Highlight EP15: Shande’s sincerity made everyone try to attract investment for him | The Litchi Road
Mr. Li, is there any other possibility? There is. There is! Just a moment. There are alternatives. Let me think about it. After leaving Lingnan, go north, and we’ll pass the Five Ridges. The Five Ridges are the most rugged and difficult part. It will cost a lot of time. If we can find a new way there, it’ll take two days less. Take two days less. That’s easy for you to say! So many merchants have traveled this road for years. If there was an easier route, it should’ve been discovered! How would you know if you don’t try? We need to try at least. When I first got this assignment in Chang’an, it felt like a dead-end job, right? Litchis would go bad in three days, so it was impossible. But what happened? When I got to Lingnan, I found one solution, then another! One idea after another. Every time I thought it was impossible, I took a step closer to making it possible! I’ve witnessed everything Mr. Li said. Mr. Li is honest and straightforward, never trying to please anyone, let alone deceiving anyone. So, he lays out the truth openly. He knows transporting litchis is no easy task, but he still perseveres. I admire Mr. Li’s character. I also believe he will surely find a better way to turn danger into safety. I’m willing to put my entire fortune in Mr. Li’s hands! I’ll side with him! Everyone, the Right Chancellor entrusted this task to Mr. Li, because he fully trusts Mr. Li. We’re all businesspeople. For us, profit is the key. For one to make money, the judgment
of character is important. When we invest in it, we’re not just investing in a business, but also in the person who runs the business. I’ve finished. Go! Mr. Zhao. Is Lan mad? I told him to disrupt the rhythm, not accelerate it! Didn’t you say you had it taken care of? What happened? It’s intentional. It’s just the beginning. We need to put on a show for Li Shande. Hollow bone. Hollow bone. Ma’am, this proposal is rejected. I’ve been observing. All the proposals are rejected. The Right Chancellor granted many privileges to you. Yet you all hesitate. How will the Guild progress? The Right Chancellor would worry should he know this. Opportunities abound awaiting vision to spot and courage to act. I propose: Leveraging the foundation of the Dashi route last year to expand its scale this year. Tang’s porcelain, tea, silk, and paper have become Dashi’s coveted goods. We can import more ivory, rhino horns, and incense materials to maximize the venture and break profit records. Good! Break records. Sounds profitable. Stop the hollow bones! No more hollow bones! Last year, Amita opened up the Dashin route which was doubted by all. Without her vision and resolve, would profits have increased? Since she endorses this project, let’s invest. Fawzi. Use your abacus to calculate thoroughly. Answer me. When you were sailing alone, what was your annual profit back then? You praised her vision. It’s true that in recent years, the Hu merchants’ trade has expanded. But have your personal profits increased or decreased? Now that you mention it, trade grew but take-home profits shrank. You said this deliberately. I sense you’re an ingrate. Ungrateful, biting the hand that feeds. Mr. Ma. No favor is given. So how can I be ungrateful? No one has ever fed me, how could I bite the hand that feeds? Here’s something you don’t know. In recent years, pirate raids have plagued our ships. Hu merchants must pay from their pockets to ransom their ships and goods. Elder Fan, you lost capital over your vessel Yonghe thus. Elder Gu, you’ve switched ventures since then. Am I wrong? Steady profitable ventures
in the past years all came from me. You’re sabotaging the Assembly now. What is your aim? Have you got more profitable ventures to share? Certainly. As known, the Litchi Envoy is conducting a transport trial at the East Gate. Assist him, and profits exceed 30 percent upon success. Moreover, litchis are tribute. So no fear of bandit raids en route. Elder Su, words spoken in the Assembly, once recorded, cannot be retracted. Rest assured. Gods as my witness, I vow no going back on my word. Record this. I’d speak incessantly.
