Chapter 7 The Wedding
The red doorway is dappled with tree shadows, and the spring breeze from the north stirs up fallen leaves in the courtyard.
Jialuo raised her head and immediately saw the man more than ten feet away.
The man was around thirty or forty years old, tall and strong.
He wore a gold-embroidered hat with longevity patterns and auspicious symbols, and a dark blue mandarin jacket with horseshoe cuffs.
His wealth and power were overwhelming.
Galo was slightly puzzled, but for some reason, as she watched the man gradually approach, a strong sense of unease suddenly rose in her heart.
This unease made her back straighter.
Not only her, but even her fourth brother was on high alert.
Her eyes were fixed on the man before her, and she asked in a voice that was neither humble nor arrogant, "Who are you? How dare you address me by my given name, Abu?"
The man seemed not to hear, not even glancing at Darima, but looking at Jialuo with a slightly scrutinizing gaze.
Such a gaze is far too aggressive and oppressive.
Darima tensed up, about to draw his sword, but was stopped by Jialuo.
"Fourth brother, don't worry."
Jialuo slightly lowered her brows, withdrew her gaze from the man, and said in a low voice, "In the current Chaotian family, there are probably only two men of such vigor and extraordinary courage that can be counted on one hand."
Darima paused, glancing at the man with suspicion.
The man stood in the courtyard, hands behind his back, looking quite interested.
They were clearly waiting for her to speak again.
Jialuo slightly raised her eyes, moving her gaze from the man's chin to the bridge of his nose.
"Please don't be offended, Venerable One. Since you want to hear Jialuo guess your identity, then Jialuo will make a fool of himself."
"Please feel free to ask."
The man's voice was slightly cold, carrying a habitual air of dominance.
Jialuo's heart stirred. He bowed first before speaking, "Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, there have been eight Iron-Cap Princes."
"These are the most esteemed princes of the Qing Dynasty. Not only were they of noble birth, being direct descendants of the royal family, but their achievements were also recorded in history."
"The eight hereditary princes hold their titles without fail. Among them, Prince Xun of the First Rank and Prince Rui of the First Rank, who are of similar age to His Majesty, are the current regent of the Emperor."
The sunlight fell halfway onto the man's face, making his valiant features appear both bright and dark.
He didn't reply, but just stared at the girl standing inside the palace.
It was clearly meant for her to reveal the identity of the man she had guessed.
Jialuo glanced at her fourth brother, and hesitated for a moment.
But then she told the truth.
After all, she believed that her wisdom was beyond the comprehension of the man before her.
Even if it was meant to be something he couldn't see through, it shouldn't be in this rushed state.
“But in the world today, there is only one prince who can call me by my name in public and who has condescended to see Jialuo at this time.”
"Father, the Regent."
Upon hearing this, the entire courtyard fell silent.
Darima's expression changed drastically, he loosened his grip, and then bowed.
“Darima is foolish; he failed to recognize the Regent. Please forgive him!”
Jialuo naturally followed her brother in bowing.
The man looked at the boy and girl kneeling before him and turned slightly to the side.
"Jialuo will be the future empress, why should she bow to me?"
"As for Darima, now that you know my identity, you should be at ease. You were only concerned with protecting your younger sister and did not know my identity, so how can you ask for forgiveness?"
Upon hearing this, Darima and Jialu bowed again.
"Thank you for your great favor, Your Highness!"
"Jialuo, I say you are the Empress, why do you need to bow to me?"
The man spoke again, his tone now carrying a hint of authority.
"Can……"
Darima glanced at her sister, her expression conflicted. She was about to explain when the man interrupted her abruptly.
"Now that you know my identity, you can rest assured that your younger sister is safe. Please go outside and wait."
Darima paused for a moment upon hearing this.
"go out."
The man's expression turned indifferent, and he finally turned his head to look at him directly.
Darima froze, his face turning extremely ugly.
"Fourth brother."
Jialu called his name softly.
Darima glanced at Jialuo, then bowed again, turned around, and left.
The monks who had been in the hall were no longer there. After Darima left, only Jialuo and Dorgon remained in the courtyard.
The courtyard was even quieter, and even the sounds of the bustling pilgrims in the distance seemed somewhat distant, almost imperceptible.
Dorgon took another step, and Jialu stepped aside to make enough space for this man, who was now truly in charge of the Qing Dynasty, to enter the palace.
Upon closer inspection, Dorgon and the young Shunzhi Emperor do share some similarities in appearance.
After all, they are blood relatives, uncle and nephew.
However, the two had very different auras.
Unlike Shunzhi's gentle demeanor at first glance, Dorgon was extremely domineering, even dignified and stern.
"The Goddess of Mercy who grants children."
The man murmured something with a sigh, then asked.
"Lady Borjigit, do you know what the most important responsibility of an emperor is during his reign?"
Upon hearing this, Jialuo pondered for a moment and then said, "Jialuo is ignorant of political affairs and does not know the answer."
The man stood with his hands behind his back, slightly raising his head, his gaze fixed on the compassionate-faced Bodhisattva.
“Your Borjigit girls are all intelligent and capable.”
"Whether it was Empress Xiaoduanwen, Consort Huimin Gonghe, or Empress Xiaozhuangwen, they were all outstanding women."
