Did you collude with Yeongae Somun
to kill me because you feared I would take the throne?
Quiet!
How dare you accuse the court leader without any proof?
Can you bet your life that I colluded with Yeongae Somun?
My return to Seorabeol was classified information that only the court leaders knew about.
If someone in court didn't collude with Yeongae Somun,
how did a Goguryeo patrol boat attack my boat like a falcon after prey?
If someone in court tried to sell my life to Goguryeo,
it is an act against a royal order.
It is a serious crime that threatens Silla-Tang relations and our national fate.
You will not be able to avoid responsibility because you are the court leader.
I swear I never colluded with Goguryeo bandits.
You will have to prove that rumors of you serving up the Three Kingdoms to the Tang emperor aren't true.
I have been honorable.
I have nothing to explain.
You can't do this.
The two pillars of the court shouldn't be hostile to each other.
Please calm down and clear up any misunderstandings.
I will prepare a drink.
Yes, do that.
Her Majesty will worry if she hears about this.
Whatever agreement you made with the Tang emperor won't happen as long as I am the court leader.
Remember that.
I will not allow anyone to destroy friendly relations with Tang
or allow any attempts to destroy the peace of the Three Kingdoms.
It have been a long time.
[Ancestral tablets of Kim Pumseok and Gotaso]
Even with time, the grief of losing a child doesn't seem to go away.
You lessened the bitter grief that pained my heart.
I know how you feel.
I am glad that I was able to keep my promise to recover Daeyaseong
and get back the remains of Gotaso and Pumseok.
I don't know how to face you.
You loved Nanseung, but he died because of me.
What can we do?
That was his fate.
He wanted you to live so you may achieve the great cause of unification.
I'm sure he doesn't have any regrets.
I will achieve peace of the Three Kingdoms, so the deaths of everyone who died for the cause don't go to waste.
Silla has official uniforms. Why are you suggesting that we wear Tang uniforms?
It is just a sign of trust to show that we uphold friendly relations with Tang.
We have to accept their leading political systems
and reform the court to achieve prosperity for Silla and unify the Three Kingdoms.
Is it your intention to degrade Silla officials to Tang puppets and step all over the pride of Silla?
Or is it the Tang emperor's intention?
Are you that unconfident?
What?
Is a little speck of dust going to affect a mountain?
Even if we accept all of Tang's policies, it won't damage Silla's unique roots and pride.
Tang envies our superior paper-making skills.
But the skills originally came from the Central Plain.
If we didn't accept the skills because they weren't ours,
we would still be writing on wooden boards.
Paper-making skills can't compare to political policies.
Politics are the same.
If Silla accepts the leading policies of Tang and the people praise the royal family and court,
one day, Tang and the other countries will come to Seorabeol to learn about the politics of Silla.
He is right.
Discuss the matter in court and implement it.
There is a rumor Chunchu is going to abolish the meeting of the Jingol leaders.
What?
Her Majesty doesn't have an heir.
Isn't it clear that a Jingol will inherit the throne?
If Chunchu and Kim Yusin abolish the meeting of the Jingol leaders
and neutralize the power of the Jingol leaders,
the throne will go to Chunchu.
Quiet!
Wasn't it enough to play us by telling Yeongae Somun when Kim Chunchu would return?
Are you trying to cause trouble in court?
How did you...
Do you have to lose your head to repent for what you did?
You didn't expose Yeongae Somun's secret letter and let the Goguryeo spy go.
We are on the same boat.
If you do not watch that tongue of yours, you will not live long.
Remember that.
Sangdaedeung...
Did you deliver the Goguryeo mangniji's secret letter to the Silla court?
Yes.
Who told the mangniji when Chunchu would return to Silla?
Did you bring the reward you promised?
Oh, right.
Here.
You could live a life of prosperity with this.
Tell me.
Who was it?
Sajin!
Were you investigating me?
You should be repenting for participating in Bidam's rebellion.
Why did you collude with the Goguryeo mangniji to kill Chunchu?
The sangdaedeung let it go.
Why are you digging into this?
What?
Is he involved, too?
I was the pungwolju at one time.
I will kill you all.
Sajin!
- Say hello to the mangniji. - Of course.
Yeomjang's ancestral tablet
Yeomjang was killed because he was looking for the official who colluded with Goguryeo.
I swear on the Hwarang name.
I will find out who killed Yeomjang and get revenge for him.
The Silla court officials are wearing Tang uniforms
and imitating the Tang court?
How funny it is to watch Silla try to gain Tang's favor.
It is certain Kim Chunchu reached a secret military alliance with the Tang emperor.
We need to strengthen relations with the Wae court.
We should also train soldiers to be prepared for any attacks.
The Tang army was defeated by Goguryeo.
Why should we fear them?
