Hearing her mistress's words, Baoqing grew indignant. "Everyone in the other quarters is making fun of you, saying you've fallen out with Consort Yu."
Hairanju was unfazed. "Really? They seem to have a lot of free time on their hands."
Baoqing continued indignantly, "What do they know? You care about Consort Yu, and she cares about you too. Sumala told me to make sure no one mistreats you, and that must be because Consort Yu instructed her to say so. If Consort Yu didn't care about you, Sumala wouldn't dare say such things; she listens to Consort Yu in everything."
Hairanju returned to her needlework. "That must be it."
Baoqing then asked, "My lady, do you think you can still make amends with her?"
Hairanju smiled softly, "We were never really at odds."
"But…"
"Baoqing, can't we give her just a bit of time?"
"Time?" Baoqing blinked, staring at her mistress blankly. "But what if Consort Yu never comes to terms with it, even for her whole life?"
"It was always meant to be a lifetime," Hairanju replied softly, bowing her head as she carefully embroidered delicate, blooming flowers onto the hat. She thought about how Yatu and Atu would surely love wearing it in the winter.
Baoqing, lost in thought, muttered to herself, "Consort Yu is taking three children with her, and none of them are old enough to sit still. How long will it take them to get to Hetu Ala?"
Hairanju paused her stitching, gazing out the window, and her mind wandered to Hetu Ala. She recalled the time they'd been punished to stand outside under the eaves, and how Da Yuer had confided that marrying Hong Taiji made her happy, and that from then on, she would follow her heart and heed Hong Taiji's words.
Hetu Ala wasn't really that far away—someone as young and fit as Dorgon could make the journey in a single day if he rode tirelessly. But if one travelled slowly, it could stretch on endlessly.
Upon arriving back in Hetu Ala, Da Yuer and Qiqige, along with the children, entered the old city gates. The first thing Da Yuer noticed was the spot where she and her sister had once stood for their punishment.
The children ran excitedly into the snowy courtyard, while Da Yuer stood in place, lost in thought.
"What are you staring at? Hurry up and come inside—I'm freezing to death out here!" Qiqige complained, not hiding her discomfort. "If I had known it would be this cold, I'd never have followed you here. And on the way back, I'll definitely have Dorgon come pick me up."
With Sumala and the wet nurses, she ushered the children inside. In the vast palace courtyard, Da Yuer remained, still dazed. Standing by the window, Qiqige nudged Sumala and whispered, "Look at her, she's going to turn into a snowman."
Sumala's eyes softened with sympathy. "She must be thinking of the Great Khan."
Qiqige chuckled, "The Great Khan coming here with her? That was ages ago. What would she even remember of it? No, she must be thinking of Hairanju."
Sumala asked, "My lady, do you think older Princess and Miss will be able to reconcile?"
Qiqige shook her head. "It's hard to say. Even if they do, there will always be some resentment in their hearts. And besides…"
The rest of Qiqige's thoughts went unspoken—whether out of caution or reluctance, even she wasn't sure. How could she possibly guess what Hong Taiji truly felt? But she understood one thing: if Hong Taiji had indeed fallen in love with Hairanju, then where would that leave Yuer in the future?
"Sumala, the emperors of the Ming dynasty had three thousand women in their palaces. It's not just a question of love—could they even remember them all?" Qiqige sighed.
Sumala responded with a serious expression, "But they probably can't afford three thousand women now."
Qiqige chuckled, giving a faint sigh. "True. Now, they even struggle to support their own soldiers."
On the second day of their stay in Hetu Ala, the palace in Shengjing received word that Consort Yuer and the children had arrived safely. Hearing this, Jeje finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the Grand Politics Hall, after discussing military matters with Dorgon, Hong Taiji mentioned the women and children. He asked if Dorgon knew that Qiqige had arrived safely in Hetu Ala with Da Yuer. They were planning the next time they would depart from Shengjing, and before that, he intended to have the women brought back.
Dorgon felt a turmoil inside. He didn't want the man by Da Yuer's side to be Hong Taiji, yet he couldn't change the fact that she had married him first—and loved him unreservedly. In this life, Dorgon couldn't express any love toward Dayu'er; all he could do was protect everything she cherished.
"What are you thinking about?" Hong Taiji noticed Dorgon lost in thought. "Worried about Qiqige?"
"Great Khan, there is something I must report," Dorgon said solemnly.
"Speak," Hong Taiji replied.
Looking grave, Dorgon continued, "The day Consort Yu came to my residence with Yatu, when I returned home at night, Qiqige told me that Consort Yu had coughed blood."
