The captivating narrative of "The Queen Who Crowns" unfolds in its tenth episode as the queen pens a poignant letter, laying bare the pervasive corruption that has seeped into the kingdom's veins. This missive, entrusted to the reverent monks of the temple, carries the weight of her conscience and the hope for change.
Simultaneously, shadows loom as the royal relative's spies intercept a clandestine meeting between an ally of the Min family and the queen's own brothers, broaching the delicate subject of rebellion. However, the queen's steadfast refusal to lend her support to such subterfuge is overlooked in the subsequent report. Misled by this distorted truth, the royal relative issues a grim command to Lee Seok-beom: to intercept the monks and prevent the letter from reaching the king's hands. Tragedy strikes as one monk perishes in this unsanctioned struggle, while a younger monk, agility in his youth, narrowly escapes and rushes back to the sanctuary, his heart pounding with fear and resolve.
The royal relative, unperturbed by the loss of life, swiftly crafts a tale of betrayal, informing the king of a conspiracy woven by the Min family, cunningly entangling the queen within its web. Elsewhere, Lee Seok-beom consolidates his grip of power by imprisoning the queen within the very temple that once sheltered her, falsely invoking the king's authority as his justification.
Concurrently, Chae-ryeong orchestrates a subtle manipulation within the corridors of power, vying to install a loyalist as the senior pharmacist in the internal court, her machinations subtle yet potent.
The young monk, breathless and desperate, returns to the temple's confines, relaying the harrowing tale to the imprisoned queen. Finding a flicker of hope in the darkest of times, the queen orchestrates a daring escape, her resolve as sharp as the night's edge. Yet, her journey is far from smooth; she is ambushed along the way, her survival a testament to her wit and fortitude. Despite the odds, she persists, reaching the capital's heart and commanding the people to sound the Drum of Grievance, a call to arms and a cry for justice. Alternatively, she entrusts the crown princess with a vital message: to urge the king to witness the drum's solemn resonance firsthand.
In this gripping chapter, alliances are tested, truths distorted, and the very fabric of the kingdom's stability hangs by a thread, as the queen's relentless pursuit of justice collides with the machinations of those who seek to silence her voice.
There, amidst the shadows of deceit, the king uncovers the pervasive corruption surrounding the charity rice and the treacherous assault on the queen orchestrated by a royal kin. In a flurry of panic, the culpable relative flees, only to meet an untimely demise at the hands of an enraged commoner. Subsequently, the queen, her resolve unyielding, banishes Chae-ryeong from the palace's confines, just as the king issues a harrowing decree commanding her brothers to take their own lives.
During a poignant visit to her mother, the queen finds herself lost in contemplation, murmuring how "the world has undeniably transformed" since the king ascended to his throne. Years drift by, and as the queen hones her martial arts skills, we are introduced to Grand Prince Changnyeong, whose wisdom and poised demeanor seem to transcend even the crown prince in the attributes befitting a ruler.
Elsewhere, the queen's younger brothers, miraculously still alive, confront the crown prince, their voices rising in fiery debate after he brands their elder uncles as traitors. News of this altercation swiftly reaches the king, underscoring the crown prince's fragile standing in the court's hierarchy. Within the sanctuary of his chambers, the crown prince defies his parents' directives, steadfast in his pursuit of the noble ideals of kingship, and commissions the crafting of a rare bow.
The queen pays him a visit, presenting him with Pan-su's aged reports detailing attempted bribery, revealing how she had meted out justice by punishing the perpetrators. Yet, barely has she departed when the crown prince seeks out those very individuals, seeking to procure his coveted bow.
Elsewhere, Chae-ryeong resides in exile beyond the palace walls, her repeated pleas for clemency falling on deaf ears as the king remains steadfast in honoring the queen's judgment. The episode draws to a close with the queen voicing her admiration for Grand Prince Changnyeong, emphasizing how fittingly he embodies the traits of a future monarch.
