Episode Summary
Li Wantang uses his government monopoly to block Anhui tea sales, nearly forcing the guild to sell at a loss. Gu Pingyuan tricks a British captain into revealing a secret trade route to India. He secures a deal with the Shanxi merchants to bypass Li Wantang, while Gu Pingwen races back to stop Old Master Hu from surrendering the tea stock.
Spoiler Alert
The Tea Monopoly War Heats Up
The Imperial Court just handed Li Wantang the keys to the kingdom. He has the exclusive rights to tea sales. He immediately flexes this power by bribing foreign buyers in Shanghai. He forbids them from touching Anhui tea. It looks like a checkmate. But Gu Pingyuan isn't the type to roll over and die. He heads straight to Shanghai to fix this mess.
The Shanghai Hustle
Gu Pingyuan tries the direct approach first. He meets Richard at the Xianghe firm. It goes poorly. Richard refuses to work with him and even warns him that no other foreign firm will touch him either. The bribe money is doing its job.
Gu Pingyuan refuses to accept defeat. He grabs Gu Pingwen and they go see Captain Todd on a British warship. Gu pulls a fast one here. He pretends he wants to buy a warship. It is a massive bluff. But it works. During the conversation, he tricks Todd into revealing Li Wantang’s secret export route to India. This is the intel he needed.
Daddy Issues at the Li Household
Back on the home front, the Li family is falling apart. Li Qin hates his father’s cutthroat tactics. He tries to pivot to the salt business just to get away from Li Wantang’s control. Li Wantang shuts that down immediately. He buys up the salt fields just to spite his son.
They get into a massive argument. Li Qin thinks business should have some ethics. Li Wantang thinks his son is too soft. He basically tells Qin to go back to Beijing if he can't handle the heat. Li Wantang is also under pressure. Prince Gong wants to make a fortune from the tea convention. He orders Li Wantang to crush the Anhui merchants completely.
The Art of the Stall
Old Master Hu is sweating. He bought up all the local tea to keep prices stable. Now his warehouses are full and his cash reserves are empty. Hou Er tells him to surrender before they lose everything.
Li Wantang plays a power game. He invites Hu to a feast at Baixiang Tower. Hu shows up, but Li Wantang ghosts him. The Butler takes the meeting instead. He blames Li Qin for the mix-up and demands Hu sell his tea at twenty percent of its value. Hu feels cornered. He agrees to bring the paperwork the next day.
The Dragon Boat Express
Gu Pingyuan knows he needs to stop Hu from selling. He sends Gu Pingwen back to Anhui with a message. Pingwen hits the river but finds zero boats available. He spots a dragon boat team practicing. He offers to be their drummer if they give him a ride. They paddle like crazy.
Pingwen arrives right as the other merchants are pressuring Hu to cave. He delivers the message. He tells Hu to hold the line for one more day. That gives Hu a spine of steel. When Li Wantang sends a follow-up invitation, Hu tears it to shreds. Li Wantang realizes he messed up by skipping that dinner.
The Shanxi Hail Mary
While Pingwen handles the message, Gu Pingyuan rides hard to Shanxi. He needs the Old Eight Families. He rides through a torrential rainstorm and literally collapses from exhaustion at the gates of Jinyang Villa.
Jin Mistress and Manager Li patch him up. Gu pitches his plan. He wants them to buy the Anhui stock and sell it directly to India using the route he discovered. It bypasses Li Wantang entirely. Manager Li is skeptical. He doesn't want to offend the court or lose money. Gu sweetens the deal. He offers the tea at rock-bottom prices and promises a long-term partnership. Manager Li finally shakes on it.
