CH 1

In the winter of Kangxi’s 20th year, heavy snow fell in the Forbidden City. Because the Revolt of the Three Feudatories [1] was thoroughly pacified, Kangxi had been in a very good mood recently, and even the entire harem had a festive and peaceful atmosphere.

[1] The Revolt of the Three Feudatories, also known as the Rebellion of Wu Sangui, was a rebellion in China lasting from 1673 to 1681, during the early reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). You can read more here. 

It was in these harmonious surroundings that a child who was not more than one year old was lying on a soft couch, looking at a brass incense burner in the room. Such a tiny fellow looking this contemplative, it was truly a somewhat amusing sight.

Li You himself actually didn’t want to put on such a ridiculous appearance, but anyone who slept well on a soft bed and woke up to become a one-year-old child would be shocked, puzzled, and helpless.

Looking at Zhong momo [2] who was napping next to him, Li You frowned slightly. He had been here for two days. He didn’t know anything except that it was the Qing Dynasty and that he was the Seventh son of Kangxi. Judging from the limited historical knowledge he learned in his previous life, in the history of the Qing Dynasty, the Seventh-ranked and very capable elder brother... in fact, did not exist. 

[2] 嬷嬷 mómo - old female servant. Mostly they accompanied their master since birth. (From Dreams of Jianghu).

Making an effort, he arched on the soft couch. Li You then looked at his slightly deformed left foot, and then knew which one he was. The Seventh son of Emperor Kangxi, Aisin Gioro [3] Yinyou [4], who was born with a foot disease in the history of the Qing Dynasty. This person did not make many achievements in his life, and because of his foot disease, he was not even qualified to inherit the throne. There was also an Er-Niang [5] who was not favoured by the Emperor. In the history of the Qing Dynasty, there was really not much left for future generations to write.

[3] Aisin Gioro is the family name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty.

[4] His name, Yinyou means Blessed to be prosperous. It looks like this: 胤 yìn - descendant / heir / offspring / posterity / to inherit and 祐 yòu - (of divinity) to bless / to protect. As you can see, his name shares the meaning of the novel’s title. The theme: to be blessed.

[5] 額娘 E-Niang. Because of the Chinese polygamy system, the wife and the concubines, and their sons had an intricate etiquette that they had to follow to show distinctions. The sons born from the concubines can only call ‘mother’ the wife of their father, but to their biological mother they can only call her ‘father’s concubine’. Because of the royal setting, this calling is E-Niang. For nobles, I believe they use a different calling.

Li You thought with some emotion that in addition to the nine sons of Kangxi [6], there were actually wastes like him who did not make much progress. Tugging at the small quilt covering him, Li You accepted his fate a little bit. In his previous life, his parents died early, and this life can be regarded as picked up. In the future, as long as he doesn’t anger the prince, alienate the eighth brother, and treat the Fourth brother respectfully, he will be able to live peacefully for a lifetime.

[6] Only nine sons of Kangxi participated in the battle for inheriting the throne, openly and secretly. This is knowns as 九龍奪嫡 or “Nine Sons Seizing the Inheritance” (Read more here). In fact, Kangxi emperor was a prolific polygamist who had fifty-six children of thirty consorts, from when he was first started in sexual matters at the age of twelve, till his death when he was sixty-eight. Read more on the footnotes below.

In December of the 20th year of Kangxi, Kangxi advocated smallpox inoculation [7], and the little brothers in the palace also were inoculated according to Kangxi’s idea, followed by the Laba Festival, and then the annual New Year’s Eve Banquet.

[7] In 1678, Emperor Kangxi introduced smallpox inoculation to the Palace, and it became a royally approved medical technique. (Source.) The Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722) was particularly interested in the potential of variolation. Smallpox was a serious threat to the ruling Qing dynasty: One of the reasons the Shunzhi Emperor chose Kangxi to succeed him was because he had already survived smallpox. Kangxi was the first Chinese emperor to have children in the imperial family inoculated. (Source).

On this day, Yinyou met the biological mother in this life, the Dai Jia’s clan daughter, Imperial Concubine Cheng [8]. He was carried by Zhong momo to Concubine Cheng’s house, and soon he was in Concubine Cheng’s arms. When he opened his eyes, he saw her: Concubine Cheng was only about twenty years old, and although her face was very beautiful, in this harem, it was really not that dazzling.

