"Seok-sam"?
Royal Guard Kang Chae-yun has learned our alphabet.
Is that so?
So what is your condition?
And what's "Seok-sam"?
Seok-sam is...
my father's name.
I dare to ask you...
to never...
forget that name.
Okay.
I will do that.
I won't ever forget his name.
Did you really...
write this yourself?
He learned the alphabet in less than half a day.
Yes. He was very surprised that there were only 28 letters.
He refused to change when you poured out your heart to him,
but the alphabet changed his mind.
That was quite infuriating but...
There's nothing to be infuriated about.
That is the role I wished Chae-yun would play.
Until my work is done,
you must remain as Ttolbok.
Ignore the nobles' fighting...
and remain a citizen.
How a member of the public sees and thinks
about the nobles when they fight...
That's what I need to know.
If that's what you want from me, you need not worry.
Whatever the situation, I'm unable to accept
the noblemen's thoughts without questioning them first.
I see that.
Whether what you do...
If it kills us or let us live...
I will watch carefully with my eyes wide open.
I also thought of something to aid...
your investigation on the Secret Roots.
Would you hear me out?
Yes, what is it?
These are the letters that Yi Do made?
I don't know for sure,
but I brought everything we found there.
-What about Prince Gwangpyeong? -Yes.
Kang Chae-yun was already gone when we got there,
and then the Palace Guards came in right away.
I think they released me on purpose to follow me.
Close the Gudalsan Mountain hideout.
We must find Kang Chae-yun and Prince Gwangpyeong.
Yes. The Jeongmu Brigade is on it already.
I don't get it.
Why did Kang Chae-yun take Prince Gwangpyeong?
What are you doing?
Oh.
HAN: MEMBER OF THE SECRET ROOTS
These letters.
They look strange.
Keep it a secret that Prince Gwangpyeong is back.
I'd also like the Palace Guard to keep searching.
PRINCE GWANGPYEONG
-Why is that? -As you know,
my father's will was swapped with the Secret Roots' letter.
That's how they found out about me.
Yes.
Kkeok-seo, another slave who survived, is now a member of the Secret Roots.
They will know everything by now.
So?
They know I took Prince Gwangpyeong.
They will try to make sense of this.
Your grudge against His Majesty
and the reason you returned from the north.
You mean that's what they'll try to find out?
Yes.
With Prince Gwangpyeong's return kept as a secret,
if I continue to stand duty as a guard,
the Secret Roots will definitely show more interest in me.
They will approach you.
-Is that it? -Yes.
I didn't tell you until now,
but there were a few people in Banchon that seemed suspicious.
Shouldn't you arrest them right away?
No.
Then Jeong Gi-jun and the Secret Roots' core members...
will go deeper underground.
We must find out about Jeong Gi-jun and the whole group.
That's correct.
I will entice them into approaching me...
and penetrate deeply into their group.
And so...
you will find Jeong Gi-jun?
Yes.
That's a great call.
The true Secret Root we must identify and capture
is not anyone else
but Jeong Gi-jun.
I will find him...
and bring him to you, Your Majesty.
If I do so successfully,
and if your alphabet is proclaimed successfully...
Do you still want a drink from me?
You still haven't come to your senses.
I will tell you of a small wish I have.
Will you grant it for me?
I will grant any wish you want.
I give you my word.
Who was...
that man?
You may have returned, changed, and become loyal to His Majesty,
but I still dislike you.
I know that very well.
However,
if I can aid your investigation,
I will.
Do you know the Secret Roots has a skilled assassin?
Not the one in a half-mask.
Don't be overly confident and be wary at all times.
Did His Majesty really say that?
What is this alphabet
that he would risk the Prince's life for it?
Bring Seong Sam-mun and Park Paeng-nyeon.
-Why? -The alphabet that His Majesty created.
I must learn about it.
-What do you mean by that? -Exactly what I said.
We know nothing about that alphabet.
How many letters there are, what they look like. We know nothing.
All we do
is debate whether or not there should be a new alphabet.
What kind of new system did His Majesty make?
We must find out.
That means he's giving up on Prince Gwangpyeong.
How could His Majesty do that?
I wonder myself, however...
our Leader saw this coming.
What?
That His Majesty couldn't give up on his new alphabet.
I'm impressed by both His Majesty and our Leader.
Anyway, why did Kang Chae-yun abduct Prince Gwangpyeong
and where did he take him?
