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?
If it goes wrong, all of us will be dead.
I know.
I am not doing this just to make Bang Won the King.
I am doing this to make you the Queen.
I am doing this to make your son the Crown Prince.
Do you understand me?
I do.
I understand it clearly.
Okay.
Be sure to make it a success.
Did the meeting go well?
It was the first day, so we simply introduced ourselves.
I will join next time.
I will help as well.
I can play a part.
No.
I do not want you there.
(Lady Min, Lee Bang Won's wife)
For what reason?
Just because.
I wish to keep you safe.
How dare you?
We are planning treason.
It is better for you not to get involved.
We will both be dead anyway if it does not succeed.
All right.
I will wait somewhere safe for now.
Where are you going to train your soldiers?
You cannot train them in a small yard.
We will have to go outside of the palace.
Then I will wake up early and make rice balls.
No way!
Have slaves do such things.
Then we will not win over the soldiers.
I hear you.
Then, please do that for us.
Master Sambong, are you coming to the temple with us?
Yes.
It is to pray for the peace of Her Highness' soul.
I will go with you.
Thank you.
Let us go.
Who are these soldiers?
They are my private soldiers.
What are you doing?
We were training.
You were training?
To harm whom?
Queen Hyun was right.
You are dangerous.
Have him kneel down.
- Now! - Yes, sir.
Do not come near us.
I warned you...
not to do anything and live in silence.
But you...
disobeyed my order.
I was doing my duty as a commander.
What?
Managing and training soldiers...
is the duty of a commander.
I was only fulfilling my duties.
How dare you?
What is the reason for this?
I am willing to be beheaded if you have to, Your Majesty.
But at least tell me why I must die.
You must tell the reason even if you are to behead a mere soldier.
But you are beheading a commander,
and you do not say why?
Are you asking...
because you really do not know the reason?
I do not know. So please tell me, Your Majesty.
What is the reason for my death?
What reason is there...
to behead me?
Why, you...
Father, please stop this.
Step away.
Please stop, Your Majesty.
You are on your way to greet Buddha.
Please put your sword down.
Take him away.
Lock him up in the State Prison.
Yes, sir. Take him.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
Father, what is going on?
What did Grand Prince Jeongan do wrong?
You do not have to know.
Let us go now. Get on your horse.
Yes.
Halt.
Go on ahead.
I will escort the prince.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
What is going on?
Please tell me.
What happened to cause the two of you to drift so far apart?
Your Highness.
It is because I might replace the Crown Prince.
Pardon?
His Majesty has chosen Bang Seok as the next King.
But I have no intention of accepting that.
That is why His Majesty is so furious.
He recognized how dangerous I am.
Your Highness.
He should have beheaded me today.
Even though I am his son...
Even though he had no good reason to...
He should have done it.
That was the best way to protect the Crown Prince.
We are here to follow your teaching. You who teach the truth for eternity
- Dear merciful Buddha - Dear merciful Buddha
Where are you, Amitabha?
- Dear merciful Buddha - Dear merciful Buddha
I will keep it in my heart and never forget
- Dear merciful Buddha - Dear merciful Buddha
Please show us your merciful heart
- Dear merciful Buddha - Dear merciful Buddha
Please forgive our foolishness
- Dear merciful Buddha - Dear merciful Buddha
He will definitely harm the Crown Prince.
Do you truly believe so?
The look in his eyes has changed.
The eyes that looked back at me...
were murderous.
He has already turned into a beast.
When the beast showed its claws and challenged me,
I hesitated and stepped back.
I should have beheaded him there.
I should have done so for the Crown Prince.
You are incapable of doing so.
You failed to take Master Poeun's life.
How could you take your own son's?
I will do it.
I will find a way...
to stop Prince Jeongan and protect the Crown Prince.
When did you learn to do this?
I trained with my younger brothers as a child.
Were I born a boy, I would have become a warrior.
Oh, this must be why Prince Jeongan...
lives with only you and does not take in other concubines.
I was kidding.
It was a joke.
Come on.
Lady Min!
Oh my.
My lady.
The soldiers are returning.
- Already? - Yes.
How odd.
I was told they would train until nightfall.
Prince Jeongan was thrown into State Prison.
For what reason?
I do not know.
His Majesty saw us training...
and was infuriated.
He almost beheaded the commander.
He... He was almost beheaded?
Yes.
If the Crown Prince had not stepped in,
something dreadful would have happened.
I see, go and rest.
Yes, my lady.
What could have happened?
