Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Episode 21 Recap
> Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Recap
After the welcoming feast concluded, Fang Haishi bid farewell to Tang Qianzi. As she and Fang Jianming walked towards Zhaoming Palace along a long corridor, Fang Haishi gazed at the moon, feeling a deep sense of longing for home. She remarked that the moon looked as bright and round as the one in her hometown, Linjie.
She recalled a poem her Master had taught her about missing a loved one, and though Fang Jianming claimed to have forgotten it, he secretly committed her homesick words to memory. Meanwhile, Mu Deqing delivered a contraceptive decoction to Ti Lan, explaining that court rules forbid imperial concubines from bearing children before the Emperor has a lineal son. Though Mu Deqing tried to soften the blow, Ti Lan drank the decoction without hesitation.
Observing this from the doorway, Di Xu coldly remarked that it was good she knew her place. Later, Di Xu publicly issued a decree to send substantial aid to Zhunian, citing their friendly relations. That evening, he summoned Ti Lan to Jincheng Palace. In an unnerving gesture, Di Xu personally fixed her makeup, telling her that since she wished to be a substitute for Zizan, she no longer needed to follow court rules and could move freely within Tianqi.
He chillingly added that they would be together day and night for a long time to come. Fang Zhuoying planned to take Zhe Liu fishing at night, explaining to Fang Haishi that the sun was too harsh for a lady and that since Zhe Liu was blind, day and night made no difference to her. As he spoke, one of his gestures startled Fang Haishi, reminding her of Duo Luo, the new Lord of the Left Tribe of Huku.
She noted their striking resemblance, questioning if there was a connection since Fang Zhuoying was also brought from the Red Plain by their Master. Fang Zhuoying quickly dismissed it as a coincidence, warning her that Tianqi was a treacherous place and it was better not to probe too deeply. At the fishing spot, Fang Zhuoying noticed a pearl bracelet on Zhe Liu's wrist.
She explained it was a gift from a friend she had never met, whom she cherished as her first and only friend in the palace. On her way back, Fang Haishi spotted Tang Qianzi disguised as a guard and suspiciously followed him to Yu’an Palace. She watched as he stood anxiously outside a side door while inside, Ti Lan was suffering from the effects of the contraceptive decoction, refusing her maids' pleas to call a physician.
Seeing Tang Qianzi’s unconcealed concern for Ti Lan, Fang Haishi decided to keep his secret. The next day, Fang Haishi made two Dream Catchers, hanging one for Fang Jianming. When she tried to snatch a pancake from Fang Zhuoying, she bumped into her Master, causing a brief, awkward moment. Fang Jianming then announced he was going to the seashore of Linjie for a few days and, remembering her homesickness, invited her to come along.
Thrilled, Haishi got leave from Tang Qianzi and asked Fang Zhuoying to deliver the second Dream Catcher to Ti Lan with a message to "take care." On the carriage ride out of the city, Haishi admired Fang Jianming's profile until she fell asleep. When her head slumped, he gently caught it, holding her and gazing at her affectionately.
That evening in Tianqi, as rain began to fall, Fang Zhuoying rushed out with an umbrella to shelter Zhe Liu, who was embroidering in the courtyard. He promised to take her to see a rainbow, then felt saddened by her blindness, but she reassured him that she held onto the beautiful memories of sights she had once seen. Later, Ti Lan's health deteriorated so much that she had to send her rabbit to be cared for at the Fabric Office.
When Di Xu summoned her that night and she failed to appear, her maid, Bihong, went to Jincheng Palace to explain that Ti Lan had a cold and feared infecting him. Enraged, Di Xu went to Yu’an Palace to see for himself. He found Ti Lan struggling to rise and, ignoring the maids' pleas, ordered her to kneel outside for four hours as punishment. As she tried to obey, she collapsed in pain.
Panicked, Di Xu summoned the imperial physician, who revealed that the daily decoctions had caused a severe internal coldness, resulting in excruciating abdominal pain that required slow recuperation. Seeing her pale and unconscious, Di Xu was struck with remorse. Meanwhile, determined to find who had harmed the previous Chief Stewardess Ju, Zhe Liu moved into her old room. While settling in, she discovered a hidden note under the bed.
It contained shocking intelligence from spies, revealing that Huku's Left Tribe had reached Huangquan Pass and, more alarmingly, that Fang Haishi was not only Fang Jianming's informant in Lanzi but also his lover. Zhe Liu was deeply stunned by the discovery. Upon arriving in the fishing village, Fang Haishi had an emotional reunion with her mother, whom she hadn't seen since joining Jifeng Pavilion. She introduced Fang Jianming as a friend she grew up with in the army.
Her mother took an immediate liking to him and asked about his family. Fang Jianming explained that his parents, both military officers, were deceased and that he had joined the army in the capital after being taken in by an older brother figure from a family with ties to his own. Hearing his background, Haishi's mother remarked that his family's status was much higher than their own, implying her daughter was marrying above her station.
