The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Upon hearing the news of Shilan's pregnancy, Zhang Yun rushed back to his residence. He was so excited that he almost tripped on the threshold.

He didn't care about anything else, pushed away his older brother who came to help him, and rushed towards his own courtyard.

This prompted Zhang Xian to jokingly remark, "This kid."

As soon as Zhang Yun returned to the room, he saw Shi Lan reclining on the chaise lounge. Looking at her unchanged belly, he wanted to reach out and touch it, but then hesitated, afraid that his hands would be cold from coming back from outside. He was at a loss for words and could only ask repeatedly, "Are you really pregnant? When did it happen? What did the imperial physician say? Are you feeling well? Is anything bothering you?"

Seeing his nervous expression, Shilan couldn't help but laugh. She took his hand and shook it, saying, "How could something like this be false? The imperial physician said he's only a month old. Keep your voice down, don't scare him."

Zhang Yun's heart was burning, and he smiled foolishly for a long time.

But after the initial joy, a sense of loss lingered.

His wedding leave was not long to begin with, and now more than half of it has passed. In another month or so, he will have to return to Yunzhou to take up his post.

That was the front line against the Liao people. The mountains were high and the roads were long. Once they parted, he would have to wait at least a year and a half before he could return to the capital after his term of office was over and he was transferred.

This means he will inevitably miss the birth of his child.

Zhang Yun's joy was instantly replaced by guilt.

The two were very close, and Shilan naturally did not miss the change in his expression. She guessed what was going on and sighed.

She recalled that when she first chose Zhang Yun, besides his distinguished family background and upright character, the most important thing she valued was that he was stationed at the border for a long time.

Being separated by such a vast distance means that even if they don't get along after marriage, it's good that they won't interfere with each other.

Who could have predicted that their relationship would develop to this extent in just a few months?

Now, when she thinks of him going to the border, separated from her by thousands of miles, her reluctance grows wildly.

A sense of worry lingered in my mind.

Suddenly, Shilan recalled something her brother, Nian Gengyao, had said to her during a casual conversation.

Before the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, the Ming Dynasty had a type of cannon called the Hongyi Cannon, which had an extremely long range and terrifying power. One shot could devastate several miles!

Even though the Manchu cavalry was brave and invincible, they were still blocked outside Shanhaiguan for several years!

"If the Ming Dynasty hadn't become so corrupt internally, with its ruler and ministers becoming increasingly alienated and its treasury empty, it's uncertain whether the Qing Dynasty would have been able to conquer the Central Plains!"

"It's a pity that after entering the pass, the royal family was wary of the power of firearms and relied on horseback archery as the foundation of the country. So they sealed most of those good things in the warehouse and strictly prohibited the private manufacture of them."

She still remembers the look of regret and heartache on her brother's face when he talked about it.

Because the Nian family were, after all, Han Chinese.

If it weren't for the fact that it was the Manchu emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, given Nian Gengyao's abilities, he would certainly have been given even more important positions.

But the older brother could never say that out loud; he could only vent his frustration by pretending that firearms and artillery were not valued.

firearm……

Shilan's heart suddenly started beating faster.

At night, after washing up, the couple lay down in each other's arms.

The curtains were drawn, and the maid who was keeping watch went to the outer room, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Shilan, resting her head on his arm, suddenly asked:

"Mingyuan, weren't the fireworks we watched during the Lantern Festival beautiful?"

Zhang Yun had already closed his eyes. Upon hearing this, he simply replied, "Of course it's beautiful."

"But those sparks are dangerous. I heard that the first craftsmen to make fireworks were burned."

Zhang Yun replied, "That is indeed true."

"What do you think would happen if those sparks didn't fly into the sky for people to see, but instead flew towards the crowd?"

How is it?

Zhang Yun opened his eyes and looked down at her: "It is extremely dangerous."

Shilan hugged his neck and whispered in his ear, "Tell me, what would it be like if we stuffed fireworks into iron pipes and shot them like crossbow bolts all the way to the enemy camp?"

