The cuckoo cried in the dream.
　　Except for one or two clear chirpings of birds, the whole night of the Cining Palace was silent and quiet, and the wind and rain passed unnoticed.
　　Zheng Yuheng woke up on a couch filled with a faint fragrance.
　　The wounds on his body were still burning and painful, but it was bearable. In front of him was a scented curtain folded with light gauze, and beads hanging from the edge of the curtain pressed down the gauze curtain.
　　Dong Lingjiu was no longer in the bedroom.
　　The Empress Dowager not only did not wake him up, but also indulged him to stay here to rest, and did not even mention moving to the warm room. This made Zheng Yuheng immediately think of the male favorites and treacherous flatterers in history again-it's over, and still can't pick out a good person.
　　He was tightly covered with a thin quilt. When he lifted the quilt, he only had a thin layer of clothes on his body, and the laces were not tied tight. This scene... If His Majesty knew about this, Zheng Yuheng felt that he would definitely lose his head in front of the new emperor.
　　Why do I feel that both father and son are inexplicably concerned about my head, he thought with a guilty conscience.
　　There was a movement on his side, and when he lifted the gauze curtain, he saw a person standing outside the screen, it was Cui Ling.
　　Zheng Yuheng was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but hold his clothes. The other party laughed and brought up the clothes on the tray beside him, saying: "I don't want to look, I don't want to look, you are the queen's person inside and outside, how can I look at you, Lord Zheng, please."
　　She waved her hand and pointed to the new clothes, stepped back a few steps with a smile, and returned to the back of the screen.
　　Zheng Yuheng vaguely remembered what happened last night, and his face was surprisingly hot. He glanced at the shadow of Cui Ling on the screen with his back to him, and shook out the clothes he had prepared.
　　It was a set of silk long gown embroidered with green bamboo patterns, clear and soft, thin fabric, wide sleeves and wide belt, with jade unicorns embedded on the belt as decoration, and two jade half-ring tassels hanging down.
　　"I have served in the Cining Palace for so many years, but this is the first time I have seen such a scene as last night. The Empress had already gone to bed. The only people who could make her get up under such circumstances, apart from government affairs and military affairs, were you, Lord Zheng... Oh, and the late Emperor."
　　Zheng Yuheng was changing clothes. Hearing her mentioning herself and Emperor Mingde together, she paused and asked, "Madam Cui, was I late for the invitation yesterday?"
　　"Late? How can I not be late? The agreed time has long passed. In my opinion, the Empress dotes on you too much."
　　Cui Ling and Zheng Yuheng are both doctors, and they have a good relationship with each other, so what she said was mostly joking.
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "The Queen is always so nice, I know that."
　　Cui Ling laughed again and joked, "Oh, which cat made a fuss all night yesterday? Aiai didn't, Aiai was very well behaved, I won't tell you who it was."
　　Zheng Yuheng's face had already turned red to the root of his neck, "You..." He uttered a word, but couldn't argue, so he swallowed it back, and his behavior yesterday also vaguely emerged in his mind. He
　　was really confused by the fever. Even if the fever gradually subsided after applying the medicine, the memory could not be erased at all. Zheng Yuheng wanted to slap himself twice - he said it righteously and innocently, but look at what he did? What should the Queen Mother think?
　　So the reservedness was all pretended? The previous rejection and avoidance were all pretentious to raise his status? Zheng Yuheng felt like suffocating when he thought about these words.
　　Zheng Yuheng put on his clothes and dressed neatly before walking down the jade steps.
　　Cui Ling heard the footsteps, turned sideways from the screen, sizing up his complexion and said, "Lord Zheng is indeed young. He just took the medicine, rested for a night, and even took only one bowl of medicine, but his blood circulation is so smooth."
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "What you said is right. I should pretend to be sick. I will look really pitiful if I stay in the Cining Palace."
　　Cui Ling was not afraid: "Okay, then Lord Zheng should pretend to be sick. I don't think the Empress Dowager would refuse to buy it."
　　"Madam Cui--" Zheng Yuheng was a little annoyed.
　　Cui Ling stopped and smiled, covering his lips with his hands: "I won't say anything more. I am not worthy to say anything about you. Her Majesty the Queen Mother wants to scold me. Her Majesty is meeting with court officials in the front hall and cannot see them for the time being. But don't think about going back to the Imperial Hospital." "
　　Why?" Zheng Yuheng was a little puzzled, "What happened to the Imperial Hospital?"
