THIS DRAMA IS A FICTIONAL STORY BASED ON HISTORICAL FACTS
SOME ORGANIZATIONS AND CHARACTERS IN THIS DRAMA ARE FICTITIOUS
Let me ask you one thing.
Was Hwi taken there
because of your father?
-No. -Then what?
Was it your doing?
That's right.
It was me.
I did it.
I asked him to bribe the examiner, and even Hwi--
Do you seriously expect me to believe such a lie?
He enlisted in the army, just like everyone else does.
So forget him.
-Erase him from your mind. -How?
Can you forget him?
I will.
I must.
What if it had happened to you?
What do you think Hwi would've done?
He would've gotten you out of there no matter what.
Even if you had been dragged to hell.
EPISODE 3
My gosh.
I heard you've been promoted to Commander of the Liaodong Expeditionary Army.
Congratulations, sir.
I'm being kicked out.
What?
"Promoted"? "Congratulations"?
Are you trying to provoke me or what?
I'd like to fight in the war.
Please hire me as your deputy commander.
Do you really mean it?
I will guard you with my life, sir.
The expeditionary army consists of about 40,000 soldiers,
about 12,000 backup soldiers,
and 20,000 horses.
I will take your wife and family to a safe place as soon as the army leaves.
If my family goes into hiding,
Choi Yeong will suspect me.
But what about your second wife?
Choi Yeong will send a knife to Lady Kang first.
The Pocheon Kang clan.
SEO HWI
Any word about Yeon?
I've been looking everywhere for her for the past three months,
but I've found no traces of her whatsoever.
She must've probably died somewhere while looking for her brother.
You said she was ill.
It's not your fault.
You've done your best.
Must you leave?
What about your mother though?
You're almost there. You'll be able to see her soon.
-So-- -I will find out on my own.
I will no longer let Seol drag me around.
Your friend is in the main room.
Not the one you miss.
Are you finally heading off to war?
I thought I should have a drink before I leave.
Then I should pour you a drink before I say goodbye to you.
Don't be too brave.
I heard you need to be a little cowardly in order to survive.
Although you're already cowardly enough.
Will Goryeo be turned over?
The King comes first, and the country comes second.
So you really meant it.
And I mean this too.
They say the first drink should go to your elder,
and the last one is for the one in your heart.
This is the last one.
What do you mean?
Men tend to become unnecessarily brave before going to war.
Because they don't want to die with unsaid words left in their hearts.
My last one
already went to Hwi.
I know.
But that doesn't mean I shouldn't give you mine.
I heard the King and Choi Yeong
sent advance troops to Liaodong without consulting anyone.
The main troops should be there if advance troops are there.
The King is pressuring us to expedite the conquest.
-Choi Yeong is trying to trick us. -We have all the elite troops.
The advance troops consist of criminals and roughnecks.
They are a mob of rogues. They won't even be able to hold out for three days.
Snap out of it!
Take this bow.
Shoot them!
Another dead one.
You're now dead too.
Another dead one...
My goodness.
-Another dead one. -Dead.
Gosh. Stay here, okay?
Take this.
-Oh, dear. Just a moment, okay? -Dead.
-Another dead one. -Dead.
Another dead one.
Dead.
Sir, I think this one's still alive.
Dead.
He's still breathing.
We need to stop the bleeding. Get me panax pseudo-ginseng and bletilla striata.
-Hurry! -Okay.
They're more valuable than our rations.
We cannot waste them.
But he's alive. Can you not see that he's still breathing?
Is that so?
To me, this just looks like a corpse.
I'm in too much pain.
Don't talk.
Please...
Please help me.
I told you not to talk.
My grandmother can't even relieve herself on her own because of her dementia.
What is she going to do if I die?
I, too, have a sister, whom I have to look after.
So let's live. Let's survive this war and return home.
I want to live...
Dead.
You'll probably die soon as well.
Shall I put you on the list in advance?
You just wait and see.
I will be sure to outlive you by at least a day.
What?
How dare a mere foot soldier speak so rudely to the commander?
You must have a death wish.
If we die, we'll just be strokes
on the death roll, regardless of rank.
