(This drama is a work of fiction created based on historical facts.)
(Most of the details and depictions of the characters are fictional.)
(Episode 15)
Lady Yoo.
My lord.
I have been released.
This is all...
thanks to you.
Are you awake?
My lord.
My lord...
My lord.
Pour me another drink.
Let us drink.
Yes, let us drink.
- Here. - I am okay.
It is fine. You can have some.
You dirty thing.
How dare you smile at anyone?
Stop it!
Should I light the fire here?
Please spare me!
You are mine until the day you die.
He will be awake soon.
I will have to run away.
Will you come with me?
Where will you go?
Do not worry.
There is a strong man named Yang Chun in Uiju.
If we run away and join him,
even the district magistrate cannot touch us.
Let us go.
I cannot believe I am meeting the person...
who saved the Crown Prince's first son in Simyang.
You are my benefactor.
The benefactor who saved Joseon.
Tell me anything you want.
You must want to return to Joseon, am I right?
Actually,
I would like to remain in Simyang for now.
I dare you to touch that lass.
You are ridiculous.
Think I do not know you?
The other expensive slave you bought...
You made her pregnant, right?
And you killed her while removing the baby.
Know how much we lost?
If it happens again,
I will throw your mother out!
What are they saying?
Why are they always fighting?
It is pretty, right?
My hands are more nimble than you think.
Whenever...
I did my madam's hair, the men in Neunggun-ri would go crazy.
Ma'am, I will do your hair nicely every day.
How adorable.
You lass.
Come here.
Do not move!
Go away!
Got a death wish? How dare you...
Let us go.
You fools.
Mother, let go!
How did you get here?
What do you think?
I flew here.
Seems like Ryang Eum is very upset that you are injured.
I have never seen...
a man cry so sorrowfully.
How lucky you are.
You have a Qing royal pining for you,
and a friend who cries his heart out when you are injured.
But do you know?
Now that you are injured,
I feel like you are finally mine.
I am so mean, right?
You are in pain, after all.
I have always...
wanted hold this hand.
Goodness. Why is it raining?
Gosh. We were almost at the inn.
Scoot closer, will you? It is cold.
Okay.
Oh, come on.
See?
It is less cold now.
Yes.
Right? You do not feel cold, right?
No.
Why didn't you...
come that day?
How could I leave my madam behind?
Besides...
I waited for a really long time.
You...
- Gu Jam is back! - Gu Jam is back!
What?
Jong Jong!
Madam.
Are you all right?
- You okay? - Yes.
I am sorry.
I promised to protect you and keep you safe.
But I lost you.
I am really sorry, Jong Jong.
Do not be, Madam.
I knew...
I would meet you again.
Thank you so much.
I owe you my life.
No, I did not do much...
Wake up.
Get up already.
We received a letter from Joseon.
Soon, Lady Yoo's husband will...
What?
Gosh.
Look at you.
You are even faking an illness now.
Do not say anything.
What is wrong with you? This is so pathetic.
"Pathetic?"
How is this pathetic?
Gu Jam, use your brain.
If I completely heal, Lady Yoo will return to Joseon.
Then will she leave alone?
Jong Jong will follow her.
No.
His wound seems to be really deep.
At this rate, it will take six months...
No, not six months.
He might be bedridden for his entire life.
Stop the nonsense.
He will regain consciousness no matter what.
Jong Jong probably wants to go to Joseon this instant,
but until Lord Lee recovers,
I cannot go anywhere.
Do not slack off!
Hurry up!
Get moving!
Work faster!
Put everything here!
Come on.
Get moving!
Faster!
Hurry up!
- What are you waiting for? - Hurry up.
- Hurry and follow us.
- What are you doing? - Hurry.
- What are you doing? - Yang Chun.
Come on.
You limp too?
It is the right leg for me.
Goodness.
Thank you.
Please relay our thanks to Lord Lee Jang Hyun as well.
Do not get captured again.
Go.
When...
will we go to Joseon?
Why are you asking me that?
Then who do we ask?
The person who Lord Lee Jang Hyun serves...
is you.
Goodness.
I have been aching all day.
Open your eyes.
Yang Chun.
Did you send Han Seok off...
safely?
I did.
How does it feel to make the crippled do all the work while you lie in bed?
I mean...
The people...
like you way more than they like me.
They follow your orders just by hearing that you are Gu Yang Chun from Uiju.
I thought you wanted to earn big money.
But you spent all your money on sending captives back to Joseon.
Good going.
Yet you are just being bashed.
What?
"Bashed?"
They spoke ill of me? Why?
They all want to know when they can go back to Joseon.
This is why...
I said you should not help the captives.
They spoke ill of me because of that?
Then tell them to find their own way back.
