Subtitles by DramaFever
[Before the existence of Joseon]
[a secret organization, Pyeonsoo-hwe, was in charge of construction and building.]
[With the establishment of the Royal Family]
[they developed immense power.]
Deadly flowers.
These are deadly flowers.
Deadly flowers?
These flowers hold the most powerful poison in the world.
They hold poison.
They do not just hold poison.
Once you start to eat this flower, you need to continue to do so.
Once you stop...
the poison it was holding bursts out all at once.
Then you end up dying.
[Dae Mok: Head of the Pyeonsoo-hwe] If you do not eat one
every time the moon rises...
you will feel intense pain in your heart and you will die.
Will you still join the Pyeonsoo-hwe?
Will you join?
Fine, I will.
You will need to make me a promise.
Even if the hunt ends, you cannot kill the hunting dog.
What is your real name?
I am the Prince, Lee Yoon.
We know your true name.
You can take the pledge now.
We are one now.
What you see and hear must never be repeated outside this place.
Do you pledge allegiance?
I pledge allegiance.
I, Lee Yoon...
will abide by the ironclad rules of the Pyeonsoo-hwe.
If I do not, I accept the pain of death.
I accept that fate.
This is the sword that killed the King.
It will now help you, Your Highness.
The Pyeonsoo-hwe will be your spear and your shield.
However, keep in mind...
You will need to repay us one day.
I do not care how I need to repay it.
I will do anything.
I...
will become King of this nation, Joseon!
[Ruler: Master of the Mask]
[10 years later]
Elder Dae Mok.
This is the horoscope data for the new baby.
His life will be filled with riches.
He will be born to sit on the throne.
His horoscope is that of water.
If the Prince can safely sit on the throne
he will become a great politician, and a good and wise King.
However...
Go on.
The Japanese invasion has just passed.
He has the temperament for heroics, so danger will come his way.
If he cannot get on the throne at the right time...
he will face strong opposition.
The water will run dry and he will be unable to sit on the throne.
He will be buried in the dirt.
He will not be able to win over any allies.
He could have a short life.
What do you mean a short life?
Please stay calm, Your Majesty.
The time of the baby's birth will be the most important factor.
If he is born between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
it will be a blessing to all the people.
He will be a great leader to all.
He will most definitely be a great King.
The Prince will become a great King if he is born between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Otherwise, he will a have short life?
- What do we do? - The Prince must be born after 9 p.m.
Can you hold on until after nine?
Just a little longer.
You must hold on. You must.
It is not yet 9 p.m., Your Majesty.
His horoscope says he will not have any allies.
How very sad.
Is that not a sad horoscope?
You only need to wait one more hour.
You do not have to wait much longer. Please be strong.
Just a little longer. Hold on!
It is a boy, Your Majesty.
Congratulations, Your Majesty.
It is now 9 p.m., Your Majesty.
According to the horoscope...
Forget that.
He is the heir to this nation's throne.
He will become a great King of Joseon.
Everyone, show your respect and greet the next heir to the throne.
A son was born in the evening between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Elder Dae Mok, what should we do now?
It is the birth of the next heir to the throne.
We should congratulate the King.
Congratulate the King?
I must use his son as collateral to get control of the water.
Son, I promise you.
I will make you a different King than I was.
You will not be a mere figurehead, or a puppet, but a true King.
I will make you the true ruler of Joseon.
Your Majesty.
Thank you.
You have helped the royal family lay down its foundation.
Yes.
"Young" for foundation.
I like Youngbin.
Starting today, you will be ranked first among the royal concubines.
You will be called Consort Youngbin.
You are too kind, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, the Pyeonsoo-hwe wishes to congratulate you on the birth.
They have sent you a gift.
They want water?
They want Joseon's water?
Dae Mok...
Are you trying to monopolize this nation's water?
Even if you are the Pyeonsoo-hwe...
I cannot agree to a request like this.
If you do not...
the Prince will be in danger.
How dare they?
He dares to threaten my son?
Your Majesty!
Tell the King's guard to protect my son.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Where's the reply?
There was no reply.
The King ordered the King's guard to protect the Prince.
Captain Byung.
Yes.
We need to give the Prince a gift.
As the Queen, I could not give birth to a son.
The King had been very concerned.
You did something to be very proud of.
You are very benevolent, Your Majesty.
Have you heard?
During the bathing ritual
the King will write the Prince's name.
He will use tiger's blood to do it.
I instructed my servants to take care of all the details.
They have prepared everything.
If anything were to happen to our precious Prince...
it would be disastrous.
Seon.
This name means to console the people of the nation.
