The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The Marquis of Ningyuan's residence, inside the Jinlan Garden.

Qin Nanyan, dressed in a plain nightgown, lay frailly on the couch, her face pale, and slowly asked:

"How is Mother?"

The maid told her the truth.

Upon learning that her mother, Ying Qiongfang, had only fainted from anger and was otherwise unharmed, Qin Nanyan stopped worrying about it and instead felt resentment and anger.

"Even in my current state, my second brother and third sister... don't they care at all?"

The maid lowered her head, not daring to reply.

Qin Nanyan grew angrier the more she thought about it, her chest heaving slightly.

Her younger siblings, whom she used to be unable to surpass, are now very successful.

One was excelling in her studies, and the other managed the Marquis's mansion with great success, yet no one was willing to stand up for her, the eldest sister who was suffering in her husband's family!

This was something Qin Nanyan hadn't anticipated.

She thought that she had been pampered in her boudoir and had married Gu Yankai, a highly sought-after man in Bianjing. She believed that her life would be smooth sailing, if not glorious.

But reality did not meet her expectations.

Her in-laws were like man-eating tigers, constantly finding fault with her.

The women in the household who were of lower status than her initially tried every means to take advantage of her and benefit from her fame. In the past two years, seeing that she had not yet had a child, they openly and secretly mocked her as a barren hen, and every word they said was aimed at her.

Life in the deep mansion of the Marquis is full of intrigue and danger. It's nothing like the carefree life of a pampered young lady at home.

She felt even more resentful when she heard that her younger brother Qin Zhengyang's scholarship was improving day by day and her younger sister Shilan's reputation was rising in elite circles, with even her father occasionally praising her.

A sense of panic and bitterness, of being replaced and surpassed, gnawed at her heart.

This made her realize deeply that the center of the Dongchang Marquis's mansion was no longer her, Qin Nanyan.

Thinking of this, two lines of tears slid down her pale cheeks, filled with utter sorrow and grievance.

The moment Gu Yan stepped into the room, he saw her like this, and his heart ached terribly. He rushed forward and pulled her into his arms, all his unspoken words condensing into one sentence:

"Nanyan, we will have more children."

Qin Nanyan nestled in his arms, her sobs becoming even more poignant and moving: "Yankai, am I so useless? I can't bear you children, and I'm only causing you and Mother to have a falling out... I'd rather die than be a burden to you all..."

"Nonsense!" Gu Yankai's heart broke upon hearing this. He held her tightly and swore to the heavens, "I won't allow you to say such foolish things! My child, Gu Yankai's child, must be yours, Qin Nanyan's! Otherwise, I'd rather have no male heir than take a concubine and cause you heartache!"

Hearing this resolute vow, Qin Nanyan felt somewhat at ease.

She raised her tear-filled face and asked pitifully, "Really? Yankai, you're not lying to me?"

"If I break this oath, may I die a horrible death!" Gu Yankai's eyes were resolute.

"Just focus on getting better and don't worry about anything else. I'll take care of everything."

Qin Nanyan then stopped crying and started laughing, as if all her grievances had vanished in the face of her husband's vow.

She leaned against Gu Yan's open chest, feeling his tender affection, but couldn't help thinking smugly to herself that, in truth, no woman in the world can truly be happy after marriage.

But at least she found someone who was devoted to her, someone who was so loyal to her that he was willing to defy the world for her sake.

Disobeying one's birth mother and refusing to have children.

In this respect, no matter how capable or praised her younger sister Shilan is now, she can never surpass her, can she?

Qin Nanyan closed her eyes, letting herself immerse herself in this victory, temporarily forgetting her mother-in-law's cold looks, her sisters-in-law's mockery, and the threat posed to her by her younger siblings.

-

The main courtyard of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

Lady Gu lay on the canopy bed, her face ashen. Her once sharp and capable features were now soaked with tears, leaving only endless sorrow and exhaustion.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Gu Hou felt bad seeing his wife like this.

"Madam, please don't be sad." Gu Hou's voice was weary and helpless. "Just think of it as that child having a shallow connection with our family, and going to find a more compatible family."

He paused, as if making up his mind, and continued to advise, "From now on, don't interfere in the affairs of the eldest son's family anymore. Let the children and grandchildren have their own lives; let them be."

Lady Gu turned her back, her tears flowing even more fiercely.

But she said, "Do you think I want to go through all this trouble? My eldest son's wife is infertile; she's been married for so many years without bearing a child, and I accept that! But she can't have children herself, yet she's still stubbornly preventing Yan Kai from taking a concubine. Isn't she deliberately trying to cut off the eldest son's lineage?! My eldest son is now bewitched by that vixen and can't distinguish right from wrong! But I'm his own mother! Can I just stand by and watch my son die without an heir? I'm exercising my authority as a mother-in-law to add someone to his household. In the whole of Bianjing, which noble family doesn't follow this rule? Why is it that in our family... this kind of disaster has occurred!"

At this moment, Lady Gu was overwhelmed with regret.

The eldest son was the most successful of all her children, and she always placed high hopes on him. She not only hired highly respected martial arts and literature instructors at great expense, but also ruthlessly sent him to the military camp to suffer and receive training.

Why has she been holding back his marriage for so many years? It's because she's too proud and wants to choose the best eldest daughter-in-law for her son.

If I had known that the eldest son was so obsessed with lust, I would have been better off casually agreeing to it back then. Even if he was useless, at least he could have given her a healthy eldest grandson, which would have been much better than this sickly, scheming woman.

Thinking of her grandson who came and went so quietly, Lady Gu felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

Her beloved grandson, the grandson she had longed for day and night, was not even blessed with the chance to come into this world for even a single moment.

If only I had known, I wouldn't have forced it!

"My grandson... my poor grandson..."

She cried out, overwhelmed with grief and intense regret. Her breathing suddenly became rapid, her vision went black, and she fainted again.

"Madam! Madam!" Lord Gu was shocked and quickly supported her, calling out repeatedly, "Quick! Go and fetch a doctor!"

Another chaotic scene unfolded inside the courtyard.

The doctor rushed over and administered acupuncture and medicine. After a long while, Lady Gu finally woke up, but her complexion was even worse than before.

The doctor, his expression grave, solemnly instructed Lord Gu, "My lord, the lady is suffering from severe pain and excessive worry, which has damaged her heart meridian. She absolutely must not be subjected to any further stimulation, and her emotions must not fluctuate wildly, otherwise… she may suffer a stroke, and the consequences would be unimaginable!"

Looking at his wife's lifeless appearance, Gu Hou was horrified.

He dismissed the servants, grasped his wife's cold hand tightly, and said in a deep voice, "Madam, did you hear what the doctor said? Nothing is more important than your health! The matter in the eldest son's household ends here! I said I won't interfere, and I mean it! In the future... in the future, we can adopt a good one from the second or third son; it will all be of the Gu family bloodline!"

Lady Gu closed her eyes, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.

"it is good."