The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

As for Xin Xin...

What an idiot!

She foolishly followed Ulanara. When her mistress was sent to the Cold Palace, she was sent to the Cold Palace too. But while others could talk about everything, she put in twenty times the effort. While others could still talk about love, appreciate the moon, and recite poetry for three years, she suffered for three whole years.

After finally getting out, they went to the Ministry of Justice and ended up getting one leg stuck there.

Loyalty is loyalty, of course.

They are truly capable of enduring hardship.

My brain just can't keep up!

Such a servant girl, if she meets a docile, intelligent master who knows right from wrong, will naturally have a good ending, just like Mo Xin, who serves Gao Xiyue.

However, if you follow someone with bad intentions, you are likely to become their accomplice; if you follow someone who is hypocritical and self-deceiving, you will only accompany your master to keep hitting a wall.

A girl like that, no matter who you give her to, might cause you trouble in the future.

She should keep it for herself!

Ruo Fu looked at the account book for a while longer, but soon felt that it was almost done.

This Prince Bao's Mansion was a new residence bestowed upon Hongli after he was granted the title of Prince. Most of the servants in the mansion were also recently dispatched by the Imperial Household Department, so there were no old grievances, making it much easier to manage.

She tossed the account book aside, stretched, and asked, "What time is it?"

Shen Guang glanced at the shadows cast by the sun outside: "It's almost noon. Would the Princess Consort like to order the meal?"

"Pass it on." Ruof rubbed his stomach. "I'm actually hungry."

Shen Guang smiled and agreed.

-

Five days passed peacefully.

Hongli, who was recuperating in the front yard, finally couldn't sit still any longer.

Why is no one coming to see him?

He just married a primary wife and a secondary wife, and there are two princesses in the mansion.

I'm not all alone!

How come after five days of injury, not a single person has come to take care of me?

"Wang Qin".

Wang Qin, who had been standing guard nearby, quickly stepped forward: "Master."

Hongli glanced at him, intending to ask directly why none of the women in the backyard had come, but the words caught in his throat. He felt that asking such a question would be too disrespectful to the head of the household.

It was as if he had been eagerly anticipating it!

Hongli hesitated for a moment before slowly asking, "Has anything happened in the backyard these past few days?"

Wang Qin's expression froze.

Hongli immediately narrowed his eyes. "Good, I knew it!"

"explain!"

A bead of sweat appeared on Wang Qin's forehead as he stammered, "Your Highness, after the Fujin took over the household, she established some new rules. One of them is that the women in the back courtyard are not allowed to enter the front courtyard without a summons from Your Highness or the Fujin."

Hongli's face immediately darkened: "She forbids anyone from seeing me?"

"That's not entirely true..."

Wang Qin wiped his forehead and said cautiously, "Gege Gao and Consort Fucha did ask, but without Your Highness's summons, and fearing it would break the rules newly established by the Fujin, they only sent medicine."

"As for the Princess Consort, she sends someone to inquire about the physician's health every day. Your meals and medicines are also delivered only after she has personally reviewed them. However, she says that the Prince is recuperating in his study and must need some peace and quiet. If she were to come in person, she fears that seeing her might upset you and be detrimental to your recovery."

Hongli's forehead throbbed upon hearing this.

That sounds nice, but does he think he doesn't know? This woman just doesn't want to serve him!

"Where's Qingying?"

Wang Qin's expression became even more troubled: "As for the concubine... the principal wife had previously allowed the concubine to come to the front courtyard to attend to the sick, but on the second day of the wedding, when the concubine was paying her respects to the principal wife, Miss A'ruo was punished and confined to her quarters because of her rude words and disrespectful remarks. The concubine has been staying in the courtyard with her these days, and has also been copying the household rules together, so she has not been able to come over."

"Qingying's been confined to her quarters? You dog of a servant! Why are you only telling me about something this important now?"

