In Changle Palace.
Liu Heng was not in Changle Palace that day, so Luo Jing came there as well. When the Empress saw Luo Jing, she smiled and said, "My younger sister returned home some days ago and said that the Marquis of Dong'e was just like the gentlemen described in books, as warm and gentle as fine jade. That put my mind at ease. The women of our family are like rushes, fortunate enough to encounter a gentleman like you, and thus able to grow."
Luo Jing first paid his respects, then smiled and said, "Your noble sister is a talented, virtuous lady, with the virtues of the women of antiquity, yet she entered my humble home. How could that not be my good fortune?"
While the two exchanged pleasantries, Liu Heng sat nearby reading the rhapsody, evident delight on his face.
When he finished, he sighed. "I have heard that the Sage Kings of antiquity could remain unmoved by favor or disgrace.
"Whether faced with praise or abuse, they always let it pass with a faint smile, never allowing outside things to disturb their state of mind. I have yet to reach such a realm."
Faced with the rhapsody Luo Jing had presented, Liu Heng could not help feeling pleased with himself, then immediately began to examine his own conduct.
Once a superior had taken the initiative to admit his mistake, a subordinate should not go on remonstrating. It was a simple principle.
Luo Jing smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are far too modest.
"I have heard that there were far fewer written characters in antiquity than there are today, and that speech was far simpler. When people of antiquity praised the Sage Kings, they could only say, 'Your virtue-no one beneath Heaven surpasses it. It is