Quick Transmigration: Survive to the End

“I don’t want phoenixes and peonies,” Yin Yin said. “I want cute little animals.”

“Then have someone draw a rabbit for you,” said Young Master Qi. “Or how about a New Year’s picture doll? It looks a lot like you.”

Their conversation veered further and further off course, and even after they boarded the carriage to the palace, they continued their discussion.

Once they reached the palace gates, Old Master Qi interrupted their conversation: "It's time to enter the palace."

Both of them shut their mouths at the same time.

The carriages outside could only stop at designated places, so they had to walk the rest of the way on their own.

Young Master Qi, being young, took the initiative to carry Yin Yin away.

After walking a short distance, Yin Yin noticed that he kept switching sides and said, "Uncle, please put me down. I can walk by myself."

"No need," Young Master Qi insisted through gritted teeth, "You're so young, how could I not be able to carry you?"

Old Madam Qi and Old Master Qi could see through his bravado and said, "Let your father hold her for a while. Don't underestimate Yin Yin just because she's small. Even I find her a bit heavy to hold. I can't hold her very well."

Old Master Qi also seemed inclined to take over, so Young Master Qi obediently let go.

However, he didn't say anything about Yin Yin losing weight, since children should be like Yin Yin.

The family walked for a while longer, and then they saw Grandpa Wu personally leading two people to come over.

Old Master Qi put Yin Yin down and stepped forward with a smile: "Where are you going, Eunuch Wu?"

Eunuch Wu came over and bowed: "Isn't it because we heard that the old Marquis brought Miss Yinyin to the palace, and His Majesty specially asked us to come and welcome him?"

Old Master Qi immediately feigned gratitude, bowing towards the Xuan Shi Hall where the emperor was: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

As he spoke, he turned around and gestured for Yinyin to come closer: "Yinyin, this is Grandpa Wu."

“I cannot accept this,” Eunuch Wu cautiously refused, then squatted down and looked at Yin Yin gently, “Miss, would you please come with me to meet His Majesty first?”

Old Master Qi asked, "Eunuch Wu, His Majesty only said he wanted to see Yin Yin?"

Eunuch Wu nodded and said, "His Majesty said that since you, the old marquis, rarely come to the palace, you must miss Consort Shu. He asked me to lead you to the side hall first so you can talk to Consort Shu."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Old Master Qi said, expressing his gratitude for the Emperor's great favor. He wisely refrained from pointing out that Yin Yin had not yet met Consort Shu. "Yin Yin, why don't you go with Eunuch Wu to see His Majesty first, and then come to see your grandfather later, okay?"

Yinyin nodded and obediently let Eunuch Wu pick her up.

Eunuch Wu left a young eunuch to lead Old Master Qi and the others to the place where they would meet Consort Shu, while he carried Yin Yin and asked her about her situation at home as they walked.

"What does Miss Yinyin usually do at home? Is she learning to read now?"

Yinyin is only three years old. Although she has learned a few characters while her uncle was studying, she hasn't really learned many more. Even if she could understand them, she couldn't say that to outsiders, so she naturally answered no.

Eunuch Wu asked several more questions, and Yin Yin answered truthfully each time, which gave him confidence.

The two exchanged questions and answers, and occasionally Eunuch Wu would tell Yin Yin about the scenery they had just seen. It seemed like only a short time had passed before they arrived outside the Xuan Shi Hall.

Just as Eunuch Wu was about to lead Yin Yin inside, they heard a loud thud, as if a document had been thrown to the ground.

"After investigating for so long, is this all you've found?"

"roll!"

Eunuch Wu led Yin Yin to stand to the side, and soon a guard dressed differently from the others came out.

He caught a glimpse of Eunuch Wu and Yin Yin in his arms, but ignored them and strode away.

Eunuch Wu's face darkened, but he quickly recovered and became unusually respectful because Yin Yin was still there. He gently knocked on the door and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Yin Yin has arrived."

Only after receiving the instruction to enter did Eunuch Wu carefully push open the door.

Before Eunuch Wu could put Yin Yin down and teach her how to bow, the Emperor said, "Bring her over directly."

Eunuch Wu then carried Yin Yin to the emperor, put her down, and then quietly stepped aside.

Yinyin looked up at the emperor's face, her eyes filled with curiosity but not fear.

She was a beat slow to think of bowing: "Your subject, Qi Yinyin, greets Your Majesty."

"No need for formalities," the emperor said, his anger still lingering, but a smile appeared on his face when he saw Yin Yin's slightly clumsy movements.

"The way you bow is almost the same as when your father first met me."

Seeing the emperor bring up her father, Yinyin quickly asked, "Is that really true?"

"Yes," the emperor was not angry at Yin Yin's bold questioning. Instead, he simply told her a few old stories.

Yin Yin's attentive listening and her bright, sparkling eyes greatly satisfied the emperor's desire to speak.

But after saying that, he turned serious and asked Yin Yin, "When you're at home, does no one talk to you about your father?"

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Wu glanced at Yin Yin discreetly, waiting for her to finish speaking so he could help her with some minor corrections.

“I did say that,” Yin Yin said generously, “but what my grandparents told me were things they already knew. They didn’t tell me about my father’s time in the palace and his interactions with His Majesty!”

This is not a lie.

Whether Old Master Qi and his wife truly missed their eldest son or had other motives, they told Yin Yin a lot about their eldest son's past. Even Young Master Qi told Yin Yin a few stories about how his brother had bullied him in the past.

Seeing the emperor's expression soften, Eunuch Wu knew he was satisfied with Yin Yin's answer and abandoned his previous thought, so he lowered his head again.

"That's true," the emperor said with a touch of melancholy. "These things are now only remembered by me."

“No,” Yin Yin replied seriously, “Now that His Majesty has told Yin Yin, Yin Yin will remember it from now on.”

The emperor was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Yes, yes, I've told you, and now there will be one more person in the world who remembers him."

After the emperor finished speaking, he asked Yin Yin with some curiosity, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Why should I be afraid?" Yin Yin looked somewhat bewildered. "His Majesty is good to me, so why should I be afraid of him?"

As she spoke, Yin Yin began counting on her fingers: "Grandma said that as soon as Yin Yin was born, she sent Eunuch Wu to see her. Yin Yin's nine-linked rings, golden unicorn, little pearl..."

By the end, Yin Yin had used up all ten of her fingers, but still hadn't finished counting, so she simply gave up: "How could Yin Yin be afraid of His Majesty?"

Eunuch Wu chimed in, "That's exactly right. Miss Yinyin may be young, but she remembers all the kindness His Majesty has shown her!"

The emperor couldn't help but touch Yin Yin's hair, a half-smile on his face, before finally saying something after a long while.

"These many people don't even know right from wrong as well as a child."