The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The entire capital was immersed in the joy of the great victory in the northern frontier.

After all, this was the first time in a century, and everyone felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

Against this backdrop of universal celebration, the plain white banner silently hanging at the entrance of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence appeared particularly desolate.

After the funeral of Old Madam Gu ended, Gu Tingyu, whose body was already weak, finally couldn't hold on and fell seriously ill, losing a lot of weight. This scared Gu Yankai so much that he almost died as well.

Strangely, although Gu Tingyu's body had deteriorated further, his beautiful eyes, which were exactly like those of Da Qinshi, no longer held the melancholy and hesitation of the past, but instead revealed peace and clarity.

The most noticeable change occurred on a clear autumn morning before the autumn dew had dried.

He ran into Mr. Bai, who was on his way to conduct business, in the corridor.

Instead of instinctively averting his gaze as usual, or stiffly bowing and hastily looking away, he stopped, looked at her calmly, and then bowed respectfully.

Good morning, Mother.

That word "mother" sounded warm and natural, carrying a long-lost sense of closeness.

Bai was taken aback at first, then her heart burned with joy and she was overjoyed.

However, the hope that her patience would finally pay off did not come. A little later, as she was enthusiastically preparing Yu-ge'er's favorite snacks in the kitchen, Gu Yankai stormed in, his face ashen, and immediately said:

"Give up on that idea! All I can give you is the title and position of Lady of the Marquis! Even if my eldest son... even if something happens to him in the future, I would rather adopt a nephew from the fourth or fifth branch of the family to inherit this title than let you have your way! Put away those thoughts you shouldn't have!"

Bai was shocked and furious by the barrage of accusations, her chest heaving violently.

But she suppressed her anger and maintained her composure, trying to get to the bottom of things: "Explain yourself! What have I been thinking? What have I done to make you so angry?"

At this moment, Gu Tingyu also arrived.

His expression remained calm, even ignoring his enraged father, and he looked only at Madam Bai, speaking gently: "Mother, this has nothing to do with you. It was I who suggested to Father that I return to my hometown to keep vigil for my maternal grandmother."

Bai looked at him in astonishment. Why did he have to go back to his hometown just to keep vigil?

They haven't even mentioned the number of years!

Bai instantly understood his intention.

"Brother Yu—"

"Mother!" Gu Tingyu interrupted him, smiled slightly at her, and said calmly, "Mother, you must take good care of yourself at home. Teach Xiao Er well; he has a pure heart and good talent, and he will surely bring honor to your family in the future."

After speaking, he straightened his robes and solemnly bowed to Madam Bai:

"Mother, thank you for raising me all these years. Your son is unfilial and unable to be by your side often. From now on, I can only wish you a long and healthy life filled with joy."

Gu Yankai stared at the scene before him, feeling extremely annoyed. He flicked his sleeve and turned to leave in a hurry.

Tears streamed down Bai's face as she rushed forward to support him. Feeling the boy's thin frame beneath his thick autumn clothes, her voice choked with sobs, she said, "Silly child, why must you do this? This is a muddled mess we adults made; it has nothing to do with you. Just focus on getting better, don't think about anything. Your mother will take care of things for you in the future—marriage, children, a peaceful life. Just like Fu-ge'er and Bai-ge'er, live your life peacefully. Why…why force yourself to this point?"

Gu Tingyu raised his head, his eyes also filled with tears, yet with a sense of relief and composure: "The sins of the mother are the sins of the son. I was born of her, how can I stand aside? Besides, as long as I am at home, Father's knot in his heart will remain untied, and you and Xiao Er will only continue to suffer because of me, never finding peace. Mother, please take care. Take care."

After saying this, he bowed to Bai Shi one last time, turned and left with unusual resolve.

Through her teary eyes, Bai watched his retreating figure disappear at the end of the corridor, her heart aching terribly. Yet, reason told her that this might be the only way for her to preserve this genuine mother-son bond with the child.

Finally, after Gu Tingye's tearful pleading, Gu Tingyu boarded a carriage ten days later and resolutely left Bianjing, escorted by twenty or thirty guards.

Autumn is in full swing, and it is the most beautiful time of year in Beijing.

On this day, the sun shone brightly and the weather was refreshing.

Zhang Yun, the newly appointed Marquis of Jingbian, led his army back to the capital.

The news had already spread far and wide, and the main streets from the city gates to the imperial city were packed with people eagerly waiting. Cheers rose in waves, and flowers and colorful ribbons were scattered everywhere.

