(This drama is a work of fiction created based on historical facts.)
(Most of the details and depictions of the characters are fictional.)
(Spring of 1659, the 10th year of Hyojong's reign)
(Head Inspector Shin Yi Rib)
You became a head inspector this year?
(Jipyeong: the 5th rank public post of the Office of Inspector General)
Yes.
I heard you need me to do something.
This was found after the former Crown Prince passed.
The former Crown Prince?
Crown Prince So Hyun.
This is a draft.
Those are the words...
(Sacho: draft of the historical record written by a historical recorder)
that should have been erased from history.
It is the record that should not exist.
It is full of words of disloyalty for the late Crown Prince.
By the way,
there is one thing that bothers me.
There is a man who is mentioned frequently in this draft.
His whereabouts bother me.
Find out the authenticity of this draft.
Find that man.
But why would we dig up the record...
that should have been erased?
That is why...
you must do it in confidence.
Among a bunch of military officers, there was a man who did not behave right.
He failed to fulfill his duty to report.
He deluded the Crown Prince...
and got the wrong things recorded.
One of the men got cursed,
and gradually went mad.
And His Majesty ordered that...
the man shall never see the light again.
Lee Jang Hyun.
(Haeminseo)
(The government office that treated poor Joseon people for free.)
I am unwell.
Goodness.
You are unbelievable.
Goodness.
It hurts.
Oh, dear.
Goodness.
It hurts.
Help me.
Goodness.
I heard from the lady.
You want to look around the facility.
I heard you treat mental cases here too.
We do.
But we do not take in just anybody.
The noble families bring their family members here secretly...
when they can neither care for the person at home...
nor abandon the person.
By any chance,
is there a man who insists on being the faithful servant...
of the late Crown Prince?
Do you know the man?
I came to ask him a question.
Ask him a question?
Having a conversation with him...
is out of the question.
How so?
You will know once you meet him.
What is strange is that someone high-up...
made a special request...
to provide him with good care.
He has been chanting the same words for several years.
Why care for him?
What are those words?
He said the man will come and get him...
when the time comes.
My dear husband?
Why did you come so late?
My dear husband.
Mother.
I passed the state examination.
I passed first too.
My lord! Please save my child!
Please!
It is him.
I am Head Inspector Shin Yi Rib.
I came to ask you a question.
Can we talk?
Is the man you are waiting for...
Lee Jang Hyun?
Recently, I read a strange story.
In that story,
there was a man named Lee Jang Hyun.
While his accomplishments were nothing but lies,
do you...
happen to know him?
So you do understand me.
You are not mad.
Am I right?
Can you tell me...
about Lee Jang Hyun?
Do you hear it?
It is the sound...
of the flowers.
(Spring of 1636, the 14th year of Injo's reign)
(Episode 1)
- One, two. - One, two.
How plentiful!
It is huge.
Come quick.
One moment.
You are here.
Let us continue after lunch.
Let us eat first.
- We should continue later. - Come here already.
Hurry up.
"My father gave life to this body..."
"whereas my mother nurtured it."
- "My father gave life to this body..." - "My father gave life to this body..."
- "whereas my mother nurtured it." - "whereas my mother nurtured it."
"My father gave life to this body..."
"whereas my mother nurtured it."
- "My father gave life to this body..." - "My father gave life to this body..."
- "whereas my mother nurtured it." - "whereas my mother nurtured it."
- "When I learn to settle," - "When I learn to settle,"
- "I will find my will." - "I will find my will."
- "When I find my will," - "When I find my will,"
- "my heart shall be tranquil." - "my heart shall be tranquil."
- "When my heart is tranquil," - "When my heart is tranquil,"
- "I will be at peace." - "I will be at peace."
- "When I am at peace," - "When I am at peace,
- "I can contemplate." - "I can contemplate."
- "When I contemplate," - "When I contemplate,"
- "I am enlightened." - "I am enlightened."
Little yellow bird, do tell me.
Who is the fairest in this world?
If you think it is Lady Gil Chae of Neunggun-ri,
chirp for me.
If it is another lady,
do a handstand for me.
Little yellow bird, do tell me.
Who is the fairest in this world?
Tell me at once...
or I will break your legs!
My lady!
What?
I will be scolded if you are late.
You need to please Madam Sam Bong to get a good future partner.
