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Short filmTranscript
00:00This little princess was bold, she dared to do things others wouldn't, and dared to make money others were afraid
00:06to earn.
00:06The other young princesses, impressed or perhaps intimidated, offered up their most valuable possessions to her.
00:14Earlier, she had been telling them a story, but just when it got exciting, she shut the book.
00:19Calmly, she told them that if they wanted to hear the rest, they'd need to pay.
00:23The girls were desperate to know what happened next, and so one by one, they handed over their treasures to
00:29subscribe for the continuation.
00:31Just after collecting everything, their instructor arrived and demanded to know who the mastermind
00:37behind this scheme was, but no one confessed.
00:39The instructor then brought out a mysterious box and declared there was a monster inside.
00:44Each girl had to put her hand in.
00:46If anyone lied, the monster would bite her.
00:49The first girl barely touched the box before recoiling in fear.
00:53But the original girl, the ringleader, boldly inserted her whole hand without hesitation.
00:59Afterward, the instructor told them all to show their hands.
01:03Only the bold girl had dust on hers.
01:05The instructor concluded that the other three girls must have lied, which is why they hadn't
01:10dared to fully reach in.
01:12The one who dared was clearly telling the truth.
01:15She ordered the first three to be dragged away and beaten twenty times.
01:19At that moment, the ringleader raised her hand and confessed that she had been the one telling the story.
01:25She thought she was being clever and mischievous, and she really was.
01:29After all, she had given the others joy, and she found it all quite fun.
01:34She confessed that she had snuck in.
01:36On the way, she met the heir who was also heading to the same.
01:40The crowd prince didn't question her much and even helped her over the palace wall.
01:45She and the boy knelt in front of Court Lady Park's bed.
01:48The boy was weeping.
01:50It was his grandmother lying there, and he himself was the heir to the throne.
01:54The palace the girl comforted him, but just then, someone outside shouted,
01:59''The ancestor is here!''
02:01The heir panicked.
02:03If the ancestor saw him there, he'd be stripped of his title.
02:06The two frantically looked for an exit, but there wasn't one.
02:10At the last second, the girl noticed a small window and pushed the heir through it,
02:15just before the ancestor entered. She knelt before the door and humbly claimed she had
02:20been sent by the instructor to conduct the inspection. The ancestor summoned her and looked
02:25at Court Lady Park's body. Memories flooded back. He, too, had been born of a princess and had endured
02:31a lifetime of ridicule for it. Court Lady Park was also a princess. He had forbidden the heir from
02:38visiting her, afraid that the boy would end up mocked, just like him. Seeing the ancestor in tears,
02:44the girl was thoughtful. The ancestor, moved, gifted her a book called Rules for Women, written by
02:51Court Lady Park herself. After the inspection, the maid and the instructor watched as Court Lady Park's
02:57coffin was carried out. The instructor told her that when most princesses die in prison,
03:02they are thrown out of the palace and left to die pitifully. Only women like Court Lady Park,
03:08those who had become the king's own, were honored and carried out with dignity. Later,
03:13the old king saw the little girl kneeling on the ground and was stunned. She looked just like
03:18someone he had known long ago. He summoned her and said, Your fate will be the same as Court Lady
03:23Park's.
03:24You will become the king's woman. The little girl was confused and responded, I only wish to be a
03:30princess who writes beautifully. The king laughed and replied, Fate is written by heaven. And indeed,
03:36just a few hours later, her destiny changed. At dawn, the little girl woke and happened to see
03:42a woman hurrying past. Curious, she followed and realized it was one of the king's lesser concubines.
03:49The woman was secretly reporting to the prime minister's men that the heir had hidden a banned
03:53book, urging them to inform the king. Hearing this, the little princess understood. She ran quickly
04:00toward the library. Meanwhile, the king had already received the report. Furious, he told the heir that
04:07if evidence was found, he would be deposed. He ordered the eunuchs to search the library and
04:12retrieve the forbidden book. They searched every shelf but found nothing. The lead eunuch then ordered
04:18a more thorough search of the desks and drawers, not allowing anything to be overlooked. At that moment,
04:24the maid was hiding behind a cabinet, clutching the banned book. She knew they were moments away
04:29from finding her. Desperate, she flipped to the prohibited chapter and tore it out.
