I will not die alone.
I will take you with me.
We will go to the fiery pit together.
Within the eternal flames of the fiery pit,
while enduring the agony of our flesh burning,
we will shed tears of blood together.
We will shed tears of blood...
Queen Hyun!
Queen Hyun.
Father. Mother.
- Mother. - Mother.
- Queen Hyun.
- Mother. - Mother.
Queen Hyun.
Father. Mother.
- Mother. - Mother.
Queen Hyun!
(Episode 13)
My dear.
- My love. - What happened to Her Highness?
She is gone.
Leaving the Crown Prince here alone,
she has left by herself.
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
(Sambong Jeong Do Jeon)
Your Highness.
You have been so strong.
What happened to you all of a sudden?
Is that why...
you asked me to take care of the Crown Prince?
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
All right.
I will protect the Crown Prince.
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
Rest in peace.
Your Highness.
Rest in peace.
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
Mother.
Mother!
Mother.
In 1396 A.D., the fifth year of King Taejo's reign,
the first queen of Joseon,
Queen Sindeok of the Kang Clan, passed away.
With her skillful politics,
she made her husband Lee Seong Gye, the King.
She also made...
her son Bang Seok, the Crown Prince.
However, after Queen Sindeok's death,
all of her accomplishments started to collapse.
Since you have already lost a child,
(Lady Song, Lee Bang Won's mother-in-law)
you must bear a son again.
You might get bad luck again.
So let us not raise your children in the same house.
I will raise the oldest son here.
We should have your aunt raise the second child.
When you bear the youngest baby, you should raise him yourself.
Yes, Mother.
How is Bang Won doing?
Now that Queen Hyun is gone,
Bang Won must be feeling better.
No, he seems to feel worse than before.
But why?
He seems to feel in vain.
He hated her so much.
Yet, she died so suddenly.
Every night, he vowed to get revenge.
But she has run away...
to where he cannot reach her.
How are your symptoms?
It is nothing.
I will feel better after resting for a few days.
It is because the loss is too big.
Please be sure to take care of yourself.
Yes, do not worry.
I have gathered you all to say something.
Yes, please do so.
Make sure...
you take good care of the Crown Prince as his brothers.
(Crown Prince Lee Bang Seok, Bang Won's half brother)
You need to be the pillar for the Crown Prince.
That is what brothers should do.
It is also...
your duty as subjects. Understood?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Yes.
Please keep that in mind.
You may leave.
Yes.
Grand Prince Jeongan.
Stay for a moment.
I wish to ask you something.
Yes, please ask.
That night.
What happened?
Why was the Queen strangling you?
Tell me.
Why did she do such a thing?
What did you do to anger her that much?
I did not do anything.
I only answered her question.
What did she ask?
She asked what I would do with the Crown Prince.
What?
She asked me...
if I would harm him when she passed.
She then continued to speak as if I were condemned.
So what did you do?
I replied just as frigidly.
I said I would not harm him, so she may rest in peace.
She then crawled over to me and strangled me.
And then...
she died.
In the end,
you caused her to die.
What do you mean?
You hastened her death.
If you had not angered her,
she would have gotten to see the Crown Prince.
She would have saved her last few breaths...
to say goodbye...
to our young prince.
Your Majesty.
You stole...
the Queen's last breath.
You made her use her last burst of energy.
Your Majesty. I only answered her question.
Your insolent answer angered her.
She instinctively knew that one day, you would harm the Crown Prince!
No. I swear.
I have never considered harming my young brother!
I just...
resented Her Highness the Queen.
No.
You will one day harm the Crown Prince.
Your Majesty.
The Queen has never judged anyone wrong.
Whoever the person was,
she managed to see into their hearts.
With her wisdom,
she got me this far.
You are a dangerous person.
You will harm the Crown Prince.
Then kill me.
What?
If you are that convinced, kill me now.
I am sure to commit a crime if you let me live.
I am full of hatred towards Her Highness the Queen.
So is the frustration I have against you!
So just kill me now.
You will regret letting me live.
If it is just to live up to your expectations,
I will commit a grave crime!
