Chapter 10
The grand banquet hall buzzed with life under bright lanterns and the scent of roasted meats and spiced wine.
Generals in new armor laughed loudly as they conversed, raising cups to celebrate their safe return from the northern borders.
Music from strings and flutes filled the air, while dancers in flowing dresses moved gracefully across the open floor.
Helian Jue sat at the head table, his dragon robes good and imposing. His face stayed calm, but his fingers tapped the arm of his chair. The seat to his right remained empty. No sign of Qingyu.
He was already getting paranoid about the fact that Shen Qingyu might have ignored him.
Consort Lian leaned closer, pouring wine into his cup with a sweet smile. "Your Majesty, try this vintage. It came from the northern estates. It will warm you after your recovery."
Helian Jue took the cup but barely sipped from it. His eyes kept drifting to the entrance.
When his patience finally ran out, he turned to Eunuch Liu.
"Liu, go fetch the Jade Consort. He should be here by now."
Liu bowed and turned to leave, but at that moment Qingyu appeared at the hall doors. Xiao He walked beside him for a few steps, then slipped away to a side corner reserved for lower servants.
Qingyu moved through the crowd with grace. His beautiful robes with gold threads caught every light, making the fabric shimmer like living flame.
This earned whispers from the other palace consorts.
"Look at those robes! His Majesty must have ordered them himself."
"Consort Shen thinks he can rise so quickly? Shameless."
Consort Lian's smile tightened as Qingyu reached the reserved seat beside the emperor. Her nails dug into her palm under the table.
She should've been the one there!
Qingyu sat down calmly and offered a small bow. "Your Majesty."
Helian Jue's tension eased a fraction. He gave a short nod, almost forgetting that he was angry a while ago. "You are late."
Before more could be said, the main part of the banquet began. Helian Jue stood and raised his cup. His deep voice rented across the hall.
"Today we honor our generals who kept the borders safe. Their loyalty brings peace to the empire. Drink and celebrate."
Cheers rose as everyone made a toast. Servants moved between tables, refilling wine and bringing plates of delicate dishes–steamed fish, braised pork, and fresh fruits carved into flowers.
A general with a thick beard laughed and clapped another on the back. "Remember that ambush at Black Pine Pass? We thought we were finished until His Majesty's orders arrived!"
Another general nodded in approval. "The emperor's strategy saved us all. To His Majesty!"
More toasts followed. Consort Lian laughed all the entire time, not quite reaching her eyes and leaning toward Helian Jue to share small stories with him.
Qingyu stayed quiet, observing everything. For some reason, he wasn't affected like before.
He suddenly noticed the pattern of drinks served to the emperor's table. Servants brought fresh cups regularly. One glass in particular stood out —it had been swapped when Consort Lian leaned over to pour for Helian Jue.
The liquid inside looked slightly off, a faint shimmer that did not match the others.
Helian Jue paid no attention to the wine, focusing instead on the generals' reports. Qingyu's stomach tightened. Without thinking, he reached out in a swift motion, as if adjusting his sleeve, and switched the glasses.
He placed the normal one in front of the emperor and kept the changed one for himself.
Moments later, Helian Jue turned to him. "A toast, Qingyu."
Qingyu lifted his cup with a forced smile. They touched the rims lightly. Helian Jue drank deeply while Qingyu watched every swallow.
"Why aren't you drinking, Qingyu?"
Qingyu shook his head, then smiled and brought his own cup to his lips. He drank slowly, the liquid sliding down his throat with a faint bitterness.
From across the table, Qingyu caught the delightfulness in Consort Lian's eyes before she hid it behind her fan.
All he could wonder was why she'd done that.
The banquet continued with more performances of acrobats tumbling in perfect flips, poets reciting verses praising the throne. Laughter and conversations grew louder as the night went by.
Qingyu felt fine at first, but soon a strange warmth spread through his veins. His head grew light, then heavy. His fingers tingled, then went numb.
The world tilted slightly around him.
Helian Jue noticed the change. "Qingyu? You look pale. Are you unwell?"
Qingyu opened his mouth to answer, but the room spun faster. His vision blurred. He tried to steady himself on the table, but his arms lost strength. Darkness rushed in, and he collapsed forward onto the table.
Gasps rippled through the hall. Consort Lian's face went blank with shock. Helian Jue shot to his feet, fazed.
"Qingyu!" His voice cracked with panic. He caught Qingyu before he could slide to the floor, holding him close. "Physicians! Get the imperial physicians now!"
The hall fell into chaos as the Generals stood in confusion and whispers filled the atmosphere.
Helian Jue lifted Qingyu in his arms, ignoring the stares. "Clear the way! He goes to my chambers. Now!"
Servants and guards scrambled, disbelief showed on every face —the emperor carrying a consort through the palace himself?
In the imperial chambers, Helian Jue laid Qingyu gently on the bed. He paced like a caged tiger, forgetting his own lingering pain from the earlier poison. His chest ached in a way he could not explain.
Why him? Why now?
The memory of his first life came in floods —watching Qingyu die alone after he had signed the order without a second thought. He had fallen terribly ill later, realizing too late how precious the consort had been. Death had granted him this second chance, and he had sworn to protect Qingyu this time, even from his own past mistakes. Seeing him like this tore something deep inside him.
"Liu!" he shouted. "The best physician. If he is not here in less than a minute, I will chop off every head in the medical hall!"
Liu, who appeared a few seconds ago, face turned white. He ran out to find the best physician.
Helian Jue kept pacing, his hands clenched. He had skipped his own medicine dose again, but the ache in his heart hurt worse than any poison.
The head imperial physician arrived breathless, medical box in hand. Helian Jue grabbed the front of his robes the instant he saw him.
"Why are you late? Explain yourself!"
The old man trembled. "Forgive this servant, Your Majesty. I came as fast as my legs allowed."
"The next time I send for you and you waste more time, I will have your head and entire existence chopped off! Do you hear me?"
The man's lips quivered fearfully and terrified as he stifled a nod. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
Helian Jue released him with a shove. "Treat him. Now."
The physician worked quickly, checking Qingyu's pulse, eyes, and breath. He mixed herbs and forced a small amount between Qingyu's lips, then applied needles at key points to stimulate blood flow.
After long minutes, he bowed. "Your Majesty, it is a slow-acting sedative mixed with a paralytic herb. Not lethal in this dose, but strong enough to cause unconsciousness. Even for days. He should wake within the hour once the antidote takes effect. Keep him warm and give him broth when he stirs."
Without glancing at the physician, Helian Jue waved him off to get lost and the man hurried to obey.
Helian Jue sank onto the edge of the bed, staring at Qingyu's pale face.
'First someone tried to poison me. Now this happens to him.'
His heart twisted harder. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Qingyu's forehead.
Qingyu's eyes fluttered open some time later. He blinked, confused, and tried to sit up. "Your Majesty…"
Helian Jue pushed him back gently. "Lie still. What happened?"
Qingyu struggled to gather his thoughts. He gave an innocent look. "I saw Consort Lian change the glass for you. I switched them so you would not drink it. Then I took it instead."
Helian Jue's breath caught. Emotion flooded his eyes– shock, pain and anger. All at once. "You chose to drink poison for me? You would die for me, Qingyu?"
Qingyu nodded slowly, his voice soft. "Yes."
Helian Jue rebuked at once, retorting. "You cannot die. Never try something like that again. Do you hear me?"
He didn't wait for Qingyu's response as he turned to the door.
"Liu! Summon Consort Lian. Tell her this will be her last day in the palace."