Chapter 25: The Shoe Insole

Banished from the palace, never to be used again?

Granny Tu’s knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground. Her voice was sharp with anguish as she knelt and crawled forward a few steps, crying out to plead her innocence:
“I’ve been wronged! Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Please listen to me! This Wan Changzai is manipulating the Crown Prince and feeding him all sorts of strange things—this servant served beside the late Empress, and everything I’ve done has been for the Crown Prince’s sake, all for the Crown Prince!”

Her piercing cry echoed through the entire Xianfu Palace.

Not only did the Crown Prince Baosheng, Wan Fu, and Wan Anran hear her, but even Xu Changzai in the western wing came out to look. In the front hall, Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara also hurried over.

The group quickly stepped forward to pay respects to the Emperor.

Compared to everyone else’s caution, the Crown Prince Baosheng was perfectly at ease. He ignored Granny Tu, who was collapsed on the floor, and cheerfully ran to Kangxi’s side. Baosheng proudly pointed to the food:
“汗阿瑪 (Imperial Father)! Come quickly and try this. I made it myself!”

The fire in Kangxi’s eyes immediately cooled.

A faint smile curled at his lips as he took the Crown Prince’s hand and walked toward the bamboo corridor.
“Oh? You made it yourself? Then I must have a taste.”

Granny Tu still tried to plead for mercy.

Liang Jiugong gave a look to the surrounding eunuchs, and the Emperor’s personal attendants dealt with her much more roughly than before. Someone stuffed a rag into her mouth, and within moments, she was completely dragged away from the sight of the masters.

As the Son of Heaven, Kangxi’s dignity could not be offended in the slightest. To dare to deceive the Emperor? The result was exactly what happened to Granny Tu.

Though everyone clearly knew it was Granny Tu’s own fault, seeing how just a while ago she had strutted around, so proud of having served the late Empress and of being the Crown Prince’s wet nurse—only to fall so hard in just half an hour—still sent a chill through Wan Anran’s heart.

The Crown Prince had stood up for her.

Wan Anran was no saint. She wouldn’t extend a hand to her enemy. She lowered her eyes and expression, quietly reminding herself: this is not a novel, this is reality. In this world ruled by imperial power, she must always remember her true heart and never let authority cloud her judgment.

Wan Anran composed herself.

She stepped forward, just as the Crown Prince Baosheng in front of her stopped walking. He turned to look in the direction where Granny Tu had been dragged away, and tugged on Kangxi’s robe:
“Imperial Father, since today is the second day of the New Year, let’s not punish Granny Tu.”

Wan Anran happened to catch a glimpse of the Crown Prince’s eyes.

Clear and innocent, untainted by any gloom. Though hailed as a child prodigy, the Crown Prince was still only four years old. In a palace where everyone either feared him or fawned over him, it was already a testament to Kangxi’s upbringing that he hadn’t become a spoiled brat.

And he even remembered to plead for his nursemaid.

Wan Anran’s heart softened.

Kangxi’s heart softened too.

How could he not see the Crown Prince’s pure-heartedness? Everyone believed the saying that seeing blood during the New Year would bring bad luck for the whole year. Of course, in practice, investigations continued, arrests were still made, and punishments from an angry Emperor were never postponed just because it was a holiday.

But the Crown Prince had spoken.

Kangxi’s expression eased, and he turned to Liang Jiugong:
“Did you not hear what the Crown Prince said? Pass down my order: Granny Tu is to be spared the beating.”

Liang Jiugong bowed and acknowledged the command.

With the Emperor smiling, the entire mood in Xianfu Palace immediately relaxed—until Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara caught sight of the iron pot lid sitting on the stove. Their expressions became strange. It was easy to guess who had come up with such a ridiculous idea. They both turned to look at Wan Anran in unison.

Xu Changzai also noticed.

She covered her mouth and gasped softly:
“You… You used an iron pot lid to cook food for the Crown Prince? Just how filthy is that? Wan Changzai… this is truly too careless of you!”

Even Xu Changzai felt like she should plead Granny Tu’s case.

If she had been in Granny Tu’s place, she too would have been frightened by Wan Changzai’s recklessness. Xu Changzai’s glee nearly spilled over—she was sure the Emperor would explode in fury at Wan Changzai any second now.

Consort Xuan’s brow twitched.

