Episode 4 of "The Queen Who Crowns" kicks off with an intense dialogue between the queen and Tae-jo. At Tae-jo's urging, the king makes his entrance, only to be met with harsh accusations from Tae-jo, who labels him a mere puppet manipulated by the Min family, insisting that he could never embody the true essence of rule. This contentious encounter casts a shadow over the king's legitimacy, with the queen emerging as a formidable barrier.
Subsequently, the court lady arranges for the royal consummation, a ritual that requires the queen to unconditionally submit to the king. Seizing this opportunity, the king publicly humiliates her by commanding the court lady to stay and witness the proceeding. Furious, the queen storms out of the chamber, leaving the king vowing never to summon her again.
The following day, as the queen immerses herself in martial arts training, memories of her past as an equal and criminal accomplice with the king flood back. Unexpectedly, the king visits her, reprimanding her to conform to the traditional roles of a Joseon woman by confining herself indoors and abandoning her sword.
Later, the queen's brother arrives with crucial intelligence about an impending rebellion. At her behest, Won-beom, Tae-jo's trusted aide, meets with an envoy, stirring suspicion among the court. With Chae-ryeong's assistance, the queen alerts the king to a telltale sign: one of Yeong-sil's maids possessing an expensive ring, a reward for delivering a written oath to Sangwang from the rebel leaders.
The king pays a visit to Sangwang and uncovers incriminating evidence of the rebellion. Meanwhile, the queen accompanies Tae-jo to the palace at the king's request. En route, they are ambushed by Won-beom, who aims to seize Tae-jo. However, the queen's guards retaliate swiftly, resulting in Won-beom's demise. Soon after, Sangwang arrives and announces his decision to relinquish any claim to the throne to halt the familial bloodshed. With this declaration, Tae-jo willingly returns to the palace.
Subsequently, Sangwang and the monarch solemnly sealed their alliance with a blood oath, compelling the traitorous elements to bow to the king's authority. Once the rebellion was quelled, the court officials bore down on the king, urging him to mete out justice to Yeong-sil for her complicity in the uprising. Both Yeong-sil and the king were acutely aware that only the queen, the reigning sovereign of the inner palace, held the key to Yeong-sil's survival. Yeong-sil beseeched for leniency, while the king earnestly appealed to the queen on her behalf.
Sensing her newly ascended might, the queen cunningly insisted that the king himself supplicate for Yeong-sil's life. Yet, driven by hubris, the king defied the queen's authority, instead plunging a dagger into Yeong-sil.
