01x14 - Episode 14

[bunniefuu]

Your Majesty.

There must be a criminal

for an interrogation to take place.

Who is this spy you speak of?

Has Chu Dal-ha

mentioned the spy by their name?

I shall reveal the criminal's name

in the interrogation.

Forgive me for saying this,

but a crude handling of the matter

may place you in a precarious position.

What dares to make you say so?

Should your interrogation

to find and punish the spy

who colluded with the Qing

become known to Prince Rui,

he will become furious.

It may end up disturbing

the peace between the two nations.

Your determination to punish the criminal

may become a detriment

that endangers your reign.

That would constitute

their interference in our affairs.

The Qing have their hands

on our every affair.

Even the crumbling fortresses

of the borders

are being neglected because of the Qing.

Are you confessing the failings

of the Border Defense Council?

Then it seems I must abolish the Council.

Is Eunuch Kim outside?

Have you summoned me, Your Majesty?

The Border Defense Council's involvement

with this interrogation will be barred,

so order all its members to leave.

See if Inspector General Kim Je-nam

has come to the palace

and have him see me

with the Chief Royal Secretary.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Principal Director.

You may leave now.

EPISODE 14

When selecting the officials

joining the interrogation,

exclude all the members

of the Border Defense Council.

Mobilize all the royal secretaries,

the clerks, and the runners

to review all records

of the spy case from three years ago

and reports from the borders,

then report back to me.

Sixth Royal Secretary Kim Myung-ha

shall be excluded

as he was involved in the case.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I shall follow your command.

Your Majesty.

I apologize for asking,

but why have you decided to look into

the report of Chu Dal-ha

when he has tried to assassinate you?

It is because his report

aligns with my wishes.

Your Majesty.

Are you suspecting the spy

who colluded with the Qing

to be among the members

of the Border Defense Council?

Do you suspect it to be

Principal Director Park Jong-hwan?

Is that why

you commanded me to find a way

to abolish the Border Defense Council

and reform the court?

I have wanted to do that since long ago.

But I have yet to discuss it

with the court.

Then I shall report to you again

after coming up with a detailed plan.

That is correct.

But I could not abolish it rashly

as the Council's influence

had grown so much.

Your Majesty.

I shall carry out your command

as your devoted subject,

but the court will resist ferociously.

I am prepared for it.

The capital traitor

who joined hands with the Qing

and put this nation

and its people in a crisis.

I will find that vile spy

and have them punished for high treason.

I will have their disgraceful name

engraved in the records

so that the people of this nation…

will remember their crime.

My brother

was poisoned to death.

Who would have dared to commit

such an atrocious and treasonous act?

Tell me, who did it?

His Majesty

summoned all members

of the Border Defense Council at night

and then commanded us

to leave all of a sudden.

He should not treat court officials

in such a coarse manner.

There has been an attempt on his life.

That would explain his mood.

In my opinion,

he has some other designs in mind.

Summoning Kim Je-nam out of the blue

was a sign in itself.

It seems that he does not trust us--

Right State Councilor.

You are crossing the line here.

Are you suggesting that His Majesty

does not trust the Principal Director?

- That is not it.

- Enough.

That is enough.

Why do you think

His Majesty has decided

to look into the report of a traitor?

It is because Chu Dal-ha

will most certainly name another traitor.

And that traitor's name

will clear His Majesty's name

of being Prince Rui's spy.

Whoever is named by that man,

that traitor and their family

shall be destroyed

and all those associated with them

will be arrested

and ex*cuted for high treason.

When the interrogation begins,

there will be a bloodbath.

There is only one way

to stop that from happening.

We must prevent this interrogation

before it causes such chaos.

Go to the library with the runners

and get the Royal Secretariat's Records

and all the reports from the borders

from three years ago.

Yes, my lord.

My lord.

What is my duty?

You are to stay away for the time being.

As you were involved

in the spy case three years ago,

His Majesty ordered your exclusion.

