- My goodness. - Oh, no.
- This is devastating. - How can this be?
If there is a huge snow or a hail,
our crops will be ruined.
But what can we do?
That is not something...
we can do with our own power.
However, the King is not a hailstorm from the sky...
or a big snow.
If we set our mind to it, we can change him whenever we want.
No!
I heard the prison is so full...
that those imprisoned are sitting outside of the prison cells.
Let us...
go and get them.
Let us steal his people...
from the King.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, why are you having trouble sleeping?
I think...
the rumors could be true.
Hong Gil Dong...
could really be...
the descendant of the fallen royal family of Goryeo.
If not that, then maybe...
he is the son of someone who died of treason.
Or maybe...
he could not become successful because he was an illegitimate son.
Otherwise, he could not dare...
look into the eyes of a king like that.
Your Majesty.
He said so himself that he is just a procurer.
Hong Gil Dong.
That scum has deceived me again.
Now,
who will volunteer and join me?
Who will come with me?
Hong Chum Ji.
The reason we follow you...
is not because we want to go against the King.
It is because we do not have money or food.
You have stolen from many rich people.
I agree.
Just because we save those people in prison...
does not mean we will get to eat any better.
- I agree. - That is true.
Well...
I am a woman, so I am not good at fighting.
But I will help you in any way I can.
- What? - Is she crazy?
- This is the least I can do! - Come to your senses.
Me too.
I am already old, so nothing scares me.
I will help too.
Me too!
- I will help too! - Me too!
- Me too. - Me too.
- I will also help. - Me too.
- Me too. - Thank you.
This is more than enough.
(Hong)
(The Rebel)
Listen.
Have you heard of a man who fought and beat the King?
No.
If he finds out about this hideout, we will all die.
Yes. We risked everything to come here...
to live, not to die.
We must do something.
After all we did to come here...
First, we must get a layout of the palace.
How will we get that?
I will get my hands on one.
I am more concerned about the lack of people.
Yes, we need many more.
Do you not think the people are...
so very afraid?
What if they throw us out of this hideout?
When you all went to fight Prince Choong Won,
I ran away.
They are afraid because they are ignorant.
None of them...
have fought or won anything...
from the ruling class.
They are used to running away, losing, and giving in.
They do not know what it means to fight or to win.
Until now, you all...
fought, won, and made people pay for their wrongdoings.
If you were to just tell them what you did,
they will open up and join you.
We will die like dogs.
Be quiet.
Are you very worried?
I used to be as well.
But you know,
Master Hong does what he sets out to do.
Shall I tell you an old story?
Did you really make Heo Tae Hak go down on his knees?
How many times must I tell you?
That is not all.
We even exiled a man of royal blood.
- What? - Do you get it?
- Yes! - Yes!
See, I knew he was special.
Is it really true that Hong Chum Ji...
is good at making money?
He is, he is.
He made a fortune when the King banned drinking.
If you follow him,
money will be the least of your worries.
I knew it.
Back in the day,
Hong Chum Ji and I worked together to teach...
all the bad people a lesson.
I did.
Hong Chum Ji.
Are you really sure you can win?
Can we really trust you?
Yes. I am confident.
I have never lost in my life.
So...
will you join us?
Very well. I will join you.
Good. Yes, let us fight together.
- Let us do this. - We can try.
- Fight! - What should we fear?
- Let us fight. - We should.
- Let us fight. - Yes.
Then will you agree to be trained...
and defend this hideout while we are gone?
Are we not going to free the prisoners?
I am not that irresponsible.
That trip was a hard one.
- Hello. - Welcome.
Master Hong.
We were very upset when you disappeared without us.
How have you been, So Bu Ri?
- Welcome. - It is good to see you.
- It has been so long. - Hello.
(The previous kings...)
Premier.
Yes, Your Majesty.
The writing for "person" looks similar.
Your Majesty!
In my whole life,
I have never once written in...
the base Korean alphabet.
The King even suspects us now.
How dare you report against me?
Why did you mention that I was once...
friends with Lee Se Jwa?
Calm down, everyone.
Let us not waste time fighting. We need a countermeasure.
We might...
end up dead like Lee Se Jwa and Yoon Pil Sang.
What can we do?
There is a Master Song who instead of...
taking office, taught scholars.
He has lurked around the King since...
King Seongjong's time.
There is talk that...
the King has been...
meeting with him often.
We should meet him...
and ask of a way to escape the King's suspicion.
