The real daughter's life was stolen, and she was reborn and became the best in the capital

Mingjin and Gu Mingheng have already arrived at the water pavilion.

The water pavilion stands on a huge lake.

Compared to the lake they encountered when they walked over just now, it was only slightly larger, and was vaguely estimated to be almost three times as big.

No wonder Aunt Cheng said earlier that this place is suitable for ice skating in winter.

It's so big, it really fits.

Opposite the two of them was a peach blossom forest.

Although the peach blossoms had already faded by this time of year, the scenery was still beautiful from where they were, with lush green branches and leaves, and occasionally some unknown flowers among them, which was very pleasant to look at.

The afternoon wind is also very refreshing.

The two of them sat in the pavilion with the windows on all sides wide open. The wind blew the gauze gently and the bells in the corridor also made light sounds.

The harmonious music created by nature is resounding here generously.

There is no need to invite musicians to play music separately.

Mingjin seldom eats in such places. She doesn’t know whether it’s because Gu Mingheng makes her feel very safe, or because he is too silent, so silent that people almost forget that there is such a person around her.

Ming Jin was sitting in the water pavilion at this moment, and he felt just like when he was alone. He didn't have to think about anything else and felt relaxed and at ease.

She tilted her head to one side.

She half-closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze outside the pavilion, which gently brushed across her face.

Aunt Cheng and Hua Sui stood aside obediently. Gu Mingheng did not disturb Ming Jin. He just poured her tea and sat with her quietly.

Until Eunuch An brought people over and broke the silence in the room.

"Here we come." Eunuch An smiled and led a group of people over.

The aroma is tangy.

Everyone was holding a tray in their hands, filled with fish, mutton, beef, vegetables and snacks.

"Princess, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. We haven't had visitors for a long time. Our prince is a casual person. When the chefs in the kitchen heard that you were coming today, they all rushed to show off." Eunuch An said to Mingjin with a smile on his face.

Ming Jin smiled and took his hands off his face. He looked over and took a look at the delicacies on the tray. He said to Eunuch An, "Thank you for your help."

Eunuch An really liked her more and more the more he looked at her.

They had thought about it earlier that no matter what kind of master this was, since he was in the heart of their prince, they naturally had to serve him well and not neglect him.

They never expected that this master had such a good temper and treated their prince without any complaints.

How could Eunuch An not like it?

When serving others, one naturally becomes more attentive.

"Please don't be polite. You are trying to make them happy. Otherwise, our prince can eat whatever he wants for three meals a day. The chefs in the kitchen will be worried that they will be kicked out of the mansion at any time."

Of course, what Eunuch An said was a joke.

Mingjin just smiled.

Gu Mingheng let them talk, and then thought of Mingjin's words "I'm hungry", and said: "Serve the food first."

"Hey, hey, hey, look at me. I forgot all the serious stuff."

As Eunuch An spoke, he personally served the dishes to them. After placing a dish on the table, he would start to mention the name of the dish.

“Braised pork with bamboo shoots.”

"Pork ribs stewed with plums."

"White sliced ​​chicken."

"Hanging braised duck."

"Fish, meat and tofu soup."

“Stir-fried chrysanthemum.”

“Taro stewed with cabbage.”

“Steamed crab with vegetarian ham.”

“Bamboo leaf rice dumplings, stewed fresh water chestnuts, apricot yogurt…”

More than a dozen dishes almost filled up the square table, but Eunuch An still felt it was not enough. He looked at Ming Jin attentively and said to her, "Look, is there anything else you want to eat? I will ask the kitchen to prepare it immediately."

Ming Jin looked at the table full of food, feeling helpless and amused.

"Too much."

When Eunuch An heard this, he knew that his master was satisfied, and he felt relieved. He still smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. What matters is that you like it."

"Eat."

Gu Mingheng and Mingjin said, "If there is anything else you want to eat, just tell me."

Mingjin nodded.

She smiled and thanked Gu Mingheng.

Eunuch An originally wanted to stay by the side, but Gu Mingheng saw that Mingjin liked quietness, so he said to Eunuch An: "Take Aunt Cheng and the others to eat over there."

Eunuch An smiled and agreed, then said to Aunt Cheng, "Let's go, let's go eat something nearby. It's been a long time since I last saw you."

Both of them came from the palace and were old acquaintances.

But Aunt Cheng was afraid that Ming Jin would feel uncomfortable here alone, so she looked at Ming Jin hesitantly and said, "Princess."

Ming Jin nodded to her: "Go ahead, you must be hungry after being busy all morning."

Only then did Aunt Cheng agree, and she took Hua Sui and bowed to the two of them, then followed Eunuch An out to eat.

After they left.

When Gu Mingheng faced Ming Jin alone, he felt a little uncomfortable again.

Ming Jin, on the other hand, remained calm, as if nothing had happened because of being alone with Gu Mingheng.

She didn’t know if Ming Jin was overthinking the dishes on the table, but she always felt that they were very much to her taste. Most of them were sweet and sour, with a few spicy dishes occasionally, which she also liked.

She didn't ask.

He only glanced at the wine jug beside him, poured a glass, and said in surprise: "Fruit wine?"

"Ok?"

Gu Mingheng looked over and heard this: "What's wrong?"

Ming Jin looked at him and smiled, "I'm a little surprised. I thought the prince liked strong liquor. Most of the liquor in the north should be Shaodaozi, right?"

Gu Mingheng said: "I don't drink much these years."

"This fruit wine should be specially prepared for you by Eunuch An." He then asked Ming Jin, "Do you like drinking?"

