(This drama was picked and sponsored...)
(by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and KOCCA.)
(Episode 1)
During the late 19th century,
Joseon was slowly deteriorating due to the Japanese influence...
and the corruption of the authority.
The corrupt provincial officials...
neglected the affairs of the state...
and ruled in corruption and exploitation habitually.
The moans of the people in distress swept across the nation.
The people complained...
that the living yearned for the fate of the dead.
He... He is... He is here!
- Who are you talking about? - Who?
That Man?
That... That Man from the Baek family is here!
- What? - Oh, no!
- What should we do? - Run away!
My goodness.
Goodness.
Look at you.
Make way!
Boss, rumor has it, he is the leader of Donghak.
Will you be okay?
Let us go.
Let us go!
- Let us go! - Let us go!
Hey, Jeon Bong Jun.
Stand up.
Are you deaf?
I said, stand up!
Did you not hear him?
Must I slice your wrist for you to listen?
Chul Du!
It would be best for you to stop there.
Or else, it will be your wrist next.
- Get up. - What did you say?
Get up.
Shut it.
I said, shut your mouth!
When you are speaking to an elder, you must mind your manners.
Do not forget that.
My goodness!
Chul Du! Are you all right?
Do not worry! Your hand is still there!
My goodness!
Look at how frightened he is.
Hey, Jeon Bong Jun.
Are you...
a follower of Donghak?
Be careful not to get caught. Okay?
It would be a pity if you die before you serve...
your father's third-year memorial service out.
What is your name?
Why do you want to know that?
I feel like...
I might need to know your name.
I might need to write your name on a hit list or on your tombstone.
That Man.
That is my name, you fool.
(November of 1893, the year of the snake, Gobu, Jeolla Province)
"It is the duty of the people..."
"to pay their taxes..."
"in gratitude to the government."
"If he has used the Manseok Reservoir's water for his farming,"
"he ought to pay his taxes in return."
"Nevertheless, this sinner deemed this unjust..."
"and deceived the government."
"He has threatened us by submitting a petition,"
"demanding us to stop accepting taxes."
"He deserves..."
"to be flogged 100 times."
"Flogged 100 times"?
Are you trying to kill him?
Humans do not die that easily.
He will not die.
What about his father?
His father died.
His father was over 70 years old, but he is still young.
I will not hear this.
Let us confine him for a few days and let him go.
Master.
You cannot become softhearted already.
You must show an example for them...
that they cannot rebel against you.
I will give you half of the profit.
I want 70 percent.
You are too harsh.
We halved the tax from the Manseok Reservoir.
This one has a liability risk.
If we go through with this,
words will spread not only in Gobu,
but throughout the entire Jeolla Province.
I want 70 percent.
"Banggongnyeong"?
(An order to ban taking out grains outside the province)
Listen carefully.
Starting from today on,
you may not take a single grain out of Gobu.
Also, you are forbidden to sell them to any outsiders,
so keep that in mind.
What is this sudden ban?
Do you not know that the Japanese have sent Joseon merchants...
to steal all the rice in Jeolla Province?
We do not even have enough rice for ourselves.
But since they keep taking our rice,
we had no choice but to make this ban!
Do you think we sell them because we want to?
The new year is in two days.
What can we do when we do not have enough money?
We have a rice store in our town as well!
My goodness.
- Let us go. - What should we do?
Is he talking about the rice store owned by Baek Ga?
He is planning to purchase them at a low price...
and sell them later at a higher price in the spring equinox.
They ought to be dead.
Master.
My goodness.
- Master! - Master!
Master. Master!
- Master. - Master.
How dare you?
You all watch carefully.
If any of you defy the government office,
this is what will happen to you.
Do you understand?
Goodness, look at all this.
Put your days of studying abroad behind you...
and start focusing on taking the civil service exam.
Okay.
You will easily pass the exam, so do not overwork yourself.
Your father stayed busy and went around...
bribing the right people.
Father.
They say that your son-in-law is also your child.