How come...
I hope you are both well, sirs.
Yes.
Good day.
What's going on?
Go back to the palace and check on the Royal Investigation Bureau.
-See if the prince is back. -Yes, sir.
Did Chae-yun really ask only about the flyers and leave?
He didn't ask after me?
How could he?
After all I did for him.
You don't have any friends other than your mom, do you? You pig.
You... What happened to you?
You didn't flee to the north?
Don't even ask what I've been through.
I wandered for a long, long time.
Did you? And are you done wandering?
Will you stay here now?
How can I leave you when you like me this much?
I kept seeing you wherever I looked.
So, have you eaten?
I just had some chicken.
I will grant any wish you want.
I give you my word.
Jeong Gi-jun. I will bring you in.
How did the Royal Lecture go?
Just as our Leader said.
I think we can go ahead with our plan.
But...
Kang Chae-yun is back on duty as a Royal Guard.
-What? -What do you mean?
Is Prince Gwangpyeong back?
No. The Palace Guards are still searching
and Mu-hyul is putting together new teams of fast runners.
His father's enemy.
Chae-yun told me that he was in Hanyang.
He is truly daring.
Then did he really take
Prince Gwangpyeong
to get revenge?
He could have already killed the prince.
Do you think he got rid of Prince Gwangpyeong...
and returned to the palace to kill the king?
I've never seen someone so fearsome.
-Sir. If this is true-- -If that's the case,
Kang Chae-yun and we...
have no reason to fight each other.
He and we have
the same target.
He is after Yi Do and we want Joseon.
What should we do then?
First, find out if So-i is back at the palace.
Yes, sir.
Kang Chae-yun, you little...
Drink up. Let's all get drunk
then go to sleep.
TAVERN
What happened to you anyway?
There were all sorts of rumors.
Like what?
-That you eloped with a girl. -Hey.
A girl your age shouldn't be saying such things.
That's what you and he said when we were in our room.
That when a man disappears, ten out of ten times
it's because of a woman.
When did I say that?
I should tear your mouth.
That's not what I meant.
How dare you say that?
It's what I almost said.
It's okay.
You can even curse the king when he's not around.
-Drink up. -Thanks.
So, that half-faced guy. They arrested him but he broke out?
That guy is called Yoon Pyeong. He has some crazy skills.
How could he escape the Royal Investigation Bureau--
Wait. What's his name?
They call him Yoon Pyeong. Yoon Pyeong.
Yoon Pyeong?
Pyeong? Is that Yoon Pyeong?
He's Yoon Pyeong.
It's not the right time to be pleased with Kang Chae-yun.
What's the matter?
The ministers held back because of Gyeongseong Palace,
but it looks like they're ready to fight again.
They will fight.
Why did you act like that during the Royal Lecture?
How will we clean up this mess?
A surprise proclamation is out of the question now.
We're done for.
However upset and frustrated you may be,
no scholar should speak like that.
Do you think you have the right to scold me for how I speak?
I may not have the right to,
but you always try to get the better of me.
Your Majesty.
How can you joke at a time like this?
What else can I do?
It has already happened.
We must change our strategy.
In what way?
There will be a huge fuss tomorrow.
Now I will cut everything and everyone down.
What do you mean, Your Majesty?
You will cut things down? What do you mean by that?
Not with a blade but with speeches and writing.
Even if there are thousands who object my work,
I will take them on one by one.
I will cut them all down.
Words are more fearsome than a sword.
I will show them that.
Mu-hyul,
if you were to compare writing to swordsmanship,
how good would you say I am?
You would definitely be Joseon's...
You would be the best swordsman in the world.
His Majesty shall now enter.
Your Majesty.
The historians are gathered at Hansujeon, refusing to come to work,
and Confucian scholars led by Hyegang are outside Gwanghwamun Gate.
Officers of the Three Censorate Offices--
Are the scholars of Hall of Worthies not here?
No, Your Majesty.
Deputy Chief Counselor Choi Man-ri,
who is in charge of Hall of Worthies, is opposing most vehemently.
Hall of Worthies is your organization.
Why do you insist on a project that even your own scholars object to?
How will you fight through all these objections?
You're doing things in the wrong order.
Your focus should be on identifying and locating the rebel forces.
Why have you not given orders regarding that matter
and are focusing on your alphabet?
Not to mention that Prince Gwangpyeong has been abducted.
