The northern wilderness, dotted with large tents.
However, despite the triumphant return from defeating the northern Beiman tribes, there was not a trace of joy on the faces of the soldiers and generals in the army camp.
Almost everyone's gaze was fixed on the central bright yellow tent.
That was the tent where their Emperor personally led them into battle.
The Emperor sat upright at the desk, eyes falling on the generals kneeling on one knee before her.
The tent grew increasingly quiet.
After a brief, gentle cough, she spoke slowly and firmly, "The abdication edict has been swiftly dispatched to the capital. From now on, you must diligently support the New Emperor, guard the Dayin borders, and thwart any foreign ambitions."
"We will faithfully obey Your Majesty's command!"
The response echoed through the tent, contrasting with the somewhat hoarse female voice from before. However, it was not difficult to hear that some voices were choked with emotion, struggling not to cry.
"All of you may leave now, I wish to rest."
"Please, Your Majesty, take all necessary care."
After watching the last person leave the tent, Jiang Lingxi finally relaxed her upright back a bit, accepting a cup of clear water handed to her and drinking it all in one go.
"Your Majesty, let Qing Yuan help you to the bed to rest for a while."
Turning her head, Jiang Lingxi saw Qing Yuan with red-rimmed eyes. Unable to help herself, she chuckled, "You're in your thirties and still crying?"
Facing those eyes that possessed a natural authority mixed with a gentle humor, Qing Yuan blinked quickly to hold back her tears, forcing a smile, "Please don't make fun of Qing Yuan, Your Majesty."
Using her strength, Jiang Lingxi slowly stood up, walked to the bed, and sat down, taking hold of Qing Yuan's hand as she was about to withdraw it, "I'm most aware of my own body, I'm afraid I won't make it back to the capital."
Stopping Qing Yuan, who was about to speak with reddened eyes, with a look, she continued, "In this battle, Beiman was decisively defeated; they won't dare come near our borders for the next hundred years. The New Emperor, whom I personally selected, is kind-hearted, and with the Prime Minister's assistance, there is nothing I'm worried about. But as for you, although life in the palace is free from wants, it is not free. Once I am gone, you may leave the palace if you wish. The estate and house I rewarded you with years ago have been well maintained."
Qing Yuan bit her lips hard, unable to hold back, burst into tears after a moment.
"The flood in Jiangnan, the Prime Minister went personally to handle it. I'm afraid I won't live to see Shen Qing's report."
"The Prime Minister's talent is exceptional, surely he will not cause Your Majesty any concern."
Jiang Lingxi couldn't help but smile slightly, thinking of the proud figure who dared to contradict her in court, "That is true."
"Your Majesty, please rest for a while, and later take your medicine."
When Qing Yuan returned cautiously carrying a freshly brewed bowl of medicine, she saw the Empress's thin, serene sleeping face, a face that could stun anyone even amidst countless soldiers despite weathering hardships.
It was just that it had been a long time since the Empress had slept so deeply.
Wait, ever since contracting a cold, the Empress would always slightly frown even when asleep.
"Crash!" The medicine bowl fell, the dark brown liquid splashing everywhere.
But the Emperor on the bed could no longer open her eyes, to look up and jokingly scold her: clumsy fool.
In the twenty-ninth year of Yuan Zhao, the Empress Yuan Zhao, who once fought her siblings fiercely to seize the throne, and during her reign, led the Yuan Zhao era to prosperity. On her triumphant return from personally leading the army against Beiman, she succumbed to injuries and a lingering cold and, unfortunately, passed away.
From then on, the mountains and rivers crumbled!
"I saw Xixi's eyelids move, is she waking up?"
"You stay here, I'll go get the doctor."
Voices speaking, footsteps coming and going, all sorts of sounds rushed into her ears, and Jiang Lingxi frowned impatiently.
She felt like she was immersed in a distant and long dream, a rare complete sleep since ascending to the throne, yet someone was disturbing her.
It wasn't until someone was about to lift her eyelids that she was forced to open her eyes.
She saw two heads on either side getting closer.
"Awake, awake, finally awake!"
"Jiang Lingxi, how many fingers do you see?"
Light filled in, and the dream she had while asleep began to fade quickly, yet Jiang Lingxi managed to capture some key information.
Perhaps it wasn't a dream but rather a glimpse into the short life of another girl with her exact name.
And these two people right in front of her, who had just appeared in that dream, confirmed this.
She then looked at the two fingers reaching towards her from the short-haired man dressed in white, who back in her time would be called Doctor but now was being referred to as a doctor, Jiang Lingxi: "..."
She closed her eyes, then opened them again, and with difficulty, spoke, "Two!"
"Vision is normal, cognitive function is normal." The doctor withdrew his hand, "But to be safe, we need to keep observing. After conducting some tests, you can be discharged. The patient might still experience discomfort like dizziness or nausea, if anything occurs, notify me immediately."
Tong Yue nodded repeatedly while sending the doctor off. Left by the bedside, Lu Zhengzheng was still beaming, "Xixi, how do you feel now? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
Hearing the name Xixi again, Jiang Lingxi was momentarily dazed.
The only one who used to call her that was her younger sister who died young, Princess Jin'an, Jiang Ling'an.
Coming back to her senses, she realized that she still didn't like looking at people from below, "I want to sit up for a while."
Lu Zhengzheng hurriedly adjusted the bed elevation considerately, asking as she did so, "Is this height alright?"
Lu Zhengzheng promptly stopped her actions. For some reason, facing the newly awakened Xixi, especially when she looked over, Lu Zhengzheng felt inexplicably nervous.
Even when Xixi was mad at her before, she wasn't this nervous.
Feeling unable to just stand idly, she thought for a moment and asked, "Then, Xixi, would you like some water?"
Jiang Lingxi naturally noticed the little girl's nervousness and confusion and understood why she felt that way.
Even though she tried hard to restrain it, her authoritative presence cultivated over thirty years of ruling wasn't something easily cast aside.
Feeling her throat a bit dry, she nodded, "Alright."
Watching Lu Zhengzheng breathe a sigh of relief and turn to fetch water, Jiang Lingxi lowered her eyes to her now soft, youthful hands without a hint of calluses, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Despite her disbelief, the fact that she had now reincarnated into the body of a twenty-two-year-old girl was undeniable.
What amazed her more was the era she found herself in, more than a thousand years beyond the Dayin Dynasty she was familiar with.
However, to be reborn past a millennium of history, to witness the grand achievements of this era firsthand, was a blessing for her.
Even the series of issues left behind for her by this body's former resident before dying seemed more manageable with this perspective. Fresh chapters posted on n0velfire.net