My Lord, my wife said she doesn't have time to talk to you.

Huaying followed the crowd and bowed to them.

Zimo and Zijin were not surprised to see Huaying and smiled and nodded at her.

The banquet hall was brightly lit and golden. On the tables of the elegant seats below the main seat were red lacquer plates containing plums, grapes, kumquats...

After entering the hall, the ministers sat down one by one according to their ranks. The higher the official rank, the closer the seat was to the main seat.

Huaying and her brother's desk was placed behind their parents. Opposite them was Prince Rui, and behind him were Zimo and Zijin.

His eyes moved to the man standing beside King Rui, and he felt that he looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

Then, with the eunuch's high-pitched voice saying "The Emperor has arrived, the Empress Dowager has arrived, and the Empress has arrived", all the ministers stood up and respectfully saluted the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress.

The emperor, sitting in the main seat, looked down at the ministers below and said with a smile, "Everyone, please stand up. The moon is rising over the sea, and we are all sharing this moment. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner, so don't be too reserved."

The head aunt waiting at the palace gate nodded slightly at the eunuch's gentle signal, turned around and led a group of palace maids behind her, carrying delicious dishes into the palace in an orderly manner. The palace maids placed the dishes in unison and stepped back politely.

Then, a pleasant bell sounded, and a group of foreign girls with bells on their feet and bare chests and bellies walked into the hall lightly to the sound of cheerful music, like a group of dancing butterflies.

They have graceful postures and various dancing steps, and the bells on their bodies make clear and pleasant sounds as they dance...

For a moment, the whole hall was filled with laughter, singing and dancing.

Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, green wine, singing and dancing, adults passing cups, congratulations...

Huaying, who had a headache after smelling the alcohol, frowned slightly, rubbed her temples, whispered something to her brother who was sitting beside her, and then quietly left the hall with Qinghe.

When I came to the garden to get some fresh air, I saw the woman in lavender palace dress looking up at the starry sky in the small pavilion not far away. The light of the bright moon was shining on her body, making her look more mysterious.

Huaying turned around, planning to find another place to get some fresh air. At this moment, the maid of the woman came over, bowed to Huaying and said, "Miss Shen, my lady would like to invite you over for a chat. Are you free?"

Huaying nodded slightly and let her lead the way.

Qing He whispered to Hua Ying, "Miss, that woman is General Su's legitimate daughter, named Su Mu. Before this, you two rarely made friends with each other in private, except for meeting each other a few times at palace banquets."

You know, the families of officials were rarely allowed to enter the palace on normal days.

There are strict rules in the palace - no one can enter the palace without an imperial decree, and girls have to wait until they are ten years old before they can enter the palace.

Many family members of lower-ranking officials may never have the opportunity to step into the imperial palace. Nowadays, many new officials in the court are latecomers, and there are only a few old officials left.

Therefore, the children of officials of the time were not very familiar with each other.

In addition, the current emperor has issued a clear order prohibiting officials from forming cliques and engaging in corruption. Some self-righteous officials are afraid of trouble and directly reject the visiting cards sent by their colleagues.

The family of Prime Minister Zuo is a typical example of this. They have always upheld the principle of integrity and dedication and have disdained such official malpractices.

This upright style made the Left Prime Minister highly respected in the court, but it also made him many enemies.

Huaying recalled the information she had learned about the Prime Minister's Mansion since she entered the mansion, but she had no impression of the Sumu girl in front of her.

Su Mu saw Hua Ying coming over, and hurried forward to greet her, bowed and saluted, smiled and said softly: "I'm sorry for disturbing Miss Shen by asking her to come here rashly. Please don't blame me, Miss Shen."

Huaying returned her greeting and responded gently, "It's okay, I just wanted to come out for some fresh air."

Su Mu asked Hua Ying to sit down and personally poured her a cup of tea. Hua Ying thanked him and took the cup and placed it on the stone table, but did not drink it.

Su Mu smiled and looked at Hua Ying, and said slowly: "When I saw Miss Shen at the palace gate today, I felt very close to her. Later I remembered that I played hide-and-seek with you here when I entered the palace once."

Huaying praised gently, "Ms. Su has a really good memory."

"Just call me Su Mu. Calling me Miss seems a bit strange." Su Mu held Huaying's hand. He had an indescribable liking for her in his heart and always felt that he had a strong connection with her.

Huaying looked at Sumu carefully and found that she was older than herself, so she smiled and replied, "Okay, from now on I will call you Sister Sumu." Then she added, "You can just call me Anning."

"Is Huaying your name?" Su Mu looked at her and asked curiously.

"Yes! It's a nickname, I guess." Huaying said softly.

After Su Mu heard this, he finally understood.

In the following time, the two had a great conversation, talking about each other's interests, hobbies, and life. Su Mu found that Huaying was not only smart, but also had very unique insights.

Huaying felt that Sumu was mature and steady, knew martial arts... and was the eldest prince's fiancée! Huaying noticed that there was often a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Sister Sumu, Sister Ning'er." Zi Jin's voice came from a distance.

Su Mu and Hua Ying heard the voice and stood up to greet the princess. Zi Jin also returned the greeting and said with a smile: "You two are quite smart to come out so early to get some fresh air."

Su Mu had a smile on her face and replied softly, "It was a bit stuffy in the hall, so I came out for a walk and happened to meet Sister Huaying." Her tone was soft and her eyes were clear as water.

Zi Jin shifted his gaze to Hua Ying, a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes, and he said with a smile: "It seems that you two get along quite well."

Huaying felt Zijin's gaze, raised her head, met Zijin's gaze, and responded crisply: "Sister Sumu is just like the princess, not only beautiful, but also kind-hearted."

This sentence made Zi Jin and Su Mu laugh, and the atmosphere became more relaxed and cheerful.