Original subtitles

(This drama is based on imagination and historical facts.)

(Most psychological descriptions of characters and details are fictitious.)

You must be insane.

You bullied me first.

(After 15 years)

I am afraid to say this,

but it is only right for His Majesty to make decisions...

regarding personnel, military, and punishment issues.

His Majesty is too aged,

and to save him from trouble,

His Highness has taken the throne in the interim.

What do you mean by that?

I am talking about the precedent.

Are you saying you have considered...

all the precedents of the past 300 years in the Joseon dynasty?

It is impossible to go over all that.

In that case, you cannot bring up the precedent here.

If he visits and asks His Majesty every time,

it cannot be called the regency.

"If he visits and asks His Majesty every time,"

"it cannot be the case of regency."

It has only been a month since His Highness took the regency.

He cannot make decisions on life or death issues...

directly himself!

"It has only been a month since he took the throne in the interim."

"He cannot decide on life or death issues..."

"on his own."

He must make decisions himself to learn anything.

His Highness does not need to know.

He does not need to know about Noron and Soron.

Nor is he needed to know about personnel and military,

not to mention any political affairs in the Royal Court.

What...

That is correct.

His Majesty is unwell, but he will soon recover.

And I am not yet good enough to meddle with the Royal Court.

However,

if I do not even attempt to learn anything,

it will also be undutiful of me to be his grandson.

That is my only concern.

Undutiful...

"There is no need for His Highness to know?"

How could you say something so thoughtless?

All this is for him to learn as many political affairs as possible.

And you say he does not need to know?

Your Highness, you must not let him slide for his unforgivable remark.

Unforgivable? Watch what you say!

The Second State Councilor said it only out of concern...

- for His Highness. - Do not turn on us. You are in the wrong!

- What? - How could you?

- How dare you... - You shall be silenced!

How dare you speak of...

Do not point your finger at me!

("The History of Us")

You have got to be kidding me.

If you are not feeling well, you should just rest at home.

How dare you sneeze before His Highness?

Goodness.

Everyone learns from their mistakes.

Do not blame him for it.

Okay.

Wait. Should you use the character for courtesy...

instead of the one for law...

This is why...

I told you to hire them based on their personality, not their writing.

Just now, you mentioned that everyone learned from their mistakes.

And you were the one who said...

you could see that punk's personality...

from his writing.

What about his personality?

- He is a perfect historian material. - My lord.

He is stubborn and slow-witted.

His sentences are well-written.

He is young and from a respectable family.

He even was a child brought into the palace for His Highness.

(When a crown prince is little, a boy is brought into the palace for him.)

Speaking of which,

I want you to help me out today.

What is bringing you to the library at this hour?

Everyone was assigned to sort out the last month's journal.

So we are short on hands.

I have no choice but to borrow your hands.

By any chance,

did he not call you over in private?

Pardon?

I am talking about His Highness.

Did he not ask to see you in private?

His Highness would not bother to call over someone like me.

I am not sure.

Maybe to celebrate meeting his old friend again.

He and I are friends? That is impossible.

It is my first time to come here at night.

How should I put it?

This place is like it has hundreds of years of life within it.

Copy the entire appeal...

and 3,000 names here.

Yes, my lord.

Pardon?

- Did you say 3,000 names? - Yes.

This appeal was issued by 3,000 Confucian scholars from Yeongnam.

So, are you telling me...

to write down all 3,000 names?

Of course.

In the annals,

it is okay to include only the summary of an appeal.

But, in the "Royal Secretariat's Journal," all the names must be written...

even if 10,000 people issue an appeal.

This is the reason...

why hundreds of years are alive here.

What?

Does this task seem petty?

No. It is not petty.

Then, good luck.

Gosh.

You just heard things.

No, I am sure someone was there.

You said...

you checked the records of who entered and left the library.

But there was no one.

Yes, that is the problem!

- Someone may be slipping in and out... - No way.

Who, aside from us, would even consider entering the history library?

Not even His Majesty may enter there easily.

And if it be a spirit, who can say?

Do you not know?

Many trainee historians have ended their lives,

unable to withstand the harsh training.

Even in death,

they say, they return to continue their work.

My lord!

Take rest whenever you are able.

Oh, right.

