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Why did you bring the girl?
Bring them here.
Sir.
You know why you're here?
We can ask El Temur that when we see him.
How awkward.
El Temur ordered you to be detained.
Yet you will make things difficult when you see him.
So.
What's the idea?
Must I die for no reason?
So it would seem.
Spare me.
50,000 in gold.
Is that all your worth?
100,000.
Hundreds of thousands if I speak to my master.
Hundreds.
But kill me and you in incur a debt you can never repay.
The girl.
Halt.
She's my prisoner.
There are to be no witnesses.
Bring the girl.
Sir.
Don't bring nothin'!
He said halt.
She'll end up a liability.
Her life is mine, either way.
Not yours.
Have it your way.
Let it be on your head.
Your Majesty.
What do you want?
The seal, of course.
Now leave.
The ice palace is no place for the prince.
Come again?
You are being disciplined.
Take the boy.
If you please.
Never.
No one takes my boy, no one.
Your Majesty.
I would rather die than let you take him.
Get on with it. Take the boy.
Your pardon.
Sweetie, sweetie.
Your Majesty.
Get my father.
He'll straighten them all out.
My boy...
Behave yourself.
Have you lost your senses?
Is this how you pay me back for Ganye Temple?
Pull yourself together.
We're protecting him from your own foolishness.
The heir can't be entrusted to a poisoner. You brought it on yourself.
Harm one hair on his head...
and you'll have to deal with me.
I'm not as foolish as you.
Use your time in the ice palace to think on that.
Sweetie... sweetie...
Sweetie.
Sweetie, sweetie... sweetie...
Your Majesty.
Your loss is temporary.
Mine is eternal.
I want to see him, hold him, but I never will.
Your pain is nothing.
I swear I didn't do this.
I know.
And do you know how this injustice infuriates me?
I do.
Find who did this.
They're bringing Hoksu from Liaoyang, then we'll...
Lady Ki.
She did it.
Do you have proof?
No. That's what gets to me.
But she speaks with her eyes.
She is laughing at me. Insulting me.
Remember what you see today.
When I return, Lady Ki and the Dowager...
will die.
Sir. Look.
Hold fast.
Sir.
Something on your mind?
A word in private.
Leave us.
I never imagined you would resort to poison.
You surprise me.
You won.
We lost.
You think I did this?
No one has done anything like this.
Not till you came.
You are mistaken.
If you will excuse me.
Lady Pak.
You know why she died?
She was unfit to bear an imperial child.
So she had to die.
She dared to presume.
As do you.
A servant against an empress?
Vengeance?
You think you stand a chance against us?
Make no mistake.
I've just gotten started.
You think the ice palace is my revenge?
I held the bodies of my friends in my arms.
As you will hold those of your father and sister.
That...
...is vengeance.
Your Majesty.
This is to be your room.
Your Majesty, be careful.
It's worse than they say. Colder.
No fires, no warm clothes, no decent food.
Nothing is allowed.
I'll survive.
My father will come to get me.
We can breathe easy with the Empress gone.
We can stretch our legs and rest easy.
When I think of those tonics every day.
Ugh.
Her Imperial Majesty.
Recent events have left us all upset.
Now we will return to normalcy and discipline.
Those above will show kindness.
Those below will show respect.
Harmony will be restored.
Understood?
Your Majesty.
'Presiding at court'...
...'and asking the Way.'
- 'Gracious yet lordly'... - ...'discuss and decide.'
Her Majesty is coming.
You needn't keep this from her any longer.
Send her in.
Your Majesty.
His Majesty is writing?
Yes.
This is his own hand.
Then the reason you sent for her every night...?
To learn my letters.
You can speak now?
I can.
Thank you. Thank you, My Liege.
We have Lady Ki to thank.
You are a blessing to the imperial house.
No one else should know he can read.
Why not?
El Temur wants me to abdicate.
Abdicate?
With the Empress gone they'll show their true colors.
Lady Ki?
This poisoning business was her idea?
She survived the slaughter of Lady Pak.
She wants revenge.
She was Bayan's nominee.
Meaning we can't trust Bayan.
It's only a matter of time.
Bayan... will betrays us?
Regent. Tal Tal to see you.
- Enter. - Sir.
Well?
Where's Hoksu?
He swallowed his own tongue and killed himself.
Killed...?
I accept full responsibility.
I see. Dismissed.
Father, you can't let Bayan do this.
After the abdication we'll see...
if he's a traitor or a good dog.
What did he say?
We'll have to watch our step.
Did he suspect?
His eyes have changed.
The old dog.
We couldn't fool him forever.
Where's Wang Yu?
Sire, we're here.
Why won't you see Sungnyang?
It's my fault.
Seeing me again will cause her that much more pain.
Is she the only one?
What about you? And your pain?
Bang has gone to the palace.
Without my permission?
Your pardon.