Do you think his plan...
Stay calm.
I will find out.
Return home for now.
Until I reach you, do not visit.
Understood.
Why did you tell me of your dangerous plan?
Are you testing me?
It is not a test.
I want you to join me.
Whatever I plan,
you are the last person I must fight.
You lead the elite House Guard,
and you are in charge of guarding the Palace.
If you are aware of that fact, give up on any treacherous plan.
I serve His Majesty, the King.
But you are also a man of Joseon.
Just choose the man you believe in.
Between me and Bang Seok.
Who do you think should be the next king of Joseon?
Who do you think will lead Joseon better?
My fate...
depends on your decision.
Stop it. I will pretend I did not hear that.
Do not say such things to me again.
If you do,
I will report you to the King.
- Lock the door. - Yes, sir.
What brings you to Hanyang?
I was summoned by the Ministry of Work.
I am to bring men from Ansan...
to repair Her Highness' tomb.
It rained heavily last month, so many repairs are needed.
I see.
I know the King...
adored his late Queen very much.
But how could he bury her in the Capital?
Is it not the rule to not bury anyone in the Capital?
He is doing what he can to protect the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince?
Yes.
He buried Her Highness in the Capital...
and hosts Buddhist ceremonies for her almost every other day.
It is to prevent the memory of her fading.
He needs the dead Queen's power...
to protect his son a little better.
My gosh. Does that even make sense?
She was fearsome when she was alive,
but what is there to fear now she is dead and gone?
That is how desperate he is.
He set aside all the older sons...
and made his youngest the Crown Prince.
His Majesty knows how risky that was.
Then he must know that...
it will cause strife one day.
I assume so.
Then he will keep a close eye on Prince Jeongan.
Despite that,
Do you think our plan will succeed?
The Goryeo Court...
was always cautious of General Lee Seong Gye.
Many people saw through his ambition.
We even had many chances to kill him.
But what happened in the end?
Well... As you can see...
Right. That is exactly it.
The weaker side is not the one that loses.
It is the side that hesitates.
Who makes quicker determinations?
Who acts with less hesitation?
That is what decides victory and loss.
Grand Prince Jeongan's in-law, Lord Min Je's home...
is where they have been conspiring for the rebellion.
Lord Ha Ryun is acting as their tactician.
This is the conclusion I came upon...
as I watched them under Her Highness' orders.
What have you decided to do with the prisoner, Grand Prince Jeongan?
We have decided to release him.
We have no justification to keep him locked up.
You must not be restricted by justification.
You must kill him even if it is by framing him.
His Majesty will never allow it.
What kind of parent can kill his own child?
Then you must do it yourself.
Her Highness always said...
that Grand Prince Jeongan is the beast of this palace.
That there is no way to control him except death.
Darling.
Are you okay?
Where were you?
I went to the State Prison,
but you were not there. You have no idea how worried I was.
I thought you were dragged away to some unknown place...
and would never return.
I was locked in a storage room in the palace.
Pardon?
Why would they lock you in there?
Let us go inside and talk.
Okay.
Are you saying you told that person your innermost thoughts?
Yes.
If we fail to get General Jo Yeong Mu on our side,
our plans will never succeed.
Regardless of how many soldiers we have,
if the House Guard comes out and stops us, it will be over.
The person that the House Guard trusts and follows the most...
is General Jo Yeong Mu.
I understand what you mean.
However, what if he chooses His Majesty over us?
He is His Majesty's most faithful soldier.
We must leave that to the skies.
Do not worry.
We will succeed.
I will make sure of it.
Why did you lock him in a palace storage room instead of the State Prison?
I apologize.
In my humble opinion, I felt that was what I had to do.
If I lock him in a place only I know of,
it will remain as a disagreement between a father and son.
But if you lock him in State Prison, it becomes a political matter.
If the Minister of Punishments or the Inspection Department finds out,
I judged that the problem would only get bigger.
Yeong Mu.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Do not do this again.
Why do you also disobey my orders?
Do my orders seem trivial to you...
now that you are a general?
Of course not, sir. I just...
Do only what you are told.
Do not make your own judgments.
Just do as I say. Understood?
Yes, Your Majesty.
If we were on the battlefield,
I would have already killed you.
I cannot live in fear like this.
What if I get arrested too?
No, what if my father finds out before then?
This is driving me crazy.
Why are you surprised upon seeing your father's face?
It upsets me for no reason.
It is not that...
Come with me.
What are you planning on eating?
I am not going to eat anything.
