The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Wang Ruofu stared at the woman sitting opposite him for a long while, his gaze filled with pity and hesitation, before finally speaking first:

"You, a dignified empress, are being traded with a lowly official's wife? Isn't that a bit too much of an insult?"

Upon hearing this, Fucha Langhua gave a bitter smile: "So what if I'm the Empress? You've seen it yourself, in the end, I've kept nothing."

Wang Ruofu lowered his head and thought for a moment, but in the end he couldn't help but frown and say, "If you ask me, your problem is that you don't have anyone truly loyal under your command. Look at Su Lian, she's so opinionated and always makes decisions on her own, and you just indulge her. On the other hand, Lian Xin is honest and loyal, but you pushed her away. You can't even distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous among those who serve you closely every day, no wonder you've ended up like this."

At this point, she looked helpless and shook her head, saying, "What can I say to you? For a master, the people under his command don't necessarily have to be very capable; loyalty is the most important thing. A servant who has too many ideas is no longer a servant, but an ancestor."

Fucha Langhua's smile suddenly froze.

She had only made a casual, polite remark, never expecting that this Madam Wang would actually be so blunt and directly address her most embarrassing point.

If subordinates are not strictly managed and kinship is not distinguished, wicked servants will be allowed to cause trouble, and the hearts of loyal servants will be chilled...

This is a stain and mistake that she can never wash away in her entire life.

She felt a lump in her throat upon hearing this, yet she couldn't refute it.

It wasn't that she was too ashamed to argue; they were both dead now. In this mysterious space, she and this Madam Wang were nothing more than two wandering souls, neither more noble than the other.

Besides, no one is perfect. Having read the whole story of the Sheng family, Langhua knew that Wang Ruofu had also made many mistakes. Her life was not necessarily happier than her own.

Born as the second legitimate daughter of the royal family, she had a father who was honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, making her a renowned figure among the literati.

The man she married, Sheng Hong, openly used her family connections and her father's reputation to rise in rank, but he refused to give her any face.

Not only did he have an affair with Lin Qinshuang, who lived at home, during her pregnancy, but he also secretly became pregnant and eventually forced her to drink the concubine's tea.

Later, he favored his concubine over his wife, frequently stripping her of her power to manage the household, making her a laughingstock in the eyes of others.

Finally, her son achieved success, passed the imperial examination with flying colors, and climbed the social ladder by attaching himself to the Qingliu Hai family. He was about to rise to prominence and earn her an official title, bringing her pride and joy.

The eldest daughter had established herself firmly in her husband's family and was about to become a glamorous old lady, but she trusted her older sister again and drugged her mother-in-law.

She only wanted to regain control of the household, but the medicine was switched with poison halfway through, almost causing a major disaster and even dragging her children down with her.

He was eventually sent back to his hometown.

Lost face.

Even the servants dared to laugh at her for being stupid, clumsy, and unable to maintain the dignity of a matriarch.

Langhua also wanted to make a sarcastic remark.

But then I thought, what right do I have to be qualified?

The Sheng family has Lin Qinshuang, and Prince Bao's mansion also has Ulanara Ruyi.

Wang Ruofu had a sister who tricked and harmed her, but didn't she also have a mother who plotted against her in every way, but in reality pushed her to her death?

If she hadn't listened to her mother, why would she have regarded Gao Xiyue as a major threat, pushing away the person who had some genuine feelings for her further and further away?

Since she couldn't refute it, Fucha Langhua didn't want to continue the topic. She could only slightly avert her eyes and whisper, "Since that's the case, when you become me, you can make it up to Lianxin for me."

Wang Ruofu nodded and answered very quickly.

"Of course. Those who serve their masters are most afraid of being disheartened. Since she is loyal, I will certainly not mistreat her."

Fucha Langhua pursed her lips, unwilling to dwell on the matter any longer, and changed the subject.

"Is there anything you haven't finished wishing for that you'd like me to fulfill?"

Wang Ruofu was stunned.

After a long while, she gave a bitter smile.

"I've lived my whole life in a daze. I don't consider myself a bad person. I've never intentionally harmed anyone, nor have I done anything wrong. But somehow, in the end, apart from my Ru'er, no one has ever truly liked me."

As she spoke, her eyes gradually reddened.

"Although you are just as muddle-headed as I am, you were once an empress, and you have seen and experienced more than I have. Now that you know the cause and effect, your methods must be better than mine. I ask for nothing else, only that you take good care of my Ru'er. Please, please find her a good marriage, and don't let her be deceived by Wen Yanjing again."

"That little bastard is unreliable. At first, he was alright, living in the house I bought for him and using the maids I bought for him. He was at least somewhat sincere towards me, Ru'er. But after he got promoted, he actually started buying concubines and maids, making my Ru'er suffer. He's a complete ingrate, his conscience has been eaten away by wild dogs!"

"And that old hag in his family, she's the worst-hearted one, the one who torments her daughter-in-law the most. If my Ru'er were to marry into a family like that, I would never die in peace."

"And, and my uncle and aunt."

Wang Ruofu paused for a long time before choking up and saying, "If you have the ability, please, please take good care of them for me. And then there's Aunt Liu... she's the best person I could ever ask for, you must treat her well. She's smart, and sometimes she has strong opinions, but please don't treat her like Su Lian and be wary of her, she's always doing it for my own good."

Finally, she couldn't help but sob, quickly turning her head away and hastily wiping away her tears with her sleeve.

"In my whole life, only a few people have truly treated me well."

Fucha Langhua gazed at her quietly, feeling her pain deeply, and a tightness settled in her chest.

She lived a life of luxury, sitting in the empress's palace, and everyone called her "Empress." But in the end, how many people truly cared for her?

Besides her brocade zither.

Not a single one.

Oh, right, her brocade zither.

She quickly reached out and grasped Wang Ruofu's hand, her voice trembling as she said:

"Then you must take good care of my children for me. Yonglian, Yongcong... and Jingse, my Jingse. Please protect them for me, okay? And..."

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in her eyes.

Because she suddenly remembered that the woman in front of her had given birth to three children, all of whom were healthy and had grown up.

Wouldn't that mean...?

Fucha Langhua's fingertips trembled slightly, and the pressure on her hand unconsciously increased:

"And my poor eldest daughter, dear sister, if you could save her for me..." She looked at Wang Ruofu, her voice hoarse, "Could you name her Jinning?"

Wang Ruofu paused for a moment, then nodded seriously.

Just then, the vast white fog all around suddenly trembled slightly.

A voice, indistinguishable in gender and age, faintly echoed from the void—

"Children are all made of their mother's flesh and blood."

"No matter where you go, what you become, or who you marry, the children you give birth to will only be your original children."

As soon as he finished speaking, both of them were stunned.

A moment later, Wang Ruofu suddenly opened his eyes wide.

"really?!"

Her shout was urgent and bright, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

Fucha Langhua was also stunned, followed by an overwhelming joy.

Her heart, which had been dead, suddenly came back to life as if it had been lifted up by something.

But the sound never came again.

But for the two mothers, that one sentence was enough.

Fucha Langhua answered almost without hesitation: "I agree to the exchange!"

This time, she didn't want any deep affection between the emperor and empress, any dignity as empress, or any glory for her family.

All she wants is for her children to be safe and sound, and for them to live long and healthy lives.

Everything else is fake.

Wang Ruofu immediately covered her mouth, her eyes barely able to contain her joy.

"Heavens..." she murmured, "If that's the case, if I become you, if I become the Empress, then wouldn't my Hua'er and Ru'er be—"

He didn't say the rest of his words out of consideration for Langhua in front of him, but the wildly upturned corners of her mouth said it all.