The Romance of Tiger and Rose Episode 1 Recap
> The Romance of Tiger and Rose Recap
Huayuan City was a land where women held power, while men ruled in Xuanhu City. The two cities had long been adversaries, and after a fierce battle, Xuanhu was defeated. As a result, Xuanhu's Young Master, Han Shuo, was sent to marry into Huayuan City. Han Shuo was a handsome and skilled warrior, admired by all who met him, but he suffered from a congenital heart disease, destined not to live past twenty.
As he was already nineteen, many bystanders in Huayuan City lamented his short lifespan, deeming his arrival unlucky. Suddenly, the Third Princess, Chen Qianqian, rode her horse wildly through the streets and crashed into Han Shuo’s procession. Han Shuo's true purpose in marrying into Huayuan City was to obtain the Dragon Bone, a secret treasure of Huayuan renowned for curing all ailments.
To achieve this, he had orchestrated a "hero saves the beauty" scenario, intending to meet and charm the Second Princess, Chen Chuchu, and then manipulate her to acquire the Dragon Bone. However, his plan went awry when Chen Qianqian intervened. Han Shuo inadvertently saved her instead of Chen Chuchu. Chen Qianqian was immediately smitten by his appearance and declared she would marry him the very next day.
Her attendant objected, reminding her that a marriage required the City Owner's approval and that forcefully taking a husband was against custom. Chen Qianqian, known for her unreasonable and unrestrained nature, dismissed the concerns, asserting that she had always gotten what she wanted and would seek her mother’s permission. Han Shuo feigned a severe heart attack, with his attendant pleading for Chen Qianqian to reconsider, citing his terminal illness.
However, Chen Qianqian remained unfazed, instructing her guards to send him to her mansion while he was still alive. Meanwhile, in the modern world, screenwriter Chen Xiaoqian struggled to make ends meet, relying on money for her script. Her historical drama, "The Tiger Sniffing the Rose," was picked up for production, but the lead actor, Mr. Han, raised concerns about the character of Han Shuo.
He questioned the sudden romantic development between Han Shuo and Chen Chuchu, arguing that love required equality, which was absent in the contrasting patriarchal and matriarchal societies of Xuanhu and Huayuan. Mr. Han even labeled his character a "male chauvinist" and implied that Chen Xiaoqian, never having been in a relationship, lacked the experience to write authentic love stories. Initially enraged by Mr. Han's remarks, Chen Xiaoqian’s mood changed when she received a substantial payment for her script.
Motivated by the money, she diligently revised the script day and night, determined to prove her professional skills. After finally completing the perfect ending, she collapsed from exhaustion. When she awoke, she found herself not in her apartment, but inexplicably transported into her own script, embodying the character of the Third Princess Chen Qianqian. To her horror, Chen Qianqian was a notorious, extravagant, and unlearned character, destined to be poisoned by Han Shuo on her wedding day in Episode 3.
She realized she had become the cannon fodder she had created. An attendant then arrived with an embroidered wedding dress, confirming her worst fears: she was in the third episode, and it was her wedding day. She vehemently rejected the dress, calling it a mourning garment, and refused to marry Han Shuo. Back in the script's reality, Han Shuo deduced that someone was intentionally interfering with his plan to connect with Chen Chuchu.
He decided to adapt, instructing his subordinate to allow the marriage to proceed. His new plan was to poison Chen Qianqian that night to eliminate her as an obstacle. He would then proceed with his original strategy: support Chen Chuchu’s rise to power, use her to secure the Dragon Bone to cure his heart disease, and then light the fire beacons on the lookout tower to signal Xuanhu’s army for a full-scale invasion of Huayuan City.
He ordered the execution of those who botched the horse incident as a warning, though his aide mistakenly killed the horse instead of the people involved. Chen Qianqian (Chen Xiaoqian) overheard her attendant, Zi Rui, disparaging Han Shuo as a "worthless person" from a "small city at the border." She quickly reprimanded Zi Rui, warning him that Han Shuo was far more dangerous than he seemed.
She also considered whether dying as Chen Qianqian would allow her to return to her own world. Anxious to get to the "poisoned wine" part of the plot and return home, Chen Qianqian (Chen Xiaoqian) began canceling all the elaborate wedding ceremonies, including the flower parade, the sacrifice to Heaven, and the meeting with the City Owner. She instructed Zi Rui to tell everyone she was "burning with anxiety" and "eager to consummate" the marriage with Han Shuo.
This news reached Chen Chuchu, who, despite the gossip about her sister's impatience, hoped the marriage would finally make Chen Qianqian more mature. Minister Pei, Chen Qianqian's childhood fiancé, also heard the news and dismissively accepted the cancellations, noting Chen Qianqian's lack of regard for tradition.
The City Owner initially found her daughter's actions unruly but ultimately allowed it, hoping that Han Shuo’s fragile health and Chen Qianqian’s impulsive nature might lead to Han Shuo’s early demise, solving a potential problem. In the bridal chamber, Han Shuo’s attendant recited the "seven grounds for lawfully divorcing a man" in Huayuan City, which Han Shuo already knew, and explained the custom of the veil: the woman who removed it would claim him for life.
Despite his disdain for Huayuan's customs, which inverted Xuanhu's gender roles, Han Shuo agreed to comply. However, when the attendant attempted to apply Gecko cinnabar to his arm as a mark of chastity, Han Shuo erupted in fury, feeling it was an intolerable insult. At that moment, Chen Qianqian (Chen Xiaoqian) burst in and stopped the ritual, arguing it was pointless to mark him with temporary cinnabar. She then approached Han Shuo, ready for the next step of the wedding.
Han Shuo suggested they drink to celebrate their marriage. Remembering her script, Chen Qianqian (Chen Xiaoqian) knew the wine was poisoned and eagerly drank, hoping to die and return to her world. However, Han Shuo feigned a cough and subtly swapped their cups. He offered her wine again, but he faked another cough, spilling some. Assuming he was having trouble because his veil was still on, Chen Qianqian reached out and removed it.
To her shock, the face beneath the veil was Mr. Han, the actor from her real world. Stunned, she confronted him, accusing him of being trapped in the script with her and of poisoning the wine. She declared that if she died, she would take him with her. She then called Zi Rui, dramatically accusing Han Shuo of attempted murder and ordering Han Shuo’s entire family line to be executed if she died.
Since she felt no ill effects from the wine or food, she suspected Mr. Han had poisoned his lips. To confirm her theory, she boldly kissed him. Immediately, her tongue grew numb, her vision blurred, and she felt the poison taking hold. As her head swam, she collapsed into Han Shuo's arms, weakly telling him that his poison had a strong, delayed effect. Han Shuo, now genuinely alarmed, quickly called for a doctor.
