The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Yongshou Palace fell silent again. The palace servants cleared away the bowls of porridge and noodles that had just been used. Fu Jia then replaced the Empress Dowager's tea with a fresh cup and was about to help her to the couch to rest when another palace servant suddenly entered from outside, bowing his head and reporting, "Your Majesty, Consort Qing is outside requesting an audience."

The Empress Dowager and the servant Fu Jia exchanged a subtle glance.

"What is she doing here?"

The palace servants naturally couldn't answer and could only lower their heads and wait for instructions.

"Alright, let her in."

"Yes."

Now, she's really not afraid of Ulanara Qingying.

Before long, the curtain was lifted and Qingying walked in from outside. She was still dressed in plain clothes, with no bright jewelry on her head. Her face was terribly pale, and there was an unconcealable dark circle under her eyes.

Fu Jia silently moved forward half a step, blocking the Empress Dowager's path slightly, his eyes fixed on Qing Ying's every move.

Qingying seemed unaware of anything amiss, and upon entering, she respectfully bowed, saying, "This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Get up.

Qingying remained kneeling there, softly explaining her purpose.

The Empress Dowager thought she had misheard, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "You want me to bestow a new name upon you? What do you mean?"

Qingying lowered her eyes: "I just feel that people should always move forward. I am naturally the daughter of the Ulanara clan, but now I am also the Emperor's woman and the daughter-in-law of the Aisin Gioro family. Since the past is over, I want to start over."

The Empress Dowager did not answer immediately, but her eyes showed interest.

Qingying's entry into the palace today was, in fact, a testament she had prepared for herself.

If Zhang Tingyu insists on investigating the cause of Jingren Palace's death, who is more suitable than Qingying to clear her name?

She carefully examined Qingying and saw that although she looked haggard and her brows were still filled with a deep sadness, she did not harbor any hatred.

At least at this moment, it's not apparent.

The Empress Dowager suddenly asked, "Very well, then what do you want most?"

Qingying was stunned for a moment, then blurted out, "Deep affection, two hearts pledged to each other."

The Empress Dowager paused slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Then let's call her Ruyi, shall we?"

Qingying's eyes brightened slightly: "Ruyi? Is it the Ruyi of 'everything goes as you wish'?"

"No, it's the 'Yi' in 'Yi De' (懿德). 'Lin Lü Yi De' (林虑懿德) means 'to be virtuous and virtuous, to not act improperly, to be with one's shadow as a pair,' and 'the most beautiful thing in the world is nothing more than this.'"

Qingying listened quietly.

The Empress Dowager looked up at her, her tone still calm: "But in this world, it's better to remain still than to act. Only in stillness will things be alright."

Qingying seemed to suddenly understand something.

She looked at the Empress Dowager, and a thought suddenly struck her.

懿。

Beautiful, peaceful, people are in pairs.

It turns out the Empress Dowager understood as well.

Qingying felt a slight tingling in her nose, and bowed again, solemnly saying, "Ruyi thanks the Empress Dowager for bestowing this name upon her."

Ruyi bowed again, then rose to take her leave.

Fu Jia watched her leave until the curtain fell again and the footsteps faded into the distance, before finally loosening his grip on her hand.

The Empress Dowager was still looking at the doorway when she suddenly said softly, "You'd better really understand."

Fu Jia couldn't help but ask, "Does the Empress Dowager think that Consort Qing's words just now were sincere? Has she truly let go of the Jingren Palace matter and is genuinely willing to make peace with us?"

The Empress Dowager scoffed, "Whether it's true or false, what does it matter? It's the only path she can take right now. Her aunt is dead, the only elder she can rely on in the palace is gone, and her maternal family is no longer what it used to be. If she were smart, she would know that the worst thing she could do right now is to break ties with me."

At this point, the Empress Dowager paused, then laughed first: "Originally, I thought her only use would be to testify for me in front of Zhang Tingyu, so that the old man wouldn't try to implicate me again, but who knew..."

Hongli suddenly seemed to have regained his senses.

The Empress Dowager felt very relieved when she thought of how Zhang Tingyu, that old man, was forced to kneel there speechless by Hongli's use of the late emperor's last will and the rules of filial piety.

"At least I didn't make this plan for him in vain."

Fuga laughed along with him.

After the Empress Dowager finished laughing, her expression gradually faded: "In short, although we didn't use Qingying today, since she came to ask for a new name and wanted to make peace, I don't mind granting her wish."

Fu Jia hesitated, "But what if she's just being patient for now, and then..."

"Then we'll talk about it another day."

The Empress Dowager didn't take it seriously: "It's easy to force Qingying to her death now, but what about after that? After so many years in the palace, haven't you figured out the true nature of the men of the Aisin Gioro family? They're all born with a bit of a servile streak. They don't cherish what's right in front of them every day, but they love to think about what they can't have or what they've already lost, and they'll keep thinking about it for a lifetime."

She scoffed, "The Emperor seems to value Lady Fucha more than before, which is naturally a good thing. But Qingying has known him since childhood, and she was the one he wanted back then. If she were to die unjustly at my hands now, he might not turn against me for her sake, but what about ten or twenty years from now? One night, when he dreams of her past, remembering those childhood sweethearts, he might think that I couldn't tolerate the woman he loved and forced her to her death. My relationship with the Emperor has finally improved somewhat; why should I risk stabbing him in again for her sake?"

Meanwhile, Qingying—no, now Ruyi—who had left Yongshou Palace, was already on her way back to her residence in a sedan chair.

Yi Xin helped her up, carefully tucking her skirt in: "My lady, watch your step."

Just as Ruyi was about to sit down, she suddenly paused and said softly, "The Empress Dowager just bestowed upon me a new name, Ruyi. You shouldn't use the name Yixin anymore, lest it offend me. From now on, you shall be called Yuanxin."

Yi Xin looked bewildered, not knowing what had happened, but dared not ask any more questions. She quickly lowered her head and replied, "Yes, this servant thanks Master for bestowing a name upon me."

Ruyi didn't speak again, but simply raised her chin slightly: "Let's lift the sedan chair."

The sedan chair was slowly lifted up.

She leaned against the cushion, turned her head, and closed her eyes wearily.

So much has happened these past few days.

First, it was Jin Yuyan who told her about the contraceptive soup.

It was only at that moment that she truly saw the true colors of Lady Fucha.

The so-called magnanimity and impartiality were nothing but a joke from beginning to end.

Such claims are false. As long as you follow the rules, you can live peacefully in the Prince's mansion. As long as you are obedient and sensible, no one will be wronged for no reason. And the women in the harem can live in harmony as long as they each do their duty.

fake!

all fake!