The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Fu Ge'er: ...

He needs to talk to his father.

Unable to sit still, Fu Ge'er quickly got up to say goodbye.

Upon leaving the Prince of Wei's residence, a servant led the horse over and asked, "Young Marquis, where to next?"

Just as Fu Ge'er was about to reply, a voice suddenly called out from behind:

"Returning boat!"

The voice was somewhat unfamiliar, yet it carried a strange sense of familiarity.

Fu Ge'er turned around and saw a young man dressed in a blue cloth outfit standing not far away. He was covered in dust, but his heroic spirit was still evident in his eyes.

He paused for a moment before recognizing the person: "Zhong Huai?"

Gu Tingye strode over, a hearty smile on his face: "It's me! What, haven't you recognized me after all these years?"

Fu Ge'er was overjoyed and patted him hard on the shoulder: "Good lad! When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me beforehand!"

"Just arrived." Gu Tingye smiled. "I saved up some time off and rushed back to see my mother. I was planning to settle in before going to find you, but I didn't expect to run into you here."

Fu Ge'er scrutinized him carefully.

Several years of military service shed Gu Tingye's youthful impetuosity, replacing it with a calm and resolute temperament.

His skin had gotten a bit tanned, and his physique had become more robust, but his eyes remained bright and spirited.

"Good thing you're back!" Fu Ge'er said happily. "Look at you, you've traveled so far, go home and rest first. Come to Fanlou tonight, I'll invite Cheng Bai to treat you to a welcome-back feast!"

Gu Tingye didn't refuse: "That would be great! It's been so long since we've gotten together."

The two walked side by side, sharing their experiences since they last met.

When Fu Ge'er asked about the border war, Gu Tingye's eyes lit up, and he began to talk at length about military life and the customs of the border, his face beaming with excitement as he spoke.

When they reached the fork in the road, the two parted reluctantly, making a final promise to have a banquet at Fanlou that evening.

Fu Ge'er immediately ordered someone to book a private room at Fanlou Restaurant, and also sent someone to deliver a message to the Marquis of Dongchang's residence.

Chengbo was overjoyed when he received the news at home.

It has been three years since we last met. I wonder how Zhonghuai is doing these days.

Thinking it over, she said to the person next to her, "Cousin, come along too. Zhonghuai is about the same age as us, and we've been good friends since we were little."

The young man beside him was named Wang Lun, the eldest son of Wang Ruofu's cousin, Wang Shinian.

After waiting for many years, the Wang family finally found another promising student. Not daring to delay, they quickly sent him to Bianjing City, hoping he could participate in the imperial examination next year. He is now living in the Qin family's residence.

Wang Lun was handsome, with the air of a gentleman, and spoke elegantly and behaved properly.

Only a pair of eyes occasionally flashed with a shrewd light.

He readily agreed to his cousin's invitation.

On the other hand, Sheng Changlin also received an invitation.

"Second Brother Gu is back? That's wonderful!"

He had met Gu Tingye several times and greatly admired the latter's free and unrestrained temperament. He also respected Gu Tingye's perseverance in defending the country's borders despite being the eldest son of a marquis. Therefore, he regarded him as a close friend.

"I'll definitely be there tonight!"

Sheng Changlin said to the servant who came to deliver the news from the Zhang family.

After the servant left, Sheng Changlin sent someone to the backyard to inform his mother. Sheng Hong happened to be passing by and, seeing his son's beaming face, couldn't help but ask, "What's making you so happy?"

"Father, Second Brother Gu has returned from the border! Tonight, Second Brother Zhang and Cousin Qin are hosting a banquet at Fanlou to welcome him back, and they invite me to come!"

Sheng Changlin confessed honestly.

Sheng Hong was stunned for a moment before realizing that Gu Tingye had returned.

His mind raced, and a smile immediately spread across his face: "Excellent, excellent! Go ahead, have a good get-together, and don't come back too early. You don't need to go to class tomorrow either. I'll talk to Mr. Zhuang for you."

Sheng Changlin was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Thank you, Father!"

Sheng Hong smiled as he watched his son leave happily.

We arrived at Linxi Pavilion.

Lin Qinshuang was embroidering a handkerchief when she saw him enter with a beaming smile. She put down her needlework and asked gently, "Honglang, did something joyful happen today? You seem so happy."

Sheng Hong sat down on the couch and stroked his beard smugly: "Saving Zhuang Xuejiu's mother back then was probably the best thing I ever did in my life."

Lin Qinshuang asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, although Changlin is studying at the Sheng family academy and has no official title, he associates with the sons of noble families, such as the Duke of Yingguo, the Duke of Qiguo, the Marquis of Jingbian, and the Marquis of Dongchang. Now that Gu Erlang has finally returned from the border, he is also the eldest son of the Marquis of Ningyuan. They immediately invited him to join them."

He became more and more proud as he spoke: "These connections will be a great help when Changlin enters officialdom in the future."

It is easy to imagine that Changlin's future achievements will far surpass those of his father.

Lin Qinshuang listened, but felt uneasy.

So many young masters are right here, yet the master and mistress seem to be making plans for any of the girls in the family.

Especially her son, Mo'er!

She bit her lip and tentatively began, "These children are all so grown up, and not a single one of them is married. Although it's true that men are different from women, and many marry after reaching adulthood, they still need to plan ahead..."

She looked up at Sheng Hong, her voice even softer: "Honglang, our Mo'er is all grown up now, isn't it... time for him to be considered for marriage?"

Sheng Hong's smile faltered.

Having spent many years in officialdom, how could he not understand the unspoken meaning of a woman confined to her home?

He glanced at Lin Qinshuang, his voice turning cold: "You really dare to think that way. They are all sons of marquises and dukes. Even if we take Jinglan out, we wouldn't stand a chance, let alone Mo'er, a mere concubine's daughter."

Lin Qinshuang's heart clenched, and her eyes immediately reddened: "Honglang, those words are so hurtful! What's wrong with our Mo'er? Although she's my daughter, she's been raised under the care of the matriarch all these years, and even attended the Hai family's girls' school. She's been raised with the same upbringing as the matriarch, far better than me. Honglang, how... how could you say such a thing?"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she looked utterly heartbroken.