Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Episode #1.4 - full transcript
A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
Are you lost?
Maehwa?
Sparrow?
You... What are you doing here?
A female historian?
Are you a historian now?
Then what about you?
What do you do? Why are you--
You are in no position to ask me
such a question.
A mere government official
wandering around the inner palace?
Nokseodang of all places,
where no one is allowed to enter
as per His Majesty's order?
You got some nerve.
What are you talking about?
I wasn't "wandering".
I was just passing by.
Is that a crime too?
That is up to the Royal Investigation
Bureau to decide.
Over here!
Over here!
What do you want from me?
What can I do to make you just let me go?
Stop staring at me like that
and say something...
I mean, say something.
How dare you touch me?
I...
I don't plan to let you go.
-What?
-You wronged me on a number of occasions.
You impersonated me
at the book reading event,
and I got arrested because of you.
Also, you stood me up last night
and made me wait for hours.
About that day, I really didn't know...
I stood you up last night?
Are you going to list excuses again,
saying something came up?
No, it's not an excuse. I really have
no idea what you're talking about.
What do you mean,
we were supposed to meet last night?
I never even saw you after that day.
I sent you a letter.
"At Gwangtong Bridge
at 5 p.m. on the first day of the month."
I never received such a letter.
You never received my letter?
Don't tell me...
Don't tell me that you're all mad at me
because you waited
and thought you got stood up by me.
Is that it?
Well, I...
I sent the letter, so I assumed...
Sir.
Don't you know what an appointment is?
When I suggest a date and time,
the other party has to agree.
An appointment can't be made
without mutual agreement.
What kind of life have you led so far?
You don't even have such basic knowledge.
Who's there?
How dare you enter this place?
-You'd better identify yourself--
-Her name is Goo Hae-ryung.
From the Office of Royal Decrees.
Female Historian Goo Hae-ryung.
Goo Hae-ryung?
The fake Maehwa.
Your Highness!
-His Royal Highness is looking for--
-Prince Dowon is taking a nap
over there.
Pardon me?
Eunuch Heo, are you going senile?
-He's right here--
-He was out here for a stroll,
but he went back inside just now
for a nap.
-But--
-Anyhow,
you, beautiful young lady,
should be on your way.
Please allow me to escort you. Step aside.
You three, wait here.
Why--
You! Especially you! Keep your mouth shut.
Sam-bo just talked down to me, didn't he?
Over there. You see that, right?
You can go that way.
Thank you.
-Have a nice day.
-You too.
Wait, hang on. So who is Maehwa?
-It's that way.
-Thank you.
There he is. Heo Sam-bo.
You throw your loyalty out the window
in front of a woman.
You weak-willed wimp.
Your Highness, I just saved you
from a dangerous situation.
-Can't you tell?
-You saved me?
Yes! Have you forgotten
what that woman did to you?
As soon as she met you
at the book reading event,
she told everyone that you are Maehwa.
She's the most indiscreet person
in the whole wide world.
If that woman finds out
that you are a prince,
overnight,
everyone in Joseon will find out
that Maehwa is, in fact, Prince Dowon.
No, the word will travel all the way
across the ocean and even reach Qing.
But Father already knows that I'm Maehwa--
There is a huge difference
between just His Majesty knowing about it
and the whole world finding out.
Dignity and reputation
matter a great deal to His Majesty.
If he finds out one more time
that people are talking about you...
I cannot bring myself to say it,
but that is probably
what will happen to you.
Then,
are you saying I should just stand here
and do nothing
even though I know my enemy is here?
She hasn't even apologized to me yet.
You, as Prince Dowon,
cannot do anything.
However, Maehwa...
Maehwa can do many things.
-Gosh.
-Oh, dear.
I feel like death.
Drink this, sir.
Don't tell me to drink anything.
Get that out of my face!
Where's the girl who got me this hungover?
Is she not here yet?
Even you're this hungover
despite years of heavy drinking.
She must be dying now.
I bet she's lying on the floor
like a dead person.
You never know.
Didn't you see
her spiteful eyes last night?
If she can't walk,
she'll crawl with her arms like this
and come to work.
Well... No matter how tough she is,
she won't be able to enter the palace.
What do you mean?
I asked the chief gatekeeper earlier
not to let Apprentice Goo Hae-ryung
of the Office of Royal Decrees
into the palace today.
I bet she's bawling outside the gate now
while begging him to--
Hello!
Clerk Goo, how did you get in?
Well, I walked in through the gate.
Is there a problem, sir?
What? "Is there a problem?"
You're a newbie. How dare you
walk in leisurely way past 7 a.m.
and ask such a question?
-I apologize, sir.
-Whatever!
-Just go and clean the library.
-Yes, sir.
How did she get in?
I told him not to let her in even if
he has to hold a knife to her throat.
Hey, you're a man.
How could you cook up
such an underhanded ruse against a girl?
That is why we still call you a dimwit.
You dimwit!
What? "Dimwit"?
-What?
-Don't call me like that!
-My gosh, Apprentice Goo!
-I'm sorry. I'm a little late.
I thought you weren't coming today.
Are you feeling all right?
I have a little bit of a headache,
but it won't kill me.
We'll take those books.
You sacrificed yourself to help us out.
This is the least we can do.
She's right. You saved us.
You should take it easy today.
I'm flattered.
Then I'll sit over there
and take a quick nap.
-Sure.
-Go on.
Apprentice Goo.
About you helping me last night...
You don't need to thank me.
We work together,
so we should help each other out.
It was unpleasant.
-Pardon me?
-I don't need your help.
I can take care of myself.
I neither want to receive
nor give unwanted help.
Please put yourself in the other person's
shoes before you act.
That is my advice for you.
Okay, I understand
what you're trying to say.
Are you the female historians?
Yes. And...
-Who are you?
-This is Court Lady Choe.
Show your respect.
Follow me.
You need to tell us
where you're taking us--
I said, follow me!
It's bamboo dew tea,
which I only serve to special guests.
Drink slowly and savor the tea.
So? How do you like
working in the palace so far?
We are just...
honored and grateful that we can
assist His Majesty and...
I apologize.
I put you on the spot
by asking such a question.
I have lived in the palace
for almost 50 years.
I certainly understand
how you must be feeling now.
I'm sure nothing is easy,
and you're probably intimidated
by everyone.
I heard
that the officers
at the Office of Royal Decrees
tend to pick on novices.
-Not at all.
-Not at all.
Yes.
I mean, no!
It's okay. You can be honest with me.
Joseon is an extremely cruel place
to those who go off the beaten path.
I am certain that it's much worse
for you ladies,
who have managed to land
government posts as women.
However, you ladies are historians
of this country,
no matter what anybody says.
You are not here to assist the King.
Please think that you are here
to look after the people and do your best.
If I can be of help in any way,
I will gladly lend a helping hand.
We are much obliged, Your Majesty.
-We're much obliged.
-We're much obliged.
I suppose this is why they say
kindness is the greatest virtue of all.
The Queen Dowager
looks so kind and friendly.
And she speaks very elegantly too.
My gosh, she is absolutely beautiful.
On the contrary, the officers
at the Office of Royal Decrees
look so ugly because they're awfully mean.
Ladies!
What is the matter, ma'am?
Why are you doing this?
-Let go! Let go of me!
-What is this about?
I will teach you all a lesson!
You shall learn the code of conduct
for Inner Court ladies.
-Not the Office of Special Advisors?
-That's right. I got scolded for asking.
