The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Qin Zhengyang was not a high-ranking official, so the news that he could easily learn about spread throughout the court and the public within two days.

The imperial court was in an uproar over Zhang Yun's daring initiative.

The daily court discussions became a battlefield where the pro-war and pro-peace factions argued fiercely, with everyone arguing until their faces turned red, and in the heat of the moment, they even dared to physically fight.

The emperor sits high on his dragon throne every day, looking at the chaotic scene below, and he is also very troubled.

The news was relayed back to the British government intermittently.

In contrast to the intense atmosphere in the court, Shilan breathed a sigh of relief after the initial tension.

In any case, it's good that you're safe!

As for the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun... forgive her, she was not a bookworm in her past life, she couldn't even string together a few lines of poetry, let alone the more profound and tedious history books.

She only vaguely remembered that the Beijing of later generations seemed to be the present-day Youzhou, the capital established during the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

She must have gotten it back, but she really couldn't remember who did it, and she didn't really understand what the gains and losses would be if she could get it back or not.

All the family can do now is patiently wait for the people in the halls of power to come to a conclusion.

This argument lasted for half a month.

Zhang Yun, who was stationed at the border, was indeed a hot-blooded and impulsive man. Before the imperial order to stop his troops arrived, he led his army to advance again and captured three more cities with lightning speed!

Thus, eight of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, which had been occupied for many years, have been reclaimed!

The Liao Kingdom dispatched envoys without delay, bringing lavish gifts to the capital. They abandoned their previous arrogant attitude and humbly and obsequiously presented a letter seeking peace. Not only was the emperor extremely pleased, but even the pro-war faction felt elated and could not suppress the increasingly surging tide of remonstrances from the pro-peace faction.

An imperial edict was sent to Yunzhou by express courier: General Zhang Yun, the commander of the border pacification force, was ordered to immediately cease hostilities, properly settle the recovered prefectures and counties, and return to the capital in triumph at a later date!

In recognition of his merits, he was specially promoted to a higher rank and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Jingbian!

He even specially gifted a large mansion as his residence.

Shilan also received an imperial decree.

The message, along with the imperial edict and Shilan's decree, was delivered together.

The entire British Duke's residence was naturally filled with jubilation.

The servants spread the news, and Chen Ning wept with joy, repeatedly praying for the Bodhisattva's blessing.

Shilan, who had been anxious for months, finally felt relieved. She hugged Fuge and the two smiled at each other.

Only Duke Zhang Qing and his heir Zhang Xian, after their initial joy, looked at each other and saw the same regret in each other's eyes.

Sixteen states.

They only got half back.

pity!

-

Almost simultaneously, the Dongchang Marquis's residence also welcomed an imperial envoy who read out the imperial edict promoting Qin Zhengyang to the rank of a fourth-grade official in a certain department of the Ministry of Works.

While this may not be as prestigious as military achievements and titles, it is certainly better and offers promising prospects.

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Wang Ruofu was overjoyed: "That's great! Shilan can finally rest easy! Who would have thought we'd turn misfortune into a blessing in disguise!"

The entire household was filled with joy.

Only Cheng Bai showed little joy on his face.

The young man's heart was filled with the same regret as that of the Duke and his son.

Only eight states!

Why stop here when we could have reclaimed all the lost territory in one fell swoop?

Our dynasty is now far stronger than the Liao Dynasty. We should take advantage of its weakness and kill it to eliminate any future troubles!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more he felt that those pro-peace officials were weak and incompetent.

His resolve to take the imperial examinations, enter officialdom, and rise through the ranks of the court to rid the world of its chronic diseases grew ever stronger.

-

Firearms such as the Hongyi cannons shone brightly in this battle.

Its existence and power can no longer be concealed.

Soon, many of the artisans involved in the research and development, including Chen Zhao's husband Cui Jingming, received rewards from the imperial court, either being granted official positions or bestowed with gold and silver.

Because of his role in overseeing and assisting with this matter, Qin Zhengyang was among the officials who received praise.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yankai was first taken aback, then felt a bitter pang in his heart.

There was also a hint of jealousy.

If the British government had made these firearms public earlier and distributed them to the various border troops, he wouldn't have failed to achieve anything when he was stationed there.

Zhang Yun was a few years younger than him. He was the second son of the Duke's family and relied on his eldest brother's protection and support throughout his life.

Now, however, he has risen to a position on par with his predecessors based on his genuine military achievements.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

Just as I was feeling extremely troubled, a maid rushed in to report: "My lord, something terrible has happened! The old lady... the old lady has suddenly fainted, and the physician says it might not be good for her!"

Gu Yankai's expression changed, and he hurriedly got up and rushed over.

-

In the room filled with the smell of medicine, Old Madam Gu's face was ashen, and she was barely breathing.

She managed to dismiss all the servants in the room, leaving only Gu Tingyu present.

Looking at her sickly grandson, a pang of heartache flashed in Madam Gu's eyes: "My poor Yu'er, you've suffered so much these past years."

Gu Tingyu's heart trembled violently, and tears instantly streamed down his face.

"grandmother……"

Madam Gu sighed, "You hate me, don't you, Yu'er? You should only hate me. Back then, it was I who defied all opinions and insisted on divorcing your mother, Lady Qin, to preserve our family's reputation and title. It had nothing to do with anyone else."

She said with difficulty, "Over the years, I've observed Bai Shi with a cold eye. Although she comes from a merchant family, she truly loves you with all her heart, and she's not a bad person. As for your father, I've come to understand him better over the years. He's the most foolish one. He clings to old feelings but can't let go of reality, making his life conflicted and delaying others. Don't be like him."

She rested for a moment, gathering her last bit of strength: "Remember your grandmother's words. You are the eldest grandson, and if you want the title in this household, it is perfectly legitimate, and no one can compete with you for it. But nothing... is more important than your health. Remember, whether it's your father or your stepmother, and no matter what they fight for or how they fight in the future, stay away from anyone who doesn't care about your health, understand?"

Gu Tingyu was already in tears, leaning over the bedside, choking out, "Grandson remembers...Grandson remembers, Grandmother, please don't leave me. I hate no one anymore, I hate no one anymore."

The old lady seemed to have finally put her last worry to rest; her eyes gradually became unfocused, and her breathing stopped.

Gu Tingyu knelt before the bed, sobbing uncontrollably, releasing all the grievances he had kept hidden in his heart for so many years through this moment of grief.

How difficult have his life been over the years?

The Ningyuan Marquis's mansion was never a monolithic entity; there were countless wicked people in the backyard who couldn't stand the harmony of the main branch of the family.

In previous years, his true identity was revealed to him. After learning how his birth mother, Lady Qin, was abandoned and how she died in despair, he found it difficult to face Lady Bai.

But he couldn't bring himself to hate Bai.

There is no doubt that Bai treated him well. From the time he could remember, Bai was the only mother in his heart.

I wish I could.

But he could no longer be as close to her or as dependent on her as before, without any reservations.

Despite Bai's apparent awareness of his growing distance, she continued to care for him in every detail, arranging medical treatment for him and taking care of everything for him.

That cautious attempt to make amends and his genuine sincerity only added to his torment.

Unable to obtain the love.

The inner turmoil he was experiencing had reached its peak.

(At this point, the changes in the characters before the main story of The Story of Minglan caused by Shilan's arrival have been explained. Next, Shilan's daughter will be born, Guifen will be born, and Rulan will be born, which will lead to the main storyline. The Sheng family will also be able to appear.)