If you wish to kill me,
draw a stroke for yourself first.
That rude punk.
You guys over there! Bring that punk to me at once!
What are you waiting for?
You'll live long if you unwind the spool all the way to the end.
I want to live long enough to die of old age.
He has dysentery. He needs to be quarantined at once.
No. I'm totally fine, sir.
You have a high fever and a lot of eye discharge.
And there is mucus in your stool.
It's dysentery accompanied by bloody diarrhea.
No! Please, sir. I'll die if I'm sent to the quarantine facility.
I heard people are torched to death there when they're still alive.
Trying to save you might end up killing 50,000 people.
My job is to prevent such a tragedy.
Burn everything that this man touched.
You son of a bitch!
Then you need to be torched too. Go burn yourself to death, you bastard!
Dysentery is spreading among the soldiers.
The number of deserters is on the rise. We beheaded 20 today alone.
Dysentery is very common during the rainy months.
And as for the deserters, 20 is a negligible number.
A cold can't kill you,
but dysentery can.
We can burn the corpses but not the ill.
It is not a negligible matter.
This is not your place to step in.
It is my duty to candidly inform the general of the situation.
And your duty is to fight with your sword, not your sweet, sly tongue.
-How dare you-- -He is right.
Behave yourself.
What else?
The bowstrings are becoming loose because the glue is melting.
Half of the soldiers are archers.
We will not win if we cannot shoot arrows.
The Amnok River has risen. It'll be hard to cross it.
You will have to be very careful.
That, too, is true.
Do not hesitate to give me your candid advice.
My gosh.
Here. This is liver, which you guys love.
That liver is huge.
Oh, my.
The head of the enemy general?
Are you deaf or what?
Bring it before the sun goes down.
Must I infiltrate their camp in broad daylight?
Just tell me to take my own life...
Now, you're listening.
We must behead the enemy general to buy some time.
You have to do it to get one more day to live.
I'll get a team together.
Do it. If you can, that is.
I'll watch him.
-You'll watch him? -He might surrender to Ming, you know.
Behead him if he shows any signs.
No.
Cut his head off
and hang it in front of his tent.
It's a water buffalo horn arrow. It can go as far as 400 steps.
Why did you follow me?
Are you really afraid I might surrender?
When you kill the Jurchen commander, the deputy commander takes over.
As for the Japanese, they flee.
-How about Ming? -They report it to the higher-ups.
If we capture the enemy general, we can buy some time. That's why I'm here.
The general's tent. The red armor.
You can feel the wind behind your ears.
Add five more steps.
Add five steps when you can feel the wind brushing against the hair behind the ears.
And add ten more when your bangs flutter in the wind.
What about for 400 steps?
Four hundred steps...
Even I fail half the time.
The wind has changed. Add ten more steps.
-What are you doing? -It's quivering. Breathe slowly.
But what if we lose him?
Retreat.
We're entering a narrow trail.
This will also shorten the horses' stride length.
Are you all right?
Who are you?
Identify yourself!
The leader of the Black Snake Unit, which belonged to
the former Northern Punitive Force.
My name is Park Chi-do.
-Goodness. -Do you have more?
We'll see in the morning.
-Just a little more. -Jeez.
Here.
They're back.
-They came back in one piece! -What?
-What's going on? -My gosh.
Who is this? What happened to him?
Put him down slowly. Be careful.
Where's the enemy general's head?
I shot him.
But there's no proof,
and the only witness is as good as dead.
Judging from the wound...
I wonder who did this to him.
God damn it. Can you stop spewing so much bullshit?
My ears can't stand your bullshit.
What are you doing? Stop blinking your eyes and hold this.
You punks...
Goodness. Finish your meat
and go burp over there.
Move!
Thank you.
No, we should thank you.
And I feel bad.
Me too. I feel the same way.
We can't treat him here. Pick him up.
Let's treat him inside.
-Pick him up. -Hold him.
Parents would tattoo their sons on their backs
before they headed off to war
so that they could find their sons' corpses.
That's what
the tattoo means to us.
It's the general's armor.
He told me to give it to you
when it would fit you.
