The Empire?

When told that the child truly resembled Dorgon, Hong Taiji found it incredible.

Hairanju continued: "Children change every day. When Azhe was little, she looked like Yuer, but now she's growing to look more like the Great Khan. Sumala says she now looks exactly like Yatu and Atu did as a child."

Hong Taiji laughed and said, "If Yuer hears this, she'll be upset. She finally had a daughter who looked like her, and now the resemblance is gone. But speaking of Dorgon, what will he do if the child grows up not looking like anyone?"

Hairanju replied, "After caring for a child for a few days, one become attached. Even with adopted children, you raise them as your own - how could you reject them?"

After exchanging a few more light-hearted words, Hong Taiji needed to go to the Chongzheng Palace for business, and Hairanju returned to the inner palace to report to Jeje. Upon hearing this, Jeje was also very curious and mumbled about wanting to take a look.

In the Eight Banners, among uncles, nephews, and cousins, families welcomed new children almost every month from the beginning of the year till the end, it was nothing unusual - only for the most important families would Jeje remind Hong Taiji. For the rest, she would simply prepare rewards on behalf of the Great Khan, and Hong Taiji wouldn't pay much attention.

Dorgon had been childless for years, which had been the subject of endless gossip. No one expected his first child would come under such unusual circumstances.

That night, Hong Taiji stayed with Da Yuer, specifically to reassure her about Dorgon's child. He told her not to worry - if Dorgon could perceive how everything in his household was being controlled, things wouldn't have reached this point. He instructed Yuer to treat Qiqige as usual.

Yuer said, "Don't worry, Great Khan. I won't reveal anything. Actually, nowadays I often forget what I did to Qiqige, and even when I do remember, it doesn't pain me as much as before. The human heart is truly frightening."

Hong Taiji replied, "And we must face thousands upon thousands of hearts every day."

Da Yuer got up to massage his legs and laughed, "I wonder how Qiqige and Dorgon are doing now. I heard from my sister that Qiqige isn't suffering too much."

Hong Taiji knew Qiqige was clever and might not show her true feelings in front of Hairanju, but he had always found Dorgon strange. He said, "As a man, after so many childless years, is he truly not anxious? Is he missing something in his head, or does he simply not care? What would make a man not care about such things?"

Da Yuer thought for a moment and asked, "The empire?"

Hong Taiji's expression turned stern as he stared intently at Yuer, but she wasn't afraid and continued, "Perhaps he thinks that once he has the empire, there will be plenty of women to bear his children."

Hong Taiji coldly replied, "Never."

At that moment, in the Fourteenth Beile's mansion, the servants were still waiting for Dorgon's return. The faint crying of an infant could be heard - a sound only heard during festivals when relatives visited with their children. To hear it from within this household was truly rare.

But Dorgon, either genuinely too busy or afraid to face Qiqige, hadn't come home all day and was still nowhere to be seen.

Qiqige had already washed up and was resting on the kang bed. She had extinguished the lights in the bedroom and quietly listened to the sounds outside.

The infant's cries tugged at her heart - how she yearned to have a child of her own. She would carefully clip the baby's nails, never hurting their tiny fingers.

But heaven just wouldn't give her the chance, wouldn't give...

Qiqige suddenly had a jolt of realization, her whole body tensing. If this child was truly Dorgon's, and he could have children with women outside but not with those in his household, could it be that she and the other concubines had all been...

By whom? Hong Taiji, or Dorgon himself?

Late that night, the house steward suddenly ordered all servants and maids to gather in front of the main courtyard. Qiqige, fully dressed, sat on a pearwood chair under the eaves. The lanterns illuminated everything inside and outside the courtyard, revealing the terrified faces of everyone, including the two concubines.

Qiqige reviewed the household registry, checking everyone's backgrounds, her piercing gaze scanning each person as if trying to see through to their very souls.

When Dorgon returned home and saw this scene, his heart jumped. The steward rushed to tell him that the Consort was concerned about spies in the household.

"What do you mean? Has something gone missing?" Dorgon hadn't caught on until he heard the baby's cry. Then he understood and hurried to the inner courtyard, ordering everyone, "All of you, leave!"

Qiqige stood up to object, but Dorgon grabbed her arm and led her to the bedroom.

As the sound of dispersing servants faded, Qiqige pushed Dorgon away and glared at him angrily. Dorgon spoke in a lowered voice: "Making such a public display of investigation - aren't you afraid Hong Taiji or others will find out? By tomorrow, they'll know we're suspicious."

"Have you ever investigated? Have you ever managed this household? Have you ever cared about how I live in this house?" Qiqige questioned Dorgon tearfully. "Tell me, is it you? Are you the one preventing us three from bearing your children?"

Dorgon angrily responded, "What do you think? You tell me!"

"Who are you shouting at?" Qiqige was furious. "Dorgon, you've long been tired of me, haven't you? I know, I know..."

