Dae Wang Sejong (2008): Season 1, Episode 68 - Episode #1.68 - full transcript
Spring 1430, 12th year of Sejong's reign,
Ming border at Amrok River
Where are the agents that are supposed
to greet the diplomatic mission?
I told them twice who we are,
but they won't listen.
Try again!
But...
Sir.
Be patient. We don't need to cause a scene.
I'm sure there's a good reason.
But...
Listen to him,
Councilor Choi.
This is the Crown Prince of Joseon.
He is going to the palace for
an audience with the Emperor.
What is the meaning of this?
You cannot pass!
I said Crown Prince of Joseon
is here to have an audience
with the Emperor!
To obstruct his path is contempt not
only for the Joseonese Prince but to
Ming Emperor as well!
It is the Emperor's order.
I am Imperial Eunuch Wang Zhen.
Why have you stopped us?
The Emperor has rejected the Crown
Prince's request for an audience.
I beg your pardon?
This is a formal diplomatic
event between Joseon
and Ming that has continued since
the founding of Joseon.
I would like to know the reason
for the Emperor's sudden refusal.
It would be quicker for you
to seek that answer from your
belligerent King than it would be from us.
Ming Emperor has turned
the Crown Prince away?
Gyeongbok Palace, 15 days later
What is the reason?
Give up your camps in Yeoyeon and
Gyeongwon and move back your border.
Isn't that undue interference
in another country's affair?
Undue interference?
Li Manzhu of Ulliangha and Tongmingge
of Odoli both hold titles in Ming court.
That makes their territory Ming domain!
If Joseon threatens this territory with
military presence, we can only interpret
this action as an action against Great Ming.
Perhaps it's time to yield.
We must vacate Yeoyeon and Gyeongwon
and call Choi Yundeok and Yi Su back.
I will not yield.
Your Majesty.
Have we turned Ming against us?
If we don't comply,
they may consider war.
I will not change my mind.
But, Your Majesty.
A solution.
Instead of just fighting me like everyone
else, can't you, the Hall of Worthies
scholars, find mea solution
to get through this impasse?
I need your collective wisdom more
than ever right now, Jeong Inji.
Where is the Crown Prince?
His Highness did not
return to the capital.
I'm told he has gone to
Yeoyeon with Choi Manli.
The Crown Prince has gone in Yeoyeon?
Yeoyeon, Pyeongan Province
Why did you bring me here?
I thought it might help
you control your anger.
How about to vent my anger?
I see lots of brave soldiers
here who will ignore Ming
and cross the border to conquer
the land for me at my command.
Why would the Crown Prince come here?
Perhaps to get even for the rejection
he suffered at the Ming border.
You mean he wants military action?
Not worthy.
If you want to send these men into a
field of death to just to vent your rage,
you would not be worthy
of the future throne.
His Majesty is the one who said
he would protect the defense line
even if it means going to war.
Then shouldn't you
confront His Majesty first?
What do you mean?
Yeoyeon is a useless wasteland
that only serves military purposes.
But the King is dead set on preserving
this land regardless of cost.
So far, his obstinacy has caused Ming
to raise their guard up against us
and placed the Crown Prince
in a humiliating situation.
And he is demanding cruel
conscription from those people
he has sworn to serve as his god.
For a good reason.
The King I know never put a strain
on anything without a good reason.
He has been pushing the limit since
the day he ascended to the throne.
He has put a slave in high government
post and broken our 5.000 year racially
homogenous tradition by
accepting the Jurchens.
That's not all.
He's enforcing an unreasonable
tax law turning the nobles and
landed gentry against him.
I thought you were
at the part of all that.
There were many things I couldn't
understand or agree with,
but I accepted the King's endeavors
and tried my best to make it work.
Why? Because people were always at
the heart of these radical endeavors.
Are you trying to say
that's not the case now?
We're seeing that for ourselves right now.
How much longer do you think
they can take this grueling work?
If they should rise up and throw the
country into chaos, how much time
and resources would we have
to waste to undue the damage?
One who can overcome his own rage,
one who isn't afraid to make an enemy
of the King to protect the people
he is the man worthy
of the future throne.
Stop the construction?
Stop the construction, go back to the city
and persuade the King to
move the border line back.
That is your duty, General.
I know you had originally
opposed the Kings proposal to
maintain a line in Yeoyeon.
Your Highness...
Yet you're here building
a large military camp.
Command and obedience.
I am a soldier and a soldier must
obey his superior's command.