All the matchmakers go to her first when they visit our town.
But she does not like me at all.
That is why you should put in more effort.
You need to marry a good husband...
so that I can also live with my head held high.
Please think of the people around you...
instead of yourself only.
Is that not a lady's ethics?
Do you have to berate me with your servant's ethics?
Your voice will haunt me in my dreams!
Why, you...
- Eun Ae. - Yes?
Are you going to the flower festival too?
I will be wearing a pink coat for...
I did not ask you.
You know, the other day,
Young Master Jun Jeol asked to share my fan during the flower festival.
But he has not said anything about it yet.
If a man confuses you, it means he does not like you.
If you really want to know what he thinks of you,
go and talk to him first.
You know, smile and tap his shoulder.
My goodness.
Are you asking me to do something so cunning?
My Young Master Jun Jeol would never fall for such behavior.
You can do it all you want.
Anyway, Eun Ae...
Me first. Hey, Eun Ae.
- Do you want to embroider together? - Sure.
Eun Ae agreed to be my partner today.
- Right, Eun Ae? - But I asked first!
She just partnered with me.
- No, I asked her first. - This is pretty, right?
You said this time...
I am not going to that silly festival.
Why would anyone pluck weeds to make pancakes?
And writing poems on fans and whatnot?
How childish.
I heard city folk do not do that.
How boring!
Poor me!
I should look for another lady to serve.
I am so worried about my future...
that I cannot sleep these days!
She will be the death of me.
Do I have to look for a new master?
Rest assured about your future.
Soon, I will be marrying a handsome man.
I will meet the man of my dreams.
Next time, no matter how much you want to brag,
think, "They must have one thing about themselves that is better than me,"
and hold it in.
When I meet the man of my dreams one day,
I am going to give him a pillow that I embroidered myself.
Then we will be able to meet in each other's dreams.
When will you learn...
how to embroider when you are always kicked out?
How many times has it been already?
Is it that hard to sit calmly?
Gosh.
Who are you?
I have been waiting for you,
right here,
for a very long time.
My lady.
My lady, the hot water is ready.
Did I not tell you I am afraid I will hear your voice in my dreams?
Why did you wake me up?
Did you dream the same dream again?
Then with the man in your dream, did you...
Of course.
Once again, with the man in my dream...
I read a book.
I read chapter one of "Sohak,"
and he read chapter two.
He was about to show me the meaning of moral training and home management.
But why did you have to wake me up?
Gosh.
You did not even get to see his face yet.
I do not have to see his face.
I am sure he is Young Master Yeon Jun.
Dream on.
People say Young Master Yeon Jun likes Eun Ae.
Did you think all the men in this world would like you?
Young Master Yeon Jun and Eun Ae are not interested in each other.
As if.
Everyone in Neunggun-ri knows that Young Master Yeon Jun likes Eun Ae.
Only you do not know.
I told you not to talk about Eun Ae in front of me.
Eun Ae.
Did someone call me?
No one called you.
You must be hearing things...
because you are excited to see Young Master Yeon Jun.
You are so silly.
Goodness, How pretty.
Will this look better on you?
Or will this look better?
Goodness.
It is okay.
But still, you have not seen him in a while.
You should look pretty.
This is why the cunning Gil Chae...
- keeps... - Madam Bang Doo.
There you go again.
I wonder if he passed the entrance to the village yet.
Young Master Yeon Jun likes Eun Ae
- Not Gil Chae - Why you...
You should leave too. I am going back to sleep.
I heard Young Master Yeon Jun, who studied at Sungkyunkwan,
might be at the flower festival today.
Well, if you really do not want to go, then it cannot be helped.
At times, it is not a bad idea to commune with flowers.
Well, I should wash my face first.
Oh, my. Eun Ae.
Hi, Gil Chae.
Did I not tell you?
I told you she would come no matter what.
I am actually on my way to the flower festival.
- Do you want to go together? - Goodness.
Was today the day of the festival?
I would not have gone if you did not tell me.
Then shall we go?
- Let us go. - Okay.
I knew she would come.
Your lady knows about...
Young Master Yeon Jun coming today, right?
My lady can go anywhere...
Lady Eun Ae goes.
I remember a man tried to kill himself...
after Lady Gil Chae rejected him.
How is that my lady's fault?
