The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

An Lingrong pressed her fingertips on the paper, her brows furrowing slightly.

The other fragrance, warm and affectionate, is even more straightforward.

Ylang-ylang has a captivating effect, and when combined with other aphrodisiac flowers and leaves, it can easily make a person feel intoxicated and confused within a very short time.

If the weight is heavier, it can even cause a person to become temporarily delirious and lose their senses.

But such a fragrance isn't actually that hard to find.

If the person behind the bell and the person behind her only wanted to know how to use this incense to harm people, they could have just found a doctor with advanced medical skills. Why did they have to go through such a long and complicated process to trick her into revealing her secrets?

An Lingrong's gaze then fell back on the Lingtai Fangcun Incense.

The doubts in my heart gradually grew heavier and heavier.

She recalled the idle chatter the old man in the palace had told her many years ago.

In truth, it wasn't really gossip; that person actually came with the intention of using her words to curry favor with the Empress.

The man said that Lingtai Fangcunxiang was an ancient formula that had been lost for a long time. It was the Empress who figured out how to complete it herself not long after she married the Emperor.

Later, when His Majesty was occasionally too busy with state affairs to sleep, he would order someone to burn some.

Thinking of this, An Lingrong's fingers suddenly tightened.

Was that person heading towards the Empress?

Her expression remained unchanged; she simply closed the family heirloom incense recipe and put it back in its place.

He blew out half the lights as usual, and went to sleep fully clothed, as if nothing had happened.

She continued with her daily routine as usual.

During the day, she was still the most trusted aunt to the eldest prince and the princess, taking meticulous care of their every need, from food and daily life to temperature.

In my spare time, I still read ancient books and mix spices, trying to refine and deepen the little talent I already had.

Occasionally, she would visit Shen Meizhuang.

Life goes on at a leisurely pace.

But the bell was starting to get impatient.

At first, he could hold back and test the waters once or twice, but later he would ask about the incense every few days, becoming more and more eager.

An Lingrong, however, seemed to have noticed nothing, and smiled as she sent the person away: "Learning perfumery is not something that can be accomplished in a day. Besides, those harmful methods you mentioned may not even exist. There's no use in being anxious."

Lingdang was helpless, and later she was obviously not as close to her as before. Baojuan saw this and was both proud and angry.

"What kind of thing is she? How dare she give you attitude, Aunt? It's just because you didn't teach her how to blend perfumes as she wished, or make her fawn over the master. This is something that requires talent. She doesn't have the ability to do this, yet she acts like you're afraid of her."

An Lingrong shook her head, outwardly advising Baojuan not to take it to heart, but her words implied that it was better to stay away from her in the future, though her vigilance remained undiminished.

It's Lunar New Year's Eve again in the blink of an eye.

Because the princess suddenly had a whimsical idea to have plum blossoms that would never fade, An Lingrong thought of having her embroiderers make several exquisite plum blossoms out of scraps of cloth and silk, and then hide some fine powder with the fragrance of plum blossoms in the stamens. They were both beautiful and lifelike, and even more appealing to children than real flowers.

The fragrance of plum blossoms is always at its strongest after a snowfall.

She waited a long time before the snow finally came.

Once the palace banquet began, most of the palace staff were distracted, so she took Baojuan and went to Yimei Garden.

Tonight, the people on duty at Yimei Garden are Xiao Yunzi and a newly assigned palace maid named Qing Sui. Both of them have received her kindness, especially Xiao Yunzi. When his brother fell ill, he almost lost his life. It was An Lingrong who reported the matter to the authorities and arranged for a royal physician to be found, which saved his life.

Therefore, when they saw her arrive, the two of them were exceptionally enthusiastic.

A few people broke off some fragrant plum branches in the snow and walked along, chatting and laughing in hushed tones. Just as they were about to turn back, they bumped into someone as soon as they stepped out of the garden gate.

It turned out to be the Fourteenth Prince.

This was his first return to Beijing since he went to the southeast to train the navy.

Everyone hurriedly greeted him.

Fourteen stood there, glanced down at the kneeling crowd, and said calmly, "Get up."

Everyone hurriedly thanked the emperor and stood up.

An Lingrong lowered her eyes, not daring to look or speak. Unexpectedly, the Fourteenth Prince's gaze lingered on her for a moment before falling on the plum branch she was holding. He abruptly said, "You seem to be in quite a good mood."

An Lingrong's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

The next moment, he said again, "Everyone outside says that the Empress Dowager is harsh in managing her subordinates, but I think she is too lenient. She is clearly very capable, but she insists on not doing her job properly."

An Lingrong quickly apologized, but Fourteenth Prince seemed too lazy to say anything more, waving his hand and saying only, "All of you, leave. I just came to sober up."

No one dared to linger and quickly withdrew.

After taking a few steps, Baojuan still looked shaken and frightened. Seeing this, Xiaoyunzi quickly lowered her voice to comfort her, "I'm afraid the Fourteenth Prince was upset because Prince Yong just left, and that's why he said such harsh words. Aunt An, don't take it to heart."

