From the fused memories, Gu Fangchen could easily piece everything together.
The reason why the original body, the false heir, became so "depraved and wanton" had everything to do with his upbringing and family environment.
Because the Great Wei Dynasty had been at war with the Qīngmán for many years, the Northern Garrison Prince had long been stationed at the border and rarely returned to the princely residence in Huangtian City.
Gu Fangchen had lived in that residence for nineteen whole years, yet he could count on his fingers the number of times he had met the Northern Garrison Prince.
And those few meetings,either because Gu Fangchen had been poisoned, or because he had caused some major disaster that needed his father's intervention.
In his eyes, there were only two ways to gain the attention of the father he both revered and feared.
Either he destroyed himself, or he destroyed others.
It was obvious that Gu Fangchen had chosen the latter.
The Great Wei was a nation built upon martial might; its people revered strength.
After his dantian was crippled, Gu Fangchen had become the greatest laughingstock among the scions of merit in Huangtian City.
And the more a person lacks something, the more desperately they seek it.
The self-respect Gu Fangchen lacked, he compensated for through arrogance and cruelty.
More importantly, the Northern Garrison Princess, Ning Caiyong, had shown him nearly limitless indulgence and affection.
Gu Fangchen had been poisoned several times; Ning Caiyong, gentle by nature and burdened with guilt toward her son, would smooth over any trouble he caused, no matter how severe, and always strive to meet his demands.
This had directly raised him into a man-child.
The emptier he felt within, the more insatiably he demanded from the outside world.
The more unruly he became, the more emotional attention he drew from others,and in the long run, he naturally grew worse and worse.
As the saying goes, "A mother's tenderness spoils the son."
Ning Caiyong was the very embodiment of such a mother without boundaries.
She could even be described as "madly devoted to spoiling her child."
Of course, for the players, this was no negative character trait at all,
On the contrary, it made Ning Caiyong solidify her place as the top contender for the title of "the kind of woman who could be my mom" in popularity rankings!
In short, within the entire princely estate, the only person who might still stand by Gu Fangchen's side and believe him unconditionally was her.
That he was locked in confinement,she might be able to tolerate, since the matter was serious.
But if he were to suffer injury because of it, that was something Ning Caiyong would never forgive in the slightest!
...
Outside the Heir's own Xiefang Courtyard,
a group of the Prince's personal guards and hidden shadow guards were together blocking the way of a magnificently dressed, stunningly beautiful woman.
This noblewoman had cheeks like peach blossoms and eyes glimmering with frosty coldness. Her flawless white face carried gentle grace and elegance. A red gown of brocade woven with golden dark patterns lent her a faint air of majesty and nobility.
Her dark-green hair was coiled in cloudlike waves, with gold hairpins set slightly askew, revealing a sliver of smooth, creamy neck as pure as congealed jade.
In the in-game "Rouge Beauty Rankings," the unmarried Ning Caiyong had once been rated as the number-one unrivaled beauty under heaven.
A poem about her was well-known: "The blue heavens are far, dreams of Chang'e faint; but once in the mortal realm, behold Ning Caiyong."
At first glance, she seemed almost like a young maiden of sixteen or seventeen,it was nearly impossible to imagine that this was a woman who had borne three children and was nearing her fortieth year.
Ning Caiyong, Princess Consort of the Northern Garrison Prince, hailed from Liuhua Province's greatest sect,Sword Pavilion,and was the daughter of its master.
The "Sword Saint" Ning Songjun, renowned for "cutting through the land and sailing by sword," was her younger brother!
Ning Caiyong herself possessed no cultivation, merely a delicate woman of the inner chambers.
But when she was wed, her younger brother Ning Songjun, still a teenager, personally carried her from Sword Pavilion all the way to the gates of the princely residence.
From Liuhua Province to Huangtian City,one hundred and twenty thousand li apart,the young Sword Saint had stooped his back and bent his knees for her.
From then on, the world knew well how formidable the Princess Consort's background was.
It was better to offend the Sword Saint than to offend his elder sister!
"Please calm yourself, Your Highness,"
said the leading shadow guard, kneeling with his head lowered. Though he spoke politely, his tone was firm:
"We act under His Highness's direct order. To prevent the Heir from doing anything reckless in a moment of impulse, we have placed the restriction here."
Ning Caiyong pressed her lips together, anger flashing in her voice.
"So, it comes to this. Because I am but a woman confined within the inner residence, everyone believes me ignorant and shallow,so much that even the guards and attendants dare deceive me!"
She let out a cold, mirthless laugh.
"And since when has His Highness ever cared so dearly for my Fangchen's wellbeing?"
"If he truly feared that Fangchen might do something rash, would the mighty Northern Garrison Prince be unable to block a mere message from reaching my ears?"
She was a beauty who could have embodied the phrase "gentle land of fragrance." Even in anger, her face did not flush red.
