As the atmosphere of the New Year became stronger day by day, Xing Wenchang's impeachment finally took effect after a delay - the Imperial Censor Wei Zefang asked questions in the Golden Palace, questioning Zheng Junzhi's character and intentions, indignant and aggressive.
　　The prime ministers who received the emperor's private letter jumped their eyelids, thinking that it had come. The important officials of the court and the public all had their own thoughts, some were silent, some tried to make peace tactfully, and only two confronted Wei Zefang in person and spoke for the young Lord Zheng.
　　One was Lord Xu, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who had been feared and hated by the young emperor for a long time, and the other was surprising - General Geng Zhe, who had just been appointed as the Jiedushi.
　　One of them was the person in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and had been in office for many years. Although he did not receive much grace after serving as the general dispatcher of the Northern Expedition, his position was no longer shaken, and even Meng Cheng had temporarily refrained from the Xu family, whose style had been restrained; and the other one was even more famous for his military exploits, and was at the stage of great reputation and prestige, and even the elderly Doctor Wei had to avoid his edge for a while.
　　Before Zheng Yuheng said a word, the two sides were like two armies facing each other, murderous. He and Meng Cheng, who was at the top of the Golden Palace, looked at each other obscurely and listened carefully - no matter which of the two sides, when talking about this matter, they deliberately avoided saying anything threatening to the Queen Mother, but took advantage of him as a "soft persimmon"... This made him and Meng Cheng feel a little relieved.
　　Those who have been in the court for many years know to avoid the sharp edge and not to challenge the tiger's whiskers directly, but the several young censors on the censor's platform are completely unaware of this. Seeing that Doctor Wei is not up to the task, they immediately stepped forward to show themselves, exaggerating like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger, and suddenly brought the topic to Dong Lingjiu.
　　"... As a concubine of the harem, your Majesty should not interfere in the government affairs, otherwise where is the majesty of the royal family..."
　　As soon as the youngest censor said this, the court officials in front of him suddenly turned their heads in unison, and countless eyes stared at him coldly. The censor's words were stuck, and he was instantly shocked and pale: "Your subordinate, your subordinate..."
　　Xing Wenchang beside him also gave him an inexplicable and terrifying look, and slowly said: "Are you talking in your sleep?"
　　The censor looked at the old man Wei, the doctor in front of him, whose face was half black, and he knelt down with a plop, bowed his head and trembled in silence.
　　Everyone then withdrew their gazes at the same time. Geng Zhe pressed the dark gold animal head belt of the general, his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, his tone was a few degrees lower than the temperature outside: "Doctor Wei, is this what you mean? Your Censorate inspected all officials and impeached Zheng Junzhi, just to make the Queen Mother abandon the court and ignore the country?"
　　Wei Zefang stood with his hu tablet, his gray beard trembling, staring and said: "The governor is so powerful that he implicated the queen right away. It is our job to supervise the court officials!"
　　The two sides were arguing, and the old men around them who held the title of assistant minister of state affairs were trying to smooth things over, persuading, fanning the flames, and not saying a word. After all these, Zheng Yuheng still didn't say a word.
　　Not to mention him, even Meng Cheng didn't find the opportunity to reply.
　　Zhongshu Ling Zuo Yuechang coughed several times, relying on the fact that he was not much different in age from Wei Zefang and his status was higher than Wei Zefang, he stepped forward and said, "Since the dispute is unresolved, please ask the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to jointly examine the case. We must have solid evidence before we can talk about conviction. Moreover... the charge of causing chaos in the palace, please think carefully about it."
　　Xu Shangshu took over and said, "If you say so, I'm afraid it will be unfair to Xiao Zheng."
　　"Sir Zheng," Zuo Yuechang turned to look at him, "You are in charge of the affairs of the Palace Front Office on behalf of the Palace Marshal. You have special powers and are an indispensable person by His Majesty's side. It is probably unrealistic to imprison you. Resigning from your post will only cause trouble to the court and His Majesty."
　　Zheng Yuheng raised his hand and saluted, "Please give me some advice, Lord Zhongshu."
