The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Since the confrontation at Cining Palace that day came to an end, Yanxi Palace was empty, Qixiang Palace was closed, and the other palaces continued to pay their respects, receive their allowances, and perform their duties, without causing any further turmoil.

At this point, everyone in the palace truly understood the significance of the new palace rules.

People privately say that nowadays in the Forbidden City, everything must be done according to the rules set by the Empress. No matter who you are, no matter how respectable you were in the past, if you dare to overstep the bounds, you will not get any favors.

For a time, everyone in the harem became more cautious in their actions. The old ways of cheating, bullying, and currying favor with the powerful and the weak were reduced. Everyone performed their duties in accordance with the regulations, and all their comings and goings were documented. The atmosphere in the palace became even more pleasant than before.

Rules can restrain a person's hands and feet, but they can never restrain a heart that wants to climb higher.

One afternoon, the sun was shining brightly on the long street. Li Yu led two eunuchs toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Halfway there, his gaze suddenly fell on a thin eunuch standing under the palace wall, and he stopped in his tracks.

The young eunuch, who had been quietly waiting by the roadside with a duty plaque in his hand and eyes lowered, waited for Li Yu and his party to pass first. When he saw Li Yu stop, he immediately knelt down and greeted him: "Lord Li, sir."

Li Yu didn't immediately wake him up. Instead, she stood there and looked him up and down before suddenly asking, "Your surname is Liu?"

The young eunuch was clearly surprised. He glanced at Li Yu, then quickly lowered his eyes again: "Reporting to Your Excellency, my surname is Liu, and everyone in the duty room calls me Little Liu."

Li Yu nodded, then said, "Last night, in the latter half of the night at Qianqing Gate, it wasn't originally your job, was it?"

Xiao Liu's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained honest: "No, it was originally Eunuch Zhao's turn to be on duty, but he suddenly started vomiting and having diarrhea yesterday evening and couldn't stand up anymore. I was originally scheduled to be on duty early this morning, and since we were all in the same place, and I couldn't find anyone else for the time being, I covered for him all night."

"Take the blame for him?" Li Yu frowned slightly. "Don't you know what the rules are in the palace these days? The shifts for duty are all recorded, with every detail matching who is on duty, what time, and what task they are performing. You dare to secretly switch shifts?"

Xiao Liu immediately bowed down: "This servant wouldn't dare! When Eunuch Li was unwell, this servant first accompanied him to the Imperial Hospital, had the night-duty physician examine him, obtained a receipt, and then went together to the duty room to have the night shift supervisor revise the duty roster. This servant also re-signed at both the Qianqing Gate duty room and the Imperial Household Department duty room, and pressed his seal again upon entering. Although this servant took over his duties, I didn't dare skip a single procedure. If Eunuch Li feels there's anything improper, this servant will accept the punishment."

Li Yu looked at him for a moment, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes, but her face remained stern: "Since it wasn't your job, why stay up all night for someone else? Has Zhao Degui done you a favor?"

"Eunuch Zhao is a kind person." Little Liu paused for a moment, thought for a moment, but still answered frankly, "However, we are all just errand runners. If he is sick today, it might be my turn tomorrow. Besides, the Emperor's duties cannot be neglected. If he insists on coming despite his illness and something goes wrong while he is on duty, he won't be the only one to suffer the consequences. I think it's better to endure a few more hours than for everyone in the room to be punished."

Li Yu finally smiled: "You're quite honest. Did you collect your reward for covering my shift last night?"

Little Liu hurriedly shook his head: "No, the duty officer said I could get an extra night meal allowance, but I didn't accept it. After all, it was Eunuch Zhao's job, and since I didn't take the blame for him, it wouldn't be right for me to take advantage of him."

This time, the surprise in Li Yu's eyes was more obvious. After a moment, she said, "Get up."

Xiao Liu kowtowed in thanks, then stood up and stepped aside. Li Yu then casually asked, "Where are you working now?"

"Outer duty room of the Hall of Mental Cultivation".

"How long has it been?"

"One year and seven months."

"Where are you from?"

Afterwards, Li Yu casually asked a few more questions about his family history and the year he entered the palace. These were all very ordinary conversations, and Xiao Liu answered them all.

After a moment, Li Yu waved his hand and said, "Alright, go do your job."

Xiao Liu responded and respectfully bowed before stepping aside.

Li Yu stood there watching his retreating figure for a long time, until the slender figure turned the corner at the end of the long street. Only then did he thoughtfully withdraw his gaze and murmur, "It's time for me to properly take on two apprentices now."

This entire scene had already been witnessed by two pairs of eyes not far away.

After Li Yu and the others had gone some distance, Xiao Luzi laughed and said, "That little eunuch surnamed Liu was really good. I thought he was impetuous because of his young age, but I didn't expect him to be so thoughtful. He stayed up all night for his companion and didn't even want the extra reward. There aren't many honest and kind people like him these days."

Upon hearing this, Changbai simply smiled and countered, "Why do you think Li Yu knew his surname was Liu?"

Xiao Luzi was stunned for a moment.

He racked his brains for a long time before tentatively asking, "Could it be... that Eunuch Li saw him yesterday?"

"Maybe I've seen it, maybe I haven't," said Changbai, a bachelor.

Xiao Luzi was most afraid of his master speaking in such a half-hearted way, so he immediately bowed with a bitter face and said, "Master, please don't make things difficult for this servant. Please give me your guidance."

