Quick Transmigration: Survive to the End

Yinyin shook her head: "I didn't hear His Majesty say anything."

Madam Qi was even more worried: "Why don't you take such an important matter to heart?"

The aunt sitting below laughed and said, "It's just that our family hasn't spread the news. If the outside world knew that Yinyin was choosing a husband, they would have worn down our doorstep. Mother, please don't worry."

"So none of you are in a hurry, and I'm the only one who is?" Seeing that the mother and daughter were in cahoots, Madam Qi still advised, "At least pick a good one and settle down first. If you drag it out, all you'll get are the ones that others have left over."

Seeing that Madam Qi looked particularly worried, her aunt glanced at Yin Yin and gave her a hint: "Mother, don't worry, there are plenty of people outside who are more anxious than we are."

Old Madam Qi sensed something was amiss: "What, do you have some little secret that you're keeping from me alone?"

“That’s not quite right,” Aunt laughed. “The Marquis said that he must raise Yin Yin to be a satisfactory and obedient child.”

"So you already have a candidate in mind?" Old Madam Qi glanced at Yin Yin, feeling it was inappropriate to say this in front of her, so she found an excuse to send her away.

Yinyin pretended to be shy and went out the door, but the blush on her face disappeared after only a few steps.

A maidservant followed her up and, seeing that she wasn't in high spirits, suggested, "Isn't there a hostage from another country arriving in the capital today? Why don't you join in the fun, Miss?"

Yinyin thought for a moment, then had someone inform Old Madam Qi before turning around and leaving with her entourage.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and there weren't many restaurants or private rooms left for her to choose from, so she went directly to one of her own bookstores.

This shop used to belong to her father. After he passed away, Old Master Qi and his wife originally planned to take it over to the mansion as public property, but Young Master Qi refused, saying that his elder brother's private property should belong to his niece. So after Yin Yin became the county princess, this shop, along with many other properties, returned to her hands.

Because of Young Master Qi's insistence, most of the old employees in these businesses were the same group that her father used to work for. After Yin Yin took over, she sorted out the ways of things, caught a few corrupt officials who were lining their own pockets, and let the rest of the hardworking people continue to work.

When Yinyin entered the bookstore, the shopkeeper immediately greeted her and led her upstairs to the second floor, where he also told her about the recent situation at the bookstore.

After they had finished talking, the hostages who were going to the capital arrived.

Saying it as "them" is not wrong.

Although a country might only send one or two hostages, princesses, or noble ladies, this time several countries happened to arrive around the same time and came to the capital together, which gave the people of the capital more to talk about and aroused the interest of many to come and see.

"Miss," the maid was even more enthusiastic than Yinyin, "Look, that hostage prince from some country, he's so handsome!"

"Although the other hostages were not ugly, it was that crown prince who was exceptionally handsome."

Yinyin walked to the window and looked down through the open window opened by the maid. She found that the maid was right.

Although that hostage wasn't the currently popular muscular hunk type, his pale skin stood out like a completely different layer from everyone else in the sunlight. Not to mention his slender yet bamboo-like demeanor and his exquisitely handsome features.

However... he's a bit young, and still looks quite childish.

Yinyin glanced at his clothes, the patterns on his saddle, and the attire of the servants around him before speaking: "They look like they're from the Kingdom of Lin."

"Lin Kingdom?" The maid looked at him a few more times with lingering affection. "Lin Kingdom is a bitterly cold place. It's amazing that such a young master could grow up there."

Hearing this, Yin Yin glanced at her maid with a hint of amusement and said, "You certainly have good taste."

The maid said proudly, "I'm just like my mistress."

Yinyin was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond to her words.

Yin Yin didn't find it interesting and glanced around casually. Just as she was about to go back inside, she happened to meet the eyes of the hostage from the Rin Kingdom. Yin Yin didn't take it seriously and left the window.

"Miss, that hostage from the Lin Kingdom has been glancing this way several times, I wonder what he's looking at," the maid said casually, then forgot about it and turned her attention back to the people behind her.

"I thought I would see the noble ladies who came with me, but I only saw the hostages," the maid said obsequiously, sidling up to Yin Yin. "Miss, next time you go to the palace, please take me with you. I want to broaden my horizons."

Yinyin gently tapped her head with a clean brush from the lake beside her: "Don't even think about it. Someone like you who comes to the palace with me, even if you dare to go out, I wouldn't dare to take you with me."

The maid was filled with disappointment. In the end, she couldn't get Yin Yin's consent and could only watch helplessly as Yin Yin brought another composed head maid into the palace for the banquet.

This palace banquet was to welcome these hostages and envoys to the capital, and also to demonstrate our own strength.

The emperor had originally entrusted the matter to the crown prince, but with the banquet about to begin, the emperor sent Eunuch Wu on a trip, and upon his return, ordered the removal of many of the items the crown prince had prepared.

When Yinyin arrived, the Emperor was talking to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness has done a good job. Not only did you have new songs and dances rehearsed, but you also thoughtfully prepared hometown songs and dances and a banquet for them."

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "I just want them to feel the magnanimity of our dynasty and to make them feel at home."

Yinyin, who was about to go in, paused and retreated to the door.

Eunuch Wu asked softly, "Why isn't the county princess going in?"

"Father is talking to the Crown Prince. I'll go in later," Yin Yin said, and also asked about Eunuch Wu's condition, telling him to take good care of his health so that he could serve the Emperor for a long time.

Eunuch Wu was deeply moved. He had only exchanged a few words with Yin Yin when he heard a loud crash from inside. It was the Emperor smashing a teacup.

Eunuch Wu dared not delay, quickly said a few words to Yin Yin, and rushed inside.

The palace maids following Yinyin didn't dare to breathe too loudly, while Yinyin herself remained calm.

When Yinyin heard the Emperor and the Crown Prince's words, she knew something was wrong. What else could happen if things weren't peaceful now?

In fact, it was not wrong for the Crown Prince to do his job diligently, but he was too diligent, which made him a mistake.

These missions were there to send hostages and noblewomen for marriage alliances, and their status was not that of equals with that of the current dynasty.

Therefore, the welcoming banquet is secondary; the most important thing is to demonstrate our own strength to them, so that they will be intimidated and dare not act rashly.

But what did the crown prince do?

How can we make people feel at home?

Is this occasion appropriate?

It might be possible, but it's best not to.

If the Crown Prince had simply changed his story, saying that his arrangement was to let these people know that the dynasty was very familiar with their national conditions, the emperor might not have been so displeased.

Yinyin turned her head to look at the distant azure sky.

There's still a long way to go!