The sound of this name...
It has the hope to brighten this dark Joseon.
Brighten Joseon, just like your name.
You must become a good man.
Hurry and look at him.
He is not sick, is he?
This is not smallpox.
This is not measles either.
Lady Youngbin. I am sorry to tell you this.
It looks like he has been poisoned.
Poison? What do you mean poison?
I am sorry, Lady.
Has he really been poisoned?
Why are you not answering me?
I have heard you have the most knowledge about poison in Joseon.
[Woo Bo: Sungkyunkwan Professor] Looking at the red tone of his skin...
I believe it is the deadly flower poison.
You must hurry and get an antidote.
Then we must hurry and tell the doctor.
You cannot get it from a doctor.
You need an antidote that is high in purity and very strong.
The people who poisoned him will likely have it.
What if we do not use the antidote?
What will happen then?
He will... die.
No, Your Majesty! No.
Please save him.
Please save our son. Please save our son.
Why are you here, Your Majesty?
How dare you?
You threaten me using my son's life?
What do you mean threaten?
Put it away.
You want water?
Pyeonsoo-hwe wants to own all the water in Joseon?
I will use that water to save the people.
Even if I make that decision
the government officials will never accept it.
Today, during the meeting
the ministers will propose building Yangsucheong.
All you have to do is just say, go ahead and do it.
That is all.
Even if you build Yangsucheong, you cannot monopolize the water.
I will allow you to have a share.
I will give you your part.
- Give me the antidote... - Have you forgotten?
Who was it that made you King?
Think about the Prince.
Must he lose his life over nothing?
I truly...
have no interest in killing your son.
Who is the Prince, after all?
He is someone who will have to join the Pyeonsoo-hwe and support us.
My son!
This is the antidote.
Give me the rights to Yangsucheong.
Get your son to join the Pyeonsoo-hwe.
We ask you to make the decision, our sovereign King.
We must prepare for the possibility of floods.
We do not have anyone to take on a large construction project.
Therefore, should we build Yangsucheong
we should get the Pyeonsoo-hwe to build it. What do you think?
Did I not tell you all to do as you wish?
Regarding the establishment of Yangsucheong...
I leave it to you.
You are very benevolent, Your Majesty.
Here is the antidote.
Give it to him. Hurry.
I apologize, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
My son.
My son!
Your Majesty!
He is alive!
Your Majesty.
The Prince has fought off the poison.
I am so proud of him.
I am so proud of my son.
My son... my son.
Usually as a reaction to the poison, the affected area turns red.
If he is ever poisoned again, the characters will flare up again.
He has been very blessed.
Now, the Prince will be immune to any poison.
He has developed strong blood now.
Congratulations, Your Majesty.
Yes... you are right.
The heavens have blessed us.
They have protected you and you will become a great ruler.
The Pyeonsoo-hwe will now control Yangsucheong.
There will be many Yangsucheongs being built all over Joseon. subtitles ripped and synced by riri13
You will all become leaders of all of those Yangsucheongs.
You will all disperse now.
Choose water carriers to work for you.
There is nothing we cannot do if we have the Yangsucheongs.
If we own the Yangsucheongs...
that will be our source of money that will never run dry.
Yes, Elder Dae Mok.
From this point on, the Prince will be on lockdown.
Do not let anyone in without my permission.
Yes, Your Majesty.
What do you mean by that?
Why would you lock down his palace?
I am doing it to save his life.
The Pyeonsoo-hwe will want him to join them.
They will kill him if he refuses.
Even if he wishes to be a good ruler, if he ends up joining...
he will end up becoming a useless King like me.
He is different.
This child... must become a true King.
Your Majesty.
In order to prevent people from talking, we need to hide him away.
The palace is full of spies from the Pyeonsoo-hwe.
This is the decision I am making to save the Prince.
Please do what I wish.
Your Majesty.
Your father will find a way to protect you.
Guard.
Yes, Your Majesty.
After today...
the only ones who can know the Prince's face must be me, Youngbin, and...
only you.
If anyone happens to see his face...
kill them.
Let me get a look at you!
At first, Yangsucheongs regulated water for sale and repaired the reservoirs.
Now, they've employed water carriers from all over.
They have started to deliver water to the people.
At first, they did not like having to pay for the water.
But, the water was delivered to their house for a low price.
The people are starting to enjoy the luxury of the water carriers.
They have started to find their place now.
They have chosen spots that will not dry up even during droughts.
They have control over that water.
The people may not realize it now...
Once the droughts hit...
they will have no choice but to get water from Yangsucheong.
It is water that may be cheap now.
