The Wind Blows From Longxi Episode 18 Recap
> The Wind Blows From Longxi Recap
Feng Ying escorted Liu Ying to General Li Yan's villa. Liu Ying, expressing her gratitude, secretly kissed Feng Ying, which immediately made Feng Ying nervous. He warned her that such actions could be fatal, especially since General Li Yan was genuinely fond of her. Feng Ying emphasized that if she wished to thank him, she should discreetly share anything she observed or overheard. Liu Ying assured him of her loyalty.
Feng Ying reiterated that such sentiments must remain unspoken to ensure her safety. After Liu Ying's arrival, General Li Yan, who was playing the zither, warmly greeted her as his "soul mate," insisting she not kneel. He then asked Feng Ying to discuss matters later. Feng Ying, excusing himself to check on the preparation of delicacies, left Li Yan and Liu Ying to converse.
Li Yan invited Liu Ying to sit and offered her the zither, which she initially deemed too precious to touch. However, Li Yan encouraged her to use anything in his villa, mentioning how her previous performance had deeply moved him. He then presented a poem he had written specifically for her, expressing his hope that she would set it to music to be "popular all over the country."
He recited the poem, which spoke of longing, wandering, and finding a soul mate. Liu Ying, visibly emotional, confessed to being an orphan who had lived a wandering life, expressing her gratitude for meeting him and seeking his care. Li Yan swore his devotion to her until "the end of the line." Later, General Li Yan and Feng Ying met privately.
Li Yan instructed Feng Ying to arrange for Liu Ying to move into the villa, finding her current residence unsuitable, and Feng Ying promised to handle it flawlessly. Feng Ying expressed his deep gratitude for Li Yan having previously saved him from accountability. Li Yan admitted to having a "selfish motive" for keeping Feng Ying in Siwencao Intelligence, revealing that his conflict with Zhuge Liang was intensifying and "will break with each other sooner or later."
Feng Ying reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty, prompting Li Yan to mention a "secret edict" from His Majesty aimed at overthrowing Zhuge Liang. Li Yan stressed that the operation must leave "no trace" and subtly expose Zhuge Liang's "crime of deceiving His Majesty" without implicating them. Feng Ying assured Li Yan he understood and would report a detailed plan, with Li Yan placing the "fate of our state" on his shoulders.
While Xun Xu and Chen Gong were discussing the Zhulong case over a meal, Xun Xu expressed his unwavering determination to uncover its full truth, believing his life would be "worthwhile" if he succeeded. Chen Gong, concerned for his friend, advised caution, highlighting the immense pressure Xun Xu would face due to Gao Tangbing's deep connections within the court and the authorities' likely desire to avoid a broader investigation.
Their conversation was interrupted by Pei Xu, who rushed in with the news: "Gao Tangbing killed himself." Later, Chen Gong privately urged Xun Xu to consider this a good development, suggesting that closing the case as a suicide would be "advantageous to you." Meanwhile, Yin Ji informed Feng Ying of Gao Tangbing's death, noting that Xun Xu's relentless investigation had caused widespread "gossiping fiercely" within Siwencao, with some even speculating that Xun Xu "hates" Feng Ying.
Feng Ying decided he would speak with Xun Xu personally. At the scene of Gao Tangbing's death, Xun Xu declared his disbelief, asserting, "Gao Tangbing wouldn't kill himself." Despite Pei Xu's insistence that forensic evidence, including the angle and force of the wood chip insertion and blood spatter, consistently pointed to suicide, Xun Xu remained unconvinced. He pointed out that while the fatal wood chip came from a table leg, Gao Tangbing's hands were remarkably "clean.
It wasn't even scratched," making it impossible for him to have pried it off himself. When Pei Xu questioned how a murderer could have acted without resistance, Xun Xu hypothesized that "sleeping powder" must have been involved. Further investigation with Pei Xu revealed that the incident occurred within a four-hour window. During this time, no one was recorded entering or exiting Gao Tangbing's cell.
Pei Xu also emphasized that as a "felon," Gao Tangbing's cell required "two keys" to open its final barrier, making a covert entry extremely difficult. General Guo Huai brought Huang Yu, the leader of Wuxian Sect, to meet Governor Guo Gang. Huang Yu explained that his sect had been "overthrown overnight" and he sought refuge in the Wei State, known for welcoming talents.
He expressed strong distrust for Chen Gong, stating that if Chen Gong hadn't "disguised himself as Mi Chong and used a lot of schemes," his sect would not have been destroyed. Huang Yu firmly believed Chen Gong was a "sinful man" and "in no way dependable." General Guo Huai interjected, clarifying that Chen Gong "works for us."
Acknowledging Wuxian Sect's heavy losses, Guo Huai promised Huang Yu a "high reward" from the court and instructed him to "let go of Chen Gong," whose actions were "under my command." Guo Huai then declared that Wuxian Sect had "made a great contribution" and might even become the "state religion" once the Wei State unified the country. Huang Yu pledged his obedience.
General Guo Huai further emphasized that despite any "resentment" Huang Yu held for Chen Gong, he must "cooperate with Chen Gong" upon returning to Hanzhong, prioritizing "overall interests" as "sacrifices in any form will be necessary" for their ultimate goal. Chen Gong arrived at General Li Yan's villa and was directed to wait in the study, where he encountered Liu Ying playing the zither.
Chen Gong informed her that "Gao Tangbing is dead," which meant her identity was now "completely safe." However, he noted that Xun Xu "will stick to the case." Liu Ying then revealed that General Li Yan "has a crush on me" and gave Chen Gong the poem Li Yan had written for her, suggesting, "We can use it to control and threaten him." Chen Gong agreed.
