Outside the study, Hairanju was walking with Yatu. Hearing that only her mother was inside, Yatu, feeling sorry for her mother being alone, asked her aunt to bring her there. However, they were stopped at the door and informed that the Great Khan was already inside.
"Yatu, shall we go to the kitchen and make some snacks for your mother?" Hairanju suggested. "If your mother eats the treats you made, she will surely be delighted."
Yatu looked at her with clear, innocent eyes. "Auntie, you're so nice."
Hairanju froze for a moment, then smiled and said, "What a sweet little mouth you have. If I listen to you talk every day, I won't even need to eat meals anymore."
They turned away from the study, hand in hand, heading towards the kitchen. Hairanju couldn't help glancing back over her shoulder, her heart a mix of unexplainable emotions.
These past days, Hong Taiji had been spending his nights in her quarters. Naturally, she was pleased, and his mood had been excellent. But she couldn't stop worrying about Yuer, still puzzled as to why her sister had cried so bitterly that night. She kept feeling as though there was something between Yuer and Hong Taiji that she didn't understand. She harboured no other intentions, only wishing that Hong Taiji wouldn't let her sister feel heartbroken again. But...
"Auntie." Yatu suddenly spoke.
"What is it?" Hairanju asked.
Yatu, ever the thoughtful child, said sweetly, "Mother always ignores you. She must have something on her mind. Auntie, don't be mad at her. Atu and I both love you."
Hairanju crouched down and gently stroked her niece's cheeks. "Yatu, you're such a good girl. How can there be such a wonderful child like you? Don't worry, Auntie isn't mad at your mother. Your mother isn't ignoring me—she's just busy studying. See how hard she's working?"
Yatu, however, replied earnestly, "Mother's just fooling me. And Auntie is also fooling me. Atu might not understand because she's young, but I'm a big kid. I know. You two just aren't getting along anymore. I know."
Hairanju felt a pang in her heart and said softly, "Yatu, that's not true."
Yatu's eyes grew red as she asked, "Really?"
Hairanju nodded firmly, covering her niece's small hand with her own. "Auntie promises you. Your mother and I are just fine—nothing's wrong at all."
Yatu sniffled and asked, "Auntie, why did you also become Father's consort?"
Hairanju froze, and Yatu choked back tears as she continued, "Ever since you became Father's consort, Mother has been unhappy."
"Yatu..."
"Auntie, don't be Father's consort anymore, please?"
Hairanju was at a loss for words. Yatu leaned against her shoulder, softly sobbing, "I don't want Mother to be unhappy."
She lifted the child into her arms. Yatu was growing heavy, but no matter how heavy she was, it couldn't compare to the weight pressing on Hairanju's heart.
A child's eyes were so clear, their hearts so pure. No matter how hard Yuer tried to love them as she always had, her emotions were laid bare to the children, who saw through her best efforts.
Holding Yatu tightly, Hairanju walked steadily towards the kitchen. "Let's make some snacks. Yatu, do you know what your mother likes to eat the most?"
Inside the study, Da Yuer watched Hong Taiji write. Though her face was still streaked with tears, she had stopped crying. Both of them remained silent, basking in the rare tranquillity.
"When you came to Khorchin to marry my aunt, did you see me?" Da Yuer suddenly asked.
"How old were you then?" Hong Taiji replied.
"One year old."
Hong Taiji burst into laughter. "Of course I didn't see you."
"Did you see my sister then?" she pressed.
Hong Taiji shook his head. "You two were just two among Jeje's many nieces. There were so many people—if I had seen you, I wouldn't remember."
"You fell for my sister because she's beautiful, didn't you?" Da Yuer asked next.
"Naturally, her beauty caught my attention. I'm just an ordinary man."
Da Yuer hesitated, suddenly falling silent.
Hong Taiji chuckled. "Why did you stop? Didn't we agree that you could ask me anything today, and I'd answer?"
Lowering her eyes, Da Yuer muttered, "You answer with your mouth, but in your heart, you think I'm annoying. You'll probably curse me when you turn away."
"Yes, you're the cleverest." Hong Taiji set down his brush and casually picked up Da Yuer's handkerchief to wipe his hands. She lunged to take it back. "Don't dirty my handkerchief!"
However, Hong Taiji gently pinched her chin and wiped the tears from her face. "Your face will be wrinkled if you keep crying like this."
Da Yuer squirmed a little but then became obedient. The two were so close that she couldn't clearly see her husband's face.
"I know, I always make you worried," Da Yuer said. "But it's only when I make a scene that you notice me. I don't mean to."
Hong Taiji let go of her and looked at her face, which was smeared more by his wiping. He couldn't help but laugh. Da Yuer didn't realize that her makeup was completely ruined and that she had even smeared some ink. She just felt that Hong Taiji was being careless while listening to her and angrily said, "You just won't listen to me properly."
