Episode 20 recap: General Heng Xun in Sichuan secretly plotted against Ding Bao Zhen.
Shortly after arriving in Sichuan, Ding Bao Zhen encountered a group of refugees. One elderly man collapsed, and after being revived, he explained that he had traveled from Shanxi to Sichuan, but his son had died halfway. Ding Bao Zhen helped the old man onto a carriage and had a conversation with him along the way. He learned that the salt reform was particularly challenging. At that moment, an old woman wanted to feed her child with white clay, but Ding Bao Zhen had no extra food. He made the decision to kill a horse, and when the people heard that they would have something to eat, they heartlessly killed the horse.
The next day, Ding Bao Zhen and the refugees continued their journey and finally arrived at the border of Sichuan. However, the guards prevented the refugees from entering the city. Ding Bao Zhen asked why they were being stopped, and the officials claimed that there were bandits among them. Ding Bao Zhen openly stated his identity, but he was met with suspicion and was captured by the guards. The people protested and demanded Ding Bao Zhen's release, but the officials killed one of the protesters.
That evening, Ding Bao Zhen was imprisoned in a wooden cell. He expressed his desire to meet the leader of the guards, Zhou Hu, as he had urgent matters to discuss. However, Zhou Hu, who was intoxicated at the time, did not believe Ding Bao Zhen's identity. He ordered his men to pull Ding Bao Zhen out and kill him with a knife. Just then, one of Zhou Hu's subordinates reported that someone outside had brought an appointment letter. Zhou Hu ordered his men to kill everyone outside, regardless of whether Ding Bao Zhen was truly the governor or not. However, Li Pei Rong arrived just in time.
The people expressed their gratitude to Ding Bao Zhen for saving their lives. Ding Bao Zhen had Zhou Hu and others arrested and handed them over for investigation in Chengdu. Once the refugees were settled, Ding Bao Zhen went on a street inspection the next day. Officials from various places came to pay their respects after Ding Bao Zhen assumed his post. Zhou Hu was brought before the court for questioning. He had embezzled official orders and oppressed the people. Did he plead guilty? Zhou Hu not only denied guilt but also claimed to be the general's brother. At that moment, General Heng Xun arrived and proclaimed that he was the superior while Ding Bao Zhen was merely a guest. Ding Bao Zhen detailed Zhou Hu's crimes one by one, but General Heng Xun publicly stated that the people Zhou Hu killed were bandits, not refugees, and he doubted Ding Bao Zhen's words.
As one of the witnesses, Ding Bao Zhen personally took Zhou Hu outside and executed him on the spot. General Heng Xun left angrily. He vented his anger at his residence, and Mr. Lu comforted him, advising him not to be angry about Zhou Hu. It seemed that what En Cheng said was true. Ding Bao Zhen had disrupted their profitable path this time. Mr. Lu proposed that they should eliminate Ding Bao Zhen before he uncovered anything, fulfilling En Cheng's request.
Jin Xiaomei discovered that the salt prices were twice as high in Jinan and argued with the shopkeeper. That night, Ding Bao Zhen reflected on the refugees he encountered along the way, noting that Shanxi was suffering from severe drought. Jin Xiaomei mentioned the incident of buying salt during the day and Lady Zhong reassured everyone that although it was the first day in Sichuan, things would improve. Ding Bao Zhen prepared to memorialize the court, but due to the long journey that would take ten days round trip, he needed to write a letter to Shen Qian to prepare in advance.
At this time, the bandit stronghold was bustling with activity. Zhou Hu was the brother of the bandit leader of Qingfeng Stronghold. When he learned that Zhou Hu had been killed, he led his brothers to seek revenge. However, he suddenly realized that it was not a simple matter and decided to discuss it separately. General Heng Xun learned that the newly arrived Ding Bao Zhen planned to raise grain to help the people and prepared to create obstacles behind his back.
Ding Bao Zhen consulted with Mr. Xiong about the grain procurement issue. Due to the lack of proper procedures, Ding Bao Zhen was hesitant to make a decision. However, there was surplus grain in the granary that could sustain them for a few days. Meanwhile, the government officials posted notices instructing each village to contribute thirty stones of grain, and they arrested the villagers who led the protests. Mr. Pei Rong received a report from Mr. Xiong, stating that they had obtained five thousand stones of grain. Ding Bao Zhen found this situation suspicious and asked Mr. Pei Rong to investigate secretly.
The villagers complained to Mr. Lu, but he explained that the grain procurement was ordered from above, and the target of fifteen thousand stones was non-negotiable. At this time, the people from Mianzhou arrived in Chengdu to seek Ding Bao Zhen's help. Ding Bao Zhen, along with Chen Yun Fei, met with the villagers and instructed Mr. Pei Rong to bring Mr. Xiong to the north of the city. When Heng Xun heard that the villagers had reached the government office, he was eager to write a memorial to accuse Ding Bao Zhen. Mr. Lu suggested waiting until the situation with the villagers became uncontrollable before making the accusation.
Ding Bao Zhen confronted Mr. Xiong in front of the villagers, demanding an explanation. Mr. Xiong was unaware of how things had escalated to this point and claimed that he had only followed the reported quantity from below. Ding Bao Zhen publicly pledged to return the grain to the villagers intact. Suspecting that someone was sabotaging the situation, Ding Bao Zhen returned to his residence to discuss the matter with Chen Yun Fei. He also received a letter from Shen Qian, who was bringing relief grain to their location.
The Guizhou Chamber of Commerce proposed pooling some funds to assist Ding Bao Zhen. However, they learned that the chamber was not as influential as before. Despite being a crucial hub for salt transportation, Guizhou did not benefit from the salt trade. Ding Bao Zhen promised to investigate the matter thoroughly. As a fellow native of Guizhou, the chamber of commerce smoothly donated money and a significant amount of grain to Ding Bao Zhen.
Later, Ding Bao Zhen began investigating the salt affairs and sought help from Li Pei Rong, an old acquaintance who was knowledgeable about salt matters. When Heng Xun learned that Ding Bao Zhen had received assistance from the Guizhou Chamber of Commerce, his plans were thwarted. He vented his anger at his residence, accusing Mr. Lu of being useless.
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