The King's Warden (왕과 사는 남자)

[This film is inspired by actual historical events and figures.]

Suyang, the eternally cursed traitor, now sits on the throne!

[In 1452, Lee Hong Gui ascended the throne at the age of 12.]

[A year later, his uncle, Grand Prince Suyang, overthrew him and became king.]

For dishonoring His Majesty and corrupting the kingdom,

you shall face heaven's wrath.

Han Myeong Hoe, you traitor!

You and the other traitors who have stolen the throne,

shall be punished by heaven!

Your Majesty.

Please eat, sir.

Take

the table away.

Your Majesty.

Please eat, sir.

Take it away.

You must eat, sir.

Take it away at once!

Your Majesty.

Minister Han Myeong Hoe is here, sir.

Your Majesty, the King Emeritus. It is Han Myeong Hoe.

You may

enter.

I heard it's been two days, sir.

Why command that your meals be taken away?

At last

you've come for me?

What do you mean, sir?

Is it my turn

to scream in pain like them?

They're criminals who plotted treason without your knowledge.

They should be screaming in pain.

Since you've done no wrong,

why would you scream in pain, sir?

You didn't know about the treason they planned.

Even if you did,

you wouldn't have condoned it.

Isn't that so, sir?

By all means,

isn't that so, sir?

Now

where will I go?

Now!

Damn!

It'll run away!

Damn it!

- Not in my ear! - The deer has escaped!

- Chase it! - Might as well throw it by hand!

- Where'd it go? - Can you two stop fighting?

Damn it.

- Scatter out! - Run!

Damn it!

I told him to be quiet. He never listens!

I get no respect as the village chief!

Chief! Where are you?

Chief!

Damn! What's wrong with him?

It's the king...

Help!

Hey!

Why are you lying down there?

Taking a nap?

Damn it.

We're scrambling to catch the deer,

but look at him taking a nap!

Why you!

It's all right.

It's his habit. Let's go.

T... Tiger... Tiger...

- Rest, Dad. - Why nap now! Damn it!

Help...

Damn...

Help me...

Sir?

Sir!

Where am I?

Is that real?

Whoa... Cooked rice?

I must be dead.

This must be paradise.

It's real?

You're awake!

Good.

I found you down in the valley. Glad you're okay.

Thank you, sir.

I don't recognize your face.

Where are you from?

I'm from Gwangchungol.

Gwangchungol? Gwangchungol...

- What is this village called? - It's Norugol.

Norugol?

How did you come this far?

I was out deer hunting.

- Then I went... - Deer?

- Hunting? - Yes.

Why hunt deer?

To eat it, of course.

- You catch and eat deer? - Yes.

Deer meat smells, but you catch that and eat it?

We don't eat it now.

We'd do anything for deer meat.

Is there a big celebration here? What's with the big party?

Today? It's my son's birthday.

You're hosting a party for your son's birthday?

It's nothing fancy.

Since when do brats get to have such huge parties?

It's a special day. Join us for a drink.

- Have some meat, too. - Really?

- I'm not sure if I should. - Please.

It's not deer meat.

Thank you.

He's eating with his hands.

Excuse me. I'm starving.

People in other villages

are starving to death with nothing to eat.

How can you have so much to eat here?

Since you seem completely clueless, I'll let you in on a secret.

One day, an elderly man with a long beard came here.

He was the Minister of Justice.

Welcome, sir.

He was a powerful man in the capital.

But something must've happened

and he was exiled here.

We had to prepare a house for him.

Bring me meals every day and have someone serve me!

Though we were starving, we had to serve him meals.

Catch that and serve it to me! At once!

The old man thought he was still high and mighty

and treated the villagers like his slaves.

But then one day,

- Serve me meat for every meal! - Something came.

- What? - Donkeys.

- Donkeys? - Yes.

Donkeys?

Donkeys bearing massive cargo made a steady stream into Norugol.

Deer antlers from Dongnae.

Meat, rice, dried persimmons and silk sheets.

The nobles in the capital are smart.

They knew that the Minister of Justice

- will soon be reinstated in court. - You must learn.

But the old man was so bored, he started teaching the kids.

The village kids who initially couldn't read learned the Thousand-Character Classic

and the teachings of Mencius and Confucius.

Just as the noble men thought,

the elderly man soon returned to the capital.

He took some of the smarter boys and taught them.

One of them even won top scholar in the state examination!

It's like the village struck a goldmine!

Hooray!

Goldmine?

Yes!

The goldmine can land right here in Gwangchungol too!

How?

Recently, there was major chaos in the capital.

The king was overthrown and a new king came into power.

Then many officials will be exiled, right?

A high-ranking noble is coming to Yeongwol as an exile.

- Keep it a secret. - Who is it?

It must be a high-ranked official with big, broad shoulders,

a big hat, and a long beard.

He'll probably go to Norugol like everyone else.

No!

No matter what,

we must make him come to our village.

If we serve him well,

then the nobles will come like croakers in rows.

Croakers!

- Yummy. - Right.

No way!

Damn.

You think exiled nobles will repent and be good here?

They'll just get drunk and harass women.

If they get mad, they'll report us to the town office.

- Then we'll be punished. - That's right!

We gotta prepare a house and serve the exiled noble.

We also have to watch them so they don't run away!

If they get hurt or die,

our whole village will be burned to ashes!

- Forget it! Damn it! - But...

Listen to me for a change.

What do you eat on Mak Dong's birthdays?

Since there's nothing to eat,

you just pat her, feed her water, then put her to bed.

- Hey. - But at Norugol, for a kid's birthday,

everyone gathered to eat meat and rice.

They were stuffed full!

They had chicken, pork and everything!

Just for a kid's birthday!

From the white rice...

Shit.

Wisps of steam rose like dancing spirits.

Shit.

It was so rich and creamy!

I thought I was in paradise.

Think about it.

When's the last time you had rice?

Do you even remember?

I think it was on my wedding day. Just once.

It'll be hard at first with a stranger here and all.

But soon after,