(This drama is a work of fiction created based on historical facts.)
(Most of the details and depictions of the characters are fictional.)
(Episode 6)
Then let us do this.
I swear by the moonlight.
Go to Ganghwa Island.
This time, wherever you are,
I will make sure...
I find you.
What were you going to do if I said I was not going to go?
Did you think I was going to follow you wherever you go?
Yes.
I told you to call me "big brother," did I not?
By the way, how do you tie this?
Come on. You are rushing again.
Ryang Eum.
Do you think your song will work this time?
Do not worry.
I do not know about other things, but I know...
that that song will work on the intruders.
You are very confident.
If it does not work, we will die together. No big deal.
What are you saying?
Let us go. Join the envoy's departure,
and wait for the right time to remain in the enemy's camp.
Let us go.
(Nojin: Jin's military camp)
I would not mind dying.
Together.
(My Dearest)
Where are you from?
From Tosan.
I thought Joseon people were gentle,
but they are surprisingly tough.
They are indeed tough.
Even their dogs are tough.
This one got bitten by a dog and is still limping around.
Look!
Prostrate yourself.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
It is the banner of the Khan.
That flag always moves with the Khan.
Wherever that flag goes, the Khan is there.
And wherever Khan is,
that flag is there.
So, Khan really came?
Most likely.
I need to see it with my own eyes.
Baby, baby, my baby
Baby, baby, my pretty baby
- My treasure, go to sleep - I will make him stop.
My treasure, go to sleep
Grow well, my small baby
Gentle, small wind
Even birds fly to their nests
Go to sleep, my pretty baby
General!
Your Majesty.
Enter.
It is Khan.
How can your song be...
so sorrowful?
Thinking of my companions who died on the battlefield,
I felt too sad.
From my homeland,
I brought clothes and food.
But I could not bring the music with me, and I always felt empty.
I am glad I met you today.
Your Majesty, I am honored.
You are to come here once a day and sing for me.
His Majesty...
is fussy enough to keep count of the enemy's firewood...
but is reckless enough to let his guard down at times.
Especially...
toward the Chahar warriors.
How did you know we came from Chahar?
(Chahar: A province of Inner Mongolia until Qing's conquest in 1635)
You recognized it!
Yes, it is sand from Chahar.
His Majesty achieved a grand victory in Chahar and received his royal seal.
We were told that keeping sand from that place...
would help invite good luck.
Is that so?
Whether it is your good luck charm or not,
we shall find out.
General!
That is nothing. Stop!
It is nothing!
Will we be all right?
Yes, do not worry.
I have never seen intruders who disliked money.
Do you know why the Khan is always busy waging war?
It is because he must accumulate wealth to feed his men.
However, we should not underestimate that man, Yong Gol Dae.
Well...
Even so, he is a mere barbarian.
You.
You are not Mongolian.
Not Manchurian either.
- Are you Han Chinese? - No.
I am from Joseon.
Joseon?
I was taken as a prisoner of war in the Year of Jeongmyo.
I came here as I was told that they would let me join the army...
if I made a meaningful contribution as their guide.
You are guiding them so they could conquer your homeland.
Are you not ashamed?
In Joseon,
I was a slave all my life.
I deeply despise Joseon.
Where did you get this gold?
Do you not know...
that what porters have all belong to their masters?
After my master abandoned me,
I found a chest with some gold inside.
I could not bring everything with me as it was too big and heavy.
I only brought some of it.
So...
there is more gold?
Yes.
Since I am a Joseon man,
I know where people from Joseon hide their valuables.
If you let me go,
I will tell you where it is.
There was a man named Ha Seo Guk.
Your former king,
Gwanghae,
had sent him as a spy to find out what the Great Jin was up to.
And he managed to deceive me and His Majesty as well.
But perhaps,
you could say that pitiful man...
was used by both Joseon and the Great Jin.
No!
So it is you.
Tie him up.
It pains you to see your friend get hurt,
which is why we will...
torture him right before your eyes.
Answer my questions truthfully,
or we will pull out his toenails, one by one.