She turned around, ransacking drawers and throwing clothes on the floor. Dorgon anxiously asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm packing to return to Khorchin, leaving this house to you," Qiqige said through tears. "Marry whoever you want, marry women who can bear your children."

Dorgon stepped forward to lift her up, placing his wife on the kang bed. Qiqige struggled to get down, insisting on packing, even trying to bite Dorgon's hand. But ultimately, she couldn't bring herself to bite hard - her teeth barely touched his skin before she let go.

"I hate you, Dorgon, I hate you..." The heartbroken woman sobbed uncontrollably, pushing Dorgon away with all her strength. Fearing that Qiqige might have another mental breakdown like last time, Dorgon held her tightly, repeatedly saying, "It's my fault, Qiqige, it's my fault."

Outside the door, the personal maids listened anxiously, clutching their chests in fear. When the commotion finally died down and even the crying stopped, they became even more worried.

Inside the room, Qiqige collapsed on the kang bed. She rejected Dorgon's embraces, and after being pushed away repeatedly, he stopped trying. He turned to pick up the clothes from the floor, clumsily folding them and stuffing them back into the wardrobe.

Qiqige stared blankly, only glancing at her husband when she heard clothes falling.

She couldn't tell whether her heartbreak came from Dorgon's infidelity or her own inability to conceive - perhaps it was both, doubling her pain.

"Is it your child?" Qiqige finally spoke.

"Yes, the child's mother and I, for a few days..." At this point, there was nothing left to hide, so Dorgon told Qiqige the truth.

Last year, when his troops passed through that village and stationed nearby, he would meet that girl by the river every day. After several intimate encounters, he took her virtue, intending to bring her back to Shengjing. But he suddenly received orders from Hong Taiji to go elsewhere.

He left that place overnight, and later became too busy; by the time he thought of her again, he no longer had the courage to look for her.

Dorgon never imagined she would become pregnant, and even more tragically, that she would die in childbirth.

"If she were still alive, would you have brought her back?" Qiqige asked.

"I would have asked you first," Dorgon replied. "Actually, about the child, I wanted to discuss it with you before making a decision, but I didn't expect the news to reach Shengjing so quickly."

"There must be spies in your troops too," Qiqige sneered. "Let alone this household - for all these years, our every move has been under Hong Taiji's watch. Perhaps every bite of food I've eaten all these years has been meant to prevent conception."

Dorgon said, "That's impossible. I've been careful - how could I let Hong Taiji harm you?"

"Very well, then give those two concubines in the side courtyard to your subordinates," Qiqige sat up, glaring at her husband. "If they can bear children with other men, I'll forgive you - forgive your betrayal, and forgive how you've neglected this household all these years."

Dorgon sighed, "Why bother?"

Qiqige asked, "Are you reluctant to part with them, or do you just not care about me?"

Dorgon replied, "Could you live with yourself after doing such a thing? If they refused and killed themselves in despair, could you ever find peace again?"

Qiqige's gaze turned cold: "Of course I could, of course..."

Dorgon stepped forward, gripping Qiqige's shoulders and gently shaking her: "Come to your senses. You can curse me, hate me, hit me - that's fine. But Qiqige, don't torture yourself or innocent people. This child is mine, I'm certain of it. If you can't bear to see her, I'll have her raised elsewhere. But if you're willing to accept her, she can be your child too."

"She's not my child," Qiqige wept uncontrollably. "Yuer said giving birth is excruciatingly painful, so painful she wanted to die each time. Dorgon, I feel no pain, no pain at all..."

The next morning, while Da Yuer was helping Hong Taiji dress, Niman reported all the previous night's events at the Fourteenth Beile's mansion.

Upon hearing about Qiqige's midnight inspection of the household staff, Hong Taiji coldly remarked, "See how meticulous Qiqige is."

Da Yuer said, "She probably suspects me too, yet we'll have to pretend nothing's wrong and act loving toward each other."

Hong Taiji dismissed this: "Just follow your own heart. Don't waste energy trying to understand Qiqige's thoughts. Be straightforward, be ruthless."

"I understand," Da Yuer smiled. "I'm quite formidable now."

Hong Taiji laughed, "Naturally. It's a pity Great Jin has no female officials. If we could have them in the future, how about making you one?"

Da Yuer scoffed, "An official is an official - why distinguish between male and female?"

This fresh and strange remark was taken as a joke by Hong Taiji. Later, they had breakfast in Jeje's room, where she offered to help monitor the situation at the Fourteenth Beile's mansion.

Hong Taiji said, "No need to persuade Qiqige - she'll naturally look after Dorgon's interests."

Da Yuer sat quietly beside them, thinking to herself that Hong Taiji probably thought the same way about her.

In this world, there were just a few foolish women willing to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the men they loved. The fear was that it might all be for nothing in the end - and what future awaited Da Yuer?