(This drama was picked and sponsored...)
(by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and KOCCA.)
You told me to fight the ogre and win.
- I will do that. - Let go!
I am the head of Gobu's Jipgangso.
I cannot believe the man who used to shoot the Donghak members...
ended up becoming a Jipgang.
I will show you...
how the old era that was full of customs and hierarchy...
slowly disappears.
Take the detached force to Hanyang.
I want you to give someone a letter.
To whom?
Heungseon Daewongun, Lee Ha Eung.
Bong Jun chose one good messenger.
Who knows that this might not lead to something worse?
Something worse?
I am talking about the invasion of the palace!
I do not...
want to become a servant of evil and stray away again.
I want to return to being Baek Yi Hyun.
In accordance with the Reform Bill,
all slave documents will be burned.
Submit them to Jipgangso as soon as possible.
I know this rifle's owner.
- Take it. - He is Baek Yi Kang's brother.
He is whose brother?
Nice to meet you. I am Kim Ga from the detached force.
The following is the command...
from the Imperial General Headquarters.
Attack Gyeongbokgung Palace immediately,
and arrest the King of Joseon.
But I want my children to live in a world where such base tricks...
are no longer needed.
This is why I should not have accepted...
a lowly officer's son as a pupil.
You killed him.
- Ogre. - I am not an ogre.
You jerk!
I said I am not an ogre, you rat.
I really...
did not want you to see me like this.
There are the enemy forces at Yeongchumun Gate!
Charge!
The general will not scold me...
even if I die here, right?
Come on! Let us fight!
As of this moment, leave the palace.
Everyone. Do as he says.
- No, Your Majesty! - No, Your Majesty!
What on earth is happening?
- No, Your Majesty! - No, Your Majesty!
Did the King just surrender?
- No, Your Majesty! - No, Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty. - Your Majesty.
(Episode 31)
Did a war break out in the end?
Japanese warships carried out a surprise attack...
on Qing fleets off the coast of Asan.
How dare they start a war?
Our country is clearly doomed.
Your Majesty.
You are the ruler of this country. Do not be so pessimistic.
I can hardly grasp the situation.
The Qing will brace up and make a counterattack soon.
Also, Jeon Bong Jun's men are taking secret emissary Lee Geon Hyung...
to Jeolla Province. We still have hope.
I hope they will...
keep Lee Geon Hyung safe.
You can relax.
I am sure they got out of Hanyang by now.
Lord Daewon.
Secretary Lee. What are you doing here?
I thought you were on your way to Jeonju with Jeon Bong Jun's men.
They decided to leave tomorrow.
Nonsense. Why did you not tell them to leave immediately?
I am afraid to say,
but they said there was something more urgent than the King's order.
What?
The lights in that shed...
did not go off all night.
That must be the place.
Let us start over from the beginning.
What happened between Lord Daewon...
and your gang?
Continue.
Her gang might come here to rescue her.
Be prepared.
Let us attack at night.
Okay.
Hold on.
You look familiar.
Do you recognize me?
I cannot believe what you did.
Take Secretary Lee to Jeonju immediately.
We will get to that after rescuing our friend.
If it is so urgent, you take him.
I tried to suppress your riot as a soldier of the Joseon army.
If the secret emissary is escorted by me,
will Jeon Bong Jun trust him?
Then just wait.
There is no time to lose.
The Japanese started a war...
against the Qing.
No matter how foolish you are, you still belong to Joseon.
Should you not show your loyalty to His Majesty?
Do you really...
not care a bit about this country's crisis?
What is a country, anyway?
- What? - What is a country to you?
The King?
- The royal family? - How dare you...
To me,
it is the people who try their best...
to save this country.
My friend, Beo Dul,
is as important as the whole country to me.
(Waeseongdae, Hanyang)
Report any suspicious person immediately.
Excuse me.
How do I get to this place?
Yi Hyun.
What brings Gobu's Jipgang all the way to Hanyang?
I wanted to do some sightseeing and see you.
I doubt you have so much time.
Tell me honestly why you are here.
I quit.
What is your plan?
I want to go to Japan...
and serve Master Park Young Hyo until the time is right.
Right to do what?
To come back here with Master Park...
and civilize Joseon.