04:34She then quietly slid the book out to an attendant. The young boy took it casually,
04:39but a eunuch spotted him and snatched the book, delivering it to the king. The king opened the book
04:45and saw that the chapter about King Jiangzhou being born to a maid, precisely the part he had banned,
04:50was torn out. It had always been a source of shame, as the world mocked him for also being born
04:56to a
04:56maid. He asked the heir if he had torn it. In a panic, the heir admitted he had, claiming he
05:02did
05:03it because he knew how much the king hated that chapter. Upon hearing this, the king's anger shifted
05:08to relief. Back at the eastern palace, the heir called over his young boy and asked if he had been
05:14the one to tear out the page. The boy recalled what had happened and almost told the truth,
05:18but upon second thought, he lied and claimed it was him. He said his head done it because
05:24he feared the king would scold the heir, and so he tore the page to protect him.
05:28The heir stepped forward, took the boy's hand gently, and made a promise. He would never forget
05:34his act of loyalty. One day, when he ascended the throne, he would make sure he was rewarded.
05:40While the maid gained the heir's trust through this, while the maid gained the heir's trust through this,
05:45the whole incident left the girl shaken. She remained anxious and curled up in the arms of
05:51the palace matron for comfort. Years passed and the female maid grew up. One day, she stumbled upon
05:57the torn pages from the book she had hidden all those years ago. She thought to herself, if she ever
06:03saw the heir again, maybe these pages could be used to earn her a promotion in the palace. As fate
06:09would
06:09have it, on a sunny afternoon, she truly did run into the heir once more. But this time,
06:15disaster struck. She had dragged someone into trouble with her, and that someone happened to be
06:21the heir. She panicked, convinced she had committed a capital crime, and tried to drag him up out of
06:27the water. Yet, instead of helping him, she kept pushing him back down. The heir, soaked and pitiful,
06:33eventually threw her off and climbed ashore on his own. The maid knelt down, begging for forgiveness.
06:40The eunuch informed her that the heir had ordered her to write a self-reflection essay and submit it.
06:45The maid almost laughed out loud, was that really all? Such a light punishment. But she had no idea
06:52that this was only the beginning of a nightmare. The next day, she went to the archive room to write
06:58her reflection. Suddenly, the heir walked in. Because of the panic during their last meeting,
07:03neither of them had clearly seen the other's face. When the maid saw an unfamiliar man enter,
07:09she questioned why he had come into the Eastern Palace archive. The heir ignored her question and
07:14instead asked the archive itself if any suspicious people had entered recently. It turned out the
07:20archive was connected to his classroom, and he suspected someone had been spying on him. Frustrated by his
07:26attitude and feeling defensive, the maid grew angry. Without knowing who he was, she picked up a broom
07:33and swept him out of the room. Just as the heir was about to reveal his identity, she slammed the
07:38door
07:39shut. The heir had never been treated like that before. Two days later, the maid knelt before him,
07:45holding her written reflection. The heir looked up, wasn't this the same girl who had swept him out of the
07:51room two days ago? What an awkward reunion. He gave a small, nervous smile, afraid she might recognize
07:58him. He signaled to the eunuch to place the paper down and, line by line, corrected her reflection.
08:04Then he told her to take it back and rewrite it. Frustrated, she returned to the archive.
08:09Not long after, the heir showed up again. This time, he lied and said he had been sent to monitor
08:16the
08:16scholar in charge of the archive. Since only educated people could take office, the maid immediately
08:21served him a bowl of clean water and respectfully asked him to help revise her reflection essay.
08:27At last, the heir had a chance. He corrected her work word by word, sentence by sentence,
08:33guiding her carefully. Unaware of his true identity, she kept thanking him repeatedly.
08:39But when she submitted the second version of the reflection essay,
08:42it was still rejected by the heir. Then the third version. The fourth. All rejected without
08:48hesitation. By the time she submitted the fifth and sixth drafts, she couldn't take it anymore.
