It was a rainy day when Dong Lingjiu received the news that Meng Cheng came to pay respects.
　　Li Zhuo was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. Before the evidence was made public and the imperial edict was issued, the verbal battle in the court had already begun. Even on that day, Li Zhuo's students went to the door of Wei Que, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, and pointed at his nose and cursed him, saying that if you, a treacherous official, dare to use torture, no one will tolerate you from now on, and he will definitely bear the infamy for all eternity... and so on.
　　Dong Lingjiu flipped through the secret report of the Qilin Guard. The text was quite vivid, and it was just funny to read it. If he is a treacherous official, then what am I?
　　Those old Shangshu and old assistants in the six ministries did not say a word about this matter. On the contrary, the newly-appointed Jinshi in recent years, or the young officials recommended by the aristocratic families and obtained by the grace of their ancestors, were mostly arrogant and unrestrained, and made many absurd remarks.
　　I was still too full. Dong Lingjiu shook the paper lightly.
　　At this time, the eunuch on duty outside reported to the inner hall. After the message was conveyed, Li Ruixue stepped forward and said softly: "His Majesty wants to come to pay his respects. He sent someone to ask the queen if she is resting and if she is free."
　　Dong Lingjiu knew why he came and said: "We have been waiting for two days. If he doesn't come, someone will write a memorial to inquire about this matter and plead for Li Zhuo."
　　Ruixue understood and was about to send someone to reply. Dong Lingjiu turned his head and glanced to the side, and suddenly said: "Where is Yuheng?"
　　Ruixue said: "Little Imperial Physician Zheng has returned to the Imperial Hospital."
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "Imperial Hospital...is there anyone following him?"
　　Ruixue shook her head: "No one followed, but Xuan Duzhi has already instructed the new director in advance not to meddle in the affairs of Imperial Physician Zheng. I don't think anyone will embarrass him."
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "That's good, so that Cheng'er won't see him lose his temper again. Neither of my children is calm. They are not as clear-headed and tolerant as him. Go."
　　Ruixue nodded and left.
　　About half an incense stick later, the dragon chariot stopped outside the Cining Palace. Meng Cheng wore a round-necked robe with a golden pattern, a jade belt, a jade hairpin and a small crown, and his hair was combed meticulously.
　　He was young and handsome, and also had a clear temperament, but this temperament was buried under the noble arrogance of the royal family, making Meng Cheng look prickly and even unrestrained in love and hate.
　　The eunuchs accompanying him held an umbrella for the emperor, but Meng Cheng disliked the other party's slow pace, stepped over the umbrella, took two steps at a time, crossed the courtyard of the Cining Palace and entered the threshold.
　　The maids at the door bowed one by one and saluted, saying "Your Majesty, your majesty is blessed."
　　Meng Cheng waved his hand and lifted the bead curtain. He saw his mother sitting behind the desk, holding a volume of ancient books in her hand. She was not reading government affairs, but waiting for him.
　　Meng Cheng was startled, and he steadied his feet on the ground for a moment, then stepped over and saluted, saying, "Your son pays respects to the Queen Mother."
　　Dong Lingjiu knocked on the side of the table with the corner of the scroll: "Sit down."
　　Meng Cheng sat opposite her and carefully placed the imperial edict he had drafted four times on the table.
　　Dong Lingjiu glanced behind him and asked casually, "Shang Kai didn't come?"
　　"It was cold and rainy, and he had a leg disease." Meng Cheng just thought that his mother was concerned about him, "You know, when he was a child, he served his son without taking off his clothes, and he knelt on the ground to boil medicine in winter. He always had this disease on rainy and snowy days."
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled, and did not point out the fact that Shang Kai did not dare to come to the Cining Palace, but only said, "The emperor remembers many people's trivial matters."
　　Meng Cheng said, "Your son still remembers the number of times the Queen Mother took medicine and the prescription. At that time, I specially asked the old doctor Liu. Now that someone else has taken care of her, I don't know if it is appropriate."
