PARK HYUNG-SIK
JEON SO-NEE
PYO YE-JIN
YUN JONG-SEOK
LEE TAE-SEON
OUR BLOOMING YOUTH
THIS DRAMA IS A FICTION AND
ALL CHARACTERS, ORGANIZATIONS,
LOCATIONS, INCIDENTS, AND RELIGIONS IN THIS DRAMA ARE FICTITIOUS
SCENES OF ANIMALS
WERE CREATED WITH PROPS AND VISUAL EFFECTS
Is it dried peony blossom?
What's that smell?
Did Mother light a scented candle?
Did I see peony blossom in the kitchen that day?
Try to regain your memories as soon as possible.
You must remember what happened that day.
You can do it.
What is it that I can't remember?
Something I missed.
Something I forgot.
Jae-yi.
Right. Yeong came by.
Was everything she said to me a lie?
I met Min Jae-yi at the hunting grounds
when someone shot an arrow at me.
Was she really the one...
This isn't my bow.
...Who tried to shoot me?
What happened at the ceremony was a trick.
It's strange that she figured out what happened at the ceremony right away.
If you didn't send that secret letter,
how could I have known about the ghost's letter?
Was the one who sent the letter working with Min Jae-yi?
No.
It just does not make sense.
Even if they are working together, there's no reason
for her to kill her own family.
But...
I can't keep her around anymore.
Bring me Sun-dol.
Pardon? Why do you want me to bring him?
Bring him.
Bring him right in front of me now.
Didn't you hear what I said?
Bring Go Sun-dol here right now!
Yeong came to the kitchen that day.
If I tell His Highness,
maybe he'll help me find the answer.
Well, speak of the devil.
Why are you doing this?
What is going on? Let me go.
Your Highness, the guard of Crown Prince is here.
Your Highness, I brought him as per your orders.
Please give us the room.
Tell all the servants to leave the building.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your Highness, what is...
Is this what you and him wore as a symbol of love?
No, Your Highness.
This isn't a symbol of love.
He gave it to me as a friend, a friend like a brother,
because he was sad to see me leave.
There was no lie in the records.
What you said was a lie.
Everything was a lie.
I will never trust a single word coming from your mouth again.
Your Highness, how could you...
You said you trusted me.
Read it.
This letter was meant for you.
To Jae-yi, my love.
I'm sorry we couldn't
leave together and get married.
I'm sorry I betrayed your trust.
Nothing made me happier or gave me more pain
than the love you gave me.
I will still love you from up above.
I love you just as much as you love me.
"From up above"?
Your Highness, how did this letter get sent to me?
This isn't true.
Your Highness, this is a lie.
You have to believe me.
Yeong could never do this...
Shut your mouth, right now!
It's the last words of a man before he died.
It is a suicide note.
He hung himself
in the house of the woman he loved.
So how could his suicide note be a lie?
Tell me.
Explain this.
Since when were you lying to me?
The secret letter must've been a lie.
The arrow and the written prayer...
It was all you, wasn't it?
No, Your Highness.
It wasn't me, Your Highness.
Enough, no more will I listened to.
Listening to your lies won't do anything for me.
It's useless.
I don't care
whether or not you poisoned your family
-because of your secret lover. -Your Highness.
-Is anyone out there? -Your Highness.
Is anyone out there?
What is going on? Why is everyone...
Is anyone out there?
Yes, Your Highness.
Get Go Sun-dol out of here.
Your Highness.
Please just give me a chance.
Do not step foot in the East Palace again.
No.
It wasn't me. I never lied to you, Your Highness.
Please just give me a chance to explain.
Your Highness.
Good going.
Eunuchs who got here easily get fired that easily as well.
Don't ever come here again.
Gosh.
Go home and get some sleep
and go to the Office of Eunuchs tomorrow morning.
I will send them a letter.
I'm sorry.
Why would His Highness take his suicide note?
Since when was he investigating that case?
My Lord, there is one more thing.
