The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The smiles on the faces of the Yuan couple froze. Yuan Wenchun forced himself to remain calm: "What do you mean by that, Aunt?"

Shilan raised her eyes, a cold sneer curling at the corner of her lips: "Am I wrong? What kind of family is your Zhongqin Earl's Mansion? The Sheng family is just a sub-prefect, a mere sixth-rank official. If he were truly arrogant, daring to refuse the marriage in public and not allow the betrothal gifts to be unloaded, wouldn't your Yuan family have had ways to deal with him? The fact that you're now holding your hands and feet only shows that you were in the wrong first. Since you were in the wrong, you should sincerely apologize and humble yourself to beg him properly. Instead, instead of thinking about how to make amends, you want to use your power to suppress him. You have a good idea, but unfortunately, you've chosen the wrong person."

She raised her chin, exuding an air of nobility and arrogance: "The power of my Jingbian Marquis's mansion is not something that just anyone can borrow and use."

Yuan Wenchun blushed deeply at these blunt and sharp words, and stood frozen in place for a moment. In the end, he was unable to say anything polite. He forced a bow, and together with Zhang Shi, who also looked embarrassed, he hurriedly took his leave.

Shilan didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, let alone get up to see him off.

Zhang Yun remained seated until the footsteps of the two men faded into the distance, then chuckled softly and leaned forward with a hint of curiosity to ask, "Is Lady Zhongqin feigning illness?"

He was, after all, a man, and not well-informed about the intricate details of life within the inner quarters.

"No, he's really sick, quite seriously." Shilan scoffed, "It's a brain disease."

"The disease has reached the point of no return, and no medicine can cure it."

He then told Zhang Yun what he had heard from Wang Ruofu and Madam Wu at Jinming Pond in Bianjing: how Madam Zhang of the Marquis of Zhongqin looked down on the Sheng family and was unwilling to come in person to make the betrothal.

Zhang Yun listened with great interest, but was also somewhat puzzled: "Why do you say that Madam Zhang married her eldest son to her own niece, but when it comes to her second son, he can only look for someone from an even lower social class? Our sister-in-law's social standing doesn't seem to be as good as yours."

"How can they be the same?" Shilan patiently explained to him, "Firstly, we are, after all, the Duke's Mansion, with deep roots. How can we compare to their Zhongqin Earl's Mansion, which is on the decline? Secondly, although my sister-in-law's family is not as good as mine, my mother chose her for my elder brother because she valued the Shen family's upright family tradition and my sister-in-law's dignified and reasonable character."

Having a low status as the eldest daughter-in-law is not entirely a bad thing; if the sisters-in-law who enter later have a higher status, they can better establish themselves in the family.

However, Madam Zhang happened to marry her own niece, which meant that the two women were destined to be closely connected, and no matter what the family background of any future daughter-in-law who married into the family was, she would be excluded.

"More importantly..." She glanced at Zhang Yun with a smile, "You've proven yourself. Before our engagement, you already had a real job with a promising future. And your mother-in-law is exceptionally open-minded and kind."

She changed the subject, returning to the Yuan family: "The Yuan family is different. They've already declined. Everyone knows that when they were arranging a marriage for their eldest son, this Madam Zhang used the excuse that family members didn't need to be so formal, and even lowered the dowry. With such behavior, what family would dare to marry their daughter into such a family? Yuan Wenshao is only the second son, with no title to inherit, and his mother-in-law has such a petty attitude. Whoever marries into that family is destined to suffer. A noblewoman marries either hoping for a successful husband or a kind and harmonious in-law family; she needs to have a good future. A family like the Yuan's is clearly a pit of fire; only a fool would jump in."

This was the first time Zhang Yun had heard such a commentary from the perspective of a woman's situation, and she listened with great interest, finding it quite novel.

But what delighted him even more was: "So, in my wife's eyes, I am such a good husband?"

Shilan chuckled at his words and lightly tapped his forehead with her fingertip: "Yes, what else did you think? My standards, Qin Shilan's, are the highest."

While the couple were displaying their tender affection, under the same moonlight, the atmosphere in the courtyard of the Sheng family matriarch was rather cold and solemn.