Ming Jin smiled and said, "I can't say I like it, but I think it would be better to drink some wine with this hairy crab."

Thinking of the time when he and Manniang were in Xiu Li Building, Ming Jin said with a smile: "I have drunk Shaoxing rice wine before. The wine there is very famous. I didn't think it tasted good at first, and I liked to drink it with water. I thought that this would make the taste lighter and wash away the original mellow taste, making it taste better."

"Later, Man Niang told me that Shaoxing wine must be drunk pure, without any water added, to be considered authentic and delicious, and a celebrity among wines."

When Gu Mingheng heard the name "Man Niang", his expression changed slightly.

"Man Niang?"

He called out the name subconsciously.

Ming Jin uttered a soft "ah". She glanced at Gu Mingheng, thinking he was asking her who Man Niang was. She did not hide it or avoid suspicion, and told him the truth: "She is the aunt in Xiu Li Building."

This was the first time she took the initiative to talk about past events and people with others.

Ming Jin had never said these words even to her grandmother, but for some reason, she said them to the man in front of her.

She took a sip of wine.

Although it is fruit wine, it is worthy of being from the Chang'an Palace. It is refreshing at first and has a sweet aftertaste. Just from the taste, Ming Jin knows that this wine is of great value.

"Man Niang actually takes good care of me."

"She was the same as me, we were both trafficked into Xiu Li Building. She is more open-minded and smarter than me. When I was on the verge of death in the first few years, she was the one who persuaded me."

"Later, the previous aunt passed away, and she became the new aunt in the building. I refused to be listed, so I cut my neck, and she saved me."

"sorry, I……"

Gu Mingheng's face turned pale and he looked ashamed.

He didn't dare look directly into Mingjin's eyes. He lowered his eyes slightly, let go of the chopsticks, put them down to his knees, clenched them into fists, and his body gradually became tense.

Ming Jin glanced at him and laughed: "Your Majesty, are you feeling guilty again?"

Seeing Gu Mingheng lowering his head, pursing his lips and keeping silent, Ming Jin found it somewhat funny for some reason.

Isn’t it funny?

Those members of the Ming family who should have felt guilty about her felt at ease with themselves. Not only did they recognize their daughter again, they also felt that she should be grateful.

However, this person, who actually had nothing to do with her, trapped himself in the past for a full ten years, and even now he has not completely come out of it.

She put down the wine cup in her hand.

With her hands on her cheeks, she looked at Gu Mingheng with curiosity.

Ming Jin didn’t know whether it was the warm afternoon breeze that made him intoxicated, or the fruit wine that made him drunk, but he just stared at Gu Mingheng without blinking.

As she watched, she suddenly smiled and asked Gu Mingheng, "If I don't forgive the prince, what will the prince do?"

This time, Gu Mingheng did not remain silent, nor did he avoid her gaze.

He looked up and looked directly into Mingjin's eyes, and said to her without hesitation, "I'll leave it to you."

Ming Jin raised an eyebrow and asked him, "Anything?"

Gu Mingheng looked at him and nodded.

Ming Jin looked at him and asked, "What if I want to kill you?"

Gu Mingheng still did not hesitate, still looking directly into Mingjin's eyes and said, "Okay."

Ming Jin's eyes flickered slightly, and his tone was also tinged with surprise: "You don't have any regrets at all?"

Gu Mingheng was silent for a moment before he said, "Over the years, I have actually been preparing to die, not just because of you. No one can predict what will happen on the battlefield. I don't know when I will die on the battlefield."

Gu Mingheng obviously didn't expect that he would talk about this with Mingjin.

At first, his tone was a little unnatural, but later, perhaps when he saw Mingjin's attentive listening expression, it gradually became fluent.

"Almost everyone who goes to the battlefield will write a letter home in advance and be prepared. This is our custom."

“I don’t really have anything to miss.”

"My brother and sister-in-law have their own children to take care of. The guards around me are also capable and can take good care of themselves even without me. Eunuch An is old, and I have already made arrangements for him."

"So whether I'm dead or alive, it won't make any difference."

"but--"

Gu Mingheng suddenly stopped talking.

"But what?"

Mingjin looked at Gu Mingheng's gaze and subconsciously continued his question.

Gu Mingheng looked at her and said, "Don't do it. If you want me dead, all you need is one word, but don't dirty your hands and don't get yourself involved."

Ming Jin stared at him blankly, unable to speak.

The fingertips that were stroking the wine cup stopped at some point, I don't know when.

She maintained this posture, looking at Gu Mingheng, and remained silent until she heard Gu Mingheng's voice again.

"When do you want me to die?"

Ming Jin looked at him, his eyes flickering.

She looked at Gu Mingheng again and saw that he was looking at her with a firm expression, as if if she told him a time, he would die as scheduled.

She never believed what men said, but Gu Mingheng was an exception.

Ming Jin's red lips moved slightly, but her hands suddenly moved up and covered her eyes. She said nothing, but a very light laugh escaped from between her lips and teeth.

Gu Mingheng didn't know what she was laughing at.

"Gu Mingheng."

This was the first time Mingjin called him by his name directly.

It had been a long time since he heard someone call his name directly like this. Gu Mingheng was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to react and answer, "I'm here."

Ming Jin had already removed his hands from his eyes and sat back down.

She looked at Gu Mingheng and said, "I hope you live well."

"what?"

Gu Mingheng was stunned for a moment. Obviously, he didn't expect such an answer.

Ming Jin looked at him seriously and said, "If you feel that you owe me something, then please live well and live a long life."