Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 1]

[Ningguta]

[The exile land of the Qing Dynasty]

[Officials convicted of heavy crimes]

[Fallen princes and princesses]

[Jiangnan scholars who made mistakes in their writings]

[Being imprisoned or exiled]

[Along with their entire family]

[After trekking thousands of miles to this place]

[They'd only have a flicker of life left]

[To live here for life as servants or laborers]

[With no escape]

[This is a 300-year-long frozen hell]

[With no way out]

[Where they could only toss and groan]

[This duel on the icy river]

[Was caused by an unforeseen murder]

Hurry up, those in the back!

Keep up, those behind!

[Wu's Settlement, Ningguta]

[Huang's Settlement, Ningguta]

[Su Xiaohu, son of Su Shuhe]

Stop!

You little brat.

You killed Liu Si,

[Head Liu, Huang's Settlement]

and you still dare to come?

I'm here to avenge my father.

Liu Si betrayed his group first.

[Head Wang, Wu's Settlement]

We won't return his body.

Then let's fight.

Kid!

You don't need to fight today.

You're too young.

It's not your time to die yet.

Fight!

Fight!

Disperse! Everyone, disperse!

Put down your weapons!

I said disperse!

Disperse, you all!

I,

Gu Pingyuan,

[Gu Pingyuan]

was exiled to Ningguta

in the fifth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign.

Today,

on the orders of the general of Ningguta,

Commander Xu,

I have come to mediate this matter.

[Ningguta General]

This

is the seal of the garrison general of Ningguta.

With this seal,

I can mobilize

all the soldiers of the Eight Banners in the military settlements.

In this place of exile,

if convicts fight and cause deaths,

the officials

will lose their positions,

and you'll be beheaded as well!

Mrs. Su and her child,

and the heads of the two settlements,

come to me.

If I can't help you reach an agreement today,

even if those who die during your fight

fill this river,

I won't intervene anymore!

[Three days ago]

Make sure to request me again.

[Manchun Brothel, Ningguta]

Okay, I will.

If you don't, I'll be mad at you.

Alright, alright.

Mr. Gu.

Sir.

For 3 coppers, I'll sing you an excerpt with instruments

from "Romance of the Western Chamber,"

the "Bustling Fifth Watch" section.

♪ In the first watch, Zhang the scholar ♪

♪ Jumped over the powdered wall ♪

Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu, please don't leave.

Mr. Gu, come have some fun.

Mr. Gu.

You're here.

Come on.

Please come on in.

This way, please.

They're all waiting for you in the backyard.

This way.

Who are all these people?

Big pharmaceutical merchants from both south and north of the Yangtze River.

They're all from big pharmacies like Guangzhou's Heng Foh Tong Medical Hall,

Beijing's Tong Ren Tang Medical Hall,

and Hangzhou's Hu Qing Yu Tang Pharmacy.

A big boss has also come.

He's the

young heir of 200 franchise pharmacies nationwide.

Is the item genuine?

Sure!

Of course it's genuine.

It was obtained by

Liu Si from Huang's Settlement

and Su Shuhe from Wu's Settlement.

They dug it up together.

For this ginseng,

they lived in trees for almost half a year.

Finally, they got a chance.

They tied up the ginseng doll

with a red rope soaked in cinnabar.

With two embroidery needles,

piercing from front to back,

they fixed the ginseng doll in place.

You know what?

When they brought this ginseng back,

it still had flowers and leaves on it.

It looked exactly

like a little person.

The eyes and nose

were so clear and vivid.

That mouth of yours.

Find a master

and learn storytelling instead.

100 taels for appraising.

I only accept cash,

[Exile, Su Shuhe]

and banknotes from the Four Major Banks.

Name your price, please.

I only handle the appraising,

not the pricing.

Leave.

Leave already.

Name a price.

Didn't I ask you

to come in one by one?

Get out!

Who are you?

He was talking to you. Get out.

Mr. Gu, you're here.

Two exiles

pretending to be big shots with me!

Listen, Mr. Chen,

if you want to do business here,

you really can't bypass Mr. Gu.

Didn't you buy

a fourth-rank official's hat?

If you wear that official's outfit over there,

I bet in the entire Ningguta,

they won't find an official as high-ranking as that.

