Parents are busy farming

Ye Zifen sighed softly, and that sigh seemed to carry thousands of sorrows and helplessness, drifting slowly in the air.

She murmured softly, "Alas, life in this palace really does not allow for a moment of peace and tranquility."

After saying that, she lowered her head slightly, her eyes revealing a trace of fatigue and boredom that was difficult to conceal.

Today is even more unpleasant than reading a day's worth of memorials.

Zhang Gaoyi, who was standing by, saw this and reached out to pat Ye Zifen's shoulder gently, saying in a soft voice, "Don't think too much. The most important thing right now is to fill your stomach."

As he spoke, he smiled and motioned to Ye Zifen to start eating quickly.

After hearing this, Ye Zifen slowly raised her hand and picked up the chopsticks on the table.

However, although she tried hard to focus on what was in front of her, her mind was not there at all.

I saw her mechanically pick up a small piece of vegetable and slowly put it into her mouth.

But as soon as the dish entered her mouth, she felt like chewing wax and could not taste the slightest bit of flavor.

Zhang Gaoyi had been staring at Ye Zifen silently. Seeing her like this, he couldn't help feeling helpless.

Ye Zifen finally lost her appetite. She slowly put down her chopsticks and said with a wry smile, "This food tastes so bland."

The voice was full of loneliness.

Most of the food at the palace banquet would get cold very quickly, and even if the food was delicious before, it would now make people lose their appetite.

Zhang Gaoyi quickly tried to comfort her: "Just be patient for a while, and when you get home, let Mother Feng cook your favorite delicious food."

Hearing this, Ye Zifen forced a faint smile on her face, nodded, and said no more.

Everyone present knew clearly that although the palace banquet seemed to be a feast of singing and dancing, with delicious food and wine, in reality, apart from the emperor and his concubines who could really enjoy the meal, everyone else was just going through the motions, moving their chopsticks a little as a token of their appreciation.

After all, in such a solemn and dignified occasion, no one dared to eat too much, for fear of losing manners and being looked at and criticized by others.

As a result, no one's attention was paid to the tables full of sumptuous delicacies in front of them.

Instead, their attention was all focused on the stage in the center of the palace, where wonderful performances were being performed one after another.

At this moment, not far in front of Ye Zifen, a woman dressed in gorgeous and exotic clothes was dancing gracefully.

I saw that she had a graceful figure and her slender waist was as soft and light as a green willow swaying in the wind.

Look at her lively eyes again, just like the twinkling stars in the deep night sky, seeming to hide endless mysterious stories, making people want to find out.

This exotic woman was wearing a wide array of exquisite accessories, which made clear and melodious tinkling sounds as she danced happily and passionately.

Every spin and every lift of her hand reveals a strong and unique exotic charm that makes people intoxicated and unable to extricate themselves.

Her face is delicate and charming, just like peach blossoms blooming in spring. However, beneath that delicate and attractive appearance, there is a hint of shyness, which adds a unique charm to it.

According to rumors, this girl was a gift brought by foreign envoys to the royal family. Presumably, these foreign envoys wanted to send their own girls into the palace in order to curry favor with the powerful.

As the rhythm of the music gradually quickened, the woman's dance steps became more and more rapid, as if she was expressing her deepest desires and longings to the world through this passionate dance.

At this moment, everyone around was attracted by this exotic dancer.

Some people couldn't help but sincerely admire her stunning beauty; others secretly speculated about the real intention behind the foreign envoy's actions.

However, the woman seemed oblivious to all the discussions from the outside world and continued dancing with full devotion, as if this huge palace banquet stage had become the entire world in her life.

Ye Zifen asked Zhang Gaoyi with a hint of sarcasm: "You grown men, when you see such a beautiful girl, are you all itching to get together with her?"

Zhang Gaoyi smiled and replied slowly, "This is exactly what the saying 'everyone has his own opinion' means the other person's opinion'! Look at the officials present, many of them have their eyes glued to the dancer, but some of them are concerned about something much more important than looking at a woman."

At this point, Zhang Gaoyi paused for a moment, then slowly cast his tender and affectionate gaze towards Ye Zifen, and then continued, "But for me, the person I care about the most is standing in front of me right now. Compared to looking at other women, I would naturally prefer to keep my eyes on you."

Ye Zifen never expected Zhang Gaoyi to say such a thing. Although she was extremely happy in her heart, her mind remained clear and calm.

She raised her head slightly, her lips curled up slightly, her beautiful eyes sparkled with bright and moving light, and she responded softly: "Oh, what you said really sounds like that, but I don't know how much of it is true and how much is false."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gaoyi quickly reached out and gently held Ye Zifen's soft little hand, and said sincerely and seriously: "Every word I say comes from my heart, there is absolutely no falsehood!"

When Ye Zifen saw this, she couldn't help but feel extremely shy. She gently pulled her hand away as if she was burned by fire.

Then, she pretended to tremble all over and said coquettishly, "Oh, that's enough! I feel uncomfortable all over when I hear you say that. In fact, I just want you to answer a small question of mine from a man's perspective. Who told you to say these words all of a sudden? Humph! Look at those people in the royal family over there, their eyes are almost popping out!"

Zhang Gaoyi straightened his chest and said confidently, "They must have never seen any truly beautiful women. If our Zifen dresses up carefully, how can those mediocre women compare with you? Take the dancing woman just now for example, she is just a little bit exotic, which makes people feel a little fresh. Humph, I have been to sea and have seen a lot! What kind of beauties have I not seen?"

At this moment, not only Ye Zifen asked questions to the people around her, but other women also followed suit and began to ask questions to the men around them.

Suddenly, the whole scene became extremely lively, with people talking about various topics and laughter rising one after another.