If I become King, will that be enough for you? If I become King,
will I have power over that bastard that killed my mother?
- Is that allowed? - The only rule is to not hurt the horse.
But aren't the mallets supposed to be made of hollow bamboo?
If it's not hollow, then what's in it?
How much will you pay me?
Were you unaware of this?
If you give that girl money, she will keep her mouth closed.
My Prince...
That despicable man cheated in front of the King!
And you want me to keep quiet?
There's a debt to be paid.
I have a debt to pay to the son of the Yon family. Today I paid off the interest.
He was smiling...
when he looked at her.
So at the tournament, when Yon Ho Gae and I neared each other,
the Phoenix Heart came to life?
We will make him King of Goguryeo as planned.
You know... Have you seen me before?
You must have planned something for tomorrow's tournament.
There's something strange about Lord Yon Ho Gae.
Don't you feel his bloodthirst?
I do.
An illegitimate player has played for Julno's Black Team.
They have been deceitful before the King and the people.
Imprison the Crown Prince first!
Hey! I'm not supposed to be here! I'm not supposed to be here!
The Phoenix Heart is in my possession.
Will you become my hostage?
Are you confident that you can overcome me?
Must I?
Guard!
Episode 6.
I fear I will harm you.
Even if you do, I promise I won't cry.
If you say so.
What did you say your name was?
My name is Gak Dan.
I'll be back soon.
They are imprisoned in the dungeon at the Yon residence.
Temple of the Oracle disciplinary chamber.
Are you ready to speak the truth now?
I have already told you my answer.
So you secretly climbed over the walls of the temple every night...
in order to meet the people that raised you?
What did you do every night with whom?
What must we do to hear you speak the truth?
You are a priestess who has been trained to listen to heaven and speak heaven's words.
Will you put your life on the line?
Have you been a spy for a foreign enemy?
Or...
Do you share the prince's bed?
If you confess the truth, I will spare your life.
Is that what happened?
I have favored you too much.
High Priestess!
Yes?
The Crown Prince is to be King.
Why would he leave the palace every night to meet someone such as myself?
That cannot be.
Yes, that is correct. He has requested for Priestess Suh Kiha.
Yes, many noble families have requested for specific priestesses in the past.
They request for specially talented and commendable priestesses.
But Priestess Suh Kiha will be difficult.
Things will get difficult if that is difficult.
His Excellency has even written the request personally.
There must be a specific reason as to why he has chosen her?
How can I know what His Excellency is thinking?
All I know is that he wishes to hear some divination regarding the nation.
He's here! The Crown Prince!
The Crown Prince?
But how? I thought he had been imprisoned?
That's right.
Hold on.
What are you going to do?
We have to go inside.
I'll start the smokescreen and cover the eyes of the guards.
We can go in and see what the Crown Prince is up to.
And Sujini, oh my dear Sujini... We can also see how she is doing.
Why don't we wait? Reinforcements are coming from Guh Mool Village.
You can't do it anyway.
I am a Guh Mool master.
You're a Guh Mool master but you're the only one that can't do this.
You're making me angry! I can't focus.
It's going! It's going... up... up!
I heard you were in confinement. Was I mistaken?
I escaped.
To meet me?
To meet you and to make a request.
I am flattered, but how can I possibly...?
I heard the Black Team members are in your dungeon?
They are being held here temporarily. We have not finalized their punishment.
Should we punish them for contempt of the King?
Or should we punish them for fraud?
You know you are exaggerating greatly.
I am?
You want to use this opportunity to get your revenge on me, Lord Yon.
You put it so simply.
Do that then.
Have your revenge on me, but let the others go.
What do you want to do?
Do you want me to give up my position as Crown Prince?
Do you want to say that Dam Duk has no right to be Crown Prince?
If that is what I want, will you accept?
If I accept it, will you let the Black Team go this very night?
The title of Crown Prince is given to those who will become King.
You know that, don't you?
What exactly is it that you want to say?
You want to give it up so easily?
Do you take becoming the King so lightly?
Not at all.
From the moment I stepped into the palace, I have never taken being Crown Prince lightly.
I know this position belongs to Ho Gae.
I also know that I will have to give it up sooner or later.
Isn't heaven a witness to that?
