Episode Summary
Li Shande begins the perilous lychee transport to Chang'an, funded by Su Liang's sacrifice. However, assassins sent by the enraged official He Youguang are in hot pursuit. The loyal servant Lin Yinu sacrifices his life to misdirect the killers, allowing the convoy to escape. Pushing himself to the brink of collapse, Li Shande finally reaches the outskirts of Chang'an, where a mysterious Taoist priest reveals the true motivation behind his obsessive quest before he rides into the capital.
Spoiler Alert
The Litchi Road Episode 22 Recap: A Bloody Sacrifice on the Road to Chang'an
After a grueling journey of experimentation and political maneuvering in Lingnan, Li Shande has finally begun the impossible task: transporting fresh lychees over five thousand li to the capital. With enemies in the shadows and the clock ticking, Episode 22 sees the convoy face its most violent and heartbreaking challenges yet, pushing Li Shande to the absolute limit as he nears his destination.
The Perilous Journey Begins
As Li Shande and his dedicated team of riders depart, they receive a final, crucial boost. The merchant Su Liang, having sold his own ships, presents Li Shande with the proceeds—a selfless act that funds the high-stakes relay. With tearful goodbyes from A'Tong and the loyal servant Lin Yinu, the convoy thunders out of Lingnan. They are soon joined by A Mi Ta, the formidable Hu merchant leader, sent by Zheng Ping'an and Lan Ge to provide additional support.
However, their departure does not go unnoticed. The corrupt official He Youguang learns from Xiao Yunchuan that Su Liang sold his ships to aid the lychee mission. Enraged, he sends his subordinate Zhao Xinmin to the lychee garden, but the team is already long gone. Furious at being outmaneuvered, Zhao Xinmin dispatches Captain Yang with a single, brutal order: hunt down and kill Li Shande.
A Debt Paid in Blood
The assassins quickly close in, but they are spotted by Lin Yinu. In an act of pure devotion, Lin Yinu deliberately leads the pursuers on a false trail, buying precious time for Li Shande. He is eventually cornered and brutally tortured by Captain Yang for information on the convoy's route. Coughing up blood, Lin Yinu gives his captors a defiant, final testament: "Only Li Shande ever treated me like a human being!" With those words, he succumbs to his injuries, sacrificing his life to protect the man who showed him kindness. His sacrifice ensures the convoy escapes, and a frustrated He Youguang shifts his focus to hunting down A Mi Ta instead.
Meanwhile, a new threat looms. In a flashback, we learn the backstory of Yun Qing, the Left Chancellor's skilled assassin. Years ago, she was an orphan rescued by her master, Lu Huan, during one of his own missions. He trained her into a deadly weapon. Before she departs for Lingnan on the Left Chancellor's orders, Lu Huan returns her old sword, ominously reminding her, "Do not forget your oath." A deadly political endgame is clearly in motion, with Yun Qing at its center.
The Final Mile
The non-stop, high-speed journey takes a severe toll. On the eleventh day, with Chang'an almost in sight, one of the riders, Yan Yazhuang, pushes his horse to its death. He quickly tastes a lychee, confirms it remains fresh, and departs, his part in the relay complete. Li Shande himself is running on fumes, sick and utterly exhausted. He orders the team to press on without him before finally collapsing.
He awakens in the care of a mysterious Taoist hermit named Changyuan. The priest sees straight through Li Shande's obsessive drive, telling him that his desperate quest is not for duty or glory, but for the safety and future of his daughter, Xiu'er. He advises Li Shande to abandon the mission, take his daughter, and disappear into a life of quiet seclusion. Though he senses the priest is more than he appears, Li Shande's resolve is unshaken. He thanks the hermit and, with a final cryptic warning from Changyuan, rejoins A Mi Ta. Together, they ride the final stretch, arriving at the gates of Chang'an just as they swing open for the day.
Spoilers & What's to Come
The lychees have reached Chang'an, but Li Shande's mission is far from over. His arrival is set to send shockwaves through the imperial court, and his audience with the emperor will be fraught with peril from all sides. In Lingnan, the arrival of the assassin Yun Qing signals that the Left Chancellor's deadly scheme is about to unfold, revealing the true scope of the political conspiracy that ensnared Li Shande from the very beginning.