Risk your life.
A true patriot is one who can speak
up against the King's misrule at the
risk of his life, General.
Stopped the fortification?
The Crown Prince stopped
the construction himself?
What's more, he has taken their best
warrior Choi Yundeok away from the front.
What could this mean?
The Crown Prince is going up
against his father the King?
Domestic scuffle should keep
the Joseonese busy for a while.
Meanwhile, we should find a way to bring
Ulliangha, Odoli and Udige together and
form a tri-tribe alliance.
Develop new weapons?
We need stronger weapons with superior
performance and better distance.
I believed you were against
territorial expansion by aggression.
Isn't that why you had rejected
Prince Yangnyeong's idea of
old territory restoration?
Yes.
Then why this?
Jurchens are forming an alliance.
If they unite and seek to
increase their authority,
which country do you think they will
attack first between Ming and Joseon?
I thought appeasement with open
immigration was your approach.
Friend or foe, you value lives equally.
Do you think this order
contradicts that belief?
Weapons, especially high performance
explosive weapons are produced for
the purpose of mass destruction.
Appeasement is our first choice, but we
must be prepared for the worst as well.
Choi Yundeok has abandoned his camp
in Yeoyeon without authorization?
He also stopped the fort construction
at the Crown Prince's urging.
The East palace, Your Majesty?
No, I'm going to the Hall of Worthies.
How dare you goad the Crown Prince!
I was just doing my job as
the Crown Prince's teacher.
You bastard!
Just talk to him, sir!
Stay out of my way,
or I'll beat you up, too!
Don't you dare call yourself
the Crown Prince's teacher!
How could you be his teacher after
manipulating him to arbitrarily stop
a major military project,
take a commanding general away
from the border and defy the King?
What are you after?
What do you have to gain by provoking
a fight between the King
and the Crown Prince?
Safety of this country, perhaps.
He taught treason to the Crown Prince!
One might say he was teaching him
how to stand up and speak his mind.
Sir!
His Majesty is refusing to listen to
anyone including the Prime Minister.
Someone's got to stand up
and dissuade the King.
Choi Manli and the Crown Prince...
It's been a month and
ten days, Your Highness.
Aren't you going to say hello?
The Queen awaits me.
Must I turn over my husband
to the Queen after waiting
more than a month to see him?
I have no time for this banter, Princess.
I'm not...
Where did you learn this awful behavior?
Why are you defying your father so harshly?
He's afraid of Ming.
It isn't proper to barge in
without announcement either.
This is a special circumstance.
I think the Crown Prince has gone too far.
Apologize to Father and
undo what you've done.
I don't think so.
Don't you have any pride?
Jinyang!
One little threat by the Ming Chinese
and you're ready to give up our land?
How could a Crown Prince
conceive of this thought?
I made that decision because
I am a Crown Prince.
I want peace, not confusion!
That's just an excuse.
This is pathetic submission.
Watch it.
Or I'll have no choice
but to punish you for insolence.
What's a little insolence from a prince to
a Crown Prince when the Crown Prince is
openly challenging the King?
There's a limit to my tolerance,
so you better...
Stop!
You've already defied your
father and now you want to
fight your brothers before your mother?
Leave.
Mother.
I will not see you until you've
resolved this matter peacefully.
You acted in haste.
Should I have opposed the Crown Prince's
idea of moving the border back?
I'm saying you shouldn't have
deserted your camp without an
official order to pull the troops back.
Precautionary measures have been taken.
The Dept. of War has already
decided our position on this.
If the Ming Chinese are putting their
guard up and trying to stop us,
the only thing to do is
to move the line back.
If the Dept. of War is together on this,
Supreme Council and Six Ministries
must declare our support so that
His Majesty would relent.
Would you fight this with me?
Give me your word that you will
fight this with me to the end
without giving up no matter what happens.
Are you on the King's side?
I heard you were looking for a cause
to stop Ming from trying to control us.
Does that mean you
are on the King's side?
Both those who agree with the King
and those who disagree with the King
are on the same side, Your Highness.
I want to help, too.
But I don't agree that we
are all on the same side.
Your Highness...
Because I'm here so I could
punch the Crown Prince out.
That's a dangerous idea.
If he still acts like a prideless wuss
when we have found a justifiable
cause to keep Ming out of our
business, I just might whack him.
I want an autonomous Joseon.
For that reason, I am appointing
General Yi Su new Minister of Military
to focus greater effort on building
a safer defense line on the river.
