Palace Eaves

Hong Taiji stood by the window in the Grand Politics Hall, watching Hairanju with Atu and observing Dorgon lifting Atu high into the air.

"He seems to like children a lot?" Hong Taiji asked.

"Yes," Niman, who was standing beside him, replied. "The Fourteenth Beile adores all the young princes and princesses. Consort Yu and the Fourteenth Consort are close friends, so Princesses Yatu and Atu often visit his residence, naturally making them closer as uncle and nieces."

Hong Taiji knew all this, yet for some reason, watching Dorgon spin Atu around filled him with an inexplicable discomfort. A strange thought lingered in his mind, vague and hard to grasp.

Meanwhile, Hairanju coaxed Atu, "Your Fourteenth Uncle has work to do. Be good, and I'll take you to play elsewhere."

Atu mumbled a few words before obediently climbing down from Dorgon's arms and running over to Hairanju's side, followed by the maids and nannies.

Dorgon courteously greeted her, "Consort Lan." Hairanju, not particularly familiar with him, nodded briefly and hurried away with Atu.

Dorgon watched them for a moment as Atu waved goodbye to him, and he smiled unconsciously. He'd heard that Azhe resembled her mother most and that, in a few years, she too would be calling him "Fourteen Uncle" with that same soft voice.

After leaving the palace, Dorgon went directly to the Fifteenth Beile's residence. Dodo, of course, wasn't kneeling in penance waiting for Hong Taiji's reprimand; instead, he was practicing archery in the snowy courtyard, with one shoulder bare in the freezing air. Seeing his older brother, he scoffed, "So, what did Hong Taiji say? Did he cover for Da Yuer who had taken Fan Wencheng's woman away?"

"Whether he did or not, he would never admit it," Dorgon replied. "In a few days, our fourth sister-in-law will be sending you some women. Make sure to welcome them properly."

"Oh, sending women? No doubt they're spies, to keep watch on my every move," Dodo sneered, firing three consecutive arrows that all struck dead canter. He fumed, "For the sake of a mere servant's woman, he humiliates me—Hong Taiji is ruthless!"

Dorgon replied coldly, "If you hadn't given him something to use against you, would we be in this mess? Remember what I told you, Dodo. Keep a low profile; now is not the time for you and me to act recklessly. Wait for the day you can step on him, there will be nothing you can't do. But if you mess up again, I'll have no choice but to bind you and hand you over to Hong Taiji for punishment."

Dodo spat heavily on the ground, threw down his bow, tugged at his half-draped robe, and stormed off with a sneer, shouting, "Fine, let him send women—I'll enjoy them well!"

Dorgon knew his brother was bitter; if this matter hadn't involved Yuer, he himself might not be able to swallow his pride. Now trapped between opposing sides, he could only force himself to endure it, so he said nothing more and rode off.

Arriving home, he strode angrily into the inner courtyard, just in time to see two concubines leaving his and Qiqige's bedroom. Dorgon frowned and asked, "Why are you two here at this hour? Is the Consort unwell?"

The two concubines nervously replied, "The Consort had some instructions for us, so we just…"

Dorgon relaxed a bit, waved them off, and went inside. Seeing him, Qiqige looked surprised. "Done with work for today?"

Dorgon replied irritably, "I've been idle these days; what work could I possibly have?"

Qiqige laughed. "Why so upset? Is it because of Dodo and Fan Wencheng's affair?"

Dorgon nodded, shrugging off his outer robe as he stood by the brazier to warm up. Qiqige handed him a cup of tea, smiling gently. "There, there. Dodo is young and impulsive. Be a little more forgiving. Whatever we do, Hong Taiji never seems to like it. Sooner or later, there will be conflict, and for now, he's the master, so naturally, he calls the shots."

"Are you not afraid?" Dorgon asked, looking at her. "Qiqige, being with me, you could die at any moment. When you married into this family, your parents still hoped you would become the most distinguished Consort of the Jin dynasty. But now, all you have is hardship."

