Chapter 415: The King Will Accompany You
The food had already been prepared, and we were just waiting for Gu Nianting to serve it.
The two of them sat together in the dining room. To show respect, Gu Nianting gave up the seat of honor, comforted Lin Mu to sit down, and sat beside him.
In order to facilitate the conversation, Gu Nianting dismissed all the servants and only left his trusted servants by his side.
He handed over the chopsticks, looked at Lin Mu and smiled.
"I neglected to ask, Lord Lin, what brings you to my humble abode?"
Lin Mu took the chopsticks with both hands, but did not move.
"Reporting to the prince, I come here with sincerity. I wonder if the prince is willing to accept it?"
Gu Nianting was so moved that he didn't even have time to eat.
"Oh my, I had expected this, and you came in person. It's really a tacit understanding."
"Lord Lin, you may not know that your coming here is like a timely help. I am deeply grateful and feel very grateful."
Lin Mu expressed his shame.
"Your Majesty, your words are too kind. I have done nothing but ask for your acceptance. I never thought I would be appreciated in this way."
"Strange, how could Your Majesty have expected that I would surrender?"
"During our previous meeting, the prince asked me whether I would assist the emperor or submit to Prince Dijin?"
"Although Your Highness is extremely intelligent and a great talent, my ambitions have not yet been made clear. Logically, Your Highness should not know."
Gu Nianting raised his eyebrows, hinting at a reply to test his talent.
"You helped me change the prescription for my old illness. Why was it so silent?"
Lin Mu was slightly startled, and then smiled.
"I acted in a reserved manner, but the prince still noticed it. The prince is indeed very insightful."
Upon hearing the praise, Gu Nianting became instantly proud and complacent.
"You kept silent, leaving me guessing for a long time. Only today did I know the truth."
He took the opportunity to bring up old matters, lowered his posture and apologized humbly.
"Before, you said that you wanted to help me recover. Alas, I was slow to react and misinterpreted your meaning, thinking it was a mockery. Who would have thought that it was actually a show of sincerity from you?"
"I misunderstood you and spoke rudely to you. I'm sorry."
Lin Mu guessed the other party's mood and picked out words that Gu Nianting would like to hear and complimented him with nice words.
"At that time, the prince was tired and looked a little sick. I understand that the prince's anger was caused by his illness, not his own intention."
Since the words touched his heart, Gu Nianting was naturally beaming with joy.
"A doctor is like a parent to others. Lord Lin is worthy of the title of 'caring and considerate'. I am honored to have you return today."
After saying this, he paid attention to the details and was slightly stunned.
"Ok?"
"Why did Lord Lin stop eating?"
Lin Mu acted as if he couldn't speak.
"This……"
Gu Nianting didn't understand.
"Is the food not to your liking?"
Lin Mu smiled gently and shook his head.
"No."
Gu Nianting followed with a smile and tried to persuade him in a coaxing tone.
"Then eat, don't be hungry."
He picked up a soup spoon, scooped a bowl of porridge himself and placed it in front of Lin Mu.
"This porridge tastes good. It is my favorite. Please try it."
Lin Mu showed a little embarrassment and expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
He took a bite with gritted teeth, but before he could swallow it, he felt nauseous.
Seeing this, Gu Nianting looked puzzled.
"It tastes so bad?"
Thinking that the cook was careless, he immediately tasted it to confirm.
"It tastes good, why are you vomiting? Are you feeling unwell and have no appetite?"
Lin Mu gave a fake sigh.
"Alas, no."
Gu Nianting's tone was full of concern as he kept asking.
"Why is that? Lord Lin, just speak frankly without any hesitation. I will not blame you."
Lin Mu lowered his brows, feeling embarrassed, and told the reason.
"If I tell you this, I'm afraid the prince will laugh at me. Actually, I don't like eating onions, ginger and garlic. At most, I use them as seasonings, but I can't eat them."
"This porridge is full of shredded ginger. It's really hard for me to swallow it."
