Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

The bustling prosperity of Tongzhou had briefly given Yinreng the illusion of “the flourishing era of the Qing Dynasty.”

While Cheng Wanyun was meeting her family, he, accompanied by E Chu, was casually dressed and went for an outing. They visited the grain transport docks, where countless lanterns were still lit at night. All the grain for transportation and commercial goods had to be unloaded at this dock. The river and lakes rippled under the night sky, with the cold, solitary moonlight illuminating the distant pagoda.

But no one had the leisure to appreciate the scenery. Those unloading cargo, carrying packages, or paying the boat docking fees were all busy with their tasks. There was no moment of respite. The goods waiting to be transported at the docks were piled up like small mountains.

Various “water-based shops” had also sprung up at the docks, selling tea, night snacks, liquor, and tobacco. Flags were raised high at the boatheads, and even in the late hours, there were calls from vendors. People came and went on the boats, constantly bustling.

Just looking at this scene, how could one imagine that the officials in the court were all complaining about the tight finances and numerous issues with the grain transportation? Even the Grand Governor of the Grain Transport was lamenting that the shipping routes were clogged, and the boats often faced storms and were washed away, making the work extremely difficult.

If Yinreng hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought that the grain transport system had already fallen into disrepair.

But it seemed to be doing quite well! Yinreng took a look around and saw that the number of grain boats was similar to the official figures, with ten men per boat, ten boats per group, and mutual support between groups of boats. Many boats, after delivering southern grain, would return to Tongzhou to purchase local produce and goods to sell at other docks, ensuring that the boats weren’t sent back empty. This was all approved by the court—an effort to increase revenue and save costs.

However, he simply observed, without jumping to conclusions.

He had just left the capital and was now stepping into the first town outside of Beijing. Tongzhou was too close to the capital, and there were military personnel and grain officials stationed at every dock, patrolling the riverbanks and supervising the grain boats crossing the river. The soldiers were wary of the imperial authority and dared not overstep their bounds, so it was hard to discern any issues.

Yet, Yinreng had a faint feeling that something wasn’t quite right—he saw many common people at the dock doing forced labor, some as young as fifteen, others in their fifties. One boat had run aground, and a thick hemp rope was tied from the boat to the shoulders of these farmers. They were crawling on all fours, their bodies half-submerged in water, desperately trying to pull the boat free.

It was already early February, and the planting season would begin in early March. With so many farmers working day and night at the docks, who would tend to the fields, plow the land, remove weeds, and prepare fertilizer? The situation seemed to have become a norm, with the farmers’ heavy labor routine already established.

After returning, he made a note of this in the small booklet he always carried. This booklet was something Wanyun had prepared for him. The binding method was different from the usual, and the paper was thicker, made by gluing two or three sheets together—thicker than regular paper, but smooth on the surface and resistant to wear and tear. The paper had holes punched along the left side, and flexible bamboo strips were bent into a series of circles. Each page was threaded onto these bamboo strips, which were fastened with a clasp, allowing the pages to be added, removed, or replaced.

When Yinreng saw her working on this, he silently watched her bend the bamboo strips over the candle flame. In his heart, he couldn’t help but marvel—his Wanyun must be a genius! How did she come up with this idea?

If Wanyun had been born a man, she would have shone brightly in the Ministry of Works.

Yinreng immediately had the people from the Imperial Workshops learn how to make this “Cheng-style hole-bound book” and created a beautifully crafted version with sandalwood and gold-streaked paper to give to Kangxi. Kangxi also greatly appreciated it and praised Wanyun. Of course, the Ministry of Internal Affairs found it the most practical! The book could be made small enough to fit in one’s sleeve, making it easy to carry around for quick access.

Wanyun had originally wanted to take a rare opportunity for a self-guided tour and, without a camera to capture the scenery along the way, decided to substitute writing to preserve the experience—she wanted to make a travel journal! For this, she even prepared a small inkstone, shaped like a small tablet, along with a short and stout jade-tipped pen tied with red cord, which she carried as a pendant.