But the moment it concerned Gu Fangchen, it was as though someone had struck at the reverse scale growing upon her very flesh.
Her words cut sharp and deep, straight into the spine.
This speech left the guards beneath her completely silent, not daring to utter a sound.
"Have you anything else with which to try deceiving me?"
Ning Caiyong swept her gaze across them and spoke coldly.
"If not, then stand aside."
She made as if to walk forward, and the guards hastily stepped in to block her path.
Seeing that persuasion would fail, one of the retainers rolled his eyes and decided to speak plainly:
"His Highness did indeed issue the order, commanding us to keep watch over the Heir. Please, Your Highness, do not make things difficult for us lowly servants."
The retainer sighed, kneeling.
"Your Highness, forgive us. We only act by command. The Prince's will is firm,how could we possibly defy it?"
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. The restriction merely limits the Heir's movements. It will not harm even a single hair on his head!"
His voice took on a pleading tone.
"We beg Your Highness to be merciful and return to your chambers. The night is cold and damp,should your body suffer even slightly, the Prince will surely hold us accountable!"
It was said that to enter a noble's household was like plunging into a deep sea. These retainers, able to earn their keep within the princely estate, were shrewd even among cultivators.
Unlike the shadow guards who rigidly followed orders, they knew well how to wield the art of words.
The Princess Consort was kind and soft-hearted,unyielding before harshness but yielding before gentleness.
Thus they had to plead with sincerity, reason with her, appeal to her emotions,only then could they sway her and make her hesitate.
Once the night passed and the Prince returned, the false heir's fate would be sealed forever. Even the Princess Consort would be powerless to protect him!
The others quickly followed suit, kneeling in a chorus.
"Please, Your Highness, return!"
Seeing this, Ning Caiyong paused. Her heart softened, her resolve wavering.
These men likely were merely obeying orders, and she knew better than anyone how harsh and unforgiving Gu Yuye's methods were.
Even if she spoke on their behalf, he would only punish them for dereliction.
If the restriction truly did only limit Fangchen's movement...
And given that his identity was currently uncertain...
Seeing her hesitation, the retainers immediately stepped forward to guide her gently.
"Your Highness, please, it would be best if you,"
At that very moment, from the distant bedchamber, bright blue spiritual lines suddenly flared in all directions, shining blindingly in the darkness.
With a loud "boom," the ground itself trembled.
Then came Gu Fangchen's pitiful, anguished shout:
"Mother! It hurts!"
Ning Caiyong's face turned pale at once. Her gaze turned icy as she stared at the retainers.
"This is what you call 'not harming a single hair on his head'?!"
The retainer froze in shock.
"Impossible! This restriction,it clearly,it was meant only to prevent entry and exit!"
He was certain of it. He had only set a movement barrier,how had it suddenly become an offensive one?
But Ning Caiyong no longer wished to hear his excuses. She called out coldly:
"Granny Cui."
An elderly woman's figure appeared instantly by the bedroom door. With a single gesture, the blue runes disintegrated into nothingness.
The figure then took two steps back, bowed, and respectfully opened the door.
Ning Caiyong hurried inside, and at once she saw Gu Fangchen collapsed on the floor, blood staining his lips.
She was terrified. Her face turned deathly white, drained of all color, her lips trembling.
"Fangchen!"
She knelt and gathered Gu Fangchen into her arms. Seeing him barely breathing, her eyes quickly filled with tears.
Gu Fangchen raised a hand and wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes flickering with faint astonishment.
In the game, perhaps because too much memory and processing power had been devoted to AI and the sandbox system, the character models were never that detailed.
Now, seeing this peerless beauty in the flesh, he finally understood the phrase "a glimpse of mortal beauty."
The feeling in his heart was complicated.
No matter how many times he'd joked about her being "the kind of woman who could be my mom," facing such an overwhelmingly beautiful woman and calling her mother still felt a little strange...
In a daze, he felt several warm drops fall upon his cheek.
When he looked up, he saw the panic in Ning Caiyong's tear-filled eyes. The tears fell like pearls, spilling freely without restraint.
A faint sigh escaped Gu Fangchen's lips, carried away by the wind.
He straightened his body and pulled Ning Caiyong into a firm embrace.
Caught off guard by the sudden hug from a grown man, Ning Caiyong flinched instinctively, trying to pull away.
But Gu Fangchen only tightened his hold, gripping her arms so hard it hurt. His muffled voice came through, as if spoken through clenched teeth:
"Mother, it hurts so much. They all want to harm me. Are you going to abandon me too?"
At those words, Ning Caiyong's body trembled violently. It felt as though her heart had been torn to shreds.
She cursed herself a thousand times over for the moment of hesitation she'd felt earlier.
Everyone knew the Princess Consort was kind, but when it came to playing the part of the pitiful victim, who in the world could rival him?