Must we go that far?
Did you call for me?
I heard that you studied with Master Song.
Pardon?
- Yes. - Then...
can you set up a meeting with him?
I heard that Master Song is a very hard person to meet.
Please.
Back in 1498,
you and I helped each other out.
Master.
Hello.
Why would such great men visit my humble abode?
Have a seat.
No, no.
We are visitors,
and you are much older than us.
No.
You serve the King from up close,
so to me, you all equal the King.
Please, sit.
At one time,
many in the palace mocked me and called me an outsider.
I believed that...
all you officials greatly disliked me.
Who would call you that?
I have never heard of it.
I am sure of that.
All those men...
lost their lives when His Majesty...
punished those who disregarded our values.
So why are you here?
I will be frank.
His Majesty's mood is different from morning to evening.
Someone he called loyal yesterday...
- Stop. - My lord.
He beheads for something else today.
He also angers over trivial matters.
I cannot tell what to do.
Help us.
What must we do to preserve our lives?
Gil Dong.
What are the three Premiers and the court ministers like?
They started studying young and learned rigorously for years.
They are smart, bookwise,
and gained experience while serving in various offices.
They may have been corrupt at some points in their lives,
but they still worry about the nation...
and show concern for the people.
However, now that they face death,
the fear turned them into cowards.
Seeing that disappoints me greatly.
Too greatly.
Gil Dong.
Joseon was built in a way so that...
the ministers could control the king.
In the past 100 years,
the kings shared power with the three Premiers,
and the other ministers monitored the kings and Premiers.
However,
Joseon is crumbling now.
It hailed very recently.
I have been punishing those who committed grave crimes,
so now the people say that...
it hails because I enjoy killing people.
It is only natural for criminals to be punished harshly.
You are correct in your actions.
- You are correct. - You are correct.
Now, there are no ministers willing to share...
their wisdom with the King.
Yes. Although I have punished many people...
and exiled many more,
they were rightly punished according to their crimes.
How could they suggest I am the cause of the hail?
- Right, Your Majesty. - Right, Your Majesty.
Gil Dong.
Now, I know what it is that the King wishes to do.
He did not bring on the bloodshed because of his dead mother.
He wants to erase...
the past 100 years during which the kings were tamed and controlled.
He wants to bring on a new Joseon...
that is tamed and controlled by the king.
The tool he used to tame Joseon...
is violence.
Very soon, the King will...
instruct his ministers to write poems about how...
eliminating evil subjects has cleaned the palace.
When he does,
tell the ministers to pledge their allegiance to the King.
Tell them also to give their dignity...
and shame to the dogs.
For them to bow to the King is just the same...
as them bowing to me.
There are no longer any secrets between the King and me.
Just like...
you and me.
Master.
Why has the King not told you that...
Gil Dong escaped from prison?
Now that peace has come at last, we should announce it.
Hand in poems about how eliminating evil...
has cleaned the palace.
- We shall do so, Your Majesty. - We shall do so, Your Majesty.
The old man must really be very close to the King.
He even knew the title.
I am so glad we went to meet him.
I agree.
The King will host...
a large banquet to celebrate the coming of peace.
The ministers will write poems to pledge their allegiance.
A banquet to celebrate...
peace?
That must be...
the day you want.
Yes.
That day...
is the one I want.
It is a map of the palace.
I can get you inside the palace,
but once inside, you must rely on that.
That day,
outside Injeongjeon,
the King will accept pledges of allegiance.
All the ministers will be present...
and the King will do his best to look grand and pompous.
He is already crazy about authority that it is all he has left.
He would be so embarrassed if we broke in that day.
There is a path to the back of Injeongjeon's garden...
that leads to the hunting grounds.
We can escape that way.
What about our weapons?
We should steal...
from the government.
They are back.
- Hello. - Put them over there.
These are heavy.
- Kkeut Swe - This is hard work.
Well done.
- All right. - They are coming down.
Slowly.
Be careful.
Here you go.
Will you help move them?
Wait, wait.
I lost count. Start over.
Our targets are the head, mouth, neck,
solar plexus, and then...
Okay?
Step up.
One, two, then punch.
Watch.
Use your legs.
Like this.
Stop, stop, stop.
Hong Chum Ji.
Stand firm on both feet.
Look far ahead.
Even after you pull the string,
you must not move.
Those in prison, those who lost their children,
and those who lost their homes cry in grief.
They believed that they would all...
certainly die.
