Sumala didn't dare repeat herself, shaking her head in fear.
Qiqige, her face serious, examined the letter repeatedly. It seemed that Wukeshan had written separate letters for Da Yuer and Hairanju but had mistakenly mixed up parts of them.
Whether this was accidental or intentional was not worth pursuing now. As for what he had revealed in the letter, Qiqige had a way to investigate.
"I'll send word back to Shengjing and ask Dorgon to look into it," Qiqige said. "Something must have happened to Sister Hairanju before she came to Shengjing."
The string Da Yuer held had already cut into her fingers, leaving blood marks. Little Atu reached out to touch her hand, then gave it a gentle kiss, saying with concern, "Mommy, your hand hurts."
"Mommy is not hurt." Da Yuer, coming back to her senses, unravelled the string and urged her daughters to go play. But the children, sensing the adults' unease, clung to her tightly. Da Yuer's tears on the journey to Hetu Ala had already frightened them once; now Atu and Yatu wouldn't leave her side.
Regretfully, she comforted them, "Did Mommy scare you again? Yatu, don't be afraid. Atu, don't be afraid. Mommy's fine. Shall we go play in the snow?"
In Shengjing's palace, the items sent by Khorchin had been left untouched in the corner. They were an eyesore, so today Baoqing prepared to pack them away.
She opened the bundle, finding some medicinal supplements and a letter. Bringing them to Hairanju, she asked, "My Lady, a letter from home."
Hairanju took it and tossed it directly into the brazier at her feet, watching the flames gradually consume the paper. She instructed, "From now on, I don't want anything they send. If you find anything useful, distribute it to others, and don't bring me any letters—just burn them."
"Understood, My Lady," Baoqing replied, lowering her voice. "Though I'm afraid no one will want these—they're all supplements for women. I recognize them; Wukeshan Taiji used to send the same things for Consort Yu."
"Yuer often took these medicines?" Hairanju asked.
"Yes, all the time, ever since I can remember. Just this spring, I don't know how many pots Sumala and I brewed for her," Baoqing said softly. "Not long after Consort Yu gave birth to the little princess, the Great Consort forced her to drink more fertility medicine, hoping she'd soon bear another child for the Great Khan."
Hairanju clenched the needlework in her hand, her heart aching as she looked at Baoqing. "Did she drink it every day?"
"Every day, as soon as she opened her eyes. Soon she lost her appetite and couldn't eat; she grew as thin as a reed. The Great Khan was furious when he saw her like that upon his return. The Great Consort got scared and stopped the medicine, and after that, the Great Khan returned, and you arrived, so we no longer had to keep watch over the medicine pots."
Hairanju gripped the needle too tightly, accidentally pricking her finger. The sudden pain made her gasp, and when she pulled the silver needle out, drops of blood began to bead. Baoqing hurriedly brought a clean cloth to staunch the bleeding. "It's nothing," Hairanju reassured her, forcing a smile. "It'll be fine soon. One can't sew without getting pricked now and then."
But the pain in her hand connected with a deeper pain in her heart, one that left her struggling to breathe. She longed to go to Hetu Ala, to see her younger sister. But did she still have the right? Would Da Yuer even want to see her?
"Baoqing..." Hairanju looked at the blood on her fingertip, tears welling up in her eyes. "How heartless I've been."
"My Lady?" Baoqing knelt on the carpet, her head raised. The tears dripping from Hairanju's face landed on hers, and she held onto Hairanju's knee, asking with deep concern, "My Lady, why are you crying?"
On the same day, at the mansion of Dorgon, the Twelfth Beile Ajige, the Fifteenth Beile Dodo, and several other close uncles and brothers gathered.
In the dining hall, a large table was laden with dishes and wine, and outside, the servants slaughtered a sheep, slicing the meat to serve the men. They sat around, drinking and eating hot pot, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Ajige, already quite drunk, threw one leg over the back of his chair and began pouring wine directly from the jar, shouting, "It's been years since I've come to your place for a drink. Look at all the good wine you've saved up. I'll finish it today, and next time, you can stock up again!"
Dorgon replied, "Every time you come, Qiqige always treats you with the best wine and food. What's this about?"
But everyone laughed heartily. Ajige continued, "When Qiqige was around, I could barely call that drinking, it was like rinsing my mouth! Your wife, that tigress, she scares everyone. Go ask around in the families, which sister-in-law dares to chase out her elder brother-in-law?"
He rambled on, "The other day, I rushed here to see Dorgon, and do you know what Qiqige said? She said Dorgon was sleeping and couldn't meet with me. And there she stood, glaring at me, blocking my way. I was so angry and anxious, but I didn't dare do anything to her. Thinking about it now, it's so frustrating, I've been tamed by a woman!"
Dorgon knew his brother was drunk, but he couldn't stand hearing anyone mock his wife. However, arguing with a drunk was pointless. Ajige would only get more fired up and say worse things. But unexpectedly, someone else took the opportunity to jab at Dorgon, sneering, "Qiqige understands the situation and always defends Dorgon, but if you're talking about a real tigress, the one in the palace is the true example. Look at Hong Taiji's Da Yuer. Just because Hong Taiji hooked up with her sister, she got so angry that she ran off to Hetu Ala, and hasn't come back yet. Hong Taiji actually indulges her. His heart is really big to allow such behaviour. If it were me, I'd make sure she learned her lesson. If she embarrassed me like that, I'd make her eat humble pie every day. If she ran away from home, I'd break her legs."