This method was soon adopted by others, and now, nearly everyone in the Ministry of Internal Affairs had a writing set at their waist, ready to take notes on any complex tasks ordered by their superiors, pulling out their pens from their sleeves to write quickly.

After returning from the grain transport dock, Yinreng wanted to take a walk in the countryside to see the fields and farmhouses. He wanted to know what life was like for the common people living around the capital, so that when he eventually travels to Jiangnan, he could make a comparison.

The next morning, Yinreng put on a blue coarse cloth short shirt that E Chu had bought from somewhere, along with matching pants, black cloth shoes with open toes, and a brown coarse cloth belt around his waist.

When the Crown Prince wore this outfit, he gave off the impression of an imitation landlord or wealthy man. Cheng Wanyun couldn’t help but laugh, nearly stumbling. The sight of the Crown Prince in such attire was just too unusual.

To Cheng Wanyun, the Crown Prince didn’t have a very fair complexion, but he was still considered fair when compared to the common folk. True peasants in the Qing dynasty were all dark, with yellowish skin, and because the land was mostly compressed yellow soil, there was a lot of dust. Common folk who spent their days working outdoors never had clean faces, and their clothes were often dirty as well.

What stood out the most was that the Crown Prince had clean hands and feet, with red lips and white teeth. By this time, the Qing had already started using pig or ox hair to make toothbrushes, and they would clean their teeth with fine salt, ginger juice, wood ashes, locust seeds, and lotus leaves. After brushing, they would rinse with high-quality tea water three times. As a result, the noblewomen in the palace had healthy, white teeth, which made for a stark contrast to the common people, who often couldn’t even afford to use coarse salt in their cooking.

It was common for the true common folk, many of whom were under forty, to lose all their molars.

“Your Highness, dressing like this actually makes you stand out even more than not dressing like this at all.” Had the Crown Prince ever seen true common folk? Cheng Wanyun had seen many before she entered the palace. In fact, Shexian, as the seat of Huizhou Prefecture, had better welfare for the people compared to other places, yet it was still possible to see people suffering from hunger. She sighed softly, “It’s better to wear a long robe instead, dress like a scholar or an educated man. It’s much more appropriate than pretending to be a commoner.”

Yinreng also felt uncomfortable in the outfit. What embarrassed him even more was that—though this coarse cloth garment was brand new—he had been wrapped in silk and satin since birth, and had never worn such rough fabric. The moment he put it on, it irritated his back, causing it to redden and even break out in spots. It was extremely uncomfortable. He decided to follow Cheng Wanyun’s suggestion and quietly took the clothes off.

Cheng Wanyun, however, felt that the Crown Prince’s intention was already commendable. She knew that Emperor Kangxi had never “traveled incognito” during his previous two southern inspections. Kangxi’s southern tours were politically significant, primarily aimed at stabilizing Jiangnan, consolidating his rule, and winning the people’s hearts. When the Qing dynasty entered China, Jiangnan was the region with the most intense resistance, which was why the “Yangzhou” and “Jiaxing” massacres had occurred.

Therefore, during his two southern inspections, Kangxi traveled in grand style, wanting the scholars and elites of Jiangnan to see him. He sought to court the “upper-class” intellectual leaders. Although he also expressed concern for the people’s welfare and investigated the condition of officials, he never personally investigated the true living conditions of the common folk. How deep was the division between the Manchus and Han people at the time? Emperor Kangxi, who was so proud and “Manchu,” even humbled himself to visit and pay respects at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, issuing an imperial edict to repair it. He also specifically increased the number of places for the imperial examinations in Jiangnan and temporarily added more examination sessions, using every method of conciliation to show his determination to resolve historical grudges with the region.

Had Jiangnan been stabilized? Cheng Wanyun didn’t know. She had heard that this time, the Crown Prince would also visit Confucius’s temple, Mount Tai, and the Yu Mausoleum, to announce to the world that as the heir, he would embrace Han Confucian culture, showing that the Qing Dynasty was not only a Manchu ruler but a ruler for all under heaven. However, these plans were only for when they reached Yangzhou.

Before arriving in Yangzhou, the Crown Prince was still “free,” and he chose to visit the common people.

