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Brought to you by WITH S2 Written In The Heavens Subbing Squad
Kim Sang Joong
Jung Ae Ri
Kim Seong Gyeom Jo Han Joon
Park Jung Chul
Park Chan Hwan
Kim Hee Jung Park Su Hyeon
Lee Seon Ho
Hee Won
Park Woong Kim Gi Hyeon Jo Dal Hwan
Jang Gi Yong
Lee Dae Yeon
Based upon "Journey" by Oh Se Young
Music by Jeon Chang Yeop
Written by Kim Won Seok
Produced by Park Jong Won
The Mystery of Jeongjo's Assassination ~ EIGHT DAYS ~
Episode 1
~ Hwiryeong Palace ~ 38th year of King Yeongjo's reign (1762)
~ King Yeongjo ~
~ Crown Prince Jangheon ~ (to be Prince Sado)
Ohhh... look!
So indeed it is, clear evidence of the Crown Prince's murderous intents...
fomented against his father and ruler!
I pledge probity in clear conscience, Father.
I only used such mourning garments, engulfed by Queen Jeongseong's loss...
Silence!
We are gathered at the gates of Queen Jeongseong's past abode!
Despite knowing what a reprehensible misdeed it could be,
how dare you besmirch Queen Jeongseong's legacy by involving her?!
Only your demise shall quench her rancorous despair!
Father.
If it is my demise you wish for, I shall gleefully accede.
But...
that of father and son is a bond bestowed upon us by the heavens.
Subjecting a father to his son's suicide betrays the principles of filial piety guiding us.
I shall rather leave this place, and take my own life without forcing...
you to witness my direful last moments.
I implore your consent.
Ha!
On the vile pretense of principles, you allured a throng of treacherous personages,
and attempted to begrime this old man's legacy!
Father!
Heavenly bond and filial piety graced your tongue,
so I shall not condemn you to betray such sacred principles.
Instead!
Inside this chest you shall enter!
Father, I implore you to reconsider!
What are you waiting for? Enter this chest at once!
Demise does not daunt me,
but I first must know the nature of such vile misdeeds you accuse me of.
Speak no more!
You let treacherous ruffians beguile you, and point their baneful daggers at your king,
so is not that the most loathsome of misdeeds?
Do not let the wicked machinations of a few miscreants hamper your judgment, Father.
But, if my death is truly what you wish for,
I shall follow your wishes.
~ Royal Successor Lee San ~ (to be King Jeongjo)
Father!
May you stop!
May you save my father!
I implore you to spare his life!
If it is books you want me to read, I shall read books.
If you wish me to rub on the inkstone,
I shall rub the ink and write whatever you wish!
I will do anything you ask me!
Who allowed the Royal Successor to enter?
What are you waiting for?!
Get him out of my sight!
Grandfather!
Do not force my father to perish!
You insolent knave!
How dare you lay your hands upon the Royal Successor?!
Mother!
May you stop Grandfather!
May you...
May you spare my father!
Your Highness, we must leave.
Let me go!
Father!
I said let me go!
You must save my father!
Father... Father!! Father!!
Do not allow him to enter again!
Father!!
Your Highness!
Father...
~ Chae Jegong ~
You must remember what you witnessed here for the rest of your days.
Yes...
Will you survive, and besmirch the centuries-long legacy of our dynasty,
or perish, and protect its future for generations to come?
If my demise can bulwark Joseon's future,
indeed I shall perish.
Enter that chest and stop your fruitless drivel!
If my demise is truly the only solution, I shall bear no hesitation and enter.
But first allow me the chance to bid the Royal Successor farewell.
Meeting him again would only hamper your resolve!
~ Crown Princess Hyebin ~ (to be Lady Hyegyeong)
Father...
I hereby dethrone the Crown Prince.
His son and consort will be demoted to commoners,
so out of this palace they belong!
~ King Jeongjo ~ First year of reign (1776) - March 10
I am the son of Prince Sado.
The former king bequeathed Crown Prince Hyojang's adoptive tutelage upon me,
and clamored me to inherit his throne and continue our legacy,
but how could there be two suns kindling creation?
