Original subtitles

[Legend of the Magnate]

[Episode 35]

It appears to me

that the gravest concern now

is that the salt prices are remaining too low.

You can't just keep

pushing yourself, can you?

I plan to procure salt

from Sichuan.

Si-

Sichuan?

Sichuan well salt

is certainly cheap,

but you are

waging a price war now.

Are you

looking to smuggle salt?

It's hardly smuggling,

since salt is a necessity shared by all.

Decades ago, such remarks

would be considered highly offensive.

Don't you fear the death penalty?

In 5 or 6 days,

I'll lose my entire investment.

We're having a discussion.

Why did you come in?

I'm close to being a widow.

Can't I be here?

Yu'er...

Hold your tongue.

Hear me out.

Father,

go back to Shanxi tomorrow without me.

I'll stay with Pingyuan

for the salt business.

Nonsense!

How's that going to put my mind at ease?

Children are a constant source

of worry for their parents.

I'm as much bothered

as you are.

[Liangjiang Viceroy's Office]

Mr. Genius!

What was that shouting about?

Come here.

Let me show you something special.

[Heaven-Sent Huai Salt]

Heaven-sent Huai...

What a sturdy bag.

[Heaven-Sent Huai Salt]

Didn't you ask me to check out

those two hotheads'

initial moves?

Gu Pingyuan

is quite resourceful.

He's giving away these salt bags for free.

Whoever buys salt from his shop

gets one,

with complimentary repair service.

Well...

[Good Fortune Refined Salt]

Look at this.

Such well ground salt.

Look.

Regular salt

costs 300 coppers per bundle.

Such resifted salt sells for

500 coppers per bundle.

Families of modest means

all opt for this kind of salt

to keep up appearances.

Then I guess Gu is selling

below cost.

Such salt is priced

at 700 to 800 coppers per bundle north of the river.

By the way,

how much does Li Million

charge?

200 coppers per bundle?

Interesting.

I truly admire you.

You're a real genius like the historically renowned strategist Zhuge Liang

who restored peace with brilliant schemes.

Cut it out.

Making the business work

without spending a single copper...

This Gu fellow

does have some real stuff.

As long as there's sufficient grain and salt

for the people,

there will be no unrest.

I knew these two people

would

definitely go for a showdown.

But at the moment,

it's still unclear who will win.

[A salt field]

Your Excellency.

What before your eyes

are inkstone-style salt troughs.

Many of them are relics from the Song Dynasty.

That means...

they have a history of over 900 years, right?

Exactly.

However, nowadays,

we no longer adopt the traditional method

of boiling seawater to make salt.

Look over there.

We source mud from beaches,

let it dry in the sun,

pour seawater over it,

and put it through a filter for high-concentration brine.

Then, the brine

is poured into these troughs

for sun exposure, followed by proper cooking,

until salt is separated.

How large a salt field

is needed to produce this amount

of salt?

Less than 4 mu.

This is the best salt field

in the Lianghuai region.

The salt produced here tastes excellent,

and the yield is high.

Are all of them specialized salt workers?

The older ones are.

As for the younger ones,

they learn as they train

apprentices.

We're still short-handed.

How much do they get paid?

Four strings per month.

Food, lodging,

and medical care

are provided.

With such scorching sun,

that's not much of an ideal salary.

I suggest a pay raise.

His Excellency here

has ordered a pay raise for you!

Your Excellency is brilliant!

Thank Your Excellency!

All hail Your Excellency!

Your Excellency is amazing!

Your Excellency is brilliant!

Thank Your Excellency!

-Thank Your Excellency! -You treat the people as your children.

Sir,

you're really like a parent to the people.

It seems I do enjoy a good reputation

in Liangjiang.

Sir.

Frankly speaking,

the workers here are already paid

more than those in any other salt field

in the Liangjiang region.

Now, Gu Pingyuan and I

are actually selling at a loss

for publicity.

We would

appreciate it if you could lower the tax

on salt fields.

Is the tax on salt fields high?

How come I don't know that?

It's 400,000 taels of silver a month.

Don't you think that's high?