Qiqige encouraged him to drink his tea and smiled. "What's there to fear when I have you? Whether as the Great Consort or the Fourteenth Consort, anywhere with you is just fine."

Dorgon's agitated heart finally calmed down somewhat. Recalling the two women he'd encountered at the door, he asked, "Why did you call them over? You're not usually one for small talk with them."

Qiqige's gaze flickered as she turned away. "There's something… I've been keeping inside for days, wanting to tell you, but I fear if I say it, it will cause a rift between us."

Dorgon frowned. "How could there be a rift between us?"

"Do you promise?"

He narrowed his eyes, sensing the tension. "What is it exactly?"

Qiqige took a few steps back, as if afraid her husband might be angry, and slowly shared her idea: she wanted the concubines to fake a pregnancy, so that people would believe she was the one unable to conceive, rather than Dorgon being seen as incapable. Otherwise, it would be a grave embarrassment, and as a man of great honour, how could he lead soldiers into battle if others were laughing at him?

Dorgon didn't get angry. He understood Qiqige's intentions and couldn't bear to let her feel sad, but he couldn't agree to her plan. He said, "Don't be silly. Even if people knew I was seeking medical help, wouldn't they still find out about a fake pregnancy? That would get out eventually too, and wouldn't that be even more damaging?"

Qiqige suddenly realized, "Yes… How could I be so foolish?"

Dorgon chuckled and said gently, "You're just too anxious. We agreed, didn't we? If it happens, it happens. If not, it's fine too."

Qiqige's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head, her voice catching as she said, "The other day, Yuer told me she felt I've been different these past two months. After thinking about it, I realized it must be because you're home. With you by my side, everything feels better. But once you leave after the New Year, I know I'll start overthinking again."

Dorgon came closer and spoke earnestly, "Don't overthink it. Just wait for me here, Qiqige. I'll make sure you become the most revered woman in the Jin dynasty."

Qiqige smiled faintly through her tears. "I'll be waiting."

But Dorgon knew that if the day ever came when he brought Hong Taiji down, he would become Yuer's enemy. Forget about having a chance to be with her—she'd probably want nothing more than to kill him. How had he fallen so deeply into this unyielding love, yearning and unfulfilled for so many years, yet growing only more obsessed?

"Well, if you don't agree, let's forget it," Qiqige said. "I'll go tell the concubines. They agreed to it, but they were also terrified."

Dorgon stopped her, saying, "If you don't mind, we could adopt a child from another branch of the family or take in an abandoned infant, to bring you some comfort."

Qiqige shook her head with a soft smile, saying, "I haven't given up yet. Let's talk about adoption when we're past forty. You rest, and I'll go to the kitchen to prepare something for you."

She left Dorgon behind, stepping out on her own, and continued walking until she was past the courtyard gate. Only then did she stop, leaning heavily against the wall as the forced smile left her face.

She didn't know if Dorgon was suffering too at that moment. For a man to be unable to have children—it was a shameful burden beyond words.

However, Dorgon felt surprisingly calm—there was even a faint sense of relief. Though it was strange to be discussing something so personal, he would undoubtedly consult a doctor. But now, at last, he and Qiqige no longer needed to carry the burden of producing an heir together, and at least she was free from any sense of responsibility.

For him, it was liberating; for Qiqige, however, it was destined to be a lifelong sorrow. On New Year's Eve, at the banquet where male and female guests were seated separately, Qiqige was once again seated beside Da Yuer. In past years, children would have clamoured around them, but now all the children were with Hairanju, so the two women had a rare chance to talk.

Recently, Zarut had "disappeared" from the palace, and the word was that she was unwell. Outsiders found it strange, but no further information could be pried out, as if she had vanished into thin air.

"Have you seen her?" Qiqige asked Yuer, noticing the absence of the alluring woman. "How could she suddenly fall ill?"

