Episode Summary
The KMT tries to cover up a military failure by forcing newspapers to print propaganda. The Salvation Daily team executes a bait-and-switch, printing the truth while submitting a fake version for review. Key members Xia Yan and Li Kenong escape Guilin just ahead of assassination attempts. The KMT's plan to crack down on the newspaper is ultimately cancelled by Chiang Kai-shek due to immense public pressure orchestrated by Zhou Enlai.
Spoiler Alert
The KMT's Propaganda Machine Kicks In
So, the Kuomintang (KMT) is in full damage control mode. They messed up big time during the Wannan Incident. Their military strategy against the Japanese was a disaster. Instead of owning up to it, they decide to blame the Communists. It's a classic move.
To make sure their story sticks, they issue a command. Every single newspaper in Guilin must publish the KMT's official statement. This statement is, of course, full of lies. It's designed to mislead the public about what really happened.
The folks at the Salvation Dailyhear this news. They are not having it. They're furious and want to print the truth. Xia Yan sees the articles his team wrote. They are factual and clear. He's ready to go to press. But then a new order comes down. The KMT now requires all papers to submit a sample for review. Only after approval can they print the full run. Any paper that prints without approval will be shut down for good.
A Classic Bait and Switch
The Plan
This new rule complicates things. Xia Yan asks Li Kenong what they should do. Li Kenong passes along a message from Zhou Enlai. They need to be smart about this. A direct fight right now is not the answer. Li Kenong tells everyone to be extremely careful, then leaves.
This is where Xia Yan gets clever. He comes up with a great plan. They'll play by the rules, sort of. They will give the official reviewer, Liu Hancao, a perfectly acceptable sample paper. It will have all the KMT-approved nonsense in it. But the paper they actually print and distribute tomorrow will be the real one. The one with the truth. His team gets to work immediately. That night, Liu Hancao sits in his office, carefully reviewing every paper's layout. He thinks he has everything under control. He doesn't.
Xia Yan goes to find a printing factory. The owner is worried. Printing this could cost his workers their jobs. But Xia Yan shows him the approved sample, the one Liu Hancao already signed off on. The owner breathes a sigh of relief. The factory gets to work, printing the real story all night long.
The Escape
Late that night, Li Kenong rushes to find Xia Yan. He has bad news. The KMT has an assassination list. Both of their names are on it. Li Kenong gives Xia Yan a plane ticket. He needs to get out of Guilin tonight.
Xia Yan wants to stay. He wants to see the newspaper hit the streets tomorrow morning. But Li Kenong insists. The situation is too dangerous. He tells Xia Yan that a new comrade will take his place. This is also a direct decision from Zhou Enlai. They need to preserve their key people to keep fighting. Xia Yan agrees and gets on the plane, leaving Guilin behind.
While all this is happening, Zhou Enlai isn't just sitting around. He's in Chongqing, where he releases a "20-Point Declaration." He demands the KMT tell the public the truth. He also personally visits the families of soldiers who died in the Wannan Incident. His declaration gets published in the Xinhua Daily. Soon, patriots at home and abroad are calling out Chiang Kai-shek for his hypocrisy.
The Morning After
Liu Hancao's Fury Is Cut Short
The next day arrives. Liu Hancao picks up a copy of the Salvation Daily. He sees the real content and loses his mind. He immediately gathers his soldiers. They are armed and ready to raid the newspaper office, shut it down, and arrest everyone involved.
Just as they're about to leave, Liu Hancao's superior, Li Jishen, shows up. He asks what's going on. Liu Hancao holds up the newspaper. He says he's handling this personally, whether Li Jishen approves or not. Li Jishen just smirks. He pulls out a telegram. It's a secret message from Chiang Kai-shek himself. Because of the massive public pressure, Chiang is ordering a halt to all anti-Communist actions in Guilin. Liu Hancao reads the telegram and confirms it's real. He has no choice. He calls off the raid.
A Failed Assassination
The secret police chief, Lu Wenzhou, isn't giving up. He finds Liu Hancao and shows him the assassination list again. He wants to execute Li Kenong immediately. There's just one problem. Li Kenong's office has a whole company of soldiers guarding it. Lu doesn't have enough men for that kind of fight. He needs to borrow Liu Hancao's troops.
Liu Hancao doesn't have the authority to do that on his own. So, they both go to Li Jishen. When Li Jishen sees the secret order, he acts quickly. He secretly sends someone to warn Li Kenong. By the time Liu Hancao and Lu Wenzhou's men get to the office, it's completely empty. Li Kenong is gone.
The Team Scatters
With the immediate danger over, the editors at the newspaper start making plans. They need to relocate to the safer territory of Yan'an. But not everyone can go. Ai Wu's wife is pregnant, so he has to stay behind until the baby is born. Ren Suning also decides to stay in Guilin. She can't bring herself to leave the orphans she's been caring for, who survived the Japanese massacres. She's going to stay with them.
