Siege in Fog Episode 19 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
After Cheng Yunzhi's departure, a subordinate reported to Fu Rongcai that Yi Liankai had again met with Old Master Cheng, returning with Cheng Yunzhi and noticeably more guards than their own. Fu Rongcai felt a mix of surprise and suspicion. He picked up his tea, only to find the liquid cloudy, and remarked that he hadn't expected Yi Liankai to resort to such a "low method" against him, thinking he wouldn't notice.
The subordinate suggested informing Old Master Cheng, but Fu Rongcai poured out the tea and then countered, expressing fear that Old Master Cheng had already tacitly allowed Yi Liankai to kill him. He reasoned that Yi Liankai, having presented a seemingly "dumb" facade during their earlier conversation, must have offered Old Master Cheng a compelling condition to secure an alliance, as evidenced by Cheng Yunzhi's private meeting with Yi Liankai.
Concluding that the Cheng and Yi families had likely united, Fu Rongcai decided they must leave the mansion unexpectedly. His subordinate expressed concern, warning that leaving the Cheng mansion would expose him and make finding protection difficult. Fu Rongcai acknowledged the risk but stated he had to evade the danger to save his life.
Although he admitted to only being thirty percent sure of his plan, he believed they had to leave before their opponents were fully prepared, asserting that if they lost, his life would be forfeited, a risk he was unwilling to take. Fu Rongcai swiftly departed the Cheng residence by car. Yi Liankai pursued him, seizing an opportunity to shoot and kill Fu Rongcai's driver. Yi Liankai then confronted Fu Rongcai, questioning his hurried exit without saying goodbye.
He sarcastically thanked Fu Rongcai for giving up his chance to cooperate with Old Master Cheng, then mockingly acknowledged Fu Rongcai's "great plan" to distract him, before revealing that the trick was actually his wife Qin Sang's, who had merely intended to teach Fu Rongcai a lesson for his arrogance by putting ink in his tea.
Fu Rongcai tried to appeal to their shared history as disciples under the same teacher, offering to help Yi Liankai gain power over Jiangzuo, but Yi Liankai firmly rejected the offer, stating he would fight for what he wanted on his own and had long seen through Fu Rongcai's tricks. Fu Rongcai then desperately pleaded for his life, promising to withdraw from the underworld and never cross Yi Liankai again.
Yi Liankai remained resolute, noting the trouble Fu Rongcai had caused him over the years. As Yi Liankai prepared to shoot, Fu Rongcai suddenly lunged at him, causing the shot to miss, and then jumped into the river. Yi Liankai fired several more shots into the water. Seeing blood, he concluded Fu Rongcai was dead and departed. Back at the Cheng mansion, Cheng Yunzhi informed his father that Fu Rongcai had left.
Old Master Cheng was highly agitated, demanding Cheng Yunzhi immediately send people to find him, fearing Yi Liankai would kill him first. Just then, Yi Liankai arrived and calmly announced that he had already killed Fu Rongcai. Old Master Cheng was visibly shaken, nearly fainting. He then dismissed Cheng Yunzhi, instructing him to close the door as he wished to speak with Yi Liankai in private.
Alone, Old Master Cheng angrily accused Yi Liankai of disrespectfully killing his guest within the Cheng family's domain, all for the sake of his wife. Yi Liankai promptly corrected him, arguing that he had killed Fu Rongcai outside the Cheng mansion, implying that unless the entire region of Yongnan belonged to the Cheng family, he had not offended them. Old Master Cheng, taken aback by Yi Liankai's sharp retort, realized Yi Liankai had merely been feigning dullness earlier.
He then warned Yi Liankai that his act of murder could be exploited by various factions, causing significant trouble for the Yi family, especially with the Tian Meng Association closely watching them. Unfazed, Yi Liankai explained that this was precisely why he had immediately informed Old Master Cheng, making him and his son the only ones who knew the truth.
He then leveraged the situation, pointing out that with Fu Rongcai dead, the Cheng family had lost a buyer, leaving only the Yi family. Yi Liankai offered to wait to be "caught" if Old Master Cheng chose to investigate further, implying that the Cheng family would only lose business. He further warned against working with the paranoid Li Chongnian, whose two men had already "died quietly" in Yongnan.
Old Master Cheng conceded, remarking on Yi Liankai's exceptional negotiating skills, acknowledging that Yi Jipei and Mr. Fan had not chosen the wrong person. Yi Lianyi reported to Yi Jipei the information sent by Yi Liankai from Yongnan: the Cheng family remained noncommittal and arrogant, while Li Chongnian had also dispatched agents to the Cheng residence. Yi Lianyi concluded that they could only rely on Yi Liankai's adaptability.
Yi Jipei then noticed Yi Lianyi reading Western books and questioned his interest. Yi Lianyi clarified that the books belonged to Yi Lianshen, who had recently been discussing army reform. Yi Jipei expressed his frustration, explaining that he had intended for Yi Lianshen to cultivate self-restraint, hoping he would understand that in chaotic times, warfare is merely a means, and it is more important to be adaptable than to stubbornly adhere to one's own way.
