(This drama was remade based on historical facts.)
(Min Jin Heon, The Chairman of Congress, Noron)
Why don't you switch sides for a moment?
"Keep your enemies closer."
Why don't we politically cooperate?
With you, Your Highness?
It's like the Warring States period.
Just like how old enemies once joined on a boat,
I think we can cooperate...
if we have a common goal.
Isn't that the politics...
you are so fond of?
His Majesty arrives!
You may kill me,
but causing chaos with framed treason...
is not what you want.
That is how you are,
Min Jin Heon.
At least you...
know about politics that much.
There was once a time...
when I thought that was what politics was all about.
If government officials and the king...
do their best to stick to their duties and responsibilities,
I thought...
the royal court and the country would stay safe and protected.
However, once you spend some time in this world,
It doesn't take long for you to realize this.
Such things are mere fantasies.
Please stop.
- Your Highness! - Your Highness!
Your Highness!
The Queen will be dethroned.
Jang Hui Bin will become the Queen.
And Prince Kyun will become the Crown Prince.
Brother.
Losing power...
means death.
The person who framed Queen Inhyeon, my sister,
and dethroned her...
is the mother of His Majesty, Jang Hui Bin.
And the person who cornered her, Jang Hui Bin, to her death...
is the Crown Prince's mother, Sook Bin Choe.
Politics are like this.
It's not about conviction. It's about blood.
It's a circle of resent and revenge.
However...
Does the Crown Prince...
really have nothing to say?
Answer me.
(Crown Prince Yi Geum)
If you confess your crimes here,
I'll at least let you live.
I'm sorry to say this,
but I...
have never thought of treason,
and I have never planned for it.
I can never...
confess a crime...
that I didn't commit,
Your Majesty.
Then I have no choice.
I'll have to charge you for your sins myself.
The officers should begin.
Here, I shall interrogate the Crown Prince...
and the other criminals myself.
My apologies, Your Majesty.
But may I, Min Jin Heon,
tell you something before you start the interrogation?
Sadly, I must say...
that I cannot agree...
(Special Judiciary Agency)
I cannot agree with today's interrogation.
It's because...
the Crown Prince is innocent.
I've already known that...
for a long time, Your Majesty.
Chairman of Congress.
What are you doing right now?
Also,
I'm sure that I'm not the only one...
who knows that.
Don't you also know that, Your Majesty?
Isn't this a sight that we've seen before?
Hasn't this been repeated numerous times?
Without any clear evidence but with suspicions,
this kingdom has eliminated old political enemies like this!
The Department of Justice and the temporary judge.
(Department of Justice: The king's intelligence department)
They all couldn't find any proof of the Crown Prince's treason.
They couldn't even get confessions from those related to it.
But how could you open a Special Judiciary Agency...
under such uncertain circumstances?
This is unfair, Your Majesty.
There's not a single piece of evidence.
I can't justify myself to see blood being shed...
in here again,
when there's no evidence at all, Your Majesty.
What is this?
Min Jin Heon, that man, must have gone insane.
(Episode 15: Decisive Battle 2)
How could you stop the Special Judiciary Agency?
How could you do this without discussing it with us?
Above everything else, it was held by His Majesty himself.
I stepped up to stop it, but His Majesty decided to stop it.
Isn't that because even His Majesty knows that this is unreasonable?
Of course, the same goes for you too.
You're right.
The unpleasant smell that you've mentioned...
I felt that too.
The Crown Prince may be innocent.
However,
the pride of the palace is at stake.
There are things we must give up to protect that.
It's because we can't strengthen the King's power...
without sacrificing the Crown Prince.
Fine.
Was I wrong to do that?
Do you think so too?
- Your Majesty. - Answer me.
Do you think I cornered the Crown Prince...
and tormented him when he was innocent?
(Cho Hyun Myung, Junior Second Rank, Soron)
(Yi Gwang Jwa, Vice Minister, Soron)
The special judiciary was stopped by the Chairman of Congress?
What? How could Min Jin Heon...
That is correct, Your Highness.
The Crown Prince has gotten a chance to prove his innocence.
