During the Qianqiu Banquet, Zheng Yuheng asked for leave to go home and finally left the Forbidden City.
　　He did not return to the Zheng Mansion immediately, but went to the residence of Liu Tong, the old doctor, to see him off. His mentor had been approved by the Queen Mother to return to his hometown for retirement several months ago, but because of the many affairs in the capital and the many things that needed to be handed over in the Imperial Hospital, he was delayed for the past few months.
　　Now, all kinds of affairs, prescriptions, and books in the Cining Palace have been handed over to Zheng Yuheng. Except for the first few times when the old doctor took Zheng Yuheng with him, the rest of the time he was sorting things in the mansion and returning to his hometown in Huainan.
　　Zheng Yuheng was in front of the carriage, helping his teacher check the number of medical books, and checked the number two or three times, without any mistakes, before allowing the servants to move them into the carriage.
　　Liu Tong sat in the carriage, with the curtains gathered on the side, looking at this student who served him from a distance. He waved his hand, and Zheng Yuheng put down the book and came over.
　　The old doctor said, "Don't be busy yet, Yuheng, come up and talk to me."
　　Zheng Yuheng handed the account book to the attendant beside him, got on the carriage, lifted the curtain, and sat next to Liu Tong.
　　He always had a gentle expression, looked pure and well-behaved, and seemed easy to control, but Liu Tong had taught him for several years and knew this student's temperament best. Zheng Yuheng was actually stubborn and arbitrary, and had his own opinions, not a filial son and grandson who unconditionally submitted to patriarchy, so the relationship with Lord Zheng deteriorated to this point.
　　Doctor Liu said, "I have worked diligently and cautiously all my life. I have seen the faces of officials in Beijing who try to please the powerful. I have also been threatened and wooed many times. I know that the center of power is a vortex that will swallow anyone it chooses. I have lived to this age, but in fact I have lost my original bottom line in many things... That is why I am so worried about you entering the Cining Palace to serve the Empress."
　　Zheng Yuheng was afraid that his teacher would say something bad about the Empress Dowager, so he took the lead and said, "The Empress of the Cining Palace treats people very well and takes good care of the younger generation."
　　Liu Tong stared at him, was silent for a moment, and then said, "I am not worried about the Empress, but about you. If you want to live a long life, you must either be flexible and flexible, be able to bend down, flatter, and cling to the powerful. This is something you cannot do by nature, and you cannot please your master. Or you must be smooth and tactful, and be able to do things that please the master. You Fengyuan, you can't suppress your innocent heart. Even if you can, it will be a disgrace to your character that you have cultivated for many years. "
　　When Zheng Yuheng heard this, he just said: "I have never thought highly of myself, and I don't need to use the word "bow". I just do my duty as a medical officer."
　　The old doctor shook his head, put his hand on Zheng Yuheng's slightly thin shoulder, and sighed: "If it weren't for the mistake in the spring exam three years ago, you would have won the first place in the imperial examination at a young age, and you might have won the title of the first two. Yuheng, your literati heart has not been extinguished in the medical books and medicine furnace, and your teacher knows it."
　　A thousand days and nights have passed since this incident, and it has been buried by many people in the frost of the fourteenth year of Xining. When the genius and beautiful young man back then is mentioned today, it is just a sigh of "it's a pity that there is no hope for a career in officialdom."
　　When talking about this, Zheng Yuheng could only remain silent and comforted him: "Teacher, the student's qualifications are not enough."
　　Liu Tong waved his hand. In addition to the old look on his face, he also showed a kind of regret for the student's future. He tiredly grasped Zheng Yuheng's hand and said: "Don't say that. Everyone in the world knows that being dismissed by the previous emperor means that you have already passed the examiner's eyes. If nothing unexpected happens, you will definitely pass the imperial examination. It's just waiting for the evaluation of your ranking. It's a pity that the proposition was at the forefront of the storm. Everyone else knew to obey the will of heaven, but you..."
　　He seemed to have nothing to say to blame Zheng Yuheng, because he really cared about the people and was pure.
　　At that time, Emperor Mingde Meng Zhen disagreed with the important officials of the six departments and the Zhongshumen because of a government matter, and refuted the proposal several times. During the Spring Examination, the chief examiner in charge of setting the questions was the Minister of Personnel in the Six Departments. It was not known whether to say that this minister was adventurous or bold. When setting the questions, he incorporated the controversial government affairs into the test questions and personally selected several articles that disagreed with the emperor.
