Nancheng Banquet Episode 7 Recap

> Nancheng Banquet
> Nancheng Banquet Recap

Yan Changyun was still awake late at night when Qiang returned. He questioned Qiang about his tardiness, who explained he had been learning martial arts from the Emperor and lost track of time. Qiang boasted that the Emperor had proactively offered to teach him techniques, claiming they would allow him to defeat Yan Changyun, and that he had already learned two moves, expecting to master them within days.

Yan Changyun suspected the Emperor's motive for teaching Qiang was to test his identity. A few days later, the Emperor visited the Qianyu Guards training ground under the guise of observing a test. During a sparring match between Qiang and Yan Changyun, Qiang used a specific move.

A flashback showed a young Qin Yan teaching this move, the "Nine Petal Thrust," from the Falling Blossom Sword technique to the young Emperor, describing it as a highly dangerous move usually resulting in death or severe injury, but noting the Qin family possessed a counter technique. Back in the present, Yan Changyun, recognizing the move and understanding it was a test, deliberately did not dodge and sustained a significant injury from Qiang's move.

The Emperor immediately offered to personally tend to the wound. Yan Changyun politely declined, suggesting they wait for the doctor, but the Emperor insisted on seeing the injury, specifically checking his chest for old scars. Qiang volunteered to remain and assist the doctor, and the Emperor specifically instructed Qiang to change Yan Changyun's dressing three times daily. After the Emperor departed, Cheng questioned how Yan Changyun, with his skill, could have lost to Qiang.

Yan Changyun revealed that Qiang had used the "Nine Petal Thrust," the very technique he had practiced with the Emperor as a child. He explained the Emperor had deliberately taught this move to Qiang to test if Yan Changyun was Qin Yan, forcing him to deliberately lose.

Yan Changyun mentioned that the Emperor had examined his chest and found no old scars, adding that he had taken prior steps, including covering his skin, to ensure no such old marks would be visible, hoping this would alleviate the Emperor's suspicions regarding his identity. As the Emperor returned to the palace, he was troubled by thoughts of the past.

He recalled placing the imperial seal on the decree fifteen years ago that led to the execution of the Qin family for treason, and felt overwhelming guilt whenever he remembered his friend, Qin Yan. When a servant suggested his preoccupation stemmed from not visiting the Empress, the Emperor clarified he was thinking of Qin Yan.

The servant expressed regret for mentioning the deceased, which the Emperor accepted, musing that perhaps it was better Qin Yan was gone, as he would not know how to face him. Meanwhile, Qiang sincerely apologized to Yan Changyun for injuring him. He confessed his intense desire to win so he could remain with the Qianyu Guards but insisted he never intended harm, believing Yan Changyun's superior skill would have protected him.

Qiang promised to fully care for Yan Changyun until he recovered. Observing Yan Changyun's poor mood, the Empress decided to seize the opportunity to bring Qiang to her palace, believing he could help her capture the Emperor's attention and conceive an heir. Her attendant expressed concern about confronting Yan Changyun, known for his formidable temper and potential refusal.

Initially hesitant, the Empress then asserted her status as mistress of the harem, resolving to obtain Qiang regardless of the difficulty, seeing him as crucial to her plans. The Empress then visited Yan Changyun, ostensibly to check on his injury, before revealing her true purpose: she needed staff in her palace and requested someone from the Qianyu Guards.

When she mentioned that the request was a special arrangement from the Emperor, Yan Changyun immediately agreed, stating he would obey the decree. Qiang vehemently protested, pleading with Yan Changyun not to send him away, but Yan Changyun instructed him to comply. The Empress departed, surprised by Yan Changyun's swift agreement and the prompt removal of Qiang's belongings. At the Fengyi Palace, the Empress sought Qiang's advice on winning the Emperor's favor.

Qiang responded with exaggerated flattery about her beauty and wisdom, which the Empress seemed to enjoy despite her attendant advising Qiang against flattering the master. The Empress then demanded Qiang write down all his methods by dawn, specifying "just" one hundred illustrated strategies, a task that daunted Qiang. The following morning, the Empress reviewed Qiang's manual. She selected a method called "Turn the tables" and declared her intention to test its immediate effect on the Emperor.

Her attendant advised caution, suggesting it could be a trap designed to make the Empress lose favor, and recommended Qiang test it first on Yan Changyun. The Empress agreed. Qiang went to Yan Changyun's door, calling out and asking him to open it, but received no response. He returned to the Empress, reporting the method's failure. Undeterred, the Empress chose another method, described as a "bitter trick" involving self-injury. Qiang expressed reluctance, asking for a less painful option.

The Empress suggested that being injured might evoke pity from Yan Changyun and lead to his return to the Qianyu Guards, thus ending his hardship. If not, the method was ineffective. She even offered her attendant's help if Qiang couldn't perform the injury himself. Following this, Qiang, with a visibly injured arm, approached Yan Changyun and tearfully begged to be transferred back to the Qianyu Guards, stating he could no longer bear his time with the Empress.

Though Yan Changyun felt internal distress seeing the injury, he responded coolly on the surface, advising Qiang to see a doctor as he could not cure him and stating he was not concerned with Qiang's well-being. Hurt by this apparent lack of care, Qiang sadly declared that Yan Changyun was no longer his boss and left. Seeing her strategies fail, the Empress concluded that Qiang was deliberately hiding his skills to secure the Emperor's favor for himself.

She ordered him punished with torture involving feathers tickling his feet, which caused him to laugh uncontrollably. Later that night, Qiang lay still in his room. His comrades, including Wei Tianjiao, visited. Wei Tianjiao joked that Qiang preferred "white silver" (money) to the white flowers they brought.

Qiang took out a Jade bone whistle, blew it mournfully a few times, then threw it away, lamenting that he had mistakenly believed Yan Changyun would miss him and stating he no longer cared about the whistle. He then went to sleep. Sometime later, Yan Changyun entered Qiang's room silently. He began to gently clean Qiang's injured arm but discovered the wound was faked when the coloring rubbed off.

Yan Changyun appeared visibly angry at the deception and left the room without a word. The next morning, Qiang woke to find the coloring on his fake wound had rubbed off. An attendant from the Empress's palace arrived to hurry him. Feeling tormented by the Empress and abandoned by Yan Changyun's perceived heartlessness, Qiang resolved to leave the palace. He wrote a farewell letter for Yan Changyun, placing it conspicuously on his desk, but Changsheng accidentally covered it with books.

Qiang walked slowly towards the palace gate, hoping someone would stop him. He reached the final gate feeling disappointed that no one had appeared. Just as he was about to exit, Changsheng called out his name. Believing Yan Changyun had sent Changsheng to retrieve him, Qiang turned back expectantly. However, Changsheng simply stated he was going to interrogate a prisoner.

Qiang was stunned to realize Changsheng was not there for him and felt completely forgotten by Yan Changyun and the Qianyu Guards. Convinced no one within the palace cared about him, he walked out through the gate alone.

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