　　"Doctor Zheng is very dedicated." Dong Lingjiu only said this short sentence.
　　If she didn't say it directly, Meng Cheng couldn't ask further. He just bowed his hands and lowered his eyebrows, asking for his mother's teachings.
　　Dong Lingjiu then looked at the imperial edict on the table.
　　There are many civil servants around the emperor, and they have done a good job in drafting edicts over the years. The words are appropriate and the reasons are clear. She stroked the end of the sentence and whispered, "Search the property and behead..."
　　Meng Cheng lowered his eyes.
　　"That's enough." Dong Lingjiu let go of her hand, "If it were your father, he would probably have to exterminate his entire family to serve as a warning to others."
　　Meng Cheng: "Am I too soft-hearted?"
　　"No," Dong Lingjiu said, "I am already very pleased that you can distinguish right from wrong, instead of foolishly asking for clemency for him for your own selfish desires. As for whether it is harsh or not... If you are merciless to such a famous scholar, isn't it enough to deter the villains and serve as a warning to others?"
　　Meng Cheng was encouraged by her approval, and his mental state was much relieved. The first long talk between the mother and son after the new emperor ascended the throne took place on an autumn day with rain outside the curtain.
　　The autumn light is short, and the gauze-like light penetrates the rain curtain and leaks into the hall.
　　When Ruixue came with a candle and added light to the hall, Meng Cheng's seat had moved forward several times. The two talked about the court affairs, memorials, and memorials of the ministers, and talked about the marriage between ministers, the gains and losses of interests, and those young clerks who were not afraid of tigers.
　　Under the flickering candlelight, Meng Cheng suddenly said: "The queen advised her son to listen to her mother's teachings often. In the future... it is better for her son to ask for advice every day in the future."
　　Dong Lingjiu should have agreed naturally, because it was rare for the new emperor to have such a desire to improve himself and seek advice.
　　However, she hesitated for a moment, because in this case, Meng Cheng would have to meet Zheng Yuheng.
　　But it was only a moment of hesitation. Dong Lingjiu said, "Paying respect to the Queen in the morning and evening?"
　　Meng Cheng's face turned hot and he looked embarrassed: "Your son... Your son has just ascended the throne, and everything is difficult at the beginning. Besides, the Queen Mother has never been behind the curtain. Your son has ascended the throne and is in charge of the government. It is difficult to sort out the myriad things. In addition, the Queen Mother has been busy reviewing memorials and meeting court officials all year round, so she has never paid
　　respect to the Queen in the morning and evening... Your son is unfilial." Dong Lingjiu was very generous and never cared about this matter. He smiled and said, "I have long exempted the Queen from paying respect to the Queen in the morning and evening. She is in charge of the inner palace. Many things that I have never managed must be decided by the Queen. Why bother each other. Since you are coming, I will set up a desk for you and put it by my hand."
　　Hearing this, Du Yuewan immediately clasped her hands together to salute and respectfully retreated to do it. Her movements were very neat and she quickly got the matter done. She even asked Guiyuan Palace for the precious ink that the emperor often used and prepared it in advance.
　　"Cheng'er has no teacher anymore." Dong Lingjiu reached out and held his hand, "From now on, your mother can be your teacher."
　　Meng Cheng's heart trembled when he heard her talk about this and looked at the imperial edict. He was already much taller than Dong Lingjiu, but in front of her, Meng Cheng always felt like a young child, like the weakest young bird in a warm nest, nestling under the wings of his mother.
　　He said, "...I don't want to disappoint you."
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "It can't just be 'don't want'. It's 'never'. Cheng'er will never let me down, right?"
　　Meng Cheng's heart trembled, and he responded almost devoutly.
　　...