Four hundred thousand?

It's actually not a large figure.

With 400,000 taels,

much can be accomplished.

I've just petitioned

the imperial court to exempt Liangjiang

from taxes for two years.

This money will be used

to boost the vitality of Liangjiang.

You're here all the time, so you don't know—

in Nanjing, where I reside,

I see the region growing more prosperous day by day.

In the future,

I'll make sure you are properly recognized

for your contributions.

Let's go up and take a look.

How's it going?

Has your father come to?

Shall we

raise the salt prices again?

I really can't stand being patronized

by this old weasel every day.

I agree.

Let's raise the prices together.

I thought you'd beg me.

Why would I beg you to raise the prices?

Okay.

If you're onboard,

I'll go with it.

Let's see who knocks who out first.

Please come over, gentlemen!

Let's take a photo with this Western stuff!

Time for a photo!

Mr. Li, come here.

Mr. Gu, come.

Let's take a picture.

God of Wealth!

Coming!

Mr. Gu, your reputation

is growing by the day.

In Jiangsu and Zhejiang,

your name's mentioned on a daily basis.

You're really something.

It feels so cool

here in your cabin.

Cool, right?

The secret's over there.

Take a look.

What a smart way to make ice.

I must say, God of Wealth,

you're really living an immortal's life.

That's not true.

Having spiritual powers makes one a god,

and being carefree makes one an immortal.

Which of those standards do you think I've met?

Stop flattering me.

Take a seat now.

Have some lotus root and fruits.

They've just been chilled.

Settle down,

and we'll drink later.

That can wait.

Well,

have the ships arrived yet?

Look at you, so impatient.

I've got them prepared for you.

Exactly

16 ships.

Good thing I own a draft bank

and charter ships year-round to transport raw silk.

People other than me

may not be able to secure these many ships.

In that case,

I owe you many thanks.

Alright, alright.

Be seated.

I heard that recently in Liangjiang,

salt merchants have been racking

their brains

for issues regarding salt fields.

I suggest you not worry too much

about winning or losing.

At such a young age,

you're already a well-matched rival

for Li Million.

That's a remarkable achievement itself.

Even if you're forced onto the back foot,

that won't be your fault.

Don't let

this matter

affect your health.

I've been pushed

this far by the Viceroy of Liangjiang.

In fact,

Rui Lin never intended

to let Li Wantang manage the Lianghuai salt business.

He just set me up to take on the latter.

What happened later— stabilizing salt prices,

taking action against rice merchants,

and that trouble concerning the Li family—

was all instigated by him.

The Viceroy of Liangjiang

is nicknamed the Wringer.

Even if he saw the King of Hell,

he'd wring every last copper out of him.

I must warn you of this—

stay cautious

in the salt trade.

It concerns many interested parties.

I've done everything

I can to help you.

As for the rest,

I'm not sure what exactly I can do.

Thank you for the kind reminder, Mr. Wu.

Butler!

How's my father?

Young Master,

Master is still in a coma.

The problem is I can't wait

till he comes to!

If anything goes wrong...

I'll take full responsibility.

It's not your money at stake anyway.

This is a very tense situation.

What are you still dawdling for? Go!

Fine.

I'll go check on Master.

His Excellency

demands the salt field taxes

be paid right on time.

Before I came back,

I had just settled the payment.

The monthly

tax bill of over 400,000 taels of silver

is like a knife

pressed against my throat.

That really...

feels awful.

Alright.

Enough said about me.

Tell me how you've been.

Any problems in doing business?

We're faring well

in business.

The problem is

the current salt prices are far too low,

while the taxes are excessively high.

Even if you owned a silver mine,

you'd be drained financially.

I think it's time to shut down these two silk shops

in Tianjin.

They're tying up too much money,

while yielding thin profits.

Young Master,

they bring in an annual revenue of hundreds of thousands of taels.

You call that "thin profits"?

Do you even know the meaning

of "thin profits"?

I definitely know better than you do.

When these shops are closed,

and the properties and inventory liquidated,

we'll at least gain hundreds

of thousands more taels.

