General’s Lady (将军家的小娘子) is another drama that was recommended to me by a reader. So, I thought why not give it a try since I’m still waiting for Begin Again to be fully released before I start binging on it. I have little information on this historical drama as I have not bothered to look it up in detail. I only know that it is 30 episodes long and it stars Tang Min and Caesar Wu. So, here goes the episode summary as I start watching. Let’s hope I can give the General’s Lady review a high score when I have finished all the 30 episodes.
Contents Table
Episode 1
Shen Jin is one of Duke Rui’s daughters. She is a mischievous and spunky lady who also masquerades as Lord Jin. Her mother is a lowly maid and often gets bullied by her half-sisters and her father’s other consort. The Emperor decrees that the second daughter of the Rui family should be married off to the Earl of Yongning, General Chu Xiu Ming. But General Chu has a notorious reputation as a demonic general.
Shen Zi doesn’t want to marry General Chu and argues that Shen Jin is the second daughter as they were born at about the same time. They fight over it and Shen Jin’s mother is being bullied into submission. Shen Jin gets fed-up and agrees to the marriage to protect her mother. With the marriage to an earl, she would have a title and the family would not be able to bully her mother anymore.
On the way to General Chu’s residence, their convoy is ambushed by the Falcon Tribe. A bloody fight ensues. Shen Jin and her maid, Rou Rou, hide themselves in the woods. A masked general appears and defeats the enemies with his troops. Then, they just leave without bothering about Shen Jin and Rou Rou. The 2 ladies have to walk all the way to General Chu’s residence.
Shen Jin then sneaks in when no one opens the door for them. She sees General Chu in his study and thinks he is just an aide until his subordinates start to address him. General Chu is cautious as the previous 3 ladies sent to him were spies.
Episode 2
Shen Jin thinks General Chu doesn’t really like her. Rou Rou also tells her the rumors about his 3 dead wives. But Shen Jin has to stay because the marriage is ordered by the Emperor. Bao Zi Tou reports to General Chu that a spy is found among the wedding entourage.
Shen Jin is mad that General Chu suspects that she is a spy. She is bored staying confined and wants to teach him a lesson. Shen Jin swallows a fake death pill. She reckons that if she really dies, General Chu would be in trouble with the Emperor and his reputation will be tarnished. Rou Rou rushes to inform General Chu that Shen Jin has ingested poison. 2 Falcon Tribe members are trying to kidnap her. She blindly follows them thinking that they are sent by General Chu to escort her.
Shen Jin’s Jade Pendant
General Chu tails them thinking that she is a spy. But he realizes his mistake after listening to their conversation. The pill takes effect and Shen Jin appears dead. General Chu saves her and carries her home. She awakens and the general notices her jade pendant. He snatches it from her and then locks her in her room. Shen Jin easily picks the lock and escapes. She takes General Chu’s horse and ventures out. But the guards stops her from leaving the city and accuses her of stealing the general’s horse.
Bao Zi Tou arrives to bring her back home. She is mad and threatens to report to the Emperor that General Chu has yet to marry her as decreed. She demands him to fulfill 3 conditions to soothe her anger. Shen Jin wants the freedom to come and go as she wishes. She also wants to ride his horse out of the city to redeem her pride after being stopped by the guards. However, she hasn’t thought of her 3rd wish yet.
General Chu rides with Shen Jin to get out of the city and enjoy the sights. Rou Rou thinks she looks different after the outing. Shen Jin remembers her pendant and wants to get it back. She tells General Chu that the pendant is from her mother but holds back on other information claiming that her memory is foggy. She demands for delicious food to recall what her mother had told her. General Chu gives her a 3-day deadline.
Episode 3
Shen Jin sees General Chu quietly leaving his residence. She looks for her pendant in his study but couldn’t find it. The Falcon Tribe has entered the city. Some are attacking their residence. General Chu is not around and Chu Xiu Yuan doesn’t know what to do. Shen Jin tells him to take the troops to protect the city while she will handle the attack on their residence.
General Chu is in a secret chamber. He tries to open a door but it refuses to budge. He takes out Shen Jin’s pendant and concludes she isn’t a spy but is sent by someone who is secretly helping him. Shen Jin puts on General Chu’s armor and mask to scare the attackers to buy time while the maids wave flags behind walls to give the impression an army is nearby. Just when the attackers realize she is a fake, General Chu appears and kills all of them.
The maids and Bao Zi Tou are impressed with Shen Jin’s bravery and wits. They celebrate with wine and Shen Jin becomes drunk. She demands from General Chu to have his bed which is much more comfortable than hers. He leaves her sleeping in his bedroom for the night.
Lord Liu warns the Emperor that General Chu is a threat with his military power and he might exploit Shen Lin to create trouble. The Emperor sends the court artist to observe and paint General Chu and his wife’s daily life to satisfy the minister. General Chu and Shen Jin agree that they should be husband and wife in name only. They will share his bedroom. Shen Jin has to sleep on the bench. They take turns to play pranks and outwit one another while pretending to be married in front of the court artist.
Episode 4
Shen Jin is having indigestion after being outwitted by General Chu and has to finish all the food during the dinner with the court artist. He then takes pity on her and leads her out for a walk to help with her indigestion.
Shen Jin’s mother sends her a letter and an embroidery pattern. General Chu notices that the pattern resembles the one in the secret chamber. He brings her there. It is beneath a tomb in the forest. Shen Jin manages to pick the lock for them to enter the next room. There are booby traps and General Chu protects her from flying arrows with one grazing his back. They then come across a coffin. General Chu places Shen Jin’s pendant on a groove and it opens up. He retrieves a seal from the coffin.
Back home, Shen Jin helps him to tend to his wound. She is moved by all the scars on his body. She tells him that she understands why he has to be known as a demonic general. That is because he needs to scare off enemies and protect the country. Shen Jin finds that the real General Chu is very different from the one that she has heard. She admits that she has fallen for him. He also apologizes for suspecting her to be a spy. She kisses him. She runs off when there is a knock on the door.
