The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Shilan warmly invited Wang Ruofu to stay at her residence for a while.

Wang Ruofu was somewhat flattered.

Since returning from her uncle's house, she has never been praised so highly for her arithmetic and accounting skills.

Her mother always thought she wasn't refined enough and didn't have the grace of a well-bred lady like her older sister. Even her gentle and refined father would occasionally frown and look disappointed when he couldn't help but act out.

The slight trepidation she felt at being pointed out as a mistake was instantly replaced by immense joy, and she nodded almost without hesitation: "Sister Shilan doesn't mind my clumsiness, I... I'm naturally willing!"

Shilan's smile deepened, and she immediately instructed Songzhi, "Go quickly and prepare that room in Linshui Pavilion. Then go and inform Mother." She deliberately emphasized "staying for a few days," and Songzhi understood, quickly agreeing and leaving.

After making arrangements for Wang Ruofu, Shilan personally led her to find Madam Wang, who was still talking to Ying Qiongfang.

Shilan spoke highly of Wang Ruofu to Madam Wang: "...Aunt, you don't know, Ruofu only glanced at it and pointed out the key point that I hadn't noticed even after checking for a long time! She knows the market price of Hangzhou silk and the losses incurred in the trade like the back of her hand. If it weren't for her, I would have almost been fooled by those unscrupulous managers. To be honest, Aunt, I've now taken over the household affairs and I'm in dire need of someone as quick-witted and financially savvy as Ruofu. If I could get her help, my progress in sorting out the old accounts would definitely be twice as fast! Good Aunt, please let her stay and lend me a hand."

Hearing Shilan's lavish praise, Madam Wang was naturally very shocked.

In her eyes, this youngest daughter, who had been raised in the merchant's uncle's house since childhood, was somewhat unrefined.

She was careless in learning the rules and had a simple and honest personality, far less composed and proper than her eldest daughter.

In her eyes, his ability to use an abacus was more like that of someone who was ignorant and incompetent.

Who would have thought that she would catch the eye of the eldest daughter of the Dongchang Marquis's mansion, who was about to take over the household?

However, Madam Wang had no objections. The Dongchang Marquis's family was originally of high social standing. Although it had shown signs of decline before, it had now become related to the Ningyuan Marquis's family by marriage. Moreover, Madam Wang had previously asked her specifically for her son, who was the future heir of the Marquis's family, to find a learned scholar as his teacher, which showed her ambition.

The Dongchang Marquis's mansion may one day rise again.

If the simple-minded youngest daughter could stay by Shilan's side, it would be a very prestigious thing when it came time to arrange a marriage in the future.

Her mind raced, but she feigned composure, took a sip of tea, and said slowly, "Miss Lan, you flatter me. This girl has only learned a little bit from her uncle and aunt; she doesn't deserve such praise. However… if she can be of any help to you, it would be a blessing for her. Since you don't mind, let her stay at your residence for a few days."

Shilan dislikes people putting on airs in front of her the most, as it reminds her of Zhen Huan and the Empress.

But thinking of the help Wang Ruofu could provide, he held back.

In the days that followed, Shilan truly experienced what it meant to be like a tiger with wings.

Wang Ruofu's acumen in numbers and accounting far exceeded Shilan's expectations.

She seemed to have an innate intuition for the flow of money and the fluctuations in prices. Those accounts that Shilan found lengthy and complicated, requiring long periods of careful calculation to discern even a hint of their meaning, were often quickly grasped by Wang Ruofu.

She can not only quickly identify discrepancies between accounts and actual prices and abnormal pricing, but also deduce the approximate reasonable range of losses based on the purchase time, location, and type of goods. No figure that exceeds the norm can escape her eyes.

Shilan was in charge of managing the overall situation, using her status as the daughter of the Marquis to mobilize manpower, question the steward, and exert pressure.

Wang Ruofu was responsible for providing accurate directions, and the two worked together seamlessly, achieving astonishing efficiency.

They worked against the clock, and before the stewards scattered throughout the capital could fully collude, and before the stewards in remote areas could get wind of the situation and prepare their responses, they swiftly sorted out the old accounts of the Marquis's main properties in the vicinity of the capital, as well as some important estates and shops.

The results were naturally shocking, yet also remarkably fruitful.

The number of corrupt officials caught was no less than ten.

The methods of embezzlement and misappropriation were varied, but the recovered cash and confiscated embezzled property alone filled one-tenth of the Marquis's public treasury.

