Legend of the Magnate Episode 14 Recap
> Legend of the Magnate Recap
Gu Pingyuan spoke with Mr. Bai, addressing Mr. Bai's unspoken concern about Bai Yimei's purity after her time in the military camp. Gu Pingyuan declared that when he went to the military camp to rescue Bai Yimei, he had considered all possible outcomes. He firmly stated that as long as Bai Yimei returned safely, she would remain Mr. Bai's daughter and his wife.
He reasoned that surviving in these chaotic times was already difficult, and it would be too cruel to scrutinize past events. Gu Pingyuan reminded Mr. Bai that he himself was a condemned official, a fugitive from exile, and questioned how Bai Yimei would cope if people knew about his past. He urged Mr. Bai to have an open heart and not blame Bai Yimei, as nothing that might have happened would be her fault.
Mr. Bai's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing Gu Pingyuan's unwavering resolve. Meanwhile, Li Cheng's injuries slowly healed under Bai Yimei's careful tending. He overheard her praying, not only for his recovery but also for the villagers of Shanjian Village, her father, Gu Pingyuan, and his mother, and for the tea plantation to be restored. She expressed her wish for Li Cheng to become a good person.
Li Cheng entered, saw her Bodhisattva jade pendant, and told her to put it away as such items were forbidden in the camp. Bai Yimei revealed she had been chanting sutras for him every night to ease his suffering, and that she prayed for him to become a good man. Li Cheng was deeply moved but also saddened, believing he could never be good due to the countless lives he had taken as a general.
Bai Yimei, however, insisted she would save him. With his injuries mostly healed, Li Cheng decided to send Bai Yimei back, as the Resistance Army was breaking camp to attack Hefei. He led her to a vast silver vault filled with treasures, explaining they were confiscated from corrupt officials and used to fund the army. He encouraged her to pick anything as a dowry.
Bai Yimei admired a beautiful headdress but grew somber, asking about its original owner and if they had died or escaped. She refused to take anything, telling Li Cheng she would only accept a gift that truly belonged to him. She implored him to value his life, which she had worked tirelessly to save, more than any material wealth. She simply wished for him to recover and send her home, after which they would be "even."
Li Cheng personally escorted Bai Yimei to a mountain path, instructing her to ride forty li westward. He warned her not to disclose anything about his camp or her role in treating his injuries to anyone, fearing she would be accused of aiding the enemy or be subjected to malicious gossip from her own villagers. Bai Yimei, acknowledging his concerns, gave him her mother's jade pendant, a cherished item she always carried for blessings, hoping it would protect him.
Li Cheng, initially pessimistic about being saved due to the blood on his hands, accepted it, making a grim jest about meeting her in hell. Upon her return to Shanjian Village, Bai Yimei was met with coldness. Villagers like Aunt and Sister-in-law pointedly avoided her. Pingwen excitedly rushed to inform Gu Pingyuan of her return. Gu Pingyuan and Mr. Bai quickly escorted Bai Yimei home, noticing the villagers' unwelcoming attitude and hushed gossip.
Distraught, Bai Yimei immediately locked herself in her room, refusing to eat or drink. Later, Gu Pingyuan's mother informed him that local women, including Mrs. Li, were spreading rumors that Bai Yimei had "submitted herself" to Li Cheng and had only returned to take her father to the south for a life of luxury. Gu Pingyuan was enraged, defending Bai Yimei by explaining that her sacrifice had saved all the village women from massacre.
His mother, however, worried about the authorities accusing Bai Yimei of aiding the enemy, suggesting Gu Pingyuan, Bai Yimei, and Mr. Bai flee the village. Gu Pingyuan vehemently refused, asserting his desire to remain home to care for his mother and family, unwilling to abandon their ancestral land and tea plantation. News then arrived that Pingwen was fighting villagers. Gu Pingyuan rushed to intervene, separating them.
