The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

As spring warms up, the polo field outside Bianjing (Kaifeng) has become lively again.

Colorful flags fluttered in the wind, and the sound of hooves thundered. In the middle of the field, a fiery red figure stood out. She galloped on her horse, her body almost becoming one with its back. With a precise swing of her long pole, a crisp "bang" rang out, and the small polo ball drew a sharp arc, soaring over the crowd and falling straight into the goal.

"good!"

The audience cheered.

Shilan reined in his horse, letting it paw at the ground with abandon.

At this moment, her fair cheeks were flushed with a healthy rosy glow from the vigorous exercise, and the carefree spirit in her eyes was even more dazzling than the spring sunshine.

"Shilan! Your ball skills are absolutely amazing! I didn't even see that backhand shot!" A girl in an apricot-red riding outfit was the first to surround her, her face full of admiration.

"That's right! Shilan, quickly teach me how to play!" The other girls also gathered around her, chattering and praising her.

Shilan carried the polo mallet, accepting the praise of the crowd with composure and high spirits.

At this moment, Sun Baoqi, standing slightly on the periphery, looked at Shilan, who was being fawned over like a star, and that inexplicable sour feeling welled up in her heart again. She couldn't help but mutter to herself:

"The force was definitely enough. If it had landed on someone's head, it might have even killed them. We play ball to have fun, not to fight on the battlefield. Why play so aggressively?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it still sounded somewhat jarring amidst the gradually subsiding noise.

The atmosphere momentarily froze, subtly.

Standing next to her, Wu Yueyin immediately tugged at her sleeve, then smiled and smoothed things over: "What, are you worried about Shilan, afraid she'll get tired? Don't worry, she won't be exhausted. It's you who's sweating, though. Let's take a break and have some tea."

Upon hearing this, Shilan's cool gaze swept over Sun Baoqi. Her eyes held little anger, but rather a condescending scrutiny that made Sun Baoqi's heart tighten.

The words that followed, spoken so casually, made her face burn even more.

Shilan: "Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Your poor aim is probably because you don't use enough strength. You should practice more in your spare time."

After saying that, she stopped looking at Sun Baoqi's flushed face and walked straight towards the changing tent, her back view free and easy.

Seeing her walk away, Wu Yueyin's smile faded, and she pulled the still unconvinced Sun Baoqi to a quiet shady spot by the polo field.

"What's wrong with you lately?" Wu Yueyin asked in a low voice, frowning. "Why do you keep provoking Shilan? You know what kind of person she is, why go looking for trouble?"

Sun Baoqi was filled with mixed feelings. She twisted the handkerchief in her hand awkwardly and stubbornly said, "I didn't... I didn't mean to provoke her, I just blurted it out..."

Wu Yueyin had known her for many years and was very perceptive; she could easily see through her insincerity.

She sighed and bluntly cut to the chase: "Is it because of your handsome cousin? I saw it. Last time we went on a spring outing, your cousin was fawning over Shilan, but Shilan didn't respond at all, and her expression was indifferent."

Her thoughts were mercilessly exposed by her friend, and Sun Baoqi was immediately filled with shame, her eyes reddening. Yet, a surge of resentment welled up within her, and she blurted out, "So what if he is? My cousin... he's so good, gentle and refined, and so learned. Why does Qin Shilan look down on him? Even if he's the legitimate daughter of a marquis, so what? What kind of person is her own sister, Madam Qin, after marrying into the Ningyuan Marquis's household? She's always crying and whining, always trying to outdo everyone else, turning the whole mansion into a chaotic mess. Who in the capital doesn't know that? I wonder who she's trying to impress with her arrogance!"

If it weren't for Qin Shilan's business acumen in the past two years, which led to her establishing those perfume and clothing shops and gaining a good reputation, she would have been implicated by her sister and made to lose face long ago!

The more she spoke, the more convinced she became of her point: "Do you know that truly prestigious families have long since given up on any idea of ​​a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Dongchang's household? Those who haven't given up are only after her meager dowry; what kind of good families could they be?"

Even though they were childhood friends and their backgrounds were quite similar, Qin Shilan was destined to marry into a poor family because of her older sister, and she would be inferior to her sisters.

But as soon as she finished speaking, the image of that spring outing flashed before her eyes again. Her cousin had been so attentive and charming, with all sorts of tenderness and consideration, while Qin Shilan had remained indifferent and even seemed a little impatient. Her heart felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making her feel suffocated.

Looking at her jealous, resentful, and somewhat pitiful expression, Wu Yueyin shook her head and advised, "Since you know Shilan has no feelings for you, why are you still worrying about it? Instead of worrying about your cousin and Shilan getting together, you should worry more about yourself. You know I'm not good at being tactful. The other day when I visited your house, I observed coldly that your mother has absolutely no intention of a marriage between relatives. The biggest obstacle to your marriage to your cousin is probably still in your own family."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Sun Baoqi's head, chilling him to the bone.

She recalled her mother's usual criticisms of her cousin's family background and her constant comments about her cousin being weak and having an uncertain future. Suddenly, she deflated like a punctured balloon, her face filled with dejection.

On the other side, Shilan finished changing into a refreshing lake-blue riding outfit. As soon as she came out of the tent, she saw Qin Zhengyang waiting at the door.

Two years have passed, and Qin Zhengyang has grown into a sixteen-year-old young man. He has grown much taller, and although he looks slender, he is as upright as bamboo because he has not neglected riding and archery.

At this moment, he was dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe, which made him look even more refined and handsome. However, there was a faint trace of sorrow between his brows, which added to his melancholy temperament and made him more eye-catching.

Shilan smiled and walked towards him: "Why are you standing here? You rarely get out here, why not relax and have some fun?"

Qin Zhengyang shook his head, his gaze wandering, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but then he swallowed it back.

Shilan couldn't stand his hesitant manner, and frowned unhappily: "Just say what you have to say. Why are you being so formal with me?"

Qin Zhengyang hesitated before speaking, "My teacher said that although I'm still a bit lacking in experience, I can try taking the imperial examination next spring, just to gain some experience." He paused, his voice lowering further, "My teacher... also wants to arrange a marriage for me, the daughter of one of his fellow disciples, and that gentleman is... a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)..."

In Bianjing, a city teeming with nobles and officials, being a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) was only slightly better than being a commoner.

Shilan's smile vanished instantly. She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as she looked at Qin Zhengyang: "Second Brother, if you truly like that girl and think she's perfect in every way, I won't say a word against it. But if you feel you're only good enough for someone like her, and consider yourself inferior, then don't treat me like a sister anymore!"

Qin Zhengyang blushed at his sister's merciless words, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

Just then, a maidservant rushed over, her face filled with panic. She didn't even bother with a proper greeting, and cried out urgently, "Miss, Second Young Master, something terrible has happened! People from the Ningyuan Marquis's residence...the Ningyuan Marquis's residence has sent more! They're already at the manor!"

Shi Lan and Qin Zhengyang's expressions changed abruptly.

It's obvious that it's their eldest sister, Qin Nanyan, who married into the Marquis's family, causing trouble again.