Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 8]

Do you know who he is?

He is the greatest warrior of the Qing Empire,

the commander of the Bao Regiment,

Bao Qingde.

He came here specifically

to thank Mr. Gu.

He deposited all of Pingyao's

allocated funds in Wanyuan Bank.

Even

the provincial governor's office wouldn't dare

ask a single question about that money.

It seems Li Baiwan

really has

put down roots in Pingyao.

He should thank you three.

Boss!

That wasn't our intention.

Stop it.

I don't care

if it was your intention or not.

It was you three

who drove him away.

And this is the result.

If you three

still want to stay in this business,

go home,

think carefully,

review your accounts thoroughly,

and then come to me for verification.

If you can explain

every account clearly,

I might be able to help you think of a way out.

If you can't,

then go home

and be prepare to live a hard life

with your children.

Like smashing soybeans on a stone slab—

it's a head-on collision.

You two have turned

the entire city upside down.

Not quite upside down.

We just poked a hole in it.

This Mr. Gu

does business the way

a general commands troops.

Honestly,

I was really nervous a few days ago.

We spent money renting those warehouses,

and inside were just

pots and pans

and a pile of broken water jars.

It was absolutely killing me.

You're absolutely right about that.

Gu,

think about it.

I, Bao,

risk my life on the battlefield.

If someone

chops off

my head,

wouldn't your 1,000 taels

be wasted?

Say it!

Be honest with me!

General Bao, someone like you,

wearing a Imperial Yellow Jacket

and carrying a waist sword,

is worth far more than 1000 taels.

Forgive me for saying this,

but if you were to die for our country,

I could take your

Imperial Yellow Jacket and waist knife

to the Marshal's camp.

Even if I asked

for two or three thousand taels,

the Marshal would have to buy them back.

Cunning!

Cunning.

Very cunning indeed!

You two young fellows

are truly something.

I can now say

I've seen true heroes

and haven't lived in vain!

Do you think...

that by stirring things up

and punching a hole in Pingyao,

you can get yourself out of trouble now?

Get out of trouble?

As long as my case isn't dismissed,

no matter where I go,

I'll still be a criminal.

If I could

get those who got involved because of me out of this,

I wouldn't mind dying.

Don't talk nonsense.

If nothing else works,

come back to Beijing with me.

My father may know what to do.

The name Li Baiwan

isn't just for show.

He knows so many ministers and nobles.

Helping you clear your name

wouldn't be difficult.

At worst...

At worst, I'd kneel and beg him.

A man's dignity is worth more than gold.

How can you say that?

Doing business with you

gives me great satisfaction.

If you get caught by the government,

they'll send you back.

You'd better keep your distance from me.

Do you know who I really am?

Do you know what crimes I've committed?

Everyone who's been close to me

has already been implicated because of me.

We should

go our separate ways

from now on.

Actually,

the reason I stirred you up

to cause so much trouble was

simply so we could use each other.

You could establish yourself in Shanxi,

and I

could save the people

I wanted to save.

That's all.

As for being friends,

I don't deserve that.

I'll be going now,

Mr. Li Qin.

Gu...

You're here.

Come.

Sit down.

I came for Mr. Chang.

You want that mansion, right?

Take it.

I even brought the deed.

Today,

I also helped you foil the pawnshop's scheme.

This deal can be considered complete, right?

Complete?

Of course it is.

I still have another task for you.

That's not how business works.

How business is done is up to me.

As for Chang Si's house,

I don't want it anymore.

Take back the deed.

Keep it for yourself

or give it to him—

it's a reward for both of you.

However,

I can't

release him.

You still need to help me with something else.

Have you heard of

King Li's treasure?

It is said that after Li Chuang captured the capital,

he gathered 70 million taels of silver

under the name of redemption funds.

Later, his army was utterly defeated,

so he abandoned Chang'an

and fled to Hunan and Guangzhou.

When passing through Shanxi, he was pursued by the Qing army.

To escape,

he abandoned all this silver

in a mountain valley.

