Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Episode 6 Recap
> Novoland: Pearl Eclipse Recap
The death of Uncle Zhao weighed heavily on Fang Haishi, making her struggle to discern right from wrong and the true nature of cause and effect. In a conversation with Fang Zhuoying, she lamented that the incident reminded her of her father's death. He had been forced to hunt for luminous pearls due to Emperor Xu's harsh taxes, only to be killed by a shark.
To Haishi, it seemed that no matter the circumstances, a single command from the Emperor could treat people's lives as if they were insignificant blades of grass. Fang Zhuoying, understanding Haishi's difficulty in accepting this cruel reality, tried to explain that while serving at Jifeng Pavilion, one must follow orders without question. However, seeing her deep distress, he promised to seek answers from their Master, Fang Jianming.
Zhuoying later confronted Jianming, questioning why he forced Haishi to kill Uncle Zhao, her long-time companion, instead of assigning a different task to test her. He highlighted Haishi's unwavering loyalty, recounting how she once meticulously watered a dead orchid simply because she had promised Jianming she would. Jianming remained firm, stating that personal relationships must be cast aside upon entering Jifeng Pavilion.
He reminded Zhuoying of the choice he gave Haishi ten years prior: a quiet life as a girl or a powerful one as a boy. She chose the latter, and her subsequent actions, including her attempt to assassinate Emperor Xu, were her own. The next morning, Haishi prepared to depart for Hanzhou to inspect the courier hostels.
Though she did not bid farewell to Jianming in person, she knelt and kowtowed towards his room, leaving a letter expressing her shame for past disobedience and her gratitude. In the letter, she vowed to inspect and rectify issues with the sentries along her journey, uncertain of her return. Jianming’s subordinate, Shaozi, reported her departure, voicing concerns about the harsh conditions in Hanzhou and Haishi's inexperience. Jianming simply stated he would take full responsibility before Emperor Xu.
Meanwhile, at Shuixin Palace, Zhe Liu and a fellow embroiderer were washing a delicate Zhunian gauze in the spring water, hoping to soften it, when a sudden gust of wind swept it away. After a frantic, unsuccessful search, Zhe Liu prayed to the "God of Wind" for its return. To her astonishment, upon returning to the Fabric Office, she found the gauze neatly folded on a stone table.
Convinced her prayers were answered, she made pomegranate flower cakes as an offering of thanks. Unbeknownst to her, Fang Zhuoying had witnessed the incident, secretly retrieved the gauze, and returned it. He began to frequently watch Zhe Liu from the rooftops, secretly enjoying the cakes she offered and listening to her quiet hopes for her junior sisters and for the new Bowmen Commandant to like the official robe she was embroidering.
Later, a supervisor caught Zhuoying’s subordinates lingering near the Fabric Office and, forbidding private dealings, reassigned them to different posts. As Shaozi had feared, Haishi soon encountered trouble. While resting at a remote inn, the proprietress and a waiter attempted to ambush her, falsely accusing her of being a bandit to a group of arriving "officials." Just as Haishi prepared to fight, Fang Jianming appeared and rescued her.
He sternly rebuked the attackers, who were revealed to be from the Beifu Army, calling their clandestine methods a disgrace to their master and warning of retaliation if they ever resorted to such rat-like tactics again. Back at Jifeng Pavilion, Haishi deduced that the person who could mobilize the Beifu Army must be powerful and possibly the same one who tried to assassinate Jianming during the Lantern Festival.
Jianming dismissed her concerns, claiming it was merely a personal grudge with an old acquaintance. He ordered her to remain at Jifeng Pavilion to improve her lacking combat skills and forbade her from attempting to harm Emperor Xu again. Later, seeking peace of mind, Haishi asked Shaozi for confirmation that their Master would not kill anyone unjustly. Shaozi revealed the truth about Uncle Zhao: Huku spies had discovered his orphaned nephew and blackmailed him into relaying messages.
Though he was coerced, the law had to be upheld. Jianming had accepted Uncle Zhao's resignation before ordering the punishment, but he publicly announced that Uncle Zhao had died of illness, thus protecting his nephew. Realizing her misunderstanding, Haishi brought a roasted duck to Jianming as an apology. She found him playing the zither and felt too embarrassed to offer such worldly food to someone who seemed so ethereal.
Jianming, noticing her arm wound from the ambush, sternly lectured her on the severity of injuring her meridians and ordered her to intensify her training. During an imperial court session, Ji Chang dozed off and broke a falcon's egg, causing an embarrassing scene. After dismissing the court, Emperor Xu privately asked Jianming about Haishi, curious if "he" could win top honors in the imperial examination as Zhuoying had.
Jianming replied that Haishi still lacked training, but the Emperor insisted "he" was more interesting than the "dull" Zhuoying. Soon after, Haishi learned that the Emperor had personally nominated her for the examination. Conflicted but eager to test her skills, she agreed to participate after promising Jianming she would not harm the Emperor. To prepare, Haishi sought out Fang Zhuoying for advice.
He explained the exam's three stages—primary, metropolitan, and palace—noting that the Emperor's nomination allowed her to bypass the first. He stressed that she must study policy and argumentation, as the exam was meant to select generals, not just warriors. Haishi playfully teased that Zhuoying only passed because he was associated with the handsome Zhou Youdu, whose good looks attracted all the attention. After some lighthearted banter, Zhuoying agreed to help her prepare.
