Hairanju held Atu in her arms, gazing anxiously toward the palace gate. With the snowstorm raging outside, she hoped her sister wouldn't encounter trouble on the road.
She stared intently at the gate, and then saw Hong Taiji approaching from the Fenghuang Tower. Their eyes met, and he smiled, walking straight to her.
Not far away, Sumala was still standing by her own doorway. After all these years, even when the Great Khan went to see the Great Consort, he would always pass by their door, just to see what Miss was doing, if she was around, or even just to exchange a few words.
Of course, it didn't happen every time, but it was enough that even Sumala felt uneasy seeing it. If Miss witnessed such scenes herself, how could she bear it?
"Sumala."
The Great Khan's voice startled her, and she quickly lifted her head.
"Take Atu back," said Hong Taiji.
"Yes…" Sumala hurriedly stepped forward to take the little princess from Hairanju's arms. Atu pouted, asking her father to hold her, but Sumala didn't dare linger. She whisked Atu back to their quarters.
As soon as they were inside, little Atu burst into tears, sobbing that her mother didn't play with her, her father didn't hold her, and now even her aunt didn't want her. The nursemaids and wet nurses knelt around, trying to console her, but Atu only cried harder, calling out for her mother.
Meanwhile, Hong Taiji wandered around Hairanju's room and asked, "Is there anything you still need?"
Hairanju smiled gently, "It's all more than enough. If there's anything missing later, I'll just ask."
Hong Taiji felt the new cotton padding on the kang bed—thick and soft. He sat down, and as Hairanju leaned over to remove his boots, he pulled her into his arms.
She found herself seated on his lap, their faces so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath. Embarrassed, she tensed slightly.
"I suppose I've fallen right into Wukeshan's scheme," Hong Taiji said. "Not only did he manage to send you to me, but he forced me to come all the way to bring you back in grand style."
Hairanju grew tense, gazing at him with a serious expression.
Hong Taiji said, "It's a shame. Knowing it was a trap, I still had to go. Looking back, I think it was the first time in my life I did something like this."
Hairanju's body slowly relaxed, and she lowered her head, saying, "If you hadn't come for me, I would probably be watching you from the heavens right now. That night, I'd made up my mind. If Wukeshan handed me over, I wouldn't live to see the next day."
Hong Taiji lightly stroked her waist. "Such determination?"
Hairanju shook her head. "But at the time, I told Qiqige that if Yuer ever asked, she should tell her I willingly married Suhebat. Isn't that contradictory? I was ready to die, yet I said those words. It shows I didn't really want to die."
"Didn't want to die?" Hong Taiji asked.
"No," Hairanju replied. "Only by living could I hope that you'd come for me."
Hong Taiji's heart trembled. "What if I hadn't come?"
With tears in her eyes, Hairanju smiled. "I don't know. But you did come, didn't you?"
Hong Taiji released her and let her stand, watching her intently. She seemed uneasy, as if she'd said the wrong thing, but he simply wanted to take her in, admiring her. The more he looked, the deeper his smile grew. Finally, he asked, "Will you stay with me, then?"
Hairanju nodded. "Yes, I'll stay with you."
Hong Taiji replied, "You have an aunt above you and a sister below, and I have all kinds of women around me. How do you plan to deal with them?"
Hairanju lowered her gaze. "My aunt will always be my aunt, and my sister will always be my sister. As for the others, whatever happens outside this door has nothing to do with me. When you're here, it's just us. When you're gone, I'll be here, waiting for you."
Hong Taiji laughed. "And the woman who once thought of dying just at the thought of marrying me?"
Hairanju looked at him. "She's gone—she's died many times."
Just then, they heard the sound of a child crying outside. Atu had broken free from Sumala and the nursemaids, running through the wind and snow, calling for her mother. Hong Taiji frowned and went to the door. Just as he stepped outside under the eaves, he saw Da Yuer leading Yatu, walking toward the palace gates.
"Atu..." Yatu, seeing her younger sister crying, ran over immediately. Hugging her little sister, she comforted, "Why are you crying, Atu? Be good, sister's back now."
Da Yuer smiled as she watched the children and, almost absentmindedly, glanced up to see Hong Taiji standing at the side palace gate, with her sister Hairanju beside him.
She looked away as if she hadn't seen anything, then calmly lifted the teary-eyed Atu into her arms and walked straight toward the door.
"Come inside. It's cold out here," Hong Taiji said as he gently pulled Hairanju back inside with him.
Under the window of the opposite side palace, the Zarut held a hand warmer, patting it softly. Drawn by the child's cries, she had come to look and had unwittingly taken in the entire scene.
