Today, dressed as a boy, Mae Chang came to the Bureau of Printing to take the entrance exam.
Do I have to give up on my dreams just because I'm a woman?
I am here to apply for the position of the king's portrait artist.
That painting earned the most votes.
- It does not make any sense!- With the authority given to me,
I shall allow it.
If you mistakenly draw even one strand of hair on my face,
I may make you pay for your wrong.
I will do my upmost to draw it.
Saimdang, Light's Diary
Timing and Subtitles brought to you by Oh Man Won Team @ Viki
Would you give me a moment of your time?
But, what is all this?
- Episode 23 -I heard that you had not eaten even one meal today.
Eat even a little.
Here.
The food is getting cold. This is an order from the Chief of the Printing Bureau.
King's Portrait Artist, get your meal and look after your own health.
Do I have to follow your order even when it comes to my meal?
That is right.
Well, it would be great for me if I can attend to every meal of yours.
But don't you think that you-know-who will feel very uncomfortable about it?
You are only working on the first draft and if you are already skipping your meals,
you will feel drained soon.
Here, have even a little bit.
How come His Excellency the Prime Minister is not present?
Because of a health problem, he could not attend the cabinet meeting today.
Then how come His Excellency the Left State Minister is not here, either?Crown Prince Lee Ho (King Joong Jong's eldest son and future King In Jong)
His Excellency the Left State Minister has sent a word that he cannot attend the cabinet meeting
today because of a sudden family emergency.
Then, what's stopping His Excellency the Right State Minister?
Just because the three State Ministers and a few other big and small government officials are not here,
we cannot stop the government functions.
For now, I will discuss the important matters with you, who are here.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your Highness! There is big trouble.
They are petitioning outside and would not withdraw even if faced with death.
Petitioning under pain of death?
Your Highness the Crown Prince, Joseon is a country founded on Neo-Confucianism.
The country will fall into danger if you forego a great matter in pursuit of a small matter.
In this country, the high and low classes are differentiated and men and women have separate spheres.
Why do you want to shake up the nation's law and order?
If a woman draws the king's portrait, soon illegitimates will clamor, too,
and the baseborn riffraff will run amok.
The proper social order will descend into chaos.
A minister is to put his life on the line when offering heartfelt advice out of loyalty.
If there is even a shred of wrong in my advice to you today,
cut off my neck.
Cut off our necks.
Your Highness the Crown Prince, please grant us your concurrence.
Please concur!
Your Highness the Crown Prince! How dare a woman...
It shouldn't be, Your Highness!
A good person chooses a great king to offer his loyal service.
They say a wise bird discriminates between trees to build its nest.
Because of you, the nationwide Confucian scholar community is rising up like a swarm of beesKing Joong Jong (11th King of Joseon)
and raining down petitions.
I only stay at the quarters at the Printing Bureau, so I do not know the outside matters.
It's the calm in the eye of the storm.
I am sorry.
Aren't you afraid?
They say a tornado cannot last a whole morning
and a shower cannot persist for a whole day.
A woman who has read Tao Te Ching (Book of the Way of Virtue or Laozi)...
No wonder Gyeom was smitten by you.
I simply consider all this as my destiny.
Destiny?
Once I accepted it as my destiny,
there was nothing I had to fear or I could not attempt.
No matter what, I will finish your portrait.
Where do you get that audacity of yours?!
It was not audacity but motherly love.
What do you mean? Raise your head and tell me.
To my daughter who longs to become a painter in the Printing Bureau,
I wanted to give hope.
Then, tell me with the heart of a mother.
Since the king's throne is also a seat from which he must care for his subjects like his children,
don't you think he has a similar heart as a mother's?
Prince Eui Seong is here.
Come in.
Have you called for me, Your Majesty?
Welcome.
I was about to ask Saimdang for her opinion.
Saimdang,
what do you think needs most fixing in Joseon right now?
Your Majesty, how come you are asking such a question to a painter?
No,
even though just a woman, she became the presiding painter of the king's portrait and before being a painter,
I heard she's the head of Yang Ryu Commune as well as a great leader of a village.
Generally speaking, a king is a person
who must have his ears open to the words of his subjects.
I will ask Presiding Painter Saimdang again.
Currently, what in this country
do you think needs to be fixed the most?
Go ahead and tell me.
