Episode 19
(8 months later)
It's 9:44pm.
The moon is moving at the speed that we projected.
It is so very fascinating.
But knowing the secret of time and how time works...
obviously doesn't solve all of our problems.
We don't even know what tomorrow has in store for us.
You are right, indeed.
Gosh, Lord Lee.
It is nice to see you.
According to your fortunetelling reading,
will we be able to hold the ceremony?
Luck will be on your side for the next little while.
(Choi Bok)
However, someone has to sacrifice for it.
No, that can't happen.
I do not want any of us to sacrifice any more.
Please do not worry.
I'm sacrificing myself in order to drive away all misfortune.
I can't sleep or laze around.
I can't slack off at all.
All I do is observe stars day and night.
Goodness. What sacrifice could be greater than this?
Other people must be sleeping at this late hour, right?
You should go in.
You will find out why I have to work like this at night.
They're driving me crazy.
The two of them keep talking all night.
They don't sleep at all.
Please go in.
On the day of Jungchuk in the month of Jungmyeo, 1429.
(Lee Sun Ji)
There will be a solar eclipse.
- Sir Lee is amazing. - He is truly impressive.
(Jeong In Ji)
You are impressive.
You're the first person I met who can calculate faster than me.
By any chance, did you copy mine?
Of course not.
I actually figured out the date the day before yesterday.
I was waiting for you to finish your calculation.
What?
Is the competition on, then?
I'll find out the exact time before you do.
Did you two get the same answer?
Yes, we did.
Could I inform the King of the date and time of the eclipse?
The problem is that...
it is impossible to predict the exact time.
Our prediction could be close,
but the forecast...
must be perfectly accurate this time.
The records from the last eight months...
are not enough to help us make an accurate prediction.
That is true.
Guo Shoujing also observed...
Beijing's skies for five years to make his Shoushi Calendar.
Gosh, five years?
Yes.
Wow, I'm truly envious.
Had we had that much information,
we would have been able to calculate the time that the solar eclipse...
starts and begins as well as the depth of the eclipse...
accurately without any errors.
Gosh.
I must say... It is very unfortunate.
I'm nervous about this.
Let's not tell the King...
for the next little while.
How about...
we inform the King when we can confirm...
the exact time of the eclipse?
How will we confirm it when we don't have enough records?
We should at least...
let the King know on what day the solar eclipse will take place.
What is your thought on this?
Well, let me think.
Everyone, keep your lips sealed so that the information doesn't leak.
You must not tell anyone.
- Yes, Sir. - Do you understand?
- Yes. - Understood.
Let those who are asleep now know as well.
- Understood. - Understood.
By the way, where is Sir Jang?
I haven't seen him.
Sir Jang has...
practically locked himself up in the workroom to make a clock.
I'm sure he is working on making another fascinating device.
Put it here.
I told the King that this clock...
uses the sun during the day and the stars at night to tell the time,
and he named it for you.
Star sundial.
That is the name he came up with.
That is a great name.
Tell me.
Tell me the truth.
You don't know how to use this, right?
You could tell?
I'll show you.
Here. Look at the shadow of this thread.
Right now, you see two.
But when you do this...
If you align it with the sun,
the 2 shadows become 1.
Where that shadow falls shows the location of the sun,
and it also tells the time.
At night, you have to choose a star...
and keep following it in order to find out the time.
The stars orbit the North Pole and move 15° every hour.
This clock can operate because this ring is pointing to the North Pole.
Gosh, all of this is truly fascinating.
It looks like we have enough devices to tell the time now.
You made many clocks,
so Joseon will always be able to tell the time.
Yeong Sil.
I wanted to tell you this.
I think Jagyeokru made me...
realise my talent I didn't know I had.
I want to make clocks like you.
Not as a director who oversees the production.
I want to actually make them as a craftsman.
Look at you. I know what you're thinking.
You must be trying to avoid having to go...
to the border area in the north with the military.
I know exactly what you're thinking.
How did you know?
These days, whenever the King speaks about developing the border area,
he looks at me...
intently like this.
Just follow the King's command.
You will work under him for the rest of your life anyway.
Look at the First Vice Prime Minister, Sir Hwang.