Hands off!

You can't do this!

How am I going to explain

to Master when he wakes up?

Who's in charge of the Li family now,

you or me?

Definitely not me.

But is pouring money into this

non-stop really the solution?

I think it's better

to bribe the officials.

That way, you get to keep some money for yourself,

and things will go more smoothly.

If I give this money to the officials,

will they stop taxing my salt fields?

I'm closing these two tea shops too.

Young Master,

you really must not do this.

You know what business

Master does.

It's not worthwhile to sustain the salt fields

at the cost of his most significant ventures!

Doing so

will make you a...

A real spendthrift.

Is it what you were going to say?

Young Master,

I didn't mean any of that.

I don't care what you meant.

Right now, every month,

I'm required to pay 400,000 taels

in salt field taxes.

I have people to feed, horses to maintain,

clerks to hire, managers to pay—

so many expenditures!

I'm hemorrhaging money every month.

If my father wakes up and finds out

I've lost the salt fields,

what do you think he'll make of this?

I'll have to obediently

return to the capital and study for the rest of my life.

I'll never be allowed to do business

again!

So, I'm telling you,

I must win this battle!

Understood?

Master has come to!

Master has come to!

Master has come to...

Master has come to!

Come on, drink up.

No need to panic, everyone.

Everything will be fine as I said.

Boss.

Mr. Tu,

what is this about?

Do tell us what trick you have

up your sleeve.

Come with me.

No, no.

What are you doing?

I didn't do anything.

It's not like I'm going to eat you alive.

I just want to take you out

and show you the salt.

Heizi.

Father, it's me, Li Qin.

Would you like some water?

Master,

The salt fields have been

causing financial losses to us.

Why bring this up?

Come with me.

My father is seriously ill.

To save my father's life,

I'd never hesitate to forfeit

all family assets,

let alone some shops.

So drop this topic for good.

Lift the cloth and show them.

This...

Take a good look.

Put the cover back on!

Move!

That's a lot of salt.

Yeah.

I guess it's even more than

all our stock.

-Indeed. -Right.

Boss,

where did this salt come from?

Tell them.

This salt

wasn't sourced in Lianghuai.

It's well salt delivered from Sichuan and Yunnan

by horse gangs and waterways.

Boss,

you're dealing in illegal salt.

That's a capital offense.

Everyone,

in business at this level,

who isn't risking his life?

In such difficult times,

working with all of you

is my honor.

I was reluctant to tell you the truth

because I was concerned

that if the government investigated,

you would all be implicated.

Now, I've told you

the trick I have up my sleeve.

As for what path to take next,

please decide for yourselves.

I won't force anyone.

Boss,

we're so blessed

to be taken in by you.

For that, we're truly grateful.

But this matter...

How about this?

Let it be the last risk we take.

We'll bear all potential consequences together.

At worst,

when we're done with this—

we'll have some savings by then—

we'll close our shops to put an end

to everything.

It's unnecessary to fight Li Wantang

over short-term gains.

Don't worry about that.

You must be tired from the journey.

Get home and get some rest.

Tomorrow morning,

escort your boats back.

Young Master,

there's a finding.

What is it?

Our men spent a long time observing

each salt shop

in the salt guild.

They discovered that before dawn,

packs of salt carried by big ships

would arrive at the dock.

Our men followed the ships

and found the salt

wasn't sourced locally.

Most of it was well salt from Sichuan.

Well salt?

How many shipments?

Deliveries were made day and night.

Last time, there were 16 large ships.

Well salt costs less than half of ours.

No wonder they can keep going.

I was wondering

why he dared to enter a price war with me.

I'm merely hanging on

by selling shops,

while he remains unscathed.

Go get the butler.

Yes.

When Master wakes up,

we'll let him decide.

No need.

My father is too weak now.

He shouldn't be bothered with these matters.

Besides, he's not keeping us around

so we can be dead weight, right?

Tell me.

Do you have a plan?

Gu Pingyuan smuggles a large amount

of salt at a time.

This is a capital offense.

Anything wrong, Young Master?

You want to report it to the authorities?