We can't stand to see you in such pain.
Your Grace.
Eunuch Bang to see you.
I can send him away.
Enter.
The King would like a word.
A word? Is that so?
Perhaps away from prying eyes...
He sends a eunuch to tell me this?
I am an imperial consort.
You suggest I see a stranger?
A stranger?
Tell him this.
Anyone that wants to see me can request an audience with the Emperor.
That's the only way he'll see me again.
Yes, I'll tell him.
Bang.
Don't take it too hard.
Tell her...
thank you.
Pardon?
A clean break can be hardest of all.
This will make it easier on the King.
I'm off.
A stranger?
Yes, Sire.
Request an audience with the Emperor. She was quite adamant.
See? She's not the old Sungnyang.
It's time you got over her.
You don't understand her.
Sire.
Request an audience with the Emperor.
What? Wang Yu is back?
He wishes to pay his respects.
What?
Are you scared?
Granted.
My Liege?
Right away.
You're mine. What do I have to fear?
I should go with you.
Why is that?
You still cannot speak.
Have you forgotten?
My Liege, I trust you've been well?
His Majesty cannot speak.
The eunuch told me.
May I ask a favor?
May I have a word with Wang Yu?
I will not if you refuse, of course.
But I ask for your trust.
Thank you, My Liege.
You look lovely.
Thank you, Wang Yu.
Are you angry?
The time for that is past.
In my heart...
you died long ago.
Forget me.
I wouldn't have you thinking of me.
Nor would I be reminded of you.
What's past is past.
It has no meaning.
We need never meet again.
I'm sorry.
So sorry.
Don't be.
I was the one that left you.
No one can blame you.
Not even me.
Do not apologize.
Do not weep.
Hold to your path.
As will I.
No looking back. No regrets.
I will hold to my path.
Forget me.
Find happiness.
It's selfish of me to ask.
My final request.
I'm sorry.
Sire...
...My lord...
Regent El Temur?
Announce him.
My Liege, the Regent El...
Drinking during the day?
No doubt you're distraught at my daughter's exile.
We have somewhere to be. Come along.
Well?
- Assist him. - Sir.
Where are you going?
Stand aside.
You'll have to kill us first.
You can come.
My Liege.
My Liege... My Liege.
Today you will forswear what little authority you have.
This names Maha as heir.
And the Empress as regent until he comes of age.
Abdication.
Your seal.
You're mute but not deaf.
Your seal. Now.
We spoke of abdication earlier.
Does anyone else know?
How could they? You can't speak or write.
My Liege, the governers are mad these days.
Ignore their requests for an audience.
Understood?
- My Liege. - My Liege.
El Temur had the abdication decree.
And? Did you seal it?
Did you?
Yes.
Your Majesty.
Abdication?
You abdicate with your eyes wide open?
Only the governors can stop it now.
Call for a meeting.
The Emperor would lose credibility.
What then?
Shall we let El Temur have his way?
First we'll sound out the governors.
How can we do that?
Bayan will know.
If the Emperor refuses to abdicate and the governors all support him...
then we can stop it.
But the governors' interests and El Temur's are intertwined.
We're dealing with power.
They won't act in unison.
Impossible or not, we have to try.
I'll help the Emperor.
You two push for the governors to meet.
If El Temur finds out you and he will be in danger.
As will we.
What of it? It's the only way.
If I get them to meet...
how do we convince them?
Know what this is?
The Emperor's abdication.
His abdication?
Yes. Abdication.
Once it's announced at the Kurultai,
my grandson will be crowned emperor.
I understood that required a unanimous vote from the governors.
Or their mutual consent.
And I have the means to keep them in line.
You hear about Sungnyang?
She was dead. Then she just showed up.
I saw her.
And?
Does she still serve you?
She's different. Her eyes, her words, her thought.
She's not the Sungnyang I knew.
Women love the taste of power more than men.
She's 'Her Grace' now. Who could resist that?
Don't take it too hard.
You're better off.
Well, well, well.
Who would have thought?
Living the good life every day.
Where's Wang Yu?
Why?
You going to talk?
Then forget it.
He's got enough problems.
With what?
Ah, well now...
Never mind.
I want to see him.
Huh?
What did you want?
I'll give you the key.
On two conditions.
Release you?
No.
Kill me.
Eagle House will come after me.
Hoksu is dead. They'll sell me into slavery.
Bury me in the desert with my people.
Forget the key.
I won't kill you.
And you won't be sold into slavery.
You're going to protect me?
I tried to kill you.
Why? Why are you doing this?
You there.
Yes, Sire.
Give her something to eat.
I would rather die.
The key uses the numbering system of ancient Rome.
Copy out The Thousand Character Classic.
One hundred lines, ten characters each.
Each combination of two characters...
indicates a horizontal and vertical location.
Follow the key.
And you have your document.