Who doesn't know that on this land,

money is more powerful than an official's hat?

Anyway,

we all have to rely on our own financial strengths.

I'm afraid no one will be able to buy it.

Who is this gentleman?

Talking behind

the screen.

Everyone.

[Butler of the Li Family in the capital, Zhang Guangfa]

Everyone.

This is the young heir

of the Li family in our capital.

It's his first time traveling far from home.

Please don't take any offense.

Please don't take any offense.

Li Wantang's son?

Let me tell you.

This thing,

we're definitely getting it.

[Young Master of the Li family in the capital, Li Qin]

You,

get on the ship and check

how much cash we have left.

If there's enough, let's have

a competition with them today.

That Xu is really sharp.

He's already trying to take a cut.

I haven't even sold this thing yet.

You know

what kind of person Commander Xu is.

Even if a manure cart passes by the door,

he'll stop to check it out.

Your precious ginseng doll

has caused such a stir in Ningguta,

so of course he had to

send me here to keep an eye on it.

I believe you.

Do you want to see it?

No need.

When you make the transaction,

I'll take a look then.

I'm just curious.

Why are you willing

to risk your life this time?

My life is pretty much over.

But I can't let my son

spend his whole life in exile.

I've found a way

to help him escape,

then he can change his name

and find a place to study.

He's already 9 years old now.

He brandishes weapons with me every day,

insisting on going up the mountain with me to dig ginseng.

It's my fault.

If you can

really get your son out of here,

this deal will be worth it.

Is the channel reliable?

It's solid.

Once that thing is sold,

I won't owe Commander Xu

a single cent.

The rest will be split between me and Si.

What price do you want to sell it for?

At least

100,000.

That's too low.

Mr. Gu,

you're here.

Si.

Had a few drinks. Sorry I'm late.

I was just

discussing with Su.

This thing,

what price do you plan to sell it for?

We can sell it for 80,000,

or 100,000.

Even 800,000 will do.

Four young men from our settlement have died.

Their parents

[Exile Liu Si]

are all demanding compensation from us.

Alright,

I'll go talk to them.

Thank you for your trouble.

Everyone,

-I'm Gu Pingyuan. My respects. -Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu.

We have both

old acquaintances and new friends here today.

Although it's said that the roads of the world are open to all,

there's an unshakable law

of the Qing Dynasty:

Han people are not allowed to enter the borders for even a step.

We're all in a business

that could cost us our heads.

I'm here only to make sure

everyone can

get their deal done

and to keep anyone from

being picked apart by the authorities.

Please, go ahead.

Where's Liu Si?

He went home to check on his son.

He said that with you handling things, Mr. Gu,

he can rest easy.

He really trusts me, huh?

Everyone,

let's start the open bidding.

The highest bidder wins.

10,000, calling once.

50,000.

80,000.

100,000.

190,000 taels.

We haven't even seen the item yet,

and the bidding has already gone this high.

220,000.

250,000.

270,000.

Who was it?

Who called 270,000?

280,000.

290,000.

300,000.

Hey,

your butler hasn't even returned yet.

Do you even have that money?

There's money on the ship.

There's money on the ship?

Kid.

Today, I, Old Man,

will teach you a lesson.

Your father sent you out

to gain experience,

not to

come here and cause trouble.

-Stop it. -Stop fooling around.

If your Li family

were serious about doing business,

your father wouldn't have sent you here.

Stop fooling around.

Listen to that.

Stop messing around.

What nonsense.

Alright.

It's yours then.

Thanks then.

These are notes from the Four Major Banks.

Please verify them.

Looks solid to me.

You check.

This ginseng doll

is now yours.

Thank you.

Bring out that treasure

and let us have a look too.

Show us.

I want to see it.

Let us have a look.

Where's the item?

There's no ginseng.

There's nothing in there.

Where is it?

-It's empty. -What's going on?

It's empty.

There's nothing in it.

Where's the item?

Exactly.

-Where is it? -Where is it?

How did this happen?

Isn't this a scam?

Exactly.

You, Su.

Where's that thing I bought?

Is it on you?

Right, right.

-Open up your coat. -Open it up.

Open up your coat and show us.

I've walked on the edge of the blade

for my entire life,

and I've never uttered a single lie.

