During the Qing Invasion of Korea in 1636, the Korean king and court take refuge in the Namhan Fortress, surrounded by Qing forces. With their supplies dwindling, the court faces cold and starvation. The Qing general, Yong Gol Dae, offers a humiliating truce proposal: sending the Crown Prince as a hostage. Stranded in a standoff, the king must choose between protecting his people at the cost of dignity or fighting to the
