Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

In the Imperial Tea and Food Room of Yuqing Palace.

Hong Deng absentmindedly kneaded dough, his eyes fixed on the door of the food room. He had sent his disciple, Luer, to deliver a message to the main hall, but he still hadn’t returned, making him uneasy.

His disciple was clumsy and unskilled, far from being as capable as Sanbao who served by Zheng Taijian’s side. Over the years, Sanbao had grown more skilled and could even cook! Meanwhile, his own disciple hadn’t even mastered basic knife skills! If the boy weren’t so obedient and filial, offering him all of his monthly salary without fail, Hong Deng would have long since abandoned him.

As he was lost in thought, Zheng Taijian came out from the inner room, hands behind his back. The people in the kitchen all greeted him politely: “Master Zheng, you’re up? We’ve saved some Bak Kut Teh (meat bone tea) for you in the cupboard!”

Zheng Taijian gave a faint “Mm,” not bothering to take the tea, and walked straight to Sanbao. He lifted the lid of the clay pot to check on the slow-simmered lotus seed, mung bean, and barley soup.

“How long has it been simmering?” he asked.

Sanbao had been standing by the stove the whole time, personally overseeing everything from the rear room. He hadn’t let his attention wander, as there were now two smaller masters in the back, aside from Side Concubine Cheng, and any negligence was out of the question. Wiping his sweat, his face flushed from the heat of the fire, he replied, “It’s been about an hour and a half.”

Although this soup was called “lotus seed, mung bean, and barley soup,” all the ingredients were cooling in nature. As a result, Zheng Taijian would always tell Sanbao to add eight red dates, a couple of hundred grams of lily, and some tremella (silver ear fungus). This made the soup taste better and was also better for Side Concubine Cheng’s health.

He noticed that the tremella had turned to a gelatinous consistency, the red dates and lilies had dissolved, and the lotus seeds and barley were definitely cooked through. But these two ingredients needed to simmer a little longer to become tender and flavorful.

“Let it simmer for another half hour. First, serve a bowl; the Crown Prince doesn’t like it too soft. Let the rest simmer for another half hour.”

Hong Deng, eavesdropping, listened closely to Zheng Taijian’s detailed instructions. He sneered under his breath, “Now he’s even worrying about the Crown Prince’s tastes? We’ll see how smug you are later!”

Over the years, Hong Deng had come to despise Zheng Taijian.

Before the arrival of Side Concubine Cheng, he had been the head chef of this food room, and the youngest one at that! Many people had tried to flatter him! But then, Zheng Taijian, without shame, attached himself to a little gege, Concubine Cheng, and began to flex his power.

Who would have thought that Concubine Cheng had really caught the Crown Prince’s eye? Hong Deng had been forced to bow down to Zheng Taijian and couldn’t rise again. He had become stubborn, refusing to curry favor with the rear rooms. Even if he did, what difference did it make? Zheng Taijian got the meat, and he was left with the soup. Would he be satisfied with the leftovers? Ugh! He still had some pride!

After Side Concubine Li’s fall from favor, Hong Deng originally planned to flatter Tang Gege, but soon Tang Gege also aligned herself with the rear rooms, which made Hong Deng furious. Did he really need to flatter Side Concubine Cheng in order to rise up? He refused to believe it! He was noble! He was exceptional! He was determined not to!

Today was the day he had been waiting for—his chance to hold his head high. As soon as the Crown Princess entered, he immediately had his disciple Luer deliver a message. He knew that timing was crucial in these matters. He had spent money to gather information and knew that the Crown Princess only had two nannies and four palace maids serving her, all of whom she had brought from her home. It was only her second day in the palace, and none of the eunuchs or palace maids from the Imperial Household Department had gained prominence yet! He wanted to be the first to offer his service!

The food room was an important place—how could the Crown Princess not need someone from her own circle? Hong Deng couldn’t let Zheng Taijian beat him to it! He still had a firm grip on Side Concubine Cheng, thinking she was a big tree; how could a mere concubine, no matter how important, compare to the Crown Princess?

In front of the Crown Princess, what could Side Concubine Cheng possibly matter?

The woman was now called the Crown Princess—wasn’t that prestigious enough? Eventually, she’d be called “Mistress” or “Empress”! He could almost see himself as the head eunuch in charge of the palace’s tea and food rooms—by then, Zheng Taijian would probably have been buried for a long time, with grass growing a foot high on his grave! Hmph!

