(This drama is a work of fiction created based on historical facts.)
(Most of the details and depictions of the characters are fictional.)
(Episode 12)
Hurry up!
I know it is a common occurrence to abduct women,
insist they are captives, and drag them away.
But I am still a noblewoman.
The men in your family have been military officers for generations, right?
But have you heard?
If we do not catch all the runaway captives,
they will drag the King of Joseon to the Qing Empire.
So, the Joseon Court has been catching all captives,
no matter their family backgrounds and their class.
I think I heard them say that anyone who resists can be killed on the spot.
In the midst of all that, who cares about an officer's wife?
What do you think you are trying to pull?
You better let my lady go this instant...
Keep going!
Madam.
Kid.
Have you lost your way?
They dragged Madam away.
Is there still no news?
Gil Chae.
Madam.
Have you perhaps...
heard anything on your own?
What do you mean by that?
It is not the first time Lady Gil Chae has disappeared.
Has that man, Lee Jang Hyun, perhaps...
Oh, my goodness.
What are you trying to say?
In the past,
she even saw him off in person.
Let us talk in private.
Slow down.
Some guys dragged Madam away?
Did they seem like they were strangers?
And did Madam and those men...
seem like they did not know each other?
Hey, what happened?
We could not find her.
Go on and tell him for now.
Why do I care?
You do not know what she means to me.
What do you mean I tricked you?
I have been looking around for her all night.
Do I seem to be lying to you?
I do not suspect you.
However,
I do wonder if your wife has deceived me again this time...
and helped my wife leave.
That is why I say so.
Is that...
how you have been feeling until now?
You know...
Gil Chae.
She does not change her mind once she decides something.
You are the man Gil Chae has chosen.
So, how could you doubt Gil Chae...
You.
Some strange men dragged her away?
Yes.
They dragged away...
Madam and Jong Jong.
Where to?
Where did they drag them off to?
They were speaking in the language of foreign intruders.
I have heard that many women have been getting abducted recently.
This must be...
You are...
Lee Jang Hyun's man, are you not?
Now, everything has become clear.
Officer Gu.
Why are you acting like this?
I am certain that man, Lee Jang Hyun, has taken my wife.
And he must have made Ryang Eum take care of the aftermath.
- Officer Gu. - Then why else...
would that man be the one to bring news of my wife?
Did you not hear Ryang Eum?
He was walking past this place by chance when he met Da Jim...
By chance?
Do you believe that?
Ryang Eum.
I believe you.
And...
I believe this child too.
Gil Chae...
You must bring Gil Chae back.
Take that man and hit him until he tells you where my wife is.
- Yes, sir. - My lord.
There is no time for this.
I am certain she has been taken away by the Qing.
Do not delay any longer...
and send people to find Madam before it is too late.
Then,
please send me.
I will find out where she is...
Do you think I would believe your word?
I will...
go with Ryang Eum.
You do not doubt me as well, do you?
Hurry up!
Get up.
Get up now!
Jong Jong.
Come to your senses.
Madam.
I am thirsty.
My throat...
I have packed some dried meat and ground grains.
Do not skip your meals.
I have also packed you plenty of socks.
Well,
the roads must be harsh.
Please take care of yourself, and...
Thank you.
Why do you thank me?
It is my duty.
If I think of what Lady Yoo did for me...
when I was locked up in prison,
I could do even more for her.
Officer Gu.
We are leaving now.
Jong Jong.
Jong Jong, come to your senses.
Okay? Come to your senses.
I cannot...
walk anymore.
They said it would take over a month to get there.
I cannot do this, Madam.
If you collapse here, I will abandon you.
Then you will be eaten by crows. Will you like that?
No, however...
I cannot go on anymore.
Jong Jong.
Excuse me, sir.
Hey.
I have an ornament in here.
If you could untie me...
I cannot do that.
Then put your hand in there and take it out.
My goodness.
I cannot dare to touch a noblewoman.
It is fine. Hurry up and take it out.
Now.
Take it, and let us ride the wagon.
Only one of you can ride it if this is all you have.
I am fine.
Please let her ride the wagon.
You want your servant to ride the wagon?
How absurd.
Get on the wagon.
Madam.
Hang in there. You can hold out.
Let us go.
It suits you.
Well...
I thought I should wear it today for you got me this as a gift.
The thing is...
I gave it to Lady Eun Ae as a gift.
I will go and get changed at once.
You got this for me, did you not?
It truly suits you.
You look beautiful.
Well, a pretty lady is wearing a pretty dress.
Of course, I look beautiful.
My lady.
You see, you're not bad-looking.
However, I have seen prettier women.
