LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 43 - Socializing
What should one do when a humble social butterfly is surrounded by one socially anxious person and another socially anxious person?
Cheng Wanyun chose to do nothing.
Because Liu Gege, the unique type of “socially anxious” person, would take care of everything for them.
Liu Gege and Song Gege didn’t come empty-handed.
Liu Gege had brought a servant who was tasked with carrying things. At first, Cheng Wanyun didn’t notice the strong, sweaty palace maid who was carrying items with one arm and holding a bag with the other. It wasn’t until Liu Gege turned to ask the maid for something that Cheng Wanyun was left dumbfounded.
The maid had a broad face and was dressed in a brown palace uniform that was stretched tightly over her body. She walked with a strong and imposing air, her voice ringing clearly. “Concubine, here’s this too!”
Liu Gege had brought three chessboards, four sets of leaf cards, three snack boxes, a large bundle of gauze palace flowers, two boxes of homemade jewelry, and even two ceramic jars of pickled radishes.
Song Gege was also taken aback, her expression matching Cheng Wanyun’s as they both stared in disbelief. Soon after, she lowered her head.
The Fourth Prince had asked her to accompany Cheng Gege and talk with her when she had the chance. She had carefully asked the Fourth Prince what gifts to bring when she returned. The Fourth Prince had taken it seriously and, in his spare time, personally selected two boxes of cordyceps and two boxes of swallow’s nest from his private vault.
But now, Liu Gege seemed to have brought everything but the kitchen sink. Would Cheng Gege think that she had neglected her? Song Gege was filled with anxiety, worried that she might mess up.
Indeed, Liu Gege was like an ant carrying food, as she took the boxes one by one from the maid and placed them neatly in the carriage, stacking them in a corner. At this point, Qingxing and Bitao had already prepared the small couch, and since the space inside the carriage was limited, they squeezed outside with Liu Gege and Song Gege.
Song Gege quietly greeted Cheng Wanyun, offering the gifts she had brought. When she saw that Cheng Wanyun did not appear displeased, she felt a little relieved and sat down quietly, not saying a word.
Liu Gege, however, was completely at ease. She sat directly across from Cheng Wanyun and began unpacking her mountain of items. With a cheerful tone, she said, “I heard from the Fifth Prince that His Majesty has decided not to stay at the Changshan Yu Palace tonight but will head straight to the Anziling Palace and the Wangjia Camp Palace, so we’ll be in the carriage until evening. I’ve brought lots of things to eat and play with, so we can pass the time together! Oh, and these jewelry pieces are new—I’ve made them recently, and I want to give them to you as a greeting gift! And this pickled radish—my mother made it, and it’s so delicious! It’s crunchy, sour, spicy, and sweet! I’m giving you some!”
As soon as Liu Gege brought out the pickled radish, Cheng Wanyun immediately felt a kinship with her over their shared love of food. Then, overwhelmed by Liu’s enthusiasm, she didn’t know how to respond, only able to repeatedly nod and say, “Good, good, thank you, thank you, you’re too kind.”
Liu Gege’s lively personality was rare in the palace, and though she seemed reckless, she actually knew how to read the room and tailor her behavior accordingly. At least Cheng Wanyun had noticed that she was very well-behaved around the Eldest Consort and Side Concubine Tian, which explained why the Fifth Prince was comfortable having her by his side, not worried about her causing trouble.
Song Gege, on the other hand, was quite interesting in her own way. She didn’t speak much, but her facial expressions were very expressive. She was a typical woman who had been tamed by palace rules and etiquette. Outside of the Fourth Prince’s courtyard, she didn’t dare say more than necessary or do anything out of line. However, there was still a hint of youthful curiosity in her, as she watched Liu Gege seemingly perform magic tricks, pulling out one item after another. She couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed, open her mouth in surprise, and occasionally scratch her head.
“This pastry is also very delicious, with filling inside! It’s made with freshly boiled cherry jam,” Liu Gege said, handing out some snacks. Cheng Wanyun then casually took out her “thermos.”
