(This drama is a work of fiction created based on historical facts.)
(Most of the details and depictions of the characters are fictional.)
(Episode 17)
Goodness.
May I take a few of these daggers,
just in case?
What...
do you mean by that?
Yes.
When I was in Simyang, I was sold to a foreign intruder...
and had to suffer utter humiliation.
I also met Lord Lee Jang Hyun there.
I was released, thanks to his help.
What the intruders did to me...
That was not my fault.
Had you wanted to divorce me because of that,
I would not have backed down, no matter what.
However...
In Simyang, I gave my heart to Lord Lee.
For that, I am sorry.
That is why I am divorcing you.
Madam.
Thank you for everything.
Gil Chae.
No. You cannot go.
You cannot go anywhere now.
Let me go.
If I stay here,
I will be a blemish when Young Chae gets married,
when Je Nam takes his state exams,
and to Officer Nam as well.
I will leave Father in your care for a while.
In return,
I will take care of this child.
No.
Do not go.
I will live well.
I will live well,
and I will repay the kindness of the person...
who saved me by risking his own life.
I will get in touch when I get settled.
Let us go.
Do not go, Gil Chae.
Gil Chae, do not go.
Gil Chae, do not go!
Is this it?
Why?
I sold every wedding gift I got to buy this house.
Let us eat some food.
I was always worried about my later years.
I like this house.
Do you like it?
Now,
how will we live?
- I know, right? - I know, right?
Treason?
Sim Ki Won committed treason?
According to the records,
Sim Ki Won spent thousands of nyang...
to have liquor made and cattle slaughtered.
He gathered 70 or so strong men to the mountain behind his house...
and had them practice archery...
to plan for the future.
Do you mean Sim Ki Won has been training a private army in secret?
Did he intend to sit on this throne himself?
That is not true.
Then,
who did he intend to serve as his king?
At first,
he wanted to have the Crown Prince from Simyang become king,
but he changed his mind and wanted Prince Hoe Eun instead.
(Prince Hoe Eun: King Seongjong's great-great-grandson)
We are tracking down everyone in Sim Ki Won's family.
Those who have fled...
Interrogate the governor of Uiju.
The governor of Uiju? He has nothing to do with this.
Why...
The governor of Uiju...
covered up the fact that the Crown Prince...
had traveled with hundreds of captives.
What does His Majesty wish to do?
He suspects the Crown Prince.
Goodness.
That is a given.
Why does he suddenly want to punish the governor of Uiju?
I believe His Majesty...
is afraid of the captives who are loyal to the Crown Prince.
Why would he be afraid of lowly captives?
I wonder too.
Who ordered you to bury the cursed objects throughout the palace?
Who is the person you were trying to curse?
I do not know.
I know nothing about it.
They are looking for the person behind the cursed objects...
buried in the palace.
The person behind it?
If you do not believe me,
the Department of Justice recently executed a court maid by poison...
under the orders of the Palace Supply Bureau,
so you can check.
The Palace Supply Bureau ordered them to do it?
How could an order to execute an offender by poison...
be issued by the Palace Supply Bureau, not the Royal Secretariat?
I suppose there is a reason the Department of Justice...
cannot officially interrogate them.
I have nothing more to tell you.
I received an anonymous tip from someone.
Many court ladies are being interrogated at the moment,
and I heard a number of them died while being tortured.
The King has become cruel.
A great calamity...
is bound to befall this country.
(Hwabyeon: A great calamity)
His Majesty is afraid.
Do you know this?
When a man is afraid, his cruelty reveals itself.
So...
once you are back in Joseon,
forget all your sufferings in Simyang...
and live a good life.
A flashy...
and glamorous one.
Be you, Gil Chae.
I am sorry...
for not being able to live such a life.
You are...
I suppose you are here to die too.
Hold my hand.
If you were going to do this anyway,
why did you not let me die that day?
I am here to get water.
Are you here to take your own life?
Yes.
I wish to die.
I barely managed to return home in one piece,
but my family kicked me out saying I humiliated them.
I should have just died back then.
Fine.
Do as you wish.
But die somewhere else.
