The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Mo Xin was taken aback: "Going where, to the Cold Palace? I really didn't realize she was so loyal."

Gao Xiyue nodded, about to say something, when Shuangxi scoffed, "To be honest, she might not be loyal! Where else can she go if she doesn't go to the Cold Palace? She's offended so many people these past few days. Now that you've lost your rank, if she stays alone in the palace, won't those who suffered at her hands line up to settle scores? Your Highness, you don't know how arrogant she was when she led people to arrest Yuanxin today. Yuanxin had barely run into Aunt Hailan on the palace path when she rushed up and slapped her. Not content with that, she even tried to hit Aunt Hailan as well. Luckily, Aunt Hailan reacted quickly and slapped her back on the spot!"

Mo Xin found it strange and couldn't help but look at him: "Why are you talking as if you saw it with your own eyes?"

Shuangxi immediately puffed out her chest: "Of course I saw it with my own eyes! I happened to be at the Imperial Hospital picking up medicine for our master at the time, and I saw it all. I never imagined that Aunt Hailan, who looks so thin and weak, could be so ruthless when she got going. Every time Rong Pei pounced on her, she slapped back. Those slaps were so loud and satisfying! Later, when Rong Pei tried to grab her hair, Aunt Hailan twisted her wrist and pinned her down. It even hurt me to watch!"

Gao Xiyue and Mo Xin looked at each other in bewilderment.

Mo Xin thought for a while, then suddenly swallowed hard: "Speaking of which, back in the Prince's residence, I actually saw Sister Hailan practicing martial arts in the courtyard early in the morning more than once. Does Your Highness remember that the Princess Consort used to hire a few nannies from the Fucha family to teach us women some self-defense techniques? Others might learn them for novelty, but Sister Hailan never gave them up and has been practicing them all these years."

Upon hearing this, Gao Xiyue's smile faded, replaced by a hint of pity: "She probably still remembers that New Year's Eve when the Emperor, drunk, barged into her room... Poor thing, she was always timid, that time she must have been truly terrified."

Mo Xin nodded gently.

Shuangxi muttered, "Aunt Hailan really doesn't want to rise in rank. If it were anyone else, the Emperor would be overjoyed if he even glanced at them."

"How can that be the same?" Mo Xin rolled her eyes at him. "Everyone in the palace knows how the Empress treats her servants. As long as you follow the Empress and work hard, you won't be shortchanged in terms of food, clothing, or future prospects. Besides, Sister Hailan is now in charge of the Shanggong Bureau, which is the only one with such prestige in the palace. If you really go and become the Emperor's concubine, your future is another matter. First of all, you'll have to fall out of touch with your former master. That's not worth it."

Upon hearing this, Shuangxi immediately thought it made a lot of sense, and nodded hurriedly. She then fawned over Gao Xiyue, saying, "That's right, just like me. I'm so lucky to have such a good master like you. Even if someone offered me mountains of gold and silver, I wouldn't leave!"

Gao Xiyue, who had been somewhat sentimental, immediately laughed and scolded, "Come on! You wish, but do you have Hailan's beauty?"

The room immediately erupted in laughter again.

-

When Zhu Ying heard the news, she simply responded with a soft "I know" and didn't ask any further questions.

She was sitting by the window, holding her two-year-old daughter, Jingxuan. The little girl nestled softly in her arms, clutching a rattle drum in her hand.

Zhu Ying tidied her daughter's hair and said with a smile, "I wonder how your brother is doing in the garden. In my opinion, he's probably having too much fun to remember us."

Jingxuan didn't understand, but just laughed along with her.

Zhu Ying lowered her head and kissed the top of her daughter's soft hair, then said gently, "Our Jingxuan also needs to grow up well. When you're older, you can go with your older brothers and sisters. Then you'll have someone to play with, and your mother won't be so worried that you'll get bored."

The autumn light outside the window was just right, and her eyes were gentle. The ups and downs of others seemed to be far away from this small world.

-

On the other end, upon hearing the news, Su Luyun blinked and asked twice, "Really demoted? Really banished to the cold palace?"

Kexin nodded solemnly: "It's absolutely true, the decree has already been issued."

Su Luyun slowly turned to look at Chen Wanyin beside her, her face full of confusion: "How could she be so foolish? To be made a concubine without having a child, what a great honor! The Emperor has truly shown her affection all these years. Why can't she just live a peaceful life? Why does she have to try and provoke the Empress?"

