(This is based on the Tale of On Dal in Chronicles of the Three States.)
(Characters, incidents, and dates do not match historical facts.)
Starting with Silla, I will behead Go Geon...
and then unify the three nations!
The man just right for the job...
is your husband, General On.
Go to him and persuade him.
Whichever mountain you hide yourself in,
I am going to find you.
You will fail...
because I will make sure no one finds me.
An envoy came from Silla, and he is...
An envoy from Silla?
Are you not the traitor Go Geon?
Are you here to die in your own land?
(Episode 19)
I came 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.
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.
I am here to die. I want to die...
to end our ill fate.
Please stop.
Leave.
I will not.
- What? - Because...
I followed you to save you.
Return safely, Master Go.
I will not see you out.
You asked to see me at such a late hour.
What is this?
As the leader of the Five Tribe council,
I came here...
to tell you that Go Geon must not be allowed to live.
What is this arrow for?
When I went to confiscate Gyeru Tribe's assets,
I happened to find it.
Go Won Pyo's servant...
told me the story behind this arrow.
This is the arrow that was used to kill...
Queen Yeon, your mother.
It is that very arrow.
Go Won Pyo.
He seems to have kept it like a trophy.
Will you still let that man's son live?
Oh my, Princess.
Gwanno Tribe's Lord Jin went to see the King.
What for? At this late hour?
I do not know that,
but the King just summoned his bodyguards.
Master Go, you must get away.
Why?
Did the King decide to kill me?
Yes, he will.
So you must get away.
If I act as kindling.
Goguryeo will go down in flames.
I came here expecting that.
Bring your own men and fight.
Do not die a pointless death.
If you want to avenge your father, do so properly.
If you return as a commander,
then I will take you on.
We are going to the library.
We must find some diplomatic papers.
The envoys cannot leave.
Are you stopping me because you do not know who I am?
If you do not believe me,
come with us.
Follow me.
The envoys disappeared!
Search thoroughly!
Find them!
This could put the Princess in danger.
Would you rather turn back now?
No.
She bruised my ego.
I must return the favor.
What did you two talk about?
Or was it...
a sweet conversation that you had wanted?
The main roads will be searched.
Horses will do us no good.
We will have to walk to the border. Can you manage?
We will not be safe even in Silla.
The established authority...
will not look upon us with favor.
We must get out of here first.
Where is Go Geon?
I asked you where he is.
I helped him escape.
What?
He will have left the palace by now...
and hid himself.
Send soldiers to go after him!
Also, arrest the Princess.
Your Majesty.
You heard me.
Arrest her and throw her in prison!
- Yes, sire. - Yes, sire.
Let me go.
I will go myself.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty! Please calm down.
Shut your mouth!
Walk!
Get down!
Let go!
You must hold back.
You fools!
Do you know who you have tied up?
We were ordered to bring in everyone from the Sunno Tribe.
What? That is just nonsense!
Release them.
Lord Yeon.
This is nonsense.
Treason?
Our tribe has been through this before.
We will not repeat it.
So tell your men to stand down.
But the Princess and Lord Sa...
If we cause a fuss here,
it will only put the Princess at risk.
Did you catch Go Geon?
We cannot trace him.
You failed to get him?
That news just ruined my appetite.
Your Majesty.
Do you truly believe the Princess plotted treason?
Is that why you ordered the Sunno Tribe to be brought in?
You have served since my father's reign, so you must know.
My sister...
had never hidden her ambition to become the ruler.
That is not true.
She only did what she could for the royal family...
I do not care what she thinks.
As King, I decide whether she is a traitor or not.
She helped Go Geon escape and that made things clear.
Your father also made the same mistake.
He chose to doubt rather than to believe.
I beg you to not repeat that tragedy.
That hangs on the Princess' decision.
- Get in there! - Move it.
- Lord Sa! - Move!
Stop!
I apologize.
I lacked judgment and got you in trouble.
Why are you here as well?
General Sa. Jin.
Princess.
Since you first came to Ghost Valley,
we became your subjects.
Please do not fear...
and do not falter.
- Move! - Walk ahead.
- Move along! - They say that right prevails.
It will all work out.