　　"Xu Bingbi was ordered to investigate the contacts of the gentleman surnamed Pang. He found out that before Shi Yushi Zheng came to the audience, he had been to the Imperial Hospital. Xu Bingbi then led the people from the Internal Affairs Bureau there." Cui Ling recalled for a while and narrated, "There was a little servant in there. He told everything as soon as he came to the door. He took the troublesome imperial physician Zhu to the inner prison."
　　"Inner prison..." Zheng Yuheng murmured.
　　"This man was in the inner prison. He first spoke nonsense, then knelt down and begged for mercy, and confessed to the things he had framed and slandered Lord Zheng. Your Majesty feels that he is immoral, vicious and treacherous, and he is dismissed from his post and expelled from the capital and will never be employed again."
　　Having said this, Cui Ling examined Zheng Yuheng from head to toe and said, "Such a thing has just happened. If you return to the Imperial Hospital injured, it will cause a lot of discussion and endless speculation. It's better not to go."
　　Zheng Yuheng thought of how Doctor Zhu usually treated him kindly, and nodded with mixed feelings in his heart.
　　"Don't think too much." Cui Ling guessed his thoughts, "When younger and more outstanding people stand in a higher position, ordinary people will inevitably feel jealous. This is human nature. The queen has always said that we should not have too many tests and expectations of human nature, but jealousy is allowed, but slander and framing are not allowed. Judging by deeds, not by heart, no one is perfect."
　　Zheng Yuheng was stunned for a moment, feeling that he had been taught and understood, and said, "Thank you for your enlightenment."
　　Cui Ling said, "You are so easy to talk to now, why couldn't my aunt and I loosen your clothes yesterday? We are real men, and we are worried about your injury, so we can't even take a look?"
　　Zheng Yuheng felt embarrassed when he was teased, and explained, "How can I ignore the barrier between men and women."
　　Cui Ling glanced at the soft red scented tent behind him and stretched out her tone: "Oh - the barrier between men and women -"
　　"Madam Cui," Zheng Yuheng couldn't resist at all. He changed the subject and asked, "Where did this dress come from? It doesn't look like the clothes of an eunuch."
　　"You're talking about this. I also think this material is really great... This is what the queen asked Aunt Ruixue to find in the warm room. It seems to be a style from the old Xining period, but it looks like new."
　　Cui Ling thought about it and speculated: "Maybe it's the clothes of your majesty when he was the crown prince, and it was placed here by the queen and moved here. It's also possible."
　　Zheng Yuheng didn't think so. He seemed to be taller than the new emperor.
　　...
　　After the court officials left, Dong Lingjiu was worried about the delicate "cat" in the bedroom and went back to visit him first.
　　The screen was half folded up, and the incense tablets were replaced in the beast brain gold furnace in the hall. Doctor Zheng was sitting by the window frame, listening to Du Yuewan's instructions in a gentle and silent manner.
　　Aunt Yuewan was a strict person. Even if Zheng Yuheng was valued, she would clearly state his violations of palace rules. If it were Aunt Ruixue, she would definitely keep her thoughts to herself, only say three points and leave seven points of room, just like a smiling tiger.
　　Zheng Yuheng nodded repeatedly, looking ashamed, and seemed very obedient.
　　In this outfit, he got rid of some of the formality of the official uniform. He was as clear as a stream and as noble as a bamboo, with a very gentle gentleman temperament.
　　Dong Lingjiu looked at him for a while.
　　Du Yuewan was just saying: "Opening the palace gate at night has always been difficult..."
　　Before she finished speaking, she was gently touched on the shoulder, and heard Dong Lingjiu say, "Okay, he's just a little boy, don't talk about him anymore."
　　Yue Wan shuddered, took two steps back, bowed her head and said, "Yes."
　　Dong Lingjiu sat opposite him, with her wide long sleeves hanging naturally. She wore two hollow armors inlaid with pearls on her hands, which fell gently on the table with her hands.
　　Zheng Yuheng's Adam's apple moved slightly, and he didn't know how to face her. He felt that his crimes in front of her were simply too numerous to list and simply unspeakable.
