Siege in Fog Episode 43 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
Fan Yanyun confronted Qin Sang, accusing her of always using Yi Liankai and having no idea what he truly felt. Qin Sang admitted that she had initially intended to use him, but after various events, she realized she couldn't help but trust him, sometimes even feeling as if they had known each other for a long time.
Fan Yanyun scoffed, asking if Qin Sang had known Yi Liankai longer than she had, but then dismissed the point, questioning what difference knowing someone earlier made anyway. Suddenly, Advisor Yao and two of his subordinates burst into the room, with the subordinates pointing their guns directly at Qin Sang. Surprised, Qin Sang questioned why Advisor Yao was acting this way given his past alliance with Yi Liankai.
Advisor Yao immediately ordered his men to put down their guns, asking if Chief-of-staff Chen or he was the Chief Military Advisor, thus asserting his authority. Murong Qian and Sixth Aunt rushed in upon hearing the commotion, anxiously asking Qin Sang what was wrong. Qin Sang suddenly clutched her chest, feeling nauseous. Sixth Aunt angrily berated Advisor Yao and his men, warning them that if Third Young Mistress had a miscarriage, they would bear the responsibility.
At that moment, Yi Liankai stormed in, aiming his gun at Advisor Yao's head. Advisor Yao quickly adopted a fawning demeanor, explaining that it was all a misunderstanding and he had only come to congratulate them on Qin Sang's pregnancy. He also reminded Yi Liankai of his marriage agreement with Advisor Yao's daughter, stating that he would never do anything that would offend the heavens or reason. Both Qin Sang and Yi Liankai seemed visibly uncomfortable with this revelation.
After Advisor Yao left, Sixth Aunt urged Yi Liankai to acknowledge the news, congratulating him on becoming a father. Later, back in their bedroom, Yi Liankai sincerely apologized to Qin Sang for hitting her on the train, unaware that she was pregnant. He reached out to touch her belly, but she recoiled. He promised that he would never leave her alone again, nor would he allow her to face such dangers by herself.
He tried to explain that his actions on the train were meant to protect her. Qin Sang, however, spoke coldly, telling him that he couldn't protect her, nor could he protect anyone. With tears in her eyes, she listed those he had failed to protect: her father, his father Yi Jipei, Mr. Fan, and even everyone in their household. Heartbroken, Yi Liankai embraced Qin Sang tightly, repeatedly apologizing and swearing to do everything in his power to protect her.
Qin Sang then suggested they visit Father. Qin Sang led Yi Liankai to Yi Jipei's room. Yi Liankai felt a pang of sorrow seeing his father asleep and gently touched his hand. Yi Jipei awoke and looked at Yi Liankai. Qin Sang explained that Yi Jipei had suffered a stroke and could no longer speak.
Yi Liankai immediately ordered that none of the doctors who had previously treated the Chief Marshal were allowed into the room, and instead sent someone to the Church Hospital to fetch Dr. Zhou. Soon, Dr. Zhou arrived and, after examining Yi Jipei, stated that while the stroke was severe, he could gradually recover if he maintained a relaxed mood. The priority now was to find a close and reliable person to care for him, which would aid his recovery.
Yi Liankai realized that only Miss Huaixiu could provide such care, and she was currently in Yizhou. He reassured Murong Qian and Qin Sang not to worry, promising to handle the matter. Meanwhile, a soldier reported that a man wearing a Young Marshal's uniform had been found and killed in the woods outside the city. Yi Liankai asked if it was Yi Lianshen, and the soldier replied no. Yi Liankai sighed with relief.
To gauge his father's true feelings, Yi Liankai subtly informed Yi Jipei that a man in a Young Marshal's uniform had been killed. Yi Jipei became agitated. Yi Liankai then reassured his father that the man killed was merely Yi Lianshen's trusted aide, not his brother. Yi Lianyi was found burning books that had been with him for many years. Yi Liankai questioned his actions, noting his surprise.
Yi Lianyi understood that Yi Liankai was concerned about Li Chongnian's growing power in Jiangzuo and the possibility of him taking over the empire their father had built. Yi Liankai worried that if Li Chongnian's ambitions were realized, his military and political influence would rival Murong Chen, leaving the Yi family in a precarious position. Yi Lianyi, however, self-deprecatingly remarked that his past aspirations were laughable, merely "talking tactics on paper" while relying on his father's strength.