Your Majesty.

Are you sure you do not need

a royal physician to tend to you?

Though you may not be seemingly injured,

I suggest that you be examined

just in case.

Morning examinations are enough.

However, Your Majesty…

Your Majesty.

Captain Joo Sang-hwa has a report to make.

Let him in.

With all due respect,

it is past your bedtime.

You can meet him tomorrow.

It is fine. Let him in.

Yes, Your Majesty.

How is Mong-woo doing?

She seems to be in shock

from Chu Dal-ha's arrest.

And it seems a man named Se-dong

has frequented

and shared the news with her.

Do not forbid him from visiting,

but report to me immediately

should anything happen to her.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Captain Joo.

Just how poor are you at your job?

I have never been on good terms with you,

but I have trusted you wholly

with His Majesty's safety.

However,

this incident was a bolt out of the blue.

An assassination attempt from a traitor?

You are right.

It is all my fault.

The biggest problem

is his visits to his private residence.

If you cannot stop his travels,

such an incident may end up recurring.

I concur.

However,

that is up to His Majesty to decide.

It is neither up to me nor you.

But Captain Joo…

I am back.

Did the Special Firearms Unit

not tell you off?

Master Choam

must have told them that I would visit,

as they did not stop me from entering.

What about the State Tribunal?

What will happen to Master Chu?

The King will interrogate him himself,

so he will be imprisoned

until he is transferred to the palace.

Then why did they arrest him like

they were going to k*ll him immediately?

That really scared me.

Please see to it

that he is well taken care of, Se-dong.

Do not worry about that.

Jeomine and I will take care of it.

Thank you.

- You may leave.

- All right.

Get some rest.

You should lie down, my lady.

My lady?

How come His Majesty

returned to the palace

without saying a word to me?

In my opinion,

I think he left in a hurry

in case you were troubled

by Master Chu's affair.

Could that be the only reason?

Your Majesty.

You are in good health today

and show no symptoms.

About that poison.

The poison that k*lled my brother.

Have you yet to find it?

Forgive me.

It was not found

in the herbal medicine he used to take

or the bowl that contained it,

but on the royal robe

he coughed up his blood on.

I could only confirm that he took poison,

but could not learn

what kind of poison it was.

I understand the difficulty of the task.

But do not give up and keep working on it.

Yes, Your Majesty.

His Majesty ordered me

to greet you on his behalf.

My heart almost stopped at the news

of the assassination attempt.

Why could he not have come himself

for such an easy task

as coming to greet me?

I apologize.

The interrogation preparation is keeping--

How is His Majesty doing?

Like always,

he did not express any discomfort.

I hope his health has not been affected.

Did the royal physician examine him?

He took his pulse early in the morning.

His Majesty is healthy as ever.

Having you by His Majesty's side

does ease my mind.

You may leave.

What on earth is happening in the palace?

Has the Principal Director sent word yet?

I apologize.

I will send word again

to the court conference room.

There is no need.

He will come without my calling

when it is time.

Your Majesty.

Chu Dal-ha attempted to assassinate you.

How could you hold an interrogation

over a report such a man made?

Please retract the order of interrogation.

The report from that traitor

must be a false one he concocted

to avoid punishment.

There is no solid evidence

proving the existence

of a spy who colluded with the Qing.

You must behead the criminal

and hang up his head for display

to show the gravity of his crimes

to the people

and let it serve as a lesson to all.

We implore you

not to dismiss our words of advice

and grant our petition.

- Please grant our petition.

- Please grant our petition.

I have seen you all

for a long time

since the days of the late king.

But every single one of you

remains the same

and eternally unchanging.

You act as if you care

for the nation and its people.

But do you truly think I do not realize

that your safety and personal gain

are your sole concern?

It is utterly appalling and disgraceful.

Compared to all of you,

Chu Dal-ha

is a thousandfold more loyal

as he risked his life

to report on the spy

who colluded with the Qing!

