Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 34]

The people of Nantong

no longer have to flee,

and the salt industry of Lianghuai no longer

has to worry about being crushed anymore.

All of this is thanks to Your Excellency.

I'd like to raise a toast in your honor.

As expected from Li Million.

Every time he opens his mouth, it's all business talk.

Well, he's a businessman after all.

What else would he be talking about?

By the way, everyone,

there's still one guest who hasn't arrived yet.

Let's wait until everyone is seated

before we discuss matters at leisure.

Who else is coming?

What's the rush?

Even I, the Viceroy of Liangjiang, am waiting patiently.

Look how impatient you are.

Your Excellency,

your honored guest has arrived.

Quick, bring her in.

Come on.

Honored guest.

Greetings, Old Madam.

Your Excellency, my respects.

This is unnecessary.

I cannot accept this.

-Mother. -Please, get up.

Master, are you alright?

Mr. Gu is the Pacification Commissioner

appointed by the imperial court,

and we're also preparing

to restore his scholar status right now.

Mr. Gu has rendered great service this time.

Old Madam Gu,

you will surely be granted a noble title.

You don't have to salute officials.

Please.

Please be seated.

Thank you, Your Excellency.

I was staying at home just fine,

yet they came out of nowhere

and just dragged me here without even asking.

Come on, sit here.

Old Madam.

Today

is the auspicious day of the completion

of the Nantong coastal embankment.

Please join us for a celebratory drink.

My legs aren't in good condition,

so I haven't been to the coastal embankment.

But my kid

has been working nearby

for months and hasn't gone home once,

which shows his dedication to work.

Still, this isn't his credit.

I just saw

those young men working on the river project,

sweating and bleeding.

Those are the ones who truly deserve the credit.

I hope that Your Excellency

can reward them properly.

Old Madam, your words

truly show a heart of compassion.

I've learned a lot.

You don't have to finish this cup of wine.

Just a sip will do.

That's enough, Mother.

Please be seated.

Everyone.

Old Madam here—

first her husband went missing,

and she raised her son

all on her own.

Later, her son was framed by villains during the imperial exam

and exiled to Ningguta.

For Mr. Gu

to achieve what he has today

is entirely thanks to her.

Now, don't you think it's proper

for me to have invited such an honored guest?

It's only proper.

Li Million.

This is my honored guest.

How can you not toast her?

Come on. Hurry up.

Go offer her a toast. Come on.

All right.

Here, just hold the cup.

Alright.

I, Li Million, pay my respects to you, Madam.

Who?

What's your name?

Mother,

he's Li Million, the wealthiest man in the capital...

Shut up!

May I ask

your name, Sir?

I am Li Million.

My respects to you, Madam.

Mother!

Father.

Mother,

what's wrong?

I haven't

had a drink in decades.

I actually got myself drunk today.

What have you got

up your sleeve?

You have no idea—

I've got something

specially to deal with Li Baiwan.

Old Madam.

Please get some rest.

Wait.

Why?

Didn't we just unload these?

Why are we putting them back up?

Young Master,

it was Master's order.

M...

Master's order?

Your mother

is having acupuncture right now.

Don't go in.

How is my mother doing?

I was meaning to ask you.

Why haven't you told us

what happened to your mother?

I have no idea.

I wanted to ask you.

Ever since your mother came back,

who knows why,

but she's been unconscious and won't wake up.

Doctor.

Doctor, please.

All right.

Don't go in and disturb her.

Let's speak softly out here.

Alright.

Speak softly.

Alright.

Doctor,

how is my mother doing?

This illness

is very strange.

Judging from her pulse,

her spirit is damaged

and all 5 meridians are injured.

Only a sudden surge of

extreme joy or sorrow

could cause such a condition.

That's odd.

I'll write a prescription

to protect her heart meridian first.

Doctor,

so it can only be protected

but not cured?

This is an illness of the heart,

so only a remedy for the heart can cure it.

Mr. Gu,

I still need you to tell me

what exactly

happened.

What on earth happened?

Right, what happened?

Tell us the details.

[Virtue as the Foundation]

Young Master.

Why are you stopping... Stopping me?

