01x07 - Episode 7

[bunniefuu]

What are you two doing?

Your Majesty.

I asked what you two were doing.

I apologize, Your Majesty.

I was so filled with joy

that I treated the gidaeryeong

with great discourtesy.

What is this joyous occasion you speak of?

While delivering the baduk table,

I ran into Grand Prince Munseong

and Princess Jangryeong

and gave them my belated greetings

without your approval.

Not informing you

is a great crime in itself,

but I was so elated by the meeting

that I committed a great discourtesy

to the gidaeryeong.

Furthermore,

I displayed such misconduct

before your very eyes.

I am to blame for all this.

I will suffer whatever punishment,

Your Majesty.

The story in itself is trivial,

but it is rather strange.

How can one confess to their crime

with such confidence and boldness?

As you have reported

the matter regarding the Grand Prince,

I will not punish you on that end.

I am truly grateful, Your Majesty.

The punishment for your misconduct

to Mong-woo is not mine to decide.

It is up to him.

What will you do?

As the Sixth Royal Secretary

has acknowledged his misbehavior,

if you do not find it punishable,

I will turn a blind eye as well.

How understanding of you.

In the end,

you are asking me to turn a blind eye.

Is that not right?

Do not stir up trouble again

with such rash behavior.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I will keep that in mind.

I will head to Yeongchwijeong.

Follow me, Mong-woo.

Have you and Kim Myung-ha

decided to repair your bond?

Excuse my bluntness,

but the Sixth Royal Secretary and I

do not share a bond worth repairing.

Then what bond do you share?

Do you not want to tell me?

Our ties as acquaintances

were severed long ago.

We truly have no bond to speak of.

That is a lie.

Kim Myung-ha was afraid

that I might fault you

and confessed to a crime

before I even inquired.

You also used me as an excuse

and asked me to turn a blind eye.

No pair would act thusly

without a bond between them.

Respectfully,

I must assure you

that I only let the matter go

so as not to disturb you further.

I did not intend to protect him

in the slightest.

It may be so for you,

but Kim Myung-ha

seemed to want a strong bond with you.

He even told you

the shortcut to Yeongchwijeong.

I apologize,

but I have no way of knowing

what he may be feeling.

It would be better

to question him yourself.

You no longer demand to be k*lled

rather than to be treated with suspicion.

I cannot risk my life

every time I sit at a baduk table.

We shall end it here today.

Is Grand Prince Munseong…

a worthy student?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Does he have talent?

Yes.

His attitude and motivation

are both excellent.

You may ask for anything you need.

It would be helpful to have

baduk game records he can refer to.

There should be some at the library

for the Grand Prince to look over.

I will let them know.

I shall leave now, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Do you believe in Kim Myung-ha

and Kang Mong-woo's excuses?

Is there a reason not to?

They were implicated

in the false attestation three years ago,

where they tried to

accuse you of being a spy.

It is only natural to suspect them.

I am aware of that incident,

and they both know of my knowledge.

What could they possibly do?

However, Your Majesty--

I have already k*lled Mong-woo once.

As he has returned to me alive,

I intend to protect him this time

no matter what happens.

If he is plotting treason against you,

what will you do?

That is all the more reason

to protect him.

To me, a treacherous thought is loyalty.

Your Majesty.

I know what you are concerned about.

I shall keep that in mind and be alert.

Do not bring up today's incident further.

Yes, Your Majesty.

He seems so familiar.

Excuse me.

Greetings, my lord.

My name is Man-bok.

There is someone

who dearly wishes to meet you.

Please come with me.

The lord you serve

is Third Minister of Rites Yoo Hyun-bo,

- is that not right?

- Excuse me?

Yes, you are right.

I have in fact been waiting for this.

How fortunate.

A new wind will blow in the court.

The gidaeryeong

declined Her Royal Highness's offer

and sided with Her Majesty.

Everything will only get better

from here on out.

My lord.

Have you met the gidaeryeong yet?

He is not someone one can meet easily.

