UNDER THE QUEEN'S UMBRELLA
EPISODE 3
He must be at that place again.
We must get rid of it.
As long as the secret chamber exists, it will remain a risk.
Yes, we must.
-We must get rid of it. -Your Majesty.
Even if someone finds that place,
there will not be a problem as long as Grand Prince Gyeseong is not there.
We will say that those feminine items belong to a court lady.
Until the exam is over,
he must not even set foot in that place.
It is true.
I witnessed it with my own eyes.
In the royal palace, one is to forget
everything that they see and hear.
Do you know why?
If what you say is true, he will face death. But if not,
it is your life that will be taken, Consort Ko.
Do you still stand by what you are saying?
I cannot be certain,
but I believe I saw Grand Prince Gyeseong--
Do you expect me to believe something you cannot be certain of?
Who else did you spread this groundless rumor to?
I did not, Your Royal Highness.
You are the only person I have told.
I fear for Prince Simso.
He must not have had a good upbringing from a mother like you.
You clearly said you were not certain.
-Pardon? -It is not true
unless you are certain of it.
If I ever hear a similar rumor in the palace,
I will assume that you have been running your mouth.
You said you wished to repay me for the book.
-Yes, Your Royal Highness. -The only thing I want in return
is that you provide Prince Simso with proper education and guidance.
If you understand, you may leave.
Where have you been?
I went for a walk.
Let us go walk some more.
Refrain from taking walks for the time being.
Concentrate on your studies until the exam is over.
Focus only on your lessons
and nothing else.
I will not skip my lessons.
I will also study hard.
However, please allow me to keep taking walks.
It is the only time I can breathe.
Do as I say until the exam is over.
Is there a reason I must become a cohort?
Do you not want to?
If that is not the case, give it a try.
Do you remember what I recently said?
You never know what will happen in the palace.
Therefore,
I would like to be able to lay my hopes on you.
Hwan.
Could you do as I say
just this once?
CHOSI: FIRST EXAMINATION OF COHORT SELECTION
-Is it good? -Yes.
It is made with musk, loquat, and other medicinal herbs
that are good for the brain.
It is said to enhance concentration rapidly.
I guess Mother could not make it.
She is the busiest person in the kingdom.
Always remind yourself.
Our mother is the Queen.
Are you ready?
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
You look fairly confident.
There must have been rather insufficient time to prepare.
That word is not in my vocabulary.
I mean, the word "insufficient."
You remind me, Consort Hwang,
of my younger self.
What happened?
He said he was going to take a nap, so I thought he was asleep
and would wake up soon.
But he has not regained his consciousness ever since.
Crown Prince.
Wake up, Crown Prince.
Why did his condition worsen all of a sudden?
I saw him this morning,
and he seemed…
perfectly fine.
His condition is deteriorating.
What is this?
It is a journal that His Royal Highness has kept for the past year.
Do you mean…
this was recorded by the Crown Prince himself?
Yes, Your Majesty.
From the dates and times when he collapsed to the treatments that he received,
he recorded every little detail.
He used to collapse about once every two weeks.
But now he collapses every three to four days.
Are you saying he collapses more frequently?
-Yes, Your Majesty. -More importantly,
he remains unconscious for longer periods.
Your Majesty.
Rumors have spread in the palace that His Royal Highness is gravely ill.
Just because he skipped his morning lesson?
It must be because it never happened before.
What if His Royal Highness cannot attend his daytime lesson either?
I do not reckon that His Royal Highness is fit enough to go about daily life.
He will need to focus on his recovery for his symptoms to improve.
-Eunuch Hong. -Yes, Your Majesty.
Cancel all of the Crown Prince's schedule.
They are starting.
Those who score high on the first exam today
shall be given a chance to proceed to the second exam.
Reveal the question.
We are going to build an embankment
with a width of 6 ja 4 chi at the top and a width of 1 gil 5 ja 6 chi
at the base.
The height is 6 ja and the length is 3 ri 74 bo.
Each worker can complete 364 ja to the power of 3 per day.
It takes an additional one-fourth of the total workload
to take the soil out of the hole.