Lady Jae-yi's servant also disappeared.
We think she may have run away with Lady Jae-yi.
Her name is Ga-ram
and she's Jang Chi-su's cousin.
Find her.
We must at least find her servant.
Yes, My Lord.
EPISODE 7
Oh, where do you live?
Hanbat Village.
Go home early from now on.
Is there a way to contact Eunuch Go?
There's no way for us to contact him first.
Are you worried?
I told you that
Eunuch Go's injuries were minor.
Yes.
I see you are still worried.
We must've gotten close since then.
There must be a new poster.
Don't tear it off again, Master.
What is it? What does it say?
That's why you need to learn how to read.
Since you can't read these posters,
you don't even know what's going on in the world.
Fine. I'll learn.
So what does it say?
Her face seems familiar...
One of Master Min's servants has disappeared
so they ordered a chusoeryeong.
CHUSOERYEONG: TO SEND A SERVANT BACK TO HIS OWNER
Her name is Jang Ga-ram.
Wait. What?
She kind of looks like you, doesn't she?
What? That is so not true.
I'm a man.
Are you mad because I said you look like a girl?
Lady Jae-yi's whereabouts
is still unknown,
but I guess they're concluding the case with her as the culprit.
Violating the moral principles is the most serious crime in Joseon.
Her house will vanish soon.
What does that mean?
When someone violates the moral principles, they tear down
the house, dig a hole and make a lake.
The servants become government slaves,
but I wonder how she ran away...
Is that servant with
Lady Jae-yi right now?
If they are together, it may have been easier to
stay in hiding by depending on each other.
-Isn't that right? -Yes, Master.
What will happen to the servant?
She broke the law, so she'll be punished.
Male servants who run away will have the word "servant" burned into
their left cheek and female servants will have it burned into
their right so they never run away...
What's wrong?
Your face is all pale.
How can there be such an awful punishment?
Right.
I also think it's awful,
but what are you going to do? It's the law.
Yeong.
I can't believe you're dead.
I can't believe you committed suicide.
Why did Yeong leave such a suicide note?
Why was Yeong in the kitchen that day?
And why can't I remember
what we talked about
that day?
It's so frustrating.
Why have you become an idiot?
What are you doing here? You got kicked out.
There's something inside that belongs to me.
You came here empty-handed,
so you must leave empty-handed.
It's important to me. It will only take a second.
Everything inside belongs to His Highness.
Go away!
Then please tell His Highness that
there's something important inside.
Something from the shaman's house.
Tell him to make sure to take a look.
I don't know.
You have been nothing but trouble for me.
Why do I have to relay your message when you've been kicked out?
Tell him yourself if you can find a way.
Have a nice life.
Go back to being a soldier.
Gosh, he seems depressed.
I thought he would be like, "I will remember what you did to me.
I won't hold back."
I have no idea what is going on.
Whatever the reason may be,
it's good that he got kicked out.
It feels good like a tooth with a cavity falling out.
Don't you think so?
True, but...
Gosh.
It's just... We didn't have to lift a finger.
Min Jae-yi. I trusted you.
I needed someone I could trust.
I depended on you
because I've been waiting for someone like you
for a long time.
ONE YEAR AGO
How is your arm? Has it gotten better?
I got the poison out and the wound has healed,
but there's something I must show you.
Lift your right arm.
That's enough.
I'm sorry I made you worry, Father.
The royal physician said...
He said it's possible it will never return to its original state.
My successor cannot be crippled.
Then what are you going to do with me, Father?
There's no reason for me not to dethrone you
since you are crippled
and heinous rumors about you have been going around
Before I am your subject, I am your son.
What could I do about the rumors
and my injured arm?
Do not let anyone see that
you can't move your arm.
Doesn't the royal physician already know about my arm?
He was killed by a man who was drunk
on his way out of the palace yesterday.
So
no one knows about your arm.
From now on, you must take care of your arm yourself.
Did you send that drunk man to...
