Perfect Match Episode 23 Recap, Plot

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If an unmarried woman is publicly flogged in the courtroom, it would undoubtedly tarnish her reputation for the rest of her life. So, Hao De and Le Shan sought the advice of their clever elder sisters, hoping to come up with a strategy. At first, the three sisters had some reservations, but after much persuasion from Hao De and Le Shan, they finally relented. They believed that the key to winning the case lay in winning over Du Yangxi.

Shou Hua knew well that Du Yangxi was not swayed by money, but rather by talent and reputation. He was particularly keen on cases that could bring him recognition. If they could present a case that stood out from the norm, it would surely catch Du Yangxi’s interest and play to his ego.

Meanwhile, Fan Lianghan was eavesdropping outside, and upon learning that Hao De and the Li family women were trying to resist the Kaifeng Prefecture’s verdict, he immediately contacted Chai An and Du Yangxi. The three sons-in-law then invited Shen Huizhao to join them and formulate a plan of action. Shen Huizhao did not believe that a few women could alter the outcome of the case, but the others cautioned him based on past experiences.

They warned that after some time, he would come to realize how difficult the Li family’s daughters could be. They were always striving for the upper hand and should not be underestimated. Just as Shen Mu was tearfully complaining to Madam Shen, Hao De hurried back to the mansion to explain that she was here to offer comfort. Shortly afterward, Shen Mu escorted Madam Shen out, and they happened to run into Shen Huizhao.

To dispel Shen Huizhao’s suspicions, Hao De falsely claimed that Madam Shen was going to the temple to pray for blessings, when in reality, she was going to make arrangements for the betrothal of two families. The next day, Du Yangxi resumed questioning the Qiu and Wu families, with the Xu and Lu families, who were also engaged, present in the courtroom.

The Li sisters came up with their first move, which was to argue that even without the traditional matchmaker, a marriage could still become a legendary story. Though marriage laws existed, they could not suppress human desires. As long as the people were willing, there would always be whispers and rumors.

The Wu family, having resolved their old grievances, joined forces with Shen Mu to plead on behalf of their children, claiming that the two families had a previous marriage agreement. Shen Huizhao had already anticipated this, and he instructed Qing Shi to pass a message to Du Yangxi. However, Du Yangxi, upon seeing the love poem written by Wu Xiulin for Gui Niang, developed an affection for the talented man and seemed inclined to help them form a marriage.

Though Shen Huizhao was certain that Hao De would lose, Hao De had another plan. Wu Xiulin then wrote another poem on the spot, expressing deep affection and admiration for Du Yangxi’s impartiality. Du Yangxi was so pleased with this that he gladly supported the couple’s union. At that moment, the Shen family also presented the Xu and Lu families’ children.

The two couples immediately fell in love at first sight, and the elders of the four families had no more objections. The tensions were resolved, and the families rejoiced. After hearing Du Yangxi’s ruling, Shen Huizhao fully accepted defeat and admitted that he had underestimated Hao De. Before Gui Niang left with her mother, she gave Hao De a butterfly jade pendant.

Shen Mu, though reluctant, finally thanked Hao De and reminded her to come to her if she ever faced injustice. With one issue resolved, Le Shan suddenly remembered the one-year agreement between Hao De and Shen Huizhao. She realized that, caught up in the case, she had forgotten the true purpose of her visit to the Shen family. That day, Hao De brought soup and medicine to Shen Huizhao, thinking that he was angry with her.

However, Shen Huizhao was actually reflecting on his past decisions, where he had always adhered to strict laws in his judgments, neglecting the importance of human compassion. He found his answer in a book—both fairness and human understanding were equally important. Since Hao De came from a humble background, Madam Shen wanted her to quickly learn how to manage household matters.

She kept a close eye on her as she worked through the accounts, not allowing her to rest until late into the night. Not seeing Hao De return, Shen Huizhao went to find Madam Shen and, after some negotiation, managed to bring Hao De back to their room, where their bond grew even stronger.

The next day, Shen Huizhao was receiving officials from the Court of Judicial Review when the Court’s chief judge, Xue Guang, immediately saw through his nervousness and exposed his memory loss in front of everyone. Shen Huizhao was shaken, but to his relief, Xue Guang turned out to be his former mentor, who had once helped him. Xue Guang soon put him at ease.

He remarked that he had noticed a change in Shen Huizhao’s style of judgment and teasingly asked if it was because of a particular person. Shen Huizhao immediately thought of his wife. At this time, Hao De had prepared a meal to take to Shen Huizhao at the Kaifeng Prefecture but was unexpectedly caught up by the mute female prisoner, Zheng Su’e, who had been sentenced to death for murdering her husband.

Hao De was shocked by the sight of her cut-out tongue. Back home, Hao De couldn’t stop thinking about the hopeless look in Zheng Su’e’s eyes and insisted that Shen Huizhao agree to visit her in prison along with the woman’s mother-in-law and daughter. In the end, Shen Huizhao agreed to give Zheng Su’e a moment to speak, and Hao De kissed his cheek in joy.

While visiting the prison, Du Yangxi informed Shen Huizhao that some cruel officers would remove the tongues of death row prisoners to prevent them from crying out in protest, thus avoiding the possibility of the condemned person being exonerated in a retrial, which could result in the original judge being held accountable for errors. Later, Hao De learned from Zheng Su’e’s mother-in-law that Zheng Su’e had been deeply in love with her husband and could not have murdered him.

Shen Huizhao also believed that Zheng Su’e might have been wronged and decided to consult with Du Yangxi and others to further investigate the case.

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