Young Master.

Come with me.

Don't pull me.

Wait.

What happened exactly?

Wasn't everything fine just now?

We'd take Jiangsu

and leave the rest to Gu Pingyuan, right?

Why is he

suddenly giving them the cold shoulder?

How would I know?

So you don't know?

[Tranquility of Autumn]

Yu'er.

Yu'er.

Yu'er.

Let me take over for a while.

Staying up all day and night—

even a person made of iron couldn't endure that.

Pingyuan went out again?

Always picking the wrong thing to say.

Come help me with the work.

Pingyuan has guests.

You're all so accommodating to him now.

He has guests all day long.

Who are these people anyway?

They're former salt merchants from Yangzhou,

here to ask for help.

I've gone in to make tea for them twice,

and all they do is brag.

Your brother has been up all night.

Don't disturb him.

What are you doing?

Was I, Gu Pingwen,

just born to work?

Pingwen.

Behave yourself.

Mr. Gu.

My family has been in the salt business for generations.

I'm incompetent.

During the chaos of war,

all of Jiangnan

became a slaughterhouse,

and I had no choice but to

sell our ancestral salt fields hastily.

But I do know about

salt transportation and trading...

I understand.

You've come to request a job,

right?

That's right.

First, to request a job;

and second,

to borrow some cash from you, Mr. Gu,

for emergencies.

How much do you want to borrow?

I may not have that much cash

to lend you.

200 taels would be enough.

I'm running short on chicken feed lately as well.

And

the young man who went beyond the pass to buy ginseng

hasn't returned yet.

I can only buy some in town

and make do with it.

Isn't that Mr. Pan?

Don't leave yet.

I happen to have something to talk to you about.

Why are you avoiding me?

Did I offend you or what?

Come on, sit.

Mr. Pan here

is quite a character.

One night, he came to borrow money from me.

He came right at dinner time,

so I asked him to join me for dinner,

but he refused.

He said

he had just finished eating

the five-spice beef cooked by

the best chef in Suzhou.

His stomach was,

you know,

completely stuffed,

and he could only have a few drinks.

So I said, let's have some drinks together then.

But after just two cups,

Mr. Pan threw up.

There was chaff all over the floor.

S-Stop messing around.

Stop it.

I get it now.

Maybe it was because

"I ate beef,

and the cow had eaten chaff."

Your words were a bit too harsh.

How hurtful.

I just didn't want you to be fooled.

Mr. Pan is addicted to opium.

From head to toe,

those clothes he was wearing

are his most valuable possession.

He's sold his wife and children,

and he's been starving every day,

running around to borrow money.

Don't lend money to people like him.

Alright. Thanks for the warning.

How is your mother doing?

She still hasn't woken up yet.

I'm really worried.

How are things on your side?

We hired the best doctor in the capital,

and he said phlegm had clouded his mind.

I just can't believe it.

My father has been sharp his whole life.

How could his mind be clouded by phlegm?

Tell me,

what exactly was that about?

You want me to tell you?

I was meaning to ask you the same thing.

My dear Pingyuan.

It seems to me

that your mother

is doing slightly better

than my father.

How about you help me

ask her what that was about

after she wakes up?

Given my mother's current condition,

I wouldn't dare ask her even if she wakes up.

Why don't you go home and try asking your father?

I wouldn't dare ask him.

I don't want to die just yet.

However,

the Liangjiang Viceroy's Office has been pressing us.

If we keep hiding at home like this,

they'll send soldiers to arrest us tomorrow.

I understand.

Wait for me to grab something to eat.

I'm going to the Viceroy's Office

for work.

I'll have to leave everything here to you.

I'm here.

Don't worry.

I can't refuse

this lousy job.

Had I known,

why would we have ever left our hometown?

That's not your fault.

They forced us out

with guns.

Anyway, I have no time for you now.

I have to take care of Mother.

Take good care of yourself and Heizi on the way.

You should also ask Pingwen and Miss Liao

to come help you from time to time.

Don't exhaust yourself.

Don't say such things.

Pingwen is too clumsy,

and Miss Liao hasn't married into our family yet.

It won't hurt if I work a bit harder.