Gu Nianting smiled helplessly.
“Doctors, are they also picky about food?”
As soon as he finished speaking, his heart was shaken.
I seem to have said this before...
He recalled carefully and soon remembered what happened last year.
I remember that day, he and Xier sat together for dinner for the first time.
Her dietary restrictions were just like this, no different from Lin Mu's.
His words are also like this. Are doctors also picky about food?
The past is still vivid in my mind, but the old friend has already left the palace.
He was just feeling regretful when he heard Lin Mu replying with exactly the same words.
"Yes, I'll make you laugh, Your Majesty."
His expression, words and actions were just like those of his predecessors. In a trance, Gu Nianting could not distinguish between old memories and reality.
I still remember that last year, he ridiculed her without any mercy; now when I think about it, all I feel is regret in my heart.
After experiencing this incident again, he changed from his usual harsh attitude and became more tolerant.
"That's fine. This prince loves eating onions, ginger and garlic, so the cook usually cuts them into strips or sections, almost covering up the original flavor of the main dish."
"Please wait a moment. I will ask the cook to make another one according to your taste."
Lin Muxue was happy and contented.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."
Gu Nianting's smile is as gentle as water.
"I haven't heard of this before. Lord Lin has a taboo on certain foods."
Lin Mu gave a reasonable explanation.
"Because of this problem, I was often laughed at when I was young, so I deliberately concealed it and claimed to the outside world that I didn't mind eating it."
Gu Nianting believed it immediately and comforted him patiently.
"I see."
"This is not a problem. Lord Lin, please do not feel inferior. There are not many people who abstain from eating onions, ginger and garlic. It is inevitable that there will be some villains who regard you as a laughing stock."
It was as if he had met a bosom friend, and Lin Mu's eyes were filled with emotion, from shallow to deep.
"They all laughed. I am spoiled, even my family members are... Only the prince, who is more kind than parents, is willing to understand my feelings."
Gu Nianting's face was kind and particularly warm.
"This king not only understands you, but also wants to become you."
Lin Mu pretended to be confused.
"What does this mean?"
There was a hint of resoluteness in Gu Nianting's gentle gaze.
"From today on, I will abstain from eating onions, ginger and garlic, and I will declare this abstention to the public. If you are laughed at, I will keep you company."
Lin Mu was so surprised and delighted that tears immediately filled his eyes. He stood up and kowtowed to express his gratitude.
"Your Majesty..."
Gu Nianting pressed his shoulders in time and spoke generously.
"You are a distinguished guest, no need to be polite."
Lin Mu sat down as he was told, lowered his head and was humble, imitating Ning Yunxi's polite demeanor from years past, trying to be exactly the same.
"To be honest, in addition to the two things Your Majesty has cited, I have another thing to show my sincerity."
It turned out that there was something unexpected, and Gu Nianting couldn't help but feel curious.
"Oh?"
"Please tell me more."
Lin Mu alienates people without leaving any trace.
"When the prince was trying to seize the key to the national treasury, someone offered a plan to help the emperor, plotting against the two masters Qi and Tao, and taking the opportunity to seize the Fengzheng platform. When I learned about this, I wanted to try to warn them, but the two masters had already fallen into the trap."
"In the critical situation, I pretended to complain and asked King Di Jin to prepare an imperial decree in advance to save the two adults."
Gu Nianting had no doubts at all, he was just staring in shock.
"When I learned that it was my third uncle who asked for the imperial decree, I felt strange at the time. How could the emperor's uncle let it go? I thought about it a thousand times, but I didn't realize that it was you who helped me secretly."
Lin Mu naturally expressed his loyalty.
"I really don't want Your Majesty to miss the opportunity to lay the foundation, so I will show off my skills, even if it can only be of some help, and I will not refuse."
The good news came suddenly, and Gu Nianting was immersed in it, almost unable to extricate himself. He tried his best to hold on to his rationality and asked tentatively.
"Since you are so sincere, why didn't you come to me until today?"