Episode 52
I want to appoint Prince Yoong as crown prince as soon as possible.
We're still mourning for Queen Junghee.
Please wait until the envoy from China arrives.
Alright.
But I won't wait any longer.
This is our last chance.
We must get through to the envoy.
If we can't,
Prince Yoong will take revenge on us.
Do you understand what I mean?
But first, we must...
get rid of Lord Jo.
Do you have a plan?
Give this to Queen Insoo. He'll have no choice but to resign.
I know why you don't want Yoong to be crown prince.
But he is the king's eldest son.
We're forbidden to mention Mrs. Yoon, so Yoong will never find out.
So I demand you to stop wasting time.
Or I'll have to force you. Do you understand?
I told the king to wait until the Chinese envoy arrives.
Wait until then.
Alright. You gave me your word.
I heard the people are upset about Lord Jo's mistress.
Why should they be when it's common practice?
His mistress is Mrs. Oh, the king's nurse.
What?
Mrs. Oh is Lord Jo's mistress?
Why would I lie to you?
Mrs. Jung, Lord Jo's wife, wrote this letter to you.
I am Mrs. Jung, Lord Jo's wife.
I have done my duty for the past 2 3 years.
But then...
Lady Oh got thrown out and became my husband's mistress.
I feel threatened now.
I'm not writing to you out of jealousy.
How could a court lady and a eunuch get married...
and slander the names of the very people they serve?
Please interrogate Mrs. Oh for me.
How could they... ?
A eunuch and court lady get married?
Lady Hong, go summon Mrs. Oh now.
I will.
Don't you feel ashamed?
What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about.
You really don't know what I mean?
How could the king's nurse become a eunuch's mistress?
Those who serve the king are getting married...
and ruining the royals' reputation?
You're not fit to say you were a court lady.
Your Highness.
Please punish me.
Lord Jo took pity on me and took me in. He's innocent.
I will take full responsibility.
Did you have a relationship when you were in the palace?
Not at all. I wouldn't do such a thing.
And to think you served Mrs. Yoon.
I bet you fueled her jealousy and that got her killed.
Leave the capital immediately.
- Your Highness... - If you refuse,
I'll have you...
tortured and exiled,
according to the laws.
Are we ready to welcome the envoy?
I handed the menu over...
and the ingredients are ready, sir.
The envoy will approve Queen Junghyun's appointment.
But he'll also ask about the crown prince issue.
We cannot afford to make even a single mistake.
Yes, sir.
You're excused.
Queen Insoo asked Mrs. Oh about you and told her to leave the capital.
What?
I'm glad you're here. We must discuss something.
Why did you tell Mrs. Oh to leave the capital?
Are you here to ask me that?
You threw her out of the palace.
Tell me why you want her to leave the capital too.
You really don't know what she did wrong?
She was the king's nurse and a court lady, like you said.
So what is she doing as a eunuch's mistress?
Your taking her in is a crime too.
You should be begging for forgiveness, not demanding an explanation.
You got it all wrong. I'm just looking after her.
She isn't my mistress.
You insist on feigning innocence?
When your wife, Mrs. Jung, wrote me this letter?
I was going to forgive you, for the king's sake, but I can't now.
Mrs. Oh left the palace because you ordered her to.
Punish me if I did wrong by caring for someone with no place to go.
But if you harm her when she's innocent,
I will not just sit and watch.
What?
I'm sure you'll understand. Please excuse me.
Lord Jo...
You're going to leave without saying a word to me?
I can't stay knowing you'll get into trouble.
If I leave,
Queen Insoo will forgive you and Mrs. Jung will be happy.
And you'll regain Chuh-sun's trust.
You mean more to me than anything.
Even if I lose my job and all I have, I will be happy as long as I have you.
Why are you being so generous to me?
I will protect you with my life.
Lord Jo...
Everyone is so busy.
The envoy from China will be here soon.
If he approves the queen,
then my mother won't be able to return.
Your Highness...
Don't worry.
I'll be good to her, like I promised my mother.
I'll visit my mother when I'm older.
What's wrong, Chuh-sun?
It's nothing. Let's hurry, you might be late.
Alright, let's go.
Do you know what day it is today?
I have no idea.
It's the very day...
I first met So-hwa.
She came to return the ornament.
I saw her stand her ground in front of my mother and fell in love.
So I gave her half of the ornament.
I swore to protect her forever,
but to think I had her killed...
Your Majesty...
It's torture to think how much she'll have resented me.
She was worried about you till the very end.
Chuh-sun.
How can I face her in the next life?
Yoong.
Your Highness.
Father, what did you just say?
You killed my mother?!
Chuh-sun, you tell me.
Why won't you answer me?!