Cheng Wanyun knew that his decision was inspired by the sight of the boatmen unloading at the dock. She looked at the Crown Prince’s back and felt that he seemed taller. She was very grateful to him because the Eight Banners’s soldiers were not required to work as boatmen—those suffering in such labor were all Han people.

The Crown Prince could see the suffering of the Han people, and that moved her deeply.

It’s important to note that many in the ruling class were blind to the suffering of the common people—not just in the Qing Dynasty, but also in the late Ming Dynasty. The “people-centered” thought likely began to take shape during the reign of Zhang Juzheng, and only later gained some traction in the court. This wasn’t the fault of the Qing, but rather a limitation inherent in every feudal dynasty. The phrase “Why not eat meat porridge?” still resounds today, as it did back then. However, the Qing, as the most successful nomadic group to rule China, faced more issues than other dynasties.

In Shexian, Cheng Wanyun had often thought of ways to influence Master Cheng to implement policies to benefit the people, to make their lives better. He had indeed tried—providing disaster relief, helping widows and orphans, and promoting education for the people of Shexian. But just as Master Cheng could only help the people of Shexian, she too could only do so much.

Eventually, Cheng Wanyun put on a cotton dress, and the Crown Prince changed into a simple long robe and jacket. But he still insisted on renting the innkeeper’s mule cart for transportation. Cheng Wanyun thought this was a wise decision—it wasn’t just that the Crown Prince’s horse and carriage appeared too extravagant, it would be like driving a Lamborghini convertible into the mountains. Not only would it attract the attention of bandits, but it would also draw the crowd’s gaze, making it easy to be spotted. A second-hand Wuling Hongguang was much safer.

The innkeeper’s mule was old and primarily used for carrying goods. The cart was just a wooden frame, and the mule’s blanket was a piece of oilcloth that E Chu couldn’t bear to see, so he temporarily covered it. Then he and Cheng Huai Jing washed the cart and mule, with Cheng Huai Jing even scrubbing the mule’s hooves for a long time, practically trying to fix its feet.

They added two quilts to the cart for cushioning and barely managed to get the Crown Prince seated.

Cheng Wanyun had been quietly observing his reaction.

E Chu stood nervously to the side, his face pale. He kept thinking that if the Crown Prince became angry, there were two brand-new green carriages outside, which even had fire pans inside. Although they weren’t as luxurious as the ones in the palace, they were still much better than this worn-out mule cart. He just couldn’t understand—if the Crown Prince wanted to travel incognito, why make it so realistic?

To his surprise, the Crown Prince didn’t even frown when he got into the cart. He even deliberately folded another quilt and placed it next to him before signaling her to sit. When he saw Cheng Wanyun standing absentmindedly in front of the cart, he smiled and said, “This cart might not be very comfortable, please bear with it.”

Cheng Wanyun smiled with her eyes squinted, “Don’t underestimate me, Your Highness. I can endure hardship.”

Without further hesitation, she lifted her dress and got into the cart.

The cart was indeed bumpy and cold, so Yinreng held Cheng Wanyun tightly in his arms. Before leaving, Bitao had given her a small hand warmer, and it was just the right time to use it. Cheng Wanyun placed the hand warmer in the Crown Prince’s embrace, and he instinctively pulled her hand to warm it. They both froze for a moment, then looked at each other and smiled.

Their ordinary mule cart did not attract the attention of passersby. E Chu acted as the driver at the front, and behind the cart were several of the bodyguards, all dressed in simple cloth clothes, following at a distance. Cheng Huai Jing and the Shi brothers had disguised themselves as vegetable farmers going into the city to buy groceries, carrying two straw baskets on a shoulder pole, with a few cabbages inside.

The mule cart gradually left the gates of Tongzhou, and the scenery outside immediately became desolate and wide. In the distance, the green mountains piled up, while cold, withered trees clustered along the winding yellow earth road. The number of pedestrians dropped significantly, but now and then, one could spot a messenger riding quickly, an old man walking barefoot through the cold winter, carrying heavy firewood, or a merchant driving a mule laden with goods.

