
Lady Myung Yoon.
Please help me.
When I think of my father, I feel utterly anxious and helpless.
I am sorry, but I am not a physician.
I do not think I have the ability to help you.
My brother told me that you were more capable...
than most physicians.
All I did was make sure his wound would not fester.
It was not a minor wound.
He said he would have died without your help,
and I agree with him.
Thank you for thinking so highly of me,
but the only medical skills I know...
were the ones I learned on my own by observing my father.
Is there nothing you know about poisoning?
My father taught me...
some things about the few types of poison he handles.
It could be one of them.
- However... - Gun was arrested in Mungyeong.
He is being transported to Hanyang at the moment.
My father must regain his consciousness...
for Gun to be saved.
Once my father wakes up,
Gun can clear his name.
Once he clears his name and is officially reinstated,
you...
will not have to marry me.
What... Who are you?
You are...
Long time no see, Lord Yoon.
Are you here...
to kill me?
I am here to ask a favor of you.
(Slave Register)
It is a bribe.
I am pretty sure you will be satisfied.
Gun was arrested in Mungyeong.
He is being transported to Hanyang at the moment.
My father must regain his consciousness for Gun to be saved.
Can we trust her?
Her father was the one who poisoned His Majesty.
It is suspicious that she willingly agreed to help you.
She did not seem to know that it was her father's doing,
so I did not tell her.
I am glad you did not tell her.
However, she is not a physician.
Will this be helpful?
If you get caught for this, you could get in trouble too.
She said she learned about poison from her father,
so she might recognize the type of poison her father used.
If she finds out something, even the slightest clue,
it will be helpful.
Well understood.
The thing is,
I can tell everyone to leave,
but not the Head Eunuch.
Head Eunuch, I have a favor to ask of you.
"A favor?" Please, Your Highness.
I await your orders.
Where are you going at this late hour?
I should visit the main hall.
I am still recovering,
so I have not been able to visit His Majesty for the past few days.
I made sure to change the moxa on time,
so I suggest you take it easy and get some rest.
No.
I will be back shortly.
Your Majesty, the Inspector General is here.
Do you think...
you can deceive me?
Open your eyes,
Your Majesty.
You woke up too early.
Sleep some more,
Your Majesty.
(Missing Crown Prince)
Was my father the person who poisoned His Majesty?
Knowing the prince's character,
this wedding must happen.
How come he is not here yet?
He will come.
If the Crown Prince is gone,
Prince Dosung will become King whether he likes it or not.
You are now officially invested as the Crown Princess.
Stop!
Gun is back.
This is all fake!