The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

On this day, two pieces of news arrived at Prince Yong's residence one after the other.

The Emperor appointed Prince Yong, Yinzhen, to serve in the Ministry of Justice and jointly try the case of Li Si'er, the concubine of Longkodo.

Along with a portrait that Jianqiu personally obtained from the Zhen family.

The two proper masters of the mansion, one in front and one behind, both had cold faces.

Yinzhen accepted the imperial decree, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

Only after the eunuchs who had delivered the imperial edict had gone far away did he slowly clench the edict in his hand.

The Ministry of Justice was an even more likely place to offend people than the Ministry of Revenue was back then.

The Ministry of Revenue's pursuit of debts only damaged his reputation, especially since his second brother, Yinreng, and his father, the Emperor, were there to back him up. He used his cold and aloof demeanor to lower his profile and focus on his duties, which earned him the Emperor's favor.

But when the Ministry of Justice makes a judgment, at best it offends someone, and at worst it can lead to a life-or-death feud!

After all, how many people in this world can calmly accept that their own children have been convicted and sentenced?

What's more, the first task assigned to him was actually the case of Li Si'er, Longkodo's concubine.

Li Si'er.

Thinking of that face, the veins on Yinzhen's clenched fists bulged.

He had known of the woman's existence for a long time. After all, when Longkodo was at the height of his power, she acted like the matriarch of the Tongjia household, handling Longkodo's social interactions.

However, he had never seen his true face, since he was not on the surface to be close to Longkodo and had no reason to visit his residence.

Therefore, it was only during the time he lived at Longkodo's residence on the orders of his father that he had the opportunity to see his true face.

Longkodo, you deserve to die!

Even without the imperial edict from his father, he couldn't suppress the murderous intent in his heart.

This was the murderous intent that had been buried deep in his heart since childhood.

He didn't regret killing Longkodo with his own hands, and even regretted not being able to kill him in a more satisfying way.

He only regretted not eliminating this major threat sooner, which gave the adulterous couple the opportunity to completely ruin his future in that way!

He regrets it even more now.

He regretted not taking care of that woman when he dealt with Longkodo. He could have let her die silently in the backyard, ending it all.

It's better to let her embarrass herself in public than to let her make a fool of herself like this!

-

backyard.

Yixiu sat by the window, the portrait spread out in front of her, her expression inscrutable.

She stared for a long time, so long that Jianqiu's legs went numb from standing there. She couldn't help but call out softly, "Madam?"

Yi Xiu did not respond.

She just stared blankly at the face in the painting.

Like.

It's so true.

"Tell me," Yixiu suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, as if asking Jianqiu, or perhaps herself, "Does he love my sister as a person, or just her face?"

Jianqiu was somewhat puzzled and dared not answer easily.

Yixiu never expected to get the answer from her; she actually already had the answer herself.

Thinking of this, Yixiu smiled sadly.

"It doesn't matter what," she murmured, "it's not me after all."

"Madam..." Jianqiu looked distressed, but didn't know what to say.

Yixiu remained silent for a long time.

The sun outside the window gradually slanted westward, and the light and shadow moved across the ground inch by inch until it finally went completely dark.

Jianqiu's legs were so numb she could barely feel them anymore, and she wondered if she should remind the Fujin when it was time for dinner.

"Jianqiu".

Yixiu suddenly spoke.

Jianqiu quickly responded.

Yixiu's gaze remained fixed on the portrait, but her voice was calm to the point of being ethereal: "Tell me, what more could I possibly ask for?"

Jianqiu was taken aback.

"Offspring, favor, dignity..." Yixiu counted the words one by one, her eyes growing emptier with each word.

"I have nothing left."

"Your Highness, what are you saying!" Jianqiu exclaimed anxiously, "You are the wife of a prince, how noble you are—"

"The late Emperor had so many sons, and countless of them were granted the title of Prince, each and every one of them a princess consort." Yixiu interrupted her, her voice suddenly becoming sharper: "And now?"

Jianqiu was speechless.

Yixiu looked at her, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, her eyes full of mockery, though it was unclear whether she was mocking Jianqiu or herself: "Even if she can't get out now, she's still a prince's wife. And even if she did get out, so what? If we really talk about it, the sixteen families are the truly successful ones now. A new emperor, a new court; everything is different now."

Jianqiu lowered her head, not daring to utter a sound.

She didn't know how to respond.

The room fell silent again.

"The fifteenth prince has ascended the throne, and all plans have fallen through." Yi Xiu's voice rang out again. This time, there was no confusion or resentment, but rather a calmness as still as a stagnant pool.

"No one from my family has come to visit me in the past few months. They say it's to avoid suspicion, but really they're treating me like an abandoned child."

"While I feel regretful for not being able to accomplish something big, I am mostly relieved."

Yi Xiu said softly, "Even if he succeeds, even if I ascend to the position of Empress, so what? The glory belongs to the Ulanara family, to my father and his principal wife. What does it have to do with me? In the end, I will only face an empty courtyard, and one generation after another, younger and brighter newcomers, one newborn child after another, to replace my pitiful Honghui..."

She raised her head and looked at the four walls and courtyard.

"Rather than that, it's better to stay here in this mansion and live a peaceful life."

"I promised him a life of luxury and prosperity, and I promised him a long and prosperous lineage. He, in turn, gave me some dignity. In any case, neither of us got what we wanted most, so isn't that a kind of fairness?"

She smiled, but tears fell from her eyes.

Tears fell onto the back of her hand, eliciting a response.

She looked down and saw that it had landed on the jade ring she had worn on her wrist for decades.

She gently stroked the jade ring, just as she had done for the past twenty years whenever she was wounded and heartbroken:

"Back then, when the princes were choosing their consorts, the eldest prince was older and already married. The crown prince was of noble status and was favored by the late emperor, so he was out of reach for most people. My stepmother thought that the fourth prince was the least promising one, since everyone else had already received a title, while he was still just a prince. She wanted to keep her beautiful elder sister and wait for a better price, so she only hastily sent me, her illegitimate daughter, over."

She raised her eyes, her gaze drifting into the distance, as if she saw that anxious bride from many years ago.

"On the day I entered the house, I was terrified, thinking that my future husband would dislike me because of my status. But I never expected... the person who lifted my veil showed no displeasure or anger in his eyes."

Her voice became softer, tinged with a hint of nostalgia.

"He treats me very well. He's the best person in my life, besides my own mother."

For those two years, she truly believed she had found the man she could entrust her life to. She no longer had to live in fear, no longer had to be mindful of her stepmother's mood, and no longer had to make way for her sister's marriage…

who ever thought.

"Jianqiu," she suddenly called out.

"This servant is here."

Looking out at the dark night, Yixiu said softly, "I really want to grow old with him."

The sound was so soft, as soft as a sigh.

With deep regret.

With a sense of relief, I finally let go.

-

The next morning, Yixiu got up and dressed as usual.

She was like a doll, stretching out her arms and letting the maids do as they pleased.

One garment after another, befitting the status of a prince's primary consort, were put on her body;

One by one, the jewelry representing the dignity of the primary consort was also worn on the headdress.

As always, she was both wealthy and dignified.

Yi Xiu looked at the bronze mirror not far away, and the corners of her mouth habitually lifted into a perfectly timed smile.

Too much and it appears obsequious; too little and it appears aloof and indifferent.

Jianqiu served her from the side, but her gaze fell on her wrist, which was empty; the jade rings that she had never taken off for decades were no longer there.

She was taken aback.