Episode 24
Scene 1: Xiamen, navy base
Shi Lang invites the highest military authorities of the province to make public the corruption case exposed by Lan Li, namely the embezzlement of grain for the supply of the troops by the responsible supply officer, major-general Zhan Liuqi. To prove his allegations, Shi Lang has recovered rice-bags from a sunken supply ship as evidence. As expected, only chaff is in the bags. Shi Lang does not kill the corrupt officer, but gives him a second chance to prove himself.
Scene 2: Xiamen, female soldiers’ camp
Shi Lang arrives at the camp where his daughter Aman is recruiting women to join the army. Shi Lang is surprised. It costs a fortune to put an army into service and he is afraid that his daughter used his reputation to acquire government funds. Contrary to that, Aman says, that it is her personal money she spent. Wu Qijue adds that the money has been given to Aman by the emperor as a present before they left Beijing. Shi Lang asks her to lend him the money for his own troops but Aman refuses.
The Dutch captain Cook comes to Taiwan on the purpose to talk about a treaty. They are awaited by Feng Xifan and Liu Guoxuan. Liu only grudgingly agrees to receive Cook and repeatedly expresses his distaste towards him during the talks. Feng Xifan, who has called him to attend this meeting, demands that the Dutch refrain from supporting the Qing government. The condition is that Dutch merchants have free access to several harbors in Penghu and Taiwan, where they should be permitted to collect the customs fees. Liu Guoxuan is strictly opposed to such conditions which he considers a breach of sovereignty and angrily leaves the room, but Feng Xifan tells Cook that talks should continue.
Lan Li has been recovered to his former post of major. Shi Lang wants to prove his abilities and gives him a mission to accomplish. From now on (tenth month according to Chinese calendar) until the 5th and 6th month of the following year, Lan Li is to make detailed record of the weather conditions at sea in order to find out regularities in the weather. They talk about the corrupt official Zhan Liuqi. Aman who is present during the whole scene thinks that the punishment was too lenient, and Lan Li tells Shi Lang that the soldiers think that Shi Lang is afraid of the Manchu general Lahada. The troops are once again shown Shi Lang’s will and uprightness, when he tells them, that it doesn’t matter if Lahada hates him, but it matters, if Lahada endangers the mission to unite with Taiwan. Shi Lang advises the troops, that it is often best to step back and have a broader and wider perception of the situation! Zhan Liuqi comes in and vows to do his best from now on. Shi Lang tells him that he will not give him another chance.
Tang Taifei and her daughter Haikui receive the presents from the Dutch. They start talking about Shi Lang’s son Shi Shizong. Tang Taifei gives her consent to Haikui’s love for Shizong, but asks her about rumors that he is a spy and has drawn some kind of secret map. Haikui pretends that it was not a map but a picture of a seaside scenery and that she had ask him to paint it. She helps him out in this occasion, because she is in love with him.
Scene 6: Fujian’s coast, close to Shi Lang’s headquarters
Images of the troops (joined army of Shi Lang’s troops and the female soldiers’ army recruited by Aman) at the Fujian’s coastline, all well trained.
Scene 7: Taiwan, “White House”
Shi Shizong’s amorous troubles seem to turn into serious political ones when Haikui gets jealous about the obvious relationship between Shi Shizong and Yao Yun. However, Haikui still wants to help Shi Shizong and tells him that Tang Taifei and Feng Xifan accuse him of espionage. In order to rebuff the skeptics she urges him to paint a picture of the seaside scenery.
Shi Lang is in trouble. He hasn’t received enough money to build ships and buy equipment for the army. Other officials don’t really want to conquer Taiwan and leave Shi Lang on his own.
Shi Shizong and Haikui paint the picture of a seaside scenery so that Haikui can show something to Tang Taifei. Yao Yun observes Jin Hanchen secretly watching Shi Shizong and Haikui.
It becomes obvious to Shi Lang that military supplies are being blocked by provincial military authorities, but he can’t report that to the emperor since this would undermine Yao Qisheng’s reputation. After long considerations Shi Lang decides to write a letter to the emperor soliciting sole responsibility to lead the attack on Taiwan (zhuanzheng). He wants to lead the attack, for the good or the bad, without having to co-ordinate with other officials.
| previous next | back up |