Original subtitles

(Sword & Silence)

(Sword & Silence)

(This drama merged facts with fiction and plots may differ from records.)

(Children and animals were filmed with the aid of guardians and experts.)

(Some scenes were made using generative AI.)

In this land, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla...

fought fiercely for hundreds of years.

Even Tang, having unified the continent, eyed this land.

In 642, Silla was cornered by threats from Baekje and Goguryeo.

And internally, the Jingol nobles fought over the throne.

There were enemies...

both outside and within.

(Seorabeol, Silla, Year 642)

Are you blaming the wind again?

I am reading the wind, Beop Min.

What?

- You are reading the wind? - Beop Min.

(Kim In Mun, Kim Chun Chu's second son)

They say an arrow flies straight when shot to save, rather than to kill.

Save what?

The nation.

It is a hit.

It is a hit.

It is a miss.

It is a miss.

What use is a well-aimed arrow in saving a dying nation?

There you go again.

If you are not confident in your skills, just say so.

Anyway, a promise is a promise, so that bow is mine now.

How can I beat you when you can read the wind?

That is the bow of Kim In Mun, the Divine Archer of the Wind.

Let me try it out.

There he goes again. Beop Min!

(Baekje)

(Kim Chun Chu, Silla's Minister of Military Affairs)

Beop Min, how far are you going?

Baek Ryong.

Chun Chu.

What are you all doing?

Call a physician immediately! We must save the general!

- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.

Please help me!

We must stop the plague!

I order you to burn all the bodies!

Move!

Did we lose to Baekje again?

Kill him!

Just kill him!

Those Baekje bastards took the fortresses and slaughtered everyone.

But there were so many fortresses.

What about Daeyaseong?

Daeyaseong is the only remaining fortress.

Kim Pum Seok, that bastard...

How dare you abandon the nation and flee?

- You cowards! - Die!

Let us kill him!

End his life!

We fought as hard as we could!

The generals sent us to our deaths.

Could you have held out?

This is unjust!

Silla does not forgive those who retreat from battle.

Behead him.

Yes, sir.

We will die anyway if we retreat.

From Goguryeo, Baekje, even Japan,

we have nowhere left to flee.

It is hell.

No. Do not do this.

- My dear. - Please...

Please show mercy.

Please show mercy this once.

Please forgive him. I beg you.

Please do not kill him.

Please show mercy this once.

Please save him.

Please show mercy this once.

Why did you not light the beacon?

And what happened to Kim Pum Seok?

We were ambushed before we could even raise the signal fire.

There must be people in the fortress who are in league with Baekje.

It was the damn Gaya.

There must have been Gaya people inside the fortress.

That is a dangerous thing to say. Do not jump to conclusions.

Is it not obvious?

Sokhamseong Fortress is located on land that once belonged to Gaya.

Even the soldiers guarding the gates were all of Gaya descent.

The beacon was never lit, the fortress gates were opened,

and Kim Pum Seok sent no reinforcements.

It was all the work of those Gaya people.

Did you really witness them betraying us?

What proof do I need? They are a people who will betray us at any time.

I must report this to Her Majesty immediately.

Baek Ryong.

Why did you come to me?

Who cares more for Silla than you, Kim Chun Chu?

I knew I could trust you.

You...

It could not be...

(Episode 1 Crossed Fates)

(Wolseong Palace, Seorabeol, Silla)

Her Majesty is entering.

(Kim Jin Ju, Silla's minister, a Jingol)

(Yeom Jong, Silla's minister, a Jingol)

(Bi Dam, Silla's minister, a Jingol)

(Queen Seondeok, 27th ruler of Silla)

Where is General Baek Ryong?

He is currently ill in bed.

He is ill?

At times like this, he should be rallying his strength.

We lost 40 fortresses to Baekje, and the nation is on the verge of ruin.

Yet he uses illness as an excuse?

The general is only human. He, too, can fall ill.

I wonder if he is truly ill or plotting some other scheme.

Countless people have lost their families and are in greater pain than he is.

That is enough.

If only General Kim Yu Sin were here in Seorabeol,

I would not be so anxious about the state of affairs.

The general has served at the border for three years without relief.

Why not use this opportunity to summon him?

How can we leave the Goguryeo border unattended, Your Majesty?

I heard King Ko Geon Mu of Goguryeo is currently...

avoiding war to focus all his efforts on internal affairs.

That is merely a rumor, Your Majesty.

We must not assume that Goguryeo will not attack us.

If Goguryeo marches from the north, it will truly be the end of us.

