Episode 15

Scene 1: Jinmen, Royal Palace: Shi Shizong’s quarters

While Haikui’s fiancé Shi Shizong lies injured in bed, Haikui and Yao Yun are discussing why Yao Yun wants to depart even though she had promised to be witness to their marriage. Finally Haikui can wheedle her to stay.

Scene 2: Jinmen, Royal Palace

The palace is in an uproar, because they are threatened by the Qing troops, which have taken in Xiamen and Haicheng. They all prepare to withdraw to Taiwan. Yao Yun sees no other way than to accompany them.

Shi Lang is proceeding on the assumption that the Kangxi wants to use the opportunity of Xiamen and Jinmen’s recapture to proceed with the unification of Taiwan by military force. However, Li Guangdi tells him that the emperor changed his mind and pursues peaceful negotiations. He has also ordered the withdrawal of troops from the coastal region. Shi Lang is deeply upset. Li Guandi is trying to appease Shi Lang, but they start to argue on how to resolve the Taiwan issue.

Wu Qijue interrupts the discussion of Shi Lang and Li Guandi delivering an order from the emperor. He pronounces Shi Lang’s responsibility for the defection of his son Shi Shizong. Shi Lang is stripped of his rank and sent to his home province [Fujian] where he has to stay under the control of the local authorities. After reading the verdict to Shi Lang, Wu Qijue tells him that this was the emperor’s response to Laita’s report on the defection of Shi Shizong. He urges Shi Lang to depart immediately and promises to send hidden guards to protect Shi Lang on the way.

Shi Lang sets off into his exile. Li Guangdi bids farewell to him. In spite of his demotion, Shi Lang remains faithful to the emperor. At home in Fujian he plans to carefully study the local conditions to get a better understanding of the reasons of failure of the 1664 campaign against Taiwan. He encourages Li Guangdi to continue advocating for the military recovery in front of the emperor.

Haikui, Shi Shizong and Yao Yun are on their way to Taiwan. At the same time, Tang Fei and her family are escaping from the threat of the Qing troops. As Haikui discovers her mother on the other boat, she hires Jin Hanchen to kill her mother by throwing her into the cold water. Having finished his job, Jin Hanchen starts to drink heavily. Haikui scolds him for drinking and threatens to cut his tongue if he tells anybody about the affair. For his services, she presents him with a bank note of 1,000 tael.

Zheng Jing is fatally ill. Feng tries to please him by saying that this retreat is only a temporary matter and that they will come back to the mainland, hovewer, Zheng Jing is tired of striving against the Qing government. His son Zheng Keshuang and Feng Xifan tell him about the attempted assassination of Tang Fei.

Shi Shizong wonders about the absent-mindedness of Haikui when Haikui overhears the drunken Jin Hanchen talking about the assassination while having a nightmare on deck. She punishes Jin Hanchen by hanging him at his arms from the ship’s mast, because he had almost betrayed her order to kill Tang Fei.

Fears about the future of the Zheng clan have been arising since the Prince of Yanping is fatally ill. Feng Xifan’s sees Jin Hanchen hanging from the mast of the other ship and orders him to be taken down.

Haikui reluctantly orders to take Jin Hanchen down.

Shi Lang and Shi Shilun are on their way into exile. Suddenly, two hooded men attack them. But Hu Ganjiang saves Shi Lang’s life and offers his help for Shi Lang’s dangerous journey.

Haikui learns from Yao Yun and Shi Shizong that her mother Tang Fei has survived the attempted assassination. Immediately she hurries to see Jin Hanchen questioning him about the failed murder attempt. She gives him three days to “solve” the problem.

Shi Lang, Shi Shizong and Hu Ganjiang arrive at Fujian province.

Laita, Yao Qisheng and the military officials discuss the emperor’s order to reduce the troops stationed in Fujian and their deployment. Yao Qisheng thinks that the partial withdrawal of troops is only a temporary measure and does not imply that all plans for a military recovery of Taiwan have been abandoned. Therefore, the military training for the navy has to continue. A very heated discussion arises about the way the emperor deals with Shi Lang. Laita criticizes Yao Qisheng for allowing Shi Lang to move freely while Yao Qisheng thinks that Shi Lang’s survey of landscape and weather conditions will be useful for a later military campaign against Taiwan.

While Shi Lang’s son Shi Shilun and Hu Ganjiang do surveying along the coastline, Shi Lang paints a hydrographical map. Shi Shilun asks him whether this effort isn’t in vein as the emperor may not employ Shi Lang, but Shi Lang emphasizes that his highest aim is to serve the emperor and even more the nation. Even a small contribution such as drawing a hydrographic map is worthwhile.

Haikui is riding a horse in front of Feng Xifan’s residence. She is told by the guards that Feng Xifan has gone to the Royal palace, so she returns home. Little later Feng Xifan arrives back, being awaited by Qiu Hui. They discuss Zheng Jing’s fatal illness and consider arrangements to ensure that Zheng Keshuang (and not Zheng Kezang) becomes successor to the throne. Qiu Hui presents an anonymous letter containing the news that someone was hired by Haikui to kill her mother Tang Fei. Only now Feng Xifan realizes that Haikui is well aware of the true reasons why her mother had given her daughter away when she was a baby.

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