He was always so proud of you,
and he always missed Yeon.
HWI YEON
Hwi means "to shine." And Yeon means "beautiful."
Where is yours?
I didn't bring any.
And I never will.
What do you mean?
What I mean is, I will no longer let you use me.
You killed my friend
with the information I acquired.
And you mocked my sincerity by criticizing me for being foolish.
You may have managed to save your face by trampling all over me,
but you've lost my respect.
I did it for Ihwaru.
What did you do for Ga-hwa's sister who lost her liver?
And how was Hwa-wol's stepfather punished for selling her?
Those who killed my mother--
I do not have such power.
Do you?
No, I don't.
However, I will become powerful.
So I can receive such information
instead of having to collect it for others.
I will continue to grow my power
so that I can get back
at everyone for what they did to me and much more.
Not at Ihwaru.
If you refuse to be a kisaeng and get me information,
there is no reason for you to be here.
I will leave.
I will die outside the premises,
so I hope you live a long, healthy life here at Ihwaru.
Madame Seol!
All of this happened because you wanted it to,
so don't blame anyone or regret anything.
I won't.
I'll have no regrets,
and I'll blame no one.
When did that start?
About ten years ago.
But,
I've never heard her cough.
She always held in her coughs in front of you.
I killed the man with leprosy who ate Ga-hwa's sister's liver.
As for Hwa-wol's stepfather,
he died of a lung disease the following year.
And the scoundrels who killed your mother...
I will find them at all costs.
Take good care of her.
IHWARU
Hui-jae.
I made a rice ball for you.
It'll go bad quickly, so eat it right away.
And this is pumpkin taffy.
Suck on it when you're tired.
You might break your teeth if you bite into it.
Thanks.
You heartless girl.
You're so coldhearted
and utterly heartless.
I should get going.
Sure, whatever.
You won't look at me?
No, I won't.
Hwa-wol...
I won't.
If...
Hwi ever comes by, tell him where I am.
It's already been a month.
The King is at Pyongyang Castle encouraging our soldiers.
Dysentery is getting worse and over 200 have left the army.
Time is not on our side anymore.
Brave soldiers won't win us this war.
I suspect
there will be a competent leader among them.
The most incompetent leader we have is leading the advance party.
I never said it had to be him.
It's an ambush!
An ambush!
There are dozens in the cavalry, you morons.
It's an ambush!
Head out.
To the battlefield.
Captain!
Please come on out.
-Where's the commander? -He's still recovering.
-And the lieutenant? -You're the captain.
Go and encourage your men!
Damn it.
Prevail!
Anyone who cowers will die at my sword.
What's with the speech?
Die!
Use long spears to fight the horsemen.
What? Long spears?
What the hell...
Do you want to die? Get closer!
Don't you think I know that? It's the hooves I'm scared of.
Cover me.
Cover the lieutenant!
Close.
Shit, you're good. Close!
Wait...
No, Hwi!
He did it. He slashed his neck.
The enemy general is down!
He's gone.
The enemy general is dead?
Soldiers, charge!
Charge!
I told you to charge!
Are you all right?
I gave you an order.
Jeez, him and his yelling.
Come on.
Accept his order.
Soldiers,
charge!
Damn.
Shit.
I scored! Look.
We're at the gates of Hell, so what good will gold do?
Don't talk about what you don't know.
Those with money get the best seats when crossing the River Styx.
He's picking his ears with a pestle.
Why would one do that?
It means his wasting his time.
Are you
wasting your energy again?
You can't possibly bury all of these dead men.
If I don't, the crows would mercilessly pick at them.
That I can't have.
Now that you're a fake lieutenant, it seems like you want to join the army.
Look. It's Hwi, the success story.
A lowlife is playing lieutenant.
My duty will end if I make a contribution.
I'm going to do whatever it takes to stay alive.
As if we'd believe that.
Running away seems faster.
Treason gets your family killed
and your children will suffer the consequences.
Running away is the same.
I won't spend the rest of my life living while hiding.
You're just a silly little kid.
How dare you talk back to me like that!
Do I look like a kid to you?
