Legend of the Magnate Episode 18 Recap
> Legend of the Magnate Recap
Gu Pingyuan resolved to acquire all the tea from his village, a decision that directly challenged Mr. Hou Er's interests. Mr. Hou Er retaliated by slandering Gu Pingyuan at the Tea Merchants' Association, leading the association head to refuse to buy Gu Pingyuan's Orchid Snow tea. Upon hearing this, the villagers urged Gu Pingyuan and Gu Pingwen to approach the association with thorny branches on their backs, a gesture of apology. Gu Pingyuan, however, firmly refused.
He exposed Mr. Hou Er's true intentions, revealing that Mr. Hou Er's pretense of caring for tea farmers was merely a tactic to depress prices for his own gain. Gu Pingyuan explained that he and Gu Pingwen had surveyed tea shops in the city, finding that premium Silver Bud tea was selling for 3. 3 strings of coins per jin, significantly higher than Mr. Hou Er's offer of 1. 3 strings for their best tea.
The substantial price difference, Gu Pingyuan pointed out, was flowing directly into Mr. Hou Er's pockets. The villagers were enraged by this deception. Gu Pingyuan then promised to purchase their tea at ten percent above Mr. Hou Er's quoted price, assuring them of cash transactions in a few days. The villagers enthusiastically agreed to sell their tea to him. The village head, however, expressed doubts about Gu Pingyuan's financial capability.
In response, Gu Pingyuan immediately dispatched Gu Pingwen with two assistants to Shanxi, tasking him with delivering a letter to First Madam Jin and borrowing between fifty and sixty thousand taels of silver. Gu Pingwen was highly skeptical, believing his brother's plan was foolhardy and questioning how such a large sum could be secured with just a small note. Despite his reluctance, Gu Pingwen complied after a stern lecture from Gu Pingyuan.
The next morning, Gu Pingyuan visited an inn, intending to sell his Orchid Snow tea to Mr. Bayan, a tea merchant who conducted business between Huizhou and the grasslands. To Gu Pingyuan's dismay, Mr. Hou Er appeared, boasting that all the merchants in the inn were his allies and ordering Gu Pingyuan to leave for defying the Tea Merchants' Association. Disappointed, Gu Pingyuan left. As the Grand Tea Competition approached, Li Wantang arrived in Anhui with his son, Li Qin.
They were met with great fanfare by Old Master Hu, the head of the Anhui Tea Merchants' Association, and other tea merchants, all hoping for Anhui tea to secure the top prize. Li Wantang, however, explained that with the recent change in rulers in the capital – Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong now jointly overseeing state affairs under the reign title of Tongzhi – the true judge of the competition would be the Sixth Prince (Prince Gong).
He emphasized that this was "business, not just a tea gathering." Gu Pingyuan sent a calling card to Li Wantang, but it was rejected by Old Master Hu, who scorned the name "Orchid Snow" for a Silver Bud tea and ordered Gu Pingyuan dismissed. Li Qin, recognizing Gu Pingyuan's name, intervened and met him outside. He candidly noted Gu Pingyuan's propensity for offending influential figures, from Old Master Hu to his own father and even Mongolian merchants.
Li Qin offered to buy Gu Pingyuan's tea himself to prevent any losses, but Gu Pingyuan declined, asserting that his Orchid Snow tea was a "timeless beauty" that deserved more than to be mingled among "common, vulgar teas." He then had Li Qin sample the tea, which Li Qin praised as truly exceptional. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Pingyuan requested entry into the Grand Tea Competition, and Li Qin, impressed, agreed to help him register.
Later, Li Qin prepared Orchid Snow tea for his father, Li Wantang, who also found its taste superb, potentially superior to even top-grade Silver Bud. Li Qin suggested pursuing exclusive rights for Orchid Snow tea.
However, Li Wantang refused, explaining that such a move would offend Old Master Hu, jeopardize long-standing business relationships, and, most importantly, encourage Gu Pingyuan's ambition, potentially leading him to demand equal profits or operate independently in the future, akin to "Xiang Yu wanting to take the First Emperor's place."