He was almost twenty years younger than Zheng Taijian and prided himself on his skills. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to work in the Imperial Kitchen of Yuqing Palace. He was capable, but he’d been unlucky in the past.

Of course, he wasn’t stupid—he didn’t send his barely-recognized disciple ahead just for the sake of it. He made sure the message was delivered, then had Luer leave without revealing his identity to test the Crown Princess’s character.

If the Crown Princess reacted to the message and wanted to form a connection, she would definitely inquire about Luer’s origins, and through that, she could find out who he was. But if the Crown Princess wasn’t interested, being new to the palace, she wouldn’t dare cause a scene, and Luer’s words would have meant nothing.

So, Hong Deng waited to see if anyone would inquire. By the time evening arrived and it was almost time for dinner, his dough had already been ruined. Luer finally hobbled back.

Hong Deng, who had been on edge all afternoon, was furious when he saw Luer’s silly grin. Gritting his teeth, he suppressed his anger, quickly pulled Luer into his small room, and shut the door to interrogate him.

“Where have you been? Why did it take you so long to deliver a message and come back?”

Luer scratched his forehead, looking silly. “I delivered the message and was about to leave when the Crown Princess’s big nanny asked me to stay for a snack. She asked me a lot of questions, and since you didn’t tell me what to say, I didn’t want to speak carelessly. So, I just told her how old I was when I entered the palace and where I had been working since then.”

Hong Deng immediately became overjoyed and affectionately pulled his disciple into a hug. “Good job, Luer! You really earned your place today! Once I gain the Crown Princess’s favor, you’ll be sure to benefit as well—ah, but what’s wrong with your leg?”

Luer replied sheepishly, “That nanny insisted on giving me a pouch, and I didn’t dare accept it. When I tried to refuse, I tripped and fell.”

“You foolish boy! What’s there to be afraid of in accepting a gift?” Hong Deng muttered in regret. If Luer had accepted the pouch, it would have served as a token for future exchanges. But still, the news Luer brought was already beyond his expectations—the Crown Princess was far more proactive and eager than he had imagined. Now, he truly felt like he had climbed the ladder of success.

Hong Deng was so excited that his face turned red. He ordered Luer to bring him hot water, and for the first time, he didn’t have to wait on him to wash his feet. He quickly dismissed him with a particularly kind and friendly gesture, telling him to rest and even rewarded him with a bottle of medicinal oil for his feet.

Luer grinned and agreed, but as he left the room, he winced in pain, clutching his foot. He rolled up his pants, and his entire ankle had swollen into a black-and-purple lump—it was far from just a simple fall.

He looked back at his master’s window with a pained expression, feeling like crying: ‘Master, I’m sorry! You’ve chosen your own path, but I still want to live a few more years… I won’t be accompanying you on this journey…’

The actual events that afternoon were as follows: Luer had indeed gone to the main hall, where he saw an unfamiliar, kindly-looking old nanny—someone the Crown Princess had obviously brought with her. He approached and whispered, “The Crown Prince just went to Side Concubine Cheng’s place.” The nanny, surprised, turned her head to look at him, and he quickly tried to leave. But before he could react, a gust of wind swept by, and he found himself kicked to the ground. The old nanny, still wearing the same kind expression, stepped forward and stomped on his swollen ankle a few times.

He couldn’t even scream out in pain before he lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he found himself bound in the firewood room.

The old nanny didn’t need to use many methods. Luer, crying uncontrollably, confessed everything in detail.

“Do you know that spying on and revealing the Crown Prince’s whereabouts is a grave crime? Your master isn’t a good person; he meant for you to take the blame for him. Look at your clothes—they’re patched up, and your hands are full of cuts. It’s clear your master hasn’t treated you well. Are you really willing to die for him? If you follow the Crown Princess’s orders, you won’t only escape his torment, but you’ll be able to live well. Do you want that?”

Naturally, Luer was eager to take that offer! He couldn’t have asked for anything more. Even he, not being the brightest, could tell the difference between good and bad people. How could he not see that Hong Deng was no good? He had been stuck with such a master for so long, with nowhere else to go, so he had to suck up to him. Now, with an escape route, he was more than willing to comply.

After the old nanny had finished interrogating him, she told him how to answer and what to do, then released him.

So, his injury wasn’t from falling, but from the old nanny stomping on his foot.

As Luer thought back on it, he couldn’t believe what had happened, and a shiver ran down his spine. ‘God! Please tell me the people the Crown Princess brought with her aren’t all like that?’