Do not mention that issue ever again.
This is very serious.
Why is His Majesty so stubborn?
He is just like the previous king when it comes to times like this.
You cannot create a new alphabet.
-You cannot, Your Majesty. -You cannot, Your Majesty.
You cannot create a new alphabet.
Your Majesty.
Why are you abandoning Neo-Confucianism
to become a barbarian voluntarily?
Very well.
Let's discuss how creating a new alphabet
is like abandoning Neo-Confucianism.
Anyone of you is free to debate with me.
China's characters
are not just any kind of letter.
The characters themselves represent
Confucianism and morality.
Please look at this.
This character means "to fight."
It's made up of the character for "spear" and the character meaning "to stop."
In itself, the character represents that all fighting should be put to an end.
It also represents Confucius' teachings
that one should fight to prevent fights.
Have you seen a barbarian system or alphabet
that represents such a deep philosophy?
Can your alphabet express such a meaning?
No, it cannot.
Then why are you turning against...
Confucius' teachings?
How about this?
"Jak gae eon ro dal sa chong."
It means to open channels of communication to listen to the people.
It's the greatest virtue Confucius demanded from a ruler.
Yes, Your Majesty.
You just have to listen to your people.
According to
Gyeongje Mungam written by Lord Sambong,
under the rule of Yao and Shun, despite there being no censors,
there was active communication.
Slander was prohibited during the Jin Dynasty,
and in the Han Dynasty,
censors were assigned to improve communication with the public.
But once those censors took office,
communication to and from the monarch got even scarcer.
That coincides directly
with the time when those who have knowledge of Chinese characters
became officials.
Chinese characters are hard to master,
so in order for the public to contact their King,
they had to go through an official.
But those officials
distorted and edited what the people really wanted to say.
That's why Lord Sambong
wrote that communication had become scarcer.
My goal is...
"Jak gae eon ro," to improve communication,
"dal sa chong," and to hear the people.
That's why I decided my people need an alphabet.
Have I abandoned Confucianism?
What if the classical scholars neglect learning Chinese characters
because there's an easier alphabet?
A scholar's job and duty is to learn.
If he neglects to learn what is difficult,
that is the scholar's fault.
It's not the people's or mine for making an alphabet for my people.
Even if we distribute pictures of the Conduct of The Three Bonds,
there will still be those who act immorally.
People's virtue or vice depends on who they are.
Do you call yourself a scholar?
Are you a Confucianist?
The bottom line of Confucianism is that you can reach
your human nature with endless self-improvement.
If one's nature and qualifications are decided at birth,
why would Confucius say a King's duty is to edify and reform the people?
If you want the people to learn Straight Talk on Farming,
you can simply increase the number of officials to teach them.
Who will pay those extra officials?
Won't the people end up supporting those officials?
Increasing the number of officials
will only worsen the people's state of living.
Oh dear. My goodness.
I'm utterly exhausted.
I would like some meat. A lot of it.
We have some prepared already.
-Please wait a little longer. -Okay then.
Your Majesty, you must be so tired.
You debated with them for hours today.
They will have all come around.
There's still...
one more large obstacle to overcome.
Do you mean Deputy Chief Counselor Choi Man-ri?
That's right.
The Chief Scholar said
he wrote a petition that reaches from here to there.
Yes. He even asked for more paper.
You spent years to create this.
Why won't they appreciate it? It's so upsetting.
Oh dear.
The Deputy Chief Counselor
will find fault in every single detail.
Oh dear. My whole body aches.
PETITION AGAINST CREATING THE ALPHABET
We are back, sir.
The alphabet you helped His Majesty make.
-Pardon? -What is it like?
Is it phonetic or semantic?
What does it look like?
How many letters are there in total?
Why won't you answer? What kind of alphabet is it?
The thing is...
We cannot give you an answer.
Not that again.
You dimwits. Get out of here!
I don't want to see you!
We cannot defeat the King with logic.
Our Leader has thought so already.
Then will you not try to stop the proclamation?
Even if it is proclaimed, who would use it?
Many barbarians ruled over China.
The Mongolian's Yuan, the Khitan's Liao, the Jurchen's Jin.
Did they not create an alphabet because they couldn't?
The Chinese characters were so superior that they didn't need to.
The 'Phags-pa was an ambitious project,
but it disappeared because no one actually used it.
Yes. That is the power of the Chinese.