As Prince Sado's son, I shall protect continuance of our royal line,
and hereby proclaim my enthronement before you!
Your grace is immeasurable, Sire!
What a ghastly nuisance!
All the first utterance he subjects his courtiers to turns out to be...
"I am the son of Prince Sado"?!
How could this be possible?
I told you a gallant tiger would grow out of that howling mouser!
Could you not realize this day would come?
Orabeoni.
Did I not tell you the son of a traitor would only hamper our cause?
~ Hong Inhan ~
I shall discreetly confer with my brother.
And what is it you plan to tell him?
Are you going to mention the possibility of overthrowing the king?
Your Highness, may you abate your vociferation.
I am daunted by the prospect of us being heard.
Then, tell them to keep their ears open and listen well.
~ Queen Dowager Jeongsun ~
It may not be my blood which gushes in his veins,
but I still am His Majesty's dowager.
Let us witness what he dares to do in my presence!
May you abate your wrath, Your Highness.
I shall devise a solution to this matter.
Solution, you say?!
He certainly shall not leave that throne of his own will,
nor can anyone convince him to do so,
so that leaves us with one solution alone.
Rivers of bloodshed could befall us.
The same exact consequence which our insouciance would cause.
I shall pretend I never heard such utterances.
I fear we might have aroused a dormant tiger with this.
~ Shim Hwanji Kim Jeongsu ~
Still, we actively supported His Majesty's enthronement.
~ Hong Bonghan ~
Such might be the case,
but should His Majesty try to unveil the truth behind Prince Sado's passing,
would there be any assurance our heads wouldn't end up on a pole?
You need not worry, Father.
The former king expressed the wish that, should anyone mention Prince Sado,
he should be punished for treason.
So nothing will happen.
- Jeongbok. - Yes, Sire.
Did you hear that?
I shall verify whether the guards are in place.
Capture them!
Your Majesty!
You fools!
Know whom you are facing?!
Sire!!
Are you unscathed, Your Majesty?
Question this minion, and find out who instigated them.
Yes, Your Majesty!
Stop!
Traitor Gu Seonbok, await your verdict!
Who dares to utter my name in calumnious obloquy?
His Majesty's orders.
~ Gu Seonbok ~
Should anyone consider the son of a criminal as a traitor,
would that not prove his fealty?
What are you waiting for? Apprehend this traitor!
Who wishes to be next?
*Low-ranked troops of the Military Training Command
Leave it, Jang Gichong*.
Meseems the only man who trusts me at the Military Training Command is you.
If the heavens wish to let the venomous bile of a traitor's son begrime creation,
how could I dare refute their wishes?
So it shall be.
I shall accept your blade.
Jang Gichong.
You may slay me.
But know it is not me you are slaying,
only these cursed times of ours will be slain once again.
Now!
You filthy chattels!
~ Jeong Hugyeom ~
You insolent...
Free the way. Traitors are passing!
Free the way! Free the way!
Why is that cage so small?
They pushed them all inside that?
Didn't Prince Sado perish inside a rice chest?!
They are paying for their crimes.
~ Jang Inhyeong ~
Brother!
If my niece had not been proclaimed Crown Princess,
how would I ever have become a traitor?
You made the son of a sinner into our new ruler,
and brought this tragedy upon us!
All I did was following your lead,
so why are you unscathed, and I am forced to gorge upon the nectar of demise?
Mother.
You have abjured any repast for the last five days.
I am deeply concerned it could bring you ailments.
My uncle feasted upon the nectar of dissolution,
so how could I dare gamble with fortune?
Should this keep going, one day the accusatory blade...
shall point at this old mother of yours.
~ 1795 (Jeongjo 19th) ~
Construction at the Hwaseong Fortress shall be terminated...
by the autumn of next year, Sire.
How is the populace reacting?
~ Jeong Yakyong ~
Seeing how we renamed the northern gates of the fortress to Jangan (capital) Gate,
talebearing is spreading about this being a tentative to move the capital there.
Once our reforms are complete, we shall engage in the kind of...
~ *Joseon's 17th ruler, 1619­1659 ~
northern expansion campaign His Deceased Majesty King Hyojong* could not accomplish.
What can you report about our people's lives?