Is it a crime to be pretty?
It is not because she is pretty.
It is because of her behavior.
Another time, she laughed with her mouth wide open...
in front of all the men.
Gosh, how indecent.
Then does something else other than your mouth open when you laugh?
Oh, my goodness.
You will be a bad influence on your baby.
My gosh.
Hey, what did you just say?
There is one here too.
- Look at this one. - How pretty.
- Let us go to our homeland - Let us go to our homeland
Look.
Do you know what happens when you behave carelessly at the flower festival?
In the Year of Imjin...
When the Japanese raiders raided in the Year of Imjin,
a Japanese raider tried to rape Deok Bok.
She fought hard and bit his finger.
The Japanese raider got mad and cut her two hands.
She still did not go with him,
so the Japanese raider beat her to death.
Even until the moment of death, she constantly yelled at the enemy.
When foreign intruders raided in the Year of Jeongmyo...
When foreign intruders raided ten years ago in the Year of Jeongmyo,
Lee fled to the mountain, carrying her mother-in-law.
A foreign intruder followed her and tried to look at her face.
Lee fought back hard,
and the intruder pierced her two eyes with a knife.
- Lee... - It is not like...
there is going to be a war.
Why does she keep repeating the words she said?
It sounds as if they are going to raid any minute.
Your Highness, this is Min Ji Sik from the Propaganda Office.
His Majesty is unwell,
so I am tending to him all day long.
Why are you making such a fuss?
The envoy we sent to Great Jin came back?
Yes. The envoy came back.
The king of Great Jin said...
The king of Great Jin Hong Taiji...
appointed himself as the emperor and held an ancestral rite?
But Your Majesty,
I did not bend down to them until the end.
Then why did you receive the document they gave...
instead of tearing it in front of them?
Your Majesty,
you must behead the envoys and throw them to the foreign invaders.
You are going overboard.
It has been years...
since Great Ming has been fighting Great Jin.
Once the foreign invaders raid a town,
no house remains untouched.
No man remains normal.
And no man gets to protect his wife.
That is how terribly they affect us.
You still think I am going overboard?
How can we serve the leader of such people as the emperor?
They say 10,000 mounted troops of Jurchen...
are impossible to fight against.
Daling he of Ming Dynasty fell.
The foreign invaders are posing a serious threat.
More than that,
(Daling he: Ming Dynasty's area formed around Daling River)
They must know that Joseon is loyal to Ming Dynasty...
and that we would never serve the king of Great Jin as an emperor.
How dare they force our envoy to go down on his knees?
What do you think is the reason behind it?
Lee was moving her husband's body to his hometown.
And the owner of the inn she stayed in grabbed her by her wrist.
She got her wrist grabbed while pushing and pulling him.
But Lee cried and said,
"Unfortunately, I lost my husband. How can I let..."
"How can I let another man hold my wrists?"
What?
I am rash and cunning?
People who envy me...
think men like me because I am pretty.
But Jong Jong.
It is not because of my outstanding appearance.
I am a woman...
who works for what she wants.
Of course.
See how cunning I can be.
Look. Lady Gil Chae is here.
You look even stronger now.
No way.
The mountain paths were steep.
I nearly fell.
Would you lead the way...
when I head back?
Of course, I would.
Young master, you are bad.
What?
What did I do wrong?
I have been looking for you all-day to ask you to write a poem on my fan.
And you are here only now.
Me?
Who else then?
Are you not the greatest calligrapher of Neunggun-ri?
That is...
I will...
make sure to write on your fan.
You are going to write it in your free time. Am I right?
That is your mistake.
Should I write it now...
I will write it now.
You are in my way.
I am sorry.
I apologize. No.
No. I am sorry.
It is as if I am haunted by the ghost of the legendary wife who turned to stone.
A wife who turned to stone?
You are haunted by her.
A wife who turned to stone? Gosh.
You are the only one who makes me laugh, young master.
The ghost of a wife who turned to stone.
Let us go.
Have you heard of that ghost?
I am a very funny man.
I am the strongest man in Neunggun-ri.
I am the master calligrapher.
Goodness.
All right.
Young master.
It is hot.
It is hot!
Ask him how he can promise...
to write a poem to another woman.
He did it in front of me too.
He fell while picking up the brush case.
That is how impatient he was.
Did he forget decorum?
