Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Bong-hwan commits himself to Cheoljong's cause and uses knowledge from his own time to help the king prepare. Lessons about future ideas and military tactics turn their private partnership into practical assistance. The queen also pushes So-yong's father to turn away from corruption and use what he knows against dishonest officials. Cheoljong gains another possible source of evidence, even as ministers resist his efforts and Byeong-in works to protect the families under scrutiny.
Hwa-jin admits that the childhood book belonged to So-yong and that she handed the corruption ledger to the Queen Dowager. The confession exposes both the false basis of Cheoljong's childhood attachment and a recent betrayal. He can no longer treat her version of events as dependable. His dealings with the queen become warmer, while Byeong-in receives a clear rejection when he tries to keep a place in So-yong's affections.
Cooking provides Bong-hwan with a familiar pleasure amid the arguments over court power. Man-bok teaches him to make pear blossom wine, although waiting for it to mature tests his patience. The queen continues helping Cheoljong's men, and the king records the unfamiliar ideas she brings him. Their closeness is interrupted when Bong-hwan feels sick. A physician examines the queen and announces that she is pregnant, turning a partnership Bong-hwan chose into a bodily experience he never imagined having.