Meanwhile, Fan Yanyun brought sweet soup to Yi Lianshen, who was cleaning his gun. He accidentally knocked over the soup as he stood up, profusely apologizing and insisting he clean up the broken pieces himself. As he reached for a shard, he cut his hand, becoming disheartened. He lamented that his hands seemed only capable of holding a gun. Fan Yanyun suggested they leave the family and start a school, teaching children.
Yi Lianshen gently rebuffed her, stating his responsibilities as a son of the Yi family. He explained that with their father aging, their eldest brother disabled, and their third brother having no interest in the military, if he were to lay down his arms, Jiangzuo would descend into chaos. He then asked her not to clean up the mess, saying he would call the servants, and excused himself to see their father.
Yi Liankai and Qin Sang arrived to celebrate Old Master Cheng's birthday, with Yi Liankai presenting a kite prepared by Min Hongyu as a gift from the Yi family. He expressed his wish that Old Master Cheng would soar high like the kite. Upon seeing the "nine-edged kite," Old Master Cheng became agitated, then coughed up blood and collapsed. The physician later informed Cheng Yunzhi that Old Master Cheng had expelled stagnant blood and, though unconscious, his pulse was stable.
Cheng Yunzhi confronted Yi Liankai, angrily demanding an explanation for the kite gift, interpreting it as a threat that the Cheng family, no matter how high they flew, would always be tethered by the Yi family. Yi Liankai asserted his sincerity in wanting to cooperate with the Cheng family, explaining that he had been told it was a local custom in Yongnan to give kites, especially nine-edged ones, as birthday gifts.
Cheng Yunzhi dismissed this as an absurd excuse, highlighting the practical impossibility of flying a kite with only nine short edges, and accused Yi Liankai of trickery. Yi Liankai then revealed that the suggestion came from Min Hongyu, Jiangzuo's famous socialite, offering to arrange a confrontation if Cheng Yunzhi disbelieved him. Cheng Yunzhi was suspicious, questioning Min Hongyu's connection to the Cheng family.
Qin Sang intervened, suggesting they wait for Old Master Cheng to awaken before clarifying the matter, which Cheng Yunzhi reluctantly accepted. Unbeknownst to most, Fu Rongcai, severely injured, managed to find Min Hongyu. He confessed that he had not been shot in the river; the blood was from biting his own finger, a deception to mislead Yi Liankai. After having his wounds bandaged, Fu Rongcai laughed, admitting his initial underestimation of Qin Sang, who he believed had outmaneuvered him.
He also mocked Yi Liankai's carelessness, noting that if Yi Liankai had waited just a few more minutes, he would have had to surface for air and could have been easily finished off. Most surprisingly, he revealed that Min Hongyu was Li Chongnian's spy within the Yi family. Old Master Cheng, now awake, was advised by Cheng Yunzhi not to let Yi Liankai upset him.
Old Master Cheng clarified his concern was not anger, but identifying who was lurking behind Yi Liankai, awaiting an opportunity to benefit. He acknowledged that Yi Liankai had successfully ousted Li Chongnian's men, meaning the Cheng family could not afford to offend both major powers. Cheng Yunzhi, however, continued to disparage Yi Liankai as an arrogant blusterer, interpreting the Yi family's choice to send him instead of Yi Lianshen as a sign of contempt.
He urged his father not to worry about the Yi family and instead proposed going to Yizhou to meet Li Chongnian. Old Master Cheng reminded his son that the Cheng family's survival in these tumultuous times stemmed not from his own reputation, but from their control over Yongnan's economic lifelines. He then instructed Cheng Yunzhi to bring Yi Liankai to him for a private discussion. In Yongnan, Fu Rongcai and Min Hongyu were eating street food.
He asked her if she noticed anything unusual about the city. Min Hongyu pointed out the numerous strong young men carrying umbrellas despite the sunny weather. Fu Rongcai understood this to mean a major storm was brewing, and the Cheng family's fate was uncertain. He decided to avoid the impending chaos and leave Yi Liankai to navigate it.
As a parting gesture, Min Hongyu bought Yongnan's specialty fried tofu, Marshal Li Chongnian's favorite, and asked Fu Rongcai to deliver it to him in Yizhou. Min Hongyu cryptically stated that she rarely returned to Yongnan but had old friends to see. Old Master Cheng then directly asked Yi Liankai who had advised him to send the nine-edged kite.
Yi Liankai responded that an old acquaintance, a native of Yongnan, had informed him that it was a local custom to present such a kite at birthday celebrations. Old Master Cheng pressed further, inquiring about the nature of his relationship with this acquaintance and whether the friend or the Yi family was more important. Yi Liankai maintained that friendship could not be compared to the destiny of a family, adding that he didn't understand how this related to the kite.
Old Master Cheng then presented Yi Liankai with a task: to kill the person who had suggested sending the kite. In return, the Cheng family would become the Yi family's financial stronghold. Cheng Yunzhi protested, but Old Master Cheng silenced him.
