Palace Eaves

As night deepened, Hong Taiji comfortably held his beloved in his arms, drifting off to sleep.

Recently postpartum Da Yuer, at just over twenty, was no longer as shy and reserved as she had been at sixteen or seventeen. Their intimate moments now held more passion, and Hong Taiji, in his prime, could not help but be drawn to her.

After several rounds of lovemaking, the powerful man was finally feeling weary, but the woman in his arms, still intrigued by the stories he told at night, curiously asked: "Great Khan, that so-called Imperial Seal of the State from Lin Dan Batur, it's probably a fake, right?"

Hong Taiji slightly opened his eyes and replied, "Such matters should be kept to oneself and not spoken of openly."

"Why not?" 

"Why do you always ask 'why'? "

Da Yuer responded honestly, "I ask because I don't understand."

Hong Taiji smiled, rolling over to press his beloved beneath him. He showered her lips with kisses, affectionately saying, "But tonight, let's not talk about such things. I rarely get to enjoy a carefree evening."

Da Yuer blushed with embarrassment, gently pushing against her husband's chest. "But I'm quite exhausted, Great Khan… Please, let me rest tonight."

Hong Taiji gave her nose a light tap. "You're tired, yet you can't just sleep quietly?"

As they nestled against each other, ready to drift off, they heard the hesitant voice of Taiji's attendant, Niman, from outside the door. Niman timidly called, "Great Khan, are you awake? Great Khan, Fourteenth Beile has returned and is urgently requesting to see you."

"Dorgon?" Taiji frowned, muttering to himself, "Why has he returned?"

"Side Consort, Side Consort…" Niman called again.

"He's awake, coming now," Da Yuer replied. She got out of bed, lit a candle, and helped Hong Taiji put on his clothes, saying, "Great Khan, go early and come back early. Remember to dress warmly."

Hong Taiji's expression was serious as he speculated about what might be happening. When he reached the door, he turned to Da Yuer and said, "Go to bed early; don't wait up for me."

Da Yuer's eyes were full of concern, and Hong Taiji gave a helpless smile, saying, "Wait if you must. I will come back."

As the curtain was lifted, a gust of cold wind blew in. Da Yuer shivered and leaned against the door, peering through the gap.

The Fenghuang Tower outside the inner palace was already brightly lit, suggesting that not only Dorgon but likely others were also present.

Sumala entered, helping Da Yuer back to the bed. She informed her that the Fourteenth Beile had suddenly returned to Shengjing and seemed to have urgent business, so it appeared that Hong Taiji would not be returning tonight.

Sumala continued, "But the Fourteenth Consort will be pleased. When was the last time Beile came back to Shengjing? I can't even remember."

Seeing Da Yuer stacking the pillows high to lie down, Sumala quickly whispered from the edge of the kang, "Miss, if the Great Khan sees this, he'll get angry with you again. Besides, you just gave birth a month ago; how could you possibly be pregnant again?"

"Yes, I forgot..." Da Yuer smiled bitterly, pulling the blanket tightly around herself.

"Miss, was the Khan happy tonight?" Sumala asked with a smile.

"He was happy, you know that," Da Yuer blushed slightly, trying to pull Sumala into the bed with her.

Sumala quickly waved her hands, saying, "If the Khan comes back and finds me lying in bed with you, and if the Grand Consort finds out, she'll have me beaten to death."

Da Yuer didn't insist. She covered her face with the blanket, leaving only her smiling eyes visible. "He hasn't spoken to me this much in a long time. You know, after half a year, he still remembered to apologize to me."

"For leaving you in the middle of the night back in February?" Sumala asked.

"Yes," Da Yuer replied, turning over, thinking about that night, and feeling a lingering ache in her heart. "He had his reasons for being angry, I understand that. And he knows I had my own difficulties too."

Sumala tucked in the blanket for her mistress with a cheerful smile, "If you ask me, Miss, you should just follow the Khan's words. He cherishes you so much."

"Follow..." Da Yuer muttered those words, closing her eyes.

That night, Hong Taiji spent the whole night in the Fenghuang Tower. The next morning, the Ten Kings Pavilion was bustling, as if another expedition was being prepared.

