Predecessors?
　　He actually dared to call his father a predecessor!
　　Meng Cheng's heart was raging, and the anger burned directly to his throat. He grabbed Zheng Yuheng's collar, clenched his palms, pulled him in front of him, and said sternly: "What did you say?!"
　　Zheng Yuheng glanced at him calmly. If it were before, as a minister, he would still be in awe of the monarch's anger, but facing the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace for so many days, plus the old grudges accumulated in the past few days, he has forgotten how to write the word fear. He just said humbly on the surface: "How can a minister be compared with the ancient saints."
　　Unfortunately, his superficial humility could not completely cover up the coldness in his expression. He said "cannot be compared", but his eyes clearly said "Why should I care about the pros and cons of a dead person."
　　This violated Meng Cheng's taboo.
　　Since Meng Cheng ascended the throne, he has always compared himself to his father, and always felt that he was not as good as him. However, Zheng Yuheng, who he admired and admired so much, actually had such an attitude. His eyes were full of fire, and he said, "I knew you were a person who was restless!"
　　How could restless be used like this? It can be seen that Meng Cheng was really angry.
　　Just when Meng Cheng was about to recruit someone to deal with him, Meng Zhaiyue came back to his senses from the huge shock. She quickly flashed between the two of them, blocked Meng Cheng's hand, and said to her brother, "Brother, brother, why are you angry with him? This is the mother's imperial physician. Even if we spoil him, we just tell the mother. How can we lose face on the spot?"
　　After that, he winked at the people behind him again and again, but the eunuchs and guards all retreated dozens of steps. Even if the princess winked so hard that she had cramps, she probably couldn't see it over there. They all stared eagerly, but no one dared to step forward.
　　Meng Zhaiyue complained in her heart. What kind of Shura field is this? It didn't happen to her mother, but she encountered it first.
　　Meng Cheng looked at her with a frown on his face, his face frosty: "He should have his head chopped off for such a rebellion!"
　　Meng Zhaiyue said: "Good brother, it doesn't matter if you chop off his head, but what about our mother's words? Even if you search all the princes and sons of the royal family in Beijing, there may not be one better born than him."
　　Meng Cheng was furious: "This is the imperial physician! Not a concubine!"
　　Meng Zhaiyue almost bit her tongue because she revealed her true thoughts. She evaded the question and said: "Even in the Imperial Medical Bureau, the young imperial physician Zheng is a man of great medical skills. His teacher is the old imperial physician Liu who has retired and served in the inner court for decades."
　　As soon as she finished speaking, she took a half step back and poked Zheng Yuheng's arm hard, and the suggestive words jumped out from between her teeth: "Kneel down and plead guilty."
　　Zheng Yuheng glanced at her, lifted his robe, and knelt silently in front of Meng Cheng, lowering his eyes so that he could only see the luxurious and beautiful dragon pattern on his body, but he said nothing.
　　Meng Cheng also saw that he was not willing to plead guilty at all, and said coldly: "When I report to my mother, I will drive you out of the Cining Palace and chop off your head. Let's see if there is anyone in this world who dares to have evil thoughts on my mother."
　　The princess lamented in her heart, my royal brother, who is the one who has evil thoughts? Our mother is not so affectionate and obsessed with him. Maybe she also values ​​his youth and handsomeness. Otherwise,
　　how can we say that my daughter is a caring cotton-padded jacket? She is the one who can understand Dong Lingjiu's feelings best among all the people with the surname Meng.
　　Zheng Yuheng lowered his eyes, his voice was clear and neither humble nor arrogant: "I am thinking about the queen with all my heart, please understand your majesty." Meng
　　Cheng didn't mention understanding at this time. He could bear not to fight with Zheng Yuheng, even if he was bound by the four words "respect for the royal family". The emperor turned his head and waved to the people in the distance, and said angrily: "Are you all blind? You have offended the emperor and angered the emperor. I will cane you in the court!"
　　The eunuchs were all terrified. They sent people to find Shang Daban, who was not on duty today, and prepared to cane you in the court according to your majesty's words.
　　This punishment was mostly carried out in the court, with the highest number of one hundred, but generally by the eightieth time, it was equivalent to hanging on with only one breath, and whether there was a way to survive was up to fate.
　　According to the old rules of the Xining period, this punishment was divided into two types. One was to not take off the clothes, but to beat through the clothes, which was mostly humiliation. Although they had to stay in bed to recuperate, their lives would not be harmed. The other was to take off the clothes and be punished, which was called "beating to death". The great eunuch who was finally tortured to death by slow slicing beside Emperor Mingde had once beaten to death more than a dozen court officials as an executioner.
