Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

The “Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai (Hall of Refreshing Serenity)” is a name personally chosen by Emperor Kangxi.

On the outside, this place looks unremarkable, but the interior is adorned with exquisite furnishings. Liang Jiugong bent over as he walked through the main hall, pushed open the sliding doors to the outer room, passed through a partition embedded with a Buddhist niche, and lifted the curtain to enter the West Warm Pavilion. He glanced up at the plaque hanging above the doorframe, which also bore Kangxi’s handwritten characters.

Along the way, there were dozens of eunuchs standing silently in the rooms, all with their hands folded, not making a sound.

Inside the West Warm Pavilion, only the ticking of a clock could be heard.

In the wooden enclosure made of nangka wood, Kangxi was seated on the southern kang, dressed in a simple green silk and cotton robe, leisurely reading a book at a rosewood kang table.

Liang Jiugong raised a folded official document, wrapped in apricot-yellow silk, above his head and knelt to report, “Your Majesty, just now, the Crown Princess came by while you were resting. She entrusted this servant with the menu for tomorrow’s grand banquet at the Li Zheng Gate Training Grounds. She said two dishes had been changed and requested your approval.”

“Oh?” Kangxi set down his book and took the menu from Liang Jiugong to review. He noticed that the menu included a new hot dish, “Ginger Duck,” and a dessert, “Ice Skin Mooncakes.” Kangxi couldn’t help but ask, “Mid-Autumn has already passed, why add mooncakes now?”

“This servant does not know,” Liang Jiugong replied with a sheepish smile.

“Send for the Crown Princess to come and pay her respects,” Kangxi said, standing up. He put on his boots and walked to the main hall, sitting on the throne to await the Crown Princess.

Before long, the Crown Princess, dressed in a stone-blue crown and attire, entered with a smiling expression, accompanied by the eunuch leading her.

“Father Emperor, please do not be displeased. Although Mid-Autumn has passed, tomorrow is also the day for a full family reunion of the Manchu Eight Banners. As a newlywed, how could I not create some new excitement? I thought I’d invite everyone to try something new!”

The Crown Princess smiled brightly as she approached Kangxi, performed a deep curtsy, and then presented a plate of ice skin mooncakes. The plate was filled with delicate pastries—some were as white as jade, some had a pink appearance like peach blossoms, and others were a vibrant green. “I served these ‘Ice Skin Mooncakes’ at the banquet for the princes and their wives today, and the response was excellent. The princesses said they were delicious! You should try one too!”

“Liang Jiugong, give the Crown Princess a seat and serve tea,” Kangxi said kindly, watching the Crown Princess. He gestured to the embroidered stool that Liang Jiugong had attentively brought over. “Have you been busy all day? I heard you hosted a rather impressive banquet for your sisters-in-law, but it’s already over? It’s just two changed dishes; there’s no need to fuss so much. Oh… why didn’t the Crown Prince accompany you here?”

“The Crown Prince took the Big Princess, the Eldest Prince, and the Second Prince out to pick persimmons! Fortunately, the Crown Prince helped me avoid trouble—there’s something I need to apologize to you for! I meant well, but it turned out badly.” The Crown Princess briefly explained the situation at the banquet, sighing, “I wanted to chat with my aunts and sisters-in-law, and meet some new people, but because the children fought over a small toy, everyone lost interest and we ended the banquet abruptly…”

“The eldest son! Everything he teaches turns to rubbish!” Kangxi, upon hearing this, slammed the kang table with force, causing several brushes in the green jade brush holder to fall to the ground. The eunuchs serving in the West Warm Pavilion immediately knelt.

“Father Emperor, please don’t be angry. If you’re like this, I won’t dare speak to you about these personal matters in the future.” Despite the Emperor’s anger, the Crown Princess didn’t even furrow her brow. She stood up with a smile, picked up the brushes, and said affectionately, “Please calm down. I won’t say such discouraging things again. Here, try this ice skin mooncake. If it’s not to your liking, you can scold me!”

The Crown Princess spoke to Kangxi with such ease, and Kangxi liked her for it. She was both graceful and poised, carrying herself with dignity but still maintaining the gentle, virtuous qualities a woman should have. When Shi Wenbing was still in Hangzhou, the Crown Princess had been entrusted to the Li and Cao families to be looked after. She had grown up under their care, and Kangxi, having known her since childhood, temporarily set aside his anger for her sake. He smiled and said, “What valuable thing could it possibly be, that you keep asking me to try it?”