"When the Great Khan was at home, didn't he always spend time in Da Yuer's rooms?" she asked her maid. "What about the mother of the Fifth Prince, the Yehe Nara beauty? Did she not capture the Great Khan's favour like Da Yuer?"
"That one was very delicate," the maid replied. "Sickly nine out of ten days, and when she gave birth to the Fifth Prince, it was a near-death experience. She passed not long after that. And as for the other concubines, none could match Consort Yu's beauty. With the Great Consort overseeing things, the Great Khan usually stayed in Consort Yu's quarters."
Zarut looked thoughtful, and her maid continued, "As far as I see it, the Great Khan only needs a warm nest—what does it matter where? After all, don't the palace's wives and concubines all attend to him with care?"
"True," Zarut murmured as she closed the window lightly. Gently touching her own belly, she sighed, "It doesn't matter if you have children; if he doesn't care for you, they won't hold him. Today he favours Hairanju, but tomorrow it could be someone else. The worry is… what if he leaves his heart somewhere?"
The maid said, "Consort Yu certainly gave her sister no face today. The Great Khan must be angry, and after a fuss like that, who knows when things will settle down? Consort Yu is surely spoiled by the Great Khan and the Great Consort's doting."
Zarut leaned back lazily against her cushions, asking her maid for some sweet dried fruits, then said with a chilly laugh, "She deserves it, really. She's blind if she thinks she'll win her husband's heart. How could she expect equal affection from someone like Hong Taiji?"
Darkness fell swiftly on the snowy night, though the wind gradually quieted after dusk. Yatu and Atu lay by the window, talking excitedly about building a snowman the next day. After lulling Azhe to sleep in her arms, Da Yuer came over to tuck them in.
Yatu giggled and asked her mother, "Mother, I know that when Father visits, I have to sleep with the nanny. If Father doesn't come, then I get to sleep with you."
Atu chimed in sweetly, "I like sleeping with Mother."
Yatu also said, "I like sleeping with Mother too."
Da Yuer gently kissed both daughters and said softly, "Alright, close your eyes now. Whoever falls asleep first, Mother will braid a beautiful hairstyle for you tomorrow."
Yatu beamed, "I want Auntie to braid it. She can add little flowers; it looks so pretty." Atu, wanting to follow her sister's example, chimed in, "I want Auntie too."
"Close your eyes. No more talking." Da Yuer gently patted the two girls and tucked them in until they finally drifted off, huddled together, and the room grew quiet.
Da Yuer let out a tired sigh, then turned around, only to find Sumala standing nearby.
"You nearly scared me to death!" Da Yuer said, pretending to be annoyed. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Sumala looked at her with concern and asked, "Miss, where are your clothes? The ones you took off earlier—they aren't your own. Did something happen today?"
Da Yuer casually replied, "Yatu spilled milk tea all over me, so I borrowed Qiqige's clothes. What's the big deal? I'm exhausted, I want to sleep."
But Sumala moved closer, kneeling beside the bed, and said, "Miss, why is there a bloodstain on the sleeve? Did you get hurt? Let me take a look."
Da Yuer playfully tapped her on the head and said, "Silly girl, didn't you see me change? Do I look like I'm hurt?"
Sumala persisted, "Then where did the blood come from?"
Da Yuer said dismissively, "It was probably there already. Qiqige just grabbed something for me to wear. If you're curious, ask her next time you see her."
"Miss..."
"Sumala, don't say it like that," Da Yuer interrupted, gently rubbing her cheeks with a teasing smile. "Do I look like I'm dying, why are you calling me so sadly?"
Sumala started to cry, whispering, "But I know... you're suffering inside."
Da Yuer sighed, "Suffering over what? This isn't the first time. Are you silly or what?"
Sumala bit her lip, but her sorrow only deepened, as if she wanted to cry out all of Da Yuer's sadness on her behalf. She was truly worried that her mistress would bottle up too much pain, fearing it would make her ill one day.
"Go to sleep," Da Yuer urged. "Are you going to let me rest or not?"
"But how could the older Princess do this? How could she take her own sister's man?" Sumala couldn't hold back any longer.
Da Yuer's heart sank. She climbed down from the bed and knelt in front of Sumala. The dim light in the room was just enough for them to see each other's faces. With a firm hand, she wiped away Sumala's tears and commanded, "Don't speak of my sister like that. Promise me you'll never say it again."
Sumala bit her lip, lowering her head in silence.
Da Yuer repeated, "Sumala, promise me."