The next evening, Hong Deng finally got his wish and met someone from the main hall. The palace maid appeared to be about the same age as the Crown Princess—around eighteen or nineteen—dressed in the standard palace maid’s blue attire, her hair styled in the typical two buns. However, there was nothing soft or delicate about her appearance; instead, she exuded a commanding and fierce aura. She strode to the door of the food room and scanned the place with a sharp look before asking, “Which one of you is Hong Deng?”

Hong Deng hurriedly wiped his hands and came out, bowing deeply and saying, “That would be me, your servant.”

“The Crown Princess wants to see you. Come with me.”

“Yes, yes, yes, thank you, Auntie. May I ask your name?” Hong Deng suppressed the joy in his heart, thinking to himself that his moment had finally come. He had been keeping an eye on the activities in the front, knowing that the Crown Princess had spent the entire day yesterday meeting with the various heads of the Yuqing Palace courtyards. However, it seemed like she was only getting acquainted with them and giving general instructions without changing anyone. Today, she was meeting with three geges and two side concubines, and it seemed like she was so busy that she only now had time to meet with him.

The palace maid turned her head to glance at him, and Hong Deng felt a chill run down his spine. It was as if she was incapable of smiling. Her face was cold, and her gaze was as piercing as if she were looking at a corpse.

“You want to know my name?” she said flatly. “Well, it’s no big deal. My name is Yan Ling.”

“Such a beautiful name, Auntie. It’s truly elegant.” Hong Deng wiped away a bead of sweat and forced a smile, though a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart… Why did it feel like something was off?

He turned around, scanning the bustling kitchen, but he couldn’t find Luer.

Yan Ling scoffed, taking the lead and walking ahead without speaking further.

Hong Deng had no idea about the origin of her name. The four women accompanying the Crown Princess into the palace had been chosen from a young age. Fuzhou had been unstable, and the Crown Princess, who was strong-willed, had made a decision when she was only eight years old. Since her father, Shi Wenbing, still had no sons at that time, she said to him, “Father, you can treat me as your eldest son!”

Thus, the four of them were trained in martial arts since childhood.

Her name was Yan Ling, and it had nothing to do with elegance.

A poet from the Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Xian, once wrote: “I have a Yan Ling knife, its cold light shining like ice and snow, with a sharp three-foot blade, able to cut through gold and iron.” She was the Yan Ling of the Yan Ling knife, the Yan Ling blade in the hands of the Crown Princess, and she had also killed Japanese pirates with that knife!

Hong Deng followed Yan Ling quickly through two palace gates until they arrived at the main hall. It was only then that he noticed the courtyard outside the main hall was already full of people. The heads of all the courtyards that had supposedly been received the previous day stood with their heads lowered and hands at their sides, not daring to lift their eyes when he was brought in.

As they moved deeper into the hall, he saw the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess seated at the top, with five women sitting on the benches on either side—Concubines Tang, Li, and Fan sat near the door. Further inside was Side Concubine Li, who had been in seclusion for years and was now dressed in black robes. At the very front, seated just below the Crown Princess, was the graceful Side Concubine Cheng.

All the masters of Yuqing Palace were gathered here, even the reclusive Side Concubine Li!

Hong Deng realized something was terribly wrong. He didn’t dare to look at the Crown Princess directly. His legs wobbled, and his knees trembled as he collapsed into a kowtow, saying, “Your servant… your servant respectfully greets the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess…”

Shi took a sip of tea and calmly said, “Your Highness, this is the servant who kindly gave me a reminder. He has an apprentice named Luer, who came to my courtyard yesterday with a message, saying that once you returned, you went to Side Concubine Cheng’s place. I couldn’t quite understand what he meant, so I called him over today to ask.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary to ask any further,” Yinreng coldly replied, his hand, resting on the armrest, already clenched into a fist.

Yesterday, after meeting with A Wan and eating a sweet potato, Yinreng returned to the main hall to have dinner with the Crown Princess. He couldn’t possibly leave the Crown Princess to favor A Wan on their second day of marriage. Not only would that be blatantly disrespectful to the Crown Princess, but it would also put A Wan in danger.

His mind wasn’t clouded; he had already thought it through. At least for the first three months of marriage, he had to spend half of his time with the Crown Princess, helping her manage the household. But after just one glance at A Wan, a conniving servant had already started stirring trouble!

Yuqing Palace had not had a proper master for years, with Tang Gege running things in a disorganized way, and indeed, she couldn’t control the staff. The atmosphere among the servants had likely become rotten by now.

