(This drama is a work of fiction created based on historical facts.)
(Most of the details and depictions of the characters are fictional.)
Ttaeng Ttaeng.
My goodness.
You sure are strong.
Why are you crying?
My goodness.
Gosh.
Are you hungry?
Are you full?
Are you sleepy?
My gosh.
Ttaeng Ttaeng, stop crying.
A boy should not cry so much.
The porridge is very savory.
There is no need.
I just had some breastmilk left.
Thank you for getting the baby to stop crying,
but I cannot have him suckle on the same breast...
as the child of the enemy who killed his parents.
What do you mean by that?
Baby!
- Come on! - My baby!
I mean, the foreign intruders are Ttaeng Ttaeng's enemies.
Your child's father is a foreign intruder, is he not?
Never let Ttaeng Ttaeng suckle on your breast again.
My baby...
is not the child of a foreign intruder.
It is smallpox!
It is the plague!
The plague!
Smallpox!
- It is smallpox! - Smallpox!
It is the plague!
Smallpox!
Get them!
Madam, come on out!
Have you been well?
It has been a while since we last met.
How dare you get in my way?
I apologize.
I am still inept with the bow.
What is your identity?
Who knows?
Why should I reveal that to someone who hides behind a mask?
See you again.
I think I will be sad...
if I do not see you the next time.
Jong Jong!
Jong Jong, come over here!
Please go ahead, madam.
Come with us!
I will not make it far in this state.
Thank you so much...
for saving my grandson.
Please leave already!
Hurry up!
If we get caught,
our bodies will be soiled.
It will be better if I just...
Oh, no!
Please do not!
What are you doing?
If I return as a soiled woman,
it would be a sin against my parents.
It is our will to live.
Why should our parents matter?
Jong Jong.
Back at Ganghwa Island,
everyone jumped but we lived.
And I was happy to be alive.
But...
if the intruders catch us this time...
That will not happen.
I will protect you.
Hold my hand.
Come on.
Hold my hand.
You cannot escape now.
Die.
Die!
You Joseon scum.
Go and die. Die!
Die.
You filthy thing.
Madam!
Drag her away!
- Madam! - Jong Jong!
- Madam! - Let her go!
Where are you taking her?
Jong Jong!
Not my Jong Jong!
Jong Jong!
My Jong Jong!
Anyone there?
Oh, yes.
Do you have any rooms?
Of course.
- Please come this way. - All right.
(Tavern)
Let us go in.
Are you heading to Simyang?
To bail captives?
- How did you... - It is obvious.
Everyone who heads to Simyang to bail captives...
will take this road.
So who are you bailing?
Your parents? Or your children?
Give it back.
What an incredible beauty.
Is she your wife?
- Why are you laughing? - Do I have to spell it out?
A respectable madam was taken as a captive.
Did you check the list of captives already?
(List of captives: list of captives in Simyang)
I...
She might be okay if she was sold to the Crown Prince's quarters.
But if she was dragged to the slave market,
her body would have been soiled by other men.
Do you still want her back?
- What did you say? - Wait.
Please spare me.
My lord!
Please restrain yourself.
You fools.
Please spare us!
I sold all my farmland to bail my son...
and headed to Simyang with 50 nyang.
However, they demanded 100 nyang this time.
Other captives were released when their rich families paid 100 nyang.
So they refused to sell my son to me for less than 100 nyang.
Even if I sell my soul,
I have no way of getting that much money.
Still, how could you steal the money meant for my wife?
My lord.
Your wife must have lost her chastity already.
Why do you still want her back?
You can...
always find another wife,
but how can I replace my own flesh and blood?
Shut it.
Please save my son.
I will make sure to repay you if you lend me money.
At this rate, my son will die of sickness.
Please, my lord.
The boat will arrive soon.
Why is he not back yet?
My lord!
My lord.
Did you get back our belongings?
Your wife must have lost her chastity already.
Why do you still want her back?
My lord!
Goodness me.
My lord!
There you are.
My lady!
Lord Yoo is here.
Father, why did you leave again?
Let us go.
Father,
did the intruders really take away Gil Chae this time?
Young Master,
this time,
the intruders really took Madam away.
Sorry.
The intruders took her away.
I knew something would happen.
She loved leaving the house.
Let us go.
Was she really abducted by the intruders?
Yes, she was.
Officer Gu sold his products at a cheap price...
to earn enough for the ransom.
Goodness. Did I not tell you?
If a woman goes around pushing herself forward,
she is bound to get into trouble.
Hey, watch your mouth.
Why do I need to watch my mouth?
Gosh.
Do not dare...
talk about our Madam with your dirty mouth.