But Ming is keeping us in check.
How much longer must Joseon remain
paralyzed under Ming dominance?
Subservience begets more subservience.
If we back down now, Ming will
only try to intimidate us even more.
I want a country that does not submit
to Ming's belligerent supremacy.
That is why we are expanding
our perimeter to Liaodong starting
with a defense line on the river.
Your Majesty, you must
consider the reality.
If we let reality stop us from
going forward, we have no future.
Kings must rule the day
and prepare for tomorrow.
No matter how difficult,
no matter what it takes,
even if this dream cannot be realized
in my lifetime, I will not stop.
Therefore, I cannot grant your appeal.
And I will not stop the fortification of
Yeoyeon as it is the most important
strategic location for this purpose.
Yeoyeon.
Modern day Jungangjin of North
Pyeongan Province was a point
of strategic importance
that borders Jurchen.
1430 AD, 12th year of Sejong's reign.
Taizu of Ming Zhu Yuanzhang is said
to have united China, but Liaodong
was still an arena of fierce competition
for supremacy of Northeast Asia.
To its west, Ming had a solid border
stretching from Amrok to Liao River,
and Jurchens scattered through
out Liaodong were constantly
struggling to form an alliance
with Ulliangha clan's Li Manzhu
and Odoli clan's Tongmingge
at the center of the movement.
Their alliance would clearly pose
a dangerous treat to Joseon,
and Yeoyeon was at the
heart of this tension.
For the ambitious Jurchens
seeking unification,
for wary Ming Chinese that needed
to keep growing Joseon in check,
and for Sejong who needed to suppress
the Jurchens and aspired to expand
the boundaries of Joseon,
Yeoyeon was an important strategic
location that had to be protected.
I've been waiting.
Five hundred thousand.
Ming army that can be instantly
deployed to the front is 500.000 strong.
If we are going to go forward
with this territory expansion
despite Ming's reaction, we need a
plan to defeat this army of 500.000.
Until you bring us that plan,
the Dept. of War cannot accept you
as the new Minister of Military.
Is this it?
Could this be the solution?
Yes, this is it!
Gonghumjin!
Gonghumjin!
We got it.
We found a way to stop
Ming holding us back!
Get me everything you
can find on Gonghumjin!
From chronicles of Goryeo,
Song and Yuan to private collections,
search through everything!
Gonghumjin...
Gonghumjin?
It's the northernmost fort of the nine
forts Yun Gwan built after conquering
Jurchen during the Goryeo dynasty
located 230 miles north of Tuman River.
230 miles north of the Tuman River?
The late King had requested Ming
to acknowledge that territory south
of Gonghumjin belongs to Joseon?
Yes.
What was the Emperor's answer?
He said he would acknowledge
the territory if the demarcation
marker on the ancient map really exist.
But regrettably, the late King was
unable to see the matter through.
Why not?
To prove the validity of the old map,
he needed to find the demarcation marker.
But he couldn't?
This stone marker was
erected over three hundred years ago.
Demarcation marker of Gonghumjin.
Can we stop Ming from holding
us back if we find this marker?
It would also give us a justifiable cause
to expand our territory into Liaodong.
We will keep this information
classified for now.
Why...?
We don't know how many Jurchen
spies may be in the palace.
If they find out that we're after
the Gonghumjin demarcation marker,
they may attempt to interfere.
The King is out to find the
demarcation marker in Gonghumjin?
Yes, sir.
Gonghumjin...
Get me the map.
It's in the King's possession.
Find the demarcation market in secrecy?
I can't trust anyone else
to do this important job.
This is the ancient map
that the scholars found.
It's 300 years old, so the lay of the
land may have changed quite a bit.
Yes.
Above all, this may be a dangerous
mission since you will be
passing through Jurchen borderland.
I'm always tuning to for the most
difficult and dangerous jobs, master.
Bestow me a drink when I return.
Of course.
We shall have a barrel full of
wine to drink all night, master.
Would it be a good thing to
find the demarcation marker?
Ming wouldn't be able to
hold us back openly if we do.
And His Majesty will have
a justifiable cause for a conquest.
How much time do you think
it will take for us to acquire a river
border of Amrok and Tuman?
We're talking about an area roughly
about the same size as expansion
achieved during Goryeo dynasty.
It took Goryeo 300 years, so even if
we cut that by one tenth it's 30 years.
That means this country will have
to live in woes o war curing
His Majesty's entire tenure.
Do you think this country will endure?
Don't do it.
