IF I MAY...
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A REQUEST.
WHAT IS IT?
IT'S ABOUT IL TAE...
HE IS INNOCENT.
YOU MUST'VE NOTICED THAT HE ISN'T OF SOUND MIND.
BESIDES, HIS GRUDGE WAS AGAINST GWIYEONG,
NOT THE KING.
I WAS THE ONE WHO MANIPULATED HIM.
SO PLEASE LET HIM GO.
I KNOW I HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THIS...
...BUT HE IS A PITIFUL FELLOW.
HEY.
STILL ALIVE?
THAT'S INTERESTING.
I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT COME CHARGING AT ME AGAIN.
DID YOU COME TO YOUR SENSES THEN?
ABOUT EOYEON...
I HEARD EOYEON WAS A BARBARIAN...
IS IT TRUE...?
YES.
DIE!
JUST DIE ALREADY!!
WHY DO I...
...LET THEM FOOL ME TIME AND TIME AGAIN?!
WHY DO I KEEP FALLING FOR IT?!
IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.
DON'T BLAME YOURSELF.
NEITHER THIS INCIDENT...
...NOR WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST WAS YOUR FAULT.
B-BUT I...
WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU GET ANOTHER CHANCE?
SAY WE LET YOU GO.
WHAT WILL YOU DO THEN?
THEN I'M GOING TO BUTCHER THE BARBARIANS...
...UNTIL THERE'S NONE OF THEM LEFT!!
YOU FOUGHT INCREDIBLY WELL.
WHO TAUGHT YOU?
SANG DID. HE TOOK ME THROUGH THE RAIDS IN THE NORTH AND MADE ME FIGHT THE BARBARIANS.
IT NEARLY KILLED ME...
WOW... HE REALLY MANAGED TO CREATE ANOTHER ME, HUH?
I SEE. THEN HOW'S THIS?
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE...
...YOUR HATRED OF THE BARBARIANS AND YOUR SKILLS TO SERVE THE KINGDOM THIS TIME?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE NORTHERN ARMY?
AS ORDERED...
...I WILL HAVE IL TAE ASSIGNED TO THE NORTHERN ARMY.
WE'VE DETAINED SANG, THE LEADER OF HOEBEON...
...AND THE SISTERS FROM THE GISAENG HOUSE AS WELL.
WELL DONE.
YOUR MAJESTY.
MAY I SPEAK?
YES?
I DO UNDERSTAND THE INTENTIONS BEHIND YOUR DECISION.
HOWEVER, IT WAS TREASON.
I AM NOT SURE IF IT IS PRUDENT...
...TO CLOSE THE CASE WITHOUT INFORMING YOUR ADVISERS.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY.
AND YOU ARE RIGHT. I SHOULDN’T LET THIS PASS.
LET’S GO THEN.
WHERE, YOUR MAJESTY?
AS YOU SAID, IT'S TIME...
...TO SETTLE THE CASE AND SEE IT THROUGH.
AS A KING...
...AND AS ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, WOULD YOU JOIN ME?
...?!
COME. TAKE A SEAT.
SIT AT THE TABLE, AND I WILL POUR YOU A DRINK.
YOUR MAJESTY...
I'M READY...
I DESERVE TO BE BEHEADED.
AND I HAVE NO EXCUSES TO GIVE.
THE KING HIMSELF IS OFFERING YOU A DRINK.
ARE YOU REFUSING IT?
DRINK.
MUNSAN.
THAT WAS YOUR FATHER'S NAME.
I REMEMBER PUTTING MY HAND ON HIS SHOULDER...
...AND TELLING HIM THE NORTH NEEDS SOMEONE WITH HIS TALENTS.
DO YOU REMEMBER HIM...?
OF COURSE, I DO.
I WAS AWARE OF WHAT KIND OF PLACE IT WAS...
...AND THAT I HAD SENT HIM TO HIS DEATH.
THEN...
...MAY I ASK...
...WHY YOU DID IT?
WHY DID YOU TRAP US IN THAT FORSAKEN LAND?!
WHAT DEFINES TERRITORY?
WHAT MAKES A PIECE OF LAND OUR TERRITORY?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SIRE?
