Episode Summary
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Gu Pingyuan defeats the Li family and becomes the leader of the Old Eight Families. Shopkeeper Li orchestrates the Prince's death using rebel forces. Wang Tiangui kidnaps Chang Yuer to force Gu to find the treasure, but Gu traps Wang inside the treasure vault forever. An imperial amnesty finally frees Gu Pingyuan, allowing him to return to his hometown.
apping the Structure
Spoiler Alert
The Li Family Crashes and Burns
We finally see the end of the Li family's power grab. Li Wantang teamed up with the Prince to swallow the Old Eight Families whole. He wanted the Chuang Wang treasure for himself. That plan blew up in his face. Gu Pingyuan talked some sense into the Prince first. Then he rallied the local shopkeepers to dismantle Li Wantang’s scheme.
Li Wantang had to flee Pingyao in disgrace. His son, Li Qin, didn't want to roll over so easily. He tried one last desperate gamble against Gu Pingyuan. It didn't work. Gu outsmarted him but showed mercy. He told Li Qin to just quit while he was behind. Li Qin realized he was beaten. He shut down his business, the "Taiping Business." He smashed the massive silver gourd at his shop's entrance before leaving for Beijing. It was a total defeat.
A Bloody End for the Prince
Shopkeeper Li is ruthless. He owed the Prince 24 million taels of silver. He decided murder was cheaper than paying his debts. He bought two thousand horses and sent them straight to the rebel army in Shandong.
The rebels put those horses to good use. They surrounded the Prince’s troops. The Prince barely broke out of the encirclement. His guards abandoned him one by one. He ended up alone and terrified. The rebels caught up. He tried to draw his sword, but an arrow pierced his heart. He died right there in the dirt.
The Secret of the Vault
The Old Eight Families threw a party for Gu Pingyuan. They wanted him to be their General Manager. He tried to say no since he is technically a fugitive. They didn't care. They needed his brain. He eventually agreed.
Jin Mistress finally explained the real story behind the Chuang Wang treasure. It wasn't just lost loot. The rebel King Chuang didn't lose it. He entrusted it to eight generals to fund a future uprising. Those generals became the ancestors of the eight families. They hid the gold in the mountains and set up traps.
Shopkeeper Li took Gu to Pingding Temple to see for himself. They navigated through secret mechanisms. The vault was insane. It was piled high with gold cast into random objects. There is a "Breaking Dragon Stone" at the entrance. If a thief triggers it, the stone drops and seals them inside forever.
Wang Tiangui’s Greed
Wang Tiangui let the money go to his head. He made a fortune thanks to Gu, but it wasn't enough. He wanted Gu to stay and be his adopted son. Gu refused. Wang snapped. He bribed the magistrate to kill Chang Si. He kidnapped Chang Yuer. He told Gu they would both die that night if he didn't cooperate. He even pulled a gun on Gu.
Gu made a deal. He would show Wang the treasure if he let the hostages go. Wang agreed. He released Chang Si and Yuer. Gu took him to the temple vault. Wang ran inside and started hugging the gold. He was ecstatic. Gu warned him about greed, but Wang wasn't listening.
Gu walked out. He triggered the mechanism. The Breaking Dragon Stone slowly descended. Wang was too busy celebrating to notice until it was too late. The door slammed shut. Wang Tiangui got his wish. He is with the gold forever.
Freedom at Last
Time jumped forward to the eleventh year of Xianfeng. The Emperor died. The new government issued a general amnesty. Gu Pingyuan is no longer a criminal. He immediately bought a horse. He wanted to go home to Huizhou to see his mother.
Chang Si and Chang Yuer came to say goodbye. It was a tough farewell. Yuer clearly loves him, but she let him go. She sent bodyguards from the grasslands to escort him safely. Gu is finally heading home.