He declared that he would no longer discuss politics and was ashamed to accept any support from Yi Liankai, believing himself unworthy. Qin Sang interjected, emphasizing that with so few family members left, they should have no more secrets, as past ones had already caused deep rifts. Yi Lianyi then revealed a long-held secret: Yi Lianshen was the illegitimate son of their mother and Sixth Uncle.
He had discovered clues in Sixth Uncle's military diary and Mr. Fan's notes, further confirmed by his research into Sixth Uncle's movements in old Jiangzuo newspapers. This explained why Mr. Fan had favored Yi Liankai, the son of a concubine, over Yi Lianshen, the main wife's son. Yi Liankai questioned why Mr. Fan, knowing so much, never told their father.
Yi Lianyi explained that the Zhang family, his mother's clan, held significant power, and Mr. Fan wouldn't want Yi Jipei to fall out with them. Furthermore, for a man, having an unfaithful wife was considered extremely bad luck. Given Mr. Fan's pragmatic nature, he would never reveal such a secret, even if he knew it to be true.
Yi Liankai reflected that he had always thought Mr. Fan favored him out of pity for his status as a concubine's son, never imagining the deeper secrets involved. Yi Lianyi then recounted a fortune-telling by Shi Busuan that took place after his own equestrian accident.
Shi Busuan had predicted that Yi Lianyi possessed the qualities of a True Officer, having the talent to lead and a benevolent nature, but that he would experience both victories and defeats and be better at defense than offense. For Yi Lianshen, he foresaw a "natural-born fighting talent" who could easily gain and lose support, achieving both civil and military accomplishments if he maintained popular backing.
For Yi Liankai, if he were a boy, his future would be "extremely noble," but he must guard against facial disfigurement before the age of eighteen. Shi Busuan also spoke of another "extremely noble" fate he had encountered in the north, belonging to Murong Feng, son of Marshal Murong. Murong Feng, like Yi Liankai, carried "noble fortune within peril" and a "king's appearance," but was destined for a lack of descendants and potential financial misfortune, though it could be dispelled.
Qin Sang dismissed fortune-telling as mere superstition, but Yi Lianyi insisted that everything changed after Shi Busuan's arrival. Yi Lianyi believed that the "extremely valuable fates" predicted for Yi Liankai and Murong Feng were merely a façade. He argued that the true "extremely noble" fate in the Yi family should have been his, or at least Yi Lianshen's, even after his accident.
He deduced that Shi Busuan's sudden appearance and emphasis on Yi Liankai, who was neither the eldest nor the son of the main wife, was a deliberate "setup" orchestrated by Murong Chen to sow discord and incite a succession struggle within the Yi family. He explained that before Shi Busuan's visit, Murong Chen had decided to marry his daughter, Murong Qian, to Yi Lianyi.
Under the pretext of marriage arrangements, Murong Chen obtained the birth dates of Yi Lianshen and Yi Liankai. Yi Lianyi claimed that Murong Chen frequently sent people to inquire about Murong Qian's well-being, but in reality, he was using this as a cover to monitor the Yi family. Overhearing this, Murong Qian left the room in distress.
Qin Sang followed her to offer comfort, emphasizing that Yi Lianyi had already lost his political ideals, and if he were to lose her as well, he would truly have nothing left. Yi Lianyi continued to explain to Yi Liankai that their mother, initially unconcerned by Third Mother's favored status, became jealous when the matter of succession arose. Their father was often away fighting battles, and their mother feared that Third Mother would discover Yi Lianshen's true parentage.
Consequently, she conspired with her brother, Zhang Xikun, to murder Third Mother. This dark secret was why Yi Lianyi felt unworthy of Yi Liankai's support. Meanwhile, Murong Chen and Shi Busuan discussed their strategic plans. Murong Chen reflected that while Yi Jipei was a lifelong hero, he was ultimately undone by his two "useless" sons. Shi Busuan advised that with Yi Jipei incapacitated, they must now prepare for Li Chongnian's rise to power.
He explained that Li Chongnian, who had been in Jiangzuo for over a decade, had only lent his army to Yi Liankai with the intention of making him a puppet. Shi Busuan noted that Gao Peide of Changye currently defended Jiangzuo, and attacking him would mean fighting on two fronts. However, given Yi Liankai's independent spirit, he would never willingly be controlled by Li Chongnian.
