Episode Summary

Decod

Gu Pingyuan and his allies execute a complex scheme to bankrupt the corrupt merchant Yang Qianwan. By manipulating rice prices and stalling shipments, they trick Yang into buying high just before the market crashes. Gu Pingyuan earns a promotion and clears his name, but fails to secure the salt fields for Li Qin, leading to conflict between Li Qin and his father.

ing the Requirements Further

Spoiler Alert

The Great Rice Bluff

Setting the Trap

Mr. Liao is putting on quite the performance. He struts into Nantong pretending to be a big-shot rice merchant from Anhui. He claims to have 600,000 piculs of rice with him. Yang Qianwan decides to check him out personally. He wants to see if this guy is for real. Liao plays it cool. He drops his price way down to 1.2 taels. He also brags about having another 3.6 million piculs in reserve.

This drives Yang crazy. He counters by raising the market price to three taels. Liao is messing up the market and Yang hates it. Yang tries to grill him about connections in Anhui. Liao ignores him completely. He just flashes his credentials as a tea merchant instead.

The Rumor Mill

Li Qin is busy doing the legwork outside the city. He spreads word that rice prices in Nantong are skyrocketing. Grain merchants everywhere smell a profit. They load up their boats and head for Nantong.

Yang Qianwan is getting nervous. He digs into Mr. Liao’s background. He confirms Liao used to be a huge tea merchant. But he also finds out Liao has massive gambling debts. Yang’s heart sinks. He assumes Liao is desperate and trying to push him out of the Nantong market entirely.

The Waiting Game

Gu Pingyuan watches the plan unfold. He sees the grain boats arriving from all over. He runs to report this to Ruilin. He needs Ruilin to get the Ninth Marshal involved. The goal is to stall those boats. The Ninth Marshal gets the message and starts inspecting merchant ships at the docks.

The pressure is on Mr. Liao now. He waits all night for Yang to make a move. Nothing happens. He starts to panic. Miss Liao tries to calm him down. Liao can’t relax though. He needs this money to fund his daughter’s wedding to Gu Pingwen. Finally, the fish bites. Yang sends his people with cash to buy Liao's stock. Liao is ecstatic.

The Market Crash

Yang’s Ruin

Su Yuhua watches from the city tower. He sees the fleet of merchant ships waiting. He gives the order. The guards throw open the city gates.

The market is suddenly flooded with rice. Prices plummet instantly. Yang Qianwan is in shock. He just spent a fortune buying 3.8 million piculs at an inflated price. Now that rice is worthless. He is going to lose everything. He beats his chest in frustration.

Li Qin’s Victory Lap

Li Qin comes back to town a hero. Gu Pingyuan hands him back his one million in principal. Li Qin made a killing on his first real business deal. He is thrilled. He tells Gu to use the profits to repair the river dykes.

Li Qin heads straight for Yang Qianwan. He redeems his pawned beads. He enjoys making Yang miserable. Yang has no choice but to hand the beads over. Li Qin walks out and sees regular folks lining up for cheap rice. He feels good about what he did.

A Mixed Bag for the Gus

The Promotion

Gu Pingyuan hands the principal and the profits to Ruilin. Ruilin is all smiles. He writes a recommendation letter for Gu to become a Jinshi. He also writes a petition to honor Gu’s family. Gu tears up. He drops to his knees to thank him. He asks for a title for his father too. Ruilin agrees to it all.

Gu tries to push his luck. He asks Ruilin to give the salt fields to Li Qin. Ruilin shuts that down. He worries Li Wantang will just hand the fields over to foreigners. Gu knows when to stop asking.

Celebration and Punishment

Chang Si and Mr. Liao hear the good news. They are happy about the Jinshi recommendation. Gu’s mother cries tears of joy. Her son has cleared his name and risen in rank.

Things aren't so great at the Li household. Li Wantang finds out Li Qin failed to get the salt fields. He is furious. He makes Li Qin kneel as punishment. The Butler tries to beg for mercy, but the old man is livid.