Yinzhen was filled with emotion.

He had never imagined or witnessed this scene before him, not even in his previous life when dining in the Prince's mansion. There was the Fujin, always with a perfectly measured smile and an aura of sandalwood; Li Shi, trying to push her children towards her with a fawning smile; and Nian Shi, always bedridden, her once playful youth now silent and withdrawn…

Yinzhen shook his head.

He banished those people entangled in his mind, looked around, and decided to return to the biggest problem at hand.

For Yinzhen, who is currently less than two years old.

What was the biggest challenge? Of course, it was eating! Yinzhen would never allow himself to be fed, so he waved his little spoon, being extremely serious and trying his best not to let a single grain of rice fall outside—this was Yinzhen's last act of stubbornness.

Yinreng couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

After a long while, he whispered in Yinzhuo's ear, "Although Fifth Brother seems to be more serious than Consort Qi, but..."

Yinzhuo secretly smiled, his eyes narrowing.

He lowered his voice: "You're a foodie too, right?"

Yinreng and Yinzuo couldn't help but chuckle to themselves.

Yinzhen, unaware that he had been labeled a foodie, was racking his brains to fight against the food in front of him.

When I was little, my chubby little hands were like a cat's tail; if you tried to control them, they would cause trouble. If you told them to go east, they would go west.

Even while eating, beads of sweat would appear on the tip of my nose.

What surprised Yinreng and Yinzuo even more was that Yinzhen's wet nurse stood behind them the whole time. Although she kept a close eye on the little prince's every move, she had no intention of going forward to help.

Yinzhen is only two years old!

The two brothers were engrossed in whispering, their eyes never leaving Yinzhen. Even the least perceptive Yinzhen noticed their intense gazes. He raised his head and scanned them warily, only pausing when he met the gazes of Crown Prince Yinreng and Yinzuo before silently lowering his head again.

In his previous life, he had a fairly good relationship with the Crown Prince when he was young. However, in this world, the Crown Prince Yinreng had an additional brother named Yinzuo. Being cold-hearted by nature, he had no intention of getting along well with his other brothers.

Thinking back, Yinzhen had only seen them a few times, so he only glanced at them with little interest before lowering his head and immersing himself in his meal.

What he didn't know was that the more indifferent his reaction was, the more attention he attracted from Yinreng and Yinzuo.

The two brothers exchanged a glance.

After finishing their meal, Yinreng and Yinzuo chased after Yinzhen, and the three children started making a ruckus in the courtyard, which drew good-natured laughter from the group.

Wan Anran watched the scene unfold before her and, unusually, complained to Consort Nara: "Yinzhen is only two years old, yet he is so composed. I wish he could cause some trouble."

Before Consort Nara could answer, Consort Xuan shook her head, saying, "You won't be able to handle it if you really cause trouble."

"Huh? Really?"

"Of course."

"Yinzhuo was quite well-behaved when he was little—"

“When the eldest prince was outside the palace, he was a notorious troublemaker,” Consort Xuan muttered to herself. “Even when he returned to the palace, he was always chasing chickens and dogs, never giving us a moment of peace.”

"Really? Really?"

"Really!" The eldest princess nodded. She glanced at Crown Prince Yinreng in the distance: "My second brother almost got into a fight with him several times!"

The eldest princess, raised by the Empress, was definitely on the side of Crown Prince Yinreng. She also harbored resentment towards Yinzhi, who was somewhat unruly and spoiled by his family outside the palace, and would take any opportunity to rant and rave about him.

"Doesn't Consort Hui care either?"

"It's only been a year since she returned to the palace. Consort Hui has been working to improve her relationship with the First Prince, so why would she criticize him?" Consort Xuan shook her head. "Besides, when the First Prince grows up a bit more, he'll understand on his own, won't he?"

No way.

Wan Anran's troughs are mostly empty.

The story of the First Prince Yinzhi and the Crown Prince Yinreng, two famous rivals in later generations, whose passionate clashes continued until they were both imprisoned, is a poignant tale that evokes tears from anyone.

Consort Hui's idea was probably to wait until the eldest prince himself encountered the problem before she could comfort and persuade him.

However… Wan Anran, though unaware of the future of this world, could only shake her head at Hui Pin's expectations. If problems arise, they should be corrected and changed immediately; otherwise, once propelled forward by the forces behind them, how easy is it to stop?

For these reasons as well.

Wan Anran now thinks that Yinzhen, who is like an angel, is wonderful. Even if he is not naughty or lively, he is still her most, most, most adorable little baby.

She changed the subject and started talking about something else.

The Empress and Consort Xuan were quite interested in Consort Wei and started talking to her curiously.

As for Yinzhen on the other side, his head was as big as an ox.

How could he not know that Crown Prince Yinreng had this side to him? Seeing how the prince was so excited and insisted on telling him stories, playing a game of tag, Yinzhen looked desperate, rushed into his bedchamber, and buried himself in the covers: "I'm going to sleep—!"

"Then your second brother will tell you a story."

"Fourth Brother will sing you a lullaby—"

The two looked at each other.

They approached with grins, suggesting, "Why don't you sleep with Yinzhen?"

Yinzhen covered his head with a soft pillow.

His eyes were lifeless, his face was distorted, and he cried out silently: God, did you give me a second life just so that I could come back and suffer the torment of those two?

News of the Empress and others having a meal together at Chuxiu Palace soon arrived. Compared to the lighthearted laughter of the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, Kangxi was somewhat displeased.