Why don't you take care of my husband as well?
Just eat your food.
Yi Hyun.
What is that next to you?
Oh, this?
The Japanese call this a "match".
It is like a portable flint.
The Japanese...
are different from how they used to be.
What are you trying to do? Don't do it.
Father.
You are here.
Master.
I saw the lights go off at Jeon Bong Jun's house.
He might scheme something again.
So keep your eyes on him.
Yes, master.
Goodness.
- Did you see the young master? - Yes.
I heard the Japanese can be really hideous.
Did he seem okay?
Of course.
Yi Hyun is not a pushover.
Darn you.
How dare you call the young master by his name?
Gosh, he is not even here.
- Are you serious? - Hey, stop.
Are you going to poke your own mother's eyes with that?
I just wanted to feed you this delicious meat.
Here.
Goodness, there you go.
Did you stop beating people up?
Of course.
I am like a saint.
Good.
You will get punished if you beat people up.
Are you inside? I am Yi Hyun.
What brings you to such a shabby place?
I wanted to say hello now that I am back,
but I must have interrupted.
No, we are done eating. We were just about to clean up.
What are you doing? Hurry up and clean up.
What are you talking about? I still have one more chicken leg.
What do you say?
Would you like some as well?
- Goodness. - Sure.
Goodness.
Cho Byung Gab, the county governor,
and his officials have become unbelievably greedy.
And the people of this country are put in a speechless situation.
Therefore, the ascetics of the area will rise...
to get rid of the man that is like poison to the people.
We will destroy the Gobu Castle...
and behead...
Cho Byung Gab.
I got...
really lucky!
I got two tens.
Gosh.
I won this round.
You should go now.
Young Master Baek.
You should stop coming over to where the servants live...
since it will only put us in a pickle.
- Brother. - Goodness.
Will you stop calling me "brother"?
How can your own servant be a brother?
Are you crazy?
Who is not crazy in this house?
I won again! I won!
Let us play one more time.
What about you?
You threw a man who was covered in blood onto the ground.
And you beat up an innocent man like he was an animal.
If you were in your right mind,
you would not have been able to do that.
I was in my right mind.
Do you not know who I am?
I am the That Man from the Baek family...
that everyone in Gobu is afraid of.
There is no such man in this family.
- Your name is "Baek Yi Kang". - Goodness.
Who is that?
I have never heard of that name before.
Who is he?
Is he a ghost?
Or are you just hallucinating?
Do you think...
the world will pity you if you behave like this?
- What? - I will not stop you...
if you choose to continue to live that way.
You should also stop.
Do not pity...
me and my mother.
Master!
We are in big trouble, master.
What is it?
Our district magistrate is about to get transferred to Iksan.
What is going to happen to the banggongnyeong?
What if the new district magistrate abolishes it?
Then everything will become useless.
It took so much effort for me to get here.
I spent my entire fortune...
bribing the high-ranking officials.
Would you like to stay here?
Do you have a way?
Before we talk about that, I have something to ask you first.
What is it?
Ask me anything.
- About banggongnyeong... - Yes?
- It will bring us quite a profit. - Yes.
But I cannot seem to remember...
how much we each agreed to take.
Goodness, have you become senile?
It was 7 to 3.
I agreed to take 70 percent...
Oh, well...
I think it was 5 to 5.
Was it 3 to 7?
Yes, that was it, right?
I must be so dumb. I finally remember.
[VIU Ver] SBS E01 'The Nokdu Flower' "Export Ban on Rice" -♥ Ruo Xi ♥-
- Long time no see. - Hey. Have a drink.
No, I don't want to.
(Jeonju Hostel)
- Hey. - Hello.
- My gosh. - Hey, you are here.
- Hello. - Welcome.
Hello.
I am back.
Did you buy rice?
Well, the thing is, rice was really expensive there as well.
There is a banggongnyeong in Gobu.
Prices rise when supply is short.
That is natural.
Did you buy rice?
Even so,
they demanded such an unreasonable price.
