“Is everything ready?” Empress Hesheli stared toward the palace gates as she spoke to the maid standing beside her. “Every single item the princess will need must be checked with the utmost care.”
Yao Huang wore a smile on her face. Though her features were ordinary, her expression took on a particularly warm and approachable quality whenever she smiled. “Your Majesty has given these instructions many times already, and we have gone through every item repeatedly. Please rest assured that all is in order.”
“This is the princess selected and approved personally by the Grand Empress Dowager,” Empress Hesheli said with a soft sigh. “We cannot afford even the smallest mistake. No amount of caution or attention to detail is too much where she is concerned.”
In truth, there had been no shortage of children born within the imperial palace. Four princes and one or two princesses had come into the world over the years. Yet despite there being six or seven children in total, not a single one had survived past infancy. The Emperor had ascended the throne while still very young. In the early years of his reign, his authority had been restricted and undermined by the powerful regent Oboi, and now he faced new concerns regarding the threat posed by the Feudatory States in the south. His hold on power was already far from secure, and the successive deaths of his children had only added to his troubles, even giving rise to whispers and speculation among officials at court.
It was the Grand Empress Dowager who had come up with a solution. Drawing upon a folk custom in which families adopted children in the belief that such an act would bring good fortune and blessings, she also consulted a revered spiritual master for guidance. The master declared that the newborn daughter born into the household of Prince Gong possessed an exceptional destiny and fate, and that she was destined to bring prosperity and good fortune to her parents. Upon hearing this, the Grand Empress Dowager issued an edict arranging for the infant to be formally adopted as the Emperor’s own daughter.
When word spread that this young girl was said to carry such an auspicious destiny and the ability to bring good fortune, every imperial consort and concubine within the palace had been eager to take on the role of raising and caring for her. However, the Kangxi Emperor held his first wife in high regard and valued her position deeply, and so he decreed that Empress Hesheli would serve as the child’s adoptive mother.
Yet Empress Hesheli was filled with deep unease and worry. So many children born and raised within these palace walls had failed to survive, and this little girl being brought into the imperial family was barely more than a month old. If anything were to happen to her under her care, the consequences would be grave and she would be held responsible for a most serious offense.
As these thoughts passed through her mind, her expression grew dim and somber, and she unconsciously rested her hand gently upon her abdomen. She too had once been a mother. She had given birth to a child who had lived for only three short years before being taken back to heaven.
Recalling the overwhelming grief and heartbreak she had felt on the day her child passed away, Empress Hesheli felt a sharp, painful twinge in her chest.
Just then, the voice of another maid, Wei Zi, broke through her thoughts. “Your Majesty, it is time to depart for the Palace of Compassion and Peace.”
Empress Hesheli immediately pulled herself back from her memories and emotions, composing herself and placing a dignified, gentle smile upon her face. “Very well, let us go and welcome the princess.”
Yiqing lay wrapped in a swaddling cloth decorated with patterns of bats entwined among flowering branches, staring around in confusion as she realized she had been brought to a completely unfamiliar place.
She had already known that she had traveled through time and entered this new world, but for the past month she had been overcome by constant drowsiness. Every day, as soon as she had been fed and her needs attended to, she would feel an overwhelming urge to sleep, drifting off into slumber easily without anyone needing to soothe or rock her to rest. Because of this, she had not had the time or energy to think carefully about where exactly she had ended up.
Even so, she could still clearly remember details of the place where she had been living before. The furnishings and decorations there, while pleasant, were far less exquisite and luxurious than what she saw around her now. Moreover, the soft, familiar voice she had grown accustomed to hearing was no longer present, replaced by a deeper, somewhat rough voice speaking near her ear.
“Grandmother,” Prince Gong said, holding Yiqing in his arms with deep reluctance and sorrow, “could you please ask the master to read the fate charts again? This is my only daughter at present. Perhaps the daughter born to my second brother would have been better suited for this purpose.”
Prince Gong, whose personal name was Changning, currently had only one son and one daughter in his household. He had been overjoyed and filled with happiness when his daughter was born, yet now she was barely more than a month old and he was being asked to give her away. Thinking of this, his grip around the small body of his daughter tightened unconsciously.
Prince Gong was still quite young himself, and had never before held or cared for an infant. Even when he had first taken Yiqing into his arms, he had not held her in a comfortable or proper way. Now that he was holding her even more tightly, she began to feel short of breath and uncomfortable, and she let out a loud cry.
Waaah, waaah, waaah—this is pure cruelty!
Unfortunately, Yiqing’s vocal cords and voice had not yet fully developed, otherwise she would have certainly voiced her complaints and protests against such rough treatment, wondering how anyone could be so ungentle with a small child.
What poor Yiqing did not yet realize, however, was that the man treating her so roughly was in fact her own biological father—though she could not understand the Manchu language he spoke and therefore did not yet know his identity or his relationship to her.
