The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

After all, she was the Empress, trusted by Emperor Zhao Zhen, and had grown children to rely on. She could directly contact important officials, intervene in major court affairs, and turn the tide of events.

And what about Wang Ruoyu?

She followed Sheng Hong, a minor official of the seventh rank, far away in Dengzhou, confined to the inner quarters and limited in her perspective. What kind of trouble could she possibly stir up?

Langhua kept an eye on Wang Ruoyu.

Her correspondence with the outside world was intercepted as usual, a copy was made and sent back to the palace, and then released as is.

As expected, for the past ten years or so, Wang Ruoyu has almost exclusively written letters to her mother, and every single one of them is filled with unreasonable demands and constant requests.

She took everything from money and manpower to clothing, medicine, and even a manager to back her up.

Langhua was really annoyed by this.

Later, she told her informant that if it was still just this, there was no need to report back.

Therefore, when Wang Ruoyu suddenly returned to the capital, she was busy dealing with the Liao Kingdom's marriage proposal. In the end, she only heard about the fact that Wang Ruoyu had been drugged by Sheng Hong from her mother.

Of course, she did not expect that Wang Ruoyu would be so impatient. He went straight to the Xu residence after only two days of returning, and even wanted to forcibly take Old Madam Xu back to the Sheng family and openly seize her property.

This is absolutely outrageous!

It was only at this point that Langhua finally came to a complete conclusion.

In Wang Ruofu's memory, her exceptionally intelligent older sister, Wang Ruoyu, who was a hundred or a thousand times better than her in every way, probably never existed.

The real Wang Ruoyu is stupid, wicked, and beyond redemption.

Wang Ruofu was so certain that she was clumsy while her sister was exceptionally intelligent, capable of everything, insightful in all matters, and whose suggestions were always flawless...

However, it was only because she was repeatedly suppressed by her biological mother when she was young that her spine was gradually bent.

So let's leave it at that.

Just as her mother said, Wang Ruoyu cannot die, nor does she need to die.

When a person dies, their debts are wiped out.

If she were to die, Wang's parents would only have one daughter left in their hearts: a daughter who was "exceptionally intelligent but had a tragic fate."

If she dies, who will be able to keep Sheng Hong bound?

These two people are a match made in heaven.

They should be bound together for the rest of their lives, to repay each other with their own karmic debts.

This way, everyone can have some peace and quiet.

-

Wang Ruoyu was kept in the main courtyard of the Sheng residence.

Although it was called a quarantine, no one really mistreated her food and drink. Meals were still delivered as usual, and her clothes and jewelry were all newly made when the seasons changed.

She had no shortage of servants, but there were guards at the courtyard gate, so she couldn't go out, and no one answered the letters she sent out.

At first, she made a huge scene, smashed several teacups, and cursed all the servants in the courtyard.

He became increasingly anxious when he found that no one cared about him.

On this day, she finally met her mother, who had traveled a long way to see her.

When Old Mrs. Wang entered the room, she saw that although the woman's face was haggard, it was still quite rosy, and her hairpins and ornaments were not in disarray. Most of the worry in her eyes disappeared, replaced by an uncontrollable anger at her lack of self-control.

Wang Ruoyu, however, did not notice at all.

Since her father resigned from his official post and took her mother back to Sichuan, the two women had not seen each other for nearly ten years.

When she saw Old Mrs. Wang, she was startled at first, then tears welled up in her eyes. She threw herself at her mother's knees, crying and laughing at the same time.

"Mother! Mother, you've finally come to see me! Quick! Get me out of here! I don't know who sent these lowly bastards, but they dare to restrict me in my own home! Tell my brother to beat them all out! I want to go back to the Wang family! I don't want to stay here! I—"

With a snap.

Wang Ruoyu's words came to an abrupt end.

She covered her face, her eyes wide with disbelief: "Mother, you hit me? You hit me again!"

Grandma Wang's hands were still trembling.

She stared intently at her daughter, her eyes filled with pain and anger: "I only regret that when you were little, I didn't discipline you sooner, to wake you up!"

Old Mrs. Wang gritted her teeth, her voice almost squeezed out from between them: "Back then, you didn't hesitate to frame your own sisters in order to marry Sheng Hong. I even risked my reputation to help you, which made your father despise me, and your sister also harbored resentment towards me. But in the end, I let you have your way! I thought that since I raised you with my own hands and poured my heart and soul into teaching you, even if you weren't born with the same shrewdness as your sister, you should at least be someone who has a plan in mind."

"If you value Sheng Hong so much, he must have some extraordinary qualities!"

Even if things don't go your way, at least make sure you live a good life!

But what was the result? To deal with an orphan girl who came from nowhere and had no background, you thought she was seducing your man and challenging your position, so of course you could deal with her! Frame her, slander her, throw dirty water on her, or even just use the stupidest method to kick her out, I wouldn't say anything.

But you, of all people, colluded with thieves to break into the mansion, and foolishly let the matter escalate, forcing your father to sacrifice your future for your livelihood. Do you know, do you know, that he was just one step away from becoming the highest-ranking civil official and being honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!

Grandma Wang slammed her cane heavily on the ground, making a dull thud.

"And this time too!"

"Let me ask you, what have I lacked from you? Over the years, have I not given you enough of your personal savings? Have I not given you enough of my own private stash? Your sister-in-law has hardly ever seen a single piece of my jewelry, and I've given it all to you, all of it! Why do you still covet what belongs to the Xu family! If I had known you were so short-sighted and foolish, I would have—"

"So what!"

Wang Ruoyu finally couldn't hold back and shouted out loud.

She covered her reddened face, but her eyes were full of ruthlessness.

Grandma Wang was taken aback by the stare.

Wang Ruo stared intently at her, saying each word clearly, "You owe me."

Grandma Wang involuntarily took two steps back.

Wang Ruoyu's voice grew increasingly shrill and frantic: "You gave birth to me, you said I was your most beloved child, you said I resembled you the most. Yet you were able to find a good man like Father, to receive an official title and a lifetime of wealth and honor with him, to be his only love for life. Why can't I! Why can't I!"

"If I cannot, it must be because you have not done enough!"