Shen Jin is happy and planning to consummate their marriage that night. She is waiting for him but General Chu is thinking of his late parents who died during an attack when he was a kid. He wants to investigate the truth and also writes a divorce letter for Shen Jin.
Episode 5
Shen Jin has fallen asleep while waiting for General Chu. He leaves Shen Jin’s pendant and the divorce letter next to her. When she awakens, she is disappointed and refuses to divorce. General Chu insists that he wants to focus on his career and has no time for a relationship. Shen Jin doesn’t believe that he has no feelings for her. General Chu leaves his mansion to go to his barracks.
The court artist is bribed by Lord Liu to tell the Emperor that General Chu has scouts in the royal court. The Emperor orders deliveries to be stopped from going to the general’s mansion. A man is looking for Lord Jin.
Shen Jin signs up as a recruit to get into General Chu’s barracks. Bai Zi Tou helps her during training by making things easy for her. General Chu is also worried that she may be hurt while training with dangerous weapons. He picks her out to practice with him personally. Xiu Yuan also tells Shen Jin that General Chu is worried about her safety but she assures him that she knows what she is doing.
Shen Jin’s presence at the camp causes inconvenience when it comes to bathing and sleeping arrangements. But she refuses General Chu’s request to share his tent since he has divorced her. He promises to let her have anything she wishes as long as she doesn’t mess around. So, she asks for wine which is forbidden in the camp. He brings her out to the woods and she drinks until she is drunk. Then, she begins to cry that he doesn’t care about her.
Shen Jin runs off to the lake and starts removing her clothes to take a bath. General Chu doesn’t dare to look at her. She then falls into the water.
Episode 6
General Chu saves Shen Jin and gives her a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. She wakes up and scolds him for taking advantage of her to his exasperation. She complains that she is now homeless with the divorce and her mother would be worried. General Chu promises to explain to her family and take the blame. He then carries her back to his tent as she falls asleep.
General Chu’s housekeeper, Qing Qiu, is preparing longevity noodles for him as it is his birthday. Rou Rou offers to send it to the barracks so that she can see Shen Jin. Xiao Cong misses Xiu Yuan and wants to go with Rou Rou but is told to stay back to help Qing Qiu. Shen Jin awakes and is happy that General Chu has prepared a hangover concoction for her to drink. She apologizes for her drunken behavior.
Shen Jin is happy to see Rou Rou. When she finds out it is General Chu’s birthday, she asks Bai Zi Tou and Xiu Yuan for ammunitions to prepare fireworks for a celebration. Both of them turn her down. General Chu is angry and accuses Shen Jin of causing him trouble at the camp. She gets mad and divorces him for being heartless. After Shen Jin leaves, General Chu begins to miss her.
The Emperor is suspicious that General Chu has driven Shen Jin away although he decreed them to wed. He orders Xiao Su, the Commander of the Imperial Army, to quietly investigate. Xiao Su brings Shen Jin back to the barracks. The Emperor has made her the supervisor to inspect General Chu’s army.
Episode 7
Shen Jin tries to show who is in charge when she arrives at the barracks. She also learns that the soldiers have been farming to support themselves because they have not been paid for 2 years. General Chu disagrees with some of her suggestions and she is furious that he is scornful towards her. Xiao Su and Shen Jin are old friends and she treats him like a brother.
Lord Liu wants to usurp the throne but has to get rid of General Chu first. He plans to use the military pay issue to frame the general for embezzlement.
Shen Jin challenges General Chu to a contest to free themselves after being handcuffed underwater. Shen Jin could easily unlock herself but General Chu chooses to do nothing because he knows she will save him. She has to kiss him to give him air. He admits he will also save her if she is in danger. Shen Jin is frustrated that he obviously loves her but is unwilling to admit it.
Rou Rou teaches Shen Jin to play the dutiful wife when they return to the mansion. General Chu’s heart softens. He gives her a token that can be used to escape punishment at the barracks. Xiao Su has a tiff with General Chu when the former sees some kids being sent out at night. General Chu is jealous when Xiao Su is seen having a meal with Shen Jin. He orders Xiu Yuan to do a check on Xiao Su.
Xiao Su enters a forbidden area and is caught. Shen Jin gives up her token to help Xiao Su to escape punishment. General Chu is angry. The forbidden area turns out to be a place for orphans whose parents were rebels. Shen Jin feels guilty for misunderstanding General Chu.
Episode 8
During a troops gathering, Shen Jin and Xiao Su apologize to General Chu but the latter is still angry. He is also jealous when Shen Jin and Xiao Su seem to be close to each other. General Chu throws a fit after drinking and orders everyone to stop referring to Shen Jin as his wife.
The next morning, General Chu regrets what he has done while Shen Jin has gone missing. He asks Xiao Su about her whereabouts. Xiao Su tells him that Shen Jin has never cared for another man the way she cares for him and is even learning military matters so that she can help him.
General Chu searches everywhere for Shen Jin. He is in the bush field and screams that he shouldn’t have divorced her. He did so because he doesn’t want her to be sad if anything were to happen to him. General Chu was also afraid that she has become his weakness and he fears losing her. He is also jealous. Shen Jin steps out after his rant. They hug each other tightly. Shen Jin informs him that Xiao Su and Rou Rou are lovers and they all grew up together.
General Chu and Xiao Su become friends. Xiao Su is willing to work for General Chu. They will trap the enemy behind the missing military pay. Shen Jin and Rou Rou buy a gift each for General Chu and Xiao Su respectively at the bazaar. Xiao Su helps General Chu to capture the spy in his ranks. He then has to leave for the capital to report back to the Emperor. Rou Rou is miserable over the separation. Shen Jin and General Chu have to keep their distance to avoid hurting Rou Rou and can only date in secret.
Episode 9
Xiao Su reports to the Emperor that General Chu is loyal and there are spies around him. The Emperor wants Xiao Su to investigate and protect General Chu. Xiao Su will have to hide his identity to avoid attention. The captured spy refuses to talk and kills himself when questioned by General Chu.
