(Rowoon)
(Cho Yi Hyun)
(Writer: Ha Soo Jin)
(Directors: Hwang Seung Ki, Kim Soo Jin)
(The Matchmakers)
Here is my plan.
As soon as the wedding ends, I will settle my business...
and leave for the Ming.
This is insane.
Did you just say that to me?
No, I said it to myself.
How was this an idea that came from the smartest scholar in Joseon?
We do not even speak their language. How can we live in the Ming?
I speak their language.
People in the Ming would also need a matchmaker.
- I'm an Agent of Love! - But still...
Love is everywhere, and it is the beginning of everything.
The power of love...
Why can you not think of a way to be together here in Joseon?
But how?
Do you think this family will let you go that easily?
I wonder.
But there would be a way, right?
I will find a way...
to be with you in this land.
Please do not worry.
All right.
(Episode 16: A Match Made in Heaven)
(Episode 16: A Match Made Between the Widowed)
Lady Jo will not return no matter how much you wait.
The family will be in an uproar today.
Darn it. Perhaps I should just stay out.
What? Lady Jo?
My goodness, Lady Jo.
Lady Jo, why are you so late?
My dear, let us go inside.
"My dear?" Lady Park would be furious if she found out!
I would not have returned if it had not been for him.
(Two hours ago)
Let us hide out at Sunhwa Temple tonight.
I have a plan.
I did not show up at the wedding today,
so all of Hanyang will hear about my broken marriage.
I will never get another proposal,
so she will let you live with me.
No, I cannot let people say such things about you.
Who cares about others?
All I want is to live with you.
I cannot condone it.
You must always remain honourable.
Let us go back to your home.
I am not going back. I will live with you.
I will ask your mother...
for your hand.
If we go now,
you may get beaten up to death.
You even ran away on the day of your wedding.
There is nothing I cannot do.
It will be okay, right?
I will do anything it takes to live with you.
Your family is in an uproar.
Why are you adding to this trouble?
You need to save my life and go inside alone.
- Goodness. - No...
That is enough.
Lady Jo and I will meet her mother together.
Move aside.
He just told you to move aside.
Lady Park told me...
to bring both of them.
She did?
Yes.
Really?
(The quirk of fate to marry)
This must be the room.
Open it.
Please walk away from the door for a moment.
What are you doing right now?
For what reason...
do you dare to insolently open the room of the newlyweds?
Well, it is...
There is something I must check.
Did my mother really say she wanted to see him too?
Well, it was not Lady Park, but Lady Jung.
Soon Duk?
The chief magistrate must have noticed.
Let us run away.
If we got caught looking like this, that would be the end of us.
Ye Jin, why are you so late?
Why are you two dressed in wedding gowns?
Why do you think?
It is to let you two be together.
The chief magistrate is going around checking the groom's face,
so show his face when the door opens and make this final.
What?
I received a report that this was a faked marriage.
This is my daughter's room.
That could not have happened.
Please return.
I just have to see the groom's face.
Why do you stop me?
There must be a problem, right?
How dare you?
We have no time to stand here. We must leave now.
Lady Park!
Turn your face.
Oh, my!
This cannot be true.
Leave my home immediately.
I will never forget this!
This is weird.
Why is Lord Sim not here?
- My gosh. - He is coming out.
- Goodness. - Hurry.
My goodness!
The bride was the daughter of the left state councillor,
but the groom was not the son of the Minister of Defence.
I already told you that the Minister of Defence's son...
already married the second daughter of Erudite Maeng.
The lady of this house...
always had someone she was to marry.
That is not something you should be confused about. You are impossible.
Goodness, no way.
Then who did I make that match for?
It is time to go.
Go. Go now.
My gosh.
Go now.
Mother, I can explain everything.
What do you think you are doing?
Take your hands off him!
Mother, Soon Duk did everything because of me, so please calm down.
I am utterly disappointed in you.
Did you coax...
that naive Ye Jin to marry the son of the Minister of Defence...
to one of those old ladies?
I told you time and time again about the importance...
of her marriage with the son of the Minister of Defence!
How can you do this to me?
Ye Jin's feelings were...
more important to me.
Who cares about feelings?
Mother, please stop.
It was not because of Soon Duk. This was my choice.