I intend to offer prayers to the Buddha for Silla.

Your Majesty, please preserve your health.

Must she go on about Buddha?

Lord Bi Dam.

It seems things are unfolding just as you predicted.

What is it?

There is a rumor circulating that Baek Ryong went to see Kim Chun Chu.

You mean General Baek Ryong of Sokhamseong Fortress? What of it?

No one has seen him since then.

He went in but never came out. Does that not mean he is dead?

If Baek Ryong were dead, Chun Chu would be in an uproar.

Chun Chu and Baek Ryong are the closest among us.

They are childhood friends.

And you are saying Chun Chu hid his death?

Why?

Baek Ryong is not someone who would ever leave his post.

Yet he abandoned the fortress and went to see Chun Chu.

That means he discovered something important.

General Baek Ryong hated the Gaya people.

If he went as far as to risk a retreat,

he must have found something that could destroy Gaya.

There are already many rumors in Seorabeol.

They say the Gaya people were colluding with Baekje,

and Baek Ryong tried to report it.

So he must have tried to report it, but died at the hands of Chun Chu instead.

But why?

Because the wife of Chun Chu is the sister of General Kim Yu Sin, a Gaya man.

That means their children also carry Gaya blood.

So you are saying Chun Chu killed Baek Ryong to protect his family?

The great Kim Chun Chu?

You should leave politics and go write plays instead.

Good grief, you fools.

Jin Ju.

You are a genius, you know.

Did you just realize that?

Then we must arrest Kim Chun Chu and interrogate him.

Is this not a perfect chance to shake up Her Majesty and Chun Chu?

The truth is not important.

What matters is what the people believe.

Just gather many ministers who will fuel this fire.

Then that fire will swallow up Kim Chun Chu on its own.

Oh, come. Chun Chu would not do that.

You are trying to frame a man over a little joke.

Whose side are you on?

Minister Chun Chu has sent a message to you both.

He wants us to watch a play at a time like this?

Kim Chun Chu.

(Maps and Records)

Emperor Li Shimin of Tang has opened the National Academy.

The greatest minds are gathering in Tang right now.

Learning and networking there will be an invaluable opportunity.

Countless corpses are being burned so we could gain a small piece of land.

It is as if...

they were born only to die.

Are you...

telling me I should go to Tang so I could escape death?

Not everyone needs to go to the battlefield and die.

Some must take up the sword.

And some must go out into the world...

to find a way to save their nation.

If you will not go to Tang, then you must go to the battlefield.

But you cannot even shoot an arrow. You will fall quickly.

I only pity the soldiers who will have to carry away your corpse.

Then who cleared away the corpse of General Baek Ryong?

Was that also for the country?

My decision has been made.

I am not going anywhere.

Whether it is the battlefield or Tang,

I will not be used as a tool by greedy men, only to be thrown away.

Beop Min.

Baekje and Silla have killed and destroyed each other over and over.

Have we not fought this war for 200 years?

Listen well.

Whether you go to Tang, the battlefield, or neither of those places,

you are my son.

That will never change.

Your thoughts and mine are no different.

For it is our fate...

to end this vicious cycle of bloodshed.

Beop Min, you go to Tang. In Mun, you will go with me.

Yes, Father.

Beop Min.

I lost my husband before our wedding night.

What joy is left for me?

If only I could know the pleasure of the flesh again.

If one husband dies, I can just get a new one.

But the nobles are fighting among themselves,

while the men have all died in battle, leaving only women behind.

What can we do?

Your Majesty.

There are no men left.

How are we to stop the enemy now?

Then I shall have to give you a son.

What?

I will give you a son too.

No matter how many men die,

I will keep giving you sons.

Is this not an entertaining show?

You are even more entertaining for inviting me to see it.

Does this play not mock your grandfather, King Jinji?

How could you invite us here?

I will arrest those actors and ensure they never perform again.

Why, those lunatics.

How dare you!

It is all right.

The suffering people must have a place to vent their resentment.

Are you so proud of your deposed grandfather?

Of course not.

However, seeing the play brought many things to mind.

The men at the borders are killed by the enemy,

and people in the capital are starving. That is our reality.

We must be united to save the country.

Otherwise, only ruin awaits us.

Are you suggesting that we are causing a division?

It is what you are doing.

Bi Dam, have you ever seen a unanimous decision at the Hwabaek Council?

Was not King Jinji dethroned unanimously?

I mean a time when we were united for the sake of the country.

You, Kim Chun Chu, are speaking of harmony?

Even a passing dog would laugh.