They didn't rule over Asia for 3,000 years for no reason.
This alphabet will disappear.
No one will use it.
So, even if we let the King do as he pleases,
it will only be a waste of his energy?
Then, we just have to
pretend to give in to him and let him proclaim the alphabet.
With that as an excuse--
Yes. We'll gain something important.
What's that?
The two building blocks leading to the chancellor system.
A prime minister-centered bureaucracy
and the closing down of Hall of Worthies.
No way.
The chancellor system...
How very right.
Don't you think it's fortunate more than right?
Lord Hwang Hui is old,
so if the chancellor system takes root,
you will try to take power.
What is right is even fortunate for me. Isn't that just great?
Isn't it the time for you to wonder
how to turn what is right into what is better for yourself?
When the times comes,
you will have to choose between me and our Leader.
What are you saying?
Without him,
the Secret Roots would've disappeared before the new system could take root.
Don't get too worked-up.
I'm not saying I'll go against our Leader.
It's just that
our Leader chose to become a lowly butcher.
He will have to work behind the scenes.
He can't go from being a butcher to leading nobles and officials.
Do you know he became a butcher
because a nobleman betrayed him?
-Is that so? -He was adopted by a nobleman,
but that very man reported him to Lord Jo Mal-saeng.
That's how he became banned from entering any noble household.
Do you want me to become like that?
That will never happen.
Of course it won't.
Lord Yi Sin-jeok will be daydreaming right about now.
The chancellor system.
He thinks he will be the chancellor.
I hope he manages to strike the deal with the king.
He'll do very well since his profit is at stake.
Leader, court lady So-i is back at the palace.
She's back too?
Then both So-i and Chae-yun are back but not Prince Gwangpyeong.
What did Kang Chae-yun do to the prince?
I must check.
How?
Send Kkeok-seo to So-i.
For Kang Chae-yun...
You can approach him.
This is a disaster.
No one came to work and the palace is empty.
What should we do about this?
Chief State Councillor.
You were always on His Majesty's side
and you've served him for a long time.
Don't you think the two of us should try to solve this problem?
What do you propose we do?
I do have an idea myself.
Do you?
Tell me your idea first.
Your Majesty.
The palace, State Council, and Hall of Worthies are all empty.
Will you really push ahead with your project?
Yes, Your Majesty.
You can't keep on insisting.
I plead with utmost loyalty.
Please compromise with the ministers.
I even gave up my own son...
and you want me to compromise?
The objection within the palace
isn't just restricted to your new alphabet.
Yes, Your Majesty.
The root cause...
is Hall of Worthies.
So?
You know how the ministers feel about Hall of Worthies.
On top of that, you're making a new alphabet.
It was the last straw for them.
So?
Gain one and give up one, Your Majesty.
What will I gain and what should I give up?
I dare suggest that
if you wish to proclaim your new alphabet,
please shut down Hall of Worthies.
What was that?
If you do that,
the Chief State Councillor and I will use all our political power
to persuade the ministers.
You want me to shut down Hall of Worthies?
If you don't do so,
there's no way to solve this problem.
No one knows what action the ministers will take tomorrow.
Soon we have to hold a huge event that's the civil service examination.
Yes.
We can't hold the examination without the ministers.
So...
you want me to shut down my very own Hall of Worthies?
-Your Majesty. -Your Majesty.
-Please accept our plea. -Please accept our plea.
That is a deal.
They want to make a deal with Hall of Worthies and your alphabet.
I made them do it.
Pardon? What do you mean you made them do it?
I induced Lord Hwang Hui...
to bring up this option.
I don't understand at all.
Why? Why did you do this?
They have not yet seen our alphabet.
Kang Chae-yun, Seong Sam-mun, and Park Paeng-nyeon.
How were they before they saw the alphabet?
They said it was impossible.
These officials also think it's impossible
and are disregarding our people.
They think even if the alphabet is proclaimed,
no one will learn it...
and it will become obsolete.
I also had thought it was an unlikely feat...
which is why I tried so hard.
To make it possible.
I worked hard to make the alphabet simple.
I thought that if I gave them Hall of Worthies,
they would let me proclaim my alphabet.
Do you mean you will accept their demand to shut down Hall of Worthies?
To me, Hall of Worthies was a temporary organization.
At the time,
I needed to protect myself from my father and those loyal to him.
I needed to gather people who are loyal to me.