　　Among them, the article written by Zheng Yuheng was among the top one. When Emperor Mingde saw his sharp views and incisive but ruthless analysis, he was furious and crossed out his name with red ink, and expelled him from the list of Jinshi.
　　In addition to Zheng Yuheng, a group of candidates were also convicted of "disrespectful words" and entered the prison of the Ministry of Justice. However, within three or five days, the then Queen Dong Lingjiu came forward and pardoned this group of people with the tacit consent of Emperor Mingde, avoiding the prison disaster caused by the writing.
　　After this incident, all the respected Confucian scholars in the capital kept silent, and almost no one praised his articles publicly to avoid angering the emperor. At this point, naturally no one would be willing to become Zheng Yuheng's teacher as the chief examiner, so his future in the imperial examination was indeed hopeless.
　　The old doctor said, "Three years have passed, and now the world has a new ruler. Maybe..."
　　Zheng Yuheng sighed softly, and comforted him in a gentle tone: "I'm sorry to trouble you, teacher. I gave up my academic reputation to pursue medicine not only because of this matter, but also because it was the ardent expectation of my grandparents. Since my mother passed away, they have been hoping that I can inherit the family medical skills."
　　The old doctor stroked his knees and said somewhat disapprovingly, "This is where my old friend is wrong. Although your mother's medical skills are good, you have to be willing to do so. It is really unwise to use words of entrustment and expectation to bind people."
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "The student is willing."
　　He blurted out this sentence, and he didn't realize what he was thinking when he said it. When he finished speaking, he realized that he had just been thinking: using this medical skill to serve Queen Mother Dong, she can live a long and prosperous life, and the Great Yin can also have a clear political situation. Then, he is willing.
　　Fortunately, the old doctor did not notice the other party's momentary shock, and asked: "You said that the Empress of the Cining Palace treats you well, which is also a point I am afraid of. Three people make a tiger, I am afraid of it, let alone you?"
　　After experiencing such a small episode just now, Zheng Yuheng originally wanted to say that he kept a distance from the empress dowager and respected her. At this time, he felt guilty and couldn't say it. After a long silence, he reluctantly replied: "This is the student's own path. Please don't worry about it, teacher. You still have to take good care of yourself..."
　　Liu Tong is really old. In recent years, he has been in poor energy and suffers from coughing. He can't compare with the situation in previous years. Being able to retire after success is also a rare good thing.
　　Before leaving, the old doctor said a lot of advice and suggestions, and asked a few questions about the Cining Palace. Just as he was feeling increasingly worried, the servant outside suddenly knocked on the carriage and shouted, "Master, someone is coming from Lord Zheng's house."
　　Liu Tong frowned and said, "Did he say what it is?"
　　The servant said, "No, they just asked the eldest young master to go back quickly."
　　"Go, tell Zheng Jie that today it's my apprentice first, and then his son. Tell him to wait!"
　　The servant was stunned. He had never expected that the usually kind old doctor would lose his temper. Just as Zheng Yuheng was about to persuade him, he heard a familiar voice from a steward of the Zheng Mansion: "Old sir, please don't make it difficult for us. There is something important at home, and the eldest son has to go back."
　　Liu Tong sneered and lifted the curtain: "Okay, what is the important matter?"
　　The steward came over quickly, bowed first, and raised his head and said: "The wife of the Zhu family, who is engaged to the eldest son, has come to the mansion!" After
　　these words came out, not to mention the old doctor, even Zheng Yuheng was stunned for a long time and didn't come back to his senses. He tensed up, raised his hand to press the wooden frame of the carriage, and asked quickly: "Engagement? Why don't I know?"
　　The steward said, "This... the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words, the eldest son knows about it, right? Please come down quickly, the master and the mistress are waiting in the mansion. The Zhu family also came to Beijing this year. They settled down a few days ago and came to see the master."
　　Zheng Yuheng felt a breath of anger rising, and said angrily, "I am not yet an adult, and I haven't performed the ceremony of coming of age. Where did this kind of marriage come from!"