I have not even gotten a glimpse of him.

Come to think of it,

you promised to have the gidaeryeong

on his knees before me.

What is taking so long?

I hope you are not trying to deny

saying those words.

I was afraid you would think so

and went ahead

and arranged this meeting today.

You mean

the guest who will be arriving soon is…

My lord.

It is me, Man-bok.

Why are you alone?

Where is the gidaeryeong?

What happened?

My apologies, my lord.

The gidaeryeong refused to come

and asked me to convey his message.

What message?

The only person

who can order me to come and go

is His Majesty alone.

If he wishes to see me,

he should come to me.

Are those really the words of that brat?

Well…

Yes, my lord.

He made me repeat it several times,

saying that I must convey

the message word for word.

My lord.

Where exactly is the humor in this?

He is a lowly b*stard, not even worthy

of the lowest possible post.

How dare he disobey

a minister-level official's summons?

Since when did the discipline

within the court become so lax?

That lowly b*stard

just may become His Majesty's confidant.

Someone who has the guts to decline

Her Royal Highness's offer

would have no reason to be afraid of you.

I must leave.

Please wait, my lord.

I will immediately go

and bring him by his hair.

Let it go.

Do not stir up needless trouble

and focus on getting that

gambling den of yours disbanded.

Where does that brat live?

I hear he is staying in Banchon Village.

I think

you may be able to recognize him, my lord.

You think I would recognize him?

Who is he?

The baduk gambler

who should have died three years ago.

Hongjang's patron.

That is utter nonsense.

How dare you lie to me?

I am only

telling you what I have seen, my lord!

You must have seen a ghost

in your scatterbrained state.

You may enter.

You brat.

So it is true.

You survived.

How did you…

Does His Majesty know about this?

Of course not.

Had he known…

he would not have allowed

a government post to a traitor.

You hold office though you took off

upon hearing the news of w*r,

persecuted your sister, and had her k*lled

despite her acts of protecting her family

and staying by her mother's deathbed.

So why can I not hold one?

How dare you condemn me, you b*stard?

Here comes His Majesty!

What brings you here, Hyun-bo?

Well…

Your Majesty.

I have important news

I must share with you.

It is about this man, the gidaeryeong--

What about him?

Your Majesty.

Do you truly not recognize him?

He is the baduk gambler

who gave a false attestation

to frame you as a spy three years ago.

Do you think I have lost my sanity?

No, Your Majesty.

I would not dare to think that.

It is not as if Kang Mong-woo

is wearing a mask to hide his face.

Unless I have lost my sanity,

why would I not recognize him?

Do you have anything more to say?

I do not.

You are dismissed.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I brought the game records

for the Grand Prince.

I will go see him,

so follow me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

What is going on?

Does everyone know who he is

except for me?

That cannot be.

If everyone had known,

the Great Lord would have known as well.

However, he did not seem to be aware.

That means His Majesty is the only one

who knows of this fact.

Why would he keep him by his side?

You always seem to find trouble

whenever you leave my sight.

My apologies, Your Majesty.

You are not to blame.

I am to blame for not foreseeing this.

I will command the Special Firearms Unit

to keep an eye on you at all times.

That is that.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Why are you keeping quiet, Grand Prince?

You should express your gratitude

to His Majesty.

Your Majesty,

may I truly accept this?

Why do you ask me such a question?

This book contains

the record of baduk games

between my late father and you.

It is far too valuable for me to read.

You may accept it.

I brought it here to give to you.

Your Majesty.

After I have learned much

from the gidaeryeong

and become a proficient player,

may I request a game of baduk with you?

As my late father passed away

when I was too young,

I do not have much memory of him.

I would like to hear your stories of him

over a game of baduk.

Grand Prince,

you are being impertinent

with an abrupt request.

Be quiet, Princess.

My apologies, Your Majesty.

If you wish to play baduk with me,

being proficient is not enough.

You must be as good as the gidaeryeong.

What do you think?

