Once Sikou Yao, Emperor Xu, and Gong Cen were seated, palace attendants quickly stepped forward to pour wine, lift covers, and serve dishes. After completing these tasks, they promptly retreated to the side, standing by attentively and meticulously.
However, Sikou Yao had always disliked discussing matters with watchful eyes standing by, even if it were mere servants; she never felt at ease speaking.
She smiled and suggested to Emperor Xu, "Your Majesty, I prefer dining with fewer people around and like to serve myself. Feeding and clothing oneself is enough, so why not have them all step back?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xu immediately understood, and with a wave of his hand, he commanded, "All of you, step back!"
The palace attendants bowed in unison, saying, "Yes," and receded like a tide.
Seeing that everyone had left, there were only the three of them left in the vast hall of Chaoyang Hall.
