Pain.
Her whole body ached.
As though she had been roughly ravaged.
“Today is the fifteenth. I have already given the empress the favor she desired. This time, the empress should be satisfied, shouldn’t she?”
A man’s low, hoarse voice, laced with anger, rang out.
Startled, Lin Anran abruptly sat upright and turned in shock.
A tall, imposing man stood by the bed, his icy gaze fixed upon her like a merciless blade.
Lin Anran suddenly felt a chill across her chest. Looking down instinctively, she flushed crimson and hurriedly yanked the blanket up to cover herself.
Seeing this, the man merely curled his lips into a mocking sneer.
“Is there any need for the empress to hide?”
“What part of your body has this emperor not already seen?”
“Wasn’t it you who just now, completely naked, demanded that I fulfill my duty as your husband?”
“Covering yourself now is unnecessary.”
After delivering his cold ridicule, he turned mercilessly and strode away.
Lin Anran’s head throbbed painfully.
What the hell was this?
Suddenly, memories that did not belong to her flooded her mind.
Only after a long while did Lin Anran weakly collapse back onto the bed.
She had transmigrated.
In her previous life, she had been an ordinary civil servant, diligently going to work every day. She had never harbored grand ambitions—she simply wanted a stable life, working peacefully until retirement.
But a car accident had taken her life and inexplicably thrown her into another world.
She had transmigrated into a dynasty that had never existed in history—the Great Xia Dynasty.
And she had become its unloved empress.
The original owner of this body came from a powerful family. Her grandfather had been a founding hero who served through three reigns, holding the title of Grand Preceptor and Duke of the Founding Commandery. Her father was the Head of the Central Secretariat, and all her brothers served as officials in court. She was the only daughter in the family and had been cherished and doted upon since childhood.
By imperial decree from the late emperor, she had married the crown prince and later naturally ascended to the position of empress.
Yet a once innocent young girl had been slowly twisted by the cannibalistic imperial harem into a bitter, resentful woman.
Eventually, she became infamous as a “professional abortion-maker,” directly causing the imperial harem’s heirs to dwindle.
As a result, the concubines hated her, the Empress Dowager disliked her, the emperor detested her, and even her daughter feared her.
Just one month ago, the Noble Consort had “accidentally” fallen down the stairs in the empress’s Fengyi Palace and miscarried.
The emperor had been furious.
The original empress denied pushing the Noble Consort, but not a single person believed her.
After reviewing the original owner’s memories, Lin Anran realized the matter truly had nothing to do with the empress at all—the Noble Consort had deliberately thrown herself down the stairs.
What a lunatic.
To scheme against the empress, she had even used her unborn child as a weapon. Ruthless beyond belief.
But the results had been extremely effective.
After the incident, the emperor granted the Noble Consort authority to help manage the six palaces and confined the empress to Fengyi Palace, ignoring her completely for two months.
This time, the original empress had used the rule that the emperor must stay in Fengyi Palace on the first and fifteenth of every month to forcibly drag him there—
Which led to the earlier scene.
But if the original empress had not yet died, how had she transmigrated into this body?
Lin Anran’s mind grew heavier and heavier, and before she realized it, she drifted back to sleep.
In her haze, a relieved voice echoed within her mind:
“Little A’Li will definitely like you. And you’ll definitely take good care of her and make her happy… right?”
…
Lin Anran was awakened by Chunhua.
Although the original empress had been confined and no longer needed to receive the concubines’ greetings or handle palace affairs, she had been a proud person. Every morning, she still rose early to dress and groom herself as though nothing were wrong.
“Your Majesty, you absolutely must pull yourself together! You still have the princess to care for. She’s still so young—she can’t live without you!” Chunhua wiped away tears painfully as she looked at the listless empress.
She was terrified the empress might once again attempt suicide by hanging herself.
Lin Anran pressed a hand against her aching forehead.
The princess?
Little A’Li?
She recalled the voice from her dream—it should have belonged to the original empress.
The original empress had given birth to her first child at sixteen, but the infant died before reaching one month old. At eighteen she miscarried once, then again at twenty-two. Finally, at twenty-four, she gave birth to a daughter named Luoli, whom the emperor granted the title Shengshi.
