A Child Only For Us

When Hong Taiji arrived at the inner palace, several imperial physicians had just exited Guanju Palace. His heart tightened, and though he wanted to immediately ask them what had happened, his first priority was to see Hairanju. He rushed inside without hesitation.

Inside, Jeje stood by Hairanju's side with an expression of disbelief, while Da Yuer, tears mingling with her smile, kept touching her sister's hands and arms, overwhelmed with joy and babbling incoherently.

"The Emperor is here. You can tell him yourself," Jeje said, noticing Hong Taiji's hurried entrance. She gently tugged Da Yuer's hand, "Let's go."

Da Yuer followed her aunt, her face radiant with happiness as she passed Hong Taiji. Her expression was so full of joy that it puzzled him. "Yuer, what's wrong with your sister?" he asked.

But Da Yuer only smiled mysteriously, and Jeje didn't offer any explanation either. The two quickly left the room.

Hairanju, leaning against the head of the kang, seemed dazed, her face alternating between flushed and pale—flushed from excitement and pale from her poor health. She didn't look well at all.

Hong Taiji hurried to her side, his voice filled with anxiety, "What's wrong? Is it a cold, or something else? Weren't you taking tonic medicine? How is your health still so poor?"

"I only took the tonic in the first month," Hairanju replied, her voice distant, as if her mind were floating elsewhere.

Yet, this was the man who had once brought her wandering soul home, given her a safe harbour, and offered her a chance at rebirth. Nearly two years had passed since then, and her heart had long forgotten the hardships of the world.

Hong Taiji held her cold hands, which remained chilly even in the summer heat. His frustration and worry flared, and he glared at her, "Useless."

Hairanju looked at him with a wronged expression, her gaze shifting between his face and the ground, hesitating to speak. She was so overwhelmed with joy that she didn't know how to begin.

Hong Taiji, thinking he knew best, began checking her body for signs of discomfort. Suddenly, he heard her timid, trembling voice say, "Your Majesty, the physicians said... I'm pregnant."

"Hmm." Hong Taiji responded naturally, but in the next moment, his heart clenched violently. How many years had it been? Perhaps only breaking through the Ming dynasty's defences could compare with such a surprise. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on Hairanju's arm. "What did you say?"

Hairanju winced at the pressure, gently struggling. Hong Taiji quickly loosened his hold, bringing her arm to his lips and kissing it tenderly. Then, his large, warm hand carefully rested on Hairanju's abdomen. "Is it true?" he asked cautiously.

Hairanju placed her hand over his, feeling the warmth of her man and the life growing within her.

Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "It's true. Two or three months, perhaps. My cycles have always been irregular, so I can't say for sure, but the physicians say it's around that time..."

Her voice broke, overwhelmed with emotion. Heaven had shown her such mercy—no, it was Hong Taiji's love that had filled her greatest void.

"Really? Truly?" Hong Taiji was ecstatic. He stood up and began pacing around the room.

He could no longer recall how he had felt when Ulanara had given birth to Hooge all those years ago. Perhaps he had been too young then, without the awareness of becoming a father. Later, the births of his children had become routine, and while he had been happy for Jeje and Yuer, those joys were intertwined with the complexities of his relationship with the Khorchin tribe, each carrying their own burdens of responsibility.

But this child—this child he had longed for, unburdened by external expectations, precious beyond measure in his heart—had finally come.

"When will the child be born? Can your body handle it? What did the physicians say about your health?" A flurry of questions spilled from Hong Taiji as his anxiety and excitement bubbled over. He called loudly for the physicians to return and report.

Hairanju gently grasped his hand, her gaze calm and loving as she looked up at him. Hong Taiji immediately quieted, waving away the servants who had entered. He pulled her into his arms, their hearts seeming to merge as one. "I'm so happy, Hairanju. This is our child, ours alone."

"Your Majesty..." Hairanju choked back tears. "My life... is complete."

Meanwhile, in Yongfu Palace, Da Yuer finished bandaging Sumala's wrist and then lifted her skirt to check the bruises on her knees. The clever girl had, as expected, worn knee pads. Da Yuer breathed a sigh of relief.

"Every day, we have to kneel for this person and that person. These are our secret weapons..." Sumala said proudly, but then she knelt down and extended her hand. "Miss, punish me. I've caused you trouble again."

Da Yuer lightly slapped her palm, the action tickling them both. Sumala timidly looked up and whispered, "Should I fetch the ruler?"

"From now on, I'll only punish you if you don't study diligently," Da Yuer declared firmly. "As for these big or small matters, if you ever get into a dispute with someone, it's always their fault, never yours. I've made my stance clear today—anyone who messes with you is messing with me. I don't mind being bullied or wronged myself, but no one is allowed to step on my people. Now, get up."

