Our Blooming Youth (Youth, Climb the Barrier / Cheongchunwoldam / 청춘월담)

[This is a work of fiction. All the characters, groups, places, and incidents have no connection to historical facts. The use of animals during filming was done with props or special effects.]

How could something like this happen?

Who told me to interrogate her personally?

How could you make me hear that evil curse

from her dirty mouth!

It was you, Right State Minister, right?

Your Majesty, why are you concerned with the evil murderer's words?

She's just a leftover bandit.

A leftover bandit?

Ten years ago, you arrested the leader of the bandits in the Byeokcheon of the Song family.

Did you not receive a meritorious deed and servants as a result?

So, how could there be any remaining rebels?

Did you suppress the rebellion properly?

There's more.

I see that you all are part of the Jo family of Seongju.

What are you men doing?

You receive meritorious deeds and get paid by the nation.

So what have you been doing?

Is your nation Joseon or your family?

I heard everyone in the Jo family of Seongju has a government post.

I heard that in Bukchon, where you all live,

your storehouses reek of rotting meat and fish.

What did you do besides increasing your wealth and your family's power?

Tell me what you did

for me, the Crown Prince, and the nation!

Your Majesty, of course, we felt terrible about this as well-

Right State Minister!

Do not say a word.

I am not in the mood to listen to anything.

Those who dare speak of what happened today at the interrogation

or spread the news outside the palace

should bear in mind that not only he

but also his family and relatives will be severely punished.

We will do as you say, Your Majesty.

Go find Soon Dol.

Pardon?

Bring Go Soon Dol here.

Stop right there!

You dare attack my friend

and student?

You are dead now!

It is dangerous!

There are two assassins. You should not chase them.

I need to go to His Highness.

She got kicked out, so why...

Are you hurt anywhere?

Are you all right?

You must have been afraid.

You must have been lonely.

Yes. I was afraid...

and lonely.

You must have felt hopeless because you did not know whom to fight.

You cannot fight a ghost.

They are not targeting only the Crown Prince.

They are trying to curse the royal family of Joseon

and shake up this nation within their grasp.

Can I return to the Eastern Palace starting tomorrow?

That is not possible.

Even though I said that,

I want you to be by my side.

I'm coming, Your Highness.

I will stay by your side.

How could the head shaman mention the Song family of Byeokcheon?

I know, right?

It is terrible enough that the murderer was the head shaman of the Shamanist Bureau.

How did she get possessed by the spirit of the Song family, who died ten years ago?

What happened with the plum tree in the Grand Palace?

How could it suddenly be struck by lightning?

And it just so happened to be right after the head shaman's curse.

Did it not really seem like a ghost's curse?

Come on! How could you say something so foreboding?

We need to set up a special unit to reinvestigate the Byeokcheon case from ten years ago.

Do you mean we need to request a reinvestigation?

Does not what happened ten years ago bother you, Chief State Minister?

Since His Majesty has shown a willingness to contest the Jo family of Seongju,

would this not be an opportunity?

I do not know who is responsible for this,

but is it not clearly something that can weaken the power of the Jo family of Seongju?

All right, all right.

It looks like you guys are all curious about this.

What this means is...

The Song family will destroy the Yi family.

It supposedly contains such deep meaning.

Who is the Song family?

It's the leader of the bandits in the Byeokcheon of the Song family.

Then, who's the Yi family that the Song family will destroy?

Come on.

The King, the Crown Prince, the Grand Prince, the Princess, and the royal family

are all part of the Yi family.

Then, the head shaman of the Shamanist Bureau got possessed by the spirit of Song

and committed murders to curse the royal family?

Not only that, but I just heard

that the oyat tree in the palace caught on fire.

What is the oyat tree in Chinese characters? Oyat, Yi.

The ghost of Song was making a statement.

"I will burn you to ashes like this oyat tree!"

There were rumors that the Crown Prince was cursed by a ghost...

Was that true? Gosh, why is the nation so chaotic right now!

Did something happen at the Palace?

