Nineteen years old...
　　What was Dong Lingjiu like when she was nineteen... Those memories were almost too old to be clear. She only remembered that her fantasy of "finding a good husband" had been worn out long before this. If she really wanted to pursue the innocent time, she would probably have to push it back a few years.
　　She raised her eyes and looked at the gentle and obedient little doctor Zheng who was quietly accompanying her for dinner, and said: "This birthday is wonderful, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet on the Magpie Bridge, begging for skill to thread a needle, men and women meet, even the God of Marriage will protect you."
　　Zheng Yuheng said: "I just want the Queen to protect me."
　　Dong Lingjiu just smiled and said nothing. In her heart, even if she delayed Zheng Yuheng for a few years, she didn't have the idea of ​​spending the rest of her life with him - that was too far away, young people's minds were uncertain, maybe one day the little doctor Zheng would suddenly wake up and suddenly be unwilling?
　　He is her love. If she uses power to force him and satisfy her selfish desires, even if he is a love, he will be resented.
　　Dong Lingjiu has a very hard heart. She was so hard that she didn't even have time to cry for the sake of her country when she was guarding the body of a friend who had been with her for twenty years. But she has a soft heart. Just because Zheng Yuheng's eyes were red, she had already put aside the harsh distance and hugged him comfortingly.
　　The palace also celebrated the festival, and according to the rules, there should be rewards. However, Dong Lingjiu didn't need to worry about these things. Naturally, the female officials would arrange them properly. She looked around the main hall and ordered: "Let them all rest. Don't miss the festival because of me. Just leave a few to watch the palace."
　　Du Yuewan said: "Your Majesty, please be merciful."
　　After that, Du Yuewan dismissed the maids from all over the place, distributed the festival rewards, and only kept one person in each important task, and rewarded them with more rewards.
　　In an instant, the Cining Palace became visibly quieter and more solemn. But this made him feel more comfortable. Dong Lingjiu asked him, "How did you usually celebrate your birthday?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was speechless. How could he have a good birthday? Except for the first few years when he had his father's company and love, his birthday became more and more difficult every year. He was able to remember his birthday because this day was too special and easy to remember.
　　He thought about it and said, "I am from an ordinary family, just like ordinary people."
　　Dong Lingjiu nodded in understanding and said, "You didn't tell me at first, and only told me after noon. I'll ask the kitchen to make you a bowl of noodles in the evening, and then..."
　　She couldn't think of anything else, so she could only compare Zheng Yuheng's age with her own children. When the little emperor and princess were still young, she was not a very competent mother, because Meng Zhen had just ascended the throne, the country was unstable, and all kinds of chaos emerged one after another.
　　Dong Lingjiu had already put a lot of effort into these things, so much so that he had never held a big birthday party for his children except for the etiquette. But he could still prepare a gift for the children every year.
　　"Is there anything you want?" Dong Lingjiu said gently, "In another year, when you are young and have the ceremony of coming of age, I can no longer treat you as a child."
　　Zheng Yuheng had never been so looking forward to his twenties. He suppressed his emotions and said modestly, "Your Majesty, I love you so much. Just being able to be with you is my lifelong wish."
　　"What do you know about life?" Dong Lingjiu joked, "These words like entrustment, life... The late emperor didn't tell me until he passed away, and then he entrusted the whole country to me. He even told me that if Cheng'er is unusable, let me take it myself."
　　Zheng Yuheng was slightly stunned.
　　What this means is that if the new emperor Meng Cheng is not trained well, Emperor Mingde can even leave a will to allow Dong Lingjiu to be crowned emperor as a woman. This is absolutely unimaginable for all the ministers in the court and will cause unrest in the world.
　　Zheng Yuheng couldn't help asking: "Why did the queen..."
　　Now that it has become a foregone conclusion, it's okay to talk about this kind of thing. Dong Lingjiu held the jade chopsticks, and his tone was very calm and gentle: "Do you think it's good to be an emperor?"
　　Zheng Yuheng said: "Above ten thousand people, the top of the nine heavens, the glory of being recorded in history..."
　　Dong Lingjiu did not refute, but said: "If you reach that position, even you, I will not have."
　　Zheng Yuheng's heart tightened.
　　"Heng'er, these twenty years... are actually very tiring." She put down her chopsticks, supported her chin with her fingers, and looked outside the pearl curtain.
　　The Cining Palace was quiet, the window lattice was half open, and the cool autumn wind was rolling the parasol trees.
　　Dong Lingjiu had a rare desire to talk. She could confide in Zheng Yuheng without worrying about the identity, position, and character of this person, which would have any different impact on the current situation.
　　"At the beginning, Meng Zhen was willing to let me participate in politics, and I was actually very grateful... It is really a miracle that there are such open-minded people in the world, and they are born in the imperial family." She said softly, "A woman... Yuheng, when the censors scolded me, the most common derogatory words they said were that I was a woman, short-sighted, and had ruined my family and the country."
　　Zheng Yuheng clenched his sleeves. He thought, why didn't he be born a few years earlier? He must have blocked all these gossips. He must be the most loyal minister of the Queen Mother.
　　"But I entered the family private school when I was five years old. My father was the prime minister of the dynasty. He taught me personally for ten years. I know everything about the Four Books and Five Classics and the Six Arts of a Gentleman. Before I got married, I had discussed state affairs with my father and listened to his instructions... It was almost the same as the teachings received by the prince."
　　The Cining Palace was silent, and her words were very soft, but Zheng Yuheng felt a chill from every word she said.
