Episodes 5-7

Nine years later ...

Yi San survives an assassination attempt afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith him, but when the assassin’s body can’t be found, the rumor spreads afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the palace that he is mentally-deranged just afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith his father Crown Prince Sado.

afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith Yi San’s order, Eunuch Nam investigates what kind afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith poison the assassin used; his investigation leads him afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the Bureau of Paintings.

Song-yeon, Daesu, and his uncle Dalho have returned afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the capital afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith years of hiding afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith faraway villages. Song-yeon works afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith a “damo” (slave) in the Bureau of Paintings (“Dohwaseo”), where she’s bullied afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith an older damo and some afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the Royal Artists.

Song-yeon continuously reminds Daesu to stay away afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the street thugs and afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith their promise to help protect Yi San.

afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the arrival afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the Qing envoy and his entourage, King Yeongjo assigns Yi San to take charge of collecting the tributes. But Princess Hwa-wan (Yi San’s aunt) orders the Minister of Personnel to sabotage Yi San’s preparations.

afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the incident afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the Bureau afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith Paintings, Director Park Young-moon decides to take Song-yeon afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the palace as one afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the attendant damos. Song-yeon begins planning how she can meet Yi San.

To cover up for what happened afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the tributes, Yi San arranges a small feast afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the Qing envoy; he also orders Director Park to create a painting afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the envoy. With no other damo available, Director Park brings Song-yeon afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith him to help prepare the pigments. But when the Qing envoy notices how pretty Song-yeon is, the ministers order the eunuchs to take her afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the envoy’s bed chambers.

afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the worsening problem afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the tributes, especially afteragainstasatbyforfrominlikeofOntoWith the white cotton that Qing nobles desire, King Yeongjo summons Jung Hu-gyum (Yi San’s childhood study partner and Princess Hwa-wan’s adopted son).

Realizing that Yi San could be punished because of what he did, Daesu goes berserk.