Hairanju had been busy in the kitchen for half a day, but in the end, nothing was delivered to her younger sister. At this moment, in the room filled with both masters and servants, they exchanged glances. Da Yuer murmured, "Why did he take my food?"
"Maybe he's just teasing you," Hairanju replied with a smile. "The Great Khan might want you to accompany him to the Grand Politics Hall to eat together, will you go?"
"No, let that woman go instead," Da Yuer said angrily. "Just thinking about what they did at the hunting grounds makes me feel sick."
Just as she finished speaking, someone came in from the door and coldly said, "I thought you had reflected on your behaviour, but you are even more unruly now."
The one who entered was Jeje. Upon hearing Da Yuer's words, she felt furious; if it reached the ears of Hong Taiji, it would be a problem.
Hairanju hurried to help her sister up, as Da Yuer was swaying, her knees hurting badly, making it difficult to stand.
Jeje had initially come because she enjoyed Hairanju's cooking, reminiscing about her hometown, the Khorchin, and feeling sorry for her two nieces, each with their own struggles, which softened her heart.
She thought to check on Da Yuer's injury to comfort and guide her, but upon entering and seeing the situation, anger welled up.
She said angrily, "If you continue to be reckless, I'll make you kneel at the Ten Kings Pavilion, and if you still won't obey, kneel at the gates of Shengjing."
Da Yuer couldn't withstand such harsh words; tears welled up in her eyes, and she was about to retort to her aunt when Hairanju stopped her. She knelt before Jeje and said, "Auntie, please don't be angry. Yuer is still young; she doesn't understand, so please don't let it get to you."
Jeje sighed and said, "She's already a mother of three children; what do you mean by still being young? At this point, it's fortunate you didn't give birth to a young prince; otherwise, what kind of a son would a mother so ignorant raise?"
Da Yuer had previously always obeyed her aunt and followed the traditions of Khorchin. Not only Hong Taiji didn't like that, she had been suffering as well, so she began to force herself to oppose her aunt.
Initially, she felt fear, guilt, and inner turmoil, but gradually, after tasting the sweetness of defiance, she lost herself in it. Now, feeling heartbroken and sad, hearing her aunt say such words stirred up her feelings of inferiority and sadness, being sent by Khorchin to serve merely as a tool for childbirth.
All the pent-up resentment in her heart burst out, and all the usual reasoning and understanding she had vanished.
"It should have been Aunt who gave birth to a son. He would definitely have been brilliant and versatile. It's such a pity Aunt couldn't fulfill her wish, and I couldn't help either," she said, her heart hard as stone.
Jeje was stunned, and everyone else was speechless. How could Consort Yu say such a hurtful thing, piercing the deepest pain of the Great Consort's heart? No matter how angry or wronged she felt, she shouldn't have said this.
"Yuer!" Even Hairanju became anxious, "Yuer, what are you saying? Kneel before your aunt now!"
Du Yuer snapped out of it, her hard heart softening, and she herself was at a loss.
"Yes, this is my fate. I'm having a hard time, and I've even dragged you down." Jeje stood up, took a heavy, deep breath, and walked straight towards the door.
Everyone in the room stood frozen, watching the Great Consort leave with her entourage, while Adai's brows furrowed deeply in distress. She finally glanced around the room and dropped the curtain heavily.
In the Grand Politics Hall, Hong Taiji had been busy all day, seeing several people. By the time night had fallen, he intended to head to Qingning Palace. He sent Niman ahead to relay a message, but soon Niman returned, saying the Great Consort had already retired and asked the Great Khan to rest on his own.
Hong Taiji asked, "Is the Great Consort unwell?"
Niman hadn't had time to inquire, only saying, "I haven't heard of any doctors being called. She's probably just tired from all the running around these past few days."
Hong Taiji thought for a moment, then rose and walked to the door, where he saw the food box by the entrance, containing pastries made by Hairanju that he had snatched but hadn't eaten.
"You all can eat them. Don't waste them," Hong Taiji said. "Go to Qingning Palace, lamps lead the way."
That night, the palace was unusually quiet, so everyone could hear the commotion of the doctor being summoned.
In the side palace, Zaruut, dressed in her sleeping gown, leaned at the window, watching the figure of the doctor being led into Qingning Palace. She sneered, "So she's sick from anger? It'd be better if she just died, to free up a spot for us."
The White Banner under Dorgon's command had a physician who had surrendered from the Ming dynasty. Word reached him as people from the palace came looking for assistance.
Meanwhile, he and Qiqige had just finished settling the three little ones to sleep and were whispering to each other while watching the peacefully sleeping Yatu sisters.
Dorgon stood by the door, listening to the servant's report, when Qiqige came over with a robe for him to wear, only then learning that the Great Consort had fallen ill.
"How could Aunt get sick too? All this chaos in the palace... that Zarut woman is truly despicable," Qiqige muttered, unable to hold back. "The Great Khan too—what's so special about that seductive woman? Just a few looks of novelty, and he's smitten? Doesn't he already have Yuer, such a peerless beauty, and yet that's not enough?"
Dorgon scolded her, "Don't say that. Trouble comes from loose lips."
Qiqige was unconvinced. "Of course you men side with men."
Dorgon sighed, "What am I helping him with?"
Indeed, Dorgon wouldn't help anyone, least of all Hong Taiji.