Don't find Gonghumjin.
General Choi told me
to find a way to stop the
Ming army of 500.000.
Only then he will acknowledge
me as the Minister of Military.
This is the quickest way to
stop that army of 500.000.
This is nothing more than
a diplomatic gesture.
If Joseon asserts rights to Liaodong,
Ming will hold us back even tighter.
There is Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's promise,
so at the very least they won't be able to
overtly stop us from
acquiring a river border.
The greater problem is
what will come next.
Even if we acquire a cause for
a conquest and go forward,
you won't be able to do your job
as the Ministry of Military.
Do you know why?
Because there is not one warrior who will
trust you from the heart and obey you.
You have no loyal subordinates
that will die for you.
You mean like His Majesty doesn't now?
It was not the King's dream alone
to make Joseon a proud nation.
The King also said he would
serve the people as his god.
It's wrong to obsess on territory
expansion while the people are starving.
If he decided that this has to be done
even at the cost of the people's bread,
I'm sure the King is just as
pained about it as you are.
Don't make him feel too lonely.
I don't care about the others, but
I wish you'd think about this
from the King's perspective.
Minister of Military is leaving tonight
on a mission to find the stone marker.
Do we want the country to suffer the woes
of war for decades to come?
We must stop the Minister of Military!
How far are you going to go
with Minister of Military Yi Su?
That depends on how well he cooperates.
Don't be afraid, sir.
We're not going to hurt you.
We'll take you to a quiet place where
you can rest for about a month.
Am I to return after that and tell the
King that I couldn't find the marker?
Your acumen is impressive.
You're the one who told me
to make things work, sir.
What is this?
I never dreamed Joseonese would do this.
We set this up just in
case of information leak.
Who would've thought that you, not Ming
or Jurchen spies, would interfere with
finding the demarcation marker?
When are you going to stop
being the King's puppet?
When Joseon is a proud nation
we all dream of, of course.
You'll regret it.
This will be overlooked
just this once, Choi Manli.
Go back and tell the others
who are in on this with you.
If something like this happens again,
His Majesty will not forgive you.
Dongchang, Ming Intelligence Agency
Minister of Military Yi Su is
on a search for Gonghumjin?
We can't let Joseon have Liaodong.
Destroy the demarcation marker!
Do you want Li Manzhu on this?
No, get someone else this time.
Tuman River, Hamgil Province
I was ordered by the King to
see you to the border only.
Attend to the general well.
Shouldn't he attend to us well?
We're his guide after all.
Kid...
You always have to have the last word.
You can count on us, sir.
The boat is ready.
Take care of the King.
Be safe, sir.
The map is in Minister of
Military Yi Su's possession.
Odoli is acting alone in this
from beginning to the end.
Get the job done right.
And supremacy of Liaodong will be yours.
If Yi Su has crossed the border,
he will soon cross Subin River.
Tongmingge is after
the demarcation marker?
We should proceed by land
instead of crossing the river.
Dami.
Let's go.
I think we're been tricked.
Search the area.
Aye!
1.6 miles southeast of
Sunchunryeong Fort...
Judging by the traces of the ruins,
this has to be the place where
they erected the demarcation marker.
But there's nothing here, not even a road.
We will first conduct a
thorough search of the area.
Hyang?
I thought you'd call me sooner.
I needed time to calm my rage.
I don't regret my decision.
This is the future of Joseon.
If it isn't realized in my lifetime,
you must carry on the work.
What I want is security.
And I do not want to
make an enemy of Ming.
Are you afraid?
That's what's needed.
Do you want Ming to
dominate Joseon forever?
How much more impoverished and
exhausted do you want your people to be?
I want autonomy within alliance.
I believe we can suppress the
Jurchens with aid from Ming.
You'd leave our national defense
in the hands of Ming forever?
I will not change my mind.
This is going to be a hard fight.
It appears fighting you might be more
difficult than fighting Jurchen or Ming.
I'm not going to back down for you.
Fight with all you've got.
I'm prepared, Father.
Damn!
What are you doing?
We've circled umpteen times.
If it's here, we would've
found it by now.
What are you trying to say?
Are you sure this demarcation
marker really exists?
Shut your trap!
Don't you know how much His
Majesty wants to find this marker?
Let go of me!
How can you say that?
His Majesty is counting on
us to find that marker!
Wait!
"Goryeon Border"
Your Majesty...
We found it.
230 miles north of the Tuman River
in Gonghumjin, Sunchunryeong...
