Treasures Around Episode 20 Recap
> Treasures Around Recap
As Pei Pei and Shan Dandan oversaw the funeral arrangements for Old Madam Pei, Matron Li approached with a request. She stated she had served the Old Madam for over ten years and could not bear the grief of her passing. She wished to resign and return to her hometown to live a prayerful, vegetarian life for the Old Madam's peaceful afterlife, asking to be freed from suffering. Pei Pei granted her request. Shan Dandan also expressed thanks.
Shan Shuangshuang, however, felt something was amiss and offered to help Matron Li pack, which Matron Li accepted. While packing, Shan Shuangshuang spoke with Matron Li, who seemed deeply saddened by the Old Madam's sudden death, saying she felt like she had lost her anchor. Matron Li claimed the Old Madam died of tuberculosis, a chronic illness. Unbeknownst to Matron Li, Shan Shuangshuang discovered a hidden packet of Aconitum (wolfsbane) in her belongings and recognized its deadly properties.
Later, Shan Shuangshuang found Matron Li collapsed and informed Pei Pei and Shan Dandan. Shan Dandan instructed their servant, A'Liu, to fetch a physician and check Matron Li's bundle for emergency medicine. Shan Shuangshuang produced the Aconitum she found earlier, identifying it as a potent poison. She connected it to the bowl of soup by Old Madam's bedside on the day she died, which Matron Li had prepared. Shan Shuangshuang directly accused Matron Li of poisoning the Old Madam.
Shan Dandan initially refused to believe it, citing Matron Li's long service and the doctor's diagnosis. When the physician arrived, however, he confessed under duress. He pleaded for his life, claiming "she" (Matron Li) had forced him and threatened to kill him if he didn't comply. He admitted that Old Madam had no terminal illness and that the Aconite, colorless and tasteless, was dissolved in the soup, causing her death.
Shan Dandan confronted Matron Li, demanding to know why she would harm the Old Madam, who had treated her so well. Matron Li erupted in anger, revealing her deep resentment. She felt she had been treated merely as a lackey despite a decade of dedicated service and admitted she had wanted the Old Madam dead for a long time. As A'Liu was sent to call the authorities, Matron Li made a shocking confession.
She revealed that the bowl of lotus root soup was originally intended for Pei Pei and Shan Dandan, but the Old Madam had taken it herself, saying the herbs weren't suitable for them. Realizing they were the intended targets, Shan Dandan demanded to know who had instructed her. Matron Li claimed she didn't need instructions; she was driven by envy and hate for their privileged lives and wanted them to suffer.
Just as the authorities were arriving, Matron Li called out a name, "Wang Jiu," expressing she couldn't wait any longer and wished to marry him in their next life, before taking her own life. Shopkeeper Wang, hearing the news of Matron Li's death (whom he privately referred to as Gui Xiang), was deeply saddened. He was seen burning paper offerings for her late at night.
He muttered that Matron Li, his Gui Xiang, had been the source of information and designs from Precious Pei Pavilion for years. He lamented that his plan to kill Pei Pei and Shan Dandan had been thwarted by the Old Madam dying first and vowed a "dead fish or broken net" fight against the Pei family. Pei Pei was overcome with grief, remembering cherished, albeit sometimes strict, moments with his mother from childhood.
He wept, saying he would never have a mother again. Shan Dandan tried to comfort him, telling him his mother was the best in the world and that he was her proud son. That night, Su Jue found Shopkeeper Wang burning paper offerings.
Realizing Wang Jiu was grieving for Matron Li, whom Su Jue now suspected was involved in Old Madam Pei's death, Su Jue was appalled that Wang Jiu would resort to murder for the sake of their business rivalry. Wang Jiu, enraged, slapped Su Jue and declared their conflict with the Pei family was now irreconcilable. Wang Jiu then led Su Jue to a hidden secret room within the residence, which Su Jue had never known existed.
Inside was a prisoner, thin and muttering incoherently, who was identified by a caption as "Pei Chu Feng of Precious Pei Pavilion." Wang Jiu revealed the prisoner was Pei Pei's biological father, Pei Chufeng, leaving Su Jue stunned and confused. Wang Jiu began to reveal a long-kept secret. He explained that for years, Su Jade Pavilion had been overshadowed by Precious Pei Pavilion in both jade quality and craftsmanship.
Their father had endured shame until the emperor commissioned the Moon Phoenix Crown. The City Lord appointed Pei Chufeng as the chief designer, forcing the Su family to plot to steal it. Wang Jiu showed Su Jue a flashback of the theft attempt. Guard Zhao of Precious Pei Pavilion was escorting the crown, holding baby Shan Dandan. Vigilante Shan Jing Tian intercepted them.
