Gone with the Rain Episode 22 Recap
> Gone with the Rain Recap
Chen Wende's subordinates intercepted a secret message from Yaozhou, revealing that the Yaozhou governor planned to align with other provincial governors to surround Chen Wende and take over Qingzhou. Chen Wende dismissed these governors as naive, asserting that he had already anticipated their moves. He explained his strategy was not merely to exploit existing chaos but to instigate it, and then use the act of thwarting others' ambitions as a bargaining chip.
He ordered his battle formation maps to be distributed. At the Wan mansion, Wan's mother invited a painter to create a portrait for the newlyweds, a custom in Qingzhou. However, with Wan Jiagui absent on military duties for several days, only Fengyao was available. Fengyao felt awkward posing alone and requested Mo Xi, whom she considered her closest family member, to join her in the portrait. As they posed, Mo Xi appeared visibly distraught, her brow furrowed.
Soon after, Wan Jiagui witnessed a mass exodus of citizens from Qingzhou, spurred by rumors that Chen Wende intended to demand half their fortunes after capturing the city. Recognizing this as psychological warfare designed to demoralize the city's defenders, Wan Jiagui decided to go to the local administration to address the crisis.
He dispatched Xiao Jiang back to the Wan mansion with urgent instructions for his parents: they were to lock down the house, stay inside for several days, and hide their valuables. Wan Jiagui also entrusted Xiao Jiang with his dagger for Mo Xi's self-defense, cautioning her not to act tough and to learn to show weakness when necessary. Xiao Jiang suggested Wan Jiagui deliver the message to Mo Xi himself, but Wan Jiagui only acknowledged his words.
After the portrait was finished, Fengyao noticed Mo Xi's somber expression and tried to lighten the mood with a tease, but Mo Xi, deeply saddened by Wan Jiagui's marriage, confided her feelings of helplessness, believing her destiny was predetermined and unchangeable. Upon Xiao Jiang's return, he relayed Wan Jiagui's warnings about the city's instability to Wan's parents.
Learning of the growing danger and Wan Jiagui's continued absence, Fengyao sought comfort from Mo Xi, asking to share a bed with her, which Mo Xi accepted. Under the cover of night, Chen Wende launched a surprise attack on Qingzhou City. The next morning, chaos erupted. Fengyao awoke to the sounds of battle and was informed by a servant that enemy troops had breached the city walls.
Xiao Jiang delivered an urgent message from Wan Jiagui: Qingzhou was on the verge of falling, and the family must evacuate immediately. To ensure their safety, Wan's parents, along with Fengyao and Mo Xi, were to depart in two separate groups, heading north and west, with plans to rendezvous 50 miles outside the city before proceeding to Luozhou. Wan Jiagui, asserting his duty to defend the city, would remain behind.
Despite Wan's mother's anguish, Mo Xi urged everyone to comply with Wan Jiagui's orders, stressing that their escape would allow him to focus on the fight. As they made their hurried departure, Fengyao clutched a portrait of herself and Mo Xi, making Mo Xi promise they would never be separated. Outside the city, the Northern Shuo Army intercepted Fengyao and Mo Xi's carriage. Despite attempts to resist, Xiao Jiang was shot.
Identifying the two women as members of the Wan family, the soldiers captured them. Meanwhile, Wu Yin discovered the two subordinates he had assigned to protect Mo Xi were instead protecting him under Prime Minister Wu's orders. Enraged, Wu Yin intended to search for Mo Xi himself but was secretly knocked unconscious and taken away by his subordinates.
Chen Wende, having successfully taken Qingzhou using the powerful Divine Crow Fire Arrow, explained that he deliberately targeted only garrisons and unguarded areas, leaving an escape route for civilians. His aim was not to harm the populace but to destroy their morale and seize the strategically important city for its underground iron ore mines.
Wan Jiagui, trapped within Qingzhou, was surprised by Chen Wende's unconventional strategy of infiltration rather than direct confrontation, realizing Chen Wende had exploited the disunity within his own forces. With the remaining Longxiang Army, Wan Jiagui prepared for a breakout. Fengyao and Mo Xi were brought back to the Wan family compound and imprisoned in a cold woodshed. Chen Wende arrived to see Mo Xi.
Mo Xi immediately confronted him, denouncing his warmongering and challenging him to seek peace with the court and voice his grievances. Chen Wende retorted that figures like Zhong Yuqi, Wu Lang, and even Wan Jiagui wished him dead, making any attempt to seek justice futile. At this point, Fengyao recognized Chen Wende as the former Mr. Wen, her archery tutor, confirming his identity as the rebel leader.
Undaunted, she bravely condemned him for his treachery and for making an enemy of her husband. Chen Wende, amused by her defiance, threatened to kill Wan Jiagui and offered Mo Xi a more comfortable room. Mo Xi, however, insisted on staying with Fengyao. Fengyao, steadfast in her resolve not to accept any kindness from a "traitor," refused to move from the woodshed, compelling Mo Xi to remain with her.
Mo Xi chided Fengyao for her stubborn pride, bitterly contrasting Fengyao's noble birth, integrity, and marital status with her own "lowly illegitimate" background, claiming she lacked the right to uphold such principles. Before Fengyao could respond, she collapsed, feverish. Alarmed, Mo Xi frantically demanded the guards summon Chen Wende, threatening them with severe consequences if Fengyao died. Meanwhile, Xiao Jiang, the coachman who escorted Fengyao and Mo Xi, managed to escape while the guards were unprepared.
Enraged by this, Chen Wende ordered his subordinates to capture Xiao Jiang and Wan Jiagui alive. To force Wan Jiagui, who was still hiding in the city, to come out, Chen Wende then implemented a strategy to cut off the Longxiang Army's water and food supplies. Soon, Wan Jiagui discovered Chen Wende's scheme. With his Longxiang Army suffering heavy casualties, Wan Jiagui decided to find an opportunity to break out of the city as soon as possible.
At the same time, an envoy from Yaozhou arrived to congratulate Chen Wende and propose an alliance. Chen Wende, having intercepted a previous message detailing Yaozhou's plan to betray him, expressed skepticism about their sincerity. He demanded a tangible sign of good faith: the secret scroll on iron weapon forging, crucial for his plans to exploit Qingzhou's iron mines. Just then, news arrived of poisoned wells on Tianshui Street, a crisis Chen Wende had explicitly warned against.
He rushed off, dismissing Mo Xi's pleas for a warmer room. Back in the woodshed, Fengyao, knowing Wan Jiagui's forces were too depleted to rescue them, made a dying request to Mo Xi: if she did not survive, Mo Xi was to cremate her and take her ashes back to Jingzhou, imploring Mo Xi to stay alive. Distraught, Mo Xi cursed Chen Wende for his cruelty.
