The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

When Madam Xu heard Fang's mother crying like that, it felt like something had hit her heart hard, and tears rolled down her cheeks like beads from a broken string.

"How could I not know?"

Her voice was low and hoarse.

"But how can I accept this?"

Xu gave a bitter smile, her eyes filled with exhaustion and self-mockery.

"I was just clinging to the last shred of hope, unwilling to admit that I had misjudged someone again, and I stubbornly went my own way, which ultimately led to this utter defeat."

But now, no matter how unwilling we are to admit it, we can no longer.

Sheng Hong was still immersed in the dream of becoming the emperor's brother-in-law, feeling that this was a great honor. He felt that he had already climbed a high branch that others could not reach in several lifetimes before he had even truly entered the court, and that his future was bound to be bright.

But she saw it all too clearly.

Wang Ruoyu, the eldest daughter of the Wang family, clearly offended that third daughter very badly. Now that the third daughter has risen to a high position and become the emperor's favorite, how could he tolerate such a legitimate sister benefiting from her?

Not to mention, this marriage was bestowed by the emperor.

And they just happened to arrive at that critical juncture, right when Wang Ruoyu had bullied that Third Sister to the extreme.

What does this mean?

In the eyes of the officials, the name Sheng Hong is probably already associated with Wang Ruoyu.

It can never be cleaned again.

And which of those prominent families in Bianjing wasn't shrewd and calculating? Didn't they know how to read the room?

It may not be obvious now, and some people may even envy the Sheng family for finding such a good marriage, having gone through many twists and turns to become imperial relatives. They may even open doors of convenience for the Sheng family because of this.

But over time, someone will eventually realize it.

There is no shortage of people in this world who flatter the powerful and belittle the weak.

Sheng Hong's official career may have ended before it even truly began.

Once she realized this, Xu's spirits truly dissipated.

He looked as if he had aged more than ten years overnight.

The old woman felt a pang of sadness and called out again, "Young lady..."

Madam Xu raised her hand to stop her: "No need to say more, I understand."

She remained silent for a long time, as if she had finally made up her mind, and said in a hoarse voice, "Bring me my dowry list."

-

Langhua had no say in what was happening inside the Sheng family compound.

Now that she lives with her uncle and aunt—no, she should call them father and mother now—after moving into their newly purchased house, she feels like she's living in a honey pot every day.

It felt like I had suddenly returned to my childhood.

Every morning, her mother would personally prepare her favorite childhood dish, keeping it warm on a small stove, its aroma wafting from the porch into the house.

If that fragrance were to disappear one day, it would surely mean that her father had gone out early in the morning to personally buy the most famous pastries in Bianjing City to satisfy her cravings.

After she finished learning etiquette from the court lady, her mother came to help her with needlework. She was destined to be an empress, so she wouldn't have to embroider her wedding dress like ordinary girls, but she would still have to make some of her personal clothing herself.

The two chatted about everyday things while they worked.

When she wasn't doing needlework, she would take stock of her dowry. Although it wasn't much, not even a fraction of what she had when she was Empress Fucha Langhua, she cherished every single item.

Because this is the best dowry her parents could give her in this lifetime.

It was not a family scheme.

Sometimes they would discuss which businesses to acquire in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Zhou Wanru said quite confidently, "So what if our status is different? No matter how noble our birth, as long as we're mortals, we still need to eat and wear clothes. Earning money through our own abilities is always more respectable than begging from others. Let's not even talk about others, just take the emperor. He says he's supported by the people, but doesn't he still have to go to court every day and handle state affairs? He has to be a good emperor first, ensuring the people have enough to eat, so they can have the resources to support him. Isn't that also a business transaction?"

The ladies-in-waiting turned pale upon hearing this, but Langhua smiled and said, "Mother's insight is brilliant."

He then sent a letter to Zhao Zhen.

In the afternoon, I received a reply: Mother-in-law's opinion is excellent.

Langhua's smile deepened, now tinged with a hint of sweetness.

After my second brother finished school, the house became even more lively.

He never forgets to find the latest and most fashionable gadgets from outside.

Today it's a spinning wooden bird, tomorrow it's glass beads from a foreign land, and the day after tomorrow it's a box of colorful little candies that they say all girls love.

The house is filled with laughter every day.

Whenever her second brother and mother met, they could make Langhua burst into laughter in no time with just a few words.

She broke her composure far too often.

So often that even the Imperial Attendant sometimes had to whisper a reminder: "Miss, please be respectful."

Langhua immediately suppressed her smile and straightened her posture.

But after a moment, she couldn't help but smile again.

These days were wonderful; she felt a long-lost joy and contentment.

Even Zhao Zhen, who was in the palace, could read a completely different lightness in her daily letters.

At first, her letters contained thought-provoking and evocative sentences that often refreshed his mind, making him love reading them over and over again.

But lately, her writing style has become increasingly simple and unadorned.

The topics of conversation became increasingly trivial.

She would write about what snacks her mother made that day, which vendor's sweet cake her father bought by mistake, and how her second brother saw a street performer on the street and insisted on imitating him by spinning a plate, only to drop his own foot in the process.

She would also write about the flowers blooming in the yard, and how her mother said she would make her a new dress, the color of which perfectly complemented the spring blossoms.

He didn't find it boring at all.

Instead, he read them more and more slowly, and spent more and more time holding the letters in his hands.

On one occasion, he even unconsciously brought the paper to his nose and smelled it repeatedly.

Zhang Maoze was somewhat bewildered: "The Emperor?"

When Zhao Zhen came to his senses and realized what he had done, he smiled slightly and asked, "Did you smell it?"

"What?"

"The warmth of everyday life."

Zhang Maoze was stunned, unsure how to respond.

Zhao Zhen hadn't expected him to give any answers anyway. He turned to look at the sky outside the palace and sighed softly to himself.

Why is time passing so slowly?

If an imperial decree were issued now to move the wedding date forward...

That's it.

He can't have such a carefree life, so it's good to let Third Sister live a little longer.

-

But the liveliness at the Wang residence was far from reaching its peak.

Two months after moving out of the Prince's Mansion, Wang Shinian finally returned.