Jang-Geum asks the king for permission to cut him open to manually open up his blocked organs, since it’s the only method to save him. The king is shocked by the idea. Doctor Jung and Doctor Shin insist Jang-Geum cannot do such thing. Jang-Geum shows the doctors the rabbit she saved through surgery. The doctors ask how the rabbit could’ve endured such pain. Jang-Duk and Jang-Geum explain she used a needle to numb the nerve nearby. Jang-Geum demonstrates what she means on a fish. Lady queen asks Jang-Geum if it’s true that she suggested cutting open the king. Jang-Geum replies yes and the lady queen scolds her saying it is an unprecedented impossibility and even mentioning it is an offense against the king.
The king’s generals plead to the king to receive treatment from nae-ee-ohn doctor instead of Jang-Geum who is pushing her limits riding on the king’s favor. The king, barely gathering enough strength to talk, tells his generals to leave. Outside the generals run into Jang-Geum. the head general tells Jang-Geum they will not give up easily. Jang-Geum begs the king to accept her treatment. The king senses his death coming and smiles at Jang-Geum instead of answering her. JangGgeum states she truly wants to save him. The king replies it cannot be done. No matter how skilled she is she cannot save a dead man. The king tells Jang-Geum she is a great doctor worthy of being loved. Jang-Geum, with tears begs the king to agree to her treatment again. The king states when he goes to sleep he can hear Jang-Geum’s words circling his ears and he can rest well.
The king studies Jang-Geum as she tends to him. The king smiles at jang-geum. Jang-Geum leaves and outside the head guard tells her to follow her. A few guards wait for Jang-Geum and one of them covers her head with white sheet. Jang-Geum is taken to a boat and sent away to where Min Jung Ho farms. The king has arranged for their meeting. Back at palace the generals are angry Jang-Geum has disappeared.
Jang-Geum and Min Jung Ho embrace. The guard tells Min Jung Ho to receive the king’s order. Min Jung Ho bows and kneels to receive the king’s order. Tthe king instructs Min Jung-Ho to go to the nation of Ming Dynasty and tell Jang Geum he sends his gratitude and apology, as well as his blessing for her to learn more medicines in a even bigger country. Jang-Geum is reluctant to get on the boat to leave without trying to save the king, but the guard states it is the king’s order. Then, they hear the citizens cry out in front of the bullentin board as they read about the news that the king has risen to the heavens. Jang-Geum is upset and runs toward the soldiers to go back to palace. The guard grabs a wanted ad for Jang-Geum and orders Min Jung-Ho and Jang-Geum to leave at once for the king would not have wanted Jang-Geum to be captured. Min Jung Ho takes Jang-Geum away as the guard tries to distract the on-coming soildiers.
[8 years later, year 1550 A.D., remote town in outskirts of Joseon Dynasty]
A little girl named So-Won runs toward her father, Min Jung-Ho, with dirt on her clothes. Her mother, Jang-Geum, appears from behind the girl. So-Won is scared and Jang-Geum is angry. Jang-Geum punishes her daughter for going out without permission but Jung-Ho saves So-Won before she can be punished even more. The little daughter is full of curiosity just like the little Jang-Geum.
Jang-Geum practices medicine by saving whoever is sick in town. So-Won goes along Jang-Geum to help her whenever she is called to see a patient. Min Jung-Ho teaches writing and reading to local kids. On this day, So-Won runs to tell her father that the villagers are bullying Jang-Geum for wanting to do a caesarian on a pregnant mother. On her way, So-Won runs into Kang Duk-Goo who asks about where Jang-Geum is. The little girl points to the wrong direction and runs back home to tell her father about her mother and the strange man who’s looking for her.
Min Jung-Ho starts packing their stuff, and the father and daughter go to town to grab Jang Geum, and the three start running on foot. Kang Duk-Goo sees Jang-Geum and her family but they disappear before he can catch up to them.
Kang Duk-Goo returns to Han-Yang city and reports his sighting to his wife and to Jang-Duk. Both women are happy that Jang-Geum and Jung-Ho are still living in Joseon (Korea) with their little daughter. Yun-Saeng goes to see the queen and begs her to pardon Jang-Geum. The queen replies too bad Jang-Geum is in nation of Ming, if she were still in Joseon, she would’ve brought her back to palace. Yun-Saeng reports Jang-Geum has been in Joseon all these years. The queen is pleasantly surprised. Chan-Ee, now a sang-goong and Lady Min are relieved and happy by the queen’s response.
So-Won continues to help her mother with her medicine practice. On this day, So-Won walks back home with Jang-Geum after treating an elderly. So-Won hides behind Jang-Geum when she sees her father running toward them. Jung-Ho worrily tells Jang-Geum that So-Won is missing. Jang-Geum tries to hold her laugh as So-Won teases her father. When they go back, they see soildiers surrounding their home. They have come to bring them back to the palace.
Jang-Geum and Jung-Ho are given their old attire and escorted back to Han-Yang city in a wagon. As they enter the palace, So-Won asks questions non-stop as she is surprised by everything she sees.
Jang-Geum and Jung-Ho reunite with their former colleages as the staff of nae-ee-ohn, the cooks of soo-rak-gan, and the upper generals of the palace circle them with smile and nods. The queen arrives telling Jang-Geum and Jung-Ho how happy she is to see them and why they have lived in exile all these years. The queen states the king was proud of them both and felt bad about what happened to Min Jung-Ho. The queen states she will give Jang-Geum and Min Jung-Ho their old position back and asks them to return to the palace.
Lady Min, Yun-Saeng, and Chan-Ee are astonished by how similar So-Won is to Jang-Geum as a child. So-Won continues to entertain them with her non-stop chatter about everything her mother has taught her. Jang-Geum and Jung-Ho bring So-Won to see the Kang Duk Gu and his wife and Jang-Duk. Kang Duk-Goo and So-Won recognize each other immediately and Duk-Goo understands why she reminded him of Jang-Geum when he ran into her in the remote city.
Jung-Ho asks Jang-Geum whether she wants to return to the palace or go back to where they’ve been living. Both decide to leave. Jang-Geum tells the queen her decision. The lady queen replies she is sad but will respect her wish.
Jang-Geum gives the palace one last look and steps outside its gates to her awaiting husband and daughter. The three start to walk back to where they came from. Jung-Ho asks Jang-Geum what palace meant to her. Jang-Geum replies the palace gave her the chance to cook and the chance to practice medicine, but it also took away Lady Jung and Lady Han from her. The palace was a place that made her feel she had everything when in fact she had none, a place that made her feel like she could do anything when she couldnt’ do anything. Jang-Geum states the palace was a sad place for her. Min Jung Ho smiles and asks if the road they travel is not sad. Jang-Geum replies yes. Jung-Ho is happy but tells Jang-Geum even so she cannot cut open people since such practice is still not accepted in Joseon. Jang-Geum replies it should be since it can save lives.
Then they discover So-Won is missing. But So-Won runs toward them to tell Jang-Geum a woman nearby is in pain. Jang-Geum and Jung-Ho follow So-Won to the lady’s place. The woman is in difficult labor and will die from giving birth. Jang-Geum tells Jung-Ho surgery is the only chance to save both mother and baby and Jung-Ho follows her instructions.
Jang-Geum successfully saves both mother and baby by doing a caesarian delivery. Jang-Geum, Jung-Ho, and So-Won sit by the woman and smile as they welcome the new born into life.