[Episode 42]
My lord, I understand needing space.
But to leave him alone?
It's highly unconventional.
What can we do?
He can't work with anyone there.
Will it be all right?
No. No!
Shall we, Your Highness?
Wha..?
Get out. Now!
You won't touch her.
Now get out.
Go!
Get out? Now?
And what about Her Highness?
I know what you did.
What you did last night.
What you did to her. Why she's sick now.
What are you talking about?
You seem to have forgotten...
...I'm the only one that can perform this surgery.
No, that's wrong, too.
Surgery? On her throat?
This is what you were so confident about?
You said you've never done it before.
Heard of it, but never seen it.
You don't know what it looks like or how to treat it.
And you do? You've done this before?
Yes, I've seen it.
What?
Many times.
And I've treated it.
So get out.
Now.
Doctor Baek.
Doctor, what is this?
Can you save her?
What? Suddenly you're worried about her?
Playing the doctor, are you?
Get hold of yourself.
It's just a drop in the bucket, you know that.
You'll come out all right.
It's smallpox.
There is no cure.
Even if the surgery is a failure...
...no one will blame the doctors.
True, it's too late.
Too late to turn back.
I just have to get through this. That's all.
My lord. My lord.
My lord.
What? Well?
- Move out. - Sir.
Strengthen security.
No one gets in until we hear otherwise.
- Understood? - Sir.
What is all this?
You interrupted the procedure?
Without a word from me?
Your pardon, sir.
But we have evidence that he intended to harm the Princess.
What?
My lord.
Whatever this is, that can't be so.
Let me pass. I'll look into it.
No, sir. Her safety is my responsibility.
I cannot let you pass.
What? He used musk to aggravate her condition?
What kind of doctor is he?
He was appointed by Lord Yi.
Do you think...?
Wait. Are you suggesting Lord Yi is involved?
He must be.
It's not the first time.
What do we do now?
Her Highness is at death's door.
What now?
Kayong.
Hello.
Doctor Baek. Where is he?
Well, you see...
He deliberately made her condition worse?
Are you sure about this?
It gets worse, Sire.
His treatment would have had terrible ramifications.
The uvula is at the back of the throat.
If the base of the tongue were cut...
...she would have lost her voice and, ultimately, her life.
No.
Surgery is impossible.
That is not the way to treat a swollen uvula.
What then?
You're saying she can't be saved?
Not at all.
But not with surgery. By lancing the sores.
What?
Right now her throat is constricted with swelling.
If we can pierce each swollen sore...
...there may still be hope.
I have done this kind of thing before.
But why did you wait till now to say this?
Doctor Baek.
I have only performed the operation...
...on animals.
I dared not suggest using a veterinary procedure on Her Royal Highness.
What?
Animals?
He's in the palace suggesting he use a veterinary procedure...
...on the Princess?
Exactly.
It's the only way at this point.
No. He can't.
She's a royal.
The suggestion is grossly insubordinate.
Doctor Baek...
Animals... A veterinary procedure?
On a human? On a Princess?
Have you lost your mind?
Sire.
It is the only thing we can do now.
I spent my childhood with animals.
I have dealt with similar cases in horses.
Keep it open.
Right.
We've got it.
If it worked for horses...
...it can save Her Highness.
Enough. A horse?
Operate on the Princess like she's a horse?
Is the royal house a joke to you?
Sire, her life is stake.
Out!
Before you say something you'll regret.
- Sire. - You deaf?
Sire. Please at least think it over.
Differentiating between men and beasts is an old misconception.
We are all living beings, we all have life.
This is not a veterinary procedure.
It is a live-saving procedure, Sire.
Doctor GBaek.
Sire.
You. Take him away.
Sire.
Sire!
How dare he... How...
And did His Majesty fall for such claptrap?
No. He had him taken away.
And?
Doctor Baek is outside the palace pleading his case.
What?
Sire. Please reconsider.
Her Royal Highness has no time to lose.
Hear me.
