Episode Summary
In Episode 25 of "The Litchi Road," Li Shande's past as an honest official who was punished for exposing corruption is revealed. In the present, he is manipulated by the Imperial Gardens Department into solving a peony pest crisis they are responsible for. Simultaneously, the cunning Eunuch Yu feigns support for Li Shande's lychee transportation plan, only to steal the written proposal to claim the credit for himself. Despite warnings from his friend Han Shisi, Li Shande is outmaneuvered, leaving him isolated and realizing he has been used as a pawn by powerful figures.
Spoiler Alert
The Litchi Road Episode 25 Recap: The Scholar's Gambit
Ten years of thankless work, a single act of integrity, and a career derailed. This episode throws us back a decade to reveal the origin of Li Shande's misfortune, showing us exactly why his earnest nature makes him a target. In the present, he's caught in a pincer movement: framed by the Imperial Gardens Department to solve their peony crisis while the duplicitous eunuch Yu Changshi schemes to steal the glory of his lychee transportation plan. With enemies at every turn, Li Shande is utterly alone, a pawn in a game he is only just beginning to understand.
The episode opens on a flashback to Li Shande's early days at the Ministry of Agriculture . His superior, Chief Clerk Meng, appears to be a strict mentor but is secretly cooking the books. The meticulous Li Shande discovers the discrepancies, corrects them, and submits the ledger. His honesty exposes Meng's corruption, leading to the clerk's downfall. However, instead of a reward, the senior official, looking to quell the controversy, transfers Li Shande to the Imperial Gardens Department . There, he is branded a fool by his new colleagues and shunted off to the remote Leyou Garden by Bureau Chief Liu, planting the seeds of a long-held grudge.
Back in the present, that grudge comes into full bloom. The Imperial Gardens Department is in a panic—the prized peonies, a gift from the Emperor, are blighted by pests. Bureau Chief Liu sees his opportunity. He summons the recently returned Li Shande, feigning concern. "The Right Chancellor was so impressed with you saving the peonies before," he says with false sincerity, "why not return to Leyou Garden and earn more merit?" His colleagues chime in, practically forcing a token of authority into Li Shande's hands. Unaware of the trap, he rushes to the garden, only for a craftsman to reveal the truth: "Supervisor Song sent you here to get rid of the pests!" His good nature getting the better of him, Li Shande agrees to stay and tackle the infestation.
Meanwhile, his primary mission—the lychee transport—is hitting a wall. The Ministry of War refuses to see him, and other departments give him the runaround. His friend Han Shisi issues a stark warning: "Yu Changshi will steal your glory!" He suggests they submit the proposal jointly to share the credit and protect Li Shande. But Li Shande, ever the idealist, still trusts the eunuch's promises. He waits all day for a meeting that never happens, a deliberate tactic by Yu Changshi to use Li Shande's expertise without allowing him to gain any influence.
The episode's climax sees Li Shande taking a desperate measure to save the peonies, burning grass and sulfur to create an ash that will drive away the insects. Just as he begins, Yu Changshi appears, feigning fury at the fire. In reality, he is thrilled to have found leverage against Li Shande. When Li Shande, covered in soot and desperate, begs him to move the lychee plan forward, Yu Changshi puts on a show of bureaucratic procedure. "It will take a month to go through the proper channels," he says, snatching the written proposal from Li Shande's hands. As night falls, Li Shande, left waiting alone once again, finally understands the cold truth: he has been thoroughly outmaneuvered and used.
A minor subplot also unfolds as Zhao Xinmin spots Zheng Ping'an holding a woman's fan at a bookshop. Zheng's flustered explanation that it's for his sister does little to quell Zhao's suspicions, hinting at a hidden connection or secret that may have repercussions later.
Spoilers & Foreshadowing
The stage is set for a major confrontation. Yu Changshi now holds Li Shande's meticulously crafted lychee plan and intends to present it to Imperial Consort Yang as his own. Will Li Shande see through the plot and find a way to reclaim his work, or will he be cast aside? Elsewhere, Han Shisi's offhand comment about "adopting Xiu'er" hangs in the air—was it just a joke, or a sign of deeper commitments to come? And the mystery of Zheng Ping'an's fan promises to unravel, potentially tying into the larger web of political intrigue. With powerful figures conspiring against him, Li Shande's critical mission to transport the lychees is on the verge of collapse.
