(This is based on the Tale of On Dal in Chronicles of the Three States.)
(Characters, incidents, and dates do not match historical facts.)
(Episode 18)
The Princess went too far in the King's presence.
That was too far?
So many lost their lives...
due to the lack of support.
How can you say such nonsense?
Nonsense?
Lord Yeon! You should watch what you say!
I spent my whole life up north...
fighting barbarians and sandstorms,
so I am incapable of watching what I say.
What?
Will you two stop it?
Please calm down.
How dare he?
The King is reluctant to see the Princess,
and it is a great concern.
She managed to fend off the Baekje soldiers,
so that contribution stands.
Pyeonggang.
Are you showing off because you won?
What do you mean?
I hear the Goguryeo people weep tears of gratitude.
The Princess aided the young King...
and made a great accomplishment at war.
If it had not been for you,
how would your insufficient brother have managed his kingly duties?
That is not what I meant.
It is not?
That is how it sounded to me.
All I voiced was the pity that we needlessly lost good men.
And so, during a meeting,
in front of all the ministers, you scolded the King?
Who do you take me for?
Answer me, Pyeonggang.
Am I the King?
Or am I your younger brother?
You are the King.
Do you mean that?
Yes.
If you went any further,
I would have severely punished you.
But I will stop at stripping your military title.
Love you or hate you,
you are my sister.
You are excused.
Will you not do anything about it?
Did we fight for an award?
Did we fight to gain honors?
Jin. The Princess needs to rest.
We should go.
Let go of me.
What is this mess?
We fought Baekje,
and you, me, and Ga Jin...
got back after nearly losing our own lives.
And the King treats us like insects.
Jin.
He is our King.
He is my brother,
but before that, I serve as his subject.
I would like you to refrain from speaking like that around me.
The Princess is right.
Calm down.
Is your new home ready to live in?
Sorry for dragging you to war as soon as you got married.
Do not say that.
If you call, we come, even during the night.
- Right, darling? - Do not darling me.
I carved it myself.
Anyway, this means that we are on the same side.
Same side?
We are on the same side.
And we are married.
The Goguryeo you dream of, Ga Jin.
The country you wish to make.
I will live there too.
I am...
in this world to be your sword.
It will be worth a lot.
It is much fatter than the one before.
- Yes, it is. - Untie it quickly.
We should hurry.
You hold tight.
- Let us get going. - Come on and...
It got caught in someone's trap,
- and we were letting it go. - Yes.
- That is true. - We should go.
Take it to your mother.
- Come along. - Go on.
- Are there any herbs here? - No.
Oh, dear.
What is this?
This is a trap that we dug.
Darn it.
Help me get out of this pit.
Help me out first.
Me first!
- Hey! - Push me up!
What are you doing?
We could have the meat to eat.
Do you not hear me?
What do you want to nag about that you came all the way here?
The beast is already dead.
Eating its meat would do us no harm.
Not eating it will do no harm either.
Not again.
Does everything I say sound like I am nagging?
Dal.
You fool.
Do not leave while I am still talking.
Goodness.
What a good son you are.
Morning and night, for four years,
you have been bowing at a mound of soil.
You are a mirage.
- What? - You are...
a fake I created in my mind.
My real mother is...
Why do you not finish the sentence?
What about your mother?
Why do you keep carving that thing...
when you will not even sell it?
It puts my mind at ease.
Because it reminds you of your wife when you hold that?
Mother.
Tell the truth to just me.
You have not seen the Princess in years.
You would love to go to the Capital.
- I do not. - I bet you do.
Dal.
I said no!
Who were you talking to?
Oh, come on. My gosh.
I told you never to come here.
You did say that, last fall.
But I need to see check on you each season to see you are alive.
To at least get your bones back if a tiger gets you.
Dal.
- Do not be like this. - Let go.
Will you pack up and move somewhere else?
Do you think I came back to meditate?
I know.
That is why the Princess cannot visit.
For fear that...
you will act out and go somewhere we cannot find you.
That is why...
she told me to check on you.
