Nancheng Banquet Episode 22 Recap
> Nancheng Banquet Recap
Fu Xiao confronted Yan Changyun, recognizing him as Qin Yan, and he admitted his identity. Fu Xiao reminded him that her family had saved him fifteen years ago, yet he had ordered their deaths. Someone present commented that her parents died because of him and asked if he feared her hatred. Yan Changyun replied that he had only approached her to get the jade ring and could not have loved her, then demanded the jade ring's location.
As he prepared to strike, Fu Xiao stabbed him with an arrow. Just then, Cheng arrived and knocked Fu Xiao unconscious. Yan Changyun, wounded, instructed Bai Yi to honor a promise before losing consciousness. Fu Xiao was then taken away by her master, Bai Yi. The Empress looked out sadly. The Emperor placed a coat around her shoulders, noting the cold weather. She wondered if he could have loved her had she not been born into the Xiao family.
The Emperor replied that his position made it difficult to gain true affection or truly love someone, stating he cherished her comfort and warmth but acknowledged it was not love. The Empress accepted this, expressing her willingness to give everything for him without regret. News reached the Emperor that Fu Xiao had attempted to kill Yan Changyun. He rushed to see him and ordered the imperial physician to spare no effort in saving Yan Changyun's life, emphasizing its critical condition.
The physician confirmed Yan Changyun was severely injured with a faint pulse but promised to try his best. The Emperor then asked about Fu Xiao and was told her master had taken her away, wondering aloud why she would attack Yan Changyun. At the Wanshi Pavilion, Fu Xiao woke up after taking an antidote from Bai Yi, which he said would fully cure her poison. She asked where she was and was told she was safe at Wanshi Pavilion.
She expressed a desire to return to check on something. Bai Yi urged her to let go of the past, including her enmity with Yan Changyun, and to forget about him. Fu Xiao insisted her hatred for him was irreconcilable and she just wanted to confirm if he was dead. Bai Yi encouraged her to let everything go.
Chu Yue stayed by Yan Changyun's bedside as he recovered, speaking her thoughts about wanting Fu Xiao to leave him while he repeatedly called out Fu Xiao's name. When he woke, he found Fu Xiao was not there and knew Fu Xiao had stabbed him because of Chu Yue. Despite Uncle Lei's plea for Chu Yue, apologizing for his own actions, Yan Changyun dismissed her, saying he didn't want to see her again.
Uncle Lei apologized for his foolishness in the matter, but Yan Changyun stated he owed them all and would make it right for everyone. Xiao Quan was informed that Yan Changyun survived Fu Xiao's attack and that Bai Yi had taken Fu Xiao. Someone suggested killing Fu Xiao, but Xiao Quan wondered what Bai Yi's intentions were. His focus was on the Ning State. He was told their preparations were complete and they could act anytime.
Xiao Quan decided to use the situation to force "Qin Yan" to appear, wondering if he would come out or let the Qin family remnants die. The Emperor was notified that the Ning State envoy had returned and the Ning State had brazenly declared war, demanding the execution of Yan Changyun, using the death of Princess Jiayang as a pretext. The Emperor, feeling insulted, initially ordered troops to the border.
However, ministers discussed the gravity of the situation, highlighting the strength of the Ning State cavalry and the potential suffering of the people if war broke out. They urged the Emperor to consider the bigger picture and the welfare of the citizens. The Emperor was torn between fighting and yielding to the demand to kill Yan Changyun, whom he protected. Xiao Quan suggested finding a scapegoat if Yan Changyun could not be sacrificed.
He proposed blaming the Guanyou remnants, stating they had old grievances with Ning State from fifteen years ago and new ones with Nancheng after the action taken against the Qin family. He argued that they could be framed for the Princess's murder, and their elimination would both appease Ning State and remove an internal threat. The other ministers concurred, deeming it the best strategy.
Cheng informed Yan Changyun about the Ning State's demands, the Emperor's reluctance to go to war, Xiao Quan's suggestion, and the decision to blame the Qin family remnants for the Princess's death and execute them all to prevent invasion. Yan Changyun was shocked and immediately ordered his attire prepared to go to the palace. Cheng warned him that Xiao Quan intended to use this to have the Emperor kill him, but Yan Changyun insisted on going.
Yan Changyun met the Emperor, who was already aware of the court's decision and initially told Yan to leave. Yan pleaded for the innocent Qin family remnants, offering his own life for the peace of Nancheng. He then revealed his true identity: Qin Yan, the sole surviving son of Duke Qin, who escaped the massacre fifteen years ago, lived under a false name, and rose through the military to become the Qianyu Guard commander, intending to clear his family's name.
