You have to make a quick decision now Please tell the King's Mother
What do you think you're doing here?!
I'm still the Highest Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen
Court ladies of the kitchen, you follow me right now!
Head Lady, I've asked you already
Lady Choi, I told you already and you had to do this terrible thing!
You'll surely be punished...!
Madam! Madam!
(Episode 22)
Madam, it's me, Yeun-Seng
Are you feeling better now, Madam?
I'm fine. Let me sit up
No, Madam, you're ill Why do you want to sit up?
I have to teach those bad girls a lesson
No, Madam, please lie down Please, Madam
Madam, I'm the King's guard Mak-Ke
What is it?
What brings you here?
I've been ordered to escort Lady Jung out of the palace
But she's very weak right now...
No one except the King and his relatives can finish...
his or her life in the palace You know this, too
That's the rule of the palace, so please do comply
Madam... not now. Not now... Madam
Madam, I'll escort you to your home
What are you talking about?! You're the Highest Lady now
How could you think of leaving the kitchen...
because of personal emotions?!
Sit down
You have to be strong and firm in your position in a time like this
Madam, this could be the last... Please...
Is there anyone who doesn't have an end?
I fully understand you
It's probably scary But if you think you're weak...
even a small mound can seem like a big mountain
But if you're strong, then even a storm just seems like a breeze
I've been your shield up to now You have to become a big mountain
You must become the storm
As the 11 th Highest Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen...
I now acknowledge only you as the 12th Highest Lady of Kitchen
Madam...
Madam, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry
Please forgive us for not even preparing a meal for you
I'm sorry, Madam
If you are, then help Lady Han Help Lady Han
Yes, Madam
I can't let her go by herself You escort her
Sure
Jang-Geum...
you must save her by any means
Make sure she doesn't feel lonely
Sure
I just received a report that Lady Jung has left
If she weren't so stubborn her last day it wouldn't have been so pitiful
How can any court lady's last day be wonderful?
Don't feel too bad about it
Isn't what remains to be done more important?
We only have to convince the King's Mother now
Since the Queen is still powerless, she depends on the King's Mother...
The King's Mother will approve of our wish
Your Majesty, Lady Jung has left the palace
She's doing that bad?
Yes. It grew worse with time and
it worsened dramatically with the epidemic
That's too bad. King valued her for good conversations, too
Human lives... Anyway, she was so eager to see
the next Highest Lady and she has done so
Your Majesty, I have something to say about that matter
What is it?
We didn't have a ceremony to appoint Lady Han as the Highest Lady yet
You didn't? Weren't you going to have it this morning?
Actually, all the kitchen court ladies opposed it and no one attended
What? What are you saying? They're against my decision?
It's because of Lady Han
Because of Lady Han?
First of all, Lady Choi is not accepting the results
because Lady Han didn't participate in the competition
But wasn't Lady Choi defeated by her assistant?
Yes, Your Majesty, Lady Choi thinks so
but other kitchen ladies do not see it that way
They say that they can't accept it...
because the competitors themselves didn't fully participate
How dare they...
But the more important reason is that Lady Han is of lowly birth
They're saying they can't serve such a person as their superior
Although Lady Jung worked in the pantry for a long time
she was a daughter of a good family
Even so, it's something that the King's Mother has decided
The court ladies are insulting
the King's Mother, so we can't tolerate this
First of all, you should punish them as their Head Lady
That's what you're supposed to do
No, Queen
They have a point, too Although I've chosen Lady Han...
as the Highest Lady as the King's will in the confusion of the moment
later on, I realized there was something wrong with the process
Lady Han wasn't even there when we announced her...
as the Highest Court Lady
Yes, there was a problem with choosing the Highest Court Lady
But we can't change that now
So what did she say?
She told me that the King's Mother is clearly unsatisfied with Lady Han...
Probably so. No superior would want trouble over such an issue
But the Queen has ordered her to convince the court ladies...
since it is the will of the King's Mother after all
I think we have to be more forceful to send across a clearer message
That's right, Madam We'll take care of the kitchen
so don't worry and be firm
I'm only causing you trouble on my last path
Oh, no, don't say that It's no trouble at all
Let her lie down comfortably
Sure
Madam... Madam...
