Siege in Fog Episode 28 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
Upon learning that Yi Jipei had departed for Zhishan with Yi Lianyi overnight, Gao Pedec realized that what seemed to be a trial for Yi Lianshen and Yi Liankai was, in fact, a test for himself and his associates. He understood that the Yi family's matters were to be decided by the family itself, and now their only course was to follow Yi Lianshen's directives.
Earlier, Min Hongyu explained to Pan Jianchi that a figure in a tapestry was Yi Liankai's deceased mother, and her own mother had woven it. She dismissed the notion of her having "wise eyes," stating that she was merely used by political men to disseminate information. She then questioned Pan Jianchi whether Yi Liankai would have the same luck he experienced in Zhishan this time, to which Pan Jianchi offered only a nod.
Meanwhile, Qin Sang, discovering Yi Jipei and Yi Lianyi's overnight departure, frantically sought out Murong Xuan, asking if Yi Lianyi had spoken of Yi Liankai before leaving, or if Yi Lianshen had gone to Zhishan with them. Murong Xuan, knowing nothing, simply shook her head. Qin Sang, realizing she had lost her gamble, was filled with despair. When Gao Pedec returned, Gao Mingxuan immediately pressed him about the Chief Marshal's decision regarding Yi Liankai.
Gao Pedec dismissed him, stating it was not his concern. Gao Mingxuan accused his father and others of framing Yi Liankai, but Gao Pedec angrily asserted that Yi Liankai had confessed willingly, not been framed, and warned Gao Mingxuan to cease contact with Qin Sang, deeming her name a "buzzkill." Gao Mingxuan, unwilling to endure his father's scolding, turned to leave.
Gao Pedec stopped him, chastising him for disrespect and for only learning Yi Liankai's "fooling around" instead of his virtues despite being sent overseas to study. Gao Mingxuan defiantly praised Yi Liankai's intelligence and military prowess, claiming he far surpassed Yi Lianshen. Fearing for his son's life, Gao Pedec quickly silenced him. Gao Mingxuan declared his intention to find Qin Sang, but Gao Pedec retorted that she was not as fragile as he believed.
Back in her room, Qin Sang, weeping, declined to see Gao Mingxuan, instead instructing Mama Zhu to inquire about Yi Lianshen's attitude towards Yi Liankai. Gao Mingxuan soon approached Yi Lianshen, directly stating that Yi Liankai's confession was Qin Sang's idea, proposed to bring the prolonged situation to an end. This revelation infuriated Yi Lianshen. Qin Sang visited Yi Liankai in his prison cell, asking about the outside situation.
With a heavy heart, she confessed that she had lost her gamble. She explained that Yi Jipei had fled to Zhishan overnight with Yi Lianyi to avoid presiding over the trial, and with his absence, Gao Pedec and the others could not decide Yi Liankai's fate, leaving his life entirely dependent on a single word from Yi Lianshen. Yi Liankai offered a bitter smile, admitting he had anticipated this outcome.
He recounted the injustice his mother suffered, falsely accused and sick in bed, patiently waiting for their father's return from the army to clear her name. Yet, when their father came back, he hid, just as he was doing now, and later fled from his mother as if she carried a plague. Yi Liankai vividly recalled his father's cold, callous, anxious, and humiliated demeanor. To prove her innocence, his mother tragically drowned herself in a lake.
He added that his father then pampered him, seeing him as his mother's memorial, which is why he was determined to live, believing that life offered infinite possibilities. He also reflected on his mother's strength, making the ultimate sacrifice for love, unlike his father, whom he saw as a coward afraid of exposure. Qin Sang questioned why he had not shared these details with her the previous day.
Yi Liankai responded that he had seen her joyful and hopeful expression with her plan and did not wish to upset her. With Yi Lianshen now holding all authority in Jiangzuo, Qin Sang feared he would demand Yi Liankai's life and suggested seeking help from the Tian Meng Association or Min Hongyu. Yi Liankai cautioned against Min Hongyu, describing her as an enigma whose perceived power stemmed from a mysterious patron.
He stated his knowledge of her was limited to her past with the Cheng family in Yongnan, and he respected her because he did not wish to antagonize the influential figure behind her. He warned that seeking her assistance would come at an exorbitant price, likening her help to a loan that would ultimately lead to financial ruin. Qin Sang, disheartened, insisted she only wanted to save him, even if it meant being exploited.
Yi Liankai gently took her hand and placed it on his face, asserting that no one dared to exploit her; only he could. Blocking Yi Lianshen's path, Qin Sang pleaded with him to spare Yi Liankai and not to treat her, a mere woman, so harshly. Yi Lianshen retorted that he had never met such a formidable woman as Qin Sang, noting that Yi Liankai, who never listened to anyone else, had confessed at her behest.
He angrily suggested that if she truly wanted to save Yi Liankai, she should not sow discord between the brothers. Yi Lianshen recalled initially being happy when Yi Liankai insisted on marrying Qin Sang, believing his brother's lonely heart would finally find peace and stability. However, over the years, Yi Liankai's debauchery had only escalated, and Qin Sang had remained indifferent. He accused Qin Sang of personally forcing Yi Liankai into his current dire situation by making him confess.
He reminded her that Yi Liankai had sacrificed the entire Yi family and Jiangzuo for her, then challenged her to consider what she had done for Yi Liankai in return. Overwhelmed by fear and guilt, Qin Sang cried out Yi Lianshen's name and collapsed, kneeling and weeping uncontrollably outside the family entrance. As heavy rain began to fall, Qin Sang remained stubbornly kneeling. Mama Zhu, worried for Qin Sang's health, urged her to come inside, reminding her of Yi Liankai.
