The Wind Blows From Longxi Episode 5 Recap
> The Wind Blows From Longxi Recap
Guo Gang hosted a farewell dinner for Chen Gong and Mi Chong, who were preparing to depart on a mission. During the dinner, Liang Jian of the Military Intelligence Agency reported that a captured Shu soldier named Guan claimed to have seen Baidi and asserted that Baidi was someone close to Guo Gang. Although Guo Gang was initially hesitant to see the prisoner, Chen Gong, to avoid suspicion, agreed to the confrontation.
When Guan was brought in, he failed to identify Chen Gong, but then seized a sword and attempted to assassinate Guo Gang. Mi Chong tried to intervene to keep him alive, but the guards swiftly killed Guan. The following morning, Guo Gang privately reprimanded Mi Chong for his recklessness but admitted that the incident had ironically solidified his trust in Chen Gong.
He warned Mi Chong to find concrete evidence before making further accusations against Chen Gong, or he wouldn't be able to explain it to Chen Gong's uncle. As Chen Gong then joined them, they quickly changed the subject. Guo Gang then provided Chen Gong and Mi Chong with new identities: Chen Gong would be "Chen Wei," a merchant, and Mi Chong would be "Mi Heng," Chen Wei's attendant.
Their primary mission was to infiltrate the Shu State and obtain the designs for Shu's repeating crossbows, a critical component of Guo Gang’s Qingping Plan. Guo Gang cautioned Chen Gong about his Jizhou accent, instructing him to speak less and let Mi Chong handle most external communications. He also outlined their long-term roles: Chen Gong would return to Tianshui with the blueprints, while Mi Chong would remain in Hanzhong to organize the Wuxian Sect. They then departed.
As Chen Gong and Mi Chong traveled by horse-drawn carriage, they discussed their new aliases. Chen Gong, adopting a friendly demeanor, tried to ascertain the source of Mi Chong's persistent suspicions, jokingly attributing them to a past budget dispute, which Mi Chong dismissed, stating he cared little for money. Chen Gong then, in an internal reflection, recalled his true, secret plan with Xun Xu to eliminate Mi Chong.
The original itinerary involved crossing the Wei River and then navigating by boat from Sanguan Pass to Wuxing. Knowing Mi Chong was from Jizhou and could not swim, Chen Gong intended to stage a boat accident at Qinglong Shoal on the Han River, a notoriously dangerous stretch of water. Equipped with a concealed inflatable sheepskin vest, he would survive and assume Mi Chong's identity, thereby escaping Guo Gang's scrutiny and deceiving Zhulong.
Xun Xu had agreed to support this by initiating an internal investigation within Siwencao. However, due to increasingly rugged mountain roads, Mi Chong unhitched the carriage while Chen Gong was burying the bamboo kites. Mi Chong, wary of water due to his inability to swim, unexpectedly changed their route to a land passage, much to Chen Gong's frustration.
Mi Chong, ever cautious, decided they would buy new saddles in the next town and ride horses, having Huang Yu of the Wuxian Sect retrieve the bamboo kites later. He asserted that field agents must be adaptable and that the Governor could not micromanage their every move, effectively foiling Chen Gong's carefully laid plan. The two then shared a room at a remote inn.
The following morning, Chen Gong secretly tried to bribe a boy to send a letter to Tianshui's Jinyuyao Restaurant, but Mi Chong discovered his attempt, leading to Mi Chong's disgruntled curses. Meanwhile, on his journey back from Tianshui, Xun Xu encountered a group of bandits and rescued a woman named Liu Ying.
Liu Ying, a musician from the Yuming Music Workshop in Wudu, explained that she and her sisters had fled the Wei army's attack on Wudu, but her sisters were tragically killed by bandits, leaving her orphaned. Her only remaining family was her master, Zi Suiyan, a renowned musician in Nanzheng. Recognizing Zi Suiyan's fame, Xun Xu agreed to escort Liu Ying to Nanzheng. They shared their journey, sometimes playing music together in the evenings.
Upon reaching Nanzheng, Liu Ying, having observed Xun Xu carefully, discerned that he was no ordinary merchant and inquired about his true identity. Xun Xu politely declined to reveal it, citing personal reasons. As a profound token of her gratitude, Liu Ying presented him with her cherished bamboo flute. Xun Xu, initially overwhelmed by the valuable gift, offered to personally take her to Ziyan House to meet her master.
She respectfully declined, promising to repay his kindness at a later time. After sharing a final cup of tea, they parted ways. Back in Siwencao, significant changes had taken place. Li Miao, formerly a counsellor to the Prime Minister, arrived as the new Chief Clerk, appointed to assist Feng Ying. Sun Ling of the scribe room welcomed Li Miao and showed him to his quarters, which were conveniently located next to Feng Ying's office.
Li Miao then paid a visit to Feng Ying, who, while retaining his position, had suffered a salary cut and now reported directly to General Li Yan, rather than Yang Yi. Feng Ying explained Siwencao's structure: external intelligence operations (handled by the Military Intelligence and Military Planning Departments) and internal affairs (managed by the Scribe Room and Jing'an Department).
Li Miao humbly expressed his inexperience in external matters and offered to manage only internal affairs, a suggestion Feng Ying readily accepted. Later, Gao Tangbing and Yin Ji, Siwei of the Military Intelligence Department, discussed these developments, speculating that Li Miao, as an outsider, would find internal affairs challenging, particularly the burgeoning Wuxian Sect—a group of Zhang Lu's remnants with suspected ties to Cao Wei, posing a formidable internal threat.
Xun Xu eventually returned to Siwencao and was greeted by Gao Tangbing, who debriefed him on the recent departmental reshuffle and warned him to be cautious. Xun Xu then reported to Feng Ying, presenting a fabricated account of his mission. He claimed to have met Baidi in Tianshui but was unable to capture him due to Baidi's extreme vigilance.
Xun Xu "deduced" that Baidi was likely responsible for the death of his own agent, Gu Zheng, which occurred shortly after their meeting, to prevent any inconsistencies in their stories. He then dramatically recounted a staged incident at Jitou Mountain, where he purportedly caused Baidi and Mi Chong's carriage to fall off a cliff during a patrol to Xiaolong Mountain, resulting in their apparent deaths without any remaining bodies.
When Feng Ying questioned his emotional state regarding the presumed killing of his "brother-in-law," Chen Gong, Xun Xu admitted to initial hesitation but asserted that witnessing Gu Zheng's family being imprisoned had solidified his resolve. He concluded his report by describing how his team was discovered by Wei forces, necessitating a thousand-man search, and how Captain Jin, along with all team members, heroically sacrificed themselves to ensure his escape. Feng Ying accepted Xun Xu's detailed report and instructed him to visit the newly appointed Chief Clerk, Li Miao.
