(Episode 18)
Is anyone there?
Chae Gyung.
It is me.
I made you wait for long, did not I?
Have you forgotten my touch already?
I missed you.
Then why did you come so late?
I have been waiting for too long.
I am sorry.
How is your leg?
It is all healed.
Is it true?
Mother treated the wound,
so I did not have a fatal injury.
I was terrified...
that you might not be able to walk,
eat or go to the bathroom.
I could not sleep because I was so worried.
You should have told me...
you were going to be okay.
You should have told me.
I am sorry about that too.
I am sorry...
I keep apologizing, Chae Gyung.
Prince Jin Seong just went into the palace.
Did something happen?
He will secure the safety of his family first,
then he will join us for the operation.
The rebels are about to enter Hanyang.
Should we not bring Prince Jin Seong out?
Let us gather the Five Military Commands.
Chae Gyung...
I know what you are about to say.
You must have planned something...
and made up your mind...
before coming into the palace.
Would you believe me...
if I told you...
that I made this decision...
for me, you, my family,
and the people of Joseon?
I am sorry,
but I cannot answer you right now.
After you finish what you are doing,
then...
carry out what you mean to do.
Once you keep me and my family safe,
I will trust and support you.
Yes.
Sure.
Did you see my parents?
Father.
As his servant and his family,
I apologize on behalf of the King.
It is not the time for you to apologize.
When admonishing and chiding fail,
it is time to abandon the King.
What kind of liege...
would abandon his lord?
A liege must protect his lord until the end,
if all fails,
then he should die fighting for the lord.
That is his fate.
What about Chae Gyung?
Will you desert your daughter?
Your king is holding Chae Gyung as a hostage.
She is locked up in the palace.
How could you say that?
You must protect Chae Gyung.
She is your wife, is she not?
Chae Gyung...
and my relationship ends here.
Do not be concerned...
about me and my family anymore.
I did.
Please take care of her.
Yes, Your Highness.
Chae Gyung is my wife.
I will keep that in mind.
Did you see my parents?
I did.
So...
you should escape from the palace...
and take your parents to somewhere safe.
When the revolution takes place,
the King's close subjects...
and maternal relatives fall into danger.
I found a place for you to go.
Now I must make a decision.
Lady Shin, you must hurry.
Pack only what you need...
Okay.
His Majesty is here.
I received very delicious grapes as a gift.
I brought some for you.
Thank you.
Have you had dinner?
I do not have any appetite.
I said you cannot die nor live...
as you please.
Not having dinner is...
disobeying my commend.
Must you be punished to listen to me?
I am sorry.
If staying in the palace makes you feel jaded,
would you like to go on a night hunt with me?
Watching me hunt will be enjoyable.
Go hunting?
Will you go outside the palace?
What are you planning to do?
When the King hears about the rebel...
invading the city, he will send out the troops.
Only the palace guards will be left here.
I will...
duel with the King then.
When will the rebels get here?
It will take about half a day.
Will you accompany me?
If you are suggesting this for me,
there is something I wish to do more than hunting.
Will you grant my wish?
Okay. What is it?
I want to see the moon.
See the moon?
My father wrote in a letter...
that he missed the beautiful moon...
seen from Gyeonghoeru.
All right. The weather is more suiting...
for viewing the moon than hunting.
Thank you.
I will get ready and take my coat.
I will keep the King here and buy some time.
It is too dangerous.
If not the prince's plans will come to naught.
Then everyone will be in danger.
So...
take my parents to a safe place.
Please.
Okay.
Will you die as the King's subject...
or live as your daughter's father?
What about Chae Gyung?
Will you desert your daughter?
Who are you?
The Deputy Commander sent us.
He told us to guard you.
The Deputy Commander wants you to guard me?
What is going on?
It looks like the rebellion has begun.
Have you been feeling confined?
Why do you keep looking back?
It is nothing.
Tell me.
I have armed guards following my back,
and I am not used to it.
It feels like they can kill me any minute now.
It must be because...
I still have the memory of that day I suffered.
Rebel forces are on a raid.
Snail wives have broken in.
- You must leave now. - Let us hurry.
- Let us go. - Hurry up.
Tonight,
your world will come to an end.
Why are you crying?
I was thinking about my family.
Your family?
You must miss your father...
and mother.
No.
Then?
Never mind.
You do not need to answer.
I thought about that one warrior.
The man...
who tried to cool himself off...
after he had a fight with his younger brother.
Who is there?
I thought about him.
He could not turn down...
a little girl's request to become her family...
when she could not stay at an inn alone.
I thought about the man...
who went to the inn with the girl.
He told her she should have run away,
and said she was very foolish.
