Concubine of the Eastern Palace (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)

At the last moments of the You time (You time: period between 5 PM and 7 PM), Cheng Wanyun and the Crown Prince’s group boarded a flat-bottomed cargo ship that had just unloaded grain. To encourage the transport of grain and save resources, the government had issued an order allowing cargo ships to carry goods such as wine, cloth, and bamboo along their route after unloading grain, and even allowed these ships to pick up passengers, operating both freight and passenger services simultaneously.

With the addition of his personal guards, E Chu could easily afford to hire an entire cargo ship. Since they paid well, the head of the ship’s crew treated E Chu like a wealthy merchant, constantly attending to him, calling him “Sir” and “Master,” offering free luggage handling, cleaning all five cabins, and even burning incense.

A ship had thirteen cabins. The front part was where Cheng Wanyun and her companions stayed, while the back was filled with goods the ship’s crew planned to sell at various ports.

When Cheng Wanyun had first come to the capital to participate in the imperial selection, she had traveled on a small merchant boat, which was so bumpy in rough seas that it could easily make people faint in their cabins. In contrast, the grain transport ship was large and stable, and Cheng Wanyun felt energetic on it. She could even go up to the deck to enjoy the view.

Being from the South, Cheng Huai Jing, and the Shi brothers had all grown up in the southern region. They could even run and practice martial arts on the deck, feeling great. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, who was a typical Northerner, got seasick as soon as the ship set sail. Fortunately, it wasn’t too serious. After taking the pills E Chu had prepared, he rested for one or two hours and finally felt well enough to get up and take a few steps.

There were also many guards and personal soldiers who suffered from seasickness. E Chu handed out medicine to everyone. He also gave them dried orange peels to smell and had the non-seasick ones help take care of them. As someone who often traveled between the South and North, E Chu had once been seasick too. But after vomiting a few times, he had gotten used to it.

The dried orange peels were a gift from the Eldest Brother Da Zhu, who had dried a whole bag of fresh peels to sell to herbal shops for money. However, the Crown Prince secretly had E Chu slip a hundred taels of silver to them, which nearly frightened the children to death.

They repeatedly waved their hands, refusing, and insisted on only accepting a small amount of money.

E Chu forced the silver into Da Zhu’s hands.

Cheng Wanyun and the Crown Prince had the following thoughts: they originally planned to leave all the pots, pans, bowls, grain, oil, rice, and flour for the family, but they were worried that the family might be targeted by thieves at night. After all, the household only had an elderly, blind mother in charge. While losing money wasn’t ideal, they were more concerned about the possibility of harm coming to them. So, on the surface, they had E Chu take most of the pots, sand pots, rice, flour, oil, and meat, leaving only a month’s worth of rations for the family. In reality, they secretly gave them silver notes that could be easily hidden. Later, the Crown Prince even considered the possibility of the family going to a money exchange and being robbed. He made special arrangements for a person to stay in Tongzhou to tell Da Zhu’s family that when they needed to exchange money, they should go to him.

The Crown Prince wasn’t keen on carrying the grain, so Cheng Wanyun suggested distributing it to Da Zhu’s neighbors and the village head. If the orphaned and elderly mother had survived so far without starving, it meant that most of the neighbors and the village head were good people. Otherwise, a household of old, weak, sick, and widowed people would have long since been exploited by others.

The reasoning behind this was twofold: first, people often complain not about being poor but about inequality. By sharing, everyone would benefit a little, reducing the potential for envy and discord. Second, it would ensure that the neighbors would continue to help the family in the future, rather than thinking, “Now that Da Zhu’s family is wealthy, they no longer need us.”

When Da Zhu’s mother found out, she almost knocked her head against the ground in gratitude to Cheng Wanyun. She immediately took out all the dried orange peels her family had painstakingly saved up. The sack of dried peels might only be worth a few taels of silver, but it was a small gift with great meaning, as they had nothing else to offer.

Yinreng knew that if he refused the gift outright, they would never feel at ease. Also, Da Zhu had said, “Dried orange peels have a fragrant aroma and can prevent seasickness.” Hearing that E Chu was inquiring about the ship and sincerely considering their well-being, Yinreng felt even more touched and allowed E Chu to accept the gift.