General.
See?
This fool is more desperate.
I knew I would recognize the real deal.
Now, let me ask you again.
Where are you from?
And how did you two meet?
If I think that you are not being truthful,
that fool...
dies.
(Ganghwa Island)
Where should we go?
Why is it pointing up? Could this be an ominous sign?
My mother was a nomadic Jurchen in Hoeryong.
(Hoeryong: North Hamgyong Province, near the Tumen River)
And my father was from Joseon.
I lost both of my parents due to Joseon's subjugation...
and became a slave at the local office in Eunsan.
I was bitten by a wild animal and nearly died,
but this man here saved me.
I noticed that you could sing well.
I learned a few Jurchen songs from my mother.
But why did you start singing out of the blue earlier in the day?
So His Majesty would hear it?
No.
I never even imagined that His Majesty would hear it.
Fine.
Then...
where are you from?
And how did you two meet?
Must you ask the same question over and over again?
Kill me instead.
Just kill me!
I...
will bite my tongue and bleed to death right here.
What will you do if His Majesty wishes to hear the songs of his homeland?
You are not lying.
Fine.
You may sing for His Majesty, but do it with all your heart.
You must make His Majesty happy.
Come along, lads.
Jang Hyun.
Jang Hyun...
Ryang Eum.
You did well.
Well done.
Your Highness.
Come in.
Your Highness,
I received a letter from Jang Hyun.
(Napseo: a secret letter sent in a wax ball)
I saw Khan encamped in Tancheon with my own eyes.
Dorgon is here.
(Dorgon: the 14th son of Nurhaci)
But who are they?
Why are they frisking...
the elite troops like dogs?
They have red sashes.
Move!
The Dongro forces led by Dorgon have arrived.
Dodo's troops brought culverins.
There are a total of 34 culverins.
And all the Qing soldiers...
are assembled under the fortress.
Hey, you from Tosan!
- Have a taste. - It is soft.
Come on.
Drink it!
They have acquired plenty of rice from the Office of the State Granary...
and Gwangheungchang, the administrative office.
Their horses were also well-fed and rested,
so they were lustrous.
You would rather die than cut your hair?
Kill me, you fools! Just kill me!
Kill him.
But we cannot let him die easily.
Scalp him first,
then kill him.
Please have mercy. Do not kill me, please.
Please. Do not kill me.
Please have mercy. Do not kill me, please.
Both dying and killing are no big deal to them.
Above all,
they had no fear in their eyes.
Khan is in Joseon.
They are here to fight a battle that they will not...
No, they are here to fight a battle that they cannot lose.
Khan is here.
If we choose to fight, we will suffer greatly.
Are you that afraid of the foreign intruders?
It is not because I am afraid.
It is to save the state.
We cannot save anything by bending over to our enemy!
That is enough! Khan is here!
That does not change anything!
Listen.
In the Year of Jeongmyo, after being invaded by the Jurchens...
(Hoin: foreign invaders from the north, including the Jurchens)
day by day, we have been fearing...
the rise of the Great Jin.
Unlike their invasion in the Year of Jeongmyo,
they unexpectedly chose to carry out a direct attack...
and rapidly made their way south.
And today, I am locked up here.
Up until now, I have been hesitating to make peace,
but there is no longer room for loyalty,
and Khan has already made his way to Tancheon.
Therefore,
I shall now request a peace negotiation...
and prevent any further harm.
The king of Joseon...
is still...
better than Cho Dae Soo of Dalinghe.
He sent me a message,
saying that he had made a big mistake.
Do you want me to send a reply?
It will start like this.
I, the Emperor Taizong of Qing,
will issue an order...
to the king of Joseon.
No matter how rebellious and arrogant the past letters from the intruders were,
there was never the word "order."
How presumptuous!
We can no longer make peace with them.
If you do,
you will receive criticism from future generations...
for falling into the trap of the foreign intruders!
How dare he issue an order!
I have learned the principles of heaven and earth...
and have received a calling.
I shall generously accept he who defects...
and keep he who surrenders safe.
