Siege in Fog Episode 24 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
In his bedroom, Yi Lianyi found Murong Qian deeply troubled, questioning the turmoil within the family since Mr. Fan's death and feeling deliberately excluded, like a fool. Yi Lianyi explained that keeping her in the dark was for her own protection, as the news Qin Sang brought back was incredibly shocking and could change the entire Jiangzhou region. He urged Murong Qian to continue feigning ignorance.
Then, he asked her to deliver a letter from Yi Lianshen to Fan Yanyun and observe her reaction regarding both Yi Lianshen and Yi Liankai. Murong Qian later expressed her discomfort with such tasks, and Yi Lianyi apologized for causing her distress. Yi Lianshen was surprised to learn of Murong Chen's alliance with his father, Yi Jipei.
While an officer suggested that a telegram revealing this alliance would put both Li Chongnian and the Tian Meng Association in a passive position, and advised Yi Lianshen to seize the opportunity to eliminate Li Chongnian, Yi Lianshen decided against it. Instead, he proposed letting go of Li Chongnian and focusing entirely on Yongnan, confident that the Tian Meng Association's hold on the city would be short-lived.
He cited Sun Tzu's "Art of War" on deception, believing that Li Chongnian had already seen the telegram and would be concerned about Murong Chen crossing the river. Yi Lianshen, knowing Li Chongnian was paranoid, concluded that the more the Fu Army retreated, the more Li Chongnian would believe Murong Chen was preparing to attack Yizhou. He immediately ordered Zhang Linzhi to command the main force to retreat overnight and launch a full assault on Yongnan by morning.
Murong Qian delivered Yi Lianshen's letter to Fan Yanyun, who was visibly pleased. Fan Yanyun remarked on the cologne smell on the letter, indicating Yi Lianshen was not enduring too grueling a war. Murong Qian then inquired if Yi Lianshen had mentioned Yi Liankai in his letter. Fan Yanyun said he hadn't, asking if Yi Liankai was in trouble and if Yi Lianshen had gone to rescue him.
Murong Qian clarified she was merely curious, suggesting Yi Liankai must be fine since he wasn't mentioned. Fan Yanyun, sensing an ulterior motive, asked if Murong Qian was inquiring for herself or on behalf of Yi Lianyi, suggesting Yi Lianyi suspected Yi Lianshen might hide things from him. Fan Yanyun then revealed that Qin Sang had recently made cryptic remarks about destroying what she couldn't have, and she intended to confront Qin Sang directly about it.
In a somber exchange, Yi Jipei asked Huai Xiu, who had previously made uniforms for Yi Liankai, if she remembered his sizes. Huai Xiu confirmed she did, but Yi Jipei then chillingly instructed her to prepare grave clothes for his youngest son. Huai Xiu was shocked, asking if Yi Liankai was already dead, to which Yi Jipei replied it was likely.
He reminisced about Yi Liankai as a child, doted upon and imitating his father, before lamenting that as a father, he could not grieve but instead had to consider how to exploit his son's death against his enemies, questioning if he was inhumane. Huai Xiu, however, believed that despite his harsh words, Yi Jipei cared deeply for Yi Liankai, attributing Yi Liankai's fate to the misfortune of being Yi Jipei's son.
Yi Jipei then gave an even more startling order: to prepare grave clothes for Qin Sang as well, stating that after seeing Yi Liankai's body, Qin Sang would, within days, take her own life out of grief. Grief-stricken, Qin Sang filled a bathtub and lay in it fully clothed, attempting to experience the cold that Yi Liankai might have endured when he fell into the river.
Fan Yanyun discovered her in this state and, with Zhu Ma's help, pulled the feverish Qin Sang from the water. Qin Sang, delirious, called out Yi Liankai's name. Fan Yanyun, perplexed, questioned Qin Sang's self-destructive behavior, her earlier cryptic remarks, and why Yi Jipei had confined her, feeling like she was the only one kept in the dark.
Qin Sang, still evasive, ominously wished Fan Yanyun and Yi Lianshen well as they navigated the "grand boat that is the Yi family," warning them of the "big waves in Jiangzhou" and advising caution to prevent the boat from tipping over. Fan Yanyun demanded she stop speaking in riddles.
Later, Qin Sang confessed to Zhu Ma that she was trying to understand if Yi Liankai could survive, believing that if she could endure his suffering, he too would survive and return for her. At Yongnan Fourth Prison, Pan Jianchi attempted to gain entry, but the guards refused, demanding a written order from Beiji, citing Beiji's strict instructions.
Pan Jianchi asserted his authority as the commander of Yongnan, stating his right to inspect any building in the city, but before he could force his way in, a soldier arrived with an urgent front-line telegram that required Pan Jianchi to personally translate it, compelling him to leave. Qin Sang awoke from a nightmare where she saw Yi Liankai bloodied and groaning.
