Siege in Fog Episode 33 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
Defying the guards who state Yi Lianshen’s orders to keep everyone out, Qin Sang insists on entering Pan Jianchi’s hospital room, claiming Yi Liankai instructed her to question him directly. Inside, she demands to know who instructed Pan Jianchi to kill Mr. Fan, subtly gesturing towards a scalpel. Understanding her signal, Pan Jianchi seizes the scalpel and holds it to Qin Sang’s throat, threatening to slash her if the guard, Zhang Linzhi, doesn’t leave.
Qin Sang, gripping the blade with her hand until it bleeds, orders Zhang Linzhi out. Seeing her bleeding hand, Zhang Linzhi relents, exits the room, instructs his men to maintain their guard, and leaves to inform the Young Marshal. Gao Peide cautions Yi Liankai against accusing Yi Lianshen of ordering Mr. Fan’s murder, especially since Gao Peide is loyal to Yi Lianshen.
He elaborates that such an accusation is ill-conceived, given that Chief Marshal Yi Jipei once ordered the burning of his own biological brother, implying Mr. Fan’s importance pales in comparison to that of a son. Yi Liankai clarifies he isn’t asking Gao Peide to betray his second brother.
He explains that Yi Lianshen intends for him to leave Fuyuan, but he has an unfinished task and needs Gao Peide’s assistance to remain in Fuyuan for another month, convinced only Gao Peide can arrange it. Gao Shaoxuan, present during the discussion, suggests it might be beneficial for Yi Liankai and Qin Sang to leave Fuyuan and its troubles. Yi Liankai acknowledges Gao Shaoxuan’s concern for their well-being but reiterates his resolve to find a crucial individual.
To facilitate Yi Liankai’s stay, Gao Peide offers to dispatch men to bomb a mountain slope between Fangjiadian and Fuyuan, causing a landslide that would obstruct the train tracks. He estimates clearing the rocks and repairing the tracks would take six days, deeming it sufficient time for Yi Liankai to achieve his objectives in Fuyuan. However, Yi Liankai states that six days is insufficient.
He reveals his target is Liang Xingbei, a person his second brother has sought for years without success, and he is determined to locate him before Yi Lianshen does. Inside Pan Jianchi’s hospital room, Pan Jianchi tends to Qin Sang’s bleeding hand, questioning her risky visit. Qin Sang, dismissive of her injury and the danger, explains her original plan to rescue him during the party was thwarted by Fan Yanyun’s desperate attempt to kill him.
Pan Jianchi expresses concern about how her actions will jeopardize her standing within the Yi family, reminding her of their past as Li Wangping and his current identity as Pan Jianchi, and how she shouldn’t sacrifice her position for a "heartless person." Qin Sang staunchly declares her unwavering belief that neither Li Wangping nor Pan Jianchi would ever harm her, and she is determined to save him.
Pan Jianchi counters, explaining that Yi Liankai deliberately shot his leg to immobilize him and draw out "Mr. Liang." He points out the heavy military guard, asserting that his continued existence places Mr. Liang and the Tian Meng Association in grave danger, making his escape impossible. He urges her to leave, but Qin Sang insists she doesn’t want him to die.
Pan Jianchi then wistfully recalls their first meeting, when she was a student in uniform, and he led the crowd in singing "La Marseillaise," which she joined ""off"" the stage. Yi Lianshen rushes to the hospital, where he hears the strains of "La Marseillaise" from the street below. The melody triggers a memory of his childhood: his Sixth Uncle, Yi Shoucheng, confined in their garden, teaching him the song and explaining it was a "war song" that instilled courage.
Snapping back to the present, Yi Lianshen commands Zhang Linzhi to arrest all the singers outside, specifically looking for a man in his forties or fifties. Zhang Linzhi leads the Fu Army into the street, confronting the protestors and issuing a thirty-second ultimatum to disperse or face force. When the crowd refuses to budge, he orders the arrests, and in the ensuing commotion, Liang Xingbei calmly makes his escape. Yi Lianshen enters Pan Jianchi’s room, dismissing the guards.
He offers to take Qin Sang home, expressing concern that Yi Liankai would be heartbroken to see her in her current state. Qin Sang acknowledges her actions are unfair to Yi Liankai but insists she cannot abandon Pan Jianchi. Yi Lianshen then directly asks her to choose who is more important to her: Pan Jianchi or Yi Liankai.
When Qin Sang remains silent, Yi Lianshen concludes that despite her life-risking efforts to protect Pan Jianchi, her refusal to declare him more important in his presence reveals her actions are driven by a sense of righteousness, and Yi Liankai still holds a more significant place in her heart. Pan Jianchi interjects, attempting to reassure Qin Sang that Yi Lianshen won’t harm him, as he is being used as bait to draw out a mastermind.
