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Our second attack will take place here.
Once Her Highness's regency begins...
If he truly participated in any treacherous endeavor,
then bring me clear evidence!
I was too daunted to conceal such direful occurrences all by myself.
And what could that confession have revealed?!
It was restoration!
Should our endeavors at the reception fail...
You are positive you have discussed this with the Queen Dowager, right?
Hence, the most effortless way to gain control of Hwaseong...
Is it a restoration?
- Follow my lead! - Yes!
Are you daunted by demise?
If their plan is to use those flintlocks for sharpshooting,
they will set up an ambuscade right up this mountain.
Not being able to see those you love...
You must hit him all in one shot.
Should anything befall him there, you must stake your life to protect him.
You must stick to the Minister of War and use him for our own advantage.
~ Episode 8 ~
Prepare tea and gruel, all of a sudden?!
And head to Jinmokjeong first...
There is something strange about all this.
Will this hamper our mission?
Nothing will change.
All we need is answering their call.
His Majesty the King deigns you with his presence!
I am deeply concerned this could bring you ailments.
I solicited you to ride the carriage, why show all this adamancy?!
The proper conduct of a ruler might be paramount,
but how could it ever surpass that of a filial son?!
I am just fine, so never you worry, Mother.
Still, how could a mother not be concerned?
By the way, Mother...
Could you tell me more about my father?
I never realized reason abandoned him.
How could a spouse embarking on a journey honoring her helpmate...
recount such harrowing blemishes?!
~ Princess Cheongyeon ~ (Lady Hyegyeong's eldest daughter)
Think of how discomfiting it would be for a son to be incognizant of his father's past.
~ Princess Cheongseon ~ (Lady Hyegyeong's youngest daughter)
Would not my desire to learn about my father...
be part of the celestial bond which united us?
May you recount any occurrence, Mother.
How could I descant on such astounding circumstances?!
Mother, may you please. We would like to hear as well.
Mother...
*Euidae: the king's robes; jeung: malady
Have you ever heard of a malady called "garment obsession*"?
I am well versed in medical lectures,
but I never heard such definition before.
Your Highness!
I shall wear only this!
It was a condition moving him to wear the same garments and cinctures...
until they became ragged and soiled.
He would never accept to wear any new garments.
Even during royal audiences with the former king,
he tried to wear such bedraggled vestments.
When did this all start?
The first instance of such ailments...
must have been around a hundred days after Your Majesty's birth.
As he proved once again through his son,
your father once exhibited a stalwart mettle and gallant character.
Yet, the same man suddenly started trembling at the echoing sound of thunderbolts,
so much that at first I thought he was trying to jest with me.
What could have caused all this?
I am no physician, so I cannot say with certainty.
But looking back,
the former king's erratic and impetuous temperament might be to blame.
He was erratic beyond belief.
In my years of juvenility, I dreaded his every move.
From the moment he entrusted regency upon him,
the former king began to become extremely exigent towards your father.
He would question and blame him for every minute state matter.
His aspiration to make him a stout ruler through such means...
turned out to be what ignited this nefarious occurrence.
Yeongnam* was engulfed by drought,
*North/South Gyeongsang Province
and unless downpours bless the southeastern coast in the next ten days,
our paddy fields will lose all of this season's harvest.
Hearing such lamentable reports from the south,
I suggest we should devote ourselves to rituals requesting providence.
Erecting an altar to beseech the heavens for guidance...
is a most conscionable endeavor as the father of our people.
But, why do you believe drought is afflicting our southeastern provinces?
The blame lies with our inability to fathom nature's climatic cycle.
How could drought be only imputed to faulty climate foretelling?!
What are you trying to say?
This drought is an omen from the heavens,
condemning us for your bungling regency!
How can you blame climate foretelling for your own demerits?!
Yes...
*Chungcheong, Gyeonggi, Hwanghae (North Korea) Provinces
Last night, Giho* was invested by soaring hailstone,
and as the east blessed us with dawning, a comet faded into the southeastern haze.
*Venus
It was slightly bigger than the morning star*,
1 jang = 3.3 yards
and its rose-colored tail was two jang* long.
