Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 26]

We should expand

our business outwards together—

only this is the way to success.

Why waste our efforts in fighting each other?

Cooperation?

Sounds good.

Let's join forces

to make money from foreigners.

Isn't it nice?

The East India Company has monopolized

the tea trade and pharmaceutical industry

in East Asia.

It's a business colossus.

What do you think are my odds

of winning if I go confront them?

I'll probably

be chewed up and spit out.

How is it a business colossus,

since it's essentially a reseller?

If I were as capable as you are, Mr. Li,

I would definitely

fight them head-on.

Or is it...

that you're losing courage

as you're getting older?

I have an idea—

to incite the tiger to eat the wolf.

That is, to pit the foreigners against each other.

Old Master Hu should be awake now, after sleeping

for a day and a night, right?

It no longer matters if he's awake or not.

The majority of the tea merchants

are now waiting outside

for a conversation with you.

Bypassing the tea merchants' association

to purchase tea leaves from sellers one by one

is by no means possible.

Now that Old Master Hu is sick,

we should go visit him.

Son!

Let's go.

Good morning, Old Master Li.

Mr. Li is going to visit

the sick Old Master Hu.

Let's all join him.

Let's go.

Don't forget what we agreed on.

We must not tolerate it If Old Master Hu

still stubbornly sticks to his opinion.

This issue concerns

your lives and wealth.

Got it.

Smarten up.

Sure, sure.

I'll make proper arrangements now.

[Detachment]

Sir...

Send a message upstairs.

Just say Master Li Wantang from the capital

is here to visit Old Master Hu.

Everyone,

let's go in.

Hold on, please!

Allow me to notify the master first.

Come here, you.

What are you doing?

Cut this crap out!

Let's invite Mr. Li in.

Come on.

Master.

Keep up.

This is

all thanks to you.

Don't mention it.

Master Li, your presence here

is truly...

The visitor should call on the host first.

That's the rule.

Old Master Hu, upon hearing

about your ailments,

I decided to pay you a visit.

Shall we sit down and talk?

Let me introduce you to a new friend...

No need, Old Master Hu.

You must be Li Million from the capital.

I've heard much about you.

My surname is Wu.

I'm from Hangzhou.

Wu Caishen, the God of Wealth!

[Top Tea Under Heaven]

Please don't call me that.

I'm only running a small bank.

[A businessman from Zhejiang, Wu Caishen]

My friends gave me

that nickname as a compliment.

I dare not answer to it.

Come on.

Take a seat.

What?

Mr. Wu, do you plan to venture

into tea business?

I don't have what it takes.

I'm a silk merchant.

This time, I'm just helping a friend

to transport tea leaves.

That's why

I'm here asking Old Master Hu

for a favor.

Well, I'm so flattered.

What kind of favor?

Who has so big an appetite

to take all the tea leaves

of the entire Anhui province?

Mr. Wu, may I ask

who is this friend of yours?

How is he qualified to fight Mr. Li

over Anhui tea leaves?

To be honest,

I've never met

this man in person.

Despite all that, he and I have been

in contact for a long time.

I've heard positive comments about him

from many of my friends.

So, this time,

I'm happy to be of help

to him.

As for his name...

I have such a bad memory.

A carrier pigeon brought me a note yesterday.

I recorded the content on my fan.

Let me check it out.

By order of Mr. Gu Pingyuan,

head of Shanxi Merchants' Association,

silver bullion is needed

for the purchase of all the spring tea that can be offered

by Anhui Tea Merchants' Association,

which shall be sent by sea

to Huating Shiliupu Pier.

Dear friend, please help with it in your capacity.

I will thank you in person.

This good friend of mine

is the most influential tea merchant in Shanxi.

I wonder...

if he's qualified to make this purchase.

He's from the Eight Families.

A prominent figure as he is

even sells tea leaves to as far as Mongolia.

He's certainly qualified for the deal.

Mr. Wu, have you

already transported the tea leaves?

I wouldn't dare to postpone it, would I?

Of course it has been done.

Alright.

Go on with your talk.

I'm heading to Shiliupu Pier

to check things out.