He suggests she leave before Yi Liankai arrives. Yi Lianshen assures Qin Sang he will keep her actions from Yi Liankai and promises to send them both to Europe the following day, urging them to leave Jiangzuo permanently and live by relying on each other, away from war and chaos. As Liang Xingbei attempts to flee the chaotic streets, Yi Liankai intercepts him.
Yi Liankai, unsure whether to address him as "Beiji" or "Mr. Liang," expresses surprise that he would reveal himself for Pan Jianchi, an idealist who shouldn’t die. Yi Liankai then questions Liang Xingbei’s knowledge of "La Marseillaise" and, more importantly, how he knew his mother’s name, Yun Ji Xue, when he was captured in Yongnan, emphasizing this query as paramount.
Liang Xingbei, surprised by Yi Liankai’s elaborate scheme involving Pan Jianchi’s injury and using Yi Lianshen as a diversion, refuses to provide answers, asserting that the true person to ask is Yi Jipei. Yi Liankai insists he will ask his father but believes Liang Xingbei holds the key due to his distrust of Yi Jipei.
Liang Xingbei further challenges Yi Liankai, stating he knows Yi Liankai won’t shoot him, as the gunshot would draw Yi Lianshen’s army, thus preventing Yi Liankai from ever getting his desired answers. Just then, two Fu Army soldiers arrive, having received orders from Yi Lianshen to apprehend Liang Xingbei, whom they identify as Mr. Fan’s murderer, and promise to credit Yi Liankai with the capture.
Yi Liankai desperately presses Liang Xingbei for the "why," to which Liang Xingbei cryptically replies that Yi Liankai will "know it sooner or later" if he stays in Jiangzuo. The soldiers then take Liang Xingbei away. Yi Lianshen confronts Pan Jianchi, demanding to know Liang Xingbei’s identity, but Pan Jianchi remains silent. Yi Lianshen then begins to sing "La Marseillaise," and Pan Jianchi, to Yi Lianshen’s observation, hums the identical tune.
Yi Lianshen reveals that his version of the song was taught to him by his Sixth Uncle, implying a shared connection that confirms Liang Xingbei’s identity to both of them. He then departs, leaving Pan Jianchi to ponder whether his sacrifice for Liang Xingbei is truly worthwhile. Yi Lianshen is consumed by memories of his childhood, specifically his father’s furious reaction to him singing "La Marseillaise," followed by a strict prohibition against any soldier in Jiangzuo ever singing the song.
A heavy sigh escapes him as he pieces together the puzzle: his Sixth Uncle is alive, and given his influence, it now seems clear that Song Fu Guan’s death was a sacrifice for him, leading Yi Lianshen to the painful realization that he and others had misjudged Yi Liankai. His uncle, Zhang Xikun, then firmly asserts that, regardless of the implications, Yi Liankai must be exiled.
Zhang Xikun reminds Yi Lianshen that simply letting his brother live and leave fulfills his familial duty and warns him against any further softness. Zhang Linzhi echoes his father’s sentiment, acknowledging Yi Lianshen’s rise to power without harming his third brother, but emphasizing that Yi Liankai’s continued presence in Jiangzuo could still pose a threat.
Zhang Xikun expresses a faint hope that Yi Liankai and Qin Sang, relying solely on each other in Europe, might finally open their hearts, thus validating Yi Liankai’s profound love for Qin Sang. He concludes by remarking on Yi Lianshen’s inherent good-heartedness. Yi Liankai, walking through the chaotic streets, encounters a disoriented Qin Sang, immediately noticing her injured hand with concern.
Before he can press for details, a car approaches, and Fu Army soldiers emerge, informing them that Yi Lianshen has ordered them to escort Yi Liankai and Qin Sang home immediately, citing the unsafe conditions outside. Yi Liankai questions this change of plans, having been told he would be sent abroad, but Qin Sang states that Yi Lianshen’s word is final, and they must follow his arrangements.
The two Fu Army soldiers who apprehended Liang Xingbei are revealed to be his former loyal subordinates. Liang Xingbei, confirming his identity as Yi Shoucheng, declares that "Yi Shoucheng is dead" and he is no longer the Yi family’s Sixth Master, though his subordinates fiercely insist he remains their Sixth Master forever. He expresses his astonishment at their unwavering loyalty after a decade and clarifies his reasons for revealing himself after years in hiding.
