Legend of the Magnate Episode 13 Recap
> Legend of the Magnate Recap
Gu Pingyuan regained consciousness on a winding mountain road, riding in a cart with his brother, Gu Pingwen. Gu Pingwen explained that he had barely saved Gu Pingyuan from being trampled to death in the recent chaos, emphasizing the danger they were in and their narrow escape. But Gu Pingyuan was adamant about returning to the military camp, as Bai Yimei and the other village women were still held there.
Gu Pingwen pleaded with his brother, reminding him that many had already died and that no one would even know if they perished. He accused Gu Pingyuan of being a hero who only talked big, contrasting it with his own fear but loyalty to their mother.
Gu Pingwen recalled how their mother's eyes had nearly gone blind from crying during Gu Pingyuan's long absence and how they had to hide and survive on sweet potato tendrils when soldiers came, while Gu Pingyuan was nowhere to be found. He felt abandoned by his brother, who had only just returned and was already leaving again.
Despite Gu Pingwen's furious protests, Gu Pingyuan ignored him, rolling out of the moving cart and heading back towards the camp, determined to rescue the women. Meanwhile, Bai Yimei was brought before Li Cheng, the general of the Resistance Army, who lay gravely wounded and unconscious from severe blood loss due to an arrow wound. Li Cheng's second-in-command threatened Bai Yimei, stating that her life would be forfeit if she failed to save the general.
Undeterred by the threat and seeing the severity of Li Cheng's injuries, Bai Yimei immediately requested a sharp knife, alcohol, wound medicine, and a brazier. She instructed the soldiers to hold Li Cheng down while she used heated pincers to meticulously extract shattered iron shrapnel from his wound. The agonizing pain caused Li Cheng to convulse, nearly throwing Bai Yimei off. She quickly urged the soldiers to hold him firm.
She then applied hemostatic powders to the wound, but refrained from removing the deeply embedded arrow, fearing it would be instantly fatal. Gu Pingyuan, having returned to the camp, loudly called out for Li Cheng. Soldiers quickly surrounded and captured him, imprisoning him in the hay barn. As Bai Yimei continued to tend to Li Cheng throughout the night, she noticed his condition improving.
She advised that the general eat well to regain his strength, estimating a month for full recovery. She then took a moment to write a prescription for nourishing herbs directly on Li Cheng's battle map, instructing a subordinate to fetch the medicine. When the subordinate worried about Li Cheng's reaction upon waking, Bai Yimei dismissed his concerns, prioritizing the general's recovery. She also inquired about the other village women, learning they were safe and unharmed.
Though she wished to return home, the subordinate insisted she remain to continue caring for Li Cheng. Later, Li Cheng woke up to find Bai Yimei dozing off by his side. He praised her medical skills, asking who had taught her. Bai Yimei proudly stated she learned from her father, a scholar who, despite not passing the imperial exams, decided to become a village teacher and physician.
Li Cheng then suggested her father stop teaching about Confucius and Mencius, which he deemed useless, and instead join his army as a doctor. Bai Yimei retorted that an educated person who understands principles would not make such a suggestion. She questioned the necessity of war, lamenting how the conflict prevented them from selling their tea and bringing in supplies.
She recounted how the men of her village feared conscription and how the burning of their tea forest caused widespread sorrow, with no one coming to help. After Li Cheng took the herbal medicine, Bai Yimei began the arduous task of extracting the arrowhead from his body. She explained that she needed to carefully loosen the surrounding flesh with medicine before pulling it out, as a sudden removal would cause fatal blood loss.
Li Cheng, despite the intense pain, stoically refused any bite stick, asserting that a general who feared pain could not lead an army. He commanded her to proceed, enduring the excruciating process without a sound, earning Bai Yimei's silent admiration. She then dressed his wound and advised him to avoid any strenuous movement that could reopen it.
Once the immediate danger passed, Li Cheng expressed his relief at being able to breathe comfortably again, but Bai Yimei highlighted other simple pleasures like eating, sunbathing, and drinking tea, again questioning the senseless violence of war. Li Cheng explained his personal tragedies: his father died in a mine collapse, and his two younger brothers drowned when the mine flooded. His mother, burdened by high-interest debts from loan sharks to buy thin "dog-knocker coffins" for his brothers, later drowned herself.
The mine owner, exploiting their poverty, then led his two older brothers to blast a mountain with explosives, resulting in their deaths. Overwhelmed by grief, his mother prepared one last meal for him before taking her own life. After that, Li Cheng joined the Resistance Army, where his comrades taught him that the suffering of the poor was caused by "bastards," fueling his resolve to "kill all the evil people."
