The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Not far outside the beaded curtain, Ruofu sat in the center.

Gao Xiyue sat on one side, holding Hua Lan, while Fucha Zhuying sat on the other side.

Hongli sat a little further away, but not too far.

What was supposed to be a peaceful reunion turned into a family trip by Ruofu. Qingying remained locked in Qingzhi Courtyard, and the platform and horse were prepared for her...

After Hongli took his seat, his expression was not good, but he forced himself to endure it.

However, Ruofu was in high spirits.

Hua Lan had never seen such a lively scene before.

As soon as the gongs and drums sounded, the little girl immediately started to wriggle in Gao Xiyue's arms, clutching a small rattle drum in her hand and shaking it wildly.

Gao Xiyue laughed uncontrollably: "Is the eldest princess going to provide accompaniment for them?"

Ruofe also said, "She's so talented, maybe she can learn to play the drums someday."

"That won't do," Gao Xiyue immediately objected. "Our eldest princess is so precious and noble, why would she need to learn drums? If she has to learn, she should learn the pipa. I'll teach her myself."

"What's so good about the pipa?"

Ruo Fu didn't take it seriously: "Carrying such a big thing for half a day will make your back ache. It's better to play the drum. If anyone makes her unhappy, she can just pick up the drumsticks and hit them."

Gao Xiyue retorted, "The pipa is so big, if you really swing it, it'll hurt a lot."

Ruo Fu was taken aback.

It seems... there's some truth to that.

"That requires strength; you can't be like me, so frail and delicate..."

As the two seriously discussed the feasibility of playing the pipa, the play on stage gradually got to the point.

The resounding singing voice pierced over the high walls and clearly reached Qingzhi Courtyard.

Qingying looked down at the book. At first, she could still read a few words, but as the familiar lyrics came one by one, her gaze remained on the pages, while her thoughts drifted back to many years ago.

At that time, she was still a princess in the Ulanara family, and her aunt was still the Empress.

She was dressed in newly tailored clothes, sitting next to her aunt, being pampered and protected by everyone.

On that very day, Hongli stepped through the crowd and came before his aunt to pay his respects.

The people on stage were full of affection, while the young man below had handsome features.

As Qingying pondered this, she couldn't help but take out the jade pendant that Wang Qin had secretly given her the day before.

As her fingertips traced the love knot below, a secret joy quietly welled up in a corner of her heart, and the corners of her lips slowly turned up.

Outside the wall, Hongli also heard that familiar song lyrics.

He unconsciously turned his head to look at the corner of the high platform that was vaguely visible behind the wall of the Green Branch Courtyard, and a touch of gentleness gradually appeared in his eyes.

"Pooh!"

Ruo Fu spat a sunflower seed shell into the small dish in front of him.

Hongli's smile paused.

On stage, the scene depicts Pei's father stumbling upon Li Qianjin and her two children in the garden. He is shocked to discover that his son has been incredibly audacious, secretly hiding a noblewoman in the backyard for seven years. In the end, he forces Pei Shaojun to divorce Li Qianjin.

Ruo Fu frowned, then turned to Gao Xiyue and said, "Serves her right! The one who is betrothed becomes a wife, the one who elopes becomes a concubine—only a fool would believe such talk of mutual affection and disregard for titles!"

Her voice wasn't deliberately lowered; instead, it carried on the wind to Qingying's ears, who had unconsciously come to the high wall.

Gao Xiyue nodded in deep agreement: "That's right. The Pei and Li families aren't worlds apart in terms of social standing. If you're truly sincere, just go back and inform your parents, and have a proper wedding. What's so difficult about that?"

"Even if she truly can't be a wife, taking a concubine must be done according to the rules!" Ruofu, cracking melon seeds, got more and more excited as he spoke: "Let me tell you, anyone who has to do everything secretly, covertly, and furtively, never letting it see the light of day, is hardly a good person! Especially when it comes to matters of love and sex!"

"No matter how sweet a man's words are, how much he cherishes you, loves you, and that you're the only one in his heart, if he doesn't even have the courage to openly protect you, then it's all a lie."

Hongli's expression gradually darkened.

Ruo Fu didn't even look at him, continuing to speak to herself: "What's so shameful about true feelings? Must they be revealed only in secret? Look at this Miss Li. She's been hiding in someone's backyard for seven years, even having two children, and her family still knows nothing. It's clear that Pei Shaojun has never seriously mentioned her in the past seven years, and has never cared about those two children!"

Even the wind leaves a trace after it passes. If someone truly likes someone, how could they not remember them? And if they remember, they'll inevitably talk about it. How could seven years have passed and not even their own parents notice?

Ruofu grabbed another handful of melon seeds: "And what about holidays? Who does he spend time with? If he spends time with Li Qianjin, it means he's abandoning his parents, which is unfilial. If he goes home to spend time with his parents, then what is Li Qianjin? Someone hidden in the backyard who can't even spend the holidays with him?"

Gao Xiyue nodded repeatedly as she listened.

Ruofu, however, grew increasingly disgusted: "Divorce her? What kind of wife is she? Who recognized her? Which family issued a marriage certificate? Which family held a wedding banquet? What relatives and friends did she entertain? Even the concubine she bought had a contract of indenture! It's amazing that she actually believed such empty promises."

"They keep talking about being well-educated and polite, but all that knowledge and manners has probably gone to waste!"

Gao Xiyue suddenly felt an itch on her scalp, as if something was popping out of her brain.

She seems to have... figured something out.

Hongli behind him looked as ugly as could be.

Fucha Zhuying simply lowered her eyes and smiled, quietly listening to the opera.

Inside the wall, Qingying's hand holding the jade pendant tightened slightly, and the gentle smile she had just given froze on her lips for a moment.

But she quickly regained her composure.

Will not.

How could the kindness that her brother Hongli showed her be done secretly?

Everyone saw it!

If they didn't see things so clearly, why would everyone be targeting her like this?

Qingying lowered her head and gripped the jade pendant tightly.

No, she and her brother Hongli are different.

Hongli finally lost his temper and said coldly, "Why say such irrelevant things when we're just watching a play?"

Ruof looked bewildered: "How is it unrelated? I was just talking about the play being performed on stage. Since someone turned such a story into a play, and it's been passed down to this day, it's naturally meant for future generations to watch. If you're going to watch it, you should at least think about the underlying principles, right?"

As she spoke, she pointed to Hua Lan in Gao Xiyue's arms: "Especially since the child is present, we should evaluate it more carefully. What if the child is young and misunderstands or learns the wrong thing?"

Gao Xiyue immediately nodded: "Yes, yes, I've been in poor health since childhood and haven't gone out much, let alone properly listened to a few operas. I often hear the Prince and Consort Qing mention 'Over the Wall,' and I know that this opera must be very elegant and profound. Now that I have the opportunity, I should listen carefully and savor it!"

Hongli: ...

Hongli suddenly remembered the plot of the play and felt an urge to stop it immediately.

However, it was too late.

The opera continued on stage: After being banished from her home, Li Qianjin discovered that both her parents had died. Left destitute and alone, she completed her mourning period. Then, Pei Shaojun, having achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations, returned to find her. With the help of their two children, the two rekindled their relationship.

However, Pei Shaojun had already remarried under his parents' arrangement, so even if Li Qianjin went back with him, she could only be a concubine.

Hongli inwardly cried out in alarm, and sure enough, he heard Fucha's undisguised mocking voice: "I knew it! This play is clearly teaching women to be chaste and not to easily believe men's sweet words. What sincerity, what true feelings, in the end, what matters most is being legitimate."

Ruofu turned to look at Hongli: "Your Highness should listen more."