The Falcon Tribe signs a peace agreement. General Zuo tries to influence the Emperor that it could be a trap. The Emperor agrees to his request for further investigation. Shen Jin overhears Xiu Yuan telling General Chu that the Emperor has executed Xiao Su. But unbeknownst to Shen Jin, it is merely a ruse. Shen Jin finds it hard to tell Rou Rou that Xiao Su is dead.
Xiao Cong sews a robe for Xiu Yuan. He fails to see that she likes him. Xiu Yuan gives it to Bai Zi Tou instead which disappoints Xiao Cong. Shen Jin finally tells Rou Rou about Xiao Su. Rou Rou is devastated. General Chu and Xiao Su return home to find them drinking on the rooftop. They bring them down to safety. General Chu shields Shen Jin from a falling wine far and hurts his back. When Shen Jin tends to his wound, he promises that he will never do silly things again such as divorcing her.
Rou Rou is glad that Xiao Su is back and their relationship deepens. She kisses him on the cheek. The Falcon Tribe princess, Maya, is impressed with General Chu’s martial art skills. She wants to stay with him for a few days. Shen Jin is jealous to find her at the mansion. She sends General Chu back to the barracks to prevent Maya from getting close to him. She brings Maya shopping and drinking. Both of them end up drunk.
Episode 10
Maya readily moves to an inn as per Shen Jin’s suggestion. Shen Jin and Rou Rou don’t believe that Maya would give up General Chu so easily. General Chu brings Shen Jin to the night market and carries her to watch a street performance among the crowd.
Shen Jin asks Rou Rou to eavesdrop on Maya’s conversation with her father. Rou Rou listens to part of it and reports that Maya wants to marry General Chu. Shen Jin is worried that General Chu will be ordered to marry Maya. Hence, she wants him to matchmake Maya with Xiu Yuan instead. General Chu disagrees as he cannot allow Xiu Yuan to leave the country. Shen Jin is angry with his refusal.
Xiao Cong is unhappy that Xiu Yuan may marry Maya. Bai Zi Tou comforts her and thinks Xiao Cong likes him. Shen Jin schemes to lock up Xiu Yuan and Maya together. But she feels guilty and turns back to release them only to see General Chu there. He is sparring with Maya and their close proximity angers Shen Jin.
Xiu Yuan advises his brother to share his burdens with his wife. General Chu is reluctant as he doesn’t want her to worry. Shen Jin refuses to see General Chu until she overhears his conversation with Qing Qiu. She has misunderstood him. Shen Jin looks for him at the barracks and they make up. She tells him that she is willing to wait until he is ready to open up to her. General Chu kisses her then.
When they return to the mansion. Maya is leaving with Yuan’er who is their servant. Shen Jin is surprised that they are a couple. General Chu promises Shen Jin that he belongs only to her and they share a kiss.
Episode 11
Xiao Cong tries to confess her feelings for Xiu Yuan but fails. The Emperor is informed that General Chu is having marital conflicts and his soldiers have not been paid. His daughter, Princess Jiu’er, is heartbroken because he forbids her from having a relationship with a palace guard. So, he orders her to visit General Chu to relax her mind as well as to observe his marital situation.
Both General Chu and Shen Jin decide that it is time for them to be properly married after all the misunderstandings. While Shen Jin desires a grand wedding, General Chu only wants a private affair. He tells Shen Jin that there are spies around and Xiao Su is supposed to be dead. Hence, they can’t be too high profile as that would court danger. Shen Jin reluctantly agrees to a private wedding.
A wedding is held and they are officially married. Then, General Chu receives news that Princess Jiu’er will be visiting. He tells Xiao Su not to let Shen Jin know as it will be hard for her to endure another woman staying with them. But Xiao Su tells Rou Rou who reports back to Shen Jin. Shen Jin decides to approach Princess Jiu’er directly and relates her love story with General Chu. The princess is moved and tells Shen Jin her tragic tale in return. She is in love with a palace guard but her father disallows it. The guard is tortured and then expelled from the palace after she pleaded with her father to spare his life.
Shen Jin tries to encourage Princess Jiu’er as the latter misses her lover terribly. Princess Jiu’er thinks she will feel even worse when she sees Shen Jin and General Chu being so loving. Shen Jin promises to help her heal her wound.
Episode 12
General Chu doesn’t want Princess Jiu’er to stay at his mansion as he is afraid of hurting Shen Jin’s feelings. But when Princess Jiu’er arrives, Shen Jin contradicts General Chu about their loving relationship and welcomes her to stay with them. Xiao Su tells General Chu that Shen Jin could be testing him again. On the other hand, Shen Jin tells Rou Rou that she doesn’t want to make the same mistake that she did with Maya and she will help the princess to find her true love.
Shen Jin avoids General Chu’s show of affections so as not to hurt the lovelorn princess. He thinks that Shen Jin is pushing him to the princess to his frustration. But Shen Jin is just trying to fool everyone to buy time for Princess Jiu’er to elope. The next step is to help the princess to get money so that she can lead an easier life after running away from the palace. So, Shen Jin schemes to get money from the Emperor. Xiu Yuan starts to doubt Shen Jin’s character. General Chu is sad that his wife is money-minded but his love for her remains unchanged. He asks Xiu Yuan to investigate.
General Chu injures himself to get a valuable herb to help Shen Jin to raise the money that she wants. When General Chu visits the doctor, he notices terminal illness prescriptions written out for Shen Jin. He assumes she is going to die and what she has been doing is to prepare for his life after her death. Princess Jiu’er introduces her lover, Su Chen, to Shen Jin. She is so happy that her plan has succeeded. Shen Jin and General Chu both look for each other. They are back to being a loving couple.
Episode 13
General Chu still thinks that Shen Jin has terminal illness which makes him love her more deeply. He realizes Shen Jin has fooled everyone when Xiao Su reports to him that Princess Jiu’er has a lover but the Emperor has allowed the man to live while letting his daughter out of the palace. He pretends to have arrested Su Chen to make Shen Jin come clean with him. Xiu Yuan reminds General Chu to treat his wife well.