Blinded by desire for victory, you saw me surrounded by Baekje troops,

yet you only cared about opening the gates.

Chun Chu, help me.

And because of that,

I have been stuck...

with this cane ever since!

Bi Dam.

Back then, Chun Chu had to do what he could to survive.

I am sure you know it.

You know the truth of that day.

The fear and confusion you must have felt back then...

I understand it well.

Liar.

Chun Chu, you are a man who knows no fear.

Even when the head of your comrade was being cut off,

you were probably thinking of your next move.

No, you are wrong.

I am afraid of my people dying and losing my country.

As your former comrade, I am truly sorry...

for the pain you feel.

What did you say?

If we fail to protect Daeyaseong now,

The blade of Baekje will reach all the way to Seorabeol.

I will go to Daeyaseong Fortress.

If Kim Pum Seok is truly guilty, I intend to die there with my son.

The true intentions of a man are always revealed in the end.

So you are asking for more troops for Daeyaseong.

Lord Bi Dam, give me 500 of your troops and 300 from Lord Jin Ju.

I desperately need them.

Please join forces with me.

What about the threat from Goguryeo?

How can you take the troops from Seorabeol as you please?

You are mad.

You may only care about Daeyaseong because your daughter is there,

but Seorabeol is my priority.

This is the capital of the nation.

I am sure Her Majesty, who favors you, feels the same way.

If you want them so badly, get on your knees.

I need to see how desperate you are with my own eyes.

Oh, dear.

Goodness.

How could he do it?

Chun Chu, you are something else.

- Oh, no. - Unbelievable.

You are quite the actor.

You are putting on the real play here.

You look more sorrowful than your father on his knees.

You have a long way to go to catch up to him.

Tell me where the body was buried.

Oh, that...

Lord Chun Chu only took his most trustworthy servants with him.

(Liaodong, Goguryeo, Year 642)

Have you heard?

His Majesty is tearing down the monument celebrating our victory over Sui.

(Lord of Ansiseong Fortress)

He is trying to avoid war with Tang.

Should we not go and stop him right now?

We must not leave the fortress.

Protecting this place is our duty.

But...

Farewell.

The monument and the shrines have all been demolished,

and Qin Daede of Tang has arrived.

(Ko Geon Mu, 27th ruler of Goguryeo)

- You have destroyed it completely. - Is this not what you wanted?

Since you have demolished...

the war monument and shrines built after the victory over Sui,

the people of Tang will now regard Goguryeo as an ally.

(Ko Yeon Mu, Goguryeo's general)

His Imperial Majesty will be extremely pleased.

In return for your hospitality, I shall report favorably on my visit.

All right.

(Ko Hwan Gwon, Goguryeo's Crown Prince)

Long live Yeon Gae So Mun!

- Long live Yeon Gae So Mun! - Long live Yeon Gae So Mun!

- Long live Yeon Gae So Mun! - Long live Yeon Gae So Mun!

- Long live Yeon Gae So Mun! - Long live Yeon Gae So Mun!

- Long live Yeon Gae So Mun! - Long live Yeon Gae So Mun!

(Yeon Gae So Mun, Goguryeo Eastern Commander)

(Geom Mo Jam, Goguryeo's general)

(Mu Hyeok, Goguryeo's Eastern Army)

It is delicious.

Horses are approaching.

Could it be?

It cannot be.

The Goguryeo king said we would be safe.

Do not be afraid. Goguryeo cannot hurt us Tang soldiers.

We have defeated Sui.

(The Tang, destroyers of the monument, are enemies of Goguryeo.)

Your Majesty, King Uija of Baekje has secretly sent the envoy Seong Chung.

King Uija sent an envoy?

He wants us to join Baekje and attack Silla together?

That is correct, Your Majesty.

(Seong Chung, Baekje's minister)

Baekje is sweeping through Silla, having seized 40 of their fortresses.

If you were to join forces with us,

Silla will surely fall.

If Baekje has the power to take 40 Silla fortresses on its own,

why do you seek our help?

The downfall of Silla is inevitable,

but if Goguryeo and Baekje join forces,

we can minimize sacrifices and bring Silla down much faster.

So you mean to reduce losses of Baekje...

at the cost of my country?

Surely you know that a small sacrifice...

can yield a great reward, Your Majesty?

War is no small sacrifice.

I have no intention of spilling the blood of my people for your greed.

If you join us, it will surely benefit Goguryeo...

I wish you a safe journey back.

The head of a Tang official was hung in the marketplace.

What? Who would do such a thing?

Who else could it be?

