On the day of the palace banquet, Xu Nuo got out of bed early. Ah Fu Niang said that he had to dress him well today and not show any signs of weakness.
Although it was the Queen Mother's birthday party, Xu Nuo became nervous, and his mind was full of thoughts about not embarrassing He Ye.
His new clothes were made of good material given by He Ye. They were light green with dark patterns, and they shimmered in the light. Xu Nuo liked them very much.
Ah Fu Niang was also very good at embroidery. Her work was perfect for him and the styles were popular among the young masters in the capital.
"It's so beautiful," Xu Nuo exclaimed as he lowered his head and stroked his new clothes.
"Of course, those young men all like to wear this kind of thing." Ah Fu's mother said happily, fiddling with his hair and helping him comb it.
"Is it okay for me to wear this?" Xu Nuo felt uneasy for some reason. "I'm not one of those gentlemen."
"What are you afraid of? The young master is much more noble and handsome than those people."
Xu Nuo couldn't help laughing out loud when he was praised, and the young man in the bronze mirror also grinned, with his eyebrows and eyes curved in laughter.
After dressing up nicely, Xu Nuo followed Afu Niang out and met He Ye who was standing under a tree in the yard.
He Ye wore a special dress today, and his hair was let down a little, which was rare for him. He looked really handsome.
He was looking at He Ye, and He Ye was also looking at him. Today's boy was different from usual. If he was usually a beautiful lotus in the water without any decoration, today he was a delicate and beautiful little rose.
Unfortunately, roses have thorns, and they might prick the hands of those who are addicted to their fragrance at any time.
But if such a beautiful girl could be the rose in his hand forever, he would be willing to get his head broken and bleed.
"Ding! Heart rate 90!"
After hearing the system's announcement, Xu Nuo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but he couldn't help feeling a little proud. It seemed that he still looked good today, and He Ye liked him even more.
…
Although the palace banquet was held in the evening, all the ministers and their families arrived early. Xu Nuo stayed close to He Ye, following wherever He Ye went, fearing he would get lost and unable to return. He wanted to grab He Ye's clothes, but there were too many people watching, and he was afraid of embarrassing He Ye, so he could only pretend to be worldly-wise and trot behind him.
He Ye was in a high position of power and was deeply trusted by the current emperor. Many people were eager to approach him and make friends with him, and some even brought portraits of their daughters with the intention of marrying him.
Xu Nuo was so angry that he secretly glared at those old men who were smiling flatteringly behind He Ye. Unfortunately, no one noticed. Occasionally, someone would look at the delicate-looking young man behind General He and would receive a glare from He Ye.
Fortunately, He Ye seemed to be tired of these meaningless excuses and quickly took him to a seat.
Xu Nuo sat on the cushion, leaning close to He Ye, carefully surveying his surroundings. The seat closest to He Ye, still high up, was where the Emperor would sit. Next to it would be the Empress Dowager's seat, as the current Emperor hadn't yet appointed a queen. The lower seats would likely be occupied by the concubines.
After waiting for a long time, until it was almost dark outside, a eunuch with a shrill voice came in and shouted, "Your Majesty has arrived, the Empress Dowager has arrived."
Xu Nuo followed He Ye and the others, lowered his body, and greeted them in a proper manner. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several long, gorgeous trains flash by.
The Emperor, the Empress Dowager and several concubines sat down. This was the first time in recent years that the Empress Dowager had attended the banquet, and there were occasional whispers from the audience.
No one was not curious about what the emperor looked like. Xu Nuo looked up quickly and saw that he was just as he had imagined, tall and majestic, exuding a sense of calmness, and a bit like the reliable big brother in the storybooks.
The empress dowager looked tired, but her facial features were beautiful. She must have been a great beauty when she was young. Xu Nuo vaguely guessed that the emperor would notice her gaze, so she quickly lowered her head to stare at the food in front of her.
Soon after Xu Min sat down, he felt a gaze directed at him. It seemed like someone was looking at him, not trying to hide it at all. It was probably someone from a minister's family visiting the palace for the first time. When he looked over, he was surprised to find that person sitting next to He Ye.
You know, He Ye is used to being alone and never brings anyone with him. But today there was a young man sitting next to him. Li Min became interested and looked at him for a while.
The young man seemed to feel that he was out of danger, and quietly raised his head, just in time to meet Xu Min's eyes.
Xu Nuo was frightened and subconsciously gave a fake smile to please him. Then he quickly rubbed against He Ye, unconsciously seeking shelter.
This glance froze Xu Min in place, and he didn't look away until He Ye looked at him with dissatisfaction.
That face looks so much like my mother when she was young.
Xu Min's heart trembled slightly, and he subconsciously glanced at his mother beside him. The woman still had her eyes downcast calmly. Ever since Xiao Qi left, she often looked like she was in a trance.
A seemingly absurd guess suddenly occurred to him: Is there a possibility that his brother is indeed still alive, but they just didn't find him back then?
Xu Nuo was nervous for a while, but was comforted by He Ye who patted him on the shoulder. After the table full of delicious food was served, all his fears were thrown out of the window.
In feudal society, the emperor naturally had the best food. The imperial chef did not lie to him and promised that he would enjoy the meal very much. He Ye beside him did not eat too much, but just glanced at him from time to time.
The little hamster paused in chewing, his cheeks slightly red, "Did I eat too much?"
He ate slowly and carefully, causing some scratches on the food on the table. However, he was so cute and adorable while eating that He Ye couldn't help but stare at him for a while longer.
“Not much,” the man retracted his gaze, “eat yours.”
Xu Nuo nodded, but this time he ate more reservedly and slowly.
After the last song and dance of the palace banquet ended, most of the ministers had to leave. He Ye walked up to the emperor and whispered a few words to him, then took him out of the palace. However, when leaving, Xu Nuo looked back inexplicably and happened to meet the eyes of the high-ranking empress dowager.
The woman in gorgeous clothes was stunned for a moment, and then Xu Nuo followed He Ye away.
"Nono! It's Nono!"
Xu Min pinched his brows and said, "That's the servant next to He Ye. He came from the Southern Kingdom."
"No," the woman slumped back into her chair weakly, "It's... it's my child, I can recognize him!"
…
The carriage was shaking all the way, making Xu Nuo drowsy. After He Ye got in the carriage, he began to close his eyes and rest. He had been like this for the past few days, looking tired and depressed, unlike the cheerful big dog before.
"He Ye," Xu Nuo called out softly, and saw his eyelids move. "Have you been unhappy these days?"
"Um."
The man answered surprisingly quickly, "Very unhappy."
Xu Nuo looked at him worriedly, and then remembered the milk soup that Afu's mother taught him yesterday, which was just right for He Ye.
"After we get home, I'll make you a bowl of milk soup, okay? It's sweet and will make you feel better after drinking it."
There were only occasional shops with lights on on both sides of the road, reflecting He Ye's gloomy face in the flickering light.
"good."
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