Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

It was late at night. Liang Jiugong watched as the little eunuch carefully changed the candles on the lampstand, replacing them with red candles as thick as a child’s forearm. The candlelight flickered slightly, casting shadows. Inside, Emperor Kangxi had left the crown prince alone. Father and son had the imperial kitchen send half a roasted lamb for a midnight snack, and they did not have anyone serve them. With their sleeves rolled up, they served themselves and cut the meat, eating and conversing, the atmosphere unusually good.

“Baocheng,” (Yinreng’s nickname) Kangxi tore off a piece of the lamb’s hind leg, sliced the tenderest part, and pushed it toward the crown prince. He then called for the crown prince’s favorite pickled chive flower sauce to be brought. After wiping his hands, he smiled and said, “You haven’t discussed your desire to join the delegation for the negotiations with Suoetu, have you? I saw that his eyes almost popped out.”

“It was my mistake,” Yinreng replied, swallowing a few mouthfuls of meat. He quickly poured Kangxi another cup of milk tea, speaking earnestly, “But it wasn’t a moment of impulse. I’m already fifteen, and my older brother has already gone to the military camp for training. I haven’t even left the capital! Reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. I want to broaden my horizons too.”

“This negotiation is not a game, nor is it an opportunity for you to gain experience,” Kangxi said, not angry. He always patiently explained things to the crown prince, breaking down the logic for him. While he had high hopes for this son, he had also invested a lot of effort into him. “A few days ago, we received an urgent letter from the Khalka tribe, saying they discovered that Galdan is moving troops, preparing for battle. It seems he may take military action. Therefore, this negotiation is crucial. Galdan has had dealings with Sha E, so the matter of the Nibu Chu region must be resolved quickly. If Galdan and Sha E join forces, we’ll be in serious trouble.”

When Yinreng heard Kangxi say this, he immediately realized that even Galdan’s situation was mentioned in his dream. He firmly shook his head and said, “Father, if Galdan is already taking action, we should not place all our hopes on the negotiations. I believe we should send troops to assist the Khalka Mongols immediately. Otherwise, if Galdan takes over the Khalka, even the negotiations will be passive. As for Uncle, he might not be the best candidate for this diplomatic mission…”

“Oh?” Kangxi looked at the young man before him, who was frowning and trying to persuade him. He was quite interested in how his son was reasoning.

His crown prince had finally grown up.

“Uncle is brave and has great prestige in the army, but his temper is volatile, and he is impatient. Negotiations are a battle of hearts and minds, not one of swords and spears. I think tomorrow, compared to Uncle, someone else would be more suitable,” the young man said, his face turning red as he hesitated to point out his uncle’s shortcomings. “This is just my shallow opinion, Father, please teach me.”

Kangxi laughed heartily and patted his shoulder, “I am very pleased that you think this way.”

“Come here,” Kangxi stood up and walked to the back of the 18-paneled ivory landscape screen. It was a small room with nothing inside except for a huge map of geography on the wall, occupying the entire wall.

Under the flickering candlelight, the whole world seemed to unfold in front of Yinreng.

As he looked out at the map, Yinreng could not hide his shock.

The map not only depicted the Qing Empire but also included Sha E, Eurasia, Persia, Japan, and countless islands in the Southeast.

“This world map was completed over ten years by Xu Risheng, Zhang Cheng, and a group of missionaries and painters,” Kangxi stood in the center of the large map, turning to look at the crown prince. “I’ve never shown this map to anyone before.”

Yinreng understood the reason why it couldn’t be shown.

The world is so vast, and our land, China, is merely one of many countries. How many of the scholars’ deeply held beliefs would be shattered by this?

“Sha E is right here,” Kangxi held a long staff and pointed to the vast land above. His expression darkened under the candlelight. “Do you know why I appointed Suoetu to lead the negotiations? Because I know that although he has many faults, he is loyal and capable of leading troops! He has the courage of a general. Even if negotiations fail, he will risk his life to lead an army across the river and drive the people of Sha E back to their homeland. I trust him!”

Kangxi paced back and forth for a moment before swallowing another thought, not voicing it aloud.

Suoetu was a man of the crown prince’s faction, and giving him a chance to achieve military merit would also earn face for the crown prince.

Empress Hesheri had passed away early, and the Hesheri family had the lowest status among the four great regents. When the Empress Dowager insisted on making Hesheri the empress, she faced fierce opposition from the Eight Banners aristocracy. When Sonni ( Manchu nobleman and general during the early Qing Dynasty) was still around, Aobai ( military leader and statesman who initially served as one of the Four Regents) had openly dismissed the idea: “The Aisin Gioro emperor should marry the daughter of a Mongolian prince, like the son of the prince of Ke’erqin. Sonni’s family is merely a ‘Manchu subordinate family,’ and the Hesheri family’s background is too low to be empress!”

This was not only Aobai’s personal opinion but also reflected the views of the Eight Banners elite.

Now, Suoetu was the leader of the Hesheri family, but he was a concubine-born son. In the Eight Banners system, which emphasized merit and noble status, he was seen as lacking in prestige. Kangxi had to do everything he could to raise the status of the Hesheri family to ensure it could serve as a strong support for the crown prince in the future.