Do you see his potential?

If one pours their heart and soul into it,

there is no obstacle one cannot overcome.

If His Highness gives it his best,

he will one day become

an even better baduk player than me.

All right.

I will promise you a game,

as Mong-woo has vouched for you.

Your Majesty, I have one more request.

Grand Prince.

What is it?

I…

would like to accompany you

on your upcoming journey.

This is the first gisinje

after the mourning period.

As the late king's son,

I would like to honor him.

I implore you to grant my request.

You cannot enter.

He ordered to keep people away!

My lord.

What insolence is this?

I have an urgent matter

to report to the Principal Director.

You may leave.

Make sure

to report this list

to His Majesty yourself.

I will, Lord Park.

You will regret it

if you do not hear this news.

It is about the identity

of the gidaeryeong.

The identity of the gidaeryeong?

You were not aware, just as I thought.

However, His Majesty was aware of it.

You may leave us.

My lord.

I have a request to make

before I share this news.

There is an old saying

that a well-fed dog

bites the hand that fed it.

While witnessing Kim Jong-bae's demise,

I made a vow to myself

that regardless of your flattery,

I would not feed you

under any circumstances.

So…

what of the gidaeryeong's identity?

Your Majesty.

That is the list of officials

who will baejong you on your journey.

BAEJONG: ACCOMPANYING THE KING

So many officials are unnecessary

when we are trying to reduce the cost.

Reduce the number by more than half…

and add Grand Prince Munseong to the list.

Your Majesty.

I advise you not to take

Grand Prince Munseong with you.

The journey will be arduous,

and this one in particular will not allow

his servants to accompany him.

It will be too taxing

for the young Grand Prince.

The Grand Prince

is old enough to handle the difficulties

of traveling for filial duty.

Do not worry about his caretaker.

Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo will serve him.

He has never had

the Grand Prince accompany him.

Why is His Majesty taking him this time?

You are wrong.

The Grand Prince is a pretext

to take the gidaeryeong.

That is ridiculous.

We shall see if I am right or not.

Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo

is the baduk gambler

who tried to harm His Majesty

with a false attestation three years ago.

He is also the man His Majesty kept close

before ascending to the throne.

Myung-ha! Hold on!

You know who Kang Mong-woo really is,

do you not?

What do you mean by that?

You warned me not to get too close

to Kang Mong-woo.

You must have said that for a reason.

Why? Did someone say something?

Yoo Hyun-bo was eagerly claiming

that he had news regarding him

for the Principal Director.

What is going on?

Myung-ha!

Greetings, Sixth Royal Secretary.

I am alone.

I came out of concern.

I hear Yoo Hyun-bo has been telling others

about your identity.

Are you all right?

Do not worry.

Yoo Hyun-bo only started talking

at the perfect time as I had intended.

What do you mean by the perfect time?

Did you also intend

the Grand Prince's matter?

Could you ask

if I can accompany His Majesty

on his journey this year?

Why do you not ask him yourself,

Your Highness?

Are you afraid?

It requires bravery

to be resolute despite being afraid.

Be brave.

That way, you will not have any regrets

even if you fail.

It is too dangerous.

It is fortunate that the King

assented without becoming furious,

but the Queen Dowager

and Park Jong-hwan will not sit back.

One cannot plot against the throne

without taking any risks.

Moreover, the true dangers

have already taken place.

The King ascended to the throne

after murdering your father,

Hongjang died,

and all contact with my father was lost

after he was taken

to Shenyang as a prisoner.

Do you not agree?

I am sure

your father is still alive.

If he were,

he would have returned at all costs.

- My lady.

- Do not call me that.

Kang Hee-soo died three years ago.

I am now…

Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo.

Sever all your emotional ties

to Kang Hee-soo.

If you do not do so,

my plans and means will lose power,

and we will fall in danger.

If you are referring to the last time,

do not worry.

I promise not to make another mistake.

The King said

he would not make an issue out of it.

He is already suspicious of us.