Aigoo...
Displeased with the crown prince's impiety,
the heavens are punishing us with hailstone and a falling comet!
Your endeavors shall from hereupon focus on displaying due virtue!
Why is the crown prince not retorting?
It is a most discerning observation, Sire.
I shall fulfill your wishes with utmost zeal.
As the future heir continues besmirching this nation with such dire malefaction,
how can this olden cur close his eyes in peace?!
The dread for the former king which engulfed him turned into agitation,
agitation turned into rancor,
and it ended with his obsession over garments.
As time went on, his malady further aggravated...
Your Highness...
Your Highness! Your Highness!!
...moving him to murder the mother of one of his children in her quarters...
...and to behead Eunuch Kim Hanche,
carrying his lifeless pate around for all the court attendants to witness.
Grandfather must have been deeply concerned.
Think it was merely concern?!
Moved by utmost disquietude, he requested me...
that the crown prince's every move be supervised and reported to him.
That his every move be reported?!
It was his way of precluding His Highness from suffering staunch reproof...
because of the malefactions his malady could cause.
After he slaughtered Prince Euneon's mother and that eunuch,
were you not daunted by Father?
Fear does not discriminate between mortals,
so how could I not be daunted by his aberrant fury?!
But as our conjugal bond united us in body and spirit,
there was nothing else I could do.
Take a look here.
Amongst your most honored legacies was that of showing utmost discretion,
enough that you never sullied your garments even in childhood,
so how can we explain such scars?
- Your move. - Yes.
- What are you waiting for?! - Yes, Your Highness!
Faster.
Move that fan faster and refresh me!
Your Highness.
Her Highness answered your call.
If she is here, let her enter! What are you waiting for?
Orabeoni, were you looking for me?
It must be only because I did that you are here.
You are so occupied with bewitching His Majesty's graces,
so how could you ever seek audience of your own volition?!
~ Princess Hwawan ~ [Yeongjo's secondary (from a concubine) daughter]
What do I owe your summoning to?
Thinking I am sharing these kingly abodes with His Majesty,
I can no longer bear to breathe!
His Majesty accords you his utmost affection,
so clamor him to bestow me lodgings outside this palace.
And how would a regent entrusted with state matters such as you...
request to be ousted from these royal dwellings?!
State matters are nothing I should be concerned with.
Will you, or will you not?
It is nothing I should be concerned with,
so clamor the King yourself, Orabeoni.
Say what?!
What did you just mutter?
Wh...What is wrong with you, Orabeoni?
Will you, or will you not?
May you stop this, Your Highness!
Leave us alone, Hyebi!
I shall leave with Her Highness.
Inshik, what are you waiting for? Stop His Highness at once!
Yes... Your Highness!
Your Highness, may you regain your composure!
Your Highness!
It is a relief it ended at that.
Were providence not on my side, I would have lost my sight.
Did Her Highness tell the former king?
Of course she did.
That is why he was moved to the palace in Onyang,
*July 13, 1760 (Yeongjo 36th)
on the thirteenth day of the seventh month, Gyeongjin year*.
I think it is time for me to leave.
Look at me...
I was so captured by olden tales I forgot our soldiers' plight.
Sire, I urge you to hasten.
Isn't that the Vice Councilor's liaison officer?!
Even General Gu Seonbok highly regarded his dexterity with the blade,
so be particularly mindful of him.
Yes, so we shall.
- On your posts! - Loyalty!
If you only give us the orders, I shall immediately bring reinforcements.
Not only we do not have such luxury,
but we could even be accused of treason for mobilizing...
garrison troops without military authority.
- Sire... - I was just looking for you.
Our meeting protracted itself beyond my expectations,
and it seems the eventide is already approaching,
so let us resolve the royal reception in a concise manner.
I was just about to recommend as such, Sire.
Our troops and horses must be fatigued.
Alert the Commissioner of the Royal Guard Garrison to stand by,
and let us complete reception procedures with Suwon Chief Marshal Jo Shimtae...
along with the Gyeonggi Governor.
Your grace is immeasurable, Sire.
I shall notify the Commissioner to maintain even stricter surveillance.
