The Wind Blows From Longxi Episode 10 Recap
> The Wind Blows From Longxi Recap
Gao Tangbing questioned Xun Xu's audacity in asking for help to save Clerk Feng. Xun Xu argued that Feng Ying was clearly framed, and while Ma Sheng's dying statement wasn't solid proof, he believed the truth would emerge if he were allowed to investigate. Gao Tangbing cautioned that the political climate in Chengdu was shifting, making it unlikely for Xun Xu to handle such a sensitive case.
Xun Xu reminded Gao Tangbing of Feng Ying's past kindness and urged him not to abandon him. Gao Tangbing relented, asking what was needed. Xun Xu instructed him to arrange Feng Ying's discrete departure from the city that very night. Gao Tangbing expressed concern that Clerk Li Miao had already informed General Ma Dai of a city-wide lockdown, but Xun Xu insisted that as the Chief of Military Strategy, Gao Tangbing must devise a solution.
Unbeknownst to Xun Xu, Chief Yin Ji had sent Gao Tangbing to gauge Xun Xu's intentions. Gao Tangbing then proposed a plan: General Ma Dai regularly invited performers from Ziyan House, including its headliner Liu Ying, to entertain his troops at Yangping Pass on the last night of each month, which was that very night. He reminded Xun Xu that Liu Ying was the woman Xun Xu had rescued in Wudu, a detail recorded by Gao Tangbing's department.
Xun Xu produced a bamboo flute, instructing Gao Tangbing to give it to Liu Ying as a token, assuring him she would help. Gao Tangbing jokingly asked if it was a "token of love," to which Xun Xu impatiently dismissed him. Chen Gong, still operating under the guise of Mi, and Huang Yu discussed their intricate plan to steal the crossbow design.
Huang Yu lamented the frequent changes in Shu Army's defense passwords and tallies, but then presented Chen Gong with a key for the stone vault containing the design. He explained the plan: they would first navigate through three lines of defense to enter the head office, then proceed to the scribe room, located in the innermost courtyard, where the design was housed in a secret chamber, guarded by fewer than ten soldiers.
A crack team would be necessary to secure the design. After obtaining it, they would exit through the back door, an open training field leading to an unguarded cliff, from where they would descend using Bamboo Kites. Chen Gong expressed concern about escaping once the alarm was raised, fearing the mountain would be sealed off.
Huang Yu clarified that their role was only to retrieve the design and place it at a designated drop spot, from where Zhulong himself would collect it from Mount Dingjun and deliver it to Tianshui. The specific drop spot, however, remained a secret known only to Zhulong. Chen Gong also worried about the safety of the Bamboo Kites for their descent, but Huang Yu insisted it was their only option and promised to accompany him.
Huang Yu then declared the operation would commence in five days, triggered by Zhulong's signal. In Tianshui, Guo Gang informed Liang Jian that Sima Mi had gone to Hanzhong to rally the Wuxian Sect and would be away for some time, leaving Liang Jian in charge of the Military Intelligence Agency. Guo Gang then revealed that Recorder Chen had died at Yangping Pass.
When Liang Jian praised Chen Gong as a hero, Guo Gang bitterly corrected him, stating that Chen Gong was actually Baidi, the Shu spy. He admitted his error in trusting Chen Gong, confirming that Shu's Siwencao Intelligence had declassified records corroborating Chen Gong's identity, which other sources also verified. Despite this, Guo Gang asserted that the Qingping Plan would proceed.
He then announced his own impending departure, explaining that he was being replaced, escorted back to Chang'an, and stripped of his rank due to Commander Guo's decision. He wistfully recalled fond memories of playing "cuju" with Chen Gong before his somber departure. At the city gate, Chief Yin Ji personally oversaw strict checks of all outgoing vehicles.
Liu Ying, traveling in a carriage with Feng Ying secretly hidden beneath her seat, glanced at Xun Xu smiling in the distance before silently getting into the carriage. She was then stopped by Chief Yin Ji. The driver explained she was a guest of General Ma Dai, en route to Yangping Pass as part of a monthly routine.
