Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

Mingzhu disdainfully brushed aside the chubby fingers that were nearly in his face, then took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe his hands clean. He then said in surprise, “Yuhan, why are you getting angry? Did I say something wrong?”

Kangxi couldn’t help but rub his forehead.

Suoetu, furious, leaned back and gritted his teeth, saying, “Don’t call me Yuhan.”

“Don’t be angry, Yuhan,” Mingzhu said with a smile, “I was just joking.”

Suoetu turned his head to look at Kangxi, seeking to end the argument. He lifted his ceremonial robes and knelt, saluting, “Your Majesty, I would rather resign from this position of inner minister and fight Galdan as a vanguard than stay here and be insulted!”

Yinreng, who was seated on the chair beside Kangxi’s throne, sighed upon witnessing this scene. His uncle, who had helped the Emperor capture Aobai, pacify the Three Feudatories, and reclaim Taiwan, was a man of great military skill, adept at surprising his enemies and deeply supported by officers and soldiers. However, when it came to Mingzhu, his rival, he seemed to lose all composure, as if cursed, losing his dignity and whatever little wisdom he had left.

Six years ago, he had been tricked by Mingzhu—after being goaded by him, he had drunkenly berated Prince Yuchun, Fuquan, in a show of arrogance, which caused a severe rift between them. Soon after, his misdeeds were brought to light by the ministers, and he was stripped of his posts as a political minister, inner minister, and the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. He was sent back home to reflect on his actions.

It wasn’t until the 25th year of Kangxi’s reign that he was reinstated after Yinreng interceded on his behalf.

Yinreng glanced sideways and saw that Kangxi’s temples were throbbing with veins, indicating that the Emperor was somewhat angry. And it was at moments like this… Yinreng sighed inwardly, but before he could even release the breath, a stern voice came from beside him.

“Crown Prince.”

He numbly stood up and bowed. “Your son is here.”

Now, the Emperor would ask him for his thoughts.

“Tell me your opinion.”

He glanced around at Suoetu, who had his arms crossed, closing his eyes and unwilling to look at Mingzhu; Mingzhu, grinning like a fox; and Tong Guowei, who remained silent, staring at the Persian carpet as if in deep meditation.

It was always like this.

Uncle and Mingzhu were arguing, while Tong Guowei watched the drama unfold. The Emperor didn’t want to hurt the feelings of these two trusted ministers, so he always pushed Yinreng forward to mediate and smooth things over.

Yinreng felt that he must have been a bricklayer in his past life, which was why he was always working with mud in this one.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of Cheng Gege in his residence and her words: “I treat others with sincerity. How is fulfilling my stepmother’s wishes wrong? I do not want my father to be put in a difficult position.”

Because of his closeness to his uncle, Yinreng always took it upon himself to help his uncle out of difficult situations. But was this really what the Emperor wanted? Shouldn’t he be prioritizing the Emperor’s wishes?

Suddenly, it felt like a light bulb had gone off in his mind.

“Your son believes that we should seek peace with the Russian Empire.”

As soon as Yinreng said this, he noticed Suoetu suddenly open his eyes in disbelief, staring at him.

For the first time, he didn’t look to his uncle, but instead, he spoke his mind honestly: “The true threat to our Qing Empire is Galdan, who repeatedly provokes us and seeks to destabilize the Mongol tribes, shaking the very foundation of our empire. Galdan has a wild ambition, and we will soon be at war with him. Therefore, we should not take the risk of engaging in battle with the Russians at this time.”

Even Mingzhu raised an eyebrow at this.

“Go on,” Kangxi encouraged. He gazed at his upright and honorable eldest son, whose face resembled the gentle Empress He Shenli, especially those soft and clear eyes. Usually, those eyes were filled with hesitation, but now they seemed bright and transparent.

This was the child he had raised with such high hopes.

“However, the land the Russians seek is not simply the ‘few patches of barren land’ that the Prime Minister speaks of,” Yinreng continued with unwavering determination, staring directly at Kangxi. “The territory in question—Nibu Chu—was once part of our Qing’s Maomingan tribe’s grazing grounds. Yakesa is the ancestral land of our Daurs, and the entire Heilongjiang region, including all its tributaries, belongs to our Qing Empire. We cannot allow the Russians to take it from us! Moreover, Russia must hand over the traitor, Gendebul, who instigated Galdan’s attack on the Tüshiyetu Khanate, so that we can deal with him ourselves.”