The Japanese merchants in Ganggyeong Port...
are waiting with bated breath for 144t of rice.
Don't tell me you are empty handed.
I am. I am very sorry.
Stop right there.
I am in a really foul mood right now.
Stand in line before I behead you and play with it like a marble.
Now!
The darn banggongnyeong.
When will Cho Byung Gab's new district magistrate arrive?
My gosh.
I might freeze to death trying to be district magistrate.
Stop.
Let him down.
Is the rest stop far off?
We are almost there.
What is that?
"Gobu's Donghak scholars and the county residents will rise..."
"and behead the political leader and his officials."
"The scholars of Jeolla Province are called to participate."
My goodness.
What should I do?
Who are you?
How dare you?
If you speak of this letter...
or take even one step into Gobu,
I will slice through your neck.
It is done.
Would the new district magistrate be awake by now?
Listen.
Is anyone there?
These lazy fools.
What... No...
(Jeolla Provincial Office, Jeonju)
Gobu's new district magistrate resigned again.
What? Again?
What reason did this man give?
His chronic illness worsened during his trip to Gobu.
That is so bizarre.
Lee Eun Yong, Shin Jae Mook, Lee Gyu Baek,
Ha Geung Il, and Park Hee Sung.
Five men in the past month resigned from that position.
Why does the central government even bother?
My gosh.
Here.
Could you please get His Majesty the King's permission...
to extend my term as Gobu County Governor?
Yes?
(Jeolla Province's Peddlers' Inn, Jeonju)
I will go to Gobu.
Gobu?
Why bother when you cannot buy rice because of the banggongnyeong?
Even so, they have the most rice.
If I keep poking about, I might find a solution.
I will stay at the Gobu Peddlers' Inn.
Write me a pass.
Why would you stay there when you are not a peddler?
What did you say when you opened a hostel?
That you would rather die with your head in a ditch...
than ask for my help.
Come on, do not say that over a pass.
If your daughter had to sleep in the street,
would that make you feel good?
Just good? It would make me jump for joy.
Father.
When the new district magistrate comes,
give this to him.
What is it?
About a month ago, a peddler...
stole a traveler's belongings.
I told him off at the inn.
That was in the man's bag.
An uprising?
The Gobu people are planning an uprising.
That is from the Donghak scholars urging others to join in.
Someone wrote this as a prank.
This is a fake.
A month is a long time ago.
Something should have happened by now.
They wanted to get rid of Cho Byung Gab,
but he got transferred, so they did not get their way.
There is no fake sabal tongmun.
"Sabal tongmun"?
Even if the letter gets out, no one can identify the leader.
You see, the names are written in a circle.
They are meticulous folk.
Give that to the new district magistrate and appease him.
Who knows?
He might cancel the banggongnyeong to thank you.
(Gobu Government Office)
What brought you here all the way from Jeonju?
I supply grain to Japanese merchants through the open ports.
The sudden banggongnyeong...
has caused me great problems.
What made you think coming here would help?
They say you own a rice store in town.
You know that the government does not pay officials a salary.
The store is so I can feed my family.
Why do you ask about it?
I heard that most of the rice in Gobu is in your store.
You know what happens if you break the banggongnyeong.
When the district magistrate is absent, are you not in charge?
My gosh.
Did you hear that?
It looks like I just got promoted.
I will pay you slightly more than the market price.
I will not see you out.
Until the new magistrate comes,
I will stay at the Peddler's Inn.
If you change your mind, send me a message.
I will chase her off.
Leave it.
Her father is Song Bong Gil, head of Jeolla Province's peddlers.
Hey.
I hope you do not make a fuss.
The people here care little for people who sell rice...
to the Japanese.
You had better lie low or you will end up getting hurt.
You monkey, beggar's foot wrap.
- What did she say? - Out of gratitude,
I said a greeting I learned from the Japanese.
I did not ask you.
She thanked you for the friendly advice.
Have you ever heard the Japanese speaking?
