Gone with the Rain Episode 32 Recap
> Gone with the Rain Recap
As physicians tried to diagnose the soldiers' illness for Chen Wende, they could not immediately confirm it as a plague, even as more and more people collapsed across Qingzhou City. Chen Wende urgently questioned if it was an outbreak. The physician reported that while it didn't appear to be the plague, a growing number of patients were suddenly collapsing, experiencing unconsciousness and convulsions, with their condition worsening daily.
He warned that at this rate, the entire city could fall in a matter of days, and they still couldn't identify the cause, prompting Chen Wende to press for the source. Meanwhile, Wan Jiagui's subordinates reported that thousands in Qingzhou City were ill, with even a guard dying from the mysterious affliction, creating chaos. Wan Jiagui summoned Wu Yin, accusing him of orchestrating the disease. Wu Yin denied it, calling it a natural disaster that favored the Emperor.
He then announced that an imperial edict would soon arrive from Jingzhou City, ordering Wan Jiagui back to the capital to marry Fengyao, with the Emperor personally officiating the wedding and bestowing a manor. Wan Jiagui protested that his marriage to Fengyao was a misunderstanding, but Wu Yin claimed Prime Minister Wu Lang had moved the Emperor with the story of Fengyao's devotion.
Realizing their scheme, Wan Jiagui confronted Wu Yin, accusing them of deceiving the Emperor to strip him of his military command. Wu Yin readily admitted he would take charge of the 100,000 troops during Wan Jiagui's months-long absence for the wedding, implying the war might be over by then. Wan Jiagui doubted Wu Yin's ability to defeat Chen Wende's skilled Beishuo Army, but Wu Yin simply dared him to disobey the decree.
Knowing he couldn't defy an imperial decree, Wan Jiagui informed Fengyao of the Emperor's command. He explained that Wu Lang had deceived the Emperor to remove him from power. Fengyao, having reflected on her time in the army, expressed her regret at being unable to rescue Mo Xi. She felt useless and observed that if it were Mo Xi, Wan Jiagui would not hesitate. She had recently learned medical knowledge and was already assisting the military physicians with the wounded.
Fengyao declared she would not return to Jingzhou or marry until Mo Xi was safe. To avoid the forced marriage, Fengyao proposed caring for the soldiers afflicted with the mysterious disease in their own battalion. If she became infected, she reasoned, she wouldn't be able to meet the Emperor, thus thwarting Wu Lang's plot.
Despite Wan Jiagui's strong objections and concerns for her safety, Fengyao remained resolute, stating it was her duty to care for the struggling soldiers and that she could protect herself. While caring for the sick, Fengyao noticed that some soldiers, including a logistics officer from the arsenal, had contracted the illness despite having no contact with Qingzhou soldiers. Intrigued, she investigated the armory.
She realized the three men who fell ill that day were all overseers of the seized Qingzhou weapons. She hypothesized the weapons might be poisoned, as the men were infected without open wounds, and decided to immediately inform Wan Jiagui. Just then, Wu Yin appeared, suspicious of her presence. He made a veiled threat, implying she was "too smart" for her own good.
Fengyao tried to feign she was looking for Wan Jiagui, but Wu Yin’s true intentions to silence her became clear. Fortunately, Wan Jiagui arrived in time, taking Fengyao away and acknowledging Wu Yin's warning about unauthorized entry into the armory. Back in their room, Fengyao recounted Wu Yin's attempt to kill her, attributing it to her discovery in the armory.
She confirmed her suspicion that the seized Qingzhou weapons were poisoned and that the logistics officer was infected from touching them. Wan Jiagui agreed that poisoning weapons was a cunning war tactic but noted that most of the poisoned victims were Chen Army troops, with only a dozen of their own soldiers affected, suggesting a deeper plot. Fengyao then deduced the poison was likely mixed into the sword oil used on the weapons.
Immediately, she wanted to inform military physicians to find the source and send someone to warn Mo Xi in Qingzhou, fearing she might also be exposed. Wan Jiagui, however, cautioned against haste. He explained that Wu Yin likely anticipated such a discovery and would seize any attempt to contact Mo Xi as treason.
