Han Soo has gotten himself into trouble once again in Joseon Lawyer: A Morality after his failed attempt to clear Lord Kwon from the charge of murdering his own brother. He couldn’t keep his promise to the king as Minister Yoo trapped both of them. Han Soo was kidnapped on his way to meet the princess, and when he escaped, he returned to his ship only to find royal guards waiting for him. He got arrested for the murder of Lord Chu, as the murder weapon was found on his ship.
Spoilers Ahead
Who Proves Han Soo’s Alibi?
Yeon Joo comes to Han Soo’s rescue, but after learning about her real identity, Han Soo feels betrayed and refuses to accept her help. He would rather get arrested and prove his innocence himself. Han Soo had promised Yeon Joo he’d marry her, and now he feels like Yeon Joo made a fool out of him. He can never marry a princess, and that is the reason he was kidnapped in the first place. Yeon Joo’s grandmother had heard the rumors of Yeon Joo being close to a lawyer, and if it weren’t for Yeon Joo’s earnest request, he would have been dead by now. Han Soo is being tortured into confessing his crime, but he won’t fess up. Even if he is locked up, Dong Chi is investigating the case. He has gotten a clue that Master Cho is involved in framing him, but it is almost impossible to prove it as he has Minister Yoo’s support, so Han Soo finds another way. He wants Dong Chi to gather people who can prove his alibi. Han Soo had helped a lot of people, and they agreed to become his witnesses. However, Lord Won declares their statements invalid, stating they could be fake, and makes them repay Han Soo for helping them. Surprisingly, one of Master Cho’s men, Chu Soo, appears and proves Han Soo’s alibi because he had been tailing him that day. Lord Won has to release Han Soo because he cannot reject Han Soo’s rival’s statement. Meanwhile, Yeon Joo quickly accepts reality and makes the decision to marry Ji Sun. With his help, she can help Han Soo and also keep Minister Yoo in control.
Han Soo has barely recovered from all the injuries from torture, and he enters the palace to meet the king. The king is already bothered by Minister Yoo and other officials, who don’t trust him and want him to prove that he is worthy of the throne. He lets Han Soo in because he sees him as a friend, but Han Soo is there to criticize the king. Appreciating the palace and the king’s wealth first, he asks the king if his wealth is the reason he looks down on common people. He tells the king about his father’s connection with the previous king and that he should compensate him heavily for his family’s loss. Ji Sun interrupts their conversation by showing up all of a sudden, but before leaving, Han Soo asks the king to prove that he can really protect his people. Han Soo is a commoner, and yet he dared to look down on the king. Han Soo lives without much thought, and he doesn’t let his feelings get in his way. He runs into Yeon Joo in the palace, and even if it hurts him to even think about her, he doesn’t let it distract him. He still needs to complete his revenge, and as luck is always on his side, he gets a new client.
Why Does Han Soo Reject Yeon Joo’s Idea?
Han Soo finds Chu Soo knocking on doors at night asking people to take in a baby, and he gets to know a heartbreaking story. Chu Soo and his older brother started working on a wasteland because, as per the national law, if they managed to cultivate the land in 3 years, they become the owners of the land. It was tough, and Chu Soo gave up after he accidentally injured his brother. He became a thug, but his brother became successful in growing crops on the land. However, after hearing the news, Lord Won bought that land and claimed that Chu Soo’s brother did nothing to cultivate it. Chu Soo’s brother was killed by Lord Won, and his wife was thrown into prison. Chu Soo was left alone with the baby, but Han Soo gives him a helping hand. Han Soo writes a complaint to Ji Sun, who tells him that it will be difficult to win this case because Lord Won is a man of power and has evidence that he legally got the land. However, once Han Soo decides to do something, he doesn’t back off. He gathers witnesses to prove that Chu Soo’s brother worked on the land, but all of them turn back on their words because Lord Won has kept their families hostage. After losing the first trial, Han Soo contemplates his next move and finds a crucial piece of information. The registration date of Lord Won’s land deed is a government holiday, meaning that it’s fake.
Yeon Joo and Ji Sun meet Minister Yoo to distract him from Lord Won’s case, and they bring up the topic of their marriage. However, Han Soo shows up at the same time to meet Ji Sun. When Yoo understands that Han Soo wants to see Lord Won’s deed, he doesn’t let Ji Sun get involved in it and checks the deed first. When he sees that the deed is fake, he changes the date on it himself before sending it to Ji Sun. Yet another of Han Soo’s plans fails, and he is lost. He is still pondering the case when Dong Chi comes screaming that Chu Soo is withdrawing the lawsuit. Master Cho has given him a solution: he can fake a document that says the land belongs to the palace, so he can at least work on it and make a living rather than lose it all. It is Yeon Joo’s idea, and Han Soo doesn’t like it. This way, Chu Soo cannot own the land that his brother died for. Han Soo only has a day until the next trial, and he comes up with an excellent idea to get the land back. At the trial, Han Soo declares that they are withdrawing the lawsuit, and Chu Soo will return the land as it was. He reveals that the land has been turned back into wasteland, and Lord Won can have it. Lord Won doesn’t really know where the land actually is, and Han Soo easily fools him into canceling his deed. The fertile land now belongs to Chu Soo and his sister-in-law.
Chu Soo is happy now that he can feed his brother’s family, as the land gives them enough product to make a decent living. They are grateful to Han Soo for being a huge help to them, and in his honor, Chu Soo’s sister-in-law changes her son’s name to Han Soo. Han Soo didn’t only want to win against Lord Won; he also wanted to set a precedent for farmers in the future so that a similar situation wouldn’t arise again. Yeon Joo is relieved and sends a gift to the baby on its first birthday. Inside the gift, there is a letter from Han Soo. Yeon Joo still needs to get her revenge, and so does Han Soo. Han Soo thinks that Yeon Joo is still using him for her revenge, but he takes her help because he needs it. Joseon Lawyer: A Morality, Episode 12, ends with Han Soo encountering his sister for the first time since her marriage at a courtesan’s house. Yeon Joo tipped him off that Minister Yoo often works from that place, but Han Soo had no idea his sister would be there. He believes that his sister must have had little kids by now, but he is about to face the shocking truth. However, it can also work in his favor because Yoo has been manipulating his sister, and Han Soo has a chance to free her from his trap.