They do not even know that we are escorting them...
because the way to Joseon is dangerous.
Well... Gosh.
Whatever.
Whatever! Who cares?
For those who have owners who will release them,
we will use promissory notes.
And those who have no hope...
will be sent to Joseon secretly.
There is an order to everything, and we must follow that order.
Anyway, the people who will be going this time are...
Neop Seok, Sam Saeng,
- Doo Nam, - Doo Nam.
- Heo Chang... - Heo Chang.
I thought I heard talking...
Lee Jang Hyun, you have to get up.
It breaks my heart to see you sick, and I feel...
He will...
regain consciousness no matter what.
Right?
He should. Yes.
All right, then.
Why are you covered in cold sweat?
He needs medicine.
Lee Jang Hyun is gravely ill.
So, for the time being, I will be in charge...
of sending you guys back.
Just as Lee Jang Hyun has been doing,
those of you who can have your owners release you,
we will lend you money, so you should write a promissory note.
Then...
when do we have to pay back the money?
Can we repay the money once we return to Joseon and earn money from farming?
- Yes. - Then...
is it okay if it takes 3, no, 5 years?
Is ten years too long?
Of course it is too long. Come on.
It is okay.
As long as you promise to pay it back,
- we will lend you the money. - Are you serious?
You cannot take your words back.
Come on. Yang Chun says we can.
What is wrong with you?
During the time that Jang Hyun is in bed...
Listen carefully.
Even if you are to be released,
you all must know how dangerous the road back to Joseon is, right?
- Yes. - Yes.
Some die while crossing the river,
some get caught again after losing their release forms,
and some die after running into bandits.
So it is best to work under the Crown Prince...
as farmers and porters,
then wait for the right timing to follow the envoys back to Joseon.
You should understand that...
and do as you are asked. Okay?
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
I can hear the money draining out of our pockets.
Hurry up and get in line.
Thank you.
Yes.
Write down your name and where you live.
And when you will pay it back.
What is the use of getting a promissory note?
We will not get any of this back. Gosh.
My master...
will never release me.
If I go back,
I will lose Byung Hee.
I will...
also be separated from my brother and sold off.
I ran away several times before. If I get caught,
I will die.
I cannot find my master,
so I cannot get my release note.
If I just go back to Joseon, I will be treated like a runaway captive.
I will be dragged back here.
Those of you whose masters will not release you,
or those of you who have lost your masters...
and cannot get your release notes,
will have to sneak into Joseon when the time is right.
But that would be hard for women and the elderly.
And if you even have a child with you...
I can go. Just let us go.
If you let us go, I will even work around the house...
No one told you to do that.
Just take care of your child.
What was that?
What do you want to do by helping Master Jang?
I want to eradicate all the foreign intruders from Joseon.
If only...
Joseon can return to before the intrusion, when loyalty was still alive,
I would even risk my own life.
Following several years of poor harvest,
the recent drought throughout the nation...
has left the wheat and barley crops dried and dead,
staining the fields in red.
This is an unprecedented calamity.
Since the past, when an unexpected change occurs,
a great decree of amnesty was issued.
May Your Majesty also show mercy...
and reduce the sentences of the guilty to bring peace to the skies...
The foreign intruders are wielding weapons to violate the land of Joseon...
and threaten His Majesty.
Do you think you can change the world with such weak words?
Since the past, when an unexpected change occurs,
a great decree of amnesty was issued.
This is not because one does not know there are despicable criminals among them.
It is in case the sorrows of the people might reach the skies.
But the lowest officials and soldiers to the magistrates...
are using the execution grounds as a place to vent their anger.
How will the people rest peacefully?
My dear.
I am all right.
What is going on?
Today is the death anniversary of Lord Yeongmu, Master Jang's late father.
(Seonchin: A word to respectfully address one's late father)
Every year on this day, he refuses to eat or drink.
However,
the death anniversary of his father...
and the day that Master's only son died are one and the same.
So,
he might be grieving the loss of his son.
He had a son?
So,
I am to send Garin Baksi 100 rolls of silk...
and 200 books of white paper to Noshi Baksi?
Yes.
Speak well.
That way, it will be advantageous for us when splitting the profits from ginseng.
How on earth would I speak well?
Are you talking back to me?
Then you can take Ryang Eum with you.
Gosh.
What are you doing?
What?
I had an itch on my back.
What is this terrible behavior when Lord Lee is ill?
Go and wait outside.
Yes, Madam.
There is a cute little mole here.
I hear they are farming the fields in Simyang.
I will try to find a way to help with the farming too.
I must earn my keep.
Stoke the fire even more.
We still have a long way to go before we can melt metal.
Yes, Madam.