I have heard that the historians are exceedingly busy,

attending to both His Majesty and myself in turn.

That is not the case, Your Highness.

They are merely fulfilling their duties.

You would do well to recall...

the previous instance of regency...

so that you may allocate the tasks with discernment.

I shall attend to what His Highness has commanded today.

The most recent case of regency...

involved the deposed Crown Prince Sa...

If we examine the records from 1749 to 1762,

we might ascertain how many historians...

served both the king and the deposed crown prince.

You.

Do you still not understand the rules you must follow...

as an apprentice historian?

First,

do not seek to uncover the incident that happened in 1762.

Second,

never mention it,

even if you learn of it.

But that's because...

But why?

- Do not ask why! - Do not ask why!

If you make a mistake, it could only cost you your life.

But this matter could endanger the lives of your entire family.

So? Have none of you...

ever sought the truth?

- Let us get back to work. - Yes.

- Where is the book? - Where was I?

Who is there?

Are you a person or a ghost?

Show yourself!

You fool!

You shall find yourself in grave trouble...

should I catch you!

Who on earth is there?

This is where the royal final drafts are preserved!

Cease this game at once and reveal yourself this instant!

Who are you over there?

Who are you,

showing such disrespect in this hallowed place?

I have heard that one would not survive...

should they lay their eyes upon what is kept here.

If it were to threaten one's life,

would it not be preferable to cease to exist altogether?

Your Highness!

How could you allow the brush you use...

to record our grand history to fall?

It has been 15 years, yet you have not changed at all.

You did the same in the Royal Office just the other day.

Your generosity is...

No, I beg your forgiveness, Your Highness.

However, what brings you here?

I do not know.

Do you believe there exists a door in this palace...

that I cannot open?

Come to my quarters at midnight tomorrow.

Do not breathe a word to anyone.

Look at you.

Who did you see last night at the library that changed your expression?

What do you mean by "who"?

What are you talking about?

I did not see anyone.

Many report seeing strange things during this time of training.

After a long night of hard work,

they might glimpse kings or their deceased fathers.

Is that right?

What is it?

Did you dream of the Crown Prince...

you have long wished to meet?

How could that be?

Even if it were the Crown Prince himself,

he cannot enter the library so freely!

I was merely speaking of a dream!

Speaking of the Crown Prince,

have you heard the rumor?

What rumor?

It is said that the Crown Prince...

has been secretly gathering young officers.

Did he not summon any of you?

It makes sense for His Highness.

Everyone at the Royal Court, like the Second State Councilor,

does not approve of him.

He must be trying...

to secure younger officers as allies before his coronation.

("1762, A Leap Year of May in Lunar Calendar,")

("Royal Secretariat's Journal")

Are you sure you want to read it?

I did not know you were here.

If you are not fully committed,

it is better not to read it at all.

I am aware of what happened in 1762.

Who does not know what occurred that day?

Then,

what difference does it make if I read the record?

Do you really need to ask that and still call yourself a historian?

Once it is recorded,

the events resurface whenever it is opened.

However, our duty is only to record it and keep it intact.

It is not our job to bring past incidents back to life.

Is it not midnight yet?

No, Your Highness.

It is still not midnight.

Come to my quarters at midnight tomorrow.

Do not breathe a word to anyone.

Why is he here at Crown Prince Palace at this hour?

- I know. - Goodness.

You startled me.

Why are you here?

I was passing by and saw you here peeking.

What are you doing here?

I was just...

I saw Recorder Shin going to the Crown Prince Palace.

You know how the officials in the Royal Secretariat...

get summoned almost every day.

He kept writing something these days.

Do you think he was going to write a request?

Stop peeking at them.

Let us go back now.

If they find you here, they will question you.

Come on.

Recorder Shin.

My lord.

My lord!

- Royal Scribe Nam. - Yes, what is it?

You see...

What happened?

Tell me.

Recorder Shin took a day off overnight...

and hung...

He hung himself.

What?

There is no way.

Why would he do such a thing?

I knew things would turn out like this for Recorder Shin.

How could you say that of him?

Do you not think so too?

This is not something to just cover up and oppose.

Also, the Crown Prince is not someone...

who would change his mind over such a writing.

Be quiet.

If you go running your mouth now,

we do not know what will become of our lives.

