Choice Husband Episode 25 Recap
> Choice Husband Recap
Pei Yanzhen had ordered the city gates to be heavily guarded, specifically looking for Song Xiyuan, who was known for disguises, and Shen Miao. Aware of this, Shen Miao orchestrated a diversion. Her people scattered money in the street, causing a chaotic scramble among the citizens and distracting the guards. Amidst the confusion, a carriage, driven by Tie Niu and carrying Huashan, made a dash for the city gate.
Zhan Yue pursued and intercepted it, only to discover that the woman inside was not Shen Miao but a decoy. Shen Miao's strategy was to use this diversion to make Pei Yanzhen believe she had already left the city. Shen Miao and Xiao, meanwhile, had been settled by Song Xiyuan in a secluded part of Baima Temple.
Song Xiyuan explained that Pei Yanzhen, who didn't believe in the supernatural, would never suspect them hiding in a temple; it was a clever "dark under the light" strategy. A young monk guided them to their serene abode in the rear hills, which Xiao adored, comparing it to a "secluded world" filled with butterflies. Shen Miao inquired about the duration of their stay and when they could proceed to Yanlan.
Song Xiyuan informed her that Pei Yanzhen, as the Regent, would not remain in Weiyang indefinitely, and once he departed, she would be free to travel to Yanlan. He subtly added his hope that she would take him with her. Meanwhile, Pei Yanzhen had surrounded Guchun Restaurant, forcing Huashan to play her guqin. Upon learning of Pei Yanzhen's presence, Song Xiyuan rushed back.
Pei Yanzhen noted Song Xiyuan's swift return and confronted Huashan, instructing her to continue playing until Song Xiyuan appeared, implying she had sent a messenger. Huashan admitted she couldn't reveal Shen Miao's whereabouts. When Song Xiyuan arrived, he directly told Pei Yanzhen that Shen Miao was not there and asked Huashan to escort him out.
As Pei Yanzhen departed, he confidently informed his subordinate that they wouldn't return to Guchun Restaurant the next day, as he had already deduced Shen Miao's location. He explained that Huashan had played 13 melodies, each lasting fifteen minutes, calculating the precise round-trip travel time from the restaurant to Shen Miao's hiding place.
He instructed his men that if they located Shen Miao, they were not to act rashly, likening her to "sand in the palm" that would slip away if held too tightly. He emphasized his need for an opportunity to reveal his genuine feelings to her. Zhan Yue and Constable Zhao were searching Baima Temple. Constable Zhao employed a deceptive tactic, fabricating a story about Zhan Yue's "red thread of destiny" requiring him to find a married woman in the temple.
He then shrewdly inquired about the location of the pilgrims' abodes. Lvying, returning a book for Xiao, was intercepted by Constable Zhao, who accused her of illicit dealings with Tie Niu and tried to confiscate her belongings, declaring himself a righteous "loner" who would break up their romance. Shen Miao, having returned to her hut with Xiao after their fishing trip, quickly instructed him to stay put, fearing their discovery.
She then hurried off to find Lvying, determined to leave immediately. During her search, she stumbled upon Pei Yanzhen, who was burning incense and speaking with a temple master. Pei Yanzhen confided that while he once scorned divine intervention, he now sought it for a wish that only Heaven could grant, a single wish repeated countless times.
He reflected on the concept of enduring what one "cannot understand, cannot realize, cannot give up, cannot abandon, cannot fathom, and cannot let go," questioning if finding happiness wasn't about holding onto such things. He confessed his past foolishness in feigning detachment, adding that having been "born in hell," the notion of "falling into hell" held no meaning for him.
He admitted his initial prayer was for "lost and found" but, witnessing Shen Miao's willingness to suffer rather than acknowledge him, he concluded it was time to let go. His sole remaining wish was for her safety and happiness. At that moment, a young monk inadvertently called out to Shen Miao, alerting Pei Yanzhen. Shen Miao fled, and despite his impaired vision, Pei Yanzhen pursued her, calling out her name and pleading for her to listen.
A heavy downpour began, and a lightning strike caused a tree to fall, crushing Pei Yanzhen. Shen Miao rushed to him, frantically calling his name and begging him to wake up. Through his pain, he weakly uttered, "You still can't let go of me, can you?" Shen Miao, in tears, told him not to die, asserting that even if he did, she wouldn't forgive him.
Zhan Yue, meanwhile, found Xiao, who informed him that Shen Miao had gone to look for Lvying and had not returned. Realizing Lvying was likely involved in the incident with Constable Zhao, Zhan Yue hurried to Shen Miao and the gravely injured Pei Yanzhen. He carried Pei Yanzhen back to the hut, where Shen Miao immediately began to care for him, changing his wet clothes.
