Original subtitles

Who are you?

The best way to hide is to mix with the crowd.

I called the brigade

for his protection.

Jeong Gi-jun, the Leader of Secret Roots,

is Garion.

Didn't you see the types burning

and the palace run red with blood?

Wait for my next order, Yi Sin-jeok.

I must see Garion tonight.

Yi Do,

you cannot do anything.

What happened?

My lord.

Goodness, my lord.

I'm sorry you had to suffer.

Don't say that.

It's all because I'm not good enough of a man.

Do you have any leftover meat?

Yes, I do.

Why do you ask?

Prepare a table of drinks and food, and come with me

to Jeongryun Rock in the hill behind the Royal Academy.

To Jeongryun Rock?

Come up.

Yes.

Your Majesty.

KING SEJONG, YI DO

Goodness, Your Majesty.

Come up.

Goodness, no. I can't do that, Your Majesty.

How can I do that?

Come up here.

I'm a butcher.

Please, Your Majesty. Retract your command.

So why is this butcher not listening to the King's order?

Pardon?

I'm telling you to come up here.

Yes.

Take it.

Oh, goodness, no. How can I take that?

I gave you an order in secret,

then abandoned you.

However, you remained loyal to me

and protected yourself.

I called you out because I wanted to pour you a drink.

Now, take the cup.

My goodness.

Take it.

Pour me one, too.

I heard this is where Jeong Do-jeon, the rebel,

used to come with scholars

to discuss and debate when he was the commissioner at the Royal Academy.

I heard the scholars of the Royal Academy

still gather here in secret to pay their respects to Jeong Do-jeon.

Are you serious? Is that butcher

really the Leader of Secret Roots, Lord Jeong Gi-jun?

Yes.

Lord Jeong Do-gwang sent him to Banchon right after Chodongyosa.

But why did he become a butcher? He could've been adopted to a good family.

We could not trust anyone back then.

Lord Jeong Do-gwang passed away, the letter of Secret Roots was gone,

and we had nothing in our hands.

Why didn't the members of Secret Roots step up?

Their loyalty was dedicated to Lord Jeong Do-jeon,

not to some 22-year-old kid.

That's why he rebuilt Secret Roots from the Royal Academy and Banchon

from nothing.

We already have quite a number of scholars and young officials standing with us.

I'm sure you know what ceremony the scholars hold at Jeongryun Rock.

Wait, paying respect to Lord Sambong at Jeongryun Rock is...

Yes. The Leader began to tell the scholars

as if the custom has always existed while giving them meat.

And everyone is now keeping it as a custom.

He said that the beginning of Secret Roots lies in young scholars

who remember Lord Sambong and his teachings.

That's how he has been preparing

for the last 24 years.

I heard Jeong Do-jeon gave his lecture here,

and scholars would flock under this rock

to listen to him speak.

Your Majesty, I don't know anything about that.

I just bring drinks and meat here when they ask me to--

I have called you out today

because I believe

only Sambong would understand the order that I have given to you.

Sambong would understand the order that he gave me?

I came to this conclusion after reading his book

over and over again.

Read over and over again?

Everyone would say that this goes against Neo-Confucianism,

but Sambong would have agreed

with what I am doing.

What does your order to me have anything to do with Lord Sambong?

What do you think about the order I have given you?

I'm talking about the order to prepare for a dissection.

How could I dare to have any thoughts?

However, I don't know what this is for,

so I'm not sure how I should prepare for it.

I will be the one preparing for it.

So when the curfew bell rings tomorrow, come quietly to Gakseondang Hall.

Are you doing this in the palace?

Yes.

I think doing it in the palace would be safer.

Also, I will observe it myself.

Pardon? Your Majesty will be there yourself?

Then what kind of an animal will I be dissecting?

It's not an animal.

What?

What do you mean?

A corpse?

Yes. Make sure no one finds out.

Yes.

I wonder if Bak-po is keeping his eyes on Ms. Dodam.

Hey.

I'll leave you two alone.

I truly appreciate what you did.

Thank you.

You should not...

do that.

