Original subtitles

(This drama was remade based on historical facts.)

I will keep the Jeonokseo door unlocked.

I want you to escape along with all the other prisoners.

Your Majesty, how could we say this kingdom is good and well?

The Norons probably wanted this to happen...

to pressure the King and rid the head of the Sorons.

Isn't all of this caused because he doesn't have an heir?

People think he's a powerless king.

It is time for us to decide an heir to become the next king.

The palace has already begun to look for a son to adopt.

I need someone who can help me with their power.

You planned this, didn't you?

But he probably didn't get back to you once he became free.

It's being taken care of...

You better do a good job of taking care of it...

if you don't want the Norons to get in trouble.

I will catch him for you.

I want you to tell Min Jin Heon...

that he should look for me before he finds himself in trouble.

Is this... Is this what he had been planning?

Prince Mil Poong.

Are you trying to use the Queen to take the lead...

along with Qing Dynasty behind your back...

to become the King's adopted son?

What a pity.

(Prince Yeoning, Yi Geum)

I didn't know you could make that kind of face.

Prince Yeoning.

You must be frustrated.

You gave the throne to Prince Mil Poong and took it back.

That's why I told you to come to me.

I already warned you.

What are you trying to say?

You're not here simply to boast about yourself.

Don't you need a prince?

Someone who can play king for you like a chess piece.

That kind of a prince.

Did you recommend Prince Mil Poong as His Majesty's adopted son?

Have you lost your mind?

Did you forget what kind of person Prince Mil Poong is?

- Queen Dowager. - I won't allow it.

I won't allow it even if I die.

(Queen Seonui)

Your Majesty.

My dance is better.

May I show you my dance?

Will you do that for me?

It is my honor, Your Majesty.

"Don't you need a prince?"

What do you mean?

Isn't this just the start?

The start in searching the heir to succeed the king.

Everyone is desperate to find one now.

Are you saying that you'll become the next king?

I may have the blood of a low life, but I'm still a prince.

"You should've rather dreamt of becoming a king."

Wasn't that what you said to me?

I decided to dream of that...

as you advised me.

Don't you think I would be a better chess piece...

than Prince Mil Poong?

Prince Mil Poong? What is going on?

Look there.

Isn't that Min Jin Heon and Prince Yeoning?

Why are those two people standing together there?

Prince Yeoning?

(Episode 6: Wavering Alliance)

Tell me.

Who paid you to snoop around me?

Hey, what are you?

We'll leave as soon as we finish what we came for. Don't bother us.

Has this girl lost her mind?

What are you looking at?

Why do men always need a beating to come back to their senses?

I really don't know. I only did as I was ordered.

I was paid so generously.

How could you not know?

I lost my parents when I was young, and my family gave up on me already.

So who paid you money to watch my back?

But it's true. I don't know because I was contacted through letters.

I was just asked if you were doing well with your studies...

and if you would pass your test.

What?

You did a background check on me too? You pervert.

Did you say you were paid generously?

- How generous was that? - What?

Well...

Three...

to four times more the normal price?

Hey, is the amount of money more important to you?

You're saying an anonymous person paid a ridiculous price, right?

Master. Master Mun Su!

They say the list of those who passed the test will be posted soon.

- What? - Master Mun Su!

We should hurry. You don't have time for this.

Finally.

Has the day finally come?

Well, I didn't tell you this since it might get your hopes up too much,

but I honestly think that I topped this test.

My answer was really perfect.

Maybe that's it. I dreamt of a dragon rising to the sky.

That's right.

What are you talking about? Passing the test in first place?

It's a miracle if you even pass it.

You jerk.

My blood, sweat, and tears.

Do you know that?

Stop blabbering. It's over there.

We should go check now.

Let's go.

- Get out of the way! - Please step back.

- Get out! What are you doing? - I'm sorry, my master is busy.

Hurry up. This is embarrassing.

Okay. I'll do it.

I'm doing it.

What? What is it?

It's not your name.

It's not my name?

(Top attendee, Hyun Mun Kyeong)

- How could this be? - What did I tell you?

We should've checked from the end.

No, I'll be next on the list, okay?

I'm certain that I came in first or second.

(Second attendee, Lee Soo Dong)

This is impossible.

This can't be real.

I'm not third either.

(Third attendee, Jong Ha)

I'm not here.

Forget it. Search below.

See if your name is below or above that.

Don't worry.

I'm sure your name is in there, Master Mun Su.