Am I not asking you? Tell me.
I wish it would be a country where people can have dreams.
A country where people can have dreams?
A dream that life will only get better in the future,
Please accept us!
Even though it is not much now, a dream that life will get better if they put in efforts.
The reason why nights, even though dark, are not fearsome
is because there is a belief that the day will break and the sun will rise again only if you wait.
Because one is a woman or an illegitimate
or not of a noble birth, a life that does not even allow having dreams
is like walking a night road with a headscarf wrapped around one's face
and living one's whole life like that.
Your Majesty,
please make this country into one
where people can have dreams.
Where
people can have dreams...
That kind of country...
Isn't there anyone outside?
Head Eunuch!
It's the king!
Go, drop dead!
What have you done for us?
The crown prince is much better than the likes of you!
Aish, and you call yourself a king?!
Come here.
Isn't there anyone outside?
Isn't there anyone?!
Your Majesty!
Is everything well, Your Majesty?
How many suns
are there in the sky?
There should be
only one sun in the sky.
But they dare to...
Bring the royal doctor here.
No!
I should go out on an undercover inspection.
I think it is a better idea to take some rest since you are still in poor health.
Be quiet!
Get ready.
How about the blueprint of the warship?
Because of the portrait project to draw the king's face,
all eyes of the court are concentrated on the Printing Bureau.
I don't need your excuses.
One false move and not only my life,
but your lives, too, will be lost.
Therefore, I need time.
You have the face of one saying "take it or leave it."
Since I promised you,
I will bring it to you no matter what.
The warship blueprint.
Put away your swords.
In order to sneak out the warship plan,
we have to take care of Prince Eui Seong first.
By Prince Eui Seong, don't you mean that trigger-happy jerk at Port Dangjin?
Why are you agonizing over it so much? You can simply do away with him.
Do you want me to send in some ninja assassins?
Beginning with the matter of giving the illegitimate offsprings of noble families the standings to seat in civil service exams,
I will go over the state affairs thoroughly.
Yes, Your Highness.
Here enters His Majesty!
Your Majesty, is your health good?
Your Majesty, I am overjoyed to see you so well.
Hear me, ministers.
The regency I temporarily delegated to the crown prince
will cease as of today.
We are elated, Your Majesty!
Crown Prince,
I heard due to a pernicious bunch,
that your ears have been plugged up and eyes clouded.
Confine yourself at East Palace (crown prince's quarters) and reflect upon your wrongdoings
without stirring until I order you otherwise.
- Your Majesty!- I said clear out of here!
His Majesty has become rather powerless.
Just see how this country is going to the dogs.
The powerful officials are as tyrannical as ever.
They should have been completely cut out during the Goryeo paper scandal two years ago.
The time has come. The Crown Prince must not loosen the reins of reform
but must spur on vigorously.
Behind him stands Prince Eui Seong.
That is right. He's the hope of Joseon.
Prince Eui Seong,
Yes, Your Majesty.
Together with Saimdang of the Shin Clan,
you draw my portrait.
Your Majesty...
Why?
Why are you surprised?
The greatest painter who has the seal of my approval, among everyone in or out of the palace,
is you, Prince Eui Seong.
What is the problem?
I am merely the overseer of the royal portrait project
and the sole Presiding Painter is Madam Shin.
Then, I shall also appoint you as a presiding painter.
Your Majesty, the rule has it that only one presiding painter...
It's my command!
I appoint Prince Eui Seong, together with Saimdang of the Shin clan,
joint presiding painters.
Didn't you two even have a marriage proposal exchanged between you?
So, you will work even better together.
Put your efforts together
and produce a masterpiece to last through ages.
You two
must have drawn together like this in your youth too.
It must have been like that.
A guy who, smitten by a woman, wrote his own marriage proposal letter and
a woman who would petition to go see Mount Geumgang...
You two were such a match made in heaven.
Your Majesty, what do you mean?
Now that two people who understand each other get to sit together and draw together,
how is it?
Are you happy?
How can that be, Your Majesty?
Your Majesty, it is simply an old piece of memory to laugh over.
Carrying out the duty of drawing the royal portrait, I do not have even a sliver of ulterior motive.
Whether you have an ulterior motive or not, while you draw my face,
this may end up being your last meeting together.
Don't you think so?