Your Highness, all of this was possible thanks to you.
Not at all.
If the Crown Prince is innocent,
the truth will clearly be revealed.
My apologies, but I must leave now.
It was a gamble at the edge of a cliff.
I never really thought...
you would be on my side.
I only didn't want to lower the palace's pride with crude plans.
It was never meant to help you.
But I must still express my thanks.
I think you should take that back.
Your path and my path...
will never become one.
Of course.
I'm also well aware of that.
However, we're on the same page now.
Why don't you try to overcome this tide.
After that,
just like you said,
I'll try to destroy you again.
You seem surprised.
Of course. Why not?
Your interrogation may have been stopped,
but there are still those who have committed treason.
It will be over when they confess.
Of course.
What are you waiting for? Then go make them confess.
Shall we go see how things turn out?
Will you be able to do it or shall I be able to do it?
Try harder, Executive Inspector Wi.
Your life...
depends on it.
Will you really leave the palace?
Your interrogation has been stopped.
Why would you still risk danger?
The Special Judiciary Agency is still open.
I must find out where this framed treason...
has begun.
Why would you do that yourself?
That's probably because he wants to catch Prince Mil Poong.
And those who lured His Majesty for their own greed.
They'll need to be punished.
In the end,
they will be going into their graves.
Prince Mil Poong and Wi Byung Ju.
This time...
I won't let them get away.
It's certain.
Jipyeong Oh testified that he was ordered by Wi Byung Ju.
Even Kang Su Chang who was on duty...
said Wi Byung Ju was at Saheonbu that day.
That's why Saheonbu kicked out Kang Su Chang...
so they won't be found out.
We'll get Wi Byung Ju with this evidence.
I know it was him who killed Jeong Seok.
- Your Highness. - I heard the news.
He's forbidden to leave the country.
So we have no time to lose.
Before the prisoners give in to torture and give false witness,
we have to find out who's behind this incident.
Yes, we'll get Wi Byung Ju, Your Highness.
Yeo Ji is searching too.
Then I should meet...
Dal Moon.
Dal Moon?
There must be a reason he left a message on the flyers.
He might be...
investigating on Prince Mil Poong secretly.
That's true but...
wouldn't there be a reason if Dal Moon tried to deceive all of us?
If he wanted to avoid Prince Mil Poong's suspicion...
and deceive him perfectly...
That's why I should help...
Dal Moon.
- Pardon? - To refine his plan.
Let's go to Dal Moon right now.
With the necessary means.
- I'll be back. - Okay.
Two from Department of Justice.
The Special Judiciary Agency is progressing like this.
Keep delivering the news.
Is this all you got about the palace situation?
That's all I have from the palace, the Queen's palace,
Department of Justice, and Special Judiciary Agency.
The situation is urgent. Get more information for every hour.
Yes.
By the way, I haven't seen Gun Tae.
I ordered him something.
No need to worry. Go on.
Okay.
I found it. I found it.
I tracked down Prince Mil Poong's properties.
Someone received land and two houses from him recently.
That's probably for doing a job for Prince Mil Poong.
Stay close behind him.
Yes.
Hey, let me see you.
Is that a new outfit?
You did your hair nicely.
This is an excellent letter of appeal.
Are you ready to have fun today?
Why is it him every time?
Why can't I get him no matter what I do?
Don't do that. Calm down.
Let go. I don't need you either.
He disdained me all the time.
I'm the rightful heir of Prince So Hyeon.
He ignored me because I grew up in the countryside as a nobody.
And he's from a peasant mother.
You really have an inferiority complex.
What?
"An inferiority complex"?
- As far as I know, - Stop!
the Crown Prince doesn't treat people based on one's birth.
So,
it must be your inferiority complex.
Oh, isn't that why you hate the Crown Prince all the more?
A nobody like him...
keeps making you feel inferior.
Say that again.
"An inferiority complex"?
Just because you know how to gather scraps of paper,
you think you're all that?
Get out before I kill you.
Even without a beggar like you...
You'll be in a difficult situation.
Since information is everything right now.
