[Cha Joo Young / Lee Hyun Wook]
[The Queen Who Crowns]
[This drama is a fictional story based on historical figures and events and may differ from actual historical records.]
[Filming of animals or child actors followed production guidelines.]
You must serve His Majesty tonight.
Pardon?
Does Her Majesty know about this?
Strip her naked.
Will you serve His Majesty holding that?
I will return it to you along with your clothes tomorrow morning.
Wash her!
I will tell Her Majesty first.
Every woman in the palace belongs to His Majesty.
The same goes for a maid of the Queen's palace.
The Queen will soon learn that as well.
Your Majesty, we will send her in.
Your Majesty, you do not seem to be the person I have known for a long time.
I am the King of this nation
and you are now my subject.
I will make all the decisions, and you just have to follow them.
[Episode 2]
Young Master, is not Gaegyeong quite small?
I want to race across the vast world to my heart's content.
I see you are so easily letting go of a woman's fate.
What about you, Young Master?
I want to protect you in every moment by your side.
Thief, thief! Catch the thief!
Aigoo, how dare you put the rice cakes in your mouth!
This girl is a thief! You thief!
Hey, I told you to go away without causing trouble!
Spit it out, spit it out!
I will teach you a lesson today!
You evil wench, you thief!
Hey, spit it out! Spit it out!
What is your name?
Chae Ryeong.
Chae Ryeong, eat this.
Not too long ago, her mother abandoned her and ran away.
Aigoo, aigoo! You! Hey, hey!
Do you know how much that costs!
Aigoo, what is everyone doing not catching her!
Aigoo, aigoo! Aigoo!
Aigoo! Come here!
I will give this to you.
However, it is on one condition.
Will you come with me to my house?
I will help you live in a world where you are not
looked down on or discriminated against
for being weak as a woman.
Court Lady Jeong is already here.
The court lady who attended the King's chambers has returned to her quarters.
And the consummation was completed well-
That is enough.
Do I need to learn more about this matter?
No.
- Your Majesty- - She received the favor of the King.
You should handle the matter according to the laws and customs of the palace.
Yes, I understand.
Chae Ryeong comes from a lowly background,
so she might face disdain from other court ladies.
You must strictly maintain discipline.
Yes, I understand.
I will come in for a moment.
The Chief Court Lady is here.
A separate living quarters will be prepared for you soon.
You have received the favor of the king.
In the chance that you bear him a child, you will be moved to Junior 4th Rank.
As someone of high rank, you should take extra care
and not act rashly.
Yes.
If any court lady looks down on you because you were formerly a slave,
tell me without hesitation.
I received orders from Her Majesty to maintain strict discipline.
Yes.
I will oversee all matters concerning bringing Yeong Sil
into the palace.
But I have not received any separate orders from His Majesty regarding this.
I am the one responsible for the royal concubines.
Thus, you just have to follow my decisions.
I understand.
Your Majesty, I have committed a sin worthy of death.
Your Majesty, Your Majesty!
I have committed a sin worthy of death.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I have committed a sin worthy of death.
Your Majesty...
It is not...
It is not your fault.
It is the fault of the one who took you.
Last night, whatever the nature of that union may have been...
If it was such a union, receiving royal favor is not something to rejoice over.
He treated you like nothing.
It is something to be angry about!
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please...
- Your Majesty... - Your Majesty!
Prince Je is right now...
[Yi Je, Grand Prince Yang Nyeong]
Her Majesty is here.
No need for you to get up.
My child, were you very sick?
He has a severe cold.
He will get better after taking some medicinal tonic,
so you do not have to worry.
All right.
He will need to eat the rice porridge in order to take the tonic.
His Majesty is here.
Father.
Yes...
You should eat some with your mother.
Let me see...
"We do not know why the Former King bequeathed the throne.
Even if he did,
there are Grand Prince Ik An and Grand Prince Hwe An after him.
We do not know why the King ascended to the throne.
We will go meet with Taesangwang and hear from him directly." That is what they said.