I realized what being a mother is like at a late age...
because of Yeun-Seng
She cries all the time and asks to be held every night...
Actually, we secretly called you our grandma
Really? You did?
Yes, you've been like a grandma to me for real
Yes... because Lady Han was so strict with you
Jang-Geum, why are you crying?
She's my head lady
Why are you crying here?
Lady Han keeps on asking me to get a bowl of water...
but I don't know which type of water she's asking for. I'm scared
So Lady Han's nasty temper is showing up again
What should I do?
Just pour a bucket of salt water for her!
Oh, no, Madam, I can't do that
You said your name is Jang-Geum?
Yes
Lady Han isn't doing that because she doesn't like you...
so don't be afraid of her
Really?
Of course... I know her better than anyone else
Come over here I'll tell you an old story
Long ago, there lived a scary tiger who was very hungry...
Why are you just sitting here? Is something wrong?
Other kids are learning how to cook from their head ladies already...
but Lady Han won't let me cook
She must want to keep everything to herself!
Oh, no, that's not it She only wants to teach me well
You know it already
But you still want to do it?
Yes
Then make me a dish without letting Lady Han know
Huh?
Then I'll tell you many things
Really?
But don't tell Lady Han or else, I'd be scolded, too
Keep it a secret from Lady Han, OK?
Sure
Madam, you have to gain strength
You must be here for Lady Han right now
Jang-Geum
Yes, Madam
I ask that you take good care of her
You're the only one who can take care of her now
How can I...
She built up a wall around her as she lost a close friend in her youth
She's probably that way because she's trying to hide her pain and fear
But a leader must be able to step beyond that
That's what I'm worried about
You're the first person who has broken down that wall
So you have to encourage and help her
Promise me you'll never allow her to give up
Promise me you'll never allow her to give up on herself
Sure, I'll never allow her to do that
That's good enough, since you have strong will
That's good enough
Madam, here...
please be understanding
Lady Choi is being so harsh
I know, how could she be so cold-hearted?
Lady Han could collapse working every day like that
It's the first time to work secretly like this in my court life of 30 years
Me, too
But what choice do we have? We have to be loyal...
and live long and quietly, too
I wonder how long we have to be like this
Take the tables
You don't need to come in
I must greet His Majesty
I'll ask him if he wants to be greeted, so you wait here
Where are the kitchen ladies? Something wrong?
Your Majesty, Lady Jung left the palace yesterday...
because her condition had gotten critical
Is that so?
I know you value Lady Jung, but since
she can't finish her life here in the palace...
Yes... so that's why...
Please send her my personal physician
I should at least express my condolences
Your grace is immeasurable
Jang-Geum!
Duk-Gu
Jang-Geum, I ran over here after hearing from the Head Eunuch...
Lady Jung is in critical condition and the King has sent...
his personal physician so I brought him here
The royal physician?
Is this the place?
Yes, sir. This way please
Madam, the King has sent his physician here
Really?! It's true!
Madam, the king has sent his personal physician!
His very own physician!
Madam, I'm here, too
Me, too, Madam
Get well soon
Yes, of course!
How is she doing? Is she going to be OK?
She's already...
gone
Madam... Madam...
I won't talk to you again How could you leave while...
I was asleep, without saying a word? I won't ever see you again...
Your Majesty Lady Jung passed away last night
What?!
She had already passed away when I arrived there
No! Madam! Jang-Geum... I want to go with her!
I can't live without you, Madam! Take me with you!
I can't live without you, Madam! I have to listen to your stories...
and I have to massage your legs! Madam, take me with you, please!
Madam! Madam!
I regret the fact that I'd only been in the palace all my life
So scatter me over the clouds I want to become rain...
so I can flow here and there and travel all over the earth
Madam! Madam!
The Head Lady is looking for you
The Head Lady? I have no business with upper management
I think she's thinking of giving you the position of Highest Lady
The Highest Kitchen Lady? Yeah, right! You do it yourself!