I must see my mother!
Your Highness. You can't.
Let go! Let go! Mother!
Mother!
- Mother. - Yoong.
My heart aches whenever I think about your mother.
But we can't turn back time.
Be strong and deal with it.
Why did you have her killed?
You'll find out when you're much older.
No matter how great her crime, you should have protected her.
I never wanted him to find out.
Now I'm a cruel father who left him without a mother.
You go and comfort the prince.
The king had no choice. You must be strong, Your Highness.
It can't be an easy thing to deal with.
But you must try.
So her death wasn't in vain.
Did you watch her die?
You were all she talked about to the very end.
You must not resent your father or the elders because of what happened to her.
Your mother wouldn't want that either.
I miss my mother. Mother...
He found out about his mother?
Who on earth told him?
He overheard the king talk with Mr. Kim.
How could this be... ?
What is the prince doing now?
He won't eat or drink.
And he's been crying all day.
You cried so much, your eyes are red and sore.
But you must eat something, even if you don't feel like it.
I made some milk porridge.
Have some.
Please have some, for my sake.
What's wrong?
I want to be alone.
Queen Insoo is here.
Yoong, how dare you be so rude.
Apologize to your mother immediately.
My mother is dead.
What?
What did you just say?
But I didn't even get to mourn her.
Queen Junghyun is your mother.
How dare you mention a criminal who deserved to die.
Don't ever mention her again.
Whatever she did,
she's still my only mother.
So, you won't do as I say?
Do you want a beating?
Please don't do this. He's upset and in shock.
How will you comfort and govern your people...
when you're so weak yourself?
Keep in mind that Queen Junghyun is your only mother.
Stop crying.
What's wrong?
- Wake up. - Are you alright?
Mr. Kim, call Dr. Yang.
I will.
Yoong. Yoong, wake up.
Yoong!
Yoong.
Why can't he pull himself together?
The shock was too much for him.
He's very weak now.
Mother. Mother.
Don't...
He found out about his mother. It's natural.
Dr. Yang, see to it that he recovers.
I will.
Medicine can cure a weak body,
but nothing can cure a child mourning his mother.
This is bad...
The prince is strong. He'll get over this.
He must get over this.
The prince found out and lost consciousness?
We might be able to get rid of him without lifting a finger.
Luck is on our side. But we must be careful.
Now that the prince knows,
he'll kill us and the eunuchs once he succeeds his father.
I will make sure that doesn't happen.
Now that Queen Insoo is after Lord Jo, you'll soon get what you want.
What will you do now that the prince found out?
He would've found out anyway.
If he deals with it now, it may work even better.
What will you tell the Chinese envoy?
If he tells China's emperor,
won't they use that against us and try to influence our politics?
I'll forbid everyone from mentioning it.
The prince's health is all I care about right now.
Right.
Everyone's feeling uneasy what with Mrs. Yoon and Queen Junghee's death.
We need to straighten things out.
Then... start by firing Lord Jo.
What do you mean?
He insulted us by taking Mrs. Oh in as his mistress.
I don't believe you.
Lord Jo's wife wrote that.
No eunuch can go unpunished after mocking the king.
But he even dares to insist he's innocent.
I expect you to punish him severely.
Sign a petition demanding Lord Jo's resignation?
Are you insane?!
We can't demand the resignation of our head!
Lord Jo insulted the royals by taking Mrs. Oh in as a mistress.
Queen Insoo found out and rebuked them both.
What? Is that true?
If we don't do anything now, she'll try to abolish us again.
Still, how can we stab Lord Jo in the back?
I have proof that you accepted bribes during the recent reshuffle.
Wh... what?
Do you both want to get fired too?
Mr. Jung! Are you threatening us?!
If you two will join me, this evidence will disappear.
What do you say?
What will you do?
Will you sign the petition?
Mr. Jung does have Queen Insoo and the ministers' backing.
We should go with the flow.
Why did you write such nonsense to Queen Insoo?
Nonsense? Everyone knows that...
she's your mistress, so don't lie.
If you ever give her a hard time again, I will not forgive you.
And what? Will you kill me too?
I'd rather you kill me.
I'd rather die than live like this.
I warned you.
The king has summoned you.
Is Mrs. Oh really your mistress?
I'm just caring for her because she has nowhere to go.
I feel sorry for her too. But she was thrown out.
Whatever your reason, this is wrong.
Send her away.
But then she'll never be able to return.
She was my wet nurse.
You can't care for a woman who once breastfed me.
That's immoral and scandalous.
I'll pay her enough for her to settle down.
If you do as I say, I will not punish you for this.
What are you doing in my office?
What's this?
A signed petition demanding your resignation.
What?