After settling Da Zhu’s family, they boarded the mule cart and returned along the same route. Da Zhu walked with them for three miles barefoot, sending them out of the village. Finally, E Chu stopped him, insisting he couldn’t go any further. When Cheng Wanyun looked back, she saw him kneeling in the middle of the road, bowing to their cart, his head knocking loudly against the ground.

The Crown Prince couldn’t help but look back twice, but in his heart, he wondered, ‘What difference is there between Han people and Banner people?’ They were so simple and kind, even in the face of such a large sum of silver, they could still maintain their integrity. This was something he had never expected.

No wonder the Emperor always insisted on the unity of the Manchu and Han people. In Yinreng’s mind, Emperor Kangxi’s image grew even more towering and majestic.

From Tongzhou to Tianjin Port, the boat ride took more than half a day. When they finally reached the shore, it was just dawn the next day. Cheng Wanyun, having finally rested and no longer feeling dizzy, pulled the Crown Prince out of bed to watch the sunrise.

The scene of “the sunrise over the river, with flowers redder than fire” was so captivating! Although they weren’t yet in Jiangnan, and there were no flowers by the dock, the cold northern wind hit their faces as they watched the river gradually turn orange, and the sunlight pierced through the water’s surface. Slowly, a golden sun rose from the water, shimmering over the waves, while the stars and fading moon in the sky seemed to dim in comparison.

Cheng Wanyun leaned against the deck railing, listening to the sound of the sails flapping in the wind, unable to suppress her silent exclamation of awe.

The sunrise over the river was truly beautiful.

It was like something boiling, burning—so bright and dazzling. The grain ship they were on slowly approached the Tianjin Port, and the entire dock was bathed in the radiating sunlight.

But Yinreng wasn’t looking at the sunrise. He was watching her.

He watched her lean over the railing, half her body extended, as if she wanted to reach out and touch the sun. He saw her bright eyes, as if they too were ignited by the sunlight. He saw her clothes fluttering in the wind as she gazed at the dazzling sun, as though she might take flight at any moment.

The moist wind from the river brushed against them, cool and refreshing. Suddenly, Yinreng’s heart clenched for a moment. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed her sleeve. Cheng Wanyun, unaware, turned back excitedly and said to him, “Your Highness, don’t you think it looks like a freshly made pancake? Golden, crispy, and fragrant!”

Yinreng smoothed her hair, which had become tousled from the wind, and couldn’t help but smile. “You must be hungry. We’ll be able to go down and have breakfast soon. Just hold on a little longer.”

His heartbeat gradually returned to normal, but for some reason, he had a fleeting sensation that Cheng Wanyun didn’t belong to this world, didn’t belong to him. He felt like if he let go, he might lose her.

Had he lost his mind? That thought passed almost immediately. He didn’t even know why it had crossed his mind. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t slept well on the boat.

The port was bustling, much like every other grain transport dock—there was no clear boundary between night and day. It was always noisy and busy. The stalls selling breakfast were already sending up steam, with some even having long queues outside their doors.

Cheng Wanyun, feeling a little impatient, whispered to the Crown Prince, “Shall we get off the boat and have breakfast? I’ll have Huai Jing bring our own bowls and chopsticks. It’ll be fun to eat among the crowd!”

Yinreng had been wanting to get off the boat for a while. This was the first time he had longed for solid ground, so he nodded. He called E Chu over, took the pouch from his waist, and instructed him to take care of the others’ meals and not follow them for now.

“Let Cheng Huai Jing and the Shi brothers stay with us. After we’re done with breakfast, we’ll meet back at the dock. You’ll find a few private boats for us to take, and we’ll head straight for the Beitang Battery. Once we’re there, send word to the Fourth Brother and have him bring two or three hundred men to meet us,” Yinreng said with difficulty as he stepped off the boat.

He realized that, instead of feeling the solid ground beneath his feet, it felt as though he was walking on cotton. The sensation of walking was still light and airy, almost no different from being on the boat. He even felt like the ground was swaying beneath him. If it hadn’t been for Cheng Wanyun’s constant temptation, he might have fallen the moment he stepped off the boat.

Cheng Wanyun was clearly gripping his arm tighter, which made Yinreng feel somewhat embarrassed.

It was truly embarrassing.

E Chu was taking care of the various matters, but when he turned back and saw the Crown Prince and the Side Concubine closely following each other off the boat, he couldn’t help but feel that just looking at them filled him up in a way that even his previously empty stomach felt strangely satisfied.