Please allow me to marry Lady Ye Jin.
I may not be much now,
but I will do my best to be worthy of this family.
No matter how hard you try,
you can never be enough for our family.
Leave my home now!
If that is what you have to say,
I will leave this home with my husband.
Let us go, my dear.
Ye Jin.
You cannot do this to your mother.
How... How dare you two do this?
Lady Park.
This wedding was already held.
Did you wish to let everyone know that your daughter...
ran away before the wedding?
Were you...
in this scheme together?
I had the order from His Majesty to hold these marriages.
I should do my best to the end.
Is your way of life ruining the future...
of my daughter...
and my family by partnering with another man?
You would surely be punished...
for what you have done.
I am quite late, am I not? Give me a moment.
I brought some food from the party, so I just have to cook some rice.
I have...
already made rice.
You made rice?
It does not look so great,
but it should be edible.
And this.
Will you...
marry me?
Are you all right?
Lady Jung.
Leave with me now.
Now?
No.
You said you would do as I said after the wedding.
I asked you to give me some time.
Why are you in such a hurry?
We do not know how you will suffer if you stay here.
My brother is here too.
Do not worry.
Then, I will...
also stay here tonight.
Things would be worse...
if you stayed here.
I will reach out to you.
Please return tonight.
You have to reach out tomorrow.
All right.
You did this because of me,
but Mother saw you and Lord Sim in wedding garments,
so she must have been surprised.
That is why she is furious.
Please try to understand.
Ye Jin.
I like Lord Gyeongunjae.
What do you mean?
I am sorry.
I cannot take your side on this matter.
However, in two days...
No, in just one day,
I will take your side again.
Because you were always on my side too.
Ye Jin.
But for tonight, just discuss my marriage.
If you bring up your story, she may really collapse.
Mother.
It is I, Soon Duk.
Go back.
I do not wish to see you.
I said, I did not wish to see you!
I even killed my husband and brother...
to keep this family together.
But you ruined everything!
You...
did it?
Ye Jin...
Let us go to your place immediately.
If we leave like this,
what about Geun Seok and Lady Jung?
She tried the hardest to let us be together.
It is our turn to help.
Bu Kyum...
Let us resolve...
this family affair together.
I want to do my best to become a man...
your family will desire,
just for you, Ye Jin.
The Crown Prince told me...
the wedding for the old ladies were quite eventful.
I apologize.
No, I was not blaming you.
It was a compliment.
It would not do me any good if that family married...
the Minister of Defence's family.
The Crown Prince's determination throughout his marriage...
helped vanish many concerns of my royal subjects.
Jung Woo, it seems like...
you have an excellent knack for matchmaking.
You should take that up as your career from now on.
- I was joking. - Right.
You looked so shocked that your eyes could pop out.
Your Letter of Appeal will be processed soon.
Think of something you wish to do.
I had begun to hold a grudge...
when I heard you eloped...
before the wedding was over.
I am sorry.
This is out of order,
but this is the birth date and hour of your daughter-in-law.
The order of events isn't important.
It is much better to marry the family of the Crown Princess...
than the ruined family of the left state councillor.
I have something to say to you.
Take off your lowly garment and wait for me.
My lord!
This is an urgent letter from the left state councillor’s family.
Teacher.
I must speak to you urgently regarding my mother.
Please come to my place.
The young master is inside.
Lady Jung, are you all right?
What brings you here?
Geun Seok sent me a letter saying this was urgent.
Sorry?
You cannot escape, so do not even try.
Lord Sim, I have reported you for violating my daughter-in-law.
The Department of Justice will be here soon to arrest you.
Mother, please do not do this.
You do not have to feel aggrieved.
This is the result of your choice.
Accept it as your fate.
I have put you in this danger.
I have acted too rashly.
It is not your fault.
No.
Everything seems like my fault.
I should not have fallen for you...
at the book rental shop.
You said you had not fallen for me there,
but you had fallen for me then.
How can you make jokes in this situation?
I should have followed you...
when you asked me to elope.
But still, you should deny this until the very end.
I shall remain the only one who had feelings for you.
I cannot do that.
I like you too much.
If you suffer alone,
I am afraid you will end up regretting...
our encounter altogether.
Do you know...
why my heart is racing?
Because you are afraid.
