Siege in Fog Episode 34 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
Qin Sang meticulously packed her belongings in her bedroom, expressing a sense of melancholy as she contemplated when she might return from Europe. She methodically sorted through everything, deciding what to take and what to leave. Yi Liankai, observing her, cautioned her to disinfect her hand wound, which she assured him she had already done. He then comforted her, saying that a new life awaited them once they reached Europe.
Meanwhile, in Zhishan, the tense negotiations between Yi Jipei, Murong Chen's representatives, and Li Chongnian's envoy continued. Mr. Fu, representing Li Chongnian, criticized Yi Jipei's demanding conditions, stating that while Commander Li had shown sincerity, Yi Jipei was acting like a "lion," demanding excessively. A Murong envoy countered, asserting that negotiations were not about character, but about securing the future of all China, requiring caution.
At three quarters past sishi, a report came: Yi Jipei had proposed a provincial autonomy plan, under which Li Chongnian's army would officially become the Fu Army, subordinate to the future Jiangzuo Allied Government. A Jiangzuo Political Council would soon be established to elect the government members. Earlier, Qin Housheng had met with Yi Liankai, offering him gongfu tea.
He explained that just as one slowly savors tea, the skills of being a husband and wife involve acceptance, admiration, and accommodation, understanding each other's good traits while accommodating their shortcomings. He shared how he and Qin Sang's mother had resolved their own marital conflicts over tea. Qin Housheng urged Yi Liankai to treat Qin Sang well, emphasizing that they were fated to be together.
Yi Liankai acknowledged that the tea tasted different after this explanation, and Qin Housheng advised him, as a father, to always treat Qin Sang kindly. Murong Feng, perplexed by the sudden alliance, asked his father, Murong Chen, why he had changed his mind when their original plan was to create discord between Yi Jipei and Li Chongnian. He suspected Yi Jipei had threatened his father. Murong Chen dismissed the idea, claiming nothing could threaten him except Murong Feng's life.
He then alluded to "La Marseillaise," explaining it was not just a song but represented a person. Fu Rongcai also questioned Li Chongnian, wondering why he agreed to change their military banner when he had devised a clever plan to thwart provincial autonomy. Li Chongnian simply stated that Yi Jipei had him listen to a song, which was played by Min Hongyu.
Yi Jipei then asked Min Hongyu if she was affiliated with Li Chongnian or Murong Chen, to which she gracefully responded that she simply admired heroes and was not necessarily working for anyone. Yi Jipei played "La Marseillaise," prompting Li Chongnian and Murong Chen to recall their fearful encounters with the song's team ten years prior.
Yi Jipei revealed the person behind the song was Liang Xingbei, a man with immense ambition that even the fire at the Yi Manor years ago failed to extinguish. He warned that Liang Xingbei's ambition now threatened to engulf Jiangzuo, and while physical war could be put out, the fire he ignited in people's hearts could not. He called Liang Xingbei their common enemy.
Yi Lianyi recognized his father's clever strategy of uniting their rivals against a common foe but doubted Li Chongnian and Murong Chen's sincerity in eradicating the Tian Meng Association. Yi Jipei confirmed his words had resonated with them, but insisted their cooperation alone was insufficient. He stressed the urgency of returning to Fuyuan, fearing chaos due to Yi Shoucheng's deep roots within the army if he couldn't return.
Min Hongyu requested to accompany them back, citing the long and dangerous journey. Yi Jipei agreed. Yi Lianyi expressed concern about taking such a dangerous woman along, but Yi Jipei explained he kept her close precisely because she was dangerous. Meanwhile, Liang Xingbei addressed his Tian Meng Association followers, declaring his plan to ignite "three fires" in Jiangzuo, not to burn buildings, but to ignite human hearts and public sentiment.
A subordinate reported a landslide at Fanjiadian had disrupted train service, forcing Yi Jipei to travel by car after reaching Fanjiadian. Liang Xingbei ordered his men to do everything possible to prevent Yi Jipei's return to Fuyuan. He also instructed Tianxuan to sneak back into the hospital, inform Pan Jianchi of the situation, and tell him to escape if successful.
Qin Housheng, preparing to return to Qianping, gave Qin Sang his watch, urging her to remember her homeland and not to waste time on trivial arguments with Yi Liankai in Europe. Yi Liankai presented Qin Housheng with a tea set and leaves as a farewell gift. Qin Housheng told Qin Sang that Yi Liankai was trustworthy and she should treat him well.
After her father's departure, Qin Sang, feeling a sense of loneliness, asked Yi Liankai in their bedroom if they could have a child once settled in Europe. He readily agreed. She then wondered if they could truly forget everything in Europe, to which Yi Liankai replied that if they wished to forget, they would. At Hong'en Hospital, Tianxuan, disguised as a doctor, visited Pan Jianchi's ward.
While pretending to examine him, he discreetly slipped a note under Pan Jianchi's body, unnoticed by Zhang Linzhi. Across town, Fan Yanyun saw Yi Lianshen preparing to leave and asked him where he was going. He explained he was going to fetch his father and eldest brother, citing the landslide at Fanjiadian and the cunning nature of Liang Xingbei's group as reasons for his concern.
Tragically, Tian Meng Association members, ambushing the road at Fanjiadian to assassinate Yi Jipei, mistakenly attacked the wrong vehicle, killing Qin Housheng, who was returning from visiting Qin Sang. Yi Lianshen arrived to meet Yi Jipei and Yi Lianyi, only to be informed of Qin Housheng's assassination. They rushed to the scene and hastily buried him. Yi Jipei lamented that he had always looked down on Qin Housheng but now unexpectedly owed him his life.
