The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Shilan turned around, her smile radiant: "Yes! I'm happy! Isn't it strange? I was born into wealth and privilege. There are few things in this world that I could even look at with interest. Even in my most destitute moments, the clothes and accessories I wore were things that many people in the world wouldn't even dare to dream of. But now that I'm here, seeing this vast sky and boundless land, this mighty river, I suddenly realize that I was nothing more than a frog trapped in my own little world, peering at the sky from the bottom of a well."

Zhang Yun wholeheartedly agreed, standing beside her as they gazed at the river: "Indeed. Knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial. The vastness of the world, the wonders of nature, and the diversity of human relationships can only be truly understood by personally experiencing them with one's own feet, one's own eyes, and one's own heart."

Shilan chuckled, "We'll go see them together from now on."

Zhang Yun looked down at her, his eyes filled with tenderness: "I couldn't ask for more."

The couple smiled at each other, their figures leaning against each other at the bow of the boat.

Although their destination was Hangzhou, the chartered passenger ship was spacious and comfortable, and they could arrange their own itinerary.

If they come across a scenic spot along the way, they will stop and stay for a day or two.

You can visit famous historical sites, stroll through markets and streets, taste local delicacies, buy interesting trinkets, and occasionally stop at roadside teahouses to listen to the eloquent shopkeepers tell local legends and stories.

Anjie and Baojie, aunt and niece, were like birds released from their cages, full of curiosity about everything.

After traveling at a leisurely pace for more than a month, the passenger ship slowly entered the territory of Yangzhou.

Yangzhou's prosperity is well-deserved.

Although Zhang Yun is now a leisurely marquis, his status is still there. As soon as the group settled down at the dock, well-informed local officials sent invitations to pay them a visit.

Zhang Yun did not deliberately avoid it. After all, he had his family with him, and they were all women. Letting these local bullies know his identity and make contact with them would actually save him a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Zhang Yun accepted a welcoming banquet but declined the prefect's invitation to stay for a while. Instead, he ordered his entourage to rent a quiet and elegant courtyard.

Unexpectedly, on the very night they arrived in Yangzhou, two uninvited guests appeared outside the inn.

The visitors were Yuan Wenchun, the eldest son of the Marquis of Zhongqin, and his wife, Madam Zhang.

The two women greeted each other warmly with smiles and a very friendly attitude, addressing each other as "uncle" and "aunt" as soon as they entered the room.

He then showered Anjie and Baojie with praise and presented them with two pairs of exquisite red gold and gemstone-encrusted bracelets as a token of their greeting, demonstrating impeccable manners.

But Shilan wasn't in a hurry to accept the gift. She glanced at the couple coolly and said softly, "They're just a poor family; they can't handle such a heavy gift. They should take it back."

Yuan Wenchun and Madam Zhang exchanged a glance, gave a wry smile, and finally revealed their true purpose.

"I dare not hide it from you, Uncle and Aunt." Yuan Wenchun sighed, "I do have a favor to ask. I came to Yangzhou this time for my younger brother's marriage. My family has arranged for my second brother to marry the eldest daughter of the Prefect of Yangzhou, which is an excellent match. However... alas, we were not polite enough. My mother is unwell and unable to come in person. The Sheng family thinks we look down on them and has now left us standing there, not even allowing us to disembark and enter the house with the betrothal gifts."

Madam Zhang chimed in at the opportune moment, "We originally planned to set off south as soon as Mother's health improved. However, the auspicious time for this marriage was calculated long ago, and missing it would be a bad omen. We are young and our words carry little weight with the Sheng family. We were overjoyed to hear that Uncle and Aunt were coming to Yangzhou! We thought that if we could trouble Aunt to step in and mediate, it would not only save face for the Sheng family but also relieve our urgent crisis."

Yuan Wenchun nodded repeatedly, her posture earnest: "That's right. Auntie only needs to briefly mention our family's sincerity to the old lady of the Sheng family and Lord Sheng, and explain my parents' difficulties. If this marriage can be settled smoothly, everyone in my Zhongqin Marquis's mansion will remember Auntie's great kindness."

Shilan sneered inwardly.

So, you want her to turn around for nothing?

To put it nicely, they were just trying to show their sincerity, but in reality, they just wanted to use the name of the Marquis of Jingbian's mansion to put pressure on the Sheng family.

The Zhongqin Earl's family is truly despicable. They acted carelessly and slighted others first. Now that they have been rebuffed, instead of thinking about how to sincerely make amends, they want to drag her and Zhang Yun into being the villains and continue to bully others by taking advantage of their power.

That's a really clever plan.

She was too lazy to waste any more words on these two fools. Adopting a "slap in the face first" approach, she said, "Oh? I wonder what illness your mother suffers from that prevents her from attending such an important event as the betrothal? If it's truly serious, then the marriage should indeed take place as soon as possible. The Sheng family is also being unreasonable. If they don't get married soon, and something bad happens to them later, wouldn't it be their own daughter who suffers?"