Not to mention the industry profits that were swallowed up by them through substandard products and inflated prices, which gradually began to return to normal after the accounts were cleared up and temporarily reliable personnel were replaced.

Shilan's own private coffers were filling up at a visible rate.

Taking advantage of her accounting skills and her prior knowledge of the Marquis and his wife's poor financial management, she cleverly manipulated the situation to legitimately transfer some of the recovered, unclaimed, or deliberately obscured profits to her own name.

When the massive accounting campaign came to a temporary end, she secretly took stock and discovered that she had accumulated nearly 30,000 taels of silver in her private savings.

Thirty thousand taels!

In her previous life, when she was the most favored concubine in the palace, this amount of money would probably only be enough for her to purchase jewelry, precious fabrics, and other valuables for a year, or perhaps to bribe the palace servants.

Here, if a noblewoman has ten thousand taels of silver in her dowry before marriage, even if she is favored at home, her married life will never be difficult, and she can hold her head high in her husband's family.

With 30,000 taels in hand, she now possesses a considerable sum, enough to guarantee her a life of luxury and lavish lifestyle, surrounded by servants, regardless of the social class she marries into.

But... is that enough?

Shilan closed the box, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

Are the days merely not difficult?

She has enjoyed the highest levels of wealth and witnessed the immense power and luxury of the Forbidden City.

It was a habit and a longing that had seeped into one's very bones.

Having been given a second chance at life, she not only wants stability and happiness, but also to continue enjoying wealth and luxury to the fullest.

This 30,000 taels is the foundation, the starting point, but certainly not the end.

The Marquis's mansion still owns so many properties; now, they've simply sorted out the accounts and plugged the loopholes.

The key is to revitalize these shops and estates and generate more money.

An industry only has value if it thrives and continuously grows. Otherwise, it will eventually run out of resources, no matter how much wealth it has.

However, in both her past and present lives, Nian Shilan had not really mastered many skills in this specific way of making money.

Managing the expenses of the imperial harem is one thing, but navigating the business world is quite another.

Just as Shilan was hesitating about this, the "treasure" she found, Wang Ruofu, gave her another huge surprise.

That day, the two were worried about several shops in good locations, but whose business was always poor.

There was a silk shop, a general store selling goods from both the north and south of China, and a restaurant.

Shilan's ideas were still limited to changing the manager, reducing costs, or renovating the storefront. Wang Ruofu, however, held the account book, her brows furrowed, and suddenly said, "Sister Shilan, I think... just plugging the leaks isn't enough, we also need to increase revenue."

"Oh? How does it work?" Shilan asked with interest.

Wang Ruofu pointed to the silk shop's accounts: "Sister, look, our silk shop's supply channels are controlled by the previous manager. Although we have a full range of goods, none of them are particularly outstanding. Compared with other shops, we have no advantage. There are many wealthy families in the capital, so why should they buy from us? My uncle said that to do business, especially in a business that caters to wealthy families, you either need to have unique and high-quality goods, or you need to provide the best service."

She paused, then continued, "My uncle's family has a reputable weaving workshop in Jiangnan. If we can bypass the original channels and source directly from them, we can not only reduce costs but also get the latest and best patterns. Moreover, we can offer a 'custom-made' service, hiring skilled embroiderers to design patterns according to the customer's preferences, or have the purchased fabric tailored on the spot. The customer only needs to leave their address, and we will send someone to deliver the finished garment to their home. Although the unit price will be higher, those discerning ladies will surely appreciate it."

Then, she spoke of the general store: "Our store has a complete selection, but the displays are messy and don't look high-end. We could reorganize it by region and category, making it cleaner and brighter. We could also launch gift boxes for holidays, featuring popular regional specialties at different price points, so people could come and choose their gifts directly—wouldn't that be cheaper? As for the restaurant..."

Wang Ruofu smiled, her eyes crinkling: "The location is excellent, but the dishes are outdated. We could find some novel recipes, or hire a skilled chef from the south. We could also put some thought into the decor of the private rooms, creating a style that scholars and literati would appreciate..."

She spoke fluently, offering suggestions with ease. Although her words were somewhat naive, they were all to the point, her thinking was clear, and they were highly feasible.

Shilan's eyes grew brighter and brighter as she listened, her heart filled with overwhelming shock. Looking at the young girl before her, whose cheeks still held a touch of baby fat, she felt as if she were seeing a gold mine overflowing with boundless riches!