Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Episode 46 Recap
> Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Recap
As Lang Huan prepared to cure Fang Jianming of the Dawn Flower poison, she discovered he was Di Xu's Baixi. She explained that to cure the poison, the Baixi bond must first be terminated, which required her blood as a medium. Eager to free his friend, Di Xu urged for an immediate termination, but Fang Jianming clarified they had to wait for a full moon, the same conditions under which the bond was formed.
Di Xu promised Fang Haishi he would return a healthy Fang Jianming to her. Later, Fang Jianming expressed his concerns to Di Xu, revealing that while termination could succeed, it was a risky procedure with no guarantee, and failure could cause a backlash to the emperor. Unfazed, Di Xu stated he had carried the burden for too long and wished to live freely.
After the others left, Fang Jianming sensed Lang Huan's hesitation and asked if there was more to the cure. She admitted that while her blood could heal anyone, Fang Jianming's special bloodline from the Fang Family of Liushang posed a risk: if their blood was compatible, he would be cured; if not, it would be like drinking poison and accelerate his death.
Realizing the luminous pearls could no longer suppress the poison, and despite the fifty-fifty odds, Fang Jianming resolved to take the risk. On the night of the full moon, Fang Haishi waited anxiously outside. A crash from within sent her rushing to the door, though she hesitated to enter. Inside, the Baixi termination was successful.
Di Xu felt a sharp pain for the first time in years, a sensation he welcomed with overwhelming joy, even playfully ordering Mu Deqing to punch him as proof. He then urged Fang Jianming to drink Lang Huan's blood. Fang Jianming, however, first explained to Di Xu and Fang Haishi the grave risk involved, as Lang Huan had warned: the blood could either cure him or kill him.
Asserting that his fate was his own now that the Baixi was gone, he apologized to Haishi for worrying her and drank the blood. Moments later, he coughed up blood and collapsed. In his apparent final moments, Haishi recited a poem he had once taught her, vowing to follow him wherever he went.
Days later, a public notice announced the death of Lord Qinghai, Fang Zhu, stating he had succumbed to a pre-existing condition, aggravated by his tireless efforts in suppressing a rebellion. The news was met with widespread sorrow. Following petitions from officials, Di Xu issued an edict posthumously conferring upon Fang Zhu the title Prince of Liushang and the posthumous name Jingyi.
A dark granite memorial tablet was placed in the Fang family shrine, and the court was suspended for three days in mourning. With Fang Jianming declared dead, the Jifeng Pavilion guards relocated from Zhaoming Palace. Meanwhile, Physician Li reported to Di Xu that Fang Jianming was stable. Miraculously, the merfolk's blood had not only purged the poison but also healed all his old injuries, making it possible for him to live for over a hundred years.
Di Xu instructed the physician to maintain the cover story. Fang Haishi then visited Fang Jianming in a private hall, where they embraced. She expressed deep remorse, realizing he had sacrificed his title, command of the Jifeng Pavilion, and even the right to worship his ancestors for her. Fang Jianming reassured her, confessing he felt lighter than ever.
He admitted that without her, he and Di Xu would have remained bound by the Baixi for a joyless eternity; she had shown him a new path to a free and happy life. Di Xu promptly arranged for new household registers and travel permits for them, registered at the Yuezhou Prefect's Office. Fang Jianming revealed Di Xu had chosen a new surname for him, Ji, in honor of his fondness for Jifeng flowers.
Brimming with excitement, Haishi shared her vision for their future: a home by the sea in Yuezhou where they could beachcomb and garden, a base from which to explore the world, and a place to grow old together, surrounded by children and grandchildren. Before their departure, Fang Jianming, accompanied by Di Xu, returned to Zhaoming Palace to retrieve their marriage certificate.
Di Xu cherished their remaining time, playfully mocking Haishi’s poor needlework on a sachet but expressing deep sorrow over their impending separation. He found solace in knowing Fang Jianming would no longer be alone. Di Xu also revealed his plan to visit them incognito in a few years, once memories faded. Meanwhile, Fang Haishi bid farewell to a pregnant Tilan.
Knowing their separation was likely permanent, Tilan gifted her a meticulously carved Dragon Tail pendant to ensure peace along the coast. On the day of departure, an imperial edict formally tasked "Madam Pearl" with escorting the Dragon Tail back to the sea to ensure prosperity for the empire. As her procession departed, she cast a final, poignant glance at Tianqi City, knowing that from this day on, Fang Haishi and Fang Jianming would exist no more.
Di Xu felt their absence deeply, confiding in Tilan about the immense burden of being emperor and how Fang Jianming had been his "other self." Tilan comforted him, affirming that his selfless wish for his friend's freedom would be blessed. During a stop at an inn, Fang Jianming teased Haishi about her newfound reluctance to leave the capital.
To cheer her up, he presented her with osmanthus candy and a grand surprise: using the alias "Mr. Ji," he had secretly acquired an entire street of shops in Yuezhou, including her favorite restaurant, taverns, and stores, as well as farms and mines. He jokingly mentioned outdoing Zhou Youdu, who had once tried to impress her with his family's wealth.
Haishi was delighted, not by the riches, but by seeing him shed his solemnity and embrace a carefree, unburdened self, promising to love this spontaneous side of him most of all. Elsewhere, Di Xu arranged for Suolan to visit Tilan. Overjoyed by her pregnancy, Suolan presented her with a painting of an auspicious baby, inspired by the Dragon Tail and detailed with gold powder.
He vowed to strengthen Zhunian so Tilan would never feel isolated and he could be a pillar of support for his future niece or nephew, promising not to pressure her for political favors anymore. As their journey continued, Fang Haishi returned Lang Huan to the ocean. She told the merfolk that she and Fang Jianming would be settling by the sea, and they promised to visit each other on sunny days.
