Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) - full transcript
This is a historical drama about the girl Kim Yoon-hee who has taken her sick brothers identity to be able to work and fend for her family. By chance Yoon-hee is accepted into the Sungkyunkwan university and there she gets to know Sun-joon, Jae-shin and Yong-ha. The quartet find themselves in the middle of a political fight for power, both between the students as well as their parents. During all of this Yoon-hee must keep up the appearance of being a man, which gets increasingly difficult as time passes and feelings start to develop between the friends.
Brought to you by the
Sungkyunkwan Scandal Soompi Team
THIS IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY
AND NOT FOR RESALE
They treated my precious friends roughly.
Will you forgive my rudeness?
What to do...
Professor Jung, it appears your pupils
won't even accept the apology of the king.
Professor!
I seek to command a
secret mission upon you.
I will build a new city at Hwaseong.
To those who want to sell, I will
give them their place of commerce.
And to those who want to plough
the fields, their plows.
A place without slaves or noblemen,
where wealth and poverty are shared,
and where class distinction is absent.
A great city of the East
without political factions.
Thus, I intend to move the capital
to Hwaseong and start a new Joseon.
The key to Hwaseong is here.
When the late king passed away,
he left behind a will that
he asked to reveal to the world...
when I seek to pursue a great goal.
One night, ten years ago,
His Majesty ordered Sungkyunkwan
professor, Kim Seung Hun,
and then-student president,
Moon Young Shin,
to convoy a case carrying that will
back to the palace.
However, they were
met with a sudden death...
and the case carrying
the will was also lost.
This is Kim Seung Hun's
resignation letter... and his will.
Using this as the clue, will you
help me recover the late king's will?
My dream and my aspiration...
Will you also hold dear in your hearts?
I... want to find it.
No. I must find it.
Though I cannot remember his face clearly,
I wish to learn what my father was like.
If I look for his lost will...
If I follow his last traces...
Then perhaps I can know him even a little.
Please help me, Seniors.
What about you, Geol Oh?
Moon Young Shin...
Whether this world that foolish fellow
wanted so badly will really come about...
I too must find that will.
Senior.
He's my older brother.
That pathetic fellow.
Moon Jae Shin and Kim Yoon Shik...
It's most fitting that they
carry out this secret mission.
However, Your Majesty...
I am inadequate to comprehend why
Lee Sun Joon, the son of a Noron,
and that other, who is neither
a Namin nor a Soron...
Gu Yong Ha.
That amusing boy is likewise the future
of Joseon that I wish to create.
Do you believe that those children
will be able to solve the puzzle?
We have to trust that they can.
So...
this resignation letter,
which became a will,
is a code that we must solve
to carry out the king's command.
"The king and I, the two people..."
"Under the moonlight, share one heart
as if tied together by a string."
"Where books and scriptures are,
talent is cultivated..."
"...and custom is reformed."
"Where the learning is headed."
"Where the nation begins."
"I rest my lost heart here."
Hold on, hold on.
As expected, it's the best.
Did you figure it out, Senior?
Nope, I have no idea what it's saying.
It's worthy of being called
the best coded message, no?
Senior!
Ten years ago that night, the king gave
an order to bring back the late king's will.
Sungkyunkwan professor, Kim Seung Hun,
answered that even if he goes far away (dies),
his heart will be with His Majesty.
And so, he rests his lost heart here.
This is...
It appears to mean that he left the
late king's will somewhere in this world.
Then, the answer as to where the will
is located may be within this text.
A heart tied together by a string?
{\a6}*Chinese characters unscrambled
into components or strokes
Paja*!
I remember my father used to enjoy
giving out riddles using paja.
Paja!
When it comes to paja...
we have Scholar Lee Sun Joon who placed
first at Hwang Gam Je on a paja question.
Characters that can be used in paja are
wang, yi, in, wol, sil, sa.
Wang.
Yi.
In.
Wol.
Sil.
Sa.
Geum Deung?
Geumdeung refers
to a metal-bound coffer.
It's a sentence that appears
in "Classic of History."
From the Zhou Dynasty, willingness to
give your own life to save the king...
Geum Deung Ji Sa.
Geum Deung Ji Sa?
Isn't that what the Hong Byuk Seo
has been talking about...?
Senior, did you by any chance
know everything about this?
You mean the Hong Byuk Seo is the son
of Minister of Justice, Moon Jae Shin?
We found his belonging at the place
where the Hong Byuk Seo disappeared.
We have a hunch and even a piece of
evidence, but there's no definite proof.
We can send the royal guards
to Sungkyunkwan tomorrow...
to capture him and bring him to geumbu*
(*high-crime treason court)
You mean using such radical measures,
as to send royal guards into Sungkyunkwan?
Can't we?
There's no reason to be so impatient.
By revealing that we're
after the Hong Byuk Seo,
there's no reason to show the king
our motive and raise alarm.
My plan is to make it so that the king
can no longer protect that rascal,
and he orders that he be killed.
My old man, I guess his old age
has caught up with him.
He's being too cautious.
Do you have an alternate plan?
Will you lend me some of your guards?
I'll stay watch here over night,
and capture him before
he enters Sungkyunkwan.
Do you know where
the Geum Deung Ji Sa is?
Where is this place where the learning
is headed, and where the nation begins?
No, no. Does such a thing as
Geum Deung Ji Sa actually exist?
I plan to start searching for it now.
Like you said...
If we locate the people they met and
their last traces that night ten years ago,
we should be able to know the whereabouts
of the lost Geum Deung Ji Sa.
So you decode the text.
I really detest things like this
that give me a headache.
Then what about me?
Don't you know?
Oh? This is fun! It's like finding clues,
a riddle. Hey, good luck to you guys!
Can't you tell me what you're thinking?
Do you really not know anything
about the Geum Deung Ji Sa?
