(Episode 20)
Lady Min.
I am sorry. I should be fighting with the others.
No worries.
They are all brothers to you, Hwa Sang.
I understand.
I am grateful that you understand me.
By the way, why did you change your clothes?
To join the fight...
if I hear we are at a disadvantage.
That will not happen. We have more soldiers, do we not?
Still, you cannot be sure of victory.
Princess!
It is all over. We won.
Did we? Then where is my husband?
He is fine.
He just entered the palace.
The palace?
It seems he wants to take this to the end.
Pardon?
Here you are.
Yes.
(King Jeongjong, Lee Bang Gwa)
Is the fight over?
Yes. I won.
What did you do with Bang Gan?
Did you kill your brother?
I will kill him.
But before I do that, I will get rid of you first.
I already made the Capital into a bloodbath.
Why would I hesitate to kill you?
I will cut down everyone who stops me...
and become a king with bloody hands.
Sure.
That would be a scene to watch.
Yes. It is going to be spectacular.
The people will greet their lunatic King...
while dancing and shedding tears of blood.
The red river starting from the Capital...
will flow everywhere throughout the country.
Do it. Why do you hesitate?
Do it now.
Do it!
Bang Won.
Yes...
Pull yourself together.
However crazy you feel inside, clench your teeth and bear it.
Fight the urge to the very end.
Remain a human being.
Stand up.
Go on.
You may now sit on the throne.
I do not wish to lose another brother.
Bang Gwa.
Be careful.
That throne is a monster.
That monster tore our family to shreds.
It made brother kill brother...
and made sons overthrow their father.
Both our mother and Queen Sindeok...
will be wailing and turning in their graves.
Our family is now finished.
Only that monster remains.
It is now your monster to keep.
You will be able to manage.
Bang Gwa.
I ask of you.
Your Majesty.
My Queen.
Are you all right?
Yes. I am fine.
Nothing bad happened.
(Queen Jeongan of the Kim Clan)
I am sorry for making you worry.
It is over now.
Are you sure?
Yes. I decided to end it.
Now, let us leave.
My dear.
Dear wife.
Are you all right?
Yes.
Did something happen?
No.
Fortunately, nothing bad happened.
I owe it to His Majesty.
He himself...
left the throne to me.
Did he really?
Yes.
Then...
is it your reign at last?
Yes.
My reign has come.
It has come at last.
So you ignored your old father's desperate plea...
and handed over the throne to Bang Won?
I am afraid to say so.
Bang Gwa!
Do you truly wish to see me dead?
Father.
We must stop now. We cannot...
shed any more blood among the family.
That is why Bang Won is the way he is.
He kills whoever stands in his way,
and yet no one is able to stop him.
I thought you would be able to.
I believed you would be able to pull out the blade...
that is lodged in my heart.
Father.
Leave this instant.
- Father. - I said leave!
I will leave, Father.
Park Po is locked in State Prison,
and Bang Gan was sent home for now.
I have men watching him.
Good. You did well.
I confiscated Lord Hoian's military roster and royal seal.
We also sent his men to the Three Armies Command.
Very well.
You all did well.
I am glad you are all safe.
How did things go at the Palace?
You will hear soon.
It is not yet time for me to say.
Overnight, my home...
(Lord Hoian, Lee Bang Gan, Lee Seong Gye's fourth son)
turned into a prison.
Father.
Yes.
(Lee Maeng Jong, Lee Bang Gan's son)
Will we...
be killed?
Yes.
Bang Won will not let us live.
Do not be sad.
Do you think you will be happy to die at 100 years of age?
You will not. You will still be sad.
Do you understand?
Yes, Father.
Go inside and sleep.
Yes, Father.
Bang Gan.
Why did you bother coming here?
Thanks to you, I will die.
Did you come to watch?
(Lord Ikan, Lee Bang Ui, Lee Seong Gye's third son)
I am sorry.
Sorry?
Did you just say you were sorry?
My son will die with me,
and all you can say is that you are sorry?
Why did you not show up?
Say something.
At least make an excuse!
I was afraid.
What?
I was afraid...
of Bang Won.
He is my younger brother,
but I am too afraid of him.
Bang Ui.
I am sorry.
I am truly sorry.
Please forgive...