This is Joseons' true northern border!
Now a new era will begin for Joseon.
Ming border at Amrok River
Where are the agents that are supposed
to greet the diplomatic mission?
I told them twice who we are,
but they won't listen.
Try again!
But...
Sir.
Be patient. We don't need to cause a scene.
I'm sure there's a good reason.
But...
Listen to him,
Councilor Choi.
This is the Crown Prince of Joseon.
He is going to the palace for
an audience with the Emperor.
What is the meaning of this?
You cannot pass!
I said Crown Prince of Joseon
is here to have an audience
with the Emperor!
To obstruct his path is contempt not
only for the Joseonese Prince but to
Ming Emperor as well!
It is the Emperor's order.
I am Imperial Eunuch Wang Zhen.
Why have you stopped us?
The Emperor has rejected the Crown
Prince's request for an audience.
I beg your pardon?
This is a formal diplomatic
event between Joseon
and Ming that has continued since
the founding of Joseon.
I would like to know the reason
for the Emperor's sudden refusal.
It would be quicker for you
to seek that answer from your
belligerent King than it would be from us.
Ming Emperor has turned
the Crown Prince away?
Gyeongbok Palace, 15 days later
What is the reason?
Give up your camps in Yeoyeon and
Gyeongwon and move back your border.
Isn't that undue interference
in another country's affair?
Undue interference?
Li Manzhu of Ulliangha and Tongmingge
of Odoli both hold titles in Ming court.
That makes their territory Ming domain!
If Joseon threatens this territory with
military presence, we can only interpret
this action as an action against Great Ming.
Perhaps it's time to yield.
We must vacate Yeoyeon and Gyeongwon
and call Choi Yundeok and Yi Su back.
I will not yield.
Your Majesty.
Have we turned Ming against us?
If we don't comply,
they may consider war.
I will not change my mind.
But, Your Majesty.
A solution.
Instead of just fighting me like everyone
else, can't you, the Hall of Worthies
scholars, find mea solution
to get through this impasse?
I need your collective wisdom more
than ever right now, Jeong Inji.
Where is the Crown Prince?
His Highness did not
return to the capital.
I'm told he has gone to
Yeoyeon with Choi Manli.
The Crown Prince has gone in Yeoyeon?
Yeoyeon, Pyeongan Province
Why did you bring me here?
I thought it might help
you control your anger.
How about to vent my anger?
I see lots of brave soldiers
here who will ignore Ming
and cross the border to conquer
the land for me at my command.
Why would the Crown Prince come here?
Perhaps to get even for the rejection
he suffered at the Ming border.
You mean he wants military action?
Not worthy.
If you want to send these men into a
field of death to just to vent your rage,
you would not be worthy
of the future throne.
His Majesty is the one who said
he would protect the defense line
even if it means going to war.
Then shouldn't you
confront His Majesty first?
What do you mean?
Yeoyeon is a useless wasteland
that only serves military purposes.
But the King is dead set on preserving
this land regardless of cost.
So far, his obstinacy has caused Ming
to raise their guard up against us
and placed the Crown Prince
in a humiliating situation.
And he is demanding cruel
conscription from those people
he has sworn to serve as his god.
For a good reason.
The King I know never put a strain
on anything without a good reason.
He has been pushing the limit since
the day he ascended to the throne.
He has put a slave in high government
post and broken our 5.000 year racially
homogenous tradition by
accepting the Jurchens.
That's not all.
He's enforcing an unreasonable
tax law turning the nobles and
landed gentry against him.
I thought you were
at the part of all that.
There were many things I couldn't
understand or agree with,
but I accepted the King's endeavors
and tried my best to make it work.
Why? Because people were always at
the heart of these radical endeavors.
Are you trying to say
that's not the case now?
We're seeing that for ourselves right now.
How much longer do you think
they can take this grueling work?
If they should rise up and throw the
country into chaos, how much time
and resources would we have
to waste to undue the damage?
One who can overcome his own rage,
one who isn't afraid to make an enemy
of the King to protect the people
he is the man worthy
of the future throne.
Stop the construction?
Stop the construction, go back to the city
and persuade the King to
move the border line back.
That is your duty, General.
I know you had originally
opposed the Kings proposal to
maintain a line in Yeoyeon.
Your Highness...
Yet you're here building
a large military camp.
Command and obedience.
I am a soldier and a soldier must
obey his superior's command.
Risk your life.
A true patriot is one who can speak
up against the King's misrule at the
risk of his life, General.