Geum Deung Ji Sa...
is a letter by the late king mourning
with remorse Crown Prince Sado's death.
What?
Those who feared the revelation of
Geum Deung Ji Sa to the world,
and so got rid of Geum Deung Ji Sa
and did that to my brother...
Behind all these are Norons.
So then why did you say you
didn't know anything earlier?
W...why?
Glad to run into you guys here.
The Hong Byuk Seo appeared at
the Gwangtong Bridge last night.
Hey, you should have told me
something like that in advance.
So I could have gone to watch!
Then watch as much as you want now.
We can talk about the
specifics at the police.
If you're hoping to capture the
Hong Byuk Seo based on this drawing,
I'd say the person it depicts...
actually looks most like you!
Wow!
I wonder if you'll still be able
to joke after seeing this.
It's the evidence the Hong Byuk Seo left
behind at the Gwangtong Bridge last night.
If a witness is needed to testify that
this bracelet is Moon Jae Shin's,
I can bring over anyone
from Sungkyunkwan.
Is this what you're looking for?
Or... perhaps something like this?
Oh, that's right!
It's time for us to go to Professor
Yoo's class on "Doctrine of the Mean."
You should hurry too.
Oh, wait!
You don't need this anymore, do you?
Our Daemul has been
wanting one like this.
We should all share things we don't
need so that we can go to heaven.
Well, you'll need
to try harder, of course.
You saw that? I'm Gu Yong Ha.
I'm going to find it.
As I look for the
missing Geum Deung Ji Sa,
I'll be able to meet the ones
who did that to my brother.
And I plan to show them what they
really need to be scared of.
So then, what do you need me to do?
The place where Geum Deung Ji Sa is,
that place the learning is headed.
That place where the nation begins.
Will I be able to find it?
I've never done something so important.
I have no interest in
political or state affairs...
And I'm not that bright-minded.
I can't even begin to guess...
what my father's thoughts
and aspirations were. And I...
I will...
be there.
When you grow weary
of carrying this burden,
there beside you, I will be.
When you regret beginning
such a dangerous endeavour,
there beside you, I will be.
When you feel as though you can't go on,
and wish to raise your hands in surrender,
when you feel frustrated that what's
before you is beyond your capabilities,
and, even if...
we ultimately come away with nothing,
having to face defeat with empty hands...
Kim Yoon Hee...
By your side,
there will always be me.
His Majesty has a
special request for you.
Do not partake in any
Hong Byuk Seo activities...
and give them any leads whatsoever.
You knew about it?
Though your father
is the Minister of Justice,
if you should be arrested now,
he would not be able to save you.
I am aware of that.
He neither has the power
nor the will to do so...
My father.
Your brother was a
talented writer as well.
I saw his presence in your writing,
and it was a delight to see.
Did you strive to emulate
your brother's writing?
"Without love for the people and
concerns for the nation, 'tis not poetry."
"Without aching for our era and
outrage at the world, 'tis not poetry."
"Without striving for good and guarding
against evil, 'tis too is not poetry."
This is...
It's from a book of poetry
that I enjoy reading...
by Sungkyunkwan's long-time
scholar Jung Yak Yong.
Even so, if you don't meet attendance
requirements for this semester,
you will once again
fail the Analects class.
Is it because you always have Soon Dol,
that fellow, doing such things for you?
What, you can't do this?
You scholars down there.
Are you okay?!
I'm so sorry.
Ah, this stupid lift!
It was imported from the Qing Dynasty.
Is something overheating
from the malfunction?
Why is the air so hot in here?
It's very fortunate...
that it was a malfunction after all.
I wondered whether
with your formidable strength,
you had stopped the lift on purpose.
What do you mean?
Why... don't you remember?
Yesterday at the library...
"Do I really have to put it
into words for you to know?"
How preposterous!
That'll never happen again,
so don't worry!
No... what I meant was...
How can a scholar be so
fickle and inconsistent!
I told you not to worry.
That won't ever happen again!
I've been meaning to tell you
this for a while now.
How should a scholar achieve great feats
if he lacks such consistency?
That's why from now on,
I'll never do it again.
You don't believe it?
"A man should keep his words."
You can trust me.
Did he say the Geumdeung chapter
of the "Classic of History"?
"Smile once, once younger.
Frown once, once older."
Every smile takes away a year,
every frown adds one on.
It was a joke, a joke!
Please don't be angry anymore.
"One shouldn't start something
one can't finish."
Stopping in the middle is worse
than not having started at all.
This is a teaching from the Analects.
To stop something you've already started,
isn't something a Confucius scholar should do.
"Know your enemy and know yourself,
and you shall be undefeated."
Do you really not know how I feel?
What is it, Lee Sun Joon? Did you
just snatch a book from your senior?
Do I sound ridiculous to you?
This little...!
Do we Sorons seem like a joke?
You're always...
I'm sorry, Senior!
This is a book I really need.
If it's okay with you, how about
if you read this book instead?
Well...
Let him have it. Lee Sun Joon
is lowering himself like this.
He turned into a human, Senior.
I'm letting it go this time.
Do better from now on!
Thank you, Senior!
Did you see... how Lee Sun Joon
apologized to me?
You guys saw it with your own eyes, right?
Don't include me among "you guys."
The last thing I wanted to say,
I won't say it directly.
I think you should read it yourself.
Love
I love you.
Here, here, here!
Very nice!
Hey, young fellow!
Let that be,
and come have a drink with us!
I feel bad after receiving free drinks.
That's the least I can do for you
who's working so hard for this country.
- Drink up!
- Yeah.
Let's drink up.
The first day of the 12th month
of the year of Shinchook (1781)...
The first day.
Envoys from the
Qing dynasty had arrived.
So there was a
large welcoming event, is it?
With the foreign envoys here, security
in the capital would have been very tight.
