Siege in Fog Episode 7 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
After keeping vigil all night in Mr. Fan's mourning hall, Yi Jipei spoke with Fan Yanyun the following morning. He had arranged water and land rituals for her father's final journey, with the funeral scheduled for the seventh day. Yi Jipei emphasized that Mr. Fan, his senior and a benefactor to the Yi family in Jiangzuo, deserved a grand burial. Fan Yanyun, however, stated her father disliked elaborate, traditional ceremonies.
She wished for him to rest peacefully, without a long funeral procession or the exchange of conventional greetings and gifts, but requested musicians to perform funeral music. As her father was a palace graduate, she also asked that a nobleman be invited to hold his memorial tablet, according to custom. Fan Yanyun then solemnly vowed that she and the Fan family's younger generation would make the murderer pay the blood debt with their own blood.
Yi Jipei discussed the matter of finding a memorial tablet holder with his three sons. Given Mr. Fan's status as a palace graduate, the selected person had to be at least a "tanhua" (third-highest rank in imperial examination). They searched Fuyuan but found no suitable candidates, with even the highest-ranked person they found only scoring fourth, and others lacking sufficient experience.
Yi Liankai then recalled Mr. Fan mentioning an Old Mr. Cheng from Yongnan, who had scored top marks in the examination twenty-five years prior. Yi Liankai suggested Old Mr. Cheng as a fitting choice to his father. Yi Jipei agreed, stating that Old Mr. Cheng's status was beyond question and his past connection with Mr. Fan made him perfectly appropriate. He instructed his eldest son to immediately send a telegram inviting Old Mr. Cheng to perform the ritual.
Yi Lianshen, seeking to demonstrate sincerity, interrupted, announcing his intention to personally travel to Yongnan to invite Old Mr. Cheng, promising to arrive in two days. Yi Liankai expressed his gratitude to Yi Lianshen for his efforts. Later, Yi Liankai remarked to his eldest brother that Yi Lianshen's impulsiveness contrasted with Fan Yanyun's calm, yet his eldest brother suggested that Fan Yanyun's calm demeanor hid bizarre and extreme views, making her unpredictable.
Meanwhile, Yi Lianshen was seen instructing his staff to prepare gifts and a car for his departure to Yongnan the next morning. The following morning, as Yi Lianshen prepared to leave for Yongnan, his uncle intervened. The uncle warned Yi Lianshen that his absence would allow Yi Liankai an opportunity to gain favor with Yi Jipei. Yi Lianshen dismissed this concern, stating Yi Liankai was an adult and two days wouldn't cause chaos.
His uncle pressed, asking whose idea it was to invite Old Mr. Cheng, implying it was Yi Liankai's strategy. Yi Lianshen clarified that going to Yongnan in person was his own decision, unrelated to Yi Liankai. He revealed that he had stopped Yi Jipei from sending a telegram, intending to go himself to demonstrate sincerity. The uncle criticized Yi Lianshen's rashness. He urged Yi Lianshen to prioritize the bigger picture, cancel his trip, and send a telegram first.
If Old Mr. Cheng agreed, then Yi Lianshen could depart, a delay of only half a day. After careful consideration, Yi Lianshen agreed to his uncle's advice. Meanwhile, Qin Sang and Yi Liankai knelt before Mr. Fan's memorial tablet. Qin Sang was consumed by guilt, believing that if she hadn't insisted on sharing Mr. Fan's car, he wouldn't have been distracted, preventing the murderer from striking. She felt her heart would only find peace if she continued to kneel.
Yi Liankai comforted her, explaining that the assassination was meticulously planned, with the timing of the gunshot predetermined. He believed Mr. Fan would have died regardless of her presence. Qin Sang lamented that Fan Yanyun did not share this view, expressing how her second sister-in-law had been targeting her and holding a grudge, making her feel like a thorn in Fan Yanyun's side. Yi Liankai assured her that Fan Yanyun, being a smart person, would eventually come around.
Noticing Qin Sang's fatigue, Yi Liankai urged her to return and rest. As Qin Sang attempted to rise, her legs were numb from kneeling, causing her to stumble. Yi Liankai offered to carry her back, but Qin Sang declined, stating they were in Mr. Fan's solemn mourning hall. As she prepared to leave, she noticed Fan Yanyun nearby and greeted her. After Qin Sang's departure, Fan Yanyun entered the mourning hall and knelt beside Yi Liankai.
She revealed a past fantasy of them kneeling together before her father, but in a joyous wedding ceremony, surrounded by blessings. She expressed bitter irony that her dream had come true, yet in such a starkly different, tragic reality. Yi Liankai reminded her that she was his second sister-in-law and should not speak to him in such a manner. Fan Yanyun retorted that her heart was already dead, and it no longer mattered what she said.
She lamented her father's life, spent as the Yi family's strategist, even using her marriage and love in his schemes, knowing her true affections. Yi Liankai interjected, mentioning Yi Lianshen's volunteerism to personally travel to Yongnan to invite Old Mr. Cheng, suggesting that his sincerity was sufficient. With that, Yi Liankai left the hall. Upon returning to his room, Yi Liankai found Qin Sang waiting. She noted that people perform funeral rites for the living.
She explained her own kneeling was out of guilt and her father-in-law Yi Jipei's from remembrance, then asked Yi Liankai why he knelt for Mr. Fan. Yi Liankai stated Mr. Fan was his teacher and had shown him kindness in his teachings, thus he ought to kneel. Qin Sang cynically questioned if it was truly gratitude, pointing out his reputation for gambling and dissolute behavior, which had earned Mr. Fan's deep disappointment.