Amused, Kangxi picked up a mooncake, examining it: “It’s indeed something I’ve never seen before; it looks quite delicate.”

He then took a bite and praised, “It’s sweet? Not too greasy, either. Whose clever idea was this? It should be rewarded!”

The Crown Princess quickly handed him a cup of tea to rinse his mouth and, hearing his words, couldn’t help but laugh, covering her mouth: “Who else could it be? There’s only one chef named Cheng in the Yuqing Palace!”

Her words made Kangxi laugh as well: “That’s not wrong!”

After the joke, the Crown Princess quickly spoke up in defense of Cheng Wanyun, saying, “Concubine Cheng has helped me a lot. She spent nearly half a month perfecting these mooncakes, all so that I could serve something new at the banquet. She even kneaded the dough so much that her hands were swollen for two days!”

Of course, this was not the case, but such words had to be said to make things sound better and avoid making the Emperor think that E Linzhu and the Cheng family had any faults in today’s matter.

Kangxi still remembered the convenient pancakes and then thought of how Cheng had given birth to a son and a daughter for the Crown Prince. His opinion of the Crown Prince’s side concubine, who didn’t have a prestigious background, softened. He smiled and said, “Since she’s served well, she should stay within her role and continue to ease your worries. With you managing the family, I feel much more at ease.”

“I certainly wouldn’t dare to disappoint Father Emperor’s great expectations,” the Crown Princess replied, continuing to converse with Kangxi about how clever Hongxi was, how sensible Hongxuan was, and how thoughtful E Linzhu was. She didn’t mention anyone else. Kangxi, however, couldn’t help but think of the Eldest Prince’s daughters, who seemed far less impressive compared to the Crown Prince’s children—there was truly a world of difference!

He couldn’t help but nod to himself: The Crown Princess had only been married for less than half a year, and the three children were said to be under Cheng’s care most of the time. The three were so lovely, sensible, and polite—her contributions couldn’t be ignored. Kangxi found himself warming up to Cheng Wanyun, whom he had previously dismissed, and called Liang Jiugong to open the storeroom and give gifts to the three children of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Princess smiled and said, “Father Emperor, you’re so generous. Why not also give something to Side Concubine Cheng?”

“You child, how could you ask for rewards so directly?” Kangxi pointed at the Crown Princess and laughed. “Fine, fine, Liang Jiugong, give Concubine Cheng an imperial jade ruyi! She raised so many children, and it was a great service.”

Seeing that she had gotten what she wanted, the Crown Princess no longer feigned humility. She smiled, thanked him, and took her leave.

Once she was gone, Kangxi’s expression darkened, and in his anger, he swept the tea bowl off the table, sending it crashing to the floor!

The young eunuch who had been about to enter to change the tea was so frightened that he knelt on the broken porcelain, nearly passing out from the pain, but he gritted his teeth, drenched in sweat, and dared not move.

After a while, Kangxi, still sitting on the kang, coldly said, “Send an old, literate nurse to the residence of the Prince of Yuchen and the wife of Bao Tai to read ‘The Exemplary Teachings for Women’ aloud to them every day for thirty days, so they don’t end up failing at raising children!”

The young eunuch hurriedly kowtowed and left.

Kangxi, feeling unsatisfied, then ordered someone to bring a punishment stool to the Big Prince’s courtyard, intending to give Wu a good beating. — After all, she had no main consort by her side, but look at Cheng, and then look at her! Kangxi remembered that Imperial Concubine Hui had mentioned that the Eldest Princess’s pregnancy had been extremely difficult, with severe back pain keeping her bedridden. Surely, she had no time to care for the four princesses, so Wu Gege had been chosen to look after the children. But this was how she took care of them! What could such young children possibly understand? It must be that this servant had stirred things up!

Having dealt with that matter, Kangxi still didn’t feel satisfied. His thoughts then returned to the incident on New Year’s Eve, when Gao Daiying had nearly caused Wang Daiying a miscarriage—Kangxi realized that the Prince of Kang’s family and the Eldest Prince’s family were very close, and now the Prince of Yuchen’s family was also involved.

Though children may not know any better, the Third Princess’s words were all for the sake of the Yuchen’s Prince family. Kangxi understood perfectly well. It was clear from this small detail that the two families were overly close.

When had the eldest son become so influential within the royal family?

Kangxi faintly sensed a threat.

He wanted to reclaim the power of the noble families and prominent figures within the Eight Banners, so he had the Crown Prince stand firmly on the side of the Han people and allowed his other sons to begin engaging with court officials, preparing to place the banner leaders in their hands at the right time.