After her daughter’s birth, the original empress’s personality became increasingly extreme. She grew irritable, suspicious, fearful, and prone to crying for no reason. At her worst, she even contemplated strangling her daughter before poisoning herself.
In truth, these symptoms had already appeared after her first miscarriage.
Back then, they had simply been mild and ignored.
And even if anyone had noticed, it likely would not have mattered. Ancient times had no concept of postpartum depression. Even in modern society, it was only in recent years, thanks to the internet, that people had begun recognizing how terrifying postpartum depression could be.
As Lin Anran reviewed the original empress’s life, she became certain that the woman had lost all desire to continue living because of postpartum depression. Yet she could not bear to leave behind her only daughter.
And so, through sheer obsessive willpower, she had somehow miraculously summoned Lin Anran’s soul.
As for why it was her specifically, Lin Anran still had no idea.
“Where is Little A’Li?” Lin Anran asked.
The original empress’s memories were fragmented, especially because of the depression, which often left gaps in her recollections.
Chunhua replied, “The Empress Dowager missed the princess dearly and took her to stay in Cining Palace for two months. In a few more days, the princess will return to Your Majesty’s side.”
Lin Anran nodded and allowed the palace maids to help her dress and groom herself.
It was probably for the best that the child was not beside her for now. It gave her more time to organize her thoughts.
The empress’s breakfast was lavish.
Even as an unfavored empress, her morning meal included buns, steamed bread, soy milk, fried dough sticks, a bowl of wontons, a meat pie, and a plate of pan-fried dumplings.
This single breakfast could easily feed Lin Anran for an entire day.
In her previous life, she had always grabbed some random breakfast from a roadside stall while hurrying to cram onto the subway. On the rare weekends she had off, she simply slept until she woke naturally.
She could no longer remember how long it had been since she’d sat down properly to enjoy breakfast.
The meal left Lin Anran deeply satisfied.
Suddenly, she felt that transmigrating to ancient times didn’t seem so bad after all.
After breakfast, she had Chunhua move a chair into the courtyard so she could recline there, sipping tea and basking in the sun.
The late-autumn morning air was chilly, and lying beneath the warm sunlight felt wonderfully comfortable.
As she lounged there, drowsiness overtook her and she fell asleep.
When she awoke, a blanket had been draped over her.
At noon, the imperial kitchen delivered eight dishes and a soup—five meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, and winter melon pork rib soup. The flavors were far better than the cafeteria food from her workplace in her previous life.
Most importantly—
It was free.
Seeing that she could never finish so much food alone, Lin Anran briefly considered inviting Chunhua, Xia Mo, and Dongxue to eat with her. But then she remembered this was ancient times, where masters and servants could not share a table, so she gave up the thought. After eating, she simply rewarded the leftovers to them instead.
She only took a small bite from each dish, keeping the food neat and intact.
This was already the greatest respect Lin Anran could offer while still adapting to local customs.
Since she had transmigrated, she had no intention of behaving like those heroines who preached equality with servants. That would only make her seem abnormal—and might even get her beheaded.
Lin Anran’s survival philosophy was simple:
Go with the flow. Live peacefully and steadily.
After lunch, she took several walks in the courtyard to aid digestion before returning to bed for an afternoon nap.
After waking, she ate some fruit, read for a while, and before long it was time for dinner.
Dinner was even more extravagant than lunch, fully allowing Lin Anran to experience the joy of being wealthy.
Ancient times had no nightlife. Though candles illuminated the night, they were nowhere near as bright as electric lights, and the flickering flames made Lin Anran sleepy.
At around eight in the evening, she climbed into bed.
In modern times, this would have been unimaginable.
Even staying home offered countless temptations.
Just scrolling short videos could consume hours, not to mention dramas and video games.
Sleeping at eight o’clock was impossible.
Even midnight counted as sleeping early.
This sleep, however, was incredibly restful.
After only a single day, Lin Anran had already fallen in love with this lifestyle.
The original empress came from a powerful family, so she didn’t need to worry about being deposed, mistreated by palace servants, or lacking money.
No serving her in-laws.
No acting like a mother to her husband.
As long as she avoided causing trouble, avoided seeking love and affection, she could simply drink tea under the summer sun, warm herself by the fire and build snowmen in winter, and comfortably live until old age.
Hadn’t she worked diligently all her life in the modern world precisely for a retirement like this?
