Three days later, at night.
　　Dong Lingjiu suffered from his old illness at night, and his headache was difficult to relieve. The female official boiled medicine and went to the night duty place of the Imperial Hospital in the palace to ask for the imperial physician. The old imperial physician Liu Tong had not stayed in the palace for a long time. Only Zheng Yuheng, who had stayed in the hospital for several
　　days, was in the hospital. Since the last time he returned to the mansion, Zheng Yuheng had stayed in the Imperial Hospital for several days in the name of his duties. He did not leave tonight, so he came immediately when he heard the summons. The
　　wind and dew were a little heavy at night, and the cool air was soaking people. He entered the inner court, stepped into the Cining Palace, and smelled a bitter smell of medicine, lingering and lingering. Zheng Yuheng saluted the Queen Mother and bowed his head and said, "Your Highness..." After
　　saying only one word, Aunt Ruixue beside the Queen Mother put her finger to her lips to make her whisper, and whispered, "Sir Zheng, there is no need to be polite."
　　Zheng Yuheng raised his head.
　　Queen Mother Dong leaned on the wide chair and did not go to rest on the couch. She was still so noble, with long, thin golden tassels on her hair. She closed her eyes, supported her forehead with one hand, and her armor was all off. Her other hand was still holding the pen.
　　Zheng Yuheng showed a little surprise. He could not see any signs of "unbearable headache" in the empress dowager's calm face, but he hurried forward and used his lifelong knowledge to diagnose her.
　　Dong Lingjiu slightly opened his eyes and looked at him calmly.
　　"...The teacher always mentioned that the empress's illness was caused by overwork and overwork. The late emperor also suffered from this disease. The empress dowager should open her mind, worry less, and worry less." Zheng Yuheng said as he took out the nourishing pills he brought from the box, took out the prescriptions that the teacher had used one by one, checked them with the old prescriptions left by Aunt Ruixue, added a few more ingredients, and handed them to the female officials. He also supervised the female officials to take the medicine, boil it, and recite the dosage of each medicine.
　　These things may seem like little, but they really took a lot of effort.
　　After finishing these things, Zheng Yuheng was about to put away the remaining things in the box when he suddenly realized that Empress Dowager Dong was still looking at him. She had never said anything to comment on him. He suddenly felt tense all over, as if he was wrapped in a soft and heavy breath, and heard the subtle rustling sound of the tassels on her hair.
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "Less worry, less worries?"
　　She raised her hand and nodded to her side, motioning Zheng Yuheng to come over and talk. Because when her old illness flared up, she couldn't hear sounds farther away, and she had a hazy tinnitus, so she didn't hear the previous words clearly, so she asked him to come forward.
　　Zheng Yuheng stepped forward.
　　He stood on the left side of Dong Lingjiu, and the doctor's robe was only half a finger away from sticking to the black and gorgeous clothes. She leaned against the back of the chair, her shoulders were obviously thin, but the heavy embroidery and complicated patterns on it made her look particularly heavy.
　　Zheng Yuheng repeated the doctor's instructions just now.
　　The breath of the young doctor was as clear as the fresh green after the rain, and it was accompanied by the cool night breeze that had not yet faded, dispersing like mist.
　　After hearing this, Dong Lingjiu turned her head to look at him. Standing and sitting, she actually had to raise her head slightly to look into his eyes. When their eyes met, Zheng Yuheng's head buzzed, and he suddenly realized that he had made the queen look up. He immediately knelt down according to etiquette and said, "I am not polite, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
　　Dong Lingjiu pulled out a memorial from the table. The handwriting on it had clearly been drawn by the imperial pen, but she still read it again. In the inkstone on the side, the empress dowager's pen tip dried up, the same cinnabar color, but as turbid as dark blood.
　　She said, "When serving the Emperor, the Empress, or the Empress Dowager, except when given special permission, you may not reply in a higher position than your superior. Young Lord Zheng, you forgot."
　　The second half of the sentence was said relaxedly, so Zheng Yuheng's tense back relaxed a little. He pursed his lips and replied in a low voice, "I originally thought... that was a very distant thing."
　　He was the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau. At his age, he had achieved this position, which meant he was already very skilled in medicine and quite capable. But this was still a long way from serving the royal family. If Dong Lingjiu had not personally appointed him to serve, he would not have been qualified to enter the Cining Palace alone to treat patients within three to five years, or even ten years.
　　"Hmm." Dong Lingjiu looked at the red comments on the memorial, and he was a little distracted. He said slowly, "Have you heard about the illness of the late emperor?"
　　Zheng Yuheng searched his mind for a moment and answered carefully, "I have heard a little about it. I once prepared medicine for you."