Hear my plea.
- Hear me. - Sire.
It's absurd. To even suggest such a thing...
Your Highness, please... hold on, Your Highness.
Your Highness, Your Highness.
She can't swallow the medicine.
The palace? Has His Majesty said anything?
Your Highness... Stay with us...
Your Highness... Princess...
Sire.
Hear my plea!
Hear me, Sire!
Sire, the Princess is getting worse.
No.
Sire, we can't delay any longer.
But how... How can I?
Have you ever heard of such a thing?
Sire.
Doctor Baek is talented, but this I cannot allow.
She's a princess. My little sister.
But this will save her.
When Doctor Baek was an apprentice...
...he managed to help cure the sudden illness that beset you.
Wasn't that so?
And he searched me out...
...and saved me through amputating my leg...
...when the others had given up.
Wasn't that so as well?
He's always been right.
Because from the highest in the land to the lowliest beast...
...each life is precious to him.
Because he cares for his patients...
...whoever they are.
Failure or not, there is no punishment with smallpox.
The disease is that deadly.
But this is different.
It's the Princess. Doctor Baek can't avoid punishment.
Yet knowing that, he is still willing to risk his life.
As am I in entreating you.
Sire, give Doctor Baek a chance.
Give Her Highness a chance.
Sire.
Your Highness, Your Highness.
She can barely breathe.
She can't last much longer.
Sire.
Sire. Grant my request.
Allow me to help the Princess, Sire.
You!
Horse quack.
Your Majesty.
I heard. How dare you suggest such a thing?
Comparing Sukhwi to an animal?
You think this insult will go unpunished?
- You. - Your Majesty.
Take him away.
On charges of high treason.
Move.
Your Majesty, please hear me out.
I can save her.
I can save the Princess.
Enough.
Shut him up. Take him away.
- Your Majesty. - Let him go.
Sire.
Your Majesty.
Sire...
Save her.
Sire.
All this pleading won't save you.
If she dies... you die.
Will you still...
...try?
Sire.
It's done. His Majesty gave permission.
He did?
He really did?
- Doctor Baek. - Doctor.
How is she?
Getting worse.
She won't last another half hour.
We'll have to numb her throat to prevent spitting during the bleeding.
Can you get Master Saam?
This is your procedure now.
It all rests on you.
Get Master Saam.
He should be at the palace gate.
I will.
We need medicine to keep her throat open,
reduce swelling and prevent suffocation.
Hurry. There's no time to waste.
We will.
Right away.
Your Highness, Your Highness.
Your Highness, just a little longer.
I have numbed her via the stomach and bladder points.
You should be more comfortable.
It's time.
Your Highness, don't be scared.
You recognize my instruments.
It's been a while, but do you remember?
How I saved your precious kitten Dolly?
Remember what you said?
You value my friendship.
As I cherish yours.
And I'm going to save my friend.
Shall we begin?
Use the end of the lance to feel your way.
Use the tip.
Use it to find the exact point to pierce.
One sore at a time, slowly, all right?
There. Found it.
There. Now, slowly...
What's that? Doing what now?
A veterinary procedure. For horses. For animals.
Fool. Little fool.
My lord.
What's going on?
He's using a veterinary procedure...
Sire.
Sukhwi? Is it over?
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
Your Highness. Princess.
Your Highness.
Are you all right?
The blood is choking her.
Your Highness.
I pressed the lung meridian points.
It's up to her now.
Your Highness, you have to spit out the blood.
It's up to you.
Your Highness, you have to try.
You can do this. You have to.
You have to save yourself.
Your Highness.
Spit it out. You can do it.
Spit. Now.
Sukhwi.
Princess.
Your Highness.
She...
Your Highness, how are you?
Can you breathe?
Doctor Baek...
I can... I can breathe now...
- Your Highness. - Your Highness.
- Princess. - Princess.
Sukhwi.
Can you breathe? Can you?
Yes. Yes, Sire...
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I nearly...
I nearly lost you.