Su.

Are you sure that when Si left,

that ginseng was still in the box?

I never saw him

take it out of the box.

It must be there.

How could it just disappear?

I really should have checked the almanac before going out today.

You, Su.

I, Old Man,

have been in this business for so many years,

and I've never seen anyone as

dishonest as you!

All that nonsense about the ginseng doll

and the Mountain God—

you guys are just making things up

and openly deceiving me!

I didn't take it.

If I were to believe you,

once I leave this place,

would you still admit it?

My entire family would end up

having to jump in the river, right?

You liars! So despicable!

They are all cheats!

Ningguta has always been a den of bandits!

Let's go! Come on.

Let's go!

I didn't take it!

Stop! Nobody leave!

Everyone,

I've never told a single lie.

This afternoon I saw with my own eyes

that the item was in this box.

I can't really explain what's going on.

Mr. Gu.

Please vouch for me.

Su.

Don't be rash.

Put the knife down.

You and Liu Si,

what exactly are you two planning?

Couldn't you have told me in advance?

How am I supposed to help you now?

That's not how you do business.

I do business.

I do business?

Tell me, what kind of business am I doing here?

I've ruined

my whole life,

and now my son has no way out either.

I regret it!

Everyone,

I'll make sure you all leave here with peace of mind today.

Mr. Gu.

Trust me.

This... This...

Although the deal fell through,

he didn't have to commit suicide, right?

To prove his innocence,

this is too extreme.

What about his child?

It's still a life after all.

Let's go. Let's go.

Let's go.

Su,

I promise you,

I will get to the bottom of this.

I won't let you die in vain.

[Ningguta Garrison General's Mansion]

Why is there another death?

What about it?

He was just an exiled convict.

His death is no more significant

than stepping on an ant.

Commander Xu.

This is a serious matter.

That condemned official surnamed Su

used to be a second-rank military attaché.

[Magistrate Wang, Ningguta Magistrate]

[Xu San, Ningguta Garrison General]

Even if he had been ranked up to the heavens,

in Ningguta, he was nothing but a notorious convict.

But he was exiled here

after losing a battle in Nanjing.

You never know when the Emperor might remember him

and reinstate him.

Where would that leave us?

Hurry up and send someone smart

to the settlement

to stabilize the situation.

Gu Pingyuan!

Greetings, Commander Xu.

Greetings, Your Worship.

What exactly happened?

I initially thought

Liu Si was behind this.

Last night, he left in a hurry,

using his son's illness as an excuse.

However,

Su said before he died

that Liu Si never opened the box.

It's possible that before the bidding,

the ginseng had already been taken.

So, in the midst of all this truth and falsehood,

I can't figure it out for the time being, either.

It's indeed odd.

I have a task for you.

Magistrate Wang will personally instruct you.

As you command, Your Worship.

Investigating the whereabouts of the ginseng

is certainly important,

but the cause of Su's death

cannot be treated carelessly.

It must be convincing.

Moreover, everyone,

from top to bottom, must have a unified story.

This matter must not jeopardize

Commander Xu's and my future careers.

Young man.

Make sure to comfort Su's family properly.

In short,

peace and no trouble is the best outcome.

Yes.

This subordinate of yours

truly looks like

someone who can get things done.

This guy,

I have to

keep one eye open watching him even when I sleep.

A mere scholar,

unable to lift with his shoulders or carry with his hands,

yet within dozens of miles around,

just by invoking his name,

convicts from more than a dozen villages outside the city

would risk their lives for him.

[Wu's Settlement, Ningguta]

-Hello, Mr. Gu. -Hello, Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu.

-Hello, Mr. Gu. -Hello, Mr. Gu.

Hello, Mr. Gu.

Hello, Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu.

Hello, Mr. Gu. Hello, Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu!

Twenty large coins!

Mr. Gu, this way please.

♪ As the big drum beats ♪

♪ It goes ding-dong like this ♪

♪ This time, we've lit three lamps ♪

♪ Three lamps ♪

♪ If you're willing, respond to us ♪

Alright!

The filial son, light the lamps!

Light the lamps!