He promised that once Jiangzuo stabilized, he would personally re-inter Qin Housheng properly. Later, a Tian Meng Association subordinate reported their failure, admitting they had identified the wrong car and killed the wrong person due to their eagerness to gain merit. Upon Yi Jipei's return to Fuyuan, the Yi family greeted him. Yi Jipei announced the success of the Zhishan negotiations, proclaiming peace for Jiangzuo.
He then spoke to Qin Sang, falsely claiming to have seen her father, who supposedly advised her to bring more warm clothes and medicine for their European trip. When Yi Liankai attempted to escort his father inside, Yi Jipei dismissed him, stating he had political matters to discuss with Yi Lianyi and Yi Lianshen. Yi Jipei then led Yi Lianshen to the old backyard where Yi Shoucheng had been confined.
He recounted how Yi Shoucheng's corpse was found after the fire, and how Mr. Fan had thwarted Yi Shoucheng's attempted mutiny, making escape seem impossible. Yi Lianshen expressed his 90% certainty that Liang Xingbei was Yi Shoucheng and wished to investigate further, but Yi Jipei stopped him, affirming it must be him.
He recalled a childhood incident where he had two weapons made for Yi Lianshen and Yi Liankai; Yi Lianshen took both while Yi Liankai was away, preferring the sword. Yi Jipei concluded that "no one can know a brother more than his brother." Yi Lianshen then argued that since Yi Shoucheng was confirmed to be the mastermind, the truth behind Aide-de-Camp Song's assassination attempt on Yi Liankai was clear.
He urged his father to let Yi Liankai stay so the three brothers could stabilize Jiangzuo. Yi Jipei reluctantly admitted this was initially possible, but Qin Housheng's death had changed everything. While Huai Xiu took his measurements for new clothes, Yi Jipei reflected on his growing sense of loneliness, especially after the deaths of Fan Zhiheng, Old Champ, and now Qin Housheng. He confided that Qin Housheng's death, despite their shallow relationship, affected him deeply, making him truly feel old.
Huai Xiu reassured him it was not old age but a heavier burden. She questioned why he insisted on Yi Liankai leaving instead of letting his sons share his responsibilities. Yi Jipei revealed that Yi Liankai had found his mother's corpse in her old manor, a truth he was too afraid to confront. He asserted that Yi Liankai "must leave" for his own good, though Huai Xiu countered that the past would haunt him regardless.
Yi Lianyi, in his wheelchair, had Murong Qian push him to the old backyard, believing it held Yi family secrets. He voiced his suspicions about the close timing of Third Mother's death, Yi Shoucheng's supposed burning, and his own fall from the horse. He wondered how Yi Shoucheng could have orchestrated his fall while confined and what his motives were.
Murong Qian advised him to let the past go, but Yi Lianyi insisted he must uncover the truth that had ruined half his life. Yi Liankai met with Min Hongyu, asking if Yi Jipei had reacted when he saw her disguised as his mother. She replied that he had thrown the earring into the river and stated he didn't want to discuss it.
Yi Liankai declared his unwavering resolve to uncover the truth as a son, affirming he would "not easily leave" Jiangzuo despite his promise to Qin Sang. Yi Lianyi then confronted Yi Jipei, suggesting a connection between Third Mother's death and Yi Shoucheng's incident. Yi Jipei angrily refuted any link, accusing Yi Lianyi of idle speculation.
He expressed his trust in Yi Lianyi for always prioritizing the greater good, warning that if even he pursued these past truths, the Yi family would never know peace. Yi Lianyi responded that his composure was born of helplessness, as he was unable to stand. Yi Jipei challenged him, asking what he could do with the truth, as he would still be helpless. Yi Lianyi silently left. In another part of Jiangzuo, Li Chongnian and Fu Rongcai were playing chess.
A subordinate reported that Yi Jipei had completed his provincial autonomy mobilization in Fuyuan and was pressuring Yizhou to change banners immediately. Li Chongnian recognized Yi Jipei's urgency, prompting him to act. Fu Rongcai advised that while past wars were about military tactics, the current provincial autonomy was a "promotional battle," emphasizing the need to identify and confront their opponent directly, just as one catches the ruler to catch the thief.
He proposed going to Fuyuan to present their conditions to Yi Jipei. Yi Liankai visited Yi Jipei, noticing his father's trembling hand and offering to call Dr. Song. Yi Jipei declined, citing pressing political matters and dismissing Yi Liankai, despite his son's desire for a final conversation before leaving with Qin Sang. After Yi Liankai left, Yi Jipei's hand continued to tremble. In the courtyard, Qin Sang was embroidering.
Zhu Ma informed her that there were still no letters from Qianping, making Qin Sang wonder if her father had gone to her cousin's in the countryside. Fan Yanyun approached, sarcastically remarking on Qin Sang's leisure in embroidering. Qin Sang explained she was depicting the Zhishan landscape, reminiscing about her "first life and death experience" with Yi Liankai there. Fan Yanyun coldly reminded her that she had "to step over my father's corpse to go up Zhishan."
Later, Yi Jipei visited Pan Jianchi in the hospital, dismissing the guard. Pan Jianchi immediately stated he would not discuss Liang Xingbei. Yi Jipei clarified he was not asking about Yi Shoucheng but about himself, then challenged Pan Jianchi to an arm-wrestling match. Pan Jianchi declined, acknowledging Yi Jipei's formidable strength without needing to compete. Yi Jipei then asked, "What about compared to Old Six?"