08:54Her eyes flared with frustration. The heir had lost his patience, too. He picked apart each of her
09:00word choices and then ordered the eunuch to have her copy the entire essay a hundred times.
09:05They continued running into each other at the archive. The maid muttered to herself constantly,
09:10complaining about the heir. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. He was about to reveal his identity
09:16again, but something interrupted them once more. By the time she submitted the ninth version of her
09:22essay, it was, unsurprisingly, rejected again. Watching her teeter on the edge of a breakdown,
09:28the heir finally allowed himself a satisfied smile. That very night, a tiger broke into the palace,
09:35and a palace maid was killed. The heir led his personal guards to contain the situation,
09:40but even this event was seized upon by political enemies at court. They used it as ammunition to
09:46attack him. Rumors began to spread that the heir, born of the Qin family, was privately using palace
09:52guards inside the royal compound. Though his loyalty was firm, the matter escalated. He knelt outside the
10:00grand hall, awaiting punishment. The scandal worried his two younger sisters. Together with the maid,
10:06they copied a novel the king was fond of, intending to present it as a gift in hopes of pleading
10:12on
10:12their brother's behalf. But when they reached the palace gates, they were informed that the heir had
10:17specifically instructed not to see them. Frustrated, the two sisters asked the maid to deliver the book
10:23instead and plead for leniency. The young palace maid offered two novels to King Jiangzhou, who was
10:29intrigued and asked what reward she wanted. The maid realized this was a dangerous opportunity,
10:35but one worth gambling. Boldly, she said she hoped his majesty would forgive the heir.
10:40The moment those words left her mouth, she regretted them. Sure enough, King Jiangzhou removed his
10:47spectacles, furiously ordered her to be flogged for three months, and accused the heir of being arrogant and
10:53disrespectful. The maid stood beside them, trembling in fear, and quickly begged for forgiveness.
10:59Hearing her plea, she suddenly found herself unsure of what to do. But then her eyes fell on the silver
11:06reward the king had just given her, two tails, and she got an idea. She stepped forward, holding the
11:12silver in both hands, and thanked the king. King Jiangzhou stared at her coldly, asking,
11:18I just sentenced you to death, and you're thanking me? She presented the silver before him and explained
11:24that she had entered the palace with a dream, to earn a hundred tails. Ten years had passed,
11:30and she had saved ninety-nine. Now, with this one tail from the king, she had finally reached her goal.
11:36So, she was grateful. At that point, she stopped talking, deliberately waiting to pique the king's
11:42interest. It worked. King Jiangzhou asked why she was so determined to earn exactly one hundred tails.
11:49The maid, her voice calm but emotional, told her story, how as a child, her mother had almost killed
11:55her, and it was her elder brother who saved her life. Ever since entering the palace, she had sworn
12:01to survive and one day hand him one hundred tails in person to fund his path through the civil service
12:07exams. This unexpected story moved the king, and he softened. He said he had no intention of killing
12:13her. It had just been to scare her. He ordered her to tell the two princesses never to send a
12:18maid
12:19to plead on their behalf again. The maid left the palace, her legs still shaking, the fear lingering
12:25in her heart. That night, King Jiangzhou personally visited the Grand Hall and advised the heir once again
12:31to act with caution. It became clear the king had never truly intended to punish him, he was simply
12:37teaching him a lesson about palace politics and the dangers of court intrigue. The next day, the
12:43princesses visited the maid to thank her for what she had done. They were also deeply sorry for putting
12:48her through such a terrifying ordeal. They offered to take her to the heir to express their gratitude.
12:54When the heir saw the maid he panicked. He feared she might recognize him from their earlier
12:59encounters. He hurriedly asked his attendant for a fan to hide his face. But it was too late. The maid
13:06caught a glimpse of his reflection in the lake and realized, this was the man from before, the one she
13:12had swept out of the archive room. The heir, seeing that he had been exposed, dropped the fan in defeat.
