Episode 19 HD Version Like Us On Facebook: facebook.com/DramaNice
[Episode 19]
Open the door!
We want to take the exam too!
Give us an opportunity!
- Open the door! - Open the door!
Open the door!
- Open the door! - Open the door!
Open the door!
- Open the door! - Open the door!
For anyone who wants to take the exam,
examination qualifications will be provided!
What is going on?
Minister, shouldn't we stop this?
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty!
An intrusion?
Why did commoners intrude on the examination site?
They came for *Kyeokjaeng to request examination qualifications,
[*Kyeokjaeng: System to report complaints of injustice to the king]
but Lee Jong Sung suddenly opened the door
to let them into the examination site.
He opened the door for them?
What are they doing at the site now?
Governing a nation cannot be done
without benevolence and righteousness.
In accordance, I cannot deny the earnest requests
of the people who came to ask for help.
I will provide them exam qualifications.
We can't accept that, Your Highness.
Why do we have to take the exam with commoners?
- That's right! - That's right!
- Expel them! - Expel them!
- That's right! - That's right!
- Expel them! - Expel them!
It goes against tradition for commoners to take the exam.
- That's right! - That's right!
- Expel them! - Expel them!
- That's right! - That's right!
- Expel them! - Expel them!
Stop your complaints immediately!
What a commotion!
If you expel the commoners,
the commotion will end naturally.
The ones who can expel the commoners from this place are you, not us.
Minister.
Are you not confident?
Or are you afraid of them?
Are you afraid of being defeated by farmers and merchants
so that you lose your chance to pass the exam?
Minister.
If not, sit down and take up your writing brush.
Take it and write an excellent answer
that will be rivaled by none.
That is the only way you can expel them from this site.
Let's begin.
Announce the topic.
[Jin: Proceed]
Here is your task!
What is our nation's most urgent issue?
After resolving it,
how should the nation proceed?
Did the crown prince
go forward with the exam?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Call in *Eoyoungdaejang Hong Bong Han immediately.
[*Eoyoungdaejang: Supreme commander of capital defense]
Call him right away!
Yes, Your Majesty.
What is the crown prince doing now?
I was worried about him since he requested *Chinlim,
[*Chinlim: Royalty visiting a certain place in person]
and now he's finally caused trouble.
What have you been doing?
You should stop your son-in-law from causing such trouble.
They had an argument.
His Highness couldn't...
Do you think this happened by accident?
Yes, of course.
The crown prince went in person coincidentally?
The commoners who wanted to take the exam were gathered there by chance?
Former Minister Lee Jong Sung who was supposed to retire a while ago
appeared and opened the door for them accidentally?
Then...
What are you suggesting?
This was no accident.
It was an elaborate series of plans orchestrated by the crown prince.
If,
and I mean only if,
what the Minister of Defense said is true,
I cannot let His Highness keep his crown.
He should be *Pyeseja!
[*Pyeseja: Deposed as crown prince]
Pyeseja?
How dare you, councillor?
His Majesty wants to see you immediately.
This is why...
In order for this to happen...
That's why he said what he did last night.
Last night?
What happened last night?
What brings you to my home at this hour?
I will be leaving for somewhere far
when the morning comes.
Will you be retiring to the countryside?
You could say that.
I will not ever again
have a chance to be back in office.
But minister...
Do you still think that I was wrong?
You believed I was wrong
for supporting the crown prince in moving forward
with letting commoners take the exam.
Do you think that
I was wrong, minister?
No, you're right.
The crown prince's idea is excessively unconventional.
It is extreme enough it may even be seen as reckless.
If you knew that so well, why did you support His Highness anyway?
Listen, that's what youth is all about.
If it isn't reckless, you can't say it's youthful.
If you don't try it because you're afraid of being broken
or if you don't accept challenge for fear of failure,
you aren't youthful anymore.
Minister.
The crown prince is
just over twenty years old.
He'll be the father of this nation
and the king we serve one day,
but on the other hand,
he's still just a child troubling his father right now.
No parent in this world
can fully understand their own child.
We should consider our children's beliefs, and if they're right,
we should support them.
That's all parents can really do for their children.
After I leave here,
I need you to do that job instead of me.
Even though the crown prince's movements are reckless and even dangerous,
his love for the people will make him a great king.