If there was a gang of bandits, there's
no way it was not reported in the papers.
There would have been a no-passing
ordinance at certain locations.
The only people who could have accompanied
Professor Kim Seung Hun and Moon Young Shin...
as they carried the Geum Deung Ji Sa from
Wolchul Mountain to the palace are...
Hanseongbu officers.
Of the officers who
were on duty that night,
there are five for whom their
on-call locations are not recorded.
It's only natural that money would
have been exchanged for the errand.
Which of these men is it...
who either relocated to another post
or disappeared altogether?
Or who came into sudden wealth?
Why do you ask that?
You... What are you?
Secret inspection*.
(*sent by the king)
Good job working for the country!
So finish what you've started.
Who is it?
Ahh, these fellows!
There's someone here whose
life turned around, right?
Wait, something's wrong!
Isn't it? How is it possible
for me to keep losing like this?
Wait!
Why are you all like this?
Just this once.
The number of houses he's lost to gambling...
Was it ten or was it twenty houses?
I hear this time...
his plight has him having to sell
even his wife and daughter.
No wonder they say you can't quit
gambling until your wrists are cut off.
How can anyone escape from their fate?
If you know a way, then why don't
you tell me. My pretty young lord!
Ten years ago in the
year of Shinchook (1781),
I hear that fellow nearly died then too.
Let go!
I was curious who saved that
fellow's dying life back then.
The one with the dying life...
That appears to be you, my young lord.
You little punk!
That scumbag of a loser!
For a Sungkyunkwan scholar!
Is there nothing else to do?
Father, I will not do it.
I am not doing it.
You won't do what?
Do you intend for your offsprings
to live as half-nobles too?
She's daughter of a Ministry of Personnel
ranked officer's distinguished family.
She's a young lady who had a
good upbringing under a good family.
So it's time you
should get yourself settled.
If a family that hands over their
daughter for money is a good family,
then there's not a single Joseon family
that wouldn't be considered distinguished.
I hear that you're hanging around with
the Left State Minister's son these days.
You're a rascal who knows
the ways of this world.
You were always wasting your time
hanging out with that Geol Oh or Geol In.
That son of Soron, and
grinding on this father of yours.
But I'm not telling you to
ditch the Soron punk altogether.
Right now, the Norons have the skies,
but you never know!
Once heaven and earth start to turn,
it could as easily shift to the Sorons.
Why?
Just in case the Namins regain power,
I got myself a Namin friend too.
I guess no one told you about that.
{\a6}*capital bureau
Your going in and out of Hanseongbu.*
Stop that.
Don't stand out.
What might just be a case of
fatigue for those other punks,
could be a big case
of the measles for you.
But, President...
Why did you ask us to look into Yeorim's
family registry all of a sudden?
If the heavens are to help me.
I should do my part as well.
No matter how I look at it,
that secret mission from the king
doesn't seem to suit me.
What's up with all that
reverence and seriousness?
So boring.
The one I trust is you, Geol Oh.
So you have to find it, okay?
Let me have a look too.
That great world
the king is talking about.
Are you drunk?
Or is something wrong?
Let's do it, I'm saying.
Drink twice and double your bliss.
And drink thrice, and thrice the bliss.
You said it right!
That's right.
Hanseongbu officer, Yoon Hyung Goo.
Right after that day, he paid off
a gambling debt of colossal amount.
If we find out where that money
he paid off the debt came from,
we will know whether he's
linked to this case or not.
There should be investigation records on
public servants at the Office of Inspection.
What are you doing?
This is where I carry out
my official duties.
Even though you are my son, still...
Why... is this... here?
Please answer me.
Why is that inside
your personal cabinet?
My brother's incident report...
and investigation records on the
Left State Minister and Minister of War...
are recorded daily.
Why?
Then...
Did you think that your father really
forgave those who did that to your brother?
Then...
That incident...
Left State Minister and War Minister.
Is it true?
So from now on,
leave your brother's case to me.
And do not involve yourself anymore.
Though alive, I was not really living.
I have merely endured,
for that day of vengeance upon them.
So don't complicate this matter
that's mine to do.
Don't you even feel shameful
toward your deceased brother?!
Do you have the right?
I can endure the finger-pointing
of all the people in the world.
But not yours.
For how long do you intend
to live as a puppet of the Norons?
Didn't he clearly say it's in the
"Classic of History"? Geum Deung Ji Sa?
But I don't understand why it's not in
any of these Sungkyunkwan library books.
Take your time,
and look through it carefully.
Maybe in these books?
I think I may have seen it here.
Was it really in this book?
You have something on your sleeve.
Oh...
Maybe not.
Here, fine now?
So please concentrate on the books now.
Please concentrate on the books.
I think we'll have to make a
trip to the bookstore tomorrow.
It's possible that the books there
could tell us about the Geumdeung.
We still have a long way to go.
But we can't even solve the first code.
This is really worrisome.
Are you listening to me?
Why? Is there something in there?
No. I think it's best
we make a trip to the bookstore.
I don't think it's anywhere
in Sungkyunkwan library.
About your son and my daughter's
marriage, Your Excellency.
I think it's time for
the elders to step forward.
They say the world is full of
men and women, but...
when you sleep under a shared
blanket, it's all the same.
They are still too young
to realize that.
I've come to pour you a drink,
Your Excellency.
You. How dare you come here!
Who might you be?
On the first night of the 12th month
of the year of Shinchook (1781),
I, Hanseongbu Officer Yoon Hyung Goo,
lent you my hands, Your Excellency.
You wretch!
That's enough, Minister of War.
Didn't you say you came
to pour me a drink?
Your humble servant came in secrecy like this,
to save your life, Your Excellency.
Do you know where you are?
How dare you show such insolence here.
People trying to trace my whereabouts during
that night ten years ago have appeared.
