EPISODE 16
Welcome, Prince Dowon.
How have you been, Your Majesty?
It's always the same for me.
Come here and sit.
I did not know you could be so impatient.
Are you here to rush me
after you heard about the Garyecheong?
No.
I'm here
to ask you for a favor.
Please withdraw the order to find a bride
and put a halt to my wedding.
Prince Dowon.
I am already in love with someone.
I love her very deeply.
And I do not wish to marry anyone else
other than her.
I will not ask who that lady is.
I do not need to know the name
of someone you are only casually seeing for a short while.
-Your Majesty. -Do you still not know?
You are
a prince of this kingdom before you are a man.
And a prince's marriage
is not decided based on your personal feelings.
It is a national, historic event.
Why must you make me teach you such common sense?
I fully understand how much you wish
to be with this lady.
However,
you must not let such young, fleeting love
ruin one of the most important events in your life.
Just bury
those feelings.
Be strong.
That is the best thing you can do for yourself
as well as
for that lady.
I will
head back, then.
Why don't you seem bothered at all?
How can you be so nonchalant about it?
Does this situation
mean nothing to you?
I'm holding it all in.
-I don't want to be angry at you. -I'd rather deal with that
than you congratulating me and saying you should head back.
I want to know what you're thinking
and how you feel,
so please show me.
What I'm thinking?
Then what on earth were you thinking earlier?
What if the Queen Dowager accepted your request?
Then what? Were you going to tell her that I am that lady
and pester her to allow you to marry me?
Did you think you could
just marry me like that regardless of how I would feel?
I have made it clear to you
that I do not wish to live here married to a prince.
I...
do not want that.
Even if you don't want it,
I do not care.
-Just put up with it and stay by my side. -Your Highness.
Otherwise,
I will end up losing you.
Be honest with me.
Tell me that you do not want me
to marry another woman. Say you're not okay with it at all.
-Hae-ryung. -It's the King's orders.
You should obey him.
Your Highness, where have you been?
I mean, how could Clerk Yi be Prince Dowon?
The gap is just too huge.
A clerk is a rankless position
that is the lowest of the low,
whereas a prince doesn't even need a rank
because he is His Majesty's son.
The gap is just...
Officer Yang, you treated a prince of this kingdom
like a servant, scolded him, and bossed him around
when you're a mere senior seventh-rank officer.
He didn't just scold him. He called him a lunatic.
I remember it clearly.
"Are you a lunatic?"
Shut your mouth, will you?
You're all accomplices, you fools.
But wouldn't you say it's His Highness' fault?
Why not just stay at his residence and enjoy his comfortable life?
Why bother coming here
dressed as a clerk?
That's exactly my point. He's so weird.
And why did he take Clerk Goo yesterday?
I swear I saw some sparks between those two.
Come to think of it, it did look like something was going on between them.
I'm suddenly so curious now.
Someone here must know what's going on.
Don't ask me. Please don't ask me!
I'm sorry I'm late.
Hey, come here and tell us. Yesterday--
Apprentice Goo. From today,
you'll go to Her Majesty's chamber.
Record everything about the prince's wedding.
Prince Dowon's wedding?
I normally go to Her Majesty's chamber. Why are you sending Apprentice Goo?
I'll go. You should go to Nokseodang...
She can't go there either.
I can go. I'll go to Nokseodang.
Apprentice Goo, you can go to Junggungjeon.
Yes, that's perfect.
Queen Dowager Im's chamber, Junggungjeon, and Nokseodang.
No, it's okay.
I'll just go to Queen Dowager Im's chamber.
What are you waiting for?
His Highness must have woken up a while ago.
Of course, we know that.
We're just afraid he might take his anger out on us.
Still, do you realize what time it is now? You little...
Your Highness.
It's me, Sam-bo.
Your Highness.
-I woke up earlier than usual. -Are you all right?
Why wouldn't I be?
Bring my breakfast now.
-Yes, Your Highness. -Of course.
I'd rather deal with him bawling his eyes out.
What is this?
I'm afraid His Highness might lose his sanity at this rate.
