DEAR HONGRANG
Who sent you?
Who is the mastermind handling you and the Geomgyedan?
Father…
Father.
Is that truly all you wish to know?
If you see something so hideous on your son's body,
should you not ask what it is and how it got there?
How dare you call me Father.
Do you still believe
you can keep up this facade of being my son?
Why do you think I am not your son?
Is it really so hard to believe
that Hongrang could have these markings on his back?
What makes you so certain?
Then again,
while everyone recoiled at the sight,
you were the only one who appeared unfazed.
You almost seemed
to recognize it.
The painter.
Where is he?
Who is he?
Who's the one that did this to me?
Chief Merchant Sim.
Where are you going?
Tell me.
Tell me now!
Where are you going?
Yes.
He is definitely our slave boy.
The mole on his knee has been there since birth.
As for that stubbed toe,
he hurt it at the age of three or four.
So the mole and scar
we assumed Hongrang had acquired after his disappearance
are an exact match to those of your slave boy?
That is right.
Then might I ask what became of the slave boy?
He was caught trying to escape,
but some woman came and took them both for a price.
By "both,"
do you mean he was not alone when you caught him?
He was with some child who couldn't speak.
I believe his name was In-hoe.
Lies!
They speak slander and commit perjury.
How dare you attempt to defame my son!
Perjury is what you have committed thus far.
What did you say?
Tell me.
Were you truly unaware
that he was an imposter?
This is the sales document for a slave boy named Rodent Scrap.
This confirms that the man who has been impersonating Hongrang
is merely social scum with bodily defects
and proves that he is undoubtedly an imposter!
Grandmaster.
Yes, Father.
I order your immediate reinstatement
to restore the guild from its disarray
and to capture the one named In-hoe, who attended to the imposter.
- How could-- - That's not all.
For appointing an imposter as grandmaster
in an attempt to assert her authority within the guild,
confine Madam Min to her quarters.
How could you…
How could you push your own son to ruin?
You are unworthy of the title of father.
You are no father!
Was Hongrang ever
truly my son?
Did you say that Mu-jin brought proof?
Mistress.
Please say this is not so.
Something must have gone terribly wrong.
Our Young Master Hongrang…
He is the lost young master.
What about Mother?
Where is she now?
Yuk-son.
Yes, madam.
He is my son.
Without a doubt,
he is my son.
Is this why?
Is this why you never told me that Hongrang was an imposter?
Yes.
That is how desperately I wanted you to stay with me.
And you had the old man bring me the drugged drink in the mountains?
I was willing to do anything
to get you back.
Brother!
You must marry me.
I am
already married.
The bastard will disappear,
and with Mother's influence waning,
I will soon regain my position.
All you need to do is marry me, and we can run the guild together.
That is your only
path to survival.
The path you must take.
I do not need your consent.
I am not here to ask for your permission.
Please set the wedding date, Father.
Your disownment should precede the marriage.
We can marry first,
then use it as your grounds for disownment.
Do you really have no regard
for how people will view your actions or the damage to the guild's reputation?
Everyone knows
that Jae-yi and I are not related by blood.
Furthermore, you yourself were almost the previous chief merchant's stepson
before you became his son-in-law, so this is not unusual.
Has Jae-yi given you her hand?
Why would you need such a thing?
You have never once taken her will into account before.
Now is not the right time.
Did I not give you proof that he is an imposter?
But you failed to keep your word to bring him and Jae-yi back here.
In the end,
you needed my assistance.
Our priority is to uncover his mastermind to prevent any future dangers,
and it is of utmost importance to get the deed of gift from my wife.
Chief Merchant.
The grand prince has ordered you to bring the imposter to him.
If I may ask, what was that painting on his back?
Why did you so strictly caution me to leave it unscathed?
Even the most sought-after steed
becomes nothing more than a useless and harmful creature when left untamed.
You may sharpen your sword
but do not dare swing it before me.
Have Bang Ji-ryeon followed. Never let him out of your sight.
Yes.
It has been a long time since I sent word.
Forgive me, Your Highness.
I thought to go there myself
but exercised patience.
Forgive me, Your Highness.
And yet…
you show up empty-handed.
Forgive me, Your Highness.
Is that all you can utter, Chief Merchant?
With all due respect, Your Highness,
the one who was impersonating Hongrang
is currently being questioned.
What?
The painting on his back that you are curious to see
is shockingly vulgar and promiscuous.
It is so explicit and unimaginably lewd
that it is not a suitable sight for your eyes to behold.
Your Highness.
I once witnessed the sight
of two feral dogs locked in a struggle,
with their teeth sunk into each other's throats.
Do you know which of the two, willing to fight to their death,
ultimately triumphed?
It was not the one that stubbornly clung to the end
but the one that released its hold
at the opportune moment.
It had been observing the other dog
and saw the blood endlessly draining from its wound.
Now, that is truly
the wisest way to best an opponent
stronger than oneself, is it not?
What nonsense you speak.
I see what this is.
You are throwing a tantrum, I suppose?
All right, then.
I shall hear you out.
What is it that you need?
I am deeply grateful.
In due time,
I will humbly make a request.