In that valley,

there were eight households.

Stumbled upon this windfall,

they began generations of business from then on.

The Eight Families have stood firm

from the late Ming dynasty to today,

all because

they relied on King Li's Treasure.

No matter what disasters came,

they could turn misfortune into fortune with this treasure.

Now I want you to get into the Eight Families

and help me find this treasure.

Look.

Taiyufeng has a new manager.

He looks quite young.

I heard he is a close confidant of Mr. Wang

and very capable.

The boss of our bank

is personally welcoming the manager.

Manager, please take a seat.

Ledgers Passing!

[Taiyufeng General Ledger]

[Taiyufeng General Ledger]

The manager has checked the ledgers!

Congratulations, Boss!

As all streams flow to the sea,

you've acquired the finest talent in the land.

You can rest easy from now on.

Congratulations, Boss!

Congratulations, Boss!

-Congratulations! -Congratulations!

Congratulations!

Heizi,

where have you gone to fight?

Didn't Father say

not to pick fights?

People like me

can only fight.

I'm not as clever as him.

Who made you angry this time?

Taiyufeng has a new manager starting today.

Did you know?

I don't go out.

How would I know?

The new manager

is Gu Pingyuan, the one our father

saved at the risk of his life.

He's all dressed up and decent,

drinking with the magistrate.

Looking so impressive.

It's true our father saved him.

But he also saved you guys.

He... he is... he...

Can you stop defending him

all the time?

I just feel that

once he got rich, he changed his attitude.

Our father

is still in prison.

Then what do you expect him to do?

Break into the prison?

Heizi,

you wouldn't dare either, right?

Or should he

stay home and cry with me?

It's not as if I'm short of company.

He's a good guy.

He's great. He's the best.

A fugitive, living comfortably

like a big shot,

while our father spent his whole life helping others

and is now sitting in a cell.

Come with me later to bring him food.

And stop saying such foolish things.

[Shixingdang]

Isn't he from Wanyuandang?

The young master of the Li family in the capital.

Mr. Li Qin!

What is he doing here?

He's from Wanyuandang,

right?

I didn't get the chance to congratulate you.

Please forgive me.

Sit down.

Let me introduce everyone.

This is my friend,

Mr. Li Qin, a manager

who works for Li Baiwan in the capital

and the head of Wanyuandang.

This is Li Baiwan's son.

Manager,

since we have such a distinguished guest,

shouldn't you introduce him to us?

This is the head of Wanyuandang,

Mr. Li Qin.

And this is my boss,

Mr. Wang.

Old Mr. Wang,

I've long admired you.

You flatter me.

I am Wang Tiangui,

and I'm not that old.

What a decent young man.

I heard you're the young man

who drove my pawnshop and draft bank

into the red

and thrown

the entire Pingyao

into complete chaos.

Kid,

look around.

See how these people can hardly wait

to eat you alive?

Mr. Wang,

I wouldn't dare.

I only seek a place to stand.

I came here as a student to learn the trade.

A student, you say?

Very well.

Move this stool over

today,

and you'll have your place

in Pingyao.

But remember,

those little tricks—

you'd better stop them, right?

Of course.

I apologize if I've offended you.

Please forgive me.

From now on,

I will listen to Mr. Wang

and put an end

to all those antics.

Enjoy.

There's more if you need it.

Something interesting happened recently.

Dozens of appraisers have come to Pingyao.

What do you think they're here for?

Dozens of appraisers and managers

suddenly came to Pingyao,

this small county.

I'm afraid

Ms. Su, the one close to you,

is behind it.

It's my honor

to have you all here

in Pingyao.

Everyone present

is among the most senior

pawnshop appraisers

and draft bank managers in Shanxi.

You rarely step out of your doors.

A toast to you.

Why are my family in Nanjing?

What's going on here?

Really?

What's written on yours?

When I left home,

everything was fine.

Really?

-Yeah. -What happened?

Who did this?

I've paid you well

to come.

