One hundred and seven steps.
That is my place during the royal procession.
One hundred and seven steps from there.
Samdo, the path only the king of Joseon can walk down.
SAMDO: THE PATH THAT LEADS TO GEUNJEONGJEON HALL
The shortest path from where I stand to the King is Samdo.
The assembly shall begin!
Yi Do!
That is Mu-hyul, the best swordsman in Joseon.
However, my only target is Yi Do.
Has my plan failed? Has it?
It has failed.
It was too much of a risk.
I have to distract both the Special Attendant Guards and Mu-hyul
in order to achieve a success rate of over 70%.
I have to find a shorter path or move faster.
I have to be patient.
I will not proceed with the plan if the success rate is below 70%.
Yi Do.
SAJEONGJEON HALL
GEUNJEONGJEON HALL
GWANGHWAMUN GATE
Yi Do.
How dare you! Show His Majesty respect!
My apologies, Your Majesty.
I am only five steps away from him.
There are only six guards around him.
Mu-hyul is not around.
Are you a royal guard?
Current success rate is greater than 80 percent.
My sword...
I do not have my sword on me.
If I can snatch his sword, I still stand a 70 percent chance.
How disrespectful!
Did you not hear His Majesty's question?
I am too overwhelmed by His Majesty's presence to answer the question.
Seventy percent.
Your Majesty, I was looking for you.
Mu-hyul just showed up.
Now, the success rate is 60 percent.
Kang Chae-yun, what are you going to do?
What are you doing here?
This is the man General Kim Jong-seo sent.
I was on my way back to the quarter after finishing my shift.
But I got lost.
-Let's go to the Hall of Worthies. -Yes, Your Majesty.
What should I do?
What is your name?
How dare you!
His Majesty asked for your name.
My name...
I am Ttolbok from Hanjitgol village!
Don't you know who I am?
I am Ttolbok from Hanjitgol village!
Now you know you've messed with the wrong guy, don't you?
I do. I said I do.
Who was it?
Who dared to fool my father at the market?
What are you going to do if I tell you?
Who was it? Who fooled my father?
It was a grown-up man.
He's much taller than you.
What are you going to do about it?
Damn you!
So what if it was an adult? Do you think I cannot handle him?
I'm a servant of the household of Chief State Councillor Sim On.
Do I have to remind you of who I am?
1418, ACCESSION YEAR OF KING SEJONG
Chief State Councillor has done nothing wrong!
PARK EUN
JO MAL-SAENG
Are you telling the truth, Deputy Minister Kang?
What kind of crime
did Chief State Councillor Sim commit?
Then...
have you done anything wrong, Deputy Minister Kang?
Although everyone claims innocence,
if something has gone wrong, someone has to take responsibility.
Is that not how things are done in the Royal Court?
It is the former King's command.
THE FORMER KING: KING TAEJONG
That means...
Once the former King sets his mind to something, he never wavers.
No matter how hard you resist,
things will go
as the former King planned.
If this is the former King's plan...
The punishment you are receiving will kill you slowly and painfully.
Are you really going to give up your life like this?
Show your loyalty
to the former King one last time.
But...
the Great Lord
is the Chief State Councillor, the highest of all
besides the King.
The Great Lord Sim
is the father-in-law of the King.
-Oh, it's a blessing -Oh, it's a blessing
Whenever I see wood, I cannot help but plane
Whenever I see me lover, I cannot stop glazing at her
-Oh, it's a blessing -Oh, it's a blessing
When she is around, I plane wood one time
And glance over her dozen times
-Oh, it's a blessing -Oh, it's a blessing
A white slip, rolled-up sleeves
She truly is a feast for the eyes
-Oh, it's a blessing -Oh, it's a blessing
Be quiet!
Our master became the Chief State Councillor, not you guys!
Get back to work and stop making noise!
Come on, Kkeok-soe.
Don't you know he's not just any Chief State Councillor?
He is the father-in-law of the King.
He was even sent to the Ming dynasty to relay the King's message.
What is so wrong with us getting excited for our master?
You crazy fool!
A man once a servant is always a servant.
No matter who you work for, you are still a servant.
Why get excited for him when nothing changes for us?
Hey, everyone!
Guys!
-I've brought your snack! -He's here!
Look at him. He looks ridiculous.
