Episode 1 recap: Ding Bao Zhen, motivated by a sense of patriotism, took action to apprehend his good friend Liu Yubai.
Ding Bao Zhen, motivated by a sense of patriotism, took action to apprehend his good friend Liu Yubai.During the Qing Dynasty, in the reign of Emperor Tongzhi, times were turbulent. Ding Bao Zhen carried a patriotic heart within him. While a group of people were digging graves in a cemetery, they were secretly followed by surveillance troops.
Liu Yubai instructed his wife to pack some belongings and wait at the back door. His wife expressed doubts, but Liu Yubai didn't have time to explain and urged her to hurry. Just then, a subordinate returned in the rain and reported Liu Yubai's whereabouts to Ding Bao Zhen. After careful consideration, Ding Bao Zhen ordered his arrest. Ding Peirong led a group of people to apprehend Liu Yubai in the rain, but when the fugitive saw them intercepting, he immediately drew a weapon and resisted. A fight broke out between the two sides. At the same time, Chen Yunfei led another group of soldiers to the house of Mr. Liu, catching up with him. Chen Yunfei informed Mr. Liu that Ding Bao Zhen wanted to discuss something with him. After comforting his wife, Mr. Liu left.
On the other side, the fugitives in the forest were also subdued by the soldiers. Ding Bao Zhen specially prepared some dishes from Liu Yubai's hometown, Pingyuan Prefecture, to remind him of the taste of the past. Liu Yubai understood the meaning behind it and expressed that he wouldn't forget his elder brother's teachings. He vividly remembered how long he had been here.
Ding Bao Zhen missed the brothers he had brought along in the past, but now there were only a few left. He deliberately mentioned Liu Yubai's unusual behavior that day, falsely claiming that his father-in-law was seriously ill, so he had returned home to visit him. Ding Bao Zhen asked if there were no other hidden motives. Chen Yunfei returned after completing the mission, seizing a large amount of silver. Ding Bao Zhen advised Liu Yubai that he should have thought about the consequences earlier. Liu Yubai explained that back then, in order to avoid suspicion, he was assigned to a humble position as a county magistrate. His son had studied hard for many years, but due to a lack of money for the journey to take the imperial examination, he passed away. His wife also left him. Since then, he had decided to earn money as his main pursuit.
Ding Bao Zhen believed that he couldn't give up his original intentions because of this. Liu Yubai advised Ding Bao Zhen to adapt to the circumstances, otherwise it would be worse than death for him. Ding Bao Zhen promised to take care of Liu Yubai's family, and Liu Yubai understood the meaning behind his words, expressing his gratitude by toasting. Before leaving, Liu Yubai informed Ding Bao Zhen about the events happening on the surface in Shandong, indicating that although they were happening in Shandong, the root cause was in the palace.
The next day, the officials in Shandong, including Wen Daren, felt that Ding Bao Zhen was being too strict, considering that Liu Yubai was their own brother. However, Ding Bao Zhen stated that behind every piece of silver was a family, and he would present Liu Yubai's plea to the emperor, taking responsibility for his oversight. After Liu Yubai was taken to the prison, his wife came to visit him. He deeply regretted his actions, and his wife advised him to confess the whole truth. However, during their conversation, they were being monitored by a masked individual.
At this moment, Madam Liu took out a letter. It turned out that Liu Yubai had forgotten about this letter, and he instructed his wife to take it to find Ding Bao Zhen, as only he could save him. Unexpectedly, Madam Liu was killed on her way, and the letter was taken away, while Liu Yubai was strangled to death in prison. The yamen officer immediately notified Ding Bao Zhen upon discovering Liu Yubai's death, reporting that it was done by Zhao Bantou. He felt that Jieshan had something to say when he looked at the body.
Zhao Bantou was silenced when he reported back, and another official burned the confidential letter after reading it. Mrs. Ding looked at her son's return and was overjoyed. She eagerly hugged her granddaughter. She had been worried that her son would be depressed after losing his eldest son, but now he had a daughter, which brought her some comfort. The daughter-in-law brought the child and asked Ding Bao Zhen, the grandfather, to name her. He felt that his granddaughter had a connection to Shandong, so he named her Daisheng, instructing his son to teach her how to read carefully.
Empress Dowager Cixi was amused by the new song performed by the court musician and was deeply pleased. Ding Bao Zhen personally cooked to welcome his son's return. He accidentally spilled chili sauce but had to replace it with Shandong soybean sauce. Unexpectedly, it had such a remarkable effect. He intentionally had his family taste the diced chicken and they all praised it, so he named the dish "Sautéed Chicken with Sauce."
Although Andehai was a eunuch, he gained favor from Empress Dowager Cixi. He paraded around on a ship to promote the purchases made for the emperor's grand wedding, which other officials found displeasing. They suggested to Prince Gong that they find a reason to eliminate Andehai. Little Anzi left the palace, but Cixi didn't think much of it and felt that Prince Gong wouldn't dare to do anything. However, the ministers around her were concerned that if Little Anzi encountered Ding Bao Zhen, it would be troublesome. Cixi sent someone to remind Andehai to keep a low profile.
There was a mine involving foreigners, and although the handling by the Dengzhou Prefecture upset Ding Bao Zhen, he believed that the influence of the foreigners was too significant and that rushing the situation would not be wise.
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