Sire... Sire...
I apologize, Doctor.
And thank you. So very much.
Sire.
Sukhwi.
Sire.
It's over now. All over.
Hey. He did it.
Hey, he did it.
Doctor Baek saved the Princess.
What? With that horse quack thing?
Quack? Quack?
Who's a quack now, huh?
But I didn't... I mean, a horse procedure...
She's alive.
Did you hear? Baek...
Kayong.
What the..? You nuts?
Blech.
What did I just do?
Got a death wish, is that it?
I swear.
See that?
Right in the open.
What did I tell you?
That was weird. Sheesh.
My lord.
My lord, this is...
Answer me.
The Exemplar indicates aloe, camphor and musk will aggravate smallpox.
Surely you know that.
Musk is the most dangerous of these.
As the chief physician knows very well.
Silence.
I didn't know what Doctor Choi was up to.
I won't have you slander my good name.
We have a witness that saw you with Doctor Choi that night.
To check on Her Highness.
As I did every night.
You remember my saying I wouldn't lose anything else to you?
I'll ruin you.
Your crimes will come out and you'll be ruined.
Come here.
Take this to the viceroy. Now.
My lord...
The musk.
You had me get it...
Do you agree with that moron?
Do you imagine that I would hurt Her Highness?
No. Never.
The Minister of War needed some heart medicine, that's all.
Not a word of this to anyone.
Understood?
Yes, of course.
Do you see now?
That's what separates him from you.
You once tried to save your sister's spleen...
...by cutting open a stranger.
In the end you lost her and the stranger.
I understand your pain.
And that after that there was no going back.
But what has it gotten you?
You're not a surgeon. You're a butcher.
Confess. Pay what you owe.
This is your chance to be a man again.
You can choose another path.
Another path? Why should I?
Do you know why I chose Lord Yi?
You think your man is tougher?
This isn't about him. It's about you.
Opportunity doesn't just come from success.
It can come from failure and paying what you owe.
An opportunity for a life more valuable than any success.
Don't let it slip away.
Don't do it.
Go. Get out of my sight.
Get out of here.
It won't be easy to beat Lord Yi.
He has the Queen Mother and the viceroy behind him.
I have my own ideas.
Jinyong.
They found a corpse in the river a while back.
Songha thinks that was Doctor Choi's handiwork.
My father let him in despite that.
Or...
...perhaps because of it.
It hurts to say it...
But it can't be denied.
He's the only father I've ever known.
Things are difficult between us...
...but he's still...
...a father to me.
Father.
Use the ministers and the Queen Mother.
Doctor Baek's procedure was an affront to the dignity of the royal house.
Using a veterinary procedure on a royal?
That alone is reason enough.
My lord.
You sure you didn't know about it?
The musk, I mean.
Your involvement with the late king's...
My lord.
Tell me the truth.
This could cost all our necks.
Absolutely not, my lord.
I would never dream of doing such a thing.
Of course. How could you ask?
My lord, what was that earlier?
Lord Yi and the late king's what?
Never you mind.
We're meeting with Her Majesty first thing tomorrow.
Be ready.
We'll need a memorial to the court.
My lord.
So what's this proof you have?
You have evidence against Yi Myonghwan?
This.
A journal of prescriptions from the pharmacy.
The record of the day the Crown Prince died.
The pharmaceutical record.
No. You keep it.
As a sign of good faith. We're in the same boat now.
What good is digging up the cause of the prince's death now?
It will just upset the court.
Nothing says he wouldn't do it again.
But if I know his weaknesses...
...he knows mine.
Welcome. This way.
So Kwanghyon rushes in and grabs that Choi creep...
And kicked him out, yeah, yeah.
And? And-and-and?
Right, and...
...then he found her swollen sores...
Yeah, yeah, and he got them all.
I swear, what is it with you?
I've heard it over and over.
Aren't you tired o it?
It's a great story, we love it.
He's right.
First the Crown Prince, now the Princess.
