The Litchi Road Episode 34 Recap
> The Litchi Road 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.
