Fated Hearts Episode 33 Recap
> Fated Hearts Recap
Empress Dowager Jing, upon learning that Feng Xiyang had assisted Xia Jingyan in uncovering Xia Jingshi's spy, Eunuch Bai, became enraged. She chastised her attendant for not informing her earlier that it was Princess Susha who led His Majesty to arrest Eunuch Bai. Recognizing the attendant's guilt, Empress Dowager Jing offered a chance for atonement, ordering her to kill Feng Xiyang by any means necessary, declaring, "I want her dead."
Meanwhile, confined to Yeting Palace, Feng Xiyang spoke with her maid about the rumors from Yujing City. The maid expressed worry about their future, but Feng Xiyang reassured her, stating that she believed her brother, Feng Suige, was still alive, as no one had seen his body. She felt certain he was alive and would one day take them home.
Within the Storm Alliance, Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao discussed Elder Zhou Hao's unusual behavior, agreeing his words had been a test. Fu Yixiao sensed a murderous intent, believing Zhou Hao wanted Feng Suige to "fight his way out."
They then sought information from Ning Fei, who revealed that Elder Zhou usually preached being "content with a simple life" but had once questioned Ning Fei extensively about Xia Jingshi, hinting at a desire for an introduction and wanting to ally with him. Ning Fei concluded that Zhou Hao had long been planning to leave the alliance. Fu Yixiao suggested Zhou Hao wanted to exploit the conflict between Feng Suige and Lei Lie.
Ning Fei further recalled a suspicious incident: he had seen several of Elder Zhou's trusted followers, who were scholars, secretly practicing martial arts, a fact unknown to others in the alliance. Feng Suige deduced that Zhou Hao was secretly building his own force, possibly for a rebellion, and indeed planned to move against Lei Lie.
Soon after, Zhou Hao, with members of the Studying Branch, attempted to sneak out of the Storm Alliance after knocking out guards from the Woodcutter Branch. He instructed his men to prepare an ambush, anticipating that the Woodcutter Branch would soon discover the disturbance. Elder Feng Yi of the Ploughing Branch quickly informed Lei Lie, who, along with Feng Yi, led a pursuit.
However, they walked directly into a trap set by Elder Zhou Hao and Elder Zhang Dongshi of the Fishing Branch, getting caught in a net. As the ambush unfolded, Fu Yixiao intercepted Elder Zhang Dongshi's arrow. Feng Yi cut the net, and when Zhang Dongshi moved to stab Lei Lie, Feng Yi kicked her away and attempted to strike a killing blow, but Feng Suige intervened, saying, "This is their family matter; let them handle it themselves."
Zhou Hao and Zhang Dongshi were then tied up. Lei Lie confronted them, asking why they wanted to kill him. Zhang Dongshi invoked the memory of her dead husband, unborn child, and Lei Lie's two sons, stating that she could not forget the blood debt and thus intended to kill Feng Suige, whom she considered the true enemy, accusing Lei Lie of forgetting their fallen comrades. Lei Lie countered that their real enemy might not be Feng Pingcheng.
Zhou Hao then accused Lei Lie of clinging to power, stifling their ambitions, and called the Storm Alliance a cage rather than a home, despite Lei Lie reminding him of Qingyu's kindness in saving him from poverty. Lei Lie, heartbroken by their words, realized everyone viewed him this way, and he collapsed, gasping for breath. His followers pleaded with Zhou Hao, the only healer, to save him.
Feng Suige urged Zhou Hao, saying, "I believe you won't stand by and watch him die." After Feng Suige cut his ropes, Zhou Hao helped Lei Lie expel stagnant blood, explaining that Lei Lie's anger had caused his qi to stagnate, which would have been fatal. When Lei Lie asked why he was saved, Zhou Hao replied that his defeat was certain, and killing Lei Lie no longer mattered.
Feng Suige then delivered a heartfelt speech, sharing his own pain of family betrayal, revealing he was an orphan and envied their family bond. He expressed his reluctance to see them fall apart, emphasizing that family should always be a refuge. He prompted both Elder Zhou and Elder Zhang to reflect on their bond with Lei Lie, asking if he wasn't their most important family member. He then offered Zhang Dongshi the knife, daring her to kill him.
Zhang Dongshi, surprised, asked why he saved her. Feng Suige explained his own difficult relationship with his father, Feng Pingcheng, whose actions he believed led to his mother's death and manipulated his life. While he couldn't bring himself to kill his own father, he understood her hatred and promised to investigate the truth of the Storm Alliance's past. He urged her to be patient, assuring her that knowing the truth was the only way to achieve true revenge.
Swayed, Zhang Dongshi agreed to wait for his answer. However, when Feng Suige asked Lei Lie if he, too, would wait for the truth, Lei Lie responded sadly that it no longer mattered. Lei Lie then asked all the alliance members if they wished to continue following the strict rules.
One by one, they admitted they wanted to leave, leading Lei Lie to a profound realization that he had been "the only one wishing for this all along," leaving him deeply disappointed. With the restrictions lifted, many began to leave the Storm Alliance. Fu Yixiao and Feng Suige discussed the complexities of Lei Lie's feelings, recognizing that many alliance members had not experienced the harshness of the outside world.