You may leave.
Why, that bastard…
What remarkable audacity he has.
Since you dared challenge the will of the heavens…
I shall strike you with thunder.
His Royal Highness will not sit still.
We must move the imposter discreetly and without notice,
so remain ready.
Yes, sir.
I am
right here.
With you.
What brings you here so late?
I am here to arrest the imposter posing as your son.
I never filed a report, so how--
I have orders from above.
Where is he now?
I demand you hand him over at once.
Stop them! We must not lose him!
Lift the casket!
This way!
Go now.
If you ever get caught,
what will you do?
Then,
you should take the opportunity to use me as a hostage.
Chief Merchant Sim will announce that I am an imposter
and frame Madam Min as my accomplice.
Once the tables have turned, it will only be a matter of time
before Sim gets the deed of gift.
Sensing the impending ruin of her family name,
Madam Min will try to hand the deed to me.
The deed not only represents the guild's wealth
but also details decades of corrupt practices.
It holds power over the guild's wealthy and powerful patrons.
To save me and to protect herself, she will have no other option.
What if Sim tries to eliminate you before that happens?
He would rather seek to strike a deal for himself, using me as leverage.
That is when
we should be able to uncover his mastermind.
Once the painting on my back has been unveiled,
the painter is bound to show himself.
The one who seeks to take me,
now lost of all use and purpose.
He
is the painter.
Is it truly
you?
Has it always been you?
Mine. Here all this time.
I am sorry
that I did not recognize you sooner.
So,
His Highness snatched him away.
He had the government army stationed on every corner.
He sent the government officials to my house on purpose,
forcing us to move the imposter
so that he could be intercepted.
How could you have fallen for such a predictable move?
How?
I asked you a question.
What was your reason for handing the imposter over?
Fine.
I need not hear it from you
when I can simply ask Father.
Once he learns about this, everything you have amassed
from betraying your own master over the years
will undoubtedly crumble.
As for you and your family,
your lives will not be spared.
Young Master.
It has been a while
since you called me that.
What would you have me do?
Take me to
your true master.
My son has disappeared?
Move aside!
I said move!
Please go back inside.
Unhand this.
Let me go!
Yuk-son.
Please find my son for me.
You must find him.
The grand prince
is the painter?
Of all people… This is most troubling.
Approaching Hongrang is a challenge, let alone retrieving him.
Indubitably.
Our men are watching the prince's country manor for unusual activity,
but he seems cautious due to Sim and Min Yeon-ui.
Dozens of his men are constantly on guard, making surveillance difficult.
Even with an opening,
he is not someone we should confront recklessly,
especially without sufficient reason or proof.
Indeed.
But then, why has Grand Prince Hanpyeong
been marking children, including Hongrang,
with paintings over the years?
He turned against Sim, with whom he had a long-standing relationship,
by swiftly and aggressively intercepting Hongrang.
He must have had a compelling reason for doing so.
His intentions remain a mystery.
The painting of fertility is in poor condition,
so we must act quickly.
Expedite the repairs on the bell pavilion
and prepare for the grand event ahead.
Yes.
However, you have a guest waiting for you.
Chief Merchant Sim, I suppose.
It is not him.
May you discard the old one
and take me as yours.
Who are you people? What is it you want?
They are my brothers.
They are my family. I grew up with them.
This is the life I led.
- You there. - Yes.
You dare show up here?
Do you have a death wish?
Is he in there?
What if he is? What will you do?
Why are you here, then?
Are you perhaps on Father's orders to retrieve him?
Have you seen him?
How is he? Is he okay?
It is Father.
What?
The one who crushed and ruined the bastard
is Chief Merchant Sim,
your father.
To him, you are nothing but the daughter of an enemy
whom he seeks to avenge at all costs.
Should he harbor even the slightest sincerity toward you,
he will never overcome the undeniable truth.
Seeing you will reignite the pain and anger he has long suppressed.
He will resent the blood that runs through your veins.
You must walk away before that moment arrives.
No.
If that is true, I must protect him all the more.
What?
If Father cannot do it, I at least must beg for forgiveness.
He has bewitched your heart and claimed it.
Has it never occurred to you that it was part of his revenge?
If it means he can find comfort in his revenge,
and if that will heal his wounded heart,
then sure.
I sincerely hope he gets his way.
Why?
Why do you only have eyes for the bastard who was entirely deceitful?
Why do your eyes
fail to see that my heart and I
have only ever been truthful?
It does not matter
whether you see me or not.
Even if your body and heart are sullied,
I shall embrace it all.
I see it clearly now.
Your affection for me?
Do you truly believe that to be your truth?
Stop fooling yourself.
It is but an obsession for what you cannot have!
That is your truth.
The ceremony will be on the day of the water pig,
so prepare 75,000 nyang of copper,
27,000 nyang of tin,
and 5,500 nyang of gold.
That way, your life shall be spared,
though it will not amount to complete redemption.
His Highness
gave you this letter himself?
Yes, Father.
His Highness also orders that you use me to execute his commands.
You dare try
to replace me?
As I must.
What is it that vexes you so?
