Original subtitles

Oh, on the baby's shoulders,

they said there were bones sticking out.

People said that it was the Mighty Child who died...

Gil Dong.

Gil Dong. Gil Dong.

My Gil Dong is going to a wide-open place,

a bright place.

You will become a royal commander, an admiral

and receive a sword from the king.

If the Mighty Child survives,

he will become a strongman who flips over the world.

Well, wasn't it Chief Hong who defeated those barbarians?

For me, rather than the king's face,

I am more curious about Chief Hong's face.

- Isn't that right? - Hey, why say something so obvious?

Chief Hong is amazing. If he lets just one punch fly...

Messenger Eunuch.

When I was a crown prince, you traveled the mountains and streams of Joseon,

and told me about strange creatures and the world.

Phoenix, dragons, or those with bones coming out of their shoulders,

the Mighty Child, and such things.

But that Mighty Child

can't really exist, can it?

Of course not, Your Majesty.

It's something that the people have made up.

I know.

But why do the people

come to make up stories about things like the Mighty Child?

Why did they come to wait for such an absurd thing as the Mighty Child?

How did they come to speak of some common thief,

as the Mighty Child?

His Majesty enters!

Subtitles and Timing provided to you by the Rebels Team @Viki.com

Your Majesty, he is the leader of the Hong thieves.

Speak!

I address His Majesty. I am Gil Dong from the Hong clan.

I am Hong Gil Dong.

I heard that you are pretty strong.

But you seem familiar.

Servant Foot Stool enter.

Disloyalty and injustice...

What does that mean?

Yes, Your Majesty, I was the peddler Gil Dong,

Servant Foot Stool, the procurer of Hwal Bin Pavilion,

the fake Chief Hong, and the Hong thief.

In addition, I am one of your subjects, Your Majesty.

Your subject, Gil Dong of the Hong clan.

I have something to tell His Majesty.

Your Majesty, I

have something to give you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, he would like to give this item to you.

Record of Deeds or Actions?

[Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People]

(delete)

- Episode 21 -

How can they do such outrageous, frightful things!

They were trying to establish the discipline of this nation.

To teach women chastity, and to teach children of concubines about their rank,

it does feel necessary, but...

So is it okay to cut the heels off a child of a concubine?

These are truly frightful people.

From another perspective, haven't the Hong thieves punished these people?

And shouldn't we acknowledge the contribution of the Hong thieves for defeating the barbarians?

Yes, I admit that we will have to acknowledge that.

- Gil Dong! - Gil Dong!

- I have come. - Gil Dong!

- Don't worry. - Yes, we are not worried.

- I will definitely get you out. Don't worry. - Yes.

Don't worry, Hyung-nim.

- Gil Dong. - Don't worry!

Hyung-nim, don't worry!

Be careful.

Gil Dong!

- Hyung. - Yes.

The senior statesmen are outraged by the Record of Deeds and Actions.

And His Majesty knows about you defeating the barbarians.

It's all thanks to you, Hyung.

But even if His Majesty is angered by the Record of Deeds or Actions,

I am worried about you deceiving His Majesty by pretending to be Foot Stool.

Hyung,

if he punishes the bad guys in the Record of Deeds or Actions

and finds our Eorinie for us,

I will accept punishment for deceiving His Majesty by pretending to be Foot Stool.

Gil Dong.

I will watch what His Majesty does.

If he doesn't go after the guys in the

Record of Deeds or Actions and just gets angry with me,

then he is no longer my king.

If that happens, I have a plan.

But I will try trusting in the king.

He treated you so well,

and you have given him your loyalty, like this.

So could he be a bad king?

Aigoo, look at my accomplished Hyung-nim.

Father should have seen this.

The senior statesmen said that I should take into consideration that he defeated the barbarians?

Yes, Your Majesty. And when I investigated these men separately,

not only did they give you their silver mine,

they also filled the storeroom of the Royal Treasury.

They filled the storeroom of the Royal Treasury?

Yes, Your Majesty. Although they were ignorant and foolish,

in their own way, haven't they offered you their true loyalty?

So, Your Majesty, how about giving Hong Gil Dong a sword

and have him go fight on the frontier and let him die there?