Could you take his hand
if his actions were driven by his love for the people?
Also...
If you could
take his hand
and for once...
Just for once,
if you can fail with him happily,
there is meaning in that too.
Minister.
I'm asking you to take good care of the crown prince.
This is the last wish of an old man before he goes.
Please don't refuse me.
Talking to Minister Lee Jong Sung last night,
I felt the vehemence of a man who was facing death.
What do you think?
What will happen now?
How far will the impact of this incident reach?
Go to the examination site with your forces immediately.
Go to the site
and stop the exam.
If so,
the crown prince will...
What will happen to the crown prince?
This is a matter of national security.
The crown prince's safety isn't relevant!
Your Majesty.
If you don't want me to take your life first,
go to the site and stop the exam immediately!
Yes.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Forces?
Did His Majesty order the exam be stopped
by sending Eoyoungcheong's forces?
Yes, Royal Secretary.
Step back!
You and your forces are the ones
who should step back.
Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
You're a former Chief State Councillor.
What do you want to achieve by instigating commoners?
You don't know?
He's trying to allow us to take the exam.
Our sons are already inside.
Please let them finish the exam safely.
Shut your mouth!
Taking the exam isn't a crime!
Let them finish the exam!
Please wait until they're finished.
Go away!
- Go away! - Go away!
- Suppress them! - Yes, sir!
No!
Stop!
What is that noise?
He has sent armed men to stop us.
His Majesty's wrath must be worse than we have expected.
Would you consider
stopping the exam now?
If we stop the exam now, I won't get anything.
I need to get the exam results at least
so I can try and persuade my father.
Please...
Please let them continue...
- Please... - No!
No!
Oh God!
Nothing will change
even if we help them now.
But...
We should let the people know exactly
how brutally their king will trample
on their dreams.
Oh my...
Don't listen to anything!
No matter what happens outside,
do not concern yourself with it!
Just think about
how hard it was to get here
and what obstacles
you had to overcome.
Only ask yourself whether or not
you are willing to give up now.
Why can't I do that?
It's because you weren't born a noble!
I know, but...
I can't just give it up.
No...
Don't shout so loudly!
Our sons are taking the exam.
Don't disturb them.
Please...
Please let them finish the exam.
Please...
Right outside the examination site,
other commoners are being beaten!
Let's save them!
- Save them! - Save them!
Stop it!
You must stop the suppression immediately.
Minister!
What happened to you?
I can't do that.
I should end this quickly and escort the crown prince back.
You know how outraged His Majesty is.
More villagers are coming.
Even though His Majesty ordered you to stop the exam,
you shouldn't treat the people so violently.
It'll only cause more resistance.
You should stop the suppression now
and wait until the exam is over.
If you oppress them more,
you don't know how the people will react.
Regardless,
the king ordered....
I will go to the palace now.
I'll persuade His Majesty,
so you should stop this suppression, minister.
Minister!
Stop!
Stop the suppression!
Thank you, minister.
Notify His Majesty of the situation properly.
The exam cannot be stopped?
It was impossible to stop it
because of the people's resistance?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Okay.
Your Majesty.
Understood. You may leave now.
So you retreated?
What did the king say?
His Majesty ordered not to disturb him, so...
What could he be thinking?
This is a serious issue.
The crown prince crossed the line too far this time.
Even the Old Learning Faction cannot accept it.
What do you mean?
Regardless of whether the king has another heir,
they will try and depose His Highness.
I'll now announce the names of those who passed.
For third places...
Kim Chi Man.
Yes, sir!
Song Eul Young.
Yes.
Hong Deok Sul.
Oh! Yes!
Jang Chil Sam.
Yes!
Second places.
Kim Do Hyung.
Yes.
Min Young Wook.
Han Pil Joon.
Yes!
First places.
Shin Jin Hwa.
Yes!
Lee Dal Seok.
Huh?
Me?
That's me!
Yes!
Next is the highest score.
The one with the top score is...
Jang Dong Ki.
Yes!
Well done.
You've done a great job.
You've worked so hard to be here.
Because of you,
Joseon will make a new road.
Dong Ki.
What happened?
What is all this?
I had the highest marks, mother.
I made a top score.
Oh my.
I'm proud of you, my son.
Well done.
You look nice.