If I did, what are you going to do about it?
Let go of sympathy and compassion.
You won't be able to protect
your position if you let those personal feelings get in the way.
It has only been two years since Crown Prince Ui-hyeon died.
What do you think will happen if people find out you're sick?
The government officials will come to me
and continuously asked me to dethrone
the crippled Crown Prince.
I already lost one of my sons.
Must I lose another one?
I am the son of a lowly maid
and you are her grandson.
We have nothing.
The government officials
who bow down to us
has been born in
a noble family for generations.
They will never forget that no matter what
and look at us with cold eyes.
If we fail to protect our position,
we will die.
Do not trust anyone.
Sometimes, don't even trust me.
If I am to protect my position,
I must think of the country and the officials
instead of personal feelings.
I also do not trust anyone.
That's the only way you're going to survive in the palace.
"Become a king based on goodness and virtue."
Is that what your teachers taught you?
They are not wrong.
But to be good and virtuous,
you must survive first.
Survive no matter what
and protect your own place.
I thought you were the one
I was waiting for, Min Jae-yi.
I thought the one could trust finally came to me.
Go Sun-dol from the East Palace.
Aren't you a long-term eunuch?
Where are you going at this time of night?
It's His Highness' orders.
You may go.
Murderer of Gaeseong, Min Jae-yi.
I trusted you
because you came to me even when you were on the run
after being accused of bloody murder.
I trusted you.
You were like a ray of light
that made me see a whole new world
other than the lonely palace.
I will stay next to you.
Your Highness, I will protect you.
I trusted your word.
But was everything you said a lie?
If Lady Jae-yi is alive
and this servant is with her...
Where would they be?
Male servants who run away will have the word "servant" burned into
their left cheek and female servants will have it burned into
their right so they never run away...
Hold her down.
Is anyone in there?
Who is this?
Is this where Jang Chi-su lives?
That's right?
Why are you looking for him?
We're looking for his cousin.
Who are you?
I'm Jang Chi-su.
Is your cousin Jang Ga-ram who was
the servant of Min Jae-yi?
Yes. Why are you looking for her?
Gosh!
Did she disappear?
Jang Ga-ram that brat will never come here.
She and I have been arch enemies
since we were young.
She's been ordered a chusoeryeong,
so if she comes here, you must let us know.
I will.
Who are you? Show us your identification tag!
My tag...
He's here to collect money.
I told you I'll get you that money.
When are you going to pay me back?
I'll give it to you right now, your jerk.
Come on in.
He borrowed five nyangs, but still hasn't paid me back.
Let's go.
Take care.
Why are those soldiers looking for you?
I thought the case had closed already due to Lady Jae-yi's death.
Chi-su.
What do I do?
They ordered
a chusoeryeong.
Chusoeryeong...
If she comes to me, I can protect her.
Oh, here comes the manyeondang apprentice.
You're here early.
So are you. What brings you so early?
The curfew bell hasn't rung yet.
Then what about you two?
I came to clean up the lab.
Yes. Being diligent is the best.
What is up with all the rice bags?
We're sending it to our hometown.
This many?
Do you have a lot of family?
That is why he's such a cheapskate. He won't even buy me a pair of socks.
We need to earn money to go back home.
Aren't you going to go? I'll go by myself then.
Gosh.
Did you hurt your arm?
He hurt himself in the mountains.
You should've been more careful.
I'm fine.
I'll get better soon.
Take care, then.
Did someone leave a body last night?
Why didn't he even tell me?
What should I do? Should I go back home?
No.
Even that coward Myeong-jin isn't afraid.
There's no way brave Ga-ram would be afraid.
How did you die?
Let me take a look at you.
Please don't kill me.
You are still afraid of bodies?
My Lady.
My Lady!
Do you have any idea how worried I was?
Gosh, your face...
Are you hurt anywhere else?
Did you get proper treatment?
I'm fine. Don't worry.
But why are you sleeping here?