-Gosh. -Oh, no.
They must have played a prank on him by dressing him up like that.
All right. Let me get that.
-Put it here. -All right.
You should have put on some makeup
if you were going to wear a skirt.
Don't you think?
My son will get mad at you.
Come on. Stay still. You're going to ruin it.
You look quite pretty
with makeup.
All right, then...
Let me feel that butt of yours.
Look at him. He's playing hard to get.
Ttolbok is going to throw a fit again when he sees this.
Father, hurry up and apologize.
Ttolbok, stop.
What is all this commotion?
Are you unaware that His Majesty has ordered the people to live
in accordance with the teachings of Neo-Confucianism?
Moreover,
my brother, the Great Lord Sim On,
is the father-in-law of His Majesty and the Chief State Councillor.
You all ought to be flogged,
but I magnanimously choose to teach you etiquette.
Ttolbok, stand up and bow to Geol-sang.
Gosh.
Not a problem, my lord.
But if you shall teach etiquette,
please teach Uncle Geol-sang as well.
What do you mean?
My father is five years older than him.
Yet, he never shows my father respect.
He always ridicules and beats up my father.
Is this just?
Is that true?
Has Geol-sang been treating him like that?
Yes,
my lord.
-What are you... -My lord,
it breaks my heart
seeing Uncle Seok-sam being bullied by my father.
Adults should lead by example.
Okay, then.
Seok-sam, step forward.
Geol-sang, bow to Seok-sam and show your respect to him.
Pardon, my lord?
I will treat you with respect.
Like that, dunce?
Why you...
My goodness.
-Come here, you brat! -Uncle Kkeok-soe.
Follow me!
-Ttolbok... -It hurts!
How dare you act like that in front of our master?
Did I not tell you not to cause any trouble
that could get you killed?
I told you to ease your temper, did I not?
One day, your temper will be the death of you!
I wonder where this troublemaker came from.
You also found time to go beat up that merchant.
He took my father's money!
So you went to them to get beaten up because he made your father beg for money?
At least I kicked the crap out of one guy while I got beat up!
Good going, idiot!
I wonder what you are going to become.
You must have taken after your dunce-like father.
What I meant was...
-Stop right there! -Ttolbok...
Ttolbok...
Oh, no...
Ttolbok...
Oh, no.
It must...
It must hurt a lot.
Don't cry.
Blow.
Oh, no.
Blow!
You should have told them to stop when they tried to draw on your face.
Why did you let them do this to you? Why?
-"Stop." -That's right.
Say, "Stop!"
-"Stop!" -There you go.
You're dead meat!
Repeat after me.
"You're dead meat."
Not like that.
Bite down on your teeth.
Glare at the other.
The words must come out from between your teeth.
You're dead meat!
"You're dead meat."
You're dead meat.
"You're dead meat."
Why can't you make a scary face?
Since you can't even do this right,
people keep calling you a dunce.
I'm not a dunce. Ttolbok said I am not.
You're right. A dunce is someone who can't even take care of their own son.
You have been taking care of me.
You even fell off the mountain...
trying to save me.
I saved my son.
Right. The father looks after the son.
The son doesn't look after his father.
The father looks after the son.
That's right. Now, repeat after me.
You're dead meat!
"You're dead meat!"
There you go! Like that!
How should you clench your fist when you're in a fight?
Right!
Good job.
You really drive me nuts.
Why do you keep pushing Ttolbok's buttons
when you know you can't even handle him yourself?
That little brat.
He won't let it slide a single time.
Hey, do it softly.
My goodness. That little bastard...
That hotheaded brat
does not have any respect for the elders!
So, don't provoke him to anger.
Now you're the one who needs to run errands with an aching body.
You little brat! Why did you side with Ttolbok in front of the master?
It is true that you bullied Seok-sam.
What?
I'm on Ttolbok's side.
I can't believe her.
How could you do that to your own father?
I can't believe even my own daughter wouldn't side with me.
I knew you would be here.
Are you shoving it to my mouth to avenge your father?
Why would you take it that way?
Then, are you feeding me out of pity?
Spit it back out.
It's good.
-Give me some more. -Forget it.
I'm going to gobble it all up.
-Are you mad? -I'm mad.
Darn absurd.
I'm mad.
Darn absurd.
I said I'm mad!