If you want to know how big this deal is—

well,

it's a big one.

In business,

some pursue wealth,

some pursue fame.

I pursue the country.

I come from the south.

The south?

None of you in this room

can escape

the charge of

colluding with the enemy.

Here.

Here's to

this accusation.

Let's drink together.

Bro,

this woman is not simple.

Stay away from her.

Otherwise,

it could bring disaster to your whole family.

I've wanted to tell my father the same thing,

but he won't listen.

What about you?

What about me?

You're now

the manager of Taiyufeng—

[Taiyufeng]

a position so many envy.

Apart from the Eight Families in Hedong,

the most powerful person in this region

is Mr. Wang.

So now that you've taken this post,

are you going to follow its rules

and start opposing me

from now on?

I'm just playing along,

nothing more.

Why don't you

just resign your position

and come work at my Wanyuandang?

Or I could write to my father

and have the charges against you dropped.

Anyway, as long as you

remain manager here for a day,

I won't feel at ease for a day.

Wanyuandang

doesn't want an enemy like you.

I also don't want

an enemy like you.

I appreciate your kind offer.

But right now,

I still have some unfinished business.

If one day I find myself with nowhere to turn,

don't forget what you said.

The country is divided in two,

and the Resistance Army already controls half.

Jiangnan is the wealthiest region,

but after years of war

and turbulence,

even the draft banks and pawnshops in Nanjing

are completely gone.

And there's Zhejiang,

Suzhou, Yangzhou,

Zhenjiang, Ningbo—

which of these places

wasn't rolling in wealth?

Now they're all desolate in terms of commerce.

The Resistance Army intends

to reorganize Jiangnan's finances

and get commerce flowing,

but many of those skilled in running draft banks and pawnshops

have either died or fled.

For a time, we couldn't find many of them.

That's why I invited you here.

Those of you who are willing to go south

to make a living—

I can help

send your families to Nanjing

and settle them properly

with absolute safety.

Once you're there,

you can select prime shop locations,

hire capable assistants,

start new draft banks, and be your own boss.

The initial funds will be provided by the Resistance Army.

And your descendants can take the imperial exams

and become officials in the south.

Those who do well

might even earn a noble title.

That makes some sense.

In these turbulent times,

could such a good opportunity really exist?

If it's true...

I guarantee you

that within 3 years,

money will be flowing in the south.

After 3 years,

if you want to stay in the south, you can stay,

and if you want to come back,

I can make that

happen too.

[Li Mansion]

Why didn't you tell me about

such a major matter as the allocated funds?

I only just received the news.

General Bao Qingde

has given all the allocated funds of Pingyao

to Young Master's bank—

millions of taels of military funds every year.

Those draft banks in Pingyao

are absolutely jealous.

This kid.

He only focuses on business

without leaving himself any way out.

You yourself said

that no one in this world gives way to others.

Whether it's storefront pawning,

door-to-door pawning,

or clergy-oriented pawning,

without such a reputation,

how could anyone land a deal like this?

In ancient times, a man offered

1000 gold coins to buy a horse's corpse to show sincerity.

In less than a month, Young Master

achieved so much.

You should praise him.

Praise him?

This is a victorious start.

Don't you think?

That's true.

He hasn't been in Shanxi long

and has already made such a breakthrough.

It's truly remarkable.

Can I say this

to Young Master?

Don't praise your own people.

Any other news from Shanxi?

Young Master wrote that Gu fellow

has already returned to the pawnshop.

They've each settled in their positions now.

How should we

reply to Young Master?

Write back and tell him

that friends in business

are the least trustworthy people

in the world.

Boss.

Forgive me.

How does it feel to be

the manager of Taiyufeng?

My position is precarious.

I just perform whatever role

you assign me.

Are you

interested in Chang Si's daughter?

How could you say that?

What's my status now?

And what's hers?

How could I be interested in her?

It doesn't matter if you are.

You're now

the head manager of Taiyufeng.

You can afford to spend lavishly.

I'll give you wealth and honor.

