Legend of the Magnate Episode 5 Recap
> Legend of the Magnate Recap
Chang Si leads his horse gang, including Gu Pingyuan and Chang Yu'er, on a perilous journey to deliver medicine to the Horqin Grasslands. One night, as they camp, Gu Pingyuan, unable to sleep, sits alone outside his tent. Chang Yu'er approaches him, having watched him for some time. Gu Pingyuan explains he is contemplating his future, and Chang Yu'er surmises he is thinking of his mother.
She shares her own vague memories of her mother, whose hair was still black when she was buried, and whose temperament her father refused to describe. Gu Pingyuan then confesses his sorrow, noting his mother is still in Anhui, but he cannot return to fulfill his filial duties due to his exile. He reflects on his escape from Ningguta, realizing that "the world is vast, yet there's nowhere to settle.
Only a home I cannot return to, and a country I cannot serve," likening his plight to "Lin Chong's Night Escape" from the opera. Chang Yu'er expresses her concern that he intends to stay in Horqin. Gu Pingyuan confirms his inclination, explaining he believes his continued presence will only bring greater trouble to Chang Si and the horse gang, and their safe return would be his way of repaying Chang Si's kindness.
Offended by his words, Chang Yu'er calls him "ridiculous" and abruptly returns to her tent. Meanwhile, in the capital, Su Zixuan is tasked with convincing Li Wantang to open a draft bank in Pingyao, Shanxi, to raise funds for the Southern revolutionary party. Li Qin volunteers to go to Shanxi in his father's stead, driven partly by the news that Gu Pingyuan, having escaped Ningguta, is now in Pingyao, and he wishes to meet him again.
With Su Zixuan's support, Li Wantang initially agrees. However, he later takes Li Qin to a secret vault, showcasing immense wealth, including gold ingots, freshwater pearls from Goryeo, Hotan jade, and medicinal herbs, notably the ginseng Li Qin acquired. Li Wantang urges Li Qin to stay in Beijing and manage their family's existing shops, regretting having allowed him to go to Ningguta where he befriended the exile Gu Pingyuan.
He expresses fear that Gu Pingyuan's connection could bring disaster upon their family. Li Qin vehemently rejects the notion of being a "spoiled heir" and insists on establishing his own business in Shanxi, desiring to forge his own path like his father. He defiantly states that nothing short of being "bricked inside that wall" can stop him. Facing his son's resolute determination, Li Wantang reluctantly yields.
Chang Si leads his horse gang through the perilous Black Water Marsh, a route he describes as "gambling our lives with Heaven." He meticulously directs his men, having groups of six scout ahead with wooden sticks to test the ground. Despite their caution, one carriage carrying medicine sinks into the marsh, forcing them to abandon the goods to save the driver and horses.
Moments later, panic erupts as Chang Yu'er, who had wandered off briefly, falls into the marsh and quickly sinks. Chang Si rushes to her, but his men hold him back, unwilling to let him risk his life. Without a word, Gu Pingyuan throws himself to the ground and rolls towards Chang Yu'er. He reaches her, grabs her hand, and calmly reassures her, warning her not to struggle.
As Gu Pingyuan also begins to sink, Chang Si instructs his men to quickly fashion a rope by tying their belts to a large stone. Gu Pingyuan, still encouraging Chang Yu'er, even jokes about dying together, finding company on the road to the underworld. Chang Si throws the makeshift rope to them, which Gu Pingyuan secures around himself and Chang Yu'er. The horse gang pulls them both to safety.
Relieved, Chang Yu'er whispers to Gu Pingyuan that she will never be angry with him again, feeling their lives are now intertwined, and asks him to keep her words a secret, which he promises to do. Meanwhile, Wang Tiangui's butler travels to Ningguta to investigate Gu Pingyuan. He locates Commander Xu, now known as Xu San, serving at a military horse camp. The butler presents a portrait of Gu Pingyuan.
