The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Master Bai stroked his beard and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. Although my Bai family are merchants, our daughter is a precious jewel that we have raised with utmost care. She will never become a concubine in this lifetime."

"She is a concubine."

Gu Yankai reiterated.

Master Bai looked up at him.

"That's still a concubine."

Gu Yankai frowned.

Master Bai, however, continued to smile and said slowly, "Besides, Marquis Gu cherishes his wife so much that he hesitated for so long before coming to collect the million taels of silver right in front of him, which shows how deep his affection is."

As he said this, a hint of sarcasm finally crept into his tone.

"If I were to actually send my daughter to the Marquis's mansion as a secondary wife, who knows how the Marquis would treat her coldly after we brought her home?"

Gu Yankai took a deep breath.

"Then let her marry my fourth brother as his principal wife. I can make the decision so that she will never have to suffer any hardship for the rest of her life."

"And those Bai clan members, as long as you nod, I can make sure they can never trace you back to us."

As he said this, there was even a hint of murderous intent in his tone.

Master Bai's smile faltered slightly. After a moment, he frankly admitted, "Your Excellency's insight is profound. This second condition is indeed tempting. But I still maintain that, Your Excellency, my daughter is certainly not as noble as a daughter of a duke's family, but in my heart, she is as precious as Mount Tai. When I seek a husband for her, I still require that he be handsome and of upright character. The Fourth Master and Fifth Master of your household..."

He paused deliberately, then smiled meaningfully: "Excuse my bluntness, but they are far from good enough for my daughter."

Gu Yankai slammed his hand on the table: "Why make it sound so righteous? All you're scheming for your daughter is the position of the Marquis's wife."

The direct descendants of the Marquis's family, who have not yet separated from the main branch, are not worthy of a mere merchant's daughter from the Bai family.

joke!

He stood up, his face cold and hard: "You are, after all, merchants. Even if you were to bring her into the Marquis's mansion, do you think she could be a good mistress?"

Instead of being angry, Master Bai laughed and said, "Your Excellency's words are quite something, I must defend my daughter."

He slowly raised his chin, a hint of pride in his voice, and said, "My daughter's upbringing is not just boasting, but universally acknowledged to be the best in Yangzhou. For one thing, she's healthy, literate, and adept at managing the household. She's also a master of flower arranging, tea ceremony, and incense burning. And even polo and marbles are no problem for her!"

"Moreover, she is well-educated, gentle, and sensible. After marriage, she will prioritize filial piety towards her parents-in-law, paying her respects morning and evening without fail, and she will also be loving towards her siblings. What's even more remarkable is that she is neither jealous nor resentful. If she has not conceived within a year of marriage, she will take the initiative to arrange for her husband to take a concubine."

He sighed, his tone full of regret: "To be frank, my daughter is only ruined because of her good-for-nothing father. Otherwise, even the legitimate daughters of noble families would never be able to compare with her."

"you!"

Gu Yankai gritted his teeth

That statement is too pointed.

Ultimately, the Bai family's trip ended in discord.

Gu Yankai walked away aggressively.

After the person had gone far away, a clear laugh suddenly came from behind the screen.

A beautiful and refined young woman emerged from behind the screen.

"Father is so mean," Bai Qing said, her eyes crinkling as she suppressed a laugh. "He's already decided to give up on the Gu family, why bother telling him all this? Isn't he just teasing him?"

Master Bai picked up his teacup, his eyes crinkling with contentment: "I was just teasing him, so what?"

He snorted coldly.

"When you ask for a favor, you should act like one. A million taels of silver—how many people in the world can earn a million taels, and even more? Besides, everyone knows that once that money is given away, it's gone forever; it's no different from throwing money down the drain."

"You want me to spend a fortune to marry off my precious daughter, such a high price, just to get rid of those good-for-nothings like Gu Si and Gu Wu? Isn't this blatant contempt? And you think you can take me as a concubine? He's dreaming! He thinks everyone knows his little schemes. Once the money's in hand and the debts are paid off, he'll still be the high and mighty Marquis of Ningyuan. Whether you're a wife or a concubine, isn't that still up to him?"

"Nowadays, I not only look down on Gu Si and Gu Wu, but I also look down on Gu Yankai."

Bai Qing wanted to laugh when she heard this.

But recalling Gu Yankai's arrogant attitude just now, as if his personal visit was an extreme act of condescension, she wholeheartedly agreed.

Master Bai added, "Just wait and see. It's not time for him to be desperate yet. If he hasn't found a way by the end of the year, he'll definitely come back."

Bai Qing then realized that her father was far from appeased.

She said softly, "Why bother? Didn't you already make arrangements with the Wang family?"

"It's precisely because we agreed on this that I'm even more eager to tease him."

Master Bai chuckled: "If it weren't for the Wang family, even knowing that the Gu family was utterly corrupt, I would probably still have married you off to them."

Bai Qing was taken aback.