~ *Shinhae Tonggong, promulgated by Chae Jegong in 1791 (Jeongjo 15th) ~
Under the Commercial Equalization Enactment*,
our efforts to grant unlicensed merchants the right to conduct trade...
succeeded in stabilizing prices in Hanyang.
But after being deprived of their exclusive license to hoard and corner,
the Hanyang veteran merchant groups' staunch opposition is gaining momentum.
Only a more active market environment can cultivate a healthful economy.
I am not trying to take the small trading groups' side on purpose,
but I have no intention of changing my policy just to...
adorn rich merchants with even more unwarranted profit.
If I may, Your Majesty.
You may speak.
I am hearing talebearing about the same veteran merchant groups...
*Literally Old Doctrine, who strongly protested against the enactment
turning to the Noron party* in protest, asking them to stop our transfer of the capital.
So you are telling me those merchant groups still believe in the influence of the Noron party?
Would the Noron support this kind of policy without a fight?
Our reforms shall not be hampered by anyone's protest,
as our people have no interest in the vacuous vociferations of shrewd politicians.
We must impart the notion that these reforms will only bring benefit to them.
Whatever the process might be,
anything quenching their hunger and kindling their future with warmth...
shall be heralded as a bountiful bequest from the heavens.
Here he comes!
- Now things shall finally change! - Indeed.
Why such a brimful throng for a meager criminal,
returning from exile after countless nights on a bed of viperish thorns?
Consider it as the earnest jubilation of errant wanderers...
welcoming the return of a star kindling their gloomy path, Your Excellency.
What overwrought flattery befalls this trivial malefactor!
And regarding our Defense Ministry?
After the Imjin War and the Manchu invasion,
not only has the size of our army grown beyond necessity,
but its majority is deployed in the proximity of Hanyang,
not to mention the fact the Noron party dominates its crucial posts.
Should the party foment treacherous gales of discord...
*After those of King Jungjong and Injo
the third restoration* of our dynasty could be a possibility.
Hence, I propose to reform our Defense Ministry with...
the Royal Guard Garrison at its core, and to oust Noron members from...
any post of military importance.
With this royal procession, we must completely reform our defense policies.
Royal procession, Sire?!
You shall be my emissary for this procession and our ceremony in Hwaseong.
Once you reach Hwaseong, convey our defense plans in earnest.
Your wish is my command, Sire.
Reform?!
When in need, indeed reform it must be.
But reform or renovation as he calls it, this is merely a hollow subterfuge.
All he has done in his nineteen-year reign was providing unlawful benefits to...
*The "Party of Expediency" favored by Jeongjo, which protested Prince Sado's death
all his Shipa* beneficiaries, allowing him to monopolize state affairs.
And what's more, the ruler of a country spreading...
the seeds of discontent by creating political factions,
and by uttering the name of Prince Sado,
trying to defame his courtiers' legacy.
~ Yoo Eonho ~
I am hearing words that, once construction in Hwaseong is completed,
he will abandon Hanyang and move our capital there.
He turned a cesspool swarming with mountain beasts like Hwaseong...
into the regional administrative headquarters, adorned it with a massive fortress,
and deployed 5,000 men from the Royal Guard Garrison there,
so the transfer already began in full force.
Indeed.
Abdication of the throne and transfer of the capital are but a mere veil.
If you look in detail at all his policies,
his real and only intent is to openly constrain us Noron members...
for showing dissent against his reforms.
But Your Excellency is now back,
so it feels like a new sun is kindling our gloomy path.
May you aid our Noron party's escape from these direful quicksands.
Was not this a luncheon to celebrate my return from exile?
~ Kim Hanju, Queen Jeongsun's cousin ~
Looks like a non-party member such as myself is hampering this celebration.
I shall therefore...
After all the days I spent on horseback, it is only respite I wish for.
We shall go back to our matters in due time,
so let us celebrate this day.
You little runt!
What is the reason you keep trailing me?
Th...Th...That would be...
Who was that again...? Ah!
*Prince Sado's shrine in Changdeok Palace
The Supreme Commissioner of Gyeongmo Palace*...
The Supreme Commissioner?!
Yes.
