Secret Royal Inspector Joy (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript
ALL CHARACTERS, ORGANIZATIONS,
LOCALES, AND EVENTS ARE USED
IN AN ENTIRELY FICTITIOUS MANNER
AND NOT BASED ON HISTORICAL FACTS
Park Moo-kyung.
He was definitely taken care of
with the sunken freighter.
But my lord, we still have the ledger.
We should be fine as long
as we take care of this body.
Damn it!
You must know where it's hidden.
I was in a rush,
so I didn't get a chance to hear…
Where is the ledger?
Tell me!
Quickly!
Move aside!
Bow down!
Sir.
Did you just see that?
The dead body just…
A horse plaque.
A horse plaque…
Does that mean he was also…
He must have been
one of those secret royal inspectors
reported missing or dead.
Inspector Park Moo-kyung
who went to Chungcheong…
They don't know if he's dead alive.
No one has heard from him.
-Yook-chil.
-Yes?
I need you to get dressed properly.
Pardon?
Come!
Come!
Come…
Who dares make such a commotion
outside office hours
in front of a government building?
Come now.
Show some respect.
-What?
-Let me tell you who I am.
I'm the Chief of Wood from Hanseongbu.
-Chief of Property and Farmland.
-Chief of Property and Farmland.
Oh Dong-yip.
As in paulownia leaves?
That's correct.
I was just on my way back to my hometown
after being granted respite.
But on the hill by the waterway,
I crossed paths with bandits
and was robbed blind.
So I came here,
hoping that the magistrate
could offer me some soup and rice,
along with a place to rest for a bit.
I'm not sure.
Why don't you go and ask the tavern
or a private residence for help?
This is a government office.
How dare you!
How could a man of noble birth like me
be seen begging for handouts
for everyone to see!
Yes, it is quite unfortunate,
but we cannot due to
an urgent matter we're dealing with.
Our master is
first cousins once removed
with Lord Oh of Saheonbu.
Bang-deuk, you fool!
How dare you mention the name of
Lord Oh of Saheonbu, my uncle?
Blood relations…
Resorting to such things
just to get myself a measly meal
would be such an ignoble act!
You just made me an ignoble man.
How will I face my uncle,
Lord Oh of Saheonbu, later on?
Forget my uncle's name,
Lord Oh of Saheonbu.
Sir, think about your bad knees!
Where are you going?
Just imagine how your uncle
would react
if he saw you suffering like this!
He'd be furious.
Did we walk all this way
just to suffer like this?
Talk to him once more. Please.
Stop! That's enough!
If I die while walking down the road,
that's just my fate
as a fifth-rank chief of Hanseongbu.
Do not mind me.
My lord, please.
My lord! There's been a misunderstanding.
Let's go.
Let's be on your way.
Let's get to my hometown quickly
and meet my uncle, Lord Oh of Saheonbu…
Rise, my knees!
Wait, my lord!
Just a moment.
Please wait here for just a moment.
It is true!
How can we believe that?
So many officials
have extorted local officials
pretending to be related
to senior officials.
What if we send him away
and it turns out he was telling the truth?
Still, how can we let an outsider in
while we're dealing with this mess?
Just give him some gukbap
and send him on his way.
Are you risking your life
over a bowl of rice?
In the meantime,
I'll go fetch the ledger.
Where is the ledger?
I told you, I don't know.
Bo-ri must have hidden it well as I said.
So you must go and find it.
You must find it. Go on.
Go on. Now.
BO-RI'S
Damn brat.
You'll sort out everything for me,
won't you?
I don't know.
Why should I clean up after you?
I don't have any family besides you.
There you go again.
Why did you have to die so young
and cause me trouble?
You always complain like this
when you'll do it anyway.
Jo-yi, clean this room up for me,
so it sparkles.
And as for my things,
send them by carefully burning them.
All right?
As if.
Dummy.
You never even got a chance
to put your baby in this…
You were too sweet for this world
and never even had a chance to enjoy life.
You're really something else, Hwang Bo-ri.
You moron, halfwit,
dummy, fool, blockhead.
At least this…
I'll carefully bury it for you, Bo-ri.
BO-RI'S
What's that brat doing
in someone else's house?
If she finds the ledger…
No, even if she did,
she wouldn't know what it is.
Should I just kick her out?
No. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Excuse me, sir!
Have you seen my daughter-in-law
by any chance?
She scurried off
while I was in the outhouse again.
I was worried this might happen,
so I even did it with the door open.
I'm not interested in such details.
That wench is at Bo-ri's again…
Let her be.
She's mourning her friend.
Did you have dinner?
If you didn't,
why don't you come to my place?
You can have dinner
and listen to my story.
I feel so wronged and angry
that I might even die.
I'm not hungry.
Then why are you,
in the middle of the night,
aimlessly sauntering in front of a tavern?
A widow understands a widower's plight.
When you go home after work,
you must feel lonely, right?
My goodness, why you…
But I feel so bad for the magistrate
after what happened to Bo-ri.
Hold on! Let's go.
Let's go to your place and chat.
So were they really a thing?
Come on now. Let's get going.
Welcome, my lord.
If you hang a bell around his neck
and watch him jump when surprised,
you'll be entertained for hours.
-He doesn't even cost that much.
-Do you have any white doves?
Well, white doves are so rare.
I could try to get one
through a merchant in Nagasaki.
However, it will cost you
the price of a whole deer antler.
Get me one.
I'll give you enough for two deer antlers.
Yes, my lord.
A slippery loach…
I came by because I heard
this place sold them as crane feed.
And here you are.
You went to the trouble of coming here
to buy some loaches?
It's because my crane has eaten up
all the pests it could possibly find.
I heard you've been managing
some slippery loaches yourself.
Be careful
not to let a crane catch them.
Do you believe yourself to be a crane?
The way I see it,
you and I are both mere loaches
in front of the real crane,
His Majesty the King.
Raising a crane taught me
that when its clipped feathers
grow back, it flies away.
Don't be so sure that
he'll remain in your birdcage forever.
Even if my crane flies away,
why would it go to you?
Why don't you buy loaches
and go feed your crane at home?
Take care, my lord.
How could he not take care
of a single secret royal inspector
and create this mess?
Where's Tae-seo and what's he doing?
Tae-seo! There you are.
What are you doing here at this hour,
Chief of Maritime Transport?
Well, the thing is…
I'm glad that you're here.
Take a look at this.
It's silver.
What?
Have you finally succeeded in Cupellation?
CUPELLATION: THE EXTRACTION
OF PURE SILVER FROM IMPURITIES
What did I tell you?
I told you I could, didn't I?
With two geuns of lead,
I extracted two dons of silver.
This means that we can trade with nations
that use silver as currency.
We should buy some weapons.
Enough to overturn Joseon.
Great. Congratulations.
However, this is not the time
for all this.
They couldn't find the ledger.
Thanks to a Gaehwa Valley officer,
I found the magistrate's mistress,
but she refused to open her mouth.
So I tried to scare her a bit,
but she fell into the valley.
What on earth
is the chief state councilor doing?
They sent another
secret royal inspector from Hanyang--
You should've told them to find it
even if they have to burn Gaehwa Valley!
Rip him or skin him to death,
I'll leave that up to you.
It doesn't matter
if it's the magistrate or the inspector.
What I need is the ledger.
Understood?
Get the ledger. I understand.
The ledger…
My goodness. Thank you
for the generous hospitality.
I've been suffering
from hand tremors recently.
