The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Hongli sat by the couch, watching Ruofu's expression shift between tenderness and gritted teeth. Finally, he found an opportunity and cautiously interjected, "Are you feeling unwell again? Should we call the imperial physician in to take a look?"

Ruo Fu opened her eyes and gave him a disgruntled look: "It's nothing. I just suddenly remembered that since it's a brat, then we've won our bet. I should be the one to name his nickname."

Hongli's concerned expression faltered, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Ruofu, without thinking, made the decision: "Let's call him Brother Bai."

Hongli looked helpless.

A few days ago, he went to visit his wife who was about to give birth, only to find that she had ordered a large table of bright red dishes.

The amount of chili tips on each plate was enough to make his scalp tingle just by looking at it.

His wife, who had always been domineering since they met, looked at him with an unusually aggrieved expression and said, "Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl. I've suddenly developed a craving for spicy food this time, so it's probably another girl. If I have two princesses in a row, won't Mother and Father Emperor be unhappy? Will Your Highness also think I'm disappointing?"

Where had Hongli ever seen her like this before?

Normally, Lady Fucha would either slam her fist on the table or stand with her hands on her hips and curse, and even when she was angry, she was full of energy.

Her sudden display of weakness was truly overwhelming.

In a moment of impulsiveness, he blurted out, "What's the big deal? Another princess would be a joyous occasion, just like our Hualan flower blooming in pairs. We're still young, and we'll have more princes in the future."

As soon as she finished speaking, the grievance on the Fujin's face vanished.

She slammed her hand on the small table, beaming, and said, "Alright! You guess it's a girl, but I'm betting it's a boy. Let's make a bet. If it's a boy, I'll choose his nickname!"

Hongli was stunned for a full five breaths before he understood—

Lady Fucha has set him up again!

"No!" he argued. "You were the one who named Hualan. If this child is indeed a son, it should be my turn, no matter what."

"Your names, with their connotations of wealth and good fortune, are beneath my son!" Ruofu refused without hesitation: "No, I will choose them myself."

Hongli retorted angrily, "How good could the name you chose be?"

Ruof's eyes widened immediately: "You dare say that the name I chose, Hualan, is not good?"

Hongli's voice abruptly stopped.

Ruo Fu looked at him with a cold smile: "Speak up, why are you so quiet? What's wrong with Hua Lan? Her flowers are just as vibrant, her orchids as noble, and she has the auspicious meaning of blooming flowers and fragrant orchids. Tell me, what's wrong with her!"

Hongli chose to keep his mouth shut.

Ruofu became increasingly self-righteous: "I gave birth to the children! I carried them for ten months, couldn't eat or sleep well, my belly was stretched so big, and I even had to walk through the gates of hell to give birth to them. What's wrong with me giving them nicknames?"

Hongli was defeated and had no choice but to agree.

After returning to his study in a huff, he crumpled up the piece of paper with more than ten nicknames written on it and threw it into the wastebasket.

Now that the wife has brought up the old matter again, and the son has indeed been born, he has no choice but to accept it, no matter how unwilling he is.

Hongli looked at the baby in the swaddling clothes and repeated, "Brother Bai."

Cypress trees are evergreen, never withering even in the cold of winter, symbolizing both resilience and longevity, which is indeed a very auspicious meaning.

He thought this to himself, but he didn't want to praise it too much, so he just said lightly, "The character 'Bai' is acceptable. Although it's not particularly outstanding, it's still usable."

Ruof immediately narrowed his eyes: "Barely?"

Hongli immediately changed his tune: "Very good."

Only then was Ruofu satisfied, and a slight smile finally appeared on his face.

But after that smile, her eyelids quickly drooped again. Childbirth had taken too much of her energy, and now that she was relaxed, drowsiness washed over her, and she didn't even have the energy to talk to anyone.

Seeing this, Gao Xiyue cleverly coaxed Hua Lan and quietly withdrew.

Hongli did not linger any longer.

He had someone help Ruofu lie down again, and then personally tucked the blanket around her. Although his movements were not very skillful and he almost shoved the blanket into Ruofu's face, it was still a gesture of goodwill.

Ruofu simply didn't have the energy to scold him, so he turned his face away in disgust, and ended up falling asleep with his head lolling to one side.

Hongli glanced at it twice, then left the room with a heart full of joy.

He was in high spirits today after the birth of his legitimate son. After tidying his clothes slightly, he hurriedly led Wang Qin into the palace to announce the good news.

-

"really?"