Hong Taiji quickly changed the subject, handing her back the handkerchief. "Zarut has died."
Da Yuer's heart skipped a beat. "She died?"
"I had intended to keep her imprisoned for life, but she kept causing trouble. Didn't she cause a scene on New Year's Day?" Hong Taiji said coldly. "I had her dealt with. Tomorrow, there will be news saying she died from a serious illness."
Da Yuer stiffly said, "Oh," and indeed, the person who once had food forced into his mouth by his brother was long gone.
"Will there be a day when I become like you?" Da Yuer asked. "No matter how ruthless the things I do, I won't feel sad?"
Hong Taiji nodded. "If you wish, I won't stop you from growing, but if you don't want to bear the consequences, I won't blame you either."
Da Yuer thought to herself: Was Zarut really so detestable? She did indeed seduce Hong Taiji and even let her sister witness that scene, but wasn't it Hong Taiji who let her to stay?
She had only spoken too much and hadn't even had the chance to harm anyone.
Was it because she knew Hong Taiji's secret? But what about herself? What about her aunt? They both know as well.
"You must be wondering, why does Zarut have to die, while you and Jeje, I can fully trust?" Hong Taiji flicked her forehead with a finger, causing it to hurt slightly. He said seriously, "Yuer, do you really have no idea how important you are to me?"
Da Yuer asked, "Aunt and I, do we deserve your absolute trust?"
Hong Taiji nodded.
She then asked, "What about my sister?"
Earlier, it had been agreed that whatever Da Yuer asked today, Hong Taiji would answer her and not get angry. So even if he didn't want to answer, he had to.
Hong Taiji said, "Your sister too, I can trust Hairanju without reservation."
Da Yuer smiled bitterly. "But I've been married to you for ten years, and she's only been here for a few months."
Hong Taiji replied, "A few months is enough. There's no difference. This may sound cruel, so if you don't ask, I will never say it."
Da Yuer sniffed and lifted her chin. "Then I won't ask again. If I ask you next time, you can just ignore me and chase me out."
Hong Taiji said, "I dare chase you out? You'd just throw a tantrum outside the door."
At that moment, a voice came from outside the door—Niman had followed them here, requesting that the Great Khan immediately return to the Grand Politics Hall as some ministers were urgently waiting to meet him. Hong Taiji sighed, "I can't get a break."
Da Yuer quickly got up and walked him to the door.
She stood on tiptoe, raised her hand high to put his wind hat on him, and tied the strings of his collar tight. She looked him over, then reassured him, "Alright, now you won't catch a cold. It's too warm inside, going in and out easily causes a cold."
Hong Taiji smiled as he watched her, and the people around them struggled to hold in their laughter. Sumala even turned her back. Da Yuer felt embarrassed but didn't know what to do. Hong Taiji commanded Sumala, "Quick, take your mistress to wash her face."
It wasn't until Da Yuer saw her reflection in the mirror that she realized Hong Taiji had smudged her makeup and even gotten ink on her face. She had just walked out with a face that looked like a painted cat, and all the servants outside had seen it.
She glared at Sumala, who looked innocent. "Miss, I didn't do it."
Da Yuer, with no real reason to argue, said, "It's all your fault."
Sumala laughed and fetched hot water to wash her face. She knew the Great Khan must have cheered up the princess today, but she was still unsure whether she should mention the matter of the older princess bringing little Yatu along earlier.
After Da Yuer washed her face and waited for the palace maid to bring her rouge box, she looked at her clean face in the mirror and said to Sumala, "Starting tomorrow, you'll study with me."
Sumala was stunned. "Me? How could that be?"
Da Yuer glared at her. "Will you study or not?"
Sumala knelt down and said, "Miss, I can't learn."
Da Yuer patted Sumala's head. "If you can't learn, I'll have Auntie teach you a lesson. If you can learn it, then it's fine."
Sumala felt like crying but had no tears. After the maid brought the rouge, Da Yuer reapplied her makeup and then returned to the study to finish the essay she had not yet copied. Later, she pushed Sumala in front of the tutor, saying, "She doesn't know a single character. We need to start teaching her from scratch."
In the Grand Politics Hall, Hong Taiji frowned as he listened to the ministers report the latest situation at the Ming dynasty's border. Emperor Chongzhen was struggling desperately and had even increased his military strength. He marked new positions on the sand table and coldly asked, "When will the new cannons be ready to go to the front lines?"
The minister bowed and replied, "By the beginning of February, as scheduled."
Hong Taiji thought for a moment and then ordered Niman, "Summon Hooge immediately, and also bring in Dorgon."