Yin Ji initially insisted on a thorough search, but the gate guard intervened, highlighting Liu Ying's status as General Ma Dai's specially appointed guest, which made a personal frisk inappropriate. After checking beneath the carriage, Yin Ji reluctantly permitted the procession to pass, and Liu Ying and Feng Ying successfully exited the city. Feng Ying unexpectedly arrived in Chengdu, seeking an audience with General Li Yan. Li Yan, intrigued, met with him alone.
Feng Ying immediately pleaded his case, presenting Ma Sheng's dying statement as proof that Li Miao had framed him for the missing Baidi code-cracking plates and Liao Hui's murder. Li Yan initially dismissed the evidence as "ridiculous," but Feng Ying insisted on its veracity and suggested a thorough investigation by the Law Enforcement Office to clear his name. Li Yan questioned why Feng Ying, supposedly Yang Yi's subordinate, didn't turn to Yang Yi instead.
Feng Ying denied allegiance to Yang Yi, stating he was a dignified court official, and confessed he risked his life to offer Li Yan crucial insight. He then shrewdly pointed out that Li Yan had leveraged Zhuge Liang's defeat at Jieting to consolidate power and oppose the Northern Expedition. Feng Ying warned that if Yang Yi acquired Ma Sheng's statement, Li Yan's efforts would be undone.
Furthermore, he painted Yang Yi as narrow-minded and arrogant, arguing that Zhuge Liang's persistent Northern Expedition would deplete the state. Finally, Feng Ying offered to provide concrete evidence of Yang Yi's collusion with the Wuxian Sect, which would be invaluable to Li Yan's current campaign to impeach Zhuge Liang. Impressed, Li Yan invited Feng Ying to sit, praising him as a loyal and dedicated statesman.
Back in Nanzheng, Pei Xu expressed relief that Feng Ying had likely reached Chengdu safely and credited Chief Gao Tangbing for his invaluable assistance. He then asked Xun Xu how he had anticipated Gao Tangbing's cooperation. Pei Xu described Gao Tangbing as cautious, logical, and a man of strong strategic vision. Xun Xu corrected Pei Xu, explaining that while Gao Tangbing was indeed cautious, his fundamental trait was always to align himself with the winning side.
With Ma Sheng's dying statement now in their possession, Feng Ying's exoneration was assured, making Li Miao's downfall inevitable. The truth and existing evidence were secondary to this strategic advantage. Xun Xu then bitterly recalled how Li Miao, driven by his vendetta against Yang Yi, had threatened Ma Sheng and caused Liao Hui's death, calling it a heinous crime. He mourned Liao Hui, whom he considered a brother and a martyr for the state.
Pei Xu, however, noted that the Zhulong investigation remained stalled, prompting Xun Xu to voice his suspicion that Zhulong was subtly manipulating all these events from the shadows. At the Wuxian Sect, Chen Gong and Elder Qin feigned drunkenness after a meal. Di Yue, acting as the Saintess, offered to escort Chen Gong back to his room. Once alone, she discreetly asked Chen Gong if he had a reliable way to contact Xun Xu.
Chen Gong confirmed he did and requested her to relay to Xun Xu that his cooperation was essential in the upcoming effort to capture Zhulong, promising to explain the steps. Di Yue expressed concern about Huang Yu's men being present during the operation, but Chen Gong assured her he had it under control. She then handed him a partially burnt bamboo slip, explaining she found it in Huang Yu's fire pit when he attempted to destroy it.
She mentioned it was from Zhulong and contained incomprehensible numbers, hoping it might assist Chen Gong. In Chengdu, Yang Yi nervously awaited Zhuge Liang's return from court, hoping Li Yan's impeachment had been withdrawn. Zhuge Liang, however, delivered grim news. He revealed that Feng Ying had provided Li Yan with Siwencao files, including a surveillance record from November 26th that Yang Yi had personally reviewed.