Do that.
How did it go?
His Majesty was the first to leave the Commissioner out of the reception.
I was bewildered myself!
I will have to hasten and meet the Commissioner.
Your Excellency.
I was looking for you.
I need to join the royal reception along with my troops,
so I must entrust you with continuing this.
No.
His Majesty just ordered you not to participate in the reception,
and to instead continue protecting the royal retinue.
Fine.
Why are the Gyeongi Governor and the Commissioner not in sight?
They shall be here when the time comes.
And if they will not, then what?!
There is no way they would go on with the reception without them.
Is the Gyeonggi Governor truly on our side?
I said enough with such fruitless concerns.
Once we apprehend the Suwon Chief Marshal and the Commissioner,
then Their Excellencies Shim Hwanji and Seo Yubang will enter Hwaseong.
From that moment on, you will become meritorious subjects,
and bask in glory and riches for generations to come.
There!
It is His Excellency the Minister of War!
The Minister of War...
The Gyeonggi Governor and the Commissioner might have joined him.
- Be prepared. - Yes.
What is that?
Take a look!
There is no Governor in sight, and what is with all those court attendants?!
Minister Shim is coming.
Who?!
Minister Shim?!
What is going on?
This is completely unexpected.
Court attendants as well?!
Should anything happen,
stick to the Minister of War and use him for our advantage.
Know what I mean?
What are you trying to say?
When the time comes, you will understand.
I laud your efforts. What brings you here, Your Excellency?
Concerned about Her Highness's condition,
His Majesty ordered me to rush ahead and serve gruel to her.
Is that so? May you follow me, then.
So, no quandaries to report along the way?
The procession is proceeding with no particular discomfiture.
What are you waiting for?!
- Reinforce surveillance! - Yes!
Seems like the Commissioner is not coming.
Is not this the right moment for a lightning-quick ambuscade?!
Choi Gichong shall certainly defend himself in undaunted frenzy,
but the rest of the troops will not respond with staunch resistance.
I took care of the battalion leader myself.
The enemy is lying in ambuscade, and when they charge, the enemy leader is right next to you.
How would you proceed?
I would either slay him, or capture him as prisoner and resist the attack.
Let us charge, Chief Instructor!
This is an armed suppression to rid the court of all the treacherous specimen...
besmirching our country's legacy.
Even if casualties and sacrifices are required, we must accept them and march forward.
This is our only chance to attack.
May you give us your command!
Wait!
Someone is coming.
Royal commands!
His Majesty orders to proceed with a concise reception.
The Gyeonggi Governor and Commissioner Lee Myeongshik will not participate?!
His Excellency the Governor is on his way.
Will you not attack?
Didn't you just hear the Commissioner is not coming?
If we only slay the Suwon Chief Marshal,
would the Royal Guard Garrison just take it lying down?
We will withdraw.
Were you looking for me, Your Highness?
Yes.
Convey this for me.
Yes, Your Highness.
Sire.
What will you ask me tonight?
I do have a query for you,
but I do not believe it is something your lectures could teach you.
Your Majesty.
What is it?
You look deeply perturbed by it.
I shall bring you a warm cup of tea.
Right...
What other country would let its heir to the throne...
perish inside a rice chest?!
And what book could tell of such harrowing tales?!
Is this not wine?
Warm wine is the best kind of tea for quelling one's soul.
What you drink does not matter.
If anything can make your anguish disappear, that is the best for you.
What does that mean?
That formalities and breed will never contend with heart and soul.
Another one of your wise teachings.
Tell me.
Why do you visit my nightly gates?
I trust love it must not be.
Where would you find people who do not love you, Sire?
But unrequited love is not for me.
Unrequited?!
Then, should I requite that love,
I trust you would not betray it with spite.
Sire!
How could you say...
Are they inside?
Vigilant eyes must be on us,
so how could you maunder about so freely?
If Hanyang is my abode, Hwaseong is like my outer quarters.
Keep all that fruitless concern to yourself!
So, did you find out anything?
I found who is hampering our mission every time.
You mean that Choi Gichong?
It's the Vice Councilor of the Ministry of War, Jeong Yakyong.
