Moon River
Episode 2
Escape from Yodong
Did you give this to him?
If it was taken from you or if you lost it,
I'll return it to you.
No. I gave it to him.
It's something I don't need, so I gave it to him.
I felt sorry for that beggar raising a child.
See! I told you so!
Is that all, officer?
If you have nothing else to do, go wash your feet.
She told him to wash his feet.
I can go now, right?
Let's go.
Yes, alright.
Gu Ja Myeong. Let's start today's story with this simpleton police officer.
There is a famous story about how he became an officer in the bureau at such a young age.
This way.
Stop there.
When he was still a boy, there was a group of thieves being chased by the police.
You can say that they are the enterprising founders of the Haedongcheong gang.
Where the hell did they go?
They should be around here. Look carefully!
Okay.
Anyway, the thieves had vanished into thin air while being chased.
Where in the world did they go?
How strange. Did they go up to the sky or down under the earth?
They went into the earth.
What?
The thieves are under the ground.
How do you know that? Did you see it firsthand?
I didn't see, but I can find out.
What is that kid talking about?
Look at these leaves.
They withered.
Well, leaves can wither.
It's not just one area, but the whole tree is withered.
Try pulling up the tree.
There's nothing to lose. Let's try.
- Alright. - Let's try.
- Pull it up. - Hurry up.
Pull harder.
Oh! There are people here!
There are people here!
- Hurry! - Pull them out!
Get out!
You beggars.
Arrest them!
Hurry and arrest them!
Like this, Gu Ja Myeong qualified to be an officer at an early age.
At first, he was one of the thirty four officers in charge of the outskirts of Hanyang,
but he received recognition shortly after.
Understand?
So, he became one of the forty-two elite members of the Left Police Bureau.
Get home safe.
I'll come back again soon.
Gu Ja Myeong was a simple young officer who knew nothing but work.
But ever since he met the strange gisaeng who gave a beggar an expensive ornament,
he paces in front of her room on days when he doesn't have work, like this.
Every night Gu Ja Myeong stood watch of the light in Baek Mae's room from the shadows.
It was like a small light from an island in the midst of a dark ocean.
But he didn't know how to approach the light.
Who is it?
What brings you here?
I came because of Madam.
She told me to give this to you for your birthday.
I don't need it.
Here.
Wait.
Is the baby doing well?
Yes.
He eats and sleeps well.
I'm leaving.
Hey, you.
Who are you?
What do you do that you're walking around past curfew?
Then, what about you?
I'm an officer from the police bureau.
Stop right there!
Stop!
Who's there?
- Shine the light. - Yes, sir.
Aren't you Gu Ja Myeong?
He needed to come up with a good excuse because he was off duty that night.
Monk.
Give me the ornament.
What for?
To buy some diapers for the baby.
No need.
A beggar's baby needs to be raised like one.
Like a beggar.
What are you saying?
Might as well put a horseshoe on a dog. On a dog.
My back is always wet because he urinates on me.
Because of his urine, my back is infested with maggots.
No. Just go find him some milk to eat. Milk.
God damn monk.
I earned it, but why the hell is he holding onto it and keeping it from me?
Who the hell is he? Who the hell is he?
I'm the one who begs for milk, and he does, what? Relaxes while picking his toenail?
Isn't that right?
Look at you! You're smiling at me!
Peek-a-boo. Peek-a-boo.
Because of his dissatisfaction,
we can understand that he strayed from his usual path of begging for milk due to his anger.
However, who would have known that this would have started everything?
The weather is so hot!
Today, let's get you some milk from here.
Is anyone home? Can't you give me some milk?
Please give me some milk.
Milk, please.
What do you want?
I don't want an old lady.
You wouldn't have any milk.
Not you, but isn't there anyone who can give milk to my baby?
Is that baby yours?
He's not my baby, but I raised him, so I've grown attached.
He might as well be my child.
You follow me.
Huh?
How clean! I don't know if it's okay for me to be here in my dirty rags.
He's a good-looking baby.
Of course he is. His smile makes me crazy.
You, tell me without hiding anything.
About what?
You said he's not yours, right?
Yes, that's right.
Where did you find him?
Well, when I passed by the river, he was there.
When was that?
Let me see. One month. Two months. Three months. Anyway it was in early spring when the flowers were in full bloom.
Oh my, Buddha.
Where are you staying?
At the small Buddhist temple behind Samgak Mountain.
You live at a temple?
Yes. Be well.
What did I tell you?
If you buried the baby like I told you, you wouldn't have to do this again!
I'm sorry.
Follow him and find out where he lives.
You!
I told you to stay away from the area where you found the baby.
Stay away!
I went because you were being stingy with the ornament!
Then starting tomorrow, you take care of the baby.