He who stubbornly refuses to surrender...
will surely...
be subjugated.
You must not have enough milk.
You are sure this place is safe, right?
Whether we win or lose,
I just want this war to end already.
But...
if we lose,
I heard the intruders will take away all the women...
to rape them...
and kill them.
That is why I heard that every woman...
should kill themselves if we lose.
You see, my lady,
I do not want to die.
Come off it.
We must defeat them!
We cannot make peace with them, Your Majesty!
- We must defeat them! - We must defeat them!
- Defeat them, - Defeat them,
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
- They are demanding... - We must defeat them!
to take the Crown Prince hostage...
and for us to call their king "His Majesty."
Therefore,
I am here...
to discuss the matter of calling their king...
Let them know...
that I will leave the fortress.
Your Highness!
- Your Highness! - Your Highness!
From today, anyone who mentions sending His Highness as a hostage...
and calling their king "His Majesty,"
will be treated like my enemy who killed my parents,
and I shall no longer associate with them.
Your Majesty,
I already committed a grave sin by ripping a sovereign message.
First, punish me.
Then reconsider things carefully, Your Majesty.
If you rip it, I will put it back together.
If you rip it again,
I too will put it back together again.
Your Majesty,
if we call their king "His Majesty,"
you will not be able to avoid leaving the fortress.
Leaving the fortress?
Do not talk irrationally.
Once you leave the fortress,
it will be hard to avoid going through the shame of being dragged up north.
From old times, there has never been an instance...
in which the nation and king have been preserved...
after intruders reached the fortress, Your Majesty.
King of Joseon has sent a decree referring to himself as a subject.
Even the Crown Prince will be sent as a hostage.
Finally, we are here.
Now, order the King of Joseon...
to come out of the fortress...
and become my subject.
But...
They will not allow the King to come out only to face death.
They fear that the same fate as The Jingkang Incident will...
befall him if he leaves the fortress.
(The Jingkang Incident was an incident where Jin Dynasty besieged...)
(and sacked the imperial palaces of Northern Song Dynasty.)
That is true.
However,
since I came to Joseon,
the King must...
come out of the fortress.
Your Majesty,
you must not go outside the fortress.
All of this happened...
because of Choi Myung Gil's crime.
By requesting to send messengers,
he caused unimaginable disgrace.
Pressing us to send a reply,
he feared to defy...
the enemy's will.
Even if we pull out every hair from Choi Myung Gil's head,
it is difficult to atone for his sins.
Punish Choi Myung Gil.
- Punish Choi Myung Gil. - Punish Choi Myung Gil.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
- Punish Choi Myung Gil. - Punish Choi Myung Gil.
Should I really...
go out of the fortress?
If they intend to spare Your Majesty's life...
and preserve your throne,
how can they let Your Majesty come out of the fortress?
They will undoubtedly...
wait for Your Majesty to come out of the fortress...
to stage a situation similar to The Jingkang Incident.
Your Majesty,
No matter what I must do,
I will prevent Your Majesty from going out of the fortress.
Goodness.
Because I am still alive,
I am subjected to such a miserable situation.
Your Majesty.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
As you wish, we will identify...
the officials who oppose reconciliation,
send them out of the fortress,
and send the Crown Prince as a hostage.
However, please, at least,
let our King refrain from leaving the fortress.
They will kick out the officials who oppose reconciliation,
and send the Crown Prince as a hostage.
But...
they cannot send the King out.
Are you willing to defy our King...
just to shed blood and provoke a major conflict?
Is this truly...
what the King of Joseon desires?
No! That is not it at all!
I will convey to His Majesty...
that the King of Joseon seems to regard our King with disdain.
You must bear the burden of what may come ahead!
General!
This is not the King's will.
It is simply the wrongdoing of his subjects.
We, the subjects, cannot bring ourselves...
to send Your Majesty out.
If possible, I wish I could thrust a sword into my abdomen,
revealing our benevolent King's true intentions!
General.
Their King is not even joining the war,
and how can they still be truly devoted to him?
Joseon people are...
quite interesting.