Upon hearing this, Jialuo slightly raised her head to glance at the man's back. She was standing to his side and behind, so she couldn't see his expression.
But Jialuo sensed that this man, who usually appeared serious and domineering, softened his tone involuntarily when talking about "Empress Xiaoduanwen".
This made her heart tighten.
Sure enough, Dorgon suddenly turned his head, and Jialuo didn't even have time to withdraw her prying gaze.
Those sharp eyes locked onto her gaze.
"I think you are not only intelligent, but also more courageous than your brothers."
"Your Borjigit women not only manage the inner palace, but even your maternal great-aunt Empress Xiaoduanwen and your paternal aunt Empress Xiaozhuangwen participate in politics and stabilize the court, playing an indelible role in the consolidation of the Qing Dynasty."
“And now you, Borjigit Jialuo, are called by you, Abu, the pearl of the grassland and the incarnation of the wise mountain god.”
"As the Empress of the Qing Dynasty, you should emulate your aunt."
Upon hearing this, Jialuo panicked and suddenly knelt down.
“Father, Regent, although Jialuo has some wisdom, she would never dare to compare herself to Empress Xiaoduanwen and Empress Xiaozhuangwen.”
"Secondly, the Regent must know that the Emperor made a firm statement at the morning court session today that he would never marry me as Empress."
Dorgon's expression was indifferent, and he gave a disdainful snort: "Hmph."
"This is why I have taken time out of my busy schedule to see you today."
"The emperor is still young and the ruler of the land. It is only the first time he has personally attended court and handled state affairs. There must be many falsehoods in his actions."
"Therefore, I am needed to act as regent, and the Empress Dowager is also needed to provide care."
At this moment, Jialuo's heart was pounding. She now fully realized how much power Dorgon wielded in the capital.
Like an emperor.
His meaning was quite obvious, and even his actions at this moment were not entirely secretive.
Therefore, he approached her almost openly, telling her that the position of Empress Jialuo belonged to her, and that she should "help" the Emperor handle court affairs.
As for how to help, I'm afraid the only option is to listen to the regent, the father emperor.
Jialu knelt on the ground, her body trembling slightly uncontrollably.
She wasn't afraid of the man before her, but rather terrified of how, if she truly became empress, she could prevent Emperor Shunzhi from suspecting a close relationship with Dorgon when he learned of her meeting and conversation with him that day.
This is because it not only concerns her own future life, but also Abu's future power in Khorchin.
“Jialuo is still unaware of the future, but the Emperor Regent has condescended to visit her today, which makes Jialuo feel the love and affection of an elder.”
“Jialuo was raised by Abu and Eji since childhood. His brothers and sisters all indulged him and he was used to being spoiled on the grassland. Now he doesn’t even know the slightest bit of palace rules, so how can he understand anything else?”
Dorgon didn't say anything, he just stood there.
But Jialuo felt the man was tangible, giving her a clear, bone-deep pressure.
The spring breeze rustled, carrying fallen leaves that swirled on the ground.
After an unknown amount of time, Dorgon finally moved. As he walked past Jialuo, who was kneeling on the ground, Jialuo heard the man's cold voice above her head.
"I didn't expect Wu Keshan to be right. You really are a good daughter."
His tone was ambiguous, seemingly carrying a hint of coldness.
Jialuo paused, a chill running through her heart. Just as she was about to explain again, Dorgon simply let her go and left.
Galo did not reply in the end, but simply bowed silently.
As the man's footsteps faded into the distance, her stiff body relaxed slightly.
At that moment, outside the palace, Darima came out and saw that his guards had already been unknowingly controlled by Dorgon's guards.
His heart, which had just relaxed because he was out of Dorgon's sight, immediately tightened again.
I wonder what he'll do to his little sister!
He wanted to enter the palace again, but was stopped by two guards at the entrance.
He was not afraid of the guards, but with his younger sister inside the palace, Dorgon could easily control her.
He had long heard that his father, the regent, wielded power and authority akin to that of an emperor.
His eldest and third brothers had also warned him not to be reckless or act impulsively in the capital.
He remembered it, but he didn't take it too seriously. After all, the Emperor had prevented him from seeing his sister, but he had also invited him to the Qianqing Palace, and the Emperor was quite kind.
Until now.
Dorgon's disdain for him and his contempt for Abu made him feel powerless.
He didn't know why Dorgon had come to see his sister.
It must be related to the position of Empress?
But why come looking for your sister?
He simply couldn't understand it.
Just as he was becoming extremely anxious, he suddenly saw the man step out.
Darima didn't have time to think and quickly bowed to him.
The man didn't stop walking; he slightly lifted the water as if to let him stand up.
Darima didn't mind. The moment he raised his hand, he quickly got up and walked into the courtyard.
"younger sister."
At that moment, Jialuo, who had also reached the door, saw her fourth brother looking anxious and worried, and stopped in her tracks.
She watched with a relaxed expression as he ran towards her.
"Little sister, are you alright?"
Jialuo pulled her brother along and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"I'll be fine, Fourth Brother, don't worry."
"Then what does he want with you?!"
Darima then asked.
Upon hearing this, Jialuo looked at her brother's face, and the smile on her face slowly faded.
“He used the position of Empress to coerce me into serving him.”
A note from the author:
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Hehe, sorry to have kept you waiting.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