She was about to speak up on Wan Anran’s behalf when the Crown Prince beat her to it and fired back at Xu Changzai:
“Wan Changzai had the maids wash that pot lid three times. I saw it with my own eyes. It wasn’t dirty at all.”

Baosheng pouted.

He turned to Kangxi and repeated:
“It really wasn’t dirty. Before she started cooking, Wan Changzai even washed hands with me. She said we had to wash them super clean, so our stomachs wouldn’t hurt and we wouldn’t get sick.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!” Baosheng rattled off everything Wan Anran had told him, repeating even her most colorful metaphors.

Kangxi raised his brows.

Consort Xuan pressed a hand to her forehead, speechless.

Noble Lady Nara couldn’t help it—she burst into laughter.

Wan Anran’s face turned red to her ears.

She wished she could dig a hole and crawl in on the spot.

Why did she have to bring up something about noses…

Now she’d lost face entirely.

But come to think of it, even if her words were crude, there was truth to them. Kangxi nodded thoughtfully. Rooms gathered dust over time—how could people not? Who knew how much grime had built up on the hands and clothes of the palace staff?

Better safe than sorry.

Thinking this, Kangxi agreed heartily:
“What Wan Changzai said was simple, but quite reasonable. Pass down my order: all maids and eunuchs must clean their hands before attending their masters. All dirt must be removed.”

Liang Jiugong obeyed.

Regardless of how he intended to carry out the order, Kangxi’s attention turned to the food sitting on the iron lid.

Originally, Xu Changzai had been waiting for the Emperor to scold Wan Changzai. Not only did she not get her wish, but she was even sent back to her room by Liang Jiugong. Her beautiful face darkened with frustration, but she didn’t dare lash out. She could only sulk alone, while Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara, full of tact, also withdrew. Before leaving, they reminded Wan Anran to properly serve the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

Just serving the Crown Prince was trouble enough, and now she had to take care of His Majesty too… Wan Anran sighed inwardly. When she turned back, she saw the trio—one big and two small—already gathered around the stove.

Golden, crispy fried chicken lay on the iron pot lid, drizzled with a milky-white sauce—it looked like the mayonnaise they’d tried before, but maybe not quite? Kangxi felt puzzled. Meanwhile, the eager Crown Prince lifted his sleeves and picked up a piece of fried chicken with chopsticks.

The cheese stretched into long strands as Baosheng expertly twirled the chicken to coat it in a thick layer. One glance at his technique and it was clear he had made this several times. He presented the piece to Kangxi:
“Imperial Father, please try it!”

Kangxi smiled and nodded.

The warmth between father and son made Wan Fu show a hint of envy. Wan Anran patted his head:
“Later, let’s invite Sister Nara to eat with us, okay?”

Wan Fu nodded.

He tiptoed to whisper in Wan Anran’s ear:
“Wan Changzai, don’t worry.”

Wan Anran blinked.

Then she heard Wan Fu say softly:
“The Crown Prince’s mother is gone, but I have my mother, Consort Xuan, and Wan Changzai. So, I’ll give the Emperor to the Crown Prince.”

Wan Anran’s heart melted.

She rubbed his fluffy head:
“Wan Fu, you’re such a good boy.”

Historically, the Empress died less than a year after her formal investiture.

Wan Fu also passed away before he was old enough to receive his formal adult name. The Crown Prince before her was still a good child.

An idea began to sprout in Wan Anran’s mind. She looked down at the warm little figure of Wan Fu, who was gazing up at her with curiosity, and she gave him a tender smile.

Let’s try.

There’s no harm in trying.

Kangxi turned his head, and just happened to catch this moment.

The winter sun streamed through the gaps in the trees, casting flickering golden light across Wan Changzai’s hair and brow. A gentle smile rested on her lips. Her soft expression was as warm and comforting as the winter sunshine.

Kangxi’s heart skipped a beat.

He blinked, then silently looked away.

Wan Anran hadn’t noticed the Emperor’s gaze.

The young Prince had yet to grow out his long braid; his hair was still tied into a soft, fuzzy bun at the back of his head. Wan Anran found the texture amusing and gave it a few more rubs.

Wan Fu shook his head like a puppy, puffing out his cheeks in protest:
“Wan Changzai, let go!”

