the main character, nae-gyeong, could not run for public office as the son of a disgraced yangban live in seclusion and works as a physiognomist. he is able to assess the personality, mental state and habits of a person by looking at his or her face. one day, yeon- hong who is a famous gisaeng in joseon dynasty visits him to suggest a partnership that reading the faces of yeon-hong’s guest and receiving money. as becoming famous at hanyang, a capital city of joseon dynasty, he was called from the royal courts where he seeks out the talented person who can do work well. meanwhile, king munjong who has feeling of danger as his condition gets worse orders nae-gyeong to identify the potential traitors who threaten his reign. after the death of munjong, nae-gyeong tries to keep his loyalty to the late king and help kim jongseo protect the young king which forces him into the biggest power struggle in the history of the joseon dynasty.