Your Majesty.

How could you

compare such a wicked traitor

to us court officials?

It is highly inappropriate!

Heed my words!

If anyone submits another petition

to go against me on this,

no matter who you are,

I shall consider that you are

attempting to hide the spy

and have you punished for high treason.

That was strange.

I felt the same way.

His Majesty

seems to have been

bewitched by Chu Dal-ha.

That is not what I meant.

Then what is it?

I have never seen

the Principal Director stay so silent

when His Majesty was this enraged.

You are right.

Whenever His Majesty was furious,

he would be the first to show deference

and soothe the King's wrath

to mediate the situation.

But he did not step in once today.

Earlier at the hall of governance,

I overheard the Left State Councilor

talking to the Minister of Rites

that His Majesty decided

to look into Chu Dal-ha's report

to clear his name

of being Prince Rui's spy.

It is all bygones now,

but three years ago,

I shared Lord Kim Jong-bae's suspicion

that Grand Prince Jinhan had sent a spy

to both the Ming and the Qing.

But to hear

that Chu Dal-ha had acted upon

the late king's command

and that there was another spy

who communicated with the Qing in secret.

This is pure chaos I cannot fathom.

So, tell us.

For what reason was your father

so convinced that His Majesty

was the spy back then?

Pardon?

Right, the reason was…

Why has His Majesty

summoned the Border Defense Council?

There has been a report

of a breach of the peace treaty

whereby a spy named Chu Dal-ha

was dispatched to the Ming

to communicate with them.

Did you just say Chu Dal-ha?

Do you recognize the name?

Recently,

I have seen him at a courtesan's house

that Grand Prince Jinhan frequents.

Are you saying you saw

the Grand Prince meeting with him?

That is correct.

I saw them clearly with my two eyes.

What is wrong, Myung-ha?

What insolence is this?

You b*stard.

Do you have a death wish?

Yes.

I may as well k*ll you

and take my own life today.

What wrong did I ever do to you

that you would treat me thusly?

You clearly told my father

that you witnessed a meeting between

Grand Prince Jinhan and Chu Dal-ha

at Hongjang's courtesan house.

Did I say those words?

My father believed in your lies

and…

thought that Grand Prince Jinhan

was the spy who colluded with the Qing.

My father…

died because of you.

Let me go!

You should get your story straight

even in your raging state.

Lord Kim Jong-bae

died at His Majesty's hands.

So how is his death my fault?

All I ever did was tell him

what he had wanted to hear.

Even if it had not been for my lies,

he would have found a way

to accuse His Majesty as the spy.

Do you think His Majesty

would agree with you?

I will have you tied to the rack

along with Chu Dal-ha for interrogation.

Who knows?

He may even attest that you were the spy

who colluded with the Qing.

Please spare my life.

Please forgive me this once.

It is all in the past, is it not?

Does this mean you are forgiving me?

Just you wait.

I shall contemplate

how best to deal with you

to relieve my anger.

Principal Director.

What did you just say?

His Majesty is attempting

to sever his ties to me

despite my significant

contribution to his reign

and our bond bound by the heavens.

And why would he wish to do so

when you are his one and only uncle?

Do not tell me…

it is because of the suspicion

regarding the late king's poisoning.

It is for another reason.

But you assured me

there could be no other reason.

Back in the day,

I once told you that I had a plan

I had worked on for a long time

to secure His Majesty's ascension.

I was the one…

who secretly informed Prince Rui

that the late king sent a spy to the Ming.

Why did you do such a thing?

That is exactly it.

You must feign ignorance like so

to the King as well.

Tell him you did not know

and that the Principal Director

is not a spy.

I sincerely did not know.

Did you

truly not notice any oddity?

Did you believe

the Qing troops' timely invasion of Uiju

when Grand Prince Jinhan was in trouble

and the late king's sudden passing

were all mere coincidences?

It is highly unseemly

to depreciate my services thusly.

Do not worry.

