For her PhD thesis, she is assigned to research a recently discovered painting Geumgangsando by An Gyeon, scheduled to be displayed as national treasure under the auspices of Min Jung-hak.

Ji-yoon's answer casts doubt on the art world, humiliating Min Jung-hak, who opts to quickly sabotage her career path in retaliation.

Ji-yoon starts to fight an uphill battle to clear her name and prove her prowess by finding the real Geumgangsando painting, while also struggling with financial hardship and continual pressure from Min Jung-hak to prevent her from succeeding.

At that time, despite her youth, Shin Saimdang quickly gains a reputation as a talented artist yet notoriously daring girl, going as far as climbing walls to sneak into other people's houses.

However, her husband, being a gullible scholar who could not pass the national exam for 20 years, is scammed, leaving her to spend all her savings to buy a decrepit house.

Min Chi-Hyung is now a high-ranking, but corrupt official who married Choi Wheiumdang, now also an artist and head of the mother's organization at the prestigious Jungbu School.

After his wife stages a scheme to rescue Princess Jeongsun, Min Chi-Hyung is set free, but now winds up living a commoner's life as former officers scorn him.

En route to execution, a group of Lord Uiseong's supporters confront the royal guards, attempting to break Lee Gyeom free.

After a tearful farewell to Saimdang, Lee Gyeom then heads to a boat, starting a long voyage that ultimately leads him to settle in Bologna, Italy.

Lee Gyeom keeps his artistic life in Italy while living in a manor house called "Siesta di Luna" (a name inspired by one of Saimdang's quotes about the Moon).

[11] It was originally scheduled to air simultaneously in South Korea and China in the later half of 2016, but was delayed to January 2017 due to conflict over the terminal high-altitude area defense (THAAD) system between the two countries.

[12] Prior to its broadcast, the series received much attention due to it being a comeback for Lee Young-ae, whose last appearance on the small screen was 14 years ago in the pan-Asia drama hit Jewel in the Palace (2003).

[13] Boasting a budget of 22.5 billion won ($20 million), Chinese rights of the series were sold to the Hong Kong-based Emperor Entertainment Korea for $267,000 per episode, surpassing the previous record set by the 2016 hit drama Descendants of the Sun.

[14] Despite its initial hype, extensive publicity and huge budget, Saimdang failed to capture viewers and was ultimately surpassed by its competitor in the same time slot.