What?
You caused great harm...
to our forge...
by reporting one of the workers as a captive!
We cannot let you get away with that!
What are you saying?
- Goodness. - Goodness.
Hey! Goodness!
You should have been more careful.
Gosh!
Goodness!
I pray to the deities.
Please help Gil Chae return safely.
Please watch over...
Officer Gu who left to bring Gil Chae back.
Gil Chae and Jong Jong.
Please watch over them so they may return safe and sound.
I pray to the deities.
Please help Gil Chae return safely.
(Simyang, Gil Chae, Officer Gu Won Moo)
I have confirmed...
that Officer Gu's wife has been dragged away by the Qing.
The officials need to get involved.
Officer Gu rushed to Simyang,
but it is uncertain if he will be able to return with his wife.
- The royal court must be informed... - Was this really...
written with Lady Yoo's blood?
- Your Honor. - What?
Inform the royal court?
Look.
After telling the officials that the Qing wrongly took someone away,
what are you going to do if it is revealed that she in fact...
was a runaway captive?
If things go sideways, the Qing will not let me live to see another day.
If that happens, will you be able to protect me?
Gosh.
You remember the man...
who helped you from being exiled, right?
I heard he also helped...
a few captives escape recently.
What do you think...
of reaching out to him for help regarding Gil Chae?
I am not sure.
Are you aware that during the reign of the previous king,
his family was acknowledged as the greatest contributor?
Then you probably do not know...
how they accomplished that either.
On top of that, it is said...
that he makes a lot of meddling appeals in regard to His Majesty's matters.
It is impossible to know...
if he is a loyal subject...
or a person who is thirsty for honor.
Where should we go to eat?
We can go to the place we went last time.
Let us do that.
- Can I join? - Of course.
Thank you.
May I ask a question?
Can you inform Master Jang...
that a man named Nam Yeon Jun whom he helped before,
is here to pay his respects?
"Nam Yeon Jun?"
Are you the Nam Yeon Jun who was imprisoned...
for protecting his integrity?
I finally get to see your face.
My apologies.
I took too long to pay my respects after receiving your help.
No.
It was not me who showed you mercy, it was His Majesty.
By the way,
is there a reason you came to visit me?
To be honest,
the friend of my wife, who greeted you before,
has been dragged away to the Qing after being wrongly accused as a captive.
The papers and inkstones are...
a token of my feelings for my father.
Please accept them.
She was a bright woman.
How did that happen?
Our school has made appeals...
to help some people escape.
But they were people who were dragged away...
while protecting the fortress in Year Byungja.
In this case,
where she has been falsely accused as a runaway captive,
as there is no way of finding evidence to prove her innocence,
I also have no way to help.
But...
We cannot just help anyone...
because of personal connections.
I have no justification.
It is disconcerting that we were not able to help.
That is not true.
I am grateful that you let me meet him.
By any chance,
are you not interested in joining us?
If you, who are known for your loyalty, are to join us,
it would be of great help.
I will not be of big help.
The country is coming apart. Are you just going to watch?
Even if you do not hold a position in office,
you should help the country get back up as a scholar.
Our master has that power.
Our master appealed to His Majesty...
to send rice to Pyeongan Island.
His appeal of sending medical supplies...
to each province will also take effect soon.
Here,
there are a lot of things for a person like you to do.
Hey, look at its teeth.
It is getting up now.
As per your request, we tried to bring 25 cows,
but the cows that were too skinny and sick were sent back.
So there are only 23 cows.
You brought nice and healthy cows.
Good work.
Thanks to you, I was able to avoid going to Mongolia.
- Thank you. - Me too.
If you are that grateful, can you give me 100 copies of white paper?
How did you know I secretly brought in white paper?
You cannot pull the wool over Interpreter Lee's eyes.
But we cannot give it to you right away.
They need to be used for releasing captives.
Are you talking about Lady Yoo?
Yes.
I do not know when she got dragged away,
but she became a slave of Prince Yoon.
What...
do you mean by that?
Well...
was it a month ago?
I visited Prince Yoon's residence,
but a maidservant told me that Lady Yoo from Joseon was there.
But I could not hear clearly who she wanted me to relay the message to,
so I asked any of the interpreters if they knew Lady Yoo,
and he stepped up.
She is the daughter of the person who raised me like his own child.
I should do my best to help her.
Goodness.
I see.
Here comes the princess!
Lift your head up.
Since you have seen my face,
can you tell me who you are now?
Then...
the person who has been catching captives with her face covered...
Yes.
It is me.
Now tell me.
What did you do after catching the captives?
