Original subtitles

Jeong Dojeon

Jeong Dojeon

Episode 31

It's been a long time.

Why are you here...

With a royal order?

I'm most suitable to be your messenger of death.

What?

I came to see your end.

I wanted to end this awful relationship

between us myself.

Bound him.

What are you doing?

Read the royal order.

The criminal will show courtesy.

What is this nonsense?

Gwangpyeonggun, you ordered Jo Minsu

to corrupted stated affairs.

You will be sent to a remote island

and be confined in by a thorny fence.

Bring Jo Minsu.

I won't believe it until then.

Bring Jo Minsu!

Jo Minsu can't come here!

He is being interrogated

for seizing land unjustly.

Interrogated?

Goryeo...

A country of noblemen is falling

under an ignorant man from a border area.

It will be much better than the Goryeo

that was ruled by nobility like you.

Repent to Buddha for the remainder

of your life.

Goodbye.

I guess your next goal will be king.

You led the army and attacked the capital.

You can't be happy just to be the vice-chancellor.

You will try to steal the country with Sambong.

If you're curious about that,

survive on a deserted island.

Look here.

If you don't want to become unhappy,

don't even look at the throne.

Just go after positions that suit you.

The throne will be hell for you.

Goryeo is falling.

A 500-year country will fall in vain.

Goryeo!

Goryeo is falling like this.

Goryeo...

Courage of a powerless person is futile.

If you want to change the world, gain power first.

If it could change because of you,

this wouldn't be a turbulent age.

The Office of Inspector General asked for an execution,

but His Majesty was generous and decided to exile you.

You should be grateful.

You ought to be ripped to pieces.

How can you call yourself the descendant of an influential family?

Don't boast about being from an influential family during exile.

Angry people might rip you to pieces.

I will see what happens to you.

Take him away!

Yes, sir!

Jo jun, I won't forgive you!

Good job, Ujae.

You did an amazing job.

This is just the beginning.

You can give me praise after the great cause has been achieved.

You will be formally meeting general Lee Seonggye tonight,

but don't mention the cause yet.

He wants reform more than the cause.

He will change when he realizes that is more difficult

than a revolution.

It's what I want from you.

Create new history.

Loyalty for the country.

That is my wish.

What are you looking at?

Nothing.

Go to the detached building.

Sambong and the daesaheon are here.

I owe you a huge debt.

Thank you.

I only did my duty.

I don't know what to say.

Ujae will be helping you with reform.

It won't be enough to be the daesaheon.

You should also appoint him as jimunhabusa.

Let's do that.

I'm sorry, but before I accept,

I would like a promise from you.

What is it?

Land divided among the people?

It's the same concept as I told you before.

Land owned by landowners is seized

and then divided among the people.

But, this is Goryeo's reality.

People with power have all the land.

Which will you choose?

Ujae, aren't you being a hit hasty?

You are a great landlord with much land in Dongbukmyeon.

Your wife also has much land that belongs to the Kang clan.

I will make my decision

after I know what your intention is.

Is this how it's going to be?

That's too bad. Then...

Jo Jun

Seizing land and distributing it.

That can only be done if you have power.

I will choose that power.

The two of you use that power to...

divide it to the people.

General.

Sambong, I'd like a word with you.

I thought it would take some time to convince you of this.

I didn't know you would decide right away.

Thank you.

I have to be prepared for that much

to win the hearts of the people.

That is right.

Reform without public sentiments

is hound to fail.

Not reform.

You're a smart man.

I told you after I returned

from going to Dongbukmyeon.

I said we should fight together.

Did you mean the cause?

Do you think Lee Seonggye

went through all that just for reform?

General.

You said you dreamed of a country

where all the people are saints.

Make me the king of that great country.

I will do that.

I will be sure to do that.

Lee Inim said

the throne would be hell for me.

I lived on battlegrounds that were worse than hell.

So what if it's hell?

I will work for the people.

Say something. You're embarrassing me.

I'll trust you.

My lord.

I would like to bow to the lord of

the new country I waited so long for.

Sambong.

This beginning is small and weak,

but when the door to our great cause opens up,

the people will come running out

to congratulate your enthronement.

I will make sure that happens.

I will give everything I have to achieve our great cause.

You should have told me you were here.

Why are you just standing there?

I'm glad you're here.

I was going to see master.