My two eyes are wide open.
How can you promise to write for another woman?
Young master!
You are unbelievable.
Does he...
What?
I cannot hear a word you say.
Do you like Gil Chae?
No way.
Lady Gil Chae has nothing to do with me.
How can I dare...
to have a woman like her?
So, how is everyone doing?
What do you think?
Even the Japanese invasion was not as chaotic as this.
By the way, where is Young Master Yeon Jun?
Welcome.
This way, please.
Young Master Yeon Jun.
Why is he with Father?
Did he...
come to ask for permission to woo me?
Oh, dear.
He should have given me a hint first.
Now that everyone is here, I have something to announce.
You must be aware...
that Great Ming is at war with Great Jin.
However, in the letter the king of Great Jin wrote to His Majesty,
he called himself "the Emperor of Great Qing..."
and referred to Joseon as "your country."
- "Your country?" - Those shameless intruders!
- What is going on? - How preposterous!
How dare he call himself the emperor?
However, the royal court does not plan to fight the Great Jin.
On the contrary, it wants to send envoys to appease their king.
Envoys?
- That is ridiculous! - How can that be?
- Not another boring talk. - Therefore,
with Master's permission,
I propose that we should write an appeal to His Majesty.
- All right. Count me in! - Me too!
Of course. We should help the Great Ming and teach those intruders a lesson!
- That is right! - Of course!
How can you be so sure that the Great Ming will win?
Perhaps the intruders will beat the Great Ming.
Have you not thought of that possibility?
Do you think that makes sense?
Even a child can hurl stones...
better than a foreign intruder!
The Great Ming has 1,000 soldiers.
How can the intruders win?
Really?
A thousand?
- Oh, my. - Goodness.
An army of 1,000 Ming soldiers...
will clearly defeat the foreign intruders?
But did you know?
The intruders do not think so.
The great Ming empire over there...
was once called Yuan, founded by the Mongols.
Before it was called Yuan,
it was the Jin Empire founded by the intruders.
To the intruders, an army of 1,000...
would be manageable.
How dare you?
- You impudent fool! - Shut your mouth!
Do not look down on 1,000 soldiers.
They stay constant no matter the situation.
One's unfaltering and noble loyalty...
multiplied by 1,000.
Besides, even if the intruders are roused up,
the Great Ming is an empire...
while the Qing is a small kingdom that just got on its feet.
Do you not know that the Jin emperor Nurhaci, was slain...
by Yuan Chong Huan of Ming?
- Not just that. - Of course.
And do you know how General Yuan died?
He died with a thousand cuts to his body...
through the punishment of lingchi.
(Lingchi: a punishment where the criminal is tied up and sliced)
By the Ming emperor.
When his loyalty to the Ming was doubted,
he died a slow and painful death.
Who wants to sacrifice their life to fight for a king like that?
Tell me.
I see.
Joseon.
These loyal Joseon men would be willing to fight for him.
However,
these are brave scholars we have here.
How will they fight when war breaks out?
Will they build a wall with their brushes?
Or will they fight with solid ink?
- How dare you? - Why, that fool...
That impudent fool!
My goodness.
Why, that...
Look at him.
How ridiculous.
That jerk.
Ignore him.
- Stop right there. - My goodness.
Why, that fool.
Who is he? How dare he argue against Young Master Yeon Jun?
Well, I heard the rumors.
- He is one uncouth fellow. - What?
About a month ago,
he came to our village to buy soft persimmons.
This place has wonderful feng shui.
(A month ago)
Do you even know how to spell "feng shui?"
You were kicked out from every school.
Just tell me about the place you found.
Yes, sir.
Well, it can be said that the village Neunggun-ri...
has delicious rice punch and soft persimmons.
They offer top-notch bamboo shoot wine.
The village elders are kind and gentle...
so the people follow their orders.
Even the county does not interfere in their matters.
I see.
They have lax norms about courtship...
so the men and women are very chummy.
I see.
I knew you would be pleased.
Perhaps due to that, there is a sly creature in their midst.
Hold on.
- A sly creature? - Yes.
It is a fox with nine tails...
No, it is a fox with 99 tails.
I came here by following the scent...
of the famous bamboo.
Please take me in as your disciple.
He asked to be a disciple at our school.
So the teachers said...
that only those who pass an exam...
can study at our school. And then...
