The Wind Blows From Longxi Episode 23 Recap
> The Wind Blows From Longxi Recap
General Yang Yi convened a meeting with Chen Gong and other strategists to finalize their deployment against Li Yan. Yang Yi stressed that since Li Yan commanded elite troops, the most effective strategy was to firmly establish his guilt of treason, thereby compelling him to flee on his own.
He confirmed that General Wei Yan had already delivered the provisions across the river and would dispatch elite troops to raid the Wuxian Sect's camp, ensuring the swift elimination of Huang Yu and his followers. Yang Yi then stated that they needed to solidify Li Yan's crime before moving to eradicate Wuxian Sect and Huang Yu. That night, Liu Ying, her face concealed, infiltrated the study in Li Yan’s villa.
When she tried to pry open a lock, she startled the guards outside. Thinking quickly, she poured lamp oil onto a wooden box and set it alight, then escaped through a window. Guards hurried to retrieve a key from Commandant Cheng Fan, but the fire quickly spread. Meanwhile, Li Yan was eagerly anticipating news from Chen Gong about the dam's collapse and the destruction of the provisions.
Instead, he received the devastating news that his study had been set ablaze and crucial secret documents incinerated. Before this, he had received reports that General Hu Zhong had delivered provisions to General Wei Yan, and Chen Gong had confirmed the plan to destroy the dam. Li Yan also learned that his secret report to the Chief Eunuch in Chengdu had led to the Emperor recalling the Prime Minister and granting Li Yan authority over Wu affairs.
But the fire changed everything. Seeing the charred remains, Li Yan realized he had lost his justification for his actions. With Liu Ying nowhere to be found, only the body of her maid, Ying’er, discovered, Li Yan immediately ordered a city-wide search for Liu Ying, offering a thousand taels of gold for her capture, and instructed his subordinates to recall the five thousand crack troops of the Right Wing Three Battalions from Jiangzhou without delay.
At the river dam, Huang Yu finally received the signal from Zhulong, unaware that it also served as the Shu army's call to attack. Caught in a pincer movement, Huang Yu realized he had been deceived by Chen Gong, but it was too late to reverse his fate. Chen Gong drew the sword Di Yue had left him and engaged Huang Yu in a deadly duel.
Huang Yu taunted Chen Gong about his late wife, but Chen Gong vowed to avenge her. As the blade slowly pierced Huang Yu's chest, Chen Gong finally avenged his wife's murder, telling her spirit that she could now rest in peace. Believing their grand scheme was on the verge of success, Hu Zhong and Cheng Fan were drinking and celebrating, discussing how General Wei Yan should have crossed the river with the provisions.
Suddenly, Ma Dai, accompanied by his guards, stormed into their tent. He apprehended Hu Zhong on the spot, accusing him of assisting Li Yan in colluding with Cao Wei to destroy the provisions and obstruct the Northern Expedition. Hu Zhong protested, claiming he was acting under an imperial edict, but Ma Dai demanded to see it. Realizing Yang Yi had entrapped him, Hu Zhong cursed Yang Yi as he was taken away.
Yang Yi and Ma Dai then turned their horses and returned to Nanzheng, signaling that the final phase of their operation was imminent. At the same time, Xun Xu, dragging his injured leg, painstakingly crawled out of the dark cave. Breathing a sigh of relief as he saw daylight again, he asked his rescuers to find Chen Gong.
Meanwhile, Pei Xu, observing the movements within Nanzheng, saw three smoke signals rise from the South Peak outside the city, instantly recognizing them as Xun Xu's distress call. He quickly mobilized his men to rescue his chief. In Nanzheng, a frantic Li Yan confronted the returning Chen Gong, eagerly asking about the situation at Dasanguan Pass. Chen Gong deceived Li Yan, asserting that the dam had broken and the provisions were submerged, making Li Yan believe their plan had succeeded.
However, Li Yan revealed that both Feng Ying and Liu Ying were in fact Wei spies. He explained that the burned box not only contained the secret imperial edict but also a righteous declaration bearing the seals of various generals, leaving him with no path of retreat. Li Yan expressed his fear of being branded a rebel if he fought, and lamented that all his plans had changed within two hours.
Ma Dai, well aware of the formidable strength of Li Yan's forces, suggested a swift resolution to their operation, fearing that if Li Yan deployed his elite Right Wing Three Battalions, the outcome would become uncertain. Yang Yi deeply understood that a genuine conflict with Li Yan would be detrimental to the Han dynasty. He wished to avoid open warfare but recognized the necessity of applying pressure on Li Yan.
Patrols reported that Li Yan had deployed all his guards and crossbows to his villa, and the Right Wing Three Battalions was moving towards Nanzheng West Gate, creating a standoff. Yang Yi, however, insisted they wait for Li Yan to make his move. Li Yan was like a headless fly, unable to make a decision. He was unwilling to abandon the situation he had meticulously cultivated, yet he also dreaded being branded a traitor.
Chen Gong, observing Li Yan's hesitation, delivered the final, decisive blow. He informed Li Yan that there was no turning back—the provisions were destroyed, and Hu Zhong had been captured. If Hu Zhong were to reveal the entire plan, Li Yan would be defenseless. Chen Gong proposed that Li Yan, riding alone, should leave the city via a secluded mountain path to Chengdu to meet the Emperor and explain his true intentions.
In the meantime, Chen Gong would take command of the troops and hold Nanzheng for six hours, buying Li Yan crucial time. Moved to tears, Li Yan expressed his profound gratitude, noting that he had twice been saved from dire situations by Chen Gong and his father. As Li Yan finally departed, Chen Gong knew his scheme had been successfully executed.
As Yang Yi led his forces into Nanzheng, he saw Chen Gong sitting composedly in the villa and rejoiced at the success of their counterintelligence operation. Yang Yi praised Chen Gong, saying that he had prevented a catastrophe and predicted that Chen Gong would become a legendary figure for Shu Han. He also confirmed that all those who knew Chen Gong's true identity had been silenced.
However, at that very moment, Xun Xu, having escaped his confinement and leading soldiers of Siwencao Intelligence along with Yin Ji, stormed into the villa, vowing to arrest Chen Gong. Yang Yi lamented Chen Gong's softheartedness, which had left such a dangerous loose end. He warned that if the plan were exposed now, not only would Feng Ying's sacrifice be in vain, but a great many people would also lose their lives.
Chen Gong confessed that he could not bring himself to harm Xun Xu, explaining that his wife Di Yue had died for their country, and Xun Xu was her only elder brother. He felt he could not face Di Yue in the afterlife if he were to personally kill Xun Xu. Chen Gong then proposed his final solution to Yang Yi. Meanwhile, Xun Xu, impatient with the delay, ordered his commandants to seize Chen Gong, and his men charged forward.