There are many of them, in fact.
Do not say what you do not even mean.
Then why did you not give it to the prettier woman you have seen?
Why did you gift me this expensive dress?
I have never seen or heard of a man who would do such a thing.
Oh, why did I gift you this silk dress?
You see, you are... From the moment I first saw you...
Never mind.
What? What were you going to say?
To me, you are...
Never mind.
Just say it. What were you going to say?
Everyone must be waiting. We should go inside.
Wait.
Finish your sentence.
What were you going to say?
The day we first met... Yes.
We met by the swing. What about it?
Come on. What were you going to say?
Hey!
I am sorry.
Do you live here?
There is something very peculiar about the moonlight today, right?
And here is a man...
admiring the moon all alone with a bottle of wine in his hand.
Are you a playboy?
You do not seem like a dunderhead.
Are you a troublemaker son from a wealthy family?
You.
What are you?
There is something peculiar about the moon tonight.
My dear, you must be under the same moonlight too.
I hope you are having a good night.
I know which route the Qing people take to go to Simyang.
If we are lucky, we will be able to trace her steps.
By the way,
why did you not go with Lee Jang Hyun?
More importantly, what is the reason you are helping Officer Gu find his wife,
knowing that he is suspicious of you?
Once, I asked a similar question to Young Master Jang Hyun.
"Why are you risking your life to help that person?"
"That person?"
Who are you talking about?
Young Master Jang Hyun said...
that someone would shed bloody tears...
if that person died or got hurt...
and that he did not want to see that.
My reason is the same.
Start a farm? All of a sudden?
Due to the drought,
we do not even have enough food to send to Jinzhou.
Hence, those of you from Joseon...
should start a farm and grow your own food.
It is His Imperial Majesty's order.
What do you mean?
You will not feed your hostages? That is unheard of.
The soil and climate here are very different from those of Joseon.
How could we grow our food here?
His Majesty has already given his order,
and it must be obeyed.
It does not look like...
they will send us back to Joseon.
Start a farm?
They wish to keep me here until the day I die.
Who wishes to handle this?
I am afraid...
I know nothing about farming.
We should ask those in Joseon to send us some farmers.
They exhausted their resources to send the food and the soldiers.
How could I ask for farmers this time?
I know...
a little bit about farming.
My father worked for the government when I was a child,
and I saw my mother managing the family farm...
with the help of our servants.
It is important that we acquire good land.
To start,
they are giving us a plot of land that could be plowed in a month.
Find someone who knows a lot about soil...
and get a fertile plot of land.
We must hurry so we can cultivate the land.
Also,
we need some farmers who can work efficiently.
We can certainly find them.
We can find them? Where?
Somewhere very close.
The Joseon men at the slave market...
were all farmers back in Joseon.
Your Highness.
Would you like to meet them yourself?
Would you like to turn around and go back?
No.
We will keep going.
Spare me!
Please do not kill me!
Please stop.
- Please spare me. - Stop!
Please spare me.
Do not kill me!
- Let go! - Please do not kill me.
- Help! - Please help us!
- Please get us out of here. - My lord!
- Help! - Please!
- My lord! - Help us!
My lord!
Please help us!
Look.
The bail amount was 30 nyang, so I brought it,
but it was suddenly raised to 70 nyang,
so I went back to Joseon to get 70 nyang.
It took me half a year to go back and forth.
And now you are asking me to pay 100 nyang?
He says 100 nyang is too much.
She has been eating and sleeping during that time!
If this continues, you will have to pay 150 nyang!
He says he will take 150 nyang if you continue to act like this.
I sold all of my land. I no longer...
have any means of acquiring more money.
Please.
Then she will not be released!
Please.
Set my daughter free.
Please set my daughter free.
Please.
Why are you keeping her locked up?
Please.
No.
Father,
take back that money.
The kids will starve to death.
No, my daughter.
No!
My daughter!
My daughter.
Those who were lucky returned to Joseon,
but those who have not been able to acquire bail money...
and those whose families have not come yet...
are still waiting for their families here.
If we purchase them,
we will be able to use them as farmers.
How are you still thinking of exploiting them...
after seeing what just happened?
They have constantly been here for years.
How could I suddenly feel sympathetic toward them?
They are here.
They are in good condition.
Three Joseon men...
and three Joseon women.
All her teeth are intact!
Show us.
- Show us! - Show us!
You want to see?
Show us something else too.
Strip her.
Yes, strip her.
The best quality.
- Show us. - Show us!
- Let us see! - Let us see!
Your Highness.
Why did those women...
have to stay alive and suffer such humiliation?
How could Joseon become a laughingstock?