No.
Because I am in love with you.
So, I will not regret...
our encounter.
Never.
What was Lord Gyeongunjae accused of?
He was accused of violating...
the daughter of the late left state councillor.
"Violating?"
Lord Gyeongunjae?
What is this nonsense?
I also thought it was nonsense.
But he was caught in the same room as Lady Jung.
It must be true.
I will not believe this until I hear this from him.
What in the world happened?
Were you trapped into this?
No.
Then what?
Did you really...
try to violate that woman?
Yes.
I insisted on this relationship because only I had feelings for her.
Please do not let that lady suffer.
Is that...
all you have to say to me right now?
I must have had...
the wrong idea about you.
My sister got involved in a scandalous matter...
and caused trouble for your family.
My father and I thought...
we should take her back to our family.
What do you mean, trouble?
Soon Duk was not at fault.
- But... - She has married into our family,
so she is one of us now.
No matter what happened to her,
it is only proper for her to spend the rest of her life here.
May I meet her?
She probably does not wish to meet anyone right now.
I will make sure...
she does not suffer from people's humiliation.
Please do not worry so much.
I need to meet...
my mother-in-law.
If you took my advice,
you could have started a career after your appeal was processed...
and would have become the leader of Dongro Faction.
But you have fallen to this rock bottom...
because of your fleeting feelings.
You are the one who is at rock bottom, not me.
How can you say that in this situation you are in?
Golden silkworm poison, the poison you used eight years ago.
Do you know what it does?
According to old books, those who use golden silkworm poison...
become prosperous...
and reach high honours.
However, in the end,
it also destroys the one who used that poison.
That poison killed your son,
your younger brother, and your husband.
The curse must have been true.
If some legend in an old book can become your comfort,
feel free to think as you like.
However, it is evident that you are the one...
who is about to face his demise.
We shall see.
(Rescue Operation for the Widowed Son-in-law of the King)
My husband is doing his best...
to bring Soon Duk back home.
We should wait a little longer.
The problem is Lord Sim.
What if we dug up a tunnel under the prison cell...
and rescue him?
How long do you think that is going to take?
We can make the guards drunk...
and pull him out.
Why are you adding to this too?
The prison is not as lax as you see in some novels.
Are you belittling novels?
No, I am not.
Tonight,
Lord Sim will receive poison as his death penalty.
Receive the royal command as a criminal.
Stop the punishment!
Sim Jung Woo.
It is not too late...
to admit that you have fallen into Lady Park's trap.
She shall be punished brutally for daring to frame...
someone of the royal family.
And you may return to your life...
as the son-in-law of the King.
However, if you continue to insist...
you did it because of your feelings for Lady Jung, her daughter-in-law,
I have no choice...
but to give you the death penalty.
I will...
admit to my crime...
and receive the death penalty.
You have betrayed my son...
and ruined my family, so I cannot leave you like this.
This is the last bit of concern...
I can show you for old times' sake.
I hear the Department of Justice...
will execute Lord Gyeongunjae's death penalty today.
He is no longer of this world.
I am telling you so that it is easier for you to decide.
Lord Jo's daughter-in-law took her own life?
Yes, Your Majesty.
That is why the Jo family...
requested a memorial for her.
You can review it.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Even if...
we can never meet again,
please live on beautifully...
as the person I fell in love with no matter what happens.
That way, I will not regret meeting you.
We will...
definitely meet again.
That is...
the fate we share.
Have you come to your senses?
Lord Sim.
My lord.
Are you awake?
He is alive.
You were unconscious for ten days.
I was terrified that you were dead.
Do you have that little faith in me as a physician?
What is going on?
His Majesty...
secretly ordered me to save you.
I did not know either until Physician Yu told me.
You must not get out of bed yet.
Although the dose was small, you had poison.
You must stay in bed and receive treatment for now.
I must see Lady Jung who must be worried for me.
What is the matter?
Well...
After...
you drank the poison,
she took her own life.
That is impossible.
I must see her myself...
- My lord. - Oh, dear.
- My lord! - Lord Sim!
Silla people called Agents of Love...
"lonely souls."
That is because he who marries an agent...
is fated to die young.
Learning without thought is futile,
thinking without learning is fatal.
