The Litchi Road Recap, Plot, Synopsis
The Litchi Road Synopsis
During the Tang Dynasty, Li Shande is deceived by his colleagues and transformed from a mere inspector into the "Litchi Courier." He is compelled to accept a deadly mission: to deliver fresh lychees from Lingnan to Chang'an to celebrate the birthday of Consort He. The lychee's freshness deteriorates rapidly—its color changes after one day, its fragrance fades after two days, and its taste spoils after three days. Yet Lingnan is more than 5,000 li away from Chang'an, a seemingly impossible journey. For the sake of his daughter Li Xiuer’s safe and stable future, Li Shande reluctantly sets off for Lingnan.
At the same time, Zheng Ping’an, tasked by the Left Prime Minister to gather evidence against the Right Prime Minister's corruption, has already arrived in Lingnan. The two men, each with heavy responsibilities, unexpectedly meet in a foreign land and become acquainted with Amitabha, the leader of the Hu merchants’ guild; Yun Qing, the owner of the Konglang Brothel; the Hu merchant Su Liang; the local Dong ethnic girl A Tong; and others. Meanwhile, they face numerous obstacles from Lingnan’s governor He Youguang and the chief clerk Zhao Xinmin. Amid these intertwined challenges, the difficulty of the mission escalates. How will they break the deadlock and find a glimmer of hope?
The Litchi Road Recap
Episode 1 Recap
The story takes place in Tang Dynasty Chang'an. Last night there was a heavy rain. The awning damaged the Emperor's favorite old peony. Li Shande, the supervisor of the Office of Imperial Parks, was extremely anxious. He rushed there immediately to mound soil around the peony, strengthen the roots, and trim the branches. This year's flowering period would be delayed. The Emperor insisted on appreciating the flowers before Guyu (Grain Rain).
Li Shande had no choice but to hurry and water and fertilize it. The lychees in Lingnan are ripe. The Emperor issued a decree ordering the Right Chancellor to send someone to transport the lychees back to Chang'an. The Right Chancellor assigned this matter to the Court Of The National Granaries to handle. The head of the Court Of The National Granaries did not want to take on this hot potato.
Lychees change color in one day, scent in two days, and taste in three days. Lingnan and Chang'an are five thousand li apart, and the journey upstream is long. This is an impossible task. He immediately ordered it to be sent to the Office of Imperial Parks. Director Liu, after reading the imperial decree, was furious. He had no one else to pass the buck to, so he could only bite the bullet and accept this assignment.
The supervisors knew that transporting lychees was extraordinary. They looked at each other. Director Liu called out their names one by one. They all found various excuses to decline. They recommended Li Shande to transport the lychees. Early in the morning, Li Shande sent his daughter Li Xiuer to his brother-in-law Zheng Pingan's house. Zheng Pingan is a companion official for drinking. He casually asked about buying a house. Li Shande seized the opportunity to borrow money from Zheng Pingan.
Li Shande spent all his money treating his wife, and even sold their old house for three hundred guan. But his wife still died of illness. Li Shande had no choice but to rent a house with his daughter Li Xiuer. When he heard the old house was for sale, he negotiated with the landlord, finally settling on three hundred guan. Li Shande only had 130 guan. Zheng Pingan complained that Li Shande was too rigid.
He had been an official for over ten years, only knowing how to tend to flowers and plants, not understanding the ways of being an official, and hadn't even saved any money. Zheng Pingan couldn't bear to see Li Shande lose this opportunity and was willing to be his guarantor, telling him to go to Pingkang Fang to borrow money from Shiqiniang. According to market rules, he could only borrow 150 guan.
Li Shande begged Zheng Pingan to lend him another 20 guan. Li Shande gave the prepared IOU to Zheng Pingan and then left in a hurry with Li Xiuer. Zheng Pingan was so angry he gritted his teeth. Lu Huan, an Assistant Director of the Jing'an Department, suddenly visited. He arranged an assignment for Zheng Pingan. He Youguang, the Prefect of Gaozhou, appointed Envoy Pan Bao to bring a large amount of Lingnan jewelry to Chang'an.
The Jing'an Department found that He Youguang wanted to bribe the Right Chancellor with this batch of jewelry, solely to obtain the Lingnan soldier fish tally issued by the court. Lu Huan sent Zheng Pingan to collect evidence of the collusion between the Right Chancellor and He Youguang so that the Left Chancellor could seize the opportunity to bring down the Right Chancellor.
He also promised to help Zheng Pingan return to the Xingyang Zheng clan after the matter was completed. Li Shande took out all the money he had saved over the years and then went to Shiqiniang to borrow money. Shiqiniang even hired a monk to keep accounts, repeatedly claiming she was doing a good deed, and asked Li Shande for 150 guan in interest. Li Shande brought up the Tang Dynasty laws.
Shiqiniang had no choice but to modify the IOU according to the regulations. Li Shande paid the money and bought the old house. He imagined the grand scene of moving day. He drove a carriage to move, and the neighbors marveled at him, casting envious glances. Director Liu heard that Li Shande had just bought a house and immediately decided to let Li Shande go to Lingnan to transport lychees.
He specifically set up a banquet at the Office of Imperial Parks. Li Shande never participated in such dinners. As soon as his shift ended, he was anxious to go to school to pick up Li Xiuer. Director Liu desperately tried to keep him and asked him to introduce the origin of lychees to everyone. Li Shande spoke logically and eloquently. Director Liu seized the opportunity to propose that Li Shande be the Lychee Envoy to Lingnan.
Li Shande, fueled by alcohol, signed the document. His colleagues congratulated him. Zheng Pingan came to Pingkang Fang to conduct covert investigations. He found one of the rooms guarded by attendants. He suspected Pan Bao and the Right Chancellor's men were trading soldier fish tallies there, so he quietly climbed outside the window to eavesdrop. As expected, the Right Chancellor sent his trusted subordinate Ma Guiyun to meet Pan Bao.
Ma Guiyun opened the window and spat, startling Zheng Pingan into a cold sweat. Fortunately, Ma Guiyun did not see him. Ma Guiyun was going to Lingnan in person to hand the soldier fish tallies to He Youguang. Li Shande stumbled home holding the document. On the way, he accidentally fell to the ground. He suddenly discovered that the character "jian" from "lychee jian" on the document had dropped off, and it now read "lychee xian" (fresh).
Li Shande's drunkenness immediately vanished. He knew he could not transport fresh lychees back to Chang'an even if he risked his life. Li Shande immediately rushed back to the Office of Imperial Parks to seek help from Director Liu, asking him to sign and stamp over the modified character "jian". Director Liu insisted that the document originally said "fresh lychees" and suspected Li Shande had tampered with it. Li Shande knew this was an impossible task.
He was so anxious he beat his chest and stomped his feet. Director Liu did not listen at all and kicked Li Shande away. Ma Guiyun sent Pan Bao away and suddenly discovered Zheng Pingan eavesdropping outside the window. He immediately pulled Zheng Pingan in. Zheng Pingan used all his might to knock Ma Guiyun to the ground and stabbed him to death with a sword. Li Shande returned to the Office of Imperial Parks to check the old accounts and found that the document indeed said "fresh lychees". He was instantly dumbfounded.
Episode 2 Recap
When Li Shande's daughter Li Xiuer was one month old, Li Shande bought a large house with a osmanthus tree in the courtyard. His wife, Jinniang, liked it very much. Li Shande and Jinniang envisioned a beautiful new life together there. When Li Shande bought the old house, the osmanthus tree in the courtyard was already withered. The scene touched him, and he couldn't help but think of Jinniang, feeling a mixture of emotions.
Li Shande found the document and saw "fresh lychees" written on it. He immediately sobered up and rushed to Leyouyuan to seek help from the inner attendant Yu Chengen. Zheng Pingan risked his life to gather information in Pingkang Fang and only heard that Ma Guiyun was going to Lingnan to personally hand over the soldier fish tallies to He Youguang. He was accidentally discovered by Ma Guiyun, and in a fit of rage, Zheng Pingan killed Ma Guiyun.
Lu Huan came to question Zheng Pingan. Zheng Pingan came up with a good way to escape: he wanted to pretend to be Ma Guiyun and go to Lingnan to meet with He Youguang and hand over the soldier fish tallies. But Pan Bao had met Ma Guiyun, so Zheng Pingan decided to get rid of Pan Bao before setting off.
Lu Huan found out that Pan Bao had brought a batch of rare treasures and trees for the Emperor on this trip to the capital, and he would deliver this batch of trees to Leyouyuan today. Zheng Pingan asked Lu Huan to find him a badge from the Office of Imperial Parks. Zheng Pingan successfully entered Leyouyuan with the Office of Imperial Parks badge. He sent people to lie in ambush along the path Pan Bao was sure to take.
Meanwhile, Li Shande came to Leyouyuan to find Yu Chengen and inquire about the Emperor wanting fresh lychees. He didn't expect that Li Shande was the unlucky Lychee Envoy. Li Shande clearly stated that it was absolutely impossible for lychees to get from Lingnan to Chang'an within three days. Yu Chengen was also helpless. If Li Shande couldn't complete this task, he could only atone with death.
Zheng Pingan stopped Pan Bao halfway, took out the token he found on Ma Guiyun, and claimed that Ma Guiyun was dead. Zheng Pingan pulled Pan Bao aside and took the opportunity to push him into the river. Li Shande happened to pass by and saved Pan Bao. Zheng Pingan sent his men to hold Pan Bao under the river, fabricating the illusion that Pan Bao had drowned while drunk.
After they left, Li Shande saw that Pan Bao had drowned. He was greatly puzzled. Yu Chengen advised him not to meddle in others' affairs. Li Shande walked home dejectedly. His former colleagues Han Shisi and Zimei suddenly came to find him for a drink. Li Shande thought of the lychee transport and couldn't help but burst into tears. Han Shisi and Zimei learned the whole story and felt indignant for Li Shande.
Li Shande had just borrowed 150 guan from Pingkang Fang to buy a house. If he died, Xiuer would surely become a slave. He cried mournfully. Han Shisi carefully read the document and found that the deadline for transporting the lychees, the first day of the sixth month, was Yang Guifei's birthday. He reminded Li Shande to entrust Xiuer to a reliable person.
That night, Li Shande told Xiuer about buying back the old house and said he would move after completing the lychee transport task, and asked Xiuer to stay temporarily at her uncle Zheng Pingan's house. At the same time, Zheng Pingan gave all the money at home to his servant, Gou'er, telling him to go far away and redeemed his slave status for him. Gou'er vowed to follow Zheng Pingan to the death and sealed it with a blood oath.
Zheng Pingan knew he was likely to encounter danger on this trip and did not want to implicate Gou'er. Gou'er insisted on staying with him, so Zheng Pingan had to make a concession. Li Shande knew he was doomed this time. He wrote a suicide note overnight, leaving the old house and all his property to Xiuer. Gou'er came early in the morning to deliver a letter to Zheng Pingan.
Only then did Li Shande know that Zheng Pingan was also going on a long journey, so he had to send Xiuer to an embroidery workshop. As soon as Li Shande left the embroidery workshop, Shiqiniang sent someone to find him and demand the house deed. Li Shande adamantly refused, so they threatened him with Xiuer. Li Shande threatened them with the Emperor, and they fled in panic. Li Shande went to find Director Liu to borrow travel expenses.
Director Liu flatly refused and scolded him severely. Li Shande was enraged and threatened to die with Director Liu and his colleagues. He listed Director Liu and his colleagues' corruption, embezzlement, and other ugly acts. They were instantly stunned. Director Liu had no choice but to give the money to Li Shande. Li Shande gave the money to Shiqiniang.
Shiqiniang warned Li Shande that he must return alive before the first day of the sixth month, otherwise she would turn his daughter into a slave. Li Shande swore he would return on time. Li Shande said goodbye to Xiuer. Xiuer gave him the handkerchief she had embroidered herself. Li Shande left with tears in his eyes. Han Shisi and Zimei came to see Li Shande off. They parted with reluctance. Li Shande rode quickly towards Lingnan, traveling day and night, enduring the wind and dew, even exhausting his horse to death. He could only change horses and continue forward.
Episode 3 Recap
In the third month of the thirteenth year of Tianbao, while the capital Chang'an was still experiencing lingering spring chill, Lingnan had already entered summer. Zheng Pingan arrived in Gaozhou, Lingnan, with Gou'er. Sweating profusely from the heat, they didn't stop to rest and headed directly to the Prefectural Office. Zheng Pingan didn't want to explain too much, so he told Gou'er to hit anyone they saw.
The guards at the gate were left utterly bewildered by the beating but knew they were not to be trifled with. Zheng Pingan and Gou'er successfully entered the Prefectural Office. Zhao Xinmin, the Chief Clerk of the Prefectural Office, rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Zheng Pingan, pretending to be Ma Guiyun, a favored subordinate of the Right Chancellor, took out the jade thumb ring, the token Pan Bao had given Ma Guiyun.
Zhao Xinmin picked up the jade thumb ring and examined it carefully. He and Pan Bao had agreed beforehand that if the token was given willingly, a piece of it would be secretly broken off. Zhao Xinmin saw that a piece of the jade thumb ring was missing. He eagerly inquired why Pan Bao hadn't returned with him. He questioned Zheng Pingan closely. Zheng Pingan skillfully deflected every question with his eloquence.
He didn't want to waste time with Zhao Xinmin; his sole focus was to meet He Youguang as soon as possible, obtain the evidence of He Youguang's collusion with the Right Chancellor, and return to the capital to report. Zhao Xinmin lied, saying that Prefect He Youguang was out on official business and not in the office.
Zheng Pingan stated the purpose of his trip: as long as He Youguang wrote a letter of loyalty to the Right Chancellor, he would personally hand over the soldier fish tallies to He Youguang. Zhao Xinmin dared not delay and immediately went to report to He Youguang. He Youguang had been entrenched in Lingnan for over a decade, and his sole desire was to obtain the soldier fish tallies to command the Lingnan troops.
He Youguang wanted to write the letter immediately, but Zhao Xinmin advised him to think twice, as that letter would become a handle for the Right Chancellor. He Youguang, however, was dismissive. He firmly believed the Right Chancellor would not betray him and instructed Zhao Xinmin to arrange a meeting with Zheng Pingan the next day. Li Shande traveled day and night, enduring wind and dew, and finally arrived in Gaozhou, Lingnan, exhausted.
His first priority was to come to the Prefectural Office to find He Youguang and hand over the document for transporting lychees. He Youguang determined that Li Shande was a fraud. The last time, a self-proclaimed Coconut Envoy came to Lingnan to deceive people, and he was badly fooled. Li Shande repeatedly explained and even showed his badge from the Office of Imperial Parks, but He Youguang didn't believe him at all.
Lingnan was over five thousand li from Chang'an, and fresh lychees only lasted a few days; no one could possibly complete this task. He Youguang ordered Li Shande to be beaten to death on the spot. Zhao Xinmin worried that He Youguang was killing the wrong person and advised him to act cautiously.
In his desperation, Li Shande had no choice but to say that he knew Pan Bao, and that Pan Bao had fallen into the river and drowned while drunk. He Youguang and Zhao Xinmin were both stunned. Pan Bao's trip to the capital was nominally to present rare treasures and trees to the Emperor, but in reality, it was to ask the Right Chancellor for the soldier fish tallies – this was a secret mission.
Zhao Xinmin inquired in detail about Pan Bao's death, suspecting he had been murdered. He Youguang explained the stakes to Li Shande: even if he gave Li Shande the lychees, Li Shande couldn't possibly transport them back to Chang'an on time, and he would still end up dead. Li Shande knew he was doomed and didn't want to implicate his daughter, Xiuer.
Zhao Xinmin suspected that Ma Guiyun had deliberately concealed the cause of Pan Bao's death and advised He Youguang to investigate the truth before proceeding. He Youguang told Li Shande to stay for now. As night fell, Li Shande felt utterly desolate in Gaozhou. He had nowhere to go and wanted Zhao Xinmin to find him a place to stay. Zhao Xinmin had gone to Qifeng Pavilion to drink.
Li Shande had no choice but to go to Qifeng Pavilion to find him. Zhao Xinmin invited Zheng Pingan to drink at Qifeng Pavilion and also had the proprietress, Lan Yu, keep them company. Lan Yu tested Zheng Pingan in every possible way, seizing the opportunity to inquire about Pan Bao's situation. Zheng Pingan claimed that he had drunk with Pan Bao several times. Lan Yu clearly stated that Pan Bao had injuries and couldn't drink at all.
Zheng Pingan claimed to be a "Drinking Companion Lang," saying no one could resist his persuasion to drink. Lan Yu learned that Zheng Pingan had arrived in Lingnan after twenty-five days. They had heard from the Lychee Envoy who came from the capital that Pan Bao had died the previous day. Upon hearing this, Zheng Pingan's face immediately changed. He forced himself to remain calm.
Zhao Xinmin suspected that the Right Chancellor wanted the letter of loyalty to threaten He Youguang. Zheng Pingan immediately became annoyed and angry, declaring petulantly that he would take the soldier fish tallies back to Chang'an. Lan Yu desperately tried to persuade Zheng Pingan to stay, and Zhao Xinmin also apologized to Zheng Pingan. He asked Zheng Pingan to wait a few more days, and the truth would be revealed. Zheng Pingan's heart sank. Li Shande rushed towards Qifeng Pavilion.
Halfway there, he saw five men bullying A Tong, a girl selling lychees. He stepped forward to help A Tong, and with a few words, he sent the five men away. Li Shande learned from A Tong that these were early-ripening lychees called "March Red," which were too sour and only used for making wine.
Li Shande bought a few pounds on the spot and also asked A Tong for advice on preserving lychees, but A Tong was unable to help. Zheng Pingan went out to relieve himself and suddenly saw Li Shande coming to Qifeng Pavilion. He thought he was seeing things and followed Li Shande.
Li Shande came to the private room to find Zhao Xinmin, gave him the lychees he had just bought, and asked him to find him a place to stay. Zhao Xinmin flatly refused. Zheng Pingan guessed that Li Shande was the Lychee Envoy and worried that his identity would be exposed. He quickly stepped forward to greet Li Shande and had Gou'er take Li Shande away. Zheng Pingan lied, saying that Li Shande was a fraud. Zhao Xinmin was half-convinced.
After the banquet ended, Zheng Pingan couldn't wait to return to his lodging. He repeatedly emphasized that he was now Ma Guiyun and told Li Shande to pretend to be very afraid of him. Li Shande was puzzled. Zheng Pingan didn't want to explain too much and directly chased Li Shande away. Li Shande had nowhere to go. He bribed Gou'er to let him stay next door to Zheng Pingan.
Zheng Pingan took Gou'er to the Zhenwen Zhai to make contact. He asked the clerk for a very rare book, "Cheng Weishi Lun" (Treatise on the Establishment of Consciousness). The clerk heard this was a recognition signal and took him to meet the proprietress, Yun Qing. Yun Qing was an undercover agent placed in Lingnan by the Left Chancellor.
She agreed to help Zheng Pingan complete his task, but warned that if there was any mishap, she would kill Zheng Pingan. Yun Qing agreed to verify to He Youguang that Zheng Pingan was Ma Guiyun, as long as it proved Li Shande was lying. Zheng Pingan had a hardship he couldn't voice; he knew Li Shande was very stubborn. Yun Qing advised him to persuade Li Shande.
Episode 4 Recap
Zheng Pingan's ancestors were from the Zheng clan of Xingyang. Because he offended the Right Chancellor, he was removed from the family genealogy. Zheng Pingan came to the capital and became a Drinking Companion Lang. He could sing and dance, and was articulate. Not only did he make friends with all sorts of people in the capital, but he also had close relationships with high-ranking officials in the court. The Left Chancellor hosted a banquet for officials.
He specifically invited Zheng Pingan to provide entertainment. Zheng Pingan, with his glib tongue, moved freely and easily at the banquet. The Left Chancellor introduced him to Lu Huan, the Director of the Jing'an Bureau. Zheng Pingan performed a Hu Xuan dance on the spot. The Left Chancellor was very happy and even rewarded him with fine wine. Zheng Pingan couldn't handle the alcohol and soon became completely drunk.
Zhao Xinmin found out that the Emperor had sent someone to Lingnan to transport lychees. He immediately reported to He Youguang. Zhao Xinmin speculated that Li Shande's visit this time was for personal gain, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted this impossible task. Li Shande came to the Prefectural Office to ask He Youguang for help purchasing lychees. Zhao Xinmin lied, saying that He Youguang had gone to various places to raise funds.
He gave Li Shande a tally personally written by He Youguang and a large sign saying "Lychee Inspector," telling Li Shande to go purchase them himself. Li Shande carried the large sign back to his lodging. Zheng Pingan had prepared a lavish meal to entertain him. Li Shande's anger had not subsided. Zheng Pingan desperately tried to appease him, begging Li Shande to verify that he was Ma Guiyun and that he didn't know about Pan Bao's death.
Li Shande was eager to know Ma Guiyun's true identity. Zheng Pingan used alarmist language, telling Li Shande that knowing Ma Guiyun's identity meant he could live for at most four "shichen". These words further piqued Li Shande's curiosity. Gou'er tried to dissuade him from the side, so Zheng Pingan had no choice but to shut up for now. Zheng Pingan played the emotional card with Li Shande, even bringing up Xiuer to make his case.
Li Shande stopped asking questions and agreed to testify for him. Yun Qing sent someone to find Zhao Xinmin to confirm Ma Guiyun's identity. Zhao Xinmin immediately reported to He Youguang. He Youguang wanted to write the letter of loyalty immediately so he could obtain the soldier fish tallies. Zhao Xinmin advised him to wait a moment, as the reason for Pan Bao's death had not yet been ascertained. Zheng Pingan sent someone to deliver an invitation to Zhao Xinmin.
He was preparing to leave Lingnan tomorrow. Before leaving, he invited Zhao Xinmin for drinks. He Youguang sent Zhao Xinmin to immediately try to persuade him to stay. Li Shande and Zhao Xinmin arrived at the banquet one after another. Zheng Pingan kept urging Zhao Xinmin to drink. Zhao Xinmin pretended to be drunk and secretly observed Zheng Pingan and Li Shande's every move, committing their conversation to memory, word for word.
Li Shande, emboldened by the alcohol, poured out his grievances. Lychees only last for three days, and he knew perfectly well that the task of transporting lychees could not be completed and had already prepared himself for death. Li Shande confirmed that the Right Chancellor's subordinates had smashed one of the Emperor's old peonies. Pan Bao happened to drown after drinking that day. The Right Chancellor did not want to cause any further complications, so he suppressed both incidents.
Zheng Pingan reminded Zhao Xinmin to carefully consider Li Shande's words. He once again brought up leaving Lingnan tomorrow. Zhao Xinmin lied, claiming that He Youguang would return tomorrow, and Zheng Pingan, going with the flow, agreed to stay for one more day. It began pouring rain. Zheng Pingan braved the rain to see He Youguang. He flattered He Youguang profusely and wanted to make the transaction with He Youguang immediately.
He Youguang claimed he was being watched by the Left Chancellor. He insisted that Li Shande was the Left Chancellor's man and that the Left Chancellor had also sent someone to kill Pan Bao. Zhao Xinmin brought up Li Shande's words from the previous night as evidence. He Youguang told Zheng Pingan to kill Li Shande, and then he would immediately write the letter of loyalty.
Zheng Pingan worried that the Left Chancellor might have sent other undercover agents, so he wanted to persuade Li Shande to leave. He Youguang readily agreed. Zheng Pingan came out of the Prefectural Office. He broke out in a cold sweat. He Youguang looked foolish on the surface, but his mind was full of schemes. Zheng Pingan advised Li Shande to leave Lingnan first.
Li Shande refused adamantly, thinking they had already persuaded Zhao Xinmin to provide the money the previous night. Zheng Pingan had no choice but to admit that he had gone to see He Youguang today, and He Youguang would not give Li Shande money. Zheng Pingan begged Li Shande to help him succeed. Li Shande packed his belongings, preparing to leave. Before leaving, he wrote a letter to Xiuer, lying that he was being well-cared for in Lingnan. Xiuer knew that Li Shande always reported good news and concealed bad news.
Episode 5 Recap
The Right Chancellor held immense power in court, formed cliques for personal gain, used his authority for corruption and bribery, and killed innocent people. Officials, both civil and military, were afraid to speak out despite their anger. The Left Chancellor sent Song Wuji to Lingnan to collect evidence of the Right Chancellor's collusion with He Youguang. After Song Wuji completed his task and returned to Chang'an, he was arrested by men sent by the Right Chancellor.
Song Wuji publicly exposed the Right Chancellor's numerous crimes. In a fit of rage, the Right Chancellor had Song Wuji beheaded in the street. Li Shande asked He Youguang to borrow money to purchase lychees. He Youguang flatly refused and even complained about his poverty in front of him. Zheng Pingan gathered the foreign merchants who came to Lingnan for business. He took Li Shande to raise funds, openly auctioning entry qualifications.
Using his glib tongue, he persuaded the foreign merchants to participate in the task of purchasing lychees for the Emperor, promising them both fame and fortune after the task was completed. The foreign merchants responded unanimously and even offered valuable gifts to bribe Zheng Pingan. Li Shande had been tricked by Director Liu and his colleagues into coming to Lingnan to be the Lychee Inspector.