[8] 嫔 pín - imperial concubine. Above her there’s the Empress, the Imperial Noble Consort, the Noble Consort and the Consort. She’s in the bottom of the top places kinda. Every member of the harem also uses either a given monosyllable ‘special name’ before their rank or their own last name. Only the ones favoured by the Emperor or have high enough status are given a “special name”. Once that special name is given, their last name is dropped from their title. (DRWCN). In this case, even though her family name is Dai Jia, she was given the title Cheng. Maybe because she gave birth to a prince. (You can read more here).

Concubine Cheng carefully checked Yinyou’s clothes and saw that there was nothing outside the rules, and that it was also quite thick. She asked the palace maid next to her to take a chunky robe and wrap it in Yinyou, and then she handed him to the waiting Zhong momo, and said, “Look carefully at the Seventh brother. Today, the master of each palace, his elder brothers, will be there, so don’t go wrong.”

“Aye, aye”, Zhong momo also understood the difficulties of the Mistress. The Seventh elder brother was born with a foot disease. Although there was not much wrong with him, and it will not affect walking or doing things in the future, among the princes born in recent years, it was really not outstanding. In addition, the Mistress was not favored. In this harem, she naturally had to be more careful. She must not offend the master of whichever palace.

Concubine Cheng lived in Qixiang Palace, which was still some distance from the Qianqing Palace where the New Year’s Eve Banquet was held. Because Yinyou was young, he has been guarded in the momo’s arms, and he only felt that they’ve been walking for a long time.

After arriving at the Qianqing Palace, Yinyou was not with Concubine Cheng, but was carried by the momo to the side hall and entered a wing. Yinyou felt that the room was warm, but it was a pity that his face was covered by a robe for most of the time, and he couldn’t really see the furnishings in the room.

“Slave greets the Third brother, the Fourth brother, and the Fifth brother. The brothers are auspicious.” Realizing that the person holding him seemed to have made a curtsy, Yinyou moved in the momo’s arms, rather curious. These brothers should still be children now, and he doesn’t know what they look like.

“Is it the Seventh brother in your arms?” He heard a soft voice drawing closer, “Show it to this master.”

The corner of the robe that had been blocking his face was removed. Immediately Yinyou felt that his face was cold, and then he saw a ruddy-faced child with thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking rather upright.

“It’s very cute,” the child untied the sachet from his body and shook it in front of Yinyou, teasing him and saying, “Come on, Seventh brother, call for Third brother and this sachet will be given to you.”

Yinyou glanced at the exquisite purse and guessed that it might contain snacks or gadgets that children love to eat. Although he was a little curious about how the princes of the Qing Dynasty played when they were young, thinking of the tragic end of this Third brother [9], Yinyou put away the slightest curiosity. He didn’t want to attract the attention of this Third master too much, he just hummed twice and didn’t react much.

[9] Emperor Yongzheng took his title, sent him to guard the mausoleum, and finally imprisoned him in Jingshan, leaving him to fend for himself. (Read more here). Yinzhi was too cunning and too much of a threat, he was also at odds with the Thirteen brother,Yinxiang, who was particularly close to Emperor Yongzheng. When the Thirteen brother died, and Yinzhi didn’t even bother to act sad, he made the Emperor Yongzheng enraged and was finally imprisoned for life in punishment.

The Third elder brother Yinzhi was amused for a while, but when he saw that Yinyou, who was born white and tender, was also really dull and boring, he who was only more than four years old, lost interest in teasing. He threw his purse to the little eunuch behind Zhong momo, and sat aside to tease the Fifth elder brother Yinqi, who was more than two years younger than him.

Seeing that Yinzhi didn’t plan to pay any more attention to him, Yinyou breathed a sigh of relief and twisted his body that was a little uncomfortable. When he tilted his head to one side, he saw a little boy sitting rather upright watching him fixedly. This child was pink and tender, and he looked really cute.

Yinyou blinked calmly, but ten thousand horses began to gallop in his mind [10]. This was the Yongzheng Emperor. This was his future patron [11]. Did he find him pleasing?

