Wei gonggong's voice from the outside, stirred up Zheng Yu Xian from his sleep. He shifted a bit, and found that Qian Ling was snuggling on him.

Zheng Yu Xian carefully removed himself from Qian Ling, placing the sleeping Qian Ling onto a soft bolster, afraid he might hurt himself while sleeping. He kissed his cheek, before changing his clothes and prepared himself for the morning court meeting.

He left the inner chamber, and told the palace maids to inform him when the Empress had woken up for breakfast. The palace maids nodded.

Zheng Yu Xian then left, along with Wei gonggong and a few palace maids and eunuchs in entourage.

Qian Ling woke up about 2 hours later when the sun had already risen. His stomach grumbling, and the palace maid who had stood waiting by the bedside kneeled before him.

"Empress, are you going to have breakfast now? Nu bi will go take care of it."

"Oh. Go then."

The palace maid immediately rushed off, not to the main kitchen, but to the imperial study.

"Have Zhen's Empress woken up?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good, go to the main kitchen and tell them to prepare something nutritious for breakfast. Zhen wants to have breakfast with the Empress."

"Yes, Your Majesty."
*
Qian Ling finally managed to sit up on the bed, awaiting for his meal to arrive. But what came wasn't just his meal, but also Zheng Yu Xian. Qian Ling gaped his mouth.

I've only requested for a meal, do you have to call the Emperor along as well?

The Emperor, as if he heard the voice in Qian Ling's mind, he chuckled.

"Is Ling er not welcoming this Emperor?"

Qian Ling quickly closed his mouth, and bowing to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty."

"Mm. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zheng Yu Xian went over and directly picked up Qian Ling in his arms, carrying him to the table, and placed him onto a stool before sitting next to Qian Ling. He passed a wet cloth to Qian Ling to clean his face.

The palace maids served up their breakfast soon after, and Zheng Yu Xian watched Qian Ling's frowning from seeing the amount of food placed on the table. There were a total of 12 side dishes. He knew exactly what Qian Ling would have said if he was to be Xiao Xian right now.

Wei gonggong walked in.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requested for your presence in her palace after the meal."

"Alright. Zhen will be there soon."

Zheng Yu Xian left after carrying Qian Ling back to the bed and making sure he finished his medications for the day.
*
"Mu hou, is there anything you want to speak to me?"

"Yes. If you are really that insistent about having that eunuch called Xiao Ling to become your Empress, Mu hou will not reject him anymore, but, Yu Xian, have you searched on his family background?"

"I have Wei gonggong onto it. There will be results soon."

The Empress Dowager nodded. She smiled at her son, who doesn't seem to be angry at her anymore for the previous event that almost killed his beloved.

"If he doesn't have a good background, let ai jia know. Ai jia can have my mother family to adopt him. Let him come to me and learn what needs to be learnt as an Empress. Ai jia will teach him personally."

The Emperor widened his eyes in disbelief. He nodded in approval.
*
Qian Ling found himself extremely nervous while standing in front of the Empress Dowager. His wounds have mostly healed, only leaving a few scars after recuperating for almost a month.

"The Emperor have explained that the previous matter was a misunderstanding from my side. I hope Xiao Ling don't feel any hatred towards ai jia. Let the past be the past."

The Empress Dowager looked at Qian Ling with a soft expression. Now that she had a second look on Qian Ling, she feels that this child was rather obedient and lovely to look at. Qian Ling looked at the Empress Dowager and nodded slightly.

"Yes, Empress Dowager."

"Firstly, ai jia wants to know your comprehension level."

The Empress Dowager waved a hand, and the eunuch behind her brought three books forward which then were given to Qian Ling.

The Empress Dowager smiled as she saw Qian Ling looked at the books with widened eyes and a shocked expression.

"Xiao Ling, ai jia wants you to read these three books. One, the book of etiquette and rites. Second, the Doctrine of the Mean, and the third, the classic of filial piety. When you've finished reading these, come and find ai jia, and tell me what you've comprehended from these books."

Qian Ling blinked his eyes, really?

"Then, am I considered to have passed the first test as long as I finished reading these books?"

"Yes."

Qian Ling smiled with his eyes curved up. He passed the books back into the hands of the eunuch earlier.

The Empress Dowager looked at Qian Ling. She was confused by his action.

"Empress Dowager, Xiao Ling have finished these three books."

"Xiao Ling, you haven't even flip a page, how could it count as read?"

She furrowed her brows.

"Answering the Empress Dowager, Xiao Ling have indeed finished reading these books two years ago."

"Oh? Then why don't I test you a little...?"

The Empress Dowager took the Doctrine of the Mean and flipped it.

"How do you see of the principle written on the first chapter? A man requires self-education, self-questioning and self-discipline during the process of self-cultivation."

Qian Ling thought for a moment, then he smiled and replied.

"The superior man does not wait till he sees things to be cautious, nor till he hears things to be apprehensive. There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than what is minute. Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone."

The Empress Dowager nodded, and flipped to another page.

"When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path. What you do not like when done to yourself, do not do to others."

"To serve my father, as I would require my son to serve me, to serve my prince as I would require my minister to serve me, to serve my elder brother as I would require my younger brother to serve me, to set the example in behaving to a friend, as I would require him to behave to me."

The Empress Dowager was surprised. He really read before? She took the book of etiquette and rites.
"What are the three obedient?"

"To a father as a daughter, to a husband as a wife, and to the sons in widowhood."

"The four virtues?"

"A wifely virtues, a wifely speech, a wifely manner, and a wifely work."

The Empress Dowager dropped her jaw, and gaped at Qian Ling. Who exactly had brought up this child?

A/N : continuous chapter coming soon by today! Fallen asleep while typing....(○ﾟεﾟ○)