How foolish of you.

Now, it is known to everyone

in Liangjiang

that Gu Pingyuan is heavily favored

by the Viceroy of Liangjiang.

Who would dare touch him?

Maybe the Viceroy's Office is going to

reward him for stabilizing salt prices.

Listen.

To my recollection,

when we first came to Jiangning,

we sent generous gifts

to the Canal Gang, didn't we?

Now, these people have come in handy.

Tell them

to seize this shipment of salt

that Gu Pingyuan is expecting

as soon as possible.

If he boldly demands it back,

seize him too.

Under such circumstances,

Gu Pingyuan won't dare to ask the authorities for help.

He'll have to swallow this bitter pill.

That's the first task.

Second,

notify all our shops nationwide

to transfer all their funds here.

I'll finish Gu off while he's down.

I don't believe I'll lose again.

The time has come for Gu Pingyuan

and me to see who's better through this salt competition.

Carry out the tasks now.

Stop your boats!

Halt!

Stop your boats now,

or we'll set them on fire!

Everyone,

what...

what's going on here?

[Canal Gang]

Mother.

Why are your eyes so red?

Did you not sleep last night?

I...

I must've got so tired

that I fell asleep.

How long have I been out?

For... over 10 days.

Mother.

Are you really awake now?

I know what happened in the past few days.

You gave me bed baths

and fed me medicine.

Yet I just couldn't open my eyes.

I wasn't even able to move

my fingers.

I was like a bug

trapped in glue.

I yelled "no" as loud as I could.

Then I asked this guy

to at least let me

bid farewell to my family.

He fell silent,

and I felt that I could move.

Who...

was that guy?

Maybe he was God,

or

an educated man.

Who cares who he was?

Mother.

You must've had a bad dream.

Kid, you don't understand.

The real bad dream is being awake.

When I was asleep,

everything was clear to me.

Where is Pingyuan?

He... went out for business.

I need to tell you something.

Listen carefully.

Do not demand

a man seek fame,

as long as he's ambitious.

Do not demand a man be smart,

as long as he's kind-hearted.

In chaotic times,

being together matters more than anything.

You get it?

Mother...

Why are you saying this?

When I first lied down,

I wished I could die immediately.

I slowly came to realize everything,

but unfortunately, it was too late.

Father,

why did you suddenly fall ill?

This is fate.

Are you and Gu Pingyuan

still neck and neck in business?

Maybe yesterday we were.

But after today,

that won't be the case.

I had the Canal Gang

seize his goods.

You have no idea.

He adopted the tactics

of illegal salt dealers

and smuggled

cheap well salt from Sichuan for sale.

No wonder he dared to wage a price war against me

and has not lost ground.

Shame on him.

Business is just business.

What you've done is unethical.

That...

Father,

why are you suddenly

talking about ethics with me?

Remember what you taught me?

One shouldn't do business

if he cares much about ethics.

You said nothing is more important than

accomplishing what I set my mind to.

Why the sudden talk about ethics now?

And where is this mercy

for him coming from?

The salt industry is the lifeline of Lianghuai.

Though it's entirely under my control now,

I've never thought of

monopolizing it.

Neither should you ever expect that.

If we cut off the livelihood of Lianghuai,

our family will become a target of public criticism.

Son,

don't go to the extremes when you do business.

Gu Pingyuan

isn't doing business for himself.

He's trying to leave Jiangnan

a chance of survival.

Capturing half of the market

is good enough for us.

As for the Canal Gang...

tell them to back off right away.

We have to steer clear of trouble.

Father, please

get well soon

and take back

the business from me.

The young master's actions

are truly surprising.

Haven't you noticed he's changed?

People

with a knife want to kill,

with power want to act,

and with money,

there's nowhere in the world

they don't want to go.

These three things are the most dangerous.

Now that he's taken over the business,

he would inevitably change.

I've managed to step away from it all.

Just let him be.

Master,

you're disheartened

only because of the illness.

When you recover, all family affairs

will still be yours to decide.

Who am I to do that?

My life is coming to an end.

What's the point of holding onto all this money?