　　Hearing a little about it is actually modesty. If there is anyone in the Imperial Hospital who knows more about the late emperor's lingering illness besides the old imperial physician Liu Tong, it is only this young Lord Zheng, who is almost Liu Tong's deputy.
　　He said this very cautiously, and the line of his chin was also collected into a compressed arc. The young imperial physician had fair skin, which was as smooth as cold jade under the warm yellow night candle. His eyelashes were trembling slightly, which could make people think of his thinking, consideration, and caution.
　　"You said less trouble and less worry, but it is actually something that you can hope for, but it is not possible." Dong Lingjiu raised his hand and rolled up his sleeves to add notes to the emperor's red comments. Despite the headache, writing, and many troubles, he could still talk to him in a friendly manner. "If Meng Zhen had understood the principle of recuperation earlier, he would not have given up so early."
　　Meng Zhen was the name of the late Emperor Mingde.
　　Only Dong Lingjiu could call him that. Zheng Yuheng reacted for a moment, and could only stare silently at the heavy embroidery on her body, choosing his words: "The Empress Dowager, please take care of yourself."
　　Dong Lingjiu was too lazy to even respond perfunctorily after hearing this kind of wind in her ears. She put the memorial she had replied to on another pile, opened a tax assessment letter, and read it intently.
　　Zheng Yuheng seemed to have forgotten about her.
　　He was nervous and alert at first, but after a long while, he saw that the Empress did not say anything, and his fear weakened, so he returned to his old state and forgot about his situation.
　　Zheng Yuheng's eyes moved upwards from the phoenix pattern, hundreds of birds, auspicious clouds, and dark patterns on the Empress Dowager Dong's clothes.
　　Sandalwood was lit in the Cining Palace, mixed with the smell of medicine, forming a bitter and astringent woody aroma, which lingered thickly between the sleeves. But he got close to the Queen Mother and smelled an elusive light fragrance from her sleeves.
　　Zheng Yuheng suspected at first that it was the incense of the clothes, but then he felt that it was not. He pondered for a while, and remembered some rumors about body fragrance in the folk. He was startled, and his earlobe suddenly became hot, as if pricked by a thin needle, and he was fidgeting, and hurriedly collected his thoughts.
　　In order to calm down, Zheng Yuheng no longer pondered the origin of the fragrance, but looked from the embroidery to the Queen Mother Dong's hand.
　　Dong Lingjiu once held his cheek with this hand, the skin was delicate and warm, and when holding the pen, the knuckles were slender like jade. Extending along the imperial pen, there were unclear handwriting.
　　Zheng Yuheng had no intention of probing, but just looked at the other party's suddenly frowning eyebrows.
　　At this time, Dong Lingjiu put down the memorial and was served by the female official Ruixue to drink medicine. After drinking the soup, the female official brought clean water to rinse his mouth. After rinsing her mouth, she raised her finger to push away the candied fruit cake that was presented to her.
　　As soon as she made a move, Zheng Yuheng lowered his head again obediently. Dong Lingjiu lowered his hand and wanted to pat his shoulder and ask the child to stand up and answer. Unexpectedly, Zheng Yuheng misunderstood. After thinking about it, he tentatively put his hand on it.
　　Dong Lingjiu laughed out loud.
　　The hand of the young doctor Zheng quickly curled up, and blood color shone from his cold jade-like earlobe.
　　When Zheng Yuheng was younger, if he fell, bumped into something, or was punished by his father, the elders who loved him would reach out their hands, hold the young child up, and hug him warmly.
　　He always felt the care as vast as mountains and seas from the most noble woman in the dynasty. But this care was not just for him alone, but the temperament of the Queen Mother polished by time.
　　Just when he was about to shrink back, Dong Lingjiu grabbed his hand and pulled the young doctor up.
　　Zheng Yuheng stood up, his knees were sore from kneeling. His hands were held by the other party and pressed beside the case file.
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "You look young, but you are quite courageous."
　　Zheng Yuheng said softly, "I was wrong."
　　"Yes, you are not wrong." Dong Lingjiu tilted her head to look at him, and a smile appeared in her graceful tone, "I want to ask the young doctor Zheng to stand up." When
　　she said this, Zheng Yuheng felt even more embarrassed, and said with difficulty, "Little... little..."
　　"Not little anymore?" Dong Lingjiu said gently, "Do you know why I kept you?"
　　Zheng Yuheng thought to himself, didn't he like my talent and medical skills? Or did he like my agile cat-catching skills and my ability to govern the "Prince Zhaoye"? Or maybe he saw that I made mistakes so easily, so he gave me some pointers...