Have him go fight on the frontier and let him die there.

Yes, Your Majesty. During King Sejong's era, those committed serious crimes were sent

to the frontier to fight barbarians, weren't they?

Everyone is dismissed.

But...

You deceived me at the royal interrogation

and you acted as the fake Chief Hong.

Did you think you could survive? But...

what is the reason you risked your life to confess your crimes?

I became a thug after wandering as a peddler.

And now I've become a thief, kneeling in front of you, Your Majesty.

Yes, I...

was a thug who was crawling at the bottom.

I was like a worm.

But, Your Majesty, you are at the highest place in Joseon.

You are at the brightest place, and the most radiant place, aren't you?

A worm-like fellow like me cannot dare to imagine how high up you are.

So to speak to you,

I had to risk my life.

Even by risking your life,

what did you need to say to me?

While traveling all eight states of Joseon, those who call themselves the Protector of Values

cut off the heels of your people, and burned their eyes out,

and cut their tongues off.

And I witnessed them spouting the nonsense that they were doing this to protect our nation.

In addition, while offering tribute to the king with fruits that have been spoiled by frost,

I've seen people who missed their farming schedule, crying.

And those who managed the Royal Treasury beat a man to death,

and deceived others that he died due to an existing illness.

They will all die.

And because the military storage is out of horses, people are helplessly killed

by barbarians. I have met those people.

So...

I risk my life to ask you this, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, you are at such a high place.

So what happens all the way down in the dark bottom,

you must not have seen it.

If you had known, you would have taken care of it, naturally.

Burn eyes out, pull tongues out,

and cut off heels?

Gil Dong.

His Majesty is thoroughly examining the Record of Deeds or Actions.

What did I tell you? His Majesty just didn't know.

If he knew, he would be on our side.

How dare you allow this to get out, like this?

Your Majesty, I believed

that we should record our brave acts as a historical record

so that they can become an example for our future generations.

I believed that you would be happy about it, Your Majesty.

I told them to make examples of eradicating the disrespect of the lower class against the upper class.

Did I tell them to just vent their anger in such lame ways?

[Lee Yoong (the king's name)]

[Lee Yoong]

But since you contributed to catching the band of thieves,

I will let it go this time.

Your grace is immeasure—

And please stop being silly by recording these things.

His Majesty almost became very angry this time.

I was saved because of you.

I knew that someday you would be the biggest help for me.

And didn't you contribute to catching the thief, this time?

Yes, Teacher.

But about that thief.

The senior statesmen are saying...

You have now earned the right to receive a Record of Deeds or Actions.

[Record of Deeds or Actions]

In this Record of Deeds or Actions

proudly leave the record of how you caught the Hong Thieves.

Yes.

That thief you caught, Hong Gil Dong,

he is my enemy, the enemy of the Protectors of Values, and

he is the enemy of His Majesty.

Of course, His Majesty doesn't like that we are keeping records,

but this is my achievement alone.

When Confucius first began to speak of Confucianism, who understood the depth of his teachings?

But look. Confucius' words

are still vividly alive even after 2,000 years.

Our Record of Deeds or Actions will survive for hundreds and thousands of years.

It will become an immortal record.

That you would speak one on one with someone lowly like Thief Hong...

I wanted to try it.

But what will you do with him now?

From what I hear, the senior statesmen are saying that although he is a thief,

he did defeat the barbarians;

so, at least let him live, they seem to be saying.

I have to kill him.

He did defeat barbarians at risk to his life

and he did fill the storage room of the Royal Treasury.

So he did speak against Prince Choong Won at the royal interrogation. And

that he planted people in royal management positions,

I can overlook those things. But...

it turns out that he has some preposterous thoughts.

He dares to, as a lowly thief

be concerned about my nation, and my people.

Because he goes around thinking those things,

the people are saying that the Mighty Child is born.

Isn't that why they're all saying that?

He is truly presumptuous.

But if you just kill him,

isn't it too trivial?

Keep him alive

and just steal his strength.

Like a tiger that had been de-clawed,

what could be more funny and wretched?

So I hear that the Thief Hong sold liquor during the prohibition

and filled the storage room of the Royal Treasury?