As soon as it appeared, she was met with two surprised and admiring looks from the concubines.
Since her pregnancy, she had been wanting a thermos, especially a large-capacity one. So, she drew a rough sketch, one that even the Crown Prince wouldn’t recognize, and had the people at the crafting department figure it out.
Under the supervision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, headed by the Crown Prince’s Chief Steward, Ling, they would respond to any request from the Yuqing Palace, no matter what. So when they received her scribbled design, the crafting department quickly sent a small eunuch who could draw, and respectfully asked for her clarification before immediately redrawing a new version.
Initially, she had wanted a large, belly-shaped thermos, but after the Crown Prince saw the new design, he fell silent for a long time before finally remarking, “It looks like a sputum bowl.”
Cheng Wanyun: “…”
She immediately had Jin go back to the crafting department for another revision.
This time, she obediently referred to the palace’s “hot water pots” and created a smaller version. It wasn’t the typical “wide mouth, short neck, long belly” shape, but instead, it was based on the slim, smooth cylindrical shape of modern thermoses. The inner lining was made of glass, while the outer part was made from official white porcelain, with a double-layer structure.
Although the Song Dynasty had glass products, they were mostly colored glass, and the Qing Dynasty was no different. However, glass-making techniques had become much more refined, and the applications were wider.
By this time, the Qing Dynasty had already begun producing large sheets of glass. Emperor Kangxi originally wanted to use them for window panes, but he eventually abandoned the idea because the glass wasn’t sturdy enough and didn’t have good heat resistance.
It’s said that the Governor of Guangdong once had large transparent glass panes imported from Europe as a tribute to Kangxi. The palace referred to it as “foreign glass,” but because of the high cost, most of the palace still used paper or fabric for windows.
Having the crafting department make a thermos with a glass inner lining wasn’t too difficult, though. In the end, they made four thermoses in total: two large ones and two small ones. The larger ones, based on modern standards, could hold about 1.5 liters of water, but when filled, they became too heavy. Cheng Wanyun usually kept one in her room as a constant temperature water dispenser. The smaller ones, around 400ml, were portable.
She also had the artisans paint delicate, detailed pictures of cats on the thermoses. There were cats chasing butterflies in a garden, curled up sleeping, sitting with a tiger-head hat, and even one lying on the edge of the thermos, wagging its tail. To make the painting as realistic as possible, the cat had to spend two days at the crafting department, so the artwork was vivid and lifelike.
Once the thermoses arrived, Cheng Wanyun couldn’t put them down, and with her usual indecisiveness, she didn’t know which one to use first. But the Crown Prince, with practiced ease, took one large and one small thermos for himself, so she didn’t have to choose anymore.
On this trip, Cheng Wanyun only brought the smaller one, filled with her usual health tea—rose, longan, and red dates tea. The thermos was especially convenient in the carriage, allowing her to drink hot tea whenever she wanted, without needing to keep adding charcoal to heat water.
Compared to the typical tea bowls, the large thermos was quite extraordinary in both size and design, naturally drawing attention.
Cheng Wanyun then took out two small cups and poured tea from the thermos for the consorts: “This is my usual flower tea. The rose petals are sun-dried by me. It’s a little bitter at first, but once you drink it, your mouth will be full of fragrance!”
They sat together like this, drinking tea, when Liu Gege, unable to sit still, opened the jewelry box and had Cheng Wanyun try on the flower-themed hairpins she had made. They acted like children from the future playing house, discussing which pin would look best with which hairstyle, or which flower should accompany which hairpin. They took turns styling each other’s hair, and after a while, even Song Gege relaxed significantly.
Liu Gege was skilled with her hands and very good at styling hair. She knew many methods of weaving and twisting hair. With a quick twist of her hands and a few turns of the hairpin, she could create a beautiful bun that was securely fastened and wouldn’t fall out.