Don't put your whole life

into His Majesty's cause.

If you want to sleep, break free, and live,

just let go of everything and fall asleep.

That's the only way you can break free and keep on living.

Then why did you take snowbell and ziziphus seed?

You might ask, "Did that work for you?"

Of course, it didn't.

Ever so foolishly,

I still go on every single day with a miserable heart.

That's why I'm telling you this.

You still have your whole life ahead of you.

You shouldn't risk your precious life over some cause of His Majesty.

Goodness.

I must have overstepped bounds.

I shouldn't have said that. Don't mind it.

I trust His Majesty more than I trust myself.

I trust the world that he wants to build.

That will help me break free from the guilt.

It's not an animal.

Has Yi Do gone insane?

What on earth is he up to?

Why does he want me to draw an anatomy chart of a human?

Sir.

You're here.

He found out.

I am Second Counselor Sim Jong-su. It's an honor to meet you, sir.

I told you to keep your eyes on her!

I did.

I'm telling you. No one came near the shrine of Ahn Hyang,

and Ms. Dodam left after burning an incense!

Will you two keep it down?

You're going to wake the entire neighborhood!

Hey, but Ms. Dodam is gone.

This pig dozed off after having pork!

I guess three wasn't enough.

What are you saying?

The streets of Banchon

are like a maze,

so if you go in one way, you'll have three or four ways to get out.

Okay. Let's think this over.

Okay. Oh, right.

Someone came to visit you while I was on watch.

-Who? -He wanted to see you.

But not anyone can see the royal guard.

So I told him off and told him to get lost.

-Who was it? -He wouldn't say.

He told me to tell you something.

What?

Right. Ttolbok!

GWANGHWAMUN GATE

Jangbaeksan Mountain?

Is Master on Jangbaeksan Mountain?

Yes.

Did you see him?

No. He said he wasn't there.

He doesn't know when he'll be back.

-Who was he? -I don't know.

He seemed like his pupil or his servant.

So you just came back?

He seemed like he was lying,

so I took cover and hid nearby. Then he suddenly packed up and left.

He must have left to report to him.

So I followed him.

It turned out

he came to Hanyang.

Where in Hanyang is he?

Is everything all right?

Excuse me. Are you a royal guard?

Yes. I am Jeong,

a public official in charge of the royal guards.

I'm so glad to meet you.

I wish to meet a man by the name of Kang Chae-yun.

I can tell by your accent that you're from the north.

Well, in the north,

I heard there is something that's really good for men,

that you really can't explain with words.

I believe it was something called "barang."

Barang?

-Barang? -Yes, barang.

You're here.

Oh, hello.

I'll get him for you right away.

Stay right here.

Thank you.

That pig never helps.

Hey, he's here.

I heard it's really good for men.

Hey, what's going on?

I don't know.

Where did the guy from the north go?

Over there.

He was right there just now.

I'm sure he'll be back.

He came yesterday and just came back. Gosh.

Why are you angry at me?

The high-flying technique... It's him!

Are you here to see Kang Chae-yun?

What's the relationship between him and my master?

Master Yi isn't your master.

He never thought of you as his pupil.

Gag him.

He's gone. The trail ends here.

Why don't you ask Officer Jeong to do a thorough search?

Ttolbok.

He knows that name.

Exactly!

So who is this Ttolbok?

Who could he be?

And that guy took him.

Bak-po has a point.

Let's bring out everyone and do a search.

How else would we find him?

Cho-tak.

So who is this Ttolbok?

Who am I talking to?

Why do you two never answer me?

I'm leaving. You two are on your own.

My gosh.

Hey, what's that white thing?

That's white clay powder.

WHITE CLAY POWDER: POWDER USED TO INFORM ONE'S LOCATION ON A BATTLEFIELD

What's this white clay powder for?

He said he had a northern accent.

So what is this for? Is it something only northern people use?

It kills you if you eat it.

You two!

He's somewhere around here.

Don't be so foolish.

Just tell him about the relationship between Kang Chae-yun and Master Yi.

What? What did you say?

This is him.

