The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

"Isn't your second brother in Yangzhou right now? Write a letter and find a way to let Bai's daughter know about the imperial court's pursuit of old debts and the Gu family's plan to bring a dowry for a remarriage. Remember, it must be Bai's daughter, not the head of the Bai family."

After a moment's hesitation, Shilan decided to lend a hand to the Bai family.

At first, Madam Qin thought that Madam Bai must have known what the Gu family had done, yet she was still willing to marry into the family, hoping to change her social status through marriage. Therefore, she was not innocent, and she felt perfectly justified in dealing with Madam Bai and her children.

But later, in the mysterious space, after reading the original work with Shilan, he realized that she was also a silly girl.

Knowing nothing of her past, she dared to bring a mountain of dowry and barge headfirst into the Marquis's mansion.

She didn't realize until she became pregnant with her second child that her husband's heart was never with her, and she eventually died of depression.

If Bai had known earlier that Gu Yan had someone in his heart and that the Gu family was shameless and greedy for money, would she have been more accepting of it sooner?

It would be even better if the Bai family changed their minds and canceled the marriage.

The fact that the Gu family couldn't repay their debts, were stripped of their titles, and were punished are all excellent retributions.

However, it was not appropriate for her to handle all of this personally. The Qin and Gu families had just fallen out, and the Gu family knew that she might be engaged to the Duke of Ying's family in the near future. They were certainly keeping a close eye on her every move to prevent her from ruining the marriage alliance between the Gu and Bai families. She also had to guard against the Gu family missing this opportunity with the Bai family and then, in desperation, trying to drag her down with them.

The best solution is to have the second son of the second branch of the Wang family, who is currently expanding in Yangzhou, handle the matter through Wang Ruofu's family letter.

Wang Ruofu immediately understood Shilan's plan and beamed with joy. She didn't know the future of Bai's daughter, but subconsciously viewed the Gu family from the perspective of an unmarried woman and felt that this family was really not a good place.

"I'll go right now!"

Watching Wang Ruofu's impatient retreat to his room to write a letter, Shilan shook her head helplessly.

If Fu is indeed kind-hearted.

In the eyes of ordinary noble families, Bai would not have considered whether she was marrying the wrong man. In their view, Bai was just a merchant's daughter. Let alone the position of the principal wife, even if she were to become a concubine in the family of a king or nobleman, it would be an extremely good fortune for her.

But that's fine too. Compared to clever but ruthless people, simple-minded but kind people like Wang Ruofu are always easier to get along with.

-

Along with the news of Madam Qin from the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion dying from postpartum hemorrhage after a difficult childbirth, news also spread that Gu Shizi was publicly beaten black and blue by his wife's younger brother, Qin Shizi from the Dongchang Marquis's mansion.

It is said that on that day, Prince Qin specially brought ten tall, strong, and burly guards, broke into the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, tied Prince Gu to the gate, and attracted a large crowd with gongs and drums. In public, he used all sorts of foul language to curse Prince Gu and the eighteen generations of ancestors of the Gu family.

He only started using fists and feet to vent his anger.

During this time, Prince Gu remained silent, vividly demonstrating what it means to not retaliate when insulted or hit.

Even when servants of the Gu family approached him, he would scold them and order them to leave.

By the next day, everyone in the capital knew about it.

The Qin and Gu families became enemies from then on and announced that they would never associate with each other again. Even on the day of Grandma Qin's funeral, no one from the Qin family attended in person.

The Qin family's gate was locked, with only white silk hanging at the entrance. The Marquis of Qin and his wife no longer showed their faces, saying that they had both fallen ill due to the grief of losing their daughter, and their condition was critical.

No one doubted this, after all, everyone had seen how much the two of them doted on Qin Nanyan over the years.

The sudden loss of their child must have been incredibly painful for the elderly couple.

Many families sent gifts to express their condolences, and even the Duchess of England, who lived far away in the countryside, sent her confidante to deliver the funeral arrangements and write a letter.

After counting all the gifts, Shilan nodded with satisfaction and said to Wang Ruofu, who also had a greedy smile on his face, "They're all yours. You've taken excellent care of that courtyard these past few days, and the guards and servants you specially assigned are all very capable. Yet you've been so polite to me, refusing to take money from the public funds. Well, these are all yours. Let's see if you dare to haggle with me over such a pittance again."

In truth, Qin Nanyan's death wasn't such a bad thing.

With the gate closed, Wang Ruofu, who was newly pregnant, was able to rest and recuperate.

With the white silk hanging up, many families who had become estranged from Qin Nanyan's family because of her reputation now returned to her family under the pretext of attending her funeral.

You might even make a windfall!

Wang Ruofu smiled sheepishly, "How do you know I'm just being polite? Maybe I'm taking advantage of your generous and domineering nature, playing the long game to catch a bigger fish?"

Touching the finest silk brocade, she sighed, "The monthly wages of several guards and servants wouldn't be enough to buy just one bolt."

This was the first time Shilan had heard such words from Wang Ruofu, and she looked at her with surprise and astonishment.

After a moment, she chuckled and said, half-jokingly, "That's a clever thing to say. That's right. As long as you follow me and think of me, you'll always get a richer reward from me. You must do the same from now on, and don't go back on your word."

Wang Ruofu replied without hesitation: "That's natural."

From the second time she met Shilan in her life, she had this plan, and she has been doing so for many years.

Isn't the result obvious?

-

Yangzhou, Bai Residence.

Bai Qing looked at her father, Bai Chunian, with a pale face, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Did you know all along that the Gu family was only asking to marry me for our family's money and my dowry?"

Bai Chunian's expression remained calm, his movements on the abacus still swift and methodical. "Of course."

His tone was calm: "Qing'er, we are merchants, they are a noble family. If there weren't some incredibly great benefit, why would they lower themselves to propose marriage with us?"

Bai Qing trembled even more violently: "Then why..."

Bai Chunian stopped what he was doing, looked up at the pearl he had protected in his palm for more than ten years, and felt an indescribable regret welling up in his heart.

He must be wrong.

The mistake was protecting their only daughter too much, which led to her growing up like this...

Naïve and innocent, bordering on foolish.

"Qing'er, you are my only daughter."

Bai Chunian spoke again, but his tone was much heavier: "Do you still remember how much suffering your father endured as a child?"

Bai Qing's eyes were filled with tears, but she still nodded obediently: "Grandfather died early, and the Bai clan wanted to seize the family's houses and land. Grandmother took you away overnight and worked hard outside, working from dawn to dusk to raise you. However, she also died early due to overwork."

"When your grandmother passed away, I couldn't even afford a coffin. That's when I vowed to make something of myself."

"After a series of events, I was fortunate enough to start my own business and went through many hardships to build the family fortune I have today."

Bai Chunian continued to downplay his feelings. He was never one to show his emotions openly, and he genuinely believed that the process was unimportant; only the result mattered.

"After our family was restored to power, those wolves and tigers from our old home came knocking again, drawn by our scent. I can disregard clan laws and regulations, treating them like street dogs. If I'm happy, I'll give them a bone; if I'm not, I'll kick them. Because I am a man, the head of the Bai family. As long as I am here, you will always be the most honored girl in the Bai family. I dare not say what will happen in the whole world, but at least in Yangzhou, no one will dare to bully you or look down on you."

Bai Chunian: "But if one day I'm gone, do you know what will happen to you?"