Fall in Love Episode 9 Recap
> Fall in Love Recap
Following the previous night's events where Xu Guangyao cleared Tan Xuanlin's name, Mu Wanqing expressed her gratitude, though she was unaware that Tan Xuanlin had already searched the assassin's wallet and orchestrated the situation himself. After Xu Guangyao departed, Tan Xuanlin, with a banknote in hand, confidently asserted to Mu Wanqing that he was no less astute or meticulous than Xu Guangyao.
Mu Wanqing, amused by his earnest boasting, questioned why he constantly felt the need to compare himself to Xu Guangyao. Tan Xuanlin then playfully suggested that she was concerned about him, a notion Mu Wanqing promptly denied. He offered to escort her home, attributing her recent misfortunes to having met him, a claim she playfully returned. Su Hongchen and his companions speculated that the Southern forces were behind the assassination attempt, aiming to frame Tan Xuanlin.
They explained that by assassinating Xu Guangyao and implicating Tan Xuanlin, the Southern forces intended to destabilize Shanghai and hinder the ongoing reorganization of the Five-Province Allied Army by their fathers, including Xu Bojun and Pei Xun. Xu Guangyao admitted that he had indeed taken personal charge of the case from the outset precisely to prevent his father, Xu Bojun, from exploiting the incident for political gain.
Su Hongchen expressed his dismay at Xu Guangyao's unyielding righteousness in a morally ambiguous world. Meanwhile, Tan Si questioned Tan Xuanlin about the assassins' true affiliation, remarking that the Tan Army had no deep-seated animosity with the Revolutionary Party. He pointed out that Military Governor Xu and Military Governor Pei had both killed revolutionaries, suggesting they would be more logical targets.
Tan Xuanlin acknowledged the situation was more complex than it appeared, but since the assassins were dead, they had no choice but to officially attribute the attack to the Revolutionary Party. Xu Guangyao, anxious about Mu Wanqing's whereabouts, declined chicken soup offered by Mu Wanting, citing a lack of appetite. When Mu Wanqing finally returned, Xu Guangyao immediately expressed his concern for her well-being. Mu Wanting, observing their close interaction, became visibly annoyed.
A man named Mr. Liao arrived, requesting to see Tan Xuanlin and identifying himself as his father's military surgeon from ten years prior. Hearing this, Tan Xuanlin was profoundly shaken, his mind flooded with vivid flashbacks of the day his father and elder brother were killed in a brutal battle in a valley, with the images of bloodied comrades and the raw pain vividly resurfacing.
Meeting Mr. Liao after a decade, Tan Xuanlin inquired about his well-being, while Mr. Liao spoke of modestly making a living through small businesses. Tan Xuanlin recounted how Mr. Liao had been expelled by Military Governor Luo for fiercely opposing the cancellation of the Tan Army's designation after his father's death. Military Governor Luo had not only failed to provide compensation but had unjustly blamed Tan Xuanlin's father for the defeat, permanently shaming the Tan family.
Despite Tan Xuanlin leading the Tan Army to countless victories since, whispers about their past defeat by "bandits" persisted. Mr. Liao confirmed his own long-standing suspicion that the adversaries in that battle were not mere bandits, given their advanced tactics and utter annihilation of the Tan Army. He then presented Tan Xuanlin with a dumdum bullet, extracted from his father's wound, noting its prohibition in all regular armies.
Mr. Liao subtly advised Tan Xuanlin that many things are not as they appear, hinting that both the past "bandits" and the recent "revolutionaries" might be something entirely different. Separately, Xu Guangyao informed his father, Xu Bojun, that the recent assassination case had been officially closed, with the blame placed on the Revolutionary Party.
Xu Guangyao confessed his inability to disregard the truth, but Xu Bojun dismissed the truth as irrelevant, admonishing his son for being too soft-hearted and squandering a prime opportunity to bring down Tan Xuanlin. Xu Bojun reminded Xu Guangyao that politics is like a game of chess, where a lost initiative cannot be regained. He then emphasized the approaching deadline for Tan Xuanlin to disband the Tan Army, declaring it a crucial victory they must secure.
Before departing, Tan Xuanlin informed Mr. Liao about the city-wide search for revolutionaries ordered by the Military Governor's Office, warning of potential disruptions to business. Mr. Liao, identifying himself as merely a businessman, stated he expected no trouble, but Tan Xuanlin subtly cautioned him not to cause any. They then bid each other farewell. Tan Xuanlin later showed the dumdum bullet to Old Fu, who recognized Dr. Liao as the cultured military surgeon who once served Tan Xuanlin's father.
