The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

That night, Shilan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

She sat up and nudged Zhang Yun, who was fast asleep, saying, "Tell me, whose personality did our Fu-ge take after?"

She is someone who cannot tolerate any flaws, whether in love or hate.

When Zhang Yun was chosen, it was certainly because of the noble family background of the Duke of Ying's mansion and his talent and character. But in the end, it was because she was moved by his sincerity and candor, and hoped to live a life of harmony with him.

In this respect, An-jie'er's personality is very similar to hers: straightforward, decisive, clear about love and hate, and always knows what she wants.

But Fu Ge'er...

As a child, I was clearly a straightforward person. Although I was intelligent, I was also quite frank.

But now, as she gets older, her mind has become calmer day by day, and she keeps many things to herself. Even she, as her mother, doesn't dare to say that no one knows a child better than his mother.

Zhang Yun felt a jolt, and the drowsiness in her mind was instantly dispelled by her question.

If a child doesn't resemble its mother, who else can it resemble?

But he didn't dare say it directly.

"Why is Madam so worried?" he asked carefully, his voice still hoarse with sleepiness. "Judging from Fu'er's behavior, it's not necessarily that he has no feelings for the princess at all."

Upon hearing this, Shilan immediately perked up: "How do you know?"

Zhang Yun sat up, clearing his muddled mind, and slowly analyzed, "Marriage is a major life event, mostly arranged by parents and matchmakers. It's rare for couples to be truly in love before marriage. Aside from childhood sweethearts, those who fall in love at first sight are even rarer. Besides, to fall in love at first sight... well, really..."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips: "What's the difference between this and lust at first sight?"

Shilan found this intriguing and couldn't help but ask, "So, was it love at first sight, or just lust at first sight?"

Zhang Yun blushed.

The children are all grown up now, and it's kind of embarrassing to talk about those feelings from our youth.

"I was talking about the children," he mumbled, trying to brush it off.

Shilan, however, persisted, chuckling lightly with a mischievous glint in her eyes: "If you don't tell me, you'll sleep in the study tonight."

Zhang Yun felt as if his Achilles' heel had been struck. Being kicked out of the house now and being laughed at by the servants and children tomorrow was a minor matter; what he feared was that his wife's anger would flare up even more, and it would take at least ten days to half a month for her to calm down, making the situation difficult to resolve.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Am I such a shallow person? Back then, I was clearly impressed by your ball skills and horsemanship, and captivated by the spirit you displayed when you swung your club on horseback. Seeing your unrestrained and exuberant demeanor, I knew that in this life, no one else could catch my eye but you."

In the darkness, his ears turned bright red.

Shilan burst out laughing, and the little bit of annoyance in her heart instantly dissipated.

Zhang Yun quickly steered the conversation back on track: "Let's talk about Fu-ge'er again. Think about it, all those girls he grew up with, weren't they all beautiful and virtuous? Yet he never fell for any of them."

He then changed the subject, seemingly casually flattering her, "Moreover, with such a beautiful mother and a charming younger sister watching over him every day, his standards must have been very high long ago. How could he be so pathetic as to fall in love with someone at first sight or be lustful at first sight?"

Shilan was taken aback.

Zhang Yun continued, "Don't say that Fu Ge'er doesn't resemble you. If you ask me, he has at least a three-tenths of arrogance in his bones, which he inherited from you. If it weren't for his own willingness, even if the imperial power pressured him, he would never compromise, much less wrong himself in the slightest. Now that he has personally said the words 'I am willing to marry you'..."

He paused, a hint of a smile in his voice: "Most likely, he's somewhat interested in Princess Fukang."

Shilan understood.

It wasn't just being moved, it was being tempted.

"But that's enough," Zhang Yun explained. "Whether these initial feelings will develop into something more, only they themselves know. But it's enough for us to understand that the children aren't compromising themselves."

Shilan remained silent for a long time before finally nodding gently.

This can be considered an acceptance of Zhang Yun's statement.

Finally, they granted permission for Zhang Yun to enter the palace to ask for her hand in marriage.

Therefore, the next day, Zhang Yun dressed neatly and entered the palace to request an audience according to regulations.

His memorial requesting the princess's hand in marriage was sincere and earnest, preserving both the dignity of the imperial family and demonstrating the sincerity of the Marquis of Jingbian's family.

The Emperor carefully reviewed the memorial in the Wende Hall, his expression shifting uncertainly. After a long while, he finally put it down, his tone gentle yet hesitant: "I understand the Marquis of Jingbian's love for his son. However, the princess's marriage is no small matter, and it still requires..."

Before he could finish speaking, a voice announced from outside the hall that King Wei, Zhao Yang, and King Yu, Zhao Xin, had arrived.

