Siege in Fog Episode 37 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
The train made its way towards Yizhou. Inside their private compartment, Qin Sang rested on Yi Liankai's lap. She awoke, and they shared a quiet moment, acknowledging the dangerous nature of their trip. Their peace was interrupted when Fu Rongcai abruptly entered, resuming his attempts to sow discord between them. He provocatively declared that Yi Liankai was Qin Sang's mother's true killer.
Yi Liankai tensed, but Qin Sang firmly grasped his hand, stating that she no longer wished to dwell on past matters. She told Fu Rongcai that everyone had their reasons and encouraged him to let go of his hatred and appreciate the present beauty. Fu Rongcai expressed his disbelief that such a deep-seated grudge could be so easily dismissed, admitting his own inability to be as forgiving. Soon after, an announcement indicated their imminent arrival in Yizhou.
In Yizhou, Yi Liankai met with Li Chongnian. Li Chongnian acknowledged Yi Liankai's handsome and energetic demeanor but hinted that he would not live long, as the conditions offered by the other party were too tempting for him to resist. Yi Liankai, unfazed, calmly stated that his father had rightly predicted Li Chongnian's susceptibility to vile people and his tendency to go back on his word.
Before his departure for Yizhou, his father had given him a talisman, the "Fantianyin," meant to ward off evil. He then rolled up his sleeve to reveal a distinct mark on his arm. Li Chongnian scoffed, finding it presumptuous of Yi Jipei to believe a mere stamp could save Yi Liankai's life. Fu Rongcai, however, recognized the mark and expressed surprise that Yi Jipei would entrust such a vital item to Yi Liankai.
Yi Liankai explained that three years prior, his father had transferred all of the Yi family's assets to Swiss banks, and anyone holding this stamp could claim them. He laid out the stakes: Li Chongnian could kill him now, or invade Jiangzuo and eliminate the entire Yi family, but then anyone with the stamp could still go to Switzerland, recruit an army, and establish their own territory.
Fu Rongcai urged Li Chongnian to kill Yi Liankai immediately, arguing for a swift and clean resolution. Yi Liankai accused Fu Rongcai of lying to Li Chongnian, exposing his Senior Brother as an "expert in fleeing." He reminded Li Chongnian that Fu Rongcai had almost brought down the entire Qianping government but escaped just as the situation turned dire, and that even in Yongnan, Yi Liankai himself had failed to kill him despite firing a full magazine.
Fu Rongcai vehemently denied the slander. Li Chongnian, intrigued, demanded to see the stamp and ordered his soldiers to search Yi Liankai. Yi Liankai halted the soldiers, explaining he would never carry such an important item on his person, and directly challenged Li Chongnian, asking if he truly desired the money. After a moment of contemplation, Li Chongnian relented, instructing Commander Yao to escort Yi Liankai to his lodging and fulfill all his requests.
As Yi Liankai departed, Fu Rongcai grew agitated, loudly warning Li Chongnian that he would surely regret not killing Yi Liankai. As Commander Yao drove Yi Liankai and Qin Sang to their new residence, he praised Yi Liankai's exceptional intelligence and courage during the confrontation. Yi Liankai sighed, admitting that arriving in Yizhou felt like having "one foot in the grave."
He noted that while Li Chongnian was currently treating him well, there was no telling when he might decide to kill him. He then highlighted his unique relationship with Commander Yao, as they had faced life-and-death situations together, and asked for Yao's assistance should the need arise. Commander Yao, however, remained cautious, stating that no matter their bond, he ultimately served Li Chongnian and had to follow his orders.
Yi Liankai then suggested that perhaps the price wasn't right, implying he could offer something to change Yao's allegiance, and expressed a desire to understand Yao's personal ambitions. Upon arriving at their new, spacious lodging, Qin Sang confronted Yi Liankai, sensing his strange behavior since their arrival in Yizhou. She expressed her frustration, not blaming him, but feeling upset by his constant deception. She desperately wanted to know if everything Fu Rongcai had said on the train was true.
Qin Sang recalled hearing similar accusations in Yongnan but had dismissed them due to the chaos of the time, believing Fu Rongcai had died. She confessed that her words on the train were merely to prevent Fu Rongcai from mocking them. She yearned for Yi Liankai to be honest with her, even wishing he would scold her for believing Fu Rongcai's lies, as long as he told her the truth.
