Siege in Fog Episode 36 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
Yi Liankai confessed to his father, Yi Jipei, that he was afraid. Yi Jipei perceived that his son was not afraid of going to Yizhou, but rather worried about Qin Sang's safety, calling him a devoted lover. Yi Jipei then decided to have his second son, Yi Lianshen, stall Li Chongnian. Yi Liankai seemed to react to this decision. Yi Lianshen visited Fu Rongcai, who jokingly asked if Yi Liankai had gone back on his word.
Fu Rongcai then expressed concern that if the hostage situation dragged on, Li Chongnian's subordinates, such as Commander Yao and Provincial Military Governor Chen, who already felt humiliated by the truce, would become restless, making it difficult for Li Chongnian to maintain control in Yizhou. Yi Lianshen retorted that Li Chongnian's internal affairs were his own problem.
He then informed Fu Rongcai that Yi Liankai, not his elder brother, would be the one going to Yizhou, and the departure date would be announced later. Fu Rongcai expressed his dissatisfaction with Yi Liankai being the hostage, fearing he might exploit Yizhou's economy under the guise of assistance. Yi Lianshen countered by placing a gun on the table, asserting that if Fu Rongcai had any complaints, he could use it.
Seeing this, Fu Rongcai relented, agreeing to the new arrangement but demanded Yi Liankai's immediate departure. Yi Lianshen, however, asserted that the departure time was not for Fu Rongcai to decide, and left. Before his departure, Yi Liankai visited Mr. Fan's memorial. Fan Yanyun confronted him furiously, questioning how he dared to face her father when the true mastermind behind his death remained free and the Yi family shielded the killer. She accused Yi Liankai of claiming innocence despite this.
Yi Liankai acknowledged her anger but stated his imminent departure for Yizhou, adding that he had already punished Pan Jianchi and exposed Liang Xinbei, having done what he could before leaving the Yi family. Fan Yanyun, however, was incensed that he, as a disciple, would rather risk his life in Yizhou than avenge his teacher. Yi Liankai expressed his belief that her father, if he could hear them, would want her to live a happy life free of hatred.
He then solemnly offered that if he did not return from Yizhou, his life would serve as an apology to her on Qin Sang's behalf. Qin Sang was painting in the courtyard when Yi Liankai came to critique her work, finding fault with the lines, focus, and colors.
Qin Sang dismissed his criticism, explaining that her painting was merely an expression of her inner world, a dreamlike place where someone held her hand, reassuring her and promising to lead her to safety. Yi Liankai, possessively, declared that he must be the one in her dream, threatening to "tear down her dream" if it were anyone else, and demanded to know who it was.
Qin Sang described the person as the only one who made her feel truly protected, like the sun, making her want to embrace him and sleep in his warm hug forever. Yi Liankai then vowed to protect her, promising to keep her hidden in the safest place forever.
Qin Sang sighed, commenting that Yi Liankai's idea of protection seemed to be confining her to a room within the Yi family, locking her away in a safe box, which she equated to imprisonment, not protection. Yi Liankai responded that if such confinement ensured her survival, he would do it without hesitation. However, he admitted he knew she valued a free and happy life over merely existing like a "dead person."
Yi Liankai promised to take Qin Sang with him, but insisted she must obey his instructions, especially in times of danger, because only her safety would allow him to be free of worries. In turn, Qin Sang made him swear never to trifle with his own life, declaring that if he died, she would not live either, as their lives were interconnected.
Yi Liankai playfully teased her about being a "silly girl," to which Qin Sang affectionately responded that his many "tricks" left her no choice but to hold onto him in her own simple way. Yi Liankai went to a shop to have Qin Sang's painting mounted. The shopkeeper explained the process would take at least two days, by which time Yi Liankai would be in Yizhou. Min Hongyu then appeared, offering to collect the finished painting for him.
Yi Liankai jokingly accused her of having spies follow him. Min Hongyu retorted that his fame made him easy to find. She then commented on the painting's unskilled appearance, saying it would disturb everyone but Qin Sang and him. Min Hongyu expressed concern that his "good life" with Qin Sang might end prematurely if he went to Yizhou as a hostage, acknowledging that Yi Lianyi's failure to depart likely meant he was being sent instead.
She suggested Yi Liankai was being used as an "abandoned pawn" by the Yi family. She questioned why he found enjoyment in risking his life, stating she would rather see him and Qin Sang go to Europe than for him to die in Yizhou. Yi Liankai, recalling their past brushes with death, expressed confidence in their ability to survive.
Min Hongyu warned that luck could not last forever, while Yi Liankai asserted that one could create their own luck by changing their circumstances. He then confirmed with the shopkeeper that the painting would be ready by the day after tomorrow, his departure day. In an earlier conversation with Huai Xiu, Yi Jipei reflected on his first marriage to Zhang Xikun's sister, a union arranged by Zhang Xikun.
