The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Behind Yanzhi followed a group of noblewomen. The Thirteenth Prince's wife, the Ninth Prince's wife, the Tenth Prince's wife, the Fourteenth Prince's wife, the Sixteenth Prince's wife... all dressed in full regalia according to their rank, each with an elegant demeanor.

Yanzhi took her seat in the main seat, and the other wives sat beside her in order.

"Get up, everyone." Yan Zhi said with a smile, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Only then did Zhen Huan dare to raise her head and glance at the distance.

With just one glance, her heart skipped a beat.

Her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely beautiful, her skin was as white as jade, and her whole demeanor was elegant and noble, with an indescribable air of majesty.

She sat there, smiling casually, yet her presence was so captivating that it was impossible to look directly at her.

The Empress is so young.

Yanzhi's gaze slowly swept over the young ladies, then he turned his head and smiled at the wives beside him, "Look, so many beautiful and fresh flowers. Compared to them, we look old."

The Sixteenth Princess Consort quickly chimed in, laughing, "What do you mean, 'we'? You, Imperial Sister-in-law, who secretly ate the elixir of immortality, are teasing us again!"

The wives all laughed and chimed in, praising Yanzhi one after another.

Yan Zhi waved his hand, his tone slightly reproachful: "I sent you here to choose suitable women to take back and add to the family. You're not here to play games with me, so hurry up and look at the women."

The wives then smiled, stopped talking, and turned their gazes to the young ladies in the garden.

But each person had their own thoughts in their eyes.

As the Thirteenth Princess looked at those young faces, she thought of her children in the mansion who were reaching adulthood.

The Ninth Prince's wife and the Tenth Prince's wife exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken.

Those men in the family were incredibly arrogant a few years ago. All they knew was to bully and beat up the fourth son. They got their own pleasure, but their children suffered.

Later, he displeased the late emperor and was confined to his residence for many years, which prevented his children from getting married even though they were almost of marriageable age.

Fortunately, Heaven had eyes and allowed the fifteenth prince to ascend the throne.

The Empress still remembered some of the past affections and took the initiative to break the ice and show goodwill, even saying that she would bestow marriages upon her children.

They were not like those pedantic and prideful men in the mansion.

He was clearly already defeated, but he refused to admit it and put on airs, refusing to yield to the emperor.

Besides, at their age, their grown children are naturally more important than men who can't leave the mansion unless they bow their heads every day.

Even if the sons couldn't find wives, there were still maids to serve them at home, so the family line would eventually end.

But a servant is still a servant; how can she compare to the dignity of a proper young lady's daughter-in-law?

Besides, they both have daughters!

Even if a son is imprisoned in the mansion for his entire life and suffers, can it be as bitter as a daughter who cannot get married, or who gets married but has no family to support her?

This time, they were determined to go against the men in the mansion.

No, that's not a counter-argument; it's time for them to show their skills and save their family from dire straits.

Just like the words that the Tenth Prince's wife said to him before leaving this morning—

"You men are all capable, not only failing to achieve anything great but also bringing disaster upon yourselves. I consider myself unlucky to have married you; I'll go with the flow, but there's no reason for the children to suffer along with me. Since you're useless, then get out of here. I, as your mother, will earn the children's future!"

She has come to the banquet hosted by the Empress today.

This daughter-in-law will definitely be taken back.

As long as the children are well in the future and not implicated by that good-for-nothing man, what does it matter if she serves the Empress from now on?

After they had finished laughing, Yan Zhi cleared his throat and said, "Although today's selection is a bit different from usual, it is different from the past."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an authoritative quality that compelled listeners to heed it.

"Today is not only the day the royal family chooses a daughter-in-law, but also the day I choose a capable ally."

She paused, her gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of the young women, her smile growing even gentler.

"In this garden, there are more than twenty things to cultivate one's character. There are playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, tea ceremony, painting appreciation, incense burning, incense making, pitch-pot, and even the abacus and account books—anything you know how to do, just try it."

She gestured to the various furnishings in the garden, her tone as casual as if she were discussing something perfectly ordinary: "One point for each item completed. As for how well it's done, that's up to us wives to decide. However..."

She laughed, a bright and friendly laugh that instantly put everyone at ease: "Don't be too reserved. When I host a banquet, I don't like things to be too formal; I just want everyone to enjoy themselves."

As soon as the words were spoken, the palace maids filed out, bringing a continuous stream of food and wine to the tables in front of the young ladies.

The young women were led to their seats, and they stared blankly at the exquisite dishes in front of them.

Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan sat together, and An Lingrong quickly sat down on Zhen Huan's other side.

Shen Meizhuang said in a low voice, "This... is completely different from what my governess said."

Zhen Huan nodded, her voice low: "It is different."

The governess said that the candidates for the imperial concubines were to be selected in batches for the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Empress to assess, and then the three of them would decide whether to reject them or bestow flowers upon them.

An Lingrong nodded secretly to herself.

When the preliminary selection took place in Songyang County, the eunuch from the palace gave the same explanation.

But now... none of it matches up.

Looking at the well-arranged furnishings in the garden, she felt both apprehensive and secretly expectant.

Just then, the empress, seated at the head of the table, suddenly spoke again.

"It's still a bit too restrained." She looked at the Tenth Princess Consort with a smile: "Tenth Sister-in-law, would you be willing to take the lead?"

The Tenth Prince's wife understood and stood up gracefully: "I should have come earlier."

She walked to a table with bows and arrows, picked up the bow with one hand, nocked an arrow with the other, and drew the bowstring taut as if it were a full moon, without breaking a sweat.

With a whoosh.

The arrow shot out through the air.

Fifty paces away, a blooming golden chrysanthemum fell to the ground with a thud.

Several people at the table immediately let out a low gasp of surprise.

The Tenth Princess lowered her bow and proclaimed, "Who can score two points like me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of several young women from military families lit up.

They looked at each other for a moment, and suddenly, one of them stood up and strode toward the table where the bow and arrows were placed.

One has two.

Soon, others went to the painting table, ground ink, laid out paper, and began to paint;

Someone walked up to the zither platform and began to play the strings.

Some people walked to the incense table and carefully arranged the incense utensils.

The garden gradually became lively.

Shen Meizhuang looked at the scene before her with a complicated expression.

She said softly, "This is probably... Her Majesty the Empress's own intention."

The young women quickly found the tests they were most confident about.

Some drew their bows and nocked arrows, displaying heroic spirit; some wielded their brushes with ease and composure; some plucked the strings of a zither, producing melodious tunes; some fiddled with incense burners, their expressions focused…

Shen Meizhuang's eyes were unfocused.

Originally, they were just delicate flowers in full bloom.

But now, it seems as if it has descended to earth and taken human form.

Each with a different posture, yet all incredibly agile.