He submitted his letter of resignation to retire,
but the King...
persuaded him not to retire and to continue working.
That is exactly why I'm just quietly doing my duties.
I know that the King won't let me go.
Yeong Sil. You should also be careful. You're next in the line.
Gosh, no.
Sun Ji. You'll be after Yeong Sil.
The King loves and endears all of us here.
Except for you.
Right, the date of the solar eclipse has been predicted.
We haven't informed the King though.
We don't have enough observation records,
so calculating the exact time is very challenging.
Are you thinking about the records that burned to ashes?
Yes.
Well, there's nothing we can do.
Let's say...
Yeong Sil comes here and asks me to come to Hanyang with him.
What do you think I'll say to that?
What?
Did you say that he'd never do it...
unless he is out of his mind?
Eun Bok, how dare you say that when you don't even know anything?
Seeing how we could repair the water clock, we were delighted.
Those were happy moments.
You may not believe me,
but I think it'd be amazing...
if we could work together again like that time.
That is my dream.
I don't think it's too late yet.
Those people who are in charge of forecasting eclipses.
Lord Lee Chun...
and Yeong Sil.
Jeong In Ji and Lee Sun Ji.
I want an opportunity...
to work with all those people.
What?
Did you say that I'm shameless?
How brazen.
What did you say?
They might accept me...
if I show up with those records?
If I do that,
will I be able to...
observe the sky with those people...
as well as with Yeong Sil and focus on forecasting eclipses...
day and night and live happily just like those days...
when I was in Beijing?
He is here.
(Joseonkyunggukjeon: Code of law written by Jeong Do Jeon)
Are you aware that the date of the eclipse has been forecasted?
I have not heard anything. Could you be mistaken?
Those men...
have not informed the court yet.
How did you find out about it when even the King doesn't know?
By any chance,
did you send a spy to the Office of Astrology?
Not just to the Office of Astrology.
You will find my eyes and ears...
under every single roof...
here in Hanyang.
So did you ask to see me to tell me the date of the solar eclipse?
The date has been forecasted.
What is the plan you're thinking...
to prevent the King's solar eclipse ceremony from taking place?
What do you mean by that, exactly?
Are you just hoping that their prediction would be wrong?
How foolish.
The King will do everything in his power...
to hold the solar eclipse ceremony this time.
How can you be so hands-off about it?
Even if you tell me that you're thinking of killing...
Jeong In Ji, Lee Sun Ji and Jang Yeong Sil...
to stop them, I'd say that it's not enough.
What do you mean by that?
I should kill them to stop them from predicting the solar eclipse?
I cannot do that.
Have you ever...
felt that you're destined to do something?
Even Lee Bang Won could not take my life.
Now that I think about it, I think that I am still alive...
because I am destined to put a stop on the King's fervour of science.
That is what the skies of this land wants.
The King will not be able to hold his ceremony...
at the time of the solar eclipse.
I will not allow it.
I will faithfully carry out my duty the skies have given me.
And you.
There is something you have to do for me.
Persuade the King so that we could abolish the system...
where the six main government agencies can directly seek...
and receive his approval. They must go through the top agency.
Promise me that...
you will do this for me so that the Prime Minister...
and the two Vice Prime Ministers can regain their full authority.
The first day of the month of Jungmyeo this year?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Jeong In Ji and Lee Sun Ji...
got the same result from their calculations.
However, they are saying that there could be discrepancy...
in the time of the solar eclipse...
due to the lack of observation records.
Your Majesty. In my opinion,
this solar eclipse forecast is...
I can guess what it is...
that you'd like to tell me.
However, we cannot avoid the issue and pretend that...
the solar eclipse will not take place.
The Office of Astrology forecasted the eclipse...
without any help of Ming's calendars or almanacs.
Let's please do our best so that the exact time...
could be calculated...
so that the ceremony can be held.
Are you serious?
The King said that he wishes to hold a solar eclipse ceremony...
on the first day of the month of Jungmyeo?
- Yes, he did. - Isn't it too risky?
We haven't received this year's calendar from Ming,
so we don't know if there will be an eclipse that day.
