"The servant deserves to die, the servant deserves to die..." Niman felt a tinge of panic in his heart but understood deeply what it meant to the Great Khan for Consort Yu and Consort Lan to maintain harmony. He knew that saying such things at this moment would not anger him.
Sure enough, Hong Taiji said, "Without disturbing them, if you can inquire, then do so. Naturally, I will ask myself as well. Just because I said I wouldn't interfere in their matters doesn't mean I will ignore everything and remain indifferent. How could that be?"
Meanwhile, Dodo led his horse over to Dorgon and whispered, "Are we still going? What nonsense is he talking about with that servant?"
Dorgon rebuked softly, "You're becoming more and more insolent."
Dodo sneered, "That's just how I feel. I've never thought much of him."
Dorgon held back his anger, deciding to discipline his brother after returning to Shengjing. He looked again at Hong Taiji, whose mood seemed excellent. He was smiling, as if a great burden had been lifted from his heart.
The words Hong Taiji had said to him in the Grand Politics Hall that day still echoed in his ears, but upon returning home, Qiqige remarked coldly, "Hong Taiji has always been good at winning people over. Look how he has tamed those once-proud Han scholars into submission. When he says something to you, do you feel deeply moved, as if he treats you like a brother?"
Qiqige was as cool-headed as ever.
"Brother, let's go." Dodo was already mounted, urging Dorgon to move.
"Coming," Dorgon snapped out of his thoughts, mounted his horse, and the group continued on. Before long, a guard approached, saying that the Great Khan had summoned the Fourteenth Beile forward to speak.
Dorgon quickened his pace and reached Hong Taiji's side. The others instinctively slowed down, keeping a few horse lengths away. Hooge tightly gripped his reins and whip, filled with tension.
However, from start to finish, Hong Taiji never asked Dorgon how the spy had been dealt with. Instead, he spoke about what they had seen and heard, about the transportation of provisions in the future, and about strategies for enhancing the army's combat abilities in snowy conditions.
They talked for a long time until they reached their next destination. Hooge, trailing behind, remained tense the entire way, accumulating a growing sense of resentment.
In the end, Hong Taiji never brought up the spy, leaving Dorgon feeling somewhat unsettled.
Along the journey, Dorgon had long sensed Hooge's resentment toward him. The issue of the spy had dragged on for days, and Hooge's patience seemed to have run dry.
Dorgon had his own calculations—he couldn't possibly wait for Hong Taiji to bring it up himself.
Meanwhile, in the Shengjing Palace, Da Yuer and Adai were kneeling before Jeje, explaining why Yatu had been punished.
Da Yuer hadn't forgiven her daughter easily. Even after Hairanju begged her not to hit Yatu, she still struck her palm five times with the ruler. Yatu cried her heart out, and how could Da Yuer not feel distressed?
Because Yatu was crying so much, Jeje couldn't help but intervene to ask what had happened, prompting Da Yuer and Adai to explain together.
Jeje sighed gently and said, "You need to console her properly and guide the child well. Since even Hairanju asked you not to hit her, why go through with it?" She then instructed the palace maids, "Tell the kitchen to prepare Princess Yatu's favourite snacks."
However, Da Yuer replied, "Aunt, we've agreed—no snacks or sweets for three days."
Jeje shook her head and teased, "Oh, now you're disciplining children too."
In a blink of an eye, ten years had passed. Ten years ago, though she wasn't as young as Yatu, Da Yuer herself was still a child in her aunt's eyes when she arrived in Shengjing. She had been scolded and punished, crying as she grew up.
When Yatu was born, Da Yuer was still young, but from that moment, she became the person in this world who loved her daughter the most.
"Go back now. Since you want to set rules for Yatu, I won't interfere," Jeje advised, adding, "But when the Great Khan returns the day after tomorrow and wants to dote on his daughter, you'd better not intervene. Understood?"
"Understood," Da Yuer agreed, smiling gratefully at Adai before leaving. After she left, Jeje sighed and asked Adai, "Why did you keep this from me? Such an important matter."
Adai smiled and said, "I thought it over carefully and decided only to tell Consort Yu. This matter could be significant or minor, but if the Great Khan were to find out and get angry, and Consort Lan's illness hasn't fully recovered, what would you have Consort Yu do? I knew that Consort Yu cares deeply about the young princesses and Consort Lan, so she would surely find a way to handle it properly."
"You're right, and you handled it well," Jeje praised. "Even if the Great Khan and I knew, what could we do?"
Da Yuer left the Qingning Palace and headed to her elder sister's quarters. There, she found Hairanju sitting on the kang, holding Yatu in her arms. Atu was by their side as well, and Hairanju was teaching the children how to play cat's cradle. Yatu was no longer crying and seemed to have completely forgotten her earlier sadness. Watching Atu get her fingers stuck in the string, Yatu burst into cheerful laughter.
"Mommy…" Atu immediately turned to her mother for help. Yatu, on the other hand, shrank into Hairanju's arms as soon as she spotted Da Yuer—clearly, she still remembered what had happened.
