(This drama is a work of imagination based on historical figures.)
(It may include fictitious details and psychological description.)
Fresh persimmons...
and marinated crab.
(Episode 11)
Let me see.
Who served...
this food to me?
All right.
Let me see.
You wench!
It is not Mother.
I will get the punishment.
What?
Please punish me.
Oh, yes?
- Your Majesty. - I am fine.
- Head Eunuch. - Yes, Your Majesty.
- Let us go. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Are you all right, Mother?
It is not me.
I did not prepare that food.
I know that you did not do it.
Grandmother.
I am begging you.
Please take care of my mother.
That is all I ask of you.
I will do so.
Thank you for your generosity.
Stay at your family's house for the time being.
Crown Prince.
Princess Hwawan.
Stay here.
Everyone, leave.
What is the matter?
Is there anything you want to say?
The Crown Prince asked you to take care of Queen Hong.
It seems he and you have become very close...
without my knowledge.
How can a grandmother and a grandson...
that do not share even a drop of blood be so close?
But for today, I cannot help but do him a favor.
Because I am indebted to him.
- Indebted? - It is not just me.
You and Consort Moon are also indebted to him.
If it were not for him,
all of us would have gotten into big trouble today.
If His Majesty had hit Queen Hong,
what do you think would have happened then?
You would have been the next.
Then Consort Moon and me.
There is no way Father would have done it.
He adores me very much.
How can you be so foolish?
Of course, you are his beloved daughter.
When you are a daughter acting cute.
Think about it.
When he lost his authority,
what did he do to his child?
I do not care about the person...
that tempted you to plot this,
but...
you dragged me into this. How dare you!
I was actually going to meet you.
Yes.
Is Court Lady Park doing well?
I have been cherishing you for a long time.
I have always had this thought.
That I need you.
But...
I do not need you anymore.
I will see you again.
Duk Im.
He is in trouble.
The Crown Prince is in trouble.
What?
Master.
Lady Sung. What is the matter?
I have a favor to ask of you. Please let me in.
You are not a court maid from the King's Palace who got permission.
Just for a moment, please.
I would like to do so, but I cannot. I am sorry.
Master.
Are you on the way to meet His Highness?
Yes.
Can you give this to him?
- What is this? - It is for treating burns.
In case he needs one.
It cannot be used unless it is from the royal physician.
I know.
Still, could you please just hand it to him...
Why should I bother handing something that cannot be used?
Figures.
Is it how court maids survive in the palace?
Thank you.
Did the royal physician visit?
Yes.
Then head to the King's Palace now.
You need to beg His Majesty for forgiveness.
I know. Everything is a conspiracy to slander you.
Still, you need to go.
He has not ordered to take back the regency.
(Regency: Taking the throne in the interim)
It is time to go over the national affairs.
This is where I should be.
I will wait here...
for His Majesty's decision.
I will let the Dongdukhoe members...
know of your intention.
Go ahead.
Master Hong.
Are you coming from the East Palace?
- Yes. - Have you seen Maid Sung?
No, I have not.
If you happen to meet her,
tell her not to worry...
Never mind.
You may leave.
Yes, Your Highness.
Master Hong, is His Highness okay?
- What about his wound... - Ask him yourself later.
You fool.
There is nothing you can do.
Nothing at all.
You decided not to have stupid emotions.
I am sure that the Crown Prince planned this for a very long time.
He was seeking for a chance to disdain and laugh at me...
for killing my older brother to seize the throne.
No, I said no.
San is not that kind of person.
San is a decent boy.
He is not like his father.
Could Queen Hong be behind it?
Yes, that wench did not show it,
but she has always resented me.
How dare she laugh at me behind my back?
I can never forgive her.
Is it not right?
Why have you been so quiet?
I am asking you a question!
Do you think my words are a joke?
I was only...
obeying your command.
My command?
You told me not to share what I think at all times.
To serve you by your side,
pretending not to see or hear anything.
