[Episode 47]
You see? The Royal Pharmacy.
Now you'll be an herbalist of note.
Listen, forget all about your past.
Don't even think of looking for me.
What are you saying, Father?
Listen to me. You and I were never really suited.
The seer said as much when you were in the womb.
"Your womb is a brook, and in it, a dragon."
A child that will do great things in life.
Not just as an herbalist.
As a doctor, a court physician, the chief physician of all the land.
That's my boy. You were born for this.
Father.
Nothing?
Where did he go?
Did he leave the capital?
I don't know. I have no idea.
Doctor Baek.
Father.
Jinyong.
Jinyong, how should I...?
What? Is something wrong?
Father. Why...?
No. You need to go.
You can't be here. Go now.
Father. Father.
Tushik.
I'm sorry, Songha. It has to be done.
Well? Arrest him.
Wait. Just one minute.
As you can see, I'm a bit of a mess.
At least let me dress with some dignity.
There's no time.
But I'm still the nation's chief physician.
What? Lord Yi came back on his own?
Yes, just so, Sire.
He's here now.
You're sure?
Yes, Your Highness.
I thought he would escape. Why did he come back?
He had nowhere to go.
Inquisitors, police, soldiers, officials, they're all after him.
Where could he go?
Yes, I had nowhere to go.
The path I chose ends here.
I prefer this over being caught by soldiers.
Whatever I did,
I was chief physician once.
The fugitive life isn't for me.
No, I couldn't do that.
You have no way out of this.
I know.
Why did you do it?
Why did it come to this?
I gave you so many chances.
Chances to choose differently.
Choose differently?
Yes, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little sorry.
But in the same situation, I would do the same thing.
I can't live with nothing.
It's no small thing, having all this.
So I'm not sorry.
I got what I wanted.
No.
You'll be sorry.
And very soon.
For what your choices cost you...
...what they lost you...
...what was most precious to you.
No, no...
My lord.
Lord Yi.
Listen, trust me.
It's not over.
I'll help you.
The Queen Mother, the court, you'll survive this.
Not just survive.
A few years in exile, then you'll come back.
My lord.
I let myself believe that for a while.
But we know better.
You know you're just saying it.
Listen. That's not me, it's not.
I turned over the ledger.
What?
Care to come along, my lord?
What?
You..! I'll kill you!
You know who I am?
You think a ledger can ruin me?
Viceroy.
What now? What do we do?
- Arrest him. - Sir.
- Take him. - Sir.
Hyonguk.
Don't look like that.
I pay what I owe.
Hyonguk.
The viceroy, the minister, the chief physician, all arrested.
Who can you trust anymore, huh?
You're sure?
Yes. Viceroy, Minister of War, Lord Yi, the lot.
Well, I never.
One day on top, the next in jail.
You reap what you sow.
To think I lived to see it with my own eyes.
Wait. Will you be all right?
Me? Why?
You and the minister were close.
Always so cozy, giving you all the palace gossip.
Watch that mouth of yours.
He was a guest, that's all, the end...
So they're in jail. They're getting their comeuppance, right?
Right.
His Majesty ordered a tribunal.
They'll get what's coming to 'em.
Ten years I've been stewing on this.
Who's crowing now, huh? Kaw-kaw!
Kwanghyon.
The tribunal is today?
Yes.
I see. It's just retribution.
You may forgive, but the heavens do not.
Neither do I.
I may never be able to.
But I didn't want it to end this way.
Not for Yi Myonghwan.
Or for Jinyong.
Or, in fairness, for me.
Keep it up until they confess.
Halt.
Sir.
Keep asking, my answer won't change.
The viceroy knew about Yi Hyongik's death.
Just as he knew about the Princess.
He knew and he looked the other way.
He and the other minister...
...took their share of bribes.
Silence.
It's a lie, a frame. I'm innocent.
We have already established the facts in the ledger.
Why keep denying it?
Well? Keep at it!
Sir.
Spare me! I'll talk. Please! Stop, stop!
Halt.
Minister, are you insane? Are you?
I'd rather confess and live.
Coward or not, at least I'll be alive.
Minister.
This is unbelievable.
Our chief physician guilty of murder.
Attempted murder on the royal house.
And members of my own court paid to look the other way.
Betrayal, abuse of power.
Attacks on the royal house.
There can be no forgiveness.
Your Majesty... Let me see the Queen Mother...
Take him away.
I'm innocent!
For collusion and accepting bribes,
Viceroy Jong is stripped of rank and banished.
The nurses and staff involved will be banished or stripped of rank,
depending on their crimes.
Now for the man behind all this, Yi Myonghwan.
