Legend of the Magnate Episode 34 Recap
> Legend of the Magnate Recap
Gu Pingyuan and Li Qin successfully completed the construction of the eighth section of the dike. To celebrate their achievement, Viceroy Rui Lin hosted a banquet, with Marshal Jiu and Li Wantang among the guests. Rui Lin also specially invited Gu Pingyuan's mother, Gu's mother, to attend. Upon seeing Gu's mother, Li Wantang's face turned pale with shock. Rui Lin urged Li Wantang to offer a toast to her.
Gu's mother immediately recognized Li Wantang as her long-lost husband, Gu Wanzhang. However, Li Wantang adamantly claimed to be Li Million, the wealthiest man in the capital. Overwhelmed, Gu's mother fainted on the spot. Sensing the awkward situation, Li Wantang quietly left with Li Qin. Rui Lin, who had already discovered that Li Wantang was Gu Pingyuan's biological father, had deliberately orchestrated this reunion to humble him. After returning home, Li Wantang fell ill.
His doctor diagnosed his condition as "qi stagnation" and noted that "phlegm had clouded his mind," much to Li Qin's confusion. Meanwhile, Gu's mother remained unconscious, suffering from a "heart illness" that had left her "heart-will damaged and all 5 meridians injured," likely caused by "a sudden surge of extreme joy or sorrow." The doctor explained that a "heart illness" required "heart medicine," leaving Gu Pingyuan deeply worried.
During this time, Old Pan, a former salt worker addicted to opium, came to Gu Pingyuan for 200 taels of silver. He had squandered his family fortune, selling off his salt fields and even his wife and children. Li Qin arrived just in time to expose Old Pan's lies, revealing his addiction and desperate situation, and drove him away. Li Qin, concerned about his father's mysterious illness, asked Gu Pingyuan about his mother's condition.
Gu Pingyuan admitted he was at a loss. Li Qin then reminded Gu Pingyuan that Viceroy Rui Lin was pressing them to report to the Viceroy's Office regarding the salt fields, warning that Rui Lin would send soldiers to arrest them if they continued to hide. Chang Yu'er remained diligently by Gu's mother's side, caring for her.
Before leaving with Li Qin for the Viceroy's Office, Gu Pingyuan thanked Chang Yu'er, who insisted on taking care of his mother and encouraged him to take Heizi for protection. Gu Pingyuan, deeply moved, expressed his profound affection for her, stating that having her was enough for this lifetime. At the Viceroy's Office, Rui Lin welcomed them, acknowledging their personal troubles but also praising Gu Pingyuan's work in restoring Jiangning City.
He then gave both Gu Pingyuan and Li Qin ten days to sort out the affairs of the Lianghuai salt industry, emphasizing the principle of "government supervision and merchant management." He warned that if they failed, both would be publicly humiliated by being "put on cangues." Outside, Li Qin complained about Rui Lin's cunning manipulation and how his father, Li Wantang, had "seized" many salt fields by force from the old merchants.
He expressed relief that the merchants didn't know his father was ill, or they would "tear him apart alive." Li Qin also reminded Gu Pingyuan of their six-month agreement: if Gu failed, he would have to hand over his salt fields. Despite their competition, both affirmed their enduring camaraderie. Chang Yu'er had sent Heizi to protect Gu Pingyuan. Gu Pingyuan, in turn, dispatched Heizi to the Salt Industry Guild to invite Tu Ying, a prominent salt merchant.
At the Guild, Heizi found the salt merchants complaining bitterly about Gu Pingyuan and Li Qin taking over their salt fields, dismissing them as "two little bastards." Tu Ying, the most vocal among them, openly insulted Heizi, calling him a "servant" and "errand boy." Enraged by the disrespect, Heizi grabbed Tu Ying by the neck and dragged him to Gu Pingyuan.