My goodness, wake up.
He was worried about the girl who got hurt.
Does he think he is the Great Jade Emperor?
He said he will grant her a wish.
I was thinking about him.
He was a lonely man who grieved for his mother alone.
He cried because he felt guilty about his brother.
He helped me get up when I fell down in the rain.
I thought about him.
Whenever I met him,
he was always gentle and warm to me.
I thought about him who is...
nothing but a lonely and hurt person to me.
I cried because I missed that man.
He must be dead already.
He must be long gone.
He disappeared.
Yes.
That is why I cried.
Because I can never see him again.
Why did you kill him?
You could have let him live.
You could have saved him.
That man,
his brother,
his friend, and family.
But you are the one who did not do that.
You have the power...
and the opportunity to change, fix,
and improve someone's fate.
But you did not do it.
You cannot even control your own heart.
Then why do you try to control other lives?
You try very hard.
You are trying very hard, indeed.
You are trying to provoke me...
to buy time.
Why are you doing this?
What are you talking about?
Your Majesty.
We are in trouble.
Rebel forces have broken into the city.
Rebel forces?
People who are in exile in rural areas...
raised up an army for a rebellion.
Is this why?
Were you trying to hold me down...
until Yeok returns?
Did I not warn you...
that I can kill you,
and that I will have you even if you are dead?
A king must have everything that he wants.
We should just die together.
My crime is that you came to like me.
Yours is...
that you abandoned Joseon.
You and I will die here,
but many others will survive thanks to us.
A war will break out shortly.
Rebel forces are coming from the south,
and rebellious who are with the Prince...
have surrounded the palace.
There are...
not enough forces in palace to protect you.
What did you say?
Everyone will abandon you an run away.
This is because you have lost the hearts of people,
and the support of your royal subjects.
I will kill you.
I should have killed you already.
If I could not have you, I should have killed you.
I should have had you.
King.
When rebel forces barge in,
these two will be the first to die.
Rebel forces?
You have cut off Yeok's feet.
Are you still suspicious of him?
Did you think I would not know...
that Yeok is fine?
Not only that,
is he coming here with rebel forces?
Rebel forces?
What are you talking about?
Chae Gyung is helping him.
If it was not for Yeok,
there is no way she would help another...
and betray me.
Mother.
Guard this room well.
Make sure no one...
walks in or goes out.
- Yes. - Yes.
Mother, are you all right?
Minister of Defense Yoo Ja Gwang.
You are entrusted with all power over military.
Get rid of every single member of rebel forces.
I will do as you say.
If...
anyone takes part in their forces,
kill them off no matter who they are.
Do you understand?
Make sure not even an ant crosses this place.
- Yes. - Yes.
Gather all royal forces to the palace gate.
As soon as they arrive,
we will advance to the city gates.
- Yes, my lord. - Yes, my lord.
It has been a while,
Minister of Defense.
Prince.
Once you lead the royal forces out of the palace,
you will have to fight the royal forces,
as well as forces of Five Military Commands...
to and fro.
There is little chance that you will win.
If you do not go,
you will be beheaded...
for disobeying the King's command.
Will you die in the hands of the rebels...
or the King's?
Or will you help me...
to reform the country?
Your Majesty. I will be loyal to you.
Yeok.
Everything is okay.
Do not worry.
What is it?
It is okay.
He is on our side.
Pardon?
Yeok already...
made him our...
What is it?
His Majesty sent out the troops...
to stop the rebels...
who are stationed at the city gate.
Is everything going as the prince's plan?
Yes. Once the military forces leave the palace,
our troops will come in...
and stop the royal guards.
Please hang in there.
It will not be too long.
Raise your bows.
- Fall back! - Fall back!
They are running away.
We cannot let our guards down.
Yeok.
Now everything is up to you.
Bear in mind.
The gate must not be penetrated.
Yes.
The rebels fled...
and they did not have any proper weapons.
All they had were farming tools.
Those were what was left behind.
Prince Jin Seong must have been in a hurry.
All he brought were country bumpkins.
How pathetic.
Still...
you must prepare a defense.
The Minister of Defense stationed...
military forces at every gate.
The Five Military Commands...
will guard the palace gate with Lord Sung.
The snail wives disguised as the military...
will follow me to Daejeon.
- Yes. - Yes.
I will take the rest of the forces...
and exterminate vermin.
Destroying the King's close subjects...
will prevent any commotion.
Okay.
All right. Let us move.
- Yes. - Yes.
He is the Minister of Defense. Step aside.
- Yes. - Yes.
Halt.
I am Minister of Defense Yoo Ja Gwang.
Step aside.
You cannot go any further.
I have urgent news to report to the King.
