[BL] Eternal Spring ✔️

第四章

Looking down, he saw a little square of folded paper, that same white powder leaking from the edges. He knelt down, swiping a finger through the substance. He tried to smell it but it just smelled slightly floral. After deliberating for a second, Liu Qingyuan licked his finger, immediately spitting it out.

He recognized that taste. It was sweet but had an undercurrent of bitterness, one of the most common indicators of jiu hua (made up), a flower that was used as poison and made the person show symptoms of drunkenness.

Liu Qingyuan leapt to his feet, running the way the figure would have gone, hoping he'd catch another glance of them. Luck seemed to be on his side and he spotted the figure leaping over the rails towards the kitchen.

"Stop!" He shouted. The figure turned, spotted him and ran around a corner. He followed them. The only place they could have gone...

Liu Qingyuan burst through the door to the inner kitchen, the cooks startling at his entrance. A maid right by the door screamed in surprise, dropping the cup she'd been holding.

"What is the meaning of this?" The head cook moved away from the dish he'd been tasting and approached Liu Qingyuan. Though he was at least a foot shorter, his large mustache made up for it.

"Ah, I...I saw someone..." Liu Qingyuan glanced to the side, spotting an eunuch carrying a liquor pot and heading for the door. It was the same round-faced man from before.

"Hey," Liu Qingyuan ignored the head cook, instead turning to the startled eunuch. He pointed to the jar urgently. "Where did you get that?"

The eunuch pulled the jar protectively against his body. "The store room just now. Why?" Liu Qingyuan shoved the jar to the floor. It shattered, liquor splashing upon the floorboards. The head cook started yelling, another maid screamed and the eunuch gasped indignantly. "How-you- How dare you! Do you know how much the red-lidded ones cost?! That was for the king! Oh, I'll make that come out of your paycheck! You-"

"For the king?" Liu Qingyuan interrupted. "Did any more leave yet?"

"I-w-what?" the eunuch sputtered, his boy-ish eyes round with confusion.

"Answer the question," Liu Qingyuan snapped impatiently.

"I-yes, one. Just now. Why?" Liu Qingyuan turned sharply, running out the door and following the sound of music, laughter and lights. He stopped abruptly outside the venue. Why was he...this wasn't his king. He didn't need to save them.

His boot scraped against the gravel as he turned to leave, but he didn't want to go when he knew that the wine was poisoned. What if someone else drank it too?

"Shifu says sacrifices are necessary," Liu Qingyuan murmured to himself, but he could bring himself to leave. The king himself wouldn't die, no. The phoenix mark would protect him. Probably. But...

'It's a good opportunity to gain favour.' a little voice reasoned. 'Come on.'

'Fuck it' Liu Qingyuan thought and rushed into the hall.

He was immediately forced to slow his pace, the throng of people forcing him back. The food had just been served so maids were streaming out of the hall, trays in their hands. Liu Qingyuan took note of the guards lining the walls, standing stoically at their posts. He spotted Da He and quickly averted his gaze.

The hall was swathed in finery, fabric draped along the walls and pillars. The nobles were gorging themselves on the richest food, laughing and enjoying the performance of dancing girls in the center of the floor.

Liu Qingyuan's eyes skipped over them, rising instead to the figure seat at the front of the room. His fine robes were embroidered with a great roaring dragon, the beads of his mianliu guan* swaying with his every movements. His head was tilted down as he toasted to an official, but Liu Qingyuan saw his lips curl into a smile. Swathed in his robes, it was hard to assess his figure but he looked young. He was the legendary, Jiang Zhilan.