13:18Just then, another woman appeared. In a sudden and clumsy moment, she yanked the palace maid off-balance,
13:25and the edge of the maid's skirt brushed the sacred path reserved only for royalty. The woman immediately
13:31accused the maid of trespassing on royal grounds. The maid protested that she hadn't meant to,
13:37but the woman refused to listen. She ordered that the maid be seized and flogged with one hundred
13:43strokes. At that critical moment, the heir stepped in. He said he had been there and had not seen the
13:49maid commit any such offense. The woman, instead of backing down, turned around and accused the
13:55heir of protecting his servant unjustly. The heir responded bluntly, if she is my servant,
14:01then I will deal with her. He attempted to take the maid away. But the woman wouldn't let it go.
14:07She shouted that this was a matter for the head of the royal harem to decide. And so, they took
14:13the
14:13matter to the empress. It was a tense situation for the empress. On one side stood King Jiangzhou's
14:20grandson, the future king. On the other, his daughter, who ruled over the inner palace.
14:25The empress hesitated but told them she would issue a decision. Secretly, though, she delayed action
14:32and sent someone to call for King Jiangzhou. Moments later, the king arrived. He immediately
14:37recognized the maid kneeling before him. She was the same girl who had pleaded for the heir just days
14:43before. The empress reported the events that had just occurred and said she had not yet decided on
14:49a punishment. King Jiangzhou said, since she serves the eastern palace, let the heir handle the matter.
14:55This was a test for the heir. The heir responded, if an official commits this offense, it is a capital
15:01crime. But if a commoner does it out of ignorance. After hearing the maid's explanation, the heir declared
15:08that such a small offense deserved only a minor punishment, lightly disciplined. For workers
15:14violating rules, reform should be the goal. Capital punishments may be royal prerogatives,
15:20but preserving the people's goodwill is more important. Because of this, a six-month suspension
15:25was deemed sufficient. On hearing that, King Jiangzhou smiled approvingly, and Chung Palace Lady nodded in
15:32agreement. The maid, grateful for the heir's firm defense, felt deep gratitude. The heir also explained
15:39his earlier deception toward her. Not long after, the maid transitioned from being a trainee to a formal
15:46palace attendant, assigned to the heir's side. Meanwhile, Chung Palace Lady renewed her attacks,
15:53accusing the heir of frequenting brothels and presenting attendance records of the eastern palace
15:58guards as evidence. Outraged, King Jiangzhou had the heir confined, forbidding contact with anyone.
16:04Cut off even from his supporters, the heir was helpless, until the maid, posted on guard outside,
16:11defied orders and entered to offer help. She volunteered to deliver messages to his few allies.
16:17The heir issued two orders. First, maintain Chung Palace Lady's suspicions as a cover. Second, request the
16:24king to lift his confinement. The first task was workable, but the second presented a problem.
16:30No one suitable could petition the king. After some thought, the heir's secretary, Kim Darang,
16:36thought of no one more fitting than Chung Palace Lady herself. Her influence, wisdom, and strength could
16:42sway the king. Though usually inaccessible to palace aides, the maid courageously approached Chung Palace
16:48Lady and persuaded her to side with the heir. Chung Palace Lady gave the maid three riddles to
16:54test her insight. 1. What is the deepest, most unfathomable thing in the world? 2. What's the
17:01hardest gate to pass through? 3. What is the most precious flower in the world? For the high court,
17:08the standard, answers might be humanity's hearts, hardship, and cotton. The maid instead responded with
17:14pure honesty. The first gate was the universe. The second, fate itself. And for the flower, she answered,
17:21for the suffering, its rice blossoms. Her answer made Chung Palace Lady look at her with new respect.
17:283. Pleased, Chung Palace Lady asked one final question. If she helped the heir, how would he
17:33repay her? The maid said, like a mirror. If you show him compassion, he will serve you with filial piety.
