Nancheng Banquet Episode 12 Recap
> Nancheng Banquet Recap
Waking from a severe injury, Fu Xiao dreamt of the childhood day her parents were killed. In the dream, she, as a young girl, urged a boy she called "little brother" to flee quickly. While still unconscious, she repeatedly uttered Yan Changyun's name. Moved, Yan Changyun held her hand. Hearing that Qiang was badly injured, the Empress went to visit him. On the way, she met her brother, Xiao Quan.
Xiao Quan falsely claimed he was going to discuss state affairs with the Emperor. To ascertain if Qiang was truly dead, he accompanied the Empress. Fu Xiao regained consciousness. Yan Changyun personally fed her medicine. She noticed the change of clothes and felt shy, realizing Yan Changyun had changed them for her. Just then, the Emperor arrived. Yan Changyun quickly covered her with a blanket, anxious that her true identity as a woman might be discovered.
The Emperor asked Qiang who had injured him. As Qiang was about to speak, Xiao Quan and the Empress entered. Xiao Quan feigned concern for her. Qiang initially wanted to identify Xiao Quan as the attacker but realized it would implicate the Empress, who was innocent. To protect the Empress, Qiang claimed not to have seen the attacker clearly.
The Emperor wanted to bring Qiang back to the palace for recovery, but Yan Changyun insisted Qiang was too severely injured to be moved, keeping him at his location. As Xiao Quan left, he gave Qiang a look that filled her with fear. After leaving the palace, Xiao Quan realized that Qiang was Fu Xiao.
Knowing she was connected to Bai Yi, and having not been identified as the attacker, he suspected she had reservations and could be useful later, deciding not to harm her for now. Meanwhile, Wei Tianjiao investigated the scene and concluded that Qiang's injury was inflicted by someone he knew, reporting this suspicion to Yan Changyun and suggesting Qiang was concealing something.
Yan Changyun privately questioned Qiang if he knew his attacker, but she refused to reveal the information, stating only that she would get revenge someday. Yan Changyun then applied medicine to Qiang's injury. He explained that he concealed her identity not just for her, but also to protect the Qianyu Guards from being penalized for their oversight in allowing a woman disguised as a eunuch into the palace, which was his failure as their leader.
When Chu Yue was out, she was harassed by two men, a father and son. A skilled person from afar threw stones to deter them. Seeing someone assisting Chu Yue, Xiao Quan had Xueying intervene to help her. Chu Yue thanked Xiao Quan and Xueying for their help. Yan Changyun speculated that the person who benefited most from the death of Prime Minister Xiao was his son, Xiao Quan, whose recent behavior was suspicious.
At this time, Acheng reported that Chu Yue had been targeted by Xiao Quan, and their planned contact was canceled for safety. Later, Chu Yue played the zither for Xiao Quan in an outdoor pavilion. Xiao Quan praised her skill and remarked that she was truly the daughter of General Lei Bao. Chu Yue hesitated for a moment, realizing her identity was known, and admitted it had been a long time since she heard her father's name.
Xiao Quan gave Chu Yue a reward and promised to help clear her family's name from their wrongful accusations. After recovering from her injuries, Qiang saw a signal from Qing Yun inviting him to meet. She quickly went to the meeting point. She told Qing Yun about Yan Changyun's recent care for her. Qing Yun suspected Yan Changyun was using a honey trap.
Fu Xiao, however, was eager for him to use such a strategy, planning to turn the tables on him and counterattack. She then unexpectedly saw Yan Changyun enter a brothel and abandoned Qing Yun to follow him. Inside the brothel, Yan Changyun urged Chu Yue to leave and offered her a new identity, citing the danger from Xiao Quan. Chu Yue was reluctant, arguing that staying could help him gather information and that her sudden departure might raise suspicion.
She had made a coat for Yan Changyun and presented it. Yan Changyun commented that it didn't seem to fit, but Chu Yue insisted he keep it. Qiang encountered Yan Changyun in the corridor and berated him for wasting money in such a place. Chu Yue then came out with the coat. Qiang snatched the coat and left with Yan Changyun.
Watching them go, Mama, the madam of the brothel, approached Chu Yue and told her that Qiang was actually a woman and warned Chu Yue not to lose Yan Changyun, calling him a cash cow. That night, the Emperor came to bring Qiang back to the palace to live. However, Qiang and Yan Changyun, through careful conversation, managed to coax the Emperor into leaving without him.
The next day, while Qiang was exercising, Yan Changyun came to check on him, but Qiang brought up the coat Chu Yue made, showing signs of jealousy. Afterwards, to prove she was better than Chu Yue, Qiang tried to make a coat herself using a book. What was intended as an outer coat ended up shrinking as she worked on it, turning into a small piece of fabric.
Desperate to have Qiang return to his side, the Emperor sent someone to falsely report that he was ill. Qiang rushed to visit him. After exchanging a few words with the Emperor, Yan Changyun arrived with Doctor Qu. The doctor took the Emperor's pulse, looked up, caught the Emperor's eye, and falsely declared that the Emperor had a severe cold. Hearing this, Qiang immediately helped the Emperor lie down to rest.
Yan Changyun then used this as an opportunity to insist that Qiang, being an outsider, should not disturb the Emperor's rest, and forcibly took him away. As they walked back to the camp, Qiang and Yan Changyun argued. Yan Changyun suspected the Emperor faked his illness by applying powder. Qiang retorted that men can also use powder. This comment triggered a realization in Yan Changyun that the killer of Prime Minister Xiao could have been a man. Yan Changyun then took Qiang to a training ground late at night to practice martial arts, telling him he needed to learn to protect the Emperor as his best friend.