Shen Jin has planned to fake Princess Jiu’er’s death to help her to escape with her lover but it would be a problem if the Emperor wants back her corpse. General Chu helps Shen Jin to come up with a better plan. Princess Jiu’er is grateful for General Chu and Shen Jin’s help. She gives Shen Jin her rouge as a souvenir. She says that it is a gift from someone closest to her.
The next day, they leave for the mountains on the pretext of celebrating a festival. General Chu stops a maid from following Princess Jiu’er. The Emperor is then informed that the princess has fallen off the cliff and died. He hopes she will live well.
General Chu notices that the rouge given to Shen Jin contains some words on its casing. The clue allows him to retrieve some Falcon Tribe medication from the hollow seal obtained from the secret chamber earlier. Lord Liu is suspicious as the Emperor is not investigating Princess Jiu’er’s death and General Chu isn’t punished. General Chu goes to the Falcon land to check out the medication. Shen Jin tags along with Rou Rou to shop. Xiu Yuan keeps them safe.
Episode 14
General Chu couldn’t find any clues about the medication. He recalls his aunt who taught him to protect those he loves. He vows to investigate the truth. Xiu Yuan, Shen Jin, and Rou Rou are at restaurant. They encounter bullies and get to know Hute and his younger sister, Tarou who falls in love with Xiu Yuan at first sight. General Chu arrives and thanks them for saving his wife. He hides his identity from them to prevent trouble. But Rou Rou lets slip about General Chu’s real identity during a drinking bout.
Tarou asks Xiu Yuan to take a walk with her. She confesses that she likes him but he is clueless on how to react. General Chu is attacked but he defeats the enemies. Xiu Yuan and Tarou are just around the corner. Tarou chases after the attackers and finds out that it is her brother who is involved. General Chu decides to leave the place at dawn. But a larger group of attackers stop them. He asks Xiu Yuan to bring Shen Jin and Rou Rou away while he holds off the enemies. He finds out that it is Hute who is after them.
Xiu Yuan is injured and gets captured while fending off the attackers who have caught up with them. Shen Jin steps out of her hiding place. Both of them are taken prisoners and locked up. General Chu catches up with Rou Rou who tells him what happened. He asks her to look for Maya but she could only leave a note as Maya isn’t around. Tarou learns from Hute that General Chu is the one who had killed their father during the war. Xiu Yuan tricks Tarou to steal her hairpin for Shen Jin to pick the lock. But they are found out.
Episode 15
General Chu receives a note to meet Hute who accuses him of killing his father. He tells Hute to let go of the hatred and that his own parents were also killed by the Falcon Tribe. Maya arrives and orders Hute to stop as the war is over. Hute relents and releases Shen Jin and Xiu Yuan.
General Chu thanks Maya for her help. Maya is already pregnant with Yuan’er’s child. General Chu also asks Maya for a top herbalist who tells him what the medication is. It is related to the 8th Prince’s death. Xiu Yuan rejects Tarou’s request to follow him. He also tells her that he doesn’t love her. Tarou then goes missing. Hute angrily tells Xiu Yuan and General Chu about his missing sister. When they find Tarou, Hute promises her that he will treat her better and let go of his hatred.
Back home, Xiao Su reports to General Chu that his enemies have petitioned to the Emperor to investigate his trumped up embezzlement. General Chu orders Xiao Su to prepare the embezzlement evidence to flush out the enemies. He also relates to Shen Jin about his late aunt. He gives her the jade pendant that his aunt had left him.
General Chu is busy and asks Xiu Yuan to take care of Shen Jin. Shen Jin agrees with Rou Rou that it is improper for her to get so close to Xiu Yuan. She confronts General Chu who laughs it off. He tells her that Xiu Yuan’s mother was his aunt while his father was the 8th Prince as well as Crown Prince. They were killed in a fire. General Chu’s father then quietly brought Xiu Yuan to the border. General Chu now intends to go to the capital with Shen Jin.
Episode 16
General Chu and Shen Jin return to the capital with Xiu Yuan and Rou Rou. Duke Rui receives news that General Chu is returning as a criminal. Bai Zi Tou thinks Xiao Cong misses Shen Jin and tries to comfort her. He still assumes that Xiao Cong likes him.
General Chu faces the Emperor. Lord Liu lists out his crime of pocketing the military pay and inflating his troop numbers. General Chu clarifies that the pay is too little for the soldiers to support themselves. Hence, he inflates the numbers to get more money for the soldiers and gives everything back to them in the name of the Emperor. The soldiers would then be willing to protect the country. The Emperor agrees with what General Chu has done and he will investigate the soldiers’ pay issue. He also promotes General Chu to become the General of Swift Calvary.
Shen Jin arrives back at Duke Rui’s mansion to see her mother. Her step-sisters bully her again. They get her to sweep the yard and prepare dinner for their father. Shen Jin cleverly prepares skewers which impresses Duke Rui as it is something new. Her step-sisters are angry that their plan to create trouble for Shen Jin didn’t work. They then claim that her meat has caused them stomachache and force Shen Jin to eat rotten meat in return. But General Chu turns up then and puts them in their place. Shen Zi wants revenge when their eldest sister returns for their father’s birthday. Duke Rui is happy to have General Chu as his son-in-law.
Lord Liu reports to a hooded man that the Emperor has promoted General Chu. He is instructed to lie low for now.
Episode 17
During Duke Rui’s birthday meal, Shen Zi tries to use a painting to embarrass General Chu and Shen Jin. Shen Zi thinks that General Chu is an illiterate. But he turns the tables on her by proving that the painting is a fake. Shen Zi is the one who is embarrassed instead. She then instigates her father’s new concubine, Lady Bai, to make things hard for Shen Jin.
Shen Jin doesn’t have a good impression of Lady Bai who has no respect for her mother. Although Shen Jin is tired of all the schemings, she intends to stay at Duke Rui’s mansion as she is afraid that her mother will be bullied. General Chu assures her of his love and support.
Lady Bai sends her maid over with some desserts. The maid insists that Shen Jin should have a taste as instructed. Shen Jin is furious and refuses. General Chu appears and takes a bite instead to send the maid away. He speculates that either Lady Bai wants her friendship or she is showing who is the boss in the mansion. He advises Shen Jin not to be angry as these are not the work of smart people.