He wasn’t lying—Yinreng was truly too attached to Cheng Wanyun! E Chu had never seen how they interacted before, but over the past few days, he had been constantly enveloped in a strange atmosphere of being inexplicably full, as if watching them was enough to fill him up.

When they were outside, the Crown Prince restrained himself a bit, but still, from time to time, he would tidy a strand of her hair, adjust her sleeve, and whenever they encountered a threshold or stairs, he would stop and wait for her, turning around to reach out and take her hand. At mealtime, he would serve her food, always worried she might choke, so he’d give her water early. No matter what she wanted to do, the Crown Prince would mostly smile faintly and say, “Alright.”

When they were indoors, the Crown Prince often pulled her into his arms to sit and hold her, even if it was just for a few words. When Cheng Wanyun was getting ready in the morning, he would dutifully hold the mirror behind her so she could see if her hairstyle was well done. E Chu couldn’t have known this, but he had come across these intimate moments more than once when he went to report things to the Crown Prince.

E Chu felt a mix of jealousy and fullness in his heart.

So, when he saw them getting off the boat and closely leaning on each other in public today, he had become somewhat numb to it.

He didn’t know, however, that the one leaning on the Crown Prince was Cheng Wanyun, because the aftermath of his seasickness hadn’t completely passed yet, and he had no choice but to rely on her. If the Crown Prince knew what E Chu was thinking, he would have kicked him into the river to clear his head.

As soon as Cheng Wanyun got off the boat, she spotted a breakfast stall selling pancake rolls. Nearby, there were other vendors selling wontons, fried buns, and rolled snacks. Her eyes lit up as she grabbed the Crown Prince and rushed over. “Your Highness! Let’s have that! It must be delicious!”

Poor Yinreng felt like his legs were made of noodles. He couldn’t keep up with Cheng Wanyun as she dashed ahead. In the end, Huai Jing and Fudali each grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along in a sprint.

Yinreng: “…”

Fine. It was rare for Cheng Wanyun to be so happy.

Cheng Wanyun, suddenly realizing she was being a bit too careless, stopped at the breakfast stall and quickly became attentive, wiping down the table and chair for the Crown Prince before sitting down, eagerly awaiting.

Yinreng glared at her. Cheng Wanyun quickly flashed him a flattering smile. “Your Highness, I was saving a seat for you!”

“You’re not hungry, are you? How could you be this famished?” Yinreng wasn’t really angry, he just gave her a light pinch, and that was the end of it.

Cheng Wanyun felt a little embarrassed. “You don’t understand! There are so many delicious things in Tianjin! Once we leave, we won’t find this shop again!”

Especially the pancake rolls.

If someone were to list the most authentic pancake rolls in the future, foodies across the country would probably unanimously vote for Tianjin. I’ve heard that the pancake rolls in Tianjin are made with the finest mung bean flour, the batter is spread evenly, an egg is cracked on top, it’s lightly fried, then a crispy fritter is added, scallions are sprinkled, and fragrant sauce is brushed on. The whole thing is folded and rolled up, served fresh and hot! It’s so delicious!

Then there are the rolled snacks, a favorite among old-time Tianjin residents. The filling for the rolled snacks is a special “Tianjin taste,” made with bean sprouts, fermented tofu, dried tofu, and other ingredients. The outside is wrapped in a layer of tofu skin, deep-fried until golden and crispy! The bite is fragrant and crunchy, and it tastes amazing on its own. But when eaten with fried lotus root boxes or fried eggplant patties wrapped in a large pancake or a fried pancake, it’s simply divine!

Although later generations may have labeled the North as a culinary desert, Tianjin is definitely the exception!

When Cheng Wanyun approached the stall, she realized that the pancake rolls in Tianjin were actually called “pancakes wrapped,” and because eggs were expensive, most common people just ate pancake rolls with fried dough sticks. Only occasionally would the wealthier boatmen or transport officials add eggs, but most people couldn’t afford them. And those who did add eggs were local bigwigs, and the vendor wouldn’t dare charge them, basically making it a loss-making business. When the vendor heard that Cheng Wanyun wanted pancake rolls with eggs, his heart skipped a beat. He cautiously sized her up, noting that although she was dressed modestly, her fair complexion and clean hands, along with her maid and bodyguard by her side, made him hesitate before asking, “Madam, may I ask if… we require prepayment for eggs here… Would that be acceptable?”