-What? -What's with him?

-Get him! -You!

Are you Kang Chae-yun?

Stop right there!

How dare you draw a sword at me?

Come here.

Who are you?

How do you know...

Ttolbok?

Master Yi Bang-ji

told me...

Walk in a straight line, you idiot!

Walk straight.

What's going on? Are you okay?

-What about you? -My gosh.

My gosh. He's dead!

What is this?

This thin branch

pierced through his body. How is this possible?

Your ring came undone again.

Let me see. I'll tie it again.

What on earth have you done by yourself?

Be honest.

Something suddenly hit me.

I felt something ominous behind my back,

so I turned around on instinct, and something suddenly hit me.

I don't remember anything after that.

Me too.

We didn't have time to fight back or see him.

Anyway, we have to report this to Officer Jeong.

He got me at once!

This is huge.

He was stabbed from the back.

This thin piece of branch pierced through his backbone

and right through his heart.

Then he died instantaneously.

How and who can possibly do this?

It must be the one wearing the mask.

No, he was fighting me.

Then who on earth could have done this?

He might be as good as Master Yi.

No, he might be better.

This is a way of killing that I have never seen or heard.

I don't have a fancy name. People just call me Han.

How did you come to serve the Leader?

Oh, right.

I should have worked for the Office of the Inspector General

after passing the state exam.

But I'm definitely not the type who can work in an office.

That's how I came to serve the Leader.

Oh, but I'm still taking the exam every single year.

It's really tough to drop out on purpose.

How's the meeting coming along?

Oh, there is no problem with that.

The problem is...

the elders of Secret Roots who originally promised

their loyalty to Lord Sambong himself.

We have Scholar Hyegang to resolve that problem.

I'm sure all of the elders will come when Scholar Hyegang comes.

Yes, I'm sure they will come.

But they probably will come with different intentions.

That's why we need that item.

A warrior of Secret Roots?

Yes.

I'm sure they had an army because they were a secret society.

I began to think that they would have excellent warriors.

Do you know anything about that?

This was a long time ago,

but a member of Secret Roots was the best warrior in Joseon.

Isn't Commandant Mu-hyul the best warrior in Joseon?

He is now.

But there was a warrior

who even made Mu-hyul back down.

He was Jeong Do-jeon's bodyguard.

However,

on the night of the Rebellion of 1398 when Jeong Do-jeon died, he disappeared.

We don't know why he disappeared

without protecting Jeong Do-jeon.

What's stranger is that when he disappeared,

he took the letter of Secret Roots.

The letter of Secret Roots?

Are you talking about the letter of Secret Roots?

That's it.

The letter of Secret Roots.

It's true that many members of Secret Roots are curious.

They want to know if the letter is his will

or if it's something else.

Come on. It seems like you're curious.

Nonsense.

As a nobleman of Joseon, I, Sim Jong-su,

do not need a mere paper to define my great cause.

Yes, of course.

But the letter does have a use to gather Secret Roots as one.

So what is this letter of Secret Roots?

We just know that it's a letter that includes Jeong Do-jeon's will.

I don't know anything else other than that.

But what I do know for sure

is that they tried very hard

to find the letter that went missing on the night of Jeong Do-jeon's death.

Do you think they did?

Who knows?

We don't know why Yi Bang-ji disappeared with that letter,

-and-- -Wait.

Who did you just say it was?

Yi Bang-ji.

The best warrior in Joseon. Jeong Do-jeon's bodyguard.

What will you do about the letter of Secret Roots?

The elders will

all come to this meeting,

but they're only interested in finding out if you have the letter of Secret Roots,

not because they are loyal to you.

I'm sure they will mention it.

And even Sim Jong-su

is probably interested in it,

even though he says he isn't. Of course, he's interested.

That letter holds the fate of Secret Roots.

But we don't have it.

What will you do?

It's been over a decade since it was switched with that pouch.

We found out that the pouch

belongs to a slave of Lord Sim On and his name is Ttolbok.

But we have no idea where he is after he moved to the north.

You're talking way too much unlike yourself.