I want you to get me a pass issued by the Joseon government.
I am only a merchant. How could I get my hands on that?
You should be more honest.
A group of merchant fighters called Tenyukyo...
met Jeon Bong Jun in Gobu.
You were behind that.
And of course, you were receiving orders from the Japanese government.
Yi Hyun, I really cannot deceive you.
I am impressed.
I need to be somewhere right now.
Would you like to join me?
I am sure you heard about Hanyang on your way here.
Yes, I did.
But was it really necessary to go this far?
Think of it very simply.
We only showed the power of civilization...
to those who insisted on staying barbaric.
How can you do this?
You dared to start a war in our country...
without even seeking our King's permission?
This kind of tragedy has never happened before!
Did you not see the announcement...
made by our country's diplomat?
Starting a war against the Qing was a desperate measure...
made by Japan, your ally,
to help Joseon become an independent country.
(Desperate measure: An act of sacrificing oneself)
Tell Otori Keisuke...
to stop attacking the Qing...
since our King will be intervening with the situation himself.
This was bound to happen anyway.
Just use this chance...
to get rid of everything that is bad.
Shut it!
How dare a military officer like you...
try to fool a regent with your sly words?
That is pure nonsense.
I am only here...
to ask you for a favor.
What is that?
Someone high up within the court seems to be attempting...
to communicate with Jeon Bong Jun through private correspondence.
(Private correspondence: Using letters to communicate)
Joseon is on the brink of its reformation.
Therefore, we will not approve of anyone that tries...
to get in the way.
So I hope you keep that in mind and make sure...
that never happens.
That should never happen.
Do not worry and go back.
Okay, then. I will be off now.
(Jeolla Province's Peddlers' Inn)
Gosh.
- Good work! - Goodness.
(National Peddlers' Inn, Hanyang)
- My goodness, we are finally done. - Good work, everyone.
Thank you, Master.
This is all thanks to Her Highness.
You must always do your best...
as her private messenger.
(Private messenger: A person who can freely enter the palace)
- Yes, Master. - By the way,
Kyu Tae told me that you resigned from your position.
He has become so disheartened.
That is because he knows...
the Japanese army was able to come to Joseon...
because he called the Qing army for help.
My goodness.
Let us get to work.
I want you to go to Office of Peddlers...
and restore the list of all the peddlers.
(Office of Peddlers: A public office that observes peddlers' affairs)
Lady Song.
Today, I promised Kyu Tae that I will have a drink with him.
I will start working hard from tomorrow.
I will see you later!
- Master Choi! - See you!
Do not drink too much!
(National Peddlers' Inn)
Master Choi, what should I do now?
What do you think?
Once a soldier is always a soldier.
I heard the leader of jangwuiyeong will be replaced with a Japanese,
but everyone else will be able to stay.
Are you telling me...
to follow orders from the Japanese?
What else can you do?
Cheer up. We did not lose our country yet.
What is a country to you?
- How dare you... - To me,
it is the people who try their best...
to save this country.
(Empire of Japan Legation)
You do not look very happy.
Joseon is my country.
Why did you take me to the palace?
I am someone whom Lord Daewon cannot treat with disrespect.
And I felt sorry that you are merely trying to rely on...
Park Young Hyo.
What is that supposed to mean?
I am suggesting you to work with me.
Joseon will soon go through a large-scale reformation.
I want you to begin by helping me in secret.
And when the right time comes, you can reveal yourself...
and spread your wings.
What do you mean "in secret"?
I am sure you know what the Tenyukyo is.
They are known as a group of wanderers.
But they are very well-educated,
and they are also very good fighters.
But their only flaw...
is that they do not know Joseon very well.
Are you asking me to become a wanderer?
You are someone who has earned my acknowledgement.
I am asking you to become their leader.
I am going to help Master Park Young Hyo.
Please just give me the pass I asked for.
Do you think...
Park Young Hyo will be able to delete your past?
What past?
A few days ago, I received a report from Jeolla Province.
"Baek Yi Hyun, Jipgang of Gobu,"
"became enraged by his fiancee's forced marriage."
(Forced marriage: Being forced to marry someone against one's will)
"He murdered many Donghak members..."
"and suddenly disappeared."