The Princess' sword is always wet with blood.
This year alone, she has been in five wars.
Because she cares more than anyone about her country.
You idiot.
It is because of you.
If she is in the palace,
she cannot stop thinking of you,
so she volunteers to go and fight.
To make up for your absence.
That is just what she would do.
Dal.
Come to the Capital.
See the Princess...
and catch up with her.
Hey!
Will you just let him go?
He is your oldest friend.
It bothers you too, right?
That the Princess goes to war and gets drenched in blood.
She has a King.
They are siblings, so they must get along well.
Do you think 10 brothers make up for a husband?
Mother.
What?
Do you want me gone?
Because I nag?
Ga Jin and I.
We must not meet.
Whether it is my death...
or a mishap that happens to Ga Jin,
our end will be bloodshed.
To stop that from happening,
I am living in hiding when it hurts more than death.
What if...
you live as a hermit all your life...
and then die?
Would that be a pretty sight?
You are the greatest in Goguryeo.
You are the greatest fool ever.
What is this?
Since I am no longer a military officer,
I went to the library to kill time.
And?
I remembered something our late father said.
Wol Gwang said this to me one day.
That my time is coming to an end.
He said the Crown Prince...
and Princess will reign over Goguryeo.
I thought about it, and he is right.
Why would you say that?
You are still strong.
Princess.
Yes, Father.
When the Crown Prince becomes King,
support him with your utmost effort and passion.
I will do that.
I was never good to you, and I always...
give you more responsibilities.
I am sorry.
So...
you want me to learn how to reign...
from the books you chose for me?
You do not lack learning,
but they will help you rule.
Why not?
I will read them.
But I require help other than books.
My commanders are said to be brave,
but they are like tigers without teeth.
They served since my father's time, so they would be old.
Right.
You did fight well,
but you are a woman.
I want to make your husband the Superior Commander.
Your Majesty.
He has been away for long.
It is time he returned.
Go to him and persuade him.
No one, not even me can make him...
take up his sword again.
Oh, dear.
Were you and him not a match made in heaven?
Because of me,
he suffered for many years.
I will not make him fight again.
Go Geon fled to Silla,
and instead of suffering, he lives in luxury.
Starting with Silla, I will behead Go Geon,
and then unify the three nations!
The perfect man to assist me...
is your husband.
Only General On can help.
I will support you in your great endeavor.
However,
do not involve General On Dal.
What?
(Seorabeol, Silla)
Why are you doing this?
You have been in Seorabeol for four years now.
I get that in the first year,
everything was unfamiliar and you were confused.
But even now, you waste time with drink.
You were commanded to come to court today.
What is the point in going when there is nothing to do?
The King thinks highly of you.
I know that.
Why do you look at me like that?
You knew that...
my true human nature...
is to drink and play.
You and your father are good with money,
and you are raking in great profits.
I should help with spending it.
General.
Do not forget how Gochuga died.
He died bitterly before he was able to achieve...
his dream of...
Do not...
mention my father.
That night,
I should have killed On Dal, the Princess, and then myself.
Because you got in my way,
I am now a drunkard.
General.
Leave.
I said leave!
Is General Go Geon not yet here?
The thing is,
he suddenly fell ill.
Oh, dear. What happened?
I doubt he fell ill. Is he not just hungover?
No. Of course not.
I heard that heroes like drink and women.
He truly lives up to his name of the Gyeru Tribe's heir.
Lord Hae.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I expect a lot from General Go.
Tell him that before my patience wears out,
I would like to discuss politics with him.
I will uphold your command.
He just fell asleep.
I went in to see the King today...
and got well and truly insulted.
Because of that good-for-nothing fool!
Father. You might wake him.
Who cares if a drunkard wakes up...
or falls down?
We can talk in your room.
Because he lives a wasteful life,
the both of us could be insulted too.
Father. Come with me.
Why is Gochuga's son such a slob?
Father.
So what if he looks fine on the outside?
He is the worst waste of space in the world!
- Father, please. - Darn him!
