Yeun-Seng! Yeun-Seng!

Who are you?

Oh, my! Madam,
the King's midnight snack...

Bring any ingredients you can find

All I could find were these

Ginger and lotus roots?

Yes

Peel them

(Episode 4)

You do this everyday
How can you be late?

I'm sorry

What's this? Didn't the pharmacy
tell you to bring milk porridge

to the King because he's become weak?

Yes, but...

Bring it immediately

Madam...

What is it?

They brought the wrong snack
from the kitchen

so we're sending them back

What did they bring? Just bring it in

Yes, Sir

What are these?

Lotus root soup and a ginger snack

Ginger snack? Then are they
made from ginger powder?

Yes

The doctors told me to eat
ginger biscuits for my throat

and I didn't eat it. But now
they've even sent it up here

in the form of a tasty-looking snack

It's delicious
I don't like the smell of ginger

but I can't smell it in this

So what happened?

Everything went well

I was scared to death thinking
I would be dragged away

and I'm soaked in sweat

Which residence are you from?

They told me that
they're still under training

How reckless of you!
You just came into the palace

and you're wandering
around like this?

How dare you come in here!

I know. They shocked me
I can still hear my heart pounding

Troublemakers...

What should I do with them?

Put them in the storage for now
and tell the Trainer Lady

Yes, Madam

Get in!

Yeun-Seng!

Yeun-Seng! Yeun-Seng!
Help! Please open the door!

Yeun-Seng is hurt!

Shut up and stop making a big fuss!

It's for real. Yeun-Seng is hurt

Even if you stayed quiet,
you could be kicked out

How dare you trivialize
the palace rules

But Yeun-Seng's hurt!

Be quiet! Don't make any noise
until we open the door. Understand?

Please help!

Yeun-Seng!

What? They ran away during the night?
Who saw them? Who?

I saw them going out and I thought
they were going to the bathroom

but when I looked this morning
they still hadn't come back

Just what were you doing?

They were in the room
when we checked at night

If superiors find out,
they'll grill us

What are we going to do?

She caused trouble after all...

What do you mean?

She was brought in
by the request of the...

King's Mother's attendant lady
But she had to bring in trouble

The King's Mother's palace isn't
where they pick out new brides

That's what I'm saying

Anyhow, since we aren't hearing
anything from the royal guards

they weren't caught trying to escape
You can quietly walk...

around the palace and
find out if they're causing trouble

And you check Chef Gang Duk-Gu's home

Did you bring it?

Yes, Madam

Put it down

Yes, Madam

Open it

Yes, Madam

OK, go ahead and unload them

Yes, ma'am

Unload them

Here

This is the jade ring you asked for

It's so pretty! Here...

You have to pay a lot more than this

That's all I have

You asked for
a silver hairpin, right? Here

It's so pretty

Here

This isn't enough. Give me more

Then take these

You have to pay at least 3
for this erotic picturebook

You said 1 was enough

This book is only read
in the bedroom of the...

Royal Chamber of the Chinese
Imperial Household and in it...

What are you doing here?

What is it?

Nothing. A new cookbook came from
China and they wanted to see it

Really? May I take a look, too?

No, there are no pictures,
only words. It's no fun...

You know Lady Park...
She's in big trouble...

Why? Did you find her?

No... it's trouble because
I haven't been able to find her

I went to Euju and I sent people
to Dongnae to look for her

but no one was able to find her

It's already been 2 years
I wonder what happened to her

Don't lose hope. We'll find her soon

I have connections in
many places and people...

Iooking for her everywhere
so we'll find her soon

I see. Thank you

By the way, Lady Han,
would you do me a favor?

A girl I'd adopted about 2 years ago
came here as a new bride

She's probably under training and

I'd like you to take care of her

Her parents passed away and
she came without any background

so she's probably despised here
You know how it is

You'll find her likable too
She's very smart and good-natured

I see. What's her name?

Her name is Jang-Geum, Suh Jang-Geum

I'll do so when I can

I'm such a great artist

Excuse me...

What are you doing?

Do you know them?

No

Which residence are you from?

We are trainers of new brides,
and we're looking for two of them

Two new brides?

I went to the trainer lady last night,
but she wasn't there

I was going to tell her this morning,
but I was busy preparing breakfast

and I forgot about them

How could you be so absent-minded?
Are you saying the kids...

are still in the storehouse?

Yes

What happened here?

I think she hurt her arm when
she fell off the fireplace last night

Did you lock them up
even knowing this?

No, I didn't know about it at all

Did you tie that?