You knew everything from the very beginning.
So just do as I say.
I am your best way out of this situation.
I really do not want to take this offer...
because it feels as if I am being pitied.
You are also the best choice for me.
There are tons...
of other Joseon people who graduated Keio University.
But I can trust you.
- Why is that? - Because just like me,
you are not an aristocrat.
All the aristocrats of every country are all the same.
They are weak and hypocritical.
And they have very clear limits.
If the people who started the Meiji Restoration...
(Meiji Restoration: Japan's political reformation in 1968)
were a group of aristocrats instead of warriors,
Japan will not have been able to become what it has become today.
Two Donghak members just entered Waeseongdae.
(Waeseongdae in Hanyang, Japanese residential area)
Do not cause a fuss.
Lure them to Daeil store and catch them alive.
I think that is enough talking for today.
You can come back once you think things over.
By the way,
who are the Donghak members?
They are Jeon Bong Jun's informants who met up with Lord Daewon.
We arrested a girl who was with them.
They must be here to save her.
They are unbelievably reckless.
They sure are uncivilized people.
[VIU Ver] SBS E31 'The Nokdu Flower' "Takeda's Suggestion to Yi Hyun" -♥ Ruo Xi ♥-
We arrested a girl who was with them.
They must be here to save her.
- Hurry up. - Okay.
Monk Hae.
- The gun. - The gun?
Let us go. Hurry.
Darn it.
It was a trap.
Surrender.
Deok Ki.
Stop getting in trouble, you brat.
How could you disobey the King's order?
He is a Donghak member after all.
Kill them.
What is he saying?
Darn it.
Yi Kang.
Let us take a step back and plan for the future.
Who is that?
- Is it your man? - No.
Let us run.
Darn it.
Lady Song. Lady Song.
What happened?
Take him inside. Hurry.
Yi Kang.
- This way. - Thank you.
The Japanese do not know about this place. You can relax.
Let me go and see Secretary Lee.
- Be careful. - Yes.
Beo Dul, wake up.
Beo Dul.
Those scum.
- I need some cloth and water. - Follow me.
I guess it is best not to ask what happened.
We will not be here long, so do not worry.
Also, do not tell anyone that we were here.
That hurts.
Do you think...
I will rat on you or something?
You must be broke.
Let me get you some money. Give me a second.
I do not need your money.
Lady Song, go and tell him...
that Her Highness ordered you to trade with Takeda.
What?
Should I tell him for you?
- Do not tell him. - Why not?
Yi Kang is...
trying to get over me.
- I should help him do that. - What about you?
Can you get over him?
I will.
You did the right thing.
She is trading with the Japanese in this situation.
She is clearly not for you.
Were you listening in on us?
By the way, who do you think helped us earlier?
It must have been a soldier who wanted to get back at the Japanese.
Anyway, his skills were as good as the ogre's.
That is unlucky.
Why would you bring up the dead ogre?
Yi Hyun...
How is he doing as the Jipgang?
(Gobu Government Office)
Never set foot in Gobu again.
I appreciate it.
It is from Lady Yoo Wol.
Get lost with it now.
General.
- General is here. - He is here.
(Jipgangso, Gobu)
Have you been eating well?
Drink some of this water.
Goodness.
You must be going through so much.
It is nothing compared to what you are going through.
Hold a meeting...
to elect the next Jipgang as soon as possible.
We have decided to do it anyway.
Did you come here yourself because of that?
That is one thing.
And we have to investigate the incident about Jipgang Baek.
Bang, bang. Like this.
He shot the runaway soldiers...
in the yard and the backyard of the house.
Then he shot the last one here.
He is assumed...
to have moved to someplace else afterward.
Are you sure...
he murdered all of them alone?
I did not believe it at first,
but the witnesses have given clear statements.
They also mentioned he seemed very skilled at shooting.
I am sorry.
This is all my fault for having a bad subordinate.
What happened...
to Young Master Baek?
I do not know.
He seems to have escaped from Jeolla Province already.
I should not have...
had feelings for him from the start.
I ruined him.
It is not your love that ruined him.
It is his darn status.
Status causes discrimination. Discrimination causes rage.
And Rage...
eventually causes blood.
