Original subtitles

King Gogukcheon came to the throne in December, 179.

His wife, Woo So's daughter, Lady Woo, was crowned Queen.

From Goguryeo's Records in "History of The Three Kingdoms"

After the enthronement, Go Nam Mu starts a long war...

to reclaim the territories that were taken away...

by the Han Dynasty during the previous king's reign.

When the king left to battle, the palace was sustained...

by the queen and Prime Minister Eul Pa So.

Since the king's absence was prolonged due to war,

the Western Authority, Hae Dae Bu, began to covet regal power...

under the pretext of state affairs.

In the meantime, the Authority of the northern queen family,

Myeong Rim Eo Ru, pressured the queen for not having a son.

If you have a strong desire,

you may happen to spot something within the flames.

What brought you here, woman?

A shop for accessories is that way.

Can you put these together to be one again?

These don't seem ordinary.

Where did you get the pieces?

I heard you were the best smith in Goguryeo...

and that you could stick any metal pieces back to one.

Iron swords turn to useless lumps...

if they aren't used even for a while.

But bronze swords like this one...

can remain sharp even after a hundred years with rust.

If I remove the rust and heat up the pieces,

I can easily put them back together.

Come back after about a month.

This is valuable.

Please get it done as soon as possible.

You came after such a long time.

- Come and take a look. - Goodness.

- Let's go. - Yes.

We should have caught that darn boar.

- You should have done better. - Goodness.

Madam, get us more drinks.

- Follow me. - Yes. Coming right up.

I smell money.

What's going on?

It's nothing.

What brought you out here, ladies?

Give us all you have...

before we hurt you.

Your skin is as fair as a newborn baby's.

You rat!

Boss.

Greetings to the queen.

- What, the queen? - The queen...

Spare me.

- Please don't kill us. - Spare us.

Please don't kill us.

Spare us.

Let them go.

Your Highness, a man like him doesn't...

- Please spare me! - Don't kill us!

Queen Woo Hui

Queen Woo

Episode 1

The Northwestern Frontier of Goguryeo in 197

The 9th king of Goguryeo, Go Nam Mu

Mu Gol.

How long has it been since we started battling here?

We've spent two winters...

Daemodal Mu Gol of Wangdang, the highest royal forces commander

and three months here.

After battling for years to reclaim the territories...

that were taken from our previous king from the Han Dynasty,

we only have this land left now.

- Yes, My Lord. - Yes, My Lord.

Always be on alert, understood?

- Yes, My Lord. - Yes, My Lord.

Military Headquarters of Goguryeo

The Fifth Prince, Go Gye Su

We're all ready.

The enemy newly deployed forces. You have big roles to play.

Whatever command you give, we shall follow, Your Majesty.

This is going to be a difficult fight.

Great Shaman Sa Bi

What did the sky deity say?

Today is an auspicious day...

where the sun and earth meet after eight days.

The sky deity will reveal itself soon.

Then it will be full of the Yang energy.

You will certainly get to reclaim the land that was once taken.

Is that all?

From now on, we will attack the enemy's headquarters.

Xuantu Commandery of Han Dynasty

Fighting to reclaim our land that was taken by the Han Dynasty,

countless brothers were killed at the hands of the enemy.

Is anyone here willing to waste...

the blood that has been shed for years?

Today, we will make sure...

to reclaim what's ours and return to our hometown.

Brothers!

Are you with me?

Get the troops ready!

Generals, ready!

Guknaeseong, the Capital of Goguyreo

Why are you demanding to abolish the relief system?

Why?

You know why!

Of course we're concerned about the Royal House's finances.

The relief system is...

for lending rice to the people who are short on food in spring...

and retrieving it in autumn.

It causes no trouble to the Royal House's finances.

No.

Hae Dae Bu, the Western Authority

If the country is too generous toward its people,

they can't learn to be frugal.

Did they starve to death because they weren't frugal?

They can be frugal...

more than anyone else.