They must think of me as a joke as well.
Your Majesty, how could you say such a thing?
You know well that Ming's internal situation is chaotic,
and they act this way to gain the upper hand
regarding tributes and other future matters.
We will be forever in your debt for calling us into the palace. [Princess Hyosun, Yeong Sil]
All right. How much did you teach him to read and write?
I was not in the state to do so...
However, he is an intelligent child.
See each other twice a day, morning and evening, for about 15 minutes each time.
Your Majesty...
He probably lacks studies compared to the other princes.
Thus, he will spend the remaining time learning to read and write.
- He is young. - He is a prince.
How dare someone like you get involved in the education of a prince?
As Queen, all the princes are my sons.
Thus, you will also be my son from now on.
[Yi Bi, Prince Gyeongnyeong]
Yes.
Even if you are the King's son,
you will be looked down on by your subjects if you lack academics.
Yes, Your Majesty.
In the palace, you do not have to be nice.
Or else people might think lightly of you.
I have never cut corners in life, not even for a single moment.
And so, I am teaching my children to do the same.
You should do the same.
I shall do the same.
I remember how I dreamed of a white dragon
coiled around the rafters of your former residence in Chudong
and told you about it.
In the end,
you have become the master of the whole nation.
Do you remember those days?
You are warm.
Just like how you were in those days,
you are quite comfortable and warm.
[The place of the spirit of the late Crown Prince Yi Bang Seok]
[Yi Seong Gye, the Taesangwang (Yi Bang Won's father)]
How is the renovation of the main hall of Hoeamsa Temple going?
They have finished.
Contact...
Monk Muhak.
Yes. [Won Beom, Yi Seong Gye's right-hand man]
The Taesangwang still resides at Soyo Mountain.
And the Gabyeolcho are gathering under Jo Sa in Dongbukmyeon.
Are not Gabyeolcho the soldiers of Dongbukmyeon who used to serve Taesangwang?
Your Majesty, before they amass a large army,
we should strike them first. [Yeoganggun Min Mu Gu, Younger brother of Queen Won Gyeong]
The Secretary of Royal Orders should notify the Minister of Defense
and have the Ministry of Personnel report to the King regarding the military organization.
Your Majesty, shall we do that?
Why would you wait for his consent?
We should move quickly!
Your Majesty, shall we do according to what Yeoganggun says?
Who is the king?
Between Yeoganggun and me, who is the king?
I apologize.
I have not made up my mind yet.
Then, Your Majesty, will you just watch and do nothing?
Then, are you saying I should go to war against my father's men?
When the first crow of the rooster calls in the early morning, [Yi Je, Grand Prince Yangnyeong]
one should rise from bed.
Tidy oneself, arrange the bedding and the house... [Yi Bo, Grand Prince Hyoryeong]
And then proceed with the tasks assigned... [Yi Do, Grand Prince Chungnyeong]
To each individual. [Yi Bi, Prince Jeongnyeong]
The passage is from the "Myeongryun" section of "The Great Learning."
All right, could you tell me what it means?
When the first crow of the rooster calls in the early morning,
one should rise from bed, tidy oneself,
arrange the bedding and the house,
and then proceed with the tasks assigned to each individual.
You did very well.
To put it simply,
anyone who wishes to change the world
needs to keep their surroundings well-organized.
That is what it means.
Then, Prince Bi,
could you start reading again from where the eldest Prince read?
Bom nal...
beom we...
gye...
Prince,
do you not want to study?
That is no good.
You need to study even if you do not want to.
All right, let us start again.
Prince!
Your Majesty!
Even if the princes slack off in their studies,
it will be difficult for you to punish the princes.
Go and bring a rod.
Your Majesty.
Hurry!
Yes, Your Majesty.
Bi, pull up your pant legs and stand.
She made him read books all day for an entire month,
except when he ate and used the outhouse.
She was famous from her Chudong residence days
for being very strict with her children's education.
But even still...
Would she have done this if it was her own son whom she bore?