Stopped the fortification?
The Crown Prince stopped
the construction himself?
What's more, he has taken their best
warrior Choi Yundeok away from the front.
What could this mean?
The Crown Prince is going up
against his father the King?
Domestic scuffle should keep
the Joseonese busy for a while.
Meanwhile, we should find a way to bring
Ulliangha, Odoli and Udige together and
form a tri-tribe alliance.
Develop new weapons?
We need stronger weapons with superior
performance and better distance.
I believed you were against
territorial expansion by aggression.
Isn't that why you had rejected
Prince Yangnyeong's idea of
old territory restoration?
Yes.
Then why this?
Jurchens are forming an alliance.
If they unite and seek to
increase their authority,
which country do you think they will
attack first between Ming and Joseon?
I thought appeasement with open
immigration was your approach.
Friend or foe, you value lives equally.
Do you think this order
contradicts that belief?
Weapons, especially high performance
explosive weapons are produced for
the purpose of mass destruction.
Appeasement is our first choice, but we
must be prepared for the worst as well.
Choi Yundeok has abandoned his camp
in Yeoyeon without authorization?
He also stopped the fort construction
at the Crown Prince's urging.
The East palace, Your Majesty?
No, I'm going to the Hall of Worthies.
How dare you goad the Crown Prince!
I was just doing my job as
the Crown Prince's teacher.
You bastard!
Just talk to him, sir!
Stay out of my way,
or I'll beat you up, too!
Don't you dare call yourself
the Crown Prince's teacher!
How could you be his teacher after
manipulating him to arbitrarily stop
a major military project,
take a commanding general away
from the border and defy the King?
What are you after?
What do you have to gain by provoking
a fight between the King
and the Crown Prince?
Safety of this country, perhaps.
He taught treason to the Crown Prince!
One might say he was teaching him
how to stand up and speak his mind.
Sir!
His Majesty is refusing to listen to
anyone including the Prime Minister.
Someone's got to stand up
and dissuade the King.
Choi Manli and the Crown Prince...
It's been a month and
ten days, Your Highness.
Aren't you going to say hello?
The Queen awaits me.
Must I turn over my husband
to the Queen after waiting
more than a month to see him?
I have no time for this banter, Princess.
I'm not...
Where did you learn this awful behavior?
Why are you defying your father so harshly?
He's afraid of Ming.
It isn't proper to barge in
without announcement either.
This is a special circumstance.
I think the Crown Prince has gone too far.
Apologize to Father and
undo what you've done.
I don't think so.
Don't you have any pride?
Jinyang!
One little threat by the Ming Chinese
and you're ready to give up our land?
How could a Crown Prince
conceive of this thought?
I made that decision because
I am a Crown Prince.
I want peace, not confusion!
That's just an excuse.
This is pathetic submission.
Watch it.
Or I'll have no choice
but to punish you for insolence.
What's a little insolence from a prince to
a Crown Prince when the Crown Prince is
openly challenging the King?
There's a limit to my tolerance,
so you better...
Stop!
You've already defied your
father and now you want to
fight your brothers before your mother?
Leave.
Mother.
I will not see you until you've
resolved this matter peacefully.
You acted in haste.
Should I have opposed the Crown Prince's
idea of moving the border back?
I'm saying you shouldn't have
deserted your camp without an
official order to pull the troops back.
Precautionary measures have been taken.
The Dept. of War has already
decided our position on this.
If the Ming Chinese are putting their
guard up and trying to stop us,
the only thing to do is
to move the line back.
If the Dept. of War is together on this,
Supreme Council and Six Ministries
must declare our support so that
His Majesty would relent.
Would you fight this with me?
Give me your word that you will
fight this with me to the end
without giving up no matter what happens.
Are you on the King's side?
I heard you were looking for a cause
to stop Ming from trying to control us.
Does that mean you
are on the King's side?
Both those who agree with the King
and those who disagree with the King
are on the same side, Your Highness.
I want to help, too.
But I don't agree that we
are all on the same side.
Your Highness...
Because I'm here so I could
punch the Crown Prince out.
That's a dangerous idea.
If he still acts like a prideless wuss
when we have found a justifiable
cause to keep Ming out of our
business, I just might whack him.
I want an autonomous Joseon.
For that reason, I am appointing
General Yi Su new Minister of Military
to focus greater effort on building
a safer defense line on the river.
But Ming is keeping us in check.
How much longer must Joseon remain
paralyzed under Ming dominance?