Do not worry, Ga Jin.
- Princess! Do not do this! - Princess.
I must see the King!
Send word!
Go, now!
Release the Sunno Tribe chief and the warriors.
If I do,
they will side with you and threaten me.
That will not happen.
Then...
prove your loyalty.
Silla took Adan Fortress from us during our father's reign.
I want to recover that key point.
Get General On to take it back.
I already told you.
General On will not fight again.
Then...
why did you go to see him?
You went to his hiding place.
What did you talk about?
How do you know that?
Did you ask him to fight with you?
To help you oust the young, lacking King,
so you could take over?
Won.
If you feel wronged,
show your loyalty.
I would rather...
you kill me.
Take my life...
as a token of my loyalty.
I understand.
What did I tell you?
She will not listen.
I am tired. Please leave.
What will you do about General On?
He may live as a hermit now,
but if something happens to the Princess,
he will come after you first.
Be careful.
Lord Sa. Are you all right?
I am fine.
I am glad this is the end of it.
The skies have helped us.
That is not true.
- Jin. - What do you mean?
Lord Sa. Were you not all released...
because the misunderstanding was explained?
The Princess took the fall.
Instead of denying it, she just...
Jin, that is enough.
Keep your mouth shut.
The Princess...
took the blame for something that did not happen.
What?
To avoid going against the King,
she said she would take the blame.
Then what will happen to her?
Lord Sa.
The King ordered...
she be beheaded.
(Seorabeol, Silla)
They insulted our name.
Our offer of alliance was refused,
and the officers who accompanied them were imprisoned.
And yet, to save their own skin,
they fled in disgrace.
This is a grave crime and they must pay with their lives.
Is any of that untrue?
Lord Kim, you think so much of Silla's reputation,
and yet your actions do not follow your words.
What you just said does not sound honest.
What?
His actions do not follow his words?
Yes.
Lord Kim...
sent this woman as a spy...
and traveled to Goguryeo many times.
Each time, he took valuable jewels, silver,
and even Goguryeo women.
For his personal gain.
With the excuse of serving Silla,
did you fill your own pockets?
That is not true.
He said the riches were for the King.
As it was to benefit Silla,
I was told not to care about profits or losses.
Once a thief...
is forever a thief, Your Majesty.
I asked around myself.
I was able to confirm that...
whenever he visited Baekje, he took riches for his own gain.
Even from Baekje?
I took in you Goguryeo stragglers...
and now you are stabbing me in the back?
Before his nation,
he puts his livelihood first.
You must not keep him close.
Do not believe them.
This is a trap.
I am bring framed.
We will see about that.
- Drag him outside. - Yes, sire!
You cannot do this.
Your Majesty, I am innocent.
I am innocent!
Leave us.
Kim Cha Seung...
will be punished for whatever crimes he committed.
How will you...
pay for failing to do your duty...
as my envoy?
Give me...
10,000 of your men.
I will attack Goguryeo...
and expand Silla's territory.
How can I...
entrust you with 10,000 of my soldiers?
I saw for myself that...
Goguryeo does not have a commander to defend their land.
They only have paper tigers...
who are sick and old.
I heard that...
Princess Pyeonggang managed to fight off Baekje's attack.
King Yeongyang is jealous of his sister,
so he has her locked up.
Now is the right time.
If you give me 10,000 men,
I will turn Goguryeo land...
into Silla.
How about 30,000 men?
To take Pyeongyang Castle as well,
I think you will need at least 30,000 soldiers.
You cannot.
If you go now,
you will not return alive.
Then on my funeral rite,
light enough incense for me.
General!
I need no signs to show me the path I must take.
I must follow it.
I do not know about the consequences.
Even if you win, General,
you will not win the Princess.
The Princess...
will soon be executed.
I know.
That is why I must fight.
It is the only path left for me.
I wonder if this is too small to build a hut, Mother.
You scoundrels.
You must be here to rob a house when the owner is not home.
Where is On Dal?
On Dal?
Is that the name of the mutt in your yard?
This is my house.
It is your house?
Then reveal your identity.
How dare some petty thieves order me around?
Get him.
Wol Gwang?
Master?
Master!
Master.