One's background can't be hidden after all.

You should not handle state affairs...

so personally like this.

He's right.

Her Highness is here.

The relief system won't be abolished.

Kneel.

This is a state affair.

It isn't something the queen should meddle with.

Prime Minister Eul.

Is he right?

While His Majesty is away at battle,

the owner of this palace...

is Her Highness herself.

The relief system...

was granted by His Majesty.

It will never be abolished.

The queen is the queen family's business.

Myeong Rim Eo Ru, you said you would take care of it.

The queen's dethronement is out of our control.

We can't help...

but wait for the king's return.

What if he doesn't return?

That's even better.

The king doesn't have a child.

Then one of the king's brothers will take the throne...

or...

like the times when the Go family and the Hae family took turns...

sitting on the throne,

you, the other royal family,

might have a chance.

Then your family...

might become the new queen family.

Eul Pa So.

Find a way to bring him down first.

Goguryeo originally...

belongs to us.

Have you heard from His Majesty yet?

It seems this war has been prolonged.

According to the letter,

the enemy changed their strategy.

To block the clash, he placed spearmen and archers in front.

And he placed mounted troops in the back.

At this rate,

the mounted warriors will be defeated by the enemy.

That's what the enemy would also think.

Do you mean, His Majesty will enter the enemy lines himself?

Your Majesty, are you okay?

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

- Mu Gol. - Go!

Your Majesty.

Take him down!

Go!

Kill them!

If he makes the mounted warriors attack the enemy from the side...

Please spare my life.

Please save me.

Please save me.

Don't kill me!

Please spare my life.

Stop.

No, please.

Stop!

In the end,

he shall win.

If you were born a man,

you would've been by His Majesty as his adviser.

Or I would've taken your position.

I'm glad you're a woman.

However, you aren't with him right now.

His Majesty...

would agree with you.

The Head Maid is here.

Head Maid Woo Soon

Head Maid, the head of royal maids

I said this is what looks good on Your Highness.

This is what happens when I'm not around.

What do you think, Your Highness?

I'm sure His Majesty will like it too.

He's back.

His Majesty has returned.

The Hours of Monkey, 3 to 5 p.m.

I can't believe he won again.

In fact, he regained the land the former king lost.

People will look up to him even more.

I plan to tell him...

about the new queen today for the last time.

How have you been?

- Hello. - How are you?

What should we do about Myeong Rim?

He used the Eo family's and the Jwa family's revolt as an excuse...

to take our warriors from the Woo family.

And now he's trying to dethrone Her Highness.

He will soon bow to us again, Brother.

- Hello. - How have you been?

Good.

What's the Daemodal of Wangdang doing here?

He asked to be beheaded for letting His Majesty get injured.

Is he out of his mind?

He sure is crazy.

Head Secretary Song Woo

Halt.

I heard you were injured.

It was just a graze.

Doctor, you may continue.

Yes, Your Highness.

Continue.

Apply more mint crystals.

To cool him down, you must melt it enough.

I'll stanch it now.

I'm glad you're safe.

Enough.

Get out.

How can he keep those filthy things in front of Your Highness?

How could His Majesty do that?

Let's go to the Royal Palace.

- We must begin the banquet. - Your Highness.

If anyone finds out His Majesty is injured,

conspiracies will surface.

You told me...

this was the only way.

Is this really the only way?

The ministers will hear about what just happened.

To protect Her Highness,

you must hold back.

Is that the only reason?

For keeping my distance from the queen?

If you have other thoughts,

I won't forgive you.

All I want...

is to protect Her Highness like you, Your Majesty.

Her Majesty the queen is here.

Let the banquet begin.

Get over here.

Yes!

Push!

We have good news.

I heard His Majesty was injured.

Is it true?

Where did you hear that?

If he can't make it to the banquet, he must be seriously injured.

- Perhaps, did anything go wrong? - How rude!

But we've heard...