　　The eunuchs took the order and left. Meng Zhaiyue saw it and felt a little anxious. However, at this time, only the queen mother could save him. So when Meng Cheng called people back, she whispered to the maid in the princess's mansion: "Go and ask the queen mother."
　　The maid looked at the road to the Cining Palace. There were so many people following the emperor. If they went against the flow, they would definitely be stopped. So she said: "Your Highness, I'm afraid everyone will be beaten to death when we get to the Cining Palace."
　　Meng Zhaiyue followed her gaze and felt that it would not work. She sweated on the tip of her nose and said in a hurry: "Go to the rear province and find Xuanduzhi."
　　The maid bowed her head and agreed.
　　As soon as she finished her order, she saw an unknown eunuch serving diligently and bringing a chair. Meng Cheng actually sat down expressionlessly and murderously. His face was sank under the shadow of the canopy and umbrella, and there was a chill that would never give up.
　　It seemed that he had to be executed.
　　Meng Zhaiyue sighed and coughed, and the eunuchs quickly brought a chair. She sat down with her skirt gathered, not knowing whether the reinforcements could be brought in. She anxiously turned the embroidered goldfinch silk in her hand. After
　　waiting for a while, the eunuchs set up the punishment bench and brought the chestnut iron court stick. The only ones who were responsible for the execution, besides Shang Kai, the eunuch who held the seal in front of the emperor, were Xu Xiang from the inner prison, Xuan Jingyun who served in the Cining Palace, and Chen Qinghang and Chen Duzhi who served in the Fengzao Palace.
　　In addition to Shang Kai, the other three also served as the pens in front of the emperor. In Meng Cheng's rage, three of the four actually came. Except for Xuan Jingyun who was nowhere to be found, the three eunuchs who held pens in the inner court were all present.
　　Meng Cheng raised his eyelids and said to Shang Kai: "80 strokes of the cane, beat him."
　　Shang Kai was about to step forward when he heard Xu Xiang, who was always taciturn, raise his head and suddenly said: "How does your majesty want to beat him?"
　　Meng Cheng was not quite sure what was going on here, whether it was "humiliation" or "beating to death". Since he became emperor, he had never beaten the court officials with a cane, this was the first time.
　　He frowned and said impatiently: "How else can I beat him? Why are you talking so much!"
　　Xu Xiang lowered his head and said in a steady voice: "Your majesty is kind-hearted and has great grace. If I were to be stripped and punished with 80 strokes of the cane, I would not be able to survive."
　　Meng Cheng's eyebrows jumped. Although he said that he wanted to beat and kill him and put him to death, he was really concerned about his mother's intentions in his heart and was a little afraid.
　　He turned his head and asked Yingying in a low voice: "Eighty can't survive? Wei Shilang of the Ministry of Justice was beaten with 80 strokes of the cane by my father in the past. How can he be so vigorous?"
　　The princess was speechless for a moment. The emperor frowned even more and called out, "Yingying!"
　　Meng Zhaiyue hastily retracted her gaze from Xu Xiang, twisted her handkerchief to the corner of her lips, and said to him, "Let them think about it. If the queen mother doesn't say anything, who among these servants would dare to hit him if it weren't for you, my brother?"
　　Although Meng Cheng was not happy with what she said, he still listened to the princess and repeated it to the others.
　　Xu Xiang paused and said, "I am the servant who is in charge of the inner prison for the queen, and I am willing to share your worries."
　　Meng Cheng looked at him and was about to agree when Shang Kai on the side glanced at Xu Xiang and said, "Xu Bingbi has been in charge of criminal justice for many years. I heard that he also knows this person - this Imperial Doctor Zheng, who used to wait at the palace gate for him and open the palace gate for him at night with the Qilin Jade Talisman. It is too easy for him to deceive his superiors and subordinates and fool his master, Your Majesty..."
　　"Open the palace gate at night?" Meng Cheng clenched his fingers and his eyes pierced Xu Xiang like a knife.
　　Xu Xiang kept his head down, not raising his face, with a humble and tolerant attitude. He did not argue, but just told the truth: "I am under the handwritten order of the Queen Mother to summon the imperial physician to come in and attend to the illness."
　　Meng Cheng looked at him for a while, said nothing, and then said: "Shang Kai, you come."
