The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Changbai glanced at it and casually said, "Just leave it there, go downstairs."

The young palace maid immediately replied, "Yes."

He then quietly withdrew.

The curtain fell again, and Changbai turned around and came out from behind the screen, reaching out to lift the lid.

A very light pear fragrance slowly rose with the steam, revealing a pot of snow pear honey water.

He poured himself a cup, took a sip, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

The pear juice is boiled until it is clear and refreshing, with only a very slight sweetness when you taste it, and the amount of honey is used very sparingly.

He doesn't usually like sweets, but this one is palatable.

Looking at the two plates of pastries next to him, he saw that they were very lightly sweetened. He had only intended to eat them as a snack, but before he knew it, he had eaten half a plate of each and drunk most of a cup of pear juice.

Finally, he felt something warm in his stomach, and his fatigue seemed to dissipate. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, but the scene at the Prince's Mansion today involuntarily surfaced in his mind, and his temples began to throb again.

When he arrived, his fifth uncle, Hongzhou, was already lying in his coffin.

White banners were hung everywhere in the Prince He's Mansion, and paper money was scattered all over the ground. The mourning hall was decorated very formally, and even the paper offerings were complete!

Aunt Wu felt ashamed and simply stayed indoors. Uncle Wu then found another princess to dress up in Aunt Wu's primary wife's auspicious robes and sit in front of the coffin to cry.

Even more absurdly, quite a few low-ranking officials from the capital, eager to curry favor, actually came with funeral gifts, kneeling in the mourning hall and weeping as if they had lost their parents.

When Changbai went in, he felt his temples throbbing. He first obeyed his father's decree and patiently relayed the emperor's words of disrespect. He then spoke kindly for a long time before finally getting his clothes changed and ordering the palace to remove the white banner and memorial tablet.

But no sooner had he stepped out of the main courtyard than the long, drawn-out suona horn sounded again behind him.

Changbai stopped abruptly.

He decisively turned back with Xiao Luzi and saw that the white banner that had just been taken down was now hanging up again, and Hong Zhou had even crawled halfway back into the coffin.

Changbai's face darkened on the spot.

I had to exaggerate the matter, and I lectured Hongzhou for half an incense stick's time.

This time, when he reached the street corner, he didn't hear any more funeral music. Xiao Luzi was just about to say, "Grandpa, are you relieved?"

Changbai resolutely turned back, and sure enough, he caught Hongzhou red-handed as he put his burial clothes back on.

After this happened twice, Changbai finally lost all patience.

He stopped trying to persuade them and sat expressionlessly in the main hall. He ordered everyone in the Prince He's mansion to take down all the white banners, mourning banners, and paper offerings in front of him, burn the memorial tablets, and remove the sacrificial offerings. He even had the troublesome coffin dragged to the courtyard and chopped into pieces.

Even though Hongzhou stood beside him with a pained expression, saying that the coffin wood was of excellent quality and could still be used in the future, Changbai only replied, "If Fifth Uncle really can't bear to part with it, I will report this matter to Father Emperor tomorrow and ask Father Emperor to bestow one upon you."

Hongzhou finally shut up completely.

Changbai waited until the entire palace had returned to normal and he was sure that he wouldn't leave one day and then start playing funeral music the next before finally returning with his men. This is why he was delayed until the palace gates were about to be locked.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but rub his temples again, feeling that even reading ten policy essays today might not be as troublesome as persuading his fifth uncle.

And he secretly made up his mind—

His brothers must never follow in their fifth uncle's unrestrained behavior.

Just as he was lost in thought, Xiao Luzi finally returned with several eunuchs carrying hot water and toiletries.

Changbai got up and went to the washroom. Before leaving, he said, "You've been running around all day. Take all this food and eat it. Get some rest after you finish eating. You don't need to keep watch tonight."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Luzi immediately beamed with joy: "This servant thanks you for the reward, Master."

Changbai waved his hand and went to wash up.

In the following days, everything returned to its usual calm.

Every day, Changbai would get up before dawn, first review the lessons taught by his teacher the previous day, and after washing up and having breakfast, he would go to pay his respects to the Emperor, Empress Dowager and Empress according to the day's schedule, and then go to the Imperial Study.

I spend most of the morning studying classics and historical texts. In the afternoon, in addition to continuing my studies, I also practice Manchu and Mongolian languages ​​and horseback riding and archery.

When it was getting dark, they returned to Xiefang Palace, washed up, and went through the day's lessons again. The next day, they did the same thing.

It is already hard for princes to study, and while others might occasionally slack off for a day without anyone questioning it, Changbai seems to have been born with an extremely strong sense of self-discipline.

The next day, he could recite most of the articles that the teacher taught him fluently.

His policy essays not only followed the established methods of his predecessors, but he would also occasionally offer his own insights.

The scholars who taught him all praised his talent and comprehension.

In terms of filial piety, he was almost flawless.

He never missed paying his respects at dawn and dusk, and if he wasn't having lunch with the Empress Dowager, he would go to the Empress's palace, alternating between the two.

When Hua Lan encountered articles she didn't understand and came to ask, he was always willing to patiently explain them in detail.

If Yonghuang is lazy and refuses to memorize his lessons, he will coldly send him back to review them again.

Over time, people both inside and outside the palace rarely spoke ill of the eldest prince.

Yonghuang, however, felt that everyone in the world was too easily fooled by his older brother.

Because no one in this world knows better than him just how much extra homework his older brother can give!

The travelogue that nearly cost him his life was finally completed.

