(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.)
(Episode 6)
You have my word...
that I will keep His Majesty safe.
Answer the question.
Were you framed...
or not?
I...
At the time, I...
I was outside the palace walls.
However,
if the Queen spoke of my involvement,
then she must also be right.
Are you admitting your guilt?
At that time, I was outside...
the palace walls.
Are you pleading guilty or not?
I was outside the palace walls.
It seems as though...
we will not get anything else from him.
Should we torture him?
(Goshin: Torture)
Please express your thoughts.
He may have committed high treason,
but he was once the Crown Prince of this nation.
(Gukbon: Heir to the king)
Maybe we should call it a night.
Would this...
not create problems down the road?
Not denying his crimes...
should be considered as an admission of guilt.
We should consider Inspector General Choi's guidance.
What if we shed blood...
and His Majesty later on questions what happened today?
Who will be able to handle the consequences?
(Hugwa: The unpleasant result or effect of an action)
How is he?
Is he doing better?
Forgive me for saying so,
but unless Her Highness was mistaken,
it seems to me...
that she saw him temporarily react to his treatment.
No.
I saw it with my own two eyes.
I know what I saw.
His Majesty's fingers...
moved like so.
Please calm down, Mother.
Was Mother able to sleep last night?
No, she stayed awake all night.
You should rest.
Do you also not believe me?
That is not what I am saying.
You are all dismissed.
- Mother! - I wish to be alone.
I told you to leave this instant!
Hold on.
Did the Queen truly wish to see me separately?
- Yes. - However,
this is not the way to the Queen's Palace.
Follow me and you will see.
You have brought me to the Royal Office.
Why would the Queen be here?
(Pyeonjeon: The Palace where the king normally stays)
Please head inside.
What has you startled?
You must be aware...
that I will soon take this seat.
That is correct, Your Highness.
I thought about it,
and it occurred to me...
that when I eventually take the throne and rule Joseon,
I would need someone I could trust...
to assist me by my side.
And those thread of thoughts...
led to one being curious.
You see,
questions tend to keep me up at night.
Magistrate Yoon,
I asked to see you to resolve my curiosity.
Please ask me...
anything.
Magistrate Yoon,
are you loyal to me...
or are you loyal...
to my grandfather?
I, Yoon Jung Dae,
pledge my loyalty and devotion to you.
(Gyeonmajiro: As loyal as dogs and horses are to their owners)
May I trust...
your loyalty toward me?
I will die if that is what you order...
and live if that is your wish.
Come closer.
I have a favour to ask.
A favour?
That is utterly preposterous.
Your order will be my command.
I will honour it...
with my life.
Once Prince Dosung is installed as Crown Prince,
Left State Councillor Yoon will first murder my father.
After him,
it will be you and Choi Sang Rok.
You should have said...
you had no knowledge of this.
What now?
You might be ordered to take poison tomorrow.
But he is still the Crown Prince.
I doubt they will kill him.
The worst they will do is banish him.
After all you went through,
do you still not see who those monsters are?
They framed His Royal Highness...
so that they could end his life.
They plotted treason for the purpose of taking his life,
so why would they let him live?
Your Royal Highness,
once the day breaks,
call Left State Councillor Yoon or Royal Physician Choi...
and claim you had no knowledge of this.
Do you hear me?
- What about my father? - To stay alive,
the Queen Dowager will protect him.
She could.
However,
I cannot take a gamble when my father's life is at stake.
Gun, you must leave.
Take Sang Soo first.
You must hurry.
You are still one to be rash.
How will you handle the repercussions...
once I escape from prison?
Why do you think I wore a mask?
That is not what I meant.
Then what...
Should I make my way back to the palace,
we will meet as enemies...
and not brothers.
Whether we want to or not,
we will aim our swords at each other.
Will you still help me escape while knowing that?
Letting you die here cannot be the alternative.
Let us consider the repercussions when we cross that bridge.
You softhearted fool.
Calling me hurtful names...
will not make me change my mind.
Let us hurry. We will get caught at this rate.
I ask you...
one last time.
Will you not regret this?
You always have to nitpick over the details.
Sure.
I might regret it.
However, I will do my best to protect my family.
I have more to ask,
but that will be reserved for the day I return.
What you did is of grave danger.
- When they talk... - Magistrate Yoon...
will make sure they do not.
Do not worry about Sang Soo.