Li Wantang underscored the importance of rules and hierarchy in business, explicitly stating that he had already instructed all tea merchants in Beijing not to buy Gu Pingyuan's tea and sternly warned Li Qin against assisting him. Meanwhile, Gu Pingwen returned from Shanxi, having failed to meet First Madam Jin, who was away checking on branch offices.
He reiterated his concerns about the villagers, who were already delivering their tea, and worried about how they would pay for it without the borrowed funds. Just as Gu Pingwen was tallying the incoming tea and Gu Pingyuan's mother was scolding Gu Pingwen for his complaints, First Madam Jin herself arrived.
She apologized for her absence when Gu Pingwen had visited her Datong branch and personally handed Gu Pingyuan twenty banknotes, each worth ten thousand taels, totaling two hundred thousand taels. She expressed her full support for Gu Pingyuan's endeavors and offered to help him acquire all of Anhui's tea if he wished.
First Madam Jin then swiftly departed, mentioning her urgency to check on business opportunities related to the impending recapture of Hefei, remarking that "the marketplace is like a battlefield." Gu Pingyuan deeply appreciated her support, praising her as "as capable as any man." With newfound financial backing, Gu Pingyuan felt confident. He had Gu Pingwen arrange for a boat to travel to the capital.
Gu Pingwen expressed concerns about the Grand Tea Competition's rule against individual participants, which typically only allowed provincial tea merchants' associations. Gu Pingyuan dismissed these rules as self-serving, declaring he had his own rules and would fight for Orchid Snow tea, which he considered too precious to be unappreciated. He promptly made arrangements for their mother's care and prepared to depart for the capital after lunch.
On the boat journey, Gu Pingyuan gazed at the jade pendant gifted to him by Chang Yu'er, lost in thought. Gu Pingwen mistakenly assumed he was still dwelling on Bai Yimei, but Gu Pingyuan clarified that he had moved past those feelings, acknowledging Bai Yimei's freedom to choose her own path. He then recited a poem about a "familiar face" (Chang Yu'er) "half frowning, half smiling."
Back in her own home, Chang Yu'er was also shown, visibly missing Gu Pingyuan, while Chang Si gently advised her to let go. Upon their arrival in the capital, Manager Cui from Hengchang Bank, an associate of First Madam Jin, greeted them. Gu Pingyuan reflected on his last departure from the capital in shackles, vowing never to return unless absolutely necessary.
Concurrently, Su Zixuan arrived in the capital from the south, telling Li Wantang she had heard his Grand Tea Competition was "lively" and that she had come for "a cup of tea." At the Prince's Mansion, where the Grand Tea Competition was to be held, guards announced that entry was strictly by Ministry of Revenue tokens. Gu Pingwen worried, realizing Li Qin was their only hope.
However, Li Qin was confined to his room by his father, Li Wantang, for the entire day, preventing him from delivering the necessary passes. Refusing to give up, Gu Pingyuan and Gu Pingwen searched for an alternative entrance. They found a side door, where a woman of exceptional temperament, accompanied by a eunuch-like servant, was entering. Sensing an opportunity, Gu Pingwen enthusiastically boasted about their Orchid Snow tea, claiming it would be the champion of the competition.
Amused and curious, the woman invited them to enter with her. Inside, they were met by another guard at a second gate leading to the competition area. The guard demanded a fee of five thousand taels per person, for a total of ten thousand taels, and insisted that their tea merchants' association head must come to claim them. Gu Pingwen was exasperated by this exorbitant demand.
Gu Pingyuan acknowledged he could pay the sum but knew that Old Master Hu would never come to claim them. He again regretted having offended the powerful tea merchants. The Grand Tea Competition commenced with the presentation from the Anhui Tea Merchants' Association. Old Master Hu, in a dramatic and innovative display, brought a large tea tree onto the stage.
He explained that this tea, growing in the secluded southern foothills of Mount Huangshan, would be freshly picked and processed on-site. His unique approach immediately captivated the attention of the assembled crowd and piqued the curiosity of Prince Gong and Prince Chun. After the fresh Tunxi Silver Bud tea was prepared and served, both princes tasted it, with Prince Chun remarking that the effort alone deserved the top prize, while Prince Gong urged patience.
