Jeje sat in the chair, lost in thought for a long time, before tiredly asking Adai, "What exactly does Hairanju want to do?"
Adai was taken aback and replied, "My Lady, Consort Lan hasn't done anything."
Yes, Hairanju hadn't done anything. After being brought back by Hong Taiji, she simply stayed quietly in her side palace.
In all this time, other than attending greetings, and aside from Hong Taiji bringing her along, she didn't even leave her quarters.
Outside, rumours spread about how much the Great Khan doted on his new Consort, but in reality, sometimes in the middle of the day, Jeje would forget that someone like her was even living in the side palace nearby.
"What's wrong with me?" Jeje asked herself. "What do I even want her to do?"
Adai, concerned, added, "I wonder how Consort Yu is doing. She's so young, yet was angered to the point of spitting blood. Great Consort, it might be best to bring Consort Yu back soon and let the doctor take good care of her."
Jeje sighed, "I've sent so many letters; you know this. Lately, she's been increasingly disobedient. It's a good thing she's learning to stand up for herself—I'm not afraid of her being bullied in the future—but she's becoming too unruly."
Adai laughed, "Isn't it because the Great Khan dotes on her?"
"Dotes on her?" Jeje asked, surprised.
Adai replied, "Look around, not only in our palace but across the Eight Banners. Which family's Consort would dare to act so boldly? Even the Fourteenth Consort puts her husband first, no matter what goes on at home. She maintains decorum outside, sparing the Fourteenth Beile from losing face. But what has the Great Khan done to Consort Yu, despite her antics?"
Jeje considered, "That's one way of seeing it, but I can't deceive myself with this thought. I need to leave room for a backup plan. Adai, bring me pen and ink. I'll write to Qiqige and ask her to reason with Yuer."
Meanwhile, before Jeje's letter reached Hetu Ala, news gathered by Dorgon had already arrived.
Qiqige was sitting cross-legged on the heated platform, peeling freshly roasted sunflower seeds. She looked at the person kneeling before her and asked, "Is the Beile doing well at home?"
"He's doing well," the person replied. "A few days ago, he hosted a banquet at home, and it was quite lively."
Qiqige chuckled, "Did they gossip about me while drinking?"
The kneeling servant hastily responded, "No, no, they only discussed state affairs—I wouldn't understand."
Qiqige didn't need to ask to know what those men likely said. She glanced away disdainfully. Noticing that Da Yuer had arrived with Yatu, she invited the child to eat the seeds she had peeled and then instructed, "Now that Consort Yu is here, repeat what you just said."
The servant respectfully relayed the information Dorgon had gathered: Hairanju's husband had died suddenly from an acute illness. He had fallen so ill, so quickly, that he hadn't even finished the medicine prescribed before he passed.
After his death, Hairanju discovered she was pregnant. If she bore a son, he would naturally inherit his father's lands, herds, and the clan, drawing the envy of several uncles and brothers.
Wukeshan then personally came to bring his sister back to Khorchin, saying he wanted to ensure her safety and care for her and her child. Hairanju, desiring only to protect her late husband's lineage and uninterested in the clan's lands and livestock, agreed to go with her brother.
But returning to Khorchin marked the start of her nightmare. Wukeshan replaced her prenatal medicine with harmful concoctions, forcing her to miscarry a son. Afterward, he made her focus on recovery, under constant surveillance day and night, until she was finally escorted to Shengjing.
Qiqige covered Yatu's ears and cursed, "Are all the Khorchin women gone? Why do they have to treat Sister Hairanju like this?"
The messenger responded timidly, "Beile thinks it is likely that he values Consort Lan's reputation among the Mongols and Manchus. Who doesn't know of Consort Lan's beauty?"
Qiqige sighed, "Exactly. A woman with a story will intrigue men. A beautiful woman alone—where can you not find one of those?"
Da Yuer sat quietly, she had already believed the story before hearing it, her heart wounded by each word.
The messenger left, and Samala brought Yatu outside to watch people roasting sunflower seeds. In the now quiet room, only the sound of Qiqige cracking seeds remained. After a while, feeling thirsty, she said, "Yuer, pour me a cup of tea."
Da Yuer snapped out of her daze. Qiqige finally spoke earnestly, "You feel very sad, don't you? With Sister Hairanju's suffering, do you think Aunt knows? I'd say Aunt does, and the Great Khan surely knows as well."
"If Dorgon can know, then of course he does," Da Yuer replied, watching the tea overflow onto her own hand, but unmoving. "But I don't understand—why do they hide everything from me?"
"Probably because they don't want you to be sad."
"Am I still a child?" Da Yuer placed the teapot forcefully on the table, her clothes now wet with spilled tea. Angry, she continued, "They want me to handle everything with dignity, yet they never see me as someone worth consulting. How am I supposed to live like that?"
Qiqige gave a faint smile, taking a tea cup from the soaked table to quench her thirst. After a deep breath, she said, "Yuer, other women wouldn't ask such questions. For us, thinking this way, asking, acting as we do—it means a hard life. The ropes binding us are invisible, but if you struggle, they tear at your skin and flesh. How could it not hurt?"
Tears welled up in Da Yuer's eyes, and she choked out, "Qiqige, I want to go home…"
Qiqige quickly reassured her, "Just a couple more days. I haven't even finished the roasted seeds they made."
