Doctor Zheng said so, but in fact, he was not good at blowing pillow wind.
　　When the two talked in the same tent, it was mostly Dong Lingjiu who spoke, and he listened quietly. Even when discussing state affairs and inevitably expressing his own opinions, Zheng Yuheng would try not to affect her thinking, and omitted topics that were too obvious and contained "handling" and "decision".
　　He was always in a learning mood, not to mention that the Queen Mother was experienced and insightful, had her own judgment, and chose the best opinions from others.
　　These words were already beyond the limit. Dong Lingjiu did not blame, but accepted the advice and agreed happily, temporarily putting aside those matters that could not be sorted out. Dong Lingjiu
　　put down her pen and ink, asked someone to serve the meal, and asked Zheng Yuheng to accompany her to eat. At night, after she washed up and had not changed her clothes, she heard a few migratory birds chirping outside the palace.
　　Along with the chirping of birds, the sound of young palace maids talking and joking could be heard faintly. This sound gave people vitality and emotion, and made people want to go and see.
　　Dong Lingjiu made a silent gesture to the young doctor Zheng, then gathered up the wide-sleeved robe that was rustling on the ground outside, put on a fluffy cloak, quietly stepped out from the threshold, stood by the corridor column, and looked at the two little girls under the wind lantern. One was
　　about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing newly sewn winter clothes, and her cheeks were red from the cold. It seemed that one of them was a palace maid on night duty, wearing official uniform and wearing a token, while the other was dressed casually, with a double bun tied with red ropes, accompanying the previous one to turn the flower rope, shake money, throw dice and drink here.
　　This distance was not too close. The two children were still young and had no qualifications, so they could not get close to the main hall.
　　Dong Lingjiu watched for a while, Zheng Yuheng reached out to gather her clothes, gently covered her hand, and whispered: "Why did you come out? It's very cold outside."
　　Although the palace was warm, it was precisely because of the heat inside that the cold outside was more prominent. On winter nights, the sky and the earth were dark, and the stars were dim. Only the wind lanterns on both sides of the courtyard and the fireworks in the distance that rose from time to time in the first month of the year illuminated the sky from time to time.
　　Dong Lingjiu looked at them, smiled slightly, and said softly: "Look over there, the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace, except for the descendants of criminals whose property was confiscated, most of them were sold from outside the palace."
　　Zheng Yuheng said: "Isn't it like this in the past? It seems that since the founding of the Great Yin, only the children of common people from poor families have been selected as palace servants."
　　"In the past, the female officials selected to hold important positions in the palace were all daughters of court officials and royal family branches, and they had official backgrounds." Dong Lingjiu said, "There was an incident in the previous dynasty because of this. The emperor's imperial female official got involved in the political struggle and was instructed by her relatives to tamper with the emperor's tea and food. When the emperor died, she was also sentenced to death. She was strangled to death and thrown into the well... It was the dry well in the southwest corner of Jinfang Garden."
　　Zheng Yuheng was a little horrified when he heard it.
　　Her tone was always so calm and gentle, as if this earth-shaking event was just a passing dust. Although this is indeed dust, all things that have passed have turned into the dust of history. However, Dong Lingjiu herself is the one who controls the helm of the carriage. In her hands, she is driving the majestic wheel and holding the violent machine that serves the ruling class. This power is enough to destroy anyone, and it is also enough to crush herself.
　　"Since then, uprisings have occurred frequently in various places, and people have been attacking each other... So after the founding of the Great Yin, this rule was revised." Dong Lingjiu shook his hand back and stroked his knuckles. "But this is not good either. The group of people living under the imperial city, whether they are living a good life or a bad life, are thinking of selling their children and sending them to the palace to serve others. On the one hand, they can have enough food and clothing, and on the other hand, if they are lucky enough to have a concubine of Xuan Jingyun, Chen Qinghang, or Du Yuewan, the whole family will be rich and prosperous."
　　Zheng Yuheng sighed softly: "Even though wealth and honor come, flesh and blood are separated."
　　"Yes..." Dong Lingjiu said, "But, you want to survive, what's wrong with wanting to live."
　　As the two voices talked in a low voice, the fireworks in the wind lantern swayed. One of the little girls clapped her hands happily, jumped up and said, "We won, we won, hurry up and don't deny it. You said this and you will be fined two cups!"
　　"The wine is cold, I am here to accompany you." Another one pulled her sleeve down, "Wait for me to heat it up, I'll go to the medicine room to borrow a stove."
　　"Don't run away, okay?"
　　"How could that be? Lord Zheng and Maid Cui are both very easy to talk to. I'll just be gone for a while."
　　The older girl just stood up and saw Lord Zheng standing under the pillars, and... Her eyes were blurred by the lantern for a moment, and then she slowly realized that it was the Empress Dowager.
　　Normally, whenever Dong Lingjiu stepped over this threshold, the little maids like them would bow and kneel, and could not look up and face her directly. At this moment, when they suddenly met her eyes, the girl's mind was buzzing, she was in a trance, and was stunned.
