The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Before long, the drums began to beat on the polo field, signaling the start of a new game.

With Wang Lun, whom her fifth sister had brought over, Minglan felt a little more at ease, took a deep breath, and gripped the golf club tightly.

She looked up at Gu Tingye, who had already mounted his horse, but to her surprise, he looked back at the same time.

Their eyes met briefly in mid-air. Minglan's eyes blazed with fierce fighting spirit, while Gu Tingye's lips curled into a faint smile. He then turned his horse around and rode into the arena.

Gu Erlang's first polo match after returning to the capital attracted a lot of attention from the stands.

The young men and women who had been chatting idly gathered around, and the area around the arena was soon bustling with people.

Only Zhang Guifen was completely bewildered: "Didn't Gu Xiaoer say he was going to fight me? How come he's going up against Sheng Jia Xiao Liu now?"

Seeing this, Wei Lan quickly leaned over and whispered in her ear, briefly explaining the whole story.

"What?!" Zhang Guifen's eyebrows shot up in anger. "That Gu Er! He dares to get involved in this kind of thing? If he dares to win, I'll teach him a lesson!"

After saying that, she suddenly glared at Zheng Yuanji beside her and mouthed the words: It's all your fault!

Just now, she was strolling with Yuanji when they suddenly bumped into Prince Yu. The latter had changed from his usual brocade clothes and dressed in a low-key manner, leading a woman wearing a veiled hat through the side path. She was curious and wanted to follow to see what was going on, but Zheng Yuanji pulled her to the other side.

Zhang Guifen was still annoyed and muttered under her breath, "What's there to avoid? I know Prince Yu. Although he's unreliable, he's not stupid. He must have his reasons for doing this. You're just being overly cautious..."

-

On the other side of the polo field, in a long, open pavilion built by the water, Zhao Xin led his younger sister, Huirou, there.

He kept glancing around furtively, his expression somewhat furtive, prompting his companion, Fu Ge'er, to ask, "Are you afraid others won't know about His Highness Prince Yu's wicked deeds on this trip?"

Zhao Xin turned around, her finger already raised halfway to point, but when she caught sight of her younger sister behind her, who was wearing a veil and a gauze hat, she swallowed her words back and glared at Fu Ge'er: "You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth."

He cleared his throat and said seriously, "This place is secluded enough. You two can talk here while I keep watch."

Having said that, he strode out of the pavilion, leaving Fu Ge'er and Hui Rou facing each other.

The pavilion was utterly silent for a moment.

Huirou wore a light veiled hat, with a plain veil hanging down to her shoulders. Through the hazy mist, she quietly gazed at the young man before her.

That one glimpse from afar on the training ground that day had already stirred her heart.

Now that we are so close, I feel even more that his features are clear and handsome, and his posture is as upright as bamboo. My heart is pounding and my ears are burning uncontrollably.

"Princess."

Fu Ge'er bowed properly, his voice steady and respectful, without the slightest unnecessary emotion.

This address was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the tender warmth in Huirou's heart.

The gentle yet sensitive young girl instantly sensed the subtle rejection emanating from her husband beyond his aloofness.

Her heart sank, and her earlier shyness and joy turned into embarrassment and helplessness. Fortunately, the veil covered her face, preventing her from losing her composure too much.

"Brother Zhang, there's no need for such formalities." She spoke softly, her voice gentle: "To be honest, it was Huirou who was being unreasonable and insisted that her brother bring me here... I would like to ask Brother Zhang for a favor."

Fu Ge'er was somewhat surprised by her directness, but still maintained her politeness: "Princess, please feel free to give your orders. There's no need for you to ask me."

"Because it was coercion by force, not of my own volition." Huirou's voice remained soft and gentle, yet it revealed a resolute determination, as if she had already made a do-or-die decision.

"Only on my way here did I understand the deeper meaning of my two older brothers' words... Although, although I... also have this thought."

At this point, her voice trembled slightly as she struggled to suppress the overwhelming shame and nervousness.

"Rather than being sent into the Li family as a favor or a gift by my father, and being entangled with Li Wei for the rest of my life, I would rather... I would rather..."

Her noble upbringing and innate shyness made it difficult for her to speak, so she could only vaguely gloss over the matter: "But I also know that this matter is really not something that should be forced. You are the legitimate son of a marquis, and my second brother has also told me that you have lofty ambitions and a heart that yearns for the world. Others may gain wealth, glory, and imperial favor by marrying a princess; but for you, it may become a cage, a constraint, and a broken wing that cannot fly... This is not fair."

She raised her eyes, and although there was a thin veil between them, her gaze seemed to penetrate the haze and look straight into Fu Ge'er's eyes.

"However, I am truly unwilling and reluctant to... obediently accept the fate that is about to befall me."

"Brother Zhang Er..."

She hesitated for a long time, so long that the autumn wind outside the pavilion blew across the water, creating ripples.

Finally, she closed her eyes, as if she had used up all her courage, and said with a sense of desperation:

"Will you marry me?"

These words were earth-shattering.

She didn't dare to pause, and quickly added, "Save me this time. I swear, after entering your Zhang family, I will never put on any princess airs. I will serve my parents-in-law and manage household affairs as an ordinary daughter-in-law would. If you are determined to go north to fight in the future, I will never hold you back. I will take care of your parents and stabilize the rear."

She took a deep breath, her voice filled with a desperate resolve: "If you... if you are unwilling to be burdened by my status as a princess, I can also ask my father to let me marry you and give up this princess title."

"Is...is that alright?"

After she finished speaking, she seemed to collapse, trembling slightly.

Her words just now had exhausted all the courage she had accumulated over the years.

Fu Ge'er stood there, stunned, his face showing undisguised surprise.

In my memory, Princess Fukang was just like her maiden name, gentle and compliant, the kind of person who would softly agree with whatever others said, which best fits the current praise for young ladies.

But in his heart, Fu Ge'er felt that it was the most dull, cowardly, and indecisive thing to do.

But now it seems... that's not the case.

After a long silence, Fu Ge'er finally spoke softly, asking his first question: "Does the princess know of my aspirations?"

Huirou nodded, the pearl necklace on her veil swaying gently: "Second brother said that you want to emulate Marquis Jingbian, recover Yanyun, and protect our land."

"What if I go to war in the future and never return?"

Huirou answered quickly, but her voice was steady: "I will take care of your parents, support the family, and raise your children."

"If in this life I..." Fu Ge'er paused, his gaze falling on her face veiled by a thin gauze, "I can only treat you as a sister and a friend, unable to develop any romantic feelings for you?"

Huirou's face suddenly turned pale, and she felt her heart tighten.

But she still stood tall, speaking clearly and firmly, each word distinct and distinct:

"I've lived for sixteen years, and this is the first time I've wanted to choose a path for myself. No matter what the end result is, whether it's prosperity or desolation, I... will have no regrets."

The autumn wind swept through the pavilion, fluttering the light veil on her hat, and finally stirring the deep, still waters in her lover's eyes.

As Fu Ge'er looked at the princess before him, who possessed a tenacity and fierce spirit, a slight stirring stirred within him.