Master Mun Su. It's over here.

Over there?

Is my name there?

No, I was saying that it isn't here either.

- What? - What?

Don't fool around with me.

She's right. There's Park Myeong Su, but there's no Park Mun Su.

Master Mun Su.

This can't be.

It's impossible. I did so well.

Let's look again. I'm sure my name is here.

I'm sure my name is here.

- Just a moment. Please. - What is this?

Master Mun Su, you should stop.

- Let's just leave. - Let go of me!

Something is wrong here.

I'm being serious, Ah Bong. Jang Dal, Yeo Ji, please.

My name has to be here. I'm serious this time.

Let's look just once more. Please.

(Saheonbu)

Hold on.

Who finished this case's report?

I'm sorry, but what do you mean?

The corruption case from the Office of Royal Genealogy.

Who closed the investigation of this case?

- Cheating in the exam? - Yes.

Hey, everyone does that.

Who's completely clean in taking the exams?

Everyone buys a good spot...

and sneak peek at other people's answers.

I'm not talking about simple cheating...

like taking good spots or sneaking peeks.

There's circumstances that show this one is related...

to the higher-up organization of the government.

Do you have any evidence?

There isn't any evidence yet.

You must have too much time on your hands.

What? Do you need more work? Should I assign you more?

Team Leader, this is more important.

Forget it! Close the case!

Hey.

Take that and get out if you don't have anything better to do.

How could I just go out with this?

Why?

What?

I'm the team leader.

I understand. I'll get going.

That guy's face...

Why is he so scary when he's just saying "I understand"?

Team Leader!

My apologies, sir.

The corruption case from the Office of Royal Genealogy.

Did you close this investigation?

Did you really close the case as is and report it?

Yes, it was ordered by you, the Master Jipyeong,

so I especially took care of it quickly.

What's wrong with that?

Shut it.

Do you know what you did?

Who told you to close this case without my approval?

Who do you think you are?

What are you looking at?

Pick those up.

Do you remember?

The request you made early on about...

the corruption of the royals.

The case that was supposed to be an excuse for you to stop by Saheonbu.

I didn't come here for no reason.

I request an investigation on a corruption from the royal family.

I took it lightly since you said it was just an excuse for you.

But behind this case...

There was Prince An Gye.

Being slow and naive,

Min Jin Heon wanted to make him the next king.

Seeing that you're here,

the Office of Royal Genealogy must be investigating him already.

(Prince An Gye)

What is going on Prince An Gye?

- Goodness. - Oh, no.

Quick! Move it!

Prince An Gye.

Minister of Personnel.

He's still young, yet he took out so much.

Aren't the royals incredible?

They may be stupid...

but they all know how to get stuff done behind people's backs.

Were you after this from the start?

To get rid of Prince An Gye whom Min Jin Heon supports as successor?

If not,

why do you think I'd join the boring Office of Royal Genealogy?

Why? What for?

Don't jump to conclusions.

You don't even...

have an idea yet.

Min Jin Heon won't allow this.

If he finds out you're involved,

Then you'll protect me, of course.

- My lord! - You ought to.

The prisoner from Jeonokseo.

He's still in my hands.

If you lose him now,

your position in relation to Min Jin Heon...

will get pretty difficult.

Isn't that true?

- This is it? - Mister.

- Why take us out? - Fine, let's go.

- We're the customers. - Okay, next time.

- This isn't the only place to come. - Oh, goodness.

- Next time. - Goodbye.

Let's go.

Did you make all the other customers leave?

Yes, I've moved the Norons to the inner courtyard as you said.

Okay.

(Spring Breeze House)

Prince Mil Poong?

Why is that madman still alive causing this disturbance?

That's not the only problem.

Prince An Gye, whom Minister of Personnel supported...

is about to get eliminated.

How can the Minister of Personnel do business like this?

How could I trust him if this is how he manages his work?

I see you're here.

I made you come a long way.

If we're at a courtesan house, we should call gisaengs.

You never call them...

and you make us go through all this trouble.

Prime Minister, you can go home now.

Did you just tell me to go home?

- Yes. - Excuse me, Minister of Personnel!

Everyone else can go in.

- Go ahead. - Let's go in.

Are you in your right mind?

Now you're trying to exclude me?

Since you're the head of Noron,

I tried to save your face. That means...

you should've known what your concubine...

is going around doing.

My concubine?

What did Yoon Young do?

Just go home...

and ask that girl who came up with the plan...

to support Prince Mil Poong.

