Resumo do episódio 21 de The Wind Blows From Longxi
> Resumos de The Wind Blows From Longxi
Xun Xu, accompanied by his men, confronted Feng Ying, the head of Siwencao Intelligence, accusing him of treason. Xun Xu declared, "Clerk Feng, you're under arrest for leaking confidential military intelligence to Wei." Feng Ying retorted, questioning Xun Xu's authority and demanding proof. Xun Xu then presented a divination box containing a confidential letter written in Feng Ying's own hand, confirming it as the military intelligence he was accused of leaking.
Although Feng Ying was Xun Xu's superior, Xun Xu produced the Prime Minister's badge as authorization. Feng Ying, unfazed, instructed his aide Sun Ling that no one else was involved, before calmly complying with the arrest. Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang's army passed through Nanzheng, camping outside the city.
Li Yan initially planned a brief courtesy visit with Zhuge Liang, but Hu Zhong informed him that Feng Ying had been arrested while attempting the first step of their plan to transmit secret intelligence to Wei. Furious and surprised, Li Yan was told that Feng Ying was caught red-handed with a personally written letter, though the Wei spy for pickup had not yet arrived. He also learned that Xun Xu, using the Prime Minister’s badge, made the arrest.
Li Yan expressed his frustration that Chen Gong seemed unaware. He immediately ordered his carriage to meet Zhuge Liang. On the way, Li Yan instructed Hu Zhong to visit Feng Ying in custody. Hu Zhong reported that Xun Xu believed Feng Ying was the real Zhulong and had murdered Gao Tangbing. Li Yan ordered Hu Zhong to tell Feng Ying to remain silent, promising him a position in court if he did.
He also instructed Chen Gong to take over Feng Ying’s communication channels with Wei to continue the plan. When Yang Yi informed Zhuge Liang about Feng Ying's alleged collusion with Wei, Zhuge Liang chuckled, stating that he knew Feng Ying well and understood his true nature, having personally promoted him. Yang Yi tried to persuade him, citing the case of Li Miao and presenting Feng Ying's self-written intelligence as conclusive evidence.
He emphasized that the letter revealed the vanguard's deployment and tactical targets, and its interception by Xun Xu saved General Wei Yan’s troops from annihilation. Despite this, Zhuge Liang maintained that there was a hidden truth behind the case. Given the impending war, he ordered Feng Ying to be held until after the campaign, when he would personally interrogate him.
Zhuge Liang, aware that the leadership of Siwencao now fell to Chen Gong, whom he didn't know well, and noting Li Yan's coordination of logistics, instructed Yang Yi to remain in Nanzheng. He tasked Yang Yi, acting as his assistant, to aid and supervise Chen Gong, emphasizing that Siwencao, as the intelligence hub, must remain stable and not descend into chaos. Despite having successfully arrested Feng Ying, Xun Xu remained deeply uneasy.
Pei Xu tried to celebrate with him, offering wine, but Xun Xu's brow was furrowed, showing no signs of joy. He confessed to Pei Xu that the case was "too easy" and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Xun Xu detailed the suspicious ease with which evidence appeared: wall dust on Feng Ying’s sleeve after Gao Tangbing's death, wood splinters, a spy's secret code on his door, and finally, Feng Ying's handwritten intelligence.
He argued that a man as cunning as Feng Ying would never leave such obvious clues. Xun Xu concluded that Feng Ying orchestrated his own capture. He reiterated his long-held belief that Feng Ying was not a Wei spy, at most an intelligence broker, because if Feng Ying were Zhulong, the entire Shu Han intelligence network would have collapsed long ago. If Feng Ying deliberately allowed himself to be caught, it could only be to protect someone more important.
Driven by this suspicion, Xun Xu ordered Pei Xu to retrieve all documents related to Feng Ying, specifically requesting files on the Zizhong rebellion from Jian’an 23rd year. Reviewing the documents, Xun Xu discovered that Chen Fu, who died defending Zizhong against rebels after Feng Ying allegedly leaked intelligence to Wei, was Chen Gong's birth father. This revelation led Xun Xu to believe that the relationship between Chen Gong and Feng Ying was far from simple.
Chen Gong brought a shackled Feng Ying to meet with Yang Yi. There, Chen Gong confirmed with Yang Yi that his father's death during the Zizhong rebellion was not due to villainy but a heroic sacrifice for the state, part of a strategy to lure Xiahou Yuan's forces into an ambush.
Feng Ying had purposefully leaked intelligence to Wei under orders, and his actions, including taking responsibility for Gao Tangbing’s death, were all to facilitate Chen Gong's rise and the larger mission of restoring the Han Dynasty, even if it meant bearing infamy. Deeply impressed by Feng Ying’s selflessness, Chen Gong saluted him. Feng Ying, in turn, thanked Chen Gong for never doubting him and simply told him to "live on," entrusting the next steps to him.
Chen Gong then revealed the details of the Qingping Plan, the counter-espionage scheme, which was reaching its final climax. Chen Gong explained that Guo Huai's Qingping Plan was designed for Chen Gong to seize the Siwencao leadership, control Shu's government, and sow discord between Li Yan and the Prime Minister, ultimately enabling Wei to conquer Shu and Wu.