So there is only one thing I can do.
I can only light the path you take.
Then light it properly.
Do you want to be forgiven?
Yes.
Then,
say that your mother did it.
If your mother takes the blame,
it will not be your doing.
And get rid of my mother...
from my life?
Just as I got rid of my father?
I already told you.
My mother did not do it.
Then,
who did it?
Princess Hwawan? Consort Moon?
Who is the sinner?
Your Majesty.
Whose name do you want to hear?
Your dearest daughter's name?
Or your favorite concubine's name?
Whose name should I say...
to soothe your anger?
I hosted that banquet.
Someone dared to serve it to you.
It is my responsibility.
It is my fault.
Punish me.
You are...
already the future king...
who has been ordered to be a regent.
It is either you sit on that throne,
or...
you must die.
Go back to your chamber,
and lock yourself up in there.
I shall...
make a decision soon.
If you were here,
would it...
hurt less?
I know that, even if I stay next to you,
there is nothing I can do for you.
Yet,
I wanted to stay by your side today.
How is Court Lady Park?
She woke up this morning.
She had a bit of congee.
The head lady has found out.
Let us not worry about it already.
I doubt she would kill us.
Have you seen His Highness?
No.
Is that why you were frowning?
When was I?
You do not have to lie to me. I can tell.
You love him so much,
but why do you refuse to be a royal concubine?
Without the head lady's support,
you can still be a royal concubine.
If you just accept his hand.
Why?
Why should I be a royal concubine if I love him?
I do not want to live like that.
What good is it to be a royal concubine?
New ladies will arrive in a row every day.
They will all be from well-known families.
Pretty and young.
Yet, I cannot even complain and must keep my mouth shut.
That is the life of a royal concubine.
Why should I live like that?
His Highness is dear,
but myself is dearer.
So I will never drive myself into pain.
If I cannot have it all to myself,
I would rather not have it at all.
Then why are you crying?
Because His Highness is not well.
His Highness has tried for all his life...
to be a good king.
He has worked hard all his life,
but it all went to waste at once.
Now his life is at stake.
I want to help him,
but I do not know what to do.
If I give you advice,
will you be able to do it?
Court Lady Park.
Will you...
protect his son?
I...
failed to protect the child I raised.
I have regretted the past for all my life.
No matter how much I regret it,
it is impossible to retrieve the past.
However,
now you have a chance.
Do you have any idea?
His Majesty...
has made a promise.
That he will protect the Crown Prince...
and throne him.
However,
he does not remember that.
If His Majesty is suffering from dementia,
and that has caused his memory loss,
you must bring back his memory.
That is the only way for the Crown Prince...
to take the throne.
There is a document.
His Majesty has written it himself...
and stamped the royal seal.
Find that document...
and present it to His Majesty.
And tell him...
to keep the promise...
Crown Prince Sado secured...
with his blood and life.
I am here to see Queen Hong.
Your Highness.
I must see Her Highness now.
Your Highness.
Duk Im.
What is going on?
There was a promise.
The late Crown Prince...
made a promise with His Majesty in return for his life.
This is the proof.
(Bright)
What...
What are you...
Document of Truth.
You must rush to find the Document of Truth.
(Bright)
"Document of Truth"?
What on earth is...
Your Highness.
(Peaks)
Court Lady Park.
Yes, I remember her.
She was a nurse court lady of the late Crown Prince.
I thought she was forced to leave the palace after he had died.
I heard she had been hiding at Laundry Department and waiting.
To deliver the Crown Prince the secret of Document of Truth.
"Document of Truth"?
The late Crown Prince begged His Majesty...
to save his son's life...
and give him the throne in exchange for his life.
His Majesty granted his request.
He wrote his promise and stamped the royal seal.
That paper is the Document of Truth.
I had no idea.
And I only resented him the whole time.
I have been resenting the dead one.
If I had known it,
I would have not resented him this much.
I was not a good wife to him.
No wonder the late Crown Prince did not trust me.