Changbai then slowly walked forward, asking as he went, "Wang Qin is gone, and although Li Yu was punished, he wasn't dismissed from his post before the emperor. Now that he's back in office, many of the things Wang Qin used to manage have naturally fallen into his hands. What do you think is his most important task right now?"

Xiao Luzi reacted quickly this time: "Naturally, we need to reorganize the people and tasks left behind by Wang Qin. With such a mess just occurring in the imperial court, if we don't keep a close eye on things now, he'll be the first to suffer the consequences if another mistake happens."

"Therefore, he will definitely review the duty roster for the next few days in person."

Xiao Lu's eyes lit up immediately.

Changbai then continued, "A minor eunuch who wasn't originally on night duty ended up appearing on the Imperial Hospital's medical records because he covered for a sick colleague. His shift was changed, and he was also on the revised duty roster. His entry and exit through the Qianqing Gate at night added another entry to the checklist. In one night, flipping through several records, his name alone would appear several times. Now that he's shown his face again, how could Li Yu, with his current meticulousness and tendency to review everything, possibly forget him?"

Xiao Luzi's expression of realization deepened: "First, he had Eunuch Li familiarize himself with his name in the register, which aroused his suspicion. Then, upon seeing him in person today, he casually asked and learned that not only had he not made a mistake, but he had also helped someone in an emergency and handled the task flawlessly. Wouldn't this back-and-forth make him more memorable than someone who would normally fawn over you?"

Changbai glanced at him with a smile: "Even rotten wood can be carved."

Xiao Luzi felt increasingly uneasy, unsure whether he was angry at himself for misjudging the situation or if he was reminded of some unsavory past events. He couldn't help but lower his voice and say, "So, does that mean Zhao Degui's vomiting and diarrhea was also something he secretly did?"

Changbai chuckled, raising his hand to tap him on the head with the rolled-up booklet in his hand: "You, you either don't think about anything at all, or when you do, you're already thinking of murder and arson. Do you think he can just get laxatives whenever he wants? The Imperial Hospital keeps a clear record of all the medicines coming in and out, and the various palaces receiving their medicines. Do you think those rules set by my Empress Dowager are just for show?"

Xiao Luzi covered her head, looking aggrieved, and said, "Then...then all of this was just a coincidence?"

"There was a chance, a scheme, and a deliberate effort involved," Changbai said slowly. "It's true that Zhao Degui was sick, it's true that he helped someone in an emergency, it's true that he followed all the rules, it's true that he didn't covet that little bit of money for the night meal, and it's true that he did a great job last night. He just put in a little extra effort after everything was done, so that the right people could see it."

After hearing this, Xiao Luzi couldn't help but turn around and look in the direction where the man had already disappeared. He laughed and cursed, "Good lad, looks honest, but he's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve."

After saying that, he secretly glanced at Changbai's face and saw that there was no disgust in his expression, but rather a hint of appreciation. He felt a little uncomfortable: "It seems that the eldest prince also looks at him differently."

Changbai didn't shy away from the topic, nodding frankly and saying, "He neither harmed anyone nor broke any rules. Not only did he get things done, but he also knew how to ensure that his credit clearly reached the right people. This shows that he is capable and competent. As for his character, we can't tell yet; time will tell. However, his ability to strive for excellence shows that he is at least determined."

This praise was quite high, making Xiao Luzi increasingly envious. However, he still said, "Since the First Prince thinks he's capable, why not just ask Eunuch Li for him? Wouldn't it be better for you to have another clever person by your side? I'll keep him in check for a few months to curb his arrogance, so he doesn't think he's incredibly smart at such a young age. It will also teach him that there are always people more capable than him, so he can be used more effectively in the future."

Changbai didn't even hesitate: "It's not the right time."

Why?

"He's going to all this trouble today precisely to secure a place in the Emperor's court. Now that Wang Qin has just left, the Emperor is short-handed, and Li Yu has already taken notice of him. Bringing him to my side at this time might not be an honor for him, but rather a way to cut off his path. Besides—"

Xiao Luzi waited for a while, but received no further response, so he couldn't help but ask, "Besides what?"

Changbai simply smiled and remained silent.

-

At the same time, a petite palace maid followed behind the teaching matron as they stepped through the gates of the Xiefang Palace.

She was still young, with a hint of immaturity in her eyes and brows, and her face had not yet fully developed, but her eyes were dark and bright, and her skin was fair; she was a true beauty in the making.

The old woman who led her there had a stern face the whole way. She stopped when they reached the corridor, turned around and looked her up and down: "You're lucky, little girl. You've only been in the palace for a year, and you've already passed the palace servant assessment. You've also gotten excellent grades in every aspect. You didn't have to suffer for a few years before you were transferred to Xiefang Palace to serve the First Prince."

The young palace maid quickly lowered her face even further, not daring to show the slightest joy.

The old woman continued coldly, "But let me make this clear first: the First Prince is of noble status, and while he is kind to his servants, he values ​​rules and duties above all else. This is not a place for you to enjoy yourself, nor will it tolerate your laziness or shirking responsibility just because you are young. For the next month, you will have to relearn the rules from the elders in the palace, and you cannot be careless in the slightest. If you make a mistake, no matter how many excellent grades you received in your previous assessments, you will be sent back. Do you understand?"

The young palace maid trembled with nervousness, but still nodded quickly.

"By the way, what was your name again?"

"Yanwan".

The young palace maid replied timidly, "Wei Yanwan."