They did not know that from afar, Hong Gil Dong and...
his seven brothers were working hard each day...
to come and save them all.
Meanwhile, Gil Dong...
was afraid the people would die...
even before he was able to save them.
He could not sleep at night.
Whenever he had the time,
he prayed that they would be strong and stay alive...
long enough for them to come to their rescue.
That was his prayer.
Uh Ri Ni.
Wait.
Wait just a bit longer.
This is it.
Did Park Ha Sung bury...
Park Won Il?
I believe so.
So why are there three tombs?
Whose tomb is this?
Why do you keep suspecting Park Ha Sung?
He told the prison guard...
to keep Gil Dong alive in case the King...
uses him to hunt with.
Why is it a problem if the King wishes to do so?
That is why the King favors him.
He knows what the King wants before he even mentions it.
What I mean is,
no one has seen Gil Dong's corpse.
Is he truly dead?
The King gives out grave punishments for trivial crimes...
to make the people think twice.
Why did he not hang Gil Dong's head out for all to see?
Do you not find that strange?
It hailed recently.
I fear the scholars will say it happened because...
I punish people too severely.
Do not worry, Your Majesty.
Leave such menial problems to me...
and focus on the larger things.
This is why I like you.
Your Majesty.
Why did you not hang Hong Gil Dong's head in front of the palace?
You should display the head of...
such dastardly criminals such as him so I could...
spit on him for insulting you.
I did not even want to see that hideous head of his.
That is why.
Yes. Of course.
You made the right choice, Your Majesty.
Go to the Geoins of the palace...
and ask them to tell you every little thing about Hong Gil Dong.
Your Highness.
If you and I work together,
we will definitely become more powerful than Song Do Hwan.
However, he is...
a very special person to me.
He helped my son, Jeong Hak,
to study and become successful.
So I cannot...
Imagine Jeong Hak...
become...
someone very successful.
Someone who has a lot of power.
Imagine him as a minister.
No.
Imagine him as the Second Vice-Premier.
He could even become the Premier.
You must do...
whatever His Majesty asks you to do. Do you understand?
Yes, I do. But...
Gil Dong...
I should have witnessed his death.
But he...
Did you lose...
your wife?
Never mind.
Loosen your shoulders.
Put your fingers together.
Why are your shoulders so stiff?
Loosen up.
Breathe in.
You all know that...
His Majesty has recently scolded...
all the wunpyeongs who had messy appearances, right?
Always make sure to keep your dresses clean...
and dirt-free.
Most importantly,
His Majesty hates it the most...
when his musicians are sad and gloomy.
Therefore,
whatever happens,
always make sure to keep a smile on your face.
Do you understand?
- Yes. - Yes.
Smile.
You should keep that in mind too.
A palace...
is different from a kisaeng parlor.
Why do you look at me like that?
You have changed.
You have become very calm.
You have matured.
But...
you have also lost your liveliness.
That saddens me.
We had a great time back when we were at Danyejeong.
I was young, and you were very lively.
Also,
there was Ja Won...
and him.
Are you talking about...
Gil Dong?
Do you regret...
leaving him?
No.
I think leaving him was a good choice.
I chose someone who had a promising future.
Therefore,
I have no regrets.
However,
I do wonder.
If I had become his wife,
I wonder what my life would have been like.
He was the only person...
who sincerely cared for me.
You have His Majesty.
His Majesty...
does not know...
how to love someone.
Your Majesty.
Do you wish to see the wunpyeongs' new dance?
Sang Hwa.
I, Wunpyeong Sang Hwa, will dance for you, Your Majesty.
Your dance reminds me of a small bird...
walking at a quick pace.
I am honored, Your Majesty.
Ok Ran.
I, Wunpyeong Ok Ran, will dance for you, Your Majesty.
His Majesty thinks...
your dance is very pure and clear,
just like clean water in a valley.
I am honored, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Would you like to make anyone a heungcheong?
You should give it a try.
The only song I know how to sing...
is the song I sang at the hunting area.
However,
I do know how to tell a good story.
- A story? - Yes, Your Majesty.
I know a few funny, scary,
and heart-fluttering stories.
A few were even made by myself.
Then...
whenever I have trouble sleeping,
I shall call you over and listen to those stories.
Yes, Your Majesty.
If you summon me,
I will tell you the most interesting story I know.
You really are something.
You wanted to go into his bedroom so badly...
that you told him you would tell him stories.