I've been always like this.

What about Yi Sin-jeok?

I sent it to him.

It would be quite difficult for him not to show up.

Is that the order of Secret Roots?

Tonight,

I must attend the meeting

and greet the Leader.

Then is Jeong Gi-jun

really the Leader?

You must not go, my lord.

This is all from decades ago.

You have nothing to gain from joining Secret Roots again.

You should just show your service by betraying Secret Roots...

Do you not think I had that idea too?

But I can't do that.

Why not?

Because of the letter of Secret Roots.

What's so important about that rebel's will?

It's just a piece of paper.

Would I be this troubled if it was just a piece of paper?

Master...

Master Yi was the bodyguard of Secret Roots?

Is that why he has lived in hiding for all of his life?

What he had pocketed away was

this letter of Secret Roots.

I got hold of this again.

My pouch.

My father's will!

What does this mean?

Well, I guess it doesn't matter.

Did you see how His Majesty was in that weird outfit?

Right?

I'm sure he's doing something interesting again.

So you must be extra careful.

Be extra careful of what?

Back at the Office of the Royal Gardens, it was hard to hold back our laughter

when we saw the commandant calling out His Majesty

like he was a subordinate, then got completely flustered.

Anyway, I'll tell you everything after it's over. Wait for me.

Anyway...

I saw some false daisy and ginseng.

Can you bring some if there are any left?

For your hair?

Why? Are those good for your hair?

Didn't you know?

It's in Hyangyakjibseongbang, a book of herbs His Majesty put together.

Yes, he called false daisy a type of shinseonbang,

herbal plants that can turn a human into a sacred being.

Is that so? Then bring me some too.

Watch it.

Anyway, what brings you here tonight?

Well, I'm not sure either.

You should ask His Majesty.

Goodness. Then you two can continue with your explanation.

You said His Majesty designed the letters after the vocal organs.

Are you all ready?

Yes.

What's wrong?

Your Highness,

I cannot understand this situation with my shallow thoughts.

Do you understand this, Your Highness?

I just trust my father.

Your Majesty, why are you...

I'm going to watch him

to learn and master this.

You may begin.

Please forgive me.

Your Majesty.

Which part should I dissect?

The mouth and the neck.

What is he doing?

What could this mean?

This is taking longer than I thought.

Prince Gwangpyeong.

What brings you here this late at night?

Where is His Majesty?

I wish to see him for a moment.

His Majesty?

Your Majesty!

Goodness.

What brings you here this late at night?

Haven't you gone home yet?

Yes, Your Majesty.

I had...

What's wrong? You can go ahead.

Yes. Your Majesty.

I had something to tell you,

but since it's late, I will return tomorrow morning and tell you.

Sure.

Do you think Councillor Yi knows what we are up to?

No. If he did, he wouldn't have gone back like that.

I will never make it to paradise.

I'll burn in hell.

What's wrong?

What is it?

Why are you crying?

Scholar Seong, I cannot do this anymore.

How can His Majesty do that?

Can you understand this?

What is it?

His Majesty...

Yes, go on.

He just dissected a corpse.

Dissected a corpse?

Didn't you know?

Tell us everything. Right now!

This is the respiratory tract, which you breathe with.

And this is the esophagus, where food goes down.

This narrow passage looks like...

where the sound comes from.

This is where the sound of guttural consonants are made.

Did you contact Monk Sujin of Ineumsa Temple?

Yes. I asked him to cremate his body

with the utmost respect.

Good.

-Excuse me, Your Majesty. -Yes?

If you tell me what you are going to do with this,

I can explain this further--

Quiet.

You have no business in this.

Goodness, please forgive my rudeness.

No. You have a point.

So-i, are you there?

All right.

She lost her father because of me.

She hasn't been able to speak since then.

I'm doing this to help her speak again.

So-i? This is all because of So-i?

So-i, say na.

Did you see that?

Pardon?

When you say na, your tongue touches the roof of your mouth.

So I am trying to learn the shape of our tongues for each sound

and letting her practice them.

But her pronunciation is not accurate enough yet.

