Gye Baek
Episode 17
I have made preparations to leave for Hoamsa Temple tomorrow morning according to your instructions.
No, I want to go to Miamsa Temple instead.
I want to see for myself if those two have truly become monks.
Priestling Myeong Jin! The Queen has arrived!
Welcome, Your Majesty.
I am Head Priest Su Wol.
I am Myeong Jin.
Episode 17
I don't see Myeong Jin.
He was just here a while ago, but he must have left.
- Go and find him. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Why?
Why didn't you inform us?
I wanted to send the child to Gamak Village once he was born.
I didn't know this would happen.
What are you going to do now?
If they find out about this child, they won't let him live.
I need to get this child out. You must help me.
In that case, let me take the baby.
No. You're the Queen's personal guard.
How will you leave this place unnoticed?
The Queen is looking for you as it is! It's more dangerous for you!
I'll figure a way out. Give me the child.
What did you find?
He is nowhere to be found.
Did you search Hae Dam's quarters?
Not yet.
I want to see her quarters for myself. Lead the way.
Hurry, my dear.
My dear!
Please make me a promise.
This baby...
Please promise me I can see him again.
I promise. And you must trust Gye Baek.
He will take the baby somewhere safe.
Please make sure the baby returns to the Palace in the future.
Your Majesty, what brings you all the way here?
What are you doing near the female nuns' quarters?
I heard Priestess Hae Dam was ill, and when I arrived, she had a high fever.
I had to take care of her.
Is that so? If she's sick, then I should pay her a visit.
There's no need for that, Your Majesty.
Because of my illness, I was unable to greet you earlier.
Please forgive me.
You do not look well. I shall send my pharmacist to look at you.
Your Majesty!
The pharmacist has been attacked!
What happened?
Please do not worry, Your Majesty. I was attacked by a strange man.
But your personal guard rescued me.
Where is Seung?
He went after the assailant.
Go after him. The assailant must be caught!
Yes, Your Majesty!
Why did this assailant attack you?
Do you suspect anything?
I'm not certain about this.
But I heard that my tradehouse had some conflict with some foreign merchants recently.
Perhaps he was sent by them.
Why didn't you tell me about this?
I did not want to trouble you with such petty matters.
Your Highness!
There is a meeting tomorrow night.
Everyone is in agreement that we must convince His Majesty to appoint the Crown Prince as soon as possible.
Thank you. I won't forget your efforts.
Isn't that a baby's cry? Go and check!
Yes, your Highness!
He's over there! Get him!
Isn't that Gye Baek?
How on earth could this happen?
How could Heaven be so cold-hearted? How can Heaven allow this to happen?
Don't blame yourself. This may sound cold, but this was the child's destiny.
Gahi...!
Don't die... You can't die!
Baby... I'm so sorry!
Baby... I was wrong!
I'm so sorry for being angry with you...
Don't die! I'm so sorry!
I won't do it again!
So please open your eyes!
He's all right... my little brother.
I can't believe what I just saw!
That child just came back from the dead! It's a miracle!
This is a good sign!
It's a good omen!
Gahi!
Don't worry about anything. Go before the Queen suspects something.
All right.
I heard about what happened at Miamsa Temple.
Are you all right?
Yes, Father. The wound isn't deep.
That is fortunate. I thought you had stopped working at the tradehouse.
How odd that you were the target.
I heard that the assailant escaped.
Yes, that is why I plan on going to the tradehouse tomorrow to find out more.
You've had a long day. Go and get some rest.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I think there is something suspicious about her.
This sudden attack does not sit right with me.
Think about it.
She was the only one present during the night before Yeon Moonjin's insurrection
and the night the prisoners of war held a riot.
Something about her bothers me.
I think we should investigate her.
Are you telling me that I can't even trust her?
There is nothing to lose by being cautious. Anyone there?
Yes, Sir. It's Namjo.
From this moment on, you will report Eun Go's whereabouts.
Yes, sir.
This is a letter telling us to come to Baekhwa Road tomorrow night.
It's from Prince Gyogi.
So what if he sent a letter? I just...
This really is from Prince Gyogi.
What do you think? Go or don't go?
What is there to think about? Just go!
This is an opportunity! An opportunity for us to go into a good future!
Think about it. Stop eating and listen to me!
Now listen. We annihilated the fearsome Wi Je in one fell swoop!
Prince Gyogi saw that. What do you think went through his head?
He wants us! What's there to think about?
Are you sure it'll be all right? We told him we got rid of Wi Je.
But that strange guy fought most of them.
What strange guy? I don't remember any strange guy!
