Fated Hearts Episode 4 Recap
> Fated Hearts Recap
Although Feng Suige's Feng Battalion had a breakthrough in the battle of Pingling, the Jinxiu forces quickly retaliated after Feng Suige was wounded by an arrow and fell from his horse. They encircled his army from three sides and set up ambushes at three checkpoints along his retreat route. It became clear that there was a traitor within Susha.
Without Fu Yixiao's arrow, the Susha army would have entered the city only to be trapped by the waiting ambush, leading to the slaughter of tens of thousands of soldiers. Feng Suige's men concluded that Fu Yixiao's arrow was not a misfortune but rather a savior for their army. They reasoned that Jinxiu's precise knowledge of their retreat route indicated a leak of military secrets from within Susha.
The individual attempting to kill Fu Yixiao was most likely the traitor, and identifying this person would reveal the betrayer in Susha. One of Feng Suige's men suspected Prime Minister Zhuang, but was asked for evidence. To protect Fu Yixiao and lure out the traitor, Feng Suige instructed his men to bring Physician Xu from the palace to treat her injured hand.
To avoid suspicion, Feng Suige publicly declared Fu Yixiao his beloved concubine, a deception so convincing that even his subordinates, Lu Ke and Yun Fang, believed he had genuinely fallen for her. Physician Xu informed them that Fu Yixiao's meridians were severely damaged, with less than a 30% chance of full recovery.
Feng Suige, however, insisted on using the most precious medicine, including a rare one gifted by his brother, stating that "what's mine is hers" and commanding Physician Xu to heal her at all costs. Fu Yixiao initially resisted this arrangement, feeling humiliated, but Feng Suige explained that the title was for her protection since his household had few women, and her sudden unannounced presence would arouse suspicion.
He assured her of his sincere intent to cooperate, a sentiment Fu Yixiao echoed, though she refused to simply "play along." Feng Suige then ordered maids to dress Fu Yixiao in grand attire, intending to parade her through the city. Fu Yixiao, realizing his true aim was to announce her survival and use her as bait to draw out those who had been trailing them, reluctantly agreed to the public display.
As they paraded through Yujing City, Fu Yixiao, disliking the public scrutiny, boldly removed her golden hairpins and adorned clothes, leaping onto Feng Suige's horse and embracing him. Their procession was unexpectedly halted by Murong Yao, the dashing Heir of Marquis Changle and son of Marquis Murong, a renowned playboy in Yujing City. Murong Yao, who brought several female companions, was instantly captivated by Fu Yixiao's beauty and began to flirt with her, claiming they had met in a dream.
Feng Suige intervened, announcing Fu Yixiao as his newly taken concubine, which astonished Murong Yao. Initially thinking them adversaries, Fu Yixiao learned from Lu Ke that Murong Yao was Feng Suige's childhood friend, as close as a brother. After some playful banter and grievances about Feng Suige not informing him of his battle wounds, Murong Yao joined them in their carriage.
He later offered Feng Suige a special garment he had stolen from his father, which landed him in confinement for three months, considering it a significant favor Feng Suige owed him before departing to accompany his father to guard the North Pass. Soon after, Ling Xueying arrived with three children—Fang, Shunzi, and Nine—who tearfully recognized Fu Yixiao as their master. Due to her amnesia, Fu Yixiao had no recollection of them, causing the children to cry even harder.
Feng Suige extended an invitation for them all to stay at his mansion. Fu Yixiao remained wary, questioning the children for proof of their relation and dismissing them, asking Ling Xueying to send them away. Feng Suige, however, chastised Fu Yixiao for her "cold-heartedness" and insisted the children stay, stating his mansion was large enough.
Later, at a meal provided by Murong Yao (who brought dishes from Yujing's finest restaurants, including his own roasted lamb), Ling Xueying appeared visibly fearful of Feng Suige. Fu Yixiao pressed Ling Xueying, who denied any conspiracy but expressed her profound fear of Feng Suige. She recounted how Feng Suige had violated Zhengnian Villa's sacred rule against violence by massacring people there, leaving the entire room soaked in blood, a scene that took her ten days to clean.
She called him a "demon" and warned Fu Yixiao to stay away. Fu Yixiao believed Ling Xueying, sensing that her fear was genuine and acknowledging her kindness for staying despite it. Meanwhile, Lu Ke reported to Feng Suige that the "tail" they were tracking had scattered due to Murong Yao's unexpected arrival but were being followed by Yun Fang and Gu Yu. Feng Suige deduced that these were Jinxiu secret guards, who served under the Prince of Zhennan, Xia Jingshi.
He pondered why Xia Jingshi would want Fu Yixiao dead and instructed his men to remain covertly active, planning to "wipe them out completely" when the opportunity arose. Later, Feng Suige approached the children, who were practicing martial arts. Fang, intrigued, followed Feng Suige to the armory. There, Fang shared that he, Shunzi, and Nine were orphans whose fathers and uncles were generals under Fu Yixiao, all perishing in the battle of Yazipo.
Fu Yixiao had adopted them, teaching them martial arts for self-protection. Feng Suige, acknowledging Fang's curiosity, gave him a dagger, solidifying their newfound "friendship." A royal guard then informed Feng Suige that a marriage proposal letter had arrived from Jinxiu, and the Emperor summoned him to court.
Upon learning that the proposal was for Princess Feng Xiyang, Feng Suige's sister, to marry Jinxiu's Prince of Zhennan, Feng Suige became furious and immediately rode to the palace, despite attempts by Lu Ke and Yun Fang to stop him. In the imperial court, pro-peace officials argued that the marriage alliance was necessary for Susha's recovery after the recent war, especially since Jinxiu had initiated the proposal, signaling their desire for peace.
Feng Suige, however, strongly opposed the idea, stating that his injuries were mostly healed and the Feng Battalion was ready for renewed battle. He passionately declared that Susha had no history of princess marriage alliances and that peace should never be bought with humiliation. He asserted that Susha's men were not dead yet and would never sacrifice a woman for "recovery." Prime Minister Zhuang, surprisingly, supported Feng Suige's view that such alliances offered only temporary peace.
However, he cautioned against outright rejection, which would provide Jinxiu a pretext for war, a burden the common people could not bear. He proposed a compromise: returning four cities west of Zhennan Pass to Jinxiu, which he believed would secure peace for at least three years. This proposal enraged Feng Suige, as these were cities he had personally conquered through bloody battles.
Prime Minister Zhuang justified his suggestion as a "last resort" for the sake of the people and the nation. The Emperor, Feng Pingcheng, ultimately deferred the decision, stating he would "think about it" and instructed that Princess Feng Xiyang also be consulted for her opinion, implying women could also contribute to the nation's welfare.