That's why I want to study the articulators

to learn the principle of making sounds.

Do you think Garion believed you?

Do you think I deceived him?

What I told him

is also how I really feel.

Did you practice?

I told you to practice whenever you have the chance.

Now.

Try to say lingual consonant da.

Da.

Okay, take a closer look, So-i.

Da.

Your Majesty.

Please do not try too hard.

Did you find out why?

It's because of court lady So-i.

What?

Then does she hold the secret to his project?

How can a court lady hold a secret

which even Seong Sam-mun and Park Paeng-nyeon don't know about?

He was lying.

So-i doesn't know what he's using her for,

or what she's doing as she runs his errands.

It must be that secretive and important.

-What about the preparations? -Everything is going smoothly.

SCHOLARS RESIDENCE AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY

You cannot come in with your bodyguard.

-Wait here. -Yes, sir.

Come with me.

His Majesty shall now enter.

That's Yi Chi-seong, army commander of Hamgil-do.

Was he a member too?

Thank you all for coming all the way here.

Today is a historical day

when we have gathered together once again under the name of Secret Roots--

Where is the Leader?

-Isn't that Scholar Hyegang? -Is that him?

When will the Leader be here?

Your Majesty, is this true?

Did you really dissect a corpse to see the articulators?

Your Majesty, even uncivilized people do not do such a thing.

How can you do such a thing as a Confucian scholar?

What does dissecting a person have anything to do with making letters?

This is all because you're paranoid.

Your letters are already excellent.

But you went ahead and did something so horrendous

because you won't stop until you see and feel things yourself.

Yes. Let's just say that I did this because I'm paranoid.

Stop making this huge fuss--

Your Majesty, I am your counselor.

Trust is based on understanding.

I cannot trust something that no one can understand.

Therefore, I dare to ask you to help me understand.

I ask you for the same thing as well.

Me, too.

-Us, too. -Us, too.

Your Majesty.

I do not understand this either.

Why must you see an anatomical drawing?

What do you need this for?

Did you just mention your trust?

Trust isn't something based solely on understanding.

All of you know how I have done everything until now.

And do you still not trust me?

Is it that hard

to follow me without an explanation?

There are things in this world that are too hard to explain!

Give them your explanation, Your Majesty.

This is too difficult to explain.

But you must do it.

Try your best to explain this to them.

Did you say the letters are excellent?

There is no doubt they are, Your Majesty.

No.

These letters have a fatal weakness.

Is the Leader not here yet?

He's here.

It has been 48 years since Lord Sambong, Jeong Do-jeon,

established Joseon

and died in the hands of the thief, Yi Bang-won.

Lord Sambong may have passed away,

but I am glad to see

that his legacy, Secret Roots,

have taken deeper roots into this country.

Look at these scholars of Joseon

who walked the way of Lord Sambong despite oppression and surveillance.

There is still hope for this country.

Therefore, I proclaim that Joseon belongs to scholars,

not the king.

We must remember

that Lord Sambong, the founding father of this country,

wished that the chancellor have the most authority over this country,

and we must do everything we can to realize his wish.

And what can we do?

Yes, what must we do with everything that we have?

-Let us know. -Let us know.

-Let us know. -Let us know.

It shall begin

with shutting down the Hall of Worthies.

The scholars of the Hall of Worthies

are distorting the purpose of the Royal Lecture.

They think their research is more important

than the remonstrations and counsel of the officials.

And the King, Yi Do

is the head of the Hall of Worthies.

We will protect

the chancellor's authority over this country.

That was excellent, sir.

Yi Sin-jeok?

I am deeply moved to see you again

after such long years.

Just as you wished,

I know Lord Sambong's spirit will be kept through continued chancellorship.

Hence, I dare to ask you for one thing.

Read us Lord Sambong's great will

from the letter of Secret Roots.

Lord Sambong left a will?

Is this why you are here?

Jeong Gi-jun.

I'm not an easy fight.

Let us hear it.

-Let us hear it. -Let us hear it.

-Let us hear it. -Let us hear it.