17:414. Moved, Chung Palace Lady agreed to help, but first needed to humble a provocative rival,
17:46Lady Mayongju. The maid learned Lady Mayongju would wear imported silk at a mourning ceremony two days
17:53later. Using that intel, she drafted a plan. Chung Palace Lady saw it, smiled and waited. At the ceremony,
18:01Lady Mayongju appeared gorgeously opulent, proudly showing her silks before high-ranking wives,
18:07just as planned. Just as court Lady Park was about to leave, Lady Chung called out sharply from behind
18:13and ordered her to kneel. Lady Mayongju was taken aback, she had never taken Lady Chung seriously,
18:20and without clear reason, she saw no reason to obey. Lady Chung then instructed the servants to pin
18:26Mayongju down. Shocked and humiliated, Mayongju's arrogance only grew, threatening to report everything
18:33to the king. Without hesitation, Lady Chung slapped her across the face. She then went straight to King
18:40Jiangju and tearfully explained that the purpose of the mourning ceremony was to promote Joseon silk
18:45for court women, yet Mayongju had flaunted imported silk, even after being warned. She claimed responsibility
18:51for failing in her duty as head of the inner court and asked the king to punish her. King Jiangju,
18:57seeing Lady Chung's sincerity, agreed that the fault lay with Mayongju and told her there was no blame
19:03on her. Seeing the king's softened expression, Lady Chung seized the opportunity and pleaded with him
19:09to lift the crown prince's confinement, saying that if not, the rift between father and son would
19:14only deepen. The king, who loved the crown prince deeply despite his strictness, was moved by her
19:20reasoning and ordered the crown prince released. As the crown prince walked out, as the crown prince
19:25walked out, his eyes met the maid, who had been fighting behind the scenes for him. Their connection
19:31had long since surpassed the boundaries of a prince and palace maid. That evening, as he bathed,
19:37she, his closest attendant, was helping prepare his bath. Their feelings for one another grew stronger
19:43in that quiet, shared moment. The prince, clearly struggling with his attraction, followed a strange
19:50herbal remedy someone had given him. A 45-degree bath with rose petals and medicinal water, clothed.
19:56As the fragrance filled the room, the attending court lady fainted from the aroma. Hearing this,
20:03the other maids outside were curious and mischievous. When the maid, also known as Court Lady Park,
20:09arrived, they teasingly pushed her into the bathhouse. The crown prince turned and saw it was her,
20:15the woman he longed for. Flustered, he rushed to put on his robe. As she tried to add water to
20:21the bath,
20:21he helped her, worried she might burn herself. Just as their eyes met in tender silence, a senior eunuch
20:28called from outside, coming to wash the crown prince's hair. She hurried out, but sitting outside
20:34afterward, her heart was unsettled. She had fallen in love with him. The crown prince, too, couldn't
20:40forget what had happened. The next day, the eunuch overseeing their interaction encouraged Court Lady
20:46Park to stay close to the prince, even suggesting she might one day become his consort. But she refused.
20:53Her father once served as head of the prince's guard but was executed as a traitor after failing to
20:59protect the prince from an assassination attempt. She no longer wished to be involved in royal matters.
21:05Yet the prince had clearly chosen her. He began pursuing her openly, even confessing his feelings.
21:11Still, she firmly rejected him. The prince left, visibly angry and frustrated. Not long after,
21:18during a routine palace inspection, an old book was found in her quarters, a gift from the king when
21:24she was a child. This was considered illegal possession of royal property. The matter was
21:30brought to Lady Chung. Because it was once owned by a late royal, it was classified as a relic,
21:36and possession of it could mean death. Court Lady Park explained the book had been gifted by
21:41the king himself. Lady Chung asked for proof. She said only she and the king had been present.
21:47At that moment, the crown prince appeared and said he didn't necessarily believe her story,
21:52but that asking the king to confirm such a trivial matter was beneath the dignity of the court.
21:57He suggested she be exiled instead of executed. But Court Lady Park refused. She insisted she was
22:04innocent and begged Lady Chung to clear her name. The matter eventually reached King Jiangzhou. Sadly,
22:11the king's old age and worsening memory meant he no longer remembered the event. Only then
22:16did she realize why the crown prince had tried to protect her through exile. He had foreseen this
22:21outcome. But it was too late. The king, unable to recall giving her the book, said that if she would
22:27not accept exile, the law had to be followed. King Jiangzhou initially declared that Court Lady Park
22:34would have her Achilles tendon severed and be expelled from the palace. The crown prince immediately fell to
22:40his knees, begging for mercy. He argued that crippling her was cruel even if she were guilty,
22:46not to mention she wasn't. He pleaded with the king to recall the moment and suggested speaking with
22:51each of the citizens who were present that night to see if their testimonies might jog the king's memory.