Emperor Yongzheng was reviewing memorials when he heard this. He immediately stopped writing and smiled, saying, "Your wife is truly remarkable."

Hongli looked proud and thanked the emperor with a smile: "Yes, my wife suffered a lot today, but fortunately, both mother and child are safe. It can be said that it is the blessing of our ancestors and the grace of Father Emperor."

Yongzheng nodded.

Taking the opportunity, Hongli said, "Your subject has another matter to ask of Your Majesty."

"explain."

"This child is my eldest son, and I would like to request that Father Emperor personally bestow a name upon him."

Upon hearing this, Yongzheng pondered for a moment, then switched to a wolf-hair brush and wrote a single character on the paper:

Heng.

"Heng is the jade pendant worn in the crown, representing balance and equilibrium. As the eldest son, he should know how to be upright and dignified, and how to act with propriety. Let him be named Yongheng."

Hongli was overjoyed and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Your subject, on behalf of Yongheng, kowtows to thank Your Majesty for bestowing this name!"

The emperor bestowed some gifts upon him and instructed him to take good care of his wife and children. Hongli agreed to all of them before taking his leave.

After leaving the imperial court, he went straight to Yongshou Palace.

Consort Xi had already received the news, and upon seeing Hongli enter, she could not hide the joy on her face.

He pulled Hongli aside and asked him a lot of questions. When he learned that His Majesty had bestowed a name upon him, he was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered Fujia to open the storeroom and bring out the longevity lock, gold and jade ruyi, clothing and medicine that had been prepared in advance.

Upon seeing this, Hongli was naturally filled with gratitude: "Thank you, Mother."

Consort Xi earnestly instructed, "The end of the year is fast approaching. If there are no urgent matters to attend to, you should return to your residence as soon as possible. The Fujin (consort) has just given birth, and she is inevitably sensitive. Hualan is still young. It won't hurt for you to spend more time with them."

Hongli repeatedly agreed.

After chatting for a while, seeing that it was almost time, they got up to say goodbye.

As his figure completely disappeared outside the palace gates, the loving expression on Consort Xi's face gradually faded.

She leaned back on the soft couch, pondered for a long time, and then sighed softly: "This Fucha clan is indeed blessed... When I first saw her using Lingling incense on several women in the backyard, I thought she was just a dignified and virtuous woman on the surface, but actually a ruthless one."

"But unexpectedly, Hualan was only one year old, and she was pregnant with her second child when she took the initiative to stop all those things. She even stopped guarding against Qingying... I then felt that perhaps she was just impulsive by nature but soft-hearted. That's why I thought of helping her, but I didn't expect that in the end, I would be the one to play the villain in vain."

Consort Xi paused, then continued, "Now, she has both a legitimate son and a legitimate daughter, and they are both eldest sons. She manages the household affairs herself, the Fucha family has deep roots in the court, and they have also won over Hongli's heart... In the future, who can compete with her?"

As she spoke, a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

Seeing this, Fu Jia smiled and comforted her, "It's a good thing to have abundant blessings. I've heard from the old folks that if a person is truly blessed, they can often bring good fortune to those around them. Didn't Your Majesty see? Not long after the primary consort was diagnosed with pregnancy, Consort Fucha also became pregnant. Now that the primary consort has given birth to the eldest son, she is even more favored by His Majesty. In the future, she may very well bring blessings and longevity to our Yongshou Palace as well."

Upon hearing this, Consort Xi chuckled lightly: "If that's truly the case, then that would be for the best."

Indeed, in any case, right now, whether it's Lady Fucha or Emperor Hongli, they're all in the same boat.

The sharpness in her eyes gradually softened: "I have no other thoughts now, I only hope that my Hengchu and Hengti will find good marriages in the future. Their husbands' families don't need to be very prominent, as long as they treat them well and it would be best if they lived close to me, that would be enough."

Fu Jia said softly, "Your Majesty has been wholeheartedly planning for the two princesses, and Heaven will surely take pity on them. The two princesses will surely find good husbands in the future and stay by Your Majesty's side for a long time."

Consort Xi smiled slightly: "I hope so."

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Fu Jia hesitated for a moment, but finally asked, "Your Majesty, should we continue with the medicine from Ulanara's place?"

The smile on Consort Xi's face slowly disappeared, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes once more.

"Of course! Have you forgotten how her aunt treated me back then? Life is long, and as long as you don't completely close your eyes, anyone can turn the tables... We must be careful."

Fu Jia's heart skipped a beat, and he respectfully replied, "Yes."