His Majesty the king is here.

Were you talking about me?

Continue.

We were only worried about Your Majesty.

What about Jolbon?

Is Jolbon not here?

Yeon Bi is not well.

She sent a tribute instead.

Thanks to the sky deity who looked out for us,

I was able to retrieve the land the Han Dynasty took from us...

during my father's time.

However, many of our soldiers...

were killed by the enemy's sword.

This is...

for them.

You should return to your chamber.

I'll stay here.

Do you think they will leave you alone?

They're all your subjects.

To my eyes,

they're wolves who are waiting for me to collapse from an injury...

so they can get lost.

As long as your three brothers are with you,

that will never happen.

I agree.

As long as the three princes guard...

the three tribes' land in the East, West, and South,

they won't dare to challenge the throne.

What's Mu Gol doing?

He wouldn't give up.

Darn it.

I'll visit him tomorrow.

We've prepared this...

to celebrate Your Majesty's victory.

We were surprised to hear that Your Majesty was injured.

Because Your Majesty doesn't have a son yet, people are worried.

You were safe because the sky deity looked after you,

but if this happens again,

and if anything goes wrong,

Goguryeo will have a bloodbath...

over the throne.

So as we've said before,

to give birth to a son who can inherit the throne,

please dethrone Her Highness...

and marry a new queen...

Have you forgotten that her dethronement is up to me...

and that you must never mention it again?

However, it's our duty...

Leave.

Song Woo.

What's your opinion?

I'm sorry to say this,

but Myeong Rim has a point.

Your Majesty has shed a lot of blood to retrieve the land from the enemy.

Now it's time to tighten your position.

Then you will need the power of the five tribes.

You should not oppose them too much.

What governs Goguryeo is not the five tribes,

but me.

I'll handle...

the matter with the queen.

I don't see King Yu Ri's sword.

King Yu Ri, Goguryeo's second king

Descending on your own...

may be an option.

If His Majesty dies without a son,

who takes the throne next?

It will be one of his brothers who share the same blood.

The Hae and Go families might eye it too.

We live in the shade.

Let them fight for the throne.

All we need is the queen's position.

What does the Hae family think?

Don't you think it's time for a new queen?

We will discuss it in the Jega Conference tomorrow.

If all five tribes agree,

His Majesty can't reject it anymore.

The Prime Minister should also be chosen...

through the Jega Conference.

But His Majesty appointed the man without discussing with us.

Do you think he will listen?

We will make him listen to us.

It's still cold.

Do you want to play after a while?

Allow me to make the first move today.

Then I'll decide the rule.

The king has to leave the palace.

Front-line army, two steps forward.

I'll send a mounted troop diagonally to stop it.

Then I'll take it with the left artillery of the nine defenses.

Before that, shouldn't you stop the left palace's elephant?

The right infantry will block its path.

I'll move the catapult to take the infantry.

I'll take the catapult with the front-line wagon.

Would you like to give up?

No.

Not yet.

There must be a way out.

- Don't waver. - Understood.

What shall we do?

Let's keep quiet and watch first.

Knowing that His Majesty is alive and well,

everyone is contemplating which side to take.

Even if the queen is dethroned,

it will only do a favor to the queen family.

At this rate,

we can't win back the throne the Go family stole.

Get in touch with the hidden one.

The king...

must die.

The palace herbal pot

The ministers want to dethrone you...

to take away my power in ruling this country.

To do that, those men...

will come for you and tear you to pieces.

However,

I'll dethrone you before they do.

Go somewhere far away...

to a place where no one can find you.

Did you know?

These birds...

serve the very first person they see upon birth...

as their only master.

I'll dethrone you before they do.

Go somewhere far away...

to a place where no one can find you.

I'll prepare a horse and an army of Wangdang.

This is the only way I can...

protect you.

You must...

protect yourself now.

Your Highness.

His Majesty...

His Majesty...

has passed away.

Directed by Jeong Se-gyo