"The dogs in Yangzhou are getting madder and mad. I can't let you stay here in danger any longer. If the Wang family doesn't show up, I will do everything in my power to get you into the Gu family and secure you a position as a Marquis's wife. After you give birth, I will slowly transfer the money and property here to your and the child's names. Only in this way can I give you a chance to survive."

Bai Qing felt a pang of sadness.

"Father..."

Master Bai interrupted her: "But things are different now. My son is going to marry the Empress's elder brother. It wasn't through my ruthless scheming that I got this marriage; it was that brat who begged and pleaded for it himself. It's a marriage of mutual consent!"

"I'm so happy about this, so I must let the Gu family know that the merchant's daughter they despise and look down on today will one day be the wife of the emperor's brother-in-law, standing above them!"

Bai Qing stared blankly at her father, at his long-lost spirit, at the pride and joy in his eyes that came from the fact that she had finally found a safe haven, and couldn't help but smile softly.

So be it.

If Father is happy, then let him go.

-

Gu Yankai returned to Bianjing overnight.

Ten days later.

The Ningyuan Marquis's Residence.

When Madam Gu saw her eldest son return with a gloomy face, she had already guessed most of what was going on.

She suddenly tightened her grip on her cane and then slammed it into the ground.

"You unfilial son, kneel down!"

Gu Yankai remained silent for a moment, then obediently knelt down, but his back remained straight and his neck stiffened.

"Mother, I simply cannot do it—"

Before he could finish speaking, the cane struck his back hard.

Gu Yankai let out a muffled groan.

Old Madam Gu said sternly, "Can't you do it? The livelihood of this whole family rests on your shoulders, and you tell me you can't? For this woman, you've been disobedient and unfilial so many times, and I haven't held it against you. Now, on such an important matter, you're going to make a fool of yourself? I shouldn't have given birth to you!"

She cursed and hit at the same time, clearly using all her strength.

Gu Yankai gritted his teeth and endured it.

By the end, Madam Gu's hands were trembling.

Seeing that he remained silent, utter despair welled up in her eyes.

"Good, very good."

She suddenly turned around and smashed the porcelain cup next to her.

Fragments flew everywhere.

Gu Yan's heart skipped a beat. Before he could react, he saw Old Madam Gu pick up a sharp piece of porcelain and hold it directly to her neck.

"Mother!"

Gu Yankai's expression changed drastically, and he suddenly crawled forward on his knees: "What are you doing!"

Madam Gu pressed the porcelain shard further in, and a little blood instantly seeped from her neck.

"Either you relinquish the title of Marquis of Ningyuan to the fourth or fifth prince, and they can marry Lady Bai. Or you divorce Lady Qin and marry Lady Bai yourself. If you refuse both, then prepare my funeral. Let me close my eyes before the Marquis's mansion is destroyed, and at least I can have some peace!"

"Mother!"

Gu Yan opened his eyes, his gaze almost bursting with rage.

People who heard the commotion outside rushed over.

The fourth and fifth sons ran ahead and came in to find Old Madam Gu holding a broken piece of porcelain to her neck. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale.

"Mother!"

"What happened?"

Madam Gu remained silent.

Gu Yankai's face turned ashen, and he refused to speak.

Finally, the elderly woman next to me cried and told me what had happened.

After hearing this, the fourth and fifth brothers were taken aback at first, and then their eyes lit up.

The fourth son could hardly contain his joy: "Mother, why didn't you tell me sooner that you had such a connection?"

He turned to Gu Yankai, his tone almost impatient: "Brother and sister-in-law are deeply in love and inseparable, it doesn't matter to me. I've long disliked my wife. Brother, give me the title, and I'll marry Bai!"

He has a noble title, beautiful women, and plenty of money.

Such a wonderful thing, only my brother, with his blockhead, couldn't grasp it.

The fifth brother, regaining his senses, immediately retorted, "Fourth brother, that's not right. Why you? I'd be willing too!"

"What good will it do you? I'm older!"

"So what if he's older? He can just marry a merchant's daughter. Why should you, Fourth Brother, offer yourself up? I'll do it!"

The two brothers actually started arguing on the spot.

Gu Yankai looked at the absurd scene before him and felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.

He stared intently at Old Madam Gu, his voice almost forced out through clenched teeth: "Mother, do you really intend to force your son like this?"

Old Madam Gu refused to budge: "You're forcing me!"

Gu Yankai remained silent for a long time.

His hands clenched and unclenched, then loosened and clenched again.

After a long silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "This title was passed down to me by my father. He wanted me to protect the Gu family."

Madam Gu didn't say anything, she just stared at him intently.

Gu Yan opened and closed his eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, they were filled with a cold, hard pain.

"If Mother truly believes that I must sever all emotional ties to be worthy of this position, then I will listen to Mother."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a gasp of surprise came from the doorway.

"My wife! My wife!"

It was the sound of jade being mined.

Gu Yankai suddenly turned his head.

Qin Yanyun was standing at the doorway, his face drained of color, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The next moment, her body went limp and she collapsed.

Beneath the hem of her skirt, small drops of blood were slowly seeping out.

Gu Yankai's face turned deathly pale instantly.