　　Zuo Yuechang looked at Wei Zefang's face, raised his hand and stroked his long beard, and slowly said, "...I will not be suspended from my post, but will only work in handcuffs to show that I am not guilty."
　　As soon as he finished speaking, Geng Zhe frowned.
　　Although Geng Jiedu was very angry with Zheng Yuheng and knew that this guy was not a well-behaved and obedient person, he could not resist the grace of the Queen Mother who had been loyal to him for many years. He wanted to get Zheng Yuheng out. However, after
　　arguing with each other for so long, although he did not put Sir Zheng in the prison of the Ministry of Justice, he did not let him go either. Wearing handcuffs to do things is not only troublesome, but also shows a sense of humiliation... He is a close minister of the emperor. How do the guards in front of the palace see him? How do the court officials who come and go see him? In front of His Majesty, isn't it a constant reminder that he is guilty? With
　　this kind of crime, would His Majesty not want to kill him?
　　Thinking about this, Geng Zhe couldn't help but look up at the emperor's face. Unexpectedly, the little emperor did not look angry. From his expression, he seemed to just feel a headache and helplessness.
　　Zheng Yuheng was also stunned for a moment, and then he thought that this was the best measure that the Minister of the Central Secretariat had thought of for himself to get the approval of the Censorate and maintain his personal freedom. He immediately replied, "Thank you, Lord Zhongshu. I am willing to do so."
　　Zuo Yuechang's eyes swept over him, then looked around at everyone and said, "Since the Neichang Prison has been incorporated into the Qilin Guard, and this involves palace affairs, the Qilin Guard will conduct the interrogation, Lord Jiang?"
　　Qilin Guard Commander Jiang Yunhe raised his head and bowed directly to Meng Cheng, saying, "If Your Majesty agrees, I will serve Your Majesty."
　　Meng Cheng glanced at the Qilin costume on him, and thinking that this man was also a personal guard that his mother could directly dispatch, he had a rough idea of ​​his attitude towards Zuo Yuechang in his heart - Zheng Yuheng was almost right. Considering the overall situation, many people were unwilling to have him convicted of such a crime, so as to avoid serious consequences.
　　However, this is also a bit of a test of Dong Lingjiu's attitude. If Zheng Yuheng is really arrested and tortured, and accidentally killed, who knows how the Queen Mother will react. Although some senior court officials all think that this person is just a "stand-in" of the previous emperor, and belongs to the "thing" that reminds people of people, it is also possible that the Queen Mother Dong cherishes him. If she is angered, who can predict what the consequences will be?
　　Apart from anything else, if she really abandons the court and lives in seclusion, she will live in seclusion and live a carefree life. Although the little emperor above is very obedient now, if the person in power is foolish, impulsive, and crazy, who can control the monarch with the most say in this era?
　　The power of the prime minister of Dayin is divided into several parts, and there is basically no "head of all officials" or "one call and a hundred responses".
　　Under the situation where the two sides are wary of each other, Dong Lingjiu's wisdom and trustworthiness over the years are particularly important.
　　Meng Cheng hesitated for only a few breaths, then said, "Zuo Zhongshu is right, let's do it."
　　He made the final decision, and Wei Zefang could not say anything else.
　　After the court was dismissed, Meng Cheng did not return to the Yuan Palace, but sat in the palace, watching Jiang Yunhe send people to put handcuffs on Zheng Junzhi. This was better than shackles, and it did not affect his changing clothes and bathing, but it was worse than shackles, because it was too obvious. It was obvious that he was guilty, and the humiliation was too obvious. The length of the chain between his hands was long, which made it heavy. The rough and dark metal pressed on his wrists, almost contrasting with a sense of fragility.
　　Meng Cheng thought that he was stronger than the average person and could hold his own twice, so he shook his head and threw away the word "fragile".
　　After the two Qilin guards pushed him away, Jiang Yunhe looked him up and down and said, "I'm sorry."
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "It's nothing, thank you for your help, Lord Jiang."