He may be laying down traps

just as he did three years ago.

I will not be deceived

by his trickery again.

Make your decision.

You cannot take

Grand Prince Munseong with you.

It will disturb the peace of the court

and bring about disaster.

If the peace of the court

is disturbed by a child like him,

then it is not true peace.

Your Majesty.

Do you truly not understand

what I am concerned about?

Ill rumors are still going around

among the people as is.

There is no reason to start another one.

By ill rumors,

do you mean the one about

how I m*rder*d my own brother?

That is all the more reason

for me to take the Grand Prince with me.

The people should see with their own eyes

that I am close to him

for the rumors to dissipate.

Do not worry.

Letting one child accompany me

will not cause any trouble.

There is one question

that I cannot seem to solve.

How is it that Grand Prince Munseong

is still alive?

To dispose of him,

we must tread carefully while gauging

the scholars' and the people's sentiments.

Otherwise,

the moment we move against him,

His Majesty and the royal family

will fall under suspicion.

Continue speaking.

When the time is right,

I shall have the Grand Prince

leave the palace

and carry out the duty.

This chaos arose after Gidaeryeong Kang

was named his baduk tutor.

I sought to get rid of trouble

but ended up causing more.

Why can you not win the King's heart

when even that lowly man could so easily?

His Majesty

is suspecting me

of murdering the late king.

My brother was poisoned to death.

Tell me, who did it?

Are you saying

that is the reason why the King

is wary of his one and only uncle?

Even if that were to be true,

the King ascended to the throne

thanks to you.

I am sure there is another reason.

I apologize,

but there cannot be any other reason.

What will you do about Kang Mong-woo?

Let us keep an eye on him

for the time being.

He might be more useful than I expected.

I would like to accompany you

on your upcoming journey.

This is the first gisinje

after the mourning period.

As the late king's son,

I would like to honor him.

Your Majesty.

Captain Joo Sang-hwa

of the Special Firearms Unit is here.

Let him in.

Your Majesty, did you summon me?

Are your men still tailing Kang Mong-woo?

No, Your Majesty.

I withdrew the order

after confirming where he was staying.

Shall I command them to keep tailing him?

Tail one more person.

Have them follow Yoo Hyun-bo as well.

Not Kim Myung-ha, but Yoo Hyun-bo?

Yes.

Third Minister of Rites Yoo Hyun-bo.

As you wish, Your Majesty.

I will double the amount if you succeed.

Who shall I take care of?

Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo.

Make sure he cannot play baduk ever again.

My lady.

The guest you have been

waiting for is here.

Let them in.

- My lady.

- Bun-yeong.

We finally meet

despite working in a close vicinity.

They say the inner palace

is the most secluded place for a reason.

Thank you for last time.

You really helped me out.

Since you praise me so much,

I am utterly at a loss for words.

Have Master Chu and Se-dong returned?

Not yet.

It looks like they will take longer.

My lady.

Then may we bring food out

for Bun-yeong first?

Yes, you may.

What is all this?

What do you think?

I cooked with all my heart

for my dear daughter.

Here.

Eat up.

It finally feels like I am eating.

What?

Do they still eat meals without you?

That is not it, Mother.

My stomach feels empty

no matter how much I eat in the palace.

Such is the life of any on the payroll.

By the way,

your stipend from last month

was much lower than usual.

I am sorry, Mother.

I was trying to spend less, but…

Her using what small wage she could

to win people's hearts

is what allowed her

to help Lady Hee-soo out.

Fine, I get it.

My goodness.

You have grown a lot, Jageunnyeon.

I used to outrank you by far

on having a glib tongue.

You should change your name

to Keunnyeon, as in mature woman.

I will treat you with due deference

to an older sister.

Your acknowledgment is enough,

little sister.

Goodness me.

Eat up.

You were right.

However,

allow me some time

as it will not be an easy task.

Time to let go of my feelings, that is.

Feelings for whom?

Why?

- What is the matter?

- You startled me!

Gosh, my apologies.