Saimdang of the Shin clan,
they sing such praises of you at Yang Ryu Paper Shop.
Honestly, think about the old days.
Our backs are warm, bellies full and we have such decent places to live at.
This is all thanks to our lady.
What is there to worry about if you live in Yang Ryu Village?
As for me, if none other than our lady says
bean paste is made with sweet beans (bean paste is made with soybeans), I would trust her word.
Of course. They say even the king cannot manage to save the poor, but our lady has!
On top of that, she even draws the king's royal face now.
To be blunt, our lady is better than the king.
Oh, stop!
Not only you take good care of the migrants, but also
I hear that you fairly distribute the income according to how much each person works?
I only did my best, Your Majesty.
Then, in that place, you are as good as the king.
That is an appalling idea, Your Majesty! It is not at all the case.
Your Majesty, how come you are making such a presumption?
Presumption?
Did you just say presumption to me?!
I apologize. Please pardon my disloyal words.
So sorry, Your Majesty!
I am tired. Let's call it a day.
How is the warship plan pilfering coming along?
The completed plan is being kept in a secret chamber within the Bureau of Printing.
The security is tight.
Moreover, because of the ongoing king's portrait project, all the eyes of the court are turned to the Printing Bureau.
Whether you buy off someone or bribe someone, you've got to try something!
Ever since Prince Eui Seong came to take charge, the Printing Bureau staff have been watching their conducts.
Bribes or whatever won't work!
Do you think I'm just twiddling my thumbs and goofing off?
Prince Eui Seong, Prince Eui Seong,
I can just kill him off
in holes and corners.
Sir!
What is there to hold me back?
I should have wiped him out earlier.
Sir, you must not do this.
Why not? Do you still have lingering feelings
for Prince Eui Seong?
Or since you're baseborn,
do you consider even this shack is too good for yourself?
But I'm different. After all that I did to climb to that position!
I must return!
No matter what!
I will kill Prince Eui Seong.
I think things are unfolding in a bizarre way.
Perhaps even the worst-case scenario may come to pass.
We must be prepared.
Whether drawn well or not, once the coloring is finished, they will be judging the king's portrait.
I do not know where this road may end,
but I will do my best not to be ashamed as an artist.
If we ever meet again and draw together,
I thought it would be at a place much nicer than here.
As for me, I like it here as well.
Being able to be together like this, I am thankful and sorry.
At this hour, you are forbidden to come in or out.
I think I left a precious ornament inside.
Come back during the day to check the lost and found.
It's a norigae Her Highness the Princess bestowed on me. (Norigae - an ornament attached to the top of the hanbok
Don't you know the fiery temper of Her Highness?
Oh, you are the private tutor from the last time, aren't you?
Don't worry and go about your business.
You can look around.
Did I eat something wrong during the day?
My stomach...
If you find it, hurry and leave.
Aigoo, I can't hold it in.
Warship Plan
This is the warship plan!
Huh? You still haven't left?
If you found it, hurry and leave.
She is really amazing.
How can she not eat or sleep and just draw away like that?
Do you think she's the best painter of Joseon for nothing?
Aigoo, when would I ever get to draw the king's face?
This dude...
Wait, by the way,
a man and a woman sitting side by side and drawing together,
doesn't that make such an alluring picture?
Aigoo, pal, seriously!
- Let's go!- Work hard!
What a naughty scene he was picturing...
What are you thinking about?
♬ I'm saying don't smile at me ♬
♬ If you don't love me. ♬
♬ If all you're going to do is to make me look at you again today, ♬
♬ Why did you turn back to look at me to begin with? ♬
When those two are that beautiful,♬ Why did you turn back to look at me to begin with? ♬
what have I been doing with my life until now?
♬ Why do you make me love you? ♬
♬ Why are you making me stay only by you?♬
♬ If it's not love, and it's not love again ♬
♬ I will turn around. ♬
♬Why do you make me I hate you? ♬
♬Why do you make me resent being with you? ♬
♬ I don't like me being like this. ♬
Today at noon, we'll pass out the grains for the poor in front of Gwanghwa Gate, and
we will make His Majesty's portrait public so all of the Joseon people should participate.
What do you mean you're planning to make your portrait public by Gwanghwamun Gate?
How can you say that you'll show it on the street? How can you?
