Siege in Fog Episode 23 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
In Yongnan, Liang Xingbei informed Pan Jianchi that Qin Sang's continued presence served no purpose. He intended to send her to the enemy's side and instructed Pan Jianchi to accompany her back to continue their plan against the Yi family. Liang Xingbei reminded Pan Jianchi that while Qin Sang was concerned about Yi Liankai, her feelings for Pan Jianchi remained, and he must complete this mission flawlessly.
Pan Jianchi guaranteed he would fulfill the mission perfectly, provided Qin Sang remained unharmed. Subsequently, Liang Xingbei ordered a telegram to be sent to Fuyuan, informing Yi Jipei of their willingness to release Third Young Mistress Qin Sang. At the Yi family manor, Yi Jipei mused on his second son having been gone for days, holding his ground against Li Chongnian and stabilizing Yongnan's surroundings, yet there was still no news of his third son, which worried him.
Yi Lianyi, however, believed his third brother would be fine, noting his adaptability and the support of Yi Lianshen's men nearby. A guard then delivered a telegram from the Tian Meng Association. Yi Jipei immediately ordered a return telegram, instructing Second Young Master Yi Lianshen to personally pick up Qin Sang at the station. Yi Jipei noted that the telegram only mentioned Qin Sang's release, with no mention of Yi Liankai.
He suspected that Yi Liankai was either not in the Tian Meng Association's hands or they intended to use him as leverage. Yi Lianyi suggested they wait for Qin Sang's return for news about Yi Liankai. Qin Sang came to bid farewell to Liang Xingbei, but also had a favor to ask. She understood that her release was meant to broadcast the Tian Meng Association's righteousness to the world, having freed the Yi family's third young mistress.
However, she pointed out that rumors claimed Liang Xingbei had murdered Old Champ Cheng's entire family. She proposed that her return to Fuyuan was a perfect opportunity to show everyone that the Cheng family was still alive. All that was needed was a photograph of her with the Cheng family women. Liang Xingbei agreed to her request. Before leaving, Qin Sang returned to her room and told Cheng Jinzhi she was going back to Fuyuan.
Cheng Jinzhi was reluctant to see her leave, so Qin Sang gave her a jade pendant from the Cheng family, reassuring her not to be afraid and promising to try to protect her. Late at night, Yi Lianshen met Qin Sang outside the city. He greeted her, saying, "Third Young Mistress! You're finally back. If you'd stayed there for a few more days, Cousin would probably wage war against them."
Qin Sang immediately asked about Yi Liankai, to which Yi Lianshen explained, "We went separate ways when we were being chased by the enemy. I don't know where he is now." He then instructed his aide, Linzhi, to "put more men on the search for Third Brother. Keep me posted whenever there's an update." He then told Qin Sang, "Qin Sang, let's head home now. Father is waiting for us in his study."
Upon returning to the Yi manor, Auntie Zhu warmly welcomed Qin Sang, who then went straight to the study where Yi Jipei awaited. Yi Jipei expressed his relief, "You're back, child. How is it? Is everything all right?" Qin Sang assured him she was fine. Yi Lianyi then inquired how she was captured by the Tian Meng Association and how she convinced them to release her.
Qin Sang recounted that she and "Lan Po" (Yi Liankai) had escaped the Cheng manor when the Tian Meng Association took it over. She detailed how Lan Po had to leave her to create a distraction, luring away their pursuers. Believing Yi Liankai had been captured, she turned herself in on the streets, expecting to be with him, as "we're still husband and wife. We should live and die together."
To her surprise, "I never expected them to not have Lan Po in their custody." She concluded, "Now, I have no idea where he is. When he left me, he had a gunshot wound on the shoulder." Yi Jipei sighed, recalling a fortune-teller who predicted his third son would face a serious life test, wondering if this was it. Qin Sang then turned to Yi Lianshen, asking if he had any news of Yi Liankai.