Wang Jiu appeared and mockingly revealed he had hired Shan Jing Tian, lying that the amber on the crown would cure his wife's chronic illness. He revealed that the true value lay in the crown's masterful craftsmanship, not the amber, and stated Shan Jing Tian's usefulness was over. Realizing he had been tricked into stealing the crown, Shan Jing Tian vowed to return it to its rightful owner, ready to give his life.
As they fought, poisonous smoke was released, weakening them. Guard Zhao, entrusting baby Dandan to Shan Jing Tian for safekeeping, stayed to fight alone to retrieve the crown. In the struggle, the crown was split in half by a sword. Shan Jing Tian secured one half, while Guard Zhao faced Wang Jiu's men alone but was ultimately overcome by the poison and killed.
Wang Jiu continued, explaining that because Precious Pei Pavilion couldn't present the completed Phoenix Crown, Su Jade Pavilion seized the opportunity to present a backup crown they had prepared, earning nationwide acclaim and establishing their current prominence. He admitted that despite having half of the original crown (or the blueprint/knowledge from it), their current skills weren't sufficient to fully comprehend its craftsmanship.
He reminded Su Jue that he could never fully master some techniques their father taught him, revealing they were Phoenix Crown techniques. He admitted that because Su Jue couldn't master them, and Pei Pei, with his natural talent, could easily replicate the techniques after merely seeing them, they had broken Pei Pei's hand to eliminate the competition and threat. Wang Jiu stated that he and Su Jue's father had done this for Su Jue and the Su family's sake.
Su Jue felt like a clown, realizing he had never truly surpassed Pei Pei. Wang Jiu was unapologetic, viewing their actions as necessary for survival in the business world. He revealed that after the crown was lost, Su Jue's father spread rumors that Pei Chufeng had stolen it himself. Pei Chufeng lived in fear, not daring to let Pei Pei display his talent, yet Pei Pei could still learn the techniques from just seeing blueprint parts.
Wang Jiu and Su Jue's father had decided Pei Chufeng was a liability and fabricated rumors of his death in a fire years later, then secretly brought him to the dungeon. Wang Jiu stated their purpose was to stop Pei Chufeng's investigation into the theft, prevent him from teaching Pei Pei, and exploit his skills for the Su family. Now, he had one more use: to use his hand to utterly destroy Precious Pei Pavilion.
Pei Pei returned to work at Precious Pei Pavilion, attempting to move past his grief. The business had suffered due to the funeral. Shan Dandan proposed a promotion plan to attract customers: those who purchased items at the main store would receive a small gift if they picked up their goods at the other stores, encouraging patronage across their locations. Pei Pei approved the plan, and despite his sorrow, he forced himself to smile, determined to lead the family business.
Meanwhile, as Shan Shuangshuang tidied Shan Dandan's room, she discovered a small gold bead that Pei Pei had given Dandan. She immediately recognized the intricate gold-melting technique used on it, identifying it as the unique technique found only on the Moon Phoenix Crown. Remembering her father's last words about being exploited, she became convinced the Pei family was responsible for his death.
Believing such a complex technique could only be mastered through years of studying the actual crown, she confronted Pei Pei privately. She pointed out his mastery of several lost techniques unique to the Phoenix Crown, asking who taught him. Pei Pei claimed his father, as chief designer, knew many techniques, and he had seen the actual crown as a child and learned from his father, adding that some techniques could be found elsewhere.
Shan Shuangshuang specifically questioned the gold-melting technique, stating it was unique to the Phoenix Crown and the "Sun Family" technique (implying it wasn't widely known or taught). She doubted he could have mastered it just by seeing it a few times as a child, arguing it would require a decade of deep study.
When Pei Pei insisted he had only learned it in childhood, she pressed further, questioning who his father had learned from, noting the crown was made by many masters and his father, despite being the chief designer, couldn't have mastered all techniques as a young boy. She challenged the reasonableness of his claims, hinting at his father's possible involvement in the crown's disappearance. Their discussion was interrupted by A'Liu, who arrived with urgent bad news.
Officials descended upon Precious Pei Pavilion, announcing the City Lord's order to seal the property. They declared that Pei Chu Feng, the former head, had been found guilty of stealing the Moon Phoenix Crown. Pei Pei vehemently denied the accusation, demanding evidence and denouncing it as slander.
The officer produced a letter, allegedly from Pei Chufeng, confessing his greed, his conspiracy with the thief Shan Jing Tian to steal the crown, his subsequent fear, and his willingness to surrender to justice, burn himself as penance, and turn over all Pei family assets to the state. The officer stated the City Lord's aide had received the last piece of the Phoenix Crown along with the letter and asked Pei Pei if the handwriting and fingerprints were familiar.
Unseen by the officials, a flashback showed Wang Jiu forcing a frail, possibly deranged, Pei Chufeng to write the letter in the dungeon. Wang Jiu told Su Jue not to blame him, claiming "you all forced my hand." At Precious Pei Pavilion, as the weight of the accusations and the apparent evidence became clear, Shan Dandan fainted.