Yes

Did you put St. John's wart
and agrimony on her?

Yes... she wouldn't stop bleeding...

You found those in this mess here?

Yes

Knowing that those are
for stopping the blood?

Yes, I learned it from
the town I used to live in

What's your name?

Jang-Geum! Jang...

You're already in here?

Lady Han, she's Jang-Geum
Smart and good-natured...

You witches...!

You witch...!

Since you said
it wasn't Yeun-Seng's fault

I'll beat her share too, OK?

You're not qualified
to be a court lady

You should stop learning here,
and go out and clean

Madam!

I said, get out!

You saw what happens
if you break the rules

It should never happen again
Do you understand?

Yes, ma'am

Recite the ranks of female officials

Bi, bin, gwiin, soui, sugui
soyong, sugyong, sowon, sugwon

Ranks of court ladies

Sanggung, sangui, sangbok, sangsik
sangchim, sanggong, sangjeong, sanggi

Next

Jeonbin, jeonui, jeonseon, jeonseol
jeonje, jeoneon, jeonchan, jeonsik

Next

Yeongsa, daejehak, jehak, bujehak

Jeonhan, eunggyo, bueunggyo
gyori, bugyori, suchan, busuchan

Put your right hand on top and
as you go down with left knee bent

kneel your right too,
and put right and left feet together

That's right. One more time

Put your right hand on top and
as you go down with left knee bent

kneel your right too,
and put right and left feet together

OK. One more time

Put your right hand on top and
as you go down with left knee bent

kneel your right too,
and put right and left feet together

OK. One more time...

So I was right

I see you have sense
I was very worried

when you were planning dethronement
with Sir Oh who never took

an exam and only drinks with people

Now he has entered
the Royal Cabinet and

our future will have no difficulties

But it's hard to tell
what will happen

now that reformers have
separated themselves

That's why I've found him
to be the right man

What do you mean?

Do you know how I came
to choose Sir Park Won-Jong

among many of the reformers?

Realized it as I saw
Sir Oh Kyum-Ho at a dancer bar

I thought, he must be
looking for reformers

He's someone who keeps a low profile
as much as possible and...

makes decisions after much thought
Sir Oh will probably...

continue to do that
He will be devoted to his duty

He's someone who will succeed

If he's someone you trust that much
arrange for us to become step-siblings

Step-siblings?

Yes, I hear that officials under
the King are already...

making step-sibling relationships
with the court ladies

Sure, I'll arrange that

By the way, Pil-Du said
something strange

Chef Gang Duk-Gu's adopted child
came as a new bride

and he thinks she's Lady Park's child

What? Lady Park's child?

Yes

Didn't you say it was a boy?

Yes, it was certainly a boy

How can a boy become a court lady?

That's what I thought too,
but Pil-Du who's been watching...

closely told me that
So I'm not sure what's going on

Tomorrow, high ranking court ladies
will be coming here to see...

what you have learned and
they will choose some of you

If you aren't chosen by any of them,
you'll have to leave the palace

so do a good job of showing
what you've learned here

Yes, ma'am

Madam, will Jang-Geum
take the test, too?

Rules of the Palace are to be obeyed
She cannot have that chance

Madam! I will never do that again
Please let me take the test, too

No!

Please let me take the test

Didn't I say no?

I will do anything you say
I'll receive any punishment

Please let me take it

Will you come to your senses
if you're whipped?

I'd rather receive the whipping
Do that and don't kick me out

I must stay in the palace
I must stay in the palace

Who are you to think
you must stay in the palace?

I... I...

I have no place to go

She has no place to go
That's why you have to stay here?

Sure, then do this. From now
until the end of tomorrow's test

fill that big basin
with water and hold it

Then I will reconsider
and let you take the test

Would you do that?

Yes, I will

You must not spill
a single drop of water

Yes, ma'am

You should be standing

She only said I must not
spill the water

Don't cry. Why are you crying?

She didn't say I couldn't cry

Then put it down. I'm so sleepy

I can't...

Go ahead and start

What's your name?

Han Go-Mi

How old are you?

You should speak to her

It's all right

She must've been nervous

Take her out

Take it away. Next!

Differentiate between Dae-Gaum,
Young-Gaum and Nau-Ri

Jung 2 nd degree and up
are called Dae-Gaum

and Jong 2 nd degree, and
Jung 3rd degree are Young-Gaum

And everything under
Jong 3rd degree is called Nau-Ri

What do you call the
Jik-Jae-Hauk of royal scribes?