The King goes to Yeong Sil's-
to Princess Hyosun's quarters often.
Since the days in Chudong, I knew she would cause such a problem.
She would go around smiling with her eyes.
Maybe it is because of that,
but the way the King is treating us has changed.
When he looked at me in the main hall, my heart dropped, and I felt a chill all over.
With that look in his eyes, he could even kill someone.
There are complaints rising to him saying that Hyungnim should resign
from being the Middle Army Commander.
I am sure someone is inciting this behind the scenes.
Resign from the position.
Your Majesty!
How could you say that so easily?
Hyungnim.
Has the Queen ever been wrong?
Let us do what she says this time.
- Still, even so! - Come on, Hyungnim.
Your Majesty, Princess Hyosun is here.
- Princess Hyosun! - How dare you barge in here!
Let us talk again later.
What do you want?
My Bi cannot become king anyway.
Must I listen to you looking up?
Therefore, I will not have him study so hard.
This is the matter of educating a prince.
Your opinion does not matter.
Why are you so harsh only to my Bi?
I do not know why I need to explain all this to you,
but Bi has not received proper education up until now.
If he is to not impede the other princes' education and keep up with them,
is this not the only way?
Impede?
That is not it.
You just dislike me, Your Majesty.
How could I like you?
That is why you hit him like that.
You say I hit the child because I dislike you?
That is right.
Because you could not endure the fact that I was loved by the King.
You have lost your mind.
That is why you took out your anger on the child.
I know you.
You received favor from me.
However,
you must want to take sole possession of the King's affection, even if you trample me.
Thus,
I must become a bad person to you.
Someone who deserves to be trampled.
That way, you will feel less guilty about it.
If you are so superior,
and know the world as if it is in the palm of your hands,
why did you make His Majesty lonely?
Is that why you secretly slept with His Majesty
back when he was Prince Jeongan? [Prince Jeongan: Yi Bang Won's title as a prince]
Yes.
I felt bad watching him endure his fierce madam and his imposing in-laws.
- Shut your mouth! - His Majesty said
he felt suffocated while living with the Min family when he was young.
Your Majesty, we will be entering.
Y-Y-Your Majesty.
Get this girl out of my sight now!
Princess...
Your Majesty.
Who are you?
I am a court maid who is to serve Princess Hyosun.
I have not heard anything of it. Turn back!
What is with all the ruckus?
- This woman- - Enough. I already checked her.
Let her in.
Yes, sir.
Wait!
- Let her be. - Yes.
How could he be so inflexible?
The King says he will come to your quarters, Princess.
But I am thinking of giving an excuse to reschedule for another day.
Why?
No, I will serve the King tonight.
Princess.
Is it not the duty of a concubine to serve His Majesty whenever he wants?
Goodness...
You did well.
You also bore him a prince.
You do not need to be afraid of her.
I will not be afraid of her.
Whether it is face powder, blush, or eyebrow makeup,
I brought you the best of Joseon.
And this is a fragrant knot accessory.
It contains musk.
Please try smelling it.
It is the scent that drives men crazy in bed.
Now, all you have to do is wrap the King inside of your skirt
and prevent him from escaping your grasp.
Favored Court Lady* is here. (It means one who's been graced by the king)
Did you call for me? [Court Lady Seungeun (Favored), Chae Ryeong]
Now that you are properly dressed, I see you are also quite pretty.
How did you end up...
Who would dare do this to the concubine whom the King loves?
I am a court maid.
I am a servant of the Princess.
Oh, I see.
Since you have served Her Majesty for a long time, you probably know well
that she is a very confident person.
For her, her thoughts are the standard,
and everything else that differs from them is wrong.
I am no longer the Yeong Sil of the past.
With that said, let me ask you.
You and I have to join forces for us to live in this palace
without being pushed around by the Queen.
If you had to pick between Her Majesty and me, who would you pick?
Of course, it will be more advantageous for you to stand with the Princess.
Everyone in the palace knows
with whom the King's affection lies.
