Resumo do episódio 19 de The Wind Blows From Longxi
> Resumos de The Wind Blows From Longxi
Feng Ying presented the third step of his intricate plan to Li Yan, which involved diverting Zhuge Liang's vital provisions and defense resources. He proposed that once Li Yan acquired the authority to coordinate military efforts, they would cut off the supply lines to completely undermine Zhuge Liang. Chen Gong, present at the meeting, praised Feng Ying's strategic brilliance, suggesting that such a move would dismantle the Prime Minister's Northern Expedition and secure Li Yan's political ambitions.
Li Yan, acknowledging the dangerous, treasonous nature of the plan, decided to proceed, promising Feng Ying the highest accolades for its success. Hu Zhong, later confiding in Li Yan, expressed deep concern, calling Feng Ying's scheme ruthless and a direct attack on the Prime Minister. He speculated that Feng Ying, haunted by the specter of Ma Su's fate following the Zhulong case, was now repaying Li Yan for saving him.
Despite the plan's cunning, Hu Zhong warned Li Yan against fully trusting Feng Ying, noting the former subordinate's mercilessness. Li Yan then instructed Hu Zhong to remain in Nanzheng to oversee the implementation of the third step. Separately, Feng Ying, subtly hinting at future collaboration, reminded Chen Gong of his influential connections to General Li, while Chen Gong, in turn, acknowledged the plan's profound impact on the court and requested Feng Ying's future support, which Feng Ying found overly tactful.
Meanwhile, Xun Xu remained deeply troubled by the Zhulong case, with his suspicions increasingly focusing on Feng Ying. He shared his concerns with Pei Xu, explaining that Gao Tangbing, as Zhulong, must have had other contacts beyond Gu Zheng, which would have motivated someone to quickly silence him. Yet, Xun Xu found it hard to believe Gao Tangbing wouldn't have resisted, recalling how Li Miao was immobilized before his assassination—a method Feng Ying had devised.
Xun Xu deduced that only Feng Ying within Siwencao could have killed Gao Tangbing so stealthily. His conviction grew stronger when he noticed wall dust on Feng Ying's sleeve, suspecting it came from Gao Tangbing's cell. Pei Xu volunteered to investigate and later returned with a wooden splinter he found on Feng Ying's sleeve.
This splinter perfectly matched a chip from the wooden plank used to kill Gao Tangbing, providing strong, albeit circumstantially obtained, evidence that Feng Ying had been in Gao Tangbing's cell. Xun Xu acknowledged that the evidence, having been handled by Pei Xu, was compromised for legal proceedings but confirmed their resolve to continue their covert investigation. He resolved to discuss these findings with Chen Gong.
As Zhuge Liang's second Northern Expedition was set to begin, with forces en route to Hanzhong, Guo Huai conveyed his apprehension about the vulnerable defenses along Mount Qi to Guo Gang. Guo Gang, however, reassured him that once Chen Gong ascended to a higher position, the Shu army's deployments would become entirely transparent to Wei.
Guo Huai then met with Huang Yu, who confirmed that, despite its recent decimation, the Wuxian Sect still commanded approximately 4,000 adherents in Hanzhong, ready to support Wei. Guo Huai instructed Huang Yu to return to Hanzhong and deliver a critical order to Chen Gong: he must eliminate Xun Xu. Guo Huai considered Xun Xu's relentless pursuit of the Zhulong case a significant threat to Chen Gong, who was deemed a vital strategic asset for Wei.
Despite the bond between Chen Gong and his sworn brother Xun Xu, Guo Huai insisted Chen Gong personally commit the act, providing Huang Yu with three golden crossbow arrows tipped with a fast-acting, lethal poison. Huang Yu reluctantly accepted the mission. Later, Guo Gang questioned Guo Huai's directive, fearing it would expose Chen Gong and jeopardize their larger strategy. Guo Huai dismissed his nephew's concerns, emphasizing the inherent unreliability of individuals in their profession.
