My Heroic Husband Episode 13 Recap
> My Heroic Husband Recap
Right Chancellor Qin Siyuan, having meticulously prepared for the coming conflict, informed the Emperor that a massive munitions warehouse in Lin'an, filled with black powder and cannons, stood ready for immediate deployment. He stressed that the future prosperity and peace of the Wu Dynasty hinged on their actions now.
Soon after, Minister Liang frantically sought out the Grand Tutor, who, far from being concerned, calmly revealed that the entire situation, including the mission of Commandant Song to Jiangning to collect tributary cloth, had been a calculated performance designed to gain public trust. The news of the court halting the annual tribute and planning a northern expedition quickly reached Jiangning.
The Wu family was plunged into a state of panic; the patriarch was visibly shaken, and Wu Qihao could scarcely believe the devastating blow this dealt to their vast silk reserves, which would now lead to unprecedented losses and difficult times. Meanwhile, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er's elaborate plan was set into motion. They exchanged words, each vowing to make the other the most formidable merchant in Jiangning.
Ning Yi then left the Su's Cloth Store and launched a signal flare into the sky. Across the city, his friends from the Male Virtuousness Academy, who had been operating preserved egg stalls, promptly ceased their sales. In a swift transformation, the preserved egg carts were converted into Su’s cloth stalls.
Ning Yi announced a revolutionary new business model: customers could now select fabrics online and have them delivered offline by "deliverymen" who would retrieve the goods from the flagship store. If unsatisfied, they could visit the main store for a personalized fitting. This novel approach drew immense crowds, and Su's Cloth Store's business boomed.
When Wu Qihao learned of these developments, particularly that Ning Yi had named the new enterprise "Su Ning Yi Buy" by combining his and Su Tan'er's names, he was beside himself with anger. The Wu family's financial woes deepened as hordes of angry silk suppliers, owed money for their earlier high-priced purchases, descended upon the Wu's Cloth Store, demanding immediate payment. Unable to pay, Wu Qihao and his father tried to avoid them.
The situation worsened when representatives from the money shop, to whom Wu Qihao had secretly mortgaged the cloth stores, arrived, threatening to destroy their mansion if the debt wasn't settled. Wu Qihao was cornered. The money shop boss gave him a strict three-day deadline for repayment, even suggesting he try to borrow from the now flourishing Su family. Wu Qihao, feeling pushed to the edge, bitterly accepted the ultimatum.
Ning Yi continued to innovate, introducing a "suit your taste" service that analyzed customer preferences from membership data to offer tailored clothing. He also launched "rating cards" for customer feedback, aiming to improve logistics and eliminate the need for large inventories. Nie Yunzhu meticulously explained these new systems to the staff at Zhuji, highlighting how consultant Yuan Jin'er, through her years at Xinmen Performance House, could even predict fashion trends like the upcoming popularity of "garnet" colored fabrics.
She emphasized the importance of continuous customer feedback for sustained growth. Despite the massive surge in orders, Ning Yi remained composed, revealing his foresight in establishing an efficient production line with advanced weaving machines. When other cloth merchants, feeling threatened by Ning Yi's disruptive practices, protested at his store, Ning Yi was prepared. He presented them with a "Su's Cloth Store Franchise Guidance" manual, inviting them to join his alliance and "make money and be rich together."
Boss Xue was quickly convinced, and soon, other cloth stores began converting into "Su's Dachuan Cloth Store" branches, forming a widespread and prosperous alliance. In their desperation, Wu Qihao and his father sought help from Commandant Song. Song Xian, however, was eager to distance himself from the struggling Wu family, pointedly refusing their hospitality. Wu Qihao, infuriated, confronted Song Xian, accusing him of abandoning them despite their agreement to give him fifty percent of the profits.
Song Xian flatly denied ever receiving any payment. Wu Qihao's father chastised him for his reckless outburst, stressing that Song Xian was their only connection in court and their sole hope if the tributary cloth business were to resume. Meanwhile, Manager Xi, desperate to prove his loyalty to the Wu family, attempted to present Wu Qihao with detailed portraits and information about Ning Yi’s "matrilocal husband alliance" from the Male Virtuousness Academy, accusing them of colluding to inflate silk prices.
However, a preoccupied Wu Qihao, consumed by his own mounting problems, dismissed him without a second thought. Commandant Song, still determined to marry Yuan Jin'er, arrived at Xinmen Performance House. Yuan Jin'er, defiantly seizing her indenture from Procuress Yang, declared her intention to buy her freedom with her fifteen years of earnings and then dramatically leaped into the river, preferring death over forced marriage.
An enraged Commandant Song ordered his men to find her, dead or alive, vowing that she would remain his. Unbeknownst to him, Yuan Jin'er was an adept swimmer and made her way safely to Nie Yunzhu's home. Ning Yi and Li Pin later discussed the escape; Li Pin was impressed by the loyalty of the Xinmen Performance House staff for not exposing Yuan Jin'er's swimming ability.
Ning Yi revealed that even Procuress Yang was in on the plan, having tacitly allowed Yuan Jin'er to escape as part of a strategy Ning Yi had previously devised for her during a meeting at the Male Virtuousness Academy. As Procuress Yang and officials scrambled to locate Commandant Song, Wu Qihao arrived at Xinmen Performance House. He volunteered to enter Song Xian's private room, which the others were hesitant to approach. Upon entering, Wu Qihao found Song Xian unresponsive.
As he moved to light a lamp, the light revealed Song Xian’s lifeless body; he had been murdered. As a city-wide curfew was imposed and officials began their search for the killer, Lu Hongti, the assassin, cleverly hid in one of Ning Yi’s preserved egg carts, which was quickly overlooked by the searching officers due to its smell. Ning Yi, having anticipated her hiding place, found her and provided a carriage and supplies to help her escape the city.
Recalling Ning Yi’s previous request to become her disciple, Lu Hongti, grateful for his help in her escape, finally agreed to take him on and teach him martial arts. Ning Yi immediately accepted, bowing in respect. On his way home, Ning Yi's clothes became wet, prompting a humorous exchange with Li Pin about how his wife always seemed to appear whenever he got wet, as if a "wicked scriptwriter" was conspiring to keep him from other women.
Upon reaching home, Ning Yi found Su Tan'er waiting for him. He quickly excused himself from Li Pin to join his wife, who expressed concern about his damp clothes. Ning Yi promised to teach her about "waterproof cloth" once they were inside their home. Meanwhile, Yuan Jin'er, now free, decided to join Nie Yunzhu in the preserved egg business.
Nie Yunzhu, recalling her own past, shared that Procuress Yang, despite her harshness, had a kind heart and had helped her achieve her freedom. Yuan Jin'er, however, remained steadfast in her desire for self-reliance, declaring that relying on men was not a lasting solution and aspiring to become a powerful female manager like Nie Yunzhu.
Back at the struggling Wu mansion, Wu father, desperate for funds, informed Wu Qihao of his plan to mortgage some of their remaining cloth stores to borrow from the underground money shop. To his dismay, Wu Qihao confessed that he had already done so, leaving them with no more assets to leverage. Enraged, Wu father chased Wu Qihao, determined to beat him. Amidst this chaos, the Su Second Master’s family arrived to reclaim their invested money. Wu father admitted the Wu family had nothing left, but Wu Qihao, ever resourceful, quickly interjected, claiming he knew someone who could provide the necessary funds.
