The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

A sinister glint flashed across Jin Yuyan's eyes.

"If there really is a way, it would be best to get rid of them all," she said slowly, as if the only thing to deal with were two ants.

"But who is the Empress? Gao Xiyue is being protected like the apple of her eye. The Empress knows every single detail of the new rules, down to the last needle. To forcibly take action against them now is no different from handing your own head to the blade."

She sneered, "So I didn't expect to be able to easily abort their children. But even if I can't do anything, the saying about their precious children isn't just for show."

Zhenshu was puzzled.

Jin Yuyan tapped the table lightly with her nail guard, her expression indifferent: "Gao Xiyue is overly dependent on the Empress, obeying her every whim. And yet, one is the Empress, the other a Consort, both high-ranking, and their relationship is so close. If they continue to join forces, even if they both give birth to princesses, and I follow suit with a son, there's still no end in sight."

"But a woman's life before she has children is a completely different story from her life after she has children."

A slight smile returned to her lips: "Once a mother becomes one, who wouldn't want to plan for their child? Gao Xiyue may not compete now, but what if the rumors of her having a son spread throughout the land, and she actually gives birth to a prince? At that point, will she really still have no thoughts about it?"

Zhenshu suddenly realized.

Jin Yuyan's eyes were full of anticipation for a good show: "If we can use this rumor to create some rift between them, that would be wonderful. Even if not, years later, if Gao Xiyue is willing to personally pull down the Empress and the First Prince for her son's future... that would be a good show too."

Zhenshu's eyes lit up as she listened, and she exclaimed from the bottom of her heart, "My mistress is so clever!"

Jin Yuyan raised her chin and accepted it with a clear conscience.

-

"I hope the baby in my belly will be a prince."

The next morning, the former servants of the Prince's residence, following custom, went to Changchun Palace to pay their respects to the Empress.

This was the first time since everyone officially entered the palace that they all came together to pay their respects. Ruofu also got up early, which was unusual for her, and let Zhaoying and the others dress her up nicely.

She wore a bright yellow empress's court robe, adorned with precious jewels and jade on her chest, and her head was weighed down with a heavy pile of things.

She had initially complained about the weight, but once she sat down at the head of the table and saw a sea of ​​people kneeling below, saying, "May Your Majesty the Empress enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

That slight dislike vanished instantly.

Oh my, the Empress is indeed the Empress!

She is definitely more impressive than when she was the primary wife!

No wonder all the men in the world are eager to climb to the top; it's so comfortable at the top!

Ruofu was secretly delighted, but she had to maintain the solemnity of a queen. She held back for a while before she managed to keep her smile from spreading too wide. She raised her hand and said, "Alright, get up. We'll be seeing each other every day from now on, so there's no need to be so formal. If you kneel and hurt your knees, the palace will pay for the medicine."

Everyone expressed their gratitude and took their seats.

Tea and snacks were served quickly.

Ruofu first kneaded a piece of jujube paste cake for herself, and then asked a few polite questions as usual: "You've all moved in a few days ago. Are you getting used to living in the new palace? Are there enough people to serve you? Has the Imperial Household Department shortchanged anyone? If there's anything you don't like, speak up as soon as possible. If nothing unexpected happens, you'll probably all be living in this palace for decades. You can't keep quiet about how small the windows are today or how crooked the bed is tomorrow, and then complain to me every day when you're old that I didn't settle you in properly."

Everyone laughed and said that everything was in order and thanked the Empress for her concern.

After the conversation, the atmosphere in the hall gradually relaxed.

Gao Xiyue was holding a piece of plum blossom cake in her hand. Suddenly, she touched her slightly protruding belly, which showed no signs of swelling, and uttered the opening sentence.

The hall fell silent for a moment for no apparent reason.

Everyone turned to look at her.

Ruof was also taken aback: "Huh?"

Gao Xiyue said in a serious tone, "After returning home yesterday, I thought about it all night and decided that it's better to have a prince. Although I really like the little princess, especially Princess Hualan who is so smart and considerate, I thought about it seriously later. Daughters will eventually marry out of the family. After raising them for so many years, finally making them beautiful, and then they're taken away by another family in the blink of an eye, I'm afraid I'll cry my eyes out!"