　　Dong Lingjiu turned his head and looked at him and said, "But it is not so easy to be an emperor. It is precisely because I already hold half of the power that I feel that it is even more lonely at the top. If I were the emperor today, no matter how handsome you are, I would not keep you."
　　Zheng Yuheng choked up in his throat, and was a little scared by this sentence. He clenched his fingers tightly, and couldn't help but move closer and sit beside Dong Lingjiu.
　　Dong Lingjiu raised her hand, touched him very gently, and then continued: "It is a terrible thing for a person to get the highest power without anyone to restrain him. The former emperor had me to advise him, and the emperor today has a queen mother in charge, but I am the emperor, who can advise and check me from the side? ... Serving my whole life and dying for it, it is not easy to do these words."
　　She can't be a foolish emperor. The meaning of "taking the country for oneself" is too heavy. Dong Lingjiu's tired shoulders can no longer bear such a heavy meaning. As the queen mother, she can allow Zheng Yuheng to accompany her, because the future of the country belongs to Meng Cheng, but as an emperor, she can never keep a person who can make her soft-hearted by her side. She dare not bet that she can be wise all her life. After all,
　　people are flesh and blood. No one is perfect, and no one will never make mistakes in their lives.
　　Zheng Yuheng was already having difficulty breathing after hearing this. He held Dong Lingjiu's hand, rubbed her fingertips with affection, and said with lowered eyelids: "Don't be sad."
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled and said: "Did I make you sad?"
　　Zheng Yuheng's eyes were moist, and she pursed her lips slightly, but did not nod.
　　She said: "It seems that I am wrong."
　　Zheng Yuheng shook his head and whispered: "It's because I don't understand you."
　　He only thought that if Dong Lingjiu was in that position, some things would be more legitimate, and her political orders would be more unimpeded.
　　How could Dong Lingjiu blame him? The corners of the young doctor's eyes turned red, and she looked pitiful. She held Zheng Yuheng's hand and joked with him: "If I really became the emperor and let you stay by my side, when I was old and incompetent, I would definitely follow the example of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and build a golden house for Yuheng, hide you inside, feed you with gold and millet, and then build a pair of white jade shackles to lock you in the house and not allow you to see anyone."
　　Zheng Yuheng was quiet for a while, muttering in his heart, is there such a good thing in the world?
　　But of course he couldn't say this to the Queen Mother. He pretended to be noble and reserved to grasp the measure: "The Queen Mother has a great reputation in her life, and she will never make a mistake for a minister."
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "I know, your family are all censors, and they are very good at talking. Even if you are not, you will report me in person in the incense tent in the inner hall. I can't do such a thing as imprisoning a wise minister."
　　What did she know? Zheng Yuheng had just pretended to be aloof, but now she was anxious again. She was afraid that Dong Lingjiu would think she was unwilling, so she secretly said, "I am different from my father. I have always kept my distance from the practice of dying for the sake of reputation."
　　Dong Lingjiu looked at him and sighed, "It would be fine if he died for his family and country, but you have to fight for those trivial matters just for a good reputation. Your father..."
　　She pondered for a moment, and felt that it was a bit inconsiderate to scold the father in front of the son, so she said tactfully, "Let him rest for a while."
　　It happened that Meng Cheng didn't have time to write an edict to return to his post, so it didn't matter if he was left alone for a while.
　　Zheng Yuheng: "..."
　　Did she understand my hint?
　　The young doctor hung his head in frustration and served Dong Lingjiu food in a muffled voice.
　　The Queen Mother could not tell what was wrong with the child or what made him angry. She only looked at his ears which were still red and said, "I have talked too much with you. What does Heng want?"
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "Anything?"
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled and said, "Of course not."
　　The young doctor lowered his head again, feeling aggrieved from the inside out.
　　Even so, Zheng Yuheng was still very careful in the amount and types of dishes he served. Dong Lingjiu actually felt that he served better than Ruixue.
　　After a while, the young doctor considered and said, "I want..." the gold ring earring in the Queen Mother's dressing box.
　　Before he could finish his words, because the person who was looking after the imperial cat had gone to rest, the arrogant cat ran out again, swept the snow-white shadow, and jumped into Dong Lingjiu's arms in the blink of an eye.
　　She hugged the white cat with one hand and scratched Ai'ai's chin. The white cat immediately squinted its eyes in enjoyment, made a sweet "meow" sound, and shook its tail lightly. The whole cat was extremely flattering.
　　Zheng Yuheng's face changed.
　　Dong Lingjiu was touching it, and saw Zheng Yuheng suddenly put down his chopsticks, and his expression became very serious.
　　He gathered his sleeves, looked at the cat in her arms, and then looked at Dong Lingjiu, and said, "Hold me."
　　As he said that, Zheng Yuheng boldly pulled Ai'ai out of Dong Lingjiu's arms, and then, while there was no one around, he reached out and hugged her, half-wrapped the Queen Mother's waist, and buried his head in the crook of her neck.
　　Dong Lingjiu was stunned for a moment and hugged his waist.
　　Zheng Yuheng whispered, "Your Majesty, please hold me. Today is your birthday. Can you please... ignore it?"
　　She couldn't understand this jealousy, but since Zheng Yuheng said so, there was no reason for her to refuse. She touched the young doctor's forehead and whispered, "Then you calculate the time... In a while, they will be back to serve you."
　　Zheng Yuheng sullenly said "hmm" and hugged him tighter.
　　Only the white cat that was thrown to the ground opened its eyes wide in shock, and walked around the feet of the two people anxiously, "meowing meow meow" angrily.