♪ If the old immortal hears us ♪

♪ Don't talk about taking the main road ♪

♪ Crossing the wheel tracks ♪

♪ Or taking the small road ♪

♪ Where there's plenty of dew ♪

♪ Through wilderness, pulling grass in barren lands ♪

[Mrs. Su, Su Shuhe's Wife]

♪ The journey is full of hardships ♪

-♪ Though there are hardships ♪ -Sorry for your loss, Mrs. Su.

♪ Put the hardships and toil aside for now ♪

-♪ The sorghum field ♪ -Mr. Gu.

My husband

died right in front of you,

didn't he?

Yes.

So, when he died...

Did it hurt?

One stab right through the heart.

It didn't hurt.

Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu.

Want a drink?

Why did you leave early yesterday

for no reason?

Si's son

died of twisted bowel syndrome yesterday.

He died?

Mr. Gu.

You're here.

Kind gentlemen.

Please, sit down and have a drink.

Mr. Gu.

I feel troubled inside.

You know, if it weren't for

those harsh words I said,

he wouldn't have died, right?

Don't blame yourself.

His death had nothing to do with you.

Wasn't he said to be from a military background?

He had faced thousands of troops in battle,

yet he couldn't handle a few harsh words?

Don't overthink it.

Well said, Sir.

May I ask your name?

Li Qin.

The "Li" from the four major surnames, Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li,

and the "Qin" from "respectfully comply."

I am Gu Pingyuan.

The "Gu" from "I don't believe there're no sages like ancient times today,"

and

the "Pingyuan" from "Lord Pingyuan."

May I ask about your family background?

My father's first name

is Wantang.

A small-time merchant.

Li Wantang from the capital city.

If he were to be considered just a small-time merchant,

then there would be no big merchants in this world.

These people who came today

are all here to watch the commotion,

except for you, Mr. Li.

If I remember correctly,

you came with a butler.

Where is your butler?

He had our household matters to attend to.

What matters?

Recently in Ningguta,

all checkpoints and docks have been sealed off.

How did your butler

know something happened

back at home?

Could he be some kind of deity,

able to divine the future?

He's in poor health.

Traveling secretly on a snowy night.

The ancients called this "fleeing."

What serious illness does he have

that allows him to manage

a night escape in the snow?

It's unheard of.

If you dare to leave, I'll dare to shout.

But you have no proof.

What do you want?

Yesterday, your butler

took the opportunity to meet Liu Si

when he went to get money from the ship.

The girls in the brothel said so.

It must be true.

So that's how you do business, huh?

Of course the butler did that

under my father's instructions.

I didn't agree with it, you know.

I thought so.

If it were a conspiracy,

why would the butler leave the master behind

to take the blame?

You don't have to

grieve too much

over your friend Su's death.

Such a precious treasure as the ginseng doll

should never have been harvested in the first place.

And it shouldn't have fallen into their hands.

As the saying goes,

"a gentleman's only crime is to carry a jade."

His acquisition of such a treasure

was a misfortune,

not a blessing.

♪ The bereaved returns the courtesy ♪

Gu.

When I respect you,

I call you Mr. Gu.

But when I no longer want to respect you,

you're be nothing more than

a dog of Commander Xu.

You dare kick me?

I'll kill you!

You might as well go a bit lower.

Between the third

and fourth rib.

That's where the knife was stabbed in

when Su killed himself.

Clean and swift.

I don't know how

your heart is formed.

He was such a good man.

How could you bear to betray him?

I didn't do it!

I never took any money!

Say that again, and I'll kill you!

Even when he was dying,

he didn't blame you once.

Didn't you say your son was dead?

Alright,

bring out his body

for me to see right now.

If there is,

you can stab me

as many times as you want.

If I even frown,

I'm not a real man.

Do you dare?

I really didn't do it.

Why won't you believe me?

That young heir named Li Qin,

his butler left the city

last night in a hurry,

taking your child with him,

right?

You want to kill me?

It's useless.

You've lost

your best friend,

and you've also given up on your son.

At such a young age,

you're making him travel

all the way back to the Central Plains from this place of exile?

If the authorities want to catch him

or the enemies come looking for him in the future,

do you think he'll be able to survive?

You didn't even ask for a single penny

and let that butler

take your son away.

Am I right?

Just like you, Su

risked his life

to get the ginseng doll.