His Majesty cannot dare to cast me away.

If he dares to bring me down,

he will crumble before I do.

I hear Chu Dal-ha's interrogation

is being prepared.

We are currently selecting the judges.

However,

the court is complaining

because the criminal has not been named.

There is no chance

that Chu Dal-ha knows their name.

This must be by His Majesty's design.

I am worried as he seems to be

rushing the case for some reason.

If the court's resistance grows stronger,

his safety will be put at risk.

Bollocks! You cannot!

I must go to the palace today.

I must see His Majesty.

I have to look into Master Chu's case

and inform the Sixth Royal Secretary

about the recent developments as well.

You cannot go to the palace in this state.

I will go instead.

I shall go to the State Tribunal

- and the palace--

- Jageunnyeon.

Jageunnyeon.

Stop calling my name.

If you call me like that,

I cannot dissuade you from going.

Thank you.

Why did you come to the palace

when you have not fully recovered yet?

I came as I had something to tell you.

Is it because

I arrested Chu Dal-ha without telling you?

How would I dare

to comment on your decision?

Nevertheless,

if you arrested Chu Dal-ha to protect me

when you knew

it was all my crime and not his,

I must say you still do not know me well.

I decided to take measures first

as I anticipated you would react this way.

Was it because I am a woman?

It is because you are my woman.

This interrogation

is being held

to find the treacherous spy of the Qing

from three years ago.

This is a quest I have long striven for

and a duty I must fulfill.

What could I possibly do

if I had you bound in ropes as a traitor?

The fear that you might get hurt

would paralyze and bar me.

I understand how you feel.

I know guilt weighs on your heart.

However,

this is also what Chu Dal-ha wants.

Remember that and return home.

Your Majesty.

Is the spy who communicated with the Qing

Principal Director Park Jong-hwan?

I looked back

upon hearing the news of the abolition

of the Border Defense Council.

Having the Grand Prince

accompany you to the gisinje,

the substitution of the Princess,

and the appointment of the Crown Prince

were all a power struggle

between you and the Principal Director.

Three years ago,

when my father was taken to the Qing,

when Hongjang died,

and when I was at death's door,

I took a vow before the heavens

that I would dethrone the captivated king

and bring justice to the world.

And that I would make you feel the pain

and suffer the indignity of being betrayed

by the person you trusted.

But in hindsight,

the one who was captivated…

was me.

I was blinded by the captivation

and failed to see the man you truly are.

In truth,

I still do not understand, Your Majesty.

Attacking the Principal Director

will only endanger your reign.

For what reason

are you taking such a high risk?

I was ashamed.

Even a powerless commoner…

risks their lives

to carry out their duties.

But I, their king,

have failed to do anything.

Hiding the crimes I have committed…

has been eating me alive.

Are you referring to the crime

that you mentioned to me?

The one that began three years ago

and still continues to this day?

You will turn your back on me

if you learn what it is.

You will spit on my face,

condemn,

and loathe me.

If it is against your wishes,

you do not have to say anything.

What more can I hide from you?

When the late king passed away,

he gave me his last words.

Find…

the one who harmed me

and punish them.

And see to it

that the Prince Royal

ascends to the throne.

I went against my brother's last words

and ascended to the throne.

The man standing before you…

is a criminal who usurped the throne.

Your Majesty.

You ascended to the throne

to keep the late king's last words.

It was to protect

the Grand Prince and the Princess

that you became a criminal.

For the past three years,

I have been wandering,

lost in the Underworld.

However,

you are still in the Underworld.

I will stay by your side every step.

I will endure it all with you…

and be of support to you.

My lord.

His Royal Highness summons you.

Your Royal Highness.

Master Kang is here,

Sixth Royal Secretary.

The King has barred

my involvement in the interrogation.

I was worried when you

disappeared from Banchon Village,

but seeing as you are well,

I strongly suspect that you and the King

may be on the same side.