How many workers will be needed?
Along with your answer, explain how you reached that conclusion.
If you have studied arithmetic
using books such as Sanhakgyemong and Sangmyeongsanbeop,
you will be able to solve the question easily.
We shall move on to the composition question.
-There is another question? -Apparently.
"Yu, sil, and shin."
Using these Chinese characters,
discuss the proper behavior of a wise man
who understands the essence of life.
Reveal the next question as well.
There is yet another question?
This is worse than the civil service exam.
You may begin.
May my son pass the exam.
How are you feeling?
Are you still feeling light-headed?
No, I am feeling better now.
That is a relief.
-Get some more rest. -No.
I am not finished with my daily lessons.
You do not need to appear in public for the time being.
Focus on your recovery.
I cannot do that.
Your Royal Highness.
This happened because you returned to your daily life hastily.
However, Mother,
I have my duties as the Crown Prince.
You cannot fulfill them…
if you lose your health.
Mother.
If I do not attend to my duties, the palace will be in confusion.
Then are you confident that you will not collapse in public?
Will you be able to manage your symptoms?
I am telling you to return to your duties after you recover.
Even if it is just for two weeks,
I want you to focus on your recovery.
Your Majesty, it is Court Lady Shin.
The examination has just begun.
What are they being tested on?
On arithmetic and composition, Your Majesty.
The questions differ from those of the past,
so the examinees seem perplexed.
His Majesty also posed one rather unusual question.
An unusual question?
Reveal the final question.
Draw one line to create two half-moons.
You should not overthink it.
Think out of the box, and you will find the answer.
We will end the examination.
The answers are just as bizarre as the question.
What in the world is this?
But is that not correct?
He created two half-moons by drawing one line
as the question required.
I agree.
It is very thick, but he did draw one line, so I agree it is correct.
He thought out of the box as His Majesty said.
I would argue that these answers are much more correct.
Yes.
They folded the paper to create a full moon,
which they then split in half.
They surely are excellent as well.
There is no one correct answer to that question.
Remain seated.
Any answer that makes sense shall be deemed correct.
Let me see.
I have never thought of this.
How interesting.
When will the results be announced?
Are the results not predictable?
What do you mean by that?
All the princes have been secretly tutored.
It does not end there. Some even hired geobyeok, expert scribes.
Not only Jonghak tutors and Sungkyunkwan students
but also the tutors of the Crown Prince at Sigangwon have been hired.
My goodness.
-By whom? -Whom else?
Those darned distinguished concubines.
But that is against the rules, is it not?
It gave them a head start. What are we, mothers without resources, to do?
Darn it.
What if Prince Bogeom fails the exam?
I think the purpose of the exam today is to screen out the examinees.
How many will be eliminated?
Only those who achieve top scores will proceed to the second exam.
Everyone else will be eliminated.
That is extremely harsh.
"Gong," meaning "together."
"Jo," meaning "to help."
I believe all of you understand the meaning of the word "gongjo."
This word is our sign.
If you see this word, it means it is Prince Uiseong's answer sheet.
TONG: OUTSTANDING
"Pass"?
Who in the world had the audacity to give him this poor grade?
DAETONG: PARTICULARLY OUTSTANDING
Here is the answer to the arithmetic question.
Who gave this absurd answer?
Have a look at this.
This examinee is trying to lecture the examiners in his answer.
He must have thought he could scribble whatever sprang to his mind.
Give him a "bangoe" and be done with it.
BANGOE: UNDESERVING OF A GRADE
Unbelievable. Here you go.
-"Based on the provided information, -…provided information,
-the number of workers required… -the number of workers required
would be close to 1,413.
In reality, however, that number would be erroneous,
for the number should vary depending on the season.
Productivity decreases in spring
compared to summer as the days are shorter.
In autumn, productivity varies even more greatly
as most workers are farmers.
Therefore, the mobilization of farmers should be avoided during the harvest.
Also, the work hours should not interfere with the harvest.
In short, when calculating the number of workers required for public works,
one should consider the season
as well as the circumstances that the people are in.