What are you doing?
I am digging a grave.
- Whose grave? - Of course, it is for my Master.
You died!
Did you not die?
This must be your grave, not mine.
It hurts.
Are you really alive?
You are not a ghost, are you?
I am not a ghost,
but I do feel like a pig.
You definitely had no pulse,
and you were not breathing.
Once you have trained as much as I,
you can last an entire night...
as if you are dead, even though you are alive.
Is that true?
Why are you so curious...
when you are the one who left before learning all I have to teach?
I knew those assassins would only leave once they had fulfilled...
their duty to the last.
So I simply pretended to be dead for a little while.
Were those assassins really sent by the King?
To kill me?
Rest assured.
Now they know you do not live in this house,
and they believe they have killed the owner of the house.
They will not return.
If he has sent assassins after me,
that means something has happened to Ga Jin as well.
What has happened?
You know, do you not?
Why does it matter to you?
You have become a recluse, cutting yourself off from the world.
Please tell me, Master.
The King has imprisoned Ga Jin.
What?
He has become suspicious...
that Ga Jin is plotting treason.
That makes no sense. Why would Ga Jin do that?
Power cannot be split, even between a parent and child.
Furthermore, once a sister who is both wise and skilled...
began to receive the respect of the people,
the King must have become anxious.
So...
what will happen to Ga Jin?
If she cannot prove her innocence,
she will be executed.
This is absurd.
How can she prove her innocence of something she has not done?
Sister.
Do not choose a path that leads to death, when there is one to life.
General On is your sword.
As soon as we recover Adan Fortress...
both you and my brother-in-law will be able to live.
My path to life...
is to die for that person.
Must you be so stubborn?
You can save yourself if you just persuade the General.
Won.
He is someone who became my sword...
and waded through a river of blood.
To satisfy my ambitions,
he continued to wound himself.
At last, he has returned...
to the life he desired.
Therefore,
I am ashamed...
and grateful.
Is that truly...
your dying wish?
My life...
is not under your control.
I have already decided...
to dedicate it to him.
That was a great meal.
Master.
You said it was Adan Fortress?
Does the King wish to have it?
Do not think foolish thoughts.
But Ga Jin...
If you find it difficult to let go,
come to the temple with me.
I have no intention of becoming a monk.
My mother's grave is here as well.
That is all anguish and obsession.
You have not even let go of your mother, much less the Princess.
How must I deal with this fool?
Master.
I have a request.
You want me to find out what situation the Princess is in.
I will not do it. It is too much of a bother.
That is not it.
It is a different request.
Mother.
Are you going?
Have you decided to go?
Yes.
You sure are the biggest fool...
in the whole wide world.
Whom you took in and raised.
I will see you again when I come back...
after seeing Ga Jin.
This is the last time.
Your Highness.
I am grateful...
that a lowly woman like me...
had the honor of looking after you for so many years.
Now go back to the Princess...
and live a long happy life with her.
If you will excuse me now, Your Highness.
Do not call me that.
I will always be your son,
and you will always be my mother.
My dear Dal.
My sweet Dal.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Mother.
Dal.
I will see you...
in the next life.
My goodness.
Stop.
You are here, Dal.
I am honored...
to see you again, Princess.
To repay the kindness of Your Majesty,
I, On Dal,
vow to retake Adan Fortress.
Lord Sa.
Was the execution carried out?
It was stopped.
What are you talking about?
General On Dal is back.
Dal is back?
What happened to the Princess?
What happened to her?
She was put back in prison.
Let us enter the palace.
Sure. We must. Let us go.
I am so relieved.
Poor Ga Jin.
Therefore,
I humbly ask you to allow me 5,000 troops.
Did you say 5,000?
If I do, are you sure you can retake Adan Fortress?
Yes, Your Majesty.
In addition,
I will retake Gaeripyeong as well as the land west of Jungryeong.
You should not make an empty promise.
I can guess why you returned here...
all of a sudden.
It is out of your desperation to save the Princess,
is it not?
Yes, Your Majesty.
As a man trying to save his wife,
I do not make an empty promise.
It is not acceptable...
to make a promise that cannot be carried out...
just to win His Majesty's favor.
