Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

Yinreng saw her looking as if she were on the verge of tears but unable to cry. He thought it was time to stop teasing her, so he called her to sit up and said with a light smile, “Alright, sit down. Are you homesick? It’s only natural. I heard you’re from Huizhou. At such a young age, you traveled a long distance to the capital; it’s only normal to miss home… Is your father a county magistrate? Who else is in your family?”

Cheng Wanyun sat at the other end of the heated bed and glanced at Yinreng from the corner of her eye. Seeing that even when he was at home and relaxed, he still sat upright with his back straight, though his expression seemed gentle and at ease, she gathered the courage to reply, “Replying to the Crown Prince, I am the eldest daughter in my family, with four younger siblings. I lost my mother when I was young, and all my siblings are from my stepmother… However, my stepmother is not a bad person, and my father and grandmother often look after me. I have never known sorrow or hardship; I just used to cause trouble every day.”

When Yinreng heard her mention “losing her mother at a young age,” his attention was immediately captured. As he listened, he noticed that she had become so cheerful, even forgetting to refer to herself as “this humble one.” Her bright apricot-shaped eyes sparkled, and her whole demeanor seemed lively. He could tell that her family relationships had been warm and harmonious.

He couldn’t help but want to hear more, so he wrinkled his nose and smiled, “The smell of mutton is overwhelming in here. Let’s go outside for a walk, and you can tell me more about your family.”

Cheng Wanyun only then realized that she had been causing the Crown Prince discomfort with the smell, and was about to apologize when Yinreng smiled and raised his hand to stop her, “It’s late, and the dew is heavy. Put on some clothes and come out.”

With that, he stood up and left, waiting outside.

She hurriedly called someone in to help her wash up, change her clothes, comb her hair, and change her shoes. Qingxing and Bitao were flustered and trembling in their hands, not having time for much adornment. She hastily pulled out a half-worn embroidered light-blue silk dress from the trunk, pinned a small, freshly picked orchid from the palace to her hair, and rushed out the door.

The night was beautiful, the moonlight clear and bright, spilling like flowing water across the ground. The slender, upright young man was standing in the moonlight, reaching out his hand toward her from a distance.

Cheng Wanyun paused for a moment, then silently stepped forward and placed her hand in his. Yinreng was the same age as her, but his palm was much larger than hers, warm and slightly rough with a bit of callus, holding her hand firmly.

Walking slightly behind him, she couldn’t help but think to herself. He was such a vibrant and gentle young man now, but twenty years later, he would be criticized by his own father, accused of numerous major crimes, and labeled as unfilial, cruel, and unjust. Ultimately, he would be driven mad, behaving erratically.

Even if she were to think that her own life was just a random collection of days, and that twenty-some years of muddling through would be enough, the thought of how a well-off person like him could end up like that in the future inevitably stirred her emotions.

In this mood, she remained silent for a long while.

It was Yinreng, still gazing at the maple tree swaying in the evening breeze, who finally spoke in a calm and indifferent tone, “When you were a child, without your mother, were you ever bullied by your half-siblings from your stepmother?”

Cheng Wanyun looked up. The night had shrouded most of his face in darkness, and she couldn’t make out his expression. She only felt that his face was still and expressionless, as if hidden behind a mask.

“Sibling rivalry and disagreements are common,” Cheng Wanyun thought back to how her younger siblings behaved like little quails around her and wondered how they could have dared to bully her. However, she said, “First, for the sake of family harmony, and second, I didn’t want my father to worry. I’ve always been accommodating, but as the eldest sister, I do discipline my younger siblings when it’s necessary.”

“Doesn’t your stepmother overstep her boundaries?” Yin Zheng asked.

Cheng Wanyun blinked. “I treat people with sincerity.” (In other words, she maintained the image of the pure, virtuous person she portrayed.)

“Treating people with sincerity? Then how do you discipline your siblings?”

Cheng Wanyun gave an example.

“When I was seven, my grandmother asked my uncle to find a female teacher to specifically teach me poetry, books, and painting. My stepmother heard about it and praised it, but then said to my father and the servants, ‘One concern I have is that Wanyun has always been independent and doesn’t like scholarly pursuits. If she’s left to study alone, she might not persist for long. It’s better to have some of the younger sisters join her, and it will only cost a bit more in tuition.'”

“Hmph, really showing her true intentions,” Yinreng sneered when he heard this. “She thought it was unfair but didn’t want to say it outright. Instead, she cleverly suggested that your father include her own children in the study, hoping to get them involved. What happened next? How did you respond?”

Cheng Wanyun smiled and said, “I took the initiative to clarify with my father, expressing my willingness to have a few younger sisters study with me.”

Yinreng furrowed his brows. “Isn’t that just going along with your stepmother’s wish?”