Then let's play a game. Gudeuljang.
Janggial.
Altong.
-Tongjeung. -"Jeung"?
Jeung...
-Are you giving up? -No.
Jeung...
Jeungmal.
What?
Jeungmal.
What is that? Is that even a word?
Jeungmal means "very." As in you look very pretty.
What?
What was that?
-Stop right there. -Hurry up.
Stop right there.
Dongdongju.
Jumeoni.
"Jumeoni"? You mean "pocket"?
You can't come up with anything, can you?
It's not that.
Here.
Is this made of silk?
I pocketed some silk scraps
when Madam was making clothes.
It took me forever to collect enough scraps for this.
Did you pocket the scraps?
Yes.
You are so cool.
It's a letter.
Dam, do you even know complex-looking characters like this one?
Of course.
I can memorize any character or picture by looking at it once.
That's right! You're amazing.
Actually,
it's supposed to be like this.
But I ran out of the gold thread since I had to steal it from Madam.
LUCK
What does it say?
"Luck" as in "Good luck."
Dam, you really are amazing.
You sound like a noble.
Actually, you look smarter than noblemen.
-Really? -Yes!
I stole something for you as well.
Here you go.
It's a pot rouge!
I'm sorry,
but the edge of the pot is chipped a little.
Steal another one for me next time.
Sure, but you must steal more gold thread and complete this character.
Deal.
You're not doing it right.
Do I look pretty?
Yes.
Give me that.
You shouldn't do this to a guy.
Why? You look pretty yourself.
Get over here right now.
You are so dead! How can you do this to a man...
Father, run away quickly!
What about my father? Have you seen him?
He's not here. He left.
Run faster!
Hurry!
Criminal Sim Jeong must come and accept the orders.
How dare you!
MADAM AHN: SIM ON'S WIFE
How dare you barge in like this?
This is the house of the Great Lord Sim On,
the father-in-law of His Majesty.
Who ordered you to arrest me,
the in-law of the King
and younger brother of the Chief State Councillor,
who is the highest of all besides the King?
It is a Royal Command.
What?
Royal command...
My Lady.
What happened?
-What was that all about? -Well...
The soldiers rushed in with torches.
Kkeok-soe told us to gather up.
They started to beat us up and stomp all over us.
-I got hurt here. -What is going on?
I have no idea what this is all about.
Let's go back. Madam is in danger.
No.
You must not get involved in something like that.
There's big trouble. Madam is in big trouble...
Come on!
What are you doing?
Father, you have to stay right here.
I'll go find out what's going on.
-I need to-- -I'll go find out.
But I want to...
What about my father?
He must have gone to run an errand since he wasn't there earlier.
We should wait for him in front of the house.
Your Majesty!
What happened to my uncle?
He was taken into the Royal Investigation Bureau last night.
Don't tell me...
I wished that didn't occur.
What shall we do now?
Where is His Majesty?
Where is he?
He is at his usual place...
KING TAEJONG, YI BANG-WON
You truly are the greatest, Your Majesty.
How is it coming along?
Kang Sang-in informed on Park Seup, Yi Gwan, Sim Jeong, and a few others,
but none of them had revealed who was behind this.
The answer is already determined.
Why are they being so stubborn?
It is doubtful that they will make it through today.
Where is the King?
Is His Majesty inside?
He has forbidden anyone from entering.
I must see him.
Are you going to go against him?
Your Majesty, this is Mu-hyul.
I'm coming in.
-Your Majesty-- -Wait.
Switch 496 with 812, 57 with 21, and 1004 with 5.
Yes, Your Majesty.
You there, do the math posthaste.
Yes, Your Majesty.
-Your Majesty-- -I asked you to wait!
General Sim Jeong was taken to the Royal Investigation Bureau.
He is currently being interrogated.
His Majesty is aware of it.
The Queen shall now enter.
-What are you doing here, Your Majesty? -One moment.
Just one moment, My Queen.
Keep silent for one moment.
Please wait for a moment.
It doesn't match, Your Majesty.
Jeong Mong-ju,
Yi Bang-seok,
Yi Bang-beon,
Nam Eun,
Sim Hyo-saeng,
Jeong Do-jeon,
Jeong Do-jon,
Jeong Yu, Jeong Yeong, Jeong Dam,
Min Mu-hyul, Min Mu-gu, Min Mu-jil, Min Mu-hoe...