I will tread with sound

and cough next time.

What is with him?

Why is he acting so strangely?

Do not tell me

he still has feelings

for Lord Kang Hang-soon's daughter.

It appears so.

I thought he had moved on

as he did not ask after her,

but he still must not have done so.

What brings you here, my lord?

- Are you here for the baduk table?

- Yes.

No, that is not it.

I came to advise you on something.

As you will be accompanying

the Grand Prince on the journey,

it would be good to know this in advance.

Around the time of the gisinje each year,

His Majesty's behavior becomes erratic.

-It is so extreme

-Please forgive me!

that some even wonder

if it is not some seasonal insanity.

He becomes furious

over the smallest blunders.

Even Senior Court Lady Dong,

His Majesty's favorite,

treads lightly during this time.

Is His Majesty well?

He refuses to eat and drink

and stays in Yeongchwijeong day and night.

Court officials implored him

to come out several times.

Then he would suddenly

take the Special Firearms Unit

and leave the palace without a word,

turning the palace upside down.

Are you saying he suddenly behaves so

without showing any signs earlier?

There had been a sign.

In fact, it is…

Actually, I visited the

Royal Astronomical Observatory earlier,

and they said he would be fine this year.

But we should still be careful

as another outburst may hit us whenever.

I came to escort His Highness.

Come on out, Grand Prince.

Master.

Your Highness.

Did you just call me your master?

Yes.

Baduk is a long journey of learning,

which makes you my master.

Shall we?

Your Highness.

Principal Director.

Gidaeryeong.

This is Lord Park Jong-hwan.

Show your respect.

Greetings to you, Principal Director.

I am Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo.

Please look after His Highness.

The Principal Director

came to see you, Master.

I am aware, Your Highness.

Lady Hee-soo sure is something.

She is accompanying His Majesty

on a journey only a select few can join.

She is indeed a lady of her word.

Do you not agree?

By the way, where did Master Chu

leave so early in the morning?

How am I supposed to know?

I did not even notice him leaving.

It is her memorial day in a few days.

My goodness.

It is Hongjang's memorial day.

Without a grave

to perform a memorial service to,

I keep forgetting the date every year.

What do you mean there is no grave?

Master Chu's heart

is her grave and shrine.

You are right.

Chief Royal Secretary, what is going on?

Where is His Majesty?

I cannot tell you his whereabouts.

How dare you?

You still call yourself

the Chief Royal Secretary?

Great Lord, please calm down.

You back off!

Seeing how composed

the Chief Royal Secretary looks,

His Majesty is well.

I am sure he will return before midnight.

Do not attack.

I bring a letter for His Majesty.

The man before you is His Majesty.

It is a great honor

for a lowly man like me to meet you!

You may stand.

You have a letter for me?

I do, Your Majesty.

Thank you for the letter.

As I shall find what is lost at all costs,

make sure you tell them not to worry.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I shall make my way back, Your Majesty.

I want to play the game as well.

Forgive me, Your Highness.

They are not playing but training.

His Majesty commanded them

to train like in a real match.

As such, he only discouraged you

from playing out of concern.

Please do not be disappointed.

I shall tour the grounds with my master.

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

I asked with the full knowledge

that I could not play.

This is my first time

away from the palace,

and I wished to do something memorable.

All right! Any more challengers?

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

We have a challenger!

The Grand Prince and the gidaeryeong

are there, Your Majesty.

I have no intention of challenging you.

If you give up,

we shall count it toward your loss.

Let us go easy.

Easy.

When holding a sword,

you must be on your guard at all times.

You are exceptional, Master!

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

- Challenge him!

One game is enough for me.

I will stop here.

You acted all high and mighty.

Do not act weak now.

Let us finish this.

Your Majesty!

- Your Majesty!

- Your Majesty!

Your Majesty.

Master, are you all right?

Your Majesty.

I did command you to train

as if you were fighting our enemies,

but I did not expect you

to obey my command so well.

