The army returned home, and the campaign against the Chahar tribe ended in failure. Chahar leader Ligdan Khan fled with his men into the depths of the grasslands and disappeared without a trace.
But before he could escape, Dorgon retaliated by shooting him with an arrow. Unfortunately, he dodged it quickly, and the arrow almost hit his heart, allowing him to escape by sheer luck.
Erdun was teaching his daughter to read in the courtyard. Starting in the sixth year of the Tiancong reign, the people of Dajin were required to study Chinese classics.
She had learned these skills while she was in Horqin because of her aunt Zhe Zhe, so she is now very good at teaching her daughter to read.
She read these words aloud gently, explaining their meaning in a low voice, word by word.
Chang'an listened obediently. When the lesson ended and there was a break, she looked up, her eyes full of longing, and asked softly, "Mother, when will Father come back?"
Erdun was stumped by the question. She didn't know when her husband would return, so she could only lower her head and pat her daughter's head.
"Chang'an, your mother doesn't know the answer to this question either! Father has gone to war. There's no fixed time for this. All we can do is stay home and wait for Father to come back so he doesn't have to worry about us."
"Alright!" Chang'an lowered her head in disappointment, but she knew that her mother was right, so she could only suppress her emotions. "Don't worry, Mother, I will study hard and not let Father worry about me."
Erdun was very pleased to see that his daughter was so well-behaved and sensible.
"Madam, something terrible has happened! Please come out and see!" Nalin rushed in from outside, her face filled with panic.
Erdun slowly stood up, walked over with some confusion, and asked Nalin what was wrong.
The other person's words were rather strange. He said to go out and see for yourself. As Erdun walked out, he said something even stranger: "Madam, you... you should be prepared!"
When Erdun went outside, he discovered...
"What! What did you say this is?!" Erdun was so surprised that she lost her composure; her face was full of disbelief.
Although she still appeared strong and composed, a closer look revealed that her hand, which was being supported by Nalin, was trembling slightly.
"Madam, this is indeed..." The soldier who brought the news was somewhat reluctant to speak.
Everyone in the city knew how good the relationship was between Young Master Guargia and his wife. Now that Aguta has passed away, how heartbroken Erdun, his wife, must be to hear the news.
So he paused before continuing, "These are indeed Aguta's belongings. As for his remains, they are yet to come. The Khan said that Aguta sacrificed himself to save him and will be given a proper burial."
These words pierced Erdun's heart like needles. She clutched her chest, her face turning deathly pale. Unable to catch her breath, she fainted.
"Madam, what's wrong? Quickly call a doctor, quick!" Nalin cried out to the other servants beside her, supporting Erdun in a panic.
It was only then that everyone realized what was happening, and they quickly carried the lady back to her room and rushed outside to find a doctor.
...
"Madam, you haven't eaten for three days. Your body can't take it. Go back and rest. Although the young master is gone, you still have the eldest prince and the eldest princess. You must cheer up..."
Nalin tried to persuade her, but her words were just noise to Erdun, failing to resonate with her at all.
Seeing that the Fujin was staring blankly, her eyes were lifeless, and she looked extremely haggard, Nalin felt very sorry for her.
Since Aguta's passing, Erdun has been staying in the mourning hall for the past few days, refusing to eat or drink, and refusing to listen to anything anyone says.
Although she is still alive, her heart has already left with Aguta, and now all that remains is an empty shell.
"Erdun, do you think these flowers are pretty? I picked them especially for you. You're beautiful, and these flowers suit you perfectly."
"Erdun, I swear here today that I will marry you, and from this day forward, I will treat you well and never let you be angry or wronged..."
"Erdun, you don't need to worry about this expedition. I'll be back soon, and I'll take you and the two little ones, Changshu and Chang'an, to play outside the city."
My mind is filled with beautiful memories, but the person who brought me all this happiness is no longer here!
Two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks, dripping onto her simple white clothes, leaving a damp stain.
Perhaps he was too heartbroken, or perhaps he was too tired for his body to handle, Erdun fainted again.
When she woke up again, she seemed to have figured things out. She forced herself to eat and then rested for a while.
Huang Taiji was grateful for Aguta's bravery and specially conferred upon Guarjia Aguta the title of Zhong Beile, buried him with the rites due to a Prince, and allowed his eldest son Changshu to inherit the title as a Beizi.
Three months have passed, and Erdun appears outwardly the same as before, as if she has already moved on from the pain of her husband's death. However, the sorrow in her heart has not yet subsided.
Every time she wakes up in the middle of the night, she dreams of the person she longs for.
Aguta was the only son in his family, the youngest son born to his parents late in life.
His father passed away a few years ago, and after he died, his mother couldn't bear the blow and left him too.
This once grand mansion is now only inhabited by an orphan and a widow, with Erdun and her two children remaining.
Fortunately, Chang Shu is already ten years old, a teenager, and will be able to marry and have children in a few years, supporting his family.
In the past few months, fearing that Erdun was too heartbroken, Yunyi would occasionally summon her niece to the palace to chat with her and comfort her.
Uyudai often went to visit her sister, or took her out to play and relax.
It was because of these family members that Erdun was able to pull himself together and live a good life with his two children.
In March of the eighth year of the Tiancong reign, Ligdan Khan died from an arrow wound and a smallpox infection. His wife, Batma Zao, accompanied by her subordinates, came to submit to the Jin Dynasty.
At Daishan's urging, Huang Taiji married this woman as his secondary consort.
Less than a year later, Dorgon led a large army to pacify the Chahar tribe, unified southern Mongolia, and even found the so-called "Imperial Seal of the State," which he then brought back to the Jin Dynasty and presented to Huang Taiji.
In March, Namchung, the principal wife of Ligdan Khan, came to submit to him, along with Ligdan Khan's widow and son, and a thousand households of his people.
Namuzhong was the principal wife of Ligdan Khan, and she was the sister of the principal wife of the Khalkha Mongol tribe. She also controlled many tribes and held a special position.
Huang Taiji initially wanted Daishan to marry this primary consort, but Daishan refused. In the end, he had no choice but to marry Namuzhong as his secondary consort.
After obtaining the so-called "Imperial Seal of the State" from Dorgon, Huang Taiji made frequent moves.
In October, he unified the ethnic group as "Manchu".
In December, the court officials, citing the surrender of Chahar and the acquisition of the "Imperial Seal of the State," urged Huang Taiji to "promote the official title as soon as possible," but Huang Taiji declined.
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