[10] 万马奔腾 wànmǎbēnténg - lit. ten thousand stampeding horses (idiom) / fig. with great momentum / going full speed ahead

[11] 讨好 tǎohǎo - to win favor by fawning on sb / to curry favor with / a fruitful outcome to reward one's labor.

“Seventh brother, this is the Fourth brother,” Mother saw Yinyou staring at Yinzhen, spoke into his ear, and then squatted down to let Yinzhen see Yinyou clearly.

The Fourth elder brother Yinzhen was now being raised in the name of the Imperial  Noble Concubine, and his status was naturally noble among the several princes. How could Zhong momo dare to neglect half a point.

Yinzhen’s face was serious. He was only more than three years old, but even though he had some elder brother’s demeanor on his face, he still had a bit of curiosity about this Seventh brother in his eyes.

Just when Yinzhen was in a daze, the child dressed as a small bag stretched out a hand to him, and with a bright smile on his face, spoke softly, “Gege… [12]”

[12] 咯咯 gēgē. The raws (author’s meaning) is that Yinyou said Gege: elder brother. But taking into account that he was only one year old, I should leave it like it sounds, not like what it means.

He didn’t know if the child was laughing or calling him brother, but Yinzhen was distracted by his gesture, and he also reached out to hold his little hand.

“Slave greet all the elder brothers. The Emperor has a decree to send several elder brothers to the table.” A little eunuch walked in and gave a bow, with some snow particles on his shoulders.

Hearing Huang Ama’s [13] call, Yinzhen retracted his hand, glanced at Yinyou, who was still smiling and walked behind the Third brother, silently following out the door.

[13] 皇阿瑪 Huang Ama - Huáng 皇 means ‘emperor’ while the Ama is father. So, it’s Emperor Father, or Imperial Father. // Huang Ama, is the title of the father of the sons and daughters of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty in literary works . The average Manchu family calls their father Ama. (Baidu).

Yinyou didn’t care either, and there was still a smile on his face. He only put away the smile on his face and changed to a naive look when Zhong momo put his extended hand into the robe again, walked through a few corridors, and came to the Qianqing Palace.

Because of his foot disease, he will not be the object of calculation for the women of the harem or the princes, but also because of his foot disease, if he wants to be popular in the harem, he must be loved by the upper echelons. He didn’t want to live an ascetic life, but he also didn’t want to live making too many calculations. This body with a slight problem gave him a unique condition. Even in the history of the Qing Dynasty, the fate of this Seventh brother was much better than that of those who participated in the ‘Nine Sons Seizing the Inheritance’ and failed.

Zhong momo hugged Yinyou and stepped forward to greet Kangxi and the Empress Dowager. Kangxi was not eager for this son who was born with a disease. After rewarding a pair of jade Ruyi, he said nothing more. 

On the contrary, Empress Dowager became a little eager for this great-grandson who had never been out to see people before, and ordered Zhong momo to come forward and let her take a look.

Yinyou looked at the elderly woman who held him in her arms. Although the wind and frost of the years left traces on her face, it was not difficult to see that the famous Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang in history was once also a beauty. He tried his best to stretch out his short arm from the robe and giggle at the Empress Dowager.

New Year’s Eve was originally a festive day. In addition, the Revolt of the Three Feudatories was also pacified. Taking these two things into account, Empress Dowager was already happy in her heart. Now, she saw Yinyou smiling at her. Yinyou was born beautiful and his smile was more so. The Empress Dowager was immediately attracted by Yinyou’s smiling face. 

In a good mood, she said, “Emperor, look at our little Yinyou. This little face looks like a lucky boy with a smile.” With that, Su Mala gu [14], who was next to her, took a long-life lock and hung it on Yinyou’s neck with her own hands.

[14] 拉 Gu. (Sometimes put as Gugu). Elderly woman servant. Usually, they’ve been with their Master for years and have aged together.

“Yes.” When Su Mala gu saw this situation, she was willing to make her master happy. “The way this servant looks at it, this seven brother is blessed.”

Concubine Cheng, who was sitting on the concubine’s seat, was already too nervous when she saw Yinyou being held in her arms by Empress Dowager. Now that Empress Dowager showed her love for Yinyou, she was both afraid and happy, and she didn't know what to do for a while.

