The two entered the Cining Palace. Zheng Yuheng did not rush to talk about the matter that the little emperor asked him to do. Instead, he changed his clothes in the East Warm Pavilion, changed his official uniform with wet corners, and put on the light-colored casual clothes that Dong Lingjiu liked to see. Then he asked Cui Ling how the medicine was that day.
　　Although the evening was good, it was too short. When Zheng Yuheng withdrew and returned to the main hall, the candles were already lit inside.
　　Xu Xiang knelt on the ground to report to Dong Lingjiu about the inner prison. The two asked and answered as usual. After the kneeling report was over, Xu Bingbi stood up to serve and stood aside.
　　Under normal circumstances, Dong Lingjiu would let him go back to the rear province to rest and did not need to serve in the hall, but today, for some reason, he did not speak.
　　Zheng Yuheng waited for Dong Lingjiu to finish his business, and went over to ask for his pulse for the day. Then the maid brought a chair over, and he sat near Dong Lingjiu to write the pulse case, looking very serious.
　　Until Dong Lingjiu glanced at him, scanned the paper, and said, "You wrote the wrong word."
　　Zheng Yuheng's hand suddenly paused, awkwardly rolled up his sleeves, pretended to be calm, and changed another piece of paper to write.
　　Dong Lingjiu asked him, "Are you worried about something?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was silent for a moment, and said, "I'm asking you on behalf of His Majesty... Madam, can we go to the bedroom to talk?"
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled, "Oh, you have become the emperor's subordinate, and you have to avoid people when you have to say something difficult to say. Haven't you avoided people often enough?" Zheng Yuheng was speechless
　　, remembering that he had offended Aunt Ruixue in front of her when he just came back, and he immediately felt embarrassed and whispered, "It's all my fault for being impulsive and presumptuous."
　　"Just say it if you have something to say." She said.
　　Zheng Yuheng met her eyes and saw in the candlelight that Dong Lingjiu had not removed the gold foil on her forehead and the dark shadow and crimson lip makeup. Her lips were as red as vermilion, more vivid than before. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water, solemn and beautiful. He was slightly startled and forgot the words he had thought of, as well as the princess's friendship, and blinked blankly.
　　Dong Lingjiu looked at him in confusion.
　　Zheng Yuheng blinked again, his Adam's apple moved slightly, then he lowered his head and suddenly said, "How could there be someone as lucky as me in this world..."
　　Dong Lingjiu: "...Junzhi?"
　　She called his name, and he couldn't react for a while. He was not sensitive enough to these two words, and murmured, "I really should shorten my life by 20 years to live and die with you, and then kowtow to the late emperor."
　　Dong Lingjiu stretched out her hand and pinched his face: "...You go and kowtow to him. If he has any way, he will definitely crawl out of the imperial mausoleum and strangle you, a smug villain." Zheng Yuheng
　　's soft and white cheeks were pinched red. He let the other party manipulate him, pretending to be pitiful and said, "I am very guilty. If the late emperor insisted on strangling me to death, I dare not fight back."
　　Dong Lingjiu let go of his hand. He was used to the occasional tea fragrance of the young doctor Zheng, and asked him, "Let's talk about business." Zheng Yuheng
　　didn't dare to look at Xu Xiang, so he just looked at Dong Lingjiu and expressed the emperor's meaning clearly without looking away.
　　Dong Lingjiu nodded and said, "You are not saying this at the right time. I have known about this for a long time. You don't have to worry about their brother and sister's affairs."
　　Zheng Yuheng nodded quickly.
　　Dong Lingjiu turned back to continue reading the logistic dispatch memorial delivered by Xu Shangshu. He approved this one and the two books of materials and property lost in the Northern Expedition this spring that were settled by the Ministry of Revenue. After the female historian copied them, she had no more important government affairs and official documents at hand, but she did not stand up, but called out, "Xu Xiang."
　　Xu Xiang stepped out from the side and knelt down, "Your servant is here."
　　Dong Lingjiu glanced at him.
　　Xu Xiang's expression was calm, and it was almost impossible to see any feelings or reactions to what he had just said, just like an ice sculpture without emotion. After many years in the palace, other eunuchs knew to hunch their chests and shrink their backs and lower their bodies, but he did not have the style of "serving the master" at all, except for bowing his head.