Come with me to apologize.

Let's meet him some other time.

Let's have a drink.

Did something happen bad at Sungkyunkwan?

No.

Today is a happy day.

So, why the dark expression?

Why did you help me then?

When?

When I sat outside the palace

to oppose Lee Inim's return.

I had Jo jun working on a plan,

but you didn't know that.

We couldn't have won,

but it was a fight with a cause.

And you were fighting for it.

I'm sure you would have done

the same thing.

I have a dream.

A dream?

When this world becomes a nice one,

I'd like you to become the chancellor

and carry out politics of harmony.

That was out of the blue.

It's your dream. You should become the chancellor.

Why are you trying to make me a brazen person?

I'm not suitable to be a chancellor.

It has to be you.

Listen.

What does it matter who the chancellor is?

What's important is to create a better world than this one.

With general Lee Seonggye, you and me,

the future of Goryeo isn't that dark.

I'm sure the heavens will look over us.

Heavens, listen!

There is hope for Goryeo!

Please look over His Majesty and the gentry.

If you don't, I, low ranking official, jeong Dojeon,

will not forgive you!

Do you understand?

We are going to ruin 500-year-old Goryeo

and create a new country.

What should the new country be like?

The sky for a king is the people and the sky for the people is food.

It must be a country where the people can be full.

Private soldiers must be abolished and we must have powerful reserve forces.

We have to drive out Buddhism

since it incites avoiding reality and causes corruption.

It has to be a country of Men-Confucianism.

You are all right.

If you sum it up, it is minbon.

A country based on the people?

We will create an ideal country of the East for the people.

I swear to give my life for the cause

with my colleagues.

I will give my life, too.

I will not cling to life either.

I will share life and death

with everyone here.

Giving your life isn't enough.

You have to be prepared to give up

everything you received from Goryeo.

Even the spirit of the gentry.

The cause for the people.

That will be our lives and our spirits.

I told you this isn't the way!

The capital is the opposite way.

Why do you keep going this way?

Please calm down.

Why do you want to die so quickly?

You don't know what you're saying.

I have to go to the capital.

This tuberculosis will go away...

If I sit at the top seat of the Supreme Council!

Go in the right direction.

Stop!

Let go of me!

Let go! Don't touch me!

I have to go to the capital.

Look who's here?

My dear friend, Sambong.

Stand back.

I chose Jeoldo,

so you could die a slow death.

You should gather your energy.

Will you even make it to the island?

What brings you here?

I came to let you know something.

I can't let you die in comfort.

A new dynasty will be gin

before your corpse turns into dust.

Watch your Goryeo fall

from the underworld.

Because of you, I became a monster

who incited a dynastic revolution.

Thank you for that.

You're not a monster yet.

You're just an innocent scholar

who dreams of utopia.

But you will be come a true monster now.

A monster is horn

when excessive ideal and power combine.

You will suffer a lot.

I will be watching you, Sambong.

Gwangpyeonggun Lee Inim.

He was born in a noble family

and entered politics without taking the civil service examination.

He drove out the Red Turbans and conquered Dongningfu of Yuan.

After king Gongmin was assassinated, he put king Wu on the throne

and gained real power.

Along with Choi Yeong, he ruled Goryeo for 14 years as a court minister.

He was sociable and had a good sense for politics,

but being pro-Yuan, he oppressed the Nee-Confucian elites and

caused diplomatic conflicts with Ming.

He trafficked in government positions.

He ended up dying while being exiled.

His death was the beginning of the end of Goryeo

ruled by influential families.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

The Supreme Council has been reorganized.

Mokeun lee Saek became the chancellor,

but vice-chancellor Lee Seonggye had the actual power since he had military power.

jeong Dojeon became the miljikbusa and

took a step closer to the heart of Goryeo.

The radical gentry started taking action.

The starting point was an appeal for land reform by Jo jun.

You want to abolish private land?

Are you in your right mind?

Fortunately, I am.

Even government land must be seized

and distributed evenly.

That's nonsense.

Are you going to make all the landowners of this country broke?

Do you think that is possible?

It is.

If we do a survey of all the land

and its ownership,

we can achieve land reform in 3 years.

Do you think the landowners will just sit by and let you do that?

The people will welcome it with open arms.

I agree to reforming land. However,

wanting to abolish private land is a dangerous and reckless idea.

