Choice Husband Episode 13 Recap
> Choice Husband Recaps
General Qin Zuze returned to the imperial court unexpectedly, proclaiming his intent to "rid of the vile people." In the court, he admonished the Emperor for disrespecting the Empress Dowager and harshly rebuked a eunuch who dared to speak, declaring his loyalty to the cause. Pei Yanzhen, upon hearing Qin Zuze's words, understood the true reason behind his return. Meanwhile, Shen Miao was determined to have her son, Shen Xiao, learn martial arts.
She hired several trainers, but the clever Shen Xiao deliberately provoked them into leaving. Finally, one trainer remained, but Shen Xiao, seizing a moment when Shen Miao looked away, pretended to faint. Shen Miao, concerned, believed he was simply exhausted from the training. Soon after, Song Xiyuan arrived at Shen's Residence, bringing numerous tonics for Shen Xiao, as he was always generous towards the boy.
Shen Xiao, however, only wanted to eat bayberries, and Shen Miao agreed to accompany Song Xiyuan and Shen Xiao to pick the fruits. Pei Yanzhen informed Zhan Yue that the Emperor was considering a marriage between him and the Ninth Princess, which Zhan Yue found troubling as he held no affection for her. Pei Yanzhen then inquired about Shen Miao and Shen Xiao's well-being.
Zhan Yue reported that they were doing well, but added that Qin Zuze had secretly sent many people to Lingzhou City, setting up businesses near Shen's family shops. Knowing Shen Xiao's birthday was approaching, Pei Yanzhen decided to return to Lingzhou. To avoid any trouble, he instructed Zhan Yue to keep their movements hidden.
Later, as Shen Miao, Shen Xiao, and Song Xiyuan were happily returning from picking bayberries, they encountered Pei Yanzhen whose carriage wheel was stuck in the mud. Song Xiyuan confronted Pei Yanzhen, sarcastically questioning if he was returning for Shen Xiao's upcoming birthday after three years of silence. Pei Yanzhen calmly explained he was in Lingzhou for official business. Shen Miao did not speak to Pei Yanzhen directly but found herself thinking about the woman who stood beside his carriage.
A new tavern called Zhezhe opened in Lingzhou City, taking away a significant amount of Shen's family business. Shen Miao arranged to meet Ninth Princess there to observe their business practices. However, Ninth Princess became distracted when she spotted Zhan Yue secretly observing the tavern's interior. She then flirted with Zhan Yue, who bribed the tavern server to leave. Shen Miao, disguised as a man, waited in vain for Ninth Princess.
She eventually disguised herself as a wine servant and delivered wine to a private room, where she overheard the men inside discussing their plot to forge the Shen family's official seal and ledgers to frame them for serious crimes such as underreporting tributes, embezzling imperial land, and interfering with monopolies, aiming to seize their assets. Startled, Shen Miao made a sound and was discovered.
As she was chased by the men, a masked Pei Yanzhen appeared and rescued her, helping her escape. Shen Miao intuitively felt that the masked man was Pei Yanzhen, noticing his familiar eyes, a red mole behind his ear, and the calluses on his left hand. However, she found it hard to believe it was him, as she thought Pei Yanzhen was not skilled in martial arts and lacked the character for such heroism.
Upon returning to his residence, Zhan Yue reported to Pei Yanzhen that he had been detained by the Ninth Princess. Pei Yanzhen confirmed that the Zhezhe Tavern was indeed a front to frame the Shen family, and they had even forged the Shen family's seal and ledgers to accuse them of serious crimes. Unsettled by the revelation, Shen Miao returned to Shen's Residence to check on her father, Shen Qian's, official family seal.
Seeing the real seal, she felt relieved, though her father urged her to rest before investigating further, as Shen Xiao's birthday was approaching. On Shen Xiao's birthday, Song Xiyuan presented him with a kitten. Pei Yanzhen, who made a surprise appearance, offered an antique jade pendant. Song Xiyuan, hostile towards Pei Yanzhen, encouraged Shen Xiao to refuse the gift, calling it a "lousy jade." However, Shen Xiao loved the pendant and insisted on keeping it as a bookmark.
Shen Miao tried to return the jade, but Pei Yanzhen asserted its value as a protective charm, stating it might be useful in crucial moments. Shen Miao then directly asked Pei Yanzhen if he was the one who saved her at the tavern the previous night. Pei Yanzhen avoided answering her question. The following day, as Pei Yanzhen was about to leave by boat, Shen Miao and Shen Xiao rushed to the dock.
She called out to him, questioning why he kept avoiding her, but he hurried away. Shen Miao, turning to Zhan Yue, asked why Pei Yanzhen refused to acknowledge her. Shen Xiao then interjected, revealing that Zhan Yue had repeatedly saved him from various dangers over the years, including falling into water, falling from a tree, and getting lost. This led Shen Miao to realize Pei Yanzhen had been secretly protecting them.
Back in the capital, Pei Yanzhen reported to the imperial court about the attempts to frame the Shen family. To distance himself, Qin Zuze quickly proposed that the Emperor order a thorough investigation. The Empress Dowager expressed concern, but Qin Zuze reassured her that the captured individuals were merely "loyalists" from his family, ensuring that the investigation would ultimately lead to no definitive evidence.
True to his word, before the court could uncover anything, the Zhezhe Tavern was completely "cleaned out" overnight, destroying all traces of evidence. Following Qin Zuze's instructions, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict to arrange a marriage between Pei Yanzhen and Qin Zuze's daughter, Qin Miuzhen. Pei Yanzhen was initially unwilling, but the Emperor persuaded him to accept the marriage, explaining it as a delaying tactic and an opportunity to infiltrate the enemy's ranks.
He emphasized that rejecting the marriage would lead to his death and leave Shen Miao and his parents vulnerable. Shortly after, Qin Miuzhen accompanied Pei Yanzhen back to Lingzhou City by boat. Shen Miao waited expectantly for Pei Yanzhen, expressing her understanding of his past actions and her desire to face challenges together.
However, her hopes were heartbroken when he arrived with Qin Miuzhen, who acted possessively by waking up from a feigned sleep in his arms and claiming Pei Yanzhen cordially invited her. Ninth Princess also confronted Qin Miuzhen, accusing her of shamelessly clinging to Pei Yanzhen.
Pei Yanzhen then delivered a series of cold words to Shen Miao, stating that his secret protection of Shen Xiao was due to his belief in Shen Xiao being his bloodline, and his actions in court to aid the Shen family were driven by a sense of justice for injustice, not personal affection for Shen Miao.
A devastated Shen Miao was then led away by Tie Niu to Song Xiyuan, but she showed no interest in his attempts to cheer her up, comparing his humor to Pei Yanzhen's hurtful actions. When Pei Yanzhen inquired about Shen Miao, Zhan Yue bluntly told him that his repeated actions had already caused Shen Miao's heart to lean towards Song Xiyuan, and his latest actions had completely broken her heart.
Qin Miuzhen, observing from a distance, contemptuously remarked about Shen Miao's confession and fickle character, while Qin Zuze told the Empress Dowager that Qin Miuzhen would serve as their spy and assassin by Pei Yanzhen's side, ensuring his ultimate demise if he resisted.