He promised to find a safe way to send a message to Mo Xi, instructing Fengyao to act as if nothing had happened to avoid Wu Yin's suspicion. When the imperial decree arrived, Wan Jiagui formally accepted it. However, he cleverly used Fengyao's selfless act of caring for the infected soldiers as a reason to decline returning to Jingzhou for the wedding. He cited the unknown nature of the disease and Fengyao's exposure as a risk to the Emperor's health.
Wu Yin, still trying to push the marriage, lauded Fengyao's commendable actions and suggested the wedding news would boost army morale. Meanwhile, Wan Jiagui's agents, tasked with secretly monitoring Wu Yin, reported that the commander had been sending and receiving frequent letters bearing the seal of the Cao family of Weizhou. Wan Jiagui, aware that the Cao family was a rebel force secretly aiding Chen Wende, initially wondered if Wu Yin was colluding with Chen Wende.
He then deduced that Cao might have secretly defected to Wu Lang. Wan Jiagui ordered his subordinate to intensify surveillance on Wu Yin, demanding detailed reports on his every action and interaction. Believing Wan Jiagui's marriage to Fengyao was imminent and Qingzhou City was close to falling, Wu Yin secretly dispatched a subordinate to extract Mo Xi from Qingzhou.
An envoy from Governor Cao of Weizhou arrived to deliver provisions, a gesture of goodwill that surprised Chen Wende, who had expected opposition after rejecting their marriage alliance. The envoy expressed Governor Cao's apologies for any past misunderstandings and hoped to mend their relationship. Chen Wende accepted the aid but vehemently denied any outbreak in Qingzhou, downplaying the illnesses as minor.
The envoy then revealed significant news: the Emperor had decreed that Wan Jiagui and his wife would return to the capital for a personally officiated wedding, showered with imperial gifts. The envoy provocatively remarked that Wan Jiagui was merely taking Chen Wende's "leftovers." Overhearing this, Mo Xi was deeply shaken, her mind racing with past memories. She lamented that by sending Fengyao away, she might have inadvertently brought Fengyao and Wan Jiagui closer.
Later, a subordinate sent by Wu Yin approached Mo Xi, claiming Wan Jiagui had dispatched him to rescue her. When Mo Xi pressed about Wan Jiagui's marriage to Fengyao, the subordinate dismissed it as a mere cover story, urging her to leave immediately. However, Chen Wende appeared, having discovered the imposter. He shot the subordinate, who, in his dying breath, revealed he was sent by Wu Yin.
Enraged by Mo Xi's distress over Wan Jiagui's supposed marriage, Chen Wende confronted her. He revealed the true nature of Wu Yin's plot, showing her a drug in the deceased subordinate's palm, proving he intended to abduct her. Chen Wende accused Mo Xi of being easily distracted by Wan Jiagui, allowing herself to be targeted. He passionately questioned why she was always thinking of Wan Jiagui and had seemingly forgotten that he was her husband.
In a fit of jealousy and emotion, Chen Wende forcibly kissed Mo Xi, but she pushed him away, calling him "crazy." Immediately after, Chen Wende collapsed, alarming Mo Xi, who frantically called for help. Upon waking, Chen Wende learned from Mo Xi that he had contracted the same mysterious illness as his soldiers. Mo Xi, despite her usual strong demeanor, expressed her fright at his sudden collapse.
Chen Wende, observing her anxiety, teased her by asking if she would be happier if he died, then pointed out how worried she looked. He highlighted that her intense focus on Wan Jiagui's marriage news had vanished the moment he fell ill, implying her true affections lay with him. Mo Xi, however, outwardly denied her concern.
A subordinate later explained to Mo Xi that while the physicians confirmed the disease was not infectious and therefore not a plague, its debilitating effects on the soldiers' morale necessitated moving them out of the camp and paying citizens to care for them. The physician informed Mo Xi that for Chen Wende, they could only focus on detoxification and fever reduction, as there was no known cure or root cause for the peculiar illness yet.
Chen Wende directly questioned Physician Xu, who reiterated that the disease was not life-threatening, only causing fever and weakness. Realizing the strategic implications of such an illness right before a major war, Chen Wende found its timing highly suspicious. Despite his weakened state, he insisted on personally handling military affairs, ordering his attendant to bring him all relevant documents. Mo Xi continued to monitor his condition and even brought him medicine, still secretly worried about his recovery.
