Upon entering the side hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Kangxi set Yiqing down.
Yiqing looked around her surroundings, taking in the magnificent and opulent decor. The hall was furnished with exquisite details; the screen standing at the front was embroidered with a technique unknown to her, its patterns appearing vivid and lifelike. There was also a jadeite cabbage placed on the display shelf, clearly a treasure of immense value.
Yet these two remarkable objects seemed no more remarkable than anything else in the room, blending seamlessly into the grand setting without standing out.
Kangxi watched with amusement as Yiqing gazed all around, then gently tapped her forehead and coaxed her in a soft voice, “Come on, call me Imperial Father. You’ve been eyeing that jade piece, haven’t you? If you call me that, it shall be yours.”
At his words, Yiqing lowered her head slightly and began picking at her own hands, as if something on her fingers had captured all her attention. She refused to lift her eyes to look at him. She was still so young—what use would such an object be to her now? Perhaps it might serve as a suitable incentive once she grew older.
After coaxing her for quite some time without success, Kangxi turned to Liang Jiugong with a faint sigh of frustration and said, “This child, why will she not call me Imperial Father? Do you suppose it is because I have spent too little time with her?”
“It is likely that our princess is simply still too young,” Liang Jiugong replied with a smile. “She has only just learned to call for her nurses; it will surely take some time and guidance before she can speak other words. Now that she has been brought to reside here, after spending a few days in your company, she will surely learn. Before long, she may even grow so fond of Your Majesty that she will follow you everywhere.”
Kangxi leaned back casually beside Yiqing and said, “Your words hold true. Let her stay here in the Palace of Heavenly Purity for a few days, and she will surely pick up the words soon enough.”
Before long, the nurses who usually cared for Yiqing arrived, bringing along several of the toys she played with regularly.
Holding a cloth tiger, Yiqing played with it earnestly for a while. Now that she had taken on the form of a small child, she had come to understand just how entertaining such simple toys could be—especially since she could only utter a few basic sounds and could not yet speak clearly. A single cloth tiger could keep her occupied for quite some time. Still, there were moments when she found herself longing for the mobile phones, tablets, and computers of her original life; with those devices and a Wi-Fi connection, she could have spent days on end without ever leaving her room.
Kangxi sat watching her play. In recent days, the affairs of state had kept him extremely busy, and matters among the imperial consorts had only added to his workload and stress. Watching this small child amuse herself quietly brought him a rare sense of peace and delight.
He resolved then and there that he should bring his children to visit this palace more often in the future; simply observing them at play was a joy in itself.
After playing for some time, Yiqing began to feel hungry.
At her age, her diet consisted mainly of cow’s milk and goat’s milk, supplemented by thin rice porridge and soft vegetables. None of these foods contained any salt, making them rather bland and tasteless. This left her constantly yearning for the snacks and street foods she had enjoyed in her past life—items that might not have been considered the healthiest, but were undeniably delicious.
Spicy hot pot dishes, fried chicken, spicy bean snacks, grilled meats, boiling hot pot feasts…
Each time one of these foods crossed her mind, she could almost feel her mouth watering. Unfortunately, she was still far too young to partake in any proper meals.
The Empress Dowager, having no experience raising children, relied entirely on the guidance of the nurses. Whatever the nurses declared unsuitable was strictly forbidden, and only what they permitted was allowed. The nurses of the imperial court followed the old belief that children remained healthy when kept slightly hungry and lightly clothed. As a result, most foods were kept out of Yiqing’s reach, and it was uncertain whether she would be allowed to eat freely even by the time she turned three.
Nowadays, when her nurses and the elder members of the imperial family sat down to eat, Yiqing preferred to stay far away. Her sense of smell was unusually sharp, and catching the rich, savory scents of their meals while being unable to taste even a single bite felt nothing short of torture.
Putting down her cloth tiger, Yiqing patted her small stomach and spoke clearly and distinctly to her nurse, uttering just one word: Hungry.
“The princess is hungry,” Nurse Zhao turned to Liang Jiugong and asked with a smile, “Chief Liang, do we have goat’s milk prepared here?”
“We do, we certainly do,” Liang Jiugong replied promptly, immediately ordering a young eunuch to fetch it and specifically instructing that it be served warm.
Kangxi found the scene rather endearing. He reached out and gently tapped the tip of her nose, saying, “You can say you are hungry, yet you still will not call me Imperial Father?”
Yiqing looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, putting on an expression that suggested she did not understand a single word he had said.
Kangxi studied her face for a moment, then shook his head and smiled helplessly. When this child chose to feign ignorance, there was truly nothing he could do to persuade her.
Looking into her eyes, he could not shake the feeling that she understood every word spoken around her, yet for some unknown reason, she simply refused to address him as he wished.
Shortly afterward, the warm goat’s milk was brought in. Nurse Zhang lifted Yiqing into her arms while Nurse Zhao fed her slowly, spoonful by spoonful.
