In 1636, during the Second Qing Invasion of Korea in the 14th year of King Injo’s rule, King Injo and the Royal Court finds shelter inside Namhan Fortress outside the city as the Qing’s large army continues to attack.The Qing army, led by General Ingguldai, quickly surrounds the fortress, leaving the king and the court stranded in a prolonged standoff. For a truce, the Qing General makes a humiliating proposal of sending the Crown Prince out as hostage. Unable to move forward or fight the outnumbering enemy, the people of the fortress start dying from cold and hunger.Between the Minister of the Interior, who emphasizes the king’s duty to protect the lives of his subjects regardless of humiliation, and the Minister of Rites, who maintains that they must fight to death for the greater cause, the king must make a grave choice.