I am simply following in your footsteps
and living up to your expectations.
Did you not instruct me
to embody your essence?
Please obey His Highness's orders.
As I have always done,
I shall aid you
according to my purpose.
Chief.
The movements of Sim and the grand prince seem most unusual.
What do you mean?
There is an endless stream of newborn animals
being taken into the prince's country manor.
The manor is also receiving various types of grain, silk,
and unidentified items in large quantities.
It is said that there are even locks of virgins' hair.
Sim has been seen moving
tons of copper, tin, and other minerals across dangerous gorges.
Please spare us.
They are preparing for a ritual.
Cleansing oneself with the blood of newborn creatures,
burning locks of virgins' hair as incense,
and preparing grain and liquor…
They are preparing for a Spiritual Ascension ritual.
Spiritual Ascension?
It is a forbidden ritual
passed down in the shadows.
Only practiced by the rare, arrogant few
willing to shed their humanity for transcendence.
It stems from the depths of greed
in pursuit of elevating oneself to become a deity.
The ritual requires six talismans.
They symbolize fortune,
fertility, wealth, longevity,
the ability to control nature,
and the balance of yin and yang.
Once these talismans are activated,
the ritual concludes by dissolving them
in liquid bronze.
The bronze is used to create an instrument that will produce a sound
to echo throughout the lands.
In other words…
the paintings on their backs are…
Talismans.
They must be human talismans.
That way! Catch him now!
Yes, sir!
What on earth…
Stop him.
What the hell are you trying to do?
Do not be afraid,
for you have been clothed in my spirit.
You shall all
become an echo that will encompass
the energy of the universe.
- We must rescue Hongrang-- - Abandon him.
Pardon?
As he no longer wields the wealth and power of the Min Family's Guild,
it is not worth the risk to save him.
Min Yeon-ui's father,
Min Ban-hyo,
brutally massacred my spiritual mother and sisters overnight.
His reasoning for doing so
was simply that we had refused to put a curse
on a certain individual
whom he found repulsive.
The sacrifices
they were forced to make that day
have formed the basis of our resolve today, wouldn't you say?
The child shall be a foundation
upon which our cause shall be fulfilled.
Should we fail
to eliminate all wickedness now,
the future will be riddled with many more sacrifices.
Chief.
Chief Merchant Sim's daughter is here.
My orders were that no one was to enter.
How dare you enter these grounds!
This is all your fault!
Had you not seduced my son into running away with you…
No. From the start,
you, your father, and that stake conspired
to have my son falsely labeled as an imposter,
did you not?
Hongrang is
not an imposter.
What did you say?
He truly is my little brother.
He had this.
When I was young,
I pulled out Hongrang's tooth and put it in there for him.
Yes.
My son.
Of course.
He is indeed my son.
Please help me.
Help me rescue your son.
My little brother.
It is me,
Jae-yi.
I am here.
Please wait a little longer.
I will get you out.
How did you get in here?
Get out of here. It is dangerous.
I met with the leader.
She needs your guarantee that you can get her the deed of gift.
As for Mother,
she said you will secure the deed with these words.
"Gently stroke
the shoulders of Mong-jun."
"The shoulders of Mong-jun."
Tell the leader
that I have the deed
and that,
in three days at midnight,
beneath the gorge in Mount Inwang's saddle,
she will find the proof she needs.
Will you be all right until then?
I will be all right.
Jae-yi.
Have you checked over there?
Yes, I found nothing unusual, sir.
Go.
You must go.
Hurry.
Go now.
Please hurry.
Catch him now!
Stop!
Do not shoot him.
You must not damage my talisman.
Secure them!
I order you to secure all my talismans!
I heard it was my father.
The person who did this to you
was my father.
But why…
Why do you…
I deserve to die at your hands,
so how can you love me?
I am sorry
for causing you so much pain.
I am so sorry.
I love you.
Hand over the deed of gift and leave.
That was always your purpose.
With the painter now identified and proof of his actions obtained,
we no longer have a use for you.
Where is In-hoe?
It seems he is not here yet.
He is also none of your concern now.
You may leave him with me.
He is mine, so I shall be the one to use him.
Are you
abandoning me?
You were the one who betrayed me first.
You are no longer needed for the plan nor to seek revenge, so leave.
I will bring you the deed of gift.
However…
I have one request.
Jae-yi 's younger brother.
Please tell me where Hongrang is.
You raised me to become him from the moment we met.
But you never once considered
that the real Hongrang may return one day.
That means you were entirely convinced
that he could never return.
What difference would knowing make now?
I wish for her…
to stop living in perpetual confusion.
I want to free her
from the constant longing…
and from a life of endless waiting and pain.
Whether he is dead or alive, she deserves to see and talk to him
so that she can embrace him
or let him go.
I wish for that child, Jae-yi,
to lead the life she deserves to live.
Pull it up, quick.
Hurry now.
We are almost done. Hurry.
Mistress.
Mistress Jae-yi!
I never imagined
you would be this close by.
You were always by my side.
Forgive your sister for not knowing
and for being late.
There you are,
Hongrang.
Hongrang!
Subtitle translation by: Jimin Choi