With an apology this thorough, what more could Jun Beiyue possibly demand?
The Empress of Dongqin retreated several steps, thoroughly humiliated, desperate to leave at once before enduring any further public disgrace.
Her swollen, blotchy face, covered in those terrifying welts, was clearly the result of poisoning. Asking Jun Beiyue for an antidote now would be nothing short of self-inflicted humiliation.
She refused to believe she couldn’t find her own cure. With that thought, the Empress of Dongqin turned to leave, and by then the rest of the gathering had already begun to disperse as well—once word of this spectacle spread, it would surely become the talk of the continent, and the Empress of Dongqin’s reputation was thoroughly ruined.
But just then, Jun Beiyue spoke again. “Ziqing, given how sincere and thorough Her Majesty’s apology was, what do you think—should we forgive her?”
At these words, the Empress of Dongqin froze mid-step, whirling around with a furious glare. Jun Beiyue, however, didn’t even spare her a glance, smiling instead at Ziqing.
Ziqing couldn’t help but smile as well. “Though the reasoning was admittedly a bit strained, out of consideration for the King of Nanzhao’s standing, let’s let it go. As they say, mercy where mercy is due, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Heh, my Consort really is growing more magnanimous by the day!” Jun Beiyue said with a laugh.
“Not at all—nowhere near as magnanimous as you, my lord!” Ziqing replied with a smile, the two of them playing off each other so perfectly that the Empress of Dongqin nearly choked on her own fury, a strangled sound escaping her throat as she barely managed to swallow back what would have been a mortifying eruption. If word of that got out too, how would she ever show her face again!
She fled with Xuanyuan Zhaoxi, practically bolting from the scene in undignified haste.
The King of Nanzhao drew a deep breath. Clearly, he shouldn’t have entertained any rumors at all—Jun Beiyue was, after all, Nanzhao’s closest friend. Why would he ever act against Nanzhao’s interests or violate its customs?
“Prince Yao, it was all simply a misunderstanding—please forgive this King’s oversight in hospitality. Do take good care of your health—if you’re absent from the wedding itself, this King would be truly disappointed!” the King of Nanzhao said hastily. Glancing at the Empress of Dongqin’s swollen, blotchy face, he didn’t dare linger too close to Jun Beiyue for long. After exchanging a few more polite pleasantries and settling the matter of the hunting trip, he hurried off.
The Second Young Beast Master was dragged away by the ear by the Beast Clan Elder, with Baili Weisheng naturally trailing along behind. Jun Beiyue glanced at him once, the corner of his lips curling into a faint, cold, sinister smile, but offered no further greeting.
Situ Haonan had wanted to stay, but found himself pinned beside Yelu Qianqian and had no choice but to drag her away with him, uncertain how Jun Beiyue would explain the matter of Shiliang to Han Ziqing.
Whatever happened, it was best to give the two of them some time alone.
Once everyone had cleared out, Ziqing looked at Jun Beiyue and burst out laughing, a light, easy laugh that simply wouldn’t stop. Jun Beiyue laughed as well, standing at the doorway, watching her.
Ziqing, without a word, moved to go inside, but Jun Beiyue said with a smile, “Not afraid of ending up with a swollen face like a pig’s head?”
“Not afraid. If we’re both pig-heads together, that’s fine by me too,” Ziqing said cheerfully. Being around this man had made her increasingly relaxed and at ease, more so than she’d even realized herself.
With that, she moved to throw her arms around him at once, eager to tell him about the harrowing events at the hunting grounds—but Jun Beiyue immediately stepped back, dodging her outstretched hands!
Ziqing froze for a moment, then instinctively pulled back as well, startled by her own sudden boldness—she’d moved to embrace him so naturally, so eagerly, without even thinking about it!
She’d never done anything like that before. What was wrong with her?
But what startled her even more was that this man had actually refused her. It was precisely his refusal that made her suddenly aware of just how forward she’d been.
Ziqing stood frozen where she was, feeling awkward, embarrassed, her cheeks flushing without her meaning them to. Yet a strange, bittersweet ache rose unbidden in her chest, a small, sharp pang of hurt.
This man—the very man who always used to pull her into his arms without asking, who loved to tease and provoke her—had actually pulled away from her. Why?
Someone who never initiated affection themselves was, in truth, the most fragile of all—the smallest rejection could shatter even their strongest defenses completely.
In that moment, Ziqing’s mind went utterly blank, and she didn’t even stop to consider why. She had only one thought, overwhelming and absolute: never to be the one reaching out first again.