He couldn't bear to see the foreign merchants being deceived and advised Zheng Pingan to stop early. Zheng Pingan firmly refused and continued to lobby the foreign merchants. Li Shande stood aside and poured cold water on the foreign merchants, clearly stating that the Emperor had ordered him to transport fresh lychees back to Chang'an and advised them to think twice. The foreign merchants knew this was an impossible task, and they ran away in fright.
Zheng Pingan was furious and yelled at Li Shande. Li Shande did not want to deceive people. Zheng Pingan reminded him not to forget Xiuer far away in Chang'an, saying that if he could not complete the task on time, not only would he lose his life, but Xiuer would also be sold into slavery. Li Shande remained firm. Li Shande racked his brain, coming up with many methods for preserving lychees, but they all ended in failure.
Just when Li Shande was at a loss, the foreign merchant Su Liang suddenly came to visit him, offering him two large pearls as a meeting gift. Su Liang offered to lend money to Li Shande, and he wanted the blank five-prefecture travel tally in Li Shande's hand. As long as he had that tally, he could freely buy and sell in Lingnan. Li Shande asked for over 700 "guan", and Su Liang gave him 990 "guan".
Zheng Pingan complained that Li Shande's asking price was too low and advised him to quickly take the money back to Chang'an to reunite with Xiuer. Li Shande wanted to try and transport the lychees back to Chang'an. Zheng Pingan advised him to give up early, saying that even risking his life wouldn't complete the task, and he had also illegally resold the travel tally.
Li Shande was unwilling to admit defeat just like that; he hadn't even seen a lychee tree before heading back. Zheng Pingan asked Gouer to help Li Shande pack his luggage and told him to return to Chang'an immediately. The Right Chancellor wanted to know what information Song Wuji had gathered in Gaozhou, so he sent Lu Huan to find Song Wuji's family servants and attendants. They knew nothing about it.
Lu Huan speculated that Song Wuji's personal attendant knew the inside story, but he had been imprisoned by the Right Chancellor. The Right Chancellor sent men to brutally torture Song Wuji's attendant and threatened his family. The attendant confessed that Song Wuji had not found any valuable clues, only that he was investigating the burned Qi Jing Tower.
The Right Chancellor knew that He Youguang wanted to use the soldier fish tally to mobilize the Lingnan Gaozhou navy to recover from pirates and turn Lingnan into his own private garden. The Right Chancellor sent men to Lingnan to inform Ma Guiyun and tell Ma Guiyun to stay there. Lu Huan found out that the Right Chancellor had sent people to Gaozhou overnight. He concluded that the Right Chancellor had obtained the clues Song Wuji found.
The Right Chancellor was worried that Zheng Pingan's identity might be exposed and put him in danger. Lu Huan was confident that Zheng Pingan could handle it. Li Shande packed his luggage, preparing to return to Chang'an. Zheng Pingan improvised a poem as a farewell for him and had someone inform He Youguang. Li Shande also presented a poem to Zheng Pingan. The two reluctantly parted ways. Li Shande arrived at the city gate with his convoy.
There was a long queue waiting for routine inspection. Li Shande had no choice but to patiently wait while carrying the "Lychee Inspector" sign. He wanted to buy some lychees to take back to Xiuer. Li Shande suddenly remembered A Tong, the girl who sold lychees, so he paid someone to lead the way to A Tong's family's lychee orchard. This was Li Shande's first time seeing a lychee orchard, and he was dazzled by the sight.
As a result, he was tied up by the fruit farmers working in the orchard who thought he was a bad person. Li Shande repeatedly explained that he was the Lychee Inspector. The fruit farmers, who hated officials the most, scoffed at him and then dispersed to catch insects in the orchard. Those insects were very smelly and difficult to wash off once they got on the skin. Li Shande was an expert in plants, flowers, and fruits.
He offered advice to the fruit farmers, telling them to use mint leaves and soap beans to kill insects. The fruit farmers untied Li Shande. Li Shande directed the fruit farmers to mix the mint leaves and soap beans together. The fruit farmers sprayed this mixture on the lychee trees, and the insects on the trees were completely eliminated. They cheered happily. The leader, A Tong, returned to the lychee orchard. She recognized Li Shande as the benefactor who had saved her. Li Shande explained his purpose, wanting to buy some lychees from her to take back to Chang'an.
Episode 6 Recap
The story goes back two years. The foreign merchant Su Liang came to Chang'an to do business. He was quick-witted and meticulous in his work, quickly becoming the leader of the foreign merchants. Su Liang built the Chenxiang Pavilion at the Emperor's Xingqing Palace and presented precious beams and Dianbai agarwood to the Emperor. Dianbai agarwood won first place at the incense competition last month. The Right Chancellor loved agarwood and was extremely fond of the Dianbai agarwood.
He sent Su Liang to build him a Sixiang Pavilion, requesting it be built with four precious fragrant materials. This was not difficult for Su Liang, as he had already arranged for ships to transport the fragrant materials. Su Liang's merchant ship reached Zhenzhou and was plundered by the pirates led by Chieftain Feng Ruofang.
Su Liang was therefore removed from his position as the leader of the foreign merchants, and the Right Chancellor also stopped Su Liang from building the Sixiang Pavilion, replacing him with Xu Ji Incense Shop from Yangzhou. Su Liang knew he had no place in Chang'an and could only leave silently. Li Shande bought a basket of lychees from A Tong and asked her for a method to keep the lychees fresh longer.
A Tong suggested soaking them in salt water, but it could only extend the freshness by three days. Yang Xiaowei led his men to the Dong people's village to collect debt, forcing A Tong to use her lychee orchard as collateral. A Tong gave him all the money she had and promised to repay the debt after harvesting the lychees in May, but Yang Xiaowei firmly refused.
Li Shande accidentally discovered A Tong's method of preserving lychees using a water-barrier technique and rushed to ask A Tong for advice. A Tong clearly stated that the water-barrier method could extend the freshness by three days. Li Shande was overjoyed. If the lychees could stay fresh for six days, he might be able to complete the task of transporting lychees back to Chang'an. Yang Xiaowei took out the IOU and wanted to take the lychee orchard.
Li Shande resolutely refused and revealed his identity as the Lychee Inspector sent by the court. Yang Xiaowei didn't buy it at all and told Li Shande to help A Tong repay the debt, otherwise he couldn't report back to He Youguang. Li Shande didn't have that much money to help A Tong repay the debt, and he was utterly anxious. A Tong snatched the IOU and tore it to pieces. Yang Xiaowei wanted to arrest A Tong.
Li Shande desperately tried to stop him, threatening him by mentioning the court and saying he would requisition the Dong people's lychee orchard for the court. He took off his shoe to hit Yang Xiaowei. Yang Xiaowei was scared by Li Shande's imposing manner and could only leave with his men in dismay. Zhao Xinmin was the Chief Secretary of the Prefectural Office, but he was also the Left Chancellor's informant.
The Left Chancellor sent Zheng Pingan to impersonate the deceased Ma Guiyun to investigate evidence of the Right Chancellor's collusion with He Youguang. Zheng Pingan was worried that Li Shande might expose his identity and used every possible means to persuade Li Shande to leave. Zhao Xinmin personally saw Li Shande leave Gaozhou city and immediately returned to inform Zheng Pingan. The huge stone weighing on Zheng Pingan's heart finally dropped.
He took out the soldier fish tally and exchanged it for a loyalty letter with Zhao Xinmin. Li Shande suddenly returned; he wanted to stay and transport the lychees back to Chang'an. Zheng Pingan was instantly dumbfounded. Su Liang's merchant ship was impounded. He spent money to buy five five-prefecture travel tallies from Li Shande. He immediately took the five-prefecture travel tallies to Yang Xiaowei to request their release. Yang Xiaowei had to comply.
Su Liang found the ship empty and suspected someone had stolen a full ship of benzoin. Yang Xiaowei claimed to know nothing. Su Liang called Yang Xiaowei aside and tried to bribe him with money, but Yang Xiaowei didn't fall for it. Su Liang guessed that a powerful figure had stolen his benzoin and sent his men to watch the market. Zheng Pingan advised Li Shande to leave.
He Youguang had already become suspicious of him, suspecting he was the Left Chancellor's spy. Gouer also chimed in. Li Shande couldn't listen at all. He found many jars to test methods for preserving lychees. Li Shande came to the lychee orchard and told A Tong and the Dong people about his experiences in Chang'an and his idea of transporting lychees back to Chang'an. He had tears in his eyes when he spoke of his daughter Xiuer.
A Tong saw that he was homesick and brought out wine made from lychees to entertain him. The Dong people also pulled Li Shande to dance. Only then did Li Shande's mood slightly lighten. A Tong saw that Li Shande was a man who valued feelings and righteousness and developed a good impression of him. She voluntarily drank the 'togetherness wine' with him. When Yan Yazhuang returned and saw this scene, he pulled A Tong aside.
Drinking the 'togetherness wine' meant they would become husband and wife. Yan Yazhuang suspected that Li Shande had impure intentions towards A Tong and advised her not to harbor illusions. A Tong wanted Li Shande to stay and help her manage the lychee orchard. Yan Yazhuang reminded her to be calm, saying that Li Shande would return to Chang'an sooner or later, and if he couldn't transport the lychees back to Chang'an on time, his life would be in danger.
A Tong couldn't care about all that. Su Liang was at a dead end and could only turn to Li Shande for help, asking him to inquire with He Youguang about the whereabouts of his benzoin. Li Shande was also unable to help. Su Liang promised to give Li Shande a large sum of money. Li Shande was tempted by the money, but he really couldn't complete the task and could only give up.
Zhao Xinmin came to visit Li Shande. Li Shande asked him where he could find "bing" (ice). Zhao Xinmin misheard it as "bing" (soldiers). He didn't dare delay and immediately returned to report to He Youguang. Zhao Xinmin suggested Li Shande write a request for soldiers document to avoid trouble if the court blamed him. He Youguang agreed with his idea. Zhao Xinmin came again to bring Li Shande food and asked him to write a request for soldiers document.
Unexpectedly, what Li Shande wanted was ice to preserve the lychees. Zhao Xinmin was also helpless, as there had never been ice in Lingnan. Zhao Xinmin thought Li Shande was being deliberately mysterious and was actually testing him. He became even more vigilant. He Youguang also dared not take it lightly.
Episode 7 Recap
Li Shande sent Li Xiuer to the embroidery workshop to learn skills. The workshop held a flower basket weaving competition. Li Shande learned the technique of weaving flower baskets with Li Xiuer, then told her to sleep. Li Xiuer wanted to weave with him, but Li Shande didn't want her to stay up late, so he insisted she go to bed and sleep. Li Shande stayed up all night to finish weaving it.
Early in the morning, Li Xiuer took the exquisite flower basket to the embroidery workshop. Her companions didn't believe she wove it, suspecting Li Shande bought it from the street. They even mocked Li Xiuer in public, calling her a child without a mother. Li Xiuer was enraged. She rushed forward to grab her flower basket, but it was stepped on and broken.
Li Xiuer got into a big fight with her six companions and ended up with a bloody face, but she didn't show weakness. Li Shande was so angry he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The Right Chancellor sent a new envoy to Lingnan to meet with Ma Guiyun. Yun Qing, the owner of Konglang Workshop, was a confidante of the Left Chancellor.
When she heard about this, she worried that the new envoy would discover Zheng Pingan's identity, so she sent someone to intercept him midway. However, the new envoy was highly skilled in martial arts and escaped from difficult situations several times. Later, he even changed his route. As more than twenty days passed, the new envoy was about to reach Lingnan.
Yun Qing immediately told Zheng Pingan about this and urged him to secure He Youguang's letter of loyalty and return to Chang'an to report back tomorrow, or his life would be in danger. Zheng Pingan became critically ill and bedridden from anxiety and anger. Li Shande came to visit him, believing he had heatstroke, and opened the window for ventilation. Zheng Pingan had unspoken bitterness in his heart.
Li Shande kept saying that a fortune teller told him he had a destiny of surviving hopeless situations and could transfer his bad luck to others. Zheng Pingan was convinced that Li Shande's bad luck had transferred to him. He was greatly angered. Li Shande didn't know why he was angry and quickly went out to buy him medicine. Gouer spoke favorably for Li Shande, which made Zheng Pingan even angrier, and he forcibly drove Gouer out.
Li Shande went to the pharmacy to buy medicine and unintentionally saw the owner using double-layered jars. He had a sudden idea to use these jars to preserve lychees, so he asked the owner and found out the double-layered jars came from a foreign merchant. Su Liang lost a full ship of benzoin. He sent people to watch the market for anyone shipping goods and quickly found that A Mita, the head of the foreign merchants' association, was selling benzoin.
Su Liang went directly to A Mita to demand an explanation. A Mita was gathering the foreign merchants to discuss electing a new head next month, and everyone unanimously recommended A Mita. Su Liang aggressively came to find A Mita, forcing her to hand over the benzoin he claimed was stolen. A Mita flatly denied it and asked Su Liang for evidence. Su Liang repeatedly emphasized that only he used double-layered jars for packaging spices.
A Mita sent someone to bring the benzoin. The benzoin was stored in ordinary jars. Su Liang was convinced that A Mita had replaced the double-layered jars. A Mita questioned Su Liang for secretly colluding with the Lychee Inspector, using the Lychee Inspector's five-prefecture travel tallies to allow the ship to enter the port smoothly, which violated the principles of foreign merchants doing business. She called on everyone to expel Su Liang from the association.
Su Liang was furious, shouting loudly at A Mita, and then left with his men. Li Shande searched everywhere and finally found the warehouse for the double-layered jars. To his surprise, Yang Xiaowei was guarding it with his men. Li Shande wanted to buy all the double-layered jars. Yang Xiaowei seized the opportunity to demand an exorbitant price. Li Shande saw that he was deliberately being difficult, so he brought up the court. Yang Xiaowei didn't buy it at all.
He picked up a double-layered jar and smashed it to pieces. In desperation, Li Shande took out the document for transporting lychees. He was going to requisition this batch of double-layered jars. When A Mita heard that Li Shande had requisitioned the double-layered jars for imperial use, she didn't want to stir up more trouble. She quickly called for Su Liang and told him to go to the warehouse to retrieve that batch of benzoin.
Su Liang also stopped pursuing the matter. The more A Mita thought about it, the angrier she got. Shopkeeper Hardi came to invite A Mita to a banquet, but A Mita wasn't in the mood and dismissed him with a few words. A Mita saw Hardi's feelings for her and didn't want to reject him outright, hoping to use him to stabilize her position as head of the association.
Su Liang heard that Li Shande had indirectly helped him, so he held a banquet to thank Li Shande. Li Shande took the opportunity to persuade him to invest in the lychee orchard. Su Liang avoided the topic. A Mita was upset, so she went to find her foster father, He Youguang. He Youguang revealed that he wanted to use the soldier fish tally to mobilize the navy to recover from pirates and turn Lingnan into his backyard.
A Mita fully supported him and reminded him to be wary of Su Liang. He Youguang didn't take Su Liang seriously at all. That year, Su Liang transported several ships of spices to Gaozhou, and He Youguang deliberately delayed allowing the ships to enter the port. As a result, a typhoon capsized the ships, Su Liang lost more than half of his family property, and he retired from the world for several years because of this.
Li Shande returned to his lodging very late, holding a double-layered jar in his arms. Zheng Pingan had been waiting for him to come back with medicine. Li Shande had completely forgotten about it. Zheng Pingan unleashed all his anger on Li Shande and even brought up his deceased sister to condemn Li Shande for being irresponsible. Li Shande was full of grievances. He was racking his brains just to complete the task and return alive to see Li Xiuer.
Zheng Pingan advised him to give up early, saying it was impossible for him to transport the lychees back to Chang'an. Yun Qing sent people to pursue and kill the envoy sent by the Right Chancellor. That person, relying on his exceptional martial arts, escaped again. Yun Qing immediately sent someone overnight to inform Zheng Pingan to obtain the letter of loyalty as soon as possible, or he would surely die.
Zheng Pingan came to find Zhao Xinmin early in the morning, wanting to make the exchange immediately. Zhao Xinmin made an excuse that He Youguang had torn up the letter of loyalty. Zheng Pingan found out that He Youguang was at the cockfighting arena, and he immediately rushed over. He Youguang was participating in the match with his own rooster, Red Light General, determined to win.
Episode 8 Recap
He Youguang had just acquired a rooster named Red Light General and couldn't wait to bring it to the cockfighting competition, showing it off to industry expert Lan Ge. Lan Ge spoke frankly about the shortcomings of this red-crested rooster. He Youguang didn't believe him at all. He boasted that his Red Light General could win three matches in a row. Zhao Xinmin rushed to the arena with Zheng Pingan.
Zheng Pingan confirmed that Li Shande was not the Left Chancellor's spy and couldn't wait to trade with He Youguang immediately. He Youguang's mind was entirely on the cockfighting match; he didn't even care about the soldier fish tally he had been thinking about day and night. The match officially began. He Youguang's Red Light General assumed a stance and entered the fight. It grew braver the more it fought and quickly won the first match.
Zhao Xinmin improvised a poem praising Red Light General. Zheng Pingan urged He Youguang to trade quickly. He Youguang insisted on winning three matches in a row, but no one brought a rooster to challenge him. Zheng Pingan couldn't wait and took out money to sincerely invite an opponent. Someone brought their rooster to fight. He Youguang looked down on the unknown rooster and was complacent.
But as soon as it entered the arena, it gave Red Light General a harsh welcome. It pressed forward step by step, each move deadly. Red Light General gradually couldn't withstand it and was defeated. That rooster pursued its advantage, and Red Light General finally perished. He Youguang held a grand funeral for Red Light General. Zheng Pingan was so anxious on the side that he beat his chest and stomped his feet.
He urged He Youguang to write the letter of loyalty quickly. He Youguang was very impatient. He only sat down after finishing all the rituals, but he had completely forgotten the letter of loyalty he wrote last time and asked Zhao Xinmin to recite it to him. Zheng Pingan was worried that the new envoy sent by the Right Chancellor would arrive and his life would be in danger, so he kept urging him. He Youguang immediately became alert.
Zheng Pingan used the excuse that he was anxious to return to Chang'an. He Youguang deliberately delayed. Zhao Xinmin helped him write from the side. Zheng Pingan could only wait patiently. He Youguang finally finished writing the letter of loyalty. Zhao Xinmin put the letter into a box and sealed it with red lacquer. Zheng Pingan took out the soldier fish tally to trade with He Youguang. The envoy sent by the Right Chancellor suddenly arrived. Zheng Pingan's heart sank.
He insisted that the envoy was fake. He Youguang didn't believe him and insisted on meeting the envoy. Zheng Pingan wanted to complete the trade with He Youguang first, not wanting his colleagues to steal his credit. He Youguang didn't listen at all. He forcibly took Zheng Pingan out to see the envoy. Zheng Pingan felt uneasy. He forced himself to calm down. To his surprise, the envoy A Liang was carried in by people.
He had been assassinated and injured multiple times, and because he hadn't received timely bandaging, coupled with the extremely hot weather in the Lingnan region, he was already at death's door due to malaria infection. Zheng Pingan braced himself and walked forward. The envoy used his last breath to say, "Guiyun, go back," and then passed away. Zheng Pingan was instantly energized; the envoy was Ma Guiyun. He also took the secret letter from the envoy's body.
Zheng Pingan urged He Youguang to trade immediately. He Youguang gave him the letter of loyalty, and he took out the soldier fish tally to exchange. He then instructed He Youguang to give A Liang a proper burial and hurried out of the Prefect's Mansion with Gou'er. Zheng Pingan was still shaken. He had finally escaped danger. Li Shande was anxious looking for the double-layered jars and had left the medicine he bought for Zheng Pingan at the pharmacy.
He went to the pharmacy to get the medicine and, while there, bought a few flower baskets from the old woman next door. He wanted to take them back to Chang'an for Xiuer, who had once gotten into a conflict with her companions over flower baskets. Li Shande went to the lychee orchard every day, leaving early and returning late, to inspect it. Seeing the lychees ripen day by day, Li Shande regularly wrote letters to Xiuer.
He still reported good news and concealed bad news, and he also described the beautiful spring scenery of Lingnan to Xiuer. Xiuer longed for the osmanthus tree in the courtyard to bloom soon, so Li Shande could return from Lingnan. Zheng Pingan handed the letter of loyalty and the secret letter brought by A Liang to Yun Qing. Yun Qing opened the secret letter, which only had the three characters "Qi Jing Lou" written on it.
Zheng Pingan just wanted to complete the task and return to Chang'an as soon as possible; he didn't dare open the secret letter. Yun Qing congratulated him, saying that upon his return to the capital this time, he would be able to return to the Zheng family as he wished. This had been Zheng Pingan's long-cherished wish. The Zheng family originated from Xingyang and was a renowned aristocratic family in the capital, Chang'an.
However, Yun Qing felt that the current Zheng family had declined and were all people who were afraid of death and would abandon righteousness for profit. Zheng Pingan didn't understand why she looked down on the Zheng family. Yun Qing didn't want to explain too much, she just reminded Zheng Pingan not to forget how his father was driven out of the Zheng family. Zheng Pingan hated his father bitterly.
His father had done something shameful and ultimately had to commit suicide to avoid punishment. Zheng Pingan and his sister relied on each other and also bore their father's bad reputation. Zheng Pingan, a distinguished young master from an aristocratic family, could only mingle in taverns accompanying people for pleasure. His sister died tragically because she couldn't afford life-saving medicine. Yun Qing repeatedly emphasized that Zheng Pingan's father was upright and honest.
The Right Chancellor tried his best to win him over, but he refused to collude with the Right Chancellor. The Right Chancellor, enraged, sent people to kill him and framed him to ruin his reputation. The Zheng family, not wanting to offend the Right Chancellor, not only handed over the shops left by Zheng Pingan's father to the Right Chancellor but also drove Zheng Pingan and his sister out of the Zheng family.
Zheng Pingan dared not accept this truth, but Yun Qing spoke with conviction and even stated the exact location where his father died. Zheng Pingan clearly remembered that year he was clamoring for Yulu Tuan from Pingkang坊. As a result, his sister slapped him. His father left without a word and ended up dying near Pingkang坊.
He had always thought his father committed suicide to avoid punishment, but he didn't expect that he was murdered, and it was all because he went to buy Yulu Tuan for him. Li Shande happened to return. Zheng Pingan pulled him along to drown their sorrows in alcohol. Zheng Pingan, emboldened by the drink, recounted the past events. This was something Zheng Pingan had always been afraid to speak about.
He didn't expect that his father was murdered to protect him and his sister. Zheng Pingan swore to avenge his father. Li Shande also spoke his mind. He was worried that if he died, Xiuer would be as pitiful as Zheng Pingan. Zheng Pingan swore he would no longer interfere with Li Shande transporting the lychees and would no longer drive him away.
Episode 9 Recap
Zheng Pingan was born into the renowned Zheng family in Xingyang. Because his father refused to side with the Right Chancellor, he was framed and killed, and also expelled from the Zheng family. To survive, Zheng Pingan had no choice but to go to taverns to dance for guests' entertainment. The shopkeeper made him wear a mask. Several old acquaintances came to the tavern. The shopkeeper asked Zheng Pingan to entertain these people.
Outside the door, Zheng Pingan heard them making fun of his expulsion from the family. Zheng Pingan put on the mask and forced himself to go in and perform his best Hu Xuan dance. His dance moves were graceful, and the guests gave him rewards one after another. Zheng Pingan picked up the money from the ground one by one, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
The Right Chancellor sent the envoy A Liang to Lingnan to deliver a letter to Ma Guiyun. Yun Qing, a confidante of the Left Chancellor, sent people to pursue and kill him all the way. A Liang was severely injured. By the time he arrived in Gaozhou, he was already on his last breath. Zheng Pingan worried that A Liang would expose him publicly for impersonating Ma Guiyun.
A Liang only said the words "Guiyun, come back" before he breathed his last. Zheng Pingan's anxious heart finally settled. He asked He Youguang for the letter of loyalty and also handed the secret letter found on A Liang to Yun Qing, wanting to leave Lingnan, this place of trouble, and return to Chang'an as soon as possible. Yun Qing thought about asking Zheng Pingan to stay and help.
So she revealed the truth that his father was killed by the Right Chancellor. Zheng Pingan swore to overthrow the Right Chancellor and avenge his father. However, the Right Chancellor held immense power throughout the court and engaged in factionalism for personal gain. The Left Chancellor, despite years of strategic planning, was unable to shake his foundation. Yun Qing suggested first bringing down He Youguang, and then using the letter of loyalty to undermine the Right Chancellor's foundation.
Zheng Pingan volunteered himself. Yun Qing took out the secret letter brought by A Liang, which only had the three characters "Qi Jing Lou" written on it. That was an old matter that happened in Lingnan ten years ago. Hai Hu, a major maritime merchant in Lingnan, created a "Sea Sail Fund". By purchasing a share, one effectively joined the Hai Hu fleet. When the goods were transported to the port, they could share the profits proportionally.