When Ho Gae was born, the whole world saw the Star of Joo Shin.
I am also a descendant of Joo Shin and a citizen of this nation.
I also await the return of the Joo Shin King.
But...
Can you wait a little while longer?
If it is not your intention to kill my father the King in order to take over the throne,
can you not wait a little while longer?
When it is the right time, I will hand over the crown.
I will happily give the throne to your son.
Oh, now they're bringing in the temple priestess.
They're having a big party in the middle of the night.
Are we spending the night here?
But our Sujini is in there!
There's nothing we can do from here.
Let's go back and wait. The reinforcements from Guh Mool will be here soon.
- Let us go! - I don't want to go!
It will be difficult to release them today.
We cannot release them without justification.
Then make one up. I know you can.
I'll try my utmost.
Please try and hasten their release.
There is someone in the group who is very impatient.
If she snaps, I don't know what she'll do.
I'll put my trust in you.
I thank you for your honesty with me, your Highness.
I can't say anything because nothing has been confirmed.
My goodness...!
But honestly, I always thought that the Phoenix and the Guardians were all myths!
But...!
I thought that the present Crown Prince was said to be frail in both body and mind.
But is he really?
Did you meet... the Crown Prince?
He said he would give up the position of Crown Prince.
He said something about how he is not suitable to be King.
Did he?
That is not good. Not good at all.
The first reason is time. If Lord Yon accepts this delay, it will be troublesome for us.
We cannot wait until the present King dies.
And secondly...
It does not give us any advantage if Yon Ho Gae becomes the King so easily.
Advantage?
I have a plan for securing a place in the Yon family.
I plan to become an invaluable resource to either the father or the son.
You will need to play a role here.
So it was you that wanted me here.
You have waited a long time.
Now is the time to become aggressive. Capture the heart of the young Yon Ho Gae.
In the meantime, I plan on causing a little stir in this nation.
In your opinion, Kiha-nim, don't you think that Goguryeo...
is a little too peaceful at present?
Yon residence's dungeon.
Oh, Dragon of the East and Tiger of the West!
Please give me your energy!
I have disobeyed your command.
The Royal Tombs.
I came because I thought you might have been hurt by what I said earlier.
I've seen you. That is enough.
I went to the Yon residence.
Father, it is I.
Did you call for me...?
Yon residence's main hall.
What did you just say? You told him you would hand over the crown?
You said you'd leave?
That is what I want. Please let me do so.
Heaven has already chosen a king. What use is it to defy heaven's will?
Then what will you do after you have handed over your crown?
Are you happy, Father?
Spending the days in the palace amidst vipers who watch our every move...
I would like to live one day as if I'm living with someone I love.
Is it that girl from the temple? That priestess named Kiha?
Did she tell you to leave your father and heaven to be with her?
You know nothing.
You know nothing about who you are.
You don't know how long... You don't know the multitudes that have waited for you.
You know nothing at all.
Answer me!
If I learn how to fight, will I become a good king?
I just want you to be stronger and more agile.
So that if and when you are in danger,
you can escape and not be harmed.
Kiha...
Yes?
Always be my side...
Always be where I can see you.
What's wrong with you?
What's going on? Lie down, all of you!
Go to sleep!
It must have been some nightmare you had. Go back to sleep.
He's a drunkard that loves to drink.
And he doesn't think twice about bullying people.
How can we accept that man as King?
If he is who the sacred symbol points to, we must obey.
How can the symbol point? It doesn't have fingers!
How can we truly understand the 2000-year old story?
The legend goes like this: Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Turtle Snake...
They left three sacred symbols when they departed from this world.
These sacred symbols choose their guardians and recognise the Joo Shin King.
That's how it goes.
So... The sacred symbols and their guardians...
So all hell will break loose if they meet the King?
I don't know. Stop asking me questions.
One more question.
In the case of our Turtle Snake...
If its sacred symbol and its guardian meet the Joo Shin King...
"Its cold wrath will awaken all..."
That's what the story says, but what about the other...? Master?
Master! So what about the other symbols...?
If Sujini makes a mistake, they may kill her!
You're a fortune teller. Go read her fortune!
Do you remember?
I was curious to see if you still remembered me.
You lived so deeply within the temple that I couldn't even meet you to ask you.
I have seen you often.
