"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Dong Fu, who was on night watch, heard Lan Qin's cry of alarm and quickly took off her clothes from the soft couch outside and came in.
Lanqin had already woken up and sat up. She heard the sound of the maid carrying a candle coming in from outside, and soon the dark room was dispelled by the warm candlelight.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Dong Fu carried a lamp with three flowers on it to Lan Qin's bedside, and the other maids also got up to prepare to serve her.
Lanqin's back was damp with sweat.
"Bring me a set of undergarments; I want to change my clothes," Lanqin said, frowning.
Dong Fu, not knowing why Lan Qin was changing her clothes, quickly asked, "Is Your Highness menstruating?"
"No, you go get it. I feel very uncomfortable." Lanqin felt a tremor in her heart and didn't want to explain anything. Her tone was tinged with annoyance.
Dong Fu had never seen Lan Qin lose her temper with these palace maids, nor had she ever heard her speak harshly to them. Seeing Lan Qin's obvious impatience, she couldn't help but wonder, what's troubling the Empress? She's about to be promoted to Vice Empress!
Dongfu hurriedly went with the palace maids to fetch a set of undergarments for Lanqin to change into. After they finished serving her, Lanqin asked Dongfu to light all the candles in her bedroom.
“Your Majesty, it’s not even midnight yet, why don’t you get some more sleep?” Dong Fu asked.
"I can't sleep. Wait until 3 AM, then you can help me get ready. I want to see the Emperor," Lanqin said. Just now, in her dream, the Fourth Prince had desperately held her hand and wouldn't let go, which woke Lanqin up abruptly.
Dongfu was even more surprised. The Empress had never been awake at this time of day before, needing to get up at dawn to see the Emperor. Dongfu had also heard from Cui Niang that in the past, when the Emperor got up at dawn, the Empress always slept soundly and never had to get up to serve him. What was wrong today?
Dong Fu didn't dare ask any more questions and did as Lan Qin instructed. Lan Qin lay on the bed, lost in thought.
When the hour of Yin arrived, Dong Fu hurriedly went to her bedside to remind her, and Lan Qin hummed in response and got up.
The palace maids had never gotten up so early to serve her before, and they were all still sleepy-eyed. However, Lanqin did not scold them, since she had been awakened by her own dream that day.
After everything was tidied up, it was still dark outside. Lanqin then had Dongfu carry the palace lantern, and then called Lianqiu to serve her. She then took two palace maids and set off from Changchun Palace towards Yangxin Hall.
It was quiet all around. The eunuchs who were sweeping in the morning hadn't gotten up yet, and there was no one around. Lanqin rarely got up at this time, and she couldn't help but sigh. It was truly remarkable that the Emperor had been getting up so early for over a decade.
When the group arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Lanqin saw that the lights were on, indicating that the Fourth Prince had gotten up to chat.
The Fourth Prince was practicing his swordplay in the well behind the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a habit he had developed over more than a decade, and naturally had no idea that Lanqin would come.
Upon hearing the eunuch's report, the Fourth Prince was so surprised that he almost dropped his sword. He hurriedly walked towards the front hall and saw Lanqin indeed sitting in the left side room of his front hall.
"Qin'er, why are you up at this time?" Fourth Master asked, a bad feeling rising in his heart.
"It's nothing. I had insomnia today and was just thinking of Your Majesty, so I came to check on you. I didn't expect to disturb Your Majesty." Lanqin looked at the Fourth Prince's face covered in a light sweat and knew that he had just gone to practice his sword.
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