The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

On the carriage back to the palace, Zhao Zhen was in a rare good mood.

He kept fiddling with the little flower that Yuanbao had given him.

The tiny yellow flower, blooming randomly in some corner of the wall, is far inferior to the flowers and trees in the palace.

But the more he looked at it, the more pleasing it became to his eye.

Zhang Maoze sat to the side, hesitating to speak several times.

Zhao Zhen finally looked up at him.

"Speak your mind."

Zhang Maoze hurriedly whispered, "The young lady Your Majesty first met at the orphanage should be the youngest daughter of Minister Wang, the Third Lady Wang."

Zhao Zhen was taken aback.

Then she remembered that clear and serene face from just now.

Her refined and noble air could not be concealed even by simple clothes and a hairpin.

And their every gesture was more refined than that of the female officials in the Imperial Etiquette Bureau.

No wonder.

It turns out she was the daughter of Minister Wang.

But as he thought about it, his expression became somewhat strange.

A person with such proper manners should, in theory, be even more rigid and inflexible.

Why would she dress like that, personally looking after the children at the orphanage without any restraint? And what about her childish words…

But this absurdity only lingered in his mind for a moment before he dismissed it.

The young lady is unmarried, and she is the daughter of a virtuous family like Minister Wang. If I think too much about her, I will inevitably be suspected of having unrealistic fantasies, which would be contrary to the principles of a gentleman.

-

After returning to the palace, Zhao Zhen ordered Zhang Maoze to send the items to various orphanages in Bianjing City in the name of the Empress Dowager.

After finishing this task, he felt a little more at ease and then planned to go to the Chuigong Hall to handle government affairs.

No sooner had he sat down than a eunuch rushed in in a panic and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

"Her Majesty the Empress has summoned Consort Miao again!"

Zhao Zhen's face darkened, and he almost immediately got up and rushed over.

He didn't return until evening.

The sun had already set more than halfway down, and the light in the hall was dim and yellowish.

Zhao Zhen stepped in, looking exhausted, his steps heavier than usual.

A freshly changed bandage was wrapped around the side of his neck, revealing a faint pink tinge.

Zhao Zhen sat alone under the lamp, remaining motionless for a long time.

Zhang Maoze stood by, even his breathing became soft.

After a long pause, Zhao Zhen suddenly spoke.

"Maoze".

"Your subject is here."

"What mother in this world would knowingly give her son fish eyes when she knows he prefers pearls?"

His voice was very low, as if he were asking someone else, or perhaps asking himself.

"When I was a child, I liked sweet lactose cakes, but my aunt insisted that eating too many would harm my spleen and stomach, and insisted that the palace switch to making savory shortbread. I clearly had my eye on them... but she went against everyone's advice and made Lady Guo the Empress."

"Tell me, does she truly treat me like a son?"

"Or am I merely a tool for her to call herself Empress or Empress Dowager, and to control the court?"

Zhang Maoze lowered his head and pretended to be dead.

That was a question he couldn't possibly answer.

Everyone knows that the Emperor favored Lady Zhang back then, but the Empress insisted on elevating Lady Guo despite all the objections.

After the emperor and empress got married, they remained estranged.

Empress Guo was domineering and unreasonable, always finding a way to cause trouble. In the years since their marriage, she had hardly ever spoken a proper word to the Emperor.

What's worse, she was not only domineering herself, but also forbade the emperor from getting too close to other people.

Miao Meiren was only acquainted with the Emperor since childhood and received a little more care from him, but she was so jealous that she went crazy and would pick fights every few days.

Today, he was even more audacious, personally taking action. When the officials tried to stop him, they were also injured on the neck, leaving a long, terrifying wound.

Zhao Zhen leaned back in his chair, his gaze blank, when suddenly he thought of his other mother.

If he had grown up with his birth mother, would everything have been different?

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he laughed.

He is no longer a child.

He is a king.

He should be in charge of the whole country, so why should he have to endure this kind of nonsense in his own harem?

Snapped!

Zhao Zhen slammed his hand heavily on the table.

Zhang Maoze's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately knelt down.

No one spoke again in the hall.

The next day, the decree to depose the empress was issued.

The court officials had always liked to go against Zhao Zhen, but this time, when they saw with their own eyes the still unhealed wound on the emperor's neck, they all became obedient.

No one said a word.

No one dared to offer any advice.

-

In the Dongchang Marquis's residence, Qin Yanwan stood in the courtyard, looking at the betrothal gifts that filled the courtyard, her expression calm to the point of indifference.

Zhao Xu kept his promise.

Early this morning, the Prince of Yan's mansion sent people to the door, with full courtesy and a grand ceremony, clearly presenting the marriage proposal to everyone.

She nodded.

However, Qin's parents were not particularly happy.

Zhao Xu was a notorious playboy in Bianjing, and the Yan Prince's Mansion was of high social standing. If Yan Wan were to marry into that family, and suffered any grievances in the future, even if they wanted to support her, they might not be able to.

Qin Yanwan saw this and her eyes were filled with complex emotions.

Every time she felt that her parents only cared about her older sister and never thought about her at all, they would always manage to slip some good things through their fingers at just the right time.

She couldn't bring herself to hate him completely.

There's no end to the grievances.

"I know what my father and mother mean, but if I don't marry Zhao Xu, what kind of good match can they find for me?"

The room fell silent as soon as he said that.

Qin's mother's expression changed first.

Qin Yanwan, however, acted as if she hadn't seen it and continued, "I'm already fourteen. Who should I marry? Who can I marry? When will Father and Mother be able to spare some time from my older sister's mess to plan for me?"

"Wan-jie'er!"

Qin's mother stared wide-eyed, her face filled with disbelief.

Qin Yanwan smiled.

"I know. My older sister was born weak. Unlike me, she's strong and healthy and can grow up on her own without much care."

"I don't blame my father and mother. I don't compete with them for anything."

"Zhao Xu is the husband I chose for myself."

"From now on, whether I live a good or bad life, whether I am honored or despised, whether I live or die, I will accept it willingly. I will never bother you again and cause you worry."

"Over the years, this is how I've always lived."