Choice Husband Episode 2 Recap
> Choice Husband Recaps
On their wedding night, Shen Miao and her maid, Lvying, devised a plan to get Pei Yanzhen heavily intoxicated, ensuring he would be unable to consummate the marriage. Shen Miao, confident in her inherited high alcohol tolerance from her merchant father, Shen Qian, believed she could easily outdrink Pei Yanzhen, whom she had initially heard was an ailing man.
However, upon meeting him, she was struck by his mild-mannered and suave demeanor, jokingly rating his appearance as that of a top scholar. Pei Yanzhen entered the bridal chamber, unveiled Shen Miao, and acceded to her request to share a meal, discreetly dismissing Lvying. Shen Miao then pressed him on how he escaped the Ninth Princess earlier that day. Pei Yanzhen, after encouraging her to drink with him, revealed that he had lied to the princess.
He claimed to have been frail since childhood, suffering from a chronic illness that rendered him unable to perform marital duties. The Ninth Princess, after a brief examination of "a certain spot on him," reluctantly let him go, though Shen Miao expressed skepticism about whether the princess truly believed such an excuse.
As Shen Miao continued to question him, unknowingly consuming more wine, Zhan Yue, who had been eavesdropping outside with Lvying, observed that Shen Miao showed no signs of intoxication. Realizing her plan was failing, he intervened by discreetly knocking Shen Miao unconscious. Pei Yanzhen intended to solidify her stay by creating the false impression that their marriage had been consummated. The next morning, Shen Miao awoke to Lvying's tearful apologies.
Upon seeing a blood-stained handkerchief, Shen Miao believed she had indeed consummated the marriage with Pei Yanzhen. Lvying, distraught, lamented her failure to protect Shen Miao's purity, only for Shen Miao to correct her, quipping that it was Pei Yanzhen's purity that was ruined. Shen Miao, now resigned to her fate, pondered how to make Pei Yanzhen despise her enough to initiate a divorce. Meanwhile, Zhan Yue, unconvinced by the consummation, went to Pei Yanzhen’s study.
He checked Pei Yanzhen's hand and found bloodstains, immediately realizing the deception. He confronted Pei Yanzhen, calling him a "black-hearted fox" for misleading Shen Miao. Pei Yanzhen, however, reiterated his promise to Shen Qian to care for Shen Miao and explained that his immediate goal was to deter her from leaving the residence. In the imperial palace, the Empress Dowager was furious about the Ninth Princess's "reckless" act of abducting Pei Yanzhen in Lingzhou City.
The Ninth Princess, feeling wronged and complaining that her mother only cared for her brother, stormed off. The Empress Dowager then asked the Emperor for his counsel on handling Pei Yanzhen. The Emperor viewed Pei Yanzhen as a talented official and suggested using both firmness and leniency, believing he could become a pillar of the nation. He advised observing Pei Yanzhen's actions for the time being.
The Empress Dowager agreed with this cautious approach but stressed the urgency of investigating rumors about royal bloodlines in the common folk to secure the Emperor's throne, cautioning against "feminine benevolence." Concurrently, Magistrate Jia questioned Pei Yanzhen about his views on the recent Huaihe River dike collapse. With the Empress Dowager having appointed her brother, Qin Zuze, to oversee repairs, Pei Yanzhen stated that as a local official, he would cooperate.
Magistrate Jia subtly hinted at widespread corruption within the Jianghuai officialdom, where many matters were "understood without being said," implying embezzlement in the dike repairs. Pei Yanzhen offered to "share the burden," but their conversation was cut short by a servant reporting "family matters." Magistrate Jia, taking the hint, promptly excused himself. Back at the residence, Shen Miao embarked on a campaign to provoke Pei Yanzhen into divorcing her.
She began dismissing numerous servants for trivial reasons, such as one having an "ugly name." Surprisingly, Pei Yanzhen complied with her demands, even apologizing for the poor selection and offering to have Constable Zhao find new servants to her liking. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Miao instructed Lvying to tell Constable Zhao to recruit handsome men from the Moon Embrace Brothel to work in the residence.
Constable Zhao vehemently refused, stating his loyalty to Pei Yanzhen and his unwillingness to help Shen Miao "put a green hat on him," calling her actions "indecent." Pei Yanzhen, anticipating trouble from Magistrate Jia's corruption regarding the dike, instructed Zhan Yue to gather evidence beforehand, preparing for a confrontation should the imperial court investigate. Meanwhile, the Huaihe River's collapse had led to a massive influx of flood victims.
To prevent public unrest, Magistrate Jia ordered them blocked outside Lingzhou City, an act Pei Yanzhen condemned as foolish, predicting that starvation would lead to a far greater riot. Zhan Yue expressed concern that Pei Yanzhen's intervention might draw imperial suspicion, potentially endangering Shen Miao. Shen Miao continued her provocations, even defiling Pei Yanzhen's study with rotten eggs and stinky tofu, gloating that her husband "spoiled" her and allowed her to "mess around." However, Pei Yanzhen remained unfazed.
Instead, he sent her a painting containing a romantic poem and later surprised her by building an exact replica of the Shen family's opera stage in his residence, complete with all the props. He revealed his extensive knowledge of her preferences, even her favorite martial artist, stating he knew more about her than she imagined.
He openly expressed his desire to spend his whole life with her, emphasizing that his residence was now her home and that she could trust him implicitly. Pei Yanzhen further demonstrated his devotion by personally cooking a savory fish dish for Shen Miao. He told her not to be constrained by rigid formalities and to truly consider their home as her own.
Shen Miao attempted to explain her original intention to marry him only to avoid an imperial decree, but Pei Yanzhen gently interrupted, asserting that the past was gone and that as a married couple, they would grow old together, his sincerity unwavering. His consistent kindness and unwavering commitment began to erode Shen Miao’s resolve to divorce him. She found herself hesitating, pondering the consequences of leaving, comparing herself to fish that might starve if she ceased to feed them. Pei Yanzhen's unexpected gestures and deep understanding had left her in a state of profound uncertainty.