Rumors inside and outside the palace are concerning.
That the reason the King stripped you of military command...
is because he is wary of your prowess and accomplishments.
The rumors are groundless.
But not utterly unfounded.
How do you think a young king...
managed to secure his place so quickly and firmly?
It is because you shed sweat and blood to help him.
Uncle.
Lord Yeon has a point.
If you do nothing,
you could be excluded from government.
Then I will go back to my embroidery...
and stay in Magnolia Hall.
- Princess. - Princess.
You misunderstand the King.
He commanded me to get General On.
General On?
To unify the three kingdoms,
he says he needs General On.
If His Majesty wished to limit my power,
he would not place such heavy responsibility on General On.
In that case, are you going to visit General On?
Hey. Promise you will not tell her.
I promise.
I am sorry.
Show me around your house some other time.
That is too bad. We prepared a feast for the Princess.
It is okay. We will eat all the food ourselves.
Are you still upset with me?
No.
I have my husband now.
You should hurry back to the palace...
and take care of state affairs or whatever.
You do not mean that.
What are you talking about?
- Actually, a few days ago... - Hey!
You promised not to tell her.
Jin was pestering me,
so I went to check on Dal.
He seemed to be doing okay,
but he kicked me out before I could ask him about much.
That is a relief.
What do you mean?
All he does all day is carve a wooden flute.
Can you guess why?
Obviously,
it is to stop thinking about you.
That is why he carves wood all day like a fool.
Stop.
I know that. So you can stop, Jin.
It has already been four years.
Do you not miss him?
Do you not want to know how he is doing?
Do you not even feel sorry for him?
What is with you?
I miss him.
I miss him like crazy.
I am leaving so that I do not have to lose you.
You must become the person you desire to be.
Whether it is becoming the sister of the future King...
or becoming the Queen yourself.
I made your bed.
You must be tired. You should go to bed now.
Nanny.
Yes, Princess.
I miss him.
I should not see him,
but I miss him so much.
Then you should see him.
Is it really okay if I do that?
What if I go to see him...
but he kicks me out?
What are you afraid of?
Even when your father forbade you to go out,
you ran out without hesitation.
You even lied to all the ministers that you were married.
Whenever you set your mind on something,
you took action immediately.
You were never afraid of anything.
Dal.
You are here again.
Where did you hide the general's sword?
Why do you need to know that?
I want to sell it for some taffy.
Forget it.
My goodness.
I have never seen the moon this beautiful during the day.
During the day or at night, it makes no difference.
You should come here and see it.
It is such a bright, full moon.
Leave me alone. I am not interested.
Your name means the "moon".
Why do you not want to see the moon?
By any chance, does the milky-white, demure moon...
remind you of someone?
You told me to kick her out when I brought the injured girl here.
That was ages ago.
Do you not know that I can see right through you?
You want to run to the palace right at this moment.
You want to hold her in your arms...
and shower her with your affection.
Stop! Please!
Please go away. Stop tormenting me!
Leave!
You are not even my real mother.
Mother.
Where did you go?
This is not funny. Come out this instant.
Mother.
Gosh.
Mother!
Mother.
Your son is right here.
I am right here. Where did you go?
You can torment me all you want.
You can do whatever you want.
Do not leave me, Mother.
General.
I am entering the palace.
Why, all of a sudden?
The King of Silla is sending an envoy to Goguryeo.
I did hear that.
I have had enough fun to last me a lifetime.
It is time for me to work.
- General. - You and I are outsiders.
It is only because the Silla palace...
is packed with insiders...
that I have been lying low so far.
General Go.
Your Majesty.
If I send you to Goguryeo as my envoy,
you will be beheaded...
as soon as you set foot in their palace.
You may be right.
Are you not afraid?
I have already died once.
Why would I be afraid?
If I become beheaded,
it will give you justification to start a war.
I heard that you were indulging in alcohol and meat.
Perhaps you have been waiting for this day.
Still, if you send General Go as your envoy...
I volunteered to go.
