Hairanju saw Hong Taiji approaching, quickly stepped aside after bowing, and respectfully made way for him. Hong Taiji said, "The wind will pick up this afternoon. Don't take them outside, or you'll catch a cold."
"I understand," Hairanju replied with a smile, but the thought of Da Yuer standing not far away made her quickly suppress her smile and lower her gaze.
Hong Taiji noticed her change in demeanour, frowned slightly, but said nothing and walked inside.
From the palace came the sound of the women bowing to greet him, and Hairanju knew he was only stopping by briefly before leaving again. She hurriedly stepped down from the platform. Meanwhile, Atu and Yatu, having shown off their gold pieces, were already chasing each other, running further away.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Qiqige remarked, "Someone are really lazy nowadays, leaving her children entirely to her sister. Sister, you're too good-tempered, letting her get away with it."
Hairanju smiled gently and said, "The children cling to me, and I'm more than happy to oblige." Turning to her sister, she said with warmth, "Yuer, you drank a lot last night. Today, you mustn't drink any more."
Qiqige nudged Da Yuer, but Da Yuer, snapping out of her daze, turned and walked away without a word or a backward glance.
"Sister, be careful of the slippery path," Qiqige said politely, though clearly uncomfortable with the situation. She quickly entered the palace with Sumala.
Hairanju chased after the children, while Baoqing followed, looking aggrieved. "Consort Yu is so strange. Why is she suddenly ignoring you? Was she really so drunk last night that she doesn't remember anything?"
"Baoqing," Hairanju said, her tone calm but firm, "the matters between Yuer and me are not for you to meddle in. Don't speak of these things, whether to the Great Consort or the Great Khan. They might think I've been complaining. I don't care how they see me, but I don't want to make trouble for Yuer. Baoqing, from now on, no matter what happens, keep your thoughts to yourself, alright?"
Baoqing sighed. "My Lady, I only feel for you. Honestly, I feel for Consort Yu too. Isn't she tired, acting like this?"
Inside the room, Qiqige echoed that sentiment, asking Da Yuer, "Must you be so stubborn? Aren't you tired?"
Tired? Of course, she was. It was an exhaustion that left her heart aching. But she had to keep going. Until the day Hong Taiji forced her to confront it, no one could convince her to stop.
But last night, the moment she saw her sister, Da Yuer broke down. With her sister around, she was forever the little girl who could act spoiled, hide behind her elder sister, and be protected.
Deep in her heart, she longed to return to the days when the two of them would sleep under the same blanket and talk the night away.
"Enough, enough, it's the first day of the New Year. Let's stay cheerful," Qiqige said with a smile. "Last year, neither the Great Khan nor Dorgon was home, and we were so bored."
Da Yuer chuckled. "But even when they're home, we're still busy with all the rituals and formalities. I heard from Fan Wencheng that what we have here isn't even that complicated. In the Ming court, the emperor can't even sit down for a proper meal during festivals because of all the ceremonies and prayers. They're just constantly putting him through the wringer."
Hearing Fan Wencheng's name, Qiqige was tempted to ask about what happened that day at the Fifteenth Beile's residence. However, no matter how close they were, some boundaries had to remain. Thinking quickly, she tried to change the subject. Just then, a sister-in-law called from outside the room, "Qiqige, are you at Consort Yu's place?"
Qiqige went to the door to ask what was happening. It turned out the sisters-in-law wanted to have a snowball fight. She scolded them jokingly, "You're so improper! Even the Great Consort indulges you?"
"You stop being so proper! If we don't have fun today, then when? Are you coming or not?" they called back, laughing. "And bring Consort Yu along!"
Qiqige glanced at Da Yuer. Not wanting to stay cooped up, Da Yuer decided to join and ordered her maids to fetch her cloak. But as soon as they stepped out of the eaves, the group was startled by another loud crash coming from the silent side palace where Zalute resided.
"That scared me to death!" one of the younger consorts exclaimed, clutching her chest. She turned to the sister-in-law beside her and asked, "Isn't she supposed to be ill?"
"Probably just knocked over a medicine bowl," someone replied. Those who were more tactful knew better than to pry and quickly urged the group to move on.
As Qiqige and Da Yuer were swept along by the crowd, Qiqige cast a curious glance toward the silent side palace. She had a feeling there was something strange going on with Zarut. But why would the Great Khan suddenly treat her so harshly?
In the days that followed, the palace was bustling with visitors, and it remained lively. However, every night, Hong Taiji stayed in Hairanju's quarters. Da Yuer only saw him during banquets or when he was with their aunt in Qingning Palace. He wasn't particularly cold toward her, but there was no extra warmth or attention either.
Da Yuer was deeply troubled. It felt as if Hong Taiji had no idea that she had sat on the threshold crying her heart out on New Year's Eve, or that she had been the one to administer the infertility drug to Qiqige during the feast.