Therefore, if they could persuade Yi Liankai to join their side, they could bypass Gao Peide and easily penetrate Jiangzuo, securing victory. Murong Chen praised Shi Busuan, reflecting that Fan Zhiheng and Fu Rongcai wrongly claimed to be Jiangzuo strategists, as the world didn't know Shi Busuan was the true top strategist, whose long years of anonymity were for the benefit of the Cheng Army.
He promised to bestow upon Shi Busuan the official title of the world's greatest strategist in the future. Shi Busuan, grateful for Murong Chen's words, proposed a new strategy called "divide the water to get the fish," an evolution of their previous "fishing in troubled waters" tactic. He urged Murong Chen to immediately send Young Marshal Murong Feng to Jiangzuo, striking before Li Chongnian could firmly establish his power in Fuyuan.
This, Shi Busuan proclaimed, would reveal to the world who was the "Heaven-sent extraordinary talent" destined to end the chaotic times. Back at the Yi family residence, Qin Sang sat at her vanity, reading a telegram from Deng Yulin that assured her of her safety after returning from Yizhou. Yi Liankai approached and embraced her, telling her not to worry.
Qin Sang explained she had never replied to Yulin's many telegrams while she was in Yizhou and felt it was time to inform her of her safety. Yi Liankai reiterated his promise to protect her and their child. Playfully, he asked if she cared more for him or their unborn child.
Qin Sang responded that he held an irreplaceable position in her heart, but confessed her worry that once their child was born, she might care for the child more than herself. She declared that with the child, she was different; she couldn't die and must live, and live well, for the child's sake. She couldn't disregard everything as she might have before. Yi Liankai understood, promising to give her the best of everything and to love and protect her wholeheartedly.
Qin Sang, however, voiced her concern about their safety, given that the soldiers currently under Yi Liankai's command were all from Li Chongnian's army. Later, Gao Shaoxuan arrived at the Yi family residence, accompanying Yao Sijie. Qin Sang inquired about Gao Shaoxuan's plans, who stated his intention to remain in Jiangzuo, though he hadn't finalized the details. Qin Sang, concerned about the volatile situation in Jiangzuo, suggested that living abroad might be more suitable for him, recalling his studies overseas.
Yao Sijie also expressed a desire to travel extensively but noted that her father forbade it. Gao Shaoxuan revealed that his father, Gao Peide, had once been an extremely ruthless and violent man, responsible for many killings and conflicts. However, Gao Shaoxuan was the seventh son, with the first six having died shortly after birth, leading his father to treasure him greatly and become noticeably gentler.
His mother, he explained, believed he was "an object sent by heaven to placate" his father, and he feared that if he left, his father might revert to his unscrupulous ways. Qin Sang praised Gao Shaoxuan for being "low-profile and modest" and a "profound person." After Gao Shaoxuan's departure, Qin Sang asked Yao Sijie about her impression of him after their journey together.
Yao Sijie shyly admitted that she didn't prefer "well-mannered and elegant rich men" like him; what she truly desired was "a great hero with an indomitable spirit." On a train to Jiangzuo, Shi Busuan instructed Murong Feng on his mission: first, to win over Yi Liankai, and second, to achieve fame through a decisive battle, showcasing the Murong family's future to the world. Murong Feng acknowledged the gravity of his task and vowed to act cautiously.
He recounted his respect for Yi Liankai's tactical abilities demonstrated during the Zhishan crisis and expressed a desire to allow Yi Liankai and his wife to live after taking over Jiangzuo. Shi Busuan, however, stated firmly that Yi Liankai could not be allowed to live. When Murong Feng questioned this, Shi Busuan explained that while Murong Feng surpassed Yi Liankai in capabilities and talents, he "lacked 'spring and autumn'." He elaborated that "spring is life, and autumn is death."
Murong Feng had been pampered and only experienced favorable circumstances, whereas Yi Liankai, despite his privileged background, had endured and survived against adversity. Murong Feng, Shi Busuan concluded, possessed only "spring," but Yi Liankai had both "spring and autumn," which was why Yi Liankai could not be allowed to live. Separately, Fu Rongcai advised Yi Liankai that if he was unwilling to govern Fuyuan, he could offer his resignation.
He urged Yi Liankai to always think thrice before acting, reminding him that Yi Lianshen's recklessness had led to his downfall. As brothers, Fu Rongcai did not wish for Yi Liankai to follow in his footsteps.
