Episode Summary
In "The Litchi Road" Episode 27, after being denied help and driven from his home by Seventeenth Lady, a desperate Li Shande is "rescued" by Eunuch Yu, who reveals he orchestrated the ordeal. Following the eunuch's advice, Li Shande intercepts the Right Chancellor and successfully pitches his detailed lychee transportation plan, which the Chancellor frames as a matter of "national prestige." Meanwhile, a flashback reveals Seventeenth Lady's tragic past: nine years ago, she was forced to brutally renounce her lover, Mr. Xue, to save his life, a secret that fuels her current actions and connects her to the Chancellor.
Spoiler Alert
The Litchi Road Episode 27 Recap & Spoilers: A Desperate Gamble and a Bloody Past
This episode throws our protagonist, Li Shande, into the depths of despair, only to be pulled out by the most unlikely and dangerous of allies. As he fights for the future of his impossible mission, the tragic past of the enigmatic Seventeenth Lady is revealed, exposing the dark secrets connecting the capital's pleasure district to the highest echelons of power.
A Bloody Vow Forged in Betrayal
The episode opens with a harrowing flashback to nine years ago in Pingkang Fang, the lavish entertainment district of Chang'an. A younger Seventeenth Lady, then a celebrated songstress, is planning to elope with her lover, Mr. Xue. Their dream is shattered when a fellow courtesan, A Qiao, betrays them to the ruthless brothel madam, Ding Tong'er. To save Mr. Xue from certain death at the hands of the madam's thugs, Seventeenth Lady makes a heart-wrenching choice. She feigns cruelty, ordering the men to beat him severely to force him to give up on her and marry someone else. When he refuses to yield, she breaks her ornate hairpin, giving him one half as a final, desperate farewell. This act convinces the madam to let him go, but not before she scoffs at his promise to return and buy her freedom, remarking, "The last man who said that never came back." From that day forward, a broken Seventeenth Lady turns to drink, haunted by the memory of a carefree girl who died the day she was sold to Pingkang Fang.
Desperation in a Downpour
In the present, Li Shande’s mission to transport fresh lychees from the distant south to Chang'an has hit a wall. His plea for Seventeenth Lady to grant him an introduction to the powerful Right Chancellor is flatly denied. To make matters worse, she seizes his family's title deed as collateral, effectively leaving him homeless and destitute. Cast out into a torrential downpour, Li Shande clutches a box of pastries he bought for his daughter, Xiu'er, which slips and splatters in the mud. This final humiliation breaks him, and he collapses in the street, weeping uncontrollably.
His breakdown is, however, part of a larger scheme. The cunning Eunuch Yu, who has been pulling strings from the shadows, orchestrated the entire scenario. Having pushed Li Shande to his absolute limit through Seventeenth Lady, the eunuch now appears like a savior in the storm. He arrives at Leyou Garden to find the distraught official and presents him with the official writ of approval for the lychee mission. As a grateful Li Shande pledges his loyalty, Eunuch Yu gives him his final instruction: "To find a way out of this, you must see the Right Chancellor."
A High-Stakes Gamble Before the Chancellor
Spurred on by the foreign merchant A Mi Ta, Li Shande takes the ultimate risk. He intercepts the Right Chancellor's carriage, holding his written proposal for the lychee transport. The Chancellor, intrigued by his audacity, dismisses his other officials and grants Li Shande a private audience. In a cold display of power, the Chancellor orders one of his guards to don Li Shande's official robes and receive a brutal caning in his stead—a clear warning to all.
Having made his point, he allows Li Shande to present his plan. On the wall of the Ministry of Justice, Li Shande unfurls his genius: a meticulously detailed map charting the entire route from Lingnan to Chang'an, complete with innovative methods for preserving the delicate fruit. The sheer brilliance and detail of the plan win the Chancellor's approval. Li Shande seizes the moment to request A Mi Ta's assistance for the journey, a request the Chancellor grants, though he coolly dismisses the idea of further help from Eunuch Yu.
The Price of "National Prestige"
The plan immediately faces opposition in the court. Officials from the Ministry of Revenue raise concerns about the astronomical cost, suggesting the matter be decided by the Emperor himself. The Right Chancellor erupts, silencing them with a thundering declaration: "This is a matter of the Great Tang's national prestige!" He proclaims his willingness to endure any criticism to fulfill the Emperor's wish, forcing Li Shande to swear a military oath to deliver the lychees to Chang'an by the first day of the sixth month. As Li Shande accepts the Chancellor's token of authority, he catches a chilling glint in the powerful man's eyes and understands the truth: "national prestige" is merely a convenient excuse in a deadly game of power.
The Watcher in Pingkang Fang
Meanwhile, Seventeenth Lady watches the Right Chancellor's residence from a nearby building. It is revealed she intentionally purchased the former home of Pingkang Fang's previous top courtesan, Li Xiangxiang, for its strategic view. She knows the Chancellor chose this location because of a bloody secret buried deep beneath the district's streets.When Eunuch Yu later asks her if she enjoyed driving Li Shande to madness, she says nothing, silently caressing her broken hairpin. The sight of Li Shande's despair in the rain reminded her of another man who wept on his knees nine years ago, and of a promise that, like the drone of summer cicadas, eventually faded into nothing.
Spoilers for the Next Episode
- Li Shande sets off on his perilous journey with the Chancellor's token, but his companion A Mi Ta has ulterior motives.
- A secret meeting between Eunuch Yu and the Right Chancellor reveals that the lychee mission is a cover for transporting sensitive military intelligence.
- Seventeenth Lady begins investigating a cold case in Pingkang Fang, which unexpectedly leads her to a clue about Mr. Xue's whereabouts.