Would you mind if I ask my servant
for some assistance?
Be my guest.
Thank you.
Bang-deuk!
Come in and attend to me.
Your knees.
Water. Pour me some water.
Yes, sir.
If he truly is the nephew
of Lord Oh of Saheonbu,
why is he here now, of all times?
Please save me.
Do I really have to do this?
Begin.
He's so mean.
That's right.
It seemed on my way here
that someone had died.
Died? Who died?
My goodness. That's absurd.
Wait. Why are you so surprised?
I believe it was a maiden from this town.
A maiden?
Yes, that's right.
It seems that she went up
the mountain for a bath
but ended up slipping and falling.
The terrain of this town is quite rough.
We are discussing ways
to avoid such tragedies in the future.
It must be very tough for you.
Another yukjeon. Quickly.
Ask him first.
By the way,
I am not very well-versed
in the penal code,
but isn't it customary
to conduct an autopsy when someone dies?
Why would we perform an autopsy
when it wasn't even a murder case?
The maiden's death was accidental.
I see. I wasn't aware.
It's fine.
It's understandable.
She had quite a knack for cooking.
Dig deeper.
But isn't it quite odd?
A pregnant woman going all the way
to take a bath in cold creek water?
Besides,
how did she manage to climb
to the top of the mountain in her state?
Hold on there.
How did you know she was pregnant?
I just…
I heard people whispering
outside the building.
Then how did you find out about that?
Well.
She lived in this town,
and I heard people talking about it.
It seemed she didn't even have a husband.
By any chance,
could someone have murdered her
and disguised it as an accident?
How could you say such a thing?
A murder?
Then again, I'm sure that's not the case.
Who would hold a grudge against a maiden
who ran the local tavern?
That is, unless illicit love was involved?
Ask about the royal inspector.
I heard
a secret royal inspector
dispatched to Chungcheong
recently returned looking like a beggar--
That's impossible.
What do you mean he returned?
You must have been misinformed.
There's no way he could have returned.
Perhaps it was not Chungcheong,
but Gyeonggi.
It must have been Gyeonggi.
If you're done eating,
perhaps you should be on your way.
It's getting quite late.
Our guests are leaving.
Wait, just one yukjeon.
Gosh, I feel tipsy.
Was it nice eating by yourself?
All you had to do was ask him
to set another table for me.
Was that so difficult?
I'm starving to death.
You think acting is easy?
I couldn't think of anything else.
My…
I wasn't bad as Chief of Wood, I mean,
I wasn't bad as
Chief of Property and Farmland, right?
I must go and find evidence.
Where?
The ledger…
Where is the officer?
What is he doing?
That wench. That tiny little thing.
She's rambunctious and wicked.
I didn't want her to choke on the rice,
so I gave her some soy sauce.
I gave all the greasy meat to my son.
I was always worried about her health.
You don't know
how many fresh vegetables I fed her.
Here.
I have to go and find the ledger.
But, sir…
You've been deep in thought for a while.
If you have something to say,
go on and say it.
What?
Do you want something from me?
No, not at all.
Be honest.
Why would you agree to come over
if you didn't want something?
My goodness, men.
Why must they all be so sly?
You used to always chant
that Joseon was hell on earth.
Good for you. You managed to escape.
I hope in the afterlife
that you live in a palatial mansion,
wear only the finest of silks,
eat meat soup with seven side dishes,
and find happiness there.
Don't bother wandering around
like a lost soul.
Look at this. Look.
What are that man and woman doing?
-These are things you need to know later.
-No, I don't.
See how detailed this picture is.
Jo-yi, how could you enjoy
reading such vulgar things?
-Look at this.
-Goodness!
Look at that.
Playing around with love. Like this.
-Are you sure?
-Yes.
What?
What is that?
Hello? Is someone back there?
Who is it?
This tavern is closed for business.
I'm the Chief of Wood from Hanseongbu…
Can you just open this gate?
Just go on your way.
How dare you?
I'm speaking to you.
"How dare you?"
How dare a lowly servant…
What? You are…
You're the beggars from earlier.
We're not beggars!
You should've just left.
How dare you raise your voice!
Stop! Don't glare at me!
Come now, Bang-deuk, you fool.
-Stop glaring.
-Look down.
I'm the nobleman. I'll take care of this.
I am a fifth-rank chief of Hanseongbu.
I'm not some strange or bad man.
You're not fooling anyone.
Do you think
you're the only ones going around
pretending to be someone important
from Hanyang to con people for a meal?
You must think of the countryside
as a joke.
If you get caught doing that,
you'll get whipped and flogged.
Your lives can be ruined, you know!
Get it together!
You're perfectly healthy,
so go do some manual labor!
How dare young punks like you
try to freeload for a meal?
The world's a damn mess.
Did I just…
Did I just get hit on the head?
I told her I was a fifth-rank chief,
and she still hit me.
My lord, we should just go.
We'll end up dying
before we find the evidence.
We should stop provoking her.
-Hey!
-What?
You…
What if I'm actually
a high-ranking nobleman?
Bang-deuk, you fool. Have you gone mad?
What I meant was…
What would you do if my lord here
was actually a high-ranking nobleman?
Ma'am.
Ma'am!
High-ranking? Please.
By the way,
did you really come from Hanyang?
My lord?
There's not much to eat
because it's not my place.
My lord.
-Do not worry, ma'am.
-Pardon?
Do not… I mean.
Do not worry.
A chief in Hanseongbu must be
a very high-ranking position.
Then, you must have
passed the state exams.
Of course, I did.
I passed.
I passed on the first try.
My lord was never interested
in taking a government post,
but the elders kept
pestering him to take the exam.
So he just took it
and passed with the highest mark.
-The highest mark?
-That's right.
What was the sije?
SIJE: THE THEME OF THE STATE EXAM ESSAY
Sije…
Let's see here…
The sije…
What was the sije?
Do you even know what that word means?
You're beggars, aren't you?
Gwan-eo-hae-ja-nan-wi-su.
"Those who have seen the ocean
do not consider the river water."
"Those who dealt with important matters
don't be affected by trivial ones."
It's from volume one
of Mencius' The Heart.
The subtheme was gwan-eo-dae-bu.
A piece of text by Mogeun.
Do you remember now, my lord?
That's right! It was The Heart by Mencius.
I remember it now!
Teaching you is paying off.
Then…
Hold on. Hold on for just a moment.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir!
I can see why he lives alone
when he looks perfectly normal.
This is all Jo-yi's fault!
Where did that brat go
in the middle of the night?
Can you take a look at this?
Wait, no. Not this.
This is a petition that I wrote myself.
Maybe it's because I lack writing skills,
but I'm about to lose my trial.
Trial?
You're trying to get a divorce?
I mean, this isn't too bad, is it?
But the thing is, my in-laws tend
to be on the extreme side.
They keep refuting my argument with lies.
How can I win?
Speaking of which,
if you managed to pass the state exam,
you must have pretty good writing skills.
It's a given.
Then could you fix this for me?
Maybe the sentences
can be spruced up a bit?
-Spruce it up?
-Yes.
But why are you trying to get a divorce?
Your age is still…
What about it?
What does age have to do with this?
Can't get a word out
without her biting your head off.
Bang-deuk, this is no place
for you to meddle.
Why you little…
Oh, my! Look at this kid!
How dare you talk back to your master!
Stop that!
Did she just hit me?
Yes! Run that mouth again,
and I'll hit you again!
Again?