General Yong Gol Dae ordered me to catch the runaway captives.
I only followed the orders of the general.
This has become a bother.
"A bother?"
Should I...
really make things bothersome for you?
Why? Are you surprised?
I know the Joseon language and its people...
very well.
If you lie to me one more time,
I will cut out your tongue.
So, tell me.
What did you do after taking the captives?
Then, why not ask General Yong Gol Dae...
where he got the silver that he has been pocketing in private...
in person?
I have heard of a snake-like Joseon interpreter...
who has been helping the imperial family gain wealth.
That must be you.
I hear one can acquire anything one might need in the palace...
if one goes through you.
Do you have something you need?
There is one thing.
Give me...
your time.
Please tell me.
Where did you take Jong Jong?
Where?
My dear Jong Jong...
Where did you take Jong Jong?
I am half of Joseon heritage as well.
I do not like being cruel to Joseon people.
But you cannot be helped, you wench.
Your fate depends on how you act now.
Lady Yoo...
(Simgwan: the Crown Prince's quarters in Simyang Palace)
Lady Yoo is not on the list of captives...
that have been returned by the Qing.
I am sure she has been dragged here by people from Qing.
It took me a whole month to get here.
Please check once more.
Three of the captives who were caught while trying to run away...
had their heels cut off.
The others have all been returned to their masters.
Those masters who want their slaves returned...
submit a list to the Crown Prince's quarters.
But if they do not,
they do not even leave a list.
We cannot do anything about it.
Try going to the slave market.
I heard that a Joseon woman was recently cast out to the slave market.
Apparently, she was exquisitely beautiful,
but she inflicted a wound on her own forehead.
She might be okay if she was sold to the Crown Prince's quarters.
But if she was dragged to the slave market,
her body would have been soiled by other men.
Follow me!
Move it!
Get up!
Walk faster!
Walk straight!
Move faster!
Go on.
Yes, Officer Gu.
Excuse me.
I am looking for this person. Have you seen her?
This person.
Oh, this woman.
- Have you seen her? - Yes.
It is her, is she not?
No, she is not!
So, with one hand, I grabbed him by the collar.
And I tripped him and made him fall.
Then, I shoved raw meat in his mouth.
How strange.
Do you not feel weird around me?
What?
If not, it cannot be like this.
Normal men either stutter in front of me...
or cannot look me in the eyes.
I guess the rumor is true.
You are here alone with me.
And yet you are neither flushing nor stammering.
I do not know how long it has been...
since I last laughed like this.
When did you speak the Joseon language?
No, actually,
why are you, the princess, wearing a disguise...
and spending your time catching runaway captives?
I have been to Joseon several times since I was young.
If I say that it was I who told His Majesty about the state of Joseon,
would you believe me?
But now, His Majesty...
must not need my help anymore.
He dislikes women being active in society more and more.
He told me to just keep the palace women in line.
I was bored, so I decided to hunt for captives.
You know,
even if my country were to lose in the war,
I would rather die...
than become a captive.
Watching people want to live...
when they have been taken captive...
seems so pathetic in my eyes.
You must not have had anything...
go against your wishes ever in your life.
There are things in this world that do not go as you wish.
You may be determined,
but you can never be certain.
There are such things.
You must have...
had such an experience.
Move it.
I can walk on my own.
I thought Joseon people...
were either one of two types.
Either they were scared of us for being intruders,
or they looked down on us because we were intruders.
However...
You are peculiar.
You are not scared.
But neither...
do you look down on us.
How can I look down on someone...
as bright and beautiful as you?
We are outdoors.
In that case,
shall we head inside?
You should...
be my bed attendant too.
Since the royalty makes Joseon maids serve them in bed,
I should make a Joseon man serve me in bed too.
First of all, I am not a captive.
Neither am I a palace servant.
If a mere Joseon interpreter like me gets involved with royalty,
I might lose my life.
Please...
spare my humble life.
It was bad enough when they forced us to farm.
How can they demand immediate military rations?
We should report it to Joseon. What does Your Highness think?
Call for Lee Jang Hyun.
Are you giving me the rest of my punishment?
How dare you jest?
The Qing...
have demanded that we send rations to the Songshan battlefield on time.
We have already exhausted our resources from Pyongan and Hamgyong.
How can they demand workers and horses to ferry another 5,000 seok of goods?
Yong Gol Dae is trying to intimidate me again.
You commended me for enduring his attacks.
But facing such humiliation as a crown prince is...
Your Highness.
I do not think that our captives...
are swallowing the humiliation at the captive market.
They are people who chose their right to live.
They are fighting against hunger,
beatings, and the cold.