Wait.

Stay for...

Something seems off.

Why must the tea leaves

be delivered to Shiliupu Pier?

For a business deal with foreigners?

Isn't it a blatant violation of the law

of the Qing government?

Master,

let's inform

the Shanghai authorities.

Such disrespect to the law

of the imperial court

is outrageous!

Thank you for saving me.

I feel so honored.

I hope one day

I can go to India

with you, Captain.

It's a real honor to have your support this time.

And... they would like

to go to India

with you together.

Come to India?

What a wonderful idea.

Sir,

I understand that you believe this transaction...

The captain is saying

that your visit to India is warmly welcome,

and that he appreciates the generous

shipping payment

you've offered.

He hopes to repay your kindness

someday.

Tell him this:

as an old Chinese saying goes,

"reciprocity is always expected."

If possible,

we would very much like to do business

in the UK and other countries.

We hope that one day,

we can afford a large ship

and bring him over

with it for a fun trip,

after he retires.

Chinese people say,

"it's impolite not to return..."

This black liquid

tastes weird.

Pretend to have got used to it.

This is killing me.

Don't they have tea here?

British people drink tea

with milk.

That'll make you feel even worse.

Captain!

If I may...

I must interrupt

your conversation with these two Chinese gentlemen.

Sir,

you come here for?

Who is that?

Mr. Hart, from the customs office.

He's saying...

that you, Mr. Gu, are

doing business with foreign merchants

against the imperial court's orders.

The customs office

will not let this ship

set sail.

This foreigner must be anxious,

for trying to halt our ship.

This is a warship.

How is he able to stop it from sailing?

If I may...

Mr. Gu,

you truly excel in

devising schemes.

You've even tricked the customs office

of the Qing Empire.

I can't believe

this foreigner is so fluent in Mandarin!

You smell of vinegar.

There's no doubt

that you're a rustic Shanxi man.

I-I...

He's probably a better debater than you.

Gu Pingyuan,

do you admit your guilt?

Sir,

what am I guilty of?

Come with me. I'll tell you.

Gu Pingyuan.

I'm an official of the Qing Empire—

is that something you acknowledge?

Of course I do.

Greetings, Mr. Hart.

Sir,

did you drag me here

just to assert your authority?

This is your last warning.

A family has its rules, and so does a country.

You've offended the law of the imperial court.

What?

Are you done doing business in the Qing Empire?

Sir,

I don't get it.

Please enlighten me.

All the tea leaves,

medicine, porcelain, and silk

exported by the Qing Customs Office

are procured and sold by the imperial court.

This practice began

in the Ming Dynasty.

It has lasted for hundreds of years, and still persists in the Qing Empire.

The trade used to be handled

by the Guangzhou 13 Trading Houses.

But due to the chaos in Jiangnan,

the imperial court

has allowed designated personnel

to make transactions with foreign merchants in Shanghai.

I've never heard of

an individual businessman making deals

with foreigners.

If you insist on doing this,

the customs office

will arrest you,

flog your butt,

and behead you.

Sir, a man of limited talent though I am,

I've read a bit about

the Elements of International Law.

Imagine this scenario:

Mr. Hart, suppose you bought

a piece of porcelain

from a Chinese merchant in private

before returning to your homeland,

would this Chinese merchant

who made a transaction

with you be prosecuted?

No. That was a private purchase.

Even if it were 1,000 or 10,000 pieces of porcelain,

the deal was still fine.

That solves the problem here, right?

The tea leaves in this ship

were bought

by the captain from us in private.

Here.

Take a look.

We even signed a contract.

Everything's clearly stated in it.

[Tea Business Operative Trade Contract]

So, this deal falls outside

the purview of the customs office.

As for whom the captain

would like to invite for a trip,

it's even further beyond your authority.

Gu Pingyuan,

you're playing games with me.

It's only a clever turn of phrase.

This barely means anything.

Why does a captain

need these many tea leaves?

No.

Sir, you see,

these tea leaves

have been through customs clearance and tax payment.

[Tea Business Operative Trade Contract]

As for the trading volume—

it's not specified

in the law of the imperial court.

