The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Meanwhile, when Hailan returned to the main courtyard, Ruofu was having Zhaoying remove her headdress.

Seeing Hailan enter, he slightly raised his eyes and asked, "How was it?"

Hailan bowed first, then whispered, "All the things Princess Jin brought from the Yu family have been registered, and the medicinal herbs have also been shown to Lady He. Lady He said that the variety of herbs is quite complete. At first glance, they do seem to be prescriptions for conditioning a woman's body and helping with fertility. However, if the dosage of a few herbs is slightly adjusted, they could also be used as a contraceptive. Lady He also said that the order in which the herbs were packed in the bag was very particular, and they were definitely not just stuffed in randomly. This shows that Princess Jin's maid, Zhenshu, even if she is not an expert in medicine, must certainly understand pharmacology."

Ruo Fu paused in removing her hairpin, her attention drawn to something else: "Can a fertility-enhancing medicine really turn into a contraceptive?"

Hailan blinked as well: "I also found it strange at the time, and thought that Lady He had made a mistake. But Lady He said that medicine and poison are of the same origin, and that herbs have mutual generation and mutual restraint. With different usage and dosage, medicine can become poison, and poison can become medicine."

Ruof's eyes widened as he listened, and finally he slapped his thigh: "So that's how it is! I knew it!"

Hailan was taken aback: "Fujin?"

"It's alright." Ruofu didn't intend to explain. For now, it was better for her to pretend not to hear. "Just do what you're supposed to do. But keep a close eye on the rules with the Jin family. She and that Zhenshu, one has a fox-like face, and the other knows about medicine. The more like them they are, the less we can let them cause trouble. Keep an eye on them for me, don't let them ruin the peace that has been in the backyard for so many years."

Hailan answered with exceptional clarity and a strong voice: "Yes!"

If Ruofu was satisfied with what he heard, then suddenly remembered something: "By the way, isn't today Brother Bai's day off? Is he at home?"

"Yes, the eldest prince read for an hour this morning, and just now he seemed to have gone to the front to practice pitch-pot."

"Bring him here," said Rof. "I have something to ask him."

"Yes."

Hailan bowed and withdrew.

After the door closed again, Ruofu slowly leaned back on the soft couch and gently shook his head.

Thanks to what she had seen in that mysterious space beforehand, and the memories that Fucha Langhua had left behind, she knew from the beginning which of the women who came in later were good and bad, who were clumsy with words but had no ill intentions, and who were smiling while hiding daggers, sweet-talking but treacherous, and full of scheming.

Fortunately, the smart ones in the Prince's mansion are all well-behaved and have no interest in vying for favor.

To put it bluntly, people like Zhu Ying and Wan Yin were all aiming to find a wealthy place to retire in. They didn't care about favors or future prospects at all. The former might still hope that their children would grow up and become successful, but the latter only devoted herself to painting.

She was happy to keep such a concubine, since her monthly allowance was paid from the palace according to regulations, along with Hongli's princely salary.

She doesn't have to pay a cent for her private expenses, and she can still gain a reputation for being virtuous and generous for nothing.

Why not?

As for the remaining three fools, they were fools in their own unique ways. Whether it was Xiyue, Lüyun, or even Qingying, none of them were bad at heart.

Qingying, in particular, was foolish without realizing it, yet she considered herself superior and intelligent, firmly believing that she and Hongli were childhood sweethearts with deep affection, and that no one in the entire household could compare to her.

Back then, she would pout from time to time and would often utter a few vulgar, insincere words that were just annoying to people.

She really hates Qingying!

But I have to say something in my heart—

It was precisely Qingying's untimely arrogance and self-importance that thwarted her intention to harm others.

As long as they don't have bad intentions and don't actively harm others, what's wrong with being annoyed? She's the legitimate wife, she won't just obediently accept it!

If Qingying dares to offend her even once, she will punish her according to the rules of the manor! Copy books, fine money, confine her to her quarters! And reschedule all the days that were originally Qingzhi Courtyard's turn to serve the emperor elsewhere.

Believe it or not, it has actually made some progress over the past few years! At least it's visibly that Qingying is now more human, and those words that could shut everyone up have become significantly less common.

Before occasionally doing something foolish, he always knows to check if Hailan is around.

