Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Cheoljong's crossed fingers tell Bong-hwan to look beyond the apparent execution. Dam-hyang is alive, and the king has arranged for her to leave safely and reunite with her mother. The rescue changes the queen's opinion of his willingness to protect people with little power. Bong-hwan still doubts whether Cheoljong can survive his enemies, but he now has a reason to place trust in him and support what he is trying to do.
Bong-hwan confronts the women who have helped turn the palace against him. He challenges the Grand Queen Dowager with an icy drink of his own, unsettles the Queen Dowager and warns Hwa-jin about what she is becoming. His return to the lake with Hwa-jin echoes the earlier drowning, but this time the queen catches her when she slips. Rather than remaining a frightened target, Bong-hwan makes his opposition difficult for the palace to ignore.
Cheoljong moves to investigate corruption, assigning work to Prince Yeongpyeong and Hong while Byeong-in becomes Minister of War. Hwa-jin also begins to question the story she has been given about O-wol's body and the people exploiting her grief. The queen and king agree to become allies, joining their separate resistance to the court's controlling families. Cheoljong then asks about the childhood rescue at the well, bringing the mistaken identity at the centre of his bond with Hwa-jin into their conversation.