(Episode 13)
Halt.
Sorry, father.
Who is there?
Is anyone there? Guards!
Who are you? A thief?
Go after them!
Master.
Master. Master.
Master.
Are you all right?
They took it.
Do not worry.
My men are chasing them down.
They took it!
They took the map.
What?
You go that way. We will go this way.
Oh, no. Hurry up. Move faster.
Hurry, hurry.
You are...
Why did you not report such an important issue?
Is that why you tried to tell the Crown Prince?
You.
Are you not the bodyguard who was with...
the Crown Prince?
Am I right?
Who are you?
I was indeed the Crown Prince's bodyguard.
However, I work for the chief peddler...
I am the Crown Prince.
That is me.
Five years ago,
I gave you the order to investigate the Bureau of Water Supply.
I am the Crown Prince.
If...
If you are the true Crown Prince,
then who is the King...
on the throne?
He is my friend named Lee Sun who substituted for me.
Under the control of Pyunsoo Group,
he is now acting as a puppet king.
What about you?
You are a chief peddler...
who travels freely, are you not?
You have not changed at all.
People sacrificed their lives for you,
and you took it for granted.
The Crown Prince does not...
For a terrible man like you,
Deputy Magistrate Han...
sacrificed his precious life.
Your Highness.
Despite being the Crown Prince,
I caused the death of Deputy Magistrate Han...
by giving such a reckless order.
On top of that,
I also risked your life.
I finally ask for forgiveness...
for my actions five years ago.
Please...
forgive me.
That day,
I should not have suggested such investigation.
Why did I encourage a mere 17-year-old boy...
to fight against the powerful Pyunsoo Group?
Master.
I know it will be hard for you, but let me ask you for a favor.
Please help the Crown Prince.
Stay by his side so that he can win the fight.
Please do so.
Master.
It is all my fault.
It is my fault.
Are you confident enough...
that his death will not be in vain?
Yes.
Until we destroy Pyunsoo Group,
I will fight.
You must.
That way, Deputy Magistrate Han's death will not be in vain.
I will...
fight with you.
Thank you.
Please tell me honestly.
What does copper have to do with Pyunsoo Group?
Pyunsoo Group...
wants the right to mint coins by seizing copper.
Before Dae Mok makes trouble,
we must seize copper and hand it to the Ministry of Finance.
Pirates, Pyunsoo Group,
and the right to mint coins?
In that case,
do you have an idea how we will seize copper?
Have you found out?
Do you mean the chief peddler?
Yes, master.
He started as a merchant assistant and became a leader.
By consolidating eight merchant leaders,
he formed an organization.
As he is noble and intelligent, the eight merchant leaders...
call him the chief peddler.
Now, he leads the organization of peddlers.
What is he up to now?
Not only does he lead peddlers across the country,
but he is also at the center...
of the organization of merchants.
With mere cleverness,
he has influence over the merchants?
Where is this chief peddler?
We could not find out.
Find him.
Tell him I want to meet him.
Yes, master.
He convinced the merchants who are driven by interests.
Are you curious about him?
The chief peddler is 1 of 2 things.
He is a man I must gain for myself...
or a man I must kill.
Herbal medicine from the mountains,
angelica roots, and chrysanthemum.
Based on the rumors I hear,
the chief peddler is very handsome.
How is he?
Chun Soo.
Hold tight. It is dangerous.
I do not know whom you are looking for, but I am not Chun Soo.
Is it...
because I did not keep the promise?
Is that why you are pretending not to know me?
You mistook me for someone else.
Neither did I make a promise...
nor receive a letter from you.
I said I was not doing you a favor.
So you do not have...
to be thankful or loyal.
Well,
he looked ordinary with a common name.
If you want to...
undo your father's wrongful death,
find the big pot.
Waiting is difficult.
What is wrong, Kko Mool?
When is dinner? I am hungry.
- Is waiting difficult? - Yes.
Except when someone waits for me...
when I use the bathroom at night,
waiting is difficult.
The bathroom?
Could you help me make something?
The King sent the medicine.
Did His Majesty send it to us as well?
As you are the guards who work closely with the King,
His Majesty ordered me to send it to you.
Halt.
This is a misunderstanding.
I am here to deliver medicine per the King's order.
Did you say it was my order?
Turn around and show your face.
Did you not hear His Majesty's order?
Your Highness, please let my father live.
My father is innocent.
Please let him live, Your Highness.
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
I am sorry.
Let her go.
Let her go right now.
I called her.
I need to discuss something with her.
You are dismissed.
- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.
Why did you try to sneak into the greenhouse?
Why did...
Your Majesty spare my life?
Your Majesty.
Do you...
remember me?
Remember you?
I do not know you.
Do you...
really not remember me?
I said I do not.
However,
I have met you before,
and I remember you.
She thinks...
I am the Crown Prince.
Then...
Father!
Lady Ga Eun!
Does she think I am the one who killed her father?
My lady,
I am Lee Sun.
The one you grew up with.
Lee Sun.
You may...
leave now.
Yes,
Your Majesty.
Darn it.
Find out why Lady Ga Eun is here...
dressed as a physician's assistant,
how long she has been in the palace, everything.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Remember you?
I do not know you.
My father's death...
is probably too insignificant for him...
to remember.
Father!
Lady Ga Eun.
Is that you, Hyun Seok?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Did you find out?
She had been selling medicinal herbs to the physician.
Did she disguise herself to sneak into the green house?
It appears so.
Why?
Why do you not meet with her?
You can ask why she tried to go into the greenhouse yourself.
Why do you not tell her...
that you are her childhood friend?
You kept it a secret in order to protect her and your family,
but if could meet with her in the palace,
you can tell her the truth.
If I could see her again...
If I could see her...
and tell her that I am Sun...
and tell her how I feel,
that one moment...
could keep me going for the rest of my life.
Hyun Seok.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Do you think...
you can find a way to bring her to me?
Yes, Your Majesty.
I shall bring her to you.
The apricot tree
Seen through the window
The merchants who had their copper taken by pirates...
are spending money frivolously.
And Dae Mok's son, a leader of Pyunsoo Group happened to show up.
And a strange man wearing a mask was in his room.
However...
Pointing fingers
it was not a man.
It begins again
I am concerned about losing the map.
It has the time and location of the meeting...
for the copper purchase.
Since a high official from the capital is in town,
petty thieves must have wanted to make some money.
Shall we reschedule the exchange?
If we do, we cannot meet the deadline my father set.
We will proceed as scheduled.
That is why I have set a trap.
Sorry?
If it is a rat trying to get in our way, and not a petty thief,
he will fall into the trap.
We ran into pirates...
and had 132,000 pounds of copper taken from us.
Would records that they were robbed be evidence?
I have found it.
What is it?
Records that Japanese merchants supposedly robbed by pirates...
purchased loads of ginseng and red ginseng.
If they were robbed of their money and copper,
with what money did they buy ginseng?
Were there really pirates? We must question them.
You cannot come out. There are...
Hold on.
Come with me.
There is a secret passage to the sea.
Follow me if you do not want to get caught.
You are safe. I am so glad.
How are you...
She said you would come if I wait here.
Careful.
I thought you were a petty thief,
but you are the chief peddler.
I also thought you were a petty thief,
but you know everything going on here like the palm of your hand.
You knew what Pyunsoo Group had planned,
and you have a secret passageway in case of emergencies.
I am amazed.
I am as well. I heard you were thorough...
and very wise.
Seeing you act so recklessly surprised me as well.
I admit it.
I was rash about it.
Also,
I sincerely thank you.
The Bureau of Water Supply had been disguising themselves...
as pirates and making deals with Japanese merchants.
I assumed they were somehow related to the pirates.
However,
I did not know they were trafficking in copper this way.
You did not know what they were trafficking in was copper.
Why do you think it is copper of all things?
Pyunsoo Group is behind it.
They are trying to threaten the royal court using copper.
Pyunsoo Group?
They are the root of all evil...
and the true owner of the Bureau of Water Supply.
They privatized water to exploit the people.
I am trying to secure the supply of copper before they do...
to stop them.
- You are amazing. - Thank you.
You are helping the people in the face of danger.
For you, I would... No.
For the people, I would risk my life.
What happens if you secure the supply of copper?
If we deliver copper to the government,
it will hinder their plot.
You must get the copper then.
You have to stop Pyunsoo Group.
Now that you know what our plan is,
please tell us what yours is.
Why did you save us?
Who are you?
Do you want to know the truth?
- Of course. - If so,
could you tell me the truth first?
Who are you?
What are you really trying to achieve?
I guess it is not the right time yet.
Please believe that I just wanted to help you.
Take this.
If I am right about this,
this map should have...
the time and the place of their trade of copper.
Lady Kim.
It says they will meet at Haedongpi around 6am.
At Haedongpi...
around 6am.
When are the goods going to get here?
I heard they will be here around the middle of this month.
Around the middle, you say.
