Choice Husband Episode 19 Recap
> Choice Husband Recap
An imperial decree was delivered, announcing the Emperor's decisions following the recent rebellion. Qin Zuze was sentenced to immediate decapitation for embezzling military funds, attempting regicide, and revolt. The entire Qin bloodline was condemned to exile. Empress Dowager, who had abetted the evildoers out of jealousy, was spared outright exile due to the Emperor's filial piety, given her poor health and permanent illness; she was instead sent to the Mausoleum of the late emperor for self-reflection.
For his meritorious service in quelling the mutiny, Pei Yanzhen was bestowed with the title of Regent and awarded ten thousand taels of gold. Song Xiyuan, recognized for his contributions to the political situation, was detached from his merchant status and appointed Minister of Revenue, responsible for market, city, fishery, salt, tea business, cash, and tax.
Pei Yanzhen later confronted Song Xiyuan, stating that Shen Miao's crisis had been resolved, and now it was time for them to settle their own scores. Meanwhile, Guard Zhan reported that hundreds of Qin family members had been arrested, but Qin Miuzhen and a hundred guards remained at large. He also relayed that Old Master and Old Madam Pei had been abducted by another team and might have already reached the capital.
Guard Zhan noted Qin Miuzhen's cunning, having intentionally drawn him to Shen's Residence while directing her main forces towards Pei's Residence. Concerned about how to explain this to Pei Yanzhen, who had just assumed power, Guard Zhan instructed his men to be vigilant. Tragedy struck Shen's Residence in Lingzhou. Shen Xiao accidentally fell into the water. Despite being rescued, a physician called by Guard Zhan soon diagnosed him with tuberculosis after he coughed up blood.
The physician, visibly panicked by the contagious nature of the disease and its incurability, fled, advising the family to prepare for his funeral. Shen Xiao subsequently passed away. News of the Shen family's misfortune and the contagious disease spread quickly through Lingzhou City, causing people to avoid the residence, fearful of infection. They remarked that the once-richest Shen family was now like a "sitting duck," completely ruined. The Shen family established a mourning hall.
Shen Xiao's mother, the Little Aunt, was overcome with grief, crying uncontrollably. Shen Miao, herself heartbroken, tried to comfort the Little Aunt, urging her to express her sorrow. However, the Little Aunt soon began coughing blood, revealing she had also contracted tuberculosis. She expressed her desire to join her son, regretting what she owed him and promising to repay it in her next life.
The Little Aunt passed away shortly after, leaving Shen Miao devastated, having lost two close family members in a matter of days. The Ninth Princess, deeply concerned for Shen Miao, managed to evade the capital guards who had confined her and sought out Guard Zhan. She inquired about the chaos in the capital, the death of her uncle, and Pei Yanzhen's rise as Regent. Guard Zhan urged her to return, promising to visit her after handling the Shen family's affairs.
However, the Ninth Princess insisted on seeing Shen Miao, realizing that Pei Yanzhen's men surrounded Shen's Residence and sensing deeper machinations. Despite Shen Miao's warning that everyone was avoiding the Shen family due to the contagious illness, and that Ninth Princess, as royalty, should fear infection, the Ninth Princess remained. She apologized for not discerning the schemes of her brother and Pei Yanzhen sooner, admitting her previous trust in Pei Yanzhen's genuine affection for Shen Miao.
Shen Miao, burdened by her own misjudgment of Pei Yanzhen, expressed profound regret for bringing ruin upon her family. She confessed that she, too, was afflicted with tuberculosis and knew her life was nearing its end, asking Ninth Princess if she would help with her final wishes. The Ninth Princess, distressed, urged Shen Miao not to lose hope, reminding her of their dreams to travel and see the capital.
Shen Miao then requested two things: first, that Tie Niu, Song Xiyuan's subordinate, procure Madiao from her hometown as a sacrificial offering for the Little Aunt, as she had departed with regret without it; second, in accordance with her father's belief that Shen family members should "live and die together," she wished to be buried in the Shen family's ancestral tombs.
The Ninth Princess vehemently refused to accept Shen Miao's impending death, imploring her to live and seek revenge against Pei Yanzhen, but Shen Miao resignedly said, "next life." Shen Miao, despite her weakening condition, held onto her last breath. Guard Zhan, fulfilling her request, brought Tie Niu to her. Shen Miao then sent everyone else away, revealing to Tie Niu and Lvying that her request for the Madiao was merely a pretext for her true last wishes.
