Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 3]

Hurry!

Father!

Father!

Mr. Gu,

you're awake.

I just removed the arrow for you.

It had barbs,

but luckily it didn't hit the bone.

Water.

Yu'er.

Okay.

My father said you can't drink water.

Here,

take in some moisture; it'll make you feel better.

Why am I here?

Yu'er,

go outside and keep watch.

Mr. Gu,

you took such a big risk

to help me get through this trouble.

Please accept my bow.

We were

originally waiting for you at the entrance of Shuangjia Mountain,

but Yu'er

insisted on meeting you at the foot of the mountain.

Thankfully we listened to her,

otherwise we would have missed you.

You're incredibly lucky.

In this heavy snow,

you turned into a popsicle

in just half an hour.

Mr. Chang,

I know you mean well,

but have you thought about the fact that

if they catch up and find out,

it won't just be you—

all your men below

will be dragged down because of me too.

I, Chang Si, have spent my whole life roaming the world.

Not to mention someone who's saved me,

even if we just met by chance,

I can't leave them on the road.

Don't worry.

We'll leave at dawn

and travel without stopping.

We should reach Songshan

before dark.

They won't be able to catch up with us now.

They have elite cavalry.

Even if we leave a night earlier,

within four hours,

they could catch up.

In this snow,

the tracks from the cart

can't be erased.

Hurry, hurry!

Don't move!

Mr. Chang,

I have a way

that we can escape alive.

Those behind, keep up!

Hurry up!

Those in front, stop!

Stop!

-Stop! -Stop!

Stop right there!

Stop! Stop!

Stop!

Follow them!

Dismount!

Stop! Stop!

Surround them!

Commander Xu.

Commander Xu.

What's wrong?

Commander Xu.

Get out of the way!

Move aside!

Make way!

There's nothing in here.

Nothing here either.

I don't have anything here either.

Old man,

what's on the cart?

It's big fish.

Where's the salt?

There's no salt.

Go down and check.

That's not right.

Could it be that you've colluded

to help the exiles escape?

In my entire life,

I've never eaten anything bad

or done anything illegal.

People like us who navigate the world fear getting into trouble with the authorities.

Who would dare help with this?

-I'm telling the truth. -Have you found him?

No!

No!

Impossible!

How could two legs outrun four?

We haven't seen anyone else

along the way.

He must be in the cart.

Sir.

Do you know

the consequences of harboring exiles?

How many lives do I have

that I'd dare do such a thing?

I'm telling you the truth.

Sir,

we were supposed to

go to Jilin today.

How about we wait until you return

and then search carefully?

Everyone, mount up!

Old man,

if we don't find this person,

I'll hold you responsible.

Don't think you can escape.

I'm telling the truth, sir.

Heizi,

hurry up and get on the cart.

Don't cause any trouble!

Heizi,

go to the top of the mountain ahead

and keep watch.

If those people come back,

send a signal immediately.

Be careful.

We can't afford to take any risks.

Got it.

Mr. Chang,

to be on the safe side,

let the cart that is filled with salt go first.

Brothers,

take out

the cooking tools,

break the ice,

and pour the ice pieces into those three carts.

Take your flatbreads,

soak them in sesame oil,

tear them up, and put them in the baskets.

Tie the ropes and put the baskets in the water.

After half an hour, pull the baskets up.

Catch the fish

and load them into the cart.

The terrain here is flat and open.

You can't hide anyone here.

We have no choice but to take a risk.

How did it go?

Did you fool them?

Did you send out

what I asked you to send?

Don't worry.

It's all taken care of.

Let's go.

The salt license

has already been stamped with the city's official seal.

There's another thing

I need your help with, Mr. Chang.

There's a bundle of ledgers outside.

Send someone immediately to deliver it

to the Military Governor of Jilin's residence.

It's the life-saving letter.

The sooner, the better.

[There's a bundle of ledgers outside. Send someone immediately to deliver it]

[to the Military Governor of Jilin's residence. The sooner the better.]

[Shuangjia Mountain]

[For: The Military Governor of Jilin]

[Ningguta]

[Ningguta]

[Military Governor of Jilin]

Move faster!

-Put the box down gently. -Sir.

Sir.

What's wrong?

Speak!

Subordinate greets you, sir.

I have committed a capital offense

for failing to meet you outside the city.

[The Military Governor of Jilin]

I have delayed for a day.

I had planned to head to Jilin

to pay my respects.

What is this?

These are high-grade fox pelts.

These are tiger skins

which were personally handpicked by me.

Each one was shot clean through the eyes with a single arrow,

leaving not a single scratch on the hide.

