The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Ruofu lay there with his eyes open for a long time, but didn't utter a sound.

This only aroused Hongli's curiosity even more.

There was a barely perceptible hint of sourness in his words.

Ruof frowned and immediately retorted, "You're the one who's mute! It's just a dream, how could I possibly see that much? Do I have to see every single person clearly in my dreams?"

Hongli knew this was the truth, but she was provoked by her tone and subconsciously wanted to retort.

Ruofu, however, seemed to have known what he was going to say all along, and said in an annoyed tone, "I vaguely remember that the man, like you, also had a concubine he cherished. He made my mother and me suffer day after day because of her, yet he thought he was being incredibly fair! Fortunately, heaven had eyes. Later, that concubine not only cheated on her husband, but also encouraged her illegitimate daughter to cheat on her husband as well, almost making it known to everyone. It caused a lot of trouble for my Hua'er and Ru'er, and in the end, it made him lose a lot of face! It was only thanks to our Bai'er's good character, his understanding and ambition that he managed to save face for him."

Hongli was silent for a moment, then muttered, "...Isn't it something I remember quite clearly?"

Ruof: ...

Oops, I accidentally said too much.

Hongli asked again, somewhat sullenly, "Was that person handsome?"

Although he asked that question aloud, he was already increasingly convinced that it was just a ridiculous dream.

What kind of concubine is so audacious as to not only commit adultery herself, but also dare to incite her own daughter to do the same? What kind of woman is that? If she were, she would probably be beaten to death by her family long ago, and the matter would never become public knowledge.

"He made me so angry, how could I not remember him?" Ruofu sat up a little, furious. "Am I stupid? As for whether he's handsome or not, who has time to remember that? But I do remember that sly fox spirit. She was like a vixen reincarnated, always calling out 'Honglang, Honglang' in a high-pitched voice, reciting poems all the time, shedding a few tears under the moon, playing the zither, writing love poems, acting all high and mighty, but in reality, she was full of bad intentions. She almost disgusted me to death—"

It's been a long time since I've thought about these old things.

Those memories, which had been buried deep beneath the riches and hustle of this life, were now being unearthed by Hongli's seemingly random questions.

Ruo Fu felt as if he had rediscovered the feeling of being so angry at Lin Qinshuang that his chest ached and he wanted to rush over and slap her twice. As he spoke, his tone unconsciously became more and more aggressive.

Hongli sat up abruptly, his chest heaving, and after a long pause, he gritted his teeth and managed to squeeze out, "Who are you implying? Empress Fucha, you have no conscience!"

Ruo Fu was taken aback.

He interfered so suddenly that I belatedly realized what was happening.

How similar were Emperor Hongli and Emperor Shenghong!

Both were sons born out of wedlock, and their mothers were of low social standing and died early. They were raised by their noble legal wives. After growing up, they both married powerful wives from their own families, but the women they cherished most could only be concubines because of their birth.

Ruof blinked twice, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

What kind of tragic fate is this?

Hearing the laughter from outside, Hongli's face darkened even more, and he couldn't help but let out a heavy snort.

Ruofu quickly suppressed his laughter: "Alright, alright, is something as fleeting as a dream worth your attention? I already said it was a dream. It's already difficult enough to remember a few children's names, how could I possibly remember everyone in the dream clearly? According to you, should I also remember my parents, brothers and sisters, and all my distant relatives from my past life? Should I draw up a family tree for you to see tomorrow?"

Hongli remained silent.

Ruofu lay back down, pulling the blanket over him: "Go to sleep quickly, stop overthinking and getting jealous. If you really like being cuckolded that much, I'll have someone find you a fine piece of green satin and sew one for you myself, so you won't have to chase after it in your dreams."

"Lady Fuca!"

Hongli, who was about to lie down, sat up again.

"What's wrong?!"

Ruo Fu immediately glared back, though no one could see each other through the screen: "And let me make this clear first, if you're going to ask the man in your dream, then ask the man in your dream. But if you dare to subtly doubt that my children aren't from your Aisin Gioro family, I'll never forgive you!"