Whether I get to deliver Silla's great cause...
or get killed even before I open my mouth,
I am ready for either.
You must not go.
Even if you go to Goguryeo,
it will not go according to your plan.
My plan?
Do you know my plan?
Of course.
Your plan is to kill the Princess...
and face the end yourself.
I am not going there to die.
I do not believe you.
In these turbulent times,
you drifted all the way here to Silla.
But I am with Mo Yong on this matter.
Do not go there, General Go.
The King gladly gave his permission,
and my determination will not falter.
I do not want to hear another word.
General Go.
In that case,
I will follow you.
Mo Yong!
You said you were not going there to die.
We will go there together...
and return together, safe and sound.
If I say no,
will you stick a needle in me again?
My goodness.
Goodness.
Darn it.
What? "Darn it"?
Weed out the vegetable garden over there on the hill.
Water, vegetable garden, laundry, and bush stems. I got it.
What is your name?
Yeom Ga Jin.
My goodness, what a pretty name.
I am good at playing the pipe.
Hey. That...
Mother.
Please forgive me for taking this long...
to visit you.
But I am glad...
that Dal is by your side.
I am not even close to repaying you...
for the kindness you had shown me.
Please forgive your ungrateful daughter-in-law.
Please leave.
This place is too modest...
for a princess.
Dal.
I am hungry.
The sun goes down pretty early. Please leave right after...
I wanted to put this on again.
Can I take this with me?
Let us eat.
This is delicious.
You can season vegetables well like Mother.
You should eat too.
I will leave now.
It is nice to see you again.
Can you make me one promise?
I know I do not deserve it.
But I miss you.
So promise me that...
you will be here the next time...
I come back to see you.
Just promise me that.
Is that also too much to ask?
I am...
a man of Goguryeo.
I must comply with...
the Princess' request.
Okay.
Then, you just made me a promise.
Yes.
Please...
do not get hurt.
Your life is precious.
You too, Your Highness.
Ga Jin.
Ga Jin!
Ga Jin.
Ga Jin!
I came back because I thought a princess deserves the truth.
I cannot...
keep my promise.
I will...
leave here and move deeper into the mountain.
If I stay here,
Pung Gae...
and you will keep coming to see me.
I will go to a place where no one can find me.
I really missed you.
But I should not have been greedy.
Ga Jin.
Now that I have left my sword behind,
I am happy.
I do not smell blood anymore.
Because you let me go,
I could live.
Can I...
just live with you?
We could hide in a mountain where no one can find us.
We can live together there. Just the two of us.
What about Goguryeo?
The King is still young.
Can you just leave him at the palace?
I know.
It is okay.
Deer.
Yes.
That is me.
Your deer.
Whichever mountain you hide yourself in,
I am going to find you.
You will fail...
because I will make sure no one finds me.
No.
I know I can find you.
- Lady Gongson. - Yes.
I usually prefer to follow my father.
But today, I could not.
Father did not like sweet stuff.
But why do I like it so much?
The Princess...
took care of it since you were little, Your Majesty.
Her Highness wanted to take care of you...
by making snacks using good-quality honey.
The Princess is only concerned about the empire and you.
Please do not misunderstand her.
Won! No!
Do not drink it.
You have not drunk a drop of it, right?
There is poison in your medicine.
You brought me sweets.
I came here to thank you.
You believed that my medicine was poisoned.
You must have been flustered.
Even so, I am still grateful.
Did you say the representatives of Silla are coming tomorrow?
Yes, Your Majesty.
His Majesty has not arrived.
- What are they doing? - Who do you think you are?
How dare you!
Are you not the traitor Go Geon?
You are no less than an animal. How dare you show yourself?
Have you lost your mind?
Is that brat Hae Ji Weol's stepdaughter?
I, Go Geon, the envoy of Silla,
have come to Goguryeo to have an audience with the King.
I am deeply moved...
to see you on the throne, Your Majesty.
I heard...
King Pyeongwon held a great funeral for my father.
- How dare he? - I am grateful...
from the bottom of my heart.
