It wasn't just a matter of "as if." Yinzhī really didn't understand at the time.

He wasn't even seven years old yet, so it would be strange if he could understand it.

The only thing Yinzhī understood was that the Empress wanted to bully his younger brother, the Crown Prince, to save the child in her womb. But the Crown Prince actually advised the Grand Empress Dowager to let the Empress go.

He turned and left with a cold face because he was angered by the Crown Prince's overly weak personality.

Although Yinzhī did not understand, his memory was quite good.

When he returned to Yanxi Palace, Concubine Hui saw that he was sulking as if he had quarreled with someone. She was both happy and worried and asked Yinzhī what had happened.

Concubine Hui was happy that her son had quarreled with the Crown Prince, so he probably wouldn't spend all his free time visiting the Crown Prince and ignoring his mother. Meanwhile, what she was worried about was that her son quarreled with the Crown Prince, and she gauged that the Emperor would scold her son when he returned.

Yinzhī told Concubine Hui everything he had heard from Ciren Palace. Her face changed drastically, and the servants around her were so frightened that they knelt down in fear.

The simple-minded First Prince looked around at the kneeling servants with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong with them? Are their legs weak? Are they hungry? Mother, didn't you feed them?"

"Cough cough cough." Concubine Hui glared at her son. "Do you know what you're saying!"

Yinzhī asked in confusion, "Speak?"

Concubine Hui: "..." I'm tired. Can I have a different son?

Concubine Hui, rubbing her forehead, said, "Sit here. I'll explain everything to you."

"Oh." Yinzhī sat down casually in front of Concubine Hui. But before Concubine Hui could even speak, Yinzhī's eyes began to glaze over.

Clearly, Yinzhī was very impatient with Concubine Hui's nagging.

Concubine Hui took a deep breath. Calm down, calm down, this is your son! Your own flesh and blood!

"You may all leave. Anyone who dares to speak ill of what happened today will be severely punished." After Concubine Hui dismissed the servants, she explained to Yinzhī the parts of the Crown Prince's words that Yinzhī didn't understand.

Yinzhī went from -_- to ⊙_⊙ to O_o and finally O□O.

Concubine Hui, her throat parched from talking, poured herself a glass of water. She gulped it down several times and then asked, "Did you understand?"

Yinzhī's expression changed from O□O to ●_●: "Ro-roughly?"

Concubine Hui's heart began to ache.

Yinzhī waved his hand: "Let this grandpa catch his breath, catch breath..."

Concubine Hui's heart ached even more. What's all this "this grandpa" business in front of me? Do you have no manners?!

"I understand! Someone told me before that I had finally recovered from my illness, but my younger brother, the Crown Prince, fell ill. Khan-Father only cared about the Crown Prince and didn't come to see me. It turns out that my younger brother fell ill in my place!" Yinzhī frowned and continued, "Also, third brother and I left the palace to avoid smallpox before brother got it. It seems that Khan-Father already knew there would be smallpox in the palace."

Yinzhī was nearly seven years old, and given enough information, he still possessed basic logical thinking skills.

Concubine Hui was about to ask who had told Yinzhī that the Emperor only cared about the Crown Prince and not him, but after hearing everything Yinzhī had said, she couldn't help but shed tears.

Concubine Hui choked back tears and said, "You actually understand?"

Yinzhī frowned, looking at his mother with displeasure: "Why would Mother ask such a question? How could I not understand something so obvious? Do you think I'm stupid?"

Concubine Hui really wanted to retort, "Aren't you stupid?"

But in order not to make the already precarious relationship between mother and son worse, Concubine Hui forced herself to say, "Of course, the First Prince is the most intelligent."

"That's right." Yinzhī was smug for a moment, then his face darkened again. "What's the matter with Zhongcui Palace that the Empress mentioned? Does Mother know?"

Concubine Hui said, "I heard that when Concubine Rong gave birth to the Third Prince, the baby, which was in a good position, suddenly became breech. The Emperor and Grand Empress Dowager went to Zhongcui Palace to watch over her, and the Crown Prince also went. Afterwards, Concubine Rong was safe and sound, and both mother and child were healthy. The Empress probably heard some rumors and thought that the Crown Prince had shared his blessings with Concubine Rong and the Third Prince."

"But one of Concubine Rong's sons still died. If the Crown Prince's brother is really that capable, how come that son still died?" Yinzhī said. "Why would the Empress believe such a thing? Is she stupid?"

Concubine Hui hurriedly said, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Yinzhī frowned: "What do you mean by talking nonsense when I'm just telling the truth? In my opinion, witchcraft isn't that powerful. If it were, why would our Qing Dynasty need the Eight Banners cavalry? We could just find a bunch of people to perform shamanistic rituals and seize the country."

Concubine Hui breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out her son really wasn't stupid.

"That's just how it is. However, the child is weak and may have come into contact with some unclean things. A healthy child becomes unhealthy, and an unhealthy child is even less likely to survive," Concubine Hui said. "The Crown Prince is kind-hearted."

"Kind-hearted? Isn't that just stupid? He's so small. How many brothers can he protect? Even Khan-Father hasn't made a move. What's he trying to prove? Besides, I'm much stronger than he is, so why is he blocking my way?" Yinzhī said with dissatisfaction. "No, I have to talk to him!"

Concubine Hui quickly stopped her son, "Just pretend you don't know anything about this."

"Why?" Yinzhī asked, puzzled.