PRINCE UISEONG, PRINCE BOGEOM
As expected, Prince Bogeom made the list.
Consort Tae must be so proud.
GRAND PRINCE SEONGNAM GRAND PRINCE GYESEONG
Wait a second.
Why are those names on the list?
What is going on?
I have no idea.
What an unexpected outcome.
Forgive me, Mother.
But I did my best.
How could you say that after seeing those results?
Even the worst student at Jonghak passed.
So did Grand Prince Gyeseong, that freak.
How could you…
How could you say that you did your best?
The princes who passed the first examination
shall take the second examination in four days.
-Yes, Your Majesty. -Yes, Your Majesty.
My Queen, what brings you here?
I have been waiting to discuss an important matter with you.
What is the matter?
It concerns the Crown Prince.
His Royal Highness was absent from his daytime lesson as well?
Yes. It seems that he has caught a cold.
That cannot be it.
I presume that something much worse happened to him.
The selection process this time around…
might not simply end with a cohort selection.
Then we shall speak in private.
No, Your Majesty.
Most officials here are also the tutors of the Crown Prince at Sigangwon.
I would like their opinion
on deciding the future schedule of the Crown Prince.
The future schedule of the Crown Prince?
Yes. To be precise,
I ask you to grant him your permission to visit a hot spring.
Has his skin disease gotten worse?
No, Your Majesty.
It is to prevent it from getting worse.
A visit to a hot spring was recommended by his physician.
The officials are occupied with the cohort selection lately.
If the Crown Prince needs a change of air,
this would be the perfect time.
Your Majesty.
It is true that the authoring and grading of the exam
have prevented us from paying full attention
to the daily lessons of His Royal Highness.
Your Majesty.
His Royal Highness is the heir to the throne.
Devoting himself to learning should be his top priority.
However,
nothing would matter more than the health of the Crown Prince.
See? I told you.
What did I do?
You said the situation of the Crown Prince was dire.
I was not the only one who said that.
Also, why would he need a change of air if he was in good health?
It is just a skin disease.
It is no news that he is suffering from it.
I also want to visit Onyang and relax in a hot spring.
We will be serving you in the quarters of Her Majesty starting today.
The Crown Prince went for a change of air.
Did you not say that the Queen Dowager implied that his condition was grave?
Yes, it definitely sounded quite serious.
But the Queen said that it was a mere skin disease.
I will closely watch the quarters of the Queen.
By the way, what happened in the first exam?
After all the preparation, Prince Uiseong failed to come in first place.
The King posed a question that had not been planned.
Who would have foreseen such an unusual question?
This may be a good thing.
Now we have learned
that His Majesty can act unpredictably at any time.
Now that we know, we can better prepare for the second exam.
You are right.
The first exam results are of no importance anyway.
What matters is the second exam.
No matter what move the King makes this time, we will be prepared.
We will be.
The prince who becomes the cohort of the Crown Prince
will be able to take his place.
The news of the departure of His Royal Highness
managed to suppress rumors about his disease.
Rumors are covered by rumors.
However, we can hide the truth for only so long.
The Crown Prince must recover in time
and prove he is completely healthy.
It is time to face…
the true side of Grand Prince Gyeseong.
Welcome.
Her Royal Highness has been waiting for you. Please.
I am more nervous than on my first night with His Majesty.
Even though this is strictly confidential,
Prince Bogeom came in first place in the first exam.
Oh, my goodness.
Is that true?
I was elated that he proceeded to the second exam.
But he even came in first place? This is unbelievable!
Forgive my ungraceful behavior, Your Royal Highness.
A mother is meant to laugh and cry over every event in the life of her child.
Who knows? Prince Bogeom may end up becoming a cohort.
That would be absolutely wonderful.
However, Prince Bogeom does not have the Queen as his mother.
Also, his maternal relatives are not as powerful as those of Prince Uiseong.
He has no one to have his back.
I could not even find him tutors like the distinguished concubines.
I am well aware that it will take far more than his own capabilities.
Then,
what if I support Prince Bogeom?
Are you confident in making him the cohort?