Messenger Eunuch, preparing my personal funds from the Royal Treasury,

it was quite difficult, wasn't it?

Your Majesty, I did not make those funds with Thief Hong.

I just wanted to fill the Royal Treasury abundantly—

I know. But...

you must provide proof that you didn't collude with Hong Gil Dong.

Hong Gil Dong.

I will destroy his body

and plan to show that his strength is nothing.

So I will need your help, Messenger Eunuch.

Yes.

I would really like it if it was you, and no one else.

It would be a good way to show your loyalty to me.

Gil Dong.

Lord Messenger Eunuch.

Why are you here? His Majesty will be angered if he knows you and I were associated.

Please hurry and leave.

Don't worry.

I am, after all, the Messenger Eunuch who serves His Majesty at his side.

Do you think I wouldn't have taken at least that much precaution?

Eat some.

I was quite hungry, I will enjoy it.

Look, Gil Dong.

You see,

I castrated myself with my own hands and became a eunuch.

I thought that was my only way to be able to eat and survive.

That someone like me, who is not a man, or anything else, came to live a proper life

is all thanks to His Majesty.

His Majesty is my owner

and my only family.

He is the same as my son.

I know all that.

But the truth is

I liked you very much.

Whenever I saw you, I felt like my heart was bursting, for some reason.

Perhaps, I wished to be like you.

Perhaps, I wished to live like you.

Oh, you are embarrassing me...

Lord Messenger Eunuch.

I am sorry.

I am really... sorry.

Your Majesty, that I could meet you again,

I can die now without regrets.

You said he contributed to catching the rest of the band of thieves?

Yes, Your Majesty. He is a loyal slave who only listens to me.

I had heard that you were concerned about catching the thief so I told him to—

So he has, just like Hong Gil Dong,

extraordinary strength?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Hurry and try. Break it.

But I definitely saw how strong he was, just like Gil Dong.

My strength still comes and goes...

Try again. Do it!

Never mind. You are all dismissed.

Subtitles and Timing provided to you by the Rebels Team @Viki.com

Nok Soo, you are correct.

Why should I kill this guy?

The people were saying that he was so strong, that he was the Mighty Child who survived.

Now I will, with my own eyes,

confirm your strength.

His Majesty is entering!

What a nice day.

While everyone in the world is watching,

you will kill that Gil Dong.

You are showing your strength to His Majesty.

But my strength still comes and goes...

No. That's not true.

You can do it. Got it?

Yes.

Orabeoni, will you pluck stars and the moon for me?

Of course. I will pluck stars, the moon, everything.

Then pluck one of those strawberries for me.

Which one?

If I pick one, you can pick that very one?

Yes.

Then, that one right there.

What do you take your husband for? Let's see...

Oh no, I couldn't control my strength.

Orabeoni, how can you be good at things like this, too?

You fight well, too.

Then, Orabeoni, you can accurately hit anything?

Wife, even if something is as tiny as this fingertip

I can hit it accurately.

Really?

Really.

Want to eat some strawberries? Let's go, and eat some strawberries.

Hold on. Here.

My goodness.

Ga Ryeong...

Gil Dong, His Majesty said that if you win, he will let you live.

So you must win. You absolutely must win.

Let's begin.

Bring in the beast!

He is the Hong thief for sure.

Your Majesty, didn't you say it would be hunting?

Yes. Today it is hunting for humans.

Bring in the hunter!

Here is Hunter Thunder and Lightning!

Kill him!

Get him!

Chief Hong! Chief Hong! Chief Hong!

This is boring. Send that man in.

Hunter Mori!

Show him what you're made of!

You can do it!

Kill him!

Subtitles and Timing provided to you by the Rebels Team @Viki.com

Bring in those guys.

Gil Dong.

Gil Dong, it's all right.

- Gil Dong! - Gil Dong!

Are you my subjects, or that guy's underlings?

All right. There's no need for you to answer now.

When today's fight is over, you will know the answer yourselves.

If Hong Gil Dong survives today, I will kill you all.

But if he dies, I will let you all live.

How about that? Do you still wish that he will survive?

Gil Dong, you must survive! You are the one who must survive!

Gil Dong.

Gil Dong, you must.

Gil Dong!

