The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Some time later, news arrived that was not entirely unexpected:

Princess Funing passed away.

When the news reached Shilan's ears, she was holding Fuge'er on the warm kang (a heated brick bed), reading word by word the letter Zhang Yun had sent by express horse.

The letter was written before the new year, saying that the thunder cannons used at the border last year had shown their power, not only driving away several groups of Liao cavalry who were raiding for grain, but also setting a gratifying record of no casualties.

The border region thus spent a peaceful winter.

The letter was filled with rambling questions, asking about her health, how tall and heavy Fu Ge'er had become, and whether he could call her "Daddy" yet. Every word was filled with guilt for not being able to be with her and an overwhelming longing.

However, at the end of the letter, the handwriting became bolder and larger, conveying an obvious sense of urgency.

"The date for my performance review in the spring has been set. Do not come from afar to greet me; wait at home for the sound of my knocking."

When Shilan read this, her heart skipped a beat, then began to leap with joy, her eyes and brows brimming with happiness.

He's coming back!

Fu Ge'er seemed to sense his mother's emotions, quietly leaning against her, his little hand unconsciously grasping a strand of her hair, occasionally letting out a soft "ee-ee" as if in response.

Shilan gave him a big kiss on his smooth cheek.

"Father is coming back, are you happy?"

Her life now is a perfect one that she wouldn't have dared to dream of in her past life.

She was content and did not wish to commit further killings.

Unfortunately, there are always those who are unwilling to be alone and bring about their own destruction.

Since Consort Zhang and Consort Miao gave birth to two healthy princes last year, Zhao Zongquan's status as an adopted son has become visibly awkward.

However, the prince was too young at the time, and the emperor was used to being kind and benevolent. He couldn't just abandon the prince and order him to leave the palace. He only wanted to wait until the children were grown up before finding a plausible excuse so that everyone could save face.

However, as the first birthday celebrations of the two princes drew closer, voices from the court began urging them to hurry up, and some people could no longer sit still.

Princess Fu Ning was the most anxious of them all.

In the past, she relied on her younger brother being the only adopted son of the prince, and was extremely arrogant and domineering, offending countless people.

Now that their backer is about to fall, those enemies who once tolerated them will naturally want to get their revenge.

Shilan didn't even need to lift a finger; she simply arranged for a few noble ladies and wives who had old grudges against Fu Ning to meet with her, and everything fell into place naturally.

They are all vindictive and hold grudges. Now that Fu Ning's backer has fallen, those few are naturally not going to let it go.

Every word and phrase struck at Fu Ning's most painful and fearful spot.

Fu Ning was already biased and vicious. After a few words, he was blinded by jealousy and resentment. He decided to go all the way and went back to plot against the two young princes at the same time. He then thought he had cleverly framed Consort Zhang and Consort Miao, so that they would suspect each other and kill each other.

She was also smugly thinking that when her younger brother regained his glory, she would surely be credited with the greatest merit and deserve the same honors as the eldest princess who was on par with the prince.

Unfortunately, before she could find a safe opportunity to carry out her plan, it was discovered and the evidence pointed directly to the Prince Pu's residence.

This matter concerns the imperial heir and the very foundation of the nation, and the emperor is furious.

As expected, Princess Fu Ning was given poisoned wine, and her father, Prince Pu, was also implicated and ordered to immediately return to his fiefdom with all his family members, and was not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict.

Zhao Zongquan was naturally one of his family members.

With Fu Ning removed from office and Zhao Zongquan leaving the capital, two more healthy princes were growing up in the harem, the concubines were frequently pregnant, and the members of the imperial clan became more docile.

As a result, the atmosphere in the imperial court gradually became more harmonious.

-

It was in this warm and gentle spring atmosphere that Zhang Yun, weary from his journey, knocked on the door.

Having not seen him for nearly two years, the aura of the battlefield emanating from him has become even more profound. He seems to have grown taller and more robust, with broad shoulders and back. Standing there, he resembles a steady mountain, giving people an indescribable sense of security and stability.

Only when he looked at Shilan and Fuge'er, who stumbled and rushed over, did the sharpness in his eyes instantly turn into tenderness.

He still retains a hint of the noble young man from that spring day.

The family of three closed the door and thoroughly enjoyed a simple yet heartwarming time together.

With Zhang Yun's devoted companionship, the clever Fu Ge'er learned to imitate his father in a short period of time.

The child's clear voice became more and more natural as he called out. Whenever Zhang Yun appeared, he would stretch out his little hands and rush over, making Zhang Yun so happy that he wished he could carry him on his shoulders all the time and take him wherever he went.

Zhang Yun also brought some good news.

That very night, after the performance review was completed, the couple nestled together in a warm tent, whispering intimate words.

Zhang Yun stroked Shi Lan's long hair, which was spread out on the pillow, and said in a low voice, "For the next three years, Gu Yan and I will be rotating shifts."

Shilan looked up at him.

Zhang Yun explained, "The development of firearms has reached a critical moment, but the new weapons require well-trained elite soldiers to master them, and cannot be accomplished overnight. During my trip back to the capital to report on my duties, I took the opportunity to bring back the personal guards that I'm used to using at the border. Gu Yankai will take over the defense of Yunzhou, while I will remain at the main camp in the suburbs of the capital to be responsible for the testing of these new firearms and the training of the soldiers."

In other words, he will stay in the capital for at least the next three years!

Shilan felt a surge of genuine joy, and her eyes brightened.

As for what Zhang Yun said about making Gu Yan do hard work and missing out on this great opportunity, well, that's naturally a good thing.

She had not forgotten her promise to Xiao Qinshi.

The people who drove her to the brink of despair are: Qin Nanyan is dead, Qin Zhengyang has reformed and is now atoning for his sins by acting on her behalf, and Gu Yankai and the Gu family are still left.

At this moment, Zhang Yun hugged her even tighter, gently rubbing his chin against the top of her head, his voice filled with deep tenderness: "I heard everything from Mother... You suffered terribly on the day you gave birth."

Shilan wanted to shake her head.

The pain at the time was indeed excruciating, but the moment Fu Ge'er was held in her arms, all the suffering became a distant backdrop.

She wanted to say, "It doesn't hurt anymore, it hasn't hurt for a long time."

But when she looked up and met Zhang Yun's gaze, which was filled with guilt and heartache, the words she was about to say changed.

When someone genuinely cares about you, never miss the opportunity.

She buried her face in his chest, her voice carrying a rare hint of coquettishness: "Mmm...it hurts, it hurts so much."

Zhang Yun stiffened, tightened his arms around her, and said firmly, "We won't have any more children. We have Fu Ge'er, that's enough. We won't have any more."

Shilan was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh.

She tilted her head back and kissed his chin: "Don't talk nonsense. A child is a gift from heaven, it will come when it's meant to. If it's not meant to be, there's no use in forcing it."

She was truly open and honest.

Because Fu Ge'er was so good, so good that she could only remember the pain of that day, but could no longer feel fear.

She wouldn't be afraid if she had a second child.

She and Zhang Yun were both young and deeply in love with each other; how could they possibly resist?

As for contraceptive drugs, don't even think about them. They are all harmful to the body. Long-term use is no different from slow poison.

Since that's the case, we might as well accept it. Having it is a blessing, and having another child is another blessing.

Zhang Yun remained silent.

Shilan didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a momentary feeling of pity.

It wasn't until later that she understood why her mother-in-law, Chen Ning, always said in private that Zhang Yun was a stubborn person.