You're taking advantage

of legal loopholes.

If others follow suit and sell

tea leaves like you do,

how should I deal with that?

Sir,

why not take a closer look?

Read this part.

The selling of this batch

of tea leaves was made in Anhui.

What does it have to do with us?

I also know a bit

about British law.

Free trade is allowed there.

The captain can do

whatever business he wants.

Have I got the message

across to you, sir?

This contract can't be valid.

He'd sign it if you offered him 10 pounds.

I-I'm going to sue him!

Okay!

Take him to court!

My dear friend,

let's talk this out.

Can you just cancel

this deal?

"Dear friend"?

A friend of mine,

who you met at my place previously,

is the procurement agent of tea leaves

for the East India Company.

He deeply regrets

saying

something disrespectful to you.

What

disrespectful things?

He took money from Li Million.

The latter told him

that they could rake in more profits

from Anhui tea

if they ganged up on you tea merchants.

But little did everyone

expect that you could find a way

to sell the tea leaves

directly to India.

If...

If the tea leaves truly arrive in India,

won't it be a giant slap in the agent's face?

He spent

most of his life climbing

to his current position.

He can assure you

that from now on,

he'll purchase Anhui tea leaves

at the best price possible.

You must not set a precedent.

This batch of tea leaves

is no big deal.

But shipping it will destroy his reputation

and career.

But I'm only

a tiny tea merchant.

I don't represent the court,

nor do I lead

some tea merchants' association.

Can my words make any difference?

My dear friend,

don't make things hard for me.

Take it as a win.

Don't push me any further.

As the saying goes,

you scratch my back,

and I scratch yours.

Right?

Sir, I...

I admire how articulate you are

even in Mandarin.

How about this?

Tell your good friend

that I'd include him in this deal.

He can go to India

with this shipment.

However,

don't even think about the dividends.

When we have

our own ship

and expand

our tea business worldwide,

maybe we will

let him join us as a partner.

That's a satisfying answer.

Sure.

Later on,

sign a contract with him.

My friend,

if you were a British merchant,

I would really quit

my job at the customs office

and work as your partner.

We would be rolling in money.

Why can't that come true when I'm a Chinese merchant?

In the face of such powerful cannons,

the oriental cleverness

is useless.

I have to remind you.

Some people from your hometown

have come here.

[Shiliupu Pier]

Mr. Gu!

Buddy.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

You're a true friend in need.

I'm grateful for your help.

Don't mention it.

I didn't realize

such enormous ships exist

until I reached this place.

Where is your friend?

He said he'd like to explore exotic lands,

so he'll stay on the ship and go to India.

I'd better go say hello to him now.

You guys talk.

Mr. Gu,

the Tea Merchants' Association

has escaped danger.

All the credit goes to you, Mr. Gu.

We're like family.

Let's be frank with each other.

I'm truly convinced of your ability.

These notes were issued

by the Four Major Banks.

These are bills of sales.

Well...

Several twists in a day.

If I were older,

I'd be overwhelmed by you guys.

New arrivals. Unload the goods!

Pretend to be talking with me.

Look to the east, behind me.

It's Li Million.

His face...

Look at his face.

This pleases me better than spring tea.

Looks like he's about to eat someone alive.

As if he had the stomach for that.

There will be a day

when I buy a large ship

and extend our tea business

to the whole wide world.

Are you Gu Pingyuan?

We're from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs.

Come with us!

How is it?

Not as good as coffee.

What happened?

The Shanghai Bureau of Foreign Affairs

has notified the customs office to halt this ship.

Captain.

As this is a trade dispute,

I will not interfere or get involved in any way.

This is

defined as a trade dispute.

The captain is saying

that in principal, he won't intervene,

so as to avoid any impacts on his job

and career.

Well...

What does it mean?

It means we're in a tricky situation.

The only way to resolve this

is to have it all dumped into the sea.

What did he say now?

He ordered...

to have all these troublesome tea leaves

thrown into the sea.

What?

Stop!

Stop!

Tell them

to stop now. Right now!

Say it!

Are you even Chinese?

Tell them

I'll bear all the consequences.

