The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Shen Meizhuang reached out and pulled her closer to sit down, then asked Caiyue to hand her a hand warmer that had been prepared earlier.

These days, they've been working together in the palace, supporting each other, and their friendship has deepened even more than it did during the imperial concubine selection.

While enjoying the banquet, the two felt it wasn't enough, so they had their maids sit down as well.

Caiyue, of course, needs no introduction. She grew up with her since childhood, and it was only after much pleading that she was brought into the palace. Their bond was different from that of others.

Bao Juan, who served An Lingrong, was assigned from the palace, but she was quite useful.

Upon hearing Shen Meizhuang speak, Caiyue smiled and said, "Miss is really generous this time; even we servants are benefiting."

Shen Meizhuang gave her a reproachful look: "It's the New Year, are you only allowed to stand there smelling the aromas and eating cold leftovers? There are no servants here today, so sit down."

An Lingrong smiled, her lips pursed. She was not usually very eloquent, but seeing how Shen Meizhuang treated her subordinates, she admired her even more and asked Baojuan to sit down with her.

At first, everyone was reserved, but after a couple of rounds of drinks, the room gradually became lively. Caiyue talked about which place in the palace had the best lanterns, and Baojuan added a few more comments about who in the imperial kitchen was the laziest. Even An Lingrong was amused and laughed a few times.

Laughter and cheerful voices drifted over the wall and into the side hall, making Xia Dongchun feel even more uneasy.

She slammed her teacup down on the table, angrily saying, "Shen Meizhuang really has no taste! She treats someone like An Lingrong, from such a humble family, like a treasure. But she's so cold to me!"

Upon hearing this, the maidservant serving nearby couldn't help but whisper a reminder: "Miss, Manager Shen clearly came to invite you, but you yourself were unwilling to go..."

Upon hearing this, Xia Dongchun's eyebrows shot up: "You idiot! Are you her person or mine? Why are you always taking the side of outsiders?"

The maid shrank back after being scolded, and after a long while, she said aggrievedly, "It was my fault for saying the wrong thing... But Miss, if you want to join in the fun, you can go over now. I'm sure Manager Shen won't mind..."

"Shut up!" Xia Dongchun was getting even angrier. "Who wants to put on that act of sisterly affection with them!"

Still not satisfied after her outburst, she slammed back down, tossing her handkerchief aside: "It's just a banquet! Does she think only Shen Meizhuang has the money to buy food and wine? Go to the imperial kitchen and buy me a table of food too!"

The maid's face grew even more bitter upon hearing this, and she cautiously said, "Has Miss forgotten? The new palace rules came into effect a month ago. From now on, all ingredients used by the Imperial Kitchen, except for the rarest ones, will be purchased every ten days. Anyone who wants to add extra ingredients must report it in advance. This banquet today was also ordered by Manager Shen half a month ago. They invited you then, but you said you didn't care for it. Tonight is also the New Year's Eve banquet, and the Imperial Chefs will probably be keeping a close eye on things. Even if there are any extras, I'm afraid no one will be willing to sell them to us."

As she said this, she secretly glanced at Xia Dongchun again, her voice even lower: "Besides... Miss, you've probably forgotten that you personally investigated the accounts at the Imperial Kitchen. Back then... you had a fierce battle with the head nanny and eunuch there. Now, forget about them making an exception for us; they're probably too busy making excuses and giving us trouble."

Xia Dongchun's face turned pale and then flushed.

Suddenly, she exclaimed in exasperation, "I'm not eating! I'm not eating! It's just a feast, what's wrong with everyone? Will I starve to death if I miss one meal?!"

Even so, once the room quieted down, the laughter and cheerful voices coming from the other side became even clearer.

Xia Dongchun's anger flared up at the sound of it. She couldn't sit still or stand still, pacing back and forth for a couple of minutes before suddenly throwing back the curtain: "What kind of sweltering heat is this? It's unbearably hot! I'm going out for some fresh air!"

She was a woman of her word, and the maid couldn't stop her. She could only reluctantly fetch the cloak for her.

Xia Dongchun put on her cloak, picked up a palace lantern, and went out. The snow outside wasn't falling heavily; it was just drifting down in scattered flakes, landing on people's temples and shoulders, and quickly melting into a little cold water.

She had only come out to wander aimlessly, but before she knew it, she had ended up in the Plum Blossom Garden.

The Yimei Garden was very quiet on a winter night. Several early-blooming red plum trees, covered with a thin layer of snow, were reflected in the lamplight, which was quite beautiful.

Xia Dongchun had just calmed down a bit when he suddenly heard a low arguing voice coming from not far away.

She paused, and the argument grew louder, accompanied by cries of pain and the sound of fists hitting flesh!

Startled, she quickly hid behind the artificial hill and hurriedly blew out the lights.

Through the shadows of the branches and the snow, two men could be seen entangled in a fight not far away. They had indeed started fighting, and judging from the way one of them was throwing punches, it was clear he was aiming to kill them.

Xia Dongchun became more and more excited as he watched. He never expected that coming out late at night would actually lead to such a good show.

She assumed it was just a quarrel between the two night watchmen, and that they were genuinely angry. But when she heard one of their voices clearly, she was so frightened she almost stopped breathing—

"How dare you! That's our own mother! How could you do that!"

"She was put to death by the Emperor; what does that have to do with me?"

"So you knew!" Fourteenth Brother seemed completely enraged by these words. He grabbed Fourth Brother by the collar and lifted him up, gritting his teeth as he said, "Since you knew, you just stood by and watched? She's our mother!"

"She committed such a disgraceful act; if we don't give Father Emperor an explanation, it will be us who die!"

Yinzhen couldn't break free from him, so he could only stare at him fiercely, his eyes filled with malice.

"An explanation? What explanation!" Fourteenth Prince trembled with rage. "You're Mother's own son! You'd rather trust a stranger than her?"

Yinzhen suddenly laughed, but the smile was so cold it sent chills down one's spine.

"It is precisely because I am her biological son that I know the truth about her relationship with Longkodo."

As soon as those words were spoken, even Xia Dongchun, who was hiding in the shadows, felt his mind buzz.

Fourteen froze, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

A moment later, he suddenly hissed, "You're talking nonsense!"

Fourteen's eyes were bloodshot, and he pounded his fists down as if his life depended on it, his voice filled with barely suppressed rage: "How dare you insult my mother!"

Yinzhen was beaten until his face was bruised and swollen, and a trace of blood ran down the corner of his mouth.

He was panting, but a mocking smile played on his lips: "You're still young, of course you don't remember! And it's good that you don't remember. If you really saw your own mother and another man clinging to each other, inseparable, that would truly be heartbreaking."

"You're talking nonsense! You're talking nonsense!" Fourteenth Prince's eyes were completely red, and his fists pounded down again and again: "Mother would never do such a thing! She must have been framed, someone must have framed her!"

Yinzhen was beaten and forced to lie on the ground, where he could only passively cover his head.

After the Fourteenth Prince had finished beating him, he chuckled darkly twice: "Whether it's a frame-up or not, you should know in your heart what kind of person Father Emperor is. Do you think his secret guards are just sitting around doing nothing?"

Fourteen was trembling all over, then suddenly, as if he had thought of something, his eyes turned even colder: "I think you're not just forced to believe those lies, you're eager to believe them! You've always resented that when Mother was of low rank, she sent you to be raised by the Imperial Noble Consort Tongjia, and you resent that Mother favored me. So when she died, you were happy to stand by and watch! If it were anyone else, they might not have been able to save her, but with your methods, Prince Yong, Mother should have at least been spared!"