What have I done to deserve you?

It's enough to have you.

I said, having you in this life

is enough.

What was that?

Mother,

I'm going on official business.

I'm off.

[Liangjiang Viceroy's Office]

-Greetings, Your Excellency. -Greetings, Your Excellency.

No need for formalities.

You two have finally arrived.

The Liangjiang Viceroy's Office is honored by your presence.

Your Excellency.

The elders in our families fell gravely ill.

As children, we're truly heartbroken.

Please forgive us, Your Excellency.

Without you two here,

Jiangning City has been in mixed spirits as well.

Gu Pingyuan,

I still need to reward you.

I wouldn't dare to accept that, Your Excellency.

You're too kind.

The old businesses along Qinhuai River have all been restored.

As expected,

it is teeming with visitors,

and merchants come and go in great numbers.

The Complete Library of the Four Treasuries

republished by the Jinling Publishing House

is selling throughout the country.

Scholars are as numerous as fish crossing the river.

I believe that within a year,

the city will be fully restored to its former glory.

This achievement

must be credited to you.

You've demonstrated the unity of civil and military strategy,

a balance of restraint and action.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Those were all

methods not fit for public display.

As the ancients said,

"governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish."

How can that be called

something unfit for public display?

Appetite and desire are both natural.

Starting from these basics

is actually the Great Way.

Exactly.

When the two of us

were entering Jiangning today,

we already noticed it was much more prosperous

than when we left for Nantong.

This is all thanks to your strategic wisdom, Your Excellency.

Alright,

enough flattery.

The Lianghuai Salt Field Guild

has had the notice posted for nearly half a month,

yet you two were nowhere to be found.

The former salt merchants of Lianghuai

have been staying in inns,

spending every day thinking up ways

to bang drums and file lawsuits

at the Viceroy's Office.

Frankly, it's driving me crazy.

Let's get things straight.

I'm giving you 10 days

to work out a solution.

With government supervision and merchant management,

I'm now in control of

the supervision part.

If you can't get it done within 10 days,

both of you, put on cangues

and stand at my doorway.

Alright.

You should get going.

I wouldn't dare waste

the precious time of you great merchants.

Let's go.

Look.

That old fox Rui Lin is so cunning.

He's made the two of us

like a pair of oxen—

he won't spend a single penny,

yet he's got ropes through our noses,

pulling us around.

This just isn't right.

I'm worried too.

How should we deal with those old salt merchants

from the Salt Fields Guild?

I can't let them see me.

With all due respect,

my father

seized their salt fields

by force.

Luckily, they don't know

my father is bedridden now.

Otherwise, they'd be swarming in

to tear me apart alive.

Our Li family

now selects capable assistants

from our shops each year

and sends them out to become managers

on their own.

My father

has gathered quite a few talented people

for the salt field business.

If you're short‑handed, just let me know.

Thanks, buddy.

Buddy?

Our agreement still stands.

If you can't outperform me within 6 months,

you'll have to hand over the salt fields you're holding,

so my father won't mock me for being incompetent.

I'm well aware of that.

But what if I do outperform you?

Don't worry about that.

Just do your best.

I certainly won't

go easy on you.

But one more thing:

we'll always be buddies.

I feel the same.

What?

I only asked you to follow me.

Why are you sticking that close to me?

You think I want to?

I just helped you repair the coastal embankment,

and now I have to act as your escort.

If Yu'er hadn't threatened me,

what bastard would be willing to

stay that close to you?

Come on, tell me,

what did Yu'er say to you?

She said,

if anyone comes in your way, I'll shield you;

if there's a knife coming at you, I'll take the blow;

if you cause any trouble,

she'll pay with her life;

if even a strand of your hair falls from your head,

I'll have to give my life for it.

Listen, if you dare lose even one strand of hair,

I'll stick it right back in for you!

Well, well.

I've brought back a hothead.

Listen, Heizi.

If there's nothing else,

you should go back to Nantong.

What do you mean?

Are you looking down on me?

We're all scholars.

Don't keep

pulling out your knife to scare me.

Fine, fine.

If you don't want to go back, then don't.

