Ma Mi Song

## Ma Mi Song(마미송)

### Professions

Physician
Royal physician (formerly)

### Status

Alive

**Ma Mi Song** is a physician hailing from Ga Guk and the former royal physician during King Jin Hyul's reign.

## Personality

Being adept and skilled despite his old age, he is rather an "expensive" doctor.

## History

Physician Ma is the former royal physician during King Jin Hyul's reign 19 years prior the main series timeline. During this time, he diagnosed Queen Ahn Young to be pregnant with a healthy baby. Later, he informed Jin Hyul alone that she was actually pregnant with twins, though one's heartbeat was faint. Thinking that having twins was an ill omen, he ordered the physician not to tell the queen about her pregnancy with twins.

When the queen gave birth to twin princes, with one healthy and the other barely breathing, Jin Hyul did not call for the royal physician, leaving it to fate whether the sick child would survive or not. Nonetheless, unbeknownst to the king, Ahn Young devised a plan with the king's minister and also her cousin-in-law, Yi Ha, to keep the child safe away from the king. Along the way, Physician Ma caught sight of the minister fleeing with the baby. The physician grasped the situation at hand, but the minister asked him to forget what he saw to enable their escape. Physician Ma informed him, however, that the child would not be able to last the night, so he took the child instead to tend to him and asked the minister to look for a place for the baby.

From that point, Physician Ma resigned from his position as the royal physician. After treating the prince, Minister Ha took in the child and, together with his wife, adopted him as his own son.

## Plot

### Compact Heist Arc

One night, Physician Ma is visited by Yi Won and a wounded Nabi. Won demands him to save her or else he will die as well. The physician tells him that he is very expensive and asks him if he has brought a lot of money. Won drops a small pouch of money, but he still tells him that it is not enough. Won then bargains that if he saves her, he will pay a hundred times as much as his initial payment. He then stops Won from entering the room since that is his domain and besides, a drunkard like him only gets in the way, so he advises him to eat some apples outside.

The next morning, Nabi wakes up and advises her not to overexert too much effort until the wound closes. Furthermore, he tells her that the wound will leave a scar, but it would not bother her much because she is a man. However, he promises to keep the secret and has no intentions of divulging such information. She thanks him, but he tells her that she should thank Won for bringing her to the physician. He then gives her medicine but notices that she has already went out of the window. As he goes out, he sees Won eating apples and asks the old man how Nabi is, but he answers that Nabi has "flown away".

### Shadow Village Conflagration Arc

On the market streets, Physician Ma is encountered by Yoo Dan Ah and Hong, who still remembers him when the physician cured Nabi. He is in a hurry to go to the slums being raided by the Royal Army. He and the two then go to the site where fire has spread throughout the village. The physician proceeds to help the villagers, while Dan Ah and Hong search for Dan Ah's two friends.

### Revolt Procurement Arc

In his clinic, Physician Ma advises Dan Ah to recover from her wound after the assassination attempt on her life and to rest further. She asks the physician if he was able to treat a person with a huge wound on his back, but he denies that he has treated such person. She then thanks him and leaves.

Inside, Hwi hides from Dan Ah who became very worried about his huge wound. The physician tells Hwi that they cannot recover on their own because they worry about each other. A guest arrives who appears to be Sori and gives him a bag of herbs he needs.

### Plague Arc

At the height of a plague in Moon's End Village, Physician Ma, Chung, and Woon go to the village to tend to plague patients. After some time, Hong also proceeds to the village, delivering medicine under the guise of the Crimson Moon. As soon as Dan Ah found out about this from Sori, she volunteers to go to the village to offer some help.

When Hong discovers Dan Ah, he worries for her own health, but Dan Ah assures him that he should not underestimate her. Physician Ma scolds them for "fooling around" in the midst of their work, much to the rebuff of the two. Moreover, Physician Ma assures Hong that the plague is not airborne and can be prevented to spread so long as proper care is observed. Though this dismisses Hong's worries, the physician asserts to Hong that Dan Ah is tougher than he thinks. Should these not suffice, Physician Ma asks Hong to protect her and him as he pleases.

Dan Ah and Hong find Won at the village, and she invites the latter to come with them for some "fun". Much to Won's disappointment, Dan Ah actually brings him to the clinic to help assist the patients. Physician Ma greets the "Apple Lord", and Won likewise greets back the "Quack" from before. Sori, who meets Won in person, becomes nervous at the sight of their visitor, thinking that having him help at the clinic is not a good idea. Physician Ma, however, dismisses this notion and thinks that more helping hands are more than welcome. In the end, Won sits idly from the sides, who orders Baek Ryung to assist them instead.

