Chapter 179 Distant Fragrance, Nearby Stench

The Ninth Prince grew even more anxious upon hearing this, quickening his pace: "Tenth Brother, haven't you had lunch yet? Then let's hurry back to the Princes' quarters. By the way, did you send someone back to the Third Princes' Quarters to inform the small kitchen to prepare lunch?"

"Don't rush, why are you running around after just eating?" Yin'e first frowned slightly and said to the Ninth Prince, then raised his head and glanced at Yongshou Palace, which could be vaguely seen behind Longfu Gate and across the palace wall. "Don't worry, I've already eaten."

“I can’t get into the Western Six Palaces without climbing over the wall, but I’m so close to Yongshou Palace, do you think I’ll go hungry?” Yin’e raised an eyebrow and revealed a smug smile. “I had Xiao Linzi go to Yongshou Palace to get a few buns, so I’m already full.”

The Ninth Prince breathed a sigh of relief, and as he approached Yin'e, he said with annoyance, "It was my brain that was confused, that I actually set this time to meet at Longfu Gate."

When the Ninth Prince moved to the Princes' Residence last October, his birthday had already passed. This year was the first time he had returned to Yikun Palace from the Princes' Residence to celebrate his birthday, and due to his lack of experience, some mistakes were inevitable. He almost caused the farce of having Yin'e wait for him outside Longfu Gate on an empty stomach.

After lunch, Yin'e and the Ninth Prince did not rush back to Ganxi Wusuo, but instead strolled back leisurely.

Although it was noon, it was August, already late autumn, so the midday sun wasn't particularly hot or intense. The golden sunlight shone down, illuminating everything, and it felt warm and bright, not at all glaring, and unlike in summer when you'd be sweating profusely from the sun.

"Ninth Brother, you don't seem very happy." After walking for a while and secretly observing the Ninth Prince several times, Yin'e finally couldn't help but ask with concern, "Today is your birthday, you should be happy, why are you so gloomy?"

The Ninth Prince never hid anything from Yin'e. He took a few steps with a sullen face and then said in a low voice, "It's nothing." He pursed his lips, looking somewhat confused, "It's just that I feel strangely awkward and not very natural when I'm with Mother."

Yin'e paused for a moment, then asked, "Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to talk to Consort Yi properly and get along well with Consort Yi and Eleventh Brother? You didn't do that?"

“No, I did it.” Ninth Prince shook his head. “It’s precisely because I did it that I feel estranged from them. I’ve been holding back in front of them, suppressing myself, and smiling constantly to get along with them, afraid to let my negative emotions show.”

"This makes me feel very uncomfortable, like my relationship with Mother isn't that close." The Ninth Prince hung his head, feeling sullen and somewhat disappointed. "I can tell that Mother is also suppressing her emotions and pretending to be happy."

Yin'e pondered for a while and began to understand: Due to some historical reasons, Consort Yi and the Ninth Prince were not very familiar with each other, and their relationship was not that close, at least not as close as that between Consort Yi and the Eleventh Prince.

However, Consort Yi and the Ninth Prince both have feelings for each other—positive feelings. They also want to rebuild their relationship and try to ease the tension between them. They don't want to be inseparable, but at least they want to be a mother and son with a relatively harmonious relationship.

But perhaps because the time between Consort Yi and the Ninth Prince was too long, and because the Ninth Prince moved to the Princes' Residence and they were separated for a period of time, they were more unfamiliar with each other than familiar with each other, and more intimate than distant.

Such an overly enthusiastic and affectionate approach from the outset can seem too much and unnatural, making both parties feel uncomfortable and awkward, as if the other is putting on an act—which is true, but their desire to reconcile and ease tensions is genuine.

That's what Yin'e thought, and that's what he told the Ninth Prince.

Seeing the Ninth Prince's dejected expression, Yin'e gently comforted him, "Ninth Brother, I think Consort Yi is just like you. She suppressed her emotions and pretended to be happy, all in order to get along well with you, to make you happy in Yikun Palace, and to ease the tension between you."

"Consort Yi was definitely very happy to see you today. She just wanted you to know this joy more clearly, so she exaggerated a bit. Just like you, Ninth Brother, didn't you also make a lot of mental preparations yesterday and vow that you would definitely not speak bluntly in Yikun Palace today?"

Yin'e glanced at the Ninth Prince, whose expression had softened considerably, and continued, "Ninth Prince, you and Consort Yi probably went too far today. Your intentions were good, but you acted too much, too cautiously, and too eager to become intimate immediately, which backfired."

“But Ninth Brother, you must understand one thing: you and Consort Yi share the same heart. You both want to get along well with each other and ease the tension between you.” Yin’e’s voice was soft and his tone gentle. “You both love each other, you just don’t know how to express it.”

This time, the Ninth Prince quickly nodded: "I know, I understand that Mother truly wants what's best for me and is trying her best to treat me well."

Looking at Yin'e's concerned face, the Ninth Prince suddenly thought of a sentence: But if you have to deliberately show kindness and try to care, it means that you don't really care or love him that much. He is always ranked after other things.

The Ninth Prince's heart slowly, gradually calmed down.

He used to have a lot of resentment and dissatisfaction with Consort Yi, but after growing up and becoming more sensible, the Ninth Prince learned to put himself in her shoes and could barely empathize with her. So now he understands Consort Yi a little and can think about her difficulties and suffering.