With her family gone and her own life fading, her greatest concern was Shen Xiao, whom she declared trusted Song Xiyuan most after herself and the Shen family. Fearing she would never see Xiao again, she instructed Tie Niu to convey to Song Xiyuan her dying wish: that he bring Xiao to worship at her grave on the first seventh day after her passing. Crucially, she forbade Pei Yanzhen from attending.
She also asked Guard Zhan to tell Pei Yanzhen that her life was not important, but after her death, she must be buried in the Shen family's ancestral tombs. She implored him to treat Xiao well, as he was Pei Yanzhen's biological son, and to spare her father's life, given that the Shen family's fortune was soon to be transferred to the national treasury.
Guard Zhan protested, reassuring her that Pei Yanzhen would not commit such atrocities, but Shen Miao countered, saying she could not wait for imprisonment, confiscation, or for Pei Yanzhen to return to "exterminate her entire family." With her last words, Shen Miao coughed blood, collapsed, and passed away, witnessed by Lvying, Guard Zhan, and the Ninth Princess.
Upon receiving the news, Pei Yanzhen rushed back from the capital, traveling day and night, but arrived too late to see Shen Miao one last time. He found her already prepared for burial, with everyone following her dying wish to inter her in the Shen family's ancestral tombs.
Pei Yanzhen, distraught, arrived and demanded them to stop, ignoring the pleas of Lvying, who tearfully begged him to allow Shen Miao to rest in peace, noting her death from tuberculosis in hot weather would lead to her body's decay. The Ninth Princess, unafraid, confronted Pei Yanzhen, accusing him of torturing Shen Miao in life and now denying her peace in death.
Pei Yanzhen, consumed by grief, ignored their protests, forcefully opened the coffin lid, and with tears streaming down his face, declared that Shen Miao could not die without his consent. He carried her lifeless body out of the coffin, disregarding the desperate cries of Lvying and others, and brought her back to Shen's Residence.
Devastated and evicted from Shen's Residence, Lvying sought help from Song Xiyuan, hoping he could retrieve Shen Miao's body from Pei Yanzhen and ensure her proper burial. Song Xiyuan, learning of Shen Miao's death, was furious. Inside Shen's Residence, Pei Yanzhen had laid Shen Miao's body down, treating it as if she were still alive.
He offered her sweets and tea, and ordered a play, "Tale of Ancient Sword," her favorite, to be performed on the stage, warning the actors that she would be angry if they made mistakes. He spoke to her, recounting events from his trip to the capital and asking if she would intercede for the actors if he killed them.
Song Xiyuan then forcibly entered Shen's Residence, confronting Pei Yanzhen, accusing him of hiding Shen Miao's body and intending to further desecrate her. The two men engaged in a fierce fight, with Pei Yanzhen drawing his sword in a fit of rage. Guard Zhan quickly intervened to protect Song Xiyuan, reminding Pei Yanzhen of Song Xiyuan's status as a court official.
While Song Xiyuan managed to distract both Pei Yanzhen and Guard Zhan, Tie Niu and Lvying, enacting a coordinated plan, ambushed the Foyer. Lvying administered medicine to Shen Miao, intending to take her away with Tie Niu. Receiving word of this, Pei Yanzhen rushed to stop them. Song Xiyuan, overwhelmed by Pei Yanzhen's martial prowess, was quickly subdued and apprehended.
Pei Yanzhen stood over Shen Miao's body, lamenting that she had been asleep for three days and urging her to wake up. He swore he would watch over her until she did, reminding her that his parents had died for him, and asking if she truly had the heart to abandon him. Lvying, kneeling, begged Pei Yanzhen to return Shen Miao's body, but he threatened to kill her if she spoke another word.
Desperate, Pei Yanzhen then declared to Shen Miao that if she did not wake, he would kill all the servants and martial artists in Shen's Residence, sending them to keep her company. At that moment, Shen Miao, who had been given the medicine, miraculously stirred and opened her eyes. Pei Yanzhen was overjoyed, exclaiming that she was still alive. However, Shen Miao's expression was cold as she calmly stated, "You've misunderstood. This is terminal lucidity."