Even if Chu Dal-ha

names His Royal Highness or me

during his interrogation,

I will not be shocked.

I can assure you that will not happen.

Do not worry.

Then answer me.

How come you are all well

when Chu Dal-ha is at death's door?

Where have you been all this time?

Are you not the one

who proposed to plot treason together?

Perhaps the King

already has full knowledge of our plot.

Answer me.

What on earth has happened?

Chu Dal-ha…

attempted an assassination and failed.

It was because I was captivated

that I failed to see

the King's real intention.

But now,

I am certain of what it is.

The interrogation…

is His Majesty's measure

to protect His Royal Highness.

Can you swear to the heavens

that this is not a lie

to relieve me of my worries?

I swear on my life.

Had you not sworn,

I just might have believed you.

My lord.

Let us…

- He is over there.

- Right.

My goodness, how awful.

Thank you.

- You have half an hour.

- Yes, of course.

Master Chu.

We are here.

My lady.

How is your wound?

It is bearable.

How are you doing?

It is bearable for me as well.

Goodness, when did you prepare all this?

He will not be able to finish it all.

It is not even that much.

This is Bun-yeong's regular meal.

It was indeed very pleasing

to see her down a meal, was it not?

Please take good care of Bun-yeong.

I shall try.

Goodbye, my lady.

You.

Have you seen me somewhere?

I am not sure.

It is my first time seeing you.

Is that so?

Wait, Se-dong, do you remember that man?

The Principal Director's servant

we met for Bun-yeong's matter.

Do you mean Mak-dong? What about him?

Do you remember how he recognized me

when I had never seen him?

That is true.

He did ask you

if you had ever seen him somewhere.

What are you talking about?

Do give us an explanation

so we can understand.

Who is Mak-dong?

Three years ago,

there was a man

who told the Qing of all my movements.

Mak-dong,

the Principal Director's servant,

just may be that man.

So it is not that

Chu Dal-ha remembered Mak-dong,

but rather Mak-dong

who recognized him first?

But that alone

does not prove that Mak-dong

tailed Chu Dal-ha.

Nevertheless,

his being a servant

of the Principal Director

cannot be a mere coincidence.

Please have him questioned just in case.

Principal Director,

I apologize for coming at this hour.

It is fine.

What brings you here?

I am here to ask your servant,

Mak-dong, a few questions.

It is on His Majesty's order,

so please hand him over to us.

Summon Mak-dong.

My lord.

He left early today

to visit his relatives in his hometown.

He will be back in a few weeks.

Did you hear him?

I understand.

I shall return then.

I apologize, my lord.

I did recognize his face.

But I only saw him so long ago,

so I could not recollect who he was.

At least you remember now.

Mak-dong.

Thank you for your work.

I will not

forget your kindness, my lord.

Stop right there!

Arrest him!

- Yes, Captain!

- Yes, Captain!

Good work.

Take this letter to Uiju.

A month from now,

the Qing's envoy, Jung Je-pyo,

will arrive with a document approving

the appointment of the Crown Prince.

Tell him that I have sent you

and give him this letter.

Yes, my lord.

Your Majesty.

Forgive me.

Mak-dong, Principal Director

Park Jong-hwan's servant,

was found dead with his throat slit.

If his throat was slit,

that means he was m*rder*d.

This was clearly to silence him.

Chief Royal Secretary.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Summon Principal Director

Park Jong-hwan this instant!

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

I am not sure he will admit

his crimes of murdering Mak-dong.

I am not summoning him to question that.

Then for what, may I ask?

I must…

give my uncle his final warning.

His Majesty requests you inside.

Principal Director.

Confess your crimes and be punished.

I will not interrogate you if you do.

I am not sure which crime

you are referring to, Your Majesty.

Do you truly believe

your treasonous collusion with the Qing

can remain a secret?

When the interrogation begins,

all your crimes from murdering Mak-dong

to concealing your liaison with the Qing

to poisoning the late king to death

will be exposed.