For the crime of murder and attempted murder on the royal house,
he shall be taken to a place of exile and there put to death.
As you command.
So it's all true? Unbelievable.
It just shows you never can tell.
You kidding? I knew all along.
It was in Lord Yi's eyes.
A real snake. And a phony smile.
Well, well, this from the girl that always cozied up to him?
How quickly you turn on him.
You're right. She is.
Is not. It's the truth, that's all.
I'm a candid girl.
A what?
Since when? Listen to you.
So it comes to this.
Doctor Baek's father and Lord Ko can finally rest in peace.
Perhaps.
But I believe they would both be heartsick about it all.
Sir?
Still, Lord Yi chose the honorable path in the end.
That's some consolation.
Are you sure?
You want to give this away?
Yes, ma'am.
He won't see you.
He doesn't want you to see him like this.
How did you..?
The clinic assesses the health of all prisoners prior to transfer.
I said I would go.
To speak with you one last time.
Chills and a fever.
I'll write up a prescription.
For a dead man?
Others may not see it.
But I know the pain you've suffered.
Doctor Baek wanted you to have this.
He believes his father would want it this way.
I never told you...
...but Dojun never blamed you, not once.
He was worried that you would carry the guilt with you.
Now, with this, you can finally let it go.
I want to thank you.
I prefer to remember you like this.
With that look of resolve...
...I so admired.
Inju.
Open up.
Ma'am.
I wonder if I should leave.
I paid my final respects to Lord Kang.
You're really not going to say anything?
I know you know what happened to Kang Dojun.
My lord.
Where will you go?
It's a shame. I would send you off, but with work and all...
I can't get away.
How did this happen to us?
To Kang Dojun. To you.
To all of us?
Farewell.
That's what I like to see.
Serves you right for threatening the Princess and the Queen Mother.
Thought you would live forever? Stoning's too good for 'em.
Father.
Jinyong.
Pardon me.
Could we swing by the Juja area?
Absolutely not.
I lived there as a boy.
I won't be back again. Let me see it.
A last look before I die.
I'm begging you. Please.
What? You're sure?
Yes, sir.
He escaped? Yi Myonghwan?
Father.
Find him. He can't be far. Move!
That way. Move!
Sir!
Find him. He's here somewhere.
- Move! - Sir!
No, I have no regrets.
I had...
...no choice.
What are you saying?
Listen closely.
Report to the authorities. Tell them what you know.
Say Kang Dojun suspects an assassination.
Tell them you know who it is.
I'll save you. And I'll find out who did this to you.
No, don't. Don't do that.
Just go. Don't do anything. Just go.
Your Highness.
The Crown Prince is waiting in the next room.
What are you waiting for?
We're in the same boat now. Get started.
Your Highness...
But one thing would have been different.
If I chose differently...
...my friend, my mentor...
...would be with me now.
I can tell you, at least.
I'm tired.
Tired of carrying this with me.
Lord Yi disappeared?
Yes. He got away near the Juja area.
The Juja area, that's...
Yes. Near Dojun's grave.
Father... Father...
Father!
There's nothing like this in the apprentice library, huh?
Only physicians' apprentices can come in here. Not lowly herbalists like us.
That's why we jump the wall.
Herbalist?
Oops, I didn't introduce myself.
Royal pharmacy herbalist Kang Dojun.
Kang Dojun..?
Yep. Son of a highfalutin household.
Uh-oh...
Enough already.
And you?
Yi Myonghwan.
I know. Pharmacist Level One, right?
That, and son of a horse vet.
Father... Father...!
My lord.
Father...
- My lord. - Father.
My lord.
Father.
My lord... my lord...
- Father. - My lord.
My lord... my lord...
Lord Yi.
The notes.
I swear.
Doofus. Doofus-9th-rank-boy.
You call these notes?
Pardon?
Date, condition, all at a glance.
Can't you even do that?
I meant to but...
Don't mean to, just do it.
You've always been all talk.
When you going to wake up?
All right. Give it here.
What? "Give it?"
You're a low 9th-rank doofus boy now.
You telling a 6th-ranker to "give it"?
This isn't the old clinic, you know.
My mistake, honorable sir.
That's it.
Try to do better.
No loafing like you did under Lord Yi.
Learn acupuncture, surgery.
Ask for help if you need it.
Sir.
Nine-boy, your face all right?
- Not at all. - You're pale.
Nurses, get something for Lord Nine here.
Yessir.
Study? Learn?
After all my years... HE'S the doofus...
My lord. My lord.
My lord.
What brings you here?
I heard they let you stay.
How are you doing?
Ugh, don't ask.
Reduced to this.