The troops are still exhausted...
from fighting off the Baekje troops.
Daedaero is right.
It will take a while for them to fully recover.
I am sure General On can take care of it.
Silence, all of you.
Given the situation, I can only allow you 3,000 troops.
Can you still retake Adan Fortress?
If you can believe the Princess' innocence and set her free,
I am ready...
to go out and fight.
Dal.
His Majesty has given his permission.
You are free.
Let me take you to Magnolia Hall.
What did you promise him?
Did you promise to retake Adan Fortress?
Is that why His Majesty set me free?
- No, it is not like that. - On Dal.
You did.
You promised that.
Ga Jin.
I am excited to be back in the palace after many years.
I want to eat good food and see some people.
Why did you do that?
You should not have come.
You fool.
Why do you never think about yourself?
Yes, I am...
a fool.
But let us get out of here first.
I hate seeing you locked up like this.
You promised me to go hide in the mountains.
I could not find anywhere to hide.
I had no choice but to come back to you.
Please send General On back.
I will retake Adan Fortress.
Princess.
I would have been executed anyway.
I will give up my life to get the fortress back.
Who says you may step in?
I am the one who received His Majesty's order.
It is not your choice to make.
I will go. Please give the order.
It has already been decided. Please do not take your order back.
Dal.
I said I will go.
Seeing the two of you fight out of loyalty,
I cannot believe what a fortunate king I am.
What could they be talking about in secret?
There is nothing to worry about.
He is back here after many years.
I am sure there is much to talk about.
Did you not see it?
He confidently announced that he came to receive His Majesty's order.
All he has is 3,000 troops.
General On may be a brilliant warrior,
but it will be an impossible task...
to recover Adan Fortress.
How can you be so relaxed?
If he happens to win,
he will get in Geon Mu's way. Do you not know that?
What do you mean by that?
The Princess has strong support from the people.
Now that General On joined her,
who will be able to stop them?
We still have His Majesty.
His Majesty will not sit back...
and let them gain power.
General On should not have been given such an important task.
There is nothing to worry about.
He will not be victorious.
He is only going to face death.
But we cannot take...
any chances.
Then...
how about the both of you go off to war together?
- That cannot be done. - No, it cannot.
It cannot be done?
No.
I do not wish General On...
to fight in a war ever again.
Do you know why I told you...
to call General On to the Capital?
It is for the crucial task that the late King has left me.
The unification of the three empires.
We need General On to accomplish the task.
Adan Fortress is only the first step of our task.
It has not been long since we defended our empire from Baekje.
We cannot make our people ravaged by war.
It is the unification of the three empires.
Not a war.
I clearly told you three days ago...
to renew the weapons...
that have become rusty.
And to change all the grips...
that have rotted.
Can you not see the rust?
We tried as hard as we could,
but three days were just not enough.
We are about to go off to war,
and you want my soldiers to fight with these rusty swords?
I will take care of the weapons...
since you must not know how things are done in Silla.
Did you see that?
The swords are too dull...
for me to kill him with one strike.
General.
I will kill you with my sword.
Those who disobey a royal command...
shall be ruled by death...
regardless of rank.
Make full preparations for war.
- Yes, General. - Yes, General.
I hear you killed an officer in the armory.
That is true, Your Majesty.
I told him to repair all the weapons, but...
That was an irrational act.
The soldiers are about to go off to war.
You are to raise their morale,
not kill one of them.
It is essential to establish discipline to raise their morale.
You can get up.
Silla's soldiers are different from Goguryeo's soldiers.
As a general, you must figure out the difference...
to command them.
You are right, Your Majesty.
From what I have observed,
the soldiers of Silla are too lazy.
What did you say?
The soldiers of Goguryeo...
defend their empire from Northern Zhou in the north,
and from Baekje and Silla in the south.
All of their borders are practically at war.
That is why their soldiers in all ranks...
are ready to fight at all times.
- But the soldiers of Silla... - Shut it.
Are you insulting my soldiers...
in my presence?
As you have granted me the authority to control the army,
I will fight with soldiers...
that are capable of winning.
If my resolution seemed reckless,
you may take away my authority instantly.