The entire Duke of England's household came out in force, with the men waiting inside the city gates and the women sitting in the teahouses on both sides of the Imperial Street.

But regardless of age or gender, everyone had a rosy complexion and looked on with eager anticipation.

When the familiar Zhang-character banner and the even more imposing Jingbian Marquis banner appeared at the city gate, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

Zhang Yun, dressed in gleaming armor and draped in a scarlet cloak, sat atop a tall horse. His face, weathered by the winds and frosts of the frontier, was even more resolute, his gaze sharp as lightning, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

Fu Ge'er could no longer contain himself. After his grandfather nodded, he dashed out from his family like a little leopard, shouting as he ran, "Daddy! Daddy!"

Zhang Yun spotted his son at a glance, and his cold expression instantly melted away, replaced by a radiant smile.

He reined in his horse, and before Fu Ge'er could run up to him, he bent down, reached out, and steadily scooped up the little guy, placing him directly on the saddle in front of him.

Fu Ge'er's face flushed with excitement as he clung tightly to his father's arm, basking in the double joy of being the center of attention and being held in his father's arms, almost forgetting everything else.

"Father! Look over there!" Fu Ge'er suddenly pointed to the second floor of an elegantly decorated teahouse on the street, where the windows were wide open.

Following the direction of Zhang Yun's gaze, his eyes precisely caught the figure standing by the window.

Shilan was dressed in a festive yet dignified crimson dress, her hair styled in a high bun, and she was smiling as she looked at the father and son.

Their eyes met from afar, a thousand words and endless longing were spoken in that instant when their gazes met, and they understood each other perfectly.

Inside the teahouse, Hua Jie'er, standing beside Shi Lan, looked down at Fu Ge'er, who was riding a horse in the limelight, and her eyes revealed undisguised envy.

Even the usually composed Cheng Bai showed a rare look of longing at this moment.

The Emperor had already issued an edict to hold a banquet at the Qilin Pavilion on an auspicious day to welcome Marquis Jingbian and all the meritorious generals and soldiers.

The Zhang family's glory reached an unprecedented peak at this moment.

-

The atmosphere in another teahouse private room facing the street was completely different.

The fourth daughter of the Xue family stared intently at the slowly passing procession downstairs, her gaze fixed on the young general beside Zhang Yun. That was the former Deputy General Han, who had now been promoted to general.

Seeing his spirited and beloved appearance, and thinking of her own grievances of not being able to have him, Miss Xue was so angry that she trembled all over. She suddenly grabbed the teacup on the table and slammed it hard on the ground!

"It's all your fault! I clearly said I was willing to be his secondary wife! But you wouldn't agree! You forced him to divorce that village woman! Now look what's happened! A perfectly good, loyal, and promising young man has been driven to utter despair by you! Are you happy now?!"

After she finished her shrill cry, she covered her face, felt extremely wronged, and rushed out of the private room, crying all the way home.

The wet nurse wanted to give chase, but Madam Xue said, "Let her go!"

The wet nurse said, "Madam, please don't be angry with Fourth Miss. She's just..."

"Why should I get angry with her?" Madam Xue's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. She squeezed out the words through gritted teeth: "She's young and doesn't understand the world of difference between a concubine and the principal wife. She was out of her mind and said those nonsense."

The tone shifted abruptly: "If anyone's angry, it's that Han fellow who doesn't know what's good for him! He's so ungrateful! And that Qin Er Niangzi, she's just meddling in other people's business!"

The wet nurse cautiously reminded her, "Madam, now... you should address her as Lady Jingbian Marquis, or Madam Qin."

"Shut up!" Madam Xue's pent-up anger exploded instantly. She grabbed another teacup and smashed it over her shoulder. "You idiot! She's so young and yet she's on equal footing with me. Do you think that's something to be proud of?"

Thinking of the Zhang family's current glory, thinking of how Wang Ruofu made her a laughingstock on the polo field that day, and thinking of her sister Xue Si's aggrieved tears today, old and new grudges intertwined, and her hatred for Qin Shilan reached its peak.

Suddenly, a wicked thought popped into my head.

Just imagining it made her feel quite relieved.

She slowly sat up straight, a cold smile playing on her lips:

"Lord Jingbian is overjoyed, for he has rendered meritorious service to the country. How can we not present him with a generous gift to express our congratulations?"