Though I'm not sure if she's still at your place.

What?

Go on.

My lord.

I'll give you the opportunity.

Prince Mil Poong?

He's been desiring to take over the throne...

when you were the potential king.

(Potential king: A period before one becomes king)

Did you forget all that?

How could I ever...

- forget that? - Then,

why did you make such decision?

Why did you put Prince Mil Poong...

We should get him.

If I have no power,

I'll take anyone's hand.

I'll take whoever's hand if they can give me the sword...

to fight against the Norons,

no matter how deep I resent them.

Prince Mil Poong is back.

What do you mean dethrone Prince An Gye?

The inspectors were doing a case from the Office of Royal Genealogy.

They didn't know the incident was linked to...

Prince An Gye.

What will happen if His Majesty goes ahead and adopt Prince Mil Poong?

We don't even have an alternative.

We do have Prince Yeoning.

Who? Prince Yeoning?

He is someone at the right age to be a successor...

Chief Inspector, are you kidding?

Prince Yeoning comes from a peasant's bloodline.

Not all princes are the same.

How can aristocrats like us...

bow to a peasant's son?

I just said it...

without giving much thought.

Even if you weren't giving much thought,

how could you even say that?

Who could've interfered with Prince An Gye at this point?

Prince Mil Poong?

If not him,

it can't be.

Don't you need a prince, Minister of Personnel?

It can't be.

You want information?

Get me everything you can.

About Prince Mil Poong? Yes, sir.

I presume you want to hand the information over to Saheonbu.

But then...

why Prince Yeoning?

Isn't he the second son of the previous king?

He has no power.

Why do you want to strike him?

Does someone like you have to know such details?

Find out every detail on what that peasant's son did...

during the past year and up until now.

Find out everything.

He might be even more dangerous...

than Prince Mil Poong.

My lord.

What are you scheming?

There. He's coming.

Prince Yeoning.

It's been a long while.

Well done.

You look much older.

It must've been a harsh journey for an old man like you.

Not at all.

I'm glad there's something for me to do even at this age.

Where were you for more than a month's time?

Stay here for a moment.

Did you find what I lost?

Yes, my lord.

Do you want to see it?

I found the answer sheet you mentioned.

I found a witness too.

What should I do?

Like last time, should I...

There's something you should do before that.

Yi Tan is back. He wants the throne.

He has the Queen and the Qing Dynasty's support.

What?

Doesn't that mean things won't go as you planned?

No.

He'll be helping me, Ja Dong.

Before the party I prepared begins,

Prince Mil Poong will shake up...

the Norons for me.

How long has it been?

About an hour.

How long will he do that?

What if his not-so-good brain...

gets even worse?

He failed for the 11th time. He won't be in his right mind.

Yeo Ji is even weirder.

Why is she playing to the beat? It's scary.

Boom, bap.

It can't be. Could it?

Perhaps it could be.

Yes, that's it.

Why didn't I think of that?

- I need to be somewhere. - I need to go too.

Where?

Master Mun Su. Yeo Ji. Hey.

- Hey, it's you. - Sir.

I was looking for you because there is work to do. I'm glad to see you.

You'll get paid a lot this time as well.

- Let's go inside. - Sir.

I have something to tell you.

(Hakgo Bookstore)

Pardon me.

It's okay. You picked it up first, so you should take it.

One yang, please.

Have a good day.

They approached me again.

- Show me. - Yes, sir.

Here you go.

They gave you another book with an unidentified author?

Yes.

They just asked me to sell the book, so I don't know much.

Master.

The source delivered information again.

Were you able to find out who it is this time?

It seems like he is a very careful person.

It's either that, or he can't trust me yet.

Who could it be?

He's reporting the irregularities regarding the civil service exam.

But he's hiding his identity.

He's probably an insider who feels at risk for doing this.

But he still needs to reveal his identity.

We need to know who he is even if we don't report it to our superiors.

Right now, the Saheonbu is more of a problem than this source.

I was told to stop investigating...

the irregularities of the civil service exam.

- What? - Move!

Out of the way!

Excuse me. What's going on?

Some crazy lad...

is throwing a fit in front of the Sugwonso.

(Sugwonso: A place where the answer sheets were being kept)

The Sugwonso...

is where they keep the answer sheets of the civil service exam.

Why would someone throw a fit there?

Let's go.

Get out of my way! Show me the answer sheets!

What do you think you're doing right now?