How could you not invite me to a dinner party?

Even the Crown Prince went, but I didn't. Is that acceptable? Kangxi was in a bad mood, so he was dissatisfied with everything. He even found fault with the arrangements for the Mid-Autumn Festival that the Empress had sent him.

The Empress was sensible and perceptive.

She then had other Mid-Autumn Festival arrangements drafted and sent them over in turn.

Granny Zhou was a little worried: "These are all things of the past, only the names have been slightly changed. If the Emperor finds out, won't he be furious?"

The Empress took a sip of her tea and said, "Don't worry, in my opinion, the Emperor won't even glance at it in the end."

Granny Zhou looked bewildered.

The Empress, however, was confident. Sure enough, two days later Liang Jiugong came to deliver a message: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has decreed that all matters concerning the Mid-Autumn Festival should be handled according to the first set of regulations."

The Queen smiled and nodded.

She turned around and winked at Granny Zhou: "See what I said."

Wei Ying originally thought that her arrival would cause quite a stir, but she retreated from Kunning Palace with trepidation, feeling a mix of joy, annoyance, and a lingering sense of depression.

I'm happy that I've finally gained a foothold in the market.

What frustrated her was that her pregnancy didn't seem to attract as much attention as she had imagined, and what annoyed her most was the rather indifferent and ordinary rewards and titles she received.

The pregnant women are indeed treated quite well.

The imperial physicians, palace maids, and nannies who were responsible for taking her pulse every day, as well as the various meticulously arranged meals—but these were only the treatments for pregnant women. For Consort Wei, it was as if she were walking on a cloud, not knowing when that cloud would dissipate into rain.

Pregnant and needing to focus on her pregnancy, Wei Yingying couldn't even think of trying to win the Emperor's favor. She suddenly realized that her situation was both better and worse than she had imagined.

Wei agreed to force himself to stay alert.

She stroked her belly and gritted her teeth: "At least... I'm carrying a child."

Consort Wei's arrival did not cause much of a stir, and the inner palace was busy preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The same applies to Wan Anran.

The mooncakes in the palace were delicious, but a bit too sweet. Wan Anran planned to make some with different flavors and shapes, and as soon as she returned to the palace, she sent someone to the Imperial Household Department to order a bunch of molds.

Rabbit-shaped, flower-shaped, Wan Anran held a Xuan brush and carefully drew on the paper. One by one, adorable little animals appeared at her fingertips. Wan Anran smiled and beckoned, "Yinzhen, come and take a look."

Yinzhen skipped and hopped into the room, and he stood on tiptoe to look at the drawing paper on the table.

Isn't it cute?

"This is the first time I've ever seen such a unique pattern," Yinzhen replied tactfully.

Wan Anran's lips twitched slightly.

She tapped Yinzhen's forehead: "I wonder who he takes after to be so rigid?"

Yinzhen blinked innocently.

The eldest princess, who had brought the third princess for a visit, exclaimed with delight, "So cute! What are you planning to do, Mother Qi?"

"Making mooncakes."

“…Sigh.” Hearing about making mooncakes, the eldest princess also became interested: “What kind of mooncakes does Mother Qi plan to make? I like mooncakes with pine nuts, walnuts and melon seeds as fillings.”

Wan Anran glanced at the eldest princess in surprise. She hadn't expected the eldest princess to have such a strong palate. Surely she would like to eat five-nut mooncakes? She said with a grin, "My mother-in-law likes red bean and jujube paste mooncakes, but as for mooncakes... you can stuff them with anything."

"Yeah?"

"Of course!" Wan Anran counted on her fingers, introducing the different fillings: "There's custard filling, red bean and jujube paste with egg yolk filling, pickled mustard greens with shredded pork filling, and mung bean and yam filling..."

Wan Anran casually mentioned more than ten kinds.

She winked at the eldest princess: "There's also ice cream and chocolate!"

The eldest princess couldn't help but swallow hard.

Her face flushed slightly, and she tugged at Wan Anran's arm playfully: "Ice cream, and chocolate... let's try making them now!"

Wan Anran laughed out loud.

On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, although the temperature dropped significantly in the early morning and after sunset, it was still very hot during the day. Isn't now the best time to eat ice cream and mooncakes? She nodded and instructed the palace servants to bring the utensils with great interest.

The items are quite simple.

There wasn't enough chocolate, but it was more than enough to make ice cream mooncakes with chocolate shells.

The only pity was that the mold was only the most basic kind. It took Wan Anran more than an hour to take out the ice cream mooncake, which had become ice-cold.

The eldest princess couldn't wait and took a bite.

The outer shell, sprinkled with hazelnut crumbs, is crispy, while the ice cream filling inside is icy cold; you might even feel a jolt of cold air on your forehead when you take a bite.

The eldest princess jumped up and down several times.

The third princess stood to the side, pursing her lips. She had never tasted chocolate before, and looking at this dark object, she felt a little apprehensive.

Fortunately, the stinky tofu that smelled bad but tasted good last time had left a good impression on the Third Princess. She mustered up her courage, picked up one, and carefully took a bite.

The rich sweetness instantly spread between her lips and teeth, and the worry in the Third Princess's eyes vanished in an instant. She couldn't help but exclaim, "So sweet...delicious!"

The eldest princess nodded emphatically.

She patted her third sister on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Most of the time, Consort Qi makes this kind of thing—it looks good and tastes delicious."

Like stinky tofu, that was an accident.

The eldest princess thought about stinky tofu and actually felt a little nostalgic.