What time is it now?
I can't be late.
I have to go to the Office of Eunuch starting today.
It's still dark out. The sun hasn't even risen yet.
I'll make you your favorite food,
so eat that before you go, okay?
Your Highness, are you awake?
I don't think he slept at all last night.
The light never went off.
So he has been awake until now?
Enter.
Yes, Your Highness.
Since it's located where the sun rises, it's the first palace that sees the sun.
That means you are at the place where the sun rises.
Isn't that amazing?
The food you cook truly is the best.
I ate every last bit.
I'm glad to see you eating so well.
My Lady, do you think we'll be able to go back to Gaeseong?
I hope that day will come.
I was ordered a chusoeryeong.
Soldiers came to Chi-su's place to find me.
It's okay, My Lady.
I'm really okay.
I managed to avoid the crisis.
It's all because of me.
If it weren't for you,
I'd be long dead by now.
Everyone abandoned me because I was sick,
but you didn't give up and you saved my life.
Still...
I'm sorry.
I was a little surprised yesterday, but I'm fine.
Even if my right cheek is burned with the word "servant"
I'll get through it.
So My Lady,
you must get through everything too.
We'll be able to go back to Gaeseong.
Yes.
You have no idea how much strength you give me.
But your master will also see the posters.
Will you be okay?
Myeong-jin doesn't care about my name at all.
He's cute and funny.
He calls himself by his name.
Oh, Myeong-jin. You woke up early today.
The air is so refreshing, Myeong-jin.
Lady Jae-yi, and her servant Ga-ram.
Did you two also have a nice sleep?
I hope you're okay.
He only cares about his work. He doesn't even know my name.
He calls me "Hey" or "You"
or "My apprentice" when he's happy.
That is my name to him.
He probably doesn't even know I have a name.
We saw the poster together and he didn't know.
What did you do at the Office of Shamanism?
If we follow his orders,
we can go back home, right?
We must.
Oh-wol must be waiting for us.
LAST NIGHT EUNUCH GO SUN-DOL WAS KICKED OUT FROM EAST PALACE
I didn't keep that dagger to hurt anyone.
I just kept it to protect myself.
Eunuch Soh, are you out there?
Yes, Your Highness.
-Bring me Tae-gang. -Yes, Your Highness.
What is this?
What does it say?
It's Sim yeong's suicide note.
Pardon?
Master Yeong is dead?
I heard he killed himself.
"I'm sorry I failed to keep our promise
and I'm sorry I'm leaving without you."
That's what it says in the suicide note.
Is there something you promised Master Yeong?
Were Yeong and I lovers?
What are you...
What did you think?
Tell me honestly. Did you also think like that?
Did you think
Yeong and I were lovers?
You were always warm and kind to everyone
no matter their status or gender.
My memories are strange.
How so?
I can't remember what happened around
the time my parents passed away.
Why would Yeong risk his life to send me that letter?
Maybe he has a reason.
Strange.
There's no reason for him to hurt you.
It's strange that he said
you were the one who
poisoned the soup, isn't it?
Yeong would never do that.
Maybe Yeong and I shared feelings
while keeping it a secret from Ga-ram?
What if I just can't remember?
What if I tricked Ga-ram too?
Anyway, why did you stay here last night?
-I got kicked out of the East Palace. -What?
How?
It just happened.
Then what are you going to do now?
I don't know.
I can't live in the palace anymore.
I have to leave the palace every night and sleep in my own home,
but I don't have one of those.
Would it be okay if I stay here?
You don't have to worry about Master Kim.
But are you going to keep sleeping on that table meant for bodies?
Did you call for me, Your Highness?
I've been here a while, Your Highness.
Is there something you need me to do?
Did Go Sun-dol
get some sleep yesterday?
How would I know?
-What? -Pardon?
You told me to kick him out,
so I locked the library doors.
You locked the doors?
I kicked him out of the library so he couldn't come back
and locked it tight with a padlock.
