The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

At the other end of the corridor, around the corner, the Queen Mother stood there, supported by her maid, her face slightly somber.

Recently, the youngest daughter has been working tirelessly for the orphanage and the disaster victims in the suburbs of Beijing, which has indeed brought considerable prestige to the Wang family.

Although the Queen Mother did not say it outright, she was extremely satisfied.

To her surprise, when she turned her head, she saw her standing in the courtyard talking to a strange man, quite close to him.

She was standing far away and couldn't hear what the two were saying, but she clearly saw the man raise his hand, take Langhua's hand, and place something in her palm.

Langhua didn't look away; after glancing down, her expression softened considerably.

As for the man, since he had his back to her, she couldn't see his face clearly, but she could tell that he was tall and had an impressive bearing. He was also followed by two guards, so he was obviously not from an ordinary background.

But no matter who they are, there is absolutely no reason for them to meet and exchange gifts in private!

However, she still cared about her reputation, and since this was an orphanage, she didn't want to cause any trouble. So she simply held onto her maid's hand, slowly turned around, and pretended not to have seen anything.

She didn't say another word on the way back.

Only after entering the mansion and shedding his outward facade did his expression truly darken.

He called out to Langhua, who was about to return to the courtyard to change her clothes: "Come with me."

Langhua could tell from her cold and hard tone that a storm was brewing, but she still followed her.

Main hall of the main courtyard.

The Queen Mother dismissed her attendants and sat upright in the main seat, her face revealing neither joy nor anger, as she slowly plucked the prayer beads in her hand.

Langhua bowed respectfully: "Mother."

The Queen Mother told her to get up, but didn't ask her to sit down. She just looked at her quietly with her eyes.

Her youngest daughter was actually quite pretty. Although her features weren't as delicate as her eldest daughter's, she had fair skin and exceptionally bright, intelligent eyes.

Coupled with her poise and impeccable manners, no matter how unwilling the Queen Mother was, she had to admit that of her two daughters, the one most likely to marry well and achieve great things was the younger daughter who did not grow up by her side.

But Ruoyu is, after all, the older sister.

And yet, he was so strong-willed.

How could one feel good when constantly being overshadowed by their younger sister?

Both children are her flesh and blood; she just wants them to be roughly equal in the future, and that's enough for her.

Having made up her mind, Wang's mother slowly spoke: "You have been working hard lately for the orphanage and the disaster victims in the suburbs of Beijing. You have also brought honor to the family."

Just as Langhua was about to make a self-deprecating remark, the Queen Mother suddenly changed the subject:

"You don't need to leave the manor for the next few days. Just rest at home. The disaster is over, and there's not much left to do. Sending two stewardesses over to look after things should be enough."

"You should stay in your room and copy some scriptures to calm your mind and learn how to manage a household. Once your eldest sister's marriage is settled, it's time for you to start looking for a partner."

Langhua listened to this, paused for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled softly.

The Queen Mother, already displeased at not receiving a compliant reply, frowned immediately upon hearing the soft chuckle: "What are you laughing at?"

Langhua raised her eyes, her expression indifferent: "Mother, did you see or hear anything today?"

The Queen Mother's expression changed slightly: "What do you mean by that?"

Langhua did not evade the question, but looked at her seriously: "Even criminals who confess must state what crime they have committed. If Mother wants to confine me, she should at least give me a suitable reason."

The resentment in her eyes was so obvious that the Queen Mother saw it and her anger flared up: "I didn't say anything because I wanted to save face for you, but since you don't appreciate it, I really don't need to pretend to be a good person."

She scoffed and said coldly, "You are a young lady, and your reputation has recently soared. You should know your limits and be more cautious in your actions. Although the orphanage is a place for doing good deeds, it is still a place where all sorts of people come and go. You can't just befriend just anyone."

She paused, then added, "Your eldest sister is currently engaged. If you misbehave outside, it won't just damage your reputation."

Langhua thought to herself, "Just as I thought."