22:56Moved, Court Lady Park stepped forward and began recounting the events from that night. As she spoke,
23:02King Jiangzhou's mind seemed to drift back to that time, decades ago, when he had quietly visited his
23:08beloved consort. Gradually, tears welled in his eyes. Her words had triggered the memory. Watching from
23:16the side, the crown prince realized with shock that Court Lady Park was the very same girl from that
23:21night. As they left the palace hall, their bond deepened once more. Yet it was evident that the
23:27king's condition was worsening. His memory continued to decline rapidly. To smooth the crown prince's
23:33path to succession, King Jiangzhou ordered him to temporarily reside at a detached palace. He also
23:39instructed him to travel so the people could see his presence and gain confidence in his leadership.
23:45Following the king's order, the crown prince departed, taking Court Lady Park with him. Upon arrival,
23:51the palace's heating system was broken, so the attendants sent a young maid to warm the crown
23:56prince's bedding. The girl slipped under the covers, enjoying the silk sheets and the cozy warmth.
24:03Before long, she had fallen asleep. Later, the crown prince entered and saw someone lying in his bed.
24:09To his surprise, it was none other than Court Lady Park. Quietly, he knelt beside her, gently brushing
24:16her cheek with his fingers. Then, he carefully pulled the covers over her again and left, instructing his
24:23attendants not to let anyone enter. Court Lady Park slept soundly into the afternoon. She stretched
24:29lazily, but as soon as she became fully aware, panic struck. Hurriedly, she got up and stepped outside,
24:36where she saw another court maid sneak out to buy something under the guise of an errand. Sensing
24:41something strange, she followed. As they walked, the senior maid began to share a troubling story. A secret
24:48group known as Gwanghan Palace existed among the palace maids. It had started as a mutual aid society
24:54but had turned into an underground movement opposing the crown prince. They believed that, because his
25:00father, once the heir to the throne, had massacred court women, the crown prince should never become
25:06king. As they continued walking, they arrived by the river and discovered bundles of explosives submerged
25:12in the water. These were meant for the crown prince's musket corps. Seeing that the water flowed from the
25:17direction of the detached palace, Court Lady Park quickly realized someone had sabotaged the weapons
25:23to assassinate the crown prince. But rushing back in time was impossible. She remembered the crown prince
25:29had once demonstrated how to signal danger using airborne banners in battle. Without hesitation,
25:35she crafted a visual signal. The crown prince saw it. Understanding the threat, he sprang into action.
25:42By the time they reached the armory, it was too late. In the midst of this crisis,
25:46the crown prince gave his military seal to Hong Diakaro and ordered him to summon reinforcements
25:52immediately. That night, the assassins attacked just as expected. The crown prince and his few men held off
25:59the first wave bravely. But more enemies arrived, flooding the gates with relentless force.
26:05Then, a volley of gunfire rang out. The assassins fell one after another. Hong Diakaro's troops had arrived
26:12just in time. With the dust settled, the crown prince stepped out of the battle-scarred palace
26:17and saw Court Lady Park staggering toward him. He rushed to her and caught her in his arms as she
26:23collapsed in tears. But the assassination plot wasn't truly over. The leader of Gwanghen Palace,
26:30Lady Chido, hurried to see the left state counselor after the failure. With his backing, the counselor
26:36accused the crown prince of using military power for personal gain. King Jiangjo, now deeply suspicious
26:43and increasingly disoriented due to his worsening dementia, revoked the prince's command seal and
26:48ordered him confined to the East Palace. He then dispatched a personal investigation. Lady Chido knew
26:55that before the inquiry concluded, she had to ensure the king's complete mistrust in his son. So she
27:01visited King Jiangjo personally. It was then revealed that she had been close to the king since before
27:06he had even ascended the throne. The emotional bond, long buried, was now being manipulated for
27:13political intrigue. Despite the plotting and manipulation, in the end, King Jiangjo did not
27:19choose the treacherous official. For years, he had felt guilty about that decision. Under the crafty
27:25scheming of the rejected man, King Jiangjo's doubts about the crown prince only deepened. One of the
27:31prince's advisors believed the king was no longer fit to rule and urged the prince to seize power,
27:36but the crown prince couldn't bring himself to act. After all, King Jiangjo was his grandfather.