The object of reform isn't the land. It is the evils of land.

It should be about improving the system.

All efforts to improve the private land system failed until now.

Abolishing the system is the way to reform.

I don't think so.

Goryeo was maintained for a long time with private land.

Denying that is denying the basis of Goryeo.

I can't accept that.

You're taking this too seriously.

It is for reform.

We can't do that with a temporary measure.

A clear plan is being presented.

Let's try it.

Vice-chancellor.

Sir.

Quiet.

We don't seem to be in agreement.

How about discussing it further at the next meeting?

I will agree to that,

but this could last a while if we do that.

Why did you agree to Jo jun's absurd claim?

He was right about everything.

There wasn't anything absurd about it.

Come on.

Don't you know what will happen if we do as he suggests?

You'll have to give up all your land in Dongbukmyeon.

Uncle jiran is right.

Oppose the appeal

Don't make useless remarks.

Reform is important for Goryeo.

Father should set an example

if he is to lead the reform.

Jo jun's claim isn't for reform.

It is to change the country.

Father, Jo jun is an excessive character.

You shouldn't be close to him.

I will take care of state affairs.

Don't argue about it with me.

The discussion regarding land reform must stop here.

Why must we stop?

Jo jun put his life on the line to touch on a subject of taboo.

We should gather a majority opinion and support him,

not stop discussing it.

What do you think will happen if people hear that

we're talking about land reform?

Landowners will be nervous and the people will have empty hope.

There will be conflict.

Since when did the gentry worry about the landowners being nervous?

What?

Oh, I forgot.

Some gentry men own a lot of land.

Look here, Dongjeong!

As long as you're in court,

you must not forget you has to be on the side of the people.

Be a landowner after you go home.

While you have dinner sewed by servants in your huge house

after you pass the farms of tenant farmers.

I will do that.

We can't agree to abolishing private land.

We'll go home to be landowners.

Let's go!

Those rats.

We shouldn't sit around here.

Let's go to the palace and raise our voices.

Let's do that.

Lee Saek and the gentry who follow him

seem to be strongly opposed.

It isn't opposition. It is division.

Division?

The only thing the gentry have in common is Confucianism.

They all have different backgrounds.

There are those from influential families like Lee Saek,Jo jun, Gwon Geun

and Lee Sungin.

Ha Ryun and I are from families of local magistrates.

You are the son of a landowner and warlord.

They are all mixed up.

Are you saying they will divide into sects?

Not sects. Political enemies.

Political enemies?

For or against Jo jun's land reform.

That will divide friendly forces and enemies.

The goal wasn't land reform.

It was to draw out the forces opposed to our cause.

It will be impossible to completely abolish private land system right now.

Even if we fail at land reform,

the people will support us.

When the enemies are alienated by public sentiments,

they will be eliminated.

Along with Goryeo.

Sambong.

Uncle Poeun.

It's been a while.

Have a seat.

Come with me.

Where?

Master would like to see you.

I don't know what to say about the incident at Sungkyunkwan.

Please forgive my rudeness.

It was due to my lacking.

Who could I blame?

I wanted to see you

because of Jo jun's land reform appeal.

Then you should have called Jo jun.

I know you're behind it.

I don't know why you're doing such a tragic thing,

but quit right now.

Why is abolishing private land tragic?

You're claiming the impossible and causing chaos when the country just

began to settle again.

If that's not tragic, what is?

I don't understand why you think it is impossible.

Even if you don't go all the way back to the age of Yao and Shun,

there are many countries that denied private land to achieve ideal.

Reform can't be pursued only with ideals.

We have to take a close look at the reality of Goryeo first.

If you have a grasp of Goryeo's reality,

you can't be in favor of private land.

Master, Jo jun's appeal is a hit excessive,

but it does seem worth discussing.

Couldn't we come up with a realistic measure if we discussed it?

Do you think it will be a proper discussion?

We can't handle the land matter

with our current political power.

Convince Jo jun to withdraw the appeal.

I'm sorry, but I can't do that.

I will leave now.

Do you think the world is yours because you have a little power?

Master.

I wanted to understand even when you tried to put jeongchanggun on the throne.

I figured it was because you left government service for a long time.

But now, you want to abolish private land?

Have you given up on the cause? Are you just venting your grudge?

That's exactly right.

