Secret Royal Inspector & Joy (어사와 조이)

Subtitles from: iQIYI Edited by: ayamefan13

All characters, organizations, locations,

and events in this drama are fictitious.

Episode 1: Sajeongpaui, An amicable divorce in Joseon

Take that!

Records of Chungcheong Provincial Office

Seaweed should be washed until you see foam in the water.

That takes the bitterness away.

Especially for dishes

where seaweed is served cold.

If not cleaned properly,

it will be too slippery

which will only ruin its texture, so one should be careful.

- Young master. - My lord.

This is no time to be washing seaweed.

You need to get to work!

The newly appointed first royal secretary gives people the cane for tardiness.

- I should get going. - Young master, your lunch box.

- Of course. - Young master, your clothes!

You are not in proper attire!

Gwanghwamun

Young master, your uniform!

One must be dressed for work.

- Young master! - Please wear your uniform.

Here.

Oh, no.

We will have dumplings for dinner today.

Whatever. Do not forget these as well.

Off you go!

Have a good day!

Oh, no.

Just a second.

Young master, catch!

Office of Special Counselors

It is time for lunch!

Goodness, lunch time.

There goes our lunch.

- Shall we? - Yes.

Hold on.

What do you think you are doing?

Did I not tell you to let me join too?

Starting today, I will accept payment.

One's labor should not be taken advantage of.

In order to get to the office around 6 a.m.,

I must prepare today's lunch at around 4 a.m.

Exactly. That is why you should get a maid

or marry someone.

Only my cooking

can satisfy my taste buds.

- Goodness. - Oh, my.

My gosh.

Can you believe this?

How can this be?

- Should one eat these? - Why bother worrying?

Just a second. I need to collect myself.

All right, fine. I will offer you

two does of rice and five hops of beans from next month's salary.

- Same here. - Me too.

For today's lunch, I will accept

only Jeju buckwheat flour, ginger from Wanju,

or pheasant meat.

That is a bit too much, is it not?

We had to suffer pay cuts as is.

However, you probably receive more offerings

from bangnap merchants.

Why you...

You may not know this being a new recruit, but...

Look here.

One cannot maintain his status without accepting those.

If you are interested, I can make an introduction.

I am good.

All I want are ingredients that are worthy of my cooking abilities.

The merchants do not intrigue me.

I am thinking of taro soup

and steamed chicken for lunch tomorrow.

Although, I do not know if you are interested or not.

I am. I truly am.

- I could not be more interested. - Same here.

You heard him, did you not?

- Jeju buckwheat flour. - Ginger or pheasant meat.

I will present those to you.

Absolutely.

- What on earth? - Goodness!

Who is this?

Is this not Chil-bok,

the secret royal inspector who was dispatched to Gyeonggi Province?

Fourth Counselor Chil-bok.

My goodness. How is it that all dispatched inspectors

return in that state?

At least this one made it back alive.

Is there someone who did not?

They ride through rough terrains

without being able to eat properly.

How can one's life be guaranteed?

Of course. You have a point.

Rumor has it that no one has heard

from Secret Royal Inspector Park who went to Chungcheong Province.

- Are you sure? - Has he still not sent word?

How is it that you are always clueless?

- Eat less and think. - What...

So it is like this.

Once you are appointed as a secret royal inspector,

your life as you know it will be over.

It is why you should be careful too...

Wait. Where did he go?

You cannot just leave when I was not done talking!

It does not concern me since I am a new recruit,

so why should I worry about being dispatched?

Did you hear that brat? Just because it does not concern him...

If it were not for his cooking skills, I would smack him silly.

Exactly.

It is always brats like him though

who pass the state exam

and get on the fast track without doing any of the tedious work.

Darn it.

- What a nuisance. - That little...

Goodbye.

Go. Bye.

But if a scholar does not finish his term,

- will lots be drawn again? - (Chusaeng: Drawing lots)

Hold on. Does that mean...

Your Majesty, I have a report to make.

We have to appoint a new secret royal inspector soon.

It is about that.

What about it?

The truth is, the Office of Special Counselors

can select anyone they want,

but the last inspector went to Chungcheong Province of all places,

which caused a small problem for me.

You should not have collected all the kickbacks.

Even as King, I cannot have your back forever.

Easy now, okay?

I will heed Your Majesty's advice.

- So when selecting the region— - Which province?

Please just avoid the southern provinces.

Especially Chungcheong Province.

Your Majesty, the Director would like an audience with you.

Why are you here again?

The Chief State Councilor and I can select the region.

Will Your Majesty be selecting the region today as well?

I am only here to submit the report written by the officer

in the Office of Special Counselors who returned from his duties.

Then submit the report and excuse yourself.

Please allow me to assist you to draw lots for the region since I am here anyway.

I stopped by the Office of Special Counselors

and told them to pick a new inspector.

Since you are this concerned,

we will make sure to send a new inspector this evening.

Sure. Do that, Director.

Left Chungcheong Province

Left Chungcheong Province

I am Kim Jo-yi, the wife of No Chu-han

from Gyehwa Valley in Left Chungcheong Province.

I request you grant me a divorce, according to The Great Ming Code.

The Great Ming Code states

that it must be granted when a married couple wishes to divorce.

I implore you to please review the law

and decide whether or not this marriage should stand.

Can you not just put up with him? Must you ask for a divorce?

Yes. I must.

The year I turned 21, I married a man whom I had never even met.

And now, I am 24.

The past three years were unbearable enough.

Rather than live like this for 30 more years,

I wish to leave and live independently as Kim Jo-yi,

not as No Chu-han's wife.

I must say, she seems to be a tiresome woman.

Why do you not just divorce her?

Sir, I am—

No!

I cannot allow that!

Sir, I am the one who is livid and should be complaining here.

If there is a mother-in-law who treats her daughter-in-law as well as I do,

bring her forward.

Did I ever starve her

or keep her up at night?

At every mealtime, she gets a hot meal served to her—

I prepared all those meals.

At every meal, there is freshly made kimchi—

I made that kimchi each time.

Each season, she eats herbs and vegetables that are in season.

I grew and gathered all those herbs and vegetables.

I let her eat hot food at every meal, three times a day.

Who do you think set the table every single time?

Look at this. Even now, she keeps cutting me off and talking back to me.

I am just trying to explain the situation.

Despite all this, I always treated her

as if she were my own daughter.

The thing is, she does not have a daughter.

I swear. I never once put my hand on her.

Although I did grab her by the hair a couple of times.

Well...

So she abused her daughter-in-law. That is nothing to brag about.

How dare a woman let her voice be heard over the wall?

Is it not every woman's duty to serve her mother-in-law well?

- Woman, how dare you! - Darn you.

Quiet down!

Marriage is one of the most important events in one's lifetime.

You must know that you cannot hope for a divorce for such trivial reasons.

- Yes. - Then you must also know