(A month later)
If you study without reflecting on your own,
knowledge will only be an empty shell.
A scholar must always guard against dogmatism.
Understood?
Yes. I will keep that in mind, Uncle.
How is home tutoring?
Uncle is a better teacher than mine at school.
Uncle, will you be taking the upcoming state exam?
No, he has to farm.
He will not have the time.
I thought you wanted to be the wife of an official.
For that to happen, Uncle needs to be a first rank official.
I have a new dream.
The wife of a rich man.
So my husband just needs to pass the basic exam.
How can dreams change?
Technically, my dream is still the same.
Know the term "wealth and honour?"
With wealth and rank, one will be treated with honour...
and the world shall know their name and face, right?
In that case, do you know why "wealth" comes before "honour?"
When you are wealthy, honour comes naturally.
When my husband becomes rich,
people will treat me with dignity, do you not think?
You are starting to take after my mother, Aunt.
Is that so?
That is great then.
What is it?
Feeling stuck with your novel?
They say...
a writer can only write well when they are starving.
That saying must be true.
Thanks to you, I am well-provided for.
So I keep wanting to be lazy and loaf around.
I cannot tell if you are praising or blaming me.
Where is it?
Which part are you stuck at?
Well...
That is...
While on the run, the lady happens to fall in love.
But how can she have feelings in such a tense situation?
That is my concern.
We shall find out.
But it is still bright out.
I thought your deadline was tomorrow.
- We do not have time. - That is true, but...
("The Last Agent of Love of Joseon")
The agent of love in the novel is amazing, do you not think?
He had a bright future with his state exam scores,
but he gave everything up for love.
It was moving that he investigated the princess' death for a decade.
But he even drank poison to save the lady he loved.
Is he not the embodiment of love itself?
But...
the lady still died in the end.
The novel says she took her own life.
Did her mother-in-law really kill her?
Most likely.
The Jo family house has bad mojo.
It is just a made-up story.
Who says?
This is definitely the love story of the late Gyeongunjae...
and Lord Jo's daughter-in-law.
Love story? As if. It is an affair.
How is it an affair? They were both widowed.
It is definitely...
love. It is love.
What are you saying?
Is it not tiring?
It feels heavy.
Wait. You mean your stomach?
What the... It has only been a month.
I meant that your head was heavy.
My dear.
Are you tired of me already?
Of course not.
I had to focus on my needlework.
Is the needlework more important to you...
than me?
You crazy...
The baby will hear.
I wonder who is the baby here.
Are you heading to the pharmacy?
Let me bring you there.
It is all right. You should stay by Doo Ri's side.
But...
Mother, I can...
Have a safe trip.
Do you like me that much?
Yes.
Others will call you a henpecked.
Then let them. I am not afraid.
I was the one who switched my bride on my wedding.
I am all right as long as I am not chided by you.
I miss Lady Yeoju.
Do you think...
these two should never have met?
They were fated to be with other partners after all.
As our forefathers said...
Since their discussion just started,
they will be up all night again.
I guess...
we can forget about sleeping too.
I think they have every right to be together.
("The Last Agent of Love of Joseon")
This is such a cruel story.
How can they both die?
It is natural for novels to have sad endings...
so that they linger in people's hearts.
Still, I prefer happy endings.
Me too.
By the way, do you think they have met?
I hope so.
("The Last Agent of Love of Joseon")
Someone has already reserved that book.
Please put it down.
"At the lady's sudden touch..."
Ridiculous fiction like this must be popular these days.
The servant?
What brings you here?
You see...
I am here to meet the bookworm...
that is holed up in here reading all day.
This way, please.
Take these.
Here.
- What? - Please watch your head.
Which way?
This place is...
My lord.
Please hurry over.
You have an important guest.
How can you stay in this illegal space?
What brings you to this humble place?
I feel offended having to look up at you.
- Sit down. - Yes, Your Majesty.
According to Physician Yu,
you have completely recovered.
Do you not think you should get back to work?
I am still hurting emotionally.
Everyone has wounds in their hearts, do you not agree?
That is right.
Since you are dead on the records,
I prepared a new identity for you.
Park Moon Soo?
He was the previous secret inspector.
But he died unexpectedly after meeting a mountain tiger.
- He died unexpectedly? - Yes.