For the name of "Li Million,"

I've owed too many debts.

You may go now.

I need a rest.

Mr. Gu,

the boats have been seized!

Mr. Gu,

the boats have been seized!

The boats have been seized!

[Qingjiangpu Pier]

The ship's arrived!

Where are they?

Look,

that man receives guests

on behalf of the Canal Gang.

That table's reserved for them.

It's where

they usually have tea and discuss.

I am Gu Pingyuan.

May I meet with your chief?

What for,

a personal matter or a gang issue?

A personal matter.

For the salt shipments.

Will there be danger?

I guess not.

If anything happens,

I'll try

every means to rescue you.

Chief has invited you,

an honored guest, to the hall for tea.

Please.

He's invited.

You're not.

[Canal Gang]

Please.

I pay my respects

to you... Chief.

[Hall of Loyalty]

These shipments of salt are yours?

Yes.

Selling illegal salt

is quite a serious offense.

It's a matter of the government.

Speak from your position, please.

You're a straight shooter then.

The Canal Gang

has hundreds of thousands of members along the Grand Canal,

who have been struggling to make ends meet

in these rough times.

So,

we'd like to borrow some money from you.

Now, I offer you two options.

Make your choice.

The first one is, for every future shipment

of illegal salt,

we demand additional 30% profit.

We guarantee

that your ships

will safely arrive at the docks.

We will be friends

for a long term.

[Hall of Loyalty]

The second option is more straightforward—

pay 20 million taels of silver

for a chance of survival.

An outright abduction it is.

Don't you fear if I report it to the authorities?

Report it?

If you dare to let the authorities

know about your salt smuggling,

then go ahead.

Let me be clear.

I will not pay you a single penny more.

Abduct me if you want.

Bring me 20 million taels of silver

in 3 days.

If I don't see

this money by then,

I'll shove you into a pig cage and sink you,

so you'll be fish feed.

I always keep my word.

[Hall of Loyalty]

[Canal Gang]

Chief has his own rules.

Trying to barge into the hall...

Do you have a death wish?

I don't care what hall that is!

What good is brute strength?

Being all brawn and no brains

won't get you anywhere.

Madam!

Mr. Gu has been kidnapped!

Madam!

Good grief!

What are you doing?

Going for a fight?

Why haven't you changed your clothes yet?

You look like an old master.

Why should I change my clothes?

Didn't you hear what Heizi said?

They've kidnapped your son-in-law

and are demanding 20 million taels of silver.

How can we raise that much money?

Go change your clothes quickly.

Do you still have your fighting dagger?

You want the two of us to storm in their place?

Have you let the operas get into your head?

I don't have the abilities

of that legendary hero Dou Erdun!

Father,

what's the matter?

We've been

extorted before.

We'll play by the rules, negotiate,

and resort to violence only if a consensus can't be reached.

How can we be afraid of them?

How about this?

Keep this robe on to conceal

the fighting clothes you're in.

Let's hide our iron fists

with velvet gloves.

Chances are

that they won't be alert around you.

You then intimidate them with a strike,

and I'll handle the rest.

How does that sound?

It's a terrible idea!

The Canal Gang

has hundreds of thousands of members.

Can they be subdued by one strike only?

To avoid imminent danger,

maybe they will release Pingyuan.

But after that, it'll be much more difficult

to ship items on the Grand Canal.

It's not like we're demanding lost goods back now.

That's the least of my concern!

Heizi said

they'd drown him

unless we paid in 3 days!

If I wait till you devise a proper plan,

it'll be too late to even collect his body!

Yu'er!

T-This is a serious matter.

I have told Pingyuan

not to deal in illegal salt!

Look what has happened.

We can't report this to the authorities.

Getting him back by force is not the solution.

It's better

for us to find a mediator

to reconcile both sides.

I know quite a few notable figures

in the Canal Gang.

I've asked someone influential

to speak on our behalf.

What are you doing here?

You should be recuperating.

When I left,

Gu Pingyuan asked me to find someone

to save him.

I went looking but she wasn't around.

I wanted to ask...

if I should go again.

