General's Lady Episode 19 Recap
> General's Lady Recap
Following his wife's advice from the previous night, General Chu Xiuming arrived at Lord Situ's mansion with a set of pitch-pot tools. The steward initially tried to turn him away, claiming Lord Situ was unwell, but relented when Chu Xiuming presented the gift. Upon meeting, Lord Situ remarked on the profound philosophy embodied in the seemingly simple game. Chu Xiuming humbly replied that his own skills were crude and that he would likely make a fool of himself.
Chu Xiuming returned to his mansion with a full money pouch, much to Shen Jin's dismay. She realized he had won every game against Lord Situ, which would have offended the man rather than won his favor. Socializing, she explained, was not a battle to be won at all costs. She instructed him to go back and intentionally lose. The next day, Chu Xiuming followed her advice and lost every round, yet Lord Situ still seemed displeased.
Frustrated, Chu Xiuming lamented that he was only suited for the battlefield, finding the nuances of pitch-pot—which required an evenly matched game of give and take—far too complex. Shen Jin urged him not to give up. On the third day, Shen Jin, disguised as a young man, accompanied Chu Xiuming. When Lord Situ prepared to play again, she stepped forward, boldly claiming that while she wasn't a master, she had never been defeated.
She engaged Lord Situ in a spirited game that ended in a tie. Thoroughly delighted, Lord Situ declared them kindred spirits and called her 'little brother,' offering his full support for any future needs. Shen Jin accepted the new familial bond by addressing him as 'older brother,' then revealed her true identity as General Chu's wife. Charmed by her cleverness, Lord Situ welcomed her warmly.
Shen Jin then leveraged their new friendship to ask a favor for her "little brother," securing the position of Urban Management Supervisor of the Imperial City for her actual brother-in-law, Chu Xiuyuan. Later, while helping Lord Situ put away the pitch-pot tools in an inner room, Shen Jin noticed a loose floorboard under a shelf that sank when stepped on, making her suspect a hidden chamber. She mentioned it to Chu Xiuming, who dismissed her speculation.
Feeling she had performed a great service, Shen Jin playfully demanded a reward from Chu Xiuming, joking that he should repay her with his body. She then turned serious, explaining that their new life in the Imperial City came with significant expenses, especially after exhausting their savings on renovating the mansion. To maintain the general's dignity and manage household costs, she proposed starting a business.
Deciding that clothing was a lucrative trade, she convinced Chu Xiuming, who gave her his full financial support. Shen Jin, accompanied by her maid Meaty, tirelessly scoured the streets for a suitable shop location. She eventually settled on a riverside spot on Fuheng Street, believing that "water brings wealth." Her brother-in-law, Chu Xiuyuan, in his new capacity as Urban Supervisor, praised her choice as insightful.
When discussing fabrics with Chu Xiuming and Chu Xiuyuan, she considered using unique frontier Eagle cloth, but both men advised her to stick to traditional Han materials more suited for the capital's tastes. Shen Jin agreed to a more conservative approach. As renovations began, Meaty noticed the shop across the street was also preparing to open, but Shen Jin dismissed it as an unlikely coincidence that they would be competitors.
Meanwhile, Chu Xiuming and the Prime Minister had an audience with the Emperor, who praised them both and entrusted the Prime Minister with investigating the matter of military pay. Later, Chu Xiuming visited Shen Jin at her nearly-finished shop with snacks. She gently explained that to avoid gossip and protect her business's independence, he, as a General, should visit less frequently. He reluctantly agreed.
Chu Xiuming also summoned two of his father's former subordinates, inquiring about his father's visit to the capital around the time of the Eighth Prince's death. They recalled his father had gone alone to the residence of the man who was now Emperor, deepening Chu Xiuming's suspicion about the Emperor's role in the past tragedy. Shen Jin visited her mother at Prince Rui's Mansion.
Her mother expressed concern over Shen Jin's focus on the shop and urged her to prioritize having a child, calling it a wife's fundamental duty. Shen Jin reassured her that she and Chu Xiuming were in no rush. Later, Shen Jin's eldest sister, Shen Shu, came to congratulate her on the new shop and confided her own troubles. She revealed that after a miscarriage, an imperial physician had told her conceiving again would be difficult.
The miscarriage had occurred shortly after her husband's cousin, Yun Niang, moved in and gave her a "tonic." Now, Yun Niang was pregnant with Shen Shu's husband's child and, being a relative of the Marchioness, was favored by her mother-in-law, leaving Shen Shu's position in the household precarious. Outraged, Shen Jin vowed to help. She accompanied Shen Shu to her in-laws' mansion, where she was greeted with great respect due to her status as the General's wife.
The pregnant Yun Niang casually addressed Shen Jin as "sister," prompting a sharp rebuke. Feigning ignorance of Yun Niang's identity, Shen Jin questioned the familiarity of a mere concubine. When Shen Shu's husband defended Yun Niang, Shen Jin declared she was unwelcome and turned to leave. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Shu stated she would leave with her sister, citing the humiliation she had endured.