Congratulations.
This foolish crown prince
has made you suffer so much.
I'm glad that I could do such a thing
before I leave office.
Go back quickly, Your Highness.
I will meet His Majesty, so...
No.
No, minister.
From this point,
this is a matter I should resolve myself.
Wait here for a moment.
Oh.
Why did you come here?
What do you think you're doing, huh?
What is your reason for bringing commoners to this office?
They're even in official robes.
You should have stopped the crown prince
at the examination site.
I didn't want to stop him.
What did you say?
I thought I shouldn't stop him,
but rather defeat him instead.
"Do your worst."
"They're only ignorant peasants. They can't do much."
"None of them will pass the exam,"
"so your plans are all in vain."
That's what I thought.
I just wanted to prove it to the crown prince too.
However,
these are the exam results.
Only two sons of the Old Learning Faction passed,
even though they've spent their Entire lives studying.
Half of those who passed were commoners.
I'm extremely stunned too.
If this is the current reality of our nobility,
we shouldn't be angry with the crown prince.
Instead we should take this chance to reconsider.
Reconsider?
What do you suggest?
There are four social classes.
That is the social foundation of this nation.
Are you saying that you'll break that order with the crown prince?
In terms of finding a talented retainer...
If the Old Learning Faction...
If sons of the nobility are idle in their study,
we just need to encourage and scold them.
Upheaving social order will not fix that!
The commoners who passed the exam...
I cannot acknowledge them.
Father.
I can't acknowledge them,
so invalidate their qualifications yourself.
Father, I can't do that.
It was Lee Jong Sung!
The one who initiated this incident
wasn't you, but Lee Jong Sung.
Lee Jong Sung let commoners enter the examination site,
so it was only inevitable that you would let them take it.
That's not true, father.
Don't ever say that again!
Please...
Review these exam papers.
"Farming is the foundation of this nation,"
"so we should institute *Kyunjeon to resolve our nation's problems."
[Kyunjeon: A system to distribute land equally to the people]
"Due to tax cuts by *Kyunyeok, we should find new revenue."
[*Kyunyeok: Tax law to cut Kunpo in half]
"For example, we could find the revenue in producing more salt."
[Kunpo: Paying in hemp clothes for military service exemption]
Their academic standards are impeccable too.
Looking them over once would be enough,
so please read them for me, father.
Then you'll see how necessary these people are to the nation...
Eunuch Sang.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Burn them all.
Father!
Why are you hesitating? Burn them all immediately!
Why don't you...
Why don't you review them just once?
There are four social classes.
The order of social status is
the foundation of our nation.
That cannot be broken just
because there are a few commoners
who can read and write well.
I cannot understand why you're creating such a strong wall
between the classes.
If you begin by denying the order of social statuses,
it will lead to the denial of the Royal Family.
If the Royal Family is denied,
all of the Joseon Dynasty will collapse.
Don't you think that's an extreme leap of logic?
It isn't extreme at all.
I cannot overlook this matter
as the king of this nation.
Now...
This is your last chance.
Lee Jong Sung...
Execute him yourself.
And the official robes you bestowed to the commoners...
Tear them off yourself.
I cannot do that.
You... You can't?
I will not do it.
Then...
I will lose my son,
and this nation
will lose its crown prince.
If you refuse to give up your will until the very last,
I will have to depose you.
Will you
still insist on your will?
I am sorry.
If it means
abandoning my loyal retainers
and hampering the aspirations of the people,
I would rather lose my crown.
What just happened, Your Highness?
How could you make such a reckless decision?
You should not order his deposition, Your Majesty!
The position of the crown prince...
He said he doesn't need it.
I will rectify that, Your Majesty.
I will!
Please just give me time.
Please, Your Majesty.
Are you saying that
you will make the crown prince back down?
Yes, Your Majesty.
What if you fail?
Then what?
You can take my life then,
Your Majesty.
He will give up the crown.
Did the crown prince really say that?
Yes, he did.
No matter how evil a son is,
it is not easy to do away with your own child.
That means His Majesty must feel
very uneasy.
This is a great opportunity for you.
You should find a way to take hold
of His Highness's heart firmly.
That way you can bear his son
and your way to becoming Queen Consort
will be much faster.
Give up his crown?
What are you talking about?
