Yan Zijin returned to Old Yue’s residence once more, accusing him of having Zhang’s help purchase fake jade pieces. Upon discovering the deceit, Old Yue claimed it was all orchestrated by Zhang and urged Yan Zijin to confront him. Trembling with fear, Old Yue confessed that Zhang had always known the jade was fake and that Yan Zijin intended to report him to the authorities.
Fearing arrest, Old Yue quickly proposed a compromise: he could marry Yue Yunxiu to resolve the issue, offering a reasonable price. Enraged beyond control, Yan Zijin lashed out with his whip, declaring that since Yue Yunxiu was his biological sister, there was no need for Old Yue to offer such arrangements. Old Yue grew increasingly perplexed, explaining that Yue Yunxiu was the illegitimate daughter of his eldest brother and a concubine. After his eldest brother’s death, the concubine had entrusted Yue Yunxiu to him. Furthermore, the string of pearls was something he had found himself. Yan Zijin’s supposed sister, the pearl-wearing woman, had actually died years ago after falling from her horse.
Still from Episode 13 of The Story of Pearl Girl
Yan Zijin trembled with anger. He had been searching for his sister for years, only to discover she had already passed away. In a fit of rage, he attempted to draw his sword to kill Old Yue, but servants and Duanwu desperately intervened. Witnessing Yan Zijin’s heartbreak, Duanwu empathized deeply. She recounted how, on the day she left the Pearl Pavilion, she watched helplessly as her mother was killed while protecting her, severing her only remaining connection to her loved ones. It was unbearable, akin to preferring death over living without them.
To help Yan Zijin cope with his grief, Duanwu spent the evening drinking with him. They shared their sorrows over their missing sisters and the loss of their once-loving mother, finding comfort in each other’s company. Their wounded hearts began to draw closer. Duanwu urged Yan Zijin to remember that he could always look up and see the light, completely warming his heart in that moment.
Cui Shijiu, having lost the lotus platform and her last bargaining chip, sat in her sedan chair resolute to take a desperate gamble. The Cui family’s pearl business still had a shop in Wu Ji, but due to Cui Ba’s betrayal and ambition to usurp the family leader’s position, Cui Shijiu had been exiled to Wu Ji. Now, business in Wu Ji seemed promising, and with Cui Ba’s extensive resources, she believed she could secure more pearls.
Upon arriving in Wu Ji, despite its reputation as a prosperous area, it was plagued by starvation and widespread suffering. A starving mother desperately begged Cui Shijiu to take in her hungry child, offering a way out of their plight. Moved, Cui Shijiu had her subordinates provide funds to help the impoverished mother.
Cui Ba was astonished to meet Cui Shijiu. She skillfully persuaded him that their father had finally reconciled and was willing to reinstate him in the family registry. Having accumulated some savings over the years, Cui Ba decided to give Cui Shijiu the benefit of the doubt. He secretly instructed his subordinates that if they did not see the family leader’s token in Cui Shijiu’s hands at the evening banquet, they would need to make alternative plans.
Under severe interrogation, Old Yue, now under Yan Zijin’s control, could no longer endure the torture. He immediately confessed that Cui Ba had also been involved in the forgery. Originally, Cui Ba and the Cui family had been colluding, but internal power struggles led to Cui Ba being driven to Wuling. Besides Cui Ba, there were the Lelong Thieves, a ruthless gang responsible for slaughtering the entire Yan family. Just as Old Yue finished his confession, government officials arrived to apprehend them.
Still from Episode 13 of The Story of Pearl Girl
Yan Zijin took the flying deity statue brought from the Yue family and placed it before Duanwu. He instructed her to produce the Blood Pearl and position it in the deity’s hand, instantly merging the two. It became clear that the Blood Pearl and the flying deity were intrinsically linked. Duanwu realized that the sculptor of the flying deity was Yu Shi and excitedly asked Yan Zijin if they could find him once they reached the Western Regions. Observing Duanwu’s eager face, Yan Zijin hesitated before continuing. He confirmed that Yu Shi was indeed Duanwu’s father and the top craftsman of Yuezhou. Baniang had once been a maid, and Yu Shi had perished because of the Yan family’s downfall in Yangzhou.
Duanwu was desperate to understand why the tribute had ended up being fake. Yan Zijin revealed that the distribution of royal tributes was orchestrated by the Lelong Thieves.
That night, Duanwu cried uncontrollably. She had hoped to find her father and at least have a living relative, but instead, she learned that both her parents were dead, leaving her with no remaining connections or hopes in the world.
During the banquet, Cui Shijiu unexpectedly obtained the family leader’s token and publicly declared that her father had decided to entrust the Wuling mines to her management. The crowd erupted in astonishment, and upon hearing the news, Cui Ba fainted.