The night when I bypassed
the no-passing ordinance...
and brought Professor Kim Seung Hun
and Moon Young Shin to Your Excellencies.
What? Is that true?
Not just that. They are even looking
into the land deed that I received.
I am just worried that
it might cause trouble for you.
So I plan to live in hiding in the
deep mountains and never come back out.
So?
I'll need a small hut,
and a little piece of land for me
to make a living from, right?
The rabbit was caught a long time ago.
But the hunting dog
is barking up a storm now.
What do you think the owner will do?
From my understanding,
in order for that
hunting dog to survive,
he has to to bite the owner
before he is thrown into boiling water.
If it were me, I would find a way...
to calm that hunting dog down,
Your Excellency.
I'll just go and see that
Officer Yoon is rid of tonight...
Didn't you hear him say that the
king's men are investigating him?
Do you wish to be caught
red-handed by the king?
Pathetic.
Senior, about the Geumdeung chapter
in the "Classic of History".
We couldn't find it in
the Sungkyunkwan library books.
As if someone hid them on purpose.
The sorrow of a wrongful death...
is expressed through the
lyrics in Geumdeung chapter.
Is that correct?
Didn't you place first
at the so-gwa (entrance) exam?
And the best in the classics?
So why are you asking me?
If the late king regarded it
as a wrongful death,
and if the reigning king
is looking for it...
Geum Deung Ji Sa.
Is it linked to the death
of Crown Prince Sado?
Do you know by any chance, Senior?
Didn't I tell you I really detest
things that give me a headache?
Let you and me do our assigned roles.
I do mine. You do yours.
Senior!
You didn't come back again last night.
The matter you were looking into.
Is it going well?
We plan to go to the bookstore today.
To see if any clues in the banned books
might help us decipher the secret code.
"Where the learning is headed."
"Where the nation begins."
Senior, do you understand it?
Confucius said this.
Haeng Yoo Yeo Ryeok.
Jeuk Yi Hak Moon.
After you have done your duty as a human,
put your leftover time into studying.
So what about it?
On a beautiful autumn day like today,
it is our human duty to go out and play.
What else?
Following the teaching of Confucius,
we should take a temporary break
from the study of the Analects.
Instead of that, why don't we follow the
beautiful custom of Confucian scholars,
and solicit the use of subsitute attendees?
Good going!
When losers gather, they are merry.
Is that it?
There are reasons why unsuccessful
familes are the way they are.
If your grades aren't great,
you should do whatever it takes...
to pass the civil service exam,
so that you can raise your families.
Look at Lee Sun Joon.
He is the son of the Left State Minister.
But does he rely on his
father to build success?
Have you ever seen Scholar Lee Sun Joon
absent from class, to play hooky?
- When?
- Precisely... Now!
Over there.
Baek Dong Soo.
He's the one who
gave money to Officer Yoon.
Who is he?
You're still a rookie.
Would he make transactions
with his real name?
Would you go in first?
I have a business to take care of.
Is my lord doing well?
I am so pathetic, aren't I?
As his fiancee, I have to
hear about his news from others.
Young lord.
You're his closest roommate, right?
Will you help me?
So that my lord's heart
will come my way.
This is a marriage of the families.
Not a marriage that can be broken over
personal feelings that may have changed.
Even if my lord's heart
does not change,
we will have to go through
with the marriage.
So for the sake of my lord,
please help me.
- Look, I...
- I know.
I know that I am lacking.
And that I am immature.
Because that is what everyone says.
But I don't want to be
criticized for my feelings.
Because my heart is sincere.
M...My lord.
My lord.
I didn't think I would
meet you here like this.
I really didn't even dream of it.
My lord, would you spare me
a few moments of your time?
There is something I must tell you.
I...
will leave first then.
I'm sorry.
For my past imprudence, I shall be
apologetic the rest of my life.
However...
My heart will never change.
I have already given
my heart to someone else.
Therefore, I hope you will no longer
concern yourself over someone like me.
I'm sorry.
Let's go now.
Miss.
What just happened?
What did you mean by that?
That you would give us some space?
I just thought the
two of you needed to talk.
Since you two will eventually marry.
If it's because of me...
If you're worried about me...
I'm fine.
I'm... more than happy
with the way things are now.
Not once have I
thought about our future.
That is being too greedy.
Then start thinking about it now. Think
hard about it. Think earnestly about it!
Because I've been thinking about it so much
till I thought my head would explode.
We're too different.
Because of you...
I've done all the things
I never thought I could do.
But... you still won't set foot outside
the world you've confined yourself in.
What you're pushing away
right now is not greed...
It's me.
Then what am I supposed to do?
I'm so scared.
Because I like you so much...
Because I'm so happy every day...
I'm not used to this.
We better get back now.
Seniors are waiting.
I found it!
A copy of the land deed that Officer Yoon
received ten years ago that day.
Once we verify who this person is,
we can find out who hired Officer Yoon.
We're almost there now.
Let's drop it.
What?
The secret mission we received
was to find the Geum Deung Ji Sa,
not the mastermind behind what
happened on that night ten years ago.
You know, don't you?
Who is the culprit?
I almost forgot.
You really have an innate talent
for making me lose my mind.
Why? Did I do something wrong again?
Did you say it would all end
once we leave Sungkyunkwan?
There's no such thing as the end.
Because I'll... just start over
again and again every day.
What?
Lower your voice!
So...
the mastermind behind all these
incidents is Left State Minister.
Lee Sun Joon's father, is that it?
Brought to you by the
Sungkyunkwan Scandal Soompi Team
THIS IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY
AND NOT FOR RESALE
Translators: blue, dramaok
Timer: sky123
Editor/QC: thunderbolt
Preview of Episode 18
What did you just say, Senior?
Who did you say it was?
Stop right there!
How dare you turn
your back on your father!
Silence before the truth
is a cowardly act.
Senior.