-She'll hit me again?
-My lord…
I think my lips were hit.
-Even my grandmother never hit me there.
-I know.
-So…
-Calm down, my lord.
I'd really appreciate it if you could
take a look from here to here.
Please.
She hit someone and doesn't even care.
Young Ma… No, Bang-deuk.
There he goes again with his nonsense.
Goodness. Oh, my.
It seems like
he has quite a serious illness.
It is. He's fine one minute
and like this the next.
This is mine.
Thank you.
Where is that damn sly fox?
Do you know what time it is right now?
How could a daughter-in-law
be out in the middle of the night?
Are you just going to be reckless
from now on?
I'm not your daughter-in-law anymore.
Because I'll be getting a divorce.
How can such a tiny pipsqueak
be so damn stubborn?
What is this? Men…
Those are all men.
Have you gone mad?
Have you been with those men
all this time?
I caught you in the act, you brat.
Let's go.
-Mother!
-What do you think you're doing?
It's none of your business,
so stay out of this.
I'm this brat's mother-in-law!
And he is…
a chief of Hanseongbu.
Wait, what?
You heard him.
He is a chief from Hanseongbu
and he's here to help me with my petition.
What?
How could a country bumpkin like you
know a chief?
You're just spewing nonsense
because I caught you
fooling around with men.
If he's a chief,
then I'm Her Majesty the Queen, you brat!
But he really is…
Hanseongbu is in charge of the laws.
It is one of the three branches
of the judiciary
and mainly deals with civil cases.
Its jurisdiction not only includes Hanyang
but all regional courts.
It also sentences punishments.
Punishments?
If you wish to check
if my lord is a real chief,
be my guest.
However, today's insulting behavior
will not be easily forgotten by him.
Don't take too long.
Do you understand?
Why do you wish to get a divorce?
You all have seen why.
But my mother-in-law
isn't the only reason.
I just…
I want to be happier
than I am now, at least.
I don't want to talk about it.
You'll just scold me.
If Bo-ri were alive…
About…
Bo-ri, that maiden.
Is she the one
that passed away today?
How did you know?
We just happened to hear
about it on our way over here.
Coincidentally.
She was like a sister to me.
She was supposed to be my witness
at my divorce trial.
She said she'd come by 1 p.m.,
but she went for a bath all of a sudden.
And then she died in that accident.
She promised
to come to the trial by 1 p.m.?
She's never one to break a promise.
I just don't understand.
The creek is at least three ris away.
For a woman,
especially if she was pregnant,
it would take at least an hour
to make the round trip.
However,
the time her body drifted downstream was…
Bo-ri.
…around 2 p.m.
She would never do such a thing.
It just doesn't make sense.
Unless she was determined
to break that promise,
that maiden unexpectedly went out
for some unclear reason.
Could she have had another reason?
Perhaps someone was after her.
No. That's impossible.
She had excellent cooking skills,
and everyone in town loved her.
Did she leave any personal effects behind?
This kid and his curt tone again.
Ask politely.
Did she leave
any personal effects behind, ma'am?
No, she didn't.
I burned it all.
What? Why would you burn all that…
That's all evidence!
She needs her belongings if she's not
to be ashamed in front of her maker.
But why do you ask?
Why are you asking about this
when I'm so sad I lost my friend?
I apologize on his behalf.
We're a bit curious about something.
So there are no personal effects left now?
Let's go, my lord.
Wait.
Hold on. Wait, my lord.
You said you'd help me revise my petition.
Fine, I'll do it for you.
No, not you.
Wait, my lord.
Why that…
Hold on. My lord!
How could she be so thoughtless?
And she's so violent.
On top of that, she's so sly.
She bows down to the nobles
but looks down on the lowly.
That's exactly how we feel
every day in our lives.
Of course, we were lucky enough
to meet a good master
and live spoiled lives.
Let's think.
With the dazzling intelligence
that allowed me
to score the highest after cramming…
This case.
The dead secret royal inspector
must be Park Moo-kyung.
Park Moo-kyung?
I heard at Hongmungwan the name of
the inspector dispatched to Chungcheong.
That means…
his body washed up on the beach
a few days after his death.
Unless he was murdered,
the magistrate would have no reason
to try to hide the body.
-Gu-pal.
-Yes?
-You and I need to go somewhere.
-Where?
And Yook-chil…
I mean, my lord.
For this lowly servant,
could you ask around
where the deceased inspector has been?
Especially to the fishermen
who work at the beach.
But the sun set long ago…
You can visit inns where
fishermen and peddlers spend the night.
Yes, I could do that.
You look like a real inspector, my lord.
-I am a real inspector.
-A real inspector that lies.
What happened to visiting
tasty restaurants?
It's just this one case.
Once we're done with this,
we'll go back to touring
tasty restaurants as planned.
You mean that?
Let's move.
Right.
Ma'am.
Four bowls of gukbap with one rice wine.
Sure, sit there.
Excuse me. Can I ask you a question?
That boat…
It looks as if someone
made a hole on purpose.
-They couldn't find the body.
-Where did you hear it?
She's sleeping like this again.
Not again.
I thought I hid it well.
How did she even find this?
She'll have indigestion again.
I told her to avoid salty foods.
Out of all the tasty snack options…
Mother, on the blanket.
On the blanket.
-On you go.
-So annoying.
That's too far.
Here's your pillow.
Goodness.
Fighting with me has aged you.
What do I do now?
He even took my petition…
Anyway, what is this?
I should've asked the chief earlier.
Wait.
This belongs to the government office.
You know Bo-ri, don't you?
You know Hwang Bo-ri, don't you?
You know Hwang Bo-ri, who was
sweet and good at cooking, don't you?
Wait, you're…
What are you doing at this hour?
While organizing Bo-ri's personal effects,
I discovered something
that belongs to this office.
Fine.
That ledger, I mean…
Where is this item you were talking about?
Somewhere only I know.
Bring it to me this instant!
I will.
It is of no use to me.
However…
However?
My divorce case hasn't been concluded yet.
-I told you to bring a witness.
-That witness…
was Bo-ri.
But Bo-ri died out of the blue,
and I have no way of knowing
why Bo-ri had something from this office
in her possession.
But I ended up finding out
who entrusted her with it.
What should I do?
How dare you make a deal with me?
What could you possibly want?
A divorce by mutual consent.
How dare you
try to interfere with my judgment!
That is up to me to decide!
Is that so?
Fine.
However…
I shall grant it.
I'll get it done
first thing in the morning.
Then…
wouldn't it be better
to write your judgment in advance?
Hand over the item first!
Once you stamp the official seal
on this tomorrow,
I'll tell you where the item is.
Thank you for your help, my lord.
Come to think of it,
I suppose you have no questions
about Bo-ri for me.
Even after I told you
that I was her closest friend.
If you even have
the slightest intention of repaying her
for genuinely loving you,
shouldn't you at least hold a funeral
for the baby who died in her womb?
Good job, Kim Jo-yi.
You've done well.
I'm sorry, Bo-ri,
for only being able to do this much.
But I really want to have a fresh start
even if this is what it takes.
This is a complete mess.
What do they expect me to do?
Stop right there.
Do not move an inch.
Who…
Who are you?
I'm a secret royal inspector.
I will handle this case from now on.
Are you all right?
I thought I was going
to be scared to death.
What are we doing here by ourselves?
It's not just us.
Even with Yook-chil, it's just three.
You can go to the yeokcham
and bring some more.