And that little prick really had a foul mouth
You jerk.
You scumbag! Is being a Crown Prince's bodyguard that big of a deal?
A Crown Prince's bodyguard shouldn't be
laughing at someone else's pain!
I will teach you a lesson one of these days.
I will not let this slide!
So where did he go
last night?
To his house, I presume.
If you still decide to turn a blind eye
I'm good as dead anyway.
This is the document from the Royal Inspector's Office.
Oh, there was something Go Sun-dol wanted me to tell you.
-What was it? -Why you little...
Right!
He said there's something in the library
you must see.
It's not the incense they used, Your Highness.
They must be decorating the palace.
Why hasn't Go Sun-dol gone back to being a soldier?
Why is he still here?
I really don't understand him.
Does he have nowhere to go?
Look at him, Your Highness.
Did he see the incense and the dried flowers?
Don't just stand there daydreaming. Get over here!
You must decorate with care.
Someone important is coming.
-Someone important? -The Crown Princess will be chosen soon.
This is where the Crown Princess will be staying until the royal wedding.
Traditionally, the Crown Princess' room is in the middle of the palace and her house,
but His Majesty picked this place
so everything must be perfect.
Oh... The royal wedding...
I came to see you to ask about the murder case in Gaeseong.
According to my bodyguard,
you said Sim Yeong is Min Jae-yi's lover for sure.
How did you come to that conclusion?
He said that himself before he died,
and people said he cried while looking at the matching bracelets.
They said the bracelet was a symbol of love
and he would go around the house
like a madman
looking for traces of Min Jae-yi.
That's enough.
Do you have any idea how much your trust means to me?
What brings you here, Section Chief Han?
May I see the Gaeseong murder case records?
Well...
If this is a bad time, I'll come back tomorrow.
No, it's... The East Palace took it.
Min Jae-yi's lover committed suicide
and the records were sent to us from Gaeseong,
but the Crown Prince's guards took them.
Even the Gaeseong murder case records...
Why is he looking so hard
into this case?
I heard you took the suicide note of Sim Yeong
who committed suicide in Gaeseong.
Are you also investigating the case of my finacé?
Min Jae-yi violated the moral principles by killing her entire family
Why is it strange that
I'm looking into my master's murder?
Then may I take a look at that suicide note?
Are you waiting for her?
Even if she comes back alive,
she will be executed.
Even if she comes back, she's as good as dead.
My father sent the marriage consent letter
and got an answer in return.
She may be an immoral woman who fooled around with her lover,
but as long as I don't burn this consent letter,
she is my woman and I need to protect her.
Do you believe her?
Her lover proved her immoral betrayal
by killing himself.
Are you saying he killed himself
just so he could put the blame on her?
We don't know if he's her lover or if he tried to put the blame on her?
Are you investigating that case to protect her?
She's Master Min's daughter.
If she's innocent,
I will protect her.
Your Highness.
If she comes back and proves her innocence,
I will send her to you.
You promised, right?
You will be able to save her.
She is a strong woman.
She'll go back to you on her own
even without my help.
Gosh, have another glass.
-Me too. -Yes. Drink up.
-Thank you. -Hurry.
-Cheers! -Cheers!
It would've been nice if Scholar Park was here.
I'm glad Eunuch Go got kicked out.
-I get to see you every day. -I'm even happier.
If I were at the East Palace
I would be grinding His Highness' ink stick.
My apologies. I've never done this before.
It's fine. You can...
I'll be going now, Your Highness.
Oh, hello!
It's been a while.
I was wondering what you were up to these days.
I heard the shaman still hasn't revealed the last letter.
When will the interrogation take place?
I assume it will happen soon.
And His Majesty is interrogating himself?
That is what I heard.
He got kicked out of the East Palace.
That Crown Prince.
He must be bad-tempered just like the rumors.
How could he kick you out when you even solved the Cardinal Point case?
He wouldn't do that out of spite.
He must've had a good reason.