Jeong In Ji and Lee Sun Ji...
at the Office of Astrology made the forecast...
without Ming's calendar.
Isn't it impressive?
There is definitely something wrong.
For these dolls to operate optimally,
these beams have to move up and down properly.
But they look unstable.
Why is this happening?
The ball makes the beam move downwards as it falls.
That movement lifts the doll on the opposite side.
As this doll moves downwards, it makes the wheel slip slightly.
I know that is what rotates the plate.
But I can't figure out how to remove the ball to make the doll go down...
and to make the next ball fall.
I can't figure out how the whole thing should work together.
I thought I would be the first to arrive.
You beat me.
- Where is the King? - He will arrive shortly.
Tell us. Have you been able to calculate the time of the eclipse?
Well, Sir Jeong and I have...
arrived at three answers in the last month or so.
But we are not sure about any of the three,
so we are worried.
It's not like we can randomly pick one from the three.
What should we do?
I'm not sure if I can tell you this,
but...
Officer Jang must have the records from the observatory.
The records from the observatory?
Seriously?
Does this mean...
Are you saying that he didn't burn the records?
I cannot believe that man, Jang Hee Je.
Does he think the records are his?
Why hasn't he given them back to us yet?
He should've given them back as soon as Yeong Sil returned.
Let's go to Officer Jang and ask him to give us the records.
No one knows where he is now, right?
He will give those records back to us.
I know that he will.
How can you be so certain?
No one even knows his whereabouts.
Sir Jang, you're right about everything,
but you do make wrong judgements once in a while.
It's whenever you talk about Officer Jang.
That jerk is...
Well, anyway...
Had he wanted to return them to you, he would've done so long ago.
There is only one solution.
We should send people all over the country...
to find Officer Jang.
We should threaten him to give them back.
Those records originally belonged to the observatory anyway.
His Majesty the King is here.
- Gosh. - Let's go.
Crown Prince and Prince Jinpyeong. Observe it carefully.
You have to observe these things as much as you can to gain wisdom.
Understood, Your Majesty.
(Crown Prince, Prince Jinpyeong and Queen Soheon)
It looks like a fun toy.
I am sure all of you are deeply concerned...
due to the lack of observation records.
"Will we be able to predict the time of the eclipse accurately?"
I am sure all of you want to stop me...
from pushing ahead with the ceremony.
I believe that the universe...
will help us achieve what we desire if we truly believe in it.
If we do our best with good faith,
the experience in and of itself...
would be very valuable even if we fail.
And I...
trust that we will be able to predict it accurately.
I do not think it is foolish hope.
We have been working very hard to improve our knowledge of science.
What Sir Lee has found out is also very impressive.
Sir Lee, please tell everyone about it.
Listen carefully, okay?
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
I found out that one year has 365 days...
plus 0.2425 days.
The earth takes 365 days and...
a bit more to revolve around the sun.
But it is not a fixed value.
I am wondering why...
the value is not fixed.
Your Majesty.
These days, I'm thinking the earth's axis could be moving as well.
I'm trying to come up with...
various hypotheses about what the reason might be.
Yes.
Formulating numerous hypotheses and proving them is a crucial step.
At this rate,
we will find out the secrets of all things in this universe soon.
To be honest, all objects look like numbers to me these days.
Sometimes, I think that I must have gone crazy.
Numbers here and more numbers there.
Sir Jeong, your face looks like numbers too.
- What? - It looks like the number eight.
Of all numbers, why is it eight?
Well, could it be because of your moustache?
What? Don't tease me.
What I want to say is that...
I trust all things in this world can be expressed...
in numbers.
I am sure nature gave us, humans,
the capacity to think in and about numbers.
Nature could be waiting for us to analyse it using numbers.
Wait a moment.
Don't you all think that...
this moment could bring forth a significant change...
to this world?
Can't you feel the flow of change?
Humans started using letters and became civilised.
It allowed Confucius' teachings to spread...
and taught us virtue and order.
We should now pursue intensive studies on natural phenomena...
and make things that could further help people.
We are living in a very important time and witnessing...
people's thoughts changing fundamentally.
This change is taking place in this land of Joseon at this very moment.
All of you talented men,
whom I deeply trust, are with me in this journey.