No, this is my first time.
To hear such outstanding and foul curse words, that is.
Is that so?
You are back.
Soon, there will be an announcement...
regarding the first exam in Jeolla Province.
You need to pass that in order to take the second exam in Hanyang.
So you better be well-prepared for it.
What is that look?
You seem to be nervous which is unlike you.
You fool.
What father would not be when his son is taking the exam?
You! You ought to be punished!
Come here!
How dare you?
Do not be let down for being an official's son.
Do not worry.
I will make sure to come first place...
and humble those young masters.
Look at how brave you are.
Yes. I am proud of you.
This is...
the very first land I purchased.
I know that.
But it will no longer be mine.
I gave it to the examiners who will monitor the exam.
Yi Hyun. You see,
I was born into an impoverished official's family.
And I have lived as an official myself to this day.
But when I die,
I would like to die as a minister's father.
How could you call yourself a human being?
But then again, you are Baek Ga's son,
so you must not be.
What did you say?
Do you know what our wish is?
It is to disembowel you...
and use your intestines as a rope!
You deserve to die!
Just die!
Be thankful that I stopped here.
We were going to visit you.
But you visited us first.
Your men were caught trading rice illegally.
What will you do?
Stand up.
Please let us go this once.
From what I heard,
they begged people to buy the rice just for 144kg.
The rice store in the town will only pay them so little.
Master Choi!
Answer me.
What should I do?
Let me apologize for them.
They will be punished...
at the Peddler's Inn.
So please let them go.
Leave Gobu...
this instant.
What did you say?
Then I will forgive you.
Take this.
You must be a good fighter.
Is that so?
You will take the civil service exam?
I thought you were not interested in the government position.
Did you not say that you did not want...
to succeed through corruption?
In Japan, I came across an object called a match.
I have seen one when it was brought by the emissaries.
It was fascinating to see a flame in midair.
However, it is merely a Westerner's object used...
for one's convenience.
I did not like that petty object.
That same petty object...
changed the women's lives.
Japanese women are no longer worried about...
the fire being blown out in their houses.
But here in Joseon,
the husbands abandon their wives...
if the wives fail to keep the flame burning.
Are you asking me to be enlightened,
who taught you the expulsion of wickedness?
I will jump into that corrupt world.
I will make Joseon...
become as civilized as Japan.
Are you sure...
you will not become one of them?
I have already lived that life.
I have lived as a son of Baek Ga.
I will no longer do this.
Young Master Baek, wait a minute.
Lady Myung Sim.
I heard you are leaving to take the civil service exam.
I have made taffy with this year's harvest. Accept this.
Thank you.
- What has happened? - My goodness!
- It is That Man! - They will fight!
- Where? - Where are they?
They are about to fight!
- They will have a fight! - With That Man?
If I lose, I will leave Gobu immediately.
If you lose, you will forget about what happened.
I keep my word, so do not worry.
Come here.
Okay.
(Episode 2 will air shortly.)
(Episode 2)
Our boss can fight.
He can.
Get up.
That will not cripple you.
My goodness. You fight like a dog.
Boss.
Stay out of it.
Are you afraid of now?
Come to me.
You fight too well for a peddler.
You do.
My goodness.
You...
You are dead.
What if he dies?
- What is it? - That is enough.
He is my brother.
Master Choi.
Let us leave.
He beat That Man.
I will be leaving Gobu soon.
I will never return.
This place is...
too raw.
You should leave Father's side as well.
I am sure there is a way for you to live as Baek Yi Kang,
not That Man.
Do not worry.
Our medicine works wonders...
for cuts and stab wounds.
You must have studied medicine a lot.
I did not.
I just had many experiences treating others.
As you can see, this neighborhood is quite ferocious.
If the medicine works, I would like to buy more.
Would you tell me your name?
How generous of you.
I am Bong Jun from the Jeon family.
(Bong Jun)
Those men back there might take revenge.
Should you not leave Gobu as soon as possible?