Bai Yimei, however, challenged his view, pointing out that many of those they killed were innocent and had no personal quarrel with him. Meanwhile, Gu Pingyuan, imprisoned in the hay barn, meticulously worked to loosen his ropes. Once free, he ignited the gunpowder stored there, causing a massive explosion. As soldiers rushed to put out the fire, Gu Pingyuan used the distraction to enter Li Cheng's tent. He demanded to take Bai Yimei and the other village women with him.
Li Cheng, initially suspecting him of being a Qing spy, was shocked when Gu Pingyuan revealed he was Bai Yimei's fiancé. Gu Pingyuan then proposed a business deal: he would supply Li Cheng with all the hemp ropes and tung oil from Anhui Province—thousands of barrels of oil and six cartloads of rope, crucial supplies for the army. In exchange, Li Cheng was to release all the women.
Li Cheng, impressed by Gu Pingyuan's sincerity and the valuable offer, agreed to release the other women but insisted on keeping Bai Yimei to continue treating his wounds. Gu Pingyuan protested, arguing that his deal was for "all" the women, including Bai Yimei, but Li Cheng remained firm, promising to release her once his injuries were fully healed.
Upon returning to Shanjian Village with the other women, Gu Pingyuan conveyed the news to Mr. Bai, who was heartbroken that Bai Yimei remained in the camp. He felt responsible for her predicament and wished he were dead, lamenting the chaos of the times. Back home, Gu Pingwen fabricated a story for their mother, claiming he and Gu Pingyuan had been in the city doing business, selling hemp ropes and tung oil to a hospitable man named Li Cheng.
This put their mother at ease, who was overjoyed to see Gu Pingyuan safe. Gu Pingyuan then announced his intention to marry Bai Yimei as soon as she returned, a proposal his mother eagerly supported, as Bai Yimei had faithfully helped their family during Gu Pingyuan's long absence. Determined to restore their livelihood, Gu Pingyuan and Gu Pingwen bought 200 tea seedlings, intending to plant them immediately to harvest tea before the Qingming Festival.
Gu Pingyuan visited Mr. Bai again, who, despite his grief, offered Gu Pingyuan his medical instruments—knives, needles, and a collection of wound medicines in porcelain bottles—to take to Bai Yimei. Mr. Bai explained his hands often shook, making it difficult for him to perform delicate procedures. He praised Gu Pingyuan's pragmatic approach, noting that while he taught farming, Gu Pingyuan understood that people would always need tea, regardless of who was fighting.
He also suggested Gu Pingyuan visit his old friend, Liao, in Zhonghe Village on the opposite mountain, a stubborn tea roaster, to learn the craft. Mr. Bai vowed to personally "whack Liao's backside with his walking stick" if he refused to teach Gu Pingyuan. Returning to Li Cheng's camp, Gu Pingyuan delivered Mr. Bai's medicines to Bai Yimei, again urging Li Cheng to release her.
Li Cheng, recovering but still in command, reiterated that he would only send her back when he was fully healed. Gu Pingyuan questioned Li Cheng's ability to protect Bai Yimei when war inevitably broke out and he couldn't even protect himself. Enraged, Li Cheng ordered Gu Pingyuan dragged out of the tent. Alone with Li Cheng, the deputy reported rumors that their naval forces had been defeated and defected to the imperial court.
He advocated for the Resistance Army to abandon their current defensive position in Anhui and attack Hefei instead of waiting to be surrounded. Li Cheng, however, condemned such talk as treason, drawing his sword and threatening to behead anyone who spoke of retreat or defection. He revealed that their orders were to hold their position to relieve pressure on the main forces besieging Hefei. If they retreated, the imperial army would encircle their comrades.
Li Cheng admitted he was investigating the naval situation, vowing to move only if the rumors were confirmed. He acknowledged the frustration among his troops but reminded them of their oath and the sacrifices of their fallen comrades, asking if they would rather live as dogs than humans. Moments later, Li Cheng's wound reopened due to his outburst. Later, Mr. Bai shared his deepest fears with Gu Pingyuan about Bai Yimei's fate.
He outlined three possibilities: she returns unharmed; her body is found, or she disappears without a trace; or a third, most terrible outcome. He agonized over the worst-case scenario, stating he would surely follow her to the grave, but expressed a haunting fear of a "second" outcome, which he did not articulate. Gu Pingyuan, still confident, reassured Mr. Bai that Bai Yimei, being such a kind person who wouldn't even step on an ant, would surely be protected by heaven.
He declared his intention to return to the camp the next day, trusting that reason would prevail. Mr. Bai, however, argued that reason only applies between humans, not between humans and beasts. He claimed that in these chaotic times, humans were worse than animals, who do not kill their own kind, while humans slaughter and enslave their fellow beings. He desperately implored Gu Pingyuan not to risk his life again, stating he could not bear to lose him after losing his daughter.