Well... No...
You have a really annoying way of pointing out the obvious.
Look here, doctor. Quit the nonsense
and patch up his wound.
-That's enough. -Follow me.
Let me look at that wound.
My gosh. Look at this hole.
Even a cow could fit in it.
A through-and-through is better.
It's worse if it's lodged in.
Right on, macho man.
Are you really a physician?
Out here, butchers are doctors and robbers and commanders.
A physician stitches up the living
while a mortician stitches up the dead, right?
So which one did you use to stitch up?
Corpses.
All right, fine.
Anyway, here we go. Bite down.
You're a relentless one, aren't you?
I'm stitching your flesh but you didn't even groan.
Are you Guan Yu or something?
Here.
-I'm good. -Take a sip.
Snake wine with arrowroot juice is best for cuts like that.
My goodness.
Are you kidding me? Why would you drink it?
My heart is cut deeply from serving in the army for ten years.
Here.
I won't drink it.
As if. You don't have the stomach, right?
You should be ashamed of yourself.
-Satisfied? -Well, good job.
Is he dead?
What now though?
My mother...
Status?
We have 44 dead and 55 wounded.
All we have now are only 75 men.
Not "only," but "still."
The main unit hasn't left Wihwado.
-At this rate-- -We'll all die.
That's what an advance party is to them.
Troops that come and die first.
-Commander-- -Only we want ourselves to stay alive,
so don't waver.
We can survive this.
No,
we must.
Lady Kang of Pocheon.
The State Councilor's Seoul wife.
Wise and beautiful.
Her spirit is as honorable as any general's.
Who dares to trespass?
You should first light the furnace.
Unless there's smoke, people will think the house is vacant.
Keep the gates wide open too.
If closed, they'll jump the wall.
They wouldn't dare come through opened gates.
I told you to identify yourself.
I will serve you until the conquest is over.
I may not be able to always save your life,
but I'll never be the only one to make it out alive.
You'll protect me
or die trying to.
Why?
Because you'll get me to a place
that seems too absurd to be true.
And where will that be?
Beside the Queen.
Protecting me
puts you in danger too.
All I hope is for Bang-won
to reach you before General Choi's assassins do.
The State Councillor has six sons.
Why would he send Bang-won?
Because he's the only one who can fight off the assassins.
Also, the Stage Councillor
doesn't have six sons.
He has eight.
Bang-beon, Bang-seok, you may come out.
What is your name?
It is Hui-jae of the Han Family.
-Are you all right? -How can you enjoy
something so potent?
What if they decide to settle there?
No army settles on a battlefield.
They'll retreat if they can't pass.
Even though they've come all this way? Why?
An expeditionary force only retreats
when the King dies,
if there's an assassination attempt,
or if...
one tries to take the throne.
What is the country I serve?
Is it Goryeo that's rotten from within
or the people who follow me?
If not,
is it
just me?
75 ALIVE, 425 DEAD
What's that?
On the battlefield, an arrow is the messenger.
There are 425 dead and 75 alive.
How much longer can you hold out?
Until everyone here dies.
I will relay the message to the Deputy Commander.
What is your name?
The general will give his orders.
The presence of all officers is required.
And the Uiju Fortress?
We'll open the gates to welcome the revolutionary troop.
And Pyongyang Castle?
It'll be the same as Uiju Fortress.
And Gaegyeong?
Blood...
will be shed.
But that blood
may be mine and not Choi Yeong's.
Do not be afraid of blood.
How can evil which has been rotting away for 400 years
be washed away without pain and bloodshed?
What about the King?
Killing him outside the palace
is nothing but an assassination.
If he dies an honorable death,
the people will pity and long for him.
That we can't have.
We must paint him as a coward
and trample on his honor
to keep the people from resisting.
So I stand today and say
that I, Deputy Commander Yi Seong-gye,
will disobey the King's order.
Now, here is mine.
We will pull our men from Wihwado
and retreat.
I'll get a cramp waiting for a reply.
Jeez, just look how it's raining.
Let's head back.
I'll wait a while longer.
Soldier, Seo Hwi.
Who was it?
