Nancheng Banquet Episode 15 Recap
> Nancheng Banquet Recap
Doctor Qu examined Fu Xiao, hesitating to reveal his findings. Fu Xiao repeatedly expressed that her child wouldn't survive, while the Emperor insisted that the royal child was a true dragon heir protected by heaven. Dr. Qu, in an internal thought, felt helpless, noting the child's ill fate and that he would die anyway in ten months if there was no child, so he might as well use this situation.
He then declared his inability to save the child, telling the Emperor the child was gone and to accept his loss. The Empress Dowager was shocked and questioned how the child was lost after being fine just yesterday. Fu Xiao blamed Xiao Quan, saying he deliberately bumped her, causing the miscarriage.
The Empress Dowager stated that since the child was gone, Fu Xiao didn't need to stay by the Emperor's side and offered her two choices: shave her head and become a nun or clean toilets in the cleaning department. Fu Xiao readily chose to clean toilets, feeling relieved and happy from shedding the burden of her fake pregnancy as she no longer had to lie.
The Emperor came to her, asking why she seemed so happy cleaning toilets and questioning why she would choose this over being with him. He listed his qualities – being the Emperor, having wealth and power, being handsome, and getting along well with her as a friend – expressing his confusion. Fu Xiao replied that she didn't like money or power and simply wanted to live a free and easy life.
She urged the Emperor to leave, stating his presence was unsuitable for such a place, was scaring people away, and leaving her without help. Yan Changyun arrived to caution Fu Xiao. He told her it was right to use the fake pregnancy to get out of her predicament, but she shouldn't have been so clever as to provoke Xiao Quan, as it would put her in greater danger.
Fu Xiao wasn't receptive to his advice, arguing that she believed in an eye for an eye and felt satisfied being reckless, which she deemed better than someone who was always overly cautious and afraid, comparing him unfavorably to a woman. She told him not to lecture her, called him delicate, and advised him to leave. Yan Changyun, frustrated by her shifting attitudes, questioned if she was playing games with him.
Later, while Fu Xiao was taking a break and eating melon seeds, other palace maids mocked her for her supposed lack of heart after losing her child. Fu Xiao retorted, telling them not to bother her if they were so delicate. The maids, seeing her defiance, physically attacked her. Yidao intervened, helping Fu Xiao fight them off. After the maids fled, Fu Xiao, grateful that Yidao was the only one who came to her aid, thanked him profusely.
Yidao revealed that Yan Changyun had forced him to come. Fu Xiao secretly smiled upon hearing this. Later, the same maids returned and knocked Fu Xiao's food to the ground. Just as she was about to retaliate, Yan Changyun appeared, scaring them away.
Yan Changyun checked if she was alright and gave her some hand cream, telling her to apply it three times a day for her hard work scrubbing toilets and assuring her that the maids wouldn't bother her again. The three maids who had bullied Fu Xiao were kneeling, worried because they hadn't succeeded in forcing Fu Xiao back to the Emperor as ordered by Feng Shixi and had also offended Yan Changyun.
They discussed their predicament, feeling caught between two sides. Fu Xiao overheard their conversation, learning that their bullying was orchestrated by Feng Shixi. Enraged, she stormed off to confront the Emperor. Feng Shixi, seeing the situation, quickly left. Fu Xiao accused the Emperor of being despicable, pretending to be her friend while letting palace maids bully her. The Emperor denied knowing about the bullying, blaming Feng Shixi.
Fu Xiao, heartbroken, declared she no longer wanted to be his friend and left. The Emperor tried to call her back. Later, the Emperor spoke with Feng Shixi, lamenting Fu Xiao's resolute refusal to return. Feng Shixi advised the Emperor not to spoil women and suggested ignoring her for a few days to give her a lesson and make her remember his kindness.