I will take good care of him...
until he fully heals.
Sure. Take care of him for me.
Dosung.
Please leave already.
- Dosung. - What?
You are one handsome lad,
- my little brother. - Gun.
This is not the time for jokes.
It is hard to tell when we will see each other again,
so I did not want...
to bid farewell...
at the back of your head.
Please stay well and healthy,
Gun.
You too.
Be safe and sound.
What is it?
Is the baggage too heavy for you?
Of course not.
That is not it.
I do not know where we are supposed to go.
I am just as clueless.
Let us figure it out.
But we do not have the time.
Once they find out we are gone, they will send officers...
to catch us.
Lord Choi.
My lady.
What is this about?
Something must have happened to that scholar.
What do you mean by that?
I overheard Moo Baek talking just now.
Something happened at the Department of Justice,
and it seemed like Lord Choi urgently left the house.
Why you...
Darn!
How did the guards let this happen?
Where is the head guard?
Bring me the head guard this instant!
Yes, my lord.
Lord Yoon.
Lord Yoon, did the Crown Prince escape...
My gosh.
How did this happen?
Right.
According to one of the guards,
he was here...
when the curfew bell rang.
Are you sure about that?
Yes.
I doubt he had time to make it out of the palace.
Therefore, he must still be within these walls.
Mobilize...
all the soldiers that can be mustered...
and locate the prisoners.
- Yes, my lord. - Yes, my lord.
We must catch them before they leave the palace.
Have the soldiers thoroughly search within the palace first.
Thoroughly search within the palace!
- Yes, my lord. - Yes, my lord.
Has he still not been found?
He will soon be located, so do not worry.
I know him better than anyone...
which is why I am puzzled.
The Crown Prince is not one to bust open those doors...
and plan an escape.
I also agree.
Someone must have helped him escape.
Someone as in...
Was it...
Prince Dosung?
Prince Dosung could not have done it alone.
He received help from someone whoever that may be.
Could you find out who?
That, I must.
Your Majesty, it is Court Lady Kim.
Enter.
Last night, Prince Dosung was seen...
near Danbongmun.
He resides outside the palace.
It is not odd for him to pass through that gate.
What about it?
Magistrate Yoon borrowed two palanquins,
and Prince Dosung was with them.
Magistrate Yoon Jung Dae of Hanseong Magistracy.
But Magistrate Yoon is loyal to Left State Councillor Yoon.
He must have thought it was time...
to jump from a tattered boat into a new one.
Or he could have one foot...
in each of those boats.
If that is true,
he is someone to fear.
Prince Dosung who made use of such a person...
could be the one to fear more.
Was it you, Prince Dosung?
Please speak.
Your grandfather is asking...
if it was you who let the Crown Prince escape.
Yes.
It was I.
Why would you choose to do something like that?
I made myself perfectly clear,
but you chose to act foolishly!
He may not be your family,
but he is my brother.
If the Crown Prince returns later on,
we might all die.
You, the Queen, and me.
Then stop it from happening.
Stop Gun from coming back.
Have you been coveting power...
without the ability to do so?
Show me...
that you are capable of ruling this country...
in my stead.
I will look forward to it.
I will look into it and...
She will be the death of me.
I would like to ask something.
- What is it? - Is there trouble...
at the Department of Justice?
Who are you to ask that?
My brother is an investigator at the Department of Justice,
and I came by worried since he did not return home.
The soldiers' movement indicate that something happened.
My lady!
Wait.
You know he has escaped. That should be enough.
Let us go back home now.
We do not know if the one who escaped prison was that scholar.
Had it been someone else,
his lord would not have gone out in a hurry at this hour.
Since you know he is alive...
He might get caught again.
My lady!
- Goodness. - Really.
Good gracious.
Today is surely a blast!
What is it this time?
I did come along as you said it was safer to hide...
in the middle of the city and not of nowhere.
But what?
He was a friend of my father, who was a strolling actor.
But I have not met him since my father passed away.
I wonder if we will be safe.
We will use this to make us safe.
Let us go inside.
Father...
I...
will surely return.
Until then...
Just until then...
Please wait for me.
Father.
The sinner Lee Gun...
is dismissed from Crown Prince.
Since such a position cannot be vacant even for a day,
Prince Dosung will be proclaimed as the Crown Prince.
Hasten the preparation...
of the Crown Prince proclamation ceremony.