They said girls are of no use to them.
I told you.
I bet they're slacking off somewhere.
The hazing ritual is done,
so they're not afraid of anything now.
Jeez, these wenches...
-Sir!
-Sir, we have a problem!
We have a big problem.
Mark my words.
If you run your mouth thoughtlessly,
I shall sear it.
If you steal anything,
I shall cut your hands off.
And if you lose your chastity,
you will be beheaded.
You mustn't remember anything
that you see and hear.
Here, you are blind, deaf, and mindless.
Don't ever forget that.
Just lie low and be a lady.
All you have to do is obey orders.
Do you understand?
Why are none of you answering?
I asked if you understand!
Why must we be like that?
We're historians.
Why must we follow
Inner Court's code of conduct?
You are one insolent wench.
Passing the examination doesn't mean
you'll be treated like a man.
Do you think
wearing that uniform
makes you a government official?
All girls are considered
His Majesty's women
the moment they enter the palace.
They must follow the code of conduct
until the moment they die.
If you still do not know your place,
I shall make sure
it's engraved in your mind forever.
What are you doing?
They belong
to the Office of Royal Decrees.
They have no reason
to be here with you now.
This concerns the Inner Court.
Stay out of it!
You are threatening government officials!
Since when was that the Inner Court's job?
What did you just say?
-Take them.
-Officer Min!
-Hurry!
-Take them!
Is that Inner Court's hazing ritual,
which I've only heard about?
This is why I told you to watch out
for court ladies.
Once you get on the wrong side of them,
you're screwed.
So avoid eye contact with them.
Don't even talk to them, okay?
Sir, is it okay to leave
Officer Min alone there?
Hey.
Why are you worried
about the Second State Councillor's son
when you can't even take care of yourself?
Why did you follow her in the first place?
Even my dog doesn't follow strangers.
We had no idea, sir.
We were told
the Queen Dowager asked for us--
It's your fault that you had no idea!
Even the Queen Dowager
must follow the proper protocols
when she wishes to summon us,
government officials.
Especially us, historians,
ought to finish what we were working on,
check what else needs to be done,
and report everything to the office
before going anywhere
even if the Grim Reaper
wants to take us.
Before that, we can't even die, you fools.
How could we have known that?
We had no idea
because you taught us nothing.
-You didn't tell us anything!
-Apprentice Heo.
It's true.
Sir, what have you taught us?
And other officers,
what have you taught us?
We couldn't even learn from you
because you taught us nothing!
How could you expect us
to just figure everything out
on our own
and know how to tackle such situations?
You are all partially responsible
for what we went through today.
If you hadn't belittled us
by calling us "clerks"
at the Office of Royal Decrees,
the court ladies wouldn't have dared
to take us and treat us like maids.
Hey, they just tried
to intimidate you a little.
Don't exaggerate.
They said we're His Majesty's women.
And they told us that we must follow
their code of conduct and lie low
for that reason.
We must forget everything we see and hear.
They said we ought to obey
all orders until we die!
They clearly treated us like maids!
Could you still tell us that we deserve
to talk about rules and protocols?
Apprentice Heo.
How dare she raise her voice at us?
Hey, get back here this instant!
Sir, please do not be concerned.
She just took it out--
But she's not wrong, sir.
Had I known I'd be treated like this,
I would've never taken the exam.
What did we do so wrong?
Why is everyone so mean to us?
What did we do wrong?
I'm glad you said those things.
I'm truly proud of you.
Even if they're completely clueless,
they should at least know their place.
How dare mere apprentices
speak out like that?
Unbelievable!
What now?
I'll teach them starting from tomorrow.
Officer Min!
-Officer Min!
-Officer Min!
Sure, give it a shot.
We need to teach them something
to give them work to do.
I will leave it to you, Officer Min.
Yes, sir.
Sir. When I first started my job here,
you didn't even let me
hold a brush for three months.
Why are you giving them special treatment?
That's right. You told me
I must overcome 1,000 hurdles
to be a true historian.
You said I should be prepared
for 1,000 days of harsh scolding.
-I still have 500 more days to go--
-Jeez, you guys talk too much.
Don't you have work to do?
Do you lads have too much time
on your hands?
THE STORY OF HO DAM
THE STORY OF HO DAM
Second State Councilor.
So this is where you live.
It has been days since I offered
the position of Third Inspector to you.
What is the reason
you haven't accepted it yet?
It is a position responsible
for inspecting all the officials.
I just didn't think
I'm the right person for the role.
"I'm not comfortable
with digging up dirt on others
and using that information
to threaten their livelihood."
That's how it sounds to me.
Do you know why I am fond of you?
It is because I've seen you
at your lowest point.
I saw what you are capable of
with my own eyes.
Hence, do not tell me that you're not
the right person for the job.
I know that you are the perfect person
for the role.
Why are you rushing
to have me work in the palace?
I found the shop
where The Story of Ho Dam was printed.
The last worker there took his own life
before we could capture him.
The Queen Dowager
must have sternly threatened them.
Isn't it a bit too meticulous
to be done by a group of ladies
who are working in the palace?
-Then--
-It means the Queen Dowager
has someone outside the palace
that is helping her.
Thus, I need someone to work for me
behind the Queen Dowager's back.
Someone like you.
Accept the position and find that person.
I am not asking you for a favor.
This is an order.
Go home, eat something good,
and get some rest.
Cheer up, Apprentice Heo.
Aren't they from Nokseodang?
NOKSEODANG
Sorry?
Do I have to go in? By myself?
Your Highness.
I heard you asked for me.
Your Highness?
Your Highness.
This is Goo Hae-ryung, an apprentice
at the Office of Royal Decrees.
Why did you ask for me?
"You know what you are guilty of."
His Highness says so in his heart.
Your Highness.
I entered Nokseodang in the morning
because--
"You disobeyed the royal command."
His Highness says so,
once again, in his heart.
Your Highness.
-Please forgive--
-If you wish to be forgiven...
What now?
He said you must do as I say
if you wish to be forgiven.
His Highness, Prince Dowon,
said so in his heart.
Don't forget the inside. Clean thoroughly.
Yes, sir. I am doing my best.
Hey, this spot too.
Clean the edge, not here.
Hurry.
Oh, no. They're very valuable.
You should've been careful.
Hey, over there.
That spot over there.
Gosh, my bad.
My hands feel weak
from doing all the work.
I don't buy that.
It fell right on my face.
I finished sweeping this whole area.
What should I do next?
You are dismissed for the day.
"For the day"?
What? Did you think
you'd be forgiven in just a day
when you disobeyed a royal command?
You must come back tomorrow,
the day after tomorrow,
and even the next day.
You must keep coming back every single day
until Prince Dowon forgives you.
Sir, let's be honest with each other.
The royal command
and His Highness are just excuses.
You're taking advantage of this situation
to get back at me.
If you don't believe me,
I'll go back in there
and bring Prince Dowon.
How could a woman be...
-Is this another mistake?
-No, that was intentional.
I'm trying to tell you
that enough is enough.
What did you just say?
Please tell His Highness
that I sincerely apologized and repented.
See you tomorrow, then.
One more thing!
I sincerely apologize
for criticizing your novels.
I had no idea about your deep anguish.
-My deep anguish?
-Yes.
Back then, I wondered
why a decent-looking man like you
would waste paper
by writing foolish romance novels.
But now, I know
that you wanted to experience love
secondhand through your novels.
I can understand it now.