He ordered me to escort Your Excellency.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I am official Kim Chundeuk of the Royal Guard Garrison.
Yes. From here on in, I shall...
Naeuri! Wait for me!
Guard, you said?
We could employ errant peddlers, but it is a way too important post...
for its legacy to be begrimed by all the vagrant vermin pullulating creation.
I am aware it is a most unconscionable proposal for someone of your stature,
but if rumors about the military reforms are true,
then it will not be easy for you to wear military garments any time soon.
I will not ask you for an immediate decision.
I shall return in a few days, so you can reflect upon my offer.
Master. Makswe has arrived.
Master, I pay my respects.
So, nothing to report from Hwaseong?
There are rumors about cheokseodan trafficking at the market.
Cheokseodan?! Isn't that a pellet against heat and dysentery...
we had previously acquired?
Yes.
Some squirrelly poltroon must have plundered our warehouses.
Not a thieving poltroon, but surely someone within our group!
I thought so myself, so I tried to investigate furtively,
and oh my! It was much worse than I thought.
And what would your bird-brained musings amount to?
They even emptied six barrels of gunpowder.
You... You paltry scalawag!
I deserve to die!
Indeed you do!
Even if you asked me to spare you, I would slay you fool!
How dare they...
Spare me, Master!
Master... Master!
I shall find who did this, so spare me at least until then!
Yes, let us defer your demise to a later date.
But know I have to be in Hwaseong in five days.
You must replenish our gunpowder supplies by that day!
I was just about to do the same, Master.
- And, since I'm holding off your burial... - I'm all ears, Master.
If you can find any more of that green pigment from the Wa (Japan), bring it in.
Yes!
How did he realize that gunpowder was missing?
*Used to address noble acquaintances without any rank
Seobangnim*!
What brings you here?
~ So Hyangbi ~
I was curious how you were faring.
I brought you some victuals.
You need not concern yourself about that.
Don't bring them to me again.
Then... should I take these and leave?
Galling as it may be, you shouldn't forget your meals, Seobangnim.
I shall make a living by the sword if that is what it takes, so don't you worry.
Do not barter away the legacy engraved on your scabbard for a slender reward.
The day when that sword will once again adorn your official robe shall soon come.
Would someone sent away for being under traitor Gu Seonbok's command...
ever witness such a day?
General Gu Seonbok merely employed that sword of yours.
He never engraved his treacherous intents on its blade.
As long as these military reforms continue,
no army in Joseon will ever look for me again.
What concerns me are my subordinates.
Handling a spear is their only craft in life.
Why did you choose me?
All I can give you are these fleeting moments together,
and I can't buy your escape from this life of yours, either.
For someone like me, witnessing her mother's life of servitude as I grew up,
even becoming a gisaeng would have meant a better life.
I trusted that one day a rich man would buy me off and end my quandaries.
But now I have met you,
so being trapped by the cage of my lewd billet does not concern me.
If I only can be by your side,
I shall endure any adversity.
Your Majesty's benevolence allowed your humble servant...
many moons of cogitation, the sea breeze and clement waves my liege companion.
It has been three long years of cogitation separating you...
from the seemly sights of Hanyang, so you must be elated to return.
At first, I could not recognize the 400-year-long legacy...
~ *Lee Seong Gye ~
of the Hanyang our founder Taejo* bestowed upon us.
So a sight worthy of Hanyang it was not?
Talebearing about your decision to move the capital away from Hanyang...
to Hwaseong graced these humble ears of mine, Sire.
It appears that the sea breeze and clement waves...
still bedim your humble ears.
Manifold moons befalling his body robbed this humble servant of his potency,
but the heavens were clement enough to still afford me auditory sagacity.
So sagacious are those ears,
even mendacious talebearing assumes the sound of factuality.
Mendacious talebearing?!
I never uttered a single word about moving the capital to Hwaseong,
no matter what whims your ears might suggest.
I shall bequeath you the role of Chief State Councilor,
trusting such vagaries will not hamper your duties.
For being freed from the harrowing fences engulfing my lonesome nights...
and allowing me return to the capital, I shall forever be grateful.