You silly child!

Who did he ask you to find?

Why didn't you tell us earlier?

Why are you looking at her?

Say it now!

A life is in danger!

It's a Ms. Su

in Marshal Jiu's camp.

You look down on me.

You look down on me, don't you?

Su can save him,

but I can't?

Are you going or not?

I will if you don't!

Out of my way!

Off you go!

Yu'er,

can't you put yourself together?

Incense smoke rises from the burner.

Three elders and four young masters sit in the hall.

This humble fellow offers incense

and begs for a meeting with Chief.

Here I hold another burner before my chest.

The three elders and four young masters beam with joy.

My mentor comes and takes the seat of honor,

as this humble disciple lights incense to pay his respects.

May I have your name, sir?

My surname is Chang.

I am the fourth child in my family.

Above me, it's the "Tong" generation.

Below me, it's the "Wan" generation.

As for me, I'm in the "Wu" generation.

You are a respected senior then.

Could you tell me who your mentor is?

A son dare not speak his father's name.

I learned from a gentleman of the "Tong" generation.

I've come with my daughter

to discuss matters about her husband.

Please.

Boss Gui,

Chang Si pays his respects to you.

Mr. Chang,

the senior member of the "Tong" generation you mentioned

has spoken to me.

You're here to save your son-in-law,

Gu Pingyuan, right?

Yes, exactly.

He smuggles salt on the Grand Canal,

but refuses

to share profits with his helpers

along the way.

It's unfair, isn't it?

What?

Do we not deserve to be paid?

But there are rules in place.

My son-in-law is acting on

orders from the Viceroy of Liangjiang

to revitalize Lianghuai salt fields.

He's not trading salt for private gain.

Boss Gui,

I hope you understand.

Don't try to pressure me

with the Liangjiang Viceroy's Office.

Those filthy rich officials

are rolling in money,

while my brothers in the Canal Gang

have to buy their own shoes

when they wear them out running.

If you have a complaint,

take it to the authorities.

I'd like to see who dares to interfere

when this blows up.

The Canal Gang possesses

a dragon-headed scepter awarded by Emperor Qianlong.

If this gets out of hand,

I don't mind

talking it out in the government office.

But that senior member of the Tong generation...

[Hall of Loyalty]

I have hundreds of thousands of mouths

to feed!

You think I'd care about some senior member?

Go home right now

and raise the money.

Do you understand?

[Hall of Loyalty]

-Go raise the money! -Raise the money!

Let's go home.

This is a tough problem.

You've seen it yourself.

This is no place for you.

Let's go.

How is my husband doing?

His condition

depends on the amount of money

you'll give us.

I have...

I have a hairpin

that's worth a million.

I'll leave it here with you as collateral.

Can you make sure

he gets proper meals?

Yu'er,

you can't give it away.

That's...

A hairpin that's worth a million?

I've never seen one.

Let me take a look.

Boss Gui,

can you bring him out

so I can see him?

I...

need to ask him

where he hid the silver.

Sounds good.

This kidnapping is paying off well.

Guys!

Bring that Gu fellow here.

[Hall of Loyalty]

-Yes. -Yes.

Pingyuan!

Mr. Chang.

Why are you here?

Where is Ms. Su?

Yu'er was worried about you,

so we came first.

Father and I risked our lives

to come to your rescue,

yet you asked about her the moment you saw us.

No.

What can you do here?

You're not able

to solve this problem.

Don't you see I'm worried about you?

Why can't I be here?

Enough. Stop arguing!

I can't believe you two

are quarreling at my place.

Now, ask him

where he hid the silver.

There's no silver at all.

What?

No silver at all?

Then I guess

it's time to teach you a lesson.

Guys!

[Hall of Loyalty]

Pierce his collarbones with an iron chain!

Please don't!

Let's talk it...

You're having his collarbones pierced?

Yes.

I'll have it done right in front of you.

Let me tell you what's good

about this hairpin.

Sure.

Tell me about it.

Look,

just...

Take her down!

Back off!

Shut up and stay back,

or I'll have his right collarbone

pierced too!