He actually agreed to take the exam.
Does that mean that he actually...
took the exam with young school children?
Why bother taking an exam?
You will not last long anyway.
Oh, you there. Do you know what is for today's exam?
Look. Let us be quiet.
My goodness.
Let me see.
What could the topic be...
for today?
(Loyalty)
Explain what loyalty is.
A woman's loyalty to her chastity, a liege's loyalty to the king,
and the loyalty that men and the people should have for the nation.
What are you doing, young master?
Jang Hyun!
Come on.
Well.
This topic is too boring. I am not doing it.
He only knows how to act like a nobleman.
He could not even write a proper passage.
He is not from a true noble family.
Rumors say that he was a lowly peasant...
who paid for fake documents...
to act as a nobleman.
My goodness.
And do you know what he said?
"I have money..."
"so let me join the school!"
Oh, my.
He should be kicked out immediately.
But somehow, he managed to coax the elders...
There was a guy who was excellent with his speech.
So I asked him to show it to me.
When I stepped on him,
he just screamed, "Ouch!"
When I gave him a big slap on his cheek,
he screamed, "Please spare me!"
Why did you kick out someone who wanted to learn?
Since when was Neunggun-ri such a heartless place?
I know what he did...
but how could you turn away an earnest student?
- How could you do that? - That is unbelievable.
My goodness.
How cruel.
Goodness.
In fact, he even managed to convince Grandpa Song Chu.
As you all know,
that old man has a nasty temper.
Sir!
Are you blind?
Do you not see that I worked up a sweat to build it?
Please do not be mad. I apologize.
Goodness.
I give up.
Sir...
However, that Lee Jang Hyun fellow...
treats Grandpa Song Chu's house like his own...
and works the old man like his servant.
Go and play, go and play
Play while you are young
You will not be able to once you are old
How wonderful, how wonderful
But...
how did a man without a title earn so much money?
I heard he sold soft persimmons and cigarettes...
to foreign intruders.
He associates with foreign intruders?
That is what I am saying.
I did not want to say this,
but I saw him once as I was buying medicine for my mother.
But he was...
This was what he was doing.
I cannot believe he got so close to foreign intruders.
How crude he is.
That is not all. According to the rumors,
he goes around all eight provinces to do business.
But he has women in each province that he is intimate with.
- My goodness. - Oh, my.
But what is more absurd...
is that he courts good graces of the women with his gifts, and...
Come on.
Take this.
Try opening it.
Ribbons with an embroidered design on just the end is what is in trend.
Oh, my.
How pretty.
You should pass the state examination now.
That way, my parents will allow our marriage.
"Marriage?"
Do not be too upset.
I want to hold our wedding before you pass the examination,
but my parents would not allow...
Gosh.
My lady,
do you love me?
- Sorry? - I guess you do not.
Then do I love you?
I do not think...
my feelings for you are that big yet.
But we already met three times,
you gave me a gift,
and I even put my head on your shoulder today.
So that is the reason why we should get married?
I thought you would be different from other women.
Listen carefully, my lady.
The feeling of love is a fleeting emotion.
Humans are shallow so they are not able to keep...
such a divine emotion inside of them for a long time.
Therefore,
it is better not to tie yourself to someone through marriage.
So from a very long time ago,
I decided to be a misogamist.
What is a misogamist?
"Misos" means hatred.
"Gamos" means marriage.
So a person who does not want to marry.
Then why have you been seeing me?
Do a man and a woman have to get married in order to see each other?
Brother!
This man...
trifled with my feelings!
What do you mean? That is a bit...
- Hey! - What?
Who are those people?
I told you not to tell people you are a misogamist.
Stop right there!
Get him!
- Hey, you punk! - Stop right there!
He tells people that he is a misogamist.
- Misogamist? - What is that?
- Misogamist? - There is such a word?
Why would he not get married?
- I know, right? - Why would he not get married?
He must be lacking in some way.
I am sure he is probably bad in bed or...
- My lady. - What?
It is not time for us to talk about foreign intruders.
We have to stop Lee Jang Hyun from polluting our fortress.
But he said he would give us rice.
You want to accept a man like him for rice?
He is someone who dared to say that foreign intruders...
could defeat the Great Ming.
Is someone talking about me?
Right. Here.