Shen Jin is again bullied by her half-sisters when choosing fabric for their dresses. General Chu calms her down and brings her shopping instead. Shen Jin notices Lady Bai entering an inn. They choose a fur scarf for her eldest half-sister, Shen Shu, who doesn’t seem happy. Shen Shu is secretly having problems with her husband. When Shen Jin visits her, a doctor happens to be there for her treatment. Shen Shu asks the doctor to check out Shen Jin as well. The doctor then checks out General Chu’s pulse. Shen Jin could have a problem conceiving.
Episode 18
General Chu is frustrated that he has to abstain from sex with Shen Jin. Rou Rou misses Xiao Su who is on a secret mission. Shen Jin is suspicious of Lady Bai and tails her. Lady Bai purposely leads Shen Jin to an alley to be beaten up by thugs. General Chu appears and saves his wife who tells him about her suspicion. He too has seen someone around the mansion and will investigate the matter.
Shen Jin catches Lady Bai’s maid sending a man off from the mansion. The maid claims he is her cousin. Valuables have been missing from the residence. Shen Jin continues to keep tabs on Lady Bai who is afraid that Shen Jin may be suspicious of her. Lady Bai uses Shen Jin’s name to lure General Chu to an inn. Shen Jin follows her. When she sees Lady Bai with General Chu, she knows it is a set-up and tells her so. General Chu knows it too but turns up to see what Lady Bai is up to.
Xiu Yuan tails Lady Bai and reports to General Chu that she has a lover. They set a trap for her and catches her for adultery. She tries to lay the blame on the man who turns around and accuses her instead. But the valuables stolen from the mansion is enough to convince Duke Rui. Both Lady Bai and her lover are arrested. Duke Rui asks them to keep quiet about the scandal.
General Chu and Shen Jin move to their new residence in the capital. Shen Zi is still angry and jealous of Shen Jin. General Chu needs to establish friendships with other officials especially Lord Situ. Shen Jin advises him to approach Lord Situ through his hobby which is throwing arrows into pots.
Episode 19
General Chu tries to get into the good books of Lord Situ. He gives him a set of pitch-pot arrows but still fails to earn his friendship when he defeats him in every round during a game. Shen Jin advises General Chu to lose the next time they play. This time, General Chu intentionally loses every round. Shen Jin is exasperated as that would be too obvious to Lord Situ. So, she follows General Chu on his next visit and impresses Lord Situ who acknowledges her as his sister. She also notices the entrance to a secret chamber in Lord Situ’s residence.
Shen Jin is worried that General Chu’s salary would not be able to support their lifestyle in the capital. She plans to open a fabric shop in the city to supplement their income and General Chu is supportive of her decision. Shen Jin becomes too busy with the store opening that she has little time for General Chu. She also doesn’t want him to come to the store often to prevent others from knowing that he is related to the business.
The Emperor tells Lord Situ and General Chu that he is glad to have them as his assistants. He delegates the military pay issue to Lord Situ to handle. General Chu finds out from his father’s ex-subordinates that his father had met with the Emperor prior to the 8th Prince’s death.
Shen Shu relates to Shen Jin that she has had a miscarriage because her husband’s concubine, Yun’niang, had poisoned her. Yun’niang is now expecting and Shen Shu is afraid of her future as she is not favored by her husband, Marquis Wang, anymore. Shen Jin drops by to show her displeasure towards Yun’niang before leaving. Shen Shu asks Shen Jin to take her along.
Episode 20
Marquis Wang and Yun’niang have to give face to Shen Jin due to her status as an earl’s wife. Shen Jin demands more respect from them towards Shen Shu. She also wants Shen Shu to be given the right to bring up Yun’niang’s child. Yun’niang has to agree when the topic of Shen Shu’s miscarriage is brought up. Shen Shu is grateful to Shen Jin for standing up for her but Marquis Wang is not too happy about it. She also advises Shen Jin to have a baby.
Shen Jin discusses it with General Chu who gives her no pressure to conceive. Her store finally opens but there is a competitor opposite hers which is selling the same goods at a lower price. Shen Jin and Rou Rou then bump into Wu Ruo Nan who is their childhood friend. Ruo Nan tells them later that she is their competitor to Shen Jin’s annoyance.
Xiu Yuan is now the market supervisor and informs all the fabric stores about a bid for a palace order. General Chu explains to Shen Jin that it is not right for him to help her. Xiu Yuan recognizes Ruo Nan as the girl who had saved him from falling off a cliff when they were kids. He wants to woo her. Shen Jin willingly helps him to pick a gift for the girl he is interested in without knowing that she is Ruo Nan.
Shen Jin needs to stock up in case she wins the palace bid but is also worried about surplus inventory if her bid fails. She tells her husband she could probably sell it to prominent families in the capital but he is not too comfortable if his wife is seen selling wares to everyone. But he is still supportive of her decision.
Episode 21
Xiu Yuan meets Ruo Nan and brings her gifts. She accepts only the hairpin. He assures her that he will be fair in the bidding process and confesses his love for her. Xiu Yuan asks for a chance. Ruo Nan agrees to meet him daily to get to know him better first. The Emperor orders Lord Situ to investigate the military pay embezzlement case further. They will need to relieve General Chu’s military command first before eliminating him if he is found guilty.
General Chu asks Xiao Su to investigate the fire that occurred at the 8th Prince’s mansion. Shen Jin notices Xiu Yuan going into Ruo Nan’s store again. She goes there to confront them and ends up arguing with Ruo Nan about her unfair pricing which is spoiling the market for the sellers. Xiu Yuan is helpless as both women get angry with each other. General Chu cheers his wife up back home.
Xiu Yuan tells General Chu about Ruo Nan and that he wants to marry her. General Chu disagrees due to Xiu Yuan’s identity and that he should focus on his mission. He meets Ruo Nan to warn her to stay away from Xiu Yuan. Shen Jin sees them leaving the shop together and subsequently misunderstands Ruo Nan’s message. She thinks Ruo Nan and General Chu are childhood sweethearts and becomes angry with her husband.