Must you do this here, knowing everyone in the village uses this well?
Jong Jong.
Why not have some food before you die?
The thief is here.
What?
So it was you. Finally, I caught you.
Let go.
- You brat. - Darn it. Let go of me!
No.
How could you grab hot rice with your bare hands?
If you want food, go and gather some firewood.
Then I will give you a bowl of rice.
- You are lying. - No, I am not.
But if you get caught while stealing food again,
I really will scold you.
Stop lying.
What are those?
Oh, I made these.
I took a few with me when I divorced my husband.
What can I do to sell this for a high price?
How will we put food on the table after selling all these?
Give me food.
You promised to give me food.
Hurry up and give me food.
If you give me a bowl of rice,
I will share it with my friends.
I am hungry.
Where are your parents?
They are all dead.
The foreign intruders killed my parents.
Mine too.
You? I told you that was not true.
Your mom will come back for you. I am sure of it.
You are lying.
Seung A, give the kids more food.
What?
Okay.
Chew well.
You must be hungry.
I will give you more food.
Here, we have more rice.
Eat up.
I will never play Go with you again.
You have said that 128th times.
This time, I truly mean it.
I enjoy playing Go with Your Highness.
You enjoy playing with me?
Then how about...
you serve me in bed tonight?
How could I not enjoy your company when you make me laugh like this?
You.
A while back, you said I reminded you of someone.
Did you think of that woman while looking at me just now?
Or...
Come along.
This time, we will play a game I can win.
Let us do this.
If I win, you will stay by my side for the rest of your life.
As you know, the king regent treats me very well.
I can help you live a comfortable life until the day you die.
Then what will I receive as a reward if I win?
That will not happen.
Qing will conquer the mainland soon.
Then the Joseon people must obey the Qing.
The same...
goes for you as well.
Did you see that?
What are you doing?
I am a merchant.
I return what I was given.
He who helps me profit...
gets a bigger profit.
He who causes me a loss...
suffers a greater loss and that was my principle so far.
Naturally,
she who shot an arrow at me...
deserves to get shot back.
You evil,
selfish,
and foolish wench.
Because of you...
Lee Jang Hyun.
It is so strange.
Was I so angry...
that I thought too much?
What does that mean?
Are you angry with me...
or did you think a lot of me?
Lee Jang Hyun.
Stop where you are.
Stop.
She is a crazy thing.
How dare a broad demand to be made a first-rank prince?
She still thinks her father is an emperor.
How long will Dorgon...
keep her close when her father buried his mother alive?
If she keeps this up, she will be sold to Mongolia soon.
Once she is married off there,
no one will care if she dies or is kicked out.
Her ex-husband slept with her just once, I heard.
I will not...
dirty my hands with their blood.
Tell the king regent and he will kill them for me.
What?
Now that I have lost my royal connections,
do you think less of me too?
Do not look down on me.
The king regent still needs me,
and I still...
have enough power to kill the likes of you.
Your Highness.
The reason I stayed by your side.
It was not out of fear.
Then what?
Was it out of pity or charity?
Like how you help the prisoners?
Whatever they say,
you are still who you are.
I am me?
Evil,
foolish,
and selfish?
Yes.
That is what you are.
Foolish...
and selfish.
But therefore...
Therefore what?
Your Highness.
- I am... - Stop.
I will not hear it.
Before, you pushed me away.
Today, you hesitated.
One day, you will hold me.
Dorgon will soon send the Crown Prince back to Joseon for good.
You will remain, yes?
No.
You must remain.
Is that true?
Yes, Your Highness.
I congratulate you...
on your return to Joseon.
Your Highness.
Congratulations, Your Highness.
- Congratulations, Your Highness. - Congratulations, Your Highness.
Your Majesty.
Come in.
Your Majesty.
The Qing emperor will send...
the Crown Prince back to Joseon.
Farming must suit you well.
- Goodness. - That old man.
He bought seven plots of farmland with his lifetime savings.
He was taken before he sowed his first crop.
His wish is to farm his land...
for just one year before he dies.
It looks like...
he stands no chance.
He can go back to Joseon.
