The Wind Blows From Longxi Episode 24 (Ending) Recap
> The Wind Blows From Longxi Recap
Li Yan, making a desperate solo escape, found his path blocked by Ma Dai’s forces on a small road, as arranged by Yang Yi. Cornered, Li Yan angrily threw down his sword, protesting that he had been loyal to the late emperor since following him, always intending to destroy Cao Wei and extinguish Eastern Wu. He declared that his fervent heart remained unchanged despite Zhuge Liang’s persuasiveness. Ma Dai, however, urged him to surrender and await punishment.
Li Yan eventually conceded, demanding to be taken to Zhuge Liang. Meanwhile, the Northern Expedition concluded hastily due to the Li Yan incident, and Zhuge Liang’s army quietly returned to Chengdu. Upon Zhuge Liang’s return, Yang Yi presented evidence, reporting that ""Chen Gong"" was the mastermind. He had planted Wei spy Liu Ying in Li Yan’s residence and secretly communicated with Guo Huai to pass on Shu Han military intelligence.
Yang Yi further detailed how Li Yan had ordered Jiangzhou soldiers to pose as the Wu Army and arbitrarily transferred Dingjunshan's army provisions to Jiangzhou without permission, aiming to cut off Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expedition retreat. He confirmed a three-step plan, supported by Hu Zhong’s testimony, and identified Chen Gong, Li Yan’s favorite pupil and Siwencao Western Chief Clerk, as the mastermind.
He accused Chen Gong of instigating Li Yan to secretly move the right three battalions to surround Nanzheng to fight General Ma Dai, colluding with Huang Yu and Wuxian Sect remnants to dam the Mian River upstream to cut off General Wei Yan's supply route, framing Feng Ying for assassinating Siwencao Commandant Xun Xu, and using the Wei spy Liu Ying as a honey-trap for Li Yan. Yang Yi stressed that all facts were confirmed.
Zhuge Liang questioned Chen Gong’s loyalty, recalling Yang Yi’s past praise for him, then inquired about Li Yan’s capture. Yang Yi explained Li Yan’s escape from Nanzheng by climbing over the city wall and subsequent capture by Ma Dai on a small road. He then presented a love poem Li Yan wrote to Liu Ying. Zhuge Liang sternly confronted Yang Yi about using Siwencao Intelligence, a national weapon, for internal court struggles, asking if such tactics were appropriate.
Yang Yi defended his actions, stating Li Yan’s arrogance and self-interest, his attempts to consolidate power by proposing combining five counties to form Bazhou (and become its governor after Zhuge Liang's refusal), his roping in Sichuan gentry and Jingzhou former subordinates, stirring up the debate between Southern and Northern Expeditions, and urging Zhuge Liang to accept nine bestowments and title of King (while secretly wanting it for himself), all threatened Zhuge Liang’s authority and national stability, making him a dangerous figure who must be removed.
Zhuge Liang, now understanding the depth of the political machinations and Li Yan's ambition, emphasized the need for a bottom line in power struggles and principles in conduct, urging Yang Yi to reflect on his actions. A disappointed Yang Yi sank to the floor, muttering that his actions were for the restoration of the Han Dynasty. Following these events, Feng Ying was reinstated to Siwencao, but Xun Xu was ordered to steer clear of the case and not interfere.
A month later, Zhuge Liang finally met Li Yan. Li Yan angrily accused Zhuge Liang of using Siwencao Intelligence for court intrigue, saying such cunning tactics were inappropriate and would be scorned by all. Zhuge Liang denied prior knowledge of Yang Yi’s use of Siwencao, admitting the methods were inappropriate, but asserted the outcome was correct.
He argued that if Li Yan had not harbored rebellious intentions, Siwencao could not have instigated him to collude with Cao Wei, cut off military supplies, or fake a Wu invasion. Zhuge Liang pointed out Li Yan’s secret factionalism and his strong advocacy for a Southern campaign to break the alliance with Eastern Wu, which he considered an attack on the state’s foundation.
He insisted that Li Yan’s arrest was necessary to prevent national ruin, framing it as a matter of the state’s survival, not personal vendetta. Li Yan challenged Zhuge Liang’s insistence on the Northern Expedition, questioning its guaranteed success. Zhuge Liang calmly explained that while no national policy is perfect, an alliance with Wu against Wei would secure Shu Han’s peace for at least thirty years.
He warned that breaking the alliance to march east into Jingxiang would invite Wei to seize Hanzhong, leading to Shu Han’s collapse within three years. He questioned what face Li Yan would have to meet the late emperor then, concluding that personal reputation was insignificant compared to their shared duty to serve the Han Dynasty until death. Li Yan finally grasped Zhuge Liang’s true intent, but it was too late for him.
Xun Xu, who had been waiting for over a month, excluded from the case by Feng Ying, finally met Yang Yi. Yang Yi informed him that Chen Gong’s case was closing, and the verdict was immediate decapitation, with his head abandoned in public. Xun Xu demanded to see Chen Gong, and Yang Yi permitted it. In prison, a shackled Chen Gong sat on a straw mat.
Xun Xu confronted him, reeling off a list of accusations: betraying Shu Han, disloyalty, injustice for trying to kill him, heartlessness for colluding with Wei so soon after Di Yue’s death, and unfilial conduct for trapping Li Yan, who had treated him like a son, especially since Chen Gong’s own father had saved Li Yan. Xun Xu questioned if Chen Gong genuinely embodied such treachery.
