The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

As Anjie left the Furui Teahouse, she felt that the cup of wine had released all the pent-up frustration in her heart, and she felt refreshed and invigorated.

As she approached her carriage, about to get in, she lifted the curtain and discovered that three people were already inside.

Aunt Zhang Guifen sat in the center, with her arms crossed;

The mischievous Ru Jin was on the left; her eyes lit up when she saw her arrive.

In the corner, there was Yu Yanran, her eyes red with gratitude and joy, looking at her.

"you……"

Before Anjie could finish speaking, Rujin pounced on her like a little sparrow, grabbing her arm tightly: "Cousin! You're amazing! I secretly followed you upstairs just now, and I saw everything! You're so incredible, I admire you so much!"

Rujin's eyebrows danced with excitement, and her little mouth chattered on and on.

Anjie immediately reached out and covered her ears, finally giving her some peace and quiet.

Zhang Guifen also smiled and said, "Well done!"

Her voice was clear and crisp, filled with admiration: "Such a two-faced scoundrel deserves to be treated like this. She truly is worthy of being my niece, Zhang Guifen."

Yu Yanran raised her tearful eyes to look at An Jie'er, her lips moved, but she could only choke out, "Thank you... I... I really don't know how to repay you..."

"What's there to repay?" Anjie waved her hand. The person who had been so domineering just moments before now showed a rare hint of embarrassment in the face of her sisters' sincere praise and gratitude. "I just couldn't stand it. If you really want to repay me, remember one thing. If someone bullies you in this world, it's not because you did anything wrong, but because they know you won't dare to fight back. As long as you dare to fight back, even just once, such people will become extremely rare."

As she spoke, she looked earnestly at Yu Yanran: "So Yanran, you must remember this: if anyone dares to bully you again in the future, you must stand up straight and fight back. If you can't do it yourself, come and tell us. If we still can't do it, we'll go home and ask for help. Don't forget, your grandfather is the famous Grand Secretary Yu, with students and friends all over the world. What are you lacking? They just think you're too soft-hearted and easy to manipulate."

Yu Yanran listened in a daze, tears welling up again, but she nodded vigorously: "I...I remember."

Rujin nodded, "I've remembered that too."

Anjie chuckled, tapped her cousin's forehead, and suddenly her expression turned serious: "By the way, I heard from my second cousin that the Emperor seems to intend to marry the princess to Li Wei."

"What?!" Ru Jin almost jumped up: "What kind of eyesight does Your Majesty have? Someone like Li Wei is already a high-class catch, even if he were a toad. Ordinary people would avoid him like the plague, and Your Majesty wants to go after him?"

"Rujin!" Zhang Guifen scolded lightly, "Watch your words."

Ru Jin pouted and lowered her voice, "Auntie, I'm just telling the truth. That Li Wei has neither talent nor looks, and his character is so despicable..."

Zhang Guifen sighed, signaling the driver to drive away from the teahouse, before whispering, "There are no secrets under the sun. It's common knowledge in the court that the Emperor is not the Empress Dowager's biological son, but rather the son of Consort Li. When the Empress Dowager was alive, the Emperor had to be somewhat cautious; but after her passing, the Li family was immediately granted the title of Imperial Brother-in-Law. The Emperor still cherishes his mother, and his leniency towards the Li family over the years is perhaps a way of making amends."

"Who would compensate with their own daughter's entire life?" Rujin was still unconvinced. "Isn't gold and silver enough? At the very least, there are titles and official positions. There are so many good things in the world, why must you give away a daughter?"

"Whether it's thunder or rain, it's all the Emperor's grace." Zhang Guifen's voice was even softer: "Keep these words in your heart. As for matters concerning the royal family, let's discuss them in private. Don't talk about them outside."

Rujin pouted, recalling the stories she had been reading recently and the chivalrous heroes who helped others, and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "The princess is so pitiful... If only a great hero would appear out of nowhere and elope with her right now."

These childish words made An Jie'er and Zhang Guifen shake their heads and laugh, and Yu Yanran was also amused and burst into laughter through her tears, which eased the atmosphere in the car.

