River Where the Moon Rises (The Moon Rising River / Dalyi Ddeuneun Gang / 달이 뜨는 강)

Samguksagi is a history of the Three Kingdoms, Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, ancient Korea (57 BCE – 668 CE).

This film is based on the life of On Dal, a Goguryeo general from the Yeoljeon (Biographies) of Samguksagi.

The characters, events, and specific chronology may be different from history.

Episode 1

Dal, wait for me.

Wait a little longer until I arrive.

Dal.

Ga Jin.

I miss you.

Dal! Dal!

We won.

I fought like hell.

You should've waited for me, you idiot.

It is because you, Ga Jin, are...

my Goguryeo, my country.

Thank you for surviving.

Your Highness! Where are you going?

Princess Pyeonggang (King Pyeongwon's eldest daughter)

Pyongyang Castle, Goguryeo A.D. 561 (3rd year of King Pyeongwon's reign)

Is that the right thing to do?

How dare they pretend to be the master of this country when this country belongs to the king?

You have to watch your words. Queen Yeon (King Pyeongwon's Queen Consort)

Doesn't it anger you, Mother? - If it does,

should I cause a bloodbath over it?

You want me to give the exclusive right to the salt...

to your three tribes permanently?

The exclusive right to sell the salt was initially

the main resource for the five tribe association. Hae Ji Wol (The head of Sonobu)

That's right.

So taking that rights away from us now is utterly unreasonable. Jin Pil (The chief of Gwannobu)

Please listen to our plea. Go Won Pyo (Gyerubu's Gochuga: Gochuga is a royal title. For the Gyerubu tribe it was used for the father-in-law of the chief.)

That's why you brought your personal army to threaten me?

It is not like that—

Shut your mouth!

Kim Pyeong Ji (Dadaero: prime minister of Goguryeo)

Please put your seal on this.

You must have planned all of this.

Who do you think has the power to sustain our country right now?

Jeolnobu and Sunnobu are out there focusing only on protecting the borders.

Our three tribes united so that we could preserve our nation's sovereignty.

You can sit on the throne right now because of us.

Your Majesty! - Your Majesty.

I think I need some rest.

About the exclusive rights to salt, you should take care of it.

Go Sang Cheol (Gyerubu General)

I'll still go on a royal tour as we planned. Royal tour: tour around the kingdom.

Is that really the only option?

If we allow the Jega (association of leaders of the five tribes) to usurp our power, it will endanger the royal family.

Princess!

How did you come in here like a mouse? - It's not like that.

I just missed the timing to greet you.

I came here because I was worried about my father.

I'll catch the real mouse for you! - Princess!

Please forgive me, my apologies.

The king is like a glass bowl.

If you touch that shallow greed a little bit, he will break easily.

Jin Bi (King Pyeongwon's concubine)

You kept the exclusive rights to sell salt.

What else will you do?

The one who instigated the king from behind is the queen.

She also has an ulterior motive for making the royal tour.

The queen came from Jeolnobu.

Even though she is young, she isn't a pushover.

Are you jealous of her because she's younger than you?

When Queen Yeon leaves for the royal tour, hide this in her quarters.

What is this?

It's a talisman that will make you the rightful queen.

The queen is young and strong. How dare I think of becoming the rightful queen?

A misfortune may occur during the royal tour.

Your Highness, why are you coming out from there again?

Just where have you been?

Even if somebody measured it with a ruler, it wouldn't be good as your eyes, Your Highness.

It doesn't show, so don't worry about it. Madam Gong Son (Princess Pyeonggang's nanny)

There's a mouse that keeps coming into the palace.

I'll have the maids catch it. Should I bring in a cat?

It wouldn't be that easy to catch it.

It's a nasty one.

I'm sorry?

Just bring my training clothes.

Your Highness. Why do you want to learn martial arts that you don't need to use?

You're saying that again! Are you saying a woman can't be the king?

Exactly.

That's not true. I will succeed my father and be the king of this country.

Wielding and slashing is a later exercise. You have to marshall more strength first!

You saw it, but you didn't see it,

you heard it, but you don't remember it. That's the way to keep the palace in peace.

I hope you have a safe trip on the royal tour, Your Highness.

It's like you're asking to run when you don't know how to walk. Go Geon (The first son of Gyerubu Go Won Pyo)

Instructor Go. - Yes, Your Highness.