I said I would mend the farming tools,
and the Crown Princess had a kiln made for us.
I even used to make knives back in Hanyang.
Mending some farming tools is a piece of cake.
Why is she not coming?
What happened?
I mean...
Gil Chae.
Where have you gone?
Have you...
Why is she not coming?
That is why I told you to cool it down after you heated it up enough.
You cannot rush when working with metal.
How many times did I tell you?
My goodness.
That temper of hers.
You are the one who is the most rushed.
All right. Let us get to work.
Good.
Come this way, everyone.
- Come on. - What are all these?
- Goodness. - This looks brand new.
- Gosh. - Thank you.
Leave it.
Why would you...
She really does not need to. She might hurt her hand.
Goodness.
By the way,
what is your name?
Me? I am Ul Soo.
My name is Jul Soo.
Ul Soo and Jul Soo.
- Ul Soo. - And Jul Soo.
- Ul Soo and Jul Soo. - Ul Soo and Jul Soo.
Come and get your refreshments!
Please enjoy.
- Please... - Thank you.
- Jong Jong... - Wait.
likes me.
- Please have another. - She likes me not.
She likes me. She likes me not.
Go away!
She likes me.
- Thank you. - She likes me not.
She likes me.
She...
She likes me not.
She likes me.
Oh, please.
How ridiculous.
Hey.
Please remove the beans next time.
Why? Gu Jam likes beans.
Yes, I do.
Remove them.
- What? - What is his problem?
I have missed...
your smiling face.
Your Highness.
Your Highness. The fields are...
Let us be merry and pray for plenty
- Let us be merry and pray for plenty - Let us be merry and pray for plenty
- Merry are we - Merry are we
- As we pray for plenty - As we pray for plenty
How did...
this barren land...
Did you not know?
Joseon people...
have always been the best at farming.
This reminds me of back in Joseon.
Whenever it was weeding season, the local farmers...
would sing like that.
I...
never knew what the people sang as they worked.
All I did was stay indoors to read.
Look.
Are they not gorgeous?
The grains are ready for harvest.
Why are you still so unconscious?
I am afraid.
What if you never wake up?
I should have died instead.
If something happens to you,
I will not have the right to live.
I will die too.
If only...
I could die to save you.
I would kill myself right away...
My lord.
Please wait. I will call...
Let us stay together.
I know my health the best.
Although I can eat and talk,
and I look fine...
You see, my leg...
My leg hurts.
My leg...
hurts terribly so.
You know.
I know Jang Hyun well.
He must really be hurting right now.
Does it hurt?
Oh, dear.
This side aches...
But wait.
You were shot in the back.
Why does your leg...
There is something about the human body.
You see...
Everything is connected.
Am I right?
Of course.
Our body parts are all connected.
Right?
That is right.
Even I...
I was hit on the head, but I got a limp.
Look. I have to limp.
- Oh, no! - Gosh!
You should hold onto him. He will die.
- Be careful. - Please be careful.
It hurts so bad.
I think we should start practicing.
One.
Two.
One.
Two.
- Are you all right? - It hurts a lot.
One.
There you go. Good job.
Jang Hyun really threw everything for her.
I told you so.
What do you do for a living?
I thought you were serving the country.
When did you seduce a princess?
When did I seduce her?
She was the one who liked...
Are you jealous?
Why would I be jealous?
She is just...
a pale...
and ugly woman. Why would I be jealous?
Besides, Ryang Eum...
Anyway, I still do not know what is...
in that head of yours.
Are you even a noble?
Rumors say...
Did you...
really buy yourself a title as the rumors say?
Were you a peasant originally?
A government slave.
I had to empty the magistrate's chamber pot...
and keep the fire alight all night.
That kind of slave.
My mother passed on early, while my father...
I do not even recall him.
Nevertheless.
When I paid in rice,
His Majesty stamped his seal to make me a nobleman,
so I am a member of the nobility now.
Money is nice.
That is why...
I work hard to earn money.
By the way,
were you put off by the fact...
that I was a commoner?
It would have been better...
if you never became an aristocrat.
Why?
I would have made you my servant...
and brought you along with me wherever I went...
and done whatever I wanted.
Then it would have been nice.
Then I will reject my appointment and become a commoner.
Will you buy me?
Sure.
Why did you not come that day?
Why...
did you abandon me?
I did not abandon you.
I just...
could not dare have you.
You can live without me, but...
Why do you think that?
Why...
did you think I could live...
without you?
Who are you? Why were you thinking of killing me?
You...
I remember you.
You used to catch captives with Lee Jang Hyun.
Am I right?
You must have wanted to kill me because I hurt your owner.
Go and tell Lee Jang Hyun...
that I am going to...
call him soon.
You are here.