You don't like the fact that I've become the Highest Lady?
I dare to say, I don't think it's a position for you to take
Listen to yourself... you speak such rude words so easily
It'll be hard for you because of people...
I'm worried because I know you better than anyone else
Yes. Should I live a hard life or an easy life?
What do you think?
You should live an easy life
How about you?
You can control that yourself?
I try to live an easy life, but it's always hard
What?
Huh? When I chewed it, I tasted persimmon...
so if you ask me why I think it tastes like persimmon...
I can only say that I tasted persimmon...
So the one with natural skills was right here!
Yes, of course... it was my lack of thought for asking that way
As a cook, one shouldn't hesitate to risk her life to taste the food to see
if it is good or bad for the person
Jang-Geum did this and that's why she lost her ability to taste
As Lady Choi said, one without tasting ability shouldn't work here
but as people sharing lives together...
we must share pains with her and embrace her...
for courageously doing the right thing
So when you return to your residence make many dishes for Jang-Geum
who has recovered her tasting ability
Madam... Lady Jung has...
What am I going to do now?
What will I do now?
Why are you here by yourself?
Please go inside. You're soaked
Madam, it's the same with other court ladies
What are you talking about? What do you mean?
What's with these radishes here?
Today is the day to make kimchi...
but no one's sending any workers here
No one came from any of the kitchens? Right
Not even the worker ladies? No
So what happened?
Who could be there when even the Head Lady has joined us?
You shouldn't be here like this
I'll finish the work here no matter what it takes...
so you should go to your residence and keep your place
Madam
Madam!
Keep my place? What for?!
Madam!
You are the Highest Kitchen Lady
Please go. Hong
Yes
Escort her to the residence
And bring the new girls with you
Yeun-Seng, we must finish everything here. Let's hurry
I can't do this because of memories of Lady Jung
I'm sad, too!
But this is Lady Jung's last wish
It is her will to help Lady Han from falling!
So do it!
I said, do it!
Hurry!
Now!
Go over there and help
Hurry
Good job
This is so tiring... My arms hurt
You can go now
Really?
Yes, you did a good job You can leave now
Thank you! Thank you!
Mal-Keum...
They finished it all during the night?
Serve it
Madam, you should do it yourself
Take it and follow me Yes, ma'am
Please eat
You must eat
No, thanks
Please
I said, no, thanks
Even if you don't want it, you must eat
You can't do this. You must eat this
I said, no, thanks
Madam, please...
Madam! Madam!
You must go somewhere right now!
What is it?
They say rain has seeped into the food storage last night
I think you'll have to check them before they are spoiled
We'll have to take these out first
Sure
Yeun-Seng, here
You didn't get the message?
I never heard about it
I never heard about it, either
Then none of you received the message?
No
Then the crabs from Keum-Gang as the King's gift are spoiled?!
How could you be so careless with such precious items?
We never even saw them let alone hear about them
I've clearly told kitchen ladies to divide and distribute them equally
So how could you not hear of it?!
Lady Han wasn't even in the meeting yesterday! What's wrong?
I told her to come to the meeting today
Does she know that the meeting time has changed?
Everyone knows of it, so how could the kitchen not know of it?
And the congratulatory table menu for Suk-Won hasn't even come!
Madam, there's nothing that has been soaked
The salt is fine, too
No water seeped in thru the wall
Same with the roof
What do you think you're supposed to be doing?!
What are these?!
I was told they were wet...
Why are you doing this yourself?!
Isn't this something that one of your girls can do?!
You didn't even come to the meeting just because of this?!
All the crabs that came in as gifts have been spoiled and
what's going on with Suk-Won's congratulatory table menu?
What?
Oh, my...! Didn't I order you to make the menu by today?!
The ceremony is in 3 days, so what'll you do...
since you didn't even make the menu?!
Lady Jung has trusted someone like you... a person like you!
Madam, you should make the list
Yes, I should
Is this OK?
Yes, that's OK
Madam!
Why do you keep doing this?
You should show your dignity at a time like this...
That was Lady Jung's will
Madam!
