Chapter 364: Chapter 364

In Yonghe Palace, an unsettling silence had fallen at some unknown moment.

Seeing his mother in such a state, Yin Si felt deeply uncomfortable, yet no matter how she tried to persuade him, the Eighth Prince showed no signs of regret.

At this moment, the determination between his increasingly resolute brows only grew stronger.

"Mother, rest assured, I know what I'm doing. Lady Guo Luoluo is virtuous and upright, and I believe she will surely be filial to you in the future."

But she... Staring blankly at her increasingly independent son, Consort Shu felt her heartache intensify. After what felt like an eternity, she finally managed to find her voice:

"Why, Yin Si? If you want to develop influence, there are brothers in the palace around your age. The Tenth Prince just lost his mother and, being young at heart, needs companions now more than ever.

The Ninth Prince is particularly loyal and righteous. As long as you cater to his interests, he might eventually become your ally.

And then there's Lady Guargiya.

Instead of a jealous woman who remained childless for years, enduring endless ridicule and mockery, even being scolded by His Majesty for being controlled by others.

The more she thought about it, the more incoherent Lady Guargiya became, her gaze toward the person before her filled with desperate hope:

"Yin Si, believe your mother. Even without this marital connection, your background, studies, and abilities are all outstanding. You can definitely forge your own path in the future."

Yet what answered her was her own son's eternal silence.

After a long while, the handsome young man in indigo robes finally looked up with a self-mocking smile.

Staring motionlessly at the person before him, his slightly upturned phoenix eyes appeared particularly ironic in the morning light:

After a long pause, he finally sighed softly:

"Mother, oh mother, why are you always so naive?" So incredibly naive?

"Never mind the Tenth Brother, just consider the Ninth Brother. Over all these years, aside from superficial brotherly courtesy on the surface, have you ever seen them treat me with any genuine friendship?"

As for brotherhood, he probably ranked lower than the Fourth Brother next door.

At least when they were frustrated, they were willing to argue with Fourth Brother, unlike with him—only formal politeness and distance remained.

Aren't the Ninth and Tenth firmly part of the Eighth Prince's faction? Reflecting on everything over the years, the more Lady Guargiya thought about it, the more uneasy she became:

Her lips trembling almost imperceptibly, she said:

"You... you're all around the same age after all. As long as you get along well..."

"At the very least, after marriage, when you take up official duties, with your abilities, why worry about not gaining others' respect?"

Get along well, gain respect!

So utterly naive, watching his mother who seemed to still be clinging to certain fantasies even today.

A flash of sorrow passed through the Eighth Prince's eyes.

At this moment, Yin Si couldn't help but doubt whether his mother was truly the carefully raised legitimate daughter of the Guargiya clan?

How could her thinking, even her actions, be so... so...

Even though he felt somewhat speechless inside, to prevent her from causing trouble later, the Eighth Prince took a deep breath and patiently explained to the person before him:

"Mother, the Emperor is the Son of Heaven. Everyone in both the front court and rear palace must consider his preferences."

"As long as he remains unwilling to favor me, the brotherly affection and court ministers' allegiance you speak of are nothing but empty words!"

"Not to mention distant matters, look at how I study diligently every day, with my academic performance almost always ranking at the top. Although the Grand Tutors usually maintain good attitudes, when have any of them ever genuinely praised me?"

"And all of this has one and only one reason."

Moreover, haven't you noticed that even the Guargiya clan doesn't treat us with the same warmth as before?

If even our maternal family can't be relied upon, how can we expect anything from others?

Seeing his mother's increasingly pale complexion, the Eighth Prince swallowed the last two sentences that had reached his lips.

"How could it have come to this..."

Staring blankly at her son who now stood several inches taller than her, Consort Shu still found it hard to believe.

In her previous life, despite his humble background and the Emperor's lack of regard, didn't Little Ba rely on his own intelligence and talent to become the Eighth Virtuous Prince whom even Kangxi somewhat feared?

"But Yin Si, your talent and character are both exceptional..."

"Exceptional, but what use is that?"

No matter how great one's personal abilities or learning might be?

The Eighth Prince's lips curled with unconscious irony.

Yet the reality was that without His Majesty's regard, he couldn't even take the first step.

Ultimately, whether it's relationships or influence, both require cultivation over time.

Given his current situation, his brothers wouldn't even bother forming genuine connections with him, so how could there be lasting brotherly affection, let alone followers?

Looking calmly at the person before him, the Eighth Prince said solemnly:

"The Plain Blue Banner has been controlled by the Prince An lineage since our ancestors' time. His Majesty has long wanted to reclaim it. Mother, as long as I'm willing, His Majesty won't refuse!"

As for willingly becoming a pawn, Yin Si's eyes darkened momentarily, but then suddenly grew firm again.

"Since I cannot gain His Majesty's favor, I must make myself useful to him..."

"Only in this way can I take the first step, whether in the front court or the rear palace."

"Mother, given the current circumstances, I no longer have a choice. Today, I ask for nothing else, only that Mother doesn't ruin her son's only path to advancement..."

"Don't ruin your son's path to advancement..."

Memories from both lifetimes kept overlapping. Even as the figure departed without looking back, Lady Guargiya still couldn't regain her composure.

If the Emperor's attitude had such a significant impact, then what about her previous life...

Suddenly, Lady Guargiya found herself afraid to think further.

"Ah, it's already reached this point, and she still hasn't figured it out!"

Witnessing this scene firsthand, even the system secretly observing from within the spiritual sea couldn't hold back.

After all these years in the palace, how could she still not realize how crucial the emperor's favor was? She actually naively clung to her previous belief that the Eighth Prince in her past life was held back by his mother's influence and therefore not valued by Kangxi.

Not valued? How could that be possible?

In reality, in this era where imperial authority reigns supreme, those truly not valued wouldn't even qualify to sit at the table.

"It's not that she hasn't figured it out—she just doesn't dare to think about it..."

Even with foreknowledge, someone capable of secretly destroying the original body's fertility, seizing Consort De's opportunities beforehand, and being enfeebled alone—such a person might lack political acumen, but how could she truly be so foolish?

Casually glancing at the distraught Lady Guargiya, An Ning remained noncommittal.

How difficult was life for a clearly disfavored consort in the rear palace? Especially since, with her own rise to power, even to avoid offending her as the powerful yet neutral Consort Chen, no one would speak more than a few words to Lady Guargiya. Day after day, she faced only cold treatment throughout the various palaces.

Confined to her quarters all day, she wouldn't even have opportunities to stroll in the gardens for relief.

Under such circumstances, one could say that anyone with slightly weaker mental fortitude...

To be blunt, by now, the Eighth Prince—her only son—was probably her last hope.

Just like the original self in the previous life: low-born, childless, unfavored, alone in this vast rear palace. For over a decade, her only source of warmth and comfort had been this so-called good sister.

That's why these so-called feelings ran so deep, and why she experienced complete mental and physical collapse upon learning the truth.

People, especially those at their lowest, often need certain beliefs to sustain them.

After years of obsession, was recognizing the truth and admitting her own mistakes truly impossible?

More likely, she simply didn't dare!

Taking one last glance at the still heartbroken Lady Guargiya, An Ning quickly averted her gaze.

Someone unrelated wasn't worth excessive attention.

Perfect timing—with the festival approaching, her own sister hadn't visited the palace in quite a while...