Meng Cheng sat at his mother's hand, feeling very uncomfortable.
　　By dusk, Princess Lin'an and the Crown Prince had already bid farewell and left the palace. Dong Lingjiu personally sent Aunt Ruixue to see them off, but left the two siblings behind.
　　The Cining Palace was solemn and quiet, and the maids at all levels came and went diligently, their footsteps silent. A maid in a round-necked palace dress with eight-treasure lotus pattern stood by the case, serving ink to the Queen Mother.
　　Not only was Meng Cheng, who had just punished Zheng Yuheng, nervous, but Princess Zhaoyang Meng Zhaiyue was also nervous. She remembered the origin of her own affairs, and her back went cold. She twisted her handkerchief there, touching the tassels on her temples from time to time, and her eyes were erratic.
　　Dong Lingjiu withdrew his hand, ordered someone to present the memorial that had been reviewed once to the emperor's case, and continued to handle government affairs without saying a word.
　　The little emperor took it with his hand, calmed down and looked down, but the words were hard to read. He knew that his mother must have known about the caning, so she asked the prince to invite him over at that critical moment, but at this moment, Dong Lingjiu said nothing.
　　The atmosphere became more and more depressing.
　　The maid changed a cup of tea and placed the Yangtian Xuelu in Dong Lingjiu's hand, and then someone served the emperor and the princess hot tea that suited their respective tastes. The cups had just landed on the table when the queen mother spoke.
　　"Is the emperor ready?"
　　Meng Cheng was shocked, holding the memorial, and looked up at his mother. He was as if he was absent-minded when being taught in the Wenhua Hall and was suddenly called out. He was a little stunned and slow, and then he said: "Your son is ashamed..."
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "You are not ashamed, you are absent-minded."
　　Meng Cheng suddenly fell silent.
　　His mother didn't need to blame him or ask him for punishment. Just by not saying a word and letting him think for himself, the little emperor was already intimidated by her authority and suspected that his actions would displease his mother. But on another level, Meng Cheng really didn't want to admit that his mother would lose her temper with him for a mere outsider.
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "I already know about your encounter with Doctor Zheng today."
　　Meng Cheng said, "Your Majesty, you are wise. Zheng Yuheng's words were disrespectful and offended the emperor. I... I just wanted to teach him a lesson."
　　Dong Lingjiu glanced at him gently, "What did he say?"
　　Meng Cheng was about to speak, but thinking of Zheng Yuheng's disrespect to his deceased father, he and Doctor Zheng actually had a tacit understanding and didn't want Emperor Mingde to appear in this conflict. It's just that Meng Cheng felt that Zheng Yuheng was unworthy, while Zheng Yuheng was simply unwilling.
　　He had to pause when the words came to his lips, "He was arrogant and disrespectful to me."
　　"I'm asking you," Dong Lingjiu repeated in a gentle tone, looking directly at him, "What did Doctor Zheng say?"
　　Not to mention Meng Cheng, even Meng Zhaiyue beside him swallowed her saliva, thinking that when the queen mother was not obviously angry, it was more terrifying than when she was emotional.
　　Meng Cheng clenched his fists and said after a while: "He... I can't remember what he said."
　　Looking closely, apart from "not wanting to be like the predecessors", Zheng Yuheng didn't say anything particularly offensive.
　　Dong Lingjiu leaned back, folded his sleeves and leaned on the back of the chair. The maid on the side adjusted the carpet on the back of the chair and whispered to the empress dowager, "Your Majesty, Xuan Duzhi has returned from visiting the imperial hospital and is fine."
　　Dong Lingjiu nodded slightly and said to Meng Cheng, "The emperor is making things difficult for an attendant imperial physician for no reason and is furious in the palace, even to the point of using punishment. Don't you think it's a loss of dignity and status?"
　　Meng Cheng couldn't get over this hurdle in his heart. He knew clearly that Zheng Yuheng was so bold and disrespectful because of his mother's power, but he couldn't blame his mother. He just gritted his teeth, lowered his brows, and uttered a few harsh words, "He is not worthy to serve your mother."
　　Dong Lingjiu then asked him, "Who does the emperor think is suitable?"