He simply wanted

his own son

to return to the Central Plains as soon as possible.

You're both fathers.

How could your heart

be so cruel?

Alright.

Come back with me

and give everyone an explanation.

In this world,

there's no debt that doesn't need to be repaid.

Get up.

Hu?

Si.

Hu!

Hu.

Si...

♪ As the big drum beats ♪

♪ The sound echoes through the sky ♪

♪ Those with poor fate leave their hometown ♪

♪ Following the horse gang to Heyang ♪

♪ Having gone through countless hardships ♪

♪ Paying homage to ♪

♪ The loyal and devoted Lord Guan ♪

With auspiciousness, we travel the world.

[Ningguta]

Wealth keeps us safe!

[Ningguta]

Hear!

[Horse Gang Merchant Caravan, Chang Si]

[Ningguta]

Something's not right.

[Chang Yu'er, Daughter of Merchant Chang Si of the Horse Gang]

[Ningguta]

Call out.

Honorable officials guarding the city gate!

[Horse Gang Merchant Caravan, Heizi]

We're a merchant caravan here to purchase sea salt,

the Jixiang Caravan from Shanxi.

[Ningguta]

Here's our salt license.

Please lower the bridge and open the gate.

After you check our license,

[Ningguta]

we can go find an inn to stay.

[Ningguta]

[Ningguta]

Father.

We can enter the city now.

There's a cavalry.

[Ningguta]

[Ningguta]

Disperse! Everyone, disperse!

Put down your weapons!

I said disperse!

Quickly, disperse!

It's Commander Xu's order that

anyone who gathers to fight

shall be killed!

[Ningguta General]

Mr. Gu.

What is Liu Si's wife doing here?

Isn't the situation bad enough already?

Her husband and son both died.

She insisted on coming here for an explanation.

If it weren't for Liu Si

who sent his son away,

the two settlements wouldn't have gotten in such turmoil.

You're right, Mr. Gu.

Mrs. Su.

Return the body first.

His son didn't die.

He ran away!

We haven't settled this score yet!

What,

Mrs. Su,

is there no room for negotiation?

Hu, come here.

Let me ask you something.

Are you afraid of dying?

I... I am.

What did you just say?

Mrs. Su.

Don't push your luck too far.

A life for a life.

Liu Si has already paid the price.

If you keep

being so relentless,

do you hope his hundred or so men

to be buried together with Su?

Su, throughout his life,

was the most loyal.

He cared for his men.

If he knew from the afterlife

and saw how you're acting now,

acting purely on emotion,

do you think he would rest in peace?

How about this?

You set some conditions.

If there's anything I can help you achieve,

I'll definitely do it.

Is that okay?

You're determined to meddle in this, aren't you?

Yes, I am.

Since we're all in Ningguta,

we're all unfortunate souls.

Please, take a step back.

You must promise me one thing,

and I'll leave immediately.

As for Liu Si,

I'll get his body ready for burial

and return it respectfully.

Go ahead.

On the day you leave,

I'll entrust my son's future

to you.

You can't let him

stay here for the rest of his life.

Take him out of here with you.

You can have him do anything for you.

Anything, really.

Alright.

Then make an oath

to put my mind at ease.

I, Gu Pingyuan, swear

that if I ever return to the Central Plains in this lifetime,

I will definitely take this child with me.

Any food I have will go to him first.

Any clothes I have

will be for him to wear first.

I promise I'll

raise him well to adulthood.

If I break this oath,

may I be struck by lightning

and die young.

Darling!

How could you just die like that?

You didn't even think about me and our child!

Who gave you permission to get up?

Do you know what mistake you've made?

I don't.

You just

took my seal like that

and used it casually like a toy.

How do you expect me,

the garrison general,

to sleep at night?

I wish to help ease your worries, Sir.

The dead can't be brought back,

but what about that ginseng doll?

Did you bring it back for me?

What?

In broad daylight,

do you think you're that blessed

to get to keep such a precious thing?

I certainly aren't that blessed.

But that doll,

I really don't have it.

I heard from the elders that

it's a spiritual object.

Only the virtuous can possess it.

To sell it,

Liu Si and Su Shuhe

removed the red string tied to it

and the needles on it.

It then turned into a spirit

and ran away.

Sir!

