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tvN's historical drama, The Queen Who Crowns (Korean: 원경) continued its run with episodes 9 and 10, which aired on February 3 and 4, respectively. New episodes are released every Monday and Tuesday, with streaming available on TVING and Viki.
Starring Cha Joo-young, Lee Hyun-wook, Lee Yi-dam, and Lee Si-a, The Queen Who Crowns is set in the early Joseon dynasty. It tells the story of Queen Wongyeong (Cha Joo-young) as she navigates the turbulent court after marrying Yi Bang-won (Lee Hyun-wook), the future King Taejong.
The Queen Who Crowns episodes 9 & 10 recap: Wongyeong uncovers corruption, escapes house arrest, and faces devastating losses
Episode 9 of The Queen Who Crowns begins with Queen Wongyeong selecting a wife for the crown prince. Yi Sook-beon puts forward his daughter’s name as a sign of his loyalty, and pleads with the king to approve the match.
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The king agrees, but Wongyeong is determined to choose based on character rather than connections. Upon investigating, she discovers that Yi Sook-beon’s daughter has been responsible for a maid’s suicide.
Meanwhile, Wongyeong encounters a noble girl whose kindness impresses her, leading her to nominate the girl for selection. To determine the most suitable candidate, Wongyeong announces a cotton-weaving competition.
Aware of his daughter’s inability to win, Yi Sook-beon conspires with Chae-ryeong to cheat. However, Wongyeong exposes the deception, disqualifying his daughter. The other noble girl wins instead, and becomes the wife of the crown prince.
The king sees this as an attempt to humiliate him. Yi Sook-beon, enraged by the outcome, vents his frustrations to Chae-ryeong. She suggests another way to regain the king’s favor, hinting at Pan-su.
Meanwhile, in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns, Wongyeong’s brother, Min Mu-jil, follows King Taejong’s orders to compile a list of corrupt ministers. The king has them arrested, only to release them the next day, along with a royal relative Wongyeong had helped expose for land corruption.
Wongyeong confronts Taejong, accusing him of cowardice for avoiding responsibility. He retaliates, claiming she undermined him by rejecting his choice for the crown prince’s wife, and orders her to leave.
Yi Sook-beon and the royal relatives seize the opportunity to conspire against Wongyeong’s family. They plead with the king to punish her brothers who once planned to overthrow Taejong when he had considered abdicating. The accusations take a toll on Wongyeong’s father, leaving him bedridden. Before dying, he begs Taejong not to turn against his sons.
However, after the funeral, Taejong dismisses Wongyeong’s brothers— Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil— from their royal positions and exiles them to Jeju Island for life. Around the same time in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns, Yi Sook-beon captures Pan-su, Wongyeong’s blind spy, tortures him, and presents him before the king.
Chae-ryeong confirms Pan-su’s identity, and the spy confesses that his actions were meant to aid the king. When Taejong accuses him of treason, Pan-su boldly asks to be executed. Enraged, the king kills him.
Wongyeong rushes to the scene but, on her way, spots Chae-ryeong leaving with blood on her face, realizing her involvement. Finding Pan-su dead, she confronts Taejong, calling him insane and asking if exiling her brothers has not been punishment enough.
Taejong insists his actions are not driven by personal resentment and walks away. Wongyeong later forces Chae-ryeong to kneel before her, declaring she is abandoning her.
The king then announces that confiscated lands will be donated to the temple for redistribution to the homeless, along with rice for the starving. The royal relatives, feeling threatened, plot against it.
Meanwhile, in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns, Wongyeong prepares to attend Pan-su’s burial. Upon hearing this, Taejong forbids her from returning to the palace without his approval.
At the burial, she overhears workers discussing the ongoing food crisis. Shocked, she informs them about the king’s rice distribution decree, only to learn that the rice never reached the people due to corruption. Determined to uncover the truth, she orders the starving citizens to be gathered.
Back in the palace, Taejong suffers from painful skin boils. Chae-ryeong rushes to care for him, dismissing Kwon Seon by asserting her higher rank.
Wongyeong, in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns, visits a temple monk to inquire about the land transfers. The monk, surprised, reveals that the temple never received any land. Growing suspicious, she investigates further and confirms that the people have not received the promised rice either. On this note, episode 9 of The Queen Who Crowns ends.
Episode 10 of The Queen Who Crowns begins with Queen Wongyeong writing a letter to King Taejong, informing him of the corruption she uncovered at the temple. She entrusts the letter to a monk and a child novice accompanying him, asking them to deliver it to the king.