Next one!

Stop it!

Stop!

Stop it!

Here.

Stop it!

Stop! Stop!

Stop it!

Stop!

He said

he would take all the responsibility.

I don't see any man here who can take all this responsibility.

If you throw all the tea leaves into the sea,

you will be in bigger trouble!

You will have bigger trouble.

He's saying

that if any disputes arise in the customs office,

without government orders,

he won't intervene

or get involved.

This is only a dispute.

There hasn't been a conclusion yet, right?

Negotiation is needed for every business deal.

If it turns out

there is no legal impropriety,

you'll be held accountable for your actions.

You'll probably have to bid farewell

to your ship for discarding all the goods!

On top of that,

you won't make a penny!

You will get no money

and won't see your boat anymore,

due to discarding the tea.

I dare say

no one can guarantee me anything.

He said no one could give him a guarantee.

Guarantee?

I can give you a guarantee.

But I need two hours.

If the dispute isn't resolved

in two hours,

I won't hold you back

from doing anything.

Tell him who I am.

I...

have traveled farther

than any other tea merchant in China.

My assets...

are sufficient

enough to pay for

all the tea leaves here.

But now,

I need two hours.

Just two hours.

Tell him not to be a coward.

He wishes you not to be a coward.

You think I'm a big coward, huh?

Seems like our friends here

need a little more time

to resolve this predicament.

Tell all the ships

to stay at bay.

If they talk

any more nonsense,

I'll have them all sunk!

Yes, sir!

Bear further!

I just give you two hours.

Within the next two hours,

that ship ahead

won't come over to check the goods.

However,

you're only given two hours.

Intendant Wu?

[Outstanding Talents]

This matter concerns you?

I'm here to see how things are going with my friend's

small business.

Small business?

A British gunboat has been halted for it.

You call it small business?

Then what's big business,

the kind that brings down

the Shanghai Bureau of Foreign Affairs?

[Outstanding Talents] [Morals and Ethics]

Intendant Wu,

[Shanghai Intendant, Liu Ruifen]

Mr. Hart,

be seated.

As for the others, do not speak

-unless you're called upon. -Mr. Wu,

you are an official?

I just bought

a random official post.

My life's at stake now.

Tell me what the Bureau of Foreign Affairs has done—

only the important part.

This humble servant, Li Wantang,

pays his respects to you, Intendant Liu.

I have an official seal

bestowed by the imperial court,

which grants me the right

[Approved by the Ministry of Revenue]

to solely manage the export of tea.

Li Wantang,

you're being too modest.

This young man

has conspired with Shanxi merchants

and secretly

gone in glove with the captain

of a British warship to ship

tea leaves to India for sale.

Isn't it against the law?

Won't it turn

the exclusive operating rights agreement on tea trade

between me and foreigners into a dead letter?

Intendant Liu,

I beg you for justice.

Intendant Liu,

Mr. Hart and I just had a discussion,

and he reviewed my contract.

This foreigner

I'm dealing with only wants to buy some tea leaves

and bring them home.

Is it not allowed?

Did anyone ask you to speak?

Get him out and flog him!

Why do you have to

irritate him at this time?

Intendant Liu,

this young man you just lashed out at doesn't hold

an official position,

but he is in fact

somewhat an officer.

The Empress Dowager

personally appointed him to be

the Pacification Commissioner of Hefei.

He's no ordinary commoner.

Intendant Liu,

please reconsider.

Keeping silent at this time

is an admission of guilt, isn't it?

You've been bringing

trouble to the Bureau of Foreign Affairs.

What is it do you want?

This matter should be handled

by the customs office in your charge.

Indeed, the customs office should take the lead on it.

However,

this young man's

tea leaves

were brought onto the ship in the name

of a personal purchase

upon completing legal procedures.

I don't see any problems in it.

It's just that Li Million

disagrees with it.

In this case,

we need you to be the judge

on this matter.

A personal purchase

of an entire province's tea leaves

that can fill up a large ship?

They're more than the buyer can consume in a lifetime!

You guys mean to fool us.

I don't believe any of that crap!

Is it how the customs office works—

through tricks?