Merchants bought shares in the Sea Sail Fund one after another. Even foreign merchants participated, and they were stationed at Qi Jing Lou to handle incoming and outgoing merchants for the Sea Sail Fund. Qi Jing Lou suddenly caught fire. Hai Hu did not escape in time and was burned to death. Overnight, the Sea Sail Fund became worthless paper. The merchants in Lingnan were heartbroken and wept without tears. He Youguang was Hai Hu's subordinate.
After Hai Hu died, He Youguang went against the tide, not only defecting to the officials but also quickly consolidating his power. He transformed into the all-powerful Prefect of Lingnan. Zheng Pingan suspected that He Youguang started the fire at Qi Jing Lou. However, no one survived that fire. The Left Chancellor sent Song Wuji to Lingnan to investigate evidence of He Youguang's collusion with the Right Chancellor.
He traced it to Qi Jing Lou, but was killed on his way back to the capital. Yun Qing, operating in the shadows, found it inconvenient to intervene directly in the truth of the Qi Jing Lou fire. She asked Zheng Pingan to use his identity as the Right Chancellor's envoy to find out the truth of this matter. Zheng Pingan readily agreed. Yun Qing reminded him to find a legitimate reason to stay in Lingnan.
Zheng Pingan had already thought of a solution. Zheng Pingan returned to the post station very late. The postmaster had been waiting for him, urging him to settle the accommodation and meal fees, and also to pay Li Shande's fees along with his. Zheng Pingan didn't want to pay for Li Shande. Gou Er spoke up for Li Shande. Zheng Pingan had no choice but to pay the full accommodation and meal fees for both himself and Li Shande.
He went directly to Li Shande to ask for the money. Li Shande needed Su Liang's money to transport the lychees; he couldn't touch a single cent. Zheng Pingan was running out of money, and he still had to stay to seek revenge. Li Shande was curious as to why Zheng Pingan would impersonate Ma Guiyun. Zheng Pingan recounted the entire sequence of events.
When Li Shande heard that he wanted to stay and overthrow the Right Chancellor, he couldn't help but feel worried for him. Li Shande took out a sum of money and gave it to Zheng Pingan. A few days later, Li Shande received a reply letter from Xiuer, which contained a flatbread embroidered by Xiuer. Li Shande knew that Xiuer was looking forward to his early return to Chang'an, and his heart felt heavy.
A Tong and Yan Yazhuang selected four baskets of lychees and delivered them to the post station. Li Shande racked his brains but couldn't think of a way to preserve the lychees for a few more days. He decided to start with the transportation time, replacing the horses with good horses with strong legs.
Yan Yazhuang felt that shortening the time by a day or two wouldn't help much, but Li Shande wanted to give it a try with a real shipment. Li Shande went to the market to select horses. Good horses were too expensive, and Li Shande couldn't afford them. A Tong and Yan Yazhuang were sent to go with him. A Tong had a soft spot for Li Shande and admired the way he worked seriously.
Yan Yazhuang was very jealous and kept speaking ill of Li Shande. A Tong was greatly angered and severely reprimanded Yan Yazhuang. He Youguang heard that Zheng Pingan had not returned to Chang'an. He was completely puzzled, so he set up a banquet to invite Zheng Pingan. He specifically brought out this year's lychee wine to entertain him. He Youguang and Zhao Xinmin took turns plying Zheng Pingan with drinks. Zheng Pingan drank a lot of wine in one go.
Zhao Xinmin, emboldened by the alcohol, questioned why Zheng Pingan remained in Lingnan. He Youguang tried to probe him in every way from the side, believing that the Right Chancellor had given Zheng Pingan a new task. Zheng Pingan didn't want to explain and even turned hostile on the spot. He Youguang quickly apologized with a fawning smile. He Youguang kept telling people to bring more wine. The three of them drank over a dozen jars in one sitting.
Gou Er unintentionally overheard that what He Youguang was giving Zheng Pingan to drink was not lychee wine at all, but Bing Yu Shao, which had a strong kick. He couldn't help but feel worried for Zheng Pingan. Zheng Pingan quickly became drunk. He Youguang seized the opportunity to inquire about the content of the secret letter brought by A Liang, the envoy sent by the Right Chancellor. Zheng Pingan lied, claiming it only contained the two characters "Supervision".
Zheng Pingan stayed behind according to the Right Chancellor's orders. He Youguang thought that the Right Chancellor had asked Zheng Pingan to stay and supervise him, and he felt resentful inside. However, he still put on a forced smile and declared on the spot that he would be responsible for all of Zheng Pingan's daily expenses.
Episode 10 Recap
He Youguang's insomnia relapsed. Coupled with the recent hot weather, he was very unhappy and prone to losing his temper. Zhao Xinmin sent people to build a cool shed for He Youguang's most beloved chicken, Ji Bao, hoping to cheer He Youguang up. A rat infestation suddenly broke out in the residence, and the servants were busy catching rats, delaying the construction schedule. Zhao Xinmin was greatly annoyed. Zhao Xinmin was the chief steward of the Prefect's residence.
He arranged for his nephew to be in charge of purchasing, taking the opportunity to pocket a large sum of money. Unexpectedly, his nephew also siphoned off half, resulting in insufficient funds for building the cool shed. The nephew then bought the strongest rat poison, hoping to poison the largest rat first. Zhao Xinmin was very angry and severely lectured his nephew, urging him to finish the cool shed as soon as possible.
Lin Yinu was squatting on the side, mixing the rat poison. The nephew found him disagreeable, snatched the bowl of poison and put it aside, telling him to go build the cool shed first. He Youguang and Zheng Pingan came out, arm in arm. They called each other brothers, chatted enthusiastically, and agreed to meet again next time. The two reluctantly said goodbye. Zheng Pingan watched He Youguang walk away, immediately perked up and started walking back.
Gou Er thought he was drunk, but he was actually faking it. Zheng Pingan was a Companion Official for Drinking from Chang'an. From the first sip, he knew that what He Youguang had prepared was not lychee wine at all, but a blend of Bing Yu Shao, which had a strong kick. He saw that He Youguang's banquet today was a 'Hongmen Banquet' (a trap), and he had to go alone.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky, indicating heavy rain was imminent. He Youguang, fueled by alcohol, went onto the rooftop shouting, convinced that Zheng Pingan stayed to supervise how he used the Soldier Fish Talisman. Zhao Xinmin climbed onto the rooftop in the strong wind to persuade him, but He Youguang simply wouldn't listen. Zheng Pingan returned to the post station and brought food for Li Shande along the way.
Li Shande was working overtime to calculate the routes and costs for transporting lychees, and he also took out the embroidery sent by Xiuer. Zheng Pingan liked it very much, but regretted that Xiuer didn't give him one. Seeing Li Shande working so hard, Zheng Pingan wanted to help him, but Li Shande currently lacked money, and Zheng Pingan was powerless to do anything.
Li Shande used the water isolation preservation method recommended by A Tong to store the Sanyuehong lychees in double-layered jars. Four days later, Li Shande invited Su Liang to taste the lychees. Su Liang thought this method was good. Li Shande asked Su Liang for help in finding horses for transporting the lychees. He had planned four transportation routes. Su Liang roughly calculated that it would require at least 3,000 guan. Li Shande only had 996 guan in hand.
He promised to go back to He Youguang to ask for three more transit permits. A Tong also chimed in to help. Su Liang agreed to help and proposed needing four transit permits. Li Shande put on his official uniform as the Lychee Envoy, carrying a large sign that said "Lychee Superintendent", and went to find He Youguang. He Youguang was out doing business with Zhao Xinmin and wasn't there.
Li Shande had no choice but to wait at a nearby tea stall. The waiter asked him to order a pot of tea, but Li Shande was reluctant to spend money, so the owner chased him out. The cool shed for Ji Bao was finally built. Zhao Xinmin invited He Youguang to see it. He Youguang was overjoyed to see his beloved chicken, Ji Bao. Zhao Xinmin casually picked up the bowl of rat poison nearby.
Lin Yinu was instantly terrified, but he was a mute and could only fret anxiously without being able to speak. When Zhao Xinmin realized that bowl was rat poison, he desperately tried to stop He Youguang, but didn't dare explain the real reason. He Youguang didn't listen at all, grabbed a handful of rat poison, and fed it to his chickens. The chickens that ate the rat poison were wiped out. He Youguang was furious and erupted in a rage.
Zhao Xinmin pushed all the blame onto Lin Yinu, picked up a whip, and severely beat him. Li Shande heard Zhao Xinmin's scolding and immediately went to the Prefect's residence to ask Zhao Xinmin for the official permits. Zhao Xinmin promised to give him all the income from A Tong's lychee garden and even assign a few people to help him. However, Li Shande wasn't buying it and revealed his identity as the Lychee Envoy.
Zhao Xinmin couldn't make the decision and had to report to He Youguang. He Youguang was still angry about Ji Bao being poisoned to death. He firmly refused to give Li Shande the official permits. Zhao Xinmin advised He Youguang to give Li Shande the permits first and settle the score with him after the first day of the sixth lunar month. He Youguang had no time to bother with these matters and told Zhao Xinmin to handle everything.
Zhao Xinmin handed the four official permits to Li Shande and also gave Lin Yinu to Li Shande. Li Shande felt sorry for Lin Yinu, took him away, and also named him A Li. A Li was starving. Li Shande paid for him to eat wontons and also found him a change of clothes. A Li ate several bowls of wontons in one go, while Li Shande only drank a bowl of soup.
Li Shande handed the four transit permits to Su Liang. Su Liang was ecstatic and promised to find riders and horses for him. Li Shande prepared several bolts of cloth in exchange for A Tong's Sanyuehong lychees.
Episode 11 Recap
The story traces back to twelve years ago. Zhao Xinmin left his hometown to take the imperial examination in the capital. He first went to visit Censor Wang of Dali Temple. They were from the same hometown. Zhao Xinmin wanted to get Censor Wang's recommendation. There were many students lining up outside his door. Censor Wang was an honest official and drove away the students who tried to gain favors by giving gifts.
Zhao Xinmin waited a long time before finally seeing Censor Wang. He couldn't wait to take out the article he had written and ask for corrections. Censor Wang praised him highly. A student returned Censor Wang's painting to its original owner. Censor Wang was very ashamed. Last month, his family couldn't make ends meet, so he had to sell his painting to exchange for a few dou of rice. Censor Wang asked Zhao Xinmin to hang up that painting.
Zhao Xinmin developed respect for Censor Wang. Just then, soldiers burst into the Wang family residence to arrest someone. Only then did Zhao Xinmin learn that Censor Wang had long placed his paintings at Jubao Xuan. Students would buy them back and give them to Censor Wang. Afterwards, the owner of Jubao Xuan would split the money with Censor Wang. Zhao Xinmin was scared out of his wits. He finally saw Censor Wang's true colors and secretly took the painting.
The Prefect's residence suffered a rat infestation. Zhao Xinmin's nephew bought highly toxic rat poison and asked Lin Yinu to mix it. Zhao Xinmin asked his nephew to first build a cool shed for He Youguang's Ji Bao. Lin Yinu was anxious to go build the cool shed, so he put the bowl of poison he was holding aside. He Youguang came to see the cool shed, casually picked up the bowl of poison, and fed it to the chickens.
Lin Yinu was a mute. By the time Zhao Xinmin realized what was happening, it was too late. He Youguang's chickens were all poisoned to death. He was furious and threw a tantrum, and also severely beat Lin Yinu. Li Shande came to find He Youguang to ask for the transit permits. Seeing how pitiful Lin Yinu was, he took him in as an assistant and also named him A Li.
The rats at the Prefect's residence were rampant, walking around in front of people even during the day. He Youguang was greatly annoyed. He wanted to take it out on Lin Yinu again, only to find out that Li Shande had taken Lin Yinu away. Zhao Xinmin repeatedly explained that he wanted Lin Yinu to be a spy. He Youguang was still relentless. A Mita suddenly came to complain to He Youguang.
Su Liang had funded Li Shande to transport lychees. A Mita was worried that if this matter succeeded, Su Liang's prestige among the Hu merchants would surpass hers. She also wanted to transport lychees. He Youguang advised A Mita not to get involved in this matter. He said a few people alone simply couldn't accomplish this. Moreover, he would absolutely not allow Li Shande and Su Liang to transport fresh lychees to Chang'an.
The Emperor would condemn him for not transporting lychees before. Lingnan was located in a remote area, and few court officials had shown interest in the past, allowing him to rule like a local emperor here. Once lychees were transported to Chang'an, Lingnan would become a piece of lucrative land, and officials would all want a share. At that time, this would become his burial place. He Youguang asked A Mita to find a way to stop this matter.
Zhao Xinmin prided himself on his high scholarly attainment, but felt frustrated and unfulfilled at the Prefect's residence. He used his authority to intercept funds for daily expenses. He didn't expect that intercepting the rat eradication funds this time would almost cause a major disaster. He went home and complained bitterly to his wife. His wife also felt it was unfair to him. Back then, he almost became the top scholar in Lingnan.
If it weren't for her father's intervention, Zhao Xinmin would have already gone to Chang'an to assist the Emperor, and wouldn't have to suffer He Youguang's constant humiliation every day. After hearing his wife's words, Zhao Xinmin felt a little relieved in his heart. He was glad that Li Shande had taken Lin Yinu away.
Zheng Pingan learned from Yun Qing that his father had not committed suicide out of fear of punishment, but had been framed and killed by the Right Chancellor. Zheng Pingan swore to avenge his father. Being insignificant, he couldn't overthrow the Right Chancellor all at once. Yun Qing told him to first bring down He Youguang, and also suggested that he sow discord between A Mita and He Youguang.
He should inquire from A Mita for evidence of He Youguang's corruption and unlawful actions. Yun Qing analyzed that He Youguang had set fire to Qijing Tower and killed Haihu. If A Mita learned that He Youguang was her enemy, she would certainly break ties with He Youguang. Zheng Pingan didn't know how to approach A Mita. Yun Qing told him to use his charm to attract A Mita.
Zheng Pingan heard that A Mita and He Youguang were choosing horses at the city's western stable. So he took Gou Er and rushed to the stable. On the way, he bought Gou Er a pair of straw sandals and treated him to Changfen. Zheng Pingan wanted to use the tactic of 'saving the damsel in distress' to win A Mita's heart. Zheng Pingan arrived at the stable and saw A Mita riding a horse from a distance.
He pretended to run into He Youguang and used the excuse that he wanted to buy a thousand-li horse. He Youguang grandly introduced A Mita as the best rider in Lingnan. Zheng Pingan praised A Mita effusively and wanted to invite her for a meal. A Mita declined, using the excuse that she was busy. Su Liang heard that He Youguang had taken A Mita to the stable to choose horses, and deliberately raised the prices.
It was clear he wanted to compete with them for horses. Su Liang immediately told Li Shande about this. Li Shande wanted to go to A Mita to buy horses. Su Liang and A Mita were sworn enemies, so it was inconvenient for him to step forward. He reminded Li Shande to ask A Mita for more good horses. Li Shande personally went to A Mita's door to find her. He immediately asked for one hundred and thirty good horses.
A Mita suspected that he was inflating the number for corruption. Li Shande detailed his plan for transporting lychees. He wanted to open up four transportation routes, with fifteen post stations on each route. A Mita agreed to sell him the horses, but the debt owed by A Tong and the Dong people had to be paid back before the withered flower she was raising died.
Li Shande voluntarily offered to take the withered flower back to take care of it. Li Shande carefully took care of the withered flower. Zheng Pingan advised him not to trust A Mita and He Youguang. He said they would absolutely not allow Li Shande to transport the lychees back to Chang'an. Zheng Pingan declared then and there that he would make A Mita personally give the horses to Li Shande.
Early the next morning, Zheng Pingan personally went to Fenglou to see A Mita. He advised A Mita to sell the horses to Li Shande, falsely claiming that Li Shande was investigating the accounts of Lingnan. He said Li Shande came from an accounting background, and he would quickly find the loopholes in Lingnan. A Mita was half-believing, half-doubting.
Episode 12 Recap
Zheng Pingan advised A Mita to sell the horses to Li Shande, falsely claiming that Li Shande was investigating Lingnan's accounts. A Mita didn't know what to do for a moment. Zhihai went to consult He Youguang. He Youguang didn't want to give the horses to Li Shande, but also worried that Li Shande would be driven to desperate measures and completely fall out with them. He Youguang was in a dilemma, so he sought Zhao Xinmin's opinion.
Zhao Xinmin suggested giving Li Shande a few less horses. A Mita sent someone to deliver two wild horses to Li Shande, claiming they were thousand-li horses. Zheng Pingan recognized them as He Youguang's horses; he had personally seen these two horses kick and break people's ribs. Li Shande asked Zheng Pingan to find two good riders. Zheng Pingan was unfamiliar with the place here and could do nothing.
Li Shande used all his strength to lead the two wild horses to the Dong people's village. When A Tong saw him covered in mud, she knew he had brought two wild horses. Yan Yazhuang was unconvinced. Without a word, he got on a horse and quickly subdued it. Li Shande asked Yan Yazhuang to be a rider, but Yan Yazhuang firmly refused. A Tong advised Yan Yazhuang to help Li Shande.
Yan Yazhuang suspected Li Shande was a swindler and even less believed that Li Shande could transport the lychees to Chang'an. A Tong firmly believed Li Shande could complete the mission, and Li Shande had helped her out of difficulties many times. A Tong painstakingly tried to persuade Yan Yazhuang, but he just wouldn't budge because he was a deserter and didn't want to show his face because of this matter.
A Tong explained to Li Shande the reason Yan Yazhuang refused to be a rider. Li Shande didn't dwell on it; he needed many good riders. Su Liang knew Hadi was pursuing A Mita, so he advised Hadi to give up early. A Mita was solely focused on doing business and making money. She had recently transported a batch of glass from overseas. She wouldn't be moved by Hadi and also heavily exploited the Hu merchants.
Su Liang advised Hadi to help Li Shande transport the lychees and also do business along the way. Hadi was immediately tempted. Su Liang knew Li Shande was having trouble with horses, so he suggested letting him reuse the horses. Li Shande suddenly had an epiphany and immediately went back to recalculate. Li Shande personally made a measuring square. A Tong and the Dong people all came to watch. Li Shande demonstrated the use of the square on the spot.
They didn't quite understand, but they felt Li Shande was very capable. Li Shande heard that Yan Yazhuang was very familiar with the terrain of Lingnan, so he decided to take Yan Yazhuang to measure the circumference of the city wall. He arranged to meet Yan Yazhuang at Xiaodongmen. Li Shande arrived at Xiaodongmen on time with Lin Yinu. Together with Yan Yazhuang, they measured the circumference of the city wall.
Hadi bought A Mita's favorite pastries and visited her door. A Mita refused to see him. Hadi inquired about A Mita from the maid Hongyu, but Hongyu remained silent. Zheng Pingan came to see A Mita. A Mita also refused to see him, using the excuse of feeling unwell. Zheng Pingan saw that Hadi liked A Mita, so he called Hadi outside for a private chat.
Hadi admitted that he had pursued A Mita for three full years and still hadn't entered her heart. Zheng Pingan advised Hadi to give up early, but Hadi was unwilling and retorted against Zheng Pingan. Zheng Pingan kept claiming that he was from the capital and that A Mita told him everything. Zheng Pingan deliberately revealed that A Mita dared to transport glass from overseas only because she had soldiers protecting her.
Hadi remembered what Su Liang had said and completely trusted Zheng Pingan, voluntarily withdrawing from the competition. Hadi no longer wanted to be led by the nose by He Youguang and A Mita, so he sent someone to deliver the best fine horses to Su Liang. Li Shande, A Li, and Yan Yazhuang were busy all day. Seeing that it was getting dark, Li Shande took the two of them to camp in the wild.
Li Dongsheng accidentally saw that A Li wasn't wearing shoes and his foot was cut, so he gave him external wound ointment. Yan Yazhuang discovered that Li Shande was someone who truly got things done and was willing to lend him a hand, but he had a hidden difficulty. Yan Yazhuang told Li Shande about his experience. He was once a small soldier.
That year, he and his companions were patrolling at sea when they saw pirates robbing a boat transporting herbal medicine. He shot and wounded the pirate leader. The pirate reinforcements suddenly arrived, so Yan Yazhuang and his companions had no choice but to jump into the river and escape. They were rescued by fishermen. When they went back, they found they had all become wanted criminals.
Yan Yazhuang's companion went to the authorities to explain and was brutally beaten to death. Yan Yazhuang had no choice but to hide. Li Shande deeply sympathized with Yan Yazhuang's experience and also recounted his own experiences. Li Shande worked overtime every day to make plans. Yan Yazhuang saw it all. He asked Li Shande to help clear his name, and after the matter was successful, he would let his companions help Li Shande transport the lychees.
Li Shande was extremely grateful to him and promised to try talking to He Youguang. Yan Yazhuang took out the dagger seized from the pirate leader and gave it to Li Shande. Zheng Pingan advised Li Shande not to go to He Youguang, saying that He Youguang came from a pirate background and would absolutely not redress the grievances of Yan Yazhuang and his companions. Li Shande wanted to give it a try.
Zheng Pingan reminded Li Shande to test the waters first and promised to help him on the side. Hadi sent someone to deliver fine horses to Su Liang. He came overnight to bring the good news to Li Shande. Li Shande was very happy. He said that six horses were enough for the experiment. Li Shande asked Su Liang to help find nine good riders.
Episode 13 Recap
Lin Yinu pretended to be a mute. Zhao Xinmin and He Youguang arranged for him to be a mole beside Li Shande, making it easy to inquire about Li Shande's every move from him. Lin Yinu didn't understand what Li Shande was doing; he struggled immensely but couldn't explain it clearly. Zhao Xinmin was very angry but could do nothing about it. Lin Yinu returned to his lodging very late.
A Tong thought he was homesick and offered him warm comfort. Lin Yinu felt a warmth in his heart. He Youguang was once a subordinate of the pirate Hai Hu. After Hai Hu was burned to death, He Youguang was shot in the backside. Every time the season changed, the wound would become unbearably itchy. He Youguang was tormented, wishing he were dead. Zhao Xinmin specially prepared aloe vera juice for him to relieve the itch.
He Youguang begged him to keep this matter a secret, not wanting to be a laughing stock. He Youguang personally came to inquire about the progress of transporting the lychees from Li Shande. Li Shande had already found horses. After precise calculations, circling the city was exactly thirty li, which is the distance between two relay stations. He wanted to hold a city-circling run, using Xiaodongmen as a transfer point.
By observing at which lap the lychees spoiled, Li Shande asked He Youguang to send people to maintain order at the scene and help him find a few riders. He Youguang fundamentally didn't want him to transport the lychees to Chang'an. He used the excuse that he couldn't find riders. Li Shande then begged him to clear the names of Yan Yazhuang and several other deserters, stating that they were the most suitable riders. He Youguang flatly refused.
Li Shande then started talking about the old case from back then, how the veterans pursuing the pirates shot the pirate leader in the backside. He Youguang realized that Li Shande was talking about him and loudly stopped Li Shande, forbidding him to continue, and promised to handle the issue of the veterans appropriately.
He Youguang complained that Zhao Xinmin had chosen the wrong person; Lin Yinu had been by Li Shande's side for so long and hadn't discovered that Li Shande had actually connected with the veterans from that year. Zhao Xinmin suggested to He Youguang putting obstacles in Li Shande's way during the city-circling run and recommended Lan Ge as a rider. He Youguang couldn't think of a better idea for the moment and agreed with Zhao Xinmin.
He worried that A Mita might find out from the veterans that Hai Hu's burning was his doing, so he instructed Zhao Xinmin not to let A Mita know about this matter. Zheng Pingan told Yun Qing about the old case mentioned by Yan Yazhuang. Ten years ago, a pirate leader robbed a boat transporting herbal medicine. As a result, he was shot in the backside by a young soldier.
The soldier took the opportunity to steal the pirate leader's red gemstone silver dagger. Yun Qing sent someone to investigate this matter and quickly found out that the dagger used by that pirate leader was not from Hai Hu's fleet. She suspected this matter was related to the great fire at Qi Jing Lou. Because it had been too long, the investigation would take some time. Yun Qing believed that He Youguang and A Mita definitely knew about this matter.
Zheng Pingan went to see A Mita early in the morning and told her about the old incident from ten years ago: when the pirate leader robbed the herbal medicine boat, the soldier shot the pirate leader, and how Li Shande went to He Youguang to seek justice for those soldiers but was refused.
Zheng Pingan heard that her father, Hai Hu, was a chivalrous bandit who would never rob a herbal medicine boat, but market rumors claimed it was her father's doing. Although A Mita didn't believe these rumors, she started to have doubts in her heart. Li Shande worked overtime to prepare for the city-circling run. A Tong and the Dong people all came to help.
Li Shande discovered that the Dong people were eating very poorly, so he asked Gou Er to allocate some money to improve their lives. The more A Mita thought about it, the more something felt wrong, so she came to Li Shande to inquire about those deserters. Li Shande lied, claiming he heard it from a porter. A Mita wanted to find the porter and ask face-to-face to get it clear. Li Shande made all sorts of excuses to stall.
