Welcome, My Majesty.
What brings you here this late in the evening?
I have a request to make.
I would like to make a maiden my concubine as soon as possible.
You promised to make her my concubine.
Of course, I will keep my promise to you.
Then you can make her my concubine right now.
My Majesty.
I understand that you are impatient because you are in your prime.
However, that child...
entered the palace not long ago.
She must be trained as a court lady first.
That is the law of the land.
Is that the truth?
Do you not plan to push it off day after day?
My Majesty.
My apologies, Your Highness.
I understand that you wish to rush things,
but think about it.
Which do you think should come first?
Making her a court lady...
or reclaiming her father's honor?
How could a traitor's daughter...
become a royal concubine?
Reclaiming his honor must come first.
If I...
try to reclaim...
Han Gyu Ho's honor,
who do you think will oppose?
Dae Mok.
- My Majesty. - Your Highness.
I know you think I am pathetic...
for being Pyunsoo Group's puppet.
I cannot dare tell you what it is, but I have a reason.
However, please keep your promise to make her...
my concubine.
Please, I beseech you.
The King...
met with the Chief Peddler today.
Why do you think the King met with him?
I think the Queen Dowager had the two of them meet...
in order to win the King over to her side.
- The Queen Dowager? - Yes.
I heard that she brought someone into the palace to serve the King.
She must be using her and the Chief Peddler to win over the King.
Are you saying the Chief Peddler belongs to the Queen Dowager?
- Yes. - Which means...
my smart granddaughter became...
the head of Pyunsoo Group just to serve the Queen Dowager,
who will be powerless soon?
Do you think that makes sense?
Remember this.
No matter how smart they may be,
when someone has something to hide,
they become a fool.
Ga Eun...
gave us information about this map.
It is definitely within Gyeonggi-do.
I never...
got to talk with Sun.
That poor thing.
It must be so painful pretending to be the King,
and being constantly monitored.
Did you talk to Ga Eun in person?
What did she say?
I was just curious.
By the way, this is not something we should be serious about, is it?
If His Majesty returns to his throne,
she will be his lady anyway.
What? Am I wrong?
You seem so tactless.
Of all people, you should not be saying this to me.
Sometimes, I wish you were not here.
Why? What is wrong with me?
Your Majesty,
General Jae Heon wishes to see you.
Army Commander of Hwanggil-dong, General Jae Heon...
greets Your Majesty.
Welcome, General Jae Heon.
Thank you so much for protecting the boarder,
fighting against the Jurchens outside the country.
I shall grant you 20 fine horses...
to appreciate your hard work.
It will be more than enough for me...
to drink a glass of wine you pour me tonight.
Of course, I shall throw a grand banquet for you.
But I have another schedule planned already for tonight.
I will make it happen two days from now.
We set the date for the banquet later...
because we did not expect you would arrive this early.
Do you not see I am talking to His Majesty right now?
We know that you are the general,
but how could you be so rude to the Chief State Councilor?
I am hot-tempered...
and I cannot stand someone else interrupting my conversation.
Say it later if you want to say something.
You seem very upset not to be able to get any drinks tonight...
from His Majesty even when you came all the way here.
I shall take you to the best kisaeng's parlor tonight.
Why did he come all of a sudden?
It is said the head of the Jurchen people is ill.
They will be fighting over to succeed his place when he dies.
He needs the King's decision to take whose side among the sons.
I do not want the kind of answer you would report to the King.
He is well aware of Pyunsoo Group.
He did not move an inch to come here because he hated...
Pyunsoo Group's messing things around, but why did he come?
Is it not a good thing?
He is the General who commands 10,000 cavalrymen.
Think of it as the opportunity to win him over to our side.
So why did you call me in?
I am sorry for making you come this far.
But I have something I must tell you in person.
You will be shocked to hear this.
I am the warrior who fought against the Jurchens all my life.
I even cheated death so many times.
You have been loyal to this country all your life.
But what if it turns out you have been loyal to...
to a fake king...
The king on the throne is fake.
He is nothing but a Pyunsoo Group's puppet.
Can we talk for a while,
Minister of Personnel?
I was surprised and glad to see you appear...
at the court with copper.
I felt...
as if I finally got to have someone on my side.
I am honored that a nobody like myself can be of help.
You are talking in a polite manner.
I know you...
Well...
I know you because I heard about your rumor.
Do you mean the rumor...
that my behavior is far away from being polite?
Since you know very much about me,
would it be okay for me to talk casually for a second?
Go ahead.
If someone advises you...
to be a great king or to care for the subjects...
"Stop that gibberish!"
Think of it this way.
There is only one thing you should do right now.
Before you rule over the country,
control and care for yourself first.
Before you become the owner of this country,
you need to be the owner of yourself first.
I believe you will be for certain.
I will not forget...
your advice.
I shall...
give you my advice too.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Do not move any further.
Stay low and quiet.
I do not want you to get hurt.
Make sure you remember my advice.
Did you want to see me, Your Highness?
If I ask you to do something difficult,
will you do it for me?
Does it help in the dethronement?
I will do it.
Once every 15 days,
a person from Pyunsoo Group visits the King.
Find out what it is that they deliver to the King every time.
Your Majesty, I brought drinking water for your bedtime.
Thank you. You may go now.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Is there anything you need other than this?
I told you to leave.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your...
Stay still.