That must be why he did not even leave a clue for me.
He did.
The ring you are wearing.
It is from the late Crown Prince, is it not?
There are three clues that lead to the Document of Truth.
The first one is the hat.
The second one is the ring.
The third one is...
The letter on your shoulder, right?
Yes.
Your father was the late Crown Prince's the most trusted guard.
He tattooed the letter on your shoulder.
That was it.
That was what happened.
You know it now.
That the late Crown Prince trusted you.
And that is why he gave the ring to you.
Thank you...
for saying so.
Your Highness.
Thank you for guarding my chambers during my absence.
You must have already heard the news.
Your Highness.
Lock all the doors of my chambers.
Close the windows...
and lower the blinds.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your Highness.
Actually...
I have something to tell you.
Why did you come without permission?
Do you know how dangerous this is?
This is nothing compared to what will happen from now on.
His Majesty will hold an unscheduled morning assembly.
He ordered the high officials to gather at Royal Office by eight.
We do not know what will happen.
You might end up being dethroned.
Please...
make a decision.
His Majesty is 83 years old.
He already has dementia.
He has lost his judgment.
So?
What King Taejong did to King Taejo.
Make His Majesty...
abdicate to you.
(To abdicate is to renounce one's throne for another person.)
It is the list of the members of Dongdukhoe.
The names of all members are on the list.
Well done.
Are you going to make a move now?
No.
If you pull the net too early,
the prey will run away.
The more they struggle,
the tighter the net becomes.
We need time for that.
Let us give the time to the Crown Prince.
You want me to make His Majesty...
abdicate to me?
Does everyone agree with him?
I asked you.
Your Highness.
His Majesty once said this.
Solely for the people of Joseon,
those who must disappear, must disappear...
and those who must step down, must step down.
Even if...
that includes me.
High treason.
(High treason is the crime of attempting to kill the monarch.)
It is understandable that what we are doing looks like one.
But I dare to think...
that this might be...
what His Majesty truly wants.
I dare to think...
His Majesty told us to come to the Royal Office that night...
just for this moment.
The order His Majesty made when he was healthy...
is the royal command we should obey.
Please think about your sisters.
They can be safe only when you are safe.
What do you think, Left Wing Guard?
I do not think.
I just obey your order.
Therefore, your thought is my thought.
All of you may leave,
except Master Hong.
Did you call them?
Yes, Your Highness.
Without my permission?
It was for your sake.
For my sake?
For my sake...
I will tell you what you should do for me.
Do not...
do anything.
Do not ever intend...
to do anything rebellious.
This is not a rebellious intention.
What I have is loyalty.
Loyalty only for you.
Are you afraid of people's eyes?
Of how your behavior will be seen?
But it is all for this nation.
The people want a strong and wise king...
who can protect them.
Not an old, sick king...
who is not in his right mind,
but you!
They want you.
Please do not be afraid.
So what if I get killed for high treason?
I will be glad to die for you.
I will not sit back...
and lose you...
without trying anything.
How can you not know...
why I cannot do as you say?
The man you call...
an old, sick king...
who is not in his right mind...
is my grandfather...
whom I love with all my heart.
He is my grandfather.
If the entire world tries to bring him down,
I will protect him.
Leave.
What is taking so long?
It is just hard to figure out what His Highness has in mind.
How did it go?
(Five, Bright, Peaks)
So these Chinese characters...
indicate where "Document of Truth" is hidden.
I have no clue.
(Bright, Five, Peaks)
What about now?
Does anything come to your mind?
I am still clueless.
Can you think of anything?
Your father left these characters to your sister.
He probably left something to you as well.
Think carefully.
I am sorry, Your Highness.
Duk Im.
Take good care of the Crown Prince.
Sure, Your Highness.
Duk Im.
You keep shaking.
Right.
Strangely, I am scared.
Should we leave far away?
Why do we not leave everything behind...
and live...
in peace?
Brother.
