Jang-Geum gets taken away for her accused crime. The other maids tell the medicine woman if it wasn't for Jang-Geum treating the foreign general, they all would have died.
The mayor of Jeju Island and Min Jung-Ho return to Han-Yang city to give the palace generals an update on the recent attacks. Right Prime Minister Oh sees Min Jung-Ho and wonders what he’s up to. The mayor reports that he did all the work and a medicine maid should be punished for betraying the nation. Min Jung-Ho goes to see his superior to tell him the account by the mayor is incorrect. Not only was the mayor missing during the attack, the slave Jang-Geum contributed to the palace by saving the citizens of Jeju Island.
In the punishment department, the official announces Jang-Geum’s crime. Min Jung-Ho arrives with proof that Jang-Geum played an important factor in helping him defeat the foreigners. Min Jung-Ho asks the official to put the matter on hold for the time being. Min Jung-Ho goes to see Oh and demands that Jang-Geum be released and mentions that the mayor was missing during the action. Oh insists that it was still wrong for Jang-Geum to save the foreign general no matter what. If she hadn’t saved him the general would’ve died and an army without a general would not have been successful in their attack.
The palace medicine maids report the news of the Jeju medicine maid, that’s Jang-geum, to the Lady Queen. The Queen tells the King about it. The King is angry that the mayor tried to blame his own fault onto a medicine maid and orders his generals to immediately reward the medicine maid from Jeju Island. Jang-Geum is let go and the Jeju Island general tells Jang-Geum, Min Jung-Ho worked very hard to plea her case. Doctor Jung arrives to greet Jang-Geum. Doctor Jung asks Jang-Geum where she’s staying so he can talk to her after his work is done. Jang-geum states she will be at Min Jung-Ho’s. Doctor Jung remembers the days at Jeju Island when Jang-Geum told him about her goal to revenge against those who harmed Lady Han and her mother.
Back in Jeju Island, the medicine woman and the pharmacy maid wonders how Jang-Geum is doing. Min Jung-Ho’s superior tells him to stay in the palace and work for Min’s mentor who needs him by his side.
Doctor Jung visits Jang-Geum and asks her if she still plans to come back to the palace for revenge. Jang-Geum states she still hates the palace. Doctor Jung tells Jang-Geum is still confused and leaves. Doctor Jung asks Min Jung-Ho to talk to Jang-Geum so she will change her mind about revenge. Min Jung-Ho states he wishes to honor Jang-Geum’s opinion. Doctor Jung is worried about Jang-Geum.
Min Jung-Ho tells his superior he plans to leave the next day. The superior tells Min he is needed in the palace and asks him to reconsider about going to Jeju Island.
Gam Tuk-Poh and his wife visit Jang-Geum who prepares a meal for them. Na Ju Duek scolds Jang-Geum for not visiting them but Gam states Jang-Geum is still a slave and can’t go around on her own. Jang-Geum overhears a servant trying to persuade Min Jung-Ho to stay. At night, Jang-Geum goes to see Min Jung-Ho and asks him for a favor. Min states he will do whatever she asks. She asks Min Jung-Ho to stay in Han-Yang instead of going to Jeju Island. Min replies he wants to stay by her side. Jang-Geum states whether Min is in Jeju Island or in Hanyang, he is with her all the time, just like Lady Han is. Jang-Geum insists that Min’s place is in Hanyang and she will surely return to the palace one day. Speechless, Min watches Jang-Geum.
Next day, Jang-Geum and the Jeju Island soldier leave to return to Jeju Island. Min Jung-Ho watches as the two leave.
On the way back, Jang-Geum stops by Lady Han’s grave and cries. The soldier asks to leave immediatly since it’s so cold, but Jang-Geum asks if he could help her make a memorial plaque for Lady Han. Gam Tuk-Poh, who was chasing after them to give Jang-Geum a package, catches up to them and agrees to help Jang-Geum to make a plaque for Lady Han.
A young master arrives and tells them they can’t put anything there since it’s his family’s land. Jang-Geum notices that the boy is not well and goes after the young master to ask him about his illness. The young master asks her who she is and she states she is a medicine maid from Jeju Island. Jang-Geum asks if she can examine him. The young master tells Jang-Geum he has been ill from age 7 and no one can cure him. Then Jang-Geum comes up with an idea to treat him but the father of the young master arrives saying she can’t treat him but the boy convinces his father and Jang-Geum prepares a beef dish to use as medicine. The father casts doubt about Jang-Geum’s ability to heal his son since she is of a slave background and she uses an unorthodox treatment.
The young master shows that he believes in Jang-Geum. Jang-Geum goes to fetch water from the river and uses it to cook a stew of bone marrow, beef, and river water.
Jang-Geum spoon-feeds the soup to the young master. Meanwhile the Jeju soldiers argue with Gam Tuk-Poh about their prolonged stay. The young master continues to eat the soup but shows signs of pain and wanting to vomit. The father gets upset and tells his servants to take Jang-Geum to the punishment department. But Jang-Geum says the young master must endure through the pain and must vomit the residues in his body so that blocking agents will disappear. Finally Jang-Geum succeeds and the boy feels better. Jang-Geum asks the boy how he knew she would save him in the first place. The boy states he knew for a while that someone would arrive to save him. The father tells Jang-Geum that his son is a child-prodigy. The boy tells Jang-Geum he can offer a better land to bury Lady Han. The father tells Jang-Geum she should enter the contest for picking medicine maids. The young master tells Jang-Geum to study astrology literature. He states she will save many lives if she will study it.
Jang-Geum runs to Lady Han’s grave to thank her for giving her a new hope.
Jang-Geum enters the contest for picking new medicine maids. Inside the interview room, Jang-Geum sees 3 doctors, one of them being Doctor Jung. Of the 3 maids in the room, Jang-Geum shows the most knowledge. Jang-Geum continues to gain an upper hand against the other maids. Doctor Jung asks the maids if they will save their adversaries. The other two maids state yes but Jang-Geum states she hasn’t decided. For that answer, she receives a negative point and for that she thinks won’t pass the exam.
Alone, Jang-Geum thinks about Doctor Jung and what happened. She replays Doctor Jung’s advise that a medicine worker must never harbor any personal feelings toward their patient. Next day, the names of those who passed the contest are posted on the wall. The poster shows Jang-Geum’s name which means she passed the contest to be a medicine maid.
The newly selected medicine maids are gathered. They’re told they will start training from next day. Jang-Geum goes to thank Doctor Jung. Doctor Jung states he has not accepted her yet, but since she hasn’t made the decision herself he will hold off his decision as well.
Jang-Geum, Gam husband and wife, the Jeju Island soldier, and Min Jung-Ho celebrate Jang-Geum’s success. The Jeju Island soldier is sad that he has to go back to Jeju Island by himself. Min Jung-Ho tells the soldier if he wants to come to Han-Yang he will try to help him.
Alone, Jang-Geum and Min Jung-Ho talk as they stroll. Min congrats her and tells her he knows she will succeed.
Jang-Geum and the other medicine maids begin their training. Their new teacher tells them from now on they must trash everything they know and start from the beginning.