Wan Anran grinned and rubbed even harder:
“No! No! What are you going to do about it?”

Wan Fu broke into a run.

He dashed toward the Emperor and the Crown Prince, shouting for help.

Laughter echoed once again through the back courtyard of Xianfu Palace.

After the New Year’s Day commotion, peace returned once more to the harem.

Or at least, on the surface.

Behind the scenes, the Imperial Household Department was rife with undercurrents. Personnel changes in the Storage Bureau and Imperial Kitchens sparked considerable debate.

Noble Lady Uya of Chengqian Palace was also caught in the storm.

Her grandfather, the current head of the Imperial Kitchens, was harshly reprimanded by the Emperor, docked three years’ salary, and demoted. Coupled with her prior offense of angering Consort Tong at the end of the year, most of Noble Lady Uya’s attendants were removed. Her days were much harder than before. Ju Bai had long heard many rumors about Noble Lady Uya and often shared them with Wan Changzai for a laugh.

Of course, while some were dragged down, others reaped unexpected benefits.

For example, one day Ju Bai rushed joyfully into the eastern wing:
“Little Master! Little Master! I have good news!”

“What good news?”

Wan Anran immediately put down her work and assumed the posture of a gossip-hungry onlooker. Seeing this, Haitao was both exasperated and amused. As she tidied up, she muttered, “My lady! If you go on like this, let alone finishing before His Majesty’s birthday celebration—at this rate, we won’t even be done with the insoles by summer!”

Wan Anran pretended not to hear.

She cupped her chin and stared intently at Ju Bai, urging, “Hurry up, tell me!”

Ju Bai could barely contain her excitement. “My lady, the grandfather of Noble Lady Uya has been stripped of his position as the head of the Imperial Kitchen—”

“Wasn’t that mentioned last time?”

“Yes!” Ju Bai whispered excitedly. “But do you know who has now been appointed head of the Imperial Kitchen?”

Wan Anran shook her head in confusion.

It was Haitao whose eyes lit up. She let out a low gasp. “Could it be…?”

Ju Bai nodded vigorously.

She couldn’t hide the joy radiating from her face and beamed with excitement. “It’s your father, Master Torbit!”

Wan Anran gasped.

Since awakening in the palace, Wan Anran had never seen her original body’s parents. She only knew that the Wan clan of the Liuhar branch was a closely bonded family—parents and grandparents all alive—and that they were of the inner bondservant class, known in later times as xinzhiku.

It was only after entering the Qing palace that Wan Anran understood—

This xinzhiku was not what she had imagined; rather than being branded criminals, they were simply bondservants like many others, without much difference in rank or standing. For instance, her grandfather had served as a treasurer in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, one uncle had been a First-Class Guard and another an official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Her father had been a kitchen treasurer under the former kitchen head—Noble Lady Uya’s grandfather Eshan.

Now their roles had reversed, and Eshan had to go home and fend for himself.

Daily meals were of utmost importance in the palace.

To rise to the position of head of the Imperial Kitchen without exception meant earning the Emperor’s deep trust! No wonder Ju Bai had rushed back in delight the moment she got the news.

Having taken over the original body, it was only right that Wan Anran now look after her original body’s parents as well. Naturally, she was 100% pleased with Torbit’s promotion. Still, amid her joy, she gave a serious warning to Haitao and the other two attendants:

“This concerns the Emperor’s and all the noble consorts’ daily meals. We must be even more cautious—let’s not bring trouble to my father.”

The three of them straightened up immediately.

In unison, they replied, “Don’t worry, my lady. We understand!”

While Xiánfú Palace was filled with joy—

Chengqian Palace was quiet and still.

A trace of melancholy lingered in Noble Lady Uya’s expression as she sat by the window, lost in thought. A string of bad news had left her anxious and distracted. She gently caressed her stomach and murmured to herself, “The only solution now… is to conceive the Fourth Prince!”

Anyone else hearing this might have been horrified.

There were already imperial sons up to the Tenth Prince—how could there suddenly be a Fourth Prince? Only Wan Anran would’ve noticed something was off upon hearing this.

Noble Lady Uya was deeply troubled.

Originally, she had hoped to build a true bond of motherly affection with the Fourth Prince. She certainly didn’t intend to repeat the foolish mistake of Consort Virtue, who had cast aside a golden lump for a lump of dirt. But given her current predicament, she could no longer care about past intentions. Her new plan was to conceive early, earn a promotion to Consort rank, and get far away from this accursed Chengqian Palace!