Zhang Yun was taken aback at first, thinking his wife's idea was naive and bizarre.

But in the blink of an eye, a thought struck his mind like a thunderbolt!

cavalry!

The most formidable force of the Liao people was their iron cavalry, which moved like the wind and had an extremely strong impact!

In open field battles on plains, it is an extremely powerful weapon against infantry!

If it weren't for the high city walls that blocked our way, they would probably have already driven straight in.

Although defending the city was advantageous, it was often harassed by Liao cavalry patrolling the perimeter, making resupply difficult.

But what is the biggest weakness of cavalry?

First, I feared the loud noise would startle the horses; second, I feared the chaos caused by the fire!

If what Shilan described truly exists... it doesn't need to cause much damage; as long as it explodes within the enemy ranks, creating a terrifying sound and light, it would be enough to frighten well-trained warhorses, causing chaos and disorder!

This isn't just naive and bizarre; it's practically... a genius idea!

It is a brilliant idea that could change the balance of power on the border!

Zhang Yun sat up abruptly, his eyes shining brightly as he stared intently at Shi Lan: "Go on! How thick does that iron pipe need to be? How will it be launched? And what proportions should the fireworks inside be to make it fly farther and explode louder?"

Shilan was startled by his sudden excitement, but then felt a surge of joy.

He understood!

And they immediately grasped the key point.

She suppressed her excitement, shook her head, and revealed just the right amount of bewilderment and naivety: "I... how would I know these details? I was just letting my imagination run wild while watching the fireworks."

Zhang Yun's heart warmed, and he leaned down to kiss her lips deeply: "My dear Shilan! I think the Emperor is wrong, the real lucky star is clearly you!"

He hurriedly threw on his clothes and got out of bed: "I'll go find my father and elder brother to discuss this!"

Shilan watched his hurried departure, raised her hand and gently touched the corner of her lips that he had kissed, and smiled silently.

-

Wang Residence.

The large-scale funeral decorations in the mansion have been removed, leaving only some plain-colored decorations.

In the main hall, Wang Shiping was quietly reporting to his mother:

"...The luggage is almost all packed, and I've checked it again against the list. As for my eldest sister, I personally went to the Kang family to make arrangements and met with the Kang family patriarch. I made it clear that the Kang family is in a difficult situation and needs a lot from my Wang family. They assured me in front of me that they will treat my eldest sister well, so please rest assured, Mother."

Madam Wang, dressed in a dark blue casual dress, sat leaning against the couch by the window, a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand. She didn't even lift her eyelids when she heard this, only letting out a cold laugh: "Rely on them? That's all they have left to rely on now."

She seemed to have aged ten years overnight.

After her husband's death, her beloved eldest daughter's reputation was ruined.

The second daughter... whenever she thought of Wang Ruofu being carried away by Qin Zhengyang in front of the mourning hall that day, and the question Qin Zhengyang left behind before he left, her heart felt heavy and she felt an unventable anger.

"Although the Kang family has fallen on hard times, they still have some land and ancestral property in their hometown, so she won't starve." Madam Wang's voice was dry. "If she stays in the capital with her, she'll only be hated by everyone. If she goes back... at least she can stay with Yuan'er and be a stable, wealthy woman. If she makes a scene about divorce now, it will only tarnish your father's reputation and make him a laughingstock."

She paused, a cold smile curving her lips: "With the honor your father earned with his life, the Kang family wouldn't dare mistreat her if they wanted to leave any room for maneuver in the academic world."

Wang Shiping bowed his head and agreed, but in his heart he knew that this was how his younger sister's life would be from now on.

The prosperity of the capital, the social interactions among nobles, and the glorious title she might receive in the future were all no longer relevant to her.

But this is the best outcome her family can get for her right now.

Madam Wang paused, her hand still holding the prayer beads, and suddenly asked, "Has anyone from the Qin family come these past few days?"