But allowing the vagaries of an old dullard's ears to command such authority...
is a crotchet this humble servant of yours does not deserve, Sire.
Those three years of cogitation move me to think such vagaries...
shall no longer hamper your judgment, hence my offer.
From a long exile I just returned,
so may you allow this old man to replenish the meager potency left,
and reflect upon your benevolent offer, Sire.
Once potency again visits your nightly gates,
I trust you shall accept the grand endeavor I hereby bestowed upon you.
Sire, it is me, Jeongbok.
I shall leave, Your Majesty.
Come in.
A memorial of resignation from the Supreme Commissioner of Gyeongmo Palace,
His Excellency Chae Jegong.
Naeuri... Naeuri.
I was wondering, are you going to use that pontoon bridge again?
We sure shall.
Every time I see that, I am dazzled by its magnificence.
How could you come up with the thought of...
combining a boat with a bridge?
And who told you I was responsible for its design?
Is there even a single man in Joseon who is not aware of your achievements?
They might not recognize your visage, but your name travels the eight provinces.
Yes! Anyhow... you are quite something.
Adept in flattery, I see.
Yet, you possess an even more stirring talent.
What?! And what would that be?
Did you not apprehend the rapscallions attempting on His Majesty's life with your skills?
Were I to face such dire quandary, we would be lamenting His Majesty's loss.
And how did you learn that?
It's not like I did all that alone.
Yangban or commoners alike, each and every one of us being granted a special talent...
is the heavens' greatest reward to humanity.
He is really something!
Move.
We are facing a dire predicament, Your Excellency.
Predicament?!
Supreme Commissioner Chae Jegong just handed in his resignation.
I was aware of that.
Chae Jegong stepping out of the picture...
is a most propitious development for our Noron party,
but... predicament?!
The content of his memorial is the issue.
The reason he resigned has to do with His Majesty's negligence...
in uncovering the truth behind Prince Sado's lamentable passing.
That accursed bag of old bones and his cantankerous utterances know no end!
This must be a stratagem.
Otherwise he would never endanger his party in such an explicit way.
Let us head to the council hall.
If you do not behead Chae Jegong for the treacherous misdeed...
of going against our former king's wishes, no future shall await this country.
How can you behead anyone without clear evidence of treasonous conduct?
Word that he mentioned the death of Prince Sado in his memorial abounds.
The former king disposed that any attempt at quenching Prince Sado's angst,
or elevating his status to that of a benevolent royal,
shall be condemned for treason!
Should Your Majesty neglect the stern wishes of our former ruler,
how could one consider your rule as that of a just and filial sovereign?
As talebearing of this treacherous misdeed already echoes in the palace,
should you fail to condemn traitor Chae Jegong for his malefaction,
you shall be prepared to face a throng of courtiers refusing to...
serve a king who ignores the wishes of his predecessors!
And wouldn't this throng consist of all your Noron disciples?!
Such are the views of our party!
If such is the case,
would showing you the content of that memorial placate your ire?
Will you really show it to us?
- Allow them perusal of the memorial. - Yes, Sire.
Such are the views of the Noron party,
and you insist you shall no longer serve your king in Chae Jegong's presence,
so I am allowing you to peruse his words just this once.
Take a look.
We are overwhelmed by your magnanimity.
*Geumdeung munseo, named after the Duke of Zhou's Jinteng prayer scroll
Even though the former king might have left behind such a secret will*,
the moment I saw those words, clamoring to allow Prince Sado solace,
I felt like being engulfed by dread, and falling into a gloomy abyss with no end.
I did feel as if a punishing blade was pressing against my throat myself,
but my opinion has now changed.
And how could it change?
Are you telling me you do not believe His Deceased Majesty left such a secret will?
Those words merely appeared in Chae Jegong's memorial.
There is no one who personally witnessed its existence.
Indeed.
Showing us such a memorial despite there being no proof of the will's existence...
feels like a subterfuge from someone fully aware of its consequences.
Should His Majesty expose this will and uncover the truth about Prince Sado,
asking those responsible to pay for their crimes,
the court would turn into a sea of blood.
And it will be our Noron party members spurting inside such crimson tide.
I am sure that will not happen.
It will not?
