Spoiler Alert
"The Litchi Road" Episode 14 Recap & Spoilers: The City-Circuit Run Begins as Old Scores Resurface
The gears of Li Shande's impossible task grind forward as the high-stakes City-Circuit Run kicks off, a desperate trial to test a method for keeping lychees fresh. But as the riders burst from the gates, the mission's success is threatened not just by the elements, but by simmering resentments and deadly secrets. A Mi Ta gets closer to the truth about her father's death, He Youguang plots to silence his accusers, and Lan Ge is haunted by ghosts from his past.
A Daughter's Dangerous Discovery
The key to unlocking the past comes in the form of a ruby-hilted dagger. When Li Shande brokers a deal for an order of amnesty, the dagger is given to Yan Yazhuang to pass to A Mi Ta. She instantly recognizes it as the one her father, Hai Hu, gifted to He Youguang. Armed with this proof of a hidden connection, she storms in to confront him.
A Mi Ta accuses He Youguang of secretly hijacking a boat carrying medicinal herbs behind her father's back. He Youguang, a master manipulator, spins a tearful, elaborate tale. He claims Hai Hu had lost everything in a failed business venture and wanted to surrender to the authorities. According to him, Hai Hu died tragically in a fire at the Whale-Riding Tower, and by turning himself and his men over to the government, He Youguang was merely fulfilling his former leader's final wish.
Though his performance is convincing, A Mi Ta is left with lingering doubts. Her suspicions are well-founded, as He Youguang is simultaneously plotting with his subordinate, Zhao Xinmin, to use the City-Circuit Run as a cover to murder the very deserters who could expose his lies. Despite Lan Yu's advice to let it go, A Mi Ta vows to uncover the real story behind her father's death.
A Reckoning with the Past
The episode delves into the history of Lan Ge, revealing a painful past that fuels his current motivations. Three years prior, he had a bitter falling out with his old friend, A Feng, at the South City stables. A Feng resented him for taking several of their best horses. The argument escalated, with a prideful Lan Ge threatening to sell the stables out from under him.
A flashback reveals Lan Ge's fall from grace: once a student of a legendary chicken trainer, his family fell into ruinous debt. He sold everything but the stables, only to lose them in a gamble. Now, humbled and with nothing to his name, he returns to A Feng to apologize. He finds his old friend ravaged by illness, his only regret being that he never found one last great horse to ride. This history hangs over Lan Ge as he prepares for the run, now partnered with the bristling Yan Yazhuang. Their rivalry is palpable, with Yan Yazhuang telling Lan Ge to ride behind him, an order Lan Ge defiantly ignores, insisting they ride side-by-side.
The Weight of the World on One Man's Shoulders
With the City-Circuit Run looming, Li Shande is consumed by anxiety. He works day and night, meticulously planning every detail, from the riders' provisions to the horses' care. His innovative preservation method—soaking the lychees in saltwater before sealing them in special double-walled urns—is ready for its first major test.
The pressure is immense. Su Liang suggests bringing in foreign merchants to help fund the transport, but Li Shande worries they won't be willing to invest. Su Liang, confident, volunteers to persuade them. Meanwhile, other forces are at play, as Yun Qing dispatches Zheng Ping'an to sabotage A Mi Ta's bid for guild leadership, hoping to diminish her value in He Youguang's eyes.
Standing on the city wall late at night, Li Shande is unable to sleep, terrified that all the money, effort, and hope he has poured into this venture will amount to nothing.
The Run Begins
As dawn breaks, the final preparations are made. He Youguang makes a show of appearing at the East Gate to wish Li Shande success, a gesture masking his treacherous intentions. Li Shande and A Tong carefully pack the salt-treated lychees into the urns, securing them to the horses.
From his vantage point on the city tower, Li Shande gives the signal. With a thunder of hooves, Lan Ge and Yan Yazhuang gallop off, officially beginning the City-Circuit Run. The fate of the lychee mission, and the lives of everyone involved, now rests on this desperate race against time.
In "The Litchi Road" Episode 14, preparations for the critical "City-Circuit Run" intensify as Li Shande finalizes his lychee preservation method using double-walled urns. Meanwhile, A Mi Ta receives her father Hai Hu's ruby dagger, leading her to confront a manipulative He Youguang about his death. A flashback reveals Lan Ge's painful past and a falling out with an old friend, A Feng, which fuels his current motivations. As tensions rise and various factions scheme in the background, the high-stakes run officially begins with Lan Ge and Yan Yazhuang leading the charge.
