Our Son

They agreed not to tell Hairanju, pretending it was just the horse going wild. Otherwise, Hairanju would constantly worry about Da Yuer getting hurt. And if she ever saw Hooge again, she might be afraid.

"You would be afraid too, of course you would." Hong Taiji said gently, "Perhaps I shouldn't have told you, but now you are the only one who has the right to forgive Hooge. I must ask you. Besides, since you've already been hurt, you have the right to know who is behind it."

"Yes, I'd rather know." Da Yuer nodded firmly, though the fear in her eyes gradually faded. "In truth, I rarely see him, maybe once or twice a year. I'll just be more cautious from now on. As for the palace, if I let him interfere here, that would be my own failure."

Hong Taiji said, "Although it's still being verified whether it was Hooge, it's almost certain. I have no intention of protecting him. I know his nature too well. He may not have truly intended to kill you but acted out of spite, doing such violent things for amusement. These years of war have made him increasingly cruel, and his behaviour more and more unacceptable."

"Not teaching your son properly is also the Great Khan's fault, isn't it?" Da Yuer raised her face, unwilling to let Hong Taiji feel guilty, and deliberately teased, "So, how is the Great Khan going to coax me?"

Hong Taiji was stunned for a moment, then a smile crept into his eyes. He pinched her waist lightly: "Then, in the future, you can properly teach our son?"

Da Yuer's heart skipped a beat. What was he saying? Hong Taiji seemed to guess her thoughts and said seriously, "When we have a son in the future, we must teach him well. How could I not like our son? How could I not look forward to having a son with you? I was just displeased in the past because you always sacrificed yourself for Khorchin, repeatedly making yourself suffer."

Da Yuer's eyes grew red. It was him, this man—he could make her feel disappointed and pained, but he was also the only one whose words could make her happy and feel that everything was hopeful.

Was it because she was weak? Was she destined to drown in her love for him in this lifetime?

"So, should we have a son tonight?" Da Yuer threw caution to the wind and asked.

Hong Taiji laughed, squeezing her backside, making her cry out in pain. He teased, "In your current state, how could I even touch you?"

Da Yuer rubbed herself against him, trying to ignite his desire but not daring to take any real action. She hummed softly in frustration. Hong Taiji picked her up and asked, "Can you endure it?"

"No, no..." Da Yuer trembled in pain. "Tonight—spare me tonight."

As for Da Yuer's injuries, they weren't from falling off the horse. She had been fully shielded in Dorgon's embrace, without a single scratch. The pain was from the relentless jolting against the saddle. Even though Hong Taiji was extremely careful, she still hurt, so they could only exchange some tender intimacy, staying honest and subdued.

As the night deepened, in Dorgon's tent, maids came to prepare a foot soak for him. Qiqige instructed them only to soak his uninjured foot, as the sprained one required a cold compress for the next two days.

Dorgon smiled, "You even know about this?"

Qiqige replied with a sour tone, "My man gets injured here and there all the time. If I didn't know these things, I'd be scared to death."

Dorgon fell silent, not daring to argue. Once the maids left, Qiqige removed her clothes and sat to the side, combing her hair. Dorgon walked over, took the comb from her, and gently smoothed her long black hair.

"Your hair is beautiful," Dorgon said. "I remember Mother also had thick, jet-black hair."

Qiqige replied, "Don't be upset—I'm just being honest. The truth is, I can hardly remember what Mother looked like. Really, I still remember how kind she was to me, how much she loved me, but the time we had together was so short that I've forgotten her face."

"I understand," Dorgon said.

Qiqige looked up at him. There were a few scratches on his face, likely from rolling on the ground during the fall. She had seen so many scars on her husband's body over the years that she no longer cared about these minor injuries. But she still worried—worried that Dorgon, who had heroically saved Da Yuer today, might be misunderstood by the suspicious Hong Taiji.

"Why did it have to be you?" Qiqige said, her tone filled with concern. "It's just like fate—whatever I fear most always happens. Even if you had saved Hairanju instead, it would've been better than saving Da Yuer."

Dorgon's heart tightened nervously, but fortunately, Qiqige's concerns were only about the rumours from last time. She was worried about Hong Taiji's suspicions. She understood Da Yuer's feelings for Huang Taiji too well, never imagining there could be anything between Da Yuer and Dorgon.

"More than that... how could I bear to see you get hurt?" Qiqige said, her voice full of grievance. "When you do these things, can't you think of me? When you save others, can't you think of me?"

"Qiqige, don't be upset." Dorgon embraced her and said, "I'll be fine, I promise."