Now she had effectively retired more than thirty years early.
Just thinking about it made her happy.
Besides, she was already dead in the modern world. There was no going back.
She might as well stay peacefully here and enjoy her early retirement.
Lin Anran spent over ten blissful days living comfortably. Her face even became fuller, her complexion healthier, and her spirit far more refreshed than when she had first arrived. She appeared radiant, relaxed, and lazy in the best way.
She truly hoped life could continue like this forever.
But life rarely went as one wished.
Her confinement was lifted.
By custom, the harem concubines now had to come to Fengyi Palace to pay their respects, after which she would lead the higher-ranking consorts to greet the Empress Dowager.
Fortunately, Lin Anran was very clear-minded.
Retirement didn’t mean death.
As long as one lived, socializing was unavoidable.
She would just treat it like chatting with neighbors.
After eating breakfast in a side hall, Lin Anran slowly made her way toward the main hall.
Before she even entered, the sound of the concubines chatting drifted out.
She instinctively stopped and peeked through the screen.
There seemed to be gossip worth hearing.
“Noble Consort truly is broad-minded and well-fed. It’s only been two months since your miscarriage, yet you’ve already recovered, your beauty remains undiminished, and no wonder His Majesty keeps summoning you night after night since your name tablet was restored.”
The speaker was a magnificently dressed woman with an arrogant air, as though she looked down on everyone present.
This was Consort Xian.
Her words clearly mocked the Noble Consort for growing plump and heartless—not only acting unaffected after her miscarriage, but shamelessly seducing the emperor into favoring her again.
“My body has always been delicate. Naturally I cannot compare to Consort Xian’s robust constitution, giving birth to two princesses in succession. Unlike me—after giving birth to Luohuan, it took many years before I finally had Zelin. That is why His Majesty especially pities me and hurried to Yongning Palace to soothe my fragile, wounded heart.”
A soft, coquettish voice rang out, making goosebumps rise across Lin Anran’s skin.
She glanced over through the gap in the screen and saw a gentle, breathtakingly beautiful woman. Her face was round and lovely, her figure full and graceful. Dressed in plain white palace robes, she appeared even more delicate and fragile, standing in stark contrast to the colorful splendor around her.
The effect was strangely out of place—like someone from an entirely different drama had wandered onto the wrong set.
Wasn’t white supposed to be somewhat taboo in ancient times?
Consort Xian’s face turned green from anger.
Everyone in the harem knew that sons were her sore spot, yet the Noble Consort repeatedly stabbed at that wound, leaving her furious but helpless.
After all, throughout the entire harem, only the Noble Consort and Consort Shu had borne sons.
And Consort Shu’s son was frail and sickly, unlikely to survive to adulthood.
Everyone else had either remained childless or given birth only to daughters.
At that moment, a delicate-looking concubine entered the hall with a kind smile and an innocent demeanor.
Consort Xian immediately seized upon her as a target for her frustration.
“Lady Yue certainly has impressive airs. Even the Noble Consort, exhausted after serving His Majesty all night, arrived before you did. Or do you still think you’re the empress’s loyal dog, relying on her backing so you dare disregard the Noble Consort?”
Seeing Lady Yue being targeted, Chunhua’s eyes reddened anxiously.
Lady Yue was none other than Qiuyue, formerly the original empress’s maidservant. The original empress had sent her to the emperor’s bed, and after one night of favor, she had been promoted to the rank of Talented Lady.
Chunhua, Xia Mo, Qiuyue, and Dongxue had all been the original empress’s dowry maids, growing up alongside her and remaining fiercely loyal.
Chunhua was steady and dependable. Xia Mo lively and energetic. Qiuyue skilled at navigating relationships. Dongxue honest and straightforward.
After entering the palace, Chunhua managed the empress’s daily life, Xia Mo handled her grooming and appearance, Qiuyue coordinated affairs with the various palaces, and Dongxue managed the treasury and finances.
After Qiuyue became a Talented Lady, her responsibilities naturally shifted onto Chunhua.
Yet Lady Yue remained completely calm despite Consort Xian’s provocation.
With a gentle smile, she said softly, “Congratulations to Noble Consort on receiving His Majesty’s favor. May Your Highness achieve your wish and bear another imperial heir.”