Do you want it?

You know where I came from.

The people locked up there

are all men of wealth.

That taught me one thing:

in this world,

nothing matters

more than staying safe.

In 10 days,

representatives of the Eight Families will gather at Jinyang Villa.

Among these Eight Families

is the Kang family.

They lost His Highness's military supplies.

The imperial court is furious.

This time the imperial court will definitely punish them.

The Kang family

has been in the bodyguard business for generations

and is very wealthy,

but now

they have no choice but to sell off their property.

Do you think they're selling property?

What they're selling is their business name and reputation.

I understand what you mean.

You want to go all in—

buy out the Kang family,

join the ranks of the Eight Families,

and get your share

of King Li's Treasure.

But even if you know

where the treasure is,

what could you possibly do?

After all, that treasure

is jointly controlled by the Eight Families.

People say you're a nerd,

and you really are.

What is money?

A small amount of money can reach the gods,

and a vast amount

is the god itself!

Ms. Yu'er.

Where are you going?

Don't touch me.

It's getting cold.

Put it on.

Did my clothing offend you?

You look quite pleased with yourself.

I haven't seen you in so long.

Mr. Chang is in jail.

I'm worried too.

But what good would it do for me to go back?

Should I cry with you face to face?

But you still didn't come,

leaving me there guessing alone.

Heizi—

you know him.

He never thinks before he speaks.

You look drunk,

not at all like someone about to cry.

What?

In your eyes,

am I someone who only cares about wealth?

You think I want to be stranded in a strange land?

You think I want to be this

puppet manager?

How is Pingyao a strange land?

I was born here.

I...

I mean...

My home is in Huizhou,

and now I can't go back.

So I can't fulfill my filial duty to my mother.

So for me, Pingyao

is indeed a strange land.

You're always so clever with words.

Anyway, nothing I say seems right.

You're driving me crazy.

My father is sick,

sometimes better, sometimes worse.

He lives there without sunlight.

Though he's treated better than other convicts,

it's still a prison.

I told him to rest well,

yet he asks about you every day.

How am I supposed to answer that?

Tell him you're the head manager now,

dressing all fancy every day

and wearing a big black cloak?

Just tell Mr. Chang that.

See if he believes it.

As for you,

don't keep listening to all that gossip.

It's all just for show.

Only a fool would believe it.

I'm not a fool.

Although I said that to you,

I don't really believe it.

I told Heizi

that if you were a person chasing wealth,

you would have stayed on the grasslands.

I...

I'm just anxious.

Alright.

Stop talking nonsense.

Didn't I tell you last time?

Wang Tiangui asked me

to complete two tasks for him.

Only when they're done will he release Mr. Chang.

Someone's upstairs.

You keep saying the same thing over and over.

Get lost, Gu!

What?

It's so cold today.

Keep it for yourself

so you can live a long life!

You ungrateful thing!

Get lost!

This was given to me by a Russian.

This...

This... this...

What's with all this stammering?

You, a young master, have no clue

about doing a thief's job.

Someone's been sitting here for ages,

and you didn't even notice.

I wasn't born to be a thief.

I'm just curious.

Curious?

What do you want to know?

Was it you who sent those dozens of people

over there?

To the south of the Yangtze River?

You really are a rebel?

Didn't you already know that? Why ask?

And my father still listens to you?

Doesn't he know that dealing with

someone like you

could get our whole family executed?

Well said.

You truly are a filial son.

Shouldn't you ask your father

why he listens to me?

Why are you here interrogating me?

Yes.

Of course I'll ask him.

But I want to ask you first.

You must know the reason.

Of course I do.

But your father

told me not to tell you.

He said you're just a child.

You want to know

why I came to Pingyao with you?

Now you know.

I have my own business.

You should

just do your job as the young master.

Don't cause trouble.

Before we left, I told your father

it didn't matter whether you could make a profit or not.

If you lose, just see it as a joke.

The bigger the joke,

the better it works as a cover for me.

No wonder.