By the second day of the New Year, Qiqige began to feel unwell and didn't come to the palace for two consecutive days. It was likely the effect of the medicine. But even the doctors in their household were under Hong Taiji's control.
Time swiftly passed, and it was already the fifth day of the new year. The morning assemblies at the Grand Politics Hall had resumed, and the day of Dorgon's departure for the battlefield was fast approaching.
That day, while discussing matters with his ministers, Hong Taiji noticed Fan Wencheng standing far off. After the assembly, he summoned Fan Wencheng to ask about the progress in the study halls.
Fan Wencheng reported to the Great Khan that before the new year, he had already arranged for replacements for the side consorts and young ladies' tutors. The arrangements had been approved by the Great Consort. Today marked the first day of resumed classes.
Hong Taiji nodded and instructed, "Consort Yu says you make your lectures interesting. Next time you return to Shengjing, go give some lessons to the princes."
Fan Wencheng, both grateful and anxious, hastily agreed. He was still under the command of the Plain White Banner and lived under the constant threat of persecution by Dorgon and Duoduo. Whether he could return alive was uncertain.
Hong Taiji understood his fears. He valued talent and couldn't bear to see Dorgon and Duoduo squander capable Han officials. However, for now, he couldn't transfer Fan Wencheng into the Plain Yellow Banner. To openly take his brothers' men would only doom Fan Wencheng.
After dismissing Fan Wencheng, Hong Taiji sifted through the congratulatory memorials sent from various regions, selecting a few for Niman to store away. Then, he strode outside. Niman hurried after him with a cloak in his arms, asking, "Great Khan, where are you heading alone?"
"To the study room for a look," Hong Taiji replied. He took the cloak and draped it over himself, walking through the snow with long strides.
Niman stood under the eaves, pondering: Was he going to the princes' study room or the princesses'?
In the girls' study room, Da Yuer was the only one present. She sat at her desk, practicing her writing. The newly arrived tutor was a student of Fan Wencheng. Though still a student, he was in his early twenties, an age just right—neither too brash nor overly grave. At the moment, he wasn't teaching Han studies but rather the new Manchu script established in the sixth year of Tiancong.
Da Yuer held a brush, listening intently to the tutor's recitation as she copied the newly learned Manchu characters. Hong Taiji entered quietly, and she didn't notice. The tutor, however, saw the Great Khan and was about to bow when Hong Taiji motioned for him to leave immediately.
Da Yuer finished writing an entire sentence, waiting for the tutor to continue reciting. After a long silence, she raised her head in confusion, only to find that the tutor was gone.
She turned around in bewilderment and saw Hong Taiji standing there, smiling warmly at her.
"Great Khan?" Da Yuer set her brush down. For a brief moment, she thought she might have dozed off in class and was dreaming.
Hong Taiji sat cross-legged across from her, taking the sheet she had been writing on. He picked up her brush and circled a few areas before commenting, "These here—these were changed three years ago. It's taken you this long to start learning them?"
Da Yuer continued staring at him blankly. Hong Taiji lightly tapped her forehead with the end of the brush, saying, "What, turned dumb?"
"You've been ignoring me these past few days," Da Yuer said. "Was it because I didn't do well on New Year's Eve?"
Hong Taiji glanced around before replying, "You did very well. You looked no different than usual, which surprised me."
"You saw?" Da Yuer asked.
Hong Taiji chided gently, "I was watching you the whole time, worried you'd lose your nerve and turn to me for help. But you never even glanced my way. I watched you leave the banquet hall from start to finish."
"Liar." Da Yuer's heart lifted, a faint trace of happiness sneaking in. She was so easy to comfort.
"I even knew you sat on the threshold crying your heart out." Hong Taiji added.
"Did my sister tell you?"
"I knew that very night," he said. Setting down the brush and paper, he asked, "Have you calmed down now?"
Da Yuer shook her head. "I'm not sure. I kept hoping you'd come to console me or praise me, or even scold me. But you never did. I felt so wronged the first two days, but now I don't feel anything anymore."
Hong Taiji explained, "That's because I was waiting for you to calm yourself. Whether you were happy or upset these days, what you did, and whether you ate well—I knew it all. If you were truly unwell, how could I ignore you? But figuring things out on your own is far more effective than anything I could say."
Da Yuer shook her head again. "Just one word from you is better than a hundred days of me trying to figure it out."
Hong Taiji chuckled. "Such nonsense."
Da Yuer countered, "The first bite of food you had after taking a life—wasn't it pushed into your mouth by Brother Cuyen?"
Hong Taiji's expression turned serious. "Yuer, do you regret it?"
"No," Da Yuer answered without hesitation. "But it hurts. When you didn't come to me, who else could I talk to?"
Hong Taiji took her hand in his and said gently, "I'm here now, aren't I? But Yuer, if one day I can never come to you again, you must learn to be strong on your own."
Da Yuer panicked. "What are you saying?"
Hong Taiji smiled faintly. "We're over twenty years apart, Yuer. I will grow old."