If you only said words of flattery,
I would have dismissed you right away.
General,
make my soldiers stronger.
I will pour my heart and soul into it, Your Majesty.
General On Dal is back in Pyeongyang Castle.
He will head to Adan Fortress in a few days...
to attack the soldiers of Silla and uphold the royal command.
Princess Pyeonggang may go off to war with him.
I am concerned that they may win the hearts of the people again...
and command the empire.
Deal with this quickly.
Princess Pyeonggang.
I will write her a letter. Take it with you.
Yes, My Lady.
I hear you are almost done with the preparation.
I just saw...
your messenger...
who frequently goes to Pyeongyang Castle.
Do you still send spies to Goguryeo?
To whom?
For what?
It is just one of those regular spying.
You just burned away the message, and you call it regular spying?
You are secretly exchanging messages with Queen Jin, are you not?
I must be right.
I wondered why Queen Jin...
took my side.
She was conspiring with you.
Did you promise her that you will...
give them Silla's confidential information to save me?
You do not need to be concerned about this.
Then what was the message that you burned away about?
Lady Hae.
The King...
ordered to strengthen the security around the Capital.
I feel bad that it was not about the Princess...
you wanted to hear about.
I, On Dal, honorably accept the King's command...
to go and retake Adan Fortress.
We will regain Goguryeo's territory...
and offer it to you, Your Majesty.
I hope you will govern our empire...
and regain Goguryeo's glory.
I will look forward to your victory.
At your command.
- At your command. - At your command.
I have received your message safely.
The soldiers of Silla are soon leaving to fight against Goguryeo.
Adan Fortress will be ready for them as well.
The Princess and General On will not make it out alive,
so do not worry.
Mother.
Prince Geon Mu.
What happened?
I fell while running on the stairs.
My goodness.
It is nothing. It is just a scratch.
What do you mean? You are bleeding.
- Bring a towel and an ointment. - Yes, Your Highness.
Come here.
Geon Mu.
Your body is not yours alone.
Your health is what determines the fate of Goguryeo.
So make sure not to be hurt carelessly.
I will keep that in mind.
Mother, His Majesty is waiting for me.
All right. You can go ahead.
The stairs in front of the Hall of Convenience...
is fun to run up and down.
I also often had fun running up and down those stairs.
I got hurt too.
- You did too? - Of course.
Pyeonggang jumped from several stairs...
although she was a girl.
Since our brave sister and her husband went to fight,
we will soon regain Adan Fortress.
It will not be easy.
We must pray the skies will look after them.
Even without its help, I am sure they will make it.
Because they will fight for Goguryeo with their loyalty to you.
Loyalty?
Where did you put the book that was here?
Prince Geon Mu took it with him.
What?
All right. Let us start from where we left off.
What is that letter?
Give it to me.
What are you waiting for?
- Make her kneel. - Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, you cannot do this to her!
Mother!
Geon Mu.
Step aside, Prince Geon Mu.
Now!
You are the Queen of Goguryeo,
and yet you sold our empire to Silla by conspiring with them?
Are you not ashamed to stand in front of the late King?
It was foolish of me,
but I only did that for you, Your Majesty.
What did you just say?
You did that for me?
What will happen if the Princess and General On win the war?
They will covet your throne...
with the support from the people.
Did you not also...
worry about the Princess's traitorous mind?
Shut your mouth!
She must have conspired with them even when Go Geon was here.
That must be why she asked you to send him back alive!
That is...
She has committed an unpardonable sin.
She deserves to be executed, Your Majesty.
But she is the Queen of the late King...
and the mother of Prince Geon Mu.
That is why her sin is even graver.
Your Majesty!
I will pay for the sin...
the Queen has committed!
Please execute me instead!
- Father... - Let go of me!
I was never enough as a father...
to have a blessed daughter like her.
She is my daughter...
before she is the Queen.
I will pay for her sin as her father!
Please be understanding, Your Majesty!
Mother...
Your Majesty!
We will be able to reach Adan Fortress...
when the day breaks if we keep moving at night.
We cannot fight against them without getting any sleep.
We should move as fast as we can...
so that the soldiers can take a nap at least.
How is the security around Adan Fortress?
