Liu Mingzhi, who was sitting on a stone bench in the Imperial Garden Observation Deck, was awakened by the sound of footsteps coming from behind. He turned slightly and looked behind him.
"Daddy, my dear, please pay homage to your father."
"Lian Niang? Why did you come to the palace?"
Seeing her father's surprised look, Liu Lianniang smiled, reached out and took out the cloth bag with the meat buns in her arms.
"Dad, Mom, she made big meat buns this morning and asked Lian Niang to give you a few to taste.
In order to prevent the big meat buns from cooling down so that her father could eat the hot meat buns, Lian Niang held them in her arms and trotted all the way to the palace, but Lian Niang was exhausted!
Daddy, please eat it while it's hot."
Liu Mingzhi looked at the little girl's cunning expression of pretending to be tired. He took the buns in her hand and put them on the stone table with a smile. He raised his arms and lifted the little girl onto his lap and sat down.
"Oh, oh, that's really hard work for my mother. You're still a good girl. You know how to kiss daddy."
Hearing her father's compliment, the little girl nodded with a smile on her face, raised her hand and handed the remaining two candied haws to Young Master Liu's mouth.
"Then, why is Lian Niang the good daughter of daddy? Daddy, do you want to eat the candied haws? It's sour and sweet, it's delicious."
"Are you willing to give such delicious candied haws to daddy?"
"Dad, you are a good father who loves Lian Niang the most. Why can't Lian Niang be reluctant to do so?"
As soon as Liu Lianniang finished speaking, she burped softly.
"belch."
When the little girl saw that she had hiccupped, she immediately covered her mouth. Her big, intelligent eyes peeked at the weird-looking Young Master Liu and started to move around.
"The wind was a little noisy in the morning. Lian Niang ran too fast and accidentally drank too much in her stomach, and then she was full."
Young Master Liu heard the little girl's quibbling words and smiled helplessly. He raised his hand and pinched the tip of the little girl's tender nose and gently twisted it a few times.
"Stinky girl, since you can feel full if you drink the northwest wind, you don't need to eat anymore, just drink the northwest wind.
If you drink it for three to five years, you will save a lot of money for our family."
Liu Lianniang raised her head and glanced at her father's teasing eyes, unaware that she had revealed her secret.
The little girl chuckled, threw her head directly into Mr. Liu's arms and buried it, using her ultimate weapon against her father - coquettishness.
"Daddy~"
"Hey, can't we continue eating from now on?"
"Thank you, Daddy. Daddy is so kind."
"Stinky girl, get off daddy's lap quickly. Daddy can try to see if your mother's cooking skills have improved again."
"Yes, yes, yes, please open the bag for daddy."
The little girl jumped to the ground quickly, raised her hand and opened the cloth bag. She smiled and picked up the remaining one and a half buns and stuffed it into the palm of her father's hand.
"Daddy, eat it while it's hot. It won't taste good when it's cold."
Liu Mingzhi had already smelled the smell of buns and candied haws mixed with the smell of the little girl's hiccups. When he saw half of the buns left on his left hand, there was no surprise on his face.
"Lian Niang, are you full? If not, eat some more."
The little girl knew in her heart that she had already exposed her secret. Looking at the buns that her father handed to her, she patted her swollen belly and shook her head honestly.
"Lian Niang is full. Daddy, you can eat by yourself."
"When you're full, let's do some activities on the observation deck. Just remember not to run outside the fence."
"Hey, Lian Niang knows, daddy, please eat the buns quickly."
Liu Mingzhi looked at the little girl jumping around the stone table next to him, picked up the half-left bun and ate it in big mouthfuls.
Just as a bun entered his stomach, footsteps were heard again on the steps of the observation deck.
"Master, Mrs. Hoshino and Miss Sakuraori are here."
"please."
"yes."
"Dad, do you have any guests? Then Lian Niang will go somewhere else to play."
"You don't have to leave, you're not an outsider."
"Dad, Rei Niang heard Uncle Liusong talking about Mrs. Hoshino and Miss Sakurazhi. Are they Aunt Hoshino and Miss Sakurazhi who visited our home that day?"
"Lian Niang is so smart. Daddy's guests are exactly the two of them."
"Great, it's really Miss Yingzhi. Can Lianniang take Miss Yingzhi to play with her later?"
"Of course you can, but for the safety of both of you, the palace maid sister must follow you."
"Yeah, yeah, no problem."
"Your Majesty, the royal meal you requested has been delivered."
"Send it up."
"As commanded."
As soon as the little eunuch left, Yanasong took Sakai Hoshino, Hana Qiyingzhi and their mother and daughter onto the observation deck.
"Master, Mrs. Hoshino, Miss Sakuraori and others are here."
"The State Envoy Sakai Hoshino pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor. Long live the Emperor."
