Palace Eaves

On the way to the military training ground outside the city, Qiqige gradually fell silent. Although Da Yuer herself was preoccupied and reluctant to talk, a sudden jolt of the carriage brought her back to her senses. Realizing her unusual behaviour was inappropriate, she took the initiative to ask, "Why did you stop talking?"

She expected Qiqige to retort that she was the one who had stopped speaking first. To her surprise, Qiqige stared blankly and said, "Yuer, I'm a little scared."

Da Yuer's heart skipped a beat. Had Qiqige discovered something?

But then Qiqige continued, "Yuer, do you know what kind of reputation Dorgon has on the battlefield? Do you know how he looks when he's leading his troops? It's ridiculous, really. I've been married to him for so many years, but I've never seen him in action, never seen him train his soldiers. I'm truly afraid—afraid that when I see him later, I might be frightened by him, or worse, that he'll actually get angry with me."

Da Yuer thought to herself: So her earlier words weren't a joke. Qiqige really is afraid—or perhaps she simply doesn't want me to see Dorgon in action, fearing I might turn around and report it all to Hong Taiji.

"We'll just take a quick look and leave. It'll be fine," Da Yuer reassured her. "If Dorgon weren't strict, how could his soldiers respect him? But you're not one of his soldiers, and besides, I'm here today. At least in public, he won't dare to scold you. And if he gives you trouble at home, didn't you once say that was part of the fun?"

Qiqige burst out laughing and crying at the same time. "Your tongue is sharper by the day! I shouldn't have let you study; now I'll just wait to see the Great Khan regret it."

Da Yuer shook her head. "He doesn't care about that."

Hearing this, Qiqige understood. These days, it was clear that Hairanju had become the one Hong Taiji cherished most. Where Da Yuer stood in his heart—whether to the left or the right—was unclear to outsiders. But Da Yuer herself surely knew. Why poke at her sore spot?

Both women, harbouring their own thoughts, avoided further unpleasant topics. Instead, they chatted and laughed until they arrived at the training ground.

The sight of thousands of soldiers in formation was awe-inspiring. Horses' hooves churned the snow, sending it flying into the air. Dressed in bright, striking cloaks, Da Yuer and Qiqige stood out sharply against the snowy backdrop. Dorgon, ever vigilant, quickly noticed them.

At first, he was both surprised and delighted to see Da Yuer. Instinctively, he wanted to go over and greet them. But a sudden thought made him hesitate—he wanted to impress her, to let her see that his power and charisma on the training ground rivalled that of Hong Taiji. Pretending not to notice them, he continued the drill.

"Why are there cannons and cavalry mixed together like that? It looks chaotic," Qiqige's maid muttered under her breath. Startled by disapproving looks from her mistresses, she immediately fell silent.

The roar of red-coated cannons shook the ground, sending tremors through their feet. Both Qiqige and Da Yuer covered their ears as the explosion reverberated across the snowy field. Following the thunder of artillery, the cavalry charged forward in disciplined ranks, sweeping across the simulated battlefield like a flood. The spectacle startled both women, who instinctively clung to each other.

Despite their alarm, the soldiers' movements remained precise. This was a training exercise, and no horse would take a single errant step. Dorgon rode at the head of the formation, a commanding figure that, to Qiqige, looked like a god descending to earth.

As the cavalry withdrew, Dorgon broke from the ranks and rode toward them alone. High atop his horse, he spoke in a cold, commanding tone, temporarily forgetting formalities: "Today's drill has the cannons aimed at the mountains. If this were a real battle and you barged in here like this, you'd have been blown to pieces."

Qiqige trembled, staring at her husband with wide eyes. But Da Yuer raised her brows and quipped, "Dorgon, you're truly impressive—more majestic than when you hunt on the fields."

Dorgon's heart skipped a beat, but Qiqige had already run to his horse, trying to appear calm. "Dorgon, don't be angry. I really wanted to see you, and Yuer just came along with me," she said.

Only then did he snap back to reality. He quickly dismounted and bowed to Da Yuer. She smiled and said, "We're family, no need for formalities. Go back to your drills. Qiqige and I will just watch for a little while and then leave."

Dorgon, in a gentler tone, replied, "The troops also need to rest. I'll be free in an hour and can show Consort Yu and Qiqige around the camp. Please wait here. But it's cold, so you should walk around and warm up."

Qiqige shook his arm playfully. "You're not angry?"

His wife was so affectionate, and Dorgon couldn't ignore it. He scolded her lightly, "We'll talk when we get home. How could you bring Consort Yu here? If the Great Khan finds out, he'll be furious."

Qiqige, however, smiled sweetly, playing the role of a doting wife. She gently pushed him and said, "Go ahead, we'll stay here and wait. Come back soon."