Chen Wanyin was drawing a small portrait of Yongzhang with her head down. Upon hearing this, her pen paused slightly, and after thinking for a moment, she said gently, "The deep affection of youth is naturally delightful. But people always grow up, their status changes, and the people and things around them change. How can one stay in their teens forever? If two people are willing to admit that they are different now, know the value of their past affection, but don't insist on being exactly the same today, they might be able to find a different way to get along. But if one person has already moved forward, and the other is still standing in the old place, repeatedly asking why they won't turn back, how can they not drift apart over time?"

Su Luyun listened with a sense of understanding but not quite.

Looking at Yongzhang's chubby little face on the paper, Chen Wanyin added a few more strokes before continuing, "Everyone knows and can see where the Emperor's true feelings have now. But he does not forget Ulanara. On the contrary, it is precisely because of these old feelings that he feels indebted and is willing to make up for it with rank, dignity, and favor."

If she is willing to accept these things and live her life peacefully, the Emperor's sense of indebtedness will only deepen, and he may well continue to take care of her in the future.

But... she didn't want any of that. She wanted the Emperor to treat her as he always had, as that one and only person. But such things can't be forced. If forced once or twice, the Emperor might feel guilty and give in, but if it happened too often, his guilt would eventually wear off. Besides, our Emperor isn't the type to compromise himself every time. It was only a matter of time before things came to this.

Su Luyun listened for a while, but still didn't quite understand. She just frowned and said, "Anyway, they just can't live a good life, they have to make a fuss."

Chen Wanyin chuckled and nodded in agreement: "That's pretty much the idea. Anyway, these things have nothing to do with us. We should just live our lives peacefully, take our due share, enjoy the favors we deserve, and protect and raise our children well. That's more important than anything else."

Su Luyun immediately agreed wholeheartedly, looked down at Yongzhang who was lying on the rocking horse, and her face was full of affection: "That's right, I don't ask for anything now, I just hope that this little guy grows up safely and carefree, and never suffers any hardship in his life, then I will be content."

-

Upon hearing the news Zhen Shu brought back, Jin Yuyan suddenly stood up: "She's been banished to the Cold Palace?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, she couldn't help but grit her teeth and curse, "That useless piece of trash! I knew she couldn't accomplish anything! I had already shown her a clear path, and she still managed to send herself to the cold palace! What about the news about that precious child? Did she really not spread a single word about it?"

Zhenshu's face was also pale, and she could only nod with difficulty: "No, I had thought before that if the mistress and servants didn't make a move, I would use their names to secretly spread the word. But the rules in the palace are too strict now. Every palace servant's coming and going is recorded. If our people take even one extra step, there will be a trace. I tried twice, but I couldn't find a way to do it without alerting anyone, so I had to give up."

Jin Yuyan paced back and forth in the room, increasingly resentful: "Is my child really going to be born so quietly? A noble person's child, born without a sound, who will even glance at it? All my planning for so long, has it all been for nothing?!"

Zhenshu hesitated for a moment, then carefully advised, "My lady, perhaps... we should just let it go. Even a prince born early might have a chance. Weren't the late emperor and the current emperor both fourth in line? They weren't considered the eldest son or the legitimate heir, yet they both inherited the throne. As long as the young master is intelligent and healthy, there's still a long road ahead. There's no need to rush."

"How can that be the same—" Jin Yuyan had just opened her mouth when a palace servant suddenly announced that Aunt Yuhu had come by imperial decree.

Her voice stopped abruptly, and a strange unease arose in her heart, but she quickly composed herself and sat back down on the couch.

A moment later, Yu Hu entered with two palace maids. Behind her was a white porcelain medicine bowl on an ebony tray, from which steam was rising.

Jin Yuyan's gaze lingered on the medicine bowl for a moment, then she quickly put on her usual charming smile: "What's so important that Aunt Yuhu has to come all the way here?"

Yu Hu smiled, but the smile remained on her face and did not reach her eyes at all: "His Majesty is concerned about Consort Jia's health and specially ordered me to bring a bowl of nourishing soup."

Jin Yuyan's unease grew stronger, her fingers subtly clenching her sleeves, yet she still asked in a sweet voice, "What kind of tonic soup is it?"

Yu Hu slowly walked up to her, the indifference in her eyes becoming increasingly apparent: "Children are all debts, they are the most exhausting."

Jin Yuyan's smile gradually froze.

Yu Hu said, word by word, "My medicine is most effective in helping people avoid disasters and illnesses, and in calming their minds to clear their debts. After Consort Jia takes it, she will be able to live a peaceful life and will no longer have to worry about things that are not worth her attention."