Queen announces the rematch between Court Lady Choi and Han to the palace and decides the subject for the competition should be rice cooking. Only two of them are left in the competition field to carry out the competition. To fairly decide the winner, Queen decides to have Court Ladies to vote the winner. To further investigate the ill practices of Choi, PanSool and Oh, GyumHo, Min, JungHo transfers to SaHunBoo. He examines the account book and starts investigating SoJooBang where Choi supplies the goods.

With help of JangGeum, Court Lady Choi and GeumYoung clear themselves of a false accusation of using poisonous mushroom in the King’s meal. JangGeum and Jung, YoonSoo have conflicting diagnoses and prescriptions, and JangGeum is put in charge of providing treatment to King JoongJong at last. Court lady Choi and GeumYoung firmly believe that Jung, YoonSoo has plotted against them. With YeolI, they plot against Jung…

In front of SaHunBoo, everyone involved in the incident gathers and the testimony of Court Lady Choi and Oh conflicts. Witnesses are called upon and the truth is unveiled. JoaChanSung, newly appointed as a ChooGookGoan, indicts Oh, Court Lady Choi and everyone involved in the incidents. Court Lady Choi escapes but realizes she has been wrong and regrets her past in front of NaIn Park’s grave.

The Queen is shocked to find out that her own son, KyungWonDaeGun is suffering from smallpox. The only thing Queen can do to help her son is to hold a sacrifice ceremony wishing her son well. KyungWonDaeGun’s health takes a turn for the worse and Queen calls for JangGeum. JangGeum sincerely delivers treatment for KyungWonDaeGun.

Jang Geum's suggestion to perform surgery on the King is received with displeasure. Jang Geum is reunited with Min Jung Ho as she is sent away from the palace.

Knowing Court Lady Han has not yet returned, the Queen mother tries to stop the competition but the Queen’s earnest request to continue the competition changes Queen mother’s mind. JangGeum prepares a chicken dish following her mother’s recipe and Court Lady Choi enters the competition with a steamed suckling pig dish. Escaping from the food storage, Court Lady Han returns to the palace where the competition is underway and carefully watches the competition. Due to her health, Court Lady Jung is looking to leave the palace as soon as she appoints her successor. However, Court Lady Choi and her family plot to reverse the Queen mother’s decision by uniting with other Royal Kitchens in the palace such as SoJooBang, DongGoongJeon, ByungGwaBang, etc…

Court Lady Jung falls ill and gets removed from the palace as the Royal regulations do not allow anyone but the King and his immediate family to die in the palace. Chief Court Lady explains the injustice of the Royal Culinary Competition to Queen Mother. Moreover, she reports to Queen Mother that Court Ladies from other departments are not willing to serve Court Lady Jung due to her low class background. Queen mother worries, not knowing the right thing to do. Court Lady Choi persuades Court Ladies from other department to go against Court Lady Han’s words. Court Lady Han is driven into the corner due to Court Lady Choi plotting against her…

YoungLo steals the account book JangGeum has been working on and takes it to Court Lady Choi. In that account book, the letter which Na-In Park has left JangGeum is stuck between the leaves of the book. Court Lady Choi is shocked to find NaIn Park’s recipe book and returns the account and recipe books. Court Lady accidentally sees the recipe book but does not find out that the book belongs to JangGeum due to YoungLo lying to her. SaHunBoo pressures Oh, GyumHo by investigating government offices including SaOngWon. While the investigation is proceeding, King JoongJong finds out that Choi, PanSool is exclusively supplying the majority of goods to the palace and that management of the goods is being neglected. Oh, GyumHo and other people involved seek a way to come through this crisis.

The Queen Mother starts to receive medical treatments but her condition grows worse as she has waited too long for the treatment. While Shin is busy looking for a cure, JangGeum prepares pills for the Queen Mother. The Queen and Jung, YoonSoo are offended when they find out the ingredients used to prepare the pill and demand to change the royal doctor in charge. One night, King JoongJong pays a visit to YeonSaeng’s residence. Instructed by Court Lady Min, YeonSaeng displays her feminine charm in awkward manners. The King adores YeonSaeng for it…

To unveil the truth about sulfur fed duck incident, they confiscate articles from the royal kitchens and Choi’s business to thoroughly investigate. In GeumYoung’s confiscated spice box, a poisonous mushroom is discovered and Court Lady Choi but GeumYoung strongly protests. On the other hand, JangGeum gets closer to finding out the answers to the doubts about King JoongJong’s diseases.