Get out.
Do not stand against Jipgangso ever again.
If this village reeks of...
that corrupted aristocrat again,
I will kill you.
You once told me...
not to be afraid of crossing the line.
That having not been there...
does not mean it is impossible to go.
Tell me.
What did you see when you crossed the line?
Why are you not saying anything?
You should say that you have seen a paradise.
The world of Injeukcheon...
which you talked so much about.
Tell me...
it lay before your eyes.
I have not completely crossed it yet.
A new enemy has shown up on my way.
Japan ordered its soldiers to invade the palace...
and started a war against the Qing.
Did you just say,
they invaded the palace?
This is the result...
of resisting change and settling for the present.
Miserable and pathetic.
Just like how you are right now.
Joseon will soon go through a large-scale reformation.
I will show you...
how the old era that was full of customs and hierarchy...
slowly disappears.
The world will become...
an equal place to all.
That kind of world can never exist, and it should never exist.
Never once did I...
consider you an equal human being.
Joseon was established and ruled by nobles,
and is for the nobles.
The classic system...
is Joseon.
All the aristocrats of every country are all the same.
They are weak and hypocritical.
And they have very clear limits.
If the people who started the Meiji Restoration...
were a group of aristocrats instead of warriors,
Japan will not have been able to become what it has become today.
(Episode 32 will air shortly.)
I told the workers of Jeonju Hostel...
to purchase rice.
But until the harvest season,
we will not be able to secure the amount of rice you want.
We have enough food to hold out for that much time.
It is the list of rice stores in Pyongyang...
opened under the names of Joseon people.
Send the rice to those stores.
Did you say, Pyongyang?
It is where the main-force units of the Qing are stationed in.
Do you mean the next battlefield after Chungcheong Province...
is Pyongyang?
(Daeil Store)
Young Master Baek.
Seeing how you are coming out from here,
I guess you are doing business with some huge customer.
I heard you became the Jipgang in Gobu.
What are you doing here?
Will you do me a favor?
Forget everything about me.
I will forget as well.
Not only you but also my brother who is hiding in the Peddlers' Inn.
I will do it.
I will be the leader of Tenyukyo.
For our friendship.
For destiny...
and Joseon.
He told you to send the rice to Pyongyang?
Yes.
Japan will attack the Qing army...
in Pyongyang as well as Chungcheong Province.
The fools are planning to turn...
all of Joseon into a battlefield.
You must be prepared, Your Highness.
There is no need to fuss.
Japan is digging its own grave.
- Pardon? - They were victorious in Asan Bay,
but there is no way the great Qing will fall to Japan.
Their army is also many more times larger than Japan's.
She will pay dearly if she relies too much on Qing.
Wars these days are not won with numbers alone.
Then what?
Weapons, strategies, and training.
Do you think the Queen does not know that?
She is almost locked in...
and wants to believe as she wants.
This is what happened because the royals relied on Qing.
If you see her again,
tell her to wake up.
I will.
I will tell her that Choi Deok Ki said that.
Then I will...
Then me too.
- Commander Choi. - Hello.
Is the tortured Donghak member awake?
Yes, she is. Go ahead.
Now you can tell me what happened...
yesterday and today.
That Man...
will escort...
the King's secret emissary to Jeon Bong Jun.
A secret emissary?
You cannot tell anyone else about this.
How do you feel? Can you walk?
I apologize for being clumsy and getting into trouble.
My gosh.
Now you know?
Gosh.
She has enough energy to walk.
What did you do with your glove?
- Did you lose it? - Yes.
I was clumsy as well.
Oh, dear. What a pity.
Secretary Lee is waiting.
Let us go.
Take care.
Thank you.
You must hate us. Thank you for your help.
Not at all.
People from the same country fight but also help each other.
Next time we meet, we should have rice wine together.
- Good luck. - See you again.
Not on the battlefield.
Take care.
Sorry for the intrusion.
(National Peddlers' Inn)
It feels like a dream lasted a few days.
I feel the same way.
To see the palace like this.
Boss. If a war broke out,
what will happen next?
We have General Nokdu. Why worry?
Let us hurry.
I am sick of Hanyang.
Are you still angry?
Just tell me why you are here.