"The state's envoy Hua Qiyingzhi pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor. Long live, long live."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Sakai Hoshino and his daughter, who were breathing disorderly and with beads of sweat on their foreheads. They stood up and walked to the observation deck and waved to the Forbidden Army soldiers on both sides of the steps.
"Please step back later."
"We obey, and we will retire."
"Liu Song, I don't need anyone to serve me here, so you can go and do your own business."
"Yes, please excuse me."
After Liu Song left the viewing platform behind the Forbidden Army soldiers, Liu Mingzhi looked at Sakai Hoshino and his daughter, who were still out of breath, with a faint smile.
"Hoshino, Sakuraori, you climbed all the way to the observation deck, are you exhausted?"
Sakai Hoshino took out a handkerchief embroidered with several cherry blossoms, first wiped the sweat on his daughter's forehead, and then wiped the sweat on his own head.
"Your Majesty the Emperor."
"Stop, Hoshino, have you forgotten the rules I told you again? How should you call me when no one else is present?"
Sakai Hoshino was stunned for a moment, turned around and looked at the Forbidden Army soldiers who were retreating towards the observation deck, then came back to his senses and saluted Liu Dashaofu.
"Hoshino has met Mr. Liu."
"Hey, that's right."
"Yingzhi, what about you?"
"Sakura greets you sir."
"Well, you guys are instructable. Seeing that you two are sweating on your foreheads and having difficulty breathing, please sit down and have a rest."
"Thank you, Mr. Liu."
"Thank you sir."
As soon as Sakai Hoshino and his daughter sat down, several young eunuchs walked onto the viewing platform each carrying a tray.
"Your Majesty, the food and wine are here."
"Well, you can leave after placing it on the stone table."
"I obey, little one."
"Sweet and Sour Pork."
“Beef with soy sauce.”
“Fried shrimps in oil.”
"Cold bitter gourd shreds."
"Egg Seaweed Soup."
"A jar of peach blossoms."
"Your Majesty, please use it with caution. I'll leave you guys."
After Liu Mingzhi placed the dishes and chopsticks, he turned to look at Liu Lianniang who was winking at Hua Qiyingzhi and waved.
"Mother Lian, come and have a bowl of soup, it will help with digestion."
"Well, Lian Niang knows."
"Hoshino, Sakuraori, you two followed Sakaiga and the others into the palace early in the morning before dawn. You must have not had breakfast yet, right?
You haven’t had breakfast and you’ve climbed such a high flight of stairs, so your stomach must be growling already, right?”
When Sakai Hoshino and his daughter heard Mr. Liu's inquiry, they instinctively lowered their heads and glanced at the food and wine on the table. They smelled the rich aroma of the food and wine, and their stomachs instantly began to growl unsatisfactorily.
The mother and daughter hurriedly covered their stomachs and lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"Mr. Liu, Hoshino is not hungry."
"Sir, I am not hungry either."
Liu Mingzhi looked at the mother and daughter who were still trying to be tough. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. He reached out and pushed the bowls and chopsticks next to them forward.
"Okay, talk back. Look how your stomachs growl. There are no outsiders here. You don't need to be polite. You can eat whatever you want. Only after you are full can you have the strength to visit the palace.
If I pretend to be polite to you again, I will get angry. Be obedient and pick up the bowls and chopsticks."
The mother and daughter raised their heads in unison and glanced at Liu Mingzhi, who was deliberately covering his face. They looked a little embarrassed and chuckled a few times.
"Yes, then Hoshino is welcome."
"Sakura, thank you for your hospitality, sir."
After Sakai Hoshino and his daughter picked up the bowls and chopsticks, they all looked at Liu Mingzhi. They were so proficient in Dalong's culture, so they naturally knew Dalong's rules.
The host, Liu Mingzhi, did not move his chopsticks. As guests, they naturally could not move their chopsticks first.
Liu Mingzhi picked up a piece of cold bitter gourd shreds with chopsticks and brought it to his mouth. He held the chopsticks and gestured.
"Okay, you two should eat quickly."
"Thank you sir, you're welcome to Yingzhi."
"That's right Sakuraori."
"gentlemen?"
"Sir, you didn't ask the imperial kitchen to prepare the staple food. If you feel that you are not full with only the dishes, just eat this bun with the dishes."
"Sir, is this inappropriate?"
"Nothing inappropriate, just eat."
"Yes, yes, thank you sir."
When Sakai Hoshino saw his daughter taking the bun from Mr. Liu's hand, he immediately stood up and leaned over Liu's waist to pick up a piece of soy beef and put it on Liu Mingzhi's plate.
"Mr. Liu, Hoshino and Ying Zhitian got up before dawn. As Emperor Dalong, you must have gotten up earlier than the two of us for the court meeting.
Hoshino and Sakurazhi didn't eat, so naturally you didn't eat either, so you should eat quickly.
