The Litchi Road Episode 13 Recap
> The Litchi Road 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.