Yi Lianshen shook his head, stating he had sent out more men but had no news yet. Yi Lianyi interjected that "no news might not be good news." Qin Sang firmly declared, "Lan Po will never die in Yongnan," and handed Yi Jipei the photograph of her with the Cheng family women. After Qin Sang left, Yi Lianyi advised his father not to be overly grieved.
He believed that to rescue Yi Liankai from Yongnan, they needed to focus on the larger picture, with the immediate priority being to resolve the Jiangzuo crisis, after which Yongnan would become manageable. Yi Jipei, who had been struggling to find a solution, admitted that Qin Sang's return had unexpectedly spurred him to devise a new plan.
He also mused on Qin Sang, acknowledging that though his third son had always been unusual, the woman he chose as his wife was truly remarkable. Yi Jipei then spoke of a stratagem: "Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul," implying using an unexpected means to achieve his goal. Meanwhile, Qin Sang's father, Qin Houchun, who had been waiting anxiously for her return, was relieved to see her.
Auntie Zhu had prepared all of Qin Sang's favorite dishes since the previous night. However, Qin Sang, worried about Yi Liankai, had no appetite. Qin Houchun comforted her, saying, "Your safety is everything. It is good. He will definitely find out that you came back safely and then he will make it back to Fuzhou without worrying about your safety.
Child, all that you can do to help him now is to eat well and sleep well so that he'll see a healthy, happy wife when he comes back." Later, Yi Jipei called Murong Chen. Getting straight to the point, Yi Jipei sought Murong Chen's help with Jiangzuo's situation. Murong Chen initially declined, citing his remote location and his policy of not meddling in Jiangzuo's affairs, adding that he lacked a "righteous cause" to intervene.
Yi Jipei countered that he could provide one. He mentioned that Murong Feng was still unmarried and that Old Champ Cheng in Yongnan had an eldest daughter named Cheng Jinzhi, who was also unmarried. Yi Jipei proposed that if the Murong family publicly announced an engagement between Murong Feng and Cheng Jinzhi, then any intervention in Jiangzuo could be framed as "revenge for your daughter-in-law's family," making it a righteous cause.
Murong Chen was intrigued but stated he needed Murong Feng's consent. Yi Jipei then informed him that he had already arranged for a photo of Cheng Jinzhi with Qin Sang to be printed in the newspaper that morning, suggesting Murong Chen check it to see what she looked like. Murong Chen agreed to review the newspaper. After recalling Murong Feng, Murong Chen showed him the newspaper, pointing to the girl next to Qin Sang. Murong Feng commented, "Not bad.
She has a pretty smile." Murong Chen then called Yi Jipei to agree to the proposal. However, he expressed a concern that Cheng Jinzhi's younger brother, Cheng Yunzhi, might deny the marriage once he took over the Cheng family. Yi Jipei dismissed this, assuring Murong Chen that no one would abandon an alliance with the Murong family.
Yi Lianyi expressed his delight to Yi Jipei, believing this alliance would unite the north and south, and with the Murong army's power, they could easily suppress Li Chongnian and Liang Xingbei. Yi Jipei cautioned against celebrating too soon. He instructed Yi Lianyi to secretly contact Gao Peide and prepare for potential conflict, as they could not let their guard down against Murong Chen. Soon after, Qin Sang arrived at the study, requesting to speak with Yi Jipei.
Yi Jipei praised her for her clever handling of the situation, stating, "You've done a great job on this. You deserve to be the third young mistress of the Yi Family in Fuzhou. Perhaps this will be a turning point for our Yi Family in Jiangzuo." Qin Sang thanked him but expressed her sole desire: "All I want right now is to have Lan Po back as soon as possible."
Yi Jipei assured her that the entire Yi family awaited Yi Liankai's return, and Yi Lianshen had already expanded the search. Hearing this, Qin Sang suddenly knelt, desperately pleading with Yi Jipei to assign someone else to find Yi Liankai, insisting, "You can't have Second Brother searching for him like this. If he keeps looking for him like this, Lan Po might die. Father, you can send anyone you want except for Second Brother."