It is only a matter of time before the Tang hears of this.

Order Yeon Gae So Mun to return to Pyongyangseong Fortress immediately.

Yes, Your Majesty.

His Majesty is far too lenient with Yeon Gae So Mun.

He walks around as if he owns the place.

Crown Prince, Yeon Gae So Mun will surely commit treason.

I will see him beheaded.

Time truly flies.

It has already been two years since you became the Eastern Commander.

I told you it would be best to discharge the veteran soldiers.

Yet they remain,

secretly comforting the people in your name.

If you insist they must be disbanded, I shall do so immediately.

Send the veterans back to their homes so they may retire in peace.

Goguryeo has been at war for far too long.

To those men who have grown old in these arduous wars,

I wish to grant them the gift of rest.

I shall do as you command.

And another thing.

Why does your Eastern Army continue to grow?

Rather than having those loyal soldiers lose their lives in a war with Tang...

and leave their wives widowed...

and their children mourning,

would it not be better to maintain peace with the Tang?

Right now, I am in need of a subject who will offer me honest advice.

Your Majesty, you are the monarch who defeated the Sui Dynasty.

How can you bow your head so easily now?

You know that those who unify the Central Plains...

always invade their neighboring nations.

The conquered are left in misery, starving and destitute,

but the victor becomes a hero, living in luxury with the spoils of war.

The only thing left for that thief to take...

is Goguryeo, Your Majesty.

That is why we seek peace.

It is to avoid giving them a pretext for war...

and to allow our impoverished people to recover.

Though we defeated Sui, all that was left...

was a ruined land and a starving populace.

Wait.

Our time will come.

Across the border, an army stands ready.

It is a massive force, eager to invade.

We must suppress that urge.

Did I not say we are seeking peace?

How can those seeking peace destroy war monuments...

and send spies disguised as envoys to map our terrain?

They are deceiving Your Majesty and will surely invade.

Peace is an illusion.

Strike them instead of seeking peace, Your Majesty.

Use the same strategy you used during the war against Sui.

Strike Yingzhou first to provoke them.

Do you think Li Shimin is a fool...

who would fall for the same tactic?

Li Shimin has fought hundreds of battles.

Do you not know he is a born strategist who has never lost?

You, too, are an undefeated hero of this kingdom.

You are our hero.

Once, there was a leopard who thought he was king of the forest.

He strutted about, commanding the entire woods.

But one day,

he came face-to-face with a tiger and was utterly terrified.

He had never dreamed that...

something so much larger and more fearsome than himself could exist in this world.

So that leopard began to dream.

He told himself, "I am a tiger. I must become a real tiger."

He honed his skills, enduring pain and hardship...

until he finally became a real tiger.

No, he became a beast so fierce...

that even the tiger trembled in fear.

So are you saying the leopard became a tiger?

By having a dream?

In truth,

that leopard was a tiger from the start, Your Majesty.

He simply had not realized it.

That is Goguryeo, and at its center...

is you, Your Majesty.

I had my worries, but seeing your sincerity today,

I feel greatly reassured.

I would like you to take charge of Liaodong.

Go there and oversee the construction of Cheollijangseong.

And prepare to attack Yingzhou.

I shall...

obey your command.

Time is of the essence. Go to Liaodong after the ceremony.

Complete this great task.

What is it that you want?

A peaceful world? Or a beautiful one?

In Mun, must I want something from life?

I am asking whether you intend to help Father.

The Jingol nobles only care about their own interests.

Father is fighting a lonely battle against them.

Do you not have the slightest desire to understand him?

Should we not help Father...

and gather the strength to overcome this crisis?

Answer me. Everyone is doing their best, but you...

- You go to Tang. - What?

I am going to Daeyaseong.

Are you going to defy the wishes of our father again?

Absolutely not.

I must go save Go Ta So,

who was forced into a political marriage in my stead...

and now lives in the dangerous Daeyaseong.

Your Majesty, how can you send a dangerous man like Yeon Gae So Mun...

to Liaodong, where he will be beyond your control?

If you give the order, I will eliminate him immediately...

to remove the source of trouble.

Yeon Gae So Mun will never set foot in Liaodong.

His Eastern Army will leave for Liaodong first.

Once he leaves Pyongyangseong after the ceremony without his army,

that is when I will kill him.

He will die beyond the walls of Pyongyangseong,

so as not to plunge the people into turmoil.

The ambushing troops will destroy the key leaders of the Eastern Army.

I finally understand your plan, Your Majesty.

I will follow your command with my life.

With this great sword, I defeated...

tens of thousands of Sui soldiers with only 500 men.