I am getting numerous anonymous letters...
that some of your men are getting their revenge on the aristocrats.
We reap what they sow.
Since when did that become "taking revenge"?
Punish them...
and follow the regulations of the Jipgangso headquarters.
Pastor Min Jong Ryul in Naju...
is already causing me a big enough headache...
by refusing to set up a Jipgangso.
I told you in Jeonju...
that I never agreed to a peace treaty.
Listen, Gae Nam.
The situation is very bad.
I heard that the Japanese are causing a fuss.
But was it not you who brought that upon us?
- What? - How many times did I say...
that we should defeat the Joseon army...
and march into Hanyang?
The peace treaty was our best option.
We could have stopped the Japanese.
They would have fought harder.
Because then both us and the Joseon army...
would be helpless.
Where we stand right now,
there would be Japanese flags flying.
Do not...
come here again.
We are done. Escort him back to Jeonju.
We must take one more man back with us.
What?
Kim Ga is here.
General.
I took you in...
because you said you had nowhere to go,
but it was because you forced a marriage on someone in Gobu?
I did that for a reason.
Instead of taking him to Jeonju, I will kill him here.
No, wait! Commander Choi.
It was about the ogre.
What did he say?
- What? - The ogre?
- Why? - He is dead.
No!
I was trying to catch the ogre.
The ogre from the Jeonju Castle battle.
Yi Kang killed the ogre.
That was the lie that he told.
Yi Kang's brother.
Baek Yi Hyun, the Jipgang of Gobu...
is the real ogre.
What?
Are you sure he murdered all of them alone?
They also mentioned he seemed very skilled at shooting.
I arranged the forced marriage...
to lure him.
The young lady was his fiancee.
It is true, General.
I did it for our dead men.
I wished to avenge Beon Gae.
Believe me.
Okay.
It is not worth a huge fuss.
- See you. - Bye.
(Jipgangso)
- My gosh. - Look at that.
- This is great. - What a good day.
Our lives will be better now!
[VIU Ver] SBS E32 'The Nokdu Flower' "Yi Hyun's Decision to Join Hands with Takeda" -♥ Ruo Xi ♥-
What is all this straw for?
They want to make straw shoes for a living now.
You do not know how?
- No. - You were a servant for years...
and you cannot make straw shoes?
I only made straw rope in the winter.
We always bought our straw shoes.
My gosh. We bought all this because we thought you knew.
What should we do now?
We must take it back and beg for a refund.
Darn you.
You lot are fools.
Move.
Why does the Grim Reaper...
not take these useless people with him?
Honey, is this really my mother?
I do not usually work,
but I am very thorough when I do.
When did you learn how to make shoes?
We were not rich from the start.
During the barley hump,
we almost starved because we had nothing to eat.
If I had not made straw shoes for sale,
Yi Hwa, you might not have been born.
Then Father must be good at making them too.
This is no job for a man.
Did you make them all on your own?
Let me have a look.
You cannot just go on weaving.
You must wrap it around this strap sometimes.
What are you doing?
Keep quiet and watch.
My lady.
I am finished.
Already?
You are so thorough for a child.
You can get a little more for a good pair like that, right?
That is right.
Thanks to you, Yoo Wol,
the Baek family will not have to starve.
Why would you starve?
I will make shoes like crazy...
and make you meat soup.
- Meat soup? - Yes.
You do that then.
Thank you just for the thought.
You are such a blessing, Yoo Wol.
My little blessing
Shall we go and sell some shoes?
We shall buy a chicken
We shall buy some beef
What shall I buy you, Yoo Wol?
Shall I just live with you?
Should you?
There. Use this as an example.
Get to work.
What is wrong?
What happened?
We are less than humans.
What do you mean?
Yoo Wol.
Have you heard from Yi Kang?
What is the matter?
(Jeonju)
We are back.
At Jeonju Castle.
Is it true they invaded the palace?
- Yes. - Do not even mention it.
- How could they? - They are scum.
- Hello. - Welcome back.
You are back.
How have you been?
Why are they like this?
They seem almost ready to go to war.
Did something happen while we were away?
- You are safe. - Master.
Yes. Well done.
Is the general in?
He is out touring with Commander Choi.
Who is this?