You may look like a decent man,
but you are missing
an essential part that a man should have.
How dare you!
Anyway, cheer up. I'm rooting for you.
Hey, Goo Hae-ryung. I...
Goo Hae-ryung! You got the wrong idea.
Hey! Anyway, you got it all wrong! Hey!
What are you doing?
Have you finally gone crazy?
No, I'm just happy.
I met someone interesting in the palace.
A man or a woman?
-What?
-A man or a woman?
Well, he is a man, I guess.
So... Is he handsome?
What... What's his style?
Is he white and fair, like a pretty boy?
Or is he well-built,
like one of our male servants?
What?
Okay, whatever.
Let's say that his looks are
above average at the least.
How tall is he? Which family is he from?
What are his rank and birth hour?
Let's find out
your relationship compatibility!
What in the world are you talking about?
Why would I be with him?
And this guy...
He's a man who's incapable
of loving a woman.
Goodness.
He was just being coy.
That's what men are like nowadays.
Do you really believe that?
I don't have to believe anything.
It's true.
So you know, his body itself is
anatomically impossible
to be with a woman, you know...
I'm telling you. He's just pretending...
My lady, by any chance...
So, not at all?
Not even this much? Really?
Where are you going? I'm not done talking.
How can we call it a sea
if the sea is without any water?
I do not care about a man
who can barely be called a man.
Hey, I wasn't talking about him
as a man either.
You know, we might bicker,
and he might be a bit annoying,
but I think I can be friends with--
Yes, exactly. I don't care
if you become friends with him
or get undressed to bathe with him.
I am not interested.
Goodness.
What's with her?
THE STORY OF HO DAM
Mo-hwa!
You didn't even tell me you were coming!
How have you been?
Every single day is the same for me.
What about you? Are you hurt?
Oh, right.
You must be tired.
I shouldn't ask so much.
You should get some sleep first
to recover from your journey. Go inside.
Yes, excuse me.
HO DAM AND YEONGAN
THIS IS WHERE THE PATH WAS MADE
HO DAM
What's this?
This is a special order from Officer Yang.
The organizational chart of our office.
So why are you giving this to us?
What do you think?
You four don't know your place
and got too impudent,
so he wants you to learn
the hierarchy first.
Okay, look.
The eight designated historians
of the Office of Royal Decrees are
called Hanrim. You know that, right?
Yes.
First Historian Yang Si-haeng holds
the highest office among them.
Why? What about the crazy idiot?
After him, it's First Historian Min U-won.
Do you even know
what a hazing ritual consists of?
Among the Second Historians,
Officer Son Gil-seung
has seniority over Hyeon Gyeong-muk.
SECOND HISTORIAN SON GIL-SEUNG,
35 YEARS OLD
Hey, they just tried
to intimidate you a little.
Is there a hierarchy
even among the same office ranks?
Of course. We all began to work
at different times.
For example, the four of us
may all be senior ninth-rank officers.
I can swear at these three.
But they can't do that to me.
And Officer Seong Seo-gwon
can swear at Officer An Hong-ik
and Officer Kim Chi-guk.
Officer An Hong-ik
can swear at Officer Kim Chi-guk.
Officer Kim Chi-guk...
has no one. He just has to take it.
Officer Hwang,
but I'm a senior officer to them.
Hey, even if that's true, Clerk Goo is 26
and you're 19. How can you swear at her?
Don't you know that elders come first?
Elders first.
Hey!
You're all dead.
How can the senior ninth-rank officers
and clerks all sit around in here?
Should I be running around
doing errands as a second historian?
Do you need us to do something?
You're fine.
You four.
What are you doing? Follow me.
What in the world...
How dare a bunch of women come in here?
Get out of here right now!
This is...
the historian's seat.
Officer Min, are you letting us attend
the royal meeting?
Go to your positions.
Officer Min.
What do you think you're doing?
Women should not be allowed in here.
How dare you taint the royal court?
You are being unbelievably rude.
How dare you ignore me
when I'm talking to you?
That's enough.
-My goodness.
-This is outrageous.
My goodness.
-Gosh.
-Unbelievable.
-What is going on?
-This is absurd.
His Royal Highness is here.
Why is it just you guys?
-Where's the person I asked for?
-She's attending the royal meeting.
"The royal meeting"?
The female historians are
attending the royal meeting?
-Yes.
-Yes.
My goodness, Officer Min U-won must've
caused trouble again.
"Min U-won"? Wasn't he my brother's
childhood study partner?
That's not what's important.
He's the Second State Councilor's son.
He's handsome and has a great character.
And he's very intelligent.
He entered Sungkyunkwan
when he was 15 years old
and entered the palace when he was 18.
People work so hard to succeed,
but he got it all so easy.
So people envy him, slander him,
and spread dubious rumors about him.
But he has
one fatal drawback.
He is
like a rock.
He lacks flexibility
and is very cold-hearted.
And he has a talent
of making people go crazy.
Then since Goo Hae-ryung will be
working for a guy like him--
She'll have to say goodbye
to the good old days.
It'll be a whole new world of suffering.
She'll live a life full of hardships.
Really?
You can stop the fanning now.
I'm starting to feel very refreshed
even without it.
Your Royal Highness,
you have an urgent letter.
Come inside.
It is from an official in Hadong,
Gyeongsang Province.
The endless rain has caused
the river to overflow
and flooded dozens of villages.
And there are apparently
hundreds of villagers
who ended up drowning
or getting buried in the landslide.
What was the official doing
during the endless rain?
Why didn't he evacuate the villagers?
Most of the people who died
were actually hiding in Jirisan
so they could avoid paying military taxes.
Tell him to console the villagers
by distributing food
from the Relief Office.
It'll take days to restore the damage.
They won't need to pay taxes
for the time being.
-And--
-You cannot do that.
They may have suffered from the flood,
but they're criminals
who avoided military duties.
You should be punishing them.
How can you think of sparing them
from paying taxes?
Then are you saying I should collect taxes
from those people
who lost their families
and have nowhere to go?
You cannot get swayed
by your personal emotions.
Think about why they ended up
in that situation in the first place.
They brought that upon themselves
by living in the mountains
just so they could avoid paying taxes.
Your Royal Highness.
Many people these days
are running away
to avoid paying military taxes.
And that's causing trouble
to each district's tax office.
Military taxes are the most important duty
of the people of this country.
Those who do not follow
show no loyalty to their country.
So you should arrest all of them
and tighten the country's discipline,
Your Royal Highness.
-Please do so, Your Royal Highness.
-Please do so, Your Royal Highness.
Please withdraw your order,
Your Royal Highness.
-Please withdraw your order.
-Please withdraw your order.
Please withdraw your order,
Your Royal Highness.
-Please withdraw your order.
-Please withdraw your order.
Did you say that military taxes are
the duty of this country's people?
Then what about you?
Have you ever paid taxes?
What about your fathers or your sons?
Have they ever paid taxes?
Your Royal Highness, military taxes
are meant to be paid by peasants...
Since when?
Since when did paying taxes
become a duty
for those who are weak and poor?
Before the wars broke out in Joseon,
everyone in this country
was obligated to pay taxes.
But as time passed by,
powerful officials stopped paying taxes
along with the wealthy noblemen.
And now, even the middle-class people
are doing the same.
That is why the poor ended up
with all the responsibility.
Asking a wealthy man
to pay a portion of his wealth...
and asking a poor man
to pay a portion of his wealth
are different to the core.