If they do not bring news of the King of Joseon's departure,
we will not see another envoy again.
Yes, sir.
Have we not yet received any reply yet?
Khan has ordered not to send envoys...
until the King of Joseon arrives for the diplomatic mission.
These days, I do not hear the sound of the chickens these days.
I guess they ran out of chicken because they served all of them to me.
Tell them not to serve me chickens from now on.
Let us leave.
Khan has ordered not to send envoys...
until the King of Joseon leaves the fortress.
But His Majesty is enduring to withstand any departure, fearing assassination.
There is nothing left for us to do.
Whatever it may be, we need something that can end the war quickly.
Why the sudden concern for the country?
When did you start worrying about the nation?
That is right.
But somehow, I am curious about the fate of this country now.
Why are you risking your life for this?
Have you ever received a proper response from the Crown Prince's side?
Do they even trust you?
It does not matter whether the Crown Prince trusts me or not.
His Majesty orders you.
King of Joseon,
come out of the fortress now.
If you do not want to,
let us settle this with a match! Heaven will render the verdict!
The enemy is suddenly pressuring us with anger...
and threatening us by firing culverins.
Surely something urgent...
must have happened to the enemy.
Perhaps royal forces arrived and attacked them from behind.
If that is not it,
perhaps something urgent must have come up in their country.
The enemy is suddenly pressuring for a decisive battle or completion...
of the diplomatic mission, whether our King comes out or not.
Could it be due to the royal forces attacking?
Or is there a problem in their homeland?
Please inform us quickly.
They must be in a hurry to contact us.
If they were attacked by the royal forces,
there should have been more casualties.
It is not that.
Is what you just said true?
Is what you said true?
You are putting His Majesty in danger.
You still wish to live?
I am here to sing for His Majesty.
You need not come here anymore.
What did he say his title was?
The red sash.
Maybe he is a plague inspector.
"Plague inspector?"
Those in charge of discovering infectious diseases and reporting them.
What are you doing here?
I said you need not sing for His Majesty anymore.
My sand.
I want it back.
It protects me and keeps me safe.
Especially...
at dangerous moments such as now.
You see, people do know what is going on!
I have not seen Dodo and Yoto in the past few days.
So thinking...
that I might soon die here...
So give it back!
I did not know what to do...
as everyone else was avoiding it knowing it would cost them their lives.
So this is great.
You are a lucky man, so you will survive.
You are...
to help the other porters.
It is smallpox.
(Mama: Smallpox)
Smallpox is spreading among them.
Go and let His Highness the Crown Prince know at once.
Come with me.
You have never had smallpox.
I cannot leave now.
Khan is nowhere to be seen.
Does Khan have smallpox?
Or is he simply hiding now? I must find out.
So hurry up and go.
Smallpox?
They rushed to reconcile...
for smallpox is spreading in Qing's base camp.
A plague inspector was held accountable, and thus executed.
Khan and the beiles including Yoto and Dodo...
are nowhere to be seen. They have been gone for a few days now.
I do not know if Khan is hiding for he has never had smallpox,
or if he has fallen victim to the disease.
But if Khan is alive,
he will no longer wait for you to surrender.
He will do whatever it takes...
to pressure His Majesty at the fortress.
Act in haste,
or a bloodbath awaits.
Could they be...
The Khan...
said he would let you keep your kingdom intact if you surrendered.
Your Majesty.
I understand that they are liars,
but I beseech you...
to put your trust in them just this once.
No.
Even though we already promised to serve the Khan as our emperor,
they still want to drag me out of the fortress.
I am certain that they are plotting a scheme such as the Jingkang Incident.
You know what happened.
While Emperor Huizong was being dragged to Jin,
one of Jin's warriors threw wine and meat on the ground...
and forced him to eat it.
There is more.
They even made Empress Zhu pour wine for them.
I would rather die than suffer such humiliation...
However,
a bloodbath may be unavoidable if we do not rush to reconcile.
A bloodbath?
In the past, they said...
they would invade Ganghwa Island. Perhaps, they were not bluffing.