It will not take long.
Punish me, Your Majesty.
I deserve to die for disrupting your sleep.
I was foolish and...
That is enough.
Walk straight out.
Do not look back.
If you meet someone,
say that I summoned you.
Why do you keep on doing things...
that will put you in danger?
You did not find anything unusual?
No, Your Highness.
There was a vase...
but it was a plain orchid.
There was a decoration made of bamboo...
but I did not notice anything special about it.
Was it an expensive orchid or...
No, it was not.
But then...
the King does not think much of valuable items.
The only thing he obsesses over is...
You did well.
I apologize for not being of much help, Your Highness.
No.
The King's chambers are out of bounds for most people.
I am glad that the King let you serve him so closely.
You may go to bed now.
Why do you...
keep on doing things that will put you in danger?
Did the King help me again?
Why?
Welcome, Commander.
I am so pleased that now...
I get to see you daily.
Is there something...
you wish to tell me?
Your Highness.
Were you aware of this?
The King that came to the throne five years ago...
is not the true Crown Prince.
What are you saying, Commander?
Did you not know?
Commander.
Do you know how dangerous...
what you just said is?
I apologize for startling you,
but you must hear the truth.
The truth?
The King on the throne is not...
the real Crown Prince.
He is a fake placed there by Pyunsoo Group.
Pyunsoo Group put on the throne...
a fake king?
Yes, Your Highness.
It will be hard to believe but...
No, it is not.
Yes.
I cannot say that...
I never suspected something was wrong.
It is obvious that Pyunsoo Group had killed the late king,
yet His Majesty did nothing about it.
The day the late king died,
I was not here in the Capital.
I feel terribly guilty.
Do not blame yourself.
If you had rallied your men,
the Jurchens would have crossed our undefended borders.
Things have changed since then.
I am able to move my men from the border.
I have 10,000 mounted soldiers...
and 30,000 foot soldiers.
My elite cavalry can ride like the wind...
and reach the Capital in 20 days.
If that is the case...
I will return with a large army.
I will behead every member of the evil Pyunsoo Group...
and correct what was wrong.
What do you think of that, Your Highness?
Jae Heon met the Queen Dowager?
I do not think he just visited to say hello.
The duck hawk is back in Joseon.
His cavalry could pose a problem.
If he plans to take action against us,
his mounted troops can reach the Capital...
in no time.
Was he not loyal to the late king?
He did not make a move when the late king was assassinated.
Why would he side with the Queen Dowager now?
Head lady.
Yes, Master Dae Mok.
Do whatever it takes to find out...
what Jae Heon and the Queen Dowager discussed.
I will.
You all know what this means.
If need be,
you can mobilize the assassins without my permission.
Remember this.
The future of Pyunsoo Group...
could lie in your hands.
What do you wish to say?
Jae Heon wishes to meet the Crown Prince in private.
He said there is something important he must say in person.
I see.
I shall relay the message.
Kwang Ryul.
Do you know why...
Commander Jae Heon returned to the Capital?
I called him.
I will explain to the Crown Prince.
Your Highness, why are you visiting...
the Censor General so late at night?
He said there is someone I must meet.
Your Highness.
I am Jae Heon, Army Commander...
of Hamgil Province and I greet you.
Commander...
Jae Heon?
I always thought something was strange.
He was a fake, Pyunsoo Group's puppet.
Now it makes sense.
Lee Sun is of no fault.
He is suffering because of me.
You cannot defend him.
Sitting on the throne in your place alone...
is high treason.
Your Highness, attack Pyunsoo Group immediately.
Commander.
Behead them all...
and avenge the late king.
Eliminate all evil in one swoop...
and correct what is wrong.
My men and I...
will follow you to our death.
If you move your men from the border,
the Jurchens will attack.
I already signed a peace treaty with the Jurchens.
Now is the time...
to mobilize the soldiers.
You must make a decision.
You must not!
Master?
Master!
Your Highness.
You must not use the soldiers to strike Pyunsoo Group!
If you decide to strike them,
you will start a war within the land.
Please think about...
the countless lives that will be sacrificed in the war.
Do you wish to sacrifice countless lives...
in order to reclaim the throne?
Do you...
truly wish to become such a King?
How dare you speak so rudely to the Crown Prince?
You try to convince His Highness with your smooth talking,
but it is nothing but a coward's gibberish!
Your Highness. This is the best time to move the army.
We do not know when we will get another opportunity like this.
Even now,
innocent lives...
are being lost because of Pyunsoo Group.
While I pause and hesitate,
more lives will be lost.
How long must I be patient and wait?
When will this fight...
ever come to an end?
Your life...
is at stake, Your Highness.
It will be a painful path filled with war,
which you must fight for the rest of your life.
However, this is the only path that will...
lead to the salvation of the people...
and the destruction of Pyunsoo Group.
What do you mean, his life is at stake?
How could you say that?
Your Highness. Use the army to strike Pyunsoo Group.
Kill Dae Mok...
and behead every member.
You must finish this fight in one swoop.
Your Highness!
(The Emperor)
Lady Ga Eun is the only thing I want.
He plans to mobilize the army.
The throne was yours to begin with, so I shall return it to you.
However, Lady Ga Eun is not yours.
What happened?
I did as you requested.
Do not be sick without my permission.
I will not ask anything.
Can you not stay by my side?