Fengyu was awakened by pain in the middle of the night. After dining with her, Xie Xun waited until she fell asleep before heading to the front hall to review memorials. He usually sleeps only two hours at night before rising for court, sometimes working until the court session begins. Fengyu awoke in pain, drenched in cold sweat and extremely weak, clutching her throbbing abdomen and calling for the night watch palace maid.
Qiuxiang and Chunlu were senior palace maids of Changshou Palace, though young, they were Fengyu's confidants. Their status was very high. Chunlu actually seldom managed the internal affairs of Changshou Palace, as Fengyu entrusted her with the heavy responsibility of managing commerce. Chunlu spent most of her time handling business, while the internal affairs of Changshou Palace were left to Qiuxiang and an aunt named Nanny Chang.
