Episode Summary
Li Qin loses the commercial war against Gu Pingyuan but refuses to accept defeat. He mortgages the family business to a British firm in exchange for protection. The Imperial Court demands a massive payment and forbids the sale, trapping Governor Ruilin. Ruilin tries to negotiate, but Li Qin reveals he has already signed the deal and has foreign warships backing him up.
Spoiler Alert
Li Qin Refuses to Fold
You would think losing money on two hundred shops every single day would be a wake-up call. Not for Li Qin. He is bleeding cash in his war against Gu Pingyuan. The Butler tries to talk some sense into him. He tells Li Qin to stop the madness. Li Qin doesn't care about the money. He wants revenge. He plans to go to the capital and sue Gu Pingyuan for selling private salt.
The Butler shuts that down immediately. The government already lifted the ban on selling salt from other regions. Li Qin has no case. He is just burning money for pride.
The Governor Picks a Winner
Ruilin finally steps in to end the chaos. He has his people audit the books for both salt merchants. The results are clear. Gu Pingyuan crushed Li Qin. Ruilin calls Gu to the Governor’s mansion to celebrate. He even jokes about quitting his government job to join Gu’s business. Gu isn't in the mood for jokes. He just wants to go home and mourn his mother.
Li Qin storms in looking for a fight. Ruilin hands him the audit results. It’s over. Ruilin tells him to accept the loss and move on. He even offers Gu a position in the Ministry of Commerce. Gu turns it down flat. He wants to take his family back to Anhui. Ruilin agrees to give Gu twenty percent of the salt guild’s shares. He warns Li Qin to get his affairs in order. Once the mourning period for Li Wantang ends, Ruilin is coming to collect.
Selling Out to the British
Li Qin finishes his father's funeral rites and immediately goes rogue. He heads straight to Shanghai. He meets with Richard at the Xianghe Firm. Li Qin is desperate. He offers to mortgage sixty salt shops to Richard. Richard is thrilled. He agrees to the deal and promises British warships will protect Li Qin.
Richard wants more. He wants to open a branch in Jiangning. He goes to Ruilin to make it happen. Ruilin panics. He can’t make that decision alone. He calls Gu Pingyuan back to help handle the situation. Ruilin tries to use the Imperial Court as an excuse to stall Richard.
The Court Cracks the Whip
Li Qin is terrified of Ruilin arresting him. He hides on a foreign ship. Gu Pingyuan is disgusted. He hates that Li Qin is selling out the country. He also hates that Ruilin is too scared to stand up to the foreigners. Gu tells Ruilin to grow a spine. Ruilin refuses. He is terrified of offending the foreign powers.
Richard sees through the stalling tactics. He talks to Li Qin. They decide to wait for the official decree. The order finally comes down from the capital. It is bad news for everyone. The Court forbids selling salt fields to foreigners. Ruilin has one month to fix the mess. He also has to raise sixteen million taels of silver. If he fails, he and his officials have to pay the money out of their own pockets.
A Desperate Bargain
Ruilin is cornered. He begs Gu Pingyuan to bring Li Qin in for talks. He is willing to give the entire salt business to Li Qin if it solves the problem. Gu refuses to be a pawn. Ruilin sends Tu Ying to negotiate instead. He offers to make Li Qin the head of the salt guild. Li Qin agrees, but he has one condition. He wants Gu Pingyuan exiled to the frozen wasteland of Ningguta.
Ruilin has no good options. He asks Gu for help again. Gu agrees to talk to Li Qin personally. His only condition is that Ruilin must let him and his family return to Anhui afterward. Ruilin agrees.
The Showdown
Gu goes home to tell his wife, Chang Yuer, that they might finally leave. Li Qin shows up at their house. Gu sees him and snaps. He beats Li Qin senseless without asking a single question. Chang Yuer has to pull them apart.
Li Qin plays the victim. Gu remembers his promise to Li Wantang to look after the idiot. He drags Li Qin to see Ruilin the next morning. Ruilin tries to intimidate Li Qin. It doesn't work. Li Qin drops the hammer. He already signed the share transfer with the foreigners. British warships are sitting in the Yangtze River right now. They are ready to fire on Ruilin’s command if he makes a wrong move.