Do you even believe it yourself?

Please spare my life, Sir!

I don't know.

Even if you cut off my head,

I still wouldn't know.

Please, Sir!

Give me some more time

to investigate thoroughly. I really will.

Do you know who you are?

I'm not human.

I'm a ghost.

You're the Mountain God, Sir.

And I'm your servant ghost.

I'm starving.

Go find me food.

Get lost.

Put the carts against the wall

after unloading the goods!

Feed the mules in the back!

Got it!

Stack the boxes according to the "Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow" code.

Don't mix them up!

Got it!

Stack them properly.

Check them up.

You've never learned how to heat a brick bed.

Why do you have to try?

Which of you is Mr. Chang?

I am.

May I have your name, Sir?

I am Gu Pingyuan.

I work for Commander Xu.

I came here for a visit.

Alright.

This way, please.

Miss.

The brick bed and the brick stove are connected.

When you're cooking on the stove,

the room will be warmed up as well.

Careful, the smoke could choke you.

Come on in, please.

Have some tea.

What kind of business

do you do, Mr. Chang?

The New Year is approaching,

yet you went on this trip with so many people.

I make a living by running the horse gang, so it's a four-season business.

My wife died early.

I had to raise my daughter while operating the caravans.

As I got older,

I bought a house and some land.

I didn't expect that

since I traveled around my whole life,

I never learned how to manage farms,

and there was a famine.

So I gathered my old employees

to come beyond the pass to transport some sea salt back.

My creditors are stressing me, and I think we can make it back

before the New Year if we push up the pace.

When you're away from home,

you have to rely on friends.

Mr. Gu,

any advice or guidance you can give me,

I'd be deeply grateful for.

You're an experienced businessman, Mr. Chang.

I can hardly offer you any guidance or advice,

and I'm not worthy of being called "Sir."

I'm just an exile.

Knowing that I'm literate and good at accounting,

Commander Xu asked me

to help receive the travelling merchants for him.

Mr. Chang, do you know

what place this is?

Ningguta.

That's right.

The exiles

are sent all the way here,

and only by sheer luck could they survive.

On the way here,

did you see the settlements outside?

They're all military settlements.

That's where they are assigned.

The strong ones

go hunting in the mountains,

hunting wolves,

tigers,

and bears.

Whether they live or die doesn't matter.

What matters is that the wild animals stay alive,

to be put in cages

and taken to Mulan Hunting Ground

for the Emperor

and princes to hunt.

Others dig for ginseng.

They forage in the mountains all year round.

With the slightest carelessness,

they become

food for wild beasts.

This is truly no place for humans.

But here in Ningguta,

there are people even more cruel than God.

You've got to

show some respect.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Gu.

Miss, did you ask for me?

Drop the pleasantries.

Do you know how to build a fire?

See, the logs

should be stacked up like this.

Don't put them over the flames,

or there will be

a lot of smoke.

Lesson learned.

They wouldn't teach me,

and they often make fun of me.

In less than an hour,

this room will be warmed up.

Are you an official or a soldier?

I'm a convict.

A bowl of wine, please.

♪ My love, keep your voice down ♪

♪ I'll go get the door ♪

♪ Greet me with a big smile ♪

♪ I hold my darling's hands ♪

[Manchun Brothel]

Screw you!

♪ I keep calling his name ♪

♪ I take him to my boudoir at midnight ♪

Mr. Li,

is this some sort of exercise?

What exercise?

Give me a hand.

Where are you clothes?

I just gambled in there.

A guy tricked me.

I got a pair of tiger heads,

while my match got two bronze hammers.

But he insisted

that I lost according to the local rules.

He took all my money

and my clothes.

Wait, wait.

[Manchun Brothel]

Coat. Coat.

Give me your coat.

Come in with me.

Let's get your clothes back first.

Get my clothes back?

[Manchun Brothel]

Mr. Gu,

want to have fun here?

Come on in, please.

"Mr. Gu?"

Mr. Gu! Mr. Gu!

Just do it.

Show the dices.

Show them.

Were you

tricked by this guy?

Yes.

Among all Heaven and Earth spirits,

the Gambling God is the most powerful.

Little dice spirits carry the ingots,

one by one into the door.

Claim them all!

[Su Zixuan]