Now, he was willing to surrender if the innocent could be spared. The Emperor stated he couldn't kill him, asking who would protect him if he did. Yan Changyun countered that the Emperor had long suspected his identity, citing moments like his shrimp allergy being exposed or being taught the Nine Petal Thrust as deliberate tests. He knew this day would come.
The Emperor confessed he kept the secret because Yan Changyun never harmed him but always protected him, cherishing their old bond. However, he felt forced by the dire situation to agree to Xiao Quan's plan. Yan Changyun insisted on bearing the blame alone, stating he had no remaining attachments. When asked about Fu Xiao, he said she didn't belong there, implying he couldn't give her a future, and reiterated he didn't want to implicate anyone else, especially her.
The Emperor remarked that Fu Xiao was far more courageous, daring to love and hate. Seeing Yan Changyun's determination to die for the others, the Emperor agreed and ordered him imprisoned in the heavenly prison under strict guard, forbidding anyone from approaching him. He then instructed Feng to draft an edict announcing Yan Changyun's incarceration and impending execution to the public. Xiao Quan was informed that Yan Changyun had revealed his identity, was imprisoned, and would soon be executed.
He expressed satisfaction that "Qin Yan" had finally appeared and surrendered. He reflected that Yan had guarded the Emperor for years, preventing his own plans from advancing. Believing that with Yan Changyun gone, Nancheng would be vulnerable, like a toothless tiger, allowing their forces to advance, he planned to act immediately after Yan Changyun's execution.
The Emperor reflected on being forced to use Yan Changyun as a last resort and hoped he understood his predicament, noting that Xiao Quan's forces were already showing signs of plotting as expected. At Wanshi Pavilion, Bai Yi spoke to Fu Xiao, suggesting love could blind a person and that her history with Yan Changyun should conclude.
He prompted her to think about the item Yan Changyun was seeking and its hidden meaning, mentioning the jade ring and asking if she knew where it was. Fu Xiao, still pretending to have amnesia, said she couldn't remember anything beyond getting a jade roller made for his leg, which delayed her return, and claimed thinking about it gave her headaches. Bai Yi urged her not to push herself and focus on her health. Fu Xiao thanked him and left.
Fu Xiao confronted her senior sister, Qing Li, asking if she killed Princess Jiayang. Qing Li denied it, warning Fu Xiao not to make wild accusations. Fu Xiao produced the plum blossom dagger Bai Yi had gifted her, noting the Princess's fatal wound matched it. Qing Li admitted to the murder, stating it was on their master's orders as a means to eliminate Yan Changyun.
She justified it as punishing evil and expressed disdain for those prioritizing emotional attachments over their mission, citing Yan Changyun willingly taking Fu Xiao's stab wound to save her as foolishness. Qing Li initially claimed Yan died by her hand but then revealed he didn't die from the stab but was now imprisoned as Qin Yan, the fugitive, awaiting execution by the court.
Fu Xiao was visibly shocked by the revelation of his identity and capture, recalling Yan Changyun's words telling her to forget him and live happily. She realized her master had lied about not being involved in the Princess's death and that she had misunderstood Yan Changyun. Bai Yi checked on Fu Xiao again, stating the poison was gone and her blood was clearing, asking if she remembered anything.
She continued to feign amnesia, expressing nostalgia for Wanshi Pavilion's past life before these events. She offered to massage Bai Yi's leg using the jade roller she had made, interacting briefly with Qing Yun before doing so. She deliberately dropped the roller and quickly picked it up, offering to repair it immediately, which Bai Yi allowed. In her room, Fu Xiao took the jade ring out of the roller.
She examined it closely, confused about why both Yan Changyun and Bai Yi were searching for it and what its secret could be. As she handled it, she accidentally triggered a mechanism, and a piece of paper fell out. She read the paper, her expression turning to shock. The next day, Qing Yun massaged Bai Yi's leg with the roller and noticed it felt lighter and didn't move as smoothly as before.
Bai Yi took it and found something missing inside. He asked for Fu Xiao's whereabouts. Learning she wasn't in her room and no one had seen her since the previous night, Bai Yi immediately sent a message via carrier pigeon instructing Qing Li to pursue her. Fu Xiao rode towards the capital with the evidence. On the way, she was intercepted by a masked figure, whom she recognized as the one who had killed everyone in her village fifteen years ago.