Gyebaek could easily defend against a Tang army of a million by himself.
Right, Gyebaek?
If you order so, I will drive out the Tang army with my bare hands.
You are indeed Baekje's greatest general.
May I say something?
Go ahead.
The prosperity of Baekje depends on trading with the Central Plain.
The Central Plain is like our lifeline.
Instead of using our military power to take over Silla border areas,
Baekje should also seek friendly relations with Tang like Silla did.
For that to happen, friendly relations with Silla...
Crown prince!
Close that mouth of yours.
Baekje's prosperity will be achieved when we recover all the fortresses Silla took from us.
If you ever mention friendly relations with Silla or Tang again,
your loyalty will be doubted.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, the emperor of Tang passed away.
What? He did?
In April, 649, Li Shimin, the emperor of Tang, died at the age of fifty-two.
He was the second son of Li Yuan.
He rose to emperor by killing his brothers.
He was considered as one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history.
He conquered the Tujue and battled against Goguryeo.
In 645, he was defeated in the battle at Ansiseong.
A few years later, he gives an order to stop battle against Goguryeo over Liaodong and passes away.
Emperor Taizong united the Central Plain and built a great empire.
His death predicted political changes for Silla, Baekje, Goguryeo and the eastern Asian area of that time.
You want to send a song of praise to the new emperor of Tang?
Yes.
If we can't win him over now,
Goguryeo and Baekje could act and ruin our friendly relations with Tang.
Tang might be a huge nation that conquered the Central Plain,
but it is only 30 years old and it lost to Goguryeo before.
Isn't our praise a bit excessive?
It is full of flowery language.
It it like a servant praising his ruler.
If Her Majesty approved of this, the court will not oppose it.
But if this results in the loss of Silla's national authority,
you will not be able to avoid responsibility.
Thank you for agreeing.
If it causes any problems, I will take full responsibility.
Beopmin, go to Changan and deliver this to the Tang emperor.
You say it is to maintain friendly relations with Tang,
but I am not happy with this.
Father, send me instead.
I will do it.
Beopmin, it must be you.
Why?
It is about keeping a promise with the previous Tang emperor.
The sons of the fathers who made the promise must confirm trust.
But I believe this could ruin Silla's national authority and destroy the pride of a Silla person.
If you don't go,
I will take it as an act of abandoning the cause to unify the Three Kingdoms and I will disown you.
Father!
Yusin is here.
Yusin.
How can you write such praise about Tang?
I am so embarrassed. This is an insult to Silla.
We will be the laughing stock of the Three Kingdoms.
This is the only way to confirm our alliance with Tang and secure safety for Silla.
Alliance?
What alliance?
I formed a military alliance with the previous emperor of Tang.
What?
A military alliance?
If the Three Kingdoms can't achieve peace and go to battle,
I will send 200,000 soldiers to help Silla unify the Three Kingdoms.
Even if you send soldiers to help with unification of the Three Kingdoms,
please promise you will not interfere with our politics.
I will put it in writing and send it to the queen of Silla.
I will represent the court of Silla and thank you.
Are you saying the rumors of you using the Tang army to unify the Three Kingdoms were true?
If the Three Kingdoms can't maintain peace on their own, this is the only way.
Why didn't you tell me?
Don't you trust me?
I told Her Majesty.
I had no choice because of Goguryeo and Baekje spies in court.
Chunchu.
Your reputation could be ruined just like that because of this.
Can you handle the humiliation of being called a loyal dog of the Tang emperor?
I am honorable to the cause that we swore to achieve.
If centuries of battle could stop and the people could be saved from suffering,
I'm not afraid of my reputation being disgraced.
I'm sure you agree with me.
Uncle.
Convince father not to send that song of praise.
Even if everyone in Seorabeol criticizes your father, you must stand by him.
Uncle.
Your father has great pride as a citizen of Silla.
If he wrote a song praising the Tang emperor, he must have a good reason.
I am sure you will fulfill your duties for your father's sake and for Silla's sake.
Why did you allow Chunchu to deliver that song of praise?
This will disgrace his reputation.
He dug his own grave.
Don't you think so?
Silla even wrote a song of praise for the new Tang emperor?
If Tang and Silla join forces and attack us, how will we be able to defend ourselves?
Please don't worry.
Even if Tang sends a million soldiers, my loyal soldiers will stop them.
Kim Chunchu will lose trust because of this.
The Silla court will fall into the hands of Alcheon.
He overlooked the secret letter asking the date of Kim Chunchu's return.
If we maintain an acquaintance,
he could play a role in an alliance.
He wrote a song of praise to please the Tang emperor?
Is that all Kim Chunchu was?
I guess I misjudged him.
Deliver this to the sangdaedeung of Silla.
I will make future plans with Alcheon.
