Chapter 486 is worthwhile

The turning point came on that rainy night.

Due to obstacles in academy affairs and recurring depression, Yuan Hongqu was exhausted and fell ill at her residence.

In her dazed state, she sensed someone constantly by her bedside, changing the cold cloth on her forehead and feeding her bitter medicine.

She opened her eyes, and in the dim candlelight, she saw Lin Yuanhang's bloodshot but still gentle eyes.

At that moment, all defenses collapsed completely.

She reached out and gently grasped his sleeve, tears silently streaming down her face.

A thousand words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one.

Lin Yuanhang grasped her cold hand in return, his voice low and firm, carrying an undeniable promise:

"Hongqu, don't be afraid. I'm here."

Without any fancy words, just these few simple words, they were like a warm current, completely breaking down the last barrier in her heart.

She finally nodded, letting herself bask in this belated, precious warmth.

That period was an exceptionally bright time for Yuan Hongqu, both after she transmigrated and in her modern life.

Although they were not formally engaged, they were of one mind and supported each other.

Lin Yuanhang helped her better promote her ideas at the academy. Together they planned for the future, dreaming of perhaps founding a truly gender-neutral and inclusive institution of learning.

However, happy times are always fleeting, as if stolen.

Zhao Huajing's arrival in Beijing and the unfolding of her revenge plan have drawn them into a vortex of fate.

In order to help the disciple she regarded as her own sister and had devoted countless efforts to, Yuan Hongqu had no choice but to seek help from Lin Yuanhang.

He agreed without hesitation, not wanting to disappoint Yuan Hongqu, and also for the sake of the principles and justice in his heart.

He used his connections and network to pave the way for Zhao Huajing, collect evidence, and defuse crises time and time again.

Yuan Hongqu knew the danger involved and repeatedly advised him to be cautious, but he always comforted her with a smile:

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. For you, for Hua Jing, and for the better world we want to see in the future, it's worth it."

"Worth it"... These two words became his last words of wisdom to her, and also became a burden she could not bear for the rest of her life.

When the news of Lin Yuanhang's head being separated from his body and hanging from the city wall arrived, Yuan Hongqu felt that her world had been completely shattered at that moment.

She didn't cry out, but felt her blood freeze instantly. The heart he had just warmed was ripped out, leaving a bloody, unhealable void.

The immense grief and trauma exceeded the limits of her mental capacity, and in order to protect herself, her consciousness chose the most thorough escape—forgetting.

The sorceress who had been trying to seduce Yuan Hongqu truly believed that she had captured Yuan Hongqu's soul, and that after so many deceptions, her trickery had actually become real.

Little did they know that this was Yuan Hongqu's body's self-protection mechanism.

Yuan Hongqu forgot Yangzhou, forgot the academy, forgot Zhao Huajing, and also forgot Lin Yuanhang, who loved her with his life and ultimately died for her.

Later, she was rescued by Lin Ruhai and entered the Lin family, becoming Daiyu's nanny.

Having lost her memory, she was reborn, becoming peaceful and focused, pouring all her emotions into the little girl who had lost her mother.

Later, as memories slowly returned, those heavy past events surged back like a tide.

She calmly accepted it all, engraving that name, that feeling, and that person deep in the most secret corner of her heart, never mentioning them to anyone—a forbidden place that no one could touch.

......

Time is the most impartial sculptor. Even a soul like Yuan Hongqu, with its extraordinary experiences, has ultimately left clear marks in the long river of time.

She did not remain eternally young because of the mysterious space that accompanied her through the journey. The spiritual spring and special environment in the space nourished her inner self, slowing down rather than stopping the aging process.

Even in her eighties, with a full head of silver hair and a face covered in fine wrinkles, her eyes remained clear and serene, revealing a wisdom and gentleness born from years of experience.

Her back was straight, and although her movements were slow, she possessed a natural elegance. She looked more than ten years younger than her actual age, like an ancient plum tree that had been carefully tended, its branches weathered by wind and frost, yet its inner beauty remained undiminished.

In contrast, her student, the current Empress Dowager Zhao Huajing, although younger than the original Hongqu, appeared much older.

Being at the center of the power vortex year after year, exhausting oneself to balance the court and cultivate successors, even with the support of the supreme ruler, the deep lines between the eyebrows and the occasional signs of exhaustion that cannot be fully relaxed even during a short rest all demonstrate how the word "worry" accelerates the depletion of life.

Her authority grew stronger each day, and her eyes remained as sharp as ever, but beneath that sharpness lay a heavy weariness that she only let go of when facing a very few old friends.

The imperial court has already experienced four smooth power transitions.

The emperor who defied public opinion and firmly supported Zhao Huajing and her reforms abdicated peacefully on a spring day after creating decades of prosperity.

Even more shockingly, his preferred successor was not one of his princes, but Empress Zhao Huajing, who fought alongside him and demonstrated outstanding political talent and a broad vision.

On that day, only the couple and a few key officials were present in the Zichen Palace.

The Emperor held Zhao Huajing's hand, his gaze earnest: "Huajing, I trust you most completely with this vast empire. Your abilities and magnanimity far surpass those of the princes. The throne should belong to the capable; why be bound by gender?"

This groundbreaking suggestion was firmly rejected by Zhao Huajing.

She knelt before her husband, tears welling in her eyes, yet her gaze was clear: "Your Majesty's trust in me is deeply appreciated. However, if I were to ascend the throne, my legitimacy would be illegitimate, potentially causing turmoil in the court and the country, which would be detrimental to the nation. Moreover, my ambition lies in assisting a wise ruler to create a prosperous era, not in ascending the throne myself. If Your Majesty trusts me, then let me use my own life to select and cultivate the most suitable ruler for Your Majesty and for this world to maintain and expand the existing order."

The emperor understood his meaning and finally sighed and agreed.

From then on, although Zhao Huajing did not become empress, she effectively became the empire's most important "imperial tutor" and stabilizing force.

As Empress Dowager, and then Grand Empress Dowager, she began her long and extraordinary journey of "nurturing the emperor."

She and the emperor did not have any biological children of their own, nor did she choose one of the princes to raise under her name like other empresses.

Zhao Huajing's first heir was the emperor's youngest son. He was kind-hearted and good at accepting advice. Under his leadership, reform policies were consolidated and people's livelihoods continued to improve.

Her second emperor was her grandson, who was ambitious and pioneering. During his reign, overseas trade reached its peak, and several new territories were opened up.

The third was a princess—her great-granddaughter, whom she personally selected and devoted herself to teaching.