If you don't cause me trouble,

I won't cause you trouble, either.

Let's make sure this trip goes smoothly and safely.

I'll take you back safely

without a scratch,

and my job will be done.

I believe you.

After all, you, Heizi,

are a man of your word.

Stop buttering me up.

As if I didn't know

I'm a man of my word.

Good man.

I need a favor right now.

Run an errand for me.

[Salt Industry Guild] [Gu Pingyuan] [Li Qin]

Let me tell you something.

Listen, everyone.

Gu Pingyuan and Li Qin,

those two little bastards

are trying to drive us

Lianghuai salt merchants to our deaths.

We need to find some

court officials from Lianghuai,

buy off a few of those lords,

have them submit memorials

to bring them down.

Bring them down.

What's the use of that?

Right now in the Liangjiang region,

Rui Lin has everything under his thumb.

[Tu Ying, Lianghuai Salt Merchant]

But we can't just do nothing!

Our family business has been passed down for two or three centuries—

how could it be wiped out

over just a few scraps?

This is just...

I just can't wrap my head around

how it ended up being

the property of the Liangjiang Viceroy's Office!

Where's the title deed?

If you have the title deed,

I'll go with you

to file a lawsuit at the Liangjiang Viceroy's Office.

When under a low roof,

one must bow their head.

Gu Pingyuan and Li Qin!

Those two bastards!

Bastard! Who are you calling names?

Who is this?

Who is this person?

Have you seen him before?

Who is this person?

Who is this?

Have you met him before?

Is this the Salt Industry Guild?

Yes, it is.

-Sir, you... -Who's in charge here?

Well...

That would be me.

My name is Tu on top and Ying below.

Your name has 5 characters?

No, 2 characters.

Two characters.

It's just Tu Ying.

Sir, may I ask

where you're from

and what business you have with me?

So you are...

Are you done asking?

Just call me Heizi.

I'm Gu Pingyuan's big brother.

Mr. Gu wants to see you.

Please.

So you're just a servant.

I thought you were some big shot.

Aren't you just

Mr. Gu's servant?

Just an errand boy.

We members of the Salt Industry Guild

have been here

for over 20 days now.

Everyone's family

has been in the salt business

for over 200 years.

If he wants to profit from our industry,

he should come here

to pay us a visit first.

Exactly!

He should come in person

to pay his respects.

Otherwise, how could he possibly

succeed in the salt industry?

Right, he won't make it!

He's harming us salt merchants!

Let him go home and play house.

Exactly.

Go home.

Go home and play house!

Just go home and play house!

Easy, easy!

What are you doing?

What do you think you're doing?

Sir!

Sir. Sir.

Gentleman. Gentleman.

Easy, please.

[Salt & Plum]

Move!

Gentleman,

this is so indecent.

Gentleman.

Gentleman. Sir.

[Salt & Plum]

Sir, easy please.

Oh my goodness.

Mr. Tu,

there's no need for such a grand salute.

What are you talking about?

You call this a salute?

You, Gu,

you really have no respect

for others at all!

Am I, Tu Ying,

some street junkie

or homeless person?

Besides my salt business,

I also run

more than 10 silk shops.

I'm here to stand up for the salt merchants.

Even His Excellency treats me

with respect.

You... I...

Mr. Tu, please don't be angry.

If he has offended you in any way,

I apologize.

You see, at the Salt Industry Guild,

there are too many people and gossip.

I wanted to ask for your advice,

but it wasn't convenient there.

That's why I specifically asked him to invite you here.

Is this how you invite someone?

Look at the back of my neck!

It's all swollen from his grabbing!

Let me tell you something.

From the Salt Industry Guild to here,

my feet barely touched the ground.

He grabbed me by the neck

and dragged me all the way here!

How could he do that?

Heizi!

It was him.

Did I try to invite you or not?

Full of nonsense since you came in.

Want to go back, huh?

Come on then.

No, no, no!

Let's talk properly.

We're all educated people!

Only use words

that can be found in the Kangxi Dictionary!

[Everything as Wished]

Everyone,

I've invited you here today.

I'm sure you already know why

even if I don't say it.

Let's get straight to the point.

