In the Grand Politics Hall, Hong Taiji was intently watching Dorgon simulate his military training strategy on the sand table when Niman hurried in and reported, "Great Khan, Consort Yu discovered that Consort Lan is suffering from a severe, recurring fever. She's already delirious."
Hong Taiji's heart clenched, and he immediately turned toward the door to leave. However, he stopped abruptly at the threshold and asked, "Yuer discovered it? Yuer went to see Hairanju?"
Niman nodded, "Exactly, Great Khan. It was only because Consort Yu went to Consort Lan's quarters that the fever was discovered. None of the maids in Consort Lan's room had even noticed. If Consort Yu hadn't gone, tonight… tonight…"
"How is she now?" Hong Taiji asked.
"The physician just arrived, but we don't know her condition yet," Niman replied.
Hong Taiji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then turned back to the sand table. With a cold expression, he said to Dorgon, "Continue."
Dorgon hesitated, clearly moved. "Great Khan, perhaps you should go see Consort Lan first."
Hong Taiji waved dismissively. "Yuer is there; I trust her. As long as Hairanju has her sister by her side, she'll be fine."
"But—"
"That day in the hall of the imperial mausoleum, she was ready to die, ready to stretch her neck out for the blade. I told her Yuer was waiting outside for her, and she immediately came to her senses. Dorgon, it's my fault for wronging those two sisters."
"Great Khan…" Dorgon was visibly uneasy. For Hong Taiji to confide in him like this was unprecedented. In Dorgon's mind, their brotherly camaraderie had always been a façade, a mere performance.
Even Niman was stunned by Hong Taiji's words. He, however, understood the Great Khan's mood: with this much said, it was clear that Hong Taiji would not return to the inner palace tonight.
"But Dorgon," Hong Taiji continued, his bitter smile directed at his ambitious younger brother, "you love Qiqige. You must know what it feels like to love a woman."
Dorgon stiffened. He knew all too well the torment of loving a woman, of longing endlessly for someone he could not have. His feelings were profound, carved into his very soul.
"Yes…" Dorgon answered awkwardly, lowering his gaze. "Please, Great Khan, rest assured. Consort Lan is blessed and will be safe."
"Don't let Qiqige down," Hong Taiji said with a faint smile. "All right, go on. Some issues can wait until you finish speaking. Over the past two years, while you've been pursuing Lin Dan Batur, you've grown unfamiliar with Ming affairs. Some points in your strategy need adjustment."
"Yes!" Dorgon steadied himself and resumed explaining his ideas.
Meanwhile, the physician attending to Hairanju recommended using strong spirits to lower her fever by wiping her body and applying snow wrapped in cloth to her forehead.
Consort Yu knelt inside, remaining at her sister's side without leaving for a moment. Watching the melting snow seep from the bundle, she thought of how her sister might have worn the shoes damped by Yatu. The thought broke her heart.
The palace maids worked tirelessly, their faces drenched in sweat. Hairanju's complexion gradually improved, her breathing became steady, and her body no longer burned with fever. Exhausted, everyone collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.
Baoging, trembling in fear, was the most distraught. She had failed in her duties, assuming that Hairanju was merely resting and hadn't checked thoroughly. She had been exhausted, having cared for her mistress tirelessly for days, and mistakenly believed her recovery was complete.
Despite repeated warnings from both Hong Taiji and Jeje against neglect, Baoging had nearly cost the lady her life.
Da Yuer noticed her trembling and called Sumala over. "Take Baoging to get something to eat," she instructed.
Sumala complied, but Baoging sobbed and begged, "Please, let me stay. I must care for the mistress. It's my fault—I didn't notice anything."
"Your mistress won't blame you, so stop crying," Da Yuer said calmly. "Your eyes are dark with exhaustion. You've clearly worked too hard. Go rest. When my sister recovers, she'll still need your care. Go now."
Despite her sobs, Sumala led Baoging away. Da Yuer then questioned the other maids about the rotation schedule over the past few days. She reorganized their shifts, bringing some of her own maids to assist. This ensured that someone was always brewing medicine, replacing ice packs, monitoring the kang bed-stove's fire, or standing by for emergencies. Everything became orderly and efficient.
In the Qingning Palace, Jeje, having learned that Hong Taiji wouldn't visit, understood her husband's intentions. She sent Adai to check on Hairanju. Upon her return, Adai reported, "Consort Yu is staying by Consort Lan's side. Everyone is performing their duties without confusion."
Jeje felt a deep sense of relief and remarked, "The Great Khan truly trusts Yuer."
The same report reached the Grand Politics Hall. Hong Taiji, engrossed in his conversation with Dorgon, seemed unperturbed. Niman, standing at the door, decided not to interrupt. No news was the best news, and the Great Khan must already know that Consort Lan was out of danger.
Late at night, Dorgon finally retreated from the Grand Politics Hall. After hours of discussion with Hong Taiji, he suddenly remembered that his original purpose was to report the origins of the man in white. However, when he mentioned that the interrogation had yielded no results, Hong Taiji did not press further or show any anger. He simply replied calmly, "Let me know once you find out."
Dorgon speculated that Hong Taiji already had some idea about the matter. He had considered numerous possibilities, even suspecting that the man might have been sent by Hong Taiji himself.