Eunuch Go already went to the Palace.

Things are bad! These things fell from the sky...

Out of all of these trees,

how could only the plum tree be set ablaze?

Is there really a ghost

who cursed the royal family and me

and struck the plum tree with lightning to make a statement?

There is no way.

A living person is behind this.

Your Highness.

This smell is similar to the gunpowder I smelled before

when soldiers were training in Gaeseong.

It is most likely sulfur.

However, it would not have burned so long with just sulfur.

I will visit the young master in Manyeondang tomorrow.

- What is the matter? - The ones who were guarding the head shaman...

died overnight.

Lift the covers.

I chased the one who shot the arrow, but his accomplice appeared and attacked me...

so I ended up losing him.

How many accomplices do they have

and who is giving them the orders?

Did you find out about burning peonies?

All I heard was it may have been imported from India.

I heard that they sometimes apply oil to such dried flowers and burn them.

India...

Your Highness.

The Sergeant is here.

Have him enter.

There were clear snake bite marks on their neck and shoulders.

Would it not be the same snake that bit the head shaman at the interrogation today?

This is so strange.

Also, in the corner of the Royal Investigation Bureau cell where the head shaman was held,

a bloodied dagger was found.

It appears she engraved the letter on herself with that dagger.

There is now no way for us to find out

who provided her with the dagger and the snake.

Are you still searching for Oh Man Shik of the department of Taoism, who defiled the celebratory message?

Yes. He had an older brother, but he was already dead.

Supposedly, his hyung's wife and children live in Inchang-bang, so he often visited.

I stationed a soldier there,

so if he sends a message to his hyung's wife and children,

then we will be able to find his trail.

We must at least catch that man since he may have something to do with this case.

Were you in much shock?

The Grand Prince said he wanted to see the culprit of the Sabangahn case...

Since he has already seen it, it is too late.

It is not your fault, Princess.

- How is he? - He just received a lot of shock,

so after he gets some rest, he should be fine

I will make Bojungikgi-tang for him.

Do so.

Mother.

Who is the Song family of Byeokcheon?

Do you know, Noonim?

You should first get some rest.

- I'll tell you once you've gotten better- - Tell me now.

Is Song a person?

Or is he really a ghost?

It is scarier not to know.

Do you not know either, Court Lady Ahn?

Ten years ago,

a group of bandits in Byeokcheon started a rebellion.

Song was the leader of those bandits.

How could a mere bandit become a ghost and curse the royal family?

So what happened to him?

The Right State Minister, who was the Minister of Defense at the time,

personally went and subdued them.

- Song also was- - That is enough.

Grandfather?

Mother, since Grandfather subdued them,

Grandfather would subdue the ghost of Song, too, right?

The Song family did not forget the unjust deaths and sorrow of the people of Byeokcheon.

And they are back!

I became a ghost, but my soul is already on the throne!

Song family will destroy the Yi family

and take this country's throne!

- Hey, you dirty bandit bastard! - He is still alive? Gosh, he is quite persistent!

Supposedly, he slaughtered and kidnapped

old men, women, and children! What more do you need to say?

To think that the Royal Investigation Bureau officers

and the head shaman was bitten by the amur viper...

Read this. It is the autopsy report of Shim Young's suicide case.

The coroner checked the number of wounds that would have caused his death

or if any wounds led to his sudden death,

but apart from the strangulation marks on his neck, there were no other wounds.

The strangulation marks were dark red, and his eyes were closed.

He died with his mouth open.

If someone had murdered him first and tried to set it up as a suicide by hanging,

he would not display these traits.

It is clear that it was suicide.

Also, the handwriting on the suicide note was definitely Shim Young's.

His disciples at the temple also testified to it, so there is no doubt.

After your family died, he supposedly kept searching your house for something.

Do you have any idea what that might have been?

But what is this supposed to mean?

These are the items left behind by the dead.

The letter containing his last words and the jade bracelet was on the wooden hallway floor.

Hold onto them well.

But how should we explain this...

Young had white hair? No. This is not true.