　　Shang Daban nodded and stepped out of the line, pointing to a few young eunuchs and said: "Take off the clothes of the imperial physician Zheng!"
　　Xu Xiang's hands tightened slightly, and he said in a low voice: "If Your Majesty lets the seal holder execute the sentence, it is suspected of abusing public power for personal gain. The seal holder's beloved disciple once beat up the imperial physician Zheng in the Cining Palace, so that the Queen Mother personally held him accountable."
　　Although Meng Cheng did not like Xu Xiang to speak again, he had to admit that this was true. Although he nodded in this matter, it was messed up after all, and it was done so ugly.
　　He was extremely annoyed. He raised his hand and pointed at Chen Qinghang of Fengzao Palace casually, saying, "You come to execute the sentence!"
　　Chen Duzhi was white-faced and beardless, with an ordinary appearance. He lowered his head and said, "Yes."
　　Chen Qinghang was from Fengzao Palace. In other words, he was the confidant of the Queen's palace. Since Concubine Xu's miscarriage, Queen Wang loved the Empress of Cining Palace even more. Even though she was exempted from the morning and evening visits and dared not disturb her easily, she would send people to ask her three or four times a day. She also gave instructions to the small kitchen in Cining Palace and urged them to serve the Empress with filial piety.
　　Chen Qinghang knew his master's intentions, so he could not help but show mercy at this time. He did not ask anyone to take off his clothes. He only asked the eunuch to press Zheng Yuheng on the punishment bench and asked the capable eunuch to hold the chestnut court stick. He pulled up his sleeves and said, "Little Zheng, I am really offended."
　　Zheng Yuheng did not reply.
　　Chen Qinghang looked at his face and ordered, "Beat him."
　　The eunuch holding the court stick glanced at Chen Qinghang's toes and had a clear idea in his mind.
　　...
　　Dong Lingjiu met with Princess Lin'an in Cining Palace.
　　Just yesterday, several fast horses died in the fiefdom, and the news of Prince Lin'an's death was delivered to the former residence of the palace. Not long after the new bride entered the palace, the old prince passed away. It is reasonable for Mu Xuehua to take the prince back to attend the funeral and take care of the aftermath of Prince Lin'an.
　　Dong Lingjiu should also send someone to express condolences.
　　As soon as the news came, Mu Xuehua brought the prince Meng Shen into the palace, met the queen mother in person, and said goodbye to her.
　　In Cining Palace, the princess was in good spirits and it was hard to tell whether she was sad or not. However, the prince Meng Shen looked a little depressed. Dong Lingjiu chatted with the two of them, and met the new bride of the palace, that is, the girl from the Zhu family, the current prince's consort.
　　The prince's consort is named Zhu Yanjing. She has a well-proportioned and slender figure and a quiet and beautiful face. Although she is the daughter of a small family, her manners are very elegant.
　　Dong Lingjiu praised her a few words, and couldn't help but feel that this girl was only about the same age as Yuheng, and that she was too old to be his elder. She felt regretful, but she missed him very much.
　　At this moment, a figure hurried in quietly. Xuan Jingyun's forehead was sweating, but his movements were quiet and quick. He first saluted the princess and the prince and his wife silently, and then approached the upper seat and whispered something in Dong Lingjiu's ear.
　　The smile on Dong Lingjiu's lips faded a little, and he turned his head to look at him and said, "Do you really want to punish him?"
　　Xuan Jingyun said, "Yes."
　　Dong Lingjiu pressed the table and was about to stand up, but in front of her were the Princess of Lin'an, the prince, and the prince's wife. She had to slow down and sat back down again. After thinking for a while, she waved and said, "Shen'er."
　　Meng Shen stood up and raised his hand: "Auntie."
　　"You haven't seen the emperor for a long time. You have to go back to your fiefdom. I don't know when you will be back." She said, "Go and invite the emperor to the Cining Palace so that you and your cousins ​​can have a good chat."
　　Although Meng Shen didn't understand the meaning, he knew that the imperial aunt's orders were always correct. He immediately said, "Yes, nephew will go right away."
　　He didn't understand, but it didn't mean that Mu Xuehua didn't understand. The princess had a keen sense of smell for every move in the palace. She glanced at Dong Lingjiu's expression and emphasized, "If His Majesty does something unimportant, don't let him do it. Come back to the Cining Palace quickly. Your imperial aunt and I will be waiting for you to have dinner together."
　　Meng Shen replied, "Yes, mother."