Your Majesty.

With all due respect,

you cannot punish me

for the late king's death.

Even if a poisoning took place

and I gave out the order to do so,

you cannot expose those crimes.

If you punish me for them,

the people will think

that they were your doing.

And this will serve

as a pretext for treason,

which will then lead to your dethronement.

A pretext for treason?

A pretext for treason, you say.

The people believe

that I poisoned my brother

and my sister-in-law

to ascend to the throne

and committed depravity

by taking my brother's woman.

The people

condemn and point fingers at me

for being a pathetic king.

A king who lets

the Principal Director, his uncle,

take control of the court

and abuse his power as he sees fit

and also indulges himself in baduk

with the gidaeryeong,

a man whom he is attracted to

at Yeongchwijeong.

All my actions so far…

provided ample pretexts for treason.

That is why I am taking action now.

The king…

executing his own kin

who has recklessly wielded his power

will inspire the people more than ever.

Do not be concerned about treason.

All this is to prevent one.

I will give you one final chance.

Confess your crimes and be punished.

If you do,

I shall spare you from the humiliation

of being interrogated in the open.

What is your choice?

Allow me some time to think.

You have one day.

You will come here

at this exact hour tomorrow

and confess your crimes.

The spy who colluded with the Qing

that His Majesty is looking for.

That spy is you, is it not?

My lord.

Meet Kim Myung-ha.

Why do you suggest

that I meet him out of the blue?

Three years ago,

Minister of w*r Kim Jong-bae

suspected Grand Prince Jinhan

of being a Qing's spy.

The dispatch of a spy to the Ming

and the secret communications to the Qing

were all considered to be

Grand Prince Jinhan's machinations

to dispose of the late king

and ascend to the throne himself.

Back then,

I was impressed that Grand Prince Jinhan

had accomplished such feats.

That is why I abandoned Kim Jong-bae

and joined hands with him.

How interesting.

Continue.

After observing you closely

for a few days,

I realized that all those feats

were accomplished by you

and not His Majesty.

And it turned out the person

I wanted to serve

was not Grand Prince Jinhan.

It was you, my lord.

Watching His Majesty

state his will to punish the spy

who colluded with the Qing

filled me with fury.

If I were you,

I would have exploded in indignation.

After all your service to His Majesty

whereby you even put up with

the sordid business of being a spy,

His Majesty

fails to see…

Anyway,

what I wanted to say is

that a king who does not appreciate

a loyal subject is not worth lingering on.

Do you think Kim Myung-ha

would meet with me?

I shall act as your intermediary, my lord.

I told you to wait, did I not?

I came to convey a message

from the Principal Director.

So in other words,

the Principal Director is asking me

to join hands with him in treason.

What do you mean by treason?

We will ascend the Crown Prince

to the throne, his rightful place,

and liberate your father's soul

from his bitter resentments.

Park Jong-hwan

must be the spy.

Am I wrong?

It seemed you had a falling out

with the gidaeryeong.

Is that not right?

When the interrogation begins,

my name may roll off

of Chu Dal-ha's tongue,

but he could easily say yours.

He may end up naming both of us.

Therefore,

we must stand on the same side

as Principal Director Park Jong-hwan.

That is the only way

His Royal Highness, you, and I

can survive.

Why do you hesitate?

Do you not want revenge on the King

for your father's death?

Do think about it

and let me know by tomorrow morning.

Kim Myung-ha

wishes to join hands with you.

Words alone are not enough.

I need solid proof

that he will support me in this cause.

What kind of proof do you have in mind?

Convey this message to him.

Welcome, Sixth Royal Secretary.

What is going on here?

Father did not forget my wish

and gave me his approval

to play baduk with my master.

It has been a while

since I have seen you smile.

Do you think this is inappropriate

during my mother's mourning?

No, Your Royal Highness.

I was only happy to see you smile.

Is something the matter?

No, do not mind me.

Your Royal Highness.