-

The small drill ground behind the Wende Hall of the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor was in a good mood today. He sat in a rosewood armchair under the eaves, looking at the two young men in the room with a gentle smile in his eyes.

On the left, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe and standing tall and straight, is Zhang Qin, the eldest son of the Marquis of Jingbian, whose nickname is Fu Ge'er.

He was strikingly handsome, yet possessed a calm and composed demeanor, exhibiting both the elegance of a scholarly family and the heroic spirit of a descendant of a military family.

The one on the right, wearing a royal blue arrow-sleeved robe and with lively eyes and brows, is the Second Prince, Prince Yu, Zhao Xin.

He was the same age as Fu Ge'er, but much more lively. At this moment, he was staring at the strong bow with an astonishingly bright gaze.

"A ruler's word is law," the Emperor said. "If you demonstrate your abilities, you may take these two treasures from Western Xia as tribute."

Fu Ge'er's gaze fell on the She inkstone with its warm color and wave-like texture, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes.

"As you command."

To obtain this treasure, one must compose a poem.

The eunuch presented paper and pen. After a moment's thought, Fu Ge'er picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote with great skill and grace.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a seven-character quatrain was completed. It was a masterpiece that I had casually come up with in the classroom a few days ago, and it was specially guided by Teacher Zhuang.

Sure enough, the eunuch presented it, and the Emperor took it and examined it closely. His eyes showed even greater appreciation: "Good, very good, Fu'er, I keep my word. This inkstone is yours."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Fu Ge'er bowed respectfully, his expression composed.

It was Zhao Xin's turn.

He took a fancy to a powerful bow and decided to shoot it at the bullseye a hundred paces away.

He excitedly picked up the powerful bow, nocked an arrow, and drew the string—the bow was heavy, and it took him some effort to pull it open.

After a moment of aiming, the arrow left the bowstring—

"clang!"

It landed halfway down the flight path.

Zhao Xin's face fell: "Oh dear, so close!"

The emperor laughed and said, "A small difference can lead to a huge error. Xin'er, you still need to practice your archery skills."

Zhao Xin's eyes darted around, and he suddenly moved closer to the Emperor, tugged at his sleeve, and lowered his voice: "Father, actually, Fu Ge'er also took a liking to this bow, but he was too embarrassed to take two, so he asked me to try it out as well. Father is so generous, please let him try it out himself."

Fu Ge'er looked at him speechlessly.

"Rules are rules, but people are flexible!" Zhao Xin persisted, using every trick in the book to win over the Emperor: "Father Emperor~ Father Emperor~"

The official's smile deepened: "Very well, then Fu-ge'er, you try it yourself."

He was kind-hearted by nature, and he was especially indulgent towards his grown children.

No more princes or princesses have been born in the harem in recent years, and many of the children born in earlier years did not survive. Now that he is old and unable to continue, he cherishes his two sons and two daughters who are still with him.

"Never mind." Fu Ge'er sighed softly and took the bow from Zhao Xin.

He weighed the bow in his hand and then drew an arrow from his quiver.

The movements were neither hurried nor slow, yet fluid and graceful—nocking the arrow, drawing the bow, and aiming—the whole process took only a moment.

As the sunlight fell, the boy stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his eyes focused. The moment the bowstring was fully drawn, it seemed as if even the wind had stopped.

"Whoosh—"

The arrow pierced the air and precisely struck the bullseye, its tail feathers trembling slightly.

"Excellent!" The emperor clapped his hands and laughed, "Truly a tiger cub from a military family! This bow and this inkstone are both for Fu-ge'er!"

Zhao Xin cheered, but then froze halfway through, looking at her father in disbelief: "How come they're all Fu Ge'er's?"

The official glanced at him, laughed loudly, and left.

With an inkstone in his left hand and a strong bow in his right, Fu Ge'er sincerely said to the departing official, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Then, looking at his good brother, he said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Zhao Xin screamed in agony.

No one noticed that a girl was standing quietly at the corner of the corridor beside the training ground.

She was dressed in a light pink palace gown, her hair was loosely tied up, and her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom in March. She was none other than Princess Fukang, Zhao Huirou, the emperor's most beloved daughter.