It makes no difference to me who the mother is.
Each of them is my precious grandson.
So I am thinking of having his back as his grandmother.
Oh, my.
As long as he has your support, he could do anything.
As long as you keep the promise you made to me the other day,
I am willing to provide my grandson with the position that he deserves.
What do you say?
But what can you give me in return, Consort Tae?
I will obey
whatever orders you give me.
What if…
it is your life that I want?
How would I forget that promise?
After all the kindness you have shown me, I will always remain loyal to you.
Would there be a way
to keep Grand Prince Gyeseong away from that place for the time being?
How can I stop him?
I know.
There is a way.
Why is Mother doing this?
I never study even when I am alone. Being with you certainly will not help.
She has been acting strange lately.
Brother.
I refuse to answer any academic questions.
Have you been studying behind our backs?
Not at all. I was just lucky.
Do you have any snacks with you?
-He is dead? -Yes, Your Majesty.
Royal Physician Yoo Sang-uk passed away long ago.
Why? What happened?
He is said to have spent some time treating the plague in Gangwon-do
after he left the palace.
And?
But not long after,
he and his son died in a house fire.
There was another fire?
Is it certain it was Royal Physician Yoo Sang-uk who died?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Apparently, his burned body was found
along with his belongings.
That means…
there is no one left who remembers what happened back then.
All the records
and people…
disappeared in fires.
Her Majesty went so far
as to deceive His Majesty and hid the Crown Prince in her quarters?
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
Is the Crown Prince unable to even walk now?
No, Your Royal Highness.
Her Majesty was told that he would recover within two weeks
if he postponed his plans and focused on his recovery.
That is why Her Majesty is pretending that he is away.
Are you saying the Crown Prince is recovering?
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
He is recuperating.
Court Lady Shin.
Among the Grand Princes, who do you think is the brightest?
In my humble opinion, it is Grand Prince Gyeseong.
I see.
You have watched him grow up.
What is your opinion of him?
He is the gentlest and the most good-natured Grand Prince of all.
Court Lady Shin.
I heard a dreadful rumor about him is spreading in the palace.
Have you heard of it?
Pardon?
A dreadful rumor?
Forget it.
You may leave.
She confessed that His Royal Highness is in the quarters of Her Majesty.
She must be telling the truth.
It seems that Her Majesty
is unaware of the secret of Grand Prince Gyeseong.
What shall we do?
Both Her Majesty and His Majesty should know about it
as it concerns their own child.
Why is the treatment not taking effect?
All known remedies are being employed,
but it is difficult to ascertain what the problem is.
Your Majesty.
There is a problem.
Her Royal Highness seems to have found out about Grand Prince Gyeseong.
What shall we do?
If she really has, she will attempt to find evidence.
I have to stop Grand Prince Gyeseong from going to that place.
I am going to his quarters.
Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness has asked for your audience urgently.
Please tell her I will visit her this evening.
I cannot make time at the moment because of banquet preparations.
She said that it concerned Grand Prince Gyeseong.
Go and check if the banquet is being prepared properly.
Report to me immediately if there is any problem.
Yes, Your Majesty.
My Queen.
Where are you headed?
I was on my way to the quarters of Her Royal Highness.
How thoughtful of you.
Her Majesty makes sure this old woman does not feel lonely.
You came at the right time.
I am going for a walk with His Majesty.
Would you care to join us?
I would be delighted if you joined us.
With pleasure.
He is not in. He went for a walk.
When did he leave?
He left just a moment ago, so he could not have gone far.
I see.
Excuse me.
Is everything well with Grand Prince Gyeseong?
The Queen Dowager had just sent someone here as well.
Your Majesty.
Would you like to visit a place you have never been to before?
Is there such a place in this palace?
The palace is quite a labyrinth.
Even I sometimes stumble upon new places.
Is that right?
Your Majesty.
There is a problem with the banquet.
You need to come immediately.
If you will excuse me, I must leave you now.
The banquet is not until tomorrow.
What is the hurry?
It is the banquet held following the sacrificial rite.
It is to be prepared with utmost care.