Sheng Hong frowned, his face full of disapproval: "Break off the engagement? How can that be!"

Hey sat opposite him, his expression calm and undisturbed.

She wasn't particularly beautiful, just pretty, but the calm, scholarly air between her brows and the composed demeanor that came from years of managing the household affairs gave her an undeniable presence.

Faced with her husband's exasperation, she calmly replied, "The Yuan family is not a good match. My cousin has a son who is five years older than Jing'er. He is excellent in both learning and character, but his mother passed away suddenly. After the mourning period, his fiancée married someone else, which delayed the marriage. I have already asked my sister-in-law to inquire, and my cousin's family is very willing to arrange this marriage. We can visit them in person after the autumn harvest."

She emphasized the word "personally".

Sheng Hong understood, his old face flushed slightly, but he still asked, "Then how will you explain this to the Yuan family?"

"Explain?"

A faint hint of mockery flickered across Hai's lips: "Just as the lord agreed to the Yuan family's offer, so too should he refuse them now. It was their rudeness first, and their disrespect later."

"But that's the Earl's mansion!" Sheng Hong emphasized.

Hai raised her eyes, her gaze clear and seemingly all-knowing: "So what? The one our Jing'er has chosen isn't the eldest son who can inherit the title, but just the second son who can at most get a hereditary official position by relying on the family's legacy. Do you think the Yuan family would be willing to send him to the battlefield to fight for a future with real swords and spears? Without military merit, for a noble family like theirs, becoming the commander of the Imperial Guard would be considered a success."

Hai sneered, "You haven't seen a single benefit, yet you're already putting on airs like a count's mansion. You've only just made a betrothal, and you dare to be so arrogant and rude. If you really marry into the family, you can imagine what Jing'er's life will be like."

She paused, looked directly at Sheng Hong, and said without any mercy, "Let me be more explicit. The reason people act this way isn't because they look down on my Jing'er, but because they look down on you, Sheng Hong! If you enjoy being despised, go ahead and do it yourself, don't drag my Jing'er into it!"

"You!" Sheng Hong's expression changed drastically, his chest heaving violently, but he managed to suppress his anger.

After a moment, he changed his tone and said, "Jing'er is also my daughter, how could I not love her? You always misunderstand me like this, for so many years, you've been misunderstanding me all along. I..."

"Alright." Hai interrupted him directly: "I have my own scales to judge right and wrong. This marriage was arranged by you and the old lady, bypassing me, your own mother. I gave you a chance, but now that it's not going to work out, I will never let Jing'er follow in my footsteps and spend her whole life filling a pit of fire."

She stood up, her face as cold as ice: "It's late, my lord, you should go back and rest early."

After saying this, he went straight back to his inner room. His maid, Madam He, familiarly stepped forward to urge him on, saying, "My lord, please."

Looking at the courtyard gate that closed without hesitation, Sheng Hong stood in the night wind, feeling utterly powerless.

When Madam He returned to the inner room, she saw the mistress supporting her head with her hand, leaning on the couch. Knowing that she was also feeling unwell, she stepped forward and said softly, "Madam, please don't take it to heart. Your health is the most important thing."

"Why should I be angry?" Hai said indifferently, "After all these years, I've long since figured it out. It's not worth getting emotional over someone like him."

To show her determination, she changed the subject: "Are the children all asleep?"

"They've all gone to bed. Sixth Miss was thinking about Consort Wei's pregnancy all evening, so she went to keep her company for a while. She came back a little late and has now retired for the night."

Mrs. Hai nodded, her expression softening slightly: "He's a filial child."

Madam He said, "It's because you are kind and generous, Madam. In an ordinary family, how could a girl be allowed to think so much about her birth mother?"

Hai glanced at her: "You've forgotten, my birth mother was also a concubine. When I was little, my stepmother treated me like her own daughter, but I always felt there was a void in my heart. This is the unique blood bond between mother and daughter, which no amount of rules or etiquette can sever."

Knowing she had spoken out of turn, Mrs. He dared not say anything more.

Hai sighed softly, "Let her be. Also, keep an eye on Wei, after all, I was the one who brought her in."

Mrs. He quickly agreed.