But Jin Yuyan is different; she came here to stir up trouble.

For the sake of that so-called heir in her heart, she was truly willing to spare no effort to clean up all those who stood in her way, hindered her from climbing to the empress's position, and prevented her son from ascending the dragon throne!

Before and after Langhua's death, countless people fell victim to her layers of scheming. She could even harm innocent children!

Such people must not be allowed to continue!

But you can't really defend against it. As the saying goes, you can only be a thief for a thousand days, not a thief for a thousand days.

She couldn't possibly start having Hua Lan poke a piece of cake three times with a silver needle every time she ate it, or have Bai Ge'er have He Niangzi inspect it before he even smelled it, could she?

How can we live like that?!

Besides, she is the legitimate wife of the Prince's mansion. This is her own home. Why should she be suspicious and anxious every day?

However, Jin Yuyan was ultimately a tribute woman from the Yu clan, and was bestowed upon Hongli by the emperor himself.

She's only just entered the door and hasn't made a single mistake yet. She can't just rush up to him and say, "I know you're not going to be a good person!" and then have him beaten to death, can she?

Well……

If we're really going to do that, we need to figure out one thing first.

Just as Ruofu was thinking this, an announcement came from outside the door: "Madam, the First Prince has arrived."

She immediately sat up straight: "Please come in quickly."

The curtain was lifted, and Changbai walked into the room unhurriedly. He was almost seven years old, and although he was taller than other children his age, he was still thin. His face had gradually lost the roundness of a baby, and his eyes and brows remained as calm as ever.

Upon entering, he first bowed respectfully to Ruofu, saying, "Your son greets his mother."

"Alright, alright, why are you being so polite with your mother? Get up and come sit here with me."

Changbai got up as instructed and sat down next to Ruofu.

Changbai took a couple of sips of water and slowly replied, "The Yu clan is located in the east, bordering the Qing Dynasty. Its land is not vast, and its population is far smaller than that of the Qing Dynasty. Since the previous dynasty, it has long regarded the Central Plains dynasty as its suzerain, paying tribute on time and receiving titles."

"In terms of national strength, it is naturally far inferior to the Qing Dynasty. What it relies on is nothing more than its proximity to the border and its traditionally submissive nature, which is why the court is willing to treat it with courtesy."

Ruof frowned: "Are you sure?"

Changbai nodded.

Ruofu's doubts deepened: "Then why does your father always look so hesitant when he mentions the Yu clan? I thought they were at least on par with the Dzungars, with soldiers and horses, and could cause a ruckus on the frontier if provoked."

Changbai lowered his head to drink water and didn't respond for a moment.

Ruofu had also gotten used to her son's occasional silences, which conveniently allowed her to dredge up old grievances in her mind.

She clearly remembered that in the original story, after Jin Yuyan's evil deeds were exposed, there was no possibility of her making a comeback. Just as she was terminally ill and on her deathbed, the Yu family sent her a secret letter that directly denied Jin Yuyan's identity, saying that she was not a proper noblewoman of the Yu family at all, but a bastard of unknown origin...

In short, they severed ties and then eagerly offered up new beauties.

Hongli initially refused several times, but was persuaded by Qingying, who had changed her name to Ruyi, that "it is not good to offend the Yu family again and again."

This is how the new woman was kept. Although she was ultimately placed in the garden and never favored, at least she was accepted. This action signifies that the relationship with the Yu family has been restored and that the Yu family will no longer be held accountable for Jin Yuyan's actions.

...She still thought the Yu family was some powerful nation that couldn't be easily offended.

Is that all?

and many more!

Could it be the Goryeo dynasty during the Song dynasty, which paid tribute to the Song dynasty while continuing to use the Liao dynasty's reign title, and was constantly criticized by scholars as being untrustworthy and two-faced?

What is there to worry about?

Ruofu's brows furrowed even more deeply: "Bai-ge'er, what if—and I'm just saying what if—what if your mother dies one day, and what if you... ptooey, ptooey, anyway, what if you're useless too? Is it possible that your father might arrange for a woman from the Yu clan to be his second wife? Or have her son inherit the title, or even—"

She didn't say the second half of her sentence explicitly, but gave Changbai a wink, confident that her precocious son would understand.

Changbai: ...