And as there needs to be sons in the royal family,
establish a temporary Office of the Royal Wedding...
to welcome a Crown Princess...
with the proclamation ceremony,
and issue a prohibition of marriage.
I refuse.
"Refuse?"
You cannot choose...
to become a Crown Prince or not.
If it cannot be helped,
I can simply run away like my brother has.
What are you...
What is the use of becoming the Crown Prince?
It is evident I will become the puppet...
as the Queen Dowager is in regent.
That will not last for long.
It is only until you succeed to the throne.
Let us say I obediently become the Crown Prince.
Do you think the Queen Dowager will give up regency...
and put me on the throne?
Even when they know that will get them killed?
Did I not say I would take care of the Queen Dowager?
What if you fail?
I...
do not wish to spend my days in bed like Father.
That will never happen.
Have faith in me.
If you want me to trust you,
help Father get back on his feet again.
If Father proclaims me...
as the Crown Prince and not the Queen Dowager,
I will be more than willing...
to accept it.
Have you still not moved on?
If he has not gone beyond the capital,
he will eventually get caught.
This is my last request.
Mother!
- Mother! - No!
- Mother! - No...
- My son! - Mother!
No!
- No. - Sang Rok.
Do not let go.
Soo Ryeon...
I must go with her.
- Soo Ryeon. - You little...
Soo Ryeon.
Sang Rok...
You have lost weight in the past few days.
Have you not been up since last night, Sang Rok?
I am all right.
A physician can take care of himself.
But you look pale.
I am fine. Do not worry about me.
Go home and get some rest.
Your Majesty.
What is it?
I have something to report at once.
Come in.
What is it, Head Eunuch?
Tell Her Majesty.
The royal seal...
is missing.
What do you mean the royal seal is missing?
How did this happen?
Let us go to the Office of Royal Affairs.
(Sangseowon: The office in charge of...)
(the Joseon King's royal seal, the royal family's seals, and more)
In short, after the Queen made a visit,
the chest containing the royal seal and national seal disappeared?
Yes, my lord.
Who else knows about this?
If you do not wish to die,
step aside at once.
I am only fulfilling Her Highness' order.
Get rid of this man.
You may kill him.
This is the last warning.
Move aside.
Not before you step on my dead body...
can you go past me.
Fire.
(Bangpo: Shooting with a cannon or a gun)
Let him inside.
What did you do with the royal seal?
His Majesty is here.
I ask you to please sit down.
I am asking you what you did with the royal seal!
I know nothing about it.
Your Highness.
Your Majesty!
My Queen.
Yes, Your Majesty. I am right here.
The royal seal.
The royal seal...
Darn it.
Father, this is utterly disrespectful!
Stop it, right this instant!
Darn you...
Where is it?
Hand over the royal seal at once!
Your Highness.
Without the royal seal,
we cannot get anything done.
Do you realize that it is a very serious matter?
We cannot give out rice to people in need,
which means they will starve to death.
If that happens,
you may not be able to avoid punishment.
No matter what you say, my answer will not change. I know nothing.
Darn it.
Bring her in!
Your Highness!
Father.
Your Highness, you caused this.
Tell me.
Where did you hide the royal seal?
I know nothing.
Father!
You witch!
How dare you roll your eyes at me?
Tell me the truth at once!
My lord, please.
Please, Father.
His Majesty is here.
Why are you being like this?
Hand over the royal seal at once,
or this witch here will be tortured...
until she spills the truth.
Where is it?
Darn it.
Take her at once.
Torture her until she tells you where the royal seal is.
Yes, my lord.
Please spare me. Please!
I really know nothing, my lord!
- Please spare me... - Stop!
That is enough!
Palace Guard Commander, how dare you!
(Gyeomsabokjang: Commander of the Palace Guards)
Such insolence.
You are to let her go and leave the room at once!
What are you looking at?
You dared to disrespect me.
Will you do the same to His Majesty and the royal court too?
Your Highness, that is not the case.
Your Highness.
Where is the royal seal?
Tell me now...
for we can still get this all sorted out.
You are so cruel.
Are you doing this for you wish to see me dead?
What do you mean? That is absurd.
Once Prince Dosung is installed as Crown Prince,
you will assassinate His Majesty. I know all about your plan.
What are you talking about?
Why would I assassinate His Majesty?