Tan Xuanlin revealed that Dr. Liao also suspected his father had not been killed by common bandits, a suspicion Tan Xuanlin himself had harbored for years. He lamented that with no survivors from that tragic battle, the full truth of what happened in the valley remained elusive. Su Hongchen and his companions were incensed by a newspaper article that listed Tan Xuanlin as the "head of the four marshals," dismissing it as mere tabloid sensationalism.
They mocked Tan Xuanlin's arrogance, acknowledged his higher official position as a "puppet commander," and suspected his delay in disbanding the Tan Army was a tactic to break free from that control. At a dance hall, Tan Xuanlin, having secured a meeting through Gu Yueshuang, confronted Anton Phil.
Tan Xuanlin proposed the formation of a Chamber of Commerce militia, staffed by his veteran soldiers, to maintain order in Shanghai, particularly for local disputes that the Municipal Council's police were ill-equipped to handle. Anton Phil reminded Tan Xuanlin of the initial three-point agreement with the Military Governor's Office, which stipulated the disbandment of the Tan Army, with its deadline fast approaching.
Tan Xuanlin countered that his soldiers were suited for battle, not factory work, and argued that in these tumultuous times, a private armed force loyal only to Shanghai would be invaluable. Anton Phil found the proposal intriguing but demanded "sincerity" from Tan Xuanlin. Noting Anton Phil's interest in Gu Yueshuang, Tan Xuanlin promised to arrange a "very romantic evening" to gain his support.
Su Hongchen informed Xu Guangyao of Tan Xuanlin's attempts to persuade Anton Phil to convert the Tan Army into a Chamber of Commerce militia. Su Hongchen voiced concern that Anton Phil might be swayed, as a private armed force would benefit him in these uncertain times. Su Hongchen even suggested they should have framed Tan Xuanlin with the recent assassination, but Xu Guangyao dismissed the idea, prioritizing justice. Consequently, Xu Guangyao decided he must personally meet with Anton Phil.
Mu Wanqing visited Tan Xuanlin, inquiring about his injury and sensing his preoccupation with the Tan Army's impending resettlement. She offered to speak with her father, suggesting the Mu family's industries could employ his soldiers with competitive wages. Tan Xuanlin politely declined her assistance on this specific matter, though he assured her he would seek her help if he truly needed it in the future.
Later, Xu Guangyao informed Mu Wanqing that he had an appointment with Anton Phil to discuss the Tan Army's resettlement, suggesting she not wait for him for dinner. Mu Wanqing insisted on accompanying him, emphasizing the Mu family's influence in Shanghai and her role as his secretary. She reasoned that her presence would help expedite the resettlement, allowing Xu Guangyao to return to Yuecheng sooner. Despite Xu Guangyao's initial reservations about her attending such an event, he eventually agreed.
Gu Yueshuang met Tan Xuanlin, expressing her annoyance at having turned down Anton Phil's dinner invitation to see him. She mentioned that Anton Phil had invited her to accompany a female companion for dinner with Marshal Xu. Tan Xuanlin quickly realized that Marshal Xu was Xu Guangyao and, upon hearing about the female companion, became agitated and abruptly rushed off to the meeting. At dinner, Xu Guangyao and Mu Wanqing joined Anton Phil.
Xu Guangyao raised the issue of Japanese cotton mills offering low-interest loans to Chinese mills. Mu Wanqing, leveraging her family's expertise, explained that these loans were a deceptive strategy by the Japanese to monopolize the Chinese market, a tactic already employed in Tianjin and Qingdao. She further emphasized that if the industry fell into Japanese hands, essential goods for both military and civilian use would be controlled by them.
She then proposed that the Mu family would offer interest-free loans to struggling Chinese mills. Xu Guangyao then presented his core proposal: resettle the disbanded Tan Army soldiers into these mills. This would provide the mills with manpower and financial support from the resettlement subsidies, allowing them to reject Japanese loans, and simultaneously thwarting Tan Xuanlin's plan to form a Chamber of Commerce militia.
Anton Phil, discerning Xu Guangyao's true intentions, asked directly if he was attempting to sabotage Tan Xuanlin's militia. Anton Phil then shifted his focus, pressing Mu Wanqing to drink to demonstrate "sincerity," despite her expressed low alcohol tolerance. He proposed a drinking game: for every one drink Mu Wanqing took, Xu Guangyao would have to drink six on her behalf.