-Let us hear it. -Let us hear it.

-Let us hear it. -Let us hear it.

Let us hear it.

"If the king...

were to be compared to a flower,

the chancellor

would be the root.

A defective flower won't kill the tree.

However, the flawed root will kill the tree.

If Joseon were to be compared to a tree, the king would be nothing but a flower.

The root of Joseon

is the chancellor.

Listen, all the scholar-officials of Joseon,

strive to become the roots.

Be a part of Secret Roots

and protect Joseon."

Why aren't you reading it off of the letter?

Do you not have the letter?

A fatal weakness?

What's the difference

between Chinese characters and our letters?

Chinese characters were made over thousands of years.

But our letters were made only over a decade.

Also, millions of people have created Chinese characters.

But our letters were...

created only by the people who are in this room.

Are you saying that it wasn't developed naturally?

You're right.

Chinese characters were developed over thousands of years

from a generation to another,

from a father to his son,

and from him to his son.

However, our letters are--

They are invented letters.

This procedure itself

is the biggest weakness they have.

The characters obtain universality if they were made by millions.

But that's not our case.

Then what does universality have to do with the dissection?

I'm trying to put in the biggest universality,

in other words, the law of nature.

Why do you think I wanted to invent letters that are true to their sounds?

Because the sounds are part of nature,

and the principle behind the sound is the law of nature.

Forget it. No.

No. Forget all about that.

The letters weren't made after some foreign country's letters.

These letters look like my tongue.

They look like my throat.

They look like my teeth!

I want these to be the people's letters.

Why do you think sailors tend to be superstitious?

It's because they are up against nature called the sea.

And I have met one too.

It's the people.

A giant called the people.

So I wanted to believe this.

That if I make these letters,

my people will use them.

I had that faith.

Is it...

that wrong?

I dedicate this to the sky, the land, the people,

and to Lord Sambong.

Does the letter of Secret Roots exist?

Do you not have it?

I'm talking about the letter of Secret Roots.

Do you not have it?

Scholar Hyegang, do you hold your cause in the letter of Secret Roots?

Don't you hold your cause in Lord Sambong's will?

I was the best pupil of Lord Sambong.

Of course, I know!

I was also fooled when the king first established the Hall of Worthies.

Unlike Yi Bang-won, he didn't try to have authority over the State Council.

However, Yi Do changed the system itself

so that everything has to go through the Hall of Worthies first.

The Hall of Worthies only exist

to provide grounds for the king to do whatever he wants.

They prevent the Royal Lecture from being held, foster recorders

and ministers who are armed with the king's logic.

Why do you think

Lord Sambong limited the king's authority?

It was for the people.

Yi Do may be a great king.

But that's why he's more dangerous.

What about the next king?

What about the one after him?

What if the next king is nothing but a selfish man?

That is why Lord Sambong made this system.

However, Yi Do cleverly changed the essence of the system,

and that will ruin Joseon.

In fact, it's already ruining the country.

The king is doing something in secret behind the ministers' backs,

but we know nothing about it.

Do you still think...

that piece of paper holds the cause of our society?

You know exactly why I'm asking you for it.

I also wish all of our members will gather under the foundation of Secret Roots.

Therefore, I will tell you what the elders want.

You have four days.

Show us the letter of Secret Roots.

Then everything will go smoothly

according to your will.

I don't say this because I'm afraid of death.

History always remembers the last moment.

I don't want myself or the scholars who follow me

to go down in history as rebels.

You must...

have the letter of Secret Roots on that day.

Look at me

Look at me

What have you been drawing?

A picture to catch Secret Roots.

What on earth is your plan?

Look at me

I need the letter of Secret Roots after all.

The child, whom this pouch...

belongs to...

has... the letter of Secret Roots.

LUCK

Garion.

-What? -The cows are here.

Oh, really?

Let's go.

Kids!

Stop doodling on the wall!

MONGMYEOKSAN MOUNTAIN, PALGAKJEONG PAVILION, FIVE PAST THE THIRD PERIOD

Subtitle translation by Eun-sook Youn