An Lingrong paused slightly.

Prince Yong just left?

Baojuan, who was naturally bolder, couldn't help but whisper, "Could it be that a few years ago... when he got drunk and behaved inappropriately in Yimei Garden, and even slept with the palace maids on duty there—"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Xiao Yunzi's expression changed, and she quickly hissed, "Shut up!"

Everyone was startled and quickly looked around. Fortunately, the snowy night was empty and there was no one else around, so they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Yunzi was still worried, and lowered her voice to warn, "You know it, you know it, but you must keep your mouth shut in the future. In matters of the palace, every word is too little, let alone such a deadly old story. Go back now."

Baojuan nodded repeatedly, not daring to say anything more.

An Lingrong silently hugged the few plum blossoms and hurriedly returned to Yuqing Palace with Baojuan.

Although she was only a seventh-rank female official, she was in charge of the personal affairs of the two young masters, and the palace had long since assigned her a separate room. After returning, she first took off the snow-soaked cloak, then carefully washed her hands and feet with hot water, and her face finally regained some composure.

Baojuan went to the small kitchen and brought her a bowl of ginger soup, which is a staple in winter.

An Lingrong took it, but didn't rush to drink it. She only instructed, "You should also go wash up quickly, and then go to the small kitchen to get a bowl of ginger soup. Don't catch a cold."

Baojuan quickly replied with a smile, "Yes."

After she left, An Lingrong was left alone in the room.

She changed into her nightgown and sat down in front of the brazier to warm herself.

An Lingrong's gaze, however, involuntarily fell on the plum branch and remained fixed for a long time.

Her mind kept replaying the words the Fourteenth Prince had just uttered.

"He has a lot of skills, but he insists on not doing his proper job."

He recognized her.

They even knew what her skills were.

But how is that possible?

She had never met the Fourteenth Prince before.

She had only been in the palace for half a year when the Fourteenth Prince went to the southeast. No matter how much influence she gained, she was still just a maidservant who took care of the young masters.

What skills does she possess that warrant such a pointed and sarcastic remark from him?

An Lingrong suddenly remembered the two incense recipes that Lingdang had brought, and her heart skipped a beat.

From that day on, she began to subtly inquire about the Fourteenth Prince's past.

She did this very carefully.

The most feared thing in the palace was inquiring about the master's affairs. If she made the slightest move, it might alert others first. Therefore, she did not ask directly, nor did she specifically seek out anyone. Instead, she pieced together the information little by little from casual conversations, old files, and snippets of conversation occasionally mentioned by the old eunuchs.

Such an investigation is naturally extremely slow.

But even if you go slowly, the loose threads are already there.

The Fourteenth Prince was born to Lady Wuya.

Uya was of humble origin, rising from a lowly palace maid to become one of the four imperial concubines. Back then, she was a legend among many women in the harem, and a role model they secretly emulated.

Even later, when the struggle for the throne was at its most intense and the Eighth Prince was defeated, many people speculated that she would be the most likely person to sit on the throne as Empress Dowager.

Because the remaining Fourth Prince and Fourteenth Prince were both her children.

But ironically, in the end, it was the current emperor who suddenly appeared and ascended to the throne.

This was already surprising enough.

What's even stranger is that the late emperor passed away that year, and the time seemed to be around New Year's Eve.

Emperor Kangxi suddenly died of a serious illness, and passed the throne to his fifteenth son, who is now the emperor.

After the emperor ascended the throne, he was always kind to his brothers. Even their birth mothers were allowed to leave the palace and live with their sons.

However, Uya, who had given birth to two sons who both lived to adulthood, one of whom was granted the title of Prince and the other of whom was at least a Prince of the County, died of illness at this time.

Many people who mention this matter sigh that they are unlucky.

But the more An Lingrong thought about it, the colder the chill in her heart became.

In the dead of night, she sat alone under the lamp, going over and over the bits and pieces of information she had gathered countless times, feeling that there must be some secret she had not yet figured out.

But she was also vaguely afraid.

This matter is far too complicated for a seventh-rank female official like her to easily get involved in.

An Lingrong tried to back down several times.

But his thoughts were simply out of control.

When it was late at night and there was no one around, she sat alone in front of the lamp, and she couldn't help but take out the two incense recipes again and again, looking at them over and over again.

Ylang-ylang's effects are the simplest and most direct.

But what kind of romantic affair could possibly affect the succession to the throne?

How high must those two people be in status and power?

Where is the Lingtai Fangcun Incense?

It is clearly a calming substance, so how could it appear together with an aphrodisiac fragrance?

Is it possible to simultaneously calm one's mind and arouse one's desires?

An Lingrong was completely baffled.

Until one day, she saw a plant in the Imperial Hospital.

It was an inconspicuous blade of grass.

A dry, yellowish, thin, withered blade of grass.