After soothing the Noble Consort, she turned toward Consort Xian with the same respectful tone.
“And congratulations to Consort Xian as well. I heard that Second Princess received praise from His Majesty yesterday at Chongwen Hall. His Majesty commended the princess for excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.”
Consort Xian’s anger immediately eased by half after being praised, and she stopped making trouble for Lady Yue.
Lady Yue bowed slightly and quietly took her seat.
Lin Anran inwardly gave Lady Yue a thumbs-up.
Flexible, composed, and tactful—she had resolved the situation in just a few sentences.
No wonder she excelled at managing relationships.
The original empress had truly suffered a loss by sending Qiuyue away to keep the emperor’s attention.
Otherwise, with Qiuyue mediating among the concubines, relations probably would not have deteriorated so badly.
Thinking this, Lin Anran entered the main hall with Chunhua supporting her arm.
All the concubines rose and greeted her:
“Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress.”
“You may rise,” Lin Anran replied lazily.
The concubines were stunned, wondering if they had misheard.
The empress was letting them rise so easily?
Ordinarily, the empress always forced them to kneel for quite a while before allowing them up.
After being confined for two months, she surely should have been suppressing a great deal of resentment. They had all prepared themselves to be tormented.
How could she not torment them?
If the empress didn’t make things difficult, how were they supposed to earn the emperor’s sympathy?
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Lady Yue spoke first, and only then did the others follow in thanking her before standing.
Once everyone was seated, silence settled heavily across the hall.
Lin Anran had no intention of speaking first.
The concubines, meanwhile, were waiting for her to do so.
Eventually, Consort Xian sneered.
“Noble Consort is still angry with Your Majesty, isn’t she? Though honestly, this matter wasn’t entirely the empress’s fault. Even the imperial physicians said the empress’s anxiety had made her unable to tolerate seeing pregnant women before her. Yet Noble Consort insisted on flaunting her pregnant belly in front of the empress. It’s hardly surprising the empress accidentally pushed you down the stairs.”
Lin Anran was secretly astonished.
Straight-up attacking to someone’s face?
Was palace intrigue really this intense? The insults were unbelievably direct.
Consort Xian’s words simultaneously mocked the empress for being mentally unstable, jealous, and murderous toward imperial heirs, while also saying the Noble Consort deserved her miscarriage.
Neither side escaped unscathed.
Though furious, the Noble Consort merely let tears well in her eyes, adopting the appearance of a pitiful white lotus wronged beyond measure.
She had no intention of defending herself.
In her mind, the empress’s temper would soon erupt, and the two women would tear into each other while she reaped the benefits.
But after waiting quite some time, the expected shrill fury never came.
Confused, she turned to look.
The empress was simply staring blankly at the sunlight spilling through the doorway, her eyes unfocused.
Not only was there no anger on her face—
She looked… bored.
Today’s sunlight looked wonderfully warm.
If only she could move a chair into the courtyard and sit there drinking tea while reading.
After several days of bland food, she had instructed the imperial kitchen yesterday to add chili peppers to the dishes. Hopefully they had listened.
The Great Xia Dynasty’s cuisine relied mostly on steaming and boiling, leaving flavors far too mild for someone like Lin Anran, who loved spicy food.
She was practically craving hotpot.
Late autumn and hotpot were a perfect match.
Just as Lin Anran was lost in thought, Chunhua’s quiet voice sounded beside her ear.
Lin Anran snapped back to reality and lazily said, “It’s about time. Let’s go greet the Empress Dowager.”
Once the greetings were done, her day’s work would be over.
She rose and walked out without noticing the strange expressions on the concubines’ faces.
And even if she had noticed, she probably would not have cared.
She had no interest in palace scheming.
All she wanted was to quietly enjoy her retirement life and peacefully live to old age.
As for fighting for favor and causing miscarriages—
None of that had anything to do with her.
Let them fight all they wanted.
Let them have as many children as they pleased.
It had absolutely nothing to do with her.
Consort Xian nearly ground her teeth to pieces in fury after the empress ignored her provocation entirely.
It felt like punching cotton—utterly powerless.
The Noble Consort lowered her gaze thoughtfully.
Today’s empress was very strange.
It was as though she had become a completely different person.
Exactly like when she herself had first transmigrated into the novel.
Could it be…
The empress was also a transmigrator?