The mother queen yells at the king saying he doesn’t care about her and all he does is to send useless doctors to her. The king and the lady queen is shocked by the mother queen’s words and the king defends himself saying he worries about her all day. But the mother queen tells him she doesn’t want to see his face again. Lady Choi who is standing there smiles to herself. The king and the lady queen beg the mother queen to continue taking her daily medicine but the mother queen sends them away.
The lecturer Doctor Shin brings the medicine to the mother queen again. She refuses to see them but they come in anyway to beg her. Then the mother queen yells at the doctor saying she won’t take his medicine since he caused the death of a past royal family member. The mother queen is under the impression that the king is trying to kill her with bad medicine. Lady Choi and Oh plan this conspiracy.
Lady Choi alerts the king saying the medicine maids and Doctor Shin are giving bad attention to the mother queen’s health. Min Jung-Ho meets with Jang-Geum and they agree that there is conspiracy behind the mother queen being upset at Doctor Shin and the king. In court the king announces his decision to get rid of Doctor Shin from the palace.
Doctor Shin begs the mother queen to take the medicine again but the mother queen is angry by his presence. Jang-Geum interferes and asking the mother queen not to put the king at test risking her own royal life. Jang-Geum asks the mother queen to enter a test with her instead and states she is willing to give up her life. The mother queen agrees but holds Jang-Geum responsible should she lose. Jang-Geum says she will win for sure. Lady Choi and lady queen are listening outside. Lady Choi is about to enter the room to scold Jang-Geum but lady queen stops her.
The mother queen signals Jang-Geum to start the quiz. Jang-Geum describes the life of a shik-ee (food doctor) and asks her to guess who it was. Lady queen tells the king about Jang-Geum’s exchange with the mother queen. The king is intrigued and wonders if the mother queen will guess the answer by morning.
The nae-ee-ohn medicine women scold Jang-Geum for interfering when it wasn’t her place but they’re impressed by her knowledge and courage. Yuh-Ri is furious. Kang Tuk-Goo is worried about Jang-Geum’s life but Jang Duk say Jang-Geum is confident for a reason so not to worry. Doctor Jung and Min Jung-Ho believe that Jang-Geum will succeed.
Lady Choi shows her frustration in front of Geum-Young and Young-Roh. Right Prime Minister Oh and Choi Pan Sul agree that they must get rid of the root of their problem immediately.
Kang’s husband and wife try to figure out the answer to Jang-Geum’s quiz. Young-Roh, Geum-Young, the king and the queen try to figure out as well. Next day, Jang-Geum’s colleagues beg Jang-Geum to tell them the answer since they couldn’t figure it out all night. Yuh-Ri tells them there’s a meeting between the soo-rak-gan and nae-ee-ohn staff that Jang-Geum and Shin-Bi should attend. During the meeting Geum-Young shoots a dirty look at Jang-Geum as she remembers the past when they were both kitchen maids during the soo-rak-gan competition. Geum-Young tells Lady Choi she knows the answer. Lady Choi goes to report to the mother queen that she knows the answer.
Jang-Geum and Doctor Shin arrive at the mother queen’s chamber. A grinning Lady Choi asks the mother queen what she wishes to do and states Jang-Geum is the same as dead. The mother queen replies she will accept medical treatment. Jang-Geum smiles. Lady Choi is surprised and distaught. The king and the lady queen are elated. Jang-Geum, Doctor Shin, Shin-Bi, and Yuh-Ri begin treatment on the mother queen by examining her first.
On asks Lady Choi if the answer she found is incorrect since the mother queen went ahead with the treatment. Young-Roh asks Geum-Young what she thinks of the situation. Shin-Bi and Jang-Geum bring the mother queen’s herb stew in. In front of the king, the lady queen, and Lady Choi, the mother queen states Jang-Geum is a bright girl. The king asks what the answer is. The mother queen replies Lady Choi already told her the answer and it’s not difficult. The answer is none other than herself.
Jang-Geum explains the self-sacrificing ’shik-ee’ is a mother. A mother sweats and toils preparing the right food to keep her family healthy. The mother queen is touched by the answer and she shares a tender moment with her son who apologizes to her for not being a good son.
Yun-Saeng waits for Jang-Geum outside and runs to her to ask her if everything went well. Jang-Geum replies things look optimistic. The king passes by and asks Yun-Saeng who she is. The head guard tells the king she is the Yun-Saeng Sang-Goong. Yun-Saeng is sad realizing the king forgot about her. The mother queen is vomiting and unable to take in any medicine.