The moment Prince Gong heard his daughter cry out, his entire body froze in place. He turned his eyes toward the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, looking at them with a desperate expression as if seeking their help.
“Gra-grandmother, M-mother, why… why is she crying like this?” he stammered, his voice trembling with anxiety and nervousness.
Hearing his voice break and stutter in such a way, the Grand Empress Dowager smiled warmly and gently took the swaddled infant from his arms. Yiqing found herself looking up into the face of an elderly woman whose expression was both dignified and kind.
For some time now, Yiqing’s vision had remained blurry and unclear. Any object or person that was more than a short distance away appeared to her only as indistinct patches of color. It was only in the past few days that her eyesight had begun to improve and she was able to see things with greater clarity. Still, she could not understand a single word that anyone around her was saying. She had even spent some time wondering whether she had traveled back in time to a dynasty or historical period that she had never learned about before.
However, a few days earlier, she had caught sight of the hairstyle worn by a man passing by, and this had confirmed for her that she was now living during the Qing Dynasty. There were many different styles of hairstyles in ancient China, and she might not have been able to identify the dynasty based on appearance alone in other cases—but the style of the Qing Dynasty was distinctive and unique, easily recognizable among all the traditions and customs of five thousand years of Chinese history.
The Grand Empress Dowager held the infant with practiced, skillful hands, rocking her gently to soothe her. Now that Yiqing was held in this warm, comfortable embrace, all her previous discomfort and unease faded away, and she stopped crying. Instead, she lay quietly, looking up at the elderly woman with great curiosity.
The embroidered silk robes worn by this woman clearly indicated that they were made from materials of great value and expense. Could this woman be her grandmother?
The woman’s lips moved as she spoke, and Yiqing could hear the sound of her voice, but she could not make out the meaning of a single word. Since the Qing Dynasty was established and ruled by the Manchu people, this elderly woman was most likely of Manchu heritage. Did this mean she herself had been born into a Manchu family? If so, she would have to learn the language and customs from the very beginning all over again.
“Look at you—holding a child like that, you look nothing like a father who knows what he is doing,” the Grand Empress Dowager said, her tone carrying a note of gentle disapproval.
Prince Gong looked at her with an expression of pure grievance and hurt. “Grandmother! It has been less than two months since I first became a father. Before my daughter was born, I was constantly sent out of the palace on official business by His Majesty, my brother. I had almost no time to return home and spend time with my child.”
The Empress Dowager could not help but let out a soft laugh, turning toward the Grand Empress Dowager and saying, “Mother, it seems to me that Changning is still just as stubborn and argumentative as he was when he was a little boy.”
“You already have a son growing up in your household,” the Grand Empress Dowager pointed out. “You should focus your attention and care on raising him well. Besides, I have heard that one of the women in your household is with child once again. Perhaps this time she will give birth to another daughter, and you will have a little girl to love and raise in your home once more.”
Prince Gong remained clearly unwilling to part with his daughter, muttering to himself and showing no sign of being persuaded or comforted.
“Changning,” the Empress Dowager spoke up, “originally, I had intended to find a child from among ordinary commoner families to fulfill this purpose. But the spiritual master made it clear in his readings that only your daughter Yiqing possesses the exact destiny and fate required to bring the blessings and good fortune we seek. Furthermore, even though she is being formally adopted and recognized as the Emperor’s daughter, you will still be able to visit and see her in the future. You may come to my palace and spend time with her whenever you wish, does that sound agreeable to you?”
“W-well… I suppose that is acceptable,” Prince Gong said after a moment of hesitation, though he still sounded reluctant. “But I have one condition.”
The Grand Empress Dowager looked at him with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “And what is this condition of yours?”
“Although this child will be legally adopted as my brother’s daughter and recorded as such in the imperial family registers, I want to be able to bring her back to my household for short visits and stays from time to time,” Prince Gong explained. “And while the official records may be changed, I ask that she still be permitted to call me her father. Also… also, Lady Jin is the mother of this child and has performed a great service by giving birth to her. I wish to elevate her status and make her one of my official secondary consorts.”
Lady Jin was Yiqing’s biological mother, and also the owner of that soft, familiar voice Yiqing remembered so clearly. She came from a family of relatively low social standing and had originally entered Prince Gong’s household as a lower-ranking consort.
The Grand Empress Dowager paused for a moment, considering his request carefully. Elevating Lady Jin’s status was not a difficult matter to grant. As a Prince of the First Rank, Changning was entitled to have up to four official secondary consorts, and currently three of these positions remained vacant within his household. However, allowing the child to continue to address Changning as her father even after her legal status and family records had been changed was a violation of established rules and traditions, and not something that could easily be approved.
Sensing the hesitation and concern on his grandmother’s face, Prince Gong quickly added, “She will only call me that in private and within the family circle. On all formal occasions and in public, she will of course address me respectfully as her Imperial Uncle, as is proper and required.”