There must be no mistake.
Yes, sir.
Beopmin, I achieved a military alliance with the previous Tang emperor.
The new emperor is going against his father's will.
He has great ambitions and is preparing to conquer Goguryeo.
The alliance I formed with the previous emperor could be destroyed.
The Tang emperor could attack Goguryeo and even Silla.
The Three Kingdoms could be trampled by Tang.
To prevent battle in the Three Kingdoms, you must confirm the trust between Silla and Tang.
Tang palace
Such praise from the queen of Silla.
I am happy.
I will believe you confirm the alliance the former emperor formed.
I watched the former emperor form an alliance with your father.
How can I be a disloyal son and go against that?
Thank you.
I heard Silla uses an independent era name.
If Silla has true loyalty for Tang, it should use Tang's era name.
I will abide by the alliance if Silla does that.
Anyone who disobeys the emperor will be punished.
This song of praise is the lament of the Silla people for Silla's fallen fate.
The Tang emperor told Silla to use Tang's era name.
Silla is practically Tang's colony now.
The queen of Silla and Kim Chunchu must be desperate to become servants of the Tang emperor.
They made a mistake.
Even if I had to give up all the fortresses in the border area,
I wouldn't have written a song of praise.
Fortresses can be recovered, but national authority status can't.
Isn't that right?
How is it being a loyal dog to protect the country with the help of a powerful nation?
If we go to battle with Silla, the Tang emperor will not watch idly.
I believe Kim Chunchu's policy is the correct one.
Be quiet!
Your Majesty, please consider my opinion.
How dare you praise Kim Chunchu in front of me?
You know how much I hate him.
How can you say that?
He meant it out of true loyalty.
Please be generous.
Do you think he is right, too?
Your Majesty, I don't know about politics.
But if you and the crown prince are hostile to each other,
the royal family's authority will be lost and the court will be divided.
I do not want trouble for the royal family and court.
Go and self-reflect.
You will be punished for resisting my order.
Gyebaek, I will not see you for a while.
Go to the border area and wait for my order.
The emperor of Tang sent a reply confirming friendly relations with Silla.
You followed in your father's footsteps
and went all the way to Changan to maintain friendly relations between Silla and Tang.
Your Majesty.
The Tang emperor wants Silla to use Tang's era name.
Tang's era name?
Chunchu, the court will be strongly opposed to that.
It was to be foreseen since the song of praise was written.
I will handle the court. Please don't worry.
You want to use Tang's era name?
Wasn't it enough to write him a song of praise?
Do you want to give him everything?
Do you have to see Her Majesty
and all the officials swear loyalty to the Tang emperor to be satisfied?
I will accept any reprimand.
But if we don't agree to this demand, the Tang court will abandon its trust for Silla.
We even wore Tang uniforms to maintain friendly relations.
We endured all that humiliation, but all that will go to waste.
I don't care if Her Majesty agrees and orders the era name to be changed.
The court will not abide by that decision.
I am begging you.
Please unite the court into accepting this decision.
Father, why...
Get up.
I am sure you and the court will understand my intention.
The Seorabeol palace is full of Tang uniforms and praise for the Tang emperor.
Is this the Silla court or the Tang emperor's palace?
You are officials of Silla.
Why don't you impeach Kim Chunchu
for trying to leave the fate of this nation to the emperor of Tang?
Please calm down.
We are discussing an important national matter.
Silla's era name was given by king Beopheung.
It is the pride of Silla!
Is it your loyalty to promote national interest by selling our national status?
How can we fight for our country without pride for the country?
Me and my soldiers will not wear Tang armor and fight for the Tang emperor.
Even if we wear Tang uniforms and use Tang's era name,
as long as we don't forget our cause,
the authority of the royal family of Silla will not be lost.
Don't you know that giving our lives for the prosperity of Silla
and the unification of the Three Kingdoms makes us proud and loyal servants of Silla?
Chunchu!
You had great pride as a Silla citizen.
How can you change like this?
My heart is ripped to pieces.
Yusin
As long as Silla uses Tang's era name
and the court officials act as the Tang emperor's puppets,
I will not set foot in Seorabeol again.
Yusin.
Yusin!
Even if the whole world called me a loyal dog of the Tang emperor,
I believed you would be on my side.
Was I wrong?
You won't be able to convince me no matter what you say.
Yusin!
Return to being the Kim Chunchu who swore to unify the Three Kingdoms at King Jinheung's monument.
I will not see you until then.
Do you also see me as a traitor who sold our national status?
You had a lot to drink.
It is late. You should go to bed.
Honey.
If the Tang emperor sends 200,000 soldiers,
200,000 Silla citizens don't have to shed blood in battle.
I will endure any humiliation to save those people.