As for Choi Gichong, ever since the Councilor came to Hwaseong as emissary,
he has been acting as his liaison officer, trailing us all the way.
So all the obstacles this Choi Gichong created...
were all conceived by Jeong Yakyong?
That's right.
Inspecting our quarters in Hanyang,
obstructing our work at the pontoon bridge,
and their appearance on Mount Gwanggyo all started from Jeong Yakyong's orders.
If our great endeavor is to succeed, we must first slay him.
But if we are to do so, should we not first find where he is?
I found out. I did...
But first get this varmint out of my sight!
I knew I saw you somewhere already,
and it turns out you were So Hyangbi's pander!
If I only think of the obloquy I had to experience at that gibang...
But you still dare to show your vile mug in my presence?!
Get out of my sight at once!
Forgive me for not serving you as you wished.
I shall leave.
Await!
I am not aware of what grudges you might bear for each other, but...
If I have to share it with this varlet, I would not even engage in parley, let alone a revolution!
If such are your wishes,
I cannot help but send Jang Dongji away.
However,
you must slay that Jeong Yakyong in his stead.
Who said that if our mission is to succeed,
we must first get rid of Jeong Yakyong?
Jang Dongji is the only one here who could slay him,
so if you so fervently demand he should be ousted, should you not deal with the repercussions as well?
Ahh... that...
Make up your mind.
We cannot keep Jang Dongji here much longer, since he wishes to leave.
The night is ripe.
Is it not time for you to return to your quarters?
I should.
Any misunderstanding will be resolved.
I do hope that is the case,
but I fear we may not have the time to do so.
Who is there?!
This must be the infamous Jang Gichong.
I heard your story in detail from her and Choi Gichong.
Did Moon Inbang order this? To slay me?!
How can someone who once was part of the Military Command...
engage in such nefarious misdeeds?
Shut that gob!
Confess where your keeper is hiding at once!
Silence!
You cannot, Seobangnim!
Move!
I shall behead him and leave for the land of purple mist!
Don't do this, Seobangnim...
I shall slay anyone impeding our journey.
I said move!
As important as those aspirations might be,
they cannot be stained with the blood of innocent people.
I said move!
Jang Gichong!
Again we meet!
I did not want to point my blade at you...
I shall not let you go this time!
You cannot do this!
Were you not as close as blood brothers?!
Stop!
Do not trail them.
I was too late in bracing for the assassin's intrusion.
Don't fret.
My sincerest apologies.
We now have confirmation that Moon Inbang and Hong Jaecheon...
are hiding in Hwaseong.
Finding them will be arduous,
but alert the capital police, and rummage every tavern in the area.
Yes, I will.
Seeing as the Wa joined them, their boat must be hidden somewhere.
Considering the closest sea route to Hwaseong,
they must have come from Namyang Bay.
That's right.
If you take Officer Kim along and inspect Namyang Bay in the morrow,
I am sure you will find some clues.
Even if you cannot find any clues, you must return before the drill commences.
Yes.
Daein!
Let us ask for reinforcements. We must slay the Joseon king!
What do you think about that, Okpo?
I don't see anything wrong with it.
It would only strengthen us.
But there is one condition.
*1 geun = 600g
You will provide us with a thousand geun* of Goryeo ginseng,
every year for ten years.
Add it to your written covenant.
Fine.
I shall amend our pledge once reinforcements arrive.
Agreed.
Send a man to guide them all the way here.
Follow me.
This Choi Gichong stuck to His Excellency as if he was about to slay him,
so we could not do otherwise.
Would he have dared to harm the Minister of War?!
Whatever the situation,
the sight we beheld at the royal reception daringly suggested...
that Suwon Chief Marshal Jo Shimtae and His Excellency were of the same status.
*Same rank, but the "Jeong" of Minister Shim was higher than the "Jong" of the Marshal
How can a 2nd-ranked Chief Marshal compare with a Minister of War*?!
Your Excellency.
I could not convey it to you during the day,
but there have been suspicious occurrences.
Suspicious occurrences?!
Speak your mind.