The arrow was shot from a messenger.
I'm sure he has a name.
The rain washed the ink away.
A message was sent by the advance party.
There are 425 dead and 75 alive.
How many were injured is unknown.
If they hold out,
the justification for our retreat will lose ground.
If they don't though,
the King will be criticized for starting an unreasonable war.
You must decide, sir.
Those men are either robbers or criminals.
Why give second thought to such lowlifes?
What do you think?
The greater good must always be prioritized.
There will be no revolution without sacrifice.
They too are people of Goryeo.
There is no such thing as a justified sacrifice.
You can't have it all if you aren't willing to give up anything.
In your mind, the 75 alive are already dead anyway.
All you're looking for is justification.
It's why you're pitying the people and being reluctant.
Aren't I right?
-You've crossed the line. -Is that so bad?
No,
it's right.
Captain.
Yes, General?
Form a death squad.
Choose the best of the best from Gabyeolcho.
How many do you need?
About 20 will suffice.
-It's not enough. -It being a large number
will only slow us down.
We will enter when it's the darkest
and come out before dawn.
You must be discreet and organized.
Yes, General.
You will join him.
Accomplish a feat.
Then I'll keep you by my side.
You may stand.
I shall oblige,
General.
YI SEONG-GYE
We're not fighting incompetent officials.
They're like animals that are hungry for blood.
Well, hunting is always easier.
We just have to round them up and kill.
You're a big talker for someone who got the job because of his father.
That's rich coming from a low-rank officer like yourself.
It won't be long before you take orders from me.
All you'll do is head out and come back.
Are you afraid
I'll steal your thunder?
I'm worried I'll mistake you for an animal.
Choi Yeong will probably go after my family.
Send this to Bang-won
and have him escort his mothers to the northeast area.
Why your fifth son
instead of your eldest Bang-u?
Who cares of the order my sons were born in?
I will always
consider Bang-won as my first child.
Now that I've had my drink, I should take a swing.
I wonder which one.
Yes, this seems good.
All right, here we go.
Shot!
Goodness.
Oh, well.
I guess I'm not drunk enough.
All right then. Pour some in this bowl this time.
Sure.
Hold on.
Since when did such a beauty live within the walls of Ihwaru?
I am Hwa-wol, the flower that bloomed under the moon.
Then...
What do you say to sharing love underneath the moonlight?
My lord, you're embarrassing me.
Is that so?
This time, I'll swing it with my left arm.
This seems like the one.
Here it goes.
Damn.
His father went to war,
but here he is chugging down liquor.
What a rascal.
They all drank, but no one's drunk.
Their armor is at arm's length
and they have eyes on all corners of this property.
To me, he isn't a scoundrel.
Right.
It's an urgent message from Wihwado.
Hand it over.
Leave us.
Gather!
Cheonga,
Head to Jaebyeok-dong immediately
and escort my mother to Hamhung.
Tae-ryeong and I
will escort the bitch in Pocheon and meet up with you.
Choi Yeong will be following you,
so do what you can to escape from him.
If my family is captured,
my father's revolution will fail.
What if we're caught?
Kill yourselves.
General Yi's wives and sons too?
She's waiting for you. Please head inside.
You act like you know me.
Who else has eyes of a dragon
and wields red arrows?
The eyes can differ depending on who's looking
and red arrows
are just arrows that are red.
The scoundrel who runs around with his men
committing impropriety, stomping on crops in the name of hunting,
enjoying booze and women,
all while not even feeling an ounce of guilt.
He's right in front of me.
Lead the way.
I am Bang-won, the fifth son.
You came later than the rumors of the retreat.
Is this the best you can do?
I will take you to safety.
"I will escort you to safety, Mother."
Show some respect.
Until you do, I won't take a step forward.
I will escort you to safety,
Mother.
Which one of you is Bang-seok?
Go ahead and greet him.
Brother, I am Bang-seok.
Who says I'm your brother?
It seems like
our road trip will be fun,
Mother.
Now I know why the General sent you.
You're an example
of how I am not supposed to raise my boys.
All right then.
Shall we?
Sure.
Jeez, what a shame.