As Kangxi watched, he suddenly felt an urge to take part. He reached out and took the bowl and spoon from Nurse Zhao, determined to feed his daughter himself.
But having never done such a thing before, he filled the spoon far too full and brought it to her mouth with more force than necessary, causing Yiqing’s mouth to ache from the pressure.
Waaah—
After just one mouthful, Yiqing refused to eat any more. She threw back her head and began wailing loudly, though she made sure to produce plenty of sound without shedding a single tear.
Hearing the princess cry, Nurse Zhang glanced quickly at the emperor, feeling a quiet sense of disapproval. Such tasks were not fitting for him; they were the work of servants, and now he had only gone and hurt the child.
Nurse Zhao, who still held Yiqing, immediately began soothing her while Kangxi cleared his throat in a rare moment of awkwardness.
Nurse Zhang spoke carefully and respectfully, “Your Majesty is not accustomed to such tasks. Perhaps it would be best to leave this work to your servants.”
Seeing how upset Yiqing appeared, Kangxi handed the utensils back without further protest.
No sooner had he let go than Yiqing stopped crying completely.
Witnessing this, Kangxi looked at the child with a growing sense of suspicion. He had long suspected she understood more than she let on, but this incident made him all the more certain that his intuition was correct.
Nurse Zhang’s movements were gentle and steady, feeding her at a pace that was perfectly comfortable for Yiqing.
Once the milk was finished and a small amount of rice porridge had been eaten, Yiqing felt her stomach grow full. She patted it contentedly, and almost immediately, a wave of drowsiness washed over her.
This was one of the drawbacks of being a small child—sleepiness would strike almost immediately after eating, and it seemed that more than ten hours of rest each day were required just to feel properly rested.
Seeing that the child had fallen asleep in the nurse’s arms, Kangxi turned to Liang Jiugong and spoke in a quiet voice, “Go and prepare the side hall for her use.”
The Palace of Heavenly Purity was traditionally reserved for the emperor and the servants who attended to him. Now that Yiqing was to stay here, arrangements had to be made to ensure she and her nurses had suitable quarters. In truth, every corner of the palace was kept spotlessly clean, so there was little actual preparation needed beyond laying out the familiar bedding and personal items brought by her nurses, and placing a few toys and objects that would bring comfort to a small child.
Kangxi had briefly considered having Yiqing sleep beside him, but he rose very early each morning to attend court meetings. By the time these duties were completed and he went to pay his respects to the imperial family, Yiqing would still be fast asleep. He worried that the noise and activity of his early morning routine would wake her, and if she were to cry and become upset, there would be little he could do to settle her quickly.
The palace servants worked efficiently, and within a short time, the side hall was fully arranged.
Nurse Zhao carried Yiqing to the room and laid her carefully on the bed. When the child stirred slightly and seemed about to wake, the nurse patted her back gently until she settled back into a deep sleep. She had long grown accustomed to caring for the princess, who was a remarkably easy child to look after—unlike most young children, she rarely cried for long before falling asleep.
When Yiqing woke again, evening had already arrived. She sat up slowly, rubbed her eyes, yawned widely, and then looked carefully at her surroundings.
Everything appeared unfamiliar, which meant she was still likely within the grounds of her father’s palace, the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Glancing around at the furnishings, she could not identify most of the objects, though it was clear at a glance that every single item was of great value.
“The princess is awake.”
Nurse Zhang, who had been sitting beside the bed, smiled and lifted her up, dressing her slowly and carefully.
“You slept later than usual today. Did playing with your Imperial Father tire you out?”
Yiqing let herself be moved and dressed like a small doll, remaining completely still and appearing perfectly obedient.
Once she was dressed, Nurse Zhang carried her toward the main hall. The emperor had brought her here specifically to spend time with her, so it was only right that she be taken to see him as soon as she was awake.
At that moment, Kangxi was busy reviewing official documents. He had only recently taken full control of state affairs, and his responsibilities were immense. Each day was filled with reviewing reports and meeting with government officials, leaving him almost no time for leisure.
Seeing Nurse Zhang enter with the child, he simply gestured for them to let Yiqing play as she wished.
In the short time since noon, the entire floor of the hall had been covered with soft carpets. Nurse Zhang set Yiqing down gently, allowing her to crawl freely across the ground.
This brought Yiqing great delight. Since she was not yet familiar with this space, crawling about meant she could explore every corner of a new environment—and discovering new places was far more exciting than moving through areas she already knew well.
The servants of the palace rarely had the chance to see the imperial children. Now, as they watched the tiny figure crawl back and forth, stopping every so often to touch or examine objects with curiosity, they found her appearance utterly charming.
After working his way through several stacks of documents, Kangxi found his attention gradually drawn to the child. She showed no trace of fear or anxiety, which was unusual—children of her age were already beginning to recognize familiar faces and surroundings, and would usually cry when placed in unfamiliar places. Yet aside from the brief moment of distress earlier that day when he had accidentally hurt her, she had remained calm and content throughout her stay.