YEOKCHAM: A PUBLIC OFFICE THAT PROVIDED
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION
Yeokcham?
Have some taffy.
-Taffy for sale.
-I'll buy some later.
Get your taffy here.
She has no evidence and no witness.
So where does she get
all that confidence from?
-Exactly!
-Exactly!
It'll all be over today.
-Be patient.
-She must have so little respect
for her husband and mother-in-law!
It's too loud. Be quiet.
Dragging out a case like this
will only lead to disorder in society.
It'll only harm our town.
Thus, I'll make my judgment quickly.
This is it.
You're right, my lord.
All you need to do is
smack that hussy on the butt a few times
and send her back home, my lord.
Noh Chu-han and Kim Jo-yi, step forward.
-Yes, sir.
-Yes, sir.
This is my ruling.
TAVERN
-Secret royal inspector
-Secret royal inspector
Let's go to work.
It's quite a regretful situation.
A man and a woman should
respect each other as they grow older.
But as these two have become enemies,
the continuation of their union
is meaningless.
No, you can't, my lord.
Based on her petition
and testimonies from the locals--
-What testimony?
-Shut your mouth.
The officer here is the witness!
Everything you told was
about abusing your daughter-in-law.
Of course, it's true that Kim Jo-yi
did not obey her husband or mother-in-law
and misbehaved,
which is one of the seven sins,
-so she needs to pay for that.
-That's right!
Of course!
However…
certain facts have proven
that Kim Jo-yi is not the only one
to blame for this failed marriage.
Thus, in accordance
with The Great Ming Code,
I order for your marriage
to be terminated.
-What?
-What?
The two of you, part ways.
-Mother.
-My son.
-Yes, sir.
-I have an objection!
It doesn't make any sense.
I might be illiterate,
but I know that
the termination of a marriage
was made to give the husband
the right to kick out the wife
when she has done wrong.
That law was not created
to take the wife's side.
I know that much!
-She's right!
-Yes!
That's absurd.
I knew something was wrong.
You said I had no respect
for my husband and in-laws.
You said that I brought shame
upon the whole family.
So according to the law,
I'm a wife who deserves
to be kicked out by her husband.
Am I not?
So you should kick me out.
After all, I'm such an insolent brat.
I apologize for everything.
Please disown me.
No, wait. That's not it!
I mean, it's true you're insolent,
but you haven't done anything
truly terrible enough to be disowned…
Be clear with your words!
Everyone here saw how furious you were
at Kim Jo-yi's insolence.
What I am saying is, my daughter-in-law
didn't do anything terrible enough
to get kicked out…
If I didn't do anything so wrong,
why did you mistreat me?
I have been abused for no good reason.
Can I sue my husband and mother-in-law?
What are you talking about?
So what's it going to be?
Will you kick out
your immoral daughter-in-law?
Or will you be sued for accusing
an innocent daughter-in-law?
I pity you, Mother.
Even right now,
your son is hiding behind you
without taking responsibility,
waiting for you to clean up his mess.
The one who humiliated you
and dragged you into this isn't me.
It's your son, Noh Chu-han.
Mother.
Don't tell me
you're going to ask
your mother to do this for you too?
What the…
Wait, that's…
It's nothing serious.
-The secret royal inspector enters!
-The secret royal inspector enters!
-What?
-What?
Oh, no.
All of you must come out
and show your respect!
What?
I'm on official duty.
Search the place!
-Yes, sir.
-Yes, sir.
What's going on?
The secret royal inspector…
What are they looking for?
Why did they
have to come today of all days?
Is it just me,
or do these numbers not add up?
Anyone could tell
the numbers just don't add up.
There's still about three carts' worth
in the storehouse.
Criminals never stick to just one crime.
Listen well, Magistrate Jang Gi-wan.
I apologize, but there's something
I must say as well.
I've committed crimes,
and I deserve to die.
I've committed acts of corruption
and abused my power.
Why are you confessing to crimes
I didn't question you about?
The crimes are bound to be revealed.
Please punish me right away.
No. Please, just transfer me to Hanyang.
Your punishment will be decided
after I review the manipulated records
and report it to His Majesty.
It is not something
that can be decided here.
Besides, the crime
I want to question you about
is not corruption or abuse of power.
It's murder.
The previous inspector, Park Moo-kyung,
was investigating the grain tax
and military provisions from this region.
And after he sent in his secret report,
he suddenly went missing.
However, Magistrate Jang Gi-wan,
you ordered
the disposal of the inspector's body.
Why?
To hide the cause of death.
That's not true.
I just had the body transported
to our office to identify him.
Bring him in.
This horse plaque…
was found on his sleeve.
Were you aware he was
a former secret royal inspector?
My lord!
The dead inspector…
They found his body on the beach!
What?
Yes, he was aware.
That is a lie!
I really was not aware!
Bring him in.
Did you hear what he said
in front of the body?
Yes, sir.
He was…
definitely taken care of
with the sunken freighter.
"Taken care of"?
What did you mean?
Did you sink the freighter
and kill the secret royal inspector?
No, sir.
I never murdered anyone!
Then you did sink the freighter.
That is not what I meant…
Do you recognize what this is?
No, I do not.
This is made of black pine,
a precious wood.
Under the law,
it's only used to make freighters.
And it was found on the beach
where the body was.
It's quite rare
for a freighter to run aground.
It looks as if someone
made a hole on purpose.
Look at this.
You feared that
your corruption would be exposed,
so you murdered Park Moo-kyung
who were inspecting the regional office.
And to cover up the murder,
you sunk the freighter.
Despite all that, his body was found.
So you attempted to get rid of it!
I swear I didn't kill him!
Even if you didn't do it yourself,
you must have aided or overlooked it.
It's the same as murder.
This is my command.
Lock up the storehouse
and confiscate the seal immediately!
-Yes, sir.
-Confiscate the seal?
This hasn't been sealed yet.
How dare you!
Who dares raise their head?
But they can't confiscate it…
Imprison magistrate Jang Gi-wan
and don't let anyone enter these grounds
until the investigation is over!
No, you can't!
You're the divorcee who slapped my mouth.
You're Bang-deuk!
Royal Inspector, sir…
What I meant was…
I must have been out of my mind.
I really thought
you were a beggar back then.
But to be fair,
you really looked poor and lowly.
Anyhow, I know
that I committed a grave crime, but--
-Royal Inspector!
-Mother!
Please imprison this brat as well.
This is null and void.
It doesn't even have the government seal…
Here. You eat that.
You came at an opportune time, my lord!
I wish you a long, healthy life.
We shall return home now.
You damn brat.
Your impudence knows no end.
Let her go.
You dare use violence
in a government office?
I hope I am not too late.
The magistrate of Gaehwa is
under arrest for serious crimes,
but he has already made his ruling
on the case of Kim Jo-yi's divorce.
With my authority
as the royal inspector in this province,
as of today, May 5th…
your divorce…
is approved.
ALL SCENES INVOLVING ANIMALS
WERE SAFELY STAGED
SPECIAL THANKS TO SONG JONG-HO
I'm going to stop
living a life with regret.
Before people hear about
a secret royal inspector digging around,
I shall get to the bottom of this case.
You should've at least
stopped the dispatch of another inspector.
Just kill them all.
In order to protect something precious,
you must be prepared
to do whatever it takes.
It could be used as a base for poison.
Coming here was divine intervention.
Why would we ever meet again?
I told you to do it with no loose ends!
I regained my life thanks to you.