At the temple and even at the tournament...
For me it was once in a blue moon, but for you it must have been numerous times.
I will reside here for the time being.
I will be casting divinations and praying for this household.
I am a novice priestess, but I beg for your favor.
The Crown Prince is a man destined to be King.
And the King has a duty to shine forth like the sun...
to all of the people, regardless of who they are.
But that Crown Prince deceived the people and the King by hiding his face and playing for a team.
In my opinion, that is highly inappropriate.
There has been a command to forbid the entry of all people from Julno.
Whose command? Tell me whose command it was!
(Heuk Gae - Elder of Julno Province)
But it is not that I do not understand Crown Prince Dam Duk.
None of the people in Goguryeo and its outlying areas consider Dam Duk to be the next King.
He must have been aching for support!
And that is where Heuk Gae, the Elder of Julno Province, comes in.
And of course, they in turn wanted...
Did you say that no one considers Prince Dam Duk to be the Crown Prince?
The only command we accept is from heaven and from our King!
What king...?
You mean that puppet you call "King"?
You speak too fearlessly!
Is that right? Didn't you know people from Julno Province are fearless?
Is that why you took my sons and imprisoned them?
And excluded me, the Elder of Julno Province, from the Cabinet?
Open the gate!
Guards!
You wretches!
These are all petitions from the noble families requesting you to replace the Crown Prince.
Replace the Crown Prince?
Yes, a new crown prince, your Majesty.
We have in our midst a man whose birth was announced by the Joo Shin Star.
Everyone who lives in this land knows this.
Don't you know this as well, your Majesty?
Do all the elders have the same opinion?
Until we meet the King, we from the Julno Province will not move a step from this gate.
Araso, the Elder of Gwanno Province, begs for your audience.
If the star that appeared 17 years ago is truly the Star of Joo Shin,
the boy with royal blood born on that day must be the Joo Shin King.
We, the people of Joo Shin, have longed for the reunification of this land for 2000 years.
Gang Mu, Elder of So No Province, begs for your audience.
Isn't it Goguryeo nation that has been preparing for the reunification of the Joo Shin nation?
The Joo Shin King will reunite the land and its people.
(Elder of Soon No Province)
The land will await the King and the Four Guardians. Isn't that right?
Is he here?
I will escort him in.
I am the High Priestess and beg the Cabinet to allow me to bear witness.
Please grant me audience.
I grant it to you.
Seventeen years ago, I was the High Priestess of the temple.
During that time, the Oracle received word from heaven.
I was honored to have been present.
A star like no other star will appear,
when a king like no other king is born.
Until the King awakens as the King, the wind will be like the leaves.
Hide what you have heard, O hearers! Hide what you have seen, O seers!
Until He awakens to His true calling, make caution to never forget!
That is correct. The night the Star of Joo Shin appeared,
the prince born of royal blood was Prince Dam Duk.
What nonsense is this?
It is a well-known fact that Lord Yon Ho Gae was born under the Star of Joo Shin!
That is what you claim.
The only one who can claim to be born under the Joo Shin Star...
is Prince Dam Duk.
How can you utter such nonsense?
The temple speaks the words of heaven!
Do you dare to accuse heaven and to speak such lies?!
Do you mean to tell me that this claim was only known by the King and the temple?
Because we had to protect him.
That was the only way a weak father could protect his son.
I now mean to step down and pass the throne to its rightful owner.
A new day follows an old, and at the time of the midday sun,
Crown Prince Dam Duk's coronation will take place.
The five provinces of Goguryeo will prepare to meet its new King.
Heaven's will must be fulfilled.
The Crown Prince Dam Duk?
(Gam Dong - disciple of Guh Mool Village)
I heard it with my own ears. The Oracle of the Temple said so.
Seventeen years ago, on the night of the Joo Shin Star, Prince Dam Duk was born.
That's impossible! How can that be?
No! That's impossible.
Only Lord Yon Ho Gae was born under the Star!
It wasn't just you, Elder, but all of the village.
That's why we were watching him.
Could... the Oracle be telling lies?
No.
No. Goguryeo's Oracle does not tell lies.
Where are you going?
I must go back to the village. I must look at the records again!
What about Sujini?
Isn't she still imprisoned in the Yon dungeon? Will you just leave her there?