("1762, A Leap Year of May in Lunar Calendar,")

("Royal Secretariat's Journal")

Forty-six. It hit the mark.

Father.

The crown prince shall take his own life.

Please spare my father!

- No, Father! - Please stop, Your Highness!

- Compose yourself, Your Highness! - Let me go!

- I will take my life! - Father!

Please.

Please spare my father!

Father!

Spare me.

Father!

- Father! - Please spare me.

Please spare my life.

Please do not harm him!

Father!

Father!

Father!

Fifty. It hit the mark.

You dared to ignore my order and did not come.

I see you were here.

So, how is it now that you have read it?

Is it a writing worth leaving to the people?

- Your Highness. - It elaborates...

on such miserable and disgusting scenes in detail.

I would say it was a fun read, though.

Do you not agree?

Please reconsider it, Your Highness.

Well, then.

What is it you want me to reconsider?

That is...

What you are daring to do is...

What do I dare to do?

It is something...

that we cannot argue about.

Why not?

What am I trying to do?

Tell me.

I am daring to give you...

a chance to dissuade me.

You are...

What you are doing is...

trying to delete the events...

and the history...

of the year 1762.

I am not only trying to erase the year 1762.

Among the records about my father,

I am thinking of finding all the parts that are necessary to be deleted.

Your Highness.

If you are against it,

persuade me by bringing proper writing...

about why I should not do it,

like the paper you submitted on your state examination.

You have until midnight.

You would better come this time.

Recorder Shin's writing at least had his own logic.

However,

it says nothing but opposing it with writing borrowed from old books.

Have you given a thought as to why I am trying to do this?

I will write a new one again.

Do you know how many people died trying to distinguish...

between right and wrong about my father's incident?

When I am crowned king,

whether I want it or not,

there will be a bloodbath again.

I am not trying to erase the history.

I only want to end the exhausting political strife...

that is caught up in the past and begin a new Joseon.

You would be covering the mistakes and hiding the faults,

so in what way will your Joseon be new?

Your Highness.

You cannot do the right thing by the wrong means.

I knew you would say that.

Your rule of Joseon should not begin this way.

If we look into it, I am sure there will be another way.

What other way is there?

My grandfather could not find the way,

so he threw my father into a rice chest and killed him.

There is no such thing as an absolutely perfect means...

that is beneficial for everyone and righteous, whichever way you see it.

Politics is about survival.

And survival is the second-best plan not the best way.

I am only trying to erase the second-best plan...

that we all chose that day.

Your Highness.

Im Seok Cheol, the Royal Scribe of the Office of Palace Attendants,

has arrived.

Let him in.

You shall visit me on another day.

Have you, upper echelons, been aware of His Highness' plan all along?

You must know better what His Highness is like.

He will become a sage king.

Hence, you throw away your duties as a historian...

and conform to whatever you are given. Is that it?

His Majesty's illness cannot get better anyhow.

- When the king meets his demise... - My lord!

After his death,

the National Annals Archive will be established.

Then, all the records will be gathered in one place.

Once the veritable records get published, the history will not...

be changed...

nor be deleted.

So, are you planning to help His Highness...

erase the entire record of that incident in advance?

You are young,

bright,

and upright.

But here is what is interesting.

Those old ministers who reeks of corruption...

were once historians like us.

I despise the way things are going in this nation,

but if there is one thing I cannot still give up,

it is these records.

By nature,

flowers use the decomposed to be in full bloom.

That is why I try to protect...

these.

We do not have to throw away the books without any problems.

Bring those to me.

Have you not heard me?

Please do not read the book, Your Highness.

Please do not read it, Your Highness.

Then, you shall read it out for me.

- Your Highness... - "The son of a sinner..."

- Your Highness! - "cannot be crowned."

And I am that sinner's boy seeking to be crowned.

Is that what is written on it?

Don't bother.

There is no need.

Do you realize how many times this happened?

Please compose yourself, Your Highness.

This must be the Second State Councilor's doing.

That man...

will not stop until the Crown Prince dies.

The king must know about this!

Let us be patient.

I am sure His Highness has his plan.

Your Highness has told me...

we needed to put the past behind us...

and erase a part of history to talk about the future.

But if you have determined to move on,

there is no reason to erase that history.

