The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Before we knew it, the Lantern Festival had arrived.

That night, the imperial guards in Bianjing (Kaifeng) did not enforce the curfew, and the water clock did not urge the night.

The entire Qin family came out, even little Hua Jie'er was held in her father's arms, and the whole family went out in a lively atmosphere.

Zhang Yun was already waiting outside the mansion.

Hua Jie'er was still holding the jade rabbit lantern he had made; even at such a young age, she already understood the principle of being obligated to accept gifts.

"Uncle!"

A crisp sound.

Zhang Yun responded readily and decisively before exchanging greetings with everyone.

The smile on Qin Zhengyang's face froze, and his return gesture was tinged with reluctance.

Wang Ruofu laughed out loud: "Good child, your father and mother will take you to see the lanterns, and your aunt and uncle can go and stroll around by themselves."

She kept talking until Shilan and Zhang Yun blushed slightly before pulling the reluctant Qin Zhengyang away.

Zhang Yuncai looked at Shilan. Today she was dressed in her finest attire, wearing a vermilion pleated skirt and a silver fox fur cloak, looking radiant and breathtaking.

A hint of amazement flashed in his eyes. He knew that this silver fox fur was a rare and top-quality product, without a single impurity, and it suited her perfectly.

"Let's go quickly."

He stood there in a daze for too long, and Shilan couldn't help but give him a reproachful look, though she couldn't help feeling smug inside.

"Okay."

The two boarded a carriage and arrived at the outer city. Seeing the bustling crowds, they disembarked and began to walk.

The long street was bustling with people, and the buildings on both sides were covered with colorful lanterns. There were also acrobatic performances and countless stalls along the way.

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of sugar figurines, steamed buns, and plum blossoms.

Shilan was momentarily dazed.

Although it wasn't her first time witnessing the Lantern Festival of this dynasty, she was still awestruck by the magnificent scene before her.

She wasn't well-educated and didn't know about the poem "Green Jade Table" that had captivated generations.

But they truly witnessed "precious carriages and carved horses filling the road with fragrance, the sound of phoenix flutes moving, jade pots gleaming, and fish and dragons dancing all night long."

She was born in the Qing Dynasty, where women were subject to strict rules. Even though her family was a military family and she was loved by her family, the farthest place she could go was her own estate.

Later, after entering the prince's mansion and the imperial palace, they were confined within the four red walls. Although they saw wealth everywhere, it was far less bustling and prosperous than it is now.

Her gaze couldn't help but fall on the smiling faces of the passersby.

Thinking of the palace servants in later generations, whose every move was governed by strict rules and who were gloomy and listless.

A sudden realization dawned on me.

Perhaps it's because there's more life and energy here.

She strolled leisurely down the long street, with Zhang Yun keeping a close watch on her, occasionally raising his hand to guide her to an interesting light display or stall.

When the crowds are bustling, he will subtly shield her from the jostling; when there are stalls with interesting things, he will also reserve the best spot for her so that she can enjoy them at her leisure.

"Shilan?"

A surprised voice suddenly came from behind.

Shilan turned around and looked at the newcomer for a moment before recognizing him: "A-Zhao?"

"It really is you. You've become even more beautiful over the years. I almost didn't recognize you."

Chen Zhao is a straightforward person.

This matched Shilan's memory of his mannerisms, so Shilan's smile deepened. Chen Zhao was already quite dashing when he was young, and he hasn't changed even now that he's grown up.

However, Shilan noticed her womanly hairstyle and the tall, burly man beside her, and asked, "Who is this?"

Chen Zhao readily replied, "My husband is Cui Jingming."

It would be impolite not to reciprocate, so she looked at Zhang Yun beside Shilan and asked with a smile, "Aren't you going to introduce them?"

She naturally noticed that Shilan was still wearing the hairstyle of a young woman waiting to be married, but the person beside her was clearly very close to her and was not the second son of the Qin family.

Shilan didn't mince words: "My fiancé, Zhang Yun. You've come back just in time. Our wedding is set for March. You must come and have a drink at our wedding."

"Really? That's great! I've made it in time. Don't worry, I'll definitely go."

Chen Zhao readily agreed.

Zhang Yun and Cui Jingming exchanged greetings, and the four of them then went together to Xuande Tower.

On the way, the two men followed behind in tacit agreement. Chen Zhao naturally took Shi Lan's hand and leaned closer, saying, "I recognize him. He's the second son of the Duke of Ying's family, isn't he?"

Shilan nodded with a smile.

Chen Zhao then said, "He's a good one. The Zhang family doesn't produce cowards. Except for Sanlang, who is still young and it's hard to tell yet, the other two are real men who have actually been on the battlefield. Shilan, my family left the capital early, and the southwest was unstable for those two years. Although I heard about what happened to your family, I couldn't help you. Please don't blame me."

Shilan shook her head to indicate that she was not surprised.

