Court lady Han prepares a new dish for the King’s midnight meal and serves it. Because of Court lady Han’s exceptional culinary skills, the incident goes unnoticed by others, including the King. However, JangGeum and YeonSaeng get penalized for their behavior.

The Court lady in charge of training eventually finds out about the incident and keeps JangGeum away from training area. But JangGeum overhears the lecture while cleaning and studies as hard as she can. After many turns and twists, JangGeum gets the chance to take the test and Chief Court lady picks Court lady Han as JangGeum’s mentor.

One day, all the ingredients prepared in SoJooBang (one of the Royal Kitchens in the Palace) get spoiled while the ingredients prepared in SooRaGan (another of the Royal Kitchens in the Palace) are at their best. Chief Court lady and Court lady Han investigates the cause and finds JangGeum cleaning dishes using boiled water. They are amazed by JangGeum’s intelligence as realize what kept the food in SooRaGan in such good condition.