It's enough to drive me mad.
At least you make a living.
Herbalists, clinics...
My reputation always precedes me.
Can you help me out?
Anything, the lowest nursing post...
What can I possibly do?
I'm powerless.
My lord, my lord.
I can't be seen with you, it doesn't look good.
Just go. And don't come back.
My lord... my lord...
Talk to the instructor.
You're all I've got.
Ugh!
My lord, my lord!
Now we're talking.
Pay him back for all his abuse over the years.
Kayong.
What?
What-what? I like seeing you.
Me?
Sure. You, Doctor Baek.
We miss you both, see?
Uh-huh.
Listen, we haven't seen Lord Baek Kwanghyon around lately.
The clinic, the pharmacy, nowhere.
So I'm looking for him.
He's busy.
Ah, of course.
His lordship would be, with his position and house and all.
Don't you ever stop?
What a suck-up, I swear.
Suck up? Me?
He's a highfalutin now. Honor is due.
What for?
Cause I gotta.
What a joke.
One day sucking up, the next talking down.
That's why I talk up to no one.
Tsk-tsk-tsk.
Kayong, I'm not a joke.
Whew, stinky.
Please. Allow me.
It's fine.
Taemang! What do you think you're doing?
Shucking onions.
And what's a doctor doing shucking onions?
Is it sick? Little onion got a fever?
No, but the chef is busy and asked me...
Chef THIS, you.
I swear, I never...
No wonder it's so quiet. Where is he?
Well...
Not again?
Baek Kwanghyon's house?
That man..!
Here I am worried to death about Jinyong.
What's he doing there, huh?
Stop or else!
This.. and this...
Look, look.
Is this a house or a whale's back?
Have you ever even seen a whale?
Just an expression.
Look over there. One house. And another.
How many houses does he have?
We could get lost in here.
So this all belongs to Kwanghyon, huh?
Always has.
Right, right, I always knew he was special.
He reeks of class.
Wipe your mouth. You're drooling.
Can't help it.
Should we go in?
Can we?
Sure, let's go.
Come on, let's go in. C'mon, c'mon.
I'd never get up if I slept here.
The mattress wouldn't let me.
Look, look, look, if this were mine...
...I'd surround myself with all my best yummies.
Don't count on it. I called it first.
Don't ruin it for me.
You called the other room.
It's too small.
Enough, both of you. Get up.
Right, right, I let you have the other one.
This isn't the only house.
He's got holdings from Yoju to Ansong.
All his.
Let's go see.
Shall we?
I'm not so sure this is a good thing.
Why?
Lady Jinyong used to live here.
Kwanghyon won't like it.
He never wanted title or holdings.
That's true.
So they can get married.
They can live here.
That's not so easy now.
Why isn't it?
Don't you know your own country?
Jinyong is a commoner.
How can she marry a nobleman?
Fate is so cruel.
Before he couldn't marry her.
Now she can't marry him.
He'll be lucky if he can stop her being sent into slavery.
Let's go. Come on.
I hate that this has happened to Jinyong.
But it's the law of the land.
Sire.
Kang Jinyong knew nothing of all this.
It was all Yi Myonghwan's doing.
True.
Which is why she won't be punished for posing as a noble.
But she's a slave.
Once a slave, always a slave.
It's the law.
But, Sire, not a slave. Surely an indentured servant?
See these memorials?
She can't avoid slavery now.
The doctors, the scholars, they all want her punished for posing as a noble.
The nobles won't have it.
Not a commoner dirtying a great house.
You think they would stand for me freeing her?
Even kings have pressures.
I need a compelling reason to free her.
Otherwise, the child of a slave is a slave.
Your Majesty, they're making Jinyong a slave?
You can't. She did nothing wrong.
How many times is this?
I'm as upset as you are.
But once a slave, always a slave. What can I do?
Her Majesty is right.
If the royal house doesn't obey its own laws,
what will happen to this country?
But Jinyong is my closest friend.
You've known her for years. How can you be so obtuse?
Sukhwi.
Princess.
Your Majesty.
Her ladyship is here?
Yes. She's inside.
Your Highness.
Well? Jinyong?
No. Nothing I said helped.
So? The Queen Mother and the Queen can't do anything?
No. They won't go against the law.
How can this happen?
Your Highness.
Packing?
Yes. It wouldn't be right for me to stay.
It's not fair, such a fine lady falling so far.
Poor Lady Kang.
Pssh. Lady? What lady?
Stop.
What? Am I wrong?
A slave is as a slave does.
To think I was all, "My lady, my lady," it drives me insane.
Of course she's leaving.
A slave has no place with nurses.