JangGeum’s prescription betters the King’s health and wins King and Queen’s hearts. Min has found a clue which will unveil Oh, GyumHo’s wrongdoings and concentrates on the matter. The erroneous diagnosis of Jung is discovered and as things go against their will, Oh, GyumHo and Choi, PanSool decide the fate of Jung, who knows secrets about them

After hearing the news of King JoongJong appointing JangGeum to become his royal doctor in charge, Min hands in a letter of resignation and leaves the palace. Min and JangGeum leave everything behind and take on a journey. Despite Queen, YeonSang, and DoJeDo’s advice, JangGeum carries out the King’s order, which causes upheaval in the royal court…

Every Court Lady and SaengGakSi, including Court Lady Jung, tries their very best to spare JangGeum’s life. Fortunately, JangGeum is released from NaeGumWi (the Royal Military Guard) but she is about to get forced to leave the palace. Owing to Court Lady Jung and Han’s efforts and sacrifices, JangGeum is sent to DaJaeHun (a place where medical plants are being cultivated). Jung, WoonBaek who is in charge of DaJaeHun tells JangGeum not to do anything. JangGeum starts working whereas everyone else in DaJaeHun gets drunk on a daily basis. Fascinated with the virtue and cultivation of Medical plants, JangGeum aims to accomplish BaekBon cultivation. Finally, JangGeum succeeds in cultivating BaekBon which convinces everyone in DaJaeHun to change their ways. However, BaekBon garden gets ruined one day due to the malicious plot of Choi Pang Sool. Jung, WoonBaek is taken to Royal Military Guard after he pulled up BaekBon seedlings and sold them to a seedling shop. Due to this incident, the palace finds out that JangGeum has succeeded in BaekBon cultivation and JangGeum returns to the Royal Kitchen as a reward.

On her way back to the palace, JangGeum stops by the Royal library to drop off a letter for Jung, WoonBaek and encounters Min, JungHo. On the day she returns to the Royal kitchen, she starts preparing for the NaIn Qualification Exam. After a hard day’s work is over, JangGeum enjoys studying under the moonlight with her colleagues, YeonSaeng and ChangI. The day of the NaIn Qualification Exam has finally come. GeumYoung is the first one to correctly answer the subject for a poem followed by YeonSaeng and ChangI. JangGeum fails to answer the question till the end of the exam. During the examination, the testing of identifying good quality ingredients commences. JangGeum is not able to choose a good quality meat but utilizes her experiences from her childhood spent in the butchers’ village to find a suitable one. The night before the cooking test of the NaIn Qualification Exam, JangGeum’s wheat flour, along with other ingredients gathered in the competition field, disappears. JangGeum searches for the wheat flour and finds HangEui, one of the SaengGakSi, making dough using JangGeum’s wheat flour. However, HangEui refuses to return the wheat flour. The noise caused by the two attracts Royals Officials Lee, ChangMin and Min, JungHo…

JangGeum proves that the cause of the Prince being paralyzed is not from the food poisoning but from ginseng, maximizing the effect of nutmeg by taking ginseng and nutmeg herself. Although paralysis symptoms have faded, JangGeum suffers from losing her sense of taste and has hard time seasoning the food. On the day of celebrating Chief Court Lady’s birthday, JangGeum assists Court Lady Jung in preparing a beef casserole, as per tradition, but Chief Court Lady is dissatisfied with the food. Chief Court Lady and Choi family plot to remove Court Lady Jung from her position on the basis of her health. After noticing their plan, Court Lady Jung requests King JoongJong to have a Royal Culinary Competition to select the best Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen, a wish which is pleasantly granted by the King. Court Lady Han appoints JangGeum as her chief assistant and orders her to assist her. However, JangGeum refuses to take the position as she has lost her sense of taste. Despite knowing JangGeum may not be able to get her sense of taste back, Court Lady Han still appoints JangGeum as her chief assistant.

Court Lady Choi and GeumYoung are stunned when King JoongJong speaks very highly of the whale meat dish JangGeum has cooked. Court Lady Choi suggests that JangGeum be tested whether she should stay at the Royal kitchen despite the fact that her culinary skills are outstanding. The Queen mother carefully suggests to King JoongJong that his plan to personally appoint the Chief Court Lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen is not the best idea. Then King JoongJong suggests to the Queen mother that she appoint one on his behalf. The Royal Culinary Competition, selecting the best Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen, will begin on the day of the eldest prince’s birthday ceremony.