Meanwhile, Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil— now in exile— receive a visit from Yi Mu, a figure who once aided Taejong’s rise to the throne but remains loyal to the Min clan. Yi Mu plans with the brothers to dethrone the king and install the crown prince.
Later, he visits Wongyeong, alongside one of her brothers. to discuss the scheme, but she sternly warns them against it and dismisses them, vowing to forget the conversation ever happened.
Unbeknownst to them, Yi Sook-beon’s spy witnesses Yi Mu meeting both the exiled brothers and the queen. He reports this to Yi Sook-beon, who, in turn, informs the royal relative.
The spy also learns about the letter Wongyeong sent to the palace. Seizing the opportunity, the royal relative and Yi Sook-beon orchestrate a scheme— they ambush and kill the monk carrying the letter. However, the young novice manages to escape and flee to the temple.
Upon obtaining the letter, the royal relative discovers accusations against him. He immediately informs Taejong about Yi Mu’s secret meetings with the exiled brothers and the queen. As proof, he captures Yi Mu and presents him before the king, who orders his execution. Soon after, Taejong departs on a hunting trip.
Meanwhile unknown to the king, the royal relative orders Yi Sook-beon to take soldiers to the temple and place the queen under house arrest, falsely claiming it is the king’s command. Their true intent is to depose her. On the other hand, the young novice reaches the temple and informs Wongyeong of the monk’s murder.
Realizing the danger, she decides to escape with her court lady. Before leaving, she instructs the novice to find her younger brothers and rally support in the capital.
Despite the heavy guard in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns then, Wongyeong successfully evades capture and reaches the capital. She arrives at the drum tower, where citizens have gathered to spread news of the king’s rice distribution.
The crown Prince's wife learns of Wongyeong's presence there, and informs the king, who immediately heads there. As Taejong arrives, he overhears citizens discussing the rice that never reached them.
Wongyeong confronts him, revealing the extent of corruption— not only had the rice been withheld, but the promised lands were never distributed. She also exposes Yi Sook-beon’s role in her house arrest.
Furious, Taejong demands an explanation, and under pressure, Yi Sook-beon confesses that the royal relative was behind everything. Panicked, the royal relative attempts to flee, but Taejong orders his capture. The gathered citizens begin chanting in support of Wongyeong, making both the king and queen visibly uneasy. As the royal relative escapes into a dark alley, he is cornered and killed by a starving, enraged citizen.
Back at the palace in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns, Wongyeong learns that Chae-ryeong has been bribing a eunuch, attempting to secure him a position as a royal pharmacist in exchange for his loyalty. Outraged, she orders Chae-ryeong’s banishment. Chae-ryeong pleads with Taejong to punish her but allow her to stay, yet the king upholds Wongyeong’s decision.
Meanwhile, Taejong orders Wongyeong’s exiled brothers to take their own lives. When the news reaches her, she rushes to confront him. However, as she approaches, she hallucinates, seeing Taejong leading an army toward her, with a vision of her past self beside him— reminding her of the unwavering support she once gave him.
Her brothers ultimately commit suicide. Though hesitant at first, Wongyeong visits her grieving mother, and both break down in sorrow.
Episode 10 of The Queen Who Crowns then shifts forward in time. The crown princes have grown, and the kingdom flourishes. Once-barren lands now yield crops, and citizens are no longer starving. Crown Prince Yangnyeong trains under the king, while the third prince, Chungnyeong, immerses himself in books and studies.
One day in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns, Wongyeong’s surviving brothers visit Yangnyeong, urging him to restore the Min family’s power. Uncomfortable with their ambitions, the prince dismisses them. However, tensions escalate when one of Wongyeong’s brothers attacks him, slamming him against a wall.
Royal Secretary Ha Ryun witnesses the altercation and reports it, concerned that Yangnyeong is failing to command authority. The prince himself begins to doubt his own influence and, in a bid to assert dominance, orders his men to obtain a black horn bow for him.
Later in this episode of The Queen Who Crowns, Wongyeong takes Chungnyeong to a cliff overlooking the vast kingdom. As he gazes at the land, he reflects on the many lives within it— people who are happy, sad, suffering, starving, laughing, and mourning. Listening to his words, Wongyeong realizes that Chungnyeong, too, harbors the ambition to be a monarch.
The Queen Who Crowns will conclude with episodes 11 and 12 on February 11 at 8:50 pm KST. The episodes will also stream on Viki and Netflix in select regions.