These are the people my father killed.
Shall I continue?
If you do not want to die...
If you do not wish more to be killed,
keep silent.
I am afraid.
Then...
What good...
would solving this magic square do?
Why do you get into this every time there is trouble?
Is this magic square more important than my father?
He is the father-in-law.
He is my father and your father-in-law!
Kang Sang-in implicated my uncle during the interrogation.
Whom do you think they will go after now?
There is no doubt
that my father...
will be arrested
as soon as he returns.
As soon as he returns,
he will be sentenced to...
Please save him.
Please save my father.
Is there truly...
nothing you can do, Your Majesty?
I beg of you.
Please save him, Your Majesty.
-Please save my father. -Father.
Please save my father.
Please save me!
-Young Master! -Stop it!
Hey! You rotten bastard!
Hey! Let me go!
Please don't kill him!
There is...
nothing you can do.
You are the King of this nation!
I beg you.
-Please save him. -There is...
no way I can save him.
There is nothing I can do.
My apologies.
He is guilty of treason.
Conspiring such a thing especially at this time
when the former King decided to take direct control of the military,
is clearly an attempt
to destroy the relationship between father and son.
He should be punished not only for committing treason,
but committing the sin of ingratitude toward you, Your Majesty.
Arrest Sim On, the conspirator, upon his return,
and have Kang Sang-in and Sim Jeong confront with him...
Is that necessary?
Are you saying
that you lack grounds to convict them?
Absolutely not, Your Majesty.
They have already confessed to the crime, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, please execute Kang Sang-in, Park Seup, Sim Jeong,
and the others with poison.
Poison?
Isn't that an act of mercy
that the king bestows upon noblemen, who are found guilty,
yet still have a right to be executed with dignity?
Yes, Your Majesty.
They have committed the grave sin of treason and ingratitude.
What's worse, they attempted to drive a wedge between the King and myself.
It is unlikely that the King shall show such mercy upon them.
The officials recommend Park Seup and Sim Jeong be beheaded
and Kang Sang-in be drawn and quartered in public
to show the gravity of their offense to the whole world.
Please approve this, Your Majesty.
In addition, Sim On, the leader of them all, must be arrested
and investigated as soon as he returns from the Ming dynasty
and sets foot into Uiju.
Please approve this as well, Your Majesty.
I think you have to approve of their requests
so that we can stop this matter from lingering on.
Please do so.
What brings you here, Father?
I heard you've been in Jangseogak for the past couple of days.
I was wondering what you've been reading.
Were you trying to solve this?
As you can infer from its name,
there is something magical about this thing.
Once you get addicted to this thing,
you cannot tear yourself from it as if you are bewitched by it.
I have heard
that even outside of the palace,
young scholars are being extra cautious not to become addicted to it.
So, were you able to solve this?
No, I couldn't.
May I solve it for you?
The sum of all the numbers
in each row, column, and diagonal
is equal in a magic square.
Yes. That is correct.
I haven't tried this before,
but it seems rather simple and easy to solve.
There you are.
The sum of each row, column, and diagonal adds up to one.
If you think of it this way,
you can easily solve that 33 by 33 magic square.
All you need to do is take out all the numbers except one number.
No matter how complex it gets,
you can still solve it easily.
You couldn't even solve this simple magic square.
You must know that governing a nation is a much more complex matter.
No one in this world can afford to invest their time and effort
to unnecessary things.
Keeping all the unnecessary numbers won't get you anywhere.
This is how a king must solve a magic square!
That is power.
You must remove anything that could harm you or get in your way!
Having absolute power over all!
I, Yi Bang-won, am the one
who has that power.
That's why
no one should have more power than me.
You must not do anything.
Just keep trying to solve this magic square.
Do you understand?
ONE
All of you know why we are rushing the execution of Kang Sang-in, correct?
Of course, Your Majesty.
He is the King's father-in-law.
There must not be any disputes
or conflicts regarding his execution.
I completely understand.
Is Mu-hyul out there?
Where is Mu-hyul?
Go get Mu-hyul.
All of the Palace Guards were called to the former King's quarters.
Then get Yi Sin-jeok for me.
Or get me the Chief Eunuch.