　　Of course, Dong Lingjiu did not need this kind of behavior. She was just observing him and feeling his toughness and coldness.
　　She said, "I only have one thing to tell you."
　　Xu Xiang bowed his head and waited.
　　"In your position, there is rarely the four words of "retire after success". Eunuchs are hated by the ministers. If someone protects you, it's fine. If not, even a little mistake is enough to make you bear the crime and even behead you."
　　Dong Lingjiu drank a sip of tea and lowered his eyes to watch the young leaves floating in the water.
　　"The end of a person is nothing more than death."
　　Xu Xiang listened to this in silence, and his fingers slightly folded.
　　As early as the first day of serving the Queen Mother, Xu Xiang knew his fate and ending. Moreover, he was very calm, almost using a cruel perspective that was almost like a bystander to firmly guess his life. For many years, this ending has been reflected in his heart, and he has understood the cause and effect without Dong Lingjiu reminding him.
　　He never fears death.
　　He has nothing, and he doesn't need to fear death.
　　The reason why he could reply in the inner palace at this moment was because of the appreciation and promotion of the empress dowager. Otherwise, his fate would be as lowly as dust and his life would be a hasty one. Fortunately, the empress dowager was wise, so he found an excuse to persist in his survival.
　　He worked for the country and the court. Only in this way could Xu Xiang examine himself and find a reason that was not too unbearable for his choice to survive until now. It's not that
　　Dong Lingjiu had not considered the way out for the people around her. This is exactly what she wanted to say.
　　"But I can let you withdraw and step back, and from now on you will only serve in the rear province. It's just to remove the fire from under the cauldron."
　　Xu Xiang said, "Does your queen have a better candidate? Or do you still have to remove the establishment of the inner factory?"
　　Dong Lingjiu was silent for a while.
　　Xu Xiang knew that this was Dong Lingjiu's consideration for his life, which was not in line with the situation, so he said: "Please take back your order."
　　She sighed deeply, turned the bracelet, and stared at the light night breeze and light rain outside the curtain. "You are a person whose skin and bones are not in harmony. You look handsome, which makes others like you. But you are suffering from the heart to the bones. If Yingying hurts her status as a princess for you in the future..."
　　"If so, I will commit suicide to apologize."
　　Xu Xiang rarely interrupted when there was something unfinished, as if he had thought about it long enough in advance.
　　Dong Lingjiu's expression did not change, and he said again: "What if I hurt my heart for you?"
　　Xu Xiang was stunned for a moment, then raised his head and looked at her.
　　"It's not rare to die for others," Dong Lingjiu said, "It's rare to live for others. Sometimes, facing the difficulties of the world is a rare courage."
　　She looked at Xu Xiang and said, "I don't know what you think, but Yingying has a career in her hands. Whether she can write a book and be the first in the world, I'm afraid it will take ten or twenty years to verify... During this period, if her career is involved because of you..."
　　Dong Lingjiu thought for a while and continued, "I don't want you to die in my hands."
　　Xu Xiang suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. He rarely confided, "It is my lifelong blessing to be able to do so."
　　The eunuch disasters of a dynasty have always been purged at a specific moment. That must be the moment when the imperial power regains its dominant position - that is, when Meng Cheng is able to manage the government alone and have the final say, then the eunuch system that was born to suppress the power of the prime minister is on the verge of danger.
　　Xuan Jingyun, Chen Qinghang and others are just removing their positions and returning to their original status as eunuchs, and their power is lost. But Xu Xiang, who is in the inner factory, has a lot of "previous lessons" waiting for him.
　　"That's right..." Dong Lingjiu said slowly and profoundly, "If Aijia handles it himself, it will be much better than the previous dynasty's governance of eunuch disasters..."
　　...
　　The Queen Mother did not want to knock him for the Wang family's affairs, but wanted to get him a hand before reaching the end of the road... It's a pity that Xu Xiang was able to survive with his broken body, as if relying on this thorny job, and was born for this job. He was absolutely unwilling to be a useless person, so he refused immediately.
　　It was fine up to here, but the following conversation really shocked Zheng Yuheng - he had never seen Dong Lingjiu really say such ruthless words, this was almost the first time in recent days. And Xu Bingbi's response was also very special. He did not confess his crime or swear an oath, but was relieved.