I know the Crown Prince as well as Min Jin Heon.
I know how they behave.
So how about using me properly?
If I know the beginning and end of this incident,
I might be able to help you.
You want to know...
everything about this.
You want to help me?
What's this?
This presumptuous punk...
Why...
What are you doing?
Tell Prince Mil Poong that I'm here.
Okay, step back.
Wielding a sword in front of the Crown Prince?
The dogs are just like their owner...
- and are rash. - How dare you!
I meet you here.
Dal Moon.
Your Highness.
Tell your men to withdraw their swords first.
They're scared.
Even so,
you can't kill the Crown Prince.
These useless rascals.
I paid you a huge amount of money.
You can't always buy people with money and power.
Of course,
there are exceptions.
You were Min Jin Heon's dog.
Then you sided with me.
Now,
you're Prince Mil Poong's hunting dog?
Didn't you say...
all you need was the power...
to protect your family?
Did you think...
I would go down like this?
I don't think it's the right time for this, Your Highness.
Go back and take care of yourself.
Nonsense.
You're the desperate one now.
I'm going to arrest you for plotting the treason case.
You kindly warned me...
that things will backfire.
Thanks to you,
I made preparations.
Stop the nonsense.
You don't even have evidence.
If not,
why do you think Min Jin Heon sided with me?
What?
How did you get evidence?
Sook Bin Choe.
Bi, Geum, Yi, Mil
The insulting flyers that said...
I'm not the son of the late King.
How dare you...
do such a thing...
and hope to live?
It's an adventure risking my life of course.
With Prince Mil Poong,
I'm carrying it out.
So...
- you're confident? - To some extent.
If this is how you are coming forth,
I'm forced to stake everything on Prince Mil Poong.
Okay.
If that's your choice,
I'll make sure you see the end...
next to Prince Mil Poong.
Dal Moon.
Sook Bin Choe.
Bi, Geum, Yi, Mil.
I hope that madman...
doesn't really have evidence.
It can't be.
How can you be so confident?
The Crown Prince is surely not a pushover.
It's true that Min Jin Heon turned his back on you.
Now that things have turned out this way,
I really have nowhere else to return to.
If I want to survive along with my friends and family,
you must survive first.
Do you not understand?
What can I possibly do when you're not giving me any information?
Prince Mil Poong.
Did you meet Dal Moon?
Just like what I expected, he was with Yi Tan.
Do you think he understood what you were trying to tell him?
I'm sure he did.
And he's very close to discovering Prince Mil Poong's crimes.
You should go back to the Saheonbu and tell Mun Su about this.
I need to go back to the palace to take care of something.
Okay, Your Highness.
- The Crown Prince knows. - Let's go.
He found the hidden meaning behind the mysterious note.
Really?
What? What does the Crown Prince know?
What hidden meaning?
I'm sorry I couldn't tell you anything beforehand.
Dal Moon didn't betray the Crown Prince.
I knew it. He would never do something like that.
Then are you saying...
you did everything on purpose?
I knew Prince Mil Poong would keep his eyes on me,
so I had no other choice.
I needed Prince Mil Poong to trust me with all his heart.
And I couldn't tell anyone including the Crown Prince before that.
Dal Moon.
I'm sorry.
Prince Mil Poong gave me his information.
He got scared when the Crown Prince told him...
that he has something on him.
Here. From now on, we're going to use this...
to hunt Prince Mil Poong.
(Saheonbu)
- It's unbelievable. - My gosh, seriously.
What's going on?
What's with the strange atmosphere?
(I accuse...)
(I accuse Executive Inspector Wi Byung Ju...)
(for suspicions of having murdered Inspector Han Jeong Seok.)
Are you really going to accuse Executive Inspector Wi?
He's a criminal who killed a fellow inspector.
Who's going to do this if not us?
But by doing this,
we'll be damaging the Saheonbu's reputation.
If this makes you feel embarrassed, you can choose to stay out of it.
If you feel more comfortable about disclosing the truth, that is.
But...
please remember one thing.
The same thing could happen to all of us.
