Nancheng Banquet Episode 4 Recap

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> Nancheng Banquet Recap

Qiang was brought back to the Qianyu Guards and introduced as a new member. His fellow guards mocked him for his short stature and effeminate appearance, suggesting he was unfit for their rigorous selection process and likely there just to fill numbers. Qiang admitted he used to be a eunuch, prompting further dismissive reactions before Commander Yan Changyun ordered him to fall in and introduced the day's training.

On the first day, the training was a basic weighted march of thirty li (roughly fifteen kilometers). Finding the task overwhelming and fearing for his life if he continued, Qiang seized an opportunity in the woods to desert and find the Emperor. He located the Emperor, who had been hiding. The Emperor was surprised and relieved that Qiang didn't seem to resent him for failing to help him previously.

Qiang expressed understanding for the Emperor's difficult position, dealing with court and harem matters and navigating officials, acknowledging the throne was a burden rather than a source of comfort. Yan Changyun arrived shortly after, having heard that someone had left training, and stated that if he were to catch someone running from training, he would beat them to death. Qiang, scared, appealed to the Emperor.

The Emperor attempted to protect Qiang by claiming he had asked him to stay and keep him company. Yan Changyun respectfully pointed out that such leniency, if known, would undermine his authority to lead the Qianyu Guards effectively and protect the Emperor. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Emperor reluctantly allowed Yan Changyun to take Qiang back, promising to visit him later.

Back at the barracks, Qiang tried to explain he didn't "intentionally" avoid training and asked for a break since it was his first day, suggesting it would allow him to train more joyfully. He also suggested the training methods were unreasonable, like running thirty li straight, which he argued would exhaust and injure the soldiers, making further training difficult. He proposed focusing on enhancing comrades' cohesion and "love".

Yan Changyun agreed Qiang had a point regarding showing "love" and suggested he could start by demonstrating it by washing all his comrades' clothes. He set a deadline for the task to be completed before Qiang could eat and threatened military punishment if it wasn't done. Qiang, initially dismayed by the volume of clothes, planned to simply wet them and claim he finished, believing Yan wouldn't check. While washing clothes, Qiang played with soap bubbles.

The sight unexpectedly triggered a memory in Yan Changyun. He recalled being severely injured as a child and being taken in by a kind family. He remembered a little girl in that family playing with Dioscorea flowers and bubbles. The sudden, inexplicable familiarity of Qiang's action with that childhood memory left Yan Changyun pensive, wondering why he thought of her. Determined to get kicked out of the Qianyu Guards, Qiang continued to try and annoy Yan Changyun.

He served him a tea he called "Cordyceps tea" (which appeared to have floating insects or debris), deliberately spat food from his mouth while eating, and scattered snack crumbs everywhere, all while acting subserviently and claiming he was bad at serving others and should be released. Yan Changyun remained resolute, telling Qiang he had to stay and couldn't leave. Late one night, Qiang approached Yan Changyun's quarters while he was bathing and offered to rub his back.

This physical approach startled Yan Changyun, who reacted with alarm and suspicion, telling Qiang not to touch him and calling him crazy, wondering why a eunuch would have such intentions towards him. He sternly ordered Qiang to stay away from him from then on, even moving Qiang's bedding outside the door. Qiang then tried to negotiate the price or credit for an antidote from Yan Changyun.

Yan set the cash price at ten taels per pill, but offered credit at fifteen taels per pill plus three percent daily interest. Faced with such steep terms, Qiang decided he would need to find a way to earn the money himself. Meanwhile, Minister Wei received a large shipment of "Zhu Yin powder" from his brother-in-law, Chen Juncai, who had smuggled it from Ning State via ship.

Chen Juncai boasted about the high profits to be made, mentioning it could sell for 300 taels per bowl, and offered Minister Wei the larger share for his investment. Shortly after, Minister Wei's son, Wei Tianjiao, returned home. His father was happy to see him but was quickly asked for five hundred taels by Tianjiao as was customary.

Wei Tianjiao expressed disdain for his father's questionable business dealings, especially with Chen Juncai, preferring to focus on making a name for himself through achievements rather than relying on his father's influence at the Ministry of Revenue, where his father had even arranged a position for him. Through an informant (an "eyeline" in the area), the Qianyu Guards learned of the Zhu Yin powder dealings involving Chen Juncai and his associate Fang You. Yan Changyun ordered their arrest.

Under interrogation by Yan Changyun, and fearing torture, Fang You quickly confessed that he was working with Minister Wei's brother-in-law and that the Zhu Yin powder was located in Yinma Lane. Acting on this information, Yan Changyun led a search of Yinma Lane, where they found the Zhu Yin powder as confessed. To his surprise, they also discovered a large amount of treasury silver hidden there. At court, Yan Changyun presented the evidence.