Looking at the Queen Mother, who seemed to have victory firmly in her grasp, she suddenly asked, "Mother, may I ask you, if you had seen my eldest sister befriending someone today, would you have warned her the same way, 'Don't implicate me'? Would you have forbidden her from leaving the manor from now on, and simply confined her to the house?"

"presumptuous!"

The Queen Mother's expression changed drastically, and she slammed her Buddhist prayer beads heavily onto the table.

"I am your mother, how dare you speak to me like that!"

Her chest heaved with anger, and her voice rose several decibels: "Your eldest sister has always been well-mannered and virtuous, and is extremely composed. How could she do such a shameless thing!"

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Langhua merely glanced at her indifferently, mentally going over the phrase "shameless" repeatedly, but her eyes remained largely unmoved. Only after the Queen Mother finished speaking did she lazily reply, "Is that so?"

The Queen Mother was so angry that she couldn't speak for a moment.

She took a deep breath and said coldly, "In short, you don't need to leave the manor for the next few days."

A hammer is fixed.

After hearing this, Langhua was too lazy to argue anymore.

She simply gave a quiet curtsy and said in a low voice, "Since Mother says so, I understand."

Langhua turned and left.

His eyes were slightly cold, with a hint of mockery.

Then please watch closely.

As Langhua stepped down the stairs, her hand, hidden in her sleeve, suddenly touched a piece of warm, solid jade.

She paused slightly in her steps.

His gaze gradually softened.

Go ahead and make a scene.

It's good that things have blown up; let's take this opportunity to cut ties cleanly.

She can't become empress and then have to clean up the messes of Wang Ruoyu's secret rendezvous with other men and her ill-advised marriage.

-

On the other side, at the Sheng residence.

As soon as Sheng Hong turned the corner of the screen wall, he saw his stepmother's maid, Fang Mama, standing under the eaves, waiting for him with an ambiguous smile.

Sheng Hong felt a chill run down his spine, and the smug look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual docile and respectful demeanor.

"Mother Fang," he said with a slight bow, smiling, "I was just about to pay my respects to my mother."

Madam Fang stepped aside, her face still bearing her usual indifferent smile: "Madam is waiting for you, young master. Please, young master."

Sheng Hong's heart sank slightly, but he didn't show it on his face. He straightened his clothes and walked towards the main courtyard.

Upon entering the room, one sees Madam Xu sitting upright on the couch, holding a fine cloth in her hand, carefully wiping a polo mallet.

The room was brightly lit, which made her calm expression even more striking, and made it even harder to discern her emotions.

Sheng Hong dared not be negligent and knelt down respectfully: "Son greets Mother."

Xu seemed not to hear, continuing to wipe the pole in her hands without even lifting her eyelids.

For a moment, you could hear a pin drop in the room.

Sheng Hong knelt for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, and his legs began to feel numb, while a thin layer of sweat slowly seeped out from his back.

Finally, Madam Xu spoke: "Have you been having trouble with your studies lately?"

Sheng Hong hurriedly whispered, "Yes, Mother, it is somewhat difficult."

Only then did Madam Xu raise her eyes and look at him indifferently for a while.

"No wonder," she said, placing the stick on the table. "I heard from Mr. Zhou that you've been daydreaming a lot in class lately." She added in a measured tone, "Then it seems it really is difficult."

Sheng Hong stammered, "Son...Son knows his mistake and will definitely work harder in the future."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xu sighed.

Get up.

Sheng Hong quickly agreed, slowly stood up, but kept his head down, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Madam Xu said slowly, "No matter how difficult it is, you must study diligently. You must pass the imperial examination next spring. Otherwise, how can you face your mother's spirit in heaven?"

Upon mentioning his birth mother, Sheng Hong's expression immediately turned solemn, and he even straightened his back a bit: "Mother's teachings, I have remembered them."

Madam Xu added, "If you can make it onto the list, I will risk all my pride and ask the eldest daughter of the Wang family to be your wife."