What is the eldest son trying to do? Is he trying to win over the noble families and oppose him?

Kangxi was both startled and angry at this thought. He sat on the throne for a while, saying nothing, then glanced at the remaining ice skin mooncakes on the plate, and sighed deeply. ‘What’s the Crown Princess’ intention with these ice skin mooncakes?’

His daughter-in-law was subtly reporting his eldest son’s actions to him!

But she did it so cleverly that Kangxi couldn’t even bring himself to be angry with her, and… the Eastern Palace was weak.

He remembered the time when the Crown Prince, in civilian clothes, had gone to the Ministry of Revenue to find the Fourth Prince, and a newly appointed official didn’t recognize him, even showing him disrespect. Though the Crown Prince didn’t hold a grudge and even advised that it was only natural, that official was still severely punished by Kangxi—he was publicly disciplined and dismissed! Kangxi thought the Crown Prince’s reluctance to take on important matters might be because of this incident.

Now, the Crown Prince was constantly running to the Imperial Medical Office, focusing on cowpox!

While cowpox was indeed important, it couldn’t be compared to the Six Ministries… This proved that the Crown Prince was genuinely loyal and not forming factions! But the eldest son? Kangxi had placed his full trust in him, gave him control of the Ministry of War, and yet he used it to win over the Eight Banner nobles and the royal family, with the support of Mingzhu helping him behind the scenes. After establishing his residence outside the palace, he wasn’t being monitored, and secretly, he had even subdued the Prince of Yuchen’s residence.

Kangxi lowered his head, contemplating for a moment. He knew he couldn’t let this go on any longer.

The eldest son’s rising influence had to be suppressed.

So, he ordered someone to summon the Eldest Prince, who had just finished a hunting trip with the Mongolian princes, to return immediately. Yinzhi rushed over, his robe soaked from running, only to see Li Dequan holding a lantern at the entrance of the ‘Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai’. Upon seeing him, Li Dequan said, “I am here to deliver the Emperor’s decree. The Emperor commands that you kneel on the steps for two hours, reflect on the principles of ethics and proper conduct, and only return when you have done so.”

Yinzhi was confused, not knowing what was going on. Though he had no idea why, how could he defy an imperial command? He knelt down, his heart racing.

Why wasn’t Father Emperor seeing him? Why was he being punished again? Since the “Empty Horse Tribute Case,” Yinzhi had become more cautious, gradually maturing. He knew how to endure and adapt. Under Mingzhu’s constant pressure, he hadn’t caused any trouble for the Crown Prince for a long time.

What was going on today? He thought he had been very diligent and attentive during his recent time in Rehe, following all of the Emperor’s orders. He had accompanied the Mongolian princes, laughed and made small talk all day, and even pretended to miss a shot while hunting, letting them catch the wild boar. He hadn’t done anything wrong!

Little did he know, a fire had started in the backyard and had now reached him!

Meanwhile, inside the Crown Prince’s residence, everything seemed warm and joyful. The courtyard was filled with two large baskets of persimmons, and there were another seven or eight baskets, all brimming to the point where they seemed ready to spill over.

The children were all exhausted from playing, and as soon as they returned, Cheng Wanyun sent them to their rooms to bathe. The sound of their laughter, splashing water on each other, could still be heard from the room. The Crown Princess, on the other hand, personally oversaw the arrangements for the training grounds and the grand banquet. This time, Kangxi did not bring any of the four imperial concubines with him, only a few minor officials, so the entire task was left to her.

Since no consorts were present, the Crown Princess was the highest-ranking woman at the banquet. She took the lead in making connections with the Mongolian princesses. There was also the intention to formally introduce her to her important role, as Kangxi had given much thought to the future empress.

As a result, the Crown Princess attached great importance to tomorrow’s grand banquet. After leaving ‘Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai’, she didn’t return to the courtyard but went directly to the training grounds to oversee the venue arrangements. How should the potted plants be placed? Where should the throne be set up? How should the seats for the princes be arranged? The attendants and maids had to be properly assigned. Even though it was just about arranging tables and chairs, she was unwilling to leave the task entirely to the palace overseer. She insisted on overseeing it herself, and she was so busy that she hadn’t returned yet.