Ruo Nan tells Xiu Yuan that she doesn’t want to see him anymore. Xiu Yuan is unhappy. When Shen Jin asks Xiu Yuan about General Chu’s childhood sweetheart, she realizes that she has made a mistake. But she doesn’t agree with what her husband has done and tries to help Xiu Yuan. Shen Jin ends up quarreling with General Chu over the issue as they have a different opinion.
Episode 22
Shen Jin decides to help Xiu Yuan to propose marriage to Ruo Nan while General Chu feels that he shouldn’t give in on this issue. The next day, Shen Jin proposes marriage and asks Ruo Nan about her feelings for Xiu Yuan. But Ruo Nan tells her that she carries much burden as she has to support some old folks and their families who had helped to raise her as a kid when she was a goods escort. Ruo Nan has an ambition to elevate more poor people which earns Shen Jin’s admiration and respect.
General Chu is a little jealous that Shen Jin seems enamored by Ruo Nan. Xiu Yuan is not giving up but this time, Shen Jin tells him that he is being too impatient and he may not be deserving of Ruo Nan. Xiu Yuan is not happy hearing it. Ruo Nan is also still cautious of the relationship. Xiao Su couldn’t find out much about the 8th Prince’s case although there are rumors about the Emperor. But he tells General Chu that the Emperor cares for the people and is a sharp man despite appearing otherwise. General Chu assures Xiao Su that he just wants to know how his aunt died.
Big Quarrel
General Chu sees Shen Jin getting close to Ruo Nan and they quarrel over it. Back home, he tries to apologize but Shen Jin becomes irritated when he mentions that he is tired of having to coax her all the time. She leaves home to go to Ruo Nan’s store. General Chu asks her to go home with him. She refuses and they quarrel again with divorce being mentioned in anger. Xiu Yuan also appears and tells Ruo Nan that he will not bother her but will wait for her instead.
Shen Jin goes back to her mother. Shen Zi tries to rub it in about her sudden return. General Chu assures his mother-in-law that it is his fault for angering Shen Jin and will bring her back home once she has calmed down. Shen Jin is in a bad mood when Rou Rou tells her that General Chu doesn’t want anyone to remind him of his wife.
Episode 23
Shen Shu invites Shen Jin to her mansion. Her 2 other half-sisters insist on tagging along. Shen Zi tries to provoke Shen Jin. Her eldest sister slaps her for it. The situation worsens when an impulsive Shen Zi slaps Shen Jing and accidentally scratches her face. Duke Rui’s consort arrives and orders Shen Zi to go home. Shen Zi pushes Shen Jin in anger and the latter hits her belly against the table.
The imperial doctor is called. General Chu arrives and Marquis Wang relates to them what happened. He learns that Shen Jin is pregnant. She is still angry with him and refuses to go back to their mansion. General Chu puts out an order that Shen Zi is barred from from his mansion although that would scare away prospective suitors.
Shen Jin is ordered to rest in bed. Duke Rui’s consort reprimands Concubine Xu when the latter defends her daughter. She reminds her that General Chu won’t be merciful if Shen Jin miscarries. Shen Jin is feeling bored at home and sneaks out with Rou Rou who gets Xiao Su to join them at the restaurant. Shen Jin is not happy to see them so loving and leaves. General Chu is waiting for her at the entrance. He hugs her and tells her that he misses her. But she is still annoyed with him.
Xiu Yuan is teaching the village kids that Rou Nan is helping to support but still maintains his distance. She is touched with his generosity. General Chu visits Shen Jin and brings her her favorite food. Rou Rou is trying to get Xiao Su to propose but he is clueless about what she wants him to ask. Xiu Yuan is still quietly pursuing Rou Nan by leaving her some food.
Episode 24
General Chu indulges Shen Jin and stays with her at Duke Rui’s mansion. Shen Jin’s mother pushes her to go back home. Shen Jing asks for permission to visit Shen Jin at her mansion but is turned down. She claims that she just wants to get close to Shen Jin but the latter is not keen to entertain her.
The ministers pressure Lord Liu to seize the opportunity to defeat General Chu but is told that the time is not ripe yet. Lord Situ asks the Emperor for more time to investigate General Chu. The Emperor agrees but also orders General Chu to be sent back to guard the border.
Xiu Yuan is teaching the kids again. Ruo Nan finally agrees to accept his love. Shen Shu is also pregnant but is reluctant to go home to her husband. Marquis Wang shows up and asks her not to worry too much as her maid brings up Shen Shu’s previous miscarriage and the suspicions of the people involved. It would save Marquis Wang from admitting that he has been swindled by a woman and indirectly killing his own child.
General Chu objects to Xiu Yuan and Ruo Nan’s relationship but Shen Jin successfully persuades him to give his blessings. Shen Jin is happy that she can now unite her business with Ruo Nan’s. General Chu disallows a bored Shen Jin from going out. She tries to climb over a wall but is caught by General Chu. Distant relatives also try to convince Shen Jin to accept their daughters as General Chu’s concubines. She turns them down.
General Chu invites his mother-in-law to his mansion to stay with Shen Jin to surprise her. But he has to leave to go back to the border and she is already going to miss him.
Episode 25
General Chu takes orders from the Emperor to return to the border to take care of some rebels although there is not enough funds in the Treasury to supply the soldiers. Shen Jin misses him and feels bored at home. General Chu arrives at the border and Bai Zi Tou reports to him that the rebels are becoming stronger. Maya is also asking for help to defeat them.
Ruo Nan visits Shen Jin with a little girl from the village. She brings along a plant that has been growing in abundance behind the village and tended to by Uncle Hua. Shen Jin asks Ruo Nan to bring her to take a look and then proceeds to her fabric store. She proposes to Ruo Nan to merge their businesses.
A pregnant woman appears at Duke Rui’s mansion claiming to be carrying General Chu’s baby. Shen Jin unmasks her trickery and she reveals that she has been in contact with Shen Zi’s servant. Duke Rui is angry and his consort warns Shen Jing of the consequences because she knows Shen Jing has done it to frame Shen Zi for the slap the latter gave her earlier.
