The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The Ningyuan Marquis's Residence.

Although the Qin family brought the person back, the Gu family did not get a chance to catch their breath.

After finding a wet nurse for her newborn grandson, who was as weak as a kitten, and instructing her to take good care of him, Madam Gu immediately returned to her room, ordered someone to prepare paper and ink, and personally wrote a letter of divorce.

Every word is distinct, every sentence is utterly heartless.

Not only did they denigrate the Qin family's daughter to the point of being worthless, but they also tore off the Qin family's reputation, threw it on the ground, and trampled it to pieces.

Gu Yankai stood to the side, his face still bearing the bloodstains from Qin's mother's scratches. Seeing this, his heart ached even more.

"Mother... Yan Yun just gave birth, and the baby is also..."

"Press your fingerprint."

Without even looking up, Madam Gu pushed the letter of divorce in front of him.

"Mother, please wait a bit, at least until she recovers..."

"I said, affix your seal." Old Madam Gu finally raised her eyes, her tone calm to the point of being almost cold: "Or are you trying to back out again?"

Gu Yankai froze.

Looking at her eldest son's trembling hands, Madam Gu felt no pity, but rather a sense of certainty.

Wasn't her previous threat of suicide a test?

She wanted to test whether, in her son's heart, true affection or the future prospects and titles of the Ningyuan Marquis's family, were more important.

If he truly is a man of deep affection and loyalty who would give up everything, she would accept it for the rest of her life, considering herself to have given birth to a fool.

But he didn't.

He said he would leave it to her to decide.

Men, no matter how sweet their words are, about growing old together or how deep love is short-lived, in the end, what is more important than their future and titles?

When it comes to love, people talk about it passionately in their youth, but when it comes to exchanging their family fortune, social standing, and titles for it, nine times out of ten they have to give it up.

Standing in the position of the Dowager Lady of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion, she didn't think her son had done anything wrong, and even felt a little fortunate.

Even if Dalang was confused and reluctant to part with Qin Shi, he still knew what was important.

Qin must divorce him. Only in this way can the eldest son's thoughts be completely cut off, so that he can truly shoulder the responsibility of being the head of the family in the future and no longer make foolish mistakes.

As for the Bai family...

So be it, she's a female merchant.

Let outsiders laugh all they want. As long as the Marquis's mansion is preserved and the title of Marquis of Ningyuan remains, how many more years can those outsiders laugh?

But if this title were truly lost, then everything would be lost.

As for what was mentioned earlier, giving the title to the fourth and fifth sons so they could marry Bai Shi, that was just a way to force the eldest son to comply.

Those two good-for-nothings, having grown up spoiled and dissolute thanks to the wealth and privilege of the Marquis's mansion, are long since ruined.

If the title is truly given to them, even if they can overcome this crisis with the help of the Bai family, they will still completely destroy the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion in the future.

It's simply a matter of dying sooner or later.

Therefore, she could only leave the title to her eldest son, and it had to be left to him.

"according to."

Madam Gu repeated herself, her voice even more subdued.

Seeing this, the elderly woman next to her quickly brought the inkpad closer.

Gu Yan opened and closed his eyes, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. After a long while, he finally stretched out his hand and pressed his fingerprint on it. Then, forced by Old Madam Gu, he picked up the Marquis's private seal and stamped it heavily on the letter of divorce.

That fall felt like it snapped his spine.

The last glimmer of light in Gu Yankai's eyes dissipated.

Madam Gu didn't even glance at it, but simply folded up the letter of divorce and handed it to a servant: "Send it to the Qin family immediately."

"Yes."

The servants hurried away.

Gu Yankai finally seemed unable to hold on any longer and staggered out.

Madam Gu didn't even glance at him, turning to her own mother and instructing, "Go, have someone pack our things. Once the letter of divorce is delivered to the Qin family, we'll strike while the iron is hot and immediately go to Yangzhou to propose marriage. I'll personally take Dalang there."

The old lady nodded in agreement. Although she said she would take them, everyone knew that the old lady meant she would take them away even if she had to carry them.

They rushed out, found someone, and had Gu Yankai kept under surveillance.

Madam Gu calmly closed her eyes and gently turned the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand.

