Episode Summary
Gu Pingyuan accidentally meets Empress Dowager Cixi and impresses her with his tea, exposing the corruption of the Tea Conference in the process. He unwittingly thwarts Su Zixuan's attempt to assassinate Cixi, earning him a death threat from Zixuan. While Cixi awards him a prestigious plaque, a rival merchant kidnaps him just as Prince Gong arrives to do business.
Spoiler Alert
Accidental Royals and Poisoned Brews
Gu Pingyuan and his brother Pingwen finally make it to the capital. They are ready to dominate the Sixth Prince’s "Ten Thousand Tea Conference." There is just one problem. They don't have an entry badge. They try to sneak in through a side door and bump into a fancy lady with an entourage. It’s Empress Dowager Cixi. The brothers have no clue. Pingwen brags about their Lan Xue tea. Cixi gets curious. She decides to smuggle them into the party herself.
The Most Expensive Cup of Tea
Inside the mansion, guards demand a massive bribe. Five thousand taels just to compete. Pingyuan refuses to pay. They wander around until Cixi spots them from a pavilion. She wants a taste test.
While the other merchants like Old Master Hu and Li Wantang are showing off theatrics in the main hall, Pingyuan sets up shop in front of Cixi. He is bold. He tells the Empress her heavy perfume will ruin the tea's flavor. She actually listens and steps back. He brews the Lan Xue tea. She takes a sip and is hooked.
Pingyuan seizes the moment. He complains about the corruption. He tells her about the exorbitant entry fees and the burnt village back home. Cixi has her eunuch, Xiao An, take notes. She is not happy with the Sixth Prince running a scam under her nose.
A Failed Assassination
The vibe changes fast. A woman claiming to be the Prince’s wife enters to serve tea. Pingyuan recognizes her immediately. It’s Su Zixuan in disguise. He smells the tea. It has a scent similar to his own, but wrong. It’s poison.
Pingyuan shouts a warning. Cixi drops the cup and leaves immediately, taking the Lan Xue tea with her. Pingyuan realizes he just saved the Empress but ruined Zixuan’s revenge plot. He grabs his brother and flees the scene before heads start rolling.
Fallout and Firearms
The Sixth Prince is in panic mode. Cixi scolds him and forces him to drink the Lan Xue tea to prove a point. The conference is cancelled.
Back at the inn, Pingyuan is suddenly a celebrity. Official Qiao Song invites him to dinner. Qiao Song isn't interested in tea, though. He is fighting rebels armed with foreign weapons. He needs guns. He asks Pingyuan to use his connections to buy Western arms. Pingyuan agrees. He is apparently an arms dealer now.
Midnight Threats and Kidnappings
We learn why Li Wantang locked his son, Li Qin, in his room. He knew Su Zixuan planned to kill Cixi to avenge her father. He didn't want his son caught in the crossfire.
That night, Zixuan breaks into Pingyuan’s room. She is furious he botched her assassination attempt. She leaves an arrow by his bed as a threat. He wakes up terrified.
The next morning, Cixi sends a plaque declaring Lan Xue the "Number One Tea in the World." Old Master Hu hears the news and wants to ride Pingyuan’s coattails. He sends his lackey, Hou Er, to "invite" Pingyuan to lead the Anhui Tea Guild. The invitation involves drugged tea. Pingyuan passes out and gets dragged away. Prince Gong shows up looking for the famous tea master, but Pingyuan is gone.