Hearing this, the Grand Empress Dowager finally nodded her head in agreement.
Seeing that his requests had been accepted and his wishes granted, Prince Gong prepared to take his leave, though he still found it difficult to tear himself away from his daughter. Just at that moment, a messenger arrived from outside to announce that the Empress had arrived.
“Let her enter,” the Grand Empress Dowager commanded.
Empress Hesheli stepped inside and first paid her respects and offered her greetings to the two senior members of the imperial family. She then exchanged a few words of courtesy with Prince Gong before turning her attention to the small bundle held in the Grand Empress Dowager’s arms. It was difficult to make out the features of the child within the swaddling cloth, but the bright red fabric decorated with patterns of bats and flowering branches was clearly visible.
“Since Her Majesty the Empress has arrived, I shall take my leave,” Prince Gong said, bowing respectfully before withdrawing from the chamber. As the Emperor was not present, it would have been improper and inappropriate for him, as the Emperor’s younger brother, to remain in the Empress’s company for any longer.
“Here,” the Grand Empress Dowager said, holding the infant out toward the Empress. “Take her in your arms. She seems to be a quiet, well-behaved little girl.”
For a brief moment, Empress Hesheli felt a rush of fear and uncertainty, but she quickly composed herself and reached out to take the child. Having raised her own child until he was three years old, she was naturally familiar with how to hold and care for an infant, and she supported Yiqing in a way that made her feel safe, secure, and completely comfortable.
Now resting in this warm and gentle embrace, Yiqing looked up and saw a face that was beautiful, elegant, and dignified. The expression in the eyes looking down at her was complex and held many different emotions, but overall it was kind and filled with goodwill.
“Take her back to your quarters and care for her well,” the Grand Empress Dowager said, her voice soft and gentle. “The fact that our previous children were not able to remain with us was simply because we lacked sufficient good fortune and blessings. We must take good care of our health and well-being first, and everything else will fall into place in time.”
Behind closed doors, there were those who had suggested and even openly claimed that the deaths of the imperial children were the result of the Empress being unworthy or lacking in virtue. However, the Grand Empress Dowager knew very well that none of this was the Empress’s fault—and since the blame could not be placed upon her or upon the Emperor himself, it was easiest and most reasonable to attribute these misfortunes to a lack of good fortune. She had only come up with this plan and solution because there was no other choice, and she certainly could not follow the example set by Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, who had adopted heirs from distant branches of the imperial family.
Shortly after Empress Hesheli had departed with the child, the Kangxi Emperor arrived to meet with the Grand Empress Dowager.
When he entered the chamber, only the Grand Empress Dowager and her trusted attendant, Sumalagu, remained inside. The Empress Dowager had already retired to her private quarters to rest, and all the other serving maids and eunuchs had withdrawn after serving tea.
“Grandmother,” the Kangxi Emperor said, his brow furrowed in thought. He was still quite young, and when conducting official business or appearing in public, he always maintained a serious and stern expression in an effort to appear mature, composed, and authoritative. Yet when he was in the presence of those he loved and trusted most deeply, he could not help but reveal the youthful and spirited nature that lay beneath. “I have already told you that I do not believe in such ideas and beliefs.”
When the Grand Empress Dowager had first brought this matter to his attention several days earlier, the Emperor had refused to give his consent. He believed that there were practical reasons and explanations for the fact that his children had failed to survive, and he had already made plans to send the next child born to Lady Nara to be raised and cared for in the household of a trusted senior official.
The Grand Empress Dowager sighed softly. “Whether you believe in these things or not, having another daughter to love and care for will bring no harm or disadvantage to anyone.”
The expression on the Emperor’s face softened and relaxed slightly. He knew that adding another daughter to the imperial family would have no significant impact on his rule or his authority. In the future, she would simply be granted the title of Princess of the First Rank, and the Imperial Household Department would be instructed to prepare a generous dowry when the time came for her to be married. If his grandmother had suggested adopting a son, he would never have agreed to such a proposal, but when it came to a daughter, he found that he had no strong objections.
Seeing that the Emperor’s attitude had become more open and accepting, the Grand Empress Dowager continued, “Since the death of her son, the Empress has been constantly distracted, sad, and troubled. Giving her a daughter to raise and care for will surely bring her comfort and help her find peace of mind.”
Hearing this, the Emperor’s expression grew even more gentle and understanding. He held his first wife in the highest regard and affection, knowing full well all the hardships and difficulties they had endured and overcome together.
The Grand Empress Dowager spoke a few more words of explanation and reassurance, and soon the Emperor’s demeanor had settled into one of calm acceptance.
“Go and see the child for yourself,” the Grand Empress Dowager said, seeing that he no longer resisted or opposed the plan. “Travel to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and pay her a visit. I am told that she is an exceptionally beautiful and healthy baby.”