You can't, Your Majesty.
Since I've had the portrait painted
I should use it well, as bait.
What do you mean?
Yee Hyun Ryung Bee Hyun Ryung
If you're saying if you hang it on your ear it's an earring and if you hang it on your nose it's a nose ring...
The thing about paintings is
that according to the beholder
it can become a masterpiece.
It can also become trash.
The people who follow Prince Eui Song
and Saimdang
will gather like clouds.
In front of them,
I'm going to strike them both
down at the same time.
so they can't squirm ever again, definitely.
If you plant aggitators among the viewers ahead of time...
and drive (the public opinion of) portrait as being worthy of death...
It can be done.
We will accept your command.
Release the stock grains for the poor...
Make many people gather.
We've arrived at the end of the road with much difficulty.
I can't guarantee if this is the right path or dead end.
Since we did our best, we have no choice but to leave it to heaven.
What is it?
There's a royal command for the royal portrait's presiding painters to wait in another place.
Follow me.
What are you doing, not coming!
I want some grains!
Stay in line!
Ah, it's spilling!
Please stay in line.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
You cannot do this!
Can we finally see the king's portrait that Mother has painted?
Of course.
It cannot be, Your Majesty!
Why are those people like that?
Well... the thing is...
It's because our mother is a woman.
Because Mother is a woman?
There's something like that.
- Please understand us!- Please understand us!
Please understand us, Your Majesty!
We, Confucius scholars, cannot acknowledge Saimdang's royal portait, Your Majesty.
But where is Mother?
It's about time for her to come out. subtitles ripped and synced by riri13
But I don't know if it's really okay for them to be making the king's portrait public like this in front of the people.
It must be okay to show it in public.
- Yes, yes. - Is that right?
Let's see it.
Make the portrait public.
You can't!
You can't. You can't.
You can't, Your Majesty!
Oh, I think they're coming out.
Your Majesty!
That a woman would dare paint the portrait of the king!
Your Majesty!
Oh, it's out over there.
Let's go.
Your Majesty! It can't be, Your Majesty!
It can't be, Your Majesty!
This is an impudent royal portrait!
That's right! Look at his fierce eyes!
Ahdo - King's eyes
We must arrest the person who painted the King's portrait!
The Confucius scholars movements seem alarming.
I am certain that they will make a problem out of the royal portrait.
Wait, if so, isn't that a big problem?
But we have the people on our side.
But...
How can people...?
One person's strength may be weak,
but if you gather many people's strengths, you can cut a strong metal, too.
People probably feel the same way when they see the good painting.
Let's trust those people.
Alright! Let's make the Gwanghwa Gate a fun and exciting play area tomorrow!
Yeah!
[Gwanghwa Gate] - Please punish Saimdang!
Punish Saimdang!
Do something about it! Do something!
Oh my! Oh my! Oh my, oh my!
The painting... the painting is alive!
Oh my!
The portrait is glowing! It's glowing! Oh my!
Oh, I feel like singing and dancing!
♬ Let's celebrate~
It seems that people are praising your virtue and are celebrating.
♬ Let's celebrate this occasion~ Let's celebrate~
♬ Let's celebrate~ Let's celebrate~
♬ It's an occasion to celebrate~
♬ Let's celebrate~
♬ It's an occasion to celebrate~
Congratulations. The people are all united in their happiness.
Your Majesty! Your grace is infinite!
The lively portrait of the king seems to shine to the heavens.
Prince Eui Song and Lady Shin Saimdang, you both can return if you like.
It's a relief.
It'll take a long time to finish the security, too.
I will finish up so you return first.
The children will be waiting too.
You worked hard.
You did also.
What are you doing? Get out of my way.
The painter of the portrait of the King is coming this way!
Lady! Lady!
I'm so proud of you, Mother.
I am too.
Is your health all right? I heard you work bent over for several days and nights.
Yes, I'm all right.
I believed you'd do it.
I'm going to become a painter of royal portraits like you, Mother.
That's right. You should dream big like that.
Dream! Dream!
Ji Gyun, you came too.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you all so much.
Congratulations, My lady!
Byung Seon Do Bon - Warship blueprint
The worship drawing. What do I do with this?
My Lady.
Come in.
The school sent someone.
For what?
Young Master Ji Gyun hasn't been attending the school lately.