Please forgive your foolish brother.
I am sorry.
Bang Ui.
Gosh, this is so refreshing.
- Is it refreshing? - It is nice.
Gosh, this is nice.
That is why he should have picked his battles wisely.
Lord Hoian only shortened his life through this.
No. I would have done the same if I was in his place.
If I win, I would get a chance to sit on the throne.
How could you ignore such an opportunity?
Is that so?
I mean, when I heard that Goryeo was in ruins,
I was filled with so much regret.
I asked myself, "Why did I not grab that chance?"
Why did I not take part in the conspiracy against the king?
It was incredibly tragic.
Is that why you participated so enthusiastically in this rebellion?
Yes.
I was waiting for this chance to come.
A chance to see...
the throne flip upside down.
The beginning of a new country...
is dangerous because of people like you.
Everyone wants to overthrow the throne...
to gain something out of it.
My goodness. You speak as though it has nothing to do with you.
What?
Did I do that?
I am sorry.
- Okay. - Let us drink.
Drink up. Goodness, this is nice.
What will you do?
I cannot kill my brother.
I do not want any more bloodshed among our brothers.
His Majesty feels the same way...
which is why he is offering me the throne.
But you cannot let this go.
This incident covered the Capital in blood.
Someone must take responsibility with his life.
I am aware of that too.
Then who will you put forward?
This is wrong.
I did not start it.
I just made a comment.
I did not even participate in the battle.
I cannot pretend like nothing happened.
You must be exiled.
Yes.
Take the slaves.
I will give you land about 165 square meters big...
near your place of exile.
You can live off of that.
Okay, I understand.
Maeng Jong.
Take good care of your father.
Yes, Uncle.
Goodbye, then.
Bang Won.
Thank you for letting me live.
It is what His Majesty wanted.
I know it was what you wanted.
Thank you greatly.
Stay healthy.
Bang Won.
Bang Ui.
Can we talk for a moment?
Yes. Go ahead.
To be honest,
Lord Hoian and I...
That does not matter.
Just do not mention it. That is all you need to do.
Do you understand?
Yes, I do.
I will get going.
Take care.
Yes. Did you say goodbye?
Yes, Your Majesty.
I feel so resentful.
How did we...
end up like this?
Right.
Let us forget the things we cannot change.
We should discuss the future.
I wish to install you as my heir as soon as possible.
What do you think about that?
Please install me...
as the Crown Prince, not just your heir.
The Crown Prince?
But you are my brother, not my son.
Yes. That is true, Your Majesty.
But please make me Crown Prince.
You can adopt me as your son...
and then install me as Crown Prince.
Is there a reason why I must do that?
Even if it means doing that,
I wish to maintain the rule of rightful succession.
That way, this rule will maintain its power in the future.
Okay, then. I will adopt you as my son.
Then, I will make you Crown Prince.
Thank you for your boundless generosity.
In 1400 A.D., the second year of King Jeongjong's reign,
Lee Bang Won was finally installed as the Crown Prince.
And Lee Bang Won's wife, Lady Min,
became Crown Princess.
This couple who overcame years of struggle...
finally took a leap towards becoming King and Queen.
Have you been well, Your Highness?
They are the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
Give them some words of blessing.
Your Highness.
Father.
Please forgive the Crown Prince.
Forgive?
You want me to forgive someone who never even asked for forgiveness?
Your Highness.
Please forgive me.
Really?
Then you should receive your punishment first.
You can only ask for forgiveness...
after you are punished.
When you ask for forgiveness before, it is untruthful.
What punishment do you want me to receive?
The punishment of ending your life.
Your Highness.
If you have nothing more to say, we will be on our way.
I still have more to say.
How long will you keep me locked up in the palace?
Where do you want to go?
Somewhere I do not have to see you.
If that is your attitude,
I cannot let you leave the palace at all.
How will you manage if you cannot even contain your temper?
I am sorry.
As Father said, we cannot continue to keep him locked up in the palace.
To the people, it will look like we are imprisoning our own father.
For now, there is nothing else we can do.
It is to prevent bigger problems.
If we let His Highness go out of the Capital,
it is obvious what will happen next.
He will gather soldiers...
and start a war against me.
No way. He would not do that.
He will.
He definitely will.
