Bai Yan reigned for over forty years. She was ruthless in her handling of state affairs, but she was also exceptionally kind to her subjects. During her reign, the Southern Dynasty repeatedly reduced taxes, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.

For women, she is like a guiding light; it is because she dared to defy the world that women exist today.

Textile factories and the imperial court both recruited female officials, and girls' schools and academies sprang up like mushrooms after rain...

High-ranking officials and nobles may still follow the old customs and not send their daughters to school. But nowadays, girls who want to work in textile factories must go to school. Only by going to school can they earn wages, and perhaps even become officials. Moreover, their tuition is paid by the imperial court.

The people were very happy...

Bai Yan didn't know how the tides of dynastic development would unfold; she could only do what she could. As for the rest, she would leave it to future generations.

Meng Huaiyi, as a member of the Black-Clad Guard, was a blade. He killed countless people, including some of the dark secrets of the early days of the Empress's reign.

Many people, including Liu Jinan, even felt that perhaps once His Majesty had secured his throne, he would begin to settle scores.

His sworn brother Huaiyi was about to be pushed out because of his terrible reputation, and used as a tool for His Majesty to clear his name.

But as the days went by, Meng Huaiyi not only lived a good life, but His Majesty even built a tomb and wrote an inscription for the former Meng family couple, bestowing upon them the titles of Marquis and First-Rank Lady.

Later, when the court officials asked His Majesty to select a concubine, Meng Huaiyi walked out of His Majesty's palace and went back in as if no one else was there. Liu Jin'an then slapped his forehead: His male favorite was right next to him!

Damn it! He told him all his secrets. Is Meng Huaiyi still a good brother?!

Liu Jin'an turned around and shouted to his servant, "Quickly, prepare a generous gift for me and send it to the Marquis tonight. Tonight, I'm going to drink with the Marquis until we drop!"

Whether you're good brothers or not, it can't stop her from being an 'Empress'!

I have to cling to this powerful figure!

As a member of the Black-Clad Guard, Meng Huaiyi had suffered too many injuries in his youth. Even though Bai Yan carefully nursed him back to health, he still had to leave before her after he lived past sixty.

In his final moments, Meng Huaiyi stroked His Majesty's face, which was already showing some fine lines.

Tears welled up in Bai Yan's eyes: "Am I... getting old?"

Meng Huaiyi looked at her with longing in his eyes; he also loved her aging face.

"What should I do? What should I do?" Bai Yan sobbed softly against him, each separation causing her heartache and fear: "Will I ever see you again, Huaiyi?"

If she never sees him again, with whom should she travel through the beautiful lakes and waters?

"Yes, Xiao Yan, don't cry, I will always wait for you."

...

When Bai Yan died peacefully in her sleep, she discovered that she had not directly thrown herself into the torrent of time and space.

After finding the system's vulnerability, she forcibly dismantled it, meaning the power button and shutdown button were gone, and everything in the system space was sealed. Although she gained freedom, she also became a time traveler.

She looked up at the dreamlike starry sky, and a soft nebula gently caressed her cheek. At the same time, a gentle power emanated from that nebula.

Like rain after a long drought, Bai Yan's long-standing fatigue vanished completely. Embraced by Xingyun, she fell into a sweet sleep the moment she closed her eyes.

When she woke up again, Bai Yan grabbed the nebula and asked, "You are Meng Huaiyi, aren't you?"

Nebula couldn't speak, but Bai Yan could guess: "You're incomplete right now, aren't you?"

It merely touched her face with a corner of its cloud, and Bai Yan chuckled as she poked it with her finger: "I'll bring you back."

That's great, she no longer has to worry about gains and losses; she was destined to meet him.

...

When Bai Yan opened her eyes again, she felt incredibly hot all over, as if she were being burned from the inside out...

Judging from her own physical condition, Bai Yan quickly realized that the original owner had taken unclean medicine.

Looking around, the doors were tightly closed, and there were signs of struggle on the original owner's hands and body, especially since her clothes were disheveled, making it seem as if she had been forced to come here.

She closed her eyes, trying to figure out the current situation as soon as possible. Soon, she recalled the background of this world: it was still an ancient world, telling the story of the heroine Liu Yunrou and Marquis Boyuan Gu Chengan who fell in love but were forced to separate due to national and family feuds. In the end, they went through many difficulties and got back together.

The original owner was the younger sister of Bai Ruifeng, the wife of Marquis Boyuan.

When Bai Ruifeng was sixteen, she was betrothed to Gu Cheng'an, the heir of the Marquis of Boyuan. She was gentle and virtuous. After marrying into the Marquis's mansion, she was filial to her parents-in-law, took care of her husband, and raised Gu Cheng'an's two children to be outstanding. In every respect, she could be called a virtuous wife.

It wasn't until Gu Cheng'an went to the border and brought back Liu Yunrou, claiming she was the widow of a fallen soldier, that things changed. In reality, she was his true love, whom he had faked his death to escape.

Including the two children raised by Bai Ruifeng in the Marquis's mansion, they were also born to Liu Yunrou, who was Gu Cheng'an's deceased wife whom he had missed for half his life.

Although Liu Yunrou's name contains the character "rou" (柔, meaning gentle/soft), she was a wolf girl who grew up with wolves outside the Great Wall. She was very strong-willed and refused to be inferior to anyone, preferring death to becoming a concubine.

In the story, Gu Cheng'an, wanting to give his beloved wife a proper status but also not wanting people to gossip about her, simply plotted to ruin Bai Ruifeng's reputation.

Bai Ruifeng inexplicably committed adultery, ruining her reputation and leaving her no choice but to request a divorce. However, out of consideration for the Bai family's past relationship and to maintain a respectable image, the Gu family, though divorced Bai Ruifeng, still allowed her to remain in the manor and support them. Nevertheless, Bai Ruifeng harbored resentment and maliciously plotted to harm her two children.

In the end, he suffered the consequences of his actions and was burned alive in the Buddhist hall.

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