Yinreng’s gaze fixated on the old man’s feet, which were cracked and bleeding from the cold. He stared at them until the cart passed by the old man. Then, he suddenly spoke to E Chu, “Give that old man some silver.”

E Chu froze for a moment and quickly ordered the nearby bodyguards to take the money and catch up with the old man.

Cheng Wanyun was also momentarily stunned. She suppressed the slight bitterness in her heart and said, “Your Highness, it’s too late to save him.”

She had known from a young age that saving one would only bring another, and saving two would still leave thousands upon thousands more.

“I know.” Just ahead, the old man had been given a string of copper coins by the disguised bodyguard and had collapsed, crying and kowtowing in the snow, repeatedly bowing toward their mule cart. But Yinreng didn’t dare to look back; instead, he kept his gaze on the long road ahead, which seemed to stretch endlessly. He replied softly, “But having seen him… if we just walk by unmoved, if he doesn’t survive the winter, I will always remember this.”

Cheng Wanyun could only hold his hand. She understood that since the Crown Prince left the palace, his worldview would undoubtedly be shaken, and this process would be painful and shocking. The aftereffects would likely stay with him for life. Perhaps this southern tour would influence him forever.

But this pain would give hope to the people.

After about an hour’s drive, the mule cart turned from the fairly wide official road onto a muddy country path. The road conditions worsened, and the north wind howled. It was a cold day, with the late winter thaw, and despite the unusual chill, E Chu was sweating as he drove the cart. On one side of the road was a mountain, and on the other side was the turbulent river, recently freed from ice. If they weren’t careful, the cart could overturn…

E Chu seemed to have already envisioned the tragic end of his entire family.

Fortunately, nothing went wrong on the journey. At the Crown Prince’s command, they had deliberately chosen remote mountain paths. After passing mountains and crossing rivers, they arrived at the first village—a small fishing village by the river. Near a simple dock, a few men were waiting to load their bags onto the shore, working hard to earn their living. In the distance, quiet fishing boats were docked on the river, with a cluster of stilt houses lining the banks.

At first, there weren’t many people in the village, but as a few women washing clothes by the river saw them, they immediately started whispering. Soon, the whole village was stirred up, and nearly every household had a few heads popping out, all with curious eyes.

Yinreng, who had wanted to secretly investigate the lives of the common people, found himself surrounded by ragged villagers as soon as he entered the village: “…”

Cheng Wanyun barely held back a laugh — she had purposely not told the Crown Prince about this.

At that time, most villages were incredibly isolated, and any strangers who came would inevitably be watched. This was also the reason why Cheng Wanyun supported the Crown Prince not riding a horse or using a carriage — because one would realize that a village likely wouldn’t even have many oxen or mules, let alone horses.

In comparison to these villagers dressed in patched clothes, wearing straw sandals or sometimes no shoes at all, their attire was already “immensely rich and noble.” The best-dressed person they may have seen was perhaps their landlord or that lady who lived in a big house with green bricks and tiles, whose tenant farmers would pull a mule to take her out. These villagers could never have imagined that the clean and fair-skinned “scholar” standing before them was actually the Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty.

By the time Yinreng came to his senses, the village chief, who was also the clan head and town chief, had already appeared before him.

The village chief was wearing a relatively clean dark brown coat and a melon-shaped cap. He appeared to be around fifty years old, with wrinkles on his face that looked like creases, and his beard was turning gray. He asked, half in surprise and half in doubt, “Gentlemen, who are you…?”

E Chu quickly jumped down from the cart, and taking out a pre-prepared speech, he said, “Sir, our young master is a scholar traveling to the capital to take the imperial examination. After days of exhausting travel, he passed through your village and is seeking a place to rest for a few days.”

The mule cart did not have curtains, so the village chief had already noticed a man and a woman sitting inside. Yinreng discreetly shielded Cheng Wanyun behind him, but the chief’s murky eyes still caught a glimpse of the woman’s fingers, which were whiter than snow… The village chief was thinking to himself: This is indeed the year of the big imperial exams. Scholars have been passing through their village every few years, but their village is so close to Tongzhou that hardly anyone would choose to stay here. This was the first time he’d encountered such a situation.