He admitted he only saw her hands during their wedding ceremony and could no longer recall her face, but remembered her soft, delicate hands. He recognized her shrewdness in managing family affairs, noting how she quickly brought stewards to heel. He recounted an incident where she secretly and decisively dealt with disloyal servants who tried to flee during an enemy invasion, killing them to maintain order, while other wives like the Second and Third Mistress merely cried.
This revelation of her ruthlessness, despite her gentle appearance, unsettled him, causing him to distance himself from her and spend more time with the Third Mistress. He mused on the First Mistress's lack of complaint, finding her generosity puzzling. Huai Xiu advised against speculating on the dead's feelings, suggesting some truths are better left undisturbed. Yi Jipei agreed that dwelling on such matters could only lead to fear.
He also spoke about Yi Liankai's decision to go to Yizhou as a hostage, acknowledging Yi Liankai's strong desire to do so, despite his own worries. He ordered his men in Yizhou to closely monitor Li Chongnian and ensure Yi Liankai's safety. Yi Liankai then covertly participated in a fencing match, pretending to be Yi Jipei.
Yi Lianyi, unaware it was Yi Liankai, encouraged his uncle, Zhang Xikun, to spar with his "father" and used the opportunity to discreetly ask about Third Mistress's death. Zhang Xikun, still believing he was fencing with Yi Jipei, boasted about once defeating Yi Jipei in their youth and then, when pressed by Yi Lianyi about the Third Mistress's death, revealed that she wasn't framed.
He attributed everything to Yi Lianyi's mother, the First Mistress, calling her a muddle-headed woman who only cared about the Sixth Young Master and never him, wasting his efforts. At this revelation, Yi Liankai removed his helmet, causing Zhang Xikun to realize he had been fencing with Yi Liankai all along, and promptly fled. Yi Lianyi was saddened to discover his mother was involved.
Yi Liankai reported to his father, Yi Jipei, about his fencing match with Zhang Xikun, where he had defeated him. During the match, Zhang Xikun inadvertently divulged information concerning the First Mistress and Yi Liankai's biological mother. Yi Liankai pressed his father, asking if his mother truly drowned herself, implying the truth was more complex.
Yi Jipei, visibly pained, warned him to stop investigating, acknowledging the difficulty of facing truths he had long suppressed, fearing what would happen if he "poked the last screen." Yi Liankai pleaded for permission to question Zhang Xikun, believing he could uncover the full truth. Yi Jipei, with a heavy heart, explained that all his six marriages, including that to Yi Liankai's mother, were politically motivated.
He revealed that Yi Liankai's mother's father was a former dynasty general who had trained the Jiangzuo navy. Marrying the First Mistress was to clear his political path in Jiangzuo. He warned Yi Liankai that Zhang Xikun was backed by the entire Zhang family, and if Yi Liankai questioned him, the Zhang family would immediately side with Li Chongnian.
He further explained that the Zhang family's loyalty to the Yi family stemmed from the fact that Yi Lianshen, the presumptive heir, had half Zhang family blood. Yi Liankai retorted that his father, despite being Jiangzuo's strongman, couldn't even protect those he loved, and expressed sadness for him. He declared he would rather forgo Jiangzuo and the world to become a strong person capable of protecting his loved ones.
Yi Jipei remarked that Yi Liankai was the son most like him, yet questioned why Yi Liankai, who claimed to want to give Qin Sang happiness, would instead pursue a decade-old investigation, letting the present opportunity slip away. Yi Jipei surmised that Yi Liankai's willingness to become a hostage was motivated by this investigation. Yi Liankai confirmed his father's insight, stating that if he didn't investigate, no one else would.
Yi Jipei argued that the dead couldn't be brought back to life, and questioned the value of sacrificing everything for a past event. Yi Liankai, however, swore to bring his mother's killer to justice, vowing to seek revenge himself if his father wouldn't help. Yi Liankai accused his father of long forgetting his mother, even discarding her belongings.
Yi Jipei then revealed, to Yi Liankai's surprise, that he had never forgotten Yi Liankai's mother; his deep affection for her was his greatest weakness, a vulnerability he could never let others discover. Zhang Xikun urgently called Yi Lianshen back to the Yi family, urging him to silence Yi Liankai, warning of impending disaster.
He revealed that Yi Lianyi and Yi Liankai were collaborating to investigate the Third Mistress's death, a truth that must remain hidden to protect the First Mistress's reputation. Zhang Xikun expressed fear that Yi Liankai would falsely accuse the First Mistress of killing the Third Mistress out of jealousy, potentially swaying Yi Jipei and jeopardizing Yi Lianshen's future as heir.
