The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Langhua looked at her and thought of the original story, where Bai Shi in the Gu family suffered one misfortune after another and she could only be called Xiao Qin Shi by the world. She thought to herself, "Isn't that right?"

Such a loving couple should grow old together and be inseparable in life and death.

To avoid harming others.

Just then, Qin Yanwan suddenly laughed again: "I did some calculations in front of my parents and older sister."

Langhua reached out and stirred the fruit on the stove, signaling her to continue.

Qin Yanwan said, "Qin Yanyun's dowry still has more than 50,000 taels left. If we sell everything that can be sold in the Dongchang Marquis's mansion—the house, the estate, the ornaments, the antiques—we can piece it together and not be completely unable to pay it off. But by then, all we can keep is the title. A marquis's mansion in such a state of abject poverty is probably a first in history."

When she said this, her expression was not much of a ripple, and she even had a slight smile on her face, as if she were talking about the lively scene at someone else's house.

Langhua didn't respond, waiting for the next part to follow.

Sure enough, Qin Yanwan quickly said, "Upon hearing this, Qin Yanyun immediately said that he would not return it."

Langhua was taken aback: "Not returning it? And giving up the title too?"

"I don't want it anymore. We have nothing left. What's the use of keeping a title? Besides, that title won't even fall into her lap."

"Not only that, after thinking for a while, she also asked her father and mother to convert as much of the remaining items into cash as possible and find a way to hide them in the estate under her name. She said that only in this way could she continue to support her father and mother even if she lost her title in the future."

Langhua remained silent for a moment.

After a long pause, she finally asked, "What did your second brother say?"

Qin Yanwan was silent for a moment before saying, "In the past few months, Father and Mother have sent many letters to the border, but he only replied to one. His words were very cold, and we should just assume he's dead. Whether we are rich or poor, we don't need to care about him anymore, and we shouldn't bother him."

After listening, Langhua sighed softly after a long while: "What a mess."

Qin Yanwan did not refute.

After a long while, Langhua asked her, "And what about you? What do you think?"

Qin Yanwan lowered her head, gently placing her palm on her still flat stomach, and slowly said, "I don't want to get entangled with them anymore."

"I thought about it for several nights, not just about myself, but also about what happened to you, and finally I came to a conclusion."

Qin Yanwan said, "Some people are born to be a family, but are reborn into the wrong person's womb. Others are born to be mortal enemies, but are reborn into the same place by some twist of fate."

"I can't decide who gave birth to me, nor can I decide who the person who gave birth to me gave birth to."

"But I don't necessarily want to get entangled with them to the end."

"They have their way of living, and I have mine."

Instead of dwelling on what I can't choose, I should start planning for what I can choose.

She looked down at her lower abdomen, her eyes gentle: "He was born into my womb, which means he chose me. Since he chose me, I should naturally make plans for him first."

Langhua understood immediately.

She looked at Qin Yanwan, her heart filled with mixed emotions, but she didn't say much. She simply asked softly, "How long has it been?"

Qin Yanwan smiled slightly: "Only a month."

She looked at Langhua, a rare gentleness in her eyes: "You're the first to know."

Langhua laughed and said, "Zhao Xu doesn't know either?"

Qin Yanwan lowered her eyes: "I'll tell him later."

Langhua nodded: "Alright."

The two did not discuss the Qin family matter again.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Beyond that, it's all up to each person's fate.

-

When Qin Yan got up to say goodbye, the snow outside had stopped.

As expected, Zhao Xu was waiting at the second gate.

He was wearing a dark cloak and holding an umbrella. Although there were servants standing by his side, he insisted on doing it himself.

Upon seeing Qin Yanwan emerge, he immediately went to greet her.

"Slow down."

He first reached out to support her, then tilted the umbrella towards her, as if afraid that a single snowflake would fall on her shoulder.

Zhao Xu helped her into the car, and then followed her in.

Soft pillows and hand warmers had been prepared in the carriage. He personally adjusted the position of the pillows for her and placed the hand warmer in her palm. After she was settled, he even bent down to straighten the belt of her cloak.

Qin Yanwan watched him busy the whole time, saying nothing and just quietly enduring it.

When Zhao Xu finally finished his work and sat down beside her, she slowly leaned into his arms.

Zhao Xu was taken aback, then his eyes lit up.

"What's wrong with you today?" He looked down at her, his tone tinged with amusement. "My wife's sudden initiative is quite flattering."

Qin Yanwan ignored his flippant remark, leaning against his chest and calmly saying, "The Emperor has recently informed Langhua that he is about to take action regarding military affairs in the Northwest."

Zhao Xu's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his usual lazy demeanor: "Oh? How do you plan to move?"

Qin Yanwan looked up at him, as if she could see right through his disguise.

It is a consensus among most people that members of the imperial family are mostly dissolute and lack capable individuals.

Zhao Xu was the epitome of a playboy, skilled in everything from cockfighting and horse racing to eating, drinking, and having fun.

But does he really lack lofty ambitions? Is he really incapable of making progress?

She only understood it later.

It's not that I'm unwilling, it's that I can't.

According to the ancestral laws of the Song Dynasty, they would not feel comfortable entrusting military matters to members of the imperial family.

The more one's lineage was within the imperial family, the closer one's bloodline was to the emperor, and the more prestigious one's status, the more one should stay away from politics and the center of power struggles.

The people of the world didn't care what his ambitions were, nor did the civil and military officials. Their best expectation of him was that he be a playboy who knew how to enjoy life and have children.

But he might not be willing.

With just one look, Zhao Xu could tell that she understood.

So he stopped laughing.

The carriage fell silent.

Qin Yanwan slowly said, "Right now, the national treasury is chasing debts, and the merit-based system is empty. The government is taking advantage of this to collect old debts. If the army is to be reorganized in the future, the first step will most likely be to investigate the army's empty pay and fictitious quotas."

Zhao Xu's gaze darkened slightly: "Did Wang San Niangzi say these words, or did you come up with them yourself?"

"She said one sentence," Qin Yanwan looked at him, "most of it was just my guess."

Zhao Xu was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "My wife is becoming more and more hard to bear."

Qin Yanwan's expression remained unchanged: "If you can't bear to part with me, then listen to more important matters."

Zhao Xu looked down at her: "What do you want me to do?"

Qin Yanwan said, "Do nothing."

Zhao Xu raised an eyebrow.

"It's not the time for you to do anything now. You're a member of the royal family, and it's precisely at times like these that you should adhere to your dissolute ways. The more you indulge in eating, drinking, merrymaking, and dalliances with brothels, the more useless others will think of you, the better."

Zhao Xu looked at her, his smile deepening.

"And why is my wife telling me all this?"

Qin Yanwan smiled slightly: "Everyone should know what they are waiting for."

Zhao Xu did not speak.

After a while, he reached out and pulled her closer.

"Then I'll wait."

Qin Yanwan leaned against him, her eyes lowered.

She knew where her attraction to Zhao Xu lay.