Favored Court Lady.
What is it?
If you do not want to grow old and die alone in the backroom
you should pick the right side.
What...
do you mean by that?
Just because you were favored by the king once
does not mean you have gained the entire world.
If you make the wrong move, you may end up making enemies of everyone,
before getting cast aside.
If you make the wrong move, you may end up making enemies of everyone,
before getting cast aside.
If you had to pick between Her Majesty and me, who would you pick?
My Lady! My Lady!
My Lady, where are you going?
My Lady, My Lady.
My Lady!
What is going on?
No, you cannot enter.
- Your Majesty! - You cannot enter!
- It is me, Chae Ryeong! - You cannot enter!
- Your Majesty! - You cannot enter!
I want to serve you like before, Your Majesty.
After you saved me that day,
I promised to stay by your side even to my death.
Your Majesty,
did you not say that it was not my fault that His Majesty took me?
Your Majesty...
Your Majesty, I will enter.
Your Majesty.
What have you been doing all this time?
This court lady who received the favor of the King
is running amok like this
not knowing her status has changed.
Will you concern me with His Majesty's messy women problems?
I apologize, Your Majesty.
If this ever happens again, you will have to forfeit your position.
I will... I will make sure this never happens again.
Please take her back.
- Your Majesty. - Take her back.
Your Majesty...
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty...
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, you abandoned me!
She did not abandon you. Rather, she gave you a wake-up call.
If you are Favored Court Lady, you are now His Majesty's woman,
not a servant of the Queen's palace.
You have to think that way to keep living in this palace.
Take her to her quarters.
Yes.
I heard the news about Favored Court Lady.
I heard the Queen was furious.
You are supposed to be the Attendant Lady of the King's palace.
Have you not told Favored Court Lady how she should conduct herself
after she has received the favor of the King?
Oh.
Oh?
How are you in your position with that mentality?
Also,
I heard you discreetly placed your brother on the suppliers' list providing goods to the palace.
Is it true?
He meets the qualifications.
Are you saying he cannot because he is my brother?
Everything has principles and procedures.
And that judgment is for me to make.
This isn't the first time, either!
- Court Lady Jeong. - I am tired. You should go.
- Court Lady Jeong! - Go!
Did I not say I am tired today?
Your Majesty, you abandoned me!
She did not abandon you. Rather, she gave you a wake-up call.
If you are Favored Court Lady, you are now His Majesty's woman,
not a servant of the Queen's palace.
Was it the Queen?
Did you get hit?
It is nothing.
Tell me.
It is a matter between women.
I do not want to grow old
and die alone in the backroom, forgotten.
What do you mean by that?
Create an opportunity for His Majesty to seek me.
That is something for His Majesty to decide.
I just carry out his will.
This was...
given to me by the Queen.
What happened?
It would be breaking custom to speak about matters involving my superior.
So you are saying you cannot tell me?
Even though the Princess's face was bruised,
nobody can tell me anything?
I hear the Princess privately summoned the Favored Court Lady
to tell her everything in detail.
Are you referring to Chae Ryeong?
That is correct.
All right.
You will resign from the Middle Army Commander position?
Yes, Your Majesty.
I feel that perhaps my chronic stomach pain is a result of my heavy duties.
You have done much for me, Yeoganggun.
I feel bad that you may have overexerted yourself because of it,
but stay by my side if possible.
No, Your Majesty.
My ailment is severe.
Is that so?
I suppose health is most important.
Then, you may leave and focus your efforts on improving your health.
I will call for you again.
Your grace knows no bounds.
Your Majesty, Taesangwang, residing in Soyo Mountain, has sent a messenger.
What did you say?
The main hall renovations at Hoeamsa Temple are complete,
so he will offer up a metal bell as a tribute.
He requests Your Majesty's presence at that event.
My father said that?
Yes.
You say that he had a metal bell made in Gaegyeong?
Yes.
