Next day, Geum-Young goes to the market and sees Jung-Ho looking for a thin brush to purchase. Geum-Young remembers Jung-Ho asking Jang-Geum if she still uses thick pen brush when she arrived the day before and realizes he’s buying it for Jang-Geum and leaves. Geum-Young walks off her sadness by the river.
Jung-Ho finds Jang-Geum who is busy chasing after the medicine guard getting recipes from him. Jung-Ho gives the small pen brush to Jang-Geum saying it’s something he had but it’s too small for him so she should have it. Jang-Geum accepts with thanks and goes back to her recipe-gathering.
The queen has set the last competition. This time she wants the teams to cook mountain-side fresh seafood. It’s a difficult task because it’s hard to get fresh seafood at this time of the year. Court Lady Choi knows she can get the ingredient from Choi Pan Sul so tells Geum-Young the queen is on their side. Court Lady Jung worries that without Jang-Geum Court Lady Han may lose, but Court Lady Han says she might be going out for a while to look for fresh seafood.
Jang-Geum watches as the ill Jo Sang Gong passes away.
Jang-Geum gets ready to go back to the Royal Kitchen. The medicine guard stops her to tell her to add dried anchovy, dried shiitake, mixed with salt and powdered stem vegetable to soybean stew next time for rich flavor.
Jang-Geum, Jung-Ho and Duk Gu leave together. Jung-Ho asks Jang-Geum if she’s sad about Jo Sang Gong and she says yes. He says he too feels sad. Duk Gu states he’s sad too because now he has to go back home to do all kinds of chores for his wife.
Court Lady Choi and Geum-Young watch as Choi Pan Sul orders his men to gather the precious ingredients. Court Lady Han goes to the market in town and looks around, not finding the ingredients she wants.
A captured offender has fled and may be hiding in the Royal Kitchen. Young-Noh and Yun-Saeng run into palace guards as they walk outside their room at night. The internal investigation court official informs Court Lady Jung that they’re looking for a fugitive who might be in the Royal Kitchen’s rooms hiding. The official finds the offender in Court Lady Choi’s room; the offender says he’s innocent but he’s taken away and the guards leave.
Court Lady Jung tells the maids to clean up the room before Court Lady Choi comes back. The girls giggle over all the accessories that Choi has. Jung finds the recipe book that should have been given to the Royal Kitchen head (herself) in then room and becomes angry at Court Lady Head Jae-Jo Sang Gong and Choi Sang Gong.
Investigation official informs Min Jung-Ho about the captured offender. Min reports about his findings from his trip.
Jang-Geum returns to the Royal Kitchen. Yun-Saeng tells Jang-Geum what’s been going on in the kitchen. Court Lady Han returns from her shopping trip and sees Jang-Geum. Her cold response makes Yun-Saeng wonder if Han is still angry at Jang-Geum.
Court Lady Choi and Geum-Young return from their trip as well. Young-Noh asks Choi if she has found the ingredients. Choi tells her to go back to work.
Jang-Geum sends a smile to Geum-Young but Geum-Young avoids eye contact with Jang-Geum.
Court Lady Choi asks Court Lady Han if she found the desired ingredients. Han replies no.
Jang-Geum tells Geum-Young that she’s worried that Han may never forgive her. Geum-Young says to Jang-Geum even if Han Sang Gong doesn’t forgive her, Jang-Geum already has too many things in life. Geum-Young states silently that what Jang-Geum has is what she wished to cherish for life.
Court Lady Choi realizes the recipe book is gone and asks around about what happened in her room and finds out Court Lady Jung was in her room when all the books fell out of the closet after they captured the fugitive.
Court Lady Jung pretends like she doesn’t know anything about Choi and recipe book. Choi goes to see Court Lady Head about her concern that Jung knows about the recipe book but is waiting until the competition day to tell everyone about it.
Jang-Geum practices cooking with the recipes she learned while she was away. Yun-Saeng and Jang-Geum peek at the ingredients Court Lady Han brought from the market and realizes it’s not fresh. Jang-Geum gets all worried and runs to see the Kang Deuk Gu to see if they know how to find fresh seafood in the winter.
Kang finds out from the guards what Jung-Ho likes and presents a fortune to Jung-Ho so that he can ask him for favors. Jung-Ho tells him to take it back and never bring anything to him. Duk Gu goes to dig for some root that is supposed to bring good fortune in the workplace to whoever eats it. Jung-Ho tells him to get rid of it again. Duk Gu cries out his troubles that he wants Min to get wine for him. Jang-Geum arrives and Jung-Ho softens up to Duk Gu by offering to buy the wine at his house. Min leaves. Duk Gu asks where Min’s house is but Jang-Geum drags him away.
Court Lady Han gives Jang-Geum a special plum to taste. Han tells Jang-Geum its benefits health. Han shows Jang-Geum she’s been forgiven. Jang-Geum tells Han that she is just like her deceased mother.
Court Lady Choi pleads for her mistake infront of Court Lady Jung and Head of Court Lady. Jung tells them to leave since she’s not feeling well. Jang-Geum and Han prepare for the upcoming competition and Jang-Geum is cheerful like before. Choi Pan Sool tells Geum-Young the bad news that his men weren’t able to get live seafood. Geum-Young tells the uncle that Jung knows about the recipe book Jae-Jo Sang Gong passed to Choi Sang Gong without Jung’s knowing. Head Court Lady Jae-Jo Sang Gong and Choi plan a scheme for a way to prevent Jung from appearing at the competition tomorrow for fear that she will tell everyone about the recipe book.
An infectious virus has struck the palace and Right Prime Minister Oh orders the sick palace workers to vacant their dorms. Jae-Jo Sang Goon and Court Lady Choi use this opportunity to get rid of Court Lady Jung. Jung gets escorted away by Choi’s man who tells Jung that everyone must leave for preventive cause. Meanwhile, Jae-Jo Sang Gong tells the queen that Jung has been struck by the illness and thus escorted out of the Royal Palace overnight.
Head Court Lady calls Court Lady Han and Jang-Geum to her chambers and in front of Court Lady Choi and Geum-Young, Jae-Jo Sang Gong states Court Jung has the disease that can be spread through food. Yun-Saeng tells Han Sang Gong it’s strange that Jung has the disease since she didn’t show any signs like fever and vomit like other people with the disease have.