He'll be Royal Physician before you know it.
Royal..?
The Royal what-now?
Of course. He'll rise two ranks thanks to this.
Then he's on his way...
Listen to you.
What's it to you?
What do you care if he's Royal Physician?
Ugh, you, too?
I'm happy for my friend.
A man of virtue...
"Virtue," he says. This from a ninth-ranker?
Mo-o-om, I'm all grown up now.
- Stop that. - Stop THIS...!
Kibae. Chef. Something's going on at the clinic.
With Kwanghyon.
He get promoted already?
What is he? Sixth rank? Fifth?
Or Royal Physician maybe, huh?
That's not it.
The ministers want him dismissed.
What? Dismissed?
Yes.
But why..?
Hear our plea.
Hear us, Sire.
Promote a man that insulted the royal house?
The idea is absurd.
Sire, he dared to use a veterinary procedure on the Princess.
He should be dismissed at the very least.
But His Majesty gave his permission.
It was nothing Doctor Choi couldn't have done.
His Majesty granted permission for that, too.
But then Doctor Baek wormed his way in.
Without any proof...
he relieved the attending physician.
So he could get all the credit.
Viceroy, you're out of line.
The ones out of line are the horse quack and you!
Enough!
That's enough.
Have you no shame?
While you forsake the royal house for your own ends...
...Doctor Bake risks his life to save our people...
...and the Princess.
Sire, Her Royal Majesty...
I said take it away.
Your Majesty, please.
You must eat.
No. Take it away.
I won't touch a drop until the dignity of my royal house is restored.
Tell the King I said so.
Your Majesty.
You're already ill.
You'll make yourself worse.
If you're worried, the King will be too.
Your Majesty.
Your Royal Majesty.
Men and beasts are as different as heaven and earth, Sire.
Dismiss the man that dared practice veterinary medicine on Her Highness.
Dismiss him, Sire.
Dismiss him.
Kwanghyon.
Dismiss him, Sire.
I expected this. But I had hoped otherwise.
Dismiss him, Sire.
Get pledges from all three medical departments.
And from all the city pharmacies.
My lord. Come along.
All this comes from making that horse quack a doctor.
You've been busy, my lord.
You would have to be to survive this.
Oh? You think my survival is in question?
Hear the ministers?
You're the one that's ruined.
Like when you were an apprentice.
Yes, probably so.
But I'll be back.
Like when I was an apprentice.
And when I come back, the one that will have to leave...
...will be you.
- Doctor Baek. - My lord.
I just heard.
If I had my way, I'd mobilize the men and drag off all those so-called...
"...men of virtue."
She lived, didn't she? What's the problem?
Try not to worry.
They aren't many of us, but I'll rally some support.
Don't worry about me.
I'm here to ask you a favor.
Oh? What? Name it.
Here it is.
Proof that Viceroy Jong was involved.
He definitely knew.
Hold on.
This is the record of the search for you three years ago.
Why are you..?
Please don't mention this to anyone.
Please.
Sire, we must think of the Queen Mother.
She's had nothing for three days now.
I'm scared her condition will only get worse.
So I should punish a doctor that healed his patient?
I approved the procedure myself.
Which is why I suggest a brief leave.
You can send for him after this has blown over.
What? Dismissed?
Doctor Baek?
Doctor Baek? Is it true?
But how... how could they...
Why? For what reason?
His Majesty...
... had to give in to the Queen Mother.
That's not all. The ministers were throwing a fit.
All over one doctor...
No. If he's dismissed, what about ME?
- Poor me. - Instructor...
Instructor Doofus, that's me.
What now?
Sure, it's easy for you, but what about ME?
Doctor Yun.
Am I reading that right?
It's ridiculous.
Doctor Baek? Where is he?
No idea.
- Hello. - My lady.
Kwanghyon? He's still at the clinic?
You mean he's not here?
Whatever he's up to, we haven't seen him since yesterday.
Take care of that, then you can...
Sir.
- Leave us. - Sir.