In the evening, the Crown Princess sent Yue Nu to speak with the Crown Prince and Cheng Wanyun. Naturally, Yue Nu delivered the message in a very delicate and pleasing manner. For example, the Emperor had praised Side Concubine Cheng for her skill in raising children and had decided to move Hongxuan to Cheng Wanyun’s care for a few days, to be returned after the grand banquet. Yue Nu also mentioned that the Crown Princess was overwhelmed with responsibilities, so Cheng Wanyun should handle the daily affairs of the courtyard as usual, including taking care of the Crown Prince’s meals and wellbeing, without neglecting anything.

However, when Cheng Wanyun translated it in her mind, it sounded like this: ‘The Eastern Palace Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of the Great Qing Corporation, has just been assigned a new office director (the Crown Princess) who is tasked with preparing for a major business event focused on “Developing Friendly Relations Between the Manchus and the Mongols.” During this time, the office administrative officer (Cheng Wanyun) must ensure that the company’s administrative and logistical operations run smoothly while also arranging the General Manager’s (Crown Prince’s) trip to Rehe, ensuring everything goes smoothly and no points are deducted in the year-end evaluation by the CEO (Emperor Kangxi).’

She knew she was just a small fry, but she also knew that if the company went under, she’d be out of a job as well, so she naturally agreed: “Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. I will take good care of the First Prince and do my best to ease Your Highness’s burdens.”

When Yue Nu came and gave her instructions, Yinreng listened without speaking. After she left, he leaned in and whispered to her, “The Crown Princess is focused on external matters, which is fine.”

Cheng Wanyun then recalled what had happened earlier in the day, and she shared her fears and concerns with the Crown Prince.

This, in turn, led the Crown Prince to express his feelings for her.

She couldn’t deny it—this was a new and strange experience. She never expected the Crown Prince to be so… affectionate.

In the moment, the atmosphere was truly heartwarming, but once she stepped away from it, her overworked brain quickly cooled down. Just as the Crown Prince had said… she was still too timid to truly open her heart to him.

Taking that step forward would almost be like erasing all traces of being from a different era.

Perhaps, unless she had no other choice and no other expectations, she would never develop romantic feelings for the Crown Prince. Cheng Wanyun was very clear about her own situation. In her modern life, she was just an ordinary office worker, and now, she was a small figure in this world. She knew the Crown Prince would eventually be confined, and naturally, she was scared. She also wanted to become the kind of woman who could summon storms and be seen as a powerful ally in this world, but she… simply couldn’t bring herself to do it!

She remembered that the Crown Prince was deposed in the 47th year of Kangxi’s reign, but she couldn’t remember the exact date. She remembered the second deposition, but she didn’t know what specific event led to it.

As for which loyal and capable ministers were trusted in the Crown Prince’s camp, she had no idea—help!

She recalled reading somewhere that there was a man named Wu Sidao who was very influential around Fourth Brother, almost like Zhuge Liang! The book portrayed him as being essential to the Fourth Brother’s ascension, but she had no idea when Wu Sidao was born, when he arrived in the capital, or any details about him. Of course, Cheng Wanyun didn’t know either. She now realized that Wu Sidao was a fictional character, and there was no such person in history.

So, Cheng Wanyun decided to stop worrying. In her past life, she had been so exhausted. In this life, she would live as long as she could, taking what she could get. She had enjoyed fifteen years with the Cheng family, and after entering the Eastern Palace, thanks to the Crown Prince, she hadn’t suffered much. She was able to enjoy a life of luxury, eating, drinking, and living in splendor—luxuries she hadn’t experienced in her previous life. Living in the Forbidden City and eating imperial meals—this was enough for her.

In her past life, she couldn’t even afford a toilet in the capital!

As for the children, it seemed that Hongxi lived until the reign of Qianlong. As for E Linzhu, she didn’t know, but perhaps she was either adopted by the Fourth Brother and kept in the palace or sent to the Mongol region. If she was sent to the Mongols, Cheng Wanyun thought that E Linzhu’s personality would not let her suffer. It was good that she could stay far from the capital and experience the world. Cheng Wanyun thought about her daughter’s future. Although she didn’t see the dream, she still paid attention to Harinauhai and kept him in her thoughts, carefully considering him.

She would save up more dowry for E Linzhu when the time came! She would give her all the gold she had saved! After all, she would be confined in the future and wouldn’t need so much gold.

She did feel a bit guilty toward the Crown Prince. She clearly knew he was heading toward a dead end, but she couldn’t do anything to help him… The Crown Prince would likely die in his fifties, perhaps due to poor health and bad moods. She thought she should start making him some health teas and nourishing meals, at least to help improve his health, so he could suffer less from illness while being confined.