The Sixth Royal Secretary Yi Sin-jeok, Chief Eunuch,
and all the court ladies were called to the former King's quarters.
No one should have more power than me.
You must not do anything.
Just keep trying to solve this magic square.
In that case...
You should go in.
-Me? -Yes.
His Majesty is asking for you.
Your Majesty, did you ask for me?
You are leaving the palace to look after your ill mother, right?
Pardon, Your Majesty?
From this moment on,
your mother is very sick.
Do you...
understand me?
Yes, Your Majesty.
I need you to help me save Sim On.
This is...
the only thing I can do at the moment.
You should be able to leave the palace without arousing suspicion.
You must leave the palace quietly and meet up with Sim On's servant, Song.
He's the most reliable.
Servant Song?
Tell him to deliver this to Sim On
before the Royal Forces get to him.
Yes, Your Majesty.
You must not get caught under any circumstances.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Why would the King's father-in-law commit treason?
-This is nonsense. -What is going on?
It can't be true.
-What is going on? -I can't believe it.
-Looks like trouble. -What nonsense is this?
-This shouldn't be happening. -How is that possible?
My goodness.
Hey, have you seen my daughter, Dam?
Hey, why are you out here?
-Weren't you locked in there? -What?
-Did he really commit treason? -Well...
I was out on an errand.
Your master--
You must be one of Sim's servants.
-No. -Follow me!
-I have nothing to do with this household. -Be quiet!
-Move! -No, I really have nothing... Dam!
Father--
So, you are saying our master is falsely accused of high treason,
and this must be delivered to our master
before the Royal Forces get to him, right?
Yes, His Majesty asked me to deliver this to Servant Song,
but since no one can get in or out of the house,
you should deliver it.
What does this letter say?
You wouldn't be able to understand it anyway.
Just deliver it like I told you to.
I met you today for the first time.
How can I trust you?
Tell me what this letter says.
It's asking him to lay low for now.
If the Great Lord Sim On can manage to avoid getting arrested,
His Majesty will take care of the rest. That's what this letter is about.
If we deliver this letter, can we save our master
and my father?
Yes. His Majesty said
that this is the only way he could save your master.
Really?
Can this save my father as well?
Yes, so you must deliver this to your master
before he arrives in Uiju.
Okay, I will do it.
I can do it.
But it's really far away.
I've been to Gaegyeong with Master,
and my father is from Uiju.
Really?
Then can I put my trust in you and report back to His Majesty?
Don't worry, I will leave immediately.
This is a very important and dangerous task.
You know that, right?
Yes, I do.
Oh, right.
Dam, you know how to read.
-Read this for me. -Go ahead.
Is this really about what she said?
Read it and see what it's about.
What does it say?
Was she telling the truth?
Hurry up. What are you doing?
Yes, that's what it says.
It says Master needs to escape.
That's the only way all of us can survive.
Really? Are you sure?
Of course.
What are you doing? I need to get going.
I will deliver it.
Father, you can't do it.
-Father-- -The father
takes care of the son.
The son doesn't take care of the father.
No, this has nothing to do with what I said before.
It's a dangerous task.
The father...
takes care of the son.
But this is something you can't--
I can do this!
Ttolbok's father is not a dunce!
I said no!
You're dead meat.
My father...
is probably fine, right?
Don't worry. This is the King's order.
His Majesty told the master to lay low, so that's all the master has to do,
and His Majesty said we could all be saved,
so none of us will die.
It's the King's order, after all.
That's what the letter said.
Right.
Uncle Seok-sam can deliver the letter, right?
Of course. He's good at saving others, if nothing else.
You heard him! "You're dead meat!"
He can do this. I believe in him.
He's the father of Ttolbok from Hanjitgol village.
Master!
Master, I'm Ttolbok's father!
Ttolbok's father!
Master!
Master, I'm Ttolbok's father!
Master!
SIM ON
Wait,
Seok-sam, why are you here?
Yes, Master.
This... Here...
The King asked me to give this to you.
He said it's urgent.
How dare you address His Majesty without respect!
How dare you disrespect him!
It's okay.
He is mentally challenged. Let it go.
So, what are you trying to say?
Slow down so I can understand you.
Well, there's big trouble at home.
Soldiers charged into the house.
This is...
a secret order!
She said this is the king's secret order.