You regained it yourself
with your courage.
LOCALES, AND EVENTS ARE USED
IN AN ENTIRELY FICTITIOUS MANNER
AND NOT BASED ON HISTORICAL FACTS
Park Moo-kyung.
He was definitely taken care of
with the sunken freighter.
But my lord, we still have the ledger.
We should be fine as long
as we take care of this body.
Damn it!
You must know where it's hidden.
I was in a rush,
so I didn't get a chance to hear…
Where is the ledger?
Tell me!
Quickly!
Move aside!
Bow down!
Sir.
Did you just see that?
The dead body just…
A horse plaque.
A horse plaque…
Does that mean he was also…
He must have been
one of those secret royal inspectors
reported missing or dead.
Inspector Park Moo-kyung
who went to Chungcheong…
They don't know if he's dead alive.
No one has heard from him.
-Yook-chil.
-Yes?
I need you to get dressed properly.
Pardon?
Come!
Come!
Come…
Who dares make such a commotion
outside office hours
in front of a government building?
Come now.
Show some respect.
-What?
-Let me tell you who I am.
I'm the Chief of Wood from Hanseongbu.
-Chief of Property and Farmland.
-Chief of Property and Farmland.
Oh Dong-yip.
As in paulownia leaves?
That's correct.
I was just on my way back to my hometown
after being granted respite.
But on the hill by the waterway,
I crossed paths with bandits
and was robbed blind.
So I came here,
hoping that the magistrate
could offer me some soup and rice,
along with a place to rest for a bit.
I'm not sure.
Why don't you go and ask the tavern
or a private residence for help?
This is a government office.
How dare you!
How could a man of noble birth like me
be seen begging for handouts
for everyone to see!
Yes, it is quite unfortunate,
but we cannot due to
an urgent matter we're dealing with.
Our master is
first cousins once removed
with Lord Oh of Saheonbu.
Bang-deuk, you fool!
How dare you mention the name of
Lord Oh of Saheonbu, my uncle?
Blood relations…
Resorting to such things
just to get myself a measly meal
would be such an ignoble act!
You just made me an ignoble man.
How will I face my uncle,
Lord Oh of Saheonbu, later on?
Forget my uncle's name,
Lord Oh of Saheonbu.
Sir, think about your bad knees!
Where are you going?
Just imagine how your uncle
would react
if he saw you suffering like this!
He'd be furious.
Did we walk all this way
just to suffer like this?
Talk to him once more. Please.
Stop! That's enough!
If I die while walking down the road,
that's just my fate
as a fifth-rank chief of Hanseongbu.
Do not mind me.
My lord, please.
My lord! There's been a misunderstanding.
Let's go.
Let's be on your way.
Let's get to my hometown quickly
and meet my uncle, Lord Oh of Saheonbu…
Rise, my knees!
Wait, my lord!
Just a moment.
Please wait here for just a moment.
It is true!
How can we believe that?
So many officials
have extorted local officials
pretending to be related
to senior officials.
What if we send him away
and it turns out he was telling the truth?
Still, how can we let an outsider in
while we're dealing with this mess?
Just give him some gukbap
and send him on his way.
Are you risking your life
over a bowl of rice?
In the meantime,
I'll go fetch the ledger.
Where is the ledger?
I told you, I don't know.
Bo-ri must have hidden it well as I said.
So you must go and find it.
You must find it. Go on.
Go on. Now.
BO-RI'S
Damn brat.
You'll sort out everything for me,
won't you?
I don't know.
Why should I clean up after you?
I don't have any family besides you.
There you go again.
Why did you have to die so young
and cause me trouble?
You always complain like this
when you'll do it anyway.
Jo-yi, clean this room up for me,
so it sparkles.
And as for my things,
send them by carefully burning them.
All right?
As if.
Dummy.
You never even got a chance
to put your baby in this…
You were too sweet for this world
and never even had a chance to enjoy life.
You're really something else, Hwang Bo-ri.
You moron, halfwit,
dummy, fool, blockhead.
At least this…
I'll carefully bury it for you, Bo-ri.
BO-RI'S
What's that brat doing
in someone else's house?
If she finds the ledger…
No, even if she did,
she wouldn't know what it is.
Should I just kick her out?
No. Let sleeping dogs lie.
Excuse me, sir!
Have you seen my daughter-in-law
by any chance?
She scurried off
while I was in the outhouse again.
I was worried this might happen,
so I even did it with the door open.
I'm not interested in such details.
That wench is at Bo-ri's again…
Let her be.
She's mourning her friend.
Did you have dinner?
If you didn't,
why don't you come to my place?
You can have dinner
and listen to my story.
I feel so wronged and angry
that I might even die.
I'm not hungry.
Then why are you,
in the middle of the night,
aimlessly sauntering in front of a tavern?
A widow understands a widower's plight.
When you go home after work,
you must feel lonely, right?
My goodness, why you…
But I feel so bad for the magistrate
after what happened to Bo-ri.
Hold on! Let's go.
Let's go to your place and chat.
So were they really a thing?
Come on now. Let's get going.
Welcome, my lord.
If you hang a bell around his neck
and watch him jump when surprised,
you'll be entertained for hours.
-He doesn't even cost that much.
-Do you have any white doves?
Well, white doves are so rare.
I could try to get one
through a merchant in Nagasaki.
However, it will cost you
the price of a whole deer antler.
Get me one.
I'll give you enough for two deer antlers.
Yes, my lord.
A slippery loach…
I came by because I heard
this place sold them as crane feed.
And here you are.
You went to the trouble of coming here
to buy some loaches?
It's because my crane has eaten up
all the pests it could possibly find.
I heard you've been managing
some slippery loaches yourself.
Be careful
not to let a crane catch them.
Do you believe yourself to be a crane?
The way I see it,
you and I are both mere loaches
in front of the real crane,
His Majesty the King.
Raising a crane taught me
that when its clipped feathers
grow back, it flies away.
Don't be so sure that
he'll remain in your birdcage forever.
Even if my crane flies away,
why would it go to you?
Why don't you buy loaches
and go feed your crane at home?
Take care, my lord.
How could he not take care
of a single secret royal inspector
and create this mess?
Where's Tae-seo and what's he doing?
Tae-seo! There you are.
What are you doing here at this hour,
Chief of Maritime Transport?
Well, the thing is…
I'm glad that you're here.
Take a look at this.
It's silver.
What?
Have you finally succeeded in Cupellation?
CUPELLATION: THE EXTRACTION
OF PURE SILVER FROM IMPURITIES
What did I tell you?
I told you I could, didn't I?
With two geuns of lead,
I extracted two dons of silver.
This means that we can trade with nations
that use silver as currency.
We should buy some weapons.
Enough to overturn Joseon.
Great. Congratulations.
However, this is not the time
for all this.
They couldn't find the ledger.
Thanks to a Gaehwa Valley officer,
I found the magistrate's mistress,
but she refused to open her mouth.
So I tried to scare her a bit,
but she fell into the valley.
What on earth
is the chief state councilor doing?
They sent another
secret royal inspector from Hanyang--
You should've told them to find it
even if they have to burn Gaehwa Valley!
Rip him or skin him to death,
I'll leave that up to you.
It doesn't matter
if it's the magistrate or the inspector.
What I need is the ledger.
Understood?
Get the ledger. I understand.
The ledger…
My goodness. Thank you
for the generous hospitality.
I've been suffering
from hand tremors recently.
Would you mind if I ask my servant
for some assistance?