How could your prediction be wrong?
Yes, Your Majesty.
The heavens gathered these people...
so they could work together.
Because the world must change.
I fear we will change the world so much that...
the heavens will fail to recognise what once was.
(Choi Bok: Assistant Officer of Astrology)
You could be right.
But...
This is...
Officer Jang wrote these...
after observing the skies...
with the simplified armilla.
Officer Jang was here.
I wasn't sure, so I went after him.
But he had disappeared.
Why did he leave this but then disappear?
Jang Hee Je...
He came to see us...
and to give them back,
but he lacked the courage.
He could have given us the observatory records, too.
Where do you think...
Officer Jang is?
He didn't return to his hometown.
I will...
look for him.
He wants to help us predict the solar eclipse.
I will find him...
and bring him here.
Yeong Sil.
I'm against that.
Think of the observatory.
I'm against it, too.
What happened in Ming?
Who knows what he'll do once you bring him here?
Can't we leave him where he is...
and just get the observatory records back?
No.
Bringing him here is the right thing to do.
You are Sung Sa Guk.
And you...
are Choi Bok.
You're a fortune-teller.
I'll be expecting you to tell me...
how my fate will change.
Who are you?
Why did you give them the observation records?
You're going to die anyway.
Take your own life.
Who sent you?
Why does a dead man wish to know that?
Do you wish to live?
Shall I...
give you a chance?
Do as I say...
and I will guarantee you live.
All you have left...
is one life...
and one opportunity.
What do you want from me?
I know that...
you have a batch of records they still need.
From their secret observatory.
How...
How do you know that?
Can you fake those?
Give them the records that you falsified.
Your goal...
is to make them come up with an inaccurate time.
Then you can live.
Can you do that?
- Excuse me. - Yes?
I want to go here.
Is it this way?
Yes, it is.
- Thank you. - Sure.
My lord.
Yeong Sil...
went to get Hee Je.
- What? - He asked around for days...
and I think he found him.
What if...
Hee Je tries to harm Yeong Sil again?
What then?
Where did Yeong Sil go?
My lord!
See?
I told you he would come for me.
There were too many books,
so I summarised them.
They're in tables...
for easier reference.
Well done.
They really are much easier to go through.
My lord.
Why did you give us your records?
Did you want to...
predict the eclipse, too?
Isn't that why you observed the skies with a simplified armilla?
Because you needed five years'...
worth of records like Guo Shoujing did.
I realise...
what a fool I am.
At the time,
I lied about you being dead...
and stole your records...
and your simplified armilla.
I guess I wanted to...
pretend to be you and live your life.
Why won't you stop grinning?
I'm happier today than when I realised I was still alive.
Aren't those heavy?
They are now that I think about it.
Why am I...
carrying both bundles of books?
Could you carry the lighter one of the two?
We should hurry.
Why did he even ask?
Gosh.
My lord!
That hurts.
My lord.
Are you all right?
How did you find us?
Who are you?
Why are you after them?
You're sneaky.
Very well.
Come at me.
You're quick.
Are you okay?
I'm fine.
I guess I'm getting old.
I used to be able to take on a whole group.
I almost lost to one man.
He's not your average swordsman.
He targetted me and Officer Jang.
He was sent by someone who knew about these records.
Are you back?
I don't know yet.
Hee Je.
Don't live a life you'll regret.
Time waits for no man.
Don't waste time on useless hobbies.
Focus on and work toward...
what you really wish to do.
It would be great if time would wait for us to catch up.
But it doesn't.
Look at me.
I was invincible when you were young.
Now I'm...
Time waits?
Wait.
That's it.
I just had an idea.
So did I. It's...
- waiting! - Waiting!
Sir.
Sir! Hurry up!
Come on.
I finally found out...
why this didn't work.
Exactly.
I knew I would come up with the solution.
What do you mean?
I thought of it.
Where's your conscience?
You can't just go and steal someone else's idea.
I was the one who first said it would be nice if time would wait.
What?
Stop being so philosophical, then.
What do we exactly need to do to make this work?
Tell me that.
- Do you think I don't know? - Yes.
It's a delay device.
To make it wait.