Of course, it was acceptable. Cheng Wanyun never thought of getting something for nothing. She said boldly, “I’ll take five pancakes, each with two eggs.” For Cheng Wanyun, a pancake roll without eggs was incomplete!

Her generous order shocked both the stall owner and the people waiting around. They all turned to look. The vendor, standing there counting on his fingers, mumbled for a while: “A pancake without eggs costs two coins. Adding one egg would be an extra two coins, and two eggs would be four coins extra…”

“Oh, so it’s six coins for one pancake! For five pancakes, that’s thirty coins!” Cheng Wanyun quickly calculated and then turned to the Crown Prince, smiling, “Lord, may I trouble you to pay?”

The vendor was taken aback again, quickly cooking the pancakes while laughing, “Madam, you’re really quick with numbers!”

Of course! Cheng Wanyun didn’t shy away from the compliment. She even knew calculus! Although she was nearly forgetting most of it.

The Crown Prince, who had been struggling to get up, took the purse from E Chu and counted out the copper coins to hand to Fudali.

The vendor eagerly stuffed the coins into his clothes, thrilled inside. How wonderful it would be if he could always meet such reasonable, generous, and prompt customers!

After ordering the pancake rolls, Cheng Wanyun happily sat next to the Crown Prince. At that moment, Cheng Huai Jing also came back from the neighboring stall, bringing five bowls of wontons and a basket of fried buns. The little table was now fully covered with food.

Tianjin’s wontons were different from other places. They came in large or small fillings, with thin skin and a large filling, sold by the piece. The broth was clear and bright, garnished with cilantro, and a few drops of sesame oil. It was incredibly fragrant.

Cheng Wanyun took a bite of the pancake, then a wonton, nearly swallowing her own tongue in delight. With her sparkling eyes, she said to the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, these bowls and chopsticks are ours. They’re clean. Take a bite; they’re really delicious!”

This was the Crown Prince’s first time eating in such a place. The surroundings were filled with people, bustling with activity, and many were eating without tables or chairs, simply holding bowls. It felt as if, for the first time, they had become an ordinary couple in a common family, waking at dawn and resting at dusk, earning some silver to enjoy a good meal.

He lowered his head and tasted a spoonful of the wonton soup, the fresh, fragrant flavor lingering in his mouth. A warm, comforting feeling spread through him.

Cheng Wanyun ate two fried buns, one set of pancake rolls, and by the time the wontons arrived, she could eat no more. She was so full that she kept burping. Huai Jing, who was at that age where he could eat his family out of house and home, didn’t mind at all and casually took the leftover wonton soup from his sister, finishing it in a few bites.

Yinreng: “…” He suddenly started to reflect. Did he ever skimp on his subordinates? Why did the Cheng family seem to eat like they were starving?

After breakfast, Yinreng gradually regained his strength. With more energy in his legs, he walked around with Cheng Wanyun, who wanted to explore a bit more. They bought some assorted cakes, cooked pear cakes, sweet beans, and fried dough twists, effectively raiding the Tianjin port.

They then wandered over to a stall selling small ceramic bowls and plates. Although the rough pottery was a bit crude, they could paint the patterns or write words on them. The designs were charming, with squat, fat, round bowls and small plates in the shape of flower petals. These weren’t for eating, but were intended as decorative pieces for the home.

Cheng Wanyun imagined the scholarly-looking stall owner painting a picture of her and the Crown Prince on one of the plates. The artist, skilled in his craft, quickly sketched their figures with a few strokes and even added a serene scene of vast misty waters and boats in the distance.

After the painting was done, Yinreng thought that the skill wasn’t as good as his own, but the brushwork had a natural, free-flowing quality that made it still worth a glance. The glaze on the plate was quite rough, but he comforted himself: after all, this was just a trinket from a street stall. Its roughness had its own charm, and most importantly, Cheng Wanyun liked it.

In the end, two plates were painted, and Yinreng asked the price. The scholar blinked and said, “I’ll charge you fifty coins.”

This was a custom piece, and Yinreng thought it wasn’t expensive. He was about to pay out of habit when Cheng Wanyun raised an eyebrow and put the plate back, saying, “What? Twenty coins! If you think that’s fine, go ahead and write up a receipt, but if not, you can wash off the paint while it’s still wet. We won’t take it.”

She put the plate down and pretended to turn away.

