Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Episode 14 Recap
> Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Recap
Fang Jianming instructed his disciple, Fang Zhuoying, to personally deliver a confidential letter to Chief Stewardess Ju. The letter detailed the transfer of responsibility for replenishing the informers in Hanzhou to her. Fang Zhuoying expressed his apprehension, arguing against the change, especially since Huku had launched a surprise attack on Well Town without any prior warning, suggesting a deeper plot might be at play.
He also worried about losing contact with Fang Haishi, who had just arrived at Huangquan Battalion, if the informer network was altered. Despite Fang Zhuoying’s concerns, Fang Jianming insisted, stating it was Emperor Di Xu's direct order and they must comply. He then instructed Fang Zhuoying to subtly observe the Fabric Office for any unusual activity and report immediately. Fang Zhuoying found himself in a difficult position, as the confidential letter could not be entrusted to anyone else.
He decided to proceed, confident that Zhe Liu, a maid in the Fabric Office, did not know his true identity as the "God of Wind" she admired. As he approached, Zhe Liu was discussing with another maid about Chief Stewardess Ju sending them to the Imperial Manufactories for cloth. After Zhe Liu left, Fang Zhuoying entered the Fabric Office and formally greeted Chief Stewardess Ju.
He conveyed Emperor Di Xu's order, explaining that Jifeng Pavilion was to hand over all matters concerning the new and old informer lines in Hanzhou to her. He presented the confidential letter, containing all previous information, and offered to clarify any questions she might have. Chief Stewardess Ju responded with thinly veiled resentment, claiming her eyesight was too poor to read the letter clearly.
When Fang Zhuoying apologized and offered to read it to her, she scoffed, remarking that Fang Jianming could have summoned her to Jifeng Pavilion instead of troubling Fang Zhuoying to make a special trip. Fang Zhuoying explained that his Master was merely feeling unwell and had sent him in his stead, asking for her understanding, but Chief Stewardess Ju remained dismissive.
Meanwhile, news circulated among the palace maids that Ti Lan, referred to as Consort Shurong, had stayed overnight in Jincheng Palace. Believing this brought good fortune, many maids flocked to Shuangping Lake to float water lanterns, inadvertently causing a small fire. Emperor Di Xu, upon hearing the commotion and learning the cause, was enraged. He ordered twenty floggings for all who had floated lanterns that day.
He further decreed that no one was to float lanterns on Shuangping Lake again, threatening thirty floggings for future offenders and imprisonment for repeat offenders. His chief steward, Mu Deqing, informed him the fire was minor and already extinguished. Shortly after, Emperor Di Xu received urgent war reports. Nihualuo and Tuhuolu had disguised themselves as pirates to invade the coast and probe defenses, while secretly hiding their main fleets at sea.
Enraged by their blatant ambition, Emperor Di Xu considered his generals, then entrusted Fang Jianming with full authority to immediately depart for Xiping Port. Before leaving, Fang Jianming instructed Fang Zhuoying and Shaozi to remain in the capital, prioritize Emperor Di Xu's safety, and continue to discreetly monitor the Fabric Office for any attempts to tamper with the Hanzhou informer network.
Fang Jianming assured Fang Zhuoying that he had already sent word to the Liushang Troops, who were stationed in the west, and would rendezvous with their main force before proceeding to Xiping Port. At Huangquan Pass, Fang Haishi approached General Tang Qianzi, reporting that the 2,000 Huku soldiers who had escaped after the Well Town battle ten days prior had vanished without a trace.
She suspected the Well Town engagement was a Huku ruse and feared a larger threat was imminent. General Tang agreed with her assessment, noting their Huku spies had provided no information and his own patrols found nothing, despite the blocked glacier path. Fang Haishi requested to lead a small team outside the pass to investigate further, emphasizing that protecting Huangquan Pass and its people was their paramount duty.
General Tang, acknowledging her courage, granted her request but warned her of the harsh conditions and the ferocity of the Huku people, advising extreme caution. On the third day of their expedition, amidst heavy snow, Song Dian, a small team leader from Huangquan Battalion known for his extensive knowledge of the local terrain, caught up with Fang Haishi’s team, providing much-needed blankets.
He explained that Jiaman people, who mostly live scattered to the east of Huangquan Pass, are often raided by the Huku Left and Right Tribes, who capture them as "two-legged sheep" for labor or human shields in battle. The next morning, Fang Haishi’s team discovered Song Dian had left their camp. Wu Yang, one of her companions, had scouted ahead and reported that Mount Piluo, a day's journey north, was a common gathering place for Jiaman people.
As they proceeded, they noticed a suspicious increase in footprints and hoof prints. Song Dian suddenly reappeared, urging them to follow the tracks leading east, claiming it was the way to pursue the Huku. However, Fang Haishi, suspecting a trap due to the heavy snowfall that should have covered any old tracks, confronted Song Dian, demanding to know who sent him and where he had been that night. Faced with her interrogation, Song Dian drew his sword and committed suicide.
Realizing Song Dian had been trying to lure them into an ambush by leading them east, Fang Haishi decided to take the opposite direction, following the fresh hoof prints instead. This proved to be the correct decision, as she and her companion soon discovered Huku’s main force marching towards Huangquan Battalion, clearly intending a surprise attack.