Yi Lianshen dismissed his uncle's concerns as paranoia, arguing that Yi Liankai's imminent departure meant he wouldn't have time to uncover anything. He also pointed out that his parents' cold relationship made it unlikely his mother would kill for favor. He asserted that any conflict between the brothers was internal Yi family business, and even if Yi Liankai tried to frame their mother, Yi Jipei would judge fairly.
Yi Liankai showed his father earrings he had dug out from his mother's remains, revealing she was not properly buried but "sloppily" in the back garden, and he had unknowingly walked over her grave countless times. He asked if this did not pain his father, to which Yi Jipei responded that she could not be brought back.
Yi Jipei then urged Yi Liankai to cease his investigation, warning that it would plunge him into a lifetime of helpless pain, erode his ability to love, and turn him into a "machine operated by revenge." Yi Liankai, angered, asserted he sought only the truth, not revenge. He criticized his father for being constrained by too many "buts," claiming his own status as a hostage freed him from such limitations.
Yi Liankai stated that if his father refused to help him uncover the truth, he would never ask for anything again. Yi Jipei cautioned that despite the current stability, anyone making a move would be scrutinized. He warned that even if Li Chongnian spared Yi Liankai, Fu Rongcai would seize an opportunity to kill him. Yi Jipei offered to give Yi Liankai something that would not only protect him from Li Chongnian but also ensure Li Chongnian's protection.
He stressed that survival was paramount to finding the truth, reminding Yi Liankai to consider Qin Sang, who had risked her life for him, if not himself. Yi Liankai's internal conflict was evident. Zhang Xikun, frustrated by Yi Lianshen's refusal to act, secretly instructed Zhang Linzhi to gather a troop, without informing Yi Lianshen. He ordered Zhang Linzhi to kidnap Yi Liankai as soon as he left the Yi family estate.
Zhang Linzhi, however, refused to betray Yi Lianshen, citing his loyalty and his father's teaching that he was destined to follow the Second Young Master. Zhang Xikun grew enraged, warning that if Yi Liankai uncovered the full truth about the past, not only the Zhang family and Yi Lianshen but all of Jiangzuo would be ruined.
He lamented Yi Lianshen's repeated prioritization of brotherly affection over the potential for future trouble, declaring that he would "cut the root of trouble once and for all" for the future of the Zhang family. Zhang Xikun unexpectedly called on Fu Rongcai, who, surmising Zhang Xikun was in a bind, mockingly referenced his earlier troubles regarding Yi Liankai becoming a hostage instead of Yi Lianyi. Zhang Xikun then directly asked Fu Rongcai to kill Yi Liankai.
Fu Rongcai balked at the request, pointing out that Yi Liankai was their hostage, and killing him would give the Yi and Murong families a legitimate reason to attack Yizhou. Zhang Xikun, however, assured him that the Yi family would be powerless.
He pledged that if Fu Rongcai killed Yi Liankai, and Yi Jipei attempted to retaliate, the Zhang family would use its deep political influence in Jiangzuo to rally the entire region against Yi Jipei, ruining his reputation if he dared to initiate a war against public sentiment. Fu Rongcai expressed skepticism, concerned about the impact on Yizhou's reputation and Yi Jipei's ability to manipulate public opinion.
Zhang Xikun clarified his motives, stating that although the Zhang family had supported Yi Lianshen to secure their standing in Jiangzuo, he feared they would be discarded once Yi Lianshen achieved power. Therefore, he needed a backup plan: if Yi Liankai died, he would secretly provide strong support to Li Chongnian, challenging Yi Jipei's authority. Yi Liankai and Qin Sang prepared to depart for Yizhou. Yi Lianshen and others saw them off at the Fuyuan train station.
Yi Liankai had a brief exchange with Min Hongyu, asking her to take care of his mother's tapestry, which she promised to cherish as both their lives depended on it. Yi Lianshen bade Yi Liankai farewell, urging him to stay alive, a sentiment Yi Liankai reciprocated. Just as they were about to board, Fan Yanyun called Qin Sang aside for a private conversation.
She recalled her father's departure from that very station and his failure to return, warning Qin Sang to be careful. Qin Sang confidently stated that Yi Liankai would protect her, but Fan Yanyun retorted that Qin Sang might need to protect him, subtly implying Qin Sang's connections to the Tian Meng Association. Qin Sang directly asked if she was being accused of being an ally, which Fan Yanyun affirmed.
Fan Yanyun then referenced Qin Sang's "old lover," Pan Jianchi, still imprisoned, questioning how Qin Sang could leave him. Qin Sang responded that choosing to love someone often meant hurting others, and she no longer cared about Fan Yanyun's opinion of her. Qin Sang then expressed uncertainty about returning alive from Yizhou and asked Fan Yanyun to consider her life a repayment for Mr. Fan's if she didn't.