If Hong Gil Dong wins today, cut these men's heads off.

That's right!

- Gil Dong! - Gil Dong, get up!

- Gil Dong! - Big Boss!

You must not get hurt!

I have to live. I want to live.

I have to live.

How can he be so lively?

Well... That is...

I have no reason to fight with you.

This is why I hate you.

Kill him!

Kill! Kill!

That's right!

The poison will begin to take effect now.

Even with just a small wound, all the acupuncture points in his body will collapse.

Kill him! Kill him!

Do it!

- Gil Dong!! - Gil Dong!!

No!

Mori! Kill him!! Kill him, Mori!

Why did you let me go?

I felt like it.

- Kill him! - Yes, kill him!

- Gil Dong! - Kill him!

What is he doing now?

- What is with him? - Why is he doing that?

What?

That bastard...?

That crazy bastard.

Your Majesty, look.

Your subjects are looking at you.

If you let him live,

your subjects will praise you for your virtue.

And how that person Hong Gil Dong

was torn apart without mercy,

your subjects have all seen it.

So you have already achieved all your intentions.

Yes, Your Majesty. If Hong Gil Dong manages to maintain his pathetic life,

he will become a big laughingstock.

Yes. Everyone now understands that there is no such thing as a Mighty Child in this world.

Yes.

Yes, Your Majesty.

All right. I'll let him live.

Instead...

break that Hong Gil Dong's body and display it in front of the palace gate.

And Mori has disobeyed my command,

so put him in prison right away.

That guy has gone mad.

That punk.

Gil Dong!

Gil Dong!

Big Boss!

Gil Dong! Gil Dong!

Gil Dong, please endure.

I will definitely rescue you.

Definitely, I will rescue you.

Gil Dong survived, so thank goodness.

I wanted to live,

so if Gil Dong lost the fight...

if he lost, I thought that I might live.

So for a very brief moment, I hoped

that Gil Dong would lose.

I am such an irredeemable bastard.

Oh, I am a bad person.

Aigoo, such a bad person. You bad person.

You bad person...

How can I... to Gil Dong...

How can I think such a thing? Aigoo, so bad...

Aigoo...

The Mighty Child's body is broken.

No, the Hong Thief was not a Mighty Child.

There is no such thing as the Mighty Child in the first place.

A strongman should not live that way. That is not why the heavens made a strongman.

Gil Dong, do you think you can live your full life?

What did I say? I said that His Majesty just doesn't know.

If he knew, he would be on our side.

Your Majesty is at such a high place,

so you can't see what is going on in the dark bottom, right?

Your body is full of bloodthirst.

In the future, that bloodthirst will destroy your body.

I know it is to catch a thief, but

how can he do such horrifying hunting inside the palace walls?

And how can a thief not be a result of our nation's responsibility, anyway? [Yoon Pil Sang]

His Majesty's extravagance and violations of his duty are getting worse by the day. [Yi Se Jwa]

The people cannot endure it, and they wander and end up becoming thieves.

During the last year of King Seongjong's reign, the storage was filled to the brim, but it is now completely empty.

Should there be a big famine or war,

with what food can we help our people live, and with what funds can we pay our military expenses? [Yi Uk Gong]

For those entrusted with the important duties of our nation, how can we stand by and watch this?

Shouldn't the officials make another effort now?

But His Majesty despises any admonition from his officials...

This time we, the senior statesmen, will support you.

We cannot stand by and watch this.

Your Majesty, although it was to catch a thief,

why are you so fixated on hunting?

Not to mention, pearls larger than mung beans,

the longest hair pieces, and various leathers. To buy such things,

the state coffers have been emptied.

In addition, the rewards given to the lady students of the Bureau of Music are so extravagant that

we can no longer afford it.

In the gardens of the royal palace, hawks fly in flocks,

and hunting dogs bark in packs.

And the hawks that were being raised in their cages fly into the walls of Changdeok Palace,

and bloody pigs often run into the libraries.

And now, in the palace

you have come to hunt humans.

Your Majesty,

please reduce your hunting and please concentrate on state affairs.

Please reduce your hunting and please concentrate on state affairs.

Is it so wrong for a king to hunt down a thief?

