Siege in Fog Episode 13 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
Qin Sang, despite knowing the immense danger, made the difficult decision to ask Pan Jianchi for help in rescuing Yi Liankai, as she truly had no one else to turn to. Pan Jianchi readily agreed, assuring her he would save Yi Liankai and promising to stay by her side at all times, no matter what, to ensure her safety. He also noted his duty as Yi Liankai's adjutant to save his superior.
Reviewing the initial ransom letter, Pan Jianchi observed that a character meaning "ten" had been nominally added to the ransom amount, but otherwise, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Qin Sang (who sometimes referred to Yi Liankai as "Lan Po") emphasized the need to identify the kidnapper discreetly, before anyone else, particularly Yi Lianshen, found out, to ensure Yi Liankai's safe return. Meanwhile, Yi Jipei continued a protracted mahjong game with Yi Lianshen and others, keeping them tired and distracted.
Though everyone was weary, Yi Jipei insisted on playing, a tactic to stall them. Separately, Pan Jianchi sought assistance from Wuji at the Tianmeng Hui organization to uncover the identities of Yi Liankai's kidnappers. Wuji informed him that they had already dispatched people to investigate who was orchestrating the kidnapping, advising Pan Jianchi to be extra cautious until the true identities of these individuals were revealed. Pan Jianchi then drove Qin Sang to search for clues regarding the kidnappers' location.
Noticing Qin Sang's visible tension, he asked if she still harbored resentment towards him. As they spoke, Qin Sang spotted Fan Yanyun's car by the roadside. They stopped to investigate. Pan Jianchi instinctively reached out to pull Qin Sang away from scattered broken glass, but she quickly pulled her hand away. Upon inspecting the scene, Pan Jianchi found clear signs of a struggle, suggesting that Fan Yanyun would not have surrendered without a fight.
Yi Liankai and Fan Yanyun were found bound together in a secluded room. Fan Yanyun then fabricated the claim that Yi Lianshen was behind the kidnapping. Yi Liankai immediately dismissed this, reasoning that even if his Second Brother wanted to scheme against him, he would never harm Fan Yanyun. He concluded that the kidnappers were attempting to sow discord among the Yi brothers.
Fan Yanyun, however, expressed a weary wish for the accusation to be true, hoping it would provide an escape from her current hypocritical existence. Yi Liankai tried to convince her that Yi Lianshen truly loved her and would even sacrifice his life for her, unlike Yi Liankai himself, who had always viewed her only as a sister.
Fan Yanyun vehemently disagreed, recalling Yi Liankai's constant presence in her childhood compared to Yi Lianshen's cold indifference, and that she only married Yi Lianshen because of her father. She still wanted to be with Yi Liankai. Yi Liankai countered that Yi Lianshen had, in fact, often taken the blame for their youthful transgressions to protect her, and had privately warned Yi Liankai not to lead Fan Yanyun into trouble.
Yi Liankai then opened up about his own childhood, confessing his resentment and envy towards his elder brothers, who, as sons of the first wife, seemed to have everything from birth. As the son of a concubine, he felt destined for nothing, even receiving different treatment from the servants. This early realization taught him that to acquire anything, one must fight for it.
He further explained that he married Qin Sang because she was "unimportant," a strategic choice that would allow him not to care if she were ever used as leverage against him. Fan Yanyun questioned this, asking why he still kept Qin Sang's handkerchief, and why he would marry Qin Sang and "mess with Min Hongyu."
Yi Liankai explained that the handkerchief reminded him of the lonely and helpless days after his mother’s death, a period during which he learned to endure and understood that "as long as I live and breathe, there will be a million possibilities." He implored Fan Yanyun to stop pressuring him, stating she would gain nothing from him, and advised her that "staying alive is the best choice."
A new letter from the kidnappers arrived, demanding the ransom be delivered by 6:00 p. m. that day, or they would kill the hostages. Pan Jianchi analyzed the situation, concluding that this was a well-orchestrated kidnapping, not primarily for money, but to destabilize the Yi family, as the kidnappers' employers' true condition was to lock them up for a few days and then kill them. Qin Sang and Deng Yulin began preparing the ransom.
Pan Jianchi, having obtained information about the kidnappers' hiding spot, decided to go there directly to rescue Yi Liankai and Fan Yanyun before the ransom delivery. Qin Sang insisted on accompanying him. Deng Yulin reluctantly agreed, instructing Pan Jianchi to ensure Qin Sang's safety above all else. Meanwhile, Yi Liankai, refusing to passively await rescue, observed the three kidnappers guarding them and formulated a plan. He alerted Fan Yanyun to cooperate.