　　"What's wrong?" Another person stood up and asked in a panic, "It's Aunt Yuewan..."
　　She turned her head and was also struck by lightning. After a long time, she trembled violently, pulled the person beside her to kneel down and kowtowed firmly: "Your servant, your servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager."
　　Dong Lingjiu rubbed his hands and said gently: "Okay, did you scare you? Let's go to the hot bar."
　　The older one didn't dare to move. The other person replied tremblingly, almost crying: "Aunt doesn't allow gambling on duty. I'm wrong. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
　　Dong Lingjiu turned around and asked Zheng Yuheng: "Is this a palace rule?"
　　Zheng Yuheng said: "There is this rule, and I have memorized
　　it." He has memorized it before? Dong Lingjiu glanced at him and felt that the young doctor Zheng had learned a lot, but he didn't ask much.
　　Dong Lingjiu didn't pay enough attention to the affairs of the harem, but the two little girls were too young in her eyes, so she looked around and said to the two of them, "Hurry up, you shouldn't drink at your age. Even if you drink, you should know the limit. I won't tell Du Shangyi, and we'll pretend nothing happened."
　　The two were stunned, not knowing whether to thank them profusely or continue begging for mercy, until they saw Zheng Yuheng covering his lips and coughing lightly, and looking at them as if giving a hint, then the little palace maid hurriedly thanked them and stood up.
　　Dong Lingjiu saw everything, but said nothing. She just turned around and went back to the bedroom to cool off. When she changed her clothes, she took the opportunity to take off the necklace from Zheng Yuheng's waist and teased him in a low voice, "You are a good person. Even the palace servants who guard the gate for me know your kindness. I guess you are always generous and kind to everyone."
　　Zheng Yuheng was stunned for a moment, thinking that there was something wrong with what he said, but he didn't realize it all at once. He explained hesitantly, "I was on duty at the palace gate at night, lighting the lamps and beating the night watch." , It is too cold in winter. I saw that many young maids could not stand it, so I told Maid Cui to let them borrow the stove in the medicine room to warm up the wine. "
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "Hot wine warms the body, but there are many cases of people freezing to death after drinking."
　　Zheng Yuheng replied: "Drinking wine can stimulate the heat, flow through the heart and meridians, and activate the joints and dispel the cold. But once warm, it is easy to lose sensitivity to the cold, so Maid Cui does not allow them to drink too much."
　　He just took off the necklace on the other's waist, and felt his wrist being gently held. Dong Lingjiu's soft hand covered it, rolled up the clothes, and stroked along the bones and veins like a snake.
　　The warm breath and a rich fragrance rushed into his lungs.
　　"You are so kind and righteous, why don't you remember to think about me too?"
　　Zheng Yuheng was almost stunned. His accumulated worries suddenly surged up. He put his arm around her waist and whispered, "I don't know how many prescriptions I have tried for your illness, and how many methods I have tried. But is it because my medical skills are not good enough, or is there a limited amount of medicine? The remaining poison from the old illness alone has troubled me for a long time, but later I had a clue, only to find that if I had to use it, I would need a strong body to withstand it... Besides, you don't have yourself in your heart. You have never put down your state affairs for a day, and you haven't had enough rest. How can I plan for you?"
　　His words sounded a bit depressed and sad. Dong Lingjiu didn't know why he was sad, and hurriedly said, "I think I said the wrong thing this time. Doctor Zheng, you are always thinking about this illness, and I know it."
　　Zheng Yuheng hugged her tightly, pressed his eyes with her hands, and waited until the heat in the corners of his eyes subsided before he took a breath and continued to take off her gorgeous clothes. He half-knelt on the ground and took off her gold embroidered phoenix shoes.
　　The soft plain shirt hung on the back of his hand. If it were usual, he would have come up to warm the bed. Unexpectedly, he had a bit of temper today, and also some backbone. He didn't even blow the pillow wind. After she went to bed, he sat by the couch with his clothes closed and flipped through medical books.
　　Dong Lingjiu also had several of his books in his bedroom, most of which were some obscure ancient books and fragments, orphan medical classics, and occasionally some things from the Ministry of Revenue. But he always kept them in order, so it was not easy to see them on weekdays.
　　She slept on her side, following the gap between the candlelight and the slight movement of the bed curtains, she looked at him quietly for a while, and knocked on the edge of the bed.
　　Zheng Yuheng was a little bit unrecovered, and there was still a breath in his throat. He deliberately said: "You go to sleep. I am a loyal minister today and will never do anything mean."
　　He said so, but the expression on his face was shouting "Come and comfort me, come and comfort me", with a bit of arrogance from being spoiled, and a bit of reserved coquettishness.
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "It's because the light is too bright."
　　Zheng Yuheng: "...Oh."
　　He silently put out the candle, thinking that it was always lit before, why did she think it was bright today? He climbed onto the bed in the dark and got into the quilt. He was embarrassed but had to hold Dong Lingjiu in his arms even though he had no choice.
　　Dong Lingjiu reached out and touched his ear, which was surprisingly hot.