AS A CHETAMJA, YOU PROTECT THE NORTHERN LANDS OF JOSEON.
NOW, WHAT MAKES THEM A PART OF JOSEON?
OUR PEOPLE BREATHE, EAT, BUILD, AND LIVE THERE.
THAT MAKES IT OUR LAND.
DRIVING THE ENEMY AWAY FROM A PLACE DOES NOT MAKE IT OURS.
BUT THE NORTHERN LANDS...
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW COLD AND BARREN IT IS!
NOT A SINGLE BLADE OF GRASS GROWS IN THAT LAND!
POLITICS!
THAT IS POLITICS!
THAT MEANS I CANNOT POSSIBLY PLEASE EVERY SINGLE SOUL!
THAT WAS THE CHOICE FORCED UPON ME...
...AS YOUR KING.
I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE TO YOU FOR THE POLITICAL DECISION I HAD TO MAKE AS A KING.
ONCE I START DOING THAT, I WILL BE UNABLE TO MAKE ANY POLITICAL DECISIONS!
AND THAT...
...IS WHERE I STAND AS A KING...
...WHO WEARS THE ROYAL DRAGON ROBE.
BUT AS ANOTHER MAN LIVING IN JOSEON,
I APOLOGIZE TO YOU.
Y-YOUR MAJESTY!!
THIS IS UNHEARD OF...!!
Y-YOUR MAJESTY!!
LISTEN!!
A RIGHTEOUS MAN AND FATHER OF A VILLAGE DIED...
...BECAUSE OF THE LAW AGAINST SUING OFFICIALS.
TWO SISTERS WORKING IN A GISAENGHOUSE ENDED UP BECOMING REBELS...
...FOR THEIR YOUNGEST SISTER WHO WAS SOLD OFF TO THE MING DYNASTY BEFORE SHE COULD EVEN TURN 15.
IT WAS ALL POLITICS.
I DO NOT REGRET THE POLITICAL DECISION I MADE.
I KNOW THESE ARE UNFORGETTABLE TRAGEDIES...
...AND NOTHING CAN UNDO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
PERHAPS THIS IS MY COWARDLY RETREAT...
...IN AN EFFORT TO RELIEVE THE GUILT I FEEL AS A KING.
BUT I ASK...
...THAT YOU TAKE MY APOLOGY.
THIS IS ABSURD!!
DO YOU MEAN TO SAY REBELS WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SEE HIS MAJESTY...
...TO POINT THE SECHONGTONG AND EVEN SWING THE SWORD AT HIM?!!
HOW CAN THIS BE EVEN REMOTELY ACCEPTABLE?!
PLEASE... KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN.
HIS MAJESTY EXPLICITLY ORDERED TO KEEP THIS INCIDENT UNDER WRAPS.
AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING, GENERAL LEE?!
I HEARD YOU WEREN’T EVEN THERE WHEN THE REBELS RUSHED TO THE KING WITH THEIR BLADES!
WELL... GENERAL CHOI WAS THERE, AND THAT DISCIPLE OF MINE WAS PRESENT AS WELL...
DARN IT... I SHOULDN’T HAVE DRUNK SO MUCH THE NIGHT BEFORE...
IN ANY CASE, THE WAY THIS INCIDENT WAS HANDLED...
...WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN EVERY WAY.
IF WE HADN’T HAD DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION CALLED HOEBON...
...WE WOULD'VE COMPLETELY FAILED.
I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD COMMEND YOU FOR ACCOMPLISHING THIS...
...OR TO SCOLD YOU FOR IT.
JANG KIM.
A character confesses that he manipulated Il Tae, saying Il Tae is innocent, not of sound mind, and that his grudge is directed not at the king but at Gwiyeong, and begs for his forgiveness. Upon learning that Eoyeon is a barbarian, Il Tae flies into a rage and blames himself for being deceived. He is offered a second chance to use his hatred of the barbarians in service of the kingdom by joining the Northern Army. While Il Tae is assigned to the Northern Army, Hoebon leader Sang and the sisters at the gisaeng house are captured. The king drinks with the culprit and speaks about his father Munsan and the northern lands, apologizing not as a king but as a human being. The advisors react to the incident being covered up.
Spoiler Warning
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