OK, I'll make the list You take care of other palaces
Since we have to discuss the ceremony, tell everyone to come to the meeting
Yes, ma'am
I hope they come as it's an important ceremony
Madam, you must come Please don't go anywhere else
Madam, please come at 2 p.m. Please come to the meeting
We must discuss the King's concubine's ceremony...
so please come to the meeting
OK
We must discuss the King's concubine's ceremony...
so please come to the meeting
OK
We must discuss the King's concubine's ceremony
so please come to the meeting
Madam, what are we going to do now?
Yes... what should we do?
Are you going to go in?
We should, right?
Then how about the other ladies' meeting over there?
We must go there, too
What are you going to do?
My heart wants to go to Lady Han, but my legs want to go there
What shall I do? How can you ask me that?
What should I do?
Madam! How can you be hesitant to go in?
Jang-Geum, please let me off the hook
Lady Choi already hates me for preparing the table everyday
That's not something you should be hated for
I really hate this type of situation, too, but...
all the ladies are saying that they can't accept Lady Han and...
creating a commotion like this so what can I do?
Jang-Geum, I'll just do the kitchen work
Jang-Geum, me, too Please... Please...
This is the king's concubine's ceremony after all
Yes. If the King's Mother finds about this...
That's why I'm telling you this
Then are you saying that the King's concubine will be silent about this?
Of course, not
In order to get what we want, the King's Mother must know about it
There's a limit to being uncooperative with the kitchen work...
if we want to show we can't accept Lady Han
Even though Suk-Won just received her position
so it may be easy for her...
Yes, the King's Mother won't just let this go
Probably so, but...
she can't discipline all of us
for she can't stop the kitchen work in all the kitchens at the same time
And the Head Lady isn't someone who sits by idly either
What should we do now?
Do we have to prepare for the ceremony of the King's concubine ourselves, too?
Madam
You want chefs for the ceremony of the King's concubine?
That is unprecedented, since it has been the work of the kitchen
I know, but we are in shortage of workers
Shortage of workers? There are dozens of kitchen ladies in every kitchen...
and this feast is small compared to others
The ladies of other kitchens aren't listening to me
What?! They aren't listening to you?
I'm sorry to say, but that's how it is
The court ladies are rebelling against the King's Mother's decision?
Yes, so I know it's something that hasn't been done before...
but please help me prepare for the ceremony
What a great problem this is!
I'm ashamed
OK, I'll do as you ask but this is no small matter
Did you know about this, too?
What do you mean?
The fact that court ladies are rebelling against Lady Han
Yes, the King's Mother knows about it, too
Then how come I didn't hear a single word about this when...
I'm in charge of the kitchens?
This isn't a matter of the kitchen, but the court ladies
It's not something you should be interfering with
What? It isn't something I should interfere with?
Yes. Kitchen ladies say they can't serve Lady Han as their superior
so even I can't interfere with them
Then are you saying we just have to sit by idly and
watch the kitchens turn into a total mess?
One of the two sides has to make a decision eventually
It'll be faster for Lady Han to make the decision
So please try to convince her before the matter gets worse
Put them over there...
Anyhow, I don't think there'll be any problems with food
Yes. Let's keep preparing...
They're preparing the food with outside chefs
The food isn't important anyway Even if it's not satisfactory...
how could she find fault when she just received her position?
But even the initial greetings...?
Yes, that way the King's Mother will realize the seriousness of this
We'll have to meet again tonight and confirm that
What'll you do if she orders punishments?
What punishments could she order to all the kitchen ladies and the workers?
And a person of low birth has never been in the Highest Lady position
It's not a situation where she can slam them down
Yes, we can see similar things happen whenever
a government official who was born illegitimately is appointed
It happens very rarely
Yes, that's a relief...
I believe Sir Oh Kyum-Ho will help us
I'm creating some lucrative business in Jeju
He probably won't sit by and watch
How much of the products is Choi Pan-Sul supplying?
Why do you ask?
I have to find out something
Almost all products here It's not an overstatement...
to say he monopolizes them
And he's close to Park Bu-Kyum?