Although the hurt he suffered would not disappear and the wounds in his heart would not heal, the Ninth Prince felt that he should grow up and did not want to continue to wallow in the past, nor did he want to hold a grudge over the past and be unable to let go for a long time.

He wanted to move on from the past. The Ninth Prince, however, chose to confront it head-on, refusing to be subtle or roundabout, and instead choosing to face all the truth directly.

The Ninth Prince has now seen the truth: he has feelings for Consort Yi and still holds some expectations for her, hoping to receive some care from her; similarly, Consort Yi also genuinely loves him and is not indifferent or cold towards him.

But... that's all there is to it; that's all the feelings they have for each other.

Compared to the Ninth Prince, Consort Yi favored the Fifth Prince, who was not raised by her side, and the Eleventh Prince, who was frail since childhood. The Ninth Prince's feelings for Consort Yi were not entirely affectionate and close; he also harbored resentment and blame. Because of his experience of being neglected and ignored in his childhood, the Ninth Prince was unable to open his heart to Consort Yi again.

With a sigh, the Ninth Prince, whose mind was usually calm and composed, suddenly felt a little annoyed.

The Ninth Prince's personality was somewhat extreme and unruly; in his world, only "yes" or "no" were permissible. If something couldn't completely belong to him, he would rather not have it.

He has never liked to compromise, nor does he like to accept things as "good enough" or "good enough".

Just like his previous mother-son relationship with Consort Yi, it was neither here nor there. There was no true intimacy or deep mother-son affection, nor was there such coldness that they could be ruthlessly abandoned. This really annoyed the Ninth Prince, leaving him feeling constrained and unable to act decisively.

Given the Ninth Prince's personality, it would be very difficult for him to tolerate such feelings. However, he also couldn't bring himself to give up directly or take the initiative to change his attitude and completely open his heart to Consort Yi to seek genuine care.

Not only is he arrogant, but he is also very proud. Getting him to lower his head is extremely difficult and impossible!

Without stopping, the Ninth Prince walked back to the West Third Palace and suddenly laughed: "Tenth Brother, I think it's probably a case of 'familiarity breeds contempt.' After moving to the Princes' Palace, I didn't miss the days in Yikun Palace much. At most, I just felt that it was nice to live in Yikun Palace without having to go to the Imperial Study to study."

“In the Fifth Palace of Ganxi, you live next door to me, just a short walk away. I live alone in the Fourth Palace. I am the eldest among the princes, and I can make my own decisions. I no longer have to see my mother taking such meticulous care of Yinzhi every day, showering him with concern and care, which makes me feel unbalanced.”

“So…” The Ninth Prince was silent for a while before he smiled faintly, his delicate and beautiful features suddenly becoming lively. “Let it be like this. It’s good to stay far away like this, meeting a few times a year, and thinking of each other. That’s good enough.”

After a pause, the Ninth Prince added a sentence, which still revealed a slight sense of resentment and unease in his heart: "He's still much better than the Fourth Prince."

The Ninth Prince always felt unlucky for being in the middle of the line, but compared to the Fourth Prince, he felt that his experience was actually not so bad, and that the Fourth Prince was the one who was truly miserable.

When Empress Xiaoyi was still alive, the Fourth Prince lived a very good life. He was not only doted on by Empress Xiaoyi, but also loved by Emperor Kangxi because Emperor Kangxi had a deep affection for his cousin, Empress Xiaoyi. He was one of Emperor Kangxi's sons, second only to the Crown Prince, who had the most contact with Emperor Kangxi.

After Empress Xiaoyi passed away, the Fourth Prince's life took a sharp turn for the worse. His supposed birth mother turned out to be his adoptive mother. But that was bad enough. Given how much Emperor Kangxi valued the Crown Prince, if he was going to make his cousin Empress, he would definitely reveal the truth. He would never allow the Fourth Prince to become the true legitimate son.

But the fact that his birth mother, Consort De, had no feelings for him and didn't want to pay any attention to him was something the Fourth Prince had never expected. Of course, the fact that Consort De was actually his birth mother was also something the Fourth Prince had never even considered before learning the truth, because Consort De had always been indifferent to him and never showed him any affection.

The Fourth Prince was unaware of the grudges of the previous generation and did not know that Consort De had abandoned him long ago. After the Sixth Prince died young, her first reaction was not to win him over but to compete for favor and have another prince. Therefore, he was initially puzzled by Consort De's indifference, but now it had evolved into indifference.

For the Fourth Prince, Consort De, his birth mother, was someone who came into his life unexpectedly, and he had no real affection for her. Consort De was also indifferent to him, so he didn't want to fawn over her and simply fulfilled his filial duties according to propriety.

Yin'e sighed inwardly, and squeezed the Ninth Prince's hand tightly: "Ninth Brother, let's go back to the Prince's Residence quickly, and go back to see the birthday gift I gave you this year."

The Ninth Prince's attention was quickly diverted, and he asked with great interest, "What is it? What did you give me this year, Tenth Brother?"

“You’ll know when we get back to the Prince’s residence, Ninth Prince.” Yin’e didn’t answer immediately, but instead kept the answer a secret, which made the Ninth Prince even more eager to know what was going on. He quickened his pace, no longer taking a leisurely stroll.