Yi Liankai was then caught in a memory: he had discovered that Qin Housheng, the man Fu Rongcai was setting a trap for, was Qin Sang's father. He had pleaded with his Teacher to abandon the plan, but his Teacher sternly warned him that protecting Qin Housheng would jeopardize Yi Jipei's lifelong ambition and the entire foundation of the Yi family. Soon after, Commander Yao introduced his daughter, Yao Yuping, the Fourth Mistress Yao.
Yao Yuping was visibly excited, having heard from her father that Yi Liankai and Qin Sang were a "match made in heaven." She especially admired Qin Sang's bravery during the siege of Zhishan, where she had bravely ventured to rescue Yi Liankai.
Yi Liankai looked pleased by the compliment, while Qin Sang, feeling a bit embarrassed, downplayed her actions, explaining that General Murong, who had besieged Zhishan, was a family friend of the Yi family, and there was no reason for him to trouble a woman like her. Qin Sang noticed several romance novels on a table and playfully asked Yao Yuping if she longed for a romantic love.
Yao Yuping, with eyes full of longing, confessed that she indeed wished for a passionate, fiery love, just like what she imagined Yi Liankai and Qin Sang shared. Qin Sang, however, remarked thoughtfully that while fire is hot, it can also burn. When Yao Yuping struggled to understand, Yi Liankai elaborated, explaining that loving someone requires immense physical and mental effort, a truth she would only grasp through personal experience.
Yao Yuping questioned why love should be effortful, arguing it should connect hearts. Qin Sang clarified that true connection comes from honesty; someone who claims love while deceiving is not earnest. Yao Yuping mused that she might forgive lies if the person's heart was genuinely devoted to her. Yi Liankai then quoted a poem by Pu Xijing, "I lie to the world, but I can't lie to you. You are my only sacred altar.
I do not dare to have a hypocritical show of affection in front of you," adding another line: "You could gaze toward someone else, but please trust this heart of mine." Later, as they walked outside, Qin Sang told Yi Liankai she wanted to return to Qianping. She admitted that she had resolutely followed him to Yizhou because she trusted him to protect her, but now she was scared.
After all they had been through, she was dismayed to find he still kept secrets from her. Yi Liankai assured her that everything he did was for her, to protect her and spare her pain, lamenting that things often went awry. He asked for her trust, promising to give her an explanation when the time was right and urging her to listen to him, especially during dangerous periods, as her safety was his primary concern.
Qin Sang, however, countered that as his wife, she deserved to share both the good and the bad, emphasizing that it was he who was causing her pain. Yi Liankai reiterated his unwavering desire to protect her. Meanwhile, back in Fuyuan, Yi Jipei stressed that the provincial autonomy plan could no longer be delayed. He intended to force Murong Chen and Li Chongnian to react by demonstrating their own decisive actions.
Yi Lianyi highlighted two major challenges: reforming the financial and tax systems after provincial autonomy, and reducing the power of military officials by separating command and jurisdiction, using the autonomy as justification. Yi Lianshen vehemently opposed this, arguing that while they could lose Jiangzuo or even the entire world, they could not abandon their loyal Fu Army brothers who had fought alongside them through thick and thin.
He believed that as long as the Fu Army's strength remained, they could always reclaim whatever they lost. He cited the historical example of the Song dynasty, where separated military command led to battlefield failures despite brave soldiers and strategic commanders. Yi Lianyi countered that his proposal was precisely to decrease military force.
Yi Lianshen, however, expressed deep concern, reminding them of Murong Chen in the north and the Japanese behind him, questioning how Jiangzuo would defend itself if its military was weakened. Yi Jipei dismissed Yi Lianshen's sensitivity regarding military power, reassuring him that he remained the Fu Army's Young Marshal and Jiangzuo's most vital military safeguard. Yi Lianshen, while admitting his limited understanding of politics, reiterated his conviction: he valued the Fu Army above all else.
Elsewhere, Yi Lianshen sought out Min Hongyu, inquiring about Yi Liankai's well-being since his departure. Min Hongyu informed him that Yi Liankai was in Yizhou, assisting Li Chongnian with the provincial autonomy, and was doing well. She observed that despite his reputation for being iron-willed, Yi Lianshen possessed a soft heart. In Yizhou, Chen Pei suggested that Yi Liankai was inferior to Yi Lianyi, lacking a comprehensive vision and being too inexperienced.