That may have already happened.
Your Highness.
I am Apprentice Heo A-ran from the Office of Royal Decrees.
MARRIAGE BAN LOOKING FOR A PRINCE'S BRIDE-TO-BE
We are looking for the prince's bride-to-be.
How come all the candidates are ladies from such humble families?
We still have some time. Please do not be concerned, Your Majesty.
How is Prince Dowon doing?
He has been quieter than usual since that day.
But other than that, not much has changed.
I see. As time passes,
he will put it all behind him.
Tell Eunuch Heo to serve him more attentively.
Yes, Your Majesty.
-Your Majesty. -You may come in.
We just heard from Lord So Baek-seon.
He has submitted information about his daughter.
Has he?
The Gyeongju So clan?
Are you sure it is the Gyeongju So clan?
Yes, I heard it myself at the Office of Rites.
It is the Gyeongju So clan.
She is Lord So Baek-seon's eldest daughter.
The military officials from that family made many contributions during the war.
Why would that family want Prince Dowon?
Besides, Lord So is the commander of the Military Training Corps.
Why would a military commander
wish to marry his daughter into the royal family?
Something is fishy, my lord.
He doesn't even want to have
a drink with us ministers in the royal court.
I'm sure there is an ulterior motive behind this sudden move.
Please contact Lord So.
Certainly, my lord.
I'm surprised.
I did not know Lord So Baek-seon had a daughter.
She is a precious child he got after the age of 30.
She is 18 years old this year.
However, Your Royal Highness,
there are rumors going around about how the Second State Councillor
has someone specific in mind.
I heard that the officials trained at the Military Training Corps
are making many great contributions all over the country.
Your exceptional bravery
must attract all the outstanding talents.
I am flattered, sir.
All I do is teach them that it is their duty as military officers
to be loyal to our country and the people.
"Their duty as military officers"?
Why you do not know your rightful place when you know what your duty is?
I am only saying this
as you seem determined to marry your daughter into the royal family.
We, the civil officials, are the core of the royal court.
There is no place for you military officials,
who mindlessly brandish your spears and swords all day.
Sir, you are being overly sensitive.
People say that this kingdom is ruled by the Min family,
not the Yi dynasty, because you always threaten everyone
and try to influence every political decision like this.
I simply submitted information about my daughter
as per the royal orders.
Unlike someone, I do not intend on selling off my daughter
to gain power and authority,
so there is no need to worry.
Don't fool yourself.
I am letting you lead the Military Training Corps because you are
a man of integrity who has no interest in power,
not because I cannot replace you.
FIRST EVALUATION
I am Kim Jin-myeong, the second daughter
of Kim Yeong-sik.
I am Park Seon-jeong, the eldest daughter of Deputy Magistrate Park.
I am the eldest daughter of Commander So Baek-seon,
So Yeong-hwa.
I was taught that it is wrong for women to study history
and to discuss manners.
Hence, I have never read any books
that are not about essential lessons for women.
Rice must be warm like spring,
soup must be hot like summer,
tea must be cool like autumn,
and beverages must be cold like winter.
The wife of King Wen of Zhou, Tai Si, who was known for her filial piety
and gentle temperament, was the greatest wife in history.
And his mother, Tai Ren,
who thoughtfully educated him, was the greatest mother in history.
Be honest with me.
Tell me that you do not want me
to marry another woman. Say you're not okay with it at all.
He was right.
I'm not okay with it.
What's wrong, kiddo?
Did those jerks bully you again?
No.
It's not that.
I just saw something strange.
"Something strange"? What?
What did you see? You seem so out of it.
-Let me see. -Let's see.
What is this?
"The eldest daughter of Deputy Magistrate Park Jae-hak will be
excluded from the third evaluation, for she lied about her year of birth.
The eldest daughter of the Section Chief of Personnel,
Song Sa-hui, will be added to the list of candidates."
What?
Is this the Song Sa-hui that we know?
That girl, Song Sa-hui?
What's the matter, sir?
You're on the list of candidates for Prince Dowon's bride-to-be.
Pardon me?