Court Lady Han and JangGeum lose the first competition. Court Lady Han scolds JangGeum for only concentrating on finding good ingredients and recipes rather than cooking with her utmost sincerity and sends her to the sanitarium, where a nursery Court Lady is recuperating. YoungLo, YeonSaeng, and ChangI try to take JangGuem’s place while she’s absent but fail to endure Court Lady Han’s training. JangGeum meets Min, JungHo and Gang, DukGoo, who are carrying out a secret mission, at WoonAm temple. Incidentally, JangGeum speaks of her parents’ true identity to Min…

Chief Court Lady reports to the Queen mother that employees are being released from the palace due to the plague and that Court Lady Jung is among them. The competition gets cancelled and Chief Court Lady plots to appoint Court Lady Choi as Court Lady Jung’s successor. At last, the Queen mother appoints Court Lady Choi as the acting Chief Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen during Court Lady Jung’s absence. Court Lady Choi sends Court Lady Han and JangGeum to TaePyungGwan, where an ambassador is received with courtesy. Court Lady Han and JangGeum learn that the chief ambassador is suffering from diabetes and prepares his meal accordingly rather than impressing him with all kinds of oily delicacies. However, not knowing the full intention, the chief ambassador and Oh, GyumHo get offended…

Court Lady Han looks back up on her days spent with NaIn Park, JangGuem’s mother, and decides the dish she will prepare for the Royal Culinary Competition. Court Lady Choi is confident about the competition and prepares for it. But Choi, PanSool plots another consipiracy. The night before the competition, Court Lady Choi and Han return to their residence after preparing all the ingredients. However, an unfortunate incident happens at Court Lady Han’s kitchen and she leaves the palace hastily. The ingredients are damaged by domestic animals and Court Lady Han leaves the palace to shop for ingredients again. Court Lady Han does not return in time and the competition begins…

JangGeum finds out the only way for a government slave to return to the palace and goes to JangDug to learn medicine. JangDug teaches the medicine skills to JangGeum, who strives to learn more. King JoongJong finds YeonSaeng crying for her dear friend JangGeum and sympathizes with her. At last, YeonSaeng sleeps with the King and become one of many king’s women. JangDug and JangGeum search for the doctor who sold ginseng to a patient with a high body temperature…

JangGeum is taken to the royal military guard office for interrogation. Min, JungHo visits the royal military guard office to prove JangGeum’s services in defeating Japanese pirates, knowing that JeJe Island’s governor has made a false report. Min stays at the royal military guard offices as ordered by the chief officer, and JangGeum and GooMan return to JeJu Island. On their way to JeJu Island, JangGeum tries to build a mound over the grave where the Court Lady Han is buried. JangGeum encounters a strange boy who orders her to exhume and bury the body in another place, as the ground is not for graves. However, JangGeum notices the boy’s illness and treats him kindly…

While diagnosing patients’ illnesses with SinBi, JangGeum realizes that she has been solely relying on her limited knowledge of medicine rather than diagnosing the illnesses with humbleness to get the complete picture. JangGeum gets a second chance to take the exam of distinguishing medicines. Shin advises her that a medical doctor needs to be a thoughtful person rather than a smart person. After this, JangGeum thrives on the training of becoming a royal doctor. However, not taking part in official discipline, JangGuem and SinBi are on the verge of failing the class…

JangGeum questions the result of examination of pulse and prescription for the Queen. Eventually the Queen complains about the pain while YoulI is performing acupuncture. JangGeum speaks of her doubts and the result of the pulse examination. At last, JangGuem and YoulI feel the pulse for diagnosis in front of the royal doctors, but their opinions conflict. JoaChangSung and Min, JeonHo pressure Oh, GyumHo to reduce the amount of GongSinJeon (paddy fields and dry fields awarded to government officials) to overcome the financial problems. Driven into a corner, Oh and his associates feels threatened and plots a conspiracy…

The Queen Mother refuses all medical treatment and loses her temper with the King. The Chief Court Lady Choi takes advantage of the situation and uses Queen Mother to take care of the GongSinJeon issue. Discharged official Lee, HyunWoo takes Queen Mother’s side to plot against JoaChangSung and Shin, IkPil and to go against King JoongJong’s will. With every effort to save her teacher, JangGeum wages her life on a bet with the Queen Mother. To win the bet, GeumYoung and Court Lady Choi join Queen Mother…

JangGeum visits Court Lady Choi’s residence to provide medical treatment for food poisoning. Even though he has no alternative, Court Lady Choi feels uneasy about having JangGeum treat her. Oh, GyumHo petitions the King regarding Min’s disobedience and Min is discharged from his duties. However, an appeal from the village where the epidemic has broken out gets delivered to the King and he learns about Min and JangGeum’s active engagement in curing the disease. YoenSaeng becomes SookWon, one of the titles given to women who have slept with the king and become one of many king’s women. Court Lady Choi and YeolI plot together and YeolI looks after YeonSaeng…