Shen Jin And Her Family Are Jailed
Shen Jin and Ruo Nan’s new business opens. She makes her half-sisters feel unwelcome. Shen Jing plants the idea in Shen Zi’s head that Shen Zi should have been General Chu’s wife as she is the second daughter. Enemies begin to raise the Emperor’s suspicion that Shen Jin’s business is making big money and it will be easy for General Chu to expand his soldiers. The Emperor then orders the Rui family to attend a banquet.
Shen Jing instigates Shen Zi to tell the Emperor that Shen Jin has taken her place as the second daughter to marry General Chu. The Emperor decrees that the family be jailed for deceiving him. Shen Shu decides to return to Duke Rui’s mansion with her family in trouble. She is relieved when her husband chooses to accompany her rather than listening to his mother.
Lord Liu and Lord Situ are waiting for General Chu to save Shen Jin. Then, he will be punished for protecting a criminal.
Episode 26
General Chu is informed about Shen Jin and her family being imprisoned. He rushes back to the capital. Shen Zi is still blaming Shen Jin for the family’s trouble while they are all being locked up. Rou Rou is worried about Shen Jin as Xiao Su tries to reassure her. Once back, General Chu sneaks into prison to visit Shen Jin and tells her that he will save her.
General Chu pleads with Lord Situ to help him to arrange a meeting with the Emperor. But the Emperor still wouldn’t accede to General Chu’s plea to release Shen Jin. General Chu then breaks into jail with Xiao Su and Xiu Yuan’s help to rescue her. Shen Zi is shouting to raise the alarm. Duke Rui orders her to stop. He warns all his family members to keep quiet or they would be disowned.
The Mysterious Uncle Hua
Assassins are chasing after General Chu and Shen Jin. He defeats them with Xiu Yuan’s help and is curious why they seem to be targeting Shen Jin. Lord Liu’s plan is to kill Shen Jin to provoke General Chu to rebel. General Chu smuggles Shen Jin out of the city. They meet up with Ruo Nan who brings them to her village. Ruo Nan asks Uncle Hua to check on Shen Jin. Uncle Hua is deaf and mute and he wears a mask as his face is partially disfigured in a fire.
General Chu has no intention to run. He tells Xiu Yuan that he will go back to the city and he has his own plans. Shen Jin is worried about her family. General Chu asks her to trust him to handle the matter.
During a stroll, General Chu notices a plant that gives off the same scent as the medication he found in the seal. Ruo Nan gets the plant from Uncle Hua when General Chu questions her about it. General Chu is getting suspicious that someone is giving him all the clues to the 8th Prince’s death through Duke Rui’s mansion including Shen Jin’s jade pendant and embroidery pattern.
The Emperor orders a search on General Chu’s mansion when they still couldn’t find Shen Jin. Lord Liu is expecting General Chu to be missing with his wife. But General Chu is around during the search.
Episode 27
Lord Liu couldn’t find anything during the search at General Chu’s mansion. General Chu orders Rou Rou to stay put in the mansion as they are being watched. Ruo Nan assures Shen Jin that General Chu is back in the city and he is safe. A message is sent to General Chu to go to a meeting place. Xiu Yuan tails him. General Chu meets Lord Liu there. Lord Liu claims that the Emperor is going against General Chu. He wants General Chu to cooperate with him as he wants to seek justice for the 8th Prince. General Chu demands to meet his other partners.
Xiu Yuan doesn’t agree with General Chu’s cooperation with Lord Liu. He tries to persuade him to abandon the plan but General Chu refuses. Xiu Yuan then ends up informing Shen Jin who writes her husband a letter. Lord Liu arranges for General Chu to meet with the other rebel minsters. They all claim that the Emperor is involved in the 8th Prince’s death and embezzlement and provide him with ledgers as proof.
Xiu Yuan passes Shen Jin’s letter to General Chu. She wants her husband to stop being a traitor especially if he is doing it to rescue her and her family. General Chu tells Xiu Yuan that he has his own plans but Xiu Yuan is still not convinced. Xiu Yuan pleads with him to explain things to Shen Jin. General Chu goes to see his wife who begs him not to rebel. But he refuses to listen. General Chu simply tells Shen Jin to stay put for a few days until things are settled. He also asks Ruo Nan to watch over Shen Jin and not to let her out of the village. Shen Jin is angry and disappointed.
Episode 28
Lord Liu reports to the Emperor that Shen Jin is still missing and General Chu is showing signs of betrayal. The Emperor orders for him to be arrested. Xiao Su informs General Chu and asks him if he is planning a rebellion. General Chu replies yes. Lord Liu reports to Lord Situ that they will kill General Chu on the spot and the Rui family once the rebellion succeeds. If it fails, Lord Liu will take the responsibility.
General Chu leads Lord Liu and his cohorts to surround the palace with their soldiers. But it is a trap as the general turns around and arrests Lord Liu and the other rebel ministers. Lord Liu tells the Emperor that General Chu is the main instigator while the other rebels name Lord Liu himself as the mastermind. The Emperor orders Lord Liu and his family to be beheaded.
General Chu goes to see Shen Jin but she is angry with him. He leaves her alone in her room. General Chu clarifies with Xiu Yuan that he had no intention to rebel. He kept it a secret from him to ensure that their enemies will fall for the trap. General Chu is also having second thoughts about overthrowing the Emperor for the death of Xiu Yuan’s parents. This is because he is a good Emperor who cares for the people. But Xiu Yuan still wants to find out who murdered his parents.
Uncle Hua’s Identity
Uncle Hua is just pretending to be deaf and mute. He reveals that he is Xiu Yuan’s father after overhearing their conversation. He tells them that he thought Xiu Yuan had died in the fire. Uncle Hua has no intention to fight for the throne but he wants to find the murderer. He received a rare sphere gift then from the current Emperor who got it from someone else. But Uncle Hua gave it to his gardener instead. The gift was an explosive which killed his gardener while he was rendered unconscious. When he awakened, a fire had razed his mansion and everyone was killed. He went into seclusion thereafter and everyone assumed that he had died.