I supervise the customs affairs

under the imperial decree.

I'm coping with Li Million

and Wu Caishen at the same time.

You think I can

afford to offend either of them?

Besides,

I can't find a single mistake in Mr. Gu's business contract

signed in compliance with the court's regulations.

That's why I'm handing over this matter to the Bureau of Foreign Affairs

for you to preside over.

You hold a high position.

Of course you can see farther

than I can.

You weasel.

You old weasel.

Mr. Li and Mr. Gu.

Gentlemen?

Mr. Li, Mr. Gu,

you've really put me on the spot.

You see,

I'm fairly new to this position.

I haven't learned much about trade.

Can you two

both make a concession?

Intendant Liu,

this is a valid golden seal issued by the Ministry of Revenue.

You cannot allow such practice to take hold.

If you let them pass this time,

then everyone else will follow suit

and trade with foreigners directly.

What will become of the country if nobody respects the exclusive rights

granted by the imperial court?

Making a fair judgement on this

is easing the imperial court's worries.

Intendant Liu,

this batch of tea leaves

is indeed a personal purchase.

If you don't believe it,

then put the captain of that gunboat

on trial

in the court of law.

Should he dare to lie,

have him taken down

and flogged.

What right do I have

to punish him?

If another war is triggered by it,

won't I be dismissed from my position?

That's a point.

Intendant Liu,

please examine into this matter carefully.

There are loopholes in the law of the imperial court.

You can't let these people

take advantage of them.

The position you're in requires you

to uphold justice,

so as to reassure the imperial court.

How cunning.

Can't you both take a step back,

or negotiate again?

Okay!

Okay.

Alright.

It's time to stop the fuss.

Why should I stop?

Young man,

can't you be good and grow tea?

Haven't you suffered

enough in Ningguta?

Alright. Stop the kerfuffle.

I've been pushed this far by you.

It'll destroy the lives of many Anhui tea merchants

if their spring tea doesn't sell.

I'll back off if you back off.

Hu.

Hu!

Come here.

Mr. Li.

No need for this.

Any word that is given here today

must be kept.

Get the tea leaves back.

All Anhui spring tea

will be paid at the usual price.

Is it okay?

About that...

Mr. Gu has the final say.

I'll raise the price by 10%,

if you withdraw the shipment.

It's too late.

If I withdraw it now,

I'll be condemned as a dishonest businessman.

All tea merchants in Anhui

follow Mr. Gu's lead.

Do you even hear

what you're saying?

Do you?

He's just a young man,

while you're head of the Tea Merchant's Association.

Which matters more, he alone

or the lives of all Anhui tea merchants?

Are you getting old and foolish?

Mr. Li,

I prioritize trust

in everything I do.

Let me be clear—

even if Mr. Gu told

all Anhui tea merchants

to jump into a pit of fire now,

I'd do it.

Fine.

Very fine.

The tea can't be withdrawn now, right?

If I had agreed to it,

I would've fallen into his trap.

Report!

Are you

trying to get me fired?

An anti-smuggling ship of the customs office

has intercepted that warship.

But the people on the warship

reject any customs inspection.

With the cover lifted,

their cannon is ready to shoot.

Now,

I think we've hit the point

of no return.

It's all set.

They'll open fire

in two hours.

Have you

reached a conclusion yet?

Intendant Liu, Mr. Hart,

if you let them pass today,

I will take this

to the prince and the Ministry of Revenue

and ask for a ruling.

Fine.

Ask them for a ruling then.

A ruling?

Once the gunboat opens fire,

everyone on the anti-smuggling ship

will die.

This is

a serious moment.

Any exchange of fire will unleash hell,

since they're still within the borders of the Qing Empire.

Li Million,

will you take a step back or not?

You seem to be more audacious than Zhao Zilong,

an ancient warrior

renowned for his valor!

The Bureau of Foreign Affairs is a government office.

Let's respect the golden seal issued by the imperial court.

Li Million,

if you insist on halting the warship,

then go ahead.

Should there be serious consequences,

you will answer to the Ministry of Revenue

and the prince with that golden seal!

