The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The Queen Mother's expression was now truly extremely unpleasant.

"Official, sir..."

She hurriedly got up, even tripping over the hem of her skirt.

Wang Ruoyu seemed to suddenly regain a sliver of reason, her face pale as she lowered her head and desperately shrank back, wishing she could shrink herself into a crack in the ground.

The father did not answer, but slowly stepped into the hall with a calm expression.

His gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the hall, and finally, as if nothing had happened, he casually instructed those around him: "Prepare an incense table and get ready to receive the imperial decree."

Everyone was taken aback at first.

Only then did I belatedly look at the group of people behind him.

He wore narrow sleeves and a round neck, with a leather belt around his waist. He had a fair complexion, no beard, and a dignified expression.

The one in the lead was also holding a roll of bright yellow silk.

It was actually a palace eunuch who came to deliver an imperial edict!

The hall was immediately thrown into chaos.

Even with her splitting headache, the Queen Mother hurriedly stood up and began to make arrangements.

During that time, she looked up at her husband countless times, trying to see something in his face, but her father wouldn't even give her a glance.

The Queen Mother's heart sank deeper and deeper.

A storm is brewing.

Madam Xu realized that the Wang family must have something important to discuss today. Although she couldn't guess what it was, she knew it wasn't appropriate to stay and get involved. So she immediately said, "Since your family has good news, we shouldn't be so shameless as to take advantage of your presence. We'll take our leave now and see you another day..."

"Is that Madam Sheng?"

Wang's father suddenly spoke, interrupting her.

"Since you're here, there's no need to rush off. You're in on it too, so just listen in."

These words were spoken casually, but Xu's heart skipped a beat.

Wang's father didn't look at her again, but turned back to instruct Shao's mother.

"Go and invite Third Sister here."

This was the gentlest thing he said since he entered the door.

The Queen Mother's heart began to pound.

A moment later, Langhua arrived.

She was still dressed in simple clothes, her expression calm. As soon as she entered, she didn't even glance at the mess in the hall. Instead, she stepped forward and gave her father a proper bow.

"Father."

Then he turned to the Queen Mother and calmly said, "Mother."

The Queen Mother's expression stiffened, and she nodded with difficulty.

However, the father looked at Langhua and carefully examined her from head to toe.

After a long while, the expression on his face finally softened, and he said softly, "Third Sister, I'm sorry to have wronged you."

The Queen Mother was almost unable to suppress her unease.

The king's father then said to the eunuch who was delivering the imperial decree, "Thank you for your trouble."

The eunuch nodded with a smile, stepped forward, and unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict.

"All receive the imperial decree."

Everyone in the hall immediately knelt down.

The eunuch's voice was high-pitched and clear, each word ringing out in the hall.

"Now, the eldest daughter of Wang Youzhi, Minister of Revenue, is Lady Langhua. She comes from a distinguished family and is virtuous and prudent. She is honest and upright, and follows the proper etiquette of a woman in the inner palace. She is gentle and virtuous, and possesses the proper manners of managing the household. She is suitable to be the Empress and to continue the family line."

The Queen Mother's mind went blank, and her vision went black.

Xu suddenly looked up.

Wang Ruoyu was completely stunned.

Empress?

How could it be the Empress?

What makes Wang Ruofu so special?

Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden realization, she stiffly turned to look at Langhua, finally understanding a fatal problem she had been overlooking—

Is the person in front of me really Wang Ruofu?

There is another part to the imperial edict.

"Young Master Sheng is exceptionally talented and of impeccable character. Therefore, we hereby bestow upon him the eldest daughter of the Wang family, Lady Wang Ruoyu, as his wife."

Xu's legs went weak.

Only two words remained in my mind:

Finished!

-

With the imperial edict issued, the Sheng and Kang families naturally had no reason to remain.

Kang's mother was the first to react. She immediately put away her previous amused expression and put on a polite and generous smile. She congratulated the Wang family, saying that the Wang family was very fortunate to have produced an empress without anyone noticing.

But as soon as she turned around and got into the carriage, her expression immediately changed.

"My God..."

She slapped her thigh, filled with deep regret.

If I had known this would happen, I should have desperately tried to marry the eldest daughter of the Wang family!

What does arrogance, rudeness, malice, and stupidity matter?

If you have an empress as your younger sister, and she marries into your family and has children, then her grandchildren will be the empress's own nephews and nieces!