The two brothers entered the hall one after the other.

After the greetings were completed, Zhao Xin, being impatient, spoke first: "Lord Zhang, you're here too. It's been a long time. May I ask what brings you here today?"

Zhang Yun didn't hide anything, saying that he had come to ask for Princess Fukang's hand in marriage on behalf of his son, Zhang Qin.

Zhao Xin slapped her thigh immediately: "Really? That's great! I've always treated Gui Zhou like my own brother. If we can get Fu Kang to marry him, wouldn't that make our relationship even closer?"

The Emperor's face darkened as he sat on his throne, about to speak, when his eldest son, Zhao Yang, chimed in with a smile: "Third brother is right. Gui Zhou is accomplished in both literature and martial arts, and of impeccable character, making him one of the best among the young men in the capital. Moreover, he and Hui Rou are of similar age, making them a truly good match."

Zhang Yun bowed at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, I am deeply humbled. If my son could marry the princess, it would truly be a great fortune for the Zhang family."

Upon hearing this, how could the Emperor not know what his two sons were plotting?

Seeing the three of them praising each other as if the marriage was a match made in heaven, he, as the emperor and father, seemed even more unreasonable.

He felt a tightness in his chest and gripped the edge of the imperial desk with slightly greater force.

"This matter...we'll discuss it later." He ultimately didn't back down, and with a flick of his sleeve, said, "You may leave."

Zhang Yun raised his eyes, exchanged a glance with Zhao Yang, and finally bowed and took his leave.

Silence returned to the hall.

The emperor sat alone on his throne, staring at the marriage proposal on his desk, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

When the news reached the inner palace, Consort Miao was doing her hair and makeup.

After hearing the palace maid's report, she sat quietly in front of the bronze mirror for a long time. The person in the mirror was not particularly good-looking to begin with, and even though she had been rich and well-fed over the years, she could not escape the ravages of time. Fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes and on her forehead.

Time flies and ages us all.

The emperor's favor will never be repaid.

She slowly stood up, raised her hand and pulled out the pure gold phoenix hairpin from her hair—this was a gift from the Emperor when she was made a Noble Consort, and she had never been separated from it over the years.

"Change your clothes."

She removed her elaborate clothes and changed into simple everyday clothes, without applying makeup, her long hair loosely tied up with just a wooden hairpin.

Then he walked straight to the rear hall where the emperor was.

The palace servants dared not stop them and relayed the message all the way.

When Consort Miao stepped into the palace, the Emperor was practicing calligraphy. Seeing her dressed like this, he frowned and asked, "Consort, what are you doing?"

Consort Miao remained silent, knelt down on both knees, and kowtowed deeply.

"I am Miao, and I humbly request Your Majesty to marry Huirou to the Zhang family of the Marquis of Jingbian."

The Emperor's face darkened: "You also want to pressure me? Know that the empress dowager is not allowed to interfere in politics!"

"This concubine dares not interfere in politics." Consort Miao raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, but her voice was clear: "This concubine only wishes to ask Your Majesty, as a mother, if you still remember when Huirou was learning to walk and babbling, you held her and said that you would make your little princess the happiest woman in the world, and that you would find her the best husband in the world, so that she could marry, have children, and live a happy life."

A ruler's word is his bond!

The Emperor was stung by the tears in her eyes and looked away: "I will discipline Li Wei properly, and I will also bestow a generous dowry upon Huirou. I believe the Li family will cherish it..."

"Cherish him?" Consort Miao couldn't help but repeat, a hint of madness flashing in her eyes: "Does Your Majesty even believe what you say? A man who dares to ambush a noble lady in broad daylight, drink in teahouses during the day, and already has a group of beautiful women in his house before even getting married—does Your Majesty expect him to cherish the princess?"

The officials remained silent.

Consort Miao's eyes flickered as she cast aside her last remaining concerns.

She suddenly raised her hand and pointed the gold hairpin she had been holding in her palm at her neck.

"If Your Majesty insists on this..." Her voice was soft, yet it carried a resolute determination to fight to the death: "I am powerless to protect my daughter. I can only use this three-year mourning period to stall for time."

"You!" The emperor rose in shock and anger. "How dare you threaten me?!"

"I dare not." Consort Miao's hand was steady, the tip of the hairpin already pressed against her skin, sinking slightly in. "I am only desperate. I come from humble origins, and over the years, it is thanks to the Emperor and Your Highness's kindness that I have two children, Huirou and Zuixinglai. Zuixinglai is a prince, and the Emperor will not mistreat him. Only my Huirou… I am a useless person, without the ability of Madam Qin, who dared to argue for her daughter in the Wende Hall. But no matter how useless I am, I am still a mother, willing to risk my life for my daughter!"