If he planned to put an end to the Noron party,
His Majesty would have never shown us that memorial.
It instead must be his way of threatening us,
to no longer interfere in his rule, and quietly observe.
"Silence, you slayers!"
"If you oppose my reforms again..."
Naeuri, welcome back.
Naeuri.
Master Hong has been awaiting your arrival since early eventide.
- In the outer quarters? - Yes, Naeuri.
Not only he brought two sacks of rice, but also a hefty bundle of coins.
How should I proceed, Naeuri?
How have you been faring?
To what do I owe your presence here at this belated juncture?
~ Hong Jaecheon ~
Regarding what we discussed before.
Is it but a few meager words we exchanged?
About Hwaseong.
Hwaseong?!
Our plans are proceeding sleekly.
Sleekly...
Were it not for the Queen Dowager, you would not have been able to...
survive this deluging purge yourself, Hyungnim.
Did you just say Hyungnim?!
And why would I need to hear such utterances from you?
Our ruler is already too old to be manipulated as we please.
Careful with such parlance!
I might have changed my name and now make a living as a meager merchant,
*One of the past leaders of the Noron party, first to openly accuse Prince Sado
but I am a direct descendant of His Excellency Hong Gyehee*,
who endured the sweltering gales of an unfair purge while trying to save our country,
so what we share in common is a lot more than you realize.
This purge would have not spared me indeed,
were it not for the Queen Dowager's efforts.
We partake in the legacy of having treacherous ancestors,
so if a leader of a merchant group cannot utter the word Hyungnim...
in a yangban's presence, this would be a much too cruel world to live in.
So it shall be, then.
But what did you intend with Hwaseong?
I summoned a group of men who will take care of the gunpowder explosions.
Gunpowder, you said?
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!!
Your Majesty...
Your Majesty!
What are you trying to say?!
If you could only find out when the procession will start...
Speak no more!
Alert Her Highness about this.
I do not even wish to be lauded as a meritorious subject for this.
If I could only restore my clan's prestige,
and be allowed monopoly over trade with the Qing and Wa...
Get out of my sight at once!
Hyungnim!
Leave this place now!
It is already in motion!
- If you could only tacitly support us... - Look! Is anyone out there?!
I shall be awaiting news from Her Highness.
Did you call me, Naeuri?
My guest is leaving. Escort him out.
Yes, Naeuri.
I wonder if you heard of the former king's secret will.
Secret will?!
*Also known as Shangshu/Book of History, one of Chinese history's "Five Classics"
Wasn't such will an ancient document that was part of the Shujing*,
left behind to announce secrets or grievances to one's descendants?
Remarking that the former king left behind his own version...
bewailing Prince Sado's demise, Chae Jegong presented his resignation,
with a memorial asking His Majesty to uncover the truth.
~ Queen Mother Lady Hyegyeong ~
What nerve! That ungracious, decrepit cur.
I did peruse said memorial under His Majesty's approval,
but I wonder if such a secret will truly exists?!
Who could attest to such a document's authenticity?
And should this will truly be something the former king left behind,
~ *Renwu, 1762 ~
how would Chae Jegong, who was not in the court during the year of Imo*,
have learned of this all?
I only alerted Your Highness as you personally witnessed...
Prince Sado's demise on that day,
but I fear I might have spurred an all too willing steed.
Seeing you maintain such a stout countenance despite all the adversity...
whelms this humble servant with jubilation and utmost relief, Your Highness.
I shall bid you farewell.
And I am most grateful you have not forgotten this olden matron.
I wish you a peaceful return.
"Whelms me with jubilation and relief"?!
So your only design is to uncover the truth behind that secret will.
You flagitious dullard.
~ Moon Inbang ~
Jang Inhyeong, you said?
Yes.
His repute as one of Joseon's most dexterous blades knows no peer.
So few men in Joseon can contend with his might?!
Should we wheedle him enough, he might join our cause.
Only after meeting him I shall decide whether or not that will happen.
Yes, as you wish.
Are we positive this Hong Jaecheon is truly Hong Gyehee's descendant?
