Treasure at Dawn Episode 12 Recap
> Treasure at Dawn Recap
Despite the critical situation at the Lord's Mansion, the annual Golden Bloom Banquet was still set to be held, attracting renowned merchants from across the city who eagerly participated, reserving their finest goods for the event. In a local eatery, people expressed their disappointment that the popular roasted camel was unavailable as all camels were being saved for the upcoming banquet.
They discussed the banquet's significance, an annual event in Xichuan where weapons forged from Star Gold are publicly auctioned, and speculated about the City Lord's health being the reason for its repeated delays. Meanwhile, Feng Qianli delivered a detailed report on Fu Sheng and Gu Tian's backgrounds to City Lord Wen Yu.
The report revealed both men were from Shangyi; Fu Sheng, a disciple of the miracle physician Hua Tuo, fled to Xichuan after his father's death in the Shangyi Murder of Physicians, and Gu Tian, an acrobat, also fled to Xichuan with his two brothers after being implicated with Fu Sheng.
Impressed by Feng Qianli's thorough investigation, City Lord Wen Yu offered him a position in the Lord's Mansion, but Feng Qianli politely declined, citing his loyalty to his Pavilion Master and subtly hinting that his master preferred not to offend the City Lord. As rumors of City Lord Wen Yu's illness spread, the Ma Gang and Jibei Chamber of Commerce grew increasingly brazen, leading to more friction between them.
Determined to maintain control and convert his Star Gold into cash, City Lord Wen Yu instructed his son, Jiu, to expedite the banquet preparations, assuring him he could endure despite his condition. Earlier, Fu Sheng had examined Sun Siming, diagnosing a heart condition exacerbated by rich foods and prescribing a regimen of light meals and daily medicine, with a follow-up in seven days. Gu Tian, on a lead from Hulu and Feng Qianli, visited an information station.
The owner provided a small quantity of Western tussah silk, explaining its preciousness and how it required blending with new silk for durability. He also noted that Western silkworms, which produce the silk, only feed on rare fire mulberry leaves, which were too costly for him to keep, but suggested the Jibei Chamber of Commerce might possess some.
Gu Tian then sought out Sun Siming, finding him in a state of distress as a woman, claiming to be his sister-in-law, aggressively attempted to seduce him. Sun Siming, relieved by Gu Tian's arrival, used his friend as an excuse to escape the awkward encounter. Back at the Chamber of Commerce, Sun Siming asked a servant for tussah silk to make clothes for his sister-in-law.
The servant, kneeling in fear, explained that tussah silk was incredibly rare and valuable, primarily due to the unique fire mulberry leaves required to feed the silkworms. The servant disclosed that only Zhao Steward had the authority to use the fire mulberry leaves, meaning only he could access the precious silk.
Sun Siming immediately relayed this crucial information to Gu Tian, confirming their suspicion that Zhao Steward, and by extension Li Zhizhuo, was connected to tussah silk and Song Jingye's death. Gu Tian decided to use the Golden Bloom Banquet as an opportunity to expose Li Zhizhuo. Merchants gathered for the Golden Bloom Banquet, their discussions revolving around the Jibei Chamber of Commerce's dominance over Star Gold auctions.
Xubu Huai, the deputy general of Ma Gang, approached a group of merchants, demanding they secure weapons for his gang, even offering a premium. The merchants, however, expressed their inability to comply, revealing they were under strict orders from the Jibei Chamber of Commerce, fearing repercussions for their families and businesses. A heated exchange ensued between Xubu Huai and Li Zhizhuo, the Chairman of the Jibei Chamber of Commerce, with insults traded back and forth.
Li Zhizhuo had earlier given Sun Siming a woman, mockingly calling her his "sister-in-law," and offering another "comfort woman" to him. Unbeknownst to Li Zhizhuo, the Ma Gang Leader and his deputy, Xubu Huai, conferred on the matter, with the leader resolving to openly challenge the Chamber of Commerce at the auction. Li Zhizhuo, anticipating trouble from the Ma Gang, instructed Zhao Steward to keep a close watch on them to prevent any disruption.
As the banquet commenced, Gu Tian, disguised as a waiter, moved through the crowd. Tensions escalated when a dispute erupted between two groups of guests vying for the attention of Ying Ying, the leading beauty of the Chunyun House. Ying Ying, who was upset about Fu Sheng not showing up as promised, gracefully intervened, offering a toast to restore harmony. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Tian subtly drugged Zhao Steward's drink, causing him to pass out.
A quick-thinking ally suggested moving the "drunk" Zhao Steward to a guest room to rest, a diversion for which Fu Sheng later expressed his gratitude. The auction began, with Jiu overseeing the bidding. After several standard items were sold, the Ma Gang Leader, Che, began aggressively bidding on sets of weapons, securing them at prices two to three times higher than previous years, much to the surprise of the other merchants.
Meanwhile, Fu Sheng and Gu Tian confronted the unconscious Zhao Steward. Gu Tian, threatening to strike a specific acupoint that would cause a slow and agonizing death, coerced Zhao Steward into confessing. Zhao Steward, feigning awakening and begging for mercy, ultimately admitted to murdering Song Jingye under direct orders from Li Zhizhuo.
He even offered to testify against Li Zhizhuo, revealing that Li Zhizhuo had corresponded with the "Breakwall" organization, inquired about the Bird Jade Plate, and orchestrated Song Jingye's death because Song Jingye had questioned the bounty. Gu Tian then asked if Zhao Steward had the tussah silk with him. For the grand finale, City Lord Wen Yu presented the highlight of the banquet: an enormous raw piece of Star Gold, weighing 2. 4 jin.
He explained that this single piece contained more Star Gold than all the weapons auctioned earlier combined, emphasizing its immense value and the unique offer for the buyer to customize their own weapons at the Lord's Mansion. The starting bid was an astonishing forty million coins. Unable to meet the price in coin, Li Zhizhuo inquired if gold could be used for payment, to which City Lord Wen Yu agreed, setting the exchange rate at 10,000 coins per gold.
Li Zhizhuo requested a brief pause to check his treasury and ordered a servant to find Zhao Steward and instruct him to disrupt the banquet. However, the servant could not locate Zhao Steward. During the intermission, Gu Tian and Fu Sheng launched their "acrobatics performance." They presented a dramatic reenactment of Song Jingye's murder, describing a weapon made of invisible Western tussah silk coated with Star Gold powder, capable of dismembering a person at night.
They concluded by publicly accusing Zhao Steward, the sole possessor of such silk, as the murderer. To prove their point, Gu Tian demonstrated the silk's lethality on a dummy. Li Zhizhuo, furious, accused Gu Tian of murder and disrespecting the City Lord. However, City Lord Wen Yu calmly stated that he had authorized Gu Tian to investigate the murder and believed his words. Jiu brought Zhao Steward forward.
Under the watchful eyes of all, and seemingly prompted by a signal involving a small toy in Li Zhizhuo's hand, Zhao Steward suddenly reversed his confession, claiming "he" was the sole perpetrator, and then tragically committed suicide by slitting his throat. With Zhao Steward dead, Li Zhizhuo and the Ma Gang leader resumed their argument, accusing each other of foul play. Amidst the chaos, City Lord Wen Yu suddenly collapsed again.
His daughter, Jue, rushed to his side, realizing that the rumors of her father's severe illness were true. Gu Tian observed the escalating tensions, noting that the delicate balance of Xichuan was on the brink of collapse, and urged Fu Sheng to act quickly. Fu Sheng immediately prepared to perform acupuncture on the City Lord, instructing Jue to help him position her father.