　　Fortunately, the Queen Mother didn't seem to want to pursue it. She just said, "Set up the chessboard."
　　Ruixue knelt down and set up the chess for the two of them, placing the chess pieces of both sides on the wooden chessboard and the dice in the center. Fifteen white pieces and fifteen black pieces were arranged in order, and he said, "I will count the chess pieces for the queen and Dr. Zheng."
　　Zheng Yuheng was stunned for a moment, looked at Dong Lingjiu, then looked at Aunt Ruixue, and whispered, "Aren't you here to teach me..."
　　"Aren't you not happy?" Dong Lingjiu asked him, "I really haven't played gambling for many years." Zheng
　　Yuheng shook his head repeatedly and sighed, "I'm afraid I will lose miserably and make the queen feel bored."
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled and said, "You go first."
　　The two were playing chess by the window. The summer trees outside the window blocked most of the sunlight, and only a few very fine rays passed through the gaps between the branches and leaves and projected onto the chessboard.
　　In the middle of the game, Zheng Yuheng was thinking hard about the move, and he was really a little stuck, so he couldn't help but look at the other side of the table.
　　He stared at the queen mother's hand covered by the sunlight, and felt that the light reflected on the pearl armor was shining, which made people unable to look away.
　　Dong Lingjiu coughed lightly.
　　Doctor Zheng was still staring at her hand, his eyes fixed on her. She had no choice but to raise her hand, and the other person's eyes followed her until they met Dong Lingjiu's.
　　Zheng Yuheng hurriedly came back to his senses and took a sip of tea to cover up. As soon as he swallowed it, he felt Dong Lingjiu touching his face and whispered, "I have something to tell you."
　　Zheng Yuheng was about to speak when the edge of the armor gently scratched his lower lip. He didn't dare to move for a moment, and suspected that this was the Queen Mother's punishment for his loss of consciousness.
　　Dong Lingjiu used a cat-like technique to stroke the doctor's chin with his fingertips, as if he was talking about a very ordinary thing: "Your father has been temporarily suspended from his post for investigation because of his private relationship with Pang Hailing."
　　Zheng Yuheng suddenly raised his eyes, with some surprise in his eyes, and said, "It's because..."
　　"It's not because of you." Dong Lingjiu said, "This is reasonable."
　　Zheng Yuheng didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or feel lost.
　　"If it's because of you..." Dong Lingjiu continued, "I really want to use the flogging on him, so that Zheng Shiyushi can also understand how painful this punishment is, and he can actually use it on his own eldest son without any mercy."
　　He heard a hint of coldness and murderousness in Dong Lingjiu's words, but this personal love of hers was soon fleeting and dissipated into thin air.
　　Although Zheng Yuheng had complicated feelings and some resentment towards his father, he still maintained a more fair evaluation and said, "Although my father is arbitrary, he would never do corruption and bribery."
　　"I know." Dong Lingjiu said, "Your Zheng family has the best reputation for this. Well... it's better for him to suspend his duties temporarily, so as not to trouble you all day long. When the cases in the Ministry of Justice are all settled, let the emperor issue an order to reinstate him."
　　Zheng Yuheng nodded slightly.
　　As he spoke, Dong Lingjiu had stopped teasing him. After just a short while, the faint fragrance of the Empress Dowager had faded a lot. He felt a little anxious and regretted that he had not given up his dignity and let the Empress Dowager touch him again...
　　Zheng Yuheng seemed to have a growing need for Dong Lingjiu's touch, but he hadn't noticed it yet and was able to keep it to himself.
　　"By the way." While Dong Lingjiu was reminding him to play chess, his eyes swept over him and he casually said, "This is the clothes of the late emperor when he was young, but he never wore it. He brought it from the East Palace to the Cining Palace and kept it there for so many years, and it has never been cleaned up. Although the style is old, there is nothing else here that suits you... I think it looks good on you."
　　The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was interested.
　　Zheng Yuheng estimated the size of the clothes and found that his figure and height seemed to be similar to those of the late emperor. His anxiety was invisibly aggravated, and he boldly said: "The ancient sages were both wise and virtuous. How dare I be so disrespectful?"
　　"Huh?" Dong Lingjiu glanced at him, without thinking too much, and said simply, "No problem, you look better in it than him."