How long to do the whole thing?
A few days.
Do it.
Your Majesty, food.
Eat it before it gets cold.
Your Majesty.
I'm sick of dumplings.
Who can live on this?
You have to eat it.
To fend off the cold...
No. I said no.
...So cold...
Your Majesty.
No matter how cold and hungry, you have to be strong.
Once you become weak, you will lose.
I can't stand being cold and hungry.
I can't stand not seeing my baby, my boy.
Your Majesty, he's not...
Not what?
Of course you miss him.
You have to pull yourself together till you see him again.
What's my father doing? Why haven't I heard from him?
He's busy with the abdication.
Abdication?
While I'm dying?
Bayan.
Against the abdiction. Our best asst.
Ohgwang.
Soldokan.
Pusakwi.
Jokgong.
Fathers of the consorts.
Their daughters. They'll oppose the abdication.
Our problem is the other governors.
We have more information.
Tal Tal tells me Ohkwang is like a brother to the Governor of Gansu.
Pusakwi is close to the governors of Jiangzhe and Jiangxi.
Soldokan and the governors of Huguang and Shanxi are the same.
Meaning that with the fathers...
We have the ten we need.
We can't delay.
Send for them immediately.
Why don't you invite them to a dinner with the consorts instead?
El Temur still doesn't know I can speak.
If you invite them here, he's less likely to be suspicious.
Tell Bayan to have them here at 7 o'clock.
Your Majesty.
Have the governors at my home tonight.
The Dowager is hosting a dinner tonight.
As to that.
The Emperor may be there.
That does us no good.
The governors won't break an imperial engagement.
You think so?
Not even for me?
It's not the Dowager? The Emperor wants to see us?
There's something to discuss.
Tell us what this is about.
El Temur is pushing for an abdication.
What?
This can't leave the room.
I should think not.
Now. Can we count on you?
What does one dinner matter?
No one can stand against El Temur after this.
If the Emperor abdicates, what abou our daughters in the pavilion?
We won't have it.
Any problem with the other governors?
I shouldn't think so.
Don't forget. Seven o'clock in the palace.
Right.
No one? Did you send the wrong time?
Give them time.
You know what you're going to say?
I've memorized it.
Keep in mind that you are their Emperor.
Be strong, resolute, with a warmth El Temur lacks.
Show them who rules this country.
Relax.
My grandfather's grandfather's grandfather's grandfather...
was Genghis Khan.
My Liege.
If you please.
His Imperial Majesty.
My Liege.
Explain yourselves.
Why aren't any of the governors here?
Answer me.
Where are they?
At El Temur's house.
Long life and prosperity.
Let's get to it without further ado.
Do you support the abdication and naming the Crown Prince as heir?
Before that there's the matter of certain assurances.
Of course.
What are those?
Anyone care to elaborate?
If we support the abdication and name the Crown Prince as heir...
El Temur swears to wipe clean all of our debts to him.
Is it agreeable.
Indeed, sir.
The new Emperor will ensure stability.
Your debts to me are beyond counting.
But I will foregt them in the interests of a peaceful reign.
A toast. To a new world.
Disappointed?
It's over.
With no subjects, there is no one to rule.
We knew our opponents were strong.
Yet I fought them. Do you know why?
I believe in you.
Don't cry over a small setback.
Not while you still have one subject...
that believes in you.
El Temur's resources are beyond imagining.
He's tied to Eagle House somehow.
How else could he...?
Sire.
Yon Feisu has finished.
It's not an Eagle House ledger.
Huh?
Then what is it?
Yunnan Province. Yi Wongak. Ju Haelyong. Song Chio.
Henan Province, So Jaekuk, Zhang Wonsu.
Feisu doesn't know what it is either.
Sire.
Yongfu Province, Wang Sipan, Ju Haesok.
Koryo, Kim Jachi.
Wait.
Kim Jachi of Koryo?
Hold on, Kim Jachi...?
Our trade minister, Kim Jachi, cut some sort of deal.
He was defrauding Koryo with Eagle House.
Then this...?
Is a list of everyone that deals with Eagle House by province.
Which explains how the governors came to owe El Temur so much.
We can stop the abdication with this.
You're helping the Emperor?
Helping him will help Sungnyang...
What the...?
Send for Tal Tal.
Sire.
He'll have to talk fast.
He had an excellent teacher.
How did you come by that information?
No one can know it came from me.
The informant does not wish to be named.
You've lived through three emperors.
Now you want a fourth?
But this time you picked the wrong opponent.
[Next on Empress Ki]
You're wondering what it is I need.
Your influence.
A little longer. I'll have good news soon.
Regent. The Emperor isn't here yet.
He already abdicated.
El Temur wanted to prepare for the unexpected.
He is not the only one preparing.
Lady Ki.
Would you enter the tiger's cave alone?
Why is a tiger acting like a kitten.