You take him and beg for milk!
Oh no! You risked the baby's life now!
Risked it!
Give me a light.
Please give me some milk.
I don't see the baby.
Wake him up.
Wake up! Wake up!
Oh my god! What's this! What's this?
What is going on?
- What's going on? - Where's the baby?
The baby!
The baby?
Oh! The baby isn't here!
Right. Maybe the monk took him!
Monk?
Yes. The monk.
The monk.
So there was another person.
We have to capture him.
He couldn't have gone far.
Let's follow him quickly.
Baby. Crying won't do. Crying won't do.
Since we're being chased by people who want to kill you!
Please don't cry!
Monk Yeol Gong's prediction that the beggar had risked the baby's life was correct.
Thanks to the monk's insight and quick footing in the dark, Iljimae was able to live.
After he saved the baby's life, fortunately, the Buddhist ceremony he was going to attend was pushed up.
They took a boat in what is present-day Incheon port, and they crossed to what was once Qing territory,
and found a way for the baby to live.
While he was wandering for several days in unknown land, he was fortunate to stay at the villa of a landlord in Qing.
The warm-hearted landlord, who has no children, decides to adopt the baby as his own.
During the two months it took to get there, the baby had grown quite a bit.
What's the baby's name?
Well, you see. I didn't get a chance to name him.
Oh, I see.
Then, let's name him now.
When I first saw him, it was early spring.
He was lying under a plum blossom branch.
So then…
Iljimae?
His name is slightly feminine, but it's good.
There's a story behind it and it's elegant.
Let me see him.
An ume flower, the symbol of a warrior's loyalty, and also a flower that is both pure and sensual,
that name was foreshadowing the baby's destiny.
The monk returned to Joseon after naming the baby and giving the parents Baek Mae's child.
Just the way birds come, when you call their names,
the baby, just like his name, grew into a beautiful boy.
Beautiful… Beautiful…
He's too pretty for a boy.
I need to raise him more “tough.”
I'm not sure if the word ‘tough' existed during the Qing dynasty,
but Iljimae learned martial arts because of this.
While he trained with a personal teacher, he trained his inborn talent.
Thanks to their young master who was good at martial arts, the servants of the household had many hard times.
He was the precious son of the master, but ever since he learned to jump,
he frightened everyone by jumping over the wall of the house whenever he wanted.
Anyway, the master, was secretly impressed with the boy's talent, who learned everything so quickly.
In the time a koaliang grew, so did the boy.
He was able to jump over a kaoliang his height, that was a given.
His jumping skills improved so much that he was able to run on the rooftop as if they were the ground.
Like this, the boy grew to be a young man.
Right now, Iljimae is being taught a technique called Eungjokwon, one of the most terrifying skills in Qing.
The deathblow, where the opponent is repeatedly hit until he falls, comes to save Iljimae's life several times.
However, Iljimae did not spend all his time practicing martial arts.
His adoptive parents, who were good people and loved the arts,
showed him various performances whenever they could.
The Kunqu Opera was one of them.
In the opera, The Peony Pavillion,
one girl dies of lovesickness when she can't forget a man she met in her dreams.
Three years later, the man from her dreams appears at the plum blossom tree where she was buried.
In the end, through the picture, their love is realized..
In the end, through the picture, they are able to fall in love.
Come, come.
Move while I ask nicely.
Don't interfere with something that's none of your business.
None of my business? He's my friend.
This worthless Joseon guy is your friend?
Then it seems you're insignificant too.
It is not right to harass him just because he's Joseon.
Those Joseon people only revere the Ming and look down on us, Qing's, so I have to teach him a lesson.
Isn't that right?
Yes, of course.
We have to teach him a lesson.
That's the people who rule Joseon.
It's not his fault.
That's funny. Joseon people are all the same.
Get out of my way.
Well I gave you a chance.
Guys, teach him a lesson too.
You, you, now you're dead.
How did you…
You, do you have any idea who this person is?
Take him!
Iljimae!
My child!
Back off!
Apologize immediately and beg for his forgiveness.
I did nothing wrong.
You still…
Do you really want to die?
Iljimae! Hurry and apologize!
I did nothing wrong, so why do I have to apologize?
The one to apologize should be that one.
- You still dare to! - Iljimae!
Stop right there.
Father.
Hooge, what happened?
I was just standing there and almost fell when, that Joseon guy suddenly pushed me.
So, I was teaching him a lesson when this kid showed up.
That happened because he was trying to avoid the horse. He didn't do it on purpose.
The kid even apologized to you.
Who cares about a Joseon guy's apology?
So, a lot of people attacked just one?
I'm the one who got hit!
Look.
Jerk!
Father.
General.
Kneel in front of this child and apologize.
Father!
