The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Before Yanzhi could react, Yinwu excitedly shouted.

"Really?" His eyes lit up. "Even at seventeen, there's a day when love is on the horizon? Who is it? Which family's daughter? Tell me quickly!"

The man looked embarrassed and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I don't know."

Yinwu was about to ask again when Yanzhi raised his hand and gently patted the back of his hand, saying softly, "What's the rush? You'll know once you go there."

Yinwu thought about it and agreed. He lowered his head and coaxed Hongwei in his arms, "Come on, Father will take you to pay your respects to Grandmother, and we'll see what your seventeenth uncle is like!"

Although Hongwei didn't quite understand what the joke meant, seeing his father laughing happily, he clapped his little hands and said in his childish voice, "Look at the joke, look at the joke!"

Yan Zhi was both amused and exasperated, and pretended to hit Yin Wu: "Don't corrupt him!"

Yinwu chuckled and dodged away, then picked up his son and started to walk out.

Yanzhi stopped him, scolding, "You shouldn't go."

Yinwu was taken aback: "Why?"

Yan Zhi straightened his clothes and said slowly, "It's rare for my seventeenth brother to find someone he likes, and he even mustered up the courage to speak to the Empress Dowager. We can't let him be embarrassed so easily. Consort Shu is now a Buddhist nun and doesn't concern herself with worldly affairs, so his marriage will naturally be handled by the Empress Dowager and me, his sister-in-law. If we can bring about a good match as soon as possible, it will be a way to give Father Emperor and Consort Shu some peace of mind. You shouldn't go and cause trouble for now."

Yinwu was somewhat unwilling and opened his mouth as if to say something, but Yanzhi stopped him with a look.

He didn't insist any further, only muttering, "Fine, fine, I won't go. You go, you go, but when you come back you have to tell me which family's daughter you are."

Yan Zhi smiled and agreed, then turned and walked out.

-

Inside the Cining Palace, a harmonious and joyful scene unfolded.

Empress Dowager Wang sat at the head of the table, her face beaming with an undisguised smile. Beside her sat the Seventeenth Prince, his face flushed, head bowed, looking as if he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Yanzhi entered and first bowed to the Empress Dowager, saying, "Greetings to Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager hurriedly beckoned her to sit down, then pointed at Yinli and said with a smile, "Come, come, we were just talking about you. There's some good news I'd like to discuss with you. Our little seventeenth has finally fallen in love and is planning to get married."

Yan Zhi feigned surprise, his gaze falling on Yin Li, his eyes full of mischievous amusement: "Oh? Which young lady has caught our seventeenth brother's eye?"

The Empress Dowager smiled and gestured for Yinli to speak.

Yinli's face turned even redder.

He stood up, bowed to Yan Zhi, and said in a voice barely audible, "Reporting to Your Majesty... she is the daughter of Zhen Yuandao, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

Yan Zhi raised an eyebrow slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He pondered for a moment and said, "The position of Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review... is indeed a bit too low. It would be a disservice to Seventeenth Brother to make him the principal wife."

Upon hearing this, Yinli immediately became anxious and hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "I'm not wronged at all! Your Majesty, I don't feel wronged at all—"

He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly met the teasing gazes of Yan Zhi and the Empress Dowager, and realized that he had been tricked.

His handsome face instantly turned bright red, almost as if it were about to bleed.

"Royal Sister-in-law!"

He was both ashamed and angry.

Yan Zhi lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, and the Empress Dowager couldn't help but laugh out loud as well.

Yinli was so embarrassed by their laughter that he simply bowed deeply, his voice filled with a mixture of helplessness and ingratiation: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy on me this time."

Yan Zhi then stopped smiling and said gently, "It's good that you're not wronged. Since it's something Seventeenth Brother likes, I'm sure Mother Empress will agree as well."

She paused, then said, "Then let's pick an auspicious day and invite someone to the palace to take a look. We should also send a message to Ganlu Temple to inform Consort Shu."

Yinli immediately looked at the Empress Dowager, his eyes filled with anxiety.

The Empress Dowager slowly shook her head, her expression becoming more solemn: "Let's not rush those things. I know Consort Shu's temperament; as long as the person is someone Seventeen likes and comes from a respectable family, she won't object. The reason I summoned you here is to discuss another matter with you."

She looked at Yanzhi and said slowly, "I want to issue an imperial decree immediately to grant us this marriage."

Yan Zhi looked surprised, his gaze shifting between the Empress Dowager and Yin Li before he looked at Yin Li half-jokingly: "So eager? Could it be... that the young lady isn't willing? Perhaps she's already engaged to someone else. Although we are royalty, we don't condone such acts of force or ruining other people's marriages."