Of course.

If it weren't for you stirring things up here

and drawing everyone's attention,

gathering all those people

would have made me too suspicious.

Come to think of it,

you made a great contribution.

If we get a chance to go to the south,

I'll make sure to reward you properly.

You've finished your business.

Now leave.

My father is extremely wealthy.

Even if he owed you any favors,

they should be repaid by now.

Go.

You're quite amusing, kid.

There's no way I'd ever let your father go—

and now I won't let you go either.

You really think I wouldn't dare pull the trigger?

If you're going to do it,

at least choose something that works.

This is a gift from my friend.

It's never been loaded.

Every time I play with it,

I polish it carefully for hours.

Put it away.

You're holding it so carelessly.

Aren't you afraid it'll hurt my heart?

Put it back.

You just won't listen.

Seriously.

You've gotten it all dirty.

There's no bullets in it. Who are you trying to scare?

Next time you enter my room,

I'll put a bullet in your head.

Get out.

Stop.

Tomorrow, bring more men

and get the carriages and horses ready.

We're going to Jinyang Villa.

The Kang family of the Eight Families of Hedong

is selling their property.

I'm determined to get it.

And tell your friend

that if he doesn't want to be sent back to Ningguta,

he'd better not cause trouble for me.

[Jinyang Villa]

Excuse me, are First Master Jin and First Madam Jin

at home?

I'm the manager of Taiyufeng.

My name is Gu Pingyuan.

This is my calling card.

[The Eight Families of Hedong, First Madam Jin]

The manager of Taiyufeng is so young.

That old dog Wang Tiangui

must be blind.

Could you please deliver my card?

I am First Madam Jin.

Come in.

I've heard so much about you.

It's an honor seeing you.

Manager Gu,

please have a seat.

I'll attend to my husband while he takes his medicine

and then come back to talk to you.

So you like stones too, Manager Gu?

They have a certain rustic charm.

Do you know

the history of these stones?

They're Taihu stones,

transported from Taihu Lake.

Partly right,

and partly wrong.

These

were the stones personally chosen by Emperor Huizong

of the Northern Song Dynasty.

He gathered rare stones from all over the land

to be shipped back to Bianjing.

But before the boats arrived,

the dynasty fell.

The boatmen, to save their lives,

dumped all these stones

into the Yangtze River.

And the river washed over them for hundreds of years.

My husband loves stones too.

He spent five years

having all of them salvaged.

Truly a man of great wealth.

These are national treasures.

National treasures?

If you ask me,

they're nothing but things

that ruin families and nations.

In famine years,

they're not even worth a steamed bun.

Madam,

that's a very insightful view.

Save the flattery.

My husband is in poor health.

Didn't you just see it?

Yes.

I didn't expect he's...

I came at an unfortunate time.

He's been like this since he was young.

He's simply too clever,

too skilled in business,

and he stole heaven's secrets.

At his age, he's already

like a candle flickering in the wind,

a lamp caught in the rain.

He has no son,

and his siblings are a complete mess.

Everything falls on me alone. Sit.

Please sit down.

Let's talk business.

My boss sent me specifically

to pay respects to everyone from the Eight Families.

He wishes to use his own funds

to buy all of the Kang family's property

and help them

survive their present hardship.

What else?

Our boss also said that

the Eight Families of Hedong have been prominent

in the Qing Empire's business world for more than 200 years

and have been leaders among merchants across the country.

He holds your families in great admiration.

If he can take this opportunity

to buy out the Kang family,

would you be willing to help him

gain a place among the Eight Families?

It would also be a way

to contribute to the country.

Wang Tiangui

would never say such things.

Mr. Gu, you're an educated man.

These are your words, aren't they?

Yes.

It's polite talk,

but it's also truly what I think.

The Eight Families?

What Eight Families?

We've long been scattered to the winds.

Master Sun from Sun family in southern Shanxi

and the Li family in northern Shanxi—

they all have more influence

than our Jin family.

But...

Meeting you today

is already a great honor.