As long as he doesn't appear to Prince Gyogi, he won't know anything about him.
All we need to do is keep our mouths shut.
I wonder who that guy was?
To be honest, we don't know if he's an ally or an enemy!
What a dumb fellow you are! Who cares if he's an ally or an enemy?
All we need to do is to grab onto the rope to Heaven that is called Gyogi and climb up!
Let's drink to Prince Gyogi's ascent to the throne!
Congratulations, your Highness!
I am deeply moved by your loyalty.
I will not forget this evening.
You will not only be given positions in government, I will make sure you will serve as Head Ministers.
In addition, we will need to gather support from the younger officials.
Please make sure this happens.
Yes, your Highness.
We brought him as you instructed.
Let them in.
This is Seung from Her Majesty's personal guard.
If he is truly her personal guard, then he has more influence that the Chief of the Royal Guard.
How did you manage to gather support from even Her Majesty's personal guard?
No. This man is not yet one of my men.
I've tried repeatedly, but I've yet to persuade him.
The Queen is your mother, is she not?
You will be made Crown Prince shortly. Why are you in such a hurry?
I will forget that I saw you all here today.
But you are here now, and you will not be able to leave so easily.
I will promote you once I become King. Pledge your allegiance to me.
Don't let him take one more step.
You again?
- You know him? - Yes, we've had a few run-ins.
Who is this man?
Her Majesty's personal guard.
So you serve the Queen?
The reason I summoned both of you is because
I need a group of warriors to protect me.
This is my last offer.
Reject it and you will die in this very spot.
- What of you? - I am your devoted servant.
What reason does the Queen's man have to annihilate the Wi Je?
You have a grudge against the Wi Je, so why are you serving the prince?
Who are you anyway? Are you my enemy or my ally?
That's what I want to ask you. Why didn't you reveal me to Prince Gyogi?
That's because your real identity has peaked my curiosity.
Prince Gyogi will be appointed Crown Prince and then become King.
I will use him as my springboard into prosperity.
And he seems to covet your loyalty. So wouldn't it be advantageous for me to hold your secret?
The same goes for me too.
But you should watch out.
This is too dangerous for a petty thug like you.
So you agreed to Gyogi's offer?
I had no choice. If I hadn't, that man would have revealed my identity!
Well done! Good for you!
- Don't mock me. - I'm serious!
Why didn't you tell us earlier that Gyogi wanted to recruit you?
Actually, we wanted to send you to him too.
This is an opportunity sent by Heaven. Think it over carefully.
Gyogi will never take over the throne.
He is ambitious, but he is petty and reckless.
That is why the Queen has postponed the official appointment.
Now he has crossed the line because he is too impatient.
We can use that to our advantage.
Queen Sataek is a difficult foe.
But Gyogi is another matter.
You mean we should cause them to draw their swords against each other?
Exactly!
You're telling me you won't do it?
That's right.
You scoundrel! You dare mock me?
Or you want to die!
I haven't received your promise yet.
Promise? What do you want?
You have to promise me this first.
That you'll become Crown Prince and ultimately the King of our kingdom.
No soldier will follow a general to battle if he does not promise them victory.
You don't have faith in me?
Forgive my audacity, but the Queen's power is more tangible right now.
So if you won't promise me this, how can I trust my life to you?
Fine, I promise.
I promise I will become a King with greater power than my mother!
One more thing.
When you become King, appoint me Commander.
What an ambitious fellow you are. Is that what you wanted all along?
I will have to pass along all of the Queen's information to you, as well as move her men under you.
This could be construed as treason. Don't you think that deserves a big reward?
Fine, I will appoint you Commander.
Thank you, your Highness. I will serve you to my utmost.
There is someone I want you to meet.
He will become your right-hand man.
Who is he?
Come in.
You're that fellow that made a mockery of me!
How dare you bring him before me!
Please let me go!
You shouldn't let your esteemed self get all bothered like this.
What did you say?
Your Highness, are you angry because I gave the royal robes to Prince Euija last time?
Do you even have to ask?
- I didn't know you were so petty! - You scoundrel...!
Please let go of me and listen!
Fine, go ahead and talk.
If you speak a false word, your head will hit the floor!
That day, I did what I did because I wanted you to become Crown Prince!
What...?
The most important thing for you right now is to know who is truly on your side.
That is why I did what I did.
If someone had helped me when I showed my support for Euija,
that means he is your greatest enemy!
That's what I wanted to show you!
Think about it, your Highness!
Who was the one who protected me and prevented you from being Royal Cupbearer?
My mother...?
Power is not easily divided even amongst parent and child.
