Hong Taiji stopped in his tracks, opening his mouth as if to say something, but Hairanju, avoiding him as if he were a plague, bowed and retreated without even a glance in his direction.
The curtain on the door of the side palace swayed slightly, with no sounds coming from inside. He imagined that Da Yuer was probably in there, crying from the pain, her knees raw from kneeling so long.
He sighed deeply and continued toward Fenghuang Tower.
Reflecting on the situation, he realized that if Da Yuer hadn't been jealous and instead handled it with the grace and composure of Jeje, he would have been displeased. But when she did show jealousy, she made such a spectacle of it. Who did she think she was? Who did she think her man was?
The thought both annoyed and amused him, leaving him feeling helpless.
Meanwhile, after Hairanju re-entered the room, she quietly approached the bed. After all the commotion, Da Yuer had finally fallen asleep.
Her sister lay curled up under the blankets like a child, her cheeks puffed up, and her little mouth still quivering slightly as if she were sniffling even in her sleep—both endearing and pitiable.
"Silly girl," Hairanju murmured with a soft, teasing smile as she tucked her sister in, "If you didn't care about the Great Khan, why would you be jealous? You're so bold; others don't even dare breathe in his presence, and here you are, raising your voice at him."
She gently patted Da Yuer's backside. "Deep down, you know that he spoils you. Even when he's angry, he won't really do anything to you. Otherwise, you'd be long gone."
Her sleeping sister mumbled softly, sounding aggrieved, and Hairanju soothed her with a gentle pat, her eyes full of affection. "Da Yuer, you're a fortunate one. I know it; that Zarut is nothing."
Across the courtyard, the alluring Zarut sneezed, certain that Da Yuer and her sister must be speaking ill of her, though she was unaware that all of Shengjing City was abuzz with gossip about her.
Meanwhile, at the Fourteenth Beile's residence, the Fifteenth Consort, holding her newborn child, had come to see her husband. Qiqige was chatting with Yatu and her two younger sisters.
Little Azhe spotted the tiny baby, thinking it was the same as the younger sister in Qingning Palace, and pointed excitedly, calling out. At her side, Atu explained in her childish voice, "That's a little brother, not a sister. He's Fifteenth Uncle's son, not our great mother's little sister."
But the little one didn't understand and continued babbling, unsure what to say next.
The Fifteenth Consort laughed, "It seems Azhe is trying to talk already! And look at Atu, only three years old, yet she speaks so clearly. All of Consort Yu's children are so bright!"
Qiqige added, "With more children, the livelier it is, and they learn so quickly. You should hurry and give Dodo a few more children, too."
The young Fifteenth Consort quickly waved her hands, "Oh no, one is already exhausting me. Dodo is hardly any help. If it's up to me, I'd rather let someone else have more—I'm not keen on having more myself."
As the conversation turned to lighter matters, the Fifteenth Consort noticed the three children were here and surmised that things hadn't settled down at the palace. In a low voice, she asked, "What's going on at the palace? Did Consort Yu get punished? Why are all three of her children here?"
Qiqige casually replied, "They weren't sent over. They were just having fun with us at the hunting grounds and didn't want to go back. They were begging Dorgon for a chance to ride horses!"
Yet the young consort, curious and perhaps eager to have something to share with the other women in the household, asked if Qiqige knew anything about Zarut. "Everyone's saying she might be taken into the Khan's household as a side consort," she hinted, her eyes bright with intrigue.
Qiqige felt sorrow for Dayu'er and sighed, "Let's not talk too much about palace matters. There are layers upon layers to navigate—the Great Khan on one side, and the Great Consort on the other. For both public and private reasons, we should be cautious."
"Yes, I'll listen to you," replied the Fifteenth Consort, respecting her elder cousin and sister-in-law. Not long after, Dodo finished his business with Dorgon and came to take his families home.
As they saw the young couple off at the entrance, Dodo politely asked them to remain behind. Watching his brother and his family depart, Dorgon felt a surge of pride. Qiqige smiled and said, "Dodo has grown up, and now he's a father. Surely their mother's spirit is watching over them from the heavens."
Dorgon put his arm around his wife, just about to express his gratitude, when Atu and Yatu came running over, circling their Fourteenth Uncle with excitement.
He had no choice but to entertain the little ones, with Qiqige joining in to play with them. Their cheerful chatter brought a warmth to the Fourteenth Beile's residence that had been absent for some time.
After playing for a while, Qiqige asked a maid to bring water to wash the children's faces and wipe away their sweat. She looked at their delicate and adorable faces, then at Dorgon, who was struggling to calm a crying Azhe, and thought to herself how wonderful it would be if these children were their own.
"Auntie," Yatu called out sweetly.
"What is it? Are you hungry?" Qiqige gently patted her little belly and said tenderly, "Auntie asked them to steam dumplings. Let's wash our hands, and then we can eat."
But Yatu replied, "Auntie, I miss Mommy. She was crying…"
Atu might still be too young to understand, but five-year-old Yatu knew well enough what it meant to be punished by kneeling. She had seen her mother kneeling in the courtyard, and it weighed on her heart.
Qiqige held her small face and soothed her, "Your mother is fine, dear. You can stay at Fourteenth Uncle's home tonight, and tomorrow morning, Auntie will take you back, so you can cuddle with her."
Yatu smiled, and Qiqige picked her up, calling out to Dorgon, "Be careful! Don't hurt Azhe! You're a grown man, yet you can't even hold a child properly."