Where is His Highness?
[Prince Descendant is reading aloud Mencius]
I like to hear your reading.
It's okay.
You may stay put.
You have already read Mencius?
Isn't that too advanced for you?
Is there a line in particular you like?
Nakminjirakja minyeokrakkirak.
Can you interpret it?
It means that if a king is pleased with the joy of his people,
the people will be please with the kings' joy as well.
You're quite good.
Your *Munjae has improved greatly.
[*Munjae: Ability to write compositions]
By the way, father,
what is the people's greatest joy?
What should I be pleased with?
The people's joy...
It's being treated well.
They are all born human beings,
and should be treated that way.
That is the origin of all joy.
Is there any way
I can change his mind?
My son.
Why don't we read it together?
Sure.
[Station]
Don't be absurd! What are you doing?
Open the door.
Minister!
Deliver my message to His Highness.
If he takes any further dangerous action to spare my life,
I will take my own life immediately.
Minister.
Lee Jong Sung put himself in jail?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Sun is....
What kind of a person is he?
Lee Jong Sung and Chae Je Gong...
They both put their lives at stake for the prince
even though no one ordered them to do it.
Even a man like Min Baek Sang
who is Old Learning Faction to the bone
lost his balance and made a poor decision
after getting involved with the crown prince.
The crown prince...
The truth about his political prowess...
What could it be?
The crown prince's Joseon...
What would it look like?
I...
I, as a king of Joseon,
have developed this country
with the blood, sweat and tears of thirty years.
Will this country be properly succeeded?
If you are this concerned about him
after he said he will give up his crown,
why did you allow Chae Je Gong to try and persuade him?
Because he is my son.
Because he is my child!
Your Majesty.
However,
if he insists on his will to the last,
I will have to abandon him for the sake of this country.
I just can't do it now.
If I have no clear heir established,
you know well what will happen.
We went through that kind of bloody war together
in the process of selecting me as the heir
because the former king didn't have a son.
Regardless of his sincerity,
if he will at least say that
he will fix the trouble he's caused,
I can let him be the crown prince for some time.
Until I find an alternative,
I need him to stay crown prince,
even if it's only a puppet
so I can deter my retainers
from finding a new heir by themselves.
I have a message from Minister Lee Jong Sung.
Minister Lee Jong Sung has made an earnest request that
you give up your will now
and accept the king's order, Your Highness.
No.
I cannot do that.
Your Highness.
It's my duty to protect and defend my retainers.
Even if it costs me my life or my crown,
I cannot abandon a loyal retainer.
Your Highness.
I pity your obstinacy,
although I did anticipate it.
We began this fight knowing
that it would be condemned as lunacy.
Regardless, we have achieved great things.
Four commoners passed the exam!
We have obtained evidence that proves
their abilities can be equal,
even if their social status isn't.
You should restart from here.
To do so,
you will have to abandon me first.
You cannot lose everything
because of your personal feelings for me.
If you do,
everything we have done will only ever be seen as lunacy.
You should never forget this.
Your Highness.
Even if you're here to persuade me, it won't work.
Would you please leave me alone?
You look so pathetic.
If...
...our relationship were not ruler and ruled,
but if you were my younger brother,
I would beat you.
Aren't you ashamed of yourself to be here?
To make this basement library...
To make somewhere you can read these books freely...
I can't be sure,
but your retainers have risked their lives.
The place was meant to culture their prince into a sage king,
so they have considered it worthy to risk their lives.
You are simply reducing their efforts to nothing.
Stop.
Giving up your crown?
Do you think the crown is some kind of a toy?
I cannot abandon a loyal retainer,
nor can I turn down my people's aspirations!
That's what this is about.
You just want to be free from guilt.
Royal Secretary.
Do you think that the successful commoners
will be alright if you do not reject them?
Do you think that they can live properly in official robes?
No.
Starting with the king,
all the other retainers will stalk them to tear off their robes.
You can protect nothing
by whining like this and giving up your crown.
No, there is one thing you can protect...
Your petty pride.
That is the only thing you will be able to save.
Your wish to cherish the talented
and you wish to treat all citizens of Joseon equally
regardless of their social status...
I understand.
Of course I understand.
Even so,
granting official robes to commoners is just too soon.
It is only natural that the king
and the conservative retainers oppose you.
