The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Wang Shi'an took the letter from his cousin and unfolded it to read it carefully.

The list includes several names, indicating which families are suitable for close contact, which are only for superficial interactions, which families may seem prosperous recently but are actually unstable and should not be befriended deeply, and which officials who have recently come to the capital to report on their duties have deep connections behind the scenes and should be handled with care in the future.

As Wang Shi'an looked at it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

My eldest uncle truly deserves to be called the first prodigy of the Wang family in hundreds of years, the one who led the entire Wang family to change its status.

Even though he is not in the capital now, he still has a clear understanding of the situation there.

He carefully folded the letter and tucked it into his sleeve. When he looked at Wang Shiping again, his expression softened considerably: "I understand. Please thank Uncle for his concern when you return, Brother Ping."

Wang Shiping smiled politely: "We're brothers, let's not talk about this. Father just thinks that the higher you go, the more careful you need to be. He's far away in Sichuan and can't give you constant guidance, so he can only write these trivial things, hoping you won't find them troublesome."

"Not at all, Uncle. You've put in a lot of effort, how could I possibly find it troublesome? Wouldn't I be ungrateful?"

Wang Shi'an smiled and ordered someone to serve tea.

Wang Shiping picked up his teacup, took a sip, but lingered there for a moment. After a while, he smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Actually, besides delivering this letter on behalf of my father, there's something else I wanted to tell you."

"Brother, please speak freely."

Wang Shiping sighed, a hint of helplessness in his expression: "Ruoyu has experienced tremendous changes over the years, and her temperament has become increasingly unruly. I heard from Yuan'er that she was very rude when she visited last time, causing my second sister-in-law to suffer. This is also due to our lack of discipline, so please don't hold it against her. As for what she said, please don't take it to heart."

He paused, then continued, "You should have met Yuan'er. She is gentle and well-mannered, unlike her mother. I have already spoken to my mother about arranging for her to marry my eldest son. This would strengthen family ties and be a beautiful match. Once this important matter is settled, I think she will be more settled down."

Wang Shi'an paused slightly as he served the tea.

He glanced at Wang Shiping, then quickly smiled again, his expression unchanged: "That's a good thing. Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, Brother Ping will be drinking his bride's tea. Congratulations, congratulations."

Wang Shi'an put down his teacup, his tone still gentle: "As for my sister, that's just her nature. What don't I know? Don't worry, Brother Ping, I won't hold it against her."

That's all I have to say.

Wang Shiping understood, and couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

But he knew better than anyone that what his mother and Ruoyu had done had chilled the heart of San Niang and everyone in the second branch of the family.

Once the wounds are inflicted and so many years have passed, repairing them is no easy task.

Just then, a servant came to report: "Second Master, Physician Wei has arrived."

Wang Shi'an's eyes lit up: "Please come in quickly."

Before long, Wei Jing'an was led in.

After the three exchanged greetings, Wang Shiping couldn't help but chuckle and tease, "Brother Wei, it's truly been a long time! So many years have passed, and we've all grown old, but Brother Wei seems even more youthful than before. Tell me honestly, have you secretly taken some kind of magic elixir to preserve your youth?"

Wei Jing'an chuckled: "I'm a father now, what's so special about me? Brother, please don't tease me, or the younger generation will laugh at me."

Wang Shiping then remembered that Wei Jing'an already had a son and a daughter.

However, according to rumors, both children took their maternal grandmother's surname, Xu, and were not listed in the Wei family genealogy.

Years ago, this matter was the subject of much discussion among the people in the capital. They said that Wei Jing'an seemed like a gentle breeze and a bright moon, but they never expected that he would be so blinded by love that he would even agree to let his child take his wife's surname.

Wang Shiping had previously taken it as mere gossip, but now that he had actually met Wei Jing'an, his heart suddenly stirred.

Wei Jing'an came from a poor family. In terms of both family background and social standing, he could not compare with the Wang family, much less with someone like his father.

But this person was incredibly lucky and truly hardworking.

Upon entering officialdom, he joined the Wang family and followed Wang Shi'an in the Northwest for many years, earning both merit and hard work. Later, he also formed a marriage alliance with the Di family.

Over the years, he has risen step by step and is no longer the rootless and powerless minor official he once was.