There was two breaths of silence outside.

Hongli coldly replied, "Likewise!"

"snort!"

"snort."

Both of them were holding back a strange anger, so they turned over at the same time, facing away from each other, and neither of them wanted to talk to the other anymore.

After a while, there was finally no sound inside. They were probably really tired and had all fallen asleep.

-

Wang Qin and Lian Xin, who were on night duty outside, waited anxiously for a long time, but there was no further movement from inside. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, those two ancestors have finally calmed down.

Only then did Wang Qin have the mind to turn his head and look at Lianxin beside him.

By the dim light of two palace lanterns, he squinted and looked twice. Sure enough, he saw a few faint red marks remaining on Lianxin's fair face. He immediately felt a pang of heartache and hurriedly took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom. He reached out to pull her up, saying, "I heard that that lowly maid from Yanxi Palace beat you today?"

Lianxin was startled.

Before she could react, the bottle was already being shoved into her hand.

Wang Qin lowered his voice and said, "This is a good medicine that was sent as tribute from below. It's perfect for reducing swelling and bruising. Take it back and apply it twice a day. Be careful not to leave a scar. Your face is so fair and clean; it would be a pity if it were left with a mark. And as for that person in Yanxi Palace, don't worry, I'll get revenge for you sooner or later."

Lianxin almost immediately pulled her hand back, the movement so forceful that she nearly bumped into the pillar behind her.

She quickly stepped back two paces to the side, creating some distance between herself and Wang Qin, before calming down. She curtsied to him and said, "Thank you, Eunuch Wang, but I already have the imperial medicine bestowed by the eldest princess, and it has made me much better. Besides, Aunt Hailan has already sought justice for me, so there is really no need for you to trouble yourself."

Wang Qin, still holding the medicine bottle, sensed Lianxin's resistance and distance, but he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he slowly smiled, took a step forward, and lowered his voice, "Why call me Eunuch Wang? It sounds too formal. In my opinion, how about calling me brother?"

In the stillness of the night, the voice was soft and sticky, indescribably cloying in her ears, and Lianxin's face grew even paler.

Wang Qin looked at her with what he thought was tenderness: "Listen to your brother's advice, and let me give you a heads-up. That Aunt Hailan... she might not still be your aunt in the future. You're so focused on her, but that might not last. You'd be better off relying on me. As long as you're obedient, I'll take good care of you and make sure no one bullies you again."

Lianxin shuddered.

In the darkness, she could even see the light in Wang Qin's eyes, which clung to her face, making her feel nauseous.

She abruptly took another step back, her voice, though she tried to keep it low, already tinged with anger: "Eunuch Wang, please have some self-respect!"

The smile on Wang Qin's face gradually faded.

He stared at Lianxin for a moment, a dark glint flashing across his eyes, but then casually put away the porcelain bottle as if nothing had happened: "Look at you, we were just concerned about you, and you're already so frightened."

Lianxin pursed her lips and didn't say anything more, only trying to distance herself from Wang Qin.

Silent all night.

The next day, Hongli got up early and went to court.

Before stepping out of the inner room, he glanced back at the curtains; Ruof was still asleep.

She clearly didn't take their bickering last night to heart at all, and was now sleeping soundly on her back, looking incredibly comfortable.

Hongli's expression immediately turned sour again. He gave a soft hum and turned to walk out.

But upon reaching the door, she turned back and instructed Zhaoying, "Take good care of your mistress. She's pregnant now, so don't let her run wild. Find her plenty of things to do on weekdays, so she doesn't waste her time indulging in those nonsensical daydreams!"

At first, his tone was relatively gentle, but later it became aggressive.

Zhao Ying looked bewildered: "...Yes."

After saying this, Hongli left in a huff.

More than an hour passed before Ruofu finally woke up.

When Zhaoying was helping her wash her face and comb her hair, she hesitated for a long time before repeating the Emperor's words before he left.

Ruo Fu, who had a mouthful of fragrant tea to rinse his mouth, rolled his eyes upon hearing this, spat out the tea impatiently, and immediately retorted, "He's the one who's daydreaming all the time!"