The people standing here
own most of the wealth in this country.
But you are busy trying to shift
the responsibility to the poor
and asking them to give more
than what they own.
That is exactly why our people
leave their homes
and choose to live in the mountains.
You think they show no loyalty
to this country?
Even if they choose
to turn their backs on our country,
I will not turn my back on them.
That is what a country should do.
That is what a king should do.
You arrogant fool.
I let you act as a regent
due to your enthusiasm.
But how dare you talk about the King's
duty while I am still alive?
-Father, I was just--
-I order the Crown Prince to leave.
Father...
I reduced the tax by half the amount,
but they still cannot pay it.
Dismiss the official in Hadong.
The governor of Gyeongsang Province
shall put down his position.
I felt so suffocated inside.
Aren't those men some of the most
competent government officials
that work in the royal court?
But they keep rejecting
every single comment
made by His Royal Highness.
They're like a group of gamecocks.
"Gamecocks"?
That's a very nice way of explaining
the very purpose of royal advisors.
"Royal advisors"?
That's what you call the officials
at the Office of Inspector-Generals
and the Office of Censors.
They each have slightly different roles.
But they both have a duty
of correcting the King's mistakes
and stopping him
from doing things arbitrarily like today.
It wasn't arbitrary.
Do you not think so?
His Royal Highness wasn't being arbitrary
by wanting to help the people.
He was just doing his job.
That's what I think.
Your opinions are not important.
Historians are people who record
what they see and hear.
Your opinions will
only make you become biased.
And if you record what you think,
that will only end up being a journal,
not a record of history.
The more I think about it,
the angrier I become.
His Royal Highness
always treats us like we're barbarians.
He thinks he's the King
just because he's the heir to the throne.
He'll soon learn
who the real leader of this country is.
And when exactly is that?
Every time I attend the royal meeting,
I start to wonder if I'm serving
the Crown Prince or the dethroned king...
Gosh, I'm shocked
at how bad these writings are.
You were asked to write letters,
not draw plants.
You should just become an artist.
This was our first time
at a royal meeting.
You don't have to be so mean.
You really need to practice a lot more.
Officer Min, come and see their writings.
Can you read what they wrote?
No.
This is not easy.
I thought I'd at least
be able to recognize one letter.
But it's really not easy.
What did you learn at the royal meeting?
It was hard.
It already takes time
to write down what people say.
But they all talk so fast.
I had a hard time
because I couldn't tell who was whom.
The official with thick eyebrows.
The official with a big head.
The official with a short neck.
That's what I wrote.
How do you all manage to tell them apart?
There is a way.
What's this?
"Record of Appearance"?
This person is...
Yes, he's the Second State Councilor,
Min Ik-pyeong.
He's the official with the big head.
Jegal Tak, a seventh-rank official
of the Royal Secretariat.
Yes, that's right.
Not only the three state councilors,
but also officials
from the Office of the Inspector-Generals,
the Office of Censors,
the Royal Secretariat,
the Office of State Records,
the Office of Special Advisors,
and the Office of Royal Lectures...
It is a recording
of all the officials' appearances
and their positions for us historians.
It's our tradition to keep it updated
and hand it over to the new historians.
So it belongs to you now.
Does that mean
you're acknowledging us as historians?
Hey, don't get ahead of yourself.
You have never even had a blistered hand.
How can you call yourselves historians?
Read it whenever you can
and memorize everything.
It will be of help.
Officer Min.
Thank you.
My goodness.
You really need to fix
that habit of yours.
What habit?
The habit of coming here
every time you're free.
That's why people in the palace are always
whispering that the Crown Prince
doesn't like the Crown Princess.
But it's true.
The Crown Princess is merely a spy
who reports everything I do and say
to the Second State Councilor.
Is there something on your mind?
Nothing's on my mind.
And don't even be curious.
You don't need to be disturbed as well.
You really don't know much about me.
I've been living my entire life
feeling disturbed and uneasy.
Stop acting silly.
I'm going to take a short nap.
Wake me up in a little while.
Okay.
Your Royal Highness.
Vice-Chancellor
of Royal College of Literature is here.
A THIRD-RANK OFFICIAL
OF THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL ADVISORS
I see.
Let him inside.
I apologize, Your Royal Highness.
I had to see you discreetly.
I understand. What brings you here?
Someone was murdered
in a deserted house in Imalsan.
Six men died
and one survived
due to an odd medical practice?
What is this odd medical practice?
And what were these men doing
in a deserted house?
I do not know the details.
But an official questioned him
when he woke up.
And apparently, he spoke of a book.
-It must've been a banned book.
-Yes.
What's the name of that book?
It's called The Story of Ho Dam.
"The Story of Ho Dam"?
Did you just say "Ho Dam"?
Why couldn't you do your job properly?
Why did you leave behind a trace
like a snake shedding its skin?
Gwi-jae.
Did you say he survived
due to a medical practice
that doesn't exist in Joseon?
Yes, my lord.
How he managed to survive
is not important right now.
We don't know what he might say
now that he's alive.
So we must quickly take measures.
I agree. We can't let him stay alive.
My goodness.
My gosh, look at your faces.
Are you scared to look at dead bodies
because you're women?
I'm more scared of working overtime
than those scared bodies.
We should be going home.
Why do we suddenly need
to go outside for work?
I agree. I'm already exhausted
after having attended the royal meeting.
Gosh, I can't believe
we even have to attend an autopsy.
Why are you taking it out on me?
I didn't kill them.
Should I go around
asking all the murderers in this country
not to kill anyone since you're exhausted?
It's a historian's job
to attend autopsies.
Stop complaining and follow me.
It'll be less scary while the sun's out.
The wound on his stomach
is about two chon wide.
And its depth...
is about five chon deep.
Isn't it over yet?
-How's he doing?
-Whom?
The man who survived
due to the odd medical practice.
Did you see his wound?
What's the odd medical practice?
Why do you want to know that?
His body was sewn with a thread
as if it was a blanket. Are you happy?
His body was sewn with a thread?
May I take a look at him?
My gosh, why can't I see him?
I really won't take long.
It'll take less than ten minutes.
Why do you want to see that hideous wound?
Do you have a mental illness?
It's not because it's hideous.
It's because I think he got stitches.
What?
I heard about it back when I was in Qing.
It's a Western medical practice.
Apparently, the wound heals
if you stitch it with a thread.
Isn't it amazing?
That's why I really want to see it.
Can I please go inside
and take a quick look at it?
No, you can't. Not only did
the Royal Investigation Bureau say no,
but I also want to hurry up and go home.
-Then let me just go--
-One more word,
and I'll make you spend the entire night
with the dead bodies.
But sir...
My gosh, look at this.
-It's so pretty.
-I know, right?
I need to go back
to the Royal Investigation Bureau.
I left my sachaek there.
-What?
-Bye, then.
But what's that in your hand?
She was holding her sachaek.
Who are you?
Maehwa?
I'm...
Prince Dowon,
the prince of Joseon.
What?
Do you really think...
you can kill me?
Are you saying she's alive?
How dare a traitor live
in the country that I rule?
I must know what that book is about.
-Do not dig into it.
-But you also know.
If he's a prince,
why is he still living in the palace
without even getting married?
His skin is as white as snow,
and he's very handsome.
A historian should not build
personal relationships with others.
It could end up backfiring on you
in the future.
I thought we could be friends.
I have something to say to you.
Are you going to write it down too?
