The Litchi Road Episode 8 Recap
> The Litchi Road 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.