Yang Chun.
The Crown Prince will return to Joseon.
He will...
take all of us with him.
What?
Everyone!
The Crown Prince will return to Joseon!
- What? - You all...
can go home too!
- Really? - Is that true?
That is great!
Yes! Goodness.
- We are going home! - Yes!
We are going home!
It is now over!
Goodness, this is great!
How amazing is this?
The food tastes great.
(Father, it will not be long until I can see you again.)
Jang Hyun.
I hear everyone is going to Joseon.
Yes.
I feel so relieved.
All of these people...
are going to Joseon, thanks to you.
No, I did not do anything.
It is all thanks to you.
Jang Hyun usually does not care about anyone else.
You were whining so much that he helped out all these captives.
Thanks to that, the Namwon branch of Usimjeong has been delayed,
so if you think about it, the fact that I am not rich yet...
is because you were so nosy.
If I had become rich already,
Jong Jong would not have gone back like that so easily.
Now, when the Namwon branch opens,
all of the Joseon women will...
Yes, clean all of this up.
Seriously, he does not care about me at all.
What do you mean, we cannot take the captives to Joseon?
Do you recall when His Majesty in Joseon...
punished the governor of Uiju?
When you were making a journey to Joseon,
you brought along hundreds of captives who had been released on national funds.
The governor of Uiju had not reported this fact on time.
Because of the captives that I brought along,
the governor was punished?
Yes, Your Highness.
So,
other than the 150 or so farmers that have been already reported,
the other hundreds of captives that you purchased personally...
will not be allowed back to Joseon.
No.
I made a promise with those people.
That I would take them with me when I went to Joseon, no matter what.
Your Highness.
You must not take the captives.
His Majesty in Joseon does not want it.
Your Highness.
Leave the captives behind?
What are you talking about?
I do not mean they will stay here forever. I mean we will come back for them later.
What do you mean by later?
His Highness is going back to Joseon for good.
Unless they follow along this time, these captives...
will not have any promise...
of returning to Joseon.
His Majesty...
does not want the captives who were kept by His Highness in Simyang...
to come back to Joseon.
He must be mistaken about something.
Let us trust His Highness and wait.
Once he returns to Joseon,
I am sure His Highness will resolve His Majesty's misunderstanding.
What? They will abandon us?
What do you mean by abandon?
His Highness is not someone to do that.
Gosh, Lee Jang Hyun.
Since when did you take the side of royalty?
I am not taking sides.
Just sit down for now, will you?
Yang Chun.
Without the cooperation of the Joseon court,
even if they cross the river,
they will be dragged back to Qing.
Among those who are here with us, some have not been officially released...
and others have run away.
So, Yang Chun,
go back to Joseon with me for now.
And when His Highness gets permission later on,
I will take responsibility...
and bring back the other captives.
I will stay behind too.
- Yang Chun. - Think about it.
They even take perfectly fine people and insist they are captives.
With His Highness gone,
do you think the remaining Joseon people in Simyang will be all right?
They will insist people are runaway captives...
and drag them away. How will anyone stop that?
If they get caught again, have their ears...
and heels cut off, and end up dying?
Then, I will stay behind.
- So, you should... - That is not right.
You should go...
and make sure to get His Highness' promise.
I will stay here and take good care of the captives.
You should go to Joseon and get His Highness' promise.
You will not abandon me, will you?
If everyone leaves,
what about us?
They are leaving all of us behind?
I knew this would happen.
When can we go back, then?
Did you not say they would take all of us?
- Be quiet. - Yes, hush.
- Hush. - Now is not the time to hush.
- What are we supposed to do? - Quiet!
You may not trust the Crown Prince, but you trust Lee Jang Hyun, do you not?
I trust Lee Jang Hyun.
So, I will stay behind as well.
I will stay behind and go back with all of you.
I will make sure to take you,
your children, your brothers and sisters,
and your parents...
back to Joseon.
- If you are staying behind, it is fine. - Of course.
- Gosh, that is a relief. - I thought he would leave too.
- It is all fine now. - It sure is.
- We will put our trust in you. - Yes, we will.
- What a relief, right? - Yes.
