the Farce at the Banquet

Leaving the Fourteenth Beile's residence, shrouded in the veil of night, Fan Wencheng gradually came to a realization.

Ever since transferring from the Plain Red Banner to the Plain White Banner, he had never been treated kindly by Dorgon and Dodo. Although they had used him to accomplish many tasks—some of them significant achievements that would not have been possible without his contributions—they never rewarded him nor regarded him with respect.

In their eyes, he was forever a servant, not an advisor, let alone a minister.

Yet, in recent days, Dorgon's attitude toward him had changed. Every time the conversation touched on the study of the princesses, Dorgon would immediately become more amiable. His tone, gaze, and even mood seemed to brighten.

Reflecting on his own words, Fan Wencheng realized that he had seldom spoken much about the princesses themselves. What he mentioned most often was Consort Yu.

In recent days, rumours had been circulating about secret meetings between Dorgon and Consort Yu. Although Hong Taiji had handled the matter with cold detachment, the whispers had not entirely faded and might resurface one day.

Fan Wencheng believed Consort Yu would never do such a thing, but he suddenly found himself curious about what exactly Dorgon thought about it.

If… if his guess was correct, as he took one last look at the gate of the Fourteenth Beile's residence before leaving the capital on an assignment, Fan Wencheng silently murmured to himself: "Don't you dare ruin such a good woman."

On the very day Fan Wencheng departed, the palace hosted a banquet. It was a small gathering, with only a few prominent beiles and their wives in attendance, organized to welcome Nam Jung and the widows of Lindan Khan who had been dispersed among the various beiles' households.

Daisan arrived with Princess Taisong, while Jirgalang came with Consort Sutai, and Hooge brought Tesina along. Each paid their respects to the Great Khan and the Great Consort.

Consort Sutai and Tesina, not having seen Consort Doutumen for some time, exchanged a few polite words. As for Princess Taisong, since marrying into Daisan's household, she had not only been free from mistreatment but had even received care and kindness from him. Though it had been a short while, the despair and thoughts of ending her own life had gradually subsided.

At the banquet, the men and women sat together at a single table. Hooge was accompanied by his Consort Hada Nara, as well as Tesina. Though both women were of similar age, Hada Nara's plain appearance paled in comparison to Tesina. Seated beside the handsome and striking Hooge, Tesina looked far more like his true match, casting a shadow over Hada Nara's presence.

In truth, Hooge had many women, and Hada Nara had long since grown accustomed to her husband's fondness for indulgence. Lacking beauty herself, she had only her noble birth and status as the consort of the eldest son to her advantage. She retained her dignity primarily because Hooge often tasked her with entering the palace to gather intelligence. It was through these exchanges that the couple maintained some semblance of communication.

Elsewhere, Da Yuer and Hairanju sat together, preoccupied with the three children, who caused enough commotion to demand all their attention. Hairanju leaned closer to Yuer, quietly pointing out Qiqige across the table, who was carefully pouring wine for Dorgon.

"Whenever Qiqige sees Dorgon, she turns into the epitome of a gentle and caring wife. But with others, she's as fierce as ever," Hairanju remarked with a smile. "Look at her—she's positively beaming."

Yet Da Yuer couldn't forget that harrowing memory of Qiqige losing control, sobbing and screaming hysterically, completely consumed by madness. Although it had only happened once, and Qiqige herself seemed to have no recollection of it, Da Yuer could never forget.

To make matters worse, Da Yuer had knowingly inflicted another cruel blow on someone already burdened by such sorrow.

Hairanju sighed. "If only Qiqige could have a child of her own, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Da Yuer, no longer fond of discussing such matters, steered the conversation toward her elder sister instead. "Sister, you should think of giving the Great Khan a child of your own, sooner rather than later."

Hairanju blushed at her sister's generous words, her heart filled with warmth, though she was fully aware of her limitations. Shaking her head, she replied, "Yuer, my health isn't good—I dare not ask for too much."

Da Yuer, however, teased her with a laugh, "If you had a child of your own, would you stop helping me with mine?"

Hairanju hugged Atu tightly and said, "How could I bear to part with them?"

No sooner had she spoken than Adai came rushing over. She leaned in to whisper something to Jeje, who furrowed her brows slightly before turning to speak quietly with Hong Taiji.

Not long after, palace maids escorted a stately woman in her forties into the hall. The consort of the first prince immediately stood up to greet her, calling out, "Mother."

Hairanju, unfamiliar with the woman, asked Da Yuer softly, "Who is this?"

"That's the Great Khan's elder sister, Mangguji," Da Yuer replied quietly, "and also the biological mother of the first prince's consort."

Hooge, however, showed no fondness for his mother-in-law. Though she was his wife's mother and his own aunt by blood, he had grown up knowing how she disdained his father. His marriage to her daughter was a reluctant union, only accepted under Hong Taiji's persuasion.

"So this is why my sister wasn't here earlier," Jeje remarked politely. "It seems you've only just arrived." She immediately instructed the palace servants to seat Mangguji, who laughed derisively and said, "No seat prepared for me? I suppose no one even remembered to invite me. After all, I'm just someone married off to another family."

Hong Taiji, wearing a faint, detached smile, said nothing. With Jeje managing the situation, he had no need to intervene.

