Gwanghae, Wangyidoen namja Page #3

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read out the royal decree.

I'll do the honor

on His Majesty's behalf.

Tax Minister.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You shall draw up a bill to restore

the uniform land tax law.

Justice Minister.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Prepare a report on which regions

the law should be enforced first.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Trusted servants, hear my words.

I shall no longer question

the wrongdoings of Yu Jeong-ho.

Any man found guilty of disturbing

the peace with groundless accusations

shall be punished severely.

I trust you shall endeavor

to fulfill the royal decree.

This concludes the morning conference.

Your grace is immeasurable,

Your Majesty.

Revive the identification system?

And restore the uniform land tax law?

The passing of the bill wasn't

delayed for our interest.

The Chief Secretary is to blame

for this mess.

Didn't I make that clear earlier?

He disturbs peace

with his three-inch tongue.

The King has ordered for reports.

What should I do now?

Who made this red bean porridge?

Your Majesty didn't appear

to have fully recovered.

I asked you who made it.

The taster asked the palace matron

at the royal kitchen.

It tastes really good.

Just like what I used

to eat as a child.

What is your name?

Lady Han, Sire.

And yours?

Your Majesty, it's Sa-wol.

How old are you?

Fifteen, Sire.

Fifteen.

I'm done for now.

Clear the table.

You heard His Majesty.

Make haste.

Yes, sir.

I missed you, good old rice!

Stock up while you can.

You don't know when

he'll get his appetite back.

My Lady.

Do you think the King

has changed recently?

What do you mean by that?

His complexion as

well as his palate.

He chuckles a lot, too.

And Yeong-yi told me

that even the sound of his royal

defecation has changed.

Fortunately, his pulse is returning.

But, sir,

it appears that he's been

drugged, not poisoned.

What do you mean by that?

Where has he been going

on his outings?

He's been avoiding royal coitus?

How on earth could I know?

I hear he is staying clear of

the concubines and the Queen, too.

The rumor has spread

all over the Court.

He is avoiding the

sweet smell of women

that he favors so much.

My Lord.

My Lord.

The Chief Secretary is

up to something.

He's been enquiring

about Lady Ahn.

What should we do?

Take some men and burn down

the poppy patch at once.

We must get rid of all evidence.

Lady Ahn has not been seen

the past few days.

As you see fit.

Your grace is immeasurable.

Did you dissent the

uniform land tax bill?

But that's what you

told me to do.

To respond to whatever

the officials say with,

"Do as you see fit."

Did you approve the interrogation

of Yu Jeong-ho?

No, I didn't do that.

I only approved the setting up

of an inquisitorial committee.

That's the same thing!

Didn't I warn you to be extra

cautious around Park Chung-seo?

I'll call for a high officials' meeting.

You will announce the reintroduction

of the uniform land tax bill.

Why keep making me

change my words?

Just do as I say.

Give and take.

That's politics.

Shouldn't I know what

I'm giving away and taking...

...at least?

Do you know, Chief,

what the big deal is about

the identification law and

the uniform land tax law?

I do not, Sire.

What do I need to know anyway?

I only need to do as I'm told.

But I can get you books

on the subject.

If everyone carries

an identification tag,

it would be easy to check the identity

and convenient for taxation purposes.

Not for everyone, Sire.

An identification tag carries with it

the duty of compulsory labor.

There are people who abandon

their tags and cross the border

or voluntarily get castrated

to become a eunuch.

You mean they cut off

their own balls?

That means such eunuchs

could be in this Court.

Do you know anyone?

Chief.

It might be an awkward question.

Ask me anything, Sire.

Do you really not have it?

I do not, Sire.

Then, when you go

to the outhouse,

do you do it standing up,

or sitting down?

Well...

It must have hurt.

Chief Secretary!

Your Majesty!

Chief Secretary.

Chief Secretary.

Chief Secretary.

Chief Secretary.

Your Majesty.

The king never comes

to his servant.

But you're a busy man.

Let me ask you a question.

I stayed up all night studying

and I think the uniform land tax law

is a really good law.

So why was it abolished

only after a year?

Sire.

Secretary.

It's not a question

of right and wrong.

Politics is just politics.

There are a lot of suspicious eyes.

Return to your quarters at once.

Have a man watch the Secretary.

I want to know his

every movement.

Yes, sir.

I just don't understand.

Why does everyone

get so sensitive

whenever the uniform land

tax law is mentioned?

Probably because of resistance

by landowners.

It's only fair to impose tax according

to how much land you own.

Those who have more

should contribute more.

Sire, Your way of speaking

resembles the King more and more.

Is that so?

I sometimes feel like the real King.

Your Majesty, a night snack is ready.

Bring it in.

Sa-wol.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Did you say you were fifteen?

I am, Sire.

How did you end up

living in the Court?

I'm only asking out of curiosity.

You may answer freely.

My father was a tenant farmer

in the mountainous region.

Then one day, he was told

to pay tax in abalone.

Abalone from a farmer?

What happened?

He had to borrow

at high interest.

Debt begot more debt.

We ended up losing the house

and the little land we owned.

My father was jailed.

Oh dear.

When that still wasn't enough

to pay off the debt...

My mother and brother

were sold as slaves,

and I, to a deputy

minister's household.

Insufferable!

My father was left by himself.

He never recovered from

the injuries of the torture

and passed away in the same year.

F***ing bastards!

Sire!

Don't you miss your mother?

If only I knew

whether she lives or not.

I have no other wish

in the world.

I'll reunite you with your mother

before this act is over.

Your grace is immeasurable.

Your grace is immeasurable,

Your Majesty.

You may leave now.

Tell me, Chief.

What can I do about

the bastards

who squeeze pennies from

the weak and poor?

Order the Royal Investigation Bureau.

But that takes too long.

I don't know how long

I'll be playing the King.

Then...

Then?

It's nothing, Sire.

Oh, come on!

Tax Minister.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Did I not command you to

reintroduce the tax reform bill?

Sire.

If you change the law overnight,

the burden on landowners

will become unbearable.

Do not discriminate against landowners

for they are your loyal subjects, too.

Taxing 10 bags of rice for those

who own 10 patches of rice paddy,

and 1 for those who own 1.

How is that discrimination?

When people are voluntarily

becoming slaves and eunuchs,

how can you talk of discrimination

over a landowner's bag of rice?

Bring in the prisoner.

That man is the magistrate

for Gangwon

who extorted money

from the commoners.

The officials who took

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