Da Yuer glanced at her daughter, then picked up Atu. Carefully, she untangled the string from Atu's hands and guided her step by step until a pattern emerged. Yatu was fascinated by the transformation, though her pride wouldn't allow her to admit it. She turned to Hairanju with a coquettish tone and said, "Auntie, I want one too."
Seeing her daughter growing closer to her aunt, Da Yuer felt a wave of relief. Still, she knew that children often grapple with emotions they cannot fully understand. Yatu's earlier actions were born out of her love and desire to protect, but they had led her to hurt her aunt. Da Yuer resolved that she could not let her daughter continue down a harmful path, but neither could she disregard the love underlying Yatu's actions.
Thinking about this, Da Yuer felt the weight of her responsibilities pressing upon her. Beyond matters with Hong Taiji, she had too many obligations to attend to. She had been so focused on caring for her sister lately that her studies had fallen behind. There was no room for laziness or wishful thinking—she could not forget why she had returned to Shengjing from Hetu Ala.
As for her reasons for returning, it seemed no one had truly asked. Her husband appeared to have forgotten, her aunt likely assumed she understood her duties, and her sister—well, they hadn't even been able to have a proper conversation about it. Even Qiqige, who had been by her side back then, had overlooked it.
No one knew why she had resolved to leave Hetu Ala and come back to Shengjing.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Da Yuer returned to her study to catch up on her lessons, while Yatu remained with her aunt. Like a little adult, Yatu helped Baoqing care for Hairanju, feeding her medicine and bringing her tea, filling Hairanju's days with laughter.
With her daughter occupied, Da Yuer focused on making up for lost time in her studies.
The more she delved into her books, the more she loved them. The world within those pages felt truly boundless—stretching back a thousand years in history or leading her imagination to the distant south. Da Yuer said to her young teacher, "When the world is at peace, you should travel, Teacher. I'll ask the Great Khan to provide funds and a horse for your journey. Go see the world and come back to tell me what it's like out there."
Sumala, seated nearby, glanced at Da Yuer. For some reason, she noticed a loneliness in Da Yuer's eyes that tugged at her heart, even amidst her mistress's dreams of exploration.
Sumala couldn't understand why. With so many people surrounding Da Yuer, how could she still feel lonely?
That same day marked Hong Taiji's return to Shengjing. The grand procession arrived smoothly at the palace gates. The entourage prepared to bid farewell to the Great Khan as he entered the palace.
Hong Taiji, however, told them all to rest until the evening when they would reconvene for discussions. Just as he was leaving, Dorgon noticed a soldier rushing toward him from the military camp. The soldier whispered something in his ear.
"Great Khan!" Dorgon intercepted Hong Taiji, dropping to one knee. In front of the assembled crowd, he said, "Great Khan, please forgive me. My subordinates failed in their duty to guard the spy who harmed Consort Yu. During an escape attempt, a fight broke out, and the spy was accidentally killed."
Hong Taiji stood with his hands clasped behind his back and said coldly, "Are your men so careless now?"
Dorgon bowed his head in remorse. "It is my failure, Great Khan. Please punish me."
The other beiles, who had yet to disperse, watched the scene unfold with curiosity. Among them was Hooge, whose heart instantly felt lighter upon hearing Dorgon's report. Joy spread across his face, as though a heavy weight had been lifted.
Hong Taiji ordered, "Go and check the situation first. Come to the palace at sunset, and we will discuss this in detail."
He then raised his eyes to Hooge, whose expression of relief and satisfaction ignited a flame of anger in him. The sight made him want to whip his eldest son into clarity, to rid him of his smugness.
As the group dispersed, Hong Taiji stormed toward the inner palace, his temper barely contained.
Passing by the study, he noticed Yebusu and Sose chasing each other under the eaves instead of reading. His temper flared, and he scolded the two boys harshly, leaving them trembling with fear.
Continuing forward, he arrived at the girls' study. Peering inside, he found it quiet and orderly. The young ladies were diligently practicing their writing. In one corner, Da Yuer sat with Yatu in her lap, the mother and daughter holding a single brush together as they carefully traced red characters.
Hong Taiji stood outside the window, watching for a long time, and gradually his fury subsided. Sensing a gaze upon her, Da Yuer raised her head and met his eyes through the glazed window.
Leaving Yatu behind, Da Yuer stepped outside quietly and smiled. "You're back already? Just arrived? Why are you still wearing your outdoor clothes?"
Hong Taiji took her hand and said, "Yuer, come have a cup of tea with me."
He ordered someone to bring Da Yuer's cloak and led her toward the Fenghuang Tower. She followed closely behind, but Hong Taiji's stride was too brisk. She had to alternate between walking and jogging to keep up. Finally, she tugged his hand forcefully and said, "I can't keep up with you."
Hong Taiji paused, his imposing demeanour softening. He continued to hold her hand, slowing his pace. "Yuer," he said gently, "if you can't keep up, I can wait for you. But if my sons can't keep up with me, what then?"