There is no need to get involved with something dangerous.
I care about you more than anything else.
I also want to live in peace.
A long life without many ups and downs.
But to do that, I need the Crown Prince to be safe.
Why are you willing to go that far for him?
What does he mean to you?
Do not be stupid, and rest now.
You mean, right here?
It could be dangerous.
I will protect you.
I see.
I heard your answer.
What are you talking about?
I did not say anything.
I got you.
Duk Im.
I do not know what "Document of Truth" is...
nor do I know where it is hidden.
However, about that character tattooed on your shoulder,
I know...
one thing.
(Bright)
This character must be split in half.
"Day, month..."
"Five, peak..."
Brother.
I have figured out...
where it is hidden.
My lady. There will be a meeting at 8am.
A meeting that was not in the plan?
Bring the Central Council Supervisor.
Tell him he must come. I have something to give him.
Yes, my lady.
The time has come.
Bye.
Duk Im.
Be careful.
The Crown Prince shall come out and obey the royal command.
Your Highness.
You should be in full dress and come to the Royal Office by 8am.
I will.
Your Highness.
You cannot come in...
- without permission. - Your Highness.
It will only be a moment.
- No. Step back. - Your Highness.
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
It is 8am.
How dare you stand in my way?
- Your Highness. - Let her in.
Are you okay?
Are you hurt?
Your Highness. There is something I must inform you about.
You must hear it.
His Majesty is waiting.
You must go in now, Your Highness.
Your Highness. You must hear it now.
- I must tell... - It is okay, Duk Im.
It is okay. Do not tremble.
I will come back soon.
What do you think you are doing?
My goodness.
I said go.
My goodness.
You should not do that.
Here. You should go now.
I am not your owner.
Is this puppy bugging you?
I will talk to him.
How dare you!
Do you know who this is?
He is the Crown Prince who will be the next king.
Go away immediately.
Yes, Your Highness.
Is that supposed to be funny?
The puppy likes you, Your Highness.
When he was young, he was in the rain with injury,
so I took care of him for a while.
You should keep him.
No.
Why not?
He has already lost his mother when he was young.
He will become even more pitiful if he loses his owner.
Lose his owner?
Why do you say that?
The palace is full of trouble.
And there are a lot of people trying to harm me.
I should not have said that. Forget what I just said.
If you pass away,
I will be forced to leave the palace.
I will not lose my job overnight. Is that not pitiful?
That is absolutely ridiculous. I am not even mad.
Please do not ever say something like that again.
I said I should not have said that.
I keep saying things I should not say to you.
How strange.
Think about what I should do next.
There must be something I can do.
The Crown Prince...
has done me wrong.
I have summoned you all...
to decide how to punish him...
for what he has done.
Crown Prince.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Do you have anything to say?
I was wrong.
About what?
To leave you...
alone...
in the darkness.
You are suffering from critical illness.
You are no longer like you used to be.
You are not well anymore.
So far,
everyone has paid court to you and ignored your illness.
You...
fought it alone painfully.
I should have looked after you...
and protected you.
However, I did not.
Why did I not do what I had to do?
Now that I look back,
I have found out the answer.
Because I bore a grudge against you.
Due to a deep grudge,
I did not want to do anything for you.
However, now I realize...
how childish it was...
to hold a grudge against you.
It was an extravagance I could have...
only because I was alive.
You were a big tree...
that protected me...
all your life.
Now, I have lost the tree,
and my life is in danger.
For the first time,
I wish I still had it, and miss it,
so I am begging you now.
Please trust me.
Please protect me.
As you have always done,
please do so.
Your Majesty.
Keep the door closed tightly.
You wench. How dare you!
I am sorry.
Hey.
Your Highness, it is me.
Sung Duk Kim, a court maid from the East Palace.
I have something urgent to say.
Please allow me to see you.
We are talking about your sin here.
How dare you mention my illness?
What is your intention...
of mentioning it in front of all the high officials?