But if we keep quiet about it this time around,
nobody will step up even when the same thing happens again...
because staying silent will already have become a habit by then.
What's going on?
What's with the mess in here?
Let's all get moving.
Where are you going?
We're off for a night inspection.
(Night inspection: An act of exposing a superior's irregularity)
You're doing a night inspection?
A night inspection?
We need to get rid of Executive Inspector Wi.
If the Special Judiciary Agency fails to find any evidence,
the Saheonbu will end up having to take responsibility.
He's already guilty for having committed an irregularity.
Should we just fire him?
But if we do that,
it will be an act of helping the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince gains more power,
he will become a threat to the Saheonbu.
There's nothing we can do!
Wi Byung Ju.
This is all because of that sly Namin,
Wi Byung Ju.
Chief Inspector, we have a problem.
They're on their way for a night inspection again.
The inspectors are on their way to cause a scene.
What?
Stop what you're doing right now!
Yes, I heard about what Executive Inspector Wi did.
It's a very big issue. I was also very shocked.
But what will you gain from the night inspection?
The Saheonbu's already in a pickle,
and this is only going to make things worse.
If people find out that a high-ranking official...
murdered one of his inspectors, do you know what will happen to us?
You were the executive inspector at the time of the incident.
Weren't you, Chief Inspector?
You were a senior inspector, and you were a jipyeong.
You were all Jeong Seok's colleagues and superior.
But you all kept quiet about it...
even when there was something fishy about his death.
Inspector Park, let me explain.
You're right. I'm trying to put the Saheonbu in trouble.
The situation needs to start affecting your own selves...
in order for you to find out how serious of an issue this is.
Let's go!
Hey, wait.
Wait!
Are you disobeying your orders?
What in the world...
Hey.
That little...
Sir, if this goes public, we will have to take responsibility.
Inspector Park has undeniable evidence.
Darn it.
Are those jerks...
trying to get us all killed or what?
What's wrong with my luck?
Why do they do night inspections when I'm the team leader?
(Exam results)
I passed the test...
with the highest score?
Yes.
That's how I was able to come this far.
You're not even a Soron? You're a Namin?
I've never seen a Namin while I've been here.
The only thing I could show off was the fact that I was born as a Noron.
My family.
Let's all go home.
Here are the cases I took care of.
Good job. Leave them there.
Yes, sir.
I had to survive among those corrupt and incompetent jerks.
- Let's go have a drink. - Sure.
I didn't have anyone supporting me.
My gosh.
I managed to come all the way here with nothing but my competence.
But why must I...
lose everything again?
Your plan was to become a guard dog...
that does anything and everything told by the ones who hold power?
Yes.
I already did it once.
It won't be hard to do it again.
Executive Inspector Wi.
I'm glad you're here.
You must take this to the Saheonbu.
This treason could have been fabricated.
I think Prince Mil Poong is behind the conspiracy.
What? It was fabricated by Prince Mil Poong?
I'll take care of everything here. You need to help me...
If this also turns out to be false,
you'll really have no way out.
I'm trying to tell you that you're out of luck right now.
(I accuse Executive Inspector Wi Byung Ju...)
(for suspicions of having murdered Inspector Han Jeong Seok.)
Jeong Seok.
Stop immediately!
Mun Su, how dare you ruin my future?
Wake up.
Nobody ruined you.
You ruined your own future.
It was your choice.
It was your crime.
Park Mun Su!
Do you think this will have any effect?
Don't you inspectors know what Saheonbu is?
Saheonbu never undermines itself.
I don't know.
This time, they're halfway in doing that.
I apologize. But we need to take you away.
Senior Inspector!
Saheonbu's Executive Inspector Wi Byung Ju...
will be arrested for murdering his fellow inspector Han Jeong Seok.
What are you waiting for?
Tie up the criminal!
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
Don't touch me.
You can't do this.
Let go. Park Mun Su.
Let go. Park Mun Su. Let go!
Let go.
Move out. It's crowded.
You're standing here? Now?
Goodness. You're so skilled in grabbing...
the last rope.
That's an official from Saheonbu.
Did Saheonbu arrest their own official?