The King's secret emissary.
I am Lee Geon Hyung.
I have the King's secret letter.
Come inside.
Right.
Go to the back yard. You will see a familiar face.
Yi Kang.
You got back alive.
Monk Hae.
Beo Dul.
- I know, I know. - Gosh.
You went home to care for your wife.
Why are you in Jeonju?
Did you not see the men with bamboo spears?
We were wondering. Who are those men?
We heard the Japanese broke into the palace.
They gathered to fight again for our country.
The people are braver than the King.
That is right.
It is good to be brave,
but your priority should be looking after your diabetic wife.
You said she could die any day.
When I got home,
she had already passed away.
It is okay. I am fine.
I held a special memorial for her twice,
so in her next life, she will not marry a butcher.
She went to a better place.
I am sure she did.
Why waste breath talking about it?
So,
the names.
What?
My kids' names.
Right.
- Here. - Thanks.
I am not able to read.
Oh, okay.
What is the eldest boy's name?
The first name is...
Lee...
- Seong Gye. - Seong Gye.
Is this a joke?
Would I joke about my nephews' names?
What is the second name?
The next name.
Lee...
- Bang Won. - Bang Won.
Why not?
Who says a butcher's kids cannot have that name?
- Right? - Right.
Hanyang's namers are so skilled.
Right.
Seong Gye. Bang Won.
You poor woman.
I named our kids.
Could you not have called them before you died?
Seong Gye!
Bang Won!
You should have called it out...
and released all the anguish you felt.
Why did you have to die in such a hurry?
- Gosh. - Gosh.
How did the patrol go?
It went all right.
General.
We have completed the mission.
Good work.
His Majesty has sent a secret emissary.
Let us go to the headquarter.
- He has lost so much weight. - You are right.
He must have gone through a lot.
Under my royal command,
you must mobilize your army to head for Hanyang.
Destroy the evil forces of Japan,
and protect your King, the royal house, and this nation.
(The royal house and the nation)
Thank you for your hard work.
Please return to Hanyang now.
Okay.
What does His Majesty's message say?
He wants the uprising.
What will you do?
Let us take some time to think.
It is not the matter to think about.
We clearly saw it in Hanyang.
The King, Lord Daewon, the court, and everyone...
were all intimidated by the Japanese army.
They were nothing but scarecrows.
General.
This nation is about to go down.
Everyone, give me some time alone with Yi Kang.
- Yi Kang. - I am listening.
Who is the ogre?
What are you talking about all of a sudden?
Answer my question.
You do not exchange names when you kill someone.
I do not know who he is.
Let me ask you one last time.
Who is the ogre?
General.
What is wrong?
Why are you bringing up what happened in the past?
The runaway soldiers committed a forced marriage in Gobu.
The woman was Myung Sim, the younger sister of Seok Ju.
They got into a fight with furious aristocrats.
A large number of people were injured and killed.
In the end,
Baek Yi Hyun shot the runaway soldiers to death...
and disappeared.
Yi Hyun...
did what?
Do not let me down anymore.
Tell me the truth.
(Civilized Joseon)
The leader of Tenyukyo should not use the Joseon name.
I shall give you a Japanese name.
I have decided one for myself already.
That is right.
Yi Hyun is...
the ogre.
Oni.
(The Nokdu Flower)
You are guilty of helping Baek Yi Hyun from Gobu...
who murdered a lot of Donghak soldiers including Kim Hak Soo.
You are a boss yourself,
so how could you fool your men like this?
Was I supposed to tell the truth then?
That my brother is the ogre, and we should kill him?
The King is usually not this courageous.
It is human nature that you become gutsy...
when you have someone courageous around.
This nation is facing its end.
Please let His Majesty know how grave the situation is.
I will not hear any more.
I cannot distract His Majesty for such a petty matter.
You mean the middle-class young man who was studying for the state exam?
He shot people to death when he was the Jipgang in Gobu.
He disappeared after then.
Consider yourself lucky that I am sane.
You will have your belly stabbed with a spear the day I go insane.
That will be the end of your life.
Is every person really equal?
The sky is not the only thing that makes up the world.
The earth is just as important as the sky.
The King has ordered you to take arms.
We will not do it.
General.