Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Episode 39 Recap
> Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Recap
Prefect Liu Changping, anticipating Madam Pearl’s arrival at Xiping Port, had orchestrated a deceptive facade of peace. Alongside him was Baili Yuan, a powerful merchant from the renowned Baili family of Nanhuai in Wanzhou. Together, they cleared refugees from temples and official buildings and replaced the meager provisions in the charity porridge sheds, all to conceal the true extent of the drought. Baili Yuan confidently asserted that Madam Pearl, being merely a woman, would not cause significant trouble.
Their plan was to provide her with lavish hospitality and gifts, wait for the grain from Yuezhou to arrive, and then send her away. Unbeknownst to them, Fang Haishi, also known as Madam Pearl, had already noted irregularities on her journey to Xiping Port and discreetly instructed her subordinates to investigate. Upon her arrival, she declined a reception, instead immediately inquiring about the regional situation and expressing a desire to inspect the granaries and porridge sheds.
When Baili Yuan introduced himself, she recognized his family's historical ties to her own. During the subsequent banquet, Fang Haishi feigned disinterest in the local suffering, instead requesting that opera troupes be brought to the inn for her amusement, a move designed to lull the officials into a false sense of security. Meanwhile, Fang Jianming, having recovered somewhat from his poisoning thanks to the luminous pearls, learned of Fang Haishi's mission to Xiping Port.
He immediately sought out Emperor Xu, volunteering to assist. He expressed concern that without grain, riots might erupt, endangering Fang Haishi. Emperor Xu, however, refused, reminding Jianming of his delicate health and asserting that Fang Haishi was resourceful and not a caged bird who needed constant protection. After feigning intoxication and departing the banquet, Fang Haishi returned to the inn, where she consulted her stewardess, Yuran.
Yuran confirmed that while many people had gathered in Xiping Port, those around the inn did not appear to be ordinary citizens. Suspecting deception, Fang Haishi decided to investigate the granaries and porridge sheds herself. She changed into men’s attire and slipped out, instructing Yuran to create the illusion that she was praying for rain in her chamber, making sporadic appearances at the window to stall the officials. Fang Haishi’s investigation revealed a grim reality.
At the charity porridge sheds, the porridge was as thin as water. Starving refugees begged for bran or fodder, but the guards denied them, threatening to drive them out of the city. Fang Haishi learned that months prior, Liu Changping and his men had sold off the white rice from the granaries to wealthy merchants, replacing it with fodder. Even the local garrison was now short on provisions.
The displaced citizens, filled with resentment, blamed Madam Pearl's arrival for worsening their plight. The next morning, Liu Changping arrived at the inn with an opera troupe. Yuran, following instructions, informed him that Madam Pearl was engrossed in prayer for rain and could not be disturbed, having vowed not to leave her chamber until the drought ended.
Though a voice from inside confirmed this, Liu Changping detected a subtle difference in its tone and dispatched men to investigate the inn later that night. Meanwhile, Fang Haishi, having learned that the Yuezhou Chamber of Commerce was deliberately delaying grain shipments, penned a letter to Yuezhou. Her plan hinged on the arrival of rain. Later, Liu Changping’s spies confirmed Madam Pearl’s presence, unaware that Fang Haishi had already returned from her investigation.
Consumed by worry, Fang Jianming once again pleaded with Emperor Xu to allow his departure. He confessed that his own life was nearing its end, and he would not rest in peace if Fang Haishi did not return safely. Seeing his resolve, Emperor Xu reluctantly agreed, providing him with the last of the luminous pearl powder. Before departing, Fang Jianming secretly dispatched his forces from Jifeng Pavilion to both Yuezhou and Xiping Port to provide covert support.
As days passed without grain, the people’s resentment towards Fang Haishi escalated. However, a sudden thunderstorm then broke over Xiping Port. The populace, stunned by the rain, fell to their knees, praising Fang Haishi as a messenger of Dragon Tail. Seizing this turning point, she summoned Liu Changping, informing him that grain ships from Yuezhou would arrive within three days. She ordered him to immediately thicken the porridge and allow all displaced citizens back into the city.
Liu Changping and Baili Yuan, stunned by the events, realized they faced a formidable opponent. Later, Yuran asked Fang Haishi if she possessed mystical powers. Fang Haishi explained that upon her arrival, she had observed a "Weather Flower" in the courtyard, a plant whose vibrant bloom indicated imminent rain.
She elaborated that her connection to Dragon Tail, combined with a hidden imperial army providing pressure on the Yuezhou Chamber of Commerce, would ensure their compliance once the rain validated her authority. She had pre-arranged for these forces in Yuezhou to seize the grain ships upon news of rainfall. With the ships en route, Fang Haishi declared her next objective: to purge the corrupt officials from Xiping Port.
The next morning, Fang Haishi revealed that in addition to the Jifeng Pavilion forces, Emperor Xu had dispatched an imperial army troop to accompany her. This troop had just investigated the local military garrison. She then confronted Liu Changping and Baili Yuan, laying bare their crimes: embezzling military provisions, substituting inferior goods, and selling stored grain for private gain, offenses punishable by death. She ordered their immediate beheading. Unexpectedly, Baili Yuan interceded, taking full responsibility.
He explained that after their pleas to the court about the drought were ignored and grain from Yuezhou was perpetually delayed, Liu Changping had been forced to sell the rice to buy enough fodder to prevent mass starvation. The assembled citizens, hearing this, also pleaded for Liu Changping’s life. Asserting that she would not make a judgment based on partial information, Fang Haishi postponed the execution, vowing to conduct a thorough investigation.
As she spoke, rain began to fall once more, and a luminous mark on her palm glowed, prompting the populace to hail her as a divine emissary. From a distance, Fang Jianming observed the events. Seeing that Fang Haishi had skillfully stabilized the situation, he chose to remain hidden.