More than ever, they are...
aggressively wishing for their right to live.
If they survive for yet another day,
they become brave warriors...
who won their battles for another day.
Your views keep getting sillier.
Did our scholars...
wish for your utmost loyalty to the Ming?
But you see,
you are the future of our country.
(Gukbon: the crown prince who will inherit the throne)
By staying here and humoring their demands,
you also are showing your loyalty.
Because you are here,
Joseon can prevent another war.
Because you work so hard to ease the burdens of the people,
it is a true act...
of staying loyal to your people.
I...
will do my best to gather more wagons and workers...
even if they might not be enough.
This is...
my loyalty...
to Your Highness as your subject.
From me to Your Highness,
and Your Highness...
to the people of Joseon,
we shall keep our loyalty.
The Joseon crown prince seems to favor and trust him.
He summoned him...
and they had a long talk.
I thought Joseon people were strict about class.
But the crown prince confides in an interpreter, I see.
What else?
He does not have any women he is chummy with.
All he does in his free time is drink alone.
He does not have any lovers?
Sounds like the truth.
Yet,
he refuses me?
Have you seen this lady?
Have you seen her?
Excuse me,
have you seen this lady?
Excuse me, have you seen this lady?
Bak Dae.
Looking for a captive?
What do you need?
Woman?
Man?
Do you know her?
This country...
faced successive wars in the Years of Jeongmyo and Byeongja.
Our crown prince was taken away and our people are dying.
His Majesty has been perplexed ever since.
In times like this,
we Confucian scholars have to regain the people's displaced faith.
What do we have to do?
Remember the teachings of wise men...
who agonized over turbulent times.
(Sunghyun: saints and sages)
We have to return to those roots.
Please help Gil Chae return safely.
Please watch over Officer Gu who left to bring Gil Chae back.
Gil Chae and Jong Jong.
Please watch over them so they may return safe and sound.
Madam.
Madam,
Officer Gu has returned.
Officer Gu, where is Gil Chae?
Goodness.
You should have returned with Madam Yoo.
How could you come without her?
Officer Gu said we should just come back.
What was I supposed to do?
Goodness.
Soo Ji...
Do not say my name.
Soo Ji, I missed you a lot.
Gosh, you smell.
Go away.
You should not be smiling.
I already sold her.
Do you want to know who I sold her to?
By now, she is probably exhausted...
after doing everything with that man.
Officer.
My lord,
I will go to Simyang and bring Gil Chae back.
In the meantime,
please look after Master Yoo, Young Chae, and Je Nam.
My lady!
Madam.
Let us hurry.
My lady.
Why are you doing this?
I must go myself.
My lady.
Then should I just leave Gil Chae to suffer?
Please let me go.
I have to bring her back.
You do not know what she means to me.
You are leaving?
So Ya.
No,
you cannot leave.
Are you going...
to that woman?
Yes.
Perhaps.
Even though...
we are far apart,
and even if I cannot see them for the rest of my life,
I am tied to that person.
I am sorry.
I know...
what that woman means to you.
Just like me,
you are tied to that woman as well.
If something bad happens to her,
you might go crazy.
She made me like this!
Give me back my money.
Give me back my money!
She is a pain in the neck.
Where did you send Jong Jong?
Please tell me where you sent Jong Jong.
Your husband was here to find you.
Greetings, Your Highness.
How dare you make me wait?
You must want me out of your sight because I have committed a sin.
I shall leave now.
Not a chance.
You are going to go hunting with me today.
If I make a mistake,
will those men kill me?
That is right.
I am so scared.
I know you are not afraid of anything.
But you still followed me when I asked you to.
That must mean you do not dislike me.
At times, when I see you,
someone comes to mind.
I...
have a husband.
My husband brought around 400 servants.
In front of the imperial garden,
he offered dozens of cows,
camels, and horses with saddles to His Majesty...
and asked for me.
He was a prince of Chahar.
When His Majesty was conquering Chahar,
he was the only one who won against His Majesty.
After holding a party for seven days and nights,
he left saying he would be back to take me with him.
I trusted him.
But he did not come back for years.
For the daughters of emperors,
it is normal to go through arranged marriages.
I have no complaints about my fate.
But...
that night,
it looked like my husband really wanted me.
I want to know if the look in his eyes...
was fake.
I might have to get married to a Mongolian prince...
in accordance with His Majesty's wishes.
But before that,
I am going to enjoy my life.
So, tonight,
you must serve me in bed.
I may be able to give you my body,
but I cannot give you my heart.
Do you have a woman?
Yes.
She left me and married another man.
And yet,
you still like that woman?
Did I not tell you?