Doctor Shin explains to the king that since the mother queen’s treatment was delayed she may have severe infection inside. The nae-ee-ohn staff meet to decide on the best treatment options. Their meeting was interrupted by the news that the mother queen is losing consciousness.
The lecturer Doctor Shin brings the medicine to the mother queen again. She refuses to see them but they come in anyway to beg her. Then the mother queen yells at the doctor saying she won’t take his medicine since he caused the death of a past royal family member. The mother queen is under the impression that the king is trying to kill her with bad medicine. Lady Choi and Oh plan this conspiracy.
Lady Choi alerts the king saying the medicine maids and Doctor Shin are giving bad attention to the mother queen’s health. Min Jung-Ho meets with Jang-Geum and they agree that there is conspiracy behind the mother queen being upset at Doctor Shin and the king. In court the king announces his decision to get rid of Doctor Shin from the palace.
Doctor Shin begs the mother queen to take the medicine again but the mother queen is angry by his presence. Jang-Geum interferes and asking the mother queen not to put the king at test risking her own royal life. Jang-Geum asks the mother queen to enter a test with her instead and states she is willing to give up her life. The mother queen agrees but holds Jang-Geum responsible should she lose. Jang-Geum says she will win for sure. Lady Choi and lady queen are listening outside. Lady Choi is about to enter the room to scold Jang-Geum but lady queen stops her.
The mother queen signals Jang-Geum to start the quiz. Jang-Geum describes the life of a shik-ee (food doctor) and asks her to guess who it was. Lady queen tells the king about Jang-Geum’s exchange with the mother queen. The king is intrigued and wonders if the mother queen will guess the answer by morning.
The nae-ee-ohn medicine women scold Jang-Geum for interfering when it wasn’t her place but they’re impressed by her knowledge and courage. Yuh-Ri is furious. Kang Tuk-Goo is worried about Jang-Geum’s life but Jang Duk say Jang-Geum is confident for a reason so not to worry. Doctor Jung and Min Jung-Ho believe that Jang-Geum will succeed.
Lady Choi shows her frustration in front of Geum-Young and Young-Roh. Right Prime Minister Oh and Choi Pan Sul agree that they must get rid of the root of their problem immediately.
Kang’s husband and wife try to figure out the answer to Jang-Geum’s quiz. Young-Roh, Geum-Young, the king and the queen try to figure out as well. Next day, Jang-Geum’s colleagues beg Jang-Geum to tell them the answer since they couldn’t figure it out all night. Yuh-Ri tells them there’s a meeting between the soo-rak-gan and nae-ee-ohn staff that Jang-Geum and Shin-Bi should attend. During the meeting Geum-Young shoots a dirty look at Jang-Geum as she remembers the past when they were both kitchen maids during the soo-rak-gan competition. Geum-Young tells Lady Choi she knows the answer. Lady Choi goes to report to the mother queen that she knows the answer.
Jang-Geum and Doctor Shin arrive at the mother queen’s chamber. A grinning Lady Choi asks the mother queen what she wishes to do and states Jang-Geum is the same as dead. The mother queen replies she will accept medical treatment. Jang-Geum smiles. Lady Choi is surprised and distaught. The king and the lady queen are elated. Jang-Geum, Doctor Shin, Shin-Bi, and Yuh-Ri begin treatment on the mother queen by examining her first.
On asks Lady Choi if the answer she found is incorrect since the mother queen went ahead with the treatment. Young-Roh asks Geum-Young what she thinks of the situation. Shin-Bi and Jang-Geum bring the mother queen’s herb stew in. In front of the king, the lady queen, and Lady Choi, the mother queen states Jang-Geum is a bright girl. The king asks what the answer is. The mother queen replies Lady Choi already told her the answer and it’s not difficult. The answer is none other than herself.
Jang-Geum explains the self-sacrificing ’shik-ee’ is a mother. A mother sweats and toils preparing the right food to keep her family healthy. The mother queen is touched by the answer and she shares a tender moment with her son who apologizes to her for not being a good son.
Yun-Saeng waits for Jang-Geum outside and runs to her to ask her if everything went well. Jang-Geum replies things look optimistic. The king passes by and asks Yun-Saeng who she is. The head guard tells the king she is the Yun-Saeng Sang-Goong. Yun-Saeng is sad realizing the king forgot about her. The mother queen is vomiting and unable to take in any medicine.
Doctor Shin explains to the king that since the mother queen’s treatment was delayed she may have severe infection inside. The nae-ee-ohn staff meet to decide on the best treatment options. Their meeting was interrupted by the news that the mother queen is losing consciousness.