The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The matter of cinnabar was resolved quickly.

When the imperial physicians came to report, they all looked rather unwell.

They split into two groups. One group took cinnabar, mixed it into feed and water, and tested it on several pregnant animals that were about to give birth. The other group searched through ancient books, medical records, Taoist scriptures and miscellaneous records, and even found folk remedies and miscellaneous notes left by the old Imperial Medical Bureau.

The final conclusion was almost identical to what Langhua had said.

Several imperial physicians knelt in the hall, their foreheads almost touching the ground: "We have never investigated this place in detail before. It is our dereliction of duty. Please punish us, Your Majesty and Your Highness."

Zhao Zhen sat at the head of the table and remained silent for a long time.

He felt a sudden sense of relief; the knife that had been hanging over his heart for years seemed to have finally been gently moved away by an inch.

What followed was an even deeper tension.

He looked around suddenly and saw that the pillars, beams, windows... so many places were painted with bright red lacquer.

Zhao Zhen did not hesitate for a moment and immediately ordered the renovation of the palace.

"All areas in the palace that have been coated with cinnabar lacquer shall be completely removed and repainted. All items in the storerooms that have been stained with cinnabar shall also be sealed and inspected. All the women of the inner palace shall be temporarily moved to Yichun Garden in the suburbs."

This commotion was no small matter, and the court officials naturally discussed it extensively.

But once the dangers of cinnabar were known, no one in the entire court could utter a word of opposition, not even the censors who usually loved to disagree with the emperor.

The current emperor is already in his early twenties, yet he still has no children.

The issue of imperial succession has long been a major concern for everyone.

Now that we know where the problem might lie, how can we just stand by and do nothing?

If the problem can be solved, it would be understandable to not only renovate the palace, but even rebuild a palace!

As a result, the palace quickly became busy.

Zhao Zhen, along with Langhua, Miao Xinhe, Yu Shi, and Yang Shi, moved to Yichun Garden in the suburbs for a temporary stay.

Yichun Garden is spacious and has many flowers and trees. Although it cannot compare to the solemnity and magnificence of the palace, it is more refreshing and comfortable.

Because the move was rushed—the decision was made in the morning and the place was already in the garden by evening—many places were only quickly cleaned and not properly organized.

Langhua's residence, Nanchen Pavilion, was particularly spacious.

The yard had a large lawn, which had only been cleared of weeds and hadn't been planted yet. It looked bare and somewhat desolate.

Zhao Zhen accompanied her on a tour of the surroundings, then smiled and said, "We could plant some flowers and plants. It should look much better next spring."

Just as Langhua was about to respond, someone outside came to report.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Duke of Anguo and his wife have arrived."

Langhua's eyes lit up immediately.

On the eve of her wedding, Emperor Zhao Zhen issued an edict conferring the title of Duke of Anguo upon Wang Rucheng and the title of Duchess upon Zhou Wanru.

Although it cannot be inherited indefinitely, it is still extremely prestigious.

After all, the two of them were once just commoners.

Zhao Zhen smiled at her appearance and said, "Why don't you come in quickly?"

Before long, Wang Rucheng and Zhou Wanru were led in.

Upon seeing Zhao Zhen and Lang Hua, the two men immediately offered their respects.

Zhao Zhen quickly said, "We're all family, there's no need to be so formal."

Zhou Wanru responded verbally, but her eyes were already fixed on Langhua.

Seeing this, I felt a mix of bittersweet emotions.

Her daughter, dressed in a palace gown, was elegant and graceful, with gentle yet dignified features. Standing beside Zhao Zhen, she seemed as if she were born to be so.

Upon seeing the two, Langhua was overjoyed and excited, and couldn't help but step forward to greet them with the respect due to a junior: "Father, Mother!"

Zhou Wanru immediately grasped her hand, her eyes welling up with tears: "Good, good, seeing that you look well, I'm relieved."

Wang Rucheng smiled so broadly his eyes crinkled, and he nodded repeatedly.

Zhao Zhen explained gently, "It's a rare opportunity to leave the palace, and there aren't as many rules as in the palace. I figured you must have missed the two elders these days, so I decided to bring them over for a meal together."

Langhua felt a warmth in her heart and looked up at Zhao Zhen.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhao Zhen gently patted her wrist.

Knowing that Wang Rucheng and Zhou Wanru would feel awkward in his presence, he did not insist on keeping them: "I have some official business to attend to, so I will take my leave first. I will come back to dine with you later."

After saying that, he actually took Zhang Maoze and left.

As Zhou Wanru watched his retreating figure, she felt even happier.

She quietly leaned close to Langhua's ear and whispered, "The Emperor treats you so well."

Langhua couldn't help but laugh: "Mother."

"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore."

-

Meanwhile, the quarters where the palace maids lived were also bustling with activity.

The female official had just finished reading the imperial decree.

Due to renovations at the palace, palace staff from all over the country need to temporarily move to two other separate residences, especially the young ladies who are still quite young; they will be leaving tomorrow.

The crowd was both surprised and intrigued, and immediately began chattering.

"A separate courtyard? Does that require so many servants?"