You insulted the royals and us by taking Mrs. Oh as a mistress.
You should resign.
Mr. Jung!
How dare you say such nonsense!
Is this just Mr. Jung's will or do you all agree with him?
We agree with him.
Captains changing sides just to save their own skin...
Shame on you.
I don't want to be head of a department where my subordinates don't respect me.
I'll resign after the crown prince is appointed.
Focus on preparing to welcome the Chinese envoy.
Yes, sir.
Leave me.
You really want to replace me, don't you?
I just gathered a consensus.
Isn't that what you did to replace Mr. Noh?
I learned everything from you.
Sure. But being Head of Eunuchs isn't just about power.
If you don't realize that, your power will destroy you.
I'll remember that, sir.
Give me the order, sir. I'll behead him right now.
There's no need to. He'll bring upon his own death.
How is Yoong?
The worst is over. He'll make a full recovery soon.
I lost everyone who was dear to me.
The love of my life, my nurse, even Ulwoodong.
It hurts to think I couldn't protect them.
I'm sure you will protect Prince Yoong.
So their deaths won't be in vain.
Yes, I promise I'll protect him, even if I must step down.
Merciful Buddha, please watch over the prince.
I don't care what happens to me and my baby as long as Yoong gets well.
You were praying for Yoong?
I can't stop thinking this is my fault.
Any mother would suffer to see her child in pain.
I'm sure Yoong will recover since you are praying so diligently.
Let's pray to Buddha together.
If Yoong becomes crown prince,
her son will become a nobody.
So why is she praying for his recovery?
She'll have the ministers' support. Her son can replace Yoong anytime.
I bet she's trying to get on the King and Queen Insoo's good side now.
Whatever her reason, I wish Yoong just died.
Mother. Mother, don't...
Oh dear...
I'll do it.
You must take this.
Chuh-sun.
Get some rest while I care for him.
I'm alright.
You should get some sleep.
You stayed up all night last night.
You might become ill before the prince recovers.
I don't care about that. I just want him to get well.
Why are you here?
How is the prince?
Not very well.
He is bright, but he's only seven.
Actually, I'm more worried about Chuh-sun.
He's at the prince's side night and day.
It's probably the guilt of not being able to protect Mrs. Yoon.
Let him do what he wants.
How will you clear the misunderstanding?
A misunderstanding can be cleared.
But this is harder because what he knows might be the truth.
Mother!
Mother, take me with you.
Mother!
Step aside, I'll go with my mother.
You got lost. I'll take you to your chambers.
No, I'll go with my mother. Mother!
Let go of me. Mother!
Mother, mother...
How do you feel?
I saw my mother in my dream.
I got lost in the palace.
She took me to you.
Your Highness.
Your mother chose to die for the sake of your future.
She wanted you to forget about it and become a great, wise king in the future.
So please...
let go of your anger towards the king.
You must be strong.
That's what your mother wanted.
Alright, I'll remember that.
I'll become king and clear her name.
Your Highness...
Where is the Chinese envoy now?
He'll arrive tomorrow.
Once the envoy acknowledges you, the crown prince issue will die down.
That will mean you truly are the queen of our nation.
Do your duty well.
I will.
Your Highness, the prince is here.
The prince?
Let him in.
You're not well enough to walk around yet.
I came here to apologize for being rude to all of you.
Please forgive me for my behavior.
I'm proud to see you show remorse.
I will forget all about my mother.
Yoong, come here.
I know how sad you are.
Please forgive me.
I will not blame anyone.
Yoong...
The prince patched things up with his seniors.
Why won't you do anything?
We still have a chance.
What do you mean, we have a chance?
One of the eunuchs accompanying the envoy is a friend of mine.
I will get him to tell the envoy about Mrs. Yoon.
They arrive tomorrow. You don't have much time.
I can't believe it's been so long since you were adopted.
I never thought I'd get to return.
Accompanying an envoy... What a promotion.
But what brings you here?
I have a favor to ask of you.
Tell me.
Get China's emperor to object to the crown prince appointment.
What?
This letter explains what happened and why...
Prince Yoong must not become crown prince.
What are you children doing?
We heard the prince was not well.
He's the one we must serve, so we were praying for him.
Well done.
He's getting better, so thank you for praying.
What's your name?
I'm Kim Ja-won.
Thanks for the advice last time.
Oh, no. Please forgive me for not knowing my place.
The exam is coming up, so work hard and good luck.
Thank you.
Please pray for the prince.
I will.
I'm glad to see you're alright now.
I wasn't in my right mind then.
Please forgive me.
Sorry, Gaedochi.
It's alright.
If it happens again, I'll be happy to beat you.
It won't happen again. I'm too scared of you.