And, on top of that, it was a young master traveling with so many attendants and women. Why would he choose to stay in such a poor village?

But as E Chu spoke, he took out some small change and offered it as a deposit for their lodging, and the village chief’s mind went blank. His eyes stayed glued to the coins, and his mouth moved faster than his brain: “Alright, alright! You noble gentlemen please! I have a house! It’s a big stilt house, with seven or eight rooms, and a new roof with green tiles. Very clean!” Of course, the house was already full, but that didn’t matter. For the sake of the small amount of money, he could make his wife and children go back to their maternal homes for a few days. One day’s worth of money was like finding treasure.

Before he finished speaking, a boy carrying firewood taller than him squeezed out of the crowd. The heavy load of firewood bent him over, but he struggled to raise his head and called out to E Chu: “Noble scholar, my family has a house too! Please stay with us! We only ask for twenty wen a day!”

Was someone trying to steal his business in front of him? The village chief was about to explode in anger, but when he turned around and saw who it was, his fury disappeared. He looked reluctantly at the small change in E Chu’s hand, his lips moved slightly, and finally, with a sigh, he pulled the boy over to E Chu and bowed: “Gentlemen, this child’s family is in hardship. His father drowned while working on the boat. His mother, in order to support the children, has worked so hard at weaving that her eyes have gone blind, and her hands are ruined. Now, their whole family is struggling to survive… Their house is also a stilt house, though with a thatched roof, it is warm in winter and cool in summer. I can vouch for them — they are honest and good people…”

E Chu remained unmoved. This kind of thing happened often. The village chief’s house was better, at least it had a tiled roof, and there were seven or eight rooms. He could have someone tidy it up in no time and then stay there. So, he was about to refuse.

However, just as he was about to speak, a cough came from the mule cart behind him.

E Chu almost choked on his own saliva and swallowed his words with difficulty, turning back to look at the Crown Prince with a look of grievance. At that moment, the Crown Prince appeared almost like a foolish ruler—inside the dimly lit cart, covered with an oilcloth, Side Concubine Cheng’s delicate, boneless arm was draped around the Crown Prince’s shoulder. Her long, jade-like fingers gently brushed against his ear, her chin barely visible as she whispered something in his ear. The Crown Prince had a loving smile on his face as he listened.

After Side Concubine Cheng finished speaking, the Crown Prince slowly said, “I will stay at the child’s house with Second Madam, Huai Jing, and Fudali. You can stay at the village chief’s house.”

E Chu habitually kneeled, thinking, ‘How could someone of our status stay in a thatched hut while the master stays in a big house?’ But then, seeing the Crown Prince’s warning glance, he held himself back and, with his last bit of strength, hesitated before saying, “Master, we haven’t even seen the house. It might be more reasonable to check it out first…”

This was only fair. Cheng Wanyun and Yinreng both nodded in agreement.

It was E Chu’s responsibility to ensure their safety, and this visit to the village was a temporary measure. Otherwise, E Chu would have already made arrangements for their lodging. Most of their luggage was still in Tongzhou, and there were already fifty people who had reached Xiong County to charter boats. Another twenty people were left in Tongzhou, and ten were on the road carrying messages. With seventy to eighty people by their side, this village was not capable of accommodating them. Apart from E Chu, the Shi brothers, and Huai Jing, the others were scattered outside the village on alert. They had probably searched the nearby mountains already.

So, they first went to the boy’s house. The village chief led the firewood-carrying boy to guide them, while the villagers, who had been surrounding them, were reluctant to leave and kept muttering in their local dialect as they followed.

The boy’s house was in a stilt house by the river. The stone-paved road was too narrow for the mule cart to enter, so Cheng Wanyun and the Crown Prince got out of the cart. She didn’t wear a veil, as the Crown Prince hadn’t asked her to, and she didn’t want to wear one either. Just like a Manchu noblewoman, she never wore a veil when going out. Similarly, Manchu girls didn’t bind their feet.

