Episode Summary
In the final episode, Li Shande publicly exposes the Right Chancellor's corruption at Imperial Consort Yang's banquet, leading to his own resignation and an assassination attempt. His friend, Zheng Ping'an, sacrifices his life to save him. The spoiled lychees presented at the banquet are revealed to be Li Shande's gambit, a plan which successfully triggers the downfall and punishment of the Right Chancellor and Attendant Yu. Vindicated, Li Shande returns to Lingnan with Xiu'er, where he finds peace helping the locals cultivate lychee trees, his epic journey becoming a celebrated tale.
Spoiler Alert
"The Litchi Road" Series Finale Recap: The Final Gambit
An explosive confrontation at the imperial court, a heroic sacrifice, and a hard-won peace bring this epic journey to its dramatic and poignant conclusion.
In the series finale of "The Litchi Road," the intricate web of corruption surrounding the lychee transport finally unravels. Li Shande makes a final, desperate stand against the powers that be, while his friend Zheng Ping'an faces a dark premonition. The episode masterfully ties up loose ends, delivering a climactic power shift in Chang'an and a quiet, satisfying new beginning in the distant region of Lingnan.
Here are the key spoilers for Episode 35:
- A Public Denunciation: At Imperial Consort Yang's birthday banquet, Li Shande spectacularly confronts the Right Chancellor, exposing the corruption and human cost of the lychee mission before resigning his post.
- A Tragic Sacrifice: To save the fleeing Li Shande from assassins, Zheng Ping'an makes a fatal stand, resulting in one of the series' most heartbreaking moments.
- The Rotten Gambit: The spoiled lychees presented to the Emperor are revealed to be part of a brilliant plan, triggering the downfall of the Right Chancellor and his crony, Attendant Yu.
- A New Beginning: Li Shande and Xiu'er return to Lingnan, where they finally find peace and build a new life among the lychee groves.
- A Story for the Ages: The series concludes during a beautiful Lantern Festival, revealing that Li Shande's incredible journey has become a celebrated story told by balladeers.
Full Recap of "The Litchi Road" Episode 35
An Ominous Dream in Lingnan
The episode opens far from the capital, in the southern province of Lingnan. It is March, and Zheng Ping'an is uneasy. An envoy from the Right Chancellor has arrived in Gaozhou, and Zheng Ping'an senses that a crisis is imminent. He takes his dog, Gou'er, to the market to buy a carp to release for good fortune, but his anxiety is palpable.
That night, his fears manifest in a vivid dream. His dog Gou'er is missing, and in his place appears the "Carp Prince" he had just released, who has come to thank him. Zheng Ping'an confides in the mystical creature, lamenting that he came to Lingnan to serve the empire but is now trapped. The Carp Prince delivers a chilling prophecy: tomorrow is Zheng Ping'an's last day on earth, and his only chance of survival is to flee eastward. But Zheng Ping'an, with unfinished business weighing on his soul, is not ready to die.
The Banquet Showdown
Back in the capital city of Chang'an, at the lavish birthday banquet for the beloved Imperial Consort Yang, Li Shande makes his move. He steps forward and publicly confronts the Right Chancellor. He recounts the immense suffering and staggering financial cost of his mission to transport fresh lychees, accusing the Chancellor of using the task as a front for his own greed and corrupting the court.
When Attendant Yu tries to intervene, Li Shande furiously denounces him as a parasite on the empire and, in a stunning act of defiance, resigns from his official post. Enraged, the Right Chancellor orders his guards to remove Li Shande, while Attendant Yu secretly dispatches assassins to eliminate him for good.
Li Shande rushes home to find Zheng Ping'an waiting. He urges Zheng Ping'an and Xiu'er to flee with him to the safety of Lingnan. Zheng Ping'an, however, makes an excuse about having one last task to complete. He sends Li Shande and Xiu'er on ahead, promising to follow. After they depart, Zheng Ping'an spots the assassins lurking and, fearing his cover is blown, takes his camel and dog to hide in Li Shande's old, abandoned residence.
A Hero's Final Stand
As the assassins close in on the old house, Zheng Ping'an intercepts them. In a desperate bid to buy time for his friend, he claims to be a debt collector to whom Li Shande owes money, blocking their path. The assassins, undeterred, attack him. Zheng Ping'an fights bravely but is overwhelmed and mortally wounded. In his final moments, he commands his loyal dog, Gou'er, to find Li Shande in Lingnan. As he breathes his last, the spirit of the Carp Prince appears. Zheng Ping'an's soul complains that in his haste to stop the assassins, he forgot the warning to flee east. Overcome with grief, his dog Gou'er takes its own life to join its master, an act of loyalty that angers Zheng Ping'an's spirit.
The Rotten Truth and the Fall from Grace
Meanwhile, at the banquet, the Emperor presents the lychees to Imperial Consort Yang. She bites into one, only to discover that while the skin is pristine, the fruit inside is rotten. The Left Chancellor seizes the moment, demanding that the Emperor punish the Right Chancellor and Attendant Yu for the failure.
The truth is then revealed: this was Li Shande's master plan. He had secretly placed linqin (a type of apple) in the lychee containers, which accelerated their decay from the inside out. He had informed Zheng Ping'an of the plan in a letter, and before his death, Zheng Ping'an passed the information to Lu Huan, who coordinated with the Left Chancellor to orchestrate the Right Chancellor's downfall.
The Right Chancellor tries to shift the blame to Attendant Yu, who pleads for his life. But the Left Chancellor is not finished. He produces irrefutable evidence of the Right Chancellor's corruption, including a letter proving his collusion with the disgraced official He Youguang. Seeing the proof of his betrayal, the Emperor's disappointment turns to fury. He orders the Right Chancellor to be severely punished and sentences Attendant Yu to death by suicide. With the villains vanquished, the Left Chancellor pleads for leniency for the absent Li Shande.
A New Life in Lingnan
Free from the dangers of the court, Li Shande takes Xiu'er to visit the grave of his late wife, Jinniang. In a simple, poignant moment, he gives Xiu'er a fresh lychee—the fruit that caused so much pain now a symbol of a new start.
They settle in Lingnan, where Li Shande dedicates himself to helping the local Dong people cultivate their lychee trees. Life is peaceful and content. Some time later, his old colleague Zhao Xinmin arrives with a letter, but politely declines an invitation to stay for a drink, as his wife is about to give birth.
Finale: Lanterns and Legends
The series ends on the night of the Lantern Festival. Lu Huan wanders the festive streets alone, while in Lingnan, Li Shande and Xiu'er celebrate by making their own lanterns. The final scene reveals that Zhao Xinmin has turned the incredible tale of the lychee transport into a popular story for balladeers, ensuring Li Shande's harrowing and heroic journey will never be forgotten. His story has become a legend, and he has finally found his peace.