It means you need to abandon your wishes for now
and deliberate on them.
I will be your disputant as much as you want.
Persuade me first.
After that,
you can persuade the retainers of the Old Learning Faction.
That is how you should fight with them.
Win that fight
and increase your power.
Eventually you will be king
and you can govern the nation in your own way.
That is how the crown prince...
That's how the crown prince should truly keep his pride.
For this future, today...
You have to lose today.
No matter how bitter and humiliating it is,
you must lose to survive.
Your Highness.
[*Hyung: Older brother or older male]
*Hyung. I didn't expect you to visit me.
Wow.
The official robes look so good on you.
Do they? Really?
Yes.
You look incredible.
It's like you're used to wearing it.
But then, Dong Ki...
I think I have a difficult favor to ask you.
A difficult
favor?
[Sajiksangso: A letter of resignation submitted to the king]
How do you feel?
Huh?
How does it feel to make me hold this piece of paper?
Even if you dismiss me
and send me to *Baeso with Minister Lee Jong Sung,
[*Baeso: A place of exile]
I would gladly accept your punishment.
What did the crown prince tell you
when he visited you to your house?
What did he tell you
- for you to *Buhwanaedong like this? - I have done no such thing.
[*Buhwanaedong: Blindly following others without one's own will]
I did not act by His Highness' request,
but according to my own beliefs.
Nobles are surely superior to commoners.
No, they must be,
yet after this examination,
I began to doubt my belief.
If I doubt our regime
as a government official,
I should not be involved in government affairs.
Even if you had not asked me to resign,
I would have done so voluntarily.
Starting with the king,
all the other retainers will stalk them to tear off their robes.
You can protect nothing
by whining like this and giving up your crown.
No matter how bitter and humiliating it is,
you must lose to survive.
I will exile Lee Jong Sung
[*Wonji: Somewhere far]
to *Wonji.
In addition...
I will recover the official robes I bestowed to the commoners
and I will invalidate their qualifications
from passing the exam.
What is the reason?
You bravely gave up the title of crown prince yesterday.
What made you change your mind overnight?
What is the reason?
Have you finally realized the value of your power?
Ha!
Why is everything so easy to you?
Because I granted you your power for free,
do you think that you can hold onto it forever?
From now on,
you had better not threaten to resign
or say you do not need your crown.
Power...
Now matter how desperately you try to secure it,
you never know when and from where
someone will appear to steal it away.
It is a very precious thing.
I will keep
that in mind.
Father.
Your Highness.
Open it.
Minister.
Yes, Your Highness.
I...
...can't...
...protect you,
my loyal retainer.
You have finally decided.
No matter what happens, I do not mind.
Even if you sent me poison to kill me,
I would drink it like honey water.
You do not need to worry about me.
Just order the punishment that His Majesty has commanded you to.
Be strong, Your Highness.
You should protect your crown strongly
and become the 22nd king of this nation.
Please....
Be a sage king.
Why are you here?
I am afraid that
we should return these robes to you, Your Highness.
We do not want you
to lose your crown
because of us.
I'm sorry.
I am ashamed to see you.
I promised you that I would make a new path,
but
it turns out I gave you vain hope.
I do not know how to ask your forgiveness...
Please don't say that, Your Highness.
I went to the examination site
and I took it under my own name.
I wrote my name on that paper with confidence.
That is comfort and compensation enough for me already.
We are not saying
that we are returning these robes permanently.
The day you become king...
We will wait for that day.
We will run to the palace when that day comes.
When the day comes
please give us back these robes.
That's correct.
We will desperately wait
for the day you become king,
so please
remember us until then.
If you don't forget us and call us later,
we will live as loyal retainers
for the rest of our lives.
I promise you...
No matter what difficulties I face,
I will be sure to overcome
and then
become the 22nd king of this nation.
On the day I become king,
my first act will be to call you,
so please...
Don't lose hope.
[Preview]
You said a suspicious woman is in the prince's palace.
She could be the reason to do away with him immediately.
Do you know this person?
The crown princess brought a shaman to the palace?
You don't have a son in your destiny, Your Highness.
You set up quite an interesting game.
If you decide to depose him,
we'll leave without another word.
He can't trust him.
Order the royal decree to find a Queen Consort.