Subservience begets more subservience.
If we back down now, Ming will
only try to intimidate us even more.
I want a country that does not submit
to Ming's belligerent supremacy.
That is why we are expanding
our perimeter to Liaodong starting
with a defense line on the river.
Your Majesty, you must
consider the reality.
If we let reality stop us from
going forward, we have no future.
Kings must rule the day
and prepare for tomorrow.
No matter how difficult,
no matter what it takes,
even if this dream cannot be realized
in my lifetime, I will not stop.
Therefore, I cannot grant your appeal.
And I will not stop the fortification of
Yeoyeon as it is the most important
strategic location for this purpose.
Yeoyeon.
Modern day Jungangjin of North
Pyeongan Province was a point
of strategic importance
that borders Jurchen.
1430 AD, 12th year of Sejong's reign.
Taizu of Ming Zhu Yuanzhang is said
to have united China, but Liaodong
was still an arena of fierce competition
for supremacy of Northeast Asia.
To its west, Ming had a solid border
stretching from Amrok to Liao River,
and Jurchens scattered through
out Liaodong were constantly
struggling to form an alliance
with Ulliangha clan's Li Manzhu
and Odoli clan's Tongmingge
at the center of the movement.
Their alliance would clearly pose
a dangerous treat to Joseon,
and Yeoyeon was at the
heart of this tension.
For the ambitious Jurchens
seeking unification,
for wary Ming Chinese that needed
to keep growing Joseon in check,
and for Sejong who needed to suppress
the Jurchens and aspired to expand
the boundaries of Joseon,
Yeoyeon was an important strategic
location that had to be protected.
I've been waiting.
Five hundred thousand.
Ming army that can be instantly
deployed to the front is 500.000 strong.
If we are going to go forward
with this territory expansion
despite Ming's reaction, we need a
plan to defeat this army of 500.000.
Until you bring us that plan,
the Dept. of War cannot accept you
as the new Minister of Military.
Is this it?
Could this be the solution?
Yes, this is it!
Gonghumjin!
Gonghumjin!
We got it.
We found a way to stop
Ming holding us back!
Get me everything you
can find on Gonghumjin!
From chronicles of Goryeo,
Song and Yuan to private collections,
search through everything!
Gonghumjin...
Gonghumjin?
It's the northernmost fort of the nine
forts Yun Gwan built after conquering
Jurchen during the Goryeo dynasty
located 230 miles north of Tuman River.
230 miles north of the Tuman River?
The late King had requested Ming
to acknowledge that territory south
of Gonghumjin belongs to Joseon?
Yes.
What was the Emperor's answer?
He said he would acknowledge
the territory if the demarcation
marker on the ancient map really exist.
But regrettably, the late King was
unable to see the matter through.
Why not?
To prove the validity of the old map,
he needed to find the demarcation marker.
But he couldn't?
This stone marker was
erected over three hundred years ago.
Demarcation marker of Gonghumjin.
Can we stop Ming from holding
us back if we find this marker?
It would also give us a justifiable cause
to expand our territory into Liaodong.
We will keep this information
classified for now.
Why...?
We don't know how many Jurchen
spies may be in the palace.
If they find out that we're after
the Gonghumjin demarcation marker,
they may attempt to interfere.
The King is out to find the
demarcation marker in Gonghumjin?
Yes, sir.
Gonghumjin...
Get me the map.
It's in the King's possession.
Find the demarcation market in secrecy?
I can't trust anyone else
to do this important job.
This is the ancient map
that the scholars found.
It's 300 years old, so the lay of the
land may have changed quite a bit.
Yes.
Above all, this may be a dangerous
mission since you will be
passing through Jurchen borderland.
I'm always tuning to for the most
difficult and dangerous jobs, master.
Bestow me a drink when I return.
Of course.
We shall have a barrel full of
wine to drink all night, master.
Would it be a good thing to
find the demarcation marker?
Ming wouldn't be able to
hold us back openly if we do.
And His Majesty will have
a justifiable cause for a conquest.
How much time do you think
it will take for us to acquire a river
border of Amrok and Tuman?
We're talking about an area roughly
about the same size as expansion
achieved during Goryeo dynasty.
It took Goryeo 300 years, so even if
we cut that by one tenth it's 30 years.
That means this country will have
to live in woes o war curing
His Majesty's entire tenure.
Do you think this country will endure?
Don't do it.
Don't find Gonghumjin.
General Choi told me
to find a way to stop the
Ming army of 500.000.