I plan on inviting Seong Gye...
I mean, His Majesty, over soon.
- His Majesty? - Yes.
I am going to catch a roe deer and roast it for him.
When we were roaming the battlefields together,
he would love it when I did that for him.
He said that he was craving it.
All sorts of delicacies go on the royal food table.
Even still, it is just a meal he must eat alone.
Goodness. After he lost Her Highness, the Queen,
he lost his appetite as well.
But...
what did you want to tell me?
Do not do anything foolish.
What do you mean?
Do not visit Grand Prince Jeongan's home...
and get involved in it.
I have no idea what you are talking about.
I hear everything.
Bang Gan began gathering a private army, and Bang Ui soon followed.
This time, it is Bang Won...
who brings in a private army and trains them.
They must not do that just because Her Highness is dead.
The elder brothers must not threaten...
to take the position of Crown Prince away from their young brother.
If you roam around with a sword in your hand,
you end up wanting to cut whatever is in your path.
I was wondering what you were talking about.
Jeongan is not that kind of person.
He must train them in advance...
so that he can fight against foreign enemies if they come.
Stop with that nonsense.
Even if they reach out to you,
do not dare to take part.
His Majesty will not forgive you.
And I,
your father, will never forgive you either.
If anyone disobeys the King's orders, no matter who that may be...
will become my enemy as well.
Understood?
Yes.
Are you starting training again right away...
despite the warning you received from His Majesty?
Would it not be better to avoid his suspicions for the time being?
We have already seen through one another.
Being cautious will not change anything.
To be honest, I was thinking of a far off future.
One day, when His Majesty passes away...
It will be too late then.
If we wait until then, we might be attacked first.
He could give the Crown Prince the throne...
and step back from power.
Hence, we should not be replacing the Crown Prince.
We must replace the King.
Then that would require power that is hundreds of times stronger.
That is true, but...
Send Lord Ha Ryun to me.
I will finish up the specific plans.
Okay.
I will do that.
After deciding to undertake the great work,
he has become a different person.
He has become very strong and cold.
He should be.
(Lady Song, Lee Bang Won's mother-in-law)
Honestly, he used to have a soft side.
Well.
I am not sure why, but I do not welcome this change entirely.
I thought I could have him in my hand.
It is as if he has suddenly grown big and has become overwhelming.
You do not have to worry.
Our daughter will handle him.
You should proceed to the Royal Court.
You are here now.
Oh, it is you.
Yangchon, who had left for Ming as an envoy, has returned.
Has he?
Did he resolve the issue?
Are all the detained envoys back as well?
I think our relationship with Ming has broken down.
Broken down?
I begged him to calm down.
I tried everything to stop him.
But nothing worked.
In the end, the Emperor...
killed all the detained envoys...
from Joseon.
I was the only one who survived.
Please kill me.
What was...
the problem?
Why did the Emperor of Ming do such a thing?
The detained envoys...
wanted to pray for the peace of Her Highness' soul.
So, they wore white clothes.
It was for the Crown Prince...
who has been wearing mourning clothes for the three-year mourning period.
However, the Emperor was upset about it.
Because they did not wear what he gave them...
and wore different clothes.
Everyone...
was beheaded.
You should all leave.
Leave!
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
It is utterly deplorable.
How could this happen?
Yes, we should not be quiet about it.
How could he kill envoys?
Forget about being respectful.
We have no reason to respect such a person as Emperor.
That is right!
What he did was worse than a brute.
That is why Master Sambong should have been there in the first place.
Are you still talking about that?
What are you willing to do after sending me to Ming?
What are you talking about?
I cannot understand you at all.
You cannot? Then I will explain.
During the Goryeo Dynasty,
there was a sly man who worked for Courtier Lee In Im during the day...
and worked for the local nobility at night.
That man is now a part of the Royal Court.
I wonder who he works for now...
and what schemes he has up his sleeves.
You are changing the subject.
We are discussing diplomacy now.
The diplomatic relationship with Ming that you have wrecked.
That is also my point.
In these grave times...
when we must join forces to deal with an impossible Emperor,
what else do you have in mind?
I hear there are those who desire the Crown Prince's position.
Have you joined their side?
Is that why you are waiting for me to leave the Royal Court?
What a leap that is!
You are being unreasonable.
There is no one planning such a scheme.
It is better for you to keep quiet.
Unless you wish to hear that it is your guilty conscience speaking.
What did you just say?
Did you not hear me?
Should I repeat myself?