A Mita could see he had reservations, but this matter concerned her father Hai Hu's reputation, so A Mita wanted to investigate thoroughly. She promised to arrange a special pardon for the deserters. After the matter was successful, Li Shande must take her to see that deserter, as she wanted to personally see that red gemstone dagger. Su Liang publicly set up a recruitment arena; he wanted to select winners from it to be riders. People enthusiastically signed up.
Li Shande selected Yan Yazhuang. Su Liang just needed to find one more rider to lead the charge. Su Liang felt that even finding this one rider would be difficult. Li Shande suggested adding a condition to the notice: people who could ride thousand-li horses would be given priority, and the price would be negotiable. Lan Ge opened a cockfighting arena. People came to gamble in a continuous stream. Someone lost everything.
Lan Ge voluntarily took out money to send him away. He Youguang came to find Lan Ge to bring a few people to participate in the city-circling run and pull the rug out from under Li Shande; all he had to do was mess up the matter. He Youguang promised to give Lan Ge money and beautiful women after the matter was successful, but Lan Ge was not interested.
A Mita came to find He Youguang, but he was out and not in his residence. She asked Zhao Xinmin about Li Shande and He Youguang. Zhao Xinmin claimed ignorance to all her questions, making an excuse that he had something to do and leaving. He Youguang happened to return to his residence, so Zhao Xinmin accompanied him back. A Mita worried that Su Liang would take the position of guild leader after helping Li Shande complete the lychee transport.
He Youguang advised her not to overthink it. A Mita took the opportunity to ask about the deserters seeking justice; she wanted to clear the name of her deceased father. A Mita and Li Shande had already reached an agreement: as long as the deserters were pardoned as innocent, they could be brought out. He Youguang immediately became alert. He dismissed A Mita in a few words. A Mita became suspicious of He Youguang.
Lan Ge actively came to find Li Shande, stating he wanted to ride the thousand-li horse and that Li Shande must pay half the reward today. Li Shande sent someone to bring the thousand-li horse. Su Liang reminded Lan Ge to be careful with this wild horse. Lan Ge leapt onto the horse, and the wild horse galloped freely beneath him. Li Shande praised him profusely. Lan Ge recommended two brothers to be riders, and Li Shande readily agreed.
Episode 14 Recap
Three years ago, Lan Ge came to the stable in the south of the city to find his old friend Afeng, bringing him fine medicine. However, Afeng did not appreciate it. That year, Lan Ge took several fine horses from the stable, and now he has returned alone. In a fit of pique, Lan Ge wanted to sell the stable, even including the soldier Afeng. Afeng was enraged and fought fiercely with him.
When Lan Ge was a child, he followed his father to Chang'an. He became a disciple of Jia Chang, the 'Godly Chicken Master', and quickly mastered the art of training chickens. Soon after, his family fell into decline. Before his death, Lan Ge's father signed a huge debt. He sold his property and shops to repay the debt, leaving only the stable in the south of the city. Lan Ge then lost the stable, and now he has nothing.
Lan Ge apologized to Afeng. Afeng was once a renowned rider in Chang'an, but now he is seriously ill. His only regret is not owning a good horse that made his heart pound. He Youguang was in a dilemma. If he signed the special pardon for the deserters, A Mita would learn from the soldiers that he was the culprit who killed Hai Hu. But if he didn't sign the special pardon, A Mita would definitely become suspicious.
After much deliberation, He Youguang decided to give A Mita the special pardon. A Mita immediately sent someone overnight to inform Li Shande. Li Shande arranged to meet A Mita tomorrow at Xiaodongmen. Li Shande arrived at Xiaodongmen early in the morning to prepare for the city-circling run. Zhao Xinmin rushed over and gave the special pardon to Li Shande, eager to meet those soldiers. Just as Yan Yazhuang was about to go over, A Tong grabbed him.
Li Shande lied, claiming the soldiers were not here and that he needed to find porters to deliver messages to them. Zhao Xinmin could only leave dejectedly. Li Shande gave the special pardon to Yan Yazhuang. Yan Yazhuang handed the red gemstone dagger to A Mita. A Mita recognized it as the dagger her father, Hai Hu, had given to He Youguang.
She immediately went to question He Youguang, accusing him of kidnapping the herbal medicine boat behind her father Hai Hu's back. He Youguang claimed repeatedly that Hai Hu was wholeheartedly trying to surrender to the court, so he eagerly embarked on the Haifanchou project, which resulted in total loss. It was inconvenient for Hai Hu to do those wicked things himself, so He Youguang did them for him, hoping to make up for Hai Hu's losses.
Unexpectedly, Hai Hu was burned to death at Qi Jing Lou. He Youguang then led his brothers to surrender to the officials, fulfilling Hai Hu's dying wish. He Youguang spoke with tears streaming down his face, but A Mita remained half-convinced. Zhao Xinmin returned to report to He Youguang, promising to eliminate the deserters during the city-circling run. A Mita suspected He Youguang was lying, but he spoke plausibly.
Lan Yu advised A Mita not to overthink it, but A Mita vowed to find out the truth. Li Shande and Lan Ge discussed the details of the city-circling run. Su Liang sent Ah Di to take care of the horses and also wanted to find foreign merchants to participate in transporting the lychees. Li Shande was worried they wouldn't pay, but Su Liang wanted to try and persuade them.
Li Shande was naturally more than happy for him to do so. Yun Qing sent Zheng Pingan to mess up A Mita's bid for the guild leader position. That way, A Mita would be seen as a disposable pawn in He Youguang's eyes. Li Shande prepared for the city-circling run day and night, arranging everything for the personnel and horses, from clothing to food, shelter, and transportation. Yan Yazhuang arrived shortly after with those soldiers.
The city-circling run was to start tomorrow, so Li Shande gathered everyone involved. He arranged for Lan Ge and Yan Yazhuang to lead the charge, and A Tong to lead the Dong people to pick lychees. Li Shande specially brought dry food to Lin Yinu. Lin Yinu was reluctant to eat it, so he fed it to the horses. Li Shande went to inspect various departments, staying busy until very late.
Li Shande stood on the city wall, waiting until dawn. A Tong advised him to rest for a while, but Li Shande couldn't sleep. He worried that all the money spent and everyone's hard work for so long would go to waste. Li Shande joined everyone in soaking the lychees in salt water. He also drew a table on the city wall to record the number of laps of the city-circling run and the freshness of the lychees.
He Youguang personally came to Xiaodongmen to oversee things, wishing Li Shande immediate success. Li Shande, A Tong, and others put the soaked lychees into double-layered jars, sealed the jars tightly, and then tied them separately onto the horses of Lan Ge and Yan Yazhuang. Zhao Xinmin came to find Lan Ge, encouraging him to achieve initial success.
Yan Yazhuang told Lan Ge to follow behind him, but Lan Ge was not convinced; he wanted to ride neck and neck with Yan Yazhuang. Li Shande stood on the city gate tower. With his command, Lan Ge and Yan Yazhuang spurred their horses and began the city-circling run.
Episode 15 Recap
One day in February of the thirteenth year of Tianbao, Li Shande woke up early as usual to make breakfast for his daughter, Li Xiuer, then called her up. While Li Xiuer was eating, Li Shande braided her hair. Li Xiuer suddenly had a whim and wanted to see the old house. Li Shande gave her the house key and told her to go with her uncle Zheng Pingan when he returned from out of town.
Li Xiuer worried that Zheng Pingan wouldn't come back, but Li Shande believed that Zheng Pingan couldn't leave Chang'an. Li Shande took Li Xiuer to school. All the way, Li Xiuer complained that Li Shande's cooking was bad and his braids were ugly. Li Shande wanted Li Xiuer to become independent as soon as possible so that even if he was away on official business, she could take care of herself.
Li Xiuer, in a huff, refused to let Li Shande walk her and went to school by herself. Li Shande was worried, so he quietly followed behind Li Xiuer. The street was crowded, and in a blink of an eye, Li Xiuer was out of sight. Li Shande was anxious and searched everywhere for Li Xiuer. Finally, he found her at the old house. Li Xiuer missed her mother.
Li Shande couldn't bear to tell her the news of his wife's death, so he lied that she would be back when the osmanthus tree in the courtyard bloomed. Li Xiuer hoped the flowers would bloom soon. Li Shande felt a mix of emotions; the osmanthus tree in the courtyard had died after his wife passed away. Through unremitting efforts, Li Shande, A Tong, and the Dong people finally arranged all the work for the city-circling run.
Li Shande was both excited and nervous. He stood alone on the city gate tower until dawn, and the common people came to watch. At Li Shande's command, the city-circling run officially began. Lan Ge and Yan Yazhuang confirmed that the two baskets of lychees on the horses' backs were properly secured. They leaped onto their horses and galloped along, quickly disappearing from view. At the same time, the annual meeting of foreign merchants was held as scheduled.
A Mita, as the head of the merchants' association, attended in grand attire. Su Liang also came to participate. Zheng Pingan arrived shortly after. He came to support the meeting under the banner of the Right Chancellor's envoy. A Mita asked the foreign merchants to introduce the trade routes they had developed respectively. As long as everyone approved, they would pool funds to make money together.
A Mita distributed two ox bones to each person as per custom; a solid one represented agreement, and a hollow one represented opposition. Everyone used ox bones to vote. Zheng Pingan learned the rules from Lan Yu and found it very interesting. The foreign merchants each presented the trade routes they had developed, but they were all rejected one by one. Zheng Pingan was very anxious.
A Mita took the opportunity to mention the trade route she opened last year for exporting Tang porcelain and silk to Dashi, and suggested that everyone invest to expand the scale. Zheng Pingan thought it was feasible. Fa Qi was the first to stand up and support A Mita, calling on everyone to vote in favor of A Mita.
Su Liang publicly raised a question, stating that although the trade volume of the foreign merchants had increased in recent years, their profits had not, and they were also exploited by pirates. Su Liang suggested that the foreign merchants invest in transporting lychees, guaranteeing a profit of over thirty percent. A Mita disagreed and reminded Su Liang to think twice. Su Liang felt this was a sure-profit business.
If the Emperor and the Consort were satisfied, and Li Shande helped to put in a good word, transporting lychees to Chang'an would be a never-ending path to wealth. The foreign merchants were eager to try. Fa Qi told Su Liang to invest himself. A Mita worried that failure to transport the lychees successfully would result in total loss. Su Liang asked everyone to wait for Li Shande's test results. The foreign merchants looked at each other.
Zheng Pingan stepped forward and persuaded the foreign merchants not to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A Mita proposed postponing the meeting for a few days until Li Shande's test was successful. Su Liang and Zheng Pingan exchanged smiles. A child wanted to eat ripe lychees. A Tong disagreed, so the child took green lychees to Li Shande for help.
Li Shande put a banana and the green lychees together, saying they would be edible in a day, and the child left satisfied. Li Shande was stationed at Xiaodongmen. In a blink of an eye, it was the third day of the test. The riders of the city-circling run successfully returned to Xiaodongmen, and the lychees they transported were still very fresh.
A Mita had originally planned to continue her export business to Dashi according to her plan, but Su Liang disrupted it, forcing her to postpone the meeting. A Mita came to He Youguang immediately to complain. He Youguang summoned the foreign merchants and repeatedly claimed that Li Shande's city-circling run test was just a stunt. Zhao Xinmin added fuel to the fire on the side. He Youguang publicly promised to fully support the foreign merchants' business of exporting to Dashi.
The riders were exhausted. Two of Lan Ge's riders were also injured. Li Shande personally brought them tea and water and bandaged their wounds. Lan Ge strongly protested to Li Shande, worried that the riders and horses couldn't endure it. Li Shande apologized to the riders. He wanted to get accurate data, so he had to make the riders and horses go all out. Li Shande let the two injured riders rest.
He suggested that each rider and horse rest after running three laps. Yan Yazhuang said he could still keep going, and Lan Ge also didn't want to give up. Zhao Xinmin heard that Yan Yazhuang had been persisting in the city-circling run, so he sent Commander Yang with men to set up an ambush halfway. They tied a tripwire. Yan Yazhuang's horse tripped as he rode past, and Yan Yazhuang fell off the horse.
Episode 16 Recap
In February, Chang'an was bitterly cold. The three old friends Li Shande, Han Shisi, and Du Fu were drinking and talking by the Ba Bridge. With the help of alcohol, Du Fu recounted meeting an old soldier guarding a grave. The old soldier told him the story of surviving death on the battlefield. Both Han Shisi and Li Shande sighed deeply. Zhao Xinmin sent Commander Yang to assassinate Yan Yazhuang.
They set up a tripwire halfway, and Yan Yazhuang fell off his horse. Just as they were about to kill him, Lin Yinu and others arrived in time. They rescued Yan Yazhuang. Yan Yazhuang ignored his injuries; he didn't want to delay the experiment, so he asked Lin Yinu to check on the lychees. Without a word, Lin Yinu picked up a basket of lychees and ran. Lan Ge arrived later, not daring to delay, and continued riding forward.
Lan Ge and Lin Yinu returned to Xiaodongmen one after the other. Li Shande was frantic when he learned that Yan Yazhuang's horse had died. A Tong and the Dong people volunteered to take turns running the city circuit to ensure the experiment was completed. Commander Yang adamantly refused and demanded that Xiaodongmen be unsealed so he could go back and report. Li Shande argued strongly with Commander Yang.
A Mita arrived in time to deliver a horse to Li Shande, intentionally using He Youguang's name, and even volunteered to be a rider. Li Shande was deeply grateful to A Mita. He deliberately leaned in front of Commander Yang and loudly announced that the experiment would continue. When He Youguang learned of this, he thought A Mita was acting against him because of the dagger incident. Lan Yu tried her best to explain for A Mita.
A Mita was certain that Li Shande's experiment would not succeed, but she still used He Youguang's name to send Li Shande a horse and a rider. He Youguang decided to go to Xiaodongmen to see for himself. A Mita and Yan Yazhuang ran the city circuit together. Zhao Xinmin couldn't lay a hand on Yan Yazhuang for the time being, so he had to report back to He Youguang.
On the fifth day of the experiment, it started pouring rain. Li Shande refused to leave even half a step. The common people and foreign merchants all stayed by Xiaodongmen in the rain. He Youguang arrived in the rain, followed shortly by A Mita and Yan Yazhuang returning to Xiaodongmen. Three baskets of the lychees they transported had started to rot; only one basket was completely intact.
Li Shande was ecstatic, because the lychees matured at different times, as long as one basket was successful, the experiment could continue. Lan Ge slung that basket of lychees onto his horse and left. Lan Ge rode through the mountains and ridges. The rain grew heavier and heavier. Rocks rolled down from the mountaintop, causing a landslide. Lan Ge rode through without hesitation.
He finally returned to Xiaodongmen after much difficulty and told Li Shande about the road being blocked by the landslide. Li Shande checked the lychees, which were still very fresh. He sent A Tong with people to repair the road. He had Lan Ge ride the horse with the lychees to the point where the road was broken, while A Mita waited on the other side.
He sent Lin Yinu to carry that basket of lychees across that section of the road. Everyone acted separately. Lan Ge sped to the appointed location, and Lin Yinu arrived on time. He shouldered the lychees and set off. A Tong led people in urgent repairs. Everyone worked together. Lin Yinu struggled to move forward among the rocks. After much effort, he finally handed the lychees to A Mita.
A Mita dared not delay and immediately leaped onto her horse and rushed towards Xiaodongmen. Lan Ge waited at Xiaodongmen. He would then take the lychees to the broken road section where Lin Yinu was already waiting. Lin Yinu would carry the lychees through the congested section and hand them back to A Mita. With the unremitting efforts of A Tong and the Dong people, that section of the road was finally repaired, and the experiment could continue.
In the blink of an eye, it was the seventh day. Li Shande opened the double-layered jar and tasted a lychee. He remained silent for a long time. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Li Shande's answer. Li Shande climbed the ladder with all his might, stamped the blueprint, and announced the end of the experiment. He Youguang concluded that Li Shande's experiment had failed and advised everyone to disperse.
Li Shande publicly announced the results of the experiment, but before he finished speaking, he fainted to the ground. Li Shande woke up dazedly and found everyone quietly packing things up. Lan Ge said goodbye to Li Shande. A Tong also came to bid farewell to Li Shande. Li Shande suddenly heard a little girl singing a nursery rhyme.
On the day of the experiment, she had picked a bunch of lychees with a branch and planted them in a flower pot. The lychees were still very fresh. Li Shande immediately tasted a lychee that the little girl had picked with the branch. He was ecstatic; as long as the lychees were not picked off the branch, their freshness could be extended. A Mita convened an emergency meeting and rejected Su Liang's suggestion to invest in Li Shande.
Li Shande rushed over. He handed the revived irises and the girl's lychee plant to A Mita, clearly stating that he could preserve the lychees for eleven days using the little girl's method. Zheng Pingan also thought Li Shande's method was feasible. Someone heard that the fastest route for transporting lychees was experiencing flooding, and detouring would add two extra days. Li Shande was instantly dumbfounded.
A Mita appreciated Li Shande's dedication to his work, but she couldn't engage in a losing business. Hady made sarcastic remarks on the side. Li Shande was unwilling to give up just like that and wanted to save two days from the Five Ridges route. As soon as he was assigned the task of transporting lychees, he knew it was an impossible, doomed task. But he had come this far through his efforts.
However, the foreign merchants dared not take the risk. Su Liang stepped forward to support Li Shande. He firmly believed that Li Shande could come up with a better solution and was willing to stake his entire fortune to support Li Shande. The foreign merchants discussed amongst themselves. Zheng Pingan also spoke favorably for Li Shande, hoping the foreign merchants would trust Li Shande. Li Shande was extremely grateful to Su Liang. He publicly stated that he would go all out and would never let down everyone's trust, and urged A Mita to let the foreign merchants vote.
Episode 17 Recap
Fifteen years ago, Zheng Jinniang went to offer incense at a temple on Mount Hua. Li Shande saw her by chance and fell in love with her at first sight. His colleagues called him to meet Cui Shiyilang, who had just joined the Imperial College. His father was a Minor Supervisor of the Crown Prince's Household. Li Shande didn't want to go. He turned around and found that Zheng Jinniang was already gone. Li Shande felt deeply disappointed.
Zheng Jinniang went down the mountain alone and accidentally twisted her ankle. Cui Shiyilang happened to pass by at this time. He showed concern for Zheng Jinniang, but she did not appreciate it and spoke coldly to him. It turned out that Zheng Jinniang was from the renowned Zheng clan of Xingyang. She and Cui Shiyilang had an engagement.
After her father committed suicide out of fear of punishment, she and her brother Zheng Pingan were expelled from the Zheng clan. Cui Shiyilang was then forced to break off the engagement with Zheng Jinniang. He unintentionally discovered that Zheng Jinniang was still wearing the sachet he had given her, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions. Cui Shiyilang discussed with his friends about taking turns carrying Zheng Jinniang down the mountain.
They did not want to get involved with Zheng Jinniang, who had been expelled from her clan, so Cui Shiyilang had to leave first. Li Shande searched everywhere and finally found Zheng Jinniang. He actively helped Zheng Jinniang massage her injured foot, and then carried her down the mountain on his back. Zheng Jinniang was resistant at first, but she saw that Li Shande was a kind person and let down her guard. It gradually got dark.
Li Shande continued on the road, carrying Zheng Jinniang on his back. They chatted and laughed, and the more they talked, the more they hit it off. - Li Shande came to A Mita for sponsorship, which was strongly opposed by the foreign merchants. Li Shande detailed his plan for transporting the lychees and expressed his determination to never give up. A Mita was moved by Li Shande's words and let the foreign merchants vote. Everyone voted yes.
Li Shande was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and he bowed deeply to thank them. Su Liang and Zheng Pingan were also happy for Li Shande. A Mita reminded Li Shande to quickly solve the problem of the extra two days caused by the flood. If the mission did not progress within thirty days, all the foreign merchants' investments would be withdrawn. Li Shande hurried back to study solutions.
Zhao Xinmin, on behalf of He Youguang, sent gifts to Li Shande to congratulate him. A Mita came to report back to He Youguang. He Youguang deliberately scolded Zhao Xinmin in front of her for his incompetence, which allowed Li Shande to seize the opportunity. A Mita admitted her mistake to He Youguang, saying she didn't expect Li Shande to be so persistent. He Youguang took the opportunity to play on A Mita's emotions.
He deliberately pretended to be foolish and crazy, making outsiders think he was an incompetent official who only knew how to play cockfighting and juggle. In secret, he supported A Mita to become the head of the foreign merchants' guild at all costs. Just as they were about to get the military tally and become local overlords in Lingnan, Li Shande unexpectedly intervened and won over all the foreign merchants.
A Mita felt that Li Shande was completely incapable of completing the lychee transportation mission. He Youguang was worried about unexpected complications and reminded A Mita never to be careless. Zhao Xinmin saw A Mita being reprimanded and made sarcastic remarks from the side. A Mita retorted sharply. Zhao Xinmin sent Wei shopkeeper to assist A Mita in keeping an eye on Li Shande. A Mita took Wei shopkeeper and others to inspect the progress of the lychee transportation mission.
Wei shopkeeper took the opportunity to ask Li Shande to help promote the clothes from his Jadafu store. Li Shande scoffed at this. Li Shande accompanied A Mita and Wei shopkeeper and others to visit the lychee garden. Lan Yu asked A Tong to introduce it to them, but A Tong was very reluctant. The foreign merchants demanded to advertise their respective businesses on the double-layered jars and bamboo baskets, and even wanted to write promotional articles on them.
Li Shande was greatly annoyed. They insisted on sufficient promotion before contributing funds, but Li Shande refused to budge. Wei shopkeeper casually mentioned that the embroidery workshop where Li Shande's daughter worked was his family's property, and if Li Shande didn't advertise as required, he would take back the house used by the workshop. A Mita couldn't stand Wei shopkeeper's greedy face.
Unable to bear it any longer, she slapped him hard across the face, told him to go back and report to Zhao Xinmin, and also took Li Shande away with her. In the lychee garden, Lan Yu gestured and directed the Dong people to prepare equipment according to the foreign merchants' requirements. A Tong couldn't stand it and had a big argument with her.
Li Shande thanked A Mita for her help, only worried that hitting Zhao Xinmin's subordinate would cause trouble. A Mita had the strong backing of He Youguang, so she didn't care about Zhao Xinmin, that running dog. A Mita saw that Li Shande was both honest and serious, but was curious why he would risk his life to take on this impossible mission. Li Shande was helpless.
He had just bought back his old family home and therefore owed over a hundred strings of foreign debt. For his daughter Xiuer's future happiness, he was willing to risk his life. A Mita looked at Li Shande with newfound respect. Zhao Xinmin went to He Youguang to complain. He Youguang heard that A Mita had hit Wei shopkeeper and didn't take it seriously at all.
Zhao Xinmin noticed that Ma Guiyun liked A Mita and wanted to arrange a beautiful woman for Ma Guiyun. He Youguang thought this plan was perfect. Zhao Xinmin made every effort to set up Lan Yu and Zheng Pingan. Lan Yu dressed up carefully and did her best to please Zheng Pingan. Zhao Xinmin couldn't hold his liquor and quickly got drunk. Zheng Pingan saw him off. Lan Yu actively invited Zheng Pingan to go climbing tomorrow.
Zheng Pingan knew clearly that this was a honeytrap set up by Zhao Xinmin, but he didn't want to be completely unaccommodating, so he agreed. Gou Er reminded Zheng Pingan not to be seduced by beauty. Zheng Pingan knew what he was doing and even scolded Gou Er. A Tong invited her aunt A Chai to perform a ritual. She lit a large pile of datura, intending to numb the nerves of the Dong people with it. Li Shande put out the fire and publicly exposed A Chai's trick.
Episode 18 Recap
Ten years ago, not long after Li Shande and Zheng Jinniang got married, Chief Liu deliberately sent Li Shande to another area to purchase peonies. His colleagues felt it was unfair to Li Shande. Fortunately, their official trip went smoothly, and they were about to arrive in Chang'an. Li Shande was eager to return home, wanting only to reunite with his newly wedded wife, Zheng Jinniang, as soon as possible.
His little donkey suddenly kicked up its heels and ran into a small woods. Li Shande used all his might to subdue it. He returned home very late, and Zheng Jinniang had been waiting for him. Li Shande and Zheng Jinniang returned home together. By chance, they heard that the inn was half price today and the food was free. Li Shande wanted to try a different environment with Zheng Jinniang.
Zheng Jinniang thought it was too expensive and pulled Li Shande home. Their brief separation made their reunion sweeter than a new marriage, and they had endless sweet nothings to say. A year after they got married, Zheng Jinniang gave birth to their daughter, Xiuer. Their life was happy and peaceful. A Chai performed a ritual, lighting the poisonous datura to numb the nerves of the Dong people. Li Shande exposed her trick publicly.
A Chai tried her best to set up Li Shande and A Tong. Li Shande clearly stated that he would return to Chang'an after completing the mission of transporting the lychees. A Chai was very anxious. A Tong quickly stepped forward and advised A Chai not to interfere in her affairs. A Chai angrily threatened to return to Dayu Mountain.