“As my stepmother said, it would be even better if the younger sisters could join in, so of course, I was happy to agree,” Cheng Wanyun responded. “Moreover, my father has always been kind to me, and this way, it would save him from being put in a difficult position.” Of course, she wouldn’t mention that she had deliberately set a trap for her stepmother; instead, she chose to speak in ways that maintained her own image. “When my father heard this, he was indeed pleased and said I had matured and shown the dignity of an elder sister. He privately gave me a set of fine writing materials and doubled my allowance. My stepmother also expressed her gratitude and made several new outfits for me.”

By now, Cheng Wanyun was no longer nervous. Today, she had almost made a mistake due to relying on past experiences, but now, she had gained a better understanding of the young Crown Prince’s temperament. Whether in her past life or this one, she was very sensitive to people’s emotions, which often helped her be someone who understood the situation and avoided causing offense.

Tonight, she could actually sense that the Crown Prince had been in a gloomy mood when he first arrived, which made her nervous. However, to her surprise, he later behaved very approachable, even seeming to take a peculiar pleasure in watching people make mistakes, which strangely earned him some goodwill in her eyes. As a result, she quickly adjusted how she interacted with him.

When she saw the Crown Prince wearing an expression that seemed to say, “You can be easily bought with such little kindness,” she couldn’t help but smile, her eyes narrowing with amusement. “Actually, it’s not a bad deal. My father has always remembered how I treat my younger siblings, so if I ever make a mistake in the future, I’ll just hold my father’s hand and act a little spoiled, and it’ll be forgiven.”

The Crown Prince looked at her with a face full of disbelief. “You’re grown, yet you still act like a child. What’s wrong with you?”

Cheng Wanyun proudly responded, “You don’t know, children who act spoiled get what they want. In front of my father, what’s wrong with a little shamelessness?”

The Crown Prince chuckled despite himself. “That’s quite a twisted logic you’ve got.”

Cheng Wanyun laughed along with him, feeling more at ease. The Crown Prince’s emotions were all too visible—his joy and anger showed openly. His straightforwardness was quite surprising. No wonder in the end, the scheming Fourth Prince managed to catch him off guard.

Thinking about this, she was struck with an idea and, with a light sigh, shook Yinreng’s hand. “The matter of studying still had consequences. I had good intentions, but the younger sisters were too mischievous. Instead of helping them, enrolling them in school only ended up being counterproductive. Not only did they fail to learn anything, but they even managed to get the teacher into trouble. My father was furious, and my younger sisters were punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall for three months. After that, my father declared that their talents were dull and they lacked manners. No matter how much I pleaded, he refused to let them continue their studies. Instead, he hired an old nanny to teach them etiquette, so I was left to study alone again… sigh.”

Yinreng listened, lost in thought.

Cheng Wanyun wisely kept silent. Although she wanted to remind the Crown Prince about how to get along with his brothers, she didn’t want to expose herself. If he began thinking of her as someone with a deep and calculating mind, that would be disastrous for her future.

After a while, she felt a hand gently stroking the top of her head. Yinreng seemed to be comforting her, saying, “Now that you’re away from home and in the palace, you’ll have to change your ways.”

Hmm? Cheng Wanyun struggled to lift her head under the gentle “head pat.” When she did, she found herself staring into the Crown Prince’s clear and bright eyes.

“Repay hatred with virtue—how should one repay virtue? Just keep this in mind.”

“…” It seemed he hadn’t caught the underlying meaning.

“It’s getting late, you should go back and rest.” The Crown Prince, as though guiding a naive child, held her hand in his palm. After a moment, he lowered his gaze and added, “But in Yuqing Palace, you need not fear.”

At last, Cheng Wanyun understood why, during the historic struggle for the throne, the Crown Prince’s faction always seemed so powerless. Emperor Kangxi had once commented that the Crown Prince was too “benevolent and weak,” fearing he wouldn’t be able to hold the ancestral legacy. It seemed like a fair judgment.

Behind them, He Baozhong had been silently observing with his mouth wide open. He had never seen the Crown Prince so relaxed and friendly with any concubine before. Before returning to the palace, the Crown Prince hadn’t been in a good mood, and He Baozhong had been on edge, carefully serving him. But to his surprise, with just a few words, Cheng Wanyun had managed to make the Crown Prince forget about the bothersome matters at the Southern Study.

It was truly strange.

He Baozhong quietly studied Cheng Wanyun, who was looking up to speak with the Crown Prince. The cold moonlight happened to fall on her face, illuminating her delicate features. Her eyes, now bathed in moonlight, seemed to gleam like stars.

He clicked his teeth and wondered if he should return the gold ingot that Lady Yang had given to his young disciple.

This Cheng Wanyun certainly didn’t seem like a simple woman.