He analyzed the kidnappers' personalities, deducing that one was a rude and bold thief, another a compassionate vendor, and the third a calm second-in-command. He then offered the kidnappers a proposition: he claimed to have recently discovered a gold mine, whose location he would reveal in exchange for their freedom. After some deliberation, "Brother Hu," the lead kidnapper, was swayed by the temptation and agreed to the trade.
Yi Liankai then proposed a card game with the three kidnappers, a game at which he excelled. He easily won the first round. As Qin Sang and Pan Jianchi continued their search for the hideout, Pan Jianchi pressed Qin Sang about his standing in her life, asking if she would say she had never loved him.
Qin Sang responded with a wistful reflection: if her father had not retired, her mother had not passed away, and she had not married Yi Liankai, she would still be the carefree Qin Sang, and countless possibilities might have existed between them. However, she now preferred to live in her memories. She recounted the solemn vow she made to her dying mother to marry Yi Liankai and help her father regain his political standing.
Pan Jianchi persisted, asking what she would choose if given another chance. Qin Sang firmly stated that they could not go back, urging him to cease his "irresponsible talk." She explained that Yi Liankai's survival was crucial not only for herself but also for her father and her late mother. She confessed that she wished she had been the one kidnapped, to lessen her burden, and declared, "Even if he dies, he has to die next to me."
Back at the Yi mansion, Yi Jipei's mahjong game continued. Yi Lianshen's restless uncle wandered out but was intercepted by Murong Qian. Following Yi Lianyi's prior instructions, Murong Qian subtly discouraged the uncle, who soon became impatient and left. Yi Lianyi then ordered additional guards to secure the compound, ensuring no one could leave those specific yards.
Yi Liankai continued to win repeatedly in the card game, which infuriated Brother Hu, who accused him of cheating and pointed a gun at him. Seizing the chaotic moment, Yi Liankai swiftly snatched the gun, shot and killed a henchman, and then aimed the gun at Brother Hu. However, amidst the commotion, Fan Yanyun, distracted by her concern for Yi Liankai, was taken hostage by the remaining kidnapper.
Yi Liankai, undeterred, shot Brother Hu in the foot, forcing the other kidnapper to agree to an exchange. As Fan Yanyun walked towards Yi Liankai, she suddenly lunged at Brother Hu, creating another opening for Yi Liankai to shoot and kill the second kidnapper. Yet, in the struggle, Brother Hu managed to seize Fan Yanyun again.
Brother Hu, holding Fan Yanyun, opened the door to escape, only to be shot dead by Pan Jianchi, who had just arrived at the scene. Qin Sang, witnessing the dramatic rescue, froze. Yi Liankai spotted Qin Sang, a subtle smile playing on his lips. He walked towards the doorway, bypassing Fan Yanyun, who had expected him to come to her. Instead, he rushed past her and embraced Qin Sang tightly.
Both Fan Yanyun and Pan Jianchi watched, their hearts heavy with pain, with Fan Yanyun questioning, "Why me?" Yi Liankai held Qin Sang close, telling her to "hold me tightly." Qin Sang, still shaken, reminded him, "Yanyun is watching us." With Yi Liankai and Fan Yanyun safely returned, Murong Qian brought tea to Yi Jipei, who was still engaged in the mahjong game, suggesting he rest if he was tired.
Realizing the crisis had been averted, Yi Jipei declared the game over and dismissed everyone to rest. After the game dispersed, Yi Lianshen's uncle immediately questioned him about any unusual occurrences within the family, suspecting Yi Jipei had deliberately orchestrated the mahjong game to keep them from discovering something.
Yi Lianshen, however, dismissed his uncle's paranoia, assuring him that nothing significant had happened and advising him to shed his suspicious nature, also noting that Yi Jipei would not have let them leave if he hadn't won enough. Later, in their room, Yi Lianshen apologized to Fan Yanyun for being away playing mahjong all day. Fan Yanyun remained silent, leading Yi Lianshen to assume she was upset about his failure to find her father's killer.
He explained that Yi Jipei currently controlled all matters within the Yi family, and his own suspension prevented him from investigating. He promised that once he assumed control of the Yi family, he would immediately find the killer to avenge her father and ensure she would never be harmed again. Overwhelmed by her unspoken grievances, Fan Yanyun could only lean into his embrace for comfort.
Yi Liankai thanked Pan Jianchi for his timely intervention and asked if he had come on his own initiative or at Qin Sang's request. Pan Jianchi, with a practiced reply, stated that as Yi Liankai's subordinate, he was bound to save him, but also acknowledged his duty to listen to "your wife," Qin Sang. Yi Liankai seemed pleased with the answer, praising Pan Jianchi's exceptional marksmanship, particularly his ability to calculate the timing of his shots during such a crisis. As Yi Liankai walked away, Pan Jianchi privately thought that he was "one more step closer to my plan."
