Volume 3, Chapter 30: Doze (1/2)

Maomao could hear the clattering sounds of rocking. When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw silken locks of black silk.

While her vision was blurry, she touched her mouth. Something sticky around her lips.  There was a bitter taste in her mouth, but her nose had a sour taste.

(I must have vomited.)

No doubt she was made to drink an emetic or water to vomit out the poison first things first. It seems she was treated properly. Her throat wasnt blocked, and she wasnt suffocating.

She was blanketed by furs. She had pushed it aside. Her whole body was still itchy. It was also hard to breathe.

She also felt like wanting to slump down on her side, but there was a reason she couldnt do that.

The locks of black silk were hanging right over Maomaos face. When she followed its origin, a beautiful face to the point of disagreeableness was staring at Maomao fixedly, lashes lowered.

You awake?

Jinshis pale expression lifted with a smidge of relief.

(Jinshi-sama.)

No sound came out when she tried to speak. She could only open and close her mouth repeatedly like a fish.

Even though her body was rocking with the clatter, her head didnt hurt. She felt something kind of hard on the back of her head.

Considering the position of Jinshis face and his posture, as well as the place where Maomao was lying down, it seems that she was now in an immensely uncomfortable position.

Should she call it a lap pillow? Originally, it wasnt something a noble should give.

She tried to move her heavy body, but she couldnt move while she was numb. Jinshi held down Maomaos squirming body.

Be obedient. Im taking you the person you call your adoptive fathers place.

The clattering was because they were in a horse carriage. The place where the banquet was held was in the imperial court, near the ritual grounds but was considerably closer to the edge of it. If they were to head to the inner palace from there, if they dont even use the horse carriage, it will be difficult to carry one collapsed person. It should be more than two ri (~1 km or ~0.6 mi.) in a straight line.

Though she tried to look out the window, Jinshi was in the way so she couldnt. Jinshi, being Jinshi, was staring at Maomao.

Did poison get served?

Jinshi asked.

Maomao could only shake her head slowly.

Gaoshun must have told you, about what was going to happen.

He said to verify. Maomao could only nod.

It was as Jinshi said. This wasnt to serve poison to the imperial brother. It was something that Maomao had devised with Gaoshun beforehand.

The rashes that broke out on her entire body wasnt poison. It was a reaction that occurs when she eats a certain food.

It didnt seem like there was anything that was like poison.

It shouldnt be poison for Jinshi. After all, Maomao was more resilient against poison than people. This Maomao had a weakness too.

It was just buckwheat, that she cannot eat.

If there was buckwheat in the food, Jinshi would also notice it. He should know that Maomao cannot eat that.

Things like what the food taster cannot eat at least are investigated before the food tasting. Buckwheat wasnt eaten much in the capital, and it wasnt something that the emperor or Consort Gyokuyou liked to that extent, so it was something that hardly came out in meals. Nonetheless, there was one time where helou[note]. A type of noodle said to have originated from Northern China from ancient times. Made from buckwheat and wheat flour.[/note] was served, but she explained it to Honnyan on that occasion and another person was substituted to food taste for her.

And so, Jinshi must think that buckwheat wasnt used in the cooking.

Maomao also anticipated that. Thats why she took upon herself to have the shaojiu diluted with fruit juice as the aperitif. Distilled liquor used grains as the ingredient. There were those among them that used buckwheat. Although it became alcohol, it was very often that the buckwheat base got mixed into it during the process. And this time, there were more than expected in it.