That was a good idea! She had suffered from stomach ulcers from working too hard before, but an old Chinese doctor had treated her with food therapy. She was good at making medicinal meals!

“What are you thinking?” The Crown Prince waved his hand in front of her face.

Cheng Wanyun realized that she had been lost in thought for a while. She quickly smiled and said, “I was thinking about how to deal with these persimmons!”

The small courtyard was almost buried in persimmons!

The Crown Prince smiled and said, “Is it worth thinking so long about? Just send them out!”

He began discussing with Cheng Wanyun how to distribute the persimmons.

They decided to have the eunuchs pick out the ripest and most beautiful ones, and the largest ones would be sent to the Emperor right away. He already knew about the Crown Princess visiting ‘Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai’. In addition to the children’s rewards, even Cheng Wanyun had received a jade ruyi! Since the Emperor had already given rewards, it seemed that the Crown Princess had successfully completed her task and could step back. The Crown Prince couldn’t let things end like this; he had to continue showing filial piety to the Emperor.

Yinreng thought for a moment, then picked out some persimmons for the Empress Dowager in the capital. He chose the greener and less ripe ones, so they wouldn’t spoil on the journey and would be perfectly ripe by the time they arrived in the capital.

Cheng Wanyun also sat on a stool, helping to pick out the persimmons. Some of them had been picked by E Linzhu, who had directed Wang Cai to climb the tree and help. She noticed that many of the persimmons had two small tooth-like marks and couldn’t help but laugh. “Second Lord, look, Wang Cai knows how to be careful and not bite the persimmons too hard. He picked them very seriously!”

Yinreng leaned over to take a look. Some of the persimmons were fully ripe and soft, but Wang Cai had carefully bitten them without breaking the skin. He could imagine the big black dog carefully picking up the persimmons and placing them in the basket, and he smiled. “It’s a good thing we didn’t bring Mi Mi along, or the fruit on the trees would have been chewed up.”

“Mi Mi may be mischievous, but she never goes out around the Yuqing Palace. I saw her fighting with a wild cat that sneaked in last time. She bit the wild cat’s face fiercely, leaving blood everywhere. She’s really treating the Yuqing Palace as her home! This time, when we were leaving, she refused to come with us. She had been sitting on Wang Cai’s back, but when Wang Cai walked out of the palace gate, she jumped off and ran back, watching us from the palace gate. E Linzhu waved and said, ‘Mi MI, watch the house well, don’t eat Mother’s fish,’ and she meowed in response. It was like she could understand her!” Cheng Wanyun said, laughing.

After so many years in the palace, she was grateful for the companionship of these two furry children, as they had brought her so much joy.

Yinreng didn’t forget that it was Cheng Wanyun who had saved Mi Mi’s life. Otherwise, Mi Mi would have already died in the South Garden. He sighed. “It’s all fate.”

As the little eunuchs were about to take the baskets away, Yinreng suddenly had an idea. He put a few persimmons that were too small or not red enough, ones picked by E Linzhu, Hongxi, and Hongxuan, into the baskets. He also cut some paper and called the children over. Hongxuan and E Linzhu could already write, so he asked them to write: “Respectfully offered by Grandson Hongxuan” and “Respectfully offered by Granddaughter E Linzhu.” Hongxuan’s handwriting was already neat, and although E Linzhu’s was crooked, it was still legible. Hongxi, who couldn’t write yet, pressed his small handprint on the paper. Once everything was arranged, the eunuchs were sent to deliver them to Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai.

After they finished writing, the Crown Prince ordered the children to go to their rooms and sleep. E Linzhu, fearing that the Crown Prince might remember that she had hit someone in the afternoon (she thought her father didn’t know!), quickly grabbed her brother and ran off.

After arranging the persimmons for the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, there were still many left. Yinreng had them sorted into different categories, and the persimmons picked by Wang Cai were given to He Baozhong.

He Baozhong:?

The better ones were sent to the various brothers’ courtyards, and the Crown Prince, being petty, deliberately sent half-ripe persimmons to the Eldest Brother’s courtyard. The outside was red and seemed ripe, but when bitten into, it was terribly astringent. It was so unpleasant to eat!

Then, he kept a few for himself. Persimmons shouldn’t be eaten in excess as they’re bad for the stomach, so Cheng Wanyun and the Crown Prince just shared one to taste. The children weren’t allowed to eat any. Cheng Wanyun kept one basket, planning to dry them into persimmon cakes.

The dry climate in the borderlands was perfect for drying persimmons.