Xu San becomes intensely agitated, recognizing Gu Pingyuan from Pingyao County on New Year's Eve and claiming him as his personal slave. He vehemently demands to personally capture Gu Pingyuan, but the butler informs him that higher authorities have been notified, and Gu Pingyuan will be officially apprehended and brought back to Ningguta to raise horses alongside Xu San.
Upon arriving at the Horqin Grasslands, Chang Si and his horse gang are greeted by Hanlong, who explains the Prince is away fighting the Junior Khan of Western Mongolia. Hanlong hosts a grand banquet, but repeatedly evades discussions about payment for the medicine. Gu Pingyuan urges for immediate distribution of the medicine, citing the urgency of the plague, and Chang Si requests to settle accounts.
Hanlong, however, insists on consulting the Prince, dismissing their concerns by stating the "worms are in our stomachs, not in yours." Gu Pingyuan later expresses his suspicions to Chang Si and Heizi, believing Hanlong is a deceitful non-Mongolian who intends to steal the tens of thousands of taels worth of medicine. At another gathering, Gu Pingyuan pointedly asks Hanlong if the "worms" in his people's stomachs are as patient as he is.
Hanlong tries to persuade Gu Pingyuan to hand over the medicine first, promising potential extra rewards from the Prince. Gu Pingyuan offers to stay as collateral if Hanlong settles the payment for Chang Si and the men, allowing them to return home. Hanlong then falsely accuses Gu Pingyuan of not caring about Mongolian lives, but ultimately feigns concession, promising to inquire about payment. That night, Hanlong's true intentions become clear.
He surrounds the horse gang's tents with cavalry, preparing to seize the medicine. He storms a tent, captures Heizi, and takes all the medicine boxes. As Hanlong and his men are occupied, Chang Yu'er, who has secretly procured two horses, urges Gu Pingyuan to flee with her. Despite Gu Pingyuan's initial reluctance, they escape. Hanlong discovers the medicine boxes are empty, realizing he has been outwitted.
Enraged, he rounds up Chang Si and the remaining horse gang members, intending to bury them alive in a large pit. Chang Si, fearless, accuses Hanlong of being worse than a bandit and threatens him with the Prince's wrath, daring Hanlong to bury them. While Hanlong's men search for the hidden medicine, Chang Yu'er and Gu Pingyuan ride towards the front lines, witnessing the devastation of war.
Gu Pingyuan spots the Prince's battle flag and decides to cut across the battlefield to deliver his message, despite Chang Yu'er's desperate pleas against the suicidal risk. Gu Pingyuan insists, worried that Hanlong will soon uncover their hidden stash. Meanwhile, Hanlong's men eventually locate the medicine hidden under the stable. Hanlong gloats to Chang Si, ordering his men to bury the horse gang. However, Chang Si and Heizi, having covertly untied themselves, take advantage of the distraction.
Chang Si pulls Hanlong into the pit with Heizi's help, effectively taking him hostage and preventing the soldiers from filling the pit. Simultaneously, Gu Pingyuan and Chang Yu'er, attempting to cross the war-torn landscape, are surrounded by soldiers and captured. Gu Pingyuan is imprisoned, while Chang Yu'er is taken to the Prince's consort's tent as a slave. Inside his cell, Gu Pingyuan begins to untie himself, intending to rescue Chang Yu'er.
A fellow prisoner warns him that escape is futile and will only lead to death. Gu Pingyuan, however, states he must find his friend, a word the other prisoner has not heard "in years." Suddenly, a prisoner collapses from the "Black Plague," causing a chaotic scramble among the other inmates. Gu Pingyuan seizes this moment of confusion to escape, evading arrows shot by the guards.
Meanwhile, the Horqin Prince, having suffered a defeat due to a general's betrayal, rages to his wife in his tent. He laments the disparity between his archers and the enemy's firearms and vows to never surrender the Horqin Grasslands to the "traitorous" Junior Khan of Western Mongolia, even if it means fighting until "the blood here runs dry." Chang Yu'er, hidden and terrified, overhears this as the arrival of the Junior Khan of Western Mongolia is announced.