- Do you not like me? - Of course.
I have spent years cleaning and washing clothes for Sukyong Jang.
But she adores you from the moment you walked in.
That is because I have assisted her when she was...
not yet in the palace.
Whatever it may be, there are orders in this life,
and there are orders when it comes to the King's favor.
I will keep my eyes on you.
You should be careful.
Do not get in my way.
If you get in my way of getting closer to His Majesty,
I will not sit around.
It hurts. Let go of me.
I...
do not care if I die in this palace.
Did a Geoin say...
Sukyong Jang is very much...
interested in Gil Dong?
Who said that?
Bring him.
Your Majesty.
Why did you not hang Hong Gil Dong's head in front of the palace?
- See you again. - No.
Your Majesty.
Do you want to listen to music?
Should I call in a musician?
I will bring Sukyong Jang.
No.
Bring her.
Ga Ryung.
I heard you had a bit of a situation with Sang Hwa this afternoon.
Did you see us?
News like that flies everywhere.
Sang Hwa does not seem to like me.
She would not.
She is a great girl.
Of course, she can get a little feisty...
because she wants to be a good daughter.
- A good daughter? - Yes.
She wants to become a heungcheong,
receive many jewelries from the King,
and treat her mom very well.
I heard she is not even her birth mother.
Is she not her birth mother?
How can she be such a great daughter?
That is odd.
I envy...
Sang Hwa a lot.
Her mom may not be her birth mother,
but she does have a family.
Do you not have a family?
Not after I got separated from my brother when I was young.
Did you get separated from your brother?
What happened?
Ga Ryung, are you there?
Do you remember me?
What are you looking at?
My goodness.
You are weird.
Why are you peeking at someone while they take a bath?
You used to sell mats.
Yes.
I am Second Eunuch,
Gong Hwa became a Sukyong,
and you are now in the palace too.
What are the odds?
If you can,
can you tell His Majesty...
a heartwarming story?
A heartwarming story?
A story that can warm up and melt someone's heart...
so that it melts away...
sourness and anger inside of him.
Tell him a story like that.
That is very hard.
I should not have mentioned that.
Go on.
Please...
take good care of His Majesty.
Who knows? You might be able to live like Gong Hwa.
- You said you had a fun story. - Yes.
It is indeed a fun story,
but people tend to fall asleep when I tell the story.
Since you cannot seem to fall asleep at night,
there is nothing like my story that can help you.
Does your story...
make people drowsy?
Sure. You may begin.
Once upon a time,
there was an old man who couldn't get married because he was too poor.
One day, the man came home...
after a hard day of laboring in his field...
only to be surprised.
His place was filled with the smell of delicious food.
The man entered his room.
He was shocked to see...
a table full of hearty meals.
Your Majesty, are you awake?
Did I...
- fall asleep? - Yes, Your Majesty.
You fell deep asleep for once.
Was her story so boring...
that she put me to sleep?
Your Majesty?
Did His Majesty...
keep her next to him all through the night?
Yes.
That is good news.
I am glad His Majesty was able to sleep well.
However,
His Majesty always looked for you...
when he could not sleep.
Why did he...
Sometimes, this happens.
People are so shallow.
After the rumor broke out about how His Majesty favors Ga Ryung,
they quickly turn to her and act as her friends.
Is that so?
When we were in Danyejeong,
you were very quiet.
You never wanted to show yourself...
before me.
When I put on a great dance or a great song,
you were happy for me as if I were you.
I could not dare to come before you.
What about now?
How...
do you feel now?
Will you continue to stay behind me...
before I tell you otherwise?
What about now?
How do you feel now?
Hurry up and come. We will be late.
I am coming.
Give it to me.
Sang Hwa, wait for me.
Gong Hwa.
This is what that idiot had around his wrist. Should I give it back?
Not after I got separated from my brother when I was young.
Did you get separated from your brother?
His Majesty liked your dance.
However, this is...
Are you all right?
Please calm down.
She did not do that on purpose. I saw it.
What is she saying?
I was going to stop after lashing her,
but I cannot do that because you have dared to step in.
I will tell His Majesty about what Ok Ran did.
Take Ok Ran to Geunhoegak.
Sukyong Jang.
Follow me.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your Majesty.
Because you have been dealing strictly...
with those who rebel,
I have also sent one wunpyeong to Geunhoegak...
for stepping on my skirt.
Good job.
Your Majesty.
What kind of a punishment...
should I give her?
Your Majesty said...