You fool!
Kill me!
Kill me this instant...
and relieve me from the hatred to the Queen!
She is all you care about.
You never shed a tear when my mother died.
Now that the Queen is dead,
you have...
You have cried so much that you became ill!
Shut your mouth!
Kill me.
Kill me now...
and please your queen!
Next time, I will truly cut you.
This is my last act of mercy...
as a father.
Now leave.
Lie low and live quietly.
If you do anything that poses the smallest threat to the Crown Prince,
you will immediately lose your head.
Do you understand?
(Jo Yeong Mu, Lee Seong Gye's loyal subject)
Looking like this,
did you walk all the way through the public?
You should have asked him to kill you.
Why did he do this to you?
What did my husband do to deserve this?
Does he care so much for his dead queen...
that he cares not...
for his son who lives?
Are you now...
even less than a dead person?
What happened earlier today?
Do not concern yourself.
I am concerned that you and your son are drifting apart.
Do not be.
We cannot drift any further than this.
Your Majesty.
In what state is the Queen's Palace in?
You told us not to clean anything, so it is still as is.
Your Majesty.
I came to take a look around.
Do not mind me. You are excused.
Yes, Your Majesty.
But, now...
Inside, there is...
Is someone inside?
Who would dare enter the Queen's Palace?
My Queen.
Where did you go leaving us behind?
Would it be hard to move up our plans?
(Min Je, Lee Bang Won's father-in-law)
I cannot bear this any longer.
It is not the time yet.
Just wait a bit longer.
If we use all the influence of our family,
there is no reason not to do it.
The number of family we have...
spread out across the Six Ministries is quite significant.
The number of your students alone is in the hundreds.
Moreover,
there are many families connected to us through marriage.
The Jeonju Lee Clan has achieved great work,
so there is no reason why we, the Yeoheung Min Clan, cannot do the same.
With the royal seal and military roster my husband received,
we could call upon all the soldiers from Jeolla Province...
to fulfill our plan.
- Stop with your nonsense! - Father!
Is that how little you think of His Majesty?
Will you only come to your senses when our entire family is killed?
(A disaster that wipes out a whole family)
He has never lost a single battle.
He is a brave general who even brought Goryeo, the huge power, to its knees.
He is also the founding king who started this nation.
But you want to...
fight him with such little power?
Then when will you act?
Raise up Grand Prince Jeongan first.
He must have determination...
for us to move a single step forward.
Father is right.
We must raise up our brother-in-law first.
Yes. We have been put in many difficult situations...
because he would not step up.
What do you mean by that?
The people we went through so much to bring to our side...
are slowly starting to sever ties with us.
They made their decisions for our brother-in-law,
but he cannot even be seen right now.
Then I will meet them instead. Lead the way.
Who must we meet right now?
His name is Park Eun, and he is the Magistrate of Chunju.
Once he makes up his mind, he will dedicate his life to our cause.
He can also bring up one or two hundred soldiers.
I thought I was meeting Grand Prince Jeongan.
I have nothing to discuss with you.
Do not worry.
Speaking with me is speaking with Grand Prince Jeongan.
My husband and I are one in body and spirit.
But this is a bit...
Then forget about this meeting and go back.
Instead,
take a walk around the Six Ministries on your way back.
Among the officials you pass on that street,
those in the highest positions...
were the biggest contributors to the last great cause.
(Park Eun, Magistrate of Chunju)
They risked their lives...
to overturn Goryeo.
Those who hesitated then...
and could not partake in it...
are still stuck at the bottom.
Bowing their heads to the biggest contributors.
If you wish to live like that,
I will not stop you.
What will you do?
Will you leave?
Or will you have a drink with me?
I will pour you a drink first.
Good job on your training. Go inside and rest.
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
I see you have actually started something.
Did you decide to call in the private troops?
(Grand Prince Hoian, Lee Bang Gan, Lee Seong Gye's fourth son)
We do not know what will happen now,
so the least we could do is put up a defense.
A defense?
People would think there is something going on.
Do not think of doing anything rash.