Yes. His birth name was Sangpil, and he was cousin of Hong Sangbeom,
*Bingshen, 1776
who attempted to assassinate the King in the year of byeongshin*,
so that makes him Hong Gyehee's great-grandson.
*"Mother of Drinks," used for female tavern/inn owners
Jumo*! One bowl of soup here!
Looks like he arrived. I shall begin.
Jumo!
Where is my bowl of soup?! Is this how you treat your patrons?
Hello!
Didn't I tell you already? We sell no soup here.
Ahh... right, you told me.
So I shall take a full course, the expensive one.
- All right. - And!
One bottle of hwaju (firewater).
You are going to drink that in the middle of the day?
I am about to explode of angst in here, so that will have to fix it.
Fine with me.
Look! Bring here a full course and a bottle of hwaju!
My damned misfortune...
I steal a few pennies and get caught right away.
You fools!
How can you smoke next to gunpowder, you mooncalves?!
- They say if you want to get ruined, - Forgive us, Naeuri!
all you need is to employ fools at some shaggy-bearded wench's tavern,
so they must have been talking about you!
I will probably have to apologize for breaking this only after the flogging,
but let us enjoy some quietude here, shall we?
This does not concern you.
You look like quite the affluent merchant group.
Did you say that was gunpowder?
And if it is?
Looks like you supervise the group, and since I am a fellow merchant,
let us engage in some bargaining!
Bargaining?!
You might gain a lot more than wearing a meager uniform here.
All I have on me is a miserly scabbard, the sky my shelter, my blade the only friend.
I dine on wild greens and quench my thirst with mountain water,
and living at the bosom of the hills is by no means a discomfiture,
so I shall cordially refuse your offer.
If the reward is the problem, we can discuss.
I shall endorse a skilled subordinate of mine in my stead.
Quote from the ancient book of prophecies "Posthumous Writings by Gyeogam," 1592
"Haedo Jinin Donamhae Jijinju, Chullam Haedo Jungjaha Seongyeong,
Sein Bulgakeui."
"The enlightened pioneers crossing the southern sea shall become...
the guardians and true rulers of the new genesis."
"Spurting from the isle of the south, amongst the holy land of purple mist they shall appear,
but no layman shall awaken to their presence."
Did I look like the kind of miscreant who would employ your services...
to engage in errant filibuster?
This country might be inflamed by the grandiose rift of reformists and conservatives,
on the pretext of creating a better world for our people their own way.
But it is nothing more than fruitless party strife.
The rich holding ninety-nine stole the final one from the poor...
and called it a hundred by enacting our glorified currency system.
But the divide between those who possess and those who don't is widening,
so how could our people's lives find any improvement?
Most poignant are the words of a ruler who utters tripe such as reform,
and then steals from the wealthy and distributes it to the poor.
But neither in the east or west, now or never has stealing from the powerful...
ever curbed this madness.
Seonsaengnim.
The courtiers might utter pretentious drivel about the people,
but we have no more time left to spend falling for such mendacious quackery.
And why is that?
Because a new genesis is what the heavens entrusted upon me.
We stand before the gates of a new world.
And who would be this man uttering such treasonous words in vain?
Ever heard of an Okpo Seonsaeng?
Okpo Seonsaeng?!
Then... Moon Inbang?!
Your Majesty.
May we suggest you enjoy some nightly respite?
All right.
May you prepare the berth.
On the Next Episode of ~ EIGHT DAYS ~
Are you trying to beguile your king?!
Your Majesty!
Whether I shall honor His Deceased Majesty's dying wishes...
"The revealing of this document was requested by Kim Jeongsu and Shim Hwanji of the Noron party."
You must always bear in mind that this country's future depends on your decisions.
All we need to do is witness the spectacle which will ensue.
There has been a murder at the construction site.
His Majesty's procession shall soon begin, so we must get to the root of all this.
Just like your head shall not abandon itself in vagaries about aging in leisure,
the Grim Reaper already listed my name on his records.
Brought to you by WITH S2 Written In The Heavens Subbing Squad
Main Translator and Timer: MisterX
Timing QC: julier
Editor/QC: thunderbolt
Coordinators: mily2, ay_link
Please do NOT hardsub and/or stream this episode using our English subtitles.
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