That’s why, while he was having dinner yesterday, the Crown Princess had candidly told him that tomorrow she planned to use this opportunity to deal with the unruly staff of Yuqing Palace. It was then that he began to look at the Crown Princess in a new light.

On the night of their wedding, when he lifted the red veil, he saw a face full of strength and resolve. He thought to himself that this was the Shi family daughter who had made him endure three years of disdain and ridicule.

She wasn’t very pretty, but her eyes were clear and resolute, like a pine tree growing out of a rocky cliff. He immediately felt relieved. Anyone with such eyes couldn’t have a bad character.

But the next day, in front of the Empress Dowager and Kangxi, she smiled and acted with perfect etiquette, as if she had been raised in the palace all her life. Her speech and actions were so refined that they charmed the Emperor and Empress Dowager, making them both laugh with joy and showering her with gifts.

The advice given to her went unused, and he felt even more at ease. At least she hadn’t tarnished the Stone family’s reputation. She was a lady who understood propriety and knew her place—she hadn’t made any mistakes, and that was enough for him.

When he returned to Yuqing Palace, he rested in her room, but something felt off. Her room seemed so cold and rigid. He didn’t see any of the decorations sent by the Imperial Household Department. Despite being a newlywed’s chamber, filled with red silk and festive symbols, it exuded a faint, sharp, and harsh aura.

A Wan’s courtyard was filled with flowers and plants, and the room had mud figurines, lotus bowls, and various children’s toys. The servants had fruit and auspicious names.

But outside the main hall, there wasn’t a single flower. The gaps between the stone slabs were completely cleared, as if it were a training ground. The Crown Princess’s room was decorated with red tassel spears, longbows, and arrows, along with a waist dagger once worn by her father, Shi Wenbing. The four large palace maids were named Lian Nu, Hua Ji, Yan Ling, and Yue Nu ( Crossbows, Halberd, Yan Ling, and Yue Woman.).

From the direct meanings of the first two names, Yinreng easily deduced the nature of Yan Ling and Yue Nu.

Crossbows, halberds, swords—no doubt the Crown Princess was a general’s daughter, and her servants were named after weapons.

Yinreng began to sense that the Crown Princess was not as simple as she seemed. When he later heard her mention punishing Hong Deng to establish her authority, he naturally agreed. Firstly, Hong Deng deserved punishment, and secondly, the Crown Princess dared to take advantage of their second day of marriage to use this opportunity to deal with the unruly servants of Yuqing Palace. This showed her commanding presence and power as the head of the household.

Moreover, if someone else had gained Hong Deng’s loyalty, they might have secretly been pleased or used him as an informant to gather more information about Yuqing Palace. But the Crown Princess did neither.

She chose to remove the veil of modesty and told everyone that she wouldn’t tolerate this kind of behavior! She was capable of not tolerating it!

Yinreng was also impressed by her broad-mindedness. If it had been Side Concubine Li… Li would have already taken Hong Deng under her wing, carefully interrogated him, and once he’d revealed everything, she would have set a trap to dispose of him.

This was the difference between people.

“Oh, since His Highness the Crown Prince says there’s no need to ask, then I will speak a few words to everyone,” Shi said as she stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and without even glancing at the limp and exhausted Hong Deng, she first cast her gaze on the managers outside. “Everyone must be wondering what kind of temperament my new position as Crown Princess has, whether I’m easy to serve. For those like this Hong Deng, who have been going around asking questions and making their own guesses, I will speak plainly and tell you all—”

She stood up straight as a habit, turned around, and slowly swept her gaze over the concubines and side concubines.

“I can’t stand any nonsense, and I’m strict—I’m not easy to serve—”

As soon as the Crown Princess began speaking, Yinreng choked on his tea and coughed violently, covering his mouth with his hand. Was she really saying, in front of everyone, that she was hard to serve? She hadn’t been like this in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager!

Gentle, courteous, virtuous, and graceful—those eight words were what Kangxi had said after drinking the tea she had served him, praising her in person.

“Hua Ji, please bring the Crown Prince a new cup of tea. Don’t let him choke,” Shi said gently to the people around her, then turned back, once again assuming a stern expression.

“I’m a Shi family daughter. I’ve been favored by the Emperor, and now I’m the Crown Princess of the Empire. But the Shi family has been military generals for generations, scattered all over our great Qing Empire to guard the borders. The Shi family has always upheld the family teaching of managing the household as if it were an army, emphasizing strict discipline and rewarding merit. We never tolerate nepotism or empty formalities. And I am a person of this character. If you are good, naturally, you have nothing to fear and will rise. But if you are not good… if you have thoughts like Hong Deng, then I suggest you cut them off early and behave properly.”

