Episode Summary
Gu Pingyuan is kidnapped by a vengeful General Xu and taken back to the frozen exile of Ningguta. While his friends in the capital search frantically for him, Gu survives a near-death encounter with wolves and convinces Xu to partner with him in an illegal arms deal. They travel to the Russian border, survive a bar brawl and a capture by Russian cavalry, and eventually secure a meeting to buy weapons for the Qing army.
Spoiler Alert
Legend of the Magnate Episode 20 Recap
The Price of Fame
Gu Pingyuan is officially a celebrity in the tea world. The Empress Dowager Cixi gave him that "Number One Tea in the World" plaque, and now everyone wants a piece of him. Merchants are lining up at the Anhui guild hall. They want to buy Lan Xue tea. They want to buy him dinner. It’s a frenzy.
Old Master Hu wants in on the action too. He sends his servant, Hou Er, to fetch Gu Pingyuan. Hou Er tries to be polite. He invites Gu into a carriage for tea to apologize for past grievances. But someone tampered with the pot. The tea is drugged. Both Gu Pingyuan and Hou Er pass out cold.
Panic in the Capital
Prince Gong shows up looking for Gu Pingyuan the next morning. He finds chaos instead. Gu is gone. Gu Pingwen doesn't hesitate to point fingers. He tells the Prince that Old Master Hu has a grudge against his brother. Hu is terrified. He begs for mercy. Prince Gong just wants his tea. He orders Gu Pingwen to prepare the Lan Xue shipment for the palace whenever Gu returns.
Old Master Hu takes his fear out on Hou Er. He beats the servant, but Hou Er swears he didn't know about the poison. He woke up alone. The carriage and Gu were gone. Hu doesn't buy it. He makes Hou Er kneel at the gate as punishment.
Politics and Gunpowder
While Gu is missing, Cixi is fuming. She wants foreign weapons for the Northwest campaign. Qiao Song tries to buy them, but he hits a wall. Cixi hates dealing with foreigners. She’s still angry that the British wouldn't let Qing soldiers on a warship they bought. She screams at Prince Gong and Qiao Song. She demands they go to Robert Hart and get those guns.
It doesn't go well. Hart is busy. He has too many orders. He tells Qiao Song to wait in line. Qiao Song begs, but Hart won't budge. The empire needs firepower, and they can't get it.
A Cold Reunion
Gu Pingyuan wakes up in a nightmare. He’s bound and blindfolded in the freezing wilderness. He knows exactly where he is. This is Ningguta.
His kidnapper is General Xu. Xu has been rotting in exile here, guarding horses and living like a ghost. He blames Gu for his misery. He is thrilled to finally have his revenge. He starves Gu and tosses him a bone like a dog. Gu tries to reason with him. He offers money. He tries to talk. Xu doesn't care. He drags Gu out into the snow.
Xu has a Russian rifle. Gu spots it immediately. He tries to pivot to business. He offers to start an arms trade. Xu just laughs and leaves him there for the wolves.
The Wolf Pack
The sun goes down. The wolves come out. Gu Pingyuan is terrified. He curls up on the ground and plays dead. The pack circles him. They get closer. Just as they lunge to attack, a gunshot rings out.
Xu saves him. He didn't do it out of kindness, though. Gu pushes the deal again. He hands over a stack of bank notes. He tells Xu to use the money to buy a massive stockpile of weapons. Xu looks at the money. Greed finally wins out. He agrees.
Secrets and Lies
Back in the city, people are starting to ask questions. Hou Er is still kneeling at the gate, chanting Gu’s name. Chang Yuer walks by and hears him. She realizes Gu is missing. She goes to her brother, Chang Si. He tells her the guild is already looking, but no one has found a trace.
Li Qin is also hunting for his friend. He goes straight to the source of his suspicions: Su Zixuan. He accuses her of the kidnapping. She denies taking Gu, but she drops a bombshell. She reveals she is a rebel. She plotted to poison Cixi. Gu Pingyuan accidentally ruined her plan. She threatens Li Qin. If he keeps digging, he puts everyone at risk. But Li Qin is loyal. He wants his friend back.
Chang Yuer corners Li Qin later. She begs for help. Li Qin tries to dodge her questions, but he eventually caves. He tells her Gu is in Ningguta.
The Russian Border
Xu and Gu head north to the Argun River. They cross into Russia to find an arms dealer. They walk into a rowdy bar. Gu is immediately swarmed by local women. It’s chaotic. Gu tries to pull away. Xu ends the party by firing his gun into the ceiling. They scramble out of there and ride off.
Their luck runs out on the road. A Russian cavalry unit surrounds them. They surrender. The soldiers search them and find Gu’s bank notes. They see Xu has nothing, so they drag the General away to shoot him. Gu panics. He begs them to stop. He saves Xu’s life.
The language barrier is a problem. The Russian leader doesn't understand what they want. Gu and Xu resort to hand signals. They mime shooting guns. Finally, the leader gets it. They want to buy weapons. The tension breaks. The Russians invite them to drink and eat meat. The deal is on.