Then...
leave the military here.
Only you will come with me.
Guard this place with the royal guards.
- Yes. - Yes.
Lord Yoo.
Thank you for all your hard work.
Not at all.
There is something I must...
report to the King.
I see.
The supreme art of war is...
to subdue the enemy without fighting.
That is what you achieved today.
Should I call it "bloodless entry"?
No,
I should call it "bloodless victory".
We shall see.
I will be off now.
Okay, sure.
I see.
You won without shedding any blood.
Yes, Your Majesty.
They were worthless country bumpkins.
What about Yeok?
Was Yeok there?
Prince Jin Seong was not there.
Is that right?
He must have known...
that he had no chance to win.
You must catch him no matter what.
Once we have Yeok, the root of the rebellion,
all the other rebels will dissipate.
Do you really think so?
They say the divinity chooses the king.
The heart of divinity...
is the hearts of the people.
Even if you kill Prince Jin Seong,
will the divinity and the people...
forgive the King who was not...
approved by the divinity?
What?
Who are you?
How dare you make such remarks before the King?
Wait.
How can you...
It is time...
to turn everything back to normal.
Did you bring in reinforcements?
No. They are brought in...
by the Minister of Defense.
His troops are...
I see. Good night.
Good night.
Lord Im, did you not say...
his troops were all stationed at the gates?
It's a bloodless entry.
He left his troops outside the city gates...
and entered the city with the rebels.
That means...
Yoo Ja Gwang betrayed us.
It is too late.
We cannot stop them with the royal forces.
The King is already...
You...
go to who you serve.
I will...
go to mine.
You gave me a chance,
so I will give you one too.
What?
It is the last chance we have as brothers.
What is wrong?
What is going on?
Get ready.
What are you doing?
Make haste, Your Highness.
Minister of Defense and the Prince...
just entered the Royal Office.
The Royal Office?
They are probably facing the last moment.
Why did you have to be born?
I am sorry that I was born.
But now that I am born,
I must do what I was born to do.
So please go now.
This fight will only be over...
when one of us dies.
Prince, Your Majesty.
Chae Gyung?
As the two brothers prepared for the ending,
the forces that belong to the Prince were...
facing the Palace Guards who serve the King...
in a very volatile situation.
The palace and the streets were...
filled with people trying to save their own lives.
Prince.
Cut my throat.
This is the moment you have been waiting for.
Prince, no.
What are you doing?
Did you come this far...
without the guts to take my life?
Prince.
Good.
This is great.
Yeok,
you finally became the King.
You finally became the King in the end.
Thanks to you,
my revenge is complete.
The moment...
you wanted to walk out of here,
willing to give up the throne...
holding Chae Gyung's hand,
I dreamt of getting my revenge on you.
How could I make you suffer even more?
I thought about this over and over again.
And is this your answer?
Getting...
completely ruined?
No.
It was...
making you the King.
I wanted to make you the King,
to make you to suffer like I suffered...
when I was on the throne.
I was determined to make you experience...
exactly the same thing.
Yeok.
My brother.
Do you not want to know how painful...
this road is?
Yung.
You can look forward to it.
Is everything over now?
Yes.
It is all over now.
Then...
can we be happy now?
Of course.
We can be...
happy now.
What is going on?
Laugh.
If you are not going to cry for me,
then laugh.
Laugh as much as you want.
My dear.
I am sorry.
Will you go...
even if I stop you.
I promised...
His Majesty...
that I will be his father and his family,
but I did not keep that promise.
I think...
this is the last time...
I can keep that promise.
I understand.
I will...
see you off.
This may become a long journey.
How could I let you leave alone?
Give me a moment.
You have not worn this in a while,
so it has creases.
I will iron it quickly.
I am...
not going there as his royal subject.
I am going...
as his family.
Can you not...
give me 15 minutes?
What about Chae Gyung?
Will Chae Gyung be okay?
Everything is my fault.
I am sorry, my dear.
I am sorry.
Master Shin.
Move aside.
We were ordered to stop you from leaving.
Who are you people? We are late.
Chief Royal Secretary.
You finally got this far.
That is amazing.
Very impressive.
We fought with our lives at stake.
So the loser must lay down their lives.
You and Second State Councilor are so stubborn.
I always...
leave a way for me to save myself.
I do not believe there is any way you can...
leave this room alive.
Deputy Commander,
you will order them to make a way for me.
If they figure out that you were the one...
who reported the snail wives back then,
do you think they will let you be?
I once offered you a way out.
I believe that...
it is your turn to return the favor.
Just because it is a new era...
does not mean you can replace everything.
I can offer my services to you...
and the new king.
What should I do?
