Da Yuer smiled and said, "Sister, how about we go out for a few days? I'll take you out to relax. After all, the Jin Dynasty isn't just about Shengjing."
Hairanju stared blankly, not responding, and looked toward their aunt. Jeje scolded, "You just want to go out for fun and are using your sister as an excuse."
Da Yuer squeezed between her aunt and sister, looking left and right, "Then think of it as a favour for me. Aunt, you can go to the Great Khan and tell him we want to take sister out for a stroll. Sister, you can accompany me, even if reluctantly."
Jeje laughed, "Your face is thicker than the city walls. You go and tell the Great Khan yourself."
Hairanju softly said, "I'd be willing to go with you, but, Yuer, if we leave, are we just going to leave the palace to that woman?"
At the mention of Zarut, Da Yuer's mood darkened, "Then think of it as you keeping me company to relax. It's annoying to see her here. Out of sight, out of mind."
At this moment, all three women sitting on the heated kang bed were from the Khorchin tribe, which held a critical position in Shengjing and the entire Jin Dynasty. Jeje understood why Hong Taiji would favour Zarut.
"You go talk to him yourself. If the Great Khan refuses, I'll step in," Jeje instructed, adding, "Go to the Ten Kings Pavilion and check. Be calm and don't interrupt the Great Khan's matters."
Da Yuer stood up, gently pinching her sister's cheeks, "No more tears, okay? I'll be back soon."
After comforting Hairanju, she headed straight for the Ten Kings Pavilion. Though it was only separated by a wall from the inner palace, it was a military and political hub, and even as playful as she could be, Da Yuer wouldn't dare to wander there casually unless necessary, like now, on her aunt's orders.
As she walked with her maid Sumala, they coincidentally bumped into Dorgon, who was coming out of the Plain White Banner Pavilion, also heading toward the Grand Politics Hall.
"Greetings, Fourteenth Beile," Sumala greeted Dorgon, and Da Yuer gave a small smile, nodding slightly.
"Are you here to see the Great Khan?" Dorgon asked.
"Nothing urgent. You go ahead. I'll wait a bit."
Dayu'er was polite and unreserved. The little unease she had earlier was dispelled after her aunt's words of guidance. She decided to interact with Dorgon as she had before, without being too distant or overly formal, because if she became cold and distant, it would all be blamed on the Great Khan.
Just like Qiqige, who was always warm and close with them, she handled her interactions with the Great Khan gracefully. Wasn't her heart aligned with Dorgon's? Was she unaware of the grievances between Dorgon and Hong Taiji?
Da Yuer thought to herself, "Everyone is clever in their own way; it's just me who hasn't used my cleverness where it's needed."
"Yatu and Atu have troubled you," Da Yuer said, "and Azhe is even harder to manage. I appreciate you and Qiqige for taking care of them overnight."
Dorgon felt warm as Da Yuer spoke to him directly and smiled, "It's no trouble. The house is rarely lively, and Qiqige enjoys their company."
Indeed, Da Yuer had been to Dorgon's residence, and the place was chillingly quiet. Hopefully, the heavens would bless Qiqige this time, and by this time next year, the residence would be truly lively.
As they approached the Grand Politics Hall, Niman came out to greet them, informing them that the Great Khan was in the middle of discussions with other ministers and asked them to wait.
He glanced at Dorgon and Consort Yu, sighing inwardly. A difference of twenty years truly made all the difference.
Though the Great Khan was still handsome and didn't look old, twenty years had changed many things.
They waited outside the hall, and soon, several ministers came out. Each greeted Da Yuer and Dorgon politely before leaving. Niman then came and invited the two of them inside together.
Da Yuer had initially planned to act playfully with her husband, but with Dorgon present, she could only maintain her composure and speak properly. Hong Taiji, however, smiled at her, ignoring his brother's presence, and teasingly said, "You just want to go out, making up all these excuses."
Da Yuer became anxious, "How am I making it up?"
Normally, she would have cozied up to him by now, but with Dorgon standing nearby, she couldn't be so free. Still, her words carried an undeniable intimacy: "So, are you going to let me go or not?" At this point, there were hardly any people who could speak to Hong Taiji with such a tone.
"Dorgon," Hong Taiji suddenly addressed his brother.
"Yes," Dorgon snapped back to attention, nervously looking at his elder brother.
"Go back and tell Qiqige that from now on, when she comes to the palace, she should pass her household management skills to Yuer." Hong Taiji smiled and continued, "Some people refuse to learn what they should and have become far too skilled at what they shouldn't."
Da Yuer widened her eyes, "What have I learned that I shouldn't?"
Dorgon couldn't help but smile too, but he quickly collected himself and bowed his head respectfully, saying, "Well noted. Please be assured, Great Khan."
Da Yuer, unable to hold back, ran up to Hong Taiji, asking, "Where have I gone wrong?" She realized it wasn't appropriate to be so informal and lowered her voice, adding, "Are you going to make fun of me in front of others? How embarrassing for me."
