Myung Yoon faints after her father admits he killed her mother. Moo Baek and Oh wol try to rouse her back to consciousness. Meanwhile, posters are being spread about the Queen dowager being a vixen who would destroy the kingdom. This causes an upheaval and Lee Gun is afraid that the rebels would use this problem to overthrow the government. Due to this, they can not expose the queen dowager and Lord Choi’s affair.
Queen dowager sets up a meeting with the princes and the officers to determine what to do next to stop the public from going against them. Lord Choi suggests that they pardon sinners but Lee Gun rejects the idea saying that the victims of the sinners would feel wronged. Due to the people unease, the rennovation of her son’s grave and the building of the temporary palace have been delayed. He urges the queen dowager to seek blessing by allowing the court ladies attending to her to leave the palace. The queen Dowager’s hand is tied mostly because if she does that, her supporters would be gone.
The queen’s court lady starts making plans with left state councillor to get rid of those serving the queen dowager. Court Lady Kim discovers her bribing a high rank court lady with silk. She burns the silk and tears up the list of Court ladies to be terminated. The queen’s court lady reports this to the queen but she doesn’t seem to care until Lee Gun’s name is mentioned and she has Court lady Kim punished by flogging her. When the Queen dowager discovers this, she confronts the Queen but she bravely challenges her, reminding her that she’s in control of the inner court and can get rid of anyone she sees fit. Seeing her rage, the Queen dowager leaves intending to speak with her another time.
Meanwhile, Myung Yoon asks Moo Baek why he remained with the family despite knowing what her father did but Moo Baek replies that it was her mother who took an orphan like him off the streets and showed him so much love no one else had. She had begged him before she died to protect her and he intended on fulfilling her final wish. He urges Myung Yoon to be strong for her mother’s sake and Myung Yoon finally decides to drink her medicine.
Lord Choi reveals to the queen that he was the one who spread the rumors about her so that fearing rebellion, the prince wouldn’t be able to expose their affair. He also tells her he has a way to get rid of the queen.
During a court meeting, a man is led inside all tied up. He is the man who helped the royal tester escape and he lies that he got his orders from Lee Gun. Dosung yells at him for lying. Lee Gun had indeed met him once while investigating the Queen dowager’s lover but in order not to expose the Queen dowager’s affair, he cannot tell the reason why.
Left state councillor and the Magistrate plot to destroy Lee Gun and Dosung’s bond so they secretly enlist the help of Gap seok to present to the court the knife the queen dowager had used to kill the royal taster which was in Lee Gun’s possession. Lee Gun’s supporters and his grandfather all gang up against the queen much to Lee Gun’s astonishment and Dosung’s disappointment.
Due to this, the queen and her court ladies are locked up in an old isolated house far away from the palace. Lee Gun gets angry at Sang Soo and Gap seok for their betrayal. They had searched his chambers and used the knife against the queen whom he was trying to protect. He threatens to cut off his friendship with Gap seok who cries that he was only doing what was best for him as he couldn’t bear to see him wronged. (Gap seok is getting on my nerves at this point. What is wrong with him?)
Lee Gun suggests they find the antidote to cure the king because he’s the only one who can make things right. First, they go to the prison to question the man who helped the royal taster escape but upon arriving, they find the soldiers are beaten up. Only one of them is unconscious and he tells them they were suddenly attacked. The man is no where to be seen. While searching for him, they notice him running away but he suddenly collapses and dies on the ground with blood all over his mouth, signifying that he was poisoned.
Dosung who is devastated over what happened to his mother refuses to see Lee Gun.
Gap Seok is ordered by Lee Gun to find Lord Choi’s ledger where everything he purchased is written down. They hope to find the antidote this way. As Gap seok spies lord Choi’s medical center, he’s surprised to see Oh wol and hides realising that Myung Yoon didn’t leave after all. That night, he masks himself and tries to infiltrate the house but he is caught by Moo Baek. Oh Wol and Myung Yoon see him, shocked by his presence. He then relays everything to Myung Yoon and begs her to help search for the ledger if she truly cares for Lee Gun. Myung Yoon agrees but when Gap Seok reports back to Lee Gun, he is shocked that she didn’t escape but is more worried she’s putting herself in harms way by searching for her father’s ledger.
Myung Yoon goes through her father’s room and finds the ledger but she nearly gets caught by Lord Choi in the process. Moo Baek helps her so she isn’t discovered and lies to Lord Choi that no one came by.
The next day, the queen dowager summons Myung Yoon to her chambers but try as she might, her animosity towards her is obvious. However, Myung Yoon notices a suspicious looking ledger in her drawer. When the Queen dowager pleads for her to understand her father, Myung Yoon gives her a shocking truth, that she cannot forgive her father who killed his wife, her mother simply to be with her. She leaves and the Queen dowager trembles with disbelief at the realization.
Myung Yoon meets Lee Gun and the two talk in private. Lee Gun is angry that she didn’t escape and wants her to leave the palace immediately but Myung Yoon reveals that her father killed her mother. She had decided to cut ties with him because of this. That’s why she stayed to help him. Lee Gun’s anger subsides and he embraces her to comfort her.
The left state councillor continues his plot to divide the brothers. He lies to Dosung that he was been attacked by Gap seok under the orders of Master Moonhyung, Lee Gun’s grandfather. The commander of the royal guard who is a trust worthy man serves as his witness and Dosung’s confusion deepens. He refuses to tell Lee Gun what happened but Lee Gun already has an idea.
Turns out that Lord Choi and Left state councillor had used the king’s deteriorating condition to threaten the commander to lie. But he reminds left state councillor and the magistrate that he only serves the king and that if they use his life to threaten him again, he would kill them.
As he leaves, he meets Lee Gun who taps his shoulder in understanding. He knows that he has no choice and tells him to do what he has to. His action touches the commander and he tells the King that Lee Gun would become his next king.
Lord Choi tells the magistrate to poison Dosung’s mind further. He meets with Dosung and swears his allegiance to him. He adds that to protect his family, he has to become the crown prince but Master Moonhyung would be an obstacle. Dosung then tells him to keep a watch on Master Moonhyung.
Meanwhile, Lee Gun chastises his grandfather for what he did to the queen. He has him promise not to interfere with his decisions again. Master Moonhyung agrees but in secret, he investigates Lee Gun and discovers he is hiding Myung Yoon in the palace. Fearful that she would influence Lee Gun or worst still get pregnant for him, he resolves to kill her and even enlists Gap Seok’s help to do that.
After following him around, Dosung discovers what Master Moonhyung is up to. Meanwhile the assassins he set are about to kill Myung Yoon when Lee Gun appears and they run off. Just as Lee Gun tries to ask her what happened, Dosung suddenly appears and drags Myung Yoon to his side. He glares at Lee Gun and tells him he would become the Crown Prince to save people close to him.
Gap seok is a problem in this episode. Has he forgotten so soon that Myung Yoon saved his dear prince’s life? Now, he’s even ready to kill her. Like why? Because she’s Lord Choi’s daughter? Lee Gun’s character is too soft. I hope Gap seok can be dealt with for this. He doesn’t deserve to go Scott free at all regardless of whatever he did for Lee Gun in the past.
Dosung is just being foolish, buying into the obvious plot his grandfather has set up. This episode is just really annoying but makes me very anxious for the next.