Now that things have come to this, there's no going back.

No one can turn back.

For the sake of this family and the foundation of this noble family, she was not afraid to be a villain.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

A young maid rushed in, fell to her knees with a thud, her face pale: "It's terrible! Madam, it's terrible! Someone has come from outside, saying... saying that our Marquis's mansion has forcibly taken a woman!"

Madam Gu frowned suddenly, and even the prayer beads in her hand paused for a moment.

-

The front courtyard of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence was in complete chaos.

Holding a washing mallet as if carrying a long spear, Zhou Wanru cursed all the way from the main gate to the second gate, unstoppable.

The gatekeeper tried to stop her, but she slammed her hammer into the door frame, sending splinters flying. The men were so terrified that their faces turned green, and none of them dared to actually rush forward.

"What a shameless family of the Marquis of Ningyuan!"

Zhou Wanru spoke with great force, her voice echoing throughout the courtyard.

"Having lost money of their own and unable to fill the hole, they've turned their attention to other people's daughters! Seeing that she has a fortune and is an only child, they want to snatch her away to be their concubine, so they can openly swallow her money and exploit her childless lineage!"

"Heavens above! Why don't you send down a bolt of lightning to strike these heartless, depraved fools to death!"

As she cursed, she charged inside with a washing mallet, and the servants scattered in her wake.

Since Old Madam Gu and Gu Yankai were still in the backyard and had closed the door as if they didn't want to be disturbed, some of the more clever servants hurriedly went to inform the fourth and fifth brothers.

Gu Laosi was already seething with resentment at losing the title and the beauty that were within his grasp. His temper was easily ignited, and upon hearing the noise, he rushed out, shouting, "Where did this madwoman come from, daring to cause trouble in the Marquis's mansion!"

Zhou Wanru looked him up and down, and when she heard the servants around her call him Fourth Master, she knew his identity. She remembered what Ji'an said, that Gu Yankai was reluctant to give up his wife and the position of the Marquis's wife and gave her to a merchant, so he wanted to push his two younger brothers out to take the blame, thinking that as the eldest sons of the Marquis's family, they were more than good enough for Bai Shi.

He immediately let out a cold laugh: "Oh, so this is Fourth Master Gu?"

"I thought you were some kind of brilliant genius, but it turns out you're just a good-for-nothing. You were so arrogant when you were gambling away fortunes in brothels and gambling dens, and now you're eyeing the dowry of some innocent young lady? Don't you even take a good look at yourself? Do you even deserve it!"

Gu Laosi was scolded on the spot until his face turned as red as a pig's liver.

"you!"

Zhou Wanru picked up the mallet and pointed it at his nose: "What do you mean, 'you'? If you're really capable, go out and earn your own money. Don't hide under the shadow of your ancestors' good deeds, waiting for women to fill the bottomless pit of your Gu family with their dowries! A grown man, living off women so self-righteously, if your ancestors saw you, they'd probably turn over in a panic overnight!"

Gu Laosi's head was buzzing from the scolding, and he instinctively reached out to fight, but as soon as he raised his hand, Zhou Wanru's washing mallet landed on his elbow.

"what!"

Gu Laosi squatted down on the ground in pain.

"Fourth Brother!"

Gu Laowu also rushed out at this moment: "Where did this slut come from, daring to cause trouble in my Ningyuan Marquis's mansion? Are you all dead? Seize her now, I'll beat her to death today!"

The second half of the sentence was addressed to the maids, servants, and guards around him.

However, it turned out that most of the people present were just like Gu Laosi, with one supporting their shoulder and another supporting their back; in short, none of them were without injuries.

Gu Laowu's face paled slightly as he realized something was amiss.

"You call him Fourth Brother, so you're the fifth son of the Gu family?"

Zhou Wanru also stared at him: "Look at your slicked-back hair and powdered face, it's obvious you're no good. One of you owes 800,000 taels of silver and you're still shameless. You want other people's money, but you complain that the girls' social status isn't high enough. What, is it that all the young ladies in the world can't get married, and it's your turn, you two mud brothers, to have such wild dreams and cause trouble?"

Gu Laowu was also scolded until his face turned red.

Just as things were getting chaotic, Gu Yankai arrived.