Honest Mistake

The Empress dowager was taken aback by the Emperor's question. She blinked at him in confusion and then went, "What nonsense! How dare you compare me to tha - ?"

"The question should be how dare you question my choice." The Emperor cut her off, "Other than giving birth to me, what have you done? And even that is canceled out by the fact that if it were left to you, I wouldn't even be alive today. Therefore, you have done nothing to deserve your position but yet, here you are, giving out orders. So you are not one to be talking about what someone deserves." 

The Empress dowager glared at him but he just looked down at her with unwavering disappointment. Then she broke out in a fit of loud, almost hysterical laughter, shocking the Emperor into raising his eyebrows.