At this rate, you'll obtain the senior first-rank before any of us do.
Maybe we should've been nicer to her.
Yes, I know.
Sa-hui, what are you doing here?
All of you, please kindly leave the room for a few minutes.
Sa-hui, why... Gosh.
-Let's go. -Hey.
-Go on. -Sa-hui.
I mean...
-What is this about? -Just as you read.
The deputy magistrate's daughter lied about her age,
-and you've been chosen to fill her spot. -Why was I chosen to fill her spot?
Please revoke this order. I do not...
wish to marry Prince Dowon.
-My lord! -You were the one who came
to see me and said you wish to work for me.
I decide where you are needed
and how I will use you.
And I've decided that you must marry Prince Dowon.
What on earth can you get out of me marrying Prince Dowon?
You will find out soon.
The candidates for the third evaluation are staying at Byeolgung.
That is where you should be starting tomorrow.
He has someone specific in mind?
He wants another family member to marry into the royal family?
This time, it is not someone from his own family.
I heard it is Section Chief of Personnel Song Jae-cheon's daughter.
-That is... -Yes.
It is Apprentice Song Sa-hui at the Office of Royal Decrees.
Don't touch it.
She hasn't said a word all day. She's scaring me.
Thank goodness Clerk Song didn't come in today.
Had she come in, there would've been so much tension.
By the way, will Clerk Song never come back, then?
I have no idea.
What is happening these days?
We're losing our historians one by one.
At this rate, I'll be the only one left soon.
Apprentice Song.
I said you must stay at Byeolgung starting today.
I am still a historian.
You'd like Commander So Baek-seon
to be transferred to Hamgyong Province as the governor?
I heard that Russian spies often cross the Tumen River
to spy on commoners' houses and our military camps these days.
Commander So Baek-seon is extremely experienced,
so he should guard our borders.
The Military Training Corps Commander is responsible for training our troops
and guarding the city, which is extremely important.
I will not send him there to catch a few mice.
Please leave.
I can find a suitable replacement for--
What is your real reason for this?
What got on your nerves this time?
Why are you trying to send our greatest military official to the border region?
You are being outrageous, Your Royal Highness.
I am only concerned about our national security--
You are concerned about your own security.
You are afraid someone who is not your supporter
might become part of the royal family. I know what you are up to.
You are very smart, indeed.
Then please make a wise decision.
Prince Dowon doesn't have any power.
If something bad happens
to Commander So Baek-seon because of the marriage,
who will protect His Highness?
Second State Councillor!
I shall leave now, Your Royal Highness.
You should leave, too.
He will not stop.
If not today, tomorrow.
If not tomorrow, the day after that.
He will pressure you
until he reaches his goal.
So what?
Do you want me to be under his control?
So you can become Prince Dowon's wife?
You said you became a female historian because you had nothing.
I did not know
this is what you wanted with the Second State Councillor's help.
-Do not jump to conclusions. -I'm congratulating you.
You can live a life of luxury now.
You'll soon become someone
whom everyone looks up to, not just a female historian.
Didn't you get what you wanted?
That is not what I wanted.
I wanted the freedom to choose.
I wanted to live my life with my own choices
without getting swayed or controlled by anyone else.
I thought I could live that life if I became a female historian.
That is why I went to see him.
It did not mean
I wanted to leave my entire life in his hands.
Even so,
do you still think I got what I wanted?
My life is hardly mine.
Do you know how devastated I am
after realizing that reality?
I came in
to say goodbye face-to-face, because this may be the last time.
Stay strong, Your Royal Highness.
I know that feeling, too.
Realizing that
I cannot choose
my own life.
Have a seat.
I will hear you out
one last time.
"On the honeymoon night,
the prince arrives at the prince's palace first.
Then he leads his wife into the room.
The prince faces west
and bows to his wife.
His wife faces east and bows down to him twice.
After the prince bows down in return,
he bows to his wife once again and takes a seat."
Your Majesty.
What is all this fuss?
Well, it's...
What's with those old fogeys?
Is there something on my face?
No.
Hey, what did you say?
They should make a better effort before coming up with a rumor.
