“Hi, Yoomyeong~”
Lee Seon-ha introduced herself once again to the other actors.
“Hello. I’m Lee Seon-ha, a theater actress from the troupe . This is my first film, so I’m approaching it with the mindset of a rookie and will work hard. Please teach me a lot~”
Kim Jin-Beom and Min Gyeong-Guk stood up and warmly returned her greeting.
“We’ve heard a lot about you. The director said you were perfectly cast as Queen Sindeok, so we’ll probably be the ones learning from you.”
“I’m a fan. I used to go see Comet’s performances often. Seeing you in person feels like meeting a celebrity, haha.”
Indeed, just as Hansung had said, they all seemed like kind people.
Though things might change once the acting began.
After exchanging greetings, Seon-ha walked over to Hansung and Yoomyeong and gave them a small nod.
“How have you been, seniors?”
“Ah... please don’t call me that, senior...”
“Right. Please take care of me, Ms. Lee Seon-ha.”
Seon-ha bowed politely, causing Yoomyeong to awkwardly bow back while Hansung chuckled and played along with her joke.
“What happened?”
“The director asked whether I could recommend someone for the role of Queen Sindeok, and she was the first person who came to mind. The moment he met her, he was immediately satisfied.”
Queen Sindeok.
Queen Sindeok of the Kang clan, Lee Seong-Gye’s second wife.
She became queen after Lee Seong-Gye’s first wife died before his coronation. Despite their twenty-one-year age gap, she remained his beloved consort throughout his life.
She was also famous for the story in which Lee Seong-Gye, passing by a well, asked a village maiden for water, and she served it with willow leaves floating on top so he would not choke while drinking too quickly.
She must have been both wise and charming.
However, she was also known as a strategist and tactician for successfully securing the position of crown prince for her own son over the five sons born to the first wife.
In the script, she was portrayed as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Everyone was looking forward to seeing how Seon-ha would portray the warmth she naturally exuded alongside the ambition and cunning hidden beneath it.
“You’re perfect for the role, senior. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“But Seon-ha, how old are you now? Playing someone in her thirties is one thing, but her twenties...”
“Yoon Hansung. Weren’t you only appearing as an extra when you were in your twenties? It’s been so long that you must’ve forgotten.”
Lee Seon-ha, famous for her youthful appearance, usually played characters ranging from their early to late thirties. However, there were scenes in the script where she appeared opposite the sixteen-year-old Lee Bang-won as the twenty-seven-year-old Queen Sindeok.
Hansung pointed this out teasingly.
“Hello.”
Then actor Bae Geohyeong entered the room. Yoomyeong excitedly bowed to the actor he admired.
“So you’re my son. Let’s get along well.”
He firmly shook Yoomyeong’s hand.
Finally, Director Son entered the room.
“Hello, Director!”
“Hello.”
“Please take care of us.”
As Director Son entered, all the actors stood and greeted him. After exchanging handshakes and warm greetings with each familiar face, he took the seat at the head of the table.
“Let’s all relax today, since this is just a casual gathering.”
Today was not the official script reading but rather an informal meeting where the principal actors could greet one another and get a sense of their chemistry.
Director Son smiled broadly, pleased to see so many of his favorite actors gathered together.
“Since you all seem to know each other already, let’s skip introductions and talk about the script.”
The actors pulled their chairs closer and straightened their posture.
“As you already know from the script, the core of this story is Jeong Mong-ju. Lee Bang-won plays a pivotal role in advancing the narrative as his disciple, comrade, and eventual adversary.”
“Yes, Director.”
“While Lee Seong-Gye, Jeong Do-jeon, and the others are the central historical figures of the late Goryeo and early Joseon eras, they do not carry the main narrative in this film. Even so, I appreciate actors Bae and Min for accepting these roles.”
Both actors modestly bowed their heads.
“Let’s briefly go over the historical background of this script. During the late Goryeo period, Lee Seong-Gye, an undefeated military commander from the northeastern region, and Jeong Do-jeon, who believed Goryeo was beyond saving and wished to establish a new Neo-Confucian dynasty, joined forces to found Joseon.”
Everyone nodded.
“However, unlike them, Jeong Mong-ju wished to realize a Confucian ideal within the Goryeo dynasty itself. After the Wihwado Retreat led to the dethronement of King U, and through the reigns of King Chang and King Gongyang, Lee Seong-Gye waited for the right moment to ascend the throne. But Jeong Mong-ju never sided with him.”
“Lee Seong-Gye and Jeong Mong-ju had once been comrades in war during their youth. Lee Seong-Gye deeply valued Jeong Mong-ju’s scholarship, political ability, and diplomatic skill. He tried to persuade him until the very end, but Jeong Mong-ju dreamed instead of eliminating Lee Seong-Gye’s faction.”
“Unlike his father, who could not let go, the twenty-six-year-old Lee Bang-won concluded that Jeong Mong-ju could never be reconciled with them and decided to eliminate him.”
Hansung, who would play Jeong Mong-ju, and Yoomyeong, cast as Lee Bang-won, briefly exchanged glances.
“I focused on two things. First, the similarities between these two characters. Both are elegant and sophisticated, yet decisive when necessary.”
The director briefly explained his interpretation of the two men.
“Jeong Mong-ju was an outstanding diplomat — arguably one of the greatest in our history. Even in desperate situations where his life was in danger, he achieved remarkable success as an envoy. He frequently held banquets with opposing political factions and overlooked their misconduct.”