Qiqige was skilled at keeping her emotions hidden, but deep down, she knew the precarious position their family was in. Every day, Dorgon and his brothers, along with their families, lived with their heads figuratively on the chopping block—one wrong move, and their heads would roll.
Among the Four Great Beile, Mangultai had died, Amin had been imprisoned for his crimes, leaving only Daishan to uphold appearances. Only the one in the Great Politics Hall likely understood what was truly going on.
"Hong Taiji cannot stand the arrogance of the Khorchin tribe and feels the need to suppress it," Dorgon sneered. "If he had a better way, why would he throw his entire harem into chaos?"
Qiqige asked, "Does the Great Khan also believe that Sister Hairanju was sent by Wukeshan to him?"
"Most likely," Dorgon replied. "It's obvious, no need to explain it."
Qiqige shook her head, "But Yuer has no idea, not even the slightest suspicion. She's neither dumb nor foolish, just too naïve."
Dorgon stood silently, unsure how to respond to his wife.
Qiqige continued to mutter to herself, "You all keep marrying our Khorchin women, one after another, and now they think we're too full of ourselves. In the end, it's all just your logic."
Dorgon chuckled, "I haven't complained even once. Don't pin Hong Taiji's problems on me."
Qiqige said, "I heard one of the Beile brought back a Korean woman, right? If we ever manage to enter the Central Plains and go south, there will be all those women from Jiangnan, each one as beautiful as a fairy, with soft, delicate skin. Men won't be able to resist falling in love at first sight."
"Where did you hear that from?" Dorgon asked with a laugh, half exasperated. "Even my brothers say you're the most well-informed person in all of Shengjing. Who have you been spending your time with?"
"Now you're thinking about controlling me?" Qiqige snorted softly, pressing herself against his chest and knocking on his heart, teasingly but firmly. "Let me tell you, Dorgon, if you dare bring home any Korean women or Jiangnan women, just try and see what happens."
Though "home" still had two concubines, they were women selected by the Dowager Abahai when she was alive, chosen to keep her son's bed warm. Over the years, under Qiqige's "iron fist," they had been completely subdued, to the point where even Dorgon himself had practically forgotten about them.
Gently pinching Qiqige's cheek, Dorgon said, "Do you know what my brothers say about me?"
Qiqige scoffed, "What do they say?"
"They say I'm afraid of my wife," Dorgon replied with a chuckle.
Qiqige burst out laughing, shaking her head. "You're barely home a few times a year. We've been married for so many years, and if we count all the time we've spent together, has it even totalled six months? Dorgon, what are you afraid of?"
Dorgon smiled. "True. But why is it that every time I come back to see you, it feels like I've never left, as if we're together every day?"
Qiqige's stern demeanour softened as her eyes filled with tenderness. "Because I think of you every moment, every day."
Dorgon's heart warmed, and he thought of adding a child to their family. He scooped her up into his arms. Qiqige blushed and playfully protested, "The Yatu girls are here—don't get carried away…"
Meanwhile, in the palace, several doctors took turns checking Jeje's pulse. There was no serious illness—her condition was the result of pent-up anger and emotional distress. Medicine would help, but ultimately, her heart had to be set at ease for her to fully recover.
Jeje, however, refused to speak, claiming only that she was tired and wanted to sleep, dismissing Hong Taiji's concerns. Left with no choice, he questioned Adai, who, unable to withstand the Great Khan's pressure, finally revealed the incident between Consort Yu and the Great Consort.
Jeje sighed and turned away, not wanting to discuss it further.
After a long silence, Hong Taiji said, "I've been too lenient with her."
Jeje shook her head. "It's not such a bad thing... it's just that I feel... I've wronged you, and I've wronged Yuer too."
Hong Taiji moved closer. "You know my heart. You've always been considerate, patient, and you've borne so much for me. Jeje, don't say such things to me."
Tears welled in Jeje's eyes. "But what right do I have to push Yuer like this?"
The night passed, and early the next morning, the court assembly at the Ten Kings Pavilion proceeded as usual. The Beile and ministers arrived one after another, chatting in small groups about the news from Shengjing. The Great Consort's illness from the night before had stirred up many speculations, with some guessing that it was due to her anger over the Great Khan's new favourite.
Dorgon, not fond of getting involved in such gossip, made a few polite comments before walking away. Nearby, Yoto stood with a cold sneer, but someone still nudged his shoulder, teasing, "Dorgon is so formidable, you really can't beat him?"
Yoto, furious, was about to retaliate when Hong Taiji arrived, putting an end to any further talk.
That day's court session was uneventful, and it was dismissed before noon. In the inner palace, Jeje remained behind closed doors, resting and refusing to see anyone. Early in the morning, Hairanju, with Baoqing, went to the Fourteenth Beile's residence to pick up the children. Meanwhile, after applying her medicine, Da Yuer sat cross-legged by the window, lost in thought.
Suddenly, the curtain lifted, and a tall figure stepped in. Upon seeing her husband before her, Da Yuer's heart leapt into her throat. Then, noticing the three-finger-wide ruler in his hand, her entire body froze.
Hong Taiji walked toward her, tossing the ruler onto the floor with a thud. "Jeje is sick, and it's because of her anger. I should give you a beating to let her vent. You decide how you want it done."
Da Yuer stared at him, her mind going blank, eyes wide with shock. Hong Taiji had never hit a woman, never even laid a finger on her before.