Cheng Wanyun watched with wide eyes, but despite her best efforts, she couldn’t replicate the technique. Each time, her attempts failed.
Song Gege was the same. Eventually, they both ended up with their hair in messy disarray, which made Liu Gege laugh so hard she nearly fell over. “What happened to you two? Your hands are like someone else’s, they just won’t cooperate!”
After playing with their hair, Liu Gege pulled out colorful threads and challenged them to a braiding contest. This was where Cheng Wanyun really came alive—she was quite skilled at braiding! However, to her surprise, it was the usually quiet Song Gege who won the competition. Cheng Wanyun hadn’t even finished one, while Song Gege had already completed a perfect heart-shaped braid. She quickly moved on to braiding a cloud pattern and a knot design. Though these were common patterns, in her hands they looked especially unique and well-done—strong, neat, and without any loose ends.
Seeing Cheng Wanyun lean in to observe her technique, Song Gege immediately blushed, her fingers stiffening, and she shyly lowered her head, stopping her work. “Cheng Gege, could you please not watch me… I… I…”
She was nervous.
It seemed she had forgotten about her social anxiety. Cheng Wanyun quickly withdrew, “Alright, alright.”
Liu Gege stopped after braiding two, and they sat a little farther away, eating the cherry-filled pastries Liu Gege had brought, smiling as they watched Song Gege focus intently on her braiding.
“When do you think she’ll realize?” Liu Gege whispered, covering her mouth and leaning towards Cheng Wanyun.
Cheng Wanyun bit her lip to keep from laughing—Song Gege was simply too adorable. It seemed that whatever she did, she was fully immersed in it. As long as no one paid attention to her, she would keep going like an energizer bunny.
They had finished an entire box of pastries by the time Song Gege looked up, realizing that she had run out of thread.
Her hands were piled high with braided threads in all kinds of patterns, none of which were repeated.
Liu Gege was impressed. “How do you remember so many patterns? That’s amazing!”
Song Gege seemed unaccustomed to praise and didn’t know how to respond. She blushed deeply and lowered her head.
Later, the three of them played a game of chess, had dinner together, and even napped in the carriage. By the time they reached the Anzi Ridge Palace, they were all still half asleep, their faces flushed. Song Gege had faint marks on her cheeks, looking somewhat confused.
As it was time to get off the carriage, Liu Gege and Song Gege reluctantly said their goodbyes.
Cheng Wanyun also felt a sense of longing. It was her first time making friends since entering the palace, and naturally, she wished they could spend more time together.
Although the Crown Prince was nice, no man could ever compare to her good friends.
At the Yuqing Palace, she and Tang Gege were considered close in front of others, but she knew in her heart that she couldn’t consider Tang Gege and Side Concubine Li as real friends. At best, they were colleagues—Tang Gege was the type of colleague who had a decent relationship on the surface, while Side Concubine Li barely even had the face to be considered a colleague.
But when Liu Gege and Song Gege came to visit her, it was clear they had the approval of both the Crown Prince and their respective husbands. They were people with no entangled interests, of equal status, and could be trusted to spend time with.
Liu Gege grabbed her hand and promised to come visit her again in a few days before letting go. Song Gege didn’t say much but also stepped forward and gave her hand a gentle tug.
Then, suddenly, Cheng Wanyun’s vision darkened, and she saw that the strong palace maid, who seemed like a champion from the “Great Qing Martial Arts Tournament,” was packing away all the games and items Liu Gege had brought into a bundle. The maid managed to carry a bundle in each hand, and with one swift jump, she leapt off the carriage and landed steadily.
“You’re quite something, this maid of yours…” Cheng Wanyun quietly gave a thumbs-up. “Impressive.”
Liu Gege chuckled mischievously. “You mean Sister Hu? She’s so unattractive that no one wanted her, so she worked for eight years doing tough labor in the Imperial Household Department. She became incredibly strong. Later, when I joined Lord Five’s household, some people from the Imperial Household came to serve me, and I picked her. I only choose people who are capable, not necessarily good-looking, you know?”