But then, Jun Beiyue immediately explained himself. “Qing’er, come here yourself instead—let’s hold off on the embrace for a moment, all right? This King is far too filthy right now—I haven’t had the chance to wash up yet.”
She was always the one saying she could walk on her own.
He was always the domineering one—she could walk, sure, but this King preferred to carry her regardless.
So now, with him asking her to come to him instead, to wait a while before embracing her—it was because the journey back from the Poison Den had left him utterly filthy, days without a proper wash, and he didn’t want to touch her at all until he’d cleaned himself up.
But Ziqing didn’t understand any of this, and her brow furrowed. “You… what’s wrong?”
“Rushed back covered in road dust, haven’t washed in several days,” Jun Beiyue said with a smile. He’d already known Shiliang had been bought off by Xuanyuan Lige, long before this.
Nothing that happened around Ziqing ever escaped his watchful eyes—no one could slip past his notice. He truly had been delayed by matters concerning Shiliang; without that delay, the Empress of Dongqin would never have believed the ruse, and today’s humiliating apology would never have happened at all.
And more importantly—without that delay, he wouldn’t have been poisoned in the first place!
After deliberately delaying for two hours, he’d staged the arrival of an urgent letter, making certain Shiliang witnessed it, while giving her no chance whatsoever to send word ahead. He’d then rushed straight here without a single moment’s pause.
Everything he’d done had been so reasonable, so natural—all designed to make the Empress of Dongqin believe, or rather, to make whoever stood behind the Empress of Dongqin believe, that Shiliang truly was valuable.
Ziqing regarded his explanation with lingering suspicion, sensing something oddly off about it, and was about to press further when Jun Beiyue cut her off. “Now hurry up and come attend to this King’s bath—and while you’re at it, you’d better give me a full account of exactly what happened at the hunting grounds. I told you more than once not to go, didn’t I!”
At these words, Ziqing had no more room left to dwell on her suspicions. She obediently lowered her head and went inside, dutifully preparing the water to attend to Jun Beiyue’s bath.
Jun Beiyue watched her from the side, a smile lingering on his lips the entire time, filled with warmth, indulgence, and quiet delight…
Meanwhile, at that very moment, Shiliang, who’d been left resting in the side hall, finally couldn’t hold back any longer and slipped away to find the Empress of Dongqin.
“Crack!”
A sharp, resounding slap rang out—one that left no visible wound, yet surely shattered something deep beneath the skin. Shiliang clutched her cheek, and though she was normally unshakably tough, never one to cry, tears now streamed freely from the sheer pain!
“You wretched girl, how dare you show your face before me? Weren’t you supposed to have Jun Beiyue thoroughly detained by now?” the Empress of Dongqin raged, fury blazing in her eyes!
“Your Majesty, this servant delayed him for a full two hours—there was simply no way he could have made it back in time with a maidservant in tow! But then an urgent letter arrived, and this servant was sent ahead by the shadow guards!” Shiliang explained hastily!
“Shadow guards? Then you rushed here yourself—Jun Beiyue must already suspect you!” Xuanyuan Zhaoxi exclaimed in alarm.
“No, Your Majesty. This servant has faithfully reported every single word and reaction from Prince Yao, exactly as it happened. Whether he suspects this servant or not, Your Majesty should already have a clear sense of that from what I’ve reported! The shadow guards were all stationed outside the envoys’ compound—this is the royal capital of Nanzhao, after all. Prince Yao wouldn’t dare be so careless here!” Shiliang explained hastily!
She knew perfectly well that if she failed to explain herself clearly, if she failed to convince this mother and daughter of her continued usefulness, she might very well die right here, today.
The Empress of Dongqin was an exceedingly cautious woman by nature. She did indeed know Jun Beiyue’s every word and action in detail, and she still believed Shiliang held genuine value.
In her hands, she held a sealed report—every word Shiliang had spoken, every word Jun Beiyue had said in response, all meticulously recorded.
She glanced over the report briefly, and suddenly her anger dissipated entirely, replaced instead by a smile—a smile that only made Shiliang more afraid.
“Shiliang, Prince Yao dotes on you only because Han Ziqing treats you as a sister. Make sure you understand that clearly.”
“I understand. And it’s precisely because of that, the Prince has never once suspected me—I’ve been cultivating poison for the sake of Her Highness, and the Prince has always felt sympathy for me on her account.”
“Even a mistress who treats you like a sister, you’re willing to betray. Makes one wonder—will there come a day when…”
The Empress of Dongqin left the sentence unfinished, but a chill ran down Shiliang’s spine, all the way to the back of her skull…