You know him too, Your Majesty.
He has great pride as a warrior.
He will not give up until he defeats me.
This is so frustrating.
There is no end to this.
All right. Be on your way.
Yes. We will be on our way.
We will visit you again.
Yes, take care.
Why are you not passing the throne to him now?
I cannot leave the palace...
leaving Father and Bang Won here alone.
If I do, something terrible will happen.
It will not be easy until the very end, will it?
I am sorry.
Please bear with this for a little longer.
I will find a way somehow.
Let us drink.
All the elders in the family have come.
I am very thankful.
My daughter has been crowned the Crown Princess.
So I am throwing a feast.
I hope you enjoy yourselves.
Congratulations.
Someone from our Min Clan is to become queen someday.
How can we not be happy?
With this as the start, I hope you can try harder...
to have the Yeoheung Min Clan prosper.
Yes. I will do my best.
Father, the Crown Princess has arrived.
Has she?
- She is here. - You should go.
Let us go out together.
- Here, take this. - Yes.
- This is nice. - Thank you.
It is a good day!
We are a royal family now.
The Crown Princess is here!
Where?
- Is she? - There she is.
Have you been well?
Welcome, Crown Prince.
Lord Min.
Welcome, Crown Princess.
Mother, what is going on?
Has the entire clan gathered?
Of course not.
All the members of the Min Clan...
would fill more than just a yard.
Pardon?
His Highness, hooray!
- Hooray! - Hooray!
Her Highness, hooray!
- Hooray! - Hooray!
The power of the clan is strong.
I can see why it is a noble family with deep roots.
Yes.
I can see so many great people at a glance.
Right.
Not just the people themselves,
but I can clearly feel the power and intelligence...
that have gathered with them.
(Ha Ryun, State Chancellery Officer)
But, if I were the Crown Prince,
I would feel a bit suffocated.
Pardon?
What?
Nothing.
Let us drink.
Yes. Let us all get drunk.
Finally, it is our world, is it not?
Yes, you are not wrong. Let us drink.
Yes.
- Okay. - Drink up.
- Hello. - Welcome.
Thank you so much for coming.
Enjoy the meal.
- Congratulations. - You came.
You have done great work.
- You are here. - Nicely done.
- Has everything been okay? - Yes.
You came.
Congratulations.
The Crown Princess looks very happy.
It is all thanks to you, Your Highness.
I sincerely congratulate you.
Do not say that.
It is all thanks to you and your sons' hard work.
I will never forget that.
I am very honored to hear that.
I will use whatever power we have in the clan...
to support you, Your Highness.
Our clan will give you all the support...
that lacks from your clan, Your Highness.
I promise you.
Thank you, Lord Min.
This is a document I signed myself.
Use this to show how determined I am.
Seong Gye.
Go to Dongbukmyeon and gather soldiers.
If it is not enough, gather more from Seobukmyeon and the Jurchen.
Then...
advance to the Capital.
Why are you not answering me?
(Lee Ji Ran, a sworn brother to Lee Seong Gye)
Seong Gye.
I have also thought of that.
But, if we do that, Joseon will collapse.
When a civil war breaks out within ten years from its establishment,
the country will collapse quickly.
You know it well, Seong Gye.
We can overpower them instantly.
Bang Won does not know anything about war.
Seong Gye, I cannot do that.
You established the country.
I cannot let it go to ruins.
Ji Ran.
Seong Gye.
I know very well how torn up you are inside.
Still, I cannot do this.
Ji Ran.
Seong Gye. I would rather you kill me.
I hope you both sleep well tonight.
Yes. Return safely, Uncle.
Take care.
I will. Goodbye.
- Go! - We shall get going.
Not being a commander makes me feel so left out.
(An officer in a commanding position)
If you wish, I will make you a commander as well.
Goodness, not at all.
I do not wish to have that many men in tow.
I will leave you now.
Sleep well.
I will. Get home safely.
- Return safely. - I will, Your Highness.
What is on your mind?
It is nothing.
Let us go inside.
Set up a new office to oversee...
the Crown Prince's messengers, transport, clothes, and services.
It will be called the Office of Services.
Within that building...
shall be the Crown Prince's office.
From now on, report there...
and discuss politics with the Crown Prince.