They will raise it to exorbitant prices then.
Dae Mok!
How could he go this far?
How is the other plan going?
Are there suspicions regarding the Crown Prince?
I have given the task to someone.
They spread rumors that his face was destroyed to due illness.
Therefore, people in the palace believe that is the case.
What about the Pyeonsoo-hwe?
They believe his face was damaged as a side effect of their poison.
Wow.
There!
I really did not see his face.
I did not see his face.
Please beat the Pyeonsoo-hwe and stay alive.
You must muster up the strength to beat them.
One day, you must take off this mask.
And become a true ruler.
The person wearing that horrid mask...
the Crown Prince!
[14 years later] Come here.
- Ever since he was born... - Yes?
He has looked like someone ate his face.
They say he looks like a goblin.
Oh my!
Look here.
When I look at the face of the Crown Prince...
I just want to faint.
Is that for real?
You pathetic, lowly things. You dare to insult my face?
Oh no.
Do you really wish to see my face that much?
Oh no, please! No, no!
No, no.
Should I show you?
Beat that drum!
Beat the drum. Beat it.
You see that secret room? You can never, ever go in there.
Secret room?
It's the Crown Prince's greenhouse.
No one has gone in there and come back out alive.
If anyone besides the Crown Prince goes in there, you are just...
Is it true that you'll be dragged off to prison if you look him in the eye?
You'll be lucky if that's all that it is.
You will die.
You wenches!
Stop right there!
Leave them alone.
Crown Prince.
Rather than lecturing young maids...
I believe I gave you a more important task.
Even in the medicine journal and the health food journal
there are no records of my illness.
I live wearing a mask because I am sick.
Yet, there is no record of this supposed illness.
You see?
You think it's strange too, right?
"Doctor Park and Woo Shim..."
"tried to treat the patient."
"Treatment was handed over to another who was not a doctor."
"Therefore, they were dismissed."
They left the treatment to another person who was not a doctor?
Crown Prince.
I am thinking of choosing a Crown Princess for you soon.
What do you think?
Will she be able to see my face?
Or must she live alone forever without knowing her husband's face?
- Crown Prince! - Please...
Tell me, Father.
What is the real reason I must wear this mask?
Do not tell me it is because of an illness.
I no longer want to hear lies.
Your Majesty!
If I take off this mask...
will people die again?
Why do you kill everyone who sees my face?
I told you that you are sick.
Once you are healthy, I will let you take off the mask.
Your Highness. Crown Prince.
"The Prince was in critical condition."
"The doctor, Woo Shim, and Sungkyunkwan's Professor, Woo Bo..."
Woo Bo from Sungkyunkwan...
Crown Prince, why did you ask for me?
I am no longer your instructor.
I can no longer help you.
Teacher, how can you say that and act like we are strangers?
It had been a long time, so I wished to see you.
Do you not have a teacher like that?
How could I not have one?
What was your professor like at Sungkyunkwan?
What was the name of your teacher again?
His name was Woo Bo.
Ah, Woo Bo.
He was a head professor at Sungkyunkwan, right?
Yes, Crown Prince.
Not many remember him now.
When he was at Sungkyunkwan...
history, astronomy, even reading the annals...
There was nothing he did not know.
There was no question that he could not answer.
Oh, then by any chance...
was he skilled in the knowledge of medicine, as well?
Of course.
He was as skilled as most doctors.
Is that so?
He has not been able to figure out the King's mind yet.
You will need to wait a bit longer.
But, Your Majesty...
What if a Crown Princess is chosen from a different household?
That will be the King's will.
I apologize, Your Majesty.
It is fine.
She must have been bored by the conversation of adults.
Did you say your name was Hwa Goon?
Yes, Your Majesty.
Once the process to choose the Crown Princess starts
you could be one of the choices.
If I were to choose you to be Crown Princess...
how would you feel?
I am not interested in being a mere Crown Princess.
How can you speak that way to Her Majesty?
I apologize, Your Majesty.
It is not a problem.
I enjoyed seeing her honesty and confidence.
Lady Han.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Show this child around the palace.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I hear there are many precious flowers in the palace greenhouse.
Yes, there are.
But, only the Crown Prince is allowed in there.
What if I want to go in?
Lady, you will be in big trouble.
Do not even think about it.
I left my coin purse in the Queen's room.
Can you retrieve it for me?
Yes.
Let's go.
What do you think?
From my point of view, it has to be him.
This man Woo Bo...
He must know the truth.
He doesn't make a living off the government.
He will probably tell me the truth.
Will you transplant some of these flowers for me?
Subtitles by DramaFever