"Can we all go?"

"Is it far from the city?"

Instructor Jia clapped her hands with a smile, signaling them to be quiet.

"Silly children, this is a blessing from the Emperor and the Empress. The palace is being renovated, and the smell of paint is very harmful to the young ladies' health. The Emperor and the Empress are kind and worried that you might harm your health if you stay there too long, so they have made a special exception and allowed you to stay temporarily in another courtyard. There is more space there, and less work to do. But when you go there, you must not get carried away. You still need to learn the rules well, understand?"

A group of young palace maids quickly agreed.

In the crowd, a young woman with exceptionally delicate features, holding a snow-white rabbit in her arms, suddenly brightened up upon hearing this.

"Teacher, really? Is the villa very big? Will there be lots and lots of green grass?"

She looked down and stroked the rabbit in her arms, her face full of anticipation: "My little white rabbit can finally hop around to its heart's content, instead of being kept in a cage all the time?"

Seeing her like this, Instructor Jia's heart softened a little. He reached out and patted her head: "Yes. It's all thanks to the Emperor and the Empress's grace. So, Bihua, you must study the rules even harder in the future, serve well, and repay the Emperor and the Empress, do you understand?"

Zhang Bihua immediately replied, "I was originally going to repay Your Majesty."

She looked up, very seriously: "Have you forgotten, Instructor? I've met Her Majesty."

Instructor Jia laughed and said, "I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten."

A soft, mocking voice came from the side.

"here we go again."

A young palace maid curled her lip: "Are you going to bring up the story again about how the Empress gave you a bowl of hot porridge when you fled to the orphanage? You yourself said that the Empress is kind-hearted and has saved countless people in her acts of kindness; you were just one of them. Perhaps the Empress has long forgotten your face. Is it really necessary to keep bringing up such a small matter every day?"

Zhang Bihua immediately glared at her.

"If Your Highness has forgotten, so be it. That's just a matter of being busy. I remember, that's all. Why are you being so nosy!"

The little palace maid was about to retort when Instructor Jia's face darkened.

"Shut up, all of you!"

The two immediately fell silent.

Instructor Jia gave them a few more words of reprimand, forbidding them from arguing anymore, before taking Zhang Bihua aside alone.

When they were alone, she whispered, "What she said was harsh, but it wasn't entirely unreasonable."

Zhang Bihua puffed out her cheeks in protest.

Instructor Jia sighed softly, "Everyone knows Her Majesty is kind-hearted. She's only been in the palace for a few days, yet she's already performed many good deeds, for which everyone is deeply grateful. It's good that you're grateful, and I know your nature; I understand your sincerity. But what about those who don't?"

"You keep saying you want to repay a debt of gratitude, so it's inevitable that some people will think you have ulterior motives and just want to use this as an excuse to get close to the Empress."

Zhang Bihua's expression changed: "I didn't!"

"I know you didn't," Instructor Jia said gently, "but there are many things in the palace that, just because you say you didn't, doesn't mean others will believe you."

Zhang Bihua still pursed her lips, not quite convinced.

Instructor Jia then squatted down, looked into her eyes, and said earnestly, "Bihan, you must understand that if you want to live well in this palace, you must learn to hide. Hide your temper, hide your impatience, hide your dislikes. Otherwise, you will always have something on others to use against you."

Zhang Bihua lowered her head, stroking the little rabbit in her arms with her fingers, her face still showing a hint of indifference.

Teacher Jia felt helpless looking at her like this.

But seeing her beauty, already showing signs of budding at such a young age, I couldn't help but feel a slight stirring within me.

But she quickly suppressed that thought.

It's all too early.

She didn't say anything, but looked at the rabbit in Zhang Bihua's hand and said, "We're going to the other courtyard tomorrow. There will be a lot of people there, so don't step on your precious rabbit. Don't let it run around outside tonight, put it in its cage early. Anyway, you can all run around freely at the other courtyard, so one more night won't make a difference."

Zhang Bihua's eyes crinkled with a smile at the thought of her beloved rabbit soon having a large patch of green grass.

"knew!"

-

Yichun Garden.

When it was time for dinner, Zhao Zhen finished his work and, calculating that it was about time, went to Langhua's courtyard.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Wang Rucheng with his sleeves rolled up, holding a hoe, and diligently turning over the soil.

Zhou Wanru stood aside, her words sharp and unforgiving.

"Oops, wrong move, wrong move! You didn't use the right amount of force. You didn't even turn over the soil. What's the use of just scraping off a thin layer?"

"Hurry up, if you dawdle, it'll be completely dark by the time you're done."

"Never mind, I'll do it!"

As she spoke, she was about to roll up her sleeves and get to work, but as soon as she raised her arm, her body was pulled to the side by the elaborate imperial crown on her head.

Wang Rucheng couldn't help but laugh: "Just stay put."

He looked at her solemn and beautiful imperial robes: "It's rare to see someone so glamorous. This title was earned for you by our Third Sister, and you are the only one in the world who has it. Others can only dream of it. If you get this dirty, I'm afraid you'll be so heartbroken that you won't be able to sleep for three days and three nights."