Later, Chen Gong declared that they "must overthrow Feng Ying," having waited "three years" for this moment, and emphasized that Feng Ying "mustn't be on guard." He then asked Liu Ying if General Guo Huai had informed her of Feng Ying's "emergency contact channel," to which she replied, "Mount Chiyan at Qingshi Valley." Feng Ying, aware of the internal "gossiping fiercely" within Siwencao Intelligence regarding Xun Xu's persistent Zhulong investigation, summoned Xun Xu.
He stressed the court's concern over the case and the critical need for Siwencao to "be stable" during the upcoming "second Northern Expedition," framing it as "the big picture." While Xun Xu argued that "cases are cases" and neglecting the truth could lead to "big trouble," Feng Ying acknowledged Xun Xu's unwavering resolve, admitting, "I know what a man you are. It's impossible to have you stop now."
However, Feng Ying then laid down a firm request: Gao Tangbing's death must be publicly closed as a suicide, as Chen Gong suggested, to "reassure everyone in our agency." Xun Xu's continued investigation could only "be carried out in secret instead of disturbing our daily work," declaring this "the bottom line." Returning home, Feng Ying was informed by Sun Ling that Chief Yang Yi was waiting for him in his study.
Yang Yi, whose grounding by the Prime Minister had ended, told Feng Ying that "the second Northern Expedition will start momentarily," and it was time to "put an end to" the trap they had meticulously planned for years. Feng Ying revealed the true nature of Guo Huai's Qingping Plan: its targets were not merely military assets like crossbows, but Shu's "senior commanders, especially General Li Yan."
He explained that he and Yang Yi had been "making use of their plan and letting them complete their plans," even to the extent of Feng Ying becoming Li Yan's "henchman" and betraying Yang Yi as part of the strategy. Feng Ying admitted his deep unease, as "the Prime Minister is ignorant of our plan," and their "interlocked stratagems will get a lot of people involved."
He voiced fears that exposure would lead to Li Yan ensuring they "will not let us get away," resulting in an "ignominious death" and implicating both the Prime Minister and all of Siwencao Intelligence. Yang Yi acknowledged the risks but insisted, "we have to take the risk. This is our only chance to overthrow Li Yan." He concluded that since Li Yan had "taken action," they "must put him in jail."
As the Second Northern Expedition approached, Yang Yi was resolute in his goal to eliminate Li Yan. Feng Ying informed Yang Yi that he and Chen Gong had been invited to lunch with Li Yan, where he planned to propose a scheme that would seal Li Yan's fate if activated.
Yang Yi expressed confidence in Feng Ying but voiced concern that Feng Ying himself "can't get away" from the plan, to which Feng Ying stoically replied that his own death was inconsequential if "the Shu State will last." Feng Ying then confided in Yang Yi about "two problems in Siwencao Intelligence" that troubled him: "Chen Gong" and "Xun Xu." Chen Gong's animosity, he noted, stemmed from "his father's death ten years ago," a matter he intended to address later.
However, Xun Xu presented a more immediate threat, as "He's sticking to the case, much faster than my schedule," and "He doesn't let go of Gao Tangbing's death. Soon, he'll track down on me." Feng Ying feared he "can't hold onto the last minute" before Xun Xu uncovered his involvement.
Simultaneously, Xun Xu, still probing Gao Tangbing's death, questioned Pei Xu about the jail's security, emphasizing the formidable challenge of an intruder gaining access to a felon's cell, which required "two keys" to unlock its "last door." At General Li Yan's residence, with Chen Gong present, Feng Ying began to outline his "interlocked stratagems," which he summarized with four words: "Making use of someone else." He proposed a three-step plan.
The first step involved disrupting Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, which aimed to take Chencang County through a secret maneuver. Feng Ying suggested "disclos[ing] this secret to the Wei Army" so they could "wipe out Wei Yan's army." This, he explained, would merely "hold up the Prime Minister so that he can't conquer Chencang County and it will gain time for our second step."
Chen Gong immediately raised two concerns: the risk of being accused of "treason" if the top-secret intel was intercepted by Shu spies, and how to ensure the Cao Wei leadership would "believe the intel we tell them." Feng Ying confidently responded that he possessed "an intelligence channel to contact Guo Huai directly," assuring them, "He will believe it." Li Yan was visibly impressed by this revelation, acknowledging the plan's newfound "feasibility."
For the second step, Feng Ying declared, "we have to count on you, General." He proposed that General Li Yan "ask your henchmen to disguise themselves as the Wu soldiers, attack our checkpoints, and cut off the trade route between Wu and Shu." Following this, they would "spread rumors that the Wu Army will invade us and fake a huge crisis that we have to fight two states at the same time."
Chen Gong, questioning this, noted that Eastern Wu was already allied with Shu against Cao Wei and Emperor Sun Quan was personally leading an army. Feng Ying dismissed this with the adage, "In war, there's always too much deception."
Chen Gong then articulated Feng Ying's intent: the Wu invasion "doesn't need to be real," but the resulting rumors, reaching Chengdu in Zhuge Liang's absence, would prompt His Majesty to "order General Li to negotiate with the Wu Army for final decision." Feng Ying confirmed this. Li Yan, realizing the full scope, understood that he could then "withdraw the army provisions. . . in the name of preparing to fight against Wu and have them sent to the frontline against Wu," a "drastic" move that amounted to "treason."