You do not have to act like you are in pain in front of me too.
Lady Yoo...
You should send her back to Joseon now.
What are you going to do if Her Highness tries to hurt you again?
That will not happen.
What are you saying?
She tried to kill you.
I want to rest.
You can leave now.
Are you actually...
in pain?
It is because everything in the body is connected.
I am okay.
One time, you almost died trying to save her on Ganghwa Island.
This time, you hurt your leg trying to release her.
What is it going to be next time?
What are you going to give up for that woman next time?
"That woman?"
Watch your mouth.
You should just die now.
I do not think...
I can watch you be ruined little by little,
so you should just die right now.
You...
are driving me crazy.
Did you really handle that matter?
Yes, I am telling you I did.
Now, Ningguchin will pay Yang Chun without any complaints.
Just you wait.
I will build a nice lodging facility...
for you to sing all you want.
You should just get married with that money.
What is the point of getting married?
Just living the rest of my life...
listening to you sing is enough for me.
How handsome.
- You are here. - Yes.
Where is the list of goods to send to the Japanese office?
Oh, is this it?
I am no longer that jerk's servant.
What?
Now, I am...
- Madam, you must keep it a secret. - Well, I will think about it.
You have been released.
You should now return to Joseon.
Lord Lee's leg is still not well.
Once he is fully recovered...
I will...
tend to his recovery.
That time before,
why did you say that Interpreter Lee was dead?
I do not know why you lied,
but Interpreter Lee would want me...
to nurse him, not you.
This is...
You saw the wound...
on Lord Lee's back, right?
Do you know how he got that wound?
The harvest turned out really well.
Instead of letting the leftover rice...
from the Crown Prince's quarters rot in storage...
Do you want to sell it?
In Simyang, everyone from Jung Myung Soo, Yong Gol Dae,
and the emperor's family members require a bribe...
for every little thing one tries to do.
However,
I cannot ask Joseon to pay for those bribes as well.
So, I would like to invest with the rice we have harvested here...
I will help you make a profit from selling the rice.
Then,
would you be able to manage the money from the profits?
I cannot do that.
Money that is not managed by the one who earned it...
becomes poison.
If there is a profit,
who you spend it on, what you trade it with,
and where to keep it should all be your decision.
I will help you in every way I can.
But...
I have never managed money before.
You must do it.
You managed the farming well too.
Today,
I will have to write in my journal for the first time in a while.
I should draw all the rice and food you have bestowed upon me...
to be passed down...
to the descendants.
You will write and draw in your journal?
Then...
The person who saved me on that island...
was really...
Yes.
Lord Lee had to fight off the intruders while suffering from smallpox...
and was on the brink of death.
And here, in Simyang,
he has developed a limp from saving you.
So, things have become certain.
To Lee Jang Hyun,
you are...
a curse.
I have nothing to give to a rock on the run.
How did Young Master Yeon Jun end up getting so severely hurt?
No.
What were you doing while Young Master...
was getting himself injured?
Lady Gil Chae.
Is it my fault...
that Young Master Yeon Jun got hurt?
I am fine.
Where are you going?
Why do you think I carried all those women across?
Are you okay?
My lady.
Let me tell you the truth. That day...
The person who saved you that day...
was I, not that man.
I will return with the prettiest floral shoes.
No!
No! Gil Chae!
Wait, you mean...
you just ate the food that the Crown Princess prepared for you?
What dishes did she serve? Do they not...
sprinkle gold powder on the food and stuff like that...
You are not dead.
You spared my life.
That is right.
It would be a waste to kill you.
If you were to die,
I would lose a source of entertainment.
Thank you for releasing Lady Yoo.
I said I would let that woman live.
I did not say I would allow you to keep her by your side.
Now, that girl...
must return to Joseon.
I am someone who keeps her promises.
I would never hurt a woman with my own hands.
However, bad things will happen to the Joseon captives...
living in Simyang.
Even if they were released,
if someone else claims ownership of them,
they will become slaves again.
If they lose their release papers,
they will become escapees and have their ankles slashed.
If they hold on to fake release papers,
their ears will be pierced.
Or worse, beheaded...
Back off. We are sparring.
If you lay a finger on her,
I will kill you.
I understand...
how you feel.
You see, even the thought of you dying...
tortures me too.
You want to save her?
In that case,
send her to Joseon.
(My Dearest)
She wanted to go to Joseon with you.
Your husband abandoned you,
despite knowing you were in Simyang.
If you do not come to me,
you and all the captives you have...
will be buried.
I will not leave.
If I am a curse to Interpreter Lee,
the only one who can undo the curse is me.
Can we stay together?
If you do not like it here,
I will go wherever you want.
Ripped by YoungJedi