Da Yuer managed a smile through her tears, "Can't you go home to eat them? I'll have Samala wrap them up for you."
Qiqige replied, "At home, I can't eat sunflower seeds. Have you ever seen me snacking on seeds in the palace with you all? Do you know how much effort I put in to gain respect and decorum for myself? I even went to the trouble of inviting the Han officials under Dorgon's banner to teach me the Ming Dynasty court etiquette."
Da Yuer, feeling pity, said, "You've worked so hard. I thought you had plenty of time at home."
Qiqige rolled her eyes and cracked another seed, saying, "So if Dorgon dares to wrong me, I'll…"
Da Yuer wiped away her tears, patted the tea-stained fabric on her clothes, and said, "Next time you run away from home, I'll go with you."
Qiqige tossed a handful of sunflower seed shells at her. "Can't you wish me well? Hurry up and call someone to clean this up—the bedding is soaked."
When the messenger returned to Shengjing from Hetu Ala, Dorgon breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that his wife and Yuer were doing well there. Yet he still worried about the future. Hong Taiji truly kept his intentions hidden deeply—did he still want Yuer or not?
Dorgon dismissed the attendants and walked alone toward the Plain White Banner Pavilion. Along the way, he encountered Yoto coming out of the Grand Politics Hall. With a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, Yoto greeted him, "Fourteenth Uncle."
Dorgon nodded silently. But as he passed, he heard Yoto say, "The Great Khan is heading to Fushun tomorrow to inspect the snow disaster and has ordered me to make preparations ahead. I thought this task would be more suited to Fourteenth Uncle. Since Consort Yu is in Hetu Ala, you could swing by Fushun, bring Auntie back, and bring Consort Yu back as well. Fourteenth Uncle, you know that with Consort Yu left like this, people outside are laughing at the Great Khan."
Dorgon replied coldly, "Those outside don't know their place. Yoto, you should know better. The affairs of the Great Khan's palace are not for us to comment on."
Yoto laughed loudly, as if secretly pleased with himself, then strode away without another word.
Early the next morning, Hong Taiji emerged from Hairanju's quarters, skipping breakfast in his hurry to depart. Jeje and Hairanju escorted him to the Fenghuang Tower. Jeje said, "Khan, why not go to Hetu Ala on your way and bring Yuer back?"
Hong Taiji looked at her, gave a slight smile without saying a word, and left with Niman.
Feeling a bit awkward, Jeje glanced around, relieved that only a few had come to see him off. She turned to Hairanju and asked, "Did the Great Khan say anything to you last night?"
Hairanju shook her head. "The Great Khan only mentioned the heavy snowfall disaster in Fushun."
Jeje frowned. "Did you at least suggest that he bring Yuer back?"
Hairanju shook her head again. "I didn't say that."
Sensing the tension, Adai quickly stepped forward, suggesting they return indoors because of the cold. Jeje flicked her sleeve and left, carrying a vague sense of anger she couldn't explain. Baoqing, who was by Hairanju's side, quietly advised, "My Lady, next time you should just go along with what the Great Consort says. When you're always so honest, it only makes her angrier."
Hairanju asked, "Lie? But I really didn't say those things last night."
Baoqing wasn't sure how to respond and helped Hairanju step carefully through the snow. She then quietly asked, "My Laday, do you want Consort Yu to come back?"
Hairanju nodded repeatedly, "Of course I want that. If the Great Khan could bring Yuer back, that would be wonderful."
Baoqing quickly added, "Then just tell the Great Consort that—it will make her happy."
Hairanju thought for a moment. "I understand."
Outside the city gates of Shengjing, Dorgon watched Hong Taiji's carriage rush off into the distance. His thoughts mirrored Jeje's: if Hong Taiji went to fetch Yuer, she would undoubtedly be overjoyed. But would he really?
Fushun was on the way to Hetu Ala, so perhaps they dared to hope, yet deep down, perhaps none of them truly believed in Hong Taiji anymore. If that was the case, Yuer's heart must be even colder than theirs.
At almost the same moment, however, Da Yuer, with her child in tow, and Qiqige, clutching her half-eaten bag of sunflower seeds, were causing a flurry of activity in Hetu Ala as the servants scrambled to prepare a carriage and pack their belongings. Consort Yu was indeed ready to leave without hesitation.
However, with the heavy snow, the roads were treacherous, and traveling with children prevented them from moving too quickly. By the time Hong Taiji reached Fushun, Yuer and her group had only just departed from Hetu Ala.
Throughout the journey, Qiqige continued to grumble—first about the cold, then about the jolting discomfort of the carriage. She and Yuer bantered and squabbled the whole way.
But this return journey felt different from when they first set out. After more than half a month away, the pain of unresolved feelings was no longer as sharp as before. Besides, Qiqige knew how deeply Yuer felt for Hong Taiji and how much she cared for her older sister.
Meanwhile, after inspecting the disastrous conditions in Fushun, Hong Taiji decided to spend the night there. Yoto meticulously arranged everything for him, and before dawn the next day, he was already waiting for Hong Taiji's instructions.
But one of Hong Taiji's attendants told Yoto that the Great Khan had already departed with a dozen men before he arrived.
Anxiously, Yoto asked, "Which direction did the Great Khan head in?"
The man replied, "It seemed to be toward Hetu Ala."