Deputy Commander.
Give us an order.
Must you really kill me?
I could be of great help.
Those valuables...
will be my first gift to you.
Let him go.
Deputy Commander.
Deputy Commander!
We took a wrong turn.
This is not the way.
This is the way, my lord.
You fool.
What are you doing?
It was an honor to serve you until the end.
What?
How dare you.
You fool.
As promised,
your family will be spared.
Also as promised,
I will let you live in a mountain as a farmer.
Thank you.
You also have a price to pay.
You will be disabled,
but now you can be a decent human being.
Step aside.
Even if I am taken away,
I shall pay my respects first.
Hello there.
Your Majesty.
You should flee while you can.
Stay alive so that...
you can do something.
What...
would I do without you?
A flower...
never blooms for long.
Flowers are prettiest...
when they bloom for a season...
and then wilt.
I was...
your flower...
in this life and that was...
enough for me.
I want you...
to take my life.
I do not know what this empty feeling is,
and I do not know how I must face you.
So I would rather close my eyes.
I got what I wanted,
but why do I feel so empty?
Greetings, Your Highness.
A lot happened last night...
and I was very concerned.
It all ended very well.
That is a great omen.
It is, Your Highness.
We came to see you...
to ask for your approval.
We wish to enthrone Prince Jin Seong as king.
Please give your approval.
I am not sure that...
he will withstand the weight of the crown.
I am positive that he will do so.
Yes.
Because he moved so swiftly,
we managed to apprehend...
the previous king without much bloodshed.
There was no fight between the rebels and army.
He is the king we have been waiting for.
You have my approval.
Father. Mother.
Crown Prince.
Grandmother.
The King has lost his authority,
the people are suffering,
and the nation in turmoil.
There was much concern.
We enthrone Prince Jin Seong...
to rectify all that is wrong.
Ministers and officials are to obey this command.
Lee Yung will be demoted to Prince...
and exiled to Ganghwa Island.
Deposed Queen Shin will go to Jungchun Palace.
Lee Hwang will go to Jungsun,
Lee Sung will go to Suan,
Lee Yi will go to Jechun.
Chae Gyung.
Are you all right?
Look at me.
Greetings, Your Highness.
Your Highness. Your Highness.
I apologize.
The Second State Councilor and his wife...
are dead.
Step aside.
We have our orders to stop you.
Only the King can give me...
such an order.
Step aside.
My lord! My lord!
My lord.
My lord!
Wife.
In death...
I hope...
we can protect Chae Gyung.
I was not a good father...
and I do not die a loyal subject.
I am sorry.
Father.
Mom. Mother.
Mother.
No...
Father.
Mother.
The ousted king is in the prince's quarters.
Now, Your Highness...
No.
Your Majesty, you can move into your chambers.
There will soon be a coronation.
You must get ready.
Very well.
Are you well, Mother?
I am.
This day's events have healed me completely.
Why are you so downcast?
I have...
overcome a big obstacle.
But I am not pleased.
I lost too much.
I also fear...
what is to come.
You were always fleeing from death...
and scared for your safety.
You have forgotten how to...
enjoy real happiness.
Now you can enjoy a rosy future.
I shall...
go to my wife now.
Go.
She played a big part in capturing your brother.
What?
What is it?
Mother.
I have not been home in a while.
Why are you still asleep?
You must cook for me,
nag me,
and hit me on the back.
Mother.
Father.
I am sorry for yelling at you.
I knew the position you were in,
and I still blamed you.
Father.
You need not be a great father.
You need not be a great subject.
Please...
Please come back to me.
Father, can you please...
Father.
Mo...
What... How...
Why...
Chae Gyung! Chae Gyung!
Chae Gyung, wake up.
Be my son-in-law,
Chae Gyung's husband,
and the King's brother.
A liege must protect his lord until the end,
if all fails,
then he should die fighting for the lord.
That is his fate.
Why were you so foolish?
Why?
My lady.
Nanny.
You are alive.
Are you well? Unscathed?
Yes.
Are you alive?
Are you okay?
Yes, I am alive.
Nanny, I think I had a nightmare.
What I dreamed was...
I dreamed I saw...
my mother and father...
It cannot be true.
It is a nightmare, right?
Nanny, take me to see my parents.
My lady. My lady.
My lady...
What do you mean?
Do not worry about the new Queen.
She will resign of her own volition.
Nanny.
Yes, I am here.
Get me my mirror.
What?
Sure.
Is anyone there?
Yes, Your Highness.
I would like to see the King.
But...
I cannot go dressed like this.
I shall have the maids dress you.
Tell them to take extra precaution.
Chae Gyung.
This is my heart.
Strike true.