The Emperor expressed hope that this would work, and Feng Shixi assured him he had a plan to make Fu Xiao voluntarily come back and admit her mistake. Yan Changyun investigated the death of Prime Minister Xiao Wanli. Reviewing records, he noted the use of makeup/face paint. He questioned Wei Tianjiao about the Emperor's activities on the night Xiao Wanli died.
Wei Tianjiao recalled that the Emperor had unusually dressed in opera attire and makeup to sing in the city tower that night, instead of his usual venue and without costume. He also noted that Feng Shixi had not been present according to inquiries, and that the Emperor had ordered Xiao Wanli's body returned shortly after it was brought back for examination. Feng Shixi went to the cleaning department, personally helping Fu Xiao scrub toilets.
He admitted that he had orchestrated the maids' bullying on his own initiative to try and make her return to the Emperor, emphasizing that the Emperor himself was unaware and innocent and urging her not to blame him. Fu Xiao replied that she, a commoner, had no right to blame the Emperor, nor did she have the right to reconcile with him.
Feng Shixi urged her to reconsider, lamenting how long he would have to keep scrubbing if she didn't go back, pleading with her to take pity on him and change her mind sooner. The Emperor later came and apologized to Fu Xiao, admitting he shouldn't have disrespected her wishes but claiming it was with good intentions, though he acknowledged it damaged their bond. He promised to only treat her as a brother from then on.
Fu Xiao, recalling the saying "once bitten, twice shy," said she didn't believe him. She told him she was fine in the cleaning department and no longer found the smell unpleasant, adding that she wasn't the naive person he could easily fool anymore. She told him she would think about forgiving him and he should go back and wait for her decision. After the Emperor left, Feng Shixi urged Fu Xiao not to be ungrateful and to take the hint.
Fu Xiao replied she was thinking, and if she didn't teach him a lesson, he wouldn't learn. Feng Shixi remarked on the cold weather. Fu Xiao wondered if she had gone too far and if her "acting" was a bit much, expressing slight worry. In court, ministers debated how to handle the remaining members of the Qin family amidst rumors following the Prime Minister's death.
Song Ting proposed executing them all to comfort the Prime Minister's spirit, quell rumors, and prevent future threats, citing the Qin family's heinous crimes fifteen years prior. Other ministers disagreed, warning that indiscriminate killing without evidence would harm innocents and incite public outrage. The Emperor strongly rejected Song Ting's suggestion, stating that executing people based on suspicion would make him a tyrant. He adjourned the meeting.
Afterward, Xiao Quan spoke privately with another official, expressing hope that this pressure would force Qin Yan to appear. He believed Qin Yan would follow his father, State Duke Qin, who sacrificed his family's safety to protect his subordinates fifteen years ago. Yan Changyun met with the Emperor and revealed that he had discovered the true killer of Prime Minister Xiao Wanli, claiming it was the Emperor himself.
He explained his deductions: the presence of makeup/face paint on the body, the seemingly weak force of the wound suggesting a woman or someone disguised, and the Emperor's unusual behavior of singing in costume that night, suggesting Feng Shixi had impersonated him. The Emperor acknowledged Yan Changyun's sharp detective work and effectively confessed that Xiao Wanli's death was done on his behalf.
He accused Xiao Wanli of forming factions, monopolizing power, and coercing him, and wanting to use the Emperor to eliminate opponents. He reminded Xiao Wanli that he was just like fifteen years ago when he pressured the Emperor to kill State Duke Qin. The Emperor told Yan Changyun that he had always suspected Xiao Wanli orchestrated the Guanyou Coup but Xiao Wanli never admitted it before he died.
He added that he trusted State Duke Qin and never believed he was involved in the Vermillion Silver Powder incident or any treasonous acts. The Emperor lamented that his attempt to use the "Guanyou" clue left at the scene to investigate the coup's mastermind had backfired, implicating innocent people from the Guanyou families. Yan Changyun suggested that Song Ting must have had help, specifically mentioning Xiao Quan.