“Well said! Well said!” Kangxi exclaimed, standing up in excitement. He slapped Yinreng on the back with approval. “You have made great progress in the past few days listening to my administration! Well done!”

Yinreng almost got knocked down the steps by his father’s sudden slap. Fortunately, due to his regular martial arts training, he managed to steady himself in time. He cupped his hands and said, “Your son only wishes to relieve the Emperor’s concerns.”

Seeing that the Crown Prince was praised, Suoetu, who had been angry earlier, no longer cared about his previous irritation. He shamelessly stepped forward, his face full of joy, and said, “I was thoughtless earlier. Hearing His Highness’ words is like clouds parting to reveal the moon!”

Mingzhu silently rolled his eyes and was even more perplexed.

What made the Crown Prince suddenly come to his senses? Who helped him realize this?

Tong Guowei, who had been pretending to be mute, also chimed in, “Your Highness has given this matter great consideration. I’ve heard that the Russian envoy has hurried toward Nibu Chu, and our envoy should be selected soon.”

Kangxi pondered for a moment, just about to speak, when Liang Jiugong rushed in, practically falling to the ground. “Your Majesty, Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia is gravely ill!!”

Kangxi and Tong Guowei both stood up simultaneously.

“Let’s adjourn for today, we will discuss it tomorrow,” Kangxi said, no longer able to attend to anything else, and hurriedly left. “Crown Prince, please escort them out.”

Mingzhu stood up first, bowing to Yinreng. “Your Highness need not send me off,” he said, then turned to look at Suoetu, who was still standing there like a block of wood, seemingly lost in thought. Mingzhu walked over, flicked his forehead with his finger, and before Suoetu could start yelling, he said, “Suoetu, I dug up the Yiquan wine I buried fifteen years ago, the one you so eagerly buried back then.”

Suoetu instantly stopped cursing and snorted coldly. “What, you want to invite me to drink and make amends?”

Mingzhu didn’t bother explaining. He grabbed Suoetu’s sleeve and started walking out. “Let’s go, His Majesty is too busy. Come to my house and sit for a while.”

The two of them bickered and pulled at each other, moving farther away. Yinreng was left speechless. Even his uncle had forgotten to speak to him?

Meanwhile, Tong Guowei, pale and shaken, collapsed to the ground, his face covered with tears. The eunuchs tried to help him up, but despite their combined efforts, they couldn’t lift him.

Yinreng went over to assist. Tong Guowei wiped his tears with his sleeve, choked with emotion, and stammered, “I dare not, I dare not…” He shakily stood up, lowered his head, and left the palace.

At the moment of life and death, as an outsider, he hadn’t been summoned and couldn’t see his young daughter one last time.

A mere step away felt as distant as the heavens.

Yinreng watched Tong Guowei’s unsteady figure, his long shadow stretching behind him, which only made the scene more desolate.

When he withdrew his gaze, he noticed the empty palace, and it suddenly struck him that he was the only one left.

When he was young, it had often been this way. Kangxi was busy with state affairs, and he would play alone in the next room, refusing to sleep until Kangxi returned. Liang Jiugong would carry him around the palace, telling him all sorts of stories.

Yinreng stood in silence for a while, then called out to He Baozhong to send someone to guard Jingren Palace. He would return to Yuqing Palace to change his clothes and come back.

Tong Mother was one of the few kind people in the palace, but good people never seemed to live long.

He thought of his mother, whom he had never met. In Kangxi’s words, she was the best wife, but their fate had been too brief.

Yinreng left Qianqing Palace, about to head toward the carriage, when he saw a few eunuchs quickly carrying an elderly doctor with a graying beard. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared down a palace alley.

Was it the same when his mother passed away?

He felt a tightness in his chest and suddenly had the urge to see Cheng Gege. This thought came as a surprise to him, and he couldn’t explain why, but… it seemed that seeing her happy and at ease would help him calm down. Around her, he felt as though he didn’t have to think about anything, and she never asked anything of him.

He called He Baozhong back: “Go and tell Cheng Gege that I want to see her.”