Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 804 Banquet (2)

Chapter 804: Chapter 804 Banquet (2)

"Lord Yan, if you enjoy it, I’ll send a fresh batch over in a few days," Mo Yan agreed with a smile.

The New Year’s gifts returned by the Mo Family to the various houses, apart from some fruits and vegetables that were out of season during winter, were a variety of fruit wines. There were plenty of these in the Space, and giving them away was also respectable.

Although she was speaking with Yan Junyu, Mo Yan’s attention was on Xiao Ruiyuan, who was slowly approaching. Catching a glimpse of his still cold face, she inadvertently thought of the unexpected kiss from the night before, and her little face couldn’t help but flush slightly.

Fortunately, it was already dark, and the palace lanterns along the way were not very bright, so no one noticed Mo Yan’s abnormal state.

Xiao Ruiyuan’s dark eyes were tightly locked on Mo Yan, not allowing any other distractions. Seeing her gaze darting away slightly, he hooked up a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, and his low and smooth voice revealed someone’s good mood, "Princess Hejia, may I accompany you?"

The moment these words were spoken, they shocked everyone present who was unaware of the situation, causing their eyes to pop.

Xiao Ruiyuan was young and astute, with outstanding war achievements. He was not only favored by Emperor Huian but also the firm right hand of the Crown Prince of Great Chu. It could be said that there was no younger man in all of Great Chu with a brighter future than him.

His flawless appearance enamored countless ladies of the boudoir, and the number of World Families and nobility desiring to recruit him as a son-in-law was even greater.

It wasn’t that there were no women who had set their sights on Xiao Ruiyuan, but unfortunately, every woman who gave it her all to get close to him had ended up being dismissed by the Hidden Guard before they could even touch the hem of his robe.

Those who came knocking to feel out the situation, if they could not be easily offended, were politely invited into the manor, only to leave filled with frustration after drinking their fill of tea; those who could be offended didn’t even get to step through the door.

As time passed, those who had failed repeatedly finally realized that Xiao Ruiyuan was indifferent to women. Although they were reluctant to accept it, they could only acknowledge the fact, after all, it wasn’t unusual for a man to delay marriage for three or five years, but women could not afford such delays.

But now, what were they witnessing? General Xiao, who always appeared indifferent towards women, had actually taken the initiative to invite Princess Hejia to join him in his company, if that meant nothing, even a fool wouldn’t believe it.

Mo Yan hadn’t expected Xiao Ruiyuan to extend such an invitation. Sensing those meaningful glances, she felt slightly uncomfortable, but she didn’t refuse. Instead, her words were very polite, "It’s an honor for Hejia to accompany Sir Xiao and Young Master Yan!"

The distant words furrowed Xiao Ruiyuan’s brow, but ultimately considering the lady’s reputation, he slightly nodded without saying anything further and stepped forward to stand between Mo Yan and Yan Junyu, keeping a distance of about an arm’s length from both.

Yan Junyu raised his eyebrows with a meaningful look towards Xiao Ruiyuan, but met two warning gazes. Reluctantly pulling his mouth into a pout, he withdrew his gaze.

And so, this trio of outstanding appearance and exceptional status became the center of attention as they entered Qinghe Hall for the New Year’s banquet amidst the astonished looks of onlookers, their expressions remaining composed.

Qinghe Hall was a venue specifically for holding large palace banquets, where the New Year’s banquet was held annually. In addition to dining with the monarch of the country, there were songs and dances to entertain, making the hall very spacious, only slightly smaller than the largest Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The grand hall was already filled with many people, mostly low-rank level Ministers and Ladies. These people, prompted by Little Eunuchs, were also aware of Mo Yan’s status, so as soon as the trio entered the hall, those Ministers stepped forward with their respective Ladies to greet them.

None of the three were fond of such formalities, but being in the midst of it, they could only bear it and deal with it patiently.

Fortunately, before long, the outside of the hall resounded with the high-pitched calling of Little Eunuchs. Simultaneously, everyone looked toward the sound and saw Emperor Huian and Chu Heng, flanking the Empress Dowager on both sides, entering Qinghe Hall. Following behind the three dignitaries was an impressive procession of Concubines, Princesses, and Princes.

All present knelt down to greet the three most prestigious persons of Great Chu. After Emperor Huian ascended the Dragon Throne and declared "rise," everyone got up and took their seats.

The seating in the hall was divided into left and right sides, with the Imperial Family’s kinsmen and Civil and Military Ministers on the left, and Princesses, Commandery Princesses, and Ladies of Imperial Mandate on the right. The higher the rank level, the closer to the front the seat would be. Each person’s seat was a long table three feet in length and two feet in width, already laid out with exquisite refreshments.

Mo Yan, Xiao Ruiyuan, and Yan Junyu, who were all of similar rank level, found their seats directly opposite each other with only about four zhang (a unit of length approximately equal to 3.58 meters) of distance, allowing a clear view of each other with just a lift of the head.

The New Year’s banquet had not officially started, and casual conversation wasn’t permitted, so Mo Yan felt somewhat bored and started to study the intricate pastries on the table, guessing the possible ingredients used and how to control the baking, which indeed provided her with some insights.

Once Xiao Ruiyuan had taken his seat, his gaze never left Mo Yan. Seeing her fixedly staring at that plate of pastries, he mistook it for hunger and, with furrowed brows, asked Yan Junyu at his side, "How much longer must we wait?"

Yan Junyu misunderstood that it was Xiao Ruiyuan who was hungry and was just about to speak when he noticed Xiao Ruiyuan’s gaze drifting to the opposite side. Following the gaze, he instantly had an "enlightenment" and provocatively suggested, "If you feel pity for her, why not have one of the attending Little Eunuchs mention it? Isn’t the pastry there to be eaten?"

Yan Junyu’s voice wasn’t quiet, at least the nearby tables could hear him, and sitting there was none other than the Sixteenth Prince.

Mistaking that his greatly admired Great General was hungry, the Sixteenth Prince quickly instructed a Little Eunuch at his service to take the pastries from the table to Xiao Ruiyuan.

This gesture drew the attention of many, and Emperor Huian, who was conversing with the Empress Dowager, noticed it too and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Little Sixteen, why are you sending your own pastries to Xiao Aiqing?"

Caught off guard by his father emperor’s observation, the Sixteenth Prince appeared somewhat embarrassed and explained, "General Xiao is hungry but won’t eat the pastries on his table. Your Humble Son guessed that General Xiao might favor sweet over savory treats, so I took the liberty of sending this sweet pastry to him."

With those words, all eyes naturally converged onto that plate of sweet pastries brought by the Sixteenth Prince and General Xiao, revealing a sudden realization as though they had discovered some remarkable secret.

So it seemed that the taste preference of this iron-blooded general was quite peculiar, after all!