Someone must be speaking ill of you again.
People speak ill of you wherever you go.
You are going to live until your senility.
Did you really tell them that you would give them a bribe if they let you in?
Yes. More, please.
Gosh.
You are so embarrassing.
This one. Good.
I do not think...
he will be that bad in bed.
He has a fine figure.
Hey, is that all?
He was so fierce when he pushed the guys to the edge.
He was like a fierce...
Like an animal preying on a herd of deer?
No. A beast.
Come on.
- A beast? - Since his gaze was so intense.
Gosh, how boring.
Are you going to talk about that misogamist all day?
I should...
just go and ride a swing. Come on, Jong Jong.
- How perverse. - What?
You have heard of that rumor too, right?
From the southern city called Namwon or whatever,
a man named Yi Mong Ryong, who passed the state examination,
fell in love with Chun Hyang, the daughter of a kisaeng, and made her his wife.
I mean, I did hear that rumor.
But it makes no sense. How could the daughter of a kisaeng...
Why does that not make sense?
Anyway, do you know why Yi Mong Ryong fell in love with Chun Hyang?
Well,
I think it was after seeing Chung Hyang on a swing.
So why do you think he fell in love with her after seeing her on a swing?
Oh, my. What are you doing?
If I ride this swing, my skirt will lift up,
and they will be able to see my underskirt, slightly.
And if they are lucky,
they can also see my bare skin.
It will make all of their hearts flutter.
The socks are the most important.
Jong Jong,
let us do this.
Open wide.
Come on.
What a sight.
Gu Jam, look.
Who is she?
The fox of Neunggun-ri with 99 tails.
Is that so?
I am so full. I should take a walk.
Gosh, I am full.
Let us go and tell our master...
that Lee Jang Hyun cannot be allowed in the fortress.
We have to...
We have to tell him...
Wait.
I think there is...
- Gosh. - Gosh.
There was an accident!
- What is going on? - Something must have...
Where is everyone going?
Someone got hurt, so they went to help.
Lady Gil Chae fell from the swing.
Then we should hurry there.
A plenty of people are there to help her.
- There. - Lady Gil Chae!
- Lady Gil Chae!
- Are you okay? - Are you okay?
Goodness.
Gosh.
The foothold nearly fell.
Bad swing!
Let us fix it right away.
- Let us do it. - Right.
Lift it up.
Is everyone here?
We had to run here. You could have gotten hurt.
That is not it.
Is it fixed?
It needs to be fixed a little more.
Are you not hurt...
Move. I should get back on it.
- Goodness. - My Lady.
- Goodness. - Be careful.
As you already know, I have seen many women from all over the nation.
A woman who has a beautiful face. A woman who has beautiful hands.
A woman who has a thin waist. A woman who has thin wrists.
A woman who has a powerful voice. A woman who has a warm heart.
A woman men love. And a woman who loves men.
That is not all.
From Seo of Pyongyang Seo family, who is a self-claimed Yang Guifei...
to women from Gyeongsang Province of Joseon, I have dated them all.
They look fancy on the outside, but they are empty inside.
Of course, you did.
Gosh.
What did you eat?
So...
even the woman who is supposed to have 99 tails...
would not be that special.
Since you went to trouble to tell me, I would go see it for myself.
But...
I have no expectations.
As you already know, I am a very picky person.
The woman I am looking for is...
One day,
you asked me.
You asked me what I was thinking that day...
when I was riding the swing.
I said I do not remember it.
But the truth is I clearly remember everything.
That day,
I felt like the man of my dream would approach me.
So everything before me...
turned green...
and pink.
One day, I asked him.
"Do you remember the day you saw me for the first time?"
He answered, "I remember it clearly."
"I heard something very special that day."
I asked him what he heard.
Do you hear it?
It is the sound...
of the flowers.
What?
Flowers do not make any sound.
Have you heard of the sound of a flower blooming in the spring?
Today,
I got to hear that special sound.
(My Dearest)
Are you waiting for me?
You smiled at me in the daytime.
The men you have dated before...
must have gotten flustered by your attention.
But I am not them.
I am curious. I want to know who you want to date.
You know.
I do not believe in marriage.
Then what about the sweet words...
and glances?
I am leaving tomorrow. I will be away for several months.
I will make a suggestion he would not be able to turn down.
I will kiss him.