What is this?

This is ginseng wine.

It's all wild mountain ginseng.

I picked the best ones to soak

and made it for your health.

Any more?

There's more inside.

Quite a good haul.

Give it to him.

[Account of General's Mansion]

Look.

Are these accounts correct?

[Accounts of General's Mansion] [Made by Gu Pingyuan]

What's wrong?

Don't you even recognize your own stuff anymore?

Sir,

those accusations

were made by the prisoners.

It's all fabricated nonsense.

I am completely loyal to you, General.

The man who delivered the ledger

also attached a note.

It says you're corrupt and are abusing your power.

You've treated imperial prisoners

like your personal slaves,

taking what you want and showing no regard for their lives.

If

I don't take action,

he'll report it to the capital.

Gu Pingyuan

is one of your men.

So I need you, my friend,

to take off your hat

and let me conduct a proper investigation.

Sir,

I swear this is absolutely false.

I am an officer appointed by the imperial court.

You can't believe the words of exiles.

The note also accuses

you of supplying horses to the southern rebels.

That's

a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan—

even I could be implicated.

Is there

any truth to this?

None at all.

By order of the Military Governor of Jilin,

Xu San, fourth-rank battalion commander of Ningguta,

is found to be greedy by nature,

colluding with rebels

and grossly derelict in duty,

is hereby

stripped of his rank,

sentenced to 50 lashes,

and sent to the military horse camp for penal labor.

Xu San, fourth-rank battalion commander of Ningguta,

is found to be greedy by nature,

colluding with rebels.

[Songshan Inn]

[Capital Examination Hall, Xianfeng 5,1855]

[Zhigong Court]

My friend,

how do I get to Room 17 in the Xuan section?

Don't wander around,

or you'll get into trouble if the patrol sees you.

I came from Huizhou to find a fellow townsman.

When I left,

his mother was barely

holding on to life.

She asked me that when I found him,

I should make sure to call him back.

This person's surname is Gu,

and his given name is Pingyuan.

The patrol is coming!

[Zhigong Court]

I came from Huizhou to find a fellow townsman.

When I left,

his mother was barely

holding on to life.

She asked me, when I find him,

to make sure I call him back.

This person's surname is Gu,

and his given name is Pingyuan.

I am Gu Pingyuan.

Who was looking for me just now?

I am Gu Pingyuan.

I'm from Huizhou.

Stop!

Who was looking for me just now?

I am Gu Pingyuan.

I'm from Huizhou.

No talking in the examination hall!

Was someone looking for me earlier?

Go!

I am Gu Pingyuan.

The examination hall is filled with scholars.

Could it be that you're arresting thieves?

My elderly mother is gravely ill at home.

My heart is torn with grief.

I need to turn in my exam paper.

I won't take this exam anymore.

Investigate!

For creating a disturbance at the examination hall

and vilifying his superiors,

scholar Gu Pingyuan of Huizhou

is sentenced to 50 blows

and 15 years of exile in Ningguta

for gross insubordination.

-Go! -Go!

You fool.

Someone has set you up.

But I heard it clearly.

His mother is so sick

that she's barely hanging on.

He's so young

and is exiled for 15 years.

What a shame.

Who would want to harm him?

How old is he?

He's getting caught up in this mess.

Exactly.

Why are you crying?

I don't cry.

You can still wipe your tears now.

You scared us all.

You've been talking nonsense,

shouting to fight one moment

and to kill the next.

If someone didn't know better,

they'd think you were a mountain bandit.

I'm thirsty.

I'm thirsty.

What are you doing?

No, no, no.

Be good now.

You've got a fever,

plus that injury, is making it worse.

The cold water has drawn out

all the heat and toxins.

Father and I

have been taking turns looking after you.

The doctor said

these next few days are critical for your recovery.

Let's not talk about this anymore.

I...

Let me tell you a joke.

There was a man

who did many good deeds in his life.

After he died,

he met the King of Hell.

The King of Hell told him,

"You can

choose whichever family you want to be reborn into;

just pick whichever you like."

So he said,

"I want to be reborn into a family that's filthy rich,

no parents,

a sweet wife, pretty concubines,

a lifetime of peace and good fortune,

and a long,

happy life at the end."

The King of Hell then said,

"Buddy,

if a place like that existed,

I'd go myself

and let you take over as King of Hell. How's that sound?"

Not funny, is it?

If I get another life,

I want to be like you—

ride with a band of horsemen,

skip all the studying.

Why are you suddenly talking about this?

You won't die.

Is that so?

Look at you,

always calling yourself a tough guy,

and now you're scared to death of dying.