- He will stay with us. - Right.
- It will be fine. - That is right.
- This is great. - Yes, it is.
Greetings, Your Highness.
You have decided to stay behind, right?
You will go?
That woman has already gone back to her husband.
Yes.
I also do not plan on loitering around a married woman...
and becoming a hassle for her.
So,
if you like,
I will stay by your side.
However,
I have a request.
I hear you were kicked out by your husband.
Actually, I left of my own accord.
But since no one believes me, I just let them think so.
That is similar to me.
Whenever anything goes badly in the palace, everyone blames me for it.
I cannot be bothered, so I just leave them be.
Right. How much will you sell this dagger for?
That dagger was...
engraved after our master blacksmith had a dream...
about receiving a peach from the three deities of childbirth.
Any woman with that dagger will give birth to 12 healthy sons.
- It is a magical... - How hard you work to make a living.
I am sure you must.
Who would buy a dagger sold by a woman...
who was humiliated by an intruder?
Fine.
I will pay a high price for it.
But there is something you must do for me.
Soon, the Crown Prince will be coming back to Joseon for good.
That is why I say this.
Is the Crown Prince...
coming back to Joseon?
Royal Concubine Cho gave you work to do?
What kind of work?
He told me to live well in a flashy and glamorous way.
I will never show him that I am living like this.
What?
The Crown Prince is coming.
Then, Interpreter Lee and Gu Jam will also...
Make way!
Make way for His Highness, the Crown Prince!
See?
He did not come.
Qing's princess has her eyes on him,
so he can live a very comfortable life there.
Why would he come here?
Wait and see.
Someday, Lee Jang Hyun...
will be mine.
You are right.
I suppose he is not coming, at last.
Gu Jam.
You are here.
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
- Your Highness the Crown Princess. - Your Highness the Crown Princess.
Mother.
Father.
Come to me.
His Highness is smiling.
Are you happy to be back in Joseon?
Must you ask?
This is where I grew up.
This palace is like my hometown.
Everyone gets excited when they are visiting their hometown.
I do not have a hometown,
so I did not think I would have a place to go.
But I, too, had a place I missed...
and wanted to return to.
Sweet dreams.
You will stay up all night, trying to scoop out water.
Were you happy after you ditched me?
Gu Jam.
You did not return, so I came here to see you.
Goodness. Why are you crying?
Why did you leave if you were going to cry?
I do not know.
You have no idea how I feel.
You have no clue.
Yes, go ahead and hit me.
Hit me all you want, as much as you missed me.
I just saw Jong Jong.
She said Lady Yoo no longer worked at the forge.
But she must go out for walks.
We do not have much time. You should hurry.
What are you talking about? We just arrived in Joseon.
I must return to Qing, so...
Anyway,
I have to meet her soon to make sure she is doing well,
so try to arrange something through Jong Jong.
That will be hard. I already told you.
Ever since the foreign intruders invaded,
they have been keeping a watchful eye on all the women.
Especially noblewomen.
Then I shall take matters into my own hands.
What? My goodness.
How did you find out...
that I lived here?
You must know that Lord Lee is back in Joseon at the moment.
Would you like to meet him?
Do you want me...
to meet him?
No, I do not.
However,
Lord Lee would like to see you.
That being said,
I suggest you go and see him first.
I will not do that.
You do not want him to see that...
you now live in a place like this, do you?
It is only a matter of time before he finds where you live.
So go and meet him.
Show him that you are doing well.
Only then will he give up and move on.
I do not see a single noblewoman anywhere.
That is Jong Jong.
Jong Jong.
Gu Jam.
- What are you doing? - Here, look.
What are you doing here?
So?
Did you meet other women in Simyang?
Well, there were many women who fancied me.
They call me the Club of Joseon, you know.
But...
I like to keep things simple.
Let go!
You see, I had my fortune read.
They said I would go on to make big money.
You had better not let me go. Hold on to me tightly.
I have been stuck in my room every day, being treated like a queen.
So I have been bored out of my mind.
Officer Gu is so overprotective of me.
He will not even let me walk or stand up without his permission.