That goes for the Crown Prince.
He will also need to gain power of his own
and gather people of his own...
to lead Joseon in the future.
Then will you really shut down Hall of Worthies
and proclaim your alphabet?
I won't just proclaim it.
Why is a deal a deal?
I will gain all I can from this deal.
In return for giving up Hall of Worthies,
I'll make them agree to let me create...
a division and office devoted solely to the new alphabet.
How did it go?
His Majesty wishes to discuss this issue further tomorrow
and reach a conclusion then.
If it all works out,
you'd better report for work tomorrow.
Tell all ministers to do so.
But everyone is so adamant.
Unless His Majesty gives up on his alphabet...
How would you feel if Hall of Worthies were to be shut down?
Did you ask His Majesty to shut down Hall of Worthies?
Yes, I did.
Wasn't it you who said Hall of Worthies is His Majesty's personal bodyguard?
That is true.
His Majesty went from the Six Ministries system
to a prime minister-centered bureaucracy.
But for as long as Hall of Worthies exists,
it's merely a formality.
That was your stance.
Yes, it was.
Because Hall of Worthies holds all the Royal Lectures.
So if His Majesty accepts...
what Lord Hwang Hui and I plead for,
you'd all better come to work and cooperate.
Will the king accept your demands?
We will find out tomorrow.
What will you gain?
I'll set up offices for Vulgate and Hangul publication.
The Royal Investigation Bureau and Royal Secretariat
will write official documents in my alphabet.
I will also make learning my language part of the civil service exam.
Will that be possible?
Wait and see.
Do you think the King will accept?
My gut instinct tells me that he will.
What gut instinct?
I got the impression
that the King told Lord Hwang what would happen beforehand.
What? That can't be.
That's why you're still young.
Just because Lord Hwang discusses the King's atrocities with us
doesn't mean he's with us.
Lord Hwang is a fearsome man.
He might even have known about the new alphabet.
Anyway, if this deal comes to pass,
you must prevent Hall of Worthies from uprising.
Deputy Chief Counselor Choi Man-ri will oppose the most.
Lords Hwang Hui and Yi Sin-jeok have just met His Majesty.
His Majesty is intent on proclaiming the alphabet.
-So, in return for agreeing-- -"Agreeing"?
Do none of you care about the new alphabet being proclaimed?
It won't work.
No one will use the new alphabet.
You are such a fool.
-Pardon? -You don't know His Majesty at all.
His Majesty worked on it in secret for 13 years.
What does that mean?
It won't work?
Have you ever seen His Majesty do something that won't work?
The King you know
has worked on something for that long.
Do you really believe it won't work?
The alphabet must be something fearsome.
If it's proclaimed,
people will reject Chinese characters
and rely solely on the new alphabet the His Majesty created.
That day will come.
A world in which everyone can read?
Is that truly possible?
I got the impression
the King told Lord Hwang what would happen beforehand.
Kang Chae-yun's a proficient fighter.
He can take us all on.
You must be quick.
Kkeok-seo?
I saw him go inside a short while ago.
Then where did he go?
You're one of the Royal Guards.
What is this about?
Lady.
You are Secret Roots, right?
I know everything.
Secret Roots?
How could I be Secret Roots?
You're feigning ignorance.
At Lord Munseong's shrine,
I heard you call half-face's name.
The one who broke out of the Royal Investigation Bureau.
He's Yoon Pyeong, isn't he?
Yoon Pyeong wears the half-mask.
There must have been a misunderstanding. I...
You ruined it all.
When I met So-i
and when I tried to leave with her, he showed up and ruined it.
You messed everything up,
so I ended up abducting Prince Gwangpyeong.
But your people showed up again.
With my own hands...
I had to kill a prince.
Everything that I had spent my whole life planning,
you people messed up completely.
What do you think I have left now?
Compared to what you did to our plans,
that's nothing.
That night in 1418,
if it hadn't been for you,
we'd never have lost the Secret Roots' letter.
Now you're telling the truth.
Because of you, our organization was scattered for many years.
We were even stealing evidence on what the king was doing
and you ruined that too.
That's none of my business.
Now I'm left with only one option.
I'll crush you all
and accept a drink from this king you speak of.
The king promised.
So,
Jeong Gi-jun, that man you call your leader.
Where is he? Tell me.
Don't you think...
we have no reason
to fight each other?
What the hell are you talking about?
