Geum-Young is upset by Jang-Geum’s presence at soo-rak-gan and tells her to leave immediately. Jang-Geum goes to cook in a different kitchen instead. Geum-Young cooks stir fry roll while Jang-Geum makes something similar. Geum-Young brings the rolls to lady queen as her late night snack. The lady queen says she forgot that she asked Geum-Young to make her a snack. Jang-Geum arrives with her food. The lady queen tries Jang-Geum’s food and praises her for satisfying her long craving. The lady queen apologizes to Geum-Young and asks Geum-Young to leave with her dish since she’s been craving for Jang-Geum’s food. Outside, a furious Geum-Young runs into an arriving Yuh-Ri. Geum-Young tells Yuh-Ri to see her afterwards.
Jang-Geum visits the Kang husband and wife just as they were saying how they haven’t seen her in a long time. Na Ju Deuk gets up to cook Jang-Geum something to eat. Kang Duk Gu gets up to help her. Alone, Jang-Geum remembers the words of lady queen. Kang Tuk-Doo asks his wife what she’s up to since she is suddenly so nice to Jang-Geum. When they get back they find Jang-Geum asleep. They wonder how tiring Jang-Geum’s life is inside the palace. Outside, Min Jung-Ho hears the exchange and smiles, then leaves.
Jang-Geum, Lady Min, Chan-Ee giggle and congratulates Yun-Saeng at her rendezvous with the king. The maid who previously ignored Yun-Saeng’s requests comes in with food for yun-saeng’s guests.
Geum-Young and Yuh-Ri talk alone to build an alliance and plot some new scheme. A sang-goong runs to Yuh-Ri asking for Jang-Geum. Yuh-Ri asks her why. The sang-goong states a child lady is ill. Yuh-Ri says she will tell Jang-Geum but instead she tells Jang-Geum to go tend to the lady queen instead. The head medicine woman finds out Jang-Geum went to spend time with the lady queen instead of tending to the sick child, which is Jang-Geum’s duty. The head medicine lady scolds Jang-Geum. Jang-Geum replies saying she didn’t know the child was sick but Yuh-Ri interrupts saying there is no use in lying.
Yuh-Ri steals a precious ingredient and hides it in Jang-Geum’s pile of books. The head medicine lady is led to believe that Jang-Geum is stealing. Jang-Geum confronts Yuh-Ri. Yuh-Ri pretends to be the victim when she sees Doctor Shin arriving. Jang-Geum yells at Yuh Ri saying she will stop her. Doctor Shin overhears Jang-Geum’s words and misunderstands it as Jang-Geum bullying Yuh-Ri. Yuh-Ri continues her fake act of being a victim to Jang-Geum’s greed.
The nae-ee-ohn supervisors meet and decide that Jang-Geum should be sent away for belaboring with off-site assignment as her punishement. Yuh-Ri meets with the head of nae-ee-ohn. Yuh-Ri says she has done her part and now it’s up to him to finish the plan.
The head of nae-ee-ohn, Jang-Geum, and the scholar tend the sick citizens. The project is overlooked by Min Jung-Ho and his boss. The head of nae-ee-ohn tells Jang-Geum to work on dispensing medicine. The scholar arrives and states Jang-Geum must be hungry from working. Jang-Geum replies saying it’s only right that the ones working with the patients should eat first. The scholar comments Jang-Geum has a kind heart. Jang-Geum smiles and says no but the scholar then asks if she could share her heart with him.
A man comes forward to say that Jang-Geum was stealing the precious medicines from the storage room over night. Jang-Geum is about to be taken to the punishement department but the scholar arrives saying it’s impossible since he had the key to the storage room overnight. The guard says they must investigate the matter further and let’s Jang-Geum go for the time being.
Yuh-Ri and a few other medicine women arrive to help treat the ill since there’s a shortage in hands and medicine. The medical staff discover that they may have a contagious disease spreading among the citizens so they order a lock out of the village. No one is to enter or leave the premise. Yuh-Ri is given the task of informing all the medicine women about the lock out. Yuh-Ri tricks Jang-Geum telling her she needs to go a far distance to fetch some medicine that they desparately need. Jang-Geum departs to the place without knowing about lock out. Outside she runs into Min Jung-Ho who asks where she’s going.
The lock out officially begins. The soldiers guard the entry and exit way so that no one can leave or enter. Citizens who are not ill beg to leave but no avail. Jang-Geum arrives realizing she’s been tricked. There’s no way she can unite with her colleagues. Inside the medical department they start to realize Jang-Geum is missing. Yuh-Ri says she specifically warned Jang-Geum about the lock out but she’s has her own will as usual. Min Jung-Ho realizes something’s not right. Min Jung-Ho forces his way out the lock out to look for Jang-Geum. On horse he finds her but a teary and broken-spirit Jang-Geum is ready to give up on everything.