Yet, if the man truly was one of Hong Taiji's trusted aides, how could he fail to recognize Yuer? Moreover, if Hong Taiji wanted to spy on Dorgon's military training methods, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths—his men in the camp already reported daily progress.
As Dorgon stepped out of the palace gates, he had determined that Hooge must have something to do with this. All that was left was to pry open that man's mouth, or wait for Hong Taiji to intervene.
As he was leaving, he glanced toward the inner palace and tightened his reins, silently praying for Yuer's safety.
Meanwhile, Hong Taiji returned to the Fenghuang Tower and stood by the window overlooking the inner palace. Niman reported everything that had occurred afterwards. Hearing how Yuer had managed the situation with calm and composure during her sister's sudden illness, Hong Taiji felt a sense of relief.
"Great Khan, the Great Consort's teachings over the years have clearly borne fruit in Consort Yu," Niman remarked. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but perhaps this time, you should leave the matter entirely to Consort Yu to handle. Especially regarding the negligence of the palace maids in Consort Lan's quarters—by rights, they should be punished, but it would be best if you refrains from intervening."
"I understand," Hong Taiji replied. "Rest assured, I've already told Hairanju that I would not interfere in matters between the sisters."
Hearing this, Niman advised, "If that's the case, you should rest early. Your health is the foundation of the Jin Empire."
Hong Taiji nodded. He couldn't afford to neglect his health. He thought back to the time in the study when he had told Yuer that they were separated by twenty years and that he would grow old. Yuer had wept bitterly, clinging to him, insisting he would not age, that she didn't want him to grow old.
If he wanted to rule the world, he needed the life and strength to do so—for Jin, for his women.
In the side palace, Da Yuer stayed by her sister's side, occasionally checking her body temperature. Feeling that Hairanju's neck was now warm and no longer scorching, she finally sighed with relief.
Yet, Da Yuer herself, after a day of near-death experiences, was still injured and shaken. Watching over her sister and recalling the day's events, tears welled up and silently fell. Exhausted, she eventually fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Sumala came to check on them and saw Da Yuer asleep, holding her elder sister's hand. Feeling a pang of sympathy, she gently pulled a blanket over Da Yuer and instructed the night-watchers to remain vigilant before quietly leaving.
The palace remained peaceful in the latter half of the night. Da Yuer slept soundly, and as the first light of dawn broke, Hairanju was the first to awaken.
As soon as Hairanju opened her eyes, she felt her hand being held. The soft and warm fingers were unmistakably her younger sister's.
Turning her head, she saw Da Yuer fast asleep, her rosy cheeks slightly puffed, as if she were in a dream, perhaps angrily arguing with someone. Upon a closer look, Hairanju noticed the scar on Da Yuer's chin, which she guessed must have been from the previous day's abduction. Her heart ached, and she lifted her hand to touch it.
It was then that Hairanju felt strange injuries on her sister's palm. She took Da Yuer's hand and examined it closely. There were deep, crisscrossing cuts on her palm and fingers, which sent a jolt of horror through her.
Hairanju gently brushed over the wounds, but she inadvertently caused her sister discomfort. Da Yuer suddenly opened her eyes, gazing at her in a daze, as if she were half-awake, not quite understanding what was going on.
"Does it hurt? How did you get hurt like this? Did the people who abducted you use a knife?" Hairanju asked in a hoarse voice, her concern evident. "Are there any other injuries?"
Da Yuer felt deeply aggrieved. Yesterday, she had been so terrified she had lost her senses. Her throat had been choked, she had been dragged up a hillside, almost had her clothes torn off, and then rolled down the mountain. Everything had spun around, and she had thought she was going to die.
"Sister…" Da Yuer whimpered. "I rolled down from the mountain."
Hairanju reached out and embraced her, gently patting her sister's back. "Don't be afraid, Yuer, don't be afraid."
From outside the door, the sound of movement could be heard. Sumala and Baoqing, who had already gotten up to attend to them, immediately entered. Upon seeing the scene, Sumala said nothing and pulled Baoqing out of the room. Baoqing nervously asked her, "Can Consort Yu and Consort Lan make up?"
Sumala shook her head. "I don't know."
But then, she asked Baoqing, "That day, when you were kneeling outside the door, what happened?"
Baoqing lowered her head, blushing, and stammered, "I was criticizing Consort Yu, saying she always leaves the child behind, disturbing the Great Khan... The Consort got angry for the first time and told me to kneel outside."
"You deserved it!" Sumala tapped her head. "You're a fool. How could you not see the bond between the two sisters? They can distant each other themselves, but no one is allowed to say anything bad about them. You must be lucky that she didn't have you killed."
Baoqing clutched her arm and said, "I won't say anything again. Please don't hold it against me."
At that moment, someone called from inside the room. They went in and began serving tea, medicine, and preparing breakfast. Jeje herself came over to check on them, offering a few words of advice before leaving the sisters alone again.
Hairanju was still very weak. She could barely speak without gasping for air, but with her younger sister by her side, she felt a sense of peace. As Da Yuer repeatedly told her about the events of the abduction, her sister's voice made her head ache. Unconsciously, she fell asleep, still holding onto her sister's hand tightly in her dreams.