If he had decent parents, he would've become a general.
If he were that lucky, he'd be a fool to join the army.
You just talk crap, don't you?
Choi Yeong, Wang Geon, and Yi Seong-gye.
They all passed the military state exam, remember?
General Yi isn't your friend, you know.
Is he your father then?
You want me to sew your lips together?
We're in trouble!
We're in trouble.
Why are they folding their tents? What's going on?
The General's flag is on the move.
What the hell is going on?
They're retreating.
I have something to tell you.
The army is retreating.
The men are folding their tents and moving out.
They must be training.
Who trains on a battlefield?
How should I know?
Do you?
Look for yourself.
If the main troops retreat, we'll be sitting ducks.
What?
You're full of yourself, aren't you?
You became a lieutenant because none were left and that's it.
My job was to safely arrive here and set up base.
It's yours to make sure the main troops can get here.
Got it?
We're dispensable, is that what you're saying?
-What? -You don't care if we're slaughtered?
Why you imbecile...
You crazy dog!
How dare you talk back to me.
Damn it.
Is this silk?
Give it back.
-Who did you steal it from? -Give it back!
Suit yourself.
Don't just stand there. Stop him.
Look here. You know, I've been taking an interest in you.
Once the conquest is over, I'll make sure
you're promoted to a real lieutenant.
How about an Eighth Rank Military Officer?
Eighth rank. You hear me, right?
You've been taking an interest in me?
You?
We only made it this far thanks to you.
Then what's my name?
Well...
Do you even know any of our names?
If you do, tell me.
I said, say it!
Do not let anyone oppress you.
Only then will you not collapse.
Don't let anyone intimidate you
even if they're stronger than you.
Only then can you hold out.
None of the advance party shall cross Amnok River.
Kill every one of them.
If things go wrong,
burn the boat and die for honor.
Keep in mind
that you have never been to Liaodong.
Do not hesitate in front of your enemy.
During a war,
the one who puts feelings first instead of his sword, dies.
Go.
SEO HWI
Now I get why it was smelling like piss.
Somebody put a diaper
on that punk.
Idiot.
Don't you think of pulling any tricks,
or your head will be put on your father's dinner table.
Disobedience, insubordination, and mutiny.
Do you know they're all punished with decapitation?
Anyway, it happened. What will you do now?
I don't know.
You don't know? Then death is your only option.
What can I do?
Kill the captain and flee?
Why not?
Does being a slave,
and the son of a prisoner mean you can die like this?
Why can't we just kill the captain and spare our own lives?
That's what I mean.
Lieutenant Seo.
I'm not a lieutenant whatsoever.
I'm just fighting to save myself.
That's all.
Are you sure there's a boat?
It's a tiny boat for the messenger.
But the river has risen so high...
Then you row the boat like hell.
Who's there?
It's you, Hwang. You came right on time.
The minions are trying to pull--
Go into the tent in the groups of two and kill them all.
The sun is rising.
Finish it before the day breaks.
What the...
What's going on?
Who are you?
I'm the messenger of the main troop.
I'm here to deliver Deputy Commander's command.
A messenger at the wee hours?
In a group?
We have been waiting for the river to go down.
What's the watchword?
Watchword.
Slaughter.
It's a raid!
Kill them!
Die!
What the hell are they doing in the middle of the night?
Kill them all!
Come here!
Damn it.
No!
I thought I had nothing to lose.
But I realized I do have a thing I don't want to lose.
Hwi. I'm talking about you.
Let me ask you one thing.
What is it that we did wrong?
What is it that we have done so wrong that they are out to kill us?
It was 500.
It was a whopping 500 lives that you killed for no reason.
There's nothing in this world that can be killed for no reason.
We might die all together trying to save them all. We have to save at least one.
I'm not giving it to you so you can fight.
Do you know what I mean?
If you see anyone crossing the river,
kill them all.
What about your son, sir?
Accept that you are abandoned. Only then you can live.
Just like how I accepted that my father abandoned me.
Our country or your child?
Stand beside me
and do not dare to stand in front of me.
Subtitle translation by Sun-young Baek