　　Afterwards, Zheng Yuheng recalled the fate of eunuchs in charge of prisons in all dynasties, and suddenly understood why Xu Xiang was like this. As
　　night fell, after questioning, Dong Lingjiu sent Xu Xiang back to the province to rest. The wind and rain came in the evening, and the lights outside the hall were turned off, leaving only a small lamp in a gauze cover, placed at the head of the bed.
　　Zheng Yuheng was originally sitting by the bed reading a book. After the candles went out, he put away the medical book. Considering the wound, he did not get into Dong Lingjiu's quilt, but just lay beside her, thinking about things with his eyes open. It
　　was dark all around, and the lights were hazy. Dong Lingjiu glanced at him in the light and asked casually, "Can't sleep?"
　　Zheng Yuheng turned over, looked at the pattern on the bed curtains, then moved his eyes away and looked at the carvings and paintings on the top of the bed. It took him a long time to say, "...Tan Niang..."
　　"Huh?"
　　"I know how hard you try to treat others," he said, "but this is the first time I've heard you say it so clearly and cruelly."
　　"What? " "About
　　Xu Bingbi."
　　"Oh..." Dong Lingjiu responded first, then said lazily, "In your heart, I must be extremely gentle and kind, and I am affectionate and don't hurt insects or plants. It's a pity that you beautified me. I'm not like that."
　　"I know," Zheng Yuheng said, "if you were like that, you would have been eaten up by someone long ago."
　　Dong Lingjiu laughed and didn't answer.
　　Zheng Yuheng said again: "It would be great if you could take care of me too."
　　Dong Lingjiu: "..."
　　She reached out and touched Zheng Yuheng's forehead, but was taken away by the other party. She argued: "I don't have a fever."
　　"Your brain is confused, it doesn't seem normal." Dong Lingjiu said, "You must have swallowed water after soaking in the river. Pour it out quickly."
　　Zheng Yuheng opened his eyes wide, moved forward to face him, and said very seriously: "I mean, when the time comes, Tan Niang will issue an edict to sentence me to death and bury me with you."
　　Dong Lingjiu: "...A lot of water has gone in."
　　"Because I'm afraid you think differently than I do." Zheng Yuheng raised his voice, "You must be thinking of letting me assist His Majesty, and then tell me something that is more important than a mountain mausoleum, and not allow me to accompany you. You must be thinking so."
　　Dong Lingjiu was hit by what he said, but she was not annoyed. She sat up and gathered the quilt, saying, "What else do you want? Why did I train you so much? Junzhi is also a scholar, how could he not know that I am willing to fulfill your ambitions."
　　Zheng Yuheng also stood up, raised his hand to tuck the quilt tightly for her, and raised his head to argue with her: "If it were for my own ambitions, I would not go there at all. I just want to make you worry-free, so I don't need your help."
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "Okay, it doesn't matter if you don't appreciate this. I intend to let you be a pure minister to assist the emperor, because you have no family to rely on behind you. After a hundred years, it will be just right..."
　　"You want to live with Emperor Mingde, right?" Zheng Yuheng suddenly said, "No, he has been with you for twenty years. In the next thousand years, he will rot in the soil and turn into ashes, and it should all belong to me."
　　"What's wrong?" Dong Lingjiu glanced at him, and found it difficult to understand the thinking of the young doctor Zheng. "You are just pushing the issue and climbing up the bamboo pole. Would you have dared to say this a year earlier?"
　　Zheng Yuheng raised his hand and hugged her, holding her in his arms, lowered his head and rubbed her cheek, but did not delay in replying, saying: "That was also the bamboo pole you built, so let's each take a step back and stop arguing, otherwise you will be so angry that you can't sleep, and I will feel uncomfortable again."
　　"How to take a step back?" Dong Lingjiu asked him.
　　"Don't always think about leaving me alone," Zheng Yuheng said, "People's life span is unpredictable. What if I am lucky enough to go ahead? In this way, you will still enter the imperial mausoleum and be buried with the first saint, and then let me lie between you two, and I will still accompany you..."
　　Dong Lingjiu was silent for a moment, and then lay back and said, "Get lost."
　　The author has something to say:
　　Xiao Zheng: We are a couple, and it is a bargain for his ex-husband to bring him along.
　　Queen Mother: ……………………
　　Ex-husband: ……Are you sick? !