“Although his unwavering loyalty has made him a symbol of fidelity, in reality he was also a sophisticated diplomat and politician who did not hesitate to compromise when it served his goals.”
“Jeong Mong-ju and Jeong Do-jeon were close friends and classmates. However, as their political views diverged, Jeong Mong-ju began attacking Jeong Do-jeon by exploiting his deep-seated inferiority complex over his maternal grandmother’s status as a slave.”
“Mong-ju was a tactician unafraid to use ruthless means when necessary.”
“Lee Bang-won was also an extraordinary figure. At seventeen, he passed the civil service examination as the youngest successful candidate of his era. Lee Seong-Gye, his father — a military officer from the frontier regions — was said to have rejoiced greatly, according to the historical records.”
“Bang-won was known from a young age for his political instincts. He excelled at manipulating people, appeasing them when necessary or removing them when needed. The Veritable Records of King Taejong repeatedly document his cunning and calculating nature.”
“Taejong, one of the most powerful monarchs in Korean history, was said to have lost only a single political battle in his life — to his own son, Lee Bang-won.”
(*According to some interpretations, Lee Seong-Gye himself was the true force behind the Jo Sahui Rebellion and was ultimately defeated by his son, Lee Bang-won.)
“These similarities in temperament between the two men, along with Lee Bang-won’s sharp understanding of political realities and bold decisiveness, led me to an interesting hypothesis. What if they had once shared a teacher-student relationship? If Jeong Mong-ju had been the one to cultivate Bang-won’s insight and decisiveness, wouldn’t that create a compelling tragedy?”
That question became the starting point for the screenplay <The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty>.
“Yes, Director.”
The distinguished actors skimmed through their scripts and cleared their throats.
A surge of excitement rose within Yoomyeong.
The atmosphere was completely different from the lively, family-like mood of Ballerina High or the trendy energy of Showbiz Studies, filled with young stars.
The actors gathered here were all respected veterans.
Only now did Yoomyeong truly realize the significance of sitting among them as the second lead.
“Don’t be nervous. Just be yourself, and they’ll all be impressed.”
Hansung whispered as he lightly nudged Yoomyeong’s side.
Across from him, Lee Seon-ha smiled encouragingly.
Taking a deep breath, Yoomyeong steadied himself.
“March 1392, early spring. Ministers prostrate themselves in the palace courtyard, with Jeong Mong-ju standing at their head. ‘He must be executed!’ After the ministers cry out for the third time, Mong-ju raises his head and shouts passionately—”
The assistant director’s reading transported them back to Goryeo six hundred and thirteen years in the past.
Hansung took a deep breath and °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° delivered the first line. His voice rang powerfully through the room.
“Jeong Do-jeon, born of lowly blood, has plunged our nation into chaos and must be severely punished. His associates — Jo Jun, Nam Eun, Yoon So-jong, Nam Jae, Jo Bak, and the others — should all be executed.”
Hansung’s voice sounded older than usual, filling the room with stern authority. The director nodded in satisfaction.
“He must be executed!”
The assistant director read the ministers’ repeated cries before continuing to the next scene.
“Cut to Lee Bang-won, dressed in mourning clothes, galloping at full speed toward Byeokran Island. Then to Lee Seong-Gye, lying ill in his chambers. Bang-won kneels beside his father and attempts to persuade him.”
This was the first scene featuring Lee Bang-won and Lee Seong-Gye.
Yoomyeong glanced toward actor Bae Geohyeong, whose imposing physique and deep-set eyes perfectly embodied Lee Seong-Gye.
Yoomyeong visualized the scene.
He needed to persuade his sick father to move to Gyeongju. Any delay could result in the destruction of their faction — and the collapse of their great cause.
“Father.”
“Is that you, Bang-won? Why did you leave your mother’s grave? I am fine.”
“This is no time to be lying down. Do you know that your supporters are being exiled and petitions are being submitted every day demanding their executions?”
“What can I do in my injured state? Nothing will happen immediately. Po Eun is a close friend to both Sambong and myself. This is merely politics.”
“Do you remember arranging for me to study under Po Eun personally when I was young?”
“Of course. He graciously accepted our request.”
Yoomyeong’s gaze sharpened as he added weight to his lines.
“Do you know the very first thing Master taught me back then?”
“What was it?”
Yoomyeong paused briefly before delivering the line sharply, like an arrow striking its mark.
“From Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Chapter Five: Energy.”
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night. And when you move, strike like a thunderbolt.”
The quotation from a military text carried particular weight given Lee Seong-Gye’s background as a warrior.
“And in ordinary times, behave with elegance and refinement, as though you could never be such a person at all...”
Actor Bae Geohyeong faced Yoomyeong as he delivered his lines with piercing intensity.
The ambition burning beneath his calm, rational tone — like flames encased in ice — challenged even Bae Geohyeong’s decades of acting experience.
“This is what politics is.”
It felt as though his heart had dropped heavily.
Just like Lee Seong-Gye’s heart, now filled with disbelief and growing anxiety.
FOOTNOTES
(*) Jo Sahui Rebellion
Although Jo Sahui is best known as the figure who initiated the rebellion, the true nature of the conflict was the Second Strife of Princes.
(*) Second Strife of Princes
A full-scale conflict caused by escalating tensions between Lee Bang-won’s faction and his brothers.