The gidaeryeong's frame

is much smaller than yours.

As such, I shall face you.

Pardon?

How could I dare

to wield a sword against you?

That cannot happen.

I will allow it.

Wield your sword as you please.

Your Majesty.

No, this is too dangerous.

Step back.

You may attack me first.

Put your heart into it.

This is why I tried to hold him back.

Are you injured?

This is a great honor, Your Majesty.

I am not injured at all.

You train…

to protect yourself

as well as your comrades.

You must care for your comrades

as much as yourself

to survive on the b*ttlefield

and become the victor.

No matter how exceptional you are,

should you look down on

and injure your comrade senselessly,

your action will be

considered insubordination

and punished harshly.

Do you understand?

- Yes, Your Majesty.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

What were you doing here?

Your Majesty.

I asked him if he could show me around.

It is time for gisinje soon.

You will be held accountable

after we have returned to the palace, so…

What is the matter?

You are bleeding.

I am fine, Your Majesty.

That is ridiculous.

Bring the royal physician immediately.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Are you all right, Your Highness?

I rushed here upon hearing the news

of a royal physician being summoned.

My master was injured, and not me.

Are you saying Kang Mong-woo was injured?

Captain Joo, where is the gidaeryeong?

He is being treated

by the royal physician in there.

Wait, is that not…

His Majesty's residence?

Are you saying he allowed

the gidaeryeong to enter his residence?

Yes.

What do you mean

you do not want to be treated?

This injury was inflicted

by a patrolman's sword three years ago.

As you are aware,

even a physician cannot do much

for such a wound.

And that is why you refuse?

As it is but an old wound acting up,

I should get better with some rest.

Your Majesty.

Sixth Royal Secretary Kim Myung-ha

seeks your audience.

Let him in.

Your Majesty, you must leave now.

It is almost midnight.

This is a royal command.

Tend to Gidaeryeong's wound.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You heard His Majesty.

Please show me your wound.

Please take this back.

I will reward you

three times the agreed amount.

I cannot do it

even if you offer a fortune.

I will pretend none of it ever happened,

so do not seek me again.

You are bleeding.

I am fine, Your Majesty.

That is ridiculous.

Bring the royal physician immediately.

Yes, Your Majesty.

How was the treatment for Kang Mong-woo?

Did he…

show his wound willingly?

Yes, Your Majesty.

I have treated him well.

I see.

That is a relief.

Please, Royal Physician Ji.

Please tell His Majesty

that you have finished treating me.

I did promise Master Choam to aid you,

but this is a royal command.

I cannot go against his command.

I will take responsibility.

There will not be any issues.

Let me at least apply some ointment.

If you give it to me,

I shall do so after resting.

As you wish.

Brother.

I shall liberate myself

from the pain of the past

and prepare for what is yet to come.

No amount of fear and disgrace

will be able to stop me.

Please do watch over me

until the very end.

Goodness!

This is troubling!

What is the matter?

Drizzle.

This is the sign

that drives His Majesty into insanity.

I must inform the officials.

This drizzle

is the sign that leads to his insanity?

It cannot be.

From now on,

you are Mongwoo.

My manghyeongjiu,

Mongwoo.

Why are you outside?

The rain…

It is drizzling.

Indeed.

It has been a while

since we had a mongwoo.

We will catch a cold. Let us go in.

I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.

You dislike me.

No, Your Majesty.

Do you like me then?

I do.

I…

like you, Mong-woo.

CAPTIVATING THE KING

Do you not mind the rumors going around?

Even if anyone dares to

condemn me for being attracted to men

and laugh at me to my face,

I, too, will laugh aloud with them.

Is there a way to stop the rumors?

The most certain way

is to expel the gidaeryeong.

What harm did Kang Mong-woo inflict on me?

Senior Court Lady Dong is officially

spending the night with His Majesty.

I have severed my emotional ties.

Now, it is your turn.

Comb through the capital

and find Kang Mong-woo.

I only had eyes for you

and wanted you from the outset.