Lord Choi leaves after poisoning the king and from her hiding place, Myung Yoon cries, understanding now why Lee Gun despises her father so much. She meets Dosung and with tears in her eyes, asks if her father caused the king’s illness. (Didn’t you see it for yourself?)
Dosung replies that he did and Myung Yoon breaks down even more. She’s so ashamed that she isn’t able to tell Oh wol. The queen dowager summons her to welcome her into the palace, saying she would treat her well like she’s her own daughter and take care of the wedding arrangements. When Myung Yoon talks to Lord Choi later that day, she’s visibly scared of him. Lord Choi doesn’t think she’s aware of his secret. He believes her behavior is due to wedding jitters as he tells her he only wants the best for her by marrying her off to Dosung.
The installation of the crown prince and the wedding day arrives. Both Myung Yoon and Dosung look very unhappy during the ceremony as Lord Choi reads out the edict to him. Just as Dosung is about to recieve the royal order proclaiming him the new crown prince, Lee Gun barges inside with his grandfather Master Moonhyung, Left state councillor and members of the sungyukwan society. Lee Gun brings out the royal seal announcing that the ceremony is fake.
However, the magistrate tries to influence the other officials into disregarding Lee Gun because he’s a traitor responsible for poisoning the king but when Lee Gun summons royal taster Yoon who is tied up into the palace, the officials can say nothing more. As for Gap seok and Oh wol, they are both shocked to respectively find out Myung Yoon and Lee Gun’s real identities.
Queen Dowager nearly collapses and has to be led away by her maids. The wedding ceremony is called off. After reuniting with Lee Gun, Dosung goes to call his mother while Lee Gun asks Myung Yoon how she’s doing. They can’t really speak to each other due to the awkward tension. As soon as she leaves, the queen arrives to see Lee Gun, happy that he is well. They both embrace crying soulfully. Dosung tries to cheer up the atmosphere.
The magistrate is highly against reinstating Lee Gun as the crown prince. He tries to influence a group of other officials to take his side. Meanwhile, Left state councillor is still as evil as always and tries to once more poison Dosung’s mind against Lee Gun, saying that he used the slave document against him. He also adds that although Lee Gun might want to harm him but his grand father Master Moonhyung might see Dosung as a threat and seek to eliminate him. (You think everyone is as evil as you Left state councillor)
Despite everything, Dosung refuses to believe any of his grandfather’s words knowing he only wants to sow discord between him and Lee Gun. (I hope Dosung would always trust Lee Gun like this)
Meanwhile, Lee Gun is finally able to see his father and he feels extremely bitter to witness his dilapidated state. Just as he’s coming out of his father’s room, he meets Dosung and both decide to visit Queen dowager and Lord Choi.
Unsurprisingly, the two are together in the queen Dowager’s chamber and a game of words between the four of them begins. Lee Gun lets them know that the Royal taster would be investigated but before things go south, queen dowager should expose her crime or else her private affair and adulterous relationship with Lord Choi would be exposed and history would know her as a shameless and wicked woman. Hearing this makes the Queen uncomfortable. However, Lord Choi is more tougher and insists on fighting against them to the end.
When they leave, Lee Gun is heading to another meeting with his grandfather and supporters but Dosung refuses to go with him. Lee Gun then asks him to look after Myung Yoon and Dosung heartily agrees.
At the meeting, Lee Gun’s grandfather Master Moonhyung and his scholars suggest they should get rid of everyone involved in setting him up including the queen. But Lee Gun wouldn’t hear of that and cuts them off instantly. As the meeting ends, Gap seok privately speaks with Master Moonhyung and asks him why they can’t expose the queen dowager once and for all but Master Moonhyung replies that the Queen dowager removed the previous government to make Lee Gun’s father king. If she is exposed, no doubt, the current regime would be at stake and rebels would use it as an opportunity to overtake the kingdom.
Dosung pays his respects to the king before he leaves the palace. While on his way out, he meets the royal guard. The royal guard contemplates whether to tell him what he had heard during the royal meeting but decides not to.
Seeing that there is no other way to save his life and that of the queen dowager Lord Choi meets with Lee Gun and his grandfather Master Moonhyung, offering to give him the antidote in exchange for the king’s life. The two are taken aback by his daring and in private, Master Moonhyung tells Lord Choi that his bargaining wouldn’t work because knowing the kind of person the king is, he would rather die than to be used by Lord Choi. So if he knows what is good for him, he would give up the antidote because either way, he would still be killed. (My…my…Lee Gun’s grandfather is no softie. He’s ruthless)
Fearing Master Moonhyung’s threat, Lord Choi figures that the only way to save themselves is for him and the queen dowager to run away from the palace. Court lady Kim offers to help them even if it means risk to her own safety. Lord Choi then asks Dosung for help in assisting his daughter Myung Yoon to escape the palace. Dosung agrees to do so on the condition he gives him the antidote to the poison. Lord Choi then instructs Moo Baek to sneak into the palace and help the Queen dowager escape. (Like, what is Lord Choi and the Queen dowager’s end game? Just to live happily ever after but they ended up destroying so many lives. It’s a bit annoying that they are acting like victims.)
Lee Gun meets Myung Yoon that night and subtly tries to tell her his feelings, admitting that he had no idea why he really returned to the palace, to stop the new installation of the crown prince or to stop the wedding. However, after seeing her, his real reason became clear. However, Myung Yoon tries to ignore his advances feeling guilty over what her father did. When Lee Gun offers to get her out of the palace, she refuses, determined not to leave without her father and to share the consequences with him.
However, just then, Lee Gun recieves word from the Queen dowager has escaped with Lord Choi.
Meanwhile, the queen dowager is outside the palace waiting for Lord Choi who has yet to arrive. Moo Baek tries to convince her to leave with him and that Lord Choi would still join them. But she refuses.
Lee Gun goes to the queen dowager’s chamber to be sure she really escaped. Court lady Kim is dressed as her. Her chamber is dark and there’s no one around. But he is shocked to hear her voice and see her reprimanding him for entering without her permission