Don't you...
want the king dead as well?
In 1418,
your father died passing a secret message to Lord Sim On.
You came to the palace to kill the king to avenge your father.
Am I wrong?
When Mu-hyul left you with me,
he told me to kill you.
I didn't kill you then and...
I regret it so much.
I told you to kill me that night.
I said I felt so rotten that I wouldn't know what I'd do.
Now tell me.
Jeong Gi-jun. Where is he?
Kkeok-seo.
What should I do?
Ttolbok...
Tell me.
Where is Jeong Gi-jun?
Boss.
Are you alright?
Come outside, Kang Chae-yun.
If you touch her, I will kill you.
Gosh.
The beggar horde is here.
Hey, half-face.
Are you the chief beggar?
You can't handle me on your own, can you?
Put your sword down.
Kang Chae-yun.
Come at me.
If you want to see her head fly,
fight me.
You and we have no reason to fight each other.
So don't do this
and use us.
Will you stop being stupid?
Think carefully.
You stab the king in the neck
when he awards you with a drink for bringing in our Leader.
Yes. Yi Do would die right away.
But...
Is that true revenge?
If Yi Do were to die so easily, would you feel any better?
Shouldn't you kill him at least after telling him what he did?
Why he must die at your hand.
You must kill him so that he suffers much more than you did.
Wouldn't that be true revenge,
Ttolbok?
You and we have different methods,
but our goal is the same.
You want the king's head...
and we...
want his Joseon.
We will take everything the king has.
Our goal is to make him die in pain and despair.
Isn't that what you want as well?
What is it you want to say?
We will help you.
So you should help us back.
Don't you think we can get what we both want...
much more easily that way?
How can I trust you?
I will trust you first.
Sheathe your swords and leave.
Didn't you hear me?
Boss.
Leave us.
Don't come close until I call.
Does this mean you will work with us?
Don't get ahead of yourself.
I'm not joining your group.
I'm just agreeing to help each other.
That's what I want as well.
Kang Chae-yun came of his own accord?
He won't be able to report that I'm Secret Roots
because we know the fact that he wants to assassinate the king.
But he said that...
he killed Prince Gwangpyeong.
Did he really...
Then...
it corroborates what Kkeok-seo said.
Ttolbok...
He killed the Prince.
And now he even says...
he'll kill His Majesty.
He's making me find out all about His Majesty.
Can you be sure that the court lady
won't report this to the king?
Kkeok-seo said
there's no way So-i will turn on Chae-yun.
If I tell His Majesty the truth,
Ttolbok will die.
Can you please
stop him?
I have to...
stop Ttolbok from going too far.
So I guess he wasn't lying.
How did you know?
How did you know that Kkeok-seo would come to me?
If they're watching me,
they'd want to know about the day I took the Prince.
From their standpoint, it would be easier to approach you than me.
Who would they send you?
Kkeok-seo...
cried a lot after hearing my story.
He still thinks you want to kill His Majesty.
If the Secret Roots didn't save him that night,
he wouldn't be living the way he is now.
It the Secret Roots found me that night
instead of the Queen,
I might still be trying to kill His Majesty too, wouldn't I?
That's the life of a minion.
It depends on our masters.
That's our life.
Ttolbok.
What?
What's the wish you were going to ask His Majesty?
Oh.
That?
It's a secret.
What will you do now?
Kang Chae-yun.
He will be of use.
Stay on good terms with him.
Yes, sir.
So, where is Han?
-Why haven't I seen him today? -This and this.
That's it. Now try again.
You're really good at it, Yeon-du.
That's it. Now it's your turn.
Come on, can't you even match...
It's not too bad. Try again slowly.
I need some drawings of your alphabet.
Just so they could find out what you were doing,
they killed three scholars.
If I show them the proof of your alphabet,
they will trust me.
I cannot let you do that.
They cannot find out about my alphabet.
You're saying no?
Weren't you going to proclaim it for everyone to use anyway?
They're trying to strike a deal with me
and will agree to the proclamation.
Why do you think they'd let me do that?
It's because they don't yet know anything about...
the new alphabet.
Have you forgotten what changed your mind?
Even if it's proclaimed, it won't be used.
That's what they think?
That's right.
If they're to learn my alphabet,
we can't even imagine the obstacles we'll have to face.
So...
until we strike a deal today and they firmly agree to the proclamation,
we must keep the alphabet a secret.