Everyone has their eyes on us.
They are wondering what the older half brothers...
would do to the young Crown Prince, who just lost his mother.
They are all watching to see that.
Do not worry, Brother.
The King is standing his position,
so what on earth could I possibly do?
I am just preparing myself for an uprising.
What kind of uprising?
One of our brothers is insane,
so we must prepare ourselves!
- What? - Bang Won...
will never sit by and do nothing.
Once he pulls out his sword,
nobody knows...
who he will slay first.
You are seriously...
Bang Won has no interest in private soldiers.
Did you not see how he returned the House Guards recently?
Even the royal seal and military roster he received...
were shoved into a chest upon his return from Ming.
He will take it out soon.
Just wait and see.
Soon enough,
he will call for soldiers.
("Military Roster")
What are you doing?
I was reminded of it, so I opened it up for a moment.
Put it back.
My dear.
How long will you just keep it in here?
You have been appointed as a commander,
so you must lead at least a hundred soldiers.
Put it back right now.
Excuse me, sir.
You have a guest.
A guest?
("Extended Meanings of the Great Learning")
This is "Extended Meanings of the Great Learning."
Please read it.
(A book that describes how a king should lead)
This is a book for a king.
Why would you give this to me?
There is no rule that states only a king can read such a book.
Keep it by your side and read it.
It will help you broaden your view on things.
It is a small gift in return for owing my life to you.
Please accept it.
I will be leaving now.
Are you leaving so soon?
Please have some tea.
No, it is late. I should be going now.
I am sorry. I know you brought this tea for me.
It is okay.
Do not be bothered.
Then, I will get going.
Do not come out.
Please have a safe trip back.
Will you not even take a look?
This book is not meant for me.
Then who is it for?
What are you so afraid of?
Why do you suppress yourself?
I would have opened it right away and read it all night long.
Then I would take the military roster and royal seal from that chest...
to bring soldiers to the capital.
What makes you hesitate, my dear?
Bang Won.
You led the great work.
You should have been the Crown Prince.
But that was all taken away.
Even after that,
you have been persecuted and humiliated.
But are you...
still hesitating?
Please...
have courage.
It is time for you to step up, my dear.
If I do, many people will die.
If I decide to do it, things will get very violent.
I will do things that I should never do.
That is why I am hesitating.
Do I deserve it? Am I worthy of it?
Will I still be able to live with dignity?
So, please give me some time.
Wait for me to be sure of doing it.
Please.
The Emperor of Ming provoked us again.
He is starting a fight...
because of a supposedly rude phrase in the diplomatic paper we sent.
What does he want?
Well...
He asked to bring you there.
Until you, who wrote the paper, are taken there,
he will detain the envoys who are there now.
The supreme general of the Three Offices is the pillar of our Court.
We should not yield to threats and send him to Ming.
I think he should go.
Sir.
Grand Prince Jeongan...
went to Ming himself...
and took care of diplomatic matters.
How come a mere subject...
is unable to resolve issues that he caused...
and hide in the back?
I have no intention to hide.
I think we should not accept...
Ming's rude requests anymore.
You can tell them yourself...
that the requests are rude once you get there.
I think that is the right way to respond.
I can never send Master Sambong there.
Your Majesty. Our relationship with Ming will worsen again.
Even if it gets worse, or a war breaks out,
I will not send them.
Master Sambong must stay with me.
And...
he should stay with the Crown Prince.
Then I will go.
I was also involved in writing the diplomatic paper.
I will go there and explain the sentences line by line.
I will make the Emperor understand the message.
Do you mean it?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Please let me go there.
Madam.
Push one more time.
You are nearly there.
Push one more time.
We got everything back.
The babies we have lost.
We have them back now.
Good job.
I am so proud of you.
You did so well.
In 1397 A.D., the sixth year of King Taejo's reign,
Lee Bang Won and Lady Min's third son was born.
This baby later becomes King Sejong the Great.
After the Joseon Dynasty was founded,
Lee Bang Won was alienated from power for seven years.
But during those years, Lee Bang Won and Lady Min...
gave birth to three more sons after having lost their children.