Minister Wei vehemently denied any involvement, claiming the silver was a frame-up and that he would never be so foolish as to embezzle public funds. An official pointed out that the treasury silver, which Minister Wei's Ministry of Revenue managed, was found at the scene of the Zhu Yin powder trade.

Another minister reminded everyone that years ago, State Duke Qin Wenzhong had also been involved with Zhu Yin powder in the army, suggesting that seemingly unlikely individuals could be guilty and that a superficial innocence shouldn't be trusted. Minister Wei maintained his innocence, calling it a conspiracy against him by those who wished him harm.

After hearing the arguments, the Emperor ordered Yan Changyun to conduct a thorough investigation, including the treasury and the silver's origins, to clear Minister Wei's name if he was indeed innocent. To investigate the matter further and find potential links, Yan Changyun needed to examine Minister Wei's ledger. His subordinate noted that infiltrating the heavily guarded Wei Mansion to obtain it would be difficult. Yan Changyun devised a plan involving the issue of unpaid military salaries.

He announced a test where any soldier who could withstand ten moves from him (negotiated down to three by Qiang) would receive a hundred tael reward. He knew the Qianyu Guards had not received their wages for three months due to reported depleted funds from the Ministry of Revenue. Qiang, seeing the hundred tael reward as a way to earn money for the antidote, eagerly volunteered. He managed to "win" by using evasive tactics to last three moves.

However, when he went to the Ministry of Revenue to collect his reward (plus his two taels standard salary), the official claimed there were no funds, not even the two taels for his standard salary, citing an empty treasury. Outraged, Qiang confronted the official, who mockingly suggested he demand the money from Minister Wei, implying the Duke's corruption was the reason for the missing funds. This spurred Qiang to action.

Back with his comrades, who were also frustrated by the lack of pay, Qiang initially offered a perfunctory defense of Yan Changyun against accusations of embezzlement but quickly shifted to instigating the soldiers regarding the unpaid wages. He argued that their hard work and dedication deserved payment, highlighting his own struggle and the hardships of those with families to support.

He rallied the soldiers, asking if they wanted their money, and they agreed to follow him to demand it from Minister Wei at his mansion. Yan Changyun, aware of the plan, had chosen Qiang to lead this confrontation precisely because of his close ties to the Emperor, believing the Emperor would protect Qiang even if things went wrong, thus protecting the other Qianyu Guards from the most severe consequences.

He instructed his trusted guard, A Cheng, to accompany the group and cooperate fully, but warned them not to cause trouble or get hurt and to try to reason with the Wei mansion guards. He also ensured Wei Tianjiao would be assigned elsewhere to avoid interference. Upon arriving at Wei Mansion, Qiang initially attempted a civil discussion with the guards to meet the Duke. However, he was quickly insulted and dismissed as insignificant ("What kind of nobody are you?" ).

Other Qianyu Guards, provoked by the disrespect shown to Qiang and themselves, started fighting the Wei Mansion guards. In the ensuing chaos, A Cheng, as planned, used the opportunity to infiltrate the mansion, locate a secret room, steal the ledger, and discovered a large amount of treasury silver hidden inside the room with the ledger. The ledger, however, did not mention any transactions related to Zhu Yin powder.

Qiang, overwhelmed by the brawl, ran back to report the situation to Yan Changyun, informing him that fighting had broken out and that rumors were spreading that Yan Changyun had instigated the disturbance at the Wei Mansion. A Cheng also returned, confirming the fight and mentioning he saw Qiang leave. Qiang maintained he ran back only to inform Yan Changyun, knowing only he could help their captured comrades.

A Cheng reported finding the treasury silver and stealing the ledger but noted the ledger didn't mention Zhu Yin powder, raising questions about Minister Wei's potential innocence regarding that specific charge. Minister Wei, furious about the incident, reported the Qianyu Guards' actions to the Grand Empress Dowager, exaggerating their brutality and calling them bandits who acted without cause. The Grand Empress Dowager, outraged, immediately ordered the execution of Qiang as the ringleader.

The Emperor pleaded for Qiang's life, arguing he deserved a lesser punishment and should be made to apologize instead. Yan Changyun intervened, explaining the reason for the guards' frustration was the three months of unpaid wages due to the Ministry of Revenue's claimed treasury emptiness, and that they were forced into the action. He took responsibility for his inadequate supervision and offered to bear the punishment himself to spare Qiang and the other guards.

Despite Minister Wei's continued accusations and demands for harsh punishment, the Grand Empress Dowager agreed to spare Qiang, instead ordering one hundred floggings for Yan Changyun as a warning to him and the Qianyu Guards. As Yan Changyun received the severe punishment, which drew blood on his back, Qiang watched, realizing Yan had taken the blame for him and feeling a sense of obligation.

Observing the need for better discipline and supervision in the Qianyu Guards after the incident, the Emperor, after dismissing proposals from other ministers to appoint their sons, declared that Qiang would be appointed to the position of supervisor ("Dujun") to oversee and correct Yan Changyun's conduct.

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