Jewel in the Palace

At the time of King Sung Jong in 1482, a deputy officer delivers the order from the King to bestow poison on deposed Queen Yoon as a death penalty. Chief civil administration officer Lee, SeJoa and Royal Military Guard Seo, ChunSoo visit deposed queen Yoon’s house to execute the death sentence. Deposed Queen Yoon says “You will pay for what you have done today” as her last words and passes away. One night, Royal army officer Seo falls from a cliff while walking the mountain path. He is saved by an ascetic, who has the ability to see the future, only to find out that he will die due to his involvement in killing deposed Queen Yoon. Not knowing how to react to this horrible news, Seo is encumbered with worries. Time flows to 1496 and King YeonSanGun has been ruling the country for 2 years. Na-In (one of the junior titles for female workers in the palace) Park reports NaIn Choi’s suspicious act to a court lady in Royal Kitchen. However, Na In Park is poisoned and thrown away deep in the mountain due to the Choi family’s power and influence in Royal Kitchen. Now resigned from the office, Seo finds Park in the mountain and saves her life. Park shows her gratitude to Seo and leaves the temple where she has been resting. Seo trails after Park without her knowing…

8 years has passed and the story now takes place in March, 1504. Seo, working as a smith, and Park, as a homemaker, have settled down in a rural village where butchers, one of the bottom classes of the time, live together As Park’s best friend and colleague NaIn Han has advised, they are hiding themselves from certain incidents they got involved in by disguising themselves as low-class people. Soon, Seo and Park have a daughter named JangGeum. King YeonSanGun has been tyrannizing the country for a decade and GapJaSaHwa, a political massacre, takes place. One day, Seo takes JangGeum to the market and Seo gets arrested for his involvement in killing deposed Queen Yoon. Park and JangGeum head to HanYang, the capital city at the time, hoping to meet Seo. Court lady Choi witnesses Park and JangGeum at a market place in HanYang while shopping for groceries and feels threatened by Park’s presence. Court lady Choi and her brother, Choi, PanSool, plot to kill Park. JangGeum witnesses her mother’s death and despite her grief continues to go on, spurned by a strong will to accomplish NaIn Park’s dying wish.

Not able to bear her hunger, JangGeum enters DugGoo’s brewery to ask for some food. She is falsely charged as a thief but DugGoo’s wife feels affection for JangGeum and takes her in. JangGeum helps around the brewery with everyday errands. One day, Lord Park, WonJong makes JangGeum deliver bottles of rice wine, as part of a plot of treason against King YeonSanGun, to Prince JinSung. That night, the enthronement of King JoongJong and dethronement of King YeonSanGun take place and Prince JinSung becomes King JoongJong the following day. A Court lady in charge of training visits DugGoo’s house looking for JangGeum. JangGeum follows the lady and joins the palace with the dream of becoming the best cook there. JangGeum goes under the training of SaengGakSi (female workers under training to become maids of the palace) and become friends with YoungLo, YeonSaeng, and ChangI. However, coming from low-class background, JangGeum is treated with contempt. Mortified at being mistreated, JangGeum and YunSaeng hide in ToiSunGan (One of Royal Kitchens in the Palace), and find GeumYoung going down to the King’s private quarters. While hiding themselves in ToiSunGan, JangGeum and YeunSaeng get caught by Court lady Han and NaIn Min. Surprised, YeonSaeng falls and breaks the bowl containing King’s midnight meal. Court lady Han and NaIn Min are traumatized as King’s midnight meal has been ruined. They quickly come up with a new idea to prepare King’s midnight meal and concentrate on preparing it without paying any attention to JangGeum and YeonSaeng. JangGeum is very impressed with the work of Court lady Han and watches her preparing the King’s meal with admiration…