Until then, look for a different way.
Yes, Your Majesty. I'll do that.
Chae-yun.
Yes?
You look much more enthusiastic than when you investigated...
the Secret Roots to try to kill me.
You want
your people to feel the joy of living.
You said that, right?
I did.
The joy of living.
The pleasure of life.
I never knew that existed until now.
Does it have something to do with your wish?
Is the wish you will ask me to grant...
Your Majesty, it's time to leave. You must get ready.
Okay.
I will make this deal happen.
Let's go.
Welcome.
Why did you ask to see me?
You shouldn't be here at this hour.
I spoke with the Deputy Chief Counselor.
Something he said bothers me.
It's the alphabet.
It's the King's life's work that he kept secret all this while.
He put so much time and effort into the alphabet.
He's greatly attached to it,
so we tried to use that as leverage to gain what we want.
But this is what I find strange.
To proclaim what he thinks is so special,
first, he should reveal what the alphabet is like
to persuade the masses that it's worthy and should be used widely.
The thing is,
none of us knows what it's like.
How many letters there are and how they look.
We don't know anything.
We're just holding abstract discussions.
So?
What if we succeed in striking a deal...
and the alphabet's proclaimed,
but after that, something unfathomable happens?
Sir.
There's something you must see.
The letters the king made.
They looked strange so I studied them.
And?
Do you see this letter here?
I thought this meant "king" as it's written here.
But then, I looked at the other letters around it.
It all seemed strange.
No combination at all makes a sentence or even any sense.
That's when this thought hit me.
What if these letters were phonetic and not semantic?
What if they represent the pronunciation of vowels and consonants?
-What then? -If that's the case,
does this represent the first or last sound of the word for "king"?
To figure it out, I stayed up all night and tried every possible combination.
Assuming that this is phonetic,
if this is the first sound, a consonant, and this is the second, a vowel,
it all makes sense.
As you can see,
the first letter, the first sound, can be used again at the end.
What's even more shocking...
is that these 28 letters depict every sound...
we can possibly make with our mouth.
What?
If my reasoning is correct,
with these 28 letters,
we can record an incredible number of words.
And read them too.
Based on the rule that I found out,
I solved the secret to this.
It's not gon, gu, mang, gi.
Look.
This is the letter for the M sound.
This is I, the vowel.
This is L, the last sound of wol.
If you put them together...
"Mil."
"Mil." He said gon, gu, mang, gi meant us.
What could that be?
I don't know what this means yet,
but one more consonant...
would complete the word "bon."
Will His Majesty really shut down Hall of Worthies?
You saw how attached he is to his alphabet.
He'll have no choice but to agree.
Then...
Very soon, my time to rule will come.
The other ministers agreed with Lord Yi Sin-jeok.
Lord Hwang Hui says today's deal will work.
It had better.
We must push ahead and wrap it up quickly.
Once the deal is struck,
-prepare for proclamation immediately. -Yes, Your Majesty.
We can't give them any room to change their minds.
Yes, Your Majesty. Let's go.
Okay.
I have more to show you.
Gae-pai can write his name,
and Yeon-du's writing sentences with these letters.
In just two days.
What's this?
This is my name.
How do you read it?
"Kareupeyi."
Really, in just two days...
This is unbelievable.
What's the matter?
She's writing what you just said.
"Really, in just two days."
You can write exactly what you say...
and read exactly what is written.
Have you ever...
thought about a world in which everyone can read and write?
Pardon?
What kind of world would it be?
I'm not sure.
I never imagined it possible.
Writing is a weapon.
It's more dangerous than a sword, spear or sulfur.
A scholar is a scholar...
not because he was born a noble.
It's not because of his bloodline.
It's because they can read and write.
Yes. That's very true.
That is our power and the root of our strength.
But...
with these letters...
If anyone becomes able to read and write,
law and order within Joseon will crumble.
The world will become chaotic
and the roots of Joseon, the scholars, will fall.
Then what must we do?
We must stop it.
Preventing this from getting out must be our priority over everything.
Yi Sin-jeok agreed to strike a deal with the king today.
Don't you think His Majesty will accept our demands today?
-He should, I hope. -Right?
Your Majesty. Lords Yi and Hwang have just arrived.
Okay.
Let's go.
They must not make the deal.
Stop Yi Sin-jeok.
Put a stop to it, right now!
Subtitle translation by You-jin Lim