He argued that Chen Gong, once empowered, could easily become uncontrollable. To ensure Chen Gong's absolute loyalty and eliminate any possibility of defection, he must be forced to kill his wife, his colleagues, and now his sworn brother, leaving him with no allegiance but to Wei. Xun Xu's death, Guo Huai asserted, would be Chen Gong's ultimate pledge of allegiance.
Xun Xu sought out Chen Gong, expressing his profound weariness and frustration with their profession, where lives and emotions were treated as mere trifles. He questioned the senselessness of constant conflict, prompting Chen Gong to remind him of their shared ideal: "to restore Han." Xun Xu then revealed Feng Ying had once sent him to Tianshui to kill Chen Gong, using the same "restore Han" justification.
He directly accused Feng Ying of killing Gao Tangbing and presented the wooden splinter Pei Xu had found. He explained that while this splinter, found on Feng Ying's sleeve and matching one from Gao Tangbing's cell, might not be admissible in court, it undeniably implicated Feng Ying. Back at Siwencao, Feng Ying discovered a subtle mark on his door, confirming his suspicion of surveillance.
Pei Xu, having already observed Feng Ying, instructed another agent to continue monitoring him before leaving to meet Xun Xu. Oblivious to being watched, Feng Ying received an urgent report from Chengdu: the Prime Minister's forces would arrive in Nanzheng in seven days for the Northern Expedition.
Feng Ying immediately ordered Sun Ling to put all departments on wartime footing, halting other operations to prioritize the expedition, and to prepare the Military Strategy and Intelligence departments for the Prime Minister's command. He then privately asked Sun Ling to arrange transport to Red Rock Peak in Qingshi Valley, explaining his desire to consult Taoist Qingyun, a renowned diviner, about the recent unsettling events within the Agency.
Sun Ling acknowledged Taoist Qingyun's profound wisdom and agreed that, given the complex dynamic between Chief Yang's recent return and General Li, a divination was indeed necessary. To evade Feng Ying's scrutiny, Xun Xu requested Chen Gong's help in acquiring trustworthy personnel. He explained the difficulty of assigning someone to monitor a Siwencao head, especially after recent reorganizations, and reaffirmed his commitment to the Zhulong case for Yue's sake.
Chen Gong agreed to secure an elite team of guards from General Ma Dai, ensuring they were untainted by Feng Ying's influence. Xun Xu further specified his need for an additional skilled tracker, as Pei Xu was already occupied. He then revealed his long-held suspicion about Liu Ying, whom he had rescued near Wudu while returning from Tianshui. Her convenient appearance and exceptionally competent role in assisting Feng Ying's escape raised serious questions, suggesting she was a highly trained spy.
Chen Gong initially dismissed this as paranoia and playfully accused Xun Xu of jealousy. However, Xun Xu insisted, citing his honed intuition about spies and emphasizing Feng Ying's deliberate placement of Liu Ying with General Li as a clear indication of a deeper motive. Chen Gong conceded that if Feng Ying and Guo Huai were indeed engaged in covert communication, Liu Ying could be their intermediary. Xun Xu proposed setting a trap during the impending Northern Expedition to expose them.
Chen Gong pledged his full support, offering Lin Liang, his former Shu spy contact from Tianshui, who had recently returned to Nanzheng, to assist Xun Xu, vouching for his cleverness and loyalty. As Pei Xu arrived to escort Xun Xu, Chen Gong cautioned Xun Xu to proceed with extreme care amidst the complexities of the upcoming Northern Expedition and to keep a close watch on Liu Ying. Immediately after Xun Xu’s departure, Chen Gong sensed an intruder in his room.
It was Huang Yu, who addressed him as "Zhulong." Huang Yu offered his condolences for the death of Zhai Yue, Chen Gong's wife, and declared their past grievances settled, with Zhai Yue's death balancing the destruction of the Wuxian Sect. Huang Yu then delivered Guo Huai's secret order: Chen Gong was to eliminate Xun Xu to "remove a hidden danger."