You’d have trouble writing it down. You can mark circles for now. Elder Su, why help the Lithic Envoy? Who I am helping is not just him, but all present. Mr. Ma, if fresh litchis reach Chang’an, when the Nobel Consort tastes them, what will she say? If the litchis are fresh, she will say, “Delicious! I want more. Is there more?” There is! Since she wants more, we’d transport again, right? Annually. They’d ask Gaozhou to tribute litchis on a regular basis. That means annual transport. Imagine, what venture this is! Never-drying, once-in-a-thousand-year venture! Elder Su speaks wisely. His intention is commendable. Even profiting from it is a way to ease His Majesty’s burden. You flatter me. If Hu merchants invest, and the litchi transport succeeds, the Litchi Envoy will mention your contribution to His Majesty. By then who else could handle future transports? Litchi procurement and horse allocation will be handled by us. New courier stations en route might be ours to manage, too! Huge profits! Where else exists such a venture? Elder Su makes sense. Truly profitable. Great minds think alike. If it’s so profitable, why not pursue it alone? Someone once asked me the same question. The Guild exists for mutual benefits and shared gains for all Hu merchants. I merely follow the Assembly rules, sharing profitable chances. Since you have doubts, I won’t force you. Just cast a hollow bone. Elder Su is experienced. He sees the risks. Ultimately, this project hinges on litchis reaching Chang’an and remaining fresh. Other proposals, big or small, only affect profit margins. But this is pure gambling. Transporting litchis is near-impossible. If it fails, all investment vanishes. The leader is right. Risks exist. To mitigate risks, Mr. Li strives tirelessly, skipping meals and sleep. He’s testing repeatedly day and night. What I am trying to say is I would suggest you wait days more with patience for the trial results before deciding. That would be wiser. So you want to postpone the Assembly? This is unacceptable. I haven’t finished. Through trials, Mr. Li extended litchi freshness from three days to seven. Seven days? I witnessed it. The East Gate trial seeks to shorten the transport time. Success means fresh litchis to Chang’an is achievable. Your thoughts? I’ll speak. This task is the Right Chancellor’s order. Your support increases success chances. I witness here. Upon success, your loyalty will be rewarded. The leader is right though. You’ll be investing a lot of money. Caution is necessary. Since the aim of the Assembly is seeking profit and good ventures, waiting briefly harms nothing. Good things are worthy of waiting. Good matches aren’t something
you can rush. Thus, ox bone vote: Shall we postpone the Assembly? Too cumbersome! Clap for approval. Stamp for rejection. Clap for approval! Strongly approve! Approve! Since you all wish to let the arrow fly longer, the Assembly will be postponed
for a few days. We’ll reconvene when Mr. Li has any results. Bravo, Elder Su. Bravo! Great! Bravo! Mr. Li. Can you turn them red? You want some litchis? There’s plenty in that basin. Ma’am forbids me. I tell you what. Take a jar. Put these litchis inside. And this fruit, too. Seal one day to ripen. Don’t over-seal. Or they rot. My secret method. Tell no one. But he heard. He’s one of us. I won’t tell. – Like this?
– Lan, why did you lead the race back? Mr. He saw you! Exactly. I don’t mind him showing off at the cockfight den. Good work, Lan. Thanks. Let me take it. Well done. Go ahead with your work. Okay. Now he asks us to be riders while looking down on us. I’ll show them I, “Traceless”, live up to my name. That’s right. I understand what you think. But he might retaliate. His prized possessions are in our cages. What can he do? What? The Assembly is suspended? Su Liang disrupted it, urging investment in Li Shande’s litchi transport. He promised 30 percent profit. And Ma Guiyun was backing the Right Chancellor’s plan. So he joined the fuss. With them as the bellwether, Hu merchants voted to suspend the Assembly. I had to respect their decision. Lingnan’s stayed stable for years. Yet a breeze stirs unrest. Leave this to me. I’ll teach these over-smart people that forging a new path isn’t easy. They’ll see it’s safer following me. [Trial day two] Horses coming! Horses coming! Horses coming! Horses coming! The horses are back! They’re back! They’re back! They’re back! They’re back! Quick! Results? Urn A, o… Okay! Yes. Okay! Urn B, okay. Urn C, okay! [Trial day three] [Inspector’s Mansion] Apologies, I’m late. Why the sudden banquet? Surely due to our vote to suspend the Assembly. Elders, how shall we address Mr. He during the banquet? As Tang people say, “Cross that bridge when we come to it. Take things as they come.” It’s time. Let’s go. No need for formality. These years, you braved wind and rain, contributing greatly to Gaozhou’s taxes. As the Inspector, I thank you. Everyone. Cheers. Paying taxes is our duty. You honor us, Mr. He. Contributing to Gaozhou’s taxes is our responsibility. Our hard work is worthwhile for a better Gaozhou. Hear, hear! Consider it a private banquet. I invited you as Amita’s adoptive father. The Guild’s growth owes much to you. Amita is young. Without your forbearance, help, and support, she couldn’t have succeeded. For the second toast, I thank you as her adoptive father. We could do more. It’s the least we can do. We’re flattered. Cheers. I heard that the Assembly was suddenly suspended due to Su Liang’s proposal? Is that true? His Majesty loves Gaozhou’s litchis. This is good news. It’s Gaozhou’s blessing and an opportunity. Right, Zhao? Indeed. Mr. He always supported this. Since the Litchi Envoy came to Gaozhou, conveniences were provided. But this man is a two-faced hypocrite. He’s been using his envoy title to profit everywhere since he arrived. Then why conduct the transport trial so publicly? Without the trial, would you invest confidently? It’s not a trial but a performance! He’s feigning like he’s doing his utmost efforts to fool you. The horses are back! When Li Shande requested the Littel East Gate for the trial, I told him, “This isn’t a trial. This is running in place.” Transporting litchis to Chang’an is a totally different story. Like blindfolding a donkey on a millstone, running a thousand laps never makes it a swift donkey! Take him to the well! Give cold water. Add mint leaves! – Mint leaves!