　　Zheng Yuheng never dreamed that he had just returned to the Imperial Hospital to pack up his things and deal with chores, put on his official uniform and returned to the Cining Palace, and before he saw the empress, he saw His Majesty the Emperor first.
　　His brisk footsteps suddenly became heavy for a moment.
　　Meng Cheng was about to leave, but after seeing Zheng Yuheng, he changed his direction and suddenly came in front of him.
　　The afterglow shone on him, and the dark pattern of auspicious clouds was faintly lit on his round-necked robe. Meng Cheng crossed his hands and looked at Zheng Yuheng with a look of scrutiny.
　　The young imperial physician Zheng bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty..."
　　"Okay," Meng Cheng said impatiently, "Don't try that. Don't I know who you are?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was silent for a moment, thinking, who am I?
　　Meng Cheng raised his chin, his expression was almost exactly the same as the princess's, except that the princess still had a bit of cuteness, but on him, there was only arrogance and dislike.
　　"From now on--" he said proudly, "I will come every day."
　　Zheng Yuheng's heart trembled.
　　The little emperor hadn't finished speaking yet, still maintaining this upright and arrogant tone, and announced to him with a bit of pride: "From now on, as long as I am here, no one with evil tricks can get close to my mother. Even if you look... a little pretty, I will monitor the words and deeds of Doctor Zheng. Once you go beyond the rules and flatter, or have evil intentions, I will immediately punish you."
　　Zheng Yuheng couldn't help but lift his thin eyelids and glanced at him very lightly and quietly, wondering if this man's desire to protect the queen was too inflated.
　　But he calmed down and examined himself. The other party was the new emperor of this dynasty, a supreme ruler above all others. Even if what he said could not be realized for a while, becoming a thorn in the emperor's side - for any life in the feudal era, it was a shocking horror story.
　　Zheng Yuheng acted so humble that Meng Cheng could hardly see his face and expression: "I have a heart of respect and admiration for the Empress Dowager."
　　He was right. His respect and admiration were indeed endless, but his desire to curry favor was like bubbles rising to the surface of a lake, overflowing, shining, and gathering into a ball.
　　This was not even for power, but simply for her - for the favor of the Empress Dowager Dong. He wanted her eyes to stay on him for a long time.
　　The little emperor saw him bow his head and left with satisfaction, consciously curbing the bad habits around his mother.
　　Not long after the imperial carriage left, Zheng Yuheng glanced at the dragon chariot that could not be found, and then stepped over the threshold and returned to the Cining Palace.
　　As soon as he entered, he saw a similarly wide and precious desk next to the desk where Dong Lingjiu often sat. On it hung imperial pens of various shapes, the four treasures of the study, and stacked scrolls of memorials. It was obvious that only those who participated in politics and government affairs deserved such meticulous treatment.
　　Zheng Yuheng did not speak for a long time. A surge of bitterness and grievance surged in his heart, and he was so tormented that he could not speak.
　　He approached Dong Lingjiu, lifted his robe, and knelt on the ground to feel her pulse.
　　Dong Lingjiu was not careful enough to help him up, so she put her hand on his shoulder and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
　　Zheng Yuheng took a breath, his eyelids trembled slightly, and said, "Is your minister... going to be driven away?"
　　Dong Lingjiu was stunned for a moment: "Why do you say that?"
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "Just now I bumped into your majesty..."
　　"What did he say to you?"
　　Zheng Yuheng kept silent, but stretched out his hand to hold Dong Lingjiu's fingers, put her palm on his cheek, let her touch him, and said in a gentle and pitiful voice: "Can't your minister serve the queen in front of the palace?"
　　Dong Lingjiu actually saw through him a little, and felt that the little doctor seemed to have a lot of extra thoughts and was a little spoiled. But Dong Lingjiu just couldn't get angry, so he had to pull him up from the ground and said with a smile: "Are you going to complain to me about the emperor?"
　　Zheng Yuheng choked, blinked stiffly, and said, "No, no."