Do not think you can deceive me!
The conversation you had with the Crown Prince in the prison.
I heard it all.
If you must kill him,
you ought to kill me too.
They say the royal seal is gone.
- Did you know? - Pardon me?
The royal seal?
I suppose you did not know.
I had no idea.
What was the Office of Royal Affairs doing?
How could they misplace the royal seal?
Apparently,
Her Highness the Queen paid a visit before it went missing.
My mother?
Then did my mother...
Do you know where it could be?
No, this is all too sudden.
Try to think where it could be.
We need the royal seal...
for you to be installed as Crown Prince.
Then we have nothing to worry about.
As you know, many people want me to be installed as Crown Prince.
And they all want something,
so we will find it soon.
Now, please excuse me.
When the deposed Crown Prince sneaked out in disguise,
he was stabbed. You must know about it.
I do not know what it is that you want to say,
but I am not interested in hearing it.
Do you know who treated his wound?
It was...
my daughter, Myung Yoon.
I am engaged.
So I suggest you give up and find someone else.
Was your daughter...
engaged to Gun?
No.
They did not even know each other in the past.
- Then how... - A few coincidences...
brought them together.
Your daughter clearly told me that she was engaged.
It is true that she is engaged.
However,
my daughter, Myung Yoon, is not engaged to the deposed Crown Prince.
She will become the Crown Princess,
which means whoever gets the Crown Prince title...
will marry Myung Yoon.
If you want Myung Yoon to yourself,
proclaim the position as Crown Prince.
Becoming the Crown Prince of this nation...
and marrying the Crown Princess...
can only be done with the royal seal.
Do not forget that.
Come here.
What is taking them so long?
I wonder if something happened.
It is him. Get him!
- Get him! - Get him!
Catch him!
- He went that way! - Get him!
- Get him! - Go after him!
- Stop! - Get him!
- Stop right there! - Hey!
Stop!
Get him!
- Do not lose him! - Go!
Stop right there!
- Stop! - Get him!
- Stop! - Catch him!
- Hey! - You little...
Hey, go!
There he is.
- Stop right there. - Stop!
Go after him.
You fools!
I am the Crown Prince's bodyguard,
Lee Gap Seok!
There he is. Go after him!
- Get him! - Go after him!
- Hey. - Get him!
Darn it.
- Hey! - Catch him!
Hey!
Come at me.
Oh, dear.
My goodness.
The stab wound festered a little. That is all.
You are acting as though I am gravely injured.
Are you really all right?
No.
It hurts so much that I feel like I am dying.
Your Royal Highness.
Call me Young Master.
Yes, Young Master.
My goodness. I really think...
you should see a physician.
Why not just say you will take me to the Royal Infirmary?
I had not run around like that for a while, so I am tired.
I need to lie down. You should get some rest too.
Gosh.
Oh, boy.
Gosh. My goodness.
Your Royal Highness.
Is everyone ready?
I picked out only those I can trust. They are on standby now.
He hid there once in the past, so he is already familiar with the place.
Also, it will be convenient to contact Prince Dosung from there.
I cannot think of...
a better hiding place.
I agree.
It is a kisaeng house, not an ordinary residence.
There will be many eyes watching,
so move as discreetly as possible.
I will heed your advice.
Excuse me. That young lady...
who comes here to treat those who are injured or ill.
Is she not here today?
- Who... - Well, you know...
Oh, her.
No, I have not seen her for the past few days.
Then do you happen to know where she lives...
No, I mean... Do you know where I can go to meet her?
How would I know?
It is about time she paid another visit,
so come back tomorrow if you must meet her.
Gosh.
Oh, boy.
Do not go this way. Go this way.
The rest of you...
That man is...
- Yes, my lord. - Yes, my lord.
(I do not know where I am headed...)
(From your unfilial daughter, Myung Yoon)
Oh Wol, you got enough sleep.
Wake up already.
I was not asleep.
I am sorry for waking you up.
Get changed quickly and go back to sleep.
My lady, what are you planning to do this time?
I am running away.
"Running away?"
For a month until the Crown Princess selection process is over.
I will go hide somewhere just for a month.
Even so, you cannot run away from home.
Why must you do this to me?
I am sorry.
Oh Wol, the thing is,
once they prohibit marriages and begin the selection process,
I may have no choice but to obey Father.
I will be locked up in this room...
and will be dragged to the palace eventually.