Although Mingzhu was brilliant, recently, he had been too close to the eldest prince.

The eldest prince and the crown prince had been at odds for years, and the distance between them had only grown, which also troubled Kangxi.

He had always been close to Fuchuan (Kangxi’s brother), and they represented the ideal brotherly relationship. Thus, he found it hard to understand why the two brothers couldn’t get along.

Fuchuan, as the elder brother, was only a year older, yet he had always deferred to him and protected him. When they were children, Kangxi’s birth mother, Consort Tong, and Fuchuan’s mother, Concubine Ningqi, had both been neglected. The two neglected princes had found solace in each other’s company, forming an exceptional bond.

Then, there were Baoqing (Yinzhi’s nickname) and Baocheng… Kangxi was deeply troubled. Baoqing had been his only surviving child in his early years, so naturally, he cherished him. As for Baocheng, he was the child whom Kangxi had personally taught to walk and speak.

Kangxi remembered how, for a time, the two brothers had been very close. When Yinzhi was young, he even climbed trees with the crown prince to catch cicadas and secretly placed the dark-colored cicada larvae into the teacher’s teacup. For this, he had been severely punished, and at the time, the crown prince had even pleaded for him.

But the bond from their childhood play was destroyed by a cat, and after that, they only drifted further apart.

“Father, in that case, I should go to Nibu Chu with Uncle,” Yinreng said.

Kangxi snapped out of his thoughts and heard Yinreng add, “Uncle still listens to me.”

“Listens to you? I think he spoils you,” Kangxi snorted. “I still remember, when you were little and stayed at your maternal grandparents’ house, he would carry you around everywhere, and once, when he was napping, you shaved all the hair off his face, and he praised your skills!”

Yinreng laughed, though he had long since forgotten the incident.

“Father, please agree,” Yinreng said, feeling helpless, and grabbed Kangxi’s sleeve, blushing.

Kangxi scowled. “You’re all grown up, and yet still behaving like a child! Let go!”

Yinreng silently remembered Cheng Gege’s proud tone: “Don’t you know that only the children who know how to act cute get sweets? In front of your own father, there’s no need to worry about your pride.”

He thought to himself, perhaps it’s not all nonsense. Today, he would give it a try.

He shamelessly held on, not letting go. “Father, I beg you.”

“You are my Crown Prince; I can’t let you go to such a dangerous place,” Kangxi said, though he looked exasperated, inwardly quite pleased. He softened his tone and continued, “You made a good point earlier. Suoetu is a hothead. We don’t want to end up throwing the envoys in the river on the first day. Fine, I’ll agree to your request. Let’s replace Tong Guogang with Mingzhu, and have him go along instead. I just hope they don’t fight.”

Yinreng thought to himself, you’ve figured it out perfectly. If it weren’t for Tong Guogang holding him back the first day, it might have happened.

“Liang Jiugong, deliver my command,” Kangxi, now busy, didn’t even pay attention to where the clock was pointing. “Summon Suoetu and Mingzhu to the palace immediately.” After giving the order, he gently patted the Crown Prince’s hand, helpless yet fond. “Is this satisfactory? Can you let go now?”

“Father is wise, then I will take my leave,” Yinreng said, smiling as he released Kangxi’s sleeve.

With Kangxi’s playful reprimand of “Get lost, you rascal,” Yinreng left the room.

Once outside Qianqing palace, Yinreng let out a long breath of relief.

He hadn’t really expected to go along, but he actually just wanted to find someone who could control Uncle and avoid the outcome of the negotiation in his dream. Mingzhu, though sometimes truly annoying, was actually very competent. Setting aside personal grudges, he was polite to others, smooth in his dealings, and exceptionally reliable in his work.

When he was serious, Mingzhu had a hundred ways to handle Suoetu’s roughness. The two had shared a living space in the imperial guards’ quarters over twenty years ago. However, Mingzhu was more attuned to the emperor’s intentions. It seemed he clearly understood that he was deliberately being placed to counterbalance Suoetu, which is why he often pricked at him, making Suoetu uncomfortable.

If they were truly enemies, it wouldn’t go that far.

Yinreng relaxed and hummed “The Sky Is Blue, Waiting for the Misty Rain” as he returned to Yuqing Palace. He didn’t go back to Chunben Hall, but instinctively headed toward the rear hall’s covered chambers.

Meanwhile, poor Mingzhu, after a relaxing foot bath and back massage, was about to get a good night’s sleep when the sudden imperial command dragged him out of bed. He had to hurry, all the while feeling disheveled and rushed to the palace.

At the palace gates, he even bumped into Suoetu, who was wearing his hat crookedly, with part of his sock showing.

It was the first time the two had met without immediately clashing, and both were confused.

Why was the emperor summoning them in the middle of the night? Had something serious happened? Was it possible that the Empress… had passed away? If so, they should have called people from the Tong family to the palace, not them. Suoetu couldn’t figure it out.

Mingzhu, looking at Suoetu’s perplexed face, and recalling that the Crown Prince had publicly announced his intention to join the negotiations to Nibu Chu that day, started to put two and two together. He sighed inwardly, realizing that the emperor must have called him in to escort Suoetu.

Oh… this is really unlucky…