The salt industry of Lianghuai

is the biggest business in Jiangnan.

What can't common people

live without?

Salt.

What can't armies do without in war?

Salt.

Even the war horses,

if you don't add salt to their feed at night,

when they charge during the day,

they won't run fast.

So gaining control of salt

means securing control of our country's lifeline,

which makes one an uncrowned ruler.

[Liu's Caravan: 30 dan salt delivered]

[Fu Man's Caravan: 120 dan salt delivered]

After 10 years of fierce battles

with tremendous losses,

the salt fields in Lianghuai

have long been abandoned.

There's something I haven't been able to figure out:

for all these years,

where has the salt eaten by the people of Jiangnan

been coming from?

This matter cannot be discussed openly.

Mr. Tu, if you don't speak today,

you'll be hurting your own people's future.

As you know,

I'm not in the salt industry.

The Liangjiang Viceroy's Office has asked me

to temporarily oversee the salt fields.

What His Excellency intends is that,

if we want to maintan

the vitality of the Lianghuai salt industry,

we can't let everything

fall into Li Wantang's hands.

That's why

this six-month agreement was made.

[Fu Man's Caravan: 120 dan salt delivered]

[Goods In-and-Out Ledger]

Today,

if you refuse to tell me anything, Mr. Tu,

I'll have no choice but to return empty-handed,

hand over my duties,

and say there's nothing I could do.

For me,

there's nothing to lose.

The Lianghuai salt business—

Mr. Gu,

you'd just give such a massive deal up

so easily?

Who would believe that?

Whether you believe it or not,

it doesn't matter.

My elderly mother at home

is still unconscious.

To be honest,

I'm utterly heartbroken.

I simply have no time or energy

to get involved in

all your scheming and infighting.

How about this?

When you go back,

tell the Salt Industry Guild

to file a complaint against me at the Liangjiang Viceroy's Office

and have me removed from this position.

I would be

eternally grateful.

Now that

my father has assigned this task

to me,

I certainly can't let him down.

Now, the salt administration

of Jiangsu and Jiangxi is in my hands.

The rest is managed by

the representative of the Liangjiang Viceroy's Office,

Gu Pingyuan.

Those old fellows in the Salt Industry Guild

are making a big fuss over me,

waiting for me to beg them.

What they don't know is

that my father has already

got you all trained.

I don't ask much of you.

Just don't let me down

and work diligently

to outperform Gu Pingyuan.

But if you don't

have what it takes,

just say so now.

If you really leave us

to deal with Li Wantang,

we wouldn't even be enough to fill a gap between his teeth!

But if you don't help me,

I can't win.

If I lose,

Li Wantang will manipulate

the Salt Industry Guild

to replace me

with his own people.

When that happens,

I can just dust myself off

and go back to Anhui to grow tea.

But what about you?

You'll be in real trouble.

Well, I'll bet

you're not a rat.

Whether I'm a rat or not,

we'll see about that later.

The most urgent matter now

is that, Mr. Tu,

you need to tell me the truth.

I'm not like my father.

I have only two requirements for you.

First,

the money for repairing the salt fields

is ready.

When you arrive there,

repair the salt field as fast as possible,

hire assistants, secure lodgings,

and open up shops for me.

Throughout the Jiangsu and Jiangxi regions,

within 3 months,

I want shops everywhere.

Second,

I'll give you another 3 months

to expand into

Gu Pingyuan's territory.

I don't mind you spending my money.

What I do mind is that you lack the ability

to put that money to good use.

Is that clear?

Yes, Young Master!

Actually, the salt fields

were not destroyed.

When the Resistance Army was here,

we kept doing business.

Since we couldn't do business with the imperial court,

we did business with the Resistance Army.

Besides, they paid us

every copper coin in full.

The problem was that

the imperial court found out about this.

The imperial court said

we were aiding the rebels.

No one could bear such an accusation.

So some people,

before Jiangning fell,

whether deliberately

or not,

sold their salt fields.

They were protecting themselves from

future trouble with the imperial court.

Li Wantang

took advantage of that

and acquired many salt fields.

