Han Sang Gong and Jang-Geum share a tender moment just before they’re released. The prison guard arrives telling them to step outside.
The herbal general tells Choi Pan Sul that since the King is still unconscious, it seems that the herbal leader talked to the Queen who looks favorably upon Han and Jang-Geum. Choi Pan Sul asks Choi Sang Gong what they should do but Geum-Young opens her mouth with a suggestion.
Still in their white jail gown, Han and Jang-Geum are taken to the kitchen and presented with quam-qua, chicken, ginseng and ginger. Right Prime Minister Oh orders them to cook the dish they cooked for the King so they can ask people to taste the result and see what reactions they will yield. Young-Roh tricks the servant Hong-Ee to eat candied figs.
Han Sang Gong and Jang-Geum finish their stew and Oh orders Choi Pan Sul’s messenger to taste the food. Yun-Saeng who recognizes the messenger as the spy she saw last time protests. Oh asks why but Yun-Saeng without giving a reason insists that it can’t be the messenger. Just then the servant Hong-Ee arrives and Oh orders her to eat the dish instead. Jae-Jo Sang Gong shows she approves and Hong-Ee begins to eat the ginseng chicken.
Back in the jail, Jang-Geum discovers that Han is burning a severe fever and asks the guard to fetch a medicine lady but the guard ignores her request. By morning the servant Hong-Ee burns up a strong fever just like the King. Jae-Jo Sang Gong shows her content in the result in front of Choi Sang Gong and Geum-Young. Geum-Young states she put temperature-raising medicine in the figs Young-Roh fed to Hong-Ee beforehand.
At the generals’ meeting, a civilian accuses Min Jung-Ho as someone involved in the matter that led to the King’s illness but Min’s superior dismisses the civilian’s testimony by saying Min is away from the city. Min Jung Ho is taken into custody by his superior who saves him by locking him up and tells him to stay away from the Hang Sang Gong and Jang-Geum matter. Min states it’s impossible that Hong-Ee could have fallen ill from the food prepared by Han and Jang-Geum, and there must be a conspiracy but the superior refuses to listen and leaves.
Right Prime Minister Oh orders continuos punishment on the accused until they confess. Choi Sang Gong tells Geum-Young that Han Sang Gong and Jang-Geum will likely face death. Choi reminds Geum-Young if they don’t die then in the future more people will end up dead just like if Myung-Ee had died like planned then Han and Jang-Geum wouldn’t be in this state. In order to save Jang-Geum, Han confesses her offense to Oh but Jang-Geum is innocent and only followed her orders blindly. Oh asks if Han is confessing to the crime of knowingly poisioning the King and Han states yes. As she is dragged away she screams that Jang-Geum is innocence. Jang-Geum cries out to Han Sang Gong that it isn’t so.
Han Sang Gong is dragged into the jail. She gets a visit from Choi Sang Gong. Choi states it is not her doing but the will of everyone and that Myung-Ee, Han and Jang-Geum were all faced with opportunity to survive but they themselves chose the path to death. Choi begs Han to die quiety so that Choi will never again have to face this situation. Han begs Choi to save Jang-Geum and if so, she will never say anything and die silently. Choi says nothing and leaves. Han begs again to save Jang-Geum. On her way out, Choi sees Jang-Geum being dragged back to the jail and the two exchange a brief look.
Back in the cell, Jang-Geum tells Han Sang Gong the investigation department chief stopped helping them. Jang-Geum protests Han’s behavior and states she will follow her to death. Han tells Jang-Geum she must live so one day she can find Myung-Ee and Han’s justice. Jang-Geum states she will not but Han cries out to Jang-Geum saying in that case she will not be able to face Myung-Ee. Han calls Jang-Geum her daughter and asks her to survive no matter what. The two embrace as they exchange tears for each other.
Choi Pan Sul insists that the verdict for Han and Jang-Geum must be death. Oh writes down the verdict for Han as death, and the verdict for Jang-Geum as death. Min breaks free from his confinement and pleads his superior to save the maids. Next morning Oh gets a visit from the investigation master.
Oh visits the King who is recovering. The Queen asks if Han truly confessed to her crime and Oh states yes. The King reads the details of the event from Oh’s scroll and agrees that Han must be rid of. Oh gathers the convicted and announces their verdicts. Han is to be banned from the palace and Jang-Geum is to be sent to Jeju Island as a servant.
Min Sang Gong, Yun-Saeng and Chan-Ee beg Jae-Jo Sang Gong to allow them to send off Han Sang Gong and Jang-Geum. Choi Sang Gong asks Jae-Jo Sang Gong to approve.
Outside the palace gate, Han and Jang-Geum are escorted away. Yun-Saeng pleads Jang-Geum to take her along. Min Sang Gong begs Han to stay healthy while Han asks Min Sang Gong to take good care of the palace maids. Choi and Geum-Young silently watch as their long-time rivals are dragged away.
Han begins to faint as the offenders walk toward the boat which will take them away from Han-Yang city. Jang-Geum asks the guard for a break but the guard refuses. Jang-Geum asks to be allowed to carry Han on her back instead.
Han remembers the past aloud with Jang-Geum and praises Jang-Geum as one with extroardinary strength that even as a child she blossomed with patience greater than everyone else. Jang-Geum tells Han they’re almost at the dock and Han can soon rest so have strength, then points out the ocean to Han to see. Jang-Geum asks Han to give her a recipe but Han starts to call Jang-Geum’s name and asks her to go back to the palace. Jang-Geum asks Han to stop calling her the way her mother called her name as she was dying but at last Han Sang Gong stops breathing on Jang-Geum’s back.
Jang-Geum: “What did i do wrong? Why must everyone treat me this way? I will not start again. My mother and now you. No matter what, i will not follow your orders.”