Sumala quickly stood up. Just then, someone hurried past outside, heading toward Guanju Palace. Sumala asked, "Is it true that older Princess is pregnant?"

Da Yuer replied with joy, "Several physicians have confirmed it. There's no mistake. Do you remember I once asked you about her irregular cycles? She only has them once every few months, and neither she nor Baoqing paid much attention. But looking back, she's been feeling lethargic ever since the weather warmed up this year. It must be true."

Sumala felt a pang of sadness but didn't dare voice it. She only said, "Fourteenth Consort mentioned that the Great Khan would surely come, so she left first and plans to visit older Princess in a few days."

Da Yuer gave Sumala a light smack on the bottom, "You must call him 'Emperor.' Why can't you remember? If I hear you say it wrong again, it's ten strikes on the palm."

Sumala quickly hid her hands behind her back, but her eyes betrayed her heartache. She couldn't hold back, "Miss, aren't you sad?"

"Sad?" Da Yuer repeated, as if suddenly realizing it herself. Yes, how could she not be sad? Of course, she was sad.

"Miss..."

"But I truly am happy, Sumala. I'm happy for my sister. She loves children so much," Da Yuer said, her heart suddenly aching so sharply it took her breath away. "But I... I'm also really, really sad."

For the rest of the day, Hong Taiji stayed by Hairanju's side, leaving only when urgent state affairs demanded his attention. Even then, he gave repeated instructions before departing and even sent Niman to relay a message to Jeje. But thinking it over, he called Niman back.

As he passed Yongfu Palace near the Fenghuang Tower, the evening lights were already lit, and the rooms were brightly illuminated. He could see the figures of children playing inside. Hong Taiji recalled the radiant smile and joy on Da Yuer's face when he had entered earlier that afternoon. She must have been sincerely happy for her sister.

Yet, for some reason, his heart ached faintly, though he couldn't quite explain why. Shouldn't he feel relieved and happy? Of course, he was relieved and happy.

"Your Majesty, the officials from the Ministry of War have arrived," a palace attendant urged. Hong Taiji pushed aside his thoughts and strode toward Chongzheng Hall.

As soon as the Emperor left, Baoqing hurried to Yongfu Palace to deliver the message. Da Yuer then went alone to visit her sister. Hairanju was sorting through some beautiful fabrics she had saved. Da Yuer teased, "Now that you have your own child, will my Yatu and Atu no longer get to wear clothes made by their aunt?"

Hairanju smiled warmly, "How could that be? They are the apples of my eye, always will be."

Da Yuer studied her sister, reaching out to touch her cheek. Hairanju took Da Yuer's hand, holding it warmly in her own, and caressed her smooth skin. Unconsciously, tears began to fall—not just tears of joy, but also tears carrying the weight of countless emotions.

Da Yuer understood. She knew that if her sister had a choice, she might not have walked this path again. But since it had come to this, what else could they do?

Hong Taiji loved her sister, and even if Hairanju had never appeared, that love might never have been hers.

Da Yuer gently pressed her face against her sister's abdomen and whispered with a smile, "Little one, I'm your aunt. Be good, don't cause trouble for your mother in her belly, okay?"

Hairanju choked back sobs, unable to speak. Da Yuer simply smiled and had to hug her sister to comfort her. "If you keep crying, the baby will think Auntie is bullying you. Don't you want him to like me?"

"No, no..." Hairanju tried hard to hold back her tears, smiling through them. "Yuer, I'm just so happy."

"I know, I know," Da Yuer said, wiping her sister's tears as if nothing was wrong. Just in time, too, as her own tears were nearly spent. She had to save a few for later and wouldn't cry in front of her sister.

The news of Chen Fei's pregnancy spread like wildfire through Shengjing. Calculating the timing, it had been nearly two years since she entered the palace. As the Emperor's most cherished consort, two years without a pregnancy had almost been seen as a lost hope.

While outsiders didn't know about the harm Wukeshan had inflicted on his sister, they were aware that Hairanju had lost her unborn child before coming to the palace. Over the past two years, the most common rumour was that her body had been damaged, leaving her unable to conceive.

Yet, heaven had blessed her. Hairanju's destined rise to prominence was something fate would not forget.

That morning, in the Rui Qinwang's residence, Dorgon was, as usual, in a hurry to attend court. Qiqige informed him that she and several other consorts would be going to the palace to offer their congratulations. Dorgon sneered, "This will stir things up. Hooge and the others will surely despise Chen Fei even more now."