　　The darkness was too thick and filled the entire bedroom. Each other's breathing became clearer and clearer, falling into their ears, and became more and more tense, as if in sync with their hearts.
　　Zheng Yuheng: "I..."
　　Dong Lingjiu: "You..."
　　They both spoke at the same time and stopped.
　　After a moment of silence, Dong Lingjiu said, "You speak first."
　　Zheng Yuheng hugged her and took several breaths on her shoulder. He hesitated for a moment as if he was preparing himself psychologically, and said, "Tan Niang, I don't say it on weekdays because of your heart. Your heart does not belong to me, but to this land, and to every citizen and subject like the two little palace maids outside the palace today. If I let you let go completely, give up your responsibilities, rights, and ambitions for the sake of my heart and to cure you, then I would be too selfish."
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "...I know. That's what I want to say."
　　"I care about you more than anyone else and am willing to make plans for you. But in this situation, what I can do is still too rare and too limited." He confided, "If I can make you worry less, I will be closer to my goal. Tan Niang, when can you eat well, rest well, no longer be full of worries, no longer worry about a lot, and focus on taking care of your body and recuperating from your illness?"
　　Dong Lingjiu was silent for a long time, and replied, "Wait a little longer... there will be that day."
　　"Whether this day is near or far, I really can't see it." He sighed.
　　"Aren't you helping me already?" Dong Lingjiu stroked his face. In the darkness, the touch was infinitely magnified. Her slender and warm fingers brushed on his cheeks with boundless tenderness.
　　"I'm insignificant." He said.
　　"How could it be." Dong Lingjiu hooked his neck, "You are very good, you have won two prizes in a row, you have the talent of the top scholar, and you have the material of a prime minister."
　　Zheng Yuheng was not comforted. He kept silent, and gently rubbed her fingers with attachment and sadness.
　　She said, "When the emperor has gone through some more things, and he... and Yingying, they will both grow up and have the ability to face the storms. Then I will slowly let go... If there comes such a day in the future, we will enclose a piece of land in the suburbs of Beijing and build a house for the two of us to live in."
　　"The two of us?"
　　"Yes. Or do you prefer a large courtyard with a horde of servants?"
　　"No," he just thought it was too beautiful to be realistic, "just the two of us." "
　　Take Aiai with you," she said. "Then, if there is another winter like this, I will hold it at home and sleep with my head covered all day, without reading a single word, eating well, and resting well."
　　Zheng Yuheng seemed to have already constructed that picture in his mind. The extremely noble Dong Lingjiu in his heart took off his gorgeous clothes and gold jewelry, put on soft everyday clothes, and rested on the couch with Aiai in his arms. He was no longer out of reach, no longer awe-inspiring, but had torn off the cloak of power, so lively and free, so gentle and moving.
　　He said, "... You are lying to me, I almost believe it."
　　"You are so sad, even if I lied to you, I just want to make you happy, is it wrong?"
　　This is a scam that both of them know very well, a lie that exudes a fragrant and tempting smell - even if she can be free, she will be in the palace, in the Cining Palace, by the side of the emperor, and after a hundred years, she will be buried with Emperor Mingde and become a model of a wise monarch and a virtuous queen.
　　And he is just a rumor mentioned in unofficial history, not worth mentioning.
　　The hall fell into a long silence.
　　Before this, Zheng Yuheng had never had the delusion of owning her, because as he said, Dong Lingjiu's heart did not belong to him, he was already the more special one in the other's life, as for the degree of this specialness, he could not grasp it.
　　But when the picture she described emerged, Zheng Yuheng suddenly wanted it very much, and the possessiveness he suppressed in order to pretend to be well-behaved slowly climbed. Even if he could not achieve the beauty he imagined, he also wanted to get more special and more special treatment from Dong Lingjiu, and get her strong preference.
　　In the night, Dong Lingjiu finally explained: "I didn't mean what I said before. I was just joking with you. I thought you were so nice and attentive to everyone."
　　After that, she fell asleep.
　　Zheng Yuheng kept his eyes open and thought for a long time, and finally realized some of the implicit meaning from the other party's words - what does "nice to everyone" mean, "everyone knows his advantages", is Tan Niang jealous of him? As soon as this
　　thought came up, Zheng Yuheng immediately became restless. He hesitated to speak, reached out and gently pulled her sleeve, wanting to hear confirmation from her, but Dong Lingjiu ignored him, and didn't know whether she was asleep or not.
　　Zheng Yuheng was shocked by this conjecture and couldn't sleep all night. He had been thinking about it in his mind all night, but he couldn't fall asleep, and even forgot his worries.
　　When Dong Lingjiu got up the next morning, he hurriedly said: "Let's do it again."
　　"What do you mean by do it again?" Dong Lingjiu was puzzled.
　　"It starts with your sentence," Zheng Yuheng said seriously, "We are always kind and generous. Yes, that's it. Give me another chance to answer."
　　"...So childish."
　　"My Lady." Doctor Zheng came up to me and tried to act like a spoiled child. "I'll say it again, just once, I'll only be sincere to you..."