"Your ankle is swollen like a steamed bun, and you still say it's fine?" Qiqige choked up, her voice trembling. "Why do I have to live in constant fear every day? Why can't I have even one peaceful and carefree day?"

Dorgon didn't know what to say. He fumbled, trying to comfort her, but his efforts seemed futile. Thankfully, Dong'e woke up, babbling as she looked for someone. Qiqige immediately went to the child's side. As soon as the little girl saw her mother, she smiled.

Dorgon followed and said, "She recognizes you now."

Qiqige shot him an annoyed look and turned her back on him while holding Dong'e. Dorgon stood behind her, teasing his daughter, "Dong'e, grow up quickly so you can take good care of your mother for me."

Qiqige patted and soothed the child, but her heart ached even more. She wished Dorgon would lie to her and say that this child was adopted. She felt she would love Dong'e even more if that were the case.

But Dorgon, unwilling to deceive her, had admitted that Dong'e was his, which only made Qiqige think endlessly about that other woman. Was she truly that beautiful, someone he liked so much?

The next day dawned bright and cloudless, the autumn sun shining brilliantly without a hint of wind. It was the perfect weather for a horse race. Hong Taiji personally rode to the destination, planted the flag, and returned to review the young competitors from each family waiting to race.

As his gaze passed over Hooge, his emotions grew complicated. Should he praise Hooge for his composure and deep scheming, or scold him for being foolish and reckless? After what happened yesterday, Hooge was laughing and joking as if it had nothing to do with him.

"The last-place rider will forfeit one month's stipend," Hong Taiji announced loudly. "As per tradition, they'll also stay behind to clean the field. Who was it last year?"

The crowd erupted into lively chatter. Hong Taiji returned to his seat as the soldiers beat the drums. The sound reverberated loudly, and when Hong Taiji struck the gong with a resounding clang, the race began.

Dust clouds filled the air, stinging the eyes. The women shielded their children and covered their eyes. Without wind, the dust hung in the air for quite some time before settling.

Hong Taiji stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. As he turned, he saw Dorgon on horseback, patrolling with his guards. Hong Taiji summoned his brother to come forward.

He glanced back at Yuer, who slowly walked over and stood beside him. When Dorgon arrived, Da Yuer thanked him once again.

Dorgon kept his head bowed, not daring to look at her for too long. Shortly after, Da Yuer left, and Hong Taiji privately asked him, "Is your ankle still badly swollen? You should rest and leave the patrol duties to the others."

"I'm fine," Dorgon replied. "Today everyone's vying for the top spot, and there are plenty of spectators as well. I'm worried there might be lapses in the patrols."

"You've always been cautious," Hong Taiji said. "Are there any competitors from the Plain White Banner?"

"There might be," Dorgon answered, "but I haven't paid close attention."

"If someone under your command wins, I'll personally reward your soldiers with an extra prize," Hong Taiji said. "After all, it would mean they've brought you honour."

In the distance, dust clouds rolled as the sound of galloping hooves still echoed. Dorgon smirked inwardly. If he were allowed to compete, no one here would be his match. But he didn't regret abstaining.

While they spoke, Da Yuer stared at them, as did Qiqige. Their gazes accidentally met, and in that moment, much went unsaid but was understood through their eyes.

The Qiqige who now looked at Da Yuer no longer saw the same person she had once known. An inexplicable unease arose in her heart—was it fear that Da Yuer might conspire with Hong Taiji against them? Or regret that their sisterly bond could never be the same as before?

At that moment, little Azhe ran from Da Yuer's side to Qiqige's lap, pointing at the swaddled infant and mimicking in her baby voice, "Little sister, little sister…"

The child's innocence eased the tension among the adults. Just moments ago, neither Da Yuer nor Qiqige had known how to withdraw their gaze gracefully.

Meanwhile, Dorgon had withdrawn to continue patrolling with his men. One of his trusted guards caught up to him midway, leading a horse alongside him and speaking softly, "My lord, it's said that Consort Yu's horse from yesterday was taken away for examination. The Great Khan seems to suspect someone poisoned the horse."

"And the result?" Dorgon asked.

"Still unknown. But last night, the Great Khan stayed in Consort Yu's tent. Judging by the situation, they've likely reached some tacit understanding. Since no one's brought it up today, it seems the matter will be quietly dropped."

"The kind of person who could make him drop the matter..." Dorgon, ever shrewd, concluded, "could only be a select few. And that fool Hooge, having been present yesterday, must surely be the one."

"It seems the First Prince has begun taking action in the harem to secure his position as the imperial heir," the guard observed.

"Imperial heir?" Dorgon sneered. "Throughout history, how many eldest sons of emperors have met good ends?"