Then how is the King of Joseon...
still alive after the humiliation of bowing to the intruders nine times?
You must be insane!
Why does someone's humiliation deserve sympathy...
while another's humiliation...
deserves death?
I am going to kill you today.
Your Highness!
Your Highness,
do you really believe...
that those people should have avoided humiliation by dying?
If that is what you really think,
you may strike me this instant.
Hyun!
My sister!
Interpreter Lee.
Follow me.
I am going to kill you.
But before that,
I must know why you followed me to Simyang...
when you decided to be disloyal to His Majesty.
What is up your sleeve?
Long ago,
a person I know...
was so afraid of suffering humiliation...
that they chose death.
I could not understand their decision.
I was enraged.
You asked me why I came to Simyang.
I...
was curious about your fate.
I thought you would end up surrendering.
How impudent of you.
But you were very strong.
You did great, Your Highness.
What is this nonsense?
I...
was not able to protect the King of Joseon...
There is no law that says a child must protect his father.
It is the father...
who must protect.
Your Highness,
do not forget this.
Even if the whole world points its fingers at you for bowing down to the intruders,
and even if the King of Joseon...
doubts your loyalty,
hold out until the end.
Once I see that,
it will somewhat comfort my heart which is full of resentment...
toward the person who gave up on life.
I told you to buy farmers,
not old people on the verge of death.
We have no silver. How are we supposed...
to buy young and lively captives?
But still, they are too old.
Excuse me,
if we are not good workers,
will you hit us?
We have only farmed our whole life.
The only thing we know how to do is farming.
Is that so?
That is wonderful news.
Let us go.
How are we supposed to farm...
with these old people?
Even before I was born,
these men have been farming.
They must have solutions to any kind of soil condition.
All right.
Get the farmers into a group of six.
Then, select the most experienced farmer as the leader.
And...
how much fabric is left in this office?
We have 220 rolls of cotton and muslin.
Their unlined clothes are unpleasant.
Make a pair of pants and a jacket for these farmers with those fabrics.
And...
give them rice for breakfast and dinner.
We will serve lunch for them here.
Your Highness. I have something to inform...
How impertinent!
If we successfully raise crops,
will you send us back to our hometowns?
When I die,
I wish to die in my hometown.
I neither know when I can return to Joseon.
But...
I shall promise you this.
If I can return to Joseon,
I promise...
to surely take you all with me.
Did you hear that?
Hurry up.
My lady.
This is purely my thought.
We are going to Simyang.
Young Master Jang Hyun could be there.
Do not bring him up.
We must not meet him.
Nor must we ask for his help.
We must not.
My lady.
(Soong)
(Soongin)
(Soongin Valley, Officer Gu Won Moo)
(Gil Chae, Simyang)
Little boy.
Your Majesty.
The report from the subject in Simyang has arrived.
Yong Gol Dae had scolded them severely...
for twelve matters.
Read them to me.
Yong Gol Dae paid a visit...
and spoke of the twelve following matters.
When requisitioning the army the other day,
the plan got ruined as the deadline was not met.
The soldiers...
deliberately returned late on the pretext that...
the ship had sunk in the sea this year.
Those who fled were not immediately found and returned.
Crossing the borders to dig for ginseng was not banned.
My lord, please give us some food.
We have been starving for days.
My lord.
My son froze to death while transferring provisions.
We have nothing.
The people...
are making rice cakes and porridge out of soil.
It tastes like buckwheat.
Have you had it before?
I thought the war was over.
But it was not.
Because provisions and soldiers are sent to the Qing every year,
our kingdom is suffering.
Pyeongan Island is about to be destroyed.
I feel the kingdom will go down at this rate.
You know, I...
If the traces of foreign intruders can be wiped from Joseon,
I am more than willing to sell my soul.
How pretty.
Hey, now.
What are you doing?
What does it say?
You heard, did you not?
The captives will be coming from Joseon this time.
But there is a court official who says he cannot bear to watch...
the captives being punished.
Yes, I will take his place instead.
Will you do that?
What is so hard about that?
It is not like the captives...
will not be punished if I do not watch.
That is...
- Get on your knees! - Get on your knees!
My lady.
You should go down on your knees.
Even the crown princess of Joseon...
had to step out of her palanquin here.
I heard of you.
Send me to Joseon too.
All of you...
should be beheaded.
However, His Majesty showed mercy.
Only...
three will be punished.
Cut their heels.
Let us go.
Get up, you punk!
Do not hit him.
Let go of me.
Hurry up and take him away.
I will...
buy this captive.
Since his ankle has been cut off,
you do not need him anymore, do you?
