cyn lynn : Legend of the Magnate

A brilliant merchant navigates power and politics, tea and salt, and tangled (family) relationships.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Chen Xiao: Gu Ping Yuan

Sun Qian: Chang Yu Er

Director

Zhang Ting

Screenwriter

Zhang Ting

Chinese Title

大生意人

Big Business Man

Genres: Era, Romance, Palace

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2025
Episodes: 40

Jump to Remarks | Reviews | Recs | Comments

Cast


Chen Xiao: Gu Ping Yuan	Sun Qian: Chang Yu Er

Luo Yi Zhou: Li Qin	Cheng Tai Shen: Chang Si (FL's father)

Huang Zhi Zhong: Li Wan Tang (Li Qin's father)	Li Chun: Su Zi Xuan

Zhu Ya Wen: Li Cheng	Xiang Han Zhi: Bai Yi Mei

Wu Yue: Wang Tian Gui	Ke Lan: Madam Jin (8 Families member)

Cheng Feng: Li Zhong Deng (8 Families member)	Wang Yu: Wealthy Wu (8 Families member)

Wang Yong Quan: Father Bai (Bai Yi Mei's father)	Yang Zi Hua: Old Master Hu Tea Chief

Zhu Yin: Mother Gu (ML's mother)	Ling Zhuo: Gu didi (ML's didi)

Liu Pei Qi: Mister Liao	Wang Zi Xuan: Lady Liao

Hu Tian Yi: Hei Zi	Xu Seng: Ninth Marshal

Rosina Lam: Empress Dowager Ci Xi	Liang Guan Hua: Rui Lin

Luan Yuan Hui: Xu Guan Dai	Song Ning: Su Shu He

Romcom/Romance Checklist

How much of the plot is angst/romance?

0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

The ML:

Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Tsundere / Falls in Love First / "Reborn" / Noble Idiot / CEO / General

The FL:

Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better than ML / "Reborn" / Noble Idiot / Business-woman

Describe the Relationship (the tropes):

Annoying Love (F/M) Rivals +++ / Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / Healing Love / Harem / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Opposites Attract / Pinning Love / Second Chance / Secretly in Love (F/ML) / School to Adulthood / Star-Crossed Lovers

Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):

Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40

# of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1 / 2 / 3

Ending:

Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / Bad / Rushed+++

Drama Overview & Review

[Drama Info] The drama is directed and adapted by Zhang Ting (Zhao Li Ying's Wild Bloom). This is Chen Xiao's first drama premiere since his divorce with Michelle Chen (Chen Yan Xi) on February 18, 2025.

Wrapped on August 16, 2024.

[Ending] Happy

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Scene Stealer. Chinese internet may hype 2CP romance, but the real scene stealer here is Li Chun's Lady Su ✋. No romance for her, yet she's chemistry-ing with everyone and everything. A gun too. [Top | Skip »]

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

2CP Romance. Zhu Ya Wen's Li Cheng and Xiang Han Zhi's Bai Yi Mei. Very hyped – and I disagree with the hype. Sure, they had chemistry – for about 5 minutes and then it vanished. Bai Yi Mei was mopey for most of it. [Top | Skip »]

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Main Romance. If only Li Chun could spare just a flicker of her spark for these two. I genuinely like Sun Qian's FL. She fights hard and loves steadfastly, fearless in conviction yet timid and reserved in a way that feels true to her character. But alas Chen Xiao looks better with fur than with her. [Top | Skip »]

Gu Ping Yuan's love-eyes for Yu Er:

I like Gu Ping Yuan, but not as a romantic ML. I didn't like the scene in Ep18 where he recalls loving FL, but only after his fiancée eloped with another man.... I don't need this level of realism in my romance lol.

They had a hilarious marriage sequence though. Gu Ping Yuan goes to propose...but to the dad LOL. Where is Yu Er in all of this?

Hei Zi is here, banging his head over losing when he never had a chance.

Finally – Yu Er!

But the dad's still here lol.

When they're finally married and should have all the time in the world...

We have guests: the barbarian and the b*tch xD

Ok, alone time!

But guests keep spawning. This time it's Yu Er's godfather, the Mongolian King LOL. Naturally, we get another wedding, this time Mongolian-style

Married life remains a little chaotic.

"Bro, just chop my head off. It hurts"

Still – happily ever after.

Head intact ✅

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Business & Politics. Gu Ping Yuan is a jack of all trades. It’s as if he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and time-traveled here, casually applying modern stock logic and international trading before Trump-era. Except no – he's just your average boy who happens to be a genius. [Top | Skip »]

While I love Chen Xiao, I'm not into his business ventures, which was the whole story... I did enjoy the unexpected, random comedy from the ministers and business figures he runs into. Ordered by favourites:

Ninth Marshal: "I’m not a businessman. I’m here to dominate through force and coercion" LOL.

Tea Chief = Gu Ping Yuan's #1 supporter. If Gu Ping Yuan tells him to jump, he jumps.

Wang Tian Gui wants to be Gu Ping Yuan's godfather. In your next life, sir!

Xu Guan Dai: "Biu Biu" 🤣🤣🤣

The Eight Families = ML's halo-powered ATM machines.

Surprise cameo: Rosina Lam as the Empress Dowager ruling a failing empire.

☙ ☙ ☙ ☙ ☙

Family. (!!! Spoilers – Ep35+ !!!) The pictures below will give away the mystery surrounding Gu Ping Yuan's father. But first, Gu Ping Yuan's brother, who looks nothing like Chen Xiao, lol. He grows on you despite the messes he made. Wang Zi Xuan is his love interest. She doesn't have a lot of scenes. [Top | Skip »]

Love the prison reunion between the brothers.

(!!! Spoilers !!!) (!!! Spoilers !!!) (!!! Spoilers !!!)

Ep35's Big Reveal: Gu Ping Yuan's father is Li Qin's father. The minister who exposed it did it slyly and cruelly, and ultimately causes both parents' deaths.

The biggest weakness is that the show never quite figures how to end the father's arc in any meaningful way. He dies after suddenly becoming a monk, and leaves all the mess behind. There was only conflict and no resolution.