In the vast wilderness north of the empire, numerous large tents were pitched.

Despite the triumphant return of the imperial army after subduing the barbarian tribes in the north, there was no hint of joy on the faces of the soldiers and generals within the entire camp.

Almost everyone's gaze was fixed on the prominent bright yellow tent positioned at the center.

That was the great tent where their emperor had led them in person on this expedition.

Inside the tent.

The emperor sat upright behind a table, eyes resting on the kneeling generals before him.

The tent grew quieter.

After a brief moment of clearing her throat, she spoke slowly and firmly, "The decree of abdication has been expedited to the capital. From now on, all of you must wholeheartedly assist the new emperor, safeguard the borders of our dynasty, and thwart any ambitions of foreign incursions."

"We obey Your Majesty's command!"

Compared to her somewhat husky voice earlier, the resounding response from everyone echoed through the tent, but one could detect the choked-up voices of those holding back tears.

"You may all leave. I wish to rest for a while."

"May Your Majesty take good care."

As she watched the last person exit the tent, Jiang Lingxi's stiff posture finally relaxed a bit. A cup of clear water was handed to her side, which she accepted and drank in one gulp.

"Your Majesty, let Qingyuan assist you to rest on the bed for a moment."

Jiang Lingxi turned around to see Qingyuan, her eyes reddened, and couldn't help but chuckle softly, "You're over thirty years old and still sniffling!"

Meeting those eyes that naturally carried both authority and a hint of tenderness, Qingyuan quickly blinked back tears, struggling to curve her lips upwards, "Your Majesty, please don't tease Qingyuan."

Supported by Qingyuan's strength, Jiang Lingxi slowly rose and walked to the bedside to sit down, simultaneously grabbing Qingyuan's hand which was about to retract. "I know my body best. I'm afraid I won't make it back to the capital."

With her eyes, she stopped Qingyuan, who was about to speak with teary eyes, and continued, "The northern barbarians have suffered a major defeat in this battle and will not dare to invade our borders on a large scale for a hundred years. The new emperor is someone I personally chose, gentle in temperament, and with the prime minister's assistance, I have no worries. It's you who I'm concerned about. Although you live comfortably in the palace, you lack freedom. After I'm gone, if you wish to leave the palace, you may. The manor and estate I awarded you years ago have been taken care of by others."

"Your Majesty!"

Qingyuan nearly bit her lip until it bled, but couldn't hold back her tears, which soon turned into sobs.

"It's just that the floods in the south... the prime minister has gone to manage them personally. I'm afraid I won't live to see the reports he sends."

"The prime minister is exceptionally capable and will not let Your Majesty worry."

Thinking of the only proud figure in the court who dared to challenge her, Jiang Lingxi couldn't help but smile faintly, "Indeed."

"Your Majesty, please rest. You'll need to take medicine later."

"Very well."

When Qingyuan cautiously brought a freshly brewed bowl of medicine back and approached the bed, she saw the empress's serene sleeping face, a countenance that, despite being weathered, could still captivate amidst a myriad of people and events.

But it had been a long time since the empress had slept so soundly.

Wait... since catching a chill, even when asleep, the empress would always furrow her brow slightly.

"Oops!" The bowl of medicine fell to the ground, and the dark brown liquid splattered out.

However, the emperor on the bed still didn't open her eyes, lifting her gaze towards Qingyuan with a smile, scolding her gently, "Clumsy."

In the twenty-ninth year of Yuanzhao, having seized the throne courageously amidst a struggle among her brothers, the illustrious Empress Yuanzhao ushered in an era of prosperity. During her triumphant return after defeating the northern barbarians in person, she fell ill from an unhealed wound and succumbed to a cold, tragically passing away.

Henceforth, the imperial mausoleum crumbled!

"I think I saw Sister Xixi's eyelids twitching. Is she waking up?"

"You stay here with her. I'll go call the doctor to come and check."

The voices, footsteps coming and going, and various other noises rushed into Jiang Lingxi's ears, causing her to furrow her brow in irritation.

She felt as if she were immersed in a distant and lengthy dream. Since ascending to the throne, she rarely had the luxury of sleeping through the night, and now someone was disturbing her.

It wasn't until her eyelids were about to be lifted by a hand that she was forced to open her eyes.

In front of her, two heads were slowly enlarging.

"Awake, awake, she's finally awake!"

"Jiang Lingxi, how many fingers do you see?"

As the light flooded in and the remnants of her dream faded quickly, Jiang Lingxi still managed to capture some crucial information.

Perhaps this wasn't a dream, but another brief life of a girl who shared her name and surname.

And the two individuals in front of her, who had just appeared in her dream, happened to confirm this.

Looking at the two fingers held up by the man in a white robe, formerly known as a physician and now referred to as a doctor, Jiang Lingxi hesitated.

She closed her eyes again and then opened them, struggling to speak, "Two!"

"Normal vision, normal thinking," the doctor withdrew his hand. "But just to be safe, we'll need to observe you further and complete the tests before you can be discharged. You might experience some discomfort, like dizziness or nausea. Let me know if anything happens."

Tong Yue nodded repeatedly as she escorted the doctor out, while Lu Zhenzhen, still by the bedside, looked delighted. "Sister Xixi, how do you feel now? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Upon hearing the address "Sister Xixi" again, Jiang Lingxi couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment.

The only person she remembered being called that was her young sister, the Princess Jin'an, who had died young.

Coming back to her senses, she realized she didn't like lying down like this. "I'd like to sit up for a while."

Lu Zhenzhen quickly adjusted the bed's height, asking, "Is this height okay?"

"It's fine."

Lu Zhenzhen stopped abruptly, feeling inexplicably nervous in front of the just-awakened Sister Xixi, especially when their eyes met. She had never felt this nervous even when Sister Xixi was scolding her.

Feeling like she couldn't just stand there, Lu Zhenzhen thought for a moment and asked, "Um, Sister Xixi, would you like some water?"

Jiang Lingxi naturally sensed the girl's nervousness and understood why she felt that way.

Even though she had been trying hard to restrain herself, the authority she had cultivated over nearly thirty years of rule was not so easily subdued.

Feeling a bit parched, she nodded, "Yes."

As Lu Zhenzhen let out a sigh of relief and turned to fetch the water, Jiang Lingxi lowered her eyes to her now smooth and uncalloused palms, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

Despite her disbelief, the fact remained that she had been reborn into the body of a twenty-two-year-old girl.

What surprised her even more was the era in which this girl lived, more than a thousand years after the familiar Great Yin Dynasty.

But to be able to traverse the river of history spanning over a thousand years, to have a second chance at life, and to witness firsthand the prosperity of this millennium, was a stroke of luck for her.

Just thinking about the mess left behind by the original body before her death, as relayed in her received memories, made the situation seem more acceptable.