Before I am a teacher, I am the Elder of Guh Mool Village!
Oh, Sujini! I miss you! Just wait a little bit longer.
Crown Prince Dam Duk! I knew there was something odd about you!
That was nonsense!
How dare the Oracle try to dupe heaven by claiming Dam Duk was born under the Star?
Do you really believe in the Joo Shin Star?
What's this star and what's going to awaken?
That nonsense caused mother's death! I didn't know you believed in it.
You're right.
I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.
The King and the Oracle are both trying to obstruct the will of heaven.
Your mother lost her life trying to heed heaven's plan.
What do you want to do?
What... do I want to do?
If you truly are the Joo Shin King, I will bow before you and obey you.
Do you want me to lead an insurrection?
Was embarrassing the Crown Prince at the tournament all you wanted?
Were you satisfied when Dam Duk said he would hand over the crown to you?
Did you mean to grovel and kneel before him to accept the crown?
That is the Joo Shin King!
I am filled with anxiety. You should have waited a bit longer.
The Oracle told me that she heard it clearly.
We must protect him in secret until the King realizes who he is.
He told them he would hand over the crown.
He went to the Yon residence and spoke those words himself.
He said that since the son of the household had been born under the Star, that he should be King.
And that he would hand over the crown.
Oh heavens!
He wants to run away with a girl to a faraway place and live happily ever after.
He wanted me to approve. I could not do so.
That is why I enlisted your help.
Lord Yon will not let this slide by quietly.
His life may be in danger!
If he dies as a result, then he is not the rightful King.
If Ho Gae was meant to be King, then it is right that he becomes King.
Were you always so unsure? Of your own son?
I did not protect him as my son.
I protected him as one of the people of Joo Shin.
If no one can shake him from his sleep, then we have protected the wrong one.
Shall I send for some refreshments?
Is this it? Is this the sword that King Jumong used?
Yes, that is his sword.
So this is where the souls of the kings reside?
They live in heaven, but visit earth.
It is said that they gather here and worry about the nation's affairs.
If I have a question, will they answer it?
His Majesty often visits.
But I do not know how he converses with them.
Yes, I told them I would give up the throne.
There will be no more bloodshed in Gooknae Castle.
Please do not worry.
It's Ho Gae of the Yon family.
When we were young, he was the only one who laughed with me.
He said he wanted to be my friend.
But...
I killed his mother... in order to save my father.
He... He will be a good king.
Are you silent because you agree?
Your Majesty!
Do you still call me your Majesty?
I, Heuk Gae of Julno, do not know how to beat around the bush.
Even if my words make you uncomfortable, please hear me anyway.
Your Majesty, please do not get involved in the games of the Yon family.
For example, do not imprison Julno's innocent boys in order to satisfy him!
If they have done wrong to the King, they should be in the state prison!
What is wrong with this nation's king...?
Are you done?
No, I have some more to say.
If I am unable to say everything I want, then I will just...
die from my heart bursting on this very spot!
You have a daughter, don't you?
Did you see the Crown Prince at the tournament? What did you think of him?
Will the Julno Province accept...
the Crown Prince as its son-in-law?
It is a story passed down for generations.
The Phoenix Heart, one of the four sacred symbols left behind by Lord Hwanwoong,
is said to glow when the Joo Shin King and its guardian are close to one another.
I saw that glow.
When you were with that priestess,
the Phoenix Heart glowed.
Where are we going now?
You know there are people who have awaited the Joo Shin King's arrival for thousands of years.
They came to me.
Even though the Oracle is telling lies,
they believe that you are the Joo Shin King.
They came to find you.
Tomorrow, a new king will be coronated.
I am now asking you to give me a queen for him.
Why...?
You are fit and healthy, but you want to hand over your throne...?
They will think that I support the Julno Province.
And of course I do. Countless queens have been from Julno.
And after yesterday's event at the tournament...
Come to speak of it, Elder...
Will you give me your support?
Even if the other ministers do not...?
You are mistaken, your Majesty.
A king does not ask for support from his ministers!
If you support me, you may be considered an enemy by the other clans.
A king is the head.
A subject is the hands and feet!
If you support me, you may never see your boys...
who are imprisoned at the Yon residence.
