The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Back then, the younger ones called him "Crown Prince Brother" the sweetest.

And that little eighteenth child who died young, she also clung to his clothes and refused to let go.

Yinreng originally thought that he had long forgotten.

But when Yinwu brought it up, those old stories suddenly became clear.

He remained silent for a long time, as if something had finally gently touched the softest corner of his heart.

Seeing that his expression relaxed, Yinwu took another step forward.

"Second Brother."

He called out, his voice not loud, but more earnest than before.

"Are you really willing to spend the rest of your life like this?"

Yinreng suddenly raised his eyes.

Yinwu looked at him and said, "Others may not know, but how could I not know you? I saw how diligently you studied, how you learned politics, how you burned the midnight oil, and how single-mindedly you focused on the Qing Dynasty. Have all those ambitions and things you wanted to do really vanished?"

"Second Brother."

He called out again.

"If you were truly content with this, I wouldn't have come here today."

Yinreng's throat moved.

For a fleeting moment, he almost sneered, wanting to retort, "Now you know how to say such nice things."

But looking into Yinwu's eyes, he couldn't say anything.

Those eyes are still the same as they were many years ago.

Clear, earnest, and even with an almost stubborn sincerity.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Yinreng actually nodded.

Ten years of confinement has worn him down far too long. If this continues, he himself doesn't know how many more years he can endure.

Upon hearing his agreement, Yinwu's eyes lit up instantly, as if he were genuinely overjoyed.

"Then it's settled."

"I'll have someone come and fetch my second brother to the palace tomorrow."

Once the second brother was dealt with, the eldest brother was relatively easy to handle.

The next day, Yinwu went to Yinti's place and, without much effort, simply raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying:

"My second brother has already promised me that I will go to the palace to report for duty tomorrow."

Yinti, who had been sitting there lazily, immediately sat up straight upon hearing this and said without thinking, "If he goes, I'll go too."

As soon as he said it, he was stunned.

When she looked up again, she was met with Yinwu's triumphant smile.

Yinti stared at him for a long time, and then couldn't help but laugh.

"You little brat."

When those words were spoken, I even found that casual, brotherly feeling from many years ago.

-

On the day the Fourteenth Prince and the Ninth Prince set off, Yinwu personally went outside the city to see them off.

After the group set off, Fourteenth Brother glanced back at the increasingly distant capital city and suddenly said to Ninth Brother in the carriage, "Luckily, it was Fifteenth Brother who sat in this seat back then. Isn't that right, Ninth Brother?"

Old Nine gave a soft snort and didn't reply immediately.

But inwardly he cursed—

Even now, people still think that he got lucky and found a bargain.

You deserve to be their stupid ox or horse for the rest of your life.

Despite his scolding, when he thought of his eighth brother and sister-in-law, who were now in good spirits and health, and his wife, who had come back to life after being able to enter and leave the mansion again and whose children's marriages were finally settled, his eyes softened involuntarily.

"That's true."

Having a shrewd and unpredictable female strategist by your side is certainly a headache.

But the kind-hearted Fifteenth son is far better than the narrow-minded, vengeful, and vicious Fourth son.

If he hadn't known what kind of person the fourth brother was, he wouldn't have insisted on killing him back then.

-

The brothers took on their respective tasks and got back to work;

Back in the palace, Yinwu couldn't hide his joy when he returned.

Upon entering, before the palace servants could even finish announcing his arrival, he first saw Yan Zhi.

Ignoring whether there were other people around, he walked over and hugged her and kissed her in front of everyone in the room.

Yan Zhi was taken aback by his antics, then raised her hand to push him away, scolding, "Nonsense."

Yinwu was pushed away by her, and only then did he belatedly realize that An Lingrong was standing next to him.

An Lingrong turned her head away the moment he pounced on her, but she still ended up blushing and stood there, unsure whether to go forward or retreat.

Yinwu coughed lightly, quickly chuckled, and changed the subject. He looked down at the gift boxes and silks piled half the room on the floor and laughed, "What's going on? Has my mother-in-law sent gifts again? Is she afraid I can't support the Empress?"

Yan Zhi nudged him and scolded him, "Don't talk nonsense."

"This is because my mother loves me. Ning Shou's birthday is in a few days, and my second brother sent someone to deliver gifts early on. Of course, there are also gifts for Hongwei and you."

Upon hearing this, Yinwu couldn't help but express his appreciation for his brother-in-law's thoughtfulness.

Because he knew perfectly well that, in the end, all those good things piled up in half the room, especially those few shimmering brocades, several boxes full of gold and jade jewelry, and boxes of furs and medicinal herbs sent from the north, were most likely for Yan Zhi.

How many can two small dolls use?

Yinwu stood there for a while, then suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to ask, "How old are the two brothers, Nianfu and Nianfu, now? Would you like me to give them some jobs to gain experience?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhi paused slightly.

"Nian Fu has already gone to the border with my second brother," she said. "As for Nian Xing, he has some talent in his studies, so there's no rush for him yet."

Yinwu nodded, saying nothing more, but he had clearly taken the matter to heart.

After he smiled and went to the front to change his clothes, Yan Zhi turned around and said to An Lingrong, "Take all those things that were for Hongwei with you and register them."

An Lingrong quickly replied, "Yes."

Yan Zhi then raised his hand and pointed to another set of jewelry and two feet of brocade on the other side: "Take these back to Suiyuxuan and send them to Xia Dongchun as a way to add to her dowry."

An Lingrong agreed again and deftly instructed people to sort the items one by one.

Yan Zhi stood aside watching her, feeling somewhat satisfied.

After several months in the palace, An Lingrong was no longer the timid and hesitant girl who would lower her head after just a few words. Having completed several tasks, she had met people and experienced things. Having also been influenced by Shen Meizhuang's presence, her demeanor had become much more poised and confident.

She wasn't stupid to begin with.

On the contrary, they have a high comprehension level and learn everything quickly.

What's even more remarkable is that this person is grateful.

Give her some dignity, some future prospects, and some tangible benefits, and she will truly remember them.

If you promote her even a little, she will repay you tenfold, serving you faithfully day and night without a single complaint.

So Yanzhi simply arranged for her to be by Hongwei's side.

A person who can identify herbs by their scent, and is meticulous and reliable, would be wasted if placed elsewhere.

After An Lingrong accepted the order and withdrew, the room fell silent for a moment.

Yan Zhi casually opened a brocade box, and with just one glance, his heart softened.

Inside wasn't a lot of precious gold, jade, or gemstones, but a tiger-head hat, along with a pair of small shoes and several pairs of socks. The stitches were fine and neat, clearly handmade by the mother. The little tiger head was embroidered with an endearing clumsiness, and every stitch revealed the elder's most genuine love.

Beside her were knee pads, a nightgown, and a pair of warm jade bracelets, all meticulously prepared according to her daily needs.

Yan Zhi gently brushed his fingertips along the woolen thread at the edge of the hat, remaining silent for a moment.

But my heart felt comforted.