Chen Gong expressed his concern that Xun Xu's death immediately after Feng Ying's removal would attract suspicion and undermine his position, suggesting Guo Huai's lack of trust. Huang Yu dismissed these concerns, claiming Guo Huai merely sought to clear obstacles for Chen Gong, and presented three golden crossbow arrows, tipped with instant-kill poison, noting Chen Gong's archery prowess would make the task easy.
Chen Gong countered that such a reckless act would jeopardize the larger Qingping plan, but Huang Yu cut him off, assuring him the operation was fully prepared to take place outside Nanzheng city, causing him no trouble. Huang Yu then designated Xixiang city as their rendezvous point. Li Yan and Hu Zhong meticulously planned to disrupt the Northern Expedition. Li Yan, using a map, detailed how Zhuge Liang's army would pass through Hanzhong via Chencang Road, necessitating provisions.
He explained that while there were two supply routes from Mount Dingjun—a faster west route and a longer east route—they must ensure the east route was used, passing through Sanguan Pass, the Mian River, Xie Valley, and Wuzhang Plains to Chencang. Li Yan's jurisdiction lay south of Sanguan Pass, where Hu Zhong was to deliver provisions to Wei Yan. He clarified that once supplies were handed over, he would bear no responsibility for subsequent events.
Li Yan envisioned Chen Gong destroying a dam downstream on the Mian River, triggering a flood that could be conveniently attributed to natural disaster, especially given the continuous rain and frequent floods in the Sanguan Pass area. Coupled with fabricated reports of an Eastern Wu invasion, he could then justify diverting troops and provisions to the Wu front. Hu Zhong praised Li Yan's meticulous scheme.
Li Yan then explained that to justify using the eastern route, they needed General Ma Dai, who oversaw checkpoints, to report the western route as damaged by landslides and temporarily impassable. Thus, winning over Ma Dai was crucial. Hu Zhong suggested that Ma Dai, who had felt unappreciated and abandoned by the Prime Minister after his cousin Ma Chao's death six years prior, might be receptive to an offer of recruitment, potentially swaying him to "turn over a new leaf."
Li Yan expressed hope, and Hu Zhong departed to make the necessary arrangements. Liu Ying, feeling melancholic, instructed her maid to guard the backyard entrance while she retreated to a pavilion, anticipating a visitor. Meanwhile, Xun Xu and Pei Xu were stationed outside her villa. Xun Xu, playing a tune on his flute, inquired if Liu Ying would appear, to which Pei Xu affirmed she would.
Pei Xu voiced reservations about their rapid progress, suggesting Feng Ying's evidence was too overt, making them feel manipulated, and expressed surprise that Chen Gong hadn't noticed these inconsistencies. Xun Xu, citing the imminent Northern Expedition, justified their haste to neutralize threats. Pei Xu then took up a vantage point. Liu Ying, drawn by the music, approached Xun Xu, expressing concern over his serious leg injury, which Feng Ying had mentioned to General Li.
Xun Xu apologized for manipulating her into stealing Feng Ying's seal, an act that brought her closer to Feng Ying and subsequently to General Li. Liu Ying assured him she was never bothered but admitted that sometimes she felt she had no choice in her actions. Xun Xu, in turn, confessed his profound distress over the situation and directly accused her of being a Wei spy.
Liu Ying initially tried to dismiss his accusation as a jest, but Xun Xu pressed on, revealing that Gao Tangbing, the Wei spy known as Zhulong, had regularly visited Ziyan House three times a month exclusively to see her, a pattern that only began after her arrival in Nanzheng. Liu Ying feigned ignorance, prompting Xun Xu to state that Gao Tangbing, before his death, had identified her as his contact.
Liu Ying, finally understanding, implied Xun Xu believed she had merely used him and questioned if he thought their entire encounter since Wudu was a calculated deception, and whether his feelings for her were genuine. Xun Xu remained silent. Accepting his implication, Liu Ying stated that despite his lack of concrete evidence, the brutal reality of the Shu-Wei conflict necessitated killing without hesitation. She then calmly extended her hands, offering herself for arrest, declaring her exhaustion and desire for peace.