What are you talking about? What do you mean he isn't attend the school?
Then, where is Ji Gyun now?
Eat a lot.
That rascal!
Are you out of your mind? What are you doing here, skipping school?
- I came to congratulate her.- Why should you?!
What's so bad about congratulating a friend's family's celebration?
A friend?
Yes, a friend.
Mother, do you know what I desire?
What are you talking about?
Please tell me.
- Of course, passing the state exam with top score!- You don't know anything! Nothing!
For whom did I endure all this time?
I never asked you to live like that.
What did you say?
My family that doesn't even eat one meal happily together.
Is it really a family?
My dream is for our family to eat a meal together in a loving environment.
This rascal!
Look here.
Ji Gyun and Hyung Ryong... Seeing them getting along so well and playing around looked so good.
What is it that you want to say?
We, adults, seem worse than children.
Let's forget about everything and let's just think about our children.
You and I are both mothers.
Please make it a country where people can dream.
Our lady took care of the poverty that even a king couldn't do.
To say it bluntly, our lady is better than the king!
Be quiet.
What I'm saying isn't wrong. The one that feeds me is the king.
Your Majesty!
Please give me just one chance!
- Get up. - Your Majesty.
Your Majesty. Just once!
Just once! Please give me just one more chance, Your Majesty!
In order to get the snack out of a snake hole,
I should have borrowed someone else's hand.
Call Min Chi Hyeong.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty! I am forever indebted to your grace for calling me back.
If I could show my loyalty towards you,
I can take my heart out right at this moment--
I don't need your heart, but another
Just give me an order.
I'll give my life and fulfill your order.
Saimdang.
And also,
Prince Eui Seong.
Who are you?
Throw this in Bi Ik Hall.
It's the bait to catch Prince Eui Seong.
Do you not know what kind of person his Majesty is?
Once this hunting is finished, the hound will be boiled in a pot!
This Min Chi Hyeong is different!
Once this is done, he will know who his loyal subject is.
Without any private soldiers, how will you strike Prince Eui Seong?
There are the Japanese.
No, you can't use the Japanese.
If something goes wrong, the crime of treason will be added on and the entire family will be exterminated.
Wait a second...
My lord...
Byun Seon Do Bon - Warship blueprint
Were you hiding the warship blueprint?
Just because you were afraid of family extermination!
I will deal with the sin of your trying to deceive me as soon as I get back.
It is the old shed on the first corner on the way to Mount Choan.
That's where Saimdang is kidnapped.
If you want to save Saimdang, you must come alone.
What are you doing right now?
I am just finishing up what I should have done a long time ago.
After doing this, do you think you will live?
Even after your head is cut off, would you be able to say something like that?
I am not scared at all.
Who did such a thing?
Min Chi Hyeong.
Your Highness, Crown Prince! Your Highness!
Get out of the way! It is urgent!
What is the problem?
Lady Shin isn't near Mount Choan.
What are you saying right now?
We have moved Lady Shin to another location.
In addition, I've been ordered to kill her.
What did you say?
Tonight will probably
be the last of our family.
We have to at least save Ji Gyun and Ji Sung.
With a good bait, goby bites right away.
Where is Saimdang?
I wanted to kill her first, but then I had a good idea.
I will cut the bitch and the bastard with one strike, and hang the heads side by side in front of Gwanghwa gate.
Stating that the presiding artists were having affairs.
You must have gone completely insane.
If you touch even a hair of Saimdang,
I will take you to the end of hell and rip you apart!
Strike him.
Timing and Subtitles brought to you by Oh Man Won Team @ Viki
The king wanted your life.
Where is Saimdang? Tell me. Where is Saimdang?!
How could you go for a frail woman's life?
All I tried to do was to maintain a king's dignity.
The criminal of high treason, Prince Eui Seong's residence,
Bi Ik Hall, needs to be shut down. It's the royal command!
- This mother is so sorry.- Mount Geumgang--
Please hurry and leave, Mother!
The promise that we should draw together in Mount Geumgang.
Can't we keep that now?
To be continued...
♬ Only in my heart I had sung out I love you I love you. ♬
♬ I want my heart to speak to you now. ♬
♬ I want to love just you, only you, forever. ♬
♬ Listen to my heart calling out like this ♬
Saimdang, Light's Diary