Am I really the first one taking over this name?
Yes, pretty much.
Maybe 1 or 2 others.
He is the fifth one.
What are you doing?
Anyway, not all of the previous men are dead.
Do not worry.
Besides, you will not be dealing with corrupt officials.
Your task...
will be to go around Joseon...
and round up all the old bachelors and spinsters.
They are not bandits.
Do not say "round up!"
I am sorry.
How dare you glare at me?
Did you forget? I am the king!
Take it.
- Goodness. - But I am still...
Shut your mouth about your emotional hurt and whatnot.
I am your ex-father-in-law.
Set out by tomorrow.
Go. I have found a matchmaker.
Go and meet her right now.
She must have waited for a long time since you were sick.
Jung Woo.
Have a good life.
Goodness.
How do I get out?
This place is...
It used to be my house.
I stayed here since I was 7 till I was 18.
What a great day to air my heart.
My lord.
My dear...
What took you so long?
This must be a dream.
If it is a dream,
I do not want to wake up.
My lord.
This is not a dream.
But...
it feels way too real.
You were alive?
I have...
missed you dearly.
Did you know everything?
His Majesty told me to keep it a secret.
But since he said we would meet soon,
I waited patiently.
So it was not a dream when I saw you at the physician's.
I was worried, and I missed you...
so I went there secretly.
By the way,
were you also saved by His Majesty?
Maybe only partly.
I hear the Department of Justice...
will execute Lord Gyeongunjae's death penalty today.
He is no longer of this world.
I am telling you so that it is easier for you to decide.
Mother.
I will not die.
You betrayed my son...
and gave your heart to another man. But in the face of death,
you are easily throwing that love away.
Love...
is not proven with death.
I have lived as the person my husband loved me...
and will continue to do so.
So,
simply because I like another man...
does not mean my love for my husband will change.
Who do you think will understand that?
For the rest of your life,
people will point fingers at you for being a tarnished woman.
Even if you smile, they will speak ill of you.
And if you go outside,
they will gossip about you for knowing no shame.
Rather than such a life,
is it not better to die with honour?
I do not care...
how people see me or what they talk about me.
For the sake of Geun Seok,
my husband, and...
Lord Gyeongunjae,
I must live.
I knew you were daring.
But little did I know how shameless you were.
Say that you live such a pathetic life.
But what did Geun Seok do?
He will live with his mother's scandal his entire life.
I will die as the daughter-in-law of the Jo family.
However, Jung Soon Duk...
will never die because of her family.
If I take my life here, everyone will believe you killed me.
He may be young, but Geun Seok knows about everything.
Ye Jin does too.
I cannot...
let them live a painful life of resenting their family.
That includes you, Mother.
However, I heard later that...
His Majesty sent a warrior...
to protect me under the Crown Prince's request...
that night.
Hence, the twenty percent.
But I was told your funeral was held.
How did you fool everyone?
I used a trick.
"A trick?"
Mother.
Yes, come in.
Grandmother told me I would no longer be able to see you.
Is that true?
No.
Your mother is alive.
We can meet any time.
I knew it.
Because of me,
you are going through a lot.
No.
I am happy for you. It is like you have found your winged clothes.
So do not worry about me.
Please find good matches for people.
Thank you.
My son.
When did you grow up so much?
Does that mean Geun Seok is at home alone?
No.
Geun Seok is at his aunt's place.
He visits me here from time to time.
The one alone in that house...
is my mother-in-law.
I was not wrong.
(List of Spinsters and Old Bachelors in the 8 Provinces)
We will travel around the eight provinces to find matches.
I am already excited.
But there is something much more important before that.
What is it?
When should we get married?
Is the Lord Inspector currently teasing a windowed peddler?
Concentrate on your work.
I cannot because of the thought of our marriage.
Then...
before our marriage,
how about having a romantic relationship?
"A romantic relationship?"
It is said that a foolish person,
who cannot control their feelings, has a romantic relationship...
In this Joseon,
is there anyone more foolish than us?
So,
let us start with the heart-pounding romantic relationship in novels.
That is while finding good matches for people.
A heart-pounding romantic relationship?
That sounds nice.
(Thank you for watching The Matchmakers.)
(Please love to your heart's content.)
(The Matchmakers)