I'm venting against landowners

who are sucking up the blood of the people.

What?

You should go.

Mongju, stay out of this.

Listen carefully.

Politics isn't to be destroyed. It is to be protected.

Go ahead and protect it.

I'm going to destroy it.

Along with all the farms you own as a member of an influential family.

Yum!

Sambong!

Leave.

It's over between us

as teacher and student.

It's what I wanted.

Sambong.

What did you just do?

How can you do something so unethical?

As you heard, I was expelled.

Don't call me your colleague.

I don't care how hostile he is about private land,

how can a scholar behave like that?

Oppose Jo jun's appeal.

Are you against land reform, too?

I'm not against it.

I'm just asking to adjust the speed.

The private land system was in place for centuries.

It is right to abolish it,

but if you push it like this,

you will only face strong opposition.

If you want to heat your enemy,

shouldn't you make a surprise attack?

I'm only asking because there are already negative effects.

Our master cut off his ties with Sambong.

Sir.

Dojeon.

Yes.

I was stingy with compliment

because I didn't want you to become arrogant.

You fought well.

Master...

You did well.

Are you worried about something?

Sir.

I don't want to see anyone today.

Tell whoever it is to leave.

Yes.

Honey!

You should go outside.

Sir.

I heard something sad happened.

I came to comfort you with a drink.

This is pumpkin wine.

How did you know my master cut off his ties with me?

Poeun told me.

He wanted to adjust the speed.

Are you going to do as he says?

I left everything to you.

Do what you want.

But...

There is only one thing I ask.

What is that?

When seeking a cause,

there will be enemies and fights we don't want.

But don't make Poeun an enemy.

He is more important to me than the cause.

He has to go hand in hand with us

no matter what.

It might be a hit difficult right away,

but I will make that happen.

He is just as precious to me, too.

Thank you. Hang in there.

Thank you for comforting me, my lord.

Then, cheers.

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, please spare me.

You didn't show much respect before.

You're finally calling me Your Majesty?

Please spare my life.

lam so sorry.

I don't care how pathetic my situation is.

I will not be insulted by a court lady.

You will die today!

Your Majesty! Your Majesty!

What is it?

Gwangpyeonggun passed away.

The court is turned inside out

because Lee Seonggye wants to abolish the private land system.

What? Abolish the private land system?

The things he does.

Chancellor.

Is it true a land survey is being done in the Gyeonggi area?

Only a few places on a trial basis.

How can you do that without the decision of the council?

Well, the council can't seem to decide.

What's wrong with discussing it again

after we survey a few places?

It might be on a trial basis for you,

but the landowners and people will see it as a decided fact.

Stop the surveys right now.

I can't do that.

Stop the surveys.

I said I can't do that.

How can he do this?

He can't do such a thing without discussing it with you.

We can't let him get away with this.

If he keeps this up, the country will be ruined.

There is no way to stop him.

Chancellor.

What is it?

Oh Inyeol and Seol jangsu who went to Ming to report a new king

returned with a royal message.

How did it go?

Will they accept our new king?

There is no clear position, but...

But what?

A question was raised about Lee Seonggye deposing the former king.

Your servants came and told me that

king Wu's son, Chang, succeeded the throne.

That is not what I heard.

From what I heard,

king Wu is confined to the detached palace.

This means there was a rebellion.

I will see what happens to your country.

Why is the emperor saying there was a rebellion?

He is just trying to use that as an excuse to deny your succession to the throne.

This isn't a matter to be taken lightly.

You must let them know that you took the throne through official channels

before the emperor misunderstands even more.

You must also make it clear that

there wasn't a rebellion.

Chancellor.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Who should we send as an envoy?

I will go myself.

You can't do that.

Diplomatic relations aren't smooth due to the attack on Yodong.

The envoy could be detained or killed.

We can't send a top official.

Since it is such a dangerous situation,

shouldn't we send a top official to clear up any distrust?

Your Majesty,

I will go to Ming with the vice-chancellor.

You can't do that.

The vice-chancellor is in charge of the internal politics of Goryeo.

He must not leave his position.

The Ming emperor thinks His Majesty took the throne

as the result of a rebellion.

The best way to clear this up is for the vice-chancellor to explain

since he knows that situation best and he is in charge of military power.

Vice-chancellor.

Let's go to Ming.