When the other concubines at the same table saw this, they all praised Yinyou one after another. It seemed that they had the ambition to forget that Yinyou had a foot disease together. Regardless of whether these boastings were true or false, Concubine Cheng felt that it was a blessing for her to have a son in this deep palace.

She was not favored, and her maiden family was not a great noble clan. Even if she gave birth to a sound child, that position was not something she could think of. Now that Yinyou was ill, she felt a little relieved.

Seeing that Empress Dowager loved Yinyou, Kangxi couldn’t help but become curious. He asked Li Dequan [15] to hold Yinyou in front of him, but he didn’t hold him in his arms. He just glanced at it twice. Seeing that the child’s eyebrows were clear and his forehead was full, and his smiling appearance was indeed the appearance of a lucky boy in the painting for New Year [16]. He smiled and said, “Well, very good. Come on, give two pairs of gold earrings and gold bracelets with pearls to Cheng concubine.”

[15] 李德全 Li Dequan. He was the general manager of the Imperial Palace during the Kangxi period, and Kangxi’s personal eunuch. Because Emperors were recorded in history book, I believe his eunuchs (and most closely eunuchs) were too. In the novels I’ve read, Li Dequan keeps appearing, and I’m guessing that like Kangxi, he was a real historical person recorded in books.

[16] Maybe A New Year picture (Chinese: 年画; pinyin: níanhùa) is a popular Banhua in China. It is a form of colored woodblock print, used for decoration and the performance of rituals during the Chinese New Year Holiday. Images of babies (typically male), alone or in the company of young mothers, are very common motifs, as are images of beauties, alone or in the company of babies. (Honestly, I couldn’t really make much sense of it. I’m just guessing here. #Help) 

Concubine Cheng heard of the gift of the Holy One and hurriedly knelt down to thank him. Her cautious appearance made the concubines who were still a little wary of her suddenly lose interest.

Seeing Yinyou laughing, even more, Kangxi stretched out his finger and poked Yinyou’s tender face, “Look at this kid, he heard that Zhen rewarded his E-Niang, and he laughed so happily. Tell me, I rewarded your E-Niang, what do you have for me.”

Yinyou was secretly shocked. Did Kangxi say this unintentionally to tease the children, or did his words have a secret meaning? Although this may not be said to him, in this case, if he behaves too eye-catching, it would be bad, but if he does not respond, afraid that Kangxi will be unhappy.

Yinyou was just a child now, and he was not afraid that he will really anger Kangxi, so he stretched out his hand and grabbed the corner of the sleeve of Kangxi’s dragon robe, and then pretended to be a child stammering, “Fang… Ama.”

Hearing Yinyou calling him Huang Ama, Kangxi felt a little warm in his heart. Finally, he smiled and hugged Yinyou from Li Dequan’s hand, “It’s not Fang Ama, it’s Huang Ama.”

“...Ama,” When Kangxi hugged Yinyou, Yinyou pulled a dim sum from the table next to them. As he smiled happily he put the dim sum in Kangxi’s wide palm, “Ama.”

The small hands lined Kangxi’s wider and thicker palms. Kangxi was taken aback, and then he let out a laugh, “So this is the gift that Yinyou gave me. Give me my own things?”

Yinyou still just smiled innocently.

Kangxi also knew that such a young child could not know this, and after teasing for a while, he handed the child to Li Dequan, instructed the palace people who took care of Yinyou to look at the Seventh brother carefully, and then accompanied the Empress Dowager to talk about something else.

After Yinyou was hugged down, because of the child’s drowsy physique, he fell asleep.

After that, it was another period of peaceful days, and then two years later, he was rewarded by Kangxi again. Although he was not in the limelight too much, he would not let the people in the harem underestimate him.

Therefore, Yinyou’s life in the past few years has been quite nourishing, and the only pity was that Kangxi’s other sons have rarely been seen in the past two years.

Sooner or later, Yinyou will see them. While practicing a good-looking walking posture in the house, Yinyou planned for his future life in his heart.

***

▲ Footnotes 

[1] The Revolt of the Three Feudatories, (Chinese: 三藩之亂; pinyin: Sānfān zhī luàn) also known as the Rebellion of Wu Sangui, was a rebellion in China lasting from 1673 to 1681, during the early reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). You can read more here. 

[3] Aisin Gioro is the family name of the Manchu emperors of the Qing dynasty.