However, judging from what you are planning to do,

I can't help but think that this is all coming from your sense of guilt.

My sense of guilt?

Thinking that if it had not been Your Highness,

the Crown Prince Sado, your father, could not have died.

Do you even know what is coming out...

- of your mouth... - It is not your fault...

that your father passed away, Your Highness.

Anything that had happened in 1762...

is not your fault.

How are you so sure?

If my grandfather did not have me as an alternative,

he would not have killed my father...

in such a horrible way.

His son's excellence...

cannot be the cause of the father's death.

Even if it is,

that is also the part of history.

Within the history of 400 years recorded by historians like me,

you can see bitter regret,

shame, and pain.

Everything is written in it.

In the end,

the history we record day and night...

is neither yours...

nor ours.

Please do not let your guilt...

burden you and be recorded as the king who erased the history.

That burden is way too heavy.

You will share that burden with me.

If I refuse,

will you abandon me as well?

Like you did with Recorder Shin Yi Su?

I did not abandon him.

It was him who left me.

He could have just fought me.

He could have argued with me to the end if he had a different opinion.

But it was he who dared to give up...

on his king as well as his own life.

So,

you must not also give up on me...

because we do not agree.

Yeo Kang!

What kind of despicable rotten eggs did it this time?

Right away, I shall...

I knew something was strange.

This time, they acted like they were aiming at me...

but shot others instead.

Your Highness.

Please calm down.

Who is it?

Is the Second State Councilor behind this again?

Answer me.

Your Highness.

The thing is...

It seems as though Lady Hyegyeong attempted...

to frame the Second State Councilor and have His Majesty punish him.

Why did you do that?

Why?

Crown Prince.

I...

I was going to handle it myself.

Was I that unreliable?

No.

- That is not true. - Then, why did you pull this trick?

One of my men got injured.

He was to be my future subject.

I would like to keep this from everyone else.

Yes, Your Highness.

Are you done figuring out the journal?

"Royal Secretariat's Journal..."

includes so many incidents and details.

Quite a lot needs to be erased.

If you can give it a little more time...

No. I cannot let it drag any longer.

If I drag more time, it will only cause harm to my people.

Regardless of my intention,

I have no choice but to join hands with them now.

Today,

I would like to tell you something uncomfortable.

("The Analects")

Today is the last day...

for me to come to the palace.

Speaking of which,

why do I not show you something interesting for the last time?

What is all this?

History.

A journal worth around 100 years should be stored here.

Guess what I love the most in our history.

It is that our ancestors always fought with words, not swords.

King Sejong made the Hall of Worthies...

and created the new Joseon by studying and discussing...

with young subjects.

I plan to do just the same.

So...

I will pass the state exam as soon as possible...

and come back to your side.

Until then,

please wait a bit, even if you are lonely.

Good.

I will wait.

(A friend visited from a faraway place. How pleasant is that?)

So, at least from "Royal Secretariat's Journal,"

is it not only right to erase those unspeakable records?

That is true.

You are right.

"Royal Secretariat's Journal" writes about political affairs.

However, it cannot be compared to the annals...

that include the historians' comments.

I am sick of this.

You write these sentences in that injured state.

Do you actually believe they can change my mind?

If you do not even intend to change your mind,

why do you keep asking me?

What are you trying to say?

You keep asking me...

because you are not sure yourself.

I had certainty from the start.

I only intended to hear old-fashioned comments from you people.

But they were nothing but frustration.

Figures.

It was wrong of me to have expectations in the first place.

Do you remember what you told me that day?

Just like King Sejong did,

you wanted to study, discuss,

and make decisions on state affairs with your subjects.

I do not remember.

I forgot that stupid remark a long time ago.

No, you did not.

If you had forgotten it,

you would not have even given me a chance to persuade you.

If you had actually forgotten it,

you would not have waited for me.

Erasing some parts of that darn journal will not bring about the end of the world!

Just why...

do you not give up?

If we start erasing a part, we will be bound to erase other parts too.

If we give in to them once, they will start demanding more!

Then what?

What about you?

Are you going to refuse to be my subject?

Answer me.

If you are not righteous and upright,

that makes you just a man, not a king.

How dare you...

How could you?

Get out.

I will not ask you to see me again.

Your Highness.

The Second State Councilor requests to see you.