Da Yuer went to Qingning Palace to pay her respects to her aunt and found out that it was because Dorgon had forced the Chahar army into Qinghai. Now, Lin Dan Khan was gravely ill, on the verge of death. Dorgon had rushed back to report the news and discuss the next steps with the Khan.

As Jeje was drinking her prenatal medicine, a palace maid came in to announce that the Fourteenth Consort had arrived.

Shortly after, a slender woman appeared, wearing thick winter clothes, her neatly combed hair adorned with a silver tassel that swayed delicately. She entered the room from behind the curtain and properly curtsied in front of Jeje.

"The room is warm. Don't wear so much clothes and catch a chill when you go back out," Jeje said affectionately. "Adai, help the consort take off her jacket."

"Let me handle it." Da Yuer stepped forward with a gentle smile and asked, "Qiqige, have you seen Dorgon?"

Qiqige shook her head and gave a bitter smile. "It's because I haven't seen him that I came to the palace. I waited all night, but he never returned home." She glanced toward the Grand Consort, feeling quite aggrieved. "Aunt, if you summon Dorgon, he'll definitely come. From the looks of it, he's about to leave again. At least let me see him before he goes."

Jeje and Da Yuer exchanged a knowing glance, understanding each other without words. With a smile, Jeje agreed and immediately ordered Adai to send word.

Qiqige was Da Yuer's cousin, also from the Khorchin clan. She had come to Shengjing a year before Da Yuer, and she was the same age as Dorgon, just a year older than Da Yuer. But after just two years of marriage, the wise khan Nurhaci had passed away unexpectedly. At that time, Dorgon's biological mother, the Grand Consort Abahai, had also tragically followed her husband in death.

The double blow of losing both parents drove Dorgon to resolve to make a name for himself, and since then, he had been away on campaigns for years. The couple had spent little time together, and to this day, they still had no children.

Due to Dorgon's remarkable military achievements, Qiqige enjoyed a respectable position within the palace, especially among her sisters-in-law. However, being childless, she often watched other families with many children while her own household remained cold and quiet. Only in front of her aunt Jeje and Da Yuer would she reveal her sense of loneliness.

At this moment, with tears in her eyes, she choked up and said, "If he treated me poorly, I would have given up by now, but he doesn't."

Jeje sighed and motioned for Da Yuer to check on things, suggesting that if Dorgon refused to come, she would think of another way.

Da Yuer left the room, and because the warmth inside made her forget the cold, she stepped out in just a light jacket. As she walked, she encountered Hong Taiji and Dorgon coming from the Fenghuang Tower. She quickly hurried forward, asking with concern, "You haven't slept all night—have you had breakfast yet?"

Hong Taiji frowned, then casually removed the wind coat from his shoulders and wrapped it around Da Yuer, giving her a reproachful look. He turned to his brother and said, "Go now. See Qiqige and speak kindly to her. Your wife is pitiful—even I, as the Khan, feel guilty seeing her like this."

Dorgon hurriedly cupped his hands in respect and replied, "Your words are too kind, Great Khan."

Da Yuer looked surprised and laughed, "If I remember correctly, the last time I saw you, A-Tu was still in my belly. Now, with another little girl born, you're finally back. Dorgon, have you grown taller?"

Before Dorgon could respond, Hong Taiji grabbed Da Yuer's hand and said, "I'm tired. Let's go rest in your chambers."

With that, the two of them turned towards the side palace, leaving Dorgon standing alone in the cold wind. Adai hurried over and said, "My lord, please come this way."

Dorgon nodded, his gaze lingering for a moment as if with a light sigh, before asking Adai, "The consort has given birth to another little girl?"

A-Dai smiled, "Yes, just over a month ago."

As soon as she spoke, a slender figure dressed in fine attire appeared at the entrance of the Qingning Palace. It was Qiqige, standing under the eaves, looking at her husband with a mix of grievance and reproach. She immediately asked, "Why didn't you come home?"

Covered in dust and clearly exhausted, Dorgon placed his hands on his hips and smiled gently, "I...haven't I come to fetch you now?"