Clerk Song? My gosh, come on.
Yes, Scribe Jegal. You must be mistaken.
It would make more sense if she talked back and got kicked out.
She wouldn't do such a thing.
-I'm telling you. -I'm serious.
Court Lady Kim told Eunuch Park, and Eunuch Park told Clerk Choe,
and I overheard them talk.
Hey, Clerk Song.
Wait, Apprentice Song, you should tell him the truth.
He keeps on spreading a weird rumor.
What rumor?
Well, how can I put this?
It's that, you know,
someone saw Clerk Song walk out of Dongungjeon this morning.
Come on, that makes no sense.
Apprentice Song came in this morning with us...
She didn't come in with us.
Clerk Song, why aren't you saying anything?
Tell them it's not true.
Apprentice Song?
It's true
that I was in Dongungjeon.
Wait.
What do you mean by that?
Wait, did you... Did you and His Royal Highness...
It's not like that. I...
Then what is it? Why would you spend the night there?
Hey, are you out of your mind?
How can a historian be with...
Officer Yang!
There's a court lady outside.
Her Royal Highness is looking for Song Sa-hui.
Tell her that she cannot go.
Tell her Officer Min U-won said no.
-I tried telling her that, but... -I'll go.
Apprentice Song.
What will happen to her?
What if something terrible happens to Apprentice Song?
Where is she going?
Apprentice Goo!
Your Royal Highness, Apprentice Song Sa-hui has arrived.
What do you think you're doing here? You should go back.
She's an officer at the Office of Royal Decrees.
Her Royal Highness cannot meet her without a historian.
Tell her to come inside.
I want all of you to stay outside.
How brazen of you.
I expected you to get on your knees.
I'm not surprised that you look down on me.
I'm being jealous
when I'm not even capable of approaching the Crown Prince.
So you must find me foolish and revolting.
-That is not true. -Then why...
Why don't you look guilty at all?
Is it because you feel superior thinking that you managed
to sleep with His Royal Highness
when I've failed to do so for over ten years?
Do you not fear me because you're sure
that you’ll soon become his concubine?
Don't get mistaken.
Regardless of how hard you try,
His Royal Highness will never become yours.
I've never dared
to even wish for something like that.
All I wanted was for His Royal Highness
to acknowledge
my feelings.
Your feelings?
Are you even aware that your feelings
could snatch everything away from you
and ruin your life?
Yes, I am.
However,
I do not regret it.
What? The Crown Prince and a female historian?
Yes.
And she's apparently the Section Chief of Personnel's daughter,
one of the candidates for Prince Dowon's bride.
How nice of her.
She helped me ruin the Second State Councillor's plan.
However, this will turn into a big scandal for His Royal Highness.
We could say it was just a false rumor made by the court ladies...
I apologize, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Baek-seon.
Your Majesty.
Have you been well?
Thank you.
I'm sure it wasn't easy
to get on Min Ik-pyeong's bad side.
It was a request from you, so I had no reason to hesitate.
But I heard that he's trying to have me transferred.
I also heard the news.
It's a pity, but we will have to take a step back.
Our goal was to stop him from getting Prince Dowon
to marry the candidate he had in mind.
There's no reason to push ahead with the marriage
when your current position is at risk.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I'll try to find a decent husband for your daughter,
so please console her so that she doesn't feel distressed.
Don't worry, Your Majesty.
Didn't you once
tell me that you wanted to meet Prince Dowon in person?
Is that him?
He must like reading books.
Yes.
He was always reading ever since he was young.
He's very similar to His Majesty.
Let me take that.
What's the matter?
You haven't changed.
You still won't let others carry things.
How have you been?
Both you and that girl.
When I first went to Qing,
I was only focused on making a living.
I worked as an interpreter for merchants,
and Hae-ryung helped me as she followed me around.
And I spent
the next few years struggling
because Hae-ryung asked me every single day
regarding what happened to our teacher
and why we had to leave Joseon.
So tell me.
How much does she know?
She thinks her father passed away because
he was falsely accused.
She'll find out the truth one day.