Blocking a king's free actions,

isn't that contempt for those above you?

Such words from officials,

how about subjecting them to royal interrogation?

But Your Majesty.

Great King Seongjong, when hearing such good words

would always consider the issue from both sides.

That is true, Your Majesty.

We believe our words are valid.

You should not expect big or small from the words of your officials.

You should accept them magnanimously.

And, Your Majesty, please receive the wisdom from your officials and statesmen.

Not from your eunuchs or court ladies,

or outsiders who failed to hold public office. Please stop taking your wisdom from them.

He called me an outsider?

Now I know the identities of those who are trying to alienate me from His Majesty.

What an outsider can do,

let me show you.

What is going on?

Please let me give just one bowl of water to Big Boss.

- Arrest him! - Yes!

Big Boss, please open your eyes!

Please open your eyes, Big Boss.

Oh, what to do?

Hong Gil Dong got caught and was punished by the king, they say.

Was that all? They said his whole body was broken to pieces.

And His Majesty tied him up outside the castle gates

so that anyone passing by—

So did Hong Gil Dong die?

Not yet, but I heard it will happen today or tomorrow?

Yes, I heard that.

He may still be hanging up by the castle gates in Hanyang.

Let's go.

My...

Orabeoni, I have to bring him home soon.

I will go and bring my Orabeoni home.

Bring him home...

You girls go see if that man Hong Gil Dong is still alive.

Yes. But why are you so interested in a thief?

Just go already!

Your Majesty, I brought one of your subjects who you should see.

Your Majesty, I finally meet you.

I think he's dead.

I don't think he is.

You go and look.

I'm scared.

He's alive.

- Let's go and tell them. - Okay.

Before my mother passed away

she left a letter, and you have it?

The letter was stolen and burned by a rude fellow

but she remembers all the words written on it.

Please recite the contents of the letter.

I received the spirit of His Majesty

and became the mother of the heir apparent.

But due to the slander of cunning royal concubines,

I was cast out by the fickle heavens. Who could ever know my sorrowful grief?

Even his younger brother I left behind in the palace died before his time for unknown reasons.

Who will protect the safety of the heir apparent now?

Now that traitorous bunch would even threaten the safety of the heir apparent.

I am trying to raise myself up to protect the heir apparent.

The heir apparent must become the crown prince.

And the crown prince must ascend to the throne

and protect Joseon for a thousand years.

I will find those who will harm the crown prince

and burn them in the fires of hell to protect our future.

And when the crown prince ascends to the throne,

all those who showed contempt to this mother and son will be struck with his dignity like a thunderbolt.

So you will help me--

You don't have the letter,

but you recite the letter's contents claiming to remember it.

Are you trying to deceive me?

Your Majesty, I don't have the letter.

It only exists in my memories.

But it is true that my husband asserted himself to help your mother.

And the letter's contents are true, as well.

Your Majesty's mother, at the end of the letter

signed it as "Baek Dol's Mother Lady Yun,"

and left a written signature (rather than a seal).

Baek Dol (white stone)?

Why did you do that?

I feel sorry for him.

Someone who dies while thirsty, without even a sip of water,

is the most pitiful.

Let's go now.

Subtitles and Timing provided to you by the Rebels Team @Viki.com

Orabeoni! Orabeoni! Orabeoni!

♫ When first born into this world ♫

♫ people who are meant to be together ♫

♫ come with a red thread, hand to hand ♫

♫ connecting them together ♫

Baek Dol is the name that my mother gave me

while she was pregnant with me.

♫ come with a red thread, hand to hand ♫

♫ connecting us together ♫

♫ my tear-stained cheek ♫

♫ as you stroke it with one hand ♫

♫ your other hand won't let go the blade ♫

♫ and you disappear again ♫

♫ it shatters into myriad pieces ♫

♫ our brilliant days together ♫

Hurry and beat them to death. They are the bitches who caused my mother to die.

Please let me go!

Your hunting Hong Gil Dong was quite a sight.

Rather than block His Majesty, you will goad him instead?

You served His Majesty for so long. Do you still not know him?

Who the hell did this?!!

Your Majesty, please plead for blessings, from this moment on.

I have to survive

in order to save him, don't I?