I've spent my life

traveling around with my father.

I've slept on cliff edges,

run into wolf packs on the plains,

but I was never scared.

Well… Maybe just a little at first,

but then I wasn't afraid anymore.

If I really die,

at least I've got you guys to cry for me,

to bury me.

I'm not afraid.

I'm not afraid.

Let Gu Pingyuan die for all I care.

Haven't we gotten into enough trouble already?

Keeping an exile with us

is grounds for being confiscated and beheaded.

How could you be so reckless?

If it were up to me,

when we get to Shanhai Pass,

we should find a village,

find a family,

give them some money

and let them take care of him.

Whether he survives or not

is no longer our concern.

Right now,

he's seriously sick.

If we leave him,

he'll be doomed.

Then why must we take him with us?

Why are you so angry?

Heizi,

I'm getting old.

In the future,

gather the brothers

continue running the horse caravan.

Remember one thing:

No matter how vast the sky and earth,

nothing is more important than a human life.

Heaven has the virtue of preserving life,

so even if you encounter a stranger who needs help,

you should still help.

Moreover,

he has done us a favor.

If you're scared,

you can leave first.

[Capital]

It's dry today.

The Young Master is back!

The Young Master is back!

Hurry up; go to the main room

and report to the Master!

Let's go!

There will surely be a reward.

Young Master.

Young Master.

-Young Master! -Young Master!

Young Master!

Young Master.

Last month, the butler came back

and said that

you had made a big deal

by yourself.

[Li Mansion]

Seeing you so full of confidence,

I guess the deal was done.

Young Master, the Master requests your presence.

Go directly to the study to meet him.

It looks so good!

Young Master Li Qin,

the Master is waiting for you inside.

I have returned, Father.

I pay my respects to you, Father.

Come in.

Father.

I have returned.

I pay my respects to you, Father.

Is everything settled?

Yes.

Once the horse reaches Liaoyang, someone will take over.

Ms. Su is returning south.

I rushed back overnight

this time.

I know all about it.

Ms. Su sent a letter through someone.

The journey has been smooth so far.

Ms. Su wrote a letter?

What did she say about me?

What do you want to know?

This time, I probably

didn't do anything wrong.

It seems you did everything right.

Father,

what's wrong?

[Merchant of the Capital, Li Wantang]

Why are you dealing with

runaway exiles?

Do you know

the Qing Dynasty's law regarding exiles?

Harboring or concealing an exile is a crime equal to their own.

Our family is prosperous and powerful.

Many people are watching us,

just waiting for us to get into trouble

so they can attack us all at once.

Father,

it's not as serious as you say.

Zhang Guangfa

bought a ginseng doll

and even brought back a child.

I placed the mother and child,

who were entrusted by my brother,

in our pharmacy,

changed their names,

and let them work as apprentices while supporting them.

I wasn't talking about them.

You mean Gu Pingyuan?

Without that fellow,

we wouldn't have made it back at all.

Father,

you haven't met that person,

but I think he's

a righteous

and responsible man.

I just don't know

whether he made it out alive this time.

If he did survive,

I would like to be friends with him.

You want to be friends?

Why do you want to be friends with him?

He brought two people out at once.

If the authorities investigate us,

our whole family could be ruined because of you!

But Ms. Su...

Ms. Su does her thing,

and you should mind your own.

If she wants to rebel,

do you want to get involved too?

She went to buy warhorses,

and I told you to assist her.

Whether she can bring them in or not

is none of your concern.

Why are you acting like you're so important,

even getting others to help?

Father,

whatever I do is wrong anyway.

You're the wisest man under the heavens.

But it wasn't my idea to go there.

It was you who told me

to wait for Ms. Su.

If Ms. Su is a rebel,

what are you?

And now you're blaming me?

What do you think of Ms. Su?

She's a beauty,

sure—

but a cold, venomous one,

like a snake.

And her methods

are ruthless enough to scare people.

I've traveled through half of the country.

I've met all kinds of businesspeople.

She should be considered

the smartest one of them all.

I dare not refuse to help,

nor do I dare to provoke her.

She is the calamity in my fate.

Father,

how did you come to know her?

Why are you

trying so hard to help her?

She is doing nothing more than enticing me with profit.

Businessmen crave money,

scholars crave fame,

and officials crave power.

As long as someone wants something,

it's like jumping off a cliff.

Heaven really lent a hand this time.

The heat toxins

have all been reduced.

Come.

I've become as fragile as paper,

and even drinking a mouthful of porridge takes effort.

You're just recovering from a major injury.

You'll gradually get better.

To survive a great disaster

is to be blessed afterward.