27:42At the court assembly, the crown prince knelt before King Jiangjo, who produced a memorial
27:47containing the names of the crown prince's loyal supporters, a group he had formed. The list made
27:52it seem as though the crown prince was forming factions in an attempt to rebel. Overwhelmed with suspicion,
27:58King Jiangjo even drew his sword. At that critical moment, the royal consort arrived with court Lady
28:05Park. Her father, once the head of the crown prince's personal guard, had sacrificed everything
28:11to support the prince's path to the throne. She revealed the existence of a secret agreement,
28:17hidden behind the throne room wall, proving the prince's legitimacy. King Jiangjo tore away the
28:23wallpaper and found the document. As he read it, old memories came flooding back, and the prince once
28:29again narrowly escaped punishment. Soon after, the results of the investigation into the assassination
28:36plot came out. King Jiangjo, still burdened with guilt, was prepared to approve of assassination of the
28:42traitorous official, but the woman took her own life. King Jiangjo passed away shortly afterward. The crown
28:49prince ascended the throne. However, there remained one thing he had to do, welcome Court Lady Park into the royal
28:56harem. When the new king came to visit his newly appointed concubine, his eyes lingered not on her, but on
29:02a
29:03palace maid, Court Lady Park. The concubine noticed the connection between the two. After the king left, she dragged
29:10Court Lady Park inside and accused her of seducing the king. In a jealous rage, she beat the young maid's
29:17calves with a
29:17thin bamboo stick. Little did she know, the girl she just punished would soon replace her.
29:23The next day, the king visited again. The concubine rushed to greet him, but the king brushed past, asking only
29:30about
29:30Court Lady Park. The concubine lied, claiming the maid was out on an errand. The king nodded and prepared to
29:37leave, but just as
29:38he turned, he heard movement nearby. The concubine explained a servant was doing laundry, even though it was late at
29:45night. A cruel and
29:46suspicious act. The king followed the sound and found Court Lady Park herself, forced to do chores. Outraged to
29:54see the woman he cherished treated this way, he scolded the concubine and declared Court Lady Park,
29:59special court lady, not to be insulted or harmed. This enraged the concubine, who then went to the queen
30:06dowager, claiming to possess evidence that could destroy Court Lady Park. The queen dowager, still bitter
30:12over her own brother being exiled by the king, agreed to cooperate. The very next day, as Court Lady Park
30:19entered the palace, she was restrained by palace maids. When the king arrived, the queen dowager said
30:25they were interrogating her and asked him to observe. She accused Court Lady Park of having a secret lover
30:31outside the palace and presented two matching sleeves as proof, gifts exchanged between lovers, along with
30:38the man's name and letters they had supposedly written to each other. The king was stunned, while Court Lady
30:44Park remained silent. The queen dowager dismissed everyone from the room and proposed a deal. If the
30:50king released her exiled brother, she would drop the charges against Court Lady Park. The king refused.
30:56Furious, the queen dowager summoned everyone back and declared she would proceed with punishment. But just then,
31:03Lady Hyesung, the king's biological mother, entered the room. She testified on Court Lady Park's behalf,
31:10revealing that the man in question was her older brother. The concubine objected, having researched
31:16their family backgrounds and found inconsistencies. Lady Hyesung explained, Court Lady Park's father was
31:23once the commander of, who was later disgraced and sentenced by the late king. Though her father was
31:28executed as a traitor, Lady Hyesung had secretly protected his two children, Court Lady Park and her
31:35brother, ever since. Still, the concubine would not let it go, declaring that Court Lady Park was a
31:41traitor's daughter. This revelation shocked the court, as Prince Seido was none other than King Jiangzho's
31:47own father. The king then stepped forward and proclaimed, I am the son of Prince Seido. By recognizing the
31:54loyalty of Court Lady Park's family, the king granted her the highest trust and finally brought her into
32:00the palace not just as a maid or a favorite, but as someone worthy of standing by his side.