　　Seeing that he was unwilling, the steward was also stunned. He didn't expect that the always gentle eldest son would react so violently. While persuading him, he said, "Isn't this a marriage? Young master, go back with me quickly. Even if that is a woman you don't like, with your status as a young master, it's not a problem to take some beautiful concubines..."
　　The rest of his words were blocked back in his mouth. Zheng Yuheng lowered the curtain and slammed the car door.
　　He was still angry, and his finger bones were clenched white. This feeling of being manipulated like an object and losing control was one of the reasons why he and his father had been estranged for so many years.
　　He slowed down for a long time, and when he turned around, he saw the teacher's scrutinizing eyes. Zheng Yuheng thought that he had overreacted, and was afraid that he would be suspicious. Just as he was about to explain, he heard Liu Tong suddenly ask kindly.
　　"It's rare to see Heng'er so angry."
　　Zheng Yuheng held back his breath and said, "I just don't want to..."
　　"I understand." The old doctor smiled, "I knew that you had your own plans. You must make your own decisions on marriage."
　　"Teacher," Zheng Yuheng said, "I don't want to go back. Please take me in for another day. Tomorrow I will return to the palace and serve the queen."
　　Liu Tong said, "How can I drive you back? It's just that my place is not completely quiet. If you really want to isolate yourself from your family's urging and forcing, you can only get protection by the side of the queen in the Cining Palace."
　　...
　　Qianqiu Festival, in the palace.
　　During this festival, the heads and foremen of the internal eunuchs, the Shanggong Bureau, and the palaces all received a reward. The palace hosted a banquet for the wives of the famous earls and marquises in the court, and the ladies of various ranks.
　　With the emperor, empress, and queen mother present, all the female relatives felt that this occasion represented unlimited honor and favor. After toasting, they chatted and exchanged ideas, discussing the grand events in the capital, with fragrant clothes and elegant hair, a rich and elegant style.
　　Among them, the one with the highest status was the Princess of Lin'an.
　　The King of Lin'an was not the emperor's brother, but his uncle, the younger brother of the previous emperor Meng Zhen. The Princess of Lin'an was Dong Lingjiu's wife, and the two were sisters-in-law. The princess
　　went to the capital last year and only met Dong Lingjiu three times in total. Today, she met her sister-in-law again. They chatted about family matters and were filled with emotion. After the palace banquet, she accompanied the queen mother for a walk to the Moon Pond.
　　Dong Lingjiu drank a few glasses of wine at the banquet and felt a little dizzy. She had never been easily drunk in her early years, and her alcohol tolerance was very good among the female relatives, but after Meng Zhen's death, she rarely drank.
　　Ruixue helped her out and blew the night breeze, which made her mind much clearer.
　　Princess Lin'an took Dong Lingjiu's hand and said with emotion: "When I went to the East Palace to visit my sister-in-law in the past, she was watching the maids winnowing money for fun in the corridor. She stood facing the wind and looked like a fairy. I have remembered it for more than ten years and have never forgotten it. Later, I learned that no one could surpass you, my sister-in-law, in playing chess, backgammon, cuju and pitching pots. It's a pity that my sister-in-law no longer played, which made me regret for many years." Dong
　　Lingjiu said: "These are all things of the past. Is Prince Lin'an in good health?"
　　The princess said: "Alas, he is still the same. He spends eight out of ten days on the couch, and my prince is reckless and incompetent."
　　The two walked to the moon pool. The breeze was clear and the moon was bright, and a hint of coolness blew away the heavy smell of makeup and wine at the banquet.
　　Dong Lingjiu looked at the moonlight drifting on the pond, "How come your prince is useless? Hasn't he been sent to the Shenwu Army for training? General Gengzhe's military report on the suppression of water bandits said that the Prince of Lin'an is very talented. The princess is too modest."
　　Princess Lin'an keenly sensed a hint of danger from these words. She tightened her hand around the empress dowager's arm a little and shook her head, "The general is too flattering him for the sake of our older generation."
　　"You don't have to be afraid." Dong Lingjiu didn't show any mercy on his face, and said calmly, "I'm counting on Geng Zhe to bring out a useful general. Your old prince... If he is really sick, I will definitely take good care of you and call back the prince of the Shenwu Army so that you can take a good look at him."