And when she does,
she won't forgive you.
I have never thought about being forgiven.
I'm just scared that Hae-ryung might not be able
to cope with the truth.
The fact
that I'm the one
who made her father die.
They look exquisite. I guess it's because they were made for the royal family.
This looks like it was made by a master craftsman.
What is all this?
We got it from the embroidery room. They need to check the size
and whether His Highness finds them comfortable.
Are you trying to make things worse?
-Must I do it today? -No, not exactly.
Then let's do it next time.
You should leave.
Your Highness.
I looked into a few houses outside of the palace.
Tell me next time.
Please don't be like this.
If you stay indoors, you'll get bitten by mosquitos,
and you'll feel really hot and stuffy.
Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air--
I don't want to.
Then why don't you at least take a walk to the garden--
I said, no.
I know you don't want to, but just do it anyway!
This entire room is filled with memories of Apprentice Goo.
Nothing will get better if you just stay indoors like this.
You should at least go outside and keep yourself busy
so you don't think about her too much.
If you think about it positively,
this is your chance to get what you've always wanted.
You'll get to move out of the palace.
You should go outside and take a look at a few houses.
Then you'll think about how you want to live in the future,
and start chattering about it to me.
It'll make you feel better and cheer you up.
What do you say?
Let me tell you about this house.
The god of childbirth is very generous to those who live here.
Every woman who lived here gave birth
to at least six or seven sons.
This is the famous and priceless front gate
that was made with the jujube tree that was struck by lightning.
It blocks all the bad energy from coming inside
and brings money to those who live here.
This house is filled with good luck.
YEONRIJAE
Every couple that lived here were happily married.
So they named this place Yeonrijae.
"Yeonrijae"?
Tell me more specifically.
Certainly, Your Highness.
When the branches of two trees get tangled up,
they eventually become one, and it is called "yeonriji."
And every married couple who lives here
is known to live the rest of their lives as one
without ever breaking apart.
"I hope
you live
for a long time
and be the owner of my heart."
Hae-ryung!
Who are...
My goodness, where...
Where are you going?
Wait.
What are you doing?
You can't just barge into someone's house like this.
Lady Hae-ryung, he just barged in here...
Please leave.
I'll just...
abandon everything.
You do not need to live as a prince's wife
if you don't want to.
I can just...
put down my title as a prince.
I can give up everything. I am fine
with abandoning everything.
Your Highness.
Let's just go to a place where no one knows us.
Let's go to a place where no one knows us
and live happily there.
You can do what you want
and go where you want.
And I'll just...
stay by your side.
That's all I want.
Your Highness.
The world we live in
isn't a novel.
Running away like that
might sound like a beautiful ending when you read it in a novel,
but the reality is different.
Unlike a book that has an ending,
we'll have to live the rest of our lives
feeling burdened and being chased.
I'm fine with that. I won't regret it.
No.
We will get tired as time goes by.
We will eventually get exhausted
and end up hating each other one day.
We will regret the choice we made
and live in resentment.
I promise.
I won't ever feel that way.
I swear.
It is not you that I do not trust.
I just don't trust myself.
What if I end up feeling the slightest bit of regret?
And what if that feeling grows,
and I end up blaming and hating you?
Will you be able to endure that?
So please go back.
This is
the best I can do.
I hope you meet someone who has a big heart
that can walk beside you,
wish the same wishes,
and love you wholeheartedly.
You can meet someone like that.
Hae-ryung.
You know
that you're everything to me.
I'm sorry.
I don't feel the same way.
He will not just sit back.
You never know what he might do to you.
Her Majesty even took Prince Dowon?
Make sure the Second State Councillor doesn't find out.
You will be a great husband.
Any woman would be glad to have you as her husband.
Ever since you came to Nokseodang,
I never once had a bad dream.
You practically killed everyone
including the King and the people of Seoraewon!
Jae-gyeong?
That means he died the day I was born.
I saw the name "Ho Dam" near the royal villa.
There's no reason or need for him to be alive!
Prince Dowon is the first son of the dethroned King.
Subtitle translation by Liya Choi