Yiqing continued crawling happily around the hall. Hanging on the wall near the entrance were several large paintings, though from her low position on the floor, even when she tilted her head all the way back, she could not make out what they depicted.
To the left stood Kangxi’s large work table, piled high with official reports and documents. Behind the table was a tall display shelf filled with various treasures and objects of art.
To the right was a low platform similar to a daybed, furnished with two soft cushions. In the center sat a small table holding a plate of fresh fruit and a vase of flowers. There were few other decorations, giving the space an air of simple elegance and quiet refinement.
After exploring every part of the hall, Yiqing felt she had had her fill of activity and began to feel tired. She stopped where she was and lay flat on her stomach, intending to rest for a short while before resuming her exploration.
Her nurses were well aware of this habit of hers. Whenever she grew weary, she preferred to lie still right where she was and recover her strength. If anyone tried to pick her up or move her during this time, she would become quite displeased—for such a small child, she certainly had a strong will of her own.
When Kangxi finally finished reviewing his documents and stood up to check on her, he found her lying there in a posture that made her look exactly like a small frog—an image that was both adorable and amusing.
“What is she doing?” Seeing that neither nurse appeared concerned, Kangxi smiled and asked, “Why is she lying like that?”
“Your Majesty,” Nurse Zhang replied with a smile, “when our princess grows tired from crawling, she likes to rest in this way. She will be up and moving again before long.”
Kangxi knelt down beside her, smiling at her unusual posture, then reached out and lifted her into his arms, carrying her back toward his work table.
Yiqing, who had been resting peacefully, suddenly found herself being lifted up. Her small mouth puckered, and she prepared to let out a loud cry of protest. She had become quite skilled at this particular performance—making plenty of noise while never shedding a single tear.
But just as she was about to make her displeasure known, her eyes fell upon the documents spread across the table and the characters written upon them.
In the days since she had arrived in this time, she had come across written materials before, though most contained characters she could not recognize at all. There had even been moments when she had worried that she had not traveled back to the Qing Dynasty at all, but to some unknown period in history instead. It was only after finding a few texts that she could understand partially that her fears had been put to rest.
The texts she could make out were books belonging to the Grand Empress Dowager, including *The Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals*. Some passages were quite easy for her to read, while others proved far more difficult. Unfortunately, these books had only been in her hands for a short time; the Grand Empress Dowager had taken them away quickly, fearing they might be damaged or soiled by a small child.
Kangxi sat down in his chair with Yiqing still in his arms, returning once more to his original intention. He spoke gently but firmly, “Come now, my sweet child, call me Imperial Father.”
Yiqing, meanwhile, had stretched out her hands, trying to reach the documents on the table. She could see there was writing on them, and she was eager to take a closer look.
But her arms were far too short, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not reach the papers. Just as she was beginning to feel frustrated, Kangxi picked up one of the documents and placed it directly in her lap. It was only a routine report of greeting and held no important information, so he had no objection to letting her play with it.
Holding the document in her hands, Yiqing looked up at Kangxi and gave him a bright smile. She then slowly opened the pages with her small, unsteady hands and leaned forward to examine the writing, eager to see if she could understand its contents.
To her delight, most of the characters were familiar to her. As she read through the text silently in her mind, she learned that the document was a message of respect and loyalty to the emperor. The writer also mentioned a local specialty—dried persimmons. Made from naturally sweet persimmons and dried carefully, they were said to have an exceptionally rich, sweet flavor, and the writer had sent them as a tribute for the emperor to enjoy.
Yiqing paused in thought. Dried persimmons?
The very name made her mouth water. She could almost taste their sweet, soft texture, and she wondered just when she would be able to enjoy all the foods she desired freely. Every time she saw her nurses and the elders of the imperial family eating, she was filled with longing.
In particular, because one of her nurses was of Mongolian heritage, the meals served in the palace always included dishes prepared in the Mongolian style. Just a few days earlier, there had been skewers of roasted lamb—golden, glistening with oil, and giving off such a rich aroma that the scent had drifted all the way to Yiqing’s room. If she had not known for certain that her newly emerging baby teeth were far too weak to chew meat, she would have crawled all the way to the dining hall just to have a taste.
Seeing that Yiqing was staring blankly at the document, Kangxi glanced at it himself and laughed. “What is it? Could it be that you have taken a liking to these dried persimmons and wish to try them?”
Yiqing looked up at him with eyes full of hope, but his next words immediately dashed her expectations.
“You have barely begun to grow your teeth yet. Even if I placed them right in front of you, you would only be able to lick them once or twice at most.”
This remark filled Yiqing with indignation. Gathering her courage, she decided that she would show this irresponsible father of hers exactly how well her teeth had developed.
Her eyes fell upon Kangxi’s hand resting beside her. She reached out quickly and grasped it firmly.
Kangxi, unaware of her true intention, assumed she simply wanted to play. He smiled warmly and let her hold his hand.
But the moment his hand was within reach, Yiqing opened her mouth and bit down with all her strength, determined to prove her point.
“Ouch—”