Be my guest.
Thank you.
Bang-deuk!
Come in and attend to me.
Your knees.
Water. Pour me some water.
Yes, sir.
If he truly is the nephew
of Lord Oh of Saheonbu,
why is he here now, of all times?
Please save me.
Do I really have to do this?
Begin.
He's so mean.
That's right.
It seemed on my way here
that someone had died.
Died? Who died?
My goodness. That's absurd.
Wait. Why are you so surprised?
I believe it was a maiden from this town.
A maiden?
Yes, that's right.
It seems that she went up
the mountain for a bath
but ended up slipping and falling.
The terrain of this town is quite rough.
We are discussing ways
to avoid such tragedies in the future.
It must be very tough for you.
Another yukjeon. Quickly.
Ask him first.
By the way,
I am not very well-versed
in the penal code,
but isn't it customary
to conduct an autopsy when someone dies?
Why would we perform an autopsy
when it wasn't even a murder case?
The maiden's death was accidental.
I see. I wasn't aware.
It's fine.
It's understandable.
She had quite a knack for cooking.
Dig deeper.
But isn't it quite odd?
A pregnant woman going all the way
to take a bath in cold creek water?
Besides,
how did she manage to climb
to the top of the mountain in her state?
Hold on there.
How did you know she was pregnant?
I just…
I heard people whispering
outside the building.
Then how did you find out about that?
Well.
She lived in this town,
and I heard people talking about it.
It seemed she didn't even have a husband.
By any chance,
could someone have murdered her
and disguised it as an accident?
How could you say such a thing?
A murder?
Then again, I'm sure that's not the case.
Who would hold a grudge against a maiden
who ran the local tavern?
That is, unless illicit love was involved?
Ask about the royal inspector.
I heard
a secret royal inspector
dispatched to Chungcheong
recently returned looking like a beggar--
That's impossible.
What do you mean he returned?
You must have been misinformed.
There's no way he could have returned.
Perhaps it was not Chungcheong,
but Gyeonggi.
It must have been Gyeonggi.
If you're done eating,
perhaps you should be on your way.
It's getting quite late.
Our guests are leaving.
Wait, just one yukjeon.
Gosh, I feel tipsy.
Was it nice eating by yourself?
All you had to do was ask him
to set another table for me.
Was that so difficult?
I'm starving to death.
You think acting is easy?
I couldn't think of anything else.
My…
I wasn't bad as Chief of Wood, I mean,
I wasn't bad as
Chief of Property and Farmland, right?
I must go and find evidence.
Where?
The ledger…
Where is the officer?
What is he doing?
That wench. That tiny little thing.
She's rambunctious and wicked.
I didn't want her to choke on the rice,
so I gave her some soy sauce.
I gave all the greasy meat to my son.
I was always worried about her health.
You don't know
how many fresh vegetables I fed her.
Here.
I have to go and find the ledger.
But, sir…
You've been deep in thought for a while.
If you have something to say,
go on and say it.
What?
Do you want something from me?
No, not at all.
Be honest.
Why would you agree to come over
if you didn't want something?
My goodness, men.
Why must they all be so sly?
You used to always chant
that Joseon was hell on earth.
Good for you. You managed to escape.
I hope in the afterlife
that you live in a palatial mansion,
wear only the finest of silks,
eat meat soup with seven side dishes,
and find happiness there.
Don't bother wandering around
like a lost soul.
Look at this. Look.
What are that man and woman doing?
-These are things you need to know later.
-No, I don't.
See how detailed this picture is.
Jo-yi, how could you enjoy
reading such vulgar things?
-Look at this.
-Goodness!
Look at that.
Playing around with love. Like this.
-Are you sure?
-Yes.
What?
What is that?
Hello? Is someone back there?
Who is it?
This tavern is closed for business.
I'm the Chief of Wood from Hanseongbu…
Can you just open this gate?
Just go on your way.
How dare you?
I'm speaking to you.
"How dare you?"
How dare a lowly servant…
What? You are…
You're the beggars from earlier.
We're not beggars!
You should've just left.
How dare you raise your voice!
Stop! Don't glare at me!
Come now, Bang-deuk, you fool.
-Stop glaring.
-Look down.
I'm the nobleman. I'll take care of this.
I am a fifth-rank chief of Hanseongbu.
I'm not some strange or bad man.
You're not fooling anyone.
Do you think
you're the only ones going around
pretending to be someone important
from Hanyang to con people for a meal?
You must think of the countryside
as a joke.
If you get caught doing that,
you'll get whipped and flogged.
Your lives can be ruined, you know!
Get it together!
You're perfectly healthy,
so go do some manual labor!
How dare young punks like you
try to freeload for a meal?
The world's a damn mess.
Did I just…
Did I just get hit on the head?
I told her I was a fifth-rank chief,
and she still hit me.
My lord, we should just go.
We'll end up dying
before we find the evidence.
We should stop provoking her.
-Hey!
-What?
You…
What if I'm actually
a high-ranking nobleman?
Bang-deuk, you fool. Have you gone mad?
What I meant was…
What would you do if my lord here
was actually a high-ranking nobleman?
Ma'am.
Ma'am!
High-ranking? Please.
By the way,
did you really come from Hanyang?
My lord?
There's not much to eat
because it's not my place.
My lord.
-Do not worry, ma'am.
-Pardon?
Do not… I mean.
Do not worry.
A chief in Hanseongbu must be
a very high-ranking position.
Then, you must have
passed the state exams.
Of course, I did.
I passed.
I passed on the first try.
My lord was never interested
in taking a government post,
but the elders kept
pestering him to take the exam.
So he just took it
and passed with the highest mark.
-The highest mark?
-That's right.
What was the sije?
SIJE: THE THEME OF THE STATE EXAM ESSAY
Sije…
Let's see here…
The sije…
What was the sije?
Do you even know what that word means?
You're beggars, aren't you?
Gwan-eo-hae-ja-nan-wi-su.
"Those who have seen the ocean
do not consider the river water."
"Those who dealt with important matters
don't be affected by trivial ones."
It's from volume one
of Mencius' The Heart.
The subtheme was gwan-eo-dae-bu.
A piece of text by Mogeun.
Do you remember now, my lord?
That's right! It was The Heart by Mencius.
I remember it now!
Teaching you is paying off.
Then…
Hold on. Hold on for just a moment.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir!
I can see why he lives alone
when he looks perfectly normal.
This is all Jo-yi's fault!
Where did that brat go
in the middle of the night?
Can you take a look at this?
Wait, no. Not this.
This is a petition that I wrote myself.
Maybe it's because I lack writing skills,
but I'm about to lose my trial.
Trial?
You're trying to get a divorce?
I mean, this isn't too bad, is it?
But the thing is, my in-laws tend
to be on the extreme side.
They keep refuting my argument with lies.
How can I win?
Speaking of which,
if you managed to pass the state exam,
you must have pretty good writing skills.
It's a given.
Then could you fix this for me?
Maybe the sentences
can be spruced up a bit?
-Spruce it up?
-Yes.
But why are you trying to get a divorce?
Your age is still…
What about it?
What does age have to do with this?
Can't get a word out
without her biting your head off.
Bang-deuk, this is no place
for you to meddle.
Why you little…
Oh, my! Look at this kid!
How dare you talk back to your master!
Stop that!
Did she just hit me?
Yes! Run that mouth again,
and I'll hit you again!
Again?
-She'll hit me again?
