The Litchi Road Episode 22 Recap
> The Litchi Road 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.
