Choice Husband Episode 10 Recap
> Choice Husband Recap
Pei Yanzhen found himself ambushed. Song Xiyuan, attempting to stage a heroic rescue, was instead knocked unconscious by Shen Miao, who was wearing a veiled hat. Despite her disguise, Pei Yanzhen immediately recognized her. With Pei Yanzhen's subtle assistance, Shen Miao successfully fought off the attackers, who she believed were sent by Madam Xia. During the scuffle, Pei had urged Shen Miao to be careful of her unborn child.
That evening, in Pei Yanzhen's study, Shen Miao tended to his reopened wound. Pei, enduring the pain, explained his injury was a result of "chaos in the capital" and asked her to apply ointment to his shoulder, as he found it difficult to move. He insisted that she not summon a butler, to prevent rumors about her presence in his study late at night. As she dressed his wound, Pei questioned how she had known about Song Xiyuan's plot earlier.
Shen Miao revealed her motive was the divorce papers, stating it was "too late" for her. Understanding her predicament, Pei Yanzhen offered to forge Song Xiyuan's divorce papers, perfectly replicating his handwriting. Impressed by his skill, Shen Miao asked him to keep it a secret, citing her existing debt to Song Xiyuan and her reluctance to involve him further. Pei agreed.
He then tentatively asked if they could start anew if the child proved to be his, mentioning he had previously turned down an imperial arrangement to marry the Ninth Princess. Shen Miao, reflecting on her past two marriages (one with Pei, one with Song Xiyuan), declared that she wished to live for herself, not for others. She told him she couldn't answer his question at that moment but would always consider him a friend.
The following day, Song Xiyuan appeared at the county government, accusing Shen Miao of forging the divorce papers. He reminded Pei Yanzhen of their supposed alliance. However, Pei Yanzhen, acting in his capacity as the local magistrate, stated he had to remain impartial, especially in a case that had garnered significant public attention. After comparing the forged document with Song Xiyuan's genuine letters, Pei Yanzhen declared the divorce valid.
Song Xiyuan reacted with furious protests, calling Pei "shameless" for breaking his word. Following the divorce, Matchmaker Liu attempted to arrange a new marriage for Shen Miao with a man named Ma Tianbao. However, the blind date was quickly disrupted by the simultaneous interference of Pei Yanzhen and Song Xiyuan, both publicly identifying as Shen Miao's ex-husbands (Pei also identified as her maternal uncle).
Exasperated, Shen Miao expressed her annoyance at their constant meddling and firmly reminded them that their divorce papers stipulated mutual non-interference in future marriages. She offered them money to leave her alone, but they refused. She then declared that her unborn child belonged solely to the Shen family. Later, Madam, accompanied by Zai, confronted Matchmaker Liu, who had attempted to evade them.
Matchmaker Liu explained that Shen Miao's two previous divorces had made it impossible to find a suitable match, as no man dared approach her. Undeterred, Madam insisted, first offering to double and then quadruple the fee, compelling the matchmaker to continue her search. Meanwhile, Shen Miao and Lvying were at a tea house, calmly enjoying a play. Lvying questioned why Shen Miao had agreed to the blind date if she wasn't keen on remarrying.
Shen Miao revealed it was a ploy to deter Pei and Song from bothering her at home, lamenting that her "charming aura" unfortunately brought such troubles. Later, Song Xiyuan, disregarding Shen Miao's previous instructions to stay away, climbed over the wall into Shen's Residence, making a comical entrance in a purple outfit he mistakenly believed was her favorite color. Before he could cause much trouble, Lvying announced Pei Yanzhen's arrival.
Shen Miao quickly dismissed Song Xiyuan, explaining that Pei was an official and, as her former husband's uncle, held a different status. In the foyer, Pei Yanzhen informed Shen Miao that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would soon visit Lingzhou for a family visit.
He conveyed that both the Shen and Song families were invited to welcome them along the route, suggesting this presented a valuable opportunity for Shen Qian to resolve the issue of the seized Shen family rice. Pei reassured her that Shen Qian, being an experienced businessman, would adeptly handle such a challenge. Just as Shen Miao was expressing her gratitude, Song Xiyuan abruptly intervened, separating her from Pei Yanzhen.
Shen Miao used Lvying's call for dinner as an excuse to escape the awkward situation. At the dinner table, Song Xiyuan, acting on Pei Yanzhen's misleading advice, presented Shen Miao with various bee pupae dishes, believing it to be her favorite. Shen Miao, however, disliked bee pupae and felt nauseous from the smell, realizing Pei Yanzhen had deliberately given Song Xiyuan false information.
She challenged Pei, who then made her a plate of stir-fried cabbage with sour sauce, which she enjoyed. She even wiped sweat from his brow. Pei, having successfully outmaneuvered Song Xiyuan, then left. Shen Miao confided in Lvying about her stressful pregnancy, joking that the baby would be "scared out" of her. She declared the child would be a true Shen, not resembling either of her former husbands, whom she considered lazy, fond of prostitutes, and too talkative.
Feeling restless from being confined, Shen Miao expressed a desire to go out. Madam agreed to take her to Quan Lake for a summer outing. There, after going to a temple to drink tea, Shen Miao narrowly avoided falling into the lake, saved by the quick intervention of Guard Zhan. Impressed by his martial skills and upright character, Shen Miao decided to try and recruit him to her household.
She told Madam that having Guard Zhan around, to see his martial arts and hear his stories, would be beneficial for her baby, hoping the child would inherit his strong character. She optimistically believed Pei Yanzhen, as her ex-husband and a distant relative, would not object. Later, Lvying offered Guard Zhan double, then quadruple his current salary, but he politely declined, stating his five-year contract with Pei Yanzhen was not yet complete.
While leaving Quan Lake, Shen Miao noticed newly installed railings along the path. A local informed her that Magistrate Pei had personally funded their construction after a pregnant woman had almost fallen. Touched by Pei Yanzhen's benevolence, Shen Miao accepted a kite from the old man for her unborn child. A few days later, while still awaiting Guard Zhan's final decision, Pei Yanzhen arrived at Shen's Residence instead. Shen Miao informed him of her desire to see Guard Zhan daily.
Pei, clearly irritated by her words, declared that Guard Zhan's loyalty to him was deep. He then implied he might consider her request if she, instead, expressed a daily desire to see him. Shen Miao retorted, calling him "evil-hearted" and "shameless," to which Pei calmly replied that he simply wished for her to focus solely on him. To escape the ongoing drama, Shen Miao went fishing by the lake. She caught a fish and, as was her custom, released it.
An unidentified man, who was the Emperor in disguise, approached her, teasing her about feeding fish rather than catching them. He challenged her to a fishing contest, with the wager being "one question" for the loser. The man subtly used a stone to help him catch a fish, thus winning the contest. Shen Miao, though suspicious of a trick, dismissed it as a child's accidental stone throw and graciously accepted her loss.
He then asked her directly, "May I ask who is the father of the baby inside your tummy?" Meanwhile, in Lingzhou, the Empress Dowager publicly arrived for her family visit. Song Xiyuan, in her presence, took credit for the refurbished dock and official roads, attributing the funding to Shen Qian.
The Empress Dowager expressed her satisfaction and, unaware of the Emperor's true whereabouts, mentioned that the Emperor was currently in the capital and wished he could have seen his prosperous hometown. Pei Yanzhen and Guard Zhan, upon hearing this, realized the contradiction between the Empress Dowager's public statement and the Emperor's actual presence. Pei immediately dispatched Guard Zhan to find Shen Miao.