Mr. Chang,

My life

was saved by you.

I'll never forget that for as long as I live.

I don't know if I'll ever get the chance

to repay you.

Don't talk about repayment.

I have spent my whole life navigating the world.

This is the last time

I'll get to save you.

It's a perfect ending for me.

Where is Ms. Chang?

These past few days, I've been in a daze.

But every time I woke up,

she was either brewing medicine

or fetching water, wringing out cloths.

For this worthless life of mine

to receive such blessings is a miracle.

I want to thank her properly.

Let's not talk about her.

Let's talk about you.

What are your plans for the future?

I don't know.

Everyone in my hometown

knows I was stripped of my title

and exiled.

I'm afraid if I suddenly show up,

I'll draw the attention of the authorities.

You should come with me

back to Pingyao.

I'm afraid it's not appropriate.

Fine,

just listen to me.

Who else is in your family?

I have an elderly mother

and a younger brother.

There's also Teacher, Mr. Bai.

Mr. Bai?

Mr. Bai was very kind to me.

He even promised his own daughter

to me in marriage.

Mr. Gu,

didn't you say

you weren't married?

Indeed.

We had agreed to

wait until after the imperial exam before discussing marriage.

I don't know

what they're up to now.

You should rest well

and talk less.

It's bad for your health.

Where are you going?

To deliver medicine.

Sit down there.

I have something to tell you.

Yu'er,

from now on,

you don't need to

take care of Mr. Gu anymore.

Alright.

I'll go wash the medicine pot.

We don't need to find a doctor anymore.

We can just throw him out on the street

and we'll even save on rent.

Stop talking nonsense!

Sit down!

Aren't you the one who wants him to survive?

You risked your life to bring him here.

What I mean is,

your body may be there,

but your heart isn't.

These days,

you've been looking after him day and night.

I've seen it all.

I'm reminding you,

you're still a young lady,

and haven't found a marriage match yet.

I'm old now,

and I can't navigate the world anymore.

In the future,

you need to marry properly.

I don't have a son;

I can only live with you.

You can't

marry an exiled criminal.

Father,

I saved him

not because I want to marry him,

but because Mr. Gu is a good man

and has helped us.

I can't just

watch him die like this.

Let alone he's an exiled criminal,

even if he were a demon or a monster,

I'd still save him today.

It's hot.

[Yanmen Pass of Shanxi]

We're almost home!

Everyone, cheer up!

Look.

That's Yanmen Pass.

The storyteller used to mention

Lord Yang with his golden blade,

leading 7 wolves and 8 tigers

to defend here.

If it weren't for that treacherous official Pan Renmei

deceiving the Double Dragon Society,

how could a

hero of such caliber

have been driven to his death on this mountain?

I really regret it.

He died;

why are you regretting?

I've been following my father around,

always traveling here and there.

I used to complain that

when we listened to stories, we would only hear half of them.

No matter how much we cared,

we'd always leave.

When we came back,

either the storyteller had changed

or they were telling a different story.

Only that year, when the heavy rain

and the horse gang couldn't move on

was I able to listen to the entire story

of "Legend of the Yang Family."

Unfortunately,

all the characters I liked died.

But now, looking back,

those were rare good times.

Look,

these past few days,

my father's been so happy,

and you've been here with me, talking and laughing.

I wonder,

when I look back on these days in the future,

will I feel especially sad?

You probably think I'm just rambling.

My father always says I'm a daydreamer

and never serious.

I think what you're saying is quite right.

The ancients often said,

"Cherish the spring blossoms

and never forget the joy in happy times."

There aren't many

moments of true happiness in life.

The next time your father goes with the horse gang,

I want to follow him,

and learn a bit about business.

My father said that

you're a scholar,

meant to take the imperial exams and become an official.

Business is a lowly trade.

Me, becoming a top scholar?

I've already been stripped of my title.

I'll never have the qualifications

to be a scholar in this lifetime.

In this world, there are scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

But who says a merchant

is any less than a scholar?

Do you think that if I beg your father

to take me as his student

and teach me about business,

he would agree?

My father would surely be delighted.

If he won't teach you,

I can!

Brother Gu.

Let me ask you something.

Go ahead.

You escaped and traveled so far

just to

learn business from my father?

If I said yes,

I would be lying to you.

The truth is

that all these hardships I've been through

are too strange.

I still can't figure out why they happened.

But in this lifetime,

even if it costs me my life,

I must find out the truth.

What?

When I was a child,

my father left for the imperial examination

and never returned.

When it was my turn to go to the capital

for the examination,

my mother repeatedly urged me

to do whatever it takes

to find out what happened to my father.