However, Feng Ying and Yang Yi had already discovered this, turning Chen Gong into a double agent operating within a "plan within a plan." They had decided to counter-scheme, using Guo Huai’s ambition against him. Xun Xu was a crucial part of this counter-plan; he unknowingly helped Chen Gong expose Wei spy Gao Tangbing and fulfill all steps of Guo Huai’s Qingping Plan. Now, with Li Yan ensnared, his downfall was inevitable.
Feng Ying then emphasized that to ensure Li Yan’s complete ruin, his own identity as a Wei spy must be firmly established, making his death a necessary sacrifice to avoid exposing their counter-plan, which would have severe consequences, including implicating the Prime Minister. Feng Ying stressed that all their actions were for the restoration of the Han Dynasty.
He pointed out that Chen Gong, now deeply trusted by Guo Huai, was invaluable, a "dagger in the heart of Wei," whose long-term infiltration was crucial for their ultimate goal. Chen Gong then revealed that Huang Yu, sent by Guo Huai, had secretly met him in Hanzhong, demanding that Chen Gong personally kill Xun Xu as his final "pledge of loyalty." Feng Ying recognized this as Guo Huai’s ultimate test.
Both Feng Ying and Yang Yi urged Chen Gong to prioritize the state. Yang Yi initially expressed concerns about involving Xun Xu due to his righteous nature, but Feng Ying asserted that Xun Xu was ultimately the most suitable person to unwittingly carry out their plans, proving invaluable in Chen Gong's success. However, his mission was now complete.
Yang Yi explained that if Xun Xu continued his investigation, their elaborate plan, involving the highest levels of government, would be exposed, endangering everyone involved and destroying Siwencao. He warned that Chen Gong’s long-term deep cover in Wei, a cornerstone of their strategy, would be jeopardized. Despite Chen Gong’s desire to inform Xun Xu, both Yang Yi and Feng Ying insisted that Xun Xu’s inflexible nature made it impossible to involve him without risking the entire operation.
They implored Chen Gong to suppress his emotions and "not be soft," emphasizing that the Han Dynasty's future outweighed individual lives. Chen Gong, though understanding the stakes, wept at the heavy burden. Yang Yi ordered Chen Gong to return to Nanzheng immediately, with no more time to waste on this matter. Chen Gong, with a heavy heart, promised to fulfill his mission.
The remaining obstacle to their plan was His Majesty Liu Shan’s secret edict, still in Li Yan's possession, likely hidden in his study. To ensure Li Yan’s treason could be definitively proven and to sow chaos in Shu, Chen Gong ordered Liu Ying to infiltrate Li Yan's study and destroy the edict. He stressed the importance of its disappearance. However, Li Yan had significantly heightened security around his villa, making entry without his written permit impossible.
Chen Gong acknowledged the extreme danger, knowing that if Liu Ying caused any disturbance, she would surely die. Despite Liu Ying's resolve, Chen Gong gave her Siwencao's highest-clearance pass, instructing her to complete the mission, escape quickly, and then live a good life. Meanwhile, in Tianshui Commandery, Guo Huai discussed Zhuge Liang’s movements with his subordinates, including Guo Gang. Huang Yu, the Wuxian Sect Priest, who had infiltrated Hanzhong, assured Guo Huai of his actions.
He dispatched his followers to disrupt Shu’s supply lines and feign an attack on Xixiang Pass to lure Xun Xu, enabling Chen Gong to carry out Guo Huai’s final test. However, Huang Yu also harbored a deep grudge against Chen Gong for destroying his Wuxian Sect and secretly instructed his subordinate to seize any opportunity to kill Chen Gong.
Guo Huai believed that Zhuge Liang's attack on Xie Valley with Wei Yan was a feint; his true objective was Chencang, a small but strategically vital and well-fortified city. Guo Huai explained that Zhuge Liang desperately needed Chencang as a base to stockpile grain for further advances. To counter this, Guo Huai had instructed Hao Zhao to defend Chencang resolutely and sent General Wang Shuang as reinforcement.
He reasoned that if Zhuge Liang failed to capture Chencang, he would turn to face Wei at Mount Qi. Guo Huai planned to hold the Wei River line, engaging Zhuge Liang in a prolonged standoff to buy Li Yan more time. He predicted that within months, the Shu army would descend into chaos from within. His strategy was to avoid Zhuge Liang's initial offensive and prepare for a later, decisive strike.
After over twenty days of intense fighting at Chencang, where Hao Zhao's stubborn defense and Wang Shuang’s reinforcements, who had killed Xie Xiong and Gong Qi and wounded Zhang Yi, proved formidable, Zhuge Liang's adjutants Liao Hua, Jiang Wan, and Deng Zhi reported their inability to take the city.
They also confirmed that Wei Yan had advanced into Longxi following Wei’s withdrawal from Wudu and Yinping, and Guo Huai had arrayed his forces along the north bank of the Wei River, anticipating Zhuge Liang’s next move. Knowing Guo Huai was prepared to ambush his troops during a river crossing, Zhuge Liang, despite the risks, decided to confront Guo Huai head-on.
He planned to first eliminate Wang Shuang, then utilize favorable winds and new repeating crossbows on his crossing vessels to surprise Guo Huai’s forces at the Wei River. He ordered General Liao Hua to continue the siege of Chencang while he executed his strategy to defeat Wang Shuang.