When Changbai received it, he looked it over from beginning to end. His face was expressionless, but the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Hua Lan, who was standing nearby, glanced at the paper and saw that it was densely covered with pictures of delicious food, soft and tender, fragrant and sweet but not greasy. She immediately burst out laughing.

"I said you had a 'pastry brain,' and you actually wrote it as 'pastry brain'!"

She snatched Yonghuang's travelogue and laughed more and more as she read: "The first half is chestnut cake, the second half is steamed custard, and there's a horse in the middle. Is this a travelogue or a food review?"

Yonghuang argued confidently, "Isn't the point of traveling to make people happy? Seeing the scenery is enjoyable, and eating delicious food is also enjoyable. I only remember what I ate, but not what I saw, which means the food brought me far more pleasure than the scenery. Since I'm writing about my own observations and feelings, what does it matter if it's a food journal or a travelogue? It's all the truth from my heart!"

Hua Lan was taken aback, then pointed a finger at his nose: "Well, so your 'huang' (a type of jade pendant) is all about silver tongue!"

Yonghuang snorted and ignored her, only glancing cautiously at Changbai.

Changbai lowered his head and scanned the article again. The words on the paper were written crookedly, and many words were obviously found in a book at the last minute. He had tried to describe a pastry from its color to its aroma, and then from its aroma to its taste after it was eaten. The whole page was full of traces of desperate struggle to reach five hundred words.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally put the article down: "Although the words are a bit flowery and the order isn't very clear, at least you wrote about things you truly remember and like, not just made up based on someone else's writing. Your explanation just now made some sense, so I'll consider this one acceptable."

Yonghuang's eyes widened suddenly: "Really?"

Changbai nodded.

Yonghuang jumped up and down on the spot!

Just then, the tea and snacks were served. Three palace maids placed the tea and snacks in front of everyone. He quickly picked up a piece of chestnut flour cake, took a bite, and immediately narrowed his eyes: "This is delicious!"

Yonghuang took another sip of tea with a serious expression: "This tea is wonderful. It's slightly bitter at first, but it becomes very fragrant when paired with this cake. Very good, very good. It's so nice that you live alone in Xiefang Palace, big brother. The tea room is specially prepared, and you can have whatever you want to eat."

Hua Lan scoffed at this, "You can have it if you want. This place is meant for older princes anyway, and there are plenty of rooms. You were supposed to move here next year anyway. If you're so envious, what difference does it make if it's a year earlier or later? Do you think Empress Zhe will stop you?"

Yonghuang immediately glanced at Changbai and hurriedly said, "How can that be the same? My sister is still young, I can't bear to part with her."

Hua Lan gave a meaningful "oh": "So you're reluctant to part with your sister? I thought you were afraid that after moving here, living under Bai Ge'er's nose, you wouldn't even be able to slack off every day."

"Stop trying to sow discord between me and my older brother," Yonghuang immediately retorted. "Then why don't you move in? You're supposed to be the older sister, why don't you set a good example?"

Hua Lan said frankly, "Of course I'm reluctant to part with my mother, the Empress Dowager. Besides, I'm currently learning the pipa from Consort Hui, and living in Changchun Palace makes it much more convenient for me to travel. Moreover—"

She picked up a pastry, took a slow bite, and then glanced at Yonghuang: "I'm not greedy. If I really want some pastries, Aunt Xin will make them for me. Unlike some people, who can't get enough of eating. Even their own mother, who loves to cook, has been fed so much that she no longer wants to make pastries."

Yonghuang's face flushed red: "That's because Mother has been busy taking care of my younger sister lately!"

"Really? I heard Lady Zhe say herself that if she keeps doing this, her hands will be swollen from kneading the dough?"

"you--"

"What about me?"

The siblings were bickering back and forth, and Yonghuang, getting impatient, tried to snatch the last piece of cake from Hualan's plate. Hualan was prepared, and she raised her hand high, taking advantage of being older and taller than him, and smiled as she watched him not be able to reach it.

Yonghuang angrily tugged at her sleeve, but Hualan laughed and stuffed the food back into his mouth, muttering, "You'll stuff yourself to death!"

Changbai sat beside him and did not stop him from beginning to end.

He slowly finished the piece of pine nut cake in his hand, then drank half a cup of tea. Listening to the two people arguing beside him, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Once Yonghuang finally calmed down, he turned to the palace maid waiting beside him and said, "If there are any other snacks in the tea room, pack a little of each kind, not too much, so that the Second Prince can take them back with him."

Wei Yanwan, who had been standing at the back, was feeling a pang of envy as she watched the two of them bickering.

She was so engrossed in watching that she was suddenly brought back to her senses when a palace maid two years older than her quietly tugged at her sleeve. She quickly curtsied to the maid and said, "Yes."

Fortunately, Changbai didn't pursue the matter of her momentary lapse in concentration.

After chatting for a while, Hua Lan got up to say goodbye. She had an appointment with Chen Wanyin for a painting class that afternoon, and if she lingered any longer, she would be late.

When Yonghuang saw that she was about to leave, he quickly stood up as well, saying that he should also go back to be with his sister. He had promised to take his sister to the Imperial Garden and he couldn't break his promise.

Changbai could tell that he was probably just worried that he would suddenly remember other lessons, so he didn't expose him.

It wasn't until Xiao Quanzi, who was beside Yonghuang, took the bundle of snacks from Wei Yanwan that Changbai added slowly, "Since you have so many insights into food, why don't you write a food journal when you get back?"

Yonghuang stopped in his tracks.

Changbai then said very considerately, "No need for more, a hundred words will suffice. It'll be a good opportunity to review the unfamiliar words from the previous article."