Korea-Khitan War (고려거란전쟁)

(This drama is based on historical events,)

(but some details may be different from historical facts.)

(Production guidelines were strictly followed when filming with animals.)

Your Majesty.

Welcome.

Is this your sincere wish?

It is.

I will have you become my wife.

You will now be...

an imperial consort of the Emperor of Goryeo.

Escort her to her chambers.

- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Please come with me.

Then,

I will now announce my decision on the appeal requesting...

the impeachment of the Deputy Minister of Punishments.

It is an irrefutable fact that he broke the law.

However,

some people can be granted an exemption from punishment altogether...

or clemency for that matter.

You can use the Eight Rules from "The Rites of Zhou"...

and the section from "The Book of Rites" about how punishments...

do not extend up to great officers to back up your argument.

Especially in the case of imperial relatives,

the Emperor can pardon all crimes committed by them...

as long as it is not an act of treason against the Emperor.

Use this as grounds for your argument to save Deputy Minister Kim.

Then your vassals will not be able to raise an objection.

I will...

welcome Deputy Minister Kim Eun Boo's daughter...

as my wife.

- What... - Deputy Minister Kim is now...

my father-in-law as well as an imperial family.

As long as it is not an act of treason against me,

he is forgiven of all sins.

Based on such reasons,

I will forgive Deputy Minister Kim...

for all his crimes.

And if anyone mentions his crimes once again from this day on,

I will consider it insulting the imperial family.

They will be punished severely.

Do you...

understand?

- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Secretary Yoo.

Yes, Your Majesty?

Deputy Minister Kim's daughter will soon be titled as an imperial consort.

Prepare the titling ceremony with the Ministry of Rites.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Well then, today's meeting ends here.

His Majesty has ordered me to bring you to him.

Do you know why I wanted to see you...

privately?

Yes, I can make a guess.

Right. Then, explain it to me.

You worked together with the Empress and brought disgrace to the court.

You used all kinds of cruel and underhanded methods.

Why did you fall so low?

The man I knew would not have done such a thing.

Explain it to me at once.

It was because I lacked faith in my emperor.

The emperor is also a human being.

An imperfect being...

gaining such tremendous power...

is extremely dangerous.

If no regional lords hold the emperor in check,

no being can stop the emperor's road...

ahead of him.

And from that point on,

the people can only pray...

for their emperor to be a sage king.

I simply tried to stop that.

Desperate to achieve that purpose,

I used each and every underhanded method...

I could possibly use.

However,

none of them succeeded.

Your Majesty.

Please take my life.

Keep me alive,

and I will continue to get in Your Majesty's way.

You may leave.

Your Majesty.

I will keep you by my side.

So even from now on,

reprimand me and try to control me.

With that,

turn me into a wise king.

However, do not stray from the right path again.

That...

is what suits you best.

Please stay in this room for now.

Once the titling ceremony is over, you will move to a bigger place.

Until then, these servants and I will serve you.

All right. Thank you.

You do not have to speak formally to me, my lady.

I am here to serve you.

"My lady?"

Yes. As you have married His Majesty,

you are to be called my lady.

That is what ladies of the imperial family...

or wives of government officials...

are respectfully called.

And after the titling ceremony,

you will become Her Majesty the Imperial Consort.

Please rest now.

What do you think you are doing?

How could you welcome such a lowly girl as your wife...

simply to forgive Deputy Minister Kim's sins?

Watch your mouth.

She is just as refined as you are, Empress.

That girl is nothing but shrewd.

To gain the power of a woman bedded by the emperor,

she voluntarily went into your chamber!

She did no such thing.

Despite knowing it would restrict her,

she tried to sacrifice herself.

- Your Majesty. - Return to your chamber.

I have nothing more to say to you.

Your Majesty.

Do this, and the subjects' hostility towards you will only worsen.

So will the regional lords' opposition.

Those are the reasons I tried to remove Deputy Minister Kim.

I only tried...

to stop you from becoming a complete outcast.

I told you to return.

If you must welcome that child, do it.

It is your authority to accept a concubine.

However, you cannot entitle her to be an imperial consort.

Only the descendant of the imperial family...

can become the empress or imperial consort.

That is the custom of the imperial family.

I am the emperor.

I must not only think about the imperial family's safety...

but also worry about the country's future.

- Your Majesty. - It was the same for you, Empress.

The day you became the empress,

you had to prioritize Goryeo over the imperial family.

You and I...

have started walking down on different paths now.

All of the things you are trying to protect right now...

are the things I am trying to break.

- Your Majesty... - Please leave.

Facing you right now is making it very difficult for me.

I am terribly scared I might come...

to hate you more.

Your Majesty. It is getting late.

You should leave the court.

Lady Kim is waiting for you.

What is it, Your Majesty?

Lady Kim entered the palace today.

If you do not visit her chamber on such a day,

the people of the palace will think of it as strange.

Your Majesty...

All right.

I understood.

- You cannot go to her. - Empress.

Her Majesty lived her life only for your sake, Your Majesty.

So how could you trample over her so cruelly?

Please move.

Think back on the day you took the throne.

Who was the one that brought you to your feet and supported you?

Who was the one that fled from the royal palace with you?

And who was the one who lost her baby due to it...

and cried in pain?

Please do not abandon Her Majesty.

I beg you.

My lady. His Majesty is here.

Your Majesty.

I am sorry for being late.

Do not mention it.

Please have a seat.

Right.

May I...

pour you a drink?

Yes. Please do.

Please pour me a glass too.

Yes, I am sorry.

- Let us drink. - Yes.

We have really gotten married now.

Yes.

Thank you for taking me in.

Also, thank you so much for saving my father.

No, he was someone I obviously had to save.

You are also...

someone I obviously have to take in.

Did you take me in because you had to?

Or...

do you want me?

I am sorry.

Do not be sorry.

This is enough for me.

I have saved my father's life,

and I have come to be called Your Majesty's wife.

I am sincerely grateful.

Also, please take back what you said about naming me an imperial consort.

I cannot do that.

You deserve to be treated as such.

I am not of imperial blood.

I have never dreamed of such a position.