So I told him I had to visit my father to leave the house.
My dear baby.
I had to lie today.
Pretend you heard nothing.
What about you?
How have you been?
I know Qing's princess is obsessed with you,
so I did not think you would return to Joseon.
I have to go back to Qing soon.
This time,
I returned for I wanted to visit my hometown for a short while.
I did not know this,
but turns out,
I have a hometown too.
Are you all right?
This is not good.
I shall call some palanquin bearers...
Gosh, no.
I told you I wanted to take a walk.
Also, I had a bad craving for those rice cakes with beans.
What? Rice cakes...
with beans?
Yes.
When you make it at home,
it never tastes like the ones you buy.
Jong Jong went to buy rice cakes. What is taking her so long?
Jong Jong?
Where did she go?
Wait here.
I will find Gu Jam and Jong Jong.
What?
- Jong Jong. - My lord.
Jong Jong!
- Hello. - Welcome.
- You made it. - Come on over.
Rice cakes.
- Buy rice cakes. - Look.
- Goodness. - They are good.
Gu Jam and Jong Jong must be getting up to no good.
I could not find them anywhere.
Well, this is...
On the way back I met an old lady...
selling rice cakes, so how about you have some?
Yes.
This is the taste I missed.
Drink some rice punch.
It is so refreshing.
You should have some too.
Do not mind me. It is all for you.
Yes, put that down.
I will eat some more, then.
Why did you stop working at the forge?
You must know why.
Since I returned from the Qing,
I rarely go outside.
I have no choice.
My husband said he would send me a palanquin.
There it is.
Yes.
You should go home.
I would love to look around some more, but I cannot.
My husband cannot eat without me present.
Goodbye.
Do me a favor.
In the near future,
Ryang Eum will invite some friends...
and entertain them with his songs.
Could I...
see you then?
Please come.
It is my last request.
Let me out.
My lady.
What pretty clothes.
Gil Chae can look pretty sometimes.
Watch it. You should not be so rude.
Is this it? Is this the house?
I think so.
Is it her or her? Which one is it?
It is her.
What are you doing?
Do you care for nothing because you slept around...
with foreign intruders?
How dare you seduce my husband?
All I did...
was give him directions when he asked.
How dare a wench with foreign dirt talk back at me?
- Is that all you can say? - I am not done yet!
- You are dirty rags! - You witches!
- Get out! - Know your place!
- Get out! - Get off me.
We should get clean.
You are so dirty.
Gosh. You are so muddy.
Blow your nose.
Harder. One, two, three.
Again. One, two, three. Blow.
That is so dirty.
- Goodness. - Gosh.
Wait.
No! How could you?
Come here.
Here. There you go.
Come here. You too.
Come back here.
There. What?
- You cannot catch me. - Come here.
Get back here and wash up.
No.
She was forced to divorce?
Yes.
Do not go to her.
Look. She is smiling.
Gil Chae!
Come here.
If you show up now,
she will want to cry.
I am looking from afar
At your endearing face
The face that I missed
Was carried
By the distant wind
I came because you said it was your last request,
- but never again... - Thank you.
He has started. We should go inside.
Burying your face in your hands
The moment
I was waiting for
Walk on that path
Even when you waver
In the moonlight
I keep
Thinking of you
But you turn away
My lingering feelings
You used to love...
Ryang Eum's singing.
- So... - I must go.
With the passing of time
This heart that loves you
What happened?
- What is wrong? - How strange.
Why will he not sing?
Why did he suddenly stop?
- How odd. - What could it be?
I apologize.
I am still plagued with nausea.
Could such a world exist?
Under the moonlight,
the air filled with Ryang Eum's singing,
and the sound of the marvel of Peru blooming.
That kind of world.
Does the marvel of Peru make a sound?
You have not heard it?
I have.
It is a very rare sound.
I should...
get in my palanquin.
Do you remember...
what I said before?
I said I would no longer be a burden to you.
I got to keep that promise.
I am so relieved.
So...
You should also...
be at peace as much as you can.
How long do you plan to trick me?
How long...
do you think you can trick me?
This is how foolish I am.
To think that I could trick you.