Do you want to let the whole world know about it?
What on earth are you plotting?
I have been speaking less.
I was worried I could make a slip of the tongue.
I did not meet people either.
I was worried there would be more people who know about my illness.
I did all of it for you.
So that I would not become a burden to you.
But you dared...
to hurt my heart.
Your Majesty.
Please trust me.
There are traitors who slander...
and defame me, the future king.
What? Traitors?
Traitors.
Do you still not know who the real traitors really are?
Here.
(Names of Dongdukhoe Members)
(Prince Consort Kwang Eun, Kim Doo Sung)
(Prince Consort Heung Eun, Jung Jae Hwa)
Central Council Supervisor.
Your Majesty.
Since you brought it,
you tell me...
about the list.
It is the list of the members of an organization called Dongdukhoe.
The Crown Prince gathered his close aides and established it.
To take the throne as soon as he can.
To make you renounce the throne.
He secretly created the secret organization.
Why should I help the Crown Prince?
Whether he becomes the king,
or one of the royal family does,
there is no difference for me.
I will become the queen dowager either way.
Why would I take a risk?
Do you really think so?
Yes. You work for the Crown Prince.
Did you come here to make a deal with me?
Let me hear your conditions.
I did not come here to make a deal with you.
I came to advise you...
to do something you must do.
The Crown Prince is an heir, the son of the Queen.
Losing an heir like him will bring complete chaos to the country.
It is your duty as the Queen of the country...
to prevent the chaos and protect the Crown Prince.
Please go to the Royal Office.
His Majesty is not in his right mind due to dementia.
Still, no one steps up for the Crown Prince.
You are the only one left,
Your Highness.
Hearing you talk about spurious causes only,
it seems you have nothing in your hands...
to make a deal with me.
I do not need to hear more.
You may go now.
I have a good reason for you.
It is an opportunity for you to step up in front of everyone...
and do something as the Queen.
The fate of the country is at stake.
It is not an opportunity that easily comes either.
The Crown Prince will be grateful for your generosity.
Will you miss a chance to show your generosity to a new king?
Just because...
you did not want to take any risk?
If the Crown Prince is dethroned,
Princess Hwawan will be happy about it.
You will become the queen dowager.
The queen dowager who can do nothing but embroidery in her room.
I cherish the smart,
but I cannot forgive the arrogant.
You surely have a way with words.
It is obvious that you are trying to touch me with your words.
But you have changed my mind in the end.
Fine. I will go to the Royal Office.
I will go and ask...
to forgive the Crown Prince.
Acting like a generous grandmother would not hurt.
But that is it.
Do not think of making me do something anymore.
That is enough, Your Highness.
I will tell you about the Document of Truth now.
"Document of Truth"?
What is that?
Central Council Supervisor is trying to slander us.
Dongdukhoe is not an organization what would scheme...
How dare you!
What did I say...
when I sent you to the Crown Prince in the past?
I told you to tell me everything about him.
But you never obeyed my order, even once.
Your Majesty, that is...
Shut your mouth.
You only thought...
about the things you will get...
once the Crown Prince becomes the king.
I did not turn a blind eye because I did not know.
I knew it,
but I let it slide.
Crown Prince.
Do you know why...
I had such high expectations for you?
I do not know.
Because I did not want you to go through...
what I had gone through.
My father...
did not expect anything from me.
No one in the world...
did not expect anything from me.
Even when I was alive,
it was no different from being dead.
Crown Prince.
Can you even fathom...
the misery that I felt?
So...
I had high expectations for you.
I gave you affection which I could never have.
I adored you so much.
I loved you so much.
(The scenes where animals appear...)
(filmed under professional assistance.)
(The Red Sleeve)
Do you want me to die soon?
No.
You seek carnal pleasures.
You neglect your studies.
You complain when you get scolded.
And you even curse your old King to die?
You killed more than 100 people out of insanity.
Did you think you could survive just because you are my child?
Lee San, how dare you!