This record detailed a visit by two Wuxian Sect members to General Wang Ping's residence, an event Yang Yi had marked "Noted. Report not," leading the Agency to file it without reporting. Yang Yi explained he withheld the information to protect Zhuge Liang, fearing Li Yan would exploit it to discredit the Prime Minister's trusted general.
Zhuge Liang countered that Li Yan interpreted this as Yang Yi deliberately covering up the military's secret dealings with the Wuxian Sect, even protecting them, allowing the sect to grow powerful and collude with the Wei Intelligence Agency, thus making Yang Yi ultimately responsible. Zhuge Liang announced that the Emperor had ordered a full-scale elimination of the Wuxian Sect, and as for Yang Yi, he was stripped of his official rank and demoted to a commoner.
Zhuge Liang acknowledged Yang Yi's abilities but criticized his narrow-mindedness and impetuous nature, advising him to spend his newfound free time reading to cultivate a broader perspective. Li Miao gloated over Yang Yi's dismissal, viewing it as a significant blow to Zhuge Liang and a personal victory.
However, Hu Zhong clarified that Yang Yi's downfall wasn't due to Li Miao's earlier attempt to frame Feng Ying or the Wei spy case, but rather Feng Ying's new evidence exposing Yang Yi's secret support for the Wuxian Sect and expansion of the Agency's power, which had enraged the Emperor into ordering their elimination.
Hu Zhong assured Li Miao that General Li Yan had handled the Feng Ying case, covering for Li Miao in court and asking Hu Zhong to relay that Li Miao's safety was guaranteed. Li Yan, in fact, was relying on Li Miao to lead the campaign against the Wuxian Sect. Li Miao, unknowingly indebted and overjoyed by his perceived good fortune, expressed profound gratitude to General Li. Feng Ying and Gao Tangbing shared a drink.
Feng Ying explained that his decision to remove Yang Yi, while seemingly aligning with Li Yan, ultimately also benefited Zhuge Liang by easing pressure, a final act of service from a former subordinate. Gao Tangbing recognized Feng Ying's skill in navigating complex situations. Feng Ying then turned the conversation to Li Miao, acknowledging his own reluctant alliance with Li Yan.
Gao Tangbing pointed out that Li Miao, being Li Yan's protégé, couldn't be openly punished, even for framing Feng Ying, without implicating Li Yan. Feng Ying clarified that Li Miao's role was to lead the Wuxian Sect elimination, ensuring his status as a hero upon their return. Gao Tangbing found General Li's plan for Li Miao to be ruthless, to which Feng Ying responded that those in power are often heartless.
Feng Ying then revealed that he had recommended Gao Tangbing to Li Yan as the ideal person to "handle" Li Miao, effectively orchestrating Li Miao's demise during the Wuxian Sect campaign. He sweetened the offer by promising Li Miao's mansion to Gao Tangbing, telling him it was time to commit to one side. Liu Ying entered, offering to play music for the two men. Gao Tangbing politely declined, stating they were discussing important matters.
After she left, Feng Ying recognized her as the courageous woman who had saved his life. He expressed his desire to reward her by helping her ascend socially. Gao Tangbing, surprised by Feng Ying's keen interest in a mere entertainer, questioned his motives. Feng Ying revealed his intention to introduce her to General Li Yan, who possessed a profound and professional appreciation for music, viewing it as a shrewd strategic move to repay her kindness.
Feng Ying then inquired about Sun Ling, who had endured torture without revealing any information. Feng Ying dismissed Sun Ling's suffering as a necessary tempering for his impetuous nature, promising his release once Feng Ying's own mission was complete. Finally, Feng Ying cautioned Gao Tangbing against revealing his true whereabouts or intentions to Xun Xu, knowing Xun Xu's inability to keep secrets. Instead, he instructed Gao Tangbing to maintain the pretense that Feng Ying's location remained unknown. Once Feng Ying had departed, Liu Ying reappeared and invited Gao Tangbing to stay and rest, to which he agreed.