　　The two had met more than once. Jiang Yunhe was afraid to speak his mind in front of the emperor, so he bowed and left.
　　After he left the palace, Meng Cheng stood up and motioned Zheng Yuheng to follow.
　　As they walked and talked, the young emperor rubbed his palms and said, "Be content. I'm showing mercy by not putting you in jail."
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "I understand that the punishment in the prison will only be more difficult to endure."
　　"The Minister of the Chancellery wants to let you go," Meng Cheng said directly, "but it's not easy to say it out loud... It's better to be unsuspected than to be convicted. What's more, what kind of crime have you committed? Deceiving the emperor and causing chaos in the palace?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was not used to the weight of his hands. He twisted his wrist and sighed, "No matter which half of these eight words comes down, Your Majesty will have no minister."
　　Meng Cheng's face darkened and he said, "Do I need your help? You've only given me advice a few times, but you're like this. No wonder the female minister said that you're arrogant because of your favor."
　　Zheng Yuheng lowered his head to listen to him finish scolding, and then said, "What counts as evidence? Human evidence or physical evidence?"
　　Meng Cheng snorted, "Human evidence? The Cining Palace is airtight. There's not even one available. Physical evidence?... What, do you want to be caught with a token of love?"
　　At the end, he had begun to grit his teeth, muttering to himself, why should I care about his life or death? The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
　　Zheng Yuheng touched his chest and said, "I don't have that thing..."
　　Meng Cheng happened to be staring at him. When he saw his attempt to cover up his mistake, he immediately understood. He suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm. Taking advantage of the inconvenience of Zheng Yuheng's movement due to the chains, he forcibly rummaged through his arms without regard for his dignity.
　　His action was inappropriate and unexpected, and Zheng Yuheng was not prepared at all.
　　Under his layered official uniform in winter, there was a small wooden box wrapped in a handkerchief, on which was a picture of Lingshan Jiufeng, and inside there were a few red beans that had been touched countless times and were shiny.
　　Meng Cheng squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth: "...You don't have that thing?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was speechless, and after a long while he said: "You...are you doing this as a monarch?"
　　Meng Cheng almost spat in his face, but fortunately the little emperor was well-mannered and held it back. He said, "I'll keep it for you. You must be honest and clean recently and don't have any bad thoughts. My mother and I will naturally find a way to save you."
　　Zheng Yuheng nodded dejectedly in despair. Meng
　　Cheng then continued, "Since there is no clear evidence to convict you, we can only start with you. Commander Jiang will probably not be the only one to interrogate you. If you can't stand the repeated interrogations and let your mouth shut, or reveal some handles or secrets, even I can't save you."
　　Zheng Yuheng looked at the "token of love" in his hand, nodded sadly, and said, "I know, Your Majesty, don't worry, I can only be stubborn." Seeing that
　　he was too depressed, Meng Cheng did not let Zheng Yuheng accompany him to govern the country, but let him go back to his residence in the Palace Front Department to rest, so as to avoid the embarrassment of the court officials who came to pay homage to the emperor today and see him wearing chains and unable to move.
　　Zheng Yuheng had expected the situation of today's attack, so he was only sad because he couldn't keep the token. Although he was sad, he understood the behavior of the little emperor, so he went back and played dead quietly, hoping not to run into any mess.
　　Zheng Yuheng thought so in his heart, but he ran into Xing Wenchang on the way back.
　　Censor Xing was still in his official uniform, and he had a large volume of case materials from the Censorate in his hand, which had been archived and recorded. The Censorate where he was located was far away from the Palace Guard. Because the Palace Guard was responsible for protecting the emperor, their residences were all within the palace and separated from other guards. Even though they were so far away, they actually ran into each other. It can be said that God wanted the two of them to fight, and this was also a disgusting fate.
　　Zheng Yuheng put the overall situation first, and even though he was extremely hostile to this person in his heart, he endured it. However, when the two passed by, Censor Xing turned around and looked at him, and said coldly: "God has the virtue of loving life, so he gave birth to you to resemble the ancient saints."