Sister Hu—what an apt name.
The group went their separate ways to settle in.
From then on, whenever they were about to travel to another palace, Liu Gege and Song Gege would almost always come to accompany her. Having friends made the journey much faster. They traveled for over half a month, and before they knew it, they arrived at the Rehe Palace.
As soon as they arrived, the Crown Prince was summoned away by the “sticky” Emperor Kangxi, and Cheng Wanyun took charge of instructing Qingxing and Bitao to organize things. Eunuch Zheng went off on his own to inspect the kitchen, even pulling a live chicken, tied up in a sack, from his bag.
Cheng Wanyun nearly applauded him like a seal.
He actually brought a chicken! And it was still alive after such a long journey!
Eunuch Zheng proudly puffed out his chest. “Since the Concubine is pregnant, I naturally have to think of ways to make sure you eat well. Eating beef and lamb all the time is too heavy, so tonight we’ll make a clear chicken stew…”
“No!” Cheng Wanyun’s eyes lit up. “Let’s have ‘Di Guo Chicken’! And with corn pancakes!”
Eunuch Zheng immediately bent down and listened attentively.
Actually, Di Guo Chicken was quite simple—it involved using freshly slaughtered native chickens, adding various sauces and seasonings, frying them until golden, then adding chicken blood, giblets, corn, radish, potatoes, tofu skin, and other vegetables. Everything was simmered together, and then corn pancakes were stuck along the edge of the pot and left to cook for another 15 minutes. The result was tender chicken and a rich, flavorful broth.
A perfect dish to accompany rice!
Cheng Wanyun happily sat on the bed, holding her now considerably larger belly, watching Qingxing direct the eunuchs back and forth, unloading all the luggage from the carriage. This time, the Crown Prince had sent word that they would be staying in Rehe for about a month. The Mongol princes had all arrived that day, and Emperor Kangxi planned to host a banquet for them.
These matters had nothing to do with Cheng Wanyun; she was not going to attend the banquet, so she focused entirely on waiting for her “Di Guo Chicken.” She had already told Eunuch Zheng to make it medium spicy.
She had noticed that since her pregnancy, she could handle spicier food.
Before, she only added a little bit of chili, just a small tip of the spoon, which barely made a difference.
Because of this, Cheng Wanyun wondered if she was having a girl. Her skin had become much smoother as well. In the past, she would occasionally break out with one or two pimples if she ate too much spicy food, but since her pregnancy, nothing had appeared. She hadn’t even been outside in the sun, and her skin had become fairer. Sometimes, when she looked in the mirror, she found herself quite pleased with her appearance, thinking she looked incredibly fresh, like freshly made tofu.
But she also craved sour foods, which was a bit contradictory.
Perhaps it was just her growing appetite, and it had nothing to do with the baby’s gender.
Cheng Wanyun happily ate half a chicken and three corn pancakes, eating until she was stuffed. She could barely swallow, so she leaned against her waist and walked in circles in the open space outside. After walking around for seven or eight laps, the Crown Prince returned. Seeing her strolling, he moved forward and gently pushed Qingxing aside, deciding to accompany her for the walk instead.
“How was today? Did you feel uncomfortable?” Yinreng had actually gotten a bit tired, having drunk quite a bit at the banquet, but thinking he hadn’t seen Cheng Wanyun all day, he forced himself to stay alert. “Has the baby started moving yet?”
“It doesn’t seem like it yet. Maybe it’ll start soon, when the baby grows a bit more,” Cheng Wanyun replied, noticing the faint scent of alcohol on the Crown Prince. It wasn’t strong, and the wind soon dispersed it. After walking for a bit, she was no longer tired, so she pulled him back. “Don’t stay in the wind after drinking, or you’ll have a headache tomorrow.”
They walked back to the room hand in hand.