Firstly, he aimed to save Pan Jianchi. Secondly, by having "La Marseillaise" sung, he intended to alert his old acquaintances in Jiangzuo to his return, thereby reigniting their revolutionary fervor. His ultimate objective is to ensure that either Yi Liankai or Yi Lianshen informs Yi Jipei of his survival, compelling Yi Jipei to descend from Zhishan and return to Fuyuan, where Liang Xingbei plans to confront him about the errors of his past.
A subordinate reports to Yi Lianshen that their plans to send Yi Liankai out of Fuyuan are on hold, as a landslide in the Fangjiadian region has rendered the train tracks impassable for several days. Concurrently, in Zhishan, Yi Jipei receives a telegram from Yi Lianshen, confirming that Liang Xingbei is none other than Yi Shoucheng and is currently in Fuyuan. Yi Jipei, however, exhibits no discernible reaction to this news.
Qin Sang’s father, Qin Housheng, arrives at the Yi residence, having learned of her impending departure for Europe. He confronts her for not informing him and expresses alarm at her injured hand, which she dismisses as a careless accident. Qin Housheng, having been informed by Mama Zhu that Pan Jianchi (whom he refers to as Li Wangping) is Mr. Fan’s killer, scolds Qin Sang for visiting him in the hospital, disregarding Yi Liankai’s feelings, and forgetting her status.
Qin Sang explains her humanitarian desire to save Pan Jianchi from death, hoping he would live a good life outside Jiangzuo, but laments that he chose to sacrifice himself for justice. She sorrowfully admits that she finally understood that while she viewed him as someone who had returned, he saw her merely as "a passerby."
Qin Housheng advises her to accept this and focus on living well with Yi Liankai in Europe, informing her that he will return to Qianping and expects her to send updates there. Zhang Linzhi reports to Yi Lianshen that an investigation into suspicious individuals both within and outside the city has yielded no dangerous persons.
Yi Lianshen, anticipating the conclusion of the Zhishan negotiations that day and the drastic political shifts it will bring to Jiangzuo, foresees continued resistance from the Tian Meng Association. He instructs Zhang Linzhi to deploy an additional two ""companies"", establishing strict guard along all major routes and city gates leading to Fuyuan, to ensure Chief Marshal Yi Jipei’s safe return. In Zhishan, Yi Jipei, Murong Chen, and Li Chongnian engage in a game of billiards while discussing political matters.
Yi Jipei initially dismisses his third son, Yi Liankai, for indulging in such leisurely pursuits, but Li Chongnian praises Yi Liankai’s unexpected skill, suggesting he is more outstanding than previously thought. Li Chongnian then proposes that a relaxed approach to politics, inspired by the serene surroundings, could lead to easier negotiations and avoid conflict.
Murong Chen initiates the formal negotiations by proposing that, in support of provincial autonomy, all three parties should disarm ten percent of their armies, to which Yi Jipei and Li Chongnian agree and sign. An observer comments on Murong Chen’s strategic move, noting that as the Murong family possesses the largest military, this disarmament allows them to efficiently discharge redundant officers, potentially weakening the Yi family and Li Chongnian.
Subsequently, Li Chongnian, advocating for federalism, suggests that county autonomy should form the foundational basis for the provincial federation. Murong Chen and Yi Jipei also sign this proposal. A knowledgeable individual clarifies that county autonomy, by further subdividing power, aims to prevent any single faction from consolidating significant military strength, thereby disrupting the established power dynamics among Jiangzuo’s "big fish." Fan Yanyun confronts Yi Liankai, accusing him of forgetting his father’s murder and failing to exact revenge.
Yi Liankai explains he couldn’t kill Pan Jianchi immediately because he intended to use him as bait to lure out Liang Xingbei. Fan Yanyun scoffs, suggesting his reluctance stems from his desire to keep Qin Sang’s former lover alive to avoid upsetting her before they leave for Europe. She further contends that Yi Liankai’s current exiled status means Yi Lianshen will handle Liang Xingbei’s capture, but questions what if Yi Lianshen fails.
Directly, she asks if his inaction is "because of Qin Sang," which Yi Liankai vehemently denies. Fan Yanyun, accusing him of blindly defending Qin Sang and being so deeply in love that he tolerates her "infidelity" to keep her old lover alive, asserts that she is not as foolish as him and has long observed Qin Sang’s manipulative ways. She boldly declares that she would rather believe Qin Sang is the true mastermind behind everything than Liang Xingbei.
Yi Liankai dismisses her as irrational and blinded by her grudge, urging her to stop her wild accusations. Fan Yanyun retorts that Qin Sang’s persistent attempts to save Pan Jianchi are undeniable, and without a grand scheme, her motives are inexplicable.