Yi Lianyi tried to dissuade her, calling it "not the time to get emotional over Second Brother" and emphasizing the urgency of finding Yi Liankai, alive or dead, given Yi Lianshen's extensive manpower. Qin Sang countered, "Eldest Brother, if we don't send Second Brother to search, Lan Po has a ten percent chance of surviving. But if we keep having him search, then there's no chance that Lan Po will survive."
She clarified that she wasn't worried about Yi Lianshen being negligent, but rather that "I'm scared of Second Brother trying to kill Lan Po when he finds him." Qin Sang then recounted past incidents, specifically when Aide-de-Camp Song, sent by Yi Lianshen, attempted to assassinate Yi Liankai at Zhishan.
She detailed how Yi Liankai's horse went mad, he fell, and Aide-de-Camp Song, after being exposed, killed himself, but not before uttering, "Second Young Master, my savior, I'm too incompetent to kill this bastard." She further accused Yi Lianshen of orchestrating Yi Liankai's previous kidnapping. Yi Jipei had repeatedly told Qin Sang to stop speaking, but she persisted. Enraged, Yi Jipei pulled a gun from his drawer and shot the soldier guarding the study door.
He then fiercely admonished Qin Sang, "You have no idea what the consequences are! You will destroy the Yi Family!" He warned that once the "fire of brotherly contention" ignited, it would be unstoppable, destroying his Jiangzuo foundation and plunging the southern provinces into chaos. He spoke of the military men who would exploit the situation, leading to widespread bloodshed, war, and millions losing their homes.
Qin Sang, defiant, retorted, "If my husband dies, it doesn't matter if they sing for him or insult him, they will all move on and get back to their happy lives, but what about me! ? I'll lose Yi Liankai forever. If he dies, why would I care if the Yi family's doing well or not? Why would I care if Jiangzuo is peaceful or not? Why would anything matter to me at all?
If I lose my husband, don't say that I would be willing to sacrifice millions of lives. I would exchange ten million or more lives!" Yi Jipei, though acknowledging Qin Sang's profound loyalty, concluded that while "he indeed has a good eye," and she was "truly a good daughter-in-law," she was also dangerous to the Yi family.
He stated, "Now, there's no place for a good wife like you in the Yi family," adding that "the better you are, the more of a threat you post to this family. To Yi Liankai, to the Yi family, you are like poison." Qin Sang begged for mercy, asking how Yi Jipei would explain it to Yi Liankai if he returned alive, warning that "If he loses her, Third Brother would lose his mind."
Yi Jipei, after a moment of heavy thought, ordered Yi Lianyi to confine Qin Sang. As soldiers escorted Qin Sang to her room, Fan Yanyun saw her and remarked with a sneer, "Third Sister-in-Law, you're so fortunate. You still managed to turn things around in a hopeless situation like that and made it back safely. Wouldn't it be great if Third Brother shared your luck as well?"
Qin Sang, weary, replied, "Second Sister-in-Law, everyone has a million things that they want, but in the end, everyone only gets a few of them. Those things we can't get we either give them up or take them away from others. But why is it that you must destroy him?" Fan Yanyun appeared confused by Qin Sang's words. Meanwhile, Murong Qian'er heard the gunshot within the house and fretted in her room.
Yi Lianyi came and falsely claimed, "Just some assassin. We've already taken care of it." When Murong Qian'er asked about Qin Sang, Yi Lianyi stated, "Third Sister-in-Law was a bit scared. I've already sent her back. It's enough to have the servants pay some extra attention to her." Murong Qian'er offered to visit Qin Sang, but Yi Lianyi refused, saying, "It's complicated. I can't say much." Murong Qian'er immediately understood the implications of his words: "You two didn't imprison her. . . did you?"