Why are you so startled, Yeorim?
As if you got caught doing something bad.
Do you think it's really true?
You are really something.
Live happily!
Happiness is not far away!
People become cowardly because
they have someone they wish to protect.
Do you really think
that kid could forgive you?
What... did you just say?
Sungkyunkwan Scandal Soompi Team
THIS IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY
AND NOT FOR RESALE
They treated my precious friends roughly.
Will you forgive my rudeness?
What to do...
Professor Jung, it appears your pupils
won't even accept the apology of the king.
Professor!
I seek to command a
secret mission upon you.
I will build a new city at Hwaseong.
To those who want to sell, I will
give them their place of commerce.
And to those who want to plough
the fields, their plows.
A place without slaves or noblemen,
where wealth and poverty are shared,
and where class distinction is absent.
A great city of the East
without political factions.
Thus, I intend to move the capital
to Hwaseong and start a new Joseon.
The key to Hwaseong is here.
When the late king passed away,
he left behind a will that
he asked to reveal to the world...
when I seek to pursue a great goal.
One night, ten years ago,
His Majesty ordered Sungkyunkwan
professor, Kim Seung Hun,
and then-student president,
Moon Young Shin,
to convoy a case carrying that will
back to the palace.
However, they were
met with a sudden death...
and the case carrying
the will was also lost.
This is Kim Seung Hun's
resignation letter... and his will.
Using this as the clue, will you
help me recover the late king's will?
My dream and my aspiration...
Will you also hold dear in your hearts?
I... want to find it.
No. I must find it.
Though I cannot remember his face clearly,
I wish to learn what my father was like.
If I look for his lost will...
If I follow his last traces...
Then perhaps I can know him even a little.
Please help me, Seniors.
What about you, Geol Oh?
Moon Young Shin...
Whether this world that foolish fellow
wanted so badly will really come about...
I too must find that will.
Senior.
He's my older brother.
That pathetic fellow.
Moon Jae Shin and Kim Yoon Shik...
It's most fitting that they
carry out this secret mission.
However, Your Majesty...
I am inadequate to comprehend why
Lee Sun Joon, the son of a Noron,
and that other, who is neither
a Namin nor a Soron...
Gu Yong Ha.
That amusing boy is likewise the future
of Joseon that I wish to create.
Do you believe that those children
will be able to solve the puzzle?
We have to trust that they can.
So...
this resignation letter,
which became a will,
is a code that we must solve
to carry out the king's command.
"The king and I, the two people..."
"Under the moonlight, share one heart
as if tied together by a string."
"Where books and scriptures are,
talent is cultivated..."
"...and custom is reformed."
"Where the learning is headed."
"Where the nation begins."
"I rest my lost heart here."
Hold on, hold on.
As expected, it's the best.
Did you figure it out, Senior?
Nope, I have no idea what it's saying.
It's worthy of being called
the best coded message, no?
Senior!
Ten years ago that night, the king gave
an order to bring back the late king's will.
Sungkyunkwan professor, Kim Seung Hun,
answered that even if he goes far away (dies),
his heart will be with His Majesty.
And so, he rests his lost heart here.
This is...
It appears to mean that he left the
late king's will somewhere in this world.
Then, the answer as to where the will
is located may be within this text.
A heart tied together by a string?
{\a6}*Chinese characters unscrambled
into components or strokes
Paja*!
I remember my father used to enjoy
giving out riddles using paja.
Paja!
When it comes to paja...
we have Scholar Lee Sun Joon who placed
first at Hwang Gam Je on a paja question.
Characters that can be used in paja are
wang, yi, in, wol, sil, sa.
Wang.
Yi.
In.
Wol.
Sil.
Sa.
Geum Deung?
Geumdeung refers
to a metal-bound coffer.
It's a sentence that appears
in "Classic of History."
From the Zhou Dynasty, willingness to
give your own life to save the king...
Geum Deung Ji Sa.
Geum Deung Ji Sa?
Isn't that what the Hong Byuk Seo
has been talking about...?
Senior, did you by any chance
know everything about this?
You mean the Hong Byuk Seo is the son
of Minister of Justice, Moon Jae Shin?
We found his belonging at the place
where the Hong Byuk Seo disappeared.
We have a hunch and even a piece of
evidence, but there's no definite proof.
We can send the royal guards
to Sungkyunkwan tomorrow...
to capture him and bring him to geumbu*
(*high-crime treason court)
You mean using such radical measures,
as to send royal guards into Sungkyunkwan?
Can't we?
There's no reason to be so impatient.
By revealing that we're
after the Hong Byuk Seo,
there's no reason to show the king
our motive and raise alarm.
My plan is to make it so that the king
can no longer protect that rascal,
and he orders that he be killed.
My old man, I guess his old age
has caught up with him.
He's being too cautious.
Do you have an alternate plan?
Will you lend me some of your guards?
I'll stay watch here over night,
and capture him before
he enters Sungkyunkwan.
Do you know where
the Geum Deung Ji Sa is?
Where is this place where the learning
is headed, and where the nation begins?
No, no. Does such a thing as
Geum Deung Ji Sa actually exist?
I plan to start searching for it now.
Like you said...
If we locate the people they met and
their last traces that night ten years ago,
we should be able to know the whereabouts
of the lost Geum Deung Ji Sa.
So you decode the text.
I really detest things like this
that give me a headache.
Then what about me?
Don't you know?
Oh? This is fun! It's like finding clues,
a riddle. Hey, good luck to you guys!
Can't you tell me what you're thinking?
Do you really not know anything
about the Geum Deung Ji Sa?
Geum Deung Ji Sa...
is a letter by the late king mourning
with remorse Crown Prince Sado's death.
What?
Those who feared the revelation of
Geum Deung Ji Sa to the world,
and so got rid of Geum Deung Ji Sa
and did that to my brother...