32:06King Jiangzho once lay with his head resting on Court Lady Park's lap and fell asleep. But in his slumber,
32:12he had a nightmare. He dreamed that not long after he left the small courtyard, Court Lady Park gave birth
32:19to their son. Years passed in a flash, and their young prince contracted smallpox. The king, holding
32:25his beloved child in his arms, was powerless to save him and could only watch helplessly as the
32:31crown prince passed away. In a separate residence, Court Lady Park collapsed in sorrow when she heard the
32:37news of her son's death. He was her firstborn. When the king came to comfort her, she struggled to
32:43compose herself, knowing she had to stay strong, not just for herself, but for the child she now
32:49carried as she was pregnant again. Court Lady Park forced herself to rise, her tears streaming as the
32:55king poured out his own grief. That night, she found a new resolve. She had to live, for the baby
33:01inside
33:02her. But just as her strength returned, terrible news arrived. A fellow Court Lady, who had entered the
33:08palace with her and become like a sister, was thrown into prison. Court Lady Park defied many obstacles
33:15and rushed to the prison to see her. Her dear friend told her she had no regrets. She had found
33:21happiness in a forbidden love with a man, something she, as a palace maid, had never dared to dream of.
33:27As her friend prepared to face death, Court Lady Park wept uncontrollably. She returned to the palace,
33:34only to fall gravely ill. The king personally tended to her, apologizing that he could not save her
33:40friend, because the law would not allow it. Yet Court Lady Park never blamed him. She only felt the
33:47pain of watching all those dear to her fade away. She longed for the days when the four of them,
33:52sisters in spirit, had been together. But those days were gone. She sought out the king and told him
33:58she would stay strong, for their child, for herself, and for him. Life seemed to return to normal.
34:05She read to him, and he looked at her with deep affection. But the next moment, she collapsed in
34:11his arms. No matter how he called her name or begged her to stay awake, her strength slipped away.
34:17When she awoke, she understood that her time was nearly over. She told the king,
34:22If we meet again in another life, pretend you don't see me. I just want to live a simple life
34:28with my
34:28sisters. With tears in his eyes, the king asked if she had ever loved him. Court Lady Park smiled and
34:35said, I gave you my whole life. But your love was never mine alone. It belonged to the people.
34:42Then she passed away, leaving the king in grief, muttering over and over that he had made a mistake,
34:48though he wasn't even sure what that mistake truly was. As the ruler of the nation, King Jiangzhou had
34:54given Court Lady Park as much acceptance and freedom as he could. But as a king, he knew he
35:00had to forget her and live for the people. And he did. Many years later, when he heard old ministers
35:06praising his achievements, his thoughts drifted back to Court Lady Park. He returned to that old
35:12courtyard where they had once lived. The autumn leaves had fallen, and though the place remained,
35:17the people were gone. He entered the room and uncovered her old belongings.
35:22Memories of their time together surfaced with every item. The king couldn't hold back his tears.
35:28Alone in the quiet night, with snow gently falling outside, he trembled and wept. Then, overcome by
35:34emotion, he fell asleep. When he woke, it was that spring afternoon again. He was holding Court Lady
35:41Park's hand, telling her he had had a nightmare. She wiped the sweat from his face and gently told him
35:47it was time to go. As he walked to the gate of the courtyard, he stopped. That wasn't a dream,
35:52it was their entire life together. He turned back, his eyes full of tears, looking at her once more.
35:59In that moment, he foolishly believed that maybe, just maybe, if he never left the gate,
36:05time would slow down and nothing would have to change. But since time could not be held still,
36:10he decided to keep her memory eternal, within his dreams and deep in his heart. And with that,
36:16the story comes to a tragic end.
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