But still... she is my mother!
The Queen will never give up her power even if His Majesty passes and you become King.
But why not...? Who else would she give her power to?
She would rule as Queen Regent.
If she had been an ordinary mother, she would have pushed for your appointment ages ago.
But she didn't do this.
Why do you think?
- Appoint a Crown Prince? - Yes, Your Majesty.
Why are you mentioning this? Did Gyogi ask you to do so?
No, but this is not something you should keep postponing.
This is not something I must hasten either.
Gyogi is not yet ready.
He is not yet Crown Prince, but he acts like he has been appointed.
If he is appointed Crown Prince, then he'll act like he's King.
What should I do with him?
If you're that worried, you can always act as Queen Regent.
That thought has crossed my mind, but Gyogi is not a young boy.
There is no reason to act as Regent when the King is already fully-grown.
The Tang Ambassador will be here shortly to discuss the matter of Crown Prince.
But he is too immature to handle such a responsibility.
Eun Go.
Your Majesty.
This position makes me unable to trust anyone fully.
In the past, I killed the man I loved in order to keep my position.
I pledged never to love any other again.
Eun Go.
What would you have done if you were me?
Would you have thrown away the crown or the man you loved?
If it were me...
If it were me, I would have thrown away the crown.
I don't think you know yourself that well.
You would have thrown away the man you loved and kept the power.
If I had to make the choice again,
I would choose the crown once more.
Eun Go sent a message. It will be difficult to convince the Queen.
Then we'll have to work on Gyogi.
It's your turn now.
I know.
Your Highness, this is the great merchant, Im Chong.
Why did you want to see me?
Why else would a merchant want to see you, your Highness?
It is to earn favor with the future King.
Outrageous! How dare you speak of such a thing when His Majesty is well?
I do not know how to speak in circles, your Highness.
So I will come to the point.
Sabi is not my hometown. I have been ostracized by the other merchants from Sabi.
I have not had the opportunity to settle in.
I wish to wager everything I have on you, your Highness.
What can you do for me?
The Ambassador from Tang is coming soon. You will want to earn his favor.
If you want to become Crown Prince, that is.
So?
Come in.
These are the finest silks from Baekje.
Apart from this, I also have ginseng and persimmon.
As well as medicinal herbs and aromatics.
All you have to do is tell me what you desire and I will send for it.
These are items that Baekje is renowned for and will make good gifts for the Tang Ambassador.
You have pleased me.
I am glad, your Highness.
For you, your Highness, I will offer everything I have.
Please accept me as one of your loyal subjects.
Fine. I can see that you are a generous man.
- Now it's your turn. - So what do you want me to do?
You must meet with His Majesty, tell him our strategy and bring him over to our side.
His Majesty? Must we do this?
We do not have enough manpower to do this ourselves. We must have his support.
He won't believe me.
What if you take Gye Baek to him?
- Gye Baek? - Yes.
That might work.
Were you able to find your classmates?
Yes, they have all stated their desire to join our cause.
Since the nobles have taken up all the positions in government,
they have all been left with nothing to do.
They want to help our cause rather than live under the thumb of the nobles forever.
Even the village chiefs in the area have agreed to help us.
They are all tired of the nobles' abuse of power.
If you promise not to impose high taxes and enforce military duty, they will cooperate with us.
If your scholar friends and village chiefs are on our side, they will be of great help.
Yes, that's right.
You need my help?
We need to put a divide between the Queen and Prince Gyogi. Please help us.
Fine. Of course I'll help.
Thank you, Priestess.
A man called Heung Su will bring Prince Gyogi here.
Here we are.
Welcome, Prince Gyogi.
You're the High Priestess! What are you doing at a place like this?
I met you at the Royal Ceremony years ago. Do you remember me?
Of course, your Highness. How could I forget you?
You are the brightest star in Baekje.
Me?
Please come inside.
The brightest star in Baekje? That's good. Really good!
There were once two Empress Dowagers during the Han Dynasty.
They were the Emperor's mother and his grandmother.
It was only after the Emperor removed them from power that he was able to reign.
Look at Li Shi Min from the Tang Dynasty.
If he had been submissive to his father, he would never have become Emperor.
You must realize that your star shines brighter than that of Li Shi Min.
It does?
A sapling must move away from its parent's shadow in order to grow into a great tree.
You must become a great tree so that you can unify the three kingdoms.
Really?
Do you know why I was sent away from the Temple?
It was because I said that your star was so brilliant,
that it outshone the stars of both His Majesty and Her Majesty.
His Majesty and Her Majesty both fear your ascension to the throne.
But Heaven is on your side. You must not fear.