Not just anyone works here.
Hush.
My lady, don't let her get to you.
She's always been a loudmouth.
It's fine. Really.
Look at you, still with the "my lady" stuff. Lady, pssh.
You! How dare you?
Your Highness.
What? Care to repeat that?
You dare talk that way to my friend?
Your Highness.
I was wrong. Forgive me.
I won't hear it.
An insult to my friend is an insult to me.
You need a lesson in manners.
Lady Kwak.
Teach her a lesson.
Your Highness. Take her away.
Ma'am.
Your Highness, spare me. I'm sorry.
Your Highness.
Your Highness, please.
This just makes it worse.
Jinyong, don't worry, we'll always be friends.
Your Highness.
Let's go.
How can you stand it?
I wanted to teach her a lesson. Why stop me?
Whether I meant to or not,
I still posed as a noble.
That kind of thing is natural.
It's bound to happen.
Jinyoung
Still, I appreciate the thought, really I do.
Especially your friendship.
Jinyong.
What is all this?
You're still you. Nothing's changed.
Commoner, servant, what do I care?
It doesn't matter.
You're my friend. The best friend I'll ever have.
Friendship has nothing to do with status.
I learned that from you.
What we have doesn't matter. It's who we are.
So what's all this talk? I won't hear it.
Your Highness.
You can't weaken, not now.
Whatever happens, you're my friend.
Your Highness.
Jinyong.
Baek.
What did His Majesty say?
What did I tell you? You know what our country is like.
The nobles won't back down, not under any circumstances.
Can't we do anything?
Can't she be freed? Does she have to be a slave?
What? Who resigned?
The Inspector General.
He resigned today.
Nothing to say?
I thought you'd try to talk me out of it.
I know what you're going through. Why bother?
Songha, you want to get plastered, it's on me.
Every drop of wine in the city.
But pull yourself together. Live.
Live? For what? Why bother?
Look.
I couldn't protect my father, Jinyong, no one.
What good am I to anyone?
What are you doing here?
It's cold. You'll catch your death.
I was waiting. For you.
I'll be all right. Don't worry about me.
I'm Yongdal, after all.
I make my own way, wherever I land.
Like a weed.
- So... - Stop.
You'll be all right? Nothing will happen?
How? How exactly?
I mean it. I'll be fine.
So long as...
...you don't do this.
You make this hard for me.
We both blame ourselves.
I blame myself. You do the same.
I know. I was selfish.
I couldn't stand it. And now you're suffering.
I'm sorry. So, so sorry, Kwanghyon.
But what's done is done and there's no changing it.
So let's just end it...
No, I won't.
I can't.
I won't let this happen to you.
Kwanghyon.
It's unheard of.
Sire, hear our plea.
Class is the foundation of our country.
A girl posing as a noble?
It can't be allowed.
But if the babies weren't switched, an innocent would have died.
The servant girl isn't to blame.
Servant girl? She's the child of a slave.
Say what she is.
Sire, our class system is the foundation of Joseon.
It can't be allowed.
You are our nation's exemplar.
Please observe its laws.
Sire, observe the law.
My lord, what happened?
I and some others tried.
But it was no use.
Baek Sukgu was a slave.
That's all there is to it.
And so? His Majesty made his decision?
Doctor Baek.
You there.
Yes, Sire.
Send for my privy counsel.
Sire.
My lady.
Outside...
Jinyong.
- Your Highness. - Princess.
When does she go? To the Yangju Office?
Today.
What? Today?
No, no... I won't let her.
Your Highness. Your Highness!
Corrupt. Rotten to the core.
That's our nation's court for you.
Master. What about Baek?
How can he live without Jinyong?
I need a compelling reason to free her.
Otherwise, the child of a slave is a slave.
Baek Sukgu was a slave. That's all there is to it.
The child of a slave is a slave.
But if the father wasn't a slave?
If he was freed for services to the state?
What do we do now?
I know, it's all so sad.
Sir, Jabong.
Find Kang Songha.
I need you to tell him something.
What?
Stand aside.
Well? I said stand aside.
Your Highness, we cannot.
Your Highness.
It's too cruel. There's justice and there's mercy.
How can you take her away?
Your Highness, please.
Lady Kwak. The palace can't know she was here.
My lady...
I'm ready now.
Jinyong.
Your Highness.
Jinyong.
Wait.
One moment.
How's that again?
A moral justification?
Just so, Sire.
If there is justification to free her...
...will you rescind your order?
Doctor Baek.
My foster father, her father, the slave Baek Sukgu.
What if you could free him, Sire?
If you could free him posthumously...
...it would free Nurse Kang as well.