This punk...
is good with his hands, so his legs do not matter.
He will not be able to...
run away anymore, so that is good.
Take him away now.
His Majesty might like her.
Bring her along.
Will they notice that we are not captives?
Those two...
will serve His Majesty, so leave them behind.
Take the others back to Joseon...
and have them pay 100 nyang to have each person back.
Yes, of course.
You three, get up.
Hurry up!
Look here.
Does she recognize that we are not captives?
I no longer...
know anything about it.
Come along.
Look here.
I am from Joseon as well.
Do as you are told.
Change into these.
We are not captives.
Things went wrong, and we were dragged here.
You are also from Joseon,
so please tell them on our behalf.
Whether someone who was brought here is a captive or not...
is up to His Majesty to decide.
And whether you are a captive or not, as long as you are here,
just do as you are told.
If not, His Majesty's beloved concubine with a bad temper might send you off...
to the captive market.
You do not know what kind of brutal treatment the captives face...
when they get sold there, do you?
Madam.
It might be best to find out if Interpreter Lee is in Simyang...
Rather than ask him for help,
it is better to just die.
Got it?
Please help me.
Come on. Work harder!
- Let us go. - Gosh.
Push.
Gosh.
Gosh, push.
My goodness.
I said, push.
Did you use all your strength...
from breakfast on pooping?
Put some strength into it.
I am pushing!
You are getting on my nerves.
- My goodness. - Out of my way!
This is so exhausting.
Darn it.
Come on!
There is a rock in the ground.
There is a rock in the ground?
Oh, gosh.
I think we will need a cow.
Cows do all the fieldwork for farming.
Where are we supposed to get a cow right now?
We can buy Mongolian cows with cigarettes and ginseng...
instead of silver.
I will go.
Interpreter Lee.
You have a lot to do here in Simyang.
But finding a cow is also an important matter.
Please let me serve His Majesty.
It is my wish.
Please let me serve His Majesty.
I said it well, just like how you taught me, right?
Hey.
Madam.
You dare...
to flirt with His Majesty?
Drag her in.
- Madam! - What are you doing?
- Madam! - Let me go!
Madam.
What are you doing?
- Let me go! - Madam!
- Jong Jong! - Madam!
Madam!
No!
No.
Do you not like it?
That is too bad, then.
I will have...
your fingers cut off.
No.
Madam!
His Majesty has set his sights on her, so she cannot have any scars.
Punishing runaway captives is up to me.
Was she really captured while running away?
Four Joseon captives have run away,
and His Majesty is very angry over it.
If you abuse the Joseon captives again, and they end up running away,
then,
His Majesty said he would find out who is responsible.
Madam.
Madam...
Madam.
Goodness.
How foolish.
Of course Deul Bun did not teach you the correct phrase.
What you said was,
"Please let me serve His Majesty."
That is what it meant.
Give up.
If you do not listen, they will say they caught you running away...
and cut off...
your fingers or toes.
A while ago,
a few Joseon slaves escaped.
However, I was too scared to leave with them.
- Excuse me. May I ask you a question? - Sure.
Have you seen this lady by any chance?
You darned witch.
You deliberately got my madam in trouble.
How dare you...
It is already too late.
His Majesty already has his eyes on your madam.
What do you mean?
You know what I mean.
Maybe we took a different route.
I was told that the Qing people always took this route.
Excuse me, here.
(Simyang, Gil Chae, Officer Gu Won Moo)
My dear.
My dear!
(Simyang, Gil Chae, Officer Gu Won Moo)
What should we do?
What...
should I do now?
Then...
By now,
she must have arrived in Simyang.
They must have dragged her away, insisting that she was a prisoner.
Officer Gu.
We must prepare money to get her released...
and leave for Simyang right away.
Yes.
We should.
We must.
My dear.
You are going to Mongolia to buy cows?
While at it, you should also have some fun with a Mongolian girl with chubby cheeks.
"Have some fun?" What do you mean?
If you want to forget a woman, you must meet someone new.
So how exactly...
All right. We should get going.
Goodness. What is with you?
Sleep, my baby
You are fast asleep, my baby
I would not trade you for gold
I would not trade you for jade
Let us go eat something.
This is the perfect chance...
to sell the piles of tobacco we have.
Is that why you volunteered to go to Mongolia without hesitation?
With the money we will earn this time,
we can erect some pillars for the Namwon branch.
This is top-quality tobacco.
Look. There is a woman.
This is good. Mongolian beef.
Stay as long as you want.
Enjoy your time here.
This is delicious.
The truth is,
I...
I had a woman.
I hoped...
she would feel the same way as I did.