Since that's the case,

I won't trouble you further.

I'll take my leave now.

I, Gu Pingyuan, Manager of Taiyufeng,

am here to pay my respects to you, Mr. Li.

[The Eight Families of Hedong, Li Zhongdeng]

Please.

Fujian rock tea?

It really is the finest tea in the world.

You know tea?

[Beauty of Spring]

I'm from Huizhou.

I grew up in tea fields.

I've sampled a little with my family.

Since you know tea, you're not a fool.

Let me ask you.

What makes you think

that Taiyufeng can enter the Eight Families of Hedong

just by buying the Kang family's property?

Is Wang Tiangui alone

richer than all of us?

Of course not.

The Eight Families of Hedong

have always looked after each other.

Why would we need outsiders bringing in money?

Wang Tiangui thinks

he can compete with us,

doesn't he?

No, not at all.

Let me ask you another question.

Mr. Li,

I've long admired your reputation.

I came specially today to meet you.

You're the host and I'm the guest.

Would you allow me to say a few words as well?

Go ahead.

As you said,

the Eight Families have always looked after each other.

The other seven families are wealthy beyond measure.

They could easily spare a fraction of their wealth

to cover the deficit the Kang family is facing.

So why has the Kang family

been forced to sell its property?

But anyway,

Taiyufeng

is the wealthiest household in Pingyao.

Even if we join the Eight Families,

at least we wouldn't bring you any shame.

Yet Madam Jin spoke vaguely,

and you turned me away

outright.

Has our boss

offended you somehow?

Or is there something else

behind all this?

That old guy Wang Tiangui...

I never admired him before.

But now I suppose...

I admire him a little.

How did he manage to get someone like you

working for him?

I am Li Zhongdeng.

I'm paying my respects to you this time.

Please.

This way.

Please come in.

Mr. Gu, come.

Ms. Su.

I should have come to pay my respects long ago.

Today I finally meet you.

Why should you pay respects to me, Mr. Gu?

You stirred up

such a commotion in Shanxi.

I'm truly impressed.

If it weren't

for your clever tricks

making the merchants of Pingyao

fall ill,

I wouldn't have had my hands free to do all this.

In a sense,

I ought to thank you.

Have a seat.

Let's sit down and talk.

Wang Tiangui is determined to succeed this time.

If you want to buy it,

please give me a chance.

We're brothers.

Of course I can give you a chance.

But she's the one who's buying it.

Kang,

explain to everyone

why you insisted on sending out notices

to wealthy merchants across the country

to buy your family's property.

[The Eight Families of Hedong, Jin Wencai]

[The Eight Families of Hedong, Kang Suyuan]

There are no outsiders here today.

Make it clear to us.

If you can't explain yourself,

don't even think about leaving this room.

[The Eight Families of Hedong, Sun Yucheng]

Rumors have been spreading

that the Eight Families

are guarding King Li's Treasure,

and the stories

have grown more and more outrageous.

The imperial court

is now watching us.

They can't raise funds for the war in the south.

This time our family was transporting

His Highness's military supplies,

and somehow

a big fire burned everything down.

Our opponent is clearly keeping an eye

on how much property our family owns.

If I quietly

use your money

to repay it,

the imperial court's suspicions

will be confirmed.

Everyone,

if the Kang family doesn't go bankrupt now,

the Eight Families

will truly be finished.

The imperial court

will definitely strike us hard.

I might as well sell everything

and go home to look after my children and tend the land,

which would be much easier.

Don't you think so?

That makes sense.

You've suffered a lot, Kang.

Here, get up first.

Kang,

this isn't the right way.

Do you think that if you sacrifice your family to ease the trouble,

the imperial court won't suspect you?

Not necessarily.

Can't you see?

Everyone outside

is only after

King Li's Treasure.

Buying the Kang family's property is just an excuse.

Their real goal is to get into the Eight Families

and find out

where the treasure is.

Then let them buy it.

Once they do,

they'll realize

it's not like it seems.