The room erupted in laughter. Ajige, holding the wine jar, said, "Don't hit women, that's not acceptable."
But someone joked, "Throw them on the bed, and there won't be any disobedient women left."
At this moment, a maid entered with dishes and wine. The drunken men, eager for a kiss, grabbed at the beautiful maidens, causing them to panic in fear.
Dorgon intervened, ordering the maids to leave and politely advising the men, "Drink your wine, but don't cause any unpleasantness."
Everyone understood. Although Dorgon was not the oldest, his military achievements were outstanding. He had risen to become one of the top figures in the Eight Banners. The older generation, like Daisan and others, were becoming less relevant, while Hong Taiji understood that if they were to expand the empire, they needed the strength of the younger generation.
Because of Dorgon's reputation, everyone in his presence showed respect, disregarding age or rank. When he spoke, they naturally became more subdued.
Ajige spat a piece of meat he couldn't chew onto the floor, picking his teeth with chopsticks, and said thoughtfully, "That reminds me, I've been brooding over this matter for a long time. Our mother was framed and accused of having an affair with Daisan. I can never swallow that grievance. Looking back now, I'm sure Hong Taiji had a hand in it. He's so cruel and calculating; to fight for the throne, he would stop at nothing. How could he say that wasn't his doing?"
An older man at the table spoke up, "Rather than suspecting the Grand Empress Dowager and Daisan, the Great Khan should have been more suspicious of Hong Taiji's plot against his concubine. The concubine who accused the Grand Empress Dowager, Deinje, who sent her to the Great Khan's side? When the Grand Empress Dowager was reinstated, Deinje immediately died. If it wasn't the Grand Empress Dowager or the Great Khan's doing, then her real master must have ordered her death."
Ajige squinted and said, "I vaguely remember that Deinje was quite a beauty."
Dodo sneered, "Maybe she had an affair with Hong Taiji. What's impossible for him? This year alone, he married three widows."
Dorgon remained silent, gripping his wine cup.
He didn't like discussing his mother's affair with Daisan. To them, the accusation of her infidelity was a humiliation, a hate they would never forget.
But for Dorgon, he only wanted revenge for his mother's death. As for the matter with Daisan, no matter what the truth was, he didn't want to bring it up again.
Ajige suddenly spoke coldly, "That Da Yuer, she's crazy, isn't she? Now she's in Hetu Ala. Do you guys want to go and send Hong Taiji a green hat?"
The room burst into laughter, with malicious comments: "Don't say it, but that Bumubutai is also a rare beauty. The first time I saw her, my eyes nearly popped out. The people from the grasslands of the Khorchin are something else…"
Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted the laughter. Dorgon's wine jar had fallen to the ground. Everyone paused, then laughed even harder, pointing at Dorgon, "Don't get so worked up, stop thinking about it. Don't you think Qiqige will chop you up first?"
Amidst the raucous, lewd laughter, Dorgon's fury surged, but he couldn't lose control. He tightly suppressed his anger, making it clear that no one would be allowed to harm Da Yuer in any way.
Under the same night sky, while the Fourteenth Beile's mansion was hosting a gathering and drinking, the Grand Politics Hall was relatively quiet. Hong Taiji had the rare opportunity to sit down for a meal at dinnertime. He was dining with Hairanju and Jeje in Qingning Palace. Holding his youngest daughter, he suddenly remarked, "Isn't Azhe almost one year old now?"
Jeje quickly spoke up: "Isn't it so? I wrote a letter asking Yuer to return home sooner, otherwise no one will take care of Azhe's birthday. It's coming up soon, but she still doesn't want to come back."
Hong Taiji remained silent as he played with the baby in his arms. Jeje glanced at Hairanju, who was quietly attending to the other children. Whether she hadn't heard or simply didn't want to chime in, Jeje couldn't tell.
With a quiet sigh, Jeje continued, "It seems like only if you speak up, she'll come back."
Hong Taiji responded, "If she enjoys herself there, let her stay a while longer. When she comes back, you always try to impose rules on her. She can't stand that."
Jeje wasn't sure whether he was being dismissive or showing consideration, but she could sense that the days when Hong Taiji was free, he spent most of his time with Hairanju. Given the situation, Yuer might be better off staying away for now.
That night, when Hong Taiji returned to Hairanju's side palace to rest, she brought a cup of hot tea to him. However, Hong Taiji did not take the tea. Instead, he took her hand and gently held her slightly swollen fingertip. "Did you hurt yourself? I noticed earlier when you were serving the food," he said.
Hairanju tried to pull her hand away, but Hong Taiji kissed her fingertip softly. "Does it still hurt?"
"No, it doesn't hurt." Hairanju smiled shyly and hid her hand behind her back. "Please, drink your tea, Great Khan."