It has protected Goguryeo and me all my life.

I shall bestow this sword upon you.

You must protect Goguryeo with it.

I swear on this sword that I will fulfill my mission.

(Sasu, North of Pyongyangseong Fortress)

(Song of the Eastern Army, "Goguryeo Yields to No One")

(The great waters of the river turn red)

(The ironclad fortress stands against the northern wind)

(The glory left by our ancestors now rests in our hands)

(Ko Jeong Eui, Central Commander, Goguryeo)

(Goguryeo yields to no one)

Come on.

(Goguryeo)

(Great Goguryeo)

What should we do?

Let them through.

Let us have a drink.

I look forward to working with you.

Over here, Gae So Mun.

Say hello.

I am General Yeon Nam Saeng of Goguryeo.

Liaodong will be very cold. Have you made your preparations?

My heart is cold because I am leaving you all,

but my body is warm enough.

If you hold out a little while, I will come to relieve you soon.

Please do so. You must not forget.

His Majesty the King and the Crown Prince are entering!

You may begin.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Confiscate his sword!

Cease!

(Forest near Seorabeol)

O great King of Gipa, Immortal Boy of the Snowy Mountain.

The era of the sick and heirless queen is coming to an end!

Now, let the Jingol nobles here, who carry the pure blood of Silla,

succeed to the throne!

The incompetent Queen put Silla in peril!

Punish her nephew, Kim Chun Chu.

Show them that...

only the pure Jingol nobles can protect Silla!

Here is a loyal general!

We offer the soul of Baek Ryong.

Take the ropes.

King Jinpyeong...

monopolized the throne by claiming only his bloodline was royal!

He dreamed of having a son who would embody Maitreya,

but when no son came, he cunningly made his daughter the ruler!

King Jinheung first tainted the blood of our country...

by accepting Kim Yu Sin and his family into the Jingol rank.

Kim Chun Chu is colluding with Kim Yu Sin...

to cast us aside and take the throne for himself.

Is there anyone who will back out?

- No one. - No one.

Bring all the remaining Jingol nobles to our side.

We must push Queen Seondeok into a corner...

and make her side with me, not Kim Chun Chu.

- We agree. - We agree.

Vīrya Balena!

Āyu Sara Sara...

Bodhi Bodhi, Buddhya Buddhya!

Huru Huru! Svaha!

- We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu. - We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu.

- We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu. - We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu.

- We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu. - We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu.

Lord Chun Chu, I have a question for you.

I heard that General Baek Ryong of Sokhamseong Fortress...

went to your house while he was seriously injured.

This is a grave matter.

Why did you not report this to Her Majesty immediately?

It is true that General Baek Ryong came to my house.

But with Baekje mounting such a fierce offensive,

I only acted with caution to prevent further chaos.

You say you acted with caution?

While rumors of treachery by the Gaya people are spreading,

did you not think your silence would cause more turmoil?

This is...

the helmet General Baek Ryong wore.

It was found in a coffin buried by your own servants.

You killed General Baek Ryong.

His hatred for the Gaya people led him...

to accuse them without proof and sow discord.

And he failed to protect his own fortress.

Is that why you killed him?

I...

Behead him!

- Behead Kim Chun Chu! - Behead Kim Chun Chu!

- We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu. - We beg you to remove Kim Chun Chu.

- We beg you to remove... - We beg you to remove...

Your Majesty, any more hesitation will only plunge Silla into further chaos.

Dismiss Kim Chun Chu and behead him!

- Behead Kim Chun Chu! - Behead Kim Chun Chu!

- Behead Kim Chun Chu! - Behead Kim Chun Chu!

- Behead Kim Chun Chu! - Behead Kim Chun Chu!

General Kim Yu Sin has arrived.

(Kim Yu Sin, Silla's Supreme General)

Now leave. Be gone.

Your Majesty, may I say a few words before I leave?

Father.

Oh, dear.

Firstly,

since so many of you are cheering on my departure,

while I am grateful,

I also feel like I am being driven out.

Now, hush.

Silence.

Attention!

I, Yeon Gae So Mun,

have thought long and hard about what is best...

for the people of Goguryeo.

And I have...

come to a conclusion.

To the people who gave their lives to protect this land,

the Goguryeo of today...

is a disgrace.

An absolute disgrace!

Goguryeo shall never yield to anyone.

As long as I live,

no one shall ever...

invade Goguryeo!

It is a rebellion!

(Sword & Silence)

(Thanks to Cho Seong Ha for his special appearance.)