Episode 8
Scene 1: Jinmen, Royal palace of Zheng clan: Tang Fei’s chambers
Tang Fei meets Feng Xifan in her private chamber and tells him that she regards him as the right man to rescue Taiwan. She is concerned about the fact that Haikui doesn’t accept her as her mother. She wonders if the wet nurse has told Haikui about Feng Xifan’s and her role in Haikui’s getting lost when she was a child. Furthermore, she is concerned whether Haikui has revealed her story to Zhengjing or the Royal dowager Dong Taifei.
Scene 2: Beijing, Li Guangdi’s study
Shi Lang meets Li Guangdi in the latter’s study. Li Guangdi informs him that the emperor considers solving the Taiwan issue peacefully and consequently suggests accepting the rule of the Zheng clan over Taiwan, and even exempt them from paying tribute and accepting Qing troops on their territory, under the condition that the Zheng administration formally acknowlegdes the Qing government and and refrains from demanding an independent state. Shi Lang is enraged by these conditions as, in his opinion, this solution is equal to a defeat.
Wu Qijue arrives at Shi Lang’s house and is welcomed by Aman. There seems to be a spark of romance between the two straight from the beginning. After an initial chat in which Aman mistakes Wu Qijue for an Imperial eunuch he discloses to be looking for a map of Taiwan on behalf of the emperor. Aman leads Wu Qijue into Shi Lang’s study where his attention is immediately drawn to a scale model and a large map of Taiwan. He is very much surprised about the detailed version of the scale model and the size of Taiwan depicted on the map. Wu Qijue asks if he could take the map to the emperor. Aman refuses his request, but promises to draw a copy for him.
Haikui and Yao Yun meet in Haikui’s private chamber. Yao Yun asks Haikui to help her go to Taiwan in order to see Shi Shizong.
Haikui and Yao Yun are enjoying themselves at the beach when Tang Fei and her entourage are passing by. The two girls badmouth about her in a hushed tone. They quickly change their behaviour by flattering Tang Fei with the intention to cause Tang Fei to help them get across the ocean to Taiwan.
Shi Lang is busy studying his scale model when Li Guangdi enters his study. He informs Shi Lang that the new round of negotiations has failed again. Nevertheless, the emperor is still not convinced to wage a war against Feng Xifan. Shi Lang feels betrayed by the emperor. Li Guangdi tries to calm him down pointing out that the continuing interest of the emperor in Taiwan is shown by the fact that it was the emperor himself who ordered his bodyguard Wu Qijue to ask Shi Lang for a map of Taiwan. Shi Lang only now realizes how important a role Wu plays in the palace. In order to persuade the emperor to handle the Taiwan issues according to Shi Lang’s strategy, Li Guangdi has arranged Shi Lang to accompany the emperor during his inspection tour to Lianyungang in northern Jiangsu. Li Guangdi considers this to be the best moment to arouse the emperor’s attention and adds that Shi Lang is called the “Chinese Neptune” for good reason.
The emperor, Shi Lang and Li Guangdi arrive at the coast near Lianyungang. Kangxi is markedly impressed by the vastness of the ocean.
In response to the emperor’s question as to what Shi Lang thinks about when he looks at the sea, Shi Lang remarks that he thinks
about Taiwan and of it being part of the Qing Empire. A family screaming for help at the shore interrupts the conversation.
The emperor approaches them and finds out that they have drifted far away from home
and the only thing they want is to go back home to Minnan in southern Fujian province. Shi Lang, with his experiences in navigation,
explains to the family how to use the wind and drafts to reach their destination. As the emperor doesn’t understand the family’s
strange Fujian dialect, Shi Lang has to translate the whole conversation. It is furthermore learned that the family was removed
from their original home due to the policy of the Qing government to evacuate the coastal area.
When the emperor hears their
story he commands Wu Qijue to donate a large house with 50 mu of land to that family. As they move closer to the waterfront
Shi Lang mentions his Taiwan plan. The emperor seems unperturbed causing Shi Lang to show him a map of Taiwan. This time
the emperor is quite impressed by the island’s extensiveness, encompassing one-third the size of Fujian province. Referring
to Taiwan’s colonial past, the emperor orders to remove the former Dutch name of Taiwan “Formosa” still written on the
map and change it into a proper Chinese name to avoid any misunderstandings about the ownership of the island.
Haikui and Yao Yun arrive at the Taiwanese coast and are welcomed by a soldier of the Zheng troops. They are both astonished at a strange looking Western house at the shore. The soldier tells them that nobody lives in that house because of the former Dutch owners’ strange smell.
Scene 9: Beijing, Shi Lang’s residence
Aman is sitting at home doing some needlework. Her brother Shi Shihua comes in and informs her of Wu Qijue’s arrival. Even though she orders her brother to deny her presence, as she seemingly doesn’t to want see Wu Qijue, the latter enters the room nevertheless. For a short moment both seem a little surprised. Aman breaks out in tears and starts to spoil the handicraft, obviously being a present for Wu Qijue. Watching Aman’s reaction, he turns around and leaves quickly.
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