The Emperor agreed, admitting he found Xiao Quan not simple and had appointed him Minister of Justice after his father's death to test him, but was disappointed that Xiao Quan was now using the Guanyou incident to target the Qin family's former subordinates, proving to be more vicious than his father. Yan Changyun proposed a plan to temporarily suppress Xiao Quan but required something from the Emperor.
The Emperor asked what, and Yan Changyun requested the murder weapon, which the Emperor gave him. Yan Changyun thanked him for his trust. He then made another request: to ensure Chuyue's safety, as she was still in the Ministry of Justice prison and he was worried about her.
The Emperor noted Yan Changyun's concern and commitment to Chuyue, asking if he liked her, and Yan Changyun replied that since Chuyue had entrusted herself to him, he had a responsibility to protect her. The Emperor praised Yan Changyun as a loyal, righteous, true man and promised to help protect Chuyue regardless of the circumstances. Yan Changyun instructed a subordinate, A Cheng, to hide the dagger in Song Ting's mansion.
A Cheng expressed concern that framing Song Ting, who worked for Xiao Quan, would expose Yan Changyun to danger from Xiao Quan. Yan Changyun insisted it was the only way to protect those implicated by the Qin family issue and save Chuyue. He stated he had his own way to handle the consequences and ordered the subordinate to proceed. The next day in court, Song Ting again proposed the execution of the Qin family remnants.
Yan Changyun stepped forward and announced that the true killer of the late Prime Minister had been found: Song Ting, the Supervisor of the Lesser Treasury. Song Ting vehemently denied it, calling it slander. Yan Changyun revealed that the murder weapon, a dagger, had been found in Song Ting's mansion, and its blade matched the wounds on the Prime Minister's body. He presented testimony from Song Ting's servants who witnessed the discovery. Song Ting argued the dagger was common.
Yan Changyun then revealed he found a silk thread under the Prime Minister's fingernail, and its origin was from Song Ting's left shoulder, proving he was at the crime scene. Xiao Quan dismissed the silk thread as insufficient evidence, questioning Song Ting's motive since he supposedly had good relations with Xiao Wanli.
Yan Changyun presented a ledger detailing Song Ting's corruption, arguing that Song Ting killed the Prime Minister because the Prime Minister discovered his crimes and was about to report him. He added that Song Ting then framed the Qin family's old guard to cover his tracks and eliminate potential rivals, achieving two goals at once. The Emperor was enraged by the evidence of corruption and murder and ordered Song Ting to be arrested and punished according to the law.
Song Ting was dragged away, protesting his innocence and claiming the Qin family remnants were the real murderers. Meanwhile, Chuyue was suffering torture in prison. Yan Changyun arrived with men to rescue her, but Xiao Quan was waiting, intending to catch him attempting a prison break. Yan Changyun produced an imperial edict from the Emperor ordering Chuyue's release, thwarting Xiao Quan and asking if Xiao Quan dared to resist the edict.
Later, the Emperor told Fu Xiao that Yan Changyun had accomplished something significant: capturing the corrupt official Song Ting and rescuing his childhood sweetheart, Chuyue. He mentioned that Yan Changyun had taken the imperial edict to personally pick her up from prison and had requested that her slave status be removed, seemingly planning to redeem her and marry her openly.
The Emperor praised Yan Changyun as a brave and straightforward man and expressed his happiness for them, although his status prevented him from witnessing their reunion. He suggested Fu Xiao go see them. Yan Changyun brought Chuyue back to his mansion and settled her into a room in the back courtyard, telling her she could recover there since she couldn't return to her father yet. Fu Xiao soon arrived, having heard the news.
She took Chuyue's hand, expressing her concern and repeatedly addressing Yan Changyun by his first name, seemingly trying to emphasize their close relationship. Chuyue thanked Yan Changyun for freeing her and letting her stay at his home. Yan Changyun told Chuyue that the Emperor had granted her freedom, canceling her status as a government prostitute, so from then on, she was free.