Qin Sang defiantly proclaimed, "If you treat others in a certain way, others will treat you the same," asserting her clear conscience and ordering Mama Zhu to retreat. Meanwhile, Fan Yanyun knelt before her father's portrait, praying for Yi Lianshen's safety and Yi Liankai's successful resolution of the crisis. She acknowledged that the brothers' struggle for power had begun, as her father had foreseen.
She beseeched her father's spirit to bless Yi Liankai to unite Jiangzuo, as he had entrusted his political ideals to him. Alternatively, if she and Yi Lianshen were merely pawns in his grand scheme, she expressed her willingness to leave Jiangzuo with Yi Lianshen, escaping the painful political strife, and to live as if she had never known or loved Yi Liankai.
Unbeknownst to her, Yi Lianshen had overheard her entire monologue, his face darkening with rage at the revelation that his beloved wife harbored feelings for his younger brother. Hearing of Qin Sang's plight, Murong Xuan rushed out to persuade her. Qin Sang, growing weaker, pleaded with her sister-in-law to intercede with Yi Lianshen, but she fainted before completing her sentence. Murong Xuan then confronted Yi Lianshen, begging him to release Yi Liankai.
Enraged, Yi Lianshen violently pushed her away, shouting in frustration why everyone was lying to him and portraying him as the villain. He declared that if they all believed he held the power of life and death over Yi Liankai, he would deliver a definitive outcome. Murong Xuan later cared for Qin Sang, who, hoarse from crying and a cold, could barely speak. Qin Sang desperately gestured, imploring Murong Xuan to take her to Fan Yanyun.
Murong Xuan, unable to refuse, agreed to bring her there, assuring her that Yi Liankai would be safe and that as family, they could resolve matters peacefully. Qin Sang then weakly pleaded with Fan Yanyun to convince Yi Lianshen to release Yi Liankai. Yi Lianshen arrived at Yi Liankai's prison cell with a bottle of foreign liquor and two glasses, surprising Yi Liankai. Yi Lianshen asked for Yi Liankai's opinion on his military uniform.
Yi Liankai conceded that only Yi Lianshen was worthy of wearing the young marshal's uniform, but Yi Lianshen accused Yi Liankai of killing his adjutant, Song, for that uniform, stating that Yi Liankai's confession was a gamble, not an admission of guilt.
Yi Lianshen reflected on their teacher, Mr. Fan, and his teaching of "Fool the Emperor to Cross the Sea," and how Yi Liankai's actions now made him understand its connection to their father's philosophy of "retreat is sometimes marching forward"—a tactic used to advance discreetly by deceiving others. He admired Yi Liankai for expertly combining these two strategies.
Yi Liankai responded that while the uniform was indeed magnificent and desired by many soldiers, to him, it was merely clothing and not his dream. He reminded Yi Lianshen of their childhood vow to "fight, but not hurt each other" when vying for candy and attention, asserting that his commitment to that vow remained unchanged. Yi Lianshen acknowledged his own unchanging stance, but stated that Fan Yanyun was not a "candy."
Yi Liankai firmly clarified that Fan Yanyun was their teacher's daughter, Yi Lianshen's wife, and his sister-in-law, emphasizing their fixed positions and identities. Yi Lianshen then spoke of the small, forbidden courtyard behind their garden. He revealed that their sixth uncle, Yi Shoucheng, a military genius comparable to Mr. Fan, had been imprisoned there because his achievements overshadowed their father.
Yi Lianshen recounted how their father, still fearful, had eventually burned Yi Shoucheng alive, finding peace only when the entire courtyard was engulfed in flames. He concluded that the Yi family had a recurring history of fratricide, a bloodline that now flowed through them.
Yi Lianshen, consumed by anger, accused his father-in-law, Fan Yanyun, and Yi Liankai of manipulating him, viewing him as a mere pawn, especially since his father-in-law had invested all his hopes and dreams in Yi Liankai, granting him Jiangzuo. Yi Liankai countered that their father had always treated him as Yi Lianshen's "training horse," preventing him from experiencing battle, while Yi Lianshen was the favored champion and heir, son of the main wife, unlike himself, the concubine's son.
He admitted to appearing as a dissolute playboy, but Yi Lianshen retorted that Yi Liankai merely feigned recklessness while secretly plotting to "stir up the world." Yi Liankai challenged this, asking if he was truly so dangerous. He questioned why Yi Lianshen would want to kill his own unarmed brother, implying Yi Lianshen's fear.
Yi Lianshen denied fearing Yi Liankai himself, but rather the disasters Yi Liankai might unleash, believing that as long as Yi Liankai lived, others would conspire in his name to destabilize Jiangzuo. Yi Liankai asserted that Yi Lianshen was not truly seeking power, but rather affection. Yi Lianshen conceded that only Yi Liankai truly understood him, but lamented that Yi Liankai had taken what he cherished most: their father's love, Yi Lianyi's love, and Fan Yanyun's love.
While he could hand over Jiangzuo, he could not relinquish these profound affections. He then raised his gun to Yi Liankai's head, but hesitated, unable to fire. Just then, Qin Sang and Fan Yanyun burst in. Fan Yanyun implored Yi Lianshen, if he still wished to see their child born safely, not to bring further "murder debt" upon their baby.
Yi Lianyi suddenly recalled that Adjutant Song had been Yi Shoucheng's subordinate before working for Yi Lianshen, and Yi Shoucheng had treated him as a personal messenger. Yi Liankai, hearing this, remarked that Yi Shoucheng's ghost continued to haunt them.
