The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

"Cough cough."

Hongli cleared his throat, but a slight smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth: "Empress."

The Empress Dowager also pursed her lips.

I had long heard that Lady Fucha was virtuous and kind, and usually treated people with gentleness. However, when she got angry, she would speak without any restraint and dare to say anything. Now I have witnessed it for myself.

"That's exactly right!" Ruofu grew angrier the more she thought about it, and pointed at Ruyi, continuing, "The men of your Ulanara clan are incompetent. All these years, all they've done is expect women to use their positions to advance their careers, as if the whole world is like yours? Do you think that women have no other way to live except by paving the way for men with their bodies? If you want to keep these filthy thoughts in your heart, then keep them; don't try to pin them on me!"

Ruyi's face immediately turned extremely pale, and her breathing became heavier.

However, she did not lose her composure. She forced herself to lift her head and said, "Why does Your Majesty need to beat around the bush? Didn't Your Majesty say from the beginning that if you want to clear your name, you should thoroughly investigate the matter to the end, so as not to let it pass by in a muddle today and cause gossip in the future? Your words are still ringing in my ears, yet Your Majesty speaks so harshly, as if you have something to hide."

Ruo Fu's eyebrows shot up, and she sneered, "Speak clearly then! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, what do I, an upright and honest person, have to fear from a gossipy woman like you!"

The Empress Dowager saw that although her words were harsh, they were not wrong, so she did not stop her, but gave Fu Jia a wink.

Fu Jia immediately understood and ordered his men to bring all the relevant people up. Before long, Lianxin and Suxin entered the hall one after the other, and Li Yu and Wang Qin were also summoned to the front. Even Yuan An, the little eunuch who had been running errands for Wang Qin, knelt down at the end.

The palace maid brought over another tray, on which was a sachet that had been trampled and deformed, and a brightly colored velvet flower.

Lianxin and Ruixin remained relatively calm after kneeling down.

Li Yu's brows furrowed slightly; though she was apprehensive, she remained composed.

Only Wang Qin lay prostrate on the ground, his face already turning pale, his eyes drooping heavily, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

The Empress Dowager merely glanced at everyone and said, "Since this matter was brought by Consort Xian, then let Consort Xian inquire about it."

Ruyi responded and first looked at Lianxin, saying, "Lianxin, was this sachet a gift from the Prince?"

Lianxin, unable to conceal her humiliation, still answered clearly, word by word: "Your Majesty, the Emperor, and Your Majesty the Empress, this servant has never had any private relationship with Eunuch Wang. It's true that Eunuch Wang has harassed me several times in the past, but I have repeatedly refused and never given him any response. As for this sachet, it is true that he gave it to me, but I firmly refused it the day Xiao Yuanzi brought it, telling him to return it to where he got it. Your Highness, Consort Xian, didn't Xiao Yuanzi tell you after he went back?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the color drained from Wang Qin's face even more.

The Empress Dowager and Hongli's gazes also turned to him at the same time. Hongli stared at him for a long while before slowly asking, "Wang Qin, is what she said true?"

Wang Qin lay prostrate on the ground, his heart sinking.

He originally thought that Lianxin would at least consider a young lady's reputation, and even if she really refused to admit her feelings, she might not expose his entanglement with her in front of the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Who knew that she would not give him any leeway at all.

She felt a mixture of shame and anger, and for a brief moment even a near-mad thought crossed her mind—since things had come to this point, she might as well just accept their relationship as a done deal, so that they could still be considered a pair of lovers on their journey to the afterlife.

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he remembered how the Empress had protected Lianxin these past few days, and how everyone in Changchun Palace disliked him. His feverishness vanished as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, and he was instantly sobered up.

He hurriedly kowtowed, stammering, "This servant...this servant was confused for a moment. This servant is getting older and is a rootless person. I thought that if I didn't have someone to care for me in the future, I would inevitably be lonely and helpless. Seeing that Miss Lianxin is gentle and kind, I...this servant had a momentary infatuation and wanted to get closer to her. But since Miss Lianxin has rejected me, this servant knows that I was being presumptuous and dares not have any more delusions, much less any thoughts of forming cliques or engaging in private affairs! As for inquiring about the Empress's whereabouts or finding out the Emperor's words, actions, likes, and dislikes, how could I possibly say that? Even if this servant had a hundred lives, I would not dare to use matters concerning the Emperor for personal favors! I beg Your Majesty and Empress Dowager to see the truth!"

Ruyi didn't let it go. Her gaze fell on Yuan An at the end, then slowly returned to Wang Qin's face. She said, "Since you said you dared not bother Lianxin again after she refused, why did little Yuan say that you still repeatedly asked him to find out Lianxin's whereabouts, asking when she was on duty, when she was off duty, and where she usually went? Wang Qin, is this what you call daring not to have any more illusions?"

Wang Qin froze, unable to answer for a moment.

Upon hearing this, the last bit of hesitation in Lianxin's eyes vanished.

She took a deep breath, then suddenly bowed deeply and kowtowed. When she raised her head again, her expression was even more resolute than before: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, since things have come to this point, this servant can no longer care about saving face. I don't know why Eunuch Wang later sent people to inquire about my whereabouts, but I dare to guess that perhaps he was resentful, or perhaps... he wanted to find an opportunity to take revenge on me!"

Because of an old incident, which I have always been reluctant to speak of, that night the Emperor stayed overnight at Changchun Palace. I was on night watch with Eunuch Wang in the outer room when, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he made advances on me. In my anger and shock, I grabbed a feather duster and hit him. In my haste, I hit him too hard and injured his arm. It took Eunuch Wang half a month to recover. During that time, everyone in the palace must have known about it. I am willing to accept punishment for this."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Wang Qin's face was now deathly pale.

Hongli sat at the head of the table, his temples throbbing repeatedly.

He stared at Wang Qin for a long time, then gritted his teeth and asked, "I remember you said you got up in the middle of the night and accidentally fell."

Ruofu's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, saying, "Well done! What punishment is there? I said back when we were still princes that people like him, who are lustful, infatuated, and utterly ignorant of their own mortality, should be beaten to death! If she had been any harsher that day and killed him outright, perhaps all these dirty deeds wouldn't have happened!"

Hongli: ...