Your Majesty. Why would you say that?
Your Majesty. You are still King.
Thank you.
But please do as I ask.
My heart has already departed from the throne.
Your Majesty.
As you know, my family has been through much turmoil.
The Crown Prince will end the confusion...
and put our nation on a strong foothold.
So I would like you both, as experienced ministers,
to assist him well.
Do that for me.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Yes?
Your father, His Highness, has not taken food or water in days.
What?
Father. Why are you doing this?
Why do you think...
I am doing this?
Have you seen a caged bird?
Did that bird...
seem different from me in any way?
I am in a cage,
and all I can do is eat what I am fed.
Father.
I do not wish to be insulted any longer.
Let me be and leave.
Go.
- What? - I will let you leave the Palace.
Go wherever it is you wish to go.
- Bang Gwa. - I will have a horse ready.
Come out shortly.
Open the gate!
Do not just stand there and open the gate!
Have a safe journey.
Yes, I will see you again.
Your Highness. Where will you go?
We shall go to Dongbukmyeon.
As Crown Prince,
I thought about what this nation needs most.
And that is...
the abolishment of private armies.
Those of you here...
are the people I trust most.
That is why I am telling you this first.
Once discussion commences in the Royal Court,
I need you to support me.
Your Highness.
I cannot do that.
What do you mean you cannot do that?
We will have to give up the soldiers we own as well.
Yes. I only just got military authority.
I cannot give it up so soon.
- Mu Ku. - We are not being selfish.
Our clan must have soldiers...
in order to protect you.
That is the old way of thinking.
Could it be any safer than when the king is in full control of the army?
So many commanders have their own men...
and nothing could be more dangerous than that.
The commanders' military authority will come under the Three Armies Command.
They will no longer be the commanders' private men.
They will become the nation's official army.
Then abolish the private armies of the other commanders,
but let our clan keep our men.
You must always have a final straw to lean on.
Yes. I also think that is right.
Who would agree and follow if I were to have exceptions?
Even if it is to suppress those who disagree,
we must have private armies.
How about we end this meeting here and continue the discussion another day?
If we keep discussing, I am sure we will reach an agreement.
Do that, Your Highness.
You promised me.
To study hard.
Yes, Father. I will study hard.
Take good care of him for me, Mother.
I will leave now.
Have a safe trip, Your Highness.
You too, Crown Princess.
Yes, Mother.
I thought they would agree with me.
Your father and brothers.
Why would they not if it benefits you?
They disagree because they believe it is a harmful idea to you.
Discuss it with them another day.
I thought long enough, and I believe I am right.
So?
I will find someone applicable to write a petition.
I will start an open discussion...
and make it happen.
What is it?
Then what will happen to the opinions of my family?
Will you just disregard them?
My dear, what do you mean?
In my humble opinion,
I would like you to meet my family...
a couple more times to discuss this.
I am asking you to try to convince them.
I do not have the time.
But please do so.
- Dear. - I am asking you, Your Highness.
Do not upset my family.
No matter what others say,
you got this far because of my family's dedication.
So please show them minimal consideration.
My dear...
I am not saying that I will ignore your family's contributions.
How could I forget?
However, this has to do with my duties as Crown Prince.
This is official business as the future king.
Do you understand what I mean?
Then try to convince me.
Excuse me?
If you convince me, you have convinced my family.
Why are you doing this?
What do you mean?
Are you saying you will not discuss things with me either?
Dear.
It is me.
I am your wife.
I have been by your side through everything.
We cried together, we laughed together,
and we discussed matters together.
But are you still refusing?
Are you going to abandon me now?
We did this together.
Naturally, we must lead together as well.
Dear...
I am the King.
And I am the one who made you one.
- Princess! - Do not forget.
I am the one who built you.
I made you.
So...
do not think you will do this alone.
Half of Joseon...
belongs to me.
(The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won)
What did you do that for?
Despite your worries, he did not go out to gather an army.
You cannot fail.
It is all for my late Crown Prince who died in vain.
Please take back your order to abolish private armies.
- Please take it back. - Please take it back.
If the Min Clan leads, everyone will follow.
Do you have a problem with the Min Clan?
I know you may not believe it,
but you were always my first priority.
Please keep that in mind.