No matter what happened, a group of people should never attack one person.
You still have a chance of becoming a virtuous man, if you realize what you did and apologize.
Hurry!
He knelt even though he's very proud.
Will you please forgive him for my dignity?
Iljimae! Quickly!
I will accept his apology for your honor.
This child's name is Iljimae?
Yes.
He has good eyes.
To a man, honor is his life.
I am indebted to you for saving mine.
If you ever come to Shenyang, then pay me a visit.
Yes, general.
Let's go in.
That could have been dangerous.
Let's hurry home now.
I told you not to associate with the Joseon children.
You attacked General Huang Taiji's son.
General Huang Taiji, who's that?
He's the Khan's 8th son.
Nurhaci Khan's son?
Yeah, that's right.
Huang Taiji was the second emperor of the Qing dynasty.
He was the reason Joseon was disgraced at Samcheondo.
Ten years after this short meeting, Huang Taiji and Iljimae meet again, with the nations and their lives on the line.
Watch your back in the future.
But no one could have ever, imagined that then.
Here.
That you will give your daughter to my humble son,
is a great honor.
My daughter, Moran. Oh, my.
She said to bring him no matter what.
She said that if it's not Iljimae, she won't get married.
As her father, there's nothing I can do.
Wow, I don't know why, but he's so lucky.
I'm starving.
Why do they have dinner so late?
What?
Since it's late, I will let you spend the night.
But, if I see you again tomorrow morning, I can't guarantee your life.
Take him.
Yes, master.
- Please, master- - Follow me.
But, who is this person?
It seems like he's a traveler who is staying at this house for the night.
Not only his clothes, but his manner of walking is unusual.
That's why his name is Hweng (horizontal), Bo (walking), Wang Hweng Bo.
Anyway, to get more information about this peculiar sideways walking man and the Joseon messenger,
I have to go back to when Monk Yeol Gong returned to Joseon after finding Iljimae a family.
On his way back to the temple,
Monk Yeol Gong sent a secret letter to the lady of the house about the baby's location.
Since then, she sends a variety of things to Iljimae's adopted parents.
As the monk had requested, secretly without telling anyone.
These are gifts sent by the Madam.
I don't need any of these.
I don't.
This is a letter left by his biological mother.
She asked that I deliver this letter in the very least.
No!
The man, whose only sin was to do as he was told,
was suffering from Iljimae's stepfather's anger, which grew every time.
What is this?
Which is why he ended up drinking with a Qing stranger.
So this is the letter?
So this is the letter written by his mother?
This is how Wang Hweng Bo came to hear about what happened to the stepson
in the house from the very drunk Joseon.
The next day, at dawn,
he stopped the messenger who was returning to Joseon.
Hey, I know a shortcut.
Follow me.
But the messenger, still drunk, had no idea what kind of shortcut it would turn out to be.
Shortcut to heaven.
I have good information.
I will use it for my mission.
You are doing a great job.
I'm just a traveler.
I stayed here last night.
I don't know who you are, but nice to meet you.
I slipped.
What a shameful foot. I hate you! I hate you!
I'm a disgrace. A disgrace.
No, not at all.
You have a terrific skill.
You're Iljimae, right?
Don't ask how I know. I know everything you know and everything you don't know, so there is nothing I don't know.
I know not only your name, but many other things.
You're not their son.
I dislike an empty cup.
You're playing a useless joke.
You think so?
I'll show you evidence then.
I have this too.
This is the decisive one.
This was written by your real mother.
What is this?
Your real mother is Joseon. She left you this letter when you were being separated.
Oh, I didn't consider this.
You don't know how to read Joseon.
Do you want me to tell you what it says?
No, you don't need to.
There are many Joseon people in Yodong, so I know how to read and speak in Joseon.
As he sensed Iljimae's will power falter,
Wang Hweng Bo told all the stories he heard last night with details and touching factors.
This can't be true.
It is true.
It's hard to believe, but it's the truth.
Think about it. I have no reason to lie to you.
Think about it more deeply.
A mother's love is higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean.
Your mother must miss you, so much right now.
Of course your adoptive parents are good people, but that's fake love.
You're from a different country and a different race.
Your real mother, must be crying so much.
Your grandmother, who sent the gifts must be crying too.
Your father, who is regretting the past, must be crying too.
Your mother, father, and grandmother, will cry while hugging you, when they see how much you've grown.
She's probably crying. She's probably crying.
They are probably crying.
Though he said he didn't believe Wang Hweng Bo, Iljimae was already crying.
I'm leaving for Joseon tonight.
Want to come with me?
Think it over carefully.
Carefully.
He read and reread the old letter many times,
but he knew already that everything Wang Hweng Bo said was true,
and that the letter was written by his real mother.