Gao Xiyue continued, "Moreover, I've been frail since childhood, and this child in my womb is likely my only child. I don't have Your Majesty's blessing of having both a son and a daughter. Since Your Majesty's child is already a princess, I'll treat her as my own daughter. As for my own child, I hope it will be a prince. When he grows up and is granted a princely title, he might even take me out of the palace to enjoy a life of luxury!"

She couldn't hide her smugness. She was so clever; she had thought about it all night and planned out the rest of her life.

result--

"puff!"

Chen Wanyin nearly spat out her tea.

Fucha Zhuying, who was standing next to him, also choked and coughed repeatedly.

Gao Xiyue was startled and quickly asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Ruofa, however, was already looking at her with a face full of disappointment: "It's probably all because of your shamelessness! My daughter, how did she become yours so easily? From what you're saying, I'm here, suffering through this pregnancy, just to give birth to your child?"

Chen Wanyin had just caught her breath when she heard this, and she suddenly lowered her head and started coughing again.

Fucha Zhuying was no better off.

Su Luyun didn't see anything wrong with it at all. Instead, she was amused by Ruofu's words: "What's wrong with that? If Your Majesty thinks the Consort is taking advantage, you can just treat her little prince as your own after she gives birth to the prince. Anyway, the difference in the months between the two births isn't that big. If one of them really is a little princess and the other a little prince, you can just raise them as twins. How blessed would that be! Wanyin, why are you pulling me? Am I wrong? It's so interesting."

Chen Wanyin silently withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and tried her best to hide herself.

Gao Xiyue's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands immediately: "Yes, yes! That's exactly what I meant!"

Ruofu scoffed, "Dream on! Why should my daughter be given to you? If she's with me, she'll be the legitimate princess born of the Empress, a true Princess of the First Rank! If she's with you, she'll only be a Princess of the Second Rank, a step down! No way!"

Gao Xiyue thought about it seriously for a while and actually found it quite reasonable: "That's true. Then I should definitely have a prince! A princess is more noble when she's with the empress, but a prince won't have so many restrictions, right? Whether he's born of the principal wife or a concubine, he'll surely be able to get a prince's position in the future, won't he?"

"Of course!"

Su Luyun answered almost without thinking.

Her voice was even louder than usual, as if she was afraid that the two of them had agreed to set the future princely title for Gao Xiyue's unborn child, but had forgotten about her own Yongzhang.

That being said, it's better to have children early. Wasn't that the case with Emperor Kangxi? The princes at the beginning were all very prominent, with a whole bunch of princes and dukes. But when it came to the ninth and tenth princes, it became difficult, and most of them were only beile. And then the princes over twenty were all bald!

Fucha Zhuying and Chen Wanyin exchanged a complicated look, not knowing what to say.

What princes and princesses, legitimate and illegitimate children, noble and noble titles, princes and nobles?

These words are fine to think about in your heart, but how can they be said so openly and honestly in the Empress's palace like these people?

And what about leaving the palace to enjoy a life of luxury with one's son? If one could leave the palace to enjoy a life of luxury with one's son, then it would definitely be... cough!

The most outrageous thing is that the Empress didn't even realize that something was wrong.

Fucha Zhuying suddenly felt a headache, and Chen Wanyin continued to drink her tea with her head down.

Oh well, you'll get used to it.

On the other side of the hall, Jin Yuyan, now of low rank, sat far away, holding a cup of tea, and for a long time she couldn't find a chance to interject.

Ruyi remained seated quietly, her eyes lowered, slowly stirring her teacup without uttering a single word.

Jin Yuyan couldn't help but glance at her several times, feeling a deep sense of regret.

This person is stupid, but not stupid enough.

If she were truly utterly foolish, she could simply smile and casually throw out the talk of the precious child as a casual remark, and that would immediately tear open the facade of harmony and peace in the palace!

I wonder how much effort I can save her.

But she seemed to have other plans, and she was also quite clever, knowing that she couldn't say it in public.

This left Jin Yuyan feeling somewhat regretful.

Despite her regret, a strange feeling arose in her heart.

Such an empress who could publicly declare, "The daughter I gave birth to is the legitimate daughter; the children of the other concubines are naturally illegitimate."

Such a woman who doesn't bother to conceal the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, as if legitimate children are legitimate and illegitimate children are illegitimate, and it's just a matter of course.

Contrary to her initial plan, the head mistress of the household was a master of manipulation, able to have whomever she wanted to have a child, or arrange for a contraceptive soup to be given to whomever she didn't want to have a child without anyone noticing...

Aren't they quite different?