Those enemy trading ships have withdrawn!

Cease fire!

Cease fire!

Prepare to sail!

Prepare to sail!

What did he say?

The opposing forces' ships have quit.

Really?

I'm coming down to you!

This is a historic first!

Congratulations in advance, Mr. Li.

On what?

These tea leaves

will be sold at amazing prices in India.

This transaction

has enraged some Chinese...

and also some British.

Isn't it a historic first?

Gu Pingyuan is truly smart.

If I had known,

I would've made him stay

in Ningguta forever.

Master,

what's done can't be undone.

I've raised a viper

to harm myself.

Every time it escapes death,

its venomous fangs grow longer.

It happens because of your mercy.

It's the first time

I've been complimented that way.

Think about it.

Today,

you could've adamantly

ordered to intercept the tea leaves—

all hung on a single thought of yours.

If that resulted in a disaster,

we could survive it,

but

that young man would be crushed, right?

So, he's still alive now

exactly because of your mercy.

What is mercy?

What does it mean?

-Madam Jin. -Get me my jade bowls!

This must be the wine

you treasure most.

Its aroma is seeping out of the sealed jar.

Smell it.

What a lovely scent.

Thank you, Madam.

As the Association Head,

you should drink first.

Everyone,

I never

play by the book.

I've come this far

thanks to your support.

Your kindness will forever

engraved in my mind.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Cheers.

I've tasted

many kinds of fruit wine.

But what I'm drinking now—

so fruity and not sour at all—

is rarely seen.

It's a pity that we can't wait

till Mr. Li comes back to enjoy

such good wine together.

Silly you.

This wine

belongs to Mr. Li.

He got it as a gift

from some French merchants

during a delivery

of tea leaves to Xinjiang.

The merchants planned to buy a piece of land

in Turpan to grow grapes and make wine.

These few jars are samples.

Drink as much as you like.

Mr. Gu,

do you know

why we invited you over from Shanghai?

Why?

We provided some assistance with the matter

concerning Anhui tea merchants.

In return,

you helped us make a fortune.

That said,

as the Association Head,

you're responsible to help us

earn something else than money, right?

Right.

We're not short of money.

It's not that easy to be the Association Head.

You have to be a role model

in both character and conduct.

Mr. Gu,

you did one thing

that I find admirable.

What is it, Madam?

I heard a marriage was arranged

for you in Anhui when you were little.

Then it was canceled.

Later on, you met

a girl from Shanxi, our hometown.

Because of you, she has decided

to remain single all her life to take care of her father.

That sounds unfair to her,

a Shanxi fellow of ours, right?

No.

No...

Is it true?

Mr. Gu is young.

He'd like to exude his charm elsewhere.

This is not entirely his fault.

Shut up.

Do you think

Mr. Gu is like you?

You can't even keep count of

your wives,

children, and money!

If he was like you,

I would just ignore him.

Mr. Gu,

be a good man,

and don't learn from him.

Why are we suddenly

talking about me now?

I'll drink.

You continue talking to him.

Madam,

the girl you're talking about

is Chang Yu'er, right?

She knows

I was once engaged

back in my hometown.

But wasn't it canceled in the end?

Why are you bringing it up again?

It's perfectly normal

for a man to take several wives and concubines, right?

Say it again. I'd like to hear it.

My love,

I'm a bit drunk

from that wine.

It has messed up my mind.

I'm feeling dizzy.

I heard this Shanxi girl

came from afar to save you.

She's deeply in love with you.

What exactly are you going to do?

Say something.

What do you think you are, a piece of ginseng?

I will treat her...

with proper etiquette.

Bah!

What proper etiquette?

Don't you feel guilty at all?

Why did you voluntarily

risk your life

to save her father's?

Her father is my lifesaver.

Do you think you're keeping accounts

here as a businessman,

noting each transaction clearly?

My silly friend,

things

between men and women are inextricable tangles in nature.

How can they be sorted out?

What's on your mind?

Do you have a plan?

It's been a long enough time.

How much longer do you want to stall it?

I'm running out of patience.

Look at my friend Mr. Gu here.