Dorgon nodded and returned to his troops, where they were practicing hand-to-hand combat. Qiqige and Da Yuer were already familiar with these exercises, so they decided to wander around. However, as they walked, they eventually separated.

Da Yuer, with Sumala, wandered toward the foot of the mountain, calling out to Qiqige as they went, but then headed toward a thicket of bare trees. Suddenly, she heard some noise nearby. Her eyes brightened, and she said, "Could it be a wild rabbit? Let's catch it and take it back for Yatu to play with."

Sumala laughed. "It's the middle of winter, how could there be rabbits?"

Da Yuer replied, "Rabbits don't hibernate."

She lifted her skirt and climbed a few steps up the mountain. Just then, a shadow flashed past her. She clearly saw that it was a person, and her heart began to race. She quickly gestured to Sumala, signalling her to quietly retreat.

However, Sumala tripped over a rock and fell heavily into the snow. As Da Yuer helped her up, she looked up and met the gaze of a man dressed in white and wearing a mask.

Da Yuer sensed a threat and shouted, "Qiqige, someone's here! There's an enemy spy!"

The man in white immediately became enraged and lunged at her, attempting to cover her mouth. Hearing the commotion, Qiqige rushed over with her guards. The man, seeing that the situation was turning against him, quickly dragged Da Yuer into the thicket to hide.

In the winter, the branches and leaves had withered, and the trees could no longer hide a person. The man in white, dressed in white, blended in with the snow, while Da Yuer's conspicuous cloak made her an easy target. The man violently tore off her cloak, revealing the silver-blue inner garment that wasn't as eye-catching.

Da Yuer knew she was in danger now and no longer shouted or provoked the man in white. Although the cold wind and ice shards blew into her neck after the cloak was removed, she was so frightened that her blood was boiling, and for a moment, she couldn't feel the cold.

"Be quiet!" the man shouted angrily. He restrained Da Yuer and looked down the mountain, watching for movement. He couldn't kill her yet; if Dorgon came with reinforcements, he might still have leverage. Once it was safe to leave, he would kill her.

"Are you also Dorgon's consort?" The man in white did not recognize Da Yuer.

"…Yes…" Da Yuer replied. She couldn't say she was Hong Taiji's wife, or the man would become even bolder. After all, at most, she could die, but before she did, she couldn't make things easier for him.

She regretted it — she shouldn't have separated from Qiqige earlier. Or maybe, she shouldn't have come at all.

But what would happen if she died? In that moment, Da Yuer became strangely calm and began reflecting on her life. Where had she gone wrong? What decisions had led her to this point, to the point of so much suffering?

Adai had told her that Yatu had been pouring snow into her aunt's boots. The first time it was just for fun, but the second and third times… But Yatu did it so openly and the palace servants probably just thought it was a little game, never suspecting that the cotton boots and shoes she had in her hand belonged to her aunt.

What did her daughter want to do to her sister?

Da Yuer's heart ached as if it were being pierced by a knife. These past few days, she had been with Yatu all the time. The child was no different from usual, but Da Yuer had noticed that whenever Sumala mentioned how her sister was doing, Yatu would show a serious expression, one that was far too mature for a child her age.

Da Yuer could accept anything for herself, but not for her child.

She thought she had hidden her worries well, thinking that at night, when she had put her daughters to sleep, she could space out without anyone noticing. But in reality, she couldn't escape it. The children's innocent eyes saw through everything.

At this moment, Dorgon, upon seeing one of Qiqige's men galloping toward him, frowned. When the man reached him, he dismounted and kneeled in the snow, saying, "My Lord, something has happened. Consort Yu has been kidnapped."

Dorgon's heart almost broke, and he shouted angrily, "What happened?"

Before the man could answer, Dorgon raised his whip and urged his horse forward. The snow flew up like dust, and he raced through the snowstorm. He rushed to the foot of the mountain, where Qiqige came running toward him, anxiously saying, "Dorgon, Yuer has been dragged up the mountain."

Dorgon raised his head and saw Da Yuer's bright red cloak hanging from a tree branch on the hillside. In such cold weather, without her cloak to keep her warm, she was at risk of freezing to death, not to mention the danger of being killed.

"I heard her shouting for help. By the time I arrived, it was too late. She said there was a spy, and I saw a man in white take her away," Qiqige said, still panicked but able to speak clearly. She knew that if anything happened to Yuer, not only would the Great Khan blame their family, but she herself would never find peace in her conscience.

Dorgon placed a hand on Qiqige's shoulder to calm her, and soon his personal guards arrived. His mind raced as he quickly calculated how to save Yuer and ensure she came out of this safely.