Zhan Yue took Xiao to prepare hot water, reassuring the boy that Pei Yanzhen was the last person who would ever harm his mother. Back at Song Xiyuan's residence, he was preparing to leave Weiyang, offering Huashan money, who in turn expressed her desire to accompany him to the capital. News of trouble at Baima Temple abruptly arrived, sending Song Xiyuan rushing there.
He confronted Constable Zhao, demanding to know Pei Yanzhen's location and what he had done with Shen Miao. In the hut, Pei Yanzhen awoke, his vision still impaired but vaguely seeing Shen Miao by his side, though he did not mention it. Shen Miao, observing his fever, intended to seek a monk with medical knowledge. Pei Yanzhen, however, gently held her hand, telling her she was his "cure."
Shen Miao tried to dismiss her actions as mere "Jianghu ethics" due to his blindness, denying any lingering affection. Pei Yanzhen challenged her, asking if she truly believed she had no feelings left for him, admitting he believed she did. Shen Miao retorted that he was overly confident, incapable of controlling her heart.
He then poured out his heart, describing two years, 730 days and nights, of accustomed loneliness, suffering, and yearning, but emphasizing that he could never grow accustomed to not seeing her. Shen Miao questioned the relevance of his words now, highlighting his abundance while she possessed nothing. Pei Yanzhen offered her anything she desired. She asked how he could consistently speak with such tender, profound affection, making her feel as if she were his entire world.
He asserted it was not "as if," but the undeniable truth. Shen Miao informed Pei Yanzhen that she used to be naive, believing everything he said, and once would have gladly died for him. However, things were different now; with his blindness, they should remain strangers. She questioned why he continued to pursue her and what he sought, expressing fear that he would take Xiao, her "only thought," away.
Pei Yanzhen noticed she still wore a small pendant he had given her. He declared he wanted nothing but to be with her, vowing not to contend for their child or the wealth of the Shen and Lu families. He asserted that without her, he was impoverished, and even with vast riches, he would remain a broken man. He admitted to his past foolish and wrongful actions that had broken her heart and implored her to hear him out.
Shen Miao confronted him, asking if his initial proposal of marriage was a calculated scheme. Pei Yanzhen conceded it was, expressing remorse. Shen Miao dismissed his apology, stating she too had ulterior motives at the time. She then pressed him about the contraceptive herbs, questioning why, if he didn't love her, he allowed her to give birth to Xiao, and if he didn't acknowledge Xiao, why he still tormented her. Pei Yanzhen confessed to administering the contraceptive herbs.
He explained that her premature labor was not an accident but the result of the Empress Dowager's poisoning. Her father had conveyed the physician's warning that further pregnancies would endanger her life. He elaborated on the Lingzhou incident, where he couldn't bear for her to marry Song Xiyuan, given his growing affection for her.
He confessed his initial approach to the Shen family was indeed strategic, but his daily interactions with her led him to fall deeply in love, a realization that came too late. He revealed having spies within the Song family, confirming that she and Song had never consummated their marriage. His plan was to separate them and remarry her. However, her unexpected pregnancy complicated matters.
He feared that disclosing the four-month pregnancy would lead to the Empress Dowager harming her, and that revealing a two-month pregnancy would result in Xiao being recognized as Song Xiyuan's son, causing irreparable separation. To protect her and Xiao, he conspired with the physician to falsely state she was three months pregnant, intending to create a dispute over the child's paternity between the Pei and Song families, with the ultimate goal of Xiao acknowledging his true heritage.
He then disclosed that the Empress Dowager's subsequent attempt to poison her fish soup, aiming for a double death, led Song Xiyuan to recognize the Empress Dowager's malice, prompting their alliance for Shen Miao and Xiao's safety. He then asked if she believed him. Shen Miao found his explanation "too complicated" to understand. She then asked the pivotal question: if the pronouncement to "annihilate or execute" her family originated from him.
Pei Yanzhen confirmed, "Yes, it was I who said it."
Enraged, Shen Miao launched a barrage of accusations: he had promised Song Xiyuan her family's businesses and river routes, he had given her an immunity jade pendant while secretly arranging for his foster mother to seek his help to gain her family's trust and disarm the imperial family's suspicion, and he had chosen the less powerful Song family as an ally because they were imperial insiders, making them a strategic asset far more valuable than ten Shen families.
She asserted that the Shen family was merely a means to an end for their alliance, and her unforeseen appearance had disrupted their entire scheme. She accused him of being a master manipulator, treating everyone—whether loved or hated, loving or hating him—as mere puppets in his meticulously crafted, flawless plays. She concluded by asking why, given such calculated deception, she should ever remain by his side.