I will meet with the new district magistrate before I leave.
Are you anticipating...
the lifting of the banggongnyeong by the new district magistrate?
If he is not like Cho Byung Gab,
I am sure he will do so.
And what if Cho Byung Gab...
returns?
In the past month,
five new district magistrates have come and gone.
Do you think that is a coincidence?
Even if your medicine does not work, your bluffing is quite impressive.
Do you think such an act is possible in this world we live in?
"This world"?
But then again, it can be a misfortune for some...
and a paradise for others.
You are right.
It must be so tiring...
to be so pessimistic like you.
The government is suffocating the people.
Even taking our possessions was not enough,
they are pushing us to the edge of the cliff...
by demanding tax from us.
How frightening.
"The edge of the cliff"?
They demand us to pay three times,
even four times what we are supposed to pay.
Grain-exchanging fee costs more than its principal.
They suck tax from the dead,
the infants,
the families, and neighbors.
The officials and the tax collectors...
are suffocating us.
Does this seem...
like a world we should live in?
(Jeon Bong Jun)
The ascetics of the area will rise...
to get rid of the man that is like poison to the people...
It's him.
He is the leader, the one sabal tongmun tried to cover.
My goodness.
I am nosy.
My tongue will be the death of me.
Gosh, my back.
I will deliver the new district magistrate's orders.
Why do you bring everyone else but the one I want?
"I have heard that the people of Gobu have been upset lately."
"The government office should strengthen its security."
"And watch the town's atmosphere carefully."
"As the new district magistrate,"
"I will lift the banggongnyeong..."
"and get rid of the Manseok Reservoir tax."
"Like so, I will try to soothe the people."
"The officials are to prepare for this..."
"and prevent any complaint from happening."
Baek Ga.
How could this be?
Oh, my. You fool.
Goodness.
Boss, how are you feeling?
- Are you okay? - Just drink.
Lady, please give us raw rice wine...
and some boiled tofu.
Boss, is he not Jeon Bong Jun's henchman?
I will leave first.
I hear that the new district magistrate...
is at an inn in Yeokcheon.
Let me take care of it.
Since we have no time, I will catch a dog,
not a crow.
This time, you should catch a human.
Master.
We have no choice.
We will make it as the doings of a group of bandits.
Just make sure there are no witnesses.
If you obey, your mother will no longer be of low class.
I will do it.
What is it?
I am here to say goodbye.
I will be leaving for Jeonju in the early morning.
Come here.
Before you take your first exam,
give this to the governor.
I truly believe...
that I have a great father.
Do not hand this to a messenger.
You must give it to him yourself.
It is best to show him your face.
The man who just left...
What is he to you?
He is someone who will take over my position when I die.
So that he can support you.
He is your son.
He is the son of our mother's maid whom you have raped.
Do you want me to scold you?
How could you...
tell him to commit murder?
Yi Hyun. This is...
a dog-eat-dog world.
If the mother dog gets eaten,
her puppies will die as well.
[VIU Ver] SBS E05 'The Nokdu Flower' "New District Magistrate of Gobu" -♥ Ruo Xi ♥-
This is your fate.
Yi Hyun is meant to study. You are meant to do this.
Only then, will we become family.
Master...
Sharing a meal does not make you family.
You need to earn your right.
My son...
Do you think he will pay his taxes with such a soft beating?
Did I not feed you lunch?
You told me not to pity you.
I may have pitied your mother,
but I have never pitied you.
Up until the day I was born, I heard that...
you lived in that house and was loved by our father.
If I was not born,
everything that I have would have been yours.
You would not have been mistreated.
You would not have needed to do such dirty deeds.
- That is enough. - You would not need...
to go kill a man.
I said, that is enough.
I am sorry.
I have always been.
I am...
truly sorry.
The elderly brother should be the one who does dangerous things.
Is that not so?
You should focus on taking the exam and living a successful life.
Do not worry about me.
I am not in my right mind.
I cannot say a proper goodbye to you.
I am sorry.
