Night.
The cotton curtain at the door moved, and the cold wind carrying a faint fragrance sneaked in.
Long Yao poked her head out.
"Elder, it's time to get up. There's a grand court meeting today, and if you miss it, you'll be punished with paddling," she said.
"What time is it?"
"Half past three in the morning."
"Huh!"
Liang Qu threw off the covers, rolled over to sit up, let out a long breath, and sat there in a daze, silent.
Last night was New Year's Eve; everyone celebrated until 11 p.m. I wasn't terribly tired; it was just a short nap, and I felt too sluggish to want to go outside and face the cold wind.
I looked outside.
Dawn hadn't broken; it was pitch-black.
Why have the court meeting so early in the morning?
The meeting began at five in the morning.
Officials had to wait outside the Meridian Gate between three and five in the morning.
Truly, we woke earlier than the roosters.