Ok Ran will be beheaded.
Then her head will be displayed at the palace gate.
Also, this does not apply only for Sukyong Jang.
If any wunpyeong...
dares to think any heungcheong is not different from them...
and tries to rebel against them,
he will make sure...
he punishes her with a severe punishment.
Sukyong Jang.
Why are you doing this?
How can you behead someone for stepping on your skirt?
If you are punishing her more for what I have done,
I will take the punishment.
So please do not punish my dear Ok Ran...
You do not even know her.
How can you address her as your dear?
If you can, you can try to save her.
Who is the one that holds the line between life and death?
Okay.
Let us see who that is.
Ok Ran.
What can I do?
What can we do?
I have a plan.
I might be able to save you.
So wait.
You have to wait for me.
In a few days,
we must present a poem of royalty to His Majesty.
All right.
This is the draft.
You can all take a look and add anything as needed.
It will be the best for you to read it, right?
I do not feel confident.
You must do it.
His Majesty is throwing a huge feast that day.
He will sincerely take your hearts.
Yes, of course.
Take a look.
Your Majesty.
Your royal subjects have been staying up all night...
writing the poem you have requested.
I saw their faces light up with joy...
as they jotted down each letter on the paper.
Is that so?
However, Your Majesty.
I do have one concern.
For the feast, hundreds of craftsmen will be coming into the palace.
With the recent anonymous statement,
I am worried that some of them may be wicked.
Your Majesty,
will you let me screen them?
You are the only one who is concerned about my safety...
even before I think of it.
Sure.
You can go and screen for any suspicious craftsmen...
that are coming into the palace.
Yes, Your Majesty.
We have the date when the royal subjects will read their poem.
I will be...
screening the craftsmen who will come in on that day.
You can disguise yourself as a craftsman that day.
We will be at the palace in two days.
We will all be disguised as craftsmen.
Once we get in,
we will all gather around right here at Injeongjeon.
Injeongjeon is where the King lives.
Every single palace guard will come once we cause trouble there.
We will make a move when that happens.
Take this.
Here you go.
Today is the day.
Let us go teach the King...
and his sly servants...
a big lesson.
We will protect the hideout.
So don't worry and make sure you come back safely.
- Please be safe. - Come back to us.
- Come back safely. - Be careful.
- We wish you good luck. - Come back safely.
Ok Ran.
Ga Ryung.
How did you get in here?
I gave some jewelries to those who were guarding outside.
You will get in trouble if you get caught.
That does not matter.
Eat this.
I will...
help you get out of here.
Why...
are you so kind to me?
That is because...
you are like a sister to me.
Do you know who has...
the other half of that blue string you carry around?
My husband has...
That string is not mine.
It belongs to Sang Hwa.
Sang Hwa always carries it with her.
Did you bring me the girl?
Hello, Master Song.
Hong Gil Dong is alive?
Gong Hwa showed a lot of interest in Hong Gil Dong.
Also, when Hong Gil Dong got hurt,
she became very weak for a couple days.
However, a few days ago, she became lively again.
Then one day...
I feel a little sorry for Hong Gil Dong now that he is dead.
What do you mean he is dead?
There is no need to feel sorry.
How can you be sure that he is alive after hearing just that?
You may think that way,
but I think differently.
I think Sukyong Jang...
used to know Gil Dong even before she entered the palace.
It felt like she was always worried that he might get hurt.
It was a mistake on her end, but I am sure that she said...
Hong Gil Dong is not dead.
Ga Ryung.
I hope everyone in the country talks about...
what happens today so that...
you will hear that I am alive.
"Our King..."
"has gotten rid of all the cunning people."
"He has gotten rid of all the bad habits..."
"and showed kindness to his people."
"Thus, he has changed the customs, brought discipline,"
"and has enriched our country with peace."
"He has completely changed the political affairs..."
"which has positively changed every single aspect of our country."
"We servants may lack competence,"
"but we do not dare to defy or disagree with our King."
"We hereby pledge..."
"to stay loyal to His Majesty until we die."
"We promise to keep our oath."
Long live the King!
- Long live the King! - Long live the King!
Is... Is that...
Hong Chum Ji is here!
- What? - What?
- Protect the King! - Let us go!
That scum...
Hello.
Yi Yung.
Catch those scums! Right now!
- My goodness. - Help!
- What is this? - Help!
- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty! - Protect the King!
- It's Hong Chum Ji! - It's him!