– Okay! I’ll do it. Next rider! Who’s next? It is me! Hurry, replace him! Mint leaves! Move! Such a farcical trial. Even if it succeeds, what does it prove? But now he even reaches into the Hu Merchant Guild, targeting your guild and my family. I cannot tolerate this. My mood sours. Suppose the trial succeeds, what then? When he returns to Chang’an, would he truly name you all to His Majesty, diluting his own credit? Such a man forgets favors once he climbs up the ladder. Then you all lose everything. Indeed. Usually, even if you have business mishaps, the goods still remain. So you won’t lose everything. This litchi transport is entirely unreal. Failure means complete ruin. No room to maneuver whatsoever. Zhao, don’t scare them. They haven’t invested yet. Right? Simple logic: Once merchants smell profit, naturally they want to take action. I’ve been keeping
your interests in mind. Next year, our Dashin route will expand. I guarantee
a 30 percent profit increase for each person. Post-tax 30 percent! That’ll be a big moneymaker. Mr. He, are you serious? His word is bond. Gaozhou’s prosperity relies on you guys. You’re traveling on vast seas.
So we rarely have the chance to meet. This banquet is to urge you to seize this chance. Let’s exchange resources and help each other! Okay. Enough of your speech. It’s simple actually. Share opportunities. Share profits. Your joy is my joy. Thank you, sir, for caring for Hu merchants. On behalf of the Hu merchants… May I humbly suggest Elder Gu be our representative? Elder Gu? With Mr. He steering, the course of the Hu merchants stays true. A toast to Mr. He! Lead us through storms and return laden with riches! Hear, hear! Cheers! Cheers! Careful! More water here! Mr. Li! One litchi burst! It was squeezed open. Not natural rot. Horse transport will inevitably crush some. Wrap with soft material! Wrap them. Cloth! Cloth won’t do. Cloth doesn’t breathe. Paper! There’s paper over there! Here. Go on. How’s he? Recovered. Good. Mr. Li, with the scorching heat, all the riders are suffering. Luckily he collapsed here. If he fell off horseback on a mountain path, and the horse fled, your trial would be ruined. Mr. Li, we can endure. This is recklessness! Even if men can endure, the horses can’t! They’re already spent! Only the two thousand-li steeds can last half a day at most. No more relay races! Then finish this half-day trial. What difference does it make? If loudness meant reason, we’d all obey donkeys! Stop shouting! We follow Mr. Li’s orders for the trial. Here’s the thing, Lan. We don’t know your age. But they all see you as a big brother. I do too. Trials aren’t an armchair strategy. Chang’an is five thousand li away. Unexpected hardships arise. Trials exist to find problems and avoid them in advance. If we only need to test max speed, that’s simple. Three days’ average suffices. But that’s not what we need. This trial must last long enough. Riders fall, urns break. Including the unpredictable factors makes the numbers relevant. Mr. Li, with one horse left, I’ll persist. We will too. Me too. Thank you. I wasn’t trying to quit. My two friends never raced horses nonstop. Let them withdraw. I’ll stay. Thank you. Now with fewer riders, change riders and horses every three laps. At least everyone can have full sleep. Agreed? Agreed. Agreed. Urn C! [Trial day five] Urn C? How’s Urn C? Mr. Li, Urn C’s litchis are fine. Great! Mr. Zhao. How’s the trial? Exhausted men and horses. Several teams quit. Few riders left struggling. That man I told you to watch? He ran the most laps. He ran the most laps. Should be exhausted by now. Accidents happen in the mountains all the time, right? Make way. Make way. You guys… Mr. Li. go to the back and hitch… Attend to it. Keep an eye on Yan Yazhuang’s horse. Hurry! Almost there! He’s here. Ready!