Treasure at Dawn Episode 16 Recap
> Treasure at Dawn Recap
Sun Siming and his brother diligently trained in their courtyard, constantly vigilant and determined never to return to their impoverished past. Sun Siming's brother emphatically told him that if anyone tried to force them back to their old life, it would be a fight to the death. Later, as Sun Siming leisurely fed the horses in the stable, Fu Sheng arrived, noticing that Hua Lei's horse looked unwell. He decided to prescribe some medicinal herbs for its recovery.
Sun Siming subtly advised Fu Sheng to avoid meddling in certain affairs, specifically cautioning him against investigating the deaths of Xubu Huai and Hua Lei. Fu Sheng, intent on uncovering the truth to prevent further casualties, disregarded the warning and insisted on pursuing his investigation. Days later, Li Zhizhuo, frustrated by the lack of progress in finding the Cloud-shaped Jade, issued an ultimatum to Sun Siming. Feeling pressured, Sun Siming sought help from Feng Qianli, but Feng Qianli firmly refused.
Meanwhile, due to a series of recent murders, a large, tense crowd gathered outside Fang Zhiyuan’s tea house, eagerly awaiting his next story. People speculated whether the person Fang Zhiyuan spoke of today would also meet an untimely end. Fu Sheng, intrigued and seeking answers, also joined the audience. Fang Zhiyuan then dramatically announced that today's story would be about Lei Juekun, a prominent and wealthy merchant in Xichuan. Following the performance, Wen Yu summoned Fang Zhiyuan.
He confessed that his stories were drawn from the "Heroes in Xichuan" record and even presented a list containing names, including Fu Sheng’s, which raised significant suspicion. Fu Sheng believed the matter was more complex than it appeared and, along with his companions, resolved to investigate Lei's Mansion that very night.
When the Young Mistress arrived at Lei's Mansion, Lei Juekun hastily greeted her, expressing his confidence in being safe, as he had been staying indoors to avoid the storyteller's predictions. However, no sooner had he finished speaking than he suddenly coughed up blood and died, a horrific sight. Upon hearing the news of Lei Juekun's death, Fang Zhiyuan was terrified and hastily packed his belongings to flee, but he was intercepted and kidnapped by Sun Siming and his brother.
At Lei Juekun's wake, Fu Sheng requested to perform an autopsy on the body, but Butler Lei vehemently objected. Gu Tian, feigning profound grief, cried out and dramatically opened the coffin. Inside, on Lei Juekun’s body and the coffin's interior, small, bloody handprints were visible, sending Lei's wife into a panic, convinced that a "little ghost" had appeared.
Meanwhile, Sun Siming and his brother interrogated Fang Zhiyuan, who explained that he fled because he feared being blamed for the mounting deaths. Sun Siming challenged him, stating that he would have Fang Zhiyuan praise him (Sun Siming) the next day, to see if he could evade death himself. If Sun Siming didn't die, Fang Zhiyuan would then publicly praise Li Zhizhuo. Fu Sheng's autopsy revealed that Lei Juekun had died from severe abdominal bloating.
Butler Lei recounted that the previous day, while returning from picking up goods, their path was blocked by a warehouse fire. They stopped at a roadside stall where Lei Juekun ate dog meat. Later, upon returning home, he drank several bowls of "fire-remove soup," which the cook explained was mung bean soup prepared because Lei Juekun had been exposed to the sun and smoke at the fire.
Fu Sheng quickly deduced that the combination of dog meat and mung bean soup could cause severe bloating, leading to death. What initially seemed like unrelated incidents now appeared to be a series of strikingly coincidental events. Gu Tian visited the merchant's warehouse where Lei Juekun had sourced his goods. The warehouse had mysteriously burned down the night before, leaving only a "gold-rimmed glass mirror."
A servant took advantage of the distraction to steal the mirror and later reported to his accomplices in an abandoned courtyard, explaining his fear of the mirror being discovered. Gu Tian, having lost sight of the servant, informed Fu Sheng about the mirror. Fu Sheng surmised that the glass mirror, capable of concentrating sunlight, could have caused the fire. This suggested a link between the mirror and Xubu Huai’s death, providing a crucial new lead in the case.
Fang Zhiyuan once again appeared to tell stories, this time featuring "The Three Heroes of Xichuan." The heroes, misunderstanding his words as a curse, immediately confronted him. However, upon seeing Gu Tian arrive, they decided to back down and leave. Later, fearing that they too might suffer a tragic fate, the three heroes decided to hide outside the city to ensure their safety. To protect Fang Zhiyuan and the three heroes, the group decided to split up.
The Young Mistress proposed that she and Fu Sheng, both skilled in martial arts, should go together, while Miss Tuoba went with Wen Yu. However, Gu Tian objected to these pairings, stating he was not familiar with Miss Tuoba. After some deliberation, the Young Mistress declared that she and Fu Sheng would work together, leaving Gu Tian and Miss Tuoba to protect Fang Zhiyuan and the three heroes. Fu Sheng warned Gu Tian that Miss Tuoba might harm him if displeased. The Young Mistress asserted that no one would dare harm her in Xichuan.