You must focus on unifying the three kingdoms!
History will forever remember you as a brilliant star.
Thank you, High Priestess.
I will remember your words. I swear it to you.
When I become King, you will once again be High Priestess of Baekje.
Have you been well, Your Majesty?
Welcome. I heard you accomplished a great task, Lord Chang Sun.
Are you referring to the destruction of Goguryeo's War Tomb?
It was a great pleasure!
The War Tomb was erected by Goguryeo to remember their victory over the Sui Dynasty.
Why would the Tang destruct that?
Although the War Tomb had the Sui Dynasty in mind,
the people of Sui are now people of Tang.
How can such a memorial exist when Tang has unified our lands and embraced our past?
I, Chang Sun, will never accept such a thing!
I wonder how the king of Goguryeo looked like when he realized his war tomb was destroyed!
I can almost see his face now!
I don't think you should be boasting about that.
Did you say Tang unified the lands?
I heard that Tang is still struggling to control Tibet and the Turks.
If Tang truly has unified the lands, then you have no reason to struggle.
Tibet and the Turks will soon bow their heads before our Emperor!
That means that you will be waging war with Tibet and the Turks.
But now that you have antagonized Goguryeo with the destruction of their War Tomb,
how will you strike Tibet and the Turks with Goguryeo at your back?
It is said that Goguryeo has finished building their 'Thousand Li Wall' and has begun preparing for battle.
That is why I said you should not boast about destroying Goguryeo's War Tomb.
You have made a great mistake in antagonizing an enemy before a battle with another.
You are right, Your Majesty.
Ambassador, boast of doing such a thing again and you might become a laughingstock.
You should restrain yourself.
Now, what is it that you want from us, Ambassador?
His Majesty the Emperor has given a strong word of warning to Baekje.
He has ordered you to return Gajam Fortress and its prisoners of war to Silla.
If you refuse like you did before, I don't know what His Majesty will do.
First, Tang has aggravated Goguryeo. Do you intend to do the same with Baekje?
Your Majesty, you must not heed his words.
Listen well, Ambassador.
The Baekje court will never submit to the demands of Tang.
If you make such a demand of us again,
we will cease all trade with Tang immediately.
Since all of my ministers are so against it, there is nothing I can do.
How could they humiliate the ambassador like that?
Isn't Lord Chang Sun respected and favored by Li Shi Min and the Tang court?
Yes, if Baekje and Tang break ties, that will not bode well for your appointment as Crown Prince.
No. Perhaps this is better.
With risk comes opportunity.
While everyone opposes Tang and speaks against Lord Chang Sun,
you must ally yourself with him.
Politics must be flexible.
We cannot be inflexible if we want to achieve our purpose.
At this rate, Li Shi Min will most certainly wage war against Tibet and the Turks.
If you ally yourself with Tang, you will be riding the tiger!
Are you saying I should return Gajam Fortress to Silla and release all of the prisoners of war?
Right now, even if this is what you want, it will be impossible to achieve.
Then?
You can pledge to return Gajam Fortress to them when you become King.
But you can show your intent by secretly releasing the Silla prisoners.
When you become King, you can keep Gajam Fortress by making an excuse.
You can leave me to handle the release of the Silla prisoners.
You will return Gajam Fortress to Silla?
That's right.
I am powerless now, but when I am King, I will keep my promise.
As a symbol of that promise, I will release the prisoners of war.
This is my pledge.
What is it that you want to say?
Inform your Emperor to move along the Crown Prince appointment.
Hastening my ascension to the throne will make Tang-Baekje relationship stronger.
One more thing.
If we strike Goguryeo, will you help us?
My dream is not only to become King.
It is also to unify our three Kingdoms.
If Tang attacks Goguryeo, I will send our troops to strike Goguryeo's south.
Fine.
If you can give me your pledge to do this,
I will persuade His Majesty to acknowledge you not only as Crown Prince, but also as King of Baekje.
Thank you.
- Your Majesty, Priest Myeong Jin wishes to see you. - Myeong Jin?
Tell him I do not wish to see him.
- I told you to leave. - Your Majesty.
I do not want you to pay your respects.
That is not the reason I am here.
My body may have left the palace, but my heart is still here.
What is your point?
Come in.
Aren't you the personal guard from the Queen's Palace?
Did you say your name was Seung?
My real name isn't Seung.
It is Gye Baek.
Gye Baek?
I am Her Majesty's personal guard, but I am also your servant General Mu Jin's son, Gye Baek.
Do you remember me?
I heard you were dead.
Are you telling me you're really Gye Baek?
