The La Clan was late.

Jinshi sat next to the Empress Dowager on the Emperor 's left, one seat removed from that exalted presence. The Shin Clan 's matriarch sat a few places away, in the seat of honor. The food was delicious, the music enchanting and the dancers exquisite.

He saw none of it.

He remained in his place, for once not bothering to keep a pleasant smile on his face. People glanced at him with a new wariness in their eyes, even as he carefully lifted chopsticks to his lips to sample the Emperor 's hospitality. After Gaoshun had passed on their poisoning suspicions to His Majesty he had been informed by letter in the morning that, for the next banquet, the Emperor would be providing food tasters as a general rule for the evening. Jinshi would continue to execute all of his court duties without any behavior that might draw attention or cast the imperial family in a negative light.

Needless to say, the Emperor was displeased.