Subtitle translation by Liya Choi
Are you lost?
Maehwa?
Sparrow?
You... What are you doing here?
A female historian?
Are you a historian now?
Then what about you?
What do you do? Why are you--
You are in no position to ask me
such a question.
A mere government official
wandering around the inner palace?
Nokseodang of all places,
where no one is allowed to enter
as per His Majesty's order?
You got some nerve.
What are you talking about?
I wasn't "wandering".
I was just passing by.
Is that a crime too?
That is up to the Royal Investigation
Bureau to decide.
Over here!
Over here!
What do you want from me?
What can I do to make you just let me go?
Stop staring at me like that
and say something...
I mean, say something.
How dare you touch me?
I...
I don't plan to let you go.
-What?
-You wronged me on a number of occasions.
You impersonated me
at the book reading event,
and I got arrested because of you.
Also, you stood me up last night
and made me wait for hours.
About that day, I really didn't know...
I stood you up last night?
Are you going to list excuses again,
saying something came up?
No, it's not an excuse. I really have
no idea what you're talking about.
What do you mean,
we were supposed to meet last night?
I never even saw you after that day.
I sent you a letter.
"At Gwangtong Bridge
at 5 p.m. on the first day of the month."
I never received such a letter.
You never received my letter?
Don't tell me...
Don't tell me that you're all mad at me
because you waited
and thought you got stood up by me.
Is that it?
Well, I...
I sent the letter, so I assumed...
Sir.
Don't you know what an appointment is?
When I suggest a date and time,
the other party has to agree.
An appointment can't be made
without mutual agreement.
What kind of life have you led so far?
You don't even have such basic knowledge.
Who's there?
How dare you enter this place?
-You'd better identify yourself--
-Her name is Goo Hae-ryung.
From the Office of Royal Decrees.
Female Historian Goo Hae-ryung.
Goo Hae-ryung?
The fake Maehwa.
Your Highness!
-His Royal Highness is looking for--
-Prince Dowon is taking a nap
over there.
Pardon me?
Eunuch Heo, are you going senile?
-He's right here--
-He was out here for a stroll,
but he went back inside just now
for a nap.
-But--
-Anyhow,
you, beautiful young lady,
should be on your way.
Please allow me to escort you. Step aside.
You three, wait here.
Why--
You! Especially you! Keep your mouth shut.
Sam-bo just talked down to me, didn't he?
Over there. You see that, right?
You can go that way.
Thank you.
-Have a nice day.
-You too.
Wait, hang on. So who is Maehwa?
-It's that way.
-Thank you.
There he is. Heo Sam-bo.
You throw your loyalty out the window
in front of a woman.
You weak-willed wimp.
Your Highness, I just saved you
from a dangerous situation.
-Can't you tell?
-You saved me?
Yes! Have you forgotten
what that woman did to you?
As soon as she met you
at the book reading event,
she told everyone that you are Maehwa.
She's the most indiscreet person
in the whole wide world.
If that woman finds out
that you are a prince,
overnight,
everyone in Joseon will find out
that Maehwa is, in fact, Prince Dowon.
No, the word will travel all the way
across the ocean and even reach Qing.
But Father already knows that I'm Maehwa--
There is a huge difference
between just His Majesty knowing about it
and the whole world finding out.
Dignity and reputation
matter a great deal to His Majesty.
If he finds out one more time
that people are talking about you...
I cannot bring myself to say it,
but that is probably
what will happen to you.
Then,
are you saying I should just stand here
and do nothing
even though I know my enemy is here?
She hasn't even apologized to me yet.
You, as Prince Dowon,
cannot do anything.
However, Maehwa...
Maehwa can do many things.
-Gosh.
-Oh, dear.
I feel like death.
Drink this, sir.
Don't tell me to drink anything.
Get that out of my face!
Where's the girl who got me this hungover?
Is she not here yet?
Even you're this hungover
despite years of heavy drinking.
She must be dying now.
I bet she's lying on the floor
like a dead person.
You never know.
Didn't you see
her spiteful eyes last night?
If she can't walk,
she'll crawl with her arms like this
and come to work.
Well... No matter how tough she is,
she won't be able to enter the palace.
What do you mean?
I asked the chief gatekeeper earlier
not to let Apprentice Goo Hae-ryung
of the Office of Royal Decrees
into the palace today.
I bet she's bawling outside the gate now
while begging him to--
Hello!
Clerk Goo, how did you get in?
Well, I walked in through the gate.
Is there a problem, sir?
What? "Is there a problem?"
You're a newbie. How dare you
walk in leisurely way past 7 a.m.
and ask such a question?
-I apologize, sir.
-Whatever!
-Just go and clean the library.
-Yes, sir.
How did she get in?
I told him not to let her in even if
he has to hold a knife to her throat.
Hey, you're a man.
How could you cook up
such an underhanded ruse against a girl?
That is why we still call you a dimwit.
You dimwit!
What? "Dimwit"?
-What?
-Don't call me like that!
-My gosh, Apprentice Goo!
-I'm sorry. I'm a little late.
I thought you weren't coming today.
Are you feeling all right?
I have a little bit of a headache,
but it won't kill me.
We'll take those books.
You sacrificed yourself to help us out.
This is the least we can do.
She's right. You saved us.
You should take it easy today.
I'm flattered.
Then I'll sit over there
and take a quick nap.
-Sure.
-Go on.
Apprentice Goo.
About you helping me last night...
You don't need to thank me.
We work together,
so we should help each other out.
It was unpleasant.
-Pardon me?
-I don't need your help.
I can take care of myself.
I neither want to receive
nor give unwanted help.
Please put yourself in the other person's
shoes before you act.
That is my advice for you.
Okay, I understand
what you're trying to say.
Are you the female historians?
Yes. And...
-Who are you?
-This is Court Lady Choe.
Show your respect.
Follow me.
You need to tell us
where you're taking us--
I said, follow me!
It's bamboo dew tea,
which I only serve to special guests.
Drink slowly and savor the tea.
So? How do you like
working in the palace so far?
We are just...
honored and grateful that we can
assist His Majesty and...
I apologize.
I put you on the spot
by asking such a question.
I have lived in the palace
for almost 50 years.
I certainly understand
how you must be feeling now.
I'm sure nothing is easy,
and you're probably intimidated
by everyone.
I heard
that the officers
at the Office of Royal Decrees
tend to pick on novices.
-Not at all.
-Not at all.
Yes.
I mean, no!
It's okay. You can be honest with me.
Joseon is an extremely cruel place
to those who go off the beaten path.
I am certain that it's much worse
for you ladies,
who have managed to land
government posts as women.
However, you ladies are historians
of this country,
no matter what anybody says.
You are not here to assist the King.
Please think that you are here
to look after the people and do your best.
If I can be of help in any way,
I will gladly lend a helping hand.
We are much obliged, Your Majesty.
-We're much obliged.
-We're much obliged.
I suppose this is why they say
kindness is the greatest virtue of all.
The Queen Dowager
looks so kind and friendly.
And she speaks very elegantly too.
My gosh, she is absolutely beautiful.
On the contrary, the officers
at the Office of Royal Decrees
look so ugly because they're awfully mean.
Ladies!
What is the matter, ma'am?
Why are you doing this?
-Let go! Let go of me!
-What is this about?
I will teach you all a lesson!
You shall learn the code of conduct
for Inner Court ladies.
-Not the Office of Special Advisors?
-That's right. I got scolded for asking.