The scholar immediately turned red in the face and called out, “It’s all painted already! The paint and brushes cost money too! Don’t go, okay, okay! Since we’ve met, I’ll let you have it for forty coins!”

Yinreng watched as Cheng Wanyun turned around and, with great righteousness, said, “You seem like an honest person, so twenty-two coins! I’ll give in a little!”

“Ah, madam, that’s not really giving in! Thirty coins! No less!”

“Twenty-five coins! No more discussion! If not, I’m leaving!”

“Alright, alright, just for good luck since it’s the opening of the shop. You can take it for twenty-five!”

Yinreng: “…” When A Wan first said twenty coins, he really thought she might get slapped! But in the end, she actually managed to haggle it down! Is this how bargaining works?

Fifty coins wasn’t a big deal for the Crown Prince, but for Cheng Wanyun, the joy was in the bargaining process! She happily took the two plates, and as the scholar wrapped them in rice paper for her, she even asked for a small, plain teacup to be added with a perfectly reasonable request: “Let’s be friends, and I’ll send customers your way! You seem like an honest person, don’t you?”

Scholar: “…”

Yinreng: “…” That was impressive.

In the end, Cheng Wanyun really did take two plates and a plain teacup with her. As they walked, she leaned in and whispered to Yinreng, urging him to lower his head, “Later, can you draw a teacup for me? I’m sure your drawing will be much better than his!”

Her breath brushed against his ear like a feather, and although Yinreng appeared calm on the outside, his breath caught a little in his chest.

He nodded, “What do you want me to draw?”

“How about drawing the four of us—me, you, E Linzhu, and Hongxi?” Cheng Wanyun said, smiling. She felt carefree, unconstrained by rules, status, or formalities. The farther they were from the capital, the lighter her heart felt.

“Alright, as you wish,” Yinreng agreed easily. He took the items from her hands, holding her hand as well, and they continued walking, chatting and laughing toward the disembarking point.

Cheng Wanyun daydreamed about the possibility of bringing the two children along next time. Hongxi and E Linzhu had never been anywhere other than Rehe since their birth!

When she was little, she used to run all around She County without feeling so constrained. She didn’t have a biological mother, and Madam Wu, her guardian, was a clever woman who preferred not to meddle too much. She only made sure Cheng Wanyun’s safety was ensured, leaving her to do as she pleased—whether it was going to the manor, shopping, or sometimes even accompanying Master Cheng on countryside trips or visiting relatives with Madam Wu.

Her bargaining skills had been honed back then, learned from the maids who accompanied her. The Cheng family wasn’t wealthy, so haggling was a must when going out to buy things.

In her past life, she hadn’t dared to haggle, too shy to push too hard. Even when she did, she would only dare to knock off five or ten coins. That was until she saw her family’s maid bargaining with a cloth shop owner—engaging in a fierce, drawn-out negotiation. She began by building rapport: “Where are you from in She County? What a coincidence! My wife’s neighbor’s aunt’s niece is from there too. We’re practically family!” Then she lavished compliments on the shopkeeper: “You have such a blessed face, look how full your celestial frame is!” With a heap of auspicious words, she ended up convincing the shopkeeper to give her a good deal.

Cheng Wanyun learned the art of negotiation from her.

After they returned, E Chu had already arranged the boat to Beitang, and the messenger sent to the Fourth Brother had returned, saying that the Fourth Master knew, and he was already on his way to Beitang with his men.

Yinreng asked, “Where are the Fourth Master and the others staying now?”

“They’re at the Zhi Li Governor’s Office,” E Chu replied, “They’ve been staying there for nearly two days. Every day, a group of officials blocks them inside the office, queuing to meet them. They seem to be asking about you. Fourth Master said you were seasick, and the doctor told you to rest in your room, so they’ve been kept away.”

Yinreng nodded, “That’s good. Don’t let them know yet. We’ll let them come over when we reach Beitang.”

E Chu acknowledged the instruction.

They boarded the ship again, and this leg of the journey was shorter. Cheng Wanyun felt like she had just sat down to eat some pastries when they were already about to disembark.

When she got off the boat, she looked out toward the shore.

The Beitang fortifications face the Bohai Sea to the north, with flocks of migratory birds dotting the winding coastline. The sea is wide and calm, and in the distance, two fortresses connected by a rampart stand like silent soldiers, poised like swords in the ground, quietly towering and vigilantly guarding the country and its lands.