Yinli panicked and blurted out, "My sister-in-law has wronged me! It wasn't me who forcibly took what wasn't mine, but someone else!"

He spoke hastily, and as soon as he finished speaking, he realized he shouldn't have, and hurriedly stopped talking.

A hint of curiosity flashed in Yanzhi's eyes, but he did not ask any further questions. Instead, he looked at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager sighed softly, waved her hand to dismiss the palace servants, and then said, "You were right."

"Prince Yong has also taken a liking to that girl and has already sent his wife to convey his intentions, hoping to make her a concubine. He will likely come to request permission soon. Seventeenth Prince had no other choice but to rush here in a hurry to beg Your Majesty for a marriage."

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhi's face showed a perfectly timed hint of surprise.

She glanced at Yinli, then at the Empress Dowager, and said thoughtfully, "This is truly... This Zhen must be a woman of exceptional talent and beauty, to be able to attract the attention of two noblemen at the same time."

She paused, looking worried: "If Fourth Sister-in-law had gone to ask first and hinted at her intentions, Seventeenth Brother would naturally not be able to mention it again. Otherwise, if word got out that the two brothers had taken a fancy to the same young lady, it wouldn't be a good reputation for the royal family or for the Zhen family girl."

Upon hearing this, Yinli seemed to have made up his mind.

He stepped forward, lifted his robe, and knelt down.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I dare to speak my mind today."

He raised his head, his gaze frank, his face still flushed, but his tone had become steady: "Ms. Zhen is an exceptionally good woman. I first met her at Shangshan Temple, and it was love at first sight. These past few days, I've been relentlessly pursuing her, trying to emulate the talented scholars and beautiful women in those paintings, to make friends through literature and slowly cultivate a bond of friendship. That's why I've kept it a secret and haven't dared to tell anyone."

He paused, his voice tinged with genuine remorse: "It is the young lady who has always been courteous and self-disciplined, never overstepping the bounds in the slightest. In truth, it was mostly my wishful thinking."

Yan Zhi listened quietly without interrupting.

Yinli continued, "Your Majesty, I used to be arrogant and looked down on women. But after meeting Lady Zhen, I realized that there are women like Zhuge Liang. In this life, I only wish to grow old with her. I beg Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager to grant my wish."

He raised his right hand and solemnly said, "Your Majesty, I swear to Heaven that as long as Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager grant my wish, I will obediently follow any orders you may give me in the future, without any objection!"

The Empress Dowager couldn't hide her amusement. She turned to Yanzhi and teased, "You heard that? How could I bear to do that?"

Yan Zhi also said, "Seventeenth Brother's enthusiasm is truly moving."

She changed the subject, her tone becoming serious: "But since Fourth Sister-in-law has already been to the Zhen residence, this matter can't be kept secret forever. Even if the Empress Dowager issues the decree first, she will still face criticism. A woman's reputation is ultimately important."

The joy on Yinli's face faded.

Yanzhi continued, "Furthermore, you and Fourth Brother are still brothers, so you must not let this matter cause you to drift apart."

The Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly, "You've thought this through very well. So, what are your intentions?"

Yinli also stared longingly at Yanzhi.

Yan Zhi smiled slightly and said softly, "Then let's have a talent show."

Both of them were taken aback.

Yan Zhi explained calmly, "The imperial decree will be issued to select a concubine. Zhen Shi is likely to be on the shortlist at that age. Regardless of what Fourth Brother means, we must wait until the selection is complete before taking any action. When the grand selection takes place, the Empress Dowager will issue another imperial decree, allowing Zhen Shi to marry Seventeenth Brother in a legitimate manner."

She looked at Yinli with a gentle yet firm gaze: "This way, we can avoid rumors of brothers fighting over a woman, and we can also prevent gossip about Zhen and Shiqi's secret affair."

Yinli's eyes lit up, and he almost jumped up: "My sister-in-law is brilliant!"

The Empress Dowager thought about it and also thought it was an excellent idea.

-

After hearing Yanzhi's retelling, the smile on Yinwu's face gradually disappeared.

He stared at Yan Zhi without saying a word.

Yan Zhi knew perfectly well what was going on, and immediately dismissed the servants in the hall.

After the palace doors closed, she stepped forward and reached out to straighten his clothes, her movements intimate and gentle. She looked up at him, her tone carrying a hint of helpless laughter.

"I did not break my promise."

She said, word by word, "I asked you to hold a talent selection, not to choose concubines for you. I want to select female officials. And also, incidentally, to choose a consort for the Seventeenth Prince."