It is not like you are the type to let anyone force you into marriage.
You would rather bite your own tongue and die...
than let someone force you into marriage.
Right, that is true.
Then I shall just stay here...
and bite my tongue and die when I am told to marry the Crown Prince...
Gosh.
Okay, fine.
But I am coming with you.
We cannot be apart for a month.
You cannot last a day without me.
Well, that is not really true,
but I will let you know right away as soon as I get there.
No, we must go together now.
No.
I need you to buy me some time...
for me to sneak out safely.
Then you have to let me know.
If you do not, I will tell Lord Choi everything...
and look for you.
All right. We must hurry.
I must leave before Father returns.
I understand the Queen Dowager is anxious,
but the issue of finding the Crown Prince...
is now out of our hands. There is nothing we can do.
My gosh.
I thought you had left for the day.
I guess you came back because of the deposed Crown Prince.
I must say, you do not look so well.
If the Queen Dowager sees you, she will be concerned.
I suggest you take some herbal medicine.
Yes.
Thank you for your concern.
While making mine, I shall make you an herbal decoction too.
Magistrate Yoon, we need you to stay healthy...
so that you can continue...
to give Prince Dosung the support he needs.
Yes.
I shall be leaving, then.
You must not tell anyone...
that my young master is here.
Do you understand?
What? Why is he sneaking into my house?
If he enters through here, he will reach the main garden.
Is he here to see me?
No way.
He does not know who I am.
Then what brings him to my place?
Who is it?
Are you a ghost?
What should I do?
If I go back in now, I may not be able to leave again.
Yes.
Help!
- Help me! - Please be quiet.
Help!
Put me down! Let me go!
My gosh. Is that Oh Wol?
Darn it.
Have you lost your mind?
How could you do this unless you have completely lost your mind?
- Please hear me out first... - Be quiet.
Take her home at once.
We do not know what else he would do.
Just in case he does something else,
we need a weapon so that we can fight him.
So, is this the "weapon" you thought of?
Kidnapping an innocent woman and using her?
She is not innocent...
for she is our enemy's daughter.
I told you to take her home at once. Must you keep listing excuses?
It is not like I wanted to do this.
This is the only way we can leave unscathed.
If we are holding his daughter hostage,
- they cannot hurt us... - Like I said, we cannot do this!
I cannot allow such a despicable act.
Do as I say.
I refuse.
What did you say?
Even you...
are looking down on me because of my current situation?
I do not care what you say. I cannot do it.
It is my duty to protect you, and I ought to do my job,
so please let me have my way this time.
- Open the sack. - Not right now.
I will let her go once we pass the fortress gates safe and sound.
Is that so? Then I will do it myself.
- Step aside. - I cannot.
Please do not do this.
No!
Move aside.
- I carried her all the way here. - Help!
Do not do this.
Goodness. What is it? You scared me...
- Hey, Missy. - Come out.
I must keep the momentum going.
Do you need another beating?
It is urgent.
Are I not like her slave, at this rate?
Hey, go that way.
Go that way. You go this way.
- Let go. - Why are you being like this?
- Let go. - I cannot.
Seriously, you cannot do this.
Hurry! Find them!
- Let go. - No.
Who are those men?
Did you think you could get away with kidnapping someone?
Hey, that must be it. Go and check.
Yes, sir.
- Oh, no. - Gosh, what was that?
Hey, get them.
Gosh, where did they take her?
Goodness. What the...
You little...
Hey, let us go.
Come on! We are leaving. Come along, quick.
- Hey. - Get up. Hurry.
Hey, we cannot beat them. Hurry!
- Hey, come on. - Gosh, my back.
- Darn it. - Be quiet.
I think they were a gang of bandits.
I will step out and take a look around just in case.
Calm down.
My lady!
You are Baek Gu.
The lady you serve is...
So, are you...
Royal Physician Choi's servant?
(Missing Crown Prince)
We lost the Crown Prince...
near the Yeonhwabang around the Jongmyo Shrine.
I have an idea that may help you...
pass through the fortress gates without getting caught.
The deposed Crown Prince and I are enemies now.
If Myung Yoon is seen with the deposed Crown Prince,
everything will go down the drain.
Postpone the Crown Prince's investiture?
Are you suggesting we forge the royal seal and the national seal?
I will protect you, no matter what.
So stay with me.