It is the day when the King has to take poppy wine.
On that day,
I shall get the right to mint coins.
Before I do that, keep making appeals to the King that...
the people are suffering because there are not enough coins...
and that he should mint more Sangpyeong Tongbo.
Yes, master.
Your Majesty. The people are suffering because of...
a shortage of currency in the country.
Shortage of currency? Is it serious?
It is not only in the capital.
The problem has spread to Gyeonggi Province...
and the three southern provinces as well.
Due to the shortage, it is hard for the people to trade goods,
and the markets are failing.
It has made the lives of the people much more difficult.
Your Majesty.
Please mint coins...
to stabilize the public sentiment.
Your Majesty.
It is highly costly to mint coins.
I believe it is better to circulate silver for the time being.
But the poor cannot afford silver.
We should solve the fundamental problem.
In order to help the people,
please approve the Ministry of Finance...
to mint more Sangpyeong Tongbo.
I will approve it.
I am Minister of Finance Seo Ho Soo, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Ministry of Finance cannot afford to mint more coins right now.
What do you mean?
To relieve the shortage of currency,
we need to mint 100,000 Sangpyeong Tongbo.
However, we do not have enough copper for that.
- You do not have enough copper? - No, Your Majesty.
We need 468,000kg of copper...
to mint 100,000 Sangpyeong Tongbo.
We barely have...
6,000kg at Ministry of Finance.
Why do you have such little copper?
Due to the recent plunder of the pirates,
we have not been able to import copper.
If it is because of the pirates,
perhaps Third State Councillor should look into it...
since he is the head of Ministry of War.
Do as he said.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I will follow your royal command.
Ministry of Finance only has 6,000kg of copper?
What are you talking about?
It looks like...
Master Dae Mok is playing a trick.
He collected debts, kept the money,
and ordered to mint Sangpyeong Tongbo.
But Ministry of Finance does not have enough copper.
It seems Dae Mok has not given up on the right to mint coins.
Find a way to secure the supply of copper.
Actually,
we cannot get copper from anywhere.
Are you saying we should just let Dae Mok do this to us?
I will convince the King and buy you as much time as possible.
You must...
get copper no matter what.
Yes, Your Highness.
Even if this map indicates the time and place of the trade,
we cannot take down the traffickers by ourselves.
I will go and find some men who can help us.
If this map is right, the trade is tomorrow night.
You cannot find them on time.
There are people prepared for a time like this.
- Who are they? - If pirates showed up,
who should go and defeat them?
Those who should defeat the pirates?
They work for the government, prevent crimes,
and catch pirates. They are the royal forces.
I get that,
but how can we get them to help us?
They will not move just because of a map.
Among those who can mobilize the naval forces here,
do you know anyone who is easily swayed and ambitious?
It would be better if he thinks he does not belong...
in this province.
- All right. - Good morning, master.
The navy commander will come to check the dock tomorrow.
As you said, he is easily swayed...
and very ambitious.
Master. It has been a long time.
I do not recognize that woman. Do you know her?
Let us double the volume of our trade this time.
Yes. I study poems with her.
She is a head merchant in the capital.
I just heard...
a very interesting story.
What is it?
She said she just saw a secret royal inspector...
here at the dock.
- A secret royal inspector? - Yes.
She said it looked like the King sent him here on a mission.
The King?
I will be going now.
Wait, Mae Chang.
Please introduce that merchant to me.
A secret royal inspector has to hide his identity,
so it is hard to get information about him.
I will do everything in my power to help you.
You should not tell anyone where and how you met him.
Can you do that?
Of course. I will do that.
His name is Park Moo Ha.
Third State Councillor, a relative of Queen Dowager,
holds him very dear.
Third State Councillor? I see.
Have you seen pirates here recently?
What are you talking about?
You heard rumors about them, but you have not seen them?
I do not understand what you are saying.
He is the one wearing the hat.
He is fluent in Japanese.
Oh, is that right?
Do you know how to speak Japanese?
Of course...
not.
How is it going? Is the navy commander looking this way?
Yes. He is looking at us.
Look at you. You must be frustrated that you cannot understand me.
I am frustrated too.
What a strange man. Get lost.
You punk. I think he just swore at me. You...
- Please stop. - He is right. Let us go.
- No! - Master.
- He cursed at me. - Rumor has it that...
he will be very successful after this secret inspection.
He may not seem like it, but he is very loyal.
He repays the kindness of those who help him.
You should meet him.
My goodness.
Who are you?
Who dares to follow us around?
(Episode 14 is coming up.)