But of course,

there were also some worthless people

like that Pan fellow,

who lost his fortune to opium

and secretly

sold his salt fields

to Li Wantang.

Things like that also happened.

When we left,

we pushed the mud walls

into the salt fields,

telling everyone

that we abandoned them.

You can't tell from the outside.

I see.

These are all

just business tricks we use.

It's not surprising

that you didn't know.

The shops

and assistants are all still there.

It's just that the title deeds are gone.

I understand now.

Mr. Tu.

These days,

I've been reviewing the ledgers.

I have some ideas now

and need your advice.

At your command.

[Goods In-and-Out Ledger]

Too harsh.

[Salt Industry Guild]

I know what you all are thinking.

You see that I'm young

and an outsider,

so you're worried I'll profit from your industry, right?

Or perhaps you think

I'll be like Li Wantang,

using the imperial court's power

to seize your family businesses.

Am I right?

Since you all have doubts,

feel free to speak up.

If I can solve your problems,

I'll do that;

if I can't solve them,

at worst,

I'll give up my half of the salt fields

to you all.

I keep my word.

I'm just temporarily overseeing this duty anyway.

Stepping aside for someone more capable

is not out of the question.

Please, ask away.

Mr. Gu, have you ever made salt?

No.

Mr. Gu, have you ever run a salt shop?

No, I haven't, either.

Mr. Gu, do you plan to transport by water

or by land?

I haven't thought about that yet.

Mr. Gu, back in the Canal Gang,

what was your rank?

Rank?

No rank?

Then you must've been an outsider.

What do you mean outsider?

Did you have a master?

What master?

Come in and speak.

Well, Master is still ill.

I'll tell you later.

Even if you say it now,

my father probably won't be able to hear it.

And even if he does hear it,

I'm the young heir now.

Just speak when I tell you to.

Yes.

It's about the salt field again.

About that guy Gu Pingyuan...

Call him Mr. Gu.

You're not on his level yet.

Young Master.

The more someone competes with us,

the more respect we should show them.

Gu Pingyuan,

even as a prisoner,

has managed to stand toe-to-toe with us.

Isn't that worthy of your respect?

Yes.

Mr. Gu

has gathered all the former managers

and assistants

of the Lianghuai salt fields.

He dares to hire those people?

They're all

wily old foxes.

Can he really handle them?

Look at you all,

with such tiny, petty ambitions.

I've told you

that Mr. Gu has no experience.

So what if he has no experience?

Salt transportation

is generally divided into two types:

land transport

and canal transport,

and canal transport requires the Canal Gang.

All our former head managers

joined the gang.

This means

you need to find someone

older than you

to be your master.

This way, wherever you go,

you won't be bullied.

Even if you're not in the gang,

you still have to claim you are.

In the trade, this kind of person

is called an "outsider."

The rule of canal transport is:

pretending is allowed,

but denying is not.

There's no crime in pretending,

but if you do pretend,

you can't deny it.

Now along the Grand Canal,

among hundreds of thousands of Canal Gang members,

most of them are "outsiders."

I've learned something.

So is this Canal Gang

very powerful?

Of course.

Even Emperor Qianlong was once a member of the gang.

We still preserve

the dragon-headed walking stick

made of purple sandalwood that Emperor Qianlong bestowed upon us.

It's passed down

as a token among successive gang Chiefs.

However, Mr. Gu,

with your status

and position,

it won't be hard to join the gang, right?

Sure, sure. Not hard at all.

Thank you all for your guidance.

I'm a tea merchant.

You could say I know absolutely nothing

about the salt industry.

Heizi.

Bring out the gifts

we prepared.

He even brought gifts for us.

This Gu Pingyuan is quite thoughtful.

This is my own homegrown tea,

called Orchid Snow tea.

The Empress Dowager

has bestowed upon it the title

of "Top Tea Under Heaven."

Top Tea Under Heaven?

As this is our first meeting,

please accept this small gift.

Everyone, please take it home and give it a try.

[Orchid Snow]

Mr. Gu.

We all know you have good intentions,

but good intentions

are useless in business.

The apprentices in salt shops

need at least 3 years to complete their training.

Indeed.