Dorgon, looking serious and a bit flustered, replied, "Let's switch. Azhe is about to jump right out of my arms! How can she have this much strength?"
Qiqige laughed heartily, "You're hopeless! What can I ever rely on you for?"
Meanwhile, back in the palace, Da Yuer had woken up and was sitting drowsily by the window when she faintly heard the sound of a baby crying from Qingning Palace. Her maternal instinct was immediately stirred.
She realized that she couldn't allow herself to be so lost—she still had her children. Determined, she stood up suddenly, ready to go find her daughters.
But a sharp pain shot through her knees, making it impossible for Da Yuer to stand, and she fell to the ground. The palace maids quickly ran over, helping her back onto the bed.
Sumala arrived, dismissing the others and gently urging, "Miss, please don't move around too much. Take it slow."
Da Yuer asked, "Where is Yatu? She hasn't come back yet?"
Sumala nodded, "She's staying at the Fourteenth Beile's residence tonight, with the Great Consort's permission."
Dorgon...
Da Yuer felt a pang in her heart, reassured by Qiqige's presence but uneasy about Dorgon's involvement. If Hong Taiji found out, would he be upset again? He didn't like Dorgon and was always wary of his brother.
"Miss?" Sumala noticed her lost in thought and asked, "Is this arrangement not acceptable? If you're truly concerned, I can go to the Beile's residence and bring the princesses back."
Da Yuer shook her head, "No need to trouble the children. I can barely walk right now; it wouldn't be good to bring them back."
She touched her injured knees and asked, "Will they be better by tomorrow?"
Sumala chuckled, "Of course! Don't you remember? Before you gave birth to Yatu, we didn't take proper care of you, and the Great Consort made everyone in the room kneel as punishment. But the next day, we were all up and about, just fine."
Da Yuer sighed, "Aunt is always strict with me and the others, but she's so gentle with everyone else. I've been defiant and contrary with her for the past year; I know she's tired of tolerating me."
Sumala laughed, "But who else dares to provoke the Great Consort? In this palace, only you do."
Da Yuer couldn't find anything to say to that. Sumala was right—her aunt wasn't lenient with others because of her status as the great consort. Everyone respected her and feared her; since coming to Shengjing, no one dared to cross her aunt.
She mumbled a few words in frustration and then, noticing her sister wasn't in the room, asked where she had gone.
At that moment, Hairanju was coming from the small kitchen with Baoqing, having decided to make a treat that her younger sister had once loved to cheer her up. She shared stories with Baoqing about their time in Khorchin as they walked past the Fenghuang Tower, just in time to encounter Hong Taiji.
They had been chatting and laughing, but immediately straightened up when they saw him. Hong Taiji glanced at them, about to walk away, but the scent of food caught his attention.
The smell was familiar, something he had tasted long ago, though he couldn't quite place it.
"Did the kitchen make that?" he asked.
Hairanju kept her head down, saying nothing, so Baoqing quickly replied, "Princess Lan made them, Great Khan. She was worried that the Side Consort might not have an appetite, so she made some treats that the Side Consort liked as a child."
"What kind of treats?" Hong Taiji stepped forward and casually lifted the lid of the food box.
Inside, he saw two bowls of milk custard and a plate of fried pastries. But the fragrance wasn't coming from them; instead, it came from the lower tier. He picked up the top box to reveal a tray of lamb-filled dumplings and pork-stuffed buns, the true source of the delicious aroma.
"You made these?" he asked, looking at Hairanju. She gave a faint nod, barely perceptible, avoiding his gaze entirely.
Baoqing, however, felt compelled to speak, saying timidly, "These are lamb dumplings and pork buns, Great Khan. I made the dough, but Princess Lan prepared the fillings. She said it was the taste that the Side Consort loves."
Hong Taiji scoffed, "The flavour Yuer likes? That was years ago. After ten years apart, you can still remember?"
Hairanju remained silent, her eyes lowered, so still she seemed almost absent.
Hong Taiji grew impatient, noticing the similarities between the two sisters' stubbornness. Angrily, he said, "I'm speaking to you. Can't you hear?"
At last, Hairanju looked up at him. Though she was afraid, seeing how he had hurt her beloved sister made her want him to understand that Khorchin women were not to be trifled with.
She wasn't eloquent, nor did she have the fearless disposition to confront him head-on, so she simply chose silence.
"Take them," Hong Taiji commanded Niman, turning to leave. "I'm hungry. Bring it to the Grand Politics Hall. I'll eat it before summoning them to the palace."
Niman hesitated, but Hong Taiji had already walked away. He glanced between Hairanju and Baoqing, both of whom seemed stunned.
Niman nudged Baoqing, who, reluctantly, handed over the food box.
"Is there any left for the Side Consort?" Niman asked softly.
"Most of them were sent to Qingning Palace," Baoqing replied uneasily. "But Consort Yu won't go near the Great Consort right now, and we wouldn't dare ask for any either."
Niman clicked his tongue, "Make some more then. I'll go on ahead." With a sigh, he carried the box and hurried off toward the Grand Politics Hall.
It was only then that Hairanju realized what had happened, and she anxiously asked Baoqing, "He took them all? What about Yuer?"
Baoqing gave a wry smile, "But if the Great Khan wants to eat, who would dare stop him? Maybe we could ask Adai if she can spare a bit. If only we hadn't let her take the rest."