Who does he think he is?
King Jinheung of Silla has sent his message.
Stop there.
- Go Geon. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Are you here...
to die in your own land?
I am here to send the message from the King...
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
I remember that night.
Your Majesty!
Master Go!
I see that you are still alive.
The sin you and your father have done...
- You have become faster. - How dare you!
I am delighted to have found that you have trained well.
Go Geon!
- Yes. - You have betrayed your family...
and your father to come back as an envoy.
A lowly servant such as myself...
is suitable for the peace between the two countries.
How dare he?
Give him the letter.
Gosh, Your Highness.
Where did you go without telling us?
I need to take a break, Nanny.
The Palace has been turned upside down while you were away.
Do not be surprised.
An envoy came from Silla, and he is...
An envoy from Silla?
I thought they would lock us up in a damp jail,
but this is...
much more than I deserve.
You deserve more than this.
We will be beheaded nonetheless.
Why?
Are you regretting it now?
Are you regretting...
that you should have remained in Silla?
It would be my greatest honor...
to die on the same day and at the same time as you.
You should not kill them.
I should not kill them?
The King of Silla...
has sent General Go Geon as his envoy.
Why do you think he did so?
He wants to shed blood by offending you.
Then he has succeeded.
I must behead him because he has offended me!
If you kill an envoy,
you are basically offering a reason to start a war.
Are you saying we should keep Go Geon alive...
to avoid a war against Silla?
I am only saying we should not fall for the obvious trap they have set.
Have you seen the message Go Geon has brought?
It is quite a spectacle!
Silla wants to ally with our empire.
They want to join forces and destroy Baekje.
And they want to divide their lands among us.
An ally with Silla?
That is ridiculous.
Of course!
They have sent Go Geon on purpose...
to insult Goguryeo and the King!
It is a trick the king of Silla is trying to pull...
as I am a young king.
Do you still expect me to keep him alive?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - My gosh.
Despite all that, he is still an envoy.
If we do not send him back safely,
there will be war in our lands.
We need to avoid such tragedies.
Lord Sa.
I would have killed him if he were an ordinary envoy,
but he is Go Geon.
Your Highness.
You cannot dishonor the King...
because you are afraid of Silla's king.
It is a provocation against Goguryeo!
Are you bearing a grudge against the King...
for losing your position?
You are going against everything the King is suggesting,
Your Highness!
Those gathered in the Hall of Convenience are...
weighing the pros and cons of letting you live, General Go.
It is not a matter to discuss for long.
They will eventually give an order to behead me.
You still came knowing that?
Yes.
Even if I die,
I thought I would have to see the Capital before I die.
Gochuga...
was confident and dignified until his last moment.
But his son...
ran away to Silla, betraying his family.
And he is back as an envoy?
Did you just ask me where I belong?
Did you see that?
Pardon?
My father...
gave all his heart...
to this woman.
In the end, he was betrayed by her...
and was killed that night.
And now, she is blaming me.
How cunning...
can a human be?
General Go.
Queen Jin!
- Queen Jin! - I do not want to hear it.
But you must.
I know you have come to see General Go...
to spare yourself from death.
I will announce my decision.
Go Geon may be an envoy of Silla,
but the sins he committed as a royal blood of Goguryeo are great.
The king of Silla has aimed to use this fact with this petty trick.
Therefore, I will not treat his envoy with diplomatic respect.
Your Majesty.
Do not interrupt me.
Hence, I sentence Go Geon and those who came with him to death.
Your Majesty.
We are discussing matters of state.
If you have something to say, please do so in private.
I have something to tell you regarding matters of state.
I implore you.
Please listen to what I say as I am the Queen of this empire.
- What is it? - I know that you are...
deeply concerned about the decision you will have to make soon.
Therefore, I thought about it to give you help,
and I thought of King Pyeongwon.
In such cases,
King Pyeongwon would have sent back the envoy from Silla.
What?
Also, you would laugh over their petty trick.
He would have shown his generosity as King.
