Choice Husband Episode 18 Recap
> Choice Husband Recap
Qin Zuze attempted to poison the Emperor, calling him soft-hearted and unfit for the throne, and wished him a carefree afterlife. The Emperor, however, suddenly opened his eyes and questioned if Qin Zuze believed in the afterlife, startling the assassin. At that moment, Pei Yanzhen immediately stepped forward to protect the Emperor from harm, quickly disarming Qin Zuze's guards, much to Qin Zuze’s surprise at his martial prowess.
The Empress Dowager then arrived, mistakenly believing Pei Yanzhen was harming the Emperor and ordered his capture. The Emperor clarified that Qin Zuze was the true traitor, explaining that the rare Cinnabar poison he had been given was not incurable, yet no imperial physician dared to administer an antidote, implying they were under Qin Zuze’s control. He also revealed that the poison Qin Zuze intended for him had been spilled on his bed.
The Empress Dowager was shocked, initially refusing to believe her brother, but Qin Zuze openly declared the Emperor too weak and ill to rule. He brazenly demanded that the Empress Dowager use her seal to abdicate the throne to him for the stability of the court, ignoring her outrage that he would betray his own nephew.
Qin Zuze justified his actions by claiming that Pei Yanzhen’s allies dominated the court, making him a target, and that he had to act first to avoid his own demise. He then ordered his men to attack, confident that the palace was under his control. However, Song Xiyuan arrived with his own forces, surrounding Qin Zuze's men.
When Qin Zuze questioned his loyalty, Song Xiyuan declared that as a court purveyor, remunerated by the imperial court, he was loyal only to the Emperor and justice, not to any individual faction. Qin Zuze's repeated calls for his soldiers went unanswered, as Pei Yanzhen and Song Xiyuan had already secured Qin family’s forces throughout the capital and palace. Overwhelmed, Qin Zuze made a desperate attempt to assassinate the Emperor but was subdued by Pei Yanzhen.
In his defeat, Qin Zuze tried to turn the Empress Dowager against Pei Yanzhen, revealing Pei Yanzhen’s hidden martial arts skills and his true identity as the Sixth Prince, claiming it was all for revenge. The Emperor dismissed Qin Zuze's words as nonsense, ordering him imprisoned. Qin Zuze, as he was led away, vowed that the Qin family would have their retribution against Pei Yanzhen.
Meanwhile, Shen Miao, still reeling from her parrot's revelations and the discovery that the Shen family seal was in Pei Yanzhen's possession, went to Pei's Residence to retrieve Xiao. A servant informed her that Old Madam Pei and Old Master Pei had taken Xiao to a temple for several days of fasting and prayer and would not be returning soon. The servant, however, couldn't specify which temple they had gone to and apologized for her wasted trip.
Shen Miao, noticing the distinct scent of Old Madam Pei’s unique agarwood blend, realized she had been lied to, confirming Old Madam Pei was still in the residence. She deduced that forcing her way in would only alert them and, believing Pei Yanzhen would not intentionally harm his son, decided to return to Shen's Residence to devise a plan.
Upon returning to Shen's Residence, Shen Miao tried to send her Little Aunt, Lüying, and Shen Zai out through the back door in plain clothing. However, Zhan Yue, who had swiftly returned to Lingzhou after intercepting Qin family soldiers attempting to ambush Shen Miao and having Constable Zhao capture them, had already surrounded Shen's Residence, capturing the Little Aunt, Lüying, and Shen Zai who were trying to leave.
He explained that he was acting on Pei Yanzhen’s orders to protect the Shen family. Shen Miao demanded to see Pei Yanzhen, but Zhan Yue informed her he was in the capital and unavailable. She confronted Zhan Yue, asking if Pei Yanzhen had ordered her confinement and if he intended to harm her if she tried to leave. Zhan Yue remained evasive, stating he was simply following orders and that Song Xiyuan was also absent from Lingzhou.
Feeling trapped and increasingly suspicious of Pei Yanzhen's intentions, Shen Miao reluctantly agreed to wait within the residence for now. Back in the capital, the Empress Dowager, fueled by a desire for revenge and seeking to save Qin Zuze, had her personal guard secretly instruct Qin Miuzhen in Lingzhou to capture Pei Yanzhen's adoptive parents.
Qin Miuzhen was told that Qin Zuze had been sentenced to death and that the Empress Dowager would spare his life if Qin Miuzhen retaliated against Pei Yanzhen. Qin Miuzhen then led her remaining forces to Pei's Residence in Lingzhou, captured Pei Yanzhen’s adoptive parents, and brought them to the capital.
In the imperial court, officials commended Pei Yanzhen and Song Xiyuan for quelling Qin Zuze’s rebellion and petitioned the Emperor to reinstate Pei Yanzhen and bestow upon him the title of king, despite no historical precedent for a non-royal. As the Emperor prepared to announce his decision, the Empress Dowager dramatically entered the court.
After graciously acknowledging the assembly, she introduced the Pei clan leader from Lingzhou, who testified that Pei Yanzhen was an adopted child, not a true descendant of the Pei family, and thus of unknown origin and unworthy of such a high title. The Emperor questioned his mother's intentions, but the Empress Dowager offered Pei Yanzhen a choice: acknowledge his adopted status, become a commoner, and never serve in court again, in exchange for her blessing.
She then revealed that Pei Yanzhen’s biological mother was a woman from the Liu family in Jiangnan, and his father was the late emperor, mocking his reluctance to admit his royal lineage. Pei Yanzhen stated he only considered himself a member of the Pei family, but the Empress Dowager continued her cruel taunts, confessing that she had ordered the death of his biological mother, Liu.
She disparaged Liu as a "petty," "loose woman" who had "seduced the late emperor" and deserved her fate, even expressing regret that she hadn't skinned both Pei Yanzhen and his mother and abandoned their bodies in the wilderness. Enraged by her callousness and disregard for human life, Pei Yanzhen accused her of being a murderer unfit to be Empress Dowager. She ordered her guards to kill him, but Pei Yanzhen's adoptive father bravely stepped forward, shielding him.
The Empress Dowager then declared that her brother and family had died because of Pei Yanzhen, demanding "a life for a life" in vengeance. As Pei Yanzhen prepared to sacrifice himself, his adoptive father intervened, choosing to die in his place. He stated he would die for Zhen and then tragically took his own life. Distraught, Pei Yanzhen’s adoptive mother was then ordered killed by the Empress Dowager.
Before her death, she bravely told Pei Yanzhen that she and his father had no regrets, assuring him that Xiao was safe with Master Wangyun, and urged him to live. With his adoptive parents dead, Pei Yanzhen exploded in a furious rampage, cutting down the Empress Dowager's guards. He then turned his sword on the Empress Dowager herself. At that critical moment, the Emperor arrived and stepped between them, calling out, "Six Brother!"
Pei Yanzhen stopped, telling the Emperor not to call him that. He condemned the Empress Dowager for her indiscriminate killings and abuse of power, stating he was merely "repaying her the same favor" and would seek justice for all those who had died innocent lives over the past twenty years. The Emperor apologized to Pei Yanzhen, admitting that their father had always intended for Pei Yanzhen to inherit the throne.
He confessed that his past reluctance to acknowledge Pei Yanzhen’s true identity was driven by his fear of losing either a cherished friend or his own mother. He pleaded with Pei Yanzhen to let go of his grievances, arguing that the Empress Dowager, now stripped of her power and confined to the palace, had already received the greatest punishment. He promised to reside in a Buddhist temple himself, continuously praying for the souls of the unjustly deceased.