Principal Director.

Sixth Royal Secretary.

Principal Director.

Your Royal Highness.

Please forgive me

for my negligence so far.

I shall visit you more often

and make sure to be of service to you.

Thank you.

Your Majesty.

Principal Director Park Jong-hwan is here.

State your crimes, Principal Director.

I apologize, Your Majesty.

But I have none to state.

I have been your loyal subject thus far

and have never been disloyal to you.

I have always been prepared

to give you my life if necessary.

However,

not even a royal command

can force me to falsely confess

crimes I did not commit,

for a smear against my reputation

equates to one against the reputation

of you and this nation.

You adamantly…

refuse…

to state your crimes?

Yes, Your Majesty.

As I have no more to say,

I shall excuse myself now.

Chief Royal Secretary.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Please give me your command.

I will summon the criminal

and interrogate him tomorrow,

so make sure to prepare.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

With all due respect,

summoning the Principal Director

to the interrogation

without evidence or witness is risky.

The official's mistrust toward you

will only grow

and make it more difficult

to abolish the Border Defense Council.

In truth,

there is a witness and evidence

that I have been saving as a last resort.

Where might they be?

My lady.

Senior Court Lady Han is calling for you.

Lead the way.

Principal Director.

Why are you standing about?

Take it already.

Are you telling me to take my own life

now that you have no use for me?

How foolish.

Taking your life is a child's play.

I would not need this to do so.

Then what…

What would you do if I refused?

I shall report thusly

when His Majesty holds an interrogation.

"Senior Court Lady Dong

poisoned the late king to death for you,

Your Majesty."

His Majesty will not forgive you

for poisoning the late king to death.

If he forgave you,

he would become a depraved tyrant

who forsook the bond set by the heavens.

He will have you k*lled

to clear his name.

Do not be so foolish.

This is all for your sake.

Saving yourself

should always come first.

That is more like it.

Senior Court Lady Dong?

Are you all right?

Please wait.

Take it.

Stop acting generous

with that despicable face of yours.

You are nothing but a fraud

deceiving everyone

with your false appearance.

How you must want to boast

that you are His Majesty's only woman.

You have no chance.

You are neither a man nor a woman.

His Majesty's affection will not last.

I have no intention

to compete against you

for His Majesty's affection.

Of course not.

I do not care.

I am sick of everything.

I cannot…

carry on any longer.

Now,

I will carry out what tasks I can.

Your Majesty,

Senior Court Lady Dong is here.

You are the evidence

of my brother's m*rder

and the witness who bears knowledge

of Park Jong-hwan being the spy

who colluded with the Qing.

Chief State Councilor.

His Majesty urgently calls for you.

Did he also call for a Royal Secretary

and an official historian?

He only asked for you, my lord.

Are you suggesting

we send a spy to the Ming?

That is correct.

Last night,

His Majesty gave a secret order

to the Chief State Councilor.

Good work.

Senior Court Lady Dong.

Attend the interrogation

and confess your crimes tomorrow.

If you confess your crimes

and those of the Principal Director,

I will make a judgment

in light of your efforts.

You will be punished,

but not ex*cuted.

His Majesty will not forgive you

for poisoning the late king to death.

If he forgave you,

he would become a depraved tyrant

who forsook the bond set by the heavens.

He will have you k*lled to clear his name.

Your Majesty.

I shall follow your command.

In return,

please grant my request.

This is the final request…

that I will be making.

What is it?

CAPTIVATING THE KING

Even if I have to quash

all resistance from the court,

the interrogation will be held.

Bring an end to this case.

Enough!

Do you not see that you will be endangered

if you punish the Principal Director?

Answer my question!

You have held on so far

for this day to come, Your Majesty.

Treason? That is ridiculous.

Who informed you of such a lie?

The Emperor wishes

to play baduk with the gidaeryeong.

The Qing's envoy

must have caused you distress.

I do not understand these feelings.

I am afraid.