Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

While Yinreng was acting spoiled in Qianqing palace with Emperor Kangxi, over on the other side, Cheng Wanyun was busy preparing the ingredients for the evening’s team-building dinner.

She only realized that it was already the fifteenth of April when Mama Jin came to deliver the message.

Time really passed quickly—eating, drinking, and occasionally resting while attending to the Crown Prince. Life was far easier than she had imagined. Initially, when she heard that she would be serving in the East Palace with the Crown Prince, she had felt somewhat despondent. When she first entered the East Palace, many people gossiping behind her back had said that, considering her humble background, she was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to serve there—almost as if her ancestors had done something extraordinary to bring her such fortune.

At the time, Cheng Wanyun, with a neutral expression, thought to herself that it wasn’t luck at all—her family’s ancestors were probably the ones who had gotten their graves set on fire, leading to her unfortunate situation.

As everyone knew, whether in official history books, unofficial records, or in later TV dramas, movies, and novels, the Crown Prince was hardly portrayed as a positive figure. In various versions of the story, he was either portrayed as foolish and incompetent or as cruel and indulgent—essentially, a tragic figure destined for downfall. But when Cheng Wanyun truly found herself living in this era and met him in person for the first time, she immediately realized that he was entirely different from the Crown Prince described in history.

Kangxi wasn’t a fool. For him to have endured a useless Crown Prince for over forty years before eventually deposing him—despite having so many sons after that and the constant pressure from various factions—meant that the man must have had some merit. Even after the second deposing of the Crown Prince, Kangxi became disheartened and began to avoid making a decision about a successor. No matter how much his ministers and relatives urged him, he refused to make a choice. In his heart, none of his sons met the standards he had set for his heir.

Beyond such high standards, the Crown Prince had been caught between the manipulative schemes of his aging and sensitive father, his ambitious brothers, the powerful eight-banner nobles, the ambitious in-laws, and the small-minded flatterers around him. Despite all these pressures, he had managed to hold his position for over forty years before being deposed.

As the saying goes, history is like a little girl dressed up by the victors.

This was indeed the case.

If you asked Cheng Wanyun what she thought of the Crown Prince, she wouldn’t really be able to describe him. After just over a month of interaction, she could only say that he appeared gentle on the surface, unbothered by small details, but inwardly he was sensitive, thoughtful, and carried a heavy burden. He even seemed to have some tendencies of a people-pleaser.

But Cheng Wanyun couldn’t figure out how the Crown Prince had developed such a personality. On the surface, he enjoyed all of Kangxi’s favoritism and was high up in the palace. Logically, he shouldn’t have acted this way.

Bitao entered holding a plate of freshly roasted, fragrant chicken wings and drumsticks, and replied, “Miss, the… the Eastern chicken wings you mentioned are ready.”

The words almost tripped Bitao’s tongue.

Cheng Wanyun realized that her mind had wandered off. Wasn’t she supposed to be thinking about the small gathering today?

However, the Crown Prince had gone off to school early this morning, and it seemed like he had disappeared for the day without sending anyone to deliver any messages.

Never mind. She would save him two chicken wings anyway, just to show she cared!

She thought to herself while leaning over to check if the dish had turned out well.

She had spent a lot of effort recreating this Eastern marinade.

In the future, the Eastern marinade would mostly contain thyme, basil, oregano, celery seed, black pepper, dry mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and ginger powder. Many of these spices were rarely used in the Qing Dynasty, but fortunately, the palace had many missionaries, and Guangzhou was continually importing foreign goods, so it wasn’t too hard to find.

The head cook, Zheng Longde, who had previously shown her some kindness, had even refused to accept her money and went out of his way to collect these spices for her. He even had a young eunuch named Sanbao come to learn, saying, “In the future, if the Miss ever wants this, she won’t need to do it herself. Just send someone over to give a command, and it will be delivered properly.”

Even on days when Zheng wasn’t on duty, other cooks would always send someone in advance to listen to her orders about what she wanted to eat and how to prepare it. She didn’t even need to go to the kitchen to order anymore.

Cheng Wanyun reciprocated, and now Zheng was in charge of all her meals, so there was no risk of her food being rejected by the Imperial Household Department.

Tonight, the full moon hung high in the sky, and with the cool breeze and bright moonlight, Side Concubine Li had already set up the pavilion by the water—she had placed a round table made of purple sandalwood with carved flowers, hung gauze curtains all around, and had carefully fumigated the space with insect-repellent incense. She even brought out a jar of homemade green plum wine.

Yang Gege had brought two famous hams from the Huai region, which were sent to the Imperial Tea Kitchen to make a ham, fresh bamboo shoot, and tofu soup.

As for Cheng Wanyun, her preparation was a “happy fat person” feast: specially brewed Limu red tea (lemon iced tea, with thanks to the Fujian-Zhejiang governor who donated 800 lemon trees), sweetened fruit salad (thanks again to the governor’s gift of mangoes and guavas), along with French fries, crispy Orleans roasted chicken, egg tarts, and for dessert, freshly made matcha towel roll cake.

Matcha originated in the Wei-Jin period, and nobles liked to grind green tea into powder for tea ceremonies. It gradually spread to Japan during the Song Dynasty. While most people in the Qing Dynasty didn’t drink tea like this, it wasn’t too difficult to prepare.

The table was filled with fast food, which left both Side Concubine Li and Yang Gege stunned.

“This is…”

Cheng Wanyun replied seriously, “This is a Western-style court dish from the Eurona region.”