As for the Fourth Prince—

She was his birth mother. With a few tricks, how could the child not grow close to her? Having settled on her decision, she quickly summoned her trusted maid.

“The task I gave you… is it done?”

The maid nodded solemnly.

Noble Lady Uya’s heart finally settled. Staring at her serene reflection in the bronze mirror, she whispered to herself, “You’re the heroine of this novel. Everything will go just as you wish.”

As for that unexpected Wan Liuhar woman…

A dark gleam flashed through her eyes. She had only cast her out for the sake of their past bond as fellow palace maids. But now? She scoffed, smoothing her long hair. “Don’t blame me for being cold and heartless.”

Wan Anran sneezed.

Haitao immediately got up to close the window shutters and called for Zisu to light the charcoal brazier. “The weather this year really is strange—it still hasn’t warmed up.”

Since the New Year, the sun had disappeared without a trace.

Today, thick clouds blanketed the sky, and the cold wind seeping through the cracks chilled straight to the bone.

Hugging a hand warmer, Wan Anran stared blankly at the brazier, deciding that lunch today should be a hot bowl of noodle soup—what she really craved was luósīfěn (snail rice noodles). But that stuff stank to high heaven. If she dared eat it in Xiánfú Palace… she’d probably get thrown out by Consort Xuan.

To avoid getting kicked out of her “home,” Wan Anran regretfully compromised: “Have the kitchen add some fresh chili sauce, some greens, and thick-cut meat slices. Also, make sure to use the thin rice noodles.”

Haitao smiled and acknowledged the order.

Soon, the warm noodle soup was delivered—the head of Xiánfú Palace’s kitchen even came personally. In the past, he’d fawned over them to curry favor with the Emperor, the Crown Prince, or the Ninth Prince. But this time, it was clearly due to the newly appointed Lord Torbit.

An unexpected perk, to be sure.

Wan Anran smiled and rewarded him with a pouch of money, though her heart stirred with another idea.

Since this was the case, could her father help procure certain ingredients? Like tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The former could be made into a variety of sauces and dishes, while the latter two—besides their high yield—could become potato starch, sweet potato flour, cumin fries, deep-fried French fries, pan-fried potato cakes, shredded spicy potatoes, dry pot potato slices, baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato pancakes, taro balls, cheese-baked yams…

Ahem—just imagining it all made Wan Anran’s mouth water.

In the past, all she could do was dream. But now? She could actually put it out there and try.

After slurping up her noodles, Wan Anran propped her elbows on the table, rested her cheeks in her hands, and continued to daydream about her bright future.

“My lady… my lady! You’re drooling!” Haitao said, both amused and helpless. She pushed the basket in front of Wan Anran. “Let’s get back to work!”

“Work on what?”

“The insoles, of course… Huh? His Highness the Crown Prince, Ninth Prince? This servant pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince, to the Ninth Prince!”

Haitao instinctively knelt.

Wan Anran also rose and gave a proper curtsey.

The Crown Prince and the Ninth Prince had been visiting so often lately that Wan Anran was no longer surprised. She picked through the basket of insoles and diligently resumed work. It was Crown Prince Baocheng who broke the silence with a puzzled tone:

“Do you people at Xiánfú Palace all love gifting insoles?”

Wan Anran’s hands froze.

She looked slightly baffled. “Huh?”

Haitao immediately caught on.

Sure enough, the Crown Prince continued, “During the New Year, I opened a bunch of presents. I remember Xu Changzai from the opposite residence sent insoles.” Not that Father paid them any mind—he casually gave them to Liang Jiugong.

“And also…”

Baocheng leaned in for a good look and then made a face of disdain. “Wan Changzai, your taste is awful. Why would you embroider two pheasants on these?”

Wan Anran blushed.

She protested indignantly, “They’re clearly a pair of mandarin ducks!”

Baocheng recoiled in shock.

His pupils contracted, and his fingers trembled slightly. “Those… are mandarin ducks?!”

That was just too much!

Wan Anran fumed with embarrassment. Her cheeks burned red as she muttered, “They don’t look like chickens… At worst, maybe just a couple of wild ducks… right?”