Have you heard about the exclusive right to sell the salt?

Also, you heard about Jega association threatening the king.

Focus on the training, Your Highness.

Maybe in the near future,

I might have to slash your father.

Then we'll become mortal enemies.

That won't happen.

Because I, Go Geon, who was born to be a Gyerubu leader, will be loyal to the royal family.

What if you have to choose between your family and the royal family?

I don't need both of them.

I'm going to choose you, Your Highness.

Won, while I'm gone on the royal tour, you have to be healthy.

I want to come with you. Prince Won (King Pyeongwon's eldest son, who later became King Yeongyang.)

We are not going on a vacation!

Here! - It's candy!

We'll be back in a few days. Can you wait for us?

Come back quickly. - Of course.

Let's go.

We gave a carrier pigeon to the royal tour staff.

A carrier pigeon?

How can I not know that Your Majesty is worried about the queen's safety?

If anything happens during the royal tour, we'll get a message right away.

Then, you'll know about this soon as well.

Before Queen Yeon visits her hometown in Jeolnobu, she's going to stop by Sunnobu. Jeolnobu: One of the 5 tribes in the Jega association. The people of Sunnobu guarded the southern border.

Sunnobu?

Then, will the queen see General On Hyeop?

The border of Sunnobu

On Hyeop (The head of Sunnobu)

Sunnobu: One of the 5 tribes in the Jega association. It guards the border against Silla.

You should've gone to the Jega association meeting.

I'm not interested in stupid politics.

But we Sunnobu are always pushed to the back— Sa Woon Am (Sunnobu's second-in-command)

You are talking nonsense!

Protecting the southern border is the most important duty of our Sunnobu.

Yes, sir.

General!

General!

General!

What should we do?Mrs. Sa (On Dal's nanny)

Your precious sword disappeared, sir.

On Dal (On Hyeop's son, who will become the General of Goguryeo.)

I think you're going to be crushed to death rather than wielding that sword.

I should hold this heavy sword to become a great general.

I think you should take it back before you get caught.

Go and just get a wooden sword.

You can't win with a wooden sword!

Don't fall down. - Bring it on!

Hey, hey!

What are you guys doing!

Before you learn how to kill, you have to learn how to save.

It's not fun.

It's training to protect the border.

It's not for fun.

I can do it when I have to do it. What's so difficult about this?

Go up there and hold the rope.

If you can hold on to it until I go up to the top,

I will give you

this sword.

Really?

General.

Do you think Dal can handle this?

Even if he asks for help, just ignore it.

Don't give up!

If you give up, your father, your comrade, is going to die!

One person's life is in your hands.

Don't come!

I can do this! I'm going to do it!

Endure it!

General, are you okay?

Father!

General.

Father!

Your father just died.

Bury them.

What is this place, father?

It looks like a grave.

Later.

I'll tell you later when you are ready to become a true warrior.

Father.

About before, I'm sor—

The queen sent them.

The queen? - Yes, sir.

Her Highness is coming to Sunnobu right now to see you.

I think she'll arrive here by sunrise tomorrow.

Mother.

Who's the most powerful person in our country?

Does power mean authority or physical strength?

I'm asking if there's anybody who can defeat Gochuga.

Are you talking about Gyerubu Go Won Pyo?

Yes.

The person who brought his soldiers and threatened my father.

If we go further from here, there's a temple called Ibulansa. Ibulansa was one of the first Buddhist temples in Goguryeo.

General Son Il Eop there, no, Monk Wol Gwang, is outstanding in martial arts.

A monk?

Can a monk defeat Gochuga?

Before he became a monk, he was the strongest warrior in Jeolnobu.

Jeolnobu is your hometown, Mother.

Let's visit the temple. I want to meet him.

It's late at night.

You should go to sleep.

I'm proud of you, General Son.

So, did you cut off the head of the leader of the invading Turks with this sword?

Yes, Your Majesty. Son Il Eop (Jeolnobu's great General, who became the monk, Wol Gwang.)

It'll be better for you to forget about the bad rumors, Your Majesty.

Rumors?

Twelve years ago, Your Majesty married the young queen,

and the princess was born less than eight months after that.

And of all times, that winter, General Son Il Eop of Jeolnobu

suddenly left the palace and became a monk.

How dare you question the princess's royal blood?

Her Highness is very young and beautiful.