While the previous ball that held down the beam moves away...
and the dolls spin,
the ball that's on its way down waits in mid-air.
That's impossible.
How can a falling ball...
wait in mid-air?
Right here.
You must build...
a time delay device to slow the ball down.
The real idea thief is over there.
Shall we make one to see if you're right?
Here.
- We'll test it. - Okay.
Try it again.
It's coming.
We finally completed the last piece of Jagyeokru!
I was right after all.
It was my idea.
Hee Je.
It's good to see you laugh.
(Cho Kwang's house)
This man...
will confirm their authenticity.
These are...
slightly different...
from what we recorded.
These were falsified.
(Sung Sa Guk)
If they use this to calculate,
then their prediction...
will be inaccurate.
Well done, Officer Jang.
No, Sir.
I only did my duty.
Good.
Everyone...
has a destiny.
Joseon has a destiny as well.
We should go back to our roots...
and focus on Confucianism.
But...
to live according to Confucius' teachings,
we need time.
That is why Joseon's time...
must go as slowly as possible.
Yes, Sir.
Joseon's time must go slowly so that...
even the commoners...
learn to live according to order with patience.
The records...
that you stole from the observatory that day...
served to change your fate.
But...
you were...
truly benevolent towards them.
They will live...
only when their prediction is wrong.
If they predict the solar eclipse accurately,
then every one of them will die.
I have assassins scattered...
within the Palace.
Anyone who shows signs of making an accurate prediction...
will be killed immediately.
In the end,
they will realise that these fake records saved their lives.
They will...
thank you then.
Because I attacked you,
no one will suspect you of any wrongdoing.
You think too much.
You are too complicated.
That is why you belong to neither group.
Had you become a swordsman, you'd have killed many...
because you...
failed to rein in the madness.
The King...
has forsaken you already.
Wander no longer.
Where you stand now...
is the last and only place for you.
Remember that...
until all this is done,
I will be watching you.
The second I think you have changed sides,
you will...
no longer be...
drawing breath.
Yes.
Whose beating drum should I dance to this time?
Who should I dance for...
to make my life meaningful?
What should it be?
I have the exact time.
This time...
I was faster.
I guess I am Joseon's greatest genius.
But...
it's strange.
What is so strange?
Don't be a sore loser.
It just...
doesn't make sense.
Do you have the time?
The eclipse on the day of Jungchuk in the month of Jungmyeo...
will begin at 11:15am,
reach the climax at 12:30pm,
and at exactly 2:15pm...
it will end.
Thank you for your hard work.
You did so much and I can't thank you enough.
You're welcome.
Your Jagyeokru...
helped me calculate the exact time.
Congratulations.
I also think that Sir Jang's clock played a large part.
Don't say that.
More so than that, your...
Sir.
I owe you everything.
The records you gave me made everything possible.
(Jang Yeong Sil)
There's something wrong with Officer Jang's records.
The sun is rising.
To someone, it will be a day of despair.
What should we do? The time we predicted is coming up.
The time is inaccurate.
Someone interfered.
I don't mind if it's wrong.
Even if the ceremony is a failure,
I will honour the first prediction made based on our observations.
Like Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju,
Joseon scientists built towers to observe the stars.
200m from Anguk station...
where the northern observatory used to be...
is Gwancheondae.
(Gwansanggam Gwancheondae)
Gwansanggam Gwancheondae is about 3.4m tall and was...
where the royal astrologers used to observe the night sky.
At the top of the granite stairs...
is a stone platform.
On it is a small simplified armilla.
Out of the Gwancheondae built in the Joseon era,
two remain to this day.
The other one is inside Changgyeonggung Palace.
They are said to be of similar size, structure...
and were built using similar methods as well.
They still look like they did hundreds of years ago.
These two Gwancheondae are valuable relics that show us...
how observatory towers were built.
There are modern observatories...
which we can visit as well.
Daejeon Observatory is...
open to the public...
and was the first observatory built for non-academics.
You can observe the surface of the sun, moon and planets,
as well as the night sky...
regardless of time or weather.
Including those that were built for the public, there are around...
100 observatories in Korea.
Why don't you visit one of them and...
experience the wonder yourself?