The more Kang's mother thought about it, the more resentful she became. She couldn't help but pinch her thigh, gasping for breath in pain.

What a huge bargain we missed out on!

Unlike her, who was filled with regret, the atmosphere in the main hall of the Wang family grew increasingly heavy.

After the imperial decree was read, Wang Ruoyu stared intently at Langhua, his eyes looking as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

Once the Sheng and Kang families left and the hall door closed, Wang Ruoyu seemed to have completely gone mad, pointing her finger at Langhua's nose with a ferocious expression.

"You're not Wang Ruofu!" Her voice was shrill, almost ear-piercing. "Who are you? Who are you?!"

Upon hearing this, Langhua calmly raised her eyes and met her gaze.

"I am not."

"Sister, have you forgotten? I changed my name back in Sichuan. Uncle and Father both gave their approval."

She spoke of it casually.

Wang Ruoyu, however, could not accept such an explanation and immediately screamed, "You know what I'm talking about! Stop beating around the bush! You wandering ghost in a human body, show your true form right now!"

As he spoke, he lunged forward.

Ah Chang was prepared and stepped in front of Lang Hua, blocking her way.

"That's enough!"

The king's father gave a stern shout!

At this point, he finally reached his breaking point.

He ordered in a deep voice, "Tie up the young lady! Gag her too!"

"My lord!" the Queen Mother cried out in disbelief.

Wang's father didn't even look at her, only staring at Langhua, and his tone became much gentler.

"Third Sister, you've really suffered these past two days. Go back to your room and get some rest. Don't worry, your father will definitely give you an explanation."

Langhua looked up at him and noticed that overnight, her father seemed to have grown many more white hairs at his temples.

He sighed softly to himself, then lowered his gaze and respectfully agreed.

"Yes. Thank you, Father."

After Langhua left, the Queen Mother watched helplessly as her eldest daughter was pinned to the ground by several old women, bound hand and foot, and even had a handkerchief stuffed in her mouth. She finally snapped.

"How could you be so biased, my lord!" Her voice trembled. "Third Sister is going to be Empress, a cloud in the sky, but is our Yu'er just mud beneath our feet?!"

Only then did the father slowly look at her.

Disappointment was everywhere.

"Let's get a divorce."

He said softly, with deep weariness.

"My lord?!"

The Queen Mother was truly panicked.

She took two steps forward, almost unable to believe her ears, and asked repeatedly, "Why? By what right?!"

"Just because you acted improperly and favored one over the other! Just because you raised both daughters to be estranged from you. They are clearly your own flesh and blood, your own mother, yet you have turned them into mortal enemies."

The Queen Mother turned pale with shock at these words, but still retorted defiantly, "So it's all my fault now?"

"Isn't that right?"

Her father asked her a question, his eyes colder than ever.

"If I hadn't returned in time, were you planning to marry Third Sister off to Kang Haifeng to cover up First Sister's shameful and foolish deeds!"

The Queen Mother froze.

But after a moment, she gritted her teeth and retorted, "Does my lord truly believe that Third Sister is innocent? How did you and Miss arrive at the orphanage yesterday, and how did you end up in such a predicament? Can't you even see that?"

"She brought it on herself!"

Father Wang slammed his hand on the table, pointed at Wang Ruoyu who was bound on the ground, and said coldly, "Are you allowed to scheme against Third Sister, but she's not allowed to turn the tables on you?"

"She had an affair with Sheng Hong, and also used San Niang's name to have an improper relationship with Kang Haifeng. She even sent a letter to Kang Haifeng, asking him to go to the orphanage, intending to ruin San Niang's reputation!"

"Every single one of these things, wasn't it all done by her own hand?"

He stared at the Queen Mother, each word spoken with resounding force:

"And which one of them wasn't approved by you?"

The Queen Mother swayed, feeling as if a layer of skin on her face had been forcibly ripped off.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

After saying this, the father's expression revealed a hint of weariness.

From being summoned last night, to spending a sleepless night thinking about the future of his family, to returning home today and dealing with this series of farces, his mental energy had already reached its limit.

"I have already written to my second brother, instructing them to set off for the capital immediately."

The Queen Mother looked bewildered, not understanding why he had changed the subject.

"Langhua will enter the palace as the empress, as the legitimate daughter of the second wife."