(Episode 24)
Were you reading?
Yes.
What brings you here?
I heard there was an intruder,
so I was worried.
Are you safe?
I have Gon.
Gon.
Yes, master.
Protect the head of Pyunsoo Group well.
Yes, master.
I will let you rest.
How dare he sneak into my house?
The Chief Peddler, correct?
I must applaud his boldness.
Why have you...
come here?
I need...
a pill desperately.
This is the one you gave me earlier.
I will explain everything later.
Please flee for now.
He will...
show you the way.
He is my person, so you can trust him.
You must hurry.
I am letting you live because my lady ordered it,
but if you do this again, I will not forgive you.
Your Majesty.
I cannot reciprocate your feelings for me.
Is there...
someone else you love?
Is he...
the Chief Peddler?
Why?
Why do you choose the Chief Peddler over the King?
Is not the King...
a more suitable mate for the child of a scholarly family?
He and I...
have the same dream.
That is sufficient for me.
The same dream.
That is all?
That is all it took?
I also...
had a dream.
It means "different" and "life".
"Lee Sun", which means you will live differently.
I wanted...
to live differently.
I wanted to break free from the yoke...
placed on me since birth.
Had I the courage,
I would have told that dream to someone else.
Had I done that,
many things may have changed.
If I had known that I would die like this,
I should have confessed a little earlier than now.
Your Highness.
Did you...
save me just now?
Can you recognize me, Your Majesty?
Hyun Seok, is it you?
Yes, Your Majesty.
It is about the pill that you gave His Majesty earlier.
Is it...
related to this by any chance?
It is the bamboo case...
Pyunsoo Group sends to the King once every 15 days.
This...
bamboo case is...
It is the same as the one my father had before.
If Father was addicted to...
the poppy pill as well...
That means Pyunsoo Group is manipulating...
the Royal Family by addicting the kings.
Master, please tell me.
This bamboo case and the pills... Are they related to each other?
What is the matter?
There was nothing in the case.
I swear that there was nothing in the case.
Then...
was it you who stole this case?
There must have been a pill inside of it.
But when you opened it, it was empty.
I... I almost made him die.
Ga Eun, it is very dangerous in the palace.
Someone must have put you in this trap.
Why...
Why did you become a court lady?
She promised...
She promised me that she would clear my father's name.
I became a court lady...
to clear my father's name and bring Pyunsoo Group down.
Who promised you?
What are you doing here?
Have you already forgotten that you almost...
got punished severely last time?
The real one saves the fake.
The fake keeps avoiding his death.
Were you planning to watch him die?
Why would I put myself into a hassle?
They will make someone a fake king again anyway.
You sneaked into Dae Mok's house?
Are you out of your mind?
His life was on the line. What should I have done?
You say like you will never die.
Sit down first.
I have something to discuss with you.
Both Sun and Yang...
They were all addicted to the poppy pill...
which Pyunsoo Group created.
This is a secret place where they make those pills.
Yang must have escaped from this place.
Do you remember what she said?
She said dozens of children make hundreds of poppy pills.
For what do you think...
Pyunsoo Group will use those pills?
- No way. - Yes.
It is not only Sun.
The officials are manipulated by Dae Mok...
because of these pills.
To save the children...
and stop Dae Mok from controlling the country,
we must find this place.
All the peddlers have joined to search for the place.
They will contact us soon.
All right.
And I think we need an antidote for the poppy pills.
That way, we can save those addicted people including Sun.
An antidote for the poppy pills.
We need it for certain.
It will take some time.
- Please hurry. - It will...
take quite some time.
Listen, all the officials.
I came to let you know since there is an urgent issue...
which the Internal Court has to decide on.
As the head of the Internal Court,
I ban all marriages around the country from today on.
Begin the selection process of a new queen immediately.
(The King's wife will be decided from this process.)
Minister of Personnel will be...
in full charge of the selection process.
- We shall proceed, Your Highness. - We shall proceed, Your Highness.
Like you advised,
I put the Minister of Personnel in charge.
I am glad.
Since he is one of us, he will be of huge help.
However,
three people from Pyunsoo Group will be involved as supervisors.
We need to give them the flesh in order for us to obtain the bone.
Your Highness, this is just the beginning.
What will you do?
It will soon be hard for you to come in and out of the palace...
without any position.
I plan to grant you a position.
Let me be a guard in the selection process then.
A guard?
Will you be okay with such a minor position?
It is better for me to not draw people's attention.
That will be enough.
Okay.
It is omija tea.
I committed a mortal sin to Your Majesty last time.
You are not at fault.
I will continue to drink it all...
if it is served by you.
Your Majesty.
The Queen Dowager wants to see Lady Han.
All right.
You may leave now.
- Hello, Master Dae Mok. - Hello, Master Dae Mok.
Ja Young's father is the Chief State Councillor.
Eun Soo's father is the Second State Councillor.
One of you...
will be adopted into my family.
Whom do you prefer?
They both seem pretty and smart.
They are great queen material.
The Queen Dowager's pick cannot become queen.
Pass the selection process.
One of you will become queen.
The other will become a concubine of the highest order.
- Yes, master. - Yes, master.
What did you just say?
Yeon Joo refuses to enter the selection process?
You know how timid my daughter is.
She says she does not have the courage to take part.
She stays in her room crying.
There is more than your title as the King's father-in-law at risk.
If she will not obey,
you must beat her and force her to.
I apologize, Your Highness.
She is my only child...
and she was sickly growing up.
I believe I spoiled her.
You will take Lady Han away?
The queen selection process begins soon.
I plan to...
enter her as one of the candidates.
Why are you so surprised?
Were you not the one who asked me to have her brought to the palace...
as soon as possible?
I am doing what I can to ensure that...
you will do as I wish.
What is it that you wish I do?
I want you to...
side with me...
when it comes to choosing your bride.
Think very carefully.
Whether she becomes a concubine...
or ends up being kicked out of the palace,
it is all up to you, Your Majesty.
But then, who knows?
We may have shown mercy before,
but direct descendants of a traitor...
are usually turned into slaves.
If someone complains,
she might go back to being a slave.
Is there another candidate...
in the Queen Dowager's family other than...
the Third State Councillor's daughter?
Not as far as I know.
Yeon Joo, you must do well.
Father.
I am afraid.
If I become queen,
Pyunsoo Group will harm me.
The Queen Dowager said she will protect you.
Focus on making it through the selection process.
Yes, Father.
Take good care of my daughter.
Yes, my lord.
It is correct.
The Chief and Second State Councillors' daughters.
Please enter.
Pyunsoo Group plans to...
make one of them the queen...
and one of them a concubine.
They will do all they can...
to ensure that they both make it to the third test.
That would be so.
She is the Third State Councillor's daughter.
She is the one...
we must help make queen.
"Choi Soo Yeon"?
Please enter.
Ga Eun... She...
But why?
You are the last candidate.
They are all poisoned. We must alert...
Drink it.
What?
If you are the only one awake,
they will name you the culprit.
You must make a choice.
Will you drink?
Or will you become the culprit?
There is trouble. Someone poisoned the tea.
Ga Eun. Ga Eun.
Ga Eun.
Ga Eun. Ga Eun. Wake up.
Ga Eun. Ga Eun!
(The Emperor)
Save her.
You are her guard. Why did you not protect her?
There is nothing you can do.
I found out who poisoned the tea.
No matter where in Joseon he hides, he cannot survive.
Help me take Ga Eun out of the palace.
Let us make a deal.
You are quite greedy.
You are arrested for poisoning the Queen Dowager.