Li Shande heard that A Chai lived on Dayu Mountain, which was on the essential route for transporting the lychees, so he asked her about the conditions on Dayu Mountain. Lan Yu invited Zheng Pingan for a mountain outing. They came to a small stream. Seeing the scenery, Lan Yu was moved and recalled her miserable past. Zheng Pingan gently consoled her.
Lan Yu took the opportunity to propose following Zheng Pingan forever and even promised to return to Chang'an with him. Zheng Pingan knew that Lan Yu was not being sincere but was merely following orders. Lan Yu had no choice but to admit that she was sent by Zhao Xinmin. Zheng Pingan did not pursue the matter, but instead comforted her.
Li Shande consulted A Chai, who was a great shaman in Dayu Mountain, about whether there was a shortcut through Dayu Mountain. A Chai recalled that ten years ago, A Tu had discovered a hidden small path on Dayu Mountain, but he had not been heard from for many years. Li Shande immediately went to find Su Liang for help in finding A Tu.
Zheng Pingan vented his grievances to Yun Qing, saying that Zhao Xinmin had sent Lan Yu to seduce him, but his heart belonged to someone else. Yun Qing did not want to hear his rambling and urged him to handle important matters quickly. Before the Jijing Lou fire, A Tu had sold two thousand shares of Haifan Chou to Lan Ge's father. Yun Qing suspected that He Youguang had instigated A Tu, but lacked concrete evidence.
He sent Zheng Pingan to find A Tu as soon as possible, so they could find the real culprit behind the Jijing Lou fire. Li Shande and Su Liang learned about A Tu's situation in detail from A Chai. Su Liang sent people to search for A Tu's whereabouts. A Tu had nowhere to go, so he came to Lan Ge for help.
He admitted that ten years ago, he had caused Lan Ge's father to buy two thousand shares of Haifan Chou, which resulted in their family losing everything. Lan Ge hated him to the core. Zhao Xinmin sent Lan Yu to seduce Zheng Pingan, hoping to use him to climb the ranks by attaching himself to the Right Chancellor. Zheng Pingan did not take the bait. Lan Yu had to report back to Zhao Xinmin.
Zhao Xinmin couldn't think of a better plan for a while. He felt that He Youguang was unreliable and wanted to use Zheng Pingan to get close to the Right Chancellor. His wife worried that he would leave Gaozhou for Chang'an. Zhao Xinmin said he wouldn't, but Chang'an was always the place he yearned to go. Zhao Xinmin was unwilling to give up so easily. He personally went to Zheng Pingan to explain the situation.
Zheng Pingan took the opportunity to inquire about Haifan Chou. Zhao Xinmin repeatedly claimed that he was the one who sold the most Haifan Chou. Zheng Pingan asked him about A Tu's situation. Zhao Xinmin was curious why A Tu suddenly sold two thousand shares of Haifan Chou, but A Tu had died many years ago. Zheng Pingan promised to recommend Zhao Xinmin to the Right Chancellor. Li Shande rushed home, wanting to ask Zheng Pingan about A Tu's situation.
Only then did Zheng Pingan realize that A Tu was not dead. He immediately reported to Yun Qing, who immediately sent people to search for A Tu. The foreign merchant Xiao Yunchuan wanted to become the head of the foreign merchants' guild. He bribed Zhao Xinmin heavily and asked him to speak well of him in front of He Youguang. Zhao Xinmin readily agreed. Yun Qing sent Zheng Pingan to the cockfighting arena to inquire about A Tu's whereabouts.
He Youguang was a regular at the cockfighting arena. Zheng Pingan didn't want to encounter him, but he ran into He Youguang as soon as he entered. Zheng Pingan was troubled by love, unsure whether to choose Lan Yu or A Mita. He Youguang advised him to choose the gentle and considerate Lan Yu and absolutely not to provoke the domineering A Mita.
He Youguang asked Lan Ge to choose a rooster for Zheng Pingan to try his luck and then left in a hurry. Zheng Pingan took the opportunity to ask Lan Ge about A Tu. Lan Ge heard that Zheng Pingan was looking for A Tu. He suspected that Zheng Pingan was one of He Youguang's men.
Zheng Pingan strongly denied any connection with He Youguang and mentioned that before the Jijing Lou fire, A Tu had sold two thousand shares of Haifan Chou to Lan Ge's father, causing their family to lose everything.
Episode 19 Recap
After Zheng Jinniang passed away, Li Shande and his daughter Li Xiuer depended on each other. He sent Li Xiuer to the Ni Hong Embroidery Workshop to study. He usually saved money and was frugal, giving his daughter Li Xiuer the best life he could afford. Li Xiuer was also very filial, saving the pastries given by the workshop for Li Shande. Li Xiuer's embroidery skills improved day by day. Li Shande asked Li Xiuer to embroider him a flatbread.
Yun Qing found out that ten years ago, before the Jijing Lou fire, A Tu sold two thousand shares of Haifan Chou to Lan Ge's father (Lan Ye). She suspected that it was instigated by the killer because after Hai Hu was burned to death, Haifan Chou became a piece of waste paper. Yun Qing sent Zheng Pingan to ask Lan Ye's son, Lan Ge, about A Tu's whereabouts. Lan Ge suspected that Zheng Pingan was sent by He Youguang.
Zheng Pingan explained strenuously and used his persuasive skills to convince Lan Ge to help him find A Tu. Lan Ge quickly found out that Shopkeeper Feng introduced A Tu to sell the Haifan Chou to his father back then. So he went to Shopkeeper Feng to inquire about A Tu's whereabouts. Shopkeeper Feng insisted that A Tu was burned to death.
Lan Ge didn't believe him at all and used both soft and hard tactics, promising to give him money for medical treatment, only then did Shopkeeper Feng tell the truth. Back then, Shopkeeper Feng came to Lingnan to seek refuge with his distant cousin Zhen Haidong. He coincidentally met A Tu. A Tu claimed he had two thousand shares of Haifan Chou and asked him to help introduce him to Zhen Haidong.
A Tu wanted to sell the Haifan Chou shares to the wealthy Zhen Haidong. Shopkeeper Feng didn't think much of it and agreed. After Zhen Haidong bought the Haifan Chou shares, Hai Hu was burned to death in the Jijing Lou fire, and A Tu was also severely burned, covered in scars. He narrowly escaped death and came to Shopkeeper Feng for help.
After his injuries healed, he left, cautioning Shopkeeper Feng not to let anyone know he was still alive, otherwise his life would be in danger. Later, A Tu asked Shopkeeper Feng to deliver medicine to Dayu Mountain, and they met at the Dukangli small tavern. Li Shande learned from A Chai that A Tu knew about a hidden small path on Dayu Mountain and wanted A Tu to be his guide.
He learned from Zheng Pingan that A Tu was last seen at the Dukangli tavern. Without a second thought, he dragged Lan Ge to inquire about clues. Li Shande found the large burdock, unique to Dayu Mountain, near the tavern. The burdock in Lingnan was very small. Li Shande had seen this kind of large burdock at A Chai's place. Li Shande concluded that someone from Dayu Mountain had been to the small tavern.
He followed the mountain path and finally found a household deep in the dense forest. Lan Ge knocked on the door, and a blind little girl opened it. She lived here with her uncle, who would return after three days of fishing. Lan Ge pretended to be a peddler. The little girl wanted to buy embroidery needles and thread. Li Shande asked Lan Ge to prepare needles and thread.
He gave the little girl the handkerchief embroidered by Li Xiuer and chatted with her. The little girl was an orphan; she had wandered to Dayu Mountain and was fortunately taken in by her uncle. Li Shande asked the little girl about her uncle's appearance and learned that his face was covered in scars. Li Shande concluded that the uncle who saved the little girl was A Tu.
Li Shande was worried that A Tu might escape after returning and finding out someone was looking for him, so he made a pact with the little girl not to tell her uncle yet. He promised to find an embroidery workshop for the little girl to learn embroidery and gave her Li Xiuer's embroidered handkerchief as a token. Only then did Li Shande leave with peace of mind. He immediately went back to report the good news to Su Liang.
Today was the wedding of a pair of Dong people. Su Liang and Li Shande were invited to attend. Su Liang, emboldened by alcohol, spoke his mind to Li Shande. He initially wanted to make some money by using Li Shande's identity as the lychee envoy. Later, he realized that Li Shande was a person capable of great things, so he wanted to work together with him to do a good job transporting the lychees.
Su Liang and Li Shande clinked glasses and became more and more congenial as they talked. Finally, they sang and danced with the Dong people. Li Shande fantasized about the happy life after transporting the lychees to Chang'an, and he was as happy as a child. A Chai saw that A Tong had a special affection for Li Shande and advised her to give up as early as possible.
Li Shande would eventually return to Chang'an; they had no destiny together. Zheng Pingan learned A Tu's whereabouts from Li Shande. He immediately reported to Yun Qing. Yun Qing wanted to find out the mastermind from A Tu and reminded Zheng Pingan not to tell A Mita about this. Zhao Xinmin knew He Youguang was unreliable and began to plan his own retreat.
He had originally wanted to use a honey trap to secure Zheng Pingan and climb the ladder by attaching himself to the Right Chancellor, but he was seen through by Zheng Pingan. Zhao Xinmin, having no other options, had to seek cooperation with A Mita. He had tested He Youguang, and He Youguang surprisingly knew A Tu, this most ordinary broker.
He suspected that A Tu was instigated by He Youguang and that they knew beforehand that Hai Hu would die, which is why they sold the Haifan Chou shares to Lan Ye. A Mita also suspected that He Youguang had set the fire that killed her father, Hai Hu, but lacked concrete evidence. Zhao Xinmin wanted to sow discord between A Mita and He Youguang.
As long as they fell out, Zhao Xinmin could recommend Xiao Yunchuan as the head of the foreign merchants' guild and make a fortune using Xiao Yunchuan. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. A Tu, who went fishing, was about to return. Zhao Xinmin took people and ambushed near A Tu's thatched cottage. Li Shande arrived at the cottage early, but A Tu did not return until dark.
A Mita had already sent people to take A Tu away. She was eager to ask A Tu about the truth of her father Hai Hu being burned to death. A Tu did not want to recall the events of that year; it was an eternal pain in his heart. A Mita did not force him and let him think about it carefully. Lan Yu rode quickly to the Prefectural Office to report to He Youguang.
When He Youguang learned that A Mita had taken A Tu away, his heart sank. He Youguang knew that A Mita was starting to suspect him and immediately took people to find A Mita. Yun Qing learned that He Youguang had taken people to find A Mita and sent people to protect A Mita.
Episode 20 Recap
Nine years ago, young Yun Qing became an orphan. The procuress of Pingkangfang bought her and made her do the hardest and most tiring work. Yun Qing dared not speak out her anger. The Left Chancellor sent Lu Huan to Pingkangfang to kill Assistant Minister Zheng, a traitor from the Jing'ansi. Lu Huan arrived at Pingkangfang to stake out. Assistant Minister Zheng of the Jing'ansi arrived shortly after.
He handed over the land deed of Ren'anfang to the Right Chancellor's envoy and also submitted a list of the Left Chancellor's confidants. Yun Qing wanted to escape but was caught by the Pingkangfang attendants. Ding Tong'er ordered Yun Qing to be washed and dressed up, forcing her to accompany the Right Chancellor's envoy. Assistant Minister Zheng came out of the private room. Yun Qing was ordered to bring tea to the Right Chancellor's envoy.
The Right Chancellor's envoy touched her inappropriately. Yun Qing was frightened and screamed for help. Fortunately, Lu Huan arrived in time and killed the envoy with a swift strike. Yun Qing was terrified out of her wits. The guards swarmed up and surrounded Lu Huan. Lu Huan killed all of them with little effort. He Youguang brought Zhao Xinmin to the foreign merchants' guild to demand the person from A Mita.
A Mita lied, claiming she had only caught a fisherman. Zhao Xinmin heard that Li Shande was looking for A Tu. They came this time just to prevent Li Shande from finding A Tu. He Youguang insisted on taking A Tu away. A Mita adamantly refused. She heard that ten years ago, A Tu was instigated by someone to sell two thousand shares of Haifan Chou, and immediately after, the Qi Jing Lou caught fire.
Her father, Hai Hu, died in the fire. A Mita suspected the mastermind was the killer who killed her father, Hai Hu. A Mita only wanted to know who the mastermind was, so she handed A Tu over to He Youguang. A Tu was brought in. He Youguang immediately panicked. He was worried A Tu would reveal the truth and quickly stepped forward to kill A Tu. A Mita desperately tried to stop him.
A Tu publicly exposed He Youguang for making him sell two thousand shares of Haifan Chou and claimed he had seen He Youguang set the Qi Jing Lou on fire with his own eyes. He Youguang argued in every way. A Tu claimed he had solid evidence in his hand. In a fit of rage, He Youguang killed A Tu to silence him. A Mita gritted her teeth in anger.
He Youguang played the emotional card with A Mita, saying he had raised her since she was little. A Mita completely saw through He Youguang's true colors and confirmed that He Youguang had burned her father to death. He Youguang not only refused to admit his wrongdoing but also spoke self-righteously, repeatedly claiming he had raised A Mita and supported her to become the head of the foreign merchants' guild.
A Mita swore to kill He Youguang to avenge her father. He Youguang threatened to ruin A Mita. A Mita drew her sword, ready for a fight to the death with He Youguang. He Youguang ordered his men to kill A Mita. A Mita swung her sword towards He Youguang. He Youguang was injured. He drew an arrow and shot it towards A Mita. Lan Yu shielded A Mita and fell to the ground after being hit by the arrow.
Zhao Xinmin was so scared he hid to the side. A group of masked people arrived shortly after. They rescued A Mita. A Mita took the injured Lan Yu with her. After the group rode away, He Youguang called out for help. Zhao Xinmin bravely came out. He Youguang sent him to find out who rescued A Mita and also ordered Commandant Yang to kill everyone present today to silence them.
He Youguang ordered a city-wide lockdown to apprehend A Mita. Yun Qing sent people to rescue A Mita. She wanted to cooperate with A Mita, provided A Mita handed over all the evidence of He Youguang's crimes. A Tu was dead. The little girl he adopted was homeless. A Chai wanted to take her back to Dayu Mountain. Li Shande promised to send the little girl to an embroidery workshop. A Tong felt sorry for Li Shande.
After all the trouble he went through to finally find A Tu, he died before he could ask about the hidden small path. Yan Yazhuang wanted to go to Dayu Mountain to look for the path. Li Shande advised him not to waste time. Li Shande took the little girl to the embroidery workshop and named her A Hui. The workshop owner agreed to take A Hui in.
A Hui gave Li Shande the handkerchief she had embroidered, which was the road of hope A Tu had drawn for her before his death. A Chai held a funeral for A Tu according to Dong customs. Li Shande took out the handkerchief embroidered by A Hui. On it was a topographical map of Dayu Mountain drawn by A Tu. Li Shande discovered that A Tu had drawn the hidden small path. Yan Yazhuang volunteered to run the route once.
Li Shande agreed on a meeting place with him and then went to discuss it with Su Liang. A Mita hadn't shown up for several days. The foreign merchants were without a leader and in complete disarray. Xiao Yunchuan had a lot of goods piled up. He came to Zhao Xinmin for help. Zhao Xinmin recommended him to be the acting head. He was extremely grateful to Zhao Xinmin. Zhao Xinmin reminded him to repay the favor.
Xiao Yunchuan immediately offered Zhao Xinmin thirty percent of his profits and asked him to help recommend him for the official position of head. Zhao Xinmin readily agreed. Xiao Yunchuan expressed his immense gratitude to Zhao Xinmin. He Youguang was seriously injured. He sent people to search the whole city for A Mita. Several days passed, and they still found nothing. He Youguang was furious and sent Zhao Xinmin to continue searching for A Mita.
Zhao Xinmin took the opportunity to recommend Xiao Yunchuan as the acting head of the foreign merchants' guild. This would not only stabilize the foreign merchants but also completely disrupt Li Shande's plan to transport the lychees. He Youguang questioned the relationship between Zhao Xinmin and Xiao Yunchuan. Zhao Xinmin used the pretense of considering He Youguang's interests in everything. He Youguang couldn't think of a better plan at the moment, so he agreed to Zhao Xinmin's suggestion.
Lan Yu's injuries gradually improved. A Mita was completely heartbroken by her. Lan Yu first betrayed her and then later took an arrow for her. A Mita and Lan Yu broke off all ties. Lan Yu had to admit that she had sold herself to bury her mother back then. He Youguang bought her and arranged for her to be A Mita's spy. Lan Yu didn't know beforehand that He Youguang was A Mita's father's killer. She only told He Youguang about A Mita capturing A Tu because she didn't want suspicion to arise between He Youguang and A Mita.
Episode 21 Recap
Nine years ago, the Left Chancellor sent Lu Huan to Pingkangfang to kill Assistant Minister Zheng, who had betrayed the Jing'ansi. Assistant Minister Zheng handed over the list of the Left Chancellor's confidants to the envoy. The procuress sent people to catch the runaway little Yun Qing and forced her to accompany the Right Chancellor's envoy. The Right Chancellor's envoy touched Yun Qing inappropriately.
Lu Huan, in a fit of anger, killed him and then killed all the guards around him. He was also seriously injured. Lu Huan left Pingkangfang after killing Assistant Minister Zheng. Yun Qing kept following him. Lu Huan gave her all the money he had. Yun Qing didn't want the money; she only wanted revenge. So Lu Huan took her in. A Mita went to great lengths to find A Tu.
From A Tu, she learned that He Youguang had set fire and burned her father to death. A Mita turned against He Youguang, and a shootout ensued. Lan Yu was shot and injured by He Youguang while protecting A Mita. Thanks to Yun Qing, who sent people to rescue A Mita. A Mita also took Lan Yu, who had betrayed her, with her. Lan Yu admitted that she was a spy planted by He Youguang beside A Mita.
A Mita was heartbroken; she had always treated Lan Yu as her own sister, never expecting Lan Yu to be a traitor. Lan Yu repeatedly apologized to her, but A Mita refused to forgive her. The more A Mita thought about it, the sadder she became. He Youguang had raised her since she was little and supported her to become the head of the foreign merchants' guild, but he had never trusted her.
Yun Qing pointed out incisively that He Youguang treated A Mita as a pawn to restrain the pirates, because A Mita was the daughter of Hai Hu, the pirate leader. She revealed all of He Youguang's monstrous crimes over the years. Yun Qing wanted to join forces with A Mita to bring down He Youguang. Only then did A Mita realize that Yun Qing was a confidante of the Left Chancellor.
She had always regarded He Youguang as a good adoptive father and had never thought of hiding the account books. Those account books were in the study at the marketplace. The study was guarded year-round. Steward Niu, who guarded the study, was a gambler and often went to Lan Ge's cockfighting arena to place bets. Zheng Pingan came to the cockfighting arena to find Lan Ge and told him everything A Tu had confessed before his death.
Lan Ge learned that He Youguang had instructed A Tu to sell two thousand shares of Haifan Chou to his father, then set fire to burn Hai Hu to death, causing Lan Ge's family to lose everything they had. Lan Ge was furious and gnashed his teeth. Zheng Pingan asked Lan Ge for a chicken. Steward Niu arrived shortly after, and Zheng Pingan started a cockfight with him.
The guards watching the study heard that Steward Niu had won money and all rushed over to watch the fun. Yun Qing sent people to the study to steal the account books. When Steward Niu heard about this, he immediately rushed back to the study. He Youguang heard that someone was trying to steal from the study and sent Zhao Xinmin to burn all the account books.
Yan Yazhuang went to Dayu Mountain to scout the hidden route A Tu had drawn before his death, confirming that it would only take one day to pass through Dayu Mountain. He immediately wrote to Li Shande. Li Shande was overjoyed. He and A Tong and others, through their unremitting efforts, could keep the lychees fresh for eleven days. Because the flood had blocked transportation, they had to detour through Dayu Mountain, which added two days to the journey.
The hidden route A Tu had found saved two days, so Li Shande's plan to transport the lychees could be successfully completed. A Tong and the Dong people cheered and celebrated together. Li Shande was going back to Chang'an with the transport cavalry team. A Tong called her clan members to immediately pick the largest and best lychees and reminded Li Shande to come back as soon as possible.
Su Liang called on the foreign merchants to continue investing in Li Shande. They were worried about He Youguang's retaliation and advised Su Liang to withdraw in time. Su Liang was unwilling to give up just like that; he was willing to risk his life for one gamble. Li Shande worked overtime to prepare a detailed plan for transporting the lychees; he needed to apply for funds from the court.
Su Liang wanted to give Li Shande the follow-up funds five days later, but Li Shande was departing the day after tomorrow. Su Liang promised to give it to him on time. Yun Qing sent Zheng Pingan to hold up Steward Niu, but they still didn't get the account books. A Mita didn't want to wait idly; those accounts were handled by her personally.
She wanted to go back to Chang'an to find the Left Chancellor and expose the crimes of He Youguang colluding with the Right Chancellor. Zheng Pingan asked Li Shande to take A Mita back to Chang'an. Li Shande was worried about potential complications when he learned that A Mita was going to the capital for revenge. Zheng Pingan pleaded earnestly, saying that once the Right Chancellor was brought down, his own revenge would also be achieved.
Unable to refuse his insistence, Li Shande agreed to let her disguise herself as a rider. Lin Yinu, who was nearby, heard everything clearly. Xiao Yunchuan officially took office and handled the affairs of the guild as the acting head. Su Liang congratulated Xiao Yunchuan and offered to sell his merchant ship to Xiao Yunchuan at a low price. Xiao Yunchuan learned that he was selling the ship to invest in Li Shande and advised him to think twice.
Su Liang's mind was made up. Xiao Yunchuan only reluctantly agreed after much consideration. Lan Ge told his brothers to wholeheartedly assist Li Shande in transporting the lychees; he wanted to use this opportunity to make a comeback. Zhao Xinmin asked Lan Ge to find A Mita's whereabouts and promised him a large sum of money once the task was completed. Tomorrow, they would set off for Chang'an, and Li Shande couldn't sleep.
Lin Yinu happened to come to feed the horses. Li Shande told him to stay peacefully at the lychee garden and promised to bring him fine wine from Chang'an when he returned. Lin Yinu felt warmth in his heart. Early in the morning, Yun Qing left the city in a carriage. Lan Yu, disguised as A Mita, left the city with her.
Zhao Xinmin heard that A Mita had left the city with Yun Qing and immediately led his men to arrest A Mita. At the same time, Lan Ge was transporting a cart of chickens out of the city. A Mita was hidden in the cart. The city gate guards wanted to inspect it. Zheng Pingan quickly stepped forward to help him out and even called over the head of the gate guards.
Lan Ge repeatedly claimed the cart contained He Youguang's chickens. Zhao Xinmin sent people out of the city to chase Yun Qing's carriage, and only then did the guards let Lan Ge's cart leave the city.
Episode 22 Recap
When Lu Huan went to Pingkangfang to assassinate Assistant Minister Zheng, he rescued the young Yun Qing. He took out all the money he had on him and gave it to Yun Qing. Yun Qing didn't want the money; she wanted to follow Lu Huan, so Lu Huan took her in. He also taught her martial arts. Yun Qing was not afraid of hardship or tiredness and quickly mastered it. Nine years passed in a blink of an eye.
The Left Chancellor sent Yun Qing to Lingnan. Before she departed, Lu Huan returned the knife to Yun Qing and reminded her not to forget her original oath. Li Shande's team for transporting lychees was about to set off. Su Liang brought the money from selling his merchant ship. Li Shande was endlessly grateful to him. A Tong and Su Liang, among others, saw Li Shande off at the village entrance.
They repeatedly urged and reminded Li Shande, hoping only that he would return soon. Lin Yinu knelt on the ground to express his gratitude to Li Shande. Li Shande spurred his horse and set off on the road back to Chang'an. Yun Qing sent Lan Yu outside the city. Yun Qing galloped away on her horse, with Zhao Xinmin sending men to follow closely behind her.
Zheng Pingan and Lan Ge escorted A Mita outside the city and told her to go chase Li Shande. Xiao Yunchuan handed the accounts of the foreign merchants to He Youguang for review and took the opportunity to take credit in front of He Youguang. When He Youguang heard that Su Liang had sold his merchant ship, he immediately guessed that Su Liang sold the ship to help Li Shande transport the lychees.
He sent Zhao Xinmin to the lychee garden to find out what was going on. Zhao Xinmin arrived at the lychee garden only to find out that Li Shande had returned to Chang'an early that morning. He sent Lieutenant Yang to lead men in pursuit. Lin Yinu happened to pass by, and Zhao Xinmin unleashed all his anger on him. He ordered Lieutenant Yang to go after Li Shande. Lin Yinu took advantage of their inattention and ran away.
Zhao Xinmin guessed that he was going to inform Li Shande and ordered him to be arrested. A Mita rode quickly and soon met up with Li Shande. They dared not delay and continued to speed up their journey. Zhao Xinmin arranged everything and returned to report to He Youguang, swearing that he would catch up with Li Shande. Lieutenant Yang led his men to catch up with Lin Yinu. Lin Yinu deliberately took another route.
Lieutenant Yang quickly caught up with him and desperately pressed him for Li Shande's route back to Chang'an. Lin Yinu was so exhausted he coughed up blood. He would rather die than betray Li Shande; only Li Shande had treated him as a human being. After saying this, Lin Yinu breathed his last and died. Lieutenant Yang had no choice but to return and report.