　　Dong Lingjiu saw that he was silent for a long time, his eyes changed several times, and he was quite entangled. He didn't know what this young man was thinking, so he picked up a memorial and knocked on the official hat of Doctor Zheng.
　　He was indeed so young that his forehead turned red after being hit by the memorial. Zheng Yuheng raised her hand to protect it, but looked at Dong Lingjiu's warm and deep eyes, and suddenly she didn't dare to do it, so she stood with her hands in her sleeves and said, "Empress Dowager..."
　　"I think you look like a smart person, but it turns out you are also clumsy." Dong Lingjiu said, "Although you are young, bold, ignorant, and imprudent... you are really handsome."
　　Zheng Yuheng was stunned.
　　"Before I saw you, I did have a splitting headache." Dong Lingjiu took the hot tea slowly, lifted the lid, and blew gently, "But it's much better now, Doctor Zheng, what medicine do you have?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was struck by lightning, and the words of Aunt Peichun a few nights ago rang in his ears. He was dry-mouthed and wanted to say something, but he stopped. Finally, he lowered his voice and said slowly: "The queen thinks I am useful, and I am willing to serve the queen even if I die. It's just that the queen is like the bright moon in the sky, and I am humble and can't bear the queen's love."
　　Dong Lingjiu still smiled, and didn't get angry at his words, but agreed with him and said: "For an imperial physician, serving you even if I die is already full of loyalty."
　　Her words put Zheng Yuheng at ease for the time being.
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "The queen sent someone to reward you a few days ago. Did she say anything else to you?"
　　Zheng Yuheng looked at her quietly. In Dong Lingjiu's eyes, this behavior was not much different from her cat, with a taste of testing and guessing. This kind of behavior may seem flattering to others, but Zheng Yuheng is so pure that people only think he is very careful.
　　He said: "... the queen... didn't say anything."
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "Didn't she ask you to be obedient?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was speechless. He said: "Why did the queen ask you knowingly?"
　　Dong Lingjiu knocked on the surface of the memorial from time to time, and his delicate and round nails buckled on the paper cover: "Why didn't the young doctor Zheng tell the truth?"
　　The two looked at each other. Zheng Yuheng thought for a while and said meekly: "I was wrong. The noble lady did tell me so."
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled and said: "Then I was wrong too. I really had the answer in my heart. I asked knowingly and deliberately to test you."
　　Zheng Yuheng was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized that the Queen Mother Dong actually said to him "I was wrong too." His heart was suddenly shaken by an inexplicable shock, as if the bright moon in the sky had specially sprinkled a touch of brilliance and brushed it on his shoulders.
　　Therefore, the young doctor suddenly said: "I will tell the truth to the queen in the future."
　　Dong Lingjiu nodded and smiled, and asked again: "Then are you an obedient person? Do you listen to the queen's instructions?"
　　Just as Zheng's father thought, Zheng Yuheng was only obedient on the surface. In his bones, there is a kind of rebelliousness like a lonely bamboo that was oppressed from the model of a gentleman.
　　If conditions permit, Zheng Yuheng should enter politics and serve the country and the world, be a true clean scholar, and become a wise minister of a generation. There is a quality of constant suppression in his will and temperament.
　　Zheng Yuheng was silent at first, and then said softly: "I am willing to follow my heart."
　　Dong Lingjiu had symptoms of tinnitus, and actually did not hear his words clearly. She did not need this answer very much, and mostly asked casually. Queen Mother Dong always used her eyes to see people, rather than listening to the other party's statements and loyalty with her ears.
　　Just as she reached out to take down a memorial, the wax tears on the candlestick beside the table solidified, and the light and shadow moved slightly. She stared at Ruixue trying to poke the wick, and suddenly she felt a gentle force on her left hand.
　　Dong Lingjiu turned her head and saw that it was Zheng Yuheng who was pulling at the corner of her clothes and tugging slightly. But when she looked over, she saw a faint anxious look on the face of the young doctor. He didn't know where he got the courage from, and suddenly said: "Empress Dowager, I can't watch it anymore, you need to rest."
　　Empress Dowager Dong nodded seriously, and then said to the female official: "Bring Aiai here, let them play together."
　　So, a fat white cat was thrown into his arms. Aunt Ruixue led him to a seat and waited where the Empress Dowager could see him. The white cat struggled violently, meowing and scolding Zheng Yuheng. Zheng Yuheng stared at it, and didn't have a good face. The man and the cat looked at each other and ignored each other.
　　But when Aiai wanted to jump out of his arms and go to the Empress Dowager, Zheng Yuheng grabbed its neck again and pulled it back with a faint expression.