　　Meng Cheng didn't know how to answer, but the princess couldn't help but cover her lips. Her nervousness disappeared and she almost laughed. When she saw Dong Lingjiu's eyes sweeping over her, she coughed lightly a few times and pretended that she didn't understand anything.
　　Meng Cheng put his hands on his knees, stretched and clenched them several times, and finally couldn't help but say: "Doesn't the mother already have the father? Isn't the father enough?"
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "Your father - isn't he gone?"
　　"But..." Meng Cheng said, "But!"
　　Dong Lingjiu still looked at him calmly, drank a sip of tea slowly, and waited for his next words.
　　Meng Cheng's body and mind were a little broken. He didn't understand at all that the mother and the father had been respectful and mutual for more than 20 years. Can't they know each other and stay together for a lifetime? Do you have to find other people to entertain and relieve boredom - isn't this disloyalty to the father?
　　It is natural for this idea to appear in the minds of feudal men. Even in comparison, Meng Cheng lives in a perfect family environment with loving parents, and his yearning for the unity of husband and wife is even stronger and deeper. Although
　　the little emperor's thoughts are feudal, it does not mean that he has a bad character. On the contrary, this is the quality of husbands that many women in this era want but cannot get. But because he is an emperor, this character has brought him a lot of pain.
　　Meng Cheng took a deep breath and comforted himself by saying that Zheng Yuheng's existence reminded him of someone he had met. In this self-hypnosis, his tolerance increased slightly, and he lowered his head and said to Dong Lingjiu, "But, won't the Queen Mother be unable to let go of the Emperor?"
　　Dong Lingjiu was silent for a moment. She really wanted to tell Cheng'er that she had let go when Meng Zhen was still alive.
　　But this truth was too cold and cruel for the little emperor who lived in a good story about a couple. Dong Lingjiu considered her words and said tactfully, "In the end, everything has to be let go."
　　Meng Cheng couldn't get out of this confusion. He said, "But you are... you are a wise monarch and a virtuous queen. If anyone appears between you, your son... your son can't tolerate it."
　　Dong Lingjiu said again, "Anyone? What about the late emperor's concubine? What about the De Concubine in the temporary palace? What about the dozen concubines your father took into the palace? Do they count as anyone?"
　　Meng Cheng was speechless. He stared at his mother in a daze, feeling like a fish bone stuck in his throat, stinging and unbearable, but unable to swallow.
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled gently, "Do you think that there is a difference between wife and concubine? Husband and wife are one body, and concubines are servants, not worth mentioning, so they are not counted among them." From
　　childhood to adulthood, Meng Cheng's thoughts have rarely escaped her sharp eyes. The little emperor responded very dully, and his face showed the pain of the impact of his ideas.
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "But in my heart, it's not like that. They are not servants, but just pitiful people."
　　Meng Cheng said, "Mother..."
　　Dong Lingjiu stretched out her hand and pinched her eyebrows casually. She was a little tired and had a mild tinnitus. It seemed that there was a lingering sound of gongs and drums hitting her ears.
　　She said, "Cheng'er, do you think your father is loyal to me?"
　　Meng Cheng was silent for a while and said, "I dare not speak nonsense. I just think that my father has tried his best."
　　Dong Lingjiu actually agreed, "Yes, he has tried his best. Not only that, he has tried his best."
　　But she said, "But trying his best is not enough. His best efforts did not reach the bottom line in mother's heart... This is because the situation does not allow it, and it is difficult to have all the love and loyalty. It is not anyone else's fault."
　　"Since he has nothing to do with others, why should the Queen Mother blame him? The Emperor has treated the Queen Mother with utmost sincerity." Meng Cheng said hastily.
　　Dong Lingjiu shook her head and thought this was a little funny. Although the emperor had no such intention, she still felt a little bit of ethical ridicule towards her.
　　Dong Lingjiu sighed and said, "Treat me with utmost sincerity... The Queen Mother has never blamed your father, not at all."
　　The little emperor didn't understand.
　　Dong Lingjiu gently changed the subject and only said, "If you want to cause trouble for him, you might as well tell the Queen Mother directly, so as not to ruin the relationship between us as mother and son."