Without wasting time, Cheng Wanyun called for Eunuch Zheng and Sanbao to come over, had them wash the persimmons, and asked the Crown Prince to help peel them. The Crown Prince, however, wasn’t good at this, so he took out the dagger he usually used for roasting meat. Seeing how quickly Cheng Wanyun was peeling in smooth circles, he thought he could do it too, so he imitated her.

Then, with one swipe, he cut off half of the persimmon.

Cheng Wanyun: “…”

Yinreng: “…”

Cheng Wanyun cautiously said, “How about… you go rest first?”

Yinreng frowned, “No, I can do it.”

Facing the persimmons, the Crown Prince suddenly became stubborn. Cheng Wanyun quietly watched as he ruined over ten persimmons, finally managing to separate the skin from the flesh. She quickly said, “That’s enough, enough! Let’s now put these peeled persimmons and skins in the big basket to dry, and tomorrow we can string them together with fine hemp rope.”

Yinreng asked curiously, “What do we need the persimmon skins for?”

“They’re very useful!” Cheng Wanyun collected the skins in a breathable winnowing basket and spread them out to dry, explaining proudly, “You might not know, but if we have persimmon cakes left over and can’t finish them, we can store them in a big ceramic jar. First, we lay a layer of dried persimmon skins at the bottom, then place the persimmon cakes on top. Even after three months, they won’t spoil!”

Yinreng really didn’t know about this, so he nodded in acknowledgment, learning something new.

The two of them continued arranging and drying the persimmons. Once done, they prepared to go inside to rest. Yinreng hid a particularly small persimmon in his hand, planning to take it back to the study to dry himself. The persimmon was oddly shaped, with a dip in the middle, making it look like a bright red heart. It was quite charming. He carefully peeled it and planned to keep it for Cheng Wanyun once it was dried.

Meanwhile, inside Yanbo Zhishuang Zhai, Kangxi also saw the three baskets of bright red persimmons. He bent down, lifting the paper notes one by one to take a look. Hongxuan’s neat handwriting made him nod slightly. E Linzhu’s writing reminded him of the messy handwriting of the Eighth Prince, causing him to squint his eyes. He thought to himself that he should have the Crown Prince teach E Linzhu to practice writing properly. Finally, he saw the small handprint from Hongxi, which was short and chubby, and a smile spread across his face.

The children were all good, and the Crown Prince was filial.

Kangxi made up his mind—after the New Year, he would have the Crown Prince replace him for the Southern tour of the Jiangnan provinces!

This time, during the Mulan Expedition, Kangxi secretly met with Cewang Alabutan. Galdan still refused to attend the peace talks. With the support and provocation of Sha’er, Galdan’s ambitions remained strong, and he was expanding his influence, seeming to make a comeback. Cewang Alabutan reported that Galdan had already taken control of both sides of the Tianshan Mountains, Qinghai, and even captured certain territories.

In August, Kangxi secretly ordered the Khorchin Tushitu Prince and others, who had pretended to surrender to Galdan, to act as insiders and lure Galdan into action. Galdan fell for the trap, moving over 20,000 soldiers, withdrawing from Xizang, and heading stealthily toward Bayan Ulan.

Kangxi knew that another campaign against Galdan was inevitable, and that there would be a battle in the spring of the coming year!

Cao Yin had learned that the White Lotus Sect had risen again in Jiangnan, and he also urgently needed the Crown Prince, who could win the loyalty of the Han people, to go south and calm the hearts of the people before the war. He had hesitated for a long time. The subtle flattery during the brief period when the Crown Prince held the regency still lingered in Kangxi’s mind. However, at this moment, as he looked at the three baskets of persimmons, he eventually set aside his many precautions against the Crown Prince.

The gears of history should have been moving forward with great inertia, but as they passed over the mooncakes and persimmons, they slowly shifted—under the inner struggle, Kangxi finally chose to slowly tilt the authority he had tightly held in his hands toward the Eastern Palace.

He hoped the Crown Prince would not betray his trust. Kangxi dried the ink on the imperial edict, rolled it up, and sealed it. He then ordered Liang Jiugong to deliver the edict. As he watched Liang Jiugong bow and prepare to leave with the edict, Kangxi hesitated and called out, “Come back.”

Liang Jiugong quickly halted his steps. “Your Majesty?”

Kangxi stared at the imperial edict for a long time, then waved his hand. “Go ahead.”

Forget it. For the sake of the nation and the family, the Eastern Palace… still needed support.