She implied that his current display was merely an act for others to witness, given their lack of closeness when Mr. Fan was alive. Yi Liankai then directly asked if she believed he was merely acting. Yi Liankai then revealed a deeper connection with Mr. Fan, explaining he was not only his teacher but also his savior.
He recounted how, at age twelve, Yi Lianshen had been severely beaten by their father for visiting an opium den, unable to rise from bed for half a month. In contrast, Yi Liankai was always indulged, permitted to do as he pleased. This preferential treatment stemmed from a scandal involving his mother, the Third Concubine. The First Madam had accused his mother of adultery, fabricating evidence.
His mother, a woman of principle, refused to kneel or admit to such a dishonorable charge, stating she would rather die. Yi Jipei, hearing the accusations, nearly shot the Third Concubine himself but was stopped by Mr. Fan. Qin Sang then recalled the scene where the Third Concubine, holding young Yi Liankai, declared they were innocent of any crime and urged her son not to show fear.
Despite Mr. Fan's intervention, his mother, unable to bear the insult, tragically took her own life. Yi Liankai continued, revealing that his father returned to the army camp even before the customary seventh day after his mother's death. He described how his imposing father, on that day, appeared broken, like an army deserter.
He concluded that his father's current extraordinary kindness towards him was not out of genuine affection but out of guilt, viewing Yi Liankai as a living memorial hall for his mother. Yi Jipei, he asserted, owed him his mother's life. After this emotional confession, Yi Liankai fainted. Hearing the commotion, Fan Yanyun rushed to check on Yi Liankai.
Qin Sang intercepted her, stating that as Yi Liankai's wife, she would personally care for him and Fan Yanyun need not trouble herself. Knowing that Fan Yanyun planned to keep vigil in the cold mourning hall that night, Qin Sang thoughtfully provided her with a blanket and instructed Auntie Zhu to see Fan Yanyun out, explaining she needed to attend to Yi Liankai. Later, Yi Liankai awoke to find Qin Sang asleep beside him.
Touched by her presence and care, a warmth spread through him, and he gently clasped her hand before drifting back to sleep. Soon after, a telegram arrived from Yongnan, stating that Old Mr. Cheng had been ill and bedridden for a week, rendering him unable to come and perform the memorial tablet ritual for Mr. Fan. With the seventh day rapidly approaching, Fan Yanyun despaired, fearing her father would be left a "nameless and solitary wandering ghost."
Yi Jipei, displeased by the situation, instructed his eldest son to retrieve the complete list of former Qing dynasty palace graduates and meticulously check each name, refusing to believe they couldn't find a suitable person. At this juncture, Qin Sang suggested her own father, Qin Housheng. She mentioned that her father was a "tanhua" from the third year of Guangxu, and while he might not possess the seniority or distinction of Mr. Fan, she believed his credentials would suffice.
She added that the final decision should rest with Yi Jipei and Fan Yanyun. Yi Jipei considered Qin Housheng, noting his current position as Minister of Culture and his esteemed background, deeming him appropriate. However, he reiterated that Fan Yanyun's consent was paramount, even offering to bring Old Mr. Cheng and his bed to Fuyuan if she insisted.
Fan Yanyun, despite her underlying reluctance, agreed, advising against offending Old Mr. Cheng and acknowledging the convenience of Qin Housheng being a family member and residing nearby. After the decision was made, Qin Sang made a phone call to her father, urging him to come to Fuyuan immediately for an important matter. Following the call, she spoke with Yi Liankai, remarking that her father had simply offered platitudes about harmonious marriage and wifely duties, which made her sad.
She felt she was increasingly resembling her mother, becoming the person she had always tried to avoid. Yi Liankai playfully teased her, suggesting he thought he was the person she wanted to avoid. He then thanked Qin Sang for her intervention at the dinner table, which helped diffuse a tense situation.
He explained that his recent feigned illness was a necessary tactic, as his recent display of capability during the Zhishan siege had raised doubts in his father and second brother. A capable son should be a good thing, he mused, but a vigorous father with ambitious sons could lead to conflict.
Qin Sang clarified that her actions were not to help him but to restore order when things became chaotic, and her father's involvement would also help him regain favor with Yi Jipei. Yi Liankai then embraced Qin Sang, asking if she harbored any genuine feelings for him beyond using him. Qin Sang responded that it was a truth they both acknowledged, and there was no need to repeat it, causing Yi Liankai to release her.
The next day, Fan Yanyun inquired about Yi Liankai's health, and Qin Sang assured her he had fully recovered. As Qin Sang prepared to leave, Fan Yanyun stopped her and sincerely apologized for her previous harsh attitude. She explained that she had now come to terms with things and was determined to personally find her father's killer. She thanked Qin Sang for arranging for her father to perform the memorial tablet ritual, promising to repay the favor.
Qin Sang felt a sense of relief, explaining that she and Yi Liankai shared the same mind on this, and seeing his distress, she felt it was her duty to alleviate his worries. She shared how Yi Liankai had recently taken her shopping and picked out a necklace she liked, reassuring her of his affection. Fan Yanyun then reminisced about her childhood with Yi Liankai and Yi Lianshen.
She recalled playing mischievous games with Yi Liankai, and how he had once saved her from a dangerous fall, injuring his forehead in the process. She noted Yi Liankai's change in temperament after his mother's death, describing how he would distance himself from those he cared about. Fan Yanyun concluded by advising Qin Sang to cherish the present and avoid future regrets. Later, in her room, Qin Sang saw Yi Liankai lying in bed, seemingly asleep.
She felt an inexplicable urge to examine the wound on his forehead and gently reached out to touch it. Suddenly, Yi Liankai opened his eyes and pulled her down onto the bed.
