Highlight EP14: Li Shande’s experiment was expensive and caused dissatisfaction | The Litchi Road
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. I’m in bed, Ping’an. Mr. Li. Mr. Li. Mr. Li, our guild leader has a message for you. Her task is complete. Already? So, when will you visit the Guild tomorrow? I’ve been insanely busy lately. Might the guild leader condescend to go
to the Barbican of Little East Gate? Where she’ll see the person she seeks. People say you are meticulous. Now I can see why. Very well. Then we’ll do just that, go to Little East Gate at Si hour. See you. Why do they think I’m meticulous? This crappy place. Kid, where’s Mr. Li? He’s up there. Alright, go play. Tie those curtains tighter. Mr. Li. Mr. Li. Mr. Zhao. What brings you here? Mr. He has shown mercy. He said since you pleaded for those soldiers, he’d just let this matter go. This pardon decree will be publicly announced. You mean those soldiers are free men now? You may say that again. Thank you so much! Where are they now? Well… Let me see them. I’m not sure where they are. I don’t even know them. I need to tell the porter this news. Regardless, please thank Mr. He for his great mercy. They’re not here? They aren’t. After I climbed all the way up here? Are you kidding? Sorry about that. Listen, I trust you. I’ll consider I’ve seen them. Alright. See you. Thanks. I’m off. Gosh. Yazhuang. Yazhuang. Yazhuang. Yan Yazhuang, you are free! No more hiding in the future! Mr. Li. Mr. Li, you’ve given me a new life. How can I ever repay you? Rise. No need for this. Fetch the dagger! Hurry! The routes are all scouted? We’re all Lingnan natives. We know these roads like our own hands. Only one question. Do we run the trial at night? The real transport will go nonstop for sure. But mountain paths are dark and treacherous, especially at night. Put them on yourself. We’ll need torches lighting the way. Torches and oil must be well prepared. Don’t worry about that. I’ve got the funds covered. Li Shande. Elder Su is here. Mr. Li. Elder Su. He’s Di, my subordinate. He used to trade horses. He’ll stay and tend your horses. That’s great. Thank you. Let me introduce you. Di, this is Tong. And Li. Go to them if you need anything. Anything horse-related, listen to them. Perfect. If only Yazhuang could bring more riders. That’s right. Mr. Li, stop worrying. Learn from me, and be resolute like an iron-clad turtle! May I have a word? Go back to work. The transport trial will surely be conducted more than once, right? Yes. More trials mean better results. I understand. But each lap costs hundreds of guan. Since it costs so much every day, my purse will grow thin. So, I thought of another plan. Guess what it is. Want transit documents again? I won’t ask for pangolins anymore. I’ll get some turtles from the Hu merchants. Will they cooperate? Don’t worry. I cast my line and let the willing bite. Our fates are bound together. I understand that well. So do they. Once they witness your magic of making litchis
reach Chang’an successfully, they’ll hand over their turtles. Elder Su, look, this trial weighs heavy on me. So… I do understand. Mr. Li, this time I’m back to Lingnan, only your task got my attention. If we make it, we’ll all have a chance to thrive. Just give you all, and I’ll do everything I can to help you. Elder Su, in that case, I’ll give my all. The Hu merchants meet yearly at the Assembly to plan ventures for the year. The one who brings profits to all commands the most support. You should go attend it. No need. I’m sure they’ll support Amita. Who’d dare oppose Mr. He’s adoptive daughter? Outward compliance masks inner dissent. The Hu merchants have long harbored grievances. You can go as the Right Chancellor’s envoy to stir the waters. If Amita loses her guild leader position, she’ll be discarded by He Youguang. Then you’ll have
successfully driven the wedge. I feel sorry for Amita. She does all the dirty work for He Youguang, yet remains just his pawn. What? Having second thoughts? No. I was just wondering, when will she come around? When will they gain real skills? Like you, skilled and influential enough to avoid such messy situations. Don’t pretend you know me. I’d like to. Yazhuang. Mr. Li, my fellow peers are here. Mr. Li, you’ve given us new lives. For this transport, we’ll spare no effort! We are at your command! At your command! Please get up. Let them get up. Get up, please. I’m so glad you are here. You are doing me a big favor. With your help and expertise, my mind is finally at ease. No time to rest. Let’s go to the Little East Gate. Come on. You’ve all worked tirelessly these days. Thank you! Tomorrow, the transport trial will officially begin. – Yeah!
