Bon Appetit, Your Majesty Episode 9 Recap: Ji-Young Accused of Poisoning a Prince!

Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, isn’t just a historical drama about food; it’s a high-stakes political thriller where the kitchen is the battlefield. Episode 9 elevates this conflict, moving beyond simple competition into a brutal examination of cultural imperialism, biased authority, and the moral cost of national pride

. For our heroes, winning a fair judgment is becoming more impossible than creating the perfect dish. This recap breaks down the key conflicts, character motivations, and the subtle historical details you might have missed.

In Bon Appetit, Your Majesty Episode 9, aired on the 20th, and brought another intense round between Joseon and Ming. The cooking battle moved into its second phase, and the results were far from simple.

The challenge this time was to create each other’s national cuisine. Yeon Ji-young, played by Im Yoon-ah, took on Peking duck.

Peking duck is a quintessential symbol of Ming prestige and culinary artistry, requiring impeccable skill. For Ji-young to attempt it was a direct challenge to Ming’s cultural dominance. Conversely, Korean temple food is deeply philosophical—eschewing meat and strong flavors for purity and balance. By having Ming’s chef master this subtle, spiritual cuisine, the show questions what truly defines ‘superior’ food: technical grandeur or heartfelt simplicity? This layer makes Woo Gon’s biased scoring not just unfair, but a deliberate negation of Joseon’s cultural identity.

Dang Baek-ryong, played by Jo Jae-yoon, countered with temple food.

Both dishes were praised. Yet the Ming envoy Woo Gon gave Ji-young only a single point while awarding Baek-ryong a perfect score. The one-sided judgment caused fury.

Lee Heon, played by Lee Chae-min, could not accept it. He demanded fairness and asked the chefs to evaluate their own cooking. But neither Ji-young nor Baek-ryong could bring themselves to judge.

Their refusal forced Lee Heon to call the round a draw. Woo Gon did not protest. He thought that three straight draws would still mean a Ming victory.

The tension only rose with the third contest. Ji-young needed a pressure cooker to make her black chicken soup. She waited nervously as Jang Chun-saeng, a descendant of Jang Yeong-sil, scrambled to deliver the tool.

He arrived dramatically after the cooking had already begun, calling it “a bird descending from the sky.” With the cooker, Ji-young managed to complete her dish.

The Battle Between Fairness and Power

The score of 1 to 8 still left Joseon humiliated. Ji-young’s Peking duck had been dismissed as if effort meant nothing. Lee Heon openly accused the Ming envoy of shallow tricks. He said the dishonest judging disrespected both Ming and Joseon chefs.

Heon then insisted that the only way to see the truth was for each chef to eat and grade their own food. Lee Heon’s move to call a draw was a brilliant piece of political jiujitsu. He couldn’t overpower Ming’s authority, so he used the chefs’ own humility and respect for their craft to neutralize it.

By putting them in an impossible ethical position, he forced a stalemate that, while unsatisfying, was the only possible ‘win’ available to Joseon against a corrupt system.

This moment isn’t just about fairness; it’s about Heon learning to fight power with wisdom. Both chefs declined, saying they could not judge dishes made with such sincerity.

Their humility gave Heon a way to declare the contest even. It was not a real solution but it saved Joseon from a clear loss.

As gossip spread in the palace, Woo Gon silently agreed, hiding his agenda. For him, every draw still worked to Ming’s advantage. This balance of pride and politics turned the kitchen duel into a test of survival.

Schemes, Betrayal, and False Accusations

Later, Heon sought Ji-young privately. She was weary from competition, yet he offered her tea in a moon-shaped cup. He called it “moon tea,” pointing out how the sky reflected in the cup.

It was a rare quiet moment between the storm of battles. Ji-young admitted his kindness felt like comfort. Heon, however, confessed his deeper worry—saying he hurt whenever she hurt. Their bond grew, even as threats closed in.

Woo Gon was not finished. After losing the soup match, he agreed to surrender ginseng rights but demanded Ji-young as tribute to the Ming emperor. The outrageous claim left Heon furious.

Ji-young herself was stunned. Heon mocked the envoy, asking if he had come with too few soldiers to make such demands. He even struck Woo Gon in anger, shocking the court.

The brewing storm did not end there. Kang Mok-ju, played by Kang Han-na, plotted in the shadows. She passed special herbs to Prince Jesan, hinting at poison hidden as medicine.

Jesan suspected betrayal but was lured by her loyalty. Mok-ju spoke as if grateful for his support, but her ambition was clear. Her schemes put Ji-young in grave danger.

However, Yeon Ji-young was smacked across the face by Queen Dowager Ja-hyeon (Shin Eun-jung). “You will never again serve the King’s sura,” the Queen Mother said angrily, adding, “My son Jin-myeong is now on the verge of death after eating the chicken you prepared.” Queen Dowager Ja-hyeon brought Yeon Ji-young away and tormented him.

The episode closed with Ji-young accused of trying to harm Prince Jinmyeong. She was tortured under false suspicion. The twist left her future in peril, setting the stage for even darker turns.

Ending

Bon Appetit Your Majesty Episode 9 balanced food battles with political manipulation. The dishes were more than meals; they were weapons of pride and control.

Ji-young’s cooking touched the tongue, Baek-ryong’s food touched the heart, yet neither could be declared above the other. Lee Heon fought to protect her, but enemies both foreign and domestic circled closer.

The story reminded viewers that victory is not always decided by skill alone. Tricks, deceit, and power shifts often tip the balance. Episode 9 showed this clearly, and the preview of Ji-young’s torture made it clear that the coming episodes will not ease up.

Episode 9 holds a mirror to modern conflicts far beyond its historical setting. Woo Gon’s biased judging is a classic abuse of power seen in everything from unfair business practices to modern political scandals.

The struggle between an established superpower (Ming) and a determined underdog (Joseon) echoes throughout history.

The episode argues that true strength isn’t in dominating others, but in upholding integrity even when the rules are rigged against you. This thematic depth is what transforms the drama from a simple period piece into a story with lasting resonance.

What did you think of the escalating tension? Was Heon’s solution the best possible outcome, or did Joseon need to take a stronger stand?

And with Kang Mok-ju’s schemes now in the open, who do you think poses the greater threat: the external enemy from Ming or the internal enemy within the palace? Share your predictions and thoughts in the comments below!

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