Yinreng was so tired that he was nearly falling asleep while walking. Unlike Cheng Wanyun, who had been sitting in a carriage with her friends to pass the time, Yinreng had been working since early morning, helping Kangxi with memorials and important matters. When Kangxi had to call ministers to discuss, he would go out and ride a horse for a while.
However, the strong wind and sun in the northern regions made him dizzy after riding for a while. He wanted to go back and find Cheng Wanyun, but then he remembered she was also traveling with other Concubines, so it would be inconvenient for him to join her. He pushed through the discomfort and continued riding until he noticed that his fourth brother and the others had already dismounted and returned to their carriage, leaving only him and the eldest still on horseback. The eldest, of course, was accustomed to being on a horse, so Yinreng naturally went over to join the carriage.
Once inside, he found the third and fifth brothers already there. The third and fourth were setting up a chessboard, while the fifth was asleep in the corner, snoring loudly.
When they saw him enter, the fourth brother elbowed the fifth to wake him up, but Yinreng stopped him. “We’re away from home, so don’t be formal. Let him sleep. I’ll just come in and rest.”
Yinzhen retracted his hand and made space for the Crown Prince.
The three of them took turns playing chess, but as the fifth brother’s snores grew louder and more uneven, making all sorts of high and low pitches, they couldn’t focus on their game. They exchanged looks and burst out laughing.
Yinzhen packed up the chess pieces and casually asked, “Has Song Gege caused any trouble for Second Brother lately?”
Yinreng paused for a moment, his hand holding the fan slightly halting.
Yinreng chuckled and said, “How could that be? They’re all about the same age. I heard from Cheng Gege that they get along very well.”
Yinzhong immediately realized that Fourth Brother’s Song Gege had been flattering the Crown Prince’s Cheng Gege for quite some time, and he hadn’t known about it!
Well, well, Fourth Brother, who always acted so aloof, was now using such methods to get close to and flatter the Crown Prince.
Yinzhong felt a bit sour and confused inside.
He wasn’t sure what was going on. He used to be the Crown Prince’s closest brother, but ever since the campaign against Galdan, the Crown Prince seemed to have subtly distanced himself from him.
The feeling was subtle because, in front of others, the Crown Prince treated every brother the same. He didn’t speak harshly to Yinzhong, nor did he act as if they were strangers, but… something was just different.
Now, whenever there was a task, it was always Fourth Brother who was included first.
And now Fourth Brother had really taken advantage of the situation, following the Crown Prince and receiving praise from Kangxi several times.
One word from the Crown Prince carried more weight than anything else. If any of them wanted to get involved in state matters, they had to rely on the Crown Prince speaking well of them in front of Kangxi. The Crown Prince had the final say on who would be assigned what task, and it was all up to his will.
Yinzhong felt somewhat dissatisfied. But just a few days ago, Kangxi had mentioned a position related to editing the legal calendar, and the Crown Prince had fairly recommended him. He had felt somewhat relieved, but just a few days later, the Crown Prince had immediately arranged a task for Fourth Brother to study river management with the Ministry of Works.
Yinzhong immediately felt that the task at hand wasn’t so appealing anymore.
Because everyone knew that Kangxi was planning to inspect riverworks the following year, and this had been announced early on. So, why was the Crown Prince now having Fourth Brother study water management and river control?
The task of editing the legal calendar, though something Yinzhong liked, was a long-term project that took years to complete. Fourth Brother’s task, on the other hand, was something that could make an immediate impression in front of Emperor Kangxi.
There were so many sons of the Emperor, but the one who constantly had his attention was the Crown Prince. If any of the other brothers could get help from the Crown Prince, it was all to their benefit.
Especially since the first time the Crown Prince was entrusted with the regency, the attitude of the ministers toward him had changed. He was no longer just a son of Kangxi holding the title of “Crown Prince.” He had now begun to handle state affairs on his own, and in just a few weeks, he had captured the loyalty of the entire court.
He was like a natural magnet, effortlessly drawing people to him without even trying. People were willing to go to great lengths for him. Apart from the natural advantages his position as Crown Prince brought, he was surprisingly popular.