Fang Haishi immediately sent Wu Yang and Xiao Wu back to inform General Tang, while she herself resolved to ride to Qilin Battalion for reinforcements. Back at Huangquan Pass, Wu Yang and Xiao Wu alerted the garrison to the approaching Huku army. General Tang, confirming the intelligence that Huku's Left Tribe had secretly advanced from Well Town, prepared for battle.
He initially dispatched a messenger to Qilin Battalion for assistance but, learning Fang Haishi was already on her way there, ordered the message re-sent with her specific movements, though communication lines were soon cut. As the Huku army advanced, General Tang hesitated to unleash arrows, as many Jiaman people were being used as human shields.
Despite the grave danger to Huangquan Pass and Dazheng, he ordered his archers to fire, cautioning them to avoid harming the Jiaman people as much as possible. Just as the city gate was on the verge of collapsing and the situation seemed dire, Fang Haishi arrived, leading the swift and powerful Qilin Battalion to the rescue. The Qilin Battalion charged with devastating force, quickly routing the Huku cavalry and piling up the bodies of soldiers and horses.
Fang Haishi, with exceptional skill, climbed the battlements and, from a suspended tower, shot and killed the Lord of Left Pudun, a Huku king known for his combativeness. The Huku forces immediately raised a black flag, signaling retreat due to their leader's death. As the Huku withdrew, Fang Haishi caught a glimpse of an individual on the opposing side whose face and build, apart from hair color, uncannily resembled her martial brother, Fang Zhuoying.
The Huku youth met her gaze with a cold, unfamiliar stare before signaling his soldiers for cover and turning his horse to disappear into the northern mountains. After the battle, General Tang praised Fang Haishi's crucial role, commending her foresight in discerning Huku's plot, her initiative in seeking reinforcements from Qilin Battalion, and her decisive act of killing the Lord of Left Pudun. Fang Haishi, however, modestly attributed the victory to the combined efforts of Huangquan and Qilin Battalions.
Still troubled by Song Dian's actions, she expressed her suspicion that more spies might be hidden within Huangquan Battalion, emphasizing the need for discreet investigation. General Tang confirmed that the new Lord of Left Pudun was the deceased king's estranged half-brother, which explained the swift retreat. He also cautioned that while a joint attack by the Huku Left and Right Tribes was unlikely due to their long-standing discord, the Right Tribe's recent occupation of Lanzi could pose a long-term threat.
Fang Haishi then raised the issue of the Jiaman refugees. General Tang admitted his sympathy but explained the harsh winter in Hanzhou had depleted resources both inside and outside Huangquan Pass, Dazheng's vital northern gateway. He argued that accommodating the refugees would strain their already limited food and medical supplies, despite Fang Haishi's suggestion of employing them as helpers.
He stated that the Jiaman people, accustomed to freedom and years of being used as "two-legged sheep" without resistance, were difficult to manage or unite. Furthermore, the severe snow had blocked supply routes, and the court was currently preoccupied with the intense warfare in the southwest, where Emperor Di Xu had dispatched Fang Jianming and the Liushang Troops to Xiping Port to counter the Leizhou tribes' harassment.
He concluded that it was impractical to burden the court with the refugees' plight. Fang Jianming, having arrived at Xiping Port, immediately immersed himself in military affairs. Chen Heran, the Prefect of Xiping Port, assigned his deputy, Xiu Feng, to assist Fang Jianming. Fang Jianming received a confidential dispatch from Huangquan Pass confirming the victory, Fang Haishi's instrumental role, and the Huku Left Tribe's temporary retreat.
He ordered the news to be disseminated and for vigilant monitoring of Huku's Left and Right Tribes, especially the Right, while also ensuring the continued defense of Huangquan Pass and Fang Haishi's safety. That night, Fang Jianming held a valuable thumb ring, lost in thought, reminiscing about a time when Fang Haishi, as a young girl, had playfully challenged him to a game, promising that if she won, he would never ignore her, no matter her mistakes.
She had presented him with the thumb ring she crafted, as a replacement for a jade pendant she had broken. He had wished her success in her upcoming horse riding and archery test, urging her to make him proud. Far away, Fang Haishi, too, yearned for her Master, wondering if he had indeed married Chief Stewardess Ju, or if, true to his nature, he had prioritized national affairs, rushing to Xiping Port almost immediately after the ceremony.
She pondered if the situation at Xiping Port was as dire as at Huangquan Pass. Meanwhile, at Huangquan Pass, Zhang Chengqian informed Fang Haishi that the Jiaman refugees, preferring their nomadic lifestyle, had begun leaving the pass the previous night, heading towards their traditional gathering place, Lanzi, in Red Plain. Fang Haishi was alarmed, immediately recalling a recent report that Huku's Right Tribe had been sighted in Red Plain.
She rushed to General Tang, who confirmed the latest intelligence: Huku's Right Tribe had indeed occupied Lanzi. While they currently showed no signs of attacking Huangquan Pass, General Tang admitted they might plan an assault after resting and gathering more "two-legged sheep." Despite the historical animosity between Huku's Left and Right Tribes, Fang Haishi stressed that if the Jiaman refugees, unaware of Lanzi's occupation, were captured, they would inevitably be used against Huangquan Pass.
She implored General Tang to allow her to take a team to intercept the Jiaman people before they reached Red Plain, to warn them and guide them to a new route. General Tang reluctantly agreed, urging her to be swift.