Shi smiled faintly and continued, “Secondly, I despise treacherous traitors who leak military information. This applies here in Yuqing Palace as well. Whether it’s gossiping about the master, secretly sending messages, or stirring up trouble, there will be no tolerance here.”

After finishing her words, she waved her hand, and Hua Ji and Lian Nu immediately grabbed Hong Deng by the arms, dragging him out. Soon, the sound of the paddle and muffled cries filled the air, and eventually, only the sound of the paddle remained.

After a while, the sound of the paddle stopped. The managers kept their eyes fixed on the ground, heads down, but they could see the two palace maids, Hua Ji and Lian Nu, returning with bloodied footprints. They were clearly young women, but their tone remained indifferent when reporting: “Replying to His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, we gave him forty lashes, and he still has a breath left.”

“Mm, let him recover with good medicine and soup,” Shi said calmly after the punishment. Then, her tone suddenly shifted, and she smiled, “I didn’t scare everyone, did I? Ah! It’s all my fault. I always assume that everyone here is an old hand who understands the situation, so there’s no need for roundabout talk. I thought it would be best to lay things out clearly in just a few words, so you wouldn’t have to keep guessing—am I right?

How about this—later, each steward will get two extra dishes in their allotment. The three Gege and the two Side Concubines will dine with me. Let’s have a good time. Your Highness, what do you think?”

Yinreng gave her a curious glance for a while, then nodded, “Alright.”

Satisfied, the Crown Princess nodded, sat back in her chair, and smiled as she instructed Hua Ji and Lian Nu to leave: “Your clothes and shoes are covered in blood. It would be disrespectful in front of the masters. Go change and return to serve.”

A servant named Li called for a little eunuch to frantically wipe up the bloodstains along the path.

While the servants were cleaning up and waiting for the kitchen to deliver the meal, the Crown Princess began to observe the women before her. The three geges all kept their heads down, pretending to sip their tea, but their hands trembled, and they hadn’t even taken a sip.

Well, they’re just quails, nothing to worry about.

Li Side Concubine… She lowered her gaze and kept twisting the beads on her wrist, mumbling “Amitabha” non-stop. For now, her temperament was unclear, but the Crown Prince had already told her everything about her. Among all the women in the palace, the one he was most dissatisfied with was Li Side Concubine. Keeping her around was only because the Li family still had some use, but she had committed mistakes before and now was effectively under house arrest.

Cheng Side Concubine.

Interestingly, when the Crown Prince introduced the women in the back courtyard to him, he didn’t show any favoritism. He gave a brief comment on each: Tang Gege was “honest and capable,” Li Gege had “some talent,” Fan Gege was “silent and reserved,” and even Li Side Concubine received a bit more commentary. As for Cheng Side Concubine, the Crown Prince simply said four words: “Steady and reliable.”

But the Crown Princess didn’t miss the soft look in the Crown Prince’s eyes when he mentioned her.

So, she turned her attention to Cheng Side Concubine, who was sitting closest to her, giving her an open and scrutinizing look.

Then, she realized Cheng Side Concubine was also stealing glances at her, cautiously watching her with eyes that were bright and shining, full of reverence and admiration.

The Crown Princess: “…”

She casually withdrew her gaze, thinking to herself that this one was quite naive. No wonder the Crown Prince had put so much effort into her, intentionally refraining from saying too much in front of her, and deliberately showing her that he was being fair and impartial.

Yinreng, seeing Cheng Wanyun like this, felt like he wanted to facepalm.

He suddenly recalled when she was still a little gege, the first time she came to the palace to meet Li Side Concubine. It was the same then. While Yang Gege and Li Side Concubine exchanged subtle compliments and tested each other several times, she was just eating snacks.

After all these years, even as a mother now, she still hadn’t progressed. What was he going to do? Yinreng sank into worry.

Cheng Wanyun… Cheng Wanyun had long been stunned!

She had imagined what the Crown Princess would be like, and had gone over the appearances of the Eldest Consort, Li Side Concubine, Xi Concubine, and Imperial Concubine Wen in her mind, trying to think of all the women she had seen in the inner palace. But none of them matched.

Turns out, there was such a grand… um, no, such a majestic and imposing woman in the world!

Her demeanor and presence were unmatched, even by men!

She could do this!