Episode Summary
Li Heng is trapped by Jia Yunwu but is saved when Qingtian kills the key witness, Zhang Hui. The Party approves Li Heng's strategic marriage to Lu Shufen, forcing him to put aside his feelings for Jia Yunying. As the political landscape shifts, Jia Yunying starts a propaganda operation that nearly gets her caught.
Spoiler Alert
Li Heng's Past Comes Back to Haunt Him
The Failed Ambush
The episode opens with Li Heng sitting in his car. He's stuck in a pretty dark memory. He's thinking about his sixteen brothers from the old Tiger Slaying Group. They were all slaughtered. He remembers having a chance to kill Zhang Hui, the man responsible. But he couldn't do it. He let him go because of their old bond.
Qingtian learns about this history. He is not happy. He decides to finish the job Li Heng couldn't. He's going to eliminate the traitor himself. That night, Qingtian sets up an ambush at Zhang Hui's place. But Zhang Hui is paranoid for a reason. He senses the trap and dives straight through a window to escape. So much for that plan.
A New Trap is Set
You remember Wang Xiaofei? He's completely out of options. He finally goes to Lu Wenlu for help. This officially makes him a pawn for the Military Intelligence.
Li Heng is playing his own games, though. He secretly meets with An Mi. He wants to set up a meeting with Lu Wenlu. His real goal is to use Lu Wenlu's power to get rid of Wang Liangcheng. During their meeting, Lu Wenlu gives Li Heng a warning. He says Wang Liangcheng has evidence that could destroy him. Li Heng searches Wang Liangcheng but comes up empty. So, he escalates things. He breaks into Wang's home to find the evidence. This was a bad move. Jia Yunwu catches him red-handed.
The Interrogation Room
Li Heng vs. Jia Yunwu
Jia Yunwu drags Li Heng back to an interrogation room. He pulls out his trump card. It's a group photo of Li Heng with the Tiger Slaying Group. Jia Yunwu accuses him of being a Communist. Li Heng doesn't flinch. He flatly denies it.
The two of them go at it. The verbal sparring is intense. Li Heng turns the tables. He points out that Zhang Hui was the real traitor. He sold them all out to the Japanese back in the day. He tells Jia Yunwu that even if he reports this to their boss, Cao Peng, he'll look like a fool.
A Loose End is Tied Up
While Li Heng is fighting for his life, Da Kui is being interrogated elsewhere. He is fiercely loyal. He endures brutal torture but refuses to say anything against Li Heng. Without Da Kui's testimony, Jia Yunwu can't make the charges stick.
Li Heng desperately tries to explain to Shen Yihe that they've walked into a trap. She doesn't listen. She just says the truth will come out soon enough.
The next day, Jia Yunwu reports to Cao Peng. They're just waiting for Zhang Hui to arrive and testify against Li Heng. But he never shows up. At that exact moment, Qingtian's men snatch Zhang Hui. They kill him in the car.
With the key witness dead, Cao Peng has no choice. He dismisses the case against Li Heng due to a lack of evidence. He then orders everyone to stop the internal fighting. He says they need to focus on the bigger picture.
A New Mission and a Heavy Heart
The Party's Orders
Li Heng has a secret meeting with his handler, Yu Tong. He gives a full report on the Zhang Hui situation. Yu Tong then relays an official decision from the Party. They have approved his marriage to Lu Shufen. This isn't about love. The Party wants him to use the marriage to influence the Deqing Society. They hope to steer the powerful gang toward the revolutionary cause.
A Difficult Conversation
Yu Tong asks a tough question. He wants to know if Li Heng has given up on telling Jia Yunying his true identity. This is especially complicated now that he's about to marry someone else.
Li Heng is honest. He says the marriage is a duty for the mission. He made a promise, and he will fulfill his responsibility. He admits he has always hoped to fight alongside Jia Yunying one day. But given the current situation, that dream has to be put on hold.
The Revolution Spreads
Jia Yunying's Propaganda
We jump forward in time to May 27, 1949. Shanghai has been liberated. This is a huge victory. It lays the groundwork for clearing out the last of the Nationalist KMT forces in the region.
Jia Yunying sees her chance. She quickly organizes a team to secretly print revolutionary propaganda. These pamphlets and publications spread like wildfire through the KMT army. They cause a lot of soldiers to question their loyalty. Morale plummets. Wu Shiren reports the problem to Jia Zhong. He explains that the KMT officers are split on how to handle it. Some want a severe crackdown. Others think it's not a big deal because the pamphlets aren't too radical.
A Narrow Escape
Zhang Jiaming also sees the propaganda spreading. He calls an emergency meeting to figure out a response. Tang Meng volunteers to lead the investigation. He gets the green light to start a secret investigation.
It doesn't take long. Tang Meng quickly pinpoints the location of the underground printing press. Jia Yunying senses the danger closing in. She makes a quick decision. She orders all her workers to evacuate immediately. She stays behind to deal with whatever comes next. When Tang Meng and his men raid the location, it's completely empty. The workers are gone. All that's left behind is some printing equipment and a few scattered papers.