You may be determined,
but some things...
do not go as you wish.
So,
are you saying you cannot serve me tonight?
I am...
different from that woman.
I will never abandon you.
Even if I marry another man in the future,
I will take you with me.
So, tonight, you must...
serve me...
in bed.
Did you sleep well?
In Joseon, we drink...
honey water to fight hangovers.
I do not get drunk.
Last night, did we perhaps...
I mean, you and I...
Do not worry. Nothing happened.
Did you stoke the fire all night long?
In case I get a cold?
It is still chilly in the early morning.
That is not true.
I am certain.
Gosh, if you did not see it, then do not mention it.
Jang Hyun may look clever,
but when it comes to Lady Gil Chae, he becomes a total fool.
Is the girl called Gil Chae?
She is not just any girl.
She is a true noblewoman.
Jang Hyun is a nobleman as well,
even though he bought his title with money.
I could tell at first glance.
She was a fox with 99 tails.
But he did not know that and fell head over heels for her.
He ended up giving her everything he had.
Gosh, what is the point of talking about this?
No way. Lee Jang Hyun acting like a fool because of a woman?
It is true.
Yang Chun, I was not going to say this, but...
What?
He cried?
- Lee Jang Hyun cried? - Yes.
That was the first time I saw Jang Hyun cry too.
That says it all.
That must be why he met with another woman.
I swear.
He must have spent the night with another woman last night.
There is no way, I tell you.
Do you want to bet?
You punk. You are starting to take after Jang Hyun.
A bet? As if.
- Are you not sure you can win? - Fine, then.
What? What is it?
What have you been up to?
Tell the truth.
You look as though you have been sucked dry all night long.
"Sucked dry?"
There are children present.
You were with a woman, were you not?
You were not, right?
There is no way.
Jang Hyun, you just got drunk and fell asleep, right?
No.
He must have had all sorts of fun all night...
What are you saying?
At night...
So, all night...
I was...
with a woman...
We talked all night long...
until I came home.
I was right, was I not?
Gosh, Jang Hyun. Did you really spend the night with a woman?
So...
Well, I...
I was with her all night...
We talked all night.
Okay?
I came home after talking.
Your husband was here to find you.
An officer came with your portrait.
Did...
my husband...
really come?
But he went back.
He heard that you had been sold to another man...
and gave up on you. That is what I mean.
Things just had to go wrong. Darn it.
It is becoming so complicated.
He must still feel hotter than others.
This is weird.
Your husband...
came back to get you.
I have never seen husbands like him.
What am I even thinking of?
I asked around.
But there is no way we can get wagons for that amount of rice.
Unless we build them.
Jang Hyun, remember those days in Uiju?
When Jeolla rice was needed,
the Japanese office would send silver to Jeolla Province,
and we would send Uiju silk to them.
With just a few words and no wagons from us,
they would send over...
wagons full of rice from Jeolla Province.
What now?
You have exceeded your master, it seems.
Since when was I your servant?
Ryang Eum!
Have you been well?
No, not that.
Not a servant.
But they say the student surpasses...
Stop denying!
You just said you were my master!
Yes, I did.
I said, "master."
But I meant a teacher.
- Ryang Eum is here! - A student...
Goodness, it is Ryang Eum.
You did not even write. How did you get here?
I came to tell you something.
You!
Yang Chun!
Your leg...
Yang Chun.
Why are you crying and making a fuss?
Stop crying.
Yes. Yang Chun still enjoys life...
and does everything with this leg.
Do not worry.
Yes, he is well and alive.
Glad you came.
I am not here to see you.
I have something to say.
What is it?
Lady Gil Chae...
I mean, Lady Yoo...
She is in Simyang.
Go on.
All right, everyone.
Keep your eyes peeled.
This one is very rare.
A real...
Joseon noblewoman!
A woman!
She is pretty.
A Joseon woman.
A real Joseon noblewoman for sale!
She is a Joseon noblewoman!
You will not get such a fine one elsewhere.
She is a real Joseon noblewoman.
See?
Her skin is fair.
She has a scar, but everything else is fine.
The perfect rare item!
Her price...
starts at 30 nyang.
Name your price.
Thirty!
I keep seeing things.
What are you doing?
Pay up if you want the girl!
Why are you...
Why...
are you...
How?
Why?
(My Dearest)
It is strange.
I am always with you...
when the moon is bright.
She said she would destroy Interpreter Lee.
My lord.
Do not do anything for me.
No.
I am going to do what I want.
You know, I do not let other women...
steal the man I want away from me.
Do not worry about anything.
You do not have to worry.
Gil Chae!
Let us go.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)