But she said...
she had never once loved or trusted me.
So I do not like her anymore.
Come to think of it, she is not even that pretty.
Especially those eyes.
Her eyes are too...
They always sparkled.
She should not have looked at me with those eyes.
Fine.
I will do exactly what she did to me.
If we meet again...
I will not see her again,
but even if we were to meet again,
I will not even look in her direction.
See if I stare at her.
I keep my word.
All right.
Jong Jong, live a good life for all I care.
Do you think I asked you to come with me because you were pretty?
You kept following me around,
so I said you could if you wanted to.
Hey,
find me a pretty Mongolian woman too.
You want to know my type?
First of all, I like women who are not too tall...
with small and long eyes...
who look like they are expressive...
and have plump lips.
If there is a woman like that, can you introduce her...
Gosh. I just described Jong Jong.
What happened?
If you do not, I am going to look for Young Master Jang Hyun.
Jong Jong.
Do you know what His Majesty's concubine said?
His Majesty has his eyes on you.
Do you not understand...
what that means?
Strip her.
What are you doing? Let go.
You have no scars. You are clean.
If you receive His Majesty's affection,
you must not forget how well I treated you.
Get her ready.
Can you just tell me what she just said?
I will not ask you to help me again. Please.
She said your body is clean with no scars,
so you will receive His Majesty's affection.
Just accept your fate.
If you receive His Majesty's affection,
you can live a better life than you did in Joseon.
You have to give the soft persimmons...
and white paper to us first.
Of course.
Master.
We are not allowed to hold private conversations...
with maids from Joseon.
Do you happen to know Interpreter Lee?
Or Gu Jam?
What?
Please let him know that my madam,
no Lady Yoo,
no...
that Lady Gil Chae is here from Joseon.
Who?
I tripped and fell.
How dare you create a scar on your face?
She hurt herself to avoid sleeping with His Majesty.
Though I would like to...
whip her until she dies,
I must at least...
demand a price for her body.
Send her...
to Boohoochi.
I warned you multiple times.
You should not have helped Da Jim.
Then you would not have been abducted.
No, if you did not...
let that old man work out our forge...
What did you just say?
Drag them away!
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
Jong Jong.
Jong Jong!
Where are you taking us?
Once I return to Joseon, I will not let you live.
Shut your mouth.
Do you think you are still a noblewoman here?
Even if...
I were to kill you and say that I did it...
because you tried to run away,
no one would be able to blame me.
If you want to live, keep your mouth shut and follow me.
How annoying.
Father!
Father.
Father!
Father.
Please spare me!
Why did you have to do that?
Please.
- Father. - Please stop hitting us.
- Yes. - Father!
- Boohoochi. - Father!
Please spare us!
Father.
You are pretty.
- Lock them up. - Yes, sir.
What?
Go inside!
Please look after Father and Je Nam.
Do not worry.
I will look after them.
Will you be okay on your own?
You have helped me enough.
I will bring my own wife home.
I will get going.
You are next.
If you allow me to send a letter to Joseon,
my husband will bring silver.
What?
Your husband will come and get you?
Children have come for their parents,
parents have come for the children,
and even wives have come for their husbands,
but no husband has ever come here looking for his wife.
We have goods for you!
They say he was an only son.
Someone from Joseon might come to buy him at a high price.
Even if we use her to our hearts' content and sell her off,
it is a profitable business!
Bidding starts at 30 nyang.
An epidemic!
It is smallpox!
- It is an epidemic! - An epidemic!
It is an epidemic!
- An epidemic! - An epidemic!
An epidemic!
Catch them!
My lady! Please run!
The cows were sent to the farmers, yes?
Yes. Do not worry.
That aside,
how could you struggle to get along with the daughter...
of the cow owner that much?
Who are you saying struggled badly?
I remember you going on about...
remaining single and preying on ladies.
Is it that hard to communicate with ladies now?
Communicate, my foot.
Is it because things did not go well with Lady Gil Chae?
Is that so upsetting and heartbreaking...
that even your thing has shriveled up?
What has shriveled up?
No matter how much I look, you have become strange.
Young Rang was right.
He must be a eunuch.
Hey. Do you have a death wish?
Shall we warm up?
Those bunches are busy even today.
How have you been?
It has been a while.
(My Dearest)
Those people have chosen to live.
Your desperation...
makes me reluctant to make the deal.
Is there something you need?
Give me your time.
I came to tell you something.
Lady Gil Chae...
I mean, Lady Yoo...
I keep seeing things.
Your husband came to get you.
- My lady. - My lord.
There is nothing to worry about.
Let us go.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)