Episode 14

Scene 1: Jinmen, Royal Palace: Zheng Jing’s study

Fu Weilin, Liu Guoxuan, Hong Xu and Feng Xifan enter the room where Zheng Jing is already awaiting them. Fu Weilin reports on the failed negotiations with the Qing government. They discuss if Emperor Kangxi is going to appoint Shi Lang as commander-in-chief of the Imperial fleet. To prevent this, Feng Xifan suggests trapping Shi Lang by delivering a document urging him to surrender. But the legman should get caught before delivery in order to convey the impression that Shi Lang has been in contact with the independence faction. Furthermore, they plan to send Shi Lang’s son, Shi Shizong, into the war against the Qing troops in order to test whether his surrender is true or not. Zheng Jing sends for Shi Shizong. During the discussion it becomes clear that Laita, who has been bribed by Zheng Jing, has not done anything in return for Zheng Jing’s money yet.

Scene 2: Jinmen, Feng Xifan’s residence

Hu Ganjiang, an officer of the Zheng army, enters the room where Feng Xifan has been waiting for him. Feng Xifan requests to see a demonstration of Hu Ganjiang’s swordsmanship. After having proved his skills on a brush bin, the impressed Feng Xifan asks him if he knows who he should murder. Hu Ganjiang knows exactly who it is. He wants to revenge his brothers who were killed by that same person [Shi Lang]. Hu Ganjiang asks for two assistants to accompany him. Feng Xifan grants his wish and lets him appoint his assistants himself.

Fu Weilin and Yao Yun are sitting together. Fu Weilin tells Yao Yun about Feng Xifan’s plan to send Shi Shizong to war against the Qing troops. Yao Yun is anxious that if Shi Shizong should really be sent to war he, who has surrendered by order of Yao Qisheng, won’t be able to prove that he is still loyal to the Qing government. At the same time, if he refuses to go to war, the Zheng regime will know that he is a collaborator.

Feng Xifan discusses with Zheng Kezang the long-term supply of the navy based at Penghu. Feng Xifan reckons that the war will last longer than expected.

Haikui and Shi Shizong are on their way to Jinmen. Shi Shizong lies sea sick in the cabin. Haikui goes below deck to meet Jin Hanchen where they have a drink. She asks him to murder someone for her. However, she does not disclose the name to him yet.

Zheng Jing welcomes Haikui and Shi Shizong. He asks Shi Shizong if he will go to war to save the city Haicheng. Shi Shizong wants to accept Zheng Jing’s order but Haikui interrupts him by protesting heatedly against her father’s plan sending him to war but Zheng Jing angrily orders Haikui to leave.

Jin Hanchen and Haikui stop-by at a guesthouse. The landlord welcomes Haikui and asks her in. Haikui sends Jin Hanchen back home who is apparently annoyed by this. Yao Yun is already waiting for Haikui inside the guesthouse. Haikui is surprised and very happy to see Yao Yun again after a long time and so they have a short chat. Shi Shizong enters the room and is also surprised to see Yao Yun. Both, Shi Shizong and Yao Yun, amorously exchange glances at each other until Haikui interrupts them offering to take seats. While having lunch together, they talk about the pros and cons of Zheng Jing’s order to send Shi Shizong to war. Meanwhile, Jin Hanchen returns to the guesthouse and eavesdrops secretly. Haikui is very upset about her father. She is determined to change his mind and leaves the room without finishing lunch. At the door she collides with Jin Hanchen still eavesdropping. Haikui scolds him for disobeying her order to go home. Finally, she leaves the house furiously and Shi Shizong follows her.

At night, Shi Shizong enters Yao Yun’s room through the back door. She has already been waiting for him. After a short chat about their and Haikui’s relationship, Yao Yun expresses concern about Zheng Jing’s order. She gives Shi Shizong a letter from her father Yao Qisheng. The letter states that it was Yao who ordered the feigned surrender of Shi Shizong, so he can act as a secret operative for the Qing government. Yao Yun and Shi Shizong debate about how he could abscond from Zheng Jing’s order. He would prefer to expose himself on the battlefield as traitor to the Zheng administration but is afraid that something could happen to his family living in Taiwan. Yao Yun has an idea how Shi Shizong could abscond from Zheng Jing’s charge, but is afraid to tell him because it would be too cruel.

Jin Hanchen breaks in and searches Shi Shizong’s room. While he puts a bag of silver into his robe, Haikui shows up to look after Shi Shizong. She notices that the door lock is broken and that someone is in the room. She finds Jin Hanchen. He apologizes and states he would have gotten lost because he is drunk. He admits having stolen the silver and gives it to her. Haikui gets angry about it, however, detects nothing suspicious.

Shi Shizong thinks about Yao Yun’s words on his way home from Yao Yun’s lodging. He stops at a pillar and thinks about Yao Yun’s sentence stating that the solution would be cruel and painful. At this moment he pulls a dagger.

Yao Yun just prepares for bed when suddenly voices of guards sound through the streets that an assassin is loose. Yao Yun hurries the streets down and discovers a group of guards. The injured Shi Shizong lies in the middle with a bleeding abdomen. She commands the guards to rescue him right now. After Shi Shizong is being carried away by the guards she finds the bloody dagger and makes it disappear in a hole in the street.

Shi Shizong lies in bed. Dong Taifei and Tang Fei are already there when Haikui arrives. She cries and regrets not to have been with him. While everybody cares for Shi Shizong, Feng Xifan questions Jin Hanchen about Yao Yun, who is also present. Jin Hanchen answers him eagerly. The doctor reports that Shi Shizong is luckily not seriously injured. Haikui wants Feng Xifan to find the assassin as quickly as possible and he promises to do so.

Feng Xifan sees Zheng Jing at night and both consider whether the Qing government could have sent an assassin or whether Shi Shizong purposely injured himself to avoid being sent into battle. In the conversation it becomes clear that Jin Hanchen was sent by Feng Xifan to gather information about Shi Shizong. He has reported some suspicious behavior, but evidence proving that Shi Shizong’s surrender was feigned has not yet been found.

Feng Xifan commands Hong Xu to cover up the attempt. The public and the Qing government should continue to think that Shi Shizong is fighting for the Zheng regime. In order to deceive the enemy, a doppelganger shall be sent into battle instead of Shi Shizong.

Yao Qisheng and Wan Zhengse differ about their strategy towards the Zheng regim. Wan advocates to just drive them out of Haicheng, Jinmen and Xiamen and then stop the campaign in order to give the troops a respite. Yao, on the other hand, urges to continue the campaign, beat the enemy on Taiwan territory and thus finish the affair once and for all. He demands from Wan Zhengse to support his strategy, because after all he is in command of the imperial navy. Wan understands this as an implication of his own incapability and expresses his dismay at the fact that Yao Qisheng always used to promote Shi Lang to take over the command. As to the question of strategy, he replies that he is completely opposed to sending the navy to Taiwan. Shi Lang’s failure in 1664 had amply proven that such a naval campaign is too dangerous. A runner enters the hall and delivers news to Wan Zhengse that Shi Shizong’s coat of arms was sighted at Xiamen on the side of the enemy’s troops. In opposition to Yao Qisheng’s opinion Laita orders to immediately inform the emperor.

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