Just tell Hoshino what dish you want to eat, and Hoshino will take the liberty of picking it up for you."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Hoshino Sakai, who seemed a little bit restless, and with a complicated expression, he picked up a chopstick of shrimp and put it in the bowl in front of her.
"Xingye, let me say it again, you don't need to be so reserved or too polite in front of me.
I treat you as a good friend, but you are so polite to me, but I feel a little uncomfortable. If you continue to be so polite, I think we won't be able to eat this breakfast."
"Liu Jun, me!"
"Hoshino, you really should learn from Sakurazhi."
Sakai Hoshino followed the direction indicated by Mr. Liu with his chopsticks and looked down at his daughter next to him. He saw his daughter eating steamed buns and vegetables with great enthusiasm.
Liu Lianniang, who was sitting next to Young Master Liu, kept holding dishes for her daughter with a smile on her face: "Miss Yingzhi, eat slowly, eat slowly, don't choke, take a sip of soup first."
Okay."
After Sakai Hoshino saw his daughter's behavior, he immediately put down his bowls and chopsticks and saluted Young Master Liu.
"Mr. Liu, I'm so sorry, Yingzhi is so rude."
"Hoshino, it's not that Sakurazhi is too rude, but that you are too polite.
Why do I feel that something is wrong with you? Although you were polite to me a few days ago, you are not as outspoken as you are now. Are you okay?"
When Sakai Hoshino heard Liudao's question, his delicate body trembled slightly, and the words that his nephew Sakai Ga had said to him before flashed through his mind.
Beiqi bit her lips in silence for a moment. Sakai Hoshino shook his head quietly, pursed his lips and sat on the stone bench again and said in a low voice: "It's okay, Hoshino is okay. Hoshino knows it's wrong. Hoshino doesn't follow Liu
You are out of sight.
Liu Jun, let’s continue eating.”
Liu Mingzhi looked at Hoshino Sakai who was chewing slowly with his bowl and chopsticks in hand. He picked up the pot and poured a glass of wine and tasted it carefully, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
From the time he retired to the present day, less than half an hour has passed. Why do I feel like this silly woman has changed into a completely different person?
She retorted in the court that the appearance she was familiar with when Goguryeo was envoying Kim Tae-eun was the one she was familiar with. Why did she look a little absent-minded now?
What happened during the few moments she left the palace?
Could it be that she felt sad and uncomfortable because this young master did not agree to the request of their Japanese mission?
Or maybe she didn't want to have anything intimate with her that went beyond the boundaries of old friends, so she was deliberately alienating herself.
No! No!
After he stopped her from interrupting, she looked at him with resentful eyes, and it was still the Sakai Hoshino she was familiar with.
If she didn't want to be entangled with him anymore, she would definitely not give him that look.
Isn't it because of this? Is it really because I didn't agree to reward them with military equipment for the mission? Is she deliberately making herself angry?
That's not right. If she was deliberately trying to get angry with him, she would just not come to the appointment, or just ignore him completely after going to the appointment. How could she be so polite in front of him?
Well, if this is not what I expected, it was probably Sakai Ga who said something to her.
"Hiccup~ Sir, Yingzhi is full."
Liu Lianniang's face lit up with joy. She picked up the small bowl and drank the cold seaweed and egg drop soup in big gulps.
"Dad, Lian Niang has finished drinking the egg drop soup."
"Ah? Ah! As long as you're full, it'll be fine, and as long as you've finished drinking, it'll be fine."
"Thank you for your hospitality, sir."
"Dad, can Lian Niang take Miss Ying Zhi to play with her now?"
"Of course you can, just pay attention to safety."
"Yeah, yeah, thank you, daddy."
"Miss Yingzhi, would you like to play in the imperial garden with Lian Niang?"
Although Hua Qiyingzhi couldn't wait to see the beautiful scenery of the imperial garden, she still raised her head and looked at her mother.
"Mother?"
Sakai Hoshino's delicate body trembled slightly. After Liu Jun's daughter and his own daughter left, only Liu Jun and himself were left on the observation deck except for the two palace maids next to them.
Maybe, as his nephew Sakai Ga said, after Mr. Liu gets what he wants from him, he should agree to the mission's request.
For a moment, Sakai Hoshino didn't know whether he should be happy or sad.
If Liu Jun had not suddenly left the capital many years ago and disappeared without a trace, he and I might...
It's a pity that the beautiful expectations that have been hidden in my heart for many years have now turned into a deal.
A passing visitor turned half of my life into chaos!
"Go...go."
Liu Mingzhi put down his wine glass and turned to look at the two pretty palace maids behind him who had already received his instructions.
"Qing'er, Die'er, you two accompany the princess and Yingzhi to have fun."
"Sisters, please obey."
"Princess Lianniang, Miss Yingzhi, please come with me."