What did Eunuch Go do so wrong?
I didn't do anything.
I just got kicked out in the middle of the night.
You've met him before, haven't you?
He's the one who sent you, so you must know him.
Eunuch Go has nowhere else to go.
He does not know sympathy
nor compassion since he grew up as
a precious prince in the palace.
I think you need to know the world
to become a king.
What do you think?
I don't even know how to shovel, so what would I know?
Can't argue with that.
Just because you wear a hat and fancy clothes doesn't mean you are a scholar.
Even scholars must know how the world works.
And they need to know how to shovel, break the curfew a few times
and have a drink with friends every now and then.
Anyway, what are you doing here, Scholar park?
Why are you treating me like your friend?
Well, we both work for His Highness.
I can't call you "His Highness", can I?
Why you...
Just leave me be.
I mean, we could be friends
although it's obvious I'm younger than you.
Someone do something...
What brings you here?
Did His Highness send something to Young Master Kim?
This incense is from the culprit of the Cardinal Point case, the Shaman's house
and what was in it.
-These petals... -Peony.
But peonies don't have a scent, do they?
So how could one use it for an incense?
That is actually not true.
A fable just spread like the truth.
But I've never seen anyone use dried peony petals,
especially preserving the shape like this.
-So it may not just be a dried peony? -Maybe it was mixed with something else.
That's possible.
Just smelling it won't do any good.
No one ever smelled a peony before.
But who am I?
I am Kim Myeong-jin,
the owner of Manyeondang.
I'll look into it. Are you ready, My apprentice?
Yes, I'm right behind you, Master Kim.
Good.
Did you come here to run an errand for His Highness?
Is his bodyguard, who usually does these things, busy?
Oh!
I had no idea you were such a warm person.
You volunteered because you missed us, right?
No!
Never.
That's nonsense.
Just be honest.
I think you missed us.
-Right? -Yes.
Busted.
I told you it's not like that.
Why would I miss you when I barely know you?
I do not let emotions get in the way of my work.
His Highness ordered me since it's important.
Fine.
You didn't come because you missed us.
You came because it was His Highness' orders
even though you really didn't want to?
Did I get that right?
Gosh, you are so strange.
You really don't want to say you came
-Because you missed us? -Yes.
Have you never said anything like that?
I can say it
I
missed you. I missed you so much.
What are you doing?
It's great to finally get it off my chest.
Good.
There's something I need to tell you.
When I found the incense at the shaman's house
I remembered that there was burning peony
in the kitchen when I was
ladling the broth.
It was the same flower?
I also remembered that Sim yeong came to see me.
Are you sure?
What did you talk about?
That I don't remember.
But
Yeong isn't my lover.
I'm sure of it.
But I don't think
Yeong would risk his life to lie.
I'm sure there was a reason.
And I remember seeing that burning peony
in the kitchen
very clearly.
Is this proof that the shaman was involved in Master Min's murder?
Since I've said everything I wanted, I'll be on my way.
He didn't come here to tell me
he regrets kicking me out, right?
And I'm sure he didn't come to apologize.
No.
He would never do that.
Go back to the Protection Office. There's someplace I must go.
Yes, Your Highness.
You jerk.
You knew I had nowhere else to go.
You scumbag.
Good for you
for having this whole palace to yourself.
What if you have a big house? You have the tiniest heart.
Gosh, this is ridiculous.
You think I shot the arrow and tampered with the written prayer?
Even if everyone calls me a murderer of Gaeseong,
you at least shouldn't say the same.
You should trust me.
You said you trust me.
You scummy scumbag.
You scoundrel.
You piece of shitake mushrooms!
Fudge you!
OUR BLOOMING YOUTH
Do you think I was hard on you?
I am no longer a eunuch of the East Palace.
Sun-dol, go to the library...
We will write a new history.
Here comes His Majesty.
I'm back.
Do you admit to your crimes?
I will uproot you
and rip you limb from limb.
You must know that
I have no intention of losing.