Pingwen explained he couldn't stand the villagers' slander, accusing Bai Yimei and Li Cheng of "having an affair." Gu Pingyuan fiercely confronted the gossiping men, reminding them of their inaction when their own wives were kidnapped and how Bai Yimei alone had risked everything to save them. He called them out for their cowardice and for slandering an innocent woman who was their savior, driving them away from the scene.
Back at Mr. Bai's home, Mr. Bai tried to coax Bai Yimei to eat, but she remained withdrawn. Gu Pingyuan and Pingwen arrived, conveying Gu Pingyuan's mother's wish to see Bai Yimei. Concerned about Bai Yimei's fragile state, Mr. Bai asked Gu Pingyuan to reassure her, fearing she might harm herself. Gu Pingyuan spoke to Bai Yimei through the closed door, validating her feelings and reaffirming his trust in her.
Bai Yimei expressed her bitter resentment, wishing she had died in the military camp rather than face such accusations. Gu Pingyuan urged her not to speak out of anger, questioning if she would still save people if she knew there would be no gratitude. He empathized with her, acknowledging the cruelty of people's hearts and contrasting it with the "passionate men" he had encountered during his exile. Bai Yimei then asked about his years in Ningguta.
He recounted the immense suffering, such as panning for gold in freezing rivers, but emphasized his unwavering hope of one day reuniting with his family. He also shared Mr. Bai's profound worry for her during her captivity. Bai Yimei admitted her childishness but requested to be left alone to process everything, asking Gu Pingyuan to leave. Later, Gu Pingyuan's mother again pressed for him, Bai Yimei, and Mr. Bai to leave the village.
Mr. Bai, present during this conversation, explained that they had no other place to go and could not abandon their ancestral graves, land, and tea plantation. Gu Pingyuan then proposed a solution: he would marry Bai Yimei openly and proudly with a grand wedding. He believed this public declaration of his commitment would silence the rumors and prove Bai Yimei's innocence. His mother, recognizing his unwavering resolve, reluctantly agreed.
Mr. Bai, also supporting the idea, went home to prepare a dowry. Gu Pingyuan and Pingwen immediately set off for the city to arrange a palanquin and other wedding necessities. In the city, Pingwen complained about the small size of the two-bearer palanquin and the tight budget for the wedding arrangements, which included musicians, attendants, matrons, and twelve banquet tables. Gu Pingyuan carefully calculated the expenses, ensuring everything was accounted for.
Back in the village, Mr. Bai informed Bai Yimei about the upcoming wedding, but she was deeply conflicted. Having grown fond of Li Cheng during their time together, she couldn't bear to disappoint the ever-devoted Gu Pingyuan. When Gu Pingyuan later visited Mr. Bai to discuss wedding details, he noticed Bai Yimei's continued reticence and preoccupation, as she remained secluded in her room. He gently asked if she had something on her mind, but she gave evasive answers.
Gu Pingyuan felt that Bai Yimei had changed; her previous soft-spoken demeanor had been replaced by an assertive, yet polite and distant, attitude. Pingwen attributed this change to her having "seen the world," but Gu Pingyuan felt they had become almost like strangers. Gu Pingyuan discussed preparing a red wedding dress for Bai Yimei with his mother.
He lamented the difficulty of finding good silk fabrics due to the war, noting that the available options in silk shops resembled funeral clothes. His mother then fondly recalled the elaborate wedding dress his father had commissioned for her, selling family heirlooms to ensure her dignity. She also remarked on Bai Yimei's apparent lack of enthusiasm for the wedding, suggesting her thoughts were elsewhere.
She advised Gu Pingyuan to go ahead and prepare a beautiful red wedding dress, emphasizing that while parents are a concern for half a lifetime, a spouse is for a whole lifetime, and their happiness together was paramount. Despite Mr. Bai presenting Bai Yimei with the dowry he had painstakingly saved over the years, she remained troubled and could not find joy in the preparations.