– Great! Mr. Li, what if it keeps raining tomorrow? We’ll still do it? Yes. No matter what the weather is like, we’ll stick with our plan. It’s a good thing that the heaven makes it harder for us. It’ll make our results more reliable. True. Here’s the thing. Originally, I planned to use one man, one horse each time, relay style, to complete the trial. But now I’m thinking we’d better use pairs, two men, two horses. That way, if one horse fails, or something difficult or unexpected happens, the backup can continue, right? And we can still complete the trial. It’s like a safety net. So we need more litchis? Yes. At least double the amount. Inform the orchard and tell them to bring the remaining double-layered urns. Okay. At the third mark of Mao hour, all litchis must be delivered to the Little East Gate. Salt soak at Mao hour sharp. Breakfast should be ready at the fifth mark of Mao hour. All riders depart by Chen hour. One more thing. Our riders work hardest. We must make sure they dine properly. Got it. Ingredients must be washed thoroughly, only the freshest. Cooks must maintain hygiene. Can’t afford stomach troubles. Rest assured. You’ll be in charge of that. Alright. When the trial begins, we’ll switch to four meals a day. At Mao hour, Wu hour, You hour and Zi hour. Meals are served precisely on time. You’ll have to work harder. Two teams rotating shifts. Okay. Hao. Where’s Hao? Right here, Mr. Li. Hao, you’re in charge
of water transport and replacement. Remember, the double-layered urns must be tightly sealed at the top. When placing them on the horse, secure them firmly and tie them tight. Okay, I got it. Good. Di, you handle the horses. After each lap, switch riders and horses. Li will help you groom, wash the horses, change hay and feed. By the way, Li, at dusk, light torches and enter the mountains to guide the riders’ direction. Mr. Li, you said earlier to switch
riders and horses after each lap. But completing one lap takes less than half an hour. With just these few horses, they won’t rest long
before cycling again. How about changing riders every lap but changing horses every three laps? That way the horses can run more and rest longer. Otherwise, the horses will all be exhausted. What do you think? We’ll do as you say. Riders change every lap, and horses every three laps. Tomorrow, Lan and Yazhuang will ride the two thousand-li steeds to lead the way. For the remaining riders, I’ll arrange the rotation order and write it on a chart. You’ll understand clearly. If the front riders encounter problems, the backup riders will step in according to the sequence. Let me stress it one more time. During the trial, the riders will have it toughest. We must ensure their rest and sleep. When they sleep, let’s keep quiet. Don’t disturb them. Riders should try to fall asleep quickly. What else? Anyway, this trial will surely bring unexpected difficulties. Let’s cooperate when needed. Report any issues to me, and I’ll share updates with you too. More communication, alright? Okay! – Okay!
– No problem! My thanks in advance to all. Tomorrow, I’ll rely on your collective effort to help me get an outcome! – No problem!