All the answer sheets of the test takers are kept here.

If you're so confident, show me the papers.

If you show me the answer sheets of the people who passed,

I will accept the fact that I failed the test.

You're not the first one to act like this.

You should be blaming your competence.

Why would you come here and cause a fuss instead?

That's what I did in the past!

I used to blame my competence.

But...

not this time.

I studied like crazy with this incompetent brain of mine.

If I failed the test, that means someone cheated.

It's an act of trampling on people who studied hard like I did!

- When is the police getting here? - Out of the way!

- They're coming. - Please move!

- He's right here! Hurry! - Over here!

Is he the person who's causing a ruckus?

He's a complete lunatic.

No!

I will not budge until I check that there weren't...

any irregularities.

Drag him away.

Yes, sir.

I told you that I won't budge until I check the facts.

How dare you...

You want to drag me away?

Fine.

Go ahead and try.

I will show you what happens when I decide...

to get out of my head and refuse to stay calm.

What are you doing? Hurry up!

Yes, sir.

Leave him be.

I know this person.

You're Inspector Yoon from the Saheonbu.

What are you doing here?

It was you.

He's the person who declined the nice seat at the exam site.

Do you know me?

Are you an inspector at the Saheonbu?

My name is Yoon Hyuk.

Are you okay?

That's Master Mun Su.

How do they know each other?

What did you just say?

Mun Su knows Inspector Yoon?

I'm not sure of the details,

but it definitely seemed like Inspector Yoon knew Master Mun Su.

I wonder what's going on.

Prince Yeoning, if that's the case,

why don't you inform Master Mun Su and Yeo Ji about this?

If you can receive help from them, you can...

No.

You know what I'm about to do is very dangerous.

Mun Su failed to pass the exam, Ja Dong.

Regardless of how hard he tried,

he wasn't able to overcome the irregularities of the exam.

However, Mun Su will be given another chance...

just like how I was given another chance thanks to her.

But until then, I need to take care of this on my own.

What? The female inspector said she's going to quit?

Why?

I asked her why, but she wouldn't tell me.

She just kept saying she's going to quit.

Gosh, why all of a sudden?

She's making money so easily here.

Exactly.

Because you gave me so much money,

I paid her 3 to 4 times the original paycheck...

even when she cooked food that wasn't even edible.

I had a hunch, and I guess my hunch was right.

Goodness, you're...

Gosh, what are you doing here?

We've met before, haven't we?

And from what I remember, this is Prince Yeoning's house.

Gosh, well...

I guess I got caught.

What's going on?

Did Prince Yeoning ask you to do this?

You drink very well.

You really are my type of person.

Would you like a glass?

Yes, of course. I also know how to hold my liquor.

I used to sell alcohol in the past.

Oh, I see.

You don't seem shocked at the fact that I used to sell alcohol.

Why do I need to be shocked by that?

Now, I get it.

No wonder he...

"He"?

Are you talking about Prince Yeoning?

That's what you want to know, right?

Yes, it was Prince Yeoning.

He asked me to do this.

He told me not to give you hard work and to pay you well...

since you'll need to earn a living.

Then...

was he also the one who tried to help Master Mun Su?

I'm not sure about the aristocrat.

But the Prince Yeoning I know would have...

surely helped him.

Why?

Is it some act of petty integrity?

Or is he trying to get rid of his guilt for betraying us?

That's how it'll seem if you want to be pessimistic about it.

But you'll understand once you try to see his sincerity.

What sincerity? What are you talking about?

You need to be more clear so I can understand.

Gosh, that will be no fun.

I heard you used to be a competent female inspector.

You should find out for yourself.

Hey.

You can't just leave like this.

I'm not sure about this,

but I think Prince Yeoning is trying to do something dangerous.

Something very difficult that might even end up...

costing his life.

There's a limit to what I can do.

But you and that aristocrat named Park Mun Su...

might be able to help him out.

And I think you'll be able to recognize his sincerity.

Please make sure Yeo Ji doesn't suffer.

She behaves and talks differently...

compared to other normal women.

So it'll be hard for her to get by.

Why don't you meet her and resolve the misunderstanding?

It seems like she's resenting you.

Seeing each other will only end up hurting us even more.

Then just forget about her.

If you do that, you'll at least feel at ease.

I'd love to do that,

but I can't stop thinking about her.

I want to forget about her.

I really do.

I envy you.

He actually thinks about you.

Whereas with me,

he only feels pity.