Both when we crossed the pontoon bridge,
and also using the mountain pathway,
the Vice Councilor's movements seemed to be led by agitation.
And what is that supposed to imply?
That there could be...
other people conspiring to harm His Majesty.
I know a man called Hong Jaecheon. He leads the Daedong merchant group.
Then, are you telling me vile merchants are attempting on the king's life?
In truth, he is one of the late Hong Gyehee's descendants.
He once sought audience with me, clamoring me to disclose the day...
the procession would start, for he would use explosives to kill him.
I just treated it as delirious flippancy at the time,
and sent him away without even thinking...
So you're saying that the people trying to harm the king are conspiring with this man?
I cannot say with certainty,
but calling it simple fortuity...
Are you in contact with this man, at the moment?
Ahh... certainly not, Your Excellency.
How could I ever?!
I did not meet him ever since.
His plans to use explosives to kill the king...
could prove to be a propitious occurrence for us.
Should I attempt to find him?
I am sure you would know where to find him.
The amount of ginseng we present to the Qing as tribute is 500 geun per year.
But you say you will give them a thousand?!
We need to be cognizant of the procession's itinerary,
if we are to snipe or use explosives.
But being completely unaware puts us in direful quicksand,
so despite Lord Dong's requests being unconscionable,
we are forced to accept them.
They safely passed the fortress, and are headed for the sea.
Fine, well done.
I have an ingenious scheme.
A scheme?!
The number of courtiers who would love to see the king dethroned is significant.
How about we join forces with them?
Are you telling me I should become a compeer with...
people who exploited and trampled upon our people for generations?!
Ehh Ehh!
This is not the time to be swayed by personal intents.
If we keep idling here without knowing the itinerary,
you never know when we might fall into their trap.
Unless you want these to become our burial dwellings,
is it not time you make a decision?
Then, do you know of any way to contact them?
The new Assistant to the Minister of War, Kim Hanju, is the Queen Dowager's relative.
A flippant loafer like him suddenly entered the court for this procession.
Wouldn't it be clear this is a sign that Her Highness and the Minister of War...
have been secretly conspiring together?!
Are you telling me you are in contact with that man?
It is not merely contact!
Without my boundless benevolence,
he would already be on the streets, mendicating the day away!
We have no time to waste. Leave it to Master Hong.
Even if he refuses to join us, he will at least reveal the itinerary.
A thousand geun of ginseng!
I trust I have your consent, and shall confer with Kim Hanju in the morrow.
A thousand geun.
With Lord Dong adding more men, controlling them will not be simple.
The only man who can contend with Lord Dong or Zhang Sun is Jang Inhyeong.
That is the reason we must keep him on our side,
but we must always keep in mind our ultimate goals.
Only now can I understand your profound...
I have returned.
Ahh... come on in.
How did it go?
I failed.
How can someone from the Military Command be unable to deal with a meager...
Silence!
My apologies.
There certainly must be a reason he failed his call.
It is regrettable, but what else can we do?
Don't you fret, and enjoy some respite.
I...
brought along my partner, after she was captured by the Vice Councilor.
And at this juncture, even a wench?!
Are you sure you were not followed?
I wasn't.
I cannot even find the words to describe this...
She is a pitiful woman who lives only for me.
I wish her to accompany me to our promised land.
I shall atone for my malfeasance on another day.
So, where is she now?
She is waiting outside.
I lead this group.
You may rise.
Such are your wishes,
so I pledge to take this woman to our promised land.
My gratitude.
Let us head inside.
Naeuri!
Wait a moment.
Quick! Quick!
And you... what...
What is all this bewilderment?
Follow me.
Are you telling me this Okpo joined forces with Penghu pirates,
and is now hiding in Hwaseong?!
They might be pirates,
but they can detonate explosives underwater,
and can snipe from remote distances.
Then...
Were it not for that Jeong Yakyong,
the Han River fish would be feasting upon the king's remains already.
So, at the mountain pathway...
Because of him, our sniping attempts failed, and we are being trailed.
And I felt...
his movements were suspicious.
Just alert us on the combined drill plan,
and the itinerary the royal retinue will follow.
The third time is always a charm.