He advised Li Chongnian against trusting him too much. Li Chongnian recalled Min Hongyu's earlier warning that Yi Liankai should not be underestimated, noting that a frivolous exterior often concealed a deep and scheming mind. He acknowledged Yi Liankai as a "fierce tiger," a true disciple of Fan Zhiheng, whom his teacher had greatly favored. Fu Rongcai, present during this conversation, expressed his own resentment that his teacher had taught Yi Liankai everything.
Chen Pei remained confident that Yi Liankai was trapped in Yizhou. However, Li Chongnian worried that he would eventually have to release Yi Liankai, understanding that Yi Liankai's control over the Yi family's wealth and stamp gave him significant leverage, making him untouchable and free to "stay or leave as he wants." Fu Rongcai vehemently warned against releasing him.
Li Chongnian revealed he had tasked Min Hongyu with monitoring Yi Liankai but was surprised to find Yi Liankai completely detached from the ongoing reforms and not opposing them at all. He mused that while Fuyuan was ostensibly Yi Jipei's, all the political reforms were the result of discussions between Yi Jipei and Yi Lianyi.
He lamented that Yi Lianshen, unaware, was slowly losing his power to his elder brother, partly due to Yi Lianyi's physical disability making Yi Lianshen complacent about his rival. Fu Rongcai then outlined his intention to make Yi Lianshen, who had enjoyed a smooth rise to power, acquiring the woman he wanted and becoming the Yi family heir, now "tread on thin ice." Back in Fuyuan, Yi Lianshen furiously tore apart newspapers.
Zhang Linzhi reported that they had apprehended three individuals spreading rumors publicly and confiscated two hundred tabloids, which they had burned. He noted that the rumors, which had swept through Fuyuan overnight, were suspiciously widespread and deeply tarnished Fan Yanyun's reputation, suggesting a hidden mastermind. Yi Lianshen, enraged, demanded that the mastermind be found and executed, and inquired about the fate of the three apprehended individuals.
Zhang Linzhi hesitated, explaining that legally, rumormongers could only be detained for a maximum of three days, and that killing them would not silence public gossip but instead invite more criticism. Yi Lianshen, undeterred by the legal constraints, ordered their tongues to be pulled out. Later, Yi Lianshen attempted to engage Fan Yanyun in discussions about the provincial autonomy, but she demurred, stating it wasn't her area of expertise.
He warned her that she would eventually inherit the family and needed to learn such matters. He then falsely informed her that Li Chongnian, instigated by Fu Rongcai, had imprisoned Yi Liankai. Fan Yanyun reacted with visible alarm, immediately urging Yi Lianshen to find a way to rescue Yi Liankai and dismissing his concerns about his own safety should he confront Li Chongnian.
Disappointed by her response, Yi Lianshen brought up a past incident where their father had forced them to play mahjong for a day and a night, not allowing anyone to leave, and asked if she knew the reason. Fan Yanyun nervously claimed ignorance. Yi Lianshen then took her by the arm and marched her towards Yi Jipei's study. They burst into the study, interrupting Yi Jipei and Yi Lianyi, who were engrossed in a discussion about education reforms.
Yi Jipei angrily ordered Yi Lianshen to leave. Yi Lianshen refused, instead confronting them directly about the pervasive rumors concerning Fan Yanyun, hinting at his father and elder brother's supposed avoidance of the issue. Fan Yanyun, confused, asked what the rumors were. Yi Lianshen then pressed Yi Jipei about the day he had forced them to play mahjong.
Yi Jipei, growing impatient, dismissed it as an obvious plot from the beginning, questioning why Yi Lianshen couldn't see through such a transparent trick. Yi Lianshen, his voice filled with fury, declared that he needed a clear answer today: was the child Fan Yanyun was carrying his, or Yi Liankai's?
Yi Jipei, in a fit of rage, slapped Yi Lianshen, then immediately turned to Fan Yanyun, reassuring her not to be upset and to focus on her pregnancy, promising to be her unwavering support within the Yi family and vowing not to let Yi Lianshen bully her.
