The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

On the day of the palace banquet.

The women of the Zhang family, dressed in full regalia according to their rank, entered the palace along with the men of the family.

Upon reaching the boundary between the outer court and the inner palace, the men and women naturally separated. Shilan, supporting her mother-in-law Chen Ning, and her sister-in-law Shen, followed the eunuch leading the way to the inner palace where the Empress resided to pay their respects.

The palace was filled with joy. Consort Zhang, having given birth to a child, had been promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine, further solidifying her position.

Upon seeing the British Duke's entourage, especially Shilan, he personally came forward to greet them with a particularly sincere and warm smile.

Before long, Wang Ruofu, Bai Shi, Madam Wu, and others also arrived one after another.

Several close female relatives gathered together, chatting and laughing.

The hall was filled with the warmth of incense and the brilliance of pearls and jade. Because of Zhang Yun's great achievements, noblewomen came in an endless stream to congratulate Shi Lan and Chen Ning, their words full of flattery and envy.

Shilan wore a perfectly measured air of arrogance, yet handled the situation with great poise, remembering the similar scene that unfolded when her brother Nian Gengyao returned in triumph in her previous life.

In the corner, Madam Xue coldly watched Shilan, who was surrounded by everyone like a star, but a cold smile appeared on her lips.

Let's see how long you can be so smug!

After several rounds of drinks, as the banquet drew to a close, a palace maid with an anxious expression hurried in and whispered a few words in Consort Zhang's ear.

Zhang Fei's smile suddenly froze, and a hint of shock and anger flashed in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

She found an excuse to walk quietly to Shilan's side, and using her sleeve as a cover, gently tugged at her, whispering, "Something happened to Yun-ge'er, you need to come with me quickly."

Shilan's heart skipped a beat, and her mind, which had been somewhat hazy from the alcohol, instantly cleared.

He quickly gave his mother-in-law and sister-in-law a wink, then, under the pretext of changing his clothes, followed Consort Zhang out of the main hall.

Consort Zhang escorted her to the corridor, but then pushed her forward, urging her to follow the palace maid: "Go quickly, don't delay! I've made all the arrangements; take your men and leave the palace immediately. This matter must not be made public at this moment."

Shilan was completely bewildered. She had been wary and cautious, but considering that Consort Zhang and the Zhang family were bound by a shared destiny, and that the worry in her eyes for Zhang Yun was genuine, she decided to hurry and follow.

After several twists and turns, we arrived at the outside of a secluded side room.

The palace maid pushed open the door, and Shilan immediately saw Zhang Yun lying beside the couch.

He was in a very strange state at the moment; his marquis's robes were disheveled, his face was flushed, and his breathing was heavy and rapid, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

Not far from him, a palace maid with disheveled hair and tattered clothes was kneeling on the ground, trembling, her mouth gagged with a cloth.

The scene before her eyes made Shilan's heart sink instantly!

She thought of some terrible memories from her past life.

A long-lost surge of savagery and murderous intent erupted.

Her fingertips instantly dug into her palm.

"Your Highness, Madam!" Upon seeing this, the palace maid in charge of leading the way quickly stepped forward and reported rapidly and clearly: "It was this lowly servant who, under orders, put a potent drug in the Marquis's wine! Fortunately, our Her Highness was prepared and ordered us to secretly follow him, which is how we stopped him in time. Her Highness has instructed that Madam take the Marquis away from the palace and return to her residence immediately. Her Highness will handle the aftermath here and with the Emperor."

It turned out to be the case.

Shilan's rage instantly found a clear target, but seeing Zhang Yun's pained and enduring appearance, her anger turned into heartache.

She forced herself to look away from the cold gaze fixed on the palace maid, and turned to the palace servant who had led the way. Her voice was extremely low, yet carried a chilling intent: "Thank you for your trouble. Please also convey to Her Majesty that Qin Shilan will remember this favor. If the person behind this is found, I hope Her Majesty will inform them."

The palace maid was chilled to the bone by the ruthlessness that flashed in Shilan's eyes. She quickly lowered her head and replied, "Don't worry, Madam, I will definitely deliver the message."

Without delay, Shilan gestured for two eunuchs who looked quite strong to come forward and help Zhang Yun, who was almost unable to stand, up.

When Zhang Yun came into contact with someone, his body trembled violently, and he instinctively resisted. But he had not completely lost his reason. When he heard Shi Lan's voice and recognized her, he stopped resisting.

Shilan felt a softening in her heart.

"Quick, let's go out through the nearest side door!"

They traveled swiftly, fortunately Zhang Fei had made thorough arrangements, the path was remote and sparsely populated.

Upon exiting the palace gates, Mangkhut had already received word and prepared a carriage, waiting for them.

Seeing from afar that his master was not in good condition when he was helped out, he was shocked and quickly put down the footstool and came over to help.

When Shilan entered the carriage, her hair was disheveled and her breathing was uneven.

Just then, Zhang Yun unconsciously leaned closer. His remaining rationality was about to be completely consumed by the drug, and when he smelled Shi Lan's familiar fragrance, he was even less willing to resist. He buried his burning face in her neck, and his large hands unconsciously clung to her, holding her tightly and refusing to let go.

Shilan was both anxious and angry, mentally cursing the culprit who had orchestrated this scheme a thousand times over!

It was too late to return to the Duke of England's residence at this point.

However, the mansion bestowed by the emperor was not far from here. They lived in harmony with their parents and elder brother's family, and since they were not in a hurry to establish their own mansion and live separately, it was still empty at this time.

He then called out urgently to Shanzhu, "Don't go home, go to the Jingbian Marquis's residence! It's closer there, hurry!"

Mangosteen quickly agreed.

He jumped onto the carriage shaft, flicked the reins, and the carriage sped off toward the new mansion.

Inside the carriage, the jolts intensified Zhang Yun's pain and further eroded his self-control.

His breathing grew heavier and heavier, and he began to tear at his clothes with unbearable urges, oblivious to Shilan's presence.

Thinking that the carriage was currently speeding down the street, Shilan blushed, clutching her collar tightly to prevent him from succeeding. At the same time, she felt heartbroken and could only try her best to comfort him while urging Shanzhu, "Faster! Shanzhu, faster!"

at last!

The Marquis of Jingbian's residence is in sight.

Mangosteen drove the carriage directly through the side gate, and as soon as it came to a stop, the mistress's command came from inside the carriage:

"Mangkhut, get out! Keep the gates tightly shut, and don't let anyone in! Go and find the best doctor in the capital right now, any doctor will do, make sure he comes here first thing tomorrow morning! Go now!"

Although he tried his best to keep his voice steady, it still carried an indescribable slight tremor.

Mangosteen's ears burned with embarrassment. She dared not look any longer and quickly agreed, doing as instructed.

The heavy gates of the mansion closed, isolating it from the outside world.

Only the horse-drawn carriages remained, their sounds continuing into the middle of the night.