They said girls are of no use to them.
I told you.
I bet they're slacking off somewhere.
The hazing ritual is done,
so they're not afraid of anything now.
Jeez, these wenches...
-Sir!
-Sir, we have a problem!
We have a big problem.
Mark my words.
If you run your mouth thoughtlessly,
I shall sear it.
If you steal anything,
I shall cut your hands off.
And if you lose your chastity,
you will be beheaded.
You mustn't remember anything
that you see and hear.
Here, you are blind, deaf, and mindless.
Don't ever forget that.
Just lie low and be a lady.
All you have to do is obey orders.
Do you understand?
Why are none of you answering?
I asked if you understand!
Why must we be like that?
We're historians.
Why must we follow
Inner Court's code of conduct?
You are one insolent wench.
Passing the examination doesn't mean
you'll be treated like a man.
Do you think
wearing that uniform
makes you a government official?
All girls are considered
His Majesty's women
the moment they enter the palace.
They must follow the code of conduct
until the moment they die.
If you still do not know your place,
I shall make sure
it's engraved in your mind forever.
What are you doing?
They belong
to the Office of Royal Decrees.
They have no reason
to be here with you now.
This concerns the Inner Court.
Stay out of it!
You are threatening government officials!
Since when was that the Inner Court's job?
What did you just say?
-Take them.
-Officer Min!
-Hurry!
-Take them!
Is that Inner Court's hazing ritual,
which I've only heard about?
This is why I told you to watch out
for court ladies.
Once you get on the wrong side of them,
you're screwed.
So avoid eye contact with them.
Don't even talk to them, okay?
Sir, is it okay to leave
Officer Min alone there?
Hey.
Why are you worried
about the Second State Councillor's son
when you can't even take care of yourself?
Why did you follow her in the first place?
Even my dog doesn't follow strangers.
We had no idea, sir.
We were told
the Queen Dowager asked for us--
It's your fault that you had no idea!
Even the Queen Dowager
must follow the proper protocols
when she wishes to summon us,
government officials.
Especially us, historians,
ought to finish what we were working on,
check what else needs to be done,
and report everything to the office
before going anywhere
even if the Grim Reaper
wants to take us.
Before that, we can't even die, you fools.
How could we have known that?
We had no idea
because you taught us nothing.
-You didn't tell us anything!
-Apprentice Heo.
It's true.
Sir, what have you taught us?
And other officers,
what have you taught us?
We couldn't even learn from you
because you taught us nothing!
How could you expect us
to just figure everything out
on our own
and know how to tackle such situations?
You are all partially responsible
for what we went through today.
If you hadn't belittled us
by calling us "clerks"
at the Office of Royal Decrees,
the court ladies wouldn't have dared
to take us and treat us like maids.
Hey, they just tried
to intimidate you a little.
Don't exaggerate.
They said we're His Majesty's women.
And they told us that we must follow
their code of conduct and lie low
for that reason.
We must forget everything we see and hear.
They said we ought to obey
all orders until we die!
They clearly treated us like maids!
Could you still tell us that we deserve
to talk about rules and protocols?
Apprentice Heo.
How dare she raise her voice at us?
Hey, get back here this instant!
Sir, please do not be concerned.
She just took it out--
But she's not wrong, sir.
Had I known I'd be treated like this,
I would've never taken the exam.
What did we do so wrong?
Why is everyone so mean to us?
What did we do wrong?
I'm glad you said those things.
I'm truly proud of you.
Even if they're completely clueless,
they should at least know their place.
How dare mere apprentices
speak out like that?
Unbelievable!
What now?
I'll teach them starting from tomorrow.
Officer Min!
-Officer Min!
-Officer Min!
Sure, give it a shot.
We need to teach them something
to give them work to do.
I will leave it to you, Officer Min.
Yes, sir.
Sir. When I first started my job here,
you didn't even let me
hold a brush for three months.
Why are you giving them special treatment?
That's right. You told me
I must overcome 1,000 hurdles
to be a true historian.
You said I should be prepared
for 1,000 days of harsh scolding.
-I still have 500 more days to go--
-Jeez, you guys talk too much.
Don't you have work to do?
Do you lads have too much time
on your hands?
THE STORY OF HO DAM
THE STORY OF HO DAM
Second State Councilor.
So this is where you live.
It has been days since I offered
the position of Third Inspector to you.
What is the reason
you haven't accepted it yet?
It is a position responsible
for inspecting all the officials.
I just didn't think
I'm the right person for the role.
"I'm not comfortable
with digging up dirt on others
and using that information
to threaten their livelihood."
That's how it sounds to me.
Do you know why I am fond of you?
It is because I've seen you
at your lowest point.
I saw what you are capable of
with my own eyes.
Hence, do not tell me that you're not
the right person for the job.
I know that you are the perfect person
for the role.
Why are you rushing
to have me work in the palace?
I found the shop
where The Story of Ho Dam was printed.
The last worker there took his own life
before we could capture him.
The Queen Dowager
must have sternly threatened them.
Isn't it a bit too meticulous
to be done by a group of ladies
who are working in the palace?
-Then--
-It means the Queen Dowager
has someone outside the palace
that is helping her.
Thus, I need someone to work for me
behind the Queen Dowager's back.
Someone like you.
Accept the position and find that person.
I am not asking you for a favor.
This is an order.
Go home, eat something good,
and get some rest.
Cheer up, Apprentice Heo.
Aren't they from Nokseodang?
NOKSEODANG
Sorry?
Do I have to go in? By myself?
Your Highness.
I heard you asked for me.
Your Highness?
Your Highness.
This is Goo Hae-ryung, an apprentice
at the Office of Royal Decrees.
Why did you ask for me?
"You know what you are guilty of."
His Highness says so in his heart.
Your Highness.
I entered Nokseodang in the morning
because--
"You disobeyed the royal command."
His Highness says so,
once again, in his heart.
Your Highness.
-Please forgive--
-If you wish to be forgiven...
What now?
He said you must do as I say
if you wish to be forgiven.
His Highness, Prince Dowon,
said so in his heart.
Don't forget the inside. Clean thoroughly.
Yes, sir. I am doing my best.
Hey, this spot too.
Clean the edge, not here.
Hurry.
Oh, no. They're very valuable.
You should've been careful.
Hey, over there.
That spot over there.
Gosh, my bad.
My hands feel weak
from doing all the work.
I don't buy that.
It fell right on my face.
I finished sweeping this whole area.
What should I do next?
You are dismissed for the day.
"For the day"?
What? Did you think
you'd be forgiven in just a day
when you disobeyed a royal command?
You must come back tomorrow,
the day after tomorrow,
and even the next day.
You must keep coming back every single day
until Prince Dowon forgives you.
Sir, let's be honest with each other.
The royal command
and His Highness are just excuses.
You're taking advantage of this situation
to get back at me.
If you don't believe me,
I'll go back in there
and bring Prince Dowon.
How could a woman be...
-Is this another mistake?
-No, that was intentional.
I'm trying to tell you
that enough is enough.
What did you just say?
Please tell His Highness
that I sincerely apologized and repented.
See you tomorrow, then.
One more thing!
I sincerely apologize
for criticizing your novels.
I had no idea about your deep anguish.
-My deep anguish?
-Yes.
Back then, I wondered
why a decent-looking man like you
would waste paper
by writing foolish romance novels.
But now, I know
that you wanted to experience love
secondhand through your novels.
I can understand it now.