It's Nau-Ri

Recite the rules of speech
and conduct for the household

Inside the heart is affection. And
what comes out of the mouth is speech

The tongue can change
glory to slander and

friendship to negligence,
and it can...

Noh-Chang

Yes

Chae-Ryun

Yes

One child is missing

How can that be?
We didn't leave any out

Did you count all the children?

Yes, we did

What's going on? What happened?

What happened here?

Jang-Geum poured water
over me all of sudden

Is that true?

Actually, Young-Ro
touched the basin first

I did it to the end
Please let me take the test

What's going on here?

I said, what's going on here?

Actually, I didn't let her
take the test because...

her speech and conduct
weren't fit to be a court lady

What's with the basin?

She kept on asking me
to let her take the test

So I told her, if she held
the basin till the end of the test...

as a punishment
I'd give her a chance

When did she start doing this?

From last night...

What? She's been like this all night?

What has she done?

She went to a place
she shouldn't have gone

Come inside

We tell no lies in the palace

Since the trainer lady promised you
I'll let you take the test

Your words won't be a lie either,
so if your answers are not good enough

you'll be going out of the palace
Do you understand?

Yes

We'll start now. Listen carefully
You already know that Jung 3rd degree

is divided into upper and lower levels
And the upper are called Young-Gaum

and the lower, Nau-Ri
You know this, right?

Yes

Then tell me all of the ranks
ofJung 3rd degree

All of them?

Yes, all of them

Do-Jung ofJong-Chin-Bu,
Bu-Wi of Ui-Bin-Bu

Do-Jung of Don-Nyung-Bu...

Do-Seung-Ji, Jwa-Wu-Seung-Ji,
Jwa-Wu-Bu-Seung-Ji

Dong-Bu-Seung-Ji of Seung-Jung-Won

Dae-Sa-Gan of Sa-Gan-Won...

Cham-Chan-Gwan for meetings,
Sang-On-Gwan of Eunuchs' Dept.

None in Ho-Jo, and in Ye-Jo

Bu-Je-Hak of Hong-Mun-Gwan,
Su-Chan-Gwan of Chun-Chu-Gwan

Dae-Sa-Sung of Sung-Kyun Col.,
the jurisdiction dept. Of...

Hyung-Jo, and local ministers

Next

Zhuge Liang went to fight against
Liu Bei, but because he had...

traveled such a long distance,
he couldn't keep up

Cao Cao commanded something in code
and the generals withdrew

Do you know what the secret code was?

It was Gye-reuk. There isn't much
to eat on the ribs of chicken

although it does seem like
a waste to throw it away

Jo-Jo used this metaphor to
tell the generals to withdraw

OK. Take her with you
and get her prepared

Thank you, Madam

If you cause such a commotion again

you'll be kicked out immediately. OK?

Yes

It probably wasn't easy for...

a little kid like you to
hold that basin all night

Why do you want to stay
in the palace so badly?

It's all right. You can tell me

I want to be the Highest
Kitchen Lady of the Royal Kitchen

Madam, how can I be
the Highest Kitchen Lady asap?

Get me a bowl of drinking water

Bring me a bowl of drinking water!

Yes, ma'am

Madam...

Bring it again

Do I have to tell you
everything twice?

Yes, ma'am

When you wake up tomorrow morning
bring it again

Jang-Geum, we have to greet
the Highest Kitchen Lady

so gather up by 10:00

Dress up to come into the
Highest Kitchen Lady's room OK

Chang-Yee!

Does your court lady
tell you to bring water, too?

Water? No

Really...? OK

I brought the water

Bring it again tonight

Sandstorms are covering
the entire nation so we decided

to perform religious services
on the 7 th day of this month

You can take care of
the sacrificial food

Yes, ma'am

It's big trouble
Even during the time

of the great King Sejong,
sandy rain came for 22 days

and it turned out to be
a year of bad harvest

I know. And the King was not
enthroned too long ago

Madam, I'm Jang-Geum

What is it? Come in

What is it?

I'm here to greet
the Highest Kitchen Lady

Greeting? I didn't give such an order

How dare you come in here

Madam, did you call for me?

Take this girl to Jo-Bang

I heard that you're a troublemaker

On your first day here?

I was told to greet her

Who told you?

Chang-Yee...

It took me 4 years to
get into the Royal Kitchen

How dare you enter
the Highest Kitchen Lady's place!

And what's with your dress?
Did you come here for a performance?

Wash all these bowls

And what are you doing?
Get those bowls! Hurry!

It's Young-Ro again, right?

Is your court lady good to you?