At first, Hong Taiji didn't think much of it, confident that nothing could truly surprise him. But his expression tightened in that moment, his gaze hardening as he glared at Dorgon.
"Consort Yu forbade Qiqige from reporting it to the palace. Qiqige had planned to inform the Great Consort in a few days, but now that she has gone to Hetu Ala with Consort Yu, I thought it should be reported to you," Dorgon explained.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Hong Taiji demanded, anger flaring in his eyes. "How is she? Did Qiqige call a doctor?"
Dorgon responded calmly, "The doctor said it was a reaction to intense emotional strain and advised rest."
"Rest? And yet she went off to Hetu Ala?" Hong Taiji slammed his palm onto the table. "Reckless!"
Seeing his reaction, Dorgon felt a strange sense of relief. At least Hong Taiji still cared for Yuer; if he had reacted indifferently or, even worse, masked his feelings in a pretence of cold detachment, Dorgon would have felt her devotion had been wasted.
Hong Taiji called Niman over and instructed him on many matters, such as sending people to Hatu Ala to help Da Yuer recover her health.
Dorgon quietly withdrew, walking outside the Grand Politics Hall, taking a deep breath of the cold air, which cooled his burning heart slightly. He hoped that Hong Taiji would cherish Yuer and that no one would hurt her again.
Meanwhile, Da Yuer and Qiqige were enjoying themselves. The ladies of the court came to pay their respects to Consort Yu, and the three children followed them back home to play. The wet nurses and servants followed in a large group, and Da Yuer had no concerns, enjoying a rare moment of rest.
Because it was so cold, Qiqige had been thinking about taking a hot bath. The palace servants, not sure where they had found such a large bath tub, quickly scrubbed it clean inside and out. Then they boiled several large pots of water, mixing it with cold water, and in the middle of the day, Qiqige dragged Da Yuer into the bath.
After days of bumpy carriage rides and accumulating cold, the warmth of the steaming water helped the chill dissipate. Qiqige stretched her body contentedly, leaning back against Da Yuer.
"Does our palace have such a large bath tub?" Qiqige asked curiously with a smile. "Does aunt have one in her room?"
"I've never seen one, the one in my room is only half as big." Da Yuer replied. "Our place is crowded, there's no room to move things around," she continued.
Qiqige smiled, "When we go through the Pass and live in the Forbidden City, it'll be much bigger there. We could probably even dig a hot spring in the palace."
Da Yuer laughed, "You sure know how to enjoy yourself."
But Qiqige didn't respond. After a long silence, she finally said, "Yuer, do you think Doron is good?"
Da Yuer answered cautiously, "There are some things you know. You understand our positions…"
Qiqige sighed. "Yes, I knew you'd understand."
Da Yuer smiled and asked, "What happened? After just a few days, you're thinking about Doron?"
"What do you mean 'a few days'? I started thinking about him as soon as we left Shengjing," Qiqige pouted. "You think I'm like you? The Great Khan treats you so well, and you can just turn on him whenever you want."
Da Yuer became angry and said, "What you're saying isn't very nice."
The two of them fell silent again. After a while, it was Da Yuer who spoke up first: "Do you want to go home?"
Qiqige said, "That's not what I was thinking... We're apart so often, I've actually gotten used to the time apart. What I was thinking about is Doron—sometimes, I really can't figure him out. I guess it's because we haven't spent enough time together."
Da Yuer remained silent, then she heard Qiqige ask, "Yuer, have you ever heard what Doron was like on the front lines?"
"Imposing, brave, skilled in battle?" Da Yuer replied, "That's to be expected."
"He kills without blinking." Qiqige spoke seriously, "I've heard a lot about it from others. Yuer, Doron is terrifying on the battlefield. Even my brother told me that everyone calls Doron the devil."
Da Yuer felt a chill run down her back, "Really? But didn't you tell me before that the swords and knives hanging in the bedroom are covered in blood, and you were proud of that?"
Qiqige said, "I was just trying to save face. But now, when I think about it, what if what's hanging there aren't swords and knives, but human heads... But do you know how gentle he is with me?"
"Don't scare yourself," Da Yuer said bravely, "There's no battle without casualties."
"I'm not afraid," she added.
The two of them turned at the same time. Qiqige, still with a conflicted expression, suddenly noticed the large mound floating on the surface of the water in front of Da Yuer's chest. She was surprised and immediately reached out: "How did they get so big?"
Da Yuer was startled, quickly swatting her hand away, covering her chest, and retreating into the water, both embarrassed and flustered: "You're really..."
Qiqige, filled with envy, asked: "Yuer, how did you grow so much?"