A secret order?
What...
TAVERN
Is the job done?
Yes.
I did as instructed.
"Military commands must come from one leader.
Build an army and set a strong foundation for this nation."
I did a good job. Ttolbok, I did it.
Stop right there!
What are you all doing?
Surround them.
Chief State Councillor, what is that letter you're reading?
Who delivered it to you?
It was me! I delivered it.
It was from the King, and I had to deliver it to Master.
I fell and got hurt while running
all the way here from Hanyang.
I got hurt.
Seok-sam!
Arrest each and every one of them!
-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir!
What?
How...
How could that happen?
As ordered, the criminal Sim On is being transported to Hanyang.
This is the letter that was sent from the King's quarters.
Someone must have switched the letter.
It seems so, Your Majesty.
We've been searching,
but we are unable to find the girl who took your orders.
Master.
I think...
I did something wrong.
I'm sorry.
No, you didn't.
I guess... I'm dying.
I'm dying.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry
that I put you through this.
I need to...
go back to Ttolbok.
I have... something...
to say to my boy Ttolbok.
Seok-sam!
Please...
tell him... for me.
I'm afraid...
I won't be able to do that, either.
I will...
die here as well.
I must tell him...
I need to tell him something.
Excuse me.
Can you bring me something to write with?
I'm afraid...
I can't do that.
Even though I'm accused of a crime,
I am still the Chief State Councillor and the King's father-in-law.
Bring it at once!
I shall call for you later.
Stay in the Ming dynasty and don't get caught.
That is our only option for now.
How can he be a king with such a fragile heart?
What should we do
with Sim On?
Sim On is a wise man.
After reading that letter,
he probably has decided to give up his life
in order to avoid doing harm to the King.
Father!
Dam!
Stop!
-Dam. -Father!
Hurry up and flee!
What about my father? Where is he?
Shut up and run away with Dam right away!
-Father! -Hurry up and run away!
No!
I am not going to run away without you!
-We're all going to die this way! -Father!
What's going on?
-Father! -Let go of me!
The kids didn't do anything wrong.
-Sir! Dam! -Father!
-Let go!
-Let go! Where are you taking us? -Sir!
-Dam! -Uncle Geol-sang!
The Queen shall now enter.
You said you were not going to do anything.
Why did you do it?
Why...
did you...
send such a thing?
She clearly said that the letter was from the King.
Are you sure...
you read it right?
That messenger said
that the letter would save us all.
You read it yourself!
Tell me!
Did you read it right?
Did it really say that the master should lay low?
You...
You didn't know, right?
You can't read, can you?
It's all your fault.
If you had read it right, we wouldn't have ended up here.
Everyone will die because of your mistake!
Why is it Dam's fault?
Seok-sam got arrested for treason.
Seok-sam doesn't know how to commit such a crime.
Then that letter contained the wrong message from the start.
Listen.
Everyone is a victim.
I don't know what happened,
but all of us and our master are victims.
That's right. What did we do wrong?
This is not fair!
Even if we are nothing, they can't just kill us like this.
Wait...
Are we all going to die?
Didn't you hear what they said? It's treason!
We are all accused of treason, of all crimes!
We're all going to die!
Does this make any sense?
-Oh, my. -My goodness.
Oh, my! Seok-sam!
What happened?
-Seok-sam! -What happened to him?
-Wake up! -Seok-sam!
-My goodness. -Is he dead?
-Seok-sam! -What happened to him?
-Seok-sam! -Are you okay?
Wake up, Seok-sam!
Ttolbok.
He's calling you.
What is this?
That's your father's will.
Your master wrote it for him.
Crazy fool... What servant writes a will?
That bastard...
Seok-sam!
Oh, no! Seok-sam!
Seok-sam!
My father
had not tried to defend himself
and let them take his life.
He did not say a word.
He didn't complain at all.
He did not say...
a single word.
Why do you think he did that?
For whom do you think he did that?
Who did this to you?
Father.
Father?
Who is it?
Who did this to you?
Father.
Father!
Who is it? Who did this to you?
Which bastard did this? Who is it?
It was you.
If it weren't for you...
He let them take his life
so that you wouldn't be harmed.
Say something, Father.
Who is it? Who did this to you?
You are responsible for his death.
Subtitle translation by Sian Choi