《长安的荔枝 The Litchi Road》EP15：围城跑试验陷入困境，何刺史使阴招多次阻挠｜雷佳音 岳云鹏｜古装 传奇 剧情｜KUKAN Drama
[The Litchi Road] [The Osmanthus Tree at the Old House,
Chapter Two] [The 2nd month, the 13th year
of Tianbao, Chang’an] When will you take me to see the old house? I’ve been busy with official duties. I’ll give you the key. Give it to your uncle. When Uncle returns, he’ll take you. Here. When will he return? Probably in three to five days. What if he doesn’t return? How could he not? He was born and raised in Chang’an like you. This is his root. If he doesn’t return… If he doesn’t return… Ouch. Are you alright? The breakfast you made was so salty. I didn’t add much salt. I added a lot of vinegar. Father, I didn’t mean to eat slowly. It was just… not tasty. I’m not blaming your pace. I just think you need to learn to do your hair. I can, just slowly. Father, walk slower. Slower? You hurry up. Besides duty today, I have many errands. I’m already running late. And you still wouldn’t do my hair? You had to ask me to do it myself. My hair is a mess, and you panic about being late. I believe everything needs a first step. If Father’s not home, like out of town on business trips, won’t you need to learn to clean the house, do laundry, or cook? You hurt me. I can go to school alone. Alone? I know this road well. Didn’t you say “first steps”? Aren’t you late for duty? Excuse me, have you seen a little girl this tall? Have you seen a little girl this tall walking alone? Lost child? Xiu! What’s wrong? Why the panic? What is it, Shande? What happened? Have you seen Xiu? No. She’s lost? She’s vanished in the blink of an eye. Let’s go look for her! Let’s go! Xiu! Xiu! You scared me to death! What are you doing here? I freaked out! I thought you were kidnapped so I searched everywhere! You scared me to death! Father, I was walking. thinking you’d leave soon. I’d be alone in Chang’an. Suddenly, I felt so lonely. So I thought if I came to the old house, Mother might keep me company. Father, would you blame me? No. Of course not. Why would I blame you? Father is just away on duty. I will return when it’s finished. You’re a big girl now. You can take care of yourself. Yes. I am a big girl now. I can take care of myself. Can I visit the old house often? Of course. Come whenever you wish. It’s our own house. Right? When you want to come here, ask the Chief of the Alley to bring you. This is where your father and mother once lived. See? This osmanthus tree was planted by your mother. Her favorite. When will you return? When the osmanthus blooms, I will return. Wonderful! I’ll water it every day so that it’ll bloom early. [Episode 15] 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. Elder Su, are you attending
the Assembly? Did you bring profitable business? I brought only my two ears today. Altenguz! My friend. Elder Su. Are you taking the minutes today? As always. I’ll note every useful word. Good. Everyone. The leader arrives. Greetings. Greetings. Please be seated. Sorry to interrupt. Can I come in for a cup of water? Guiyun, we convened the Assembly today. What brings you here? Prosperous trade enriches
the nation and the people. This is the Right Chancellor’s wish. I came to learn from you. If you have any business opportunities that could benefit both Tang and the Hu merchants, that will be a win-win situation. So my Lingnan oversight will be worth it. Very well. Take a seat. Esteemed Guild elders. The Lingnan Assembly is one of our grand events. Last year, we opened a new trade route. Profits rose by 20 percent. Especially the new Dashi route
[*Name for Arab people in Tang Dynasty] trading silk and porcelain for rhino horns, ivory, incense materials, and cloth. One trip earned 30 percent of the year’s profit. If you have any new opportunities this year, present them. Old rules: Route proposer leads. If it gets approved, all invest and profit. Excellent! Why distribute candy
before the discussion? It’s not candy. Assembly tradition. Two ox bones each. They seem identical but one’s hollow, and the other solid. Only the holder knows which one is which. The solid bone means approval. Hollow means rejection. Cast your chosen bone into the first box. The other into the second. I see. So, no one knows who approved or rejected. Clever. Indeed. Our leader’s idea. The bones have been distributed. Assembly commences. 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 Commissioner 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 Litchi Commissioner? 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 Commissioner 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 Commissioner came to Gaozhou, conveniences were provided. But this man is a two-faced hypocrite. He’s been using his 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! [The Litchi Road] His Majesty and the Noble Consort will soon taste fresh litchis. As if already in their mouths. You’re amazing! My Bro… Brilliant talent you are. Li Shande! Urn B leaks juice. Leak? The trial is a failure. I want to live. Father! I want to fight to live. I’ll stake my life on this venture. I won’t fail your trust in me. ♪Though I’m on a branch
in Lingnan’s land♪ ♪My red hue dyes the sky so grand♪ ♪My fairy aura floats to Chang’an town♪ ♪Driving mortals wild♪ ♪Their heads spin round♪ ♪Toiling day and night without a break♪ ♪Just to taste this fruit so rare♪ ♪All crave a bite of this fare♪ ♪Through mountains, lakes,
and rivers wide♪ ♪I journey in dreams far and wide♪ ♪Endless schemes and deceit I hear♪ ♪Absurd pretense so insincere♪ ♪I, too, wished to see
golden tiles glow♪ ♪In this bustling mortal world below♪ ♪But all I saw was a man’s plight♪ ♪Weeping through the lonely night♪ ♪Day by day, bit by bit♪ ♪Bit by bit, fit by fit♪ ♪I was Lingnan’s carefree sprite♪ ♪Dancing with the moon
and sky so bright♪ ♪Pursued by crowds with no respite♪ ♪Witnessing greed in human sight♪ ♪I was Lingnan’s carefree sprite♪ ♪Longing for a sleep in the woods
on a moonlit night♪ ♪Savoring breeze and lute’s sweet sound♪ ♪Free at heart, with peace profound♪ ♪Day by day, bit by bit♪ ♪Bit by bit, fit by fit♪ ♪Day by day, bit by bit♪ ♪Fit by fit, day by day♪ ♪I was Lingnan’s carefree sprite♪ ♪Swinging on green boughs in sunlight♪ ♪Till Chang’an called me to its gate♪ ♪And set my fate to twist and gyrate♪