　　Meng Cheng was terrified when he heard her say this. He was very afraid that the Queen Mother would hurt the family relationship between them because of an unimportant outsider. He was worried and unwilling at the same time. He felt that Zheng Yuheng was undoubtedly a treacherous minister who was seeking favor and actually provoked the relationship between them as mother and son.
　　But this idea could only be hidden under the surface.
　　Because the queen mother said she was not angry, but in fact she kept Meng Cheng until nightfall, and supervised him to handle government affairs that piled up half a person high, which made the little emperor exhausted and distracted. But the
　　queen mother was still holding a cup of warm tea to accompany him, sometimes gently instructing, sometimes revising and criticizing, gently and patiently.
　　Meng Cheng had no face to escape.
　　Not to mention Meng Cheng, even the princess suffered. Dong Lingjiu did not let her leave. Meng Zhaiyue was not familiar with the government affairs, so she could only play with cats and dogs in the Cining Palace. Sometimes she made the cat prince angry, and sometimes she dragged a few little maids to bet on money. In the end, she was so bored that she fell asleep in Dong Lingjiu's arms.
　　The moon was at its zenith, and Du Yuewan held a copper pick and lit the wick on the candlestick by hand, and told a few palace servants to cheer up.
　　The candle tears were flowing in vain. Meng Cheng was already dizzy with sleep, and he could not understand the respectful and fancy words on the memorial. He yawned quietly, and when he looked up, he saw his mother looking at him with a smile in her eyes.
　　He was startled and sat up straight. His Adam's apple moved slightly, and he swallowed his saliva and said to Dong Lingjiu: "My mother's health is important. At this time... shouldn't you go to bed early?"
　　Dong Lingjiu said slowly: "I rarely go to bed early. Your Majesty, guess why?" What
　　else could it be? Of course, it was because he was young and ignorant, and there were some government affairs that he could not handle. And those old ministers of the imperial court were always used to presenting important matters directly to the Cining Palace for decision.
　　Meng Cheng blushed, feeling ashamed. Thinking that he had worked hard after ascending the throne, but not to this extent, he became even more uneasy. He said, "I am an unfilial and incompetent son."
　　Dong Lingjiu waved his hand and asked Du Yuewan to lead the emperor back: "Okay, go back to sleep. The queen has sent people to ask twice." Meng Cheng stood up
　　from the table, looked at his sister Yingying in her arms, and thought it would be okay for his younger sister to rest in her mother's palace for a night, so he bowed and left.
　　The eunuchs on the left and right of the imperial carriage picked up a bright yellow cloak with auspicious clouds and a dragon, gathered it on the emperor's shoulders, and held four crystal lotus lanterns to escort Meng Cheng back to the palace.
　　The palace gate opened and closed, and a handful of moonlight sprinkled in, and a wisp of cool breeze entered the palace.
　　Dong Lingjiu stretched out his hand and gently pinched the princess's small and delicate nose with two fingers. She frowned, frowned, hummed several times, and tossed and turned in the empress dowager's arms. She turned her head and said vaguely: "How dare you - who dares to bully me -"
　　Meng Zhaiyue's tasseled jade ornaments jingled when she moved. It took her a long time to open her eyes. Just as she was about to lose her temper, she saw the graceful and dignified face of her mother.
　　Her heart trembled, and she hugged Dong Lingjiu's waist, and quickly changed her tone: "Bully, bully well! Yingying was born to entertain the queen mother."
　　She moved her body and buried her head in the empress dowager's chest. Her tone was sweet and cute, but she spoke loudly: "Yingying has disliked my brother for a long time. He is always tolerant to men and harsh to women. Thanks to the queen mother for teaching him a lesson! Oh no, teach him!"
　　Dong Lingjiu looked at her with a smile and said softly: "Xu Xiang."
　　Meng Zhaiyue subconsciously thought that Xu Bingbi had come to the Cining Palace. She raised her head and looked around the hall. There was no sign of Xu Xiang. She slowly turned her head and met the queen mother's dark, deep and meaningful eyes.
　　The princess first covered her lips and coughed lightly, then she knew that her mother had seen through it, so she shrank her neck and whispered: "A gentleman's friendship... with a eunuch... can it be called absurd? I haven't even held his hand, I am innocent."