General's Lady Episode 4 Recap
> General's Lady Recap
Having overeaten, Shen Jin found herself uncomfortably full, rolling on the bed in discomfort. Chu Xiuming, annoyed by her antics and unable to focus on his book, urged her to get up and walk around to aid her digestion. However, Shen Jin, feeling utterly bloated, protested that she could not move and even playfully suggested he give her a piggyback. He refused, telling her to walk on her own.
With a sigh, Chu Xiuming conceded, untying his waist sash and letting her hold one end as he led her around the moonlit courtyard. The quiet stroll brought a sense of comfort as the night breeze gently brushed past them. The following morning, as Shen Jin was having tea, Meaty delivered a letter from her mother. The letter assured Shen Jin of her mother's well-being and encouraged her to embrace needlework, even including an embroidery design.
Upon seeing it, Shen Jin wistfully remarked on how much she missed her mother's homemade snacks, prompting Meaty to offer to make some for her. Meanwhile, Chu Xiuming was seen anxiously pacing around his chamber, particularly around a large, mysterious pattern hanging on his wall, seemingly preoccupied with an unsolved puzzle. When Chu Xiuming saw the embroidery design, he immediately became tense, ignoring Shen Jin’s playful accusations of him overstepping his boundaries.
He ordered her to accompany him out of the city. Shen Jin initially resisted, questioning why she should obey, but he explained the grave importance of the matter. Seeing his unusual urgency, Shen Jin demanded a condition for her cooperation: she wanted to sleep in his bed, alone, while he took the chaise longue. Chu Xiuming agreed, and they prepared to depart. They arrived swiftly at a secluded tomb.
Shen Jin, who had expected to be taken somewhere pleasant, expressed her unease, fearing that Chu Xiuming might intend to bury her alive, a fate she imagined for his fourth wife. Despite her protests, he led her into a dark secret passage that opened via a hidden mechanism. Inside the subterranean chamber, Chu Xiuming turned his attention to a stone door, studying a pattern on it with a puzzled expression.
Shen Jin recognized the intricate design as the legendary Lock of Falling Flowers and Mandarin Ducks. She explained that due to her father's disfavor and her older sisters' habit of locking her in rooms, she had become an expert in opening various locks. She then recounted the lock's poignant legend: it was crafted by a great thief for the woman he loved, meant to secure a luminous pearl stolen from the palace.
However, the lady died before he could present it, and the heartbroken thief took his own life. The lock, symbolizing their tragic love, was said to be unopenable thereafter. She cheekily asked if he was not afraid that she had fabricated the tale. Chu Xiuming urged Shen Jin to open the lock. After struggling with her hairpin, she asked him to turn around.
She then plucked a strand of his hair, wrapped it around her hairpin, and skillfully opened the lock. When he asked why she used his hair instead of her own, she replied with playful indignation that it would be too painful to pull her own hair and only an idiot would do such a thing. Chu Xiuming fell silent, pondering her reasoning. As the stone door opened, it revealed a dark, chilling chamber.
The dim light of a fire starter illuminated a terrifying, snarling idol. Shen Jin shrieked in fright, accidentally poking Chu Xiuming with her hairpin, causing him to yelp as well. Before they could compose themselves, a swarm of bats swept through. Shen Jin instinctively recoiled into Chu Xiuming's arms, who shielded her and offered his cloak against the cold.
As Chu Xiuming searched the chamber, Shen Jin leaned against a back wall, inadvertently triggering another hidden mechanism that flipped a section of the wall, trapping her in a new area. Hearing her cries, Chu Xiuming followed her into the newly revealed space. Unfortunately, Shen Jin's panicked movements triggered a series of hidden arrow traps. Chu Xiuming swiftly pulled her to the ground and shielded her with his body, kicking away several incoming arrows, though one still grazed his shoulder.
Once the attack subsided, they noticed a coffin. A distinctive groove on its lid perfectly matched a jade pendant Chu Xiuming possessed. He placed the pendant into the slot, and the lid opened, revealing a wooden box containing an imperial seal. Just as Chu Xiuming picked up the seal, the chamber began to violently shake and collapse. With debris falling around them, Chu Xiuming grabbed Shen Jin, and they fled the crumbling structure, returning safely to the mansion.
Back at the mansion, Shen Jin insisted on tending to Chu Xiuming's shoulder wound. As she applied medicine, she observed the numerous scars on his back, a stark reminder of his hardships as a general. She confessed her deep concern, feeling both sorrow for his past suffering and fear of future injuries. Chu Xiuming admitted that no one had ever expressed such genuine concern for him before.
Shen Jin reflected on his surprisingly tolerant nature, a stark contrast to the fearsome "Demon General" of legend. He revealed his lenience was initially a facade to observe her, as he had suspected her of being a spy, and apologized for the misunderstanding. Moved by his admission and his protective actions, Shen Jin countered that he was the "real spy"—a kind devil and a loving general.
Confessing that despite her initial anger at their forced marriage, she had fallen in love with him, she leaned in and kissed him. After the tender moment, a blushing Shen Jin ran off, passing the Vice General who was approaching. In her room, an ecstatic Shen Jin instructed Meaty to prepare wedding candles, eagerly anticipating a proper wedding night. Meanwhile, in his study, Chu Xiuming gazed at the imperial seal, lost in thought.
His Vice General suggested asking Shen Jin directly about the mysterious person seemingly guiding her, but Chu Xiuming dismissed the idea, stating the matter was too significant to involve her further, revealing his growing protectiveness. He opened a secret compartment, placing the seal alongside a plain tablet dedicated to his aunt. He solemnly vowed to uncover the truth behind his aunt's and the Eighth Prince's deaths, believing Shen Jin’s arrival was a new lead.
Later, as Chu Xiuming practiced his sword, painful memories of his parents' tragic deaths flashed through his mind, reinforcing his resolve. His inner turmoil contrasted sharply with Shen Jin's romantic mood, who sat in her room amidst red candles, dreaming of their blossoming intimacy. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Chu Xiuming reflected that if he were to die in battle, he would hope Shen Jin would forgive him, as he would not wish to cause her heartache.