Yes, she brings me dried persimmons
and tells me old stories

She can even sing!

She doesn't ask you to bring water?

She brings water to me

Why? Is your court lady scary?

She only tells me to bring water

Water?

Yes, water

During King Sejong's era
because of sandstorms

they sent out the court ladies

Why?

Because they believed it was caused

by grudges of the court ladies

Then we can go out too?

You'd like that?

I mean... I think it'll be fun
outside of the palace

No way. I won't ever go
outside the palace

Where else can you eat
so much delicious food?

Do you live only to eat?

It's not just eating,
but eating delicious food

I'm done

Did you wash the cauldrons
by the well?

No...

Wash those, too

OK

I'll check them tomorrow morning,
so wash them well. OK?

Sure

She reminds me of you
when you first came in

What?

You kept eating the good food
from older girls' tables

and you had to do
all the dishes as punishment

Why did you remind me of that?
I still get mad when I think about it

What's this?

I remembered the saying,
"willow leaves in the well"

Bring it again tomorrow morning

Is Jang-Geum doing well?

Yes... she doesn't like rules

so she's only washing dishes for now

So she isn't doing anything else,
but only washing dishes?

Yes

Does she have to come early
or leave later than others?

No

OK

Madam! Madam!

What's the trouble?

The King's Mother's kitchen
is in chaos

Go to the King's Mother's kitchen now
They're all waiting

How come the food changed like this?

I don't know. She wanted to
eat early in the morning

so we prepared
the ingredients last night and

the food this morning and
it turned out like this

That doesn't make any sense

The ingredients must be wrong

But it's strange that all
the dishes turned out like this

Who manages the ingredients here?

I do

Do you manage it well?

Yes, I received it from
the food dept. And...

there was nothing wrong
with them for sure

How strange...

Madam! We're in trouble!

What is it?

They say food in the Prince's palace
has turned bad too

Is that true?

It's not as bad as here, but
several dishes have been spoiled

Madam, the main kitchen...

Let's go. Whose shift is it today?

It's Lady Shin

Is anything wrong here?

Huh? What do you mean?

How is it?

It's fine

This one's fine, too

We're lucky

What's this?
What do you think you're doing?

What do you mean the dishes and
the vegetables haven't arrived?

Who's in charge of the dishes
that they're still missing?

What are you going to do
about this morning's meal?

Jo-Bang, what's going on?

I clearly told her to
finish it up last night

Who is it? Who?

Is it Jang-Geum?

Yes

Jang-Geum, what are you doing here?

I was...

What were you doing?

I was still washing the dishes...

You've been boiling this water
to wash dishes?

Yes

Why?

The sandstorm made
the water in the well dirty

so I had to boil water to wash dishes
and cool it to wash vegetables

Who told you to do that?

No, it's not that...

Then you did it on your own?

My mother told me that when
there is yellow dust in the air

water becomes dirty,
dust goes in the food and...

it makes food spoil faster
so this is what she did

She said not many people know this,
and that's why diseases spread

when there are sandstorms

If you knew, why didn't you tell me?

We let the dust go down and
used the clean water on the top

And since there hasn't been
any problem doing that so far

You know how bad the yellow dust is

this year that we're even
making the offerings!

I'm sorry

And how come she was
the only one washing dishes?

Are you all trying to cast her out?

No, we would never do that

I told them not to...

Troublemakers...

You all do the dishes again
Keum-Mul and Gui-Yul should tell this

to the King's Mother's Kitchen
and the Prince's Kitchen

and have them do the same thing there

Yes, ma'am

You girls, too!

Yes, ma'am

Bring me some water

Bring me some water

Why do you keep asking for water?
I can't bring warm nor cold water

nor water with leaves

You already know

Why did you boil dirty rainwater?

I saw my mother doing it

Why did your mother do it?

She was worried I might get sick

Would you bring me water?

Is your lower stomach aching?

No

Did you go to the bathroom today?

I did

Is your throat sore?

It gets sore very often

I put a little salt in warm water
Don't drink it at once

but drink it slowly like tea

OK, thanks

She asked you that many questions
when she gave you a bowl of water?