When they were children, she was best friends with Wu Yueyin, Sun Baoqi and Chen Zhao. Chen Zhao had the least prominent family background among the three, and his father was only a third-rank general. However, he was also the most upright and honest among the three.

Not long after Qin Nanyan married into the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, Chen's father was ordered to go to the southwest to guard the area, and he also took Chen Zhao with him.

Although they were separated by thousands of miles, they initially kept in touch by letter. However, as time went by, they each had their own worries, and many things could not be put into writing, so they naturally lost contact.

But Shilan knew that even if Chen Zhao stayed in the capital and saw his family fall into a slump, he would not become the second Wu Yueyin or the second Sun Baoqi, but only the second Wang Ruofu.

The four of them unknowingly arrived at the liveliest place of the night—the open square in front of Xuande Tower.

At a glance, you can see the towering and awe-inspiring Dengshan Mountain standing right in the center.

It was constructed by stacking and building up thousands of colorful lanterns of various kinds on a cleverly crafted wooden frame.

It stands about ten feet tall, with a wide base. On it, pavilions, towers, pagodas, ships, exotic flowers and animals are all connected and created with lights, making it dazzling and radiant.

A night breeze swept by, causing the entire mountain of lights to sway gently, its shimmering light creating a dreamlike and enchanting scene.

Chen Zhao couldn't help but say, "It has to be the capital, under the emperor's nose, everything is extraordinary there."

Shilan didn't speak; all her attention was drawn to the phoenix-winged lamp at the very top.

The phoenix is ​​made entirely of translucent glass and colorful silk gauze, with its wings spread and its tail feathers trailing long. Its head is slightly raised, as if about to sing a clear cry, and it quietly rotates at the highest point, scattering its brilliance.

Shilan looked up and couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly a masterpiece!"

Do you like it?

Zhang Yun asked softly beside her.

He asked about the lamp, but his gaze was fixed on her.

Seeing his eagerness, Shilan's heart stirred, and just as she was about to say something, she heard a spoiled voice:

"I want that lamp. Go and get it for me."

Everyone turned to look, and there was a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old, who was behaving arrogantly towards the richly dressed young man next to her.

She was beautiful and charming, but after saying this, she looked at Shilan and the others with disdain and said contemptuously, "Such good things should not fall into the hands of vulgar people."

His gaze swept over everyone without any politeness, but finally landed on Shilan's face.

Shilan's face turned cold.

She's no longer competitive or jealous; she's not dead or without temper.

If she could withstand such a blatant provocation, even Guanyin Bodhisattva would have to kowtow to her in gratitude.

Therefore, he immediately asked Zhang Yun, "If you like it, can you get it?"

Zhang Yun replied without hesitation, "Leave it to me!"

Shilan turned back to stare at the girl and said, "If you can't have it, destroy it. Such a good thing, if it falls into the hands of a vulgar person, wouldn't that be a waste?"

"You!" The girl jumped up, "Who are you, you blind fool, daring to talk to me like that? Do you even know who I am?"

Shilan responded by rolling her eyes, turning away, and refusing to look at her again.

It's as if looking at it even once is an offense to one's own eyes.

Zhang Yun glanced over as if issuing a warning, then beckoned to his attendant Shan Zhu, ordering her to serve Shi Lan, before striding towards the registration area.

Seeing this, the girl looked at the elegantly dressed young man who stood before her like a wooden statue, and kicked him, saying, "Are you dead? He's already gone, why aren't you going?"

A hint of humiliation flashed across the richly dressed young man's face, but he forced himself to endure it and obediently did as he was told.

The girl crossed her arms and glared at Shilan.

At this moment, Chen Zhao whispered in Shi Lan's ear, "That is Princess Funing. Her twin brother is the one who was brought into the palace last year."

Shilan immediately understood the source of the girl's arrogant confidence.

It turns out she's the elder sister of "Crown Prince" Zhao Zongquan, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she's destined to become the "Eldest Princess."

He then sneered. In his memory, although that person would be sent out of the palace the following year after the birth of the emperor's own son, he was indeed the ultimate winner of the throne more than 20 years later.

However, she had never heard of the title of "Princess" in the original work or in Xiao Qinshi's memories.

He's probably going to die young.

"Never mind her."

Shilan said to Chen Zhao.

At this moment, the sound of gongs and drums ceased, and three sharp cracks of the whip echoed through the night sky, instantly silencing the once noisy and bustling Xuande Tower.

"The sage has arrived—"

As the eunuch announced the arrival of the emperor, the emperor, surrounded by his entourage, slowly ascended the Xuande Gate tower.

Besides the Empress, there was also a boy who was about ten years old accompanying the Emperor.

Upon seeing the boy, Princess Fu Ning straightened her back even more, raised her chin high, and glanced provocatively in Shi Lan's direction.

Shilan kept her eyes straight ahead, simply following the others in bowing and paying homage.

Who cares how much someone barked before they had the last laugh?