Lady Yoo.
I am living fine on my own.
So, do not feel sorry for me...
or pity me.
That is...
what I want.
No.
I cannot do that.
Please do so.
In Simyang,
I left as you wanted me to.
Now, it is your turn.
Please pretend like you did not see me.
Things did not go well.
But do not worry about Lord Lee.
I explained to him so he would understand.
"Understand?"
How...
amazing.
I mean you.
- What? - Why?
Will you clout me for talking down to you when you are a noblewoman?
As usual,
your feelings...
and your pride were the most important today, were they not?
So you did not even care to see Lee Jang Hyun's pain, did you?
I hate that Lee Jang Hyun is sad...
because of a woman like you.
It drives me mad with pain that Lee Jang Hyun gets hurt...
because of a woman like you.
If I were you...
If I had at least a corner of Lee Jang Hyun's heart like you do...
If that were true...
Why on earth are you...
You have no right.
No right to be loved by Lee Jang Hyun,
and no right to be ignored by him.
You...
have no right to have anything of Lee Jang Hyun.
What do you know?
So,
did Lady Yoo say she would come running to you now that she is divorced?
She said no, did she not?
I knew it.
To that woman,
she is the most important person in the world.
So, your heart can always be...
Watch your mouth.
I will be going to Uiju soon.
I will go...
and bring back Yang Chun.
Then, will we go back to how it was in Uiju...
Then, I will head over to Qing...
and finish up my affairs with the princess.
What promise did you make with the princess?
What on earth did you say...
that she took in the captives in Simyang...
and let you go so easily?
I said I would go to the princess' side.
However,
the situation has changed now.
Back then,
I did not know that Lady Yoo had gotten divorced.
So?
Can we not...
go back to before we met that woman?
You, me,
Gu Jam, and Yang Chun.
We were happy.
Do we...
not mean anything to you?
As if.
Ryang Eum.
I could...
even die for you.
But now,
I want to live for that woman.
And...
anyone who gets in my way of doing so,
whoever they may be...
I will never see them again.
Then I will come with you.
Fine.
You can live for that woman.
Your little brother...
will follow you...
wherever you go.
I have been waiting for you.
Do you know what I wanted to do the most...
if I were to meet you again?
Serving you a fresh hot meal...
I prepared.
Sitting together like this,
I feel as though we are a husband and wife.
Now,
let us live like this for a thousand years to come.
My lord.
Yoo Gil Chae.
Now, there are...
no obstacles between us.
So no one can stop me now.
I truly enjoyed the meal.
It was such a hearty meal.
My wish has come true.
This is enough for me.
I want nothing more from you.
So please...
Why did you divorce him?
You never asked me about it,
and I never told you.
But in Simyang, I...
What happened in Simyang?
If you wish to tell me, go ahead and say it.
I do not care.
Do you still not know how I am?
And how I feel?
Do you truly not know?
You are...
all I need.
Gil Chae, even if you are poor,
rich,
insolent,
or obedient...
Even if you do not love me,
and even if you say that you love me...
Whatever you are,
you are all I need, Gil Chae.
Fine.
Then...
What if I say a foreign intruder took advantage of me?
Then I should give you a hug for it must have been painful.
It must have been truly painful.
You must have suffered a lot.
It is all over now.
Do not worry about a thing from now on.
From now on,
I will stay by your side.
Even if you push me away, I will stay right here.
Even if you get sick of me,
I will stay right by your side.
The moment...
I first saw you, I just knew...
that I had never once...
wanted someone else...
other than you.
May I...
hold you?
(My Dearest)
I will make an embroidered pillowcase for Lord Lee.
Guarantee me that the captives will be able to cross the river safely.
When Interpreter Lee returns,
we can all live happily together.
Lee Jang Hyun.
Only think about that and nothing else.
It is urgent. Hurry.
Lee Jang Hyun.
Where is he?
If he were alive, would he not be here by now?
It has gone.
Would we fear a woman...
who lost her chastity to foreign intruders?
Then you and Lee the interpreter...
You should have patched things up with him long ago, then.
You know,
he will stay with me now.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)