Episode Summary
Chiang Kai-shek demotes Bai Chongxi, destabilizing the fragile peace in Guilin. An E is tasked with a dangerous mission to extract a writer, Liu Yazi, from Shanghai. She devises a clever plan, faking a medical emergency to get him past enemy agents and safely to Guilin.
Spoiler Alert
The Shakedown in Guilin
Things are getting tense. You can just feel it. This episode kicks off with Li Kenong giving Xia Yan the latest political gossip, and it is not good news.
A Powerful Ally Gets Sidelined
Li Kenong lays it all out for Xia Yan. Chiang Kai-shek just demoted Bai Chongxi. He took away his top rank. He also stripped his local military authority. This is a big problem.
You see, Bai Chongxi was the reason Guilin was a safe zone. He kept the peace between the Nationalists and the Communists. This allowed a thriving cultural scene to exist. But Chiang Kai-shek has spies everywhere. They reported everything Bai was doing back to the top.
Li Kenong tells Xia Yan to be extremely careful. Bai is now under pressure. He might turn on them to save his own skin. This puts everyone in Guilin at risk.
The Shanghai Extraction
Before they part ways, Li Kenong gives Xia Yan a new job. He needs to find a safe house for a writer named Liu Yazi. Liu is a progressive author stuck in Shanghai. His life is in constant danger there. Xia Yan has read Liu's work and is genuinely excited to help him.
The Mission
The job of getting Liu Yazi out of Shanghai falls to An E. Zhou Enlai gives her the assignment directly. He stresses that every minute counts. Shanghai is crawling with agents, and Liu could be killed at any moment.
An E is the right person for this. She has a ton of experience from the war. She's completed tough missions before. She's also a crack shot. She accepts the mission without hesitation.
She goes home to say goodbye to her husband, Tian Han. He sees her packing her suitcase and knows she’s heading to Shanghai for a mission. He’s obviously worried sick. He hugs her and tells her to be careful. He knows how dangerous her work is. But An E has a deep belief in the revolution. She’s faced death so many times that she doesn't even think about her own safety anymore.
The Plan in Action
An E arrives in Shanghai. She learns that the last person sent to persuade Liu Yazi failed. So she comes up with a new approach.
She visits Liu’s home, introducing herself as Tian Han’s wife. This gives her a friendly way in. She starts by helping Liu’s wife cook dinner. While they cook, she convinces the wife that leaving is the only option.
Then, she talks to Liu Yazi himself. She tells him about the community of writers in Guilin. They are all waiting for him. They want to talk about literature and share ideas. She reminds him that he needs to stay alive. The revolution needs him for the better future they are all fighting for. After hearing her out and thinking about the situation, Liu Yazi finally agrees to go.
The Escape
That night, the plan goes into motion. A scream comes from Liu Yazi’s apartment. Then you hear the sound of something shattering on the floor. A woman rushes out of the building. She runs to the public phone and calls for an ambulance.
Soon, an ambulance arrives. Paramedics carry Liu Yazi out on a stretcher. He looks completely limp. They load him into the vehicle and speed off.
The spies watching the house are baffled. After Liu’s family "rushes to the hospital," the agents sneak into his apartment to check things out. They find nothing. No bags are packed. Nothing looks out of place. They assume it was a real medical emergency and let their guard down.
A Safe Arrival
The whole thing was a brilliant fake-out. Under An E’s protection, Liu Yazi makes it safely to Guilin.
Xia Yan is there to greet him. He brings along other local writers from the arts community. They give Liu a warm welcome. For a little while, surrounded by friends and fellow writers, they can all laugh and forget the danger they just escaped.