They may fight well on land,
but not on water.
- Ganghwa Island is safe. - Your Majesty. However,
Khan has come all the way here.
If the King of Joseon does not leave the fortress...
Do you want me to leave the fortress?
No, I was simply...
I simply wish to help you protect your kingdom.
They said they would let you keep your kingdom...
if you left the fortress.
How could you, of all people, say such a thing?
Your Majesty! Please punish me.
So...
they will not let their king leave the fortress.
Correct.
I bet the people of Joseon thought...
I was busy dealing with Ming...
and that I did not even care about Joseon.
They were wrong.
I put everything on the line to come to Joseon.
Joseon has been loyal to Ming.
I must make Joseon surrender...
to become the true emperor sent from the skies.
Smallpox is going around,
but I will not give up.
I will do whatever it takes...
to achieve victory in Joseon.
Send a ship to Ganghwa Island.
I do not care what we need to sacrifice.
Conquer Ganghwa Island.
It is mine!
It is my cauldron lid!
What? Do you not see that it is chipped here?
Goodness. I never thought I would see someone steal a cauldron lid.
Are you done talking?
Yes, I am done. What will you do?
- That darned cauldron lid. - I told you. It is mine!
- It is mine! - Everyone carrying and dragging one...
No, it is mine!
You witch! It is mine!
Some people are coming out of the ship down there.
But they are all bald.
If I am a thief, then what are you?
- The owner of the cauldron lid! - Hear me out!
Are you done talking?
Go over there and play.
Go over there and play!
Goodness. Go and play, will you?
Were they really bald? How?
Oh, like him?
Or how?
Shiny and bald...
with a little bit of hair here.
Go!
Intruders.
The intruders are here.
Jong Jong, wake up. We must leave.
Wake up! Hurry! We must go!
Intruders! They are here.
We must leave now. Get up!
What is going on?
You must all leave!
The intruders will be here any minute now!
Nonsense.
What does a girl even know?
If you do not wish to heed a girl's advice, just die here!
We just go. Hurry!
- Run! - The intruders are here!
- Gosh. - Quick!
They are people from Joseon!
Catch them!
They are running away.
Get them!
- Run! - Quick!
- This way! - We must run!
This way.
Get them!
Come on.
- Oh, no! - Hurry!
- Go!
- Oh, no! - Run away!
(Year of Jeongchuk, 43 days since the outbreak of the Qing invasion)
(The capture of Ganghwa Island)
Hundreds of women fell off of a cliff to keep their chastity.
On top of the Ganghwa waters...
are the headscarves of women.
Kim Sang Yong, the brother of Minister Kim,
jumped into a burning pile of gunpowder...
along with his grandson.
The loyal guard, Min Sung,
also killed himself after killing his three sons and daughters-in-law.
Three generations of women have committed suicide,
including Premier Kim's wife and daughter-in-law.
What about my son?
Is he okay?
Ganghwa Island has been captured,
so His Majesty and the Crown Prince in the Namhan Fortress...
will not be safe.
Then he will be the only one left.
Please.
Please protect...
my son.
Go.
This instant.
Madam Bang Doo.
Leave me here.
My lady,
I cannot walk anymore.
So just leave me,
and take my baby with you.
Get up.
If you spew such nonsense again,
I will give you a proper beating even though you just gave birth.
Keep moving.
Please!
Please let us.
- We need to ride it. - Please let us get on.
- Save us. - We need to get on the boat.
- I am going! - Darn it.
- Please! - Please let us.
This boat is not for you!
Step back!
This boat is not for you!
Let us get on that boat too.
How?
They are pushing away everyone who is trying to get on it.
- Please! - My lady.
Look.
No,
we can ride the boat.
Head to the boat first.
What? Gil Chae.
Gil Chae.
Your Highness.
Give me the baby.
I saw a boat. You were trying to get on it, right?
I will take him to the boat.
Please take good care of him.
Go. Hurry!
I told you to step back.
This boat is not for you!
You are waiting for His Highness, right?
My friend is bringing him here.