You let Doctor Choi in despite knowing what he is?
Just to get and Doctor Baek?
You knew about the musk in the Princess's quarters?
I did it because Baek Kwanghyon is Kang Dojun's son.
Father.
He should be dead and he lived.
He should be dead and he came back.
He dies, I die, one or the other has to die.
Whom do you choose?
Your father? Or him?
It's been three days.
No news about Doctor Baek?
None. He didn't even tell Jinyong.
I need to see the King.
This is all because he saved me.
I'd rather be dead.
Your Highness, please.
You're not better yet.
You'll make yourself sick.
Lady Kwak.
Your Highness.
Where are you, Kwanghyon?
What are you doing?
Now there's a real man for you.
Knocking them back in one gulp.
Here.
And for me...?
Right then.
You have plenty to hate me for, oh, yes.
And why not?
But I know better now, right?
I'll look to you from now on, Your Lordli...
I mean, My Lord Doctor.
No...!
My... my lord...
You can't just abandon me.
I thought Doctor Baek was somebody...
My lord, I was wrong.
Goodbye, my lord.
Musk? Me?
Yes. For your heart. I thought I'd ask after your health.
If you need more, let me know.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
It's not me.
My lord?
I'm busy.
Have you been drinking?
No...
How am I going to get out of this?
All's well that ends well, and faster than we thought.
Doesn't it seem strange?
What?
His Majesty was furious.
To give in so quickly...
He had the Queen Mother to think about.
And all those ministers outside.
I suppose...
Sire, the High Minister.
- Send him in. - Sire.
Then Doctor Baek wanted to be dismissed?
So he said.
I was at my wit's end.
Doctor Baek asked to be dismissed.
He has something to do.
Something he can't do in a doctor's robes, he said.
Not in a doctor's robes?
What's that even mean?
I asked the same thing.
But to no avail.
He said he'll be back.
Then he'll explain everything then.
His friends don't know where he is?
No. Neither does Lady Jinyong.
I see. Keep at it.
My lord.
But I'll be back.
Like when I was an apprentice.
And when I come back, the one that will have to leave...
...will be you.
Doctor Yun and Doctor Pak take the day shift.
I and Doctor Ho will work tonight.
- Yes, my lord. - Yes, doctor.
Keep the nurses on shift as well.
Yes, of course.
He's just one man but we feel the loss.
Let's keep at it.
My lord.
Pardon me, have you heard anything?
We haven't heard from him since he dismissed three days ago.
Excuse me.
I'm looking for Yi Songha.
This way.
My lord.
What brings you here?
My lord, I need to speak with you.
Come in.
What? Lord Yi told you to get some musk?
Yes. He said it was for the Minister of War.
But it wasn't...
My lord, I'm innocent.
I was just following orders, my lord.
Who else knows?
Only me.
Who else could I tell?
My lord.
Keep this to yourself for now.
And keep an eye on Lord Yi.
Report everything to me.
Understood?
Yes. Yes, my lord.
There you are.
My lord.
Where have you been?
We have to see Her Royal Majesty...
Yes, I was just on my way.
Come along.
My lord.
Welcome.
Doctor Baek.
Well, what is it?
Go on.
You disappeared. Why come to see me first?
Lord Kang Dojun. Kang Dojun.
My birth father.
Baek Sukgu. Baek Sukgu.
The man who reared me as his own.
And then there was my mentor, Lord Ko.
The man responsible for their deaths...
...is your father, Yi Myonghwan.
Now I'm going to make him pay.
With this.
Have you lost your senses?
Destroy my own father?
There is one condition.
It has to stay between us.
Lord Yi will never confess.
What do you want me to do?
Are you saying I was?
You suspect me?
Let’s end it here.
How dare you?
How did you let this happen?
We can keep this quiet.
There’s no proof after all.
We have a witness.
A witness?
This is dangerous.
They won't leave this alone.
They need to know they can't keep the truth hidden.
I'm not easy to hurt, not anymore.