-My lord…
I think my lips were hit.
-Even my grandmother never hit me there.
-I know.
-So…
-Calm down, my lord.
I'd really appreciate it if you could
take a look from here to here.
Please.
She hit someone and doesn't even care.
Young Ma… No, Bang-deuk.
There he goes again with his nonsense.
Goodness. Oh, my.
It seems like
he has quite a serious illness.
It is. He's fine one minute
and like this the next.
This is mine.
Thank you.
Where is that damn sly fox?
Do you know what time it is right now?
How could a daughter-in-law
be out in the middle of the night?
Are you just going to be reckless
from now on?
I'm not your daughter-in-law anymore.
Because I'll be getting a divorce.
How can such a tiny pipsqueak
be so damn stubborn?
What is this? Men…
Those are all men.
Have you gone mad?
Have you been with those men
all this time?
I caught you in the act, you brat.
Let's go.
-Mother!
-What do you think you're doing?
It's none of your business,
so stay out of this.
I'm this brat's mother-in-law!
And he is…
a chief of Hanseongbu.
Wait, what?
You heard him.
He is a chief from Hanseongbu
and he's here to help me with my petition.
What?
How could a country bumpkin like you
know a chief?
You're just spewing nonsense
because I caught you
fooling around with men.
If he's a chief,
then I'm Her Majesty the Queen, you brat!
But he really is…
Hanseongbu is in charge of the laws.
It is one of the three branches
of the judiciary
and mainly deals with civil cases.
Its jurisdiction not only includes Hanyang
but all regional courts.
It also sentences punishments.
Punishments?
If you wish to check
if my lord is a real chief,
be my guest.
However, today's insulting behavior
will not be easily forgotten by him.
Don't take too long.
Do you understand?
Why do you wish to get a divorce?
You all have seen why.
But my mother-in-law
isn't the only reason.
I just…
I want to be happier
than I am now, at least.
I don't want to talk about it.
You'll just scold me.
If Bo-ri were alive…
About…
Bo-ri, that maiden.
Is she the one
that passed away today?
How did you know?
We just happened to hear
about it on our way over here.
Coincidentally.
She was like a sister to me.
She was supposed to be my witness
at my divorce trial.
She said she'd come by 1 p.m.,
but she went for a bath all of a sudden.
And then she died in that accident.
She promised
to come to the trial by 1 p.m.?
She's never one to break a promise.
I just don't understand.
The creek is at least three ris away.
For a woman,
especially if she was pregnant,
it would take at least an hour
to make the round trip.
However,
the time her body drifted downstream was…
Bo-ri.
…around 2 p.m.
She would never do such a thing.
It just doesn't make sense.
Unless she was determined
to break that promise,
that maiden unexpectedly went out
for some unclear reason.
Could she have had another reason?
Perhaps someone was after her.
No. That's impossible.
She had excellent cooking skills,
and everyone in town loved her.
Did she leave any personal effects behind?
This kid and his curt tone again.
Ask politely.
Did she leave
any personal effects behind, ma'am?
No, she didn't.
I burned it all.
What? Why would you burn all that…
That's all evidence!
She needs her belongings if she's not
to be ashamed in front of her maker.
But why do you ask?
Why are you asking about this
when I'm so sad I lost my friend?
I apologize on his behalf.
We're a bit curious about something.
So there are no personal effects left now?
Let's go, my lord.
Wait.
Hold on. Wait, my lord.
You said you'd help me revise my petition.
Fine, I'll do it for you.
No, not you.
Wait, my lord.
Why that…
Hold on. My lord!
How could she be so thoughtless?
And she's so violent.
On top of that, she's so sly.
She bows down to the nobles
but looks down on the lowly.
That's exactly how we feel
every day in our lives.
Of course, we were lucky enough
to meet a good master
and live spoiled lives.
Let's think.
With the dazzling intelligence
that allowed me
to score the highest after cramming…
This case.
The dead secret royal inspector
must be Park Moo-kyung.
Park Moo-kyung?
I heard at Hongmungwan the name of
the inspector dispatched to Chungcheong.
That means…
his body washed up on the beach
a few days after his death.
Unless he was murdered,
the magistrate would have no reason
to try to hide the body.
-Gu-pal.
-Yes?
-You and I need to go somewhere.
-Where?
And Yook-chil…
I mean, my lord.
For this lowly servant,
could you ask around
where the deceased inspector has been?
Especially to the fishermen
who work at the beach.
But the sun set long ago…
You can visit inns where
fishermen and peddlers spend the night.
Yes, I could do that.
You look like a real inspector, my lord.
-I am a real inspector.
-A real inspector that lies.
What happened to visiting
tasty restaurants?
It's just this one case.
Once we're done with this,
we'll go back to touring
tasty restaurants as planned.
You mean that?
Let's move.
Right.
Ma'am.
Four bowls of gukbap with one rice wine.
Sure, sit there.
Excuse me. Can I ask you a question?
That boat…
It looks as if someone
made a hole on purpose.
-They couldn't find the body.
-Where did you hear it?
She's sleeping like this again.
Not again.
I thought I hid it well.
How did she even find this?
She'll have indigestion again.
I told her to avoid salty foods.
Out of all the tasty snack options…
Mother, on the blanket.
On the blanket.
-On you go.
-So annoying.
That's too far.
Here's your pillow.
Goodness.
Fighting with me has aged you.
What do I do now?
He even took my petition…
Anyway, what is this?
I should've asked the chief earlier.
Wait.
This belongs to the government office.
You know Bo-ri, don't you?
You know Hwang Bo-ri, don't you?
You know Hwang Bo-ri, who was
sweet and good at cooking, don't you?
Wait, you're…
What are you doing at this hour?
While organizing Bo-ri's personal effects,
I discovered something
that belongs to this office.
Fine.
That ledger, I mean…
Where is this item you were talking about?
Somewhere only I know.
Bring it to me this instant!
I will.
It is of no use to me.
However…
However?
My divorce case hasn't been concluded yet.
-I told you to bring a witness.
-That witness…
was Bo-ri.
But Bo-ri died out of the blue,
and I have no way of knowing
why Bo-ri had something from this office
in her possession.
But I ended up finding out
who entrusted her with it.
What should I do?
How dare you make a deal with me?
What could you possibly want?
A divorce by mutual consent.
How dare you
try to interfere with my judgment!
That is up to me to decide!
Is that so?
Fine.
However…
I shall grant it.
I'll get it done
first thing in the morning.
Then…
wouldn't it be better
to write your judgment in advance?
Hand over the item first!
Once you stamp the official seal
on this tomorrow,
I'll tell you where the item is.
Thank you for your help, my lord.
Come to think of it,
I suppose you have no questions
about Bo-ri for me.
Even after I told you
that I was her closest friend.
If you even have
the slightest intention of repaying her
for genuinely loving you,
shouldn't you at least hold a funeral
for the baby who died in her womb?
Good job, Kim Jo-yi.
You've done well.
I'm sorry, Bo-ri,
for only being able to do this much.
But I really want to have a fresh start
even if this is what it takes.
This is a complete mess.
What do they expect me to do?
Stop right there.
Do not move an inch.
Who…
Who are you?
I'm a secret royal inspector.
I will handle this case from now on.
Are you all right?
I thought I was going
to be scared to death.
What are we doing here by ourselves?
It's not just us.
Even with Yook-chil, it's just three.
You can go to the yeokcham
and bring some more.
