In the privacy of their bedchamber, Dorgon looked a bit uncomfortable when he realized that Qiqige had gone to the side residence. Qiqige, however, asked him playfully, "Were they better than me?"
Dorgon frowned. "What nonsense are you saying?"
Qiqige continued, "From now on, if I'm home and you want to see them, just go. Before, you focused on me, but now, put your heart into focusing on having a child."
Dorgon shook his head. "Qiqige, if there's no result with them either, let's just stop talking about children. What is meant to come will come; there's no need to force what isn't."
Qiqige, feeling a deep sadness, asked, "Why didn't you come to bring me back? Even the Great Khan went to fetch Da Yuer. I wanted so much for you to come for me too."
Dorgon sighed. "It was an awkward situation. Without the Great Khan's order, how could I just go to Hetu Ala on my own?"
"I know that, but I still wanted you to come," Qiqige murmured softly, her tone softening as she pushed her husband gently down onto the warm bed. She leaned over him, studying his face closely to see if he had gained or lost weight, then quietly nestled against him. In a low, almost wistful voice, she whispered, "I think of you every day."
Dorgon felt a complex mix of emotions. In the past, he'd always avoided talking to Qiqige about Da Yuer, but tonight he found himself curious. He wanted to know about her days in Hetu Ala, how they had crossed paths in Fushun, and—more than anything—whether Hong Taiji and Da Yuer had reconciled.
But that evening, Qiqige only had eyes for her husband. After a quiet moment, she began to tease him and ask for affection, and Dorgon, caught in her warmth, naturally did his best to fulfil her wishes. With Qiqige not bringing up Da Yuer, he dared not broach the subject himself.
The following morning, another snowstorm swept through Shengjing. As Hong Taiji left Hairanju's quarters, he gently urged her to sleep longer, advising her to stay in on such a snowy day. On his way, he dropped by to have breakfast with Jeje, who had been up for some time.
Hong Taiji asked her, "Did Yuer apologize to you?"
Jeje nodded. "Once I saw her, my heart softened. What's past is past."
Hong Taiji chuckled. "She was worried all the way back, afraid you'd scold her. She didn't even dare enter the door right away—she knows she was wrong."
"So long as she knows what she's doing," Jeje said, then hesitated. Unsettled, she finally asked, "But what about her and Hairanju? Yesterday, I suggested Yuer see her, but she refused."
"Let her be," Hong Taiji replied.
"But..." Zhezhe hesitated.
"They're sisters," Hong Taiji continued. "Whether they make amends or not, it won't change that fact. Even if they stay estranged their whole lives, I can't erase the fact that I wronged Yuer." His voice was calm. "What we're concerned with isn't really their feelings; it's just appearances—what others might say."
Jeje responded, "But, Great Khan, let's not take appearances too lightly."
Hong Taiji smiled. "With you here, I don't worry about that."
With the conversation at an end, Jeje fell silent and quietly tore pieces of dried beef for him, making it easier to eat.
But Hong Taiji, having long outgrown the days of eating meat at dawn, took only a small piece to taste before declaring he was finished and heading off to morning court.
As her husband departed, Jeje glanced at the remnants of breakfast, well aware that Hong Taiji's appetite was diminishing each year. And as for herself, the fine lines around her eyes could no longer be hidden.
She gave an order: "Adai, watch for when the snow stops, then call Yuer and Hairanju over. Don't bring the children; I have something to say."
By late morning, the snow had finally ceased, and the cloudy sky brightened slightly. The attendants from Qingning Palace arrived to invite them, and Da Yuer stepped outside, pausing under the eaves to gaze at the sky.
Turning around, she saw her elder sister stepping out as well. Their eyes met, and Da Yuer saw in her sister's gaze the same familiar, caring look she had always known.
"It's very cold outside; keep the children indoors," Da Yuer turned her gaze away and instructed Sumala. Without another word, she headed straight to Qingning Palace.