The security at the north and the west gate are the heaviest.
Then the advance party...
should infiltrate through the waterway underneath the east gate.
As soon as we take down the gate,
we will force our way into its headquarters.
General Woo,
Jin, and General Sa. Please take care of the rest.
- Yes, Your Highness. - Yes, Your Highness.
The soldiers are watching.
That is why I am leaning on you.
I want them to think that we are very much in love,
so that they will be full of fighting spirit.
Ga Jin.
You are smart and good at what you do,
but you can be silly sometimes.
I have been thinking.
About what?
I think our first child should be a girl to help me with house chores.
And then we could have boys.
Since the youngest is the cutest,
let us have a daughter.
You are too ahead of yourself.
We are already very much in love.
We just need to take the next step.
Oh, look. Look over there!
Hurry! Come!
It is wild ginseng!
Come over here!
A wild ginseng that tastes like bellflower root?
Quiet. If I say it is wild ginseng, then it is wild ginseng.
Wow, look at this.
Here.
Have some wild ginseng and cheer up.
Do not be afraid, Dal.
I am not afraid of anything because I am with you.
Once we retake Adan Fortress tomorrow,
let us leave right away...
after putting Jin and Pung Gae in charge.
I know.
I know that tomorrow...
will be the last time to use my father's sword.
Are you well-prepared for war?
Yes, Your Majesty. We have enough weapons and war horses.
And the soldiers are in high morale.
Once you give us your command, we can set off immediately.
It is different from what I heard.
I heard that...
you cornered them without mercy...
and made them resent you.
You have also killed an officer at the armory.
I must sacrifice the lesser...
for the greater good.
You put great importance on the greater good,
but you are wavered by your personal feelings.
I do not understand.
General Go is deeply...
in love with Princess Pyeonggang.
In love?
General Go is strongly determined...
to destroy Goguryeo...
so that he can have Princess Pyeonggang.
That is his only reason.
You have blessed us with your grace,
and now we are living a decent life.
To repay your kindness,
I am telling you this out of my loyalty to you...
when war is just around the corner.
This is outrageous!
I do not know who told you that,
but I am sure it is a trick to slander me.
Then are you saying...
you have no feelings left for Pyeonggang at all?
When we were young,
I taught her martial arts.
But...
the royal household and my family were deeply ill-fated.
We ended up becoming enemies.
What about the royal wedding that got canceled?
You were a strong candidate as the king's son-in-law,
but Princess Pyeonggang chose On Dal instead.
As a man, you must hold a deep grudge against her.
But you insist that you have no feelings left for her,
so I will believe your words.
But you will not have the authority to command the army.
Your Majesty, that means...
I will entrust you with a more important duty next time.
Then who will command the army?
I will go myself.
It is too dangerous, Your Majesty.
There is someone...
I wish to fight on the battlefield.
That is why I am going to Adan Fortress.
You are going to Adan Fortress?
The soldiers of Goguryeo are coming to attack Adan Fortress.
On Dal...
and Princess Pyeonggang are coming together.
Do you understand it now?
If you want to prove that you have no feelings for the Princess,
you must stay out of this battle.
Why? Are you here...
to see how ruined I am?
You will get another chance.
There is no such thing!
There is no next time.
Do not...
talk to me about chances.
You can yell at me...
and get angry.
I will tolerate everything.
(Adan Fortress)
General On!
General, the advance party tore down the east gate.
Before their main force blocks the gate,
we need to enter the fortress.
Are you here to live?
- We are here to win! - We are here to win!
Are you going to lose and die?
- We will win and live! - We will win and live!
Warriors of Goguryeo.
Let us march forward!
(River Where the Moon Rises)
As a man of Goguryeo,
I cannot abandon the land of Goguryeo.
I am going to fight until the last man standing.
The King of Silla is here to fight himself.
It is meaningless to go on with this fight.
Whether we win or lose,
I must fight until the end. That is my fate as a general.
I know you.
A princess of an empire hid a dagger...
and infiltrated deep into the enemy's camp?
The Princess was captured by the Silla soldiers.
You only think of the Princess even in the end.
Have you loved me at all?
I loved you.
- Dal! - No!
Dal!