Should I reveal who you are...
in front of more people with a louder voice?
I feel pity for His Majesty.
He has a family of thieves as in-laws.
What is Master Sambong talking about?
Are you two planning a disloyal scheme?
No way.
He treats everyone he does not like in this way.
He speaks so brutally.
Master Sambong.
Master Sambong!
What is the meaning of what you just said?
Desiring the place of the Crown Prince?
Tell me about it.
You must tell me.
We are in the same boat!
Is that true?
Yes, it is definitely true.
Then why have we not done anything?
We must have them arrested at once.
We do not have evidence yet.
Only suspicions.
Oh, my.
Then, what are you going to do now?
Are you going to do nothing?
No.
I will attack them first.
How?
As we decide on the date,
Park Po from Hwangju, Park Eun from Chunju,
and Lee Sook Beon will bring soldiers from Ansan.
(Currently called Hwangju, Chuncheon, and Ansan)
Grand Prince Jeongan, please greet them inside the palace...
with your private soldiers.
After gathering the soldiers,
we will take the Three Armies Command and the Royal Parliament.
(Military management office, government management office)
Then we will surround the palace and ask His Majesty...
to dethrone the Crown Prince and replace him.
Yes, understood.
By the way, do you not have to join forces with your other brothers?
We should rather avoid that.
Grand Prince Youngan follows His Majesty no matter what.
Sadly, the other brothers are not on Bang Won's side either.
Yes, I see.
I will contact the others and tell them to have soldiers ready.
Yes. Be careful.
Their identities must not be revealed.
Do not worry.
I will get going.
Master Sambong...
is at our tail.
It would be better to hurry.
Yes, I will.
Have a safe journey.
This is finally it.
This is the beginning.
You have also called for soldiers.
Tell me honestly.
(Grand Prince Ikan, Lee Bang Ui, Lee Seong Gye's third son)
About what?
(Grand Prince Hoian, Lee Bang Gan, Lee Seong Gye's fourth son)
Do you covet the throne?
It is okay. Tell me honestly.
I have never thought of such a thing.
Just as you said, you never know what might happen.
Then back me.
What?
The Queen is dead and gone.
How can young Bang Seok keep the throne?
Once His Majesty dies, a fight will break out among us brothers.
So please...
Support me.
Then I will...
suppress Bang Won.
Help me do that. Please.
Only that...
will cleanse the humiliation of Joseon...
and strengthen the Crown Prince's authority.
Please give your permission.
The resistance will be great.
All I need is your command.
Who would dare disobey you?
Please give your permission.
I wish to ask you something.
What is it?
You may speak up.
Yes.
What will you do...
if you end up going against His Majesty?
What if you surround the Palace...
and the King insists on standing his ground to fight?
What will you do then?
If he approaches you wielding his sword,
what will you do?
Can you unsheathe your sword too?
Can you strike it against your father?
I do not know.
But...
I can tell you one thing.
This child's life will be in danger if I fail.
To prevent that,
I will do anything.
Here, we have plenty. Have some more.
Thank you so much.
- Eat your fill. - I will.
You can have more too.
A noble lady like you cooking for us in person.
Why not leave it to the slaves?
I cannot let others serve such valuable soldiers like you.
I must serve you myself.
Well...
Relax and eat.
But if there happens to be a fight,
please fight with all your heart.
That goes without being said.
I will fight with my life just for your sake alone.
Thank you.
I will fight hard too, please give me more.
Of course.
Thank you.
I will enjoy this.
- Would you like more soup? - I would indeed.
I will bring you some right away.
I bring the King's command.
The Jeolla Province Commander is to accept the King's command.
As of this day, all private soldiers are to be disbanded.
Jeolla Province Commander, Grand Prince Jeongan Lee Bang Won...
is to return the military roster and royal seal.
All men and weapons are to be...
transferred to the Palace.
What is going on?
Why are you taking my men so abruptly?
It is the King's command. Please obey.
Please return the military roster and royal seal.
Do not just stand there!
Get outside and stand in line!
We only obey our commander.
Do as I say!
Those who do not obey will be cut down!
(The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won)
What will you do with so many men?
I will attack the Yodong Peninsula.
We must not! Please hear our plea!
If you attack Yodong now, Joseon will perish.
I will keep that in mind.
Make way.
We are on our way to repair the Queen's tomb.
His Majesty seemed gravely ill.
I did not expect this.
I think it is an opportunity.
That is who I already am.
In front of you...
will be a growling beast covered in blood.
I am now a monster.