Due to my incompetence, there has been a mistake.
Would you be so kind as to come with me
and share your wisdom with me?
I am merely an old woman who has never been the Queen.
I would be of no help.
I would only be a burden.
You may leave, My Queen.
Your Majesty.
Let me stay with you and escort you myself, Mother.
I was going to show you a rather amusing sight.
It is such a shame, Your Majesty.
Shall we, Mother?
I have never been here before.
I presumed so.
Down this path,
there is a secret chamber hidden from view.
A secret chamber?
Yes.
Are you not curious to find out just what is hidden there?
Your Majesty. As the chamber was unoccupied, there were no casualties.
The fire will be extinguished shortly.
It is nothing serious, so you do not have to worry.
The fire has yet to be contained. We must leave.
Her Royal Highness is here.
You may all leave.
The fire was a rather spectacular sight.
A fire surely does not occur very frequently in the palace.
I was too late this time.
But next time, I shall reveal
the ugly truth about Grand Prince Gyeseong to the whole world.
A fire destroys many things.
There is no evidence left whatsoever.
Who would believe what they cannot see?
Your Majesty.
My grandson whom you are hiding in your quarters…
He had better regain his health.
You should also bring the rest of your sons to their senses.
Otherwise, I shall replace those sickly and detestable brats
with worthy ones to protect my own son.
It must be your specialty
to drag down the son of the Queen
and set the son of a concubine on the throne.
Yes, it is indeed.
I have done it once. Who is to say I cannot do it again?
That was one huge fire.
I thought I was going to die in that fire.
My goodness, I am exhausted.
SUSEONGGEUMHWASA: FIRE SUPPRESSION OFFICE OF THE PALACE
-There is something I must ask. -Yes, Your Highness.
How did you extinguish a fire in such a secluded place so quickly?
We received a report soon after the fire started.
Who was the first person to report the fire?
It was a court lady.
I heard people saying that she serves Her Majesty.
Was it you, Mother?
Yes.
It was me.
How could you do that?
If you found that place, you must know the truth about me.
How could you be so cruel to me?
There are eyes and ears all around us.
Lower your voice.
You destroyed my everything.
It was to protect you.
How was that supposed to protect me?
Did you do that because you were ashamed of me?
You are the one who hid yourself.
And you are the one who failed to hide it and got caught.
You could have turned a blind eye.
You could have just looked the other way.
Are you happy now that you have burned that place to the ground?
Do you know why I burned that place down?
I shall show you.
Meet me outside the East Gate.
Follow me.
Now!
Are you all right, Your Majesty?
Of course not.
I lost my son overnight.
What will I do about the cohort selection?
But you see,
I tried to imagine how he must have felt
when he failed to overcome it and had no choice but to accept it.
He must have been so scared.
That is why…
I could not look the other way.
I am his mother.
You know everything about me now.
Be careful.
Had I not shown you the secret shortcut earlier,
you would not have been able to set the fire in time.
Does that make us even, Your Majesty?
Says who?
Take it.
But you know,
if you take it, there is no turning back.
We must…
pull ourselves together now.
Starting from tomorrow,
the real battle begins.
One may have very different wishes
from those of others.
However,
one should not reveal everything in their heart.
Whenever
you want to see your true self,
look at that painting.
Did it make you upset?
When I first found out,
I was at a loss for a while.
But…
I was not upset.
No matter how you look,
you will always be my child.
This is my favorite hairpin.
It used to belong to my mother.
I would have given it to my daughter if I had one.
It is yours now.
There will come a day
when those who have different wishes from those of others
no longer have to hide.
UNDER THE QUEEN'S UMBRELLA
It was the best decision I could make to protect your brother.
Once the Crown Princess gives birth, he will have no choice but to appear.
There is a disease called hyeolheogwol.
I want to find a physician who can treat it.
I wish to discuss the problem of the hut village in Seochon
with my princes today.
No one will notice even if we go out.
I need you to help me this time.
How could he not show up to his princess' delivery?
Has the Crown Prince not returned?
Subtitle translation by: Min-jin Kim