"How could there not be a seat prepared for you?" Jeje replied smoothly. "Today, the families are seated separately. Naturally, you'll sit with your daughter and son-in-law. Hooge, why don't you quickly invite your mother-in-law to her seat?"

Hooge's displeasure was plain, but he had no choice but to obey.

Rising reluctantly, he gestured for his mother-in-law to be seated. Beside him, Tesina, seemingly still confused about the unfolding situation, stood as well. In her nervousness, she tripped on the hem of her gown and stumbled into Hooge's arms. She clung to his arm to steady herself before slowly regaining her footing.

"Shameless!"

A sudden scolding voice rang through the hall, breaking the silence. Mangguji stormed forward and slapped Tesina across the face, her words sharp and cutting. "Where did this wretch come from, clinging and cuddling in front of the Great Khan with no sense of decorum? Do you even know who is seated here? A mere concubine—what gives you the right to act on par with your mistress?"

The hall fell into an uneasy silence. Tesina, trembling, fell back into her seat, clutching her stinging cheek as she looked at Mangguji in utter terror. Hooge, shaking with fury, stepped in front of his mother-in-law and shouted, "Mother, what are you doing?" Turning to his wife, he snapped, "Are you dead? Why aren't you pulling mother away?"

Mangguji, seeing her daughter being scolded, stepped forward to shield her, sneering as she mocked Hooge. "It's a pity my daughter has no mother-in-law to teach her proper manners. How could she ever learn to be respectable?"

Hooge's expression darkened immediately. His greatest wound had always been the abandonment of his own mother, who was forced to be divorced by his father under orders from his grandfather. It was a lifelong source of pain and humiliation. Because the decision had been decreed by his grandfather, even though Hong Taiji sought to elevate Hooge, he could not openly defy that command. Mangguji's remark cut deeply, pointing directly at this bitter truth.

The tension between the two escalated rapidly, and it seemed an argument was inevitable. Just then, Jeje rose gracefully and approached, smiling softly. "Hooge, quickly invite your mother-in-law to sit down. Let everyone enjoy a lively meal and some wine—today is a joyous occasion."

Mangguji scoffed coldly. "A joyous occasion? Whose joy, exactly? My daughter's husband has been stolen away by some wretched concubine, and who has seen her tears? Of course, the Great Consort wouldn't care—after all, in order to give the Great Khan sons, you've invited niece after niece into the household."

The hall fell into an unbearable silence, the atmosphere so awkward that Daisan felt compelled to intervene. "Sister, step down at once!" he bellowed, trying to rein her in.

But Mangguji was undeterred, even dismissive of her elder brother. She sneered, "Daisan, my dear brother, you're not exactly young anymore, yet you've taken a youthful princess as your wife. Be careful—didn't we recently hear about someone in Shengjing who died so disgracefully in the middle of the night from… overexertion?"

Daisan's face flushed with anger. "Why must you provoke everyone so? Do you not realize you're in the presence of the Great Khan? Restrain yourself, or I won't hesitate to deal with you harshly!"

Mangguji merely chuckled darkly. "Oh, my dear brother, I have nothing to hide. What do I have to fear? But as for you all…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the sharp sound of shattering porcelain rang out, cutting through the stifling atmosphere. All eyes instinctively turned toward Hong Taiji, assuming he had finally lost his temper.

Yet, Hong Taiji remained composed, his expression impassive. Instead, his gaze shifted to Da Yuer and Hairanju's corner of the room.

It was little Atu who had knocked over the teacup. Da Yuer glared at her daughter, scolding her sternly. But the child, unwilling to back down, threw herself into Hairanju's arms, wailing loudly.

Hong Taiji's stern demeanour softened, and a faint smile emerged on his face. He extended a hand and called gently, "Atu, come to Father."

Da Yuer and Hairanju exchanged a glance before setting the child down. Atu, her tiny legs moving determinedly, toddled over to Hong Taiji, her tear-streaked face looking up at him. "Mother scolded me…" she said pitifully.

Hong Taiji scooped his daughter into his arms, picked up a red date bun from the table, and carefully tore it apart to feed her. Atu, still sniffling, pointed at the mutton leg on the table with her small finger and said in her soft, childish voice, "Father, eat meat-meat."

On one side of the hall, the tender scene of fatherly love unfolded, as Hong Taiji seemed entirely oblivious to the earlier chaos. Meanwhile, Da Yuer discreetly signalled to Niman, who promptly directed dancers and musicians to enter the hall and perform. Palace maids gently nudged Mangguji to the side, away from the central seating area.

Hada Nara had already been frightened out of her wits, but her mother's firm grip forced her to stay seated. As the music began, the dancers twirled gracefully, their sleeves flowing like water, and the hall was soon filled with elegance and harmony, drowning out the echoes of the earlier commotion. Yet, before the performance could even conclude, Mangguji abruptly stormed out in anger. Hooge remained unmoved, sitting firmly in place, while only the first prince's consort chased after her mother.

Da Yuer glanced up at Hong Taiji and caught the faint sigh that escaped him, though it was quickly masked by his usual composed and authoritative expression. Of course, she thought to herself, how could he not be angry?