With just a few words from us,

there's no way to turn you into

an expert.

Mr. Gu.

You're too young—

you're no match for Li Million.

Everyone.

I may never become

an expert in this lifetime.

But it doesn't matter.

What matters is that

all of you here are experts.

His Excellency personally told me

that he wants the salt industry profits made in Lianghuai

to stay in Lianghuai.

Therefore,

this battle between Li Wantang and me

isn't one I'm fighting—

it's you who're fighting it.

And you must win this battle for me,

and for yourselves!

Starting today, I'm setting a new rule:

for all salt shops,

we'll split the net profit 30-70.

-30-70? -30-70?

I'll take 30%,

and you'll take 70%.

How's that?

Mr. Gu,

are you joking with us?

The boss takes 30%

and the staff take 70%?

Isn't that completely upside down?

When I do business,

I never joke.

As long as

I'm still in this position,

this rule will never change.

-Great! -Excellent!

Mr. Gu,

we'll fight this battle with you

and win it!

For Mr. Gu,

we'll win this battle!

Let me say this one last time.

It's not about me winning.

It's about you winning!

[600 copper coins per bundle]

Mr. Gu said to lower it by another 100 copper coins.

[Gu's Salt Shop]

Got it.

[500 copper coins per bundle]

500 copper coins.

Today we're changing the price to...

300 copper coins per bundle.

Go and notify all shops

to change it immediately and not wait until dark.

Yes.

Stop there!

Young Master.

We can't do business this way.

If you keep competing like this,

when will it ever end?

The salt brought out from the salt fields already costs 300 copper coins,

with food for people and feed for horses on the way,

plus all these labor and material costs—

nobody does business like this!

So how do you think

we should do business?

Anyway, if Master were conscious,

he would never approve of this.

Aren't you just

shooting yourself in the foot?

Running the shops for one day

with all these resources

will cost

nearly 100,000 taels of silver.

Is 100,000 taels a lot?

Of course it's a lot!

You haven't even

earned that much from the shops yet.

Fine.

Fine then.

Young Master,

you really can't compete like this.

Young Master,

please don't be childish.

He's an amateur—

do you want to be one too?

I am an amateur indeed.

But...

When the Master wakes up,

how am I supposed to explain this to him?

Haven't I told you

that before my father wakes up,

I'm the boss?

I don't need you to teach me how to do business.

Besides,

if I didn't know how, I would ask you.

If you make a scene in public again,

I'll send you packing

back to the capital.

Do you understand?

Also, is 100,000 taels of silver a lot?

Sure it is.

So who do you think can afford that,

us or Gu Pingyuan?

My approach is

to settle this with him

within 10 days.

Six months is too long.

I don't have that much time to waste on him.

[My name is Chang Yu'er. Husband Gu Pingyuan.]

Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?

I thought I'd come back to check if Mother's awake yet.

There's no point in checking.

Come on, let's go.

Let's go.

What are you writing here?

Nothing. It's nothing.

What's this "Husband Gu Pingyuan"?

I-It's nothing.

Let me see.

Go quickly. Weren't you going to check...

How about I check on you?

Check on me then.

I'll go make you something to eat.

Move aside.

It's tea harvesting season again,

yet we can't go back.

If Mother's health were better,

I'd really want to take Mother back to Huizhou.

Didn't you find someone to help?

What's the use of that?

Mr. Liao isn't going back either.

This year, we won't even be able to harvest

a single tael of Orchid Snow tea.

Brew some tea from home

for Mother to taste as well.

Don't let her drink medicine all the time.

Go eat.

Father is waiting for you.

Mr. Chang must've been worried.

If we're talking about transporting salt

by land,

that's a simple matter.

I've been running the horse gang my whole life.

The amount of salt you have

would only take one horse caravan

making 3 to 5 trips

to transport it all.

I think

the most urgent matter now

is that the salt price isn't rising.

If you keep pushing yourself like this,

when will it ever end?

I want to transport salt

from Sichuan.

Si... Si...

Sichuan?

Although Sichuan's well salt

is cheap indeed,

what you're engaged in now

is a price war.

Don't tell me

you're thinking of trafficking illegal salt.