After his brother’s death, Yi In decides to claim the throne for himself, even if it means making sacrifices.
With the health of the King of Joseon deteriorating, the Queen Dowager’s family wishes for Yi In to succeed his older brother.
Despite that, Yi In does not want to ascend to the throne. Since the king has a son, Yi In prefers him to take the throne when the time comes.
When the King dies in Yi In’s presence, he tells him to find the person responsible for his death and to ensure that his son, Prince Royal, ascends to the throne.
However, Yi In decides to claim the throne for himself, but first, he must deal with the Queen’s family, especially Kim Jong-bae, who stands between Yi In and the throne.
The path to becoming the King
When the question of the King’s last words arises, Yi In, who received his last words, lies and tells the court officials that the King wanted him to succeed him, as he recognized Yi In’s loyalty.
He claims that the King only chose him over his son, the legitimate heir, because he was concerned for the country, especially in the face of the threat of war.
At the time of the King’s death, Court Lady Dong was also present in the room. Before meeting the court officials, Yi In convinced her to side with him.
When Court Lady Dong is questioned, she corroborates Yi In’s statement. However, Kim Jong-bae, who is the Minister of War, still does not believe him.
To win the approval of all the other court officials, Yi In claims that he will not take the throne if even one person from the Royal Family or any of the civil or military officials objects to it.
Kim Jong-bae, determined to prove that Yi In murdered the King, questions the Royal Physician, but even he denies that the King was poisoned.
He then employs soldiers under his control to prevent Yi In’s ascension. However, he does not realize that his loyal official, Yoo Hyun-bo, has joined hands with Yi In.
Yoo Hyun-bo tells Kim Jong-bae that Yi In is mobilizing soldiers to oppose him, prompting him to get a confession from Hee-soo as quickly as possible.
When Kim Jong-bae’s son, Kim Myung-ha, fails to get Hee-soo to sign a false confession, accusing Yi In of sending the spy to the Ming, he resorts to forging it.
The next day, Kim Jong-bae accuses Yi In of treason in front of all the court officials and orders his arrest, but Yi In has an ace up his sleeve.
Yoo Hyun-bo testifies against Kim Jong-bae and Myung-ha. He claims that Jong-bae ordered him to falsify a confession, and when he refused, Myung-ha did it.
Unaware that Yoo Hyun-bo has made a deal with Yi In, the officials believe Yoo Hyun-bo, given that he is Kim Jong-bae’s right-hand man and has no reason to lie.
The revelation that Kim Jong-bae attempted to frame the Grand Prince as a spy makes him the true traitor, allowing Yi In to execute him.
These events dispel all suspicions against Yi In and win him the support of all the court officials. With no obstacles in Yi In’s path, he ascends to the throne as the King.
However, it comes at a cost. Yi In has to let innocent citizens like Hee-soo and Hongjang be punished for crimes they did not commit.
Also Read: Hongjang: Captivating the King character explained