Hong Taiji looked at her with a soft smile. Just last spring, she was still so timid and careful, always afraid of making a mistake. He had once left her alone in anger in the middle of the night, and she hadn't dared to utter a word of complaint.
In such a short time, she had worked hard to become the person she wanted to be. Hong Taiji wasn't sure if this was her true nature, but he knew one thing: he was happy, and Yuer was living happily too. And wasn't that good enough?
"You may leave," Hong Taiji said. "In a few days, I'll have someone prepare everything, and then you both can go."
Da Yuer beamed with joy, bowing slightly. "Thank you, Great Khan. I thank you on my sister's behalf as well."
Hong Taiji chuckled. "Go on, then."
The happy woman, filled with sunlight, left the room with a radiant smile on her face. Da Yuer's eyes sparkled like a crystal-clear lake, and somehow, in a fleeting moment, Dorgon caught so much in that brief glance.
He was filled with jealousy—jealous of how Hong Taiji had all of Da Yuer's love.
"Dorgon," Hong Taiji's tone was serious again, as the affection from moments ago seemed reserved only for Da Yuer. He motioned for Dorgon to join him at the war map and asked gravely, "What is your opinion on Jinzhou?"
Meanwhile, Da Yuer returned, still brimming with joy. From a distance, she saw Zarut standing at the foot of the Fenghuang Tower, her head tilted back, gazing up at the flying eaves of the tower. As Zarut turned her head, she caught sight of Da Yuer approaching.
Da Yuer kept her composure and walked over with Sumala.
"Greetings, Consort Yu," Zarut, unusually polite, greeted her and asked, "Have you ever been inside the Fenghuang Tower, Consort Yu?"
Da Yuer responded calmly, "Of course, I have."
Zarut clicked her tongue, adding mockingly, "My cousin said she hasn't seen it yet. I suppose if one isn't someone close to the Great Khan's heart, they're not qualified to enter those doors."
Da Yuer thought to herself, Good that you understand; don't start thinking too highly of yourself.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. The Great Consort is waiting for my reply," Da Yuer said, not wanting to waste more time. She took Sumala with her and walked around Zarut, not bothering to engage further.
Just as Da Yuer passed behind Zarut, the woman pinched her voice and said in a mocking tone, "If only I could win the Great Khan's favour like Princess Lan, and become a guest of honour at Fenghuang Tower as soon as I arrived in Shengjing."
Da Yuer froze at these words. Her heart trembled. What did she mean? What did it mean that her sister was the "guest of honour" at Fenghuang Tower?
It was as though Zarut had anticipated her reaction. She swayed her body like a snake, circling around and laughing, "What's wrong, Consort Yu? Did I say something wrong? Please, correct me if I did."
Da Yuer was taken aback, unable to think of a response.
Zarut covered her mouth with her hand in mock surprise. "Oh dear, did I say too much? Was it something I shouldn't have said? Consort Yu, you mean to tell me you didn't know?"
Da Yuer, holding back her emotions, clenched her fists tightly.
Zarut chuckled. "It seems the Great Consort has really been shielding you well. Everyone in the palace knows about this, except for you. Consort Yu, did you not know? Princess Lan has been to Fenghuang Tower several times already—each time, slipping in during the dead of night, with all the lights out."
"Miss, let's go," said Sumala, realizing Da Yuer had reached her limit. There was no point in continuing to argue with Zarut, and it wouldn't be wise to let things escalate. She gently supported Da Yuer and led her toward the side palace.
At the Qingning Palace, Jeje had been growing concerned after not seeing Da Yuer return. She feared her niece might have caused trouble at the Grand Politics Hall, so she sent Adai to check on her. However, Adai returned, saying that Da Yuer had already come back and had gone straight to the side palace without stopping by.
"Let me check on her," Hairanju offered.
Jeje wondered, "Could it be that the Great Khan didn't agree to her request and she's throwing a tantrum again? The past two years, she's been acting more and more like a child. When will she stop making me worry?"
Hairanju smiled softly. "Don't worry, Aunt. She's probably fine. You know how she is, sometimes she just gets ideas and acts on impulse."
With that, Hairanju took her leave and went to the side palace to check on her sister. Upon entering, she found Da Yuer lying on a pile of blankets, seemingly sulking.
Hairanju approached her, draped a blanket over her, and lightly patted her back. "What's the matter? If you sleep like this, you'll catch a cold."
Hearing her sister's voice, Da Yuer turned her face toward her, her eyes staring intently at Hairanju.
How could there be someone as beautiful as her sister in this world? If she were a man, she would undoubtedly fall in love with her. But what about herself? Not just her sister, even compared to Qiqige, she seemed childish in comparison. Their aunt always said she was like a child when they stood together.
"Have you been to the Fenghuang Tower, Sister?" Da Yuer asked directly, "Did you go in the middle of the night?"
Hairanju immediately became flustered, instinctively trying to dodge the question. She stammered, "Who... who told you that?"