Concubine Hui said, "Your Khan-Father hasn't said anything about this, so what can you say? The Crown Prince was personally raised by your Khan-Father! Could His Majesty possibly harm the Crown Prince?"

Yinzhī did not speak.

He could see the importance and doting that Kangxi placed on the Crown Prince. But was that really genuine? Leaving such a young Crown Prince, his little brother, to face the witchcraft curse alone?

Yinzhī's young mind began to harbor doubts about Kangxi.

But he was, after all, a prince. Even if others thought he was simple-minded, he still had basic rationality.

"I understand. I'll pretend that nothing happened. As long as I'm healthy, the curse can't affect me, and my brother, the Crown Prince, will be fine too," Yinzhī said. "Since Third Brother and I haven't been sick these past few days, the Crown Prince hasn't been sick either. That must be it!"

Concubine Hui nodded: "That makes sense." Hopefully.

Concubine Hui finally learned the secret that Concubine Rong had been hiding.

"Concubine Rong once took Changsheng to beg the Crown Prince, but Changsheng still died young. The Crown Prince really couldn't cure the illness or save the life," Concubine Hui sighed.

Yinzhī frowned: "That's why I said the Crown Prince is stupid. What good would it do him to save someone? If he couldn't save them, he would be resented. How could this grandpa have such a stupid little brother?"

Concubine Hui thought to herself, "Indeed."

Can such a foolish Crown Prince truly live to adulthood?

Kindness? Kindness is the most intolerable thing in the palace.

Despite thinking rationally, Concubine Hui couldn't help but develop some affection for the Crown Prince.

Concubine Hui sighed, "You should treat the Crown Prince better."

Yinzhī muttered, "You don't need to tell me."

Concubine Hui: "..." First Prince, are you even being polite to your mother?!

...

The Grand Empress Dowager was also troubled by Yinreng's excessive kindness and honesty.

If she were an ordinary great-grandmother, she would surely be overjoyed to know that her great-grandson is so kind and honest.

But Yinreng is the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince will become Emperor! How can an Emperor be merciful?

But when she looked at her dutiful great-grandson massaging her legs, the words of reprimand were blocked in her throat.

She strictly taught Kangxi, yet she couldn't bring herself to say a harsh word to Yinreng.

The Grand Empress Dowager could only vent her anger on the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager, now a grown woman, still possessed the same innocent eyes she had when she first entered the palace at thirteen. She let the Grand Empress Dowager vent her anger, but she just couldn't comprehend it.

The Grand Empress Dowager's anger didn't subside. Instead, she became even angrier.

In the tenth year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign, the original empress was deposed. In the eleventh year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign, the Khorchin immediately sent two girls, and the thirteen-year-old Alatanqiqige Borjigit was made empress.

Alatanqiqige's entry into the palace was purely accidental, so her family didn't provide her with any formal education. The Grand Empress Dowager, who was then the Empress Dowager, intended to guide her and encourage her, but Alatanqiqige found it bothersome.

When the Grand Empress Dowager fell ill, Lady Dong'e cared for her day and night without ever taking off her clothes. On the other hand. Alatanqiqige didn't even offer a word of concern.

This comparison was outrageous! Shunzhi was so angry that he wanted to depose the empress, but Lady Dong'e threatened to commit suicide to stop him.

The Grand Empress Dowager was furious and ordered her not to come to the Cining Palace for three years.

When Alatanqiqige saw that her most powerful backer in the palace was ignoring her, she was so frightened that she fell seriously ill. Lady Dong'e had no choice but to serve her day and night, and even tell her stories to cheer her up. Alatanqiqige hugged Lady Dong'e with teary eyes and kept calling out "Sister".

The Grand Empress Dowager was speechless.

After that, the Grand Empress Dowager no longer focused her energy on the Manchu-Mongol marriage alliance. She was truly exhausted.

Fools oftentimes have good fortune. This silly girl foolishly became the Empress Dowager, but was still as foolish as ever.

The Grand Empress Dowager was completely powerless and waved her hand, telling the Empress Dowager to get lost.

The Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief.

Although she was naive, she knew she had been used. The Empress Dowager jotted down a survival secret in her little notebook: She must never have any contact with the concubines in the harem again! Not even the Empress!

Furthermore, my patron greatly favors the Crown Prince, so I must also favor the Crown Prince.

After the Empress Dowager finished writing in her notebook, she revealed a wise smile.

...

Yinreng had no idea that the simple yet perceptive First Prince and Empress Dowager had reached the same conclusion for different reasons.

He only noticed that his elder brother and the Empress Dowager were suddenly being excessively kind to him, to the point that it gave him the creeps.

Yinreng was so frightened that he pretended to be sick and stayed indoors.

At this time, after receiving a letter from Gu Wenxing, Kangxi hurriedly returned to the palace, only to hear that Yinreng was ill.

Baocheng's illness must be caused by that wicked Empress Niohuru! Enraged, Kangxi roared, "I will depose her!"

"Father, please think it over!" Yinreng plopped into a sliding kneel and hugged Kangxi's thi… calf, with tears streaming down his face as he pleaded.

The Grand Empress Dowager's eyelids twitched.

At that moment, the figures of Kangxi and Yinreng in the eyes of the Grand Empress Dowager actually overlapped with the events of Shunzhi and Consort Dong'e from the past.

The Grand Empress Dowager clutched her chest, struggling to breathe.

Truly a father and son!

 

 

 

 

Author's Note:

Could this novel also be titled "How to Boast Your Way to Becoming a Top-Tier Saint and Everyone's Moonlight"?