Wang Qin felt wronged. It was the main wife who ordered the concubine to be confined to her quarters. Where did he get the audacity to gossip about the main wife?

The rules of the manor that I studied late into the night were not just for show!

But he dared not retort.

Suppressing his anger, Hongli asked, "Where is she now?"

Wang Qin was taken aback: "The concubine naturally lives in her own courtyard."

"Who asked her?"

Hongli said coldly, "I'm asking about Lady Fucha! Where is that unvirtuous and cruel woman who mistreated her concubines?"

Wang Qin shrank back: "In...in the main courtyard."

Half an hour later, Hongli, accompanied by Wang Qin, stormed into the main courtyard in a rage.

Ruofu was arranging flowers at that moment.

The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the window, and on the table sat a white porcelain vase, next to a large bunch of freshly cut flower branches. Red, yellow, purple, white—all sorts of colors were there, crowded together, creating a lively scene.

She was holding a red peony in full bloom.

She looked up and saw him, her face showing no panic, only slight surprise, and said, "Your Highness can get out of bed now? It seems your back is healed, that's truly cause for celebration."

When Hongli heard the word "waist," his face turned even uglier.

He walked to the table and asked bluntly, "Why did you make things difficult for Qingying?"

Ruo Fu paused for a moment while holding the flower branch.

A moment later, she put the flowers back on the table and chuckled, "Because she was disrespectful to her superiors."

Hongli narrowed his eyes: "Qingying comes from the direct line of the Ulanara clan, a noble lady raised by the imperial family!"

Ruofu, who had been sitting, slowly stood up upon hearing this.

She stared straight at Hongli, saying each word clearly, "I am still a princess born of the Fucha clan!"

Hongli choked.

"The legitimate daughter!"

Ruof raised his voice.

Hongli blinked, looking slightly guilty.

Hongli took a deep breath, his tone softening somewhat: "That's not what I meant."

"So what do you mean?"

Ruo Fu didn't back down at all: "No wonder you two are childhood sweethearts. She likes to say that too. What, were you two kidnapped by a spirit and taken to a fairy island when you were little, where you lived together for a few years and then couldn't speak the mortal language?"

"Lady Fuca!"

Hongli was furious: "I only wish for harmony in the inner palace, don't bring up those things! You were all given to me by Father Emperor. If you cause such a ruckus after only a few days in the palace, how am I supposed to explain this to Father Emperor when the news reaches the palace?"

Ruofu laughed even more: "I thought it was something serious. If it is, then Your Highness need not worry about it. Whether the inner courtyard is harmonious or not depends on the ability of the mistress of the house."

"As long as Your Highness is willing to hand over the management of the inner courtyard to me, and there are no people pleading for me today or others trying to back me up tomorrow, and no one can take advantage of Your Highness's favor to challenge my position as the primary wife, I can guarantee that Your Highness will have an impregnable inner courtyard."

Ruofu turned and sat down, casually picking up a flower branch and placing it in the vase, then looked up at him:

"I can not only keep them outwardly harmonious, but I can also keep out even the most gossipy fly from getting out of this palace."

Hongli paused for a moment.

Looking at her confident expression and the imposing manner with which she spoke, I was momentarily dazzled.

until--

After saying this, Ruofu turned his head and glanced at Hongli from head to toe. His gaze lingered meaningfully on Hongli's waist for a moment before he continued, "Even if Your Highness gets carried away and strains your back again, I can guarantee that no one outside will know."

Hongli's expression froze instantly.

"At worst, we can say that in order to prepare the birthday gift before the Emperor's birthday, the Prince ignored everyone's advice, secretly got up in the middle of the night, and smashed stones for most of the hour."

"The reasons are all readily available, and we can even add another story."

"Lady Fuca!"

Hongli gritted his teeth.

"What are you shouting for?"

Ruofu impatiently picked at his ear: "Men are in charge of external affairs, women are in charge of internal affairs. Isn't this a rule you men set for yourselves?"