Behind all these are Norons.
So then why did you say you
didn't know anything earlier?
W...why?
Glad to run into you guys here.
The Hong Byuk Seo appeared at
the Gwangtong Bridge last night.
Hey, you should have told me
something like that in advance.
So I could have gone to watch!
Then watch as much as you want now.
We can talk about the
specifics at the police.
If you're hoping to capture the
Hong Byuk Seo based on this drawing,
I'd say the person it depicts...
actually looks most like you!
Wow!
I wonder if you'll still be able
to joke after seeing this.
It's the evidence the Hong Byuk Seo left
behind at the Gwangtong Bridge last night.
If a witness is needed to testify that
this bracelet is Moon Jae Shin's,
I can bring over anyone
from Sungkyunkwan.
Is this what you're looking for?
Or... perhaps something like this?
Oh, that's right!
It's time for us to go to Professor
Yoo's class on "Doctrine of the Mean."
You should hurry too.
Oh, wait!
You don't need this anymore, do you?
Our Daemul has been
wanting one like this.
We should all share things we don't
need so that we can go to heaven.
Well, you'll need
to try harder, of course.
You saw that? I'm Gu Yong Ha.
I'm going to find it.
As I look for the
missing Geum Deung Ji Sa,
I'll be able to meet the ones
who did that to my brother.
And I plan to show them what they
really need to be scared of.
So then, what do you need me to do?
The place where Geum Deung Ji Sa is,
that place the learning is headed.
That place where the nation begins.
Will I be able to find it?
I've never done something so important.
I have no interest in
political or state affairs...
And I'm not that bright-minded.
I can't even begin to guess...
what my father's thoughts
and aspirations were. And I...
I will...
be there.
When you grow weary
of carrying this burden,
there beside you, I will be.
When you regret beginning
such a dangerous endeavour,
there beside you, I will be.
When you feel as though you can't go on,
and wish to raise your hands in surrender,
when you feel frustrated that what's
before you is beyond your capabilities,
and, even if...
we ultimately come away with nothing,
having to face defeat with empty hands...
Kim Yoon Hee...
By your side,
there will always be me.
His Majesty has a
special request for you.
Do not partake in any
Hong Byuk Seo activities...
and give them any leads whatsoever.
You knew about it?
Though your father
is the Minister of Justice,
if you should be arrested now,
he would not be able to save you.
I am aware of that.
He neither has the power
nor the will to do so...
My father.
Your brother was a
talented writer as well.
I saw his presence in your writing,
and it was a delight to see.
Did you strive to emulate
your brother's writing?
"Without love for the people and
concerns for the nation, 'tis not poetry."
"Without aching for our era and
outrage at the world, 'tis not poetry."
"Without striving for good and guarding
against evil, 'tis too is not poetry."
This is...
It's from a book of poetry
that I enjoy reading...
by Sungkyunkwan's long-time
scholar Jung Yak Yong.
Even so, if you don't meet attendance
requirements for this semester,
you will once again
fail the Analects class.
Is it because you always have Soon Dol,
that fellow, doing such things for you?
What, you can't do this?
You scholars down there.
Are you okay?!
I'm so sorry.
Ah, this stupid lift!
It was imported from the Qing Dynasty.
Is something overheating
from the malfunction?
Why is the air so hot in here?
It's very fortunate...
that it was a malfunction after all.
I wondered whether
with your formidable strength,
you had stopped the lift on purpose.
What do you mean?
Why... don't you remember?
Yesterday at the library...
"Do I really have to put it
into words for you to know?"
How preposterous!
That'll never happen again,
so don't worry!
No... what I meant was...
How can a scholar be so
fickle and inconsistent!
I told you not to worry.
That won't ever happen again!
I've been meaning to tell you
this for a while now.
How should a scholar achieve great feats
if he lacks such consistency?
That's why from now on,
I'll never do it again.
You don't believe it?
"A man should keep his words."
You can trust me.
Did he say the Geumdeung chapter
of the "Classic of History"?
"Smile once, once younger.
Frown once, once older."
Every smile takes away a year,
every frown adds one on.
It was a joke, a joke!
Please don't be angry anymore.
"One shouldn't start something
one can't finish."
Stopping in the middle is worse
than not having started at all.
This is a teaching from the Analects.
To stop something you've already started,
isn't something a Confucius scholar should do.
"Know your enemy and know yourself,
and you shall be undefeated."
Do you really not know how I feel?
What is it, Lee Sun Joon? Did you
just snatch a book from your senior?
Do I sound ridiculous to you?
This little...!
Do we Sorons seem like a joke?
You're always...
I'm sorry, Senior!
This is a book I really need.
If it's okay with you, how about
if you read this book instead?
Well...
Let him have it. Lee Sun Joon
is lowering himself like this.
He turned into a human, Senior.
I'm letting it go this time.
Do better from now on!
Thank you, Senior!
Did you see... how Lee Sun Joon
apologized to me?
You guys saw it with your own eyes, right?
Don't include me among "you guys."
The last thing I wanted to say,
I won't say it directly.
I think you should read it yourself.
Love
I love you.
Here, here, here!
Very nice!
Hey, young fellow!
Let that be,
and come have a drink with us!
I feel bad after receiving free drinks.
That's the least I can do for you
who's working so hard for this country.
- Drink up!
- Yeah.
Let's drink up.
The first day of the 12th month
of the year of Shinchook (1781)...
The first day.
Envoys from the
Qing dynasty had arrived.
So there was a
large welcoming event, is it?
With the foreign envoys here, security
in the capital would have been very tight.
If there was a gang of bandits, there's
no way it was not reported in the papers.
There would have been a no-passing
ordinance at certain locations.
The only people who could have accompanied
Professor Kim Seung Hun and Moon Young Shin...
as they carried the Geum Deung Ji Sa from
Wolchul Mountain to the palace are...