This time, our great endeavor shall find no obstacles!
That would not be much of a discomfiture.
But, if this Okpo wishes to join forces with us,
there must be something he covets in return.
As a condition for successfully completing our mission,
we must concede Jeju Island to the Penghu pirates,
and provide them with a thousand geun of Goryeo ginseng a year, for a decade.
Ahh... of course! If the Noron party could keep that covenant...
There will be a ceremony to honor Prince Sado in the morrow,
while the day after will see the final act, with the combined drill.
Can we really trust that Assistant Minister?!
Kim Hanju is a close relative of the Queen Dowager,
and a confidant of Minister of War Shim Hwanji.
As I told you, he owes me more than simple pleasantries.
We must be prudent at all times.
This could be a trap.
Did you heed my words?
Did I not tell you they already planned an armed suppression?!
That is mere parley.
If they truly staged a suppression, there is no way this place would be so quiet!
Silence.
I still can hear loud and clear, so abate your vociferation.
According to Joseon laws,
should anything befall the king, military authority would rightfully...
be transferred to the Minister of War.
Then, the Byeokpa would instantly gain control of this country.
Then, did they avow to reveal even the royal retinue's exact departure?
Indeed.
The king's itinerary is generally the most absolute of secrets.
But, once all battle lines are in formation,
they will try their utmost to learn the itinerary for us.
Did you not stop to think we might just be used and then abandoned?
Abandoned?!
Should anything happen,
they could just banquet on the hounds they used for their hunting spree.
I have as little trust in yangban as you do.
Growing accustomed to their practice of backing down on their word...
at the last minute despite written pledges,
think I would let that sapling's every word inveigle me?!
So, what is this ingenious scheme that will grant the hounds their survival?
We must pledge that the king will capitulate and meet his demise!
I am sure we must.
Otherwise, they would never accord us their cooperation.
We first make this covenant,
and instead of slaying the king, we just apprehend him,
after which we shall leave the fortress with him,
forcing the two warring factions into a haggling struggle.
Warring factions?!
If our dealings with the Byeokpa fail,
we will have to contact the Shipa!
I knew...
I knew your merchant blood would rise to the occasion!
I am leaving!
Lord Dong!
Ahh... really...
Lord Dong.
What is wrong with you, Lord Dong?
Unless you slay the Joseon king, there will be no deal. We are leaving.
Do you really trust the words of a merchant?
You need not worry.
We shall slay him at all cost.
Let us go back.
So you're telling me this Hong Jaecheon was not acting alone,
but conspired all this along with varmints heralding the advent of a new genesis?!
That would be the case, Your Excellency.
This world is doomed.
*Monk Shin Don turning into a "monster of the people" after death
Legends recount that a Bulgasari* haunted the streets of Gaegyeong...
during the final years of Goryeo's legacy.
And now the spectre of a treasonous varlet asks us to concede our territory?!
That condition is paramount for their wicked schemes to succeed.
If we could only bring state affairs back from the flames of oblivion,
it would be worth a lot more than Jeju Island.
I agree, Your Excellency.
The Art of War always teaches us that an enemy's foe can be our closest ally.
If conceding Jeju Island concerns you,
we can always find a solution afterwards.
Loyalty is loyalty, and sorrow is sorrow.
Such were the words Hong Bonghan uttered, when he caused Prince Sado's death.
The beginning and the end, heavy and light burdens,
great and small things shall populate your thoughts and lead you to a decision.
This is a propitious change the heavens accorded us...
for the sake of this country, Your Excellency.
All we need is to pledge we will concede Jeju,
and to alert them on the royal retinue's exact itinerary.
Your Excellency!
This is the last chance this armed suppression has to succeed!
May you make a decision!
~ On The Next Episode Of ~ EIGHT DAYS
This is our last chance!
May you make a decision!
There must have been another reason.
Another reason?!
Father!
If even only talebearing that you miss him begins spreading,
we shall never be able to return to the palace!
Tell me that was not the case, Mother!
Speak no more, Sire!
Mother!
While your men will fire their matchlocks...
We will attack the western command post,
and suppress both the king and all Shipa courtiers.
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