Not only that but on the metal bell were inscriptions
to commemorate the late Queen Dowager,
"Wang Hyeon Bi" and... [First queen of Joseon, Queen Shindeok, Lee Bang Won's stepmother]
also the words "Crown Prince."
But...
something seems off.
What seems off?
She is Her Majesty.
Your Majesty.
What are you saying seems off?
Well,
the man who did the inscribing on the metal bell
said it looked like it was made only halfway.
It looked like it was made only halfway...
Yes.
If you find out anything more,
you better tell me without delay.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Offering an unfinished metal bell to Buddha...
Something does not seem right.
There is definitely something there.
Please find out what it is.
Yes, I understand.
All right, then.
Your Majesty.
Hoeamsa is where prayers were offered for the two princes
and his son-in-law, who died in the Year of the Yellow Tiger.
This is a nation of Neo-Confucianism.
He asked Your Majesty to come to a Buddhist ritual ceremony.
Is that not strange?
That thought did cross my mind.
But I lack a justification for rejecting my father's request.
Moreover, an envoy from Ming is also coming.
Then, I will heighten the security.
We will prevent anyone with weapons from entering
and make sure not even a mouse can get in without authorization.
Why did you come out when it is so late?
Mother.
I am just so upset.
Goodness, this woman.
If anyone is upset, Her Majesty would be the most upset one.
And even Chae Ryeong!
Has he not gone too far?
Your Majesty, it appears that now is a time for us to humble ourselves.
Thus,
do not be too bothered by what happened with Yeoganggun.
Yes, Father.
You do not need to cry.
We have the princes anyway.
Yes. Yes.
All right.
What do you mean it was unfinished?
What do you mean by that?
What is a metal bell?
It is called a metal bell because it makes a ringing sound as smooth as silk.
But that thing. That thing is missing.
How could it be when it is a precious tribute the Taesangwang is offering to Buddha?
What do you mean that thing is missing?
The metal bell is...
Tell me.
I can only speak my own thoughts.
If what I say results in deciding who is right and wrong,
I will not be able to retain my life.
I will guarantee your life.
Both of them are my superiors whom I serve.
So,
you cannot tell me?
Please kill me.
I wonder if the Queen was
deeply distressed after Yeoganggun's departure.
Did the Queen say that?
No.
She was especially sensitive that day,
so I just tried to figure out why.
Do my brothers-in-law still visit the Queen's palace often?
That is so.
Did you hear what the Queen discussed with them?
Tell me exactly as you heard it.
I said, tell me!
Then,
will you come visit my quarters at least two times a month?
Were you not...
the girl whom the Queen valued the most?
His Majesty likes his ear being warmly caressed while he sleeps.
I am embarrassed by what happened involving Yeong Sil.
You have traveled a long way to come here.
Your Majesty.
A long time ago, a king once said
the heavens raise up a king
not because it loves the king,
but for the benefit of all the people.
I am not sure what you mean.
I was just thinking for a moment
about what I should do for all the people.
Perhaps it is because you are at Hoeamsa, but you seem peaceful.
We are touched that you invited us to such a meaningful event, Father.
How admirable.
What do you want?
I-I came to see the Queen.
You cannot enter.
P-Please let me enter.
I have to enter!
It is a matter of importance!
Please, let me enter!
- Go away! Get lost! - Please!
P-Please!
- Go away! - Your Majesty!
- What is going on!
Your Majesty, I have something urgent to tell you.
What is it?
The object that is inside
is not a metal bell.
You have to stop!
You must not!
[The Queen Who Crowns]
♫ Only the moonlight lights up the entire mountain ♫
♫ Oh, heavens, holding your breath from being shy ♫
♫ Until the day breaks ♫
♫ We are separated, and I sing alone ♫
My cause is hatred!
Are you saying there are sympathizing forces?
Confess!
Did I not say I will handle it? I, as King!
Did I not say I will take care of it!
You should see the reality with a level head.
You must report everything to me alone.
If I agree to do so, what will Your Majesty give me in return?
Let us discuss the procedures of deposing the Queen.