He Youguang severely reprimanded Zhao Xinmin and ordered him to send Lieutenant Yang to arrest A Mita. Li Shande and his party traveled day and night, eating and sleeping outdoors. Li Shande gradually ran out of stamina due to days of exhaustion. He didn't want to hold everyone back and asked A Mita and the riders to go ahead. A Mita and the others arrived at a post station to rest, and Li Shande arrived, utterly exhausted.
After a brief rest, he disregarded A Mita's advice and continued to follow the transport team on their journey. Yan Yazhuang galloped ahead on his horse, with Li Shande and A Mita following him. Eleven days passed in a blink of an eye. They were almost at Chang'an. Yan Yazhuang's horse was so tired it collapsed on the ground. Yan Yazhuang was thrown to the ground. Li Shande and A Mita arrived shortly after.
Yan Yazhuang tasted a lychee; it was very fresh. Yan Yazhuang's mission was complete. He bid farewell to Li Shande and left. Li Shande had finally completed the task within the scheduled time. He completely relaxed and also fainted from excessive exhaustion. Li Shande woke up in a daze and found that he had been rescued by a Daoist priest named Changyuan. Li Shande wanted to deliver the lychees to Chang'an as quickly as possible.
Changyuan pointed out Li Shande's internal struggles and confusion incisively, stating that everything Li Shande did was to protect his daughter, Li Xiuer, and ensure her safety. Changyuan advised Li Shande to bring Li Xiuer here to cultivate, to stay away from worldly disputes, and to live a virtuous life independently. Li Shande could see that Changyuan was a man with a story, but he insisted on completing the task of transporting the lychees. Changyuan repeatedly urged and reminded him.
Li Shande and A Mita continued their journey. They soon arrived outside Chang'an city. Li Shande was extremely excited; he had finally returned to Chang'an after being away for so long. The two of them hurried into the city the moment the city gates opened.
Episode 23 Recap
Two years ago, Lu Huan personally came to Lingnan to meet Yun Qing, wanting to take her back to Chang'an to prevent her identity as the Left Chancellor's undercover agent from being exposed. Lu Huan had already arranged for someone to take over Yun Qing's work and had also found her a place to stay in Pingkangfang. Yun Qing also wanted to return to Lu Huan, her savior.
However, she had lain low in Lingnan for many years and still hadn't brought down the Right Chancellor. She was unwilling to leave just like that, so Lu Huan had Yun Qing toss a coin to decide whether to go or stay. Early the next morning, Yun Qing came to see Lu Huan off. Lu Huan instructed her to be careful everywhere and promised to pick her up and bring her back to Chang'an after the matter was concluded.
Lu Huan and Yun Qing reluctantly parted ways, and he then set off on the journey back to Chang'an. Li Shande and A Mita returned to Chang'an after enduring many difficulties. Li Shande didn't want his daughter, Li Xiuer, to see his disheveled look with a messy beard, so he specifically went to get his beard trimmed. A Mita waited for him nearby.
Li Xiuer dreamt last night that Li Shande had returned to Chang'an, but his beard and hair had turned much whiter. Unexpectedly, Li Shande had indeed returned. The father and daughter had not seen each other for a long time, and their excitement was palpable. A Mita witnessed this touching scene firsthand, feeling a mix of emotions. Li Shande bought ten hubing (sesame flatbreads) in one go. He ate heartily; this was the food he had been longing for.
A Mita was anxious to go see Lu Huan and couldn't eat. Li Shande gave A Mita the house he rented with his money, and he and Li Xiuer temporarily stayed at the embroidery workshop. Li Shande rushed to the Ministry of Revenue early in the morning to submit his lychee transport plan, wanting to apply for funds from the Ministry of Revenue, which managed money and grain.
However, there was only one principal official working at the Ministry of Revenue, and a long queue had formed outside the door. Officials from various departments had come to request money; they were all prepared to wait for four or five days, some even brought their lunch. Li Shande could only wait patiently. Li Shande found someone to help with the move, and A Mita and Li Xiuer followed them to the old house.
Li Xiuer curiously inquired about A Mita's relationship with Li Shande. A Mita admitted that she was Li Shande's friend and that Li Shande had saved her. Li Xiuer noticed that A Mita greatly admired Li Shande, so she deliberately mentioned Li Shande's flaws such as being stingy and petty. In A Mita's eyes, these were all virtues. Li Xiuer sulked and ignored A Mita.
Seventeen Niang heard that Li Shande had returned to Chang'an and had brought a woman back with him. Seventeen Niang sent men to capture Li Xiuer and that woman, forcing Li Shande to repay the money. Li Shande waited until noon. The principal official was about to finish the last task and get off work, telling the remaining people to come back tomorrow.
Li Shande wanted to cut in line, but the officials ahead of him were handling matters concerning the livelihood of the common people, so Li Shande didn't say anything. When the officials learned that Li Shande was the lychee envoy who was set up by his colleagues and Chief Liu and forced to take on the task of transporting lychees back to Chang'an, they expressed deep sympathy for him and let Li Shande go in to handle his business first.
Li Shande explained his purpose to the principal official. Transporting lychees not only required seven hundred guan but also needed coordination with the Ministry of Revenue and other departments. The principal official knew that the matter Li Shande was handling was personally ordered by the Emperor; he was afraid of being implicated, so he told Li Shande to go to the state treasury for the money. Li Shande explained the full story, asking the principal official to follow the procedure.
The principal official rejected his application on the grounds that Li Shande's handwriting was sloppy, his appearance was vulgar, and the requested amount exceeded the limit. Li Shande tried to exert pressure by invoking the court, but the principal official still didn't budge and even kicked Li Shande out. Seventeen Niang sent men to capture A Mita. A Mita didn't want to cause extra trouble, so she took Li Xiuer and went back with them to see Seventeen Niang.
Li Shande went directly to the Aide of the Department of State Affairs. The Aide told him to submit his plan according to the procedure. Li Shande couldn't wait, so the Aide suggested he first go to the Ministry of the Imperial Household to smooth things over. Li Shande didn't listen to the Aide's advice and rushed directly to the Ministry of the Imperial Household.
Seventeen Niang forced A Mita to repay the money for Li Shande, worrying that Li Shande wouldn't live past the first day of the sixth month. A Mita insisted on acting according to the contract. Seventeen Niang was relentless. A Mita repeatedly emphasized that once Li Shande obtained the approval document and funds, he would be able to transport the lychees back on time, and he wouldn't die.
Episode 24 Recap
The Right Chancellor held immense power in the court. All the rare treasures presented as tribute from various places to the court had to be filtered by him first. When the foreign merchants from Lingnan sent supreme quality bird's nest, the Right Chancellor had someone replace it with bird's nest of similar quality to last year's for the palace.
If the bird's nest sent from Lingnan next year wasn't of supreme quality, it would be difficult for him to report it. The Right Chancellor didn't seek merit but only sought to avoid fault. He was more concerned about whether the peony flowers, beloved by the Emperor, were blooming. A Mita lectured Seventeen Niang on business principles, advising her not to force Li Shande to repay the loan immediately.
If Li Shande successfully transported the lychees back to Chang'an, he would surely be grateful to Seventeen Niang. Even if Li Shande messed things up, he would leave a sum of money for his daughter, Li Xiuer, so Seventeen Niang wouldn't lose money. Li Shande heard that Seventeen Niang had sent people to capture A Mita and Li Xiuer, so he immediately went to Pingkangfang to demand their release from Seventeen Niang.
Seventeen Niang, having listened to A Mita's persuasion, no longer forced Li Shande to repay the money now, but Li Shande had to give her peace of mind, otherwise, he shouldn't think of leaving Chang'an city. Seventeen Niang also mocked Li Shande for having such good luck with women. Li Shande, without asking for details, lectured A Mita, blaming her for letting Li Xiuer take the risk. A Mita was also helpless; she sulked and ignored Li Shande.
He Youguang dreamt that Li Shande was smiling at him, which scared him out of his wits. Zhao Xinmin tried to comfort him, but He Youguang vented all his anger on Zhao Xinmin, forcing him to chase after A Mita quickly, or he would skin him alive. Zhao Xinmin broke out in a cold sweat from fright. Li Shande specifically bought food and brought it to A Mita, proactively admitting his mistake to her.
Seeing the deep father-daughter affection between Li Shande and Li Xiuer, A Mita couldn't help but think of her own father. A Mita had always thought her father didn't care about her and refused to go to Lingnan with him out of spite. But soon after, he died in a fire. A Mita still regretted it whenever she thought about it, and Li Shande offered her kind words of comfort.
Li Shande sent Li Xiuer to the embroidery workshop early in the morning, and he was the first to arrive at the Court Of The National Granaries to queue up. The supervisor at the Court Of The National Granaries praised Li Shande's plan repeatedly and told him to fill out an application form. After reading the form, the supervisor realized that Li Shande wanted to transport lychees from Lingnan.
The Court Of The National Granaries was responsible for imports from abroad, not domestic matters. The supervisor told Li Shande to go to the Left Treasury Office, and Li Shande had no choice but to leave in disappointment. A Mita was preparing to go to the Jing'an Bureau to find Lu Huan, but unexpectedly, Lu Huan had sent people to follow her the entire time.
As soon as A Mita saw Lu Huan, she handed him the whistleblowing letter and listed the conspiracy between He Youguang and the Right Chancellor one by one. She wanted to quickly bring down the Right Chancellor. Lu Huan felt that based on her words alone, it was impossible to bring down the Right Chancellor, especially since the Right Chancellor was the older brother of Consort Yang. A single word from Consort Yang could let him off scot-free.
Only by finding concrete evidence to completely bring down the Right Chancellor, leaving him no chance to recover, could they succeed. Otherwise, it would only alert the enemy. Lu Huan could only wait for Yun Qing to collect concrete evidence of He Youguang and the Right Chancellor's collusion, and then let A Mita come forward to testify. Lu Huan told A Mita to lay low for the time being. Li Shande arrived at the Left Treasury Office.
The official in charge found various excuses to shirk responsibility. Li Shande was being passed around by multiple departments, and he was so angry that he shouted loudly. Supervisor Xu Leping arrived in time. Li Shande and Xu Leping were old acquaintances. Xu Leping clearly stated that the Left Treasury Office was only responsible for storage, not transportation. He suggested that Li Shande go to the Ministry of War.
Li Shande didn't know anyone in the Ministry of War, so Xu Leping promised to help submit a document to the Ministry of War. Li Shande profusely thanked Xu Leping. Xu Leping had no intention of helping Li Shande; he was just finding an excuse to get rid of Li Shande. Li Shande accidentally overheard Xu Leping's conversation with a colleague and returned to confront Xu Leping.
Not only did Xu Leping not admit his mistake, but he also spoke with conviction. He reminded Li Shande to give up as soon as possible and even threw the document on the ground. In a fit of anger, Li Shande went directly to the Ministry of War but was forcibly driven away by the guards at the entrance. Li Shande went to the embroidery workshop to pick up Li Xiuer.
Li Xiuer was fighting with her companion because her companion mocked Li Shande as the unlucky lychee envoy, saying he wouldn't live past the first day of the sixth month. Li Shande quickly pulled Li Xiuer away and publicly announced that he could transport the lychees to Chang'an. Before Li Shande finished speaking, Li Xiuer pulled him home. Li Xiuer sulked and ignored Li Shande.
Li Shande tried desperately to appease her, repeatedly saying that the lychee envoy was an enviable job that everyone envied and that they were spreading rumors out of jealousy. Li Xiuer didn't believe him at all. Li Shande brought up the Emperor to prove his point, but Li Xiuer still didn't believe him. She didn't believe that Li Shande could transport lychees from Lingnan to Chang'an.
Li Shande swore that he could complete the task, and only then did Li Xiuer believe him. She curiously asked about A Mita's relationship with Li Shande. Li Shande repeatedly explained that he and A Mita were just friends, and his heart only belonged to Zheng Jinniang. He also told Li Xiuer about his sweet past with Zheng Jinniang. Zheng Pingan couldn't forget Yun Qing.
He hadn't seen Yun Qing for many days, so he used the excuse of inquiring about news and took Gou Er to see Yun Qing. He also specifically bought a women's round fan as a gift. Gou Er saw that Zheng Pingan liked Yun Qing, but Zheng Pingan refused to admit it and scolded Gou Er. Zhao Xinmin came to the bookstore run by Yun Qing to find the shopkeeper and buy information. He wanted to know A Mita's whereabouts.
The shopkeeper found an excuse to send him away. Zhao Xinmin ran into Zheng Pingan as he left the store. Zheng Pingan lied, saying he came to buy books. Zhao Xinmin saw that he was holding a women's round fan, which made him suspicious of Zheng Pingan. He returned to the bookstore again and questioned Zheng Pingan about bringing a round fan to see Yun Qing at the bookstore. Zheng Pingan vehemently denied it and claimed that he liked round fans.
Episode 25 Recap
Ten years ago, Li Shande passed the abacus examination and was assigned to work in the archive storage of the Court Of The National Granaries. Master Meng gave him a detailed introduction to the importance and points to note of this job, and Li Shande remembered them all. Master Meng's requirements were strict; anyone who made a mistake would be transferred. Li Shande worked diligently and responsibly, but as he was new, he inevitably made mistakes.
His colleagues all speculated that he would be transferred within three days. While Li Shande was organizing the archive documents in the storage, he accidentally discovered a ledger with multiple instances of underreporting and concealment. He stayed up all night comparing it from beginning to end and finally fell asleep slumped over the desk. When Li Shande woke up groggily, he found that the Deputy Director of the Court Of The National Granaries had come to inspect the storage.
Li Shande showed him the corrected ledger, and the Deputy Director took the ledger back for verification. The Deputy Director found that Master Meng had abused his power for personal gain, and demoted him to an outer province. He also transferred Li Shande to the Office of Imperial Parks, reminding Chief Liu to keep a close eye on Li Shande. His colleagues privately cursed Li Shande as a fool.
The Deputy Director was well aware of Master Meng's actions, but unexpectedly they were exposed by Li Shande, so the Deputy Director had no choice but to transfer both of them. Li Shande was an honest person and did not know how to adapt, thus offending Chief Liu. Chief Liu arranged for him to go to Leyouyuan to plant flowers and grass.
Zhao Xinmin went to the bookstore run by Yun Qing to buy information and ran into Zheng Pingan as he left. Zheng Pingan was holding a women's round fan, and Zhao Xinmin suspected he was giving it to the woman at the bookstore. Zheng Pingan desperately tried to hide it and came up with various excuses to evade, but Zhao Xinmin didn't believe him at all. Yu Chengen is the ears and eyes of the Right Chancellor.
He sent people to collect rare delicacies from various places, wanting to make a birthday gift for Consort Yang. Yu Chengen heard that Li Shande had returned from Lingnan, and he came up with a way to transport lychees. Yu Chengen wanted to claim the credit. Ever since Li Shande left, the supervisors at the Office of Imperial Parks had been carefully looking after the old peony flower that the Emperor liked the most.
But recently, that peony flower had gotten bugs, and they were anxious. They could only report to Chief Liu. They pushed the responsibility onto each other, all shifting the blame to others. Chief Liu was greatly annoyed, insisting on finding someone to take responsibility. They heard that Li Shande was back and wanted him to take the blame.
Chief Liu couldn't think of a better solution for a while, so he sent Supervisor Song to summon Li Shande to the Office of Imperial Parks. Li Shande went to the Court of the Imperial Treasury to ask for money but was chased to the Left Treasury Office. The Left Treasury Office was only responsible for storage, not transportation, so they sent him to the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War refused him entry.
Li Shande hit walls everywhere and had to look for Han Shisi. Han Shisi was out on business, so he had to leave in disappointment. Supervisor Song rushed to find Li Shande, repeatedly claiming that Chief Liu and his colleagues were very sympathetic to his situation and urged him to return to the Office of Imperial Parks with them. Li Shande was at his wits' end and had to return to the Office of Imperial Parks with Supervisor Song.
Chief Liu pretended to care about Li Shande, and his colleagues also chimed in, casually mentioning the old peony flower. Li Shande had been appreciated by the Right Chancellor because he had saved the old peony flower. Chief Liu also advised Li Shande to seek help from the Right Chancellor, telling him the Right Chancellor's recent schedule for visiting Leyouyuan, and also gave him a token from the Office of Imperial Parks.
Li Shande didn't know there was a trick, thinking that Chief Liu and his colleagues were sincerely helping. He took the token and rushed to Leyouyuan. Li Shande hurried to Leyouyuan and learned from the craftsmen that Supervisor Song had asked Li Shande to come and remove the bugs from the old peony. Only then did Li Shande realize he had been tricked.
The craftsmen pleaded with Li Shande for help, and Li Shande couldn't bear to refuse, so he stayed to help remove the bugs from the old peony. The Right Chancellor originally wanted to come to Leyouyuan today, but he was unwell and couldn't go out. Yu Chengen accidentally saw Li Shande burning plant ash and sulfur to repel insects. He became furious. Li Shande learned that the Right Chancellor was unwell and wouldn't be coming to Leyouyuan today.
He was greatly disappointed, so he asked Yu Chengen for help. Yu Chengen clearly stated that following the process would take a month, but Li Shande couldn't wait. Yu Chengen agreed to help and also took the transportation plan that Li Shande had prepared, arranging to meet Li Shande tomorrow. Han Shisi heard that Li Shande had taken the document, and his heart sank.
Once Yu Chengen got the transportation plan, he would definitely keep the credit for himself and sideline Li Shande. Li Shande didn't believe Yu Chengen would steal the credit. Han Shisi suggested he write a memorial to the throne, listing the contributions of all departments, so Yu Chengen couldn't steal the credit. Li Shande's mind was simple; he couldn't think that far ahead.
Han Shisi was anxious for him and, in a fit of pique, told him to adopt Li Xiuer to a good family. As expected by Han Shisi, Li Shande waited early at Leyouyuan for Yu Chengen. Yu Chengen was late. He wanted to send someone to Lingnan to transport the lychees, but the manpower and resources consumed during this period were too troublesome.
He felt that this matter still needed Li Shande to handle it, but he didn't want him to get what he wanted so quickly, so he deliberately delayed the meeting, planning to talk about it when Li Shande was getting impatient. Li Shande waited until dark, but Yu Chengen did not show up. He had no choice but to leave disgruntled.
Episode 26 Recap
Ten years ago, Li Shande first arrived at the Office of Imperial Parks. He was sent by Chief Liu to Leyouyuan to care for flowers and plants. Li Shande was ordered to release carp with his colleague Supervisor Song. Supervisor Song secretly threw many toon buds into the pond, which were fatal to the carp. Li Shande pulled Supervisor Song to go complain to Chief Liu.
This was a customary practice at the Office of Imperial Parks: using toon buds to poison the fish, and then applying to the court for funds to buy new fish. Li Shande, being new, had no idea about this and insisted on a thorough investigation into the poisoning of the fish. Chief Liu hinted for another supervisor to take two Songjiang perch from the ice storage, told Supervisor Song to apologize to Li Shande, and give him these two fish.
Li Shande firmly refused to accept, as these were rare fish presented as tribute to the Emperor. Li Shande pleaded with Chief Liu to strictly investigate the person who threw the toon buds. If it wasn't Supervisor Song, he would rather be fined a month's salary. Chief Liu was speechless with anger. A colleague secretly replaced the poisoned large carp with a lively one to clear Supervisor Song's suspicion.
Li Shande instantly saw that the fish had been swapped, but his colleagues unanimously insisted it was this fish. Li Shande was consequently fined a month's salary. Li Shande was stood up by Yu Chengen, and his transportation method, which he had painstakingly prepared, was also tricked away. Li Shande completely saw through the darkness and corruption of the officialdom. He regretted taking on the death-defying task of transporting lychees.
A Mita specially bought Hu cakes that Li Shande liked to eat and tried to persuade him kindly. Li Shande held a grudge and stubbornly refused to transport the lychees anymore. A Mita also poured out her troubles to Li Shande; she was determined to avenge her father Hai Hu, but felt powerless due to her low status.
A Mita immediately decided to return to Lingnan to assist Yun Qing in obtaining evidence and completely overthrowing He Youguang and the Right Chancellor. But Lingnan was He Youguang's territory, and He Youguang would definitely not let her off. She wanted to go back as Li Shande's assistant, so He Youguang wouldn't dare to lay a deadly hand on her.
A Mita sought help from Lu Huan, asking Lu Huan to help Li Shande get the approval document, so she could use her status as Li Shande's assistant to gain immunity from death. Lu Huan did not want to help. The Right Chancellor was making a big show of preparing for Consort Yang's birthday banquet. If the lychees were successfully transported back to Chang'an, the Right Chancellor would definitely claim the credit for himself.
A Mita bitterly pleaded with Lu Huan, saying that Li Shande was an honest and kind person and had taken on this deadly task because he was tricked. If Li Shande could not bring the lychees back, he would surely die. A Mita was certain that Zhao Xinmin, the Chief Scribe of the Prefectural Office, held evidence of He Youguang's crimes. She wanted to return to Lingnan to instigate Zhao Xinmin.
Lu Huan thought this was feasible, but it was inconvenient for him to step forward, so he provided A Mita with a way to meet the Right Chancellor. The more Zhao Xinmin thought about it, the more something felt wrong. He went to Yun Qing's bookstore to buy information and happened to run into Zheng Pingan. Zheng Pingan was holding a woman's folding fan. Although he tried every way to argue, Zhao Xinmin was certain it was for Yun Qing.
He remembered Zheng Pingan's various unusual behaviors when he first arrived in Lingnan and suspected he was not Ma Guiyun but a confidant of the Left Chancellor. His wife advised Zhao Xinmin to report to He Youguang. Over the years, He Youguang had constantly abused and insulted him, and he had endured humiliation. Fortunately, he held evidence of He Youguang's crimes.
Zhao Xinmin did not want to sit idly by and wanted to use the evidence in his possession to overthrow He Youguang. Zheng Pingan saw that Zhao Xinmin was suspicious of him. He was worried about his identity being exposed. Yun Qing sent Zheng Pingan to find a way to get the evidence of He Youguang's crimes left by A Tu before his death. Zheng Pingan heard that A Tu's lover was A Chai.
He immediately went to A Tong for help. A Tong promised to inquire about the situation from her aunt A Chai. Having nowhere else to turn, Li Shande had no choice but to go to the Left Treasury Office to find Xu Leping and inquire about Yu Chengen's whereabouts. He even specifically went to Pingkang Fang to buy Yulu Tuan to please him. Xu Leping and Li Shande were classmates.
He knew Li Shande was an upright person and agreed to help inquire about Yu Chengen's situation. Xu Leping truthfully told Yu Chengen what Li Shande asked him to inquire about and also gave the box of Yulu Tuan pastries to Yu Chengen. Yu Chengen was very happy and invited Xu Leping to a private gathering. Lu Huan revealed to A Mita that Shiqi Niang's backer was the Right Chancellor. A Mita immediately told this news to Li Shande.
Li Shande decided to go to Shiqi Niang to convey a message. Li Shande knew Shiqi Niang was difficult to deal with, but for a moment, he couldn't think of a better solution, so he decided to bite the bullet and give it a try.
Yu Chengen hosted a banquet for the relevant officials from the Left Treasury Office, the Court of the Imperial Treasury, and the Ministry of War, urging them to provide funds and approval documents for Li Shande's transportation of lychees. They made various excuses to shirk the responsibility. Yu Chengen was very angry, so they had to nod in agreement. Only Assistant Minister Ma refused to cooperate.
Yu Chengen invited the Bai Wangren, Zhou Sanlang, to threaten and intimidate Assistant Minister Ma, who then had no choice but to comply obediently. Li Shande came to Shiqi Niang to ask for help in getting an introduction to the Right Chancellor. Shiqi Niang flatly refused. Li Shande bitterly begged Shiqi Niang to relay a message to the Right Chancellor. Shiqi Niang still wouldn't budge and urged Li Shande to raise money as soon as possible.
Li Shande took out the deed to his old house and mortgaged it to Shiqi Niang. Only then did Shiqi Niang reluctantly agree to convey a message to the Right Chancellor. She went to find Yu Chengen that night.
Episode 27 Recap
Nine years ago, Shiqi Niang, a singing girl from Pingkang Fang, and Master Xue fell in love at first sight. The two wanted to escape, but were betrayed by their companion A Qiao. Madam Ding Tong'er sent people to catch Shiqi Niang and Master Xue back. Shiqi Niang knew there was no escape, so she advised Master Xue to forget her and marry a good girl. Master Xue refused to marry anyone but Shiqi Niang.
Shiqi Niang ordered Master Xue to be severely tortured. He would rather die than yield. Shiqi Niang swore to forget Master Xue and gave him the hairpin from her head as a memento. Only then did Madam Ding Tong'er agree to let Master Xue go. Master Xue swore that once he earned enough money, he would come to buy Shiqi Niang's freedom. Madam Ding Tong'er couldn't help but burst into laughter, advising Shiqi Niang to give up early.
Years ago, a man had said the same thing to her, but that man never appeared again. Madam Ding Tong'er had seen countless men who made solemn vows, but none of them came back to redeem the girl they loved. From that day on, Shiqi Niang completely gave up hope. She drowned her sorrows in wine all day long.