Gu Pingyuan immediately apologized profusely to Tu Ying, who was furious about being "dragged like a street junkie" and having his neck swollen. Tu Ying boasted of his standing, mentioning he ran over ten silk shops and was even treated with respect by the Viceroy. Gu Pingyuan explained that he had sent Heizi to invite him for a private discussion.
He then passionately articulated the critical importance of the salt industry as the "lifeline of the country," making those who control it "uncrowned rulers." He questioned how, despite the destruction of the Lianghuai salt fields during a decade of war, people still managed to obtain salt. Gu Pingyuan pressed Tu Ying to reveal the truth, emphasizing that if Tu Ying withheld information, he would simply abandon the task, suffering no personal loss, while the merchants would face dire consequences.
He also mentioned his current distress over his mother's illness and his disinterest in "scheming and infighting." Meanwhile, Li Qin, determined to defeat Gu Pingyuan, held a meeting with his team. He instructed them to quickly repair the salt fields and establish new shops across Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces within three months, with the goal of expanding into Gu Pingyuan's territory in another three months.
He revealed his plan to engage in a "price war," instructing his manager to lower the price of salt to 300 copper coins per bundle. His manager protested, explaining that this price was below cost and would result in losses of nearly 100,000 taels of silver daily. Li Qin dismissed his concerns, stating he was the boss and wanted to defeat Gu Pingyuan within ten days, not six months, declaring that he had no time to "waste on him."
Convinced by Gu Pingyuan's sincerity, Tu Ying finally revealed the truth: the salt fields were never actually destroyed. During the chaos of the Resistance Army's presence, many merchants continued to trade with them and were paid fairly. However, to avoid being accused of aiding rebels by the imperial court, some chose to sell their salt fields before Jiangning fell. Li Wantang had exploited this "gap" in the market to acquire numerous salt fields through forceful means.
Additionally, some desperate individuals, like Old Pan, sold their fields due to opium addiction. Tu Ying further explained that merchants had deliberately pushed down mud walls into their fields to feign abandonment, and while the shops and workers remained, the title deeds were gone. He admitted these were "business tricks" an "outsider" like Gu Pingyuan wouldn't know.
Tu Ying also advised Gu Pingyuan on the importance of the Canal Gang for salt transportation, suggesting he "find a master" and "join the gang" to avoid being bullied. He mentioned that Emperor Qianlong himself was once a member and that many "outsiders" falsely claimed membership. Gu Pingyuan then gathered all the Lianghuai salt merchants and their assistants at the Salt Industry Guild. He addressed their suspicions about him being a young "outsider" who might seize their businesses.
He offered to concede his share of the salt fields if he couldn't resolve their issues. He admitted his lack of expertise in the salt industry but emphasized that they, the merchants, were the true experts. He reiterated Rui Lin's desire for Lianghuai's salt profits to remain within the region, making their current struggle against Li Wantang a battle for themselves.
To garner their full support, Gu Pingyuan made a groundbreaking announcement: from that day forward, all salt shops would operate on a "30-70 split" of net profits, with Gu Pingyuan taking 30% and the merchants taking 70%. This unprecedented offer shocked the merchants, but then spurred them to enthusiastically pledge their support to fight alongside him. Gu Pingyuan clarified that they were fighting for their own victory, not his.
Later, Gu Pingyuan returned home to find Chang Yu'er practicing calligraphy, secretly writing "My name is Chang Yu'er. Husband Gu Pingyuan." She quickly hid it when he tried to look. Gu Pingwen, Gu Pingyuan's younger brother, complained about missing the tea harvest season in their hometown and wished their mother was well enough to return to Huizhou. He lamented the potential loss of their precious Orchid Snow tea harvest.
Chang Yu'er gently urged Gu Pingyuan to eat, as Chang Si and Mr. Liao were waiting to offer advice. Chang Si, after affirming the ease of land-based salt transport by horse caravan, expressed concern over the unsustainably low salt prices. Gu Pingyuan then revealed his intention to import cheap well salt from Sichuan, prompting Chang Si to question if he was contemplating "trafficking illegal salt."