Uncle Hua is the one who has been giving those hints to General Chu through Duke Rui’s consort. The consort was a good friend of Uncle Hua’s wife. Xiu Yuan remembers his mother hiding him in a secret chamber during the fire. But the person who came back for him was the current Emperor who then gave him to the Chu family. His excuse was that the murderers have not been found and Xiu Yuan’s life could be in danger.
General Chu Becomes A Wanted Man
They are now unsure if the Emperor is involved in the fire. But he has ordered for General Chu to be arrested for colluding with Lord Liu. Shen Jin has heard everything that have been said from her room. She is disappointed that General Chu has chosen to hide things from her. General Chu tells her that he just didn’t want her to be worried but she couldn’t accept that rationale.
General Chu is now a wanted criminal. Rou Rou asks Ruo Nan to bring her to meet Shen Jin but is advised to wait due to the risk. Xiao Su brings news about the Emperor’s order to have General Chu arrested. General Chu finds it strange because flushing out the traitors was a trade-off with the Emperor in return for rescuing Shen Jin. The Emperor had wanted to investigate the military pay embezzlement because the 8th Prince died while investigating the same case 16 years ago. It was the Emperor who suggested the rebellion ploy.
General Chu suspects there must be someone behind Lord Liu. But the latter is dead. General Chu looks for Lord Situ to ask about the rare sphere given to the 8th Prince.
Episode 29
Lord Situ pretends not to know about the sphere gift. But he tells General Chu to look for the retired Eunuch Shi for more information. Rou Rou insists to Ruo Nan that she wants to see Shen Jin. She tells Shen Jin that she is pregnant with Xiao Su’s child. Shen Jin and Ruo Nan are shocked and quickly prepare a wedding for her. But on her wedding day, Rou Rou admits that she isn’t pregnant. She just wants to get married to Xiao Su who is clueless when told that a wedding has been prepared for him. But he is happy to marry Rou Rou anyway.
General Chu looks for Eunuch Shi at his residence and follows some men who are transporting a coffin to another house. He then tails one of the men who seems to be heading to meet the Emperor. When General Chu returns for Eunuch Shi, fireballs are lobbed into the compound. Eunuch Shi is killed and soldiers appear. General Chu quickly escapes but suspects it is a trap.
Lord Situ Is Exposed
Shen Jin has gone missing from the village. She leaves a note that she is going to turn herself in. General Chu wants to meet the Emperor. A spy is lurking around. Xiao Su purposely mentions that the Emperor is taking down both the traitors and General Chu with one move. Uncle Hua volunteers to meet the Emperor with General Chu. They would know then if the Emperor is involved in the fire.
Lord Situ gives the Emperor the sphere gift and claims he has heard about this rare item from General Chu. He then quickly leaves. Uncle Hua and General Chu sneak in to meet the Emperor. They see the sphere in his hand. General Chu swiftly kicks it away and it explodes. Lord Situ assumes that the Emperor has died from outside the hall. But he is cornered instead. Lord Situ had tried to kill Uncle Hua then because the latter was investigating the military funds embezzlement and closing in on him.
However, Lord Situ has captured Shen Jin and refuses to reveal her whereabouts. Shen Jin is locked up and being slowly buried with falling sand.
Episode 30
General Chu and Xiao Su are looking for Shen Jin in Lord Situ’s mansion but couldn’t find her. They go to the prison to question Lord Situ but he is uncooperative. Shen Jin’s family are worried when they hear that she is missing. Shen Zi seems smug at first until General Chu scolds her for being so malicious when Shen Jin is willing to confess to save the family. He reminds her that Shen Jin may die as a result.
None of Lord Situ’s men who are captured could tell where Shen Jin is. The man who was involved in capturing Eunuch Shi has also been killed. General Chu begs Lord Situ again to reveal Shen Jin’s location. Lord Situ only says that she will die soon. General Chu then recalls the secret chamber in Lord Situ’s mansion which Shen Jin has mentioned to him before. He rushes there with Xiao Su but falls into the chamber after triggering the switch.
General Chu regrets not being able to save Shen Jin. She comforts him and asks him to fulfill her 3rd wish which is to be together forever even in death. Just when they thought they are going to die, the trap door opens.
Happy Ending
The Emperor wants to pass the throne to 8th Prince. Both are not interested to shoulder the responsibility. They make Xiu Yuan take over instead. 8th Prince is back being Uncle Hua at the village. Ruo Nan is now the Empress. The Rui family have already been freed and the 4 sisters have reconciled. Rou Rou is pregnant and Shen Jin has asked Xiao Cong to stay at the capital to take care of her. Bai Zi Tou is not happy as he will miss Xiao Cong.
General Chu and Shen Jin are preparing to go back to the border as they prefer life there. Her family as well as Xiu Yuan and Ruo Nan arrive to send them off. But Shen Jin suddenly goes into labor.
Epilogue
Shen Jin is a scriptwriter and Chu Xiu Ming is the director’s assistant. He is sent to ask Shen Jin to quickly complete the script. She asks him to wait while she puts in the finishing touches. She finds him interesting and changes the main character’s name in her script to his name. The last scene in the script shows General Chu and Shen Jin in the barracks overseeing the soldiers’ training. Their young son is also being trained to aim high and defend the country as his duty.
Other Romance Dramas With A General
If you like General’s Lady because you are into romance story of military commanders, The Sleepless Princess may interest you. This is a drama that has a unique story as the female character must not sleep at night because her dreams will turn into reality. She is then decreed to marry a battle-hardened and capable general as the Emperor wants to use her as a spy due to the perceived threat. Zheng Ye Cheng looks really good in this drama in his general uniform and he pairs well with Hu Yi Xuan as a couple.
If you prefer more lighthearted stuff, then there is Dr. Cutie with a cross-dressing theme. The stern faced and icy general starts to fall for an imperial doctor but feels weird as he thinks that she is a man. The female character is cute here and there are some laughs throughout the drama. It is not a serious romance story but one that you watch when you want something with little angst.
Image Credit: Youku
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