The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Sheng Hong was so frightened that he immediately bowed: "I am willing to accept the assignment and would never dare to say another word."

"Father!"

Wang Ruoyu was still unconvinced and wanted to say more, but Sheng Hong grabbed her arm.

Father Wang glanced at them, his expression indifferent: "I just remembered, the cook Chen caught a cold today. Don't you only like her cooking? Well, unfortunately, you probably won't be able to have this meal today."

As he spoke, he took out a bag of silver coins from his sleeve and threw it into Sheng Hong's arms.

"Here, this is my personal stipend for this month. Now that you've returned to your parents' home, it's not good to go back on an empty stomach. Take this and go to Fanlou to order a table of food and wine. Remember to order a pot of hot wine; on such a fine day, we should drink a few more cups to truly enjoy ourselves."

After saying that, he actually stood up and invited the two of them out of the study.

The door slammed shut in front of them.

Wang Ruo and He Shenghong stood outside the door, feeling their faces burning.

Wang Ruoyu, in particular, was so angry that her hands were trembling.

But she didn't dare to argue with her father. Her eyes reddened, and she was about to rush towards the back of the house when she was stopped by Mama Qi at the gate.

"Young lady, you've been feeling quite down lately. Please understand and don't make things difficult for yourself. Although Dengzhou is far away, it's peaceful. I consider myself to have some standing with you, so I'll venture to offer a word of advice. Once a person's heart has grown cold, it takes time and effort to warm it up again. If you can separate for a while, it might actually make them remember the good things from the past, which isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Wang Ruoyu bit her lip, her face turning pale and then flushed, unable to utter a rebuttal for a long time.

……

In the end, Wang Ruoyu followed Sheng Hong to Dengzhou to take up his post.

After returning from his humiliating experience at the Wang family's house that day, Sheng Hong felt uneasy.

The first thing he did after getting off the carriage was to leave Wang Ruoyu behind and go to the Xu family's courtyard to pay his respects.

But when they arrived at the gate, it was tightly shut.

The old woman inside replied respectfully through the door, "Madam is tired today and has gone to rest. Young master, please go back."

Sheng Hong stood there, stunned.

the same day.

Their elders, without prior arrangement, refused to let them in.

Sheng Hong returned very late that night.

When he entered, Wang Ruoyu was sitting under the lamp. When she saw him return, she quickly got up to greet him. She was about to angrily question him about where he had been and why he had left her alone in the house.

When he looked up at her, his cold gaze sent a chill down Wang Ruo's spine.

Wang Ruo panicked, quickly squeezed out a few tears, threw herself into his arms, and cried her heart out.

"It's all my fault."

"If it weren't for that tragic relationship that began in the orphanage, my father, mother, and mother-in-law wouldn't still harbor such resentment..."

Thinking of the absurdity of that day, and seeing her crying like this, Sheng Hong's heart softened.

After a long pause, he patted her shoulder: "Alright. It seems that what that mother said today made some sense. Since things have come to this, we might as well go away and hide for a few years. When we come back in the future, maybe everything will be alright."

Wang Ruoyu originally wanted to suggest that she stay in the capital to serve her mother-in-law, which would also be considered filial piety. But then she thought that with the couple separated, and Sheng Hong not being a truly honest and simple man, what if some little vixen took advantage of the situation in Dengzhou?

She hesitated for a long time, but ultimately swallowed the thought back.

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and softly agree.

Almost no one paid attention to their departure.

Because at this very moment, all eyes in Bianjing were focused on the same momentous event—

On the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, the emperor and empress were married.

Before dawn, the Wang family residence was already brightly lit. Maids, old women, female officials from the Bureau of Ceremonies, and eunuchs from the palace were all busy with their respective duties, their steps light and orderly, and even their voices were lowered.

Ah Chang and Yu Die barely slept all night. As dawn broke, they helped Lang Hua get up and wash.

Warm steam rose and brushed against my face.

Langhua sat in front of the mirror, watching herself being made up little by little, her expression calmer than anyone else around her.

Unlike the joy, anticipation, trepidation, and fear of my previous life.

Because this time, she chose this path herself.

When Zhou Wanru and Wang Rucheng arrived, their makeup was almost done.

The two had agreed inside that on such a joyous day, they must not lose their composure, nor cry and fuss, lest they spoil the festive atmosphere and cause Third Sister to shed tears as well.