What man will ask his own fingers and toes to do what he wants?
I am asking you to give up your life for the new King.
Do not ask such things of me, your Majesty.
All you have to do...
is command it of me.
Sa Ryang - subordinate of Hwachun head elder.
Hwachun secret residence.
The King is cleverer than we expected.
I knew he would hasten the coronation of the Crown Prince, but this...
I didn't know how quickly things would progress.
You said that my son was the Joo Shin King.
The Phoenix Heart has confirmed it.
You said you would do anything for the Joo Shin King?
My son must become the King of Goguryeo.
The King cannot use his greed to obstruct the will of heaven.
The throne of Goguryeo will become yours.
Our great Hwachun clan...
has awaited the Joo Shin King for two thousand years.
Now that we have found him and the guardian of the Phoenix Heart,
we are filled with joy.
Now the other three sacred symbols will also follow...
Come to us, oh great King! Come to us, oh Guardians!
The great King... The Four Guardians...
Eldest son of the Elder of Gwanno Province.
Eldest son of the Elder of So No Province.
The great King... The Four Guardians...
Eldest son of the Elder of Soon No Province.
Now...
We need the evidence.
This is all useless.
The Crown Prince has no desire to become King. I know that for a fact.
There is no need for such conspiracies.
You say... such strange things.
"Conspiracies" and "Crown Prince" are words used by subjects of Goguryeo.
They have nothing...
to do with you, Kiha-nim.
Will you kill him?
Will you?
I remember five or six years ago...
You requested the antidote for the poison used for the King?
Was it from then?
His name... was Dam Duk?
I asked you a question.
For the life of a mere boy, you would risk the thousand-year old dream...
of our Hwachun people?
Do not forget, Kiha-nim.
Do not forget what happened to the Phoenix who let her emotions overwhelm her.
She gave her heart and lost the power of the Phoenix...
Do not forget the history...
of how we came to lose our power and our land.
If another comes to take away the heart of our Phoenix...
He will become...
the enemy of Hwachun.
You're telling me that His Majesty has kidnapped my son?
Why? For what reason would he kidnap my son?
Isn't it obvious? The coronation takes place tomorrow.
It is said that when the five provinces of the nation gather to receive the new King,
heaven sends down blessings to the new King.
Central, east, west, north and south...
If any of these five provinces do not attend, the blessings of heaven retreat.
But... you don't understand...
Why would the King do such a thing?
So...
If we do not give our acceptance of the coronation tomorrow, then the King will...?
Did you mean to give your acceptance?
Why should we obstruct the command of the King?
That was before he took my son!
Then will you kill your own son?
If he is truly at the mercy of the King, then if we do not accept...
Why do you think the King makes haste to coronate the Crown Prince?
Do you know the reason behind it?
It is because the signs are beginning to awaken.
Not the signs of a false king, but the true King.
When did it become permissible for a priestess to attend a Cabinet meeting?!
Let me do the introductions...
of the Four Guardians who guard Goguryeo.
She is the guardian of the sacred symbol of the Phoenix, the Phoenix Heart.
I deliver this message to Joo Shin's descendants.
The Joo Shin King walks the land, but the people do not recognize him.
Now the time has come to make him King, and to reunite the land of Joo Shin.
A king of men cannot stop a king of heaven.
What nonsense is this...?!
The Guardian of the South and Keeper of Fire...
The Guardian of the Phoenix Heart greets the Joo Shin King.
The coronation will take place today.
It is the ceremony to make you King.
If there are those who oppose the coronation,
then there will also be those who oppose them.
You will split the nation in two. Is that what you want?
Much blood will be shed to gain the crown of Goguryeo.
In the land of Goguryeo,
only the blood of the King and the Crown Prince will be shed.
I swear it to you.
Let me leave. A life is in danger.
Can I ask whose life that is?
If I cannot protect him,
then I will also lose my life.
I will become King, but with integrity and justice! So Father...!
From now on, the Gae Ma warriors will be responsible for your safety.
He has commanded to close all the gates into the city.
I will not go to the temple.
Tell His Majesty that I have left the palace. I will return when things have stabilized.
I have lied to you. You must punish me.
For the sake of this great nation of Goguryeo, will you take your own life?
Kiha...
Don't suffer because of me...