"How is the Queen?" Meng Qi didn't bother to pay attention to her and turned to ask Princess Jing.
Princess Jing allowed Ms. Xu to put a cloak on her as she spoke, "To keep you two from getting too tired later in the night, we've done all the cleaning, medicine, acupuncture, and everything else. She just drank some calming soup and fell asleep. But the queen was frightened and has occasional convulsions, so someone has to stay by her bedside."
After explaining some specific matters, the two left.
Meng Qi felt warm and rubbed her hands, looking at Fanghua who was sitting there staring at the lamp flowers. In the hall, besides Ms. Li and Qinxiang, there were two eunuchs and two palace maids from Kunning Palace.
Meng Qi glanced at Fang Hua and asked, "Do we need to separate them into different classes? Or should we stay together?"
Fanghua stood up and said, "Of course we have to break up. If there is anything, I don't want to break up with you."
Meng Qi nodded, and seeing Fanghua enter the east room first, she thought for a moment and followed.
"Didn't we say we'd split up the classes? I'll go first, and it'll be your turn in two hours."
"I haven't seen the queen's condition today, I must take a look first."
Fanghua didn't respond after hearing what Meng Qi said, but limped in. When the two of them came in, the servants who had just been in the main hall also followed in, and the former queen's chamber servants left.
Eunuch Wang stepped forward, hunched over. "I'll be on duty for the rest of the night. If you two need anything, please feel free to ask me."
"Where is Nanny Sang?" Fanghua whispered.
"She was on duty in the middle of the night, and the old servant came to pick her up early, so he let her go back and rest."
"I understand. You stay here and we'll go see the Queen first." Fanghua nodded.
Entering the inner room, two experienced palace maids stood at the corner of the bed and silently saluted them. Meng Qi knew that these were the Queen's capable assistants. They were probably always by her side. If she really wanted to do something, how should she do it? Should she do it?
While thinking, Meng Qi looked at the queen who was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, as if she was not sleeping soundly. She didn't know if it was because of the dim light, but she looked much thinner, her face was pale, and her breathing was relatively steady.
Eunuch Wang stepped forward and said softly, "Please go sit on the couch outside. The queen is asleep now. If you need anything, just call them."
"That won't do. Fourth sister-in-law just said that the queen would have a dream, and someone must be by her side to hold her back." Fanghua looked around and pointed at a palace maid and said, "Move that embroidered stool over here, and I'll sit at the head of the queen's bed."
Eunuch Wang laughed and said, "Princess Jing was talking about how the Queen had acupuncture and medicine in the first half of the night and couldn't sleep well. But she doesn't need that now."
"Oh? You said that? Make it sure?"
"Yes, sure."
"Don't go back and tell Prince Cheng that this princess won't stay by your bedside."
"How dare we? We have all seen your filial piety towards the Empress." Eunuch Wang stretched out his hand and made a gesture of invitation.
Meng Qi knew that the queen was fine during the day, with her daughter-in-law and daughter serving her. Even if Yong'an didn't know, she had plenty of excuses to send her away. When there were no outsiders around, she could feel more at ease.
But the first half of the night must have been quite a whirlwind. I heard the Emperor had come once, and the concubines who had been lingering here, refusing to leave, came in twos and threes to accompany him to see the Empress. The Empress had to lie still or feign shock. After the Emperor left, Princess Jing and Princess Duan served her medicine, performed acupuncture, and scrubbed her, all while the Empress cooperated. How could she endure such a torment?
So, at this moment, Eunuch Wang hurriedly sent them both away so that the Queen would not have to pretend and could sleep peacefully.
Meng Qi believed that the task in the second half of the night would go very smoothly. She could go back to the west room and take a nap. It was not worth it to stay awake for the queen.
Things turned out just as Meng Qi had expected. Except that two hours later, she moved to another room and continued to sleep, nothing happened.
Looking at Princess Cheng and Yong'an who had come early to take over, Fanghua yawned and said, "If you have anything to say, just ask Sixth Sister-in-law."
Meng Qi symbolically told the Queen what happened last night, and Princess Cheng nodded in agreement.
Meng Qi didn't expect Princess Cheng and Princess Yong'an to come so early. She was also wondering if Song Chengze would come after the emperor dismissed the court. She wanted to discuss with him about going to see Concubine Lian.
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