As she held the Crown Prince’s hand and stepped down, she heard the faint sound of a “hiss.” The voices of the villagers murmuring around them grew louder. Cheng Wanyun noticed their faces, and her thoughts inevitably drifted. Was this what it meant to “show her face”? Compared to this, the practice of binding feet was far more restrictive for women. Foot binding started in the Ming Dynasty but became more widespread during the Qing. In contrast, the Manchu people didn’t bind their feet, and there was no such rule in the imperial palace. When the Empress Dowager was alive, she had issued multiple imperial edicts forbidding Manchu women from binding their feet, with punishments for those who disobeyed, including their families and local officials.

Why was this only limited to Manchu women? Because after the Qing army entered the pass, Emperor Shunzhi issued two decrees: one was the “hair-cutting order” and the other was the “foot-binding order.” As a result, after countless Han men lost their lives, the others were forced to humiliatingly “cut their hair and leave their heads,” shifting all their sorrow and helplessness onto women. This led to countless obstacles in the policy of freeing women’s feet, all in the name of fulfilling the so-called “virtue” of men, who believed in “men descending, women not descending.”

It was as if that pair of golden lotus feet, tightly holding onto a Han woman’s life, allowed them to forget their humiliations.

It is laughable to use a woman’s freedom and life to uphold one’s own self-serving righteousness. Cheng Wanyun was grateful to be born into the Han military banner, where girls had to undergo the selection process, and the Empress Dowager had issued an imperial decree: “Women who bind their feet will be executed upon entering the palace.” This allowed her to retain her unbound feet, even in the most conservative region of Huizhou, which followed the teachings of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. However, this did not stop her from despising the filthy expressions and gazes of others. She didn’t even look at them. With Bitao supporting her, she lifted her chin and walked with the Crown Prince into the dense rows of stilted houses.

Yinreng noticed that Wanyun’s emotions were shifting, as her hand, held by him, was growing cold and tense. He tightened his grip, his strength making her turn her head to look at him. The Crown Prince silently comforted her, “Don’t be afraid.”

She wasn’t afraid. Cheng Wanyun took each step deliberately, as if she wanted to crush something beneath her feet.

The stilted houses here were different from the courtyards or walled houses in the capital. They were supported by wooden pillars and divided into two floors, which saved land and were inexpensive to build. The boy’s house was not very big. The upper floor had four rows of five rooms, with a large hall in the middle. The rooms on the left and right were small, and the farthest right room was a kitchen.

Outside the house, there was a winding corridor surrounding the building, offering a clear view of the river from above.

The lower floor was used for work and storage, and also for raising chickens and ducks. The boy’s house was very tidy. When they arrived, his older sister was sweeping the floor with a bamboo broom in a circle. The stone-paved floor was so clean that no trace of dirt could be seen. Their family hadn’t had time to tidy up beforehand, but it was clear that despite losing their pillar, they still worked hard and kept things in order.

Cheng Wanyun immediately felt a sense of affection.

When the girl saw so many people coming, she quickly ran into the chicken coop to hide.

The stilt houses were built very close to each other, almost interconnected. Cheng Wanyun stood in the corridor, looking out over the whole area of stilt houses by the mountains and river. Between the high and low houses, the smoke from cooking fires and the lights were partially obscured by the clouds and mist drifting down from the mountains. The air was cool and damp, filled with the fresh scent of mountain breezes.

As soon as Yinreng saw the bright gleam in Wanyun’s eyes, he knew she liked this place.

And there was an advantage to staying here—the family had no male head, so they didn’t have to be so cautious. Yinreng hadn’t forgotten how Wanyun’s back had stiffened when she got out of the carriage. She was angry. At first, Yinreng didn’t understand, but after hearing the few words hidden beneath the thick local accent of the villagers, he realized.

If they were in the palace, he would have already had those people dragged away and beaten. But here, as he looked at the ignorant, narrow-minded, yet incredibly simple and sincere expressions of the common folk, he fell silent.

They didn’t understand the right principles because no one had taught them the correct ones.

In the end, the issue was that the education of the common people was still lacking.