Not only that. There's a rumor that he shares profits with Sir Oh Kyum-Ho
And is there a place where Sir Oh's power hasn't taken hold?
There's no problem preparing food
OK... thanks to you
Madam, don't lose courage We'll find a way
Madam, what are we going to do?
Why? Is something wrong again?
They told us not to participate in the greetings
What?!
Yes, Young-Ro has told us not to participate...
Madam, can't you just step down? If you stayed as a kitchen lady...
Madam!
Really... it's so tough...
Where? Where is this from?
At the residence of Lady Choi...
I think boycotting the greetings may be too much
What? If we turn around when we came this far...
we'll be a laughingstock
Yes, the royal family members ought to know
And didn't you say the King's Mother changed her mind, too?
Yes, I heard it from the servant of the King's Mother
Really? Then she only has to decide now
So we have to send our message across by boycotting the greetings
And since Suk-Won has been promoted from being a court lady...
she knows what kind of situation we are in
What do you think you are doing?!
Even if you may not acknowledge me...
how could you boycott the greetings? This is profane!
Why can't you differentiate between the problem you have with me
and the duty as court ladies? Why create such a commotion?!
Then you can step down yourself
Why do you want to stay and make a mess of everything here?
Listen. We can't serve you as our superior, Lady Han
How can we serve the person of lowly birth as our Highest Lady?
So withdraw from your position If you don't, then we will...
not participate in sacrificial rites or any other feasts
Congratulations
Thank you
Go and take a seat
I'm Lady Han of the kitchen Congratulations, Madam
Thank you. But are you the only court lady of the kitchen?
Your Majesty, Suk-Won is here to greet you
Let her come in
So did the ceremony go well today?
Yes, but...
Why? Did something go wrong?
The court ladies of the kitchen didn't show up
How strange... Why?
Like I told you last time, they can't work under Lady Han who's...
of lowly birth and participate in the ceremony with her
Yes, I understand their problem, but...
Madam, I know it was my fault, but please reconsider Lady Han
I know it isn't my place to speak, but leaders should...
win the trust of subordinates So even the King appoints people...
with the trust of his subordinates as the head of important departments
OK, I'll talk about this with the Queen first
So what happened?
What could she do when you've united as one like that?
Then?
Her mind is about to change already
She said she would decide after she talks with the Queen
But the Queen doesn't have any real authority yet
Madam, I'll surely repay you for your hard work
It's time to prepare the table
Tell Lady Choi to prepare it
What are you talking about?
I'm going to meet the King's Mother and tell her that I'm withdrawing
No
Move
No
I said, move!
Then do you expect me to see all sorts of matters...
of the palace come to ruin because of me?
You can fix that
You know that I can't
You haven't done anything yet
since Lady Jung has passed away
I can't do anything right now
That's only an excuse
You're only trying to avoid this because it's tough now
If it's an excuse, that's fine I don't want to obsess over positions
Neither Lady Jung nor I asked you to be obsessed
She told you to keep the position and work...
She asked you to continue her will
But you haven't kept the position or worked, or continued her will and...
you're about to give up on yourself
Then what do you want me to do?! When even Lady Jung isn't here...
what do you expect me to do by myself?!
Madam... I came to this palace by myself after losing both parents
And I met you and I've served you as a mother and a teacher
But I don't want a mother who breaks her own will
I don't want a teacher who gives up on her own will!
If you're going to leave this place and give up on yourself...
then I won't ever see you again
But it's still a decision you've made, Madam...
I don't think it's a good idea for you to take it back yourself
Madam, Lady Han is here
Sure, have her come in
Have a seat
We were talking about you now
What brings you here?
Madam, I dare say, I'll ask you a favor
A favor? What is it?
Please allow a rematch competition for the Highest Lady title
A rematch?
Yes, Your Majesty Ladies are complaining that
I didn't participate in the last round so I'd like to have a rematch
But Your Majesty, when I do win the rematch
please give me full authority over the kitchen
Full authority?
Yes, Your Majesty. Even if I have to demote all the kitchen court ladies
and work with the worker ladies, I'll subjugate them
Please give me full authority