Hearing the sound of cicadas chirping outside, she couldn't help but recall the beautiful past of fishing with her father when she was little. Her companions advised her to forget the past. The day she was sold to Pingkang Fang, she was no longer the Shiqi Niang who listened to the summer night cicadas. Li Shande asked Shiqi Niang for help introducing him to the Right Chancellor.
Shiqi Niang flatly refused, even having people snatch away Li Shande's property deed and forcefully kicking him out. It was pouring rain. Li Shande picked up the Yulu Tuan pastries soaked in rain. He had originally intended to take them back for his daughter Li Xiuer to taste, but now they were crushed into pieces. Li Shande recalled all the hardships he had faced since returning to Chang'an. He was heartbroken and in unbearable pain.
Unlike other girls who tried every means to please their guests, Shiqi Niang always used every method to gather all sorts of information from guests, thus earning a considerable amount of money and establishing herself in Pingkang Fang. Shiqi Niang bought the house of the former top courtesan, Li Xiangxiang, which happened to have a view of the Right Chancellor's mansion.
Li Xinxin spent her entire life trying to attach herself to the Right Chancellor, but never achieved her wish until her death. Shiqi Niang knew why the Right Chancellor built his mansion in Pingkang Fang, because Pingkang Fang held unknown secrets. Yu Chengen deliberately had Shiqi Niang make things difficult for Li Shande and snatch his property deed.
This was to push Li Shande to the brink, so that when Yu Chengen gave him the approval document, Li Shande would surely be immensely grateful to Yu Chengen. Seeing that the time was right, Yu Chengen personally went to find Li Shande. Having nowhere else to go, Li Shande went to Leyouyuan alone and talked to the old peony. Yu Chengen came to find Li Shande, gave him the court approval document, and repeatedly apologized to him.
Li Shande was extremely excited and expressed his gratitude to Yu Chengen. Yu Chengen advised Li Shande to go see the Right Chancellor, as he was the key person for his lychee transportation to succeed. Yu Chengen also told him the Right Chancellor's whereabouts for the next day. The Right Chancellor held a high and influential position, and Li Shande was afraid to face him. A Mita encouraged him to be brave.
She also suggested that he hand over the transported lychees to the Right Chancellor, asking the Right Chancellor to give them to Consort Yang. Li Shande thanked A Mita for giving him advice. A Mita seized the opportunity to ask Li Shande to request a new identity for her in front of the Right Chancellor. She wanted to return to Lingnan so that He Youguang would not dare to lay a deadly hand on her. Li Shande readily agreed.
Early the next morning, Li Shande arrived at the Ministry of Justice early. He risked his life to block the Right Chancellor's path and submitted the memorial about transporting lychees. The Right Chancellor told him to leave quickly. Li Shande wanted to introduce the transportation plan in detail. The Right Chancellor dismissed the officials and asked Li Shande to speak slowly.
To make an example of him, the Right Chancellor had the guard on duty that day put on Li Shande's official robe to receive the punishment. Li Shande was worried he couldn't explain clearly and wanted to illustrate it on paper. The Right Chancellor asked him to draw it on the outer wall of the Ministry of Justice. Li Shande wrote and drew furiously, depicting the transportation route from Lingnan to Chang'an and the preservation method.
The Right Chancellor saw that he was dedicated and promised to help him. Li Shande seized the opportunity to propose that A Mita and Yu Chengen help with transporting the lychees. The Right Chancellor made an excuse that Yu Chengen had other matters and agreed to let A Mita assist him in transporting the lychees. One official raised questions in public.
He roughly calculated that transporting lychees from Lingnan to Chang'an would require enormous manpower and financial resources and suggested reporting to the Emperor first. Several officials also stepped forward to second the motion. The Right Chancellor asked for Li Shande's opinion. Li Shande first stated that this was his task, and he also knew that this matter was costly in labor and resources. If the Emperor could withdraw the order, he would naturally be delighted.
The Right Chancellor repeatedly claimed that transporting lychees was not just for Consort Yang's birthday celebration; it concerned the national strength, authority, and dignity of the Great Tang. The Right Chancellor was willing to bear the infamy to complete this matter for the Emperor. The Right Chancellor spoke convincingly, and Li Shande believed him. He guaranteed to transport the lychees back to Chang'an before the first day of the sixth month. The Right Chancellor gave him a silver plaque, reminding him to ensure this matter was handled well.
Episode 28 Recap
Shiqi Niang and Master Xue were deeply in love. They wanted to elope together, but because A Qiao secretly reported them, Ding Tong'er sent people to catch them. They tortured Master Xue severely, and Shiqi Niang was forced to break off their relationship. She even gave him her beloved step hairpin as a souvenir. Master Xue swore to earn money to buy Shiqi Niang's freedom. Since Master Xue left, Shiqi Niang had been depressed all day long.
Later, she heard that Master Xue was engaged to Ms. Li and was raising money everywhere to marry her. Shiqi Niang was completely disheartened. Eunuch Gao came to Pingkang Fang seeking pleasure. The madam had the girls dress up meticulously for Eunuch Gao to choose from, but he didn't like any of them. Instead, he took a fancy to young Yun Qing, who was doing chores in Pingkang Fang. The madam sent Yun Qing to Eunuch Gao's private room.
Eunuch Gao started to touch her inappropriately. Yun Qing screamed for help in fright. Lu Huan was ordered to kill Prefect Zheng, who was making a deal with Eunuch Gao, and killed Eunuch Gao as well on the way. Pingkang Fang immediately fell into chaos. A Qiao took out the step hairpin Shiqi Niang had given to Master Xue and showed it off.
She kept saying that Master Xue had come to the madam, taken the money Shiqi Niang had saved for her freedom, spent the night with her, and given her the unwanted step hairpin as a gift. In a fit of rage, Shiqi Niang picked up the step hairpin and stabbed A Qiao in the throat. A Qiao died instantly. Shiqi Niang felt a satisfaction she had never felt before.
The Right Chancellor ignored the protests of officials and insisted on Li Shande going to Lingnan to transport lychees. He also agreed to let A Mita assist Li Shande. The supervisors of the Office of Imperial Parks saw that Li Shande had gained the favor of the Right Chancellor and congratulated him one after another. Li Shande had no time for this; he was worried about the guard who had taken the punishment for him.
The guard was beaten black and blue, and Li Shande felt terrible. Supervisor Qu recounted the details of Li Shande blocking the Right Chancellor to his colleagues. Supervisor Song was worried that Li Shande would get close to the Right Chancellor and retaliate against them. Li Shande hurried to the Office of Imperial Parks to find Chief Liu. Supervisor Song and others knelt down together and apologized to Li Shande.
Chief Liu arrived upon hearing the news, severely reprimanded Li Shande, and told him to get lost quickly, as he was about to receive the junior minister of the Court Of The National Granaries who was coming to inspect. The junior minister of the Court Of The National Granaries happened to arrive at the Office of Imperial Parks. He was meek and fawning towards Li Shande, then hurried away.
Only then did Chief Liu realize that Li Shande had climbed high by attaching himself to the Right Chancellor. His attitude towards Li Shande changed dramatically. Li Shande explained his purpose: he needed to convene the department heads tomorrow to discuss the lychee transportation matter and wanted to borrow the official quarters of the Office of Imperial Parks.
Chief Liu readily agreed, even instructing the supervisors to put down their work and fully assist Li Shande in summoning the department heads. Li Shande was overwhelmed. Attendant Yu heard that Li Shande had stopped the Right Chancellor in the street and recommended him to the Right Chancellor for transporting lychees. The Right Chancellor had refused him on the spot. Attendant Yu guessed that the Right Chancellor was angry.
He knew about Li Shande transporting lychees beforehand but had not reported it to the Right Chancellor. The supervisors of the Office of Imperial Parks heard that Li Shande had previously bought Yulu Tuan pastries in Pingkang Fang and all wanted to buy some to curry favor with Li Shande. Mr. Ma from the Ministry of War heard about this and personally queued up to buy Yulu Tuan pastries.
Li Shande received many boxes of Yulu Tuan pastries all at once. He and Li Xiuer ate until they were stuffed and still couldn't finish them. Shiqi Niang also sent Li Shande a few boxes of Yulu Tuan pastries and returned the property deed of his old house, also writing off his loan. The Right Chancellor was completely puzzled.
Li Shande had clearly already obtained the approval document for transporting lychees, so why did he still stop him in the street to seek his protection? Attendant Yu had no choice but to admit that he had suggested it to Li Shande, simply not wanting to take all the credit alone. It just so happened that Li Shande also had the idea of getting closer to the Right Chancellor.
The Right Chancellor discovered that Li Shande had only written about the transportation method but had not specified how to make a profit. He knew this was a way to make money, so he agreed to let Attendant Yu be responsible for the lychee transportation. Attendant Yu swore to be loyal to the Right Chancellor with all his heart. Attendant Yu could tell that Li Shande was not greedy for wealth.
He heard that Li Shande was going to convene the department heads tomorrow to discuss the lychee transportation matter and decided to go to the site to cheer him on. Early the next morning, the department heads arrived at the Office of Imperial Parks early. They offered suggestions to Li Shande one after another, and Li Shande noted them all down. Attendant Yu arrived shortly after.
Li Shande was overjoyed to learn that the Right Chancellor had agreed to let the two of them transport the lychees together. After Attendant Yu sat down, the department heads looked at each other, not daring to make a sound. Xu Leping praised Attendant Yu highly. Attendant Yu spoke highly of Li Shande, and others echoed him, suggesting naming the lychee transportation route after Li Shande.
Li Shande disagreed and discussed the transportation plan with them, assigning specific tasks to each department. Li Shande announced that they would depart for Lingnan on May 19th, and the department heads immediately dispersed to prepare.
Episode 29 Recap
Attendant Yu Chengen tricked Li Shande into giving him the transportation plan, pushed Li Shande to a dead end, and then gave him the approval document. Li Shande, unaware of the inside story, was extremely grateful to Attendant Yu Chengen. Attendant Yu Chengen seized the opportunity to persuade Li Shande to meet the Right Chancellor and recommend him to transport lychees to Lingnan in front of the Right Chancellor. He wanted to make a huge profit from this opportunity.
The Right Chancellor, ignoring the opposition of many officials and under the banner of establishing prestige for the Great Tang, agreed to let A Mita and Attendant Yu Chengen assist Li Shande in transporting the lychees. The Right Chancellor guessed that Attendant Yu Chengen was advising Li Shande from behind the scenes and was very displeased. Attendant Yu Chengen gambled for fame and profit, and he won.
Attendant Yu Chengen recalled a humiliating incident from three years ago when he accidentally broke a bowl and was severely reprimanded by Supervisor Wang. The Right Chancellor sent someone to call away Supervisor Wang, the head eunuch, which allowed Attendant Yu Chengen to escape. The Right Chancellor ordered Supervisor Wang to send someone to purchase white wax for the palace. Because the budget was only one-tenth of previous years, the eunuchs were reluctant to go.
The Right Chancellor was very angry and threw the golden bowl used for feeding fish into the pond. Without a second thought, Attendant Yu Chengen was about to jump in to retrieve the bowl. He voluntarily offered to purchase the white wax, and the Right Chancellor readily agreed. Li Shande and Attendant Yu Chengen discussed how to save on the budget.
Attendant Yu Chengen disagreed, stating that there were many uncontrollable factors during transportation, and it was better to exceed the budget than to be strapped for funds. Otherwise, they would both be held responsible if the task was not completed. Li Shande thought he made sense. The heads of the various departments felt that Li Shande's budget was too economical and suggested increasing the number of relay stations, horses, medicine, and grain.
They also proposed multiplying the funds several times, stating that if the lychees were transported back successfully, exceeding the budget would not matter. If they were overly meticulous with finances, everyone would be implicated if the transportation failed. Attendant Yu Chengen even wanted to double the amount again on top of that. The department heads all saw through Attendant Yu Chengen's scheme. Attendant Yu Chengen wanted to make a huge profit by transporting lychees. They all worried for Li Shande.
If the lychee transportation was successful, Attendant Yu Chengen would steal Li Shande's credit. If the transportation failed, Attendant Yu Chengen could withdraw completely and push all the responsibility onto Li Shande. Li Shande was set to depart for Lingnan tomorrow, and officials from various departments sent him generous gifts, all of which Li Shande declined one by one. Li Shande, A Mita, and Attendant Yu Chengen's group hurried to Lingnan on horseback, traveling day and night.
When He Youguang heard that A Mita had returned with Li Shande, he was furious. He Youguang had sent Zhao Xinmin to search for A Mita everywhere, never expecting A Mita to have run off to Chang'an. Zhao Xinmin was terrified and quickly explained. He Youguang worried that A Mita had been commissioned by the Right Chancellor to confront him.
Zhao Xinmin advised him not to overthink it, saying that Attendant Yu Chengen was a greedy man, and as long as he was well taken care of, He Youguang could rest easy. He Youguang instructed Zhao Xinmin to constantly monitor the movements of Li Shande's group. Attendant Yu Chengen heard that Li Shande had a conflict with He Youguang and advised him to have a good talk with He Youguang after arriving in Lingnan.
Li Shande's group smoothly reached Lingnan, and He Youguang personally came to welcome them, flattering Attendant Yu Chengen profusely. Attendant Yu Chengen wanted to reminisce with him, and the two conversed happily while Li Shande observed coolly. He Youguang took the initiative to greet Li Shande. Seeing the silver plaque on his waist, he guessed it was given to him by the Right Chancellor and became servile towards him.
He Youguang feigned concern for A Mita, but A Mita did not appreciate it and was cold towards him. He Youguang put on a smiling face and played the family card with A Mita. After exchanging pleasantries, He Youguang offered to host a welcoming banquet for Attendant Yu Chengen and his party. Attendant Yu Chengen politely declined and asked Li Shande and A Mita to express their thoughts.
Li Shande only wanted to transport the lychees as quickly as possible and asked He Youguang to have the relevant departments assist him, which He Youguang readily agreed to. A Mita deliberately created a difficult situation for He Youguang in front of everyone, falsely claiming that He Youguang would fund the transportation in the name of the Hu Merchants Guild. Attendant Yu Chengen was naturally delighted and thanked He Youguang for contributing money and effort to the lychee transportation.
He Youguang was cornered by A Mita and gnashed his teeth in anger, yet he had to force a smile. He Youguang arranged accommodation for Attendant Yu Chengen. Attendant Yu Chengen told Li Shande to stay there, while he had already found his own lodging. Li Shande decided to stay at the relay station with A Mita. Upon arriving in Lingnan, Attendant Yu Chengen immediately put on a posture of integrity and incorruptibility.
He disdained these petty gains and wanted to make a huge profit through the lychee transportation. Attendant Yu Chengen instructed his subordinates not to accept any gifts sent by He Youguang. He Youguang saw that Attendant Yu Chengen was difficult to deal with, but Zhao Xinmin thought that Attendant Yu Chengen was just putting on a show for Li Shande. He Youguang reminded Zhao Xinmin repeatedly not to let Attendant Yu Chengen realize that Lingnan was a lucrative opportunity.
Zheng Pingan returned to the relay station and saw Li Shande. He learned that Li Shande had brought Attendant Yu Chengen to Lingnan. Zheng Pingan worried that Attendant Yu Chengen would expose his impersonation of Ma Guiyun and complained that Li Shande shouldn't have brought him along. Li Shande could do nothing about it. Su Liang heard that Li Shande had returned to Lingnan and immediately went to the relay station to find him.
He had gone to the lychee orchard earlier. Su Liang quickly went to the lychee orchard to find Li Shande. Li Shande told him to discuss the specific details of the lychee transportation with Attendant Yu Chengen. When Su Liang learned that A Mita represented the Hu merchants, his heart sank. He repeatedly confirmed with Li Shande that the lychee transportation and business along the route were entirely handled by him before feeling relieved.
Li Shande had specifically brought back wine from Chang'an and asked A Tong to call Lin Yinu to taste it with them. Only then did Li Shande learn that Lin Yinu had died, and he sighed with sorrow.
Episode 30 Recap
Three years ago, Attendant Yu Chengen was not favored in the palace and was suppressed everywhere by his superior, Supervisor Wang. He wanted to gain a firm foothold in the palace and voluntarily took on the task of purchasing white wax. However, the budget given by the Right Chancellor was only one-tenth of previous years. Supervisor Wang also secretly found Zhou Sanlang, a ruffian from Chang'an, to monopolize the white wax market in Chang'an and deliberately raised the price.
Attendant Yu Chengen was unwilling to admit defeat just like that, so he went to the Right Chancellor and borrowed a large sum of money, promising to repay twice the interest after purchasing the white wax. The Right Chancellor was naturally delighted. Attendant Yu Chengen went to Zhou Sanlang for the transaction.
Under the banner of the Right Chancellor, he demanded to purchase a batch of white wax at market price, and also promised to give Zhou Sanlang a commission after the deal was done. Zhou Sanlang was baffled. Attendant Yu Chengen repeatedly claimed he was acting on behalf of the Right Chancellor, so Zhou Sanlang sold it to him at market price. Zhou Sanlang felt uncertain, so he went to consult with Supervisor Wang.
Supervisor Wang also couldn't understand why Attendant Yu Chengen would purchase white wax at a high price, but he didn't want to miss the opportunity to make money, so he told Zhou Sanlang to sell it to Attendant Yu Chengen at three times the market price next time.
After receiving the white wax, Attendant Yu Chengen directly returned it, repeatedly claiming that the Right Chancellor was not satisfied with this batch of white wax and asked Zhou Sanlang to find a better batch. Zhou Sanlang seized the opportunity to double the price, and Attendant Yu Chengen bought it without hesitation. Attendant Yu Chengen received the white wax again and had someone return it. He sent his servant boy to inform Zhou Sanlang.
Zhou Sanlang, having nowhere else to turn, had to go find Supervisor Wang. Supervisor Wang avoided seeing him, and Zhou Sanlang was so anxious he pounded his chest and stamped his feet. Li Shande specifically brought red wine from Chang'an for Lin Yinu to taste, only to learn that Lin Yinu had been exhausted to death covering his return to Chang'an by drawing away the officials and soldiers from the Prefectural Yamen.
After his death, his body was even dismembered by wild beasts in the mountains. Li Shande was heartbroken. A Tong took him to Lin Yinu's grave in the heavy rain. Li Shande felt a mix of emotions and swore to definitely transport the lychees back to Chang'an to comfort Lin Yinu's soul. Li Shande personally wrote "Loyal Servant" on Lin Yinu's tombstone. He Youguang had Zhao Xinmin prepare generous gifts for Attendant Yu Chengen.
Zhao Xinmin sent someone to deliver the gift list first. Attendant Yu Chengen returned the gift list, making He Youguang feel uneasy. Zhao Xinmin suggested finding Zheng Pingan to help deliver the gifts to Attendant Yu Chengen. Zheng Pingan worried that Attendant Yu Chengen would recognize his impersonation of Ma Guiyun, so he hurriedly packed his luggage to find the evidence A Tu left behind before his death.
Zhao Xinmin rushed to find him, so Zheng Pingan had no choice but to follow Zhao Xinmin to meet He Youguang. Zhao Xinmin and He Youguang both urged Zheng Pingan to pay a visit to Attendant Yu Chengen. They were both confidants of the Right Chancellor. He Youguang asked Zheng Pingan to help arrange a meeting with Attendant Yu Chengen.
Zheng Pingan made the excuse that the Right Chancellor had many confidants around him and that he didn't know Attendant Yu Chengen at all. He Youguang and Zhao Xinmin both thought it was impossible, but Zheng Pingan argued forcefully and even suggested that He Youguang give Attendant Yu Chengen a few deeds to lychee orchards. He Youguang was half-convinced but couldn't think of a better solution for the moment, so he decided to give it a try.
He Youguang sent Xiao Yunchuan to raise money from the Hu merchants. They regretted withdrawing their investment from the lychee transportation project and could only watch as Su Liang opened up the trade route from Lingnan to Chang'an. They also wanted a piece of the pie. Xiao Yunchuan decided to host a banquet for Su Liang tonight to secure shares for them in the lychee transportation. All the Hu merchants came to accompany him.
Su Liang arrived for the appointment on time. Xiao Yunchuan and the Hu merchants flattered him in every possible way. They wanted to participate in the lychee transportation, and Su Liang promised to discuss it with Li Shande. Zhao Xinmin personally went to visit Attendant Yu Chengen. Attendant Yu Chengen used poor health as an excuse not to see guests. Zhao Xinmin gave him a bird with a secret letter hidden inside.
Attendant Yu Chengen accepted the bird but returned the secret letter to Zhao Xinmin. Zhao Xinmin had no choice but to leave dejectedly. Just as Zhao Xinmin was at his wit's end, A Mita proactively came to him to collaborate on bringing down He Youguang, asking him to hand over the evidence of He Youguang's crimes. Zhao Xinmin beat around the bush, then found an excuse and left in a hurry.
Li Shande took Su Liang to visit Attendant Yu Chengen. Su Liang presented the contract for the trade route from Lingnan to Chang'an for him to sign. Attendant Yu Chengen made various excuses to defer, even mentioning the Emperor. Su Liang clearly stated that he would provide the horses needed for transporting the lychees. Attendant Yu Chengen wanted to purchase Su Liang's horses, which immediately stunned Su Liang.
Li Shande chimed in from the side, repeatedly explaining that Su Liang had sold his merchant ships to support him in transporting the lychees and that Su Liang would also contribute funds to build relay stations. Attendant Yu Chengen said he would apply for funds from the court to repay Su Liang. Su Liang realized that Attendant Yu Chengen was unwilling to cooperate with him, so he left in disappointment. Li Shande quickly chased after him.
Su Liang had invested his entire fortune, only for things to turn out this way. Li Shande was only responsible for transporting the lychees; he didn't understand all these complexities, but he promised to fight for Su Liang.
Episode 31 Recap
Yu Chengen voluntarily took on the task of purchasing white wax. Supervisor Wang bribed Zhou Sanlang to monopolize the white wax market, trying to push Yu Chengen into a corner. Yu Chengen borrowed a large sum of money from the Right Chancellor and went to Zhou Sanlang to buy white wax. He also returned the goods on the grounds that the white wax was unqualified. Supervisor Wang asked Zhou Sanlang to sell it to Yu Chengen at double the price.
Yu Chengen bought it again as before, then returned it. Zhou Sanlang was dumbfounded. He went to Supervisor Wang for help, but Supervisor Wang refused to see him. Yu Chengen came to urge delivery, and even used the Right Chancellor to exert pressure. Zhou Sanlang had no choice but to reveal Supervisor Wang's conspiracy. Yu Chengen hosted a banquet for Supervisor Wang. Supervisor Wang was so scared he almost lost his wits.
The Right Chancellor reminded Yu Chengen to repay the money on time, otherwise, he would be responsible for the consequences. Yu Chengen then introduced Zhou Sanlang to the Right Chancellor. The Right Chancellor agreed to hand over the white wax purchase to Yu Chengen and Zhou Sanlang. Zhou Sanlang was deeply grateful to Yu Chengen and regarded him as a 'cabinet minister' among his peers. Zhao Xinmin made a detailed analysis of the various forces in Lingnan.
Li Shande recommended A Mita as the representative of the Hu merchants; the two of them were allied. Zheng Pingan and Yun Qing were another faction. Li Shande had intricate connections with Zheng Pingan. Yu Chengen and He Youguang formed their own faction. There were irreconcilable conflicts between them all. Zhao Xinmin weighed his options repeatedly, unsure which side to align with.
As soon as Yu Chengen arrived in Lingnan, he put on a facade of integrity, refusing He Youguang's invitations and gifts, and also sidelining Su Liang. What he cared about was not petty gains; he wanted to make a huge profit from transporting the lychees. Zheng Pingan took Gou Er and A Mita to see A Chai. He asked her for the evidence A Tu had left behind regarding He Youguang burning the sea tiger. A Chai refused to cooperate.
A Mita pleaded desperately, and only then did A Chai take out the box A Tu had brought back with herbs. She had been puzzled at the time, as A Tu had only brought back some very common herbs from Dayuling. A Mita recognized immediately that it was no ordinary box; it was waterproof and moisture-proof, specifically used at sea. Li Shande witnessed Yu Chengen forbidding Su Liang from participating in the lychee transportation. His desperate pleas were useless.
Li Shande felt he owed Su Liang, who had sold his merchant ships to help him raise funds. Li Shande went to the lychee orchard alone and told A Tong exactly what had happened. A Tong could only offer Li Shande words of comfort. Shopkeeper Feng had a terrible gambling addiction and soon lost everything. He had no choice but to go to his nephew Lan Ge to borrow money.
Lan Ge guessed he had gone gambling again and gave him a harsh lecture. Shopkeeper Feng swore never to gamble again, and only then did Lan Ge agree to lend him two guans of money. He Youguang and Zhao Xinmin came to the cockfighting arena. Yu Chengen's attendant came to He Youguang to inquire about the preparations for transporting the lychees. He Youguang tried hard to flatter him, asking Lan Ge to pick out the fiercest fighting cock for him.