You may look like a decent man,
but you are missing
an essential part that a man should have.
How dare you!
Anyway, cheer up. I'm rooting for you.
Hey, Goo Hae-ryung. I...
Goo Hae-ryung! You got the wrong idea.
Hey! Anyway, you got it all wrong! Hey!
What are you doing?
Have you finally gone crazy?
No, I'm just happy.
I met someone interesting in the palace.
A man or a woman?
-What?
-A man or a woman?
Well, he is a man, I guess.
So... Is he handsome?
What... What's his style?
Is he white and fair, like a pretty boy?
Or is he well-built,
like one of our male servants?
What?
Okay, whatever.
Let's say that his looks are
above average at the least.
How tall is he? Which family is he from?
What are his rank and birth hour?
Let's find out
your relationship compatibility!
What in the world are you talking about?
Why would I be with him?
And this guy...
He's a man who's incapable
of loving a woman.
Goodness.
He was just being coy.
That's what men are like nowadays.
Do you really believe that?
I don't have to believe anything.
It's true.
So you know, his body itself is
anatomically impossible
to be with a woman, you know...
I'm telling you. He's just pretending...
My lady, by any chance...
So, not at all?
Not even this much? Really?
Where are you going? I'm not done talking.
How can we call it a sea
if the sea is without any water?
I do not care about a man
who can barely be called a man.
Hey, I wasn't talking about him
as a man either.
You know, we might bicker,
and he might be a bit annoying,
but I think I can be friends with--
Yes, exactly. I don't care
if you become friends with him
or get undressed to bathe with him.
I am not interested.
Goodness.
What's with her?
THE STORY OF HO DAM
Mo-hwa!
You didn't even tell me you were coming!
How have you been?
Every single day is the same for me.
What about you? Are you hurt?
Oh, right.
You must be tired.
I shouldn't ask so much.
You should get some sleep first
to recover from your journey. Go inside.
Yes, excuse me.
HO DAM AND YEONGAN
THIS IS WHERE THE PATH WAS MADE
HO DAM
What's this?
This is a special order from Officer Yang.
The organizational chart of our office.
So why are you giving this to us?
What do you think?
You four don't know your place
and got too impudent,
so he wants you to learn
the hierarchy first.
Okay, look.
The eight designated historians
of the Office of Royal Decrees are
called Hanrim. You know that, right?
Yes.
First Historian Yang Si-haeng holds
the highest office among them.
Why? What about the crazy idiot?
After him, it's First Historian Min U-won.
Do you even know
what a hazing ritual consists of?
Among the Second Historians,
Officer Son Gil-seung
has seniority over Hyeon Gyeong-muk.
SECOND HISTORIAN SON GIL-SEUNG,
35 YEARS OLD
Hey, they just tried
to intimidate you a little.
Is there a hierarchy
even among the same office ranks?
Of course. We all began to work
at different times.
For example, the four of us
may all be senior ninth-rank officers.
I can swear at these three.
But they can't do that to me.
And Officer Seong Seo-gwon
can swear at Officer An Hong-ik
and Officer Kim Chi-guk.
Officer An Hong-ik
can swear at Officer Kim Chi-guk.
Officer Kim Chi-guk...
has no one. He just has to take it.
Officer Hwang,
but I'm a senior officer to them.
Hey, even if that's true, Clerk Goo is 26
and you're 19. How can you swear at her?
Don't you know that elders come first?
Elders first.
Hey!
You're all dead.
How can the senior ninth-rank officers
and clerks all sit around in here?
Should I be running around
doing errands as a second historian?
Do you need us to do something?
You're fine.
You four.
What are you doing? Follow me.
What in the world...
How dare a bunch of women come in here?
Get out of here right now!
This is...
the historian's seat.
Officer Min, are you letting us attend
the royal meeting?
Go to your positions.
Officer Min.
What do you think you're doing?
Women should not be allowed in here.
How dare you taint the royal court?
You are being unbelievably rude.
How dare you ignore me
when I'm talking to you?
That's enough.
-My goodness.
-This is outrageous.
My goodness.
-Gosh.
-Unbelievable.
-What is going on?
-This is absurd.
His Royal Highness is here.
Why is it just you guys?
-Where's the person I asked for?
-She's attending the royal meeting.
"The royal meeting"?
The female historians are
attending the royal meeting?
-Yes.
-Yes.
My goodness, Officer Min U-won must've
caused trouble again.
"Min U-won"? Wasn't he my brother's
childhood study partner?
That's not what's important.
He's the Second State Councilor's son.
He's handsome and has a great character.
And he's very intelligent.
He entered Sungkyunkwan
when he was 15 years old
and entered the palace when he was 18.
People work so hard to succeed,
but he got it all so easy.
So people envy him, slander him,
and spread dubious rumors about him.
But he has
one fatal drawback.
He is
like a rock.
He lacks flexibility
and is very cold-hearted.
And he has a talent
of making people go crazy.
Then since Goo Hae-ryung will be
working for a guy like him--
She'll have to say goodbye
to the good old days.
It'll be a whole new world of suffering.
She'll live a life full of hardships.
Really?
You can stop the fanning now.
I'm starting to feel very refreshed
even without it.
Your Royal Highness,
you have an urgent letter.
Come inside.
It is from an official in Hadong,
Gyeongsang Province.
The endless rain has caused
the river to overflow
and flooded dozens of villages.
And there are apparently
hundreds of villagers
who ended up drowning
or getting buried in the landslide.
What was the official doing
during the endless rain?
Why didn't he evacuate the villagers?
Most of the people who died
were actually hiding in Jirisan
so they could avoid paying military taxes.
Tell him to console the villagers
by distributing food
from the Relief Office.
It'll take days to restore the damage.
They won't need to pay taxes
for the time being.
-And--
-You cannot do that.
They may have suffered from the flood,
but they're criminals
who avoided military duties.
You should be punishing them.
How can you think of sparing them
from paying taxes?
Then are you saying I should collect taxes
from those people
who lost their families
and have nowhere to go?
You cannot get swayed
by your personal emotions.
Think about why they ended up
in that situation in the first place.
They brought that upon themselves
by living in the mountains
just so they could avoid paying taxes.
Your Royal Highness.
Many people these days
are running away
to avoid paying military taxes.
And that's causing trouble
to each district's tax office.
Military taxes are the most important duty
of the people of this country.
Those who do not follow
show no loyalty to their country.
So you should arrest all of them
and tighten the country's discipline,
Your Royal Highness.
-Please do so, Your Royal Highness.
-Please do so, Your Royal Highness.
Please withdraw your order,
Your Royal Highness.
-Please withdraw your order.
-Please withdraw your order.
Please withdraw your order,
Your Royal Highness.
-Please withdraw your order.
-Please withdraw your order.
Did you say that military taxes are
the duty of this country's people?
Then what about you?
Have you ever paid taxes?
What about your fathers or your sons?
Have they ever paid taxes?
Your Royal Highness, military taxes
are meant to be paid by peasants...
Since when?
Since when did paying taxes
become a duty
for those who are weak and poor?
Before the wars broke out in Joseon,
everyone in this country
was obligated to pay taxes.
But as time passed by,
powerful officials stopped paying taxes
along with the wealthy noblemen.
And now, even the middle-class people
are doing the same.
That is why the poor ended up
with all the responsibility.
Asking a wealthy man
to pay a portion of his wealth...
and asking a poor man
to pay a portion of his wealth
are different to the core.