He felt like he found all the answers to the questions he had.
The reason he was friendly towards the Joseon children,
the reason he was suddenly able to speak Joseon one day,
the reason he felt he was different from the others.
Iljimae imagined his father who was a high official in Joseon.
He could also vividly picture his biological mother.
She was as beautiful as the writing in the letter.
But he could not forget his adoptive parents, who gave him all their love until now.
Heavy anguish he had never known before was weighing down on his shoulders.
Should I go… or not?
I'll go.
I should go and at least verify the information.
If everything's a lie, I will come back then.
How did he find out?
Well, that's obvious.
The man from Joseon must have told him.
I don't think that's the case.
A farmer of this town found his corpse, that someone tried to hide.
So then…
It seems that the man who walks sideways, he did it.
What do we tell the Lord of the castle?
With Mo Ran's engagement already set,
If he finds out the truth, with his personality, you never know..
But we also have to notify him of this.
Gather all the servants.
No matter what, we have to find Iljimae.
Capture Iljimae and bring him.
One group block the land route and another block the sea route.
The first person to find him will be given 10 gold pieces.
The person who arrests him will be given 50 gold pieces.
Bring him in front of me, no matter what!
If he resists, then kill him and bring him to me!
I'm sorry.
What are you doing?
Go get him immediately!
Yes, my lord.
By abandoning his adoptive parents and his fiancée,
Iljimae angered the landlord immensely.
Plus, the reward of 50 gold pieces, just aggravated the situation.
At that moment, Iljimae and Wang Hweng Bo, the man who walks sideways…
Who's this kid?
He's a boy.
I know he's a boy.
I mean, why is he with you?
Iljimae, wait for me here and don't think of anything else.
So you're saying he's Joseon, right?
What is my duty?
I'm to assist you with infiltrating Joseon to accomplish your mission, aren't I?
So?
I'm going to use him to distract Minister Kim's family,
and while everyone is paying attention to this event…
Oh, I understand.
You're going to steal the document from the house then?
Wait one second.
Now, you understand my strategy.
It's still before the Manchu War.
Therefore, they are supposed to say Later Jin, not Qing when referring to the nation.
But we're just going to use “Qing” as the name.
Why?
I'll see you in Hanyang then.
Yes.
Because the original version of the novel uses it.
Anyway, now we know who he really is.
He is a special agent for the Qing dynasty who is going to attack from behind enemy lines.
Qing dynasty had specially trained units who were well aware of the important of psychological warfare.
It was the psychological warfare that had Ming's most talented general kill himself,
which led to the fall of their nation.
During the Manchu War, the Qing were able to deceive and bypass
the well prepared General Im Gyeong Eop Baekma Fortress...
And because of the advantages of superior intelligence, they were able to take over Joseon in just 45 days.
Therefore, there is no need to explain how valuable the spy was, the one who was sent to Joseon before the war.
This is the way to Joseon?
It's supposed to be to the east.
The crows have appeared already.
Crows?
I'm talking about the guys who are after you.
‘Tu' for five and ‘woo' for three.
Come with me.
They're going into the net on their own.
Lure them to the waterfall, and we'll catch them there.
Yes, sir.
Hurry, catch them!
You people! If you let us go, this scary leg won't attack you…
Otherwise, It'll make you very, very sad.
You should've listened!
Who were those people before? Why were they trying to capture us?
Two questions I hate the most.
Your adoptive parents sent them to kill you.
That can't be true.
They would never do that.
You foolish boy.
Just think about it.
How can you say that after you saw what they did before?
They became crazy thinking about the money they spent raising you.
Eat this.
Use your mouth to eat, not to ask questions.
If you keep insulting my parents in front of me, I won't leave you alone.
Just wait and see. The people your adoptive parents sent you, will show up again.
Sure enough, they kept chasing after Iljimae.
That was due, of course, to the 50 gold pieces the feudal lord promised,
but Iljimae, who didn't know, came to resent his adoptive parents more and more.
This is exactly what Wang Hweng Bo intended.
We just have to cross this bridge.
Be careful.
Hurry up!
Move aside.
We just have to ride that boat to get to Joseon.
Come on. Let's go.
This boat is going to Joseon, right?
One adult. One child.
When the child grows up,
please let him know how his mother felt.
Iljimae!
Hurry! Get on the boat!
Go!
Are you getting on or not?
Master?
Iljimae, hurry! Get on!
Iljimae, wait!
Get on quickly!
Wait a minute.
He's my martial arts master.
He has a sword. He definitely came to kill you!
When the child grows up,
please let him know how his mother felt.
You can't do that!
Volume 3 Iljimae in A fury
Tell me I'm not your son.
You're…
not my son.
Defend Iljimae to the last!