The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

After Zhang Tingyu left, Yinwu let out a long sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, looked at the bright spring sunshine outside the window, and suddenly stood up.

"I'm going out for a walk."

Yan Zhi reached out and grabbed his sleeve, saying nothing, but simply raising his eyes to gesture for him to look at the table.

The pile of folded paper silently accused him of laziness.

Yinwu's face fell.

"Being an emperor is so tiring." He plopped back into his chair and sighed, "If I had known it would be this tiring, I would have rather..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Zhi silenced him with a single look.

She stood up, walked to his side, and said gently, "Let's finish these things first, and I'll accompany you to stroll in the Imperial Garden later."

Yinwu curled his lip: "The Imperial Garden is so small, I'm already tired of looking at it."

He gazed out the window, his eyes filled with longing, "At this time in previous years, you and I would have already gone horse racing."

Yanzhi followed his gaze, and those carefree and joyful years seemed to be right before her eyes, making her feel nostalgic.

But it only lasted a moment.

She withdrew her gaze and said softly, "We were carefree back then because we had the Emperor to protect us. Now, it's our turn to protect him."

She tugged at his hand, making him look at her.

"Think of our children, Hongwei, Ningshou. Hmm?"

As Yinwu looked at her, the agitation in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a helpless smile.

"You're always right."

Yan Zhi smiled and pulled him back to sit at the desk, pushing half of the folding paper on the desk in front of him: "Same as always, half for you, half for me. Let's finish this quickly so we can play Hammerball."

Yinwu's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Yinwu immediately perked up and picked up a book to read.

After reading several books in a row, his face grew increasingly gloomy, and finally he simply threw the book aside, looking extremely annoyed.

Yan Zhi happened to be coming out from behind the screen with two memorials in his hand. Seeing this, he smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"

"A bunch of old fools!" Yinwu grumbled angrily. "They want to stuff their nieces and daughters into the harem again. They can't stand to see me doing well, can they?"

Yan Zhi's smile remained unchanged, and she didn't even respond to the question. She simply handed him the two folded books in her hand, indicating that he should read them himself.

Yinwu waved his hand: "Just tell me directly."

Yan Zhi then said, "The Minister of Justice has submitted a memorial regarding Li Si'er's verdict, and he would like you to review it."

Yinwu frowned, remembering that this matter was related to Longkodo.

After that incident, the Emperor passed away soon after. The last decree he left before his death was a secret order to his fourth brother, the contents of which he could guess without even reading it.

Sure enough, news of Longkodo's sudden death soon followed.

After Longkodo's death, the family business was inherited by his eldest son according to custom.

Who would have thought that this succession would lead to so many shocking events?

The most important thing is that Longkodo has been pampering his concubine Li Si'er for many years, to the point of neglecting his wife in favor of his concubine.

She was given the power to manage the household and to handle social interactions, while the original wife was... turned into a human pig.

Having finally taken over the position of family head, the eldest son's first act was to take revenge on Li Si'er and make her pay for her crimes in blood.

Unexpectedly, Li Si'er risked his life to escape and even went to the court to accuse his first wife and eldest son of conspiring to kill Longkodo.

"Li Si'er..." he murmured the name, his eyes filled with disgust.

"This kind of heartless and vicious woman deserves to die a hundred or a thousand times over. The reason these people in the Ministry of Justice are in charge of all the criminal justice systems in the country is to act impartially. But instead, they hesitate and worry about everything. Since Li Si'er deserves her punishment, just sentence her. Why bother me with this?"

Yan Zhi shook his head slightly: "It's no wonder they're so blatant. The Tongjia family is incredibly powerful, and Longkodo holds immense authority. Li Si'er was even granted permission to personally preside over Longkodo's father's funeral. When Longkodo was at his peak, Li Si'er was a guest of honor among the wives of many officials, and everyone vied to flatter her. Her judgment not only concerns the reputation of both the Tongjia and Hesheli families, but also the true cause of Longkodo's death, all of which are clearly related to the royal family. Naturally, they have to be extremely cautious."

Yinwu remained silent for a moment.

"The Ministry of Justice still needs to be headed by an upright and incorruptible person," he said in a deep voice.

Yan Zhi's eyes flickered slightly, and he said softly, "Whether a person is upright or not, their innate character is secondary. Their background and status are the most important. The Ministry of Justice is the easiest place to offend people."

Yinwu sensed the hidden meaning in her words: "You have something on your mind? Speak up!"

Yan Zhi smiled and said slowly, "Don't you always lament that your brothers are all more capable than you, and that they were carefully raised by Father? It would be such a waste to abandon them all."

Yinwu's eyes lit up: "You mean...?"

"Fourth Brother," Yanzhi said with a smile, "Have you forgotten? He's always been known for his impartiality. When he was handling matters for Second Brother, Father Emperor specifically ordered him to work with the Ministry of Justice on cases. He's a prince, your own brother, and a devout Buddhist; surely he's the most upright person out there. Isn't he the most suitable person?"

Yinwu slapped his thigh: "That's right! How could I have forgotten about him!"

He excitedly picked up his pen, spread out the imperial edict, and said as he wrote, "Very well, I will draft the edict immediately."

Yan Zhi looked at him with a smile, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

-

Prince Yong's Mansion.

Yi Xiuzheng was sitting by the window pruning a pot of flowers when he suddenly heard Jianqiu come to report that Master had arrived.

She was overjoyed and quickly got up to go out and greet them.

Just then, Yinzhen strode in, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

He sat down at the head of the table, and Yixiu quickly served him tea. Just as she was about to offer her greetings, she suddenly heard him speak:

"Go to the residence of Zhen Yuandao, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

Yixiu was taken aback.

Yinzhen said directly, "I'm asking on behalf of my master to marry his eldest daughter as a secondary consort."

Yi Xiu's smile gradually froze.

It felt like a dagger had pierced my heart.

The pain was so intense that she could barely breathe.

She lowered her eyes, trying to keep her voice steady, and even managed a slight smile: "How did Zhen Yuandao, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review... gain your favor, Master?"

Over the years, I have never taken the initiative to ask any woman for anything.

Except for the Nian family.

She looked at Yinzhen, hoping to hear an answer from him, just as she had when she proposed to Lady Nian: was it because she valued the Nian family's support, because of considerations at court, because...?

"No need to ask any more questions," Yinzhen interrupted her, his voice completely calm. "Just go when I tell you to."

Yixiu's smile froze completely.

Thinking back on these days, Su Peisheng ran out again and again, taking out one good item after another from the warehouse.

My heart is growing colder and colder.

Jianqiu cautiously stepped forward: "Madam..."

Yixiu raised her face, and in her eyes were pain, hatred, and deep weariness.