What brings you here without a prior appointment?

To my understanding,

a historian has been troubling Your Highness with confusion.

I do not care for such indirect talk.

Speak plainly.

It concerns your suggestion...

to remove the record of 1762 from our last meeting.

I must admit your clever approach...

had me defeated, Your Highness.

You have devised...

a way for us, and for yourself, to survive.

Is this not the only path forward,

allowing us to embrace the future and leave the past behind?

So,

do not let a mere historian unsettle you.

Let us proceed together.

I am prepared to stand...

by your side, Your Highness.

Royal Scribe, my lord!

My lord.

Wake up, my lord!

Also,

the tragedy of the incident in 1762 lay in...

what His Majesty was compelled to do for the sake of the kingdom.

Every detail of that day...

is recorded in the "Royal Secretariat's Journal."

Those who have seen it speak of it,

and those who have heard of it spread the word to the world.

Upon hearing, one's heart would break,

their eyes filling with tears,

finding no solace from above, despite their most desperate prayers.

My lord!

Where are you going when you are not well?

Step aside.

It will do you no good.

His Highness has gone to see His Majesty,

accompanied by all officers of the Royal Secretariat...

and the Office of Palace Attendants.

You need to quit this...

Your Highness.

Your Highness!

Your Highness.

Get out of my way.

Please do not do this.

Your Majesty,

we implore you to take pity on us,

to be considerate of our plight,

and to judge wisely in addressing the matter of the Crown Prince.

I have already spoken to him.

What more could I say?

Have all the drafts...

(Chailam is a rock in Segeomjeong where the drafts were expunged.)

removed at Chailam.

Come closer.

Though I am...

a merciless father who took my own son's life,

how could I leave this world while these records remain?

Your loyalty...

has extended beyond your father,

even to me, with such grace.

I have never regretted choosing you as my heir.

You cannot do this.

Do you really want to die over this?

I am not doing this to die but to protect it.

I will send you off to the gate, then.

That is not necessary.

Though I am a humble servant, I know your intentions are noble.

Please let me go with you.

We must make haste.

We must have you out of the palace...

before the hour strikes half past four.

My lord.

I cannot find the journal of 1762.

What?

Where is Royal Scribe Nam right now?

You may stay here.

Once you had taken it, you should have found a better place to hide.

Why are you still here?

I could not let Your Highness travel too far.

I told you, did I not?

You cannot give up on me so easily.

- Yeo Kang. - Your Highness.

You will be the only king alive...

to have read the historian's private memoranda.

"This is the voice of a historian."

"It is truly heartbreaking."

"The most precious inheritance our ancestors have passed down to us is,"

"ultimately, their errors."

"If we erase all histories simply..."

"because they are shameful or unclean,"

"what would remain for future generations to nurture in this land?"

"But the king..."

"disregards history,"

"bearing its burden alone."

"And it is this very pride that may sustain..."

"Joseon's legacy..."

"yet will not bring true reform to the kingdom."

Your Highness once asked me...

if I had ever tried to understand you.

I did try, Your Highness.

I tried countless times, hundreds, thousands.

As your servant, I could easily have stood by your side.

But as your friend,

I could not bring myself to do so.

Because if I did,

it would mean me abandoning you.

So, Your Highness,

cut through me right here,

wash the bloodstained sword,

and take what happened today as the foundation,

and please...

Please do not ever erase or get rid of anything again.

I hope you will embrace all parties...

and blossom.

(In 1776, the king gave an order to delete records.)

May His Majesty's spirit find its way back!

May His Majesty's spirit find its way back!

May His Majesty's spirit find its way back!

Do not worry.

You did well.

You did a good job.

You've done good.

(In the year that King Jeongjo was crowned, he deleted...)

(114 articles about Crown Prince Sado from the "Royal Secretariat's Journal.")

(We do not know of the historical records that were deleted from it,)

(but the recorders put it down that he deleted the history.)

Are you okay, Your Highness?

Of course not.

I got punched by you.

Still, will you do the same next time?

Pardon?

I'm asking you to keep fighting against me.

Yes, I will do that.

("The History of Us")

(Special thanks to Seo Jin Won, Cho Han Cheul, Choi Hee Jin,)

(Kim Da Heen, and Lee Soon Won.)

(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)