Yinzhong had always been someone who thought ahead. His elder brother was soon to leave the palace and set up his own estate, and it wouldn’t be long before it was his turn. He didn’t want to spend his life as a plain Prince, and the residences of the Bais and Junwangs were vastly different in size!
Yinzhong had always listened to Concubine Rong. Her plan for him was to stay close to the Crown Prince, do his best with his duties, and at least secure a title as a Prince before Kangxi passed away. Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he would be given a princely title, along with the most favored brothers.
So, Yinzhong had always strived to be the best brother to the Crown Prince.
Everyone has their own emotions and desires, and their own temperaments. Sometimes, he really couldn’t help it, couldn’t help but feel jealous of the Crown Prince’s natural favor from Emperor Kangxi. At times, he also felt envious of the Crown Prince’s better treatment of other brothers. He felt his heart full of sourness.
So when they arrived at the Rehe Palace, as soon as Yinzhong returned, he immediately confronted Side Concubine Tian, asking, “Why is it that those other Concubines are always getting together to have fun, but you’re the only one left out?”
Side Concubine Tian was dumbfounded by the question.
Those other Concubines getting together had nothing to do with her!
Moreover, she could associate with whoever she liked. Why should she go and flatter a little Concubine? Even if she was the Crown Prince’s Concubine, she wouldn’t go! How embarrassing that would be to say!
Side Concubine Tian then sneered, “As for me, I’m actually very close with the Eldest Consort.”
Yinzhong fell silent for a moment and sighed.
Indeed, Side Concubine Tian was a secondary Concubine, different from those other Concubines. He had been too hasty… Had he known, he would have brought a Concubine (Gege) along too. Fourth and Fifth Brothers were really crafty!
If the fourth Brother and Fifth Brother found out about this, they would certainly be furious and give him a punch—after all, they didn’t even have Side Concubines, so what was the point of bringing one? Should he bring a nursemaid instead?
Yinreng understood some of his brothers’ thoughts.
He was now lying on his bed, deep in thought.
He had been very tired, but after taking a bath and changing clothes, he wasn’t sleepy anymore. He had wanted to talk to A Wan—he had thought of some names for a boy or a girl and had planned to discuss them with her. But since A Wan was pregnant and often got drowsy, as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep.
Yinreng: “…” He had no choice but to let his mind wander to different places in order to make himself tired enough to fall asleep.
At first, he thought about how it had been some time since the army had returned to the capital, but there was still no news. He wondered how the investigation was progressing.
Then, his thoughts turned to Third Brother.
He knew that Third Brother was a scholar and had a delicate mind, so he hadn’t disliked him much before. This younger brother used to follow him around, and Yinreng had always looked after him.
But in his dreams, Third Brother had betrayed this trust—he had failed to explain things until it was too late… Then, when he thought of Mingzhu, Yinreng even wondered if Yinzhong had been secretly exchanging glances with Mingzhu behind his back and had done this on purpose?
Although the situation had been resolved for now, the crisis temporarily defused, Yinreng still couldn’t let go of the grudge. If something like this happened again, would Third Brother stab him in the back once more?
So, he kept his distance.
He then thought of Eldest Brother… In the fourth dream, he and Eldest Brother had completely severed ties and became sworn enemies.
Now, when he argued with Eldest Brother, he hated him, but still, it was hard to imagine that they would end up like this.
With a touch of sadness, Yinreng fell asleep.
The next day, he was awakened by the soft chirping of birds outside the window. He instinctively reached over to the side, but his hand met nothing.
Yinreng sat up, puzzled. It was barely dawn, why was A Wan up so early? Usually, she didn’t get out of bed until the sun was high in the sky.
While he was still thinking, Cheng Wanyun came in from the other room with an excited expression, waving her hands and feet. “Your Highness, the Crown Prince! There’s a dog giving birth under the window! The puppies are so tiny! They’re so adorable! Can we take them back to the palace and raise them?”