Yang Gege looked her up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. “You? How would you know how to make Western food?”

“My father was reassigned from being the magistrate of Shexian to the magistrate of Panyu, Guangzhou. Guangzhou’s maritime trade was booming, with foreign merchants everywhere, and there were many exotic restaurants on the streets. I picked it up by hearing and seeing it.”

In reality, her father had been the magistrate of Panyu before she was born.

Yang Gege accepted this explanation, though she still rolled her eyes, giving Cheng Wanyun a look that clearly said, “What’s so impressive about you, a Southern barbarian?”

Ever since the Crown Prince had publicly dismissed her, Yang Gege had become more and more displeased with Cheng Wanyun, no longer caring about maintaining any face or politeness.

Cheng Wanyun wasn’t offended—after all, they were just plastic sisters, so how could she be disappointed?

Yang Gege glared at her every day, but it didn’t stop the Crown Prince from pampering her.

Side Concubine Li hesitated and didn’t pick up her chopsticks.

They were used to fine dishes that were delicately prepared, such as “clear soup with cabbage,” which, in fact, required killing several chickens to make. Suddenly, seeing this simple and rustic Western food, they were not accustomed to it. But Cheng Wanyun had already deboned the fried chicken, and some pieces were even cut into chunks, making it easier for them to eat gracefully as a late-night snack.

“Since it’s just a small gathering among sisters, I thought we shouldn’t be too formal,” Cheng Wanyun smiled. “And both of you come from prestigious families. You’ve probably tried all kinds of good food, so I thought I’d make something different for you to try.”

“It smells delicious,” Side Concubine Li said. Since falling ill, she had lost much weight, unable to eat or sleep well. She shook her head and added, “But I’m afraid I shouldn’t eat it. The imperial doctor advised me to avoid certain foods. I’ll just have a little soup and a few bites of the snacks. You two enjoy the meal more; I just wanted to gather and chat with you today.”

Her tone was tinged with a hint of despondency.

“Li sister, don’t say that,” Cheng Wanyun quickly reassured her. “I specially prepared some nourishing porridge. This porridge is great for boosting energy and blood circulation and also helps with digestion. If you have one bowl, you’ll definitely want a second.”

Cheng Wanyun had already anticipated that Side Concubine Li might not be able to eat the entire fried chicken, so she had instructed Zheng to make a special porridge based on her recipe using pig bones and chicken broth, with dried oysters and scallops.

It was said that this porridge originated during the Qianlong reign, and she had managed to bring it back ahead of time.

Side Concubine Li paused for a moment, then smiled more genuinely. “How thoughtful of you to remember me.” Upon seeing the porridge, which had clearly been simmered for several hours, she realized it was made with great care. She turned to look at Jin Mama, who subtly nodded, indicating that the porridge had been tested and was safe to consume. Only then did Side Concubine Li feel comfortable drinking it.

As soon as she took a sip, she couldn’t help but marvel. Cheng Gege might not have many other talents, but when it came to food and drink, she was truly exceptional. The porridge was incredibly smooth and refreshing, with large dried scallops and oysters, combined with a rich broth and a touch of ginger. It was perfectly balanced, not greasy at all.

Side Concubine Li finished most of the bowl, and the discomfort in her lower abdomen had eased significantly.

Yang Gege wore a look of disdain on her face, but secretly ate a lot of the fried potato chips. She finished her individual portion of egg tart and towel roll as well. Only then did she reluctantly speak up, “What Western food? It’s nothing special.”

Cheng Wanyun thought, “…You might want to wipe that ketchup off your mouth before you speak.”

Side Concubine Li also enjoyed the ketchup. To Cheng Wanyun’s surprise, she even scooped a spoonful of it to mix into her porridge. While enjoying it, she discussed with Cheng Wanyun how the ketchup was made.

Cheng Wanyun didn’t keep it to herself and explained that the tomatoes should be steamed first, the seeds removed and juiced. Then, white vinegar, five-spice powder, onions, garlic, and pepper were added and simmered together. Yang Gege was impressed, and Side Concubine Li was left marveling, “I can’t believe you have the ingenuity and patience for this. Just making the sauce takes several hours!”

“What’s so special about this? It’s all just rough food,” Yang Gege mumbled from the side. “My servants eat better than this.”

Cheng Wanyun couldn’t hold back anymore. “Then don’t eat it.”

“Alright, alright, stop talking,” Side Concubine Li said, instructing a little maid to refill Yang Gege’s wine. “This fruit wine doesn’t make you drunk. The moonlight is so nice tonight, so let’s all drink a little more.”

Cheng Wanyun also had a few cups. The alcohol content was very low, and with some soda water, it was almost like a light cocktail—indeed, it didn’t make one drunk.

As they were about to leave, Cheng Wanyun, though her face was slightly flushed, was not drunk. Yang Gege, on the other hand, had drunk enough to make her steps unsteady. Her neck was flushed, and on the way back, she kept scratching her head, complaining about the itch and asking for water to bathe.

Of the three, Cheng Wanyun lived the furthest. Qingxing carried the lantern ahead, while Bitao supported her.

Before they had even reached the courtyard gate, they saw He Baozhong standing with a lantern at the entrance, his chubby, pale face beaming with a smile. “Ah, Gege, you’re back! The Prince has been waiting for you so long that he’s already fallen asleep.”

Cheng Wanyun hurried inside and took a look. “…”

Well, the prince was sitting on her lounge chair.

Couldn’t the Prince have asked the Imperial Workshop to make him a chair like this?