- Queen Jin. - Anyway,
please show us the generosity King Pyeongwon has shown us.
Queen Jin.
I agree with Queen Jin.
Please make a decision that would be best for Goguryeo.
Since it is not a hasty decision to make, let us decide tomorrow.
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
I was deeply impressed by your loving mind.
Who knew you would keep General Go alive?
You must have wanted to atone before Gochuga.
Then did you not forget your first love...
and begged to spare General Go?
That is wild speculation.
I only made that request for Goguryeo.
Also,
I have a husband who is dear to me.
I see.
Are you talking about the man...
who refused to live with you and has renounced this world?
Yes.
When the King's reign settles,
I will go live with him.
I hope you will give your help...
so that that day may come sooner.
Sure, I will.
Use me as your spy.
Your spy?
If I make it back safely with General Go,
I will tell you of every affair in Silla.
You can use that information...
to open a new path for the Prince.
How would I trust you?
Four years ago,
I brought General Go to Silla on that night.
What mattered to me the most were his life and his security.
You must...
feel the same way about the Prince.
So, if I let General Go live,
you will become my spy.
Right.
I thought you were shrewd,
but you are taken captive by young love.
How could you say such a thing?
This is not something you should involve yourself in!
I am the Queen of the former King.
If I can help with the matters of state,
there is no reason I should stay quiet.
That is the problem!
There is...
a dirty rumor going around about you.
About you and the dead Gochuga!
Father!
And you are trying to keep his son alive!
You are trying to keep a failing light alive!
This is...
all for Geon Mu.
How is any of this for Prince Geon Mu?
If Go Geon causes trouble to Goguryeo by serving Silla,
then not only the Prince...
but also you will be in deep trouble.
I have thought about it too.
Are you saying you are willing to risk it all for your thoughts?
Father!
You have become the leader of the Five Tribe council...
after Gochuga has passed.
Are you now trying to control me as well?
You should learn to voice your opinion at the Five Tribe council.
I am the Queen of Hwayang Hall.
It has been four years, Master Go.
Please excuse us.
I need to speak with Master Go separately.
Did you not hear her?
I am here to tell you the words of the King.
We will reject the alliance with Silla.
The Crown Prince has become quite clever.
Or...
did you give him your advice?
He is not the Crown Prince. He is now our King.
And the rejection of the alliance...
is the decision the King has made.
I see.
Why are you here?
Are you here to die?
To see you, Your Highness.
I thought it would be more meaningful...
to see you one last time...
than to live a meaningless life in Silla.
That is why I came.
Are you not...
glad to see me at all?
Your plan will never go your way...
as the King...
plans to send back the envoys.
I want to ask you one more thing.
That night...
Was it your sword?
That stabbed my father?
That is right.
Just like how your father...
shot an arrow at my mother.
It should end with that night.
The resentment and ill fates should end with us.
Princess, the ill fates...
could have ended long ago.
If the two families came together through a royal wedding,
you and I would have changed this empire.
Not at all.
It would have become the world...
of the Gyeru Tribe that Gochuga dreamed of.
Go back to Silla.
And forget all of your memories from here.
There is a woman who only loves you.
So what?
What about the man who only loved you, Your Highness?
Did you reject me...
so you would be with someone like him?
Master Go!
I am here to die. I want to die...
to end our ill fate.
Here.
Come on.
Gosh.
Ga Jin and I are married.
I am her husband, and she is my wife.
Whichever mountain you hide yourself in,
I am going to find you.
(River Where the Moon Rises)
Raise an army and chase after Go Geon now!
If you feel falsely accused, show me your loyalty.
- Just kill me. - Where is On Dal?
- You saw him in his hiding place. - What did you speak of?
Master?
- Princess! - I need to see the King!
Do you really want to become the King?
If that is what you want to be, then I would fight for you.
So that you can take the throne.
Can you recover Adan Fortress?
If you believe the Princess' innocence and let her go,
I will gladly fight for the empire.
I know you will lose in that fight, so how can I let you go?
It is also a fight to win back my father's legacy.