"Big Businessman" is a legendary costume drama released in 2025. It is written and directed by Zhang Ting, starring Chen Xiao and Sun Qian, co-starring Luo Yizhou and Cheng Taishen, special guest starring Huang Zhizhong and Li Chun, special appearances by Zhu Yawen, Xiang Hanzhi, Wu Yue, and friendly appearances by Ke Lan, Zhu Yin and others. The play is adapted from Zhao Zhiyu's novel of the same name. It was selected into iQiyi's "Sea of Life" section and the main station and Zhejiang Satellite TV's 2025 film list. The first broadcast ratings exceeded 3, setting a new record for the prime time of the Eighth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The popularity on the site exceeded 7,500, and it was rated as "surprise for a long drama".
The plot revolves around Gu Pingyuan (played by Chen Xiao), a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty. He was exiled to Ningguta because he was wronged in the imperial examination. He counterattacked from a weak scholar to a business giant. By operating bank accounts, tea, salt, grain, etc., He gradually expanded his business empire, united Shanxi merchants, Hui merchants, Beijing merchants, etc. To fight against foreign merchants and save the lifeline of the national economy. The play shows his life journey from survival to responsibility, emphasizing the Taoist spirit of "making a living in a small way, and seeking a country in a big way" and the values of "benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom and trust".
The play uses real-life shooting to present the rough local customs, the characters' relationships are full of fireworks, and it has both a legendary narrative structure and a modern rhythm. It has been praised as a "not old-school" legendary play, with both real texture and dramatic tension, making it a competitive masterpiece of long-running dramas.