"Rise," the Emperor said, even though his voice couldn't reach those below. "Today is the Lantern Festival, so please don't stand on ceremony and enjoy yourselves to the fullest."

Seeing only the eunuch's gesture, everyone thanked him and stood up.

At this moment, the master of ceremonies in charge of the lantern festival stepped forward and announced loudly: "The mountain-seizing begins!"

Before the words were even finished, dozens of athletes, who had been eagerly preparing, shot towards the base of the lantern mountain like arrows released from a bow.

Zhang Yun and the elegantly dressed young man moved almost simultaneously.

Although Dengshan is beautiful, its structure is extremely complex in order to ensure its stability.

The group had to climb swaying ropes, step over carved lamp stands that were barely wide enough for half a foot, avoid rotating lamp wheels, and even leap over gaps of more than ten feet to reach the next level.

At first, everyone was able to move forward together.

But when they reached a height of three or four zhang (approximately 10-12 meters), the difficulty increased sharply. Many people turned pale, slowed down, and some even slipped and fell, causing gasps of alarm from below.

Zhang Yun, however, walked as if on flat ground.

He patrols the border year-round, and the difficulty of climbing and leaping is commonplace for him, which is why he has always been firmly in the first tier.

Surprisingly, the elegantly dressed young man sent by Princess Fu Ning was no less formidable, closely following Zhang Yun not far behind.

Princess Fu Ning, watching from below, was anxious and stamped her feet repeatedly, yelling, "Useless trash! Knock him down!"

He shouted it out without any attempt to hide it.

Shilan's heart was already in her throat as Zhang Yun climbed higher and higher.

Upon hearing this, he suddenly turned around and glared at her.

His eyes were so fierce, it looked like he wanted to eat someone alive.

Fu Ning flinched in fright, a wave of regret washing over her. Then she realized, why should she?

Thinking of her younger brother's current status, she glared back without hesitation, but her aura was no match for Shilan's.

But then, something unexpected happened above!

Just as Zhang Yun reached out to hook onto a horizontal bar above, a fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the richly dressed young man. He exerted force with his feet, suddenly swinging the rope he was on and kicking it hard at Zhang Yun's feet. At the same time, a cold glint seemed to flash in his sleeve.

"Watch out!" Shilan turned around and saw this scene. She immediately cried out in alarm, her face turning pale instantly.

Princess Fu Ning clapped her hands and laughed, "Good! Well done!"

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yun seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.

He didn't turn around, but as the other person stretched out his leg, he nimbly raised his leg and stomped heavily on the latter's knee, using the momentum to leap higher into the air!

"what!"

This time it was the elegantly dressed young man's turn to cry out in pain. He clearly heard the sound of his shinbone breaking as he fell straight down!

Shilan's heart almost stopped. She covered her mouth to suppress a second gasp.

Fortunately, Zhang Yun had already landed steadily on the final platform where the phoenix lanterns were placed!

The entire process took only a breath, yet it featured two dramatic reversals and was incredibly thrilling, leaving tens of thousands of spectators below stunned and then erupting in thunderous cheers!

"good!"

"pretty!"

Even the official on the city tower nodded slightly, revealing an approving smile.

The elegantly dressed young man fell into the sack that had been prepared below. Just as he recovered from the excruciating pain of his broken bones, he found himself surrounded by the Imperial Guards who were maintaining order.

Although his sneak attack was well-concealed, it was still seen by many people in the area.

Amidst cheers from the crowd, the master of ceremonies announced loudly: "The champion is Zhang Yun!"

Upon hearing this, the Empress asked, "Zhang Yun? Is he the young master of the Zhang family of the Duke of Ying?"

The palace maid replied, "That's right."

Upon hearing this, the emperor stroked his beard and laughed, saying, "Indeed, like father, like son."

But none of this concerns Zhang Yun.

After obtaining the phoenix lantern, he quickly descended the passage prepared for the winner.

The crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

He walked straight up to Shilan, his breath still rumbling and his chest rising and falling slightly, and steadily handed her the radiant, priceless phoenix lantern he held in his hand.

"Give!"

Shilan's gaze, however, fell on the bloodstains under his eyes.

It must have been caused by that silver light from earlier.

"you……"

Just as Shilan was about to speak.

A dazzling firework burst open in the night sky, instantly illuminating the entire night sky of Bianjing.

Immediately afterwards, countless fireworks soared into the sky, painting the night sky with dazzling colors.

The people cheered.

Amidst the deafening noise and dazzling lights, Shilan suddenly felt a quietness around her.

She took the heavy phoenix lantern, her glass hands still carrying a trace of his body heat.

She looked up and met Zhang Yun's incredibly serious gaze.

In those eyes, she saw only her own reflection.

"Have you thought this through?"

She murmured softly, as if asking him, yet also as if speaking to herself:

"Once you've messed with me, you can never go back on your word."

She will never again allow herself to end up taking her own life.

Big deal.

Widowed.