My Heroic Husband Episode 9 Recap
> My Heroic Husband Recap
Wu Qihao acquired all the silk in Jiangnan, boasting that with the silk in his hands, the Su family would be ruined within three days. Meanwhile, at the Su Cloth Store, Manager Xi reported to Su Tan'er that all the familiar silk merchants had given their orders to the Wu family, leaving almost no silk available in Jiangning. Su Tan'er expressed her frustration, reminding him that they must find silk and not give up easily.
Ning Yi, overhearing their conversation, suggested that the tributary cloth business itself seemed unreliable and might lead to significant losses. Manager Xi's expression subtly changed upon hearing this. Ning Yi lightheartedly proposed that if all else failed, they could sell preserved eggs, a business that wouldn't be easily monopolized. Su Tan'er, determined to uphold the family legacy, dismissed his comments as unhelpful, insisting she would not let the Su Cloth Store fall on her watch.
Unbeknownst to Su Tan'er, Manager Xi secretly met with Wu Qihao. Wu Qihao praised Manager Xi's shrewdness and offered him positions as an owner of several shops under the Wu family, far beyond a mere manager's role, in exchange for his loyalty. Manager Xi, feeling undervalued by Ning Yi and seeing an opportunity for upward mobility, accepted Wu Qihao’s offer.
Later, Manager Xi informed Su Tan'er that he had found a private source of silk in the East Market, though the price was steep. Su Tan'er, desperate, immediately followed him to inspect the goods. At the same time, Ning Yi, still uneasy about the tributary cloth business, visited the Academy of Male Virtuousness.
He sought advice from Kang Xian and Right Chancellor Qin, explaining that while his wife was keen on the business, the lack of an open tender for the historically royal-exclusive tributary cloth and the ongoing northern war between Liang and Jing suggested something was amiss. He reasoned that the current situation should allow their dynasty to profit from the conflict, not increase tribute.
Both Kang Xian and Right Chancellor Qin were impressed by Ning Yi's foresight, which mirrored their own concerns, and urged him to explain his insights to Su Tan'er immediately. Right Chancellor Qin then silently watched him leave. Su Tan'er was led to a private residence, where she was shocked to discover that the silk belonged to Wu Qihao, who had orchestrated the trap.
Wu Qihao boldly admitted to misleading Manager Xi to lure her there, offering all the Jiangning silk, both spot and future goods, if she would cooperate with him. Su Tan'er rejected his offer, asserting that his wealth did not prove his competence and that he was merely riding on his ancestors' glory.
Infuriated by her refusal and her perceived preference for Ning Yi, Wu Qihao grew desperate, confessing his obsession with her and his belief that he was Jiangning's most outstanding businessman, a prodigy praised by all. He lashed out, questioning why she chose a lowly matrilocal son-in-law over him, a man of such talent and influence. As Wu Qihao attempted to force himself on her, Manager Xi stood by the door, revealing his true allegiance to Wu Qihao.
Back home, Ning Yi grew suspicious when Guard Geng mentioned Su Tan'er had gone to the East Market with Manager Xi to check new silk. Knowing that genuine silk was impossible to find in Jiangning, Ning Yi immediately realized Su Tan'er was in danger and rushed to rescue her. He burst into the private residence, ordering Guard Geng to handle Wu Qihao's men while he pursued Wu Qihao, who had fled upstairs.
Ning Yi brutally beat Wu Qihao, leaving him half-dead. Just then, Wu Qihao's father, Old Wu, arrived with Commandant Song, whom he had been entertaining, and intervened, saving Wu Qihao. As Ning Yi led Su Tan'er away, Wu Qihao defiantly swore that the Su family would never acquire another strand of silk in Jiangning. Ning Yi retorted that the Wu family would soon go bankrupt.
Back at the Su family mansion, Su Tan'er, overwhelmed by the ordeal and the stress of the tributary cloth business, broke down crying. Ning Yi gently comforted her, explaining that Manager Xi's betrayal was not her fault, but rather a reflection of his character.
He promised her that such an incident would never happen again and reassured her that he would handle everything related to the two "fools" (referring to Wu Qihao and Manager Xi) and the tributary cloth business, telling her to focus only on eating well, sleeping well, and trusting him. That night, seeing that Su Tan'er was still scared, Ning Yi moved his bedding to the main bedroom and slept on the floor beside her bed, offering her comfort.
The next morning, Su Tan'er, touched by his gesture, quietly left him breakfast, a gesture that warmed Ning Yi's heart, and instructed her maid to keep his bedding in her room. Ning Yi went to the cloth store and announced Manager Xi's departure. He promoted Manager Liao, who had the best performance, to the position of manager.
Ning Yi then instructed Manager Liao to post an announcement at all Su Cloth Store branches: the Su family was willing to purchase any silk orders held by Wu Qihao at ten times the original price, and would even cover the breach of contract fees. Upon seeing this announcement, two silk merchants immediately sought to cancel their contracts with the Wu family, eager for Ning Yi's generous offer.
However, Wu Qihao, still recovering from Ning Yi's beating, furiously appeared and, with Manager Xi's help, used Commandant Song's name and the court's implied backing to threaten the merchants, claiming that the Wu family was destined to be the royal merchant for the tributary cloth. Wu Qihao even boasted that he could pay twenty times the price, though the intimidated merchants hastily agreed to uphold their contracts with him, fearing the wrath of official power.
Ning Yi was exasperated, lamenting that Wu Qihao's foolish arrogance had dragged Commandant Song into the open. When Su Tan'er questioned Ning Yi's seemingly reckless strategy of offering tenfold the price, he explained his elaborate plan. He reasoned that if the court truly needed to pay tribute to Jing, they would require immense quantities of silk. Should the court fail to procure enough, they would inevitably raise prices, ultimately benefiting the merchants.
His calculations showed that their costs would only outweigh their profits if silk prices surged to twenty-five times the initial rate. Su Tan'er worried about competing with the Wu family's vast capital and Commandant Song's backing, fearing the entire cloth store would be lost. Ning Yi calmly stated that losing it all was an acceptable risk. His detailed explanation ultimately convinced Su Tan'er, who exclaimed her approval.
Elsewhere, Nie Yunzhu and her sister Yuan Jin’er were struggling to sell Ning Yi's "preserved eggs," which beggars even shunned for their unusual appearance. Commandant Song, passing by, was captivated by Nie Yunzhu's beauty. He offered to buy all their preserved eggs as an excuse to flirt and take advantage of her.
Yuan Jin’er fiercely protected her sister, unafraid of his official status, and boldly declared her identity as Yuan Jin’er from the Xinmen Brothel, inviting him to seek her out if he wanted trouble, but to leave her sister alone. Commandant Song, intrigued by Yuan Jin'er's spirit, vowed he would indeed seek her out.