– No problem! Let’s all get to work then. ♪One bite brings sweetness♪ ♪Two sips rival sugarcane♪ ♪Kiddo, don’t stash them away♪ ♪Tomorrow the litchis will spoil♪ ♪How to keep them fresh?♪ ♪Don’t pluck them at all♪ Li. Don’t just feed it. Eat some yourself. ♪Don’t pluck them at all♪ Will tomorrow bring sun or rain? ♪Red-skinned fruit weighs the branches♪ ♪Slender boughs bend low♪ ♪Picking fruits tires one out♪ ♪The sickle cuts whole clusters♪ ♪One bite brings sweetness♪ ♪Two sips rival sugarcane♪ ♪Kiddo, don’t stash them away♪ ♪Tomorrow the litchis will spoil♪ ♪How to keep♪ ♪them fresh?♪ ♪Don’t pluck them at all♪ ♪Don’t pluck them at all♪ Jin. What, Wang? Singing so loudly at night, aren’t you afraid of attracting ghosts? Let’s hurry. We still need to deliver these to the Little East Gate. Alright. ♪Red-skinned fruit weighs the branches♪ ♪Slender boughs bend low♪ ♪Picking fruits tires one out♪ ♪The sickle cuts whole clusters♪ ♪One bite brings sweetness♪ ♪Two sips rival sugarcane♪ You didn’t sleep a wink? I’m worried. I’ve never risked so much money on such a hopeless gamble. What’s done can’t be undone. What’s the use of worrying now? If you don’t rest, how will you endure the coming days? I’m fine. At the third mark of Mao hour, the litchi couriers should return. Here, eat while it’s warm. Okay. Okay. The meal’s ready! Come eat! Hurry! Come on. Let’s eat first. It’s time to eat. Be careful, it’s hot. Li Shande, come eat. Li, stop adding more. It’ll burn. It’s already cooked. Mr. Li, have a banana first. Thanks. Mr. Li. Mr. Li. Come here. Come eat! Come on! Please come here. What is it? Look at our litchi orchard. No, planting it in grass won’t work. You must plant it in the soil. And no sunshine the first couple of days, or it’ll die. Plant it in the soil. Or the horses will trample them. Hurry, it’s time to eat. Release. Go, go, go. Go. Go on. Keep going. – Go. Go on.
– I’ll catch it. Okay, stop. Good. Okay. Everyone, see this? I will mark trial results with four colors by distance. The black circle means unchanged. Give me the stick. The brown dot means the color changed. The purple dot means the scent changed. The red dot means the taste changed. The black dot means the juice leaked. Okay. This way, we can keep tracking the litchis’ condition by distance. Right? And… Don’t… Don’t pull my leg hair. I’m keeping it steady. Each day we’ll hang a flag on the wall. So everyone knows which trial day it is. Understood? Yes. Alright, good. Alright. Inspector He has arrived! Why is he here? Li, get up. Not here. Not here. Let’s go. Welcome, Mr. He! Welcome, Mr. He! Rise, please. Thank you, Mr. He! Mr. Li, since it’s your trial day today, Mr. He came to observe. It’s just an experiment. With your busy schedule, we dare not trouble you. Mr. Li, how could you say that? The litchi transport is an imperial priority. Thus naturally my priority too. Dear Gaozhou folks. Yes. Our Gaozhou faces a momentous occasion! Mr. Li, an imperial envoy,
has come here. Mr. Li dedicates himself to delivering our fresh litchis to Chang’an, to His Majesty! But everyone knows, Lingnan is 5,000 li away from Chang’an, and litchis spoil in three days. How can they possibly be delivered? Yeah, how? Mr. Li has a solution! He’s going to use our Little East Gate for an experiment. Once successful, Gaozhou litchis will be famous throughout the country! Yeah! Yeah! Great! Yeah! Thank you for your support, Mr. He! I dare not slacken nor fail the Emperor’s trust. Let’s wait and see. May Mr. Li achieve swift success! Good! Oilpaper. Plug. Rope. I know you grew up privileged. Your father gathered the finest steeds
from across the country, forging you into a master rider. I heard you loved horse racing too, even lost a whole stable for it. I was young then and fell for a scoundrel’s trap. They tampered with my horse. Scoundrel indeed. But it will pay off eventually. Now you can bring the same energy. Run hard but slow. It’s all for a show. Understood? Mr. Zhao, the locals call me Lingnan’s top rider, Traceless. I don’t want to disgrace myself. They can say I’m a bad cockfighter, but not that I can’t ride. It’s just an empty title. Your father was rich, people let you win so they could get rewarded
by your father. Still believe that at your age? Think back, have you won once
since your family fell? All these years, if not for Mr. He’s patronage, where would you be now? Think carefully. Forget about “Traceless.” From now on, you are Mr. He’s “Worthless”. Remember that! Careful. Mr. Li. Tie it tighter. Lan. It’s heavy. Lan, stay close behind me. I’ll lead the way. So you mean I must trail behind you? I didn’t mean that. I just know the route better. If I look back and don’t see you, you’ll be on your own. It seems you are quite skilled too. Thought you’d lose your waist strength at your age. So arrogant. My waist is just fine. Alright, I don’t mind competing with you later. Mr. Li. Go!