"Don't you yourselves always spout nonsense about the harem not interfering in politics? If that's the case, then you should stay out of our women's private quarters!"

Hongli choked on his words, feeling a tightness in his chest.

But I can't find any words to refute it.

Ruofu, seeing that he didn't speak, finally felt relieved and started arranging the flowers on the table again. Just as she picked up a white hibiscus, she suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, you've come at the perfect time."

She gestured with her chin towards the door: "Wang Qin is with you, isn't he? Tell him to get in here."

Upon hearing his name called, Wang Qin, who was waiting outside, hurriedly scrambled in, his face beaming with smiles: "This servant is here. What are your orders, Madam?"

Ruo Fu gave Shen Guang a wink.

Shen Guang turned and went into the inner room. A short while later, he and two eunuchs carried out a long wooden box.

The box was opened, revealing a piece of jade that had been roughly carved. At present, only the outlines of rocks and pine trees could be barely seen, and there were still many places on the edges that had not been smoothed.

Hongli glanced at it only once before frowning in disdain: "What is this?"

Ruo Fu glanced at him: "The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. I've already told everyone that you injured your back while carrying stones for the Emperor's birthday celebration. Now everyone in the palace knows that the Prince is extremely filial and devoted to his country. He doesn't even care about his own health in order to prepare birthday gifts for the Emperor."

"The rumors have spread this far; you can't possibly wait until the Emperor's birthday celebration to enter the palace empty-handed, can you?"

Hongli's brow twitched slightly as he looked at the jade in the wooden box again.

Ruofu continued, "But your injuries haven't healed yet, and the big project for the Emperor's birthday can't be finished in a while. And with the Mid-Autumn Festival just around the corner, you can't just sit around doing nothing while you're resting in bed these days."

"I've already had someone roughly carve out the outline of the turquoise."

"When you get back, take a knife and carve a few marks every day. You don't need to put in much effort; just leave a few marks that you've carved yourself."

"When the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, I will present this as a gift to the palace. I have already thought of the explanation: I will say that you originally wanted to personally carve a pine and crane painting for the Emperor to symbolize longevity, but you were delayed due to a back injury. You can only present a small piece as a token of your filial piety. On the Emperor's birthday, you will present the real, larger piece."

The anger on Hongli's face gradually disappeared.

He hadn't expected that Rove had thought things through so thoroughly.

If what she said is true, sending a small, imperfect gift for the Mid-Autumn Festival would not only explain his injuries these days, but also show that even while bedridden, he still remembered to prepare a gift for his father.

When the Emperor's birthday arrives, an even bigger gift will be sent, thus completely settling the matter.

The Emperor will not only not suspect anything, but may even like him more because of it.

Hongli looked at the jade in the box, his heart filled with complex emotions.

Women from the Fucha family are indeed different.

While her sharp tongue could certainly infuriate someone, she was indeed an excellent matriarch.

She can think of many things in advance that she might not be able to consider herself.

Hongli's anger subsided considerably.

He coughed lightly, wanting to say something conciliatory, but felt that directly thanking him would be beneath his dignity.

After thinking it over, with his eyes fixed on the flowerpot in front of her, he blurted out quickly, "It's kind of you to think of something so thoughtful."

"What?"

If Fu didn't hear clearly.

Hongli quickly said, "These flowers... are arranged very well. I didn't expect you to have such skills."

The more he spoke, the smoother his words became: "Later, have someone send it to my study to add some elegance to it."

After saying that, fearing that she would catch him and continue to make fun of him, he quickly walked out.

Ruo Fu remained frozen in place, still holding the flower in his hand.

She turned her head in disbelief, looked in the direction Hongli had left, and then looked down at the colorful bottles on the table.

His face gradually contorted.

"Son of a bitch!"

She slammed the hibiscus in her hand onto the table.

"I've taken such good care of things for him, and not only does he not say thank you, he even dares to mock me like this!"