The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

"Brother Ye".

Bai Qing pulled her son to her side, her voice gentle: "Mother knows that Ye-ge'er has been wronged lately. It's just that your sister has just come into this world and seems to have a mischievous temper, which has made Mother very uncomfortable, so Mother has neglected you."

"But Ye-ge'er, you are my eldest son, and you even took my surname. How could I possibly abandon you?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Ye finally couldn't hold back and threw himself into his mother's arms.

He carefully avoided Bai Qing's lower abdomen, but pressed his face tightly against his mother's clothes, greedily inhaling the long-lost scent from her body.

After a long while, he whispered, "My sister is bad, Mother, I don't want my sister."

There were also two words in the middle that were spoken in a disordered manner.

Bai Qing understood, and couldn't help but chuckle. Instead of scolding her, she patiently said, "My sister isn't bad, and she hasn't bullied Mother. She's still young and new here; she's just shy."

She gently patted her son's back.

"My little sister will rely on you, her older brother, to play with her in the future, just like your older sister Jingning played with you."

Bai Ye thought of his older sister, who was a bit older than him, and indeed fell silent for a while.

She couldn't help but look up and call out, "Sister, sister!"

Bai Qing's smile deepened: "I was just about to take you to find your sister. Today, not only will you be with your sister, but also your brother."

Bai Ye tilted his head: "Younger brother?"

"Yes," Bai Qing said with a smile, "Today is my little brother's one-month celebration. Mother has prepared a longevity lock, which Ye-ge will personally present to his brother, shall we?"

The child was finally calmed down. He looked down at the small longevity lock, turning it over and over, and quickly forgot his earlier grievances.

Bai Qing then looked up and saw that Granny Chang's face was full of worry.

"Granny, what's wrong?"

Granny Chang glanced at Bai Ye, who was engrossed in playing with a longevity lock, and lowered her voice, "Was the person the young master accidentally bumped into just now also from the palace?"

Bai Qing found it a little strange, but still nodded: "We've met a few times. She should be an instructor in the palace responsible for teaching the young palace maids; she's quite experienced."

She said this and smiled.

"Speaking of which, isn't the house that Granny bought nearby? What a coincidence."

Granny Chang didn't laugh along; instead, the worry on her face deepened.

"Young lady, there are some things I feel I should tell you. I've only been here for a year, and I can see that house every time I come and go, but few people live there. The neighbors all say that the owner of that house is a merchant. His wife, children, and elderly parents are all in his hometown. He bought this courtyard just to have a place to stay when he comes to the capital, and to acquire some property."

Granny Chang said with a solemn expression, "But last time I got up early, I happened to see someone coming out of that courtyard."

Her voice grew even softer: "The man was wearing a purple robe and black boots."

Bai Qing paused in her actions of comforting her son.

Granny Chang glanced at Bai Ye, making sure the child didn't understand, before whispering, "I suspected earlier that this was a courtyard owned by some important person. But I just treated it as a joke and didn't take it to heart."

"But if the lady we met today is from the palace, then this matter..."

Bai Qing's expression gradually became serious.

Purple robes were reserved for officials of the third rank or higher.

It's one thing for such a person to own a house and keep a mistress; it's their private business, and aside from saying that he has a moral failing, no one else can say anything more.

But what if that mistress is a tutor in the palace...?

That's collusion between insiders and outsiders.

Bai Qing, who frequently visited the palace with her mother-in-law, knew that this was what the Empress was most wary of.

Bai Qing seemed to be deep in thought.

After a moment, she said, "Let's not make a fuss for now. Once we're in the palace, I'll find a suitable opportunity to tell Her Majesty."

The carriage traveled all the way to the palace.

-

Kunning Hall.

Today is the prince's full moon celebration.

This is Zhao Zhen's only son, and as the empress's legitimate son, his arrival is naturally quite grand.

The palace was filled with jewels and jade ornaments, and the air was filled with the fragrance of clothes and the elegance of hair.

One after another, the noblewomen stepped forward to offer their congratulations and best wishes, their mouths full of auspicious words, saying that the Empress was blessed, that the Emperor was blessed, and that the Song Dynasty had a worthy successor.

Langhua sat upright at the head of the table, responding to each question with a polite smile.

Sitting next to her were Miao Xinhe and Yu Qingran, who were already showing signs of pregnancy.

Upon seeing this, everyone felt even more that the inner palace was peaceful and prosperous, and they couldn't help but praise the empress's virtue, the emperor's benevolence, and the great blessing of the Song Dynasty.

Langhua accepted them all.

When the appointed time arrived, she personally announced the start of the banquet.

He drank two cups of tea with everyone, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then rose to take his leave, leaving the outside table for the ladies of the court to chat freely.

She then pointed to a few people and led them to a side hall.

As soon as she sat down, Langhua raised her hand and had someone remove the heavy phoenix crown from her head.

As soon as the phoenix crown was removed, her neck felt much more relaxed.

I couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of my heart, "That feels so good."

Suddenly, several bursts of laughter reached my ears.

Langhua raised her head confidently: "Aren't you all the same?"

Bai Qing, Miao Xinhe, and Yu Qingran nodded quickly.

Qin Yanwan also smiled and said, "We are laughing because Your Majesty has truly spoken our minds."

Several people nearby quickly echoed his sentiments.

Langhua laughed at herself and pointed at Qin Yanwan: "When you really want to please someone, no one can resist your words."

Despite this, she did not feel that she had acted improperly.

Rules must be followed. Her own child has come into this world, and it is only right to announce it to the world with a grand ceremony.

But she has now learned to act within her means.

The front hall was crowded and noisy, and the children couldn't stand it.

She had just finished her postpartum confinement period and couldn't take it either.

In any case, her position as empress is now as secure as a rock, so there's really no need for her to exhaust herself for the sake of that empty title.

With her as the Empress taking the lead, Miao Xinhe and Yu Qingran immediately followed suit. They had finally achieved their wish of having a child and were fortunate enough to meet such a generous and benevolent Empress. They were so grateful that they followed the Empress's lead in everything.

Besides, there were too many people in the front hall, and they were afraid that their hard-won babies would be disturbed. They were more than happy to leave as soon as possible.

Just then, a childish laugh suddenly came from not far away.

"Idiot, you idiot!"

Everyone turned their heads away.

There, dressed up in an exceptionally cute manner, Jingning was squatting on a soft cushion, playing with the clay figurines that Wang Shi'an had brought back from Qingzhou with two other young men.

One of them was Bai Ye, the youngest of all, not even two years old. He walked with a slight wobbly gait, but he was incredibly quick. Just now, he managed to snatch the clay figurine from the other young man's hand when no one was looking.

That is, Zhao Yu, the eldest son of Qin Yanwan.

Zhao Yu was half a year older than Jing Ning and taller than the two next to him. However, he was obviously tall but not tall. After Bai Ye snatched the clay figurine from his hands, he cried out twice but couldn't get it back. He was so anxious that his eyes turned red, and he simply sat on the soft cushion and started to throw a tantrum.

Jingning couldn't stop laughing: "Idiot!"

She laughed and clapped her hands, and Bai Ye became even more arrogant and self-righteous upon hearing this.