Yes, she asked me if my lower stomach
ached, whether my throat hurt

and other questions
She sometimes gave me

cold water, warm water or sweet water

Yes, asking such questions
was the reason...

why I asked you to bring water
Before you make the food

you must check the condition
of the person eating the food

and likes and dislikes and
what's tolerable and what's not

thinking of such things is
what is involved in cooking food

But you knew this through your mother

Your mother is truly a great person

Your mother knows that even water
becomes food when it's in the bowl

and she knows it's important to
think of the people eating the food

She knows food is
the attitude of the heart

toward a person
I didn't know that you're a daughter

of such a great person
and only thought of you

as an orphan,
always trying to please everyone

I have tried to teach you a lesson

and I have learned from you instead

Stop crying
And don't cry from now on

I didn't like it when
you said that you wanted...

to become the
Highest Kitchen Lady asap

I don't know why you do...
But if you're weak-hearted

you cannot become
the Highest Kitchen Lady

You girls take over here
and you girls follow me

You just need to put
pine needles into the pine nuts

There are so many

So many? We've done it too

How do you do it?

You see the hole on the nut?
Just put the pine needle in it

How can you put it into
such a small hole?

What do you mean, how?
You just put it in

Stop talking and do it now!

Yeun-Seng, what's wrong?
Were you scolded by your court lady?

My turtle died

What?

When I was entering the palace,
Mother told me that...

if the turtle is still alive, it means
she's not sick, so I shouldn't worry

Is your mother sick?

Yes, very much...

I'm sorry to hear that...

Will you be quiet?

Keum-Young secretly
started practicing again

Really? What did she say?

I don't know, only
the Highest Kitchen Lady

and Lady Choi know about it

Then we'll lose again

They always tell us
only 5 days before

Who can't win
practicing earlier like that?

Not only that, we're always
putting pine needles into nuts

when she started practicing
using knives on the first day

I know. If it's putting
pine needles into nuts, we'll win

The test is always on whatever
Keum-Young's good at

That's why she always wins
first place and goes on...

a vacation outside the palace
I haven't been home

since I came here 7 years ago

So do something about it this time

How?

There's a new bride who entered
Lady Choi's residence this time

She might know something

That's right! Yes!

Why you...!

I think I heard it as
dragon-shaped something

But I don't know what it is

Isn't that a dragon-shape
with bean sprouts?

I saw Lady Han doing it

That's right! Bun-Yee, this time
we might have a chance

How?

We have our bean sprouts
We can practice with those

Yes, if we practice as she does,
we will surely win this time

Let's show her this time

Let's give them our work and

Young-Ro and Chang-Yee,
you do the seaweeds

Jang-Geum, Yeun-Seng,
you handle the pine needles and nuts

Since they shouldn't find out
about our absence

you must finish everything
on time. OK?

Young-Ro, you can go inside
after finishing that

OK

Who's Keum-Young anyway?

She's a new bride in the
Highest Kitchen Lady's room

She's also the granddaughter
of the Highest Kitchen Lady

and the niece of Lady Choi

But how could you
tell them about her?

They can't win anyway

My uncle told me that she learned to
cook before she even learned to talk

She's a prodigy

I miss my mom

Yeun-Seng, you miss your mom?

Turn off the lights?!

We have to finish these first

No! Turn off the lights right now!

We'll get in trouble
if we don't finish

No! No! You have to turn them off

Who are you?

I'm a soldier
in the fire & light dept

What's that?

What's that?
I turn lights off. Turn it off!

What now? We can't turn on the lights
when Madam is sleeping

I will take care of it
so you can go to sleep

I don't think you had enough sleep
last night thinking of your mom

But...

It's all right

OK... Thanks

We must be destined
to meet only at nights

Oh! Are you that girl
from the King's palace?

Yes, that's right

Good to see you!

What are you doing here at night?

This is because of a new bride
named Keum-Young

Why?

She's someone related to
the Highest Kitchen Lady

Whenever there are competitions

she wins 'cause the Ladies
secretly teach her things

And she always takes vacations

So?

But this time, they found out
what the competition will be

so the older girls are practicing
while we're doing all the work

They can win if they practice?

They said they can win
if they practice the same way

They said that she hasn't practiced
pine needles and nuts

so if they competed with this,
they would win for sure

And someone else said
that she's a food prodigy

learning how to cook
before learning how to talk

I'm not sure what to believe,
but I have to finish this

Don't try to see it
with the moon light Huh?

Don't try to see it
It's harder if you try to see it

Then?

Focus on the tip of your fingers

Does that work?

They make new brides do this,
so they can...

sensitize the tips of their fingers

Because they don't know this,
their cooking skills don't improve

Put the nut at the tip of
your finger and roll it slowly

You can feel it, right?

Yes, it's amazing

But how did you know?

I heard the court ladies
talking about it

Other new brides in other residences
start with this kind of thing too

Is that so? Thank you

It went in!