At night, Physician Ma catches Hong return to the clinic after being gone for the afternoon, claiming that Sori has been looking for him the whole time. Hong apologizes for his absence, while Physician Ma merely advises him not to get too close with Won. Merely looking at Hong's face, the physician remarks whether he was not able to procure some medical supplies, much to Hong's surprise on how the physician guessed correctly. Hong assures Physician Ma that he shall do something about the medical shortage, and the physician likewise tells him that he, too, has another card he can play.

Looking around, Hong asks the physician where Dan Ah is. Physician Ma calls Sori and asks him where Dan Ah is, as well as Won who has gone missing. Hong soon locates the two, but Won manages to carry Dan Ah back to the village without Hong's aid.

As they return to the clinic, Physician Ma orders Sori for some medical apparatus for Dan Ah. Seeing her leg's grave condition, he informs the two that he might amputate it if necessary. Won, however, demands him to save her completely, to which the physician agrees as he swears on his name to save her. Afterwards, he barricades the patient's room, shutting the door on Hong and Won to avoid their interference during Dan Ah's treatment.

The next day, Physician Ma comes out of the room and informs Hong and Won that he has treated her successfully like he promised. Won becomes relieved and compliments the physician's aptitude, but Hong asks whether she would still be able to walk. Unable to answer confidently, Physician Ma merely hopes for it. Afterwards, the physician treats Won's injuries.

### Rebel Army Suppression: Execution

After the simultaneous ambushes on Bi Hwa Rim and Yu Hyang Ru, Physician Ma strolls with Sori around the marketplace bustling with rumors and hearsays. Sori asks him whether he regrets selling out the rebels that caused their downfall. The physician answers that he does not, though he admits that his thinking was shallow, failing to see in advance that too many lives would be lost. As national health clinics have been established throughout Ga Guk, the physician promises to save other lives as atonement for the deaths that he caused.

### Persecution Arc

At his clinic, Physician Ma is visited by Yi Jeok, much to his anxiousness. Jeok gives him a chance to redeem himself after eradication of the rebels. Hence, following the arrest and upon the behest of Nabi, Physician Ma and Sori head to the palace to treat the paralyzed Queen Mother.

Sometime later, the Queen Mother finally awakens thanks to Physician Ma's treatment. Furthermore, the chief state councilor is charged with attempted regicide and high treason, due for his execution the following morning.

Won later asks his mother to rest, but she struggles to tell him that Ja Gyeom's execution is not the end because Jin Yeon is still alive. Eventually, she falls asleep, and Won thanks Physician Ma for his services. As he leaves, Physician Ma asks the king what his next course of action will be, to which Won tells him that he shall finally end his sibling rivalry with Jin Yeon. Given that Physician Ma was sent by Jin Yeon himself, the physician advises him not to take such course and start all over again instead. Won refuses his advice, having come too far to set things right.

### Crimson Moon Rebellion

*Main article: Crimson Moon Rebellion*

In the aftermath of the rebel army's revolt, Physician Ma and Sori stay at their clinic. Sori wonders whether Dan Ah will be able to recover given her loss of mobility, also thinking how she must have suffered greatly for her to lose her memories except for one. As Sori prepares to get her after preparing her medicine, Chung and Woon arrive back at the clinic. Sori reprimands them for leaving Dan Ah alone, but the children assure him that he has returned. Hence, Sori sets out to leave and fetch them, but Physician Ma asks Sori to leave them be.

## Quotes

* "*Boys need to fall and get hurt in order to grow strong.*"
* (To Hwi) "*The longer this goes on, the more you'll yearn for each other. That's how the heart works. Still... One day, she will forget.*"
* (To Won) "*What's with you always bringing in women and telling me to save them?*"
* (To Sori after the eradication of the rebel army) "*What's done is done. There is no use regretting it. What I must do now is not regret, but to try and save one more life. That's the only way I can atone for all the deaths I caused.*"
* (To Jin Won) "*It is not too late. Even now, you can still set things right. If you do… you can start over again… Apple Lord.*"
* (To Sori referring to Hwi and Dan Ah) "*Let them be… Just leave them be for now.*"

## References

1. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 89
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, final chapter
3. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 12
4. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 14
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 23
6. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 33
7. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 34
8. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 35
9. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 36
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 37
11. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 38
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, part two final chapter
13. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 65
14. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 74
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 77