The people standing here
own most of the wealth in this country.
But you are busy trying to shift
the responsibility to the poor
and asking them to give more
than what they own.
That is exactly why our people
leave their homes
and choose to live in the mountains.
You think they show no loyalty
to this country?
Even if they choose
to turn their backs on our country,
I will not turn my back on them.
That is what a country should do.
That is what a king should do.
You arrogant fool.
I let you act as a regent
due to your enthusiasm.
But how dare you talk about the King's
duty while I am still alive?
-Father, I was just--
-I order the Crown Prince to leave.
Father...
I reduced the tax by half the amount,
but they still cannot pay it.
Dismiss the official in Hadong.
The governor of Gyeongsang Province
shall put down his position.
I felt so suffocated inside.
Aren't those men some of the most
competent government officials
that work in the royal court?
But they keep rejecting
every single comment
made by His Royal Highness.
They're like a group of gamecocks.
"Gamecocks"?
That's a very nice way of explaining
the very purpose of royal advisors.
"Royal advisors"?
That's what you call the officials
at the Office of Inspector-Generals
and the Office of Censors.
They each have slightly different roles.
But they both have a duty
of correcting the King's mistakes
and stopping him
from doing things arbitrarily like today.
It wasn't arbitrary.
Do you not think so?
His Royal Highness wasn't being arbitrary
by wanting to help the people.
He was just doing his job.
That's what I think.
Your opinions are not important.
Historians are people who record
what they see and hear.
Your opinions will
only make you become biased.
And if you record what you think,
that will only end up being a journal,
not a record of history.
The more I think about it,
the angrier I become.
His Royal Highness
always treats us like we're barbarians.
He thinks he's the King
just because he's the heir to the throne.
He'll soon learn
who the real leader of this country is.
And when exactly is that?
Every time I attend the royal meeting,
I start to wonder if I'm serving
the Crown Prince or the dethroned king...
Gosh, I'm shocked
at how bad these writings are.
You were asked to write letters,
not draw plants.
You should just become an artist.
This was our first time
at a royal meeting.
You don't have to be so mean.
You really need to practice a lot more.
Officer Min, come and see their writings.
Can you read what they wrote?
No.
This is not easy.
I thought I'd at least
be able to recognize one letter.
But it's really not easy.
What did you learn at the royal meeting?
It was hard.
It already takes time
to write down what people say.
But they all talk so fast.
I had a hard time
because I couldn't tell who was whom.
The official with thick eyebrows.
The official with a big head.
The official with a short neck.
That's what I wrote.
How do you all manage to tell them apart?
There is a way.
What's this?
"Record of Appearance"?
This person is...
Yes, he's the Second State Councilor,
Min Ik-pyeong.
He's the official with the big head.
Jegal Tak, a seventh-rank official
of the Royal Secretariat.
Yes, that's right.
Not only the three state councilors,
but also officials
from the Office of the Inspector-Generals,
the Office of Censors,
the Royal Secretariat,
the Office of State Records,
the Office of Special Advisors,
and the Office of Royal Lectures...
It is a recording
of all the officials' appearances
and their positions for us historians.
It's our tradition to keep it updated
and hand it over to the new historians.
So it belongs to you now.
Does that mean
you're acknowledging us as historians?
Hey, don't get ahead of yourself.
You have never even had a blistered hand.
How can you call yourselves historians?
Read it whenever you can
and memorize everything.
It will be of help.
Officer Min.
Thank you.
My goodness.
You really need to fix
that habit of yours.
What habit?
The habit of coming here
every time you're free.
That's why people in the palace are always
whispering that the Crown Prince
doesn't like the Crown Princess.
But it's true.
The Crown Princess is merely a spy
who reports everything I do and say
to the Second State Councilor.
Is there something on your mind?
Nothing's on my mind.
And don't even be curious.
You don't need to be disturbed as well.
You really don't know much about me.
I've been living my entire life
feeling disturbed and uneasy.
Stop acting silly.
I'm going to take a short nap.
Wake me up in a little while.
Okay.
Your Royal Highness.
Vice-Chancellor
of Royal College of Literature is here.
A THIRD-RANK OFFICIAL
OF THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL ADVISORS
I see.
Let him inside.
I apologize, Your Royal Highness.
I had to see you discreetly.
I understand. What brings you here?
Someone was murdered
in a deserted house in Imalsan.
Six men died
and one survived
due to an odd medical practice?
What is this odd medical practice?
And what were these men doing
in a deserted house?
I do not know the details.
But an official questioned him
when he woke up.
And apparently, he spoke of a book.
-It must've been a banned book.
-Yes.
What's the name of that book?
It's called The Story of Ho Dam.
"The Story of Ho Dam"?
Did you just say "Ho Dam"?
Why couldn't you do your job properly?
Why did you leave behind a trace
like a snake shedding its skin?
Gwi-jae.
Did you say he survived
due to a medical practice
that doesn't exist in Joseon?
Yes, my lord.
How he managed to survive
is not important right now.
We don't know what he might say
now that he's alive.
So we must quickly take measures.
I agree. We can't let him stay alive.
My goodness.
My gosh, look at your faces.
Are you scared to look at dead bodies
because you're women?
I'm more scared of working overtime
than those scared bodies.
We should be going home.
Why do we suddenly need
to go outside for work?
I agree. I'm already exhausted
after having attended the royal meeting.
Gosh, I can't believe
we even have to attend an autopsy.
Why are you taking it out on me?
I didn't kill them.
Should I go around
asking all the murderers in this country
not to kill anyone since you're exhausted?
It's a historian's job
to attend autopsies.
Stop complaining and follow me.
It'll be less scary while the sun's out.
The wound on his stomach
is about two chon wide.
And its depth...
is about five chon deep.
Isn't it over yet?
-How's he doing?
-Whom?
The man who survived
due to the odd medical practice.
Did you see his wound?
What's the odd medical practice?
Why do you want to know that?
His body was sewn with a thread
as if it was a blanket. Are you happy?
His body was sewn with a thread?
May I take a look at him?
My gosh, why can't I see him?
I really won't take long.
It'll take less than ten minutes.
Why do you want to see that hideous wound?
Do you have a mental illness?
It's not because it's hideous.
It's because I think he got stitches.
What?
I heard about it back when I was in Qing.
It's a Western medical practice.
Apparently, the wound heals
if you stitch it with a thread.
Isn't it amazing?
That's why I really want to see it.
Can I please go inside
and take a quick look at it?
No, you can't. Not only did
the Royal Investigation Bureau say no,
but I also want to hurry up and go home.
-Then let me just go--
-One more word,
and I'll make you spend the entire night
with the dead bodies.
But sir...
My gosh, look at this.
-It's so pretty.
-I know, right?
I need to go back
to the Royal Investigation Bureau.
I left my sachaek there.
-What?
-Bye, then.
But what's that in your hand?
She was holding her sachaek.
Who are you?
Maehwa?
I'm...
Prince Dowon,
the prince of Joseon.
What?
Do you really think...
you can kill me?
Are you saying she's alive?
How dare a traitor live
in the country that I rule?
I must know what that book is about.
-Do not dig into it.
-But you also know.
If he's a prince,
why is he still living in the palace
without even getting married?
His skin is as white as snow,
and he's very handsome.
A historian should not build
personal relationships with others.
It could end up backfiring on you
in the future.
I thought we could be friends.
I have something to say to you.
Are you going to write it down too?
Subtitle translation by Liya Choi