His daughter, who took her maternal grandfather's surname... if he remembered correctly, seemed to be only four years younger than Changsong.

if……

Wang Shiping's eyes lit up slightly, and he was about to speak when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

Immediately afterward, a young boy's anxious voice rang out: "Father, Uncle Wang, is my father here?"

The people inside were all taken aback and looked towards the door.

A young boy practically ran all the way in.

He was handsome and tall, and now his face was flushed from running, and he was even panting. It was Changfeng.

Upon seeing Wei Jing'an's figure in the distance, Changfeng was so excited he almost cried. He rushed in, grabbed Wei Jing'an's sleeve, and cried out urgently, "Father, a wicked woman has come to the door with a lot of people. She's going to kidnap Grandmother!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three people in the room changed.

Changfeng's eyes reddened with anxiety: "Father, hurry, hurry back to save them!"

Wei Jing'an turned to look at Wang Shi'an almost without hesitation.

Wang Shi'an also stood up abruptly: "My family members are at your beck and call."

Thank you.

Wei Jing'an bowed respectfully and hurriedly led Chang Feng outside.

Wang Shiping stared in disbelief, only recovering after a long while: "In Bianjing, right under the emperor's nose, are there still such audacious people?"

"Who says otherwise?" Wang Shi'an's heart sank, and he immediately ordered the man beside him, "Wensheng, go and summon the yamen runners and the archers from the patrol office of Kaifeng Prefecture."

After saying that, he looked at Wang Shiping and said, "Brother Ping, you should go back first. I'm afraid Brother Wei will suffer a loss, so I have to go and check on him."

Wang Shiping should indeed leave.

But then he thought again that this might be an opportunity to befriend Wei Jing'an.

Unfortunately, when he went out today, all the capable people around him had been borrowed by Wang Ruoyu, who said she was going to Jiying Lane to tidy up the Sheng residence. So, even if he wanted to help, she couldn't be of much help.

But people always have to go eventually. He can marry Yuan Jie and take care of her, but Chang Song's marriage is still undecided.

He quickly said, "Wait for me, I'll go take a look too!"

-

At this moment, the Xu residence was in complete disarray.

Xu Shi and Fang Mama were both tied up, their mouths stuffed with handkerchiefs, and were pushed and shoved into the sedan chair by Wang Ruo and the old woman she brought.

Xu was old and her face turned pale with anger, but she couldn't speak. She could only stare at Wang Ruoyu. Fang's mother was so anxious that tears streamed down her face, but she was also held down and couldn't move.

Lin Qinshuang tried to stop him, but was violently pushed to the ground by Wang Ruo and the burly old woman beside her. Her palm scraped against the bluestone bricks, instantly breaking the skin and causing it to bleed.

"Mother! Grandma!"

Mo Lan rushed over, crying, and stood in front of Lin Qinshuang.

The old woman raised her hand to strike, but Lin Qinshuang reacted quickly, pulling her daughter back into her arms, only to be struck herself.

A crisp sound.

Lin Qinshuang's face swelled up instantly.

Mo Lan froze in fright, then cried even harder, "Mother!"

Lin Qinshuang did not cry.

Holding her daughter in one arm and supporting herself on the ground with the other, she slowly raised her head and coldly looked at Wang Ruoyu, who stood opposite her, unable to hide her smugness.

She quickly calculated the time in her mind.

Changfeng had already run out the back door. As long as he was fast enough, even if he couldn't find Wei Jing'an, it wouldn't be a problem to borrow some manpower from the Wang family, who was closer.

He then looked at Wang Ruoyu, forcing himself to remain calm, and said, "My mother has already registered this house in my name. Wang, you are trespassing!"

Wang Ruo scoffed, nonchalantly straightening her cuffs: "So what if I barged in? I'm the daughter-in-law of the Sheng family, and she's the matriarch of the Sheng family, my husband's stepmother. What's wrong with me coming to welcome her home?"

Having said that, she turned back to look at Madam Xu, who was crammed into the sedan chair, her tone filled with malicious intimacy: "Mother, a few years ago, my wife and husband were stationed in Dengzhou and had no time to care for you, so I had my younger sister stay here with you. Now that I'm back, you should naturally go home. Otherwise, how will outsiders explain that you became a widow at such a young age, abandoning your son whom you raised and who even passed the imperial examination, and instead choosing to live with an adopted daughter who came from another place?"