"Maybe it's some chronic ailment; after all, she even lost her child," Da Yuer said nonchalantly. "I never liked her anyway; it's better that she's gone."

Qiqige murmured to herself, "Could it be that she angered the Great Khan? She always antagonized Sister Hairanju; how could he put up with it every time?"

Da Yuer shrugged dismissively. "Who cares about her?"

Not wanting to pry too deeply into the palace's secrets, Qiqige let the topic drop and instead began talking about her own household. She mentioned Dorgon's refusal to agree to her plan.

Da Yuer's heart skipped a beat, though outwardly, she remained utterly composed—a skill she'd perfected after countless private rehearsals of such conversations in her own quarters.

Qiqige noticed nothing unusual, simply continuing to pour out her frustrations. "I'm telling you this because you're my closest friend," Qiqige said, visibly upset. "The strangest thing is that Dorgon doesn't seem to mind. If it were any other man, he'd be devastated at not being able to have children. But he acts like it's nothing and even tries to comfort me! Comforting me, of all things—I should be the one comforting him."

Da Yuer gave her a playful scolding. "Keep your voice down. Isn't it good that your husband is so dependable?"

As she spoke, she poured another glass of wine for Qiqige, as well as one for herself. "The wine is lovely tonight. Let's have another glass together."

Qiqige, in the throes of her frustration, downed her wine in a single gulp. Da Yuer then offered her a piece of pastry, which Qiqige accepted. As she chewed, she poured herself another glass, turned away, and drained it dry, slamming her cup down on the table. "Yuer, I'm truly angry," she declared.

Da Yuer gazed at her warmly. "Don't be. Talking about it will make you feel better, won't it?"

Her gaze fell on the plate in front of Qiqige. Hong Taiji had said that tonight, every bite of food Qiqige ate was laced with medicine, and the potency of the drug would only activate with alcohol. With every sip of wine Qiqige took, her chances of ever having a child were slipping away.

"Have another drink, and if you get too drunk, just sleep here in the palace tonight," Da Yuer poured her more wine. Qiqige lifted her cup and teased, "Did you know the Great Khan will visit Sister Hairanju's chambers tonight, so you're keeping me here on purpose?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Da Yuer replied. "The Great Khan will be keeping the New Year's vigil tonight. I just feel sorry for you, Qiqige. Truly, I feel for you."

Qiqige proudly drank her cup dry. "I don't need your pity. We'll have children for sure. It's only a matter of time."

Da Yuer smiled and said, "You absolutely will."

Those three words pierced her own heart like arrows. Every New Year's Eve, if Hong Taiji was home, Da Yuer's gaze never left him at the banquet. But tonight, she barely looked at him at all.

After the feast, as guests departed the palace, Sumala supported Da Yuer back to her quarters. As they stepped over the threshold, Da Yuer's foot caught, and she stumbled, falling heavily onto the doorframe.

"Miss?" Sumala reached to help her, but Da Yuer refused to move, staring blankly. In her mind, she could only see Qiqige's smiling face, her every sip of wine, every bite of food.

"Miss…"

Meanwhile, Hairanju was holding a sleeping Atu and had just started to leave when she heard Sumala's voice in the distance. She saw her sister slumped in the doorway and felt a jolt of worry. She handed Atu to the nursemaid and rushed over.

"Yuer, what happened? Are you feeling unwell?" Hairanju asked, concerned.

"Sister…" Da Yuer looked up at Hairanju, her eyes hollow for a moment. Then, her composure broke, and she burst into tears. "Sister, sister…"

"Yuer, what's wrong?" Hairanju held her sister close as she wept on her shoulder. Hairanju, bewildered, glanced over at Sumala and asked, "What happened to her?"

Sumala was equally confused. "Older Princess, I truly don't know. Perhaps she's just had too much to drink—she didn't hold back tonight."