- What's going on? - What did he do wrong?
This Executive Inspector of Saheonbu...
was a murderer of his fellow inspector.
Saheonbu's executive inspector murdered someone?
Isn't he...
the man who arrested the Crown Prince last time?
Come on. Raise your head properly.
We never tried to hide our faces like you.
Okay. You know what road this is, don't you?
The innocent Master Mun Su and Crown Prince...
were insulted on this road because of you.
- An official from Saheonbu? - Right, how could he do that?
- He arrested the Crown Prince. - I know, how could he?
The Crown Prince was involved in the master murderers' case.
Still, how could they arrest the Crown Prince?
Your Highness.
Master Mun Su.
Your Highness.
Hey, how could you as a Saheonbu officer?
- How could you do that? - What a shame.
- How dare you call yourself human. - You deserve to die.
- Take that. - Come here!
You should be beaten to death!
Hurry up.
- It's such a shame. - You bastard!
Is His Majesty still not here?
No.
We need to find a solution.
What is he thinking?
First, we should step back.
He must know that he needs to reflect on himself as king...
instead of finding solutions.
Answer me.
Do you think I cornered the Crown Prince...
and tormented him when he was innocent?
If you really...
want a word of counsel,
you're surely...
persecuting the Crown Prince.
The king I enthroned...
never lost focus easily.
But with vicarious governing and the treason case,
with the crude appeals, and treason reports,
you acted as if you'd been waiting for them to happen.
Enough.
That's enough.
Junior Second Rank.
Do you think so too?
Inscrutable are your favors, Your Majesty.
As if I'd been waiting?
Is that what I did?
Your Majesty, I have something to tell you urgently.
What? The Crown Prince?
Yes, Your Majesty.
He won't leave until...
you let him meet you.
Your Highness, it's been over an hour.
It's still cold. Why don't you return to the Crown Prince Palace?
- Your Highness. - What did he say?
Come on in.
He's given permission.
Sit down.
Will you have some?
You're not shaking.
Neither your hands...
nor your eyes.
My hands are shaking thus...
and my eyes must be unstable.
That's probably...
because I'm the guilty one.
Your Majesty.
Yi Gwang Jwa was probably right.
I blamed you...
as if I'd been waiting for it.
It was you, Crown Prince.
You were the king of this kingdom...
that our father had in mind.
It wasn't me or Hwon, who is dead.
It was you.
The throne belongs to you,
the true owner of the throne.
Are you saying...
that our father...
wanted me to be king?
That's why I appointed you as the Crown Prince,
but I think that's why...
I wanted you to fail in the end.
Is this the will of His Majesty?
He gave orders to move the king's guards.
Vice Minister!
Was it Prince Mil Poong...
who was behind all this?
Did you...
know all of this?
I didn't know in the beginning.
Even after I suspected it,
I didn't want to admit it.
I'll give you the king's guards.
Stop this tiresome circle of political revenge.
I want you to do that.
You...
might be able to achieve...
what I couldn't finish.
Your Majesty.
Your Highness.
Do you know?
His Majesty gave you control of the king's guards.
Yes.
I have received orders to finish everything...
and find evidence.
Captain.
What is it? Is it because Wi Byung Ju got finished off?
Yes. He has been arrested by Saheonbu.
Why is everything making me feel so dumbfounded?
Let's run away.
Get all of our money.
We're returning to Hamgyong Province.
Yes, sir.
Start moving, everyone.
Are those the people who gave Prince Mil Poong...
the poison of treason?
Hurry up!
Hey, pack the money first.
Is it you again?
You won't make it twice.
If I don't catch you this time,
I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep.
Give it your best shot, you jerk.
Attack!
Let's go!
Quickly load up.
Why are you being so slow?
Who... Who are you?
What?
Are you alone?
You must arrest all of them.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
You. You're dead now.
What are you waiting for? Cut them down.
Don't let any of them escape!
Stop, everyone.
What do you want from us?
We can finally speak to each other.
Your deal with Prince Mil Poong.
Your testimony on that.
What are you waiting for? Come closer.