[4] His name, Yinyou means Blessed to be prosperous. It looks like this: 胤 yìn - descendant / heir / offspring / posterity / to inherit and 祐 yòu - (of divinity) to bless / to protect. As you can see, his name shares the meaning of the novel’s title. The theme: to be blessed.

[5] 額娘 E-Niang. Because of the Chinese polygamy system, the wife and the concubines, and their sons had an intricate etiquette that they had to follow to show distinctions. The sons born from the concubines can only call ‘mother’ the wife of their father, but to their biological mother they can only call her ‘father’s concubine’. Because of the royal setting, this calling is E-Niang. For nobles, they use a different calling.

[6] Only nine sons of Kangxi participated in the battle for inheriting the throne, openly and secretly. This is knowns as 九龍奪嫡 or “Nine Sons Seizing the Inheritance” (Read more here). In fact, Kangxi emperor was a prolific polygamist who had fifty-six children of thirty consorts, from when he was first started in sexual matters at the age of twelve, till his death when he was sixty-eight. 

“By way of counter-example, let us briefly consider a ruler who appears to have kept a level head, Xuan Ye (1654–1722), commonly known as the Kangxi emperor. He was a prolific polygamist who had fifty-six children of thirty consorts and at least twenty-four more consorts who did not have children. As far as we can tell, he escaped ugly conflicts between them. Unlike his father and grandfather, he never became attached to any one woman, transferring himself between a few greater and lesser favorites, who changed over time from his first sex as a boy of about twelve to the end of his life at sixty-eight. The most prominent woman in his life was his grandmother, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang (Bumbutai), who cared for him during childhood after his mother died and helped free him from contending regents by age fifteen. Genealogical records are the main sources for gauging how he conducted himself sexually. Two Manchu women had the most children of all, six each, and slightly overlapped in time. Between 1667 and 1681, he had six children with one (Rongfei) and, between 1678 and 1688, six more with the other (Defei), the mother of his successor. An idea of his sexual activity-and a model for the hypothetical good polygamist-emerges from the birth records. Between 1667 and 1690, he had at least one child per year, except in 1676 and 1684 when he had none. In eight of those years he had two or more children, in 1674 and 1685 four each, and in 1683 five, continuing to have children until he was fifty-six. Besides the two wives with six children, five more had three children each, the rest one or two (Tang (1923) 1967, 10b-16b).” (McMahon, 2013: 929).

[7] In 1678, Emperor Kangxi introduced smallpox inoculation to the Palace, and it became a royally approved medical technique. (Source.) The Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722) was particularly interested in the potential of variolation. Smallpox was a serious threat to the ruling Qing dynasty: One of the reasons the Shunzhi Emperor chose Kangxi to succeed him was because he had already survived smallpox. Kangxi was the first Chinese emperor to have children in the imperial family inoculated. (Source).

[8] 嫔 pín - imperial concubine. Above her there’s the Empress, the Imperial Noble Consort, the Noble Consort and the Consort. She’s in the bottom of the top places kinda. Every member of the harem also uses either a given monosyllable ‘special name’ before their rank or their own last name. Only the ones favoured by the Emperor or have high enough status are given a “special name”. Once that special name is given, their last name is dropped from their title. (DRWCN). In this case, even though her family name is Dai Jia, she was given the title Cheng. Maybe because she gave birth to a prince. (You can read more here).

[9] Emperor Yongzheng took his title, sent him to guard the mausoleum, and finally imprisoned him in Jingshan, leaving him to fend for himself. (Read more here). Yinzhi was too cunning and too much of a threat, he was also at odds with the Thirteen brother,Yinxiang, who was particularly close to Emperor Yongzheng. When the Thirteen brother died, and Yinzhi didn’t even bother to act sad, he made the emperor enraged and was finally imprisoned for life in punishment.

[10] 万马奔腾 wànmǎbēnténg - lit. ten thousand stampeding horses (idiom) / fig. with great momentum / going full speed ahead

[11] 讨好 tǎohǎo - to win favor by fawning on sb / to curry favor with / a fruitful outcome to reward one's labor.

[12] 咯咯 gēgē. The raws (author’s meaning) is that Yinyou said Gege: elder brother. But taking into account that he was only one year old, I should leave it like it sounds, not like what it means.