Episode 6 of *Bon Appétit, Your Majesty* opens with a comedic yet chaotic scene as Yi Heon and Ji-young take a tumble amidst the lush greenery of the greenhouse. After a moment of disarray, they manage to steady themselves, only for Ji-young to discover, with a sinking heart, that the precious Mangunrok scroll has vanished from her bag. Yi Heon, ever the gallant, assures her he will embark on a quest to retrieve it once the Ming envoy has departed.
Retreating to the kitchen, Ji-young stumbles upon the cooks in a jovial mood, indulging in some liquid courage. Not one to miss out on the merriment, she joins in, and before long, the kitchen is alive with the sounds of her singing and dancing, a sight to behold until exhaustion finally claims her, and she collapses into a peaceful slumber.
The next day dawns with a sense of urgency as Yi Heon is informed that Yu Kun, the esteemed chief envoy from Ming, has been eschewing Joseon's culinary offerings. Eunuch Yoon relays this news to the kitchen staff, painting a vivid picture of the Ming cooks' past triumphs over their Joseon counterparts in numerous culinary duels.
Soon, the Ming envoy makes his grand entrance. Yu Kun, with an air of superiority, informs Yi Heon that his emperor desires an increased tribute of women and ginseng from Joseon, yet he offers nothing in return. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ji-young unveils her latest creation—a batch of butter churned from milk—and decides to whip up a sweet treat to invigorate the weary travelers.
The moment of truth arrives as they present a majestic tower of macarons to the royal assembly. The delectable dessert meets with unanimous approval, even from the discerning palates of Yu Kun and his trio of cooks. Seizing the opportunity, Yu Kun proposes a culinary showdown between his cooks and Yi Heon's, with the outcome dictating the terms of the tribute. Despite Ji-young's frantic head-shaking and desperate attempts to dissuade him, Yi Heon agrees to the challenge.
Later, Ji-young, realizing the gravity of the situation, tries to abort the competition, but it's a futile effort. For her, the stakes couldn't be higher: refusal to cook means certain doom, and defeat in the competition spells an equally grim fate.
Elsewhere, Dowager Queen In-ju catches wind of the unfolding events and decides to pen a letter to the Ming royal family, with whom she claims to share a deep-rooted connection. Meanwhile, Prince Jesan appears quite content to observe Joseon faltering in the competition, a misstep he anticipates will lead to the king's downfall. He openly shares these sentiments with Consort Kang.
In the quarters of the Ming envoy, a minister by the name of Lord Sung confides in Yu Kun that their king is not in his right mind, and there is a growing sentiment among the people to replace him. Lord Sung assures Yu Kun that the Ming cooks will undoubtedly triumph in the competition and even encourages him to raise the stakes by demanding the harvest of all the country's ginseng. Gong-gil, witnessing Lord Sung's visit to Yu Kun, promptly reports the news to Yi Heon.
Meanwhile, Ji-young orchestrates for her colleagues to prepare chili powder—her secret weapon for the impending culinary showdown. Upon hearing that Ji-young intends to visit a mill in a nearby town, Yi Heon insists that they must go together, and in disguise. Following a swift transformation sequence where Ji-young dons the attire of an ordinary townsfolk, they embark on their outing. While Ji-young entrusts her chilies to a vendor for grinding, Yi Heon purchases a charm that had caught Ji-young's eye (she recognized it as the one adorning the Mangunrok).
Back at the palace, one of the Ming cooks, Ya Feixiu, makes an unexpected appearance in the royal kitchen. She belittles the local cooks' chopping skills, prompting them to challenge her to a duel. At the market, Ji-young and Yi Heon find themselves engaged in a playful mud-throwing skirmish while gathering irises that Ji-young wishes to present to Yi Heon.
Upon their return to the palace, Yi Heon gifts Ji-young the charm she had been eyeing. Ji-young heads back to the kitchen to find Yu Feixiu departing, leaving behind a scene of disarray. Her cooks are disheartened, having all been bested by the Ming chef. However, Ji-young delivers a rousing speech to uplift their spirits.
Soon, the moment arrives to select a theme for the competition. The first round's theme challenges the cooks to craft a meat fish that defies all previous conception. The second round revolves around the concepts of "knowledge" and "transformation," prompting Yi Heon to suggest that the cooks explore each other's culinary traditions. The theme for the third round is a soup infused with ginseng.
Once the current matter is resolved, Yu Kun boldly raises his stakes even higher, demanding an additional 100 women and the entirety of the nation's ginseng stockpile. In response, Yi Heon counters with a request for vast quantities of sugarcane and flour, contingent upon Ji-young's victory. Yu Kun, after a moment's contemplation, nods in agreement. The cooks are then granted a mere five days to ready themselves for the upcoming culinary showdown. As the episode draws to a close, Ji-young is seen intently studying a blueprint of a pressure cooker, her knife being honed to a razor's edge in anticipation.
