The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

"You want Third Sister too?"

Behind the screen, Wang Ruo's handkerchief was almost torn to shreds.

Outside, the Queen Mother's expression also revealed a hint of displeasure.

Last night's farce kept her up almost all night.

I got up before dawn today and used my best cosmetics to cover up the dark circles under my eyes.

Fortunately, the master was busy with official business last night and did not come home, otherwise she would have had to be extra careful to maintain a facade of peace.

This morning, she had planned to send an invitation to the Sheng family first, to make her point clear before the Kang family, so as to leave a way out for her eldest daughter.

Before dawn, both the Kang and Sheng families sent invitations to their door, saying they were coming to visit that day.

At that time, she thought it was for the best. If the marriage could be arranged sooner, as long as it could be kept from the master, she and her daughter would still have a chance.

So when the Kang family proposed to marry Langhua just now, she was able to keep her composure and said that after her father returned and they discussed it, the two families could go through the betrothal ceremony.

But she never expected that when Madam Xu of the Sheng family opened her mouth, she also wanted Third Sister!

For a moment, not only the Queen Mother, but even the Kang Mother raised their eyebrows slightly and looked at Xu Shi.

Xu, however, simply sat there calmly, her expression completely indifferent.

"If a family has a daughter, then a hundred families would want her. Your esteemed third daughter is renowned for her kindness and competence, so it is only natural that my family would want her."

The Queen Mother's temple throbbed with anger. She held back for a moment, but finally asked again, "Madam Xu is joking."

Madam Xu smiled and said, "Marriage is a serious matter; it's not something to be joked about lightly."

The Queen Mother's smile was almost too bright to hold back.

She took a deep breath and said awkwardly, "The one I want to give to the Sheng family is my eldest daughter."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xu didn't even raise her eyelids, and simply said indifferently, "But the one I've set my sights on is Third Sister."

The Queen Mother's hands, hidden beneath her handkerchief, were clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her flesh, yet she felt no pain.

Since ancient times, when arranging marriages, the woman's family has always been somewhat demanding. Her initiative to ask for her daughter's hand in marriage was extremely undignified and overly eager, yet the Sheng family still refused outright.

The Queen Mother felt as if she had been slapped hard on both cheeks.

...But she couldn't retaliate!

Kang's mother, however, perked up.

"That won't do." She half-covered her face, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "We just agreed that this third young lady would be betrothed to my family. We can't go back on our word and make me happy for nothing."

Xu showed no intention of backing down, and simply said slowly, "That's easy too."

"Then let the children compete themselves and have a lively showdown. Should it be a battle of wits or a fight?"

The Queen Mother was furious upon hearing this.

It's a good thing for a family to have a daughter that attracts many suitors, but in this situation, the two families are vying for the third daughter while tacitly ignoring her and her sister. This is a blatant slap in the face to her!

Wang Ruoyu, behind the screen, couldn't hold back any longer.

"I've already had physical intimacy with Sheng Hong!"

She suddenly pushed aside the screen and rushed out, her voice shrill.

Everyone present was astonished.

Even Kang's mother was so surprised that she dropped her fan, revealing her entire face.

Wang Ruo's chest heaved violently, but her eyes were filled with a ruthless determination. She stared intently at Xu Shi and said, word by word, "If he tries to start something and then abandon me, I will beat the drum of petition and report him to the Emperor. Even if it costs me my life, I will skin him alive!"

Everyone stood up.

The Queen Mother's expression changed drastically, and she shouted sternly, "Yu'er! The adults are discussing matters here; you have no right to speak! Go inside now!"

But Wang Ruoyu had already gone this far, so why would he back down now?

She sneered, her voice rising even louder: "What is Mother afraid of? Things have come to this point, is there anything your daughter wouldn't dare to admit?"

"Does this kind of thing take two to tango? Now you think I've lost face? Didn't you see how anxious your son was, even trying to eat the lipstick off my lips! Now that you've gotten all the benefits and I've lost all face, your Sheng family wants to turn your back on me?"

"How dare you treat me like this! Do you expect me to let this go? Either you welcome me into your home with a grand procession, and we can all live in peace and harmony as a family; otherwise—"

She gritted her teeth and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Your Sheng family will be utterly disgraced!"

The Queen Mother swayed and fell heavily back into her chair, her face ashen.

Kang's mother's desire to watch the spectacle grew stronger, and she could hardly contain her schadenfreude.

Xu's face was also extremely pale.

She knew from yesterday that the eldest daughter of the Wang family had acted inappropriately, but she never expected that the eldest daughter of the Minister's mansion could be so shameless.

In front of so many people, they dared to utter such words as "skin-to-skin contact" and "lip rouge," completely disregarding their reputation and the decorum of both families.

If you were to marry someone like that, what difference would it make from bringing home a troublemaker?

Absolutely impossible!

Xu gave a cold sneer.

"The Wang family is indeed well-mannered."

Madam Xu stood up abruptly, straightened her sleeves, and said in a calm tone, "The Sheng family was never a prominent or wealthy family. After my husband passed away, we were inferior to others in every way. We couldn't compare in terms of family business, social standing, or even offspring, leaving only Sheng Hong as our sole heir."

"If he becomes successful, then I, as his legal mother, will have fulfilled my responsibilities. But if he is foolish and loses sight of the bigger picture, ruining his future, then that is his fate, and he cannot blame anyone else."

"My family's intentions remain unchanged. Our Sheng family only wishes to marry the noblewoman, Third Sister."

She glanced at Wang Ruoyu, whose face was contorted with rage, her disgust barely concealed.

"If your eldest daughter is truly having difficulty finding a husband... I can simply wait a few years and then arrange for my good-for-nothing son to marry her as a secondary wife."

The Queen Mother's expression changed completely.

Kang's mother almost burst out laughing.

Wang Ruoyu's face flushed red instantly, then turned pale and then blue, her entire face contorted almost unrecognizable.

The anger she was already feeling, which she couldn't suppress, flared up even more intensely in an instant.

"You old bastard!"

Wang Ruo screamed and rushed forward, reaching out to tear Xu's mouth apart.

Fang's mother was so frightened that she almost jumped out of her skin and rushed forward to stop him.

But Wang Ruoyu was already like a madman at this moment, with astonishing fighting power, and even the two old women who came later could not stop him.

Fortunately, Madam Xu was not a weak woman.

Born into a family of military generals, she was skilled in riding, archery, and polo. Seeing Wang Ruoyu lunge at her, she didn't retreat, but instead raised her hand, precisely grabbed Wang Ruoyu's wrist, twisted it, and shoved her backward forcefully!

Wang Ruo stumbled and knocked over a tall table next to her, shattering teacups all over the floor.

In an instant, screams, shouts, and the sound of shattering porcelain filled the lobby, creating utter chaos.

In the chaos, someone suddenly cried out in a trembling voice:

"My lord!"

Everyone paused, turning to look in the direction of the sound.

A group of people were already standing at the entrance of the hall.

The one leading the group was none other than the king's father.

He was still wearing the same official robes he wore yesterday, looking travel-worn, and stood outside the door with an inscrutable expression, seemingly having watched this farce for quite some time.