Hanseongbu officers.
Of the officers who
were on duty that night,
there are five for whom their
on-call locations are not recorded.
It's only natural that money would
have been exchanged for the errand.
Which of these men is it...
who either relocated to another post
or disappeared altogether?
Or who came into sudden wealth?
Why do you ask that?
You... What are you?
Secret inspection*.
(*sent by the king)
Good job working for the country!
So finish what you've started.
Who is it?
Ahh, these fellows!
There's someone here whose
life turned around, right?
Wait, something's wrong!
Isn't it? How is it possible
for me to keep losing like this?
Wait!
Why are you all like this?
Just this once.
The number of houses he's lost to gambling...
Was it ten or was it twenty houses?
I hear this time...
his plight has him having to sell
even his wife and daughter.
No wonder they say you can't quit
gambling until your wrists are cut off.
How can anyone escape from their fate?
If you know a way, then why don't
you tell me. My pretty young lord!
Ten years ago in the
year of Shinchook (1781),
I hear that fellow nearly died then too.
Let go!
I was curious who saved that
fellow's dying life back then.
The one with the dying life...
That appears to be you, my young lord.
You little punk!
That scumbag of a loser!
For a Sungkyunkwan scholar!
Is there nothing else to do?
Father, I will not do it.
I am not doing it.
You won't do what?
Do you intend for your offsprings
to live as half-nobles too?
She's daughter of a Ministry of Personnel
ranked officer's distinguished family.
She's a young lady who had a
good upbringing under a good family.
So it's time you
should get yourself settled.
If a family that hands over their
daughter for money is a good family,
then there's not a single Joseon family
that wouldn't be considered distinguished.
I hear that you're hanging around with
the Left State Minister's son these days.
You're a rascal who knows
the ways of this world.
You were always wasting your time
hanging out with that Geol Oh or Geol In.
That son of Soron, and
grinding on this father of yours.
But I'm not telling you to
ditch the Soron punk altogether.
Right now, the Norons have the skies,
but you never know!
Once heaven and earth start to turn,
it could as easily shift to the Sorons.
Why?
Just in case the Namins regain power,
I got myself a Namin friend too.
I guess no one told you about that.
{\a6}*capital bureau
Your going in and out of Hanseongbu.*
Stop that.
Don't stand out.
What might just be a case of
fatigue for those other punks,
could be a big case
of the measles for you.
But, President...
Why did you ask us to look into Yeorim's
family registry all of a sudden?
If the heavens are to help me.
I should do my part as well.
No matter how I look at it,
that secret mission from the king
doesn't seem to suit me.
What's up with all that
reverence and seriousness?
So boring.
The one I trust is you, Geol Oh.
So you have to find it, okay?
Let me have a look too.
That great world
the king is talking about.
Are you drunk?
Or is something wrong?
Let's do it, I'm saying.
Drink twice and double your bliss.
And drink thrice, and thrice the bliss.
You said it right!
That's right.
Hanseongbu officer, Yoon Hyung Goo.
Right after that day, he paid off
a gambling debt of colossal amount.
If we find out where that money
he paid off the debt came from,
we will know whether he's
linked to this case or not.
There should be investigation records on
public servants at the Office of Inspection.
What are you doing?
This is where I carry out
my official duties.
Even though you are my son, still...
Why... is this... here?
Please answer me.
Why is that inside
your personal cabinet?
My brother's incident report...
and investigation records on the
Left State Minister and Minister of War...
are recorded daily.
Why?
Then...
Did you think that your father really
forgave those who did that to your brother?
Then...
That incident...
Left State Minister and War Minister.
Is it true?
So from now on,
leave your brother's case to me.
And do not involve yourself anymore.
Though alive, I was not really living.
I have merely endured,
for that day of vengeance upon them.
So don't complicate this matter
that's mine to do.
Don't you even feel shameful
toward your deceased brother?!
Do you have the right?
I can endure the finger-pointing
of all the people in the world.
But not yours.
For how long do you intend
to live as a puppet of the Norons?
Didn't he clearly say it's in the
"Classic of History"? Geum Deung Ji Sa?
But I don't understand why it's not in
any of these Sungkyunkwan library books.
Take your time,
and look through it carefully.
Maybe in these books?
I think I may have seen it here.
Was it really in this book?
You have something on your sleeve.
Oh...
Maybe not.
Here, fine now?
So please concentrate on the books now.
Please concentrate on the books.
I think we'll have to make a
trip to the bookstore tomorrow.
It's possible that the books there
could tell us about the Geumdeung.
We still have a long way to go.
But we can't even solve the first code.
This is really worrisome.
Are you listening to me?
Why? Is there something in there?
No. I think it's best
we make a trip to the bookstore.
I don't think it's anywhere
in Sungkyunkwan library.
About your son and my daughter's
marriage, Your Excellency.
I think it's time for
the elders to step forward.
They say the world is full of
men and women, but...
when you sleep under a shared
blanket, it's all the same.
They are still too young
to realize that.
I've come to pour you a drink,
Your Excellency.
You. How dare you come here!
Who might you be?
On the first night of the 12th month
of the year of Shinchook (1781),
I, Hanseongbu Officer Yoon Hyung Goo,
lent you my hands, Your Excellency.
You wretch!
That's enough, Minister of War.
Didn't you say you came
to pour me a drink?
Your humble servant came in secrecy like this,
to save your life, Your Excellency.
Do you know where you are?
How dare you show such insolence here.
People trying to trace my whereabouts during
that night ten years ago have appeared.
The night when I bypassed
the no-passing ordinance...
and brought Professor Kim Seung Hun
and Moon Young Shin to Your Excellencies.
What? Is that true?
Not just that. They are even looking
into the land deed that I received.
I am just worried that
it might cause trouble for you.
So I plan to live in hiding in the
deep mountains and never come back out.