And from then, Lee Bang Won...
started to take his steps towards the throne.
I never thought I would see my three sons sleeping together.
Miracles really do exist.
Even though we abandoned the skies,
it seems that the skies have not abandoned us.
It seems to be that way.
The skies have not abandoned us.
My dear.
I regained everything I had lost.
When are you going to reclaim yours?
If you do not retake your position,
our children will also live forever without it.
They could have been the Crown Prince and princes.
But they could end up becoming beggars.
If it were up to me, I would not let that happen.
I will do anything for my children.
If they scream of hunger,
I would cut off my flesh and feed them.
If they shiver in cold,
I will burn my body.
Even if I have to end up in the fiery pit...
and suffer endlessly,
I will do anything...
for my children.
My dear.
Please be courageous.
We are not stealing it.
We are just reclaiming it.
(Grave of Queen Sinui of the Han Clan)
Forgive me.
Bang Won. Have you made up your mind?
Yes.
What will you do?
(Lee Hwa Sang, Lee Ji Ran's son)
I will...
go with you.
Very well.
Thank you.
Let us go.
Is that true?
Has Prince Jeongan made up his mind?
Yes. He will take the lead now.
This is great news.
Yes. We now have nothing to worry about.
Then first, he must meet everyone.
Yes. Please arrange that.
Mother.
My dear son.
How has my eldest son been?
I am well, Mother.
My beautiful son.
Let me look at you.
You have grown since I last saw you.
My goodness.
Finally, the stab.
That hurts.
Well done. This time, attack him.
Attack.
You finally look more at ease.
Will he lead his own soldiers now?
Yes.
Some military officials went to Jeolla Province.
They will reach the Capital sometime today with the soldiers.
You have come a long way.
Eat and recover.
Take the day off.
- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
Eat all you want.
There is plenty more. Eat your fill.
Thank you.
Here is more if you want.
This is beef soup. We slaughtered an ox for you.
- Thank you so much. - Eat up.
Let us eat.
The late Queen always said we should be wary of Prince Jeongan.
She said that he would attack us one day.
That could have been her extreme concern.
It is not. I am seeing clear signs this time.
He suddenly summoned his private soldiers.
Please take my word seriously.
You are the only person who can protect the Crown Prince.
Prince Jeongan?
Yes. How close are you to him?
He is my closest brother.
He saved me when I was young.
When Choi Yeong's men were after us,
he carried me until we were safe.
Why would you ask such a question?
I just wondered.
He is a good brother.
He is kind to me whenever we meet.
I see.
For now, I only called those I trust the most.
Meet them for yourself...
and be the judge.
- Yes, Father. - Come with me.
Say hello. This is Prince Jeongan.
Nice to meet you. I am Park Po, County Magistrate of Hwangju.
I am Park Eun, Magistrate of Chunju.
I am Lee Sook Beon, County Head of Ansan.
I am Ha Ryun. It has been a long time.
I remember seeing you a few times in the palace of the previous dynasty.
Yes. I remember you as well.
It has been a while.
Here.
Let us drink.
To think you have gathered for someone like me.
I am truly grateful.
You should not say that.
That makes us someone even less.
We can discuss the details another time.
Today, how about you share your aspirations?
Whatever you say, as of this moment,
we are putting our lives on the line.
That is true. What will you do with our lives?
How far will you go?
That is what I would like to know too.
Yes. Please tell us.
Where I grew up, there were many wolves.
Those wolves...
always made the strongest and the cleverest their leader.
That was the only way to survive.
Joseon's next king must be such a wolf.
That is why, even if it means shedding blood,
we must find out who the strongest wolf is.
That is...
what I wish to do.
(The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won)
I will help as well. I can play a part.
Planning treason?
I wish to keep my wife safe.
What are you doing?
We were training.
You were training? To harm whom?
Between Bang Seok and I,
who do you think should be the next King of Joseon?
It is not the weaker who loses.
It is the one who hesitates.
Who makes quicker determinations?
Who acts with less hesitation?
That is what decides victory and loss.