　　Princess Lin'an was touched, and her hands hidden in her sleeves clenched tightly. After a long while, she said, "Sister-in-law, although the prince is not a sage like the late emperor, we have been husband and wife for more than ten years..."
　　"Meng Guang took over Liang Hong's case." Dong Lingjiu took the fish food from Ruixue's hand, sat by the pond and threw it in, looking at the bubbling carp, "Since when do you still use the etiquette of respecting each other with respect?" When
　　Prince Lin'an was young, he was notoriously philandering and violent. He made many mistakes, and he had to ask the princess to come to the East Palace to ask to see the Crown Princess and cry in front of Dong Lingjiu many times before he could save his life. The relationship between the two of them for more than ten years is simply a bloody history of encountering inhumane things.
　　Princess Lin'an whispered slowly, "But isn't this too cruel?"
　　Dong Lingjiu didn't look at her, but was measuring food for the carp in the pond. She said gently, "Since the late emperor fell ill, the prince has been in the army for three or four years. After Meng Cheng ascended the throne, you came here from your fiefdom. Wasn't it for this matter? Are you really just here to have this meal with me?"
　　Princess Lin'an was silent for a long time, and then said, "Then I will ask for another favor from my sister-in-law."
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "You say."
　　"My son is in the army. He is old enough, but there is no candidate for the crown prince's consort. I have been in Beijing for a year and have looked for noble ladies from various families. I think that although the mansions of dukes and marquises are good, my son is rough and reckless and may not be worthy of them. So after much selection, I chose a noble family through the recommendation of others. The family's surname is Zhu. They are the same year of Jinshi as the Palace Censor Zheng Jie, and they are classmates. I heard that the daughter has good character, so I intend to choose her as the crown prince's consort."
　　Dong Lingjiu smiled when he heard it, and tilted his head to glance at her, "Your family is a prince."
　　Lin'an The princess stepped forward, stretched out her hand and gently held Dong Lingjiu's hand, and said softly: "As long as the prince can come back to inherit the title, such a wife is worthy of him. If the family is too high, even if your sister-in-law is not worried, I am afraid that your child will be unhappy." It is
　　precisely because of such a princess that the Lin'an Palace has been able to survive the storms during the more than ten years of Meng Zhen's rule. Although Meng Zhen is a wise emperor, he is also suspicious. When the disease first appeared, some disasters caused by suspicion emerged. Fortunately, Dong Lingjiu mediated, otherwise he might not be able to keep his integrity in his later years.
　　Dong Lingjiu admired the wisdom of this sister-in-law, otherwise she would not have helped her often since she was the crown princess. In addition to the choice of power struggle, the two really have a bit of friendship between relatives.
　　"Since she is just the daughter of a small family, why do you need to beg for this favor from me?" Dong Lingjiu said, "You are about to ascend to the sky in one step, who can refuse the Lin'an Palace?"
　　The princess said, "That's how it was. But when I was talking to his family, I tested the character and talent of the daughter of the Zhu family, and then I heard that his family had been engaged to someone else. In order to show my sincerity to me, his wife came to cancel the engagement as soon as she came to Beijing to avoid the original joke. But I always suspect that this is not good for my son's reputation, and that the palace is using its power to bully others. I want to ask the emperor's sister-in-law for an imperial decree to give my useless prince the dignity of a royal marriage."
　　Dong Lingjiu nodded and asked, "Which son was he referring to originally?" The
　　princess of Lin'an said without hesitation, "It's the eldest son of Lord Zheng Jie, and it seems to be called... Zheng Yuheng."
　　Dong Lingjiu paused as he scattered the fish food.
　　Ruixue, who was serving at the side, looked up quickly and glanced at Princess Lin'an. She took the remaining fish food from the Queen Mother's hand, handed it to other maids, and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the Queen Mother's fingers.
　　The water in the pond in front of her was rippled and full of broken light.
　　With Ruixue's reminder and this strange silence, Princess Lin'an realized that something was wrong.
　　She was careless and only knew that Zheng Yuheng was a medical officer in the Imperial Hospital. She had never gone to the Imperial Hospital to inquire in depth, and she was even more afraid that such a move would attract the attention of the Emperor and the Queen Mother.
　　Dong Lingjiu took the handkerchief, wiped his fingertips by himself, and whispered: "...It's him, but I haven't heard him say that."