Here.
What's this?
The old shaman gave it to me before she left.
It should be about your future. Read it carefully.
Thanks.
Mr. Kim.
Help our boys pass the exam.
There's no special treatment. They'll pass if they're good enough.
But they attended your alma mater.
You taught them. I'm sure they'll all pass.
Yes, but still...
I should get going.
Chun-dong's better, so why are you still upset?
I should tell him who his mother is.
What? Then you knew all along?
Chuh-sun.
Where have you been?
Why do you all look upset? What's wrong?
The captains demanded Lord Jo resign.
What? Why'd they do that?
Because Mrs. Oh is his mistress.
Is that true?
Rumors say Mr. Jung wants his title.
The King and Queen Insoo are upset.
What brings you here?
I heard the captains demanded that you resign.
Are you worried about me?
Don't you resent me for not helping Mrs. Yoon?
We have different ideas of what a eunuch's duty is,
but I never wished you any ill or wanted you to resign.
I appreciate your concern.
I heard it was Mr. Jung's plot. Why won't you punish him?
It was his doing, but what he said is true.
I have to decide what to do next.
Father. Let Mrs. Oh go.
It's what's best for you both.
That's up to me. You focus on caring for the prince.
If he becomes ill or upsets the royals, his life will be in danger.
Mr. Han returns with the Chinese envoy.
How fortunate is this?
How dare you demand my father's resignation!
You're afraid no one will protect you when he's gone?
He saved your life many times. Is this how you repay your debt?
Lord Jo just used me.
I'm doing the same, so I owe him nothing.
What?
With Lord Jo gone, you'll have no place to stand.
Then the prince might end up like his mother.
I suggest you take good care of him.
Listen. I'm warning you.
If you harm the prince, I WILL make you pay for it.
I don't know why someone as kind as you work for Mr. Jung.
But I believe that one day you'll come clean and tell the truth.
I did nothing wrong. What is there to tell?
Don't go any further.
I will not forgive anyone who dares try to harm the prince.
Remember that.
What's that?
A letter the old shaman left me a long time ago.
The old shaman?
May I read it?
'When the young son mourns his dead mother, ''
''one will find his mother, but only too late. ''
Can you guess what it means?
The first half is about the prince and Mrs. Yoon, but I don't know about...
One will find his mother, but only too late...
Everything she says means something.
Keep that sentence in mind.
I will.
Did you contact the envoy?
I wrote to him about Mrs. Yoon and why her son mustn't be crown prince.
China's emperor will oppose to the appointment.
Well done.
The Dept. of Eunuchs will be yours.
Thank you for coming all the way here.
Thank you.
This is for your new queen.
Thank your emperor for me.
Relax and enjoy the banquet.
Thank you.
I want my eldest son to succeed me.
Tell your emperor that.
I heard he is very bright and warm-hearted.
I will tell my emperor your wish,
and return with another letter of acknowledgment.
Thank you.
Let's toast to celebrate the future crown prince.
What happened?
You said his son was your friend and that he'd help put an end to this.
I don't know what happened.
- He promised he'd... - That's enough!
You come up with a plan to stop the prince's appointment.
Or I'll have you thrown out even before Lord Jo resigns.
Mr. Han, we'll soon have a crown prince, thanks to you.
I won't forget what you've done.
I should be thanking you.
Years ago, you showed me what a true eunuch should do.
If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be a hopeless failure.
You helped me turn a new leaf.
I owe you a lot.
Thanks for saying that.
I'll return with a letter of approval for your crown prince.
You work in China now, but you're still from Josun.
Do your best and show them your worth.
Sure.
See you next time.
Take care.
Now do you see why you'll never replace me?
Power and riches do wonders, but they can't move one's heart.
If you want to replace me, learn how to win people over first.
Unless you do that,
you'll never be able to beat Chuh-sun.
Remember that.
I proclaim that my eldest son will succeed me as king.
I give him the Seal of the Crown Prince.
Study and work hard and become a great king yourself.
I will, Your Majesty.
I will accept the honor and do my duty as crown prince.
Your Majesty, hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Your Highness, hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
I believe you will reign in peace, just like your father.
Listen to the people and gain their respect and trust.
I will.
Study hard as you do now, and you'll do just fine.
I will do my best to fulfill my duty as crown prince.
You look so dignified. Your mother would be proud of you.
Chuh-sun.
I'll succeed my father and clear my mother's name.
I'll avenge her untimely death.
Your Highness.
My love, please don't forget about me
Dear heavens, let my love come true
We swore we 'd be together for life
Though we first met so long ago
I still can't let go of you, my love
I can still hear you call me
I can't forget your touch, your breath
I yearn for you, but I'm helpless