Transmigrated into an Ancient Times: The Empress's Retirement Life After

Lin Anran, an ordinary civil servant from the modern world, dies in a car accident and transmigrates into the body of the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty. The original empress came from a powerful political family but was confined to Fengyi Palace after being accused of pushing the Noble Consort down the stairs, causing a miscarriage. The original owner suffered from severe postpartum depression following multiple miscarriages and the death of her first child, which twisted her into a bitter, violent woman who abused her only remaining daughter, Princess Shengshi, named Luo Li. Driven by a desperate desire to protect her child, the original empress summoned Lin Anran’s soul before taking her own life. Lin Anran, whose primary goal is a peaceful retirement, decides to survive by avoiding conflict, ignoring the emperor’s hostility, and focusing on raising Luo Li with love and kindness.

The core conflict arises from the hostile harem environment. The Noble Consort, who is also a transmigrator aware of the novel’s plot, orchestrated the miscarriage to frame the empress and seize power. The Worthy Consort, reborn with memories of a tragic future where she dies in childbirth and the Noble Consort rises to Empress, seeks to prevent the original empress’s deposition to buy time for her own revenge. Lin Anran’s transformation from a neglected, hated empress into a caring mother disrupts these carefully laid plans. When the Empress Dowager demands Luo Li remain in Cining Palace, Lin Anran submits gracefully, offering a self-critical letter that pleases the Dowager’s desire for imperial heirs, thereby securing permission to take her daughter back to Fengyi Palace.

A key turning point occurs when Luo Li is bullied by the Second and Fourth Princesses, daughters of Consort Xian, and pushed into a pond. While the emperor indirectly punishes Consort Xian by reprimanding her daughters, Lin Anran chooses not to involve the emperor directly, instead handling the matter herself to maintain her low profile. However, the incident reveals the dangers awaiting Luo Li. Lin Anran begins to actively protect her daughter, discarding the oppressive educational schedule imposed by the original empress and allowing Luo Li to play and enjoy childhood. She also subtly wins over Nanny Jian, the Empress Dowager’s spy, by treating her with respect and offering rewards, neutralizing a potential threat within Fengyi Palace.

The emperor, Guo Yichen, observes these changes with confusion. He had expected the empress to throw a tantrum or scheme for favor, but instead finds her calm, competent, and devoted solely to her daughter. His unexpected rewards to Fengyi Palace, including rare tribute foods, signal a shift in his attitude, though he remains emotionally distant. The Noble Consort grows increasingly suspicious of Lin Anran’s behavior, testing her with secret codes from modern pop songs to determine if she is also a transmigrator. Lin Anran’s oblivious responses lead the Noble Consort to conclude she is not, yet the empress’s unpredictable actions continue to thwart the Noble Consort’s schemes. The story moves toward Lin Anran balancing her desire for a quiet life with the necessity of defending her daughter against the treacherous palace politics, while the emperor slowly reevaluates his perception of her.