Chen Gong retorted that Xun Xu would not believe him even if he explained, but under Xun Xu’s insistence, he offered a false confession. He claimed he was ordered to infiltrate Wei, became Guo Huai’s guard captain, and was caught during a mission. Guo Huai then showed him a secret document revealing Feng Ying sold out his father, leading to his father’s death for Li Yan in the Zizhong rebellion.
Chen Gong claimed this ignited his desire for revenge, leading him to become Zhulong, use Xun Xu for cooperation, and plan to kill Feng Ying and turn Li Yan against Shu Han. Xun Xu, however, refused to believe this superficial account, stating he would investigate thoroughly, knowing Chen Gong’s true nature. Xun Xu then laid out his own deduction, based on weeks of reflection.
He believed that after the Jieting incident during the previous Northern Expedition, Guo Huai initiated the Qingping Plan. Chen Gong, fueled by a personal vendetta against Feng Ying for his father’s death, was trusted by Guo Huai. Chen Gong was sent to the Wuxian Sect, ostensibly to steal Shu Han's crossbow designs, but actually, as Chen Gong himself had admitted, to sacrifice the entire sect and Gao Tangbing (the then-Zhulong) to become a hero and replace Feng Ying.
Xun Xu’s cooperation inadvertently bolstered Guo Huai’s confidence in Chen Gong. However, Xun Xu believed Chen Gong was secretly a double agent for Yang Yi and Feng Ying, using the Qingping Plan as a decoy to trap and overthrow General Li Yan. Chen Gong dismissed Xun Xu’s importance in the larger scheme.
Xun Xu continued, deducing that Guo Huai might have ordered Chen Gong to kill Xun Xu as a final act of allegiance, hence Huang Yu’s attack at the Xixiang checkpoint to lure him out and create an opportunity to kill him. Simultaneously, Yang Yi also desired Xun Xu’s death because his ongoing investigation into Zhulong threatened to expose the intricate counter-intelligence plan and potentially implicate Zhuge Liang.
Chen Gong, unable to bring himself to kill Xun Xu, had Lin Liang shoot him with a non-poisonous arrow and then imprisoned him, hoping to transfer him to safety once the situation calmed. But Xun Xu’s unexpected escape shattered this intricate plan. With Chen Gong’s alleged Wei spy status now publicly known within Siwencao, he had no choice but to alter the plan drastically.
Originally, Feng Ying was to be sacrificed, but because of Xun Xu’s escape, Chen Gong had to sacrifice himself. Chen Gong, tearfully avoiding direct confirmation, lamented their tragic fate, stating that some secrets must be taken to the grave. He spoke of their lives: "We brothers harm each other. Husband and wife cannot meet. Such a life is truly awful." Xun Xu wept, realizing that his actions had inadvertently led Chen Gong to this fate.
Chen Gong, still trying to protect the larger plan, desperately pleaded with Xun Xu to stop the investigation and reiterated his false confession of being Zhulong, a defector who lost to Xun Xu. He suggested Xun Xu tell everyone he was a Wei spy for ten years, instigated by Guo Huai due to his father’s death, and that he orchestrated everything, including turning Li Yan and framing Feng Ying.
This, Chen Gong insisted, would make the case watertight, implicate no one else, and allow Feng Ying to be reinstated to his original post. Xun Xu rejected this, knowing it would mean the total failure of their long-term infiltration plan into Cao Wei's high ranks. Chen Gong persisted, arguing it was the only way for everyone else to be safe and for all events to have a clear, explainable rationale, repeatedly begging Xun Xu to cease his inquiries.
On the day of execution, Yang Yi, Feng Ying, and Siwencao personnel, including Xun Xu, gathered to witness it. Feng Ying informed Xun Xu that he had been vindicated, blaming Chen Gong for framing him, and announced Zhuge Liang’s order for him (Feng Ying) to resume control of Siwencao. Feng Ying also told Xun Xu that Zhuge Liang had personally appointed him to lead a mission to Jianye, the capital of Eastern Wu, to establish a new intelligence network.
Xun Xu had only one request for Feng Ying: that a tombstone be erected for Chen Gong, and he be buried alongside Di Yue. As the hour of execution arrived, Chen Gong looked up at the Shu Han banner, then offered a gentle smile to Xun Xu. The blade fell, and Chen Gong’s life ended. Li Yan and Guo Huai were utterly defeated.
Liu Ying, having escaped the turmoil, looked at the escape token given to her by Chen Gong and Xun Xu, lamenting the past. Later, before setting off for Eastern Wu, Xun Xu visited the combined tomb of Chen Gong and Di Yue, pouring wine as an offering to his friend and sister. Still tormented by what had happened, he sat at the bow of the boat, unable to shake off his mental anguish.
Lin Liang, accompanying him on the journey to Eastern Wu, approached and told him the ultimate truth. He revealed that Chen Gong had personally planned Xun Xu’s escape from the cellar. Chen Gong had instructed Lin Liang to leave the pottery bowl and drop the flint, knowing about the sealed secret passage in the cellar and that Xun Xu would find it.
Xun Xu understood that Chen Gong, originally intending to retire to the mountains with Di Yue after capturing Zhulong, had lost all will to live after her death. From that tragic day, Chen Gong changed his plan, ultimately sacrificing himself to protect the Han Dynasty and ensure its peace, effectively taking Feng Ying’s place in death. Lin Liang conveyed Chen Gong’s last message for Xun Xu: "Let Xiaohua put this matter down. He was not killed by you."
Finally understanding the full extent of his friend’s sacrifice, Xun Xu breathed a long sigh of relief. As the shore of Eastern Wu came into view, Xun Xu, now resolute, prepared to disembark, ready to continue steadfastly on his new journey as the Court Gentleman of Ceremonial Minister.