Only then he will acknowledge
me as the Minister of Military.
This is the quickest way to
stop that army of 500.000.
This is nothing more than
a diplomatic gesture.
If Joseon asserts rights to Liaodong,
Ming will hold us back even tighter.
There is Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's promise,
so at the very least they won't be able to
overtly stop us from
acquiring a river border.
The greater problem is
what will come next.
Even if we acquire a cause for
a conquest and go forward,
you won't be able to do your job
as the Ministry of Military.
Do you know why?
Because there is not one warrior who will
trust you from the heart and obey you.
You have no loyal subordinates
that will die for you.
You mean like His Majesty doesn't now?
It was not the King's dream alone
to make Joseon a proud nation.
The King also said he would
serve the people as his god.
It's wrong to obsess on territory
expansion while the people are starving.
If he decided that this has to be done
even at the cost of the people's bread,
I'm sure the King is just as
pained about it as you are.
Don't make him feel too lonely.
I don't care about the others, but
I wish you'd think about this
from the King's perspective.
Minister of Military is leaving tonight
on a mission to find the stone marker.
Do we want the country to suffer the woes
of war for decades to come?
We must stop the Minister of Military!
How far are you going to go
with Minister of Military Yi Su?
That depends on how well he cooperates.
Don't be afraid, sir.
We're not going to hurt you.
We'll take you to a quiet place where
you can rest for about a month.
Am I to return after that and tell the
King that I couldn't find the marker?
Your acumen is impressive.
You're the one who told me
to make things work, sir.
What is this?
I never dreamed Joseonese would do this.
We set this up just in
case of information leak.
Who would've thought that you, not Ming
or Jurchen spies, would interfere with
finding the demarcation marker?
When are you going to stop
being the King's puppet?
When Joseon is a proud nation
we all dream of, of course.
You'll regret it.
This will be overlooked
just this once, Choi Manli.
Go back and tell the others
who are in on this with you.
If something like this happens again,
His Majesty will not forgive you.
Dongchang, Ming Intelligence Agency
Minister of Military Yi Su is
on a search for Gonghumjin?
We can't let Joseon have Liaodong.
Destroy the demarcation marker!
Do you want Li Manzhu on this?
No, get someone else this time.
Tuman River, Hamgil Province
I was ordered by the King to
see you to the border only.
Attend to the general well.
Shouldn't he attend to us well?
We're his guide after all.
Kid...
You always have to have the last word.
You can count on us, sir.
The boat is ready.
Take care of the King.
Be safe, sir.
The map is in Minister of
Military Yi Su's possession.
Odoli is acting alone in this
from beginning to the end.
Get the job done right.
And supremacy of Liaodong will be yours.
If Yi Su has crossed the border,
he will soon cross Subin River.
Tongmingge is after
the demarcation marker?
We should proceed by land
instead of crossing the river.
Dami.
Let's go.
I think we're been tricked.
Search the area.
Aye!
1.6 miles southeast of
Sunchunryeong Fort...
Judging by the traces of the ruins,
this has to be the place where
they erected the demarcation marker.
But there's nothing here, not even a road.
We will first conduct a
thorough search of the area.
Hyang?
I thought you'd call me sooner.
I needed time to calm my rage.
I don't regret my decision.
This is the future of Joseon.
If it isn't realized in my lifetime,
you must carry on the work.
What I want is security.
And I do not want to
make an enemy of Ming.
Are you afraid?
That's what's needed.
Do you want Ming to
dominate Joseon forever?
How much more impoverished and
exhausted do you want your people to be?
I want autonomy within alliance.
I believe we can suppress the
Jurchens with aid from Ming.
You'd leave our national defense
in the hands of Ming forever?
I will not change my mind.
This is going to be a hard fight.
It appears fighting you might be more
difficult than fighting Jurchen or Ming.
I'm not going to back down for you.
Fight with all you've got.
I'm prepared, Father.
Damn!
What are you doing?
We've circled umpteen times.
If it's here, we would've
found it by now.
What are you trying to say?
Are you sure this demarcation
marker really exists?
Shut your trap!
Don't you know how much His
Majesty wants to find this marker?
Let go of me!
How can you say that?
His Majesty is counting on
us to find that marker!
Wait!
"Goryeon Border"
Your Majesty...
We found it.
230 miles north of the Tuman River
in Gonghumjin, Sunchunryeong...
This is Joseons' true northern border!
Now a new era will begin for Joseon.