　　He obviously misunderstood.
　　Zheng Yuheng was too lazy to explain, and replied indifferently: "Even if you recommend yourself, you must see your own qualifications."
　　Xing Wenchang laughed and said: "My qualifications are humble, and you, Lord Zheng, are just relying on the reputation of your predecessors. I know you want to kill me, and I want to kill you too. The Censorate will also send someone to serve as a jury during the interrogation, and that person is me. Don't you take the opportunity to beg me?"
　　Zheng Yuheng asked expressionlessly: "Did the queen see you for the second time?"
　　His words were like a sharp knife, firmly inserted into the heart, making people very painful.
　　Xing Wenchang's face changed visibly, and he was instantly enraged. He stepped forward and grabbed Zheng Yuheng's collar: "What are you so proud of? You are a sycophantic villain. I really admire the queen, but I just look down on you..."
　　Zheng Yuheng silently watched him go crazy and said, "Did you see her a second time?"
　　Xing Wenchang raised his hand and the palm wind stopped before hitting his face. Then he restrained himself, closed his palm into a fist, and said with his chest heaving: "You don't understand her at all!"
　　Then he turned around and left.
　　Zheng Yuheng touched his nose and thought, you can love her to death just by reading the records of the historians and the rumors in the palace, and you haven't even seen her for the second time. I have been with her for several years, and she kisses and hugs me. Who of us doesn't understand her?
　　After Xing Wenchang adjusted his mood, Master Zheng returned to his cold residence and slept on his cold bed. He tossed and turned, missing the bed curtains and bedding of the Cining Palace, the incense and candlelight of the Cining Palace, and the breath of Tan Niang, the smell of Tan Niang, and the touch of Tan Niang reaching out to hold his fingers...
　　Zheng Yuheng couldn't sleep at night. He got up in the middle of the night with his clothes on and looked at the deep palace.
　　The night was cold and the winter wind was howling. He put on the clothes of a medical officer and quietly climbed over the low wall of the Palace Front Department. He was nervous and familiar with the road. He sneaked into the Cining Palace's medicine room like a thief and poked Cui Ling who was dozing by the stove.
　　It must be the second watch at this time. Cui Ling was frightened and looked up to see Zheng Yuheng. He patted his chest and said, "Oh... I thought it was haunted. Why didn't you come today?"
　　Zheng Yuheng raised his hand.
　　Cui Ling saw the chain on his hand and said quickly, "Is this what the queen told Commander Jiang today? Oh, I heard someone else talk about it in the medicine room, but unfortunately I didn't understand what was going on."
　　Zheng Yuheng nodded seriously, and then asked in a low voice, "Is the queen asleep?"
　　"No, the lights were still on when I went to deliver the medicine. I just came back a while ago and I'm so sleepy." Cui Ling yawned with her hands covering her lips, "She must be worried about you."
　　Zheng Yuheng felt guilty and said, "Someone will come tomorrow. I can only stay for a while."
　　Cui Ling said, "What's the matter, are you a thief?"
　　Zheng Yuheng nodded quickly, "Yes, yes."
　　Cui's maid burst into laughter and said, "It's okay, you go, I'll ask Du Shangyi to call you tomorrow morning, and I will definitely take you back before everyone else."
　　Du Yuewan's name is still very intimidating. Zheng Yuheng was relieved and relied on Cui Ling and several other women to cover up and returned to the Cining Palace bedroom that he was most familiar with and missed so much that he couldn't sleep.
　　The lights were off inside. He sat quietly beside her, afraid that the heat would dissipate if he lifted the quilt, so he lay down beside her. Just as she quietly climbed onto the bed, a warm hand hooked the back of her neck and pulled her in, crashing into an embrace full of sweet fragrance.
　　In the endless darkness, her voice sounded softly in her ears.
　　"I caught you."
　　The author has something to say:
　　The flower thief was executed on the spot (x)
　　You can climb over the wall with a chain, Xiao Zheng, you are really good at climbing (... Is this a compliment?)