Fu Yixiao reassured Feng Suige, affirming her place as his family, a bond forged through their tumultuous journey from enemies to lovers and back. Feng Suige expressed his happiness with her. He then revealed his plan to leave the alliance with Fu Yixiao, anticipating a less rigid Lei Lie. They would return to Susha to expose the truth, not merely for revenge, but to clear his and Feng Xiyang's names from the charge of regicide.
He intended to discreetly send word to Feng Xiyang that he was alive and planned to bring her home once his revenge was complete. He warned Fu Yixiao of the dangers in Yujing City, knowing Murong Zhong and Murong Yao would be actively searching for him. Their first step would be to consult Song Cheng, a scout from the Feng Battalion, whom Feng Suige deemed completely trustworthy, to assess the current political landscape.
Before their departure, Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao formally bid farewell to Lei Lie. Lei Lie acknowledged that their mutual acts of saving each other's lives had made them even.
He reiterated Feng Suige's promise to find the truth and, in turn, asked for a favor: should any Storm Alliance members, unfamiliar with the outside world's perils, seek their help, Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao should ensure they are not left to starve or freeze, but instead be safely returned to the alliance. They readily agreed to his request. Elsewhere, Ling Xueying informed Fu Yixiao that Lei Lie was now allowing anyone to leave the Storm Alliance.
Ling Xueying herself was leaving, having found a note from her father, Ling Feng, stating he had gone traveling with An Gu and left her to manage Zhengnian Villa. Ning Fei agreed to accompany Ling Xueying back to Zhengnian Villa, which brought relief to Feng Suige, knowing they would have each other's support. Before they parted ways, Ning Fei offered Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao some dry rations. Ling Xueying also reminded Fu Yixiao of their previous bet.
She offered Zhengnian Villa, which Fu Yixiao playfully refused, and then offered anything within her power. Fu Yixiao, in turn, offered Ling Xueying a powerful "dampness-dispelling medicine" for her recovery. Ling Xueying promised to join Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao later. Meanwhile, Feng Xiyang, discussing her plan to kill Murong Zhong and Murong Yao with Xia Jingyan, noted that it would become easy once Xia Jingyan's army conquered Susha.
She clarified that her target was only the Murong father and son, not the innocent populace. Xia Jingyan, however, dismissively asserted her right to choose her own methods. Feng Xiyang then challenged Xia Jingyan's authority by stating that Empress Dowager Jing was the true power in Jinxiu and bet that the Empress Dowager would not care for Xia Jingyan's opinion and would attempt to kill Feng Xiyang. Xia Jingyan accepted the bet.
Later that night, as Feng Xiyang was bathing, an assassin sent by Empress Dowager Jing infiltrated her quarters. However, Feng Xiyang had anticipated this; her hidden guards quickly subdued the intruder. Xia Jingyan, who was present, personally killed the assassin, declaring that no one in the palace would dare harm Feng Xiyang again. Feng Xiyang then calmly remarked that she had won their bet. Murong Zhong presented a list of officials for promotion to Empress Dowager Jing.
She acknowledged his dedication but stated that such an important matter required her discussion with His Majesty before approval, which Murong Zhong perceived as an attempt to abandon them and suppress the Murong family. Before leaving, Murong Zhong subtly threatened her by mentioning that Feng Suige's whereabouts were unknown and his fate uncertain, implying potential instability if the Murong family was not supported in governing. Empress Dowager Jing recognized this as a threat but acknowledged their shared fate.
Immediately after Murong Zhong departed, Empress Dowager Jing ordered a list of consort candidates for Feng Chengyang to be brought to her. Back at the Murong mansion, Murong Zhong told Murong Yao that Empress Dowager Jing would approve the list, as most of the names were "their people."
He vowed to demonstrate that he could just as easily remove Feng Chengyang from the throne as he had placed him there, promising Murong Yao that he would make him emperor when the time was right. Murong Yao pledged his allegiance to the Murong family. Later, Feng Chengyang confronted an official, deducing that only the Murong family or his mother, Empress Dowager Jing, could mobilize the Imperial Guards.
Empress Dowager Jing then arrived, presenting the eldest daughter of Qi Zheng, Marquis of Huainan and Grand Commander of Yongzhou, as a consort candidate. Feng Chengyang vehemently refused the marriage. Empress Dowager Jing argued that Qi Zheng had military merits and was a trusted aide of his grandfather, making him an ally who would help him rival Murong Zhong and his son and secure his throne.
Feng Chengyang lamented that his mother only spoke of power and never considered his own desires. He then directly questioned her about the true circumstances of his father's death, asking if it was truly his brother who killed him. Enraged by his doubt, Empress Dowager Jing declared that from that moment on, she would decide all his matters without consultation, regardless of his wishes, asserting her determination to help him secure his throne, even if it meant earning his hatred.
Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao cautiously made their way to the residence of Song Cheng, a trusted scout of the Feng Battalion in Yujing City. Song Cheng, upon seeing Feng Suige, greeted him as "Your Highness" and Fu Yixiao as "Miss Yixiao." When Feng Suige asked about his other loyal followers, Song Cheng led him to a small memorial he had erected, which bore the names of fallen comrades, including Gu Yu and Dog.
Song Cheng explained that while everyone else believed Feng Suige had committed treason and died, he himself, as a scout who only trusted what he saw, refused to believe it, knowing Feng Suige was a man of loyalty and righteousness. He had secretly investigated, found the bodies of their brothers, and buried them himself. Feng Suige was deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of Gu Yu and Dog.