But I don't know how much longer I can endure
because Yusin doesn't understand.
He might have turned his back now, but he will understand in time.
He will return and the two of you will achieve your great cause.
Silla-Baekje border area
Chunchu, why did you betray our cause to unify the Three Kingdoms?
You could drink all the water in the valley,
but it won't quench your thirst rage.
What brings you here?
I was frustrated, too.
I thought we could have a drink.
The Seorabeol court is full of pro-Tang factions.
In Sabiseong, the crown prince was dethroned for suggesting friendly relations with Tang.
The world is full of surprises.
Which side are you?
For or against Tang?
Does it matter?
I am only a servant of Baekje.
I am on the side of the Baekje people.
Anyone who challenges the royal family of Baekje or persecutes the Baekje people
is an enemy I have to kill.
That is my cause.
You are a true general.
Do you feel different?
I have a lifetime friend who swore to a great cause.
Chunchu and I seem to have chosen different paths to achieve the cause.
I am upset about that.
We are generals who use military tactics.
Chunchu isn't like that.
For us, it is important to defeat the enemy and achieve victory.
The mind of a politician like Chunchu changes innumerably.
How can we know what he is thinking?
Let's stop talking about politics.
Let's talk about military tactics and drink all night.
It is nice to speak frankly like this.
I feel better.
Let's drink until we drop.
Let's drink.
Let me give you another drink.
654 AD, 8th year of Queen Jindeok's reign
My mind isn't very clear.
I'm sure you know I can't take care of national matters in this situation.
I think I will be going to see the former king's soon.
Your Majesty, don't say that.
Take care of your health and be strong.
I know my illness.
The throne can't be left empty.
I plan to appoint a regent to take over national matters.
What do you think?
If you appoint a regent now, you will be deciding the successor to the throne.
Can we believe that is your intention?
Yes.
I plan to appoint Chunchu as regent and succeed the throne to him.
Your Majesty, how could I dare to be the regent?
Please reconsider.
It is what the former queen wanted and it is also what I want.
Your Majesty.
Alcheon, unite the court to accept my decision.
How can Her Majesty appoint Chunchu as regent when you are the sangdaedeung?
If Chunchu becomes the regent, Silla will become Tang's colony.
Her Majesty is so resolved. What can we do?
We have to stop her even if it means the entire court has to resign.
Isn't that so?
- Yes! - Right!
That's right.
Do you plan to resist Her Majesty's will and be disloyal?
This isn't disloyalty.
As always, a regent should be appointed through a meeting of the Jingol leaders.
Sangdaedeung, call a meeting of the Jingol leaders.
The sangdaedeung's followers are resisting Her Majesty's will and are threatening to resign from court.
They are insisting that a regent be appointed through a Jingol leaders' meeting.
Even Geumgang wants to support the sangdaedeung to be the regent.
Former Hwarangs should unite the Jingol leaders.
The sangdaedeung is showing disloyalty by resisting Her Majesty's will.
He should be impeached to suppress the disloyalty of the court.
There has been hostility in court and the people were divided before over the matter of a regent.
That must not happen again.
What will we do?
You want to decide on a regent through a meeting of the Jingol leaders?
If a regent is to take your place, he has to be supported by the court.
If the entire court resigns because of this, your dignified intentions will be damaged.
This country will be in discord again.
Please consider that.
If the Jingol leaders decide on a regent, will you unit the court to swear loyalty?
Who would dare to refuse the decision of the Jingol leaders' meeting that you approved of?
If anyone opposed the decision, I will kill him myself.
If this is what you truly want, I will allow the regent to be decided at the meeting of the Jingol leaders.
Did you hear?
Chunchu and Alcheon are fighting over the regent position.
You should return to Seorabeol and reconcile with Chunchu.
Whatever your feelings, the two of you swore to unify the Three Kingdoms.
If he becomes the regent, it will be easier for you to achieve the cause.
Father, why did you agree to the meeting of the Jingol leaders?
The Jingol leaders will want the sangdaedeung to be the regent.
I know.
But what's important isn't who becomes the regent.
It is to unite national public opinions to establish a foundation for Silla's prosperity.
That is what I want.
We don't know what the decision will be yet.
It would be really helpful if Yusin was here by your side.
You should go and ask him for help.
I will wait until he opens up his heart and returns on his own.
Father, uncle called a meeting of the former Hwarang leaders to discuss the appointment of a regent.
He must be planning to help you.
It's been so long.
I am only here to lead the meeting of the former Hwarang leaders.
We can talk later.
Sure.
As the head of the former Hwarang leaders,
I am going to order Hwarangdo that they not interfere with the appointment of a regent.
I am also going to declare that a pro-Tang faction must not become the regent.
Anyone who goes against these orders will be expelled from Hwarangdo.
Yusin.
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