Quick Transmigration: Survive to the End

Whether Bei'an went to persuade the Crown Prince later, Yin Yin didn't know, but their relationship was getting better and better.

The Prince of Ning'an's residence was also unusually fortunate to have the Crown Prince as a distinguished guest.

When the prince arrived, Yinyin was mixing incense. She added one part of boiled agarwood, two ounces of agarwood, three ounces of sandalwood, water musk, and borneol, and mixed them all together.

Because she was at home and had chores to do, Yin Yin dressed more simply than usual. She wore a pair of inverted bell-shaped hairpins with tassels hanging down just right, adding a touch of gentleness to Yin Yin.

Bei'an walked to the door with the Crown Prince, only to find him staring at his mother without moving, his expression somewhat dazed. Bei'an glanced at his mother as well, finding her to be much the same as usual, and gently reminded him, "Why doesn't Your Highness go in?"

The Crown Prince then came to his senses and replied with a smile, "I was afraid of disturbing the Princess's blending of incense."

After speaking, the Crown Prince led the way through the gate, followed closely by Bei'an.

Yinyin had actually noticed them earlier, but she waited until they entered before putting down what she was holding and getting up to greet them.

Almost as soon as she bowed, the Crown Prince said, "Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities. What kind of incense are you blending?"

"Your Highness is curious, why don't you burn it and try it?" Yin Yin said, and then asked someone to bring an incense burner.

In just a short while, an elegant fragrance of orchids slowly filled the room.

"These spices have actually blended to create a fragrance reminiscent of orchids," the prince exclaimed in surprise, then with a hint of delight.

Seeing this, Yin Yin told him the incense recipe: "If Your Highness likes it, please have your servants make it for you."

The Crown Prince thanked Yin Yin and then followed Bei An to his courtyard.

Only then did Yin Yin have time to ask the people serving Bei An, "Why didn't they send someone back to inform us of the Crown Prince's arrival?"

The servant hurriedly said, "I heard that the Crown Prince was in a bad mood, so our young master invited him out of the palace to relax. He originally didn't plan to come to our mansion, but he happened to be passing by on the street, and the Crown Prince said that he couldn't let the young master pass by his own home without going in, so he came to our mansion."

They had already reached the street when they decided to enter the mansion on short notice, so there was naturally no time to report.

After hearing this, Yin Yin nodded and told him to leave, but she was still a little unsure why the Crown Prince had suddenly come to visit.

Don't even mention that she just happened to be passing by and came in to take a look; Yin Yin didn't believe a word of it.

As it was time to prepare the meal, a maidservant came forward to ask for instructions on how to proceed.

Yinyin thought for a moment and told them to send the menu to Bei'an and ask the Crown Prince to order one or two of his favorite dishes.

During his meals, the Crown Prince behaved with propriety and self-respect. After finishing his meal, he quickly took his leave and returned to the palace.

However, from then on, the Crown Prince would occasionally accompany Beian out of the palace to the Prince's residence.

After several visits, Yin Yin realized that the Crown Prince did not want her to treat him too distantly. After consideration, she treated him like her own junior, except for the necessary etiquette. This pleased the Crown Prince, and he stayed longer and longer, even staying until Gu Anzhi returned home on several occasions.

The Crown Prince was close to the Prince of Ning'an's family, but the Emperor said nothing, focusing instead on his intimate relationship with Consort Zhen.

As time went on, the Crown Prince became more like a child of the Ning'an Prince's Mansion than a stranger to the Emperor. He respected Gu Anzhi more than the Emperor, and he was even more receptive to Yin Yin's advice.

Yin Yin also learned of the Crown Prince's intentions.

Firstly, the Ning'an Prince's Mansion is worth winning over, and since he has a good relationship with Yin Yin, Zhan Zheng will be more amiable towards him.

Secondly, before the late Empress passed away, she wanted to entrust Yin Yin to her care.

Logically, Yin Yin's refusal of the Empress's request should have displeased the Crown Prince, but what she said that day resonated with him. Naturally, he thought that if the Empress had heeded Yin Yin's advice, he might still have a mother to care for.

Thirdly, there was a degree of transference involved. Initially, in the Crown Prince's eyes, Yin Yin was a gentle woman, just like the late Empress.

Of course, the Crown Prince soon discovered in his interactions with her that the late Empress and Yin Yin had absolutely nothing in common.

The late Empress and the Emperor once enjoyed a harmonious relationship, but the Emperor was the one in control. In contrast, in the relationship between Yin Yin and Gu Anzhi, Yin Yin was the one in control.

Furthermore, the two women have different personalities. The late Empress was gentle, but lacked a sense of self. Yin Yin was gentle, but beneath that gentleness lay a strong sense of self-reliance, leading her to do many things that others couldn't understand, yet she persisted in them nonetheless.

After observing silently for a while, the Crown Prince suddenly realized why his father, who had clearly obtained the most prestigious position in the world, would still occasionally express envy towards Bei'an.

Gu Beian is truly a person who was born surrounded by good fortune.

As the Crown Prince interacted with the Prince of Ning'an's household, he gradually grew into an upright and resourceful young man. However, when it came to matters concerning the Emperor and the Empress, he couldn't help but become somewhat stubborn. Fortunately, he was receptive to advice.

Twelve years into his reign, the emperor became acutely aware of the gap between himself and his predecessor. His former ambitions gradually faded, and he was no longer as diligent in his duties as before.

Gu Anzhi would sigh at home whenever he mentioned it.

After hearing this many times, Yin Yin asked, "His Majesty continues to value you and your elder brother, and listens to your opinions. What else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

Gu Anzhi replied, "This world ultimately belongs to His Majesty. It's only because my brother-in-law and I don't covet power that we're able to do so. If it were someone else, I don't know who would be in charge of this world."

Yinyin held the pastry, took a bite, and put it down: "What's the use of worrying so much? His Majesty can send you back with just one sentence: 'He knows how to recognize talent and appoint people well.' Can you argue with that?"

Even though the emperor has promoted the empress's family members over the years and given them unparalleled glory, he has not allowed them to surpass him and Zhan Zheng, and the court remains stable.

Therefore, Gu Anzhi could not refute the saying "knowing people and assigning them to suitable positions".

"Alright," Yinyin pushed the plate of snacks toward him. "You're in your prime, you can still help His Majesty. Or do you think you're too old to do anything?"

“How could that be?” Gu Anzhi immediately replied, “You are still young, how could I bear to grow old?”

Yin Yin is very good at maintaining her appearance. Anyone who sees her would think she is only around twenty years old. Who would have thought that she is a generation older than the emperor?

However, Yin Yin looks young, which puts a lot of pressure on Gu Anzhi.

To avoid being mistaken for Yin Yin's father when they stand together, he pays great attention to exercising, often uses Yin Yin's beauty tips, and never grows a beard to avoid looking old at first glance.

Thanks to his hard work, he is still a very charismatic and handsome man, and even when standing next to the emperor, they don't look like they are from two different generations.

Although the results were good, Gu Anzhi developed a bad habit: he couldn't stand people saying he was old.

Phrases like "still vigorous in old age" or "an old horse in its stall" are taboo for him.

Now, spurred on by Yin Yin, he naturally stopped mentioning the emperor.

Yinyin smiled as she went to wash her hands, but while looking at the water, she was mentally calculating the days ahead.

This person seems to have only been in power for thirteen years.

Why didn't he have it?