This belonged to my father.
Yes, this is Mu Jin's sword.
You must have been bitter against me all these years.
Yes I was. I lived to exact revenge against Prince Euija.
But then I realized the root of all of that lay somewhere else.
Do you mean the Sataek family?
That's not all.
We are living in times where the rich and powerful oppress the poor.
I want to help Prince Euija stop their suffering.
Your Majesty, please be on our side
... so that we can realize our dream of a peaceful and prosperous kingdom.
What? You think we should ally ourselves with Tang?
The Tang Emperor Li Shi Min has brought stability to his nation,
earning the high praise of his people.
His power will only grow as time progresses.
If we stand against him now, the future of Baekje will not be certain.
You are not entirely wrong, your Highness.
But we do not have to meet their unreasonable demands.
If one demand is met, they will ask for ten more.
Do you think they are helping Silla for nothing in return?
Just wait and see.
Silla will end up waging war with Tang because of their excessive demands.
In any case, Tang is the most powerful nation amongst all of our neighbors.
We must give them something so that they will be on good terms with us later.
You scoundrel! What nonsense are you uttering?
If we want to stand against Silla,
it is far better to ally ourselves with nearby Goguryeo than far away Tang.
This is exactly why I don't have faith in your judgment!
I worry for the future of our kingdom when you become King!
Get out of my sight!
You don't look happy. Did something happen?
Release the Silla prisoners of war this instant!
Right... now?
Don't make me repeat myself!
I will obey.
- Let's go. - Yes, sir!
So this is how it begins. What do you think? Will it work?
I have no confidence.
Are you turning coward now?
I meant I have no confidence we'll fail.
Have you ever seen me waste my time?
That is so, but is it your own brain you have confidence in?
Of course it is. And one more thing.
That fellow.
That fellow Yiri has a strange charisma.
Everyone has begun to trust and follow him, rather than us or Prince Euija.
That's because he has no ambition other than to realize the dream of a perfect world.
Everyone can see that.
I came because you were late.
It was hard for me to leave because the Queen couldn't sleep.
I heard it was a success. I was so happy to hear that.
The prince is here too. Let's go.
Gyogi is doing everything we want him to. When the Queen finds out, she will be furious.
We need to let the Queen know it was Gyogi. Can you do it?
I will tell her that I sent someone to watch him because he was acting suspiciously.
Will she believe you?
If I speak with sincerity, she will believe me.
If she trusts Miss Eun Go, she'll believe what she tells her.
Be careful. The Queen is a very shrewd woman.
Yes, your Highness.
I will take you back.
I'm fine. You should escort His Highness back.
Cho Young is with him with the other warriors. He'll be fine.
I'm fine too. I came alone because I didn't want any attention.
We must not be seen together.
I always have to pretend I don't know you even when we're together.
It's frustrating. I want to talk comfortably with you while we walk.
We need to be especially cautious now.
Still, I feel at ease and safe.
Because although we have to act indifferent, we are in the same place.
Who are you?
You have to come with me.
How dare you! Do you know who I am?
I serve the Queen!
If you serve the Queen, then what are you doing with Prince Euija?
Did you intend to blind my other eye too?
Do you want to die?
Please get out of here.
- Gye Baek! - Hurry!
You'll never get out of here.
Do you think I dodge your sword because I fear it?
If you want to fight, I'm game.
I've already lost a loved one to you many years ago.
If I let you go, I'll lose another loved one to you.
I won't let you.
Who the hell are you?
You'll never find out.
Don't be lonely.
Your chief will soon join you.
I'll look at more places.
I'm sure everything's fine. You know Gye Baek's skill.
The other man is skilled too.
Don't worry!
Our Gye Baek won't die and leave you and I here.
I mean you.
So.... you...
... be the reason that I live.
Are you all right?
Miss...!
You mustn't get hurt because of me.
You must not fall because of me!
It wasn't because of you.
It's because I want to live.
It's because I don't want to lose my reason for living.
Namjo hasn't returned?
That's right.
- All right. Keep looking. - Yes, sir.
Something's going on.
Did you just say that the Silla prisoners have escaped?
Yes, Your Majesty.
How could this happen?
Who could have done this?
Pardon me for saying this.
But I heard that Prince Gyo met secretly with the Tang Ambassador several days ago.
Gyogi? You mean this is his doing?
I'm not certain, but I suspect he's involved.
Who did you hear this from?
When Prince Gyogi had that disagreement with you regarding diplomatic relations with Tang,
I had some of my men follow him.
Are you telling us that you knew this was going to happen?
- That isn't so but... - Your Majesty!
You...!