So?
I'll need a small hut,
and a little piece of land for me
to make a living from, right?
The rabbit was caught a long time ago.
But the hunting dog
is barking up a storm now.
What do you think the owner will do?
From my understanding,
in order for that
hunting dog to survive,
he has to to bite the owner
before he is thrown into boiling water.
If it were me, I would find a way...
to calm that hunting dog down,
Your Excellency.
I'll just go and see that
Officer Yoon is rid of tonight...
Didn't you hear him say that the
king's men are investigating him?
Do you wish to be caught
red-handed by the king?
Pathetic.
Senior, about the Geumdeung chapter
in the "Classic of History".
We couldn't find it in
the Sungkyunkwan library books.
As if someone hid them on purpose.
The sorrow of a wrongful death...
is expressed through the
lyrics in Geumdeung chapter.
Is that correct?
Didn't you place first
at the so-gwa (entrance) exam?
And the best in the classics?
So why are you asking me?
If the late king regarded it
as a wrongful death,
and if the reigning king
is looking for it...
Geum Deung Ji Sa.
Is it linked to the death
of Crown Prince Sado?
Do you know by any chance, Senior?
Didn't I tell you I really detest
things that give me a headache?
Let you and me do our assigned roles.
I do mine. You do yours.
Senior!
You didn't come back again last night.
The matter you were looking into.
Is it going well?
We plan to go to the bookstore today.
To see if any clues in the banned books
might help us decipher the secret code.
"Where the learning is headed."
"Where the nation begins."
Senior, do you understand it?
Confucius said this.
Haeng Yoo Yeo Ryeok.
Jeuk Yi Hak Moon.
After you have done your duty as a human,
put your leftover time into studying.
So what about it?
On a beautiful autumn day like today,
it is our human duty to go out and play.
What else?
Following the teaching of Confucius,
we should take a temporary break
from the study of the Analects.
Instead of that, why don't we follow the
beautiful custom of Confucian scholars,
and solicit the use of subsitute attendees?
Good going!
When losers gather, they are merry.
Is that it?
There are reasons why unsuccessful
familes are the way they are.
If your grades aren't great,
you should do whatever it takes...
to pass the civil service exam,
so that you can raise your families.
Look at Lee Sun Joon.
He is the son of the Left State Minister.
But does he rely on his
father to build success?
Have you ever seen Scholar Lee Sun Joon
absent from class, to play hooky?
- When?
- Precisely... Now!
Over there.
Baek Dong Soo.
He's the one who
gave money to Officer Yoon.
Who is he?
You're still a rookie.
Would he make transactions
with his real name?
Would you go in first?
I have a business to take care of.
Is my lord doing well?
I am so pathetic, aren't I?
As his fiancee, I have to
hear about his news from others.
Young lord.
You're his closest roommate, right?
Will you help me?
So that my lord's heart
will come my way.
This is a marriage of the families.
Not a marriage that can be broken over
personal feelings that may have changed.
Even if my lord's heart
does not change,
we will have to go through
with the marriage.
So for the sake of my lord,
please help me.
- Look, I...
- I know.
I know that I am lacking.
And that I am immature.
Because that is what everyone says.
But I don't want to be
criticized for my feelings.
Because my heart is sincere.
M...My lord.
My lord.
I didn't think I would
meet you here like this.
I really didn't even dream of it.
My lord, would you spare me
a few moments of your time?
There is something I must tell you.
I...
will leave first then.
I'm sorry.
For my past imprudence, I shall be
apologetic the rest of my life.
However...
My heart will never change.
I have already given
my heart to someone else.
Therefore, I hope you will no longer
concern yourself over someone like me.
I'm sorry.
Let's go now.
Miss.
What just happened?
What did you mean by that?
That you would give us some space?
I just thought the
two of you needed to talk.
Since you two will eventually marry.
If it's because of me...
If you're worried about me...
I'm fine.
I'm... more than happy
with the way things are now.
Not once have I
thought about our future.
That is being too greedy.
Then start thinking about it now. Think
hard about it. Think earnestly about it!
Because I've been thinking about it so much
till I thought my head would explode.
We're too different.
Because of you...
I've done all the things
I never thought I could do.
But... you still won't set foot outside
the world you've confined yourself in.
What you're pushing away
right now is not greed...
It's me.
Then what am I supposed to do?
I'm so scared.
Because I like you so much...
Because I'm so happy every day...
I'm not used to this.
We better get back now.
Seniors are waiting.
I found it!
A copy of the land deed that Officer Yoon
received ten years ago that day.
Once we verify who this person is,
we can find out who hired Officer Yoon.
We're almost there now.
Let's drop it.
What?
The secret mission we received
was to find the Geum Deung Ji Sa,
not the mastermind behind what
happened on that night ten years ago.
You know, don't you?
Who is the culprit?
I almost forgot.
You really have an innate talent
for making me lose my mind.
Why? Did I do something wrong again?
Did you say it would all end
once we leave Sungkyunkwan?
There's no such thing as the end.
Because I'll... just start over
again and again every day.
What?
Lower your voice!
So...
the mastermind behind all these
incidents is Left State Minister.
Lee Sun Joon's father, is that it?
Brought to you by the
Sungkyunkwan Scandal Soompi Team
THIS IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY
AND NOT FOR RESALE
Translators: blue, dramaok
Timer: sky123
Editor/QC: thunderbolt
Preview of Episode 18
What did you just say, Senior?
Who did you say it was?
Stop right there!
How dare you turn
your back on your father!
Silence before the truth
is a cowardly act.
Senior.
Why are you so startled, Yeorim?
As if you got caught doing something bad.
Do you think it's really true?
You are really something.
Live happily!
Happiness is not far away!
People become cowardly because
they have someone they wish to protect.
Do you really think
that kid could forgive you?
What... did you just say?