Quick Transmigration: Survive to the End

Having learned her lesson, no matter how arrogant and dissatisfied Consort Shu was, she still showed the Empress ample respect on the surface.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year's Eve banquet, the emperor announced the appointment of the fifth prince as crown prince.

The succession dispute of the previous dynasty was settled before it even began.

The Empress's lineage also seemed to have reached its peak of power.

Perhaps it truly is true that things reach their extremes and then reverse, and the full moon begins to wane.

In the third year after the Fifth Prince became the Crown Prince, news of the Empress's illness frequently circulated in the palace.

The Empress's illness recurred for several years, with her just recovering from a cold only to fall ill again.

The Crown Prince was indeed a filial son. Whenever he had free time, he would personally go to the Jiaofang Palace to serve him medicine.

But at the New Year's Eve banquet in the winter of Yin Yin's tenth year, the Empress forced herself to attend despite her illness, which really frightened many people.

The empress's face was so thin that it was almost unrecognizable, and her hands looked like skin and bones.

To maintain her empressly dignity, she specially wore a full set of jewelry and gorgeous clothes. But while the clothes and jewelry were beautiful, they only made the empress's face look even more withered.

The Crown Prince outwardly showed concern for the Empress, but the court officials below each had their own thoughts. As for the high-ranking concubines in the palace, they all wished the Empress would fall quickly so that they could make way for her.

The emperor already knew about the empress's condition, so he wasn't surprised at all, and his expression remained unchanged.

Now that Yin Yin is growing up, the emperor continues his habit of giving her extra rewards, but he rarely calls her to his side at the New Year's Eve banquet.

Yinyin thought she wouldn't have anything to do this year, and was talking to her close friends when she saw the female official from the Empress's side walk over.

"Her Majesty the Empress said that she hasn't seen Miss Qi for some time and misses her. She would like to invite Miss Qi over to talk."

Yinyin's friends looked on with envy and urged her to go quickly.

Yinyin made a point of telling her grandparents before cautiously following the female official.

When the Empress saw Yin Yin, her face softened with affection. She reached out and pulled Yin Yin closer, saying, "I have been ill for the past few months. Whenever you come to pay your respects, I am afraid of catching your illness, so I only let you perform a curtsy before you go back."

"Now that I think about it, it's been quite a while since I've seen you," the Empress said, looking her over carefully. "Without realizing it, Yin Yin has grown up so much."

The last sentence was addressed to the emperor.

The emperor glanced at the empress and said, "She has indeed grown up quite a bit since she first entered the palace at the age of three."

The Empress's smile widened, and then the Emperor continued, "But even now, she still looks like a child and is used to being spoiled."

Yin Yin was puzzled by what the Empress was talking about. Seeing the Emperor's words, she was not annoyed and quickly replied, "I am still a child. It will take a few more years for me to grow up."

Then, Yin Yin said in a voice that only they could hear, "If I could stay a child forever, I wouldn't mind never growing up."

“You’re just talking nonsense,” the emperor said, tapping her with his finger. “There’s no such thing as staying a child forever.”

The Empress chimed in, "Yes, people always have to grow up."

“Back then, your mother was a famous noble lady in the capital, and Marquis Qi was a desirable son-in-law in the eyes of many. When you grow up, Yin Yin, I imagine the threshold of the Marquis’s mansion will be worn down by the crowds.”

The topic came up abruptly, and the Empress made her point so clearly that both Yin Yin and the Emperor knew she was scheming against Yin Yin's marriage.

"It's still early," Yin Yin said, feigning shyness as she moved closer to the emperor. "Besides, His Majesty said that he will personally oversee my marriage. No matter how many matchmakers come to my door, it won't make a difference."

"Is that so, Your Majesty?"

The empress's eyes seemed to gleam with a different kind of light under the lamplight.

She said to the emperor in a half-joking tone, "Your Majesty has high standards. If you were to choose a husband for Yin Yin, there would probably be very few good men in the world who could meet your standards."

"In the end, Yin Yin will probably still have to become our royal family's daughter-in-law. Only by watching a child grow up under our noses can we truly know what kind of temperament and character she has, right?"

As she finished speaking, Yin Yin suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Over the years, the emperor had considered choosing a husband for her from among his princes, but only the first five princes were her age match. From the sixth prince onwards, all of them were more than five years younger than her.

Regarding this point, Yin Yin had already stated to the emperor many times that she was not familiar with the princes and had no feelings for them.

The emperor used to mention it a few times, but later, seeing that the princes really couldn't get along, and that Yin Yin didn't even have the slightest intention of interacting with them, he gradually stopped mentioning it.

If it weren't for Yin Yin's subtle influence over the years, the Emperor might have really started to consider it again after the Empress spoke up.

"Just the eldest brother and his group?" The emperor shook his head. "They're not a good match for Yinyin."

The Empress quickly said, "Your Majesty, why do you only think about the eldest son and the others? The Crown Prince doesn't even have a Crown Princess yet."

Seeing that the emperor did not speak, the empress sighed and said, "Although I should not say such things during the New Year, it is clear that my health is not going to improve."

"What I am most worried about now is that after I am gone, the Crown Prince will be all alone, with no one to care for him."

"I have watched Yinyin grow up since she was a child, and with His Majesty's personal guidance, she is of the highest caliber in terms of both character and talent."

"So, I've been tempted and want to ask for Yin Yin to marry the Crown Prince as his Crown Princess?"

"With Yinyin by the Crown Prince's side, I can rest assured."

The Empress smiled again and looked at the Emperor: "When Yinyin becomes the Crown Princess, she will be considered Your Majesty's daughter."

After hearing the Empress's words, Yin Yin's heart was in her throat.

In this palace, the Empress's understanding of the Emperor is something that no other concubine can match.

The emperor glanced at Yin Yin, who looked nervous, and said in a comforting tone, "Why do you always think about this and that, even about what will happen after you die?"

"The imperial physicians all said that as long as you take good care of yourself and don't get sick so often, you will definitely live to be a hundred years old. Once you've recovered, you'll have plenty of time to choose whether you become the Crown Princess or one of the Crown Prince's concubines."

When the emperor said this, the empress perceived it as a veiled rejection.

The Empress inevitably showed disappointment on her face, and consequently became less affectionate towards Yin Yin.

The emperor called Yin Yin, who was relieved, to his side: "You've been here for so long, your grandparents must be getting impatient. Go back now."

The emperor gave her the opportunity, and Yin Yin would certainly seize it immediately.

She quickly said a few auspicious words to the emperor and empress, and left without looking back.

Marrying the Crown Prince and becoming his consort—what a terrifying story!