But when they entered the house and saw their beautiful and noble daughter sitting in front of the mirror, wearing a crown with nine dragon flowers, her face adorned with pearls, and dressed in a dark blue pheasant robe, their eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Langhua also noticed their arrival, slowly turned around, and smiled at the two of them: "Father, Mother."

Zhou Wanru finally couldn't hold back any longer, and quickly stepped forward to take Langhua's hand.

"My son is so handsome."

Wang Rucheng also spoke in a hoarse voice: "Langhua, go in peace. No matter what you encounter in the future, don't be afraid. Your father, mother, and your two brothers will always be here waiting for you. Fortunately, it's not far from the palace, and you are the empress. If you miss us, just ask Achang to come and fetch us. Your mother and I will hitch up the carriage and we'll be there in no time."

Langhua, who had been steadily suppressing her emotions, suddenly could no longer hold back.

My eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"Father, Mother..."

Upon seeing her cry, Zhou Wanru couldn't hold back her own tears and hugged her tightly, coaxing her repeatedly, "My child, don't cry, don't cry. You're going to have a good life. You're going to be the Empress. From now on, you'll live happily with the Emperor. Don't cry, don't cry..."

She said she wouldn't cry, but she ended up crying harder than anyone else.

Ah Chang and Yu Die, who were standing to the side, also had tears in their eyes.

Although the maids in the room all kept their heads down, they couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in their hearts.

It wasn't until a female official from the palace came to urge her that Zhou Wanru hurriedly wiped away her tears and forced herself to cheer up.

"Alright, alright, let's not delay the auspicious time."

Langhua also took a soft breath and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

Then, she took the hand of the female official and slowly stood up.

She walked out, but couldn't help turning back every few steps.

Zhou Wanru cried so hard she could barely open her eyes, yet she still tried her best to smile at her.

Wang Rucheng stood to the side, his eyes red, and nodded gently at her.

Langhua glanced at it, then glanced at it again, and finally made up her mind to go straight ahead.

When we got to the courtyard, it was also full of people.

Wang's parents arrived, as did the three brothers Wang Shiping, Wang Shinian, and Wang Shi'an, along with Qin Yanwan and Zhao Xu.

Not far away, several female managers from the orphanage were also standing.

With each step Langhua took, a familiar face would appear in her eyes.

Every face bore the most sincere blessings.

I wish her well.

I wish her all her wishes come true.

Suddenly, Langhua felt at ease.

Her steps became more and more steady and lighter.

She walked steadily and confidently toward the life she had already planned for herself.

Upon exiting the gate, a grand procession of guards arrived.

The imperial procession was already waiting, with feathered canopies, golden drums, and banners arranged in layers. The ceremony to welcome the Empress was solemn and elaborate, with the sounds of stringed instruments and the chanting of the master of ceremonies. The female officials and eunuchs from the palace stood solemnly on both sides, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

The crimson curtains hung low, and the phoenix palanquin was magnificent and dignified.

Langhua boarded the palanquin under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Amidst the sounds of ceremonial music, the carriage slowly set off, heading towards the palace.

Upon arriving at the palace, they were greeted with even more elaborate gifts.

After being enthroned, he received orders, went to court, entered the palace, reported to the ancestral temple, and received congratulations.

Zhao Zhen, dressed in a royal robe, stood in the main hall.

The tassels of his crown fell, obscuring his usually overly gentle features, only adding to his imperial majesty and solemnity.

But when Langhua, guided by the master of ceremonies, slowly walked to his side, his gaze finally bypassed the layers of etiquette and rules and gently settled on her.

Filled with joy.

When the final ceremony was completed, everyone kowtowed and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" The sound in the hall rose and fell like a tide.

Langhua stood beside Zhao Zhen, her back straight and her gaze calm.

From now on, she will truly be the Empress of the Great Song Dynasty.

By the time the elaborate ceremony was over, the night had already deepened.

Inside the palace, red candles burned brightly and incense burned in a golden censer.

The sounds of people and music that had filled the hall seemed to have been shut out, and the hall fell silent all at once.

Only Langhua and Zhao Zhen remained.

Langhua sat down on the edge of the couch and had just relaxed a little when she noticed an overly direct gaze fixed on her.

She looked up and saw Zhao Zhen standing not far away, his eyes bright and fixed on her.

Langhua couldn't help but smile softly.

"What are you looking at?"

Zhao Zhen stepped forward, knelt down in front of her, and took her hand.

"Look at my third aunt."

He looked up, his eyes reflecting the candlelight filling the hall, and also her.

"It's really beautiful."