YEOKCHAM: A PUBLIC OFFICE THAT PROVIDED
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION
Yeokcham?
Have some taffy.
-Taffy for sale.
-I'll buy some later.
Get your taffy here.
She has no evidence and no witness.
So where does she get
all that confidence from?
-Exactly!
-Exactly!
It'll all be over today.
-Be patient.
-She must have so little respect
for her husband and mother-in-law!
It's too loud. Be quiet.
Dragging out a case like this
will only lead to disorder in society.
It'll only harm our town.
Thus, I'll make my judgment quickly.
This is it.
You're right, my lord.
All you need to do is
smack that hussy on the butt a few times
and send her back home, my lord.
Noh Chu-han and Kim Jo-yi, step forward.
-Yes, sir.
-Yes, sir.
This is my ruling.
TAVERN
-Secret royal inspector
-Secret royal inspector
Let's go to work.
It's quite a regretful situation.
A man and a woman should
respect each other as they grow older.
But as these two have become enemies,
the continuation of their union
is meaningless.
No, you can't, my lord.
Based on her petition
and testimonies from the locals--
-What testimony?
-Shut your mouth.
The officer here is the witness!
Everything you told was
about abusing your daughter-in-law.
Of course, it's true that Kim Jo-yi
did not obey her husband or mother-in-law
and misbehaved,
which is one of the seven sins,
-so she needs to pay for that.
-That's right!
Of course!
However…
certain facts have proven
that Kim Jo-yi is not the only one
to blame for this failed marriage.
Thus, in accordance
with The Great Ming Code,
I order for your marriage
to be terminated.
-What?
-What?
The two of you, part ways.
-Mother.
-My son.
-Yes, sir.
-I have an objection!
It doesn't make any sense.
I might be illiterate,
but I know that
the termination of a marriage
was made to give the husband
the right to kick out the wife
when she has done wrong.
That law was not created
to take the wife's side.
I know that much!
-She's right!
-Yes!
That's absurd.
I knew something was wrong.
You said I had no respect
for my husband and in-laws.
You said that I brought shame
upon the whole family.
So according to the law,
I'm a wife who deserves
to be kicked out by her husband.
Am I not?
So you should kick me out.
After all, I'm such an insolent brat.
I apologize for everything.
Please disown me.
No, wait. That's not it!
I mean, it's true you're insolent,
but you haven't done anything
truly terrible enough to be disowned…
Be clear with your words!
Everyone here saw how furious you were
at Kim Jo-yi's insolence.
What I am saying is, my daughter-in-law
didn't do anything terrible enough
to get kicked out…
If I didn't do anything so wrong,
why did you mistreat me?
I have been abused for no good reason.
Can I sue my husband and mother-in-law?
What are you talking about?
So what's it going to be?
Will you kick out
your immoral daughter-in-law?
Or will you be sued for accusing
an innocent daughter-in-law?
I pity you, Mother.
Even right now,
your son is hiding behind you
without taking responsibility,
waiting for you to clean up his mess.
The one who humiliated you
and dragged you into this isn't me.
It's your son, Noh Chu-han.
Mother.
Don't tell me
you're going to ask
your mother to do this for you too?
What the…
Wait, that's…
It's nothing serious.
-The secret royal inspector enters!
-The secret royal inspector enters!
-What?
-What?
Oh, no.
All of you must come out
and show your respect!
What?
I'm on official duty.
Search the place!
-Yes, sir.
-Yes, sir.
What's going on?
The secret royal inspector…
What are they looking for?
Why did they
have to come today of all days?
Is it just me,
or do these numbers not add up?
Anyone could tell
the numbers just don't add up.
There's still about three carts' worth
in the storehouse.
Criminals never stick to just one crime.
Listen well, Magistrate Jang Gi-wan.
I apologize, but there's something
I must say as well.
I've committed crimes,
and I deserve to die.
I've committed acts of corruption
and abused my power.
Why are you confessing to crimes
I didn't question you about?
The crimes are bound to be revealed.
Please punish me right away.
No. Please, just transfer me to Hanyang.
Your punishment will be decided
after I review the manipulated records
and report it to His Majesty.
It is not something
that can be decided here.
Besides, the crime
I want to question you about
is not corruption or abuse of power.
It's murder.
The previous inspector, Park Moo-kyung,
was investigating the grain tax
and military provisions from this region.
And after he sent in his secret report,
he suddenly went missing.
However, Magistrate Jang Gi-wan,
you ordered
the disposal of the inspector's body.
Why?
To hide the cause of death.
That's not true.
I just had the body transported
to our office to identify him.
Bring him in.
This horse plaque…
was found on his sleeve.
Were you aware he was
a former secret royal inspector?
My lord!
The dead inspector…
They found his body on the beach!
What?
Yes, he was aware.
That is a lie!
I really was not aware!
Bring him in.
Did you hear what he said
in front of the body?
Yes, sir.
He was…
definitely taken care of
with the sunken freighter.
"Taken care of"?
What did you mean?
Did you sink the freighter
and kill the secret royal inspector?
No, sir.
I never murdered anyone!
Then you did sink the freighter.
That is not what I meant…
Do you recognize what this is?
No, I do not.
This is made of black pine,
a precious wood.
Under the law,
it's only used to make freighters.
And it was found on the beach
where the body was.
It's quite rare
for a freighter to run aground.
It looks as if someone
made a hole on purpose.
Look at this.
You feared that
your corruption would be exposed,
so you murdered Park Moo-kyung
who were inspecting the regional office.
And to cover up the murder,
you sunk the freighter.
Despite all that, his body was found.
So you attempted to get rid of it!
I swear I didn't kill him!
Even if you didn't do it yourself,
you must have aided or overlooked it.
It's the same as murder.
This is my command.
Lock up the storehouse
and confiscate the seal immediately!
-Yes, sir.
-Confiscate the seal?
This hasn't been sealed yet.
How dare you!
Who dares raise their head?
But they can't confiscate it…
Imprison magistrate Jang Gi-wan
and don't let anyone enter these grounds
until the investigation is over!
No, you can't!
You're the divorcee who slapped my mouth.
You're Bang-deuk!
Royal Inspector, sir…
What I meant was…
I must have been out of my mind.
I really thought
you were a beggar back then.
But to be fair,
you really looked poor and lowly.
Anyhow, I know
that I committed a grave crime, but--
-Royal Inspector!
-Mother!
Please imprison this brat as well.
This is null and void.
It doesn't even have the government seal…
Here. You eat that.
You came at an opportune time, my lord!
I wish you a long, healthy life.
We shall return home now.
You damn brat.
Your impudence knows no end.
Let her go.
You dare use violence
in a government office?
I hope I am not too late.
The magistrate of Gaehwa is
under arrest for serious crimes,
but he has already made his ruling
on the case of Kim Jo-yi's divorce.
With my authority
as the royal inspector in this province,
as of today, May 5th…
your divorce…
is approved.
ALL SCENES INVOLVING ANIMALS
WERE SAFELY STAGED
SPECIAL THANKS TO SONG JONG-HO
I'm going to stop
living a life with regret.
Before people hear about
a secret royal inspector digging around,
I shall get to the bottom of this case.
You should've at least
stopped the dispatch of another inspector.
Just kill them all.
In order to protect something precious,
you must be prepared
to do whatever it takes.
It could be used as a base for poison.
Coming here was divine intervention.
Why would we ever meet again?
I told you to do it with no loose ends!
I regained my life thanks to you.
You regained it yourself
with your courage.