Director: Han Xiaojun

Actor: Zhang Jiayi / Zhang Zhijian / Yu Feihong / Mo Xiaoqi / Ni Dahong / Yin Zhusheng / Yang Haoyu / Huo Qing / Guo Xiaofeng / Zhou Xun / Hu Ming

First aired: 2014

Plot Summary:

     As the mighty Qing Dynasty entered its glorious Kangxi–Qianlong era, Emperor Qianlong—played by Ni Dahong—reaped the fruits of his forebears’ achievements and carried them to an even more splendid yet extravagantly opulent zenith. The realm enjoyed peace and prosperity, the imperial treasury brimmed with riches, and Yangzhou, the “land of fish and rice,” stood unrivaled in wealth. Moreover, the salt industry of the Two Huai regions alone accounted for a quarter of the court’s fiscal revenue. To fund military campaigns, the emperor ordered the Salt Commissioner of the Two Huai to collect dues—but the salt merchants evaded payment at every turn. Even Wang Chaozong (played by Zhang Jiayi), a longtime confidant of the royal family, refused to cooperate. Newly appointed Salt Commissioner Akzan (played by Zhang Zhijian) accepted the daunting task and, upon arriving, discovered that the merchants’ coffers were empty. He soon uncovered a secret ledger hidden among them—a master key that enabled these shrewd and resourceful traders to defy imperial edicts. With an iron will and decisive resolve, Akzan pressed ahead, while the salt merchants devised one scheme after another. Caught in the eye of the storm, Wang Chaozong found himself forced to shoulder the perilous responsibility of mediating between the two sides.

　　The dark secrets concealed within the ledger are gradually coming to light, drawing all stakeholders into the fray…