Hey.
Do Ji Gwang.
You should fight with me.
You jerk.
Your Highness.
Arrest all of them immediately.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
Are you okay?
In this darkness...
How could you hit that?
It's because...
I'm good.
Do you know you were late this time too?
Now,
we must arrest Prince Mil Poong.
Homage to the Perfection of Wisdom, the lovely, the Holy.
Avalokita Bodhisattva was moving in the deep course of the wisdom...
which has gone beyond. He looked down from on high...
Prince Mil Poong. Prince Mil Poong!
Where in the world are you going?
Executive Inspector Wi got arrested.
And I can't get a hold of both Do Ji Gwang and Dal Moon.
I need to find out what's going on.
No, it's too dangerous. You should just...
I was so close to succeeding.
I can't just give up now.
It's all over.
You should give up.
What took you so long?
Do you know how much Prince Mil Poong waited for you?
That's enough, Bok Dan.
Prince Mil Poong is done for.
You need to find a way to stay alive.
No way.
Did you...
You need to leave...
before the soldiers come.
If you stay here, you won't be safe.
Yes.
I couldn't turn my back on you...
or the Crown Prince.
You lied to me?
You?
No, I can't let things end this way.
If Prince Mil Poong gets caught, I'm as good as dead.
Please just stay still!
Do you know how much I had to endure to come this far?
Do you even know what I had to do?
Who... Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are to stop me?
Why are you moving the rack?
The Special Judiciary Agency isn't over yet. What's going on?
His Majesty gave orders to put an end to it.
What?
It seems like you're the only one who doesn't know...
what kind of situation you're in right now.
The Crown Prince gave orders to the king's guards...
to arrest you.
If you stay here, you'll be in trouble.
That's nonsense.
Why me?
The conspiracy was pointing toward the Crown Prince. So why...
Because there was no evidence.
I'll just say that it was quite a nice strategy...
considering the fact that you came up with it.
It just wasn't...
good enough.
Do you not remember how my great-grandmother...
ended up passing away?
She was suspicious of having tried to murder King Injo.
(King Injo: The 16th king, Prince Mil Poong's great-great-grandfather)
She got killed even when there was no legitimate evidence!
After that, Crown Prince So Hyeon also passed away.
And that caused my family, the true owners of the royal throne,
to lose everything they had!
- Prince Mil Poong. - So why?
Why can't that happen again?
Why do some people end up dying even when there's no evidence?
And why do some people end up surviving because of that?
Who decides that?
Why does Yi Geum get to get away with this?
Why? Why?
You must come to your senses, Prince Mil Poong!
Get to your senses!
And just find a way to survive...
if you feel so upset about this.
I also don't want you...
to get caught.
I don't want to help...
the Crown Prince become even more powerful...
by letting him catch you.
Take good care of yourself.
- Let's go. - Search thoroughly.
Prince Mil Poong isn't here.
Cheon Yoon Young also seems to have run away.
What...
What did I do so wrong?
Who's there?
Order all the soldiers to guard all the city gates.
And leave a minimum amount of soldiers to guard the palace.
Your Highness.
Your Highness, there's something I need to urgently tell you.
He was helping the Special Judiciary Agency.
And an hour ago, he apparently saw Prince Mil Poong inside the palace.
What?
May his soul rest in peace.
But I'm not going to care about that from now on.
Then are you saying...
Prince Mil Poong is inside the palace right now?
Why?
Prince Mil Poong is inside the palace?
All the soldiers in the palace are looking for him.
But you must escape just in case...
Prince Mil Poong.
Yi Tan!
(Haechi)
I knew you'd come for me.
Prince Mil Poong had enough time to run away.
But he still stayed in the palace. Why did he do that?
The Crown Prince will be asked to carry out vicarious governing.
I think working at the Saheonbu is going to be more fun.
You suddenly found a bloodstain?
Why is there something like this in the royal infirmary?
I want you to collect every information you can find.
What is it, Yi Tan?
Remember this. You're dying because of your older brother.
I'm going to make you pay for your sins no matter what.
Yes, please do so. I'll look forward to it.