That rooster won, and He Youguang had Lan Ge give the prize money to the attendant, seizing the opportunity to propose visiting Yu Chengen. The attendant revealed that Yu Chengen had come up with a way to make money, which was to issue "lychee bonds" in Lingnan. He also described the secret of how Yu Chengen pleased the Right Chancellor and the Emperor. He Youguang suddenly understood everything. He hadn't expected Yu Chengen to be so greedy.
He gritted his teeth in anger. Zheng Pingan heard that A Tu had asked Shopkeeper Feng to deliver something to A Chai, and suspected that Shopkeeper Feng had replaced the evidence inside with common herbs from Dayuling. Zheng Pingan came to Lan Ge to inquire about Shopkeeper Feng's whereabouts and explained the stakes to him. Once He Youguang learned that Shopkeeper Feng had the evidence, Shopkeeper Feng would surely die.
Lan Ge quickly found Shopkeeper Feng and forced him to hand over the evidence A Tu had left behind. Shopkeeper Feng had no choice but to admit that he had sold the evidence to Zhao Xinmin. Zheng Pingan immediately told Yun Qing this news. He was worried that Zhao Xinmin would defect to Yu Chengen. Yun Qing analyzed that Zhao Xinmin was still hesitant, so the evidence must still be in his hands. He Youguang felt he was being sidelined.
He tried hard to win over Zhao Xinmin, repeatedly claiming that he treated Zhao Xinmin as a brother, although he often scolded and hit him. Zhao Xinmin responded with a smile and played along with He Youguang. Back then, he was just a minor handler for the 'Haifan bonds'. It was thanks to He Youguang's help that he was where he was today, and he was grateful to He Youguang.
The more He Youguang thought about it, the more scared he became. A Mita, Li Shande, and Yu Chengen were all eyeing him fiercely. He wanted Zhao Xinmin's help. Zhao Xinmin swore he would serve him like a loyal dog or horse. He Youguang wanted to issue lychee bonds to compete with Yu Chengen. Zhao Xinmin advised him to think twice, warning that if Lingnan fell into chaos, he would be held accountable. However, He Youguang's mind was made up.
Episode 32 Recap
Su Liang grew up in an impoverished tribe. Every day, he would lead the only lamb his family owned to the mountaintop to gaze at the sea. One day, Su Liang led the lamb to the seaside. A large Hu merchant ship was blown in by the monsoon wind. The Hu merchants got off the ship and came ashore. They found the place very poor. They wanted to take Su Liang to the outside world to make money.
Su Liang was eager to try, but the lamb sensed danger and desperately attacked the Hu merchants with its horns. One of the Hu merchants took off the peacock feather from his hat and offered to trade it for Su Liang's lamb. Su Liang firmly refused to sell his only friend and left with the lamb. Su Liang fell asleep drowsily by the sea. When he woke up, he found the lamb was gone.
Su Liang searched everywhere and discovered that the Hu merchants had killed the lamb and were roasting it. Su Liang rushed over to reason with them. They advised Su Liang to give up early. If Su Liang could win against them, they would invite him as their honored guest. The sea breeze blew, and Su Liang followed the Hu merchants onto the ship. Later, he became a sailor. He had always kept that peacock feather in his hand.
Su Liang sold his ships, hoping to do something big with Li Shande. Unexpectedly, Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen) kicked Su Liang out of the game. He felt very unpleasant, and remembering his difficult experiences, his heart was filled with mixed emotions. He Youguang heard that Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen) was going to issue lychee bonds. He seized the initiative and sent Zhao Xinmin to issue lychee bonds as well.
Zhao Xinmin posted notices in the city, calling on the people to buy lychee bonds. Some people couldn't resist the temptation and paid to buy lychee bonds, but most people took a wait-and-see attitude; they had been scared by the Haifan bonds. Su Liang saw that He Youguang wanted to make a huge profit through lychee bonds and advised the Hu merchants not to buy them. Su Liang told Li Shande about He Youguang issuing lychee bonds.
Li Shande immediately reported it to Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen). Supervisor Yu was so angry he gnashed his teeth. He had planned to make money through lychee bonds, but unexpectedly He Youguang had gotten there first. Li Shande felt he owed Su Liang. Su Liang had used his family savings to help him, only to be left aside. He had wanted to get some return for Su Liang.
If He Youguang issued lychee bonds, Su Liang wouldn't make a single cent, and only Su Liang had the double-layered jars for preserving lychees. Li Shande asked Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen) to seek justice for Su Liang. Unable to resist his pleading, Supervisor Yu had to agree to help. " "" The noble from Fanyang Prefecture sent a young Taoist priest to find He Youguang.
He Youguang personally went out to greet him and did not allow anyone to disturb them. He Youguang had waited eighteen years for this day. He asked the priest to deliver a message to the noble: he had obtained the Bing Yufu that could mobilize the navy and would be ready to obey the noble's orders at any time. After the young Taoist priest left, He Youguang began his seclusion. He saw no one. Commandant Yang was very puzzled.
Zhao Xinmin advised Commandant Yang to share He Youguang's burden. He was pushing hard to promote lychee bonds, but Su Liang was obstructing him, and the Hu merchants were not buying. Only ten percent had been sold so far. Commandant Yang wanted to take people to arrest Su Liang. Zhao Xinmin was worried that Li Shande would stop them with the Right Chancellor's silver plaque and asked Commandant Yang to find a proper excuse.
Commandant Yang came to arrest Su Liang under the charge of forging five customs clearance documents. Su Liang adamantly denied it. Commandant Yang didn't allow any explanation and had his men take Su Liang away. At the same time, Zhao Xinmin came to the Hu Merchant Association and forced them to buy lychee bonds. Xiao Yunchuan was also adding fuel to the fire from the side. They insisted on waiting for Su Liang to arrive before talking further.
Zhao Xinmin had no choice but to admit that Su Liang had been arrested, and only then were the Hu merchants forced to buy. Zhao Xinmin successfully promoted the lychee bonds. He came to report back to He Youguang. He Youguang made an exception to see him. He Youguang seriously told him that Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen) was coming for him and advised Zhao Xinmin to flee with his wife and children. Zhao Xinmin swore to follow He Youguang forever.
He Youguang did not want to implicate Zhao Xinmin, but Zhao Xinmin was unwavering in his loyalty. He Youguang suddenly burst into laughter. He wanted to test Zhao Xinmin. Since Zhao Xinmin was absolutely loyal to him, He Youguang wanted to team up with him to do something big. He Youguang had followed the Right Chancellor for many years and had not expected him to replace him with the eunuch Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen).
He Youguang was not resigned to this. He had feigned madness and foolishness for over a decade and finally received news from the noble in Fanyang Prefecture. The noble from Fanyang Prefecture was preparing an uprising. He Youguang decided to use the Bing Yufu to replace all the navy officers and soldiers with his own men.
The reason He Youguang kept tripping up Li Shande everywhere was that he did not want the imperial court to send officials to Lingnan to disrupt his plan. He Youguang wanted to be the King of Lingnan. Zhao Xinmin was so frightened after hearing He Youguang's grand plan that he couldn't speak for a long time. He Youguang urged him to make up his mind quickly. Zhao Xinmin swore to follow He Youguang forever.
Zhao Xinmin did not want to implicate his family. He prepared water and food and found a safe place for his wife to hide temporarily. His wife told Zhao Xinmin the news of her pregnancy. Zhao Xinmin was overjoyed and swore to protect them, mother and child. After settling his wife and child, Zhao Xinmin went to inform Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen). Supervisor Yu immediately sent someone to summon Li Shande and told him about He Youguang's plan to rebel.
Li Shande suggested reporting it to the imperial court. Supervisor Yu was worried that it would be too late. He wrote a letter inviting He Youguang to meet and talk. He Youguang guessed that this was a Hongmen Banquet (a trap). He ordered Commandant Yang to bring men to seal off the city and also told Zhao Xinmin to send men to kill Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen).
Supervisor Yu (Yu Chengen) heard that the navy was about to land the next day. He sent Li Shande with the Right Chancellor's silver plaque to stop them. He and Zhao Xinmin stayed behind to delay He Youguang. Supervisor Yu knew that He Youguang had close ties with the Right Chancellor. He wanted to take down He Youguang first before reporting to the Right Chancellor. He Youguang arrived for the banquet on time.
The two of them drank together, exchanging insincere pleasantries. Li Shande stopped the navy officers and soldiers with the Right Chancellor's silver plaque and told them about He Youguang's rebellion, but they only obeyed the orders from the Bing Yufu.
Episode 33 Recap
Eleven years ago, Xiangling suddenly disappeared. Her family quickly went out to search, only to find that Xiangling had been murdered, and her hair ornament was missing. Supervisor Yu's parents also went to help search for Xiangling. When they returned home, they found Supervisor Yu holding the hair ornament, suspecting that he had killed Xiangling. Supervisor Yu explained in every possible way, but his parents did not believe him at all.
In a fit of anger, Supervisor Yu set fire and burned his parents to death, then left with the hair ornament. Supervisor Yu was walking in the forest when he suddenly saw a bird's nest. He wanted to reach out for it, but the hair ornament in his bosom fell down the cliff and was picked up by a peddler. Supervisor Yu woke up groggily and realized he had been saved by Yun Qing's father.
When Yun Qing learned that Supervisor Yu was homeless, she begged her father to take him in. Supervisor Yu and his helper, Da Ya, then worked as servants at Yun Qing's house. Today was Yun Qing's birthday. Her father bought the hair ornament from the peddler and gave it to her as a gift. Supervisor Yu accidentally discovered that the birthday gift his benefactor gave to Yun Qing was his own hair ornament and vowed to get it back.
That night, Supervisor Yu wanted to steal the hair ornament while Yun Qing was asleep. Unexpectedly, He Youguang led bandits to rob their ship. The benefactor was killed by He Youguang, who also captured Yun Qing and finally burned the merchant ship. Supervisor Yu tried to steal the hair ornament while Yun Qing was not paying attention. Da Ya stepped forward to stop him, and Supervisor Yu, in a fit of rage, killed Da Ya.
He Youguang witnessed this scene and ordered Supervisor Yu to be thrown into the sea to fend for himself, also taking the hair ornament. Supervisor Yu survived the ordeal and was rescued by someone. " "" Supervisor Yu held a Hongmen Banquet (a trap) for He Youguang and sent Li Shande to intercept the navy. Li Shande had to talk himself hoarse to persuade the navy officers and soldiers back to sea.
Supervisor Yu gave He Youguang a piece of jade personally carved by a high-ranking regional official, deliberately revealing that the official was hoarding grain and fodder and troops to rebel. He Youguang pretended not to understand and played guessing games with Supervisor Yu. Supervisor Yu found it inconvenient to expose him on the spot and could only play along with He Youguang. Commandant Yang gathered his troops, preparing to collaborate with the navy for a rebellion.
Zhao Xinmin rushed to stop him, falsely claiming that He Youguang had been caught after assassinating Supervisor Yu. Commandant Yang had no choice but to surrender his weapons. When He Youguang saw Zhao Xinmin appear, he thought the navy had already landed and believed he had victory within his grasp. Supervisor Yu exposed He Youguang's plan to rebel right in front of him and also took out the hair ornament.
He Youguang recognized Supervisor Yu as the boy who had been thrown into the sea and regretted not killing him back then. He Youguang ordered Zhao Xinmin to apprehend Supervisor Yu. Zhao Xinmin remained still, and only then did He Youguang realize that Zhao Xinmin had betrayed him. He was instantly dumbfounded. Zhao Xinmin knelt on the ground to plead for He Youguang, but Supervisor Yu could not make the decision. He Youguang couldn't help but sneer.
Back then, Hai Hu trusted him the most, and he burned Hai Hu to death. Now, he trusted Zhao Xinmin the most, and Zhao Xinmin had actually betrayed him. He Youguang returned to the prefectural office alone, not expecting that all the maids in the office wanted to kill him. He Youguang fought for his life to escape, only to find people ambushed both in front and behind him. He could only hide everywhere, finally getting surrounded.
Lan Ge slapped He Youguang fiercely; he wanted to avenge A Feng. The common people swarmed forward, punching and kicking He Youguang. He Youguang struggled desperately. As he was about to emerge from the crowd, he ran into A Mita. A Mita struck him down with her knife and killed He Youguang. The common people cheered together; A Mita had finally eliminated this corrupt official who was full of evil deeds.
Supervisor Yu heard that He Youguang had been killed, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He personally went to the prefectural office to inspect. Zhao Xinmin led people to seal off He Youguang's property and instructed them to send the gold and silver treasures to Shiqi Niang in Pingkang Fang for safekeeping. Supervisor Yu arrived shortly after and asked him to help find the hair ornament. Zhao Xinmin compiled a list of He Youguang's crimes.
Supervisor Yu asked him to add the lychee bonds. Zhao Xinmin was worried about being implicated. Supervisor Yu guaranteed he would not be implicated and also entrusted him with important responsibilities, asking Zhao Xinmin to quickly prepare an application for the emergency procurement of grain needed to transport the lychees. Supervisor Yu sent Zhao Xinmin to look for the double-layered jars, but they found nothing. Supervisor Yu told him to find a way to handle Li Shande.
Zhao Xinmin lied, claiming that Su Liang had left on a boat without saying goodbye. Li Shande thought Su Liang was still angry and didn't think much of it. However, without the double-layered jars for transporting the lychees, there was no way to proceed. Li Shande was extremely anxious. Yun Qing sent people to keep an eye on He Youguang and Supervisor Yu. A guard picked up the hair ornament and handed it to her. Yun Qing recognized it at a glance as the birthday gift her father had given her. Yun Qing swore to take revenge.
Episode 34 Recap
Left Chancellor specifically came to Leyouyuan, knelt down and confessed his fault to Right Chancellor. He sent Song Wuji to inspect Lingnan, but unexpectedly Song Wuji was corrupt and accepted bribes, lining his own pockets, even eating bird's nest better than the Emperor's. Left Chancellor thanked Right Chancellor for helping him get rid of the corrupt official Song Wuji.
Right Chancellor heard the implied meaning in his words, and used the example of an old peony, repeatedly emphasizing that the Emperor still favored him, this old peony. Left Chancellor warned Right Chancellor to stop before it's too late, or he would regret it. Supervisor Yu sent people to post notices soliciting donations from the common people, also under the pretext of celebrating the noble consort's birthday. The officers and soldiers extorted money everywhere, and the common people complained endlessly.
Yun Qing sent someone to summon Zhao Xinmin, took out the hair ornament, and asked him about the relationship between Supervisor Yu and the hair ornament. Zhao Xinmin did not want to talk and turned to leave. Yun Qing called out to him and told him about Supervisor Yu killing his parents and stealing her hair ornament. He Youguang had told Yun Qing to castrate Supervisor Yu and throw him into the sea.
Only then did Zhao Xinmin learn about the enmity between Yun Qing and Supervisor Yu. Yun Qing advised Zhao Xinmin not to rely on Supervisor Yu, because Supervisor Yu killed people without batting an eye, and advised Zhao Xinmin to cooperate with her. Li Shande thought Su Liang had left without saying goodbye in a fit of pique. He could only search everywhere for the double-layered jars, but returned without success.
The day to transport the lychees back to Chang'an was approaching, and Li Shande hadn't found a single double-layered jar. He was so anxious that he couldn't eat or think. Gou Er was about to reheat the bamboo rice. Li Shande had a flash of inspiration and thought of a good method: he decided to use bamboo tubes to preserve the lychees. Li Shande called on the delivery men to help cut bamboo.
A Mita killed He Youguang to avenge her father. She wrote a letter to Li Shande and then left. Right Chancellor sent someone to deliver a letter, asking to increase or decrease thirty bunches of lychees. Supervisor Yu personally led people to the lychee garden to supervise. The officers and soldiers arbitrarily cut down the lychee trees, facing strong protests from the Dong people.
Supervisor Yu amassed vast wealth in Lingnan under the guise of transporting lychees, and quickly made a fortune. Li Shande heard that Supervisor Yu had brought people to cut down the lychee trees. He immediately rushed to the lychee garden and advised Supervisor Yu not to cut down the lychee trees. Supervisor Yu threatened him by mentioning his daughter Xiuer. Li Shande was instantly speechless.
A Tong and the Dong people desperately tried to stop the officers and soldiers, but were severely beaten by them. A Tong vented all her anger on Li Shande, shouting at him loudly. Li Shande was also powerless. Zhao Xinmin personally witnessed Supervisor Yu's rampant extortion in Lingnan. He worried that Supervisor Yu would target him, so he proactively handed over He Youguang's criminal evidence from previous years to Yun Qing.
Yun Qing immediately sent Zheng Pingan back to Chang'an to hand these pieces of evidence to Lu Huan. Zheng Pingan and Yun Qing agreed to get drunk in Lingnan once the matter was settled. Li Shande watched the lychee trees being cut down with great sorrow. He could only drown his sorrows in alcohol. Zheng Pingan kindly advised him and then rushed to Chang'an overnight.
Supervisor Yu sent people to search everywhere for the hair ornament, but there was no news at all. Supervisor Yu ordered that everyone on duty at the restaurant that night be killed. Li Shande decided to transport the lychees back to Chang'an the next day. He came to the lychee garden to say goodbye to A Tong, but A Tong avoided seeing him.
When Li Shande saw the Dong people covered in bruises and cuts from the beating, his heart was filled with mixed feelings. Li Shande led the transport team and hurried towards Chang'an. Su Liang was released, and he went directly to the lychee garden. Seeing the devastation left by the cutting, Su Liang was very heartbroken and decided to leave Lingnan and return to his hometown. Li Shande and Supervisor Yu traveled day and night towards Chang'an.
Li Shande remained unhappy. Supervisor Yu complained bitterly in front of him. Li Shande didn't want to listen to his rambling, and left in a huff, throwing down his rice bowl. Li Shande sent Yan Yazhuang ahead to rush to Chang'an to deliver a letter. Zheng Pingan was eager to return home. He and Gou Er hurried towards Chang'an, covered in dust. Zheng Pingan quickly returned to Chang'an and went directly to see Lu Huan.
In the blink of an eye, it was the first day of the sixth month, which was also the birthday of Noble Consort Yang. Li Shande and Supervisor Yu successfully returned to Chang'an. The common people lined the streets to welcome them. They handed the fresh lychees to Right Chancellor. Right Chancellor was very happy and specially approved the two of them to attend the birthday banquet tonight.
Right Chancellor personally arranged the birthday banquet for Noble Consort Yang at Leyouyuan. Li Shande came to Leyouyuan again. The place was decorated anew, but he had no time to appreciate it and remained unhappy. Right Chancellor and the civil and military officials arrived at Leyouyuan early. The Emperor and Noble Consort Yang had also set off to come here.
Right Chancellor publicly announced that Li Shande would be appointed as the Lychee Envoy, responsible for transporting lychees from Lingnan to Chang'an every year. Li Shande reported to Right Chancellor that the cost of transporting the lychees this time was twenty thousand guan, with each lychee costing one hundred guan. This was the income of an ordinary family for ten years. He felt very uneasy in his heart. Right Chancellor did not want to listen to his rambling.
Li Shande insisted that Right Chancellor explain how he weighed the importance of the state and the lychees. He had personally witnessed this transportation cost being squeezed out of lychee farmers, merchants, and ordinary Tang citizens. Li Shande also wanted to know how the Emperor balanced these two matters.
Episode 35 Recap
Lingnan, Gaozhou was in the middle of March. Zheng Pingan brought Gou Er to the market to buy crucian carp. The crucian carp were freshest at this time. Zheng Pingan released all the crucian carp he bought. He was still feeling uneasy. Gou Er guessed that he was worried because the Right Chancellor's envoy had arrived. Zheng Pingan had a dream. He dreamed that Gou Er was gone.
The third son of Crucian Carp brought two sisters to thank Zheng Pingan for sparing their lives. Only then did Zheng Pingan realize that they were the fish he had released. The third son of Crucian Carp and Zheng Pingan had a heart-to-heart talk. Zheng Pingan told him the secret in his heart. He had a fervent desire to serve the country, but was forced to replace Ma Guiyun and come to Lingnan.
Zheng Pingan asked the third son of Crucian Carp to help him predict his future. The third son of Crucian Carp calculated that tomorrow would be Zheng Pingan's last day. Zheng Pingan still had unfinished wishes and did not want to die. The third son of Crucian Carp reminded Zheng Pingan to head east all the way tomorrow, which could resolve this disaster. Today was Noble Consort Yang's birthday. Li Shande publicly questioned the Right Chancellor.
He had gone through immense hardship to transport the lychees to Chang'an, which not only cost a huge amount of money but also severely harmed the common people along the way. Li Shande condemned the Right Chancellor for abusing his power for personal gain and disregarding the lives of the people. He said this was equivalent to chaos going beyond acceptable limits. Yu Chengen stepped forward to argue with Li Shande.
Li Shande was even more furious and cursed him, calling him a parasite. Li Shande did not want to abet evil, so he resigned on the spot. The Right Chancellor was enraged and forcibly drove Li Shande away. Yu Chengen secretly sent people to kill Li Shande. Li Shande rushed home. Zheng Pingan happened to be there. Li Shande wanted to take Zheng Pingan and Li Xiuer back to Lingnan.
Zheng Pingan still had unfinished business and told Li Shande to take Li Xiuer and leave first. Only after Zheng Pingan personally saw Li Shande and Li Xiuer walk far away did he feel relieved enough to go home. He saw some suspicious people at his doorstep. Worried that his identity might be exposed, he had no choice but to take Luo Tuo and Gou Er to Li Shande's old house to seek temporary shelter. The birthday banquet officially began.
Yu Chengen presented the lychees to the Emperor. The Left Chancellor asked the Emperor to reward Li Shande for his merits. The Right Chancellor erased Li Shande's contribution and attributed all the credit to Yu Chengen. The Emperor rewarded the Right Chancellor and Yu Chengen according to their merits. Zheng Pingan came to Li Shande's old house to take refuge and saw a group of people chasing Li Shande.
Zheng Pingan lied and claimed to be Li Shande's creditor to stop the group of people. They severely beat Zheng Pingan. Zheng Pingan was beaten to the brink of death. He told Gou Er to go to Lingnan to seek refuge with Li Shande. After saying these words, Zheng Pingan died. The third son of Crucian Carp quietly came to Li Shande's old house. Zheng Pingan's soul quickly came over to greet him.
The third son of Crucian Carp complained that Zheng Pingan should not have turned back. If he had kept going east, he could have avoided death. Zheng Pingan was only concerned with intercepting the group of people and had completely forgotten about this matter. Gou Er did not want to live on, so he committed suicide. Zheng Pingan was so angry that he complained loudly about him. The Emperor asked Noble Consort Yang to taste the lychees first.
Unexpectedly, the lychees, which looked fresh on the outside, had already spoiled. The Left Chancellor took the opportunity to ask the Emperor to punish the Right Chancellor and Yu Chengen. The Right Chancellor felt that there was something suspicious. It turned out that Li Shande had previously instructed someone to place quinces in the lychee baskets. The effect of the quinces was to make the lychees look fresh on the outside but rotten on the inside.
Li Shande also wrote a letter and sent Yan Yazhuang to deliver it to Zheng Pingan. Zheng Pingan immediately told Lu Huan about this matter, intending to rely on the Left Chancellor to bring down the Right Chancellor. Yu Chengen suspected that Li Shande had tampered with something, but lacked conclusive evidence. However, Noble Consort Yang was not convinced and severely reprimanded Yu Chengen. The Right Chancellor pushed all the blame onto Yu Chengen.
Yu Chengen was so frightened that he repeatedly begged for mercy. He had used the nation's resources to transport the lychees. Noble Consort Yang used this opportunity to express her feelings; she did not want to be a sinner for all eternity. The Left Chancellor seized the opportunity to report to the Emperor, accusing the Right Chancellor of making a huge profit during the lychee transportation. The Right Chancellor counterattacked, questioning whether the Left Chancellor was intentionally framing him.
The Left Chancellor presented evidence of the Right Chancellor's collusion and corruption with He Youguang. The Right Chancellor tried his best to distance himself from He Youguang. The Right Chancellor produced He Youguang's letter of allegiance. After the Emperor read that letter, he was greatly disappointed with the Right Chancellor and severely punished him. The Emperor granted Yu Chengen a three-foot strip of white silk. The Left Chancellor tried his best to plead for Li Shande.
Li Shande brought Li Xiuer to sweep the grave of his wife, Zheng Jinniang, and fed fresh lychees to Li Xiuer. Li Shande brought Li Xiuer to Lingnan. He led the Dong people to repair the lychee trees. A Tong taught Li Xiuer how to write. Their days were happy and pleasant. Zhao Xinmin rushed over to deliver a letter to Li Shande. Li Shande invited him to stay and drink together.
Zhao Xinmin's wife was about to give birth, so he had to go home to accompany his wife. Today was the Lantern Festival. Lu Huan went alone to the street to enjoy the lanterns. He unexpectedly met Yun Qing and invited her to stay. Yun Qing tossed a coin, as she always did, to decide whether to go or stay. Li Shande made flower lanterns. He celebrated the Lantern Festival with Li Xiuer. Zhao Xinmin wrote Li Shande's story as a storytelling performance, which was very popular with the listeners. The End
