The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Seeing their blank expressions, Lixin thought she hadn't explained things clearly enough, so she enthusiastically began to recite: "Article 1 of the Household Rules: No servants or masters of any household shall inquire about the whereabouts of the Prince and his wife without cause."

"Secondly, it is forbidden to collude privately, pass on messages, or bribe servants in other courtyards."

"Article Three: All personnel entering and leaving the residence must register..."

"Article Four: Food and medicinal herbs shall be procured uniformly by the main kitchen...and the pharmacy..."

Lixin recited ten in one go, with intonation and cadence, in a very smooth and enjoyable manner.

By the time she finished reciting, the room was completely quiet.

Kim Ok-yeon and Jung-sook exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

This... doesn't seem right, does it?

Pian Lixin said calmly, "Don't worry, Princess. As long as you remember these things, things will be fine on a daily basis. The Princess Consort doesn't like to cause trouble for no reason. As long as you don't make mistakes, no one will bother you."

Jin Yuyan twitched the corner of her mouth.

Thank you so much, but I'm not comforted at all.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Princess Jin, this servant has come to deliver your luggage on the orders of the Princess Consort."

Zhenshu hurried out to greet them, and a moment later, several rough eunuchs carried in boxes of all sizes, filling half the room.

The head eunuch, holding a register, smiled and said, "We've already reviewed all the items the Princess brought from Lady Yu. According to the rules of the manor, everything that comes in from outside must be registered. Spices, medicines, and food, in particular, require separate reporting. May I ask, Princess, are these items in these boxes?"

Jin Yuyan was startled and subconsciously looked at Zhenshu.

Just as Zhen Shu was about to speak, she said, "No—"

The young eunuch chuckled first: "Miss, please think carefully before you answer. If you say you don't have it now, and it's later found out in the courtyard, then it won't be considered a forgetting to make the record, but rather an intentional concealment. According to the rules of the manor, that's a serious offense."

Zhenshu paused, the image of Lixin reciting the household rules flashing through her mind, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

I had no choice but to change my answer: "Yes...some."

"That's good."

The young eunuch said politely, "Please trouble you to take them out, young lady. I will write them down one by one."

Zhenshu forced a smile and turned to rummage through the chests, but before she could even reach out, the head eunuch had already bent down and casually pulled a medicine packet from a chest beside her.

"But this one?"

Zhenshu's hand froze.

The young eunuch smiled broadly: "I smelled it when I was moving it. Although I couldn't identify what kind of medicine it was, it smelled like herbs."

A cold sweat suddenly broke out on Zhenshu's back.

The young eunuch had already opened the medicine packet: "Please tell me, young lady, what are these? This servant will register them one by one."

Zhenshu dared not play tricks anymore and could only vaguely say, "These are all common herbs that I prepared on the road. Some are for treating colds, and some are for conditioning a woman's body. The climate in the Yu family's place is different from that of the Qing Dynasty, and some of the herbs are unique to the area... There are also the spices that the princess usually uses, and a few other things that the princess often uses before and after her period."

The young eunuch listened attentively while diligently putting pen to paper.

If the name of the medicine is unclear, simply write down its appearance, smell, and quantity, and then note: pending identification by the pharmacy.

It took almost half an hour to finally complete the registration.

"Princess, please rest well. This servant will take his leave."

The door closed again, and Lixin was told to fetch hot water, leaving only Jin Yuyan and Zhenshu in the room.

Jin Yuyan finally couldn't help but ask in her native language in a low voice, "How could this be? This is completely different from what we heard! We were told that the Princess Consort of Prince Bao was gentle, a woman who valued virtue above all else, and had no temper. Were we told she was easy to manipulate? Is this what it means to be easy to manipulate? She's trying to manipulate us, isn't she?"

Zhenshu's face also turned somewhat pale: "The people sent by the Crown Prince did indeed say that. They said that the Princess Consort's father died early, her mother was widowed, and although she has many brothers, none of them have particularly outstanding prospects... They also said that she was not originally the Princess Consort chosen by Prince Bao himself, but rather a marriage arranged by the Emperor and Consort Xi. Therefore, in order to secure her position over the years, she has always acted with integrity and fairness, valuing virtue and reputation above all else. For the sake of a virtuous reputation, she is willing to endure any grievances."

Jin Yuyan frowned.

Zhenshu continued her recollection: "She also said that the other women in the Prince's mansion were all very docile and respectful to the primary consort. Even the timing of who would serve the Prince each month was arranged by the consort. The Prince's mansion didn't have many children; currently, there were only two princesses and three princes. Only the eldest princess and the eldest prince were born to the primary consort..."

At this point, Zhenshu's voice suddenly stopped, and her expression gradually changed.

Jin Yuyan immediately noticed: "What's wrong?"

Zhenshu's face was grim as she said, "Both the eldest son and the eldest daughter were born to the Fujin (Prince Consort). How could such a Fujin live such a precarious life? She deserves to die! Princess, the people the Prince sent to gather information probably never actually entered the Prince's residence."

Jin Yuyan was stunned: "What do you mean?"

Zhenshu glanced at the rules of the manor on the table, and then recalled how the little eunuch had been able to rummage through the medicine packet just by smelling a faint scent of it. She said with difficulty, "The rules of this manor are so strict. Servants in each courtyard are not allowed to visit each other at will, accept money or gifts, or inquire about their masters' whereabouts. Everything is recorded when they enter and leave the manor... How could our people possibly bribe those who are truly close to us? I'm afraid that most of that information... was just something they heard from outside."

Jin Yuyan's eyes widened slightly: "So, you're saying you took everything you heard through the courtyard wall without even stepping inside as true?"

Zhenshu was speechless.

Jin Yuyan was so angry she almost choked: "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Zhenshu quickly comforted her, "Princess, don't worry. With your beauty, it's inevitable that you'll be favored! Besides, didn't the Imperial Preceptor say that you have a rare face that indicates you're destined to have a son? As long as you give birth to a prince, even if the Fujin (Prince Consort) gains power, what can she do? In the end, the future of a woman in the inner palace depends on the Prince's favor and offspring."

Jin Yuyan's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, but she was still somewhat unwilling to give up: "No! I don't care what method you use, you have to investigate all those old reports again! I need to know everything—whether they're true or false, which ones are just outsiders' guesses, and which ones are the real inside stories of the Prince's Mansion."

She narrowed her eyes slightly: "Especially one thing. What does it mean that the primary wife wasn't the woman the prince initially chose? Where did this news come from, and why are people outside talking about it with such detail? I have a feeling this news is extremely important; you must find out the truth!"

"Yes."