This is the way the civilized people say goodbye.
Boss!
Boss! I found out something very important.
Who are you?
I am here to greet the new district magistrate.
If you follow Donghak which has been banned by the government,
what are the people to do?
We should put him in prison.
You must not say such a thing to a district magistrate.
I am sure there is a better solution.
Make way!
The new district magistrate is coming!
What is going on?
What will happen to the banggongnyeong?
What do you think? It will be banned.
The skies are on my side.
Look at how beautiful the sky is.
It is a great day to collect our taxes.
Not only that.
I am going to the government office.
And what will you do there?
Cho Byung Gab has returned.
The Donghak members will not stay put.
This tongmun will determine his fate.
If we do this right,
we can get rid of the banggongnyeong.
Lady Song.
What will happen to the Donghak members?
Move aside.
They could all die.
They plotted a riot.
They must be punished.
Lady Song.
I am a merchant who lives off of profit.
That is my fate.
Please give us some money. Please!
- Please help us. - Please.
- Please give us some money. - My gosh.
My goodness.
My poor baby is starving.
Could you give us some?
This world?
But then again,
it can be a misfortune for some and a paradise for others.
You're right.
- Give it to me! - Please.
- My goodness, it is galbi. - Give me some.
What? Galbi?
I cannot believe it.
- Have a glass. - Okay. Thanks.
Tell your uncle.
Since I owe him big time,
even if he gets caught for following Donghak,
that I will let it slide once.
What uncle?
We are strangers, so do not worry.
What do you mean?
I have a slight grudge...
against the new district magistrate.
If you keep my secret,
I am willing to share a weakness of his.
That man who tipped off Eok Seoi...
is a henchman of Jeon Bong Jun?
It is odd.
It is strange that a Donghak member told on one of his members.
And if a Donghak member becomes a district magistrate,
Gobu will become theirs.
It feels like we have been deceived.
Finally, Cho Byung Gab is here.
I will introduce our ally.
He may not be a Donghak member,
but he and I are good friends who have studied together.
The people trust in him.
I am Hwang Seok Ju from the Dogye Hall.
I have come to represent the noblemen of Gobu.
I will willingly join in.
Go and bring in Jeon Bong Jun.
Okay.
Listen up!
The sly, cunning year of the snake.
That is right.
It sheds tears and clings to your robes.
That is right.
Now the bright, glorious...
year of the horse has arrived.
Right.
Give your worries to the snake as a goodbye gift!
- Right. - Yes.
Everyone!
Let us have some fun!
We will miss the fun.
- Let us hurry. - Okay.
Are you sure about that?
Yes.
- Be honest. - I am being honest.
- Chul Du, run. - Okay.
- Master. - Darn it.
Father.
Did you leave them here?
Let us go. Come on.
There is something you must see.
My lord!
I have bad news!
What bad news?
An uprising.
There was an uprising.
What? An uprising?
I am from Joso-ri, and I was the first to sign the pledge.
My name is Jeon Bong Jun.
(1894, year of the horse, Lunar January 10, Gobu marketplace)
To all you people of Gobu,
I swear the following on my life.
We will break into Gobu's office...
and behead the evil profiteers.
By that,
we will have our wishes known...
to the King...
and the rest of Joseon.
Rice to the people,
death to the corrupt officials.
Move. Get out of the way!
- Move. - Get out of our way.
Will you move?
What is happening?
Lock the gates.
Hurry up! Hurry!
Rice to the people!
Death to the corrupt officials!
Rice to the people!
Death to the corrupt officials!
Rice to the people!
Death to the corrupt officials!
- Let us go. - Let us go!
Let us go!
(The Nokdu Flower / Mung Bean Flower)
It is a revolt.
I must check on my family.
Why are you here?
Baek Ga took Seung Eun?
Would this change the world?
What can the peasants do?
Watch what you say.
That is treason!
Do not fear to cross the line.
Kill the leader? Is that even possible?
I will show you the way.
Will you do me a favor?