He survived the attacks of people

and wolves in Ningguta.

Yet when it comes to his marriage...

Are you unable to speak now?

No.

I'm afraid that she doesn't

think I'm good enough.

You're indeed not good enough.

Madam,

when I parted with Yu'er,

she knew I was going back to Anhui

to marry the girl

I was engaged to at that time.

But that girl

married someone else in the end.

If, at this moment,

I go back to Yu'er,

what will she think?

Won't she think

I don't cherish her enough?

What right do I have

to make her wait so long?

Besides,

if one day

I'm forced to revert

to my old life of hardship,

how will that leave her?

However,

you can't keep

Miss Chang waiting forever

for you.

That's right.

Shouldn't we

find a good husband

for her?

How sensible my husband is.

The purpose of this meeting

is getting a confirmation from you.

I have actually found

an eligible bachelor for Miss Chang.

He can propose marriage to her tomorrow.

Mr. Gu,

just say a word,

and we'll be there to help you.

This long-standing problem has been solved now.

To Mr. Gu!

This is what we should do.

Hold on.

Well, I...

I don't think it's a good idea.

How is it not a good idea?

You've decided to treat her with proper etiquette.

You can't stop her

from marrying someone else, can you?

Aren't you being too selfish?

What is it that you want?

Alright.

Today, we're gathered with good friends.

Fine wine is on the table.

Come on.

Let's raise our glasses.

Come on!

Cheers to

solving a big problem for Mr. Gu.

Come on.

Smell the wine.

Drink up.

-Come on. -Come on.

No, no, no!

Wait a moment.

Put this matter aside for now.

I'll go meet her right away.

I need to make things

clear with her face-to-face.

Such good wine.

It really is.

Come on.

Would you like more?

Come on.

What do you think of the smell?

Terrific.

Madam,

you've found a bachelor for her already?

Is it true?

He really needs

a little push.

His care for Miss Chang

just threw him into a panic, right?

We had no other choice

but to push you.

What else could we do?

We're unable to trick you.

Alright.

It's settled.

Sit down and drink.

Let's go on with our talk.

How is it a good time for drinks now?

I...

I'd better propose marriage to her right away.

But before that, I need to go back

to Anhui and discuss it with my mother.

I must get well prepared.

I should get going right now.

Great!

This entire night,

you've finally said one thing right.

A horse carriage has been prepared for you.

Just set off when the city gate opens

tomorrow morning, and you'll be home within one day.

When you get home,

you'll have to

depend on yourself.

We've done what friends should.

You're no longer a scholar.

So free yourself of those

silly dorks' principles,

will you?

Madam,

thank you for the kind reminder.

Or Yu'er and I would've missed out on each other.

Pingyuan,

bad news!

Mother wants to see you.

Mother.

You're back.

I heard you hurriedly rush in.

Pingwen told me there was bad news.

That really scared me.

Where is Ms. Bai?

What Ms. Bai?

Mother,

I mean Yimei.

She woke up and left.

I couldn't persuade her to stay.

She told us

not to mention her name anymore,

or our family might get in trouble.

Ms. Bai no longer exists in the world.

How could we let her

leave alone?

That was what she wanted.

We can't make her stay.

Just leave her be.

I want to keep her here.

It's not

because I fancy her,

but because I promised Mr. Bai

to protect her all her life.

Just like that, she left.

In this vast world,

where can I find her?

She left

because she doesn't want to see you anymore.

She'll absolutely object

to getting married again,

and even more to being a freeloader here,

idling her time away and getting old.

Don't you think?

Just leave her be.

It's time you learned to let go.

All good things must come to an end.

Let's go visit Mr. Bai's tomb.

Mother,

what did Yimei say

when she left?

She said she refused to live under anyone's roof,

[Mr. Bai Shi'an's Tomb]

and that she would lead a life of her own.

A weak woman though she is,

she has more grit than I do.

[Mr. Bai Shi'an's Tomb]

Mr. Bai,

you heard it, right?

Don't worry.

Yimei is a blessed girl.

She will be fine.

Mother and I are leaving now.

When I get any news about Yimei,

I'll visit you again.