I went to the capital

and searched everywhere without success.

After that,

something went wrong in the examination hall.

I always feel there's a hand behind all this,

an invisible hand

striking deadly blows at both my father and me.

As for the rights and wrongs

of what truly happened,

if I hadn't escaped

and remained in Ningguta,

I could have racked my brains forever to no avail.

Then where will you uncover the truth?

At first, I only thought of

escaping first and worrying about the rest later.

But now, truly an exile,

I find the world vast yet there's nowhere to run.

I'm truly caught between a rock

and a hard place.

Gu,

you're a good man.

There are paths everywhere for people to travel.

Perhaps you should settle here for now.

and learn some business?

Wait until the imperial court grants amnesty,

then it won't be too late to move on.

Why sigh and lament so much?

You're right.

My scholarly bitterness

is showing again.

Prepare to go down the mountain!

We're almost home.

[Yingxun Pavilion]

[Pingyao, Shanxi]

[Yingxun Pavilion]

Long time no see, Mr. Chang.

Where have you been making your fortune?

Making money, making money.

Heizi, you're back!

Hello, Mr. Chang!

Hello.

Happy early New Year, Mr. Chang.

Wish you prosperity, Mr. Chang.

May you prosper, Mr. Chang.

Wishing you prosperity!

Mr. Chang, wish you wealth and prosperity.

Mr. Chang, you're back!

Mr. Chang,

it's been a while since we last met.

[Bandit's Bane]

Haven't you seen silver before?

My goodness, look at that mountain of silver!

It must weigh thousands of catties.

[Proprietor of Taiyufeng, Wang Tiangui]

No wonder it's called Bandit's Bane.

Who on earth could move all that?

This is Wang Tiangui's draft bank.

The most heartless bastard

in all of Pingyao.

If it weren't for him,

my father wouldn't have ended up

exiled to that freezing wasteland.

Let's go.

What happened to Mr. Chang?

What's going on?

Two years ago, my father

had already decided to stop traveling around.

He bought a house

and leased two acres of government salt fields.

Wang Tiangui

heard it form someone

that

our house

was built on the dragon's head of Pingyao County,

the most prosperous location.

He tried to buy it several times,

but my father refused to sell.

So he instigated that scoundrel Li

to file a complaint at the government office.

The county magistrate

was also bribed by him.

The case was shelved without ever being heard,

and they sealed off our salt fields.

They said we couldn't sell any salt until the case was settled.

It nearly ruined our entire family.

Butler,

Mr. Chang has returned?

Four salt carts returned first yesterday.

[Butler of Prince Pingyao's Mansion]

He just went over there.

I saw a

young man

among the horse gang,

who looked unfamiliar.

Go check it out.

Mr. Gu!

Take a look at my courtyard house.

It's the best quadrangle

in all of Pingyao.

Great feng shui,

gathers good energy.

Show off your skills.

This is the reception hall.

Go.

Let me take you inside for a look.

Mr. Gu.

This is the back courtyard.

Mr. Chang.

Please try

this freshly opened aged wine.

Good wine.

Come, smell it.

In our Shanxi tradition, when a daughter is born,

we bury fifty pounds of wine.

We dig it up and drink it on her wedding day—

it's called "Daughter's Red."

For a son, it's "Scholar's Red."

These jars here

are the finest goods,

brewed from the top distillery in Pingyao.

Let's enjoy it tonight.

I want to see you all under the table by the end of it!

Yes, Mr. Chang.

Thank you, Mr. Chang.

[Chang]

Thank you, Mr. Chang.

Come.

Come, brothers.

This is the back courtyard.

This is the main house,

the master's position,

where the male owner lives.

This is the west wing,

where Yu'er lives.

And this east side

is the raised area,

a place for drinking tea and socializing.

Heizi.

Did you pay for the salt?

Don't worry,

I've settled all payments and brought back the money.

Quickly prepare the red envelopes.

Early tomorrow morning,

everyone will be going home for New Year.

Add one more measure.

Everyone

gets an extra 10 percent.

But I'm afraid

it's still not enough

to repay Wang Tiangui's bank money.

Where there are people, there is money.

Everyone has followed us through ice and snow,

living in fear for so long.

It doesn't matter if we get less ourselves.

Alright.

Don't stop me!

Is old Chang here?

I'm telling you,

tell him to come out right now

and return my salt field!

What's going on?

Mr. Chang,

it's Li Laizi and...

Wang Tiangui's bank butler.

I'll drive them away right now.

New Year is coming soon.

How can we drive people away at this time?

Be polite

and invite them in.

Alright.