Please.
Protect His Highness!
Give him to me.
Please let us ride the boat too.
No, but you are allowed.
If you do not take all of us,
he will not get on the boat either.
Gil Chae.
At least you should get on the boat.
My lady.
Who will feed His Highness?
We have a mother who has just given birth.
She has milk.
Yes, I can breastfeed him.
- Let them board. - Yes, sir.
Get on the boat.
Step back!
Jong Jong, get on the boat.
You go first.
Move!
Please let my child get on the boat.
My child, please. Please help.
Just my child.
- Just my child, please. - My lady!
Please, just my child.
My child.
Let go!
Move away from Jong Jong!
There is no room for you all!
Goodness.
Please, my child. No!
Something must have...
happened to my hands.
Do not think about anything.
Thanks to you, Jong Jong was able to get on the boat.
You have been the one who saved us.
It has always been you.
The number of patients has increased a lot.
His Majesty is not...
affected by this, I assume?
His Majesty is a gift from the heavens.
He will never fall ill with such a disease.
I know.
I am just worried that the number of patients is...
increasing so much.
I am perfectly fine. Not the plague, I promise!
I am perfectly fine!
You should never go out to sea.
It is just a cough. Not the plague, I promise!
Go out to sea?
Khan has sent ships to Ganghwa Island.
I am perfectly fine.
Not the plague, I promise!
Where did you get this?
Who are you?
Where did you get this?
Hey.
Darn it.
You cannot stay here.
No matter how skilled and smart you are,
the plague does not discriminate. So...
I...
told her to go.
I told her Ganghwa Island was the safest place in Joseon.
I told her...
to go.
What are you doing?
Where did you get this knife?
It is my trophy.
I took it from the Joseon girl I killed.
You killed her?
You really did?
Well, I did not see her die.
But I am sure she died.
How can a woman avoid death?
Come forward if you are used to going out to the sea.
Then His Majesty will bestow you a big reward.
If you have gone on a boat, come forward.
Who wants to volunteer?
Who likes going out to the sea?
I would not want to do it if they would give me a fortune.
I would not want it either.
They say you catch the plague if you cross the sea.
I will go.
I want to earn merits...
and become a proud military officer.
What are you doing?
Can I not have some fun too...
if I become an officer?
(The island near Ganghwa)
His Highness seems to be feeling much better now.
Can I breastfeed my baby now?
My baby starved all day long.
The intruders must have sent a search party.
We will be in danger if we stay together. Let us split into two groups.
Do not worry too much.
You are all ladies, so I will send you to a safer route.
Take that path,
and we will meet again at the quay.
You will see a boat waiting for us there.
What are you waiting for? You should leave.
You will miss the boat if you are late.
Come on.
Go.
Do not worry.
Will the intruders not take that path?
They will buy us time.
Let us go.
If she is the wife of Joseon's Crown Prince,
we should not mess with her, right?
But we can play with her maids.
Even her maids have fair skin.
Very fair.
I went through so much, and yet I have not yet gotten the taste of Joseon women.
I heard the Mongolians had their share of fun early on.
This is an island, so cut me some slack, sir.
What is this sound?
Boss.
Let me go and check.
What is it?
It is a cat.
A cat always...
cries like a human baby.
But this is not a cat.
You scumbag!
They are fighting.
Let us go. We must go now.
Go. Hurry.
Quick, move it.
What happened?
Go after them!
Get them!
From now on,
no one can cross this point.
Gil Chae, hurry!
I swear by the moonlight.
This time, wherever you are,
I will make sure...
I find you.
Go. I will follow you.
What do you mean?
My lady!
Gil Chae!
(My Dearest)
You saved us!
Have you fallen for me?
No! Says who?
You have not changed one bit.
Our King will leave the fortress.
We wish to make peace too.
The war is over.
I plan to propose to Lady Eun Ae soon.
My lady, shall we go to Qing together?
I have always been curious.
Why... What are you doing?
Did you ever have romantic feelings for me?
Do you feel this? Why is it...
that my heart flutters like this when I see you?
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)