Soon after, Yi Lianyi reported to Yi Jipei that Qin Sang had suffered a high fever the previous night. Yi Jipei reprimanded him for allowing her contact with an outsider (the doctor) at such a critical time, concerned about what she might have revealed. Yi Lianyi assured him that Qin Sang was delirious and barely able to swallow medicine, incapable of speaking coherently.
Yi Jipei then expressed a dark sense of relief, remarking that while he had intended for Qin Sang to fall ill and be bedridden as part of his plans, her taking the initiative to get sick on her own spared him any personal guilt. At lunch the next day, Yi Jipei complained about the repetitive menu. Murong Qian explained that the dishes were Yi Liankai's favorites, admitting she had hoped he might return unexpectedly to surprise them all.
She then expressed concern that Qin Sang had not eaten all day and announced her intention to check on her, leaving the table. Yi Jipei grumbled to Yi Lianyi that even his "most obedient daughter-in-law" was now giving him attitude, and he too departed. Murong Qian found Qin Sang's fever had returned, and her condition was worse than when she first arrived from Yongnan. Qin Sang insisted her suffering could not compare to Yi Liankai's.
Murong Qian, recalling Yi Liankai's mischievous childhood pranks where he would disappear and then resurface to scare the family, reassured Qin Sang that Yi Liankai, despite his outwardly harsh demeanor, cared for her deeply and would surely return. Qin Sang thanked Murong Qian, admitting that in the family, only Murong Qian offered her comfort, and she feared Yi Lianyi, Yi Lianshen, and Fan Yanyun. Murong Qian promised to protect her.
Meanwhile, in Yongnan Fourth Prison, a young man brought Yi Liankai a steak and red wine, attempting to persuade him to abandon his "darkness" and join the Tian Meng Association to end the war. Yi Liankai scoffed, questioning the definitions of "light" and "darkness" and whether the Tian Meng Association would even accept a "playboy" like him, calling their negotiation tactics insincere.
The young man then probed Yi Liankai about Qin Sang, noting they hadn't seen each other in a while. Yi Liankai's demeanor immediately hardened, and he demanded to see Qin Sang, refusing any further negotiation otherwise. The young man then revealed Qin Sang had already left Yongnan and presented a recent Fuyuan newspaper as proof of her safety. Relieved by the news, Yi Liankai resumed his relaxed attitude, casually discussing the quality of the steak.
He pointed out that Yongnan, once a prosperous city, could no longer procure good ingredients since the Tian Meng Association took control, questioning why he should abandon his comfortable life as a young master to join their "mess of an association." In a different prison cell, Cheng Yunzhi, complaining about his meager meal of dry, hard pancakes compared to the steak he had a few days prior, blamed the Tian Meng Association for Yongnan's failing state.
Liang Xingbei visited him, acknowledging Cheng Yunzhi's frustration but stating that with Yongnan's critical war situation and cut supply lines, even ordinary meat was scarce, and he expected Cheng Yunzhi to endure hardship alongside the soldiers. Sensing an opportunity, Cheng Yunzhi probed Liang Xingbei, asking if he was there to make a bargain. Liang Xingbei reminded him of his family's precarious situation, but Cheng Yunzhi countered that his own life was paramount.
Cheng Yunzhi then boldly proposed that he would help the Tian Meng Association conquer the country. He argued that the current warlord conflicts were detrimental to businessmen, and if the Tian Meng Association established stable rule and encouraged industrial development, the Cheng family could prosper. Liang Xingbei, acknowledging Cheng Yunzhi's foresight, agreed to the proposal. Liang Xingbei then presented a newspaper and inquired about a rumored marriage between the Cheng family and Murong Feng, Murong Chen's son.
Cheng Yunzhi vehemently denied the rumor as "nonsense," suspecting Murong Chen's motives. Liang Xingbei, however, advised against clarifying the matter, suggesting that attempting to debunk the rumor now would only lead to misunderstandings, painting the Cheng family as having abandoned the Murong family for the Tian Meng Association. He advocated for a strategy of "coping with change by not changing."
On the battlefield, Yi Lianshen's forces had broken through the Tian Meng Association's second line of defense outside Yongnan, continuing their advance. Beiji analyzed the southern army's weakness, noting their inability to attack effectively and their reliance on defense. He asked Pan Jianchi to estimate when Yi Lianshen would breach their third defensive line, revealing his plan to withdraw the army from Yongnan in three days and emphasizing the need to delay Yi Lianshen's forces until then.
Pan Jianchi, having confirmed Yi Liankai's imprisonment, suggested that Yi Liankai was Yi Lianshen's weakness and proposed using him as a hostage to force Yi Lianshen's retreat. Pan Jianchi questioned why Beiji hesitated to use such leverage when thousands of lives were at stake.
